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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Politics And Receiving Communion

Note: The following post was originally written and posted by me in 2005 on my blog "Church Under Attack". I have re-posted it here now, because I believe it to still be relative to 2012.

 

With the 2004 election, we began to hear more and more about communion and politicians who support abortion. Several bishops from around the country made headlines when they either refused, or stated that they would refuse communion to any politician who proclaims them self “pro-choice” while still nominally maintaining that they are Catholic. This became an almost weekly news event, especially when certain high profile Catholic politicians attended Mass, and reporters waited to see if that politician would be denied communion.

Lets make one point absolutely clear in the terminology in vogue in regard to abortion. When a politician, or any other ordinary citizen states that he or she is “pro-choice” or supports “reproductive rights”, they are proclaiming themselves PRO- ABORTION. No nice little clean terms like “pro-choice” or “reproductive rights” hides that fact nor changes it, and hopefully the American people are not blind to that fact. The pro-abortion faction is also adamant in insisting that a bishop or priest denying them communion crosses the line on the so called “separation of church and state”, which is another term thrown at random by anyone who opposes anything the Church teaches. Although those people are hard pressed to show where this is supposedly contained in the United States Constitution. They are hard pressed because it does not exist anywhere within the Constitution.

The hue and cry over this began when Pope Benedict XVI, when he was still known as Cardinal Ratzinger, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sent a letter to American Bishops entitled “"Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion, General Principles". Stated in "General Principles," no Catholic should seek to receive Holy Communion if he or she is guilty of "a grave sin," and abortion is a grave sin. Further, he wrote that a priest "may find himself in the situation where he must refuse to distribute Holy Communion to someone, such as in cases of declared excommunication, a declared interdict, or an obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin,”. (An interdict, which can only be imposed by a bishop, bars a Catholic from receiving any of the Sacraments, including Holy Communion.) Banning communion is not limited to those who perform abortion Cardinal Ratzinger also wrote that it included anyone "whose personal cooperation becomes manifest," including "the case of a Catholic politician consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws. The pastor should meet him, instructing him about the Church's teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of the sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Holy Eucharist."

In the end, any politician who campaigns or votes in a manner that is pro-abortion effectively excludes himself or herself from receiving Holy Communion. Further, any Catholic who votes for any pro-abortion politician based on the politicians pro-abortion stance, then that voter has also excluded him or her self from receiving Holy Communion as well. In both cases, the politician and the voter should partake in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession) before going to receive the Holy Eucharist.

This does not cross the line in the so called “separation of Church and State” at all. As stated previously, nowhere in the Constitution of the United States of America, does the term “separation of Church and State” exist. Go read the Constitution yourself and find out. Don't take my word for it, alone. A well known Catholic politician once told a group of Baptist ministers that he would never allow the Catholic Church to influence any of his decisions for the United States. In essence, what that politician was saying was, that he would not allow God's One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church to influence any of his decisions, and thereby making such a statement, he was also saying, that he would not allow God to influence any of his decisions as well. No one, in any walk of life, be they king, president, politician, bishop, priest, or citizen, can not leave out God, God's influence, or God's Church from their decisions, public or private. To leave out God is to invite destruction and ruin within their lives, with those whom they lead, and with those whom they love.

Let's look at Catholic Teaching on abortion from the “Catechism of the Catholic Church”:

2258 "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." (CDF, instruction, Donum vitae, intro. 5.)

2268 The fifth commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful. The murderer and those who cooperate voluntarily in murder commit a sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance.(Gen 4:10) Infanticide, fratricide, parricide, and the murder of a spouse are especially grave crimes by reason of the natural bonds which they break. Concern for eugenics or public health cannot justify any murder, even if commanded by public authority.

2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life. (Cf. CDF, Donum vitae I, 1)

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. (Jer 1:5; cf. Job 10:8-12; Ps 22:10-11)

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth. (Ps 139:15)

2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:


You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
(Didache 2, 2: SCh 248, 148; cf. Ep. Barnabae 19, 5: PG 2, 777; Ad Diognetum 5, 6: PG 2, 1173; Tertullian, Apol. 9: PL 1, 319-320)

God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.

2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,"(CIC, can. 1398) "by the very commission of the offense,"(CIC, can. 1314) and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. (Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324) The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

2273 The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation:
"The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death." (CDF, Donum vitae III)

"The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. . . . As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's rights." (CDF, Donum vitae III)

2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.


Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safeguarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."
(CDF, Donum vitae I, 2)

Copyright © 2005-2012 Steve Smith. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Catholic Bishop: Vote for Obama "Stretches the Imagination" | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from LifeNews.com:
  • Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn is the latest Catholic official to say that voting for pro-abortion President Barack Obama is essentially off limits for Catholic voters.
  • He said the Catholic Church needs to do a better job of teaching Catholic voters who gravitate towards pro-abortion candidates. In his column in the diocesan newspaper, Bishop DiMarzio wrote:
  • It is inconceivable to me how Catholics could support such policies. Indeed, Roman Catholics who support abortion rights and vote for a candidate because of those policies, place him/herself outside of the life of the Church. In so doing, they also place themselves in moral danger.
  • Is it possible to vote for somebody despite their support for these policies? To my mind, it stretches the imagination, especially when there is another option. The dignity and sanctity of human life are the foundational values upon which all other policies are built. Concern for the poor, the stranger in our midst, they are all predicated upon our belief in the dignity and sanctity of human life.
Read more by clicking below:
Catholic Bishop: Vote for Obama "Stretches the Imagination" | LifeNews.com

"Catholics for Choice" Leader Claims to be Faithful Catholic | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from LifeNews.com (about another CINO out shoveling the bovine excrement):
  • With Election Day a week away, it’s no surprise that Obama’s Catholics are engaging in the art of speaking Catholic nonsense.
  • First, and most notably, our nation’s first Catholic Vice President, Joe Biden, who rather pathetically, yesterday, had to release a video reminding voters that he is a “practicing Catholic.”
  • Biden, however, only receives our B+ grade for the audacity of his dishonesty, while the A+ goes to the president of “Catholics for Choice”. In an article from the Oct. 30 Chicago Sun-Times, which looks like it belongs in the Style section rather than the news, Jon O’Brien calls himself a “real traditionalist.”
  • O’Brien, for any who may not know, replaced Frances Kissling at the helm of a “Catholic” group that promotes abortion and contraception to a mainstream media who lap it up. (The US Catholic Bishops have formally declared, several times, that O’Brien’s group is NOT a Catholic organization.)
  • O’Brien speaks with the firm conviction of a Humpty Dumpty without shame: “I believe in the totality of Catholic teaching, and that includes the right to dissent and freedom of conscience.”
Read more by clicking below:
"Catholics for Choice" Leader Claims to be Faithful Catholic | LifeNews.com

Monday, October 29, 2012

Oklahoma bishop switches to ad orientem celebration of Mass in cathedral : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • The National Catholic Reporter calls attention to the decision of Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to celebrate Mass ad orientem in the city's cathedral.
Read more by clicking below:
Oklahoma bishop switches to ad orientem celebration of Mass in cathedral : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Vatican willing to wait for response from SSPX : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • The Vatican has indicated that it has not yet received a formal response from the Society of St. Pius X to an offer of reconciliation, and is willing to wait.
  • The Ecclesia Dei commission, which has been coordinating talks with the traditionalist group, announced on October 29 that the SSPX “had indicated that additional time for reflection and study is needed on their part as they prepare their response to the Holy See’s latest initiatives.”
Read more by clicking below:
Vatican willing to wait for response from SSPX : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Exorcist’s Blatty Horrified by Georgetown’s Crisis of Faith « Campus Notes

The following excerpts are from The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) Blog:
  • It’s no Halloween tale. Sadly, The Exorcist author William Peter Blatty’s account of Georgetown University’s failings—published in today’s Georgetown campus newspaper, The Hoya—is all too true.
  • But now the master of suspense has Georgetown officials wondering what’s lurking around the next corner. Blatty reminds them that he and other Georgetown patriots are about to file their promised canon law petition, urging Church and University officials to attend to Georgetown’s substantial decline in Catholic identity.
  • Blatty also asks the Georgetown community to join his Father King Society “to unite students, faculty, parents and alumni to make Georgetown honest, Catholic and better.”
Read more by clicking below:
Exorcist’s Blatty Horrified by Georgetown’s Crisis of Faith « Campus Notes

ACTION ITEM! PRIESTS AND BISHOPS! Use the old Roman Ritual, Litany, prayers against storms! | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?

The following excerpts are from Father Z's blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?:
  • PRIESTS AND BISHOPS!
  • Use the old Roman Ritual and pray the Litany with the deprecatory prayers against storms. A procession could be done even in doors… even with a very few.
  • You don’t have to be directly in the line of the storm to pray for others!
Read more by clicking below:
ACTION ITEM! PRIESTS AND BISHOPS! Use the old Roman Ritual, Litany, prayers against storms! | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Nigeria: a suicide bomber drove a jeep full of explosives into a Catholic church - Vatican Insider

The following excerpts are from Vatican Insider:
  • During morning mass in northern Nigeria on Sunday, killing at least eight people, wounding more than 100 and triggering reprisal attacks that killed at least two more
Read more by clicking below:
Nigeria: a suicide bomber drove a jeep full of explosives into a Catholic church - Vatican Insider

Saturday, October 27, 2012

From The Dignitatis Humanae Institute: Investigation Announced into Notorious UK Death-Acceleration Programme

Note: The following is a press release from The Dignitatis Humanae Institute

Investigation Announced into Notorious UK Death-Acceleration Programme


London, 27 October 2012

After months of refusal and prevaricating, a probe has finally been announced into the conduct of Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP); a framework widely criticised by families whose relatives have unknowingly been placed on this 'pathway to death.'

 The Association of Palliative Medicine has ordered the review into the concerns. The National End of Life Care Programme, an NHS affiliate, will coordinate several organisations in the review.  While critics welcomed this initial step, the move falls short of the Government Inquiry recently called for by the Reverend Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark.

LCP is a framework used to dictate the withdrawal of palliative care from those who are seen as close to death.  This includes the withdrawal of nutrients and medicine from the patient, heavy doses of morphine and consequently dehydration.  Such a practice is questioned by the Medical Ethics Alliance, who asserts that any such decision is essentially a prediction, with no conclusive scientific evidence.  This is highlighted by the case of Andy Flanagan, whose family revived him, rescued him from LCP and brought him home to live for a further five weeks. 

The protestations of the Flanagan family added to the many complaints against LCP.  The Royal College of Physicians has uncovered that up to half of families are not informed their loved ones have been placed on LCP.  In particular, when Mr Cooper (pictured) discovered his wife had been condemned to LCP without his knowledge, medical staff refused to reverse the decision in spite of his wishes.  

It has also been noted that the number of patients placed on LCP has doubled in the past two years.  Critics have suggested hospitals are beginning to use LCP as a cost-cutting measure, against patients who are made to feel like a burden to society.

Speaking on behalf of the British Parliament's Cross-Party Working Group on Human Dignity, Jim Dobbin MP, its Vice-Chairman, asserted the necessity of this investigation: "We would do well to recall the words of Pope John Paul II - 'A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying.'  The practices of Liverpool Care Pathway are surely not the best we can do for the elderly and the dying of our society, there is no dignity in the deaths proscribed here.  Such decisions as to the best care must always be made by the loved ones and families of the patient; Liverpool Care Pathway has resoundingly failed on this account and should certainly be investigated for it."

The Dignitatis Humanae Institute aims to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man is born in the image and likeness of God and therefore has an innate human dignity of infinite worth to be upheld. The Institute promotes this understanding by supporting Christians in public life, assisting them to present effective and coherent responses to increasing efforts to silence the Christian voice in the public square.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Attention All Blog Readers and Fellow Bloggers: A Seriously Ill Blogger


There is a post over on "Instapundit" regarding Dan Riehl of the blog "Riehl World News".

The post reads as follows:
  • DAN RIEHL IS SICK: Dr. Melissa Clouthier writes:
  • Sorry I didn’t write earlier. Thought you’d want to know that Dan went into the hospital last night with respiratory failure. They had to do pulmonary bypass because he couldn’t be intubated. The doctor gave him a 50-50 chance of living.


In the meantime, please, please consider going to his blog and making a donation in whatever amount you can afford. His "Donate" button is on the far right hand side near the top. You can go to his blog by clicking here.

Please also keep him in your prayers, and share this post if you don't mind.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Uruguay: Bishops Excommunicate Lawmakers Who Legalized Abortion | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from LifeNews.com:
  • Catholic bishops in the small nation of Uruguay, which will soon become only the second in South America to legalize abortion, have excommunicated members of Congress who voted to do so.
  • Bishop Heriberto Bodeant, secretary for the Uruguayan bishops’ conference, said the lawmakers essentially excommunicated themselves by voting for abortion.
  • “Automatic excommunication is for those who collaborate in the execution of an abortion in a direct way,” he said. “If a Catholic votes…with the manifest intention that he thinks the Church is wrong about this, he separates himself from the communion of the Church.”
  • “Excommunication means you are not in communion with the ecclesial community to which you openly claim to belong by doing something that puts you outside communion, and therefore you cannot participate in the Eucharist,” he added.
Read more by clicking below:
Uruguay: Bishops Excommunicate Lawmakers Who Legalized Abortion | LifeNews.com

Justice Ginsburg Backtracks From Racist Abortion Comments | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from LifeNews.com:
  • Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg caused a stir in July 2009 when she made comments about the Roe v. Wade abortion case that appeared racist. In an interview with the New York Times, Ginsburg said made it appear she supported Roe for population control reasons targeting minorities.
  • Roe is the 1973 Supreme Court decision that, along with Doe v. Bolton, allowed virtually unlimited abortions for any reason throughout pregnancy.
  • Ginsburg first advocated taxpayer funding of abortions and followed it up by saying she backed Roe to eliminate “populations that we don’t want to have too many of.”
Read more by clicking below:
Justice Ginsburg Backtracks From Racist Abortion Comments | LifeNews.com

Monday, October 22, 2012

Media: It's Only Murder if She Wanted the Baby | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from an Opinion piece by Susan Michelle Tyrell on LifeNews.com:
  • A tragedy in Brooklyn Saturday reminds us again of what even the most pro-abortion rights advocates know is true: an unborn baby is a baby.
  • Vindalee Smith, 38, was eight months pregnant when she was found dead, the day before she was supposed to be married. This is tragic enough in itself but the reality of the tragedy was found in words in the MSNBC report:
  • It wasn’t clear how long she’d been dead before the body was discovered. Her baby boy did not survive.
Read more by clicking below:
Media: It's Only Murder if She Wanted the Baby | LifeNews.com

Debate Moderator Bob Schieffer: GOP Obsessed With Birth Control | LifeNews.com

Debate Moderator Bob Schieffer: GOP Obsessed With Birth Control | LifeNews.com

Timing uncertain for special Vatican mission to Syria : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • Although Pope Benedict XVI has appointed several prelates for a special mission to Syria, the timing of that mission has not yet been fixed, the Vatican has announced.
  • Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, announced on October 22 that the special mission “is still in the course of being studied and prepared.” The seven prelates appointed by the Pope will make their trip “as soon as possible,” he said, but preparatory work is necessary to further the aims of the mission to promote “solidarity, peace and reconciliation.”
Read more by clicking below:
Timing uncertain for special Vatican mission to Syria : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Lourdes flooded; 450 pilgrims evacuated : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • Flash flooding at Lourdes temporarily closed the famed Marian shrine and caused “serious damage” there, according to an Agence France-Presse report. 450 pilgrims were evacuated from area hotels.
Read more by clicking below:
Lourdes flooded; 450 pilgrims evacuated : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Pope to send delegation of 7 prelates, including Cardinal Dolan, to Damascus : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state, announced that Pope Benedict will send an international delegation of seven prelates to strife-torn Syria next week.
  • The delegation, said Cardinal Bertone, will express “our fraternal solidarity to the whole population, with a personal offering from the synodal fathers as well as from the Holy See; our spiritual closeness to our Christian brothers and sisters; our encouragement to all those who are involved in the search for an agreement that respects the rights and duties of all with particular attention to what is demanded by humanitarian law.”
Read more by clicking below:
Pope to send delegation of 7 prelates, including Cardinal Dolan, to Damascus : News Headlines - Catholic Culture


Chinese bishop challenges Synod participants : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News :
  • “I am very saddened that you cannot hear any voice from the Chinese Church.” Those were the words of an aged Chinese prelate, in a message that was delivered to participants in the Synod of Bishops on Tuesday, October 16.
  • Bishop Luke Li Jing Feng of Fengxiang sent a written message to the Synod, since he was unable to attend the meetings in Rome. His message was read aloud to the gathering by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, the secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops.
Read more by clicking below:
Chinese bishop challenges Synod participants : News Headlines - Catholic Culture


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Islam on the rise in Haiti : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News :
  • Islam has spread in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake, in part because of organized relief efforts and in part because of the return of Muslim émigrés, according to the Associated Press.
Read more by clicking below:
Islam on the rise in Haiti : News Headlines - Catholic Culture





Ham Radio at St. Mattehw

Students at St. Matthew School in Charlotte learn about ham radio and its patron saint, St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of Auschwitz.

Alcoa boy's sick service dog needs your help

This photo is of young Lucas and his service dog, Juno, which has been seen all over the internet. Now you know who they are.
In case you are not familiar with this story: A terminally-ill child is missing his service dog because she's battling her own severe illness at a local vet. Lucas Hembree's father rescued Belgian Malinois Juno from euthanasia at a shelter two years ago. Now she's a vital part of the family, credited with saving the little boy's life several times by detecting oncoming seizures.

Lucas, 5, has a rare genetic disorder called Sanfilippo Syndrome. Some people refer to it as childhood dementia. Most patients are in a vegetative state by their eighth birthday, which is why getting Juno better and back by Lucas's side is so important. 
 Read more by clicking below.
Alcoa boy's sick service dog needs your help



Monday, October 15, 2012

Priest Threatens to Sue Pro-Life Group for Passing Out Voter Guides | LifeNews.com

The following excerpt is from LifeNews.com;

A Catholic priest in the Diocese of Cleveland called Ohio Right to Life last week and threatened to sue the pro-life group because he found their voter guide on cars in his church parking lot.

Read more by clicking below
Priest Threatens to Sue Pro-Life Group for Passing Out Voter Guides | LifeNews.com

Video on Islam's growth sparks debate at Synod : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • A controversy arose at the Synod of Bishops on October 13 when the participating bishops were shown a video that Vatican Radio described as a “fear-mongering presentation of statistics attempting to show how Islam is conquering Europe and the rest of the world.”
  • The video--which was apparently screened by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace--emphasized the high birth rates among Muslims in Europe, in contrast with the falling fertility of native Europeans, and concluded that the continent would soon be predominantly Islamic.
Read more by clicking below:
Video on Islam's growth sparks debate at Synod : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Report: hundreds of Christians arrested in Iran : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • Up to 400 evangelical Protestants have been arrested in the last two weeks in Iran, according to a news site that chronicles the persecution of Christians.
Read more by clicking below:
Report: hundreds of Christians arrested in Iran : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Prelates report on growth of Church in Norway, anti-ecumenism in Romania, Islam and Freemasonry in Africa : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • On October 13, the conclusion of the first week of the Thirteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 39 synod fathers spoke on various aspects of the new evangelization.
Read more by clicking below:
Prelates report on growth of Church in Norway, anti-ecumenism in Romania, Islam and Freemasonry in Africa : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Evidence disproves rumors that John Paul I was killed, postulator says : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • The postulator for the beatification cause of Pope John Paul I has reported that new evidence puts to rest the rumors that the “smiling Pope” was murdered.
  • After Pope John Paul I was found dead just 33 days after becoming Roman Pontiff, conspiracy theories arose suggesting that the Pontiff had been the victim of foul play. 
Read more by clicking below:
Evidence disproves rumors that John Paul I was killed, postulator says : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Bill Maher: ‘The Planet Is Too Crowded and We Need to Promote Death’ | CNSNews.com

The following excerpts are from CNSNews.com:
  • HBO “Real Time” host Bill Maher says he’s “consistently pro-death” – and “not one of those people who thinks all life is precious.
  • Even dogs can create life, he said in an Oct. 7 interview on satellite radio.
  • Maher explained his views on life and death when Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist and host of StarTalk Radio, raised the death penalty.
  • “You support the death penalty, according to my notes,” Tyson said.  “Isn’t it largely Republican?  They may not have birthed the idea, but?”
  • “Yeah, I guess so,” Maher said.  “I mean I have a lot of ideas that you might consider conservative.  But I feel like on that, I’m just consistent, like the pope is consistent.  The pope is consistently pro-life; I’m consistently pro-death.”
  • “I am for the death penalty, although I do believe in more DNA testing,” Maher continued.  “My motto is, ‘Let’s kill the right people.’  I’m pro-choice.  I’m for assisted suicide.  I’m for regular suicide.  I’m for whatever gets the freeway moving.  That’s what I’m for.
  • “It’s too crowded,” Maher continued.  “So, the planet is too crowded and we need to promote death.”
Read more by clicking below:
Bill Maher: ‘The Planet Is Too Crowded and We Need to Promote Death’ | CNSNews.com

Why the Little Sisters of the Poor Oppose the HHS Mandate | Daily News | NCRegister.com

The following excerpts are from National Catholic Register:
  • As more lawsuits over the Department of Health and Human Services’ contraception mandate are filed, many religious groups still remain temporarily exempt from the rule as they wait for answers.
  • Sister Constance Veit directs the publications office for the Little Sisters of the Poor, one of these groups waiting and hoping for relief from the HHS mandate. Between their 30 homes in the United States, the Little Sisters serve 2,500 elderly residents — enough to keep more than 300 sisters joyfully busy. The order is putting much effort into opposing this federal rule, and Sister Constance explains why.
  • How will the Little Sisters of the Poor be affected by the HHS mandate?
  • For the time being, we are not directly affected by the mandate. We have until the end of this year to provide certification that we meet the criteria for the one-year exemption currently in place. So, most likely, if nothing changes in the law, we will have to face this concretely Jan. 1, 2014.
  • Cardinal [Timothy] Dolan blogged about the HHS mandate and its impact on Catholic organizations and services. He is very clear about the costs of the mandate. For example, if we were to stop offering health insurance rather than comply with the mandate, we would have to pay a $2,000 penalty per employee. This penalty aside, it just does not seem right to us to stop providing health insurance to our employees.
  • If we chose to offer insurance without the objectionable services, we would honor our consciences, but we’d have to pay $100 per day per employee. As the cardinal figures it, for an organization with 50 employees, that would mean almost $2 million per year.
Read more by clicking below:
Why the Little Sisters of the Poor Oppose the HHS Mandate | Daily News | NCRegister.com

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Takes Aim at the Separation of Church and State | Daily News | NCRegister.com

The following excerpts are from National Catholic Register:
  • WASHINGTON — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia looks around the packed room in the Catholic Information Center (CIC) as if to estimate its temper.
  • He begins his address quoting a Frenchman: “‘France is a country …’” A faint anticipatory chuckle ripples over the crowd, spilling out into the doorway where the late-comers stand.
  • The justice corrects himself and adopts the appropriate accent. “‘Frahhhnce eez a cohhntry with two religions and three hondred cheeses. The United States eez a country with three hondred religions and two cheeses.’” He pauses for a moment and resumes his native inflection. “I always have trouble remembering the second cheese.”
  • The crowd laughs — neither for the first nor for the last time that evening.
  • Justice Scalia knows how to amuse his audience, even from behind the intimidating height of the Supreme Court bench. The atmosphere at the CIC on a Wednesday night in October is more relaxed and intimate than that of the court (despite the wire-eared security terriers present for Scalia’s protection), but the subject is as serious as any the court rules on: the separation of church and state.
Read more by clicking below:
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Takes Aim at the Separation of Church and State | Daily News | NCRegister.com

Saturday, October 13, 2012

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA



O Most Holy Virgin Mary, 
Queen of the most holy Rosary, 
you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima 
and reveal a glorious message. 
We implore you, 
inspire in our hearts a fervent love 
for the recitation of the Rosary. 
By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption 
that are recalled therein
may we obtain the graces and virtues that we ask, 
through the merits of Jesus Christ, 
our Lord and Redeemer.
Amen


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Youcef’s Lawyer Thrown into Prison | Iran, American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ

The following excerpt is from ACLJ:
  • The Iranian lawyer who successfully represented Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in court, leading to his eventual release and acquittal of apostasy, has been detained and ordered to serve a lengthy prison sentence in one of Iran’s most dangerous prisons.
Read more by clicking below:
Youcef’s Lawyer Thrown into Prison | Iran, American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Blessed John Henry Newman, a Great Teacher of the Faith | Daily News | NCRegister.com

The following excerpts are from The National Catholic Register, the article is written by my good friend Father Juan R. Vélez:
  • On Oct. 11, the Church begins the Year of Faith called for by Pope Benedict XVI to encourage the faithful to seek spiritual renewal and a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith in response to the grave crisis of faith in the contemporary world.
  • One tried-and-true way to learn more about our faith and progress with spiritual renewal is to read the lives of the saints, teachers of the faith who, through their example and word, nourished both their contemporaries and Christians of future generations.
  • Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890), an Anglican convert to Catholicism and later a cardinal, is one of the great modern teachers of the faith. Through a diligent study of the Scriptures and the Fathers of the Church, Cardinal Newman pursued the truth wherever it led him. His intellectual honesty and courage led him to give up the prestige he enjoyed at Oxford University in order to convert to the Roman Catholic Church in 1845. 
Read more by clicking below:
Blessed John Henry Newman, a Great Teacher of the Faith | Daily News | NCRegister.com

Opus Dei Father Juan Vélez is the author of Passion for Truth, the Life of John Henry Newman (TAN/St. Benedict’s 2012).
Formerly a board-certified internist, Father Vélez writes from San Francisco.

Is The Church a Democracy?

Note: The following post, "Is The Church a Democracy?" was written by Marie in February 2006, where it appeared on our "Apologetics" blog. I thought it worth repeating here.



One of the mistakes being generated by various groups and figures of prominence is to think that the Catholic Church is a democracy. This is not so!

The Church has never been a democracy, not in the past, not in the present and not in the future. In fact the Church does not change to suit the times in this anything goes generation. Most of the acrimony comes from a failed understanding of this essential fact. Some may not agree with everything the Church does, but that does not give anyone free license to dissent nor question the Churches authority.

Catholic Church doctrine and Dogma's are not to be disputed; they are to be accepted with filial obedience to the Vicar of Christ and the Magisterium, anyone who does other than this would have to consider themselves above the Church. This can also be a problem within the Church as some Priests and Religious embrace a spirit of liberalism and try to introduce a 'new doctrine' to the Catholic Church. They do this by trying to make Jesus seem as no different from all of us. They emphasise Jesus' humanity and either disregard or totally ignore Jesus Divine Nature. In their efforts to make the Church and Jesus more relevant they have in effect made both `seem' irrelevant. For why worship a `man' who is `just like us'? This is one of the weapons that the 'modernists' use to bring an element of relativism into the very heart of the Church.

There is also the opposite case where those who are so intent on never changing that they then negate the works within the Church such as the Second Vatican Council. Vatican 2 was not a mistake, for the Holy Spirit is never stagnant nor does it `move with the times. The Holy Spirit is above trends and modernism, but seeks within each heart and gives empowerment to that which it is espoused, The Roman Catholic Church. For as the keys were given to Peter so too they were given to Pope John XXIII, who opened the Heart of the Church to the awakening of its hidden depths and mysticism and allowing the Light to pierce the Truths of the Church, for all to seek God through the Sacraments and to acknowledge His Majesty, within.

The modernistic trend in the Church cannot be solely and entirely blamed on our Priests or religious, it is also to be shared with equal responsibility with the laity. We cannot complain about bad liturgical practices, if we maintain our silence in the presence of the Priests who espouse this `new (false) Doctrine'! The true enemy of the Church is apathy and timidity of soul, when in fear of repercussions or a loss of popularity the laity maintain their silence, thereby giving the Priest its sanction to do as he wishes. Some may say, `but we cannot speak or correct a Priest'. Was Catherine of Sienna wrong, when she confronted the legitimate Pope, and requested his return to his rightful seat, which is Rome? Was Paul wrong when he corrected Peter as to being chained by the Law?

Christ is the Head of the Church and we the people are its Body so it is incumbent upon us to follow the Church in Rome over and above `rogue priests and nuns' who espouse a false doctrine which tries to imply that man is Gods equal!! In the words of our late Pope John Paul II, " At the root of this loss of hope is an attempt to promote a vision of man apart from God and apart from Christ, this has led man to believe he is the absolute centre of reality……. the place of God and which forgets that it is not man who creates God, but rather God who creates man…..European culture gives the impression of `silent apostasy' on the part of people who have all that they need and who live as if God does not exist".

The Catholic Church is also a `patriarchal' Church, simply because Christ ordained it as such during The Last Supper, and our first Pope was St. Peter to our present Pope Benedict XVI. This does not negate a woman's role in The Church, but enhances and makes unique a woman's contribution to the faithful. Every Priest was born of a woman, the woman is central to the continuation of a healthy and spiritually productive Church, which Mary most Holy Mother of God, encapsulates for each one of us. Therefore any modernistic trend to elevate women as superior to men is doomed to fail, for its foundation is pride the first enemy of God.

The Church also honours the role of woman in that Christ was born of a woman and not just any woman but one especially chosen by the Triune Spirit. Mary would by her obedient Fiat, become the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of God through the birth of her son, our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church honours and esteems Mary's role as The Mother of God above all other women. It is also to Mary the Mother of God, that women need to emulate as their most perfect example of femininity and filial obedience to God.

The modernistic trend to deem all things of faith in the concept of rationalisation is a heretical view, propagated by the `rationale humanism' of individuals. It is faulty in that the mind needs proof of what is unknowing and is essentially Mystery, for example `the Incarnation', if faith is based on ones own rationale, how was Christ conceived of a Virgin? If man bases his faith on the concept of what is understandable and logical, then what answer to this Mystery of Mysteries, the Incarnation?

When one dissents from the Church founded by Christ, then one has essentially, excommunicated himself from the Faith, for if the Catholic Church is to be held in dispute then you are in effect denying Jesus Christ as head of that very same Church. Thereby proclaiming oneself a heretic and essentially placing one's faith on what is acceptable to your own ideology. With a willful pursuit of dissent against The Churches Teaching and instigating upon one's own authority to be an enemy of the One True Holy and Apostolic Church, and an enemy of Christ, He, who Is and ever shall be The Head of The Catholic Church.

In matters of Liturgical correctness, whether it be in Latin or in the vernacular language of the persons country, is not based on a `perfect language' but on a `perfect intent', that seeks to give all Honour, Praise, Glory to the Trinitarian God, through Worship and thanksgiving and receiving of The Eucharist and through the Sacraments of the Church. To suggest that the only valid Mass is the Latin Mass is faulty in that it disregards the Popes authority to proclaim what is True and acceptable in forms of Worship. For if language is the source of the problems encountered by many Latin Mass observers, then should the Mass not be said in Aramaic, as was spoken by Jesus and the Apostles?

As for the Seat of Peter, if it were to have been vacant for any length of time, then you are proclaiming that God is impotent within His Church. For Jesus gave the Keys to the first Pope, St. Peter and unto him also the authority which is now given to our present Pope Benedict XVI. The Church is infallible, by the very fact that it is through Christ Jesus and Him Crucified, who is the Head of The Church entire. God does not make errors or mistakes, therefore neither does the Church, in matters of Doctrine and those who dispute The Churches authority are in danger of scandal and placing themselves over and above their Creator……and on a level with the serpent, who is also an enemy of the Church and an enemy of God its Creator, for the serpent was the first to embrace `rationale humanism' and presented it to Eve.


When the level of our Faith becomes dependent on what we are able to grasp intellectually is this Faith or reason? For as St. Augustine teaches, " Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."

We need to truly recognise the `signs of the times' and then with prayer, speak the Truth irrespective of the cost to oneself, for what comes first, self preservation or Salvation?

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

63 Former Priests Rebel Against Bishops in Support of WA Same-Sex Marriage Referendum - Catholic Bandita

The following excerpts are from my good friend Lisa Graas' blog, Catholic Bandita, I suggest you give her blog a read every day:
  • While state regulators in Washington have warned the Catholic Church not to do any fundraising to oppose a same-sex marriage referendum in that state (despite it being their Constitutional right), there appear to be no objections from the state against 63 former priests engaged in support for the measure. This is not to say that these priests should be warned by the state. To the contrary, they have just as much right to speak out as the bishops do. Whether it is moral for them to do so is another matter. In doing this, they set themselves up in the public square in opposition not just to the bishops, but to all of God’s holy people who remain obedient to His Church. For this, they will ultimately answer to God on the Day, according to His judgment of their duties, their intentions and of the impact of all this on the hearts of men.
  • Why are they “former priests?” Look at this.
  • The former priests are all married, and belong to three Seattle parishes.
Read more by clicking below:
63 Former Priests Rebel Against Bishops in Support of WA Same-Sex Marriage Referendum - Catholic Bandita

Monday, October 08, 2012

Obama Was Wrong: Obamacare's IPAB Will Ration Life-Saving Care | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from LifeNews.com:
  • “A rose by any other name,” Shakespeare wrote, “would smell just as sweet.” Unfortunately, the same is true when the fragrance is less pleasant.
  • When the role of Obamacare’s Independent Payment Advisory Board in rationing life-saving medical treatments is alleged, the law’s apologists indignantly point out that the law specifically precludes the board from “rationing.” They seem convinced this demonstrates that the charges of “rationing” are unarguably false. But are they right?
Read more by clicking below:
Obama Was Wrong: Obamacare's IPAB Will Ration Life-Saving Care | LifeNews.com

Massachusetts: Doctors and Disabled Oppose Assisted Suicide Measure | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from LifeNews.com:
  • The US state of Massachusetts is to hold a referendum on the legalisation of assisted suicide next month at the time of the presidential election.
  • On 6 November Massachusetts voters will have the opportunity to vote on Question 2, ‘Prescribing Medication to End Life.’ This is an important vote given the influence and prominence of Massachusetts itself.
  • As well as being the subject of a famous hit by the Bee Gees (!) Massachusetts, a small state on the US Eastern seaboard, has played a significant historical, cultural, and commercial role in American history.
Read more by clicking below:
Massachusetts: Doctors and Disabled Oppose Assisted Suicide Measure | LifeNews.com

New Video Exposes Health Care Rationing in Obamacare | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from LifeNews.com:
  • A new video produced by a state pro-life group educates the public on the dangers of healthcare rationing in President Obama’s healthcare law.
  • The Center for Medical Ethics at Louisiana Right to Life launched a new website and video today, www.YourLifeatRisk.com. The website features a video that brings to light the truth about the new healthcare law known as Obamacare and it explores what healthcare rationing is and how it could affect your healthcare as well as your family’s healthcare.
Read more by clicking below:
New Video Exposes Health Care Rationing in Obamacare | LifeNews.com

Former Irish president says American cardinal insulted her : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:
  • Former Irish President Mary McAleese has said that Cardinal Bernard Law angrily rebuked her for supporting women’s ordination while she was visiting Boston in 1998.
Read more by clicking below:
Former Irish president says American cardinal insulted her : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Sunday, October 07, 2012

Following Francis’ Footsteps: How Assisi Protected Jews During World War II, Part II | Daily News | NCRegister.com

The following excerpts are from National Catholic Register (ncregister.com):
  • ASSISI, ITALY-The Italian city of Assisi, that was the home of St. Francis, became from 1943 to 1944, a shelter for thousands of refugees displaced by World War II.  Italian Scholar Francesco Santucci has researched and recounted the Catholic effort to protect Jewish refugees.  Yesterday Part I told the story of Assisi’s wartime bishop, Guiseppi Nicolini, and his priest secretary, Father Aldo Brunacci, who together masterminded the network of hiding places for Jewish families in the city’s convents, monasteries and private homes—including the bishop’s palace. Part II recounts the strategy that prevented Assisi from suffering any military damage despite its location in an embattled region.
Read more by clicking below:
Following Francis’ Footsteps: How Assisi Protected Jews During World War II, Part II | Daily News | NCRegister.com

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Following Francis' Footsteps: How Assisi Protected Jews During World War II, Part I | Daily News | NCRegister.com

The following excerpts are from National Catholic Register (ncregister.com):
  • ASSISI, ITALY — For almost eight centuries, pilgrims venerating St. Francis have come to the picturesque hilltop town of Assisi, 100 miles northeast of Rome, where the saint was born in 1182. Here was where he founded three religious orders and died at age 45.
  • Less known, especially by American Catholics, is Assisi’s legacy as a sanctuary for thousands of refugees displaced during World War II, including approximately 300 Jews who were hidden in the city’s convents, monasteries and private homes.
  • Religious and civil leaders of wartime Assisi dramatically mirrored the saint’s message of compassion and peacemaking. The compassion they extended to outsiders while Allied and Axis forces fought on Italian soil is the subject of ongoing research and an exhibit, “Museum of Memory, 1943-1944 Assisi,” at Assisi’s Palazzo Vallemani.
Read more by clicking below:
Following Francis' Footsteps: How Assisi Protected Jews During World War II, Part I | Daily News | NCRegister.com

Friday, October 05, 2012

Mystic Monk Coffee: Cinnamon Coffee Cake Flavored Coffee



Available now from Mystic Monk Coffee is a flavored coffee, Cinnamon Coffee Cake (ground regular).  

The good monks say:

"Perfect for those cold fall days!

The aroma of freshly baked coffee cake melts away into a rich and creamy flavored coffee, with essences of hazelnut and brown sugar. Cinnamon Coffee Cake is one of the most outstanding flavors available."

Available for $11.95 per 12 ounce bag, 3 or more bags are $10.95 each.

Remember, your purchase of Mystic Monk Coffee helps support the Carmelite Monks of Wyoming, and this blogger!

New San Francisco archbishop must accept homosexuals, says former Catholic Charities director : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Cultuire's Catholic World News:
  • On the day that Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone was installed as the head of the San Francisco archdiocese, the former director of the archdiocesan office of Catholic Charities published an op-ed column warning that the incoming prelate should not stress Catholic teachings regarding the sanctity of marriage.
  • “No one expects him to be silent on church teaching, but he has a choice to make,” wrote Brian Cahill in the San Francisco Chronicle) 
Read more by clicking below:
New San Francisco archbishop must accept homosexuals, says former Catholic Charities director : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Bishop’s message is divisive, newspaper editorial argues : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Cultuire's Catholic World News:
  • An Illinois newspaper editorial scolds Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield for his statement on the moral responsibilities of Catholic voters. The State Journal-Register disagrees with the bishop’s conclusions, believes that many other Catholics also disagree.
Read more by clicking below:
Bishop’s message is divisive, newspaper editorial argues : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

China imposes ‘re-education’ on all clergy, religious in Shanghai : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Cultuire's Catholic World News:
  • Chinese officials are requiring all clerics and religious in the Shanghai diocese to undergo “re-education” programs, in a continuing crackdown on Catholics following the public resignation of Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin from the government-backed Patriotic Association.
  • Bishop Ma, who was ordained in July as a Shanghai auxiliary, announced during the ordination ceremony that he was leaving the Patriotic Association. He was immediately placed under house arrest. Soon thereafter, authorities closed down the Shanghai seminary.
Read more by clicking below:
China imposes ‘re-education’ on all clergy, religious in Shanghai : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

POPE BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR OCTOBER



Vatican City, 3 October 2012 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for October is: "That the new evangelisation may progress in the oldest Christian countries".

His mission intention is: "That the celebration of World Mission Day may result in a renewed commitment to evangelisation".


You can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.
Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

A Little Boost


The last month found me short on work hours (I only got to work 3 days last week), and once again with too much month left at the end of the money.

I would greatly appreciate a little boost if possible, and as always, your prayers are greatly needed and valued.

Thank you!