Is "Catholic New Times" Canada's Version of the National Catholic Reporter?

The "About CNT" web page states:

Now in its 27th year, Catholic New Times is Canada's award-winning social justice and faith journal. Our examination of Canadian and world issues is rooted in the spirit of Vatican II and the radical liberating message of the Gospel. We value our independence as it allows us to offer a unique perspective in the Canadian and world church.

However, I was struck by an editorial which states that they are unable to come to a consensus about same-sex "marriage". The editorial, titled "Homosexuality, church teaching and marriage" begins:

We write this editorial as the governing Liberal party tables same-sex legislation which would guarantee the rights of faith groups to refuse same-sex marriages. Unlike most other editorials, we are prepared to admit that we are unable to come to a consensus ourselves on this important issue. Our division here at CNT reflects the country and will become clearer in future editorials.

What unites us however is our concern over the church’s teaching on homosexuality. It seems to us out of touch with growing scientific evidence on the nature of homosexuality itself. Cumulative scientific evidence has added new truth to the natural presence of homosexuals as part of the human family probably since time immemorial, a reflection the extraordinary delightful divine diversity seen in other parts of creation. Now we see fellow humans created by God and sustained by God’s love. No more “queers,” deviants or perverts, just brothers and sisters made in the divine image. We are not against this orientation the Vatican tells us, even though it is “essentially disordered” (1986), but any expression of this love is intrinsically evil. “When they engage in homosexual activity they confirm within themselves a disordered sexual inclination which is essentially self-indulgent.” (emphasis added)

It is not the Church's teaching which is out of touch with reality - homosexual activity is, and always will be, intrinsically disordered, and as such, a grave sin in the objective realm.

In 1977, a report commissioned by the Catholic Theological Society of America basically stated this. The theologians said they “were presenting their work in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council to help “beleaguered teachers and pastors.” They affirmed homosexual acts as moral within a committed framework. They said: Homosexuals have the same rights to love, intimacy and relationships as heterosexuals ... the norms governing the morality of homosexual activity are those which govern all sexual activity and the norms governing sexual activity are those that govern all human sexual activity. Are homosexuals by reason of their condition, denied by God and nature the right enjoyed by heterosexuals to the intimate sexual expression of love?” The commission’s findings were widely received by mainline theologians while being criticized by Rome. Two years later John Paul ll became pope and moral theology came to a standstill.

The CTSA report was a denial of the truth. Moral theology lives on as a means to explain, in some way, the immutable truths which some refuse to accept.
####

After reviewing a few other pages of its website, I was unable to determine which was worse, NCR or CNT...Both are contaminated with poison. Both are unfit for Catholic consumption. Anyway, I answered my own question above...Nevertheless, perhaps, one of the Canadian members of St. Blog's Parish could comment?

Source.

Statement of the Catholic Medical Association Re: Terri Schiavo

News Release Feb 19, 2005

Statement of the Catholic Medical Association : Regarding the provision of artificial nutrition and hydration in the case of Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

"There is no rational justification, moral or medical, to withdraw food and water from Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo."

The mission of the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) is to uphold the truth of the Catholic Faith in the science and practice of medicine. In July 2003, the CMA published a statement regarding the provision of artificial nutrition and hydration in the case of Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo. The circumstances surrounding this case have been widely publicized. In 2003, after summarizing the ethical directives found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care, we concluded that based upon the current teaching of the Church the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration could not be justified.

Two subsequent events compel us to update our former statement to uphold the truth and defend the life of Mrs. Schindler-Schiavo.

In March 2004, Pope John Paul II addressed an international congress of health care professionals convened in Rome to discuss the scientific advances and ethical dilemmas in the vegetative state. In the statement by the Vicar of Christ, “Life Sustaining Treatments and Vegetative State,” he declares clearly and unequivocally that “the sick person in a vegetative state still has the right to basic health care…the administration of water and food, even when provided by artificial means, always represents a natural means of preserving life, not a medical act…Its use furthermore, should be considered in principle, ordinary and proportionate, and as such morally obligatory…Death by starvation or dehydration is, in fact, the only possible outcome as a result of their withdrawal. In this sense it ends up becoming, if done knowingly and willingly, true and proper euthanasia by omission.”

This papal statement makes it absolutely clear that the withdrawal of food and water from Mrs. Schindler-Schiavo constitutes euthanasia, a gravely immoral act. We would add furthermore, that it represents a violation of her constitutionally protected right to life and a violation of her religious freedom as a Catholic.

Second, recently published data in the journal Neurology indicates that magnetic resonance imaging can be a very powerful tool in the evaluation of “awareness” in patients with severe neurological injury. The findings were so remarkable Dr. Joy Hirsch, director of the Functional MRI Research Center at Columbia University Medical School and an author of the study, said, “The most consequential thing about this is that we have opened a door, we have found an objective voice for these patients, which tells us they have some cognitive ability in a way they cannot tell us themselves. The patients are more human than we imagined in the past, and it is unconscionable not to aggressively pursue research efforts to evaluate them and develop therapeutic techniques.”

These two events, the definitive papal statement and the scientific evidence of new diagnostic techniques required to adequately assess the severely brain injured patient, support our former conclusion in July 2003. There is no rational justification, moral or medical, to withdraw food and water from Mrs. Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

Finally, we recognize that many will not agree with our conclusion. In a country that legally justifies the destruction of innocent human life in its most vulnerable stage of development, within the womb of the mother, it will come as no surprise that our courts have failed to defend her right to life. The darkness of death shrouds the conscience of America.

Therefore, we conclude this statement by making a sincere appeal to all who do agree with us. Please join us in prayer on behalf of Terri, her family and our country; that by the Grace of Almighty God some intervention will save her life and save us from the inevitable consequences if she were euthanized.

Source.

Mock trial challenges "The Da Vinci Code"

The event in Italy aims to expose mistakes and inaccuracies in the novel, which has provoked protest by some Catholics and Protestants.
*****

ROME - Art experts and conservative clerics are holding an unusual "trial" in Leonardo da Vinci's hometown aimed at sorting out fact from fiction in "The Da Vinci Code" after many readers took the smash hit novel as gospel truth.

The event in Vinci, just outside of Florence, began Friday with an opening statement by Alessandro Vezzosi, director of a Leonardo museum. He said he will produce photographs and documents as evidence of the mistakes and historical inaccuracies contained in Dan Brown's best seller.

Full story here.

Adding Fuel to the Fire?

Today's the Post Dispatch prints four letters to the editor. Two in support of the defiant acts of the St. Stanislaus board, one supportive of Archbishop Burke, and one resentful of the Post Dispatch for interviewing parishioners of a south St. Louis parish about their opinions...

Source.

Gospel for Saturday, 1st Week of Lent

From: Matthew 5:43-48

Jesus and His Teaching, the Fulfillment of the Law (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [43] "You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. [45] So that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] You, therefore, must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
**********
Commentary:

43. The first part of this verse--"You shall love your neighbor"--is to be found in Leviticus 19:18. The second part--"hate your enemy"--is not to be found in the Law of Moses. However, Jesus' words refer to a widespread rabbinical interpretation which understood "neighbors" as meaning "Israelites". Our Lord corrects this misinterpretation of the Law: for Him everyone is our neighbor (cf. the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37).

43-47. This passage sums up the teaching which precedes it. Our Lord goes so far as to say that a Christian has no personal enemies. His only enemy is evil as such--sin--but not the sinner. Jesus Himself puts this into practice with those who crucified Him, and He continues to act in the same way towards sinners who rebel against Him and despise Him. Consequently, the saints have always followed His example--like St. Stephen, the first martyr, who prayed for those who were putting him to death. This is the apex of Christian perfection--to love, and pray for, even those who persecute us and calumniate us. It is the distinguishing mark of the children of God.

46. "Tax collectors": the Roman empire had no officials of its own for the collection of taxes: in each country it used local people for this purpose. These were free to engage agents (hence we find reference to "chief tax collectors": cf. Luke 19:2). The global amount of tax for each region was specified by the Roman authorities; the tax collectors levied more than this amount, keeping the surplus for themselves: this led them to act rather arbitrarily, which was why the people hated them. In the case of the Jews, insult was added to injury by the fact that the chosen people were being exploited by Gentiles.

48. Verse 48 is, in a sense, a summary of the teaching in this entire chapter, including the Beatitudes. Strictly speaking, it is quite impossible for a created being to be as perfect as God. What our Lord means here is that God's own perfection should be the model which every faithful Christian tries to follow, even though he realizes that there is an infinite distance between himself and his Creator. However, this does not reduce the force of this commandment; it sheds more light on it. It is a difficult commandment to live up to, but along with this we must take account of the enormous help grace gives us to go so far as to tend towards divine perfection. Certainly, perfection which we should imitate does not refer to the power and wisdom of God, which are totally beyond our scope; here the context seems to refer primarily to love and mercy. Along the same lines, St. Luke quotes these words of our Lord: "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36;cf. note on Luke 6:20-49).

Clearly, the "universal call to holiness" is not a recommendation but a commandment of Jesus Christ.

"Your duty is to sanctify yourself. Yes, even you. Who thinks that this task is only for priests and religious? To everyone, without exception, our Lord said: `Be ye perfect, as My Heavenly Father is perfect'" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 291). This teaching is sanctioned by chapter 5 of Vatican II's Constitution "Lumen Gentium", where it says (40): "The Lord Jesus, divine teacher and model of all perfection, preached holiness of life (of which He is the author and maker) to each and every one of His disciples without distinction: `You, therefore, must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect' [...]. It is therefore quite clear that all Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love, and by this holiness a more human manner of life is fostered also in earthly society."
********************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Faithful Catholics Mobilize to Protest Play at St. Louis University

by Mark Serafino

With prayers, banners and resolve, a group of twenty-one faithful Catholics gathered outside of Tegeler Hall at St. Louis University on Friday February 11, 2005 to protest the vulgar and immoral play "The V***** Monologues" which was presented as part of the national 'V-Day' celebrations at universities across America.
...
One young lady approached protester David Kemna and objected to his sign condemning homosexuality. When Mr. Kemna informed her that his sign was simply a direct quote of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, her startled response was "I'm a student here, and I've never heard that!" She said that while she had heard of the play she was unaware of how vulgar and immoral it was. Before leaving, she offered her support to the protest and said that she was in full agreement.

Full article here.

Miracles at the UN?

Friday Fax
February 18, 2005
Volume 8, Special Report

UN Adopts Pro-Life Declaration Against Human Cloning

In a monumental victory for the pro-life movement, the UN today adopted a declaration condemning human cloning. The UN called on Member States to adopt urgent legislation outlawing all cloning practices "as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life."

Costa Rica, which led the effort for a cloning ban, called the declaration a success for those who seek to promote ethical scientific research.

“This is a powerful message to the world that this morally questionable procedure is outside the bounds of acceptable experimentation,” said Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, one of the main NGOs involved in the negotiation. “By adopting this declaration, the international community is united in condemning all human cloning as exploitative and unethical. This should encourage similar bans in legislatures around the world including in the US Senate,” said Ruse.

The declaration, introduced today by Honduras, came on the last day of a week-long special session devoted entirely to resolving this issue. The declaration proved at the last minute to be an acceptable compromise to countries that have appeared staunchly divided all week. The declaration also marks the end of three years of UN deadlock over human cloning.

Countries were divided mainly over whether to protect “human life” or the “human being.” Costa Rica, Uganda, the United States and others who sought to ban all forms of human cloning, supported “human life.” Countries including Belgium, Singapore and the United Kingdom, who wanted to ban only cloning that would result in born human beings, insisted on protecting the “human being,” which according to some international legal documents would protect only those already born.

The declaration also calls on countries to "prevent the exploitation of women." Cloning requires harvesting eggs from women, and delegates from developing countries feared their women being turned into inexpensive "egg farms." The declaration calls on wealthier nations to direct attention and funding to pressing medical issues such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It also condemns all applications of any genetic engineering techniques that threaten human dignity.

The declaration sets an international ethical standard that sends a clear signal to countries that encourage human cloning. For instance, in the United Kingdom, two "licenses" for research cloning have been issued. The first is currently subject to a legal challenge on the basis that the cloning "license" is unlawful and unnecessary. It is due to be heard in the High Court shortly. Cloning opponents in the United Kingdom welcomed the UN's resolution and look forward to Member States fulfilling their international obligations.

Copyright 2005
C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute).
Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.
Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 427
New York, New York 10017
Phone: (212) 754-5948 Fax: (212) 754-9291
E-mail: c-fam@c-fam.org Website: www.c-fam.org

Gospel for Friday,1st Week of Lent

From: Matthew 5:20-26

Jesus and His Teaching, the Fulfillment of the Law (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [20] "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

[21] "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' [22] But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. [23] So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, [24] leave your gift there before the altar and go; first to be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. [25] Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; [26] truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.
*****
Commentary:

20. "Righteousness": see the note on Matthew 5:6 (see below). This verse clarifies the meaning of the preceding verses. The scribes and Pharisees had distorted the spirit of the Law, putting the whole emphasis on its external, ritual observance. For them exact and hyper-detailed but external fulfillment of the precepts of the Law was a guarantee of a person's salvation: "If I fulfill this I am righteous, I am holy and God is duty bound to save me." For someone with this approach to sanctification it is really not God who saves: man saves himself through external works of the Law. That this approach is quite mistaken is obvious from what Christ says here; in effect what He is saying is: to enter the Kingdom of God the notion of righteousness or salvation developed by the scribes and Pharisees must be rejected.

In other words, justification or sanctification is a grace from God; man's role is one of cooperating with that grace by being faithful to it. Elsewhere Jesus gives the same teaching in an even clearer way (cf. Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector). It was also the origin of one of St. Paul's great battles with the "Judaizers" (see Galatians 3 and Romans 2-5).

21. Verses 21-26 gives us a concrete example of the way that Jesus Christ brought the Law of Moses to its fulfillment, by explaining the deeper meaning of the commandments of that Law.

22. By speaking in the first person ("but I say to you") Jesus shows that His authority is above that of Moses and the prophets; that is to say, He has divine authority. No mere man could claim such authority.

"Insults": practically all translations of this passage transcribe the original Aramaic word, "raca" (cf. RSV note below). It is not an easy word to translate. It means "foolish, stupid, crazy". The Jews used it to indicate utter contempt; often, instead of verbal abuse they would show their feelings by spitting on the ground.

"Fool" translates an ever stronger term of abuse than "raca"--implying that a person has lost all moral and religious sense, to the point of apostasy.

In this passage our Lord points to three faults which we commit against charity, moving from internal irritation to showing total contempt. St. Augustine comments that three degrees of faults and punishments are to be noted. The first is the fault of feeling angry; to this corresponds the punishment of "judgment". The second is that of passing an insulting remark, which merits the punishment of "the council". The third arises when anger quite blinds us: this is punished by "the hell of fire" (cf. "De Serm. Dom. in Monte", II, 9).

"The hell of fire": literally, "Gehenna of fire", meaning, in the Jewish language of the time, eternal punishment.

This shows the gravity of external sins against charity--gossip, backbiting, calumny, etc. However, we should remember that these sins stem from the heart; our Lord focuses our attention, first, on internal sins--resentment, hatred, etc.--to make us realize that that is where the root lies and that it is important to nip anger in the bud.

23-24. Here our Lord deals with certain Jewish practices of His time, and in doing so gives us perennial moral teaching of the highest order. Christians, of course, do not follow these Jewish ritual practices; to keep our Lord's commandment we have ways and means given us by Christ Himself. Specifically, in the New and definitive Covenant founded by Christ, being reconciled involves going to the Sacrament of Penance. In this Sacrament the faithful "obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against Him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins" ("Lumen Gentium", 11).

In the New Testament, the greatest of all offerings is the Eucharist. Although one has a duty to go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, an essential condition before receiving Holy Communion is that one be in the state of grace.

It is not our Lord's intention here to give love of neighbor priority over love of God. There is an order of charity: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38). Love of one's neighbor, which is the second commandment in order of importance (cf. Matthew 22:39), derives its meaning from the first. Brotherhood without parenthood is inconceivable. An offense against charity is, above all, an offense against God.

[Note on Matthew 5:6 states:
6. The notion of righteousness (or justice) in Holy Scripture is an essentially religious one (cf. notes on Matthew 1:19 and 3:15; Romans 1:17; 1:18-32; 3:21-22 and 24). A righteous person is one who sincerely strives to do the Will of God, which is discovered in the commandments, in one's duties of state in life and through one's life of prayer. Thus, righteousness, in the language of the Bible, is the same as what nowadays is usually called "holiness" (1 John 2:29; 3:7-10; Revelations 22:11; Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 9:4).]
**********
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Link to USCCB 2nd Audit

Bishops' "Faithful Citizenship" undermined by conservative groups???

This is what we are told in yesterday's article by Joe Feuerherd of the National [un]Catholic Distorter...

And just who are these "conservative" groups which undermined the wonderfully confusing and ambiguous "Faithful Citizenship"?

Catholic Answers, primarily, and:

Catholic traditionalists,
conservatives and neoconservatives,
the "radicalized element" of the antiabortion movement,
Republican political partisans and
"evangelicalized Catholics."

Notice that it includes the "Anti-abortion" movement, rather than the "Pro-Life" movement.

Not only this but, in a shameful criticism of Archbishop Burke and others, we are told that "in some dioceses the activists 'were emboldened by the actions of some bishops,' particularly in dioceses where bishops threatened to withhold Communion from pro-choice Catholic politicians".

Catholic University of America associate professor of Religious Studies, William Dinges, who is quoted at length in this article, laments that so many diocesan social action directors around the country were challenged by these "activists".

Dinges notes that previously

disputes between liberal and conservative Catholics centered largely on intra-church issues, such as liturgical practices. (my emphasis)

Unfortunately, this rhetoric of "liberal" and "conservative" only fuels the divisions - as do the all-too-common "Do-it-yourself" liturgical shenanigans "liberals" forced the faithful to endure. What is meant, in objective reality, by the above terms can only be viewed as synonomous with "unfaithful, disobedient, or ignorant" or "faithful to the liturgical laws of the Church".

He continues:

Today's tug-of-war is focused on the "broader culture wars in American society" and liberal Catholics and their conservative brethren are no longer even "pulling on the same rope."

Of course, he is complete wrong here. Those professed Catholics who view all life issues as having equal weight in the theological, moral, and social sphere are, in fact, "pulling on the same rope" as those of us whose views are representative of the Holy Father and the Church.

The problem, and this is what Dinges misses, is that he and others of his persuasion are on the opposing side "pulling on the rope" in one direction while those "pro-life activists" are pulling in the opposite direction.

The reasons for this division among Catholics are not founded on the political terms of "liberal" and "conservative" but on something more fundamental. This division has its roots and genesis in a failure to properly form one's conscience according to the light of Divine Truth which is stated clearly in Catholic teachings. Archbishop Burke reminded us of this in his Pastoral Letter last October:

To the degree that our conscience is not informed by the divine truth, to that degree our conscience is liable to an erroneous judgment. There are times when we make a wrong moral judgment because of ignorance of the truth. Sometimes, we are responsible for the ignorance because we have failed to seek out the truth or have dulled our conscience through repeated sin. In any case, it is always our responsibility to inform our conscience with the truth, especially with the help of our teachers in the faith, the Holy Father, the Bishops in communion with the Holy Father, and our priests, co-workers with the Bishops (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 1790-1794)...[Pastoral Letter, No. 17]

We have witnessed and continue to witness, sadly even in the Church, a blindness with regard to the moral teachings of the Church. The repeated attempts to place all social teachings on the same moral plane continues, despite the fact that the Church, through the Holy Father and the Bishops united with him, clearly indicate that this position is erroneous. Again Archbishop Burke, reflected this in his letter:

In considering “the sum total of social conditions,” there is, however, a certain order of priority, which must be followed. Conditions upon which other conditions depend must receive our first consideration. The first consideration must be given to the protection of human life itself, without which it makes no sense to consider other social conditions. “The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2273). [Pastoral Letter, No. 20]

Understandably, and to continue to address the position of Catholics who are unable to grasp the teaching of intrnsically evil moral acts and the error of applying equal weight to various social and moral positions, he continues and quotes the Holy Father:

Some Catholics, too, have suggested that a candidate’s position on other issues involving human rights are as important as his or her position on the right to life. Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II has reminded us that, in order to defend all human rights, we must first defend the right to life:

The inviolability of the person which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights—for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture—is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination” (Pope John Paul II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici, “On the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the Modern World,” December 30, 1988, n. 38b).

Returning to the NCR article, Dinges laments:

"We do not even know how to talk to each other -- to have responsible adult conversations -- in areas where there is serious disagreement." The structures that are supposed to facilitate communication within the church, says Dinges, are "dysfunctional."

There can be no legitimate disagreement with those things the Church teaches as as matter of faith or morals. To reject the authority of the Church in teaching us about our responsibilites is to reject Our Lord, who in HIs inifinite wisdom, gave us the Church to teach and guide us.

There certainly can be open and legitimate conversations in the Church about issues provided that the dialogue does not reject or call into question the teachings we have received from Jesus Christ and His Church - it is that dialogue which questions Church teaching that is, by its very nature, dysfunctional. To claims otherwise is not "adult" but childish. It is a sign of pride, an indication that one has strayed from the path which Christ wishes us to follow.

We are reminded by Archbishop Burke:

Let us all pray for the wisdom and courage to give a full account of the moral law, taught to us by the Church, to our fellow citizens, and to defend the moral law for the sake of the good of all our brothers and sisters, especially our “least” brothers and sisters, with whom our Lord identifies Himself.

Breaking News/Friday Fax 2/18/05

We expect that by noon Eastern Time today, there will be a resolution in the UN General Assembly regarding human cloning. We do not know at this point which way the UN will go. We will issue a special bulletin when the decision is made.

Spread the word.
Yours Sincerely,
Austin Ruse
President
----------------------------------
FRIDAY FAX

February 18, 2005
Volume 8, Number 9

UN TO DECIDE TODAY ON HUMAN CLONING

A UN committee has been meeting in special session this week to agree to a document on human cloning. After two years of negotiations, a substantive outcome seems more likely than another postponement. Pro-life groups hope that the result of today’s deliberations will be the adoption a political declaration that condemns all forms of human cloning that violate the protection of human life.

Action has been postponed for the past two years partly due to concern about a lack of consensus. Any consensus is still unlikely today, as nations on opposite sides of the debate continue to find it impossible to agree on enough common ground. Supporters of human experimental cloning may push for another delay rather than allowing a vote they could possibly lose.

Historically, countries that support human experimental cloning, including China, South Africa, and Belgium have been in the minority. They have forestalled voting on procedural grounds. Some observers believe that these countries do not want to be on record as voting against the protection of “human life.”

Yet today, pro-life groups are optimistic that countries will allow a substantive vote to proceed. Many delegates at this week’s special session have expressed frustration with the constant delays, and have shown concern that a final result is necessary to maintain the UN’s credibility.

The sticking point continues to be language that would protect “human life,” or in the alternative, the “human being.” Countries that would like to ban all forms of human cloning support the words “human life.” Countries that favor only a limited ban on reproductive cloning have advocated for the words “human being,” which some international legal documents have found to extend only to born individuals. This language would not protect the embryo used in human experimental cloning, where the embryo is killed after a few days of growth, upon the removal of its stem cells.

Negotiations on human cloning have been ongoing at the UN since 2002, when France and Germany proposed the creation of an international convention that would ban human reproductive cloning but allow human experimental cloning. Their proposal was countered by Spain and the United States, which proposed banning all forms of human cloning. Procedural wrangling and substantive disagreement delayed any decision on these proposals over the next two years.

In October 2004, Costa Rica again proposed a convention to ban all forms of human cloning, and Belgium advanced a counter-proposal to ban only reproductive cloning. Negotiations led all sides to drop the idea of a convention, which is a legally binding document, and to attempt to agree on a declaration. While a declaration is nonbinding, it is in effect immediately and may have a strong political impact.

Copyright 2005 – C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute).
Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.
Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 427
New York, New York 10017
Phone: (212) 754-5948 Fax: (212) 754-9291
E-mail: c-fam@c-fam.org Website: www.c-fam.org

Praying for a Resolution of the St. Stanislaus Issue by Easter

Editor:

Your presentation of the St. Stanislaus crisis Feb. 11 has been superb in its clarity and logic.

My heart is deeply saddened by so many parishioners who are in open rebellion to the true authority of our wonderful archbishop and now the Holy See. I almost feel like apologizing to Archbishop Burke on the hostile reception he has been given since his arrival in St. Louis.

Those of us that have met him and know him find him tremendously warm, sincere and very caring, a truly holy man. We are blessed with the presence of such a man. I feel that the people in rebellion to the archbishop have been blinded by their own pride and truly do not know what they are doing. My big fear is that they are putting their own immortal soul at risk and this Lent need to carefully examine their motivations and actions. My hope and prayer is for a resolution of this situation by Easter.

Bill Henzey
South St. Louis County

This is a wonderful letter which expresses the thoughts of many of the people I know.

Archdiocesan Documents re: St. Stanislaus

Archbishop clarifies St. Stanislaus situation

Q&A about St. Stanislaus Parish
---------------------------------

Source of Letter.

Real possession by devil not that common,...

ROME (CNS) -- The devil is real and can possess people, but it does not happen as often as many people think, said two Italian exorcists.

When a person who thinks he or she is possessed approaches a priest looking for help, they said, the priest must know enough about possession to know whether a simple prayer is called for or whether he needs to refer the person to a psychologist or to the diocesan exorcist.

To prepare priests and future priests to help people in those situations, Rome's Regina Apostolorum university -- run by the Legionaries of Christ -- inaugurated a course on Satanism and exorcism Feb. 17.

Father Gabriele Nanni, an exorcist and an expert on the history of the exorcism rite, told the students that because demons are cast out in the name of Christ and his church any attempt at exorcism must follow church rules precisely and the exorcist -- always a priest -- must be explicitly assigned by the local bishop to perform the rite.

"If a priest falls victim to pride, the demon can take his power," Father Nanni said. "If you say, 'My bishop says I cannot do this exorcism, but I will anyway,' that is disobedience, and the devil rejoices."

Complete article here.

Gigantic Strides Made in Protecting Children

WASHINGTON - A group comprised mostly of former FBI agents has traveled the country for the second consecutive year, examining sex abuse prevention programs in Roman Catholic dioceses.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops plans to reveal Friday what the auditors found. A spokesman said "gigantic strides have been made" in protecting children.

"The bishops pledged with God's help to do whatever must be done to rid the church of the horrible scourge of the sexual abuse of children," said Bill Ryan, of the bishops' conference. "There will be no slacking off in this commitment."

Source.

**** Extra Notes ****
The 2nd REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ‘CHARTER FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’ will be made public at noon, Friday, February 18, at a news conference at the National Press Club, Washington, DC.

There will be a live Webcast of the news conference. The entire Report, and executive summaries of each audit, will be posted on the Conference website, www.USCCB.org.
****
I'm with Bishop Bruskewitz about this. Look at the root causes of this scandal, that of dissent and homosexuality, and deal with those aspects. Many people are unaware of the absurdities going on today. How many parish secretaries and office personnel have had to go through "background checks" and special "training" in recent years - all of them???

This, I suspect, is more about limiting liabilities and maintaining reasonable insurance rates, than "protecting children".

Springfield Bishop Lucas Hires Team to Check Abuse Reports

Bishop George J. Lucas of the Roman Catholic diocese of Springfield, Ill., said Thursday that he had appointed an investigative team, headed by a former U.S. attorney, to look into allegations of sexual misconduct by the diocese's clergy.

A spokeswoman for the diocese, Kathie Sass, said the bishop's decision to form the panel came in the wake of an incident involving the diocese's former chancellor, the Rev. Eugene Costa. In December, Costa was found badly beaten in a Springfield park frequented by homosexual men.

"Recently, there have been allegations of gross misconduct against a number of priests of this diocese - indeed even one against me, which I know to be false," Lucas said Thursday.

Critics of the archdiocese took issue with Lucas' assertion that the investigative panel is independent.

"This panel is paid by Lucas and answers to Lucas," said Stephen G. Brady, head of a Petersburg, Ill.-based conservative organization called Roman Catholic Faithful. "There seems to be a conflict of interest here. There's no independence in this independent investigation."

Article.

Archbishop Burke on the Death of Sister Lucia

Since the time when our Blessed Mother appeared to her, Lucia dos Santos has never failed to be the herald of the messages which she received from our Lady...It is important for us, on the historic occasion of her death, to reflect on the messages which our Lord confided to her for the sake of our salvation.
...
Sister Maria Lucia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart is a model for living in Christ, doing God’s will in all things. Her example of prayer and penance is particularly inspiring to us as we continue our Lenten observance through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Our Lenten practices are undertaken with confidence in the strength of God’s grace to transform our lives and our world. It is the Mother of God, who shared in the grace of the Redemption from the moment of her conception, who draws us to her Son, that our hearts may become ever purer, ever more one with the Heart of Jesus. Yes, we live in a world which is practically atheistic, which denies the existence of God and rebels against His plan for us and our world. But the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph by drawing all to the Heart of her Divine Son.

Let us have the confidence of Sister Lucia and of our Holy Father. Giving ourselves completely to doing the will of God, let us set aside all fear, for Christ is at work in the world, in our personal lives, accomplishing the salvation of the world.

Source

Michael Schiavo Prepares Again to Kill Terri

Thanks to Times Against Humanity for the updates.

A link on the right has updates on Terri's plight.
Please keep her in your prayers and do whatever you can to help.

Notification on the Book, 'Jesus Symbol of God'

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after careful study, has judged that the book Jesus Symbol of God (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1999), by Father Roger Haight, S.J., contains serious doctrinal errors regarding certain fundamental truths of faith. It was therefore decided to publish this Notification in its regard, which concludes the relevant procedure for doctrinal examination.

The complete text of the Notification can be read here.

Some highlights:

This interpretation [of the pre-existence of the Word] is not in accord with the dogma of Nicaea, which intentionally affirms, even contrary to the cultural vision of the time, the true pre-existence of the Son/Logos of the Father, who became man, in time, for the salvation of humanity.

This interpretation of the divinity of Jesus is contrary to the faith of the Church that believes in Jesus Christ, eternal Son of God, who became man, as has been proclaimed repeatedly in various ecumenical councils and in the constant preaching of the Church.

This interpretation of Trinitarian doctrine is erroneous and contrary to the faith regarding the oneness of God in the Trinity of Persons that the Church has proclaimed and confirmed in numerous and authoritative documents.'

The Author's position [on the salvific value of the death of Jesus] is in reality contrary to the doctrine of the Church, which has always held that Jesus intended his death to be for the sake of universal redemption. The Church sees in the New Testament references to salvation, in particular the words of the institution of the Eucharist, a norm of faith regarding the universal salvific value of the sacrifice of the Cross.

This theological position [on the unicity and universality of the salvific mediation of Jesus and of the Church] fundamentally denies the universal salvific mission of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 4:12; I Tm 2:4-6; Jn 14:6) and, as a consequence, the mission of the Church to announce and communicate the gift of Christ the Savior to all humanity (cf. Mt 28:19; Mk 16:15; Eph 3:8-11), both of which are given clear witness in the New Testament and have always been proclaimed as the faith of the Church, even in recent Documents.'

The Author's interpretation [of the Resurrection] leads to a position which is incompatible with the Church's doctrine. It is advanced on the basis of erroneous assumptions, and not on the witness of the New Testament, according to which the appearances of the Risen Lord and the empty tomb are the foundation of the faith of the disciples in the Resurrection of Christ, and not vice versa.

Quite a number of grave points discussed in this Notification.

The Elephant in the Church

By Fr. Charles Dahlby

As a Catholic priest I have an investment in issues that affect the Church and the people of God and as a Christian I have an obligation to speak out. So let me make the following points as clearly as I can:

1. Most of the scandals and evils we see in the Church today are brought about primarily by homosexuality. Homosexuality is an objective moral disorder and unacceptable in the priesthood! For nearly two thousand years the teaching of the scripture, the magisterium, and Tradition, the three sources of revelation which give us truth, have all agreed. on homosexuality as an “abomination”! Only recently have Phil and Oprah and a few TV sitcoms disagreed. But God doesn’t change and Phil and Oprah won’t be on the throne to judge us!

2. Even though Church documents forbid the acceptance of homosexuals into the seminary and their ordination to the priesthood, those in authority have for years looked the other way, (Don’t ask, don’t tell) and homosexuals have flocked into the Church. Now they have positions of authority! They use this authority to protect and promote one another creating a distinct sub-culture that is rapidly becoming dominant. This sub-culture is the ideal homosexual environment. As a priest no one questions why you aren’t married. You get respect that you never earned. You have a target-rich environment, especially if you have a school, and if you slip up and get caught the civil authorities will not want to prosecute you because you’re a priest and, as we have seen, the Church will cover you, defend you, and may set you up in another parish or even another diocese so you can continue to prey on God’s people. A homosexual predator could not hope to find a more friendly and supportive environment than priesthood in the American Catholic Church!

3. The phrase “An elephant in the room” is used in group dynamics to mean that there is an issue of great importance that is being carefully avoided. The fact that the leadership of the Church so obviously refuses to deal honestly with homosexuality in its midst is a proof of its very powerful presence and authority. The effort expended on avoiding the obvious truth is evidence that gross ignorance cannot explain this blindness, only a conscious and premeditated effort to avoid what is so clear! Because it is done with awareness, it crosses the line from human weakness to genuine malignant evil!
. . .

I found the following excerpt worrisome:

For example, right now there is a young man in the seminary in St. Louis who will be ordained a priest soon. His picture and his story were front page news in the “Illinois Times,” He was the president of a gay and lesbian organization in Springfield, Illinois. Current Church teaching is that he should not have been admitted to the seminary and should not be ordained. His religious superior and the appropriate bishops are well aware of his orientation yet in complete contradiction to Church directives from Rome he continues and those who objected were labeled by his superior as “whiners”! (The Rev. Charles Bouchard, president of the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis said: "I think straight priests and seminarians shouldn’t be whining. I just don’t think it’s a big deal.") The few priests foolish enough to speak openly about the scandal of homosexuality in the priesthood have soon learned that they will receive no help or support from anyone. The people don’t want to believe it. The newspapers won’t print it. The district attorney won’t prosecute. After all, his is an elected position, and the only thing more pointless than writing to the bishop is writing to “Rome”! Only in the area of pedophilia have we been able to enlist the aid of lawyers and multi-million dollar lawsuits to help keep some children a little safer. Only when they got hit in the purse did these bishops have a sudden attack of morality. (Emphasis mine-LRS)

So, if anyone is interested.... The elephant in the room is - HOMOSEXUAL PRIESTS/BISHOPS The solution is - GET THEM OUT!
###
Fr. Charles Dahlby, Pastor of St. Rita Church, Kincaid, IL and Pastor of St. Mary Church, Pawnee IL, Diocese of Springfield, IL

Born and raised a Mormon, became a Baptist, and then became a Catholic. Fr. Dahlby has been a priest for 27 years.

Complete article.

“20 Years of Scandals is Enough! Cardinal Mahony Must Resign—Now!”

Catholic Activists in LA Launch Collection Basket Boycott

By Kenneth Fisher - Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.

ANAHEIM, CA.-- “We urge all Catholics to stop giving money to the world’s most scandalous Cardinal,” says Kenneth Fisher, Founder and Chairman of Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc. (CRCOA). “20 years of homosexual, pedophile and heresy scandals is enough! It’s time for Cdl. Roger Mahony to resign.”

The Catholic activist group is launching a “collection basket strike” aimed at pressuring Cdl. Mahony out of office. “For years the Cardinal has turned a deaf ear to anguished complaints from lay people and even priests,” Fisher stated. “So the people in the pews are now talking in a language he understands-MONEY.”

Fisher’s group will distribute tens of thousands of small cards for people of the Los Angeles Archdiocese to drop in church collection baskets. The cards list 13 of the worst scandals Cdl. Mahony has been guilty of since he became Archbishop of Los Angeles in 1985.

Article here

William Donohue: Hollywood Needs an Exorcism

Catholic League president William Donohue commented today on the new Warner Brothers film, “Constantine,” which opens tomorrow:

“Those who like Marilyn Manson and professional wrestling should be drawn to ‘Constantine.’ The movie is not only spiritual junk food for religious illiterates, it’s another example of the way Hollywood rips off Catholicism.

“The plot centers on a chain-smoking, bummed out, demon-hunting detective who’s been to hell and back. Constantine’s pursuit of demons is not, however, altruistically driven: because he once tried to kill himself, he thinks he’s doomed to go to hell unless he can earn enough chips to get into heaven. Lucky for him, he becomes adept at performing exorcisms. Along the way he meets a policewoman who’s determined to prove that her deceased Catholic sister didn’t commit suicide, and thus can be given a Christian burial. And, of course, he meets a priest, who just happens to be an Irish drunk.

More here.

Cardinal Rigali Wishes for More Bishops who Speak Strongly on Abortion and Homosexuality

WASHINGTON, February 17, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali spoke with LifeSiteNews.com a few weeks ago regarding the struggles of the Church in Canada and the United States with regard to abortion and homosexuality. The answer to these dilemmas says the Cardinal is in Pope John Paul II’s teaching on the theology of the body which is an honest look at the human body with spiritual insight.

When the truth of the body, as expounded in theology of the body, is not observed, said the Cardinal, “then we go into the darkness of abandoning God’s plan.”

As we clearly witness every day...

When asked by LifeSiteNews.com about the growing number of bishops, particularly in the United States, who have of late been more outspoken and very explicit on the issues, Cardinal Rigali commented, “God Bless them. That’s a great credit to them. May they continue and may there be more.”

And we should praise God daily for His great and generous gift of leaders who, in His Divine Providence, He has provided for us.

Source.

Sewage Spill near Abortion Clinic....

- Baby Body Parts Seen on Street

HOUSTON, February 17, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Eyewitnesses reported seeing baby body parts mixed in with sewage after a broken line caused a sewage spill near a north Houston abortuary Tuesday.

LifeSiteNews

Chastity and Faithfulness: Sure Ways to Avoid AIDS

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 17, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The sure strategy to prevent the spread of AIDS is based on chastity and faithfulness, which Catholics live within marriage, says the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Bishop Elio Sgreccia disagreed with the idea of using condoms as a means of prevention since, among other things, they do not guarantee immunity from infection.

Archeologists discover St. Paul's tomb

Rome, Feb. 17 (CWNews.com) - Vatican archeologists believe that they have identified the tomb of St. Paul in the Roman basilica that bears his name.

A sarcophagus which may contain the remains of St. Paul was identified in the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, reports Giorgio Filippi, a archeology specialist with the Vatican Museums. The sarcophagus was discovered during the excavations carried out in 2002 and 2003 around the basilica, which is located in the south of Rome. Having reached what they believe is a positive identification of the tomb, Vatican experts will soon make a public announcement of their discovery.

"The tomb that we discovered is the one that the popes and the Emperor Theodosius (379- 395) saved and presented to the whole world as being the tomb of the apostle," Filippi reports.

The discovery was made by a team composed exclusively of experts from the Vatican Museum. They had undertaken their exploration in response to a request from the administrator of St. Paul's basilica, Archbishop Francesco Gioia. During the Jubilee Year 2000, the archbishop noticed that thousands of pilgrims were inquiring about the location of St. Paul's tomb. The excavation effort was guided by 19th-century plans for the basilica, which was largely rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1823.

Complete article.

Pope's Health Good, Recovered Better than Expected

VATICAN CITY - The emergency room doctor who treated Pope John Paul II's breathing crisis says the pontiff made a swifter-than-expected recovery and is generally in good health.

"The recovery time was more rapid than we initially predicted," and the pope was discharged a day ahead of initial estimates for his release, Dr. Rodolfo Proietti told the daily newspaper of the Italian Bishops Conference, Avvenire.

Source.

Cardinal describes Eucharist mystery

This is a followup to this post.

Another article on Cardinal Dulles' talk to a "packed house"...

Loyola Ignores Archbishop over V-Monologues

Loyola University students, whose plan to stage "The Vagina Monologues" last year was blocked by the school's interim president, staged the feminist play this week with his successor's blessing -- drawing a public rebuke of the Loyola administration from Archbishop Alfred Hughes.

In an e-mail to the university community Monday, the Rev. Kevin Wildes, Loyola president, acknowledged the controversy surrounding the popular 9-year-old work to be performed that night. Though he noted that its frank language might make some people uncomfortable and said the university was not endorsing everything in the play, he commended the work for raising important issues, "particularly about sexual violence toward women."

In a written statement Wednesday, Hughes said he thought it his duty as the chief teacher in the archdiocese to declare that the play is "contrary to sound Catholic teaching and does not advance the important questions about women, human sexuality, violence against women and the common good, which it proposes to address."

Many Catholic university leaders, in paraphrasing Genesis, seem to say, "We have become like gods, determining for ourselves what is good and what is evil...",

Source.

Gospel for Thursday. 1st Week of Lent

From: Matthew 7:7-12

The Effectiveness of Prayer

(Jesus told His disciples,) [7] "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [8] For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. [9] Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? [11] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

The Golden Rule

[12] "So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets."
*********************
Commentary:

7-11. Here the Master teaches us in a number of ways about the effectiveness of prayer. Prayer is a raising of mind and heart to God to adore Him, to praise Him, to thank Him and to ask Him for what we need (cf. "St. Pius X Catechism", 255). Jesus emphasizes the need for petitionary prayer, which is the first spontaneous movement of a soul who recognizes God as his Creator and Father. As God's creature and child, each of us needs to ask Him humbly for everything.

In speaking of the effectiveness of prayer, Jesus does not put any restriction: "Every one who asks receives", because God is our Father. St. Jerome comments: "It is written, to everyone who asks it will be given; so, if it is not given to you, it is not given to you because you do not ask; so, ask and you will receive" ("Comm. in Matth.", 7). However, even though prayer in itself is infallible, sometimes we do not obtain what we ask for. St. Augustine says that our prayer is not heard because we ask "aut mali, aut male, aut mala." "Mali" (= evil people): because we are evil, because our personal dispositions are not good; "male" (= badly): because we pray badly, without faith, not persevering, not humbly; "mala" (= bad things): because we ask for bad things, that is, things which are not good for us, things which can harm us (cf. "De Civitate Dei, XX", 22 and 27; "De Serm. Dom. In Monte", II, 27, 73). In the last analysis, prayer is ineffective when it is not true prayer. Therefore, "Pray. In what human venture could you have greater guarantee of success?" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 96).

12. This "golden rule" gives us a guideline to realize our obligations towards and the love we should have for others. However, if we interpreted it superficially it would become a selfish rule; it obviously does not mean "do utdes" ("I give you something so that you will give me something") but that we should do good to others unconditionally: we are clever enough not to put limits on how much we love ourselves. This rule of conduct will be completed by Jesus' "new commandment" (John 13:34), where He teaches us to love others as He Himself has loved us.
****************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

It's Not Too Late....

...to register for the 2005 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.

Archbishop seeks help in cleanup of lead pollution

A Catholic archbishop from Peru visited St. Louis this week as part of a growing international effort to address health and environmental problems surrounding a local company's lead smelter in the Andes Mountains.

Archbishop Pedro Barreto said he hoped the response to the "grave problems" in La Oroya, Peru, would provide a model of collaboration among public, private and religious groups.

"In this global world in which we live, solidarity must also be global," Barreto said in Spanish through a translator.

Article.

Council of Trent teaching on real presence remains the norm

...Says Cardinal Avery Dulles.

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Cardinal Avery Dulles said in a lecture Feb. 15 that the 1551 teaching of the Council of Trent on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist "remains today as normative as ever." The council described the presence with three adverbs -- "truly, really and substantially" -- that are "the keys that open the door to Catholic teaching and exclude contrary views," he said.

Thank you, Cardinal Dulles.

Source.

Prayer labyrinth has students at Wisconsin school walking in circles

...Confused and lost, I suspect....

GREEN BAY, Wis. (CNS) -- At St. Mary Central High School in Neenah, students will spend Lent going around in circles in search of God. The school now has a prayer labyrinth, thanks to the efforts of its librarian, Anne Shelley, along with religion teacher Gail Hawley, former religion teacher Patti Christensen and students in its religion classes.

Prayer, fasting, almsgiving, Stations of the Cross, etc., just can't compete with labyrinth walking...Where are the parents?

Link.

U.S. theological society distressed at Vatican action on theologian

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The board of directors of the Catholic Theological Society of America has expressed "profound distress" at the Vatican action condemning a book by U.S. Jesuit Father Roger Haight and banning him from teaching Catholic theology.

"Father Haight's book 'Jesus Symbol of God' has done a great service in framing crucial questions that need to be addressed today," the board said in a statement given to Catholic News Service Feb. 16.

Roberto S. Goizueta, CTSA president and a theology professor at Boston College who is currently living in Spain during a sabbatical from his teaching post, told CNS in a telephone interview from Madrid that he viewed the doctrinal congregation's notification as blurring the line between theology and catechetics. "What they're trying to do is get him to restate the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church,'" he said. "That's not what theology is. Theology is about creative exploration of revelation and the doctrine of the church."

He makes it sound like the SCDF has overstepped its bounds...I once heard Patrick Madrid say something like, "Thank God for theologians, but dear God, protect us from theologians."

Full article here.

Pro-Life Victory in Poland

Cardinal Arinze Ends Debate: No Communion for Pro-Abortion Politicians or Rainbow Sashers

The HEADLINE is not mine....I can hear hear people saying, "It's not definitive!" However, we know clearly the mind of the Church in this debate, and there should be no debate...

VATICAN CITY, February 16, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, the top Vatican Cardinal in charge of the sacraments of the Catholic Church has made it plain in an on-camera interview with EWTN that pro-abortion politicians may not be admitted to Holy Communion.

A February 11 EWTN broadcast of the news program, World Over Live, with host Raymond Arroyo, featured an interview with Arinze, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The interview covered a wide range of topics, including female altar servers, Latin in the Mass, abortion and the rainbow sash movement.
...
Cardinal Arinze responded, “The answer is clear. If a person says I am in favour of killing unborn babies whether they be four thousand or five thousand, I have been in favour of killing them. I will be in favour of killing them tomorrow and next week and next year. So, unborn babies, too bad for you. I am in favour that you should be killed, then the person turn around and say I want to receive Holy Communion. Do you need any Cardinal from the Vatican to answer that?"...

Arroyo followed with “And were you open to allowing this group [Rainbow Sash Movement] to receive Communion as he [Archbihsop Flynn] inferred in some of the newspapers.”

The Vatican Cardinal responded, “No, no. You see, let's get it clear. These rainbow sash people, are they really saying we are homosexuals, we intend to remain so and we want to receive Holy Communion. The question arises; take the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It says it is not condemning a person for having homosexual tendency. We don't condemn anybody for that. But a person stands condemned for acting on it.”

What an excellent show this must have been...

Complete LifeSiteNews article.

To listen to the show from EWTN, click here or here to download.

Mar 6 - An Invitation - The Story of St Charbel

You and your family are cordially invited to a presentation titled:

The Story of St. Charbel and the Situation in the
Middle East from a Catholic Perspective

To be held at

St. Raymonds Cathedral
931 Lebanon Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63104

Sunday, March 6, 2005 at 1:30 PM.

This talk will begin promptly at 1:30PM.

Please consider attending the Mass & Benefit Dinner to be held at 3:00PM at St. Raymonds. Mass will be offered by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke. Please call Art or Jackie Baumgartner 636-931-3503 for further details.

At the age of twenty-three, Charbel (the name he chose when entering the Novitiate) left his loving and closely-knit family to enter the Lebanese-Maronite Monastery called Notre-Dame de Mayfouk. Following studies and perpetual profession at St. Cyprian de Kfifane Monastery, he was ordained in 1859.

Charbel had a reputation for his austerity, penances, obedience, and chastity. At times, Charbel was gifted with levitations during prayer, and he had great devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament.

In all things, Charbel maintained perfect serenity. He was beatified in 1965 by Pope Paul VI and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1977.

This talk is one of a series of regularly held talks sponsored by the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima campaign.

A question and answer period will follow the presentation. Please join us for what promises to be a stimulating afternoon of Catholic conviviality, enlightening conversation, and hope for the future.

Admission is FREE! Refreshments will be offered.

For additional information, contact Mark Serafino at (573) 459-5531.
Email anfstlouis@yahoo.com

The Vatican Explores Israel, and Discovers Its Own Faithful

The number of Jewish Christians in Israel is growing constantly, and the Holy See is adapting. The new Custodian of the Holy Land speaks Hebrew. And in the Cenacle, soon to be returned to the Church, the mass will again be celebrated.

by Sandro Magister

ROMA - Since May 15, the Holy Land has had a new Custodian, Franciscan Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 38, from Bergamo. The Custodian has authority over all the major Christian holy sites in the land of Jesus. His fellow friars were the ones who elected him, but it was the Vatican that had the last word. Pizzaballa speaks Hebrew and has been parish priest for the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem. He is a very close friend of Bishop Jean-Baptiste Gourion, the Jewish convert who, since last autumn, has been placed there by the pope to care for "the Catholic faithful of Jewish expression" living in the Holy Land.

Full article here.

Remember, last Lent, when the Relics were here?

When I was at the Cathedral the weekend the relics were here, everyone, including Archbishop Burke and all of the priests, venerated the relics and prayed to our Lord. I posted an update last week (I think) that the relics were in Arizona.

An Arizona Republic Opinion piece carried this article yesterday:

Alleged 'relics' are pious nonsense

They certainly were not pious nonsense to those who waited for hours to see them.

Town Talk for Wed, Feb 16

High priced mouthpiece
I'D LIKE TO comment on the closing of all the churches and in the south and north communities and the archbishop. Funny how he's closing all these church and then he can hire a high price spokesperson like Jamie Allman to do all the talking for him now. You can't even get the Archbishop to comment on anything at this point.

Where, oh, where to begin? Let's see, we are to believe that if we connect the dots regarding the various church closings, we will discover that this was done to hire Jamie Allman - Do I understand it correctly? It's unbelievable that one can even dream this stuff up...

...And I have yet to see anything published that would support the claim that he is a high-priced spokesman...And lastly, Archbishop Burke provides guidance and commentary all of the time. One can read it every week in the St. Louis Review, if one is committed enough to find out what he has to say.

Religion bashing
ALL YOU POOR Catholics.
If you would keep your noses and your beliefs and your politics and your priest out of the press there wouldn't be anything or any reason to bash your religion. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and their own religious beliefs. You're starting to try and run the country's politicians and the way the laws are run. I was under the impression that religion and state were separate and it doesn't seem to be that way any more. Your priests are preaching the words of God one day and they're in the basement committing sins the next.

And, of course, everyone is free to make a complete ass of himself! Job well done!

What am I bid?
ARCHBISHOP BURKE IS selling religion. If you don't pay for it, you won't get it. What other atrocities will he adopt from the Middle Ages? He is chasing people away from the Catholic Church not administering to their spiritual needs.

"Selling Religion"? With charity being tested by these absurd comments, perhaps it is time to silence myself. Frankly, I am outraged that the Post continues to print these calumnies against Archbishop Burke - every Catholic should be - and the Post should be so informed!

"Administering to their spiritual needs" does not mean confirming them in their sinful actions but calling them to repentance, humility, and obedience. In fact, Archbishop Burke IS administering to their spiritual needs. A quick check of the Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary states that "administer" means:

1 : to manage or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of (administer a trust fund)
2 a : to mete out : DISPENSE (administer punishment) b : to give ritually (administer the last rites) c : to give remedially (administer a dose of medicine)

As has been well documented, #2c above is the purpose of the imposed interdict. Insinuations to the contrary are false.

The source of these profound new critical insights can be found here.

May God Reward Sr.Lucia for her Service to the Church

VATICAN CITY, FEB 16, 2005 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was a Message from the Holy Father to Bishop Albino Mamede Cleto of Coimbra, Portugal, which was read out at the funeral of Sister Lucia who died in that city on Sunday at the age of 97.

"For Lucia," the Pope writes in his Message, "the visit by the Virgin to her and to her cousins Francesco and Jacinta, at Fatima in 1917, was the beginning of a special mission to which she remained faithful to the end of her days. Sister Lucia leaves us an example of great faithfulness to the Lord, and of joyous obedience to His divine will."

"I like to think that Sister Lucia, in her transit from earth to heaven, was welcomed by the One whom she saw at Fatima so many years ago. May the Most Holy Virgin now accompany the soul of this devoted daughter to the beatific encounter with the divine Bridegroom."

I cannot imagine, even in deep meditation, what it must have been like to have seen and spoken with Our Lady...

It's not the Catholics

YOU ALWAYS PRINT these complaints about the Catholics; why don't you print the complaints about the Bosnians in the 4100 block of Beethoven with their loud music playing all day long in their cars?

Today's gem from the St Louis Post Dispatch "Town Talk" column...

A possible answer to the question? Maybe there aren't enough Bosnians to be concerned about yet? Besides, for the Post-Disgrace, "Burke Bashing" is so much more fun, it seems...

Two Schools to Close in La Crosse Diocese...

...and no one has yet blamed Archbishop Burke!

Coulee Catholic Schools will remain intact and two Catholic elementary schools — Mary, Mother of the Church and St. James — will close at the end of the school year, the administrator of the Diocese of La Crosse announced Tuesday.

"After having carefully and prayerfully weighed the whole matter, I have decided that it is not possible at this time to return the Catholic schools to the parishes," the Rev. Richard Gilles said in a prepared statement that rejected an 11th-hour plan to eliminate the consolidated school system and return all grade schools to parish control.

Source.

Latest "Letters" on Abp. Burke & St Stanislaus

The first letter is from an individual who seems to be unable to understand that the Church is an hierarchical institution and not a democracy, nor is there displayed an adequate understanding of the terms "scandal, unity, obstinate, disobedience, etc.".

Burke is a divider
It seems to me that the "member of the church (who) has knowingly, deliberately and publicly damaged seriously the unity of the Church" - to use the words of Archbishop Raymond Burke - is the archbishop himself in making his obstinate demands upon the once-peaceful parishioners of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.

He certainly is not influencing people by winning minds and creating unity within the local church ranks. Instead, he is dividing a populace and sowing seeds of distrust and agitation.

He is not the shepherd of a group of nonthinking and nonfeeling sheep. Perhaps if there were more parishes that had control of their own finances and property, there wouldn't be the need to close churches and schools that for years have been important anchors for many city neighborhoods. Their independence would have allowed them to live within their means and adjust to their growing or shrinking local needs.

Centralized patriarchal control isn't the answer in a democratic society.

Noel Leicht
St. Louis

That last statement says it all...

The next letter proposes a suggestion which would demand a change of hearts - that of choosing Pope John Paul as role model to follow. I would go even further - choose our Lord, Jesus Christ, as a man to follow - He, who was obedient, even to death on a cross!

Also with regard to the imagined solidarity with and example of Lech Walesa, I understand that Walesa's very own former secretary, Eva Dyk, is a member of the New Polonia, a group that left St. Stanislaus and the Board in disgust.

Pope is an example
I am shocked that members of the St. Stan's community and board are comparing themselves to Lech Walesa fighting for the freedom of Poland. I propose that they turn to another Polish hero who fought communism.

Karol Wojtyla fought for Poland and the church. He fought to build churches in his archdiocese and for the freedom of his people. He is now Pope John Paul II, and Archbishop Raymond Burke is following his directions in dealing with the issues at what should be our local Polish Catholic parish. How ironic that those who defy him should see themselves as the good guys and the pope and the church as the bad guys.

John Schweitzer
St. Louis

Source.

N.E. Deanery Parish Plans Approval

Archbishop Raymond Burke on Friday approved the Northeast County Deanery Task Force's recommendations for church and school consolidations without changes.

"Having studied thoroughly the ‘Recommendations,' I have accepted them," Burke wrote in a pastoral letter to Catholics in the deanery. "They are the best recommendations at the present for the pastoral reorganization of the Northeast County Deanery."

Post Dispatch Article

St Louis Post Dispatch Polls on St. Stanislaus, Cloning

Who is right in the St. Stanislaus dispute?

10%
The archbishop -- He's trying to enforce church rules

90%
The church -- It's trying to protect its land and heritage

Votes: 1,042

It certainly is not difficult to understand the reasons for the results in this opinion poll. Given the nature of the slanted reporting of this issue, one can not be surprised. I would like to think that the 10% who chose in favor of the Archbishop actually gathered facts from other sources, such as: the St. Louis Review.
-------------------------------------
On a remotely related question, we witness the results of an issue in which ethics and morality apparently are not considered for nearly 70% of respondents:

Do you favor criminalizing stem cell research that involves cloning?

31%
YES -- It creates, then destroys life

69%
NO -- It's a valuable research tool

Votes: 342
Polls are unscientific and for entertainment purposes only.

Source.

Gospel for Wednesday, 1st Week of Lent

From: Luke 11:29-32

The Sign of Jonah

[29] When the crowds were increasing, He (Jesus) began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. [30] For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. [31] The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. [32] The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."
***************
Commentary:

29-32. Jonah was the prophet who led the Ninevites to do penance: his actions and preaching they saw as signifying that God had sent him (cf. note on Matthew 12:41-42).

[Note on Matthew 12:41-42 states:
41-42. Nineveh was a city in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) to which the prophet Jonah was sent. The Ninevites did penance (John 3:6-9) because they recognized the prophet and accepted his message; whereas Jerusalem does not wish to recognize Jesus, of whom Jonah was merely a figure. The queen of the South was the queen of Sheba in southwestern Arabia, who visited Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-10) and was in awe of the wisdom with which God had endowed the King of Israel. Jesus is also prefigured in Solomon, whom Jewish tradition saw as the epitome of the wise man. Jesus' reproach is accentuated by the example of pagan converts, and gives us a glimpse of the universal scope of Christianity, which will take root among the Gentiles.

There is a certain irony in what Jesus says about "something greater" than Jonah or Solomon having come: really, He is infinitely greater, but Jesus prefers to tone down the difference between Himself and any figure, no matter how important, in the Old Testament.]
****************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

A Wonderful and Beautiful Message

Miss America Crowns Purity as Priceless Message

At a very young age, [Tara Dawn Holland ] Christensen made a commitment to remain sexually pure until marriage. Her commitment stemmed from asking Christ to become Lord and Savior of her life when she was five years old.

"God says to be pure and to be abstinent until marriage, and I didn’t want to let Him down," she explained. "…It was also important for me not to let down my parents."

"…God was my reason for abstaining, but my parents were my motivation," Christensen added.

Intolerance

We not infrequently hear the Church accused of intolerance. The Catholic Church stands for truth, as Jesus Christ did. The Catholic Church is no more intolerant than was her divine Founder. Intolerance is a much misunderstood and much abused word. A mathematician must be intolerant with regard to the multiplication table. A civil engineer cannot tolerate any trifling with or abuse of mechanical laws. Our government must be intolerant of anarchy.

Truth is necessarily intolerant of falsehood. Christ, who was the most patient and gentle person that this world has known, was also the most intolerant of everything opposed to His teaching. His Church would be untrue to Him if she were not intolerant where He was intolerant. He established His Church as a depository of His truth. Consequently she can make no compromise with what He has committed to her charge.

Intolerance under certain circumstances is the highest virtue. A good woman will tolerate no trifling with her chastity. An upright man will tolerate no charge against his honesty. Our government will tolerate no trifling with the Constitution. The deposit of faith, entrusted to the Church by her divine Founder, is more sacred than the Constitution. If the Church did not uphold the faith she would be guilty of the betrayal of the most sacred trust ever committed to mankind.

But, it may be said, is not intolerance an evil thing, is it not narrow, inconsiderate, an enemy of liberty? To this it may be said that intolerance may be considered under two aspects, theoretic and practical. Theoretically, error, vice, anarchy, etc., must never be tolerated, since that were to approve or at least silently encourage these vicious monsters.

Practically, the victims of error, vice, and anarchy are to be dealt with patiently, with a view to rescuing them from their unfortunate condition. Oppose error, but extend a helping hand to the erring. When, however, the upholders of error, vice, or anarchy become a menace to the public weal, they must be repressed. And so with regard to the Church established by Jesus Christ; to error she is absolutely opposed, toward the erring she is tolerant to the point of indulgence. It is only when those in error become a menace to faith or morals that she protects herself against them by every legitimate procedure.

The Church will expend all her resources for the conversion and true welfare of those who are in error. So long as the erring ones are in personal error only, she leaves them to God. A man's conscience is sacred. God alone is judge of the individual soul. But if one in error endeavors to spread error, and openly proclaims error, advocates error, defends error, the Church has the right and duty to protect herself against error, and in so doing to repress and chastise the upholder of error.

She first warns those of her subjects who may be the victims of error. She does all in her power to cure their spiritual malady. It is only when everything of a kindly nature has failed that she has recourse to extreme measures. It should be well understood that she employs her measures only against her own subjects. Her weapons are spiritual, mainly.

Having said this much about tolerance in general, it may not be out of place or uninteresting to consider some aspects of tolerance. We may consider tolerance with regard to its personal, civic and governmental aspects. Personal tolerance refers mainly to our private association with others. It means that we bear patiently with what we disapprove of or even condemn as evil. We may be tolerant with people whom we dislike and of whom we disapprove, by making allowance for their shortcomings and habits.

This tolerance may degenerate into a vice, if by our silence we encourage others in wrong-doing. But if, all things considered, we realize that tolerance is the advisable thing, and not another form of cowardice, it is best to show ourselves patient and silent toward persons and things that are apparently beyond our influencing or changing. But if we have a duty toward others, such as that of parents in regard to children, tolerance may be participation in wrong-doing.

Another aspect of this subject is civic tolerance. This is very important, particularly in a country like ours, where there is such a mixture of nationalities, religions, and temperaments. Civic tolerance is concerned with our attitude toward our fellow citizens who differ from us in religion, or politics, or race, or social standing. We confine the present consideration to religious tolerance. Briefly, religious tolerance means respect for the religious convictions of others. It is based on the Christian teaching that we should love our neighbor. Our neighbor is not only the man who agrees with us in our convictions, but every man. Christian kindness and love extend not merely to those who please us or agree with us, but toward our fellowman as man.

Pope Gregory IX in the year 1233 exemplified this doctrine of religious tolerance, when he proclaimed that "Christians must show towards Jews the same good-will which we desire to be shown to Christians in pagan lands." Tolerance thus practiced for the love of God becomes a charming Christian virtue. It is not the easiest virtue to practice, by any means, as we see from its frequent violation. St. Francis de Sales won more converts from heresy by his benevolence toward heretics than by his arguments.

It was so with all the saints, and especially with the great missionary and apostolic saints. Without compromising on error they esteemed and loved the erring persons. The more sincere a man's religious convictions, the greater is his virtue of tolerance toward those who differ with him. Tolerance must not be taken for indifference. Religious indifference makes one care little or nothing for what others believe. But that is not the virtue of tolerance. Religious tolerance means that although a person may be absolutely convinced that he has the truth, and is willing to die in its defense, he nevertheless, for the love of God, shows esteem and love for those whom he holds to be in error. God Himself gives us an example of this tolerance, since He allows the wheat and tares to grow side by side, and permits the sun to shine on just and sinners alike.

Christ was known to love sinners, yet no one thought that He condoned sin. The more religious one is the more resplendent is his religious toleration. The saints were the most tolerant of men. A saint will give his life to bring the truth into the life of others, but, like Christ, his Master and Model, he will be all goodness and kindness to those who err. It is only a small mind that is intolerant. Indeed intolerance brands one as narrow. Intolerant people are hated. They stand in their own way. Their power for doing good is shackled. Tolerant people are loved, and in the end accomplish most good. Tolerance, when practiced by those who have no religion, is a natural virtue, very beautiful and very admirable. When practiced as a supernatural virtue, that is for the love of God, who so loved us, it becomes a very meritorious act of religion. Very often intolerant people think they are virtuous when they are simply stubborn or narrow. It is easy to be intolerant, difficult to be tolerant. Tolerance implies patience, unselfishness, and due regard for the feelings and traditions of others.

By all means let us uphold truth and oppose error. But let us also leave the individual conscience to the judgment of God. That is what Christ did. That is what we must do if we would be His true followers.

Excerpts from:
Things Catholics Are Asked About
by Martin J Scott, S.J.
1927

I have been reading from a series of books by Fr. Scott recently - (as well as several other books). This particular one is titled "The Hand of God, A Theology for the People", from 1918, had an article on intolerance which was very good and I was lucky enough to find a similar online version from a different book written by Fr. Scott.

The link to the complete chapter is here.

Another Successful Adult Stem Cell Story

LA JOLLA, February 15, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A California man who suffered from a form of heart disease called Myocardial Ischemia has been successfully treated with his own stem cells and enjoyed Valentine’s Day with his wife with a romantic dinner.

US Supreme Court to Consider Petition to Reverse Roe v Wade?

WASHINGTON, February 15, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Friday, the US Supreme Court is currently docketed to have an internal, private discussion conference on how to handle a petition to reverse Roe v. Wade.

Operation Outcry, the group which launched the petition, is comprised of Norma McCorvey, the former Roe of Roe v. Wade and Sandra Cano, the former Doe of Doe v. Bolton, and the staff of The Justice Foundation, the attorneys representing both of them and the post-abortive witnesses of Operation Outcry: Silent No More.

Operation Outcry has called on pro-lifers to pray for a positive outcome from the court’s deliberations.

May God grant the members of the court the grace of wisdom and strength to do what is right.

Source.

Swiss Controversy on homilies by lay people, an Update

Switzerland(www.kath.net/rb)
Mid-January the Swiss Bishops' Conference published two controversial documents: In a first document the Swiss bishops address "the people responsible for the liturgical life in Switzerland", and they want to answer some open questions being raised by the instruction "Redemptionis Sacramentum". The second document, which has been compiled by the theological commission of the bishops' conference since August 2000, treats the issue of assigned lay people in the service of the church.

In these documents, the Swiss bishops allow for lay people giving homilies or meditations during Holy Mass, and they condemn the intercelebration of Catholic priests and Protestant ministers.
...
A Swiss priest wrote in a kath.net article: "Our bishops are real world champions in blandishing crisis". He criticised that the bishops open a lengthy dialogue on liturgical abuses rather than calling their subordinates to obedience. The Swiss bishops state that "in some dioceses of Switzerland certain customs have developed that are not foreseen in the currently valid liturgical guidelines of the church universal." The priest remarks: "Our bishops state this in a way, as it would not affect their authority and responsibility as overseers of the local church." He concludes:"For me, as a priest, all this liturgical disobedience is really wearisome."

Suffragan bishop Paul Vollmar of Zurich told in a radio interview, that during a meeting on liturgical aspects, his German and Austrian colleagues have rebuked the idea to allow homilies by lay people: "Suddenly all of them approached me and said: You Swiss are really the pestilence in Europe."

Bishop Amédée Grab: Homilies by lay people are not allowed

The cmplete article is here.

A Catholic-college prez defends the ridiculously indefensible

On Valentine's Day, some school administrators were focused not on chocolate valentines full of sweets but on another v word.

Yesterday an e-mail went around to Loyola University (New Orleans) supporters from the school's president. It was a defense of the school allowing a production of the Vagina Monologues on campus.

Father Kevin William Wildes, the school's president, goes into the usual knee-jerk free-expression and diversity muck in his letter — "Loyola University, like any university, is committed to the free expression of ideas and the rigors of debate." (Excuse me, Father, but is there really anything special about your school if it's not that it is a Catholic institution of higher education?

Link.

Vote for Best Movie, Urges Bishops Communications Committee

WASHINGTON (February 15, 2005) – The U.S. Bishops' Communications Committee is urging people to cast their own vote for the Academy Awards.
The Committee, which oversees the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office for Film and Broadcasting (OFB), is providing the opportunity to vote on the USCCB Web site at (http://www.usccb.org/movies/oscarvote2005.htm).

The options include voting for Best Actor, Actress, Director and Best Movie of the Year and a handful of other categories.

The chance to vote continues through February 27, the date of the annual presentation of the coveted Oscars, voted on by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The results of the Communications Committee survey will be posted on the USCCB Web site February 28.

Frankly, I'm disappointed that an office of the USCCB is engaged in this kind of activity - Disappointed, yes - surprised, not at all...


USCCB Link.