I thought this was very interesting… we don’t see this in America at all. This is what happens in a country with Catholic roots: Following insults from Hugo Chávez directed to the Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez, of being “an imperialist clown,” the Congress of Honduras is asking the president of that nation to demand an apology from Chávez. The motion was passed last night by a sweeping majority of 128 votes with only four abstentions from the leftist... Read more
I’m a big fan of a broad concept of the culture of life, the “seamless garment”, emanating from Gaudium Et Spes (#27). It’s far too easy to oppose abortion and give the thumbs up to unjust war, and vice versa. The pro-life movement in America has always focused on abortion, and indeed, was born in the wake of the Roe v. Wade decision. This is perfectly justifiable. I don’t even have a problem with the right to life movement dealing... Read more
(I finished Pope Benedict’s book Jesus of Nazareth last week and I have to say that it has inspired me to open the Bible and just immerse in the Old and New Testament Scriptures to get to know our Lord again through the “firsthand” accounts. I did not find the book complicated at all; in fact, it was its simplicity and clarity that did not allow me to put it down for long periods of time. However, as it is... Read more
It moves one’s heart to think:Nine months before I was bornthere was a woman who loved me deeply.She did not know what I was going to be like,but she loved me because she carried me in her womb.And when she gave me birth,she took me in her arms,because her love was not just beginning–she conceived it along with me. A mother loves–and that is why abortion is so abhorrent:a mother who aborts is unfaithful to the lovethat she should have(like... Read more
Euthanasia, defined as “an action or omission which of itself and by intention causes death, with the purpose of eliminating all suffering” (Evangelium Vitae, #64) is objectively evil and indeed, opposing it is a core component of the culture of life. It is listed on par with murder, genocide, and abortion in Gaudium Et Spes and Pope John Paul declared it to be “a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing... Read more
Robert Bolt – how many people recognize the name if they see it? Yet he is probably one of the greatest playwrights and screenwriters of the 20th century. Just look through the films he worked on, and you will see: Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, A Man for All Seasons, and The Mission. Each of these films are masterpieces, although I have to admit, I’ve really never been able to appreciate Doctor Zhivago. If I had to choose my favorite... Read more
Let me start with a confession. My first encounter with what would be the priest abuse scandal was when I was 12ish. We were making our yearly trip to confession as part of CCD. A girl makes a comment to me asking if I’m afraid to go in there. I wonder why on earth anyone would be afraid. My second experience was several years ago. SNAP protesters showed up outside a service, not one I attended. They showed a picture... Read more
I still remember the moment when Pope Benedict XVI transformed my thinking on Catholicism and society… I was at a weekend silent retreat based on Benedict XVI’s first encyclical Deus Caritas Est. We had covered all of Part 1, which consists of a brief but dense meditation on the radical difference between Christian agape and conventional notions of love, particularly that known as eros. What I had read and what the ensuing talk covered in Part 1 was not, on... Read more
“The Church calls everyone to make faith a reality in their lives, as the best path . . . for attaining true freedom, which includes the recognition of human rights and social justice.” – John Paul II (Original February 2007 post from Evangelical Catholicism Blog) Tito from Custos Fidei had a link to an article quoting part of an informal conversation Pope Benedict XVI had with some priests from the Rome diocese, where he emphasized that the Church is not... Read more
We have recently been told that Pope Benedict is working on a new encyclical, and its content will be about social justice. Today, the news is reporting that the Pope has made yet another call for peace . He is asking for people all over the world to give up the “old systems” which have not created peace. War and peace have been in the Pope’s thoughts and meditations during his vacation. He is saddened by the wars which are... Read more
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