papacy – Page 11 – Shameless Popery

An Early Church Father Worth Knowing: Optatus of Milevis

I. Who Optatus of Milevis Was Prior to last week, I’d never heard of St. Optatus, the bishop of Milevis in the middle-300s. I’m not alone: the preface to the 1917 translation of Against the Donatists, the only work of his we still have, calls him “perhaps the least known of all the Fathers of the Church.” As… Continue reading An Early Church Father Worth Knowing: Optatus of Milevis

Pope Benedict and Condoms

The biggest story this past weekend was what people are claiming Pope Benedict said about condoms. The media has badly perverted his comments, so let me post what he actually said, before taking a look it means that the “Pope reverses thousands of years of Church teachings,” as the Daily Mail originally reported. I. The Comments… Continue reading Pope Benedict and Condoms

Happy All Saints’ Day!

(1) On this day in 1946, twenty-five year old Karol Wojtyła was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Krakow, Poland. Fr. Wojtyła would later become Poland’s youngest bishop, at 36, and in 1964, he became Archbishop of Krakow. A mere three years later, he was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Paul… Continue reading Happy All Saints’ Day!

The People’s Pope and the Role of the Laity

In the aftermath of the papal visit, the Catholic Herald published an insightful article which warrants mention. Noting that the British tabloids had already nicknamed him the “People’s Pope,” the Herald notes just how apt the new moniker is: From his homily in Bellahouston Park to his speech in Hyde Park, Pope Benedict kept returning… Continue reading The People’s Pope and the Role of the Laity

Police Thwart Possible Terrorist Attack Upon the Pope

The London Metropolitan Police released the following report: Five arrested under Terrorism Act At approximately 5.45am today, 17 September 2010, five men were arrested by officers from the MPS Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. The men, aged 26, 27, 36, 40, and 50, were arrested… Continue reading Police Thwart Possible Terrorist Attack Upon the Pope

The King’s Messenger: A Thought Experiment

I’ve constructed a short thought experiment to explain why “cafeteria-Catholicism” isnt’ a possible option for those wishing to follow Christ: I. The King’s Messenger: The Thought Experiment Imagine that it’s the Middle Ages, and you’ve just learned that your King has sent you official notice via a messenger with detailed instructions on what you are… Continue reading The King’s Messenger: A Thought Experiment

One Atheist’s Take on the Anti-Papal Fervor in the UK

Padraig Reidy, Irish-born self-proclaimed “professional atheist” (in other words, a former deputy editor of the atheist magazine New Humanist), has penned an interesting article for the Guardian entitled, “I’m an atheist but this anti-Catholic rhetoric is making me nervous.” The article’s worth reading, but a little background may be in order. The pope is planning… Continue reading One Atheist’s Take on the Anti-Papal Fervor in the UK

Peter as the Rock

Here’s the way that debates over the meaning of “Rock” within Matthew 16:17-19 frequently go between Catholics and Protestants. Catholic: Christ founded His Church upon Peter! In verse 18-19, He says, “And so I say to you, you are Peter [“Rock], and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the… Continue reading Peter as the Rock

Salvation Outside of the Church

The Catholic Church teaches that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church. Yet, She acknowledges that it is possible that there are some on Earth who nobody thinks of as Catholic, and yet are saved. This teaching is the source of a lot of confusion and misrepresentation, with a number of people (both… Continue reading Salvation Outside of the Church