"Never Call a Man's Baby Ugly"

Matthew Warner addresses his recent post Bishops Very Troubled by Some Catholic Blogs in Bishops and Babies.

I often wonder why it is so hard for some bloggers to be civil when writing about others, especially certain bishops or priests. If in doubt whether one's words could wound or cause us to commit the sin of detraction, it may be best to keep silent. Let those words go unwritten.

May the Laity be Critical of it's Pastor, Bishop, Pope, Church?

Photo by Esther G.

Very excellent read. Thank you Father Trigilio!!

...On matters of faith and morals, the official teaching of the Church as elucidated by the Magisterium requires that we ACCEPT. We are to give an ASSENT of Faith to all defined dogmas. Rejecting any dogma is DISSENT and it is a serious offense and grave sin. Revelation is the disclosure of supernatural truths by God to man and which are necessary for our salvation. Unlike Science which learns empirical truth by observation and philosophy which discovers rational truth by deductive and inductive reasoning, theology on the other hand, knows religious truth by divine revelation. "From God's lips to our ears" so to speak.

Consequently, no scientist can DISSENT from the equation 2+2=4 or that water is H2O. Likewise, no theologian and no believer can deny the divinity of Christ, the Real Presence, the Virgin Birth, the Immaculate Conception, et al. It is not academic freedom for Catholic colleges to pay professors who deny Magisterial teachings...

click here to read it entirely

There's Always Someone To See Bad in Something so Good

Thanks to Jean of Catholic Fire for sharing this.

For a few years now, Fr. Antoine of Children of Hope has been bringing more and more children to Eucharistic Adoration. Very young children are learning to love and adore our Lord, truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

One would think Father Antoine's ministry was noble, holy and beyond reproach.

However, a writer for traditional Catholics finds fault in these Children's Holy Hours.

I direct you to Margaret C. Galitzin's article Muslim Style Adoration for Catholic Children

I am of the opinion that children, like all of us, want to see something larger and grander than themselves in the God they worship. They long for the glory and majesty of God. Parents be warned: This is missing in the Children of Hope Eucharistic devotion, which ultimately offers an egalitarian vision of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, turns devotion into a casual chat session with Jesus, and encourages a Muslim-style way to pray for youth and adults.

If what Fr. Antoine is doing is so wrong, why is he a prominent figure for both The World Apostolate of Fatima (Blue Army) and EWTN?

I wonder what Ms. Galitzen's opinion would be of moms in Hawaii who permit their children to do their religion school work in front of Jesus, who read saint stories in front of Jesus, who actually sit in the chairs provided in the Adoration Chapel!!

The purpose of Adoration is to love and adore God in our presence. Children will grow in a deeper more intimate way with our Lord, if they are permitted to see our God as someone who they can actually "talk" to.

I'm not sure why these children are kneeling the way they are in the picture in the article. My guess is that they seem to be able to meditate better with their eyes closed and that it may be a more comfortable position.

I've never been to a Children's Holy Hour by Fr. Antoine so I cannot make a judgment either way on why they are on mats.