Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 138

Good Non-Catholic Christians – Is There Salvation Outside the Church?

The sudden death of Tony Palmer–the friend of Pope Francis–has raised the question whether he could be saved even though he never converted to the Catholic faith. Some Catholics would shake their head sadly and quote the famous phrase, Extra Ecclesiam nulls salus- Outside the Church, No Salvation. Does this mean that everyone who is not a [Read More...]

The Demon Wolves of ISIS: Ancient Assyria Reborn

Lord Byron’s poem The Destruction of Sennacherib begins with the line, “The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold.” My friend Paul Thigpen makes the link between the warlords of the Islamic State (IS) and their historic predecessors, the warlike Assyrians. Two ancient civilizations jockeyed for power in what is now the nation of [Read More...]

Tolkien-Lewis Movie in the Works

They’re making movie about the friendship between Tolkien and Lewis. Go here. This page gets silly about who should play the two writers Ideas to the combox on who should play the lead roles… My casting: Tolkien – Ian Holm Lewis – John Rhys Davies

Tony Palmer: The Case for Conversion

Before you make any comments on this post please read the whole thing…both pages. Thanks. Fr DL Can you disagree with the Pope? Sure. Last week I posted about some traditionalist Catholics who do nothing but correct the Pope. These extremists correct Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, Pope St John Paul II, Pope Paul VI and Pope St [Read More...]

The Case for Conversion to Catholicism

Can you disagree with the Pope? Sure. Last week I posted about some traditionalist Catholics who do nothing but correct the Pope. These extremists correct Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, Pope St John Paul II, Pope Paul VI and Pope St John XXIII. When I said they resemble the liberal cafeteria Catholics they so dislike I also pointed [Read More...]

The Silence of Peaceful Muslims

While Muslim extremists fire missiles at Israel, persecute and expel Christians and Yazidis from the ancient homes, slaughter their opponents in Syria and Iraq, slaughter Christians in Nigeria, kidnap schoolgirls, torch Christian churches, sentence to death and imprison a pregnant American citizen, persecute Coptic Christians in Egypt, oppress women and wage barbarian terror wherever they [Read More...]

The Inseparable Four Marks

I get an increasing number of requests to assist Protestants who are interested in the Catholic Church. One came in today in which a Presbyterian has come to believe in the Apostolic Succession but wonders if that necessarily means he must become Catholic. In the creed we profess the four marks of the Church: that [Read More...]

Gambling and False Gods

David Frum reports here on the downward spiral that casinos create for troubled local economies. Outside of Las Vegas—now home to only 20 percent of the nation’s casino industry—casino gambling has evolved into a downscale business. Affluent and educated people visit casinos less often than poorer people do for the same reasons that they smoke [Read More...]

FaithWorks! 30

FaithWorks! my weekly newsletter on the practical practice of the Catholic faith continues this week with a series on the ten commandments go here for the link to the newsletter and go here to subscribe and receive it each week by email.

Traditionalists Reject Divine Mercy

I have known for some time that some traditionalists reject the Luminous Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, but I didn’t realize that some of them also reject the Divine Mercy devotion. Their reasons for rejecting the Divine Mercy devotion are laid out in this long article by Msgr. Patrick Perez, and it is posted on [Read More...]