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Pope Leo XIV The First 100 Days VIII IX - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

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Prayer
Pope Benedict XVI once asked the faithful to pray for him, “that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.” ¹ Those words revealed a man aware of the spiritual battle around the papacy. The same is true now. Every pope, no matter his gifts or limitations, stands at the center of immense pressures—political, cultural, and spiritual. That is why our first and lasting response must be prayer.
The Priority of Prayer
It is easy to offer commentary. It is harder to bend the knee. Yet prayer is the one act that genuinely sustains the pope. When we pray, we are not propping up a personality or defending an institution for its own sake. We are asking God to strengthen a shepherd so that he may keep his eyes fixed on Christ and guide the flock with fidelity.
Prayer protects the pope from discouragement and pride. It protects the faithful from the temptation to place too much trust in a man, or to despair when he disappoints us. Christ alone is the savior of the Church. The pope …

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Archbishop Viganò Calls for Forensic Audit of Catholic NGOs - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

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Pope Leo XIV The First 100 Days VIII - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

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VIII. Cautions
When speaking about a new pope, it is easy to slide into extremes. Some voices rush to canonize him as a saint after his first gestures. Others condemn him after a single misstep. Catholic influencers often feed this pattern, because controversy and strong rhetoric draw attention. Journalists, too, thrive on dramatic narratives. But as friends walking together in faith, we must be cautious. Holiness cannot be reduced to headlines, and a pontificate cannot be judged by slogans.
Differing Theological Stances
The Catholic Church is truly universal, and with that universality comes real diversity in theological emphasis. Some place weight on social engagement, others on doctrinal clarity, others on liturgy and tradition. These emphases are not always in harmony, and at times they clash openly. It is part of the pope’s role to hold this diversity together without diluting the deposit of faith. ¹ That is no small task.
Recent months have revealed this tension. Some …

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NEW STUDY: Fenbendazole Linked to Remission or Near-Remission in Three Stage IV Cancer Patients

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Billions in Blood Money - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

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Pray for the Traditional Intentions of the Holy Father

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USCCB and Catholic Charities Received $449 Million by Exploiting Migrant Children - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

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My Birthday: Deo Gratis - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

I was born in 1962, twelve years into my parents’ marriage. They were older when I came along, and their lives were already marked by hardship and sacrifice. My father had served as a corporal in Korea, all of my uncles fought in World War II, and my grandfather immigrated from Germany fatherless during World War I. My mother, who grew up in Galveston, remembered watching the girls her age walking off to Catholic school in their uniforms, something she longed for and later passed on to me.
My father liked to say he wasn’t raising a hippie. At the time, I didn’t even know what a hippie was, but I knew I didn’t want to be one. My parents made countless sacrifices to send me and my siblings to Catholic schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade. My dad was not Catholic, but he supported my mother’s conviction. There were no fancy houses, bass boats, or country club memberships. Their hope was simply that their children would have a better life.
My father used the GI Bill to study …

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Pope Leo XIV The First 100 Days VI - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

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The Name of Leo: Continuity and His First Words
When Robert Prevost stepped onto the loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica on May 8, 2025, the announcement of his chosen name startled and delighted the faithful. Leo the Fourteenth. By selecting Leo, he placed himself in continuity with some of the Church’s most towering figures. Papal names are never random. They are catechetical in themselves, telling the faithful what a new pope values and what he hopes to embody. ¹ In this case, the choice signals strength in doctrine, clarity in teaching, and pastoral courage in times of upheaval.
The Significance of Choosing “Leo”
Names in the papacy are markers of identity. Some popes honor their immediate predecessor to show continuity. Others reach back centuries to align with a model of holiness or reform. By taking the name Leo, Prevost was identifying with men who had guided the Church through crisis and renewal. The name “Leo” itself means “lion,” evoking courage, guardianship …

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The Saint Andrew Christmas Novena - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

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Micah Reading Isaiah 6: The Call—The Pedagogy of God - Fides et Ratio | Reflections on life from a theological and rational perspective

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Isaiah 6 (ESV)
Isaiah’s Vision of the Lord
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah’s Commission from …