Cardinal Kasper: Modernist in Our Midst?

Last updated on: July 13, 2015 at 10:03 am By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Edward Pentin has an excellent article at National Catholic Register here in which he interviews Austrian philosopher Thomas Stark in an attempt to understand Cardinal Walter Kasper. Put simply, Kasper’s thought is modernist through and through, although like the classic modernist, he covers it over with orthodox language. Stark explains: My conclusion? I would say that one can clearly see that Kasper’s position is deeply rooted in German Idealistic philosophy, but I would say more so in Hegel than in... Read more

What’s Really Behind the Confederate Flag Fuss

Last updated on: July 12, 2015 at 11:58 am By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Why all the fuss over a flag? There is more to this than meets the eye. Everyone can agree that racism is odious, and everyone can agree that the Charleston shooter was a sick, deluded soul who somehow thought the world would be a better place for shooting some black people. He clung to his guns, his hatred and his confederate flag. Is the Confederate flag a sign of Southern heritage and Southern pride? Sure. Does it represent a culture... Read more

Ten Things to Remember if You’re Worried About Persecution

Last updated on: July 10, 2015 at 6:28 am By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

With the Supreme Court making same sex marriage a civil right, Catholic bishops issuing statements for Catholics to stand firm for true marriage it’s understandable if you’re feeling nervous about possible persecution. Then when you read about two lesbians who took a Christian baker to court in Oregon and hear that the baker and his family are fined nearly $150,000, they lose their business, have their home threatened, GoFundMe bans them AND the government tells them to shut up and not... Read more

A Communist Crucifix? The Devil is in the Dialogue

Last updated on: July 9, 2015 at 7:36 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

This news article attempts to whitewash the Bolivian president’s tasteless and offensive gift to the Holy Father: a Communist Hammer and Sickle turned into a crucifix. The Pope’s press secretary Fr Lombardi put a diplomatic spin on the gaffe… “You can dispute the significance and use of the symbol now, but the origin is from Espinal [an assassinated left wing Jesuit] and the sense of it was about an open dialogue, not about a specific ideology,” Lombardi said. He noted... Read more

Pope Francis and the “Mother Wound”

Last updated on: July 9, 2015 at 4:29 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

My article for Aleteia this week focusses on Pope Francis’ homily in Ecuador on the role of Mother Mary. This “mother wound” then affects our own ability to love and be loved. That inability then extends to our relationships, and when it is multiplied throughout society the whole culture becomes dysfunctional. The ability to love, forgive and accept others is broken and wounded. The only way to heal the “mother wound” is to somehow find, recognize and accept the wound... Read more

Hate the Sin Love the Sinner: How Do I Do That?

Last updated on: September 7, 2017 at 3:05 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

How do you separate out the sin from the sinner? Isn't that a kind of dualism we don't really believe in? Read more

Why the Catholic Mass Is the Center of All Things

Last updated on: September 6, 2017 at 12:22 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Stop for a moment and consider the turmoil and trouble in the world. Violence, rage and anger abound. Ideologies clash and war threatens. Diplomacy and nice talk does not work with those who are driven by ideologies of hate. The ideologues gather in their tribes, ready to wage war and destroy the enemies they fear and hate. It doesn’t really matter who the ideologues are. They may be Muslim fanatics, Christian, Buddhist or Hindu fanatics. They may be ideologues of... Read more

Have the Mainstream Media Fallen Out of Love with Pope Francis?

Last updated on: July 8, 2015 at 1:49 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Has anyone else noticed the remarkable silence in the mainstream media? Pope Francis–who was once their darling for saying about a person with same sex attraction, “Who Am I to Judge?”–is absent from the front pages this summer. When he went to Brazil for World Youth Day in 2013 it was big news. The crowds were pictured and the popular pope was front and center. When he went to the Philippines and braved the weather the mainstream media followed his... Read more

How the Holy Rosary Could Heal the World

Last updated on: July 8, 2015 at 12:47 pm By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Today as I was praying the holy rosary I began to see why this simple devotion is so powerful. I began to see how the Holy Rosary might heal our common sickness and bring healing to the whole world. To understand how the healing works we first have to understand the sickness. I call the sickness “the mother wound”. Each one of us comes into the world programmed to need and expect total and unconditional love. That’s the say we’re... Read more

Evangelizing with Joy

Last updated on: July 8, 2015 at 10:34 am By Fr. Dwight Longenecker

The other day I was at the meat counter in the supermarket and a young black guy with the name tag “Desmond” said “Hello Father!” He’s wearing a hair and beard net because he’s handling food. He’s bright and is cheerful, upbeat and helpful. Because he calls me “Father”, I ask, “So are you a Catholic?” He smile, “No.” Me: “I can help you with that.” He laughs and says, “I’m not big on religion. I believe in God and... Read more