“Yes, if only I am lifted up from the earth, I will attract all men to myself.”[1. Jn 12:32. All Scriptural quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the Knox Translation of the Bible.] In recent decades, the Church’s Magisterium has rep … [Read more...]
The Eucharist as Source and Summit of Evangelization in the Recent Magisterium
Does the Text of Amoris Laetitia Allow Communion for the Divorced and Remarried?
Part 1
Since it came out, some have argued that Amoris Laetitia permits Communion for the divorced and remarried. This is often based on a few lines rather than going back and analyzing the text as a whole in line with tradition.[1. I will deal … [Read more...]
Conflicting Interpretations of Lumen Gentium 16
Fr. Gerald O’Collins, S.J., has recently claimed that Ralph Martin “egregiously misrepresents Vatican II’s teaching {in LG 16}.”[1. Gerald O’Collins, S.J., The Second Vatican Council, Message and Meaning (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
Question: Can you define the sensus fidelium, and explain why it can’t be used to dissent from Catholic teaching? Answer: The term sensus fidelium (understanding of the faithful) has led to a great many difficulties in the Catholic C … [Read more...]
How the Synod of 2015 Ignored the Real Problem, 50 Years in the Making
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...]
Lumen Gentium
The Church’s Explanation of Her Nature, Mission, and Structure in the World
October 11, 2012, marked the 50th anniversary of the opening session of the Second Vatican Council. The newly canonized Pope St. John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was elected to the papacy in October of 1958, at the age of 77. Much … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
Pope Francis seems to be placing a renewed emphasis on the teachings of the Church regarding the ethical pursuit of wealth and business. Are there practical norms for the correct use of economic power in a firm? Lumen Gentium was very … [Read more...]
Laying the Foundation for Forming Disciples in Our Parishes
A recent mailing of the Franciscan University of Steubenville declares, “The age of casual Catholicism is over. The age of heroic Catholicism has begun.”[1. Fr. Terrence Henry, TOR, Franciscan University of Steubenville. ] Men and women sta … [Read more...]
The Holy Spirit and the Contemporary Reform of the Catholic Church
Status Quaestionis Ecclesia semper reformanda est (The Church is always to be reformed). This phrase originated in the Nadere Reformatiae of the Dutch Reform during the 1600s, and first appeared in the 1674 work, Beschouwinge van Zion … [Read more...]
A Pastoral Society
The Renewal of Catholic Culture and the Flourishing of Human Society
Introduction In the Catholic intellectual community, there is a growing call for the renewal of Christian culture as a solution to the impoverishment of 21st century society. This intellectual movement has two momentums: on the one hand, … [Read more...]
True, Virginal Wife of Joseph
Recently, a holy, married couple made the following claim regarding the central place of sexual intercourse in sacramental marriage, expressed as a personal insight, gained over the course of more than 50 years of sacramental … [Read more...]
The Role of the Church in the Journey of Salvation
The Church, the living Body of Christ and sacrament of salvation, continues its pilgrimage to heaven by exercising Christ’s ministry in the world so as to bring humanity into greater conformity with Christ. The Vision of the Lord D … [Read more...]
Decoding Vatican II’s Marian Paradigm Shift
This Vatican II Mariological paradigmatic shift reverberated into all areas of ecclesial theology and liturgy, through a new hermeneutic or interpretation that went beyond the council’s purview and became what is described as a new ethos, t … [Read more...]
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