Tag: Apologetics
-
Against CFD Confusions: Ad Orientem Masses for Lutherans
I saw this post (see featured image) and thought I would comment on it hoping to minimize the confusion caused by this CFD member. There is no point of arguing with a CFD in general because of reasons I already disclosed in another post. What this post assumes from my perspective as a reader is…
-
Why Modernist Catholic Intellectuals Fail to Fascinate Me
A random person accused me of not being fair to a priest who did something very inappropriate at the altar. His concerns may be reasonable, and he has good arguments, but his approach is very hypocritical (to my way of thinking). He wants me to be fair to the priest, but he does not want…
-
‘No one Accepts a Proud Truth’, Venerable Aloysius Schwartz
You must give witness to Jesus. This means to teach, to teach the mind, the spirit, the doctrine of Jesus. Some of you are planning already to teach your parents, your relatives, your friends prayer, the rosary, the Church’s doctrine about marriage, chastity. Fine! This is good. Teach clearly, courageously, forcefully, but above all, listen…
-
Dr. Ralph Martin: ‘Fiducia Supplicans Has No Smell of the Gospel’
Well, this document that Cardinal Fernandez has published, I will say, it doesn’t have the smell of the gospel. You know, Jesus said, “Let your yes be yes, and your no be No”. Jesus said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off, if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck…
-
A Letter to an ex-Catholic Nun Regarding Worshipping Statues
My dear friend in Christ, May grace and peace be with you, and may this message honor and glorify God, the source of all truth. (CCC 2465) I once promised myself not to spend time on old repetitive claims against Catholic doctrines and practices but for the sake of our friendship I composed this response…
-
My Conscience’s Take on SSPX
I am not a traditionalist. If being a traditionalist means rejecting and demonizing the New Mass, then I am certainly not a traditionalist. I admit that some of my views lean towards traditionalism, but I would deny being part of any traditionalist circle. This is partly because I grew up in a village without a…
-
List of Conservative and Traditional Catholic Podcasts
As a busy working dad in the Philippines, I don’t have the luxury of having the time to read books or lengthy articles. That is why I listen to podcast episodes while doing my daily activities. But I do not waste time listening to podcasters who do not acknowledge the ongoing crisis of faith in…
-
CFD vs LCA: The Battle of Two Extremes
I had never heard of the Lay Catholic Apologists (LCA) group until these last few weeks, when the Defenders of the Catholic Faith (CFD), another lay movement defending the Catholic faith in the Philippines, announced its acceptance of a public debate on the New Mass or most commonly known as Novus Ordo against the LCA.…
-
How Dare We Condemn Them!
I visited a Marian apparition site in Lipa for the first time yesterday, September 12, 2023, exactly 75 years after the first apparition. I was struck by the peacefulness, silence, and sacredness of the place, as you can see in the photos I posted on Facebook. And if I were to follow what my senses…
-
A Defence on Mary’s Perpetual Virginity
“He was conceived by the Power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary.” We profess Mary’s virginity when we recite the Apostle’s Creed on Sunday masses, when we pray the Rosary of the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, etc. But, why is Mary’s virginity so important? 1. Rejecting Mary’s virginity means rejecting…
-
Arguing with CFD May Not be a Good Idea
ALWAYS REMEMBER THESE THINGS if you plan to have a healthy conversation with a “Catholic Defender” (CFD) member on social media
-
Letter to the Catholic Faith Defenders on the ‘God-died’ Issue
Dear Catholic Faith Defenders, May grace and peace be with us all, and may this message honor and glorify God, the source of all truth. (CCC 2465) It is a great distress to see that your organization, Catholic Faith Defenders, the largest and most organized apologetics group in the country, is so divided in its…
-
Jimmy Akin Explains the ‘Principle of Double Effect’
The following is my own transcription of Jimmy Akin’s answer via Catholic Answers Live Episode 11274 about the Principle of Double Effect. Question: Is it morally acceptable to kill a baby in the womb if that baby would end up killing the mother and ends up killing the child? Answer: So, the standard approach to…
-
Is the Archbishop’s Ban on Holy Masses in Lipa a Violation of Canon Law 843?
The tension caused by the controversial Marian phenomenon in Lipa Batangas that for decades was supported and promulgated by five (arch)bishops of Lipa is becoming more and more intense. Cardinal Luis Ladaria, head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), Bishop Virgilio David, head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines…
-
Against CFD Confusions: ‘Roma Locuta; Causa Finita Est!’ on the Lipa Case
I had to react to a public Facebook post by the Catholic Faith Defenders – Office of the National President about the documents published by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF or CDF) regarding the 75th anniversary of the alleged Marian apparitions in Lipa,…
-
Bible Alone Is Not Biblical, It Is an Insult to Christ
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 This is a detailed response I promised to a young man named Marcus (not his true name) who loves his faith very much. I…
-
‘Faith Alone’ is Biblical. But It’s Not What You Think It Is.
Since today is the Solemnity of Saint James the Great, I offer this short post about faith alone in honor of this great apostle of Jesus Christ who dedicated his life to christianized Spain which resulted to the christianization of many parts of the world including our country, the Philippines. This post does not intend…
-
Peter as the New Abraham
Some theologians have presented a certain parallelism between these two fathers of the faith with biblical verses that support their claim. The most prominent of these claims is that both received a special blessing from God to be a patriarch or father of the people of God. Abraham was made the father of all nations…
-
Jesus Words ‘I Will Build My Church’ Fulfilled in the Catholic Church
Everything that Jesus did and said during his ministry was for our salvation. Jesus never did anything unnecessary, and one of the most important things he did was the founding of one singular Church (Matthew 16:18). His Church is essential to our salvation because she is the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Timothy 3:15).…
-
Is the Catholic Ban on Contraception Biblical?
Dave Armstrong provides a response to the claim that the Catholic ban on contraception is just an arbitrary, unbiblical restriction, a burdensome tradition of men foisted on their flock. Contraception was commonly prohibited by all Christians Protestant, Orthodox, and Catholic until 1930. It is a biblical and patristic belief. Here is the classic biblical passage…
-
Church Instructions on Homilies
In this post we will see a collection of references about an ideal homily, its purpose, suggested content, and structure. These are taken from different sources such as the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, Inter Oecumenici, Redemptionis Sacramentum, Code of Canon Law, and the Homiletic Directory by the Congregation for the Divine Worship. The CDW, with…
-
What You Should Know about the Roman Catholic Society of Pope Leo XIII
Photo from Google Maps There is a church in Imus, Cavite that appears to be in full communion with the Catholic Church. They celebrate the Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form in Latin. For this reason, many Catholics, especially tradition loving Catholics, would normally react favorably to the contents the society shares in the social…
-
List of Valid Baptisms in the Philippines
VALID BAPTISMS RECOGNIZED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE PHILIPPINES I. A NEW LIST A. Valid Baptisms Adventists: Anabaptists: Baptists: Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC) Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churchesin full communion with the Roman Catholic Church Episcopalians and Anglicans: Greek Orthodox Church or Eastern Orthodox Independent Catholics: Inter-Denominational Churches: Lutherans: Mega…
-
List of Sins for our Next Confession
Examination of Conscience for Catholics ☐ I have performed my duties towards God reluctantly or grudgingly.☐ I did not recite my daily prayers with faith and devotion.☐ I received the Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin.☐ I deliberately told a lie in confession or intentionally failed to mention a mortal sin during my…
-
The 3 Objectives of Catholic Apologetics
Apologetics is of course not to silence and condemn anyone who do not confess the Catholic Faith. It has to be done with a dose of ecumenism and should not cause enmity between the attacker and the defender. Many of us have experienced debates that ended up badly to a point of unfriending an opponent.…
-
Repetition is Biblical
The Holy Rosary is a Marian devotion, that is, a devotion in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, practiced primarily by Roman Catholics. The phrase “Ad Jesum Per Mariam” or “To Jesus through Mary” is popular among Catholics. We show devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and ask her to take our prayers to her…
-
How to Read the Holy Bible?
The Holy Bible is the world’s best-selling book with five billion copies sold. It is a small library containing 73 books written by different authors in different literary forms, and intended for different audiences. The Song of Moses in Exodus 15 and the Song of Deborah in Judges 5 are believed to be the most…
-
Who is the Antichrist?
The Five Characteristics of the Antichrist According to the Bible According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 675: Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. (Cf. Lk 18:8; Mt 24:12) The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth (Cf. Lk 21:12; Jn 15:19-20) will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in…
-
The Clash Between Fr. Darwin Gitgano and Bro. Eliseo Soriano
What really happened between Fr. Darwin Gitgano and Bro. Eliseo Soriano in 2020? This post will answer that question in detail. Father Darwin Anober Gitgano is a known Catholic apologist from Bohol, Philippines. A debate against Ramil Parba of Iglesia ni Cristo made him even more popular for both the attackers and the defenders of…
-
Abby Johnson Raises Concerns Over Bishops’ Inaction on Critical Abortion Matters
Abby Johnson questions bishops’ negligence on abortion issues in an interview with Michael Voris from Church Militant. Michael: Abby, first of all, thank you for giving us an interview. Let me ask you, what do you think is the biggest single challenge of the pro life movement now has in 2023? Abby: Chemical abortion, medication…
Epistles Philippines 