VOTF "dismayed" that some Bishops follow Holy See's directives

For Immediate Release

Voice of the Faithful Calls on Bishops to Fulfill Role As Pastoral Leaders

Organization Dismayed by Bishops’ Recent Exclusionary and Divisive Actions

Newton, Mass. – April 15, 2004 – Members of Voice of the Faithful are calling on bishops to provide genuine pastoral leadership in a time of great turmoil for Catholics in the United States. This call comes as Catholics are reacting to recent decisions by at least two bishops, Archbishop Sean O’Malley and Archbishop John F. Donoghue, excluding women from sacred rituals during Holy Week. The events represent the latest in a series of incidents that have exacerbated existing divisions in the archdioceses of Atlanta and Boston.

Faithful Catholics are relieved that some Bishops are following liturgical instructions - of course, those who prefer the "do it yourself" Mass, (more commonly known as the "community worship service" - performance) are perturbed and upset that anyone would listen to Rome when we have the ultimate authority right here - ME!

“As a father whose daughter has gone to Catholic high school and college, I would like to hear Archbishop O’Malley’s rationale for why we educate Catholic women in our Faith, if we are going to treat them as second class citizens,” said John Hynes, chair of the steering committee of Voice of the Faithful – Boston. Hynes, who attended Archbishop O’Malley’s installation at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, remembers being hopeful about the healing that was promised there. “I am sorely disappointed that Archbishop O’Malley is now sending signals that not all voices are welcome,” he said.

Not all voices are welcomed - We, for instance, do not invoke the help of the Evil One (well, some of us don't) during Holy Mass - Although, I sometimes wonder just what's going on at some of the "do it yourself" specials.

“We have made every effort to work with Archbishop Donoghue, who continues to ban faithful Catholics from meeting on church property,” said Betty Clermont, regional coordinator of Voice of the Faithful in Georgia. “Archbishop Donoghue represents the kind of failed leadership that allowed five decades of clergy sexual abuse to happen – even now, he refuses to fill important positions that will ensure the protection of children in our diocese. The fact that he would not allow women to be a part of the foot-washing ritual exemplifies his unwillingness to listen and to include lay Catholics in any kind of meaningful way.”

He continues to ban "faithful" Catholics from meeting on Church property? It is not even remotely possible to claim to be faithful when one rejects the teaching of the Church - for example, that ordination is reserved solely to men. Rejecting this irreversible teaching places one outside the Church, and hence, one is not properly called "faithful".

Even more bizarre it the flawed opinion that a bishop who is faithful to his calling and faithful to the Holy See can be responsible for causing the recent predatory homosexual scandal in the Church. As the evidence makes clear, and will continue to make clear, it is precisely those bishops and priests who REJECTED the teachings and wisdom of the Church that are responsible for the crisis.

One who follows and obeys Christ, His Church, and the Holy Father does not cause evil. One causes evil by rejecting God's will for one's own will. A failure to understand this basic principle demonstrates the depths of the catechetical crisis in our country.

“We are seeing a pattern of words and actions emerge on the part of some bishops that ignore the wounds of the clergy sexual abuse crisis,” said Steve Krueger, executive director of Voice of the Faithful. “At a time when bishops should especially demonstrate pastoral outreach to all Catholics, recent actions excluding the participation of women in the ritual of foot washing and the divisive rhetoric expressed in our churches surrounding the constitutional debate on gay marriage have only served to create further division in these dioceses, as well as throughout the Church nationally. We need to move forward, not back. The actions and words these bishops have taken are unnecessarily painful for women and men of all ages and persuasions. Such actions are divisive, not unifying.”

Members of Voice of the Faithful are encouraging bishops to work more cooperatively with lay Catholics and to cease using divisive language and tactics.

Teaching the Truth, the Catechism, the faith of our Fathers is divisive???

If these people are serious, then they are advocating, not only, disobedience to God but also a rejection of the moral law in general. The propose that people move foward when they accept what Satan offers us. By all means, let's debate the moral issues of homosexuality and marriage - so we can summarily reject them and fashion our own culture, our own church, and our own god or gods.

Please dear God, grant these people the graces they need to shine light upon their minds so that they can learn to think and the graces to strengthen their will so that they may choose to do the good - to choose to do Your will. And please dear Lord help all of us who wish to preserve your Church from corruption - both from the inside and the outside. Guide us and enlighten us to do Your will.

Fr. Lawrence Biondi to Resign from TENET Board of Directors

Just received this email from
The Cardinal Newman Society

Tenet Healthcare Corporation has announced that Rev. Lawrence Biondi, S.J., president of St. Louis University, will resign from its board of directors in May.

Last summer, CNS members sent hundreds of letters and e-mail messages to Biondi urging him to forego re-election to Tenet's board. At the time, Biondi refused and remained chairman of the ethics committee for the national chain of 114 hospitals, including some that perform abortions.
Biondi served on the board since 1998 and was eligible for payments of more than $100,000 annually for his services.

Tenet refused to disclose the exact number of its hospitals that perform abortions, but it confirmed that each Tenet hospital is permitted to choose whether to perform abortions. Catholic Funds Inc., a Milwaukee-based Catholic financial services company that uses two professional screening services to identify businesses that are offensive to Catholic donors, said that both screeners identify Tenet as complicit in abortion.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which tracks abortions and the facilities where they are performed, Tenet-owned MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham performed 166 abortions in the year 2000 -- the last year for which statistics are available. Other Tenet hospitals in California, Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania reportedly perform abortions. The Tenet Healthcare Foundation, an affiliated philanthropy, gave $8,500 in 2002 and $8,000 in 2001 to Planned Parenthood clinics in California, Illinois and Texas.

A defective understanding of liturgical documents?

John Allen of National Catholic Reporter writes in his article today about the foot washing rite of the Holy Thursday Mass. His article is here.

I sent off this email to him. I don't expect a response.

You state in your article http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/word041604.htm:

In fact, there is no “instruction” from Rome, in the sense of a document that provides a clear “yes” or “no” as to whether women may take part. What we have instead is the text in the Roman Missal, the official book of rituals and prayers for the Mass. On the washing of feet, it says: “The men who have been chosen are led by the ministers to chairs prepared in a suitable place. Then the priest ... goes to each man. With the help of ministers, he pours water over each one's feet and dries them.”

Unfortunately, you fail to realize that the Holy See does provide a clear "yes" or "no" answer in the 1988 document "Paschales Solemnitatis". The Holy See, in effect, repudiated the position taken by Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy in 1987, by affirming that 'males' are chosen for the rite. This is key, for the document speaks about the 'faithful' or the 'people' some thirty times and this instance (Article 51) is the only place where the deliberate wording refers to 'males/men'

Secondly, merely serving up examples of disobedience to justify the mistaken case that washing women's feet is permissable does not make it so. It is a shame that the bishops, in general, are too weak to enforce liturgical law as promulgated by the Holy See.

You also stated:

Unless and until there is a specific ruling from the Holy See, one can expect individual bishops and pastors to make their own calls. A Vatican source told NCR April 14 that given the clear meaning of the Latin text, if there were to be an official response, it would almost certainly support limiting participation to males.

Even if Rome issued another specific ruling for those too blind to see, surely we are not so naive that we would believe for a minute that all U.S. bishops and priests would follow the directive? Far too many refuse to follow and obey liturgical law now, to speak nothing of moral and doctrinal truths which are summarily rejected.

In Christ,
Signed

Tired of pro-abortion politicians? File a formal DENUNCIATION with the Church

Tired of pro-abortion politicians in your diocese?
Don't just send a letter, file a formal DENUNCIATION with the Church.
4/15/2004 6:54:00 PM
By The Saint Joseph Foundation - Charles M. Wilson, Executive Director

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE PRO-ABORTION CATHOLIC POLITICIAN PROJECT

The enclosed “generic” letter and observations were designed to serve as models for actual denunciations of pro-abortion Catholic politicians.

A denunciation is roughly the equivalent of a criminal complaint in secular law. As private citizens, if we have knowledge of criminal activity we are required to report it to the proper authorities and cooperate with any subsequent investigation. At that point, we have discharged our obligation. We cannot take the law into our own hands and we have no right to demand a specific penalty in the event that the offender is found guilty. Generally speaking, the same is true in the Church’s legal system.

Obviously, it will be necessary to change the text to conform to the facts in your particular case. Please feel free to put these documents in your own words and keep in mind the fact that you do not have to produce sufficient evidence to show that the politician in question has violated the law. You should, however, include enough documentation to show that a preliminary investigation is warranted.

If you have additional questions or need further assistance in preparing an actual denunciation, please contact the Foundation and we will assist you.

Thank you for your participation in this most important project.

See the sample letters and complete article at Catholic Citizens of Illinois here.

"Catholic" Democrats preparing a "Catholic Voting Scorecard"

I had meant to post this last night but was distracted when Bill O'Reilly had Notre Dame's Fr. Richard McBrien on to discuss Kerry/Communion/Catholic Teaching. That's what I like about O'Reilly - he seems to go out of his way to pick dissenters that agree with his positions about certain doctrinal issues of which he disagrees with the Church. So much for being a "faithful" Catholic! Anyway, the story - this time from Catholic World News:

Washington, DC, Apr. 16 (CWNews.com) - Catholic Democrats in Congress are preparing to respond to criticism that they don't put their faith into action in their politics by creating a "Catholic Voting Scorecard," according to political newspaper The Hill. Nearly 27 percent of the members of the House of Representatives are Catholic.

According to the newspaper, the scorecard will compare the votes of Catholic members of both parties on a issues defined as legislative priorities by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, including partial-birth abortion, human cloning, child tax credits, the Defense of Marriage Act, AIDS relief funding, assistance to needy families, and raising the minimum wage.
. . .
Republicans charged that using the US bishops' legislative priorities as the bar and making all issues equal-- abortion and the minimum wage-- unfairly distorted Church teaching on the responsibilities of Catholic in political matters.
. . .
Frank Monahan, director of government affairs for the bishops' conference, said the scorecard accurately reflects issues where the conference has taken a position, even though it is not a complete list.

Yep! It accurately reflects the issues of the conference...what a loaded and ambiguous statement. I can't wait to see the 'scorecard' - the pro-aborts will get the best grades!

We can thank the conference and majority of U.S. Bishops, who, because of their inaction concerning fundamental life issues, allow the scandal and confusion to continue.

Another article link here.

Homosexuals Call "Barbaric" Church Purveyor of "Nasty Dogmas"

Received via email this morning:

As the drive to establish international homosexual rights has apparently stalled at the UN Commission on Human Rights now taking place in Geneva, homosexual advocacy groups have begun lashing out at their opponents, even calling the Catholic Church "barbaric" in its defense of "nasty dogmas."

The Commission was supposed to vote on a resolution over whether "sexual orientation" should be recognized as an internationally protected human right, but none of the Commission's 53 member states has yet to introduce such a resolution. In a major setback to the homosexual lobby, Brazil, the country that had introduced the resolution last year, declined to do so again during this session. In a statement released by its UN mission in Geneva, the Brazilian government said that, "Since November last year, we have been consulting with delegations of several countries on the text. We have not yet been able, however, to arrive at a necessary consensus."

This apparent setback has enraged supporters of international homosexual rights, who have been lobbying worldwide since the resolution was deferred last year in the face of widespread opposition. Michael Cashman, a British homosexual activist and member of the European parliament, blamed the "aggressive lobbying" of the Vatican and Muslim countries, such as Egypt, Pakistan and Malaysia, for this year's problems, labeling their cooperation on this issue an "unholy axis."

The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has been even more explicit in its condemnation of the Catholic Church. George Broadhead, secretary of GALHA, said, "the Vatican trumpets itself as a champion of human rights and a model of compassion. This continued barbaric contempt for gay people shows that the Vatican is prepared to go to any lengths to promote its nasty dogmas."

Broadhead believes that the Vatican should be punished for its position, saying, "The Vatican has a special status at the United Nations that is granted to no other religion. It is seeking to gain full status that would give it even more power to impose its will on an unwilling world. We call on the United Nations to immediately strip the Vatican of its observer status. It has shown itself unworthy of having it."

Although pro-family observers are heartened by the developments in Geneva, the Human Rights Commission is scheduled to vote this afternoon on whether or not to make reference to the controversial recommendations of Paul Hunt, the Commission's "Special Rapporteur" on physical and mental health. These recommendations, first reported in the March 26 Friday Fax, include calls for the creation of new international "sexual rights," such as broad rights for "men who have sex with men, lesbians, transsexual and bisexual people." If the recommendations are referenced by the Commission, it is feared that an international law foundation for homosexual rights could still be created, even without the Brazilian resolution.

Copyright - C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute). Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.

Note that the Church is under attack unlike any attacks ever before. We are called to be witnesses (martyrs) to the truth, even when the world rejects the Truth.

Catholic Hospitals to Uphold Living Wills ( & Ignore the Pope?)

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Roman Catholic hospitals are reassuring patients they'll honor living wills in the wake of a papal pronouncement that hospitals should never remove feeding tubes from patients in persistent vegetative states.

In a talk March 20, Pope John Paul II said that feeding and hydrating such patients is ``morally obligatory'' - and that withdrawing feeding tubes constitutes ``euthanasia by omission.'' Since then, American bishops, theologians and ethicists have been studying the issue closely to see what the pope's words will mean for hospital operations in the United States.

For now, many hospitals are deferring to the ``Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services'' - commonly called ERDs - outlined by the U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops.

According to those guidelines, feeding tubes for people in chronically vegetative states are ``medical treatment'' that can be continued or halted based on the benefits and burdens for patient and family.

What the Holy Father has done is reiterate what the Catechism states and further delared and interpreted what it means:
2277 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.

Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.

He clarifies that food and water are "morally obligatory". There is no ambiguity in that phrase. But those of us who cannot understand what the Holy Father means by that phrase must have it 'nuanced' for us - after it is studied so as to be 'understood'. I think what we have is a conflict with Catholic theologians and with what the US Bishops have stated:
All patients deserve to receive normal care out of respect for their inherent dignity as persons. As Pope John Paul II has said, a decision to forgo "purely experimental or ineffective interventions" does not "dispense from the valid therapeutic task of sustaining life or from assistance with the normal means of sustaining life. Science, even when it is unable to heal, can and should care for and assist the sick."[16] But the teaching of the Church has not resolved the question whether medically assisted nutrition and hydration should always be seen as a form of normal care.[17]
...
Such factors vary from one type of feeding procedure to another, and from one patient to another, making it difficult to classify all feeding procedures as either "care" or "treatment."

The article goes on:

``We have to figure out more specifically what he meant and the implications. I think it's too soon to tell; there are a lot of filters to go through,'' said Dan Dwyer, director of ethics for the Springfield, Mo.-based St. John's Health System, which includes a half-dozen regional hospitals.

``It reminds us of our responsibility never to abandon the sick or dying,'' said the Rev. Michael Place, the CHA's president and chief executive.

Still, he said, the pope's words have ``significant ethical, legal, clinical, and pastoral implications that must be carefully considered,'' requiring dialogue among bishops and health-care providers. Such guidance or clarification isn't expected for months; until then, the CHA assumes the ERDs stay in effect.

Great, more dialogue...for months - for clarification. The skeptic in me suspects that some may be seeking ways around following the guidance and directives of the Holy Father - much as we have witnessed since Humanae Vitae.

Article is here.

Noted Columnist & Catholic Expert, Ellen Goodman Speaks

Here is a classic case of anti-Catholic bigotry. Note the headline from the Boston Globe:

Putting Kerry on the 'wafer watch'

Here are a few excerpts from her enlightening article in which she quotes another noted Catholic expert/theologian, Frances Kissling of "Catholics for a Free Choice" (to murder babies):

WHAT NEXT? Will we have a political reporter to cover John Forbes Kerry at each Sunday Mass from now to November? Will there be a Holy Communion beat? A wafer watch?
...
The whole thing, fumed Frances Kissling of Catholics for a Free Choice, turned us into a nation of "eucharistic Peeping Toms": "I hope the bishops are satisfied that the sacraments of the church are now the subject of a media frenzy."
...
When the church took an absolutist stand against abortion, it took special umbrage at politicians who identify themselves as pro-choice Catholics.
...
"What happens when the pope says you are obliged to vote against anything that supports homosexuality or abortion?" asks Kissling. "The church itself creates the climate in which prejudice can and will reemerge."
...
Many theologians tell you that not even the pope can say a baptized Catholic is no longer a Catholic. Many believe it's up to the individual to decide whether to take the sacraments.
....
But if the church sets up a litmus test for politicians, what about for Supreme Court justices? What about for lay people who dissent?

These people are rightly called either "heretics" or "protestants". I mean this as no offense against those who are Protestant but we must acknowledge that those who refuse to assent to some defined teaching of the Church are guilty of the sin of heresy. Those Catholics who totally repudiate the faith are guilty of apostacy. The Church is quite clear about this and always has been. There is no wiggle room.

I am particularly outraged at the use of the term "wafer watch" as this is a deliberate and intentional perjorative aimed at the Church and those who believe that the Blessed Sacrament is truly our Lord. Funny, she is not. Confused, deranged, sick - maybe.

By putting Kerry on wafer watch, conservatives in the church are running the Kennedy tape backward. Ferraro reminds them: "Kerry's not running for pope. He's running for president. There's only one time when we find out if we've done this thing right that we call living. It's when we meet our Maker."

On that day, there will be no reporters on hand.

Would this be because you will have missed meeting our Creator and have gone on to meet Satan, instead?

Boston Globe article is here.

Kerry and Archbishop McCarrick To Meet Today

Kerry's Public Views At Odds With Church

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the archbishop of Washington, will meet with Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry today.

The Archbishop is expected to question Kerry about his support for abortion rights and stem cell research, which contradict church teachings.

McCarrick is the head of a bishops' task force that's studying how to handle politicians who defy church doctrine. Some bishops have suggested denying communion to them, but McCarrick has said he'd feel "uncomfortable" doing that.

Kerry has said that millions of Catholics share his views and he believes the church should not govern his public stances.

I pray that the Archbishop will have some stern advice for this "Catholic" politician (and others in Washington, as well, who continue to vote for the murder of the unborn).

April 21 - Defending a Higher Law: Why We Must Resist

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

“A Giant with Feet of Clay”

A Preview of the Book,
Defending a Higher Law: Why We Must Resist
Same-sex “Marriage” and the Homosexual Movement
Published by the TFP Committee on American Issues

To be held at:

Alban Hall
St. Alban Roe Parish
2001 Shepard Rd.
Wildwood, MO

Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 7:00 PM

Easily accessible from Route 40 or Manchester Rd.

Call 636-258-4977 or go to www.stalbanroe.org for directions.

In this talk, American TFP member and co-author John Horvat will preview this new book, which will be available for purchase. Come see who is behind the homosexual movement and what its weaknesses are. Learn the strengths that we, as Catholics, possess to defend what little remains of Christian civilization in society. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with like-minded Catholics who
want to stand up and make a difference!

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 evening of Catholic conviviality, enlightening conversation, and hope for the future.

For additional information, contact Mark Serafino at (573) 459-5531

The American TFP – America Needs Fatima • P.O. Box 341 Hanover, PA 17331 (717) 225-7147

Archbishop Chaput Speaks Out about "Catholic" Politicians

From the Denver Catholic Register

How to tell a duck from a fox
Thinking with the Church as we look toward November
Some Excerpts:

We've all heard that saying, or some version of it, a thousand times. The reason is simple: It's true. Our actions prove who we are. If a gulf exists between what we say, how we look and what we do, we're not living in a spirit of truth. A fox, even if he quacks, is still a fox. Sooner or later, it becomes obvious.

I remembered this last week as I read yet another news report about candidates who claim to be Catholic and then prominently ignore their own faith on matters of public policy. We've come a long way from John F. Kennedy, who merely locked his faith in the closet. Now we have Catholic senators who take pride in arguing for legislation that threatens and destroys life — and who then also take Communion.

The right to life comes first. It precedes and undergirds every other social issue or group of issues. This is why Blessed John XXIII listed it as the first human right in his great encyclical on world peace, Pacem in Terris.

Candidates who claim to be "Catholic" but who publicly ignore Catholic teaching about the sanctity of human life are offering a dishonest public witness. They may try to look Catholic and sound Catholic, but unless they act Catholic in their public service and political choices, they're really a very different kind of creature.

And real Catholics should vote accordingly.

And then there is this from the Denver Post.
Catholic politicians scolded
Chaput rips backers of abortion rights

Chaput's admonition to voters also is a notable volley in Colorado politics.

The three front-runners in the state's pivotal U.S. Senate race - Democrat Ken Salazar and Republicans Peter Coors and Bob Schaffer - all are Catholic.

Chaput's stance likely poses the greatest challenge to Salazar, the only one of the three to support abortion rights. Salazar fired back Wednesday, saying he respects Chaput but thinks the church should stay out of such debates.

Great! A John Kerry wannabee!

In a signal that those words are just the beginning, archdiocesan spokesman Sergio Gutierrez said Chaput and his assistant, Bishop Jose Gomez, plan to bring up the issue again in the coming months, including talks with the Senate hopefuls about how their faith affects their public lives.

Will he follow Archbishop Burke and join with Bishop Bruskewitz?

Gutierrez said Chaput respects bishops in St. Louis and Boston who have made those statements, but Chaput has not decided whether to take a similar stand if Kerry were to campaign in Colorado.

Salazar, who grew up in a devoutly Catholic family in Colorado's San Luis Valley and once studied for the priesthood, said Wednesday that abortion is an issue to be settled "between a woman and her God."

"If I were in a position today where my wife and I had conceived a child, I would not want my wife to have an abortion," he said. "But I would forever defend her right as a woman to make that decision. I do not believe it is right for me or any other political figure to impose my religious morality on other people."

But the attorney general, who said he attends Mass every week, does not believe he must agree with the church on all matters to be a Catholic.

"I believe the Catholic Church is an institution where it is men that create the doctrine of the church," Salazar said. "I don't agree with 100 percent of the positions that are taken by the Catholic Church. ... I do not believe the litmus test for being a Christian or a Catholic is one that is proclaimed by the archbishop."

This must some of what he learned in the seminary. He admits in so many words, though he does not appear to understand, that he is NOT Catholic. He denies the teaching of Christ and His Church - he is, for all intents and purposes, a material heretic. He is one of the foxes about which the Archbishop spoke.

May God have mercy on him and bring him, and others like him, back into the light of His eternal Truth!

What Catholic would want to miss this event?

Catholics for a Free Choice is planning to hold a protest this month against the Vatican.

(What a bad name "CFFC" - We already have free choice - the choice to choose the good, or the choice to reject God and all that is good. How about "Catholics who are not Catholic, but want to go to hell anyway"?)

If what she (Frances Kissling) says is true about a woman's right to control her own body, why doesn't her agenda include drugs and prostitution? Laws against those are just as restrictive to a woman's right to choose what she will or will not do with her own body as are laws against abortion. Choice....hmmmm?

Anyway this blurb is on the action alert page.

WHY SHOULD I PROTEST THE VATICAN AND MARCH WITH CFFC?

Because Catholics are prochoice.
Conservative Catholics want all Americans to believe that you can’t be Catholic and prochoice, but the majority of Catholics ARE prochoice. Let’s show them our strength.

Because Catholic policy makers are under unprecedented attack from conservative Catholic groups.
As we approach the 2004 elections, we need to support our prochoice Catholic candidates. Hundreds of legislators have been targeted for defeat by conservative Catholic groups. They have launched advertising campaigns naming names, including John Kerry, who is expected to be the first prochoice Catholic presidential candidate. Don’t let the US bishops and right-wing Catholics speak for you.

Because too many women have been harassed by those claiming to speak for the church.
For too long, Catholic women have been treated badly by the church. Show your support for these women.

Because silence and inaction in the face of injustice is not the Catholic way.
Catholicism stands for freedom of conscience, democracy and pluralism.

Because your voice is fundamental against fundamentalism.
The greatest threat to women today is religious fundamentalism – whatever the faith, whatever the party. Sadly, Roman Catholic fundamentalists and the Bush administration have launched a war on women which must be stopped. Please march with CFFC to protest the attack on women’s rights!

This will be curious to watch. Of course, the Truth is "fundamental" to life and to eternal union with God, so it must be attacked.

Action Alert here. (Proceed with Caution)

Memo to staff: No gay unions

Council commends clerk for refusal of gay unions
By Mark Schlinkmann
Of the Post-Dispatch
04/14/2004

County is expected to pass bill next month
Memo to staff: No gay unions
Resolution has "no weight"

Council commends clerk for refusal

The St. Charles County Council has taken the first of two steps declaring its opposition to the legalizing of same-sex marriages.

On Monday night, the council voted 6-1 for a resolution commending Recorder of Deeds Barbara Hall for her policy of refusing to accept and record affidavits on gay unions.

Next month, the council is expected to pass a measure echoing the Missouri state law that bars homosexual marriages.

Story here.

In Communion With Kerry

By The Prowler
Published 4/13/2004 12:07:16 AM

EASTER BUNNY
Sen. John Kerry did indeed receive the sacrament of communion during Easter Sunday services, and made sure his presidential campaign press people told reporters about it. Kerry has been thumbing his nose at Roman Catholic bishops, who of late have been complaining the Kerry should not be receiving the sacraments given his public support of abortion.

But Kerry's latest foray into showing off his faith has revealed interesting political aspects that more people should know about.

As one might expect from an elitist, when home in Boston, Kerry does not attend a traditional Roman Catholic parish church. Rather, he attends Mass at the Paulist Center, a pseudo-theological institute and home for wayward Catholics that operates on Beacon Hill, near Kerry's home.

The Center, which includes a small chapel, is known as a hotbed for old-line liberation theology holdouts from the 1970s and 1980s. "When the radicalized Maryknoll seminaries came under investigation by the Vatican for their continued teaching of liberation theology back in the 1980s, these folks in Boston picked up the mantle," says a priest in the Boston archdiocese. "We don't have straight oversight of the place."

The Paulist Center features a number of adherents of the liberation philosophy, which played a pivotal role in the Marxist uprisings in El Salvador and Nicaragua back in the late 1970s and 1980s. A number of far-left Jesuits are regular speakers at the Center, which lately has featured classes on "Tapas Acupuncture" techniques and a series of lectures of how best to remove the Church hierarchy in order to evolve the Catholic Church into a nontraditional democracy.

Kerry's attendance at the Paulist Center, besides its close proximity to home, was thought by some Catholics to be an attempt to avoid any embarrassing run-ins with the Boston Diocese, which in the past has expressed its displeasure with Kerry for his pro-abortion positions.

That said, it was the Kerry campaign's idea to look for ways to highlight the candidate's rebellious position in the church by looking for a conservative diocese or parish that would refuse him communion in front of press.

Are we to assume that there are no "conservative" parishes in Boston? He had the perfect opportunity while he was here in St. Louis but, instead he went to a non-Catholic Church, instead...All talk? Maybe it wasn't the right time? Besides, he had some serious preachin' to do.

Society for a Moratorium on the Music of Marty Haugen and David Haas

As they say:

You are de facto a member of the Society if you gag or grit your teeth whenever you hear any of the following:

Come to the Feast
Gather Us In
Sing Out, Earth and Skies

The web site is here.

An update on Malachi Martin's status ?

In a stunning reversal of past policy Father Vincent O’Keefe SJ, former Vicar General of the Society of Jesus and a past President of Fordham University, affirmed that Malachi Martin was in fact granted a dispensation from all his vows in the Jesuit order except for chastity. This dispels decades of rumors that Father Martin was defrocked for having had an affair with the wife of a famous journalist. This was the false lie spread by past Jesuits to discredit Father Martin. Martin requested and received a special dispensation by Pope Paul VI to remain a Catholic priest and say Mass in private.

Article here.

And some Good News for a change!

There is a bit of good news regarding the University of Notre Dame. (For those who might be unaware, UND, like so many other Catholic institutions of higher learning, has been plagued by dissent and scandal over the last few decades — and particularly in the last few years.) An e-mail I recently received from a UND alum reported that a school official is hiring some new solidly Catholic professors for the school's Theology program, thus moving it "to be quite orthodox, despite [prominent dissenter] Richard McBrien teaching one class and the halting support of the administration."

Good. Perhaps these new professors will help to bring the authentic Catholic faith back to UND. Just think: No more blatant heresy by the likes of McBrien and no more 'Queer Film Festival,' et al. There is hope.

Article here.

Catholic Seton Hall University to Award Pro-Abortion Judge

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ, April 12, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Friday, April 16, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a notoriously pro-abortion judge who voted to strike down the partial-birth abortion laws of more than 30 states, is presenting the annual "Sandra Day O'Connor Medal of Honor" to Judge Maryanne Trump Barry (Sister of Donald Trump) of the U.S. Court of Appeals. Trump Barry is the pro-abortion author of the opinion striking down the New Jersey partial-birth abortion statute.

Seton Hall is a Catholic arm of the Archdiocese of Newark. The Seton Hall website states that it is "the oldest diocesan university in the United States" and testifies that "Seton Hall is Catholic not only by its charter and mission, but also by its ongoing spirit and activity."

Despite this lip service to its Catholic tradition, Seton Hall Law School -- which has a faculty riddled with pro-abortion professors and has no record of honoring any pro-life heroes -- is once again creating a major scandal by honoring prominent pro-abortion figures.

Critics are encouraging concerned citizens to contact the Archbishop of Newark, the President of the University and the Dean of the Law School to protest the awards and to demand that the award ceremony be canceled and that the Law School's sponsorship of this annual award be terminated.

Contact information
Archbishop John Myers
973-497-4190
goodneja@rcan.org

Msgr. Robert Sheeran
973-761-9620
sheeraro@shu.edu

Dean Patrick Hobbs
973-642-8750
hobbspat@shu.edu

Source: Lifesite News.

Another shot at "The Passion of the Christ"?

This article from the US Bishops news service:

More Americans blame Jews for Christ's death

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- There has been a significant increase in the number of Americans who believe that the Jews were responsible for Christ's death, said a Pew research report. It said a mid-March survey of 1,703 Americans 18 or older found particularly sharp rises in that viewpoint among U.S. blacks and Hispanics and among those under the age of 30. Overall, 26 percent of survey respondents said yes to the question, "Do you feel the Jews were responsible for Christ's death or not?" This represents a seven-point increase in seven years. Among those who had seen Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," 36 percent answered that question affirmatively. Among those who said they planned to see the movie, 29 percent held that position. Only 17 percent of those who did not plan to see the movie thought the Jews were responsible for Christ's death.

According to the Bishops' News service, if you have seen the film you are more likely to blame the Jewish people.

I saw it three times, I have still not been able to find the anti-semitic agenda some of the bishops know for a fact is in the film. Those who have read the Catechism or understand basic Catholic teaching know who was responsible.

I have yet to read any reports or talk to anyone who feels this way as described by CNS. I wonder where these people are?

Hopefully, someone else will debunk this statistical report from the USCCB.

Story here.

So Objective, Public Scandal Does Not Exist Anymore?

That's what I seem to hear in this exchange with Cardinal McCarrick. Of course, things like this have gone on so long, we can only pray for episcopal leadership.

Pity the poor people who may have read the previous articles where the priest, Fr. Ardis, defended Kerry because of his position on the death penalty and social justice issues. How many of those people have been led astray or confused because of that comparison? Apparently, some have learned nothing from the untold damage that public scandals can cause.

So it was a relief to hear Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington respond with a pastoral voice on the Kerry issue. McCarrick is heading a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops task force on how to handle Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. In an empty meeting room at St. Matthew’s in downtown D.C., where the cardinal led a prayer service last Wednesday, he pulled a couple of dusty folding chairs down from a stack so we’d have someplace to sit while we talked.

When I asked about Kerry’s standing, he seemed pained by the idea of turning him, or anyone else, away.

“I would find it hard to use the Eucharist as a sanction,” he said gently. “You don’t know what’s in anyone’s heart when they come before you. It’s important that everyone know what our principles are, but you’d have to be very sure someone had a malicious intent [before denying him communion.]”

McCarrick is surprisingly humble, and a reluctant judge. “It’s between the person and God,’’ he said.

Should Kerry or someone in his campaign seek counsel on Catholic protocol?

“What they do,’’ he demurred, “is really their business and not mine.’’

The archdiocese has gotten some calls on the subject from rank-and-file Catholics, but he declined to characterize the faithful as a monolith: “Obviously, we run the spectrum in the Catholic Church, from people who feel very annoyed with their politicians to those who are very supportive.’’

Article here.

Articles on Kerry and Communion

One of these say the congregation cheered and applauded Kerry after Holy Mass. How utterly sad.

New York Post story

Boston Globe story

And this one from the Boston Herald where the the Paulist priest says:

"How come it's so much easier to see other people's sins than to see our own?'' And he noted Kerry's positions are in line with the church's on the death penalty and "social justice'' issues.

Two words, padre: Public Scandal...

Notice again, the distortion of equating the death penalty and "social justice" issues with abortion. This poor priest needs a sabbatical and major catechesis. He should not be attempting to lead souls to heaven - he does not know the way himself. Pity the faithful that may be led astray by his 'teaching'!

April 27 - St. Charles Deanery Serra Club presents Russell Shaw

The 2004 Dinner Banquet of The Serra Club of the St. Charles Deanery presents

Russell Shaw
Washington DC Correspondent for 'Our Sunday Visitor'
And co-author of the new book

"Personal Vocation: God Calls Everyone by Name"
as Guest Speaker at
The Columns Banquet Center
711 Veterans Memorial Pkwy
St. Charles, MO.

April 27, 2004 at 6:30pm

Our archbishop, the Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke will speak via a video. State Deputy of the Missouri Knights of Columbus to be honored guest.

Reservations Required. $30 per person. Tables of 10 $300
Proceeds to help promote Vocations
This is the work of the St. Charles Serra Club
For more information, call 636-561-7003

St. Louis Review lists area churches celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday

April 18.
Three churches in St. Charles County are listed. My parish is not among those. Almost 3500 families, three priests and no mercy!

Looks like I'm going to St. Joseph's in Josephville, then.

The article link is here.

'Resurrexit,' alleluia -- He is risen, alleluia!

"'Resurrexit,' alleluia -- He is risen, alleluia!" This year too the joyous proclamation of Easter, which echoed powerfully at last night's vigil, strengthens our hope. "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen" (Luke 24:5-6). Thus the angel encourages the women who have hastened to the tomb. Thus the Easter liturgy repeats to us, the men and women of the third millennium: Christ is risen, Christ is alive among us! His name now is "the Living One," death has no more power over him (cf. Romans 6:9).

John Paul II's Easter Message