He Fought the Good Fight: Professor Robert Prantner RIP

The deceased was presented during his life as the degreed Conservative of Austria to the public -- and usually not to the pleasure of the old Liberal Bishops.

(kreuz.net) On 10. December the worthy Austrian theologian, social ethicist and publicist Robert Pratner died.  he was 79 years old.  

Prantner studied philosophy, theology and political science after his graduation in 1949. 

He received his degree in Political Science involving work in Civil Law and International Relations.  Later he became a Doctor in theology.

The deceased was also an honorary doctor of Social Science.

From the year 1955 he was the personal scientific colleague of the former Chancellor of Austria, Julius Raab († 1964).

After his withdrawal from politics, Pratner lead his office from 1961 to 1964.

From 1974 to 1982 he was Professor for Ethics and Social Studies to the Philosophic-theological Order College of the Augustinian Choir at Stift Klosterneuburg in Vienna.

In 1982 he was occupied as the Professor for Ethics and Social Studies at the neo-Conservative Philosophic-theological University of the Cistercians at Stift Heiligenkreuz. He became an emeritus in 1998.

The deceased was the excellent ambassador and agent of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Prantner was closely connected to the upper-Austrian garden suburb Aigen at the 'Theological Summer Academy".

In  2002 he was recognized with the Austrian Award for Science and Art 1st Class.

he published numerous works.  In 2004 his memoir appeared under the title "Between the Playing Fields and the Vatican".

His memorial Mass will take place on 21. December at 11 O'Clock in the Parish Church of the market town of Hinterbrühl  17 kilometers southwest of Vienna.

Shrieking CNN Reporter Accuses Dimonds of Making Death Threats

The video above is from Most Holy Family Monastery's video which is a meditation on death. It was sent to a  homosexual undergoing a "sex-change" operation by a DMV worker who'd discovered her/his intention and attempted to express concern by corresponding directly using the privileged information afforded by his job. The video and its contents were taken as threatening by  a hysterical feminist reporter from CNN who accused the DVD of saying that "homosexuals should be put to death". You may view the report, here.

It is hoped that the Dimonds sue CNN to death.

It's not hard to understand how CNN could hire such an incompetent and poorly educated individual to report on religious topics and to accuse people of saying or doing things for which they weren't guilty.

She further went on to say that the language of the bible is threatening when she unwittingly cited it when it says, "sodomy is a sin which cries to heaven for vengeance".

Europeans Can Only Dream of Such Bishops

 The new Archbishop of Oklahoma wouldn't even be a court jester in a decadent European Ordinariat.

Msgr Paul Stagg Coakley

(kreuz.net) Pope Benedict XVI. has named Paul Stagg Coakley (55) as the new Archbishop of Oklahoma City in the US State Capital of Oklahoma.

The newly named Bishop was the Bishop of Salina in Kansas.

He studied at the University of Kansas.  There he was a student in the "Integrated Humanities Program" of the legendary convert and Literature Professor John Senior († 1999).

Senior moved many students to conversion through his lectures at the State University as well as to entrance in the Cloister and the Seminary.

 After finishing studies in Kansas the the future Bishop journeyed to the traditional Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgambault in France.

For a time he occupied himself with the thought of entering there.

In the year of 1978 he entered finally a seminary in the USA and was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Witchita Kansas.

In October 2004 John Paul II named him Bishop of Salinas.

During the presidential year of 2008 Msgr Coakley explained:

"To vote for such  a candidate, who supports an evil like abortion or genocide,  would be just as much a necessary moral outcome, as simply ignoring such shortcomings."

Msgr Coakley also explained that the current Vice President of the US, Joe Biden, has distorted the Catholic teaching on abortion.

The abortion politician is an "annoyance for others" and was conducive to "the justification of a tremendous moral evil".

The election of Barack Obama he called, "an indisputable irony".

He maintained that Obama has denied an entire class of people their legal rights as citizens.

The naming of Kathleen Sebelius to US-Health Secretary in March 2009 was an occasion which he described as a "serious attack on the rights of conscience and our efforts to protect innocent human life."

In the following April, he expressed his "deep disappointment" over the invitation of President Obama to the allegedly Catholic University of Notre Dame:

"The Invitation by the University undermines the Catholic Identity and Mission of this institution" -- said Msgr Coakley firmly.

Read further...

French Youth Burn Santa Claus

Des jeunes catholiques brulent le père Noel
Uploaded by hgjhjg. - See video of the biggest web video personalities.

Scientology and Tom Cruise Declare War on Europe: Wikileaks

If you ever get tagged by Scientology as  a viable threat, they will come after you.  Captain Ron, a close personal friend of Aleister Crowley, has founded quite an insidious and potentially threatening organization.  All we can do now is to cite Mary Antoinette by saying, "never trust Lafayette."

EUROPE UNDER ATTACK?

¶3. (C) Caberta stated that Scientology has declared war on Europe. She cited evidence from Hamburg's Office for the Protection of the Constitution (OPC) annual reports of how Scientology attempts to influence politicians and political institutions as well as the press. According to the Hamburg OPC's 2006 report, Scientology continues to use methods that are against the free, democratic constitutional structure, as was established in the 1997 State Interior Ministers meeting. Caberta asserted that Scientology in Germany has received orders from the Los Angeles headquarters to conquer Europe.

Link to article, here.

H/t: P. Hall

Meet the New Nuncio for UK

Our new Nuncio

[Valle Adurni] There seems to be a consensus emerging on the Italian blogosphere (as on Palazzo Apostolico among many others) that our new Nuncio was appointed because of his success in soothing the volatile temperament of the Russian Orthodox. In this his achievement has in all regards been conspicuous. He is, it is said, expected to perform the same miracle with the Church of England. Let us set aside the question of whether the aggrieved sensibilities of the CofE are perceived to be more important than the aggrieved sensibilities of the Russian Orthodox, or the extent to which either side brought it on themselves. What matters is that Mennini was perceived to have done a good job, and it is hoped that he will do it again.

Read further analysis, at Valle, here.

Melkite Patriarch Gregory III: Jihad attacks on Middle Eastern Christians have all been a Zionist plot

I linked to Pamela Geller's righteously indignant post on this last Sunday but have been meaning to revisit it when time permitted, as it is indicative of several unfortunate tendencies. Gregory III Lahham, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, and All the East, has said -- if this report is accurate -- that Islamic jihad attacks against Middle Eastern Christians are actually a Zionist plot to discredit Islam. And in doing so, he has illustrated the predicament of Christians in the Middle East in ways that he perhaps did not intend.

Read further...

Rainbow Ron Paul Votes for Gay Rights

Never trust a Democrat, or a Libertarian.  A Libertarian doesn't mind what you do, as long as you are paying for and it's mostly legal.  Here's the story, fittingly enough, from Mother Jones:

Ron Paul's DADT Reversal

— By Suzy Khimm

| Fri May. 28, 2010 6:25 AM PDT

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) was one of only five House Republicans to support the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy on gay servicemembers, which passed the House on a 234-194 vote last night. But Paul's vote came as a bit of a surprise. An unabashed foe of gay marriage, Paul had a decidedly squeamish stance on gay rights—even prompting actor Sacha Baron Cohen to ambush the Texas Republican for his film "Bruno." And Paul stated throughout his 2008 presidential campaign that he thought the military's policy should stand, though he had some concerns about its enforcement.

When asked about DADT repeal in June 2007, Paul told CNN:

I think the current policy is a decent policy. And the problem that we have with dealing with this subject is we see people as groups, as they belong to certain groups and that they derive their rights as belonging to groups. We don't get our rights because we're gays or women or minorities. We get our rights from our creator as individuals. So every individual should be treated the same way.

H/t: salus at AQ 

Photo Credit, here.

Anglicans want to make their parishes into village retail

Link to original

The Anglican Church wants to use their parish buildings in rural areas as village shops. According to a report in the Sunday newspaper, the "Sunday Telegraph", the "church" wants to revitalize the communities and give villagers the chance to shop in their buildings.

The "church" buildings are often "the only public place in a village or low-income neighborhood," said the bishop. The move follows the establishment of post offices in churches, after the Royal Mail announced the closing of many branches in rural areas.

Commentary: The collapse of Christendom, even outside the Catholic Church, is everywhere.

Hungary May Introduce Constitutional Ban on Homosexual Marriage

[national secular society] Under pressure from the Vatican, the Hungarian government is planning to introduce a complete ban on abortion and any prospect of legalised gay marriage in its new constitutional proposals.

At a meeting with the pope earlier in December, the Hungarian ambassador was told that it was “desirable that the new constitution be inspired by Christian values, particularly in what concerns the position of marriage and the family in society and the protection of life.” The pontiff’s wishes are reflected well in the governing Fidesz party’s proposal, which — in additional to mirroring papal teaching on abortion — says marriage is “the most natural community of man and woman.”

The pope told the ambassador that “Europe would be finished” if heterosexual marriage were no longer “the norm”. He said: “Europe would no longer be Europe if such a basic cell of the social construct were to disappear or to be substantially changed.”

Read further... 

H/t: Pewsitter

New Forum: Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus

A few members have come to find themselves here, at this new forum with all the trappings and a spicy layout, here.

China Completes Military Highway to India

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A new highway now links Metok County, in southern Tibet, to the rest of China. Although of limited economic significance since it has a small population of some 11,000 people, the area is crucial from a military standpoint because it bolsters Chinese claims to the wider region, currently disputed with India.

The People’s Liberation Army did most of the work. On Wednesday, its construction crews broke through the last obstacle in the 3.3-kilometre Galongla Tunnel at 3,750 metres above sea level, thus completing the 117-kilometre Metok highway.

At present, the “PLA's fighting capability in southern Tibet is very weak because we failed to overcome countless fatal natural barriers there over the past near five decades," Shanghai-based military expert Ni Lexiong told the South China Morning Post.

Read further at Asia News...

Bishop of Birmingham Defends His Gay Mass

Editor:  Jumping to conclusions about the motivations of the people who are upset about this and being credulous about the people doing it  Obviously, he doesn't have a problem with embracing the Zeitgeist.


Birmingham Archbishop Attacks Faithful Catholics Protesting London’s ‘Gay Masses’

LONDON, December 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of pro-life and pro-family British Catholics have reacted with dismay this month as the “conservative” archbishop of Birmingham, Bernard Longley, has accused them of being “judgmental” in their opposition to an officially approved “gay” Mass that is ongoing in the archdiocese of Westminster.

In an interview with the liberal Catholic magazine, The Tablet, Longley, widely regarded as a theological conservative among the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, said, “I assume” that the people praying and protesting outside the church where the Masses are held, are acting out of prejudice.

Asked by The Tablet whether “those protesting are making assumptions” about the “lifestyles” of the people attending the Masses, Longley replied, “I would assume that is the case, and so it isn’t for any of us to make those judgments which, in conscience, people make before God and also within the sacraments, particularly the sacrament of reconciliation assisted by the priests and other pastors within the Church.”

Read at Lifesite News, here...

A Pogue and "The Priests" Sing Drummer Boy: The Video

A promotional video is available on the new Shane MacGowan  and "The Priests" video, here, where they'll be singing Little Drummer Boy.   Others have made the comparison between Bing Crosby and David Bowie, which was very popular and somewhat shocking and strange when it came about.  Since we're used to such juxtapositions and irony now, Shane MacGowan will surely surprise those who know of him as anarchic, dark and anti-clerical will be taken by surprise at the singer's reverential treatment of "The Priests".

This meeting of these entertainers in contrast to Bowie standing on equal footing with Bing, gives  the air of the prodigal returning home, as the riotous Pogues lead singer asks "the Priests" for a 'blessin' before they go.  It's much more touching than the Bowie-Crosby meeting lacking the forced generational tension. It certainly looks much darker in this new version and they will possibly be singing as Bowie correctly and properly did, "that men of good will can live in peace" and not  "that each child should be made to care" in its very hyper-educational vein.  Perhaps it's also a lot less preachy as the producers of the Bowie-Crosby show felt the need in that time to tip the hat to the "Peace" Movement in the late date of 1977, whose naive optimism had been shattered the year before when the Punk Rock movement came on the scene, which prepared the way for the Pogues early eighties debut.  It's almost as if Bowie and Crosby are seeking refuge with the remnants of the Ancien Régime  in a country estate as Anarchy came to the UK.  Incidentally, Bing Crosby had been long established and his popularity never really waned.  Bowie's career as a pop icon was just then coming to an end.

Wikileaks Being Used to Beat the Church

Liberal anti-Church papers like Guardian et al will want to make these wikileaks into swords and clubs to beat their intended victim with.   Without sufficient analysis of the various sources, it might be easy to confuse the Garda with the good knight on the white horse, and the Murphy Report as an unbiased fact-finding commission made up of people who were really concerned about eternity, justice, truth...

The Vatican refused to allow its officials to testify before an Irish commission investigating the clerical abuse of children and was angered when they were summoned from Rome, US embassy cables released by WikiLeaks reveal.

Requests for information from the 2009 Murphy commission into sexual and physical abuse by clergy "offended many in the Vatican" who felt that the Irish government had "failed to respect and protect Vatican sovereignty during the investigations", a cable says.

Despite the lack of co-operation from the Vatican, the commission was able to substantiate many of the claims and concluded that some bishops had tried to cover up abuse, putting the interests of the Catholic church ahead of those of the victims. Its report identified 320 people who complained of child sexual abuse between 1975 and 2004 in the Dublin archdiocese.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/10/wikileaks-vatican-child-sex-abuse-investigation?INTCMP=SRCH

Algiers: The Most Important Pilgrimage Church in North Africa Newly Consecrated

The Church of Notre Dame d'Afrique was closed for three years during renovation -- Is counted among the most remarkable edifices in a land dominated by Islam.

Algiers (kath.net/KAP) The most important Catholic pilgrimage Church in North Africa, Notre-Dame-d"Afrique in Algiers is to be newly consecrated in the presence of the Religion Minister Bouabdalla Ghamallah as well as the Church and Diplomatic guests from the EU and Africa.   This was reported by the French Internet-site, "Tout sur l'Algerie".  The 140 Year old Church was closed in 2007 because it was badly in need of necessarily renovations.

The Basilica was consecrated in 1872.  It stands at a height of 124 Meters on the hill above the bay of Algiers and counts among the msot remarkable edifices in the Islamic dominated land.  It corresponds to the concept of the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde in the French port city of Marseilles.

The around five million Euro expensive renovation was undertaken by the city of Algiers, the Province of Algeriers, the city of Marseilles, the French Department of Bouches-du-Rhone, Algerian State Companies and French corporations active in Algeria.  Even the EU has supported the undertaking financially.  Sea winds and earthquakes have damaged the Church in the course of the years.  The work of restoration has been accomplished under the direction of the Marseilles Architect Xavier David, who was also responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde in Marseilles.

From the beginning on Notre-Dam-d'Afrique was even for the Muslims a place of pilgrimage.  In the apse since 1872 has the golden inscription "Our Beloved Lady of Africa, Pray for Us and For the Muslims".   Of especial importance is the organ of Notre-Dame-d'Afrique:  The powerful instrument was installed in the Villa Georges, which belonged to a private English gentleman.  He was an admirer of the composure and organist Camille Saint-Saens, who died in Algeria in 1921.  After the death of the Englishman in 1930 the organ was donated to the Basilica.


 Link to the original story from kath.net in German...

Oberammergau bends 10-year vow, will stage religious plays annually

German grandmothers once made the traditional blood sausage every ten years.  Oberammargau is scarcely Catholic and has been substantially watered down, like so many Seminary Curricula, so that it isn't really Catholic at all.

[M&C News] - The Alpine town of Oberammergau, which reputedly vowed in 1633 to dramatically re-enact the death of Jesus Christ once every decade, said Friday it would stage a play once a year in future.

Christian Stueckl, director and producer, said the German townsfolk were fed up with waiting 10 years at a stretch for their next chance to act. [Too bad, but it's all about self-promotion, which is why it will be lame] Male players must grow full beards for the roles.

Tourists have been coming from round the globe since the 19th century to see the production in the remote Catholic town. This summer, 500,000 people saw the Passion Play staged in a purpose-built 5,000-seat auditorium.

Link to original...here.

H/t: Tom at AQ

Jesuit-like Diocesan Priest Worships the God Shiva with Ravi Shankar

Jefath Gaspar Raj Crazy Like a Jesuit

Remember when the 60s were fun? Father Jegath Gaspar Raj, who is not a Jesuit as we first were informed, has had a lot of interesting connections, playing an intermediary in the peace talks between Tamil Tigers and the government of Tamil Nadu, running businesses and then becoming implicated in running the 2G Spectrum Scam.   Working in collaboration with Jesuits, he's working to destroy the Catholic Faith by breaking the First and Second Commandments, and he's doing it by  worshiping Shiva to promote his musical endeavor and get himself and the local Archdiocese out of a financial jam.  Some people seem to think that the Jesuits in India are pretty good.  We're inclined to think they might be even worse than the ones in the West.  Has anyone warned Father that he's committing one of the worst crimes a Christian can commit?

Not to be outdone in his many other adventures, this ambitious priest is featuring a musical production .  The production will cost about 15,000,000 Rupees which is about $135,000US, funds of the Archdiocese and some of which they are borrowing with the Blessing of the Archbishop himself.  More astounding than the cost of the production of the album will be part of the stated purpose which is to Praise the god Shiva.  The website Layitudity avers that this is because the enterprising  Father Gaspar needs the money and relies on the support of his Hindu fans in Sri Lanka:

The priest, with the blessings of Most Rev. Antony Devotta, Bishop of Tiruchirappalli, and the support of other Catholic priests, Fr. Vincent Chinnadurai, Fr. Lourdu Anandam, Fr. M.A. Joe Antony S.J. [Editor of the New Leader], Fr. Joe Arun S.J. [Director of the Institute of Dialogue with Cultures and Religions, Loyola College campus, Chennai], and the full knowledge of Archbishop Most Rev. Malayappan Chinnappa SDB and Auxiliary Bishop Most Rev. Lawrence Pius Dorairaj of Madras-Mylapore, uses the studios, offices, communications systems, infrastructure, personnel, time [over 3 years] and money of the Church in the pursuit of his goal, with a projected budget of Rs. 1.5 crore [Rs. 15 million] towards which he has made borrowings of at least Rs. 1 crore [Rs. 10 million], much of it at an interest rate of 20%.

Ravi Shankar's Music Made Me Cry

What's even more interesting than a dancing Jesuit doing Yoga, which the program also promotes, in addition to pagan worship, is the appearance of Ravi Shankar who is famed for teaching George Harrison of the Beatles to play the Sitar.  He will be part of this extravaganza that promises itself as some kind of Mozart thing.

Dance like the Wind

Can't get over these Indian Jesuits.  Anthony de Mello SJ and now this guy.  It's too good. Where Anthony de Mello SJ tries to be aloof from these moneymaking things, this Jesuit is almost shamelessly dipping his mits into the cookie jar. 


Dancing Jesuit stolen from, Catholic Caveman.

Renovation: St. James Cathedral of Orlando, Florida [Updated]

Check out the photos:

Renovation: St. James Cathedral of Orlando, Florida [Updated]

"May Be That Some Think I'm Crazy"

The Mass of All Ages

"People from my community, who are not liturgically educated and therefore don't know that the pre-Conciliar Rite is supposed to be 'evil', speak of the old Mass in the meantime with complete naivete as the 'proper Mass.'"

(kreuz.net) "surely there are not a few German chief shepherds, who are concerned about the unique path of Germany."

There you can read "much that is crying out from between the lines".

Fr. Hendrick Jolie (46) explained this in his most recent interview with the monthly magazine 'Kirchliche Umschau".

Fr. Jolie is the member of a team of speakers of the German 'Priest Network'.

Dissenters will be hard to unpack

"Our shepherds should know that they are not standing alone, if they decide to stand on the side of the Pope." -- he said.

Because: "There are countless priests and believers out there, who are waiting for a sign of solidarity from the Holy Father -- a sign that are not exhausted in words, rather something that can be read in concrete acts."

A bishop will find it much easider to distribute a Roman Instruction to his Diocese if he knows which priests and believers he can leave to its implementation.

Fr. Jolie himself believes the Pontificate of a German Pope is a "moment of grace for the Church".

This must not elapse.

Why since the death of the Fulda Bishop Johannes Dyba (+2000)  is that the Senior Sheperhds don't dance out of line, he finds it hard to explain:

"The case of +Mixa has shown then that the episcopal conduct of "dissidence" can be compared to everything else but brotherly."

"May be that fear rules here" -  concluded Fr. Jolie.

The Old Mass is the Mass of tomorrow

Fr. Jolie was asked how he priestly soul can be relighted.

His answer: "Priesthood and the offering of Sacrifice go together."

The obedience of the priest is shown above all in the offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass:

"How will they show the obedience of Christ in the ritual, if they are at the same time narcissitically attempting ever newer gimmicks?"

For him the Old Rite is an outstanding school of obedience: "The priest opens himself in the requirements of this Rite to be stamped in a certain way, which is completely alien in the new Rite."

Fr. Jolie did not experience the Old Rite in his childhood for long.

Because: "after I had learned this Rite and celebrated my "First Mass" in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, a feeling gripped me of homecoming."

Fr. Jolie also explained the reactions of his Parish:

Afterward: "People from my community, who are not liturgically educated and therefore don't know that the pre-Conciliar Rite is supposed to be 'evil', speak of the old Mass in the meantime with complete naivete as the 'proper Mass.'"

The Clergyman isn't too concerned about his repution:

"May be, some think of me as crazy, but according to my clear understanding the Old Mass is necessary for the healing of the Church."

Then he cited the Priest Rodhaudt from Aachen: "The old Mass is the Mass of tomorrow, because without it there won't be another morning."

© Bild: Christopher.M., Flickr, CC