Where are you, dear fathers? Where are you, O man?
Continua a leggere “The Silent Witness of Nazareth: St. Joseph: Spouse of Mary, Powerful Intercessor, Guardian of the Church”
Categoria: Books
The Glorious Sacrifice of the Lamb. The Mass and Christian Life
What is the Holy Mass? If a survey were to be conducted, an astonishingly large proportion of those surveyed would undoubtedly give voice to a cacophony of conflicting responses. Never before has the Holy Mass been so widely misconstrued by Catholics. The aim of this book, written in a simple, straightforward style, is to set the record straight, so that the faithful may come to understand what the Mass truly is: the living sacrifice of the new and eternal covenant. Neither is the Mass merely a meal, nor is it the extension in time of the Jewish Pasch celebrated in the context of a ritual meal. Jesus’ Last Supper was unique. Bread and wine, turned into His Body and Blood, proclaim what He did for us on the Cross, until it will be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God (cf. Lk 22:16). The banquet element is important but is dependent upon the sacrifice. If Christ had not died as a sacrificed Lamb, He would not be risen; we would still be mired in our sins, while our Mass would only be an empty memorial. Perhaps, as is often the case, it would be the celebration of ourselves. True and active participation in the liturgy depends upon the concept of what the Mass is, and not upon what one may do or not do.
His Infernal Highness Arcibaldo
C.S. Lewis wrote in his preface to The Screwtape Letters that there are two similar although complementary pitfalls into which one can fall when it comes to devils: either doubting their very existence or believing in them, but with an excessive interest – almost an obsession. The devils themselves delight in both and welcome a materialist as wholeheartedly as they do a magician. Their technique consists in convincing someone to be one or the other and then separating him from everyone else forever. Is it not true that the arts of the materialist and of the magician are back in fashion? Thus the devil’s existence is denied by portraying him as a mere symbol of evil, or else, by attributing all man’s misfortunes to him – including those of the Church – to the point of clouding the responsibility of men and of pastors. As St Augustine brilliantly said in one of his discourses (163B):
“The devil must not be blamed in every instance; sometimes, in fact, man himself is a devil towards himself. So why must we beware of the devil? Precisely for this reason: so as not to deceive ourselves.”
Nonetheless, one thing prompted me to pay close attention to this correspondence and to ensure that it was not lost. Above all, the devil and the priest do the same job: they go in search of souls. And both of them could, without difficulty, make their own the motto of St John Bosco: Da mihi animas, cetera tolle – “Give me souls and take away all the rest”.
And so the time has come to take a look at this correspondence and to get to know that ancient craft, of which the practitioners have a predilection for the soul above all else: the soul, the real man as he is himself, who will be forever himself and cannot be confused with anyone else.
One last word to the wise reader. The names chosen do not correspond to any particular person. They are rather the free expression of a way of thinking which, by some strange coincidence, brings the world of mortals closer to that of the hereafter.
Super Hanc Petram: The Pope and the Church at a Dramatic Moment in History
What does it mean to say that the Apostle Peter—and each of his successors—is kepha, the rock on which Christ has built His Church? Could this rock ever be allowed to crumble, without the Church herself crumbling? Can a successor of Peter fail in his office, or even in his faith, without negating the Church’s indefectibility? What are the nature—and limits—of the pope’s infallibility and primacy? Has the role of the supreme pontiff sometimes been exaggerated or distorted?
Today questions like these are asked with greater urgency than ever, owing to the pontificate of Pope Francis. In Super Hanc Petram, Fr Serafino Lanzetta answers them with balance and realism, never wavering in his serene confidence in Divine Providence. Lanzetta investigates Pope Francis’s remote and proximate sources, magisterial leitmotifs, operative methods, and avowed goals, examining in particular the return of nominalism and pragmatism; the elevation of pastoral care over doctrine; the proclamation of a mercy that severs charity from truth; the substitution of “a people on the move” for “the mystical body” and of a panreligious humanistic fraternity for the salvific Christian mission; the inversion of hierarchy by synodality; the selective and conflictual use of Vatican II as model of and impetus for “paradigm shifts”; an evolutionary vision of doctrinal development driven by sociological-cultural theories; and the replacement of the traditional themes of sin, grace, hell, and heaven by an emphasis on “ecological conversion.”
Pastors of souls, theologians, faithful laity, converts, non-Catholics interested in the Catholic Church and her relationship with modernity—all will find Fr Lanzetta’s study valuable for the light it sheds on the age-old office of the papacy and on the tempestuous reign of its most recent incumbent.
“Super Hanc Petram provides clarity on the nature of the papal office together with an accurate analysis of the sources, aims, and problems of Pope Francis’s theology. A timely gift for a storm-tossed Church.” —Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider
“A serious and important critical work on the theological and philosophical roots of Pope Francis’s thought…. not only scholars but also theologically interested laity will profit by wrestling with this learned study.” —Eduardo J. Echeverria
“Fr Lanzetta combines theological scholarship of the first order with extensive pastoral experience… This book is convincing and clear; it satisfies our need for understanding.” —Roberto de Mattei
“Complications arise when a Pope misinterprets his role, and chooses to judge—rather than to defend—the faith that the Church has always cherished…. Father Lanzetta explores the theological implications of the conflict that we now face, as well as its possible origins.” —Philip F. Lawler
“Masterfully tackles the thorniest questions of the current crisis in the Church and in the papacy, while maintaining a supernatural perspective.” —José A. Ureta
Publisher : Os Justi Press
Publication date : 4 Dec. 2023
Print length : 224 pages
ISBN-10 : 1960711539
ISBN-13 : 978-1960711533
Stabat Mater: Co-Redemptrix – The Relevance of a Marian Doctrine for Our Time
Edited by Fr. Serafino M. Lanzetta
The mystery of Mary’s unique cooperation in our salvation, enabling Her to become our spiritual Mother, has such a doctrinal depth that it requires a careful biblical-historical-theological investigation. Such was our goal in organizing a first Mariological Conference, held in Dundee, Scotland, from 14th to 16th September 2023, with the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows as the very apex of this 3-day study. It was an international panel of theologians, all of whom from different perspectives delved into the overarching theme of the Marian title ‘Coredemptrix’ and its relevance for our time. A strong point that emerged constantly is that Coredemption – thorny and unrewarding title if the discourse is merely ecumenical – is a doctrine belonging to the deposit of faith. Our Lady, as reiterated authoritatively by Lumen gentium 61, in a singular manner cooperated with Jesus “in giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace.”