Stephen K. Ray's Blog, page 29

“Is A Pope Beyond Criticism” – my article today in Crisis Magazine

The pope holds a unique position in all the world. No other existing religious or civic government has a leader of an office that has lasted for two thousand years like the Chair of St. Peter. No other religious leader represents over one billion people in a successive role founded by Jesus Christ Himself. What leader of such a longstanding organization with such massive global proportions and authority can rightfully claim to possess the charism of infallibility?

The successor of Peter uniquely fills a successive role founded by Jesus Christ Himself—to be the rock upon which the Church is built, to be the keeper of the kingdom’s keys (Matthew 16:17-19), to be the shepherd of God’s flock (John 21:15-17), and to be the visible source of unity and protector of the deposit of truth. The pope and the structure of the Church are ordained by God to maintain Christ’s visible presence and unity among the faithful.

Since the pope has the charism of infallibility, some feel that it is schismatic or heretical to question, challenge, or criticize the pope, even when he is not exercising that charism within the strictly defined conditions. Since the Church does claim that the pope has the special gift from Christ as the successor of St. Peter (CCC 891), we must ask what this infallibility consists of and if this pope, or any pope, is then beyond scrutiny and criticism?

Infallibility is a concept and power that must be defined. For example, it does not mean a pope is impeccable. Nor does it mean that everything he says or does is without error. He cannot predict baseball scores or next week’s weather. His charism of infallibility is carefully defined by the Church as to what it is and what it is not.

According to the Catechism (citing Vatican I),

The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful—who confirms his brethren in the faith—he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals. (891)

The conditions for infallibility are that 1) he acts freely as supreme pastor, speaking “ex cathedra,” or “from the chair”—not expressing his own personal opinion, 2) when he intends to specifically define a doctrine binding on the Universal Church and pertaining to the Church’s deposit of faith, and 3) when the definition pertains to and is in harmony with the Church’s constant tradition regarding faith and morals. This is a very high bar that has been invoked only rarely in Church history.

Of course, a pope may freely express his opinions and teach on any matter, but infallibility does not extend to areas extraneous to faith and morals—such as science, climate change, or immigration. When the pope teaches or speaks not “ex cathedra,” are the clergy and lay people able to analyze, scrutinize, and even criticize? The answer is yes—but, certainly, with all respect for the office and deference to the successor of Peter.

Click here for the rest of the article and the proofs from Scripture, the Catechism and quotes from the popes and history.

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Too Good: Tucker Carlson Shames Aussie Newscaster

This short video clip of Tucker Carlson exposing and shaming an Aussie reporter is just too good.

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How Do You Respond to “Where Do You Find THAT in the Bible?”

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Is the Mass Really a Sacrifice? A Conversation between Steve Ray and Fr. Robert McTeigue SJ

https://catholicconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Steve-Ray-1.mp3

HOME PAGE WITH SHOW NOTES

The post Is the Mass Really a Sacrifice? A Conversation between Steve Ray and Fr. Robert McTeigue SJ appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Conversion from Atheism in China to Catholicism in the United States

With China so much in the news and their pushing of atheistic communism, this story of Juekun Wen is a delightful read

CV NEWS FEED // In a recent op-ed published in The Catholic Spirit, Juekun Wen, a recent Catholic convert, shared his journey from the atheism he grew up surrounded by in China to Catholicism in the US. 

“I became Catholic because I am a seeker of truth,” Wen wrote in his June 17 article. “God planted wonderful people along my journey in my darkest hour to show me the path of light, leading me toward him.”

Describing his upbringing in China, Wen recalled that his family did not practice religion. He did not encounter Christianity until he was 25. “I have always been taught that nothing is valid until proven to be true,” he wrote. “Skepticism was my religion.”

However, after finishing his studies at the University of Richmond, and working for a few years as a lab technician, Wen decided he would visit his parents before returning back to the US to attend graduate school at the University of Minnesota.

Then covid happened.

Wen was faced with either having to return to China and potentially be unable to return for graduate school, or remain in the US without a job or place to live.

“I was very depressed and anxious and felt that my life had hit rock bottom. Little did I know that the Almighty had his plan for me, even though I was not one of his followers yet,” he wrote.

Ultimately, Wen recalled that it was one of his undergraduate professors who came to his aid, and subsequently led him to the Catholic faith.

Upon hearing of Wen’s circumstance, the professor and his family, who are all Christian, offered to host Wen for as long as he needed. It was during this time that Wen began to learn about Christianity.

Wen later attended the University of Minnesota, where his professor connected him with the family that would later become his sponsors to the Catholic Church, and the future godparents to his child.

Alongside his studies, Wen discovered that the more he learned about God, the more he realized that religion and science “are not in conflict.”

For the whole article, click here.

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My short video tribute to my friend Al Kresta

Filmed by Steve Dawson of St. Paul Street Evangelism…

The post My short video tribute to my friend Al Kresta appeared first on Defenders of the Catholic Faith.

Here is my article with Memories of Al Kresta in our earlier days in National Catholic Register

CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW FOR THE WHOLE ARTICLE

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A Few of our Fond Memories of Al Kresta in Pictures (1984-2024)

Rough draft of my article My Memories of Al Kresta. this article to be uploaded later today from NCR.

Memories of our Friend Al Kresta in Pictures (1984-2025)

Page 1: Our conversion in 1994 with Al as my sponsor
One of our first apologetics conferences in the 80’s

Page 2: Another apologetics conference together with other friends
Al and I at the starting Ave Maria Radio at Dominos Farms with him

Page 3: Picture of Al’s family a few days before his death — yes, 21 grandkids
Kresta’s in our living room in the early 90’w putting on a family music fest

Page 4: Playing their funny song “Dogs in the night; dogs in the night!”
Afternoon at our house including Fr. Ed Fride

Page 5: Picnic at our house around 1985
Lunch at our house with Al’s kids and our daughter Cindy to the left

Page 5: Our families at Happy’s Rib Restaurant during a Steubenville conference
Al and daughter Alexis

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For Those Who Hate the Church

I don’t often share other’s articles, but this one by Fr. Dwight Longenecker is an exception. He and I have had, and do have a lot in common with our past and our hearing from those who want to badmouth Christianity, and often the Church specifically.

So here we go,

“On social media I seem to get an increasing number of links to blog posts, X-Twitter posts, articles and memes that rant and rage about the failures of Christians and the failure of the church. It could be hatchet jobs on famous Christians showing how they were secret Nazis, anti-Semites, white supremacists, homo or trans phobes, secret homosexuals, masturbators, misogynists, cat haters, alcoholics, teetotalers, people who once cut down a tree or hated their mother or loved their mother too much, frigid, sex obsessed, emotionally frozen and sexual abusers…

“You get the idea. Christians–and especially white Christian men–are blamed for being, well, human.

Now I get it. There are a large number of people who have been wounded by their experience of the church. They’ve been ostracized by narrow minded, hypocritical Christians. They’ve been scandalized by the ignorance, incompetence, hypocrisy and stupidity of clergy. They’ve been angry at what seems deliberate obscurantism, legalism and judgmental attitudes.

They’ve been angry at the corruption, sexual abuse, cover up and injustice shown by church leaders. They’ve been hurt by the greedy, fraudulent, scamming preachers. They’ve been disappointed by the hardness of heart, lack of compassion for the poor and the self serving church people and leaders.

‘So they not only leave the church, they go on a long, weary tirade and campaign against the church and Christians in general. I get that too. If one is wounded deeply, then it hurts and when one hurts, one howls in pain. I get all that…”

For the response and the rest of this short article, click here.

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Al Kresta has gone to his Lord!

My wife and I spent time with Al Kresta and his family yesterday. This morning we were informed that Al has left this world to be with his Lord whom he loved with all his heart.

Below is one oh his last pictures. I can’t get this verse out of my mind…

Acts 3:8 “And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”

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