FAITH AND MORALS

You Were Loved

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IN the wake of the outgoing, affectionate, and even revolutionary pontificate of St. John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was cast under a long shadow when he assumed the throne of Peter. But what would soon mark the pontificate of Benedict XVI would not be his charisma or humor, his personality or vigor — indeed, he was quiet, serene, almost awkward in public. Rather, it would be his unswerving and pragmatic theology at a time when the Barque of Peter was being assailed from both within and without. It would be his lucid and prophetic perception of our times that seemed to clear the fog before the bow of this Great Ship; and it would be an orthodoxy that proved time and again, after 2000 years of often stormy waters, that the words of Jesus are an unshakeable promise:

I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. (Matt 16:18)

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Who is the True Pope?

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WHO is the true pope?

If you could read my inbox, you’d see that there is less agreement on this subject than you’d think. And this divergence was made even stronger recently with an editorial in a major Catholic publication. It proposes a theory that is gaining traction, all the while flirting with schism…Continue reading →

Defending Jesus Christ

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Peter’s Denial by Michael D. O’Brien

 

Years ago at the height of his preaching ministry and before leaving the public eye, Fr. John Corapi came to a conference I was attending. In his deep throaty voice, he took to the stage, looked out upon the intent crowd with a grimace and exclaimed: “I’m angry. I’m angry at you. I’m angry at me.” He then went on to explain in his usual boldness that his righteous anger was due to a Church sitting on its hands in the face of a world in need of the Gospel.

With that, I am republishing this article from October 31st, 2019. I have updated it with a section called “Globalism Spark”.

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So, You Saw Him Too?

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brooksThe Man of Sorrows, by Matthew Brooks

  

First published October 18th, 2007.

 

IN my travels throughout Canada and the United States, I have been blessed to spend time with some very beautiful and holy priests — men who are truly laying down their lives for their sheep. Such are the shepherds whom Christ seeks these days. Such are the shepherds who must have this heart in order to lead their sheep in the coming days…

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On the Mass Going Forward

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…each particular Church must be in accord with the universal Church
not only regarding the doctrine of the faith and sacramental signs,
but also as to the usages universally received from apostolic and unbroken tradition. 
These are to be observed not only so that errors may be avoided,
but also that the faith may be handed on in its integrity,
since the Church’s rule of prayer (lex orandi) corresponds
to her rule of faith (lex credendi).
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 3rd ed., 2002, 397

 

IT might seem odd that I am writing about the unfolding crisis over the Latin Mass. The reason is that I have never attended a regular Tridentine liturgy in my life.[1]I did attend a Tridentine rite wedding, but the priest didn’t seem to know what he was doing and the whole liturgy was scattered and odd. But that’s exactly why I am a neutral observer with hopefully something helpful to add to the conversation…Continue reading →

Footnotes

Footnotes
↑1 I did attend a Tridentine rite wedding, but the priest didn’t seem to know what he was doing and the whole liturgy was scattered and odd.

There is Only One Barque

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…as the Church’s one and only indivisible magisterium,
the pope and the bishops in union with him,
carry the gravest responsibility that no ambiguous sign
or unclear teaching comes from them,
confusing the faithful or lulling them
into a false sense of security. 
—Cardinal Gerhard Müller,
former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
First Things, April 20th, 2018

It is not a question of being ‘pro-’ Pope Francis or ‘contra-’ Pope Francis.
It is a question of defending the Catholic faith,
and that means defending the Office of Peter
to which the Pope has succeeded. 
—Cardinal Raymond Burke, The Catholic World Report,
January 22, 2018

 

BEFORE he passed away, almost a year ago to the day at the very start of the pandemic, the great preacher Rev. John Hampsch, C.M.F. (c. 1925-2020) wrote me a letter of encouragement. In it, he included an urgent message for all my readers:Continue reading →

For the Love of Neighbour

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“SO, what just happened?”

As I floated in silence on a Canadian lake, staring up into the deep blue past the morphing faces in the clouds, that was the question rolling through my mind recently. Over a year ago, my ministry suddenly took a seemingly unexpected turn into examining the “science” behind the sudden global lockdowns, church closures, mask mandates, and coming vaccine passports. This took some readers by surprise. Remember this letter?Continue reading →