The Catholic Blog of Shane Schaetzel
This is an opinion blog, so what you’re going to read below is my opinion. Take it for whatever it’s worth to you. Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows that I am an advocate for a return to traditional Catholicism, but readers should also know that when I say that I don’t mean turning […]
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The world has radically changed in the wake of the Wuhan Virus (COVID-19) and with it the Catholic Church has changed too. The worldwide quarantine, of both the sick and the healthy, has spawned the birth of something new. Or maybe I should say the rebirth of something very old. The rise of Militant Catholicism […]
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Globalism is dead. It was on its way out since 2016, with the passage of the Brexit Referendum in the UK and the election of President Donald J. Trump in the US. However, the final nail in the coffin was the Wuhan Virus (COVID-19), the Coronavirus pandemic, also known as the “Chinese Virus” or #WuFlu. […]
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Who are those nice folks coming to your door witnessing for Jehovah? Well, I could go into a long story about their origin, peculiar practices, problematic “prophecies,” and methods of psychological coercion, but that would just make for a long post. Instead, I’ll cut to the chase. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, better known […]
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This morning I read an article (see here) that made me laugh, because it relayed a story about a cardinal in the Catholic Church who doesn’t seem to understand some very basic terms. He suggested that Catholics who protest some actions of the pope ought to become Protestants, because that’s what they essentially are. I […]
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There are two polarities in the Catholic Church today, and while these two polarities have existed together under the popes for a generation, that tension will not last much longer. This is nothing new. Situations like this have existed in the past, and the result is always the same — schism. Honestly, I don’t know […]
Read MoreAs we approach the release of Pope Francis’ Amazon Synod Exhortation (late January or early February), it’s very important to keep your eye on the ball. The objective of the looney Left is to portray traditional Catholics as hysterical retrogrades who cannot handle any change. We MUST NOT let this narrative play out. As I […]
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Arianism is a word we don’t hear much in the modern world, but it’s ideology permeates the entire planet both inside and outside of Christendom. Many Christians mistakenly believe Arianism was defeated centuries ago, but in truth, it never left us. It just morphed, changing forms, and remains with us today in many different manifestations. […]
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For those of you who still might think Freemasonry is just some harmless boys club with funny hats, think again. No organization has been condemned by the Catholic Church more than the Masonic Lodge. The Catholic Church has imposed the penalty of excommunication on all Catholics who become Freemasons (or members of the Masonic Lodge). […]
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The Divine Worship Mass, otherwise known as the DWM, is a traditional Catholic liturgy of the Eucharist that is celebrated in Sacred English (thee, thou, thy, thine, etc.) as typically seen in traditional English translations of the Bible and prayer books. It follows the basic pattern of the standard Ordinary Form Mass (Novus Ordo or […]
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I originally wrote the following essay on October 17, 2016. Though the election is long since over, it seems even more relevant now… A storm is approaching. We’ve been watching it build on the horizon for decades, and now it’s here. The first sprinkles of rain have already hit us, and with the wind now […]
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Galileo Galilei was born in February of 1564 and died in is home in January of 1642. He was 77 years old, which is quite a long life for that time period. Life expectancy in Europe during that time period was between 30 to 40 years. Galileo lived to nearly double the maximum life expectancy, […]
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The Amazon Synod is scheduled to begin in just a couple weeks, and it’s been the talk of much consternation among conservative and traditionally-minded Catholics for almost two years now. I completely empathize with the concerns of my conservative and traditionally-minded Catholic brethren. I think their concerns are valid and should be taken seriously. On […]
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What would happen if the Catholic Church ordains women? A growing number of Catholic laity seem to be fine with the idea. A fairly good size of Leftist clergy seems to be fine with it as well — even advocating it. So let’s play a little game of “what if?” Suppose in some alternate universe, […]
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In a recent jet-presser at 30,000 feet, Pope Francis commented that he felt “honored” that some traditional-Catholic Americans were attacking him. Why does this not surprise me? It seems obvious to me that he doesn’t care for those Catholic Americans who consider themselves “orthodox” or “traditional.” On the flip side, I think it’s fair and […]
Read MoreLiving in the Bible Belt of the United States can be a bit amusing at times, especially when some Evangelicals refer to Catholic statues and icons as “idols.” At the same time, however, I have sympathy for these folks, because I too was once as confused as they are. I have to admire their zeal. […]
Read MoreI think this is a topic that needs to be broached. How much do the antics of liberals and modernists in the Catholic Church harm authentic ecumenical relations? When I say “authentic” ecumenical relations, I’m referring strictly to those that lead to unity with the Catholic Church, as opposed to “superficial” ecumenical relations, wherein […]
Read MoreBefore I begin this essay, allow me to give full disclosure. First, I am not a priest. Second, I am married. Third, I don’t want to be a priest — ever. Fourth, I will probably never be a priest and that’s just fine with me. Truth be told, I enjoy my freedom as a Catholic […]
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A video chronology of the decline of the Catholic Church. Living in the Ozark Mountains, deep within the Bible Belt, I am immersed in a Baptist/Pentecostal (Evangelical) culture that is, for the most part, ignorant about the Catholic Church and what’s going on therein. The Catholic population of the Ozarks is between 3% and 6%, […]
Read MoreIn recent days, some US states have been passing strong anti-abortion legislation. My own home State of Missouri is included in that, and I’m proud to say I’ve been writing my state legislators for months to push it through. It’s comforting to know I had a small part in this. The same goes for anyone […]
Read MoreThis is probably the most misunderstood doctrine among non-Catholics. Even some Catholics don’t understand it. To be clear, let’s define it. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is a dogma, meaning that is is a required belief of all Catholics. In other words, if you don’t believe in the Immaculate Conception, then technically speaking, you’re […]
Read MoreDuring the last few hundred years, it has become in vogue for some Protestant Christians to not only question the virginity of Mary, but to actually oppose it openly and militantly. Many traditional Protestants have gone the way of doubting the virginity of Mary altogether, relegating it to an early Christian myth. Meanwhile most of […]
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It seems strange to have to say that Catholics are Christian but to a growing number of Evangelicals (particularly in the English-speaking world) it needs to be pointed out. Catholic Christianity is Complete Christianity. In fact, we Catholics were the first Christians because we Catholics were the original Christians. Sadly, a lot of Catholics have […]
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Catholic Bibles are known to have more books than Protestant Bibles, and there is a very good reason for this. I’ll explain below. First, it’s important to note that the New Testament of the Bible is exactly the same between Catholics and Protestants. There is no difference at all. They both consist of exactly twenty-seven […]
Read MoreIn 1994, a group of well-known Catholics and Evangelicals sat down together, and prophetically gauged the trajectory of our Western society in the 21st century. They determined that we had entered a post-Christian era, and that going forward, Catholics and Evangelicals would have to work together on social issues for the sake of our very […]
Read MoreRod Dreher is an amazing author and columnist. He was an Evangelical Christian who came into the Catholic Church, where he was confronted by the “Spirit of Vatican II” (a bastardization of the authentic Vatican II) and the Lavender Mafia, which promptly drove him out of the Catholic Church and into the arms of Eastern […]
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There is a thread of radical Protestant Fundamentalism that likes to attack traditional Christian celebrations — particularly Christmas and Easter. We see this primarily among the Jehovah’s Witnesses (which aren’t technically Protestant or Fundamentalist but rather a separate religion entirely more akin to Arianism). The Protestants include, but are not limited to: Fundamental Baptists, Quakers, […]
Read MoreAt the risk of sounding a little edgy, I want to write about something that’s concerning to me. As some of you may know, I like to try to stay ahead of the curve, and so I will occasionally frequent Internet blogs, groups and channels from people and organizations that are currently on the fringe, […]
Read MoreIt’s a line from the science-fiction Terminator films: “There is no fate except for what we make.” While this may be a popular culture cliche from the 1980s, there is an element of truth to it, and it most certainly ties back to the Christian faith. Humanity has a tendency to default back into the […]
Read MoreWe all know that Europe was once Pagan. Actually, the whole world was Pagan as recently as 2,000 years ago. At that time, the only monotheistic religion in the world was Judaism, centered mainly in The Holy Land of Israel (Palestine) with small Jewish colonies (synagogues) in major cities throughout the Roman Empire. At that […]
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