The Practical Parson

 Last night President Trump posted a criticism of Pope Leo, and an image depicting Trump as a quasi-messianic figure was later posted to his account as well.   While we may never know who actually posted the image (as there are multiple staffers who have access so to do),  I think we can all agree that trying to depict yourself in comparison with Jesus is not a GOOD thing.  Yet the hordes of online warriors who have spent the last year A.I.-ing themselves into every manner of conceivable art, having themselves depicted as saints, pagan deities, and even into images with Christ himself; are completely outraged that Trump would dare allow something in the same vein of himself to be posted.  While I disagree with the image in question and would say it is in extreme poor taste; the reason why most people are aghast by it has nothing to do with the IDEA behind the image, as much as it is the PERSON who is in the image.   That being said, I would call t...

  This week, a number of Traditionalist Anglican clergy and their Bishop (of Fulham), are on retreat in Rome.  They were invited by the clergy in charge of St. John in Lateran to hold a mass in the "choir" of the cathedral, behind the main altar of the church.  What to many Christians might seem a point of fraternal generosity or a sign of mutual respect; has instead inflamed the passions of a number of Roman Catholic churchmen and laymen across the Christian world.    How dare those silly protestants hold their service in our church???  The claim that is referenced in defending such position, is the old argument that because Pope Leo XIII issued the Papal Bull Apostolicae Curae which claimed Anglican Orders as "utterly null and void"; that this means definitively that Anglican Apostolic succession is indeed null and void.  Unfortunately for my more conservative minded Roman Catholic friends, a Papal Bull is not the law of the church.  There ...