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[Catholic Caucus] The 1963 Vatican Enthronement of Lucifer: A 'Windswept House' UpdateKathy Thompson's article about the late Fr. Malachi Martin's book Windswept House (The Remnant, April 30) was very interesting, but its chronology regarding the enthronement of Lucifer in the heart of the Vatican needs clarification. I am able to contribute some personal testimony of my own about this matter that I believe will interest Remnant readers. Also, it will add to what is publicly known about a reported event which, if indeed it took place, was very probably a significant factor in exacerbating that 'smoke of Satan' which has...

Three years after the election of Pope Francis, Roman Catholic conservatives are growing increasingly worried that he is quietly unraveling the legacy of his predecessors. Francis’ popularity with most Catholics, and legions of non-Catholics, has given him the image of a grandfatherly parish priest who understands how difficult it sometimes is to follow Church teachings, particularly those on sexual morality. Conservatives worry that behind the gentle façade lies a dangerous reformer who is diluting Catholic teaching on moral issues like homosexuality and divorce while focusing on social problems such as climate change and economic inequality. […] Chatter on conservative blogs...

The website of the German Bishops' Conference, katholisch.de, reported yesterday on the first case of a practicing homosexual permitted to remain in a position at a Catholic Church institution despite a flagrant and public violation of the Church's moral law. The woman who heads a Caritas Day Care Center in Bavaria, had been asked in April to leave her position due to her announcement that she was going to “marry” a woman. The decision has now been rescinded, according to Fr. Hans Lindenberger, head of the Caritas in Munich, Germany. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who is the Archbishop of the Diocese...

NEW YORK — Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s positive reaction to this week’s decision by organizers of New York’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade to allow gay groups to march under their own banners initially drew charitable responses in many Catholic Church circles. But it didn’t take long for conservative church critics to turn. After initially signaling his grudging acceptance, William Donohue of the Catholic League came back with a revised view when he realized that more than one gay group could be allowed to march in the future.

But, wait, there’s more! According to La Stampa, Pope Paul VI has reportedly been penciled in for beatification this coming fall at the conclusion of the Synod of Bishops in Rome. Yes, that’s right—Paul VI! Remember him? That vague, sort of nondescript pontiff who made up for negligible personal magnetism with an almost fanatical penchant for novelty. There is no particular cult associated with his cause, of course, other than among a few aging ecclesiastical hippies inside the Vatican who are evidently bound and determined to nominate their pal Paul for a Halo Award, come hell or high water. Something...

Vatican to Reaffirm Ban on Gay Priests By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer Thu Sep 22, 7:01 AM ET VATICAN CITY - A Vatican document will be released in the coming weeks that reaffirms the Catholic Church's belief that homosexuals shouldn't be ordained priests, a Vatican official said Thursday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the document has not been released, said the "instruction" from the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education would contain "some new things and some old things" and would be released well before the end of the year. That timeframe means the document will...

"[Satan] will set up a counterchurch which will be the ape of the [Catholic] Church. . . . It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content." --Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen, 1948 The Antichrist will not be so called; otherwise he would have no followers. He will not wear red tights, nor vomit sulphur, nor carry a trident nor wave an arrowed tail as Mephistopheles in Faust. This masquerade has helped the Devil convince men that he does not exist. When no man recognizes, the more power he exercises....

The Los Angeles Times reports on a new "study" by Church critics who say they have scoured ancient Vatican records and forgotten Latin texts to show that "the Church has recognized the problem of abuse by priests for at least 1,700 years." In the fourth century, for example, St. Basil of Caesarea set up a detailed system of punishment to deal with clerics at his monastery who molested boys. Perpetrators were to be flogged and put in chains for six months; they were never again allowed unsupervised interaction with minors. "In the 13th century," continues the report, "Pope Gregory IX...

What would it mean for the Catholic Church if John Kerry is elected? We all know where Kerry stands on crucial moral issues such as abortion, stem-cell research, assisted suicide, same-sex unions, and parental choice in education: he stands against the teachings of the Church. Last week, the Massachusetts senator gave us a vivid reminder of his commitment to the "culture of death." He has rarely cast a vote in the Senate during the past six months; he's been too busy on the campaign trail to fulfill his legislative duties. (As one of his constituents, I'm perfectly happy with that...