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...
Sunday, June 13, 2010
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.
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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!
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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.
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