Quote of the Week

“It takes three to make love, not two: you, your spouse, and God. Without God people only succeed in bringing out the worst in one another. Lovers who have nothing else to do but love each other soon find there is nothing else. Without a central loyalty life is unfinished.”

- Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Catechism for the Year of Faith

Part of a continuing series.A selected quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church in honor of the Year of Faith (October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013)

874 Christ is himself the source of ministry in the Church. He instituted the Church. He gave her authority and mission, orientation and goal:

In order to shepherd the People of God and to increase its numbers without cease, Christ the Lord set up in his Church a variety of offices which aim at the good of the whole body. The holders of office, who are invested with a sacred power, are, in fact, dedicated to promoting the interests of their brethren, so that all who belong to the People of God . . . may attain to salvation.

879 Sacramental ministry in the Church, then, is a service exercised in the name of Christ. It has a personal character and a collegial form. This is evidenced by the bonds between the episcopal college and its head, the successor of St. Peter, and in the relationship between the bishop's pastoral responsibility for his particular church and the common solicitude of the episcopal college for the universal Church.

880 When Christ instituted the Twelve, "he constituted [them] in the form of a college or permanent assembly, at the head of which he placed Peter, chosen from among them." Just as "by the Lord's institution, St. Peter and the rest of the apostles constitute a single apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are related with and united to one another."

881 The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock. "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head." This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundation and is continued by the bishops under the primacy of the Pope.

882 The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." "For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered."

883 "The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, as its head." As such, this college has "supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff."

884 "The college of bishops exercises power over the universal Church in a solemn manner in an ecumenical council." But "there never is an ecumenical council which is not confirmed or at least recognized as such by Peter's successor."

886 "The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular Churches." As such, they "exercise their pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them," assisted by priests and deacons. But, as a member of the episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches. The bishops exercise this care first "by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the universal Church," and so contributing "to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches." They extend it especially to the poor, to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working throughout the world.

889 In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility. By a "supernatural sense of faith" the People of God, under the guidance of the Church's living Magisterium, "unfailingly adheres to this faith."

890 The mission of the Magisterium is linked to the definitive nature of the covenant established by God with his people in Christ. It is this Magisterium's task to preserve God's people from deviations and defections and to guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error. Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the People of God abides in the truth that liberates. To fulfill this service, Christ endowed the Church's shepherds with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals. The exercise of this charism takes several forms:

891 "The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. . . . The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter's successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium," above all in an Ecumenical Council. When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine "for belief as being divinely revealed," and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions "must be adhered to with the obedience of faith." This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself.

892 Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a "definitive manner," they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent" which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it.

893 The bishop is "the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood," especially in the Eucharist which he offers personally or whose offering he assures through the priests, his co-workers. The Eucharist is the center of the life of the particular Church. The bishop and priests sanctify the Church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, "not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock." Thus, "together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life."

894 "The bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ, govern the particular Churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations, and example, but over and above that also by the authority and sacred power" which indeed they ought to exercise so as to edify, in the spirit of service which is that of their Master.

895 "The power which they exercise personally in the name of Christ, is proper, ordinary, and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately controlled by the supreme authority of the Church." But the bishops should not be thought of as vicars of the Pope. His ordinary and immediate authority over the whole Church does not annul, but on the contrary confirms and defends that of the bishops. Their authority must be exercised in communion with the whole Church under the guidance of the Pope.

898 "By reason of their special vocation it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will. . . . It pertains to them in a special way so to illuminate and order all temporal things with which they are closely associated that these may always be effected and grow according to Christ and maybe to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer."

900 Since, like all the faithful, lay Christians are entrusted by God with the apostolate by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, they have the right and duty, individually or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. This duty is the more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear the Gospel and know Christ. Their activity in ecclesial communities is so necessary that, for the most part, the apostolate of the pastors cannot be fully effective without it.

901 "Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit - indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born - all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist these may most fittingly be offered to the Father along with the body of the Lord. And so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives."

910 "The laity can also feel called, or be in fact called, to cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial community, for the sake of its growth and life. This can be done through the exercise of different kinds of ministries according to the grace and charisms which the Lord has been pleased to bestow on them."

911 In the Church, "lay members of the Christian faithful can cooperate in the exercise of this power [of governance] in accord with the norm of law." And so the Church provides for their presence at particular councils, diocesan synods, pastoral councils; the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish, collaboration in finance committees, and participation in ecclesiastical tribunals, etc.

Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and ponderings to start the week...

Once again I have promised myself that I will get back into blogging more regularly. Last week was not a bad start. Let's see if I can stick with it.

With that in mind, I may also dig back into some older posts and rework them so that I can repost them. A couple of years ago I read an article about blogging that suggested (among other things) that one of the down-sides of the internet is that things have a short shelf-life. On the web people expect new content on an almost hourly basis. The author of the article I read recommended that bloggers should make it a point to periodically dust off some old posts and bring them back to the top of the pile so that good ideas don't get forgotten. Obviously this is not possible for time-specific pieces that deal with a current event or that speak to a certain moment that is now past. But posts about the Catholic faith in general, posts that are timeless and always current should not be lost and forgotten in the archives.

Plus, it lets me spend less time writing and more time with my family. ;)

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I wanted to highlight a story that I posted in the Friday round-up last week. It was a simple post from Catholic Vote that may not have caught some people's attention, but as a father it really resonated with me. It  suggests a simple way to organize your prayers of petition using your five fingers. In this way you are reminded to pray for others before praying for yourself. And it goes like this...

1. The thumb is the closest finger to you. So start praying for those who are closest to you. They are the persons easiest to remember. To pray for our dear ones is a “sweet obligation.” 

2. The next finger is the index. Pray for those who teach you, instruct you and heal you. They need the support and wisdom to show direction to others. Always keep them in your prayers. 

3. The following finger is the tallest. It reminds us of our leaders, the governors and those who have authority. They need God’s guidance. 

4. The fourth finger is the ring finger. Even that it may surprise you, it is our weakest finger. It should remind us to pray for the weakest, the sick or those plagued by problems. They need your prayers. 

5. And finally we have our smallest finger, the smallest of all. Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. When you are done praying for the other four groups, you will be able to see your own needs but in the proper perspective, and also you will be able to pray for your own needs in a better way.

This method of prayer is attributed to Pope Francis. Over the weekend we introduced our kids to this idea of praying on our fingers, and I think it will help us to organize our thoughts a little better when asking the kids what they want to pray for...and it is a great way for them to feel a connection to our new pontiff.

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Hope everyone had a blessed Feast of the Annunciation...

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like. I'll serve up more next Friday...

April: The Month of the Blessed Sacrament - "The practice of Eucharistic adoration on earth not only brings us grace but prepares us for our life in Heaven."

9 things you need to know about Divine Mercy Sunday - "Millions of people look forward to and are profoundly moved by this day. What is it, and why is it so important to them? Here are 9 things you need to know."

Hæc Nox Est... - Homily of Pope Francis for the Easter Vigil Mass

Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to visit St. Peter's tomb - "The site is where pagans and early Christians were buried, and has been restored after extensive archaeological excavations began in 1965." [Includes short video]

Pope Francis’ General Audience focused on women. Feminists aren’t going to be happy. - [A presentation of Pope Francis' words along with commentary from Fr. Z.] See also: Pope Francis on the Role of Women

Have we entered an age of a new gnosticism? - "What this foot washing issue does is reveal how vast the gulf is now that divides those who maintain that order, law and reason are necessary in the Church and society and those who, like gnostics who possess secret powers of interpretation of even more secret teachings, apply super-principles which trump lesser matters such as reason, law and order."

A Simple Prayer Method From A Simple Pontiff - "It is a lovely way to pray, and it showcases Pope Francis’ sense of simplicity, his priority for family, his love for the poor and also his recognition that prayer is powerful."


Pope Francis’ Ideas of What Is at the Heart of the Church - "...for Pope Francis, the heart of the Church is, well, the heart. That is, the human heart and its transformative relationship with God’s heart."

Can't chant, can't speak English? Pope says it's because he's tone-deaf - "After a musically proficient and polyglot Pope Benedict XVI, it came as a surprise to many that Pope Francis doesn't sing or chant at Mass or speak foreign languages in public."

The Devil and Pope Francis - "An emerging theme of the young pontificate seems to be that of spiritual battle against the devil, expressed in direct, simple language."

Recovering the Real St. Francis - "St. Francis of Assisi is often represented with a skull because he constantly contemplated death.  In fact he knew even before his death that he would die from the wounds of the Stigmata that he would eventually receive.  Moreover, the skull in Catholic art generally represents man's triumph over death."

Pope Francis’ Poverty Will be Forgotten - "When Pope Francis gets down to work things will change. When his love of poverty shifts to criticism of the rich and powerful we’ll find that suddenly the media and the champagne socialists will not love him so much." See also: Benedictine and Franciscan Poverty

Should Pope Francis sell off the Vatican’s art collection and give the money to the poor? The answer is an emphatic ‘No’ - [I hate it when people suggest this! It just shows their ignorance about the purpose of church decoration and how little such a move would affect global poverty.]

Making Sense of the Shroud - "Even if the Shroud were not Christ’s burial linen, its origin would still be one of the world’s great mysteries. Its image of a body bearing the marks of torture and crucifixion was not painted on or burned in; it’s not berry juice or coffee or Sharpie. Indeed, we’re not sure how it was created..." See also: New experiments on Shroud show it’s not medieval, and: Shroud of Turin: Let’s include the basic facts, please

Is America Still a Good Country? - "'Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.' So wrote Alexis de Tocqueville."S See also: Samuel Gregg: What Tocqueville Knew

So… how did it go? Summarizing the marriage trials at the Supreme Court - "It is sobering to realize how little information our country currently has regarding the impact redefining marriage could have on children, families, and society at large.  Even more notable is just how young the conversation of 'What is marriage?' is in our country."

Why the Catholic Church and ‘gay marriage’ cannot coexist - "In addition to the numerous implications that a redefinition of marriage would have on society and children, the Church is gravely concerned about the legal redefinition of marriage because it would threaten its fundamental ability to exist and exercise its ministry fully."

Felix and Oscar: A Post-Modern Marriage - "The thing that a married man and woman do, that no one else can do, is to consummate the marriage, bringing it to its fullest realization.  The marital act unites across the chasm of the sexes and across the generations, from the past into the future. "

The Right to Redefine Marriage? - "The state has no public interest in romantic relationships as such. But the state does have an interest in recognizing and promoting marriage because the bond of marriage unites men and women to each other and to whatever children may result from their union."

Gay son defends the stance of anti-gay marriage Congressman father -[I think people need to realize that those of us who support traditional marriage are not haters - we do not wish ill toward gays.]

AP coddles illegal immigrants with style change edict - [When a major news agency changes words in order to cover the truth... how can we say that there's no media bias?] Another example of the media pushing an agenda: Media Encourage Elderly to Commit Suicide, Call it "Rational" and this: Goodbye, Marriage

Guns and babies: A tale of two massacres - "The gun lobby is often accused of resisting any new gun law as if it were the proverbial camel's nose under the tent. The liberal editors who are keeping Kermit Gosnell's case off the air should ask themselves whether they aren't taking sides in the culture war."

Planned Parenthood Opposes Bill Protecting Babies Born After Botched Abortions - [Unbelievable! - A Planned Parenthood representative supports allowing to die infants born alive during abortions. See video at this link.]

Unborn Babies Learn Language in Womb, as Early as 30 Weeks - "New reports of fascinating research show babies can distinguish between their native language and foreign languages when they’re just a few hours old. A new study found that and suggests they start absorbing language before birth."

Cardinal George: “I’m religious but not spiritual” - "Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, in his weekly column, takes the notion of 'spiritual, not religious' and gently turns it just like it should be turned – upside down."

Is Prayer Synonymous With Worship? - "When Catholics say we are praying to God and praying to saints we are talking about qualitatively different things as different as a monkey is to a man. The Protestant generally only has one species in mind when he thinks of prayer—prayer to God that necessarily includes adoration."

Authentic Creativity and the Liturgy - "Much like the norms that govern ethical behavior lead to a perfected freedom, which in turns opens a space for authentic creativity, so too do the rubrics of the Mass open up a space for authentic freedom."

What the Church Needs Now - "The Vatican needs purgation at the top, to enable real renewal from below. And the church as a whole needs to offer and embody proof — in Rome, the local parish and everywhere in between — that the alternative Catholicism preaches can actually be lived."

A Catholic's Guide to the End of the World as We Know It - [The world is crazy...these are five tips for surviving it.]

iIncarnate: Meet Jesus in Mary’s Womb - [Interesting app...I thought of this about two years ago. Too bad I didn't do anything about it.]

Abortion Double-Speak

I’ve gone through a writing dry spell that has lasted about a year now. I have just not been motivated to write anything. I need a spark...some event that triggers the need to put my ideas down in print. Usually I see something in my own life, perhaps a conversation or a family situation, that I find compelling or instructive and it gets the creative juices flowing. I guess I just haven’t had any of those moments...or perhaps I’ve just not been paying attention. (Or maybe I’ve been a little lazy, too.)

Internet debates are a good source for blog material, and I’ve recently engaged in a few discussions that might make a post or two. Until I get the time and energy to write something more substantial, I thought I would share a post from a friend of mine. He recently engaged in a heated online debate concerning abortion. His primary objective was to challenge the often repeated slogan:

"Just because you support a woman's right to choose doesn't mean you are pro-abortion."

Think about that. You support the right to abortion...yet you oppose abortion?

As my friend pointed out, no other crime against humanity is afforded such deference. No other evil perpetrated by mankind is protected with such double-speak. Do morally sound people support a man's "right to choose rape," or someone's "right to drive while intoxicated"? No, because if you support a person's right to choose these things, then you implicitly condone the consequences of that choice. By supporting a woman's right to choose abortion, you are giving support to abortion itself.

It would be illogical for me to claim on the one hand that I support everyone's right to drink a case of beer and then get behind the wheel of a car, while at the same time claim that I am opposed to drunk driving...the one logically leads to the other. So too with abortion. One cannot be both pro-choice and anti-abortion. Perhaps a parallel can be drawn using the current national debate over gun control. Imagine a paraphrase of our slogan above:

"Just because you support the Second Amendment doesn't mean you want people to own guns."

Logically, that makes no sense. The Second Amendment ensures the right to keep and bear arms. By supporting that right, you must accept the fact that people will indeed act on that right. You cannot be in favor of the right to own guns and at the same time be opposed to actual ownership. And that's the core fallacy of the abortion slogan we read above: supporting a person's choice to do something implies your support of them actually acting on that choice.

Now there is a subtle distinction that needs to be made here. Some pro-abortonists would modify the above slogan and say the following:

“I support a woman’s right to choose, but I would never make that choice myself.”

This, I think is a plausible statement. Though I vehemently disagree with it’s sentiment, it is at least a logical position to take. This would be akin to saying, “I support the Second Amendment, but I could never own a gun myself.”

But let’s be clear. The original slogan we are addressing here does not leave such wiggle room. There are pro-choice advocates who try to play both sides of the political fence by “publicly supporting” but “privately opposing” abortion. Sadly many Catholic politicians are among those who do this. They claim to support the right to choose, while at the same time claiming that they personally see abortion as murder. They claim to agree with the Church’s teaching that abortion is intrinsically evil, while also vocally (and with the force of law) supporting a woman’s “right” to commit this evil. This confused morality is a product of relativism. It is a symptom of the “dictatorship of relativism” about which Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI warned us.

The reason Catholics (and other supposedly pro-life persons) use this verbal trickery (being “opposed to” and “in favor of” abortion at the same time), is to appear tolerant and understanding toward those who disagree. But the cold, hard reality is that when this principle is put into practice the most hedonistic, amoral code wins the day. By accepting the right to choose evil, we accept the evil that results. Your “tolerance” is a passive acceptance of abortion. Substitute the word “rape” for “abortion” and the picture becomes clear.

“Just because you support a man's right to choose rape doesn't mean you are pro-rape."

Uuuh...well, yes it does! It most emphatically does! And this is where my friend got into a heated debate. He pulled back the curtain and exposed the lie for what it is. Kudos to him. It sparked a lively debate and it gave him a great blog post. You check out the post here.

I need a little spark like that. I need to go stir up some trouble...or maybe just open my eyes and stop being lazy. Maybe we all should.

Catechism for the Year of Faith

Part of a continuing series.A selected quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church in honor of the Year of Faith (October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013)

811 "This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic." These four characteristics, inseparably linked with each other, indicate essential features of the Church and her mission. The Church does not possess them of herself; it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit, makes his Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and it is he who calls her to realize each of these qualities.

812 Only faith can recognize that the Church possesses these properties from her divine source. But their historical manifestations are signs that also speak clearly to human reason. As the First Vatican Council noted, the "Church herself, with her marvelous propagation, eminent holiness, and inexhaustible fruitfulness in everything good, her catholic unity and invincible stability, is a great and perpetual motive of credibility and an irrefutable witness of her divine mission."

I. The Church is One

813 The Church is one because of her source: "the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit." The Church is one because of her founder: for "the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, . . . restoring the unity of all in one people and one body." The Church is one because of her "soul": "It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church's unity." Unity is of the essence of the Church:

What an astonishing mystery! There is one Father of the universe, one Logos of the universe, and also one Holy Spirit, everywhere one and the same; there is also one virgin become mother, and I should like to call her "Church."

816 "The sole Church of Christ [is that] which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter's pastoral care, commissioning him and the other apostles to extend and rule it. . . . This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in (subsistit in) the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him."

The Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism explains: "For it is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God."

820 "Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time." Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, . . . so that the world may know that you have sent me." The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.

II. The Church is Holy

823 "The Church . . . is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as 'alone holy,' loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her so as to sanctify her; he joined her to himself as his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God." The Church, then, is "the holy People of God," and her members are called "saints."

824 United with Christ, the Church is sanctified by him; through him and with him she becomes sanctifying. "All the activities of the Church are directed, as toward their end, to the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God." It is in the Church that "the fullness of the means of salvation" has been deposited. It is in her that "by the grace of God we acquire holiness."

825 "The Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real though imperfect." In her members perfect holiness is something yet to be acquired: "Strengthened by so many and such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state - though each in his own way - are called by the Lord to that perfection of sanctity by which the Father himself is perfect."

II. The Church is Catholic

830 The word "catholic" means "universal," in the sense of "according to the totality" or "in keeping with the whole." The Church is catholic in a double sense:

First, the Church is catholic because Christ is present in her. "Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic Church." In her subsists the fullness of Christ's body united with its head; this implies that she receives from him "the fullness of the means of salvation" which he has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. The Church was, in this fundamental sense, catholic on the day of Pentecost and will always be so until the day of the Parousia.

831 Secondly, the Church is catholic because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the human race:

All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God's will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally gathered together as one. . . . The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit.

834 Particular Churches are fully catholic through their communion with one of them, the Church of Rome "which presides in charity." "For with this church, by reason of its pre-eminence, the whole Church, that is the faithful everywhere, must necessarily be in accord." Indeed, "from the incarnate Word's descent to us, all Christian churches everywhere have held and hold the great Church that is here [at Rome] to be their only basis and foundation since, according to the Savior's promise, the gates of hell have never prevailed against her."

836 "All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God. ...And to it, in different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God's grace to salvation."

848 "Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men."

IV. The Church is Apostolic

857 The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways:

- she was and remains built on "the foundation of the Apostles," the witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ himself;

- with the help of the Spirit dwelling in her, the Church keeps and hands on the teaching, the "good deposit," the salutary words she has heard from the apostles;

- she continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by the apostles until Christ's return, through their successors in pastoral office: the college of bishops, "assisted by priests, in union with the successor of Peter, the Church's supreme pastor"...

858 Jesus is the Father's Emissary. From the beginning of his ministry, he "called to him those whom he desired; ...And he appointed twelve, whom also he named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach." From then on, they would also be his "emissaries" (Greek apostoloi). In them, Christ continues his own mission: "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." The apostles' ministry is the continuation of his mission; Jesus said to the Twelve: "he who receives you receives me."

861 "In order that the mission entrusted to them might be continued after their death, [the apostles] consigned, by will and testament, as it were, to their immediate collaborators the duty of completing and consolidating the work they had begun, urging them to tend to the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit had appointed them to shepherd the Church of God. They accordingly designated such men and then made the ruling that likewise on their death other proven men should take over their ministry."

862 "Just as the office which the Lord confided to Peter alone, as first of the apostles, destined to be transmitted to his successors, is a permanent one, so also endures the office, which the apostles received, of shepherding the Church, a charge destined to be exercised without interruption by the sacred order of bishops." Hence the Church teaches that "the bishops have by divine institution taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ and him who sent Christ."

863 The whole Church is apostolic, in that she remains, through the successors of St. Peter and the other apostles, in communion of faith and life with her origin: and in that she is "sent out" into the whole world. All members of the Church share in this mission, though in various ways. "The Christian vocation is, of its nature, a vocation to the apostolate as well." Indeed, we call an apostolate "every activity of the Mystical Body" that aims "to spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the earth."

865 The Church is ultimately one, holy, catholic, and apostolic in her deepest and ultimate identity, because it is in her that "the Kingdom of heaven," the "Reign of God," already exists and will be fulfilled at the end of time. The kingdom has come in the person of Christ and grows mysteriously in the hearts of those incorporated into him, until its full eschatological manifestation. Then all those he has redeemed and made "holy and blameless before him in love," will be gathered together as the one People of God, the "Bride of the Lamb," "the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God." For "the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and ponderings to start the week...

I missed the Friday news headline round-up, and since last week was a big news week for two important reasons, I thought I would use this Monday's post to share some articles on those two topics: 1) Pope Francis and Holy Week, 2) the gay marriage debate. So, here are a few headlines I selected...

Pope Francis and Holy Week...

Pope Francis' Easter Urbi et Orbi Message - Full Text - "What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen! I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons…" See video here.

Palm Sunday Homily: We Must Live the Faith with a Young Heart - "Following is the whole text of Pope Francis' homily during the Palm Sunday Mass that begins the Holy Week celebrations."

Viri Selecti: Who Can Have Their Feet Washed? - [A lot of debate about this among Catholic traditionalists.  I must admit I am one of those who would rather see the male-only foot washing.] Jimmy Akin throws in his two cents here: How Should We Understand Pope Francis Washing Women's Feet?; And here is Simcha Fisher's thoughts on the subject: Unclean

Is Pope Francis’ Pontificate a continuation of Benedict’s? - "In fact, there are several signals of continuity between Benedict and Francis, yet they put into practice their ideas in slightly different ways."

The Pope, the Media, and the Endless Nonsense - "This has been the unrelenting theme of the press: Pope Francis vs. Benedict XVI. They are covering this in an identical fashion to the way they cover presidential politics."

Choosing Freedom: Pope Francis and Social Justice - [Not exactly what liberal Catholics make it out to be.]

Pope Francis to live in Vatican guesthouse, not papal apartments - "Pope Francis has decided not to move into the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, but to live in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse where he has been since the beginning of the conclave that elected him..."

Same symbols, different details: Papal coat of arms undergoes changes - [Not really that noteworthy, but I find such things interesting.]

Gay Marriage and the Supreme Court...

Government should get out of the marriage business - [This is one of my favorite articles that I read last week on gay marriage... It is well written and it makes the same argument that I have been making for years. If you only read one of these articles on gay marriage - read this one.]


Supreme Court: Oral Argument on Same-Sex Marriage - [From day one of the two days in which the Supreme Court heard arguments about gay "marriage."] "Suffice it to say that today’s oral argument certainly does not tell us clearly how the Court will rule on this issue.  There is even some question whether the Court will rule at all on the merits of the case." And also: The ‘Science’ of Same-Sex Marriage

Supreme Court Finally Asks the Tough Questions on Same-Sex Marriage - "The justices—and not just the conservative ones—were the first notable culture leaders who asked sound, tough questions."

'Gay Marriage’s' Looming Battle - "The secular belief that we can define our sexuality and, hence, our notion of marriage any way we please is, for Pope Emeritus Benedict, a sign of the most blinding hubris, the pride of those who reject God and then elevate themselves in his place."

Reaping the Whirlwind: A reflection on the deepening darkness that celebrates homosexual unions and activity. - "The fact is, traditional marriage has been in a disgraceful state for over 50 years, and heterosexual misbehavior has been off the hook in the same period."

Same-Sex Marriage: Our Agreements Solve Our Disagreement - "Instead of spewing insults and getting into heated arguments, I'd like to propose a better solution to the debate over same-sex marriage. Let's start from positions bothsides of the debate agree on. Then let's see whose particular view of marriage best explains this agreement." See also: Same-sex Marriage and the Infertility Objection

Rebuttals to arguments for same-sex marriage - "In this article, we’ll examine the 10 most common ones made in favor of same-sex marriage, many of which you’ve probably heard before. By pointing out the flaws, we’ll show how each argument ultimately comes up short."

“Why is the Catholic Church against homosexuals?” - "Many people often misunderstand or misrepresent the Church’s teaching on homosexuality.  The Church is not against homosexuals as persons.  It never has been and never will be. " See also: Gay, Catholic, and Doing Fine 

"The Political Debate on Same-Sex Marriage is Over"...? - "There’s a real problem with making categorical statements like this: they ignore the ongoing nature of politics and immutability of Truth."

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Finally...and most importantly...

Happy Easter!!!