Aug

31

My 2007 Conference Talk Now Available

August 31, 2007 | Leave a Comment

At Saint Benedict Center’s annual conference, I gave a talk entitled “The Magisterium on the Magisterium: Contributions to a Constructive Critique of the Council.”
For those who are interested: The tapes and CDs of SBC’s 2007 conference are now available!
God bless you and may Our Lady watch over you.

Aug

30

Catholics, Non-Catholics, and the Natural Law

August 30, 2007 | 1 Comment

Given the general decline in public morals, and given the fact that, as an institution, the major promoter of the natural law is the Catholic Church, some are led to conclude that the natural law is a “Catholic thing,” or that it only binds Catholics. The natural law is Catholic inasmuch as it is an [...]

Aug

30

The Three Integral Parts of a Moral Act (and a bit of fun)

August 30, 2007 | 3 Comments

The three parts of a moral act: object, intention, and circumstances. I was instructed to explain them in terms of three scenarios. I had a little fun. Here was the assignment: “Albert kills Ernest. Describe three different imaginary situations based on intentions and circumstances (who, what, where, when, by what means, how) that make it [...]

Aug

25

Villarrubia de los Ojos

August 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment

This is where my clan is from. Our little Spanish village boasts a Poor Claire Monastery called Our Lady of Solitude.

Aug

23

Biblical Inerrancy

August 23, 2007 | 3 Comments

Most of the postings on this blog are academic papers I wrote. This one on Biblical inerrancy was to summarize, in three pages, “the traditional doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture and how the Catholic Church since Vatican II understands this doctrine.” I wanted to read a controversial passage in Dei Verbum using the “hermeneutic [...]

Aug

23

Review of Harvard to Harvard: Part III

August 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment

This is the final installment of our review of Abbot Gabriel’s book.
The “Regularization.” When Abbot Gabriel told me that there would be things Brother Francis would not agree with in his book, I assumed that these would be matters pertaining to the “regularization,” that is, the process by which many of the brothers and some [...]

Aug

23

Review of Harvard to Harvard: Part II

August 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment

In the last edition, I mentioned that my review of Abbot Gabriel’s book would cover both its positive and its negative aspects. I also mentioned that, should the parts we view as less favorable get more attention, it is not because those outnumber the good parts. Most of the book is a delight to read. [...]

Aug

23

Review of Harvard to Harvard: Part I

August 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment

The Abbot of St. Benedict Abbey in Still River has made an important contribution to the historical literature on Father Feeney and his Crusade. Abbot Gabriel Gibbs, O.S.B., one of the early members of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, has told “the story of Saint Benedict Center’s becoming Saint Benedict Abbey,” to [...]