De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

Just keep up with modern secular society... A theme I constantly refer to is the evidence around us for what works in building the Church and what does not work. I try to always base this on facts and evidence, but the basic conviction that there is a right and a wrong way to do things comes from my own experience growing up Catholic. The lack of instruction I received and the ensuing confusion about what it meant to be Catholic, coupled with a growing sense of meaninglessness based on the platitudes of niceness which constituted most of that experience. Why believe in something that is meaningless? Why argue about ancient truths is they don't matter in application in any case? If they merely constitute a 'nice' way of looking at things? There had to be more to this Christian thing than that! Didn't lots of people die rather than renounce these beliefs once? Discovering that being Christian was important, that it had a real, powerful effect on the choices you...

Great blog from Fr. Dwight Longnecker yesterday who completely understands the issues we are facing (in the West at least): "No wonder people have stopped going to church because if your religion is no more than Moralistic Therapeutic Deism why bother dragging yourself off to a dreary building early on a Sunday morning to sing awful hymns with awful people and listen to some guy or gal read from a 2000 year old book and then drone on about being a nicer person peace and justice all are welcome gather them in and songs about eagles. You get my point. People are dropping out of church because it simply doesn’t make sense." According to Anglican Blogger Archbishop Cranmer, (and the 2015 British Election Study) there is no decline in the Catholic Church in this country, numbers are steady due to immigration, whereas Anglicanism will soon be obsolete unless there are some rapid changes. See here . What I don't understand is why the majority of the Catholic hierarchy, and ...

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...