Staff Apologist Mark Bonocore has embarked on a project which will trace the Catholic Church's lineage from Apostolic times to modern times.  His work will be placed in a "time line" format, tracing major historical events throughout the political and ecclesiatical histories of the the Holy Roman Pontiffs and their counterparts in the political world.  The first installment traces the major patristic and ecclesiastical developments from St. Peter's Pontificate all the way through to the crowning of Charlemagne (29 A.D. – 814 A.D.), which will cover all the councils Catholics hold in common with the Orthodox.  Part 2 will take us through the Middle Ages, the Schism, and into the Protestant Reformation.  Finally in Part 3, Mark will take us from the Reformation and outline the major events to the Pontificate of our present Pope, Benedict XVI.  Volume 1 which is 37 pages in length (exclusive of Appendices) has now been completed.  A sample of the first two pages of Mark's work can be viewed in Adobe (PDF) format by clicking here and here.

Pete Vere and Jacqui Rapp approach the topic of annulment in this 100-question book designed to cut through legal jargon in an effort to increase understanding and ease common concerns about the annulment process.  Describing situations in which canon law is applied in regard to marriage and its validity, the question-and-answer format helps the reader feel that he/she is having a conversation with a friendly, trusted and knowledgeable adviser.  They introduce the 100 questions with a simple explanation of how the church defines marriage, what is required to enter it, and why some marriages may be declared invalid.  This book is highly recommended to anyone investigating an annulment, or for those who desire a firmer understanding of the issue.

Canada's human rights commissions endanger the historic freedoms of expression, religious conscience, and the press. As the decade drew to a close, the activities of these pseudo-courts have been under greater scrutiny, but their ominous disregard for freedom of speech, religion, and the press is nothing new. In The Tyranny of Nice, authors Kathy Shaidle (of the popular blog Five Feet of Fury) and Pete Vere expose these kangaroo courts and explore their dangerous implications.

British author Philip Pullman is widely acclaimed by critics and readers for his best-selling, award-winning trilogy, His Dark Materials.  But he has been criticized by some for attacking Christianity and promoting atheism.  What is the truth about Pullman and his books?  What does he believe about God, religion, the Catholic Church, and atheism?  What does he hope his books will accomplish?  Why does he express such strong disdain for the fiction of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien?  Should children be reading the His Dark Materials trilogy, or watching the film version of The Golden Compass, the first book of the trilogy? These are just some of the many important questions addressed by Pete Vere and Sandra Miesel in their accessible, concise, and thoroughly-researched analysis of Pullman's fiction and beliefs.  The authors provide a literary critique of His Dark Materials and reveal the many premises, and often surprising literary and philosophical sources of that popular work, as well as explain the symbolism present throughout.  They also compare Pullman's fiction to The Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter books, and other famous works of children's fiction.  And they examine the metaphysical premises and moral propositions found throughout His Dark Materials, and point out the many objectionable aspects of the books – including violence and sensuality – about which every concerned parent should know.  Readers looking for a fair, firm, and non-sensational critique of His Dark Materials will find it in Pied Piper of Atheism.

How does the canon law of the Catholic Church apply in today's world, and how does it apply to everyday Catholics?  In the second volume of Surprised by Canon Law [this volume subtitled "More Questions Catholics Ask About Canon Law"], authors Pete Vere and Michael Trueman continue to reveal the answer to be "more than most believe".  As a sequel to their first book, the authors address various topics not covered in the earlier work, such as elections to papacy and sainthood, excommunication, funerals, and more. Like its predecessor, this is an informative and immensely readable book, and highly recommended to Catholics (and non-Catholics) everywhere.

Pete's other new book with fellow canonist, Michael Trueman, Surprised by Canon Law, is the watershed book of canon law for lay people.  Answering 150 questions Catholics ask about canon law, Pete and Mike explore the mysterious and enigmatic world of canon law, bringing it down to a level that we can all understand.  From time to time, all Catholics have them: nagging questions about church life, often prompted by some personal encounter or challenging situation: Surprised by Canon Law tackles these and many other questions, all of which have been formally addressed by the Roman Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law.

Our staff canon lawyer, Pete Vere, breaks out with his first major apologetic work, More Catholic Than the Pope: An Inside Look at Extreme Traditionalism.  Co-authored with Envoy Magazine's Patrick Madrid, this book represents the first comprehensive published work to rebut the claims of ultra-traditionalism.  It is the only book that examines and critiques the claims of a number of aggressive, aberrant Traditionalist groups that have proven so effective in luring Catholics from the Church.  These are the sects that relentlessly argue the pope has "lost the Faith" and "abandoned Tradition".  The ones that boldly claim or strongly imply they are "more Catholic" than the current Vicar of Christ on earth because they – and not he – have remained faithful to Traditional Catholicism.