the warrior

Bishop under investigation for homily he gave! (this is insane)

2012-01-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

This is just nuts.

From the Independent:

A HOMILY delivered at Knock shrine by the Bishop of Raphoe, Philip Boyce, is being investigated by the Director of Public Prosecutions following a formal complaint by a leading humanist who claims the sermon was an incitement to hatred.

The gardai have confirmed to former Fine Gael election candidate John Colgan that they have prepared and forwarded a file to the DPP after he made allegations that the address by Dr Boyce was in breach of the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act, 1989.
The homily, entitled: "To Trust in God" was delivered to worshippers during a novena at the Marian shrine in Co Mayo last August and subsequently reported in the media, including The Irish Times, under the headline: "'Godless culture' attacking church, says bishop."
Mr Colgan, a retired chartered engineer and economist from Leixlip, Co Kildare, referred in his formal complaint to two key passages in Dr Boyce's homily which he believes broke the law.
One of the passages referred to the Catholic Church in Ireland being "attacked from outside by the arrows of a secular and godless culture".
A second passage, which was included in the complaint, stated: "For the distinguishing mark of Christian believers is the fact they have a future; it is not that they know all the details that await them, but they know in general terms that their life will not end in emptiness."
Mr Colgan, who was a leader in the 'Campaign to Separate Church and State' in the late 1990s, said in his complaint: "I believe statements of this kind are an incitement to hatred of dissidents, outsiders, secularists, within the meaning of the [Incitement to Hatred] Act, who are perfectly good citizens within the meaning of the civil law. The statements exemplify the chronic antipathy towards secularists, humanists etc, which has manifested itself in the ostracising of otherwise perfectly good Irish citizens, who do not share the aims of the Vatican's Irish Mission Church."
To back up his complaint, Mr Colgan referred to two statistical surveys carried out two decades apart by the Jesuit sociologist and academic Fr Michael MacGreil, entitled: 'Prejudice and Tolerance in Ireland' and 'Prejudice in Ireland Revisited' which Mr Colgan claims showed "marked prejudice by Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations against agnostics and atheists" (humanist was not an option offered to respondents in either survey).
In his complaint, Mr Colgan said he attributed this prejudice to "hostile propaganda disseminated in school and chapel in the main by or for the institutional churches, for there is no rational or temporal reason". In a statement to the Sunday Independent, Martin Long of the Catholic Communications office said: "Bishop Boyce's homily 'To Trust in God' is available for anyone to read at catholicbishops.ie.
"I advise any person to read it and judge it for themselves. It is clearly a reasonable, balanced, honest -- and indeed self-critical from a church perspective -- analysis of the value of the Catholic faith. Bishop Boyce is a good and holy man and much loved by those who know him."
After the homily was delivered late last summer, Mr Colgan wrote personally to the cleric seeking a corrective statement.
Dr Boyce responded saying that in his homily he did "not wish to disparage in any way the sincere efforts of those with no religious beliefs, atheists, humanists etc.
"I have too much respect for each human person, since I believe all are created in the image of God. At Knock I wished to encourage and confirm the hope of believers, even in the present challenging times, since trust in God was the theme I was given."

This proves my point that the liberals don't like having morality legislated to them, except when they're the ones doing it. Ireland appears to be legislating feelings. This shows why limitations to free speech just doesn't work. If I'm not mistaken, Muslims in the Middle East reacted with violence when Pope Benedict XVI declared that the so-called prophet Mohammed, acheived conversion by the edge of the sword. So I would like to take time to thank the haters and these thugs for proving the Bishop's point. Anybody else here see the day coming soon when the few of us Catholics left will be going to Mass underground as in the early days of the Church? The great persecutions of the Church are a coming. Don't be surprised if something like this happens on this side of the pond in the near future.

Occupiers disrupt pro-life rally

2012-01-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

Seems to me that the occupiers are getting restless and need a new target. Talk about people who need to get a life. They're nothing but a bunch of freeloaders with way too much time on their hands. My question to the occupiers is this, where did they come up with money to buy said condoms since 90% of their organization are homeless? So are they really homeless? What a joke.

PROVIDENCE, RI, January 30, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street movement threw condoms on Catholic schoolgirls, refused to allow a Catholic priest to give a closing prayer, and shouted down a pro-life speaker at a Rhode Island right to life rally on Thursday, according to its organizer. The event marked the third time protesters associated with the movement have disrupted a pro-life meeting in a week.
About two-dozen members of Occupy Providence hiked from Burnside Park to the 39th Annual Pro-Life State House Rally organized by the Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee on Thursday.

The pro-life organization’s executive director, Barth E. Bracy, told LifeSiteNews.com that, near the end of the rally, the Occupiers “strategically fanned out with military precision.”
That’s when they “started showering condoms down on some of the girls from a Catholic high school.”
They gathered around speakers at the podium, shouting them down or otherwise jostling them and members of the audience.

Full Article...

War's been declared on us. 'Sometimes prayer is not enough'.

2012-01-30T07:37:00.000-08:00

The creativeminorityreport is right. Sometimes prayer is not enough.

Patrick Archibold on NCRegister:

We are in a war. It is not a war of our choosing, but a war upon us none the less. And if we choose to act as if we are not at war, we will lose. We can pray for the end to war, but if we choose not to fight, we will lose. Prayer cannot help those who refuse to engage in the battle.

The word war seems like the exclusive domain of hyperbole, nobody really does war anymore after all. But whether we like to admit or or not, we are at war. War has been declared on us, open war. The only question is whether we have the will to fight.

I do not choose my words lightly. This is war, a war declared by the anti-Catholic, anti-Christian, militantly secularist Obama administration. And I worry whether or not we have the will to win.

The battle over the HHS contraception mandate is the latest battle in a war in which the primary tactic of the enemy is to more and more narrowly re-define freedom of religion as freedom of worship and as something you do in for one hour inside four walls. The rest of the time, you must worship the state.

This is where the soft tyranny of big government turns hard. This may well be the defining moment.

USCCB Pandering to Obama (what happens when you sit down with the devil).

2012-01-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

Judie Brown from the ALL has a good point here. Bishops a generation ago or so defied and even rejected the Church's teachings on Birth Control when Pope Paul VI released the encyclical called Humanae Vitae. Not surprised that it has come down to something like this. Are you? Did not Pope Paul VI prophetically say that contraception would lead to abortion, and abortion would lead to divorce and infanticide? WAS ANYONE LISTENING!? Not really. Hence the destruction of the human family. I could go on and on about the USCCB's shameful support of Obamacare. Afterall, didn't this same USCCB pander to Obama? Good for the Bishops for opposing this rediculous birth control mandate coming from the HHS. But when 98% of Catholics contracept, are the Bishops going into the battlefield with hardly any soldiers to help them? Pray for the clergy. Come on Catholics wake up!

Pope Benedict XVI in his address to U.S. Bishops talked about how religious freedom in America was under attack before Obama decided to announce the birth control rule. Talk about being a prophet!

I have read with interest the thunderous proclamations of sanctimonious outrage from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in response to Obama’s order that conscience protection does not apply to his mandatory birth control coverage in health insurance plans. I find the USCCB’s hand-wringing rather disturbing. After all, history teaches that Obamacare and its progeny might never have become law if the bishops, united in their resolve, had opposed it from the start and pointed out the specific flaws in what is now the law of the land.

The backstory on this most recent government requirement goes like this: Obamacare first came to the public’s attention in 2009 as a proposal introduced in both houses of Congress. At the time, American Life League sent out a warning aimed at Catholic charitable organizations including Catholic Charities, the Society of St. Vincent DePaul, and the Catholic Health Association—three major Catholic groups that were not only supporting the newly introduced Obamacare but that were rallying their troops to contact Congress and get involved in helping pass the proposal.

Try as we might to convince those organizations—including the USCCB—that Obamacare was fraught with problems, their support continued with the single caveat that the healthcare proposal must be “abortion neutral.” The USCCB has argued for years that every American has a right to healthcare and that the government should be providing it, though the current law is flawed.

In August of 2009, “The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) . . . ruled that a small Catholic college must include coverage for artificial contraceptives in its employee health insurance plan, raising new concerns about the need for conscience protections and religious exemptions in America’s health care policies.” The college, Belmont Abbey, stood up to the federal agency, arguing that its religious liberty must be protected and that if it were not, the president of the college would prefer to shut it down.

Still, few Catholic leaders seemed to see the problematic nature of supporting Obamacare!

Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, took a very public position in favor of Obamacare early on and, for a time, stood at odds with the Catholic bishops on some aspects of the proposal. Our documentation aside, Sister Keehan would not publicly address fundamental Catholic healthcare principles as evidenced in her 2010 debate with me. In fact, the bishops themselves avoided these principles, never pointing out that the only way the USCCB could support Obamacare would be if the proposed law eliminated all funding for abortion, contraception, in vitro fertilization, human embryonic stem cell research, sex education, and euthanasia. In other words, any attack on human dignity would have to be specifically eliminated from healthcare reform proposals if Obama wanted USCCB support.

The USCCB never made that case.

Fast forward to today and the unadulterated gall of President Barack Obama, who personally called Cardinal-designate Dolan, Archdiocese of New York, “to inform the archbishop he had decided to move ahead with the federal sterilization-contraception-abortifacient mandate despite pleas from Dolan, the Catholic bishops, and prominent Catholic lay people that the mandate was an unambiguous and unprecedented attack on the free exercise of religion that is expressly guaranteed by the 1st Amendment.”

In a USCCB media release following the Obama administration announcement, we find Sister Carol Keehan voicing “disappointment” at the administration’s strong-arm tactics.

Cardinal-designate Dolan is also quoted as saying, “The Obama administration has now drawn an unprecedented line in the sand. . . . The Catholic bishops are committed to working with our fellow Americans to reform the law and change this unjust regulation. We will continue to study all the implications of this troubling decision.” In fact, the USCCB is even considering a lawsuit.

But wait a minute. Where have these people been for the past four years? Why didn’t they work with other Americans four years ago to stop this draconian law from ever being passed in the first place?

Now that the horse is out of the barn, they are screaming? Give me a break! What else can you expect when you sit down with the devil?

To Hell with you!

2012-01-27T08:44:00.000-08:00

Strong words from a bishop! And in my humble opinion, its about time! But is it too little too late?

Bishops rip HHS mandate; Bishop Zubik: ‘to hell with you’

“It comes like a slap in the face,” writes Bishop Zubik (ordinary of the Diocese of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania). “The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, ‘To Hell with you!’ There is no other way to put it … Kathleen Sebelius and through her, the Obama administration, have said ‘To Hell with You’ to the Catholic faithful of the United States. To Hell with your religious beliefs, to Hell with your religious liberty, to Hell with your freedom of conscience.” “Nobody, not even the president of the United States or anyone who represents him, has the right to say to you and to me as U.S. citizens, as Catholics, or as both: ‘To Hell with You.’ The president and our elected leaders need to hear from you and me and to listen to us NOW.”

Full Article...

Father Z writes about it here.

Catholic News Agency has more:

Pittsburgh, Pa., Jan 27, 2012 / 03:15 am (CNA).- The new federal contraception mandate is “like a slap in the face” that says “To Hell with you!” to Catholics and religious freedom, Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh said.
“This is government by fiat that attacks the rights of everyone – not only Catholics; not only people of all religion. At no other time in memory or history has there been such a governmental intrusion on freedom not only with regard to religion, but even across-the-board with all citizens,” Bishop Zubik wrote in the Jan. 27 edition of the Pittsburgh Catholic.
“Kathleen Sebelius (Health and Human Services Secretary) and through her, the Obama administration, have said ‘To Hell with You’ to the Catholic faithful of the United States,” he charged, adding that the administration has damned Catholics’ religious beliefs, religious liberty and freedom of conscience.
The new rules from the Department of Health and Human Services mandate insurance coverage for “preventive services,” a category which the department ruled covers sterilization and contraception, including an abortifacient drug.
Catholic teaching recognizes the use of these procedures and drugs as sinful, but the mandate’s religious exemption is narrow and will not “practically speaking” apply to many Catholic health systems, educational institutions, charities and other organization, the bishop said. It will apply in “virtually every instance where the Catholic Church serves as an employer.”

Pray for our bishops.

Christian Student Harassed by School Admin for Article on Beliefs About Gay Rights

2012-01-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

Our tax dollars at work! I think the school needs to be sued. Just shows how tolerant the left really is.

Wegner, a student at Shawano High School, was asked to write an op-ed for the school newspaper about whether gays should be allowed to adopt. Wegner, who is a Christian, wrote in opposition. Another student wrote in favor of allowing gays to adopt.

Wegner used Bible passages to defend his argument, including Scripture that called homosexuality a sin.
[...]
“The superintendent called him ignorant and said he had the power to suspend him,” Staver said. “He’s using his position to bully this student. This is absolutely the epitome of intolerance.”

Staver said the boy’s parents were never notified.

At one point, Staver said the superintendent gave him a chance to say he regretted writing the column.

“When Mr. Wegner stated that he did not regret writing it, and that he stood behind his beliefs, Superintendent Carlson told him that he ‘had got to be one of the most ignorant kids to try to argue with him about this topic,’” Staver said.

At that point, Staver said the superintendent told the boy that “we have the power to suspend you if we want to.”

The superintendent allegedly told Wegner that he was personally offended by Wegner’s column.

Full Article...

Cynthia Nixon faces LGBT backlash after saying she is gay by choice

2012-01-25T06:33:00.000-08:00

The reality is that the origin of same sex desire is still unknown. It is stronger in some ("transgender", "gays" and "lesbians") and weaker or non-existant in others ("bisexuals" and "straights"). We all choose what to do with our desires. We are all, with the exception of the intersexed, male or female. There is no state of being "gay," "lesbian" or "straight." those labels are descriptive of our desires, and only the "straight" desires are properly ordered. To act on disordered desires and label oneself accordingly does not change one's state as male or female.

I think the existence of "bisexuals" makes this truth evident, which is why "gays" and "lesbians" have a problem with them. Their existence challenges their "I'm born that way and have no choice" lie. You can label people alcoholics, kleptomaniacs or "natural born killers," but that doesn't make them a different class of human being. "Gay" and "lesbian" are the same sort of labeling. Anyone can choose to act contrary to "natural inclinations," and they should if such inclinations are intrinsically disordered. If you don't, you are acting like a dog who has a "natural inclination" to eat his own feces. If one believes that sexual desire constitutes a person's "fundamental nature," then desire for sex with a pre-pubescent or animal is a "fundamental nature," as well.

Sex and the City actress and lesbian activist Cynthia Nixon is facing backlash after comments she made implying that being gay is a choice were published. To be fair, Nixon didn't say that being gay is the same for everyone. She was speaking about her own personal experience. For her, it's a choice. Your experience may vary.
Cynthia Nixon told the New York Times: "I gave a speech recently, an empowerment speech to a gay audience, and it included the line ‘I’ve been straight and I’ve been gay, and gay is better.’ And they tried to get me to change it, because they said it implies that homosexuality can be a choice. And for me, it is a choice. I understand that for many people it’s not, but for me it’s a choice, and you don’t get to define my gayness for me. A certain section of our community is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice, because if it’s a choice, then we could opt out. I say it doesn’t matter if we flew here or we swam here, it matters that we are here and we are one group and let us stop trying to make a litmus test for who is considered gay and who is not."

Full Article...

Pope Backs U.S. Bishops' Concern About Religious Freedom

2012-01-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 19, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today joined his voice to that of the US bishops and warned of "certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion."
The Pope spoke with a group of bishops from Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas today, telling them that one of the most memorable elements of his 2008 trip to the United States was "the opportunity it afforded me to reflect on America's historical experience of religious freedom, and specifically the relationship between religion and culture."
"At the heart of every culture, whether perceived or not, is a consensus about the nature of reality and the moral good, and thus about the conditions for human flourishing," he said. "In America, that consensus, as enshrined in your nation's founding documents, was grounded in a worldview shaped not only by faith but a commitment to certain ethical principles deriving from nature and nature's God. Today that consensus has eroded significantly in the face of powerful new cultural currents which are not only directly opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but increasingly hostile to Christianity as such."

Full Article...

Here's a link to what Kathleen Sebelius said,

"In other words, they don't just want to go after the last 18 months, they want to roll back the last 50 years in progress women have made in comprehensive health care in America...We've come a long way in women's health over the last few decades, but we are in a war,"

Wonder if that war is with us!

Is Homosexuality Biologically Determined?

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Had to put this up on my blog here! Excellent read on Homosexuality.

We’ve been trained by the media to believe that same-sex attraction is biologically determined, that it is unchangeable and damaging to attempt to change it, that it has no correlation whatsoever with decreasing mental health, and that homosexual relationships are equivalent to heterosexual relationships in every significant way, including stability. Therefore, homosexuality must be treated like other non-prejudicial differences, such as skin color. Science says so, or so we are told.
But does it really? In a word, no.
In a major article in the February 2012 issue of First Things, Stanton L. Jones—a professor of psychology at Wheaton College—provides a thorough review of the relevant scientific studies. While Jones acknowledges that there is a great deal science does not know about homosexuality, he concludes that sufficient studies have now been done to give the lie to all of the common assumptions listed in my opening paragraph.
To repeat the scientific literature would be to duplicate Jones’ efforts, so I’ll content myself with summarizing his findings. These are:
The best and most comprehensive studies available suggest that depression and substance abuse are 20 to 30 percent more prevalent among homosexuals. This is typically dismissed by the claim that it results from social stigma, but (in Jones’ words), “the possibility that the orientation and all it entails cuts against a fundamental, gender-based given of the human condition, thus creating distress, is not raised.” Tellingly, the percentages do not appear to drop in cultures which are deliberately gay-friendly.
Early claims that homosexuality is biologically determined were based on a theory of pregnancy which posited that the mother’s body increasingly reacted against male hormones with successive male children, thereby causing a higher percentage of younger brothers to be incompletely masculinized, and so to be homosexual. This thesis that homosexuals have a disproportionate number of older brothers has now been disproven.
Genetics is, of course, another area of research into homosexual biological determinism. But the latest and most comprehensive studies of twins and siblings show that heritability for homosexuality is relatively weak (no stronger than for other behavioral tendencies); further, there is no evidence to support the notion that these tendencies are not as modifiable as other tendencies (such as a tendency to watch a great deal of television, which appears also to be heritable).
In addition, there are many studies which correlate homosexuality with environmental factors such as broken families, absent fathers, older mothers, childhood sexual abuse, and even being born and living in urban settings.
Despite the uniform proclamation of the psychiatric establishment that homosexual orientation cannot change, no body of properly-conducted studies proves this contention. Jones himself has led studies of groups of persons who are trying to change their orientation, resulting in either a completely successful change in orientation (23%), or the ability to live chastely (30%), or at least a continuing effort with limited success (27%). Only 20% abandoned the effort and affirmed their homosexuality more strongly. Jones concludes that “homosexual orientation is…sometimes mutable.”
Conclusive evidence exists that committed relationships between homosexual men are 50% more likely to break up than heterosexual relationships. Between homosexual women, the dissolution rate is 167% higher than the heterosexual rate.
Professor Jones also raises in passing two issues which involve value judgments unprovable by science, and to which CatholicCulture.org has called attention on a number of previous occasions. The first is the issue of sexual identity. To claim that the fundamental sense of identity of the human person is based on their sexual attractions is not a scientific statement, but an overall personal judgment of a an incredibly complex and varied question which no scientific study could ever fully explore. Many people, probably most, have in fact reached a different conclusion, understanding themselves not as having identities determined by their feelings but rather “telic” identities, that is, identities determined by teleology—our natural understanding of the design, purposes and ends of the human person.
This brings us back to a fundamental point. For even if all the claims in the opening paragraph could be proved by science, they would tell us nothing about whether or not homosexuality is a disorder. Even if same-sex attraction were biologically determined and unchangeable, and even if the psychological health of homosexuals equaled that of heterosexuals in the ways measured, and even if homosexual relationships had the same durability as heterosexual relationships, we still would have no grounds to argue that same-sex attraction is a well-ordered human affectivity.
This is because we already know from teleology, from our perception of the very nature and purposes of things, that same-sex attraction is incapable of carrying the full range of goods appropriate to sexuality in the natural order. Thus same-sex attraction is identifiable as a disordered condition in and of itself, whether its cause lies in biology or elsewhere, or in a combination of things. Ultimately, one can claim homosexuality is well-ordered only by ruling out of court the most obvious and widely-accessible factors in the case, the ordinary factors of judgment about the nature and purpose of human sexuality, the factors that are available to all of us.
This is rather like claiming it is not a disorder to be born with only one leg because we do not know that the human person was designed or intended by God or nature to have two. Or, perhaps more to the point, it is like claiming a person suffering from bilumia is not suffering a disorder because we have no way of knowing whether eating constantly with no proportion to our need for food is a normal condition in human nature or not. In all such cases, to define the person down to a set of his own peculiar characteristics is to rob him of his full identity as a person, which is essential to his self-understanding, development, growth and maturity. A man with one leg has been prevented by a disorder from having two, but he will live as much as possible as if he had two legs. A woman with bulimia will know that the full measure of her personal identity is inhibited by a disorder, and she will strive to overcome it in order to be fully what she is called by God and/or nature to be.
It is essential to understand that such faulty judgments cannot be proved (or disproved) “scientifically” because they arise from a fundamentally human and personal way of knowing which science cannot (and does not seek to) utilize in its own tightly restricted purposes and methodologies. This manner of seeing things whole is natural to the human person (among formal mental disciplines, philosophy comes closest to it).
But it remains very important to know whether specific claims which can be addressed scientifically are true or false. Without ignoring the larger issues, Stanton Jones has done an exemplary job of answering this question, based on the full range of scientific studies available to us now.

Full Article...

Police thwart 'Occupy' protest in St. Peter's Square

2012-01-23T05:56:00.000-08:00

It shows just how sophmoric many in this movement are, idle hands and all.

Protesters trying to set up tents in St. Peter's Square clashed with police at the Vatican on January 14.
About 50 protesters were eventually removed by police as they tried to set up tents in St. Peter's Square, apparently envisioning a lasting protest similar to the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations. Vatican officials said that they had no hesitation about calling in police since the protesters--including Spanish, Italian, and French members of a group known as the indignados were planning an "inappropriate" display.
One demonstrator was arrested as he began to climb the Christmas tree that still remains in St. Peter's Square.

Full Article...

Jersey Judge Denies Religious Freedom

2012-01-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

Did anyone expect the kangaroo court of the state civil rights division to come up with anything but discrimination? And it looks like it's been about 4 years. They practice bullying people into submission by agony of court proceedings. After the appeal to the civil rights board, it can finally go to a real court and real law be applied. Of course, that'll probably take years too. People who are willing to fight these oppressive cases should be regarded as heroes by the rest of us. By their suffering through the courts, we win our rights to freedom.

A ministry that follows the dictates of its faith is engaging in wrongdoing, according to a New Jersey judge who recommended today that the state Division on Civil Rights find the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association violated the state’s nondiscrimination law.
“The respondent violated the [Law Against Discrimination] when it refused to conduct a civil-union ceremony for Ms. Bernstein and Ms. Paster,” wrote Solomon Metzger, an administrative law judge whose determination will become final if not overturned by the Division of Civil Rights.

“Respondent opposes same-sex unions as a matter of religious belief, and in 2007 found itself on the wrong side of recent changes in the law.”
The seaside location has been popular for years for weddings, but the association, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, determined it could not biblically allow same-sex ceremonies to take place on its property.
So when Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster signed up for such a ceremony, they were turned down. They filed the discrimination complaint, and the state’s Division on Civil Rights joined their cause.
“The government should not be able to force a private Christian organization to use its property in a way that would violate its own religious beliefs,” said Jim Campbell, a litigation staff counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund.
“Religious groups have the right to use their private property in a way that is consistent with their beliefs. That right, protected by both the New Jersey and U.S. constitutions, obviously trumps any law enacted by the state’s legislature.”
ADF, which represented the ministry, said would it consider the next step in the case, but its argument is that the ministry is exercising its constitutionally protected right to use its private property in a way consistent with its beliefs.
The women made their request in 2007, and the association declined because such an event would have violated its religious convictions.

Full Article...

Obama Admin Will Force Coverage of Birth Control, Abortion Drugs

2012-01-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

Folks, when Obama said he was going to fundamentally "change" America, what did the people who voted for him think exactly that he was going to do? Did they think he was kidding? You know what's even more disturbing, and yet at the same time frightening, that no one asked into what it was that Obama would change America into. Obama has been on a massive federal power grab since day one and no one has batted an eye lash. Just makes me wonder where the leftists have been all these years. Should Obama get 4 more years, America is going to get what it truly deserves.

And yet this fall in the general election you'll have many "catholics" voting yet again for candidates that favor: abortion (surgical and chemical), contraception (a known bridge to abortion), homosexual disordered behaviors ( some wanting to change defintions of what marriage is) and lets not forget government ran social programs that are by nature designed to perpetuate government dependance hence maintaining that voting block (kinda like buying votes, don't bite the hand that feeds you).

The Obama administration has approved a recommendation from the Institute of Medicine suggesting that it force insurance companies to pay for birth control and drugs that can cause abortions under the Obamacare government-run health care program.
The IOM recommendation, opposed by pro-life groups, called for the Obama administration to require insurance programs to include birth control — such as the morning after pill or the ella drug that causes an abortion days after conception — in the section of drugs and services insurance plans must cover under “preventative care.” The companies will likely pass the added costs on to consumers, requiring them to pay for birth control and, in some instances, drug-induced abortions of unborn children in their earliest days.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it accepted the IOM guidelines that “require new health insurance plans to cover women’s preventive services” and those services include “FDA-approved contraception methods and contraceptive counseling” — which include birth control drugs like Plan B and ella that can cause abortions. The Health and Human Services Department commissioned the report from the Institute, which advises the federal government and shut out pro-life groups in meetings leading up to the recommendations.
“These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature and will help ensure women get the preventive health benefits they need,” HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, an abortion advocate, said in a statement LifeNews received.

Full Article...

This article yet again demonstrates Obama's lack of respect for freedom of religion and in particular Catholicism, which he views as a threat to society. Just remember, traditional Christianity, especially Catholicism, is viewed as a threat to the Obama administration. Catholic institutions will be forced to provide contraceptive coverage with no copays, including the Plan B pill, also known as the morning after pill. If Catholic institutions don't pay for practices which violate core doctrines, they'll be forced out of business. Funny that even the Catholic Obamapologists are still trying to rationalize how this is okay. We are seeing a persecution of the Church here in America much like the one in 16th century England. Only this one is aimed at trying to get the Church to change her teachings morally, not doctrinally like in England during the 1500's. Not only can't it happen, it won't happen. Jesus promised us in Matthew 16, that the gates of Hell wouldn't prevail against it! Unless Catholics and Christians in general change their ways and repent, this type of persecution is going to continue. Makes me wonder how much farther our nation is going to sink into the abyss that Satan's prepared for it.

Flood of ‘de-baptisms’ worries European church leaders

2012-01-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

One cannot be de-baptized, some however think they can, and that is a disturbing act.

And, lamentably, the radicals stand in the midst of all of this "sad news", pumping their fists in defiant celebration, as the continent, and its legacy, crumbles into ruins. Some victory. Hollow and empty.

Europe is the new, "lost sheep", which needs our prayers desperately. It is tragic to watch a culture disintegrate while its own people applaud the disintegration of the very Church which accorded it so many blessings. It is mystifying, and very sad.

A Christocentric Europe was a light upon the nations of the earth. Its culture and spirit were vital and influencial. Now, godless Europe seems like a shadow, a dark warning, that speaks of the ruin of arrogance. It is a place that has chosen death over life.

As for these de-baptised masses, and their supposed message of defiance. I can only pity them. They kill themselve for the sake of spite. However, Christ is not so easily cast aside. I wonder how many of them, on their deathbeds, will wish to be re-baptised? Let's hope all of them...for their own sakes.

PARIS — A decade ago, Rene Lebouvier requested that his local Catholic church erase his name from the baptismal register. The church noted his demands on the margins of its records and the chapter was closed.

But the clergy abuse scandals rocking Europe, coupled with Pope Benedict XVI’s conservative stances on contraception, hardened Lebouvier’s views. Last October, a court in Normandy ruled in favor of his lawsuit to have his name permanently deleted from church records — making the 71-year-old retiree the first Frenchman to be officially “de-baptized.”

Full Article...

Pope: America is “increasingly hostile to Christianity”

2012-01-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not surprised the Pope has said this. I sure hope America's Ambassador to the Vatican is listening to this. Pray for the U.S. of A.

Here's what context of what he said here:

" In the light of these considerations, it is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realize the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres. The seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life. Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion."

He doesn't refer to the Obama administration directly but he hints at it.

Here's what's happened politically:

Freedom of religion at stake;
All US taxpayers forced to fund abortions and contraception in USA; and forced onto other Counties by tying it to US foreign aid. - no pro-abortion laws - no food.
Freedom of conscience not permitted for Catholic adoption agencies and Catholic hosptals;
Freedom of conscience not permitted for Catholic doctors, nurses and social workers without potential job loss or harassment;
Gay marriage interjected into US law making those who disagree on moral or religious basis guilty of discrimination with potential jail time;
Catholic Charities funding eliminated that helps victims (sexual slaves) of human trafficking due to Catholic Church anti-abortion position, even through it had the highest/best rating and track record of all applicants.

Catholic Pharmacists are losing their jobs or being fined and having to close their pharmacies because of Obama Administration requiring contraceptives and abortafacts etc., be sold.
Requiring that homosexual employee's lovers get health care through Church self-insurance programs.
And requiring insurance companies to do the same - including those run and operated by Catholics.

Facts are facts, there's no controversy here. Amen Holy Father!

VATICAN CITY, January 19, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a meeting with various U.S. Bishops today, Pope Benedict XVI said that the consensus which once existed in America supporting “ethical principles deriving from nature and nature’s God,” has faded. “Today that consensus has eroded significantly in the face of powerful new cultural currents which are not only directly opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but increasingly hostile to Christianity as such,” he said.

The Pope was emphatic in insisting that the threat posed by current trends threatens not only Christianity but “humanity itself.” He said: “To the extent that some current cultural trends contain elements that would curtail the proclamation of these truths, whether constricting it within the limits of a merely scientific rationality, or suppressing it in the name of political power or majority rule, they represent a threat not just to Christian faith, but also to humanity itself and to the deepest truth about our being and ultimate vocation, our relationship to God.”
The Pope used strong language to describe the grave situation he perceives in America. “(I)t is imperative,” he said, “that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realise the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres.” He continued, “The seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life.”
Pope Benedict pointed specifically to attempts to limit freedom of religion, and to “deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices.“

Full Article...

British nun who hid Jews from Nazis on track for sainthood

2012-01-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Amen! You go girl!

A file on Mother Riccarda Beauchamp Hambrough has been sent to the Vatican to be studied by historians and theologians.
Her cause for sainthood was opened in July 2010 by the Diocese of Rome along with that of Sister Katherine Flanagan, marking the first phase of the investigations.
In a significant development, the causes of both women have together been sent to the Holy See’s Congregation of Causes for Sainthood, marking a significant, but early, step forward in the long road to becoming saints.
If it is concluded that the pair lived lives of “heroic virtue”, the Pope will declare the London-born nuns to be “Venerable” and the search will begin for two miracles to first declare them Blessed and then saints.
Both nuns belonged to a revived order of Bridgettine sisters nicknamed “the hot cross bun nuns” because of the distinctive crosses covering the tops of their wimples.
Mother Riccarda helped to save the lives of about 60 Jews by hiding them from the Nazis in her Rome convent, the Casa di Santa Brigida.
She born in 1887 and was baptised in St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Brighton, at the age of four years after her parents converted to the Catholic faith.

Full Article...

Vatican spokesman laments religious persecution, cites 'Islamic extremism'

2012-01-18T12:47:00.000-08:00

Remember, how in his Regensberg speech, Pope Benedict XVI criticized Radical Islam? Remember the outrage that followed afterwards? Well, here's another one from Father Lombardi:

The director of the Holy See Press Office has used his weekly message to draw attention to the plight of persecuted Christians.
“The recent annual report of the international evangelical non-governmental organization Open Doors on the persecution of Christians in the world contains a world index of persecution according to which the first ten places are occupied by the following countries in descending order: North Korea, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Iran, Maldives, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Iraq and Pakistan,” notes Father Federico Lombardi.
“Among the most serious concerns, the increase in Islamic extremism merits special attention,” he continued. “Persons and organizations dedicated to extremist Islamic ideology perpetrate terrible acts of violence in many places throughout the world: the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria is but one example. Then there is the climate of insecurity that unfortunately in some countries accompanies the so-called “Arab spring”--a climate that drives many Christians to flee and even to emigrate.”
“Such sufferings are a part of the Christian journey,” Father Lombardi concluded. “Nor ought we be amazed. Jesus said so in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,’ is the last of the Beatitudes; its promise is reward in heaven.”

Pope Pius XII said “Be proud to be a Jew”

2012-01-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

John Cornwell, author of "Hitler's Pope," was a disgruntled ex-seminarian who twisted the facts concerning Pope Pius XII, and said the Pope was silent about the Holocaust and did nothing to rescue Jews. Cornwell also claimed that the Catholic Church and the Pope were more afraid of communism than fascism. More recent books on the subject of Pope Pius XII by Ronald Rychlak, "Hitler, the War, and the Pope" and Rabbi David Dalin, "The Myth of Hitler's Pope," set the record straight with documented evidence that the Pope was not only far from antisemitic but in fact was instrumental in saving many Jews at his own peril.

Similar smear tactics have been employed to support the notion that Pope John Paul II was antisemitic due to his work in a German munitions factory (a ridiculous charge), as well as the current Pope Benedict XVI due to his being conscripted into the Hitler Youth. In both cases, much of the real story of their lives has been conveniently omitted.

ANDREA TORNIELLI
VATICAN CITY

The testimony here described had been retrieved a few years ago after a close examination of the archives of the ‘Palestine Post’, the Jewish daily newspaper written in English which is now called the ‘Jerusalem Post’. In an anonymous article a Jewish man talked of an audience with the Pope during WWII. The man, who had managed to escape from Germany, also managed to approach Pius XII. This event must not surprise the readers as audiences with the Pope were conducted very differently then, the doors to the Vatican were flung open and the corridors of the Apostolic Palace became full of people queuing patiently to see the Pope, kiss his ring and exchange a few words.

On the 28th of April 1944 the Palestine Post published an article entitled ‘A Papal Audience in War-Time’. A young Jewish man told how three years before he had managed to meet the Pope with the help of a German priest. In 1941, after escaping from Germany, the young man entered the Apostolic Palace. He was filled with fear since there were also a few German soldiers present at the papal audience, but he managed to talk with Pius XII for a few minutes. He told the Pope about the conditions of five hundred Jewish refugees living in poverty in Rhodes and held captive by the Italian military who were waiting to hand them over to the Germans.

After telling the Pope who he was, Pius XII replied “You have
done well to come to me and tell me this. I have heard about it before. Come back
tomorrow with a written report and give it to the Secretary of State who is dealing
with the question. But now for you, my son. You are a young Jew. I know what that
means and I hope you will always be proud to be a Jew!”

Then raising his voice so those who were close by could clearly hear his words, Pius XII said "My son, whether you are worthier than others only the Lord knows, but believe me, you are at least as worthy as every other human being that lives on this earth! And now, my Jewish friend, go with the protection of the Lord, and never forget, you must always be proud to be a Jew!"

In the latest issue of ‘Inside the Vatican’, the American scholar William Doino, author of several papers and articles on Pius XII, managed to give a name and a face to the author of this story (http://moynihanreport.itvworking.com/author/billdoino).
It is Heinz Wisla: Jewish, born in Germany, at the time of the audience he was 21 years old. In his writings during the winter of 1941-1942, Wisla attested that, thanks to the personal intervention of the Pope, the Red Cross saved the Jews who had been imprisoned and took them to Italy. This is yet another testimony of the behaviour and actions of Pius XII, wrongly considered an ‘anti-Semitic’

Full Article...

In Homily, New York Archbishop Dolan Rails against Sexual Immortality

2012-01-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

Now if only more priests had the courage to say what Archbishop Dolan says here! Amen Archbishop! You nailed it. This guy doesn't shy away from preaching the truth does he?

New York's cardinal-to-be delivered a no-holds-barred sermon on morality Sunday, telling his flock to stand firm against popular culture’s message that sex outside marriage is okay.
“The one who, with God’s grace and mercy, tries his or her best to be pure and chaste is often thought of not as a hero, not a saint, but as a freak in our culture today,” Archbishop Timothy Dolan said at St. Patrick’s.
“The biblical teaching on sexual responsibility is countercultural,” he continued, hailing those who stay true to their moral compass.
“Anyone who tries his or her best to live it can expect a lot of temptation and even ridicule and criticism.”
The fire-and-brimstone homily came as Dolan readies to be installed as a cardinal at a Feb. 18 ceremony in Rome.
Practicing Catholics are wrongly regarded as holier than thou — even outcasts — for following church teachings on sex, he said.
Dolan, whose promotion was announced earlier this month, was frank launching into a condemnation of extra-marital sex.
“I’m going to preach about sex,” he declared.
“Now I’ve got your attention.”
Dolan linked “sexual immorality” with society’s ills — violence, sex crimes, disease and broken families — and called on priests to do a better job of encouraging the sexually virtuous.
“The church has at times in the past, sadly, come across as as some naysaying, puritanical nag, always giving a big ‘No, no, no’ to one of life’s greatest joys,” he said.

Full Article...

Kansas City: former chancery employee alleges homosexual harassment

2012-01-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

Looks like the gay militants are at it again! Only this time they go after the Diocese of Kansas City.

A former assistant archivist has filed a sexual harassment suit against the Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph, alleging that he was dismissed because he complained about an atmosphere of homosexual harassment.
Larry Probst alleges that he was subjected to “unwanted and unwelcome sexual harassment” by two priests and a male lay employee. Probst’s position was eliminated after he complained about the alleged harassment to the diocesan chancellor.
“Along with four other positions, Probst’s temporary position was eliminated at the end of the diocesan fiscal year, on June 30, 2011, solely for budgetary reasons,” the diocese said in a statement.

Full Article...

Jesuit University Defies Bishop

2012-01-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

What part of Catholic doesn't this University understand?

Bishop Joseph Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania has released a public statement rebuking the Jesuit-administered University of Scranton for inviting a pro-abortion activist to speak.
Bishop Bambera disclosed that he had asked the university to rescind an invitation to Marjorie Margolies, a former member of the US House of Representatives who had been an aggressive defender of legal abortion and later worked for a political organization promoting pro-abortion candidates. The university refused to comply with the bishop’s request.
The bishop’s statement said that the university’s “unwillingness to work with Bishop Bambera in an effort to reach an acceptable resolution to this unfortunate situation is an unsettling turn in the relationship” between the school and the bishop.

Full Article...

Here's a statement from the Diocese of Scranton:

The gravity of this issue speaks to the heart and substance of who we are as Christians. Because of the incarnation of Christ, every human life has value and worth. As Christians, we must be committed to defending human life at every age and every stage from conception to natural death.

Although a forum such as this, designed to support and encourage women to engage in public service, is by its nature good and noble, for a Catholic institution in the Diocese of Scranton to invite a pro-abortion advocate to speak at a University sponsored event is dismaying and personally disheartening to me. And to do so within days of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., is particularly demoralizing.

The University of Scranton has left me with no other choice but to publically express my disapproval of the invitation of this speaker and my concern regarding the University’s evolving relationship with me as Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton. Despite this unfortunate situation, I continue to be open to working with University officials to promote, preserve and strengthen the Catholic character of the University of Scranton.

Are Gay Activists Similar to the KKK?

2012-01-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

In some ways yes. In terms of their anti-catholic hatred and intolerance towards Mother Church, I would have to say yes. That's what Cardinal George said and apologized for making that comparison. Seems to me that Catholics have been demonized and antagonized by the gay militants. Just look at what the evidence says.

Lifesitenews.com tells us that:

A confrontation between homosexual activists and high-ranking Catholic clergy was staged on Palm Sunday at London’s Westminster Cathedral. Homosexual activists from what media are calling a “gay human rights group”, “OutRage!” protested in front of the primatial church of English Catholics and disrupted the annual Palm Sunday procession. Activists were shouting and waving placards which read, “Vatican blocks gay human rights at UN”, “Catholics! Stop crucifying queers!”, and “Gays are not ‘intrinsically disordered’ - Shame on Catholic Catechism!”.

That's not all either, here's another one, the people at Rainbow Sash want to confront Cardinal George during Pentacost mass.

Here's a couple more:

Archbishop Nienstedt was attacked for refusing LGBT protestors communion.

Homosexual protestors disrupted a Catholic mass in St. Louis.

And a priest in Holland refused communion to gay protestors and got sued!

You get the idea. The Church is under attack and it is up to us Catholics to defend Mother Church. Sorry, but when homosexual activists spout off hatred and intolerance, I have reason to be concerned. Afterall, aren't we our brothers keeper? Those poor misguided souls need our prayers.

India: sharia court convicts priest, Protestant pastor on forced-conversion charges

2012-01-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

It figures that they would say we are the ones that force it on people. Islam has been a political scheme forced on people since its inception. What kind of proof they have, I'd be more interested in. Can't all those Islamists just leave other people alone?

The deputy grand mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, a largely Muslim Indian state, has announced that a sharia court has convicted an 80-year-old Dutch missionary priest and a Protestant pastor of forced-conversion charges. While sharia courts have no legal standing in India, the deputy grand mufti said that he would announce his decision about the future of Father Jim Borst and Pastor C. M. Khanna in upcoming days.
Father Borst, a Mill Hill missionary, went into hiding following a 2010 government deportation order, according to an Indian press report.

Full Article...

Fort Myers woman defies church to be ordained Roman Catholic priest

2012-01-16T09:34:00.000-08:00

Another make believe ordination. Never ceases to amaze me the ignorance of poor misguided souls like this one.

Judy Beaumont plans to take a historic step Saturday, one that will jeopardize her immortal soul.
Beaumont, 74, of Fort Myers, is defying centuries-old doctrine in becoming the first woman in Southwest Florida to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest. The church decrees this role is reserved for men. Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice, which oversees the Catholic faithful in 10 counties, including all of Southwest Florida, has warned her not to cross that patriarchal line.
“It has been brought to my attention that you purportedly reside in the Diocese of Venice in Florida and may attempt to be ‘ordained’ to the ministerial priesthood here within this Diocese,” Dewane wrote in a letter to Beaumont. “This is a most grave and serious matter of consequence for your soul.”
The consequence is automatic excommunication, or expulsion from the church, the bishop wrote. The same penalty applies to anyone who participates in the ordination ceremony.
“With this in mind, for the good of your immortal soul, I exhort you to choose not to participate in this attempted ‘ordination,’” Dewane wrote.

Full Article...

How Opus Dei Influenced Rick Santorum

2012-01-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

To bad Rick isn't a faithful follower of Rev. Wright, then he would be a more viable, "maintream," candidate. It is somewhat chilling to know that I am not "most Americans".

Rick Santorum sent two of his sons to a Washington, D.C. all-boys school affiliated with Opus Dei, the Catholic group whose members were portrayed as sinisterly weird in the sensationalistic Da Vinci Code but in reality only engage in some mild self-mutilation, "nothing traumatic," as the group's website says. Santorum says he's not a member of Opus Dei, though he did go to Rome in 2002 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding, and he belongs to the St. Catherine of Siena Parish, "a favorite of Opus Dei," the Washington Post says. Opus Dei has about 90,000 members, a third of which are "numeraries" who are celibate for life and wear a cilice -- a garter belt with spikes turned toward the skin -- every day. (The group is often criticized as elitist, but you can find a "three link, 1mm gauge, full-leg metal cilice with metal fastener" on sale for an affordable $69.) It might seem unfair to criticize Santorum for his religious affiliations, but Santorum wouldn't think so. He convincingly argued it was okay in December 2007, after Mitt Romney delivered a speech on his Mormon faith. "[Romney's] supporters say it is akin to rejecting a Barack Obama because he is black," Santorum wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer. "But Obama was born black; Romney is a Mormon because he accepts the beliefs of the Mormon faith. This permits us, therefore, to make inferences about his judgment and character, good or bad."
Related: The Depth of Michele Bachmann's Fear of Gays

Full Article...

Boys’ School Affiliated With Catholic Group [Opus Dei] Draws Conservatives in Washington

2012-01-13T13:29:00.000-08:00

This sounds like a great school doesn't it? There is no need to call orthodox Catholics 'conservatives' though. They are just practicing Catholics.

Although he has made being a home-schooling dad part of his identity, the Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has sent two sons to The Heights. The school, for boys in grades 3-12, has also educated the sons of the Republican senators Mel Martinez and Chuck Hagel; the former F.B.I. director Louis J. Freeh; Maggie Gallagher, founder of the National Organization for Marriage; and Kate O’Beirne, an editor at National Review.

Conservative Catholics are drawn to The Heights for its single-sex community, in which the faculty is male, and for its fidelity to Catholic teaching. More than that, parents say, they are glad to have found a community of like-minded families. Here they find a respect for church teachings that is absent even from most parish churches, where many communicants openly disagree with the pope on contraception, abortion and other topics.....

Opus Dei does not run The Heights; it appoints the chaplain and provides to the faculty a traditional reading of Catholicism to teach. The only birth control taught is abstinence. The school has daily Mass (optional for older students). The list of suggested pleasure reading is heavy on Christian authors: Augustine, Dante, C. S. Lewis, Evelyn Waugh.

Full Article...

ADL wants to limit freedom of expression!

2012-01-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

Christian charity prevents me from saying what I really think of this organization. Foxman, let me ask you this. How can you claim to be for freedom of expression but yet want to limit something in somebody that cannot be suppressed? Not only is that dishonest, but also very misleading. Not suprising, since Foxman's ideology consists in murdering unborn children and slamming the Catholic Church everytime he gets. Everytime someone compares abortion to the holocaust, or whenever Nazi and holocaust anologies are drawn, Foxman and others like him feel the need to play the race card. But race card is so worn out, that it's lost it's meaning. The younger generation will not put up with it. I happen to be a youth myself and I'm not either.

Full Article...

Jerusalem, January 12, 2012 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued the following statement on the proposed bill in the Israeli Knesset that would criminalize the use of the word "Nazi" and limit the use of other symbols of the Holocaust for anything other than educational purposes:
Nazi analogies and modern-day comparisons to the Holocaust are offensive and inappropriate in many contexts. The recent disgusting display of protestors in Mea Shearim wearing mock concentration camp attire powerfully demonstrated the problem.

ADL firmly defends and promotes the right to freedom of expression at home, in Israel and around the world. Yet we are also mindful that different democratic societies must be able to deal with their own internal challenges posed by the content of various forms of expression. Germany, France and Austria provide three examples of thriving liberal democracies which impose limits on Nazi references.

It would be preferable to end the misuse of Nazi comparisons and Holocaust imagery through education and by having Israeli political, communal and religious leaders speak out to condemn inappropriate Nazi analogies and Holocaust comparisons without the need for legislative intervention. However, if the Israeli government believes it is necessary to enact a law prohibiting such expressions, we hope the legislation will be narrowly cast so it will have the least restrictive impact possible.

Pro-aborts spread claim that bishop said it was ok to rape a woman who had an abortion

2012-01-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

Shameful...but what can you expect from pro-aborts? They think it is ok to kill defenseless unborn human beings. Are they above lies, manipulation, & deceit? The pro-choicers (pro-aborts) have as their father Satan, the prince of lies.

January 12, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pro-abortion forces on the internet are engaged in an ongoing campaign accusing a Spanish bishop of legitimizing rape during a sermon denouncing the killing of the unborn.
The homily, which was given by Archbishop Javier Martinez of Granada on December 20, 2009, has only recently attracted the attention of pro-abortion blogs, despite having been posted on YouTube as early as October 2010.
The words of the bishop, which ringingly denounce the legalization of abortion and the resulting abuse of women, have been inverted by bloggers who claim that the bishop is endorsing, rather than lamenting, such abuse.
“To kill a defenseless child, and that his own mother does it!” said the bishop, adding, “This gives men the absolute license, without limit, to abuse the body of the woman, because she endures the tragedy, and she endures it as if it were a right: the right to live all of her life weighed down by a crime that always leaves traces in the conscience and for which doctors, not psychiatrists nor all of the specialists, know a remedy.”
Supporters of abortion have twisted the archbishop’s explicit condemnation of the abuse of women, suggesting that by saying abortion gives men the “license” to abuse a woman, the bishop literally meant that it is ok to rape a woman who has had an abortion.

Full Article...

Researcher reveals Pius XII’s ‘remarkable’ aid for Jewish refugees

2012-01-11T13:29:00.001-08:00

Well, more evidence that the wartime pontiff helped the Jewish people during WWII. I say canonize him!

Denver, Colo., Jan 10, 2012 / 01:22 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Pius XII helped a group of 500 Jewish refugees escape death at the hands of the Nazis and made a touching public tribute to the Jewishness of the man seeking their deliverance, new research shows.
“This is not a liberal or conservative issue. This should be of interest to all people, anyone who wants to get a sincere, objective account of who Eugenio Pacelli, Pope Pius XII, really was,” William Doino, Jr. told CNA on Jan. 9.
“I think the more and more you look into his life and character, you find these remarkable things.”
Doino, a writer for “Inside the Vatican” magazine, has assembled an extensive bibliography of works on the wartime Pope.
His latest research brings to light new information about Howard “Heinz” Wisla’s audience with Pius XII in 1941. The Jewish man spoke to the Pope on behalf of his group of 500 Jewish refugees interned by the Italian military in a camp on the island of Rhodes, where they faced starvation due to a shortage of basic needs.
Wisla’s memoirs recounted his audience with Pius XII.

Full Article...

Gay marriage a threat to humanity's future: Pope

2012-01-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Legalizing homosexual marriage means that homosexuality is taught in the schools as normal and acceptable, and anyone saying opposite is silenced or punished. Legalizing homosexual marriage means that adoption and foster care services must send children to homosexual couples. Legalizing homosexual marriage means that religious organizations who have been taking care of orphaned and abused children are expelled from their own ministry. Legalizing homosexual marriage contaminates the respectability of traditional marriage. Next stop: polygamy.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict said Monday that gay marriage was one of several threats to the traditional family that undermined "the future of humanity itself."
The pope made some of his strongest comments against gay marriage in a new year address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican in which he touched on some economic and social issues facing the world today.
He told diplomats from nearly 180 countries that the education of children needed proper "settings" and that "pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman."
"This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself," he said.
The Vatican and Catholic officials around the world have protested against moves to legalize gay marriage in Europe and other developed parts of the world.
One leading opponent of gay marriage in the United States is New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, whom the pope will elevate to cardinal next month.
Dolan fought against gay marriage before it became legal in New York state last June, and in September he sent a letter to President Barack Obama criticizing his administration's decision not to support a federal ban on gay marriage.
In that letter Dolan, who holds the powerful post of president of the U.S. Bishops Conference, said such a policy could "precipitate a national conflict between church and state of enormous proportions."
The Roman Catholic Church, which has some 1.3 billion members worldwide, teaches that while homosexual tendencies are not sinful, homosexual acts are, and that children should grow up in a traditional family with a mother and a father.
"The family unit is fundamental for the educational process and for the development both of individuals and states; hence there is a need for policies which promote the family and aid social cohesion and dialogue," Benedict told the diplomats.

Full Article...

The context of the Holy Father's message can be found here. I never trust anything the MSM says anyway.

Education is a crucial theme for every generation, for it determines the healthy development of each person and the future of all society. It thus represents a task of primary importance in this difficult and demanding time. In addition to a clear goal, that of leading young people to a full knowledge of reality and thus of truth, education needs settings. Among these, pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman. This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself. The family unit is fundamental for the educational process and for the development both of individuals and States; hence there is a need for policies which promote the family and aid social cohesion and dialogue. It is in the family that we become open to the world and to life and, as I pointed out during my visit to Croatia, “openness to life is a sign of openness to the future”.[3]

I hardly think it's fear mongering. Actually, fear is, in many instances, a positive, primal defense mechanism , and when seen as a reponse to this particular onslaught being foisted upon humanity by an elite minority of radical cultural anarchists, it must be viewed as a serious and reasonable reaction. Survival is a reasonable aspiration.

The MSM likes to speak of "fear mongering", but the Pope is merely standing up for life against a very powerful death cult, therefore, he should instead be viewed as a courageous champion for humanity.

Also, we should all be a little bit afraid living in such dangerous times. Remember, these same forces that are pushing for the redefinition of marriage, are the very same group who coerced into law the degrading of the definition of life itself so that the discarded remnants of the unborn are now fit only for the bottom of a medical waste recepticle.

The Pope is standing his ground, which means he is standing for "our ground"..."Catholic ground". And, it is time that we all stand with him. Apathy is just not an option. It is a time for courage, and our wonderful Pope , thankfully, has it in abundance.

Michael Voris, Real CatholicTV and the Archdiocese of Detroit

2012-01-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

And it gets even more complicated! Father Z has more:

There is a development in the case of the Archdiocese of Detroit v the use of “Catholic” by Real Catholic TV and Michael Voris.
You will recall that the Archdiocese has required Mr. Voris and Real Catholic TV not to use the word “Catholic” in the name of their venture. On the other hand, Mr. Voris and Real Catholic TV think the Archdiocese doesn’t have the proper standing to make such a requirement. Real Catholic TV seems to have more to do with the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend than it does with the Archdiocese of Detroit. We have several posts here on this blog, including some commentary by the canonist Prof. Peters.
Today I read at Life Site News this following with my emphases:
Archdiocesan canon lawyers differ on asking RealCatholicTV.com to drop ‘Catholic’ name
by John-Henry Westen
January 9, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Canon lawyers at two American dioceses disagree over the question of jurisdiction in the case of Michael Voris and RealCatholicTV, who were recently asked by the Archdiocese of Detroit to stop using the name “Catholic” in their work.
[...]While the questions asked by most pertain to why the action was taken, the issue being discussed by canon lawyers is where jurisdiction over RealCatholicTV.com lies – with the Archdiocese of Detroit, where Michael Voris, the star of the show, lives and works, or in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, where the owner and financier of RealCatholicTV.com, Marc Brammer, resides.
Fr. Mark Gurtner, Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana spoke with LifeSiteNews, acknowledging that the diocese did know of Mr. Brammer’s enterprise of RealCatholicTV.com. When asked if the diocese had any complaints about RealCatholicTV.com, Gurner replied, “No, as far as I know there’s nothing.”
Speaking as a canon lawyer and not an official of the diocese, Gurtner also said he believes the jurisdiction of the case resides with the Indiana diocese. “It certainly seems to me that canonically Michael Voris would not be the one that this would be imposed on,” he said. “Even though he is the one that regularly appears on (the show) he, in a sense, is really just an employee of (RealCatholicTV.com).”
“It seems like if the Archdiocese of Detroit is trying to go after (Voris), that’s the wrong person to address this with, that would have to be with the owner of the website or blog,” he added.
“I suppose if this Marc Brammer is paying for and running, constructing his blog from our diocese in his home I suppose you could make the argument that we have jurisdiction canonically.”
When asked by LifeSiteNews what concerns the Detroit Archdiocese had about Voris and RealCatholicTV.com, Detroit Archdiocesan Director of Communications McGrath would not specify any concern other than the use of the word ‘Catholic’.
Asked if the archdiocese has asked any other group or individual in the archdiocese not to use the name Catholic, McGrath said he couldn’t remember any other cases during his 20 years with the diocese. “I don’t know. I’ve been here 20 years I can’t say that we’ve never done that in the history of the Archdiocese,” he said.
Pressed on the point, he said, “I wouldn’t want to say that definitively. But not any that I can recall recently, no.”
Fans of RealCatholicTV have noted that there are entities in the archdiocese, such as the Jesuit University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), which bills itself as “a Catholic university,” that regularly violate Catholic teaching but have been permitted to retain their “Catholic” designation without interference from the diocese. UDM has proposed abortion agencies as career opportunities for students; had links to pro-abortion groups on its website; retained a renowned pro-abortion, pro-same-sex “marriage” nun on its Board of Trustees; held an annual event called ‘sexapalooza’ with activities such as ‘safe sex games’, sex-tac-toe; and has professors that put stickers on their office doors indicating their support for abortion.
Regarding the question of jurisdiction, McGrath directed LifeSiteNews to a blog post by canon lawyer Ed Peters, an employee of the archdiocese, who has supported the archdiocese’s claims of having jurisdiction in the case.
In an initial blog post Peters, a professor at the archdiocesan seminary, wrote, in his capacity as a canon lawyer and not as a representative of the diocese, about canon law 216, noting that the bishop has authority over the name Catholic. In a subsequent post, Peters took up the matter of jurisdiction, suggesting that Detroit is on “firm ground” in pursuing Voris.
So! The plot thickens.
On the site of RealCatholicTV we find this statement from Mr. Voris:

Link

I do know this. There are some people who want the Church silenced and destroyed. Please pray for those poor souls. Remember the message of Fatima, pray for sinners.

Secret WWII plan to move Vatican to Portugal if Pope Pius XII was captured (Telegraph)

2012-01-09T06:55:00.000-08:00

This is goes to show how much Hitler actually distrusted Pius.

Here's what the Anti-Pius XII crowd usually does:

1) Forget about it and act like it never happened;
2) Claim that it was a forgery from a priest to discredit Pius's "involvement;"
3) Claim that Pius - Hitler relations were so deep, that Hitler made a fake operation to kidnap the pope to let all responsibility of the Holocaust fall on Hitler (remember, the Holocaust was a "good" thing; you wouldn't want another leader taking credit for it! rolling my eyes)
4) Wise up and realize that they have been fed anti-Catholic propaganda, once again.

Praying for #4 on that list; however, if I were to bet on it, I would say #1 would be most popular, just ahead of #2.

Goes to show you that people are more willing to believe a lie than they are the truth.

Pope Pius XII told senior bishops that should he be arrested by the Nazis, his resignation would become effective immediately, paving the way for a successor, according to documents in the Vatican's Secret Archives.
The bishops would then be expected to flee to a safe country – probably neutral Portugal – where they would re-establish the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church and appoint a new Pontiff.
That Hitler considered kidnapping the Pope has been documented before, but this is the first time that details have emerged of the Vatican's strategy should the Nazis carry out the plan.
"Pius said 'if they want to arrest me they will have to drag me from the Vatican'," said Peter Gumpel, the German Jesuit priest who is in charge of researching whether Pius should be made a saint, and therefore has access to secret Vatican archives.
Pius, who was Pope throughout the war, told his advisers "the person who would leave the under these conditions would not be Pius XII but Eugenio Pacelli" – his name before he was elected Pontiff – thus giving permission for a new Pope to be elected.
"It would have been disastrous if the Church had been left without an authoritative leader," said Father Gumpel.

Full Article...

Catholicism Under Attack During Republican Primaries

2012-01-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here's what Lifenews has to say:

When Democrats have primary presidential contests, we never hear about “extreme-left, in-your-face liberals,” playing to the left-wing base of their party, yet when it comes to this year Republican primary contest, the media are quick to slather the extreme-right label on candidates like Rick Santorum, NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell noted on the January 6 edition of Fox News Channel’s Hannity.
“ABC believes that if you support the traditional family as Rick Santorum does, that makes you in-your-face. CNN believes that it makes you extreme,” Bozell complained, arguing that President Obama has the “most radical pro-abortion record in the history of the presidency of the United States” but was never called on it as a liability when facing the American electorat.

Unbelievable. But yet when it comes to rape, liberals will kill the baby and defend the rapist's rights.
Nothing they do or say makes sense. Goes to show you that the MSM works to for their strategic interests, not to report news. The ADL even has the audacity to lecture Santorum about separation of Church and State:

In response to his comment on a radio show that "we always need a Jesus candidate," the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum to refrain from overt expressions of religious preferences and beliefs on the campaign trail, stating that "religious appeals to voters are simply unacceptable and un-American."
"Senator Santorum's remark comparing himself to a 'Jesus candidate' was inappropriate and exclusionary. It essentially says that those of other faiths or of no faith – whether Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, non-believers or others – do not belong," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Religious appeals to voters are simply unacceptable and un-American. Voters should be encouraged to make their decisions based upon their assessment of the qualifications, integrity and political positions of candidates, not the intensity of their religious beliefs."

Sorry Foxman, but you're wrong on this. Show me where in the constitution it says separation of Church and State? You'll never find it.

Our culture doesn't understand theology or the sacraments. That's part of the problem. Foxman is also being niave is saying that religion doesn't play a role in politics. Religion isn't a private thing. And if people think that the Church's teachings on abortion and homosexuality will change, it will NEVER change.

It's evident to me that Catholicism is the last acceptable prejudice in the U.S.A. and is our nation's favorite past time. Just ask Mr. Donohue:

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on recent attacks on presidential candidate Rick Santorum’s religion:

Rick Santorum is deserving of closer scrutiny now that he is a top contender for the Republican nomination, but this does not justify either misrepresenting, or attacking, his faith.
John Gehring of Faith in Public Life fails to distinguish between the official teachings of the Catholic Church and the expressed opinions of some Church leaders, thus allowing him to paint Santorum as out of step with his religion. How interesting. Gehring works for an organization that receives approximately a quarter of its money from George Soros. Need I say more? So discount this guy.
Santorum has also been attacked by Steve Kornacki at Salon for his “Catholic-infused opposition to abortion.” It may come as a shock to Kornacki that the late Christopher Hitchens was also pro-life, and that Nat Hentoff is proudly pro-life today. Their atheism hardly accounts for their understanding of Biology 101.
The blogsite Huffpost Hill says, “Santorum thinks the Catholic Church isn’t conservative enough, which is kind of like thinking Megadeth doesn’t thrash hard enough.” Guess that means Santorum is a very Catholic kind of guy (Megadeth is a heavy metal band—I had to look it up). Should Santorum therefore be disqualified? Irin Carmon at Salon no doubt thinks so: “Rick Santorum is coming for your contraception.” Probably around midnight.

Lord, please forgive these people. Don't hold this sin against them. The Gospel's call us to act! I think our culture has a warm and fuzzy version of religion and anything that has to do with suffering, they act like they're being threatened.

Archdiocese criticized for implementing Courage

2012-01-06T15:56:00.001-08:00

I really just don't understand why these gay rights activists have such a big problem with a faith based organization that aims to help homosexuals live a chaste life. Courage is not like the various fundamentalist faith based organizations in existence that supposedly try to help homosexuals. Courage takes a much more reasonable approach so I don't understand why these gay rights activists have such a problem with Courage. I mean, if a homosexual man or woman wants help living the chaste life in a Catholic context then why would these gay rights activists have such a problem with that?

When was the last time gay rights activists have been POSITIVE about the Church's stance?

Gay activists in Connecticut and elsewhere are criticizing the Archdiocese of Hartford for its decision to start a chapter of Courage, an apostolate that helps those with same-sex attractions to live chastely.
“These are people in the Roman Catholic Church who need our care and love,” said Deacon Robert Pallotti, who worked to establish the chapter. “They need to be accepted, affirmed and supported as Roman Catholics trying to remain faithful to Church teachings.”
“I can’t tell you how many kids I work with who have been spiritually wounded by this and similar religious perspectives,” said Robin McHaelen of True Colors, a Hartford organization that hosts the largest gay and lesbian youth conference in the nation. “In my opinion, that's the abomination.”

Full Article...

AOD (Archdiocese of Detriot) vs. Voris/RCTV dispute

2012-01-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

Canon Lawyer explains Canon 216 and implications with the Archdiocese of Detroit and RealCatholcTV.

The first thing to understand about the dispute between the Archdiocese of Detroit and Michael Voris and/or RealCatholicTV is that the dispute turns essentially on canon law. As a canonical dispute, it will not be decided by seeing who musters more or louder supporters in the blogosphere; it will be decided by recognizing what Church law says about such matters and then abiding by that finding. [ ...]

But sentence two of Canon 216 is another matter: “Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name ‘Catholic’ without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.” The plain text of this canon unquestionably puts the burden on those behind an undertaking to secure consent from the competent ecclesiastical authority before claiming the name “Catholic” for their project(s). Voris/RCTV expressly (indeed, pervasively) use the word “Catholic” to name their undertakings. They repeatedly proclaim that theirs is “Real Catholic TV”, that theirs is a “Catholic Investigative Agency”, and that theirs is “The Catholic Critic”.
The Archdiocese of Detroit demurs, whence the dispute.

Let me suggest an analogy.

Continue reading here.

And his follow-up here.

1. Like her Founder, the Catholic Church has precious few “tools” with which to carry on her mission, but among those tools is her very name, Catholic. True, Catholics in every land and in every age have misused the name “Catholic”—not always with evil intentions, of course, yet often enough with bad (sometimes, very bad) consequences for the Church. But, notwithstanding the frequency of such misappropriations of her name, the Catholic Church has the right to take whatever steps she can to protect her name from being appropriated by those who think they have the authority to wrap themselves up in it.

What does this mean for National Catholic Reporter, or shall I dare say National Catholic Fishwrap?

Father Z asks the same question:

Before going on… I wonder what this scenario means for the National catholic Reporter.
___
The Canonical Defender, Dr. Ed Peters doesn’t have a combox at his excellent canon law blog, In The Light of the Law. Background here and here.
Dr. Peters has chimed in with observations about the situation brewing between Michael Voris of RealCatholic TV (key word “Catholic”) and the Archdiocese of Detroit.
My emphases and comments.

Catholic bishop resigns, admits he has 2 kids

2012-01-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

This is the media's way of scolding the Catholic Church for it's stance on celebate priests. According to Catholic-Hierearchy, Cardinal Mahony consecrated him as auxiliary back in 1994. If the archdiocese is concerning themselves with payment of college costs, it's likely that this affair would have been going on at the time of his consecration. It is amazing that he would have been able to keep this a secret for so long. One's got to ask how Cardinal Mahony would NOT have known about this regarding one of his closest collaborators.

Was he excommunicated? Nope. Just violated his vows.

An assistant bishop of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles has resigned because he has a secret family, including two teenage children.
The Vatican said on Wednesday that Pope Benedict had accepted the resignation of Gabino Zavala, an auxiliary bishop of the diocese which has been plagued by sexual scandals.
A brief Vatican announcement did not give the reason for Zavala's resignation, saying only that the pope had accepted it under the norm in canon (Church law) that says a bishop who is ill or otherwise unfit to carry out his duties should resign.
But Zavala's direct superior, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, has prepared a letter for the faithful in the archdiocese explaining the circumstances of the departure of Zavala, who was assistant bishop for the San Gabriel region of California.
In the letter, a draft of which was obtained from a Catholic Church source in Rome, Gomez said Zavala, 60, had informed him in early December that he was the father of two teenage children who live with their mother in another state.
The Catholic Church demands celibacy from its priests.
"Bishop Zavala also told me that he submitted his resignation to the Holy Father in Rome, which was accepted. Since that time, he has not been in ministry and will be living privately," Gomez says in the letter.

Full Article...

Anyway, here's an official statement from Archbisop Gomez:

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

I have some sad and difficult information to share with you. Bishop Gabino Zavala, auxiliary bishop for the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, informed me in early December that he is the father of two minor teenage children, who live with their mother in another state.

Bishop Zavala also told me that he submitted his resignation to the Holy Father in Rome, which was accepted. Since that time, he has not been in ministry and will be living privately.

The Archdiocese has reached out to the mother and children to provide spiritual care as well as funding to assist the children with college costs. The family’s identity is not known to the public, and I wish to respect their right to privacy.

Let us pray for all those impacted by this situation and for each other as we reflect on this letter.

May the Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Mary, grant you peace.

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Kreeft: Pro-Abort Catholics More Damaging than Sex-Abuse Scandal

2012-01-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

Great story: Kreeft: Pro-Abort Catholics More Damaging than Sex-Abuse Scandal

Boston College Professor and author Peter Kreeft told a group of 500 at the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison that pro-abortion Catholics have done more damage to the Church than the sex abuse scandal, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Kreeft’s speech was focused on whether Catholics could be liberals and quickly turned to the issue of abortion where he said, “A Catholic cannot be today what is called a liberal about abortion. That’s obvious. That’s a ‘duh.’”
But a question from an audience member had Kreeft elaborating further:
During the Q&A, an audience member brought up the Kennedy political dynasty and how a group of leading theologians and Catholic college professors had met with Kennedy family members in the mid-1960s and came up with a way for Catholic politicians to support a pro-abortion rights platform with clear consciences.
Kreeft said these Catholic advisers “told the Kennedys how they could get away with murder.” Kreeft then made one of his boldest comments of the evening, suggesting the theologians who first convinced Democratic politicians they could support abortion rights and remain Catholic did more damage to the Catholic Church than pedophile priests.
“These were wicked people. These were dishonest people. These were people who, frankly, loved power more than they loved God,” Kreeft said. “Sorry, that’s just the way it is. In fact, I’d say these were even worse than the child molesters — though the immediate damage they did was not as obvious — because they did it deliberately, it wasn’t a sin of weakness. Sins of power are worse than sins of weakness. Cold, calculating sins — that’s straight from the devil.”
A few minutes later, the talk over, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

Look both abortion and the sex-abuse scandal are damaging and yet we constantly seek Catholics twisting themselves into knots explaining why it's okay to support politicians who support abortion. Neither the Republican nor the Democrats are pro-life parties. How about making abortion illegal no exceptions?

Medjugorje Bishop blasts new book with very grave accusations against predecessor

2012-01-04T05:35:00.000-08:00

Things are such a mess in Medjugorje right now. Hard to sort out the facts from fiction over there.

This on the diocesesn website of Mostar-Duvno:

A new book was recently published by four Croatian authors called, "The Mystery of Medjugorje: 30 years of the phenomenon. For the first time: the documents of the Yugoslav secret police”.

Vatican journalist, Andrea Tornielli, plugged the book in a post of his own without raising an obvious question after the book leads people to believe Bishop Zanic, now deceased, was a communist collaborator. The obvious question is, did the authors cross-check their "facts" with the diocesan records or consult the diocese? No. They did not.

They used records from the Yugoslav UDBA (the equivalent of the Russian KGB), and ran with them. Bishop Peric, former professor and rector in Rome, takes these authors and Tornielli to task, turning their shameful accusations inside out.

As far as I'm concerned there's nothing supernatural going on over there.

Avoid National Catholic Fishwrap!

2012-01-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

From the National Catholic Fishwrap:

There used to be an anti-liturgical joke circulating that said that the only difference between a terrorist and a liturgist is that you can negotiate with a terrorist.
By the same token, there is a seriously mistaken impression abroad that the new translation of the missal was inspired and promoted by liturgists. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The great majority of liturgical scholars were opposed to the new, literal translations. Those who favored the changes were adherents of the so-called "reform of the reform."
In other words, the changes were inspired and promoted, not by liturgists, but by traditionalists in the hierarchy and a minority of ultra-conservatives within the Catholic church generally.
Such Catholics were never supportive of the liturgical reforms initiated by the Second Vatican Council: turning the altar around so that the priest would face the congregation during Mass, receiving Holy Communion in the hand, celebrating the Mass in the vernacular, having altar girls as well as altar boys, and so forth.
In the extreme, they attended Latin Masses wherever they were available. Their celebrants continued to wear the so-called fiddle-back chasubles and birettas. A Catholic Rip Van Winkle awakening from a long sleep beginning sometime in the 1950s would assume that nothing had changed in the meantime.
To be sure, the advocates of the "reform of the reform" have won only a partial victory with this new translation (for example, "I believe ..." rather than the more communal "We believe ..." in the Credo). But the Mass is still in the vernacular; the altar is still turned around; the great majority of people receive Communion in the hand; and there are more likely to be altar girls in the sanctuary than boys.

This gives me one more good reason to ignore the NCR!

Whenever reading something from the National Catholic Reporter, it is good to recall that they were condemned by their Ordinary, Bishop Charles H. Helmsing, Bishop of Kansas City - St Joseph, all the way back in 1968:

In fairness to our Catholic people, I hereby issue an official condemnation of the National Catholic Reporter. Furthermore, I send this communication to my brother bishops, and make known to the priests, religious and laity of the nation my views on the poisonous character of this publication.

(snip)

IN AS MUCH as the National Catholic Reporter does not reflect the teaching of the Church, but on the contrary, has openly and deliberately opposed this teaching. I ask the editors in all honesty to drop the term "Catholic" from their masthead. By retaining it they deceive their Catholic readers and do a great disservice to ecumenism by being responsible for the false irenicism of watering down Catholic teachings.

I further ask the editors and the board of directors, for the love of God and their fellow men, to change their misguided and evil policy; for it is evident to me that they have already caused untold harm to the faith and morals not only of our laity, but of too many of our priests and religious.

I make this statement with apostolic freedom as given by our Lord to His followers; I make it conscious of the heavy burden that is mine as a bishop, as one enjoined by the Holy Spirit through the pen of St. Paul: "Reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine; for there will come a time when they will not endure the sound doctrines; but having itching ears, will heap up to themselves teachers according to their own lust, and they will turn away their hearing from the truth and will turn aside rather to fables." (2 Tim. 4:2-4)

In fairness, I need to also inform you that NCR is extremely proud to have received that condemnation. Even now, they consider it a proud part of their heritage. From a May, 2011, editorial:

Charles Helmsing, the Kansas City bishop who initially authorized NCR’s existence (in the days when such things were necessary), soon regretted his decision. Yup, Helmsing later lamented that was one he wished he could pull back.

You see, our reporting on the pope’s birth control commission -- we published the findings of the lay-led panel, which supported married couples’ right to use “artificial means” of birth control -- did not, shall we say, please Helmsing. He played hardball.

The bishop moved to have the word “Catholic” removed from our banner. He tried to shut us down. Emergency board meetings were held, compromises considered (I know because I’ve read the minutes). But it soon became clear that NCR had moved beyond the need for an episcopal imprimatur. We kept publishing, Catholics kept subscribing, and we’re still here.

So, with the exception of the occasional John Allen piece, I would think that faithful Catholics would do well to follow Bishop Helmsing's advice and avoid that journal like the plague.

All told, National Catholic Reporter is vitriolic drivel.

Here's an excellent commentary on McBrien's piece by Father Z:

Dealing with the new translation of the Mass
by Richard McBrien on Dec. 26, 2011
There used to be an anti-liturgical joke circulating that said that the only difference between a terrorist and a liturgist is that you can negotiate with a terrorist. [I think there is another which involves finding yourself with two terrorists and liturgist and having only two bullets in your gun….]
By the same token, there is a seriously mistaken impression abroad that the new translation of the missal was inspired and promoted by liturgists. Nothing could be further from the truth. [I think I know what he means here, in this muddled statement. I think he means the final product. But is what he wrote true? Liturgists did not "inspire and promote" the new translation? If not, who did "inspire and promote it"?]
The great majority of liturgical scholars were opposed to the new, literal translations. [Fact check: the new translation is NOT a "literal" translation. And note his phrasing here. LOL!] Those who favored the changes were adherents of the so-called “reform of the reform.” [I wonder what he thinks that phrase means?]
In other words, the changes were inspired and promoted, not by liturgists, but by traditionalists in the hierarchy and a minority of ultra-conservatives within the Catholic church generally. [Oooooo. I guess this means that McBrien's brand of liturgists must be incredibly feckless! No?]
Such Catholics were never supportive of the liturgical reforms initiated by the Second Vatican Council: turning the altar around so that the priest would face the congregation during Mass, [Where is that in the documents of the Council?] receiving Holy Communion in the hand, [Where is that in the documents of the Council?]celebrating the Mass in the vernacular, [The Council said that the liturgy was to remain in Latin.]having altar girls as well as altar boys, [Where is that in the documents of the Council?]and so forth.

AP Wrongly Claims Palin’s Death Panels Analysis “Debunked”

2012-01-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

There are quite a few problems with Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar’s December 28 coverage (“New fee coming for medical effectiveness research”) concerning a new fee (i.e., tax) which will imposed on health insurance companies for each person they cover starting tomorrow.
Several times (twice in the body and once as seen above in the headline), the story refers to the assessment as a “medical effectiveness research” fee (without quotes). Just once, in the eleventh paragraph, does Alonso-Zaldivar call it by its far more widely-known name (written as indicated): “comparative effectiveness” research. But the item which stuck out like a sore thumb with me, and should also do so for anyone else who closely followed how the stimulus bill got enacted into law as well as the Obamacare discussions later that year,, was the following paragraph (bolds are mine):
The 2009 economic stimulus bill included $1.1 billion for medical effectiveness research, mainly through the National Institutes of Health. It was not considered particularly controversial. But things changed during the congressional health care debate, after former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin made the claim, now widely debunked, that Obama and the Democrats were setting up “death panels” to ration care.

Full Article...

This is just crazy.

Mohawk Tekakwitha to be Canada’s first aboriginal saint

2011-12-21T06:11:00.000-08:00

A Mohawk Catholic mystic who died more than 330 years ago is set to become Canada’s first aboriginal saint.

Pope Benedict XVI has officially recognized a miracle performed by Kateri Tekakwitha, clearing the final hurdle in her path to canonization, the Vatican announced Monday.....

After her death, numerous miracles were attributed to her intercession. Her crucifix, pieces of her clothing and dirt from her grave were rumoured to have healing powers.

According to eyewitnesses, including two Jesuit priests and many Mohawks, her scarred face became beautiful when she died.

Full Article...

She was born in 1656. New York didn't properly exist as a colony until some of it was conquered by the English in 1664.

At the time, that would have been either Dutch territory of the colony of New Netherlands or perhaps it was still Mohawk territory.

Either way, I think it's more appropriate to refer to her as a Mohawk. Not an American or Canadian.

And now incest?: Viral video has parents making out with teen kids

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

What is next, this is only the beginning of accepting pedophillia, this world is becoming more and more evil. What do you expect when whole families can sit and pervert their minds together watching filth like Glee with all it's sexualized teens and glorification of teen sodomy. Desensitize yourself to that level and of course garbage like this is a level you'll stoop to. Remember Madalyn Murray-O'Hair was the one who went before the supreme court and got prayer kicked out of our public schools nearly 50 years ago. The public schools are reaping Hell by the acres and until America gets right with God it will never get better.

Thats what liberal thinking gets u. . .always pushing the limit and then crying "unfair" when these sick people dont get their way. . .sorry but liberals have no morals ~ PERIOD

Have you heard of the frog in boiling water analogy when it comes to our society's lack of morals, like this situation? A frog that jumps in boiling water will immediately jump out. So if this thing went on 50 years ago, NO ONE would approve of it! But a frog that is in water that slowly gets warmer and warmer will not jump out, but eventually die. It's so sad that people can't see how our society is slowly boiling themselves to death by laughing and joking about this disgusting "game". We are being DESENSITIZED slowly like the frog that is "thinking" oh this water is not too hot yet, I'll keep swimming. So our society says "oh this kissing game is all in fun, what's so bad about it?" And then when people object and stand up and say this activity is WRONG, we are called "closed-minded", "judgemental","not up with the times". I am incredibly sad to see how sin can blind so many and I am incredibly grateful that by God's grace I am aware of the battle between the flesh and the spirit and when I sin myself, God's grace and mercy forgives me!

December 19, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Twenty years ago when advocates of homosexuality were arguing for acceptance of gay sex, their opponents warned that it would lead to pedophilia and incest. Such whistle blowers were labeled as bigots, haters and worse, and laughed into silence.
However, the warnings are coming true. While incest may not yet be legal on the books, there is increasing pressure to legitimize it. The following video, which has gone viral on YouTube, might legitimately be seen a part of the conditioning process leading to such legitimization. It features a high school prank where blindfolded teens are asked to guess who kissed them. Turns out it was their own father or mother.

In the video fathers can be seen passionately kissing their teen daughters on the lips, mothers with their teen sons, one even putting her son’s hand on her derriere, another making out on the floor with her son (although to be fair, one commenter on Youtube who said he was present at the pep rally said the boy tripped when he stepped back and his mother fell on top of him), all to the laughs, cheers, whoops and screams of the school staff and students.
Oh sure, there’s still an ick factor in there somewhere, but the very fact that organizers of this prank could find parents willing to make out with their children is proof enough that the taboo against incest has started to crumble. It may be “just” a joke now, but even a few years ago such a joke would have been completely unthinkable.

Full Article...

Seton Hall University Course on Gay "Marriage" to Proceed Despite Archbishop's Objections.

2011-12-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

“ The syllabus of Professor King's course prominently includes the book, “What's Love Got To Do With It?: The Case For Same-Sex Marriage,” by two New Jersey state senators, and leaves room for guest speakers to address the class on their experiences pertaining to homosexual “marriage.”

Full Article...

It’s true that the course is titled “The Politics of Gay Marriage.” However, judging from the tone of the article and the fact that the professor himself is homosexual, it’s probably doubtful that the Catholic philosophy of marriage, or the view of marriage during most of recorded history, will get much of a hearing.

One wonders whether the university would be as apt to defend a course titled “The Politics of Adult-Child Marriage.”

27. Every Catholic University, without ceasing to be a University, has a relationship to the Church that is essential to its institutional identity. As such, it participates most directly in the life of the local Church in which it is situated; at the same time, because it is an academic institution and therefore a part of the international community of scholarship and inquiry, each institution participates in and contributes to the life and the mission of the universal Church, assuming consequently a special bond with the Holy See by reason of the service to unity which it is called to render to the whole Church. One consequence of its essential relationship to the Church is that the institutional fidelity of the University to the Christian message includes a recognition of and adherence to the teaching authority of the Church in matters of faith and morals. Catholic members of the university community are also called to a personal fidelity to the Church with all that this implies. Non-Catholic members are required to respect the Catholic character of the University, while the University in turn respects their religious liberty(26).
Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990)

It would then seem to me that the only course on the homosexual simulation of marriage that could be licitly conducted here would be an exploration of the damage done to individuals and society because of the societal embrace of homosexuality...including its mockery of marriage.

Perhaps it's time for Seton Hall to sever its ties with the Church.

Intimidation is the tool of the enemy!

2011-12-16T20:19:00.001-08:00

Father Z has an interesting piece here about the war over marriage. The Devil never sleeps.

I think there may be a political/social war brewing in St. Paul, Minnesota along the lines of what we saw in Madison, Wisconsin over the issue of the state budget and labor unions. In Minnesota, however, the issue will be an proposed amendment to the state constitution in defense of true, natural marriage. I suspect that the proponents of unnatural unions from outside Minnesota will flood the state capitol with all manner of demonstrations as the day to vote draws near in November 2012. The Minnesota Catholic Conference has nailed their colors to the mast on this matter. They deserve our strong support.
There will be all manner of bullying and intimidation applied to dioceses, bishops, priests. They need your prayers and support. People who hate the Church and her message about the dignity of human life in all aspects will try to silence bishops and priests. They are bullies and their threats and attacks must be resisted.
To this end, I noted with interest a story on CNS:
Catholic DVD on marriage not a lobbying effort, campaign board rules
ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) — Minnesota’s Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board has dismissed a complaint stemming from a DVD on marriage mailed to 400,000 Catholics in the state by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in September 2010. The complainant, Minneapolis attorney Kurt M. Anderson, had argued that the mailing constituted a lobbying effort by the archdiocese and therefore triggered certain registration and reporting requirements under Minnesota campaign law. “There is a sufficient basis on which to reasonably conclude that the archdiocese’s communications were for a purpose other than to influence legislative action,” the board said in its 12-page decision, announced Dec. 8. “As a result, there is no probable cause to conclude that the archdiocese became a ‘principal’ as a result of the subject communications.” The board also found “no probable cause” that the archdiocese should have been required to register a political fund or register as a lobbyist because of its actions. Anderson had contended that the DVD campaign — which took place about six weeks before voters were to elect members of the Minnesota Legislature — was a lobbying effort aimed at persuading legislators to place a constitutional amendment defining marriage on the state ballot. In the DVD, Archbishop John C. Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis said, “I have called on the Legislature to allow voters to consider a constitutional amendment to preserve marriage as the union between one man and one woman. The archdiocese believes that the time has come for voters to be presented directly with an amendment to the state constitution to preserve our historic understanding of marriage,” he added.

‘We can do wonders if we get them early’: young twin boy undergoes sex change into ‘Nicole’

2011-12-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

This is just child abuse, put the doctor and the parents in prison! What is wrong with his parents????!!! You can "change" the gender of a child, but cannot spank them??? We really are turning into a sick nation!! I do not understand why the father would agree to that. He should have protected his son. Almost no one is happy with the way God made them.

BOSTON, December 14, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A front-page story on the Boston Globe’s Sunday edition highlighted the work of a prestigious Massachusetts hospital which blocked and altered the development of one young boy’s body to match his self-identification as a girl.
Wyatt Maines, now 14 years old, is the identical twin of brother Jonas - but thanks to powerful hormone blocking drugs, he is now five inches shorter and several pounds lighter than Jonas, sports more feminine features, and goes by the name “Nicole.” “The thought of being a boy makes me cringe,’’ said Maines. “I just couldn’t do it.’’
Soon, Maines plans to begin taking estrogen to develop hips and grow breasts, an irreversible change that will cause permanent sterility. The last stage - what the Globe calls Maines’ “final step on her journey to womanhood” - will be surgery to remove Maines’ penis and create a vagina-like structure.

Full Article...

Pro-abortion rights group: ‘We don’t debate’

2011-12-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

The reason I think that pro-aborts won't debate is quite simple. They know they are wrong. Afterall, they control the narrative in the media. I've accepted the fact that some people refuse to hear the truth. The minds of the pro-aborts (pro-choicers) are impervious to logic and reason, because they have no ethical leg to stand on. One would think that since they so 'passionately' defend their position, that they could defend it as well. Truth is, they can't.

December 12, 2011 (LiveAction.org) - It’s interesting to ponder the fact that abortion-rights groups can be so adamant about their unwillingness to publicly discuss what it is they support. We hear things like this all the time:
“Support a woman’s right to choose!”
“Defend reproductive freedom!”
“Be a voice for choice!”

They ought to add an asterisk though… * “But whatever you do, makes sure you never, ever under any circumstances engage in a debate about abortion with anyone about it publicly. EVER!!”
Here is the ultimate word of wisdom from the Pro-Choice Action Network of Canada in regards to debating abortion: DON’T!
Their site reads:
“Why we don’t debate anti-choice spokespersons: The Pro-Choice Action Network (PCAN) sometimes gets requests from anti-choice groups or from the media to have a debate with anti-choice spokespersons. Along with most other pro-choice groups, we do not engage in debates with the anti-choice — by which we mean public debates before an audience, or on radio or TV. Here’s why:
The right to abortion is not debatable, because access to legal, safe abortion is a fundamental human right, one that is protected by law and supported by the majority of citizens. The provision of basic human rights is not open to debate.

Full Article...

US commission on religious freedom may be closed

2011-12-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

Disturbing to say the least. Goes to show you that Obama doesn't really care about religious freedom.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom is preparing to shut down its operation, in a budget-cutting move that the commission’s chairman warns could have “catastrophic” consequences.
Congress has not authorized continued funding for the Commission on International Religious Freedom. (A bill providing funds for the commission was approved by the House of Representatives, but has been blocked in the Senate.) Unless funds are approved within the next week, the commission will be closed down.
Chairman Leonard Leo observes that at a time when religious freedom is in jeopardy in many nations, the closing of the commission could send an “absolutely shameful” message that the American government has “downgraded the importance of religious freedom in our foreign policy.”

Full Article...

Can a Catholic be a liberal? Nope.

2011-12-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

From Madison's Wisconsin State Journal:

(snip) Kreeft, a Catholic author and Boston College philosophy professor, had been asked by the Catholic Diocese of Madison to speak on whether "a Catholic can be a liberal." Kreeft called it "a very challenging question" and said he'd never spoken on it before.

Kreeft is a strong defender of the Catholic Church against what some people call "modernists" or, more derisively, "cafeteria Catholics," people who pick and choose which church teachings to follow.

There is no middle ground to Kreeft. It would be silly and redundant to him, for instance, to call someone a "pro-life Catholic." You cannot be anything but against abortion to be a Catholic, Kreeft said.

"To be a Catholic is to take the whole deal," he told the crowd.

Try reading Ad Tuendam Fidem from Pope John Paul II.

The Code of Canon Law no 750 clearly states:

Can. 750

§1. A person must believe with divine and Catholic faith all those things contained in the word of God, written or handed on, that is, in the one deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn magisterium of the Church or by its ordinary and universal magisterium which is manifested by the common adherence of the Christian faithful under the leadership of the sacred magisterium; therefore all are bound to avoid any doctrines whatsoever contrary to them.

§2. Each and every thing which is proposed definitively by the magisterium of the Church concerning the doctrine of faith and morals, that is, each and every thing which is required to safeguard reverently and to expound faithfully the same deposit of faith, is also to be firm-ly embraced and retained; therefore, one who rejects those propositions which are to be held definitively is opposed to the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

Submission of mind and will to the teachings of the Church even when not speaking ex cathedra must be shown (e.g., truths contained in the Catechism, and that artificial contraception is sinful).

Lumen Gentium no 25:

“This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will.”

And Vatican II in Gaudium et Spes no. 50 makes it clear that

“The teaching Church does not invent her doctrines; she is a witness, a custodian, an interpreter, a transmitter. As regards the truths of Christian marriage, she can be called conservative, uncompromising. To those who would urge her to make her faith easier, more in keeping with the tastes of the changing mentality of the times, she answers with the apostles, we cannot.” (Acts. 4:20)

Is it o.k. to be a cafeteria Catholic? Pope John Paul II says,

“It is sometimes reported that a large number of Catholics today do not adhere to the teaching of the Catholic Church on a number of questions, notably sexual and conjugal morality, divorce and remarriage. Some are reported as not accepting the clear position on abortion. It has to be noted that there is a tendency on the part of some Catholics to be selective in their adherence to the Church’s moral teaching. It is sometimes claimed that dissent from the magisterium is totally compatible with being a “good Catholic,” and poses no obstacle to the reception of the Sacraments. This is a grave error that challenges the teaching of the Bishops in the United States and elsewhere.” (Pope John Paul II in his speech to the Bishops in 1987)

Can the faithful form their own consciences when it comes to the teachings of the Church? No.

"In the formation of their consciences, the Christian faithful ought carefully to attend to the sacred and certain doctrine of the Church.(35) For the Church is, by the will of Christ, the teacher of the truth. It is her duty to give utterance to, and authoritatively to teach, that truth which is Christ Himself, and also to declare and confirm by her authority those principles of the moral order which have their origins in human nature itself." (Dignitatis Humanae)

CBS Sunday Morning News Story: "The Catholic Church: A House Divided?"

2011-12-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

Talk about a bunch of people who want to run the Church as their own. I got one thing to say to them. The Church is not yours. She belongs to the Living God. You are only let in the Church by Grace of God. you are called to obey and not rule over the Church.

Another thing I saw is that they are using the laity participationg as some kind of calling to rule over the Church.

It's a battle between Catholic and Catholic, a battle between the past and the present. A battle centuries old that rages yet today.

In Phoenix, it's a battle between Bishop Thomas Olmstead and the city's oldest hospital, St. Joseph's, whose staff includes a respected nun.

It began in November 2009, with a pregnant 27-year-old mother of four who, in her 11th week, was admitted with severe pulmonary hypertension. Her doctors say it was dramatically worsening because of the pregnancy.

"The hormonal changes of pregnancy, the changes in blood flow in this patient created a situation where her heart began to fail," said Dr. Charles Alfano, St. Joseph's chief medical officer. "And that failure, despite the efforts of the physicians, progressed to the point where she was very near death."

Modern medicine presented two equally grim options: Terminate the pregnancy and save the mother, or lose both mother and child.

"And as a result we made the difficult decision, but the decision that we had to make, to terminate the pregnancy," said Dr. Alfano.

Full Article...

Report Challenges Jesuit Universities’ 'Sexual Diversity' Conference

2011-12-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

Humm.....where is the discernment of our leaders. They seem to continuously being deceived or are they?

Where are our bishops when it comes to things like this? Should they not be working to make sure that all of our Catholic colleges, universities, and seminaries are fully orthodox?

Washington D.C., Dec 7, 2011 / 03:13 am (CNA).- A new report by the Cardinal Newman Society says a conference series hosted by two Jesuit universities appears to question and even undermine Church teaching on sexuality and marriage.
Many of the conference talks are “clearly shown” as a “vehicle for dissent,” society president Patrick Reilly told CNA on Dec. 6.
Reilly helped produce a report critiquing the fall 2011 “More Than a Monologue” conference series on “Sexual Diversity and the Catholic Church.”
The series was the result of cooperative efforts by Fordham and Fairfield Universities—both Jesuit Catholic colleges—as well as non-denominational schools Yale Divinity School and Union Theological Seminary.
Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut had expressed concern about the conferences when they were announced, and the presidents of Fairfield and Fordham Universities promised that they would not be used as “a vehicle for dissent.”
Members of the Cardinal Newman Society, however, say that the universities violated this promise.

Full Article...

Combating Secularism

2011-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

In this youtube here, Michael Voris talks about combatting secularism and if we don't combat it in the Church first, we'll never win the war against the secularism that engulfts our western society.

Here's some observations I've made.

1. Many children being born out of wedlock
2. Many clergy and religious will fall in their beautiful vocations and drag down many souls with them to hell.
3. General economic failure
4. Laws being used to protect the wicked!

Here's an example from American Papist about the secularism in the Church that Voris is referring to:

The Cardinal Newman Society has done a great service to further expose the efforts by those who dissent from the Church’s teaching on sexuality, marriage and family to confuse and undermine those teachings on Catholic campuses (and elsewhere):
In a special investigative report released today, The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) provides evidence of “a well-orchestrated attempt to undermine the Church’s doctrine and its stand against homosexual ‘marriage’” at a series of conferences co-sponsored by two Jesuit universities and funded by a radical foundation.
The presidents of Fordham and Fairfield Universities had promised New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Bridgeport Bishop William Lori that the “More Than a Monologue” conference series would “not be a vehicle for dissent,” according to the New York Archdiocese. However, Newman Society reporters found evidence of dissent, sacrilege and opposition to the bishops’ efforts to protect marriage.
[Continue reading Press Release] [Click here for the full report]
I began to expose the efforts by one gay-advocacy organization, the Arcus foundation, to undermine Church teaching earlier this year when I wrote:
this [research] is a smoking gun – $100,000 given by Arcus to Fairfield University is the sole and single reason why four universities – including Catholic ones – will hold forums this year to further undermine the Church’s teaching on these issues.
Fast-forward to the present day, where the Cardinal Newman Society’s report confirms what I predicted would happen:
The report also looks at the Arcus Foundation, which paid $100,000 for the “More Than a Monologue” conferences, and its web of support for efforts that could be fairly described as designed to undermine Catholic teaching on homosexuality.
… In addition to the two conferences at Fordham and Fairfield, two other conferences were held in the series at Yale Divinity School and Union Theological Seminary, which included a fake Mass without a celebrant which organizers called a “CatholiQ Eucharist” (the “Q” apparently means “queer”).

Yes folks the great persecution is a coming and it's marching forward with no intention of slowing down.

Who was St. Nicholas? The true story of Santa Claus

2011-12-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

You ought to check this out!

From Romereports:

Nicholas of Bari, otherwise known as Santa Claus. He was bishop of the city of Myra, in present day Turkey, where he died in the fourth century. When the city was conquered by Muslims, his remains were moved to the Italian city of Bari.

When his parents died, he divided his fortune among the poor. Because of his generosity, tradition remembers him as Santa Claus, who every year would deliver gifts to everyone.

He is also the patron saint of Russia, Greece and Turkey.

In Rome, a temple was built in his honor by the year 550. There are currently over 2,000 churches in the world that carry his name.

and the Church of St. Mikołaj in Myra, Turkey

At the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, when Arian doctrine was rejected he got into a heated debate with Arius himself about whether there was a time when the Word did not exist. Nicholas strongly disagreed.
The debate ended suddenly when Nicholas punched out Arius then and there on the floor of the council

Pope and the Death Penalty

2011-12-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

Whenever the secular media report something that the Holy Father says, I always take it with a significant grain of salt.

As Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said last August:

We make a very serious mistake if we rely on media like the New York Times, Newsweek, CNN, or MSNBC for reliable news about religion. These news media simply don’t provide trustworthy information about religious faith—and sometimes they can’t provide it, either because of limited resources or because of their own editorial prejudices. These are secular operations focused on making a profit. They have very little sympathy for the Catholic faith, and quite a lot of aggressive skepticism toward any religious community that claims to preach and teach God’s truth.

So what's wrong with the AP report cited in the OP?

First, it did not report what the Holy Father actually said. What he actually said was,

I greet the distinguished Delegations from Various Countries taking part in the meetings Promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio on the theme: No Justice without Life . I express my hope That Encourage your deliberations will the political and legislative INITIATIVES Being Promoted in a growing number of Countries to eliminate the death penalty and to continue the progress made in substantive penal law conforming to the Human Dignity Both of prisoners and the maintenance of effective public order. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims present, Including Those from the United States, I invoke God's blessings of joy and peace!

Why did they not report the last six words of that sentence? Would it have caused the report to exceed the word count for the article?

Curious. I mean, Zenit reported the statement accurately. Vatican Radio reported it accurately. CNA managed to report it accurately, as well. Why not the AP?

Secondly, why could the AP not bother to mention the fact that this statement was made as part of a set of greetings at the end of the primary purpose of the weekly audience: catechesis. If you actually take a look at the text of the audience, you will find that this is one of several greetings being passed out after a teaching on prayer through the whole life of Jesus. He also greeted French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Croatian, Slovenian, and Italian speaking members of the audience, including appropriate comments for each of the pilgrim groups (including special notice to the Italian bakers: In particular, I greet the representatives of the "Italian Federation of Bakers and Confectioners' and express their deep gratitude for the welcome gift of panettone for the charity of the Pope greet the volunteers of the "Red Cross of Puglia" and urge them to continue their activities to the brethren in need.)

-----------------

It's not news that the Holy Father is opposed to the death penalty. And I'm not trying to make it appear that he does.

But this was not some major pronouncement. The Holy Father did not dedicate his weekly audience to the topic, nor was this a major speech of his. It was just a two sentence greeting that was a very small part of a whole litany of greetings given at the end of his weekly general audience. But you wouldn't know that based upon the AP report.

Catholic University’s Same-Sex Dorms Foster Friendship, Respect

2011-12-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

Universities have kicked God out since the early 1900’s and try to force the pagan/atheist/Marxist lifestyles which included rampant homosexuality, pederasty, infanticide, destruction of the biological family and women as hated and second class citizens.
This kicking out God, reduces man to just an animal and chattel so the elites will have drug/sex/illiterates to have as drones and slaves.
While the Catholic schools are at it....they should get rid of all the John Austin and Ayers type curricula and get back to Modern Philosophy and the Ancient philosophy of Cato, Cicero, Aristotle, etc. Bring back everything the Marxists kicked out when they chanted “Hey Ho Western Civ has got to go” on the now Marxist campus of Stanford.
Shame that these universities have allowed the stupid philosophy of Marx and Austin to dominate their campuses......they wanted to kick out God and bring perversity and dehumanizing art, etc. into the universities to corrupt the minds and destroy knowledge and wisdom.

Last June I wrote a piece in the Wall Street Journal explaining why The Catholic University of America is returning to single-sex residences. I said that the change was an old-fashioned remedy for two problems of growing concern on university campuses: binge drinking and hooking up. The article generated a frenzy of media attention, with voices arguing for and against the wisdom of our new policy. One unhappy faculty member at another school went so far as to file a legal complaint against me for sex discrimination. It was dismissed earlier this week.
One of the most common arguments made by those who objected to our new policy was that single-sex residences are an obstacle to friendships with the opposite sex. As a university administrator, I took these objections seriously. Friendship is one of the great goods in our lives. Aristotle says we can’t be happy without it. Catholics see friendship as an expression of love between persons, like the love between the persons of the Trinity. When Jesus talks about reducing the law and the prophets to two commandments, “love” is the operative word in each. Forming good, lasting, healthy friendships is an integral part of students’ experience at Catholic University, and one of the things we want most for them.

Some people suggest that shared living space promotes friendship between men and women. In this respect we think differently. Shared living space might mean spending more hours with the opposite sex. But it often doesn’t foster the mutual respect necessary for real friendship.

The prevalence of “hooking up” on college campuses is both a cause and a sign of this decline in solid friendships between men and women. When students “hook up,” they put sex before love. Our goal is not to make students think sex is bad. It’s not. But as those of us with a few more years of life know, when sex comes first, it’s often mistaken for love. Worse still, it can become a kind of recreational pleasure that lets people think they can live without love. Friendship between men and women – the kind that leads to healthy relationships and lasting marriages – requires that love come first.

Returning to single-sex residence halls will not eliminate sex on college campuses. It will not put an end to one-night stands and mistakes made in the heat of the moment, though social science evidence and common sense indicate it will limit the opportunity for those things. Sex is a powerful force. Students today are bombarded with messages telling them that casual sex will make them happy. We know it won’t. By making the change we have made, we hope both to send a message and to give our students a chance at love. Fostering a greater sense of mutual respect between men and women on our campus will help them form the kinds of friendships that can sustain marriages and lead to real happiness.
When my wife and I sent our kids off to college, we didn’t expect that they would make no mistakes. We did hope, if marriage was to be their vocation in life, that they might find real love. We hope the same for our students at Catholic University.

Full Article...

Religious Slurs in Lawyer's Memo Have Court up in Arms

2011-12-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

How does the Onion stay in business? This has to be one of the worst pieces anti-Catholicism ever.

In the sedate and sober world of bankruptcy law, one lawyer's memorandum sticks out like a sore loser.
"Across the country the court systems and particularly the Bankruptcy Court in Minnesota, are composed of a bunch of ignoramus, bigoted Catholic beasts that carry the sword of the church," the Nov. 25 filing said.
It went on to call one bankruptcy judge "a Catholic Knight Witch Hunter," said one trustee was "a priest's boy" and claimed another trustee is a "Jesuitess."
It got worse from there.
Hastings lawyer Rebekah Nett also called U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Nancy Dreher and other court personnel "dirty Catholics." Then she expressed concerns over what might transpire at a hearing docketed for next week, writing, "Catholic deeds throughout the history have been bloody and murderous."
People who spend their time writing and reading legal documents were stunned.
"I've never seen anything in 30 years of practicing law like this," said Brian Leonard, a bankruptcy trustee. "This is so far over the line, it's in another world."
Nett got her law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1999 and is licensed to practice in Minnesota and Wisconsin. There is no record of any disciplinary action against her in either state.
Nett said she didn't want to talk about the memo, but did allow that Dreher "yelled at" her about it Tuesday. She wouldn't elaborate, and Dreher's office declined to comment.
Nett also said the views expressed in the filing - which carries her signature - were those of her client. "Did I write what was in that paper? No," she said.
That itself could create problems for the lawyer. Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure says that when a lawyer signs a submission to the court, she is attesting that she believes the submission.........

Full Article...

Pelosi calls Bishops "lobbyists"

2011-12-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

If she calls them this in public, wonder what she calls them in private? I think the Bishops should state and teach the position of the CC against the evils of the Church and not be beggers before governments. I understand the lobby part but i dont believe that God wants His people to be the laugh of the town.

(CNSNews.com) -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) on Thursday described America’s Roman Catholic bishops as “lobbyists in Washington, D.C.” in their efforts to persuade the Department of Health and Human Service to rescind a proposed regulation under the new health-care law that would force Catholics to act against the teachings of their church by compelling them to purchase health-care plans that cover sterilizations and all-FDA approved contraceptives, including abortifacients.
The proposed regulation, scheduled to take effect on Aug. 1, 2012, would require every health-insurance plan in the United States to cover sterilizations and all FDA-approved contraceptives (which include abortifacients) without charging any co-pay. The Catholic Church teaches that sterilization, artificial contraception and abortion are morally wrong and that Catholics cannot be involved in them.

Full Article...

The War on Catholicism and Religion

2011-12-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

Tom Crowe had this to say:

The First Amendment as ratified in 1791:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Now I have a couple of theories about the way the Obama administration views this. Either they edit it thusly:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Or they read that first part, “Congress shall make no law,” they recognize that they are not “Congress,” and that they have been given the authority to write whatever laws they think necessary by our Congress’s insane tendency of signing away their own law-writing duty, and then proceed to write whatever laws they wish. Hence, they simply do not believe that the First Amendment applies to them.
Either way, as Mark Rienzi of The Becket Fund explains in an important interview with Kathryn Jean Lopez, the right to live according to one’s non-state-approved religion* in anything but the most private of circumstances seems in serious jeopardy:
The monks of Belmont Abbey College sued because the government left them no choice. The government is forcing these devout monks to purchase certain drugs for their students and employees, in violation of their religious convictions. For example, the government now requires the college to purchase Plan B (the “morning-after pill”) and ella (the “week-after pill”) for their students. These drugs likely cause abortions, which is a grave sin to the monks. It is one thing for the government to decide it should distribute these drugs itself, which of course is not part of this new law. But it is quite another for the government to mandate that religious Americans with conscientious objection purchase these drugs and participate in their distribution.
The law also forces the college to pay for “related education and counseling” about these drugs. The monks may preach to their students against abortion and contraception on Sunday morning, but on Monday the feds will make the college pay for a counselor to send the exact opposite message to its students. The First Amendment forbids this type of forced speech and burden on religious exercise.
(Found via the Cardinal Newman Society’s Campus Notes Blog. Follow them at @Newman_Society)
In other words, it’s far worse than the old “Catholics Need Not Apply” signs, because those were posted by private businesses. This time it is the federal government telling us, “Catholics must not be Catholic.”

Photo found at teresamerica.blogspot.com
Rienzi laments that Obama does not seem to be living up to the high-minded rhetoric he used at Notre Dame a few years back when he talked about “finding common ground” with Catholics. Thing is: this is what “finding common ground” looks like for President “I Won.” He has never been a uniter; has never been anything but a hard-left ideologue with a silver tongue and a dagger to shove in your back. “Common ground” means “I’m here, and you better get here, or I will use the power of the government to punish you for non-compliance.”
And in the worst twist of mockingly delicious irony (“delicious” in the Screwtape sense), the principle heralds of the culture of death are two women who call themselves Catholic: Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.
Pelosi, don’t forget, considered it a slight to characterize pro-life Catholics as having “this conscience thing.” We of course consider having a conscience “being Catholic.”
Enter Dr. Peter Kreeft who, at a talk in Madison, Wisconsin, on November 18 said it was redundant to call someone a “pro-life Catholic,” because to be Catholic one must be against abortion. “To be Catholic is to take the whole deal.”
But then he dropped the bomb. He contended, during the ensuing Q & A, that Catholics like Pelosi and Sebelius (and the Kennedys, Tom Ridge, the Cuomos, Dick Durbin, Pat Leahy, so many others, and those theologians and clerics who have given them the rationale and cover) who live by the “personally opposed, but…” line have done more damage than pedophile priests.
[Cue the cleanup crews as heads explode all over the place]
Through their actions, they have directly advanced policies or enabled politicians who advanced policies that have resulted in the slaughter of millions of unborn persons, not to mention those babies that survived abortions, were born alive, only to be left to die. Molestation is not worse than murder—the former rises from seeing the person as an object and damages the person; the latter rises from denying that the person is a person and annhilates him or her.
Such people have also caused great scandal and confusion within the Church, as well as to the world concerning the Church.
Further, Kreeft argues, pedophile priests committed heinous sins of weakness. Their sins were evil, wicked deeds. But sins of weakness are not as evil as sins of power. Those who do evil, wicked things—and facilitating or enabling the slaughter of millions, plus grave scandal are the matter in question here—for sake of gaining or maintaining power have committed even more grave acts. Such sins are akin to the sin of the fallen angels: “I will not serve.”
And thus are the sorts of Catholics who hold the levers of power these days.
There is something extra diabolically cynical that the two are women. An additional laugh from the dark one who hates women most of all because the fears the woman most of all.
Have I gone too deep? I don’t think so. Governance is a function of the moral lives of all the individuals involved in governance, and in a republic like ours that means all of us to a degree. But most especially it means those elected or appointed to power. And if they are Catholic then we have a more-than-reasonable expectation that they will strive to live their lives and conduct their affairs as ministers of state according to Catholic moral teaching.
In these latter days that appears to be too much to ask.

It's obvious to me that Obama hates Catholics just from scanning this post here. Everyone that dares question him is called a "bigot." I wouldn't be surprised in the future if Catholics here in the U.S. could be arrested for practicing their faith (Protestants would too as well.). Secularism it seems to me has become very dominant just like Catholic League's Bill Donohue has warned on more than one occasion. And it's like our society says, "Let's leave God out of this." That's communism. Everything is happening just Our Lady of Fatima perdicted would happen, the rise of secularistic and atheistic governments attempting to remove Christianity from the public square.

The great persecutions and I've said many times on here is a coming.

Fordham law students organize birth control clinic

2011-11-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

I have no doubt that Planned Parenthood is behind all this! I do hope the Archbishop does something about it.

Law Students for Reproductive Justice, a Fordham University student organization, has organized an off-campus birth control clinic because “our Catholic university prohibits the actual prescription of contraception at its health centers.”
“Students often learn that the health centers have religiously-based prohibition on contraceptive care only after purchasing university health insurance or seeking care,” complains Bridgette Dunlap, a Crowley Scholar in International Human Rights at Fordham Law School and the president of Law Students for Reproductive Justice.
Dunlap writes:

The university's position seems to be "What do you expect this is a Catholic school?" Well, I knew I went to a Catholic school, but I didn't know I went to that kind of Catholic school. And, other students don’t know about the Catholic aversion to birth control or don’t expect it to affect health care for a religiously-diverse student population …

The law school student body and faculty have been extremely supportive; they are grateful and proud of our efforts. Students have shared their stories with us of how the university's practices have affected their lives and health and an important conversation has begun on campus. And, the university seems to be taking our concerns a bit more seriously since we decided to take matters into our own hands.
Law Students for Reproductive Justice’s projects “include brownbags with reproductive rights activists, an ongoing escort program in partnership with Planned Parenthood of New York City, a research partnership with local pro-choice legal organizations, and internship opportunities,” according to its website.

Full Article...

Advocates for Women Bishops Rejoice as Five More Anglican Bishops Join Catholic -- (It's a year old)

2011-11-29T07:44:00.000-08:00

Wonderful insight by American Papist on the Anglican Ordinariate!

Traditional Anglican bishops leaving the Church of England and joining the Roman Catholic Church’s Ordinariate as advocates for female bishops simultaneously push for (and rejoice over) their departure:
Advocates for women bishops last night welcomed the resignation of five Anglican bishops to the Catholic Church saying their departure should help quicken the arrival of full equality within the Church of England.
The five bishops, three of whom are still working bishops, have left the Church of England following prolonged disagreement over the consecration of women bishops, an issue which has bitterly divided the Anglican Church. [The UK Independent]
The lines dividing the orthodox See of Rome (which continues to follow the apostolic tradition) and the ever-splintering doctrinal disputes of post-modern protestantism become clearer yet.
I think the creation of the Ordinariate will have far wider-reaching impacts than simply on those souls it directly effects. The existence of the Ordinariate and the possibility of similar structures being erected in the future changes the inter-denomination debate of protestant churches and ecclesial communities where some members desire to retain and fully live-out the core traditions of Christianity. In other words, the Ordinariate does not just change the Roman Catholic experience, it transforms the debates going on within mainline Anglican and protestant communions as well.

This farther confirms my belief that that we are all either Catholic or pagan in the end. This is the beginning of the end of the Reformation, and the Protestants will either choose to come home to Rome or they will end up becoming pagans. Feminism is it's own end isn it--no matter who or what it destroys.

Cardinal Burke reflects on his first year in the Sacred College

2011-11-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

This is so true on such a huge level. This wonderful man is an excellent shepherd and we need to keep him in our prayers.

Rome, Italy, Nov 28, 2011 / 06:06 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, one of the Catholic Church's top U.S.-born clerics, is marking the first anniversary of his November 2010 elevation to the Sacred College of Cardinals.

"Well, it’s been a very fast-moving year," Cardinal Burke told CNA in his Roman apartment just yards from the Vatican, where he serves as head of the Church's highest court.

"But, it’s been a very good year I'd have to say, and I’ve certainly come to understand more fully what it is to give this service to the Holy Father and hope that I am doing it better."

The College of Cardinals consists of the men considered the Pope’s closest aides, giving counsel and assistance to the pontiff when needed. It currently has under 200 members, with only 115 - those under age 80 - eligible to elect a future Pope.

Cardinal Burke, 63, has had a remarkable journey from America's rural Midwest - where he grew up as the youngest of six children - to his current post as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

"I never dreamed of it, to be honest with you," he said, reflecting on God's guidance of his path to the Vatican.

"I grew up, thanks be to God, in a very good Catholic home," he recalled. "We were small dairy farmers in Wisconsin, which was a very common situation in that part of the world. But I see how God has been at work all along, and I marvel at it."

While much has changed since those days, his life as a cardinal is "not unrelated to what my parents were trying to teach me from the time I was little."

"And, the truth of the matter is that the older I get, the more I appreciate those first lessons that were taught to me, that early formation in the faith."

After 14 years leading dioceses in Wisconsin and Missouri, Cardinal Burke was chosen in 2008 to head the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, often called the "Supreme Court" of the Catholic Church.

"Whenever I've done whatever's been asked of me," he said, "I’ve always found a happiness in my work as a priest, and I continue to find that today."

A patriot with an obvious love for the United States, the Rome-based cardinal remains invested in the struggle for his country's culture.

"It is a war," he stated, describing the battle lines between "a culture of secularization which is quite strong in our nation," and "the Christian culture which has marked the life of the United States strongly during the first 200 years of its history."

He says it is "critical at this time that Christians stand up for the natural moral law," especially in defense of life and the family.

"If Christians do not stand strong, give a strong witness and insist on what is right and good for us both as and individuals and society," he warned, "this secularization will in fact predominate and it will destroy us."

Cardinal Burke favors realism over pessimism, and believes "things are getting better" in America, particularly among the young.

"I think that sometime the young people understand much better the bankruptcy of a totally secularized culture because they’ve grown up with it," he observed.

Many youth "have seen their families broken" and "have been exposed to all the evils of pornography," leading them to conclude that the secularization project "is going nowhere and that it will destroy them" if left unchecked.

But the cardinal also thinks persecution may be looming for the U.S. Church.

"Yes, I think we’re well on the way to it," he said, pointing to areas of social outreach - such as adoption and foster care - where the Church has had to withdraw rather than compromise its principles.

This trend could reach a point where the Church, "even by announcing her own teaching," is accused of "engaging in illegal activity, for instance, in its teaching on human sexuality."

Asked if he could envision U.S. Catholics ever being arrested for preaching their faith, he replied: "I can see it happening, yes."

The Vatican's top judge takes a dim view of self-professed Catholic politicians who oppose the Church on key moral issues.

Among them is U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, currently seeking to force most of the country's employers - including Catholic institutions - to cover contraception and sterilization in employee health plans.

"To the degree to which (Sebelius) proclaims herself to be a practicing Catholic, she is very wrong," said Cardinal Burke. He sees it as "simply incomprehensible" for a Catholic to "support the kind of measures that she is supporting."

The cardinal says his native country's 2012 election will be "very significant."

Catholics, he said, "have a serious duty to vote and to try and find the best candidate to elect." And some "good and solid, right-thinking individuals" may even be called to run for public office themselves.

Above all, the cardinal hopes for a "new evangelization" of the United States - starting with faithful families, strong religious education, and reverent liturgical worship.

The family, he noted, is where a child "first learns the truths of the faith, first prayers, first practices his or her life in Christ." But the Mass itself is the "source of our solid teaching, of our solid witness," and also "the most beautiful and fullest expression we give to that teaching."

The tribunal prefect also exercises care for the Church's liturgy as a member of the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship.

He is grateful to Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for giving the Church "a font of solid direction" regarding worship, based on the Second Vatican Council's vision of a "God-centred liturgy and not a man-centred liturgy."

That intention was not always realized, he said, since the council's call for liturgical reform coincided with a "cultural revolution."

Many congregations lost their "fundamental sense that the liturgy is Jesus Christ himself acting, God himself acting in our midst to sanctify us."

Cardinal Burke said greater access to the traditional Latin Mass, now know as the "extraordinary form" of the Roman rite, had helped to correct the problem.

"The celebration of the Mass in the extraordinary form is now less and less contested," he noted, "and people are seeing the great beauty of the rite as it was celebrated practically since the time if Pope Gregory the Great" in the sixth century.

Many Catholics now see that the Church's "ordinary form" of Mass, celebrated in modern languages, "could be enriched by elements of that long tradition."

In time, Cardinal Burke expects the Western Church's ancient and modern forms of Mass to be combined in one normative rite, a move he suggests the Pope also favors.

"It seems to me that is what he has in mind is that this mutual enrichment would seem to naturally produce a new form of the Roman rite – the 'reform of the reform,' if we may – all of which I would welcome and look forward to its advent."

Cardinal Burke's main role, however, is to uphold the Church's legal system. He describes canon law as "the fundamental discipline which makes possible our life in the Church," since it is "not a society of angels" but a communion of men and women who require norms for living.

He acknowledges that canon law fell out of fashion beginning in the late 1960s, during a period where many Catholics bristled at the notion of such rules.

"The whole euphoria that set in within society – and in the Church itself – was that this was the age of freedom, the age of love, and so, in those years nobody talked anymore about ‘sin’, this was considered to be negative talk."

But since "human nature didn’t actually change," the "lack of attention to discipline and to law" produced a great deal of "bad fruit."

One consequence, the cardinal believes, was the mishandling of clerical abuse accusations.

"Absolutely, there’s no question in my mind about that," said Cardinal Burke. He pointed out that both the 1917 and 1983 canon law codes put "a discipline in place" to confront an "evil" the Church had faced before.

"All of that was in place," the Vatican judge reflected, "but, first of all, it wasn’t known in the sense that people were not studying the law, were not paying attention to it, and so, if it wasn’t known or studied then it wasn’t being applied."

Historically, he believes, it was an "unfortunate coincidence" that a cultural upheaval accompanied Blessed Pope John XXIII’s call for a reform of canon law.

"This added to the notion that we didn’t really have a law anymore – then the attitude developed that we don’t need it."

Bl. John Paul II resolved the situation after his election in 1978, implementing a new code of law by 1983. Cardinal Burke remains "deeply grateful" for the late Pope's action.

Having been raised to the rank of cardinal, the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura could someday cast his vote for a future Pope.

But could divine providence ever call the son of a Midwestern farming family to the papacy himself?

"Oh, I don’t believe so," Cardinal Burke laughed.

"I hope that the present Holy Father lives a long time. He’s a tremendous gift to the Church and that’s my great prayer – that the Lord gives him many more years."

Full Article...

At UN Vatican reaffirms stance against condoms for HIV/AIDS prevention - Analysis

2011-11-28T07:37:00.000-08:00

Chastity works everytime. Condoms enable promiscuity, which robs people of their inherent dignity and causes the spread of STDs. Condoms break with great frequency! I fail to see why this even requires an explanation, but apparently, it does. But people on the far left just don't seem to get it. Don't they realize that condoms make humans act like animals and trains the mind to use pure instincts - it just makes men stupid! So how can the world have good fathers if they are trained to be like animals?

NEW YORK, November 25, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - At United Nations headquarters Tuesday, Vatican representative Fr. Philip Bené reiterated the long-held position of the Holy See against the use of condoms, even for AIDS prevention. While the position has had some accuse the Pope of ‘crimes against humanity’ and been ridiculed by the mainstream press and political leaders, the Catholic Church has nevertheless refused to be cowed by the criticism.

Speaking to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York on Tuesday Nov. 22nd about a resolution on the Rights of the Child, Fr. Bené stated: “the Holy See in no way endorses contraception or the use of condoms, either as a family planning measure or in HIV/AIDS prevention programmes.”
The tenacity of the Catholic Church on the issue is remarkable given the massive pressure directed at the institution on the matter.

Fr. Bene’s comments follow on the heels of the Pope’s own recent talking points in Africa where he reiterated the same teaching.
On Sunday November 20 Pope Benedict XVI presented his document - Africae Munus - to chart evangelization of the continent in the coming years. The 55-page document spoke of AIDS noting that while the Church has encouraged a medical and pharmaceutical response, the problem goes deeper. “Above all, it is an ethical problem,” he said. “The change of behaviour that it requires - for example, sexual abstinence, rejection of sexual promiscuity, fidelity within marriage - ultimately involves the question of integral development, which demands a global approach and a global response from the Church.”
The significance of this stance may be easily missed. Recall that in his first trip to Africa as Pope, Benedict XVI inadvertently enraged the left when he noted that AIDS “cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems.”
He said the “traditional teaching of the Church” on chastity outside marriage and fidelity within it had proved to be “the only sure way of preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS.” He added that while “we must suffer with those who suffer” and give greater support to those who are sick with the disease, combating AIDS in Africa depends on promoting “correct and moral behavior.”

Full Article...

Family leaves church amid altar girls debate...

2011-11-25T12:18:00.000-08:00

Mass had just begun at Corpus Christi Catholic Church when Jennifer Zickel, a Sunday school teacher, glanced at the church bulletin and saw something that made her sick to her stomach.

Tucked in with announcements about a new electronic donation system and a church dinner at Margarita’s Mexican restaurant was news that Zickel, the mother of two girls, had been dreading: Corpus Christi would no longer train girls to be altar servers.

As our religion Web site celebrates its fifth anniversary, a look back at some stunning images of faith in the past five years.

Zickel burst into tears and ran to the bathroom.

“I knew right then that our family couldn’t stay at this church anymore,” Zickel said, her voice breaking. “I’m a mama bear, and they’re going after my girls.”............

see here for rest of story:

Full Article...

It seems as though worshipping God has to be done her way...not the way of the Church she belongs to. Altar boys have always been male because it was a means to inspire priestly vocations in boys. Well Lincoln NE has one of highest ordination rates, and they have a diocese wide no female altar server rule. Here is the pdf.

http://www.futurechurch.org/fpm/CARA-OrdinandsByDiocese.pdf

Of course, this could be because of many different factors, such as orthodoxy and good religious education programs for children, that have taught the true Catholic faith.

True, there is no "must" in male altar servers. The Vatican has allowed it and I have nothing against it other than my personal preference. My disagreement is with someone refusing to follow their bishop as they should.
How does allowing girls to serve at mass affect the inspiration of priestly vocations in males? The same way children being raised by a same-sex couple effects their upbringing. By feminizing altar serving, boys will not want to serve. This has been said, time after time.

Why are priests becoming harder and harder to find? Fewer men want to be priests? When the mass and sacraments, which form the basic part of a priest's job, were trivialized after Vatican 2, and the message from the institution was sent that a priest is no more important than a layperson, and laypeople ought to do a large portion of the priests's job, many priests left.

This, coupled with the incessant questioning of the Church by its own members, suppressed vocations.

Added to this was the decreased number of large families. If a boy knows he and perhaps only one other sibling will have to support his parents, he is less likely to become a priest.

The Church doesn't want men who want to be priests.

The Church wants men who are called by God to be priests and who are willing to submit to His will. Desire is only a distant, very distant, third. By nature all men desire marriage and the rights of marriage. By Grace men can accept that call of God. Salary, living arrangements, etc have literally nothing to do with whether a man is called by God to be a priest. God does not care how much you get paid to do his will and neither should any of us.

More orthodoxy in the seminaries, more vocations.

Professor claims that Churches should be forced to pay for abortion and contraception

2011-11-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

The National Catholic Fishwrap claims that according to Professor Kmeic that it's ok to "force Churches to pay for abortion and contraception!

Sometimes one is tempted to say a plague on both your houses. We're not even close to the 2012 election season and already there are overheated claims that the Obama administration is at war with Catholics.
It is not.
One of the most attractive aspects of President Barack Obama is the significance of faith in his life. Raised outside a formal church of any kind, Obama early on discovered his own life's meaning in giving of himself to others. He also discovered that even the magnanimity of community service could often be misunderstood outside a context of shared belief.
Yet with tea parties and occupiers and dissenters of every variety active in the land, shared belief is increasingly hard for political figures to manifest on a national or even state or regional level. It is easier, but still not without challenge, for churchmen to articulate first principles held in common -- like, for example, that life is a gift; it is sacred; and it is not within our power to forfeit our own life or take that of another.
The recital just made, with some exception, would garner near-unanimous agreement, but digging into its meaning even in the most superficial manner immediately divides. No right to forfeit our own life? Some seek to justify euthanasia; others find the attempt at that justification indistinguishable from murder, even as these others would respect a choice not to be kept alive by heroic means.
Of course, then there would then be disagreement over what is and is not a heroic means. Is it an extraordinary or heroic means to be force-fed with nutrition and hydration, for example? By his own witness, John Paul II thought it was not, but the sequence of death is not the same for all. In some cases, artificial nutrition and hydration can merely represent prolonged pain for the dying and wasted and anxiety-laden grief for families seeking to do the right thing.
The "right thing"? Different, not infrequently, conflicting religious beliefs do not stand as equal in Catholic thought. How could they? There is "one true, catholic and apostolic faith," after all. Yet not every human mind is prepared to grasp the truth as the church sees it, for among other reasons, the opposing views think we have it wrong. Trying to govern a civil government with people convinced that their neighbor has a fundamentally mistaken idea of something as consequential as life and death is not easy. Yet the Catholic tradition -- at least since Vatican II and Dignitatis Humanae -- opens the way to civil peace among faith beliefs not by imposing one view of the matter over another, but by proclaiming all of the holders of these divergent religious views to be equal before the law.
The principle of religious liberty that the Catholic church observes, and that the church must ask the polity to observe as well, is not the insistence that the deprivation of artificial nutrition and hydration be punishable under civil law, but that to the extent one's freely chosen faith belief requires such forced feeding that the law not make it impossible for the believer to pursue that care. If the law allows for religious beliefs to be observed or unobserved as the authoritative family member may decide, the church really should not complain about the president if its own believer makes the wrong choice in terms of Catholic doctrine. In such circumstance, the church's focus should be upon the education and conversion of heart of its own believer, not whether the law permits a contrary belief.
This same principle explains the limits of the law with respect to all manner of subjects, from abortion to artificial contraception. That the law may specify that abortion or contraceptive coverage be included as choices for employees ought not be seen as making the employer contributing to the legally imposed medical premium complicit in the act itself. To think that an authorizing statute or executive decision violates principles of religious liberty or free exercise merely because it allows a choice contrary to faith is to misunderstand the nature of democracy and individual freedom. It also vastly understates the responsibility of the church's own obligation of moral formation -- including effectively revealing to married couples the sublime joy and significance of intimacy that is total and ever open to new life.
At present, however, both political parties are remiss in not reminding the body politic how the principle of religious liberty actually operates. This has permitted some media voices, like the Washington Post's Michael Gerson, to perceive religious hostility where there is none. There is no violation of religious liberty when HHS announces a temporary (or permanent) regulation requiring all employers -- religious or nonreligious, Catholic or not -- to provide employees with an insurance benefit for artificial contraception. Yes, it would be more congenial if the HHS administrative process adopted the Catholic view of contraception over that of other churches, but that declination was a choice the church herself since Vatican II has conceded belonged to Caesar. Had the HHS regulation gone farther and demanded a religious employer to affirmatively endorse or require the use of artificial contraception or any other choice contrary to its own teaching or face a penalty, that would violate the principle of religious liberty.
While there is no constitutional violation of religious liberty in the HHS regulation requiring that coverage allow for the informed choice of all consumers, and therefore, HHS is not duty-bound to allow a Catholic employer exemption, why HHS went out of its way to promulgate an unduly narrow religious exemption intruding upon religious employer hiring policies and their ability to be of service to Catholics and non-Catholics alike illustrates a type of blunder-headedness on the part of some Obama subordinate officers playing into the hands of single-issue Catholics and other partisans. The intrusive exemption shows more disrespect for faith than the president's own value commitments.
Shame on Republicans for claiming a constitutional violation where there is nothing more than a fully authorized invitation to citizens to be guided by faith -- or not, as the case may be in matters of contraception. Shame on Democrats for undercutting the president's efforts to promote inter-religious respect and common ground. Shame on us all if we let ourselves get distracted by either shortcoming to the exclusion of addressing the far more pressing need for a family wage and a restructuring of tax and regulatory policy to ensure the economic and social needs of the middle class or average American family, which New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan highlighted recently. Aristotle taught us long ago in his ethics that the middle class is essential to the success of democracy, since the rich are immune from bad times and the poor consumed by them.
And, Mr. President, you cannot remind us too often of the prayer you told us in 2006 you said every day for your country that despite our profound disagreements, "we can live with one another in a way that reconciles the beliefs of each with the good of all."
[Douglas W. Kmiec is the former ambassador of the U.S. to Malta and is a professor of constitutional law at Pepperdine University.]

Doesn't this clown know that your automatically excommunicated for supporting abortion in any shape or form? This is perfect illustration of the pitfalls of the government running healthcare.

Pelosi Taunts Catholics

2011-11-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

Pelosi just doesn't get it does she? American Papist has more on this:

The Washington Post‘s Lifestyle section caught up with Democrat minority leader Nancy Pelosi for an interview published today.
When questioned about Catholics who have asked to have conscience clause protections honored that would allow them to refuse personally performing abortions, she had this to say:
“‘I’m a devout Catholic and I honor my faith and love it . . . but they have this conscience thing’ that [Pelosi] insists put women at physical risk…”
Simply astonishing. The woman who absolutely demands that she has a right to follow her conscience when it disagrees with the Church is happy to force other people to violate their conscience when their conscience disagrees with hers.
You couldn’t formulate a more perfect example of hypocrisy if you tried.
But wait, it gets worse. This comment of hers was in the context of her defending her claim that allowing Catholics to opt-out of personally performing abortions would mean “letting women die on the floor.” She called Republican efforts to safeguard the pro-life consciences of health care providers “savage.” And she denied that such language was “too far.”
I know pro-life doctors. The idea that they are willing to let women facing a problem pregnancy “die on the floor” unattended is offensive and malicious.
Pelosi also said: “I think the pope would agree” that she knows more about having babies than he does. Since when does she get to publicly claim the pope backs her decision?
I don’t think Pelosi even knows what she’s saying. In the meantime, she remains an incredible embarrassment to Catholic moral values and a scandal to the faithful.
Is this the fruit of her meeting(s?) with her bishop, Archbishop George Niederauer?
I hope bishops –beginning with her own bishop, Abp. Niederauer– publicly correct her and soon. I hope the Vatican responds to Pelosi’s claim that the pope defers to Pelosi on all matters pertaining to abortion.
It is simply intolerable to have a Catholic who claims to be “devout” and who claims to “honor” and “love” her faith to be publicly advocating for fellow Catholics to have their consciences forcibly violated through the coercion of law.
And for those watching the signs of the times, witness here the final unravelling of the myth of absolute primacy of conscience. Conscience is not a license for willful dissent from the teaching of the Church.

My question is why won't the bishops excommunicate her and deny her communion? Maybe Nancy ought to know that there's a thing called hell! There are those who could have fixed her little red wagon years ago, but refuse to do so. Their silence is deafening. Yes; I mean certain bishops.

Same sex adoption is not a game

2011-11-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

Very interesting and informative.

Moves by legislators and homosexual activists to endorse same sex adoption are misguided. Their intentions may be good, but they are ignoring the rights of children and important social and psychological research into the homosexual lifestyle.
The recent decision of Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois to separate from the Church and place children in same sex unions occurred after Illinois followed the lead set by other states and enacted legislation to protect so-called rights for homosexual unions. This legislation, the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, denied funding to social service agencies that refuse to permit same sex adoption.
Experimenting on children by permitting adoption by same sex couples poses serious problems. Children have a right to and a need for parenting by both a father and a mother. This need should be recognized by the state and by professional groups as far more important than an adult’s supposed right to adopt.
The views presented here are based on extensive social science research and scholarship, on my clinical experience as a psychiatrist that includes consulting with adoptive and foster children for several years, treating adoptive children for almost 35 years, writing about their treatment in a textbook for the American Psychological Association (1) and as the father of three adopted daughters.

Full Article

Pope ends Africa trip with giant mass amid geat joy

2011-11-21T06:35:00.001-08:00

God bless the Pope!

Pope Benedict XVI ended his second trip to Africa on Sunday with a mass for tens of thousands in the voodoo heartland of Benin and by issuing a grand vision for his Church's future on the continent.
Benedict left the West African nation following a three-day visit that saw him denounce corruption, label AIDS a mainly ethical problem and encourage Africans to seek reconciliation in the face of conflicts.
For Sunday's mass celebrated by Benedict, some 50,000 people filled a stadium in Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin, a country considered both a heartland of voodoo and a bastion of Catholicism -- and where the two religions often mix.
Officials estimated another 30,000 people watched from outside the stadium, with the pope's mass projected on to giant screens.
Benedict arrived in his popemobile to a joyous welcome from the faithful, many wearing skirts or wraps with his picture. The 84-year-old pope received warm cheers when he took a baby in his arms.
Ahead of his arrival, the crowd applauded each time the sun appeared from behind the clouds, some crying out, "Jesus!"
Benedict told the crowd that they should work toward reconciliation in the face of conflict.
"Dear brothers and sisters of Africa, this land which sheltered the holy family, may you continue to cultivate Christian family values," he said.
"At a time when so many families are separated, in exile, grief-stricken as a result of unending conflicts, may you be artisans of reconciliation and hope."

Full Article...

Cardinal Burke: Attacks on unborn are rooted in ‘contraceptive mentality’

2011-11-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

This Cardinal here has a good point. I hope we have more bishops like him!

ROCKFORD, Illinois, November 18, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of America’s highest ranking Catholic prelates, urged pro-life advocates last month to confront an “erroneous view of human sexuality” that robs the sexual act of its life-giving purpose.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Vatican's Apostolic Signatura
“The attack on the innocent and defenceless life of the unborn has its origin in an erroneous view of human sexuality, which attempts to eliminate, by mechanical or chemical means, the essentially procreative nature of the conjugal act,” the prelate, who heads the Apostolic Signatura (the Vatican’s highest court), told the McHenry County Catholic Prayer Breakfast in the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois on October 31st.

The prelate stressed the essential role of obedience in promoting a culture of life, and lamented that even some bishops had openly dissented from Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, which reiterated the Church’s opposition to contraception.
“A most tragic example of the lack of obedience of faith, also on the part of certain Bishops, was the response of many to the Encyclical Letter Humanae vitae,” he said. “If the shepherd is not obedient, the flock easily gives way to confusion and error.”

Full Article...

New Laws Punish Women for Miscarriage

2011-11-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

Pro-choicers say, "this is the reason that even some pro-lifers are leery of Personhood laws." I am glad when they punish a woman who's lifestyle choices cause the death of their fetus. There is a difference between a woman who has a miscarriage after going to weekly check ups, eating well, being careful with her activities, etc... and one who has a miscarriage because she aggressively abuses cocaine. There is also a difference between a miscarriage and an abortion. However, if a crack-head mother leaves her drugs around the house and her 2 year old daughter ingests them and dies, isn't the mother guilty of neglect and wrongful death?

Rennie Gibbs is accused of murder, but the crime she is alleged to have committed does not sound like an ordinary killing. Yet she faces life in prison in Mississippi over the death of her unborn child.

Gibbs became pregnant aged 15, but lost the baby in December 2006 in a stillbirth when she was 36 weeks into the pregnancy. When prosecutors discovered that she had a cocaine habit – though there is no evidence that drug abuse had anything to do with the baby's death – they charged her with the "depraved-heart murder" of her child, which carries a mandatory life sentence.

Gibbs is the first woman in Mississippi to be charged with murder relating to the loss of her unborn baby. But her case is by no means isolated. Across the US more and more prosecutions are being brought that seek to turn pregnant women into criminals.

Full Article...

UK Court Argues that Catholic Church is Liable

2011-11-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

A British court has ruled that Roman Catholic priests are equivalent to employees, a decision that could pave the way for victims of sexual abuse to win damages from the church.

Tuesday's ruling involved a 47-year-old woman who says she was sexually assaulted by the Rev. Wilfred Baldwin when she was living in a Catholic children's home in Portsmouth, in southern England. The woman, whose identity is protected by a court order, is pursuing a claim for damages against the church. Baldwin died in 2006.......

....The Portsmouth Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust, the defendant in the case, was given permission to appeal the ruling.

Full Article...

The thing that really irks me here is that everyone *assumes* that the WHOLE Church should be held responsible for what one Priest did. People just randomly pop up in the news saying "Fr _____ did this and this to so and so, so many years ago". (later to be proven wrong) Now people assume that all Priests molest poor innocent children, which is definitely the biggest lie in all the world.

Odd ruling in view of Justice MacDuff's statement and reference to other case laws which contain differences in law and fact. It only shows that secular courts do not have the competence to preside over the relationship between the Catholic Bishop and his priests. The nature of relationship "akin to employment" is more suited to the C of E.
The relationship between Catholic priests and bishops are religious (theological/canonical) in nature. It is not one within the construct of civil employment. If the court manages to establish vicarious liability against the diocese, the law could apply to the Vatican on the basis of the legal premise relating to an employee-employer relationship with the Bishops.

Vicarious liability has 2 conditions:
1. Employee was acting in the normal course of duty (not "off on a frolic of his own")
2. Employee did something stupid (illegal) while on said duty

The kink is that the Vatican is a separate, sovereign state that is not subject to English Law (nor Common Law, the Vatican is a Civil Law jurisdiction).

It appears to me that at the heart of this case is an attempt to attack the right of religious organisations to have their own personal identity.

Muslim Students Criticize Banzhaf’s Legal Action (CUA Crosses Case)

2011-11-14T05:26:00.000-08:00

From CUA's paper, The Tower:

University Muslim students have announced their opposition to the recent lawsuit against the University proposed by George Washington University professor John F. Banzhaf, who claims that the University is discriminating against Muslim students by not offering them a separate place to pray on campus.

The University has not received any official statement from the Office of Human Rights in regard to the lawsuit.

“Neither me nor any Muslim student I know has ever filed a complaint against CUA for any reason,” said sophomore biomedical engineering major Alawiyah Al Hashem. “I haven’t seen any actions taken by the university or any of its students that would justify doing so.”

So Banzhaf is just doing this to rake muck. I think it's good that these Muslims in particular are responding. Often, they are very intimidated by the radical elements in Islam and they keep their mouths shut when they are being used as pawns. These kids who are responding in defense of Catholic University are not going to score points with radical extremist Muslims.

Move 180 "offends" ADL

2011-11-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

The ignorance of the ADL never ceases to amaze me. Given their "high opinions" of themselves it's not surprising that they make a statement like this. Aren't the numbers enough?! The ADL and Foxman are not doing themselves nor anyone else a service by issuing protests like this. So what, the ADL thinks they are so precious, that 53 million + babies aren't worth it? Everyone is God's people, and everyone deserves the sanctity of life. In my opinion, we ought to say "the current Holocaust", not the "the Holocaust", because both those statements are telling of a so-called "civilized" society.

The Anti-Defamation Legue has lost it's marbles if you ask me, they are being more correctly associated with the benefits of being heirs to a protected class. The sting of suffering, persecution, and genuine risk of life are no longer worries of the ADL entitlement group. Only the heritage of the eilte remains. Back in '45, there were few pro- "choice" Jews. I don't know about you, but if pictures of aborted babies offends you, but yet it doesn't offend you that it happens EVERYDAY legally in this country, then something is very wrong with you!

NEW YORK, November 11, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has condemned the film “180” for comparing abortion in the United States to the Holocaust.
The ADL called the movie “cynical and perverse” and “one of the most offensive and outrageous abuses of the memory of the Holocaust we have seen in years,” in a statement released Wednesday by Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.
The film “180,” available on DVD and on YouTube, is an initiative by Project Heart Changer, led by the Living Waters organization. It opens by exposing the ignorance of young Americans about the Holocaust, and then goes on to compare the American peoples’ acceptance of abortion to Hitler having the sanction of the German people to kill Jews.
The movie has gone viral on YouTube, with just under 1.5 million views in the six weeks since its release. According to Project Heart Changer more than 250,000 copies of the DVD were sold within a month of its release, with well over that number given away at American universities and high schools.

Full Article...

Catholic Social Services splits from Illinois diocese, will offer same-sex adoptions [CWN]

2011-11-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that our Blessed Lord is separating the goats from the sheep through test of time.

Pledging to adhere to state legislation requiring equal treatment for same-sex couples in adoption and foster-care services, Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois is separating from the Diocese of Belleville. The agency will now be called Christian Social Services of Illinois.
“The Catholic Diocese of Belleville has announced that Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois (CSS), consistently one of the most highly rated providers of foster care and other social services in the State of Illinois, is separating from the Diocese of Belleville,” the diocese said in a statement. “It will no longer be connected to or sponsored by the Diocese.”
“Unable to remain faithful to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church while adhering to the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, the 64-year-old social service agency chose to disassociate from the Diocese. It is hoped that this new entity will experience no interruption in its services and programs.”
“Catholic Social Services, incorporated in 1947 as Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Belleville, will separate from The Catholic Diocese of Belleville,” the agency said in a separate statement. “This action is being taken so that the agency, which will be known as Christian Social Services of Illinois, may adhere to the new State of Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act.”
“This solution is what is best for the children by providing for their continuity of care and allowing for the retention of the caring, dedicated and professional staff employed by the agency,” said Gary Huelsmann, the agency’s executive director.

Full Article...

Top Vatican Official and the Pontical Council for Peace and Justice

2011-11-11T12:16:00.000-08:00

Remember the uproar that was caused when the Pontifical Council for Peace and Justice issued their statement on the world's economic crisis? Well, apparently a top Vatican official is none to happy about this. And now forbids them from releasing a statement without the Pope's permission.

American Papist has more on the subject:

Very notable news, via Vatican expert Sandro Magister, following the aftermath of the Justice & Peace’s ill-advised white paper (emphasis mine):
Precisely when the G20 summit in Cannes was coming to its weak and uncertain conclusion, on that same Friday, November 4 at the Vatican, a smaller summit convened in the secretariat of state was doing damage control on the latest of many moments of confusion in the Roman curia.
In the hot seat was the document on the global financial crisis released ten days earlier by the pontifical council for justice and peace. A document that had disturbed many, inside and outside of the Vatican.
The secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, complained that he had not known about it until the last moment. And precisely for this reason he had called that meeting in the secretariat of state.
The conclusion of the summit was that this binding order would be transmitted to all of the offices of the curia: from that point on, nothing in writing would be released unless it had been inspected and authorized by the secretariat of state.
Liberal Catholics were quick to try to claim this document somehow represented the authoritative teaching of the Church (and Pope Benedict himself), and attempted to criticize orthodox Catholics who accurately presented the document as enjoying little authority as somehow being “cafeteria catholics.”
Well, the ball is back in their court now, and I (and others) haven’t changed our position. The additional reporting by Magister only make more clear how right we were in our analysis:
“…what has been even more irritating for many authoritative readers of the document of the pontifical council for justice and peace is the fact that it is in glaring contradiction with Benedict XVI’s encyclical “Caritas in Veritate.”
In the encyclical, pope Joseph Ratzinger does not in any way call for a “public authority with universal competency” over politics and the economy, that sort of great Leviathan (no telling who gets the throne, or how) so dear to the document of October 24.
In “Caritas in Veritate” the pope speaks more properly of the “governance” (meaning regulation, “moderamen” in Latin) of globalization, through subsidiary and polyarchic institutions. Nothing at all like a monocratic world government.
When one then delves into the analyses and specific proposals, it is also stunning how strong the divergence is between what is written in the document of the pontifical council for justice and peace and what has been maintained for some time in the financial commentaries published in “L’Osservatore Romano” by Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, president of the Institute for the Works of Religion, the Vatican bank, also chosen for his post by Cardinal Bertone.
… It was easy to predict that Gotti Tedeschi would not remain silent. And in fact, on November 4 – the same day as the summit convened by Bertone in the secretariat of state – “L’Osservatore Romano” published an editorial by Tedeschi that reads like a complete repudiation of the document of the pontifical council for justice and peace.
Magister goes on to reproduce the entirety of Tedeshi’s editorial criticizing the Justice and Peace white paper. (I’ve showcased Tedeshi’s excellent analysis of economic topics on these pages before.)
It’s clear from Magister’s reporting that the consternation over the document is shared not only by orthodox Catholics here in the U.S., but also by top curial officials within the Vatican. The secretary of state Cardinal Bertone has “disowned” it, the L’Osservatore Romano “tears it to shreds” and from now on, any new text issued by Justice and Peace will “have to be authorized in advance by the cardinal.”
The publication of this document, if anything, showcases the influence in Justice and Peace of outside progressive economists/thinkers (such as Professor Leonardo Beccheti, whom Magister and I have mentioned as the likely author of the most flawed aspects of the document) as well as mismanagement of how the pontifical council is run and overseen. It does not represent an example of Pope Benedict’s authoritative teaching office, as I and others said from the outset.
So, for all the liberal Catholics who tried to claim that this white paper represented the thought and position of the “Vatican” and Pope Benedict, what do you have to say now?
Once again, we see that orthodox Catholics didn’t twist and misrepresent the Church’s teaching on an important issue … liberal Catholics did.
It’s time for liberal Catholics to own up to their mistaken interpretation of this white paper. I’ll be waiting.

Just kind of makes me wonder where the liberal Church of America's been all thist time.

The Chiesa has this to say:

ROME, November 10, 2011 – Precisely when the G20 summit in Cannes was coming to its weak and uncertain conclusion, on that same Friday, November 4 at the Vatican, a smaller summit convened in the secretariat of state was doing damage control on the latest of many moments of confusion in the Roman curia.

In the hot seat was the document on the global financial crisis released ten days earlier by the pontifical council for justice and peace. A document that had disturbed many, inside and outside of the Vatican.

The secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, complained that he had not known about it until the last moment. And precisely for this reason he had called that meeting in the secretariat of state.

The conclusion of the summit was that this binding order would be transmitted to all of the offices of the curia: from that point on, nothing in writing would be released unless it had been inspected and authorized by the secretariat of state.

Father Z's comments:

Over at Chiesa, there is a piece about the new, confused “white paper”, as I prefer to call it, from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
Too Much Confusion. Bertone Puts the Curia Under Lock and Key
The document of “Iustitia et Pax” on the global financial crisis is blasted with criticism. The secretary of state disowns it. “L’Osservatore Romano” tears it to shreds. From now on, any new Vatican text will have to be authorized in advance by the cardinal [Imagine! The left hand knowing what the left hand is doing!]
by Sandro Magister
ROME, November 10, 2011 – Precisely when the G20 summit in Cannes was coming to its weak and uncertain conclusion, on that same Friday, November 4 at the Vatican, a smaller summit convened in the secretariat of state was doing damage control on the latest of many moments of confusion in the Roman curia. [You would think they'd be getting good at damage control.]

And we can see the lack of Spirituality everywhere in the Church. It is clear to me that these people do not seek God but worldly things. And there is why they have fallen into confusion. Our Lord is still in charge of His Church, and these people will be brought to shame, if they know what that is.

Moral theologian voices concern over CCHD grant process

2011-11-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 26, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A prominent moral theologian has concurred with an independent review of the U.S. bishops’ social justice arm finding that, while Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) grant guidelines are ‘morally sound,’ their implementation is problematic.
Dr. William Marshner, a moral theology professor at Christendom College and noted Catholic apologist, reviewed the Reform CCHD Now Coalition’s report released this month presenting evidence that several recipients of funding from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) are out of compliance with essential Catholic moral teaching.

“The CCHD policy is morally sound. But its implementation is another story,” wrote Marshner in a letter to American Life League Executive Director and coalition member Paul Rondeau and published on the coalition website.
Marshner said that 11 of the 14 groups named in the report are “cases in which prima facie the grantee has done or promoted an immoral activity.” “In every one of these cases, the grantee has behaved in such a way that continued funding puts the Church in a position of formal cooperation (or in the apparent and proximate danger of formal cooperation) with moral evil,” he wrote.
The remaining three organizations Marshner grouped with 40 others that were found by the authors of the report to be members of questionable coalitions.

Full Article...

Take a look at his full statement!

Here's Reform CCHD Now Coalition’s response to CCHD.

Piece of advice, don't give them any money. I don't. Our money should be going to make the CC beautiful and worthy of the Majesty of Christ our Lord. He has been treated really bad on account of human rights. People has not yet realized that many of us are putting ourselves above God, some of us have been doing this for quite a while. Without God we are nothing.

Here's something else that's interesting -- a coupon for the collection basket.
Making a statement.

"Better Catholic Giving"

Background info -

https://sites.google.com/site/bettercatholicgiving/

Rugged Rugby Jock Wakes up Gay...

2011-11-09T05:39:00.000-08:00

Oh dear ... do they really want to tout the idea that brain damage is a wonderful thing if it "turns" someone into a homosexual? (By definition, a stroke involves brain damage to varying degrees depending on the severity of the stroke.)

Then again, consider the source ...

A hulking, beer-guzzling rugby jock suffered a stroke in a freak training accident -- and woke up gay.
Chris Birch was a straight, 266-pound Welsh bank worker who liked sports, girls and booze and was engaged to his girlfriend before the life-style-changing event.
Now, he’s a 154-pound hairdresser who bleaches his tresses and lives with his 19-year-old boyfriend above his salon.
“I was gay when I woke up and I still am,” he said.
Birch, 26, was showing off before friends in a gym by doing a back flip, but he broke his neck and suffered a stroke, according to Britain’s Daily Mail.
He was rushed to Royal Gwent Hospital in the Welsh town of Newport. His girlfriend and relatives waited for him to recover consciousness.
“It sounds strange, but when I came around, I immediately felt different,” Birch recalled. “I wasn’t interested in women anymore. I was definitely gay.”
Birch, who lives in the town of Ystrad Mynach, said he never experienced any gay inclinations previously.
Researchers have reported many cases of stroke patients experiencing changes in behavior and personality, such as becoming less satisfied with their lives, losing confidence in themselves, or being easily irritated.
But turning gay? That’s a new one.
Birch said the change was sweeping and instantaneous.
“Suddenly, I hated everything about my old life. I didn’t get on with my friends. I hated sport and found my job boring,” he said.
So he underwent a transformation, quitting his job and shedding more than 100 pounds.
He said his family and friends were shocked by his change of sexuality.
“I think I’m happier than ever, so I don’t regret the accident,” he said.
“I’m nothing like the old Chris now, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Full Article...

New York Gov. calls opponents of same-sex unions "anti-American"? (Give me a break!)

2011-11-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

Join me in praying for our Bishops and priests. Cuomo feels the nerve to to me "anti-American" because I oppose same-sex unions? What a hypocrite! I think that New York Gov. ought to be ashamed of himself for making such sweeping incorrect statements about a religion he happens to have been baptized in! He's not really Catholic except legally.

Father Z has more on this.

From LifeSite, a story from a few days ago:
New York governor: opponents of same-sex ‘marriage’ just ‘want to discriminate,’ are ‘anti-American’
BY PATRICK B. CRAINE
Wed Oct 26, 2011
NEW YORK, October 26, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An employee with the New York Archdiocese warned of an “impending persecution” after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called same-sex “marriage” opponents discriminatory and “anti-American” last week.
The governor, who was instrumental in the state’s passage of same-sex “marriage” in June, was asked at a New York Times forum which arguments against same-sex “marriage” he found compelling.
“None,” he said. “There is no answer from the opposition. There really isn’t. Ultimately, it’s, ‘I want to discriminate.’ And that’s anti-New York. It’s anti-American.”
Ed Mechmann of the Archdiocese of New York’s Family Life Office said it is “chilling” that the state’s top official would declare such a large segment of the population as “political pariahs.” He warned Catholics of an “impending persecution,” saying that Cuomo has effectively “declared us to be enemies of the state and nation.” [And there you have it in one. WDTPRS kudos to Mr. Mechmann.]
“In reality, Mr. Cuomo doesn’t just disagree with our arguments, he denies their existence,” said Mechmann on the archdiocese’s blog. “He clearly believes that they are pernicious, beyond the pale of proper discourse, and motivated only by hatred.”
“That is why he has now declared that we are ‘anti-American’ — that is to say, enemies of our nation,” he continued.
“This is legitimately frightening. We all know what the power of the state can do to its enemies,” he added.
This week, Rev. Jason J. McGuire of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms issued an open letter calling the comments by Cuomo an “attack” on half of America’s population and demanding an apology.
In July, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan warned that, if experience in other jurisdictions was any indication, believers in the traditional family “will soon be harassed, threatened, and hauled into court for their conviction.”
Christians in the UK, Canada, and elsewhere have lost their jobs, been dragged through lengthy “human rights” proceedings, and faced steep fines for questioning the dangerous homosexual lifestyle, declining to facilitate gay “marriages,” or even failing to acknowledge “gay pride” events.
“Like St. Thomas More, we’re willing to take the heat and even lose our head from following a conscience properly formed by God’s revelation and the teaching of His Church, even if it is politically incorrect, and clashes with the King’s demands to re-define marriage,” said Dolan.
Immediately following the passage of same-sex “marriage”, New York state officials moved to force marriage commissioners to sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples.
Reacting in July to the news that the first commissioner had resigned as a result, Cuomo insisted that commissioners must put the law above their religious beliefs. “When you enforce the laws of the state, you don’t get to pick and choose which laws,” he said. “You don’t get to say, ‘I like this law and I’ll enforce this law, or I don’t like this law and I won’t enforce this law’ – you can’t do that.”
“The laws would have to be paramount, and would have to be paramount to your religious beliefs,” he added.
New York was the sixth U.S. state to recognize homosexual “marriage,” in addition to the District of Columbia.
Bishops must take a stand and do something. There are bishops in New York state.

US bishops’ conference strongly criticizes CCHD critics

2011-11-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

The Bishops need to completely get rid of the CCHD. It is a travesty.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is offering unusually strong and public criticism of critics of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the USCCB’s controversial anti-poverty program.
“Despite significant progress, some things don’t change,” said Bishops Jaime Soto and Stephen Blaire in a memo to all US bishops. “The American Life League continues to attack CCHD and the USCCB. Judie Brown, Michael Hichborn and the American Life League (ALL) continue to recycle allegations that CCHD funds many organizations that are in conflict with Catholic teaching.”
“In one case, a clear violation occurred after the grant was approved and CCHD funding was swiftly and completely terminated,” they added. “We expressed our appreciation for this information. However, other ALL allegations are without substance … Frankly, in these areas we rely on the judgment of the local bishop and diocese, not the repeated accusations of those with clear ideological and ecclesial agendas.”
In its “Response to Recent Attacks on CCHD,” the USCCB added:

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has been repeatedly attacked by Judie Brown, Michael Hichborn and the American Life League (ALL) for several years … CCHD disagree[s] with ALL’s efforts to accuse groups of violating CCHD guidelines based on web searches and without any contact with the groups or dioceses.

Groups which work on legitimate issues were listed as “partners” or “members” of another organization which allegedly took actions in conflict with Catholic teaching. The CCHD funded group had never agreed to be a partner nor was a member of the other organization and had not participated in the development of an offending policy and was not even aware of the position that they were alleged to support …

Other allegations involve identification of CCHD funded groups with positions of a national organization where the position in conflict with Catholic teaching was the action of an individual staff member who acted without approval or authorization of the organization (for example, adding the organization’s name to material which appeared on the web.) This raises issues of accountability within the other organization (which CCHD does not fund), but does not involve CCHD funded groups in violation of our guidelines or contract.
“They issue a very sweeping blanket dismissal of the report, never once addressing the specifics,” said Michael Hitchborn, media director of the American Life League. “They don't go into any of the information we have in our report. They just say, 'It's wrong,'" he said.”
“We would go over and over and over our facts, but they didn't really have any answers for us,” he added. “What we told the bishops and what we told CCHD is, 'Look, we're not out here to give the Catholic Church a bloody nose. We're out here to help the church maintain the Catholic identity of this program.'”

Full Article...

I find it interesting that a few Bishops' from one Committee call themselves the USCCB. All Catholic press needs to be more careful and accurate in their reporting when attributing statements to the entire USCCB.

Further there are many faithful "Catholic" Charities that Catholics can donate to, regarding our obligation to help the poor as required by Jesus, without the additional overhead costs of another bureaucracy giving to other groups - thus getting more of each dollar to the poor. Costs include but are not limited to: staffing with benefits, office space, supplies, etc.

QUOTE: “ They issue a very sweeping blanket dismissal of the report, never once addressing the specifics,” said Michael Hitchborn, media director of the American Life League.
“They don't go into any of the information we have in our report. They just say, 'It's wrong,'" he said.”
“We would go over and over and over our facts, but they didn't really have any answers for us,” he added.
“What we told the bishops and what we told CCHD is, 'Look, we're not out here to give the Catholic Church a bloody nose.
We're out here to help the church maintain the Catholic identity of this program. ” UNQUOTE

It is very difficult to track all the secular organizations that the CCHD donates our money to for adherance to our Catholic teachings.

The CCHD has not received the return of any of our moneys given to groups that support abortion, same-sex marriage, contraception, etc.

" The Dolan Decree - New York archbishop lays down the law on SAME-SEX Marriages "

2011-11-08T09:19:00.000-08:00

The intimate partnership of life and love that constitutes the married state was established by God and endowed by Him with its own proper nature and laws. According to Divine Law, the nature of marriage is defined as a covenant between one man and one woman by which they establish a partnership of the whole life, which is ordered to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children. Jesus Christ affirmed the privileged place of marriage in human and Christian society by raising this union to the dignity of a Sacrament when entered into by two baptized persons. Consequently, the Church has the authority and the serious obligation to affirm the authentic teaching on marriage, and to preserve and foster the supremely sacred value of the married state.

For millennia, civil authority recognized the true nature of marriage. The marital union between one man and one woman was universally accepted by civil law as a constitutive element of human society, which is vital to the human family and to the continuation of the human race. In a reversal of this tradition, the New York State Legislature recently enacted a law that recognizes same-sex unions as marriages in the State of New York. This law is irreconcilable with the nature and the definition of marriage as established by Divine Law.

Recognizing my responsibility as Diocesan Bishop to guide the Faithful by clearly teaching the truths of the Faith with charity and without compromise, I hereby decree the following diocesan policy regarding same-sex civil marriages. This policy is to be followed by all persons whose activities are subject to my moral authority as Archbishop of New York. It is intended to provide instruction for the activities of these persons and for the use of the property and facilities of the Church and Catholic-affiliated entities within the canonical boundaries of this Archdiocese.

Accordingly, it is the policy of the Archdiocese of New York that:

(1) No member of the clergy (priest or deacon) incardinated in the Archdiocese of New York, or any person while acting as an employee of the Church, may participate in the civil solemnization or celebration of a same-sex marriage, which includes but is not limited to providing services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, good or privileges for such events. Ecclesiastical solemnization or celebration of same-sex marriages is expressly forbidden by Canon law.

(2) No Catholic facility or property, including but not limited to parishes, missions, chapels, meeting halls, Catholic educational, health, or charitable institutions or benevolent orders, or any place dedicated, consecrated, or used for Catholic worship may be used for the solemnization or consecration of same-sex marriages.

(3) No items dedicated, consecrated, or used for the celebration of Catholic liturgy or sacred worship, including but not limited to sacred vessels, vestments, liturgical books or other items may be used for the civil solemnization of a same-sex marriage.

(4) Failure to adhere to this policy may result in the imposition of canonical sanctions.

The terms of this policy shall take effect within the canonical boundaries of the Archdiocese of New York as of the date of this Decree.

Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan
Archbishop of New York

Given at New York, New York this 18th day of October, 2011.

Full Article...

This is good and dandly, but what about denying communion to Gay 'marriage' advocates like Andrew Cuomo? Canonical sanctions means excommunication.

Regarding NY Gov Andrew Cuomo, and those NY Catholic politicians who continue to support same sex marriage - it appears there will be some excommunications in the future. - They have now been warned.

Send his Decree to your own Diocese Bishop, and ask for adoption in your own Diocese.

The Catholic Church has always condemned same-sex marriage - which is sodomy/homosexual acts.
See your "CCC 2nd Ed".

And in the definition of marriage itself -
CCC - " 1660 The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator.
By its very nature it is ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children.
Christ the Lord raised marriage between the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament (cf. CIC, can. 1055 § 1; cf. GS 48 § 1). "

Code of Canon Law -
" Can. 1055 §1. The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring, has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament between the baptized. "

It is the responsibility of each Diocese Bishop to make certain that this is well known in his Diocese.
Abp Dolan has done a good job with this Decree of Oct, 2011. He trusted Cuomo and other Catholic politicans once, and learned that trusting them was a mistake.

The CCC also has 3 paragraphs on homosexuality.
Abp Dolan never approved of the homosexual lifestyle or homosexual acts.

Catholics, Jews urged to work together to promote religious freedom (warns of Islamist fanatics)

2011-11-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Addressing the Anti-Defamation League’s annual meeting, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York took stock of Jewish-Catholic relations and urged Jews and Catholics to work together to protect religious freedom.
Warning of a “possible movement by the government that would dangerously tread on issues of conscience and religion that our two families hold very dear,” Archbishop Dolan said that “Internationally, all believers are in the crosshairs of fanatics around the world. Somewhere, someplace, somebody’s being persecuted to the point of blood because of their faith, and we need to stand together in defense of those people.”
Jews and Catholics, he said, need to “face realistically the common threat we have from fanatics, especially in the Islamist community.”
“It would take an ostrich not to see that religious fanatics have in their cross hairs Jews and Catholics,” he added. “Perhaps you and I are going to be drawn closer together as we defend each other, as we try very creatively and energetically to reach out to moderate Islamic leaders to build mutual defense of religious rights.”

Full Article...

Seems to me that the ADL is more interested in pushing leftist agenda than they are in fighting anti-semitism. I hope they will begin to realize that they most dangerous anti-semitism comes from the left.

‘The Communists wanted to discredit the pope’

2011-11-07T05:43:00.000-08:00

This farther proves Pope Pius XII's innocence!

Rome (CNA/EWTN News) -- The Jewish New Yorker who has made it his life’s work to clear the name of Pope Pius XII of being anti-Semitic says he believes the wartime pontiff actually went undercover to save the lives of Jews in Rome.

Gary Krupp came across the evidence in a letter from a Jewish woman whose family was rescued thanks to direct Vatican intervention.

“It is an unusual letter, written by a woman who is alive today in northern Italy, who said she was with her mother, her uncle, and a few other relatives in an audience with Pius XII in 1947,” Krupp explained. Next to Pope Pius during the meeting was his Assistant Secretary of State, Monsignor Giovanni Montini, the future Pope Paul VI.

“Her uncle immediately looks at the pope and he says, ‘You were dressed as a Franciscan,’ and looked at Montini who was standing next to him, ‘and you as a regular priest. You took me out of the ghetto into the Vatican.’ Montini immediately said, ‘Silence, do not ever repeat that story.’”

Krupp believes the claim to be true because the personality of the wartime pope was such that he “needed to see things with his own eyes.”

“He used to take the car out into bombed areas in Rome, and he certainly wasn't afraid of that. I can see him going into the ghetto and seeing what was happening,” says Krupp.

Krupp and his wife, Meredith, founded the Pave the Way Foundation in 2002 to “identify and eliminate the non-theological obstacles between religions.” In 2006 he was asked by both Jewish and Catholic leaders to investigate the “stumbling block” of Pope Pius XII’s wartime reputation. Krupp, a very optimistic 64-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., thought he had finally hit a wall.

Full Article...

End of archaic anti-Catholic bigotry but danger of new forms

2011-11-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

When does an anti-Catholic act stop being as such an anti-Catholic act? Why, when you excise an anti-Catholic part of it. This is not a recycled joke from Monday’s Halloween ‘guisers,’ this is what began to happen last week when British Prime Minister David Cameron and Commonwealth leaders agreed in principal to pass legislation in all 16 Commonwealth countries to remove the section of the Act of Settlement which barred the heirs to the British throne from marrying Catholics.
And while, after these changes, the laws that govern royal succession will still prevent anyone but an Anglican from succeeding to the throne—enshrining inherent prejudice against all other faiths—this historic remnant of specifically anti-Catholic prejudice is finally to be expunged from the laws under which we live (and not before time.) The Act of Settlement has been on our statute books since 1701 and in spite of all the huffing and puffing about it being nigh impossible to achieve consensus among the Commonwealth countries to reform it, that is what has been achieved.
Now we could ask: Why has it taken so long? Why is the act being reformed and not repealed? While recognising the progress that has been made, these remain very good questions that will one day, very soon, need to be answered. And it takes only a realist, not even a cynic, to see that while politicians amending archaic reminders of historical wrongs should be welcomed, it must not abate current calls from the Catholic community for protection of religious freedom and respect for faith in new legislative proposals on issues currently before Westminster and Holyrood.

Full Article...

As the pro-sexual deviancy faction gains ground, it wouldn't surprise me to see Catholics openly persecuted simply for refusing to agree that two men or two women can be "married". Of course, refusing to "marry" such a pair in a Catholic church or refusing to allow them to adopt children from a Catholic institution is seen, in their eyes, as hateful, homophobic crime. So be it. Christ told us quite plainly that if adhered to the strict teaching of His Church, persecution would come. We've been pretty lucky for most of the history of this country; but now that the country's liberties and freedoms are breaking down, so are the protections which we have come to take for granted. Dig in your teeth, boys and girls, the next few decades are going to be a rough ride.

Vatican stunned by Irish embassy closure

2011-11-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Reuters) - Catholic Ireland's stunning decision to close its embassy to the Vatican is a huge blow to the Holy See's prestige and may be followed by other countries which feel the missions are too expensive, diplomatic sources said on Friday.

The closure brought relations between Ireland and the Vatican, once ironclad allies, to an all-time low following the row earlier this year over the Irish Church's handling of sex abuse cases and accusations that the Vatican had encouraged secrecy.

Ireland will now be the only major country of ancient Catholic tradition without an embassy in the Vatican.

Full Article...

Ireland is not cutting diplomatic ties altogether, they're simply no longer going to have those duties assigned to a full-time guy in Rome.

Here is the Vatican's official statement on this:

"The Holy See takes note of the decision by Ireland to close its embassy in Rome to the Holy See. Of course, any State which has diplomatic relations with the Holy See is free to decide, according to its possibilities and its interests, whether to have an ambassador to the Holy See resident in Rome, or resident in another country. What is important are diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the States, and these are not at issue with regard to Ireland".

John Allen has a story about it which gives some more details. Apparently, they cite financial cuts as the reason (Ireland also announced doing the same with their diplomatic posts in Iran and East Timor).

On some level, it makes sense. The Vatican gig is probably a bit more low key and easy to assign to another diplomat in addition to his other duties. That said, it is hard not to read significance into this in light of Ireland's history as a Catholic country and the recent sex abuse crisis.

Researcher thinks Pius XII went undercover to save Jews

2011-11-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've accepted the fact that people are more willing to believe a lie then they are the truth. The msm and other media outlets try to slander the Church by any means they can imply. They do this because they want to discredit an institution that brings us morals and peace. Now have there been some people who made some bad choices in ...the past. Yes. But the message is always true. Christ was the Prince of Peace. Unfortunately in our society today we want to do as we wish. We want to get away from answering to a higher power. To do so, some portions of society must discredit God and the Church in order to make excuses for their bad choices. I pray we once again get back to understanding the beauty and richness of the Church. We must in order to stop the decay of society.

It's obvious that the U.S.S.R. went after the Church and tried to humiliate her into silence. Sadly enough, many people who hated the Catholic Church went on the propaganda band wagon and blindly believed that Pius remained silent during WWII. Now we have a bunch of kooks who honestly think that the Nazis were "pro-Church" and such. Just read Ronald Rychlak's book "Hitler, the War and The Pope" or the works of Sister Marchoine sometime. You'll find out just how anti-Church the Nazis were.

Rome, Italy, Nov 4, 2011 / 06:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Jewish New Yorker who has made it his life’s work to clear the name of Pope Pius XII of being anti-Semitic believes the wartime pontiff actually went undercover to save the lives of Jews in Rome.
Gary Krupp came across the evidence in a letter from a Jewish woman whose family was rescued thanks to direct Vatican intervention.
“It is an unusual letter, written by a woman who is alive today in northern Italy, who said she was with her mother, her uncle, and a few other relatives in an audience with Pius XII in 1947.” Next to Pope Pius during the meeting was his Assistant Secretary of State, Monsignor Giovanni Montini, the future Pope Paul VI.
“Her uncle immediately looks at the Pope and he says, ‘You were dressed as a Franciscan,’ and looked at Montini who was standing next to him, ‘and you as a regular priest. You took me out of the ghetto into the Vatican.’ Montini immediately said, ‘Silence, do not ever repeat that story.’”
Krupp believes the claim to be true because the personality of the wartime Pope was such that he “needed to see things with his own eyes.”

“He used to take the car out into bombed areas in Rome, and he certainly wasn't afraid of that. I can see him going into the ghetto and seeing what was happening,” says Krupp.

Krupp and his wife Meredith founded the Pave the Way Foundation in 2002 to “identify and eliminate the non-theological obstacles between religions.” In 2006 he was asked by both Jewish and Catholic leaders to investigate the “stumbling block” of Pope Pius XII’s wartime reputation. Krupp, a very optimistic 64-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., thought he had finally hit a wall.

“We are Jewish. We grew up hating the name Pius XII,” he says. “We believed that he was anti-Semitic, we believed that he was a Nazi collaborator—all of the statements that have been made about him, we believed.”
But when he started looking at the documents from the time, he was shocked. And “then it went from shock to anger. I was lied to,” says Krupp.
“In Judaism, one of the most important character traits one must have is gratitude, this is very important, it is part of Jewish law. Ingratitude is one of the most terrible traits, and this was ingratitude as far as I was concerned.”

Full Article...

Catholic - Jewish Relations

2011-11-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

From Joseph Bottum:

You probably saw the news reports about Cardinal Koch—head of the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with Jews, named this summer to replace Cardinal Kasper. During a question-and-answer session after a talk at Seton Hall, he praised Pius XII and spoke of the canonization process, which promoted an immediate outcry. The headline in the Forward captures the response: “Top Cardinal Claims Jews Want Sainthood for Nazi-Era Pope: Anger Greets Pope Benedict’s New Liaison to Jewry in U.S. Debut.”
Koch’s hosts, the Council of Centers on Christian-Jewish Relations, wrote an immediate letter to the editor, dismayed by the reporting:
The article fails to note that the cardinal first delivered an hour long public address and then chatted informally for about another hour with members and guests of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian relations, which held its annual meeting at Seton Hall in conjunction with the cardinal’s visit.
The article gives the misleading impression that the perhaps five minutes devoted to the topic of Pope Pius XII dominated the more than two-hour event. Nor did the cardinal state, as the headline lopsidedly proclaims, that “Jews Want Sainthood for [the] Nazi-Era Pope.” To be precise, he stated (after noting that the topic would take about three hours to address adequately) that there were favorable and unfavorable opinions among both Jews and Christians on the subject.
And, indeed, the whole brouhaha seems overblown.
But . . .
When was there ever a topic in modern Jewish-Catholic relations that didn’t have the potential to be overblown—by either Jews or Catholics or, sometimes, both? As a commissioner of religious relations, Cardinal Kasper understood all this, and he walked the minefield with some delicacy and skill.
As far as the Pius war goes, I recommend the book I co-edited with Rabbi David Dalin on the topic—called, unsurprisingly, The Pius War. But Pius, in this case, is only an occasion for proving that, in his new job, Cardinal Koch needs to wake up, and fast. Only if we learn the vocabulary—only if we understand how to avoid creating opportunities for all who wish to scuttle relations between Catholics and Jews—do we have a chance to make any progress.
Progress, that is, toward joint understanding among the religious, in a culture that increasingly threatens to turn against all Judeo-Christian religion.

I'm fad to the teeth with this rediculous accusation that Pope Pius XII remained indifferent to Jewish suffering during WWII. That he didn't do enough. It's crap. But I agree with Bottum here. Cardinal Koch needs to be careful.

Gay couples to be allowed civil ceremonies in church

2011-11-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

But according to the left, Catholics have no rights. Sadly enough, it may become reality in the future. There are ways, pretty easy ways actually, to justify a non-violent persecution of Catholics, and especially of their religious freedom.

Homosexual couples will be able to take part in civil partnerships in church and other places of worship from next month, it will be announced.

Lynne Featherstone, the equalities minister, will say that the ban on the ceremonies in religious surroundings will be lifted on Dec 5. The move has been championed by David Cameron but is likely to be opposed by some church groups.

The scheme will be “voluntary” with no church compelled to offer same-sex services. However, it is likely that some campaigners will seek to push the matter further if churches refuse to open their doors to gay couples.

Full Article...

Obama Appointees Give "Reasons" for Denying USCCB Grant

2011-11-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

Obama's appointees are at it again, giving Catholics second class treatment. Not suprising since their ideology consists in murdering unborn children.

American Papist has more:

You may remember this update from a CV Lunchtime Reader:
Payback? The Obama administration has failed to renew a $19 million grant awarded to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to assist victims of human trafficking. The grant was first awarded in 2006 by the Migration and Refugee Services and has helped 2,700 victims of human trafficking. Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokeswoman for the U.S. Bishops, said she hoped the Bishops’ “position against abortion, sterilization, and artificial contraception has not entered into this decision.”
Yesterday, Jerry Markon of the Washington Post filed this report:
On the trafficking contract, senior political appointees at HHS awarded the new grants to the bishops’ competitors despite a recommendation from career staffers that the bishops be funded based on scores by an independent review board, according to federal officials and internal HHS documents.
That prompted a protest from some HHS staffers, who said the process was unfair and politicized, individuals familiar with the matter said. Their concerns have been reported to the HHS inspector general’s office.
Let that sink in: staffers within the HHS are outraged enough about the USCCB being intentionally passed over that they are filing a complaint with the HHS inspector general’s office.
Here’s how George Sheldon, acting assistant secretary for HHS’ Administration for Children and Families justified the decision to deny USCCB the grant:
“Ultimately, I felt it was my responsibility — and I’m not trying to get anyone off the hook here — to do what I thought was in the best interests of these victims.’’
… in other words, Sheldone believes it’s not in the best interest of the victims to be cared for by the Catholic Church, even though the independent review board rated their services the highest. Sounds ideological to me.
Part of the background to this is an ACLU lawsuit against allowing the Catholic Church to receive these federal grants to help victims of sex trafficking:
The ACLU lawsuit argued that HHS allowed the Catholic group to impose its beliefs. But in defending the contract on behalf of HHS, Justice Department lawyers argued that the contract was constitutional and that the bishops had been “resoundingly successful in increasing assistance to victims of human trafficking.’’
Then, something happened. Obama’s appointees began to put their ideological bias into action:
This spring, as the contract approached its expiration, HHS political appointees became involved in reshaping the request for proposals, adding a “strong preference” for applicants offering referrals for family planning and the “full range” of “gynecological and obstetric care.’’ That would include abortions and birth control…
The next quote from Sharon Parrott, a top Sebelius aide closely involved with the grant process, is extremely revealing:
“The priority in this case was how to best meet the needs of victims of trafficking so they can take control of their own lives.’’
This is code language for “promoting contraception and abortion.” It’s right out of the Planned Parenthood playbook. And it got the desired result:
The bishops conference says the language [e.g. "strong preference" for awarding grants to groups that offer abortion and contraception] essentially stacked the deck against the group and violated federal laws barring discrimination based on religion. “This was a political decision,’’ [Sister] Walsh said.
There you have it. Obama’s political appointees once again using the power of a federal agency to ensure that Catholics and Catholic-provided services receive second-class treatment.
More follow-up needs to be done on this story, particularly to examine the political backgrounds of the chief architects behind this choice to deny the USCCB its contract renewal.
Is it just me, or is this tendency to deny Catholics and Catholic institutions full access to providing services in the public square becoming a trend? More on that from me, soon.

Philippines Gets World's Largest Display of Ten Commandments

2011-11-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

Nice to see they have the kind of freedom of speech.

A building-sized edifice carved with the Bible's Ten Commandments was unveiled Wednesday in the Philippines, making it the largest tablet of its kind, according to Guinness World Records.
The tablet, a copy of the rules supposedly handed down by God to Moses on Mount Sinai, was inaugurated by city officials on a hill overlooking the northern resort city of Baguio.
A local religious group, donated the imposing 152.90 square metre (1,650 square foot) tablet to the city as they were presented a certificate from Guinness World Records.
"This beautiful and divine edifice will serve to drive away the evils of spirits that time and again emerge," said Baguio Congressman Bernardo Vergara at the inauguration.
"May it drive away evils of illegal drugs, gambling, prostitution."
The religious leader who sponsored the project, Grace Galindez-Gupana, topped her previous world record, attained in 2009 when she built a similar 65-square-metre tablet on a hill outside Manila.

Full Article...

Nun Has Refused to Meet With Doctrine Committee, Cardinal Wuerl Reveals

2011-10-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

If she doesn’t believe what the church believes; she shouldn’t be in the church.

The chairman of the US bishops’ doctrine committee has revealed that Sister Elizabeth Johnson has not responded to three invitations to discuss her book, Quest for the Living God. The nine bishops who are members of the committee recently reaffirmed “that on several critical points the book is seriously inadequate as a presentation of the Catholic understanding of God.”
Sister Johnson has complained that committee members have refused to meet with her.
“I reiterate my offer as chairman of the Doctrine Committee to meet with Sister Johnson,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “As a woman religious and theologian, she is a valued member of the Church.”

Full Article...

Fr. Z's take on the USCCB's "shredding" of Elizabeth Johnson's misrepresentations and distortions in her book ...

US Bishops do care about theology and what is being taught and written. For example, even though we already knew this, Sr. Elizabeth Johnson’s book on the Trinity, Quest for the Living God, is not a good book.
The Doctrine Committee of the USCCB has issued a statement about the doctrinal orthodoxy of Sr. Johnson’s little tome. Sr. Johnson, a CSJ, teaches as the Jesuit school Fordham University in NYC.
The USCCB Doctrine Committee is chaired by His Eminence Donald Card. Wuerl.
There is a 21 page pdf available.
The nearly ubiquitous John L. Allen, Jr., sadly still writing for the National Catholic Fishwrap has a very good summary article about the statement on the theological orthodoxy of Sr. Johnson’s book. He saves you some time so you don’t have to slog through the pdf.
After saying explaining that Sr. Johnson’s book was very popular, and that it won awards, and how many awards and degrees Sr. Johnson has, we learn that … well… let me share some of this with my emphases and comments:
First, at the level of method, the statement accuses [Interesting choice of words. It may actually be accurate.] Johnson of questioning core elements of traditional Christian theology, including its understanding of God as “incorporeal, impassible, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.” Doing so, the statement asserts, is “seriously to misrepresent the tradition and so to distort it beyond recognition.” [I believe the Church teaches that God, Triune, is all of those things.]
Second, the statement faults Johnson for treating language about God in the Bible and in church tradition as largely metaphorical, implying that truth about God is essentially “unknowable.” Even if mysteries such as the Trinity and the Incarnation can never be fully grasped, the statement says, they can nevertheless be “known.” While Johnson bases part of her argument on early church fathers, according to the statement, her position actually has more in common with Immanuel Kant and “Enlightenment skepticism.”
Third, the statement asserts that in talking about the “suffering” of God, Johnson actually undermines God’s transcendence, suggesting that God differs only in degree, not in kind, from other beings. [That would be bad.]
Fourth, according to the statement, Johnson advocates new language about God not based on its truth but its socio-political utility. In particular, she argues that all-male language about God perpetuates “an unequal relationship between women and men,” and thus has become “religiously inadequate.” [And so we get to it.] In fact, according to the statement, male imagery about God found in scripture and tradition “are not mere human creations that can be replaced by others that we may find more suitable.”
Fifth, the statement asserts that Johnson’s emphasis on the presence of the Holy Spirit in non-Christian religions “denies the uniqueness of Jesus as the Incarnate Word.” [That would be bad.] In effect, according to the statement, Johnson’s argument suggests that for the fullness of truth about God, “one needs Jesus + Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc.”, a position it says is “contrary to church teaching.”
Sixth, the statement says, Johnson’s treatment of God as Creator ends in pantheism, undercutting the traditional understanding of God as “radically different from creation.” [The inevitable end of Modernism.]
Seventh, the statement faults Johnson’s understanding of the Trinity. Johnson treats traditional language about God as three persons as symbolic, according to the statement, thereby undercutting the church’s belief that “Jesus is ontologically the eternal Son of the Father.”
[NB] In its conclusion, the statement says the root problem with Johnson’s book is that it “does not take the faith of the church as its starting point.”
“It effectively precludes the possibility of human knowledge of God through divine revelation,” the statement says, “and reduces all names and concepts of God to human constructions that are to be judged not on their accuracy … but on their social and political utility.”
With today’s statement, Quest for the Living God joins a handful of other recent books by prominent American theologians which have been singled out for formal criticism by the Committee on Doctrine. [Get this great list:] Those works include The Sexual Person by Todd Salzman and Michael Salazar (Georgetown University Press, 2008); Being Religious Interreligiously by Peter Phan (Maryknoll, 2004); and two 2006 pamphlets on contraception, abortion and same-sex marriage by Daniel Maguire.
I am happy that the USCCB Doctrine Committee is reading books. Also, we should be grateful to Mr. Allen for giving us a summary.

DC's 'Human Rights Office to investigate CUA! (rediculous)

2011-10-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

Thomas Peters with his spot on analysis on the situation with CUA and anti-Catholic professor clashing over whether Catholic symbols offend Muslim students.

You can’t make this up — a liberal anti-Catholic professor complaining that a Catholic educational institution features Catholic symbols of faith — and our government duly investigating the frivolous complaint:
The Washington, D.C. Office of Human Rights confirmed that it is investigating allegations that Catholic University violated the human rights of Muslim students by not allowing them to form a Muslim student group and by not providing them rooms without Christian symbols for their daily prayers.
The investigation alleges that Muslim students “must perform their prayers surrounded by symbols of Catholicism – e.g., a wooden crucifix, paintings of Jesus, pictures of priests and theologians which many Muslim students find inappropriate.” [Todd Starnes at FoxNews]
So where did this complaint actually come from? Muslim students? It appears not:
A spokesperson for the Office of Human Rights told Fox News they had received a 60-page complaint against the private university.
The complaint was filed by John Banzhaf, an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School. Banzhaf has been involved in previous litigation against the school involving the same-sex residence halls. He also alleged in his complaint involving Muslim students that women at the university were being discriminated against.
So clearly this gentleman has seriously got it in for CUA. Even more outrageous:
Banzhaf said some Muslim students were particularly offended because they had to meditate in the school’s chapels “and at the cathedral that looms over the entire campus – the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.”
A Catholic university with a Catholic church. The Audacity! (/sarcasm).
Can you imagine a law professor helping Catholic students to sue a Jewish or Muslim school to demand that the schools install crosses, remove their religious symbols, and allow the Catholics to construct a chapel on their property? Can you imagine the argument being that Jewish and Muslims schools using their religious symbols and following their faith traditions would be described in the legal brief as “offensive”?!
Normally I would have confidence that this lawsuit will be deemed without merit, but the way things are going these days, I just can’t be sure anymore. Simply incredible.
UPDATE — Many of you are asking how to contact the D.C. Office of Human Rights. And wouldn’t you know it – their website “How to reach us” page does not work. Their phone number, however, is 202-727-4559.
Also, to express support for CUA, here is their online contact page. I would say it’s concerning “Public Affairs” and leave the “School or Department” section blank.
UPDATE 2 – CUA has released a statement noting the complaint did not actually come from muslim students who attend CUA:
“Catholic University’s faithfulness to our Catholic tradition has also made us a welcome home to students of other religions. No students have registered complaints about the exercise of their religions on our campus. We understand that a professor unaffiliated with Catholic University has made public allegations claiming that we are discriminating against our students on religious grounds, but we have not seen any legal filing – and will respond to them if we do.”

Egypt: Christian student murdered for refusing to remove crucifix

2011-10-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

Israeli court quashes assault charge against Greek Orthodox cleric who was spat at by Ultra Orthodox Jew

2011-10-31T05:59:00.000-07:00

The reaction by this priest was the wrong one. Very un-Christian if you ask me.

In a rare ruling, a judge in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court dismissed an indictment filed against a priest who punched a haredi yeshiva student in the face for having spat at him as he passed.

In June 2008, Greek Orthodox priest Martarsian was walking along The Armenian’s Street, in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, when the yeshiva student spat toward the ground in his direction.

The priest then punched the man in the face, causing him to bleed.

The priest did not dispute that he had punched the man, but asked that the indictment be dismissed in accordance with a clause in the law that allows for charges to be dismissed “if the indictment contravenes the essence of the principles of justice and fairness.”

Judge Dov Pollock said in his ruling last Tuesday that the court had heard evidence of daily incidents in which Christian clergy were spat upon by members of the ultra-Orthodox community, something which, the judge added, has been occurring for a number of years and which the police has not acted to prevent.

Full Article...

Pope expresses shame for Christian violence in history

2011-10-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict, leading a global inter-religious meeting, acknowledged on Thursday "with great shame" that Christianity had used force in its long history but said violence in God's name had no place in the world today.

"As a Christian I want to say at this point: yes, it is true, in the course of history, force has also been used in the name of the Christian faith," he said in his address to the delegations in an Assisi basilica.

"We acknowledge it with great shame. But it is utterly clear that this was an abuse of the Christian faith, one that evidently contradicts its true nature," he said.

Full Article...

God bless Pope Benedict.

Now if only people could possibly understand what he actually said.

Unfortunately, you usually find people misunderstanding.

"See, the Pope admits that the Church was wrong! Therefore, you Catholics aren't infallible, therefore, protestants were right."

or:
"See, I told you religion leads to violence".

But what the Pope said was that Christians --individual Christians, sometimes acting in large groups--can misunderstand and do wrong. Sometimes they do it knowingly, sometimes not. But it isn't "The Church" that is either doing the wrong or TEACHING the wrong. As the Pope notes, when we as individuals (or as a group) resort to violence, we are rejecting what our Church has consistently and correctly taught as the Word of God. As fallible human beings, we can (with shame) acknowledge our individual or even group guilt in failing to actually DO what our Faith teaches, or failing to correctly understand our faith.

But we don't apologize for the faith itself as if Catholicism had been wrong. It hasn't been.

Just the other day on Youtube someone was complaining about all of the things that the Church has done in the past that were bad. You can tell them about all the good stuff the Church has done and that the Church has apologized for those type of things. They seemed to think that wasn't enough. All well, some people are just outright hateful. That's what's revealing about those types is when you ask them how that compares to all the good things done by the Church.

And how the good and bad things compare with other major religions of today, rather than just focusing on yesteryear.

Catholic Univ. Accused of Discrimination

2011-10-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Full Article...

New charges have recently been filed against the University on counts of illegal discrimination against its Muslim and female students. The allegations are being reviewed by the District of Colombia Office of Human Rights (OHR), which has the strictest discrimination laws in the country. President John H. Garvey and the University is being urged to respond to the charges.
John F. Banzhaf III, the George Washington University Professor of Public Interest Law who initiated the legal controversy surrounding same-sex residence halls, is also the one behind these new charges.
The official allegations claim that CUA, “does not provide space – as other universities do – for the many daily prayers Muslim students must make, forcing them instead to find temporarily empty classrooms where they are often surrounded by Catholic symbols which are incongruous to their religion,” according to a press release on PRLOG.com.
This formal complaint also maintains that the new same-sex residence halls are particularly discriminating against female students, which is a new position on the same-sex lawsuit that began last month.

A muslim school would not make the same generosity. This is hypocritcal on so many levels.

Catholic U is a Christain institution. If there is ever concession made to this person then I will be very scared for the future of our faith in the USA. More from the perfidious religion of "peace". Unfortunately, religious Imans talk in YouTube freely in killing non-Muslims as the right thing to do. I could not believe my ears. (click to hear) Maybe we are too soft on Muslims. Radical Islam is a cult. That's what it is.

Practicing Catholics unfazed by abuse scandals; Pope’s popularity increasing

2011-10-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

Now this is an interesting poll:

A new poll conducted by CBS News and The New York Times has found that 77% of Catholics who attend Mass weekly say that “the Vatican’s handling of recent child sex abuse reports” has had no effect on how they “feel about the Catholic Church.” An additional 12% of practicing Catholics say that they have a more positive feeling about the Church as a result of the Vatican’s handling of the scandals.

The more unpopular among the enemies of the Church a Pope is, the greater that Pope is. Benedict is a great Pope!

The Vatican and Global Authority on Economy

2011-10-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

My blood pressure went up when I heard about the media's spin job on this one.

A major document from the Vatican's Justice and Peace department should be music to the ears of the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrators and similar movements around the world who have protested against the economic downturn.
The 18-page document, "Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of a Global Public Authority," was at times very specific, calling, for example, for taxation measures on financial transactions.http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=21986
"The economic and financial crisis which the world is going through calls everyone, individuals and peoples, to examine in depth the principles and the cultural and moral values at the basis of social coexistence," it said.
It condemned what it called "the idolatry of the market" as well as a "neo-liberal thinking" that it said looked exclusively at technical solutions to economic problems.
"In fact, the crisis has revealed behaviours like selfishness, collective greed and hoarding of goods on a great scale," it said, adding that world economics needed an "ethic of solidarity" among rich and poor nations.

Full Article...

Let's see what American Papist has to say about this:

You may have seen this story which was headlined earlier today on the Drudge Report:
The Vatican called on Monday for the establishment of a “global public authority” and a “central world bank” to rule over financial institutions that have become outdated and often ineffective in dealing fairly with crises.
A major document from the Vatican’s Justice and Peace department should be music to the ears of the “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrators and similar movements around the world who have protested against the economic downturn.
The 18-page document, “Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of a Global Public Authority,” was at times very specific, calling, for example, for taxation measures on financial transactions. [CNBC]

In a scenario which will surely strike some as deja vu, the liberal jesuit Fr. Tom Reese previewed the contents of the document last week, in much the same way that the liberal Fr. Charles Curran “previewed” Humanae Vitae for the mainstream media before the document was actually released (the pope overruled Fr. Curran’s claims that the Church would endorse contraception — but the media had already made up its mind and few bothered to actually read what the pope had to say).
Here’s Fr. Reese on MSNBC “explaining” the news:

Notice that Fr. Reese does NOT correct the news anchor that this document comes from a vatican congregation — not the pope! Fr. Reese seems perfectly happy to help the mainstream media fundamentally misunderstand the authority of teaching this document enjoys. He claims that the pope has “more in common with the people at occupy wallstreet” than the tea party, even though he has to immediately walk back that claim when it is pointed out to him how violent (and anti-Catholic!) the Occupy Rome demonstrations were (as I blogged about last week). I think it’s no surprise that Fr. Reese spends so much time talking about the 60′s — that’s still his cultural frame of reference.

With that said, are people actually paying attention to historical facts? Since the papacy of St. Clement, what is today the Vatican, has always been home to the Holy See and a sovereign nation. To say that the Holy See should shut up and mind it's own business is like asking the Vatician to surrender it's status as a sovereign nation and abdicate its rights to express an opinion on a world crisis.

It would seem more logical, the whether we agree or not with the proposal, we as Catholics defend Vatican City's right to exist as a nation and to speak on world affairs. The minute that we Catholics abdicate the sovereignty of Vatican City State, we place the leadership of the Church at great risk.

This is not about agreeing with the content of the document. The reason that people are upset with it is because Vatican City is the mouse that roars and they prefer that it would be silent. Do people even realize how many are out there who wish to strip Vatican City of its sovereignty just so they can put popes on trial, confiscate Church property and get their hands on the patrimony of humanity protected by Vatican City?

I don't have to agree with the proposal. I can put a proposal of my own on the table. But I will protect Vatican City's right to make a proposal. If the USA has a right to do so, so does Vatican City.

It's that simple.

ADL's is being unfair on Vatican/SSPX negotiations.

2011-10-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

Bishop Williamson of the SSPX made some anti-semitic comments about the Jewish people and now the ADL and other Jewish groups are calling for the Holy See to suspend talks with them.

New York, NY, October 19, 2011 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on the Vatican to publicly repudiate anti-Semitic statements by Bishop Richard Williamson, a member of a schismatic Catholic group known as Society of St. Pius X, in which he suggested that Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus.
"Bishop Williamson's remarks are further evidence that the Society of St. Pius X has no place in the mainstream church," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "It is hard for us to imagine how a congregation that does not accept fundamental church teachings against anti-Semitism, and promotes classic anti-Jewish canards, can be accepted back into the fold."
In an essay on his blog, Bishop Williamson, a convicted Holocaust denier and a member of the schismatic group, wrote that the "true Church" always taught that "the killing of Jesus was truly 'deicide'" and that there is "real solidarity between the Jews clamoring then for Jesus to be killed and that collectivity of Jews of modern times." Explicitly challenging Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Williamson concludes the blog by asking, "How can the Pope let go of such ancient truths?"
The ancient charge of deicide against the Jewish people -- which was repudiated by the Roman Catholic Church at the Second Vatican Council in 1965 -- was the source of nearly 2,000 years of church based anti-Semitism.
The Vatican has recently had conversations with the Society of St. Pius X to determine if their reconciliation with the Church is possible.

Mr. Foxman, I think you're being unfair here. Abe Foxman doesn't mention this, but Bishop Williamson's writings have already been condemned by Bishop Fellay.

Therefore, Bishop Bernard Fellay, has long since made it clear that Bishop Williamson’s attitudes are not those of the Society as a whole. Me thinks that the ADL is overreacting and is once again lecturing to the Pope how to do his job.

Decadence and Violence

2011-10-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Got this in an email from a friend. You really should read this! You'll be in for an eye opener.

EWTN host Fr. Benedict Groeschel, prolific writer says that the U.S. is going down because of all of the decay that is described in this article. Democracies only last for 200 years and because of all of abortion and decadence, God will not tolerate more.....verge of not only economical bankruptcy but moral bankruptcy.

Why Violence? “Because The Decadent Are Never Satisfied!”

Father Dwight Longenecker-The dictatorship of relativism decrees that tolerance is the only virtue. Because there is no such thing as truth I must tolerate ‘your truth’ and you must tolerate mine. The problem with this is that tolerance must eventually end in decadence. It ends in decadence because if there is no truth, then there are also no moral standards, and if there are no moral standards, then anything goes, and if anything goes, then decadence is the result.So we see our society not just drifting into decadence, but suddenly seemingly out of nowhere, we are seeing a full flowering of decadence. The decadence is at every level of society, and is exhibited in disgusting behaviors and beliefs in a multitude of different ways. Sexual immorality is everywhere–children are highly sexualized. Adultery and divorce are rampant. Homosexuality is flagrant. Promiscuity, co-habitation and pre-marital sex are everywhere accepted and open. Furthermore, it is not just among the underclass. Their rampant behaviors are more crude and disgusting, but whether you fornicate in the street drunk on cheap beer or in some high class penthouse with a glass of champagne by your side–it’s the same.Nor is the decadence merely sexual. The materialism and greed and cut throat attitude is everywhere. Again, the underclass may take to the streets rioting and smashing and grabbing. They are only exhibiting in their way what they have seen the upper classes do–it’s just that the upper classes have done so on a much more massive scale by paying lobbyists to change the banking rules so they can sell shoddy financial products to rip people off and make millions. The underclass burn buildings and loot and burn as we saw in London this summer. The upper-class destroy an economy to take salaries of several million and bonuses paid for by the government bail outs.Are we surprised that violence is the result? Why should we? The tolerance that results from relativism leads to decadence and decadence always leads to violence. Why violence? Because the decadent are never satisfied. Their decadent behavior leads to self loathing, envy and hatred of others. They become possessed with a seething hatred and project it on to others. Why did the mobs in Rome break into a church and desecrate the crucifix and the image of the Blessed Mother? Because the violent mobs will hate most of all those who never bought into their demonic creed of relativism and tolerance in the first place, and who (even silently by their purity) criticized the decadence that resulted from it.I hate to be a pessimist, but unless there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to convert souls we should be prepared for an ever growing hatred of the Catholic Church. The tolerance time is over. The decadence stage is in full swing. Get ready for the violence.On this day when we celebrate the feast of dear old St Ignatius of Antioch witness his example. His death was a symbol of everything I am talking about. The violent came to take him away and the gentle old man was torn to pieces by hungry lions. The lions are out there now, prowling about–seeking whom they may devour.

U.S. Hispanics Choose Churches Outside Catholicism

2011-10-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

From NPR:

"I felt like my personal relationship with God — I was seeking more, and I needed more. And there was kind of like a glass ceiling," he says. "I was hitting something that wasn't allowing me to grow, and I wasn't quite sure what it was."

That's why most Latinos leave Catholicism, Pew researchers found. There's another reason, too: Because they can. New Life member Betty Ochoa says that in Mexico, where her parents are from, she never could have made the switch — her culture, her family wouldn't let her.

But things are different in the United States, she says.

"It's more open. We can go to different churches, and visit different churches — or, what do they call it, church-shopping?" she asks with a smile.

In this, Ochoa is just like most Americans, who change their religion at least once in their lifetimes. Ochoa's parents thought she had joined a cult when she found New Life. Her daughter thought they had landed on another planet.

"Oh my goodness. I was so overwhelmed!" says Natalie Ochoa, 28.

"I didn't know that you could sing like this — and people raising their hands, and calling out, shouting," she says as she starts to laugh. "I'm like, 'This doesn't happen in Catholic church. Like, people just don't do that.' "

We are surrounded by colonias, settlements of recent and longer term migrants as well as citizens from Mexico and the rest of Latin America. While some parishes honor our bishop's call for outreach to those outlying areas, many do not and expect these families to travel to the parish for Mass, religious instruction and sacraments. Moreover there is still a prevailing attitude in some parishes of "well the kids learn English in school so there is no need to provide instruction or worship in Spanish."

Meanwhile the non-denominational, pentecostal, and other little local churches hold socials, Sunday school, bring aid of various kinds and send buses to bring residents to their services and activities and have active outreach of all kinds in Spanish.

Everywhere in the US where there is a significant Hispanic Catholic population that has appeared or grown in the last decade you will hear whines from the pews "let them learn English, this is America, let them drop their cultural customs and popular piety, this is America, let them conform to the only way of being Catholic--which is that found in our own parish". That is the attitude that is driving many Hispanics away from the Catholic Church. Again in those areas you will find in contrast active proselytizing and recruitment from all other denominations targeting and serving that population, in Spanish and even the other indigenous languages.

Order Dismisses a Priest Trying to Ordain Women

2011-10-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Order Dismisses a Priest Trying to Ordain Women

The Rev. Roy Bourgeois, who refused to renounce his increasingly public campaign to see women ordained as priests in the Roman Catholic Church, has been notified of his dismissal by his religious order, the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.

A letter to Father Bourgeois, signed by the superior general and the general secretary of the Maryknoll order in the United States, said the dismissal was necessary because of his “defiant stance” in opposition to church teaching.

“Your numerous public statements and appearances in support of the women’s priests movement continues to create in the minds of many faithful the view that your position is acceptable to our Church,” the letter said, adding that Father Bourgeois had caused the church “grave scandal.”

It seems to me that Fr. Bourgeois does not recognise the dignity afforded by God to laity as laity. Father Bourgeois's message: 'Your not good enough unless your a priest' stinks of clericalism of the worse kind.

In addition to his disdainful attitude towards the laity, Fr. Bourgeois puts himself above the Pope and the Magisterium and takes to himself the authority of God.

The Church, as Pope John Paul II said, does not ordain women not because she won't but because she can't! She hasn't been given the authority to ordain them. Fr. Bourgeois's in attempting to ordain women is saying he knows better than the Church and ultimately that he knows better than God this attitude also stinks of clericalism.

This is the type of clericalism the Church can do without. I pray that Fr. Bourgeois repents and humbles himself as I do not wish to see him cut himself off from the church but it appears this will not happen.

truly truly sad

Marxism, Abortion among CCHD’s Poverty Strategies

2011-10-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

Disturbing.

The American Life League has released an investigative report on the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which, it turns out, has been funding dozens of thoroughly unchristian organizations in its fight against domestic poverty. Catholics in the pews who have given to the annual CCHD collection might not be happy to learn that the program’s efforts are frequently right out of line with it’s “fight poverty: defend human dignity” slogan.
At Acton, we believe that in the long run, the poor are harmed by patronizing aid schemes that, well intentioned though they may be, don’t account for the dignity of the human person whom they try to help. It’s certainly inconvenient that you can’t end poverty by giving lots of people lots of money, but we’ve tried just that for decades, and poverty is nowhere near eradicated.
People are pulled out of poverty by the creation of wealth through productive work, and that is the only way that is truly appreciative of the dignity of the poor. Marxism fails as an economic system and as a means of bettering the condition of the poor because it misunderstands human nature. It debases men and women.
It’s disheartening, then, to see that a quarter of the organizations funded by the CCHD for 2010 – 2011 are either directly involved in materialistic poverty alleviation campaigns based on false anthropologies, or else are proud partners of such organizations. They promote abortion and birth control as ways to keep the poor from reproducing, because, you know, the poor deserve dignified treatment, but we sure don’t want to deal with more of them. And then these organizations tell the poor that if only Lenin were in charge, they’d all be well-off.
In 2010, after public pressure from the American Life League and others, and an internal investigation, the CCHD promised to stop funding groups that trample on human dignity. Unfortunately, the ALL reports that “the number, and percentage, of offending organizations has actually INCREASED in the last year — from 51 to 54 groups and from 21% to 24%. ”
If the program can’t be rehabilitated, it needs to be ended, because the only kinds of poverty programs the USCCB should be supporting are those that cleave to the Judeo-Christian understanding of human nature. (See, for example, Acton’s partner PovertyCure.)

When they refer to Marxism in their title, it was a true Marxist/Communist - Saul Alinsky (and perhaps Lenin) who pushed Communist ideas into the Church.
http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/communism/alinsky.htm
"True revolutionaries do not flaunt their radicalism, Alinsky taught.
They cut their hair, put on suits and infiltrate the system from within. Alinsky viewed revolution as a slow, patient process. The trick was to penetrate existing institutions such as churches, unions and political parties...."

Jesus taught each of us to help the poor to the best of our ability. - Not one bureaucracy helping another bureacracy with the poor getting the left-over crumbs due to operational costs.
There are food banks, cleaning out our closets for clothing, soup kitchens, missionary orders, etc, who all directly help the poor.

This is a quote from the CCC regarding distributive and communitive justice.
" 2411 Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions in accordance with a strict respect for their rights. Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted. Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible.
One distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns what the citizen owes in fairness to the community, and from distributive justice which regulates what the community owes its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs. "

We must also remember that while it is the responsibility of each of us as individuals to help the poor, that coveting and envy of others goods are sinful.
There are plenty of truly Catholic Charities that the USCCB could donate to.

The Church has clearly warned against LIBERATION THEOLOGY.
Please read " VII MARXIST ANALYSIS" and " VIII
"SUBVERSION OF THE MEANING OF TRUTH AND VIOLENCE"

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19840806_theology-liberation_en.html

and from the "Conclusion" - - -
" Never ceasing to recall to her children that they have no lasting dwelling here on earth, she urges them also to contribute, each according to his own vocation and means, to the welfare of their earthly city, to promote justice, peace and brotherhood among men, to lavish their assistance on their brothers, especially on the poor and the most dispirited.
The intense concern of the Church, the bride of Christ, for the needs of mankind, their joys and their hopes, their pains and their struggles, is nothing other than the great desire to be present to them in order to enlighten them with the light of Christ, and join them all to Him, their only Savior.
It can never mean that the Church is conforming to the things of this world, nor that she is lessening the earnestness with which she awaits her Lord and the eternal Kingdom." - Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict).

Robert Downey Jr. Asks Hollywood to Forgive Mel Gibson

2011-10-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here's the type of Hollywood story you don't often:

Frank Weathers has the story.

This past Friday, in the spirit of Christ’s forgiveness of the adulteress when she was presented to him by the holier than thou, a remarkably similar story has come to my attention from an area that I usually steer clear of: the shoals of Hollywood. And yet this is where a stunningly familiar event took place.
This news is all over the wires from Celebrity Gossip GHQ centered in LaLa Land. US Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, The Huffington Post, etc., etc., have all run versions of this story. Even Forbes(!) is reporting on it. You probably heard this already because, yes, I’m always the last one to know. The setting? The 25th Annual American Cinematheque Award. What’s that? It’s a token given to, “an extraordinary artist in the entertainment industry who is fully engaged in his or her work and is committed to making a significant contribution to the art of the motion pictures.” Why should you care? Entertainment Weekly’s, Grady Smith has the scoop,

I would have to say that Downey took a risk by saying this.