Lateran Basilica and ‘Catholic’ Schools
The feast of the dedication of ‘Saint John Lateran‘ commemorates the primary church in Christendom, the ‘mother and head’ of all other churches, the Holy Father’s own cathedral, tracing its lineage back to Constantine, who, under the authority of Pope Sylvester I, built the first basilica on the site, owned by the Laterini family, in 324, a decade after the legalization of Christianity with the Edict of Milan in 313. The church is under the patronage of both Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. A good day to celebrate, but also pray for our current Pontiff, and all that is going on in Rome.
We should always remember that the ‘Church’ transcends space and time and any particular historical epoch, existing in heaven, triumphant, in purgatory, suffering, and – in her own imperfect, transitory way – hear on earth as the Church militant. We must soldier on through the last, in all the strife and tribulation, until we reach the first.
Pope Francis seems to claim that those who are criticize the Amazon Synod are ‘racist’. I would suggest that the Holy Father dust off his good, old Aristotle, and the fallacy of ignoratio elenchi, also known as a ‘red herring’, of drawing one away from the central issue to a peripheral one, that does not address the main point, which is how some of what is being suggested by the Synod Fathers consistent with Tradition and divinely revealed Truth.
And while on strife, the disintegration of the ‘Catholic’ school system continues, with the vote the other night in the Toronto Board, after a rancorous debate lasting until 2 in the morning, to include ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ in its official Code of Conduct. Apparently, this will now permit:
Boys dressing as girls;
Boys using girls’ change rooms, showers, and washrooms;
Teachers and students being forced to use false and make-believe transgender pronouns;
Gender-confused kids being counselled to receive artificial hormone therapy and mutilating sex-change surgery; etc.
The response of the Archdiocese was only to say that these ‘policies’ should be seen ‘through a Catholic lens’, whatever that may mean. More like rose-coloured glasses, which refuse to see how many souls are being misled and scandalized by such misguided ideology. Perhaps I should start signing off my articles with a Voltairean ecrasez l’infame, the ‘infamous thing’ here being whatever is being passed off as a Catholic education in a system now vitiated beyond any reasonably prospective redemption.
As I wrote in my preface to Leeda Crawford’s piece, beware, all parents, of sending your children into such an infernal, mixed-up, confused mess. Even Dante did envisage such. But the Devil did, and he’s wreaking what havoc he might, in the time he has. As the darkness grows, it falls to our task to teach clearly and forcefully, showing and living the truth ever-more clearly and brightly.
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→
Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→