Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 62

Is the Latin Mass the Magic Bullet?

I love the enthusiasm some of my friends have for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. They take time and go to great expense and effort to make sure the worship of God is reverent, traditional, beautiful and transcendent. I’m giving them a thumbs up, straight A’s, a shout out and genuine appreciation. Unfortunately, some [Read More...]

The Error of Arianism

  My blog post for National Catholic Register this week points out the heresy of Arianism and how it is not just a fourth century issue. Arianism, simply defined, is the belief that Jesus Christ was not equal with God the Father, but was a created being. In the fourth century the Cappadocian fathers, St. [Read More...]

Cecile Richards, Kim Davis and the Dictatorship of Relativism

In watching the grilling that Cecile Richards–the CEO of Planned Parenthood received yesterday, what I found interesting was the way she deflected all questions that had anything to do with what might be right or wrong. She made it clear that Planned Parenthood was “judgement free” and that they respected the choices the women had [Read More...]

On Women Priests? That Cannot Be Done

On the now customary plane home press conference Pope Francis once again firmly closed the door to the possibility of women priests saying, “Women priests. That cannot be done.” Go here for my short debate on the Catholic understanding of priesthood and why women cannot be ordained. Go here for a more in depth discussion.

Aliens, Elephants and Angels

I don’t know if anyone else has noticed a seemingly profound, but ultimately silly discussion which is prevalent within popular. It’s called the Fermi Paradox and it goes like this: “There are billions of stars out there like the sun. Therefore, statistically there must be billions of planets like earth where intelligent life has developed. Given the [Read More...]

Are Angels Real?

St Michael and All Angels. Today’s feast day reminds me of that section in C.S.Lewis’ science fiction books where his hero Ransom discusses the reality of the angel-like beings the Eldils. It’s a cool argument. He suggests that the Eldils (angels) are invisible to humans not because they are less real, but more real. What does [Read More...]

Pope Michael and Other Episcopal Oddities

My article for Imaginative Conservative this week explores the delightfully weird world of wandering bishops or episcopi vagantes.  One area of eccentricity that never ceases to interest and delight are the “episcopi vagantes” or wandering bishops. These schismatics are often quaintly bizarre. On the fringes of lunacy, they set themselves up as bishops, archbishops, popes, patriarchs, [Read More...]

Catholicism: the Original Mega Church

This picture of Madison Square Garden last night reminded me of the pictures you sometimes see of Joel Ostend’s church and other mega churches. Permit us a bit of triumphalism, but the Catholic Church is the original mega church. We are full of faults and flaws because we are full of sinners, but a papal [Read More...]

Was Shakespeare Gay?

In a brilliantly titled essay my friend Joseph Pearce dismantles the current idiocy that William Shakespeare was gay. Contrary to Friedlander’s own glib acceptance of the myth of Shakespeare’s homosexuality, isn’t it unlikely that Shakespeare would have escaped punishment in a culture in which homosexual practice was punishable by death if the sonnets were so [Read More...]

Why Are the Crowds Frantic for Francis?

The Pope’s visit has been an astounding success with tens of thousands crowding to get a glimpse of him, the President and his family going out to greet him and the Majority Leader reduced to tears and chucking in his job as a result. What’s happening? Are we about to witness a religious revival in [Read More...]