"The body of the episcopate can never perish or err, but each bishop can fall into error and even separate from his brothers through schism or heresy." Image: Bishops at Vatican II, Wiki Commons As we already noted, the author J.M.A. Vacant was the initial director of the Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique and was a seminary professor. …
"Is a solemn definition by a Pope or a Council necessary to make a doctrine heretical?" Image: The Immaculate Conception, Wiki Commons As we already noted, the author J.M.A. Vacant was the initial director of the Dictionnaire de Théologie Catholique and was a seminary professor. This short work was awarded the prize for the theological competition in La …
"What are the signs that identify a doctrine taught infallibly by the ordinary and universal magisterium?" This is the first half of Vacant's long Chapter IV, which considers again the different ways in which the Church's ordinary magisterium teaches us, and the obligations corresponding to these ways. As we already noted, the author J.M.A. Vacant …
"A little historical awareness, humility, respect and basic human kindness would go a long way." Image: David Gilbert Wright, 'Queuing for Holy Communion at the top of the mountain.' This article is an expanded excerpt from our essay What does Michael Lofton mean by “tradition”? In order to address this topic, we have to remember …
Continue reading Labelling other Catholics as “radical traditionalists” is immoral – here’s why
"It is not licit for the faithful by any manner to assist actively or to have a part in the sacred [rites] of non-Catholics." Photo by Rafik Wahba on Unsplash These notes are offered as a commentary on the extract which we recently published from McHugh and Callan on the question of Communicatio in Sacris, …
“It expresses either faith in a false religious body or rebellion against the true Church.” Photo by Andriy Tod on Unsplash Editors Notes In January 2023, the YouTube apologist Mr Michael Lofton made the following comments: "[O]ne can attend an SSPX mass in some qualified cases (see the Monsignor Perl document we have discussed), as …
"It is absurd, and a detestable shame, that we should suffer those traditions to be changed which we have received from the fathers of old." The Decretals, cited by St Thomas AquinasSumma Theologica, Ia-IIae, Q. 97 A. 2Photo by Thays Orrico on Unsplash In this piece...– What is tradition?– Can abandoned or forbidden practices be …
Continue reading What does Michael Lofton mean by “tradition”?
"Given they follow the example of the King of France in delaying the execution of my request, they will follow him into misfortune." As we all know, one of the requests of Our Lady of Fatima was that the Pope would, with all the bishops, consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart. Let us read Sr …
Continue reading The King of France, Fatima and the Crisis in the Church
"I am the priest whom he intends to prepare him for death." Featured image: Louis XVI avec son confesseur Edgeworth, un instant avant sa mort. Wiki Commons One the most heartbreaking sections of Louis XVI’s will and testament is this: I pray God to forgive me all my sins. I have sought to know them …
Continue reading L’Abbé Henry Essex Edgeworth, Louis XVI’s heroic Anglo-Irish confessor
"Do not seek the malicious satisfaction of having discovered an additional enemy to the Church." Editors' Notes In his Apology, the early Christian writer Tertullian imagined pagans looking at Christians and marvelling at our mutual love: "'See,' they say, 'how they love one another' – for the pagans themselves are animated by mutual hatred. 'See …