A headline ran: “Neither Mother nor Goddess. Even Gregorian Chant Is Against the New Idolatry of the Earth.” Fulvio Rampi writes: One of the threads that can be discerned is the theme of the earth, meaning the regard in which Gregorian chant holds the “ecological question,” so to speak. The theme of the earth is dear to Sacred Scripture, which from the book of Genesis teaches us that man and the earth are placed by God in a close relationship with Him and with each other.
READ MOREMuch ink has been spilled about Ruth Bader Ginsberg as a model and heroine, especially for women, if not a “secular saint.” She was a fervent supporter of Planned Parenthood (originally called The Birth-Control League) and abortion despite Planned Parenthood’s racist past. An element of that racist past is exemplified in a quote the media does not usually refer to. With respect to abortion, she was asked in a NY Times interview about various aspects of abortion law (July 7, 2009):
READ MOREIn the Sacrament of Penance man is reconciled with God and with the Church. It is one of the most intimate and personal of human acts, and brings about many fundamental changes in the sanctuary of each man’s conscience. Yet at the same time this Sacrament also possesses a deep and inseparable social dimension and also brings about many changes in the family circle, the studies, the work, the friendly relationships etc., of the person who goes to Confession. The greatest tragedy in any man’s life is sin, because the result of sin is a far reaching disorder which starts in the very centre of his being and spreads outward to affect all those around him.
READ MOREYou probably know Edgar Allen Poe’s dark poetry The Raven and short stories The Tell-Tale Heart, but did you know that he wrote a hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary?
The 12-line hymn to Our Lady was first published in 1835 within his short story Morella, sung by the title character. Ten years later it was published as a stand-alone poem with the title A Catholic Hymn.
READ MOREAlexis Carrel was born into a Catholic family in a small town in France in 1873. He attended Mass regularly and went to Catholic schools run by Jesuits. Unfortunately, by the time he went to college he was an agnostic. He completely rejected the Catholic faith and wasn’t even sure if there was a God. However, he wouldn’t stay that way. And an extraordinary miracle from Lourdes helped lead him back.
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