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The doctrinal rebuff which the LCWR received from the Holy See, has its roots back in 1971, when the U.S.’s women religious rewrote their statute The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, led by U.S. Cardinal William Levada, has asked for a deep reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the organisation which represents the majority of religious women’s orders in the United States. The request for the reform came after the conclusions of an inquiry showed that ““the current doctrinal and pastoral situation of the LCWR is grave and a matter of serious concern.” The Congregation...

My thoughts on Mitt Romney and the Trinity

Featured Term (selected at random):CONFLICT OF RIGHTS AND DUTIES The clash between one person's rights and another person's duties. Such conflict is only apparent, since all rights and duties are derived from law, and all just law is derived from the natural law based on the eternal law of God. And God cannot both command and forbid the same thing. The stringer right or duty prevails; the weaker simply ceases to be a right or duty at all. In practice, however, it can be extremely difficult to determine which is the stronger right or duty. Certain general norms are commonly...

Featured Term (selected at random):CANONICALS Ecclesiastical garments worn by officiating clergy. They are vestments ordered by church law. (Etym. Latin canonicus, according to a precept; belonging to the summary or record.) All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Rock Cairn with NO CHRISTIAN CROSS.

 The Word of Faith Movementby Sebastian R. FamaThe Word of Faith Movement, sometimes referred to as the Positive Confession Movement or the Prosperity Gospel, has been making inroads into mainline Christianity. Although it primarily affects Bible churches, it has managed to influence some Catholics. Faith teachers include Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Oral Roberts, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Robert Tilton, Paul and Jan Crouch, John Avanzini, Paul Billheimer, Charles Capps, Morris Cerullo, David Cho, Hobart Freeman, Norvel Hayes, Marilyn Hickey, T. L. Osborn, Frederick Price, and Jerry Savelle.Faith teachers are not all the same. Some wander farther from the truth than...

Brownsville Church Needs a Revival — a Financial One by Steve Eastman, Faith Issues You probably remember the excitement from the mid to late 90s. People drove all night and even several days to arrive at Brownsville Assembly of God at 7 AM and earlier, to wait in the hot Pensacola sun until the evening service. Although he was pastor, John Kilpatrick left most of the public ministry to evangelist Stephen Hill. Lindell Cooley, with his long flowing hair, led worship. Salvations, healings and other miracles continued way past the time ordinary church-goers went to bed. Kilpatrick, who resigned in...

Featured Term (selected at random):BRIDAL VEIL A temporary convering of the head and shoulders of the persons who are getting married. The bridal veil is the best known and dates from ancient times. In some countries it covers both the bride and groom as they proceed to their new home. Also, occasionally it was worn during the time of bethrothal. For centuries the custom prevailed of holding a veil over the married couple while they were solemnly blessed. Some rituals prescribe that the veil completely cover the bride and only the shoulders of the groom. Formerly the bridal veil could...

It’s pretty interesting to read the obituaries of Charles Colson by those who were alive during Watergate and those who weren’t. It’s clear that some reporters are stuck in the 1970s, apparently unaware of how the state of evangelicalism was shaped by Colson’s complex life and legacy. Colson’s rocky relationship with the media might have something with his life portrayal as reporters try to explain President Nixon’s “hatchet man” turned evangelical leader. Jonathan Aitken (who also wrote a tribute for Christianity Today) demonstrated in his biography Colson’s complex relationship with reporters, especially since his conversion was met with skepticism or...

Wednesday Audience Returns to Theme of Communication With GodROME, APRIL 20, 2012 (Zenit.org).- As Christians look to the approaching feast of Pentecost, Pope Benedict, in his papal audience this past Wednesday, reflected upon on the integral role of prayer in the life of the nascent Church. Repeatedly in the accounts given by the writers of the New Testament, such as the time which Mary and the Apostles spent waiting for the descent of the Holy Spirit, it is seen that "an atmosphere of prayer accompanied the Church's first steps." "Pentecost," the Pope clarified, "is not an isolated episode since the...

 Salvation Outside the Church?by Sebastian R. FamaOne of the Catholic Church's most controversial teachings is the doctrine of "No Salvation outside the Church." The controversy stems from a misunderstanding of what the Church really means by this. The doctrine has been stated a number of times throughout Church History. One such time was in 1302 when Pope Boniface VIII wrote the following in "Unum Sanctum:" "That there is one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church we are compelled by faith to believe and hold, and we firmly believe in her and sincerely confess her, outside of whom there is neither salvation...

Why would it matter if Muhammad never existed? Certainly the accepted story of Islam's origins is taken for granted as historically accurate; while many don't accept Muhammad's claim to have been a prophet, few doubt that there was a man named Muhammad who in the early seventh century began to claim that he was receiving messages from Allah through the angel Gabriel. Many who hear about my new book "Did Muhammad Exist? An Inquiry Into Islam's Obscure Origins" ask why it would matter whether or not Muhammad existed -- after all, a billion Muslims believe he did, and they are...

Most Rev. Pedro López Quintana Apostolic Nuncio to Canada, Apostolic Nunciature 724 Manor Ave. Ottawa, ON K1M 0E3 cc. Most Rev. Terrence Prendergast, Archbishop of OttawaYour Excellency,This coming September 27-29, St. Paul’s University will be hosting a Conference on the Second Vatican Council. We believe it is incumbent upon us to alert your Excellency regarding some of the individuals who will be participating at this event, their doctrinal positions, and even some of their personal histories. Cardinal Peter Turkson is also scheduled to appear at this Conference. We are therefore respectfully asking you to inform His Eminence of the problematic...

Every year, 3.5 million people come to Israel to visit ancient sites that are holy to billions of people, to walk among the unique stone of Jerusalem, or to relax on the beaches of the Mediterranean. To help you explore Israel’s history and present, we’ve launched imagery of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa and Haifa on Street View. You can explore the narrow streets of Jerusalem’s Old City and each of its four quarters, walk along the Via Dolorosa and see the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives. You can stop by the Biblical...

Featured Term (selected at random):   BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER See: ANGLICAN COMMUNION All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Agreed in 1913 deal between Ottoman empire and France(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, APRIL 19 - Turkey's Catholic community has asked the state to return 200 properties, based on a list included in a 1913 agreement between the Ottoman Empire and France, which at the time was representing the Church of Rome at the Ottoman Porte. The news has been reported by the English-language section of the Hurriyet website. The list includes churches, schools, orphanages, cemeteries and hospitals, some of which still exist, in Istanbul (where around 100 properties are located), Ankara, Adana, Trabzon, Amasya, Samsun, Van, Konya, and other Turkish cities...

This quarter I am teaching a graduate course on the Pauline Epistles. Today we began working through 1 Corinthians. Here I wanted to touch upon something we examined in class today: Paul's co-workers. Paul begins 1 Corinthians by doing something he often does in his epistles: he mentions a co-worker. "Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God which is at Corinth. . ." (1 Co 1:1–2).The question of Sosthenes' identity is an extremely interesting one. Is he the same figure who gets beaten in...

In 2008 I first ran a story about a major archaeological discovery at Khirbet Qeiyafa. The Israeli Antiquities Authority is releasing the preliminary report of the finds at Khirbet Qeiyafa. As I explained then, the findings are challenging skeptical scholars' claims. As I explained then, according to skeptical scholars the accounts of the kingdoms of David and Solomon are myths--essentially the Israelite equivalent of Arthurian legends of Camelot and the Roundtable. In short, in their view, it was simply fabricated. After Israel's Babylonian exile, the Jewish leaders invented these stories. The Israelites simply "idealized" their past; the Davidic traditions...

The Acts of the Apostlesby Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. Introduction | Outline | Major Themes | Questions | Bibliography Introduction: The Acts of the Apostles within the NT CanonLiterary and Historical Overview of ActsNAB Introduction and Full Text of Acts (from USCCB) Use of the Acts of the Apostles in the Lectionary for Mass An Outline of the Acts of the Apostles:   Luke’s Prologue: Recapitulating the End of His Gospel (1:1-14) Address to Theophilus, summarizing Luke’s first book (1:1-3)The risen Jesus’ final appearance to the disciples, and his ascension into heaven (1:4-11)Jesus’ disciples and family remain in Jerusalem to...

A breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics may be on the verge of returning into full communion with Rome, bringing a 24-year rift to an end and fulfilling a key goal of Benedict XVI’s pontificate. Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi told journalists April 18 that the Society of St. Pius X had taken an encouraging “step forward” by clarifying its response to a “doctrinal preamble,” a Vatican document that has become the basis of any reconciliation. The society insisted “a step and not a conclusion” had been reached and stressed its clarifications, submitted by the society’s superior general, Bishop Bernard Fellay,...