Easter Triduum was mostly excellent. Saw a lot of family (which is great), including a ton of adorable babies (well, 4, although #5 is on his/her way). The Good Friday service was very good, although it was very long (an hour and forty minutes) and I had no seat. Still, I love seeing a packed… Continue reading Easter Recap
Author: Joe Heschmeyer
Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 4: Q & A
This is the last in a four-part series I wrote, upon request, about the papacy and papal infallibility. Part 1 examined what papal infallibility, and is not; Part 2 briefly explains how papal infallibility flows from the idea of a papacy, before examining Matthew 16:17-19, the foundational text for the papacy, in depth; Part 3… Continue reading Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 4: Q & A
Well said, Mark!
We interrupt this program… …to bring you Mark Shea’s two-part post on why comparing Obama to Hitler is inaccurate, or as he puts it, “crazy beyond comparison.” He’s a little edgy on his blog, but I think his overall point is a really important one, and his sort of over-the-top style expresses that, although “with… Continue reading Well said, Mark!
Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 3: The Good Shepherd Calls a Shepherd
This is part three of an exploration of the origins of the papacy and the idea of papal infallibility. Yesterday, we looked at how papal infallibility is the natural result of a Holy Spirit protected Church lead on Earth by one man. This raised the obvious question: did Christ establish a Church to be lead… Continue reading Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 3: The Good Shepherd Calls a Shepherd
Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 2: Jesus Establishes His Church (and Pope).
Now that we’ve established what papal infallibility is, and more importantly, isn’t, let’s look at the merits of infallibility. Papal infallibility is the protection of Church teachings by the Holy Spirit. This infallibility isn’t really a power of the pope’s, at all: it’s a power of the Holy Spirit, used to prevent the pope from… Continue reading Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, pt. 2: Jesus Establishes His Church (and Pope).
Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, part 1: What it is and isn’t.
I think the role of the papacy and more specifically, the idea of papal infallibility, serves as one of the bigger barriers between Catholics and non-Catholic Christians, and I think it’s been the subject of a lot of misunderstanding and even misinformation. One Protestant I spoke to recently said, “I just have issues with the… Continue reading Il Papa! Papal Infallibility, part 1: What it is and isn’t.
Retreat Notes, pt. 4
Properly understood, the Christian world is one of extreme hierarchy, albeit in an unusual way. Christ, God Himself, comes to Earth and model complete obedience to His Father. The Good Shepherd, willing to lay down His life for the sheep, is also the Paschal Lamb of God. All of us, likewise, are called to be… Continue reading Retreat Notes, pt. 4
Retreat Notes, pt. 3
Pt. 3 in a series of notes I wrote during a silent retreat in Boston, VA. These ones are short notes I took down while listening to a sermon (it was silent for us, not for the speakers), so I’ll publish pt. 4 later today. St. Paul was a tentmaker, and believed that a man… Continue reading Retreat Notes, pt. 3
Retreat Notes, pt. 2
Continuing the trend from yesterday, I’m starting the blog out with some notes I wrote in a journal during a silent retreat I went on in mid-February in glorious Boston, VA: There is a tendency among those who think about the Faith to imagine that they must be in the Faith, and must have that… Continue reading Retreat Notes, pt. 2
Retreat Notes, pt. 1
This is the first in a series of entries I wrote in a journal during a silent retreat I went on to Boston, Virginia. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s because it’s scarcely populated. In fact, if you look it up on Google maps, it appears to be just a big road. Don’t let… Continue reading Retreat Notes, pt. 1