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Introduction According to Vatican Radio, on Monday, January 18, 2016, the day after Pope Francis' visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome, the pontiff delivered a homily at his daily Mass in which he condemned Christians who are of "closed heart" and resisters to "change," calling them "obstinate rebels" and "idolaters." Stopping short of excommunicating Christians "who obstinately cling to what has always been done and who do not allow others to change," it was not until the last paragraph of his talk in the pew-less, kneeler-less chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, that Francis attempted to make a distinction...

But after the audience with the Pope, in the course of the liturgical celebrations that the delegation has officiated in Rome along with groups of faithful who came also from Finland, it happened during a Catholic Mass that communion was also given to the Lutherans. This, at least, is what was reported by the Finnish Lutheran weekly "Kotimaa", signaling the surprise of a member of the delegation, Samuel Salmi, bishop of Oulu, according to which the Catholic officiants knew very well to give communion to the Lutherans ...

Six months ago I wrote about Tu B'Av, a Yom Tov that brings hope after the terrible events of Tisha B'Av. There is something about the fifteenth day of the Jewish month that relates to redemption. The first day of Pesach and the first day of Sukkos, as well as Tu B'Shevat and Shushan Purim, all occur on the fifteenth of the month. As we approach Tu B'Shevat, an appropriate question would be: Why is the fifteenth so special that momentous days of redemption consistently fall upon that day? What sets it apart from all the other days of the...

What is Mystery? Msgr. Charles Pope January 19, 2016 In the secular world a "mystery" is something that baffles us or eludes understanding, something that lies undisclosed. And the usual response of the world to a mystery is to resolve it, to get to the bottom of if, to uncover it. Mysteries must be overcome! The riddle, the "whodunit," must be solved!In the Christian--especially the Catholic--world, a mystery is something a bit different. In our world, the concept includes the recognition that there are hidden aspects of things, people, and situations that extend beyond their visible, physical dimensions.One of...

While the Synod of Bishops on the Family was being conducted in Rome last October, the revelation of a letter expressing the concerns of 13 cardinals over the proceedings marked a turning point in the event. As I reported at the time, it was on 8 October, 2015, that a close friend of the pope himself - the La Stampa journalist Andrea Tornielli - first publicly mentioned the existence of the 13 Cardinals Letter, which had been given to Pope Francis three days earlier by George Cardinal Pell. The cardinals' main concern was that the Synod was being manipulated in...

Last year, when we interviewed Raymond Cardinal Burke (see here) he confirmed Catholics can no longer look towards Rome -- towards Pope Francis -- for guidance on critical issues. The good Cardinal said, instead, to turn to the catechism and tradition. With that sage advice in mind, we bring you this guest Op-Ed, written by the highly-esteemed John Rao who, among numerous other things, was Rorate Caeli's first-ever credentialed Conclave correspondent in 2013: A Not So Surprising Surprise of the Holy Spirit: The Need to Close One's Ears to the Rehashed Messages of the Pope Today we were treated to...

"I Am Ground, Like a Grain of Wheat" -- A Reflection on the Paradoxical Passion of St. Bernadette Msgr. Charles Pope January 18, 2016 The life of St. Bernadette Soubirous was steeped in paradox and irony. She was the chosen visionary of our Lady at Lourdes and was to bring forth, by heavenly guidance, a spring that would bring miraculous healing to thousands. Yet Bernadette herself was beset with health problems that would cause her dreadful suffering. Her quiet and heroic suffering, something she accepted with obedience and as a kind of mission for souls, is not common knowledge...

......in a stunning rant given at Casa Santa Martha today. He cites what I am sure is meant to be traditional, observant (or "fundamentalist") Christians as rebellious idolaters guilty of divination and being possessed of a closed, self-serving heart (that means you). In so doing, he, intentionally or no, contradicts and rhetorically casts out such figures as St. Paul (see Galations i:8), St. Vincent of Lerins (Keep the deposit of Faith whole and entire, which has been entrusted to you, not that which you yourself have devised......), and virtually every great Saint and Church Father. It's a declaration of revolution,...

I mentioned the intentional covering of Bergoglio's pectoral cross in the heretical and hateful-to-God video put out by FrancisChurch last week. Just so you know that I'm not fantasizing about this stuff, check this out: Caption: (Photo not included ... see link) "See? I tucked it in so you wouldn't be offended by the sight of any of that superstitous bullshit. Pretty damn humble of me, eh? So, are you a Traveling Man too?" Guys, I keep trying to tell you, THEY DON'T ACTUALLY BELIEVE ANY OF IT. Bergoglio is HIDING THE CROSS OF CHRIST for fear of "offending" this...

Last March 2015, I wrote about what I see as a sell-out by the Vatican of the faithful Catholics of China, the real Bishops and the great Martyrs against Communism. It is a reminder of the Ostpolitik of John XXIII and Paul VI which sold out the great Cardinals Mindzenty and Slipyj and millions of others behind the old Iron Curtain. I have reposted the article one below this and a post from the great Cardinal Zen, Emeritus of Hong Kong. It is a wake-up call for these Romans who would cede to the atheistic communists the authority to suggest...

A Reflection on a Sermon of Dr. Martin Luther King Refuting Atheistic Materialism Msgr. Charles Pope January 17, 2016 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday we commemorate this weekend, is best known as a civil rights leader who worked to end racial injustice. But Dr. King had other things to say as he preached each Sunday, first in his own assembly and later as he moved about.Among his recorded sermons is one in which Dr. King addresses the problem of unbelief, of materialism and atheism. His reflections are well worth pondering today because the issues he addresses are...

When they are in fashion, fads are never recognized as fads. Those under their influence and promoting them feel that they have come across An Important New Truth, or (if Orthodox) An Important But Neglected Part of Our Tradition. Recognizing them as fads or, (worse yet for Orthodox) as deviations from genuine Tradition, would only serve to dismiss them from serious consideration. Thus fads never ’fess up. I suggest that the latest interest in Universalism, the belief that everyone will eventually be saved, is the latest fad (or, if preferred, that it is currently fashionable). Evidence of this may be...

But giving Nostra Aetate such weight, despite it only being a declaration and not a doctrinal text, has led some to see it as having a revolutionary impact, possibly breaking with nearly two millennia of Church teaching and tradition. Documents from the Councils of Florence 1438-1445 and Trent 1545-1563 seem to radically contradict the current teaching, leading some to believe this not to be a development of doctrine but a corruption of it.

Biblical Basics about Mother Mary -- A Homily for the Second Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope January 16, 2016 In the gospel today of the wedding feast at Cana, there is a theological portrait of both Mother Mary and of prayer. Let's look at the Gospel along five lines:I. The place that Mary has - The text says, There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.A fascinating thing about these opening verses is that Mary almost seems to dominate the...

(Akin)Here are nine things to know and share about the Pope's new intentions video. 1. When you get down to it, the Pope merely asked for dialogue with other faiths; nothing new. 2. Certainly today, with so much sectarian violence, that has to be a good thing. 3. The imagery is not part of the Pope's intentions, so nobody should be excited about it. 4. For all we know, the Pope read a script that was spliced in post-production into a series of images he knew nothing about. 5. Nothing in the video is contrary to the New Evangelization, which...

Kyrie, eleison! Christe, eleison! He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me (Lk 10: 16) With ever more determination. Some fifty years after Vatican II's Declaration Nostra ætate, regarding the Church's relations with non-Christian religions. It's a train wreck. Going off the rails. Like the train plunging downwards from the exploding bridge on the river Kwai. It's a shipwreck. In the making now for over five decades. Going asunder. Like the RMS Titanic, which for all her imprudent navigation, at least tried to avoid the...

Msgr. Charles Pope The Catholic Answer Teleology vs. Typology? Q. I am trying to understand the different theological and philosophical terms that we use as a Church. Two big ones for me are teleology and typology. They both seem to point to the future, but how are they different? Typology was used by the Church Fathers, right? Claire, Alexandria, Va. A. Teleology comes from the Greek word telos, meaning “end,” “goal,” “destination” or “perfection.” As such, teleology is that aspect of theology that looks to the end, or goal, of something. In terms of theology, the end goal of the...

Most of the postings concerning Islam on the internet are about the atrocities being committed around the world. But we need to take more time to explain WHY these things happen. Even though the violent commands are in the Quran, many western Muslims discount them, brushing them off as not literal. So it is necessary to go to the hadith to see how Muhammad himself interpreted these things. This needs to be communicated widely to Muslims themselves to bring them out of the dark. Like many Christians who have not studied the Bible, most Muslims have never really studied the...

During Vatican II, Father Yves Congar (above), acting as official Vatican envoy, met with Jews in France to ask them what they wanted. The Jews answered they wanted to be considered as "brothers, partners equal in dignity". Lazare Landau writes, "the Council granted our wishes". Since then, two new concepts have emerged in the Church's relations with Jews; the notion of "praying to the same Lord", and that of a "common mission" to bring God to the world (that requires no need for Jews to convert to Christ's Church for salvation), which are the principles the post Conciliar Popes, including...

The Catholic and Lutheran Churches have issued a joint prayer thanking God for the "insights" received through the Reformation. The service has been devised by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation in advance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation next year. The first jointly developed liturgical order is based on the report "From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017". The Common Prayer, which can be adapted to suit local customs and preferences, is led by two presiders, one Catholic and one Lutheran, with two readers, again one Catholic...