Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord Archbishop Robert J Carlson

Archbishop J. Carlson has written a pastoral letter for the Year of Faith titled Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord  wherein he gives a forthright recitation of what Credo Co-Founder Ken Jones called Leading Catholic Indicators, asks what it means for the future, and moves on to examine what caused it and what can be done about it.

He identifies three causes: 1) Confusion following Second Vatican; 2) Secularization, and 3) Personal Sin, which his Excellency called “Personal Choices”. But he wrote unequivocally about sin. He hints at solutions in this section: leadership, education, engagement and personal holiness.

New Life in Renewal A Response to Vatican II

In response to the challenge that the Second Vatican Council presented to religious congregations, which was to renew the charism of their institute according to the authentic and original spirit of their foundress, seven sisters participated in an experiment that ultimately led to the forming and founding of a new branch of  Mercy.

The vision of Mother Catherine McAuley, the foundress of the congregation, was to establish Houses of Mercy. The Sisters strive to develop and amplify this vision within the mission of comprehensive health care, understood as the care of the entire person (spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional) and the Church has approved this for their particular institute.

Register on-line before Wednesday 5-June by clicking here.

Peter Kreeft Lecture on Blaise Pascal and the New Evangelization

The first annual John Cardinal Glennon Lecture in Philosophy was a Peter Kreeft Lecture on Blaise Pascal and the New Evangelization. This assigned topic turned out a lively recap of his 2003 book Christianity for Modern Pagans, which is a commentary on (some of) Pascal’s Pensées (thoughts), which in turn was a posthumously published collection of little notes he’d made and didn’t live long enough to ruin by turning them into a book. If you’re wondering what Pascal might have to offer “apostate Christendom” besides his famous Wager, Kreeft said he thinks Pascal is the single most effective apologist he knows of for moderns. What follows here is only one example from the lecture and is very much abbreviated, so by all means order a copy of the lecture by calling St. Joseph Radio at (636)447-6000. $10, tax & postage included. If you can send a little extra, it will help pay the rent and carry on with an important (if grossly underutilized) service. We recommend buying several copies and giving them to any modern pagans you may know. Maybe it'll whet their appetites for the book.

Can Dignitatis Humanae Be Reconciled With Traditional Catholic Doctrine?

Can Dignitatis Humanae be reconciled with traditional Catholic doctrine? A new book-length debate on this question between Credo Spiritual Adviser Fr. Brian Harrison O.S. and Arnold T. Guminski has just come off the press and is available for order from St. Augustine's Press by clicking here.

One of the gravest and most divisive issues confronting the Catholic Church in recent decades—a major factor in an ongoing institutionalized rupture between Rome and at least half a million traditionalist Catholics – is the question of whether Vatican II’s Declaration Dignitatis Humanae (DH) can be reconciled with traditional Church doctrine on religious liberty. Although the book is not a primer on the Church's traditional teaching and is not an exhaustive treatment of DH, it does provide a tour and "a sound albeit select introduction to the history of Church teaching on religious liberty."

Don't Be an Idiot says Anthony Esolen

Doctor Anthony Esolen, professor of English at Providence College in Rhode Island, presented “Fatherhood and Freedom” as 2013 Frederick Philip Kenkel Memorial Lecture for the Feast of St. Joseph, co-sponsored by Credo of the Catholic Laity and the Catholic Union of Missouri. With over 130 in attendance, Professor Esolen explained the necessity of fathers and fatherhood, not only in the family, but also in society.

Touching on works by Milton and even ancient classics such as by Dante, the members of Credo were given illustrations of the largely unchanging role of fathers from times long past up to the present, in societies stretching from east to west.  Far from being only a western, or Christian, or relatively recent institution in the history of man, the role and identity of fatherhood is universal and has always been an important, even necessary component for the preservation of freedom and law.

Francis Pope of Firsts

Working away on the next issue of Evangelium with EWTN in the background, I heard “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope! The most eminent and most reverend lord, Lord Jorge Mario, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Bergoglio, who has taken for himself the name Francis.” It was of course in Latin, but because of many influences including Credo, I was able to catch most of it.

So Cardinal Bergoglio has decided to call himself Francis. We have not yet learnt which Francis he means to name himself for — Francis of Assisi, Francis Xavier, or even Francis de Sales. But he is a Pope of firsts: the first Francis, the first from the New World, the first Jesuit Pope, very likely the first Pope to ask the people to pray for God to bless him before he blessed them. Probably the first Bishop of Rome to greet his new diocese with “good evening, everybody” and to close with “go get some sleep”. And the first pope properly called a son of Second Vatican.

Audio Recordings from Day of Recollection Available from St. Joseph Radio

A successful CREDO Day of Recollection in the Chapel of Saint Anselm at the Oratory of Saints Gregory and Augustine last Saturday proved a worthwhile occasion to enhance our Lenten observance and enjoy some Christian fellowship. Father Ambrose Bennett of the Saint Louis Priory presented the opening conference and this was followed by the Sacrament of Penance as the rosary was prayed in common. Father Bennett also celebrated the Mass and our own Father Brian Harrison was in attendance to sing the day’s Epistle and provide a homily.

The Mass was very uplifting, being sung in the Extraordinary Form with the schola of St. Mary of Victories under the able direction of Mr. Stan Metheny. After a catered lunch and a break, Father Bennett gave a second conference. New to our annual event was sung Vespers, concluding with Benediction. The CREDO Day of Recollection is an annual event. If you missed this year, we hope to see you at our next event!

Audio recordings of Fr. Ambrose’s conferences and Fr. Harrison’s sermon from the Day of Recollection are available from St. Joseph Radio for $12 including postage. 2 CD set, about 1-3/4 hours of material. Call (636) 447-6000 or e-mail ordermo1@saintjosephradio.net. (Fr. Ambrose made two Chesterton references!)