Tag Archives: Catholicism

Characteristics of a Papist

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Papal Flag

Anyone who really knows who I am will tell you one thing about me – I love being Catholic! Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother, the Holy Scriptures, the Doctrines & Dogmas of the Church, the Sacredness of the Holy Mass, Adoration & Benediction, the Traditions, the Saints, the Relics, the Sacraments, Gregorian Chant, the Byzantine Rite, breathing with both lungs of the Church (East and West), the Papacy, and the 266 Popes that define Apostolic Succession from Saint Peter to Pope Francis.

Boom! I love it all and more. I love it so much that I went to Franciscan University of Steubenville and worked on a Masters in Theology. Catholicism defines who I am as a person. Some people wear their school alma mater on their sleeve; I wear the Catholic Church!

When I first started teaching here in Phoenix about 9 years ago, I was setting up my classroom with many images of the saints, statues, and theological posters, but the one thing that I had to have was a Papal Flag. As I pinned it to the wall in my classroom, one of my colleagues came in my room, looked at the Papal Flag, shrugged his shoulders in a bit of disgust, and then proceeded to ask me – “Are you a Papist?” With a straight face, I replied, “Damn right!” As I reflect on my answer now, was it filled with a little bit of Pride, yes, but you didn’t see his face that day (he didn’t like my picture of St. Francis of Assisi in ecastasy either). You would have thought I pinned up a Nazi flag. The picture below is what the classroom wall with the Papal Flag evolved into after multiple years in the classroom.

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So what makes one a Papist or what are the characteristics of a Papist? What I came up with is by no means an infallible list, although Papists have a love for Papal Infallibility. Here are my five characteristics of a Papist (rated from 5 to 1.) -

5. A Papist stays awake throughout the night to watch Papal Masses (I did this today), watches Beatifications of previous Popes, and even travels to Rome on occasion for such events.

4. A Papist is Obedient & Faithful to the Magisterium and Her teachings.

3. A Papist loves the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church given to us by Jesus Christ himself and founded upon the ROCK, Saint Peter.

2. A Papist Defends the Pope from attacks in and outside of the Catholic Church (nowadays through Social Media but the old avenues as well)

1. A Papist is Proud to be a Catholic and is willing to be mocked and ridiculed for the Pope and the Catholic Church.

In the comment box below, I would encourage you to write your characteristics of Papist.

The 266th Papacy of the Catholic Church begins! Are you ready for it? Are you ready for the renewal that Francis could bring to the Church? I know I am, because being obedient to the Pope not only makes one a Papist, but it is what all Catholics are called to do.

God’s will be done.

Viva il Papa Francesco!

Psalm 137 – Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!

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I realize that four days have passed since the 4th Sunday in Lent, but with school starting up again this week and trying to plan lessons for my students for the upcoming chapters, I have not been able to spend time on this blog. As much as I love teaching theology in the classroom, my practical work – the work that pays the bills often gets in the way of my blogging. There is humor in this statement and there is also frustration. A new friend tweeted me the other night and said that work (work that pays the bills) often gets in the way of the New Evangelization. I agreed with him, but then I thought about it again and said to myself, well I am doing the New Evangelization, with my high school students. I teach them “basic” theology in hope that when they leave us, they will go on to continue to grow in their faith and expand their knowledge of the Catholic Church.  With that being said, I now turn to Psalm 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, and 6.

Psalm 137 begins in exile and it’s a psalm of lamentation. This psalm is reminding us that the Jews are suffering in the land of their Babylonian oppressors after the destruction of Jerusalem in the years of 587-586 B.C. According to Pope Benedict XVI, we are reading a national song of sadness that reflects the things of the past that are being missed in exile. Although this psalm speaks of the suffering of the Jews in Babylon, it does give hope that the Lord will save his people from their captors and the slavery they find themselves in currently. This psalm is yet another good reminder for us during this Season of Lent because it’s during this season that we reflect on our own sins which bounds us to this earth as slaves are bound to the land they work. We also reflect and hope on the salvation that will come at end of Holy Week when Our Lord will sacrifice himself as the one, true, and perfect sacrifice on the cross.

A Levitical (temple priest) musician whose life in the temple was to write music wrote verses Psalm 137 more than likely. The psalmist was probably taken into exile with his fellow Jews around the year 587 B.C. Since the psalm is speaking of the disaster, we can assume that the temple has been completely destroyed and the Jews are held captive in Babylon and are weeping because they are no longer in Zion. The term – Zion – was a name for Jerusalem. The “songs of Zion” were known as the “songs of the Lord” and should only be sung and played in the temple. When the Babylonian captors requested that the “songs of the Lord” be played for them, it’s done with sarcasm. All they are looking to do is cause sadness in the Jews. In verse 2, when it says, “we hung up our harps”, means that the lyres (small harp like instrument) were silent and were not played.

A small note to add separate from the psalm is that Babylon had many rivers and streams. This is where the psalmist is more than likely writing this psalm near. It is through these waterways that the Persians would enter Babylon and conquer them. See Jeff Cavins’ Bible Timeline for a clear understanding of the Exile for Israel and Judah and the world powers of Babylon and Persia.

Verses 4-5 are speaking about how the songs that were sung in the temple and Jerusalem could not be sang in a foreign land. Although they lost the city of Jerusalem, the songs that they once sang are still in their hearts. The words “may my right hand be forgotten” is in reference to the inability to play the lyre if the Lord is forgotten in this foreign land. This idea of keeping the songs in their hearts can be reflected on in the early life of Karol Wojtyla  (Blessed John Paul II) when him and his friends formed a Rhapsodic Theater to keep alive the art of the Polish culture as well as the importance of Catholicism in that culture. Even though the Nazi’s had outlawed public Polish theatre, this group came together secretly and helped the Polish culture flourish after the war had ended.

Verse 6 speaks about how the psalmist makes the wealth care of Jerusalem more important than his own wealth care. Jerusalem is the quasi-Sacrament of God’s sacred people. It’s through the people of Israel that the world will be blessed. Jerusalem is very close to God. There is a theological understanding of the Church happening here, it is the sacrament to the world. The Catholic Church is the Sacrament of Jesus. The world’s hope is tied with the Church. Israel finds her fulfillment in the Catholic Church; however, the Jews are still the chosen people.

As we draw closer to the conclusion of Lent, let us pray to the Lord that we will have the desire to know God more and to keep Him close to our hearts. Let us also pray for those individuals in the Church that are bitter and cynical to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Church. As St. Joan of Arc said, “Jesus and the Church are one.” And finally, let us pray for those who don’t know Our Lord at all and have either never found Him or just choose to not believe in Him. May the beauty of the New Jerusalem shine in our hearts for all eternity.

Operation Catechize the Catholics

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Two days ago on March 14, the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education posted this article, “Vatican Official Says There Is Great Need to Catechize Catholics” on Facebook. I got very excited when I saw the title on my Facebook “News Feed”, because this is exactly what I have set out to do on this blog. I then proceeded to read the entire article and my excitement grew even more so. As one who has a great love for Jesus Christ and His Bride the Church, I found the need to use my knowledge in Theology, my teaching abilities from the classroom, and my research and skills to reach out to Catholics and bring them the Catholic faith. I had been thinking about starting this blog for many months, but it wasn’t until January 28, nearly 8 weeks ago, that it came to fruition.

The mission of this blog is - The Engagement and Education of the Catholic Lay Faithful in the New Evangelization. When I read the article above, I knew that what I set out to do was being confirmed. Some will say that I am foolish, naïve, or rigid, but as a Blessed John Paul II Generation Catholic, I find great comfort in the Catholic Church, for I know, that the Catholic Church is the one true Church founded by Jesus Christ upon Peter, the Universal Shepherd.  I am not naïve enough to know the Church in her history and even recent history has not been perfect. However, the Catholic Church has survived for 2000 years! She has seen governments, kingdoms, and tyrannical despots fall; she has witnessed wars, her faithful martyred, and political strife throughout the generations, yet she still remains. The Truth that she proposes to the world is what I hope to bring to this blog.

Being the person who I am, one of the traits that my friends often say I hold is loyalty. When I find a hair stylist (yes…I go to stylist and not a barber) that I like, I will often stay with that person for years. When I find a pizzeria that suits my Italian palate, I will go get a slice on a weekly basis. Okay – with that being said, I want to give you some other blogs that I have come across in my time that are also helping with the catechesis of Catholics. It should also be said that some of these blogs dive into the political realm as well. As the catholic laity, we must engage the secular society politically as well. It is our duty to do so!

Some of these blogs are my friends but they are All my brothers and sisters in Christ, so I am  loyal to them. The work that they do in the Catholic Blogosphere is important. Note – the number system has nothing to do with how I rate these blog’s, – it’s just the order I wrote them in tonight:

  1. Little Catholic Bubble (friend)
  2. By the Light of the Sanctuary (friend)
  3. Pro Caritate Veritatis (friend and co-worker)
  4. Coming Home
  5. Acts of the Apostasy
  6. Conversion Diary
  7. The Anchoress
  8. Fr. Z’s Blog – What Does Prayer Really Say?
  9. The Deacon’s Bench
  10.  Aggie Catholics
  11. Bad Catholic
  12.  Standing On My Head

So as we approach the Year of Faith and the Synod on the New Evangelization in October, know that two to three times a week, more if I can manage it, you will receive solid orthodox theology and catechesis from me via this blog. If you are interested in bringing me to your parish or organization to speak on Catholic teachings, please contact me through this blog. My contact email is located in the “Book Tom to Speak” Tab on the Homepage. Don’t forget to follow me via email so you will receive emails as I put up posts. If you have Twitter, follow me there – @tom_perna

Praise Be Jesus Christ!

Congratulations Cardinal Timothy Dolan

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As I sit here watching the Ordinary Public Consistory for the Creation of New Cardinals (DVR recording), I have to admit that I am jealous of those people sitting in St. Peter’s Basilica. It would be a great experience to watch so many of our faithful Bishops be elevated to their new Cardinal positions in the Church. I have only been to Rome once in my life (2000 A.D. for World Youth Day) and hope to return sooner than later. All in God’s time…

On behalf of the JP II Generation Catholics, I want to congratulate Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan to his elevation as a Prince of the Church. From all that I have read about Cardinal Dolan and his leadership among his fellow Bishops in the US,  his strong stance against the HHS Mandate, and videos on YouTube, I can say one thing about this great man of God – he has the charism, apostolic zeal, and love that Blessed John Paul II also had and shared with the world. Now I am not comparing the two men nor am I saying that Cardinal Dolan would be Pope someday (that’s left up the decision of the Holy Spirit who guides the Church), but I am saying there are some similarities in the two men. People have described Cardinal Dolan as a big teddy bear who has a great sense of humor. Although I never heard anyone describe Blessed John Paul II as a “big teddy bear”, I would say his overall love for people had a big teddy bear quality to it. As for Blessed John Paul II’s humor, well, if you recall when he first spoke to the people in St. Peter’s Square after he was elevated to the Papacy, he said to the Italians, if I make a mistake with my Italian, I know you will correct me. Humor and the Italians loved him from that moment on.

I never met Blessed John Paul II, although I was blessed to see him three times in my life – Phoenix, Arizona in 1987, World Youth Day in 1993, and World Youth Day in 2000. It is my hope that I can meet Cardinal Timothy Dolan sometime soon. Anyone know him personally?? ;-)

Congratulations Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan! We love you and support you 100% in all that you do for the Church in New York City and the United States of America. Praise Be Jesus Christ! 

Don’t forget to sign-up to Follow Tom’s Blog and receive emails when he posts. Tell your family and friends too! The New Evangelization is going to bring the world back to Jesus Christ – are you ready for it?!

The Rise of the Faithful Catholics

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On Monday, February 13, a religious order of faithful catholic sisters released this statement – read it here.

I read either on Facebook or another blog the statement, why doesn’t the media ever interview religious sisters that are faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church? It’s a good question, but one question, we already know the answer. The media isn’t searching for the truth, they are seeking to distort the truth and destroy Christianity, specifically, Catholicism.

There is no compromise with the HHS Mandate and if it’s going to take Civil Disobedience on the part of us faithful Catholics to reject this terrible and religious freedom-revoking mandate, then so be it! We must, as faithful Catholics (many non-Catholics have come to our defense as well) reject this mandate and all its false rhetoric and flawed statistics. Although this mandate is disguised under a “Healthcare” banner, the bigger issue of this mandate is religious freedom. I use the word “healthcare” with great care since sterilization, contraception, and abortion inducing pills cannot and should not be called “medicine.” Medicine should heal an individual not destroy or allow other diseases to rise.  Don’t forget – the issue here is RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

In Chapter I, section 2, the Vatican II Declaration on Religious Freedom (Dignitatis Humanae) states, “…the human person has a right to religious freedom. Freedom of this kind means that all men should be immune from coercion on the part of individuals, social groups, and every human power so that, within due limits, nobody is forced to act against his convictions nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his convictions in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in associations with others. The Council further declares that the right to religious freedom is based on the very dignity of the human person as we know through the revealed word of God and by reason itself.” (Italicized done by author). For us as faithful Catholics, this paragraph wraps up everything we will fight for when it comes to this mandate. We will not violate our conscience. We will not comply with this law.

As the lay faithful, we must stand with and support our Bishops in this endeavor. I know some of the Bishops in the past have not made the best decisions and have aligned themselves with people they should have clearly opposed. I also know that for 30 years in the US Church things were handled poorly and scandals arose. I further know that catechesis of the faith was watered-down and poor. I am not discrediting any of these issues, but our Bishops are taking a stance and we must support them in all that they do. Our new and young Bishops are strong, orthodox and faithful to the Church. They are attracting great men to the priesthood who are also orthodox and faithful. Religious orders that are faithful to the Church are on the rise and attracting men and women who want to give their lives to Christ and his Church. Oh yeah…one more thing…many of these orders – wear habits too! The “LPN” religious orders are going the way of the Dodo bird. “LPN” stands for Lapel Pin Nuns. You know them well – they dress like everyone else, wear a lapel pin cross and you wouldn’t know if they were a nun or a plumber.

One such order that is rising from Blessed John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization is the Dominican Sisters Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. They are religious sisters of the Dominican Order of Preachers. I have a great love for these holy women of God since I know the order very well and have worked with them in Phoenix, Arizona at St. Mary’s Catholic High School and currently at St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School in Austin, Texas. In the summer of 2008, I was blessed to visit their Mother House in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I was invited by some of the sisters I knew in Phoenix at the time to attend their Final Vows. My words cannot do the experience justice, so I won’t even try to tell you how inspiring and beautiful it all was to me.

Mother Assumpta Long, the Prioress General and one of the four founders is one of the most amazing Catholic religious I have ever encountered. Holy, yet down to earth; educated, yet humble. And the young women that are flocking (and I mean as in the words of Forrest Gump…”I was Runnn-ing”) to this order mirror Mother Assumpta, yet have their own unique personalities and gifts. Over the past seven years of working with these sisters, I have met at least 50 of them, however, there are four that stand out to me since I worked with them or do so currently– Sister Mary David, Sister Mary Magdalene, Sister John Paul, and Sister Mary Elizabeth. 

I know times are tough with the current economic difficulties, but if you are looking for an organization to donate to, look no further than this great and holy religious order in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I would also encourage you to make a trip up to see their Mother House. Visit their website for more information.

As these faithful religious orders rise from the last 30 years of debunked Catholicism and as the new wave of faithful Bishops,  priests, and religious come from the JP II generation, we too, the lay faithful, must rise and be as faithful as our pastors and shepherds. Let us stand in solidarity with one another and with the generations before us who were oppressed by tyrannical governments oppressing religious freedom.

As the Christians came forth from the catacombs in the 4th century, we must rise up as they did and bring Jesus Christ and Church with us. It’s time…our time…The Rise of the Faithful Catholics begins now!

Other faithful religious orders for your browsing:

Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration

The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration 

Sisters of Reparation to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Missionaries of Charity

Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia

Sisters of Life

Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

Benedictines – Prince of Peace Abbey 

Conscience Formation 103

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In the previous two posts, I spoke about what conscience is not (see CF 101 – below) and what conscience is (see CF 102 – below). Now I want to focus my attention on how the conscience works. In our daily lives, most of the decisions we make come very easily; they are habitual. A virtue, according to CCC 1803,  “is an firm and habitual disposition to do the good.” Not only will a person perform acts well, but also the best of who he is will come through.  On the flip side of virtue, we have vice. A vice is a bad habit that pushes us to bad/evil choices.

Virtue and vice can slightly be compared to the Jedi and Sith philosophies in the Star Wars films. The Jedis were the more virtuous of the two since most of their decisions were well thought out, they lived for others, and they always tried to choose the good in all situations. The Sith were ones of vice and often chose evil things such as killing all the Jedis or conquering the entire universe. They were always about themselves as we see clearly in Return of the Jedi and how the Emperor has no concern for Vader or Luke. Not all Jedis were virtuous such as the case of Anakin Skywalker (see Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith). Anakin Skywalker was never virtuous, struggled with his many vices, and they eventually lead him to Darth Vader.  Anakin was given chance again and again to mend his ways, but chose not to and ended up in vice rather than virtue. Many of his choices contradicted the Jedi philosophy and he could never conform his behavior to do the good.

Although most of our decisions tend to be habitual, there is an importance for us to learn how to be virtuous in all that we do (let me tell you…it’s not easy). The virtues are like “spiritual muscles” that help us grow in responsible acts without any effort at all. Our bad habits, which we must learn to identify first, have to be avoided at all cost. Our bad habits will only be overcome with the grace of God. For us Catholics, we have the great Sacrament of Reconciliation (and the other sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist) that dispense grace upon us. Learning to be virtuous and avoiding vices are part of our spiritual training at Catholic Christians and a major characteristic of forming our Christian consciences.

Most of our daily decisions are made with ease habitually, but what about those major decisions, those important decisions that take time to deliberate and could have a monumental impact on our conscience? What do we do then?

When making those major decisions we must deliberate, choose, perform, and assess. As I stated in CF 102 (see below), Blessed John Paul II said that conscience is not a decision, but a judgment made with the intellect. Our conscience is about the discovery of objective truth, not about feelings and emotions. Emotions and feelings come and go. A fundamental element of Catholic morality is to inform our consciences and to continue inform them by careful deliberation. Before we make a major decision, we must gather all the information about the decision at hand and consider all the good and bad consequences that will stem from this decision. We should keep in account the Golden Rule, love your neighbor as yourself, and understand that evil actions will not produce a good result. In deliberation, we should look towards those individuals that have mentored us in the past as well as the teachings of Jesus Christ that are safeguarded in the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Our decisions as Catholic Christians should be in conformity with that of Jesus Christ and his Church.

After deliberation, we should then choose the best course of action that reflects Jesus Christ and person that we are as God’s creation. A key factor in the choosing step is PRAYER. Prayer allows us to communicate with God and He with us. Prayer aids us to remember that we are created in God’s image and dignity. It also slows us down to focus on him and the decision at hand. Listening to God helps us make rational decisions and not just go with our gut or what feels good at the moment. There is an old saying – God gave us one mouth and two ears. Its is so we will listen twice as much than we talk. We should that the Holy Spirit will direct us towards God’s will for our lives.

Once a choice has been established, we must now perform the action. In this step, we see the importance of responsibility coming into play. Listening to our conscience is important because if we go against our conscience, we sin. We should never react here. Temperance (self-control) is a fundamental aspect of this step. We must always be as mature as possible. Being responsible and staying the course is the most difficult part of this entire process.

The last step in our conscience formation process is to assess our actions. Our conscience is not just about deliberating, choosing, and performing the actions we will perform, but it also aids in the actions that we have already committed. When we follow the steps given above, our conscience will be clear for we know we made good choices, the virtuous choices. If we have not made the correct decision, our conscience will let us know by calling us to reconciliation and penance.

If you pray the Liturgy of Hours (official prayer of the Catholic Church), Night Prayer includes an Examination of Conscience. It’s here where we can review the day and examine our good decisions and actions that contrasted those decisions. You don’t have to pray the Liturgy of Hours to do this either. Making a simple examination a “habit” will ensure that your day was reviewed before you laid your head to rest. It will also help you to grow in holiness and to do God’s will in your life.

As Christians with God’s help, we must form our conscience, continue to form it and to follow it. The formation of our conscience is a life long process and it is not always correct. Blessed John Paul II in Veritatis splendor said, “conscience is not an infallible judgment, it can make mistakes.”

After this post, you should understand more clearly why the HHS Mandate from the Obama Administration is such an evil proclamation that violates our religious freedom (this is the BIG issue).  As Catholics, we know by our consciences that sterilization, contraceptives, and abortifacients are intrinsically evil – that means they are always wrong! How does the Obama Administration want us to violate our consciences when we clearly see these methods as evil?! This is what Cardinal-Elect Timothy Dolan meant when he said that the President has given us a year to violate our consciences. As Catholics who should be forming our consciences, we must stand up against this tyranny that is upon us. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix said in his letter to the Diocese of Phoenix, “We cannot- we will not – comply with this unjust law.”

The Spirit of Catholicism

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It was the spring semester of 2009, I was in graduate school at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and taking Theological Foundations with Dr. Scott Hahn. One of the texts for the course we were required to read was The Spirit of Catholicism by Karl Adam. I remember how I could never put the text down and always had a smile on my face when reading it. There were times when I was sitting in the John Paul II Library and I would pump my fist in the air to something that I had just read in the book. As a Catholic who has always been Catholic (contrasted to those who have converted to the Catholic faith), this book fueled my excitement for Catholicism  and I told everyone I knew about it and still do to this day. This book needs to be  in stock at every Catholic religious store.

I have chosen the title of my first blog post from this text. The underlining theme of my writings on this blog will be to evangelize, engage, and educate the Catholic lay people in the New Evangelization. I have been a teacher in the high school classroom for six years now, but feel the desire in my heart to take the knowledge given to me by the grace of God to educate the Catholic lay faithful as I have tried to educate and evangelize my students in the classroom. Pope Benedict XVI recently said to a group of US Bishops that the catholic lay people must be articulate when it comes to knowing their faith. The faith is not just mind or heart, but both mind and heart, or in more philosophical terms, faith and reason. I will take this topic up in a future blog.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, in his book, Seek First the Kingdom, encourages the lay faithful to testify to their faith in the different dimensions of their lives. I imagine both the Holy Father and Cardinal Wuerl know how important this endeavor is now, especially after nearly 30 years of poor catechesis and watered down Catholicism that the Church has endured. It is my hope that I can answer the call to engage and educate the Catholic lay faithful and do so through my writings on this blog and the speak on them when the opportunities arise (see home page about booking me to speak). I would encourage to also read Cardinal Wuerl: Education a key to the new evangelization on the importance of educating the lay faithful.

The Spirit of Catholicism, which can be purchased at Amazon is a must a read for every Catholic Christian! If you were baptized Catholic as a child and received the other two sacraments of initiation, you need to read it! If you have converted to the Catholic faith, you need to read it! If you know someone who is thinking about converting or has questions about the faith, they need to read it! I cannot say it enough how engaging and impacting this book is and how it will help you understand the Catholic Church more. I have no doubt that Karl Adam must have read Cardinal John Henry Newman since this text smells of Newman’s own writings on the faith. This book I imagine also influenced the Council Fathers of the Vatican II Council, especially the German, French, and Belgium Bishops.

To conclude, I will leave you with the words of Fr. Ray Ryland and Dr. Thomas Howard on the importance and impact this text made on them. I was able to interview both of these men via email in the Spring 2009 when I wrote a book review on the text for my course.

Fr. Ray Ryland: “The continuing relevance of the book testifies to its clear fidelity to the Church’s teaching. First published around eighty years ago, it only needs editorial correction at one point: to refer to the sacrament of healing as the sacrament of anointing, rather than as “extreme unction.” (But note: in the old liturgy, dating back at least to the end of the first millennium, the whole emphasis is on healing, not on dying.)Writers often speak of Vatican II’s recognition of the ecclesial reality of non-Catholic traditions as one of the most significant developments of Catholic thinking for which that council is responsible. That teaching is clearly set forth in Adam’s book, written forty years or so before Vatican II began.”

Dr. Thomas Howard: “Only that I think it is possibly the greatest and most wholly successful single volume that I know of that will open up to an honest and truly-inquiring mind, just what the Church is.”

If you choose to leave a comment and I hope you,  please be charitable in your words. Hate-filled words, bigotry, and or other words of profanity will not be permitted and the comment in question will be erased and the person blocked.

Thank you. May Our Lord in Union with His Holy Mother and the Saints Bless this Blog.