After the Second Vatican Council, church attendance numbers in Germany declined. It is frequently maintained that there is a causal connection between the two. But is this really true?
Read moreCategory: Secularism
Is Religious Faith Being Supplanted by Secular Xenophobic Nationalism?
“The culture war over religious morality has faded; in its place is something much worse.”
Read moreAnointing of the Sick and Consumerism
Last fall, I offered a reflection on anointing of the sick. Here, I follow up with some additional reflection on anointing in a secularized society characterized by consumerism.
Read moreOn Orthodox Fundamentalism
“The insidious danger of Orthodox fundamentalists is that they obfuscate the difference between tradition and fundamentalism. By repurposing the tradition as a political weapon, the ideologue deceives those who are not inclined to question the credibility of their religious leaders.”
Read more“A Youth Movement in the Priesthood”
“These twenty-something priests — and others like them — are the future face of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. In an increasingly secular culture, they have their work cut out for them, but they say they are undaunted.”
Read moreThousands Leave German Churches to Avoid Tax
Up to 200,000 Germans are believed to have filed official declarations last year renouncing their membership of the Protestant church, the highest number in almost two decades. A similar number are thought to have left the Catholic Church.
Read moreM.T.D. and C.A.P.E. Catholics
Rather than scowl at the crowds who fill our pews four days a year, perhaps we need to learn what they have to teach us about the power of the Gospel.
Read moreBeauty and Secularism – the Society for Catholic Liturgy meets
Beautiful liturgy glorifies God, and awakens a natural human desire for beauty.
Read moreViewpoint: A World-Wide Persecution of Christians is Well Underway
Why are Christians in the West not aware of this terrible holocaust? For one thing the media do not report the persecution of Christians, and consider such news “politically incorrect.” Political leaders, for various reasons, are deaf to cries for help.
Read moreThe Monument to Atheism in Florida; The Onion on the Universe
“It was not a bad day because the atheists were allowed to install their monument on government property, or anywhere else. It was a bad day because the monument is so damn ugly.”
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