Tuesday, October 02, 2018

About That Synod...

Crisis Magazine: An Open Letter to Archbishop Chaput Supporting His Call to Cancel the Youth Synod by JULIA MELONI

A Reminder

Is Francis showing his hand?

Pope approves new constitution for Synod of Bishops

Consecration of a New Temple

A Bit Like Gaudium et Spes?

Perhaps I am doing Gaudium et Spes a discredit.

CWR: The 2018 Synod: Key themes, deep tensions, and many questions by Thomas R. Ascik
The working document is an interminable and exhausting assembly of ideas and popular notions about the situation of youth in today’s world. Its predominant tone is not spiritual, moral, or sacramental.

A Failure in Progress?

Is there an agenda already at work?

CNA: Five bishops who could move the youth synod

Choosing Christ

Was reading some books about the history of Confirmation in the Patriarchate of Rome. Not it would follow that if children were to not be given the sacraments of initiation as infants, that the number of Catholics who fall-away later in life would decrease, as the total number of Catholics would decrease, and the only neophytes would be of adult age, or close to it.

Still, if it is necessary, as Baptists claim(?), for people to make a deliberate decision to become Christian before being initiated, then is there a case to be made, in light of the number of Catholics who fall away from the practice of the faith in their adolescence and young adulthood, that Catholics (and Apostolic Christians in general) should refrain from initiating their children until they've attained the age of reason or after? Or are we merely seeing the effects of generations of poorly-catechized Catholics who've never been properly introduced to the practice of prayer and Christian spirituality and made them their own just doing with their own children what their parents did?

Eastern Christian Books: A Century of Ukrainian Struggles for Unity: Nicholas Denysenko on His Superb New Book

Eastern Christian Books: A Century of Ukrainian Struggles for Unity: Nicholas Denysenko on His Superb New Book

Monday, October 01, 2018

The Historicity of the Old Testament

In particular, the book of Genesis.

Some have tried to nuance their interpretation of Genesis (in an attempt to reconcile it with "science," especially evolution) -- but if Christianity and Christian faith is grounded in a historical narrative, salvation history, i.e. what God has done for mankind, then how can one "mythologize" certain books without undermining Christian faith? Contrary to what some Roman Catholics think (perhaps subconsciously under the influence of some exaggerated form of scholasticism), Christianity is not a set of abstract theological propositions which do not need the background of a historical narrative; rather our knowledge of God is through His actions, especially those directed to mankind.
Breitbart: World View: University of N. Florida and Pentagon Cut Ties with China’s Confucius Institutes

Saturday, September 29, 2018

International Orthodox Theological Association

Purgatory

If the "fire" or "heat" of purgatory is God's love purifying those who live in Christ from all remaining perfection, then why might hell not be that same love experienced as a form of torture by those who have rejected God?

(The glory of God, the light of those who have been perfectly transformed or deified is in contrast pleasant.)

Friday, September 28, 2018

CWR: Abp. Vigano’s new testimony has “special appeal” to Card. Ouellet, more criticism of Pope Francis by Carl E. Olson
The strongest words of Viganò’s new testimony are found in the conclusion, where he asks, “Has Christ perhaps become invisible to his vicar?”