Journey to the Cross-roads

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I have not been blogging for the a very long time now due to the demands of my studies, not least of which was the writing of my tesina (small thesis) on the development of doctrine in St. Bonaventure’s Collations on the Six Days.  I finish my decree of License in Sacred Theology at the Angelicum this Friday with the lectio coram, which is an oral comprehensive exam consisting of a forty minute lecture in front of a board of my professors and about a half hour of answering questions on my topic and on theology in general.

Thanks for all your prayers over the last couple of years of my studying.  I would be gratefully once again for a Hail Mary or two.

Here is the introduction from my tesina for whoever might be interested.

I will post on the results afterwards and then perhaps get back to blogging. God bless.

Father Angelo

16 thoughts on “Journey to the Cross-roads”

  1. Dear Fr Angelo, Well done the end is in sight.I am writing this from my Hospital bed.On Thursday night I had a heart attack, taken by ambulance to Treliske in Truro. I was rushed to theatre for an angiogram followed by an angioplasty.I had two stents fitted in the worst area’s. However there are further difficulties that will be addressed at a later stage,not on this admission. The previous two days I was up in Dorset assessing a homeless persons placement in the Pilsdon project on behalf of Fr Nicholas at Quarr abbey.Came home and had a heart attack. God willing I might get home tomorrow, to Heard’s. Just have to wait and see. Please remember me in your prayers. I will be praying for you on Friday God bless you

    Ave Maria

    Brendan

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  4. Ave Maria! Fr Angelo,
    Will do a Holy Hour for you and keep you in prayers. When will you be coming back to the States? Miss you
    Maggie & John

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  6. Congratulations on completing your thesis.
    I’d love to read it. Unfortunately, it does not appear when I hit your Website at “Here”/
    Will you be in Rome much longer?
    James Likoudis

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    • Dear James,

      Great to hear from you. I am not sure what happens next but it is likely I will study for a doctorate.

      As for the tesina, this information may be useful also to others. I switched the file I originally linked to, and thus the url has changed. If you can’t load the file it is because your browser is using a cookie. You need to refresh the page and then your browser will see the new url. I include it here.

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  7. Hello Father,

    Thank the Lord this is why you have been absent these many months. I missed your positive yet truly Traditonal Catholic witness on the “blogosphere” as it were.

    I will keep your success at your studies as part of my prayer, and I hope for all the best. I look forward to your return.

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    • Dear Father, God bless and be with you in your work of faith. I was wondering if you might be able to give an example of what it means to have a development of doctrine in accordance to generational time. Does that mean there is a change in the understanding of a particular doctrine or only a change in how to make the doctrine better or easily understood. . For often times I have heard people say that there are those in the church who have tried to change doctrine yet they don’t tell you exactly what doctrine they are referring to or how or why it would differ from what had been the understanding and mindset of the Church through out the centuries. So if you wouldn’t mind giving a little example of what development of doctrine might mean it may help me to have a little more clarity on this subject.
      Thank you! Mary

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      • Dear Mary,

        Thanks. Public revelation was closed with the death of the last Apostle, and thus the deposit of faith fixed and unchangeable from that point. Development of doctrine is not the evolution of doctrine from one meaning to something other than it was. This is not development but corruption. Development can only consist in a meaning which is consistent with original content. We come to understand doctrine better, such as the Eucharist through the articulation of the doctrine of transubstantiation; or see the implications of a truth, such as that Mary is Mother of God because Her Son is a divine person. Even a doctrine not clearly evident in Apostolic Tradition, like the Assumption of Mary, is not a new revelation or an evolution of meaning, but the explication of something already present.

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        • Thank you Father, but what is the fear that I hear people express especially from those who may be of more traditional mind set when they express that there are doctrines that have been charged? The examples you gave were beautiful examples of church teachings that have been known by Holy Mother yet brought more clearly to the simple minds of us faithful. When I hear what others say it sounds as if there fear is that something has developed to have a different meaning then what has always been understood, but yet I have never heard exactly what it is that they fear has been changed. An example may be religious liberty. If this was understood as no matter what your Fath, is you will be saved because C hrist has redeemed us all this would seem like an indifference to the truth that Christ and His church are one and hence no salvation except through Christ and His Church. But if it was understood that each individual soul is given it period of earthly time in which to come to truth through their cooperation with grace and the prayers and examples of their faithful brothers and sisters. Then they should not be physically coerced or judged harshly until their conversion. If you would be so kind please tell me what is the Church’s teachings on this and why do some people think that this teaching has taken on a new understanding. Thanks, Mary

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  8. Father-Ave Maria–So glad you are nearing the end of the journey….seems like you have been studying and writing for ages! Can’t open the link to the tesina but I imagine it’s superb. Probably a good thing as I would just start editing anyway, can’t always help myself! We are doing pretty well here in CT. The annual Duda Camporee is in a week and a half so the boys are excited….including the adult ones….Best of luck in your final preparations. We will certainly hold you in prayer for continued success (and conclusion).Angela

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  10. Thank you for your tesina sample – I wish I knew a way of saying how interesting it is that would do it justice!

    May God lead and prosper you in your learning and teaching, especially on Friday!

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