This is my reply to comments on my blog, underneath the article, Dialogue: Are Paul, the Bible, & Catholicism Against Sex? Words of anti-theist-type agnostic 90Lew90 (who was dialogue opponent in part 1) will be in blue. *** “Each and every sexual act must be marital, unitive and procreative.” I looked through my words in our last dialogue and could not find this “quote.” So why do you put these words in quotation marks, and where did you get it from. I think I know,... Read more
[Letter to Inside the Vatican: February 11, 2020; published here with the express permission of Dr. Robert Fastiggi] Dear Editor, I was happy to see Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò refer to Mary as the “Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces” in his December 19, 2019 letter published in your January 2020 issue. I was also pleased to see an excerpt of an article by Dr. Mark Miravalle from the National Catholic Register, which emphasizes “the central truth of Mary being... Read more
From my book, Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths (Aug. 2009) [aka “Dave’s Topical Bible“] [all verses RSV, from my original manuscript (the final book version used KJV) ] *** Matthew 16:19 . . . whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven . . . Matthew 18:15-17 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen,... Read more
From my book, The One-Minute Apologist: Essential Catholic Replies to Over Sixty Common Protestant Claims (May 2007) ***** [critical accusation] The early Church denied the canonicity and inspiration of these seven Aprocryphal books, but the Catholic Church added them centuries later. The One-Minute Apologist Says: It was Protestantism that removed these “deuterocanonical” books from the Bible many centuries later. And, contrary to the myth, the early Church did, indeed, accept those books as Scripture. The seven disputed books are: Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom... Read more
From my book, Revelation! 1001 Bible Answers to Theological Topics (Oct. 2013; also available in Spanish and French), pp. 33-39. Bible passages are taken from the KJV. ***** Doctrine of the Church (Ecclesiology) Oneness / Unity of 12-1. Is the Church “one body”? 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. [13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized... Read more
Pope Francis has agreed to set up a commission to study the existence of deaconesses in the early Church, and to consider the possibility of restoring such offices today [news sources: one / two / three / four]. I’ve already been asked twice this morning in private messages, what I think of this. My initial “raw” / off-the-cuff responses in return Facebook PMs and in one private group, were the following: I don’t think it’s absolutely inconceivable, as there appear... Read more
Can. 846 ß1 The liturgical books, approved by the competent authority, are to be faithfully followed in the celebration of the sacraments. Accordingly, no one may on a personal initiative add to or omit or alter anything in those book The Church has dealt with such abuses, in Redemptionis Sacramentum, On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Rome, on the Solemnity... Read more
This was drawn from lively discussions on my Facebook page. To tighten it up (people hate those long articles more and more these days!), I have excerpted my own observations only. * * * * * The pro-life trend is upward: with a majority now identifying as pro-life, and growing all the time. Good laws are being passed. All we need is a real Catholic revival to bring about some profound change: and the possibility of that happening and... Read more
It’s been stated that anti-Catholic, if used at all, is properly utilized only as an adjective and not as a noun (e.g., “the anti-Catholics on the Internet often blast Catholic Mariology”). The much more frequent usage is indeed as an adjective, but it is not altogether improper to also use it as a noun. As an analogy, take, for example, anti-Communist. That word can be either an adjective or a noun, in the same form, too: 1) adj.: characterized by opposition to... Read more
The following was taken from Newman’s book, Lectures on the Present Position of Catholics in England (1851). What struck me was the remarkable similarity of the traits of this species of virulent prejudice, compared to the two widespread “Derangement Syndromes” present today: the ones against Pope Francis and President Trump. Back in 1851 Americans were vigorously and tragically applying this prejudicial mentality to not only Catholics, but (enslaved) black people, Native Americans, and Irish and other immigrants coming into the country (e.g.,... Read more
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