The Church today is divided, and very likely to divide even more. Throughout Church history there have been disputes; that’s not so unusual. What’s odd about this situation is that the two disputing groups, the “liberals” and the “conser … [Read more...]
About Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap, was ordained in Aug. 26, 1972. He is currently in the process of developing the Julia Greeley shelter for homeless, unaccompanied women in metro Denver. He is spiritual director and chaplain for Mother Teresa of Calcutta's Missionaries of Charity in Denver, as well as being one of the spiritual directors for the Missionaries of Charity in the western United States. He was director of prison ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver, from 1999 to 2010; a chaplain for Missionaries of Charity at their now-closed AIDS hospice, Seton House, and at Gift of Mary homeless shelter for women in Denver from 1989 to 2008; and in 1997, he was sent by Mother Teresa to instruct Missionaries of Charity in Madagascar and South Africa on the subject of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist . His articles have been published in Homiletic & Pastoral Review, The Catholic Faith, Soul Magazine, Pastoral Life, and The Priest. He has also made two series for Mother Angelica's EWTN: "Crucial Questions," "Catholic Answers," and "What Did Vatican II Really Teach?"
Vatican II’s “Religious Liberty” Revisited
July 2, 2020 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Today, threats to religious liberty in the United States are very much in the news. The most striking example is the Supreme Court’s recent decision in June 2020 that the LGBT community must be granted civil rights status in employment m … [Read more...]
A Sure Way to Save the Church
Developing the Doctrine on the Eucharist
January 28, 2019 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Part I – Jesus Christ Seems to Be Just a Memory It’s been centuries since there has been such open opposition between cardinals and bishops as there is today over Pope Francis’s perplexing Amoris Laetitia, which has spawned so much discord … [Read more...]
Fatima’s Third Secret—More Relevant than Ever?
September 18, 2018 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
For many decades, the “Third Secret of Fatima” was considered by many people to be one of the great mysteries of the Church. It was part of the message believed to be held back from the public at the request of Our Lady of Fatima, who app … [Read more...]
The Dilemma of Pope Francis: The 2018 World Meeting of Families
March 15, 2018 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
By now everyone — especially Catholics — should know that the 2018 World Meeting of Families, sponsored by the Vatican Congregation of Marriage and Family Life, will gather in Dublin, Ireland this August. In recent months, stories about t … [Read more...]
The Flawed Strategy Behind Amoris Laetitia
August 18, 2017 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Catholics continue to be confounded by the mixed signals sent by Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia. Given the high-ranking Church officials who have weighed in (but on opposite sides), and some who have been apparently … [Read more...]
From Street to Sanctuary: The LGBT Take On the Church
June 12, 2017 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
The “Lesbian-Gay-Bi-Trans” movement (hereafter, LGBT) has largely succeeded in becoming fully accepted into the secular society worldwide. Now it’s clear that this movement—composed of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and the trans-gendered—is sett … [Read more...]
Fatima and the “signs of the times” needs a closer look
January 20, 2017 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Prologue: In search of a common point of departure and dialogue While we should not recklessly seek signs from God, the Scriptures and the Second Vatican Council both assert that it is wise to be able to read the "signs of the times" (Mt. … [Read more...]
Mercy is a Serious Matter
October 13, 2016 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Pope Francis announced a "Holy Year of Mercy" which began on Dec. 8, 2015, and will end on Nov. 20, 2016. Many imagine that a year of mercy means that people can lift their arms up to the heavens, crying out for God's mercy, and a … [Read more...]
Women Deacons: At What Price?
June 13, 2016 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
(This article was originally published in the print version of Homiletic & Pastoral Review, July 1996.) Now that Pope John Paul II has "definitively" ruled out women priests in his apostolic letter to the bishops, others are … [Read more...]
Amoris Laetitia: A Deceptive Joy
May 28, 2016 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
The recent publication of Pope Francis' document on the family and married life, Amoris Laetitia ("Joy of Love") has caused consternation, confusion, and deep anguish among Catholics. They wonder: Are the Church’s timeless teachings on m … [Read more...]
How the Synod of 2015 Ignored the Real Problem, 50 Years in the Making
January 15, 2016 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
It’s hard to believe now, but at the beginning of the year, Synod 2015 was predicted to be a possible game changer for the Church. According to various media reports, the Synod promised to be: “stormy,” “intense,” a time of “great expectatio … [Read more...]
Kneeling Ban: Good Liturgy or Loss of Religious Freedom?
July 12, 2015 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Some religious leaders in the Latin Rite are pressuring Catholics not to kneel at the Consecration, or to genuflect at their reception of the Eucharist. This trend has gained a great deal of traction in recent years, and is causing alarm … [Read more...]
Fifty Years Later–Vatican II’s Unfinished Business
April 22, 2013 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Today, 50 years after the opening of Vatican II, the misinterpretation of one of its most salient documents, Lumen Gentium, continues to drive a number of Catholics in the United States into one of two camps, the “right” or the “le … [Read more...]
Clergy Sexual Abuse: Questions Remain
August 30, 2012 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
The original John Jay statistics state that the sex abuse crisis was the overwhelming work of a very small number of clergy, targeting young males as their victims ... the one reform not addressed: screening out clergy candidates with … [Read more...]
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