Waiting for a State of Emergency
The Church’s ‘state of emergency’ is exemplified by this: that for Rome, the only unforgivable sin is noticing there is a problem.
The SSPX is Not the Problem
The problem is that the Catholic Church has been attempting to modernize itself over the past six decades plus in order to accommodate itself to modern society.
Is the Church Roman?
I can understand why one might want to associate the Church with the glories of the Roman Empire, but such associations, though they may be historically important, are not essential for her.
Christ Transforms the End: A Reflection for Advent
Advent is a a time of looking towards the first coming of Christ as a baby, which is precisely why the Church spends the season contemplating His second coming at the end of time.
Pope Leo and the Death Penalty Charade
Popes since John Paul II have created the impression in the minds of many Catholics—and many outside the Catholic Church—that the Church believes the death penalty to be intrinsically immoral.
Revolt of the Janitors: On the Detroit Massacre
This is not a gentlemanly dispute that can be resolved by gestures of charity and humility. The Church is divided between people who have long ceased to believe in anything resembling the Catholic Faith, and those who still adhere to it.
The Church and the Resurgence of Nationalism, Part IV
Erasing national borders is a godless vision of unifying mankind without reference to God.
The Church and the Resurgence of Nationalism, Part III
The conflict between nationalism and the Church came about because the Church believed society and human nature to be hierarchical, which clashed with the (relative) egalitarianism of nationalism.
The Church and the Resurgence of Nationalism, Part II
The Church’s turn toward the globalist vision can be explained by the “ancien régime,” nationalist revolutions, and world wars.
The Church and the Resurgence of Nationalism, Part I
Nationalism is all the rage on the political Right these days, but the foundations of that nationalism are debated. What does the Church have to contribute in this debate?
The Church Is Political—Inside and Out
The Church is political because sometimes you cannot but favor one side or another in a conflict.
The Papacy and the “Sacrifice of the Intellect”
The notion that “the Holy Spirit picks the Pope,” a widely held but mistaken belief, darkens reasoning and clouds the Catholic intellect.
“America First” Does Not Mean Unlimited Support for Israel
Trump and his supporters have touted an “America First” agenda, but this goes out the window when it comes to Israel.
A System Is What It Does: On Cardinal McElroy’s Appointment
The Church, at least in its administrative aspect, is a patronage system, and the purpose of ecclesiastical appointments is to create powerful patrons who protect and promote clients.
Reports of Liberalism’s Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated
Trump’s election is a reaffirmation of the basically liberal character of United States; it was moderate liberals forced right by the far left wing of the Democratic Party that carried him to his win.
The Unserious “House of Luce”
I expect heresy and moral scandal to blight the Church from time to time. What distresses me more is the utter lack of seriousness, the lack of appreciation for the awesome responsibility which Church leaders bear.
Love for St. Peter and His Successor
My love for Peter endures because he is like me, fragile flesh and blood, but also unlike me, in that he became holy, despite his sin. I must love the successor of Peter, even when that successor causes me to suffer.
Why the Attempt to Ban the Latin Mass Is Failing
The inability to shut down the traditional Latin Mass reflects the different between power and authority in the papacy.
Trump Owes Pro-Lifers Nothing—and That’s a Good Thing
Devout Catholics and their Protestant allies need to recognize that they no longer represent “the people,” and approach politics more transactionally.
When the Vatican Gets It Wrong
One reason Catholics often treat any criticism of the Vatican as verboten arises from an awareness of how much the Church’s authority depends in practice upon public opinion, in a way it did not previously.
