Sunday, February 03, 2019

Clericalism and Synodality? Not the Issues.

CWR: Pope Francis misses the mark in focusing on clericalism and synodality by Christopher R. Altieri
A recent essay by papal biographer Austen Ivereigh about Pope Francis’ approach to abuse crisis fails to recognize the pressing need to start with institutional reform.

Eastern Christian Books: Barbara Crostini and Ines Murzaku on Greek Monasticism in Southern Italy

Eastern Christian Books: Barbara Crostini and Ines Murzaku on Greek Monasticism in Southern Italy

Pius X vs. Modernism

from Fr. John Perricone - Imaginative Conservative, originally published in Crisis.

Saturday, February 02, 2019

The Purification of the Virgin Mary

Latins Gonna Latin

From Analysis from Fr. Louis Bouyer’s 1978 essay that may apply today, an excerpt of a lecture given by the then newly-elected superior general of the FSSP:

“There is no possibility to get to Heaven without being united to the Pope,” said Fr. Andrzej Komorowski, the recently-elected Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical right that celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass.

I shouldn't be shocked that he would hold this position but I hadn't thought about the FSSP for some time.

St. Neilos of Rossano

Crux: Interview with Ines Angeli and Fr. Douglas Milewski https://cruxnow.com/interviews/2019/01/30/life-of-greek-saint-in-italy-an-example-of-ecumenism-for-today/

Friday, February 01, 2019

A New Persoal Line of Inquiry

How is neo-Platonism to be distinguished from Aristotelianism?

Creation and Participation: The Metaphysical Structure of the World-God Relation in Aquinas by Byron Stefan Hagan

"The Transcendentality of Ens-Esse and the Ground of Metaphysics" by Cornelio Fabro
International Philosophical Quarterly 6 (3):389-427 (1966)


"The Intensive Hermeneutics of Thomistic Philosophy: The Notion of Participation"
Cornelio Fabro and B. M. Bonansea
The Review of Metaphysics
Vol. 27, No. 3, A Commemorative Issue. Thomas Aquinas, 1224-1274 (Mar., 1974), pp. 449-491


"Cornelio Fabro on the Distinction and Composition of Essence and Esse in the Metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas" by John F. Wippel
Review of Metaphysics 68 (3):573-592 (2015)


"Was St. Thomas Aquinas a Platonist?" by Luis Cortest
The Thomist: A Speculative Quarterly Review
The Catholic University of America Press
Volume 52, Number 2, April 1988
pp. 209-219


Neoplatonism and Christian Thought

IVE website for Cornelio Fabro

Is CornelioFabro.org working properly?

Sacrifice in Classical Protestantism?

First Things: AFTER THE END OF SACRIFICE
February 1, 2019 / by Peter J. Leithart
Protestants can offer a fundamental challenge to liberal order only insofar as we retain, and enhance, the sacrificial dimension of classical Protestantism.

Miles Coverdale's Goostly Psalmes and Spirituall Songes

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Monday, January 28, 2019

Conor Dugan Reviews Yves Chrion's Bugnini Book

Lament for the Liturgy by Conor Dugan
Annibale Bugnini: Reformer of the Liturgy by Yves Chiron is indispensable both for its historical depth and breadth and also for understanding how we received the only liturgy that most Roman Catholics have ever experienced.

Bishop Benedict, St. Nicholas UGC Eparchy

Kontakion for St. Thomas Aquinas

Dominican Discernment and Decision-Making

Sunday, January 27, 2019

MacIntyre on Marxism

Church Life: Marxism and Religion

The Psalms and Our Salvation with Father Patrick Reardon

The Next Two Parts of John Milbank's Series

The History of Natural Right by John Milbank
Given this revisionary account of the development of natural law (click for previous instalment in this series) in western intellectual history, how does it relate to the story of...

Burke’s Romantic Restoration of Natural Law by John Milbank

Saturday, January 26, 2019

Love and Mercy

Bishop Milan

Metropolitan Anthony Bloom on Prayer

Ancient Faith Publishing Sale

All Ancient Faith Publishing books are 10% off! Combine with the free shipping coupon code WINTERSHIP (orders over $75) for the best deal of the season!

This sale and shipping offer end Sunday 1/27 at 11:59 PM CST. You must be signed into your account or have your address information completed before the shipping coupon code can be applied.

Ephrem's Mary: A Poetics of Wonder

Friday, January 25, 2019

Faith and Practical Reason: Fr. Wojciech Giertych, O.P.

The World Needs Christ

Not more academese, and "Modernity" is an invention of the elites, not out of whole cloth but close. Would the pioneers of "modernity" fall somewhere on the spectrum? Where would they fall on the social hierarchy?

Church Life: Renewing Nouvelle Théologie by Cyril O’Regan

Forgetfulness of God is a serious problem - without memory of God we cannot bless Him and thank Him for His manifold benefits. Is this forgetfulness, then, just an intellectual mistake, or is it one caused by sin? If the Latin churches had not first been internally weakened, and then lost to the modern nation-state, would there be a spiritual vacuum to be filled by some ideology? So what Latins have to offer the world in bringing Christ to it, after 50 years of a disastrous liturgical reform?

"And if there is a simple lesson to be drawn from the sprawling work of both de Lubac and Balthasar it may well be that misrememberers are far more dangerous to Christianity because in some lights they look just like it."

We are not talking about heresies but philosophical errors that do not fulfill man's heart, but feed upon sin and vice. what normal person claims to be a Hegelian or Nietzschean? Academics may pretend; there are those on the new right who claim to be followers of other philosophers, but they have rejected Christianity because of its perceived errors in its moral code.



Ressourcement Futures

Theology of Vocations

A Latin traditionalist pov?

1Peter 5: On Discerning Vocations: How to Think about “States of Life” by Peter Kwasniewski


EWTN Live - 2019-01-24 - Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk

Pray Unceasingly

Pravmir: What is Prayer of the Intellect and of the Heart?
ABBOT GEORGIOS KAPSANIS OF GREGORIOU
Remembrance of God demonstrates communion with Him and is therefore like prayer. Striving to invoke the holy Name of Christ continuously, through the ...

Thursday, January 24, 2019

FAQ by Nicholas Denysenko on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Pray Tell: A New Orthodox Church of Ukraine: FAQ by Nicholas Denysenko

Symposium on the Future of Women Deacons

Pray Tell report on the symposium


Salt and Light TV

Related:
Report on Women Deacons Has Been Given to the Pope

Humani Generis and la Nouvelle Théologie,

HPR: Looking Back at “Humani Generis” BY FR. BRIAN VAN HOVE, SJ

See also Joseph Komonchak, Humani generis and “la ‘nouvelle théologie'”

Would that Latins would learn something from this exhibit

More Responses to Constantinople

A CANONICAL CRISIS IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
Primacy, Conciliarity and the Ecumenical Patriarchate by Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen)

The actions of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (EP) in its process of granting a Tomos of autocephaly to the schismatic groups in Ukraine have created a canonical crisis.

GETTING TO THE ESSENCE. A LOOK AT THE SCHISM THROUGH THE EYES OF PROFESSOR OSIPOV
Professor Alexei Osipov

The following is a translated transcript of a Spas (Savior) Orthodox TV channel special edition of their program, “Straight to the essence”. In these extremely disturbing times, people want to hear a familiar, trusted voice of experience and sound theology. Professor Osipov is that voice.
OrthoChristian: Bishop of Czech and Slovak Church concelebrates with hierarchs of canonical Ukrainian Church in Kiev Caves (+ VIDEO)

A Bit of a Stretch?

Russian Faith: The Heresy of Constantinople's Neo-Papism in Light of Orthodox Trinitarian Theology by Hieromonk Kirill (Zinkovsky), Hieromonk Methody (Zinkovsky), Hieromonk Varnava (Snytko)

More with Patrick Deneen






Tuesday, January 22, 2019

That There Is None Being Exercised to Deal with the Problem Properly

CAR: What the Bishop Zanchetta case tells us about Church leadership by Christopher R. Altieri
It is possible to come to the very edge of telling of falsehood, while still telling the technical truth. Church leaders have gotten very good at this.

Phyllis Zagano

Crisis: The Gnostic Feminism of Phyllis Zagano by REV. DWIGHT LONGENECKER

How do you solve a problem like Francis?

LifeSite: Vatican doubles down: denies Pope knew of sexual allegations against Argentine bishop

"Thomas Aquinas and the Church Fathers"

Biblical Thomism: Information regarding the International Conference “Thomas Aquinas and the Church Fathers”, Torun, April 4-6, 2019

Fr. Wojciech Giertych, OP on Moral Theology

The Imperial Episcopacy

Given the development of the monoepiscopate and sin, was it inevitable that the centralization of episcopal power/authority would occur in the patriarch? How is such an arrangement (created through positive law or by concession by the "subordinate" bishops) to be prevented from becoming some sort of tyranny? Synodality? Withdrawal from the synod or non-acceptance of a decision?

What is the basis of thinking of a national (or political) grouping of churches as a "particular Church"?

What are the disadvantages of churches being organized along ethnic or political divisions? (And the advantages?)

Related:
Congregation for Clergy: PRIESTS IN THE EARLY CHURCH AND IN VATICAN II

Monday, January 21, 2019

Published This Month

Analogy after Aquinas: Logical Problems, Thomistic Answers By Domenic D'Ettore

Maybe He is an Italian in that Respect

As opposed to a quasi-Jansenist of another nationality; but should this attitude cover any sexual sin, regardless of the age and gender of the persons involved? Or are some more serious than others?

Sandro Magister: Memo For the Summit On Abuse. For Francis, the Sins “Below the Belt” Are “the Lightest”

Epiphany at the Jordan



The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer: An Eastern Prayer for Western Hearts by TIMOTHY D. LUSCH

The Confession of Patriarch Dositheus of Jerusalem

The Confession of Dositheus (Eastern Orthodox, 1672)

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Who is corrupting Spain?






More with Patrick Deneen





More Cover-Ups

CNA: Former vicar: Vatican already knew about sexual abuse allegations against Argentine bishop

More On the PCED Decision

CWR Dispatch: Pope Francis continues curial shakeup: suppresses Ecclesia Dei commission, moves Sistine Chapel Choir by Christopher R. Altieri
The main issues facing the Vatican and the SSPX are doctrinal in nature, so it makes sense to have the principal organ for dialogue with the SSPX directly under the purview of the curial dicastery responsible for doctrine.

Singing His Song

Saturday, January 19, 2019

How Catholics Can Realize the Royal Priesthood of the Laity and Rebuild a Church in Crisis



The Catholic Church in Crisis

Lord Have Mercy

May some good come out of the current mess.



Metropolitan Epiphanius Attends Presentation of Book, Dialogue Heals Wounds by Head of Ukrainian Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav

A Pedagogical Question

If a school has co-education, when is the right time to end it? At the age of reason (between 7 and 8 years old), so second or third grades? Or at the beginning of puberty (which can be as low as 9 years of age if stressors are present, otherwise 11 to 13), 6 to 8 grade? Or somewhere in that range? It seems middle school (6 to 8) is a convenient point for dropping co-education, but perhaps it should be done at an earlier age, like at 9 years.

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware on Synodality and Primacy

OrthoChristian: SYNODALITY AND PRIMACY IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
From the Keynote Address by Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware of Diokleia) at the IOTA Inaugural Conference, 9-12 January 2019 in Iasi, Romania
Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware)

What is the aim of every council? It is, through the exercise of collective discernment, to attain a common mind. Yet this common mind is not simply the sum total of the convictions of the various participants.
OrthoChristian: THE SUCCESSION OF ELDERS: FROM VALAAM MONASTERY TO THE PSKOV CAVES MONASTERY by Nadezhda Shelepova

At the Pskov Caves Monastery, Elder Hippolytus absorbed the monastic tradition of both the Valaam and the Pskov Caves elders. They guided and taught by the example of their good deeds, which is much more effective than just verbal instructions.

PCED Suppressed



Rorate Caeli

Beyond Liberalism: Patrick Deneen and Bill Kauffman

Friday, January 18, 2019

St. Genevieve of Paris

OrthoChristian: ST. GENEVIEVE OF PARIS
Commemorated January 3/16
The next morning the holy Bishop presented her with a medallion engraved with a cross and asked her never to wear another ornament but the Ornament of God's Grace through the Holy Spirit.

Beauty and Meaning Today



(via Byz TX)

Thursday, January 17, 2019

New from Ignatius Press

For Love of My People I Will Not Remain Silent: On the Situation of the Church in China by Cardinal Joseph Zen

Written by a Latin Apologist

So I do not expect there to be any deviation from received Latin opinion regarding the office of the pope.

CWR Dispatch: New book addresses key questions about Church’s teaching authority by Paul Senz
“The impact of the Magisterium is powerfully felt today,” says apologist Jimmy Akin, author of Teaching With Authority, “as illustrated by stories constantly appearing in the media about what popes and bishops have said. “

The Society for Aristotelian Studies

New name, new website... The Society for Aristotelian-Thomistic Studies.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Believe it or not.

CNA Vatican: Abuse summit to help bishops know ‘what they need to do’

NCReg: Vatican Sets Course for February Abuse Summit by Edward Pentin
The meeting’s goal is to ensure bishops ‘clearly understand what they need to do to prevent and combat the worldwide problem of the sexual abuse of minors,’ a Vatican statement communicated.

Related: NCReg: Chilean Bishops Brief Pope Francis on Clergy Sexual Abuse
The heads of the country's bishops conference have a ‘very fraternal, interesting and fruitful meeting’ ahead of February's summit on protection of minors.
Edward Pentin

Curial Reform?

CNA: Pope Francis: What to expect in 2019

Not a total abolition of the Curia, or a reduction in its scope, but Francis wouldn't be the one to accomplish such a reform anyways.

Gil Bailie Reviews Antoine Arjakovsky's What Is Orthodoxy?

CWR: A Remarkable History of Christian Self-Understanding by Gil Bailie
French historian Antoine Arjakovsky has written a penetrating exploration of the struggle to keep or restore Christian unity and his own intimations of how that effort might bear more fruit.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

1Peter5: Don George and Ecclesia Dei: The Pope Prepares a Clean Sweep by Marco Tosatti
Various sources are being heard from the Vatican saying two pontifical maneuvers are imminent, which will take the form of two motu proprio. The first will be to decree the elimination of the Prefecture of the Papal Household. The prefecture …

Archbishop Viganò Was Right in His Recommendation

For the good of the patriarchate of Rome, Francis should resign.

Sandro Magister: Francis and Sexual Abuse. The Pope Who Knew Too Much

David Clayton on the Transfiguration Icon

CWR Interview with John Bergsma

about the book he and Brant Pitre wrote for Ignatius Press, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament:

Don’t know much about the Old Testament? Here’s the book for you. by Carl E. Olson
“We wanted to write an Introduction that presupposed the truth of the Catholic Faith from the outset,” says Dr. John S. Bergsma, co-author with Dr. Brant Pitre of A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament, “and would explore where that would lead in interpretation.”

Taylor Marshall Seems to Get It

The problem of scale.

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Eastern Christian Books: Persian Christians at the Chinese Court

Eastern Christian Books: Persian Christians at the Chinese Court

Whose Synod?

Which patriarchate?

From the "Youth Synod" of a few months ago.



Anyways... His Beatitude Sviatoslav: Unity of Catholics and Orthodox is not utopian thinking

R. R. Reno on Karl Rahner

A failed attempt at inculturation that made the sources secondary to his theological construct.

After Vatican II, Karl Rahner was everywhere in demand. He knew the doctrinal tradition inside and out. Those trained in accord with the earlier Thomism could put his new approach, “transcendental theology,” into familiar mental slots—post-Kantian anthropology became the foundational philosophy in the place of ­Aristotelian metaphysics, but otherwise the scholastic architecture remained intact. Rahner was in that sense a manualist. New building materials, but the same structure. This accounted, in part, for his postconciliar ­ascendancy.

It seems his star has fallen. During a recent visit to Rome, I briefly ventured back into the classroom, lecturing to seminarians on Rahner’s introductory textbook, Foundations of Christian Faith. During the Q&A, it became clear that the priests-in-training thought Rahner useless. After class one asked, “In the end, wasn’t he a heretic?” I’m no fan of Rahner’s, but I admit to being taken aback by that question!

Rahner was not a heretic. But his theology falters, largely because he assumes that the primary language of faith—Scripture, liturgy, and the ancient creeds—lacks spiritual power. His was a project of translation. He took what he regarded as the dead idioms of the past (“Christ rose from the dead”) and restated them in what he imagined to be the vital idioms of the present (“transcendental hope in the resurrection”). As is too often the case with theologians chasing cultural relevance, his formulations were already out of date when Foundations was published in the mid-1970s.

I’ve read a lot of Karl Rahner and learned a great deal. He opens up the logic of doctrine, often with exquisite dexterity. But his basic project was always doomed. As one of my teachers, George Lindbeck, observed, in good theology, Scripture absorbs the world, not the world Scripture. What the original witnesses to Christ say is always more vivid and radiant with divine truth than any translation into contemporary parlance.

He also talks about the pontificiate of Francis: A Failing Papacy

Patrick Coffin Interviews Dr. Henry Sire




Going too far with an analogy?

First Things: GOD AS A GENTLEMAN
THE 2018 ERASMUS LECTURE
by Rémi Brague

video

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Did They Interview Myanmar Buddhists?

A Weak Defense of the Process

And the resulting canonization of Paul VI. "It wasn't done for political concerns, really!" How about ecclesial politics?

Church Life: The Political Pawning of Saints written by J.M. Hogue