It will not surprise you that I find the ongoing Synod on Synodality undertaken by the Catholic Church at Vatican instigation to be amusing at best. Why? In part because it’s an epic exercise in navel-gazing. The West is in serious danger of being lost to Christianity, and the Vatican’s idea of leadership is to … Read more
This essay in the Jesuit magazine America, by Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego (above, being made a cardinal by Pope Francis), brings the dubious insights of Critical Theory to the life of the Roman Catholic Church. It is an astonishing document that lays bare the agenda of Pope Francis — who made McElroy a … Read more
Sometimes it is wise to keep calm and carry on in the face of church problems. For Rome, this is not one of those moments. That above is Pope Francis meeting with Cardinal George Pell, who died this week. Both men’s names were much talked about at the table last night with three young American … Read more
It was a deep shock last night to get the news late that Cardinal George Pell had died. Only three weeks ago I was at his apartment, having lunch with him. It’s a cliche, I suppose, to say that he was a gentle giant, but it’s also true. I had not imagined that he was … Read more
I had so many responses from Catholic readers and others on the Pope Francis/Latin Mass post that I decided to do a separate post. Let’s get started. A Latin massgoing reader sent in this piece published today, in which organizers of a gay Catholic conference received a personal letter from Pope Francis thanking them for … Read more
Late last week, I made a trip to Krakow, and then to Czestochowa, to visit the Jasna Gora shrine, the spiritual heart of Polish Catholicism. Though I am no longer a Catholic, it was deeply moving to see so many Poles so openly devoted to Christ in the Catholic faith. Though Polish Catholicism faces tremendous … Read more
John Quinn, the late archbishop of San Francisco, was one of the most liberal prelates in the post-Vatican II Church in America. A few years before he died, he told a group of priests that Pope Francis had blessed his progressive vision for the Church. Quinn recounted an accidental meeting with Jorge Bergoglio at a … Read more
An informed and highly trusted source tells me: Homeland Security has officially notified the bishops there are credible threats to the safety of Catholic churches, clergy, and bishops if the Supreme Court overturns Roe. Violence has been called for beginning the night such a decision is handed down. This does not surprise me. Catholics and … Read more
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will convene again as part of yet another synod (a fancy Catholic way of saying “meeting”). This ironically seems to be the main function of bishops during the papacy of Francis, a man who once told his pastors to go out and be “living with the smell … Read more
The diocese of Cincinnati has announced a plan to restructure the diocese and eventually eliminate 70% of the parishes. The “New Evangelization” is a Vatican call from some years back to Catholics to re-dedicate themselves to evangelizing. From the Cincinnati newspaper’s report: The Archdiocese of Cincinnati on Friday launched one of the most ambitious reorganizations … Read more