Justin Martyr on Plato’s dependence on Moses

This is from Saint Justin Martyr, First Apology, ch. 59:

And that you may learn that it was from our teachers--we mean the account given through the prophets--that Plato borrowed his statement that God, having altered matter which was shapeless, made the world, hear the very words spoken through Moses, who, as above shown, was the first prophet, and of greater antiquity than the Greek writers; and through whom the Spirit of prophecy, signifying how and from what materials God at first formed the world, spake thus:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was invisible and unfurnished, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God moved over the waters. And God said, Let there be light; and it was so."

So that both Plato and they who agree with him, and we ourselves, have learned, and you also can be convinced, that by the word of God the whole world was made out of the substance spoken of before by Moses. And that which the poets call Erebus, we know was spoken of formerly by Moses.

See also: Thomas Aquinas on Plato’s Use of Moses

King-James-Only Preacher Proclaims God's Will about the Posture of Urination

Strange headline, I know.

This is one of the best you tube videos that I have ever seen. It's a fundamentalist sermon about a phrase in the King James Version which describes a man as he who "pisseth against the wall". He rants on and on about how real men should stand up to "piss". The preacher-man's final remarks are amazing.

He also warns us that if we don't approve of the word "piss", then our problem is not with him, but with God, because "it's in God's Word". Take a look at the video above by clicking on it.

Thomas Aquinas on Plato reading the Old Testament

"Plato autem dicitur multa conosvisse de divinis, legens in libris veteris legis, quos invenit in Aegypto." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Scriptum super libros sententiarum Magistri Petri Lombardi, bk 1, dist. III, q. 1, a. 4, ad. 1)

"Moreover Plato is said to have known many divine things, having read the books of the Old Law, which he found in Egypt." (my translation)

In other words, Thomas Aquinas believed that Plato got his philosophical insights from reading Moses!

This seems to be a common medieval assumption based on Justin Martyr's conviction that Plato read the books of Moses at Alexandria (before the Septuagint was created?).

Does anyone else know about this tradition?

The Crypto-Catholicism of Douglas Wilson and the “Moscow Movement”

I picked up a copy of Doug Wilson’s book Reformed is Not Enough.

Briefly put, the book is diluted Catholicism cloaked under a Genevan gown. Even the title of the book is a tribute to Thomas Howard’s classic Evangelical is Not Enough.

Mr. Wilson has a history of shuffling the deck of history and theology to prove his pet doctrines – whether it be spinning federalism to endorse his interpretation of the Calvinistic magisterial confessions or his glorification of southern principles and slavery. [Wilson’s co-authored book Southern Slavery, As It Was was pulled from the shelves after it became clear that the book contained historical mistakes and factual blunders.]

Mr. Wilson also has affection for things that sound “medieval”. He has founded “New St. Andrew’s College” which is not based on devotion to the saint, but does sounds old-world and sounds oh-so-ever cool to post-modern Protestants. He also founded “Greyfriars Hall” – a three-year seminary. Again, Greyfriars Hall has no connection to the Franciscan order (greyfriars is a nick-name for the Franciscans - click here for examples of true Catholic greyfriars), but the name also sounds very cool – especially to Calvinistic twenty-two year olds who are looking for the Hogwarts experience.

Reformed is Not Enough is essentially a manifesto on baptism. He speaks about the "Lord's Supper" but he is primarily trying to establish baptism establishes the boundaries of the Church. However, Mr. Wilson won’t come out and admit that he is essentially endorsing what amounts to the historic Catholic doctrine of baptism. Sometimes Mr. Wilson wears his Catholicism on his sleeve (New St. Andrew’s! Greyfriars!), and yet when he comes too close, he mocks and misrepresents the Catholic Faith. He defends his Reformed credentials while lurking in the shadows of crypto-Catholicism (e.g. resurrecting for Calvinists the category of catechumen). Take for example p. 54 where Wilson writes:

“And although I hold to sola fide as the right scriptural interpretation, I have to do so recognizing that the only time the Bible uses the phrase “faith alone,” it does so I order to deny it. ‘Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only’ (Jas 2:24).”

The book makes a case for Mr. Wilson’s (right) conviction that baptism is an objective, performative act that communicates grace in the context of the New Covenant of Christ. He rightly shows how there are infidels, catechumens, covenant keeping baptized persons, and covenant breaking baptized persons. Catholic swould call the last two categories “Christians in a state of grace", and "Christians not in a state of grace", respectively.”

Wilson does a great job of laying out his argument, but he feels the need to distance himself from the Catholic Church on p. 99:

“Of course this baptism does not automatically save the one baptized; there is no magical cleansing power in the water. We reject the Roman Catholic notion that saving grace goes in the water goes on. We deny any ex opere operato efficacy to the waters of baptism.”

Since when do we Catholic believe in the magical cleaning power of water? The ex opere operato efficacy of the Sacraments is firmly established, not in the water, but in the person of Christ administering His Holy Spirit. Sanctifying grace is communicated through the instituted sacramental signs not because of the worthiness of the minister or the recipient, but on account of the righteousness of Christ. That is what we mean by ex opere operato. Isn’t this what Wilson is trying to articulate? Why then portray the Catholic Church as teaching what amounts to magic?

I try not to be overly polemic and I feel that I may have been too harsh to Wilson. Still, a man who claims to be a curator of souls should be more careful in how he presents the teachings of the Catholic Church. Even more so for a man who trains tomorrow’s Calvinists in a seminary that he has christened as “Greyfriars’ Hall.

St. Francis, pray for him.
St. Bonaventure, pray for him.
Bl. Duns Scotus, pray for him.
St. Benedict the Black, pray for him.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for him.
St. Pio, pray for him.
All Holy Greyfriars, pray for us.

[Also see: Catholic Perspective of the Federal Vision Debate in the PCA]

Episcopal Seminary to close down

Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, one of 11 schools in the U.S. dedicated to preparing Episcopal priests, told tenured faculty on Thursday that their jobs would end next year.

On Thursday, the seminary's board of trustees declared an imminent financial crisis, a required step in order to end the employment of tenured faculty. The seminary's budget is projected to run a $500,000 shortfall for the current fiscal year. Annual expenditures are projected to run $2.9 million. Seabury-Western also carries a $3.5 million debt.

When I was a seminarian at Nashotah House Seminary, we used to play Seabury-Western in a football match, which we called the "Lavabo Bowl".

Full story from TitusOneNine.

The Gospel of Mark as the Memoirs of Peter

The Church historian Eusebius quoted a fragment from Papias concerning the the origin and authorship of the Gospel of Mark in Hist. Eccl. (3, 39):

"And the presbyter said this. Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his instructions to the necessities [of his hearers], but with no intention of giving a regular narrative of the Lord's sayings.

Wherefore Mark made no mistake in thus writing some things as he remembered them. For of one thing he took especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put anything fictitious into the statements."

This is what is related by Papias regarding Mark.

Christ or the Pope: Who is the High Priest of the Catholic Church?

With the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States, many Protestants are again wondering about the place and role of the papacy in Catholicism. Is the pope the High Priest of the Catholic Church, or is Jesus Christ. What is meant by "Vicar of Christ."

For anyone asking these questions, I recommend this mp3 podcast that I put together over at the Catholic Information Center: Jewish Levites and Catholic Clergy.

If you don't have Quicktime, you can download it free at the bottom of the page at the CICpod site.

Moscow Patriarch extends olive branch to Rome

More news from Patriarh Alexei II:

'The romantic ecumenism' personified by the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches is not viable, the bishop said. In his opinion, it would be much better to form bilateral strategic alliances or partnerships, for instance, between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches.

"I don't mean union, administrative merger or compromise in theological teaching, I mean strategical partnership," the Moscow Patriarchate's representative said.

Full story from Interfax.

Pope back home in Rome

Sorry America. The Holy Father has gone back home.

President Benedict of the United Papal States of America

WASHINGTON, DC. Pope Benedict XVI and Vice President Dick Cheney announce the merger and formation of the United Papal States of America.

President Bush has announced that he'll be moving to Constantinople. Meanwhile, he has drafted the Donation of Bush, which designates the Holy Father as the titular monarch of the United States of America.

Music for Papal Mass in New York City

Here is the music for the Pope's Mass in New York City. It looks great. The folks in New York are actually trying to welcome the Vicar of Christ. What a good idea!

Symphony No. 9 in D minor – Ludwig van Beethoven [the Holy Father will be pleased]
I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
II. Molto vivace

Entrance of the Holy Father
Hymnus Pontificius – Charles Gounod, arr. Alberico Vitalini [this is awesome!]
Dixit from Vesperae Solennes de Confessore – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Music for Mass
Jesus is Risen/ Cristo Jesús Resucitó – arr. John Rutter
Tu es Petrus – Dom Lorenzo Perosi
Kyrie, from Litany of the Saints – adapt. Richard Proulx [this is good, too]
Gloria, from Missa O Magnum Mysterium – Tomás Luis da Victoria


Psalm – Dr. Jennifer Pascual
Alleluia (VICTORY) – arr. Wm. Glenn Osborne
Credo III
Trilingual Intercessions – Michael Hay, orch. Wm. Glenn Osborne
How Lovely is thy Dwelling Place – Johannes Brahms
Sanctus from German Mass – Franz Schubert, adapt. Richard Proulx [the German Mass is not only good, it's German!]
Christ Has Died/ Amen – Franz Schubert, adapt. Richard Proulx
Agnus Dei from Missa O Magnum Mysterium – Tomás Luis da Victoria
Panis Angelicus – Cesár Franck, Marcello Giordani, Tenor, Metropolitan Opera
Sicut Cervus – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Ave Verum – Alexandre Guilmant, orch. Deborah Jamini
Amén. El Cuerpo de Cristo – John Schiavonne, orch. Carl Maultsby
Let Us Break Bread Together – arr. Carl Maultsby [could turn out alright]
This is the Feast – Richard Hillert, arr. Richard Kidd
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee/ Jubilosos te Adoramos – from Hymn to Joy Fantasy – Bruce Saylor [fantastic]

Symphony No. 9 in D minor – Ludwig van Beethoven [can't go wrong]
IV. Presto

HT: Fr. Z at What does the prayer really say?

Greek Popes: A Plan for the Future...

There have been a number of Greek popes:

Pope Agatho
Pope Anterus
Pope Dionysius
Pope Eleutherus
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope John VI
Pope John VII
Pope Sixtus II
Pope Telesphorus
Pope Theodore I
Pope Zachary
Pope Zosimus

So here's the plan. One day we elect a Greek prelate to the Chair of Peter and then entice the Patriarch of Constantinople to get with the program.

But may that not be for a long time. Long live Pope Benedict XVI!

Gnostic Contents of the Nag Hammadi Library

A number of leather codices were found at Nag Hammadi in Southern Egypt in 1945. They are Coptic translations of Greek Gnostic documents. They likely belonged to an Egyptian monastery were disposed of after Gnostic literature was categorically rejected by decree of St. Athanasius of Alexandria.

The leather bound volumes contain the following works. They are mostly Valentinian Gnostic texts that were popularized in Egypt after the second century A.D.

Codex I (The Jung Codex)
The Prayer of the Apostle Paul
The Apocryphon of James
The Gospel of Truth
The Treatise on the Resurrection
The Tripartite Tractate

Codex II
The Apocryphon of John
The Gospel of Thomas a sayings gospel
The Gospel of Philip a sayings gospel[citation needed]
The Hypostasis of the Archons
On the Origin of the World
The Exegesis on the Soul
The Book of Thomas the Contender

Codex III
The Apocryphon of John
The Gospel of the Egyptians
Eugnostos the Blessed
The Sophia of Jesus Christ
The Dialogue of the Saviour

Codex IV
The Apocryphon of John
The Gospel of the Egyptians

Codex V
Eugnostos the Blessed
The Apocalypse of Paul
The First Apocalypse of James
The Second Apocalypse of James
The Apocalypse of Adam

Codex VI
The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles
The Thunder, Perfect Mind
Authoritative Teaching
The Concept of Our Great Power
Republic by Plato [The original is not gnostic, but the Nag Hammadi library version is heavily modified with current gnostic concepts.]
The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth - a Hermetic treatise
The Prayer of Thanksgiving (with a hand-written note) - a Hermetic prayer
Asclepius 21-29 - another Hermetic treatise

Codex VII
The Paraphrase of Shem
The Second Treatise of the Great Seth
Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter
The Teachings of Silvanus
The Three Steles of Seth

Codex VIII
Zostrianos
The Letter of Peter to Philip

Codex IX
Melchizedek
The Thought of Norea
The Testimony of truth

Codex X
Marsanes

Codex XI
The Interpretation of Knowledge
A Valentinian Exposition, On the Anointing, On Baptism (A and B) and On the Eucharist (A and B)
Allogenes
Hypsiphrone

Codex XII
The Sentences of Sextus
The Gospel of Truth
Fragments

Codex XIII:
Trimorphic Protennoia
On the Origin of the World

Pope's security rescue sick beaver

The Holy Father must be green. His presence in America has brought safety to a struggling beaver.

The ever-vigilant harbor security spotted the animal, which appeared to be having trouble breathing and struggled to swim, not far from the U.N., where the Pope was speaking.

Al Gore stated "Clearly, the Pope was trying to send a "green" message to the U.N. with this episode."

Okay, Gore didn't say that, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did.

Full story from Fox.

Pat Robertson and a Greek Orthodox priest

Caption contest. What could Pat Robertson and a Greek Orthodox priest be discussing at the Holy Father's ecumenical gathering?

The winsome Cardinal Arinze on Dogs and Babies

Somebody needs to make the following comment known to the Cardinal Arinze Fanclub.

I just read a hilarious story about Cardinal Arinze while he was here at the University of Dallas earlier this week. Cardinal Arinze was talking about the “birth control problem” in Europe. Here’s what Cardinal Arinze said:

“Three weeks ago, I was on a train from Rome to Naples, and there was a man and his wife, and they had their dog sitting near me. The woman was talk to their dog as you talk to a dear child. I have nothing against dogs, but she should have a baby.”

[quoted from The University News Vol. 38, Number 21]

So politically incorrect, yet so very true.

Today's Papal Mass (and the Music)

I watched the Papal Mass with my Moral Theology class. I was moved by the Holy Father's presence in America. I was also impressed with the Holy Father's English and he gave an excellent Christ-centered homily. He even touched upon the sexual abuse of certain clergy in America, which surprised me.

However, I was embarrassed by the liturgy and embarrassed especially by the music. Who planned the liturgy and who chose the music? Did someone not receive a memo that the Pope is trying to return to a more traditional and somber celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. should have received complimentary copies of the his Spirit of the Liturgy. One girl in my class suggested that we right an apology letter to the Holy Father not planning a more reverent Mass.

Did anyone else notice the strange music?

Image and commentary from Fr. Z at What does the prayer really say.

Russian Orthodox Council in June 2008

Patriarch Alexei II of Moscow will convene a council in June. New saints will be canonized and the relationship between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Church Outside of Russia will be formally regularized.

Full story from CWNews.com

Papa et Americana

He's here! Watched it all on Fox News today. Absolutely incredible.

Cardinal Arinze at the University of Dallas

Today I went to the noon Mass celebrated by His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze. His Eminence gave a great homily on scandal in the Church. He said that beginning with Judas Iscariot and even to this very day, the Church has suffered scandal and hypocrisy. And yet, the Church is still the bride of Christ and His instrument of Presence among us.

Before the Mass, Cardinal Arinze was outside talking to mothers and blessing children. He seemed very joyful and light-hearted.

Tonight, he is giving an address at the University of Dallas, but I was not able to attend.

Elaine Pagels: Paul the Feminist vs. Paul the Misogynist

I recently picked up Elaine Pagel's The Gnostic Paul. I found it sloppy and irresponsible. Her thesis is that the historical Paul was a Gnostic who represents the first major schism in the early Christian movement. This theory echoes the hypothesis of F. C. Baur, the founder of the "Tübingen School". Baur and his disciples believe that Paul's "gospel" was noticeably different from the primitive Judeo-Christian doctrines under the leadership of Peter and James of Jerusalem.

Baur and the Tubingen school believed that "proto-orthodox Christianity" emerged as the second century was able to paint over the schism between Paul on one hand and Peter and James on the other. Acts was considered by them to be a second-century masterpiece that brings together the lives of Peter and Paul. The Pastoral Epistles of Paul and 2 Peter were created to splice together Peter and Paul. The tradition that Peter and Paul were martyred together in Rome on the same day is also an element in the great second-century conspiracy. The Johannine corpus is also a crowing achievement of the second-century "catholic" conspiracy.

This theory has been abandoned by serious scholarship since recent papyrus discoveries have proved that the John's Gospel belongs to the first century. It is also now accpted that Acts and the Pastorals belong to an era earlier than assigned by the Tubingen school.

But Elaine Pagels has resurrected the theory and put a twist on it using feminist hermeneutics.

Pagels sees Paul as a full-blown Gnostic. The second-century Gnostics were not a later schism broken off from "Apostolic Christianity". Rather, the Gnostics continued the esoteric Pauline tradition.

Paul, claims Pagels, was a Gnostic who promoted a radical social agenda in which the "flesh profits nothing". Paul's discussion of Jews and Gentiles is code for pyschics (soulish Christians) and pneumatics (spiritual Christians). Part of Paul's message was the complete liberation of women of the bondage of pre-assigned gender roles. Pagels claims that Paul is a spiritual feminist! As a Gnostic, bodies do not matter and neither does sexuality. The Pauline Gospel (Luke) focuses on the importance of women and the early Marcionites also promoted women's leadership. This feminist steak can be seen in Paul's own writings (e.g. the deaconess in Rom 16). The 2nd century "Acts of Paul and Thecla" also recall Paul's egalitarian outlook.

Pagels believes that the true second-century conspiracy occurred when the imperial middle-class took over the church (ecclesiastical class war-fare??), and produced Pauline forgeries that "corrected" Paul's feminism. These forgeries taught that women could not speak in church, would be saved by childbearing, could not be leaders, etc.

Is it not interesting that the feminist, new-age, Gnostic scholar of our era, Elaine Pagels, has perfectly cast Saint Paul in her own image? The whole thing is so obviously hack scholarship and yet she is tenured at Princeton...

What is Pope Benedict XVI's favorite meal?

Pope Benedict XVI's favorite meal is Bavarian potato ravioli with pancake strips.

Sounds tasty.

Red Cardinals, Purple Bishops and the Donation of Constantine

The Donation of Constantine from the False Decretals of Isidore is not likely the origin of clerical colors, but it does justify the practice by identifying clerical attire as the Church's inheritance from the Roman Empire a la Constantine. The Donation of Constantine recounts how the Roman emperor Constantine granted the Western Empire to the Bishop of Rome and endowed his cardinals and bishops with imperial honors.

Here's the text concerning clerical colors from the "Donation of Constantine" so-called:

and to all the pontiffs his successors, who until the end of the world shall be about to sit in the seat of St. Peter: we concede and, by this present, do confer, our imperial Lateran palace, which is preferred to, and ranks above, all the palaces in the whole world; then a diadem, that is, the crown of our head, and at the same time the tiara; and, also, the shoulder band,-that is, the collar that usually surrounds our imperial neck; and also the purple mantle, and crimson tunic, and all the imperial raiment; and the same rank as those presiding over the imperial cavalry; conferring also the imperial sceptres, and, at the same time, the spears and standards; also the banners and different imperial ornaments, and all the advantage of our high imperial position, and the glory of our power.

And we decree, as to those most reverend men, the clergy who serve, in different orders, that same holy Roman church [these are the Roman "cardinals"], that they shall have the same advantage, distinction, power and excellence by the glory of which our most illustrious senate is adorned; that is, that they shall be made patricians and consuls, - we commanding that they shall also be decorated with the other imperial dignities. And even as the imperial soldiery, so, we decree, shall the clergy of the holy Roman church be adorned.

The Donation also states that Pope Sylvester refused to wear the imperial crown given to him by Constantine. Instead, Constantine invested Sylvester with the high white cap ("phrygium").

The Donation's mention of the pope's white phrygium actually gives away the document as a forgery. This hat was worn by the pope in the 8th-9th century - thus proving that the document is fake. Here's a picture of Boniface VIII's white "phrygium":


By the time of Boniface VIII, a gold circlet was added to the bottom of the phrygium.

Lorenzo Valla proved in his 1440 treatise De falso credita et ementita Constantini donatione that the Donation of Constantine was a forged document based on Latin linguistic grounds. He was, of course, correct.

Australian Anglicans appoint first woman bishop

From Kendall Harmon:

One of Australia's first Anglican women priests has shattered the stained glass ceiling to become the nation's first woman bishop.

Perth Archdeacon Kay Goldsworthy, 51, was named as an assistant bishop, to be consecrated on May 22.

But if she visits Sydney, which remains opposed to women bishops, she will only be formally acknowledged as a deacon and unable to exercise her ministry as a priest or bishop.

The unanimous decision to appoint Archdeacon Goldsworthy was made by Perth Archbishop Roger Herft and his diocesan council Thursday night following an agreement reached this week between Australia's Anglican bishops on a protocol to handle opponents of women bishops.

Looks like Australia needs something like this.

Hat tip: Titus One Nine

Check out this new blog: You are Cephas

The blog 'You are Cephas' has a great new blog design. Please go by and check it out.

European Teenager converts to Islam on Television

Does this kid even know what he is doing?

And since when did Muslims have "altar calls" a la Billy Graham?

HT: Sean Dollahon.

Msgr. James Conley appointed bishop by Pope Benedict XVI!

Congratulations are due to Msgr. James Conley. His Holiness Benedict XVI recently appointed him as the auxiliary bishop to Archbishop Chaput in Denver.

I met Msgr. Conley at a café outside the Vatican in 2006 (a couple blocks east of St. Anne’s Gate). I was wearing clerics in those days as an Anglican clergyman. The conversation turned to John Henry Newman and within twenty-four hours, Msgr. Conley arranged for me to speak with Cardinal Baum about converting the Catholic Church.

So while Msgr. Conley helped to lead me out of the Episcopal Church, he himself is now becoming truly episcopal, in the sense that he is now becoming a Catholic bishop.

He is a fine man and he will surely be a blessing to the faithful of Denver.

Checklist of Heresies condemned by the Catholic Church

Checklist of Heresies condemned by the Catholic Church:

• Docetism teaches that Jesus only appeared to be human as a phantom. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that Christ if fully God and fully human.
• Arianism teaches that Jesus not fully God, but only like God in a subordinate way. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that Christ if fully God and fully man.
• Nestorianism teaches that Jesus is two “persons” - Jesus the human son of Mary and Jesus the divine Son of God. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that Christ is one person with two natures: divine nature and human nature.
• Monophysitism teaches that Jesus is fully God but not fully man, the humanity of Christ being swallowed up by His divinity. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that Christ has two natures: divine nature and human nature.
• Monothelitism teaches that Jesus has only one divine will. The Catholic Church teaches that Christ has two wills: a divine will and a human will belonging to His human soul.
• Iconoclasm teaches that images are idolatrous. On the contrary, the Catholic Church defends the use of Christian (not pagan) images since Christ became visible through the incarnation.
• Pelagianism denies original sin and teaches that grace is not necessary for salvation. On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that we are born in original sin and saved by grace through faith and works.
  

Rome's Chief Rabbi objects to Good Friday liturgy revision

Rome, Apr. 8, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The chief rabbi of Rome has explained his call for a pause in Catholic-Jewish dialogue by saying that the question of conversion-- raised anew by the revised version of the Good Friday prayer in the traditional liturgy-- is an issue that Jews cannot discuss.

"The moment we recognized Jesus Christ, we would no longer be Jews," Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni said in an interview with the Italian monthly magazine 30 Giorni. "There is no room for discussion of these subjects, because inevitably this would end in essential futility, at least in our view."
Full story from CWN.

Who is Msgr. Guido Marini?

Monsignor Guido Marini is currently the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations. He replaced Piero Marini (no, they're not related) in this capacity as of October 1, 2007.

The previous liturgical master was known for ceremonial that is more "contemporary" and "cultural". Guido is known to be more traditional and in line with the preferences of Pope Benedict XVI.

Interestingly enough, Guido Marini received his doctorate in the psychology of communication.

Assyrian Orthodox priest murdered in Iraq

Father Youssef Adel was murdered in cold blood on April 5. Iraqi Christians in Iraq continue to to worry about radical Islamic aggression toward Christians of every denomination.

Catholic hierarchs were in attendance for the funeral: Athanase Matti Shaba Matoka, the Assyrian Catholic bishop of Baghdad, the patriarch of the Chaldeans, Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, the apostolic nuncio in Iraq and Jordan, and Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt.

HT: AsiaNews

Pope Benedict to visit Synagogue in New York

It has just been announced that Pope Benedict will visit the Park East Synagogue in New York on April 18th on the eve of Passover! This is great news!

Many have criticized the late Pope John Paul II of blessed memory for visiting Jewish synagogues in his capacity as supreme pontiff and priest of the Catholic Church. However, it is clear from the book of Acts that the Apostles visited synagogues regularly. I applaud the Holy Father for reaching out to our elder brethren in the history of redemption.

Episcopal Life Magazine encouraging Episcopalians to become Catholic

This rather interesting. An Episcopalian magazine, Episcopal Life, is running an add for the Anglican Use Society.

The Anglican Use Society encourages Anglicans/Episcopalians to convert to Roman Catholicism under the terms of Pastoral Provision of John Paul II allowing Anglican parishes to convert to Catholicism while retaining liturgical elements and married priests in certain cases.

I wonder whether the magazine knows what the Anglican Use Society is, or whether the magazine is so "broad" in its thinking that it actually encourages conversion to Catholicism. Interesting either way.

Hat tip: Stand Firm

The Film Bella is available on DVD

Here are my thoughts on the film Bella. You can now buy the DVD at amazon.com:

Ben Stein's Movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed"

It's a new documentary claiming certain scientists have been "black-balled" for their conviction that an intelligent designer ("God") created the universe. Stein reveals that "big science" does not allow dialogue or dissent from a neo-Darwinism. It even connects Nazism and Planned Parenthood to this atheistic world-view.


Check out Ben Stein's new film: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

Woe to me if I do not Thomistize!!!

"Vae mihi si non Thomistizavero!!!"

- Jacques Maritain