Saint Jerome on Papal Primacy

From Letter 15, To Pope Damasus, written in A.D. 376 or 377. http://newadvent.org/fathers/3001015.htm Eight points jump out at me regarding this letter. 1. Saint Jerome affirms the primacy of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. 2. He calls the Pope the successor of Peter and sits in the Chair of Peter. 3. He says the …

Memorial of Saint Ambrose

Sipping coffee this morning and realizing it was the Memorial of Saint Ambrose--the great 4th Century Bishop of Milan, baptizer of Saint Augustine, patron of bee keepers--I remembered this video by Bishop Robert Barron from a couple years ago. I hope you find it as thought provoking as I did.

“Would that it twuh so simple.” A critique of Taylor Marshall’s critique of Distributism

This is an attempted critique of the episode of the Taylor Marshall Show where Taylor Marshall, Jay Richards, and Timothy Gordon critiqued Distributism. Find it here. Disclaimer: My discussion of Distributism is as I understand it. I’m still learning and so it may be something a bit different. So do you’re own research. Don’t be …

C.S. Lewis on Modern Political Mass Excitement

    If I wished to satirise the present political order I should borrow for it the name which Punch invented during the first German War: Govertisement. This is a portmanteau word and means ‘government by advertisement’. But my intention is not satiric; I am trying to be objective. The change is this. In all …

The Popcorn Cathedral Podcast with Rod Bennett

Do you like movies? Do you like movie trivia? Do you like learning about the themes of your favorite movies that made them your favorite movies? Do you like listening to guys geek out about movies from a Catholic perspective? Then Rod Bennett's podcast "The Popcorn Cathedral" may be right up your alley.  From the …

Thoughts on the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Mass

One thing I’ve recently learned is that there are some strong opinions regarding the Ordinary vs. the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (Novus Ordo vs. Latin Mass).  I’ve been having quite a few conversations with friends recently about the pros and cons regarding both. Recently, hanging with some friends over beer and ribs, the pro-Latin …

Is the History of Catholicism Like a Game of Chess?

None of my posts should be taken as any sort of “official” Catholic doctrine. I am a layman still trying to figure a lot of things out. This post should most certainly be taken with a large grain of salt. These are personal musings that I think are interesting enough to share. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How does …

Russian Ark – a film by Alexander Sokurov

I just finished watching Russian Ark, the film by Alexander Sokurov. How can one describe this film?  Incredible.  Unbelievable.  Ambitious.  I'm not sure. It is an hour-and-a-half filmed in one single continuous take. The camera perspective is a man from modern times that wakes up in 18th Century Russia.  He meets a French aristocrat and …

The Path to Rome: Modern Journeys to the Catholic Church, edited by Dwight Longenecker – A Review

"I found myself on 11 November 1992, when the Church of England voted to ordain women, overwhelmed with a sudden and mysterious conviction of the truth of Roman Catholicism." So wrote Sheridan Gilley in his contribution to The Path to Rome: Modern Journeys to the Catholic Church, edited by Dwight Longenecker. In the same vein …

Pilgrimage to the Fifth Gospel

The Holy Land has been called the Fifth Gospel, and after visiting there I now better understand why. Visiting the sites where such great events took place was humbling and often emotional. Seeing and experiencing the land and geography made the stories come alive. Allowing imagination to see the people of old walking those same …