Peter Kwasniewski

Man is created by God for an eternal glory that surpasses his nature. Even now, he is called to a graced participation in divine life that draws him above and beyond himself, conforming him to the one in whose image he is made. In his theological writings, Thomas Aquinas explored this "order of excess" that characterizes God's elevation of the rational creature, discerning in its most extreme instances—mystical transport, ecstasy, and rapture—the essential contours of the ordering of Christian life to the transcendent union of beatific vision. This is same ordering is witnessed in Aquinas's own experience, where toward the end of his life he was raised to a contemplative vision surpassing all language and further study. In Anatomy of Transcendence, Peter A. Kwasniewski examines the intersection of Aquinas's theological writings and mysticism, establishing a vocabulary and topography for the Angelic Doctor's study and experience of ecstasy and excess in God's raising of the human mind to divine things. While drawing on the full scope of the saint's corpus, the study pays particular attention to his engagement with Scripture—especially the rapture of Paul related in 2 Corinthians—thus contributing to the recovery of Aquinas not only as spiritual theologian but also as biblical theologian.

Turned Around: Replying to Common Objections Against the Traditional Latin Mass is a practical and clear book that examines the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) through a fresh lens. In each chapter, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski addresses common objections to the TLM, transforming these challenges into gateways for a deeper understanding and appreciation of its timeless beauty. From the reasons we worship facing East, to the profound significance of praying in Latin, and the ritual separation of priest and people, Turned Around sheds light on why these liturgical elements resonate so deeply with the faithful. Various other topics will be explored within these pages, including: Why the Traditional Mass Is Kingly and Courtly Why We Follow Inherited Rituals and Strict Rubrics Why We Repeat Ourselves in Traditional Worship Why We Use a One-Year Lectionary of Readings Why it Is Better Not to Understand Everything Immediately Why We Kneel for Communion and Receive on the Tongue Turned Around provides the answers and intrigue to explore the paradoxical and countercultural elements of the TLM that have drawn the young and older faithful closer to the divine for centuries. This book is not just a defense of tradition; it is a journey to the heart of Catholic worship, promising to deepen the reader's spiritual life and understanding of the Mass. Whether you're a skeptic or a devout follower, Turned Around offers a compelling case for the enduring relevance and beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass.

In quest'opera ampia e accuratamente argomentata, il dottor Kwasniewski dimostra che la Sacra Tradizione il principio guida di tutta l'autentica liturgia cristiana, che ha origine da Cristo e dai suoi apostoli ed guidata dallo Spirito Santo per tutta la vita della Chiesa. I principali tratti identificativi del rito romano classico - e di tutti i riti tradizionali, orientali e occidentali - sono assenti dal Novus Ordo, il che lo estrania dalla loro compagnia e rende impossibile chiamarlo "rito romano". L'unico modo per superare questa frattura un pieno ritorno all'eredit tridentina - il rito romano nella sua pienezza - per il quale non n potrebbe mai essere necessario uno speciale permesso."Peter Kwasniewski non solo un baluardo di erudizione, ma anche un uomo dall'arguzia provocatoria". -Martin Mosebach"Opera al tempo stesso liturgica, storica, teologica e spirituale, Il Rito Romano di Ieri e di Domani assicura all'autore un posto di primo piano tra gli studiosi della Rivoluzione che, dal 1969, ha opposto il ritus modernus di Paolo VI al rito della Tradizione della Chiesa latina". -Roberto de Mattei"Quest'opera una splendida introduzione alle questioni chiave del dibattito liturgico, nel necessario contesto storico dello sviluppo liturgico e della riforma del 1960. Ne raccomando di cuore la lettura". -Dr. Joseph Shaw"In questo libro appassionato, il dottor Kwasniewski propone uno stringente insieme di argomenti a favore del Rito Romano tradizionale. Egli guida con mano sicura il lettore fra questioni oggetto di frequente dibattito: la natura delle liturgie "tradizionali" d'Oriente e d'Occidente, la liturgia della Settimana Santa ante 1955, lo status del Novus Ordo quale "forma" del Rito Romano, il ruolo di papa Paolo VI nelle riforme degli anni '60 - e molto altro ancora". -Stuart Chessman"Logico e lirico, questo volume una profonda riflessione sul significato della tradizione tanto in generale quanto nella liturgia romana in particolare. Anche se non tutti possono essere d'accordo con le sue conclusioni, questo un libro che nessuno che nessuno che abbia a cuore il bene della Chiesa dovrebbe ignorare". -Pr. Thomas Crean, O.P.Il dott. PETER KWASNIEWSKI ha insegnato teologia, filosofia, musica e storia dell'arte in varie universit dal 1998 al 2018. altres cantore e compositore, ha diretto cori dal 1994 a oggi, e la sua musica sacra per coro stata eseguita in tutto il mondo. Dal 2018 scrive e tiene conferenze a tempo pieno in difesa della Fede cattolica tradizionale, specialmente in ambito liturgico. I suoi libri e articoli sono apparsi in oltre venti lingue.

This powerhouse of a book masterfully vindicates the Church's rich teachings on matrimony, the priesthood, and religious life. Drawing on sources ancient and modern, pagan and Christian, Eastern Christian and Western, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski will teach you: The four kinds of marriage (can you guess them?) and four reasons why marriage is noble What the pulsating heart of marriage and family is and what marriage cannot exist without The lessons we can learn from the marriage of Mary and Joseph The two greatest mercies of God (they will surprise you ) Three ways to explain the meaning of sexuality to your children Sixteen arguments and replies regarding priestly celibacy Dr. Kwasniewski demonstrates that both the dignity of marriage and family and the evils arrayed against them--pornography, self-gratification, premarital sex, divorce, contraception, and abortion--can and should be seen not only i

This book-the definitive version of Michael Davies's study of the Medjugorje phenomenon, a revision of which he was preparing right up to his death in 2004-is a valuable contribution to the growing literature on the subject. Although it covers only the period from 1981 to 2002, Medjugorje: The First Twenty-One Years brings together and offers incisive observations on material that other treatments summarize rapidly or even omit altogether. It must be remembered that Michael's Croatian wife, Maria, was in a unique position to assist Michael with access to an abundance of information in her native language that would have been, and often still is, a closed book to researchers from other countries. In its provision of original sources and with its judicious observations, Medjugorje: The First Twenty-One Years adds richness to the existing literature concerning the purported apparitions. Davies sees the connection of Medjugorje with a variety of controversial issues in the Church today: the relationship of authority and obedience, the nature of the charismatic movement, the dangers of chasing after private revelations, the scandal of clerical immorality, and the lure of false ecumenism.

This book-the definitive version of Michael Davies's study of the Medjugorje phenomenon, a revision of which he was preparing right up to his death in 2004-is a valuable contribution to the growing literature on the subject. Although it covers only the period from 1981 to 2002, Medjugorje: The First Twenty-One Years brings together and offers incisive observations on material that other treatments summarize rapidly or even omit altogether. It must be remembered that Michael's Croatian wife, Maria, was in a unique position to assist Michael with access to an abundance of information in her native language that would have been, and often still is, a closed book to researchers from other countries. In its provision of original sources and with its judicious observations, Medjugorje: The First Twenty-One Years adds richness to the existing literature concerning the purported apparitions. Davies sees the connection of Medjugorje with a variety of controversial issues in the Church today: the relationship of authority and obedience, the nature of the charismatic movement, the dangers of chasing after private revelations, the scandal of clerical immorality, and the lure of false ecumenism.

Como culminaci n de aquellos a os de vol tiles experimentos, se introdujo, en 1969, un nuevo rito de la Misa: no se trat s lo de un toque cosm tico, sino de una radical reconstrucci n del acto central del culto de la Iglesia. Una minor a de fieles siguieron adhiriendo fielmente al rito tradicional, que Juan Pablo II y Benedicto XVI liberaron gradualmente de restricciones. El constante crecimiento de este movimiento "tradicionalista" plantea inevitablemente dilemas a cada vez m s gente. Qu es lo que el laicado, el clero y los religiosos est n descubriendo y que los enamora? Podr amos -deber amos- contarnos nosotros entre ellos? En este cautivante libro, Peter Kwasniewski recurre a su experiencia de d cadas, y sin exigir del lector ning n conocimiento especializado, le explica por qu la Misa tradicional obra como lo hace, cu les son sus rasgos distintivos, cu les sus beneficios, y c mo es que atrae el coraz n con una belleza de hondas ra ces, perennemente fresca. Todo lector -ya sea un declarado amante de la Misa de Siempre o un completo novato, ya est comprometido con ella o sea un mero curioso, ya sea perplejo o esc ptico, ya sea que est convencido o que viva en un continuo vaiv n entre lo antiguo y lo nuevo- habr de encontrar en estas p ginas intuiciones capaces de cambiarle la vida.

Como culminaci n de aquellos a os de vol tiles experimentos, se introdujo, en 1969, un nuevo rito de la Misa: no se trat s lo de un toque cosm tico, sino de una radical reconstrucci n del acto central del culto de la Iglesia. Una minor a de fieles siguieron adhiriendo fielmente al rito tradicional, que Juan Pablo II y Benedicto XVI liberaron gradualmente de restricciones. El constante crecimiento de este movimiento "tradicionalista" plantea inevitablemente dilemas a cada vez m s gente. Qu es lo que el laicado, el clero y los religiosos est n descubriendo y que los enamora? Podr amos -deber amos- contarnos nosotros entre ellos? En este cautivante libro, Peter Kwasniewski recurre a su experiencia de d cadas, y sin exigir del lector ning n conocimiento especializado, le explica por qu la Misa tradicional obra como lo hace, cu les son sus rasgos distintivos, cu les sus beneficios, y c mo es que atrae el coraz n con una belleza de hondas ra ces, perennemente fresca. Todo lector -ya sea un declarado amante de la Misa de Siempre o un completo novato, ya est comprometido con ella o sea un mero curioso, ya sea perplejo o esc ptico, ya sea que est convencido o que viva en un continuo vaiv n entre lo antiguo y lo nuevo- habr de encontrar en estas p ginas intuiciones capaces de cambiarle la vida.

Abuses of authority and misleading magisteria have given new urgency to old questions about the nature, purpose, and limits of the papal office. Without succumbing to Protestant or Orthodox antipapaplism, faithful Catholics are discarding a hyperpapalism that has distorted, even undermined, the tradition-centred and continuity-protecting Petrine ministry. In this two-volume work, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski situates the papacy within the Church as a preeminent part of a whole that gives it its meaning, responds to conservative and sedevacantist objections, and offers spiritual counsel and reasons for hope to those grieved by the current state of affairs. Volume 1, Theological Reflections on the Rock of the Church, provides an account of the papacy that honors human reason, harmonizes divine faith, and safeguards sacred tradition. Volume 2, Chronological Responses to an Unfolding Pontificate, analyzes key aspects of the reign of Pope Francis, educing and corroborating the theological principles discussed in the first.

Although Pope Francis has brought controversy, confusion, and chaos to the Catholic Church, good fruits of his pontificate is already apparent: a long-overdue reassessment of the papal office itself, and a newfound willingness to call out derelictions of duty. The first volume of The Road from Hyperpapalism to Catholicism provides the theological-spiritual reassessment; the second volume decries the deviations, offering a record of responses to notable events in the Bergoglian reign such as the release of Amoris Laetitia, the Abu Dhabi declaration, the death penalty revision, the Pachamama debacle, and synods rigged for the advancement of progressivist ideology. If the Church has entered a new phase in the unfolding of Modernism, the appropriate reaction of the faithful is nonetheless clear: not lamentation or hostility, but renewed commitment to tradition, prayer and good works.

Although Pope Francis has brought controversy, confusion, and chaos to the Catholic Church, good fruits of his pontificate is already apparent: a long-overdue reassessment of the papal office itself, and a newfound willingness to call out derelictions of duty. The first volume of The Road from Hyperpapalism to Catholicism provides the theological-spiritual reassessment; the second volume decries the deviations, offering a record of responses to notable events in the Bergoglian reign such as the release of Amoris Laetitia, the Abu Dhabi declaration, the death penalty revision, the Pachamama debacle, and synods rigged for the advancement of progressivist ideology. If the Church has entered a new phase in the unfolding of Modernism, the appropriate reaction of the faithful is nonetheless clear: not lamentation or hostility, but renewed commitment to tradition, prayer and good works.

Abuses of authority and misleading magisteria have given new urgency to old questions about the nature, purpose, and limits of the papal office. Without succumbing to Protestant or Orthodox antipapaplism, faithful Catholics are discarding a hyperpapalism that has distorted, even undermined, the tradition-centred and continuity-protecting Petrine ministry. In this two-volume work, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski situates the papacy within the Church as a preeminent part of a whole that gives it its meaning, responds to conservative and sedevacantist objections, and offers spiritual counsel and reasons for hope to those grieved by the current state of affairs. Volume 1, Theological Reflections on the Rock of the Church, provides an account of the papacy that honors human reason, harmonizes divine faith, and safeguards sacred tradition. Volume 2, Chronological Responses to an Unfolding Pontificate, analyzes key aspects of the reign of Pope Francis, educing and corroborating the theological principles discussed in the first.

Pope Benedict XVI affirmed the ongoing growth and perpetual validity of the Traditional Latin Mass, insisting that "what earlier generations held as sacred remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful." However, with the 2021 release of Traditionis Custodes, his successor has declared precisely the opposite, sending shockwaves through the Church by calling for the restriction and eventual suppression of her most beautiful and venerable form of worship -- and the one experiencing the most dramatic and impassioned growth. What is a conscientious Catholic to do? In this pivotal book, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski offers an essential treatise on the question of obedience in the Church--whence it derives and how it is to be properly and prudently understood and lived. He explores St. Thomas Aquinas's guidelines on the subject, what type of obedience is necessary for salvation, and which types are lawful

​"Suppose for a moment that Catholicism had been dead for centuries, that the traditions of its worship had been lost. Only the unspeaking and forlorn cathedrals remain; they have become unintelligible yet remain admirable."So begins Marcel Proust's Death Comes for the Cathedrals (La mort des cath drales), originally published in Le Figaro (1904). Proust addresses the political and religious debate concerning the "the Briand bill," a parliamentary proposal which imperiled the fate of French Cathedrals-"the first and most perfect masterpieces" of Gothic architecture. The great author of In Search of Lost Time gives prophetic voice to his own fear that "France would be transformed into a shore where giant chiseled conches seemed to have run aground, emptied of the life that inhabited them and no longer bringing an attentive ear to the distant murmur of the past, simply museum objects, themselves frozen." As Proust makes plain, though the cathedrals of France and the traditional liturgy of the Roman rite are the spiritual inheritance of the Church, they are part of the patrimony of all humanity and, pending preservation, their loss would leave all the world impoverished. This Wiseblood Books edition of Death Comes for the Cathedrals includes an introduction by its translator, Dr. John Pepino, and an afterword by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, who wonders whether life may yet return to the cathedrals. Throughout, beautiful color images of Chartres and its architectural features grace the pages.