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Jan 2020
I have been writing about the foundational principles of social justice, the right order of human society. I have affirmed that this means, as far as possible in this world, restoring the right order that was lost in Eden through man’s rebellion against God. The order of Eden, though, is only restored through the Cross of Christ, which does not lead us back to the earthly paradise, but forward to the greater reality of the heavenly Jerusalem to which Eden itself was originally ordered. Last Sunday I began writing about the insufficiency......
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January 10, 2020
Social Justice: Natural law is not enough (Part I)
Last Sunday, I began an attempt to set forth the foundational principles of social justice, the right order of human society, apart from immediate practical concerns. I pointed out that immediate practical concerns often lead...
December 27, 2019
2020 Book Recommendations
At the end of each year I have had the custom of making book recommendations for the following year. This year, I would like to begin with some remarks about the importance of actually reading....
December 20, 2019
Thank you
As Christmas arrives and the year draws to a close, I would like to say ‘Thank you’ to some of the many people who contribute so much to making St. Peter’s the parish that it...
December 13, 2019
Pope Leo XIII: “Rerum Novarum” – Reveals the Radical Disorder of the Contemporary State
I will not enter too much into what Pope Leo XIII has to say about the State. The reason is that the Pope’s teaching here refers to “the State as rightly apprehended … any government...
December 06, 2019
Pope Leo XIII: “Rerum Novarum” – The Role of the Church in Social Justice
After talking about the importance of the family and the necessity of property for family life, the Pope then speaks of the necessity of the Church in the matter of social justice, boldly declaring: no...
November 29, 2019
Pope Leo XIII: “Rerum Novarum” – Paternal Authority, Part II
Last week, following Pope Leo XIII in “Rerum Novarum” I affirmed that the authority of the father in the family is the fundamental principle of right social order. It is necessary now to clarify a...
November 22, 2019
Pope Leo XIII: “Rerum Novarum” – Paternal Authority, Part I
Entering into the foundational principles of Catholic social teaching I began, last Sunday, to summarize the key points from Pope Leo XIII’s “Rerum Novarum”. I left off highlighting the importance of the neglected place of...
November 08, 2019
From the Lord’s Day to Social Teaching
Last Sunday I brought my considerations of the Lord’s Day to a conclusion by noting that Sunday observance is not just a religious issue, but a social justice issue, indeed the key issue for true...
November 01, 2019
The Demise of the Lord’s Day
Last week I wrote that we will learn better to keep the Lord’s day if we think of it more as a day dedicated to God’s work, to doing his will, rather than to our...