Mel Redux

The Passion of the Christ: Definitive Edition, says the cover. It promises deleted scenes, but it delivers only two fairly mediocre cuts–not the controversial Emmerick-inspired scenes of the building of the cross (in the high priest’s courtyard) and the slaughtering of the paschal lamb (in the upper room) that I kind of hoped might be…

Gumbleton in Tucson

Local Catholic diocese shuns retired bishop who’ll speak here. Gumbleton was invited by Call to Action. Bishop Kicanas says Call to Action can’t meet on church property, regardless of who they invite.

More RadTrad response to SPLC

Fringe sources continue to blast the Southern Poverty Law Center‘s report on antisemitism among Traditionalist Catholics. At “Tradition in Action,” one Atila Sinke GuimarĂŁes blasts the Arrogant Harassment against Our Catholic Rights (What a choice of words! Worthy of George Wallace!). Atila’s main point is that you can’t confuse religious opposition to Jews with the…

Daniel Radcliffe, Actor

There comes a point when every child actor must tell the world he’s not a child anymore. Daniel Radcliffe is doing that by playing Alan Strang in a London revival of Equus. “Harry Potter” supporting actor Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon) plays Dr. Martin Dysart. Now, if he had not been “Harry Potter,” would this catch…

Defining Torture

Driving out the Snakes gives us some very easy to understand definitions of torture and what is acceptable and unacceptable treatment of enemy prisoners. Bottom line: “If you treat them as you would like to be treated were you captured or detained, then you will be treating them humanely.” On interrogation: If you suspect a…

Drinan dead at 86

Robert Drinan, SJ, died today at the age of 86. Washington Post. Curt Jester. Georgetown press release. His Jesuit superiors gave him permission to run for office as a Democrat–while denying his fellow Jesuit, John McLaughlin, permission to run as a Republican. His Jesuit superiors argued that he would be a good advocate in Congress…

The “Emerging Church”

Christianity Today profiles the evangelical movement known as the “emerging church.” It is said that emerging Christians confess their faith like mainliners—meaning they say things publicly they don’t really believe. They drink like Southern Baptists—meaning, to adapt some words from Mark Twain, they are teetotalers when it is judicious. They talk like Catholics—meaning they cuss…

“Make a wish”

Some sent me this link: Hospice helped dying man lose his virginity. 22 year old Nick Wallis has a form of muscular dystrophy; a hospice for young adults (founded by Sister Frances Dominica, an Anglican nun) helped him make an arrangement with a prostitute. Here’s his own account. He concludes: I do not think I…

Can a Catholic refuse union dues?

Ohio law lets people refuse union dues, but only if they belong to denominations that have historically and consistently refused to recognize labor unions–and the law only recognizes Seventh-day Adventists and Mennonites in that category. But a Catholic teacher is filing suit against that law because she is not being permitted to claim the religious…

Triple Tragedy

Three tragic NASA anniversaries this week: 40 years since Apollo 1 (Jan 27), 21 years since Challenger (Jan 28), 4 years since Columbia (Feb 1).

“A useless mass”

Can there be such a thing? Fr. Reginald Foster thinks so. The phrase comes in this article: He said reports that Pope Benedict will reintroduce the Tridentine Mass, which dates from 1570 and is largely conducted in Latin, were wrong – not least because of the Pope’s desire to avoid more controversies. A speech last…

Random thoughts

It looked like a scene from a Dagwood and Blondie comic–me sprawled under my kitchen sink trying to replace the faucet. The soundtrack was more like the Dad in “A Christmas Story,” however. I emerged triumphant from my battle with the beast, however. I also did some cooking today. I have learned that indeed you…

“Pan’s Labyrinth”

I was thinking today that I hadn’t seen any reviews by Barbara Nicolosi for a long time. Her blog has had few posts since her Houston visit. Well, she’s back with a vengeance, and her target is “Pan’s Labyrinth.” I was especially interested in how she would react to this film, given her work on…

Antisemitism and the Catholic Right

It was five years ago that I started looking at Antisemitism and the Catholic Right. Some folks who used to defend the person I was investigating at that time now acknowledge that I was correct. I’ve chosen not to step back into that fray, but there are discussions going forward led by others that you…

William Miller was a freemason

The progressive adventism blog has an interesting post documenting William Miller’s membership in the lodge. It is remarked that another religious founder, Joseph Smith, was also a freemason. Smith’s masonry clearly influenced his religious views–did Miller’s? I don’t think so.

The remodeling of St. Theresa’s

Fr. Bart Reynolds is remodeling the sanctuary of St. Theresa’s Church in Sugar Land, Texas. Duncan Stroik is the architect. Duncan’s portfolio shows the plan, and what it looked like before and during the initial construction. Here’s how it looks now (pillars still need faux marble painting). See also the before and after pictures of…

Gay adoption in UK

Tony Blair and Ruth Kelly at odds over gay adoption. COMMUNITIES Secretary Ruth Kelly was cut adrift by Tony Blair last night in the row over gay adoptions. The Prime Minister issued a statement saying he backed adoptions by same-sex couples. Ministers backed him, saying the Catholic Church should not be allowed to opt out…

Jimmy Carter: “Too many Jews” on Holocaust Council

Jimmy Carter has some explaining to do: Former President Jimmy Carter once complained there were “too many Jews” on the government’s Holocaust Memorial Council, Monroe Freedman, the council’s former executive director, told WND in an exclusive interview. Freedman, who served on the council during Carter’s term as president, also revealed a noted Holocaust scholar who…

The UN and the “boiled frog”

UN folks screaming about global warming use the tale of the “boiled frog” to warn against indifference. But that tale is an urban legend. Junk science. If they can’t get that right, how do they expect us to trust them on something so big? Two decades ago they were scaring us about global freezing; now…

End of Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Aside from a couple of bloggers and my own mutterings, I’ve heard no mention this week of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Pope Benedict XVI wants all to be involved in the work of ecumenism, but he’s shouting into the roaring wind of the world’s collective yawn.

Sometimes the free market system works

Lots of blogs have been getting riled up about the movies shown at the Sundance festival, including “Hounddog,” in which Dakotah Fanning’s  character is raped. Sometimes the free market system does work–the reviewers have panned it as “simply awful,” and it has no buyers. Roger Friedman of FOX news has this to say about the…