13 Matching Annotations
  1. Sep 2020
    1. In a world where comfort is king, arduous physical activity provides a rare opportunity to practice suffering.

      This is actually a very good insight that can be applied to the spiritual life.

  2. Dec 2019
    1. it is necessary to instruct these faithful so that they do not think their participation in the life of the Church is reduced exclusively to the question of the reception of the Eucharist.

      Absolutely necessary reminder; pastors would do well to preach on this with some regularity.

  3. Oct 2019
    1. So what does Christ’s promise to Peter entail? Vatican I makes that clear: the Church — through the pope — cannot officially teach error.

      A saving grace, really.

    2. Even though Bellarmine is a Doctor of the Church, that does not make him infallible

      Very important to keep in mind when reading anything by the saints.

    3. Even if a pope were a heretic, he cannot be deposed of his papacy by any means.

      This seems to be the position that seems to make the most sense in light of the current events.

      I would say that many laity and priests know this almost intuitively.

    1. Quoting Scripture, Bishop Kräutler said he believes it more important to bring the Eucharist to people than maintain mandatory celibacy.  

      Celibacy and the Eucharist are not mutually exclusive.

    2. “Indigenous peoples, at least those I’ve met, cannot understand this thing that man is not married,” he said.

      Then catechize them.

    3. “There’s no other option,” he said during the press conference a short while earlier. “Indigenous people don’t understand celibacy,” he added, and he recalled many times he would go to a village and that the first thing they asked him was: “Where is your wife?”

      No one in modern society understands celibacy, but Christians do. Celibacy is a sign that points to the Kingdom of God, disregarding it favor of practicality would be asinine.

    4. “We hear a lot about the role of women, but what are we going to tell her? ‘Yes, you’re very good, but …’ We need concrete solutions, and so I’m thinking of the female diaconate.”

      So this is coming about as a 'practical solution' to a perceived problem, and not as the fruit of much prayer and discernment?

    1. The mind shies away from this conclusion, because Catholics are bound to love the pope. But to love him in spite of everything, to love him when we criticize his actions and even obstruct his wishes, is still love—and certainly a truer kind of loyalty than flattering him about his worst mistakes.  

      This seems true. We want to love and trust the Pope, but unless we seek to speak truth in all seasons, it's not real love, but some lesser form.

      It ceases to be love the moment we become callous, when we start attacking the Pope, when we refuse to use his title and chosen name, Pope Francis.

      Charity in all things is to be held in high regard.

    2. At the Amazon Synod, Pope Francis has empowered critics of Catholic doctrine to try to impose destructive reforms on the Catholic Church.

      Not entirely, Francis has empowered them to discuss these things, but not to impose. Though, I suppose we must wait to see what Francis does with the final document. It will be Francis doing this imposition, if anything.

    1. why goodness and beauty should exist at all

      This is an interesting position to consider. Is it mere affectivity of the person, or is there something more?

    2. That the Reddit audience hadn’t an inkling of what these proofs and demonstrations might be is, at least in part, a failure of the Churches in their ministry of education.

      This seems obvious considering the catechetical knowledge of even the most devout faithful in the pews.