The Council of Nicaea (325) was the first council intended for the edification of the entire Christian Church. It was called by the Emperor Constantine. Its primary task was to judge the Arian heresy, which disturbed the peace of the Church in the East. The Emperor attended its sessions. He effectively assisted … Read more
There is a growing debate over the posting of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms and buildings. Many Americans feel this august collection of laws has a positive and much-needed effect on all who read them. Those opposing the Ten Commandments claim the posting somehow represents the “establishment” of religion and not … Read more
Talk to people seeking new jobs, and invariably, they will say their ideal is working from home. It is not a new idea. For example, remote field personnel working in sales or service positions with a ‘home office’ have worked from home for decades. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns accelerated the … Read more
In a world full of agitation, instant gratification and constant novelty, a growing number of Americans are seeking something more. Many people are finding that “something more” in Catholic pilgrimages. They are on the rise, and they are here to stay. After doing the “Camino” (or pilgrimage route) to the tomb of … Read more
By early 1869, the controversies preceding the Vatican Council were fierce. At that point, Most Rev. Henri Maret, Bishop of Sura and Dean of the Faculty of Theology in Paris, announced the publication of a book condemning Papal infallibility. He had spent many years writing Du concile général et de la paix … Read more
Some books can give the impression that everything is backward. The author holds as true all the theses that you affirm as false. The course of events that the author finds positive, you read negative. Fareed Zakaria’s Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash From 1600 to the Present is one such book. … Read more
“Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” This quotation is attributed to British playwright William Congreve (1670-1729). It is usually paraphrased as “Music soothes the savage beast.” This maxim is universally accepted. For this reason, some sort of music is played everywhere. Whether … Read more
It’s official. The Ten Commandments must now be posted in Louisiana schools. The Governor Jeff Landry just signed the law that makes it mandatory. The law reads: “Each public school governing authority and the governing authority of each nonpublic school that receives state funds shall display the Ten Commandments in each building … Read more
Ironically, one of the reasons for Saint John Cardinal Fisher’s relative obscurity is confusion with his contemporary, Saint Thomas More. They were convicted of the same crime and executed in the same manner. Holy Mother Church canonized them in the same ceremony 400 years after their deaths. First, we need to place … Read more
The modern “center-left” position contains a fatal flaw. It cannot prevent its ideas from being used to inspire even more radical modes of thinking. This tendency expressed itself as French liberalism degenerated into the “anti-infallibilist” movement of the late nineteenth century. Before the First Vatican Council convened in 1869, French Catholic liberal … Read more