New bishop conforms to strict Catholic law

Six weeks after taking office, Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo is reshaping the Diocese of Richmond to bring it into close conformity with the policies of Pope John Paul II and orthodox Catholic teaching.

That intention is most obvious with DiLorenzo’s announcement last month that no one can be invited by parishes as a guest speaker without first being approved by the diocesan theologian, a post re-established by the bishop.

The bishop has also decided not to reactivate the diocesan “sexual minorities” commission that had advised former Bishop Walter F. Sullivan on gay and lesbian concerns.

Additionally, DiLorenzo removed a Virginia Beach woman from the diocesan women’s commission because her support for ordaining women as priests conflicted with the Vatican’s policy of restricting the priesthood to men.

It seems it did not take Bishop DiLorenzo much time to start cleaning house and getting things in order!

Article here.

Archbishop Dolan Discloses Priests Names

With all of this thoughtful advice, and through a great deal of time spent in reflection and prayer, I have decided to publicize the names of diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee who have been (or would be if they were still alive) restricted from all priestly ministries in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the Protection of Children and Young People.

Archbishop Dolan's Letter here.

List of Priests here.

Senate to Debate Marriage Amendment

"Nuts," said Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I. "To be seen as the party that's coming between two people that love each other doing what they want to do ... to me that's going to be seen as a liability, politically."

This is the thinking of so many politicians...Ethics and morality be damned! It's "What's best for ME!"

Article.

Former Bishop of Springfield, Thomas Dupre invokes 5th...

Article

Covington diocese may file for bankruptcy

Link here.

Personally Opposed...To What? by Dr. James Hitchcock

"Personally I am opposed to abortion, but I will not impose my views on others." This has become the favorite mantra of some Catholic politicians, but it does not stand up to analysis.

If the statement means anything, it has to mean that abortion is the taking of a human life, which is the most serious issue government can face. But those who repeat the mantra do not act as though they believe that.

Article here.

A Possible Reason for Cardinal McCarrick's Special "Nuancing"?

Global Warming!

European Court rejects fetus rights appeal

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Europe's top human rights court rejected an appeal Thursday to grant full human rights to a fetus, saying national governments must decide the issue themselves.

Meeting in Strasbourg, France, the European Court of Human Rights said it could not rule on a case filed by a French woman who was forced to have an abortion after a doctor's mistake.

Thi-Nho Vo had argued that France had violated the right to life of her unborn child, after French courts refused to convict the doctor of involuntary homicide.

The 17-judge panel ruled the issue of when the right to life begins "was a question to be decided at national level ... because the issue had not been decided within the majority of states" which have ratified the European Convention on human rights.

The only truth that exists is that which we say is true. Apparently, forced abortions are legal.

Article here.

HOLY SEE ROLE AT U.N. FACILITATED BY UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION

Of course, this will not be accept well by groups like 'Catholics for a Free Choice', which have been relentless in their efforts to have the UN remove the Holy See as detrimental to their efforts of global abortion and contraception.

Vatican link here.

Coming here soon ?

Spanish gays renounce their Catholic faith

Madrid, Jul. 08 (CWNews.com) - Members of a Spanish gay activist group renounced their Catholic faith en masse on Thursday because of the Church's constant teaching that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

CWNews Article

Vatican "Riches" are a legend...

What Catholic hasn't been confronted with statement regarding the wealth of Vatican, especially from those who who have left the faith for whatever reason?

From Zenit:

The Holy See's latest financial statement shows that the "Vatican's riches" are a legend, says a Church official.

"If we had so much money, we wouldn't need to put our hand out to ask for help," Cardinal Sergio Sebastiani said with a smile today at a press conference.

The president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See was presenting the Vatican's deficit numbers for the fiscal year 2003.

"And the Vatican's riches?" a journalist asked him.

"A legend -- the reality is far more prosaic," the cardinal replied.

Article here.

Magazine chronicled age from vibrant Catholicism to clown ministry

From Cruxnews, there is a new article well worth the read.

Looking back: FROM THE MAIL recently acquired a box full of old Jubilee magazines, a "Magazine of the Church and Her People," from the years 1953 to 1962, when it was under the editorship of Edward Rice, and published by A.M.D.G. Publishing Co., 377 Fourth Avenue, NYC.

So, let’s take a trip down memory lane, courtesy of the old Jubilee.

Link.

Pete Vere on "The Catholic Faithful vs. John Kerry"

A number of you kindly sent me links to stories involving Marc Balestrieri’s canonical petition against John Kerry concerning the scandal being caused to Christ’s faithful from the latter’s support for abortion. Marc is a lay canonist in his early thirties and a pretty solid guy. So his action in support of innocent children in the womb took both myself and other lay canonists from our generation by surprise.

Link to Catholic Light here.

Thanks to Dominic Bettinelli

Last night's Pro-Life Mass

I attended a monthly "pro-life" Mass last night as I usually try to do every month.

I took about 25 of the booklets "Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics" with me as well as the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Committee Letter which states that Archbishop Burke has read and approved the booklet for use in all the parishes. I spoke with one of the women on the parish Pro-Life committee who helps in preparation for the Pro-Life Mass about the "Voter's Guide" and was informed that our pastor wants nothing to do with the "Voter's Guide" but intends to use the USCCB's long and confusing "Faithful Citizenship" for the parishioners.

I can understand why. The "Voter's Guide" is short and to the point. It lists five non-negotiable, disqualifying issues(*) that would preclude one (a serious and faithful Catholic) from voting for a specific candidate.

As for "Faithful Citizenship", on May 10th, forty-eight Catholic Democratic Congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, DC arguing that bishops should not deny communion to pro-abortion politicians. The politicians twice cited the American Bishops' statement to bolster and justify their positions, while concealing the fact that this same document states that abortion can never be morally permissible.

Many Catholics will use this document to justify positions which cannot be reconciled with the teaching of the Church precisely because the document allows such justifications to be made - when it is not read and studied with clarity of mind and with knowledge of the Church's teachings.

Anyway, there will be several different people seeking permission to, at least, get these "Voter's Guides" in the vestible (oops, "gathering space") of the church. If permission is not forthcoming, then a letter noting such refusal will be sent to the Archbishop.

Anyway, to further confuse Catholics, the associate pastor, in his homily, said some very good things but, unfortunately, stated some erroneous things as well.

When he started, I thought we might be in for the first decent homily I have heard from him since he's been here (2 or 3 years, I think). He started by stating that abortion is condemned by the Church and it always has been viewed as intrinsically evil. He proceded to discuss this and euthanasia and the uproar recently over Archbishop Burke's comments, noting that the Archbishop's comments are perfectly in line with the teaching of the Church....(Great!, I thought.)

But then, he proceded to equivocate on "judging others" and how there is a disparity of opinion on whether to allow public sinners and those who vote for them to receive Holy Communion. Then he mentioned Cardinals Mahony and McCarrick and I, sitting in the front pew right in front of him, shook my head in disgust.

He seemed somewhat obsessed with the "judging" aspect, failing to understand what the Holy Father, Cardinals Arinze and Ratzinger, and Archbishop Burke have been saying with respect to "manifest, grave sin".

He also stated that we should be totally "pro-life", that is opposed to capital punishment and war, etc., with which some may agree but these are not things which are intrinsically evil. It is the same obfuscation of the hierachy of life issues which Cardinal Ratzinger discussed in his recently released memo.

Anyway, I faxed him Cardinal Ratzinger's memo this morning and gave him a copy of the "Voter's Guide" after Mass. I did not have an opportunity to talk with him this time, but hopefully will later on.

I must have handed out maybe 10 of the "Voter's guides" in total - everyone with whom I came in contact wanted one. Perhaps this is a good sign and maybe the Holy Spirit will prevail in helping to people to change their hearts and minds toward the truth.

* Abortion, Euthanasia, Fetal Stem Cell Research, Human Cloning, "Same-Sex" Unions

U.S. Bishops Urge Senate Support for Marriage Amendment

Zenit article.

Bankruptcy Considered by Many Catholic Archdioceses

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Several Roman Catholic dioceses being sued for clergy sexual abuse could find themselves following the lead of the Portland Archdiocese, filing for bankruptcy to fight the lawsuits.

AP Article.

Bill McClellan (Post Dispatch) tries to be a theologian

Since the Post Dispatch indicated that this was yesterday's most e-mailed article, I thought it might be worthwhile to link to it.

I read it yeasterday and did not reference it as I thought it was a useless waste of space - but apparently many thought it was useful for some reason or another.

It is apparent that McClellan has ventured into a territory about which he knows little to nothing:

As regular readers know, I seldom venture into theology, but as long as Archbishop Raymond Burke is busy with politics, somebody has to deal with theological issues. It might as well be me.

To assert that Archbishop Burke is delving into politics is absurd, but then I would certainly expect little truth from the Post.

The question posed to the new theologian, Bill McClellan, is this:

"The Archbishop has said that if you vote for John Kerry, you are committing a sin. Since some of Mr. Kerry's funding must come from his wife, would it not be a sin to support him by using ketchup? There is some urgency to this question, as my cheeseburger is getting cold."

What little humor he tries to bring to the story is offset by the fact that he engages in a little Catholic bashing and ridicule of Archbishop Burke...or so it seems to me. But hey, I expect nothing less from the Post.

Most emailed article here.

Kerry-Edwards "Most Gay-Supportive National Ticket in American History"

US Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and running-mate John Edwards have been declared ". . . the most gay-supportive national ticket in American history," according to National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute Executive Director Matt Foreman.

"With a 100% rating from the [homosexual activist] Human Rights Campaign since 1995," Kerry's campaign web-site proclaims, "John Kerry is a powerful voice in the ongoing fight for civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans."

Surely this must be a ticket that many professed Catholics can support! Please Lord, have mercy on us!

Lifesite article

Controversy Heats up over Cardinal McCarrick Downplaying Vatican Direction on Communion

Times reporter Julia Duin reports that McCarrick "downplayed" the Vatican Cardinal's letter which she noted "contains much stronger language than Cardinal McCarrick used." Duin notes that McCarrick used "nuanced speech" in presenting the Ratzinger letter even though "as the chairman of a task force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians, it was his job to convey what Vatican officials had told him during meetings in Rome."

[A]s LifeSiteNews.com pointed out on July 5, the current incident is the second time Cardinal McCarrick seems to have contradicted the Vatican over the issue of denying communion.

Does "Nuanced", in this case, mean "lied"?

Article here

But what is there to study, Your Eminence?

The Church has always taught that abortion is the killing of the innocent and intrinsically evil. When some of us were growing up, men in organized crime were denied burial in sacred ground. What are these abortion clinics other than killing houses?

Catholicism used to produce a different kind of prelate. In 1953, Archbishop Joseph Rummel of New Orleans issued a pastoral letter: "(L)et there be no further discrimination or segregation in the pews, at the Communion rail, at the confessional and in parish meetings, just as there will be no segregation in the kingdom of heaven."

Resistance to integration of the parochial schools was fierce. The battle went on for a decade. Catholics appealed to the Vatican. Pius XII backed up the archbishop. In the Louisiana Legislature, bills were introduced forbidding integration of the Catholic schools, bills supported by Catholic legislators. The archbishop's response was to threaten the Catholic lawmakers with excommunication.

When the rabid segregationist Leander Perez of Plaquemine Parish persisted, Archbishop Rummel excommunicated him and the head of the Citizens Council of Louisiana for "continuing to provoke the devoted people of this venerable archdiocese to disobedience or rebellion in the matter of opening our schools to all Catholic children."

Now, there was an archbishop.

Cardinal McCarrick should take this as a challenge – and ask himself how St. Thomas More would have reacted to this threat. Then, go forth and do likewise, Your Eminence.

Full Article.