Beware This Type of Nuanced Thinking

Last updated on: February 17, 2023 at 9:18 pm By Dennis Knapp

During my time writing on Patheos, many of my readers on the more politically and culturally liberal side claim that my writing lacks “nuance” and tends towards binary thinking. They claim that more “mature” and “sophisticated” thinkers comprehend the complexities of morality and theology, especially when one factors in the supremacy of individual conscience. Moreover, they also claim black and white thinking, or thinking that seeks objective truth, shows an unhealthy psychological dependency on certainty, or in the case of... Read more

4 Ways the Catholic Church is a “Sign of Contradiction” to the World

Last updated on: February 13, 2023 at 8:40 am By Dennis Knapp

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…and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted.” (Luke 2:34) These words, delivered to the Blessed Virgin Mary, set the tone, not only for the life of Christ on earth, but also for His Church. Both Christ and the Church He established stood, and still stand, as a sign of contradiction to the world. In... Read more

In the Darkness, the Diocese of Des Moines Offers Some Light

Last updated on: February 7, 2023 at 9:35 am By Dennis Knapp

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In past articles, I sounded the alarm concerning a darkness looming within the Church. For example, the German Synodal Path, the Synod of Synodality, poor catechesis, stigmatization of faithful voices with the public square, the warnings of the late Cardinal Pell, and the carve out for grave sexual sin encouraged by Cardinal McElroy. All of these represent a Church with an identity crisis. In response to the sexual abuse crisis (a total failure in fidelity on multiple levels), some within... Read more

My God, I am Sorry for my Sin…

Last updated on: February 6, 2023 at 9:44 pm By Dennis Knapp

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While attending Confession on Saturday, God spoke to my spirit in a special way as I contemplated the Act of Contrition. For non-Catholics, the Act of Contrition is what Catholics say (and hopefully mean) before the priest gives absolution. After reading and writing on Cardinal McElroy’s comments on grave sin, I thought of the role of sin in my own life and how I depend on the mercy and grace of God. The Act of Contrition places my sin in... Read more

Honest Talk on the “Pastoral Approach” to Sexual Sin

Last updated on: February 1, 2023 at 9:29 am By Dennis Knapp

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But the exclusion of men and women because of their marital status or their sexual orientation/activity is pre-eminently a pastoral question, not a doctrinal one. Given our teachings on sexuality and marriage, how should we treat remarried or L.G.B.T. men and women in the life of the church, especially regarding questions of the Eucharist? [emphasis added] Can we have an honest conversation on the “pastoral approach” when applied to sexual activity the Church considers sin? And by human sexuality, I... Read more

Demos Speaks: Rome Silent

Last updated on: January 26, 2023 at 3:48 pm By Dennis Knapp

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Recently, a top cleric at the Vatican released a document through L’Espresso critical of Pope Francis. Under the pseudonym Demos, the late Cardinal George Pell laid out his criticism of Pope Francis and his recommendations for the next conclave to elect the next pope. In this article, I examine this “memorandum” and evaluate its merits to faithful Catholics. What can we learn from such a document? Furthermore, why would a top advisor to Pope Francis release such criticism? Let’s dig... Read more

God’s Message in an Unbreakable Bottle: An Infallible Church

Last updated on: January 26, 2023 at 11:33 pm By Dennis Knapp

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Recently, during a discussion between Douglas Beaumont (Catholic) and Matthew Graham (Protestant), and myself (also Catholic), the issue of an infallible Church came up. Matthew asked for the necessity of an infallible Church. This question inspired an analogy in my mind, an analogy of the unbreakable bottle containing the most important message received by mankind. The message: the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world. In this article, I lay out the analogy and the importance an... Read more

Pell Contra Synodality: The Last Written Words of George Cardinal Pell

Last updated on: January 17, 2023 at 5:14 pm By Dennis Knapp

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On January 10th, 2023, the Church lost another giant—this time a literal physical giant. George Cardinal Pell died of cardiac arrest following hip surgery in Rome. The loss of both Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Pell within two weeks presented a hard pill to swallow. A stalwart defender of Catholic orthodoxy, Cardinal Pell’s candor and courage, even in the face of false conviction and imprisonment, give testimony to his strength of faith. The last written piece from Cardinal Pell appeared... Read more

The Latin Right on The Catholic Current: What is the Common Good?

Last updated on: January 16, 2023 at 6:41 pm By Dennis Knapp

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On January 16, 2023, I was a guest on Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.’s program The Catholic Current. We discussed my article What Constitutes the Common Good?… and the proper Catholic understanding of the common good. From the synopsis: We welcome Dennis Knapp of the Patheos blog The Latin Right to discuss the common good. Why do so many Catholics take a secularized and collectivist view of the Common Good, and why is that incorrect? Click here to listen to the... Read more