thoughts in and out of season
The great contribution religion can make to us today is to liberate us from the chains of modernity. “Religion today must speak to modern man” is true the way “religion in a jail must speak to prisoners” is true.
Fundamentally, modernity is an attempt to abolish the transcendent and reconstruct the world as a system … More ...
I’ve been reading Matthew in the Vulgate and rather like it. The Latin is simple—the vulgar tongue after all—and familiarity with it helps with the language of the Tridentine mass. Also, it means something that the words are words that some people in the Palestine of Jesus’ time might have used. It seems to bring … More ...
Some interesting background on Vatican II: Diary of an insider (the “insider” was Yves Congar).
I have no knowledge of Congar or his views, but gather that one objection he made to the pre-Vatican II situation was over-centralization. I agree with that. All I’d add is that if centralization is the problem reform-from-above and rule … More ...
The function of Catholic dogma is mostly the description of a world in which Christian morality is the natural way of acting. So conversion has its theoretical side. The world should look different. A couple of random thoughts on what that might mean:
To touch on current events, it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out: Vatican drafts new guidelines for accepting priestly candidates that (apparently) will bar homosexuals. A common response in American church circles to settled doctrine on homosexuality has been in effect to say “yes, official doctrine is that it’s sinful, but it’s not … More ...
I went around the corner to the closest Catholic church to do the day-of-obligation thing. It was the first English mass I had been to for a while, and I found it hard to adjust completely.
I do prefer the old Latin mass. Still, everything should be the best of what it is. For example, … More ...
All Saints’ Day, a day of obligation I’m told, so in an hour I’ll go off and discharge my duties. I’m starting to feel like a papist already.
This sort of discipline is a good thing, I think. It marks off particular days for common recollection and worship, and if you don’t happen to feel … More ...
There’s been too much gloom about grand public affairs in my comments. Confucius never heard of the mote and the beam, but he knew that we should start on things by turning ourselves around. Besides, we’re told that God is present if we pray, so not everything is bad.
With that in mind, but in … More ...
To be Catholic anno Domini 2002 is to place oneself radically at odds with with the public order as understood by its most authoritative interpreters. After all, Roe v. Wade is no fluke. It’s been law for almost 30 years, and mainstream authorities are united in viewing it as fundamental to right public order. Attempts … More ...
The modern view of sex and “gender” is decisively anti-Christian. That’s not simply because the modern view is opposed to tradition, Christian tradition like all other tradition, but because it reflects a habit of thought that trivializes Creation and makes the Incarnation impossible and senseless.
The problem is that modern sexual views deny intrinsic meaning … More ...