When Amoris Laetitia (hereafter AL) was first published in March 2016, Pope Francis’s episcopal cheerleaders insisted that the document has introduced no changes to Church doctrine: it merely explores how we are to understand the “pastoral a … [Read more...]
Corrupt Pastoral Practice Means Corrupt Doctrine
Amoris Laetitia’s Dirty Little Secret
March 30, 2018 by Jeffrey Tranzillo
Proselytism, Evangelization, and “Ecumenism of Return”
December 12, 2017 by Eduardo Echeverria
In a 2016 interview that was arranged by Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., the editor of La Civiltà Cattolica, prior to the trip to Sweden for an ecumenical gathering anticipating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Pope Francis expressed … [Read more...]
Late Autumn Book Reviews
November 27, 2017 by Book Reviews
All the Pope's Saints: The Jesuits Who Shaped Pope Francis, by Fr. Sean Salai, SJ (Our Sunday Visitor, 2017) 144 pages; $15.00. Reviewed by Deacon David Paternostro, S.J. How I Stayed Catholic at Harvard, by Aurora Griffin (Ignatius … [Read more...]
Further Dubia for the Confused
September 27, 2017 by Rev. Basil Cole, OP
The Holy Father is given very special graces to guide the Catholic Church, being the successor of Peter. He is the vicar of Christ to which I adhere. Yet, when reading his latest exhortation, Amoris laetitia, I feel confused. In 1998, … [Read more...]
Memory, History, and the Elderly
Pope Francis’s Plan for Saving Society
May 29, 2017 by Matthew B. Rose
Author’s note: The following article is expanded from a talk given at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, as part of the symposium entitled: "Pope Francis’s Vision for the Renewal of the Church," November 10-12, 201 … [Read more...]
Divorce, Remarriage, and “Discerning the Body”
On Pope Francis’ Interpretation of 1 Cor 11:27-34 in Amoris Laetitia
May 16, 2017 by Dr. Matthew J. Ramage, PhD
Introduction Over the past year since its release, Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (hereafter AL), has elicited a great deal of consternation among the faithful of the Catholic Church. The controversy surrounding the d … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
May 16, 2017 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Question: If a couple is in the state of mortal sin because of cohabitation before marriage without confession, is the marriage still a valid sacramental marriage? If not, when does it become a sacramental marriage? Answer: This q … [Read more...]
Lumen Fidei and the Revelation of God’s Love as the Foundation of Our Faith
April 8, 2017 by Dr. Jeffrey Froula
Introduction In his encyclical letter, Lumen Fidei, Pope Francis greatly emphasizes the importance of believing in God’s love for us. The prominence of this theme is indicated by the title of the encyclical’s first chapter, "We Have Bel … [Read more...]
Spiritual Communion: Freed from the Dust of Centuries
December 20, 2016 by Cardinal Paul Cordes
On the Pastoral Milieu: Extreme Alternatives to Approaching the Lord’s Table From hearsay: The vigil of All Saints’ Day in the early 20th century. A small farm in Westphalia, Germany. Tomorrow’s Mass is one of the few times in the year in w … [Read more...]
Mercy is a Serious Matter
October 13, 2016 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
Pope Francis announced a "Holy Year of Mercy" which began on Dec. 8, 2015, and will end on Nov. 20, 2016. Many imagine that a year of mercy means that people can lift their arms up to the heavens, crying out for God's mercy, and a … [Read more...]
A Different Perspective on Amoris Laetitia
September 27, 2016 by Richard P. Maggi, Esq.
Because so much of what has been written about Amoris Laetitia has concerned what is considered the controversial eighth chapter on divorced and remarried Catholics, and others living in irregular situations, the primary purpose, beauty, … [Read more...]
Amoris Laetitia: A Deceptive Joy
May 28, 2016 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
The recent publication of Pope Francis' document on the family and married life, Amoris Laetitia ("Joy of Love") has caused consternation, confusion, and deep anguish among Catholics. They wonder: Are the Church’s timeless teachings on m … [Read more...]
Spring Reading for April 2016
April 14, 2016 by Book Reviews
What Would Pope Francis Do? By Sean Salai, S.J. (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Press, 2016), 144 pages; $14.95. Reviewed by David Paternostro, S.J. Paul: Windows on His Thought and His World. By Maria Pascuzzi; (Winona, MN: Anselm … [Read more...]
The Pillars of Lent
February 1, 2016 by David Vincent Meconi
The purifying Season of Lent is quickly upon us. We human persons are enabled to do something that lower creatures cannot, and higher creatures need not: to sacrifice and thus to learn to delay partial gratifications for even greater … [Read more...]
Make Your Hearts Firm This Lent
February 1, 2016 by Maria Cintorino
During Lent, the Church calls the faithful to conversion by calling to mind the image of Christ being drawn into the desert by the Spirit. There, for forty days and forty nights, Jesus prays, fasts, and is tempted by the devil. By … [Read more...]
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