In your conversations with conservative Evangelical Christians, has anyone else ever noticed a strange double think? It is a common tactic for Conservative Evangelical Christians to find some abuse of liberal Catholics and beat all Catholics with that abuse. Let us say that the conservative Evangelical discovers that Catholics do not believe in healing miracles, [Read More...]

Damian Thompson reports the imminent beatification of Fr. Newman….that would be J.Henry, not J.Scott…. [Read more...]

Somebody asked in the combox “Where is Fr. Dwight?” The answer is, London. I flew out on the night flight from Charlotte on Monday, went to a meeting on Tuesday, and flew home on Wednesday morning arriving back in Greenville at 6pm. Wasn’t even there long enough to get jet lag. It was all pretty [Read More...]

Our ex Catholic friend in the combox criticizes Catholics for indulging in a theology of suffering. Didn’t the Master say we must ‘take up our cross and follow him’ if we would be his disciple? Now what could that possibly mean except that we ought not only expect, but accept the suffering that comes to [Read More...]

Anglican bishop Michael Nazir-Ali (who’s family immigrated to Britain, who’s father converted from Islam to Catholicism and who is a convert from Catholicism to Anglicanism) warns that certain parts of Britain are being taken over by extremist elements of the predominantly Muslim population, making these parts of Britain dangerous for Christians. When will liberal Christians [Read More...]

In conversation with a young seminarian last week we were discussing the problems within the Catholic Church. My own opinion is that the problems have little to do with all the external things we focus on: choice of hymns, type of liturgy, church architecture, preaching styles, etc. etc. etc. All these things are important, but [Read More...]

A commenter notes about Benedict XVI’s more exalted taste in regalia that he doesn’t think Peter the fisherman would be comfortable in such outfits. This is a commonplace argument when faced with the glories of Catholic regalia, liturgy, music or architecture. “What!” says the tourist when faced with an Austrian baroque church, “this is hardly [Read More...]

More recent photographs of the papal regalia. h/t Roving Medievalist. [Read more...]

Says here women are more likely to get depressed and turn to drink if they let their religion lapse… [Read more...]

Last year the attendance for the Mass for the Solemnity of the Mother of God was poor so the parish pastor decided to have just one Mass today. Happily the church was packed. Our splendid choir sang, there were seventeen perfectly drilled young male servers. Fr Michael Cassabon–our newly ordained priest was home from Rome [Read More...]

The Daily Telegraph has more on the changing face of Christianity in the UK. It’s a very objective, newsy article telling us that the African charismatic churches are growing very quickly while Anglicanism, Methodism and the Baptist churches are all in rapid decline. Catholicism is growing more gradually, but this (like the Pentecostal growth) is [Read More...]

One of the regular commentators on this blog is a British fellow who was brought up a Catholic and has left the Catholic Church for charismatic Protestantism. It’s great to have him here because his questions and comments are always lively and, although sometimes punchy, are always put with good humor and a charitable spirit. [Read More...]

Here’s an amusing story about a man who sent Christmas cards the year after his death. [Read more...]

One of the lines I love most about the first Eucharistic Prayer is the prayer for the Catholic Church and all bishops who ‘preach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the Apostles.’ In the creed we profess “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic” Church, and in my discussions with non-Catholic Christians from Reformation communities, [Read More...]

Benedict XVI blesses the faithful on Christmas Day. Vatican watchers have observed that Benedict chooses to wear much more traditional vestments and papal regalia. Check out the tall miter. Shawn Tribe tells us that the pope’s is wearing a cope embroidered in gold that was John XXIII’s together with a mitre of Pope Benedict XV… [Read More...]

Welcome all wonders in one sightEternity shut in a spanSummer in Winter,Day in NightHeaven in Earth, God in ManGreat Little One, Whose All embracing BirthLifts Earth to HeavenStoops Heaven to Earth –Richard Crashaw [Read more...]

The Daily Telegraph reports that Catholics attending mass outnumber members of the established Church of England. Pentecostals come in third. Lest Catholics crow in triumph, the increase in numbers is not attributable to the dynamic state of the Catholic church in Britain, but it can be put down to the large numbers of Eastern European [Read More...]

The Daily Telegraph reports Tony Blair’s reception into the Catholic Church. I don’t think it’s fair to take easy pot shots at Blair because of his previous views on abortion, gay rights etc. We should give everyone the benefit of the doubt and give him a warm welcome. People do change their minds about certain [Read More...]

Archbishop Rowan Williams has publicly debunked the traditional Nativity as ‘legend’. Anyone who has read the New Testament in detail will know that the stuff of medieval paintings, crib scenes and Christmas cards include a good deal of non-Biblical ‘embroidery’. However, one doesn’t need to deconstruct all of that to somehow prove one’s intellectual credentials. [Read More...]

If you’re squeamish don’t read this article. It reports the disturbing rise of female binge drinking in the UK, and of course, the attendant rise in unwanted pregnancies, abortion and sexually transmitted infections. G.K.Chesterton said “Every argument is a theological argument.” Behind alcoholism is despair and behind despair is the lack of anything to live [Read More...]

I was greatly encouraged today to see that St John of the Cross was bald headed, and a very polite female colleague told me today that, “God only created a limited number of perfect craniums, and that’s why certain men are bald…” The prophet Elisha is the most famous saintly baldy. When he was mocked [Read More...]

Today is the first anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. These are the new violet vestments made for St Joseph’s School. [Read more...]