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Recently, I’ve been reading about the phenomenological method employed by the Council Fathers of Vatican II, as elucidated by Dr. Paul Zarowny in a review of the book, Vatican II, Theophany and the Phenomenon of Man: The Council’s Pastoral Servant Leader Theology for the Third Millennium, by Passionist priest Fr. John F. Kobler (American University Studies, Series 7, vol. 100).
Although the article is a bit dated, Dr. Zarowny’s insights seem to shed some light on the difficulties...
Not many news reports carried the story. But somehow it was able to leak. A professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton was teaching the course called “Intercultural Communications.” In one exercise to demonstrate the deep-seated emotions that surround issues, the professor asked the students to write Jesus’ name in big letters on a paper, place the paper on the ground and then stomp on the name of Jesus. Ryan Rotela, a junior, refused.
Ryan was polite and sincere. He calmly...
At his papal election in 2003, why did Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger take the name Benedict? Because it was the Benedictine Order who, systematically and comprehensively, rebuilt Europe after the barbaric invasions. This fact is of such vital importance that it must be restated, or even stated for the first time, and without embarrassment. It is quite remarkable that some European leaders refuse to acknowledge Europe’s Christian roots and, specifically, the Church’s role in building its...
They were there at the 7:30 a.m. Mass in my parish on Easter Sunday as well as Masses throughout the day. Faces I had never seen before filled the pews, many finely dressed, just as they had come at Christmas. What draws this group of people these two days each year, what some call “C&E,” Christmas and Easter Catholics? Perhaps it is nostalgia for what they experienced as children – the sort feeling I have for Disney World, where I went as a kid. Or maybe they like the festive Mass...
Surprise! Approval of same-sex marriage has risen sharply among Americans in just a few years – according to one poll, from 41 percent in favor in 2004 to nearly 60 percent now.
Some surprise. The same media trumpeting this change lately worked hard to bring it about. Major sectors of the communication industry, both news and entertainment, have served as advocates for same-sex marriage, and the present situation reflects their handiwork. Don't be bashful, guys, stand up and take the...
Tertullian, an early Christian, once said that Christians are made, not born. One might ask: If they are made, what are they made with or made of? The question is an important because chances are you know someone who is no longer a Catholic. In fact, there are about 30 million ex-Catholics in the United States. And to complicate matters, fewer Catholics are being made in the Church to replace those who are being unmade by the world.
It would seem that active members of the Church are...
Our Filipino brothers and sisters have a beautiful Easter devotion they call Salubong (“The Encounter”).
Gathering before dawn, they relive the meeting of the risen Jesus with his Blessed Mother on the first Easter morning. The women come from one direction carrying a statue of Mary who is covered in a black veil. From the opposite direction, men come carrying a statue of a risen Jesus. Their two processions meet in front of the church. There, a child who is dressed like an angel removes...
An Excerpt from “The Blow of Mercy”
“I still remember my first high dive,” he began. “At some point, you have to try it. You can’t keep practicing on the lower board. I had screwed up my courage and told myself I was diving into the arms of Jesus. It was a leap of faith with no support except trust. There was no turning back, midair. The dive was total and took over completely. The early Christians did it that way. I mean the catechumens. When they got baptized, they plunged...
Editor's note: In comments originally made to Christian Family, France and provided to CNA, Bishop Jean Laffitte of the Pontifical Council for Marriage and Family praised work of French citizens in opposing the proposed "marriage for all" legislation. In January, some 1.3 million people turned out in Paris to defend traditional marriage and oppose President Francois Hollande's initiative to redefine marriage and allow adoption by same-sex couples. The draft law was approved in the National...
It’s not difficult to teach the resurrection to kids. First, most grade schoolers have not seen too much of death, so they have a natural tendency to think that life just goes on. If there is something called death somewhere in the future, they think, surely it can’t be final since there is just too much life around to keep everything going. Next, there is a natural desire in every heart for everlasting life that youngsters have not yet had challenged by tragedy, defeat or depression....
