Caught in a crossfire: The neoconservative Potemkin-Bishop is receiving agreement from circles, who are actually his deadly enemies.
The head shepherd is said to be "vilified by conservatives" -- said liberal editor Chistine Schröpf
In 2007 Frau Schröpf published a children's book with private secretary Georg Gänswein. It was called "Why does the Pope Wear Red Shoes? Children's Questions for Benedict XVI."
Now, she is defending the Archbishop of Regensburg like a flaming angel:"They call him "Bishop-heretic" question his theological reputation and put his loyalty to the Church in question: Bischof Müller stands in the crossfire of ultraconservative Church circles" -- complains Schröpf
Msgr Müller has proposed the giving of Holy Communion to unbelievers and public sinners.
He denied the perpetual virginity of Mary as well as the sacrificial character of the Mass and and opined the notion that Adolf Hitler (+1945), Winston Churchill (+1965) and child molesters finally are recompensed with heaven.
Open Lies
Frau Schröpf believes that the critique of the theological errors of Msgr Muller are a "bill" for the episcopal bluster against the previously occurring priestly consecrations in the Pius Seminary in Zaitzkofen near Regensburg.
She disseminated also the open lie, that these consecrations by the Vatican are "forbidden".
Frau Schröpfs anger directs itself however in the first line against Europe's largest Catholic Internet Platform, 'kreuz.net'.
"The authors can best be described as fundamentalist" -- as she portrayed the Portal with cliches.
What she -- or her very rich Media Boss -- wanted to say with that, she left unclear.
Why the Solo-Pirouette of Bishop Müller?
Frau Schröpf maintains that Pope Benedict himself. -- in opposition to Bishop Müller -- is endeavouring, to bring the Society of Saint Pius X back to the bosom of the Church."
The Society has "separated" itself from the Church out of protest against the "modernization"-- are pieces of misinformation with which she has entertained the public.
Then the Regensburg Communications Director, Clemens Neck steps forward.
He maintains, that Bishop Müller is absolved in his rampage against the Society of Pius X, "by being in unity with Pope Benedict".
The Bishop has been invited to an audience with the Pope in Rome -- he mystifies.
Then did the Pope also authorize the Episcopal rampage against the Society of Saint Pius X?
Cross examination Question: Why only in Regensburg? Why also have not the other Bishops not objected to the coming priestly consecrations this 26th June?
Neognostic Theologian
The Diocesan Communications Director also commented about 'kreuz.net' -- Articles, which have accused Bishop Muller of heresy have been brought to the light of day.
The "tit-for-tat" of a splinter group-- he said encouraging himself.
Bishop Muller has been "in the first line of those saddened" by the reaction of the Society of Pius X-- said Frau Schröpf with sympathy.
Now the irreconcilable Bishop hopes, that the process of reunification -- curiously because of
lèse-majesté -- "in danger".
Like his master, the Regensburg Communications Director plays the importance and reality of the perpetual virginity of Mary in conflict accordingly:
The real heart of this doctrine is "NOT" resolved by questions of a gynecological speciality, rather -- diffused -- in the "Mystery of the Birth of Christ".
More Slander from the German Bishop's Conference
The Church circles and thoroughly popular portal 'kreuz.net' is -- according to the opinion of the Regensburg Communications Director-- "in Church circles famous-infamous".
According to information from observers, the portal has for years broken through the wall of silence put up by neoconservative and old liberals and takes no political position in the Church.
The Bavarian Bishop's Conference would rather have 'kreuz.net' silenced before the 'Mittelbayerischen': "no comment" - writes Frau Schröpf.
The German Bishop's Conference are well known for their slanders given by the notorious official functionary Matthias Kopp.
He clarified for the 'Mittelbayerischen' (Middle Bavarian Paper), that 'kreuz.net' has in the past been guilty of "more than questionable" statements before.
The site has no official character: "... continual anti-Semitic suggestions and ponderous cheap-polemical shots against the German Bishops are unbearable" -- intoned Kopp
Even the press speaker for the German Society of Pius X, Father Andreas Steiner, distanced himself from the "form" of the criticism on 'kreuz.net'.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sympathy from the 'Mittelbayerischen': Liberal Paper Defends Episcopal SSPX Critic
Kreuz.net says about Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller of Regensburg that their criticism has aroused the anger of a German journalist from the liberal 'Mittelbayerische' paper and its editor. It seems that it's not only the German Bishops who wish kreuz.net would go away.
Another Bishop Witholds Funding from CCHD
GAYLORD, Michigan, June 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Another United States bishop is taking precautions in light of continuing allegations that the U.S. bishops’ domestic anti-poverty arm, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), is funding groups that support abortion and other activities contrary to Catholic teaching.
Bishop Bernard Hebda of Gaylord, Michigan has decided to delay sending funds to CCHD from the 2010 collection while the organization is under review, LifeSiteNews has learned.
Candace Neff, communications director for the Gaylord diocese, emphasized that the bishop has not “discontinued” the collection for CCHD. “A tremendous amount of very important work is accomplished through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development,” she said.
Read further...
Bishop Bernard Hebda of Gaylord, Michigan has decided to delay sending funds to CCHD from the 2010 collection while the organization is under review, LifeSiteNews has learned.
Candace Neff, communications director for the Gaylord diocese, emphasized that the bishop has not “discontinued” the collection for CCHD. “A tremendous amount of very important work is accomplished through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development,” she said.
Read further...
Thursday, June 17, 2010
‘Absolute catastrophe’ in Kyrgyzstan: Nuncio
The Vatican ambassador to Kyrgyzstan has described the situation in the country as chaotic as ethnic violence pushed up the number of refugees and displaced people.
“In Osh, there is a situation of absolute humanitarian catastrophe: There are no lights, no gas, no water and no food in the markets,” Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, Vatican nuncio to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, told Vatican Radio June 15, Catholic Review notes.
He said it was impossible to accurately count the injured because the Uzbeks are afraid to go the hospital. He reported dozens of deaths in Osh and said that as of June 13, 47 were dead in the border city of Jalal-Abad. Two Jesuits are responsible for the church in both cities.
Read further...
“In Osh, there is a situation of absolute humanitarian catastrophe: There are no lights, no gas, no water and no food in the markets,” Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, Vatican nuncio to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, told Vatican Radio June 15, Catholic Review notes.
He said it was impossible to accurately count the injured because the Uzbeks are afraid to go the hospital. He reported dozens of deaths in Osh and said that as of June 13, 47 were dead in the border city of Jalal-Abad. Two Jesuits are responsible for the church in both cities.
Read further...
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Cardinal Pell is the victim of a smear campaign designed to stop him reforming the world's bishops
There's at least one reason why you'd not want to trust Cardinal Pell with such a sensitive post that don't stem from his tenuous interaction with Deacon Alcuin Reed. Isn't the fact that he tolerated such an open source of dissent in his diocese related to homosexuality cause enough? You can read the story, here.
Still, it's all too easy to see that a very unsavory cluster of individuals might not want him in this sensitive position.
Cardinal Pell is the victim of a smear campaign designed to stop him reforming the world's bishops
Still, it's all too easy to see that a very unsavory cluster of individuals might not want him in this sensitive position.
Cardinal Pell is the victim of a smear campaign designed to stop him reforming the world's bishops
Argentinian Bishop Challenges State-Run Liberal Media
Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jun 16, 2010 / 04:45 am (CNA).- Archbishop Hector Aguer of La Plata in Argentina criticized the ideological slant in Argentina’s official state-run media, which, he explained, saturates “viewers and listeners with their ideology.”
The archbishop noted that some channels have “very good programs. But the strong ideological line and one-sidedness is noteworthy. No pluralism exists, as corresponding to the country, especially in the state-run media,” he added.
During the program, “Keys to a Better World,” Archbishop Aguer noted that many of the programs “are technically very good … but nevertheless the ideological virus is present. It is just another one of the defects of the media,” he said.
Read further... CNA.
America Magazine Pines Away in Defense of CINO University Appointment : You Mean RIght Wingers!
The new President of the Catholic University of America was introduced to the university community at a well attended gathering on campus yesterday. Professor John Garvey, previously the Dean of the Law School at Boston College, will take up his duties at the 15th President of CUA later this summer.
It did not take the conservative blogosphere long to impugn this man’s fitness. Never mind that he is, as Archbishop Alan Vigneron, Chairman of the CUA Board, said, “an accomplished jurist, scholar and teacher.” Never mind that his appointment had just been approved not only by the bishop-heavy CUA Board but by the Holy See. Never mind that he has devoted his life as a scholar to studying the ways that faith informs the law, his area of expertise. Never mind that his five children have a total of 92 years of Catholic education.
Garvey’s crime? He donated, over the course of three years, $1,750 to the campaign of his home state Senator John Kerry. And, while Dean of the Law School, he oversaw the awarding of an honorary degree to home state Congressman Edward Markey. Both Kerry and Markey are pro-choice. Now, I can think of a bunch of reasons to vote for or against John Kerry but I do not see how that support, or lack thereof, would disqualify a person from the post of a university President at a Catholic college. And, more than a year ago I let my feelings be known about the awarding of honorary degrees at commencement time. I think both Kerry and Markey are wrong on abortion, but I cannot judge their entire careers based on that fact alone anymore than I can judge George W. Bush’s career simply because he sanctioned the use of torture against suspected terrorists. That, too, is an intrinsic evil.
Link to America Magazine...
It did not take the conservative blogosphere long to impugn this man’s fitness. Never mind that he is, as Archbishop Alan Vigneron, Chairman of the CUA Board, said, “an accomplished jurist, scholar and teacher.” Never mind that his appointment had just been approved not only by the bishop-heavy CUA Board but by the Holy See. Never mind that he has devoted his life as a scholar to studying the ways that faith informs the law, his area of expertise. Never mind that his five children have a total of 92 years of Catholic education.
Garvey’s crime? He donated, over the course of three years, $1,750 to the campaign of his home state Senator John Kerry. And, while Dean of the Law School, he oversaw the awarding of an honorary degree to home state Congressman Edward Markey. Both Kerry and Markey are pro-choice. Now, I can think of a bunch of reasons to vote for or against John Kerry but I do not see how that support, or lack thereof, would disqualify a person from the post of a university President at a Catholic college. And, more than a year ago I let my feelings be known about the awarding of honorary degrees at commencement time. I think both Kerry and Markey are wrong on abortion, but I cannot judge their entire careers based on that fact alone anymore than I can judge George W. Bush’s career simply because he sanctioned the use of torture against suspected terrorists. That, too, is an intrinsic evil.
Link to America Magazine...
Bishop Mixa is Fighting His Forced Resignation in Rome Against Liberal Prelates
Archbishop Zollitsch, who faces his own problems related to sex abuse, sold his colleague down the river when it came to an uncredible accusation against him. The Bavarian Bishop is not overly friendly to tradition, but perhaps his current experience with cut-throat liberal Bishops will instill a stronger sense of who his real friends are, the Traditionalists.
Mixa wants his case reviewed by Vatican - The Local
Mixa wants his case reviewed by Vatican - The Local
USCCB to Give More Money to Alinskyite Groups
While some USCCB members are sunning themselves and relaxing, there will be serious business. The Bishops have authorized funds to go to various Alinskeyite groups who allege to help oil spill victims, USCCB site, here.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Bishops Gather to Watch Communist Propaganda and Relax in St. Petersburg
According to the Petersburg Times, the Bishops are still "wrestling" with the sex abuse crisis. It doesn't sound like they'll be having meditations on the Spiritual Exercises of the great St. Ignatius of Loyola and as far as we know they won't be discussing the new Pro-Abortion President of Catholic University, as far as we know. According to Bishop Lynch, they're going to watch Invictus, a pious homage to the alleged beneficence and wisdom of hard -core Marxist, Nelson Mandela.
Bishop Lynch had this to offer about the retreat:
Maybe the Bishops could discuss the injustices heaped upon some priests by their colleagues in the last 50 years, like Father Mclucas, or all the Seminarians whose lives were made hell for no good reason, or perhaps the dissident priests teaching at their colleges and Universities. Sometimes, a priest can get dismissed by teaching unpopular things to their flocks, and sometimes priests even get hung out to dry by their ordinary.
Bishops assemble to refresh, reflect at St. Petersburg retreat - St. Petersburg Times
Bishop Lynch had this to offer about the retreat:
The media was not allowed at the retreat, but Bishop Robert N. Lynch, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, which spans Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties, offered an insider's peek at the weeklong gathering in his May 31 blog.
"It is relaxed and informal," he said.
"It is something like five days of continuing education and this year the general theme is 'the bishop and his priests' … Relationships between bishops and priests is an important topic because it has changed for the worse since the sexual-abuse controversy of 2001 and following. In many places priests don't trust their bishops any longer and are terrified that they will receive a call and be asked to come and see the bishop for fear it might be a complaint or something of that nature," Lynch wrote.
Maybe the Bishops could discuss the injustices heaped upon some priests by their colleagues in the last 50 years, like Father Mclucas, or all the Seminarians whose lives were made hell for no good reason, or perhaps the dissident priests teaching at their colleges and Universities. Sometimes, a priest can get dismissed by teaching unpopular things to their flocks, and sometimes priests even get hung out to dry by their ordinary.
Bishops assemble to refresh, reflect at St. Petersburg retreat - St. Petersburg Times
Catholic Priest and Exorcist Thomas J. Euteneuer on Performing Exorcisms
[Opposing Views] Obscured by rumor and myth, and confused by exaggerations and outright falsehoods in popular movies, the Catholic Church's ancient rite of exorcism is not only still practiced today, but is needed more than ever, writes pro-life leader, Catholic priest and exorcist Reverend Thomas J. Euteneuer in his new book, Exorcism and the Church Militant.
"The Church has good reason to avoid popularizing exorcism, and affirming the sensationalist or dismissive accounts of the culture at large," said Father Euteneuer. "At the same time, this necessary discretion has led to the rite being neglected in many areas, at precisely the time when it is most needed to deliver those who have succumbed to the increasing deceptions of the devil in these troubling times."
Father Euteneuer, President of Human Life International, has conducted exorcisms in several dioceses around the United States and spoken to thousands of people on this subject. He seeks to build up the faith of people through accurate teaching on this controversial topic.
"With Exorcism and the Church Militant I hope to undo myths and misunderstandings surrounding exorcism, and issue a call to my brother priests and our faithful bishops," said Father Euteneuer. "Our culture is ever more saturated with enticements to the occult and other dangerous spiritual and moral choices. Clarifying what exorcism is and underlining the urgency for both clergy and the faithful is key if we're going to start confronting Satan where he is making so much headway, in our homes and communities."
With Exorcism and the Church Militant, Father Euteneuer is also releasing Demonic Abortion, the first of two companion works. This 120-page booklet is a meditation on the evil nature of the abortion industry, from the perspective of a priest and exorcist who has been fighting in the pro-life trenches around the world for well over a decade. With a release date of July 7, 2010, Demonic Abortion is now available for pre-order.
More information about both Exorcism and the Church Militant and Demonic Abortion can be found at www.exorcismbook.com.
About the Author:
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer was ordained a priest in 1988 for the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida and served in parishes in that diocese for twelve years before being given permission by his bishop to work full-time in pro-life ministry with Human Life International, where he has served as President since December of the year 2000. Father Euteneuer has been performing exorcisms for seven years with approval from numerous dioceses in the United States. His interest in the ministry was a natural outgrowth of his work in the pro-life field, which deals with the organized power of evil on a global scale.
Link to original...
"The Church has good reason to avoid popularizing exorcism, and affirming the sensationalist or dismissive accounts of the culture at large," said Father Euteneuer. "At the same time, this necessary discretion has led to the rite being neglected in many areas, at precisely the time when it is most needed to deliver those who have succumbed to the increasing deceptions of the devil in these troubling times."
Father Euteneuer, President of Human Life International, has conducted exorcisms in several dioceses around the United States and spoken to thousands of people on this subject. He seeks to build up the faith of people through accurate teaching on this controversial topic.
"With Exorcism and the Church Militant I hope to undo myths and misunderstandings surrounding exorcism, and issue a call to my brother priests and our faithful bishops," said Father Euteneuer. "Our culture is ever more saturated with enticements to the occult and other dangerous spiritual and moral choices. Clarifying what exorcism is and underlining the urgency for both clergy and the faithful is key if we're going to start confronting Satan where he is making so much headway, in our homes and communities."
With Exorcism and the Church Militant, Father Euteneuer is also releasing Demonic Abortion, the first of two companion works. This 120-page booklet is a meditation on the evil nature of the abortion industry, from the perspective of a priest and exorcist who has been fighting in the pro-life trenches around the world for well over a decade. With a release date of July 7, 2010, Demonic Abortion is now available for pre-order.
More information about both Exorcism and the Church Militant and Demonic Abortion can be found at www.exorcismbook.com.
About the Author:
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer was ordained a priest in 1988 for the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida and served in parishes in that diocese for twelve years before being given permission by his bishop to work full-time in pro-life ministry with Human Life International, where he has served as President since December of the year 2000. Father Euteneuer has been performing exorcisms for seven years with approval from numerous dioceses in the United States. His interest in the ministry was a natural outgrowth of his work in the pro-life field, which deals with the organized power of evil on a global scale.
Link to original...
The Bishop of Essen warns Perverse of Eternal Damnation
Bishop Overbeck is friendly with the traditional Society of St. Peter, and doesn't intend on backing down when it comes to the teaching the traditional Catholic Faith given to us by Christ and passed down to the Apostles.
Whoever dies as an unrepentant homosexual, goes to Hell. The Bishop of Essen can not abolish the 10 Commandments: homosexual perversion is a mortal sin.
Link to original...
Whoever dies as an unrepentant homosexual, goes to Hell. The Bishop of Essen can not abolish the 10 Commandments: homosexual perversion is a mortal sin.
[kreuz.net, Essen,June 10, 2010] Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen had delineated his diagnosis of homosexual perversion in a talk show on an evening in April, and yesterday during a town-hall meeting in his Cathedral
In April the Bishop had said "the first" on television: "Homosexuality is a sin, we know this very clearly and precisely, that it is that. It contradicts nature. The nature of man is applied in the unity of man and woman."
The Gruesome Homosexual Perversion is a Mortal Sin.
Msgr Overbeck specified then, that it would have been better to say, that "expressed" homosexuality is a sin.
That's how it is written in the "Catechism of the Catholic Church."
The Bishop continued, that he holds the Church's traditional Faith, which holds that the married unity of partnership and love is between a man and a woman.
He sees also "an opposition" between Catholic moral and degenerate western society.
The Church must, therefore, specify how a happy life could led.
It occurs not as a life-style choice and freedom from all norms. It must come from Christ within God-given norms in order to life a fulfilling life.
Anti-Democratic Homosexuals Rioted in the Cathedral
While the Bishop spoke about Sodomy, some unnatural homosexual storm troopers attempted to rob the Bishop of freedom of speech in his own Cathedral.
The Homosexuals shouted and heckled during the Bishop's explanation.
The moderator attempted to explain to the sodomites the limitations. A talk with the public was not planned impossible because of the acoustics in the Cathedral make it impossible.
The naive Bishop offered the anti-democratic homosexual hecklers, to meet at another time.
Link to original...
Monday, June 14, 2010
Archdiocese and City of Vienna to Scrap "Pope's Cross"
The City of Vienna and the Archdiocese want to tear down a giant metal cross and replace it with an ugly memorial by sculptor Oscar HÖFINGER. There's an initiative to renew the so-called "Pope's Cross" which has been estimated to cost around 400,000 Euro. It wouldn't be surprising if it were the cost of the sculptor's commission.
One commenter has already pointed out on kathnet that the universally hated St. Restituta statue cost the Vienna Archdiocese 100,000 Euro.
[Kath.net, Vienna] The Cross is going to be scrapped and replaced by a small monument. This has angered many Catholics who were there at the time. They are planning their own initiative "Save the Pope's Cross".
In the Archdiocese of Vienna there is an uproar about the planned destruction of the "Pope's Cross" in the Danube Park. The 40 Meter high and 65 ton metal cross was erected for a Eucharistic Celebration with John Paul II on September 11, 1983.
Recently, a placard has been put on the fence around the cross. It reads: "For statistical reasons the present Pope's Cross, which was erected on the first pastoral visit of John Paul II on 12 September 1983, in agreement with the Vienna City Parks and the Archdiocese of Vienna and in the the Summer of 2010 will be replaced by a small memorial. The piece will be by sculptor Oskar HÖFINGER and will represent the risen Christ." [It will most assuredly be ugly socialist art.]
For some days Kath.net has dialed the phone in order to discover what is to become of the cross. The director of the Park Office of the Vienna Magistrats was very friendly, but clueless. He didn't know that there was such a cross. Then, after some further calls, Kath.net got the answer: "the cross is rusty" and "must be taken away." Sadly, nothing more could be said.
It constitutes a danger of collapse, one would have to reinforce the construction to make it safe, as is maintained by the Mayor's office, as the "Crown" reports. City Park Director Rainer Weisgram has tried to find all the information for a possible renovation.
"This would cost an estimated 400,000 Euro." One such investment with tax money is not sensible, because "with that you could make a giant playground with the works".
This statement really brings everything to hand, for the "Pope's Cross" has enduring value and high symbolic value. This estimate is "on one hand surely exaggerated" , and it states the other side "laughable on the face of millions, who pay their tax money in a 'Lifeball' which is about to be given away in a few days," incites a Catholic woman in the Archdiocese of Vienna to write to Kath.NET.
The cost for the planned "little memorial" should come by the way of the City of Vienna and the Archdiocese of Vienna and be used for the same , Kath.NET has learned from well informed circles of the Archdiocese of Vienna.
In the meantime there is a spontaneous initiative "Save the Pope's Cross". which forms a petition group, in a do-it-yourself effort to raise the allegedly necessary 300,000 to 400,000 Euro.
Link to Kath.net...
Comparing the Church Militant with a Cruise Ship
Msgr Charles Pope wrote an interesting blog post for the Archdiocese of Washington recently where he compared the Church to a battleship. There is a lot of symbolism in scripture and tradition to compare the Church militant to a ship, an ark or even a battleship. The dream of Dom Bosco was a kind of vision of the Church Militant engaged against Her enemies. The symbolism is powerful, although some may object to it today, they are only expressing vicarious doubts borrowed from the false doctrines of secular humanism. If they look to what the Church has always been and stood for, the Church is like a battleship, She's militant and prepared for war against the Powers and Principalities of this world.
Pope Benedict Promises More Discipline: Will Dissident Bishops Come to Canossa?
Holy Father promises greater Church discipline. Authentic Church life requires the values of obedience and forthrightness. In his sermon on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart last week, he promises greater discipline, the rod, to keep wolves at bay.
This falls in line with other concerns he's had more recently regarding heresy. It's going to be increasingly the case that Church leaders who do not ascent and teach the orthodox tenets of the Catholic Faith are going to find themselves out in the cold, like various Cardinals who have been finding themselves sidelined when it comes to important Curial meetings. It may go beyond that, however. Will the rebellious Austrian Clergy walk the road to Canossa?
"Your rod and your staff – they comfort me": the shepherd needs the rod as protection against savage beasts ready to pounce on the flock; against robbers looking for prey. Along with the rod there is the staff which gives support and helps to make difficult crossings. Both of these are likewise part of the Church’s ministry, of the priest’s ministry. The Church too must use the shepherd’s rod, the rod with which he protects the faith against those who falsify it, against currents which lead the flock astray. The use of the rod can actually be a service of love. Today we can see that it has nothing to do with love when conduct unworthy of the priestly life is tolerated. Nor does it have to do with love if heresy is allowed to spread and the faith twisted and chipped away, as if it were something that we ourselves had invented. As if it were no longer God’s gift, the precious pearl which we cannot let be taken from us. Even so, the rod must always become once again the shepherd’s staff – a staff which helps men and women to tread difficult paths and to follow the Lord.
Read the entire Sacred Heart Sermon, here.
h/t Rorate Coeli.
Photograph: New York Times, of a mostly neutralized but vocal, Archbishop Rembert Weakland.
Americanist Bill Buckley, a Review
There's a new book on the CIA Agent who worked in Mexico, graduated from Yale and belonged to the Skull and Bones.
Americanism, here.
Read further...
Americanism, here.
Lee Edwards calls William F. Buckley Jr. “The St. Paul of the conservative movement.” No other 20th century figure made such a vast contribution to the intellectual force of political conservatism. He paved the way for the likes of Ronald Reagan and all of those political children of Reagan who credit the former president for bringing them into politics. He achieved what no other had done and that was his ability to bring traditional conservatives, libertarians, and anti-communists together under the same umbrella. Late in life, when asked why he continued working so hard despite fame and wealth, a surprised Buckley said, “My Father taught me that I owe it to my country. It’s how I pay my debt.”
Lee Edwards offers an excellent story of Buckley’s founding and overseeing of the modern conservative crusade in William F. Buckley Jr.: The Maker of a Movement. Edwards traces the roots of those who influenced Buckley, from libertarian author Albert Jay Nock, conservative political scientist Willmoore Kendall, the anti-communist Whittaker Chambers, and political theorist James Burnham. Buckley fused together these right of center factions that were often feuding with each other more than with their common foes, the statists. Kendall, Burnham, and Chambers were all closely associated with National Review, launched by Buckley in 1955. Russell Kirk was also an essential conservative voice in the mix who agreed to become a contributor to the magazine. Buckley purged Ayn Rand and her anti-Christian and morally bankrupt philosophy of Objectivism from mainstream conservatism. He dismissed anti-semitism from the movement by dismissing it from his publication. The conservative historian George Nash simply said, “Much of the history of American conservatism after 1955 is the history of the individuals associated with the magazine William F. Buckley Jr. founded.”
A significant aspect of this book, and one that has received more attention since the death of Buckley, was his magnanimous personality and financial generosity. It is estimated that since he was paid a nominal salary by National Review, he diverted $10 million to the magazine because he forwarded speaking fees, lecture fees and other fees to National Review’s coffers. He waived his speaking fee for the Acton Institute in 1992 because according to Edwards, “He was taken with the idea of an organization dedicated to explaining the relationship between-free market capitalism and Christian morality.” Edwards offers other points of generosity...
Read further...
Analyst Sees Tought Times for the Catholic Church in America
Washington D.C. (CNA) -- An “anti-Catholic storm” is looming in the United States because of the Church’s stance against “postmodern ideologies” and because well-funded Catholic supporters of President Obama provide cover for Catholic politicians who dissent from Church teaching, says Catholic analyst Deal Hudson.
Hudson, who has served as an advisor to Republican leaders on Catholic issues, wrote at InsideCatholic.com that a “relentless barrage” of reporting in the mainstream media is intended to force changes demanded by dissenting Catholic groups.
Revelations of clerical sexual abuse in Europe have provided “Catholic bashers” the opportunity to attack Church teachings about abortion and same-sex “marriage,” he added. A call to arrest Pope Benedict XVI in the United Kingdom should have been regarded as “a crank call” but has led to speculation about whether the papal trip to Britain should be canceled.
Read further..CNA
Hudson, who has served as an advisor to Republican leaders on Catholic issues, wrote at InsideCatholic.com that a “relentless barrage” of reporting in the mainstream media is intended to force changes demanded by dissenting Catholic groups.
Revelations of clerical sexual abuse in Europe have provided “Catholic bashers” the opportunity to attack Church teachings about abortion and same-sex “marriage,” he added. A call to arrest Pope Benedict XVI in the United Kingdom should have been regarded as “a crank call” but has led to speculation about whether the papal trip to Britain should be canceled.
Read further..CNA
Pope Beatifies Slovenian Student Killed by Communists
CELJE, Slovenia (AP) — A Slovenian student who was captured, tortured and killed by communists during World War II was beatified on Sunday by Pope Benedict XVI's state secretary at a Mass attended by thousands.
Lojze Grozde, who died at the age of 20, is the first beatified martyr in the predominantly Roman Catholic country where the church was long suppressed. Grozde, a high school student, was captured in Jan. 1943, when Slovenia was occupied by Italy and Germany. Communist-run antifascist rebels — known as partisans — reportedly found a Latin prayer book in his possession and suspected him of collaborating with Italian fascists. His mutilated body was found a month later in a forest.
Tarcisio Bertone, the secretary of state of the Holy See, declared Grozde a martyr of faith before 32,000 of the faithful and 750 priests — many from abroad — at the Celje football stadium.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/06/13/vatican-beatifies-slovenian-student-killed-communists-wwii/
Lojze Grozde, who died at the age of 20, is the first beatified martyr in the predominantly Roman Catholic country where the church was long suppressed. Grozde, a high school student, was captured in Jan. 1943, when Slovenia was occupied by Italy and Germany. Communist-run antifascist rebels — known as partisans — reportedly found a Latin prayer book in his possession and suspected him of collaborating with Italian fascists. His mutilated body was found a month later in a forest.
Tarcisio Bertone, the secretary of state of the Holy See, declared Grozde a martyr of faith before 32,000 of the faithful and 750 priests — many from abroad — at the Celje football stadium.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/06/13/vatican-beatifies-slovenian-student-killed-communists-wwii/
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Cardinal Pell Doesn't Get the Promotion
CARDINAL George Pell, whose promotion to a top Vatican job was expected this month, has been dropped from consideration because of former abuse allegations against him, according to informed sources in Rome.
Cardinal Pell stood down as Archbishop of Sydney in 2002 after he was accused of abusing a teenager at a church camp in the 1960s, but an independent investigation by a retired non-Catholic judge cleared him.
Vatican watchers now say important officials have worked to undermine Cardinal Pell as the next head of the Congregation of Bishops, partly from concerns over negative publicity about the abuse allegations and partly for internal political reasons, including the desire for an Italian to take the job.
Read further...
Cardinal Pell stood down as Archbishop of Sydney in 2002 after he was accused of abusing a teenager at a church camp in the 1960s, but an independent investigation by a retired non-Catholic judge cleared him.
Vatican watchers now say important officials have worked to undermine Cardinal Pell as the next head of the Congregation of Bishops, partly from concerns over negative publicity about the abuse allegations and partly for internal political reasons, including the desire for an Italian to take the job.
Read further...
Pope Blames the Sex-Abuse Scandal on Heresy
It's the elephant in the room and many have avoided saying it in the past, but the Holy Father has said it. This comment ought also to be at the heart of the Vatican's defense against Sex Abuse claims.
Rather than go after the Vatican, subrogate those individuals that failed in their roles as Bishops.
Archbishop Weakland, for example, should be held liable, not least for his negligence as a pastor, but for his unwillingness in protecting Catholics from homosexual predators. He doesn't need a monument, he needs to have someone tap into the revenues from his book sales.
Rather than go after the Vatican, subrogate those individuals that failed in their roles as Bishops.
Archbishop Weakland, for example, should be held liable, not least for his negligence as a pastor, but for his unwillingness in protecting Catholics from homosexual predators. He doesn't need a monument, he needs to have someone tap into the revenues from his book sales.
By Hilary White
VATICAN CITY, June 11, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Sin, satanic influence and the toleration of heresy lie at the root of the priestly sexual abuse scandals, Pope Benedict XVI said today. Precisely because it is an institution erected by God to make himself sacramentally "present to all men and women," the devil is interested in destroying the priesthood, he said.
Referring to the line in Psalm 22 ("Your rod and your staff - they comfort me"), Benedict became explicit about the need for the "rod" of discipline to correct errors in the Church.
"The Church too must use the shepherd's rod," he said, "the rod with which he protects the faith against those who falsify it, against currents which lead the flock astray."
"Today we can see that it has nothing to do with love when conduct unworthy of the priestly life is tolerated. Nor does it have to do with love if heresy is allowed to spread and the faith twisted and chipped away, as if it were something that we ourselves had invented."
Pope Benedict spoke today to 15,000 priests at the closing Mass of the Vatican's Year for Priests at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
The priesthood, Pope Benedict said, is not "pleasing to the 'enemy,'" (the devil).
"He would have rather preferred to see it disappear, so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world. And so it happened that, in this very year of joy for the sacrament of the priesthood, the sins of priests came to light - particularly the abuse of the little ones, in which the priesthood, whose task is to manifest God's concern for our good, turns into its very opposite."
With evident personal sadness, the pope again extended his apology to the victims of sexual abuse, saying, "We too insistently beg forgiveness from God and from the persons involved."
This was followed by a promise to "do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again" by more scrutiny and better formation of those who apply for the priesthood.
Statistics on the abuse scandals have found that the abuse cases are overwhelmingly homosexual in nature and occurred between the 1960s and 1980s, at time in which psychological and theological trends were against excluding men with homosexual inclinations from the priesthood.
Benedict, as Cardinal Ratzinger, was clear with a 2005 document issued from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office that had oversight on the abuse scandals around the world, that men with such inclinations should not be admitted to seminaries.
Benedict also made more subtle references to the movement from the Church's extreme left wing to open the priesthood to women and to married men. Among the opening lines of his homily, Pope Benedict laid out the nature of the priesthood, saying it is not a matter of mere functionality but a sacramental reality derived from Christ himself.
"The priest is not a mere office-holder," he said, "like those which every society needs in order to carry out certain functions."
Video clip from Rome Reports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ_588cHu50
Moldova Puts Orthodox Religious Instruction in its Schools
“When Mr. Pasat puts his mind to something, nothing stops him until he gets the job done. And this is only the beginning.”
With these words, a well-known Moldovan journalist, Dmitri Chubashenko, who recently became the politician's spokesman, announced the start of a new era in Moldovan politics.
But who is Mr. Pasat and what, exactly, is he up to?
Valeriu Pasat is a former Moldovan spy chief who wants to increase the “fundamental” role of the Orthodox Church in the country while simultaneously bidding to become Moldova’s new president.
Last week, he initiated a referendum to introduce orthodoxy as a compulsory subject in all Moldovan schools. To promote the idea, he plans to form a political party and run for president this fall, when fresh general and presidential elections might be held.
Read further...
With these words, a well-known Moldovan journalist, Dmitri Chubashenko, who recently became the politician's spokesman, announced the start of a new era in Moldovan politics.
But who is Mr. Pasat and what, exactly, is he up to?
Valeriu Pasat is a former Moldovan spy chief who wants to increase the “fundamental” role of the Orthodox Church in the country while simultaneously bidding to become Moldova’s new president.
Last week, he initiated a referendum to introduce orthodoxy as a compulsory subject in all Moldovan schools. To promote the idea, he plans to form a political party and run for president this fall, when fresh general and presidential elections might be held.
Read further...
Foreboding and Strange Lights Appear above the Vatican
Men of an anti-aircraft battery saw and filmed strange lights in the sky. We don't know what these things are. They may be aircraft, or they may be something else. In former, more sensible, times the appearance of strange lights in the skies was often a sign foreboding evil times.
Oftentimes, too, those lights were considered to be the manifestations of preternatural beings, the elves, faeries and so forth, or devils.
There's a not so famous story of a Bishop who confronted a host of elves that was parading through his diocese at night. He met the elvish host with his staff and holy water, whereupon it promptly disappeared.
If the Vatican is being visited by strange inexplicable lights that can't belong to NATO air units, it should be confronted with holy water and exorcism.
The late Father Malachi Martin said that there were evil forces in the Vatican, enemies of Christ, as he said, "you either serve Christ or you serve Lucifer." As he maintains, there was an enthronement of Satan in the Vatican which can only be cast out by the owner of the house, the Pope. Listen to the interview with Fr. Malachi Martin, here.
Oftentimes, too, those lights were considered to be the manifestations of preternatural beings, the elves, faeries and so forth, or devils.
There's a not so famous story of a Bishop who confronted a host of elves that was parading through his diocese at night. He met the elvish host with his staff and holy water, whereupon it promptly disappeared.
If the Vatican is being visited by strange inexplicable lights that can't belong to NATO air units, it should be confronted with holy water and exorcism.
The late Father Malachi Martin said that there were evil forces in the Vatican, enemies of Christ, as he said, "you either serve Christ or you serve Lucifer." As he maintains, there was an enthronement of Satan in the Vatican which can only be cast out by the owner of the house, the Pope. Listen to the interview with Fr. Malachi Martin, here.
Iranian Republican Guards Burn Hundreds of Bibles
[Iran ANS] A spokesperson for FCNN told the ASSIST News Service (ANS), “This action [of burning the Bibles], which has been confirmed by informed sources, was aired on a site belonging to the Pasdaran paramilitary organization, is nothing less than shameful and the persons responsible must be identified and exposed to the whole world.”
The report said that on Saturday, May 29, 2010, Ati News, a site belonging to Morteza Talaee, the previous head of the security forces and the current member of the Tehran's city council, “in its usual anti-Christian propaganda” reported that their social-life reporter had disclosed that shipments of so called, “Perverted Torah and Gospels” had entered Iran through its Western borders.
Two days later, on Monday, May 31, 2010, the same report was reiterated by the official anti-crime website of the Pasdaran Army called “Gerdaub” which said that a large shipment of Jewish and Christian Scriptures had entered Iran through the Western Azerbaijan province and, according to security officials of that province, the “occupier forces” that operate in the Western regions of Iraq were responsible for such activities.
Read further...
The report said that on Saturday, May 29, 2010, Ati News, a site belonging to Morteza Talaee, the previous head of the security forces and the current member of the Tehran's city council, “in its usual anti-Christian propaganda” reported that their social-life reporter had disclosed that shipments of so called, “Perverted Torah and Gospels” had entered Iran through its Western borders.
Two days later, on Monday, May 31, 2010, the same report was reiterated by the official anti-crime website of the Pasdaran Army called “Gerdaub” which said that a large shipment of Jewish and Christian Scriptures had entered Iran through the Western Azerbaijan province and, according to security officials of that province, the “occupier forces” that operate in the Western regions of Iraq were responsible for such activities.
Read further...
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Gene Robinson, Former Ugandan Bishop Hail Sexuality without Boundaries
Gene Robinson, Former Ugandan Bishop Hail Sexuality without Boundaries
Jeff Walton
June 10, 2010
Decrying as "missionaries of hate" U.S. Christians who preach in Africa against homosexual practice, a former bishop of the Anglican Church of Uganda spoke June 8 at a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C. Christopher Senyonjo was hosted by Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, the first openly gay bishop to be consecrated in the Anglican Communion. Robinson has served as Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP) since March. The two spoke about anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda, which they blamed upon U.S. evangelicals. They also called for a broader effort to decriminalize homosexual practices in Africa. Senyonjo's appearance at CAP was part of a six-week speaking tour of the United States, sponsored by Integrity USA, an unofficial homosexual caucus in the Episcopal Church.
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Jeff Walton
June 10, 2010
Decrying as "missionaries of hate" U.S. Christians who preach in Africa against homosexual practice, a former bishop of the Anglican Church of Uganda spoke June 8 at a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C. Christopher Senyonjo was hosted by Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, the first openly gay bishop to be consecrated in the Anglican Communion. Robinson has served as Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP) since March. The two spoke about anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda, which they blamed upon U.S. evangelicals. They also called for a broader effort to decriminalize homosexual practices in Africa. Senyonjo's appearance at CAP was part of a six-week speaking tour of the United States, sponsored by Integrity USA, an unofficial homosexual caucus in the Episcopal Church.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
The Relativist Media's Treatment of the Catholic Church
Study looks at media coverage of Catholic sex abuse scandal
1. It's exaggerated when compared by the increasing amount of sexual abuse against children and adolescents on television and in the education system. It's also interesting that the news and entertainment media, whose agents are far and away mostly moral relativists, should complain about the Catholic Church's record in this, when their own record is so abysmal.
2. It's not very popular either, despite the climate of moral relativism among political and media figures, to point out that most of the abusers are homosexuals and liberals themselves.
No one seems to complain much about Woody Allen and Roman Polanski has all kinds of defenders who otherwise have at one point or another made disparaging remarks about the Catholic Church.
What we have at play here is a rival magisterium to that of the Catholic Church which while it promotes an atmosphere of moral chaos, can play on the emotional heartstrings of people to arouse hatred for a the easily recognizable bad buy, while it advocates the same sorts of things.
Like Liberals in Germany, the American Democratic Party, here is moving for the legalization of sex with children taking barely perceptible steps. It shouldn't be hard to see that with the prevalence of moral relativism, that the barbarism of the pagan world we'd left behind centuries ago is not far behind.
Here's the citation from Catholic League explaining the story of how the Democrats in 2009 passed hate crimes legislation protecting pederasts, for it bears repeating:
In any event, it's important to discuss these stories within the context of how the media and its putative allies, the Democrats, have treated the Catholic Church in the past and how they are likely to do so in the future.
By William Wan
Read further...
1. It's exaggerated when compared by the increasing amount of sexual abuse against children and adolescents on television and in the education system. It's also interesting that the news and entertainment media, whose agents are far and away mostly moral relativists, should complain about the Catholic Church's record in this, when their own record is so abysmal.
2. It's not very popular either, despite the climate of moral relativism among political and media figures, to point out that most of the abusers are homosexuals and liberals themselves.
No one seems to complain much about Woody Allen and Roman Polanski has all kinds of defenders who otherwise have at one point or another made disparaging remarks about the Catholic Church.
What we have at play here is a rival magisterium to that of the Catholic Church which while it promotes an atmosphere of moral chaos, can play on the emotional heartstrings of people to arouse hatred for a the easily recognizable bad buy, while it advocates the same sorts of things.
Like Liberals in Germany, the American Democratic Party, here is moving for the legalization of sex with children taking barely perceptible steps. It shouldn't be hard to see that with the prevalence of moral relativism, that the barbarism of the pagan world we'd left behind centuries ago is not far behind.
Here's the citation from Catholic League explaining the story of how the Democrats in 2009 passed hate crimes legislation protecting pederasts, for it bears repeating:
“The House of Representatives will vote this week, possibly tomorrow, on a hate crimes bill championed by gay groups that includes pedophiles under the rubric of sexual orientation. This is the ultimate confession: liberal Democrats think of pedophiles as indistinguishable from homosexuals.
“When this subject came up last week in the House Judiciary Committee, an amendment to the hate crimes bill that would have excluded pedophilia from the definition of sexual orientation was defeated by Democrats along party lines, 13-10. This was considered good news by gay organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, left-wing groups like the ACLU and various Jewish groups like the ADL.
“The debate is over: for liberals, child molesters should be given the same rights as homosexuals. Moreover, they should be given more rights than pregnant women and veterans; the latter two categories were explicitly denied coverage under the hate crimes bill. Even worse, an amendment that would bar prosecution based in whole or in part on religious beliefs quoted from the Bible, the Tanakh (Judaism’s sacred book) or the Koran was defeated by Democrats along party lines, 11-8. In other words, religious speech may be denied First Amendment protection.
“There would be national outrage over this if the media were to report on it and the public were allowed to weigh in on it. But the clock is ticking and freedom and morality are hanging in the balance.”
In any event, it's important to discuss these stories within the context of how the media and its putative allies, the Democrats, have treated the Catholic Church in the past and how they are likely to do so in the future.
By William Wan
After months of church officials questioning, even attacking at times, the media for its coverage of the Catholic sex abuse scandal, a new study delves into exactly how much ink newspapers devoted to the scandals and how it compares to the coverage in 2002.
The report comes at a interesting time when officials have begun backing off their criticisms of media and begun a round of apologies and assurances that they are aggrieved and addressing the situation. Most recent example: Pope Benedict's statements last night. (One fascinating side note to Benedict's comments...as John Allen points out, Benedict for the first time blamed the devil, at least for the timing of the sex abuse scandals amid the Year of the Priests.)
For the most part, the new media study, conducted by Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, just puts into numbers a lot of assumptions people already had about the coverage (i.e. there was a lot of it, rivals 2002 scandal coverage, much of it this time focused on the Pope).
Read further...
Traditional Houses Give Substance to the Psalm: Introibo ad altare Dei, ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam
The Energies of God and the Progress of Traditionalism
Anthony Mazzone
Read further...Remnant...
Anthony Mazzone
. .the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. (Apocalypse 21:2)
Just as laws of nature may be generalized from empirical observation, laws of the supernatural are discernible from the imprint of God upon events. The material universe is, if you will, the fundamental text perceived by man’s senses. Sacred Scripture contains the preeminent written record of the history of salvation. Both, under the eye of faith, speak clearly of the intelligibility of creation and of the Creator’s plenary goodness. The philosopher Boethius writes: “The mind of God set down all the various rules by which all things are governed while still remaining unchanged in its own simplicity.”
The Book of Genesis and the Book of Nature should be read in conjunction with each other, as they are two parts of the same volume. So the first thing we need to comprehend is that in the beginning there was absolutely nothing apart from God. Though there was no deficiency in an eternal immeasurable present, out of no other motive than His infinite and unprompted love He created all things. In doing so He gave laws not only to Adam and his descendants but to the cosmos as well: "Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?" (Job 38:33). God Himself likens His fidelity to Israel to the covenant He has set with day and night, the fixed patterns of heaven and earth.
Read further...Remnant...
Mgr. Padovese's driver charged with murder. Doubts about his "insanity"
by Geries Othman
Christian observers and ask that the investigators to delve deeper into the motives for the murder.. Several attacks against Christians in Turkey are the work of "young unbalanced men" The condolences of the Italian Bishops Conference and PIME. The funeral of Mgr. Padovese next week in Milan.
Iskenderun (AsiaNews) - The driver of Mgr. Luigi Padovese, killed yesterday in front of his house in Iskenderun has been formally charged with murder by a Turkish court. The police confirm that the man, who for over four years was a close collaborator of the slain bishop suffers from mental disorders. But some doubts remain surrounding his illness and there have been widespread calls on the authorities to deepen their investigations into the motives for the assassination.
Murat Altun, 26, was arrested yesterday, hours after the killing of the bishop. According to some witnesses the murderer was stilly carrying the knife with which he had butchered Mgr. Padovese. After hours of questioning, the police confirmed the insanity of Murat. AsiaNews sources had said yesterday that Murat was "depressed, violent, full of threats."
Read further...
Christian observers and ask that the investigators to delve deeper into the motives for the murder.. Several attacks against Christians in Turkey are the work of "young unbalanced men" The condolences of the Italian Bishops Conference and PIME. The funeral of Mgr. Padovese next week in Milan.
Iskenderun (AsiaNews) - The driver of Mgr. Luigi Padovese, killed yesterday in front of his house in Iskenderun has been formally charged with murder by a Turkish court. The police confirm that the man, who for over four years was a close collaborator of the slain bishop suffers from mental disorders. But some doubts remain surrounding his illness and there have been widespread calls on the authorities to deepen their investigations into the motives for the assassination.
Murat Altun, 26, was arrested yesterday, hours after the killing of the bishop. According to some witnesses the murderer was stilly carrying the knife with which he had butchered Mgr. Padovese. After hours of questioning, the police confirmed the insanity of Murat. AsiaNews sources had said yesterday that Murat was "depressed, violent, full of threats."
Read further...
Friday, June 11, 2010
Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart
We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage committed against Thee; we are now determined to make amends... for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and teaching authority of the Church which Thou hast founded.
In the immortal words of Pope Leo XIII:
The world has heard enough of the so-called rights of man. Let it hear something of the rights of God!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Church Sales in Amsterdam, NY
AMSTERDAM - The Albany Roman Catholic Diocese has sold two churches in the city that it closed last winter.
World Peace and Health Organization purchased St. Michael's and St. Casimir's. The Buddhist organization is based at the Auriesville Shrine near Fultonville.
St. Michael's was sold for $100,000 and St. Casimir's for $150,000.
The diocese closed or consolidated 33 churches in the area.
Proceeds from the sale of the buildings will go to the successor parishes.
St. Mary's Church is the successor parish for St. Casimir's and Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the successor parish for St. Michael's.
From: The Leader-Herald
Jesuit Retreat Center being sold to Buddhists is the Shrine referred to.
h/t: Interstate Blog
A German Bishop has Good Relations with the Fraternity of Saint Peter
A German Bishop has said what few will admit: there is today in comparison with the number of practicing faithful, no fewer priests than in earlier times.
[Kreuznet, Essen] "In the our diocese those faithful who want to celebrate the Tridentine Rite should find room."
Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck (45) of Essen said this in an interview with the German newspaper, 'Tagespost'.
To the question, if the old-believing Society of Saint Peter would get a parish he said, "I think its smart to proceed as previously."
Clearly the Bishop meant the integration of the Old Mass in the modern parishes.
The Bishop has good relations to the priests through Fr. Berhard Gerstle of the Society of Saint Peter.
Father Gerstle regularly hears confessions in Essen Cathedral and ministers clearly in unity with the Bishop.
Absence of Faith
In the interview Bishop Overbeck discussed a "sober view of the Priest shortage":
"One sees it at once in the viewpoint of the regular church attendees, where there's an approaching close relation as in the past between young priests and young consistent Mass goers.
"Won't jostle Celibacy"
Msgr Overbeck has directed "countless discussions" with his priests.
He wants to strengthen self-knowledge and spiritual.
The parishes in the Ruhr district are "unusually large". This doesn't make the life of the priest easier:
"I speak very clearly as Bishop: 'I will not jostle celibacy". It is the priet's proper way of life".
Upon learning that other Bishops jostle with the unmarried state of Priests, Msgr Overbeck said:
"That may be the opinion regarding my colleagues -- I have never participated nor will I participate in that."
The Young Priests are Traditional
Bishop Overbeck assessed in the Clergy also a difference between the generations:
"The generation of the Council and those that shortly before found their priestly vocation, often wonder critically, if they have found the right way.
"And not infrequently the older men are astonished at what the younger men are doing."
The younger in the meantime live a Tradition bound form of the priestly life. That is not actually valid for them all, but it is really true for a large part."
Had the younger priests today a completely different biographical and interior point of departure than their older colleagues in their 50s and 60s.
Today the younger priests must inure themselves to "prevail over many others".
Msgr Overbeck has made his mission known, "to encourage and strengthen priests."
Additionally the "vocabulary of the Eucharist" must be put back more in the middle.
To Defend the Teachings of the Church
He still absolves his appearance on a German talk show last April.
It belongs to his duty to publicly and substantially discuss.
The Bishop's statements enraged then the anger of shameless homosexuals. The Bishop bore it with equanimity:
"We learn to live with the reality that the Church and her teachings are not accepted any more.
And it is often then, when we directly step in the sense of moral theology, with these often bulky expressions of doctrine to the public, which not many agree with any more:
Even then we must stand for them.
It would have surely been more clear, if I had said in the broadcast with Anne Will: Homosexuality is not a sin in the sense of disposition, rather in the sense of an expressed homosexuality.
That is also in the Catechism -- but that can in a broadcast of this sort in any case, not so fast."
The Church must "defend the value of man in the will of God, there where he is on the ground."
The basic mission of the Church must remain clear: Sexuality, Partnership and love belong together.
Link to original...
Correction: error was made about Father Gerstle's membership in the SSPX. He actually belongs to the FSSP, thanks.
Prince Charles, Sword of the Prophet, Defender of Islam
Prince Charles yesterday urged the world to follow Islamic 'spiritual principles' in order to protect the environment.
In an hour-long speech, the heir to the throne argued that man's destruction of the world was contrary to the scriptures of all religions - but particularly those of Islam.
He said the current 'division' between man and nature had been caused not just by industrialisation, but also by our attitude to the environment - which goes against the grain of 'sacred traditions'
Link to Guardian...
In an hour-long speech, the heir to the throne argued that man's destruction of the world was contrary to the scriptures of all religions - but particularly those of Islam.
He said the current 'division' between man and nature had been caused not just by industrialisation, but also by our attitude to the environment - which goes against the grain of 'sacred traditions'
Link to Guardian...
Austrian Bishops Continue to Challenge Celibacy
The solution to the so-called vocations crisis is to adhere to liturgical, disciplinary norms, not crafting them to accommodate wordly concerns. Contrary to Bishop Iby's beliefs, other denominations do not enjoy any appreciable advantages for having married clergy.
For example, there's no vocations crisis in Bishop Bruskewitz's Nebraska. It is most certainly related to the fact that the Bishop is fairly traditional in his theology and emphasis on devotions to the Blessed Mother and as a result, refuses to allow altar girls.
Link to DICI...
For example, there's no vocations crisis in Bishop Bruskewitz's Nebraska. It is most certainly related to the fact that the Bishop is fairly traditional in his theology and emphasis on devotions to the Blessed Mother and as a result, refuses to allow altar girls.
[DICI]Assembled for a three-day congress around Ascension Thursday, the Austrian bishops opined that the Vatican should allow a debate on priestly celibacy. As cited by the French Press Agency (AFP), the Ordinary of Carinthia in the southern part of the country, Bishop Alois Schwarz, declared that “As bishops we hear talk about it and we are telling Rome that we have this problem.” He also underscored that this debate should not be ignored but rather “amplified” in the Catholic Church throughout the world.
Without explicitly mentioning the pedophilia scandals that are spattering the Church, the Austrian bishops called during their meeting for “major reforms” within the Church, in particular emphasizing the need to speak about the role of women. Several days earlier, in an interview with the daily Die Presse, the Ordinary of Eisenstadt, Bishop Paul Iby had said that he was in favor of abolishing priestly celibacy “so as to deal with the lack of vocations”. (Sources : AFP – DICI no. 216 dated June 5, 2010)
Link to DICI...
Cardinal Meisner urges More Penance on the Part of Priests
As part of the closing events of the Year for Priests, Cardinal Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne, gave a talk entitled “Conversion and Mission" at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls where priests were able to venerate the apostle St. Paul. The subject of the lecture rounded on Penance, where Cardinal Meisner said that a priest has to spend more time receiving the Sacrament, spending more time on the other side of the confessionn screen.
Link to illigitimi non carbarundum...
Link to illigitimi non carbarundum...
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Saint John's Abbey Continues to Sandbag: Admits Errors in Handling of Predator
This is an attempt at damage control.
What they're not admitting is that Father Schulte in 2003 when Abbot John Klassen took him off restriction, has been given another position of trust, dealing with children. He hasn't been accountable even since he's been on restriction after fleeing to Rome in 1987.
The real story here is that the Monastery has claimed, as part of an ineffective settlement arrangement reached with some of their victims, that credibly accused monks would be kept on "restriction", kept away from certain areas on the St. John's University and Preparatory School campuses and closely supervised. The impression was that these monks would be in some kind of confinement, but the reality is quite different.
The accused monks actually have indeterminate restrictions, do travel quite frequently, unsupervised by anyone and even continue to make public statements, recognition [pdf], receive awards and honors.
The Monastery has even been destroying files related to the accused monks, here.
St. John's Abbey admits errors in priest statement - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports
What they're not admitting is that Father Schulte in 2003 when Abbot John Klassen took him off restriction, has been given another position of trust, dealing with children. He hasn't been accountable even since he's been on restriction after fleeing to Rome in 1987.
The real story here is that the Monastery has claimed, as part of an ineffective settlement arrangement reached with some of their victims, that credibly accused monks would be kept on "restriction", kept away from certain areas on the St. John's University and Preparatory School campuses and closely supervised. The impression was that these monks would be in some kind of confinement, but the reality is quite different.
The accused monks actually have indeterminate restrictions, do travel quite frequently, unsupervised by anyone and even continue to make public statements, recognition [pdf], receive awards and honors.
The Monastery has even been destroying files related to the accused monks, here.
St. John's Abbey admits errors in priest statement - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports
Australian State "Ethics" Classes Run in Opposition to Catholic Catechesis
Over 35,000 Catholics throughout NSW have signed a petition which states their support for the work of cathechists.
The petition is the latest feature of the campaign by the local Catholic Church against the State government’s suggestion that ethics class in public schools will be run in competition with traditional scriptural classes.
The Church is concerned that if the two classes are ran in competition with another, then Catholic students who chose to attend scripture would miss out on attending the ethics classes.
Jude Hennessy, the director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the Wollongong diocese and co-ordinator of the campaign said: ”It is not fair they should miss this opportunity. Nor is it fair their parents should be caught in a dilemma about whether to send them to formation in their faith tradition or to choose ethics…. If ethics classes are regarded as a valuable addition, they [should] be run at a time other than during SRE time.”
Read further...
The petition is the latest feature of the campaign by the local Catholic Church against the State government’s suggestion that ethics class in public schools will be run in competition with traditional scriptural classes.
The Church is concerned that if the two classes are ran in competition with another, then Catholic students who chose to attend scripture would miss out on attending the ethics classes.
Jude Hennessy, the director of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the Wollongong diocese and co-ordinator of the campaign said: ”It is not fair they should miss this opportunity. Nor is it fair their parents should be caught in a dilemma about whether to send them to formation in their faith tradition or to choose ethics…. If ethics classes are regarded as a valuable addition, they [should] be run at a time other than during SRE time.”
Read further...
Orthodox Scholars Working on Reunification Statement
Catholic News Agency reports that a group of U.S. Catholic and Eastern Orthodox clergy and scholars are working on a statement regarding the prospects for reunification, nearly a thousand years after the Great Schism split the church into eastern and western bodies.
I have to do more research, but given what I already know from professional and personal experience, this is an incredibly unrealistic goal. The various branches of Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, OCA) can't even agree to unite within America; there are separate groups within Russia and Greece, as well. There isn't even a shared date for Easter most years between and among Catholics and Orthodox Christians around the world. Plenty of traditional Orthodox Christians consider Catholics to be heretics, prompting some mild anxiety recently about how Pope Benedict would be received in Cyprus. Last but not least, hinted at by Gary Stern at Blogging Religiously, is simply that there are layers upon layers upon layers of bureaucratic and theological differences large and small that would have to be addressed, nevermind the highly emotional angles involving things like tradition, ethnic identity, etc.
All this leads me to believe that reunification isn't really the goal here -- perhaps this North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation just aims to keep the ecumenical dialogue moving forward, emphasizing what the groups have in common and encouraging the global warming of Catholic-Orthodox relations we've been seeing since the Cold War ended (particularly out of Russia).
Read more:
I have to do more research, but given what I already know from professional and personal experience, this is an incredibly unrealistic goal. The various branches of Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, OCA) can't even agree to unite within America; there are separate groups within Russia and Greece, as well. There isn't even a shared date for Easter most years between and among Catholics and Orthodox Christians around the world. Plenty of traditional Orthodox Christians consider Catholics to be heretics, prompting some mild anxiety recently about how Pope Benedict would be received in Cyprus. Last but not least, hinted at by Gary Stern at Blogging Religiously, is simply that there are layers upon layers upon layers of bureaucratic and theological differences large and small that would have to be addressed, nevermind the highly emotional angles involving things like tradition, ethnic identity, etc.
All this leads me to believe that reunification isn't really the goal here -- perhaps this North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation just aims to keep the ecumenical dialogue moving forward, emphasizing what the groups have in common and encouraging the global warming of Catholic-Orthodox relations we've been seeing since the Cold War ended (particularly out of Russia).
Read more:
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
1000 Year Old Rose Blooms Again
Wild dog rose adorns the apse of the Hildesheim Cathedral -- The Legend of the Rose bush, a wild dogrose, goes back to the founding of the Diocese of Hildesheim in 815.
Hildesheim (kathnet) The 1000 year old rose bush at Hildesheim Cathedral has shown its first blumes. The main blooms have been expected for some days.
The legend of the rose bush, a wild dog rose, goes back to the founding of the Hildesheim Cathedral in 815. Written evidence for this goes back 400 years. Eight weeks after the complete destruction of the Hildescheim Cathedral in March 1945, at which the rose bush was also burned, 25 new roots sprouted up from the ruins.
The legend is held that Emperor Ludwig the Pious, a son of Blessed Charlemagne the Great, left his Palace in Elze. From there he went to hunt deer and arrived with his retinue in the area of modern Hildesheim, 18 km from the Elzer Palace. On a quarter of the wood after a successful hunting party, he struck up a tent and celebrated Mass. At that time a relic was taken from the village chapel and taken with. Upon returning to the Palace he remembered the village chaplain, that he had forgotten the reliquary in a nearby bush. He hurried back and found the priceless reliquary, from which, despite all of his efforts, could not take from the thick wild branches of the dog rose.
The Emperor recognized "clear divine will" and built on the place in honor of Our Lady, to build a chapel. He built the chapel amid the branches of the rosebush. Today this rose bush enraps the eastern apse of the Chathedral and has been famously known as the "Thousand Year Rose Bush" ever since. On the place where Ludwig the Pious built the Mary Chapel and where the Diocese of Hildesheim was found by Bishop Altfrid (851-874) in 852 was placed the keystone of the first Cathedral. After the destruction of the Cathedral by fire in year 1046, Bishop Hezilo (1054-1079) rebuilt and consecrated the second Cathedral in 1061. On 22 March 1945, this Cathedral was completely destroyed. The rose bush was unearthed from under deep rubble and began to bloom anew.
The 1000 Year old rose bush in Hildesheim belongs botanically to the local wild rose species canina L., is also not of the "historical roses" like rosa alba L. or rosa gallica L. It has tender rose blooms.
Link to original...
Egypt's Pope Defends Marriage
Pope Shenuda III says church does not accept judgements that go against Gospels, religious freedom.
CAIRO - Egypt's Coptic Orthodox pope on Tuesday urged a high court to review its decision to allow Coptic Christians to remarry following divorce, which is forbidden by the church.
"The decision must be reviewed, otherwise it would mean that Copts have been suffering and we are putting pressure on them through religion," Pope Shenuda III said.
"The church respects the law but it does not accept judgements that go against the Gospels and against religious freedom, which is guaranteed by the constitution," he told reporters.
"Marriage for us is sacred and a religious act, not a simple administrative act," he continued adding that church could "absolutely not apply" the court's decision.
Last month Egypt's High Administrative Court ordered the Coptic church to allow its faithful to remarry, quashing an appeal by Shenuda.
The ruling related to the case of Hani Wasfi, an Egyptian Copt who complained against the pope's refusal to let him remarry after having been divorced.
Divorce is forbidden by the Coptic church except in proven cases of adultery, or if a spouse converts to another religion or branch of Christianity. Civil marriage alone, without a religious ceremony, is not recognised in Egypt.
Asked if he would ask President Hosni Mubarak to intervene in the matter Shenuda said: "We could ask but we wouldn't want to embarrass him if he doesn't want to intervene in the judiciary's decisions."
"But he could intervene if he finds that the ruling has caused suffering for a large part of the population," he said.
Copts make up about 10 percent of the country's 80-million largely Muslim population, and are the Middle East's biggest Christian community.
Link to original...
CAIRO - Egypt's Coptic Orthodox pope on Tuesday urged a high court to review its decision to allow Coptic Christians to remarry following divorce, which is forbidden by the church.
"The decision must be reviewed, otherwise it would mean that Copts have been suffering and we are putting pressure on them through religion," Pope Shenuda III said.
"The church respects the law but it does not accept judgements that go against the Gospels and against religious freedom, which is guaranteed by the constitution," he told reporters.
"Marriage for us is sacred and a religious act, not a simple administrative act," he continued adding that church could "absolutely not apply" the court's decision.
Last month Egypt's High Administrative Court ordered the Coptic church to allow its faithful to remarry, quashing an appeal by Shenuda.
The ruling related to the case of Hani Wasfi, an Egyptian Copt who complained against the pope's refusal to let him remarry after having been divorced.
Divorce is forbidden by the Coptic church except in proven cases of adultery, or if a spouse converts to another religion or branch of Christianity. Civil marriage alone, without a religious ceremony, is not recognised in Egypt.
Asked if he would ask President Hosni Mubarak to intervene in the matter Shenuda said: "We could ask but we wouldn't want to embarrass him if he doesn't want to intervene in the judiciary's decisions."
"But he could intervene if he finds that the ruling has caused suffering for a large part of the population," he said.
Copts make up about 10 percent of the country's 80-million largely Muslim population, and are the Middle East's biggest Christian community.
Link to original...
The Battle over Cardinal Newman's Legacy Continues
Three members of the Birmingham Orator have been removed from their ordinary posts and been assigned to opposite ends of the country -- to pray.
There are various interesting discussions going on about it, here, here to name two. There are a lot of links and you can get an idea that the suggestion that the three Oratorians from Birmingham have been silenced because they are opposing the sex education policy of the Welsh and English Bishops as well as Tony Blair's understanding of Cardinal Newman.
Many of Cardinal Newman's disciples were problematic doctrinally speaking and we're working on a list. Seems that there aren't any similar battles going on for the legacies of various other great Catholic figures, but perhaps we'll see them over Archbishop Romero? What we have now, however, is a battle between Liberal or Progressive disciples who believe you can dissent on the Church's teachings on Birth Control, Sex Education, Abortion and the like, as Tony Blair and his wife do, and then there's the more Neo-Conservative side which thinks Cardinal Newman's legacy is one of Orthodoxy and obedience. Neither side represents another possibility which is that the Liberals are right about Cardinal Newman and that he ought not only be condemned for this, but certainly shouldn't be held up as an example to anyone, not least of all, the Progressives.
Anyhow, no one really seems to know why the Oratorians were reassigned. Perhaps it's best no one finds out?
There are various interesting discussions going on about it, here, here to name two. There are a lot of links and you can get an idea that the suggestion that the three Oratorians from Birmingham have been silenced because they are opposing the sex education policy of the Welsh and English Bishops as well as Tony Blair's understanding of Cardinal Newman.
Many of Cardinal Newman's disciples were problematic doctrinally speaking and we're working on a list. Seems that there aren't any similar battles going on for the legacies of various other great Catholic figures, but perhaps we'll see them over Archbishop Romero? What we have now, however, is a battle between Liberal or Progressive disciples who believe you can dissent on the Church's teachings on Birth Control, Sex Education, Abortion and the like, as Tony Blair and his wife do, and then there's the more Neo-Conservative side which thinks Cardinal Newman's legacy is one of Orthodoxy and obedience. Neither side represents another possibility which is that the Liberals are right about Cardinal Newman and that he ought not only be condemned for this, but certainly shouldn't be held up as an example to anyone, not least of all, the Progressives.
Anyhow, no one really seems to know why the Oratorians were reassigned. Perhaps it's best no one finds out?
Ever Ancient, Ever New
By George Neumayr | June 2010
[The Catholic World Report: Editorial] Pope Benedict’s critics had hoped Summorum Pontificum would disappear without a trace. It hasn’t. His apostolic constitution authorizing wider use of the Traditional Latin Mass continues to bear fruit, some of it annoyingly visible to these critics.
Far from just a sop thrown to aging traditionalists, as some liberal bishops cast it, Summorum Pontificum has proven popular with the young. As Pope Benedict noted in its accompanying letter, the Traditional Latin Mass is old in origin but new in appeal: “young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction, and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Sacrifice particularly suited to them.”
An illustration of this appeared on April 24 in Washington, DC, when more than 3,500 people—many of them children, teens, college students, and young families—filed into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for a Pontifical Solemn High Mass that lasted two and a half hours. The Paulus Institute, which sponsored the event to mark the fifth anniversary of Benedict’s pontificate, said it was the first Traditional Latin Mass offered at the Shrine’s altar since 1965.
Read further...
[The Catholic World Report: Editorial] Pope Benedict’s critics had hoped Summorum Pontificum would disappear without a trace. It hasn’t. His apostolic constitution authorizing wider use of the Traditional Latin Mass continues to bear fruit, some of it annoyingly visible to these critics.
Far from just a sop thrown to aging traditionalists, as some liberal bishops cast it, Summorum Pontificum has proven popular with the young. As Pope Benedict noted in its accompanying letter, the Traditional Latin Mass is old in origin but new in appeal: “young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction, and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Sacrifice particularly suited to them.”
An illustration of this appeared on April 24 in Washington, DC, when more than 3,500 people—many of them children, teens, college students, and young families—filed into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for a Pontifical Solemn High Mass that lasted two and a half hours. The Paulus Institute, which sponsored the event to mark the fifth anniversary of Benedict’s pontificate, said it was the first Traditional Latin Mass offered at the Shrine’s altar since 1965.
Read further...
Groups Protest In St. Peter’s Square Demanding Catholic Church Allow Women Priests - CityNews
Bellisima!
Note the enormous crowds behind the three women holding the purple banner!
Groups Protest In St. Peter’s Square Demanding Catholic Church Allow Women Priests - CityNews
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images
More on Alleged Mistress Facebook Group
The State-run Goebels-media has found another story to capture the prurient interest of impudent and immodest women in the Western world.
Someone starts a facebook group in Italy and it's big news to an audience of educated women at National Public Radio. No doubt, they're primed for stories like this since they are silly and were raised on a diet of steady filth one can find on television and the occasional bad book.
If you want to know the failures of the world, just look at NPR's audience and the voyeuristic smug audience for the state funded propaganda organ.
These women are immodest and their sinful preoccupations makes them incapable of seeing the wickedness of their deeds.
Moreover, if you want to run a hit-piece on the Church, you can't do much better than Rome correspondent Sylvio Poggoli who's guaranteed to make sneering remarks about the Church's supposed backwardness, and leave her bigotted listership with a sense of having accomplished something; for all of that umbrage takes effort!
Someone starts a facebook group in Italy and it's big news to an audience of educated women at National Public Radio. No doubt, they're primed for stories like this since they are silly and were raised on a diet of steady filth one can find on television and the occasional bad book.
If you want to know the failures of the world, just look at NPR's audience and the voyeuristic smug audience for the state funded propaganda organ.
These women are immodest and their sinful preoccupations makes them incapable of seeing the wickedness of their deeds.
Moreover, if you want to run a hit-piece on the Church, you can't do much better than Rome correspondent Sylvio Poggoli who's guaranteed to make sneering remarks about the Church's supposed backwardness, and leave her bigotted listership with a sense of having accomplished something; for all of that umbrage takes effort!
Monday, June 7, 2010
World Market Favors Thailand's Yellow Shirts
Thailand's Yellow Shirted elite is back with a vengeance. Perhaps the single most significant indicator of the extent to which it feels it has won the war as well as the battle with the Red Shirts has been the behavior of the stock market, particularly over the two weeks since it opened following the violence in central Bangkok.
The market absorbed huge waves of foreign selling in the immediate aftermath of the troubles without losing a lot of ground and has since regained those losses. The buoyancy is entirely due to individual investors who have been massive net buyers, providing most of the offset to the foreign selling. Local institutions have also been net buyers, but on a relatively small scale.
Despite a year of political uncertainty culminating in the May violence, the Stock Exchange of Thailand index has outperformed not only most of the world over the past 12 months but even in the troubled past three months. The SET index is now up 6.8 percent over three months and 12 percent over six. Meanwhile the baht has been tending to appreciate against the US dollar and in line with the general Asian currency trend, reflecting overall trade and capital flows rather than the political situation.
Read further...
The market absorbed huge waves of foreign selling in the immediate aftermath of the troubles without losing a lot of ground and has since regained those losses. The buoyancy is entirely due to individual investors who have been massive net buyers, providing most of the offset to the foreign selling. Local institutions have also been net buyers, but on a relatively small scale.
Despite a year of political uncertainty culminating in the May violence, the Stock Exchange of Thailand index has outperformed not only most of the world over the past 12 months but even in the troubled past three months. The SET index is now up 6.8 percent over three months and 12 percent over six. Meanwhile the baht has been tending to appreciate against the US dollar and in line with the general Asian currency trend, reflecting overall trade and capital flows rather than the political situation.
Read further...
Bishop Addresses Competence of Communications Directors in Catholic Media
Most people in the Catholic Media have no sense of mission or even an rudimentary understanding of the Catholic Faith. Father McCloskey controls an expensive glossy magazine with a substantial readership of elderly Catholics who seem to be satisfied with a highly Americanized Catholicism.
He may not be interested in differentiating his message, whatever that might be, with that of the Methodists or other main-line protestant denominations, but he's really out of touch. Once again, there's a lack of accountability at the top.
But sometimes, Communications Directors, for all the money they're paid, don't know whose side they're on. In fact, in a lot of cases, they don't really seem to know what the Church teaches on any given issue during the day. It's unclear whether anyone cares though, because often, Communications Directors don't seem to be subject to the same levels of performance and accuracy that their counterparts in the corporate world normally would.
Read article...
He may not be interested in differentiating his message, whatever that might be, with that of the Methodists or other main-line protestant denominations, but he's really out of touch. Once again, there's a lack of accountability at the top.
Franciscan Father Pat McCloskey, editor of St. Anthony Messenger magazine, used coverage of health care reform as a case in point. He said many Catholic publications were criticized when they reported not just that the bishops had, in the end, rejected the reform over the abortion issue but also reported that the Catholic Health Association supported the reform measure. Can a "faithful" Catholic news organization cover both sides? he asked. [No]
"The answer is yes," Archbishop Aymond said. A Catholic publication must explore both sides "without bias," he said. [Whose side are you on, anyway?] However, rather than just report that one group is saying this and the other is saying that, he continued, the publication also has a duty to report why the church teaches what it teaches on a particular issue.
But sometimes, Communications Directors, for all the money they're paid, don't know whose side they're on. In fact, in a lot of cases, they don't really seem to know what the Church teaches on any given issue during the day. It's unclear whether anyone cares though, because often, Communications Directors don't seem to be subject to the same levels of performance and accuracy that their counterparts in the corporate world normally would.
The bishops agreed with that view of interdependence, with Bishop Herzog adding that bishops need to trust that their editors or communications directors are competent and are not going to undermine them. He added that in a smaller diocese, like his, which does not have the bureaucratic levels of large dioceses, it is easier to have a close relationship with his editor, not to oversee what goes into the paper but to keep communication lines open.
Read article...
Benedict takes on Islam and Israel
Pope Benedict XVI released recently a Vatican document that criticized Israel, Egypt, Islam and Christian fundamentalists.
The 46-page text, “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness,” will serve as the working document for an October meeting at the Vatican about the Middle East, Fox News said.
Benedict held mass in a sports arena near the Cypriot capital where he prayed for the success of the October synod of Middle Eastern bishops, which will focus on the issues outlined in the document, according to the AFP.
Read further...
The 46-page text, “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness,” will serve as the working document for an October meeting at the Vatican about the Middle East, Fox News said.
Benedict held mass in a sports arena near the Cypriot capital where he prayed for the success of the October synod of Middle Eastern bishops, which will focus on the issues outlined in the document, according to the AFP.
Read further...
Vatican to Clamp Down on Liberal Opinion
VATICAN [National News] investigators to Ireland appointed by Pope Benedict XVI are to clamp down on liberal secular opinion in an intensive drive to re-impose traditional respect for clergy, according to informed sources in the Catholic Church.
The nine-member team led by two cardinals will be instructed by the Vatican to restore a traditional sense of reverence among ordinary Catholics for their priests, the Irish Independent has learned.
Priests will be told not to question in public official church teaching on controversial issues such as the papal ban on birth control or the admission of divorced Catholics living with new partners to the sacraments -- especially Holy Communion.
Read further...
The nine-member team led by two cardinals will be instructed by the Vatican to restore a traditional sense of reverence among ordinary Catholics for their priests, the Irish Independent has learned.
Priests will be told not to question in public official church teaching on controversial issues such as the papal ban on birth control or the admission of divorced Catholics living with new partners to the sacraments -- especially Holy Communion.
Read further...
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Cardinal Lajolo Says Church's Mission to Spread Gospel
BringMeTheNews interview with Governor of Vatican City, Pt. 1 from bringmethenews.com on Vimeo.
See the rest of the interviews with Cardinal Lajolo, here.
He's the governor of the Vatican State, a member of the Knights of Malta and has a doctorate in Canon Law.
He will be saying Mass this morning at St. Mary's Basilica, a place that is known for heterodoxy and dissent. It's indisputable that Rome has known about the overt and abiding heresy of Americanism which dominates Catholic institutions in the United States. Despite this, he's insistent to insist on the idea that the Church is to make Jesus Christ present to the world, however, it's necessary to qualify what we mean when we say, "Christ". Are we talking about a vague abstraction, representative of a false Gospel of social justice, or are we talking about, or is He the living God who came to die for mankind and rose again from the dead? All too many priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul are talking about the former. Some Catholics who are attent listeners will notice this and we hope that Rome will notice it as well and take increasing measures to correct this.
The Cardinal refered to the Church's missionary efforts and the Church's growth and "health" which he termed as "excellent" and praises the pastoral sense of the American Bishops.
On Sex Abuse:
Cardinal Lajolo said he was very uplifted by the lay people in the Catholic Church in this country who have supported the Church during what he referred to as the “matters of great sorrow and anguish” of the church, referring to the sex abuse scandals that have rocked the Church in the United States.
“We understand what we have to do. ... We don’t have to fear evil. We don’t have to be overcome by evil. We have strength – not our strength – but the strength of God to react and to overcome evil.”
We talked about the pope’s remark in Portugal last month that “the greatest persecution of the church doesn’t come from enemies on the outside, but is born from the sins within the church.”
Lajolo said, “That is right.” And said it is the way of the church to go from situations of sin to a new situation. “To have a new horizon, new goals. To find new ways in order to serve man and God.”
Link to Rick Kupchella, softball, interview...
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Cardinal Lajolo to Lecture at Minneapolis Institute of Arts
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ―
[WCCO]The Catholic cardinal who oversees the Vatican's holdings in art and artifacts is in the Twin Cities this weekend for a lecture at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and will celebrate mass at the Basilica of St. Mary.
Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo is president of the Vatican Museums.
Lajolo has been in Minnesota since Thursday where meeting with donors from Minnesota and North Dakota to the Vatican's art and artifact restoration efforts. On Saturday he is speaking on the importance of art in society and on the history and work of the Vatican Museums at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
He will celebrate mass at the Basilica at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Link to original...
[WCCO]The Catholic cardinal who oversees the Vatican's holdings in art and artifacts is in the Twin Cities this weekend for a lecture at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and will celebrate mass at the Basilica of St. Mary.
Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo is president of the Vatican Museums.
Lajolo has been in Minnesota since Thursday where meeting with donors from Minnesota and North Dakota to the Vatican's art and artifact restoration efforts. On Saturday he is speaking on the importance of art in society and on the history and work of the Vatican Museums at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
He will celebrate mass at the Basilica at 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Link to original...
Church cannot accept criminalization of immigrants, says Archbishop Marchetto :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
It would be easier to believe the man if there weren't an obvious political motive at play, but when modern Catholic Bishops talk about charity, it's not what they mean. They're often talking about government imposed actions, or encourage inaction, as in the case of enforceable laws regarding illegal aliens. No one at Tikkon, Commonweal, or the Sun Times is complaining about the separation of Church and State at least in this case. As long as Catholic prelates support socialist agendas, propaganda organs are eager to offer a hand or remain silent.
If this Bishop's statement didn't do violence to Church law itself (Canon Law advises obedience to the Civil Law), it would be easier to accept, but again, reality intrudes to contravene a pretty ideological presupposition which is really about being generous with other people's resources, other people's livelihoods and other people's lives.
More Americans have been killed by illegals than have died in both Iraq and Afghanistan combined, here, here, here.
CNA article:
Church cannot accept criminalization of immigrants, says Archbishop Marchetto :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
If this Bishop's statement didn't do violence to Church law itself (Canon Law advises obedience to the Civil Law), it would be easier to accept, but again, reality intrudes to contravene a pretty ideological presupposition which is really about being generous with other people's resources, other people's livelihoods and other people's lives.
More Americans have been killed by illegals than have died in both Iraq and Afghanistan combined, here, here, here.
CNA article:
Church cannot accept criminalization of immigrants, says Archbishop Marchetto :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)
FDA Wants to Drop Ban on Homosexuals Giving Blood
It's much harder to ignore reality when it comes to the undeniable results of immorality, and it's tragic that public health officials, infected with various false doctrines of liberalism, will make decisions effecting ordinary people.
There are prudential reasons for preventing homosexuals from entering the Priesthood, the Army and other positions of trust and there are prudential reasons that homosexuals should be prevented from donating blood. The most obvious of which is the greater likelihood of such individuals to suffer from incurable diseases like Hepatitis-C and, ideology to the contrary, again, the almost exclusively homosexual disease of AIDS (Unless you happen to get it from a blood transfusion).
Of course, there's also the public perception of trust in medical facilities to consider. Whatever propaganda occurs in the wake of this new effort to normalize something abnormal, people will undoubtedly view this for what it is: another attempt to force erroneous ideologies on ordinary people -- with the usual disastrous results.
Liberalism often ignores reality in obeisance to a gross error of one kind or another. In this case, the idea that homosexuality isn't immoral and punishable at least by nature if not by the civil law. There are diseases associated with homosexuality. This so happens because of nature, which liberals are at such pains to ignore in the service of their errors.
Read further...
There are prudential reasons for preventing homosexuals from entering the Priesthood, the Army and other positions of trust and there are prudential reasons that homosexuals should be prevented from donating blood. The most obvious of which is the greater likelihood of such individuals to suffer from incurable diseases like Hepatitis-C and, ideology to the contrary, again, the almost exclusively homosexual disease of AIDS (Unless you happen to get it from a blood transfusion).
Of course, there's also the public perception of trust in medical facilities to consider. Whatever propaganda occurs in the wake of this new effort to normalize something abnormal, people will undoubtedly view this for what it is: another attempt to force erroneous ideologies on ordinary people -- with the usual disastrous results.
Liberalism often ignores reality in obeisance to a gross error of one kind or another. In this case, the idea that homosexuality isn't immoral and punishable at least by nature if not by the civil law. There are diseases associated with homosexuality. This so happens because of nature, which liberals are at such pains to ignore in the service of their errors.
Gay men have not been allowed to donate since 1985
MINNEAPOLIS - Over 2,000 more pints of blood could be available each year if the federal government eases its restrictions on gay men donating blood. The FDA will reconsider the life long ban later this month.
When you go to donate blood you have to fill out a questionnaire. One of the question asked if you ever had sexual contact with a man, even once.
If you check yes, you can't donate blood, even if that contact was 10 years ago. Many people are calling this federal ban a form of discrimination and want the life long ban lifted.
Read further...
Blaspemous, homosexual play entitled "Corpus Christi" Canceled
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — [America Where Are You] The performance of a play that portrays Jesus as gay has been canceled at Tarleton State University amid what school officials say are “safety and security concerns.”
Critics say the Terrence McNally play “Corpus Christi,” which premiered in 1998 in New York, is blasphemous. But the Tarleton student who was directing the production said he chose it to help gay youths who may be struggling with their faith.
Security concerns were cited in prompting the university to initially change the start time and restrict attendance for Saturday’s production. Then, on Friday night, the school put a statement on its Web site saying the professor decided to cancel it due to safety and security concerns. The school said the production will not be rescheduled.
Stephenville is about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
Link to original...
Critics say the Terrence McNally play “Corpus Christi,” which premiered in 1998 in New York, is blasphemous. But the Tarleton student who was directing the production said he chose it to help gay youths who may be struggling with their faith.
Security concerns were cited in prompting the university to initially change the start time and restrict attendance for Saturday’s production. Then, on Friday night, the school put a statement on its Web site saying the professor decided to cancel it due to safety and security concerns. The school said the production will not be rescheduled.
Stephenville is about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
Link to original...
Friday, June 4, 2010
USA Today Says Catholics Want Nuns to Speak Out More
After asking the question, as to whether sisters need to speak out more, it got a result from a scanty population of 250 Catholics. What we get is a barely concealed bias rather than a conclusive appraisal of Catholics appreciation for the Bishops' authority.
In any event, perhaps the Sisters should speak out more. The more they speak, the more the laity should become aware just how far Dysfunctional Catholic Women Religious have become.
The survey of 250 Catholics has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points. Key findings...
St. Catherine and St. Thomas universities celebrate Archbishop Flynn's 50th ordination anniversary
Friday, June 4, 2010
Love, laughter and laudations filled Archbishop Harry Flynn’s golden jubilee celebration of his ordination to the priesthood.
flynn.reception.jpg
Applause greets Archbishop Harry Flynn, center, flanked by St. Catherine University president Sister Andrea Lee, IHM, and University of St. Thomas president Father Dennis Dease, as he joins the gathering for dinner in Henrietta Schmoll Rauenhorst Hall to celebrate his 50th jubilee on May 26. Rebecca Zenefski, courtesy of St. Catherine University
Liturgical dancers praised God as they moved to the beat of African, Spanish and Irish rhythms during the opening Mass May 26 in Our Lady of Victory Chapel at St. Catherine University, which planned and sponsored the celebration with the University of St. Thomas.
Led by the angelic voice of Mary True, St. Catherine’s liturgy and music director, the accompanying choir members and instrumentalists included students, alums, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, composers David Haas and Father Jan Michael Joncas, a St. Thomas professor.
During the homily, Father Dennis Dease, St. Thomas president, cited three traits that come to his mind when speaking about Archbishop Flynn: “a man of prayer, a great preacher and a caring and courageous shepherd.”
His prayer life shows in “his charity toward all and his joyful demeanor,” he said. When preaching, the archbishop never tires of sharing Jesus’ message that “each and every one of us is genuinely and profoundly loved by God.”
Caring shepherd
Father Dease added that Archbishop Flynn, while serving as bishop in Lafayette, La., and then as archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, was a courageous and caring shepherd who faced the challenges of racism, capital punishment and sexual abuse.
“He has never backed down when he knew what the Gospel demanded,” he said. Addressing Archbishop Flynn, he added, “You have said that the church must speak for the disenfranchised, or we are not doing what Christ wants.”
Father Dease closed the homily with an Irish proverb and blessing that prompted joyous laughter: “If your dog is fat, you aren’t getting enough exercise. May your dog be forever lean and fit and may you be always robust in reminding us that God loves each and every one of us and we need to embrace that love.”
The celebration continued with a dinner in Coeur de Catherine for about 300 people, as musicians played Irish tunes in honor of the archbishop’s heritage and guests shared stories about the man they came to honor.
Laura Nelson, a 2009 St. Kate’s alum who served as acolyte for the Mass, said she has never met a man like Archbishop Flynn, who is so interested in others.
“He does remember every face, every name, every story,” she said. “He’s only met me five or six times . . . and I walked in today and he said, ‘Hello Laura, it’s so nice to see you again, and how is your sister Sarah? She’s a student here right?’”
Premier Banks executive vice president Andrew Nath and his wife, Katie, said they respect the archbishop’s work and pastoral care for the archdiocese.
Katie said, “When I think of him, I think of the title of his [former column] in The Catholic Spirit, ‘Come Lord Jesus.’ It reminds us of what we need at the core of ourselves.”
Sister Andrea Lee, president of St. Catherine University, brought tears to many eyes as she took the podium to praise Archbishop Flynn’s leadership of both universities and his personal kindness to herself and her adopted son, Lahens Lee-St. Fleur, who was a principal liturgical dancer at the earlier Mass.
“Among many personal stories I could share, consider a tired archbishop,” she said. “That morning, home from a long trip and sleepless night, not only confirming my son that evening, but shopping and cooking and serving us and my son’s young family. Putting down . . . a resplendent feast, including a small homemade dish of mac and cheese, remembering, as he did, that a finicky 4-year-old would, tonight, be seated at the archbishop’s table.”
Sister Andrea — a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary — said most of what she knows about picking her battles she learned from Archbishop Flynn.
He is an entertaining storyteller who laughs heartily at his own jokes, she added. He can cook for 15 people and still relax and have a drink with his guests.
“We could solve the financial problems of the archdiocese, as well as those of St. Thomas and St. Kate’s, if we could only get him his own show on the food network,” she quipped.
In honor of his 50th anniversary of ordination, both St. Kate’s and St. Thomas will designate a Flynn Scholar, a Catholic high school graduate with high academic ability and significant financial need to receive a full financial scholarship.
When the archbishop finally had an opportunity to speak, he said he wondered what Sister Andrea and Father Dease might do for his 25th anniversary as a bishop, which he will celebrate in 2011.
“You have another year to get ready,” he said to raucous laughter.
He reminisced about how he was a “bigoted New Yorker,” who refused to join the Franciscan order with three of his high school classmates because “they can send you anywhere.” So he became a diocesan priest in Albany, N.Y.
All three classmates never left New York, while Archbishop Flynn was sent to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland, then back to Albany, then to Louisiana as bishop and to Minnesota as archbishop.
“We look at the hand of God in our lives and I was able to say to a gathering [of priests] that Archbishop [John] Nienstedt hosted after I retired: ‘I’ve fallen in love with all of you and . . . I know you have fallen in love with me,” Archbishop Flynn said.
“I can say that about God’s wonderful people, those at St. Catherine’s, those at St. Thomas, the wonderful Sisters of St. Joseph, I have been united with the Heart of Mary Sisters and I have fallen in love with all of you.” Catholic Spirit
h/t: Stella Borealis
Love, laughter and laudations filled Archbishop Harry Flynn’s golden jubilee celebration of his ordination to the priesthood.
flynn.reception.jpg
Applause greets Archbishop Harry Flynn, center, flanked by St. Catherine University president Sister Andrea Lee, IHM, and University of St. Thomas president Father Dennis Dease, as he joins the gathering for dinner in Henrietta Schmoll Rauenhorst Hall to celebrate his 50th jubilee on May 26. Rebecca Zenefski, courtesy of St. Catherine University
Liturgical dancers praised God as they moved to the beat of African, Spanish and Irish rhythms during the opening Mass May 26 in Our Lady of Victory Chapel at St. Catherine University, which planned and sponsored the celebration with the University of St. Thomas.
Led by the angelic voice of Mary True, St. Catherine’s liturgy and music director, the accompanying choir members and instrumentalists included students, alums, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, composers David Haas and Father Jan Michael Joncas, a St. Thomas professor.
During the homily, Father Dennis Dease, St. Thomas president, cited three traits that come to his mind when speaking about Archbishop Flynn: “a man of prayer, a great preacher and a caring and courageous shepherd.”
His prayer life shows in “his charity toward all and his joyful demeanor,” he said. When preaching, the archbishop never tires of sharing Jesus’ message that “each and every one of us is genuinely and profoundly loved by God.”
Caring shepherd
Father Dease added that Archbishop Flynn, while serving as bishop in Lafayette, La., and then as archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, was a courageous and caring shepherd who faced the challenges of racism, capital punishment and sexual abuse.
“He has never backed down when he knew what the Gospel demanded,” he said. Addressing Archbishop Flynn, he added, “You have said that the church must speak for the disenfranchised, or we are not doing what Christ wants.”
Father Dease closed the homily with an Irish proverb and blessing that prompted joyous laughter: “If your dog is fat, you aren’t getting enough exercise. May your dog be forever lean and fit and may you be always robust in reminding us that God loves each and every one of us and we need to embrace that love.”
The celebration continued with a dinner in Coeur de Catherine for about 300 people, as musicians played Irish tunes in honor of the archbishop’s heritage and guests shared stories about the man they came to honor.
Laura Nelson, a 2009 St. Kate’s alum who served as acolyte for the Mass, said she has never met a man like Archbishop Flynn, who is so interested in others.
“He does remember every face, every name, every story,” she said. “He’s only met me five or six times . . . and I walked in today and he said, ‘Hello Laura, it’s so nice to see you again, and how is your sister Sarah? She’s a student here right?’”
Premier Banks executive vice president Andrew Nath and his wife, Katie, said they respect the archbishop’s work and pastoral care for the archdiocese.
Katie said, “When I think of him, I think of the title of his [former column] in The Catholic Spirit, ‘Come Lord Jesus.’ It reminds us of what we need at the core of ourselves.”
Sister Andrea Lee, president of St. Catherine University, brought tears to many eyes as she took the podium to praise Archbishop Flynn’s leadership of both universities and his personal kindness to herself and her adopted son, Lahens Lee-St. Fleur, who was a principal liturgical dancer at the earlier Mass.
“Among many personal stories I could share, consider a tired archbishop,” she said. “That morning, home from a long trip and sleepless night, not only confirming my son that evening, but shopping and cooking and serving us and my son’s young family. Putting down . . . a resplendent feast, including a small homemade dish of mac and cheese, remembering, as he did, that a finicky 4-year-old would, tonight, be seated at the archbishop’s table.”
Sister Andrea — a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary — said most of what she knows about picking her battles she learned from Archbishop Flynn.
He is an entertaining storyteller who laughs heartily at his own jokes, she added. He can cook for 15 people and still relax and have a drink with his guests.
“We could solve the financial problems of the archdiocese, as well as those of St. Thomas and St. Kate’s, if we could only get him his own show on the food network,” she quipped.
In honor of his 50th anniversary of ordination, both St. Kate’s and St. Thomas will designate a Flynn Scholar, a Catholic high school graduate with high academic ability and significant financial need to receive a full financial scholarship.
When the archbishop finally had an opportunity to speak, he said he wondered what Sister Andrea and Father Dease might do for his 25th anniversary as a bishop, which he will celebrate in 2011.
“You have another year to get ready,” he said to raucous laughter.
He reminisced about how he was a “bigoted New Yorker,” who refused to join the Franciscan order with three of his high school classmates because “they can send you anywhere.” So he became a diocesan priest in Albany, N.Y.
All three classmates never left New York, while Archbishop Flynn was sent to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland, then back to Albany, then to Louisiana as bishop and to Minnesota as archbishop.
“We look at the hand of God in our lives and I was able to say to a gathering [of priests] that Archbishop [John] Nienstedt hosted after I retired: ‘I’ve fallen in love with all of you and . . . I know you have fallen in love with me,” Archbishop Flynn said.
“I can say that about God’s wonderful people, those at St. Catherine’s, those at St. Thomas, the wonderful Sisters of St. Joseph, I have been united with the Heart of Mary Sisters and I have fallen in love with all of you.” Catholic Spirit
h/t: Stella Borealis
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