Happening now: Sociologist José Casanova, a Berkley Center senior fellow, and philosopher Charles Taylor discuss Taylor’s seminal work #ASecularAge (2007) and the divergent religious dynamics that can coexist within our global secular age.
— Berkley Center (@GUberkleycenter) June 11, 2020
Watch live: https://t.co/KxCnU77kNI
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Charles Taylor's Liberalism, Again
Stefan Bauer, The Invention of Papal History: Onofrio Panvinio Between Renaissance and Catholic Reform.
OUP
Speaking to @Crux, @BauerStefan says Onofrio Panvinio "invented" papal history, since he assembled more material on than any scholar up to his time and ask hard questions about the reality of change in the Church’s past. #CatholicChurch https://t.co/T4eXMVDYHn
— Charles Collins (@CharlesinRome) June 10, 2020
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Tuesday, June 09, 2020
The Mazza Hypothesis
Fr. Z: The Mazza Hypothesis: Benedict resigned as Bishop of Rome but not Vicar of Christ. Wherein Fr. Z ponders with a heavy heart.
This is a Latin interpretation of the proof texts used to back Rome's claims regarding the papacy. Non-Latins would interpret them differently. Those who hold to Latin ecclesiology are forced into interesting intellectual puzzles...
In the podcasts, Mazza brings up the fact when Christ conferred on Peter what was clearly intended to an office that was to be handed down, when Christ gave Peter the “keys” and clearly made him head of the Apostles, earthly head of the Church built on his “rock”, when Christ at the Sea of Galilee confirmed Peter’s office, intended to be handed down, Peter had not yet been anywhere near Rome.
Peter was Vicar of Christ before he was Bishop of Rome.
When Christ takes the Apostles to Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:16-18) he gives people the “keys”. About a year later, the Apostles are ordained at the Last Supper.
Peter has the keys from Matthew 16 onward, but he is not a “bishop” until the Eucharist and Holy Orders were established by Christ.
Consider that when Christ gave primacy to Peter, there were no sees or dioceses. Peter later would found the Church at Alexandria and Antioch. Wouldn’t Antioch have been the primal see? But Peter left Antioch and went to Rome. So there seems to be nothing absolutely necessary about the one we now call “Pope” being Bishop of Rome.
This is a Latin interpretation of the proof texts used to back Rome's claims regarding the papacy. Non-Latins would interpret them differently. Those who hold to Latin ecclesiology are forced into interesting intellectual puzzles...
Monday, June 08, 2020
Sunday, June 07, 2020
English Translation of Divo Barsotti's Spiritual Diary
CWR: The Motionless Flight: First English translation of Divo Barsotti’s spiritual diary by David Fagerberg, Ph.D.
Italian theologian Don Divo Barsotti (1914-2006), writes for the heart, not the head alone. He is concerned to present Christianity as new life, not simply a new philosophy or new politic.
Italian version?
Italian theologian Don Divo Barsotti (1914-2006), writes for the heart, not the head alone. He is concerned to present Christianity as new life, not simply a new philosophy or new politic.
Italian version?
Saturday, June 06, 2020
Friday, June 05, 2020
Latins Should Take a Cue?
Greek Church Bans Yoga, Catholics Confused https://t.co/06baGIBQK2 pic.twitter.com/zoljh8NScC
— Church Militant/St. Michael's Media (@Church_Militant) June 5, 2020
Dr. Alan Fimister on the Crusade Channel
Alan Fimister talking about the two swords. https://t.co/jRWhYbWAvQ
— Fr Thomas Crean OP (@crean_fr) June 4, 2020
Thursday, June 04, 2020
Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright
NLM
I am not sure if most of the essays were previously published or not, but some of the titles look familiar. At least the title isn't Reclaiming Our Catholic Birthright.
I am not sure if most of the essays were previously published or not, but some of the titles look familiar. At least the title isn't Reclaiming Our Catholic Birthright.
Wednesday, June 03, 2020
Subversion Through "Synodality"
CNA/CWR: German bishop calls for Rome synod to discuss German synod
Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg says he is “very much in favour of transporting to Rome, to the level of the whole Church, the insights and decisions that we garner from the Synodal Process – also with regard to [the role of] women and ecclesial ministry.”
Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg says he is “very much in favour of transporting to Rome, to the level of the whole Church, the insights and decisions that we garner from the Synodal Process – also with regard to [the role of] women and ecclesial ministry.”
Last year the German bishops announced plans for a two-year “Synodal Way,” bringing together lay people and bishops to discuss four major topics: the way power is exercised in the Church; sexual morality; the priesthood; and the role of women.
They said the process would end with a series of “binding” votes — raising concerns at the Vatican that the resolutions might challenge Church teaching and discipline.
Tuesday, June 02, 2020
A Program of Action from Dr. John Rao
Edward Pentin: Now or Never — A Plea for Concerted Traditionalist Action
I'll just ad this: the EF Mass and Holy Communion are important, but they are ordered to living the life of Christ, and Latin Traditionalists, if they want to preserve their communities, need to do the heavy lifting that is required for that, rather than assuming having a common form of worship is enough.
Professor John Rao: Now or Never — A Plea for Concerted Traditionalist Action https://t.co/uTxzBopgtB pic.twitter.com/ZMbQvNZjEc
— Edward Pentin (@EdwardPentin) June 2, 2020
Nevertheless, I cannot in good conscience, relate the triumphs of the past while neglecting a duty to urge my fellow Traditionalists to join together to raise up our moribund Mother in her present plight. I do so through this four-pronged Plea that is as simple to state as it will require the greatest self-effacement and willpower to act upon effectively.
It is now or never. This is the last act in the modern revolutionary drama and the enemy is determined.
- Let each segment of the Traditionalist Movement— each “clan”, to use The Remnant’s terminology — avoid the very understandable temptation to secure its own particular survival in this moment of worldwide pandaemonium, and work together as one unit;
- That a Central Committee of representatives of each Traditionalist “clan” be established — clerical and lay, or lay supporters alone if there be danger to the priestly fraternities and congregations concerned — to coordinate intellectual, spiritual, and practical advice and actions, whether formally or informally;
- That every opportunity be exploited immediately to restore public worship according to the Traditional Rite, whether they are permitted by unjust State or episcopal fiat or not;
- That as a symbol of our failure to accept the mass hysteria around us, we visibly wear a symbol of the Sacred Heart of Christ instead of the Mask of Oppression.
I'll just ad this: the EF Mass and Holy Communion are important, but they are ordered to living the life of Christ, and Latin Traditionalists, if they want to preserve their communities, need to do the heavy lifting that is required for that, rather than assuming having a common form of worship is enough.
Against Bodin's Notion of Sovereignty
Álvaro d'Ors on the way in which the kingship of Christ and the liberty of the Church exclude absolute state sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/DaNqHAAL36
— Pater Edmund (@sancrucensis) May 31, 2020
It's an argument against a modern notion of sovereignty, but by itself it is not a sufficient check against tyranny.
Holloway Review of Manent
Public Discourse: The Problem of Human Rights by Carson Holloway
"The human rights project, perhaps intoxicated by its remarkable recent successes (such as the redefinition of marriage) is overreaching," Carson Holloway writes. https://t.co/DipHYjjV80
— Public Discourse (@PublicDiscourse) June 2, 2020
Monday, June 01, 2020
Marian Consecration
"We wrote this book to assist others in offering all that they have in consecration, with the Angelic Doctor as a teacher and guide. After all, it’s not just religious who are called to holiness. We all are!" https://t.co/zh2rrUgIpm
— Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP (@FrAquinasOP) June 2, 2020
Byzantine Rome
NEW READ 📚: Do you know which churches the Byzantines built in Rome? NOW YOU DO thanks to Part III of this series on Byzantine Rome #Byzantium:https://t.co/jSu4ZYAh7C
— Byzantine Ambassador (@byzantinepower) June 1, 2020
Hunt Review of Manent
The American Mind: Breaking Our Modern Paralysis by Ross Hunt
"Manent’s prescient critique of human rights may be the best tool at our disposal to interpret the weaknesses that COVID-19 has revealed." ~@Ross_Hunt in @theammind
— UNDPress (@UNDPress) May 30, 2020
Read the full essay here: https://t.co/75wQS9dHIv pic.twitter.com/4Fo1ARUNL9
A Necessary Starting Point
"The Lord Jesus is the prototype and foundation of the new humanity. In him, the true 'likeness of God' (2 Cor 4:4), man – who is created in the image of God – finds his fulfillment."
— Fr. Thomas Aquinas Pickett, O.P. (@ThomasAquinasOP) June 1, 2020
-Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 431
But it doesn't mean that everything that is written at (R)CST in connection with it is well-reasoned.
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Appalachian "Christ is Risen"
Remote Russian Village Sings Appalachian Style "Christ is Risen" https://t.co/dgpxdVt89m pic.twitter.com/C0zptLhYUY
— Russian Faith (@Russian_Faith) May 29, 2020
Friday, May 29, 2020
John Brungardt on Latin Integralism
The Josias: The Question of Catholic Integralism: An Internet Genealogy - written and originally published by John Brungardt
The Question of Catholic Integralism: An Internet Genealogy https://t.co/6mEbxlycWo
— The Josias (@josias_rex) May 29, 2020
A Display of "Ecumenical Spirit"
Pope Francis is to take part in his first ever online service with Archbishop Canterbury @JustinWelby. Other senior UK church leaders will also be involved in the #Pentecost service on Sunday, marking the culmination of #ThyKingdomCome. https://t.co/K8RsiU6CF0 #CatholicNews
— The Tablet (@The_Tablet) May 29, 2020
Patrick Viscuso Reviews Kevin Schembri's Oikonomia
Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies (temporary free access)
The reviewer is a priest and canonist for GOARCH:
Perhaps he has written something on the Byzantine canons on marriage and divorce.
In his review of Oikonomia: Divorce and Remarriage in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition, he notes
A dominant theologoumenon is not the same as dogma... and the opinion that marriage is eternal may not even be dominant in the various Byzantine ecclesial traditions.
So second and third "marriages" may be deemed "sacramental"? And yet a period of penance might be required. Is there a authoritative work discussing penances in the canons and their rationale?
I will have to eventually get a Byzantine textbook on marriage but probably at least one that covers a range of opinions among the various ecclesial traditions, or several textbooks. I don't think I would rely on a Greek one alone.
The reviewer is a priest and canonist for GOARCH:
The Reverend Dr. Patrick Viscuso is a priest of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and a canonist specializing in marriage and gender issues. His doctorate in historical theology from The Catholic University of American concentrated on Byzantine and Oriental canon law, patristic studies, and church history. He also holds a Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Fr. Viscuso is the author of a large number of scholarly publications in the field of Late Byzantine Canon Law and is a specialist in marriage legislation and theology. His most recent writings focus on the relationship of marriage to ordination, purity issues, divorce, and women's superstitions in late Byzantium.
Perhaps he has written something on the Byzantine canons on marriage and divorce.
In his review of Oikonomia: Divorce and Remarriage in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition, he notes
Another point repeatedly made is that the "Orthodox tradition" invests the indissolubility of marriage with an eternal character and consequently views remarriage as a concession or expression of ecclesial oikonomia. The absence of the Eucharist and crowning during late Byzantine celebration of second and third marriages is said to imply that Orthodoxy regarded or still regards these unions as less than sacramental in some way.
However, the author fails to show any articulation of marriage as an eternal bond in Orthodox canonical or theological literature prior to the twentieth century, when this theological opinion came to be expressed at the Institut de Théologie Orthodoxe Saint-Serge. In fact, there are substantial Byzantine texts that articulate a contrary view affirming that marriage is ended by death, an example being the Scriptural commentaries of Theophylaktos, archbishop of Ohrid (b. ca. 1055-d. after 1126), specifically on Luke 20:34–36.
The assertions regarding the non-sacramental nature of second and third unions within Orthodoxy do not adequately address the facts. For instance, there was no uniform practice regarding crowning of a second or third marriage in Byzantium. Second unions were definitely crowned according to the usage of the Great Church; the presence or absence of crowning did not mean that a sacerdotal blessing of the marriage did not take place; and, since the Eucharist was not a constitutive element in the establishment of the marriage, the canonical restriction of the second and third married from the Eucharist during a period of penance did not mean that the union, as established by sacerdotal blessing, was not regarded as sacramental and incapable of sanctification.
Furthermore, in considering such questions, the absence of the Eucharist from the marriage service is completely irrelevant to its sacramental nature. As is obvious to those who have ever attended a contemporary ceremony, Orthodox marriages today are considered blessed and sacramental without the reception of the Eucharist during their celebration, even the so-called mixed marriages of Roman Catholics and Orthodox. Also, the author's emphasis on the penitential nature of second and third unions does not adequately address contemporary practice, where such penances are no longer imposed.
A dominant theologoumenon is not the same as dogma... and the opinion that marriage is eternal may not even be dominant in the various Byzantine ecclesial traditions.
So second and third "marriages" may be deemed "sacramental"? And yet a period of penance might be required. Is there a authoritative work discussing penances in the canons and their rationale?
I will have to eventually get a Byzantine textbook on marriage but probably at least one that covers a range of opinions among the various ecclesial traditions, or several textbooks. I don't think I would rely on a Greek one alone.
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Adam DeVille on John Paul II
CWR: John Paul II: Diagnostician of Divisions, Doctor of Ecumenism by Dr. Adam A. J. DeVille
In the encyclical Ut Unim Sint, given twenty five years ago, the late pope wrote about “the necessary purification of past memories,” a consistent and urgent theme of his pontificate.
Deville uses both Taft and John Paul II for a discussion of the healing of memories. That certainly is a necessary part of reconciliation.
Whether what is going on in Ukraine is a helpful development or not remains to be seen. The jockeying between Moscow and Constantinople needs to end (and recognition of Roman primacy is not the quick solution that Latin polemicists would make it to be); this may require further humbling of both historic sees by God. There needs to be ecclesial reform happening in many churches, but not the changes that liberal progressives want.
In the encyclical Ut Unim Sint, given twenty five years ago, the late pope wrote about “the necessary purification of past memories,” a consistent and urgent theme of his pontificate.
Deville uses both Taft and John Paul II for a discussion of the healing of memories. That certainly is a necessary part of reconciliation.
Nevertheless, there are more recent and more hopeful signs. These have increased with Constantinople’s granting of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church last year. With Russia thereby losing control over much of Ukrainian Orthodoxy in 2019, the latter remains free to deepen the healing in its already amicable and often co-operative relationship with Ukrainian Catholics.
Whether what is going on in Ukraine is a helpful development or not remains to be seen. The jockeying between Moscow and Constantinople needs to end (and recognition of Roman primacy is not the quick solution that Latin polemicists would make it to be); this may require further humbling of both historic sees by God. There needs to be ecclesial reform happening in many churches, but not the changes that liberal progressives want.
Adding Insult to Injury...
"567 years after the Fall of #Constantinople, the verse of the Fall from the Quran will be read inside #HagiaSophia"#orthodox_times #Erdogan https://t.co/1tn1rK2L71
— Orthodox Times (@orthodox_times) May 28, 2020
An Endorsement of Participation in God
Well, folks, I just finished @AP_Davison’s truly excellent book on participation. It is comprehensive and clear and readable. I learned a great deal from it and so I have no doubt that it will be *the* major resource on the subject for the foreseeable future. pic.twitter.com/vIShgk5FHn
— Matthew Rothaus Moser (@M_Rothaus_Moser) May 28, 2020
Anscombe, "Modern Moral Philosophy"
Now available free online: Anscombe’s classic “Modern Moral Philosophy,” featuring such zingers as…https://t.co/sGRdApeVrk pic.twitter.com/3MIOXqtdOr
— Kieran Setiya (@KieranSetiya) May 28, 2020
Pentin Interview with Seewald
"I was also unaware that Ratzinger’s role in the Second Vatican Council isn't marginal but enormously significant. He himself always played it down, but alongside Cardinal [Josef] Frings, he was basically the definitive Vatican spin doctor" — Peter Seewald https://t.co/aOyYn1FFsB
— Edward Pentin (@EdwardPentin) May 28, 2020
Peter Seewald’s ‘Spiritual and Historical Journey’ With the Pope Emeritus https://t.co/aOyYn1FFsB #BenedictXVI #PopeEmeritus @NCRegister
— Edward Pentin (@EdwardPentin) May 28, 2020
NCReg
You mention that relations between Benedict and Pope Francis are good, but there are some Catholics who wish that Benedict had not resigned, who contend that he would never agree with some of the decisions of this pontificate. What do you say to this view?
The former and the current pope have different temperaments, different charismas, and they each have their own way of exercising the office. We see from the popes of previous centuries that a more intellectual pontiff is usually followed by a more emotional one. That was never a disadvantage. Undoubtedly, there can be different views between Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. But that does not matter. The pope is the pope.
Ratzinger promised obedience to his successor before he even knew who would follow in his footsteps, and he has been scrupulously careful all these years to first of all ensure that no accusation of interference could arise. Many of the later questions I asked him, for example, he refused to answer. One answer, he said, would “inevitably constitute interference in the work of the present Pope. Anything that goes in that direction I must, and wish to, avoid.” Moreover, in my book he literally says: “The personal friendship with Pope Francis has not only remained, but has grown.”
Understandably, besides his loyalty and obedience, Ratzinger would never openly rebuke or question Bergoglio because of the confusion and scandal that would result.
The problem, though, is not this actually happening, but the ultramontanist monarchical conceptions of the papacy that would make such an act scandalous.
What's the Patriarch of Rome Going to Do About It?
This, despite @Pontifex writing a letter to the German church warning of the limitations of their “synodal way”.#CatholicTwitter https://t.co/LOQabdKrDI
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) May 28, 2020
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
A Warranted Claim?
Public Orthodoxy: THE EUCHARIST, ITS PHYSICAL ELEMENTS, AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY by Hermina Nedelescu
The moral and scientific considerations presented by the essay are fine, but where are the studies giving evidence to this claim? Making a definitive claim like this requires actual science, not guesswork. So where are the comparative studies, not with viruses in general but COVID-19 specifically? Otherwise this seems like overstating one's case in order to yield a desirable conclusion.
One can draw a probable conclusion or precept based on possibilities and our ignorance and the law of charity - those are sufficient.
The Eucharist, Its Physical Elements, and Molecular Biology https://t.co/efLz9GLU75— Fordham OCSC (@FordhamOrthodox) May 27, 2020
The second misconception is the idea that viruses themselves cannot be transmitted via the administration of Holy Communion, which is scientifically incorrect.
The moral and scientific considerations presented by the essay are fine, but where are the studies giving evidence to this claim? Making a definitive claim like this requires actual science, not guesswork. So where are the comparative studies, not with viruses in general but COVID-19 specifically? Otherwise this seems like overstating one's case in order to yield a desirable conclusion.
One can draw a probable conclusion or precept based on possibilities and our ignorance and the law of charity - those are sufficient.
Doctor of... the Patriarchate of Rome
Naming "Doctors of the Church" is part of Rome's pretensions which should be dropped for the sake of ecumenism and reconciliation.
Pope Francis may say he is impatient, but he doesn't have the theological skill to advance the dialogue with the other Apostolic Churches, nor does he have a plan for Protestants, especially those who are more traditional. Is he willing to explicitly set limits to what constitutes "legitimate diversity"? I doubt it.
While Newman has been declared a saint of the Catholic Church, the question remains as to whether he will be declared a Doctor of the Church:https://t.co/tdCG0IgQKg
— Newman Institute (@NewmanStudies) May 27, 2020
Pope Francis may say he is impatient, but he doesn't have the theological skill to advance the dialogue with the other Apostolic Churches, nor does he have a plan for Protestants, especially those who are more traditional. Is he willing to explicitly set limits to what constitutes "legitimate diversity"? I doubt it.
Pope Francis marked the 25th anniversary of “Ut Unum Sint” (“That all may be one,”) by reaffirming the church’s “irrevocable” commitment to work for Christian unity among the world’s roughly 2.3 billion Christians. @gerryorome reports:https://t.co/iH9SBi5RdV
— America Magazine (@americamag) May 27, 2020
A Development at Bose
Enzo Bianchi required to leave the monastery of Bose
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) May 27, 2020
The Vatican Secretariat of State informs the Monastic Community of Bose about the results of the recent Apostolic Visitation. - Vatican Newshttps://t.co/dM4JGJqhIL
Sandro Magister: “Rigid, Cold, Misguided.” That’s How the Monastery of Bose Thanks Its Founder
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
St. Philip Neri
Philip Neri always reminds me of the joyous friendships of saints: Philip and Ignatius were friends during their time in Rome, often going for evening strolls together. Stories abound of how their laughter echoed through the Roman streets pic.twitter.com/HAMNj0sbBi
— Fr. David Paternostro, SJ (@DavidPaternostr) May 26, 2020
Happy feast of +Philip Neri. I though of this published in @ChurchLifeND from @leodelo2. I learned a good deal about Neri as I always expect to when reading Lenny's work. The lecture was given as part of @McGrathND's Saturdays with the Saints: https://t.co/10YNcvo3Xo
— Timothy P. O'Malley (@timothypomalley) May 26, 2020
The Ascension and Glorification of Christ Are Important for Us
But is there anything else to soteriology and eschatology?
Jesus bore our humanity and brought it beyond death to a new place, to Heaven, so that there where He is, we might also be.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) May 25, 2020
Houston, We Have a Problem
Derya Little Reviews Integralism
CWR Dispatch: New book presents scholarly, but accessible, presentation of Integralism by Derya M. Little
A review of Integralism: A Manual of Political Philosophy by Fr. Thomas Crean O.P. and Dr. Alan Fimister.
Editiones Scholasticae
A review of Integralism: A Manual of Political Philosophy by Fr. Thomas Crean O.P. and Dr. Alan Fimister.
Editiones Scholasticae
Monday, May 25, 2020
Fr. Edmund Waldstein on Laudato Si'
Catholic Herald: Freedom and Connection: A reflection on Laudato si' by Fr Edmund Waldstein
My comment: not every vice needs an -ism, nor is every disorder rooted first in an error of the intellect. But intellectuals love genealogy as history, and this is true of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
Related:
I wrote something about Laudato si'. https://t.co/rcTVUz5UzM
— Pater Edmund (@sancrucensis) May 24, 2020
My comment: not every vice needs an -ism, nor is every disorder rooted first in an error of the intellect. But intellectuals love genealogy as history, and this is true of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
Related:
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Purification of the Heart
God with Us Online: Purification of the Heart: The First Stage of the Spiritual Life by Rev. Deacon Thomas Moses
(3 parts)
(3 parts)
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Friday, May 22, 2020
A Dutch Renaissance Rood-Screen
The rood screen is in a museum instead of in its native environment of a temple (or in this case, the Cathedral of St John in ’s-Hertogenbosch). There is a summary of its history in the NLM post below.
NLM: A Dutch Renaissance Rood-Screen by Gregory DiPippo
NLM: A Dutch Renaissance Rood-Screen by Gregory DiPippo
Locke and the American Founding
Locke's influence on America's founders is vastly overstated, and when Americans read him they understood him to be a thinker whose ideas were compatible with their Christian convictions. They may have misread him, but that is a different debate. https://t.co/UzRj8IvmUl
— Mark David Hall (@MDH_GFU) May 22, 2020
Aquinas 101: Grace
A primer on grace, justification, and merit from the @ThomisticInst https://t.co/0uqUJtZJQm
— Patrick Madrid ✌🏼 (@patrickmadrid) May 22, 2020
Newly Re-released
Newly re-released: @cappellaromana recording of the Divine Liturgy with the translation of the Archdiocese of Thyateira & Great Britain set to Byzantine chant. Booklet with texts and essays by Archimandrite Ephrem Lash, John M Boyer and me. https://t.co/lMc6veA831
— Alexander Lingas (@ALLingas) May 21, 2020
Scores in Byzantine and staff notations here: https://t.co/d9uD3LvE8L
— Alexander Lingas (@ALLingas) May 21, 2020
Individual Communion Spoons
Public Orthodoxy: “Remember, O Lord…”: Liturgy, History, and Communion Spoons in a Time of Pandemic by Daniel Galadza
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Spooky Neutrinos
ScienceAlert: Here's The Real Truth Behind That Viral 'NASA Finds Parallel Universe' Story by Signe Dean
Forbes: Has NASA Found A Parallel Universe ‘Where Time Flows Backwards?’ The Truth Behind The Headlines by Jamie Carter
Forbes: Has NASA Found A Parallel Universe ‘Where Time Flows Backwards?’ The Truth Behind The Headlines by Jamie Carter
Elder Damaskinos
Elder Damaskinos of the new skete of the Monastery of St. Paul of Mount Athos spoke about the life of a monk on Mount Athos#orthodox_times https://t.co/y37CucQ3hI
— Orthodox Times (@orthodox_times) May 21, 2020
Documentary on Elder Joseph the Hesychast
OrthoChristian
Award-winning Elder Joseph the Hesychast film available online for 24 hours today (+VIDEO)https://t.co/kTMccyuUKJ
— Orthodox Christianity (@Orthodoxy2019) May 21, 2020
A new documentary on the great 20th-century Athonite spiritual father St. Joseph the Hesychast, starring the Emmy-award winning Jonathan Jackson, is available to... pic.twitter.com/Skct94sdHj
Catholic Culture Podcasts Ep. 75
It's fashionable among traditionalists to bash the nouvelle théologie without really knowing anything about it. It was far from a unified movement in which everyone was a modernist. I talked to @DeclueViews about his work clearing this up. https://t.co/ZoA8NpICae
— Catholic Culture Podcasts (@CatholicPods) May 20, 2020
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Eastern Christian Publications: Catching up with the Armenians
Eastern Christian Publications: Catching up with the Armenians
Lit Verlag: Monastic Life in the Armenian Church: Glorious Past - Ecumenical Reconsideration edited by Jasmine Dum-Tragut and Dietmar W. Winkler (Lit Verlag, 2020), 224pp.
Stanford University Press: Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire: Armenians and the Politics of Reform in the Ottoman Empire by Richard E. Antaramian
Cornell University Press: Russia's Entangled Embrace: The Tsarist Empire and the Armenians, 1801-1914 by Stephen Badalyan Riegg
Lit Verlag: Monastic Life in the Armenian Church: Glorious Past - Ecumenical Reconsideration edited by Jasmine Dum-Tragut and Dietmar W. Winkler (Lit Verlag, 2020), 224pp.
Stanford University Press: Brokers of Faith, Brokers of Empire: Armenians and the Politics of Reform in the Ottoman Empire by Richard E. Antaramian
Cornell University Press: Russia's Entangled Embrace: The Tsarist Empire and the Armenians, 1801-1914 by Stephen Badalyan Riegg
The Authority to Punish Heresy and Apostasy
Integralism as Christian Default by Kevin Vallier
Vallier:
Nowhere in the Kerygma or Tradition is political authority vested with the authority to punish heresy and apostasy. So why should we accept the claim that the political authority
It is not up to critics of integralism to show this claim is wrong when it is not a principle but a conclusion that must be given a demonstration/proof/derivation by its defenders. Repeating Aquinas or Augustine on this point could be one response, but Latin integralists must acknowledge the possibility that their arguments are flawed.
Latin integralism can hardly be said to be the "default" even for Roman Catholics when it doesn't have a place on the hierarchy of truths. I don't know how Vallier is able to make this claim, as if it were somehow self-evident.
It’s a sign of the times when @kvallier argues that “Christian political theologians now must either work within an integralist framework or explain why not.” (Not to say I agree with all of the analysis here, by any means). https://t.co/MIy4TRM9PU
— Adrian Vermeule (@Vermeullarmine) May 20, 2020
Vallier:
Religious coercion has some limits, but it can be used to punish heresy and apostasy, and to ensure that Catholicism is the religion of the state.
Nowhere in the Kerygma or Tradition is political authority vested with the authority to punish heresy and apostasy. So why should we accept the claim that the political authority
It is not up to critics of integralism to show this claim is wrong when it is not a principle but a conclusion that must be given a demonstration/proof/derivation by its defenders. Repeating Aquinas or Augustine on this point could be one response, but Latin integralists must acknowledge the possibility that their arguments are flawed.
Act-consequentialism and integralism are plainly quite different normative theories. They are elegant approaches to ethics and political theory respectively because they make the good the sole normative master conception in a straightforward way. So much so, that one might even think that they’re the default normative theories.
I think that work on act-consequentialism has shown why it is axiologically mistaken. But I don’t think we yet have an account of why integralist axiology is mistaken if we take the truth of Christianity, and Catholicism in particular, for granted.
Latin integralism can hardly be said to be the "default" even for Roman Catholics when it doesn't have a place on the hierarchy of truths. I don't know how Vallier is able to make this claim, as if it were somehow self-evident.
The Constantinian Legacy
Tomorrow is the Feast of Sts. Constantine and Helen in the Orthodox Church. I have a few thoughts on the complex issues surrounding Constantine’s legacy in the Orthodox Church (which is dominated by the influence of his biographer, Eusebius).
— George Demacopoulos (@GDemacopoulos) May 20, 2020
See the thread.
Wolfe Disk Galaxy
Astronomers discover ancient galaxy that was already the shape of a giant disc 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang https://t.co/e91HWYuQW3
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 20, 2020
NRAO news
TBT for the Patriarchate of Rome
Pius XII listening to Father George Lamaître explaining to him his "Big Bang" theory. pic.twitter.com/upWfpaII6k
— elizabeta ugarska (@enchanteeq) May 19, 2020
A Development in Sacramental Practice Due to COVID-19
I didn't know of the OCA decision until yesterday. How is it viewed by other jurisdictions? Will it lead to the judgment that such a practice is valid but normally illicit?
5. Confession:
Taking into consideration the spiritual and mental healing that comes through the Sacrament of Confession, the Holy Synod blesses, for all priests and communities in the Orthodox Church in America, that for this period:
The Sacrament of Confession may not be held in person during this period, except for those who are among the limited “crew” of servers and singers in a parish or mission that is holding Divine Services. If thus done in person, six (6) feet of social distance must be maintained, as well as must be all other civil and public health measures applicable in the locality.
The Sacrament of Confession may be held over the telephone or by live video communication.
If Confession is heard over the telephone or by live video, the priest must read the Prayer of Absolution before ending the phone call or video communication, in the hearing of the penitent.
If anyone of the faithful is uncomfortable with Confession over the phone, then he or she is not bound to confess, but may wait until a time when in-person Confessions will be possible again.
Ven. Fulton Sheen as Byzantine
Ven. Fulton Sheen was Biritual meaning he had permission from Rome to celebrate in the Eastern Catholic Rites which are in full communion with the Holy See. Here are a few images of him in this fashion: pic.twitter.com/svl8jEAS58
— 🇻🇦Boniface🏴☠️ (@RealBoniface8) May 19, 2020
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Ecclesial Symphonia
Symphonia is the name of a certain Byzantine understanding of how the political authority and the ecclesial authority work together, collaborate, for the glory of God. But I think maybe symphonia can be used to name a model of how the Christian faithful and their clergy act together, not with respect to evangelization or the sacramental life or witnessing to the world, but to ensure mutual accountability. We don't have to take it as far as the German synod seems to want to go, but enough that respects the sensus fidelium of the laity so that they can defend orthodoxy in their communities.
Ultimately, using symphonia to describe the life of the Church, especially with regards to the interaction between the Christian faithful with their presbyters and bishops, may ultimately be no longer necessary. Perhaps some day we will understand that this is what κοινωνία, communio entails in this world. Then again, maybe there is a better word for mutual accountability than symphonia.
Ultimately, using symphonia to describe the life of the Church, especially with regards to the interaction between the Christian faithful with their presbyters and bishops, may ultimately be no longer necessary. Perhaps some day we will understand that this is what κοινωνία, communio entails in this world. Then again, maybe there is a better word for mutual accountability than symphonia.
Latins Should Rediscover Their Iconographic Traditions
NLM: The Roman Basilica of St Pudentiana by Gregory DiPippo
A commentor notes that the title "episcopa" is given to Pope St Paschal I's mother in one of the mosaics. The pope's sisters are also depicted in the mosaic, but they must have already passed away when the mosaic was made. Was the mosaic commissioned by the pope? This is evidence of female ordination, when there are no historical documents to back up the claim? More likely than not, someone, perhaps the pope, was exercising filial piety towards his mother, though some may think he went too far and put her on a pedestal. Or it may have been a joke.
The author of the post writes in the combox:
A commentor notes that the title "episcopa" is given to Pope St Paschal I's mother in one of the mosaics. The pope's sisters are also depicted in the mosaic, but they must have already passed away when the mosaic was made. Was the mosaic commissioned by the pope? This is evidence of female ordination, when there are no historical documents to back up the claim? More likely than not, someone, perhaps the pope, was exercising filial piety towards his mother, though some may think he went too far and put her on a pedestal. Or it may have been a joke.
The author of the post writes in the combox:
[T]he names of the orders with the feminine termination (“episcopa”, “presbytera”) were and still are used as honorifics for the female relatives of clergymen. I have a number of friends who are married Greek-Catholic priests, and their wives are often called “presbytera.” At the time this mosaic was made, it was the custom that if the Pope’s mother were alive, she would have a special seat in the place where the women of the nobilty sat at the solemn Masses on certain feast days, and preside, so to speak, over the women’s court.
Adam DeVille
This week on the podcast: Sex, Money, Pwer & the Challenge of Church Reform -- conversations with @JohnLAllenJr of @Crux and @AAJDeVille1 of @USFFW -- https://t.co/r1U4Pa0tiy
— Catholic Herald: Behind the Headlines (@CHBehindHdlns) May 8, 2020
Monday, May 18, 2020
More on John Paul II/Karol Wojtyła
They are making a big deal out of the 100th anniversary of his birth because of the agenda to canonize him and to protect the "legacy" of Vatican II after the rather disastrous pontificate of Paul VI and the inconsequential pontificate of John Paul I. John Paul II seems larger than life as his pontificate was concurrent with the fall of the Soviet Union and the Soviet bloc, and some, like Weigel, were eager to attribute being a cause who brought about the fall of Communist states to John Paul II. The conservative ultramontanists who think that John Paul II was traditional and liked him will defend his reputation, regardless of what evidence a more neutral historian might evaluate differently. Unfortunately for the patriarchate of Rome, he was canonized too quickly, and a fair and impartial assessment of his legacy may never be written at this point, unless the patriachate of Rome and its reputation were to suffer such a reversal in the future that all of its actions are called into question.
John Paul the Forgotten? by Richard A. Spinello
While Francis seems to be ignoring or revising the "theological legacy" of John Paul II (his encyclicals), what long-term effects will Francis's papacy have, besides confirming divisions among Latin Catholics and maybe even bringing about more muddle-headedness for those who have not been catechized well?
There are at least two other things at work here:
1. John Paul II's encyclicals can be difficult to read. This is a clear contrast with the encyclicals of Benedict XVI. While seminarians and young priests of the "John Paul II generation" may admire John Paul II, how many of them have the theological education to properly evaluate his writings, or the desire really to engage with them properly?
2. Top-down, centralized teaching of theology is a disservice to theology, which requires a personal relationship between the teacher and the student. It should be no surprise if the transmission of theology by the patriarch of Rome is incomplete and ineffective.
How many of today's current Roman Catholic seminarians were influenced by Pope Francis, rather than Benedict XVI? There are many priests, especially Jesuits, who are vocal Francis adherents, and progressives who see Francis as embodying their interpretation of Vatican II. Whether they will have any long-lasting influence on the patriarchate of Rome remains to be seen, as most of them are older and have limited influence among those who have different opinions about theology and liturgy.
There will be a lot of commentary about his pontificate this week, but it is unlikely that I will do a greater search of links to post them. Maybe Phil Lawler will have an interesting take on the man and his pontificate.
More:
CWR: Wojtyla’s Athenian catechesis: An antidote to the culture of veriphobia by Eduardo Echeverria
A review of Archbishop Karol Wojtyla’s newly discovered and published 1965 reflections on St. Paul’s discourse at the Areopagus, titled Teachings for an Unbelieving World.
Remembering the lens and the life of Pope St. John Paul II by Joanna Bogle
He was an innovator soaked in the rich traditions of the Church, a man of physical courage who found his strength in spiritual truth, and a mystic with a robust and cheerful style which endeared him to non-believers and even to cynics.
First Things:
A Protestant Appreciation of Pope John Paul II by Bruce Riley Ashford
Pope on the World Stage by Peter J. Leithart
My Pope by Julia Yost
John Paul the Forgotten? by Richard A. Spinello
While Francis seems to be ignoring or revising the "theological legacy" of John Paul II (his encyclicals), what long-term effects will Francis's papacy have, besides confirming divisions among Latin Catholics and maybe even bringing about more muddle-headedness for those who have not been catechized well?
There are at least two other things at work here:
1. John Paul II's encyclicals can be difficult to read. This is a clear contrast with the encyclicals of Benedict XVI. While seminarians and young priests of the "John Paul II generation" may admire John Paul II, how many of them have the theological education to properly evaluate his writings, or the desire really to engage with them properly?
2. Top-down, centralized teaching of theology is a disservice to theology, which requires a personal relationship between the teacher and the student. It should be no surprise if the transmission of theology by the patriarch of Rome is incomplete and ineffective.
How many of today's current Roman Catholic seminarians were influenced by Pope Francis, rather than Benedict XVI? There are many priests, especially Jesuits, who are vocal Francis adherents, and progressives who see Francis as embodying their interpretation of Vatican II. Whether they will have any long-lasting influence on the patriarchate of Rome remains to be seen, as most of them are older and have limited influence among those who have different opinions about theology and liturgy.
There will be a lot of commentary about his pontificate this week, but it is unlikely that I will do a greater search of links to post them. Maybe Phil Lawler will have an interesting take on the man and his pontificate.
More:
CWR: Wojtyla’s Athenian catechesis: An antidote to the culture of veriphobia by Eduardo Echeverria
A review of Archbishop Karol Wojtyla’s newly discovered and published 1965 reflections on St. Paul’s discourse at the Areopagus, titled Teachings for an Unbelieving World.
Remembering the lens and the life of Pope St. John Paul II by Joanna Bogle
He was an innovator soaked in the rich traditions of the Church, a man of physical courage who found his strength in spiritual truth, and a mystic with a robust and cheerful style which endeared him to non-believers and even to cynics.
First Things:
A Protestant Appreciation of Pope John Paul II by Bruce Riley Ashford
Pope on the World Stage by Peter J. Leithart
My Pope by Julia Yost
Wojtyła's The Catholic Social Ethic
CLJ: Everything You Know About John Paul II's Early Lectures on CST Is Wrong by Paweł Rojek
Ultramontanists will differ on the authority of the text depending on whether they agree with it or not. That's the folly of being an ultramontanist -- his lectures should be evaluated as moral theology, one theologian's private opinions, and nothing more than that.
Related:
Everything You Know About John Paul II's Early Lectures on CST Is Wrong https://t.co/anjjkhsb5s
— Church Life Journal (@ChurchLifeND) May 18, 2020
#ThankYouJohnPaul2 #JP2
Ultramontanists will differ on the authority of the text depending on whether they agree with it or not. That's the folly of being an ultramontanist -- his lectures should be evaluated as moral theology, one theologian's private opinions, and nothing more than that.
Related:
The Polish Romantic Messianism of Saint John Paul II https://t.co/3PcRXWglqi
— Church Life Journal (@ChurchLifeND) May 18, 2020
#ThankYouJohnPaul2 #JP2
Sunday, May 17, 2020
The Sacraments of Initiation and the Eucharist
A point linked to participatio actuosa, but I decided to put this as a separate post.
Fr. Robert Skeris writes:
If they were to return to the usage of scripture, baptism by water AND the Holy Spirit, with individual sacraments being returned as parts of the same ceremony as the norm, there could be some wiggle room for reinterpreting baptism in Latin documents in this way. But it would be better to admit that a mistake was made in their sacramental theology.
Fr. Robert Skeris writes:
Membership in the Church, which is brought about by valid baptism, makes one a part of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Priest, to whose priesthood one is interiorly conformed1 through the baptismal character.This is a point made by Sacrosanctum Concilium and repeated by many who use that document as a reference for explaining participatio actuosa.
In comparison with the high priesthood of Christ Himself, this priesthood of the baptized is analogous, by an analogy of proper proportionality.2 And since confirmation is related to baptism as growth is related to birth, it is clear that the so-called universal priesthood of all believers is ontologically based upon baptism, and not upon the sacrament of confirmation.3 As St. Jerome aptly phrased it, "Sacerdotium laici, id est baptisma."4
Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy. Such participation by the Christian people as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a redeemed people (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), is their right and duty by reason of their baptism.It should be baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit, whether by imposition of the hands or by the anointing by oil, that together lead to the third sacrament of initiation, the Eucharist. But given the historic separation of the first two sacraments of initiation by the Latins, they are stuck claiming that it is baptism alone.
If they were to return to the usage of scripture, baptism by water AND the Holy Spirit, with individual sacraments being returned as parts of the same ceremony as the norm, there could be some wiggle room for reinterpreting baptism in Latin documents in this way. But it would be better to admit that a mistake was made in their sacramental theology.
Participatio Actuosa
LSN: Catholics have a ‘right’ to good liturgy in accordance with Church’s ‘tradition and discipline’ by Peter Kwasniewski
The Catholic Church teaches that there is such a thing as a 'right to liturgy.'
Maybe some progressives cite those as being examples of active patricipation, but they're not.It's rather a straw man argument.
This is active participation.
This article by a Latin traditionalist is slightly better:
Participatio Activa & Participatio Actuosa by Andy Milam
But whether it's of the readings during the readings service or of the singing by the scholar or choir, listening without comprehension is not listening -- it's hearing. Intelligibility is important for both prayer and listening.Conscious activity that is without comprehension of the prayers or texts may be piety or devotion, but it's not participation in the liturgy. Participation dependent upon a lay missal with a translation into the vernacular may be possible for a few, but it probably isn't possible for all, and it won't be possible once the extra resources that enable the printing and purchase of such missals begins to dwindle.
The above essay does cite Msgr. Richard Schuler as an authority on actuosa participatio, as does Fr. Peter Stravinskas in a guest essay for NLM in 2016 (part 2).
Authorities like Colman E. O’Neill, O.P. equate participation [in the liturgy] with offering the Sacrifice of the Mass and receiving the Sacrament[s]:
The Catholic Church teaches that there is such a thing as a 'right to liturgy.'
Catholics have a ‘right’ to good liturgy in accordance with Church’s ‘tradition and discipline’ https://t.co/W5Moz0bQGy— LifeSite Catholic (@LSNCatholic) May 17, 2020
[T]he generic concern for “active participation” in the liturgy eclipses the centrality of the specific and infinitely greater good of the Eucharistic sacrifice enacted by the priest on behalf of the people. Just as the right to life is unequivocally and primordially located in the right of each baby human to be born, so too the right to liturgy refers most of all to the right to “offer the holy oblation in peace” (as our Byzantine brethren say), to see and to experience the liturgy as the work of Christ in and for His Church, not as my or anyone else’s product.There is no worship without people worshipping.
In the Catholic world, the “sign of peace,” the proliferation of lay ministers invading the sanctuary and handling the precious gifts, and execrably bad post-Communion songs, conspire to distract us from the miracle that has just occurred and prevent us from praying most fruitfully in union with Our Lord and with all the other members of His Mystical Body.
Maybe some progressives cite those as being examples of active patricipation, but they're not.It's rather a straw man argument.
We are given our natural life in order to acquire supernatural life, and this we are given for the sake of rising up to God in prayer and divine praise.
This is active participation.
[B]eing pro-liturgy does not mean getting as many lay people involved in as many ministries as possible.Again, this is not what is generally meant by active participation among the proponents of the Latin liturgical movement of the 20th ce. Kwasniewski should be writing better than this.
This article by a Latin traditionalist is slightly better:
Participatio Activa & Participatio Actuosa by Andy Milam
But whether it's of the readings during the readings service or of the singing by the scholar or choir, listening without comprehension is not listening -- it's hearing. Intelligibility is important for both prayer and listening.Conscious activity that is without comprehension of the prayers or texts may be piety or devotion, but it's not participation in the liturgy. Participation dependent upon a lay missal with a translation into the vernacular may be possible for a few, but it probably isn't possible for all, and it won't be possible once the extra resources that enable the printing and purchase of such missals begins to dwindle.
The above essay does cite Msgr. Richard Schuler as an authority on actuosa participatio, as does Fr. Peter Stravinskas in a guest essay for NLM in 2016 (part 2).
Authorities like Colman E. O’Neill, O.P. equate participation [in the liturgy] with offering the Sacrifice of the Mass and receiving the Sacrament[s]:
(It is) that form of devout involvement in the liturgical action which, in the present conditions of the Church, best promotes the exercise of the common priesthood of the baptized; that is, their power to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass with Christ and to receive the sacraments. It is clear that, concretely, this requires that the faithful understand the liturgical ceremonial; that they take part in it by bodily movements, standing, kneeling or sitting as the occasion may demand; that they join vocally in the parts which are intended for them. It also requires that they listen to, and understand, the Liturgy of the Word. It requires, too, that there be moments of silence when the impact of the whole ceremonial may be absorbed and deeply personalized.While O'Neill does say that the laity should join vocally in the parts which are intended for them (but should they understand to what they are responding, and their own responses), and even concedes that they should understand the Liturgy of the Word, he does identify participation with the exercise of the common priesthood of the baptized, and it would be easy on the basis of that identification alone one could say that comprehension is not at all necessary, as some Latin traditionalists may do. Does one need to understand the texts of the Mass in order to offer it and to receive the Sacraments? Not at all. I think O'Neill's equating of the two is problematic for another reason, that he misunderstands what the common priesthood of the faithful is, as it is dependent upon the dominant Latin opinion of what makes the Eucharist a sacrifice. But more on that in another post.
Defending Their Signatures
LSN
Cardinal Müller and Bishop Schneider defend signing Archbishop Viganò’s corona crisis appeal https://t.co/WtVhpqoC1O
— LifeSite Catholic (@LSNCatholic) May 18, 2020
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