Spanish leftists oppose abortion and slam "socialists"

Left wing Spanish political group, Solidarity, has issued a press release explaining that its ideology has led it to defend the right to life of the unborn from conception to natural death, in clear opposition to abortion.
In its statement, Solidarity said, "We are socialists and we oppose abortion and its legalisation. We oppose all attacks on life: the death penalty, torture, hunger, the arms race, war, slavery," Catholic News Agency reports.

The group called abortion "an odious act of violence carried out against the unborn and against mothers."

"With such a 'pseudo-progressive' measure as abortion advocacy a so-called socialist party, headed by Zapatero, has explicitly put forward a neoliberal political and economic capitalist program," the statement said.

The statement later indicated that "the womb of the mother should be the most protected place in nature. Society must also protect children and mothers before and after birth."

One of the members of the group, Jesus Berenger, 41, explained, "I am part of the left and the left before used to defend life, the weakest, but now the parties are driven by their interests. I defend the dignity of the person. I am against hunger, exploitation and abortion, which is murder."

Ordination of five new Franciscans of the Immaculate

Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, on March 25 celebrated Pontifical Mass in the usus antiquior and ordained five priests for the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FFI) in the church of St. Francis in Tarquinia (a small town in Latium). H/T NLM

British Museum finds relics of 39 saints after 100 years

There is a wonderful video on the Guardian site showing that the British Museum has found relics of 39 saints after 100 years
Discovery made by curator when 12th-century German portable altar was opened for the first time.
Recommend this.

Obama’s Embryonic Stem-Cell Order: “Cannibalization of Human Beings”

Judie Brown, President of American Life League, responding to President Obama’s executive order releasing federal funding for embryonic stem-cell experiments, said, “It is a tragic day for America, for preborn children and for the entire pro-life community. A president who once claimed he wanted to reduce abortion has exposed his hypocrisy over and over again.

For the first time in American history, the federal government will now encourage the cannibalization of human persons for science. Obama’s bloodthirsty hunger for aborting preborn babies has reached a new low.

This grisly biotechnological assault on preborn children will only end with a ban on in vitro fertilization—the root of a problem that today became more horrific than ever”.

Harvard AIDS Expert Says Pope is Correct on Condom Distribution Making AIDS Worse

Edward C. Green, director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, has said that the evidence confirms that the Pope is correct in his assessment that condom distribution exacerbates the problem of AIDS.

"The pope is correct," Green told National Review Online Wednesday, "or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope's comments."

"There is," Green added, "a consistent association shown by our best studies, including the U.S.-funded 'Demographic Health Surveys,' between greater availability and use of condoms and higher (not lower) HIV-infection rates."

Green said that the Pope was right and that the best evidence that we have supports his comments because condoms have not proved effective. Greater availability and use of condoms leads to higher, not lower HIV-infection rates. He explains:

This may be due in part to a phenomenon known as risk compensation, meaning that when one uses a risk-reduction ‘technology’ such as condoms, one often loses the benefit (reduction in risk) by ‘compensating’ or taking greater chances than one would take without the risk-reduction technology.”

Or, as we might put it simply, the promotion of condoms leads to promiscuity. Green also said,

I also noticed that the pope said ‘monogamy’ was the best single answer to African AIDS, rather than ‘abstinence.’ The best and latest empirical evidence indeed shows that reduction in multiple and concurrent sexual partners is the most important single behavior change associated with reduction in HIV-infection rates

Source: March 19, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com)

Russian Patriarchate support Pope on condoms stance

The Russian Orthodox Church supports the position of Pope Benedict XVI rejecting condoms including in order to prevent HIV infection.

"It is incorrect to consider condoms as a panacea for AIDS," the deputy chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin told a round table in Moscow on Friday, commenting on the international row concerned with the pope's statement in Africa.

AIDS can be prevented not by contraceptives but by education and a righteous life, the priest said.

"If a person lives a sinful, aimless and senseless life, uses drugs and is lewd, some disease will kill him one day, neither a condom nor medicine will save him," Fr. Vsevolod added.

Currently some organizations speaking on AIDS are seeking to simultaneously preserve the ideal of sexual freedom and the fight against AIDS, he said. It is impossible to reconcile these things, he said.

Vatican liberates Traditional Latin Mass in Killala

A high-profile Vatican office has ordered Bishop John Fleming to make provision for the traditional Latin Mass in his Killala diocese.
The move, from the powerful 'Ecclesia Dei' Commission comes after the Killala Council of Priests decided that no provision should be made for the celebration of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

In July 2007, Pope Benedict's letter, Summorum Pontificum, eased restrictions on the pre-Vatican II Mass, the so-called Tridentine Rite and established that any Catholic priest can celebrate the traditional Latin Mass without first seeking the permission of his bishop.

Prior to the coming into force of Summorum Pontificum bishops had the right to restrict access to the Latin Mass.

Initially, the Killala Council of Priests, an advisory body made up of both elected members and priests appointed by Bishop Fleming, advised that no provision should be made for the Latin Mass pending a request for clarification from the Vatican on aspects of the Pope's letter.

This advice was accepted by Bishop Fleming and an announcement made that the Mass would be unavailable in the Killala diocese.

However, The Irish Catholic has learned that the matter came to the attention of the Holy See as a number of people in Killala wrote to the Vatican to express their frustration at the lack of provision.

The Irish Catholic also understands that a number of diocesan priests who believed the decision countermanded papal legislation, contacted Bishop Fleming to register discontent.

The 'Ecclesia Dei' Commission, headed by Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, then wrote to Bishop Fleming insisting that the restriction was forbidden under Church law since Pope Benedict had made universal provision for the availability of the Mass in the extraordinary form.

In its letter, the Commission insisted that neither Bishop Fleming, nor the Council of Priests, had the right to place a restriction on a right approved by the Pope.

Bishop Fleming has now designated the Church of the Assumption, Ardagh, Crossmolina, Co Mayo as the centre for the traditional Mass in the Killala diocese and the celebrant will be Fr John Loftus, a priest of the diocese. [source: IC]

No granny killing - Church's opposition to euthanasia

"DAY FOR LIFE"
2002
"End of Life Care - Ethical and Pastoral Issues"

Irish Bishops' Committee for Bioethics

SUMMARY

Palliative Care avoids two extremesAdvances in medicine and in technology mean that the taking of decisions about appropriate care for peoplewho have advanced and progressive illness have become more complex.

The document says that, in caringfor people who are dying, there are two extremes to be avoided:

a. Trying to keep people alive at all costs, even when it is clear that death is imminent
b. Deciding to end the life of a person on the basis that his or her life no longer worth living. (pp. 5-6)

Palliative care avoids both of these extremes "in that it upholds absolute respect for human life, and acknowledges human mortality and the dominion we have over life" It is about "maximising the quality oflife remaining, while enabling patients to 'live until they die.' (p. 7)

Euthanasia is not acceptable
Euthanasia is any action or omission, which is deliberately calculated to end the life of another human being,with or without that person's consent, on so-called health grounds. (pp 7-8).
Euthanasia is morally unacceptable not only because it "would mean the introduction of a qualitative judgement on what is determined to be a worthwhile life or existence," but also because it "would have an enormous effect on theethos of healthcare provision." (p. 12)

"The Catholic Church absolutely rejects Euthanasia as a response to chronic or serious illness. This rejection is rooted in an understanding of the human person as someone who is called into life by God, and the ultimate meaning of whose life is to be found in relationship with God. " (p. 19)

The Rights and Responsibilities of Healthcare Professionals

The document points out that healthcare professionals, although they act on behalf of the patient, are not just functionaries who are required to do whatever they are asked to do. They have a right and a duty to choosewhat is good, and to reject any course of action which conflicts with an informed judgement of conscience, even if this is requested by the patient or by the family." (p. 13)

Appropriate Pain Relief is not Euthanasia

The document uses the traditional Principle of Double Effect to explain that necessary pain relief, even if itsometimes results in an unintended and unavoidable reduction in the length of life is not euthanasia. Thedegree to which life is shortened must not be out of proportionate to the benefits which come to the patientthrough pain relief.(p. 9)

Euthanasia is not Necessary

The document points out that requests for euthanasia frequently coincide with a bad period of symptom control, even a clinically treatable depression.(p 10) The solution, in part, is to improve pain control. In the vast majority of cases unbearable pain can be avoided. Some distress is not directly related to physical pain, but has its roots in issues such as "fear, anxiety, loss ofcontrol and loss of independence. "

Good counselling, which is an integral part of palliative care "allows thepatient, the family, and others who are closely involved to discuss these fears. " (p. 15) Sedation maysometimes be required to deal with high levels of anxiety, but it should not be a first resort. While it cancertainly help to reduce the experience of emotional stress, it also reduces the capacity of the patient torespond freely and deliberately to what is happening in his/her life." (p. 15)

(Sedation is not the same as physical pain-relief; sedation deals with emotional distress).
The Provision of Resources

The document makes a very strong case for the provision of adequate resources for palliative care,not only in hospices, but in general hospitals and in the community."The inadequacy of such resources impinges directly on the quality of care that can be provided to those who are dying, and may be a contributory factor in the level of demand for euthanasia. (p. 16)

Spiritual and Sacramental Ministry

The document points out that "a comprehensive approach to healthcare must take account of the spiritualneeds of the patient. " (p 20) All the key moments of life, including sickness and death, have the capacity tobring our relationship with God into sharper focus. Poor communication is an obstacle to spiritual care,because patients are often discouraged from even mentioning the possibility of death.

By contrast, the ethos of sensitive but honest communication that is part of palliative care greatly facilitates the spiritual and sacramental care of those who are dying; the patient's questions are welcomed and answered appropriately.Talk of death and dying is not taboo. This means that if people pray with the patient, they can pray more honestly too.” (p.21)

Cardinal Pell urges faithful to defend religious freedom

Here is a summary of Cardinal Pell's lecture last week to the Oxford Newman Society: Varieties of Intollerance: Religious and Secular, courtesy of CNS.

Confronting religious intolerance regularly and publicly is among the "crucial tasks" of Christians in the 21st century, said an Australian cardinal.

Cardinal George Pell of Sydney said the Catholic Church's freedom in the Western world was under pressure from a new and dangerous trend of the use of anti-discrimination laws and human rights claims to attack the role of religion in public life and individuals' right of conscience.

In a March 6 lecture titled "Varieties of Intolerance: Religious and Secular," he said Christians needed to "recover their self-confidence and courage" if they were to counter the problem.

"Put simply, Christians have to recover their genius for showing that there are better ways to live and to build a good society," he told the Oxford University Newman Society.

"The secular and religious intolerance of our day needs to be confronted regularly and publicly," he said. "Believers need to call the bluff of what is, even in most parts of Europe, a small minority with disproportionate influence in the media. This is one of the crucial tasks for Christians in the 21st century."

As his primary example of mounting intolerance, Cardinal Pell cited the treatment of U.S. Christians and Mormons who supported Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment that reversed California's gay marriage law in November.

He described how churches and temples were subjected to violence, vandalism and intimidation, and how some supporters of the amendment were forced from their jobs and blacklisted.

"We should note the strange way in which some of the most permissive groups and communities, for example, Californian liberals in the case of Proposition 8, easily become repressive, despite all their high rhetoric about diversity and tolerance," he said.

"There is the one-sidedness about discrimination and vilification," he said, because anti-Christian "blacklisting and intimidation is passed over in silence."

Cardinal Pell added that in a healthy democracy people should be free to discuss and criticize each other's beliefs.

Reciprocity, he said, was essential to this but "some secularists seem to like one-way streets," seeking to drive Christianity from the provision of education, health care and welfare services to the wider community.

The cardinal predicted a "major escalation in the culture wars" if President Barack Obama signed into law the Freedom of Choice Act, which would sweep away restrictions on abortion and deny medical practitioners and hospitals the right to conscientiously object to participating in abortions. As of March 10, the act had not been introduced in Congress.

"Clearly there is an urgent need to deepen public understanding of the importance and nature of religious freedom," said Cardinal Pell. "Believers should not be treated by government and the courts as a tolerated and divisive minority whose rights must always yield to the minority secular agenda."

He explained that the effect of the rising intolerance of modern liberalism was to "enforce conformity" and to strip Christianity of the power of its public witness.

"There is no need to drive the church out of services if the secularization of its agencies can achieve this end," he added.

The pressure against religion in public life, he said, stemmed mainly from a misplaced belief in "absolute sexual freedom."

He said that as sexual freedom became a driver of consumption, people could see the "re-emergence of slavery in Europe and Asia, the booming exploitation of pornography and prostitution, and the commercialization of surrogacy, egg donation, and the production and destruction of human embryos and human stem-cell lines."
H/T Fr Ray Blake MM

Linz priest who opposed bishop's appointment admits living with girlfriend

The Austrian Diocese of Linz has a certain notriety for its own interpretation of the Catholic faith, the was news last week of a priest who blesses gay couples and does conjuring tricks during Mass, and now this week...
An Austrian priest who helped rally opposition to the Pope's appointment of an auxiliary bishop for the Linz diocese has admitted that he keeps a mistress, the German-language Kath.net news service has revealed. Father Josef Friedl, one of the 31 deans who said they would refuse to accept the episcopal ordination of Father Gerhard Maria Wagner, told a public forum that he opposes the discipline of priestly celibacy and lives with his girlfriend; he said that his parishioners have no objections. According to the daily Der Welt, Friedl is one of several deans of the Linz diocese who lives openly with a woman. Meanwhile another Austrian prelate, Bishop Egon Kapellari of Graz, said that Father Wagner-- who has withdrawn from the episcopal appointment-- had "traumatized" the Austrian public with his public statements of opposition to homosexuality and insistence that God punishes sin.
Catholic Culture HT MM

Homosexual lobby attempt to restrict religious freedom in US

Important video, bringing up the big issues

French Cardinal wins macho award

French Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois: Macho of the Year
A much-admired French Cardinal named Andre Vingt-Trois is being celebrated in France by feminists, who finally bestowed upon him the coveted ‘Macho of the Year’ award.
The feminist group called Les Chiennes de garde (The “Guard Bitches”) gave Cardinal Vingt-Trois the grand prize for remarks he made about female participation in the Catholic Church.

“The hard part is finding women who are properly trained. It’s not enough to have a skirt, you have to have something between your ears as well.”

Andre Vingt-Trois is quite correct in a literal sense.

Second prize went to a comedian named Fabrice Eboue who uttered the following quip on national TV:

“Feminism is not just for authoritarian or sexually frustrated women — it’s also for lesbians”.

When they aren’t giving awards, Les Chiennes de garde is the sort of yahoo activist group which runs around throwing pies at people.

French Cardinal wins macho award

Mary's Perpetual Virginity

Watch this video clip of Fr. Angelo who addressed the confusion of many regarding Mary's Perpetual Virginity in the film "The Nativity."
Fr. Angelo M. Geiger is a priest of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. He is a well sought retreat master and conference speaker in North America and has written numerous articles on Franciscan and Marian topics. He is currently serving as the regional superior of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. He is currently residing in our friary in Griswold, CT.

Now we got the Francisans: Biggest jump in priests saying TLM in decades

Absolutely fantastic news. A new religious order with 500 members, the Francisans of the Immaculate have announced that they shall prefer to celebrate the TLM from now onwards. A letter to the editor of the Italian newspaper La Stampa by the Procurator General of the Order, Fr. Alessandro Maria Apollonio gave the order's reasons:

The Franciscans of the Immaculate avail themselves, with joy and grateful appreciation, of the initiative taken by Pope Benedict XVI with the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. [...] The choice to predilect the "extraordinary form" corresponds to a legitimate internal choice of the religious family, as foreseen in the same motu proprio, in a Catholic spirit of fidelity to the Pope and to the liturgical tradition of the Order founded by St. Francis of Assisi. [...]

The spirit of St. Francis, in fact, tends to the greatest possible glorification of God through the good and beautiful things of the world and has always led us to seek what most helps to elevate the mind and heart to the "Most High, Almighty and Good Lord" to whom alone are due "praises, glory, honor and all blessing"(Canticle of the Sun). The extraordinary form of the liturgy of the Vetus Ordo - which is accompanied by that of the Novus Ordo (Missal of Paul VI) - offers, indeed, the happy possibility to live more intensely the vocation and mission of St. Francis of Assisi, within the universality of the Church and its wealth of expressions.

As I write the Nuns of the order in a new house in Corwall, England are changing community life to center around the TLM and 1962 Francisan Breviary. The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales has a fine article which tells us:

the nuns at Lanherne have been using the 1962 Mass Rite on a daily basis since June 2008. Their chaplain - one of their own Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate - and a US citizen had no prior experience of celebrating the rite but is doing very well with the 1962 Missal. The Conventual Mass is sung daily - the Masses are open to the faithful.

As Carlos Palad said: "The implications are immense. The FFI, in one blow, has just become the largest Order dedicated to the 1962 Missal in the whole world. They have a large number of convents and missions all over the world. The reach of the EF has just been practically doubled."

Now in the TLM, they can kneel alongside their Franciscan forefathers from the past many centuries and offer the Holy Sacrifice to God without a difference in form of expression.

An argument for celibacy

Take two clergymen, a Catholic and a Protestant, both genuinely holy and devout men.

The Protestant is a family man with a job for which he receives a stipend. He has a wife to console and children to nurture. Because of human nature, his flock and even his job will always take second place after his family.

The Catholic on the other hand has no wife to comfort him and no children to bring him satisfaction. He lives on charity and has foregone an earthly family in order to be wedded to his Church. He puts this into practise by devoting all of himself to his parish community which becomes his family, and that is why he is called "father".

H/T to Anthony at Holy Smoke

Christian faith in God, rational basis for Science

I came across an article by Fr Stanley Jaki on the history and underlying philosophy of science today and it brought to mind the Christian basis - the belief that God has created a rational order of physical laws in creation that can be observed as the basis for the development of science in Christian countries.

Fr Seamus Murphy also takes this thought up in a letter to The Irish Times some months ago:

Science and the Catholic Church

Madam, - Martin Kinsella's claim that the Galileo case proves Church hostility to science won't stand up and ignores too much (September 23rd 2008).

First, it assumes that Galileo and his opponents understood their clash as religion versus science. But that interpretation dates only from the late 19th century in J.W. Draper's History of the Conflict between Religion and Science(1875) and A.D. White's History of the Warfare of Science with Theology(1895).

Galileo, who died a Catholic, didn't see it that way. Nor could the institution that, 40 years earlier, produced the Gregorian calendar we still use be described as "anti-science".

Second, while Newton's work in the late 17th century vindicated Galileo decisively, it was not obvious in the early 17th century that Galileo was correct. One could reasonably think differently, as did the Danish scientist Tycho Brahe.

Mr Kinsella ignores the long list of Christian scientists, and nobody has ever demonstrated that their faith obstructed their scientific achievements or that they were viewed by their church as "bad" Christians.

Johannes Kepler in astronomy, Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell in physics, and Asa Gray and Theodosius Dobzhansky in evolutionary biology are obvious examples.

As for clergy, Fr Georges Lemaître was one of the first to develop the Big Bang theory in the early 20th century, and the 19th-century "father" of genetics was the Augustinian Gregor Mendel. There are also some 30 craters on the moon named after Jesuit astronomers.

Finally, the Judaeo-Christian view of the world as (a) real, (b) not evil, and (c) not divine indirectly facilitated the emergence of science. Further, it held that the physical world is the product of a rational mind, thus supporting the faith of the scientist that the universe is intelligible and that the sciences can yield knowledge. - Yours, etc,
Dr SEAMUS MURPHY SJ,
Senior Lecturer in Philosophy,
Milltown Institute,
Dublin 6.

Virtual Josephite schism in Austria coming under Papal scrutiny

Anti-Papal Austrian bishops resurrect the Josephite heresy

Heresies are like fashions: wait long enough and an old heterodoxy will become modish again.
The Catholic bishops of Austria have just resurrected Josephism, 219 years after the death of its instigator, Emperor Joseph II, who seized control of the Church, imposing 6,200 religious laws and even dictating the size of candles.

When the Pope recently selected Father Gerhard Maria Wagner as auxiliary bishop of Linz, shock waves ran through the episcopal ranks. Wagner is a doctrinal and liturgical conservative - in shorthand, a Catholic - and that is an automatic disqualification for wearing a mitre in trendy Austria.

The temper of the Austrian hierarchy can be gauged from the example of Bishop Reinhold Stecher who, on his retirement a decade ago, published a letter denouncing the then Pope John Paul II's insistence on clerical celibacy and ban on ordaining priestesses (an infallibly declared doctrine of faith).

What made the bishops so nervous about Father Wagner's appointment was the fact that the Austrian hierarchy is on the verge of a generational handover, with four bishops nearing retirement, and the faded 1960s trendies dread being succeeded by younger, more orthodox prelates.

So the screws were put on Father Wagner, who announced his renunciation of the post he had just accepted. He has since made a statement that his resignation was not voluntary.

The Austrian Bishops' Conference then issued an egregious pastoral letter that amounted to collective defiance of the Holy See.

Regarding episcopal appointments it stated that "before the Holy Father takes the final decision, reliable and thoroughly tested basic information must be provided on which he can rely".

That is barely coded language for a right of veto on appointments - as exercised historically by Joseph II.

The bishops want to eliminate any candidate with a whiff of orthodoxy about him or - horror of horrors - a penchant for the Latin Tridentine Mass.

The pastoral said: "This can ensure that bishops are appointed who are not 'against' but 'for' a local church." What is that supposed to mean?

So outrageous was the blatant defiance expressed in this pastoral letter and so profound the shock it is beginning to provoke among Catholics around the world for its impertinence towards the Pope that some of the bishops are beginning to backtrack and criticise the proceedings against Father Wagner.

Bishop Ludwig Schwarz of Linz has been summoned to Rome and the Linz Priests' Circle has said that forcing Wagner's withdrawal showed how anti-Roman forces and forces from outside the Church are rebelling against the Pope's God-given authority.

The bishops' concern to protect the modern liturgy is understandable: of Austria's 5.6 million Catholics, it now attracts a magnificent 13 per cent to Mass on Sundays.

The mindset betrayed by the pastoral was schismatic: a return to the Josephite concept of a self-contained Austrian Church, on the Gallican model.

It is difficult to regard the Austrian hierarchy as in full communion with Rome, in the light of its conduct.

Austria, like so many other countries, needs a complete change of personnel among its bishops.
(Source: TTUK)

Drogheda to get statue to hospital founder Mother Mary Martin

Plans are afoot to erect a statue in Drogheda to Mother Mary Martin, the founder of the Medical Missionaries of Mary.
A committee has been formed to plan the monument to the nun who made a pioneering and far-reaching impact on bringing improved healthcare to many countries.

If the statue goes ahead, she will be the town's first well-known woman to be honoured in sculpture.

Former mayor Frank Godfrey said the intention of the committee is to proceed with commissioning an artist and finding an appropriate location for the statue.

“Mother Mary made an outstanding contribution to Drogheda and to the world,” he remarked. “Drogheda was blessed to have her, she set up the hospital in the 1950s and she was loved by the people of the town”.

“Given the current state of our health services, she could teach the minister for health a thing or two,” he added.

Mr Godfrey said that the pioneering nun “gave so much to this town and the world, it's only right that she be recognised for all the good she did”.

Mother Martin’s order was said to be 'delighted' at the prospect of their founder being honoured with a statue and Mr Godfrey said he hoped to win support for the project from Drogheda Borough Council and friends of the Lourdes Hospital which she founded.

Source: CIN

Three important TLM's in Italy in quick succession.

Three important Masses will be celebrated according to the usus aniquior in Italy in the coming months. Even two years ago, such a succession of high profile TLM would have been extremely unlikely. Shows how much things have improved for the better.

First, Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, will celebrate Pontifical Mass and ordain five priests for the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FFI) in the church of St. Francis in Tarquinia (a small town in Latium) on the Feast of the Annunciation (25 March 2009) at 10 a.m.

Then the Superior of the FFI, Fr Stefano Maria Manelli, will celebrate Solemn Mass in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran on the occasion of the Octocentennial of the Approbation of the Rule of St. Francis on 16 April 2009, also at 10 a.m.

And lastly, Cardinal Cañizares, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, will pontificate in the same Archbasilica of St. John Lateran on the following 21 April 2009, again at 10 a.m.

H/T to NLM

Pope calls Bishop of Linz, Austria in for a little talk

The Austrian bishops thought they were simply going to bully the pope into submission by moving against his appointees. Hopefully this latest move will mean the Pope shall restore order and unity with the Church Universal in Austria. I've had enough of virtual national schisms.

Bishop of Linz summoned to Rome at short notice!

Linz (kath.net)
Peace and quiet seems unlikely to return too soon to the Diocese of Linz. kath.net was able to ascertain that Bishop Ludwig Schwarz traveled to Rome at short notice on Friday. He cancelled the youth catechesis that was scheduled for Friday evening in Linz. Schwarz has an appointment with the Congregation of Bishops in Rome.

After a statement by Gerhard Maria Wagner saying that his resignation was not voluntary, the bishop of Linz now finds himself under considerable pressure. Even some of his Austrian fellow-bishops are now unofficially expressing criticism of the proceedings. A letter from Gerhard Maria Wagner asking the Pope to reverse his appointment as auxiliary bishop has been received by the Congregation of Bishops. Church sources in the Vatican told kath.net that Pope Benedict XVI has assigned top priority to the issue and will deal with it personally. It is not known when the Pope will make a decision. The Friday bulletin of the Vatican Press Office once again made no mention of the Wagner affair.

An increasing number of people within the Vatican itself are speaking quite openly about an Apostolic Visitation for the Diocese of Linz. kath.net was informed by sources within the Austrian Church that several Austrian bishops have already commented favourably on the prospect of an Apostolic Visitation in the Diocese of Linz. Given the crisis in the diocese, Rome is not excluding the possibility that a coadjutor bishop could be nominated.

Denver archbishop warns against ‘spirit of adulation’ surrounding Obama

Denver archbishop warns against ‘spirit of adulation’ surrounding Obama
Canadians packed St. Basil’s Church in Toronto on Monday evening to hear Archbishop Charles Chaput speak about how Catholics should live out their faith in the public square.

After giving a sketch of the basic principles in his New York Times Bestseller "Render Unto Caesar," the archbishop offered his insights on the need for an honest assessment of the situation of the Church in the public square.

"I like clarity, and there’s a reason why," began the archbishop. "I think modern life, including life in the Church, suffers from a phony unwillingness to offend that poses as prudence and good manners, but too often turns out to be cowardice. Human beings owe each other respect and appropriate courtesy. But we also owe each other the truth -- which means candor."

The Denver prelate then provided his critique of President Obama.........According to the archbishop, the political situation for Catholics is difficult to discern because a "spirit of adulation bordering on servility already exists among some of the same Democratic-friendly Catholic writers, scholars, editors and activists who once accused pro-lifers of being too cozy with Republicans. It turns out that Caesar is an equal opportunity employer."

Looking ahead to the coming months and years, Chaput offered four "simple things" to remember.

"First," he said, "all political leaders draw their authority from God. We owe no leader any submission or cooperation in the pursuit of grave evil."

"In fact, we have the duty to change bad laws and resist grave evil in our public life, both by our words and our non-violent actions. The truest respect we can show to civil authority is the witness of our Catholic faith and our moral convictions, without excuses or apologies."

In a reference to the messianic treatment the Barack Obama received from some Americans during the presidential primaries, Archbishop Chaput delivered his second point: "in democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs."

Noting that Obama actually trailed in the weeks just before the election, the Denver archbishop said that this places some of today’s talk about a "new American mandate" in perspective.

"Americans, including many Catholics, elected a gifted man to fix an economic crisis. That’s the mandate. They gave nobody a mandate to retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life and abortion. That retooling could easily happen, and it clearly will happen -- but only if Catholics and other religious believers allow it."

The third point to focus on when the beliefs of Catholics are challenged is that "it doesn’t matter what we claim to believe if we’re unwilling to act on our beliefs," Chaput counseled.

"The fourth and final thing to remember, and there’s no easy way to say it," remarked Archbishop Chaput, is that the "Church in the United States has done a poor job of forming the faith and conscience of Catholics for more than 40 years."

The full text of the archbishop's speech can be found here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=790

Ash Wednesday- the Forty days of Lent

Kramskoy, Ivan (1837-1887)
Jesus Christ in the Wilderness.

Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi attended the Petersburg Academy of Arts from 1857 to 1863, but he left before graduation as one of the artists in the "Rebellion of the Fourteen" who protested against the stagnant rules governing competitions at the Academy. After his departure, Kramskoi supported the creation of the Petersburg Artel of Artists, and he subsequently became its leader, He was also a founding member and an active participant in the Circle of the Itinerants, acting as the group's moral conscience and ideological inspiration. In 1869 Kramskoi received the title of a member of the Academy and afterwards enjoyed tremendous authority and influence among Russian artists.

Msgr Ranjith on the Flaws of the Postconciliar Liturgical Reforms and the Need for a Reform of the Reform

H/T to NLM.

Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, the Secretary of the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has written a foreword to a book by Msgr. Nicola Giampietro (True Development of the Liturgy, due to be published by Roman Catholic Books in September).
It is based on the diaries and notes of Cardinal Fernando Antonelli OFM, who was the Secretary of the Liturgical Commission of the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1964 and went on to be Archbishop Ranjith's predecessor as Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites from 1965 until 1969. Speaking of the influences on the work of the Consilium, he writes:

An exaggerated sense of antiquarianism, anthopologism, confusion of roles between the ordained and the non-ordained, a limitless provision of space for experimentation-- and indeed, the tendency to look down upon some aspects of the development of the Liturgy in the second millennium-- were increasingly visible among certain liturgical schools.

And regarding the result of the reforms, he observes:
Some practices which Sacrosanctum Concilium had never even contemplated were allowed into the Liturgy, like Mass versus populum, Holy Communion in the hand, altogether giving up on the Latin and Gregorian Chant in favor of the vernacular and songs and hymns without much space for God, and extension beyond any reasonable limits of the faculty to concelebrate at Holy Mass. There was also the gross misinterpretation of the principle of "active participation.

Basic concepts and themes like Sacrifice and Redemption, Mission, Proclamation and Conversion, Adoration as an integral element of Communion, and the need of the Church for salvation--all were sidelined, while Dialogue, Inculturation, Ecumenism, Eucharist-as-Banquet, Evangelization-as-Witness, etc., became more important. Absolute values were disdained.

Such an unblinkered look at the liturgical reforms can, Msgr Ranjith writes,
help us to be courageous in improving or changing that which was erroneously introduced and which appears to be incompatible with the true dignity of the Liturgy.

This is nothing short of a manifesto for a true Reform of the Reform. You can read the entire article about the foreword at Catholic World News here.

13 Year-old boy becomes a father.

This boy of 13, who looks 8 has become a father.
The sexualisation of children has gone so far, that children are now begetting chlidren. I agree with the last comment below that sex education normalising sex for children is counterproductive.

From the Sun:

A baby-faced boy in the UK has become father, but when asked how he would cope financially he responded, “What’s financially?”

Alfie Patton, 13, became a dad this week after his 15-year-old girlfriend, Chantelle Steadman, gave birth to little Maisie Roxanne.

The boy has told Britain’s Sun he “thought it would be good to have a baby.”

“I didn’t think about how we could afford it,” he said.

“I don’t really get pocket money. My dad sometime gives me 10 pounds.

“When my mum found out, I thought I was going to get in trouble.

“We wanted to have the baby but were worried how people would react.

Alfie, who stands only 125 cm high, had a single night of unprotected sex with Chantelle when he was just 12.

Christian groups have commended the teenagers’ decision to keep the baby.

Michaela Aston, of the anti-abortion Christian charity LIFE, told the Sun: “We commend these teenagers for their courage in bringing their child into the world.

“At the same time this is symptomatic of the over-sexualisation of our youngsters and shows the policy of value-free sex education just isn’t working.”


Link here:

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass

The most beautiful and worthy thing this side of heaven

Definition of a liberal rarely adds up

"liberals" – whose behaviour seldom tallies with the dictionary definition of that term

In regards Fr Tim Finigan being the target of a Tablet hachtet job:
Fr. Finigan has been savaged by.........a dead sheep.

Protestant urge in Germany lights anti-Benedict actions

Cardinal Cordes slams Cardinal Lehmann for stoking the fires of dissent

kreuz.net – Ein katholischer Kardinal übt scharfe Kritik an Kardinal Lehmann

The turmoil caused by the removal of the four-Lefebvre excommunications was in fact a well-orchestrated poisoning of wells - and a serious failure of the German bishops.

kreuz.net) "Chaos Days in Rome,"was how the anti-religious magazine 'Der Spiegel' described the staging around the repeal of the Lefebvre-excommunications.


But the German Curia Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes would like to call this event rather a "well-orchestrated poisoning of the wells in Germany" .

He has just said this in a very long article for the Catholic newspaper ‘Tagespost'.
Worldly bishops with a secular image of the Church

For those distant from the church and who lack God - and apparently also for secularised bishops – excommunication appears as a banal exclusion from a club.
In truth, it is about being excluded from the economy of sacramental graces, said the cardinal.

Cardinal Cordes criticized in this regard, the bishop of Mainz, Cardinal Karl Lehmann, razor-sharply:

"Certainly he could have in recent days, as the most quoted of German Catholic Bishops in the Vatican thanks to his well-known good relations with the media, ironed out misunderstandings, addressing the spiritual dimension of the act and could have with the Pope directed people to view the faith and God. "

Failure in Mainz
But he had used his statements to demand from the leadership of the church “a little more political sensitivity ".

"A spiritually sick member of the body of Christ giving pain to the Pope over the years is at best thought of as a sentiment of old age" - Cardinal Cordes gave as analysis.

The Cardinal is adamant: "The Church should not be reduced to one body among many in society, least of all by their shepherds."

Is Christianity in ruins?

The total subordination to politics and the unquestioned legacy of narrow Enlightenment thought patterns determine – according Cardinal Cordes – even now the minds of a lot of opinion-makers.

The Cardinal cited the Danish religious philosopher Soren Kierkegaard:
"It is a long time ago now that God was listened to as the owner and something of a Lord, so Christianity is in ruins, so do we now completely and utterly abolish wish to abolish it or ad libitum trim it to something that is our own property and invention? "

Incomprehensible German Hysteria
For the German reactions to the lifting of the Lefebvre excommunication – the Curial Cardinal has no sympathy:

"Who from Rome looks at the ferocity of the response in Germany to the withdrawal of the excommunication of the four Lefevre bishops had to rub his eyes."

Remarks and statements of understanding from bishops loyal to the Pope were held back by editors:

Trial by Journalists
"The complaint, which the German chancellor issued publicly to the Successor of Peter again gave the Court of Journalists opportunity for agitation."
Cardinal Cordes compared the German hysteria to the prudent international reactions:

"In the U.S., the leader writer of the New York Times, I. Fisher, even used the occasion for a detailed and very favorable rating of Pope Benedict."

"Why this zeal in Germany?" - asked the cardinal.
German resentment against the Pope

His answer: "It appears, therefore, not the people, but the institution of the Office of Peter is the actual bone of contention."
This office makes some of the population north of the Alps continually "see red":

"And the majority of the media are all too happy to link this to everything dark or with legitimate grievance."

Over-enthusiastic media
The animosity directed against the Roman Pope was an ancient heritage in the "land of the Reformation".

German media have in recent weeks seen an opportunity to make from the “Williamson case” a “Benedict case”:

"With such a view, it would be possible to understand that overboard involvement in the issue, which is far beyond the duty to provide just news."
H/T to Catholic Conservation

Our family, the Church

Not our family, but God's family - The Church.

Check out these short videos, some are very touching; they are all interesting.
Wouldn't it be great if the Catholic Church in Ireland did something similar.

What is plagiarism?: An example by Michael Kelly of The Irish Catholic

I spotted a post recently about journalists who plagiarise other people's work and pass it off as their own. So I looked up wikipedia and found the working definition as follows:

Plagiarism is the use or close imitation of the language and ideas of another author and representation of them as one's own original work.

In journalism, plagiarism is considered a breach of journalistic ethics, and reporters caught plagiarizing typically face disciplinary measures ranging from suspension to termination.

Journalism
Since journalism's main currency is public trust, a reporter's failure to honestly acknowledge their sources undercuts a newspaper or television news show's integrity and undermines its credibility. Journalists accused of plagiarism are often suspended from their reporting tasks while the charges are being looked into by the news organization.

I was reading a book entitled "Letters to a Young Catholic" by well-known American author George Weigel recently. Chapter two of his book is a fascinating account of the find of the 'trophies' of St Peter in the Roman Basilica under the reign of Pope Pius XI.
On can read this chapter here on google books.
It is pages 19-21 which chime exactly with what I read later in an article by Michael Kelly, a journalist with The Irish Catholic newspaper.
George Weigels book was published in 2004 while Michael Kelly's article, with exactly the same wording was published a year later in The Irish Catholic on February 17, 2005.

[Click for full photo view] The first paragraph, in chapter two of Weigel's book reads:

"Pius XI died on February 10, 1939. Prior to his election as bishop of Rome in 1922, he had ben the archbishop of Milan for a brief period, and the Milanesee wanted to honour his memory by building a fitting resting place for him in St. Peter's Basilica. So funds were raised, artists commissioned, and a magnificent marble sarcophagus, which was to be the centrepiece of a richly decorated mosaic vault, was prepared and sent to Rome. ........"

The first paragraph of Michael Kelly's article has exactly the same wording and continues in that vein for the rest of the article.


For more on this see here.

Austrian bishops turn on the Pope

This is a video about a Youth Mass celebrated on 16th of November 2008 by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna in Wolfsthal, Lower Austria.


Austrian Bishops in open revolt against freedom of the Pope to appoint the bishops in Austria. This urge has been festering for decades. We saw it also in Chur. Time now for the Papacy to stand up for its rights against the tide of Gallican arrogance and national division.

From the statement of the Bishops of Austria, signed and released today:
"4. There were problems of communication also in the recent appointment of an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Linz. The bishops are aware that Fr Wagner asked the Pope to withdraw the appointment. The theme of Episcopal appointments is therefore important because since the mid-eighties in Austria it has been associated with a number of problems. For many, the controversy over episcopal appointments led to a painful conflict, and they have triggered splits in the church,. It is precisely in this area that sensitivity is most appropriate. There is no question that the Pope is free to appoint bishops. The bishops do not want to go back in time where - as in 1918 - the Emperor alone chose the bishops. Even a 'popular choice' of the bishops would divide the church into parties and conflicts would be inevitable. We bishops are convinced that the procedure provided for in canon law for the selection and the examination of candidates has proved its worth, if this procedure is really followed. Therefore, before the Holy Father takes the final decision, reliable and thoroughly tested basic information must be provided on which he can rely. In Austria in the next few years a number of bishops are to be appointed. The faithful are legitimately concerned that the process of candidate search, examination of the proposals and the final decisions should be carefully undertaken and with pastoral sensitivity are possible. This can ensure that bishops are appointed who are not 'against' but 'for' a local church. We bishops will make every possible effort to support the forthcoming episcopal appointments in the sense of monitoring these procedures in close cooperation with the relevant Vatican offices."
....
"Trusting in God's help, we will overcome the crisis of recent weeks." [Adapted according to original text]

From Rotati Caeli : There was no true "crisis", but open revolt against the Pope, inflamed and supported by the shameless Bishops of Austria, first among them the Cardinal-Archbishop of Vienna. If the Pope does not intervene urgently in this case, if a PUBLIC response is not given - since the Bishops of Austria chose to make the matter public - the perception of the authority of the Pope in Europe is finished. The anti-Roman rebellion of the Austrian Bishops is intolerable.

Novena Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI

February 14 - 22

From the FSSP: Many of the faithful are aware of the opposition which the Holy Father has faced in his efforts to reconcile the Society of Pius X. The current pressure from the media and others seems to not only threaten Pope Benedict’s work with the SSPX. It also seems as though some would like to see it work as a means to undermine his very teaching and governing authority for his pontificate.

Given these oppositions which the Holy Father faces; given the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter's particular role in working as a bridge for those who have grown apart from the Church in the last forty years; finally, given that we hold St. Peter as our patron and have a particular attachment to his successor, the Fraterniy of St. Peter has asked all of its the members to offer increased prayers at this time for strength for Pope Benedict XVI.

Novena for the Pope:
Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory be.

V: Let us pray for our Pope Benedict.
R: May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

V. Thou art Peter,
R. And upon this Rock, I will build My Church.

Let us Pray,
Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon your servant, Benedict, our Sovereign Pontiff, and guide him in your goodness on the way of eternal salvation; so that, with the prompting of your grace, he may desire what pleases you and accomplish it with all his strength. Through Christ Our Lord. R. Amen.

V. Mother of the Church. R. Pray for us
V. St. Peter. R. Pray for us

Five tips for Conservatives debating others

Five tips for Conservatives debating against Secularists/Feminists/Marxists anti-Family, anti-Christian, anti-Democracy advocates

The Opening Statement:

This is your opportunity to set the tone of the debate and frame the issues and your opponent. Open with a story of why you’re running and briefly state your three major legislative priorities. The trick is to tie these legislative priorities into an overall theme. Barack Obama was successful in this regard as he always linked everything back to his themes of “hope” and “change.” While these overall themes were used ad nauseam, they stuck in the minds of his voters and eventually worked. If there is not an opening statement, you must blend your introduction into the first response.

Use Conversational Language
When responding to questions, you should use a fourth- to eighth- grade level vocabulary to clearly articulate your positions. You don’t need to dumb everything down but don’t use George Will-esque language. Conservatives have a tendency to use such grandiose verbiage to sound exclusively knowledgeable. But most people don’t speak that way, so you may come across as arrogant.

Using Numbers and Facts
Use numbers only in a way that illustrates your main points. The trick is to use them in terms that people can visually understand. Instead of saying that “Congress spends twelve billion dollars a year to run itself,” say “Congress spends more than a dozen states spend on their entire operation!” People can envision twelve states on a map easier than they can envision twelve billion dollars because a map is more familiar to them than twelve billion dollars.

Use Transitional Phrases

The biggest mistake a conservative can make is actually answering every question. Responding to questions is an opportunity for you to get back on message and discuss your overall theme and legislative priorities. If the moderator or your opponent leads you down a defensive path, use transitional phrases to stay on message. Stay on offense by using the following transitional phrases: “That’s an interesting point but…,” “I think we’re getting away from the big issue here…,” and “Well, the moms and pops I talk to tell me…”

Use Stories
Voters love a good story for the same reason you should use visual examples when describing numbers and facts. People relate better to people than they do to numbers and tend to remember stories more so than legislative minutiae. In the first presidential debate in 2000, Vice President Al Gore used a story of an elderly lady who collected aluminum cans to exchange them for money so she could buy food and medicine. This image was so powerful that the media ran stories about this elderly lady for several news cycles. (Note: It was later discovered that the elderly lady collected the aluminum cans just for fun!)


Christopher N. Malagisi is the Director of Political Training at The Leadership Institute and is an Adjunct Professor at American University teaching a course titled “Grassroots Campaigning & Political Activism.”

Heroic Polish midwife protects life

H/T to Seattle Catholic and HoC for this:

At Seattle Catholic, you can read the story by Matthew Anger of the heroic midwife of Auschwitz, Stanislawa Leszczynska. The conditions under which mothers had to give birth were quite horrific and babies were routinely drowned in a barrel after being born:

The heroic midwife, at the risk of her life, refused to participate in the infanticide. Instead, she offered care for the women as far as she could in the appalling conditions in which she worked, and made sure that the children were baptised. Few of them survived very long. On one occasion, she faced down the infamou Dr Mengele who shouted at her that "Orders are orders!"

The words of Pope John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae have a striking relevance to the story of Stanislawa Leszczynska:

Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. From the very beginnings of the Church, the apostolic preaching reminded Christians of their duty to obey legitimately constituted public authorities (cf. Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-14), but at the same time it firmly warned that "we must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

In the Old Testament, precisely in regard to threats against life, we find a significant example of resistance to the unjust command of those in authority. After Pharaoh ordered the killing of all newborn males, the Hebrew midwives refused. "They did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live" (Ex 1:17). But the ultimate reason for their action should be noted: "the midwives feared God" (ibid.). It is precisely from obedience to God-to whom alone is due that fear which is acknowledgment of his absolute sovereignty-that the strength and the courage to resist unjust human laws are born. It is the strength and the courage of those prepared even to be imprisoned or put to the sword, in the certainty that this is what makes for "the endurance and faith of the saints" (Rev 13:10).

In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to "take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law, or vote for it".

The cause for the canonisation of Stanislawa Leszczynska has been introduced by the diocese of Łódź in Poland. She is very much a pro-life heroine and I hope that she will become widely known in the pro-life movement.

Israeli election to bring changes?

Interesting article by Julian Kossoff, a former journo with the Jewish Chronicle, in today's Daily Telegraph blog
Salient point of Orthodox Haredi Jews opposed to Zionism here:

Dubbed the Israeli Putin,[Avigdor Lieberman] the Molodvan-born former bouncer and has set a collision course with the other "ultras" of Israeli society.

The "no loyalty, no citizenship" policy threatens to challenge the grudging status quo which has allowed to the Haredi community to thrive in Israel, reaping generous state subsides for their social welfare and educational network, despite the fact that many in their ranks veer from ambiguous to outright hostility towards the concept of the state that funds them.

Many of the 'black hats' believe Zionism to be a secularist aberration which has hijacked Judaism; that to reinvent the Jewish nation in the Holy Land prior to the return of the Messiah is downright heresy.

Just like Israel's Arabs, most members of the ultra-Orthodox community don't serve in the army. Yisrael Beiteinu thus questions their loyalty and right to citizenship.

Castrillón speaks: "We are moving forward"

Over the last few weeks, disgruntled 'liberal Catholics' and Catholic-haters have used the stupid remarks of Bishop Richard Williamson to attack the Pope, Catholic unity and his work for an enhanced hermeneutic of continuity. This should be overcome by all means possible - prayer, getting the message out in the media and setting out the case for reconciliation.
Above all Pope Benedict XVI must not be forced to loose nerve in the face of this media onslaught- particularly evident in Germany.

The turning tide:
In an interview to the RCN radio network of Colombia, Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", had some interesting words on current events:

"I have always had truth as a rule. The Holy Father knows this. We are moving forward, ensuring that this unity of the Church be rebuilt, and that this schism be completely ended."

"[W]hat is important at this moment is that the Pope has stopped a schism. The charity that Christ wanted to exist in the Church has been remarkably reestablished, and paths of hope are opened."
H/T Rorati Caeli

Libertas leader makes move for Catholic support

Libertas leader Declan Ganley firmly posted his colours to the Christian and pro-life culture mast at a family conference in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon during the weekend. Strongly affirming his personal commitment to the Catholic faith the Tuam-based founder of the No to Lisbon campaign group said that in Ireland and in Europe today, ‘’there is a desperate need to heal the flaws inflicting modernity, to end a dictatorship of relativism and to put the person, her rights, and her needs, back at the heart of the political agenda.’
Speaking at the Abbey Field Hotel before 350 people, late on Saturday he said, ‘My faith in God is not a threat to my neighbour, In fact my faith in God is my neighbour’s best guarantor of his safety and freedom.’ Declan Ganley added there was a need for those sharing a belief that “man is the crown of creation and not some parasitic presence on this earth’ to stand up and defend those beliefs. Over a wide ranging speech, frequently quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he said “Our Holy Father teaches us that once society does not treat every life as precious and inviolable from conception to natural death then man becomes a product subjected to ‘pragmatism’ and utilitarianism’ such that abortion, euthanasia, and the destruction of human life are promoted as false rights and choices.’ He called on people at the meeting organised by the lay-based John Paul II Society, to commit to ‘no longer apologising for our beliefs. To unabashedly love our Lord, love our neighbour and to be prepared to sacrifice and serve.’ Making reference to the sustaining effect that religious faith had on previous generations, particularly in times of hardship, he added that was a need that ‘public figures should never to afraid to speak of their faith, their beliefs and their values.’
Also addressing the conference, entitled ‘Render Unto Caesar: Personal Faith and Public Duty’ was the internationally known Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver who asked listeners to be ‘vigourous and unembarrassed about our Catholic presence in society.’ Archbishop Chaput, who is half-American Indian stressed the importance of individual integrity and called on people to give public witness to what they believed in their family, workplace and also in the way they vote.
Saying that while Christians ‘owe secular leaders our respect and prayers; respect for the law; obedience to proper authority; and service to the common good,’ this was not to be confused with ‘subservience, or silence, or inaction, or excuse-making or acquiescence to grave evil in the public life we all share.’
Declan Ganley’s Libertas group recently applied for status and funding as a pan-European political party to the European Parliament. Affirming his will to vote NO at the next Lisbon referendum, he suggested that the politician declarations being talked about on Lisbon ‘ won’t be worth the paper they are written on’. In a question and answer session he remained, he said, very pro-European and strongly opposed to euroscepticism.
It has been speculated in recent months that Ganley wishes to run for the Connacht-Ulster constituency in the next-European Parliament election, but at the Roscommon conference, he refused to confirm whether he would be running or not.
See report and hear audio from the Irish Times here and here.

Names for ugly and inappropriate vestments

How about:

polyester ponchos
overpriced horseblanket
polyester bin-liners?
Any other one you can think of?

Fr Z has a funny ditty about blue vestments:

This is sung to the tune of O Come, O Come Emmanuel:

O come, o come liturgical blue;
out with the old, and in with the new.
Let’s banish purple vestments from here,
the color blue is very HOT this year.

There is also an ugly vestment competition here.

The bit that mattered has been cut out

As Steve Wilson at the Daily Telegraph noted, last night, ITV give us a break but missed Everton's winner against Liverpool
in the last minute of the game.

If ITV do the FA Cup - which this morning many dismayed viewers who stuck with the broadcaster through more than two hours of coverage last night will wish they didn't - adverts is what you get.
And missing a minute or so of the 120 on offer in Everton's FA Cup replay victory over Liverpool would have been no bad thing.....
Just, not that particular minute - the minute where the match was decided, the minute that saw the only goal of the game, the minute that mattered.

Reminds me abit of Irenaeus's comment that doctrines of the Gospel are like coloured stone mosaic - we must accept the whole thing - to take out , remove or change around what God has given and the Church has accepted for centuries is to short-change the hearer of the Gospel - and distort the message of God.

Catholic faith is not just believed by all, but all of the message that God gave in Christ.

Feet of Clay - Legionaries of Christ founder - found out

First thing, there are many excellent Catholics with the Legionairies of Christ as well as the Regnum Christi Movement.
I have met them and they are very good people. They do a lot of very good work.

It has however transpired that their order's founder was a sexual predator and serial womaniser who had two children by a Spanish woman dating from the 1980's.
It is trickling out that :
Maciel fathered a child who is now in her early 20's;

Maciel offered some money illicitly to his own family;

I saw this comment on the net and agree with all but the last sentence:
"The only amazing aspect of this kerfuffle is that the LC organization should have learned from the blunders of Americano dioceses during the Priestly Scandals of 2001-05. As in- come clean, mop up the mess, do it quickly and publicly, move forward. If LC’s appeal comes from the charism of one man, it will dry up like the orders of nuns who went cloud cuckoo. If it’s rooted in Christ and His Church- not Maciel’s Church- it may find, like Opus Dei during the Da Vinci Code hysteria, that bad publicity is better than none."

One ex-LC wrote: "The Legion must go forward, purged of the toxins released into its bloodstream by years of machiavellian duplicity, and recreate itself solely on the merits of its works."

According to the Wikipedia entry: "Internally, the Legion has collapsed and is now struggling to recreate itself on the merits of its works alone, with no reference to the Founder. His name and history are being purged from the Congregation' s internal literature, his pictures are being removed from the walls of the schools and seminaries of the Legion and his writings are no longer being quoted in homilies and preaching of Legionary priests."

This episode really shows the dangers of the cult of personality organisations with in the Church. Hero worship is always a temptation - this can apply to priests, bishops and even Popes - not excluding Pope John Paul II.

It was Cardinal Ratzinger himself who reopened the investigation on MM while he was head of the CDF.

As John Allen has said, "The centrality of the founder: The Vatican’s communiqué two years ago took pains to distinguish its conclusion about Maciel from any indictment of the Legionaries as a whole: “Independently of the person of the founder,” it said, “the worthy apostolate of the Legionaries of Christ and the Regnum Christi Association is recognized with gratitude.” Many Legionaries and other experts on religious life, however, warn that things aren’t that simple. The identity and spirituality of a religious order is deeply tied to the personality of its founder, and there aren’t many ready examples of orders which have flourished despite compelling evidence of moral corruption on the part of the founder. To acknowledge merit to the charges against Maciel, at least in the eyes of some, would therefore be tantamount to jeopardizing the viability of the communities he founded. It could also, of course, jeopardize the vocations of Legionaries intensely devoted to the figure of Maciel."

I hope this does not happen but that purged of aspects of a Cult of personality, the LC and RC will be solidified in the faith and Tradition of the Church and continue to flourish in the future.

U.K. MUSLIM POPULATION GROWS 10 TIMES FASTER THAN THE REST OF POPULATION

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chr 7:14)

The Muslim population in the U.K. has grown by more than 500,000 to 2.4 million in four short years. Muslims multiplied 10 times faster than the rest of the Nation, the research by the Office for National Statistics reveals. During the same period the number of Christians in the country fell by more than 2 million.

Excerpts from Timesonline: Experts said that the increase was attributable to immigration, a higher birthrate and conversions to Islam during the period of 2004-2008, when the data was gathered."

"There are more than 42.6 million Christians in Britain, according to the Office for National Statistics, whose figures were obtained through the quarterly Labour Force Survey of around 53,000 homes. But while the biggest Christian population is among over-70s bracket, for Muslims it is the under-4s. [Emphasis added]

"Muhammad Abdul Bari, general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, predicted that the number of mosques in Britain would multiply from the present 1,600 in line with the rising Islamic population. He said the greater platform that Muslims would command in the future should not be perceived as a threat to the rest of society.

“We each have our own set of beliefs. This should really be a source of celebration rather than fear as long as we all clearly understand that we must abide by the laws of this country regardless of the faith we belong to,” he said.
And here is solid evidence of the growth of Eurabia...

"The total number of Muslims in Great Britain:
2004: 1,087,000
2005: 2,017,000
2006: 2,142,000
2007: 2,327,000
2008: 2,422,000

Source: Labour Force Survey. H/T to this site

Slideshow of Ethiopian Christmas

A very interesting slide show of an Ethiopian Christmas is viewable here

Tyrone priest criticises First Communion fashion magazine

A County Tyrone priest has slammed a magazine encouraging parents to splash out on their children’s First Holy Communion.
Fr Declan Boland said the targeting of parents by Your Child's First Holy Communion which shows young girls modelling the latest in Communion wear has "inappropriate".

The magazine, which is a spin-off of the highly successful wedding magazine Irish Wedding Diary. carries advertisements for tiaras, fashion accessories and portrait photographers.

Fr Boland said it was time parents changed their focus to the spiritual dimension of their children getting their First Communion and took an approach of “moderation and sensibility” to the occasion.

"The Church and schools try and down play the whole issue of clothing, parties and whatever gifts the children get for their Holy Communion,” he remarked.

But he said it “can be a struggle” because parents get “caught up in the external things”.

“But if this magazine is out there now, I feel we are in danger of losing sight of what we are about and the true meaning of Holy Communion, which is receiving the body of Christ for the first time,” Fr Boland remarked. [CIN]

Statement by Dr Alcuin Reid on a SSPX response

This should clarify positions a good bit.
Fr Z received this from Alcuin Reid, who is the editor and author of good liturgical sources:

Statement by Dr Alcuin Reid:

On Friday BBC Radio asked me to discuss recent events concerning the SSPX on ‘The Sunday Programme’ this morning. Following that request I asked the SSPX for comment on the issues to be discussed.

Unfortunately Bishop Fellay’s reply reached me only after the programme aired. His reply, written for publication, states:

"The position of Bishop Williamson is clearly not the position of our Society.
Antisemitism has no place in our ranks.

We follow fully God’s commandments on justice and charity and the constant teaching of the Church. Antisemitism has been condemned by the Church. So do we condemn it.

I fully agree with Fr Schmidberger’s statement about Bishop Williamson’s words. (www.fsspx.info)"

God bless you

+Bernard Fellay

The Difference Between Men and Women: What goes through your head when someone says "Do you want to go for a drink?"

H/T to http://inhocsigno.blogspot.com/

Liberals are depressed over work of Pope Benedict and traditional re-integration

Robert Mickens of The Tablet has a sour piece in "America" on Pope Benedict and Vatican II, of course some people might not share his pessimism about the present situation.

"A young professor at the Legionaries of Christ's university in Rome, Fr Mauro Gagliardi, gave a clue of what to expect.

The Fraternity of St Pius X can offer the Church an important contribution in applying the 'hermeneutic of continuity' that must be applied to the documents of Vatican II," he said.

This apparent reference to Pope Bendict's hermeneutic for interpreting the Council is imprecise -- as Fr Joseph Komonchak and others have clearly pointed out -- but it is not altogether mistaken. And Fr Gagliardi is not just any professor in Rome. He was recently named as consultant to the papal liturgical ceremonies office and mixes in the circles that are currently in favour in the Vatican. He said, "The 'Lefebvrists' have a spirituality and charism that can be a richness for the life of the entire Church." This certainly is the view of Cardinal Castrillon and probably reflects, at least in some measure, the Pope's thinking, too.

There is no question that Pope Benedict wants the SSPX back in the Church. Up to now he has done everything to accommodate them on their terms. He will do so on the interpretation of the Council, as well. The two CDF documents in 2007 (on the nature of the Church on 29 June and on evangelisation on 3 December ) have already begun paving the way for this. The Lefebvrists will argue, and the Pope will agree, that, in substance, we have the same doctrine after Vatican II has we had before. All "changes" were merely stylistic or operational, but not theogical -- i.e. none of the changes were essential, so none have to be adopted. The Vatican and the SSPX will also say, together, that much of the Council was badly misinterpreted by theologians and bishops in the post-conciliar period, and they will even cite the long list of theologians the CDF condemned to prove that Rome never caved in. Despite everything to the contrary (i.e. the fact that the SSPX does not really buy or live Vatican II), they will find a way together to finagle a formula that helps them profess "true fidelity and true recognition" of the Council (in light of the constant Tradition) but allows them to continue living as if Vatican II never existed. There are already a number of "Ecclesia Dei" communities in communion in Rome (off-shoots of the SSPX like the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter) that currently do this.

The formula that is produced will be just as disingenuous as the invented nonsense of "two forms of the one Roman Rite".

H/T to DT and Fr Ray Blake.