Introduction The encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, has a specific place in the ministry of Pope St. John Paul II. It was proclaimed the first Sunday of Lent, 1979, the first encyclical of the new pontificate, hence the link to Advent—it m … [Read more...]
Articles
A Pastoral Society
The Renewal of Catholic Culture and the Flourishing of Human Society
December 2, 2014 by Deacon Peter Trahan, MATh
Introduction In the Catholic intellectual community, there is a growing call for the renewal of Christian culture as a solution to the impoverishment of 21st century society. This intellectual movement has two momentums: on the one hand, … [Read more...]
Yes, We Can Know Truth Today
December 2, 2014 by Fr. Paul Conner, OP
How astonishing it is to be a human person! Like vegetables, it is wonderful enough to be able to assimilate inanimate minerals and grow, as well as to reproduce our own kind. Like our dear pets, it is amazing that we have senses to know … [Read more...]
Christ Is the Fulfillment of the Law
The Holy Law Is Not an End in Itself
November 14, 2014 by Eduardo Echeverria
The core teaching in Pope Francis’s homily on October 13th is summarized in the following conclusion: Do I believe in Jesus Christ, in Jesus, in what he did: He died, rose again, and the story ended there. Do I think that the journey c … [Read more...]
Recognizing a Link in the Hermeneutic of Continuity
A Brief Look at Blessed Pope Paul VI
November 14, 2014 by Fr. Matthew J. Albright
The ranks of those declared blessed and saint by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit constitute the great array of our brothers and sisters who have been lifted up as models of holiness and powerful intercessors. While … [Read more...]
The Legacy of the Vision of Pope John Paul II for Marriage and Family
November 14, 2014 by Dr. William Newton
Not even the bullet from the barrel of an assassin’s gun could stop Pope John Paul II from emphasizing early in his pontificate the issues of marriage and family. In just the first five years, he created six key markers in these critical a … [Read more...]
Jesus Christ, How Now, My King?
November 14, 2014 by Sharmila Rego
What exactly is the Kingdom of God? Where is it? Ever since I was a teenager and became immersed in wanting to know more about Jesus, I learned about God’s Kingdom, and it would spur me on to live more and more like a “Kingdom person.” I lea … [Read more...]
Streamlining Annulments
November 14, 2014 by Fr. Mark A. Pilon
This headline greeted the announcement that Pope Francis was establishing a commission to make suggestions for altering the annulment process in the Catholic Church. The word “streamlining” is, perhaps, not the Vatican’s word, but it does ca … [Read more...]
May We Donate Our Organs?
October 29, 2014 by Drs. Jay Boyd and Paul A. Byrne
It is likely that most Catholics consider the question of the morality of organ donation to be a settled matter, and to view it as a noble and generous gesture on the part of donors. After all, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) … [Read more...]
What Every Chancery Needs to Consider
Six Reasons Why Some Chanceries Work Better than Others
October 29, 2014 by Jim Lundholm-Eades
While every chancery is unique, some clearly function better than others. There are, in fact, six common, key differentiators (listed below) which separate the highest functioning chanceries from those that are simply well functioning. I … [Read more...]
Scriptural Iconography Communicating Our Vision of God
October 29, 2014 by Fr. John Navone, SJ
Literature, whether in the form of narratives, plays, autobiographies, biographies, or histories, is a question-raising work of art for the inquisitive mind seeking understanding. As such, it presents what scholastic philosophy called “the s … [Read more...]
True, Virginal Wife of Joseph
October 29, 2014 by Jonathan Fleischmann
Recently, a holy, married couple made the following claim regarding the central place of sexual intercourse in sacramental marriage, expressed as a personal insight, gained over the course of more than 50 years of sacramental … [Read more...]
Private Revelation and the Revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
October 29, 2014 by Dr. William R. Luckey, PhD
The Nature of Private Revelation When thinking about the idea of private revelation, it occurs to one that there is, and has been, a lot of it going around for centuries; and the reason that it is so successful, both the true and the … [Read more...]
Past and Present Conceptions of Tradition: Looking at the Synod on the Family
October 13, 2014 by Joshua Brotherton
“Tradition” is one of the most important concepts in Christianity, and yet, it is a term very often misunderstood among Catholics, let alone other Christians. I propose that this is precisely why the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, which … [Read more...]
In the Fullness of Time: The Fullness of Family
October 13, 2014 by Joseph Keith Woodard, PhD
The incident related in the Gospel of Luke, celebrated as the “Finding in the Temple,” has always been troubling. It’s the one and only glimpse we’re given into the “secret life” of the Holy Family. Earlier, we see baby Jesus with Simeon and … [Read more...]
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