Category Archives: The Drill

450 years ago today: Council of Trent closed!

Today is the 450th anniversary of the closing of the Council of Trent. Let’s think about this for a moment. First, the day the Second Vatican Council opened Pope John XXIII gave an address to the world and to the … Read More

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, Linking Back, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices, Vatican II | Tagged , , , , , , ,
11 Comments

Active Participation … for WHOM?

On the 50th anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium, I read this: Dutch bishops give Pope Francis a bleak picture of Catholic Church in decline Dutch bishops visiting Rome this week have given Pope Francis a dramatic snapshot of the steep decline … Read More

Posted in Liberals, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices, Vatican II | Tagged
18 Comments

Pope Francis: Peace which is not tranquility.

In his daily, non-Magisterial of-the-cuff fervorino Pope Francis said this (remember, the Vatican doesn’t give us everything – they cut it up into little snippets they deem important and thus take everything out of context… I digress): […] “Jesus was full of … Read More

Posted in Francis, The Drill | Tagged , , , , , ,
11 Comments

Some 100 US dioceses have adopted Common Core

From Breitbart: Controversy Intensifies Among Catholic Educators over Common Core With approximately 100 out of 195 Catholic dioceses throughout the United States embracing the new Common Core State Standards, the controversy is intensifying among Catholic educators not only with regard … Read More

Posted in Liberals, Pò sì jiù, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged
48 Comments

Fewer Catholics schedule funerals for their dead

A tip of the biretta to Pewsitter for this piece from the Worcester Telegram: Bishop McManus worried that some omit funeral Masses WORCESTER — Bishop Robert J. McManus is expressing concern that Central Massachusetts Roman Catholics are not scheduling funeral … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Cri de Coeur, Four Last Things, Fr. Z KUDOS, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, New Evangelization, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , , ,
27 Comments

Evangelii gaudium 54 and the attack on “trickle down” economics

There is a controversial paragraph in Evangelii gaudium in which the Pope seems to be attacking “trickle-down” economics. 54. In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will … Read More

Posted in Dogs and Fleas, Francis, Liberals, The Drill | Tagged , , , , ,
48 Comments

Francis has succeeded in doing what no Pope has ever done: divide the ‘c’atholic Left

Read reactions and analysis of Evangelii gaudium and you will quickly see that the catholic Left’s take on the Apostolic Exhortation inexorably veers into “Isn’t it great that the Pope hates traditionalists? He’s one of us!” Heh heh.  Not so much. … Read More

Posted in Liberals, Lighter fare, The Drill, Women Religious | Tagged , , , , , ,
24 Comments

Evangelii gaudium 138: Sermons should be brief. How brief is “brief”? POLL

Are we now too impatient to receive even good preaching?  Should we, therefore, dumb preaching down? Those who are familiar with the Fathers of the Church know all too well that their sermons were often pretty long, well over an hour.  Think … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Francis, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, The Drill | Tagged , , , , ,
73 Comments

Evangelii gaudium: Translation issues, problems

I am detecting rumblings that the English translation of the Pope’s new (first) Apostolic Exhortation is not so hot and that it may be, in some key places misleading. There are always going to be differences in opinion about how … Read More

Posted in Francis, The Drill | Tagged , , ,
17 Comments

A “Francis Effect” in these USA?

There is a lot of buzz about a “Francis Effect”.  As I watch Twitter, for example, I see comments such as “I’m not Catholic anymore, but I really like this Pope!” or “I disagree with the Church on a lot … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Francis, New Evangelization, The Drill | Tagged
14 Comments