Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Te Deum



Te Deum laudamus, Gregoriano, T. Simplex; SCHOLA GREGORIANA MEDIOLANENSIS, Giovanni Vianini, Milano.It.

"The Te Deum. PLENARY INDULGENCE when recited publicly on the last day of the year. Otherwise partial. (Enchiridion indulgentiarum, 60)"

Do some Catholics mistakenly hold to a Pelagian mindset? (I'm not addressing Pope Francis on this question.) A mentality of
"works righteousness"? Does an extreme focus on indulgences in some forms of popular spirituality help us grow in charity? Or does it lead us to wrongly focus on subjective rewards instead? A truncated Christian spirituality... Orthodox/Eastern Catholics are puzzled by talk about indulgences; some even think the doctrine erroneous. How do we properly motivate people to prayer and acts of charity?


Tick Tock

VN, CMT, and PT - here to stay? Or has the realization of irrelevance not hit us yet? It may take a generation or two for a certain Uhmerican mindset to go away.

Orthodox Georgian Psaltic Chant



Derived from Byzantine chant, I think.

Monday, December 30, 2013

More on Icon "Writing"

A Symptom of Modern Blindness – Further Thoughts on the Phrase “To Write an Icon” by Andrew Gould
The Guardian: Peter Geach obituary by Jane O'Grady
Prominent Catholic philosopher admired for his mastery of logic and work on ethics

Martyrdom

Saints Cyril & Athanasius of Alexandria Institute for Orthodox Studies
February 2014 Symposium: Martyrdom - Past, Present and Future
San Francisco: February 15-16 (there is also an event in Riverside, CA)

Early registration ends on December 31. ($20 discount)


This has been making the rounds on Facebook, a talk by Cardinal Burke on the call to martyrdom.

Antiphon Articles on Bouyer

In 16.2 of Antiphon: Keith Lemna, “The Liturgical and Ascetical Heart of Louis Bouyer’s Trinitarian Theology” - Should see if I can find this article somewhere.

In 16.1: Alcuin Reid, “The Reformed Liturgy: A ‘Cadaver Decomposed’? Louis Bouyer and Liturgical Ressourcement”

Fr. Gabriel Bunge Explains His Journey to Orthodoxy

Pravoslavie: "WE HAVE TO RETURN TO OUR ROOTS." A CONVERSATION WITH FR. GABRIEL BUNGE

He recounts reading various history books and how he came to see what were the exaggerated claims of the papacy. Do such claims destroy its credibility or authority? What is official teaching? What is affirmation or interpretation of the Tradition? Can problematic statements be reconciled with a more 'moderate' understanding of the primacy of Rome?

What is the proper use of history in this case? What is its relation to the theological virtue of Faith? (That is a problem, how is the teaching authority of the Church to be understood with respect to the pope?) A historical study is necessary for us to understand how the papal office was exercised in the first millennium, what claims were made by bishops of Rome and what was accepted by other bishops.


Position of the Moscow Patriarchate on the problem of primacy in the Universal Church

Updated
FIRST WITHOUT EQUALS
The Russian Veto Against Francis and Bartholomew
Thinking a question through to a tentative answer... who doesn't enjoy doing that? There are days when I miss "doing philosophy."

Divine Personhood and the Critique of Substance Metaphysics - Fr. Dominic Holtz OP

Friday, December 27, 2013

Rev. Fr. James Cox

A Shepherd of the Jobless by Mark Barrett
First Things: Celibacy as Political Resistance by Grant Kaplan
Explaining Johann Möhler’s political theology to subvert state domination.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

God is With Us!

Bread, A Substance?

Or an aggregate/mixture, even if it is one made through human skill? Of what relevance is the question? Transubstantiation. A doctrine of the Latin churches, or a theologoumenon given much weight? If bread is not a substance, I would think that Trent's teaching would need to be reconsidered, as the 'physics' is inaccurate, or "substance" as applied to bread would need to be understood analogously, as referring more properly to the components of bread that are substances in themselves.

The Antiquity of the Doctrine of Transubstantiation

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

χριστός γεννάται! δοξάσατε! Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Monday, December 23, 2013

An affirmation of the possibility of Peter Faber being a relevant example today - St. Peter Faber: Model for a New Reformation by William Doino Jr.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Jesuit Favoritism?

Pope Francis Set to Declare Jesuit Priest a Saint

He should be honored for his tireless apostolic work during the Catholic Counter-Reformation, but is there any local or universal cult to him? The age of the Protestant Reformation (and the Catholic Counter-Reformation) is gone and one might think that the reforms needed then are not complete still. He might still be relevant, an example for us now?

Cathen
NCR Blog
Ignatian Spirituality

Edit. Vatican News

Fr. Z Pope approves canonization of St. Peter Faber, waiving the usual process

RR


RR

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Mathematical Models...

Nature: Simulations back up theory that Universe is a hologram by Ron Cowen
A ten-dimensional theory of gravity makes the same predictions as standard quantum physics in fewer dimensions.

A book
The Holographic Principle

Friday, December 13, 2013

Pravmir: Contextual and Pastoral by Archpriest Michael Oleksa
An Essay on the 30th Anniversary of the Repose of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Pravmir: The 30th Anniversary of the Repose of Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann



His last homily.
How can there be "decentralization" within the Western patriarchate (the model being used here for convenience, not because it necessarily corresponds to ecclesial reality - we could just say the Roman-rite churches) if the metropolitans and bishops don't do what they can now, with the authority they've always had, to reform their dioceses first (and if necessary, to create new dioceses from within old ones)? How can members of a national conference of bishops discuss "national" questions if they do not even properly understand the problems besetting the local church?

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Rorate Caeli: For the record: The stunning situation of the Franciscans of the Immaculate
Apostolic Commissioner: problem with FI is its "crypto-lefebvrian and definitely traditionalist drift"
* Seminary closed * no ordinations for one year * ordinands must take an oath accepting the Novus Ordo

Bishop of Rome as Universal Teacher?

A proof text which applies not only to the apostles collectively but to Peter singularly? Matthew 28: 19-20 Euntes ergo docete omnes gentes, baptizantes eos in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, docentes eos servare omnia, quaecumque mandavi vobis. Et ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consummationem saeculi.

Greek

Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir Presents "Blessed are the Peacemakers" - November 30, 2013

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

CNA: Focolare Movement asks that founder's cause be opened
Chiesa: Liturgical Reform, a History to Rewrite
Half a century after “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” all of the preparatory texts are being made available to the general public for the first time. For a new comparison with the ways in which that document has been put into practice

The Federalist Option of the Bishop of Rome
More autonomy for the national episcopal conferences. And more room for different cultures. The two points on which “Evangelii Gaudium" most distinguishes itself from the magisterium of the previous popes

The Good Shepherd


Friday, December 06, 2013

Thursday, December 05, 2013

Consecration of Bishop Kurt R. Burnette



Video streaming by Ustream

Eparchy of Passaic
New Byzantine Catholic bishop in Passaic continues 1,000-year tradition
Fr. Kurt Burnette made head of Ruthenian Eparchy of Passaic

50 Years After Sacrosanctum Concilium

The Liturgy, Fifty Years after Sacrosanctum Concilium by Dom Alcuin Reid
NLM: Is Your Liturgy Like What Vatican II Intended? by Peter Kwasniewski
Fr. Z: 50 years ago today: BUGNINICARE!
A Council Not Yet Fully Realized by Kathleen Pluth
Sacrosanctum Concilium Turns 50

Then you get the stuff over at a certain blog...
V2-50th Anniversary III: “A Reflection on the Ecumenical Impact of Sacrosanctum Concilium“
Pray Tell Live – Massimo Faggioli Interview

Sacrosanctum Concilium

Sound Bites, Even From 'Ecclesial' Sources, Are Annoying

Vatican Radio: Laity called to more formation, greater responsibility
“The lack of formation among the laity is a real serious issue because lay people are not equipped to take their full responsibility in the Church and in the world,” said Donna Orsuto, professor of theology and lay spirituality at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Parishes have a big responsibility to form the laity, she said, not only for service in the Church but also in civil society.

“The first thing is that we need a change of mindset,” she said. “When people come to church on Sunday, the primary commitment is to help them to be equipped to go out and share the Gospel in social, political and economic sectors and in their families. Even parish life and homilies... need to be constantly inviting lay people to be nourished by parish life but then to go out into the world and to share the Good News.”

St. Sabbas



† Our Venerable, Godbearing Father Sabbas the Sanctified (533)
DSPT: Dominican Colloquia in Berkeley: Philosophers & Theologians in Conversation
What Has Athens to Do with Jerusalem?
DSPT - Philosophy and Theology Colloquium
Dialogue between Philosophy and Theology in the 21st Century

July 16-20, 2014, Berkeley, California

Registration to begin January, 2014

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

St. John Damascene

The LAST Church Father: 7 things to know and share

† Our Righteous Father John of Damascus (760)

Byzantine Concert at Balamand Monastery P3: Hymns for St John of Damascus

St. John of Damascus, Doctor of Christian Art

Random:


The Counter-Attack?

Continuing the revolution started by the Consilium.

From Liturgical Press (what else?):
Beyond Pius V: Conflicting Interpretations of the Liturgical Reform by Andrea Grillo

It reminds me of Piero Marini's memoirs and his being a disciple of Bugnini - Challenging Reform: Realizing the Vision of the Liturgical Renewal, 1963-1975 - the old guard of the Pauline (and Pian?) reform.

This might be a more even-handed treatment of the current state of affairs in the Roman rite (and Pope Benedict XVI's efforts):
Care for the Church and Its Liturgy: A Study of Summorum Pontificum and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite by William H. Johnston

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

The 450th Anniversary of the Council of Trent

NCR: Church Marks the 450th Anniversary of Council of Trent
The Reformation-era council has shaped the life of the Church for nearly half a millennium.

The Tridentine Masterpiece by Donald S. Prudlo

Too Romanocentric a pov? What would an Byzantine or Eastern Christian say of Trent and its response to the Protestants?

From 2011: Amateur Photographer Shoots Largest Ever True Color Photo of the Night Sky
Zenit: Council of Cardinals Begins 2nd Set of Meetings in Rome
Continues Examination of the Roman Curia, Congregation of Divine Worship

Monday, December 02, 2013

Visually Depicting God the Father?

via ByzTx

What Is It to Think With the Church? - DSPT 2014 Convocation of the College of Fellows

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, CA - Saturday, February 1, 2014 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

AVAILABLE VIA LIVE-STREAMING
"We should not even think,” Pope Francis has said, “that ‘thinking with the church’ means only thinking with the hierarchy of the church.” What then, does it mean?
Join us in person or via live-streaming for a conversation exploring this question. Speakers include DSPT Fellows:
- Michael Naughton, Director of John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought and Alan W. Moss Endowed Chair in Catholic Social Thought at University of St. Thomas;
- Gregory Wolfe, publisher and editor-in-chief of the journal Image, writer in residence at Seattle Pacific University, where he teaches English literature and creative writing; Founder and Director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at SPU;
- Richard Gallagher, Emeritus Scientist of Cancer Control Research at the British Columbia Cancer Agency and Clinical Professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia.

RSVP

FB event

Sunday, December 01, 2013

Cantori Gregoriani

Chiesa: Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / A New Release in Six Tracks
The introits of the Sundays of Advent, Christmas, and the Epiphany presented on www.chiesa in a brand-new performance by one of the most distinguished choirs in the world

Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / "Ad te levavi"
It is the introit of the first Sunday of Advent. In a brand-new performance presented to us by the "Cantori Gregoriani" and their Maestro
Faith in the Year of Faith: The Early Proposal of Joseph Ratzinger by Fr. Pablo Sarto (via Insight Scoop)

Feast of St. Andrew... Yesterday


Saint Andrew the Apostle
Pope's message to Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew trusts Francis’ visit to Jerusalem will herald a new season of ecumenical dialogue

A Greek Summa

I have not looked at De Fide Orthodoxa by St. John Damascene for some time. If a Thomistic summa were reworked so that the Trinity is covered first, then the Oneness of God, would Latin scholasticism be more palatable for the Greeks? How do the manuals of Byzantine scholasticism differ in their order of exposition from Latin scholastic manuals? What if one were to attempt to harmonize Latin theology (medieval or otherwise) with Byzantine theology in Latin and in Greek?

In a new summa, it seems that the question of scriptural interpretation would have to come in the beginning, in the treatment of Divine Revelation. And a discussion of liturgical theology would come under Divine Revelation or sources of Tradition? As well as under the topic of theology itself = theologia prima vs. theologia secunda. One of the questions at the very beginning...

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Liturgy at the Jerusalem Church Metochion in Moscow

Valaam - Α Step to the Skies

Theodore of Mopsuestia and his writings were declared anathema by an ecumenical council, even though the pope was reluctant to do this, preferring rather to condemn only part of his writings and leaving untouched reputation of the man(who was considered orthodox while he was alive). Was the pope's opinion on this matter a better one? After all, if excommunication primarily manifests the medicinal aspect of punishment and is a call of repentence, what point is there to anathematizing or excommunicating other than to express a strong disapproval of a person (or his teachings)? How can he be condemned after death, when he has already before the judgment seat of God but was also considered orthodox while he was alive?

Friday, November 29, 2013

Distributism for Orthodox Christians

Distributism: A Primer for Orthodox Christians

Fixing a Hole: On Distributism and Orthodoxy
Orthodox Christians Discover Distributism
Distributism in Eastern Europe
Distributism and Orthodoxy
For a Roman-rite Catholic, seeing the faithful of the Byzantine rite bowing or showing reverence to the icon of our Lord to the right of the royal doors might be a bit puzzling - the icon represents Christ but why not reverence the Blessed Sacrament or in the direction of the altar instead? Originally Christ was depicted on the wall/ceiling of the apse but gradually a depiction of the Theotokos replaced it, as the main depiction of Christ was moved to the central dome. (Correct?) It might make more sense for a Roman-rite Catholic to show reverence to the crucifix at or above the altar. How does one harmonize worshipping Christ through the icon on the iconostasis with praying East? Would it make more sense to a Roman Catholic for there to be a depiction of Christ on the apse as well? The Byzantine use of sacred space and icons in worship may be puzzling to a Roman Catholic at first, but adjusting things so that they make more sense to a Roman Catholic may not actually be better.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Pravmir: Celebration of 78th birthday of Metropolitan Vladimir are held in Kiev


MosPat photos

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Monday, November 25, 2013

NLM: The Ongoing Saga of “the Hermeneutic of Continuity” by Peter Kwasniewski
Let us be reminded of this post on Pope Francis's words on adoration and worship -
Aleteia: How Do You Solve a (Liturgical) Problem Like Maria? by Elyse Buffenbarger
If beauty and formality tells us “this matters,” its absence tells us that “this doesn’t.”

Related: The Eternal Liturgy vs. Contemporary Worship

World Over - 2013-11-21 -- Jim Caviezel EXCLUSIVE, Michael Coren, Joseph Pearce with Raymond Arroyo

Catholic Artists Society: David Clayton’s lecture – Forming the Artist, November 16, 2013 – full audio

Saturday, November 23, 2013

The Virtue and the Corporal Act

Rorate Caeli: For the record: Francis on the importance of adoration in the liturgy
"Adoration is what is most important: the whole community together look at the altar where the sacrifice is celebrated and adore"
AsiaNews

Worship & adoration - chant, ritual and so on should be customary expressions of that interior disposition. And there is also the aesthetic aspect of external worship. If it is not beautiful (founded upon logos - word and reason, not mawkish sentimentality) our reaction when it is associated with God will have deleterious effects. (It may be believed that contemporary liturgical music places a great importance on the lyrics, which often can be criticized for being very poor theologically, but it seems that its adherence to a certain musical style, which supplants the lyrics by its very form, is even more problematic.)
Two Popes, One 'Year of Faith'


Chiesa: Even the Pope Critiques Himself. And Corrects Three Errors
Rorate Caeli: Francis, writing on the Council of Trent, explicitly affirms the authority of the 'hermeneutic of reform in continuity'
Again HUGE news: Pope Francis explicitly endorses Benedict XVI’s “hermeneutic of continuity”
Rome Reports: Pope to Eastern Catholics: Never a Middle East without Christians

Friday, November 22, 2013

Good Guys Wear Black: Priest

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Yesterday: “I will not resign myself to a Middle East without Christians,” says Pope Francis
Today the Pope met with representatives of the various Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite and spoke about the need for transparency in the management of assets. “Our priests are entitled to our good example,” he added

We need more photos from the gathering.

His Beatitude Svjatoslav Shevchuk: “Ecumenism from the bottom up: Now Vatican II is coming into effect”

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Now uploaded and available at Friburg: Susan Waldstein, Mercy and Self-Gift: Exploring the Intrinsic Connections Between Charles De Koninck’s Evolutionary Biology and his Theological Principles (PDF, 2.8mb)

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

NLM: Update on the Publication of the Opera Omnia of Thomas Aquinas by Peter Kwasniewski
What would MB make of this article? First Things: T. F. Torrance and the Latin Heresy by Douglas Farrow
Praising and critiquing one of the twentieth century’s greatest theologians.

Available to subscribers only.

IPS: Fr. Romanus Cessario, O.P.’s Tribute to Fr. Benedict Ashley, O.P.

John Tavener - Song for Athene

Monday, November 18, 2013

A New Direction for Thomism

With respect to theology - "ressourcement" Thomism may be a necessary step, but what's next after that?

What if...
Aquinas had been fluent in Greek and had access to Aristotle and the Greek Fathers in Greek? How would his theological synthesis have turned
out differently? Would his hardened Greek critics be more receptive to his work? How would Aquinas have responded to Saint Maximos the Confessor or Gregory of Palamas?

A living Thomism engaged with both the Latin and Greek theological traditions.

Are Western theological languages too tied to Latin? Could 'native' words be adapted to Greek nuances, or would we
have to use transliterated words for the vocabulary instead?

Do most of our lay academic theologians possess an adequate grasp of Greek and the Greek Fathers? Most are not even familiar with the Latin theological tradition, in Latin or in English. Theologians in religious orders may be more qualified to undertake this work, but even then, how many of them have a proper grasp of Latin and Greek? How much Greek do Dominicans study, for example?

Sunday, November 17, 2013

I find it amusing now that traditionalist Roman Catholics will cite the story about the emissaries of St. Vladimir talking about the Divine Liturgy to support their claims regarding the EF of the Roman rite, when those emissaries were referring to the Byzantine Rite. In fact they were actually not impressed by what they saw when they visited the Romans and the Franks.
His feast day was just last week... Alberti Magni e-corpus.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Tonight Fr. David briefly touched upon involuntary sin, the concept of which was baffling to the Roman Catholics in the room - a sin which we do involuntarily? What could that mean? Fr. David emphasized that sin was not the same as culpability or guilt - which would seem to mean that with respect to involuntary sin, "sin" is being used analogically. If that is the case, and involuntary sin is a part of the Greek tradition, can we not say that the use of "sin" analogically is not foreign to the tradition? And that there is room for harmonizing the Latin teaching on original sin with the Greek tradition, on its own terms?

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Monday, November 11, 2013

A Jesuit, Not a Franciscan

Cheisa: The Unfinished Symphony of the Composer Francis

The conversation begun by the pope in "La Civiltà Cattolica" continues in many voices. Here are two examples: an authoritative clarification on Bergoglio the "mystic" and the open letter of a New York theologian
SVOTS: Surprise Announcements at 75th Anniversary Gala - more photos
Eclectic Orthodoxy: The Iconic and the Apophatic: Charles Williams and the Two Ways

Cardinal Ratzinger on the Liturgical Crisis and Crisis of the Faith

From an old The World Over interview:



The full interview:

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Saturday, November 09, 2013

Mospat: Metropolitan Hilarion celebrates the Divine Liturgy in the Russian general consulate in Busan

The Jesus Prayer The Monastic Choir of the Valaam Monastery

The Divine Liturgy in the Greek Orthodox Rite (Narrated in English)

Rome Reports: Is Latin making a comeback? Vatican launches Latin journal




Educated Latins should know Latin and Greek; some should even study Aramaic.
Rome Reports: Vatican will display relics of St. Peter for first time ever, to mark end of the Year of Faith


The Jewish Roots of Orthodox Christian Worship

(via Byzantine Texas)

Friday, November 08, 2013

Thursday, November 07, 2013

Holy Transfiguration Monastery:

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Monday, November 04, 2013

Should We Be Worried Yet?

I try not to pay attention to what's going on in Rome these days; the traditionalists and others are concerned because of what is being reported here: The Council's "Unfinished Business," The Church's "Return to Jesus"... and Dreams of "The Next Pope" – A Southern Weekend with Francis' "Discovery Channel"

Rod Dreher reacts. (He links to John Zmirak's and Fr. Dwight Longenecker's responses as well.)

Related:
The side of Ratzinger "Ratzingerians" forgot about
Catholic Exchange: The Biblical Roots of the Sign of the Cross by Stephen Beale

Sunday, November 03, 2013

The Imaginative Conservative: Finding Wisdom: Orthodox Monasticism by Stratford Caldecott

Friday, November 01, 2013

Where to find a good, portable copy of the scriptures in Greek? Someone associated with GOARCH would probably know the publishers.?

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Vatican Insider: “Reform is going to go deep” by Alver Metalli
Chilean cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa - one of the members of Francis’ eight-member advisory Council - guarantees this
LAT: Science has lost its way, at a big cost to humanity
Researchers are rewarded for splashy findings, not for double-checking accuracy. So many scientists looking for cures to diseases have been building on ideas that aren't even true.

The Raven: "Year of Faith" Celebrations at St. Elias

The Raven: "Year of Faith" Celebrations at St. Elias: Bishop Stephen was here for Hierarchical Divine Liturgy marking our Eparchy-wide conclusion of Year of Faith and 1025th Anniversary of Bapti...
Representative of the reaction of Latin Catholics to Fr. Taft's interview from earlier this year? The combox for Reunion not a “Return to Rome”: On Catholic-Orthodox Ecumenism.
OP East: All Saints Vigil: Twentieth-Century Saints and Sanctity

Another Torrell Book in Translation

Published by Paulist! PRIESTLY PEOPLE: Baptismal Priesthood and Priestly Ministry
Vaitcan Insider: Pell dismisses traditionalist leader's attack on Pope

Monday, October 28, 2013

Is to think that one should be free from sadness a feeling of entitlement or its result, only a symptom of narcissism or disordered self-love? Is sadness an evil, not just a sensible reaction to some evil or to a privation/deprivation? (Let us focus exclusively on the privation of necessary goods, rather than what is superfluous. We would not feel sad if we did not attain something we desired that was not truly necessary for our well-being.) Did God desire for us to feel or experience sadness? In a creation rightly ordered, would there be sadness? Everyone would be acting virtuously, and there would be no physical evils. There is no feeling or experience of sadness in heaven. What of feeling sad because of social discord or enmity? Are friends luxuries rather than a good that is necessary to us and our flourishing?
Pravmir: What the Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council Have Done For Our Salvation and Sanctification by Archimandrite John Krestiankin (+2006)

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Byzantine Studies Association of North America (BSANA) FB: ·
It is a great pleasure to announce to the members of the Byzantine Studies Association an upcoming conference, titled "Lives, Relics, and Beneficial Tales in Byzantium and Beyond", organized in honor of John Duffy, Emeritus Professor of Byzantine Philology and Literature in the Department of the Classics at Harvard University, and Senior Fellow in Byzantine Studies at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. With the generous support of the Department of the Classics and Dumbarton Oaks, we have brought together ten speakers who will offer papers on a topic that has been a great research interest of John's for much of his career.

The conference will take place at Harvard on Friday, November 8, and Saturday, November 9. The event is free and open to the public. In addition to the scheduled papers, there will be a celebratory reception at the Harvard Faculty Club on Friday, November 8, from 5:30-7 p.m, where all participants are warmly invited to join us in raising a glass to John, a valued scholar and teacher in the field of Byzantine Studies, and a much-loved member of the Harvard community.

Attached please find the conference program. To monitor any updates or changes to the schedule, please check the website of the Department of the Classics at Harvard (http://classics.fas.harvard.edu/), where final program information will be available closer to the event through the "announcements" sidebar. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email (Sarah_Insley@brown.edu) or Saskia Dirkse (sdirkse@fas.harvard.edu).
Oxford University Byzantine Society: International Graduate Conference 2014 - The City & the cities: From Constantinople to the frontier
28th February – 1st March 2014

Friday, October 25, 2013

Q&A Session with Archimandrite Gabriel

Pravmir. A continuation of what was posted here.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

James Chastek: The Trinity understood through typical male-female corruptions
Masculinity corrupts the self by seeking to subordinate everything to itself: the male self is the one that seeks to be utterly set apart with all beneath him, gazing upward in admiration. There is, however, a contrary corruption of the self that is more typical of the feminine: namely to so identify with the expectations and beliefs of the group that any personal desire is altogether lost. One of the dark sides of the feminine traits we praise is that, when pushed to an extreme, they all lead to a dissolution of the self through an identity with others. Empathy with others carries to the extent of loss of the self; tenderness of affection leads to an ontological softness that blurs any distinction between self and other.
This might be true of some married women of the previous generation, their total "giving" to their children; but I have not seen any examples of this not accompanied by a neglect of the marriage and their husbands. Such seeming "self-giving" can actually be a form of disordered self-love.

Even the herd thinking that exemplifies contemporary feminism is tied to modern narcissism, etc.

There are distinct forms of male and female pride; male pride is discussed here, but female pride, which is a more characteristic vice of women, is not.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Benedictine Monks on Athos in the XXth century by Fr Antoine Lambrechts (Chevetogne, Belgium)

Vitaly Permiakov on the Meaning and Structure of the All-night Vigil

10.13.13. Meaning and structure of the All-night Vigil. Lecture by Vitaly Permiakov

Monday, October 21, 2013

Pravmir: The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony by Protopresbyter John Meyendorff

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Robert Louis Wilken, "The Church's Way of Speaking"

First Things

The unique gift of liturgy, Roman Guardini wrote in his Spirit of the Liturgy, is to “create a universe brimming with fruitful spiritual life.” Liturgy does not “exist for the sake of humanity, but for the sake of God.” If the Bible is the lexicon of Christian speech, then the liturgy is its grammar, a place to come to know and practice the Christian idiom and to be formed by it. For Augustine, the reciting of the Psalms was a way of making the words of the psalmist his own, and he talked about what the words of the Psalms “had done to me.”

Friday, October 18, 2013

Thursday, October 17, 2013

While I am not in accord with traditionalist Roman Catholic ecclesiology and their understanding of Tradition, I can see why the most recent news pertaining to the Franciscans of the Immaculate would be cause for worry: The purging and exile of traditionalists. Are the Orthodox paying attention to Pope Francis's actions towards traditionalist Roman Catholics?

A Round-up of Stuff Pertaining to the La Civiltà Cattolica Interview with Pope Francis

Christopher Blosser (via Pertinacious Papist)


Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Conférence liturgie et foi par le R.P. Crignon F.S.V.F.

The Bishop of Rome as the Teacher of the Universal Church

The consequences of always aiming for a global audience?

U.S.: Conservative Catholics not convinced by Bergoglio's approach

Growth of the Papal Office

Robert Louis Wilken, The First Thousand Years: "The Council of Sardica ended in schism, with each side excommunicating the other, but its significance in the history of the papacy far outstrips the ecclesiastical wars of the fourth century. For the bishops gathered there adopted a set of canons affirming that the bishop of Rome would have the privilege of serving as a court of appeal. That is, Rome acquired what has been called "appellate jurisdiction": the right to adjudicate disputes among other bishops. The term 'appellate' is significant; Rome was called upon to act as judge, not as teacher. Only in the fifth century did Rome begin to see itself charged with responsibility to instruct the church at large." (166-7)

Though he became Catholic, Wilken gives a short (too short, in my opinion) summary of the changes in how the bishops of Rome conceived of their role with respect to the Church Universal during the first millenium. He should write a history and development of the papacy as well. The implications of such a history for the ongoing dialogue between Catholic and Orthodox cannot be overstated, since this was what the next step requires.

The Role of the Bishop of Rome in the Communion of the Church in the First Millennium
Joint Coordinating Committee for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church
Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece, September 27 - October 4, 2008

"The Pope Is the First Among the Patriarchs." Just How Remains to Be Seen

The teaching role of the bishop of Rome, apart from an ecumenical council, with respect to the Church Universal has consequences on how we are to understand papal infallibility.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

UGCC Head: It is important that all European bishops realize that Europe breathes through two lungs: that of the Eastern and the Western Church
The Papal Resignation by Roberto de Mattei

I think I've posted this before, either here or elsewhere. I think it is representative of what traditionalist Catholics think of the papacy, and how it is tied to an ultramontane conception of the office, even though they would seek to limit the damage caused by an understanding of canon law that is explained by legal positivism, or even of a papacy that is opposed to 'tradition.'
Rod Dreher: Bishop Fellay Lets Pope Francis Have It

Monday, October 14, 2013

Father David Petras Explains Why Be a Byzantine Catholic



Communio

Edit. Some have been critical of his credibility given his involvement in liturgical reform for the Ruthenian ("Byzantine Catholic") churches.
Pravmir: The Three Ages of the Spiritual Life
Schema-Archimandrite Gabriel (Bunge)

video

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Romano Guardini

Did some Goggling on him... found the following to be of interest:

David Foote, Romano Guardini - The Essence of a Catholic Worldview

Silvano Zucal, The Intellectual Relationship between Joseph Ratzinger and Romano Guardini

Sandro Magister links to another essay by Silvano Zucal Benedict XVI Has a Father, Romano Guardini

Guardini's The Spirit of the Liturgy is available online - (no clue about the quality of the translation)

John Allen, Benedict's Final Theologian Quote

Apparently Jorge Bergoglio is a fan as well.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church


Friday, October 11, 2013

Sandro Magister: Alms and Liturgy. How Francis Wants Them
He has sent his almoner to Lampedusa, among the refugees. He has plunged into dismay the lovers of tradition. The call of alarm of a "Ratzingerian" liturgist

Authentic Pluralism, Diversity, and Multiculturalism

Rome Reports: Our differences make the Church beautiful: Pope Francis during General Audience

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Sandro Magister, Encyclicals Have a New Format: The Interview

It is the modality preferred by Pope Francis for speaking to the faithful and to the world. With all of the risks of the instance. Pietro De Marco analyzes critically the first acts of this “magisterium”

Monday, October 07, 2013

Regina Magazine: The Fast-Growing Friars
The Eastern Province of the Dominicans
Sandro Magister, The Francis Transformation

He has unveiled the true program of his pontificate in two interviews and a letter to an atheist intellectual. With respect to the popes who preceded him the separation appears ever more clear. In words and in deeds

(Rorate Caeli)

Five Appointments Made to Pope's Liturgical Celebrations Office (4141)

The office plans the ceremonies of papal liturgies.


From 2008: New appointments mark bold papal move for Liturgical reform
Fr. Thomas Hopko: Women Readers in the Divine Liturgy (mp3) (see also The Apostle Reading - mp3)
Byzantine, Texas: The Church and wedding vows

Sunday, October 06, 2013

Vocations Weekend for the Western Province

November 1-3

Catherine de Hueck Doherty - A Bridge Between East and West - Fr. Bob Wild

Saturday, October 05, 2013

The Remnant on Pope Francis



Chris Ferrera
Vatican II: Recalling Our Past, Looking To Our Future
Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council

Public Lectures Series
The academic year 2013-2014 brings with it a fresh lecture series to celebrate Vatican II. John Baldovin, S.J., will speak on Vatican II and the Renewal of Liturgy on October 16, 2013. For more information on this upcoming lecture, view the event's page.

BC prof.
Pravmir: St. Vladimir's Seminary Founded 75 Years Ago Today

Video from the Book Launch

Book Launch: "Saint Francis de Sales, Life and Spirit" by Fr. Joseph Boenzi, SDB

Friday, October 04, 2013

Eagle Eye Ministries - Life on the Rock


Fr. Mark and Doug welcome Fr. Nathan Cromly of Eagle Eye Ministries, to discuss their focus on Christian charity as a giving of oneself and living it out through "prayer, study, fraternal charity and apostolic serive."

Song for Wisdom

Thursday, October 03, 2013

Vultus Christi: Blessed Columba Marmion

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Sunday, September 29, 2013

I have not yet read the thesis by Fr. Maximos Davies on involuntary sin, but I am curious whether it might be related to what I have been thinking about formal and material cooperation and "structural" or "social" sin.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Imaginative Conservative: Male and Female Souls by Stratford Caldecott

"If the soul is the “form” of the body, one might assume that masculinity and femininity are characteristics of the soul before they are of the body."

Characteristics of the soul? I don't like the wording here, though I agree with the point he is making - being "female" or "male" is not outside of the soul.

"It seems to me that not enough attention was given to the fact that in Genesis 3:16 man’s ruling over woman is identified as a consequence of the Fall, rather than as part of the original order of things."

Ruling over women? Or lording it over women like the gentiles?

Why use "gender" instead of "sex"?

Would we say that Dr. Caldecott is trapped in the categories of late 20th ce thought?

Friday, September 27, 2013

Rorate Caeli: Traditionalism and academic censorship - a personal experience and a very grave episode by Dr. John Lamont

Forget that it is an academic journal; the editors might argue that it is a Catholic theological journal and must be held to different standards, in which case is there a danger of causing scandal or harm to the reputation of the journal if they were to publish an article by someone who is publicly associated with the SSPX?



Thursday, September 26, 2013

Apparently there are some complaints about the editorial choices made by the American edition of Nova et Vetera concerning traditionalist perspectives. Will try to catch up and write a few thoughts on traditionalists tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

NCRegister: Benedict XVI Publicly Responds to Atheist’s Critique
CSMonitor: Why it matters that Jews are standing on the Temple Mount by Christa Case Bryant
Jews are increasingly staking a claim to the Muslim-controlled Temple Mount, testing the Israeli government's resolve to avoid conflict by protecting Muslim sovereignty over the site.
The Fifth Marian Dogma: The Church’s Unused Weapon by Dr. Mark Miravalle and Richard L. Russell

Properly understood, it would not cause difficulties for Protestants (probably) or Orthodox, but is it an opportune moment to exercise papal infallibility through a dogmatic definition again? And would it really do much to solve the practical problems within the Roman Catholic churches?

Monday, September 23, 2013

Padre Pio - Celebrates the Eucharist

Saturday, September 21, 2013

There are some fretting over the content of Pope Francis's interview that was published this week. Some of the bloggers write for free, but what about those for websites like Patheos?

The Order and Thomism in the Service of the Church's Intellectual Life and Universal Mission

Friday, September 20, 2013

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Norcia: From Silence to Love by Fr. Cassian DiRocco, O.S.B.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Monday, September 16, 2013

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Troparion of the Holy Cross in different languages

Troparion of the Holy Cross in different languages


Troparion of the Holy Cross (by SEM and Vatopedi Choirs)
"The Church as Societas Perfecta in the Schemata of Vatican I" by Patrick Granfield
From 1979 - anything more recent featuring Tametsi Deus?

An Impatient Patience: Achieving Orthodox Unity and Canonical Normalization in the West



Ancient Faith Radio podcast - mp3

Friday, September 13, 2013

Collecting some thoughts on indulgences and whether popular strains of Latin spirituality have become too focused on them, replacing communion with God with a form of works righteousness that may be orthodox with respect to God's initiative and our complete dependence upon His grace, and yet nonetheless promotes a tit-for-tat or transactional relationship with God.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Long week, no time even for a perfunctory link...

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

I usually don't post from America Magazine...

A School for Eastern Christians
September 9-16, 2013 Podcast - mp3

James McCann, S.J., talks about the work of the Pontifical Oriental Institute and how the school's students have been affected by the turmoil in the Middle East. This interview was recorded in May 2013.

Monday, September 09, 2013

Sunday, September 08, 2013

Pope Francis: Prayer Vigil for Atonement

Monachesimo PERFECTIO CONVERSATIONIS

Thursday, September 05, 2013

Wednesday, September 04, 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013

America Magazine: Readings: The Real Bergoglio
Orthodox Arts Journal: Seat of Wisdom by Jonathan Pageau

(see also Can Statuary Act as Icon? by Aidan Hart)

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Beauty, Chant Bring Life to Monastery

Via the Monks of Norcia:
Vatican Radio: Pope Francis celebrates Saint Augustine

The Ignatius Press edition of Restless Heart should be available on DVD soon, in both "theatrical" and "extended" (or original uncut) versions.

Related:
Order of Preachers Vocations: In Praise of the Rule of St. Augustine