Contraception Contradiction – “In the recent volume Etica teologica della vita: Scrittura, tradizione, sfide pratiche (Theological Ethics of Life: Scripture, Tradition, Practical Challenges), the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) proposes a revolution of Catholic sexual morality.” Going Beyond the Letter of the Law (First Things)
Jetlagged in Rome – “The Vatican almost never schedules large events at this time of year. The oddness of the scheduling of the Consistory alone has given rise to all sorts of dark Roman rumors.” Late August Stirrings in Rome (The Catholic Thing)
The Catholic Cartoon – “If you have been scrolling Instagram lately, you may have stumbled upon a comic making the rounds on social media, and possibly soon at your local parish.” ‘The Catholic Cartoon’: This 19-year-old wants to bring a comic from Instagram to your parish bulletin (America Magazine)
Rattled Employers – “In 2021, over 47 million American workers voluntarily left their employers, meaning that 32.7% of the workforce elected to pursue new personal and professional opportunities.” The Great Resignation as a Sign of the Times (Church Life Journal)
Marriage and Sexuality – “Anyone wondering how traditional Christianity is going to fare in the culture in future, even within many Christian institutions, the disturbing tale of Dr. Bradley Nassif … offers an interesting case in point.” The Cancellation of Dr. Nassif (First Things)
Something Rotten in Cape Town – “When I was young, it was not considered a core part of the curriculum to know about how to procure a sex change, or how to affirm somebody’s esoteric sexual appetites.” A Radical Sexual Agenda Captures Elite Cape Town School (Chris Waldenburger)
Courage and Cowardice – Catholic Vote’s heroes this month include Michigan Wolverine’s Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, Catholic father Wendell Perez. and Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Heroes and Zeroes of August 2022 (Catholic Vote)
King Joffrey – “One of the show’s meanest characters is just a simple down-to-earth man in real life, who was happy to declare his love in this modest Catholic parish.” ‘Game of Thrones’ star marries in a simple and prayerful ceremony in Ireland (Aleteia)
Knights of Malta – “Founded in the 11th century during the Crusades, the ‘Sovereign Military Order of Malta’ long has been a sort of hybrid entity within the Catholic Church.” Tensions over clericalism, sovereignty swirl amid Knights of Malta overhaul (Crux Now)
Vicarious Power – The debate about lay heads of Vatican departments could change the way the Church governs and defines itself at every level — So, what’s going on? What is the ‘lay governance’ debate all about? (The Pillar)
AI Art – Jason Allen’s AI-generated artwork won a fair’s top prize, setting the Internet ablaze with criticism from enraged artists. AI Beats Out Human Artists at Art Competition (Hyperallergic)
Banning Gas – California’s gas car ban faces firm opposition in states across the country. California’s electric car mandate could spread to over a dozen states (Fox Business)
The Digital Frontier – “After the advent of radio, popes and bishops hit the airwaves. When television was born, the Church used it as a tool. Same with the Internet.” Should the Church Send Missionaries into the Metaverse? (Pints with Aquinas)
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“Vicarious Power” (the Pillar):
“Kasper, long-considered one of the leading progressive voices in the German and global Church, has denounced the idea of a permanent synodal governing body with lay members as ‘an outrageous innovation.’” Kasper also has remarked that he is “concerned” about the German “synodal path,” and later that it is at risk of “hanging itself.”
This reader can’t decide whether Kasper really means all these (only) words, or whether he is simply serving as camouflage for an agenda he fully supports. Does a leopard change its spots?
Hello Peter,
Cardinal Kasper wants to schism his German Church away from the Catholic Church, but he does not want to give up his Catholic Church pope voting red hat. No! A Schism German Church must take their, no longer Pope voting Cardinals, with them on their way out the door!
A culture of “AI” in art or any human enterprise, can never ultimately escape the permanently terrestrial cult of man. True art expresses the purpose and meaning of creation, always an echo of the Divine. Modern man would rather create his own conqueror (AI) than submit to the Conquering (all-loving) God. The project to build an intelligence greater than his own is not only vain but self-defeating. The Supreme Intelligence already exists, and doesn’t have to be created by humans!
In this painting one sees city light through a big moongate from an aristocratic privileged interior, which is self-commenting. Are there false lights in art? Discernment is needed to detect which are. Discernment is an act of grace. Did Mr. Allen invoked the name in his moment of reward?
Kingdom of God or cult of man? Every artist chooses. AI is predatory. The computer machine is really the creative act not the panel with the ribbon, an act that has lost sight of God, a human who wants to indirectly create God to satisfy a craving for sovereignty.
California is already crying uncle about charging EVs because of electricity shortages. At the same time they are proposing the elimination of new petroleum powered cars in favor of EVs. Appears that California already has the electrical equivalent of gas lines for EV cars.
Wolves [Contraception Contradiction] are expert at reading tracks of prey, specifically the ability to identify the slightest sign of debility. If so they will zero in on that animal. Wolves in sheep’s clothing are likened to their animal counterpart in seeking the weakness, that by which they may slaughter and devour their prey.
Humanae Vitae. Why the effort by the Academy on the ban against contraception? When it has long been ignored by clergy and laity, even though Paul VI in Humanae Vitae labels its use a serious moral crime? As Cardinal Gerhard Müller and Stephan Kampowski go at great length to substantiate. They are of course correct. But it is precisely because it is an intrinsic evil. And precisely because it is largely ignored almost as if it were a moot issue.
Wolves are very clever. For the clerical kind it’s the easy entree to attack and devour larger game. That is, other less weakened doctrine, Humanae Vitae weakened by years of unfaithful preaching and practice. Other, larger game, perennial doctrine marriage, condemnation of homosexual unions are the real object of their hunt. Doctrine [here contraception] as Müller and Kampowski acknowledge is not outright denied, rather it’s said to be pastorally advanced, to use Pope Francis’ words, understood, argued by the Pontifical Academy for Life as ‘beyond’ the letter of the law.
Cardinal Caffara, the founder of this Pontifical Academy with the avocation and blessings of John Paul II must be filled with heavenly contempt for this raped version of his blessed academy. This wolfish guile, by the woolly dressed, is the real, immense danger facing the Church.
A story not listed here, but worthwhile to note, is in the NY Post about Francis Tiafoe (not sure of spelling). Tiafoe a son of immigrants (from Seirra Leone) won the 4th round of the US tennis open beating a highly ranked tennis player. It’s a nice story on humility and hard work.