The Catholic Message Board

Were that the case, I would look to seeing disestablishment in each party's platform forthwith. Perhaps with another plank making Islam its replacement. No one will dare to propose disestablishment, even though the Church of England ceased being the majority religion over a century ago, and the chu...

I agree that he'd have to abdicate. He has advocated disestablishment of the Church of England for decades, and given that only 14% are members, I would bet dollars to donuts that this is the overwhelming majority view. The first party leader with the courage to propose such a dramatic change would...

One can rightly ask whether such symbolic gestures actually further the cause of reunion. If they did, then surely after 60 years of such gestures, we would be further along in the process of reunion than we are. I am increasingly inclined to the view of Pope Pius XI, who said, when the first moves...

There are also rumors that he has secretly converted to Islam

All the state churches in Europe are in rapid decline, there are many reasons for this but clearly one of them is that being state churches they have never been more than political entities which were created to serve government interests and now that there is no longer any coercion nor even social ...

Did the Church of England get any money from GAFCON churches? That now with this split they will no longer receive? And if not, will there be any negative impact to the Church of England’s bottom line? No, each province in the World Anglican Communion is independent, similar to Orthodoxy, but befor...

VeryTas wrote: ↑Fri Oct 17, 2025 10:07 am Do you think Cardinal Fernandez had no hand in it?

The Pope is an author, so no doubt wrote it himself, but if he is wise, he would not write it without consulting with others about the content. As for whom specifically he consulted we will probably never know.

According to the 2006 definition, a planet has to be "dominant in its immediate neighborhood", dominant meaning "the biggest object", which Pluto is not because Eris is bigger. But the other 8 planets absolutely are the biggest thing in their immediate neighborhood. Some complain...

It's interesting that there are many references to Pope Francis and the bulk of them are in two sections whose style is redolent of the late Pontiff. It is not unusual for a new Pope to begin his reign by deliberately evoking his predecessor. Thankfully, the days when Popes publicly hated each othe...

Eris is nearly twice the size of Pluto, and close observation through the Hubble telescope have uncovered the Kuiper. belt, a large group of asteroids near Pluto which suggests it may just be a big asteroid. It is often forgotten even by experts that before Pluto was discovered, three other objects ...

I’m not sure an Apostolic Exhortation is really a major document. I get the interest given the curiosity about his views, but it is probably the lowest ranking Papal document in terms of importance.

So, if it has several moons, and having several moons makes it a planet.... ... and .... the Earth has only one moon... ... so ... the Earth is not a planet. If that logic was good enough for Monty Python, then it's good enough for me. The problem is that one of the "moons" around the orb...

If the Pope had complete freedom to choose anyone he wanted, he probably would never have been made bishop. But a Pope has to choose from what is possible, but for bishops and cardinals. Often, the choices are not between good bishops and bad bishops, but between bad bishops, really bad bishops, hor...

But they are still eligible (in theory) Yeah, but only slightly more than you and I are. Realistically, the conclave would have to be deadlocked for weeks or months before they considered anyone not in the conclave, and that hasn't happpened in centuries. Cardinals over 80, who are healthy enough t...

Can't help but think there is a "middle road." While we don't want anyone with dementia, some older folks have a great deal of wisdom and patience. Shame to lose that just because of one's advanced age. You don't lose anything, you just make sure that the very old are not considered eligi...

I'm a pastor of country parishes. I'm willing to bet that I have parishioners who are packing at every Mass. But there is a difference between being armed and being ready. It is easy to get caught flat footed when something happens that you don't expect. In big cities at least, sadly, there appears...

anawim wrote: ↑Sun Oct 12, 2025 10:00 am As Fr. Benedict Groeschel once said, "If you ever meet the Spirit of Vat. II, drive a stake into its heart".

Someone once said, I am afraid the Spirit of Vatican II it's name, because I fear it nmight say "I am legion for we are many"

What on Earth does that phrase mean? My own opinion is that, as the saying goes, it takes a long time for an ocean liner to change direction. Certainly, the fact that banality is music has hit everyone in the West, not just the Catholic Church, but also the mainline Protestants and the evangelicals,...

law breakers must be dealt with appropriately. If you are in the country illegally, you need to get out (or be removed). Feel free to try to come back legally. Surely this isn't difficult for you to understand?!? What I am sick of is the argument that the Old Testament is filled with injunctions to...

That reminds me, Cardinal Pole, Queen Mary I, and Charles V of Spain all died within days of each other. It was a tragic time for Catholicism in Europe.