I’m often surprised at the number of good, faithful Catholics who are well informed about their faith, who do not understand the doctrine of transubstantiation. In my experience they fall into two categories. The first do not believe the Eucharist is anything more than a symbol. The second believe the bread and wine become the  Body and Blood of Christ but they think the bread and wine are literally transformed into human flesh and blood. Neither position is the teaching... Read more

I was reminded this week of one of Pope Francis’ most memorable homilies from  last November in which he warned of “adolescent progressivism. There is a good report on the homily here. ” In the long run that phrase will become one of his memorable “one liners” which holds hands with Benedict XVI’s warning about “the dictatorship of relativism.” They go hand in hand because adolescent progressivism is the working out of the dictatorship of relativism. Why does Pope Francis... Read more

I was going to write a review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes which I saw earlier this week, but this review by Tim Robey at the Daily Telegraph says what I would have said and it coins the very smart summary of the film: “Gorillas vs. Guerillas.” Steven Greydanus also sums up what I would have said about the spiritual and moral dimension of the film. Robey writes: From a design and effects point of view, the film... Read more

As a tribute to our friend Stratford Caldecott–Catholic scholar, intellectual, husband, father, grandfather and comic book aficionado…I publish here Strat’s conversion story which was first published by Gracewing in my first book, the best selling  volume of conversion stories, The Path to Rome – Modern Journeys to the Catholic Church. Gnosis and Grace Contemporary Paganism and the Search for Truth Stratford Caldecott I was not baptized as a child, my agnostic father having prevailed upon my mother to let the children... Read more

News today that my friend Stratford Caldecott has died from cancer. Kathy Schiffer has a great tribute to him here. Which I can’t really top. She covers all  his accomplishments and Mark Shea relates an anecdote which captures Strat’s gentle, wry, intellectual personality perfectly. Go here. “Strat” Caldecott, the G.K. Chesterton Research Fellow at St. Benet’s Hall, Oxford, was a giant in the Catholic world.  Among his many credits, he served on the editorial board of the International Theological JournalCommunio,... Read more

Tod Worner has a good post here on Pope Benedict’s real identity in contrast to the media depiction of him as the antithesis of the likable Pope Francis. Pope Francis has taken the world by storm. With an ever-present smile, affable demeanor and boundless energy, Pope Francis has waded deep into crushing crowds, ridden in tiny open-windowed cars through delirious throngs of the faithful, and (reportedly) embarked on clandestine late night outings to minister to the needy on dark Roman streets.... Read more

The Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have issued this statement which reminds the Anglicans that women’s ordination to the episcopate is a grave obstacle to unity. The Catholic Church remains fully committed to its dialogue with the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. For the Catholic Church, the goal of ecumenical dialogue continues to be full visible ecclesial communion. Such full ecclesial communion embraces full communion in the episcopal office. The decision of the Church of England to... Read more

Many conservative Catholics are experiencing a range of negative feelings about Pope Francis. When a headline screams that he stated that 2% of Catholic clergy are pedophiles, that he “promises to solve the celibacy problem” that he doesn’t want to convert Evangelicals or that he doesn’t judge a homosexual who “searches for the Lord and has goodwill” they experience confusion, anger, resentment, bewilderment and fear. Some have given up on Pope Francis. Others say he is “the false prophet” who... Read more