De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

A brilliant piece by Fr. Robert McTeigue in Homeletic Review offers a composite picture of our beloved Catholic Church which, he proposes, is suffering from a problem with prayer. Or a lack of prayer. Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi is the old maxim which has long proven true: how we pray is how we believe and thus, how we live. But, asks Fr McTeigue, what happens if we are not praying? Or, if our prayer is fundamentally deficient, won't that have a clear and obvious effect on the belief and therefore the way we live? His first example for analysis is the practice of the Saturday vigil Mass: "We’ll start with Saturday, the time of the Vigil Mass. The legal fiction behind this practice is rooted in passing reference to the ancient practice of the observance of sabbath starting at sunset. But what can this mean for people who have no practical observation of the sabbath in mind?" This is a great point. Since I have been a father, I have always tried to make a point...

Following on from yesterday's news about the changes afoot in the Italian Diocese of Albenga-Imperia, we hear that the Pope has appointed 27 new members of the Congregation for Divine Worship. The Vatican announcement can be read here . A report from Catholic Culture here . A report from La Croix here . Catholic Culture suggests: The new appointments give a distinctly more liberal character—as well as a more international complexion—to the congregation. The changes seem likely to curtail the work of Cardinal Robert Sarah, the prefect of the Congregation, who has been a leading proponent of more reverent liturgy and of “the reform of the reform.” Which is rather disturbing if accurate. I note that one of the appointees is Bishop Alan Hopes of East Anglia, who is a promoter of good liturgy and a good bishop. Rorate Caeli has more detail and notes: Cardinal Robert Sarah remains the Prefect of the CDW. However, the new membership of his Congregation makes hi...

I spotted this excellent article by Catherine Bauer on Catholic Insight. It gives a brilliant synopsis of the history of the introduction of the reception of Communion in the hand as follows (emphasis mine): Since the practice of Communion in the hand has become the common observance in most countries, there has been, whether you like to admit it or not, a spike in Eucharistic abuse. Communion in the hand has given those who wish to do harm and those who are careless the opportunity to do what they want with the Body of Christ. Unfortunately, the situation described above is not uncommon. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Furthermore, Communion in the hand has the potential to promote or at least foster a disrespect for the Body of Christ. As Catholics, we believe this small Host does not represent Christ, but is Christ Himself. How can we, then, possibly touch the living presence of God with our bare, dirty, unconsecrated, and unworthy hands? How? How have we even considered t...