Crisis Magazine

Every week it seems a new scandal comes out of the Vatican, from financial mismanagement to controversial appointments to officials promoting heresy. What is a Catholic to do in the face of such corruption at the highest levels of the Church?

Crisis editor Eric Sammons speaks of Blessed Karl of Austria, and how he was a model of devotion to his family, to peace, and to his peoples. Recorded on October 21, 2022 at Sacred Heart Church, Cincinnati, OH. (Note: Near the end of the presentation the video feed cuts out, but the audio continues uninterrupted.)

On the 60th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, we’ll look at its impact on the Church as well as its future. Link: • Vatican II at 60: Time for Retirement (article): https://www.crisismagazine.com/2022/vatican-ii-at-60-time-for-retirement

During the pontificate of Francis there have been increasing calls to “resist” him, including a recent press conference announcing a “formal declaration of resistance to Pope Francis.” Can Catholics resist the pope, and if so, how do they do that without becoming Protestants? Links: • “True Fathers Resist the Holy Father” by Timothy Flanders: https://onepeterfive.com/true-fathers-resist-holy-father/ • “The Morality of Correcting the Pope” by Dr. Michael Sirilla: https://onepeterfive.com/the-morality-of-correcting-the-pope/ • Dr. John Joy archives: https://onepeterfive.com/author/jjoy/ • “The Catholic Teaching on Conscience” by Timothy Flanders: https://onepeterfive.com/the-catholic-teaching-on-conscience/ • “St. John Henry Newman’s Conscience Against the Pope and the Vaccine” by Richard Greenhorn: https://onepeterfive.com/st-john-henry-newmans-conscience-against-the-pope-and-the-vaccine/ • “The Dubia of Vatican One” by Timothy Flanders: https://onepeterfive.com/dubia-vatican-one/ • “The Crusade of Eucharistic Reparation”: https://onepeterfive.com/crusade/

Events in Ukraine have reached dangerous levels, as the threat of a nuclear World War III seem to grow with each passing day. What’s going on? Who’s to blame? How should Catholics respond?

The billion-dollar Amazon series “Rings of Power” is said to be based on the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.” But is it a faithful representation of Tolkien’s worldview, or is it a modern bastardization profiting off the Tolkien name? Links: • Amazon’s Tolkien: https://www.crisismagazine.com/2022/amazons-tolkien • Rings of Power: Jeff Bezos’s Billion Dollar Anti-Tolkien Fan Fiction: https://www.crisismagazine.com/2022/rings-of-power-jeff-bezoss-billion-dollar-anti-tolkien-fan-fiction

The FBI swatting and arrest of a Catholic pro-life leader sent a clear message to the pro-life community: the government wants us to be silent. How will we respond?

An upcoming symposium in Dallas, Texas will look at the life of Blessed Karl of Austria, the last Habsburg Emperor who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2004. What can we learn from this man? Links: • Blessed Emperor Karl Symposium: http://www.blessedkarl.org • Blessed Karl of Austria website: https://www.emperorcharles.org • Blessed Charles of Austria: A Holy Emperor and His Legacy (book): https://tanbooks.com/products/books/saints/biographies/blessed-charles-of-austria-a-holy-emperor-and-his-legacy/

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III, Catholics are once again asking: Is there any value to a monarchy that is built upon anti-Catholic foundations?

The Pontifical Academy for Life has created controversy again, recently releasing a book that questioned the Church’s teaching on artificial contraception. What’s behind this attempt to undermine Church teaching? Links: • "Pontifical Academy for Life: Personal Values Reign Supreme" (article): https://www.crisismagazine.com/2022/pontifical-academy-for-life-personal-values-reign-supreme • Janet Smith website: https://janetsmith.org • "Contraception:Why Not?" (talk): https://janetsmith.org/product/contraception-why-not-digital-download/

Full video: https://youtu.be/D2Syhljo1Js

President Biden and the Left are warning that democracy is under attack from Trump and the MAGA Republicans. But is the threat actually from the Left, and more importantly, is democracy worth defending?

With the fall of Roe, the fight against abortion has taken new directions. What is the state of the pro-life movement today, and what needs to be done to make abortion illegal and unthinkable in all 50 states? We'll ask the host of EWTN Pro-Life Weekly these important questions. Links: • ETWN Pro-Life Weekly: https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/ewtn-pro-life-weekly • Prudence Robertson Twitter account: https://twitter.com/pruspulse

Outreach, “an LGBTQ Catholic Resource” created by the Jesuit-run America Magazine, recently ran an article by a Protestant Biblical scholar claiming that we should read the Bible to be—surprise!—more inclusive and welcoming of LGBTQ people. We’ll take apart the article on today’s Crisis Point.

Full video: https://youtu.be/Ls1T2M0c9WM

William Shakespeare is the greatest playwright of all time. Was he also a secret Catholic? Links: • The Quest for Shakespeare: https://ignatius.com/the-quest-for-shakespeare-qsh/ • Through Shakespeare's Eyes: https://ignatius.com/through-shakespeares-eyes-tseh/ • Shakespeare on Love: https://ignatius.com/shakespeare-on-love-shaklp/ • Ignatius Critical Editions Shakespeare Set: https://ignatius.com/classic-shakespeare-hbt4x/ • Joseph Pearce website: https://jpearce.co/

In the 1960's, the Catholic Church enthusiastically embraced the ecumenical movement after decades of being cold to it. Sixty years later, has this embrace helped or hindered the mission of the Church? Link: • "Deadly Indifference" (book): https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/deadly-indifference

In today’s world, especially in the West, monarchy is looked upon as, at best, a quaint relic of the past, or, at worst, a fundamentally repressive institution. But Catholicism has a deep relationship with monarchy and some Catholics argue it is the best form of government possible. Should Catholics be monarchists? Links: • Blessed Charles of Austria: A Holy Emperor and His Legacy (book): https://tanbooks.com/products/books/saints/biographies/blessed-charles-of-austria-a-holy-emperor-and-his-legacy/ • A Catholic Quest for the Holy Grail (book): https://tanbooks.com/products/books/discounts-sales/5-books/a-catholic-quest-for-the-holy-grail/ • Star-Spangled Crown (book): https://www.tumblarhouse.com/collections/bestselling-catholic-books/products/star-spangled-crown-charles-coulombe • Are You A Monarchist? (article): https://www.tumblarhouse.com/blogs/news/are-you-a-monarchist • Off the Menu (podcast): https://www.youtube.com/c/TumblarHouse

One of the fundamental debates in today’s “liturgy wars” is the idea of reverence. What makes a Mass reverent? Is it the language, the orientation, the music, or something else?

The controversies surrounding Pope Francis have led many to rethink the papacy itself, with some transforming the pope into a political leader to be followed in all things, and others rejecting his authority entirely. What is the Catholic way to look at the papacy? Links: • The Road from Hyperpapalism to Catholicism (book) by Peter A. Kwasniewski: http://aroucapress.com/the-road-from-hyperpapalism-set • Rethinking the Papacy (Crisis Point podcast): https://www.crisismagazine.com/2021/rethinking-the-papacy • The “Spirit of Vatican I” as a Post-Revolutionary Political Problem (article): https://onepeterfive.com/spirit-vatican-one-post-revolutionary-political-problem/ • On non-infallible teachings of the Magisterium and the meaning of “obsequium religiosum” (article): https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2017/12/30/on-non-infallible-teachings-of-the-magisterium-and-the-meaning-of-obsequium-religiosum/ • The Morality of Correcting the Pope (article): https://onepeterfive.com/the-morality-of-correcting-the-pope/ • Defending the Faith Against Present Heresies (book): https://aroucapress.com/defending-the-faith

A recent article in The Atlantic attacked those who call the Rosary a weapon, but even many Catholics today are uncomfortable with language they find too militaristic. What does it mean to be the Church Militant?

Vatican II and its implementation is still controversial among Catholics. Today on Crisis Point we're going to consider an Eastern Orthodox perspective to the Council, particularly its ecclesiology. Guest: Archpriest Peter Heers was raised as the son of an Anglican priest, who, in 1992, together with much of his parish, converted to the Orthodox Church. Then, in 1996 Fr. Heers came to Thessaloniki, Greece, in order to visit Mt. Athos, returning again in 1998 to begin studies at the Theological School of the University of Thessaloniki, where he earned undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in Dogmatic Theology. He is the founder and current head of Uncut Mountain Press, the founder and first editor of “Divine Ascent, A Journal of Orthodox Faith,” the host of the online podcast, Postcards from Greece, hosted by Ancient Faith Radio, and a regular speaker to parish groups in the United States and Canada.

There’s the real possibility that the more you know about the crisis in the Church, the more likely you are to leave it. So should Catholics put their heads in the sand and ignore the crisis? If not, how do we stay sane and remain in the Church in these turbulent times?

Catholicism has a rich and turbulent history in England. From the arrival of St. Augustine of Canterbury to the great Medieval English giants to the break with Rome by Henry VIII, Catholicism has played an important role in England’s history. Today on Crisis Point we’ll take a look at the current state of Catholicism in England with a special guest. Link: • Gavin Ashenden website: https://ashenden.org

Bishops are starting to shut down traditional Latin Masses at dioceses across the country. How should priests and laity respond to these actions?