under the patronage of St Joseph and St Dominic

By the rivers of Babylon there we sat and wept, remembering Zion;
on the poplars that grew there we hung up our harps. . . Ps 136

Dignitatis Humanae

I. The Trouble with Dignitatis Humanae—Error Masquerading as Right

This is the first of three papers on the Declaration on Religious Freedom of the Second Vatican Council.  more

II. The Trouble with Dignitatis Humanae—The Dilemma

We address here the issue of how two contradictory Church documents, each apparently infallible, can be reconciled. more

III. The Trouble with Dignitatis Humanae—The Devastation in Its Train

We list here the more grievous of the evils that have flowed from the errors in the Declaration on Religious Liberty.  more

IV. Dignitatis Humanae—Response to Objections

This is a reply to an objection by a critic to the theses advanced in the papers critical of the Declaration on Religious Freedom.  more

V. Dignitatis Humanae—Michael Davies' Study

Among the best analyses of Vatican II's Declaration on Religious Freedom is Michael Davies' book, "The Second Vatican Council and Religious Liberty".

This paper exposes some of its few shortcomings.  more

VI. Dignitatis Humanae—Response to Objections II

This is the reply to a second set of objections to the theses advanced in the papers on this website critical of the Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Freedom.  more

VII. Archbishop Chaput on the American Bishops, John F Kennedy and Religious Liberty

Much has been made of Archbishop Chaput's recent suggestion that John F Kennedy is to blame for undermining religious belief in American public life.  We think the blame lies elsewhere.  more

VIII. More on Archbishop Chaput, John F Kennedy and the American Bishops

There has been ongoing debate on the Chiesa website as to the propriety of Archbishop Chaput's criticism of John F Kennedy's comments in his September,1960 Houston Address.  The contributors continue, in our view, to get it wrong.  more

IX. Controversy in AD2000-What Authority has Vatican II?

This is our commentary on an exchange of views in the Australian journal AD2000 on the authority of Vatican II. more

X. 'Religious Liberty' & the Development of Doctrine

This is a detailed criticism of the relatio (introduction) to the Fathers of the Second Vatican council of the original schema which became the Declaration on Religious Liberty. more

XI. The Ghost of John Courtney Murray

Fr John Courtney Murray SJ was a promoter of Americanism the theological error which subordinates the Church to the State, exemplified in the United States Constitution, an error condemned by Leo XIII in 1899.  Murray's admission to the ranks of periti at the Second Vatican Council coloured the Council's bishops' determinations with the Americanist error.  more

XII. Commentary on the Paper “Dignitatis Humanae: A ‘Non-Contradictory’ Doctrinal Development”

This is a systematic criticism of the argument of Fr Brian Harrison in which he endeavours to show the Declaration on Religious Freedom of the Second Vatican Council does not contradict the Church’s teaching.  more

XIII. America's Problems With Religious Liberty

Two papers published on the American Catholic website, The Catholic Thing, have put in high relief the problems of ‘religious liberty’ in their country and elsewhere throughout the world.  more

XIV. Americanism
This is a study of the evil that afflicts the faith of 98% of American Catholics, bishops, priests, religious and laity.  They are not alone.  The conduct of the bishops at the Second Vatican Council ensured that the vast majority of Catholics throughout the world are affected by it also.  more

XV. Fr Hunwicke on Vatican II & Dignitatis Humanae

This is a criticism of certain comments made by the well-respected English commentator, Fr John Hunwicke on his blogsite. more

XVI. Pray to Our Lady of Mt Carmel for American Catholics

Yet another American Catholic contributor has revealed his Americanism.  more

XVII. Fifty Three and a Half Years It's Taken

Since what?  Since the promulgation of Dignitatis Humanae, Vatican II’s heterodox ‘Declaration of Religious Freedom’.  Finally, we have bishops who are prepared to reject the flawed foundation on which that declaration was based.  more

XVIII. The Trouble with American Catholics

A comment on a recent paper on The Catholic Thing website which demonstrates its promoters’ adherence to the Americanist principle.  more