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Papal Primacy and the Heresy of Conciliarlism[EDITOR’S NOTE: In the following essay, as the number of endnotes alone suggests, Fr. Kramer has left few stones unturned in examining the nature of papal primacy and the prospect of a pope who has fallen into heresy. Like the recent article by Robert Siscoe and John Salza, it will take considerable effort to read, but I can assure you that it is well worth your time as you will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the way in which Christ constituted His Church. So, please, persevere! – LV]It is claimed...

It has been argued that “Mary is the creature closest to God. Moreover, while Christ is the mediator of all grace between God and creation, Mary is the mediator of all grace between Christ and humanity. Consequently, Mary is a powerful intercessor for all who turn to her” (see Zoltan, 1994, emp. added). The Bible clearly teaches that Mary is not Deity and should not be worshipped as such (see Pinedo, 2009). If she is not Deity, is she the closest human being to Deity? Does she play an active role in heaven, interceding for individual Christians? Does she make...

ROME, JUNE 17, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The doctrine of the Eucharist -- and its relevance for believers -- is not sufficiently understood and must be a catechetical priority, says Benedict XVI. The Pope affirmed this Wednesday when he went to the Basilica of St. John Lateran to address participants at the convention for the Diocese of Rome. The Holy Father told his diocese that a "more profound knowledge of the mystery of the Body and Blood of the Lord" is a necessity for the communities of Rome. "At the same time," he added, "in the missionary spirit that we wish to...

South Bend, Ind., Apr 14, 2009 / 06:36 pm (CNA).- Fr. John Jenkins, the President of the University of Notre Dame, has written a letter to the school's board of trustees, defending the university’s invitation of President Obama to the school’s May commencement ceremony. Fr. Jenkins argues in his letter that while many have criticized the school’s move, canon lawyers and the USCCB document, “Catholics in Political Life,” both support his action. In the letter, posted in full on LifeSiteNews, Fr. Jenkins recalls the June 2004 USCCB statement on Catholics in political life and cites “two key sentences” that “have...

PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite the Roman Catholic Church's official opposition to abortion and embryonic stem-cell research, a Gallup analysis finds almost no difference between rank-and-file American Catholics and American non-Catholics in terms of finding the two issues morally acceptable.

President Obama, who has made massive strides to expand abortion rights in his first few weeks in office, is looking forward to a "dialogue" with Catholics, who by church law are pro-life, when he speaks at the school's commencement this spring. The confirmation came at a news briefing today from presidential press secretary Robert Gibbs to Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House. "What is the president's reaction to the 50,000 people already who've signed petitions joining the Catholic bishop of Fort Wayne, South Bend in objecting to his addressing the graduation and receiving an honorary degree from Notre...

VATICAN CITY, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Gay rights groups and newspaper editorials on Tuesday condemned the Vatican for its decision to oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on governments worldwide to de-criminalise homosexuality. The row erupted after the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations told a French Catholic news agency the Holy See would oppose the resolution, which France is due to propose later this month on behalf of the 27-member European Union. Archbishop Celestino Migliore said the Vatican opposed the resolution because it would "add new categories of those protected from discrimination" and could lead to reverse discrimination...

From Joseph Ratzinger’s Introduction to Christianity:The Old Testament contains a whole series of miraculous births, always at decisive turning-points in the history of salvation: Isaac’s mother, Sarah (Gen 18), Samuel’s mother (1 Sam 1-3) and the anonymous mother of Samson (Judg 13) are all barren and all human hope of their being blessed with children has been abandoned. With all three, the birth of the child who eventually contributes to Israel’s salvation comes to pass as a manifestation of the gracious mercy of God, who makes the impossible possible (Gen 18.14, Luke 1.37), elevates the lowly (1 Sam 2.7;1.11;...

Archbishop Sheen Today! -- Rectitude of intention Barbara Kralis Barbara Kralis October 12, 2004 © Catholic Online 2004 Why do we hear so little mention of this virtuous idiom, Rectitude of Intention? Is it because the very meaning, per se, is a pox upon the relativism of our culture? What does this term, 'Rectitude of Intention' mean? It means having the correct intention in all that we do — in our daily work, our recreation, our civic obligations, and our religious duties — however, not for our glory but all for the glory of God. We live in an age...

As is well known by now in Catholic blogdom, we are waiting for the Sunday commencement of a series in the Dallas Morning News on the latest investigations into a hitherto unexplored facet of the clergy sexual abuse scandal. This morning, DMN reporter Bruce Egerton was featured on National Public Radio, offering a low-key overview of what is coming. For over a year, he and a colleague have been exploring the ramifications on the Scandal of the international nature of the Church. He has discovered hundreds of cases of priests who were accused of sexual abuse -- even convicted --...

Adoremus Bulletin Vol. VIII, No. 8: November 2002 Singing for the Supper or the Sacrifice? by Lucy E. Carroll While actual numbers vary but little, most surveys today show that more than half of American Catholics either do not believe in the Real Presence, or do not understand the concept. Since the Real Presence is the primary difference between Catholicism and Protestantism (all other differences must pale in comparison), this is a serious issue. Causes are many: inadequate catechesis, incorrect catechesis, emphasis on the Liturgy of Word over the Liturgy of the Eucharist, removal of the Tabernacle, prohibitions on kneeling,...