Catholic Church

By Joseph Pearce, Crisis Magazine - This authentic and linguistically rooted definition of ecumenical has nothing to do with the modern understanding of ecumenism, which appears to be the willingness to dilute or delete doctrine in pursuit of a perceived unity among disparate groups of believers, irrespective of what they actually believe. Few will know, for instance, that “ecumenical” was only distorted into an “ism” in the past half-century or so. Prior to 1950 there is no record of ecumenism as a word, and there is no entry for it in the 1964 edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary.

By Fr. Gerald E. Murray, The Catholic Thing - Cardinal Seán O’Malley informed the American bishops at their annual fall meeting that “[t]he intention is to publish the Holy See’s response soon, if not before Christmas, soon in the New Year.”… The McCarrick case hangs over the Church like a poisonous cloud. When O’Malley was in Rome in October for the Ad Limina visit of the New England bishops, he told the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, that the Church in America wants to know how McCarrick “could become an archbishop and cardinal, who knew what and when.”

By Msgr. Charles Pope - Jesus Christ is King of Thieves, though He never stole. He is savior of sinners, though He never sinned… Today’s Gospel chosen presents Jesus as reigning from the cross. Nothing could be more paradoxical. Let’s look at it from four perspectives: Vision –Today’s Gospel presents a vision or image of the Church. We like to think of more pleasant images: the Church is the Bride of Christ or the Body of Christ. Today’s image is more humbling to be sure: the Church is Christ, crucified between two thieves… Yes, this is the Church too. In a way, we are all thieves.

By Fr. Mike Schmitz, Ascension Presents - Last week Fr. Mike Schmitz talked about why prayer is so hard in his Battle of Prayer video, and this week he talks about what to do when you experience dryness in prayer. He says being distracted or discouraged in prayer is like losing control of a car on ice. When dryness or distraction in prayer occurs, don’t overcompensate. Gently bring yourself back to focus. St. Theresa of Avila would always bring a book with her into prayer so she had some kind of springboard to converse with God. If this doesn’t help and dryness persists, then you persist.