Salvation
Last Things First
Friday, August 24th, 2012Death. Judgment. Heaven. Hell. Not exactly light topics, to be certain–and yet the Four Last Things raise questions most of us seek to have answered. The answers to the questions of eternity impact how we live and move in the present life. Drawing not just from Scripture and Tradition, but the wisdom of philosophers, poets, playwrights and [...]
Christ and Covenants
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009In the July/August 2009 issue, Lay Witness ran an article on the relationship between Christians, Jews, and God, especially as it pertains to the Old Covenant, the New Covenant, and evangelization (“All in the Family: Christians, Jews, and God”). Authors Michael Forrest and David Palm respond to two common errors and show that Christians have [...]
Where do aborted babies go?
Friday, September 12th, 2008A CUF member asks… What happens to aborted babies at death? Are they considered martyrs? Are they admitted directly into heaven? We don’t know what happens to aborted babies. In hope we commend them to God’s infinite Love and Mercy. Theologians are working on the answer. Recently, the International Theological Commission came out with a [...]
No Longer “Eternally Valid”
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008We have commented in previous posts concerning the controversial sentence in the U.S. Catechism for Adults that says, “Thus the covenant that God made with the Jewish people through Moses remains eternally valid for them.” While susceptible of an orthodox interpretation, the wording was ambiguous, giving the impression that Jews have their own independent means [...]
Let’s Be Catholic
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008Today’s Catholics are called to be leaven in the new millennium. This is a tremendous challenge, as the richness of our Catholic faith isn’t reducible to mere soundbytes, and timeless Christian wisdom is often portrayed today as simply one voice among many or as the “spin” of the religious right. This all points to the [...]
Salvation for the Jews
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008Pope Benedict’s amazing itinerary this week includes a meeting tomorrow in Washington with 50 Jewish leaders as well as a visit to Park East Synagogue in New York on Friday. Certainly these opportunities for dialogue are important for the Church’s cordial yet delicate relationship with Judaism, especially in light of the recent controversy concerning the [...]
Handling the Truth
Friday, April 11th, 2008Many of us who uphold the Church’s teachings, especially in questions of morals, have been told we’re not “compassionate.” How dare we tell couples they shouldn’t live together before marriage, or that they shouldn’t contracept, let alone abort their children, once they’re married? How dare we tell those with same-sex attractions to avoid acting upon [...]
Bishop Rhoades, Sungenis, and the Jews
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008In recent months, Catholic apologist Robert Sungenis has made defamatory statements concerning his bishop, Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades of Harrisburg. These statements have arisen in the context of Sungenis’ writings concerning Judaism and the Jewish people, which many, including Bishop Rhoades, have found to be hostile, uncharitable, and un-Christian in their tone and erroneous in their [...]
The Gift of Faith
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007I recently received this question via email: “Does everyone receive the gift of faith? Why or why not?” I think this is a most timely topic to consider as Christmas approaches. What follows is my response to the questioner. I welcome our readers’ further comments and insights on this topic. “If we mean by ‘faith’ [...]