Dr. Thomas E. Woods, Jr., author of How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, has re-issued his 2008 book Sacred Then and Sacred Now: The Return of the Old Latin Mass. In this book, Woods writes about Pope Benedict XVI’s famous Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, which allowed for the Roman Liturgy according to the Missal [...]
The end of November, 2011 saw the one-year anniversary of the “new” translation of the Ordinary Form of the Roman Liturgy. Like many others, I welcomed the new translation. When I began hearing some of its texts, I heard a more dignified, elevated language that spoke more directly to the heavenly Mysteries the Liturgy purports [...]
Recently, some friends queried me about the alleged apparitions known as “Rosa Mistica” (Mystical Rose). From their questions, it seemed to me that there is a growing interest in the English-speaking world in Rosa Mistica. I decided to devote myself to some research and to write an article summarizing the information. What follows is the [...]
One of my passions is Gregorian Chant and since we are in the heart of Lent, it is a good time to look at a chant piece proper to the season: The Kyrie in the Sundays of Advent & Lent (Kyrie in Dominicis Adventus et Quadragesimae): Kyrie XVII. Though there are a few variations of [...]
Since the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI to renounce the Papacy at the end of this month, the Internet has been buzzing with the legend of the “List of St. Malachy.” This list is said to contain the names of all the Popes beginning with Pope Celestine II to the end of time. The total [...]
My uncle died a couple of years ago. At the time of his death, I had cause to go back to a particularly beautiful chant piece for funeral Masses called the “In Paradisum” (IP). The Latin text (with my own rough English translation beneath) is as follows: In Paradisum deducant te Angeli; (May the Angels [...]
Bishop Ratko Peric has accused renowned exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth and his former assistant of censoring damaging information concerning the Medjugorje phenomenon. In an article dated January, 2010 and entitled, “Questionable Games Surrounding the Great Sign”, Peric discusses the history of statements made by the alleged visionaries concerning the sign to be left in Medjugorje. [...]
From June, 1981 to the present, six people from Medjugorje (Bosnia-Hercegovina) have been claiming to see the Virgin Mary. Over these 31 or so years, much controversy has arisen concerning the origin of these claims. Lies, scandal, slander, disobedience and accusations that the alleged visionaries are being handled by the local Franciscans form a forgotten [...]
On the British tabloid Daily Mail Online, there recently appeared an article by Chris Rogers and Marshall Corwin concerning the six alleged seers of Medjugorje. Rogers and Corwin write a fairly simple article that recounts some basic history of Medjugorje. It also mixes the authors’ own experience with Medjugorje and the alleged seers. I would [...]
A couple of weeks ago a friend recommended to me the book Sons of Cain by Val Bianco. After being told the general storyline, I was interested in reading it and was able to do so. I was delighted as I very quickly became wrapped-up in a page-turning book that left my emotions flying and [...]
Every so often the Holy See will update its web site to reflect new documents or to make available old documents to the public. Sometimes, the updates are so subtle and not made to fanfare that the public can mistake an update as seemingly small and insignificant. Today is not one of those days. The [...]
While following political developments, I became nonplussed but could not name why. As I was puzzling-out my thoughts, I unexpectedly received assistance from the Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. I would like to share my observations and reflect for a moment on the place of politics in society. Sheen said the following back [...]
From 1945-1959, Mrs. Ida Peerdeman of the Diocese of van Haarlem (Amsterdam) claimed to receive private revelations. The claims became known popularly as “Our Lady of All Nations” or simply “Amsterdam.”[i] The case was examined by the local Ordinary of van Haarlem, Bishop Johannes Huibers, who decided the claims were not supernatural in origin. His [...]
For part one, please click here. Overview of Normae S. Congregationis: The original copy of NC comprised a total of four pages in Latin. It was signed by Francis Cardinal Seper, then Prefect of the CDF. It was undersigned by Fr. Jerome Hamer, O.P., then Secretary of the CDF. The document as a whole provides [...]
A couple of months ago I openly questioned Andrea Tornielli’s publishing the Latin text of the Vatican’s document Normae S. Congregationis (NC).[i] This past week, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) published not only the Latin text of the document, but also issued a translation in the major European languages.[ii] As the [...]
The Church has the charge for the “cura animarum” (the care of souls). Jesus commands His Apostles to go and preach unto all nations (Matthew 28:16-18). In the sixth century, Pope St. Gregory the Great wrote his much celebrated “Regula Pastoralis” (Rule for Pastors) that spoke about caring for souls in various states or conditions. [...]
Scandal is developing around an American woman living in Ireland who claims to be a Catholic mystic but hides her true identity, misleads people, takes in millions of dollars and is protected by influential people. For the past several years, Kathryn Ann Clarke, going under the name of “Anne a lay apostle” has been travelling [...]
The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin has been in the news for over a year after the local Bishop, David L. Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay, approved as supernatural the apparitions to a Belgian immigrant woman named Adele Brise (“Breece”) in the 1850s.[i] These apparitions went unnoticed by [...]
I read with interest Andrea Tornielli’s article on Medjugorje dated February 28, 2012.[i] At the end, I was shocked to find that Tornielli provided a Latin-Italian translation of the Vatican document “Normae S. Congregationis.” My shock was rooted in the fact that the Latin text of this document has escaped the public eye for 34 [...]
On Tuesday, May 10th, together with two co-workers, I headed down to Menomonee Falls, WI to attend a promotional screening of the movie Courageous. Courageous is the fourth production of Sherwood Baptist in Albany, GA. Sherwood’s previous productions are, “Flywheel,” “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof.” Facing the Giants was Sherwood’s first big hit, followed by [...]
The other day, I learned that British author Donal Foley has written on the subject of “The Lady of All Nations.”[i] Foley is the original English translator of the Vatican document Normae Congregationis (NC), on the norms for discernment of apparitions. Knowing Foley’s work in private revelation, I was interested to read his remarks on [...]
Reflecting Upon Attending a Christian Concert On Friday, February 4, I attended the Rock and Worship Roadshow at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI.[i] I went because the artist Matt Maher was playing and I hoped to have the opportunity to meet and talk with him.[ii] I am glad to say that I was [...]
In the course of the publication of my articles on Latin and the Catholic Church’s memory and identity (part one, part two, part three, part four), commentator “Michael” posed the question, “Can Catholics figure out, by Natural Law alone, the ‘goodness’ or ‘badness’ of some writing?” He also made the claim that, “…in removing the [...]
Part Four, The Church’s Memory and Identity Continued: In the previous installments of this series (part one, part two, part three), I discussed the role of various influential theologians and laymen who effectively acted as “interpreters” of Vatican II. Their actions, I argued, led to a lot of confusion about what the Council taught and [...]
