March 13 ought to have been a happy day in Rome. But the mood in and around Vatican City before, during, and after the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’s election was more somber than festive—and not because the anniversary fell during Lent. Rather, the melancholy reflected the current atmosphere in the Holy See, which has gone unremarked for too long and deserves candid description.
The prevailing mood in today’s Vatican is one of trepidation. That’s not only what those who question the pontificate’s direction think. It’s also the judgment of some who are comfortable with the past ten years, and who applaud Pope Francis’s efforts to display God’s mercy in his public persona, but who also know that “kinder, gentler” does not characterize papal governance behind the scenes. Because papal autocracy has created a miasma of fear, parrhesia (the “speaking freely” Francis encourages) is not the Roman order of the day, except in private. Even then it is rare, because trust among Vatican officials has broken down. When a brave soul dares to question or criticize the current line of papal policy, it’s almost invariably in the company of those of like mind. Serious, fraternal, charita
Several years back, the estimable Father Paul Scalia observed, of some cultural idiocy or other, “Who knew the end of civilization would be so amusing?”
I detected a subtle theological point within that mordant comment: a point worth reflecting upon during Lent. Christians are the people who know how history is going to turn out—God is, finally, going to get what God intended from the beginning, which is the Wedding Feast of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem. (The trailer, so to speak, is in Revelation ) So Christians can afford to relax a bit about the vicissitudes and traumas of history. To be sure, faith that God’s purposes in creation and redemption will ultimately be vindicated ought not lead to insouciance about here-and-now; we have responsibilities within history and we should take them seriously. But faith in the triumph of the Kingdom for which we pray daily should invite us to “chill” (as the kids used to say).n
That’s what I did during a recent skirmish in the American culture wars, which erupted a few weeks back over a leaked memo suggesting that President Trump would issue an Executive Order creating a preference that federal courthouses and other federal buildings
Father Scalia’s Homilies
Below is a list of recent Sunday homilies given by the Very Reverend Paul D. Scalia, Pastor of Saint James Catholic Church. In addition to Sunday homilies, other homilies for special Masses, Holy Days of Obligation, etc. will be posted too. If you have any problems accessing these homilies, email [email&#;protected].
His homilies are also posted on our Twitter account.
March
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
To listen to homilies before the above dates, click here.
Thank you for your interest in attending the IHM Sisters&#; Centennial Celebration on September 17, We will communicate with everyone who RSVP&#;s mid-summer with details and a final confirmation on your attendance.
If you have any questions in the meantime, contact Kathleen Anderson at [email&#;protected] or x
Fr. Paul D. Scalia
Father Scalia grew up in the Diocese of Arlington and attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He then studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Since his ordination in he has served as parochial vicar at several parishes and as pastor of Saint John the Beloved in McLean. He currently serves as the Episcopal Vicar for Clergy and directs the permanent diaconate program. He has written for various publications and is a frequent speaker on matters of faith and doctrine. Father Scalia is the author of That Nothing May Be Lost: Reflections on Catholic Doctrine and Devotion (Ignatius Press, ) and Sermons in Times of Crisis: Twelve Homilies to Stir Your Soul (Saint Benedict Press, ).
To listen to Fr. Scalia&#;s Sunday Homily, click here.
Please contact our office manager, Susan Ramsel, to arrange a meeting with Father Scalia.
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