Pope St. John XXIII Prayer to the Holy Spirit (1961): Divine Spirit, renew your wonders in our time, as though for a new Pentecost, and grant that the holy church, preserving unanimous and continuous prayer, together with Mary the Mother of Jesus, and also under the guidance of St. Peter, may increase the reign of the Divine Saviour, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and peace. Amen Blessed Pope Paul VI During the First International Leader’s... Read more
TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction II. Pope Gregory VII’s (Hildebrand’s) Papacy (1073-1085): Radical Novelty or Development? OVERVIEW CALVIN’S JAUNDICED VIEW OF GREGORY VII VS. LATER ESTIMATIONS SHOULD THE GREGORIAN REFORM BE DESCRIBED AS A “REVOLUTION”? STATE VS. CHURCH AND CAESARO-PAPISM AS THE CULTURAL BACKDROP LEO THE GREAT, GREGORY THE GREAT AND OTHER EARLY POPES PREFIGURE GREGORY VII III. The Relative Importance and Levels of Authority of the Papacy and Councils in the Western Church OVERVIEW PAPAL APPROVAL OF ECUMENICAL COUNCILS HINCMAR OF RHEIMS (+... Read more
According to a lot of people, it’s not. One Christian observer (in a very popular article) claimed that it’s “really just hate” and asked rhetorically: “Where did that phrase come from? The Bible? Nope. Jesus? Nope. But many Christians sure do spout it like it is God-inspired scripture . . .” Another Christian, writing on the topic, opines: “This slogan is one of the most unbiblical ideas I’ve ever heard that get’s touted as if it were actually a verse in... Read more
Conciliar infallibility is just as firmly entrenched in Christian and “Roman” (also Orthodox) Tradition as papal infallibility. Thus, the Second Council of Constantinople (553) anathematized and condemned those who dissented from the definitions of the first four ecumenical councils, which “we follow and accept through all things and in all things” (Denzinger, 212). The Lateran Council of 649, in its Canon 17, applies the same teaching to the first five councils (“all even to the last portion that has been... Read more
Atheist and anti-theist Bob Seidensticker runs the influential Cross Examined blog. He asked me there, on 8-11-18: “I’ve got 1000+ posts here attacking your worldview. You just going to let that stand? Or could you present a helpful new perspective that I’ve ignored on one or two of those posts?” He also made a general statement on 6-22-17: “In this blog, I’ve responded to many Christian arguments . . . Christians’ arguments are easy to refute.” He added in the combox: “If I’ve misunderstood the Christian position or Christian arguments, point that... Read more
Atheist and anti-theist Bob Seidensticker runs the influential Cross Examined blog. He asked me there, on 8-11-18: “I’ve got 1000+ posts here attacking your worldview. You just going to let that stand? Or could you present a helpful new perspective that I’ve ignored on one or two of those posts?” He also made a general statement on 6-22-17: “In this blog, I’ve responded to many Christian arguments . . . Christians’ arguments are easy to refute.” He added in the combox: “If I’ve misunderstood the Christian position or Christian arguments, point that... Read more
Atheist and anti-theist Bob Seidensticker runs the influential Cross Examined blog. He asked me there, on 8-11-18: “I’ve got 1000+ posts here attacking your worldview. You just going to let that stand? Or could you present a helpful new perspective that I’ve ignored on one or two of those posts?” He also made a general statement on 6-22-17: “In this blog, I’ve responded to many Christian arguments . . . Christians’ arguments are easy to refute.” He added in the combox: “If I’ve misunderstood the Christian position or Christian arguments, point that... Read more
I’ve been writing about this in several Facebook posts, but I thought I would “collect” some of those thoughts and get them on the record, on my blog. ***** This thing stinks to high heaven. These sorts of Satan-inspired scandals make my job as an apologist and defender of Holy Mother Church, all the more difficult. I’m in favor of a very strict and severe, ultra-zero tolerance accounting and investigation. Root it out! Purge it! I think if we truly got rid... Read more
Atheist and anti-theist Bob Seidensticker runs the influential Cross Examined blog. He asked me there, on 8-11-18: “I’ve got 1000+ posts here attacking your worldview. You just going to let that stand? Or could you present a helpful new perspective that I’ve ignored on one or two of those posts?” He also made a general statement on 6-22-17: “In this blog, I’ve responded to many Christian arguments . . . Christians’ arguments are easy to refute.” He added in the combox: “If I’ve misunderstood the Christian position or Christian arguments, point that... Read more
Atheist and anti-theist Bob Seidensticker runs the influential Cross Examined blog. He asked me there, on 8-11-18: “I’ve got 1000+ posts here attacking your worldview. You just going to let that stand? Or could you present a helpful new perspective that I’ve ignored on one or two of those posts?” He also made a general statement on 6-22-17: “In this blog, I’ve responded to many Christian arguments . . . Christians’ arguments are easy to refute.” He added in the combox: “If I’ve misunderstood the Christian position or... Read more
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