July 16th marked the 962nd anniversary of the so-called “Great Schism.” As someone deeply invested in the reunion of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, I am happy to announce the publication of this three-part essay exploring its background, causes, and unexpected quirks. It is by a friend of mine, whose work is the fruit of a summer research project, which was then presented at a conference a couple of years ago. Enjoy! Among the supposed “great dates” of history, one... Read more
I can’t help but laugh a bit when I hear liturgists and other Catholics speak of “versus populum.” Of course, in Latin it just means “having been turned to the people,” but in English it has an adversative sense; it makes me think of a priest confronting the people, Eucharist held aloft, prepared to fight. The meaning of the word itself (versus) implies a change in previous practice; it implies that initially the priest ought to be facing somewhere or... Read more
Unsurprisingly, I am surrounded by Catholic bloggers: opponents, friends, frenemies, and every other color of the proverbial Apostolic rainbow. And, frankly—for a long time and from all sides—the sheer intensity of it all has troubled me. Why is everyone yelling so much? What’s with the name-calling? Obviously anger can easily overcome us; being charitable can be very hard. And yet, God promises us more than pettiness and the gnashing of teeth. Mark Shea recently (and very bravely) admitted both his... Read more
My intensifying dalliance with social-media criticism is no secret. I’ve blogged about it before, and, if you know me in real life, you know my issues with the quality of much digital communication run deep—sometimes, some might say, to the point of condemnation. Yet, I find myself asking—how constructive have I been? Aside from counseling abstinence, what have I contributed? Well, to some extent, I think frustration, mistrust, and derision are endemic to the platform—how can people overcome a lack... Read more
I am a convert (or a revert, depending on how you ask). Unlike some Cradle Catholics, I have a past—and not just forgetting to say grace before dinner or having a lustful thought in 2006. For good and for ill, I have born many a mistake, an error—really a sin. What’s oddest though is how thankful I’ve always felt for those experiences. Some make for good stories—even opportunities to spread the faith—some I recall with a wince, and others are... Read more
The topic of this post is the word “liberal”: its meanings, its misuses, and what it ought to mean to Catholics. For some, this post might seem redundant. Among certain groups, the word’s origins and contemporary obfuscation are a well-known fact. Forgive my boorishness. But too often I encounter people, usually well-meaning, who want to, or do, debate whether Catholics ought to be “liberal” or “conservative.” This is the wrong question, but even so, the only valid answer is “neither.”... Read more
Pope Francis mystifies—and aggravates—many Catholics; his talk of mercy, of suspending judgment has a tendency to attract charges of ambiguity, to draw ire from those who prefer the steady hand of a John Paul or the theological acumen of a Benedict. In short, Francis is a true servus servorum Dei—clearly more comfortable advising than, well, pontificating. This has its obvious drawbacks—drawbacks which have been both rightly clarified and examined and which have also elicited scrutiny so intense that one is... Read more
It [patriotism] is a pagan virtue, if these two words are compatible. The word pagan, when applied to Rome […] possesses the significance charged with horror which the early Christian controversialists gave it. The Romans really were an atheistic and idolatrous people; not idolatrous with regard to images made of stone or bronze, but idolatrous with regard to themselves. It is this idolatry of self which they have bequeathed to us in the form of patriotism. (Simone Weil) Brexit, Fourth... Read more
No, be sure of this. Absolute stillness for as long as possible is best of all for you. You cannot exchange this state for any other without harm. That is certain. You would like to partly prepare yourself and partly let God prepare you, but this cannot be. You cannot think or desire to prepare yourself more quickly than God can move in to prepare you. (Meister Eckhart) (This is a continuation of my last post, available here). We left... Read more
I recited the Our Father in Greek every day before work, and I repeated it very often in the vineyard. Since that time I have made a practice of saying it through once each morning with absolute attention. If during my recitation my attention wanders or goes to sleep, in the minutest degree, I begin again until I have succeeded in going through it with absolute pure attention. (Simone Weil) Prayer—verbal, non-verbal, formulaic, or spontaneous—is one of the hardest parts... Read more
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