The Gospel for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost — this week’s Gospel — is chock-full of dogmatic and mystical theology. It is amazing that some very deep lessons come out of what is essentially a hostile encounter between Our Lord … Continue reading
Category: Theology
Inglorious Ending to the Israel-Vatican ‘Galatians Affair’
The current event that I wrote about in my latest Ad Rem, Pope Francis and the Senseless Galatians, has, it appears, reached its rather anti-climactic climax followed by an inglorious denouement. Unless either side chooses to provoke something, which appears … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14): Deus, qui nos hodiérna die Exaltatiónis sanctæ Crucis ánnua solemnitáte lætíficas: præsta, quǽsumus; ut, cujus … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Here is the oration that the Church prays in the Mass and Office for the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Tua nos, quǽsumus, Dómine, grátia semper et prævéniat et sequátur: ac bonis opéribus iúgiter præstet esse inténtos. Here is my translation: … Continue reading
Reply to ‘FM’: On Abandoning Ship During a Storm
I received an email from a reader whose initials are “F.M.” last night. My attempted reply was bounced back twice. In the hopes that he will see this on our site — and because I believe that the subject is … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for Saint Raymond Nonnatus
Here is the artful oration that the Church prays for the Mass and Office of Saint Raymond Nonnatus: Deus, qui in liberándis fidélibus tuis ab impiórum captivitáte beátum Raymúndum Confessórem tuum mirábilem effecísti: eius nobis intercessióne concéde; ut, a peccatórum … Continue reading
What’s in That Prayer? The Collect for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Church’s orations are often packed with doctrinal content, as well as moral edification and linguistic beauty. All that, and — in the case of the collects, anyway — the Church is asking for something quite specific. How the Church … Continue reading
‘Traditionis Custodes,’ ‘Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus,’ and the Limits of Papal Authority
Did you notice that the Holy Father affirmed extra ecclesiam nulla salus at the same time he set about limiting and ultimately extinguishing the Traditional Latin Mass? In his Letter to the Bishops accompanying Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis wrote, “to … Continue reading
Some Thoughts on ‘Traditionis Custodes’ and the Roman ‘Lex Credendi’
We at Saint Benedict Center are saddened by the new motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes. We also hold that Quo Primum retains its full force in granting to every priest of the Roman Rite the right to celebrate Holy Mass according … Continue reading