Monday, February 14, 2011

Conservative Jews Vote for Homosexual Rabbis

[New York Times] The decision, which followed years of debate, was denounced by traditionalists in the movement as an indication that Conservative Judaism had abandoned its commitment to adhere to Jewish law, but celebrated by others as a long-awaited move toward full equality for gay people.

"We see this as a giant step forward," said Sarah Freidson, a rabbinical student and co-chairwoman of Keshet, a student group at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York that has been pushing for change. But in a reflection of the divisions in the movement, the 25 rabbis on the law committee passed three conflicting legal opinions — one in favor of gay rabbis and unions, and two against.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/us/07jews.html?_r=1
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Priest Says Cardinal Will Report Irish Church Close to Collapse

Editor: That's the problem when you send a pro-Abortion politician to do the job of a Catholic Prelate.





 

Monday, 14 February 2011 15:11  
DUBLIN — Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley reportedly will tell Pope Benedict XVI that the Catholic Church in Ireland is "on the edge" of collapse due to the fallout from clerical abuse scandals.

Cardinal O'Malley is one of several senior prelates charged by Pope Benedict with carrying out an apostolic visitation of the Irish Catholic Church following a series of highly critical judicial reports that revealed abuse by priests and a widespread culture of cover-up for decades among church leaders.

Father Tony Flannery, a leading member of the Association of Catholic Priests, revealed at a conference of laypeople Feb. 12 in the Irish capital that "Cardinal O'Malley told the association the Irish Church had a decade, at most, to avoid falling over the edge and becoming like other European countries where religion is marginal to society."

The Compass here, for the  rest.

Catholic Church Hosts Anti-Semitic, Marxist Congressman for Talk

Editor:  Antonio Gramsci alert... Comrade Keith Ellison,  a Jesuit educated byproduct, has been brought to you by the usual socialist electorate you'd expect in a major American city.  He's been an enthusiastic supporter of Lou Farrakhan in the past, when he's not dodging parking and traffic tickets, but anti-Semitic is ok at the leftists who run the Basilica of St. Mary's; perhaps someone should explore the connection between fascism, homosexuality and Islam?  Certain people have long inspired the public to believe, with some justification, that there's a connection between Catholicism and homosexuality, and given what goes on regularly at the Basilica, you can see why this is more than a passing possibility.

"Jews are among the most racist white people I know." Declared Ellison [laughably]:


“We stand by the truth contained in the remarks attributed to [Ms. Jackson], and by her right to express her views without sanction. Here is why we support Ms. Jackson: She is correct about Minister Farrakhan. He is not a racist. He is also not an anti-Semite. Minister Farrakhan is a tireless public servant of Black people, who constantly teaches self-reliance and self-examination to the Black community.”

Here's the offending article at Basilica:

Interfaith Forum with Congressman Keith Ellison

The Generosity of Inclusion: Everybody Counts, Everybody Matters

Thursday, February 24, 12:00–1:00pm
Westminster Presbyterian, Nicollet Mall & 12th St
Keith Ellison represents Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A member of the DFL Party, he is the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress. He served two terms in the Minnesota State Legislature, representing District 58B, prior to election to national office. Keith Ellison offers a message of hope, reconciliation, respect, and inclusion. Join us for music at 11:30am and a reception at 1:00pm. Free and open to all! Co-sponsored by The Basilica of Saint  Mary. Contact Susan McKenna at 612.332.3421.

Link, here.

They were also present at the "Gay Pride" event last year too.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Catholic Priest Removed From San Dimas Church

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Catholic priest who admitted having a sexual relationship with a high school girl more than 40 years ago was removed his position, and a high-ranking official who oversaw the background checks of priests resigned.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced Friday that the Rev. Martin P. O’Loghlen, who worked at Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas, was removed from any priestly activities.

The archdiocese said it was reacting to inquiries from a New York Times reporter researching an article about O’Loghlen.

The 74-year-old priest is accused of having a long-term sexual relationship with the teenage girl beginning in 1960, and seeking her forgiveness later, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Read More: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/02/12/catholic-priest-removed-from-san-dimas-church/

In brief: Afghan soldier killed and dozens injured in bomb attack on police HQ

Taliban suicide bombers killed an Afghan soldier and wounded 28 people yesterday in an assault on the police headquarters in the main city in southern Kandahar province, the focus of a Nato offensive against insurgents.

In what appeared to be an attempt to raid the provincial police headquarters in downtown Kandahar, insurgents detonated a car bomb just outside the building before two suicide bombers blew themselves up on the street, the Nato-led coalition said

Read More: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/in-brief-afghan-soldier-killed-and-dozens-injured-in-bomb-attack-on-police-hq-2538192.html

Death toll in Iraq blast rises to 36

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say the death toll in a suicide bombing on a bus carrying Shiite pilgrims has risen to 36.

The blast went off Saturday, as pilgrims were returning from a religious ceremony.

Police and hospital officials said Sunday that 64 people were wounded in the attack in Samarra, 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Baghdad

The officials did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Read More: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jidMrfMrtjpxQswXQMj1Sg8pXx9Q?docId=559b029cdd9c4eb5b946446d9066ed4f

Notre Dame Loses Senior Night Clash With Knox Catholic

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost a close game to the Knox Catholic Fighting Irish on Saturday night. The visitors won 47-37 on Senior Night.

Notre dame fell behind early, but managed to climb back into the game in the fourth quarter only trailing the ranked Knox Catholic team by 4 points with 3:47 left in the contest.

Public to have big say in who will be new bishop

THE PROCESS of selecting the next Bishop ofWinchester is well under way. It’s one of the most important positions in the Church of England dating back more than 1,000 years.

These days the public has a big say in who takes over the top post at the cathedral from the current incumbent, the Right Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, who is one of England’s most influential bishops.

The bishop, 67, a father-of-three, has been in the post for more than 15 years. He retires in May. And this month the ecclesiastical machinery to find his successor gets into top gear. Sir Paul Britton, the Prime Minister’s appointments secretary, and Ms Caroline Boddington, the Archbishop’s appointments secretary, will start their rounds of the diocese as they carry out wide-ranging consultations.


Read More: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/8850019.Search_for_next_Bishop_of_Winchester/

Pope declares the Internet presents great missionary opportunity

The Internet, because of its ability to overcome distances and put people in contact with each other, presents great opportunities for the church and its mission, Pope Benedict XVI told the Congregation for Catholic Education.

Referring to a draft document on the Internet and seminary formation, the Pope told the Congregation that with "necessary discretion for its intelligent and prudent use," the Internet may be of help for both studies and pastoral work of future priests in the various fields within the church.

He stressed that it was important to have adequately trained persons to work in the Internet missionary sector.


Read More:http://www.goddiscussion.com/40663/pope-declares-the-internet-presents-great-missionary-opportunity/

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Christianity Experiences the Largest Growth and Islam Too -- 270 Christians are Killed Daily

(New York) For 27 years the International Bulletin of Missionary Research  (News Haven, Connecticut) has published a yearly report about the situation of Christians in the world.  The "Status of Global Mission" - Report offers interesting and astonishing numbers every year of the numerical strength of Christians and other religions.  The strength of the various denominations are also be included.

In the report of 2011 (which deals with the year of 2010) puts the martyrdom of Christians right before your eyes.  The report defines "martyr" Christians, as those "who lose their lives violently for their faith".  The report estimates that in the last ten years (2000-2010), one million Christians were killed.  That involves the death of an average of 270 new martyrs every day.

The report estimates there are 2.306.609.000 Christians in the whole world.  That corresponds to a third of the population, over 33 percent.  This means that a small rise since 2000 (32,7 Percent), but a slight decline since 1900 (34,5 Percent). Of the 2,3 billion Christians there are about 1,5 billion regular church goers with an entirety of about 5.170.000 churches, community centers and gathering spaces. In  1900 there were about 400.000.

The complete number of Christians are divided into six "large church groups".  The largest group is made up of the Catholic Church with  1.160.880.000  Catholics. In second place are the Protestants with 426.450.000 (for example: the national churches of the Lutherans, Calvinists and others)  In third place are the 271.316.000 Orthodox Churches and on fourth are the 87.520.000 Anglicans.  The fifth group is identified by the report as 378.281.000 "independents", who are seperated from the historical denominations and don't belong to any of them.  Then the last group is identified as "marginal Christians" of around 35.539.000, whose christology is doubtful relative to what is in the "published texts" of the "Bible".

In comparison to the 2,3 billion Christians there are around 1,6 billion Muslims, who are divided into various large groups and subgroups; 951 million Hindus; 468 Buddhists; 458 million adherents of Chinese religions and  137 million atheists.

Besides the strong media attention atheists get with the  likes of Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens, their numbers have declined since the last decade (period of consideration 2000-2010).

Every day there are  270 Christians who are killed because of their faith.  Every year there are, however, 80.000 new Christians to replace them.  More than 31.000 of them are Catholics.  The number of Muslims grows daily at  79.000.  The number of atheists declines about  300 per day, according to the report.

Africa has been awarded with the status of the most "breathtaking Christian growth" in the report, like the Catholic historian George Weigel writes of it, "In 1900 there were around 8,7 Million African Christians (in order, from Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa.) Today there are 475 Million African Christians.Their numbers will reach 670 by 2025.

The yearly report of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research continues with still more numbers.  Accordingly, there were  71 Million Bibles distributed worldwide in 2010. About two billion people listen at least once to Christian radio -- or television. In 2010 there were 7,1 million books published about Christianity.  In 1970 there were 1,8

Globally it is observed, the report continues,  that although Christianity is declining at this point in Western Europe, it is experiencing in other parts of the world a "remarkable" growth, also in Asia, where the announcement of the Gospel in "bitter" terrain is in evidence.  At the same time that there is a measurable growth in Christianity, as the "decline of atheism" which is evaluated in the light of the report against "the radical advance of neo-Atheism" before the Papal visit in England and Scotland which was described as "a doubtful leap forward" for an atheism, whose "hour had gone".

In conclusion there is the data of the Status of Global Mission-Report on the unity of Christians.  In 1900 there were 1600 different Christian denominations.  In 1970 there were 18.800 and in the year of  2010 even 42.000.  The Catholic Church is the most numerous with 1.160.880.000 and their worldwide scope with a the largest world-wide net of Diocese of all Christian denominations, but also all other religions of the world, the only universal Church and universal religion.  Far behind in second place is the Russian Orthodox Church with 100 million believers.  The protestant branch of Christianity falls in a hard to decipher myriad of communities and groups, which range in numbers between a few million to only a dozen or so followers.

Read further...German original.

insidecatholic.com

Youthful Dissidents Reorganize in Minneapolis

Saturday, February 12, 2011

 

Full of the Vigor of Life

 CCCR's Action Plan for 2011

The Twin Cities-based Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (CCCR) is building on its successful Synod of the Baptized of last September with a bold and hope-filled action plan for church reform.

The Progressive Catholic Voice is a founding member organization of CCCR, and so the PCV editorial team is happy to share the following message from CCCR. This message was originally published last month on the CCCR website.

 H/t: Stella Borealis

The Priest Makes His Strength from Friendship with Christ

Benedict XVI to the Priestly Society "St. Charles Borromeo":  Jesus wanted a priesthood for maintaining the life of the Church.

Rome (kath.net/as) The importance of the priesthood in the life of the Church and the world is in the middle of the language, with which Pope Beenedict XVI addressed the priests and seminarians of the Missionary Society of St. Charles Borromeo this Saturday on the occasion of their twenty fifth anniversary.

Benedict XVI recalled his long friendship with Don Luigi Giussiani, the founder of the movement, "Communion et Liberation" from whose charisma helped establish the priestly society through the work of Massimo Camisacascas.  The Society testifies to the fruitfulness of Don Giussiani's initiative of charisma.

The priesthood needs constant renewal, in which it finds in the life of Jesus the natural form of its existence, says the Pope, who exclaimed: "The Christian priesthood is not an end in itself".  Much more, it is deliberated through Jesus for the sustainability and the life of the Church.

The glory and joy of the priesthood consists in serving Christ and His mystical body.  it is a "very beautiful and rare calling in the Church" in which the presence of Christ is the participation in  the particular and eternal priesthood of Christ.  The priestly calling "is a sure sign for the reality and the vitality of the Christian society."

"There can be no true and fruitful growth in the Church without true priestly presence which bears and nourishes it", says Benedict XVI, further, that the importance of contemplation and the prayer must be stressed there as a "dialog with the risen Lord".

The Pope undescored the "value of  common life", that isn't just an answer to the urgency of the moment like the priest shortage.  The theological signficance of the community, explained Benedict XVI., as the "expression of Christ's gift, which is the Church".  The communal life is formed by the Apostolic community, which comes from the priest: "no priest, to wit, gives something that is his, rather he allows the other brothers to participate in a sacramental gift that comes directly from Christ."

The communal life brings such a help to expression, "Christ in our midst".  Living together means the necessity to accept its own existing return and above all to recognize the beauty of this path, "the joy of humility, penance and even of talking together, the encounter of forgiveness and support."

"A real community life is not possible without prayer", says Benedict in conclusion. It is necessary to be with Jesus, in order to come to another being:  " That is the heart of mission.  In the society of Christ and the brother, every priest can find the power that is necessary, to accept the other person, with those ever more new words from the love to learn the eternal truths of the faith, for which our present age thirsts."

Read further...

Traditional Masses in The Diocese of Harrisburg


Saint Anthony's Roman Catholic Church
501 East Orange Street
Lancaster, PA 17602
Sung High Mass Every Sunday 1:30 P.M.
717-872-3350
Website http://www.hbglatinmass.com/lancaster/


Mater Dei Latin Mass Community
Saint Lawrence Chapel
110 State Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Low Mass Every Sunday 8:00 A.M.
Sung High Mass Every Sunday 10:00 A.M.
Daily Mass-Monday,Tuesday, Thursday, Friday-7:30 A.M.
                       Wednesday-7:00 P.M., Saturday-9:00 A.M.
Call for details 717-889-4217
Website http://www.hbglatinmass.com/


Saint Joseph Parish
2935 Kingston Road
York, PA 17402
Traditional Mass Sunday-Friday 6:00 A.M.
Website http://www.sjy.org/efm


Carmel of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
430 Monastery Road
Elysburg, PA 17824
Sunday 8:00 A.M.
Monday-Friday 7:00 A.M.
Saturday 8:00 A.M.
570-672-2937

Friday, February 11, 2011

Muslim Rebels Burn Down Christian Town

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Archbishop Zycinsky of Lublin 62, RIP

He was a friend of John Paul II, but also a friend of the TLM.  He was a great exponent of dialog with the Orthodox as well.



There are film fragments of that Holy Mass.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK484A2HhAE

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0HW1Hm8NAc

Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3MCE5N_RPs

(Archbishop Józef Życiński had served Holy Mass in Trident Rite (Lublin, 7. 2. 2010 A.D., The Church of Immaculate Conception at the Stanislav Staszic street).)

H/t: catholic answers for the mass links.

Capitulation Bishop to Take Major Diocese in Wales

Editor:  Thompson at the Tablet has just reported that we're going to get a really poor appointment for Wales. Thompson says it's business as usual, which from our perspective is chaos as usual.  We'll see. Thompson says he's a good pastor, but he looks more like an Old Liberal.  When you accept the assumptions of your enemies, you play by their game.  So,  if you want the kind of guy who's paid to take a fall, this is the kind of hireling you want to put in place.  He recently said that Traditionalism promotes pedophilia.  Of course, if you're guilty of something, redirect people's attention to someone small and relatively defenseless.

Capitulation Bishop Tom Burns



Link to Tablet, here

Cardinal Ravasi: Duet Instead of Duel Against the Cultural Fog: Another Voice Against Multiculturalism

More The idea of multi-clturalism is shattered, said the President of the Pontifical Council on Culture.  The "double sickness of Europe".  by Armin Schwibach

Rome (kath.net/as) Not only the British Prime Minister David Cameron [Sarkozi and Merkel as well], but also the President of the Council for Culture Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi,  has recognized that the idea of multiculturalism as the cohabitation of different cultures in western lands is shattered.

For Ravasi it is necessary that at this point of the dialogue has brought out the "interculturality", that are interacting with "powerful cultural identities". The president of the Council of Culture expressed itself in this way at Castel Gandolfo at the event of the 35th meeting of Bishops who are associated with the Focolare Movement.

At the same time he proposed the possible publication of documents on the side of the Vatican dealing with this theme, according to a report in today's edition of the Milan paper "Corriere della Sera".

Cardinal Ravasi explained that it is necessary to manage a confrontation, which not be described as conflict and is communicated from within values, without each losing its own identity.  Multiculturalism has been a fact since antiquity, it is present to all in the midst of the urban environment.   There are various cultural presences established there,  which in any event  are colliding together in diverse forms leading from fundamentalism.

"Dialogue" is presented that it is a "dia-logue" " and with it a relation between two "logoi".  This means that the goal of interculturalism is not consist in the identification of the building of a single global society.

The attempt of multiculturalism is in the atempt of a "duel" for domination, said the Cardinal.  Against that it is above all necessary today, to form interculturalism as a "duet", by which the two can be strengthened, rather forming the different identities not to be like each other, rather they harmoniously encounter each other.

Cardinal Ravasi warned of a "double sickeness" in Europe.  this is on the one side aggressively approaching ideology of "the sword" , which is not necessarily excluded to the Christian, and on the other side from "cultural syncretism, superficiality, banality, stupidity, depraved morals, colorless and a overbearing cultural fog, which is predominant."

Cardinal Kasper Severely Criticizes Theological Dissidents

Editor: We got earlier statements from the good Cardinal at Enlace Catolico. Here he is again, this time for Vatican Radio and kath.net, saying his piece against these theologians.  It's certainly one of the most striking statements from a Curial official so far, and one of the most surprising.  Here are some excerpts from his interview as translated at kath.net.

As we pointed out last year in September, the Cardinal had admonished Germans to obey the Holy Father.  


"Churches, which have opted for woman's ordination and the recognition of same-sex partnerships, have put themselves for that reason in a very deep crisis"



Rome (kath.net) The Roman Curial Cardinal, Walter Kasper has made a clear denunciation for the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" against the Munster "Theological Referendum".  Kath.net has documented the main statements from "Radio Vatikan"  from FAZ-Report on the theme of "We're Coming to the Point".

"No sensible man, no follower of Christ will contend that the Catholic Church in Germany has had an acerbic and necessary break.  No one can seriously contend that the teachers and teacheresses of Theology are accorded any especial responsibility.  As one who has been in service for more than thirty years in academia,  I must say clearly, that the Memorandum has disturbed me greatly... because I would have expected more from Theologians, namely, a substantial theological contribution.

I ask myself, how a theologian can speak of the past situation and their difficulties, without mentioning the crisis of faith. Instead of this, the Memorandum remains stuck in a justifiable self-criticism.  Do the undersigned seriously believe that the Church's constitution today is an existential question for people? Is it not the reverse: that the crisis in the Church follows from a crisis of faith?  That is also valid for the horrible cases of sexual abuse.

What the undersigners of the Memorandum want to bring to the Dialog, has already been long known and expressed by other groups ad nauseum.  For that reason I have paid attention as the initial words of the message of freedom in the Gospel demand.  I thought: Yes, that's it.

I asked myself, how can it be that German Catholic theologians are so clearly  closed, that  churches, which are decided for women's ordination and for the recogniztion of same sex partnerships, have for that reason put themselves in a much deeper crisis than the Catholic Church in Germany.

The Celibacy is not just for today a hot iron in the fire.  Actually, I have been preoccupied with it for over forty years with other theologians that Pope and Episcopal College have the duty to assure the unmarried state of the diocesan priesthood.  Clearly, the fact is little known that this assessment has been for a long time in place.  The question has been discussed internationally, exegetically as well as historically some exceptions, that it can't be seriously allowed to review the old arguments.  Not less than three World Conferences of bishops have voted in the meantime with overpowering majorities for the continuance of the unmarried priesthood.  If anyone had wanted another internal Church legal structure, then it would have been appended, that decisions would also have been recognized, that he had preferred another solution himself.

Only a hopeless and futureless and therefore false conservatism can be living, what pastoral structures have previously been  identified artificially with 'viri probati' [married men of good character].  In any event those superficial German priestly communities in the Diocese are also not the final word.

More imagination and a view  beyond one's own teacup could help out tremendously.

The crisis of faith is not only a celibacy crisis, rather it has also led to a crisis of the faithful and the community.  When in Germany the number of regular churchgoers since 1950 has dropped more than two thirds, then that is a sign that has been long nudging and pushing to the real ground, what the priest shortage really means.  I can only propose a radical solution which is set on this "radix", on this root, in place of superficially turning on the parameters of celibacy."

From kath.net...

Suburbanite Phillistine Retires from Education: Monaghan Calls it Quits at Ave Maria

Editor: after making horrible tasting, boring pizza, helping EWTN, building ugly ecclesiastical architecture, hosting frankenstein experiments in his "Catholic" village and building another faux-Catholic educational boondoggle, the Pizza King is calling it quits.

The Village from the Prisoner



Ave Maria University Board of Trustees
Announces Jim Towey as School's Next President
AVE MARIA, Fla. (February 10, 2011) - Ave Maria University's board of trustees announced today that Jim Towey will be the university's next president.  Towey will be responsible for the day-to-day operations as president when his term begins on July 1, 2011.  Thomas S. Monaghan, who currently serves as Chancellor and CEO of AMU will remain Chancellor, but will relinquish the responsibilities of CEO and hence the oversight of the daily operations of the university.

The board of trustees voted on the appointment of Towey at its regularly scheduled meeting earlier this week.  Chairman of the board of trustees, Michael T. O. Timmis, made today's announcement on behalf of the board.  Timmis praised the incredible vision of Monaghan and the solid foundation that he has set in place for AMU.  He also talked about the confidence the board has that Towey is the right person for AMU at this stage of its development.

"This is a huge win for Ave Maria University," Timmis said.  "We retain the vision and experience of our pioneers, while seamlessly handing over the reins to the next generation of leadership.  It is the belief of the Trustees that Jim Towey is the most desirable Catholic university president in America today.  And I am thrilled to announce that he is going to be our president."

Read further....

Second Investigation of Clergy Abuse in Philadelphia

Editor:  Rare abuses which occur within the ranks of the Catholic Church, perpetrated by homosexual leftists and protected by same are blown out of proportion while crimes perpetrated by entertainment figures and politicians are glossed over.  

On February 10, 2011, a Philadelphia Grand Jury released a report and a presentment following an investigation into allegations that two priests and a teacher sexually abused a 10-year-old boy at St. Jerome Parish in Philadelphia, and that another priest assigned to St. Jerome sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy. 
 
The presentment recommended criminal charges, including for rape and indecent sexual assault, against the three priests, Edward Avery, Charles Engelhardt, and James Brennan; and the teacher, Bernard Shero. The Grand Jury also recommended charging Monsignor William J. Lynn, the Secretary for Clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia under Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

From 1992 until 2004, Msgr. Lynn was responsible for investigating reports that priests had sexually abused children and for recommending appropriate action to ensure that priests could not reoffend. The Grand Jury found that Msgr. Lynn endangered children, including the victims in these most recent cases, by knowingly allowing dangerous priests to continue in ministry.


here 

http://www.phila.gov/districtattorney/grandJury_clergyAbuse2.html