Lived Experience and the Search for Truth: Revisiting Catholic Sexual Morality

Lived Experience and the Search for Truth: Revisiting Catholic Sexual Morality

Lived Experience and the Search for Truth: Revisiting Catholic Sexual Morality

Editors — Deborah Savage and Robert L. Fastiggi

This book is an initial attempt to arrive inductively at the truths embedded in the moral teaching of the Church through the lived experience of faithful men and women, rendered intelligible in conceptual terms. While attending to one’s own experience is certainly one step in coming to understand oneself, it provides but a glimpse – a partial clue – into the mystery of who one is and is meant to be. Indeed, experience is not alienated from human cognition but integral to it. Wisdom is the fruit of both experience and reason. But, contrary to claims of those who would give primacy to subjective personal experience over and against the conclusions of right reason, it is only possible to arrive at the full truth about oneself if the intellect is allowed to pursue its proper end, not mere knowledge but understanding. We hope to persuade the reader that a proper grasp of the place of lived experience in the search for truth reveals that the Catholic understanding of the human person and human sexuality provide the only sure route to human happiness.

Paperback: $34.95 | Kindle: $9.99

Deborah Savage on her edited volume Lived Experience and the Search for Truth

Jennifer Roback Morse on "The Sexual Revolution and Its Victims"

Richard Doerflinger on “Married Experience and the Gospel of Life”

Adrian Reimers on "Male Chastity according to Pope St John Paul II"

Carrie Gress on “Motherhood and the Power of Vulnerability”


REVIEWS

Mirus, Jeff, “Three blockbuster books on our contemporary gender crisis,” (October 2, 2024). Click here to read the review.


REVIEWS

Lived Experience and the Search for Truth explores human consciousness through philosophy, theology, and personal experience. Grounded in St. John Paul II’s thought, it examines identity, sexuality, and bioethical concerns, highlighting faith and reason. With honest accounts and scholarly rigor, it critiques subjectivism while affirming truth, human dignity, and the complementarity of man and woman. An essential handbook for navigating through the morass of opinions at variance with our Christian faith traditions that vie with one another for dominance in our contemporary world.” – Francis Etheredge, catholic married layman, father of 11, 3 of whom are in heaven, and an author; his next, forthcoming book, is Transgenderism: A Question of Identity

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part One: Philosophical and Theological Foundations 

Chapter 1: “When the Starting Place is Lived Experience: The Pastoral and Therapeutic Implications of Pope St. John Paul II’s Account of the Person” by Deborah Savage

Chapter 2: “Why Subjectivity Reveals Man as Person” by John Crosby

Chapter 3: “The Universality of Natural Law and the Irreducibility of Personalism” by Janet E. Smith

Chapter 4: “Ethics in Search of Its Experiential Point of Departure: The Philosophical Ethics and Moral Theology of Margaret A. Farley and Karol Wojtyła/John Paul II” by Eduardo Echeverria

Chapter 5: “Meaning and the Theology of Body” by Michele M. Schumacher

Part Two: Reflections on the Revolution

Chapter 6: “The Sexual Revolution and Its Victims: The Church was Right All Along” by Jennifer Roback Morse

Chapter 7: “The Sexual Revolution: Four Facts We Can’t Pretend Not to Know” by Mary Eberstadt

Chapter 8: “The Existential Contradictions of the Sexual Revolution” by Carl R.. Trueman

Chapter 9: “Transsexualism as Transhumanism” by J. Budziszewski

Part Three: Dispatches from the Front Lines. 235

Chapter 10: “Rethinking Humanae Vitae: Living Through the Sexual Revolution” by Deborah Savage

Chapter 11: “Married Experience and the Gospel of Life” by Richard Doerflinger

Chapter 12: “Male Chastity according to Pope St John Paul II” by Adrian Reimers

Chapter 13: “The Design of God’s Love: The Gift of Children Through Adoption” by Elizabeth Kirk

Chapter 14: “Motherhood and the Power of Vulnerability” by Carrie Gress

Chapter 15: “Fathers in the Image of God the Father” by David Deavel

Chapter 16: “Reverent Curiosity: Why the Church Needs to Listen to Gender Dysphoria” by Jason Evert

Chapter 17: “Integrating the Experience of Homosexuality into the Quest for Wholeness” by Marco Casanova

Chapter 18: “My Father Gives Me Bread: Same-Sex Attraction and My Journey toward Wholeness” by Amy E. Hamilton

Chapter 19: “Dispatches from the Front Lines: Teaching the Victims of the Sexual Revolution” by Anne E. Maloney

Part Four: The Science of Love

Chapter 20: “The Relationship between Theology and the Social Sciences” by Fr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz

Chapter 21: “Hormonal Contraception and the Physiology of Human Sexuality” by Angela Lanfranchi, MD FACS

Chapter 22: “Catholic Wisdom on the Origin of Human Life and its Link to Human Relationships” by Peter J. Colosi

Part Five: Global Challenges and Policy Considerations  

Chapter 23: “The Globalist Challenge to Authentic Human Love” by Stefano Gennarini

Chapter 24: “A Catholic Response to DEI Policies: Formation in True Love Through ‘Imago DEI’ Programs” by Jane F. Adolphe

Chapter 25: “The Billionaires Behind the LGBT Movement?” by Jennifer Bilek

Deborah Savage

Deborah Savage, (Ph.D., Marquette) is a Professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio. Prior to her current appointment, Dr. Savage taught both philosophy and theology at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota for the thirteen years. She is a recognized scholar of the work of Karol Wojtyla/Pope St. John Paul II. Her research areas include: the nature of man and woman, the human person, the theological meaning of human work and the conversion of the acting person. Her writing has appeared in many publications, including Nova et Vertera, Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, First Things, The Humanum Review, Catholic World Report, and Public Discourse. The most recent iteration of her theory of Man and Woman is a chapter in a volume entitled The Complementarity of Men and Women, edited by Dr. Paul Vitz and published by CUA Press (May 2021).

Robert L. Fastiggi

Robert L. Fastiggi (Ph.D., Fordham) is a professor of dogmatic theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit where he has taught since 1999. Previously, he taught at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas (1985–1999). He has authored 3 books; co-authored 2 others; and edited or co-edited 12 others. He is a member of the Mariological Society of America, the International Marian Association, and the Pontifical International Marian Academy.

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Jane F. Adolphe, J.C.L./J.C.D., LL.B./B.C.L., Professor of Law, Ave Maria School of Law, Naples, Fl., Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame, School of Law, Sydney, Australia, Founder and Executive Director, International Catholic Jurists Forum. She has worked as an external and internal legal expert for the Papal Secretariat of State, Section for Relations with States.

Jennifer Bilek is an artist, activist, and investigative journalist. Her journalism has been featured in Tablet Magazine, First Things, and The Post Millennial.

J. Budziszewski, Professor of Government and Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin.  Dr. Budziszewski is recognized especially for his works on natural law and his series of line-by-line commentaries on Thomas Aquinas.  He also studies and writes about conscience; moral self-deception; moral character; human happiness; family and sexuality; religion in public life; toleration and liberty; and the unraveling (and possible restoration) of our common culture.

Marco Casanova, M.Div. Associate Director, Desert Stream Ministries. Marco oversees Living Waters in the United States. Living Waters is a pastoral healing program for men and women seeking focused accompaniment towards chastity. Marco writes and speaks about his experience of same-sex attraction, and how chastity is the roadmap for anyone seeking life beyond LGBTQ+-identification. He works closely with Andrew Comiskey as his successor of Desert Stream. He and his wife Ania live in Kansas City, MO. The work of Desert Stream/Living Waters can be found at https://www.desertstream.org/.

Peter J. Colosi, Ph.D is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. He has published many articles and book chapters in the areas of Catholic medical ethics and social teaching, contemporary philosophical personalism and Franciscan studies in both academic and online venues. He is the main organizer and co-founder of the Theology of the Body International Symposia. There have been five Symposia thus far, in Austria, Ireland, England, Portugal and Holland, and the Symposia talks can be viewed at https://tobinternationalsymposia.com/. His personal website is https://peterjcolosi.com/

John F. Crosby was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Mobile, Ala.  He received his B.A. from Georgetown University in 1966 and his Ph.D. from the University of Salzburg, Austria, in 1970.  His teacher in philosophy was Dietrich von Hildebrand.  He has taught at the University of Dallas, the University of Salzburg, the Lateran University in Rome, and at the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein; since 1990 he has been teaching at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he founded the M.A. program in philosophy.  He has published extensively on the thought of St. John Henry Newman, as well as on the thought of St. John Paul II.  The philosophy known as Christian personalism stands at the center of his teaching and writing, and the books he has written are The Selfhood of the Human Person (1996), Personalist Papers (2004), and The Personalism of John Henry Newman (2014). He and his wife, Pia, are the parents of six children, the oldest of which is John Henry.  He has assisted John Henry in founding the Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project, which is devoted to disseminating the religious and philosophical legacy of von Hildebrand. 

David P. Deavel (Ph.D., Fordham) is an Associate Professor in and Chairman of the Theology Department at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. A former Editor of Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, he co-edited Solzhenitsyn and American Culture: The Russian Soul in the West (Notre Dame, 2020). His academic articles have appeared in Chesterton Review, Chicago Studies, The Journal of Markets & Morality, Nova et Vetera, New Blackfriars, and many books. He is a Senior Contributor at The Imaginative Conservative, member of the Board of Directors of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars and University Faculty for Life, and a member of the Advisory Board for CUA Press’s Catholic Women Writers series. His public and popular articles have appeared in Catholic World Report, Claremont Review of Books, Commonweal, First Things, and The Wall Street Journal.

Richard Doerflinger, M.A., is former Associate Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is a Faculty Fellow with the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, University of Notre Dame, and Adjunct Fellow in Bioethics and Public Policy with the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. He and his wife live in Washington state.

Mary Eberstadt holds the Panula Chair at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, DC, and is a Senior Research Fellow with the Faith and Reason Institute. She is author of several books including How the West Really Lost God, which examines the relationship between secularization and the sexual revolution; and Adam and Eve after Pill, Revisited, about the revolution’s destructive consequences on society, politics, and Christianity (Foreword by Cardinal George Pell).

Eduardo Echeverria (PhD, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam; S.T.L., University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum) is Professor of Philosophy and Systematic Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He is the author of numerous books, including Roman Catholicism and Neo-Calvinism: Ecumenical and Polemical Engagements (2024), Are We Together? A Roman Catholic Analyzes Evangelical Protestants (2022), Pope Francis: The Legacy of Vatican II, 2nd edition (2019), Revelation, History, and Truth: A Hermeneutics of Dogma (2017). He is a member of the American ecumenical initiative, Evangelicals and Catholics Together. 

Jason Evert, M.A., is the founder of Chastity Project and its website, chastity.com. Over the past 25 years, he has spoken on the topics of chastity and gender to more than two million young people on six continents. He is also the author of more than twenty books, including Saint John Paul the Great, Theology of the Body in One Hour, and Male, Female, Other?

Stefano Gennarini, J.D., S.T.B., is the Vice President for Legal Studies at the Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam). He represents C-Fam at UN headquarters in New York and researches and writes on international law and policy.

Carrie Gress, Ph.D., is a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a scholar at The Institute for Human Ecology at Catholic University of America. She is the founder and co-editor at the online women’s magazine and marketplace TheologyofHome.com and the author of ten books, including the Theology of Home series, The Anti-Mary Exposed, and The End of Woman.

Amy E. Hamilton, Ph.D., Research Associate, University of Texas at Austin and Fellow, Nesti Center for Faith & Culture-University of St. Thomas, Houston. Dr. Hamilton has been a Fulbright scholar and a Social Science Research Council Sexuality Research Fellow. Her dissertation focused on the life narratives of Christians who had experienced conflicts with their spiritual and sexual identity. She studies and writes on topics related to marriage, faith, gender, and sexuality. Her work can be found at: amyhamilton.org.

Elizabeth R. Kirk is an Assistant Professor at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, where she also serves as Co-Director of its Center for Law and the Human Person. Elizabeth’s scholarship focuses on law and the family, including issues such as parental rights, reproductive technologies, abortion jurisprudence, and child welfare and adoption. She also explores the relationship, both complementary and contrasting, between the Catholic intellectual tradition and law. 

Angela Lanfranchi, M.D., F.A.C.S., is a retired breast cancer surgeon who cared for over 20,000 women with breast disease over a 33 year career.  A 1975 graduate of Georgetown Medical School, in 1986 she was appointed a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Rutgers-RWJ Medical School and is presently the President of  the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute (www.bcpinstitute.org) which she co-founded in 1999.  She has published peer reviewed articles on the impact of  hormonal contraception and induced abortion on breast disease and women. She lectures nationally and internationally on those topics.

Anne M. Maloney received her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Marquette University. She is currently an Associate Professor of Philosophy at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. Her areas of specialization include Philosophy of Women, Ethics, Philosophy and Literature, Philosophy of Religion, and Existentialism. She has published articles in Crisis Magazine, Human Life Review, and The Journal of Prolife Feminism. Also, she has contributed chapters to two books dealing with abortion and social ethics: LivingWith Contradictions: Controversies in Feminist Social Ethics, edited by Alison Jaggar, and Catholicism and Abortion: A New Generation of Catholic Response., edited by Stephen J. Heaney. She is also co-author of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle: Mothers, Sons and Leadership. She has appeared on CNN and on National Public Radio, and has spoken many times in the Twin Cities area about ethics, feminism, abortion, contraception, marriage and sexuality. Her husband Stephen is also a philosopher, and together they have three children and two grandchildren. 

Piotr Mazurkiewicz: Priest of the Warsaw archdiocese, Professor in the field of political science and Catholic social teaching, head of the Department of Political Theory and Political Thought at the Institute of Political Science and Administration of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw. Editor-in-chief of the journal Christianity – World – Politics. Between 2002 and 2008 member of the Council of the European Society for Research in Ethics “Societas Ethica”. From 2008 to 2012 Secretary General of the Commission of Bishops of the European Community COMECE. From 2001 to 2023 member of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Jennifer Roback Morse is the founder of The Ruth Institute, an interfaith international coalition to defend the family and build a Civilization of Love. She taught economics at Yale and George Mason Universities for 15 years. She resigned her tenured teaching position in 1996 to care for her children, a badly neglected Romanian adopted son, and a birth daughter. She founded the Ruth Institute in 2008, and has devoted her professional skills to developing a defense of traditional Catholic teaching on marriage, family and human sexuality.  

Adrian Reimers is adjunct professor of philosophy at Holy Cross College in South Bend, Indiana. His publications include the Soul of the Person: A contemporary philosophical anthropology, The Truth about the Good: Moral norms in the thought of John Paul II, Hell and the Mercy of God, The Good Is Love: The body and human acts in Humanae Vitae and John Paul II, and forthcoming The Ethos of the Christian Heart: Reading Veritatis Splendor, as well as a number of articles on the thought of Saint John Paul II.

Michele M. Schumacher is a wife and mother of four adult children, a doctor in sacred theology (S.T.D.), and a private docent (habil.) at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland).  In addition to numerous articles and book chapters in various languages on feminism, sexual ethics, marriage, and spirituality, she is the author of A Trinitarian Anthropology: Adrienne von Speyr and Hans Urs von Balthasar in Dialogue with St. Thomas Aquinas (Washington D.C.: Catholic University of America  Press, 2014); Metaphysics and Gender: The Normative Art of Nature and Its Human Imitations (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Academic, 2023); and God Acting in Man: Founding Human Freedom in Aquinas’s Natural Desire to See God Doctrine (forthcoming). She is also the editor and contributing author of Women in Christ: Towards a New Feminism (Cambridge, UK / Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2004).

Janet E. Smith is retired from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI where she held the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics. She is the author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later and A Right to Privacy. Self-Gift is a volume of her already published essays on Humanae Vitae and the thought of John Paul II.  She edited Why Humanae Vitae is Right: A Reader, Life Issues, Medical Choices (with Christopher Kaczor), Living the Truth in Love: Pastoral Approaches to Same-Sex Attractions (with Rev. Paul Check) and Why Humanae Vitae is Still Right. In her retirement she is helping victims of the priestly sexual abuse crisis, writing on the glories of the Traditional Latin Mass and trying to finish several scholarly projects. Prof Smith served three terms as a consulter to the Pontifical Council on the Family and also served as a member of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission III for 8 years. 

Carl R. Trueman is professor of Biblical and Religious Studies at Grove City College, PA.  Originally a student of Reformation and post-Reformation thought, he has more recently worked in the areas of identity and critical theory. He is the author of numerous books, including The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Wheaton: Crossway, 2020) and To Change All Worlds: Critical Theory from Marx to Marcuse (Nashville: B and H, 2024).

OTHER CATHOLIC ACADEMIC BOOKS

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Jesus Christ, Scandal of Particularity: Vatican II, a Catholic Theology of Religions, Justification, and Truth by Eduardo J. Echeverria

Jesus Christ, Scandal of Particularity: Vatican II, a Catholic Theology of Religions, Justification, and Truth by Eduardo J. Echeverria

Jesus Christ, Scandal of Particularity: Vatican II, a Catholic Theology of Religions, Justification, and Truth

by Eduardo J. Echeverria

In this book, in view of the light of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, and hence the scandal of particularity, the author explores the relationship between the Second Vatican Council and a Catholic theology of religions, the standard by which the unevangelized will be judged, the ideology of dialogue and the corresponding idea of religious relativism, the truth-oriented dynamic of interreligious dialogue, the necessity of interreligious apologetics, truth and epistemic justification, and the orientation of dialogue to evangelization. The key figures discussed in this book are, inter alia, Gerald O’Collins, SJ, St. John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, Bernard Lonergan, SJ, Marianne Moyaert, Edward Schillebeeckx, OP, and Wolfhart Pannenberg.
 

Paperback: $34.95 | Kindle: $9.99

REVIEWS

Miller, Monica. “New book addresses indifferentism, false inter-religious dialogue.” The Catholic World Report. Click here to read the review.

Chalk, Casey. “Dr. E on False Universalism in the Church.” The Catholic Thing. Click here to read the review.

TESTIMONIALS

“A brace of stimulating essays from another distinguished American exponent of dynamic Catholic orthodoxy, whose immersion in the high-octane Protestant theological tradition in which he was raised makes him an exceptionally valuable contributor to today’s debates over whether the Lord Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, or just another avatar of a generic divine will-to-save.” – George Weigel in “Books for Christmas – 2024,” First Things (December 11, 2024)

“Dr. Echeverria is an eminent theologian and prolific author. His current effort does not disappoint as he tackles a central sticking point in ecumenical and interreligious conversations and relations in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, which he handles deftly and masterfully. This text comes at a most opportune moment due to the many confusing and hard-to-reconcile statements and actions of the present Roman Pontiff on this very topic. This is not a read for the faint of heart, but it is a necessary read.” – Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas, founder and president of the Catholic Education Foundation

“The topic Dr Eduardo Echeverria covers is of extreme importance. The Second Vatican Council stressed the importance of following one’s conscience (LG 16; GS 16), it indicated that Divine Providence does not refuse the indispensable help for salvation to those who do not yet believe (LG 16), and that rules of conduct and life of non-Christian religions not infrequently reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men (NA 2).  This teaching of Vatican II has often been misinterpreted, although the Declaration Dominus Iesus (Aug 6, 2000) provides a valuable and authoritative reflection on it. Dr. Echeverria’s book makes a very important contribution to an understanding of the teachings of Vatican II and its implications for evangelisation and the Church’s missionary mandate, and of the meaning of Revelation and salvation through Jesus Christ, the sole Mediator.” + Dr. Johannes Hendriks, Bishop of Amsterdam-Haarlem, Netherlands

“’Clarity before all else; the dialogue demands that what is said should be intelligible.’ These words of Pope Paul VI animate Eduardo Echeverria’s spirited dialogue and debate in this book. Taking issue with Gerald O’Collins’s views on religious pluralism and universal salvation, with Marianne Moyaert’s dialogic take on divine revelation, and with Pope Francis’s approach to interreligious dialogue, Jesus Christ, Scandal of Particularity offers a reading of the Second Vatican Council that is in continuity with the preceding tradition and aims to restore missionary proclamation as the church’s primary calling. This book is vintage Echeverria: intrepidly gospel-centered, well-informed, genuinely ecumenical, and—without fail—eminently clear.” – Hans Boersma, Nashotah House Theological Seminary

“I am grateful to be a colleague of Dr. Echeverria at Sacred Heart Seminary where we both teach. I am very familiar with his work and consider him one of the most able of sophisticated theological and philosophical defenders of foundational Catholic doctrines that are massively under attack. His work on authentic development of doctrine, the uniqueness of Jesus, the propositional content of Divine Revelation, and the theology of world religions is absolutely first-rate. This is a very important book. Highly recommended.” – Ralph Martin, Professor of Theology / Director of Graduate Programs in the New Evangelization, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit

“Is Christian theology losing its distinctive voice amidst a climate of shallow, arbitrary, religious pluralism? This text draws not only from Roman Catholic theologians and the Magisterium, but also from the richness of Reformed, Anglican, Lutheran, and evangelical scholarship to address this question. In a deftly postliberal fashion, this book provides a robustly argued voice for the unique, particular revelation of God in Jesus Christ. While acknowledging our pluralist context and espousing religious dialogue, it equally eschews the reduction of general revelation to that of natural theology. Contra the tendency of some theologians who advocate a broad religious inclusivism, instead Echeverria astutely defends accessibilism, where the hope of God’s salvation in Christ is present for all, without suggesting that non-Christian religions are instrumental in salvation. He insists that revelation of salvation must not be confused with salvation efficacy. Indeed, this is a ‘scandal of particularity’ that also renews the particular voice of the hope of Jesus Christ and his Incarnation into a world of confusion and despair.” – Prof. Dr. Ronald T. Michener, Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, BELGIUM

“Eduardo Echeverria’s new book on the scandal of Christian particularity is a much-needed corrective to the often-hidden relativization of the uniqueness of Christ in so much of modern theology. Dr. Echeverria’s claim, therefore, that theology has lost its distinctive voice is directly related to this relativization. For how can a truly “Christian” theology long survive without this fundamental affirmation? In a series of probing and deeply insightful essays he deftly analyzes all of the various arguments in favor of a “pluralism of religions” and shows clearly how each one falls short in problematic ways.  At once eminently erudite and readable, the text is a wonderful example of a theologian thinking with the mind of the Church in order to meet the challenges of today.  I cannot recommend it more highly.” – Larry Chapp, retired professor of theology, DeSales University, and founder and chief author of the blog Gaudium et Spes 22.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eduardo Echeverria (PhD, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam; S.T.L., University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum) is Professor of Philosophy and Systematic Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. He is the author of numerous books, including Roman Catholicism and Neo-Calvinism: Ecumenical and Polemical Engagements (2024), Are We Together? A Roman Catholic Analyzes Evangelical Protestants (2022), Pope Francis: The Legacy of Vatican II, 2nd edition (2019), Revelation, History, and Truth: A Hermeneutics of Dogma (2017). He is a member of the American ecumenical initiative, Evangelicals and Catholics Together.

OTHER FAITH AND MORALS BOOKS

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Two Towers and a Minaret: Migration from a Catholic Perspective by Fr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz

Two Towers and a Minaret: Migration from a Catholic Perspective by Fr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz

Two Towers and a Minaret: Migration from a Catholic Perspective

by Fr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz with a preface by John M. Klink and a foreword by Jane F. Adolphe

Mass migration is a serious challenge in both America and Europe. Hence the question of the ethical limits of hospitality. The answer must consider not only the needs of migrants, but also the ability of the host country to integrate migrants. This depends not only on the size of the migration, but also on its homogeneity. For example, a peculiarity of the current migration to Europe is the strong dominance of Muslims, which is changing its religious demographics and, consequently, European culture.

Paperback: $19.95 | Kindle: $9.99

RESOURCES

Stephen Tucker (August 16, 2024) Crisis Magazine: Non-Defenders of the Faith: Christianity Under Assault in England

TESTIMONIALS

“The contemporary challenges of migration, multiculturalism, and globalism have affected Europe and America alike. In Two Towers and a Minaret, Fr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz provides a comprehensive and penetrating analysis of these issues from a Catholic and European perspective. Drawing upon his expertise in political science and his prior work with the European Bishops Conferences, Fr. Mazurkiewicz examines the present dynamics of migration, secularism, globalism, Islamization, and anti-Christianity that are at work in contemporary Europe. John M. Klink, the President Emeritus of the International Catholic Migration Commission, provides an insightful preface, and Prof. Jane F. Adolphe—a professor of international law and former advisor to the Holy See—situates Fr. Mazurkiewicz’s book within the broader context of history and contemporary movements of ideological imperialism. This book is essential reading for those who wish to understand contemporary Europe from a Catholic perspective.” Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, MI USA

“Msgr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz’s newest publication entitled Two Towers and a Minaret: Migration from a Catholic Perspective, comes at a propitious moment to expand migration debates by providing a penetrating analysis of the misuse of migration humanitarianism by those who have failed to achieve their revolutionary aims through normal democratic/political means. It is imperative to recognize that as Catholic social teaching has consistently taught, we cannot, and must not, lose sight of, or sympathy for, the plight of people in flight from imminent danger–or for the provision of appropriate safeguards for international economic migration flows. But neither must we fail to learn the lessons from recent and on-going cultural challenges posed by lax or highly permissive deregulation of migration/OpenBorderism. As a committed Catholic who has spent the majority of his life prioritizing meaningful action on behalf of migrants globally, I highly recommend Fr. Mazurkiewicz’s penetrating analysis as a very needed x-ray of the insidious cargo of the newest OpenBorders Trojan Horses before proceeding to gleefully tear down metaphoric Trojan city/national walls, or to preemptively halt the building of the good fences that make good neighbors.” – from the preface by John M. Klink, President Emeritus International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), Diplomat Emeritus, Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations

“Mazurkiewicz takes the reader into the labyrinth of underlying issues and questions, many of which are unresolved, and in some quarters, not even discussed. He describes the bundle of issues as the challenges of the two towers and minaret, symbolic for the Christian religion (e.g., church steeples), secularism (e.g., Eiffel Tower), and Islam (e.g., minaret).” – from the foreword by Jane F. Adolphe, Professor of Law, Ave Maria School of Law, and Adjunct Professor, University of Notre Dame, School of Law, Sydney, Australia, who has worked as an external and internal expert for the Papal Secretariat of State, Section for Relations with States

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Piotr Mazurkiewicz: Catholic priest, professor of political science and Catholic social thought at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw. Editor-in-chief of the journal “Christianity – World – Politics”. From 2008-2012 Secretary General of the Commission of Bishops of the European Community COMECE.

OTHER CATHOLIC FAITH AND MORALS BOOKS

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Rigidez: Fidelidade ou Heterodoxia? por Pedro Gabriel

Rigidez: Fidelidade ou Heterodoxia? por Pedro Gabriel

Rigidez: Fidelidade ou Heterodoxia?

por Pedro Gabriel

“Porque é que o Papa Francisco está sempre a criticar os católicos fiéis?” é uma pergunta frequentemente repetida sempre que o Santo Padre faz uma das suas habituais invectivas contra a rigidez religiosa. De facto, Francisco fez dessas denúncias uma marca do seu pontificado. Mas o que é que ele quer dizer com “rigidez”? Estará a atacar verdadeiramente os católicos fiéis? Estará a promover o laxismo moral e religioso?

Neste livro, Pedro Gabriel pretende clarificar os ensinamentos do Papa Francisco sobre a rigidez, relacionando-os com certas palavras-chave que surgem repetidamente nas suas intervenções. Procura também falsificar a ideia de que um católico é fiel por ser rígido, explorando exaustivamente precedentes na história da Igreja em que a rigidez nem sempre impediu os fiéis de caírem na heterodoxia. Finalmente, Gabriel explica como evitar a rigidez não implica necessariamente o extremo oposto do laxismo.

Brochura: $24.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTEMUNHOS

Pedro Gabriel oferece-nos um livro maravilhoso sobre uma “Igreja em saída”, um apelo à educação de uma personalidade cristã flexível, mas com uma espinha dorsal forte. Descobre na fé não um obstáculo à plenitude da vida humana, mas um caminho – não só para a vida eterna, mas também para uma vida cem vezes mais humana aqui na terra.” – Do “Prefácio”, de Rocco Buttiglione, Membro da Pontifícia Academia das Ciências Sociais e da Pontifícia Academia de São Tomás

“Pedro Gabriel escreveu um livro verdadeiramente brilhante, não só pelo seu estilo legível, mas sobretudo pelo seu conteúdo pertinente. Rigidez: Rigidez:Fidelidade ou Heterodoxia? não é um mero exercício de apologética católica, mas um verdadeiro caminho educativo para aqueles de nós que precisam de redescobrir as razões para viver plenamente ‘a liberdade gloriosa dos filhos de Deus’ (Rm 8,21). O novo livro de Pedro Gabriel ajuda-nos, sem dúvida, a desintoxicar a vida cristã das frequentes tentações laxistas e rigoristas, tão populares e tão enganadoras no mundo atual. Nada mais oportuno para viver a fé com maturidade e equilíbrio seguindo os ensinamentos do Evangelho em comunhão com o Sucessor de Pedro.” – Rodrigo Guerra, Secretário da Pontifícia Comissão para a América Latina e Professor da Pontifícia Universidade Lateranense

“O Dr. Pedro Gabriel, aclamado pelos seus premiados livros A Ortodoxia de Amoris Laetitia e Heresia Disfarçada de Tradição, é um dos maiores especialistas no estilo e no ensino do Papa Francisco. Na sua última obra, Rigidez: Fidelidadeou Heterodoxia, ele baseia-se na sua pesquisa anterior, expandindo o que o Papa vê como um equívoco fundamental e irónico do significado da Tradição entre os autoproclamados tradicionalistas. Fá-lo através de uma análise das atitudes que daí decorrem, melhor entendidas como rigidez e indietrismo (atraso). O Dr. Gabriel, na sua forma cativante, desafia os leitores a reavaliarem se compreenderam verdadeiramente o significado da exortação de S. Paulo para “permanecerem firmes e manterem as tradições que vos foram ensinadas” (2 Tess. 2:15 RSVCE), e exorta-os a reflectirem de forma justa sobre as preocupações do Papa Francisco sem recorrerem à defensiva ou a reacções irreflectidas. Baseando-se na auto-compreensão da Igreja sobre a fidelidade à Tradição, talvez melhor expressa no parágrafo 100 do Catecismo da Igreja Católica e no parágrafo 8 da Dei Verbum , o Dr. Gabriel oferece uma abordagem mais segura, abrangente e prática para navegar nas aparentes tensões entre o Magistério e a Revelação Divina do que, sem dúvida, a maioria dos tradicionalistas está familiarizada. Através de um exame meticuloso das heresias históricas, da tradição da ética da virtude de Aristóteles e Aquino, e dos ensinamentos dos papas, tanto pré como pós-conciliares, o Dr. Gabriel navega habilmente pelas complexidades da rigidez, do rigorismo e da escrupulosidade que daí resulta, para conduzir os leitores a uma maior liberdade em Cristo, pois “o Senhor é o Espírito, e onde está o Espírito do Senhor, aí há liberdade”. (2 Cor. 3:17).” — Andrew Likoudis, Editor, The Divine Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and Modern Eastern Orthodoxy, Membro Associado, Fellowship of Catholic Scholars

“Muitos católicos conservadores e tradicionais ficam ofendidos com as advertências do Papa Francisco sobre a rigidez. Acreditam que ele está a associar a fidelidade à rigidez. Pedro Gabriel mostra que isso é um completo mal-entendido das preocupações do Santo Padre. O Papa Francisco está, na verdade, a defender a autêntica tradição católica, que procura o meio-termo entre laxismo e rigidez. Nesta obra tão necessária, Gabriel faz um levantamento histórico dos vários grupos da história católica que criticaram a Igreja imoral e laxista, ao mesmo tempo que se afirmavam verdadeiros, puros e autênticos seguidores do Evangelho. Ao longo da sua história, a Igreja Católica resistiu a vários grupos rigoristas, como os judaizantes, os novacianistas, os donatistas, os espiritualistas e os jansenistas. Gabriel não afirma que os católicos rígidos de hoje possam ser identificados exatamente com qualquer um destes movimentos heréticos. No entanto, nota certas semelhanças, especialmente na tendência comum de acreditar que a Igreja institucional é corrupta ou mal orientada e que o seu próprio movimento representa a verdadeira fé. Gabriel não só explora a história dos movimentos rigoristas, como também fornece uma compreensão autêntica do que o Papa Francisco quer dizer com as formas actuais de pelagianismo e gnosticismo. Na minha opinião, Pedro Gabriel compreende o Papa Francisco muito melhor do que os críticos papais. Ele mostra que o Santo Padre é um filho fiel da Igreja, mergulhado na tradição católica de Agostinho, Aquino e Liguori – uma tradição marcada pelo equilíbrio, misericórdia e discernimento.” – Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. Professor de Teologia Dogmática, Seminário Maior do Sagrado Coração, Detroit, Michigan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pedro Gabriel é o autor de A Ortodoxia de Amoris Laetitia e Heresia Disfarçada de Tradição. É também um dos co-fundadores o website de apologética “Where Peter Is.” Atualmente, está a frequentar aulas de teologia moral na Pontifícia Universidade da Santa Cruz. É também médico oncologista, jornalista na Internet e escritor de romances católicos.

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Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism by Andrew Mioni

Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism by Andrew Mioni

Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism

By Andrew Mioni

When does the crisis in the Church end? May priests universally minister without any canonical mission? Can one Eucharist be offered against another in legitimate Catholic worship? Using the Scriptures, patristic sources, and magisterial declarations, Altar Against Altar answers these and many other questions, and demonstrates how the independent traditionalist ministry does not provide a remedy for the current crisis, but only perpetuates it.
 

Hardback: $29.95 | Paperback: $19.95 | Kindle: $9.99

Episode 607 - Interview with Andrew Mioni (Co-Founder - Trad Recovery, Author - Altar Against Altar) by Chuong Nguyen

In which we discuss Catholic Traditionalism

Read on Substack

 

REVIEWS

Daniel. (August 9, 2025). “Altar Against Altar” by Andrew Mioni: a review. On imustfollowifican. To read, click here.

William the Rambling Catholic. (July 24, 2025). “Traditionalism Isn’t Traditional”: A Review of Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism by Andrew Mioni. To read, click here.

Likoudis, Andrew. (July 3, 2024). “Altar Against Altar: Wrestling with rifts in the Catholic Church.” On wherepeteris.com. To read, click here.

 

TESTIMONIALS

“Catholic traditionalism is not Catholicism but an ideological cult, the reactionary mirror-image of Catholic progressivism, also anti-Catholic. If you tend to agree with this but would like rigorous and principled arguments that prove its truth, Mioni’s book is for you.” – Thaddeus Kozinski, author of Words, Concepts, Reality: Aristotelian Logic for Teenagers

“Andrew Mioni’s book Altar Against Altar is a breath of fresh air amidst a sea of confusion. It exhibits a Chestertonian ‘radical orthodoxy’ or ‘radical center’ point of view, which is essentially the same as the “mind of the Church.” Mioni dispassionately, eloquently, and charitably refutes the underlying false and dangerous presuppositions entailed in the excessive and extreme factions of the traditionalist movement. Not all traditionalism is bad, by a long shot (we must always note). The crucial and necessary distinctions are made in this volume. Particularly helpful are Mioni’s insights regarding Vatican II and the Pauline (‘New’) Mass. He shows that they are not — like money — the roots of all kinds of evil, and that historical causation is far more complex than the logical fallacy of post hoc ergo propter hoc (‘after this, therefore because of this’). It would seem to be a simple enough thing to understand, yet hundreds of thousands have been led astray in this regard. Mioni backs up his analysis with copious documentation from Church documents, as well as writings from the SSPX and others of like mind. He makes a solid case that will stand up to scrutiny. Altar Against Altar is an exceptional, Spirit-led treasure trove of edifying and educational orthodox Catholic wisdom. I believe that it will lead many out of these serious and soul-harming errors. I’m happy to give it my highest and most enthusiastic recommendation.” – Dave Armstrong, Catholic apologist and author
“Mioni’s book fills a critical void in Catholic theology today, by providing a scholarly and balanced repudiation of a movement that is dividing the Catholic Church and stealing souls from the one fold of Christ: namely, a pseudo-Catholic theology that masquerades as fidelity to tradition while actually substituting private judgment, division, and insularity for authentic Catholicity. This important work will prove to be a valuable resource for both pastors and laity alike, as they grapple with the challenges wrought by traditionalism within their parishes, families, and the broader Church.” – Fr. Eric Gilbaugh, Priest of the Diocese of Helena
“Intelligent, insightful, and refreshingly charitable, Altar Against Altar is the book I needed but which sadly did not exist when I became a pastor in 2020. Frequently, many of the beloved sheep in my flock would express confusion about the numerous “Catholic denominations” that seem to abound. Which variety of Catholic should I be? This was a common point of anxiety and confusion. Andrew Mioni asks all the right questions in a way that cuts through the fog, avoids the red herrings, and brings new hope for anyone who wants to be a faithful and joyful Catholic in our fallen world. His book resoundingly answers several critical questions: When ‘traditional Catholics’ tell me that I must boycott the Novus Ordo Mass to be a good and faithful Catholic, is it true? What does authentic communion with our Holy Father and my local bishop look like? What is at the heart of the Church’s authority and what does it mean to live obediently under that authority? If you desire to fearlessly live out Christ’s call to be “salt and light” without rejecting the beauty of the Second Vatican Council and without breaking off communion with the Church, this book is for you. I will most certainly be recommending this book to all my brother priests as well as to anyone that wants to understand how to approach ‘Catholic Traditionalism’ in a healthy and informed way.” – Fr Justin Hamilton, Priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas
“Andrew Mioni has provided the faithful with an impressive response to dissenters who undermine Christ’s church under the guise of tradition. He tackles a wide range of topics, from disputes over authority to liturgical controversies, with a masterful command of the magisterium. I highly recommend all who wish to acquire the mind of the church on controversies raging in the church today to read Altar Against Altar.” – Michael Lofton, Host & Founder, Reason & Theology; Professor, Catholic Polytechnic University

“Andrew Mioni addresses the principles of Traditionalism with erudition and eloquence, and without becoming mired in the talking points of the traditionalists which obscure the fundamental issues. The phenomenon of Traditionalism has assumed an influence within wider Catholicism that I could not have foreseen as a priest of the Society of St Pius X 30 years ago. Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism is a timely and welcome answer to the pernicious movement against the Second Vatican Council. I wish it a wide audience, and trust it will assist those who struggle to accept the Council and the pontificate of Francis.” — Gary Campbell, former SSPX priest

“Mioni’s work is an indispensable guide for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of the crisis in the Catholic Church, especially as it pertains to the rise of traditionalism and the challenges posed by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). The author navigates through the tumultuous waters of the Church’s recent history with a keen analytical eye—as well as a remarkable breadth and depth of vision—addressing the contentious issues that arose after the Second Vatican Council. Issues caused by misinterpretation, uneven implementation, and subsequent resistance to the Council in some quarters. This is due to a faulty and ahistorical theological paradigm. Mioni’s analysis of these issues is both thorough and empathetic, acknowledging the pain and confusion experienced by many in the Church, while also critiquing the self-enclosed circle mentality that often characterizes traditionalist enclaves—and he does this from a place of experience within these circles himself. In an ecclesial atmosphere where many conservatives hesitate to critique traditionalism due to a “no enemies to the right” policy, Andrew Mioni’s book Altar Against Altar emerges as a bold and constructive contribution. It is essential reading for scholars, clergy, and laypeople who are wrestling with these issues, and offers a way forward that respects the Church’s heritage while also welcoming its future.” — Andrew Likoudis, Editor, Faith in Crisis: Critical Dialogues in Catholic Traditionalism, Church Authority, and Reform; Associate Member, The Society for Catholic Liturgy

Altar Against Altar is an important new book on the topic of ‘Catholic traditionalism.’ It is new in the sense that it is recent, but it is also new in the sense that it offers a perspective not yet considered, although sorely needed. This perspective entails the bracketing of all canonical specificities (debated ad nauseam and often to no avail), followed by the turning to a historical perspective, common sense, and basic principles of the Catholic faith. Instead of arguing whether this or that conciliar, liturgical, or magisterial text is the root of our woes, it asks us to consider the progressively dire trends of modernity alongside the progressively alarmed warnings of 19th and 20th century popes and theologians. Instead of arguing whether the Church canonically provides supplied jurisdiction to vagus clergy and/or priestly communities, it asks what it would mean if the Church did. Instead of arguing that there cannot be a state of necessity in the Church, it asks what it would mean if there was. Altar Against Altar is an important book because it brings—for the first time—a dose of common sense and a palpably Catholic spirit to an overly fraught question. It is a must-read in the midst of the polemics fueled by Denzinger-thumping armchair theologians taking place in Catholic circles on the internet.” — Dom Dalmasso, Host, The Logos Project; Editor-in-Chief, The Ecclesia Blog; M.A. Student in Dogmatic Theology, Holy Apostles College and Seminary.

“With truth and wisdom and charity, Andrew Mioni ventures into the heart of one of the great problems facing the Church today. His personal experience and detailed analysis of the various points of the traditionalist movement are simply and clearly synthesized in Altar Against Altar. This book is a powerful apologetic tool for those who are in traditionalist spheres, have exited from them and are trying to reorient themselves, or who have friends and relatives still under their sway; at the same time, Altar Against Altar provides a beautiful defense of the Catholic Church and of our need to maintain our trust in Her and remain fully united to Her and Her lawful shepherds. Andrew’s work is also a humble and implicit reminder to all of us of how it is the Church’s mission to save us; it’s not our mission to save the Church. God promises that His Church will not fail (cfr. Mt 16:18) and He will not go back on His promise.” — Fr. Terrance J.M. Chartier, S.T.B., FI (Franciscans of the Immaculate), host at Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center, Bloomington, IN

“Andrew Mioni’s Altar Against Altar is a clear, concise, and confident response to the Traditionalist challenge to the Church. A devastating critique, it reveals that the sources of this ideological movement’s internal rot are, in a strange plot twist, the same sources underlying the errors of liberalism and modernism! Andrew and I both grew up in the movement (although we never met), and from our separate personal studies of the Tradition we both came to understand a stunningly ironic fact: Traditionalism is not Traditional! His copious quotes from the Magisterium of the Church demonstrating this reality are unanswerable and irrefutable. I believe Altar Against Altar is a landmark contribution to this debate, and its value stems not only from the errors it refutes, but even more from the beauty of the Church’s life and truth it reveals by clearing them away.” — Mr. Andrew Bartel, OP; Author, “Why I Left the Society of St. Pius X: An Open Letter to Fr. Gołaski”

“An honest and compelling examination of Traditionalist claims, Altar Against Altar actually is what other books only claim to be: scholarly, easily-digestible, thought-provoking and 100% Catholic. Andrew knows his subject matter from the inside out. He charitably challenges the multiplicity of excuses that dissenting traditionalists use, and simultaneously reminds us of the beauty and wisdom inherent in the Church’s structure as Christ established it. This book will long be an excellent aid for those seeking clarity for their own sake, as well as for productive dialogue with radical traditionalism. I can’t recommend it too highly!” — Laura Vander Vos, Host, Misshappycatholic; creator and co-founder, TradRecovery.com

“Radical Traditionalists are rebelling against Holy Mother Church while confusing many in the process. This book does a superb job of pulling apart their claims and objections, one by one, and answering them. It is timely, well-researched, logically presented, and backed up by a plethora of sources and citations. It is an important resource that offers powerful counter arguments against Traditionalists and is very much needed in the Church today.” – Bryan Mercier, Catholic apologist, speaker, author, and President of Catholic Truth

Altar against Altar provides an insightful investigation into the internal contradictions of the Traditionalist worldview written in a spirit of pastoral charity with an intention to heal the rift that separates our Catholic brethren.” – Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, co-author with Ronda Chervin of Catholic Realism 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew Mioni grew up in Kansas and earned his B.A. in English at Kansas State University. He currently lives in upstate New York, where he continues to pursue his writing aspirations. His website is andrewmioni.com.
 

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Rigidity: Faithfulness or Heterodoxy by Pedro Gabriel

Rigidity: Faithfulness or Heterodoxy by Pedro Gabriel

Rigidity: Faithfulness or Heterodoxy?

by Pedro Gabriel

“Why is Pope Francis always criticizing faithful Catholics?” is an oft-repeated question whenever the Holy Father makes one of his usual invectives against religious rigidity. Francis has indeed made such denunciations a hallmark of his pontificate. But what does he mean by “rigidity”? Is he truly attacking faithful Catholics? Is he promoting moral and religious laxity?

In this book, Pedro Gabriel aims at clarifying Pope Francis’ teachings on rigidity, by relating them with certain keywords emerging repeatedly in his interventions. He also seeks to falsify the idea that a Catholic is faithful by being rigid, by comprehensively exploring precedents in Church history where the rigid course of action did not always prevent the faithful from falling into heterodoxy. Finally, Gabriel explains how eschewing rigidity does not necessarily entail the opposite extreme of laxism.

Paperback: $24.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“Pedro Gabriel gives us a wonderful book on an ‘outgoing Church,’ a plea for the education of a Christian personality that is flexible but with a strong backbone. He discovers in the faith not an obstacle to the fullness of human life but a path—not only to eternal life but also to a life one hundred times more human here on earth.” – From the “Foreword,” by Rocco Buttiglione, Member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas

“Pedro Gabriel has written a truly brilliant book, not only for its readable style but above all for its pertinent content. Rigidity: Faithfulness or Heterodoxy? is not a mere exercise in Catholic apologetics, but a true educational path for those of us who need to rediscover the reasons for living to the full ‘the glorious freedom of the Children of God’ (Rom 8:21). Pedro Gabriel’s new book undoubtedly helps us to detoxify the Christian life from the frequent laxist and rigorist temptations that are so popular and so misleading in today’s world. Nothing could be more opportune to live the faith with maturity and balance following the teachings of the Gospel in communion with the Successor of Peter.” – Rodrigo Guerra, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Professor at the Pontifical Lateran University.

“Dr. Pedro Gabriel, acclaimed for his award-winning books The Orthodoxy of Amoris Laetitia and Heresy Disguised as Tradition, is a foremost expert on the style and teaching of Pope Francis. In his latest work, Rigidity: Faithfulness or Heterodoxy, he builds on his previous research by expanding upon what the Pope views as a fundamental and ironic misconception of the meaning of Tradition among self-proclaimed traditionalists. He does this by providing an analysis of the attitudes that flow from it, best understood as rigidity and indietrism (backwardness). Dr. Gabriel, in his winsome way, challenges readers to reassess whether they have truly grasped the meaning of St. Paul’s exhortation to ‘stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught’ (2 Thess. 2:15 RSVCE), and he urges them to fairly reflect on Pope Francis’ concerns without resorting to defensiveness or kneejerk reactions. Drawing on the Church’s self-understanding of fidelity to Tradition, perhaps best expressed in Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 100 and Dei Verbum paragraph 8, Dr. Gabriel offers a more secure, comprehensive, and practical approach to navigating the apparent tensions between the Magisterium and Divine Revelation than undoubtedly most traditionalists are familiar with. Through a meticulous examination of historical heresies, the virtue ethics tradition of Aristotle and Aquinas, and the teachings of popes, both pre- and post-conciliar, Dr. Gabriel skillfully navigates the complexities of rigidity, rigorism, and the scrupulosity that results, to lead readers to a greater freedom in Christ, for ‘the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.’ (2 Cor. 3:17).” — Andrew Likoudis, Editor, The Divine Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and Modern Eastern Orthodoxy, Associate Member, Fellowship of Catholic Scholars

“Many conservative and traditional Catholics take offense at Pope Francis’s warnings about rigidity.  They believe he is associating faithfulness with rigidity. Pedro Gabriel shows that this is a complete misunderstanding of the Holy Father’s concerns. Pope Francis is actually upholding the authentic Catholic tradition, which seeks the golden mean between laxism and rigidity. In this much-needed work, Gabriel provides an historical survey of various groups in Catholic history that have criticized the immoral and lax Church while claiming to be the true, pure, and authentic followers of the Gospel.  Throughout her history, the Catholic Church has resisted various rigorist groups such as the Judaizers, the Novatianists, the Donatists, the Spiritualists, and the Jansenists.  Gabriel does not claim that the rigid Catholics of today can be identified precisely with any of these heretical movements. He does, however, note certain similarities, especially in the common tendency to believe that the institutional Church is corrupt or misguided and one’s own movement represents the true faith. Gabriel not only explores the history of rigorist movements; he also provides an authentic understanding of what Pope Francis means by present forms of Pelagianism and Gnosticism.  In my opinion, Pedro Gabriel understands Pope Francis far better than the papal critics.  He shows the Holy Father to be a faithful son of the Church, steeped in the Catholic tradition of Augustine, Aquinas, and Liguori—a tradition marked by balance, mercy, and discernment.” – Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, Michigan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pedro Gabriel is the author of The Orthodoxy of Amoris Laetitia and one of the co-founders of the apologetics website “Where Peter Is.” Currently, he is taking classes of moral theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. He is also a medical oncologist, an Internet journalist, and a published writer of Catholic novels. 

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