The Four Marks of the Church, Part IV

In Parts I, II, and III we have focused on one line from the Nicene Creed which reads:

“I believe in one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic church.”

These are the Four Marks of the Church – One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Thus far we have noted that these identifying characteristics reflect a biblical understanding of the Church and we can use these Marks as a scripturally-based guide to lead us to the true Church of Christ. Scripture tells us we should “test every spirit” to see whether it is from God (1John 4:1). Therefore to discover which church is from God, we must test each church to see whether it fits the description of the authentic Church that Christ established. Applying what we know of the Four Marks we should be able to study the various Christian churches to discover which church fits this ancient description.

1) The Church is ONE

Many Christian denominations claim to be the true Church, yet also insist that any denominational divisions that have happened throughout the centuries are of no consequence to the unity and oneness of the Church. They say that the Church is a “spiritual” reality that transcends the denominational or sectarian differences found between various groups. The problem with this line of thinking is that the differences between the denominations is more than just a matter of style or opinion – there exists serious doctrinal disagreements that have caused harm to the Body of Christ. As we previously concluded, Christ established only one Church, and if that Church is truly one then the Church must be united on matters of doctrine. The division into denominations is opposed to the biblical notion of unity. Any idea of “church” that glosses over denominational divisions or that claims the Church is one in “spirit” but not in “truth” is a false concept of Church.

So where do we find a church that teaches the biblical truth about the one Church?

In matters of Christian unity the Catholic Church is the most outspoken defender. It seems that no other church is more adamant about doctrinal conformity and uniformity. The Catholic Church herself can truly be called one since she is united in her teaching and in her structure (her hierarchy). The Catholic Church is united under one earthly leader, the pope, and maintains a body of teaching that is adhered to by all the local churches in communion with Rome. The Catholic Church is not a loose association of local independent congregations, but truly one Body of Christ, just as we see described in the Bible and the Nicene Creed.

2) The Church is HOLY

As we stated previously, the Church is called holy because Jesus left the Holy Spirit to guide her to all Truth. He said that the Spirit would remain with the Church until the end of time. This means that the Church is assured of teaching correct doctrine. The Spirit will not lead the Church into error; rather Jesus prayed that the Church be “sanctified in Truth.” Furthermore, the Bible describes that Church as “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of truth.” (1Timothy 3:15) And Jesus says that not even the “gates of hell” will overcome the Church. (Matthew 16:18)

Strangely, many Christian denominations claim that the original Church did fail, apostatized, and had to be restored. Some Christian churches claim that the Church does not have authority from the Spirit. They believe in individual interpretation of the Bible, so that each person is a “church” unto him or her self. This is clearly not the biblical understanding of the Church. The Spirit was given to the whole Church so that the Church (not the individual) is the “pillar and bulwark of truth.”

Again we find that the Catholic Church is the staunchest defender of Spirit-led holiness.

3) The Church is CATHOLIC

Many Christian churches have a very limited presence in the world. Some have only one or just a few congregations. While some may have thousands of local congregations, these are often concentrated in one nation or in one region, and are obviously tied to a certain place or culture. Groups like the Southern Baptist Church (which takes its name from a region in the United States) or the Lutheran Church (which is named for its German Protestant founder) are obviously outgrowths of a particular religious movement that is narrow in scope and can be traced to a particular people or nation. They are at best a subset within Christianity.

However, the Catholic Church is truly catholic, not only in name, but in her presence throughout the world and across social and cultural barriers. The word “catholic” means universal. And the Catholic Church has shown herself to be a global Body that seeks followers in all cultures and among all people. There are nearly 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide (far more than any other Christian group) and there is a Catholic presence on every continent (even in countries where being Christian is a crime punishable by death). Just as Jesus said to “go out into all the world,” so the Catholic Church has made herself known in every land and continues to do so.

4) The Church is APOSTOLIC

The Apostles were Jesus’ closest friends and pupils. To them He entrusted His teachings so that they could teach others. In the Bible we read that the Apostles passed on their authority as teachers and leaders to other men who then taught the next generation, and so on. We call this Apostolic Succession. Through Apostolic Succession the Church remains one (since her teachers are bound together in one teaching office); she remains holy (because the authority to teach in the Spirit is passed from one teacher to the next through the laying on of hands); and she remains catholic (as the local churches around the world are ensured that their leaders will be rightly ordained for teaching and administering the Sacraments).

Any church that ordains ministers outside of Apostolic Succession must admit that this vital link has been broken. We must ask: Who has the authority to ordain, except those to whom it has been given? And to whom did Jesus first give that authority? – the Apostles. It is necessary that the Church be Apostolic so that we can be sure that it is the same Church that Jesus established in the First Century with the Apostles as the first bishops.

The only Church that can truly claim this kind of Apostolicity is the Catholic Church. One exception would be the Orthodox Churches. But then we must question the extreme nationalism of the Orthodox. So closely linked are they with particular nations and regions, that while they certainly bear Apostolicity, they lack the Mark of catholicity. Only the Catholic Church bears all four “Marks” of Christ’s true Church, just as Scripture and the Nicene Creed describes them.

In conclusion…

The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church has been led by the successors to Peter (the popes), together with all the bishops, in an unbroken chain of leadership throughout history, preaching to all people, and guided by the Holy Spirit, as the one true Church established by Christ. To become a member of the Catholic Church is to share in the fullness of God’s Revelation and be united to Christ as a member of His Holy Body. If the Nicene Creed is a unifying statement of faith for all Christians, then it is in the Catholic Church that this unity is truly realized this side of heaven

The Four Marks of the Church, Part III

In Parts I and II we began examining the Nicene Creed as a fundamental statement of Christian belief and source of doctrinal unity among Christians in the world today. Specifically we have focused on one line from the Creed – “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic Church.” This passage identifies “Four Marks” of the Church as described by the early Christians who composed the Creed.

Having reviewed the meaning of the first two Marks (that the Church is One and Holy) we now consider the Church as Catholic and Apostolic…

3) The Church is CATHOLIC

The word catholic means “universal” (from the Greek katholikos). By saying that the Church is “catholic” we are recognizing that Christ intended His message for the whole world: “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15) So Church is meant to be universal – that is, for all peoples, at all times, and in all generations. Christ’s Church, if she is to be true to Jesus’ command, must actively seek followers around the world: “...make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you...” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Jesus’ Church cannot remain isolated in one nation or region or among only one cultural group, cutting herself off from the rest of creation. This would not reflect the universal (catholic) mission that Christ commanded. The true Church of Christ should be focused on actively carrying out the mission of evangelizing all of creation just as Christ commanded. The true Church must be catholic.

Thus far in our study of the Four Marks, we have a Church that is One, Holy and Catholic. So how do the various Christian denominations stack up?

Well, most of the thousands of Christian denominations we find today do not have a global reach. How can an independent mega-church in Anytown, U.SA., with only one or two locations and a few thousand members be the same universal Church referred to in the Bible and the Creed? Such a church may be one (even as small as it is) and they may certainly strive to be holy (as we all do), but they are definitely not catholic (universal) as Jesus established His Church to be. How can we call a church “catholic” in the truest sense of the word, when it is so exclusively identified with only one nation or one region or even one city or neighborhood and is not striving to “make disciples of all nations”?

Frankly there are many denominations today that have grown up within a certain cultural setting or among a particular people, churches that are rooted in a spiritual movement or even a political movement. Most of these churches are so narrow in scope that it would be impossible to call them universal. Such churches can only represent a very limited expression of Christianity. For this reason it would seem doubtful that any of these are the same Church referred to in the Creed.

In their defense, it might be argued that most of these Christian denominations have sprung up relatively recently, and so have not had sufficient time to reach a global (or catholic) scale. Given enough time they may reach other cultures and peoples and be more truly universal. But therein lays the final blow against them. They are so very new that they cannot possibly represent the true Church. The fourth Mark of the Church demonstrates this point…

4) The Church is APOSTOLIC

By Apostolic we mean that the Church can trace itself to the Apostles, in an unbroken chain of believers throughout history. What began with Christ and His unique mission as God’s Son was passed on in an uninterrupted line of succession, like a torch handed from one to another, down through the centuries, until today. It is the “torch” of Christ’s own Light…

Christ came as a Light to the World. When He ascended into heaven, He established His Church on earth to be the continuing presence of His own divine Light: “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others…” (Matthew 5:14-16) Jesus promised that this Light will not fade or disappear. His light will not be hid beneath a bushel basket, but rather placed on a lamp stand. (Mark 4:21)

The first to bear the Light of Christ were the Apostles. They received it from Jesus Himself and they passed this Light on to the next generation…and then to the next, and so on, throughout history. In every century, from the time of the Apostles to our own time, we should see the same Church, a Light to the world, as a continuous chain of believers in the one Body of Christ. Jesus promised this Church would not fade or be destroyed, but would be passed on from Apostolic Times. Jesus said,  “…I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) Nothing – not even the powers of hell – can destroy the Church.

So to whom did the Apostles “hand on” this Light of Christ? Was a line of succession established for the leaders who came after the Apostles?

As an answer we read Paul’s command to Timothy: “The things which you have heard from me through many witnesses you must hand on to trustworthy men who will be able to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2) We see here that the ministry of authority and leadership in the Church was handed on since New Testament times. The Apostles immediately set about organizing Jesus’ Church, installing trustworthy teachers who would continue their ministry of leadership. Paul instructs Titus in this way: “I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you…” (Titus 1:5) And Paul says that these leaders deserve obedience for “they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing – for that would be harmful to you.” (Heb 13:17)

Now certainly, every Christian denomination has some form of leadership (ministers, preachers, elders), but how many can claim that their leadership traces directly to the Apostles themselves? Most of the thousands of Christian churches can only trace their existence back to some split with another Christian group or denomination. The founders of these churches lived centuries after the Apostles and had no direct link to Apostolic teaching. In fact some churches have only been in existence for ten years, or five years, or even less. Can a church claim to be Christ’s true Church if it was not founded by Christ Himself? Can a church be called the true Church, as described in the Creed and the Bible, if it does not have the mark of Apostolicity?

So now we see that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. In Part IV we will conclude by demonstrating which church bears all four of these Marks as found in the Nicene Creed and Holy Scripture.

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...

No Divine Person? No definable personhood. - "What about intrinsic human dignity? If there really is a purely reason-based and natural argument for such a thing — which I personally doubt — the idea at least has never, anywhere, dawned upon a whole nation except through Christianity."

Bringing the Whole Family to Mass - "Before I had children, I would spend silent, focused time in prayer. Holy Mass was a sweet time where I could savor and delight in God’s Presence. It was confusing to me at first to find the situation so altered. I was still to get to Heaven but God was allowing a lot of gooey and colorful distractions to complicate my journey to that final goal..."

Vatican Tells United Nations Human Sexuality Not an 'Identity', Defends Moral Truth - "The Archbishop insisted that 'denying the moral dimension of sexuality leads to denying the freedom of the person in this matter, and undermines ultimately his/her ontological dignity.'"

Dem: Medical Choices Must "Come From Government" - Control is the end goal. It always was and always will be for big government thugs."

The Index of Forbidden Books - "The guidance that the Church gives the faithful today is couched in terms that are not only broader; they are also worded positively rather than negatively. In other words, instead of telling us which books we cannot read, the code contains several canons explaining who has the right to authorize the publication of books that we can."

The Court of Paris. An Assessment - "...in order to understand better the vision of Benedict XVI that lies behind the Court of the gentiles, one must reread the final part of the speech that he gave on September 12, 2008 in Paris, at that same Collège des Bernardins which was the setting of one of the encounters in recent days"

Thirty Years Ago: When President Reagan Was Shot - "Ronald Reagan’s religion was at the crux of his crusade for freedom and against a very real evil. And for Reagan, it was a bullet fired 30 years ago this week, March 30, 1981, that provided sharp clarity to that sense of direction and purpose."


How Modern Art Led Me to God - "What I sensed in my soul is that there is indeed a scale of objective beauty. Some works of art are more beautiful than others; therefore, there must be some ultimate source of beauty that the more beautiful works are more like than the less beautiful ones."
 
The Myth of Religion "Shoved Down Throats" is Busted! - "There are not real instances of religion being shoved down someone's throat in our modern Western culture. Rather, it is a saying that the non-religious have made up to reject religious dialogue."


Is GLEE Promoting Planned Parenthood's Sexual Education? - "If you don't believe the episode in question is promoting Planned Parenthood - then why would Planned Parenthood hype the episode on their Facebook page?" [Very important to read this follow-up piece: Behind Hollywood Shows are Advocates of Radical Agendas - which exposes a group that pushes abortion and contraception through the media.]

British Museum to Display 'Thorn' from Jesus' Crown - "A relic claimed to be a thorn from Jesus' crown is to go on display at the British Museum, after having been kept safely in a British Jesuit school for 200 years. "

Secret Veil Illustrates Christ's Resurrection - "It is, in fact, "the napkin" or "handkerchief" (in Greek: soudarion), to which St. John the Evangelist is referring in his report of the discovery of the empty tomb by St. Peter and himself, that they saw "apart" from the cloths (including the shroud of Joseph from Arimathea) in which Jesus had been buried."

Could the Discovered Codices Mention Christ's Final Days? - "Seventy lead codices turned up five years ago in a remote cave in eastern Jordan, a region where early Christian believers may have fled after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE." [Proceed with caution. See this follow-up article: More on the Lead Codices]


Marian Messenger - "A scary encounter with the New Age and an unknown Marian apparition led apologist to use his talents for the Church"


Can We Stop Pretending Now? - "This years Easter Egg Roll at the White House has nothing to do with the resurrection of Our Lord from the dead, but is absorbed with Planet as Idol and children as zealots in formation"


A Short History of the "Left Behind" - Premillennial dispensationalism, especially in popular forms such as the Left Behind books, seemingly offers biblical answers about the near future for Christians who are convinced that things are going from bad to worse. However, it is based on a flawed Christology that leads to a deficient ecclesiology and ultimately results in a severely skewed eschatology.

Eulogies not Allowed at Funeral Masses - "The Church's liturgical law, which the bishop cannot change or disobey or ignore, says that eulogies at funerals are not permitted." 

 

The Traditional Latin Mass in seminaries? - "The ramifications of an instruction to seminaries to teach students the Extraordinary Form – and enough Latin to know what they’re saying – are enormous."

Why I Wear My Biretta - "I wear the biretta for Luigi."

 

The New Mass Translation - The Power of Fancy  - "...I like the idea that the language will be fancier. I like fancy language. Fancy makes things seem special."

 

Pastors: This Is the Time to Fix Your Music Program  - "The new Missal integrates English chant into the structure of the Mass to a much greater degree than the past editions. The Bishops are pushing for the Missal chants to become precisely what we have always lacked in the post-1970 world: a national body of music that has been approved by the Church that is known by everyone."
 

If you are one of those Catholics who is still wondering why we need a new English translation for the Mass, read this post by Father Z.

Video of Catholic Converts - Names and faces of prominent people who have joined the Catholic Church. [I didn't care for the musical selection, but you can turn the sound down and just read the captions.]

Is Hell Crowded or Empty?

The Four Marks of the Church, Part II

In Part I we examined the Nicene Creed as an important resource for teaching the Christian faith. For the purpose of Christian unity the Creed is a valuable point of reference which compresses the essence of Christian belief into brief but precise statements about God and His work in history. The Nicene Creed ought to be a tremendous asset in building solidarity among various Christian denominations. To that end we will now examine what are called the “Four Marks” of the Church as listed in the Creed…the Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. If we can come to an understanding of how the Church embodies these four ideals, then we may discover how Christian unity can best be achieved.

“We believe in one, holy, catholic and Apostolic Church…"

1) The Church is ONE

We must always remember that Christ established only one Church. In fact, Jesus always referred to His Church in the singular, never plural. Whenever “churches” (plural) are mentioned in the New Testament it is always in reference to a collection of specific communities which together comprise the one, whole Church. But these communities of Christians are not independent of each other. Rather they are united into one “Body of Christ” with Jesus Himself as its Head (Ephesians 4:15-16). Christ has but one Body, and so Christ has but one Church. As Paul tells us, “there are many members yet one body.” (1Corinthians 12:20) Obviously Jesus’ intention was to build one unified Church, not multiple denominations or churches.

As evidence of this, Jesus prayed to His Father for the unity of His Church: “Holy Father, protect them in your name...so that they may be one, as we are one.” (John 17:11) We might ask ourselves: Would the Father and the Son disagree on doctrinal matters such as the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, or Baptismal Grace, or the authority of Bishops? No, They would not. Yet many Christians have a distorted notion of Christ’s “Church” which pits one denomination against another, each radically opposed to the other on core doctrines. Does this fulfill the unity of Father and Son as Jesus prayed? Yet some Christians considered these fragmented groups to be part of the same “Church.” This cannot be the Biblical meaning of “oneness,” and it cannot be the meaning intended in the Creed. The Church cannot teach contradictory doctrines and yet be called “one.”

So in our quest for Christian unity, we must look for a single Body as the true Church of Christ. It cannot be that all Christian denominations together form a single Church when their doctrines are so contradictory. Authentic Christian unity must mirror the unity of the Father and the Son just as Jesus described.

2) The Church is HOLY

God is active in the Church, which makes the Church a holy institution: When Christ ascended to the Father in heaven, He did not leave the Church alone in its earthly mission: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever.” (John 14:16) This Advocate was none other than God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit: “…the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” (John 14:25-26)

The Spirit was sent to be with the Church “forever,” as Jesus promised. This abiding presence of the Holy Spirit ensures that the Church’s teaching will remain true: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13) So, the Church received the Spirit from Jesus on that first Pentecost and was given the assurance that she would never be abandoned by the Spirit, and that this Spirit would guide her to all truth. It is this continuing presence of the Spirit of Truth which sanctifies (makes “holy”) the Church: “Sanctify them in truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17-19)

So in our quest for Christian unity, we know that there is ONE Church established by Jesus; and that He established that Church as a HOLY institution. She is assured the protection of the Spirit so that she cannot err in matters of faith. We know from Christ’s own promise, that the Spirit will abide forever with the Church to sanctify her in truth. So where is this one, holy Church?

In Part III we will examine the other two Marks of the Church, to seek and answer to this question…

The Four Marks of the Church, Part I

A basic summary of Christian belief can be found in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (called simply the Nicene Creed). This formulation of the faith is generally accepted among most Christian denominations and used in many of their worship services. The Nicene Creed presents a series of concise theological statements about God, the Trinity, the Incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus, His suffering, death and Resurrection, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the formation of the Church and the Final Judgment. This Creed (from the Latin: credo – “I believe”) was formulated in the Fourth Century primarily through the work of two Ecumenical Councils: the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 and the Council of Constantinople in 381. It is from these two Councils it receives its name.

The Nicene Creed is an invaluable tool for teaching the faith. Each phrase of the Creed could be elaborated upon to fill volumes of theological books explaining the Church’s teaching on essential doctrines. The words of the Creed are ripe with philosophical implications, which at the time of its composition were hotly debated. Indeed the Creed took its shape at a time of turmoil with Christendom, and was designed to answer challenges posed by heretics of the early centuries. The Nicene Creed thus establishes the truth of Christian doctrine, encapsulating the essence of Christian belief on certain key points, and laying down a standard by which we can judge correct teaching.

The overall structure of the Creed may have originated in the baptismal formulas of the ancient Church. Those to be baptized must first attest to their belief in one God, the Father Almighty, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, and so on. This pattern of baptismal commitment makes the Nicene Creed a rallying point for all Christians who share belief in these essential matters of faith and are baptized into one baptism. Our shared baptism is expressed verbally in our shared Creed.

Christians of many denominations repeat the words of the Creed when gathered for worship. But many do not give much thought to the meaning of the words they say. I wonder if more Christians paid closer attention to the words of this statement of faith, whether we might achieve better unity among Christians. So below I present the entire Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. And following this text I would like to focus on one line in particular, which I believe tells us where Christian unity can be found in a most concrete way…

Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed

I believe in one God, the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

I am using here the latest translation of the Latin which will be used at Catholic Masses beginning in Advent of 2011. As we recite the Creed, we might notice that the words “I believe” (Latin - credo) appear four times throughout: once at the beginning when referring to the Father, once again for His Son, Jesus Christ, and again for the Holy Spirit. This represents our belief in the Trinity of persons Who make up the Godhead. The fourth occurrence of “I believe” is in the following line:

“…I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church…”

This is where our faith takes shape in the physical world. This is where our belief in God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit becomes a lived experience for Christians. And it is here that I would focus our attention on Christian unity.

The Church is described here as having four distinct attributes or “marks” – One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. We will therefore examine these Four Marks and determine what they mean for the Church today. If the ancient Christians determined that Jesus’ Church is best described using these characteristics, and they carefully selected these words to be enshrined in the Creed, then we ought to take a serious look at the meaning of these words. If we recite these words while at worship, then we ought to be certain that we are living out these beliefs in our Christian life.

In Part II we will begin to take up each of the Four Marks individually…

The New Translation and Other Liturgical Matters...

If you are one of those Catholics who is still wondering why we need a new English translation for the Mass, read this post by Father Z at his blog, aptly named: "What Does the Prayer Really Say?" Check out the comparison he lays out between the new translation (which will be used starting in Advent of this year) and the current translation now in place. When put side-by-side against the literal meaning of the Latin it is easy to see why we needed a new translation. And it is horrible to think that we have put up with such an awful rendering of the Liturgical texts for as long as we have.

The upcoming liturgical changes have me thinking more about the Liturgy in general. In the near future I will be posting some thoughts on other aspects of the Liturgy that interest me, especially areas where I personally believe we might benefit from some prayerful reflection.

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...

What Confused Mary About the Annunciation? - "What can our Lady mean by this statement, because I know not man (i.e. I do not have relations with a man)? How is this a quasi-objection to the Angel’s message that Mary would conceive a son?" 

Tradition, Scripture, and Magisterium: The Fullness of Truth - "The Christian faith is not a 'religion of the book.' Christianity is the religion of the 'Word' of God, a word which is 'not a written and mute word, but the Word which is incarnate and living.'" 

A Light to the Nations: The Meaning and Future of the Catholic Church - "It's not possible to be what some people call a 'cultural' Catholic. Catholic culture comes from an active Catholic faith. Unless we truly believe and practice that faith, 'Catholic culture' very quickly becomes a dead skin of nostalgia and comfortable habits." [lengthy (but very good) article by Archbishop Chaput]
 

Reading the New Testament with Pope Benedict XVI  - "...he does more than study the texts' historical and literary meaning. He reads in light of the Church's teachings and tradition. He employs the spiritual interpretation methods found in the New Testament, the writings of the Church Fathers, and in the Church's liturgy."

The Incredible Shrinking Kung - "After Vatican II, Ratzinger and Kung took very divergent roads. Ratzinger emerged as a formidable defender of Catholic orthodoxy and was eventually elected pope. Kung became a theological celebrity and antagonist of the papacy." 

Why Does God Allow Tsunamis and Massacres? - "The anomaly, Jesus implies, is not that they were judged, but that so far you have been spared.  Repent, while opportunity remains!"

 

Philosopher's new book appeals to reason alone to make pro-life case - "Instead of appealing to religious authority or an instinctive sense of outrage, Kaczor has sought to examine the arguments for abortion with painstaking care – in order to point out flawed premises, logical inconsistencies, or absurd results."

The Church and the Unions - "A union that does not defend its own is, of course, an absurdity. A union that defends only its own, with no concern for the common good, is something else altogether. That kind of unionized selfishness smacks of organized greed..."


Obamacare and carey's Heart - "The plain truth is that the American system is better at rewarding innovation and responding to consumer needs. But the history of government-led care is there for all to see. Are we doomed to repeat it?" [By Senator Ron Johnson]

How Political Correctness Makes Us Dumb - "The ability of the human mind to make true universal judgments is a power that distinguishes human beings from other things like baboons, snails, and rocks."
 

Pessimism, not Despair - "For the last many decades, the purveyors of nonsense have argued that what is needed is more and better contraceptives. What we need is self-control and responsibility — qualities hard to inculcate in the young when their parents are devoid of these very qualities."

 

Beware a Kinder, Gentler Social Leveling - "The state, empowered by the political action of the masses (or at least a group claiming to speak for the masses), works to gain control of the wealth and property of a society and then to redistribute it in such a way as to make people equal. It should be obvious that this type of action vastly increases the power of the state because it becomes the effective owner of all property."

  

Dino Deaths & Original Sin - "If death, disease, pain and suffering entered the world because of the first sin, then how would one best reconcile the deaths of all the Dinosaurs and other preceding animal throughout time up until the point that God first breathed life into Man and then Mankind committed the first sin?"

  

Do Beautiful Churches Produce Vocations? - "A building, whether we like it or not, is a statement of our values, our faith and our world view."

  

Why don’t we have more Novus Ordo Masses in Latin? - [Written from the perspective of a Catholic in England, but still could be asked of America as well.]

 

It's "Buy Your Priest a Beer" Week! - "Think about it:  these guys get shuttled around, never getting to put down roots.  They spend hours on the road trying to cover a whole cluster of churches; and they either live alone in a shabby rectory, or with a few other equally overworked, underpaid, under appreciated priests whose training and understanding of their vocation might be totally different from their own."

Stations of the Cross - MP3 Downloads from Fr. Z's Blog