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In a relatively recent children’s animated movie sequel, “Sing 2” (yes, the sequel to Sing!), the producers succeeded in getting the famous lead singer “Bono” (from the band U2) to be the voice for the main hero of the movie. Bono is voice-over for a lion named Clay Calloway, a former “Rock-Star,” who, when challenged (by the porcupine named Ash) to overcome his own self-imposed loneliness and isolation, returns to the stage to perform U2’s great piece, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” For me, the Generation X father of 6, it was a deeply moving experience to see the movie culminate with this song; in contrast, my children were probably at that point just hearing another popular culture “hit” sung by what appeared to be an animated lion and porcupine. I grew up listening to U2...

That so many are still drawn by the fullness of the truth in the Catholic Church despite the present crisis is witness to her identity as “the one true fold” of Christ, and a book like John Beaumont’s offers encouragement and inspiration both to those who have already “come home to Rome,” and to those who are still on that pilgrimage of faith. English lawyer and author, John Beaumont is a convert collector. Having authored Roads to Rome: A Guide to Notable Converts and The Mississippi Flows into the Tiber: A Guide to Notable American Converts to the Catholic Church, he has now had published The House With a Hundred Gates: Catholic Converts Through the Ages. Beaumont’s title is gleaned from G.K.Chesterton who observed, “The Church is a house with a hundred gates; and no two men enter at exa...

Friends, I have long been interested in exploring The Catechism of The Council of Trent on lionandox. Inspired by the popular Fr. Mike Schmitz and his podcasts The Bible in a Year, and now The Catechism in a Year, it seemed to me (as imitation is the highest form of flattery), that we could do no better than Exploring The Catechism of the Council of Trent, intending that we also would complete the project in a year! Written in the second half of the 16th century (under the direction of two saints!), The Catechism of The Council of Trent is arguably the clearest and most succinct presentation of the Catholic Faith available. The newer Catechism of the Catholic Church, was not intended to replace the Catechism of Trent (aka “The Roman Catechism”) but was intended as a supplement. A great ide...

This essay in the Jesuit magazine America, by Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego (above, being made a cardinal by Pope Francis), brings the dubious insights of Critical Theory to the life of the Roman Catholic Church. It is an astonishing document that lays bare the agenda of Pope Francis — who made McElroy a cardinal — and his supporters to radicalize Catholicism. This is something we all should pay attention to, even non-Catholics. The woke are storming the citadel of Western religion. The language itself is a huge tell. See the words and phrases I have boldfaced in this passage: Advertisement It is important at this stage in the synodal process for the Catholic community in the United States to deepen our dialogue about these structures and cultures of exclusion for two re...

In a world of picture books that are mostly hot topics and all about self, instead of others, this book was a breath of fresh air. Packed with simple, but deep lessons to take in and begin applying just as the characters in the book find themselves doing as they interact with the selfless Julia Greeley, Secret Angel to the Poor. Julia Greeley makes those who don’t really know her a little uncomfortable. You see, she is poor, wears a floppy hat, drags a wagon full of discarded junk around (often at night!), has a dead eye that makes it difficult to know where to look, and begs of most everyone she comes across. To make matters worse for those who are uncomfortable being uncomfortable, she sits right in the front pew to say her prayers and when she attends Mass. What they don’t know —but the...

Until the 1960s, Catholics worshipped ad orientem, with priest and congregation facing the East during Mass. Originally Christians celebrated Mass before daybreak Sunday morning with the rising sun serving as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection (testified by Pliny the Younger’s letter to the Emperor Trajan in 112 A.D.). The common liturgical direction toward the East honored the resurrection and anticipated the Lord’s coming in glory. The oldest Christian church discovered in the world (without a later structure built over it), the house church at Dura-Europos in Syria, dating from the early 200s, was found with its altar touching the wall, facing East. Churches were constructed throughout history in this same fashion, with the altar (whether against the wall or not) oriented toward the East...

While Pope Francis did not delve into details of the demands made in Germany, he plainly described the Synodal Way as perilous. “Here the danger is that something very, very ideological trickles in. When ideology gets involved in church processes, the Holy Spirit goes home, because ideology overcomes the Holy Spirit,” he said in the wide-ranging interview that also included remarks about the Church’s stance on homosexuality, the loss of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI — and his health. Since its launch by Cardinal Reinhard Marx in 2019, the German Synodal Way has courted controversy.  Participants have voted in favor of draft documents calling for the priestly ordination of women, same-sex blessings, and changes to Church teaching on homosexual acts, prompting accusations of heresy and fea...

The videos on this YouTube channel feature revving engines, motorcycle tips and the word of God. It’s always refreshing when a public figure speaks openly about his faith. That’s the case with 36-year-old Sean Kerr — founder of the Bikes and Beards YouTube channel, which has more than 1.5 million subscribers. Each episode of the motorcycle-oriented channel gets hundreds of thousands of views. The “Trying to Steal Our UN-STEAL-able Motorcycle” episode has racked almost 5 million views. In the video, one of the Bikes and Beards team members tries out the newest motorcycle anti-theft devices. As the “would-be thief” tries to cut through one of the anti-theft gadgets from the back tire of a Suzuki GSX-R600, a Bible passage pops us on screen: “Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but r...

COMMENTARY: Jettisoning the distinction between ‘orientation and activity’ means the end of chastity as a virtue to be strived for — or implies that ‘the LBGT community’ is not capable of chastity and should therefore be preached a lesser gospel. That a cardinal wishes to change the Church’s teaching on the morality of same-sex sexual acts is not new. But there is a new one advocating just that, and one of the newest in the college at that. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2019 and appointed relator general of the synodal process on synodality for a synodal Church, has been advocating for such a change because the “sociological-scientific foundation of this teaching is no longer correct.”  Now Cardinal Robert McElroy, bishop of San Diego and create...

An almost 90-year-old statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is seen Sept. 15, 2020, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in El Paso, Texas, after it was destroyed by vandals. (CNS photo/Fernie Ceniceros, courtesy Diocese of El Paso) Last summer, I received a startling early morning text message from a Dominican brother. He shared a photo of the wall of one of our churches that had been tagged by graffiti. The vandal(s) had written the grotesque message, “abort the church.” That was not long after the pregnancy resource center on Capitol Hill was vandalized. Located just a mile away from the U.S. Capitol, attackers threw red paint on the door and spray painted “JANE SAYS REVENGE” on the building. These are just two attacks on two places I know well. CatholicVote recently reported that nearly 300 ...