
Articles by Mark Brumley


Articulating the “New Traditionalism”: A conversation with Larry Chapp
“A Manifesto of the New Traditionalism”, published on the Gaudium et Spes 22 blog on December 22nd, was co-authored by Sean Domenicic, Larry Chapp and Marc Barnes. Written from a “Catholic Worker perspective but with […]

On the double standards of self-styled defenders of Pope Francis
It’s interesting to see how many supposed defenders of Pope Francis have been attacking the March 15th document he approved for publication by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. That document rejected the […]

Thomas Howard, 1935-2020
Thomas Howard converted to Catholicism several years after I became a Catholic but even so he was extremely influential in helping me make sense of my conversion and in speaking to Evangelical friends about it. […]

Benedict XVI, Vatican II, and the “hermeneutic of reform”
Recently, Second Vatican Council’s legitimacy and value have again been challenged. Some observers behave as if Benedict XVI saw Vatican II as a problem and proposed a “hermeneutic of continuity” to overcome the problem. Some […]

Did Hans Urs von Balthasar teach that everyone will certainly be saved?
Whatever Balthasar’s position is, and whether or not it is correct, it isn’t universalism. […]

Soda and Cookie Mass?
Suppose a pastor announces at the end of Mass one Sunday that starting in the new year, his parish will feature a Soda and Chocolate-chip Cookie Mass for youth, at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. The […]

Amazonian Women Deacons?
The recommendation of some at the Amazon Synod regarding the ordination of married viri probati, proven men, to the priesthood may or may not be a good idea, but in any case it is in the […]

Hell and Pope Francis
Let’s hope the lesson regarding Mr Scalfari has finally been learned so we don’t see further international headlines recounting this or that alleged contradiction by […]

It’s about the Art, for Art’s Sake
The Vatican’s 2017 Nativity Display is generating more than a little vitriol from some Catholics on social media. […]