The Baptism of Jesus according to van Scorel
Called to Rome by his compatriot Pope Adrian VI, the Dutchman Jan van Scorel is known, among other things, for the Lokhorst Triptych. Also of interest is his The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, in which the influence of artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael is evident.
Preserve, deepen and transmit Revelation
The Magisterium, which adds nothing extra to Revelation, takes two forms - Ordinary and Extraordinary - using two methods: solemn and non-solemn. The theme of infallibility concerns both the faithful ("in credendo") and the Pope ("in docendo"). This is when even the Ordinary and Extraordinary Magisterium becomes infallible.
ACN warns: "Religious freedom at risk in Ukraine"
The greatest risk to religious freedom in Ukraine is faced above all by the communities in the republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, recently recognised by the Russian Federation. In Crimea, before the Russian occupation, there were 50 religious organisations operating on the peninsula, while by 2019 their number had already dropped to nine. The Daily Compass interviews Alessandro Monteduro, director of the Italian section of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)
Dems’ defeat: abortion up to birth rejected
In a historic battle, the US Senate rejected (48-46) the Democrats' proposal to liberalise abortion up to birth and to wipe out the pro-life victories of recent decades. Joe Manchin (Dem) cast the deciding vote. Relief for pro-life groups. And Biden could not please the abortion lobby.
Between virus and war, God takes us to the secret place of conversion
Lent begins and the proclamation of the Gospel takes us from where we are, to lead us to a secret place where we can know the secret of the Father, the place of prayer and fasting to which we are called to present the bulwark of faith against the brute violence of war. Many are afraid of dying, as with the virus, and so they run away, far away, like the prodigal son. Thus, in an instant, it is no longer the virus, but the brother who has become the enemy to fight, the brother who did not think and act like us. Without God, man is always at war with a scapegoat on whom to pour out his frustration, pain and anger at the failure generated by sin, since a divorce is consummated because of the same sin that instigates a war.
This war is the defeat of Western political realism
With the invasion of Ukraine, Putin's Russia has crossed a border that leads it towards a total break with the West, and forces it to be fatally sucked into a Eurasian axis with China from which it has everything to lose in the long run, since it can only play the role of vassal. It is the end of a long season in which the country, after the adjustment following the end of the USSR, has tried to find a balance between inclusion in the globalised economy and maintaining its status as an imperial power, albeit on a smaller scale than in the past.
Perugino, the rise and fall of a genius who became outdated
Perugino's artistic parabola is not enough to obscure his genius and the magnificence of his works, which still enchant us today, half a millennium later, and will continue to do so for generations to come. For instance, the Baptism of Christ, the beginning of Jesus' public life frescoed in the Vatican.
The Magisterium
The Magisterium of the Church has an interpretative role, it is not a third source of Revelation, which concluded with the death of the apostles. The development of the doctrine is to explore further the contents of Revelation and cannot be a source of discontinuity. The object of the Magisterium is the depositum fidei and the truths of the faith and morals closely connected to it.
Why Putin wants to conquer Ukraine. Religion is only a pretext
In a speech on February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of the separatist republics of Lugansk and Donetsk. At the same time, he also called into question the very existence of Ukraine as an independent and sovereign state. So what is his goal? Given the recent recognition of the Patriarchate of Kiev by the ecumenical patriarch Bartholomew I, is Putin also defending a religious cause, on behalf of the Moscow Patriarchate? The Daily Compass asked Marta Carletti Dell'Asta, researcher at the Christian Russia Foundation in Italy and editor-in-chief of the magazine La Nuova Europa.
Those who hope for peace by preparing for war are deluded
In times of tension it is always said that "if you want peace, prepare for war". But it’s not the way; experience shows that those who prepare for war never achieve peace, at most a truce. We must change our attitude and prepare for peace instead. And for Christians, the model is the one explained by Metropolitan Antonij of Suroz.
