I apologize to my merry band of faithful readers for not posting for a bit. I have been away, with limited time to write, and limited access to the internet (not a bad thing). I took this last week, without much aforethought before students descend upon our humble campus and classes begin, to help my […]
In another well-reasoned article by William Kilpatrick (we may disagree with some of his tone, but his points are good), he alludes to a curious exchange of late between Robert Spencer, who runs Jihad Watch, and Monsignor Robert Swetland, on the apparently peaceful nature of Islam, following upon the Holy Father’s remarks to that effect. […]
We are in the midst of an enigmatic papacy, and many Catholics know not how to respond to Pope Francis. Well, some think they do, and are rather vociferous in their comments, on either side of the spectrum. Just to be clear: When I write of the Pope, or the Church in general, my […]
I suppose Pope Francis is correct that we should not strictly identify Islam with terrorism, but a lot depends on how one defines ‘terrorism’. What are we to make of Islam’s decree of a death sentence on apostasy and blasphemy? Would that not count as ‘terrorism’, nothing else but coercion by violence? One does wonder. […]
Another Islamic massacre, this time of an octogenarian priest, Father Jacques Hamel, saying Mass in a church in Saint Etienne de Rouvray in the northwest of France. ISIS has claimed responsibility, with promises of more attacks ‘on churches’: These Islamists are nothing if not symbolic, with their own form of ‘liturgy’, working on behalf of […]
As I have mentioned previously, Cardinal Sarah, the head of the Congregation of Divine Worship (so the highest authority in these matters besides the Pope himself) has asked for priests to return to the ad orientem mode of saying Mass, worshiping ‘with the people’, facing the ‘East’ and the return of Christ, as was done […]
The headline the other day read that the Anglican ‘Church of Canada’ had rejected same-sex ‘marriage’ in their recent synod by one measly vote. Now, just yesterday, lo and behold, what some might consider by a Deus ex machina recount, they realize that, in fact, some votes were not counted properly, and they have indeed […]
I have been asked to write about what is euphemistically, and rather incorrectly, known as ‘swearing’. We have all perhaps heard our younger siblings yell, “Muuuum! Jimmy swore!”. Yet Jimmy did not really ‘swear’, unless he is beyond his years, or brought into a court of law. Swearing literally is taking a solemn oath, […]
Our poseur Prime Minister, who loves backdrops, as do most politicians I suppose, fresh from his front-and-centre presence at the licentious ‘Gay Pride’ Parade, just visited what remains of the labour/death camps at Auschwitz. A curious juxtaposition, one might think. I was at Auschwitz last May, and you may peruse my own thoughts if […]
Another day, and more mayhem, with no end in sight. Five police officers assassinated, others wounded, by snipers at a Black Lives Matter protest, after two black men were killed recently in dubious circumstances by (white) police officers. And, of course, dozens have been killed by bombings in the Middle East, Sunni versus Shiite, and […]