During the Second World War, Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, would gather with friends from university to declaim and act out famous literature to celebrate their Polish heritage. They founded the Rhapsodic Theater as a means of cultural resistance against the Communist regime after the war. The Soviet Union wanted to erase Poland and by clinging on to their heritage and culture, they avoided losing themselves in the myriad of Soviet republics. They had a strong sense... Read more
Living the offertory of the Mass as a layperson can be challenging. Do you ever feel that you are just “watching” the Mass and that the priest is the protagonist? If that is your attitude, it becomes far too easy to “zone out” during Mass. It seems hard enough to just get to Mass, and we may ask ourselves, do I really have to pay attention the whole time? I get it – it can be hard just to be... Read more
By looking at the role of human dignity, Dignitas infinita helps us understand what determines a person’s worth. The recently released document places human dignity as the foundation of what is appropriate and inappropriate human behavior. By doing so, the Church shows herself to be mater et magistra, mother and teacher. Parents do essentially two things for their children. They express unconditional love and instruct on the differences between good and bad behavior. The recent papacies of Pope Benedict XVI... Read more
We need a Good Shepherd, not a wolf in sheep’s clothing. We are plagued in our modern society by people who pretend to guide others but are only looking out for themselves. Fr. Stanley Rother was a priest who stood between the wolves and the faithful he had been called to serve. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He stands between them and the wolves. Fr. Stanley Rother was a priest from Oklahoma City who went... Read more
The document Dignitas infinita, recently published by the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, establishes a strong intellectual foundation for human dignity before delving modern trends that we can identify as offenses to humanity. As prefect of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Fernández is the author of the document, even though Cardinal Ladaria began the work on it around five years ago. The opening paragraphs give the impression that the moral judgments will derive from... Read more
The recent document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on infinite dignity offers a unique point of theological convergence between the pontifical programs of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis. Pope John Paul II put the figure of Christ as model of humanity very much at the center of his pontificate, underlining this with his first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis. In fact, we could argue that the fundamental phrase of his pontificate resides within this document when... Read more
We live in a world of Karens. The greatest sin is not to offend someone. “Karen” is a common term nowadays denoting people who want to be offended over anything. And yet, we live in a society that loves to be offended. However, are we offended by the right things? The latest document from the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith teaches us how to be offended. Much of the secular news media is hostile to the latest document coming... Read more
Jesus spoke the words of the Institution of the Eucharist and disappeared from their sight. We could almost look at the encounter with Cleopas and the unnamed disciple headed towards Emmaus as the first example of Eucharistic Adoration. This gives us a clue about what happens for us when we adore Christ in the Eucharist. When we celebrate the Eucharist, we gather around Jesus, but it is not a funeral. However, we do commemorate the sacrifice that Jesus made on... Read more
Although morality is not the sole purpose of religion in this world, it is nonetheless an important function. If God intervenes in the world of human experience, what moral implications does this have? Postmodern thinkers seem to say that the only options from which we can choose are cold logic and heartfelt compassion. This is, however, a false dichotomy. Since the attitude of the general population moves towards an absolute primacy of “compassion,” society at large perceives objective moral authority... Read more
How should we look at purgatory? Is purgatory a temporary hell, or is it a mediaeval myth? Do Catholics even still believe in purgatory? Yes, Catholics do indeed still believe in purgatory. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it as follows: All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In