Fr Z.  posts and comments on the Pope’s homily for the Feast of SS Peter and Paul last Sunday. Its well worth a read. Read more

This evening I was in the confessional for an hour and a half. We have the great problem in our parish of not enough priests and too many penitents. While hearing one confession I had this sudden impression of heaven opening up and there being great joy in that small room. Then I remembered the gospel verse about angels rejoicing over one soul who repents. Surely this is so true. Repentance is when we make a quantum leap forward with... Read more

The ecumenism from the Vatican II era sought to accomodate Protestantism. It was fuelled by two potent ideas that drove the Vatican II reforms: resourcessement and aggiornomento. The first was a return to the sources of the early church. This was done through shared scholarship with both Catholic and Protestant scholars. The second word means ‘open-ness’ and was the Catholic desire to be not so entrenched and negative, but to be open to other Christians, open to other religions, open... Read more

In the present fuss over homosexualism and women bishops the conservative Evangelicals are upset because the liberal Protestants are overturning Scripture and traditional Christian morality. I’m on their side of course, but the conservative Evangelicals have a more fundamental philosophical problem: They were initially founded by a group of people who, in their day, were just as radical in their revisionism as the present day liberals. The revolutionary aims of the Protestant reformation were just as radical (for their time... Read more

The ABC (Archbishop of Canterbury) has spoken out against the Gafcon group who have now formed a group called FOCA (Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans) The Daily Telegraph reports here. It’s a busy time for the ABC. This week he has the General Synod–the Anglican parliament debating women bishops. In addition to the Conservative Evangelicals rebelling over homosexualism the Anglo Catholics in his own Church of England are marching on London angry about women bishops. They’re threatening to leave the Church... Read more

New Liturgical Movement has great photographs from today’s papal Mass to celebrate SS Peter and Paul. Wonderful to see Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople alongside Pope Benedict. The picture above shows Archbishops from around the world swearing their oath of allegiance to the successor of Peter at Peter’s tomb. They then receive the pallium–the yoke like vestment which is the sign of their office, and sharing the role of pastor with Peter. (I Pt. 5.1-2) Read more

Just when you thought the Anglicans didn’t have any more surprises up their sleeve, here’s today’s news: a Church of England bishop has ordained his wife. You can read all about it here. That would be Rt. Rev. Nigel McCullough and Rev. Mrs. McCullough in the photograph.  I wonder if they share clerical shirts. That reminds me. I was ordained as an Anglican deacon twenty five years ago today. Despite my wisecracks about the Anglican Church, I actually love the... Read more

While I was visiting the chapel where Archbishop Romero was murdered I happened to capture what may be the most unusual biretta spotting I have ever come across. This site is proud of the birettas it has spotted, but what about this??!! St Teresa of Avila wearing a biretta. Unfortunately the photograph is from an upward angle, but I assure you I walked all around the image and sure enough, St Teresa, as a doctor of the Church, is shown... Read more

Check out this good looking website that helps people come home to the Catholic faith. It gives  my Lassie Come Home satire some months ago a whole new meaning… Read more

I’m afraid I am not a cat lover, my favorite cat poem being the one by Ogden Nash: The bad thing about a kitten is that Eventually it becomes a cat. Yes, you may now hurl your kitty litter at me… Nevertheless, I allowed the children to have two kittens when we moved here. They were brothers (we didn’t want lots of little kittens arriving) and were named Loki and Frodo. First Loki went missing, now Frodo. Were they catnapped?... Read more