That wisdom could be “romantic” would strike many as odd. This is because, generally speaking, neither romance nor wisdom is properly considered. The former is mistaken for lust, while the latter is lost in a sea of empty esotericism, or consigned to simple disregard. Since the theme of our upcoming conference is “The Romance of Wisdom,” I feel bound to explain how these two nouns, seemingly so distant, can possibly be conjoined.
No question where this Catholic layman, Edmund Adamus, stands. He speaks with a clear tone of righteous indignation. Some question his timing, being that the pope will be visiting Britain in two weeks. Perhaps he is hoping that such a forthright assessment of Anglo-reality (and western reality) will preempt what could be a mere diplomatic mission into being a more provocative one that will truly spur on the loyal Catholics who have the potential to become a catalyst for a Catholic contra-reform in Britain.
Ahora hay un blog en español que defiende el dogma católico “No hay salvación fuera de la Iglesia Católica.” Está aún en construcción, pero tiene un post que se llama, “Las tres definiciones dogmáticas del dogma ‘Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus,’” que contiene en español las tres definiciones infalibles …
He had a vision for his country, inspired within him by a Catholic friend, that for China to be a great country it must find its greatness in the Christian religion. Lu (Lou) Zhengxiang was born to Protestant parents in 1871. He converted after meeting his future wife, Berthe Bovy, who was a Catholic Belgian. He represented China in 1919 at Versailles, the only representative who refused to sign the Treaty because it left Japan in control of certain territory in China that it had seized during the World War.
The most current information on the conference is on our SBC Conferences site. You can now register for the conference online at store.Catholicism.org. Keep your eye on Catholicism.org for the final conference schedule with complete list of speakers, times, etc.
I would like to bring to the attention of our readers a new blog — new to me, anyway — called The Holy Unia Blog. It’s an Eastern-Rite and pro-extra ecclesiam nulla salus blog that is “Promoting Holy Unia. Rejecting Ecumenism. Fighting Modernism. Rejecting Latinizations.” There’s nothing of a “Latin Rite is inferior” attitude about the contents. It promotes great apostles of Church unity like Mar Ivanios of Trivandrum.
Vladimir Soloviev gives this wonderful meditation on the Petrine office in Russia and the Universal Church (reprinted as The Russian Church and the Papacy). He is writing about St. Peter’s being made the Rock of the Church by our Lord and then, almost immediately, being called “Satan” (Mt. 16:18, 23).
In New Ideas on the Church and Salvation, I addressed the positions taken by Dr. Jeffrey Mirus in his piece, Salvation for Non-Catholics: Not a New Idea. Here, I will make some observations concerning the first of his two follow-ups: Sound Off! Comments on Salvation for Non-Catholics.
Dr. Mirus proffers the opinion that, to be damned for their unbelief, not only do people need to have heard the teachings of Jesus and the Church, they must have been convinced of them.
Father Michael Rodriquez, who has been mentioned on this site before, was recently featured on a local television program in El Paso, Texas. The issue under discussion was Church teaching on Homosexuality. You can see the video here. Notice, if you watch it, how this priest keeps …
The head of the Supreme Apostolic Signatura, the Church’s highest court, has clarified certain liturgical questions in light of Canon Law. His comments were made in the preface to a book celebrating the third anniversary of Summorum Pontificum.
Excerpts from the CNA article:
Pat Buchanan reports on Nancy Pelosi and company’s $26 billion loan from China to save the jobs of other government bureaucrats whose jobs were threatened. Their jobs were threatened because their employees (state and local governments) felt the need to balance budgets. Federal government glut is sapping the life blood out of American families and putting future generations in debt to hostile communists. This is not what’s called “political prudence.”
The police department of Houston, Texas, gave the following ten rules for raising delinquent children.
1. Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living.
2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he is cute. It will also encourage him to pick up “gutter” phrases that will blow the top off your head later.
3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one and then let him “decide for himself”.
A teenager’s nightmare? Sr. Maria Philomena in now-retired-Lieutenant (NH State Trooper) Kelly’s cruiser. (Sister adds: The funny thing is that I was surprised that the cruiser was the size of a normal car! I’m 5’9″, but somehow I expected the car to be too big. Heroes still loom large! My students took this picture in 2004.)
4. Avoid use of the word WRONG. It may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested for stealing a car, that society is against him and he is being persecuted.
5. Pick up everything he leaves lying around — books, shoes, toys and clothes. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility on others.
6. Let him read any printed matter he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.
7. Quarrel frequently in his presence. In this way he will not be shocked when the home is broken up later.
8. Give a child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own. Why should he have things as tough as you had them?
9. Satisfy his every craving for food, drink, and comfort. Denial may lead to harmful frustrations.
10. Take his part against neighbors, teachers, policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child.
(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Bravo to you Sister!
This list should be carved in stone and place in the common areas of every school in America. It should be taught to every child and every teacher. Prospective teachers should be made to memorize it and repeat it by rote before they receive their teaching license. It should be recited in every home room right after the Pledge of Allegiance.
Only then will we begin to turn around the current trend of creating spoiled, irresponsible, whiny, me-only-oriented brats who grow into the same kind of “adults.”
[...] Ways to Make a Delinquent Catholicism.org | Sister Maria Philomena | Jan. 7, [...]
Does Sister have any advice for those who were raised according to the ten ways, managed somehow to stumble into the Church and wish to reform themselves?
Dear Jack,
Half the battle is recognizing your weaknesses. With grace, any hurdle can be overcome. So a quick recommendation: attend Mass, receive the Sacraments regularly, and PRAY to Our Lady (in Her Rosary), asking for the necessary help. Then, make a good examination of conscience to find what your predominate fault(s) are. Usually our weakness can be traced one of the seven deadly sins (of which Pride is the root).
Once you know what vice (bad habit, fault, weakness) you need to start with, eliminate the occasions of sin and give yourself a goal of practicing the opposite virtue a certain number of times in a day. If the vice is gluttony (lacking restraint in eating and drinking), then a resolution not to take seconds, or not to eat between meals, or perhaps to avoid the alcohol except for one glass of wine at meals, etc. would be a good starting point.
A person who has not been trained in self-discipline (according to the “rules” above) will likely have more trouble with selfishness and a strong wayward will. (I think it was St. Teresa who said that self-will dies fifteen minutes after we do — everyone must fight this primary enemy.) It is necessary to start training the will to follow the intellect and not the passions. Picking things to deny oneself is a good start, but it is important not to forget the greater value of DOING positive things (that one may not want to do!). In fact, it is even better if you can get someone to tell you to do or not to do things (very galling to pride!). Example: religious superiors, spiritual director, spouse, friend . . .
It is the Christmas season. We see Almighty God made LITTLE for us. How helpless He is! How dependent on His mother! How little are His likes expressed! Unless we become as little children . . .
May Our Lady bless you with Her Infant Son!