Through Catholic Lenses - Viewing the world through our Catholic faith

Starting a Christian Spiritual Life: Q&A with Fr. Matthew, LC

November 15, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

I’ve had a CuriousCat account most of 2018 and I sometimes get asked interesting questions. I set it up for complex or personal questions as the service allows people to submit questions anonymously. However, I got a bunch of spiritual basics too. Here are my responses to some questions of spiritual basics from CuriousCat. Originally, I wanted to do a bunch of CuriousCat answers in one post. However, it ran long, so I divided it into three by themes. Look for… Read more

2/3 Pro-Life Ballot Initiatives Won Last Night

November 7, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

Three states had statewide pro-life ballot initiatives yesterday. Two passed and one lost in the election. Pro-Life Wins Alabama had the most sweeping initiative which won by a wide margin. As The Washington Times reported: (Emphasis added) Alabama’s Amendment 2 coasted to victory with 59 percent of the vote, inserting language to the state constitution to “recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children, including the right to life.” West Virginia’s more modest initiative also won… Read more

What Popes Did Saint Thomas More Die For?

October 25, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

Sometimes we might see corruption in the Church: often we hear accusations but we don’t know if they are true. Where can we look for how to act? May I suggest St. Thomas More. We all probably know that St. Thomas More died for refusing to sign the Oath of Supremacy, which incorrectly declared the king as the rightful head of the Church of England. Thus, he was a martyr for unity between English Christians and Rome. But, have you… Read more

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: Don’t Empty “Redemption” of Meaning

October 23, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

The Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, published an article today under the title “Salvation: More Than a Cliché?” It was originally in a 2008 series of essays in German, which Ignatius Press is now publishing for the first time in English. In the article, Benedict explores the depth of terms like “salvation” or “redemption” for Christians. The article is rather academic. I want to point out some of the key points while trying to avoid being too academic. The Problem of “Redemption”… Read more

Stephen Hawking: Only the Christian View of God Makes Sense

October 21, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

There are many different views of God. Hawking tries to argue against God’s existence but ends up leaving the Christian view of God as the only possible one. Many philosophers and non-Christian religions have a different concept of God from Christianity. Spinoza and Hegel identified God with nature. Other Modern Philosophers define it as something merely existing in our brains, or something necessary for morality. Most pagam religions have multiple Gods. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam instead believe in a God who is completely… Read more

Pope Francis Wearing a Rainbow Cross? It Isn’t What You Think✝️

October 18, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

This week Pope Francis wore a cross that had multiple colors on it that appear somewhat like a rainbow. Several traditional-minded Catholics posted it assuming it was in some way related to the LGBT pride flag. However, that is not the case. It is a symbol of Latin American Youth Ministry. Pope Francis Wears the Cross On October 17, Vatican News in Italian tweeted: Young people from Panama together with many synod fathers from Latin American delivered the World Youth… Read more

What Does the Orthodox Split Mean?

October 17, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

This week, the Russian Orthodox Patriarch ceased Communion with the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople. As this is the split between the two most important Orthodox Churches in the world, it is big news. Greater separation in the Church is also sad news. As many of us Catholics don’t think about Orthodoxy regularly, I want to provide a little context and meaning. I am bringing together the key points from various sources. Announcing an Orthodox Split First, RT reports on the announcement: The… Read more

Ideas for Increasing Confession (from Twitter)

October 11, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

Recently, several prominent Catholics have been tweeting about confession on Twitter. The consensus seems to be that Catholics frequent this sacrament less than they should. I want to not only present the problems but offer solutions. First the stats, How often Catholics in the U.S. go to confession: 2% once a month or more 12% several times a year 12% once a year 30% less than once a year 45% never Source: Patrick Carey, “Confession” — Matthew Schmitz (@matthewschmitz) October 2, 2018… Read more

The Nuance of Abortion Laws Without Roe v. Wade

October 10, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

Today, the Washington Post carried a story about what happens if Roe is overturned. We need to remember that overturning Roe doesn’t make abortion illegal but allows states to set abortion laws. The Post notes that this leaves a complicated situation: If the high court acted to overturn Roe, some states would continue allowing women access to abortions, while others may bar them from receiving the procedure — or restrict access to it at various points in a pregnancy and… Read more

Bishop Henry: Speak Boldly and Evangelize in the Media

October 5, 2018 By Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC

Bishop Fred Henry, a retired bishop, recently spoke about the need for us to speak out as Catholics via the media. Grandin Media (a diocesan media company in Canada) reported his strong words. “I don’t think as clergy we should be running away from this,” Bishop Henry said. “Right now it is very uncomfortable to be wearing a Roman collar … even when I’m travelling, it’s much simpler to go incognito, to wear my secular clothing. “But I’ve decided this is… Read more