Tag: Pope
Who Is Your Real Enemy and What Are His Tactics?
In the aftermath of the recent election, our country and our parishes are divided. Some people are hurt and angry while others are jubilant and hopeful. But although we often square off in opposing corners and stare fearfully at each other, we should remember our common enemy, the Devil. There’s a saying that warring brothers… Read More ›
Enough ‘comfort Catholicism.’ The Church must prepare for persecution.
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 23, 2016 (NCRegister) — There is a growing consternation among some Catholics that the Church, at least in her leadership, is living in the past. It seems there is no awareness that we are at war and that Catholics need to be summoned to sobriety, increasing separation from the wider culture, courageous… Read More ›
Sin Can Be Attractive Bait, but There’s Always a Hook
Satan, it would seem, does not act in an arbitrary manner when trying to tempt us. Rather, he is more a master hunter carefully setting traps, or a skilled fisherman studying behavior in order to choose the most effective bait. Satan is calculating and clever. Sadly, most of us are far less calculating and clever… Read More ›
Sinful Curiosity is at the Root of Many Sins
Curiosity is one of those qualities of the human person that are double-edged swords. It can cut a path to glory or it can be like a dagger of sin that cuts deep into the soul. As to its glory, it is one of the chief ingredients in the capacity of the human person to, as… Read More ›
Are These the Last Days? Pondering a Text of St. Paul’s
Are these the last days? In some sense the planets are aligning. But hold your horses; let’s speak carefully of these matters. Last week in the Breviary we read First and Second Thessalonians, which are important source texts for such considerations. I’d like to look at a critical passage from Second Thessalonians, which lays out… Read More ›
What Are The Sources of Sin?
What are the sources of temptation? Briefly stated, they are the world, the flesh, and the devil. I will describe each of these more specifically below. We can begin by noting that God is not a source of temptation despite what many conclude from the phrase in the Lord’s Prayer, lead us not into temptation… Read More ›
What Is Temptation
What is Temptation? A seminary teacher of mine once defined temptation quite plainly and succinctly: “Temptation is the work of the devil to drag you to Hell!” Indeed, that is quite plain. Of course he went on to give us more academic definitions, but he didn’t want us to miss the fact that when battling temptation we… Read More ›
Papal envoy: Francis donated $1 million to Iraqi refugees
Vatican City, Aug 22, 2014 / 01:19 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis has given $1 million as a personal contribution to help Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq who have been forced from their homes, according to his personal envoy to the country.Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,… Read More ›
Paul VI’s “miracle” receives medical approval
The Medical Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints chaired by Dr. Patrizio Polisca, Benedict XVI and Francis’ personal doctor, has called a healing attributed to Giovanni Battista Montini, Pope Paul VI, “unexplainable”. The alleged miracle will now have to be examined by theologians and cardinals before it receives the Pope’s approval. But… Read More ›
Argentine Cardinal Bergoglio elected Pope Francis I
By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 76 was elected the 266th pope and took the name Francis. The election March 13 came on the first full day of the conclave on the conclave’s fifth ballot. It was a surprisingly quick conclusion to a conclave that… Read More ›