From Samhain To Halloween
Posted on 31. Oct, 2010 by Alex Sharp in History
In the Western world, where the lion’s share of our most sacred holidays are tied to religious celebrations, it seems odd that Halloween should be celebrated with such fervor. On the surface it has no ties to Christianity, Judaism or Islam – indeed, it seems to exalt demons and other spiritual entities in a way [...]
From Henry VIII To Elizabeth II
Posted on 18. Sep, 2010 by Alex Sharp in History
Pope Benedict XVI is on a visit to Great Britain this week. The head of the Roman Catholic Church made news all around the world when he met with Queen Elizabeth II, his titular counterpart in the Church of England. The Church of England (or Anglican Communion) and the Roman Catholic Church have been separate [...]
Trinitarian Belief In Christianity: An Eternal Struggle To Understand The Nature Of God
Posted on 18. Feb, 2010 by Alex Sharp in History
The nature of God in Christianity is a debate fraught with difficultly. Chief among these difficulties is the establishment and nature of the Trinitarian doctrine. This doctrine states that there are three distinct persons (The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit) unified by a single essence into a Triune God. This is probably the [...]
Vodou: The Syncretic Child Of Vodun And Roman Catholicism
Posted on 22. Jan, 2010 by Alex Sharp in History
One of my recent articles about Pat Robertson’s impressively vicious attack on the native beliefs of Haiti has resulted in people asking me questions about Haitian Vodou. While my experience with the different schools of Vodou is limited, I have done a fair amount of reading about other Afro-Caribbean and South American religions, so tackling [...]
One Easter With Two Different Dates
Posted on 11. Apr, 2009 by Alex Sharp in History
Often times the Orthodox and Roman Catholic celebration of Easter falls on different days. Why does this happen? Easter Sunday is the Sunday immediately following the Paschal Full Moon, or the first full moon of spring. Don’t let that term fool you, though. Technically it is the first ecclesiastical full moon. Only in the early days [...]
Cardinal George Is Right! To Hell With Barack Obama!
Posted on 06. Apr, 2009 by Joseph Fosco in Current Events
Cardinal George Is Right! To Hell With Barack Obama! Cardinal George is right about President Obama and Notre Dame. I am not shocked or disappointed that Cardinal George is doing what he was appointed to do, which is stand up for the teachings of the Church. If you want to be a Catholic you cannot [...]
Will The Cold War Continue Between The Russian Orthodox And Roman Catholic Churches?
Posted on 28. Jan, 2009 by Alex Sharp in Current Events, History
A few days ago the Russian Orthodox Church elected a replacement for Patriarch Alexy II. On the 27th of January Metropolitan Kirill of Moscow was appointed Patriarch-elect for the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia. The choice has been generally well-received by the Orthodox community. The Russian Orthodox Church is often said to be the largest [...]
The Society of St. Pius X And Cardinal Ratzinger
Posted on 23. Jan, 2009 by Alex Sharp in Current Events, History
In a curious, though not altogether unexpected, series of events, the little-known Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has burst on to the international news circuit. Several members of this obscure Traditionalist Catholic organization were excommunicated in 1988 after their leader, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, conducted the infamous Econe Consecrations. Now, in early 2009, it looks [...]
The Substance of Transubstantiation
Posted on 16. Jan, 2009 by Alex Sharp in History
One of the least understood parts of Roman Catholic theology is the sacrament of Eucharist, or so I have found over the years. The doctrine of transubstantiation is a subtle idea, one that plays with concepts of what an object is, and what it appears to be. This relationship is often referred to in terms [...]
New Year Around The World
Posted on 31. Dec, 2008 by Alex Sharp in Current Events, History
In a season of religious holidays there is an oddly secular feel to New Year celebrations in the Christian world. Indeed, the revelries surrounding the birth of a new year were (and to some extent still are) seen by Christians as excessive and paganistic. The Roman Catholic liturgical year does not recognize January 1st as [...]
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