Thoughts on the “Infinite” Dignity of the Human Person

”As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”Jesus, Matthew 25:40 “The Church has the mission to announce to the world, which is looking for better and more perfect forms of democracy, the highest and most needed message that there can be: the dignity of man, …

Thoughts on the film “Mass of the Ages” Parts 1 and 2

I wrote this up over a year ago but never posted it. With the recent release of Part III (which I have not watched yet) it seemed a fitting time to go ahead and finally hit publish. They keep changing the link and have made some edits to the original videos, so I’ve had to …

Catholic Geocentrism

“It not infrequently happens that something about the earth, about the sky, about other elements of this world, about the motion and rotation or even the magnitude and distances of the stars, about definite eclipses of the sun and moon, . . . and of other such things, may be known with the greatest certainty …

Pachamama at the Vatican

There is a story that continues to be spread, no matter how much much it is debunked. “Pagan ritual at the Vatican!” “Idolatry in Vatican Gardens!!” “Pachamama!!” My favorite debunking analysis is by Michael Lofton with guest Deacon Anthony Dragani here. Below are the highlights that I thought were most impressive and relevant. Pachamama was …

Is the Catechism of the Catholic Church “simply” a sure norm for teaching the Faith?

An article got passed around my parish (not by my priest, but by a layman). It was so terribly argued that I was surprised people would take it seriously, and saddened that some of these are within my own parish. Like many things like this, I wrote up a response and decided it was worth …

Did Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández say there was a unique “Doctrine of Pope Francis”?

No. He did not. From the interview with National Catholic Register, Fernandez said, When we speak of obedience to the magisterium, this is understood in at least two senses, which are inseparable and equally important. One is the more static sense, of a “deposit of faith,” which we must guard and preserve unscathed. But on …

Armed Insurrection and Catholic Teaching: chances of success and worse disorders

Disclaimer: Like all of my posts, this is a blog of my personal thoughts. I am a layman trying to understand difficult topics and may not have all the necessary information. I’m still learning so any conclusions stated here may not be fully correct and will be developed with any new information. This is also …

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Lord, have mercyLord, have mercyChrist, have mercyChrist, have mercyLord, have mercyLord, have mercy God our Father in heavenhave mercy on usGod the Son, Redeemer of the worldhave mercy on usGod the Holy Spirithave mercy on usHoly Trinity, one Godhave mercy on usHeart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Fatherhave mercy on usHeart of Jesus, formed …

Vatican I and Dogmatic Submission to Non-Infallible Doctrines and Disciplines

Disclaimer: Like all of my posts, this is a blog of my personal thoughts. I am a layman trying to understand difficult topics and may not have all the necessary information. I’m still learning so any conclusions stated here may not be fully correct and will likely be developed with any new information. The first …

Tolkien and Modern Catholicism

That there is no allegory does not, of course, say there is no applicability. There always is. (Letter 203: 17 November 1957) I do not like allegory (properly so called: most readers appear to confuse it with significance or applicability). (Letter 215: April 1959) This post has the danger of giving the impression that I …

J.R.R. Tolkien, the Mass, Vatican II, and Misrepresentation by the SSPX

I came across this article by the SSPX called "Professor Tolkien Goes to Mass: What the Author and Scholar Saw that Others Dismissed". And I figured it required a response. Granted, it’s a short article, but I feel like it gives a shallow one-dimensional appraisal of Tolkien; as if they think he’d be one of …

Thoughts on the Appointment of Mariana Mazzucato to the Pontifical Academy for Life

Catholic news sites (particularly "conservative" Catholic sites and commentators) reacted strongly to the news that Mariana Mazzucato, an economics professor who supports abortion, was appointed to the Pontifical Academy for Life. The usual cast of characters did their usual denunciations of Pope Francis with their usual caricatures and distorted exaggerations. When I first heard the …

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger on Receiving Communion: in the Hand or on the Tongue?

"The second objection we wanted to consider was directed against the act of receiving Communion: kneeling—standing, hand—mouth." …. "Well, here again we know that until the ninth century Communion was received in the hand, standing. That does not of course mean that it should always be so. For what is fine, sublime, about the Church …

Joseph Ratzinger on the Changes to the Offertory Prayers in the Reformed Liturgy

One of the constant criticisms that Traditionalists level at the Reformed Mass is the changes to the Offertory prayers. For example, a piece from Rorate Caeli says, "the Novus Ordo, like Cranmer’s missal, repudiates an oblative offertory, replacing it with a supper-oriented 'presentation of gifts' based on the Jewish berakah." Rad Trads think such a …

Ambivalence of Overturning Roe v. Wade

On June 24, 2022 the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. This places the abortion issue back on the states. It's an event for which the pro-life movement has prayed. It doesn't end abortion in our country, but it does go in the right direction. But my feelings are ambivalent. I should be more excited, …

Catholic Discordance by Massimo Borghesi | A Book Review

As an Evangelical American in college, I allowed myself to be led down the primrose path of Capitalism and warmongering; in other words, Neoconservatism. I began reading a lot of apologetics for Capitalism and supported George W. Bush's wars in the Middle East. Much of this was because of things I saw as a kid …

“The Orthodoxy of Amoris Laetitia” by Pedro Gabriel: a book review

The Short Review Anyone concerned about the controversy surrounding Amoris Laetitia needs to read this book. https://wipfandstock.com/9781666733280/the-orthodoxy-of-amoris-laetitia/ The Longer Review Pedro Gabriel is a regular contributor to the website Where Peter Is and has become of one my favorite authors there. When I heard he was writing this book I was excited, and Mr. Gabriel …

Canonizations of Saints and Required Assent

This is a hasty blog, so it may very well have error. But I was reading some things this morning and came across a topic worth writing out. (This blog is as much for my benefit as for others, because it helps me to write things out. If I've put in all the work, I …

Is anything wrong with Ultramontanism?

Of course, before such a question can be answered, Ultramontanism itself must be defined. From ChurchPop From what I can gather, when one speaks of Ultramontanism one is speaking of neither a specifically defined orthodox nor heretical position. As far as I know, the Church has neither defined the term nor used it in any …

Is the St. Michael Prayer After Mass An Indispensable Part of Our Tradition?

This blog post is probably one of my longer and more boring ones. But I did some research and figured it worth typing up. Hopefully it's coherent. It's also an obscure history, so there isn't a lot of factual information readily available. I made use of what I could find, and further research may reveal …