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Bishop Edward Weisenburger (right) would like to canonically punish those who advocate the prosecution of illegal immigrants. On June 13, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston and Houston and head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, read aloud a statement at the USCCB spring meeting in which he denounced the immigration policies of United States President Donald Trump and Attorney General of the United States Jeff Sessions. Cardinal DiNardo was particularly exercised by Trump’s and Sessions’ policy of refusing asylum to those fleeing gang violence, and of prosecuting everyone who illegally enters the United States, a practice which...

Pope Francis phones Gianni Vattimo, philosopher of “weak thought” Posted on 9 July 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf I saw the strangest story at La Stampa.From Italian: Pope Francis phones Gianni Vattimo, philosopher of “weak thought”The Italian scholar sends a copy of his last book to Francis who calls to thank him.  A a short and pleasing conversation about the Church and philosophy: “With this Pope I am not ashamed to call myself Catholic”. Perhaps someone will translate the whole thing.This seems so very strange to me.  It leaves me a little confused, frankly.   I’ve written about this guy back...

A sermon preached at the Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles Lord’s Day Morning, June 13, 2010 “And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them” (Luke 24:41-43). Oh, I know that the subject of this sermon might disturb some preachers! But they may not have studied the subject thoroughly, may not have meditated on verses about Christ’s resurrection long enough! Preachers ought to speak loud and clear...

Humility in Prayer According to St. Teresa of Avila Msgr. Charles Pope • July 9, 2018 • I have written before on humility in prayer as St. Augustine sets it forth. In today’s post I look to the same topic, but this time as St. Teresa of Avila presents it in her treatise The Way of Perfection.In setting forth her teaching, I have substantially reworked the order of her reflections. St. Teresa was able to see the “whole rose” of the topic, jumping from petal to petal without effort. I, being of a vastly inferior intellect and of far...

CZĘSTOCHOWA, Poland (ChurchMilitant.com) - Polish Catholics have turned back a gay march on one of the country's holiest sites, Jasna Góra Monastery. In a deliberate act of provocation, gay activists recently announced that on July 8 they would rally at the shrine — home to the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the "Black Madonna" — and "greet" the monks who live there. But a coalition of Catholic apostolates pushed back. Blasting the march as a sacrilege, they rallied Catholics to come together for a counter-demonstration and a Rosary of reparation for "public promotions of the sin of homosexuality."   Groups like the Youth Crusade, the Pro-Right to Life Foundation, the National-Radical Camp...

For the last several weeks, the Lepanto Institute has been investigating and reporting on a heretical priestly organization called the Association of United States Catholic Priests (AUSCP). This organization promotes women’s ordination to the diaconate (with eyes on the priestly ordination of women), homosexuality, priestless parishes, married priests, and a host of other heterodox positions.If you’re interested in having a better understanding of this international movement to spread heresy throughout the Church, previous Lepanto Institute reports on the AUSCP include the following: AUSCP’s Plan for Ordained Women and Priestless parishes Wester Participating in AUSCP ConferenceAUSCP’s Desire to Obtain Funding from...

Of Hunger and Hallucinations – How the Stages of Starvation Describe the Decaying West Msgr. Charles Pope • July 8, 2018 • Physical hunger is a serious problem; We are obliged to assist the starving and malnourished. But even more prevalent these days is spiritual hunger, if not outright starvation. As is the case with physical hunger, the source of spiritual hunger is not God, who has given us abundant grace and truth; it is we who are the source. It is a strange starvation to be sure, for it is largely self-inflicted. Further, it seems to be at...

“Catholica” is an international magazine of culture, politics, and religion, published in France, which in its more than thirty years of existence has brought in prestigious authors in their respective fields and specialties, from Émile Poulat to Robert Spaemann, from Ernst Wolfgang Böckenförde to Vladimir Bukowski, from Stanislaw Grygiel to Thierry Wolton, from Jacques Ellul to Pietro De Marco. It is directed by Bernard Dumont. Who in the latest issue of the magazine, just off the presses, puts his byline on the following editorial, which can be read online by non-subscribers as well:> Un temps pour parlerThe “word” that Dumont...

"An Act of Parliament, directly oppugnant to the laws of God and his holy Church..." All which notwithstanding the jury found him guilty, and incontinent upon the verdict the Lord Chancellor [for that matter chief commissioner] beginning in judgment against him, Sir Thomas More said to him, "My Lord, when I was towards the law, the manner in such case was to ask the prisoner before judgment, why judgment should not be given against him." Whereupon the Lord Chancellor staying his judgment, wherein he had partly proceeded, demanded of him what he was able to say to the contrary. Who...

Poor Preaching Isn’t Only Due to the Preacher – A Homily For the 14th Sunday of the YearPoor Preaching Msgr. Charles Pope • July 7, 2018 • The gospel today portrays the Lord Jesus as preacher and prophet, but even the greatest preacher in the world, Jesus, can find His powerful and precious words falling lifeless on the rock-hard surface of many a soul. Yes, even His words can meet with resistance and hostility, indifference and ridicule. Indeed, the gospel today shows the ruinous result of rejection.My formal homily notes begin with the red text below, but first I’d...

Francis Bows His Knees - Because Orthodox Patriarchs Were Present? During his July 7 visit to Bari, Italy, after meeting with heads of Christian Churches in the Middle East, Pope Francis surprised the public when he knelt down in order to venerate the relics of Saint Nicholas. Commentators believe that Francis did this because of the presence of orthodox and oriental patriarchs who would have been shocked if Francis had not shown any visible sign of veneration standing like a tourist in front of the relics of the saint who enjoys an enormous popularity in the East. Francis knelt down...

Intrinsically Disordered CONGREGATION FOR TH DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH July5, 2018 At the present time there are those who, basing themselves on observations in the psychological order, have begun to judge indulgently, and even to excuse completely, homosexual relations between certain people. This they do in opposition to the constant teaching of the Magisterium and to the moral sense of the Christian people. A distinction is drawn, and it seems with some reason, between homosexuals whose tendency comes from a false education, from a lack of normal sexual development, from habit, from bad example, or from other similar causes,...

Pope Francis Joked Of McCarrick Going To Hell These jokes happened twice over the years, and the Cardinal thought them so hilarious that he couldn't resist rehashing the "charming" anecdotes.  Some questions come immediately to mind. Hell is a serious business.  It is one of the main missions of priests to save people from that horrible fate and direct them to heaven.  Since when do competent priests consider hell to be a joking matter?If, as Ms. Yore suggests, Pope Francis knew of McCarrick's sordid conduct with young men, why did he not address it appropriately?  Was he afraid of McCarrick...

July 6, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) -- The Irish have a name for the likes of Ted McCarrick, Sleeveen. A sleeveen is a sly, smooth talking trickster, whose silver tongue dupes and deceives people.  Sleeveens are often successful in politics, able to charm and inculcate trust among people, especially the powerful. Ted McCarrick is your typical loquacious Irishman, weaving endearing self-deprecating tales and occasional Irish jokes sprinkled throughout his speeches and sermons. McCarrick enjoys the gift of gab, employing it over the decades, as an effective lobbyist, fundraiser, and as the ultimate cleric with political clout. Even as an octogenarian, the silver-tongued...

Faith Comes Through Hearing – As Seen in a Beautiful Video Msgr. Charles Pope • July 6, 2018 • Below is a touching video of a hearing-impaired infant who, after being fitted with a hearing aid, hears the voices of his parents for the very first time. Initially, the child fidgets, afraid of what is happening. But as the voices of his parents reach his soul, a smile of joy and recognition blossoms on his face.In the Fourth Eclogue of Virgil is a beautiful line regarding an infant’s first recognition of his mother. In this case it refers to...

Vatican City — The Vatican's secretary of state warned July 5 that humanity is facing a "possible collapse" in the Earth's ability to sustain life, as part of a two-day conference hosted by the Catholic Church to urge global leaders to mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change. In an address opening the "Saving Our Common Home" event, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said there is a "clear urgency" to the task and that people around the world, "as members of the common household, need to come together." The Vatican's Dicastery for Integral Human Development is hosting the July 5-6 event among...

On the Cosmology of Fireworks Msgr. Charles Pope • July 5, 2018 • One of the great paradoxes of creation and our existence in God’s world is that many blessings are unlocked by explosive, even violent, forces. The cosmos itself is hurtling outward in a massive explosion. Here we are, living part way through that explosion.When I consider the fireworks on the Fourth of July, I often think that each of those beautiful, fiery explosions is a miniature replica of the cosmos. Everywhere in the universe, the burning embers we call stars and galaxies glow brightly as they hurtle...

In view of the “paradigm shift” said to be taking place during this pontificate, one that critics say breaks with the Church’s teaching and tradition, how should a concerned Catholic respond? Is it legitimate, for example, to resist Church authority, including perhaps even the Pope, and if so, how? Chilean author José Antonio Ureta offers some answers to these questions in his new book, Pope Francis’ Paradigm Shift: Continuity or Rupture in the Mission of the Church? — An Assessment of his Five-year Pontificate. In this June 23 interview with the Register in Rome on the sidelines of a conference...

Seeing More as God Does Msgr. Charles Pope • July 4, 2018 • Today I’d like to reflect further on the Gospel reading from today’s Mass (Thursday of the 13th week of the year). It tells the story of the paralyzed man whom Jesus tells to have courage because his sins are forgiven.In one sense this is a rather peculiar response to a paralyzed man: Jesus looks at him and says, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” Now we might be tempted to tap Jesus on the shoulder and say, “Excuse me, Lord, but this man is paralyzed. His...

PADERBORN, Germany, July 4, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) –  A group of local priests from the German Archdiocese of Paderborn published a statement yesterday critiquing their archbishop’s recent decision to implement the controversial German bishops' intercommunion guide that now permits Protestant spouses of Catholics, in individual cases, to receive Holy Communion on a regular basis. The priestly group, going under the name Communio veritatis, calls the decision by Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker of Paderborn “unacceptable.” As the Austrian Catholic news service Kath.net reports today, Communio veritatis now quotes in its new document certain statements of doctrine and discipline, stemming from Church documents, and...