The Weekly Francis – 02 December 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 1 October 2017 to 2 December 2020.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “The earth and its poor urgently demand a sound economy and a sustainable development. Therefore, we are called to rethink our mental and moral priorities so that they are in conformity with God’s commandments and the common good.” @Pontifex 19 November 2020
  • “Every child needs to be welcomed and defended, helped and protected, from the moment of their conception. #WorldChildrensDay” @Pontifex 20 November 2020
  • “A pleasure to speak by phone yesterday with my brother @alimamaltayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. We reaffirm our support to human fraternity as the solution to erase violence, discrimination and hatred in the name of religion. Religions have nothing to do with these. #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex 20 November 2020
  • “Today we remember Mary’s Presentation in the Temple and celebrate #ProOrantibus Day. Thank you, contemplative sisters and brothers, because you are support for the weak, beacons that signal the port, torches that illuminate the dark night, sentinels who announce the new day.” @Pontifex 21 November 2020
  • “Dear young people, the effects of our actions and decisions affect you personally. Therefore, you can’t remain outside the places that are shaping the present and future. You’re either part of them or history will pass you by. #FrancescoEconomy Message” @Pontifex 21 November 2020
  • “Today, #ChristTheKing Sunday, the Cross and the icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, symbols of World Youth Days, begins a new pilgrimage which will lead to Lisbon in 2023. #takeupthecross” @Pontifex 22 November 2020
  • “Before pouring out His love for us on the cross, Jesus shares His final wishes. He tells us that the good we do to one of our least brothers and sisters – hungry, thirsty, strangers, in need, sick, imprisoned – we do to Him (Mt 25:37–40). #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex 22 November 2020
  • “Dear young people, let us not give up on great dreams. The Lord does not want us to narrow our horizons or to remain parked on the roadside of life. He wants us to race boldly and joyfully towards lofty goals. #takeupthecross Homily” @Pontifex 22 November 2020
  • “We were not created to dream about vacations or the weekend, but to make God’s dreams come true in this world. God made us capable of dreaming, so that we could embrace the beauty of life. The works of mercy are the most beautiful works in life.” @Pontifex 23 November 2020
  • “Let us care for the needs of every man and woman, young and old, with the same fraternal spirit of care and closeness that marked the Good Samaritan. #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex 24 November 2020
  • “Too often, women are insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves…. If we want a better world, that will be a peaceful home and not a battlefield, we all need to do a lot more for the dignity of each woman.” @Pontifex 25 November 2020
  • “When we pray, God opens our eyes renews and changes our hearts, heals our wounds and grants us the grace we need. #GeneralAudience #Prayer” @Pontifex 25 November 2020
  • “Lord, Father of our human family, you created all human beings equal in dignity: pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit. Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world, a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war. #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex 26 November 2020
  • “God is more patient than we are, and those who knock with faith and perseverance on the door of his heart will not be disappointed. #Prayer” @Pontifex 27 November 2020
  • “I invite everyone to pray for #Ethiopia where armed clashes have intensified and are causing a serious humanitarian situation. I appeal to the parties in conflict so that the violence might ceases, life may be safeguarded and the populations can regain #peace.” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “We do not live aimlessly and without destination. We are awaited. We are precious. God has prepared for us the most worthy and beautiful place: Paradise.” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “Follow the Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals – Saint Peter’s Basilica at 16 (CET) Event” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “The proclamation of the passion, death and resurrection (Mk 10:32–45) is a saving Word necessary for the Church in every age. We too, Pope and Cardinals, must always see ourselves reflected in this Word, it is painful, but it also heals, liberates and converts us. #Consistory” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “All of us love Jesus, all of us want to follow him, yet we must always be careful to remain on the road. For with our feet, with our bodies, we can be with Him, but our hearts can wander far afield and so lead us off the road. #Consistory” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “Conversion is precisely this: instead of being on the wrong road, we go on God’s road. Homily” @Pontifex 28 November 2020
  • “#Advent is a continuous call to hope: it reminds us that God is present in history to lead it to its ultimate goal and to its fullness, which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
    ” @Pontifex 29 November 2020
  • “Praying and loving, that is what it means to be watchful. When the Church worships God and serves our neighbour, it does not live in the night.However weak and weary, she journeys towards the Lord. Let us now call out to him. Come, Lord Jesus, we need you! Homily” @Pontifex 29 November 2020
  • “#Advent is the Season in which we remember God’s nearness, that He came down toward us.” @Pontifex 30 November 2020
  • “Let us keep in mind that not even a murderer loses his personal dignity — God Himself guarantees it (see EV 9). The firm rejection of the death penalty shows to what extent it is possible to recognize the inalienable dignity of every human being. #FratelliTutti #NoDeathPenalty” @Pontifex 30 November 2020
  • “Let us frequently repeat the traditional #Advent prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20): before meetings, studying, work, and before making decisions, in the important moments or times of trial: Come, Lord Jesus!” @Pontifex 1 December 2020
  • “Video” @Pontifex 1 December 2020
  • “Today, as in the past, slavery is rooted in a notion of the human person that allows people to be treated like an object, it tramples their dignity. Slavery makes us ”un-dignified“ because it takes way everyone’s dignity.” @Pontifex 2 December 2020
  • “God’s grace changes lives: He takes us as we are, but He never leaves us as we are. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 2 December 2020
  • “I want to assure my prayers for #Nigeria. Last Saturday more than one hundred farmers were brutally killed. May God welcome them in His peace and comfort their families, and convert the hearts of those who commit similar atrocities which gravely offend His name.” @Pontifex 2 December 2020

Papal Instagram

Revelation of the Daleks – The Secrets of Doctor

Part soylent green, part Evelyn Waugh novel, this 6th Doctor story brings him up against the Daleks for the first time and leaves Jimmy, Dom, and Fr. Cory searching for the bright spots, including some dark humor amidst the horror, an interesting side character in an assassin with a good heart, and the usual Davros machinations.

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Unification III (DIS) – The Secrets of Star Trek

Burnham must live up to the legacy of her brother Spock. Dom, Jimmy, and Fr. Cory discuss the episode’s resolution of Burnham’s sense she doesn’t belong any more, their pleasure at seeing Vulcans again, and the show’s burgeoning Mary Sue problem.

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Are Transporters Murder Machines? (& More Weird Questions!) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

For this US Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Jimmy Akin answers more weird questions, including whether Star Trek transporters are murder machines, what history would be like without Jesus, is the Holy Grail special, a Good God vs. an Evil God, and the eschatological implications of space colonies.

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Questions covered this episode:

  • 01:44 – What if the incarnation had not yet happened?
  • 06:31 – The Holy Grail vs. ordinary chalices
  • 08:45 – Morality of the Star Trek transporter
  • 13:12 – Is almond milk bad for the environment?
  • 18:48 – In the resurrection will there be couples?
  • 20:44 – A Good God vs. an Evil God
  • 24:40 – Could asexual aliens become priests?
  • 25:53 – Eschatological implication of space colonies
  • 30:52 – Why is it forbidden for Catholics to be Freemasons?
  • 35:22 – Our Lady of Fatima’s requests
  • 37:38 – What the Church says about playing the Lottery
  • 39:12 – Adding tap water to Lourdes water
  • 41:32 – Was Jesus dead all-day Holy Saturday?

This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.

And by RosaryArmy.com. Have more peace. Visit RosaryArmy.com and get a free all-twine knotted rosary, downloadable audio Rosaries, and more. Make Them. Pray Them. Give Them Away at RosaryArmy.com.

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Time-Flight – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The 5th Doctor catches a Concorde flight back to the Cretaceous. Jimmy, Dom, and Fr. Cory talk about how the inclusion of the supersonic Concorde was a nod to then-groundbreaking tech; how the show dealt with the loss of Adric; and whether this return of an old enemy works well.

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Scavengers (DIS) – The Secrets of Star Trek

Burnham and Georgiou go rogue to save Book. Jimmy, Dom, and Fr. Cory discuss the latest episode of Discovery as the crew and ship adapt to the 32nd century and begin to unravel the mystery of the Burn while keeping the trust of future Starfleet.

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Calvin Parker, Charles Hickson UFO Abduction (Pascagoula 1973) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

Continuing their discussion of the reported 1973 abduction of two Mississippi men by a UFO, Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli look at the theories and evidence from a reason perspective, including a police secret tape recording of a conversation between the two men.

Help us continue to offer Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

Mysterious Headlines

This Episode is Brought to You By:
Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World is brought to you in part through the generous support of Aaron Vurgason Electric and Automation at AaronV.com. Making Connections for Life for your automation and smart home needs in north and central Florida.

And by RosaryArmy.com. Have more peace. Visit RosaryArmy.com and get a free all-twine knotted rosary, downloadable audio Rosaries, and more. Make Them. Pray Them. Give Them Away at RosaryArmy.com.

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.

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The Weekly Francis – 18 November 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 9 November 2020 to 18 November 2020.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Papal Tweets

  • “Generosity that supports the weak, consoles the afflicted, relieves suffering and restores dignity to those stripped of it, is a condition for a fully human life. #WorldDayOfThePoor” @Pontifex 12 November 2020
  • “The ability to stretch forth our hand shows that we possess an innate capacity to act in ways that give meaning to life. #WorldDayOfThePoor” @Pontifex 13 November 2020
  • “The Lord’s blessing descends upon us and prayer attains its goal when accompanied by service to the poor. #WorldDayOfThePoor [Message[(http://vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/poveri/documents/papa-francesco_20200613_messaggio-iv-giornatamondiale-poveri–2020.html)” @Pontifex 14 November 2020
  • “Hold out your hand to the poor, instead of demanding what you lack. In this way, you will multiply the talents you have received. (Mt 25:14–30) #WorldDayOfThePoor #GospelOfTheDay Homily” @Pontifex 15 November 2020
  • “I am near in prayer to the dear people of the #Philippines who are suffering because of the destruction, and especially because of the flooding caused by a strong #typhoon. I express my solidarity to the poorest families and those who are doing all they can to help them.” @Pontifex 15 November 2020
  • “Every form of fundamentalist intolerance damages relationships between individuals, groups and peoples. Let us be committed to living and teaching the value of respect, a love capable of welcoming differences, and the priority of the dignity of every human being. #TolleranceDay” @Pontifex 16 November 2020
  • “Even a smile that we can share with the poor is a source of love. An outstretched hand can always be enriched by the smile of those who quietly and unassumingly offer to help, inspired only by the joy of living as one of Christ’s disciples.” @Pontifex 17 November 2020
  • ““Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). Everything that happens to her ends up in her heart so that it might pass through the sieve of #prayer and be transfigured by it. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 18 November 2020

Papal Instagram

Arranging Debates with James White

In a recent video, James White responds at some length (about 49 minutes) to my interest in debating him on the topic of sola scriptura.

In the course of his response, he makes a number of factually inaccurate statements (including about me), but to keep matters focused, I will let those pass.

 

Sola Scriptura

White says he is not reluctant to debate me on sola scriptura.

Good! I take him at his word, and I look forward to arranging a debate on this topic, which Matt Fradd has offered to host (in fact, he made the initial request of both of us).

White refers to his desire to wait until he has configured a new studio that will allow debating at a distance with high sound and video quality.

That’s fine with me, and Matt has indicated it’s fine with him also. We’ve got the holidays coming up, and it’s no problem to wait until it’s convenient for all three of our schedules.

White is skeptical regarding my claim to have anything new to offer in this debate.

I would never claim to have thought of something that no one has thought of in the last 2,000 years of Catholic history.

What I can—and do—say is that I have developed arguments that I have not seen used by the current generation of Catholic apologists or tested in debate with the current generation of Protestant apologists.

White invites me to identify where I have published these arguments and wonders if I might be holding them back until the time of the debate.

I have no interest in setting up “gotcha” moments that surprise a debate opponent. For a quality debate to occur, both parties should be able to think about their opponent’s key points ahead of time.

I have presented my arguments numerous times, including on Catholic Answers Live, and they are found, in summary form, in my book The Bible Is a Catholic Book.

If White will privately send me his current mailing address, I will send him this book, as well as my book Teaching With Authority, which is a theological manual on how the Magisterium works. If he prefers electronic copies, I’ll send them to him if he lets me know his preferred email address.

In fact, if he will do the same for me, I will send him an advanced copy of my entire opening statement (and any other planned statements), so he’ll know exactly what I plan to say.

 

The Canon of Scripture

White says that the topic of the canon of Scripture would be a good subject to debate, and I’d be happy to debate that with him as well.

I’ve checked with Matt, and he would be happy to have us do several debates, as long as they’re scheduled a month or more apart, which is fine with me.

White objects to the use of the canon that other apologists have made in debates on sola scriptura.

I agree with him that the subject should not be sprung on an opponent who has no time to respond. In fact, no subject should be brought up without the opponent having time to respond to it.

The canon of Scripture is relevant to the issue of sola scriptura, but it is not essential to making the case against the latter.

Consequently, I’d be happy to avoid this subject in a debate on sola scriptura and do a second debate on the canon, instead.

The principal arguments I’d use are covered in my book The Bible Is a Catholic Book, and I’d be happy to exchange advance copies of planned statements with him.

 

The Catholic View of Authority

White says that Catholics need to step up and defend the positive epistemological claims that they make.

In other words, they should be willing to mount a positive defense of the model they propose for doctrinal authority, which is Scripture + Tradition + the Magisterium.

Fine! That’s quite fair. If Protestants need to mount a positive case for their view of authority (sola scriptura), then Catholics should be as well. And I am.

I’m not interested in a debate focused on irrelevant issues such as actions by Pope Francis that don’t even attempt to engage the Church’s infallibility—for reasons explained here and here.

But I am quite willing to debate the overall Scripture + Tradition + Magisterium paradigm.

 

A Slate of Debates?

I therefore propose a slate of three debates: one on the Protestant view of authority (sola scriptura), one on the canon of Scripture, and one on the Catholic view of authority (Scripture + Tradition + the Magisterium).

I have no interest in “gotcha” moments. Both presenters should know and be able to think about what arguments they will need to respond to.

I therefore propose that we exchange advance copies of opening statements (and any other planned statements, depending on the format Matt wants us to use).

There’s no hurry on these. The debates would be scheduled at the convenience of all three of us, with at least one month between them, per Matt’s request.

Sound good?

The Big Bang – The Secrets of Doctor Who

As the 11th Doctor’s first season ends, Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss how Moffat’s first season-long arc wraps up, the hints dropped throughout the season of the resolution, and the elevation of Rory from tagalong to romantic hero.

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