I have been thinking about the divide between “conservatives” and “traditionalists” over 20 years. I put those terms in quotes, because they were never adequate (for reasons I will explain later elsewhere). I nearly completed a paper about it, but then Benedict became Pope and the issue seemed much less pressing. Then came Pope Francis, … More A Traditional View
This essays by G. K. Chesterton speaks to the blindness that often underlies disagreements: Why do people think it intelligent to say, “I can see no difference!” It is nowadays quite a mark of culture to say that one can see no difference between a man and a woman, or a man and an angel, … More Concerning Those Who “Cannot See the Difference”
The Holy Ghost always wants the good for the Church: so when bad things happen in the Church, they are within His permissive will but not His active will. Satan always wishes the bad for the Church, and while God brings good out of evil, the direct evil is desired only by Satan. It is … More The implications of the involvement of the Holy Ghost (and Satan) in the Church are too enormous for us to handle well.
The damage in relationships occur when the discussion turns from what is Catholic to who is Catholic–typically accompanied by strong implications that the person disagreeing with you is not really Catholic. Of course, this is sometimes true, but when you are dealing with a fellow orthodox Catholic, making such claims is spectacularly unwise. To use … More What is Catholic vs Who is Catholic
But the common saying, expressed in various ways and attributedto various authors, must be recalled with approval: in essentials,unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity. Pope John XXIII: Ad Petri Cathedram (1959) But there really are no “doubtful matters”, are there? I mean according to us, not according to the Church. And charity? … More Are there really any “doubtful matters” concerning which we may disagree?
Such discussions often become heated and unproductive for three basic reasons: 1. Are there really any “doubtful matters” concerning which we may disagree? Yes. One need only to spend time with the Eastern churches that are in full communion with Rome to see that there is lots of room for legitimate differences within orthodox belief … More Why Discussing Church Problems is Difficult
Some of the reasons (which are often inter-related)… A. Difficulties specific the Church are discussed here. B. General problems: You can’t convince somebody of that which they refuse to believe, and self-deception is the true pandemic of our age. Although we can easily see the faults of others–both real and imagined–our own faults are much … More Why We Seldom Convince Anybody of Anything on the Internet
Overview. Stephen Augustine is an American raised in Indiana and Michigan, and who has lived mostly in the Eastern USA since then. He first became involved in G.K. Chesterton groups about 1997: attending lectures, discussions, performances, and conferences. He, and his wife, started a local group in 2013 which successfully ran for 4 years until … More About Us
The Catholic Herald recently published the article by T A Pascoe “How Catholics can reclaim Britain“. We are grateful for permission to reprint it–interspersing comments about Fr. Dudley whose mission was to reclaim England and Wales for Catholicism as the Superior for the Catholic Missionary Society from 1933 until 1947. Non-believers long for a spiritual truth which only … More “How Catholics can reclaim Britain” & Fr. Dudley
This column written by Fr. Dudley (published on July 2, 1939) was incorporated into Last Crescendo word for word–and the plot of the novel was then shaped to conform to it. Fr. Dudley wrote of what he knew. This is the text of the column: I have just received a letter from a man who … More To A Man Who Wants to Die!