Free Republic

It seems astonishing to the layperson that anybody would go to the extremes René Descartes went to simply to discover that he existed. What could be more self-evident to a conscious being than one’s own self-consciousness? But Descartes was not on a fool’s errand. In a world of sophisticated skepticism, he sought certainty for something that could serve as a foundation for much, much more. He moved from the certitude of self-consciousness to the certitude of the existence of God, no small matter for the doubt-ridden believer. Descartes and others like him understood that to prove the existence of God...

"By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace" (Heb. 11:31). Rahab illustrates the depth and breadth of God’s amazing grace. Our final Old Testament hero of faith is an unlikely addition to the list. Not only was she a prostitute, she also was a Gentile—and a Canaanite at that. The Canaanites were an idolatrous, barbaric, debauched people, infamous even among pagans for their immorality and cruelty. Yet in the midst of that exceedingly wicked society, Rahab came to faith in the God of Israel. Joshua 2:9-11...

“Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). God’s will is revealed in His Word. How can a Christian walk wisely and know the will of God for his life? The will of God is explicitly revealed to us in the pages of Scripture. God’s will is that we be: Saved—“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3-4; compare 2 Peter 3:9). Spirit-filled—“Do not be foolish, but understand what the...

Since the publication of the Four Cardinals Letter, the Catholic world is in turmoil. While there are some harsh rebukes of the four courageous cardinals – who have done nothing but defend the traditional Catholic teaching on marriage and the family – there are also some encouraging new voices coming forth in their support.In the following, I shall give just two examples of the ongoing debate surrounding the Four Cardinals Letter — though more are yet emerging — with a contrasting third example added at the end to show also the growing sense of heterodoxy in the Church.First, Cardinal...

As the fallout from Amoris Laetitia continues to settle, it is difficult to imagine a more illuminating exercise than to compare recent statements by San Diego’s Bishop Robert McElroy and Cardinal George Pell. Bishop McElroy’s new policies invite the divorced and remarried to discern for themselves whether or not they should receive Communion. But Cardinal Pell emphasizes that “the idea that you can somehow discern that moral truths should not be followed or should not be recognized is absurd.” Meanwhile, the dean of the Roman Rota, Archbishop Pio Vito Pinto, noted that Pope Francis could, if he so chooses, discipline...

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days" (Heb. 11:30). Faith is the key to spiritual conquest. Forty years had lapsed since the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land. That unbelieving generation had perished in the wilderness. Now Joshua was leading a new generation into the land. The first obstacle they faced was Jericho—a well- fortified city that was near the mouth of the Jordan River. Some city walls of that day were wide enough at the top to allow two chariots to ride side-by-side. That was probably true of Jericho...

“Making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). Time will tell whether you’re unselfish or selfish. In 1842 Robert Murray M’Cheyne, pastor of St. Peter’s Church in Dundee, Scotland, wrote a pastoral letter to an individual who was an unbeliever. The following is an excerpt from his letter: I was reading this morning (Luke ii. 29), what old Simeon said when he got the child Jesus into his arms: “Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” If you get a firm hold of...

Q: What is this controversy among Catholics and Pope Francis about?A: It concerns the appearance that Pope Francis is trying to change a perennial Catholic doctrine.Q: Why would he do that?A: You’d have to ask him. I was the English language editor of his first book, but I couldn’t make head or tails of what he was saying. Francis makes no pretense of being a systematic thinker. So it’s sometimes hard to tell if he’s simply speaking (and writing) imprecisely, or is using imprecision as a cover for doctrinal change.Q: You’ve got cardinals asking the pope to clarify his teaching, with other bishops condemning...

Fr Spadaro said the dubia had already been addressed in depthFr Antonio Spadaro has said that the questions raised by four cardinals following the publication of Amoris Laetitia, have already been answered. The editor-in-chief of La Civilta’ Cattolica, was commenting on the dubia submitted to the Pope by Cardinals Raymond Burke, Carlo Caffarra, Walter Brandmüller and Joachim Meisner in September, which the Pope has not yet answered. In an exclusive piece for CNN, Fr Spadaro said that the apostolic exhortation had created an “open and honest debate.” He said: “During the Synod, all of the necessary responses were given and...

I hold to a doctrine that many would probably consider to be unorthodox, some would even dare call it heresy (though notable ministries such as GotQuestions say it is a valid scriptural interpretation, though they reject it).  It's called Conditionalism, sometimes Annihilationism, and in a nutshell it is the belief that the unsaved (those who die apart from Christ) do not possess immortality and after a period of punishment proportional to their sins will be utterly destroyed - body and soul.  A chief proof-text is Matthew 10:28: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot...

A Prayer for the Internet from the 1946 Roman Ritual? Sure, and It’s Wonderful! Msgr. Charles Pope • November 28, 2016 • The old Roman Ritual (published in 1946) is a magnificent collection of blessings and prayers. It has some of the most amazing little blessings of things it would never occur to you to find in such a collection. Along with the blessings of expected objects (e.g., statues, religious medals) are blessings, often elaborately laid out, for things such as seismographs, typewriters, printing presses, fishing boats, fire engines, stables, medicine, wells, bridges, archives, lime kilns, automobiles, mountain-climbing equipment,...

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.( I John 5:2-3)The Apostle John wrote an epistle to restore the faith of those who had been ravaged by the distorted spirituality of the gnostics. As part of the cure, he declared three statements about the nature of the only true God; God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all, God is Love, and finally, Jesus Christ has come (and...

This was translated with Google Translate: Mons.Pío Vito Pinto, Dean of the Roman Rota, the highest authority of the Catholic Church in cases of nullity, has delivered a lecture at the San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University in Madrid. In a strong tone and in a strong tone, he said that the four cardinals who have written to Pope Francis, asking him to clarify some doubts about his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, have incurred a serious scandal in making this letter publicly through the media Communication. (Confidential Religion) Pio Vito, speaking to Confessional Religion, has made clear that these four cardinals, like...

In the wake of the confused and confusing elements in Chapter 8 of Amoris laetitia and in light of the Five Dubia submitted by the Four Cardinals, and in view of the remarks made by Card. Burke about what would possibly need to be done were no responses given or further confused and confusing points be issued, some people have wondered what it takes to “correct” a Pope, or if “correction” is even possible.How would such a thing happen, given the fact that the Pope has as his superior only Christ, whose vicar he is, and … the People of God, whose...

Contrary to what skeptics may say, Scripture directly describes purgatory for us.Perhaps the most famous text is 1 Corinthians 3:10-15,According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose...

A New Council, Like Sixteen Centuries Ago The conflicts set into motion today by “Amoris Laetitia” have a precedent in the Christological controversies of the late Roman empire. They were resolved by the ecumenical council of Chalcedon. From Chile, one scholar proposes that the same journey be made again by Sandro Magister ROME, November 28, 2016 – By the very act of not responding to the appeal of the four cardinals to bring clarity on the most controversial points of “Amoris Laetitia,” Pope Francis has made at least one thing understood. And it is his unshakeable certainty in the goodness...

Our Mother the Church, dear reader, has the custom of preparing her children, well in advance of the actual holy day, for extraordinary events which the central axle of both earthly and eternal existence. Beyond a doubt, the feast of Nativity of Christ, the appearance of God in the flesh, belongs to this very category.      The whole history of humankind, which began with the fall of our forefather and mother, Adam and Eve, the continuation of history through their descendants, the history of peoples and kingdoms (especially the history of ancient Israel), all led up to and arrived at...

Pondering the Approaching Feast of the Word Made Flesh Msgr. Charles Pope • November 27, 2016 • As Catholics, we open Advent with the New Testament. We read its earliest pages, and the light shows brighter than ever as one covenant passes on and the New Covenant begins. The Groom has found his Bride.Catholics reverence the whole of the Scriptures and refuse Marcionism, a heresy that (among other things) rejected the Old Testament. However, not all of Scripture has equal authority in its application. We read the Old Testament in the light of the New Testament. Many of the...

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.( I John 4:7-8)The Apostle John wrote his first epistle to those in the church who had been confused and demoralized by mystical, experience based christianity. The true knowledge of God is what John set out to re-establish, for the false teachers had been able to supplant the christian understanding of what it means to ‘know the Lord’ with their own sensual, pseudo spiritual version of “knowing...

The Apostolic Letter, “Misericordia et Misera,” officially concluded the Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy. In a certain sense, the publication of the letter also inaugurated a new phase of Pope Francis’s pontificate. The short document, published on November 21, contains three main decisions: the extension of the mandate to the Missionaries of mercy, that is, priests who were given the faculty for the Holy Year to absolve the five sins reserved to the Apostolic See; the extension of the validity of the confessions heard by members of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (SSPX), better known as Lefevbrists; and...