De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

“𝘗𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴; 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘣𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴; 𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘣𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘮 𝘗𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭. 𝘗𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 “𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸” 𝘵𝘩𝘦 “𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴,” 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵...

Yesterday saw an extraordinary development in the USA when Bishop Thomas Paprocki, bishop of Springfield, Illinois, and chairman-elect of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance had an essay published in First Things which did everything except publicly name Cardinal Robert McElroy & Cardinal Blaise Cupich as heretics. The First Things essay did not mention McElroy by name, but it cited directly a Jan. 24 essay in America magazine from Cardinal Robert McElroy , which argued that the Church should “embrace a eucharistic theology that effectively invites all of the baptized to the table of the Lord.” McElroy said the Church should discard “a theology of eucharistic coherence that multiplies barriers to the grace and gift of the eucharist.” “Unworthiness cannot be the prism of accompaniment for disciples of the God of grace and mercy,” McElroy wrote, in a text quoted by Paprocki. A number of U.S. bishops have responded...

Dan Hitchens makes a really valuable and intelligent defence of the reality of hell in this piece for First Things . It does worry me that such an important teaching is so ignored today. One of my sons volunteered with our Diocesan Youth Service and the priest in charge told him that the devil and hell did not exist. To contradict doctrine in this way seems to me to be a great sin in itself, but I do understand why it would seem easier to ignore it, especially if you're in the business of encouraging others to sin! I also understand why the teaching has become unpopular. In fact, it makes a lot of sense in today's society in which everything is permitted and nothing ever forgiven. After all isn't it said that the devil encourages you into sin by telling you it's no big deal, and then afterwards tells you that what you have done can never be forgiven? Easier to just say that we don't have to take any responsibility for our actions. I think Dan's piece is...

As we begin the Synod on the Family, my thoughts are largely focused in that direction. We must pray for the work of the Synod, and to that end, I implore all Catholics serious about the faith to subscribe to the Voice of the Family website . They are soon to begin distributing news and information which you will find invaluable. Simply add you email address in the box provided on their website here . Meanwhile, Thomas Joseph White, O.P., the director of the Thomistic Institute at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C, has written this excellent article published on First Things . In it, he explains how the Sacrament of marriage is grounded in the twin principles of nature and grace. He looks at the issues to be discussed at the Synod and Pope Benedict XVI's idea that many Catholic marriages may be invalid through lack of faith, suggesting that "a radically “anti-modern” theology that claims that “only intentional Christians can truly get married integrally” i...