Pope St. Pius X The world looks pretty frightening for the Church these days. Christians are being martyred around the world, whether it be by Communists in China or by Islamic radicals in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Western society is becoming ever more anti-religious, and the Church is facing increasing threats by secularists in many… Continue reading 9 Ways To Restore All Things in Christ
Tag: Church
Sedevacantism is Impossible: How We Can Know Francis is Pope
In recent days, there’s been a nasty dustup between several prominent Catholic bloggers. The argument was ostensibly about “tone,” and it quickly devolved into a lot of bruised egos, and personal attacks on other Catholics for making personal attacks. It was an ugly spectacle, and I’ve stayed well clear of it. Pope Francis But while… Continue reading Sedevacantism is Impossible: How We Can Know Francis is Pope
The Pope to Pentecostals: Pray for Christian Unity!
The pope was invited to give a message to a group of Pentecostals (it seems to be directed to Kenneth Copeland Ministries and the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches). It speaks volumes that he was even asked to do so. In my view, he took good advantage of the opportunity. Here’s what he said: The… Continue reading The Pope to Pentecostals: Pray for Christian Unity!
Can Non-Catholics be Saved?
Twice this week, I’ve been asked about the Church’s teaching that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church. More specifically, I’ve been asked how that teaching can be rectified with the Church’s hope that those who die outside of Her visible bounds might yet be saved. I’ve answered this question in greater depth before,… Continue reading Can Non-Catholics be Saved?
Did Luther Want to Start His Own Church?
Front page of Exsurge Domine,Pope Leo X’s bull calling Martin Luther to repent In a piece arguing that God is the Author of schism (contrast with Galatians 5:19-20, which condemns schismatics) the Orthodox Presbyterian Church elder Brad Winsted recites the now-standard Protestant claim that Luther didn’t really want to start his own church: One of the obvious… Continue reading Did Luther Want to Start His Own Church?
Two More “Reformation Day” Ironies
In addition to being Halloween, October 31st is “Reformation Day,” celebrating Martin Luther’s defiant act of nailing his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on this day in 1517 (more on this soon). For the last two years, I’ve used the day to point out the unintentional ironies of Reformation… Continue reading Two More “Reformation Day” Ironies
The Catholic Church Against the Bible?
One of the most frequent criticisms of the Catholic Church is that She teaches Her members to trust Her, instead of the Sacred Scriptures: that the Bible and the Catholic Church sometimes disagree, and that Catholics are forced to choose the Church over the Bible. Other variations of this argument are that we take “the Church… Continue reading The Catholic Church Against the Bible?
The Church, the Bible, and the Trinity of Divine Persons
Did you know that the word “person” comes to us through Catholic philosophy and theology? Theatrical masks of Comedy and Tragedy, Roman mosaic, (2nd c.). It’s true, although the word existed before Christianity in a different context. Etymologically, the word “person” originally comes from a Latin word meaning “sounding through” (personare), which referred to actors… Continue reading The Church, the Bible, and the Trinity of Divine Persons
Where is the Papacy in the Bible?
To celebrate the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis, here is a copy of a talk that I gave at lunch today on the Scriptural origins of the papacy: ““Where is THAT in the Bible: The Pope” Sharing the Catholic faith with non-Catholics, even non-Catholic Christians, can seem overwhelming at times. There are just so… Continue reading Where is the Papacy in the Bible?
The Cross, the Church, and the Mystery of Suffering
On the most beautiful things about Catholicism is that it gives meaning to suffering in a way that no other system does. No system explains suffering as well as religion does, no world religion explains it as well as Christianity, and no Christian denomination explains it as well as the Catholic Church does. Within an… Continue reading The Cross, the Church, and the Mystery of Suffering