Did you know Benedict changed the Baptismal rite? [For the better]

Conspiracy theories anyone?

In one of the deeply kept secrets of the papal transition, Benedict XVI changed the words of the baptismal rite and the change was promulgated by Francis.  No longer does the church welcome the newly baptized into the "Christian community," but rather into the "Church of God."

Sandro Magister explains in "Vatican Diary / Pope Benedict's Parting Shot:"



This more precise language make sense in terms of the Vatican II theological terminology, on which see the late Father Richard John Neuhaus's essay: "The One True Church."

The Centrality of Faith to our Founding and Our Human Rights

Much commentary is being written about the last debate of the Florida Republican primary.

Rick Santorum was asked last night what role faith would play in his decisions as president.  Commentary's Peter Wehner is right when he calls former senator Santorum's reply,"[t]he best answer of the night in terms of political philosophy":


"Faith is a very, very important part of my life, but it’s a very, very important part of this country. The foundational documents of our country — everybody talks about the Constitution, very, very important. But the Constitution is the “how” of America. It’s the operator’s manual. The “why” of America, who we are as a people, is in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.” The Constitution is there to do one thing: protect God-given rights. That’s what makes America different than every other country in the world. No other country in the world has its rights — rights based in God-given rights, not government-given rights. And so when you say, well, faith has nothing to do with it, faith has everything to do with it. If rights come… (applause) if our president believes that rights come to us from the state, everything government gives you, it can take away. The role of the government is to protect rights that cannot be taken away. And so the answer to that question is, I believe in faith and reason and approaching the problems of this country but understand where those rights come from, who we are as Americans and the foundational principles by which we have changed the world."

 The father of our constitution, James Madison, advised that the only real guarantee of our liberty is that there is a Higher Authority than the state.

Bottum On First Things

Put on your earphones and listen to what First Things is about. More fundamentally, what Joseph Bottum is going to do with it now that Fr. John Neuhaus is holing court in a more luminous place:

Interview with Joseph Bottum from Joe Carter on Vimeo.

Carnage and Culture provides a set of Obituaries and Tributes to Fr. Neuhaus

Carnage and Culture provides a set of Obituaries and Tributes to Fr. Neuhaus:

DAVID BROOKS

1) David Brooks;
2) The New York Times;
3) Joseph Bottum;
4) Joseph Bottum in the The Weekly Standard;

Father Newhaus More

On his blog, Strange Herring, Anthony Sacramone, a young Lutheran who was managing editor of First Things for two years, writes "Woody Allen said that 90% of life is just showing up. Richard John Neuhaus showed up. Whether it was at the civil-rights marches in the 1960s or the pro-life campaigns of the 1980s, Richard John Neuhaus showed up." The blog is highly recommended.

Fr. Neuhaus's last contribution published by the Wall Street Journal Online is "The Pro-Life Movement as the Politics of the 1960s." Damon Linker also has some conflicted reflections on Father Neuhaus.