Author Archives: Schütz

As one commentator described Tracey Rowland’s “Inside the Vatican” article, “The Pope and the Philistines”: “This is the best succinct account of Ratzinger/Benedict’s life work and of why so many of us love him.” Our Tracey is at her rhetorical … Continue reading →

I do wish the Princes of the Church would be a little more careful about how they say things. One could have every sympathy with the opinion of Cardinal Keith O’Brien reported in the Herald Sun, but it is entirely … Continue reading →

So, there you have it. After 8:00pm Rome time on February 28, Benedict XVI will 1) still be addressed by the honorific he held before his retirement, ie. “Your Holiness” 2) retain the name he took at his election, ie. … Continue reading →

I am ever thankful for my rich heritage as a Lutheran. In my country parish as I was growing up, I worshipped in a modern gothic church, with a bell in the steeple, stained glass windows, candles, crucifix, pipe organ, … Continue reading →

I am very proud of the parish in which I am currently worshipping, St Philip’s Blackburn North, and of our parish priest, Fr Nicholas Dillon. Here he is demonstrating the new Cornopean stop on the organ. In fact, we probably … Continue reading →

The Catholic News Service has an article online called “The Mystery of the Missing Encyclical”. No, we are not talking Pius XI’s encyclical against Nazism here (although that too is a “mystery” of sorts), but the other problem of the … Continue reading →

Fr Z reblogged (with his own usual commentary) this powerful piece by Fr George Rutler. Read either with or without commentary, it is surely one of the more intelligent and wise reflections on recent events. I commend it to you. … Continue reading →

Within a month or so, one of the 117 Cardinal electors will be asked that question by the Dean of the Conclave. You can just bet some of them are already working out the answer they will give just in … Continue reading →

I haven’t seen anyone comment on this passage from the Holy Father’s Angelus address given just the day before the announcement that he was renouncing the ministry of Peter. It seems relevant to me. What do you think? “The image … Continue reading →

Many thoughtful answers have emerged to some of our questions about this unusual situation at Fr Lombardi’s most recent press interview: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1300603.htm And here is Rocco Palmo’s take on the date of the conclave which raises the problem of a … Continue reading →