Blog Posts

Jason Stellman Tells His Conversion Story

Mar 21st, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

Regular readers of Called To Communion are familiar with Jason Stellman. In September of last year we posted an article he wrote for us titled “I Fought the Church, and the Church Won.” In November of last year, I interviewed Jason regarding his conversion from Presbyterian pastor to Catholic, and posted the podcast of that […]



Habemus Papam!

Mar 13th, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

Habemus Papam! Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina has been elected to be the successor of Pope Benedict XVI, and has chosen the name Francis, the first pope to take the name ‘Francis.’ He is also the first Latin American pope, and the first Jesuit pope. John Allen writes of him, “Bergoglio’s reputation for personal simplicity also […]



The Papacy and the Catholic Act of Faith

Feb 26th, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

On Friday, April 22, 2005, I was sitting at my desk at Saint Louis University, trying to think of a good remaining reason not to be Catholic. I had been investigating the Catholic question intensely for over a year, and one by one I had been discovering that my objections were largely based on straw […]



Pope Benedict XVI’s Renunciation of the Petrine Office

Feb 11th, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

Today the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, announced his renunciation of the Petrine office effective at the end of February, 2013. You may listen to Benedict read his announcement in Latin at the bottom of the link above. You may also find here the English translation of Cardinal Sodano’s response as seen in the video.



On the Usefulness of Tradition: A Response to Recent Objections

Feb 8th, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

I have often heard Protestants object that the Catholic concept of Tradition is practically useless. There are usually two arguments for this position. First, Tradition allegedly reduces to “whatever the Magisterium says,” in which case it is redundant. Alternately, the concept of Tradition is supposedly too vague to be serviceable. On this view, there is […]



Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Feb 2nd, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, when Mary and Joseph, forty days after the birth of Jesus, brought Him from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to present Him to God in the Temple in fulfillment of the law of Moses. On this day, Mary handed the Infinite One (Infinity itself) to an old […]



Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day Eight, “Walking in Celebration”

Jan 25th, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

Today is the eighth and final day in the Week (Octave) of Prayer for Christian Unity. It is also the feast of the conversion of St. Paul the Apostle on the road to Damascus. Thirty years ago today, January 25, 1983, at the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Blessed Pope John […]



Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day Seven, “Walking in Solidarity”

Jan 24th, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

It is Day 7 of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. (Tomorrow will mark the eighth and final day of the ‘Week.’) Today we continue our reflections on the daily themes and Scripture readings offered by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.



Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day Six, “Walking beyond Barriers”

Jan 23rd, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

To say that there are barriers between Christians presupposes that there is a good the attainment of which is hindered by those barriers. Consider someone telling me that an annoying co-worker, always stopping by the cubicle and going on about The Voice, is a barrier. It would not take much thought for me to recognize […]



Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day Five, “Walking as the Friends of Jesus”

Jan 22nd, 2013 | By | Category: Blog Posts

On Day 5 of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we continue our reflections on the daily themes and Scripture readings offered by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.