De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

So, in a P.R. master-stroke, no one is talking about the extreme pro-lgbt, pro-abortion politician the Pope awarded  a knight in the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great. Now everyone is talking about a spontaneous marriage ceremony for a Catholic couple living in a civil, non-sacramental marriage for at least seven years it seems, during a flight in Chile today. The fact that unqualified Vatican PR staff immediately had to assure everyone the marriage was perfectly licit is practically a guarantee that it wasn't: Pope Francis performed on Thursday the first-ever papal marriage ceremony aboard the plane bound for Iquique, the final day of his Apostolic Visit to Chile! Greg Burke, Director of the Holy See Press Office, said the marriage was "totally legit" and "doctrinally OK". pic.twitter.com/F9KKzE4Omr — Vatican News (@VaticanNews) January 18, 2018 It is interesting to note, however, the couple’s account seems to contradict the d...

Edward Peters, the Canon Lawyer, has just posted a blog on the appearance of the pope’s letter to the Argentine bishops in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis  as I reported yesterday here. "Unless Canon 915 itself is directly revoked, gutted, or neutered, it binds ministers of holy Communion to withhold that most august sacrament from, among others, divorced-and-remarried Catholics except where such couples live as brother-sister and without scandal to the community. Nothing I have seen to date, including the appearance of the pope’s and Argentine bishops’ letters in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, makes me think that Canon 915 has suffered such a fate." Dr. Peters seems to be saying that, basically, the pope's inclusion of this in the AAS holds no authority as it does not address Canon 915, although this is a legal rather than a theological approach to the question. Equally one could say that it cannot be binding on Catholics because it is either unclear or contradicts what w...

On Maundy Thursday the Pope just outside Rome where he celebrated the Mass of the Last Supper at the Casal del Marmo Juvenile Detention Centre where he washed the feet of 12 jailed teens. I have thought carefully before posting on this event and read as much as I can so that I can understand both sides of the argument. My initial reaction was one of deep joy and appreciation, but on hearing of the concerns of many I love and respect, many who know far more than I do on the subject, I began to feel worried and concerned. This post constitutes a broad survey of the issue. From the reaction of the media, what seems clear is that this has been seen as an act of great humility and practically all the reaction I have read from outside the Church has been positive, almost shocked that this man would do this. Of course, all our priests did this on Thursday, but it is Pope Francis choice of venue and participants that have drawn the attention of the world's media to the essential me...

I have reflected before on what makes a school Catholic . Education based on the premise that there is such a thing as truth, and that truth can be accessed and understood. Fundamentally, knowing the truth and living in accordance with it will make you better equipt for life and facilitate a confident, happy, family based society which values every member. The essential element that will facilitate delivery of this ideal must be educators who know, love, and live Catholic lives. Truly Catholic teachers are our schools greatest asset. Here are some clarifications regarding the legitimate expectations of Catholic schools regarding their teaching staff based on the CES contract and Canon Law. The CES contract of employment for teachers in Catholic schools, in its general terms and conditions (section 4) states: 4.1 You are to exercise the ministry and professional duties and maintain the professional standards of a Teacher in the School under the directions of the Go...

Stuart James at eChurch blog  (@eChurchBlog on Twitter) has asked a question: "does Canon Law forbid the mentally ill to marry?" The answer is no, but this post is an attempt to address that question in a little more detail, however in order to understand the answer, we need to layer a bit of information first; we need to understand what the Church considers marriage and what it deems valid and invalid consent to marriage, as well as a little about what canon law is for. Marriage is a natural right and it includes the right to contract marriage and the right to choose a partner freely. As marriage is a state of life sanctified by a special sacrament it is obviously of great importance (cf. LG 35). By choosing to marry according to the teaching and precepts of the Catholic Church, and holding to the rights and responsibilities such a covenantal relationship conveys the married couple are free to adhere fully to Jesus. For example, Joseph Ratzinger, in his book Daug...