Separating the Catholic Sheep From the CINO Goats

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Separating the Catholic Sheep From the CINO Goats
Phil Brennan
Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2004

Except for a courageous handful, America's wimpish Roman Catholic Bishops won't say this, but I will: A significant number of proclaimed Catholics in this country are no more Catholic than the most secularized of their fellow Americans.

Yet the media insists on labeling them as being members of a church whose doctrines they dispute and whose disciplines they reject. It is members of this group whose dissent from the most vital teachings of the Church draws huzzahs from the neo-paganists who dominate the mainstream media today. And it also this group which distorts the true picture of what was once a solid voting bloc, but no longer exists as a political reality.

There are, in fact, faithful Catholics and there are people who call themselves Catholic but are, in reality, about as close to being atheists as they can get without completely banishing the idea of the Almighty from their lives. If He exists at all, to them He is merely an afterthought.

This has a serious impact on America's political future because, as George Marlin points out in his extraordinary new book, "The American Catholic Voter - 200 Years of Political Impact," both the real and pseudo Catholic vote will be the decisive one in the upcoming presidential election.

In a pair of recent Gallup polls it was revealed that Catholic registered voters who attend church weekly - about one-third of all Catholic registered voters - support Bush over Kerry. Those voters view Bush's moral policies as most closely resembling those of the Church, and Kerry's moral outlook as greatly at odds with the Church - by a full 10 percent margin, 52 percent to 42 percent.

But among those Catholics-in-name-only (CINO) voters who rarely if ever go to church - about 38 percent of the self-described Catholics - Kerry led by 57 percent to 39 percent.

Marlin points out that since the "Catholic" vote will determine the outcome - and he provides solid evidence for the veracity of this prediction - the election will be decided by how effective the Bush forces are in energizing the faithful Catholics to come out and vote for him, and how effective Kerry is in energizing the phony Catholic bloc of voters.

It's important to understand exactly what defines a Roman Catholic. Anyone wishing to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church must subscribe fully and not half-heartedly to what is called the "Depositum Fidei," the deposit of faith which contains the Church's doctrines. It's not up for debate. Take it or leave it. Leave it and you leave the Church.

Adhering to those doctrines faithfully makes a faithful Catholic. It is not easy. There are lots of inconveniences that prevent a Roman Catholic from living in accord with the current fun-and-games secularist lifestyle with which the media, Hollywood and the literary world are so enamored. It sets us apart from a majority of our fellow Americans. But as the old saying goes, "living Catholic is hard; dying Catholic is easy."

The CINOs reject the hard part - that which interferes with the decadent lifestyle they prefer. In the case of those in political life, the hard part interferes with taking positions opposite from those of voters on the left. And if that sets them at odds with their nominal religion, it's not their fault. They blame a Church which refuses to join the secularist parade and approve that which would deprive it of its very reason to exist.

Let's be blunt about this; people like John Kerry and Tom Daschle and their like - all CINOs - are well aware of the horrendous nature of abortion - the outright murder of unborn human beings in the eyes of the Church and most of humanity for most of the world's history.

But they would rather sacrifice babies over the political support of the multi-billion dollar abortion industry and its lavish campaign contributions.

Yet they continue to insist they remain members of the Catholic faith and are simply following their consciences by bartering their immortal souls for money and votes.

Let's be clear about this. They are not in any sense of the word Catholics. One can't support abortion and remain a Catholic. Nor can those who are faithful Catholics go down to their polling places on election day and vote for turncoats. By so doing they forfeit any claim to Catholicism and become apostates and accomplices in the murder of the unborn.

It's not just the issue of abortion that separates the CINOs from their former church. Other issues - same sex marriage and embryonic stem cell research and the requirement to attend Mass on Sundays - also puts them into the apostate column.

For them, living Catholic is just too hard. And dying outside their church will be hard. Damned hard.

Pray for them. And for God's sake, outvote them on election day.

Phil Brennan is a veteran journalist who writes for NewsMax.com. He is editor & publisher of Wednesday on the Web (http://www.pvbr.com) and was Washington columnist for National Review magazine in the 1960s. He also served as a staff aide for the House Republican Policy Committee and helped handle the Washington public relations operation for the Alaska Statehood Committee which won statehood for Alaska. He is also a trustee of the Lincoln Heritage Institute and a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. He can be reached at phil@newsmax.com

This was sent to me via email today...It was too good not to pass along...All emphasis above was added by me.

Thanks to Marc for passing this on the me!

St. Louis Catholic elementary teachers turn to Vatican

After a nine-year fight to unionize, a group of St. Louis-area Catholic elementary school teachers have sent a suit of sorts to an arm of the Catholic Church at the Vatican.

The 80-page canonical recourse, as it is called, alleges that St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has gone against canon law and violated human and natural rights by refusing to recognize a union for elementary school teachers.

Article.

Kentucky Supreme Court Unleashes Power of the State to Kill its Own Citizens

The Kentucky Supreme Court issued a stunning decision on August 26th granting legal authority to the state of Kentucky to end the life of a totally innocent ward of the state. The case involved a mildly retarded black male, Matthew Woods, who was placed on a ventilator after suffering cardiac arrest at the age of 54. The state requested permission to remove his life support, contrary to the wishes of Woods' guardian at litem.

Article

:The Passion" Sells over 4 Million Copies on First Day of DVD Release

Fox Home video announced Wednesday that 4.1 million copies of the video were sold on the first day of its release.

Source.

Critics: Blessed Junipero Serra - a Sinner

[S]ome elementary school teachers and activists say Serra took advantage of Native American labor, and through his leadership, the Golden State’s adored missions had devastating effects on thousands of Indians who lost their freedom and lives building and maintaining the 21 Catholic sites.

While Serra could become California’s first saint, some teachers are providing their own perspective, forsaking the mandated textbooks and letting 8-year-olds act out scenarios that portray Serra as a trickster and even, in a few extreme cases, a purveyor of genocide

Source.

Opinion Shaper: Have the pharisees taken over the Vatican?

Here is an article written, not be a theologian, but by a co-founder of a 'constitutional think tank'. This man is quick to criticize the Church and Bishop Smith of Trenton, NJ for upholding and protecting the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist. As you may recall, this story began with the problem of a young girl who suffers from some form of celiac disease and was given a communion wafer made of rice rather than wheat - and, of course, this was rightly declared to be invalid.

Now comes John R. Stoeffler, the author of this St. Louis Post Dispatch article, who equates the position of the Church with that of the pharisees for being 'legalistic'. He states:

For me this doctrine [the Holy Eucharist] is clearly based on legalism that has more in common with the pharisees Jesus encountered than that of the Good Samaritan.

For one who understands what a sacrament is, this should be no problem. It is no more 'legalistic' than any of the 10 Commandments. As you may know, simply stated, a sacrament is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace [Baltimore Catechism]. Or as the new Catechism indicates: The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us (CCC 1131).

But there is more to be said of the Holy Eucharist which Mr. Stoeffler does not understand when he states:

The origin of the Eucharist began at the Last Super when Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples. The bread was symbolic of Jesus' body, and the wine that of his shed blood. In distributing the bread and wine to his disciples Jesus told them to "do this in rememberance of me." (Luke 22:19) What eight-year-old Haley Waldman and all who participate in the celebration of the Last Supper were doing was honoring Jesus by keeping his charge.

Faithful Catholics understand that there the bread and the wine are not merely symbolic of Jesus' body and blood, but actually and truly become the very body, blood, soul and divinity of our Saviour by the power of the Holy Spirit. This has been the teaching of the Church from the very beginning - it is not some mere 'honoring of Jesus by keeping His charge'. Jesus said, "This IS My Body, this IS My Blood." Nowhere in the New Testament or in the writings of the Early Church Fathers is there any mention of a merely symbolic nature to this august mystery.

As the Sacraments were instituted by our Lord Himself, the Church does not have the power or authority to change them.

Mr Stoeffler finishes by stating:

If the Catholic Church has a problem with Haley Waldman's physical restriction I know there are other Christian denominations whose members would take a sincere interest in her physical concerns and spiritual well being and welcome her with open arms.

The insinuation that the Catholic Church has a problem with the little girl's disease is disingenuous and represents a complete lack of understanding of the Church. Catholics certainly sympathize with those who suffer from the disease and the Church does allow low-gluten hosts to be used. The Church also permits the communicant to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord under the species of wine.

While other Christian communities might well accept Haley with open arms, the fact remains that these other Christian communities cannot offer her what the Church established by Jesus Christ can offer - the real, true and substantial Body and Blood of our Lord contained in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Article.

'The Passion' Sells 2.4 Million DVDs

The DVD of Mel Gibson's biblical epic "The Passion of the Christ" went on sale Tuesday and sold 2.4 million copies by midday.

"We think a lot of the consumers will be going in after work to pick it up," said Steve Feldstein, spokesman for Fox Home Entertainment, which is distributing the DVD. Total one-day sales figures for the movie were expected Wednesday.

I have not picked one up yet, although I plan to do so this week...I'm looking forward to watching the movie again and I'm reluctant to recall how offensive to God my sins are.

Article here

Pastoral Letter from the Bishop of Diocese of Greensburg

Dear Brother Priests and Deacons,
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Faith,

This pastoral letter is being addressed to you in an effort to clarify the Catholic Church's teaching as it relates to certain issues which have emerged as a result of this year's election campaigns. It analyzes these issues from a faith perspective. By way of conclusion, I have focused upon some practical measures which result from this analysis, and which are considered pastorally appropriate. I commend this statement to your careful consideration.

Full text here.

Responsibility of U.S. Catholic Voters

This is a Zenit interview with Cardinal McCarrick.
Link.

September 18 - in La Crosse, WI

This just in...For anyone who may be in the La Crosse area in two weeks...

To: All Members and Friends of the Marian Catechist Apostolate

YOU ARE INVITED to a dynamic presentation by
Sister M. Johanna Paruch, F.S.G.M.,
Assistant Professor of Theology and Catechetics
Franciscan University of Steubenville

Sister M. Johanna will speak on catechetical saints. Catechetical saints teach us two things: they teach us to be holy and they teach us how to hand on the faith in all its integrity, in all its rigor and vigor.

DATE: Saturday, September 18, 2004
TIME: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

From 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
 Jesus Christ—Master Teacher
 Mary and Joseph—Mother and guardian of the Redeemer
 St. Paul—Father of the Gentiles

From 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
 St. Augustine—Father of Catechetics
 St. Charles Borromeo—Father of the Catechism
 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton—Wife, Mother, Educator, Foundress
 St. John Bosco—Father of Youth

Join us for one or both sessions.

PLACE: Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Crosse, WI.

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be at 11:00 a.m. followed by the Holy Rosary in the Shrine chapel. Lunch in the Shrine Café.

For more information or to RSVP, contact:

Marian Catechist Apostolate
1032 Caledonia St.
La Crosse, WI. 54601

Phone:608-782-0011, Email:MCPrayer@charter.net

Karl Keating's E-Letter for 8/31

TOPICS:

RICE HOSTS REVISTED
KIDS LEARN THE FAITH ONLINE
VOTER'S GUIDE IN TODAY'S "USA TODAY"

Dear Friend of Catholic Answers:

Many thanks to those readers who have become regulars at the Catholic Answers discussion forums. Now that the initial excitement has died down, we have a better sense of the activity there.

In August we have averaged 12,000 new messages each week, down only slightly from the average in July, and this month we added 1,200 new members.

We have tried to keep the forums orderly and friendly--not always an easy thing to do with so much activity and so many people with strong opinions! My thanks to our moderators for doing a fine job and to the many members who informally help to keep things steady.

WHINE OR WINE?

It was the second such case to make the national headlines. A girl's parents complained that their parish wouldn't use a rice-flour wafer in Holy Communion. The girl has celiac disease, which prevents her from eating anything made of wheat because wheat has gluten in it. Rice doesn't. The girl wants to go to Communion, so why not accommodate her by using some flour, such as rice, that doesn't contain gluten?

Can't be done, said the diocese. That's insensitive and discriminatory, said the parents.

This is a replay of an earlier case. The result that time was that the parents left the Catholic Church and joined a Protestant church where their daughter could receive that church's analogue of Communion in the form of a rice wafer. I don't know what the result of the recent case will be--maybe the family will stay in the Church, maybe not--but reality needs to be respected and accepted.

The reality is that a valid consecration requires a host made of wheat flour and water. In the West, the host is unleavened; in the East, it is leavened. But otherwise the host is nothing but wheat by the time it is brought to the altar (the water already having evaporated, of course).

No other flour may be used: not rice, not barley, not corn, not rye, not anything else. The use of any flour other than wheat flour makes the bread invalid matter. If a priest said the words of consecration over such bread, nothing would happen. There would be no consecration, just as there would be no consecration if the wine were replaced with plain grape juice or with any other liquid.

Why did Jesus choose wheat bread and wine as the elements of the Eucharist? Why didn't he choose, say, rye bread and water or cheese and beer? Theologians offer us several reasons, but the bottom line is that our Lord could have chosen whatever he wished as the elements. Wheat bread and wine may have been the most suitable, for many reasons, but he could have chosen anything.

We need to keep in mind that he did choose wheat bread and wine, and that's that. Only those elements can be consecrated. Only those can be transubstantiated into his body and blood. Nothing else will work. This has been the constant teaching of the Church, from the earliest centuries, and it is an unchangeable teaching. Take it or leave it.

The family in the first case decided to leave. Instead of accepting the reality of the sacrament, they chose to redefine it according to their own desires. I hope the second family comes to understand the teaching of the Church--I hope someone at the family's parish is adept at conveying that teaching--and not just understand but accept.

Those who suffer from celiac disease can be accommodated through the use of low-gluten hosts or, for those who can't have even the slightest amount of gluten, through recourse to the chalice alone, even a separate mini-chalice into which no particle of the consecrated host is dropped by the priest.

A LOT BETTER THAN MY CCD CLASS

I no longer have a child of school age, but many of you do. You no doubt want to have your offspring know the three Rs but also the fourth: religion. And how do you accomplish that?

I attended public schools, which meant we were packed off to CCD classes one evening a week. The acronym stands for Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, but it could have stood for Catholic Children Daydreaming. That's how boring it seemed, and the result was that that was the last religious instruction many of my peers had.

So what to do for your kids? You might want to take a look at an online program called CatechismClass.com. It is for kids through twelfth grade, though I suspect not a few adults would find it a good refresher. The entire program is given over the computer at the student's own pace. I've taken a look at the site, and it certainly looks to be a step up (a very big step up) from the CCD classes I took.

The web address is http://www.catechismclass.com

LOOK AT TODAY'S "USA TODAY"

We have taken a big financial leap in the dark (we're using $20,000 that otherwise would be paying down regular bills) to run the full text of our "Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics" in four regional editions of "USA Today."

The full-page ad runs in these editions:

Los Angeles (includes San Diego, the southern half of California, Las Vegas, and nearly all of Nevada)

St. Louis (includes most of Missouri, almost all of Arkansas, half of Illinois, and parts of Indiana and Kentucky)

New York (includes the entire state plus the western half of Connecticut and parts of Pennsylvania)

Washington, D.C. (includes Baltimore, Richmond, almost all of Maryland and Virginia, and parts of North Carolina)

Our plan is to send tear sheets of the ad to our supporters, asking them to cover the $20,000 and to help us raise enough to run the same ad again in October, ideally in all the regional editions of "USA Today."

According to the newspaper, the ad placed today will be read by more than one million people. If we can raise enough to run the ad in every edition of "USA Today," about five times that many will see it. To that number we can add the several million copies of the voter's guide that will be distributed in booklet form--already we have sent out one million copies and expect carloads more to go out over the next 60 days.

I wish we were in a position to mail the voter's guide to every Catholic household in the country, but that isn't remotely in our budget. For that matter, today's ad is not in our budget, but we have confidence that our friends will help to underwrite the cost.

One more thing I'm sure of: We'll be fielding lots of calls from the media this week.

Until next time,

Karl

To learn more about the Catholic faith and about Catholic Answers, visit us at http://www.catholic.com.
********************
The content of this E-Letter is copyright 2004 by Karl Keating.

No "ideal" US presidential candidate, Cardinal McCarrick says

This is an excerpt from Catholic World News.

I was somewhat hesitant to post this - I would hope that it would be made available to non-subscribers - only because it is something about which, I believe, all informed Catholics should know. If nothing else, it seems to indicate a continued pattern of confusion or deception in the Cardinal's thinking.

Rome, Aug. 30 (CWNews.com) - Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, DC, has said that it is "impossible" to find an ideal presidential candidate in the US, but said the American bishops hope to "define moral principles clearly" in order to guide voters.

Fortunately, there are some bishops who are (and have been) speaking out clearly with respect to already "defined moral principles". The moral principles are well known among some Catholics...The bishops do not need to hope to "define moral principles clearly" - they need to TEACH these moral principles without fear or ambiguity!

Cardinal McCarrick said that the foremost issue in this year's elections should be "respect for life." But he quickly added that "questions tied to peace and social justice, as well as aid for the poor," should have equal footing.

EQUAL FOOTING???? Has the Cardinal lost his Catholic faith?

Questioned about the debate among American bishops about denying the Eucharist to candidates who support legal abortion, Cardinal McCarrick said that "the Eucharist is not the appropriate place for political battles."

First, the good Cardinal uses the same rhetoric as the pro-death politicians. Secondly, it should not be a "battle" for a bishop to save the Most Holy Eucharist from sacrilege - if it is, then there is something else fundamentally wrong with that individual. Lastly, Cardinal McCarrick's statement contradicts both Canon Law, Ecclesia de Eucharista and the recent memo from Cardinal Ratzinger.

Some professed Catholics have even stated that since it is OK for pro-abortion politicians to receive Holy Communion, it must also be OK to support them and vote for them - Is it any wonder why they would come to that conclusion when some bishops and priests fail to follow the directives of the Holy See?

What a delight it must be to live in Washington DC, where it appears, very little is sacred anymore.

News Flash!...

...Religious education test shows students lacking in church knowledge

Catholic youths in the Cincinnati Archdiocese value their relationship with God, friends and family members, but they could use a little more knowledge about Catholicism, according to the results of a recent survey.

Source.

Bishop Gainer discusses pro-abortion politicians

Bishop Gainer said...that he intends to approach any practicing Catholic politicians who are openly pro-choice [pro-abortion] to talk about their situations, but that he would wait until after the November election to do so.

Although the issue has generated criticism, Gainer said the debate can have some positive outcomes: It gives the church a chance to reiterate its stance on abortion, a chance to engage in "serious interaction" with Catholic politicians, and a chance to come to a deeper understanding of the sacrament.

"This should cause us to reflect a little more," Gainer said. "We might have been a little bit asleep."

Article.

Are you ready for the Thirteen Moon Calendar?

The United Nations, which has a finger in every global pie, and ambitions to take over the World Internet, is inching its way towards calendar reform.

Long on lofty words and windy clauses, the official UN description for calendar reform is, "Calendar Reform and the Future of Civilization" (CRFC).

Why is the UN itching to change the method by which the world tells time?

It’s the Gregorian Calendar. Having replaced the Julian Calendar, the Gregorian was instituted by papal decree in the year AD 1582 and adopted by virtually all nations as the common world standard.

Accepted by virtually all nations notwithstanding, the Gregorian Calendar is irksome to New Agers because the whole world marks time based on the Birth of Jesus Christ. And as far as the occultist UN is concerned, that will never do.

Source.

Mexican Cardinal Says those who Promote Abortion cannot be Catholic

While US bishops continue to line up on either side of divided opinion about pro-abortion 'Catholic' politicians' reception of communion, Church officials outside the US are becoming ever more outspoken. The President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, and the Mexican Theological Society, Javier Cardinal Lozano Barragán, said at a conference on Pastoral Health Care in Mexico City that any group that promotes or participates in abortion cannot be considered Catholic. "Those who encourage abortion, those who obtain abortions, those who perform them, are outside the Church," he said.

He said that the Church would never relax its vigilance against abortion. "The Fifth Commandment says, thou shall not kill. Abortion kills, therefore it is murder, and the worst part is that it's the mother who kills her own, defenseless child," he said.

Source.

Charlotte Observer Editor Shows Ignorance of the Faith

Mary C. Curtis, Executive Features Editor/Columnist at The Charlotte Observer, opines:

That's what my Catholic faith has always been for me, a place for a peaceful dialogue with God.
...
Middlemen selectively split theological hairs, helpfully arranging the Ten Commandments in order of importance and providing a guide to politicians on how best to obey them. Punishment - "no Eucharist for you" - is swift and public for politicians who don't publicly oppose abortion. It's also wildly inconsistent, even within North Carolina.

I believe life starts at conception. I also believe protecting life doesn't end at birth.

It continues with providing children with health care and nutritious meals. Educational opportunities allow young people to dream, so a child won't have to give birth to find love. Valuing all life means support for the disabled.

The church on earth - always given to patriarchal excess - resembles a giant corporation, protecting its interests and wielding power and punishment with a brazenness that would shame Kenneth Lay.

It's utterly amazing that anyone, particularly one who professes to be Catholic, could implicitly condone abortion by not calling to account those politicians and others who openly support the selective murder of millions of innocent children.

The categorical denial of a hierarchy of truths and laws demonstrates that one is confused about fundamental issues of life. The statements made in the article show either a genuine ignorance of the facts or a deliberate attempt to confuse the issues.

Perhaps a better understanding can be inferred from the statement that the Church is given to "patriarchal excess". Sadly, this woman seems to be another example of what can happen to a person after decades of failed on non-existent catechesis. Again, many prayers are needed for the conversion of hearts, souls and minds.

Article.

New Jersey Bishops to meet with Holy Father

Bishop John M. Smith will discuss matters in a report sent to Rome "several months ago," said the spokeswoman, Audra Miller, but she said she did not know if the report was delivered before the issue involving 8-year-old Haley Waldman of Brielle.

The dispute arose in June when the girl, who cannot safely consume wheat, had her first Holy Communion declared invalid because the wafer contained none, violating Catholic doctrine.

And the mother is pushing for an exception to be made. Years of failed catechesis and spiritual formation have caused so many people to become concerned with things other than eternal life.

Article

Personal Example of the Parish Priest is What Attracts Vocations

Each parish priest, according to his own style and method, is responsible for inspiring others to follow the vocational path, said Father Stuart Bate, a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Zenit article.

Are You Confused about "Catholic Social Teaching"?

If so, Dr. Arthur Hippler, director of the Office of Justice and Peace in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., has written an excellent short primer on the subject, entitled, "What Do We Mean By 'Catholic Social Teaching?'"

We must therefore distinguish two senses of Catholic social teaching — a restricted one that applies to the peace in society that arises from just and friendly collaboration between different social classes; and the more general sense of Catholic social teaching, which applies the whole of Catholic moral teaching to social and political life. The restricted sense of "social teaching" that has arisen in modern times cannot be mistaken for the greater whole, that is, the fullness of the moral law that has been articulated over the Church’s 2,000-year Tradition. Ultimately, even the Catholic teaching on rich and poor is incomplete when emancipated from the larger context of tradition from which it arose.

Source.

A local Catholic group continues to promote schism

An Important Conference for All Catholics...

"The Spirit Is Set Free"

a one-day conference exploring:
- one community's journey to an idependent Catholic model
- implications for the St. Louis faith community

Saturday, October 16th, 2004 9am-2pm
Evangelical United Church of Christ (204 E. Lockwood, Webster Groves)
Tickets:
$15/pre-registered by Oct. 8th
$20/at door
(includes lunch, call for low-income rate)

Conference Includes...
Keynote from Denise Donato, Liturgy, Interactive Workshops, Lunch, Local Speakers

Denise Donato was ordained a priest in the Spiritus Christi Community by a bishop of the Old Catholic Church in 2003. This 1,000+ member community describes itself as “a Christ-centered Catholic community reaching beyond the institutional church to be inclusive of all.” Come hear their story, and explore what it means here in St. Louis.

Source

Of course, the 1000+ member community can describe itself anyway it wishes - however, "Catholic" it is not.

How is it even possible to "reach beyond" the institutional Church? This suggests that there is a 'truth' which the Church does not recognize or possess...The more likely statement would be that it is a lost community which is hopelessly groping in the dark for any truths within reach. However, as one moves farther and farther from the light of Truth, one discovers in the increasing darkness a diminishing of support, reason, virtue, goodness, etc.

May our Lord grants us the graces and blessings needed to return to Him and follow Him as He desires.

Priest who loved to bet apologizes for theft

A Catholic priest who said he had a love of casinos is apologizing for taking $226,000 from an Edwardsville church to support his gambling habit.

The Rev. Gerald Bunse, 52, was reassigned a few weeks ago to a new parish, Our Savior Church in Jacksonville, Ill., as a priest in residence after receiving treatment for gambling. Bunse would not say where he received treatment.

Kathie Sass, the diocesan communications director, said the diocese was reimbursing most of the parish's losses. The diocese also doesn't plan to press charges against Bunse.

"He should be prosecuted and placed in jail," [longtime church member and former Edwardsville Mayor Clyde] Hartung said. "If that would have been me, I am sure I would be in the penitentiary right now. It just surprises me. This is just hard to believe."

Source.

Artificial Nutrition and Hydration Explained

Thirty bioethicists and health care experts gathered recently at a colloquium hosted by the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute to study John Paul II's speech last spring on life-sustaining treatments and the vegetative state.

To fully understand the implications of the papal speech and the colloquium's findings, Dr. William Sullivan, founding director of the institute, shared with ZENIT some scientific and moral issues concerning tube feeding or artificial nutrition and hydration for people in a persistent "vegetative" state or post-coma unresponsiveness.

Part 1 of the Zenit Article is here and Part 2 is here.

U.S Catholic Voters Guide in Full-Page Newspaper Ads

A Catholic apologetics group whose guide for Catholic voters was criticized by the US bishops' conference's lawyers is now preparing to put the guide before over one million voters in eight major metropolitan areas.

The group Catholic Answers is taking out a full-page ad in USA Today on Tuesday, August 31, which will provide a synopsis of the five key issues they've identified for Catholic voters to consider when they go to the polls: abortion, same-sex unions, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning, and euthanasia. Catholic Answers' president, Karl Keating, said the guide will inform Catholics that they can't deliberately vote against the Church's moral teachings and still call themselves "good Catholics."

Source.

As an aside, I have heard that our pastor has decided to send the Catholic Answers Voter's Guide to all registered parishioners. Previous indications were that he was opposed to even allowing it at the parish - Why the change? Maybe it was the many letters, etc, that were sent; maybe it was due to the Archbishop...? Maybe it is God's answer to the many prayers of the faithful...

September 12 - “Why Fatima Isn’t Over Yet:A Message Unheeded”

You and your family are cordially invited to a presentation on:
“Why Fatima Isn’t Over Yet: A Message Unheeded”

at St. Raymond’s Maronite Cathedral
931 Lebanon Dr.
St. Louis, MO

on Sunday September 12, 2:00pm


Some Catholics think the Fatima Message is something that applies to the past. It is true many of the prophecies have come to pass. However, an important part of the Fatima Message still remains unheeded. We live in a society that is almost the complete contrary of what Our Lady asks of us. It is a society that accepts and promotes abortion, immoral fashions and now same-sex marriage. In other words, the Fatima Message is far from over. All Catholics must concretely apply it to daily life.

In this talk, we will discuss:

What it takes for Fatima to “be over”

How to heed the Fatima message

The vastness of the crisis in our personal lives, society and the Church

The vastness of the help we can expect from Our Lady

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.

American TFP member and director John W. Horvat II will speak on this timely topic and answer questions. He has spoken on numerous occasions in St. Louis.

Please join us for what promises to be a stimulating afternoon of Catholic conviviality, enlightening conversation, and hope for the future.

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

Admission is free, Refreshement will be offered.

Vatican Cardinal says promoters of abortion have no place in the Church

The President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, said this week in Mexico that those promote abortion have no place in the Church.

In a clear reference to so-called “Catholic” groups such as “Catholics for a Free Choice,” the Cardinal said, “Those who encourage abortion, those who obtain abortions, those who perform them, are outside the Church.”

Source.

Banned from the Yahoo Group - Catholics for Kerry...

Apparently the much proclaimed openness and inclusivity of rebellious "Catholic" groups such as this one permit no one so speak out in opposition of their positions much less to repeat what the Church teaches...

I joined the "catholicsforkerry" group some time ago to obtain a more indepth understanding of the way in which professed "Catholics" can claim to be Catholic yet refuse to assent the Church. After reviewing a few posts, I posted a couple of responses late Friday to some errors in judgement or belief with respect to the teaching of the Church. These are excerpts of posts which caught my attention.

I personally can support early abortion for the raped 15 year old. I cannot support it when a 40 year old uses it because her career is more important.

I asked: So you support the execution of innocent people? The child who may come into existence because of rape or incest is to be denied the right to live because of the sin of another? This is exactly the path to which this flawed logic leads us.

And then later I read this:

The Church has always put women in some secondary role towards men and we have taken it. If women feel called to the priesthood, to become a full sacramental member of holy Mother Church then women need to be a more active voice in the Church.

I for one will never again except any Church teaching at face value. I feel that members of the Church should use the intelligence that God gave them to see if it is from God or from man. The Holy Spirit is constantly enlightening the minds and hearts of men and women. The men of our Church, the bishops, are refusing the Paraclete's gentle instructions.

To which I responded: Apparently, then, if you reject the teaching authority of the Church, the you reject both Christ and His Church. The teaching authority given to the Apostles with Peter as the leader of the Church on earth is binding on all Catholics. The teaching authority of the Church cannot be separated from the Church - were it possible to do so, the Church would cease to exist.

Perhaps, you might want to reconsider your position? A Catholic, to remain Catholic, is obliged to assent to the teachings of the Church.

It was later after receiving a private email that I discovered this:

You have been banned from this group by the group moderator (Yahoo! ID banned: lrslattery). You may not join the group catholicsforkerry.

The messages on the catholicsforkerry group are currently public and are available for review.

Here are samples of some of the followup remarks to which I am now unable to respond:

Gosh! I'm always taken aback by these people who want to do my thinking for me, examining my conscience for me and rendering decisions on my status as a Catholic. I, for one, respectfully wish such people would stick to themselves rather than being a busybody with my soul.--Peggy

As you are a man, you have no right to even speculate abuot a women's choice.Judging a woman - any woman - is not for you to do.Leave it to God, he'll do the job correctly, with love and compassiom.--Jean R.

How does rejecting the "teaching authority of the Church" cause one to reject Christ?
Are you not familiar with the Spirit of Truth? How can the Church's "teaching authority" supersede the Master's indwelling Spirit?--Saitia

Who is this jackass? Listen, pal, I am wise to people like you. You love to point to other people's sins but you are clueless on how to examine your own conscience. Lemme put it to you straight, pal - you are a disgrace to pro-life and you are a disgrace to the Catholic faith. You don't admonish the sinner, you pummel the sinner and just as the great TV evalgelists drive people away from Christianity, you drive people away from pro-life because you could give a crap about life. It is really about your own sick self-righteousness, isn't it? Don't you kind of get off in showing people how "holy" you are?--Socrates8972

I read this crap and I understand exactly why so many people hate Catholics. Listen pal, you ought to learn the truth about what the teaching magisterium teaches. Interesting how these jackasses can thunp the teaching magisterium but when you tell them the Holy Father himself oppsed the war, they say "I don't have to obey the Pope." Listen pal, I DO know about the teaching Magisterium and you ain't it.--Socrates8972

Yeah right !! So Galileo was wrong and the earth is flat, and Christ had a vendetta against the jews so he encouraged the persecution of the jews through the centuries. Yeah and Pius the 12th (who for some sick reason is being considered for beatification) did right by looking the other way while that sick puppy Hitler exterminated 6 million jews and gypsies. Tom is absolutely right - use your intelligence - don't be led by rabble rousers. We have one now in the white house who seems to be talking with God in his sleep and thinks God has given him a mandate to resurrect the crusades!!!--jr (joseph)

Exactly Joseph :) You got it right. We should definitely follow our Church's teachings, but if it doesn't seem quite right we should question it. Our Church's leaders are human and there's nothing that says they can't make mistakes in their
interpretations. Don't follow blindly!!--Anne.

Unfortunately, as one can see from the followup remarks, there is much confusion in this group of "Catholics" who believe all sorts of lies and distortions, such as: That the Church believed the earth was flat; that Pope Pius XII was Hitler's helper, that women have a right or choice to murder the innocent. This is to say nothing of the hateful ad hominems that "Socrates" employs in his remarks.

Perhaps, with sufficient prayers, fasting, and mortifications, those who profess to be Catholic might be led toward the truth of Christ an d His Church and be given the graces to receive the virtue of humility so that they might accept those things which the Church teaches and be obedient to the will of God.

Bishop says priorities askew in conference questionnaire

One of these things is not like the others, say critics of a new questionnaire being sent to presidential candidates: abortion, human cloning, euthanasia and the dollar amount of the minimum wage.

Three are intrinsic evils, always gravely evil in themselves, and prohibited by absolute moral norms derived from the natural law. The fourth is a prudential political matter about which Catholics and non-Catholics alike may legitimately disagree.

Yet a new 41-item questionnaire by the staff of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will confuse the public by blurring lines and giving issues such as welfare reform the same moral gravity as partial-birth abortion or the sanctity of marriage, said Bishop Rene Henry Gracida.
(all emphasis mine - LRS)

Kudos to Bishop Gracida for speaking out!
Bishop Gracida also affirms what many others have said, when he states:

"The questionnaire can only result in confusion in the minds of Catholic voters who do not understand that there is no moral equivalence between these two groups of issues."

And this has been reported before, but the National Catholic Register has also included it:

"When this document [the questionaire] is made public, it will immediately be used by John Kerry to argue that he’s a good Catholic," said Austin Ruse, president of the Culture of Life Foundation in Washington. "Out of 41 questions, almost all reflect priorities in the Democratic platform and only a few pertain to doctrinal issues of the Church."

USCCB staffers have attempted to defend their confusion and ambiguity against right reason and Church teaching.

"It’s total nonsense. It’s just absolutely not true," conference spokesman Bill Ryan said of charges that the survey was written to benefit Kerry over Bush.

"We don’t agree this survey confuses Catholic issues with political issues," Ryan said. "Take immigration, for example. This is an issue of tremendous importance to the Holy Father, and therefore, it’s of interest to Catholics."

You're so right, Bill! It is important to the Holy Father. But the Holy Father has also stated that the right to life is paramount. Other issues mean nothing if there is no life.

I wonder if there is any similarity to or connection with the USCCB questionaire and Sen. Dick Durbin's "Catholic Voting Report Card"? Having seen neither, I cannot answer the question but they certainly seem to be closely related... Is there any investigative reporter who can check this out?
Maybe a sleuth at National (un)Catholic Reporter? One who adept at going wherever the story leads him?

The article from the National Catholic Register is here.

Does CNS live up to its "mission"?

The mission of Catholic News Service, as stated on the web site is this, in part:

The mission of Catholic News Service is the mission of the Church itself -- to spread the Gospel through contemporary means of communication.

Our mission is to perform this task by reporting the news which affects Catholics in their everyday lives.

Our mission is to report fully, fairly and freely about the involvement of the Church in the world today.

So what do we read in CNS News Briefs for Aug 26?
Answer: Joint LCWR-CMSM assembly focuses on creating peace in violent times

FORT WORTH, Texas (CNS) -- When members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men came together in Fort Worth Aug. 19, they spent a portion of their time together addressing the one issue that has seemed to monopolize the Catholic Church's focus for the past two years -- the sex abuse crisis. Their joint meeting ended Aug. 21 after having addressed a range of issues considered most crucial to the leadership groups. The two groups re-convened separately Aug. 22 to attend to matters particular to their separate memberships. The more than 800 members of U.S. religious leadership gathered with the primary purpose of discussing world peace and social justice. Their theme, "No Longer Bystanders: Creating Peace in Violent Times," was specifically addressed in all sessions, from the opening prayer service to a closing panel that told of sisters' personal experiences of violence worldwide.

I cannot help but wonder why CNS did not also report on the group urging

"one another not to allow the church to be hijacked by seemingly dictatorial pronouncements by a conservative hierarchy. Be bold, prophetic and, when necessary, even defiant, they told one another."

Or even this from the same source:

They told one another not to be cowed into silence by the Vatican on issues such as the role of women in the church and priests who wanted the celibacy rule lifted. It was daring talk that appealed to attendees and stirred many to their feet in rousing applause.

Certainly, this is just another example which causes some to wonder whether CNS has some problem with objectivity or even, if it really can report "fully, fairly, and freely" as stated in its Mission? Perhaps it's only a case that the reporter(s) from CNS were absent when

Many of the religious leaders said the church hierarchy was fostering theological violence by imposing narrow interpretations of doctrine.

Thankfully, there are other faith Catholic sources which fulfill CNS' mission of "reporting the news which affects Catholics in their everyday lives."

Judge Rules U.S. Law Banning "Gruesome" Partial Birth Abortion Unconstitutional

Federal District Judge Richard Casey in New York today ruled that the federal government cannot enforce the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act because the law conflicts with an earlier 5-4 Supreme Court ruling in favor of partial-birth abortion.

Despite his ruling, Judge Casey also said, "The Court finds that the testimony at trial and before Congress establishes that D&X [partial-birth abortion] is a gruesome, brutal, barbaric, and uncivilized medical procedure."

This will be appealed. All evidence indicates that there is NEVER any reason in these cases to kill innocent children to protect the life of the mother. I had hoped the Judge Casey would have ruled in a manner which upheld the Constition of the United States rather than the Constitution of the Abortionists.

Link.

Demographics may mean end to celibacy issue...

...so says America Magazine.

Let look at the overwhelming evidence to support this position:

Clergy in the early church had wives. St. Peter was married. Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law at their home in Capernaum.

Unfortunately, what has been left out is that we do not know if Peter's wife was even still alive at the time. Or, if she was, did they forsake sexual relations for the sake of the kingdom? Or, did they separate or live as brother and sister? Of course, these questions would be viewed as irrelevant to the position being proposed by the "dump celibacy" crowd. The panacea is not to be found in overturning the discipline of celibacy - if it were the case, then there would exist sufficient evidence in the Eastern Rite and Eastern Orthodox Churches as well as in the Protestant denominations to support the 'married clergy' position. As we know, the evidence is not there, all of these others are experiencing shortages as well.

The answer can be found in fruitful and holy families which are authentically Catholic - obedient to the will of God and faithful to Christ and His Church. We only need look around us to see one reason for the problem. For example, contracepting "Catholic" families are engaged in depriving God and the Church of life - without life, there are no vocations. There must be a return to the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity - for families in which sanctity and virtue are no longer esteemed will be incapable of producing life or vocations. We must continue to pray for our Church and ask our Lord to bless His people and give them the graces that are necessary for vocations to the priesthood.

Article here.

Archbishop Burke requests help for hurricane victims, & prayers for seminarians

There are always so many subjects about which I would like to write to you. Usually, I try to limit myself to one topic a week, hoping that eventually I will be able to communicate with you about all matters of our mutual Christian concern. This week, however, I want to address three timely subjects, about which, I trust, you would like to hear a word from me.

I honestly don't know how he does all that he does. Surely his help comes from our Lord and from our Blessed Mother.

Archbishop Burke's article is here.

Donations won't be used for civil settlements

About one-third of the $2,036,800 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis will pay to settle 18 civil cases of sexual abuse will be paid by its insurance company. The rest will come from a general archdiocesan fund "generated from investments and past sales of real estate," according to a statement issued Thursday by the archdiocese. "No contributions to parishes, archdiocesan agencies or the Archdiocesan Development Appeal will be used to fund these settlements."

Link.

Boston teachers sue archdiocese over union

Church-sponsored schools do not have to recognize labor unions under federal labor law. But since the archdiocese recognized the union 38 years ago, the teachers association wants the new boards to follow suit, a union lawyer said.

"These teachers have dedicated, on average, decades of their lives to these schools," said Terence P. Noonan, a lawyer for the union. "They don't think a fringe benefit of working is job security. They think it's an integral benefit. They need to know they have a safe and sound economic future. That can only follow from knowing that they have continuing employment, through a collective bargaining agreement."

Article here.

72 percent of Catholics say Communion sanctions improper

This article appears to support the proposition that three-quarters of professed Catholics do not know and do not understand the Catholic Faith. This article also support previous polls indicating that nearly 70% of professed Catholics do not believe in the real, true, and substantial presence of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Eucharist.

Nearly three-quarters of Catholics oppose the idea of church leaders denying Communion to politicians whose public positions on abortion and other topics contradict church teachings, according to a new Pew poll.

The largest segment to agree that such action was proper was 39 percent of self-identified conservative Republicans. Forty-seven percent of this group said it was improper and 14 percent said they didn't know.

The largest percentages of smaller groups of respondents to say church leaders acted improperly by denying Communion to politicians were Catholic Democrats, at 81 percent, followed by Catholic women and self-described liberal Democrats, at 80 percent.

The poll also asked people's opinions about embryonic stem-cell research. A narrow majority, 52 percent, said it is more important to conduct stem-cell research than it is to stop such research in the interest of not destroying the embryos.

Read it and weep...Pray for conversions of "Catholics" to the faith.

Full story here.

An Offense Against Truth

After much consideration and review of the articles concerning Deal Hudson, it seems worthwhile to review some obligatory principles which have apparently been ignored, most notably, by those who chose to reveal to the world an alleged past sin of Deal Hudson's without any apparent objectively valid reason.

For review, the Catechism refers to this as the grave sin of detraction.

2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:
...- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them...

The Code of Canon Law states:

Can. 220 No one may unlawfully harm the good reputation which a person enjoys, or violate the right of every person to protect his or her privacy.

The Catholic Encyclopedia says, in part:

Detraction is the unjust damaging of another's good name by the revelation of some fault or crime of which that other is really guilty or at any rate is seriously believed to be guilty by the defamer.

To violate or damage one's good name or reputation is an act of injustice.

We may not injure or damage another person's reputation by revealing what we believe is true, without proportionately grave reason. Based on the information currently at hand in the offending article, I can see no proportionately grave reason for revealing what has been made public despite the assertion that the reporter "went where the story led him". Merely having come across alleged facts, does not require that those 'facts' be disclosed.

When a disclosure of an unknown failing or sin is necessary to protect oneself or others, there is no injustice in the revelation - however, there must be adequate proportion between the damaging or lessening of a person's reputation (which is not intended) and the good to be achieved by the disclosure (which is intended). Nor does the sin of detraction exist when the person's failing/sin is publicly known.

In the case at hand, a third party, not involved in the sordid affair, "was led" by the "story" to knowledge of which he appears to have no right to know or to publish. One may or may not accept the premise for pursuing the "story" as legitimate or true. Nonetheless, it is difficult, if not impossible, for me to determine what good what accomplished by the publication of the story - other than to expose a person who seemingly had reconciled and resolved the issue with the parties involved. We must then ask, who is being protected or served by this disclosure? What grave reasons exist for making such a sinful failure public? It appears that this is a blatant and serious case of the grave sin of detraction which may have permanently damaged Mr. Hudson's reputation.

I am more than willing to entertain any arguments demonstrating that there was a proportionately grave reason for publishing the story. However, at this time, I am unable to think of any legitimate reasons why this would not be a serious case of detraction of which justice would demand repairing the reputation of the injured party.

Republican Draft Platform Calls for Constitutional Amendment to Ban Abortion

The Republican plank asserts that "the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed," according to an ABC News report.

Lifesite Article

St Louis Archdiocese settles 18 abuse suits

The St. Louis Archdiocese has agreed to pay more than $2 million to settle 18 civil cases of sexual abuse, according to lawyers representing the accusers.

Edward Goldenhersh, an archdiocesan lawyer, said Wednesday that using the word "settle" is "wordsmithing."

"They've brought claims and I can beat them in court, and they know that," he said.

At least 30 more cases against the archdiocese are pending, according to Susan Carlson, one of the attorneys representing the accusers. Those cases probably will be mediated in the same way over the coming months. Attorneys would not say exactly how much each accuser received in each settlement.

In addition to the $2 million, the archdiocese agreed to provide "safe touch" education to all children in the archdiocese...

Not sure what they mean by the "safe touch" program.

Article here.

Riverfronttimes Articles Critical of Archbishop Burke

It must be a slow news week at the RFT. The RiverFrontTimes has two articles today extremely critical of Archbishop Burke.

One wonders whether the 'facts' are truly facts or the results of animosity and ill will toward the Archbishop. Considering the reality that the whole truth could not possibly be known by the RFT, much less presented, what is the real purpose of these articles?

There are the old complaints we have heard about since Archbishop Burke was named to succeed Cardinal Rigali: the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the diocesan withdrawal from "Crop Walk", and this little gem:

...it was his gathering of fringe religious orders to the diocese that alienated many priests.

"He brought in any number of people -- hermits we called them, or consecrated virgins and religious orders of one and two and three people," says the priest who requested anonymity. "They were just -- forgive me for saying so -- but to most of us they were wackos. They're just psychologically not well equipped, and he brought these people in because theologically they agree with him." (emphasis mine)

I have not linked directly to the articles themselves but only to the RFT. Source.

Seminarians voice support for mandatory celibacy

At least 556 U.S. seminarians have signed a letter to the head of the U.S. bishops' conference affirming their support for mandatory celibacy in the Catholic priesthood of the Latin rite.

...the seminarians said, "We are writing today to affirm our support for Holy Mother Church's teaching on the place of celibacy in the priesthood. ... We, to whom the precious gift of divine grace to live as celibates has been given, yearn with all our hearts to offer this celibacy up to the Lord with undivided hearts, at the service of his church."

A sign of God's mercy and the power of prayer and sacrifice.

CNS article.

Lawyers for USCCB Prefer Parishes Not Use Popular Voter Guide

CULTURE & COSMOS
August 24, 2004 Volume 2, Number 3

Lawyers for US Bishops Prefer Parishes Not Use Popular Voter Guide

In the wake of controversy surrounding a presidential candidate questionnaire produced by the lay staff of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, many Catholics have embraced an alternative voting guide issued by a Catholic apologetics organization. Though the USCCB has discouraged use of this new guide, it has been circulated by at least one major archdiocese and thousands of parishes, according to the publisher.

"Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics" is a 10-page booklet produced by Catholic Answers, a lay apostolate based in San Diego whose primary mission is defending Catholic teaching. Citing papal and Vatican documents, "Voter's Guide" identifies five issues it calls "non-negotiable": abortion, euthanasia, fetal stem cell research, human cloning and homosexual "marriage." Supporting any of these issues,
according to the guide, would disqualify a candidate as a viable option for a faithful Catholic.

Frank Norris, Catholic Answers Director of Development, told Culture & Cosmos that the guide has been very successful, citing more than a million in distribution. Norris estimates that by election day in November Catholic Answers will have distributed somewhere between 2 million to 5 million copies. Norris said the guide is being distributed by the St. Louis Archdiocese and that two more dioceses are considering distributing it. He went on to say that more than one thousand individuals have requested copies of the guide. Norris also said the booklet may soon receive an imprimatur from the bishop of San Diego [an imprimatur is
official guidance from a bishop that the information is free from doctrinal error]. Even so, the booklet has faced resistance and even disapproval from the legal staff of the USCCB.

A parishioner in the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis asked Archdiocesan officials if he could distribute the "Voter's Guide" on church property. The Archdiocese sought guidance from the USCCB, according to William Fallon, the Archdiocese's chancellor, and was told they preferred that only the USCCB guide, "Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility," be distributed. "Faithful Citizenship," a document issued by the lay staff of the USCCB, has been criticized even within the Church for placing the paramount issue of abortion with other lesser issues like promoting "social justice" and "global solidarity." Bob Laird, Director of the Family Life Office of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia said, "It equates abortion with debt relief. They are not equal."

Critics charge that the document has had the effect of minimizing the importance of abortion in Catholic social teaching. The USCCB is also set to release its staff-produced presidential questionnaire which has faced similar charges.

Interpreting IRS guidelines for non-profit organizations is at the heart of the voter guide question. IRS rules insist that non-profits may not engage in active campaigning for specific candidates or political parties. Though USCCB lawyers declined repeated requests for comment, an online memo makes it clear they believe in a very strict reading of the IRS code. "Political Activity Guidelines for Catholic Organizations," a document of USCCB's Office of the General Counsel, stresses that guides and questionnaires must cover a "wide variety of issues selected solely on the basis of their importance to the electorate as a whole." It remains to be seen whether the IRS will go after the narrow voter guide of
Catholic Answers though Catholic Answers believes it is well within the law.

Copyright, 2004 --- Culture of Life Foundation. Permission granted for
unlimited use. Credit required.

Culture of Life Foundation
1413 K Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington DC 20005
Phone: (202) 289-2500 Fax: (202) 289-2502
E-mail: clf@culture-of-life.org
Website: http://www.culture-of-life.org

This is from an email received last night. Things are definitely amiss at the USCCB. It appears to be severely infected. (All emphasis above is mine.)

Another St. Stanislaus Letter to the Editor

Stop 'harassment' of St. Stanislaus

To the Editor:

In light of what is going on at St. Stanislaus Church in St. Louis during the past few weeks, I feel compelled to say something on their behalf.

I think it is obvious that when Archbishop Burke looks upon St. Stanislaus, he sees only dollar signs and he is threatening blackmail if the members of the church do not yield to his wishes.

I am not a member of the Catholic Church, but this is not a question of religion, it is a question of what is right and what is wrong, and it is not right to steal from your fellow man.

Christ taught us to love one another and to love your neighbor as yourself, not harass them.

Mel Marshall

Dittmer

Apparently, Mr. Marshall has no firm handle of the facts, and presumably he has not read the account of the situation as documented in the St. Louis Review by Archbishop Burke.

I know that I, too, am prone to rash judgement at times, and it is terribly embarrassing and shameful to falsely suggest motives for others actions without factual knowledge.

Source.

New English translation of the Mass? Maybe by 2006.

Accuracy, not speed, is priority in Mass translation

"Getting it right" is a top priority, said Bishop Denis Browne of the long-awaited new English translation of the Mass, which is now unlikely to be ready before 2006.

Personally, it seems that it would be fitting for all to use the Latin texts, especially as an outward sign of the oneness and universality of the Church - where anyone, anywhere would know that he was assisting at the Holy Mass. Of course, the readings would be in the vernacular, just as the Second Vatican Council called for.

Source.

Women taking reins in Catholic churches

Beneath the Roman Catholic Church's glass ceiling, a gathering crowd of women is gaining power and loosening the rigid structures of a centuries-old, male-centered hierarchy.

On Sundays, a divorced mother of two grown sons helps conduct Mass at St. Julie Billiart church in San Jose. Standing side by side with the Rev. John Pedigo, Jeanine Jensen leads prayers and joins in accepting bread and wine brought to the altar for the consecration. It's just one of her many duties as paid pastoral associate.

The diocese of San Jose is led by Bishop Patrick McGrath, who opined this past Lent that the Gospels should not be viewed as historical documents.

They are finance directors, school superintendents, chancellors. Seven of San Jose Bishop Patrick McGrath's 10 executive committee members are women. McGrath, on vacation, could not be reached for comment.

Until the priesthood is opened to women, such jobs offer the best opportunity for making an impact.

Still, hope remains among many -- even some priests -- that the doors to priesthood will open to women someday as the natural progression of their increasing numbers in decision-making positions.

Hope as they may, it will never happen. And the agenda is openly stated...increase the numbers of women in the roles traditionally help by priests or other men and the natural progression will be to the priesthood, itself.

Of course there are and should be legitimate roles for women in the Church. But because society has become so confused in recent decades regarding family life as the nucleus of society, and the rampant abandonment by many men and women of their parental and familial responsibilities, we find ourselves in some particularly troublesome situations, many times promoted by priests and bishops in the name of 'diversity' rather than tradition, experience, and common sense. How terribly sad that the Church must experience again all of the futile attempts of changing the priesthood and the Sacraments - But it is also an excellent opportunity to use things like this for the sanctification of ourselves and others and as a means of mortification to make reparations for our own sins as well as those of others. Perhaps, if we were to use this and similar situtations as opportunities to beseech God's mercy and forgiveness, the minds and hearts of others might be enlightened and converted.

Source.

Louisiana Court Allows Family to Starve & Dehydrate Mother

Since the deliberate murder of family members by directly procured abortions is not enough, some judges are permitting the deliberate murder of the elderly and sick by means of starvation and dehydration.

An 89 year-old woman who suffered a debilitating stroke is being denied life-sustaining food and water by her family and doctors -- a court said it was okay because Doris Smith signed a living will. The daughter of the woman argues, however, that her mother never intended to be starved to death when she signed the legal document before her stroke.

Nurses at the nursing home stopped administering food and water to Mrs. Smith Monday, following the instruction of two other children, despite the efforts of attorney Jack Wright. The Louisiana Supreme Court refused to hear Smith's daughter, Oris Pettis', appeal. "We're at the end," Wright told the Associated Press.

Lifesite article

November 9 - Dinner with Archbishop Raymond Burke

Mark this date on your calendar - Tuesday evening, November 9.

Credo of the Catholic Laity and The Catholic Central Union will jointly host a dinner at the Clayton Radisson Inn. The speaker at this event will be the Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis.

You won't want to miss this time with one of our country's most faithful and courageous shepherds!

More details to follow...

Update on Fr. John Perricone Talk & Dinner & Holy Mass

Fr. John Perricone will celebrate the Tridentine Latin Mass on Sunday morning, September 19 at 9:00am at the Holy Family Old Log Church in Cahokia, IL.

Fr. Perricone is the founder and director The Christifideles Apostolate, an organization that provides ascetical/spiritual and doctrinal/theological/philosophical formation for Catholics. You can see and listen to Fr. Perricone explain how Christifideles was founded, in response to the Holy Father's call for the laity to be sanctified and to sanctify the world. The broadcast on EWTN, "Mother Angelica Live", on April 21, 1999, can be seen here.

You will not be disappointed listening to Fr. Perricone when he comes to St. Louis - he is an orthodox and faithful priest as well as an articulate defender of the faith.

Make your reservations now.

Three Bishops refute flawed theology of Fr. Andrew Greeley

No other Vatican memorandum has caused so much controversy in recent times as has that written by the head of the Vatican’s second most important dicastery of the Roman Curia.

Moreover, one Cardinal and one Catholic priest are at the forefront of this controversy, namely Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and retired sociologist Father Andrew M. Greeley, Ph.D.

The three Bishops who are refuting Fr. Greeley's recent errant ramblings are:
Bishop Robert Francis Vasa, M.Div., J.C.L., Bishop of Baker, OR,
Bishop Michael J. Sheridan, Bishop of Colorado Springs, CO, and
Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, D.D., S.T.D., Bishop of Lincoln, NE.

Here are some excerpts of their responses:

Bishop Vasa gave the following statement, [in part]:
“I see little sense in entering into a debate about the theological merits of Father Andrew Greeley’s statement in the New York Daily News article of August 10, 2004. I do believe his interpretation of Cardinal Ratzinger’s June Statement is erroneous.

"...Pre-born human life in our country is under consistent and vicious attack and those lives must be defended. As I have said elsewhere, these little ones have no vote but mine and I will use it for them at every opportunity.”

Bishop Sheridan gave the following statement [in part]:
“It is my opinion that Fr. Andrew Greeley’s reading of Cardinal Ratzinger’s memorandum is very incorrect. Nowhere does Fr. Greeley even attempt to deal with the qualifying phrase: “…in the presence of proportionate reasons.”

Both Bishops stated more, which should be read by all.

However, Bishop Bruskewitz has responded more to my way of thinking (with my emphasis added):

Bishop Bruskewitz conveyed through his Vicar General, Monsignor Timothy J. Thorburn, J.C.L., the following assertion:

“No Catholics of any sense will take any pastoral advice from Father Andrew Greeley, a superficial writer who appears to spend his time promoting himself to various elements in the secular media.

“It is often said by priests and people in his native region of Chicago that he long ago published all his thoughts, and in the last decades has been publishing his fantasies.

“In his article in the New York Daily news, fostering a pro-abortion vote (‘so long as it is not merely for that…’), he seems to strongly indicate not only a tragic indifference to abortion, which the Second Vatican Council called ‘an abominable crime,’ but a shallowness of mind akin to a harlequin.

“In his self-important buffoonery, he has appointed himself as instructor to Bishops and to Catholics nationwide. In doing this, he merely announces to every thoughtful Catholic that his views are totally self serving and undeserving of any serious consideration.

“Father Greeley even appointed himself to be an interpreter and spokesman for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to the great amusement of all who really know the Cardinal.

“My advice to any Catholics who would ask me about that Greeley article would be to give it the same view as you would the words and acts of a clown.”

This is one of those responses of which I am envious...But I applaud all of the Bishops who have the courage to stand up to imposters such as Fr. Greeley.

Source.

Update on Archbishop Burke's Pastoral Letter

The information from a couple of weeks ago was incorrect in that the Archbishop's Pastoral Letter would be forthcoming 'real soon'...The Pastoral Letter is still in process and there are no other updates yet on when we might expect to see it.

New England Bishops meet with Holy Father this week..

[Archbishop] O'Malley, who is scheduled to depart Wednesday, will meet with Pope John Paul II, if the pontiff's health permits, O'Malley's spokesman, the Rev. Christopher J. Coyne, said.

O'Malley will also seek a clear explanation on the washing of feet, an issue that has embroiled him in controversy after he washed only the feet of men, and not women, on Holy Thursday in April. O'Malley later apologized for offending women, and said he was following Vatican guidelines. Cardinal Bernard F. Law washed women's feet, as do many priests in the archdiocese and most American clergy.

"The archbishop will ask for an extension of the directive on footwashing, to allow both men and women to be washed," Coyne said.

An extension? An extension of what - an extension to be disobedient to the liturgical guidelines of the Church? Please!

Article here.

Leaders of Catholic Orders say Vatican can't bully them

All puffed up with pride, many of these "religious" have become disobedient and choose to blame the 'hierarchy'. In short, they have revolted and become protestant.

The 1,000 leaders of U.S. Catholic religious orders meeting at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Saturday said that following Jesus simply didn't mean being dutiful mouthpieces for the Vatican or the American bishops.

Rather, they urged one another not to allow the church to be hijacked by seemingly dictatorial pronouncements by a conservative hierarchy. Be bold, prophetic and, when necessary, even defiant, they told one another.

Be prophetic? Many, if not most of their orders are dead or dying - what is so bold about that? Is that something of which to be proud? Their 'prophetic' voices will, in time, be silenced and will no longer be heard because they have chosen to reject the successors of the Apostles.

"A lot of religious communities have concerns about speaking out because they fear the Vatican or their bishops will sanction them," said Sister Carol Beckermann, a Franciscan nun from St. Louis. "We can't let that intimidate us any longer."

Sr. Carol is in St. Louis - We wait to hear more of her 'speaking out'...maybe she will tell us how many new vocations her order is getting. Maybe she can shout that from the rooftop of the cathedral?

The leaders were from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which represents 73,000 U.S. nuns, and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, which represents 2,000 priests and brothers belonging to male religious orders.

Nothing else needs to be said!

The organizations represent the majority of religious orders in the United States, which have seen dramatic drops in membership since the 1960s. The groups tend to be progressive theologically. Only a few sisters wore traditional veils, and almost none of the men were cloaked in clerical garb.

Theologically progressive? That must be why thousands of young people are being called by God to a vocation in one of those orders...Some fail to grasp that the 60's are over - and for good reason. Pray for them - and pray especially, for those whose minds and souls are poisoned by the heterdoxy of these people.

Article here.

Fr. John Perricone to speak in St. Louis September 19

Credo of the Catholic Laity is proud to present
Father John A. Perricone

Speaking on the Topic “Put Not Your Trust in Princes”

Sunday Sept, 19, 2004 6:00 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 7750 Carondelet Blvd., Clayton Mo.

Father John Perricone is a Professor of Philosophy at St. Francis College in Brooklyn New York. He is also the Administrator of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Orange New Jersey. In addition he is the Founder and Director of ChristiFideles. The organization was founded in 1989 and provides spiritual guidance and theological/philosophical formation for Catholics.

Father Perricone is Co-Founder and Vice-President of The Montfort Academy, Katonah New York. This is a private academy for boys grades 9 – 12 with a classical curriculum with Roman Catholicism as its core. He has made presentations on EWTN and is a well known author, lecturer and retreat master.

His educational credentials are impressive:
He has an A.B. in Philosophy and Classical Languages from Seaton Hall, Orange New Jersey. His Masters degree in Biblical Studies is from Immaculate Conception Seminary in Mahwah New Jersey. A second Masters in Dogmatic Theology was earned at St John’s University, Jamaica New York. And he has Ph.D. in Medieval Philosophy that comes from Fordham University, Bronx New York.

Join us for a delicious sit down dinner at the Radisson Hotel, 7750 Carondelet in Clayton 6:00 p.m. Sunday Sept, 19th. The cost is $20.00 per person.

Park free in the parking garage at 7777 Bonhomme. Take a parking ticket as you go in. Use the bridge on the orange level to access the Hotel. When you leave the gate will be open and you will not have to pay.

For more information call, Howard Brandt, Treasurer, at 314-894-0357

A shakedown of Deal Hudson?

I sure this is old news by now, but I just saw it. I understand the National Catholic Reporter has been on the case with its topnotch investigative journalism - how pathetic.

CRISIS Magazine - e-Letter
August 20, 2004
**********************************************
Dear Friend,

As you know, for many years I've encouraged faithful Catholics to get more involved in politics. My own involvement began unexpectedly after CRISIS Magazine published a series of articles on "the Catholic vote," which caught the attention of the Bush presidential campaign.

At that time, I was asked to be part of the team advising on their outreach to Catholic voters. I agreed.

For too long, the Catholic vote had been misunderstood, in part because of the simple enormity and diversity of the Catholic population in America. The CRISIS model assumed the targetable, crucial part of the Catholic vote could be found among the Mass-attending faithful. Indeed, those voters who are religiously active are most likely to let their faith guide their voting decision.

Employing this strategy, Governor Bush received ten percent more of the Catholic vote in 2000 than Senator Dole had in 1996.

The present campaign, however, is very different from the last one.

Senator Kerry, a pro-abortion Catholic, became the Democratic-party nominee. The question of the Catholic vote went to center stage. Controversies ensued. Kerry insisted he was Catholic in spite of his support for abortion. I argued, loudly, that the election of John Kerry would be a disaster for the Church. My first press statement after his nomination was that Church institutions -- parishes, schools, hospitals, etc. -- should be off limits to Kerry or anyone who wants to use the platform of the Catholic Church to undermine its authority and attack its teachings.

It was then I learned that the moderator of the "Catholics for Kerry" Web site -- a young man named Ono Ekeh -- was an employee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. A few days after I pointed this out in our CRISIS e-letter, he left his job at the Conference.

Right away, the phone rang and a reporter from a notoriously liberal Catholic publication requested a comment and an interview. A few days later, he came in to ask questions about my support for President Bush and the Catholic vote issues in general.

Weeks passed and no story. But then, over time, friends began telling me that the reporter was calling my past co-workers and associates and asking them about my personal life.

Yesterday, the article was published. In it, they dug up a truly embarrassing event from my past. Ten years ago, I committed a serious sin with an undergraduate student of mine while teaching at Fordham University. For this I am truly and deeply sorry. I have confessed this and asked for forgiveness, my family has worked through it, and time has passed. But I know this is news to you, and so I offer my sincerest apologies. I recognize that I have let countless people down and have brought scandal to myself, my family, and my Faith. For this, I beg your forgiveness.

Some may wonder why I speak of the event in a way that seems vague or abstract. Please don't mistake this for lack of shame, regret, or repentance. The simple fact is, I can't say any more about it. Ten years ago, I signed a confidentiality agreement, and so I'm seriously constrained in what I can say. I know this is frustrating for you, and so that's one more thing I apologize for.

I need to make one final point. There's much deserved condemnation coming down upon me right now, and I expect it will continue. But I do hope that this just anger will not spill over onto CRISIS Magazine. The simple fact is, CRISIS Magazine is far more than Deal Hudson. There is an entire staff of hardworking and faithful Catholics who, month after month, put together what has become the flagship publication for faithful Catholics. It would be a tragedy if my personal baggage were to harm CRISIS. Our many staff members, columnists, and writers have simply worked too hard and done too much good to be pulled down by my faults.

Please don't let that happen.

I'll talk to you soon,
Deal

Is there an old unused church and rectory in St. Chas County?

For those looking for a Tridentine Latin Mass with the Canons Regular or the Institute of Christ the King, this is what is needed.

I can think of a church which is now a chapel but there is no corresponding unused rectory or building which could be used as one.

Any ideas? I'm not well traveled in the county. I get lost really easily and as I am male, I rarely ask for directions.

On Retreat for a few days...

I will be absent for the next few days attending a silent retreat for meditation, prayer, and self-examination in order to learn to better conform my will to God's will. This will be the first such retreat in many years and preparation for it reminds me somewhat of the days of recollection and prayer from seminary life - again may years ago.

The retreat director is Archbishop Burke. I ask again that all who are so disposed, please keep Archbishop Burke in your prayers, especially as he must confront many tests and trials these days from within the Church and from without.

Religion Experts Ask How Jesus Would Vote

Just a few miles from George W. Bush's former office at the state Capitol, a panel of religious experts weighed a question with relevance to many people of faith: How would Jesus vote?

It's a complex topic that can't be boiled down to simple political terms, said religious leaders who attended a Texas Faith Network conference in Austin on Tuesday. Many at the conference voiced concerns that the religious right dominates discussions of faith and morality in politics. They complained that issues such as abortion and gay marriage seem to take priority over hunger, corporate crime and even the war in Iraq.

James C. Moore, co-author of ``Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George Bush Presidential,'' drew laughter and applause when he offered his view to the moderate to left-leaning crowd of about 250 clergy and lay leaders.

Experts....religious experts, no less....unable to distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic evils, covering themselves in moral relativism.

Article.

U.S. Priests urged to Make Abortion and Election Center of Sermons Until November

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., August 17, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Fr. Frank Pavone, director of the international pro-life organization, Priests for Life, will be coming into the Sioux Falls area to give several powerful talks to the clergy and the general public on August 18th and 19th. In what is being hailed as a "whistle-stop" tour of Sioux Falls, Fr. Pavone will be speaking to thousands of area residents about the November election.

Dismissing charges that he and Priests for Life are trying to unfairly influence the presidential election, Fr. Pavone stated: "All we are saying is that this year's elections are pivotal for the pro-life movement, and that it is therefore imperative that we elect more public officials who are willing to do something to restore full protection to the lives of unborn children."

LifeSite Article.

From Today's Post-Dispatch Sound Off

Stop giving

For those who don't like Archbishop Burke's decisions, especially about St. Stanislaus, stop giving to the local Catholic Church and he will be gone. That is one way to get rid of him.

Of course, this is the same rhetoric used by Voice of the Faithful and other less-than-faithful groups - and we can see what happens by looking at the church closings in Boston and other places when support is withheld.

While Archbishop Burke may be destined for for more importantant assignments, it won't be because a few prideful dissidents decide to withhold money.

And then we have this:

Take him back

I wonder if it's possible for Catholics in St. Louis to make Catholics in LaCrosse, Wis., an offer they can't refuse to take back Archbishop Raymond Burke.

I'm certain they would if they had the opportunity. We should thank our Lord that we have been blessed to have him here.

Source.

USCCB refuses to release the "Questionaire" to the Catholic Laity

Demonstrating once again its commitment to full disclosure, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has refused repeated requests to release to the Catholic laity a copy of the much maligned questionnaire directed at political candidates for office. Based on the amount of flack the document is getting, it is clear that copies have already made it to the public domain, but any efforts to identify exactly what questions were actually on the document have been quashed by what has become signature stonewalling by the USCCB.

With so much attention being paid to the elections of 2004 and the bitterly divisive debates over so-called "pro-abortion gay rights Catholic politicians", it is amazing that the USCCB would once again resort the cloak of secrecy and nondisclosure that has so poorly served the Bishops in the past. For an organization that should be interested in building credibility among Catholic voters, the USCCB seems utterly committed to continuing to embarrass themselves. (emphasis mine)

Where is the 'transparency' that was so highly touted a short time ago? Could it be, perhaps, that the 'questionaire' would expose agendas and priorities which are at odds with the more fundamental and more serious issues facing us today? How many more of the "Ono Ekeh-Catholics for Kerry" type people still work at the USCCB?

Catholic Citizens of Illinois article here.

More on St. Stanislaus...Video

(KSDK) — The tug of war over St. Stanislaus Kostka parish continues.

Parish Spokesman Rich Bach stated, "We don't have the right to that money once they have control of it, because then we need their permission and ultimately that permission does have to come from the Archbishop" (Video Link)

Archbishop Raymond Burke stated, "The Assets are put in a trust with all the other 212 parishes. That trust those assets can only be used by the parish. It's not possible for me to go in and take any of those assets." (Video Link)

Source.

Pope calls Women to Protect Right to Life

LOURDES, August 16, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pope John Paul II concluded his 104th international trip yesterday, celebrating Mass at France's foremost Marian shrine in the presence of over 300,000 pilgrims. Lourdes is an especially meaningful place for the ailing Pontiff, who took time out between public appearances for private devotion at the shrine. When he instituted the World Day of the Sick in 1992, Pope John Paul chose February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, as the date on which the event would be celebrated each year.

The 84-year-old pope urged his hearers to respect, love and protect life. He said, "I appeal urgently to all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to do everything in your power to ensure that life, each and every life, will be respected from conception to its natural end. Life is a sacred gift, and no one can presume to be its master."

Article here.


Full text of the Holy Father's homily

Pastor’s religious path leads to Holley church

This is a good example of a priest who lost his way. Instead of following the path set before him by our Lord, he chose a path of rebellion, a path away from Christ.

It seems he was once tied to the "Spiritus Christi" group of James Callan, an ex-priest and the "priestess", Mary Ramerman. But that association was not destined to last very long.

Cadena’s split with Spiritus Christi came when he felt the church elders were still following the dictates of the Roman Catholic church and not necessarily following the ideals discussed when the “revolution” occurred.

It was in early 2002 that Cadena announced that he wanted to get married – to one of the Spiritus parishioners – an announcement that caused a further rift in his relationship with Callan, Ramerman and the newly formed church, he said.

Story here.

Diocese of Tuscon nears threshold on bankruptcy

Arizona Daily Star Article here.

Archbishop Burke on Catholic Answers Live

Yesterday, Archbishop Burke was the guest on the Catholic Answers Live radio program...I had turned on thre radio on my way home to be pleasantly surprised to hear him.

The archived radio show is on Catholic Answers web site here.

Fr Robert Drinan To Receive American Bar Association's Highest Honor

How has he remained a priest all of these years while rejecting the Church? I'm certain St. Ignatius must really be proud!

Article here.