Catholic Church

By John Zmirak, The Stream - In a perfect world, the title of this column would be totally uncontroversial. But then again, in a perfect world it might not even be true. You see, without the Fall, we wouldn’t have needed a Savior. Therefore, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Logos, the Person of Jesus, while still our King, might be honored by different titles — and not as “Messiah” (Christos). With no sin to save us from, would we even call Him “Christ”?

By Elizabeth Yore, Mary Jane Zuzolo, Crisis Magazine - Duly reported by now was the Vatican’s hosting of a Marxist-Christian dialogue in January, earlier this year. Pope Francis freely encouraged the interaction while, moreover, conspicuously neglecting to mention Christ, Christianity, or the fact that the Catholic Church has a long history of decided condemnation of Marxist Communism. Similar disconcerting dealings include Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio’s presiding over a Masonic conference in February in which he renewed requests for a “permanent dialogue” with Freemasonry.

By Jonathan Luxmoore, Catholic Review Media - In its first detailed analysis of the Vatican’s pre-Christmas declaration “Fiducia Supplicans,” Russia’s Orthodox Church has accused Pope Francis of “rejecting the Christian moral ideal” by allowing the blessing of same-sex couples... “Although ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ is an internal document of the Catholic Church, the Russian Orthodox Church considers it has a duty to respond to radical innovations that reject the divinely revealed norms of Christian morality. ... While accepting with maternal love every individual sinner who asks for her blessing, the church cannot bless same-sex couples in any form, since this would mean consenting to a union sinful in nature.”

By Edward Pentin, National Catholic Register - March 27 marks 100 days since the Vatican published Fiducia Supplicans, an instruction on blessings of persons in irregular unions. And while the controversy it stirred in the Church in the West has somewhat abated, opposition to the document and how it was implemented continues apace... Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, who drafted a pan-African bishops’ statement in January rejecting “blessings for same sex couples in the African Churches,” has not relented in his criticisms ...