And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. (Rev. 11:5) As I was teaching in Revelation, the verse above reminded me of what we desperately need today — fire! Commentaries are divided on whether it’s actual fire coming out the witnesses’ mouths in this passage above, or … Read more
Sitting down to write about this topic, I’m dealing with a feeling that’s alien to me: ambivalence. You really might be shocked if you knew how rarely I feel torn in two directions. Maybe … two or three times a decade. Facing this subject, however, I really am of two minds and must admit it. … Read more
Pope Francis is at it again, misleading his sheep about Muslim violence, suggesting that it has no ideological component, but is a “perversion” of true Islam, which is peace. In his new book, Non Sei Solo: Sfide, Risposte, Speranze (You Are Not Alone: Challenges, Answers, Hopes), which was published in Italian and released on Tuesday, … Read more
Wars. Rumors of wars. What we see on TV lately no doubt produces fear, anxiety and depression. I know because I’ve experienced some of those emotions. But what do we do about it? Matthew 24:5-8 says, “For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear … Read more
What is the warm, beating heart of Christian ethics? To cleave to Jesus Christ, wherever He goes, whatever He does. Sometimes that will mean standing as the witness to staggering glory, as at the Transfiguration. Or wondering at miracles of healing and forgiveness. At the end of time, it will mean being gathered to help … Read more
A respected Italian reporter who has covered the Vatican for more than 40 years made an assertion that would have astounded Catholics worldwide as little as five years ago. “The battles that Pope Francis has given up fighting are those in defense of the unborn, of the Christian vision of procreation and the family,” Sandro … Read more
We’ve reached peak Woke church, my friends! We’ve actually gone and done it, and I think we deserve to celebrate somehow. Maybe a really monster rave around a Golden Calf, set up at the site of Burning Man. We would all wear N95 masks, wave George Floyd signs (to make the gathering completely COVID-safe), and … Read more
For perhaps the first time in their history, American Catholics face the kind of existential conflict that destroyed mainline Protestant churches and threatens evangelical and Pentecostal ones — as one picture powerfully illustrates. The Rev. Joseph Devlin, a pastor in suburban Philadelphia, tweeted a picture of a book in his trash can. The Foreword for … Read more
With no projected end to the chaos of illegal immigration at the Mexican border, some Congressional Republicans have decided to confront the religious agencies aggravating the problem — including Catholic Charities, which plays a pivotal role in human smuggling, as The Stream reported. Even conservative Catholics are organizing to oppose their bishops’ support of open borders. … Read more
If personnel is policy, as corporate consultants proclaim, then two of Pope Francis’ most recent appointments reflect his goal to impose his vision on the Catholic Church at the expense of its remaining theological and moral credibility. One is the new head of the Vatican’s highest theological body, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the … Read more