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October 26, 2016

Note from the Managing Editor:

If you don't know of the Polish King John III Sobieski and the story of how he saved Western Civilization, you will want to read "There Was a Soldier Sent from God."

As I keep saying, David Warren is as clever, colourful, and pointed with his pen as pretty well anyone.  "The Mysterious Coalescence" is another article with David's particular brand of charm.

And Anthony Esolen is back with an article that has generated considerable plaudits from all the right people.  See "The Pronoun Wars."

In addition to all that, Father James V. Schall, S.J. is the embodiment of concision in "On 'Those Who Do Such Things'." - J. Fraser Field



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"If I were not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other words, I would look for the Church which the world hated." - The Venerable Fulton J. Sheen



New Resources


 
...sought to touch Jesus - Father Alfred Delp, S.J. - from Prison Writings

The second test — he it is.


 
There Was a Soldier Sent from God - Anthony Esolen - Magnificat

"John," said the captain, "you're a fine soldier, and a young man of courage and honor. If you join our cause, I guarantee you an officer's commission."


 
The Mysterious Coalescence - David Warren - The Catholic Thing

"Rome." Gentle reader must imagine this syllable pronounced in a sustained, Gaelic way, as if the vowel sound would go on forever. His eyes, too, could be rolling slightly.


 
The Pronoun Wars - Anthony Esolen - Public Discourse

Do not dismiss the pronominal wars as nonsense or assume that its warriors are merely daft.


 
On "Those Who Do Such Things" - Father James V. Schall, S.J.- The Catholic Thing

Almost every disorder of soul imaginable — from lying to groping, from envy to spite, has been practiced, encouraged, or deplored in the public order of late.


 
Are priests relevant? - Servant of God Catherine Doherty, CM - from Dear Father

I remember the day when there were no priests in Petrograd (St. Petersburg).


 
Why are Pope Francis and Other Christian Leaders Staying Silent Over Unesco's Vile Resolution? - Shimon Koffler Fogel - National Post

"Hypocrisy is an internal division," the Pope declared in a recent address.  "We say one thing and we do another.  It's a kind of spiritual schizophrenia." - Pope Francis (L'Osservatore Romano)


 
A Church Refashioned - Father George W. Rutler - From the Pastor

Last Sunday, seven saints were canonized: two martyrs, four priests and a contemplative nun.

Editorials of Interest:

Making Better Men - First Things
The Two-Front Culture War - Catholic World Report

Editorials of Interest


Pope Francis: Eucharistic Adoration is the secret to knowing the love of Jesus Christ - Aleteia

"One cannot know the Lord without being in the habit of adoring, of adoring in silence."


Pope Francis: The saints triumphed through prayer - Aleteia

"This is the kind of spiritual life the Church asks of us: not to win by war, but to win with peace!"


Abp. Chaput: Time for Christians to Unplug from Our Secular Culture - Crisis Magazine

As I sat down to write my talk last week, a friend emailed me a copy of a manuscript illustration from the thirteenth century: a picture of Mary punching the devil in the nose.


Abp. Alexander Sample Discusses His Pastoral Letter about Amoris Laetitia - Catholic World Report

"As difficult as it can be and as much of a cross it might be for us at a time in our life, God's grace enables us to overcome our struggles, even with sin."


Bishop Barron: The trouble with the "You go, girl" culture - Aleteia

Many boys and young men feel adrift, afraid that any expression of their own good qualities will be construed as aggressive or insensitive.


Msgr. Pope: 5 Reflections on the Recent WikiLeaks Disclosures - NC Register

Despite considering the Catholic Church out of date, these same political officials seem to fear us.


If Tim Kaine Wins, the Catholic Church Loses - Public Discourse

Many high-profile Catholics like Tim Kaine publicly dissent from Catholic teaching and promote offenses against human dignity. When their actions go unrebuked by Church leaders, it harms both the Church as a whole and the faith of individual Catholics.


In Defense of the Religious Right - NY Times

I rise to offer a defense — not a full-throated defense, more of a limited one — of the beleaguered, battered, all-but-broken religious right.


The Dangers of Hillary Clinton - NY Times

The dangers of a Hillary Clinton presidency are more familiar than Trump's authoritarian unknowns, because we live with them in our politics already.


Threatened by our own lukewarmness - The Catholic Thing

It is naive to underestimate how absolute the conflict between the Church and the State is.


A Pope and a Psychiatrist on Transsexual Marriages - First Things

It is appropriate to entrust these things in humility to the mercy of God, without anticipating this mercy by bestowing the sacraments.


Autonomy or Worthiness? How to Find Dignity in Death - Public Discourse

There is dignity in living and dignity in dying, because the concept of "dignity" is inseparable from our humanity. Even when our autonomy is lost, all people can still undergo suffering and death with a noble and dignified serenity.


Making Better Men - First Things

When I was growing up, my father was my primary model of what a man should be.


Men without Chests Threaten Civilization - American Thinker

Men must return to God, follow His moral principles, seek the truth, and lead virtuous lives.


Merciful Justice: Finding Hope in God's Most Feared Attribute - The Catholic Gentleman

"God proves his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."


Serving the Divorced and Remarried Well - Catholic World Report

The perils of using subjective standards in interpreting disputed sections of Amoris Laetitia indicates the pressing need for a new Vademecum to help guide confessors.


The Two-Front Culture War - Catholic World Report

To understand Islamization, you first have to understand the battles that conservative Jews and Christians have been fighting against the left over issues such as abortion, education, same-sex marriage, and transgender bathrooms.


What the Bible Says About Alcohol and Drunkenness - NC Register

Scripture gives strong testament to the fact that merely drinking alcohol is not a sin, but getting drunk on alcohol is.


Spiritual Truths in The Girl on the Train - Ignitum Today

As people of faith, immersed in our culture, we can try to find God even in our secular culture.


With 'Borrowed Time' Pixar animators explore themes of guilt, forgiveness - Aleteia

We started with a story about forgiveness, but we changed it to a story about finding closure with something you did in your past that you might regret. Finding a way to move on with the life — ultimately it's about self forgiveness."


Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman and
St. Justin Martyr, pray for us

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