Pius IX reversed the order of work so the First Vatican Council could address the question of infallibility without further delay. To that end, the Council Fathers began studying the draft constitution De Ecclesia Christi’s eleventh chapter, which dealt with the pope’s primacy. This chapter began with the words Pastor Aeternus. When … Read more
Among the religious orders dedicated to the contemplative life, the Carmelites have a special role. Carmelite convents are found all over the world. They have given the Church countless saints and models. Many Carmelite convents are now in crisis because they have no vocations. The nuns are dying off. Convent after convent … Read more
As the time for a decision on Papal Infallibility drew near, two sides formed amongst the Fathers who gathered for the First Vatican Council. Henry Cardinal Manning of Westminster led the majority—those in favor of the definition. The leader of the anti-infallibilist minority was Bishop Felix Dupanloup of Orléans in France. The … Read more
As the present liberal order crumbles, many are proposing alternatives that call for major changes to the flawed, globalized structures that now shape the world. Some sectors of the public are turning to nationalist and populistic movements that turn inward and call for walking away from world commitments and focusing solely on … Read more
To understand better the action of the homosexual movement inside the Church, we are publishing excerpts from the recently published book, The Breached Dam: The Fiducia Supplicans Surrender to the Homosexual Movement. Authors José Antonio Ureta and Julio Loredo discuss the terrible process leading up to the release of the Vatican document … Read more
Over the past decades, modern church architecture, not unlike church music, has been notoriously uninspiring. Airplane hanger-like constructions, fan-shaped congregational seating and bizarre stained glass have dominated worship space in the last sixty years. One author could not help but title his critique “Ugly as Sin.” However, Church architecture is changing. American … Read more
Joseph of Cupertino St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1668) was an Italian mystic whose life is a wonderful combination of a complete lack of natural capacity and an extraordinary supernatural efficiency. He lacked every natural gift. He was incapable of passing a test, maintaining a conversation, taking care of a house, or even … Read more
The Most Rev. Rob Mutsaerts is the auxiliary bishop of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in The Netherlands. We are publishing here his foreword for the book The Breached Dam: The Fiducia supplicans Surrender to the Homosexual Movement. Authors José Antonio Ureta and Julio Loredo discuss the terrible implications of the Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans, which … Read more
On March 14, 1870, the schema De Doctrina Catholica, which had caused the first clash between the majority and the minority at the First Vatican Council, returned to the floor. Given the previous debates on the issue, the Council created a commission tasked with reworking the schema. The commission presented a new … Read more
Our spiritual life is the life of grace within us; through it we become children of God. For our spiritual life to be preserved and to develop, a series of actions are required that constitute the life of piety. How must that life of piety be? What deviations must be avoided? Eternal … Read more