A reader writes I’m sure you get lots of emails like this, especially these days. You’re one of my favorite Catholic writers; I read By What Authority during my conversion about 7 years ago, and your blog is a source of continuing solace for me. I attend an Extraordinary Form parish, I’m a trad at heart, and I’m by turns dismayed and disgusted at the growing conservatism/Trump-ness of so much of the American church (the ones you call The Greatest Catholics... Read more
Here is a project called Clamavi de Profundis. They do Catholic: And they do Nerd: Read more
…on God the Father: Because of our tendency to rip truth out of the weave of revelation or wrongly order those truths, one of the functions of the Creed is to help us rightly order our knowledge of God. Jesus’ ultimate revelation about the first Person of the Trinity is that God is not a mere abstract Ground of Being. Nor is God merely Master, Lord, King, Author of Creation, or Ruler of Time and Space (all “power” titles). No,... Read more
Here is what is the real problem with Nike and always has been: it is a sweatshop corporation that pays starvation wages to foreign workers toiling in oppressive conditions. Christians–that is, disciples of Jesus Christ–actually care about that and see the lot of crushed and impoverished workers abroad as related to, not the opposite of, the right to life for unborn children. That’s because they have refused the programming of Republican Rite catechists in Right Wing Noise Machine both Catholic... Read more
…may I recommend Brandon Hale’s delightful (and growing) little series? A fun Christmas present (though I know it’s a bit early for Christmas). Read more
She writes: I’ve spent the last 21 years traveling the highways and byways of the US Catholic Church. I’m always astonished at how narrow even a Bishop’s perspective can be. The clergy of the global Catholic Church make up ONLY 3/100th of 1% of the Body Catholic. 99.97% of us have never darkened the door of a seminary because 99.97% of us aren’t priests. If you hang out and work with and listen to the laity, especially on the left... Read more
She writes from Canada: Attached are three stories from the CBC that you will probably find interesting. My question is: I don’t know anything about kid’s psychology, but I wonder if there is a serious risk that some, or even many, of the kids traumatized by their separation from their parents in such a way, could later develop, in addition to some mental health problems, some behavioural issues, and show some tendencies to become delinquents, that in turn could bring... Read more
He writes: There must be a reformation in the Church. Not in the Catholic FAITH, but in the administrative hierarchy. Business as usual needs to be “violently” shaken to the core. Pope Francis, a pope I’ve loved, must resign and clearly state the reasons why. The clergy needs to be purged of abuse offenders and global Catholicism urgently needs to aggressively clean house and publically repent with radical, public penance in epic and visible proportions. It needs to be an... Read more
I love Dawn. She was out her in Seattle last week and we had lunch and she was her sensible, sweet self. She’s a fascinating character. Raised in a Reformed Jewish household, became a rock and roll journalist, as well as somebody who did an interview with one of my heroes, Stan Freberg, she went on to work in the New York press, cooking up brilliant headlines like for stories like the one about the cop injured by an exploding... Read more
I did this with my Facebook readers a couple of weeks ago and it was fruitful for them so I wanted to try it here. I feel moved by the Spirit to ask readers, “What can I do for you that would help in your healing?” I’ve spent a couple of years banging away at the distinction between the diabolical cult of Christianism vs. the gospel. It’s not a secret that I’m angry about it. And part of the reason... Read more
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