Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 238

The Problems with Prophecies

With the resignation of Pope Benedict and a front runner named Peter, the world is buzzing with the latest end-time prophecy. This one is based on the alleged prophecies to St Malachy indicating that the next pope will be the last pope before the second coming. I’ve written about it already this week here. What [...]

The Changing Papacy

Jump over here for my latest column at Patheos. It analyzes the changing face of the papacy and how Benedict’s resignation will affect the future.

Have a Heart…

Dear Valentine: Go here for my Valentine’s Day wishes to all my readers…

A Cardinals Who’s Who – 1

Here’s a series on some of the Cardinals who will be entering the conclave. I’m going to write about them as I research them. They are in no particular order, and although I’ve written about an African papacy, it’s not for me to prophecy, prognosticate or predict, but to pray. Nevertheless, it’s good to know [...]

The Genius of the Conclave

It’s easy for the media to portray the Vatican system as an archaic, absolute monarchy. The pope is like some Chinese mandarin locked away in his palace, cut off from the real world. The curia is like the politburo, scheming in secret behind the Kremlin/Vatican walls. The Catholic Church worldwide is portrayed as an antique [...]

Ash Wednesday

from Ash Wednesday by T.S.Eliot Blessed sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit of the garden, Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood Teach us to care and not to care Teach us to sit still Even among these rocks, Our peace in His will And even among these rocks Sister, mother And [...]

Ashes and the Purifying Fire

The significance of ashes on the head as a sign of repentance is rooted in the Old Testament, but there are interesting observations to be drawn from the New Testament on ashes. To see the significance we have to ask what ashes are. Ashes are the residue from fire burning fuel. The fire of the [...]

The New Pope: Should We Speculate?

Some Catholics have been upset at the speculation going on about the new Pope. This speculation, we’re told, goes against the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit will choose the next pope not you! You are not a cardinal!!” Right. OK. I understand. However, this criticism betrays a lack of understanding in how the Holy Spirit [...]

Gargoyle Code for Shrove Tuesday

Here’s an excerpt from the Gargoyle Code for today. The letters from the senior demon Slubgrip begin today and continue every day through Lent until Easter Monday. You can get a hard copy ($12.95) and catch up when it arrives in the mail, or you can get an e-book for your Kindle. ($7.99) Go to [...]

The Case for an African Pontiff

With Karol Wotyla’s election the Italian control of the papacy was blown wide open. John Paul II became the global pope. Traveling across the world, he was literally an international evangelist–an apostle of Christ for the whole world. The German Joseph Ratzinger consolidated the non-Italian papacy, and did his best to follow in JP2′s footsteps. [...]