It is time for the West to wake up to the religious dimension of the ISIS horror. The barbarians who have decapitated twenty one prisoners in Libya were completely clear in the religious motivation for their crime. They chose Christians from the ancient Coptic church of Egypt and they murdered the men in cold blood. They were murdered not because they were Egyptians or Capitalists or Socialists or member of a foreign military. They were murdered because they were Christians.... Read more
This week’s article for the Imaginative Conservative explores two remarkable pieces of art: T.S.Eliot’s Four Quartets and Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time Messiaen’s music, like Eliot’s poetry, requires hard work. At first it is disturbingly modern, distasteful, and difficult. On second and third listening things come clear, and a beauty that was hidden in harshness comes into focus. Both works force us to struggle for meaning and beauty as we struggle to find truth, beauty and goodness in the midst of... Read more
Elizabeth Scalia is very good here in her analysis of Pope Francis. She says Benedict is an anchor to Francis. The two pope complement one another. And now, Benedict is very much an anchor for Francis — who would not even be sitting as Peter, had Benedict not read the times and realized that no one was listening anymore; that something almost unprecedented was needed to change the narrative and shake the assumptions of the world. I am still unpacking... Read more
You know how the story goes: in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve have a conversation with the serpent. Does this mean Christians believe in talking snakes? That’s the charge from certain atheists. I think this rather puerile remark comes from the fact that most of the atheists in question have probably experienced a few years of Sunday School at a fundamentalist church, or perhaps their grandpa once read them a Bible story book or maybe they went to Vacation... Read more
Russel Saltzman is another Lutheran coming into the Catholic Church and finding the transition to be painful. Like most of us from the Anglican and Lutheran traditions he is aghast at the poor quality of music in Catholic parishes. Furthermore he looks around and instead of joyfully singing Christians he sees dour expressions, arms crossed body language, indifference and a kind of stubborn and defiant attitude. “I’m a cradle Catholic. Don’t you dare try to make me sing….” Yup. Now... Read more
Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Whatzat?? Driving to the office this morning I witnessed a bad car wreck. Driver came off the road into a power pole, brining it down, ruining the car and ending up in the ditch. I immediately thought, “Yikes. It’s unlucky Friday thirteenth for that guy!” Then I put the thought away. Stupid to be superstitious. Next thing I’ll be carrying a rabbit’s foot in my pocket and watching out for black cats crossing my path. If you’re afraid of... Read more
This week’s article at Aleteia considers the press narrative of Francis the Reformer. They miss his real mission which is renewal not simply reform. Francis is hailed as a “reforming Pope” and he certainly seems intent on carrying through the plans initiated by Pope Benedict. Is it best, however, to regard him as a “reforming Pope”? When you read through the history of the church for the last hundred years, each pope has led the church through an intense period... Read more
When pious Protestants want to become Catholics they expect it to be difficult. Unfortunately it is difficult for all the wrong reasons. We wouldn’t mind if the bar was set high and the values were strict. We want our religion to test us. After all, Jesus said we must take up our cross. What is difficult about converting to the American form of Catholicism is not that it is strenuous but that it is not strenuous. It’s marshmallow. This convert... Read more
We're sorry. We think we're not going to do it again. Then we do. Read more
The demon Slubgrip has been demoted to teach Popular Culture 101 at Bowelbages University in hell. Here he is holding forth on the delights of relativism: Chamber 101 Bell clanging. Door slams. Crowd voices and movement. Slubgrip: Grimwort, I rely on you to get these slime worms in line. Instead, I arrive a few minutes late, only to find them slouching, squelching and oozing in a disgusting manner. If you can’t be a bit sharper and wield the fork with... Read more
Fr. Dwight Longenecker
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