It is common in the modern field of apologetics to be promoted by debates, and through such debates, so-called apologists learn to dismiss what their opposition has to say instead of sitting down, listening, and learning from them. While, in theory, the field of apologetics can do quite a bit of good, if it truly seeks what is true and offers to explain what others have erroneously misunderstood, many, if not most, who become apologists seek to speak in order... Read more
It is often asked, can Christians believe in the existence of intelligent life on other words, that is, in vernacular terms, can they believe in the existence of alien life? If so, what does the incarnation mean for them? If they have no contact with humanity, is it possible for them to be saved by Christ? If not, can they be saved? Do they need to be saved? While many people assume the question of alien life is a recent... Read more
One of the more interesting features of academic theology in the medieval era was the Quodlibetal Question. Masters in theology participated in public discussions (or disputes), often during Advent and Lent, in which they would go before an audience and would be expected to answer any question that members of the audience would give them. They were expected to answer them with typical scholarly insight, logically exploring the different possible answers until the theologian gave their own, explaining why they... Read more
In the Wall Street Journal, Francis Rocca wrote an article, suggesting that there was something amiss with the way money collected for Peter’s Pence is being used by the Vatican: What the church doesn’t advertise is that most of that collection, worth more than €50 million ($55 million) annually, goes toward plugging the hole in the Vatican’s own administrative budget, while as little as 10% is spent on charitable works, according to people familiar with the funds. The little-publicized breakdown... Read more
There is in the Eastern Christian spiritual tradition, especially in Russia, the notion of the passion bearer, the saint who was killed, not as a martyr for the faith, but for some other reason apart from the faith. And yet, because of their faith, they did not resist or their attacker with violence, demonstrating extraordinary virtue in their death. Because Christ willingly went to his death, decrying the use of violence when Peter tried to resist the Roman soldiers, the... Read more
Mining is dangerous work. The more miners dug into the earth, the more likely they were to be exposed to dangerous gasses, like carbon monoxide. As such gasses collected in the mine, the miners died. Mining companies decided to do something about it. They decided to follow a test which was made to see if the mine was safe. They would put down a caged canary into the mine, and if it died, the company knew that was a sign... Read more
Today the bonds of barrenness are loosed; for God listened to Joachim and Anne. He promised them – although it was beyond hope – that they should bear a divine child. From this child was born incarnate the Infinite God, Who told the Angel to cry to her: Rejoice, full of grace; the Lord is with thee (Troparion of the Conception of St. Anne). The conception of St. Anne, an elderly woman who had been barren all her life, was... Read more
The beatification process of Fulton J. Sheen has been brought to a halt. This is not the first time. Why this has happened is a mystery. There are all kinds of speculations and rumors going on, from some suggesting political intrigue against Sheen being the reason, with others fearful that some blight has been discovered on his record which should have been found previously but was not. Now, there are rumors, such as those coming from Rocco Palmo, which may... Read more
Hospitality is one of the many virtues promoted within Scripture. Perhaps no better representation of this can be found than in the story of Abraham and the hospitality he showed to three strangers at Mamre. From it, many important theological reflections have developed (including ways in which the three strangers represented God to Abraham). Likewise, Lot, his nephew, was saved from the destruction of Sodom because of his own hospital nature. While the people of Sodom selfishly looked after their... Read more
The news is not good. Antisemitism, and that means violent antisemitism, is rising again in the world. It can be found in France. It can be found in Australia. And without surprise, it finds itself once again in Central and Eastern Europe, as William Galston explained in the Wall Street Journal: “The latest global survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League finds that anti-Semitic attitudes have increased significantly since 2015 in Central and Eastern Europe, which before the Holocaust was home... Read more
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