One of the most generous and helpful ecumenical stances the Roman Church has taken in the last few decades is giving the benefit of the doubt to other apostolic churches on their canonizations. John Paul II had no problem referring to post-schism Russian saints like the great Seraphim of Sarov as “Saint.” And Pope Francis … Continue reading
At the orders of the Holy Father Pope Francis, the then-Congregation (now Dicastery) of Divine Worship on Feb. 11, 2018 instituted a new obligatory memorial on the General Roman Calendar to be observed on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday: The Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Mother of the Church (a theme strongly emphasized … Continue reading
Adoremus, a publication on liturgical life well worth following for any Christian, just published a reflection by Br. Stanley Rother Wagner OSB, a Benedictine monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, on the Liturgy of the Hours and the problem of contentment — or lack thereof — in our prayer and spiritual life. Anyone who … Continue reading
For over twelve centuries, from the inception of the Christian Church until the 13th century, the universal, apostolic, unchallenged practice of all churches, East, West, North, South, Latin, Greek, Syriac, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, what-have-you, was to anoint newly baptized infants and children with holy chrism (in the sacrament of confirmation or chrismation), and immediately extend … Continue reading
The Ordinariates established by the late Pope Benedict XVI after 2009 for those coming from the broader Anglican tradition who wanted to reconcile with the Catholic Church came with a lofty and historically precarious mission: to effect a reconciliation that was not in the old tonality of the despising and complete abandonment of one’s previous … Continue reading
On May 2, 2024, the memorial of St. Athanasius of Alexandria (in both the old and current Roman rite), a small coterie of traditionalist scholars published yet another public accusation of formal heresy against Pope Francis, calling for his immediate resignation, or absent that, his deposition by the College of Cardinals and bishops. You can … Continue reading
Blessed Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist to all! The gospel according to Mark, acknowledged by the consensus of Scripture scholars today to have been the first to be written chronologically of the four canonical gospels, is my personal favorite of the four, for its breathless, action-packed excitement mixed with a matter-of-factness that to me … Continue reading
The new translation of the Psalms and Canticles that will be incorporated into the Liturgy of the Hours Second Edition, called the “Abbey Psalms & Canticles” (formerly the Revised Grail), was first published upon its approval for optional liturgical use in early 2020 by USCCB Publications in an attractive hardcover format. Unfortunately, with USCCB shuttering … Continue reading
I have written before about the new collaborative product of ICEL, the USCCB, and GIA Publications: The Divine Office Hymnal, published in 2023 and containing all the new translations of the Liturgia Horarum second typical edition’s Latin hymns — in accurate, clear, crisp, poetic, modern English — that will be included in the upcoming Liturgy … Continue reading
Part 3 of my wife’s guest series on the challenges of Catholic parish community-building and hospitality, focusing on practical tips for kickstarting your parish coffee hour. In my first and second posts in this series, I talked about the problems many Catholic parishes are facing these days with lonely, disconnected parishioners in their ranks. There … Continue reading
Tom's Digest 