Consecration for Liberal Bishop of Basel Will be Possibly Postponed

Editor: some may recall the Bishop designate's controversial ideas.  Too bad it won't be an indefinite postponement.  Not only is there a disaster in his coming, but he's a disaster too, read here.

On the Ursen Cathedral in Solothurn, where Felix Gmür is to be consecrated Bishop, has been the subject of an arson attack. 

Basel (kath.net/KAP)  The consecration of the new Basel Diocesan Bishop Felix Gmür may have to be postponed.  The reason for this is arson on the baroque St. Ursen Cathedral in Solothurn, the seat of the Bishops of Basel.

A 61 year old "Church hater" Andreas Z had put two gasoline cans near the high altar, poured them out and ignited them.  The fire department brought the fire quickly under control, in any case there is substantial damage.  Carbon will be a great part of the interiors damage.

Cathedral Rector Paul Rutz appeared very affected by the attack for his interview with the online edition of the Swiss daily "Blick", above all, because in eleven days the Episcopal Consecration is to take place.  "It looks bad", says Rutz.

The problem is not only the carbon particles all over the Cathedral, rather the film of oil, which must have settled over everything, said Rutz: "What is not clear:  the organ is not going to be playable for the 16th of January."  That is in any case not necessary for the Episcopal Consecration.  "If they decide in any case on Solothun, they can order a mobile organ," said the Cathedral Rector.


In case the Episcopal Ordination is not to take place in Solothurn, the Cathedral will have to be closed to the public for some time.  One would in this case want to do a complete cleaning and not only the traces of the arson attack, said Rutz.  The damages run from about 600.000 Franks (480.000 Euro).

Currently there is still an investigation in progress, which involve the possibility of using other churches for the Episcopal Consecration, says Rutz:  "They must be big enough, have enough parking preparted, the infrastructure must be convenient as well."  The decision where the Consecration will take place will be made by Thursday.

Gmür steps in to replace his successor Cardinal Kurt Koch, who has been since July an "Ecumenical Minister" in the Vatican.

Read further, here...in German orginal...

Swiss Pass Tougher Immigration Law

The ruling against new Minarets was greeted in the world press with horror and the almost universal cry of a return to Hitler and "fascist" from the editorial page of every newspaper in the world.  Now the UDC has voted for the deportation of foreign criminals and that same press is up in arms again, although there is still much talk about the guilt of white victims, it cites the issue from Daoudal blog, here:

The Swiss people approved, by a majority of votes (52.9%) in a majority of cantons (20 out of 26), the UDC's proposition on the automatic expulsion of foreign criminals. 

Here's an analysis at Gallia Watch, here.

Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich has further cemented his contact with Hispanic voters by his own conciliatory approach to immigration, and Catholicism. [He converted to Catholicism recently]

But other politicians aren't so conciliatory.  It's a real problem, especially in dealing with the Muslims as one Austrian politician here vehemently declares:

Lifesite Says Catholic Church not Responsible for Condom Distributiion

By Hilary White

LUCERNE, Switzerland, October 29, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Some Roman Catholic parishes in the central Swiss city of Lucerne caused an uproar by participating in a state-sponsored campaign in which condoms, bearing the slogan "protect thy neighbor as thyself," were handed out to teenagers.

When the group organizing the campaign issued a media release, headlines around the world carried the claim that the Catholic Church in Switzerland is distributing condoms as part of World Mission Sunday events.

The packages of condoms were printed with the slogan, "Forgetting can be infectious - Protect yourself and your fellow man." The packages were signed, "Catholic Church of Lucerne." A spokesman for the group, Florian Flohr, told media, "We needed something to appeal to people who wouldn't dream of talking to the church about that kind of issue."

Small-minded Provincial Catholicism Celebrates its Resurrection

First the old liberal fat cats set an Anti-Catholic revolution loose. Then they complain that they have been lumped in with the revolution.

[kreuz.net, Chur] Bishop Vitus Huonder (68) of Chur has been canonically, practically driven out of half of his diocese by non-designated community consultants.

For the notorious church-hate journalist Michael Meier there is no reason to raise the hue and cry in the Zurich regional paper 'Tagesanzeiger'.

Behind the decision there is a yearlong battle between the Zurich State-Church, which controls the Church-Tax, and the Bishop of Chur.

The battle escalated, as the Church-Tax Board adopted an Anti-Catholic church measure.

There it reads: "No priest can be selected as pastor, the Church Community selects the Deacon, the assistant pastoral leader person with the function to direct the community for a term of three years."

The Bishop Strikes Back

Msgr Huonder has actually replaced these illegal regulations now through a new "Guidelines for Sacristies".

They dismiss -- in agreement with Church law -- lay theologians and community leaders.

Simultaneously the Bishop wants more Parishes bound to their sacristies according to the German Model by 2018.

This direction will supersede proposals by the Bishop and also of the community elected pastors.

Those assigned to the Sacristy as employees and princely rewarded lay theologians will be called in the new concept "Pastoral Assistants".

They will be exclusively named by the Bishop or his successor.

"The popular vote is not required" -- cried Meier.


The Strategy of the Fat Cats

Markus Arnold -- an earlier State-Church fat cat in Zurich -- may whine to the 'Tagesanzeiger' and threatens to take legal steps against the Bishop.

Actually, a Zuricher Judge of the Canton Government waves this aside: "Bishop Huonder does according to canon law probably what, what he wants, even if it goes against Church Order."

In reality the tinkering of the Church Order stands in contradiction to worldwide Church Law.

The Jurist propose that the Zurich State Church might select pastoral assistant persons as community leaders independently of the Bishop and in opposition to Church Law.

Speaker Makes Plain

Bishop Huonder's communication's director, Prelate Christoph Casetti, cited Meier's article in his statement for the 'Tagesanzeiger'.

The Bishop has not allowed for any right of election in his "Guideline for Sacristies": "That happens time and again after votes that developments carry on running" -- avowed the Prelate.

It will come sooner than later to Priest selection, because there is "not a large selection" any longer.

The Parishes would rather select a Pastor, because they must share with other communities.

I don't See Christ, I see Bread: Ecumenical Service In Switzerland

Naturally, a Reformed lay preacher doesn't believe in the Eucharist. Never the less, the old liberal Gaga-Priest brought him to receive and distribute communion.

[kreuz.net, Bern] On Swiss Thank-, Penance- and Prayer Day, which occurs on 19th of September, Father Gregor Tolusso (45) held a ceremony with the Reform Minister, Manfred Stuber, at the Trinity church in Bern.

The Liturgical Abuse was carried live by "Swiss Television".

Stuber is the leader of the Reformed Holy-Ghost-Church in Bern. The Trinity Parish is the largest community in the Diocese of Basel.

Sacrilege in the light of day

The protestant handled the preaching after the Consecration. Lay preachers are expressly forbidden during a New Mass.

For the Canon Father Tolusso used a text which he'd prepared himself. He even broke the Host before the Consecration.

At the Our Father the Reform Minister and driveled something about "freedom in diversity".

After the kiss of peace Father Tolusso said: "Whoever has heard and agrees with the invitation of Jesus to come to his table, as we have just prayed, may receive Communion."

After that, the Priest gave the Reform Minister Communion. The has been cut out of the video by "Swiss Television".

It is clearly visible, how the Reformed received the Chalice with the Blood of Christ.

Stuber took the Chalice and acted as a Eucharistic Minister in the choir area.

Later Stuber grabbed a ciborium and served communion in the hand to the Mass visitors.

Secular Priest makes bad for the camera

After the New Mass Father Tolusso and Stuber gave a common interview to 'Swiss Television'.

The secular Priest, Tolusso, presented himself for the interview in chasuble and stole.

Stuber explained to the camera that this is the first time he'd ever celebrated a New Mass (neugläubigen).

Father Tolusso published the lie that the lay preaching, which is forbidden, "is not a new form".

The ecumenical abuse is, according to him, a "long tradition".

Father Tolusso mentioned Stuber's predecessors during his preaching for the Eucharistic Celebration.

At least the Reformed [Minister] was honorable

In the next year the Pastor will celebrate the protestant "Lord's Supper" on Penance and Bed Day in the Reformed church.

He'll have to present a sermon for this event.

Fr. Tolusso maintains, in any case, that there are "differences" with the Reformed "Christians". As examples he named the Papacy, the Hierarchy and the understanding of the Sacraments.

But then, the clueless Pastor said: "If a Reformed Christian can say 'yes' to a Christian understanding, then he can participate in the Catholic Eucharist."

"Is he then still Reformed" -- asked the moderator and turned to the Reformed Minister.

Stuber explained, that he could not consent to the Catholic understanding of the Eucharist. He understands the Lord's Supper as only symbolic: "I don't see Christ. I see bread."

Better to part company than be wishy washy

In conversation Fr Tolusso there was mentioned several times a supposed "separation".

He discovered a -- dishonorable-- "Consensus theology, which has come about in the last ten years," right. He would not want only to be considered to be separated "by a theology of dissent" -- he droned:

"The greatest tragedy is separation and not the Eucharistic hospitality."

What he misappropriates: The separation is based in the Protestant denial of the Holy Mass.

Father Tolusso also understands the new Mass (neugläubige Eucharistie) as a "symbol of community".

The Eucharist may not be used "for dividing" -- he said, without implying a massive attack against the Protestants.

The reception of Communion without the Catholic Faith is something he sees as the allgeded "sustenance on the way to unity".



Link to original...kreuz...

Swiss Bishop of Lausanne is Close to Death

The state of health of the Diocesan Bishop of Lausanne, Genf and Freiburg has gotten worse.

Genf-Freiburg (kath.net) The state of health of the Diocesan Bishop of Lausann, Genf and Freibur has become worse. The diocese made a statement on Monday. it read: "I would like to all understand that the health of the Bishop Monseigneur Bernard Genoud, Diocesean Bishop of Lausanne, Genf and Freiburg, has gotten much worse in the last hours. It has not been decided whether he will go to meet his maker and Savior. In the mean time, we must accompany him with our prayers and thoughts. Pray at this time for all the sick, so that they may be saved by their faith in God and love for their fellows, supporting them in their suffering."

Link to original, kath.net...

Former Nuntio Publicly Attacks Pope Benedict

This ex-Nuntio despises [1] the direction the Papacy is going under Benedict's leadership, particularly in regard to his recent naming of the conservative Archbishop Leonard as the new Primate of Belgium [2]. Considering the Archbishop's steady hand in the face of secularist criticism and a lawsuit by homosexuals, it does give some indication of the reason for the Nuntio's hostility to the appointment.

[Translation from Kathnet]Karl-Josef Rauber is the Nuntio emeritus of Switzerland and openly violates the papal silence "Sub secreto pontificio" in conjunction with Episcopal appointments.

In a firey interview, which appeared in the last edition of the Italian paper, "Ill Regno",the German Archbishop Karl-Josef Rauber, till just recently the Apostolic Nuncio in Belgium and Luxemburg, turned with harsh criticisms against his superior and countryman, Joseph Ratzinger.

"For anyone, who has the occupation of the Office of the Papacy, it's no small thing." said the experienced Vaticanist, Sandro Magister, in the Italian paper, "L'Espresso" in a related commentary.

His intention to criticize the Pope has deep roots; they go back to the time when Ratzinger was a professor in Regensburg and Rauber was sent by him, to be engaged in his behalf in Rome. Archbishop Rauber's intention then was to challenge his conservative disposition.

The position worsened as Rauber became Nuntio in Switzerland. He complained in the interview, that the then Cardinal-Prefect of the Congregation of the Faith had denounced him "four times" to the Secretary of State, because he was openly criticizing the discipline of celibacy and had spoken poorly of some Bishops.

Swiss Bishops show their Internationalist Colors

Like windup automatons, these lunchroom Lenins at the Swiss Bishops Conference have been roused to play their divisive role for globular harmony in the face of Switzerland's auto-immune response against the evils of Islam. Either the Swiss Bishops are eager to please their Masters or they have been effectively conditioned to be hostile to their own motherland. These kinds of divided loyalties are commonplace, for example, a recent poll taken of Vatican Employees showed a clear Obama majority. Will someone put these dinosaurs to pasture and replace them with younger, orthodox men?

We look with hope that some day, real Bishops will come from the Monasteries to replace these men who are more like grocery store managers than prelates.


By John Thavis, Catholic News Service


VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The bishops of Switzerland said the country's ban on the construction of minarets, the Muslim prayer towers, represents an obstacle to interreligious harmony.

The ban aggravates interfaith tensions and could have negative repercussions on Christian minorities in Muslim countries, the bishops said in a statement Nov. 29.

The prohibition was adopted by Swiss voters in a referendum that passed with a 58 percent majority. There are about 150 mosques in Switzerland serving some 400,000 Muslims; only four have minarets and, unlike in Islamic countries, they are not used to call Muslims to prayer.

The bishops said the referendum campaign, promoted by right-wing parties, had used exaggeration and caricature, and demonstrated that "religious peace does not operate by itself and always needs to be defended."

"The decision of the people represents an obstacle and a great challenge on the path of integration in dialogue and mutual respect," the bishops said. Banning the building of minarets "increases the problems of coexistence between religions and cultures," they said.

The bishops said the measure "will not help the Christians oppressed and persecuted in Islamic countries, but will weaken the credibility of their commitment in these countries."

Swiss authorities said after the vote that the four existing minarets would be allowed to stand, and that there was no ban on the construction of new mosques.

Copyright © 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
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