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December 13, 2017

Note from the Managing Editor:

In order for what is wrong and immoral to come to be viewed as good and moral, the meaning of the words we use needs to be changed.  The corruption of language both accompanies and faciltates the corruption of culture.  That's why the battle for the good so often involves a battle over words and their meaning.

G.K. Chesterton asks: "What is the good of words if they aren't important enough to quarrel over?... The Church and the heresies always used to fight about words, because they are the only thing worth fighting about."

George Orwell goes even further.  In his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell writes about "doublethink" and "Newspeak" (or doublespeak) which not only aims at providing a medium of expression for the world-view and mental habits proper to a corrupted culture, but aims at making all other modes of thought utterly unacceptable and eventually impossible.

We care about the meaning of words here at CERC and do our best to represent accurately the meaning of words and to expose language subterfuge.

And we appreciate the participation of all those who subscribe to our E-Letter as well as those who just drop by our website for a visit once in a while. 

Whatever category of visitor you are in, we would very much  appreciate your financial support this Advent.  With help from you, we will be able to continue doing what we do for another year.

Please send us a little something today if you haven't donated recently.

A blessed Advent. - J. Fraser Field

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"When learned men begin to use their reason, then I generally discover that they haven't got any." -G.K. Chesterton



New Resources


 
Preparing the Way - Father Alfred Delp, S.J. - Prison Writings

Advent is the time for rousing.


 
10 Christmas Stories Every Father Should Read to His Children - Sean Fitzpatrick - Crisis Magazine

When St. Nick drives his miniature sleigh full of toys drawn by eight tiny reindeer to the snowy housetop, and drops to the sooty hearth below, the paterfamilias is bidden to attend.


 
Suffering Advent - Dale Ahlquist - Catholic World Report

At the risk of sounding like Scrooge, I fully intend to shoot Rudolph and mount his head, red nose and all, over my mantelpiece this holiday season.


 
My Laurier interrogation shows universities have lost sight of their purpose - Lindsay Shepherd - National Post

How can humanities departments justify charging students tuition if they are not teaching them to think critically?


 
"Life is Good" - Kimberly Shankman - Magnificat

My son suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in an accident at age seventeen.


 
A Baker's First Amendment Rights - Robert P. George & Sherif Girgis - The New York Times

You need the First Amendment precisely when your ideas offend others or flout the majority's orthodoxies.


 
The Meaning of Christmas: Look Deeper - Peter Kreeft - National Catholic Register

While Christmas is so familiar that we sometimes wonder whether anything fresh and true can be said about it, there is a way to explore its meaning that may seem new to us today, yet is in fact quite traditional, dating back to the Middle Ages and the ancient Fathers of the Church.


 
Silence in class - Father Matthew Pittam - Catholic Herald

One of the most rewarding aspects of my ministry as a school chaplain has been to introduce students to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and silence.


 
Insanity is not a lack of brains - Father George W. Rutler - From the Pastor

As a chaplain in a state mental hospital, I quickly learned two things.


 
2nd Sunday of Advent - Father John Horgan - CERC

St. Mark begins his Gospel with the story of St. John the Baptist and his preaching.

Editorials of Interest:

Why we shouldn't change the Lord's Prayer - Anthony Esolen - First Things
Jerusalem - Essays in Idleness
Neither Pop Nor Culture - First Things

Editorials of Interest


Full Text of Pope Francis' In-Flight Press Conference from Bangladesh - NC Register

In a 58-minute conversation with journalists on his return flight from Bangladesh to Rome, Pope Francis discussed the Rohingya people of Burma, evangelization, nuclear warfare, and plans for future travel, among other topics.


Why we shouldn't change the Lord's Prayer - Anthony Esolen - First Things

ope Francis has caused another round of cheering and dismay by calling for a "better translation" of the words of the Lord's Prayer.


Disregarding the divinely-rooted Canon 915 portends serious consequences for the Church and her faithful - In the Light of the Law

Canon 915 is slowly becoming an Orwellian "uncanon", its existence not mentioned in key official documents impacting the Communion debate, its relevance to the precise sacramental issue at hand not being acknowledged.


On the Appearance of Pope Francis's Letter to the Argentine Bishops in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis - American Catholic

Some three months ago I predicted that Pope Francis' letter to the Argentine bishops, approving their implementation of Amoris laetitia, would make its way into the Acta Apostolicae Sedis. Now it has.


You Better Watch Out: St. Nicholas is Coming to Town - Catholic World Report

The seldom-told stories of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, whose Feast is celebrated on December 6th.


A Culture Without God Is Like a Ship Without a Pilot - Community in Mission

If the soul does not have Christ living within, it falls into utter disrepair and a contemptible state. If the "person" in question is a culture or nation, these words are especially accurate.


Dear Liberal Christians, It's Not The Government's Job To Give To The Poor. It's Yours. - The Daily Wire

There are two very serious problems with the idea that we fulfill our Biblical duties by paying high taxes in order to fund a vast and wasteful Welfare State.


Historical Ignorance, Moral Arrogance - First Things

Moral arrogance and historical ignorance reinforce one another. To ennoble ourselves, we make irrational barbarians out of our ancestors and ignore the complexities of their times.


Jerusalem - David Warren - Essays In Idleness

Peace — in the limited sense of avoiding conflagration — often requires as much boldness as war.


What big companies oppose a small business' case for religious freedom? - Catholic World Report

A small Colorado bakery's religious freedom lawsuit has drawn opposition from 37 large companies, including Apple, Amazon, and Citigroup, a development which the bakery's attorney says should be a cause of concern for all Americans.


How My Parents' Divorce Ruined Our Holidays And Family Life Forever - The Federalist

In the decades since my parents' divorce and through the years of my marriage, I have learned no-fault divorce is one of the biggest lies of our culture.


New Study Finds Hormonal Birth Control Triples Women's Risk of Suicide - The Federalist

The pill was introduced nearly 60 years ago. Why are we only now beginning to document some of hormonal birth control's serious side-effects?


Are all these sexual abuse revelations triggering you? They are me! - Aleteia

This is the precise time that Americans need to start looking at their lives, whether they have been sexually aggressed upon, or they have been the aggressor, and process these truths.


Porn Is the Missing Piece in the Louis C.K. Story - Public Discourse

Pornography rewires its viewers' brains, distorting the way they interpret the behavior of those around them and making them believe that unacceptable behavior will be welcomed.


Rex Murphy: Endless sex scandals expose hypocrisy of Hollywood and media industry - National Post

As the perverts of Hollywood and news industry tumble daily and ever deeper into the pit of sexual scandal, it's getting difficult to keep count.


Bermuda abolishes same-sex marriage - Catholic Herald

Just six months after a court ruling overturned the traditional definition of marriage


Why would a Saudi Prince pay $450m for a painting of Christ? - Catholic Herald

Could it be a sign of hope for Saudi Arabia's persecuted Christian minority?


Neither Pop Nor Culture - First Things

The key to understanding modernity and its ultimate demise lies in the many failed efforts to find replacements for religious faith.


Marcus Grodi reflects on 20 years of "The Journey Home" - Catholic World Report

Grodi discusses how Mother Angelica asked him to start a show in 1996, the need for an apostolate to help current and former Protestant pastors, and the biggest challenges facing converts.


Do I have to go to Mass twice on Christmas Eve this year? - Catholic Herald

Christmas Eve falls on the 4th Sunday of Advent this year. What does that mean for Mass attendance?


Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman and
St. Justin Martyr, pray for us

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