Deacon Greg Kandra kindly alerted us to the Les Mis Mass that’s actually happening in the UK. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to review the libretto, but I’ve been participating in a discussion on FB about it and I decided to preserve, for all posterity, the lyrics that I, personally, think SHOULD be included. Submitted for your approval, a few of my original, suggested, additions. THE SONGS OF ANGRY MEN Can you hear the parish sing? Singing the songs... Read more
Dear Dr. Popcak, I just wanted to tell you (and your wife) THANK YOU for writing “Just Married.” My married friends and I are always complaining to each other about the absolute dearth of material for faithful Catholics wanting to date, prepare for marriage, and live marriage in an authentically Catholic way. Basically, we hear two messages: 1. Marriage is hard. Marriages fall apart because people think it’s all going to be rosy, then when reality hits, the spouses don’t know what to... Read more
I appreciated the many thoughtful responses to my brainstorming on ways to improve the annulment process. Regarding my first suggestion; stopping the practice of requiring the couple to seek a civil divorce before filing for a declaration of nullity, a few people suggested that this needed to be in place because of the fear that the church might be sued for alienation of affection. I actually addressed this issue, briefly, in the original post as I’ve heard this argument before. ... Read more
Deacon Greg Kandra links an article that encourages overhauling the annulment process. I think most people would agree that the annulment process is in need of serious improvement. In fact, one of the factors influencing Pope Francis’ call for an Extraordinary Synod on the Family next November was his concern about the way the Church handles divorce and annulment. Many of the questions in the survey the Vatican sent to the world’s bishops had to do with seeking input on... Read more
Mark Twain once famously said, “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.” You’ve probably heard some of those lies used by non-believing friends and relations to discredit Christians. For instance, have you heard that Christians divorce at the same rate as others? How about the one about Christians being bad tippers? How about the one that says that the majority of young people are abandoning churches in droves? It turns out that none of those statements are actually true despite... Read more
This is terrifying…. Many readers may recall that in August, German authorities used the equivalent of a SWAT team to remove children from their homeschooling parents. 20 jack booted thugs (literally) burst into the Wunderlich’s home and took their children, even though the judge in the case admits that the children were well-adjusted and well cared for. The problem is that in Germany, homeschooling is unconscionable and anti-social (because Germans are so pro-social) and so, despite all evidence to the... Read more
I read a fascinating article at Christianity Today about an interesting twist on problem eating. …I’m equally concerned when I see how easily the devotion to ‘healthy’ and ‘righteous’ eating can take a pernicious turn and become legalistic, judgmental, isolating and even crippling. Not long ago, I met a woman who was deeply concerned about her granddaughter. “She doesn’t eat anything any more! It’s not that she wants to be thin, she just thinks so many different things are unhealthy.... Read more
No doubt you’ve seen the headlines, Marriage Is Not an Antidote to Poverty. It’s a lie–or at least wishful thinking. If Marlboro came out with a pr campaign that said, “Anti-Smoking Efforts Fail to Curb Lung Cancer Rates” would you believe it? Or would some part of you say, “Hmmm. Maybe there is something else going on here.” The same is true about the paper underlying the headlines. It’s a position paper–essentially a PR campaign of the marriage-hostile “Council on... Read more
My son, Jacob, has a provocative post about masculinity at his website. I think he offers some powerful insights on the confusing messages we send to boys about masculinity and how the theology of the body can help young men respond to those messages. Here’s a sample… One of the biggest lies that the world sells us is that masculinity is something to be achieved. Keep this in mind the next time you go on Facebook or head to the... Read more
In a WSJ interview with Bari Weiss, Camille Paglia, a self-described “notorious Amazon feminist” who is identified as a lesbian and a mom, actually sees that we have a problem with how we view men in our culture. This is the theme I discussed in my previous blog, “Towards a Theology of Authentic Masculinity.” She gets that, “Houston, we have a problem”! Weiss states, “…no subject gets her going more than when I ask if she really sees a connection... Read more
Faith on the Couch
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