Role Model of Faith – “Just ten days after the death of Pope Benedict XVI on New Year’s Eve 2022, we were shocked by the news that Cardinal Pell, too, had preceded us into the house of the heavenly father.” One Year Without George Pell (First Things)
A Thoroughly Human Writer – “[I]t became clear that the Hawkes understood that art making is premised more on the mysterious hope and trust of prayer than on the risk-averse calculus of Hollywood hit-making … ” Wildcat: The Frenzied Prayer of Flannery O’Connor (Church Life Journal)
Make More Babies – “A diaper company launched its pro-life campaign this week and quoted billionaire Elon Musk’s statement, ‘having children is saving the world,’ in a large electronic billboard ad for the campaign in Times Square.” Diaper Company Launches Pro-Life Campaign, Quotes Elon Musk in Times Square Ad (CatholicVote)
Overemphasizing Group Identification – “[D]oes overemphasizing categories come with a cost? Moreover, is there evidence pointing toward another way to effectively embrace the beautiful, infinite diversity of humanity?” “Precious beyond measure”: rethinking the current approach to diversity (Frontiers)
The Dutch Bishops – “The Vatican document refers repeatedly to a ‘couple’ and ‘couples’ receiving such blessings, but the Dutch statement refers only to individuals, carefully employing the third person singular (‘he/she’ and ‘his/her’) in order to underscore the point.” Dutch cardinal has New Hampshire moment with response to ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ (Crux)
Hymn of the Week – “’Earth stood hard as iron,’ says the poet, Christina Rossetti…. ‘Water,’ she says, simply, was ‘like a stone.’ She doesn’t have to say to us that our hearts, without the saving grace of God, are like that. The whole poem is an appeal to our hearts, after all.'” “In the Bleak Midwinter” (Word & Song by Anthony Esolen)
Impromptu Exchanges – “Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has shown no such aversion to unscripted conversations. He is surely the most-interviewed Pontiff in history, with dozens of in-depth conversations published during his papacy.” When Pope Francis goes off script (Catholic Culture)
Remembering the Memo – “One year after the publication of a controversial FBI memo on Catholicism, a group of Catholics was invited to celebrate a Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Liturgy, a “traditional Latin Mass” in the U.S. Capitol.” ‘Weaponization’ — House Speaker on FBI and ‘traditionalist’ Catholics (The Pillar)
Dare We Hope? – “Is Pope Francis a universalist who believes that while hell is real, no one ends up there in the end?” Who’s in hell? Hans Urs von Balthasar had thoughts. (America)
Primary Concerns – “‘The fate of our Catholic way of life is really at stake in this election,’ CatholicVote president says…” Trump endorsed by CatholicVote as New Hampshire clock ticks closer to midnight (Fox News)
The WHO’s Moral Imperative – “The World Health Organization (WHO) ushered in 2024 with a bulletin titled ‘Advancing the ‘sexual’ in sexual and reproductive health and rights: a global health, gender equality and human rights imperative…'” WHO Chief: Nations Must ‘Counteract Conservative Opposition to Abortion, Promote Transgenderism (Washington Stand)
(*The posting of any particular news item or essay is not an endorsement of the content and perspective of said news item or essay.)
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@ Impromptu Exchanges
We read “When Pope Francis goes off script, neither he nor the Vatican press office bothers to clarify. So the questions linger.”
And the difference between going “off script”and going off the rails is, what?
The most perceptive question of the last ten and three quarter years.
#11 – The WHO’s moral imperative
Right on cue to confirm the African cardinal’s protestations!
#5 – The Dutch bishops
Yes, indeed. Cardinal Eijk is one to watch.
@ A Thoroughly Human Writer
Her plea to God for success in writing on the good and the bad. Somewhat paradoxically with emphasis on the bad. Adding to that she wanted to love. A complex genius who refused to surrender her art to the relativist demands of the critics.
Reading Flannery is itself an art requiring us to think beyond the obvious. For a philosopher theologian it was an epiphany to discover similar philosophical theological depth in a short story writer. A humbling experience. She froze in short detail what the monuments of literature Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Steinbeck did not. Although some of these authors’ vignettes were able to condense their insights. Akin to Beethoven whose greatest efforts were the shorter like his quartets.
Flannery O’Connor with the others had something to say to us because of her ‘frenetic’ faith, her desire to love in a way particular to her person. God revealing himself to us through her unique prism.
@ Dare We Hope
A well thought out assessment of the conflicting notions of Hell in America magazine. Von Balthasar appears to address the salvation of all who are presently living when saying, “We are probably not all saved, but it may be part of our Christian duty to hope so. Otherwise, we limit the mercy of God”. That is perfectly in line with Christ’s intent, according to the Apostle that all men be saved. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-40.
Otherwise, and less likely von Balthasar would agree with Pope Francis’ desire that all men including the damned will be exonerated at the end of time. Francis had said elsewhere that the lost soul would be ‘extinguished’ because God is not a ‘torturer’. However, are we capable of being more just and loving than God? In contrast John Paul II believed there are condemned souls in Hell, although we cannot say with certainty who. Evidently he’s referring to humans, not the angelic souls that Christ says in the Gospels were condemned. In stating that John Paul didn’t take into account the condemnation of the Antichrist, who is referred to in scripture as a man, not a demon. A man who will occupy God’s temple behaving as if he were God. There’s indication Judas was condemned. Although the Church in its wisdom withholds judgment.
In summary von Balthasar seems entirely within doctrinal bounds to express hope that all the living be saved. While His Holiness casts more than a nuance of doubt on whether Hell will remain eternal Hell. As difficult as it may be for some of us to inure oneselves to eternal punishment, acknowledgment of its doctrinal efficacy does have an effect on the seriousness we consider Christ’s revelation. Furthermore, faithful acknowledgment of Hell should compel us to an increase in charity, to offer sacrifice and prayer for the conversion of sinners.