Conversion or Come to Daddy?

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 1:30 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

I read a smart comment yesterday: “Conservatives want to convert people by arguing with them. Liberals want to convert people by agreeing with them.” It’s pithy I can see the distinction, but I’m not sure it is merely a “conservative-Liberal” clash. Underlying the tensions within the Catholic Church –which blew up at the recent synod was not so much a conservative-liberal clash as it was an underlying clash in the way one understands the Catholic Church’s relationship to the surrounding... Read more

Gimme That Ole Time Religion

Last updated on: October 23, 2014 at 9:01 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

I’m not too concerned about getting the Catholic religion up to date for people. That’s because the Catholic religion transcends time. Oh yes, we can tinker with this and that, use modern methods of communication and so forth, but no sense tinkering with the religion itself. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Sure we can tinker with how we help people, we can try to do better where we’ve failed as humans. Why do we want to reform the Catholic... Read more

Welcoming Gays: How Do I Do That?

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 1:25 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

The buzz word in the synod this month, and in the general discussion about homosexuals is the word “welcome” We are to “welcome homosexuals”. The problem is, no one is really explaining what this means. I hope those who feel strongly about this matter–who have responded with visceral compassion on the poor homosexual persons who have been the victims of bullying will not mind examining the question with an open mind. How, exactly, does one “welcome gays” and how is... Read more

New Guest Blogger Flora Harper

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 1:25 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Flora Harper joins the stable of Standing on My Head’s famous guest bloggers. Flora writes the Spirituality column for the Los Angeles Cosmos. She has published articles for the FemToday website, writes an advice column for Blondie and is working on her first book, “Get Your Inner Goddess Out Girl!” Flora has a degree in sociology and media studies. She is a self described “cafeteria Catholic” who loves candles, incense, quiet moments of centering prayer, Catholic celebrations like high school homecoming and baptism ceremonies.... Read more

The Disconcerting Synod

Last updated on: October 21, 2014 at 10:05 am By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Some Catholics are unhappy with Pope Francis. Conservatives read his closing speech to the Synod on the Family with relief and gratitude, but after the events of the last two weeks they are diconcerted. disoriented and disturbed. Damian Thompson observed here that the final result may not have been the earthquake John Thavis spoke of here. But Thompson, like many other church watchers, diagnosed some bigger problems and predicted that there could be trouble ahead. To extend the Richter analogy,... Read more

Religion Without Dogma…

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 1:26 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

…is like playing tennis without a net. It results in a certain formlessness, the reduction of an intellectually vigorous and astringent faith to something sentimental and shallow–nothing but a religion of ‘spirituality’ and good works. Pope Francis criticized this type of religion in his recent speech concluding the Synod on the Family. He spoke of various temptations that distort the fullness of the faith, mentioning a religion of niceness “that in the name of a deceptive mercy binds the wounds... Read more

Media Mutterings About the Synod

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 1:26 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

What is most frustrating in reading the media mutterings about the synod is the superficial experience of church life that most journalists have. Christina Odone is one who should know better. She is a lifelong British Catholic, a former editor of the UKs Catholic Herald and a longtime commentator on church matters. Nevertheless in this article she falls into the trap of cliches that every other journalist seems to be parroting. It is the false dichotomy between the so called... Read more

Todd Unctuous on the Synod of Bishops

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 1:27 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Guest blogger Todd Unctuous is top commentator for MSM. With a degree in Media Studies from Scranton Community College, Todd writes for many papers and websites, and is known for his incisive writing, objective reporting and razor sharp comment. It has been interesting over the last two weeks to see the celibate old white men who rule the Catholic Church fighting over the subject of sex. As usual we see the sex obsessed Catholic Church discussing nothing but sex, sex,... Read more

Beautiful Balance in the Pope’s Final Speech to the Synod

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 1:27 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Here are excerpts from the Pope’s final address to the synod with my observations in red. Read the whole speech here. And it has been “a journey” – and like every journey there were moments of running fast, as if wanting to conquer time and reach the goal as soon as possible; other moments of fatigue, as if wanting to say “enough”; other moments of enthusiasm and ardour. There were moments of profound consolation listening to the testimony of true pastors,... Read more

Wrangling in Rome – What Good is It?

Last updated on: December 27, 2014 at 1:27 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

What good has come from all the bishops boxing–all the wrangling in Rome? Now that the Synod of Bishops has ended with a beautiful, but bland final message from the bishops, Damian Thompson reports on the week’s drama here at the Spectator. ‘Thanks be to God’, as we Catholic children used to say with heartfelt enthusiasm as Mass was over for another week. The most divisive meeting of Catholic bishops since Vatican II has ended – and no real damage has... Read more