Rome Reports: Pope welcomes Benedict XVI to the Vatican


Zenit: Pope Francis' Reform

In the West, the new evangelization and renewal of the local Church must involve the renewal of communal life in the parishes. This cannot happen until a proper and concerted response to the modern nation-state, and the political economy upon which it is built, especially its gradually assumed dependence upon cheap energy, is undertaken by Christians - I believe this response will include a movement towards voluntary simplicity.

Shopping Our Way to Sustainability - Really?
Ready for Rationing? Why We Should Put the Brakes on Consumption If We Want to Survive
Mutual Aid Medical Care

Fr. Janko Zagar, O.P. Passes

A Model of Dominican Life

Wipf and Stock have reprinted his book, Acting on Principles, available. (The editor is Fr. Augustine.)

More from George Weigel

First Things: The Bishop of Rome as Christian Radical by George Weigel

One More for the Medieval Geek

The classical trivium: the place of Thomas Nashe in the learning of his time by Marshall McLuhan (his Ph.D. dissertation)

Someone posted a link to an essay which referenced McLuhan in its discussion of the trivium and how various authors differed as to the importance of rhetoric. I wasn't sure if I could find the link again, but I did - Thinking Trivially about Radical Orthodoxy. I had forgotten McLuhan had converted to Catholicism.

eighth day books blog

DSPT: Book Launch: “Unlocking Divine Action: Contemporary Science and Thomas Aquinas” by Fr. Michael Dodds, OP

Video of the presentation is now available:

Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

CWR: Full text: Pope Francis’ Wednesday Audience address on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker
“Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person.”

CWR Interview with Fr. Taft

CWR: Building Bridges Between Orthodox and Catholic Christians by Christopher B. Warner
An interview with Archimandrite Robert Taft, SJ, prominent Byzantine liturgical theologian and lifelong healer of Christian relations between East and West

The Bishop of Fréjus-Toulon on the Liturgy

Liturgy in the New Evangelisation
CNA: Bishop Rey reflects on Pope's liturgy, evangelization connection
« La Nouvelle Evangélisation doit être fondée sur la dignité de la liturgie »

Head of German bishops’ conference says the idea of women deacons “no longer taboo”

Some defend deaconesses as a valid Byzantine practice and a true holy order, but I wonder if this is really the case, or an aberration/novelty? Is it present in any other apostolic Christian traditions/rites?

The Discussion Sparked by David Hart on Natural Law Continues...

Edward Feser has some links, plus his latest response.

Pertinacious Papist: The best account of women and the priesthood I have ever seen

The Tomb of St. Catherine of Siena by Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, O.P.

Jacques Maritain’s Service to Truth by Christopher Shannon

Without minimizing the importance of his writings, Maritain initially exerted his most powerful influence at a personal level through his Thomistic Study Circle, which he founded in 1914. Although placed under the spiritual direction of Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., renowned as the leading guardian of Thomistic orthodoxy, the Circle nonetheless attracted a broad range of avante-garde, modernist intellectuals in various degrees of association with the Church. The appeal of the meetings was as much spiritual as intellectual, for Maritain intended his circle to pursue both sanctity and study. He understood the work of the Circle as in part making reparation for the sins against the intellect committed in the modern period. This aspect of the Thomistic revival was often lost on those who knew Maritain only through his writings, and continues to elude many. For Maritain, as for Thomas and the best of the Thomistic tradition, the truths of philosophy and theology were guides for a spiritual journey toward a deeper personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Bloy had directed Maritain toward the lives of the saints and the writings of Catholic mystics well before he began his study of St. Thomas. Maritain’s turn to scholastic rationality in no way entailed an abandonment of the more experiential and existential approaches that first drew him to the Church.

Politicizing the Papal Transition: A Retrospective by Jeffrey Tucker

My own thoughts, as we are still in the early days of the new pontificate - things may not be as dire, especially with respect to liturgical matters, as some traditionalists might fear. We may pray that much good be done and that there will be many reforms but it remains to be seen whether those in authority have a sufficient grasp of reality and the complexities of our trials.

Divna Ljubojevic - Blagosloven jesi Gospode

Traditionalist vs. Conservative

Jeff Mirus, OK, so what sort of renewal did Vatican II prescribe?

Christopher Ferrara responds to an earlier piece by Mirus, Pope Francis: Tough Talk About Vatican II

Some traditionalists (especially Americans) may deny that some problems pre-existed the council. But was the council itself a necessary part of the solution? (Especially given that it did not define any dogma in opposition to a heretical opinion?) How many of the previous councils can be considered to be of the same importance as Trent when it came to reforming the Latin churches?

Photos of Archbishop Jorge Maria Bergoglio Concelebrating the Divine Liturgy

(via ByzCath) - here, here, here, here, and here

Was there no Byzantine-rite mitre? Or was he uncomfortable wearing one? I am not sure if he was concelebrating - he is not wearing some of the other episcopal liturgical vestments as well - maybe they had only one set. It looks like he is wearing a mantiya instead.

CNA: Church must evangelize humbly, Pope Francis reflects

In humility and in charity... the homily was addressed to "members of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops at Casa Santa Marta," and not to lay people in general.

"Also present at the Mass were Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, and police from the Vatican Gendarmerie, Vatican Radio reported."

Zenit: Pope Francis: Prepare Your Hearts For the Heavenly Homeland

Wednesday's audience: Pope Francis: “The Church is not a bureaucratic organization, but a love story”

From earlier this week: Pope's Homily on Feast of St. George

More from Sandro Magister on the need to reform the Curia: Vatican Diary / Future curia, old project

John R. Quinn, archbishop emeritus of San Francisco, has an opinion, one which he voiced before the conclave as well: American archbishop advocates new power-sharing structures in the Catholic Church - John R. Quinn advocates the expansion of the patriarchal structure in the Catholic Church and the attribution of decision making power to the synod of bishops, to remedy excessive centralization and strengthen communion

More from Bishop Quinn:
THE CLAIMS OF THE PRIMACY AND THE COSTLY CALL TO UNITY (alt)

The Reform of the Papacy

I have a post on beatitude of the blessed in heaven, but haven't had the time to finish it, even though it will be a rather short post. I've been busy trying to do other things.

Rethinking Religious Liberty by Benjamin Wiker
Why religious liberty cannot mean the right to believe whatever we want.

If the National Government is committed to enforcing secularism, then how should Catholics respond?

Also of note: Germain Grisez and Patrick Lee continue to defend the use of "brain death" to judge when a person is dead: Total Brain Death: Valid Criterion of Death
by Patrick Lee and Germain Grisez

I found this while doing a search for an argument against this, from a Thomistic pov. It appears to be such an attempt: A Thomistic understanding of human death by Jason T. Eberl (If you have the relevant subscription or institutional access, here is the article online.)