Tongues of Fire Burning the Building Down

(Mother of the New Pentecost:: taken from the wonderful site St. Andrei Rublov Icons) I’ve been reflecting today on the wonderful interview given by Matthew Fox, regarding the publication of his new book, The Pope’s War. Fox is also one of the keynote speakers at the ongoing American Catholic Conference in Detroit. Thanks to Colleen [...]

Joy in Adversity: Petr’s Vocation as Minister to Gays

(Photo is of Jan Hus, Catholic reformer burned at the stake by the Inquisition in 1414 for teaching the fundamental equality of laypersons and priests, insisting that both should receive communion under both species. He is frequently and mistakenly described as a “Protestant Reformer,” but at the time of his death he considered himself a [...]

ONE NATION UNDER GOD: Sacred Art and the Mystical Dimension

This extraordinary portrait of the face of Christ, entitled “The Light of God Within,” was created by the remarkable artist, One Nation Under God (formerly known as Steve Kreuscher. He is now seeking a suitable Church that would like to incorporate this great image into its sanctuary.) By a fortuitous “accident,” we became friends when [...]

TWILIGHT OF LOVE: Loss of Faith and the Religious Quest

I recently read ‘lapsed Catholic’ Colm Toibin’s travel book, The Sign of the Cross, which chronicles his journeys through Catholic Europe, and his own ruminations about his loss of his childhood religious faith. I was particularly moved by his encounter with Scotland’s “only Catholic novelist,” Thomas Healy, author of Fathers and Personality. Healy replied to [...]

Barbarians at the Gate: Chris Hedges on the Threat of the Christian Right

Another powerful, prophetic warning from Chris Hedges at TruthDig Posted on Jun 7, 2010 Truthdig collage based on a White House photo by Pete Souza By Chris Hedges Tens of millions of Americans, lumped into a diffuse and fractious movement known as the Christian right, have begun to dismantle the intellectual and scientific rigor of the Enlightenment. [...]

THE SPIRIT BLOWS WHERE SHE WILL

The Prague Fringe Festival is underway in this city of many theaters (almost as many as there are churches). One of the venues hosting events is the lovely little Hussite Church of St. John the Baptist in Mala Strana at the edge of Kampa Park. I attended a concert there last evening – local pop/folk [...]

JOHN MCNEILL ON BENEDICT IN PORTUGAL

Once again, John McNeill has posted a very wise, compassionate and insightful response to Pope Benedict’s recent oblique reference to gay marriage as one of ‘the greatest threats to the human race.’ John reminds us that ‘gay marriage’ isn’t just about fairness and justice for gay people, it constitutes an essential gift to the culture [...]

LET GOD LOVE GENE ROBINSON

 (For any who are interested, here is a very moving account of Gene Robinson’s unfolding life of self discovery and self acceptance as a gay Christian father,  husband, priest and bishop. The article from GQ also includes the reactions of his former wife and two daughters to his coming out as a gay man [...]

OPEN LETTER TO POPE BENEDICT XVI FROM BISHOP GENE ROBINSON

(thanks to reader John Lliff for this link to The Washington Post) Your Holiness, Though our churches differ in many ways, we believe in the same God. As your brother in Christ, it pains me to see Catholics struggle with your response to recent allegations of sex abuse by priests. Since my denomination has also [...]

THEN AND NOW: JOACHIM OF FIORE And JOHN MCNEILL

Contrast the  following three statements: The first is a report of Pope Benedict’s address on March 10th of this year. “The Pope’s address to the weekly audience continued the reflections on St. Bonaventure that he had begun the previous Wednesday. In this second talk, the Holy Father concentrated on St. Bonaventure’s response to Joachim of [...]