Should We Forgive Bishop Conry?
Over the weekend Bishop Kieran Conry, the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton resigned in disgrace after admitting not one, but two affairs with women. One of the women was married with two children. Bishop...
View ArticleFisking Cardinal Kaspar in America
America magazine has an interesting interview with Cardinal Kaspar here. I read it trying very hard to be open minded, but geesh, what kind of flaky stuff is this cardinal spouting? Here are some...
View ArticleMantilla the Hon on the Crystal Cathedral
Guest blogger Mantilla Amontillado is the founder of Veritas Vestments. She holds a degree in Ecclesiastical Haberdashery from Salamanca University. She has done the pilgrimage to Santiago de...
View ArticleAll Are Welcome…Really?
The theme song at the moment seems to be “All are safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.” In other words, “All are welcome!” Of course all are welcome in the Catholic Church, but this truth...
View ArticleCompassion, Puppies and Kittens
Don’t get me wrong. I love the Divine Mercy mission. I’m all for compassion and mercy, forgiveness and love, warmth and welcome. I’m totally in favor of the priests being like the father welcoming home...
View ArticleSin and the Synod
I have now read what some are calling the “Relativistic Relatio” from the Synod on the family and I’m afraid that I am not impressed. It is not that the language is wishy washy, vague and confusing to...
View ArticleWhy I Distrust Church Synods
As a former Anglican I distrust church synods. Here’s why. The General Synod of the Church of England is at it’s foundation, a democratically minded, man made institution. It was founded in 1970 on the...
View ArticleA Plea to the Pope
Here is my latest article for Crisis Magazine, in which I promise to do my job but plead with the pope to do his. I want to be that kind of priest. I want to be Jesus to the world. I long to care for...
View ArticleOn Being Supernaturally Normal
I had a terrific compliment last week. This person didn’t praise me for being extraordinary. She didn’t thank me for being intellectual or handsome or holy or amazing. She thanked me for being normal....
View ArticleWorried About the Synod? Here Are Ten Things to Remember
Whew! has there ever been such a furore amongst the faithful! We’ve got the clash of cardinals, a bash up among bishops and vitriol in the Vatican! The secular press are ecstatic over the idea that...
View ArticleCardinal Kasper Dismisses Africans
The Anchoress takes Kasper to task here for his condescending and let’s say it: racist remarks about African Catholics. Here are our brothers and sisters in the forefront of the fight against militant...
View ArticleTake Up Your Crux
My article published previously this week at Crisis Magazine is now re-published at Boston Globe’s Crux website. The ambition of the editors at Crux is simple. John Allen described American Catholicism...
View ArticleAllen on Kasper on the Africans
John Allen springboards in this article from the hoo-ha over Cardinal Kasper’s anti-African comments to Edward Pentin to teach us more about the influence of Africans on the Vatican and what the future...
View ArticleWrangling in Rome – What Good is It?
What good has come from all the bishops boxing–all the wrangling in Rome? Now that the Synod of Bishops has ended with a beautiful, but bland final message from the bishops, Damian Thompson reports on...
View ArticleBeautiful Balance in the Pope’s Final Speech to the Synod
Here are excerpts from the Pope’s final address to the synod with my observations in red. Read the whole speech here. And it has been “a journey” – and like every journey there were moments of running...
View ArticleMedia Mutterings About the Synod
What is most frustrating in reading the media mutterings about the synod is the superficial experience of church life that most journalists have. Christina Odone is one who should know better. She is a...
View ArticleWelcoming Gays: How Do I Do That?
The buzz word in the synod this month, and in the general discussion about homosexuals is the word “welcome” We are to “welcome homosexuals”. The problem is, no one is really explaining what this...
View ArticlePope Francis’ New Way
In this article at Aleteia I assess Pope Francis’ regular references to “the God of surprises” and his calls for Catholics to be open to new ways of the Holy Spirit At the close of a tumultuous two...
View ArticleGimme That Ole Time Religion
I’m not too concerned about getting the Catholic religion up to date for people. That’s because the Catholic religion transcends time. Oh yes, we can tinker with this and that, use modern methods of...
View ArticleConversion or Come to Daddy?
I read a smart comment yesterday: “Conservatives want to convert people by arguing with them. Liberals want to convert people by agreeing with them.” It’s pithy I can see the distinction, but I’m not...
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