BIG C CATHOLICS

EWTN interviewed Father Robert Dodaro, O.S.A., President of the Patristic Institute in Rome, and editor of  Remaining in the Truth of Christ: Marriage and Communion in the Catholic Church . Fr. Dodaro was asked about Cardinal Kasper's proposal allowing Catholics who have divorced and remarried to receive Communion. This is his response: The problem is that, of course, they [divorced and remarried Catholics] remain married to their first spouse. That marriage takes place in Christ and so, that bond cannot be broken by any one, not by the Pope, not by the Church. So that’s the problem with a second marriage, the problem is that they’re still really married to the first spouse. Now, what Cardinal Kasper proposed is that the Catholic Church study what the Orthodox Churches do in that situation and that we copy that, or we try to adjust that to the Catholic Church. ... The problem with it for us [the Catholic Church] is that we have a different understanding of marriage then the ...

Because it is the task of the apostolic ministry to ensure that the Church remains in the truth of Christ and to lead her ever more deeply into that truth, pastors must promote the sense of faith in all the faithful, examine and authoritatively judge the genuineness of its expressions and educate the faithful in an ever more mature evangelical discernment. — St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio

The ordination of men only to the priesthood is a doctrine of the Church. A common criticism of the Catholic Church is that she "does not change with the times." To answer this objection we must distinguish between Church doctrines, which cannot change, and disciplines, which can — as well as discuss doctrinal development. Doctrine vs. Discipline A doctrine is a formal, infallible teaching of the Church which cannot be altered. Doctrines are central truths of the faith (i.e., Christ's divinity, the Eucharist is the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus). Doctrines address matters of faith and morality. They are proclaimed not invented . Disciplines are the Church's man made laws (i.e., priestly celibacy). They are not Church teaching. They do not concern matters of faith and morals expressly, but actions and behaviors informed by the current state of the Church. They may be altered, but rarely are. The all-male priesthood is a doctrine of the Church...

Today is Virgil's birthday. He was born in 70 B.C., and died fifty-one years later. Virgil's poetics were revolutionary. Anyone who has studied Latin has read and translated his poetry. Virgil is ranked as Rome's greatest poet. His Aeneid is considered the national epic of ancient Rome. It tells the story of the eternal city's legendary founder and proclaims the Roman mission to civilize the world. Virgil's writing has greatly influenced Western literature (i.e., in Dante's Divine Comedy , Virgil is Dante's guide through hell and purgatory). Fortunately, his works are in the public domain . The verse inscribed on Virgil's tomb was supposedly composed by the poet himself. It reads in part: In Latin: Mantua me genuit, Calabri rapuere, tenet nunc Parthenope. Cecini pascua, rura, duces  In English:  Mantua bore me, the Calabrians snatched me away, now Naples holds me. I sang of pastures, countrysides, leaders... Want to learn Latin? Father Ga...

The following statements from the encyclicals of Saint John Paul II speak directly to those who are "pro-choice"; especially legislators, heath care administrators and others in positions of authority: But responsibility likewise falls on the legislators who have promoted and approved abortion laws, and, to the extent that they have a say in the matter, on the administrators of the health-care centers where abortions are performed. ... In this sense abortion goes beyond the responsibility of individuals and beyond the harm done to them, and takes on a distinctly social dimension. It is a most serious wound inflicted on society and its culture by the very people who ought to be society's promoters and defenders. — Saint John Paul II, Evangelium vitae (1995), no. 59.  When a parliamentary or social majority decrees that it is legal, at least under certain conditions, to kill unborn human life, is it not really making a 'tyrannical' decision with regard to t...

The Novena to St. Jude starts on Monday, October 19th, leading up to his feast day on October 28th. Jude (not to be confused with Judas Iscariot) is one of the twelve Apostles named by Jesus. He is also known as Thaddeus, (meaning sweetness and gentleness of character) as well as Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. Click here to sign up for daily reminders to pray the St. Jude Novena. Saint Jude followed Jesus faithfully until our Lord's crucifixion. He then preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya. Jude spoke both Greek and Aramaic, and was a farmer by trade. His New Testament letter stressed the importance of a faithful person persevering despite harsh circumstances. Jude died a martyr around the year 65 AD. Tradition holds he was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. After his martyrdom, pilgrims came to his grave to pray. Many benefited from his powerful intercession. Hence the titl...

Holiness does not consist in not making mistakes or never sinning. Holiness grows with the capacity for conversion, repentance, willingness to begin again, and above all with the capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness.  — Pope Benedict XVI