What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Forget skeletons.  Here is a truly scary Halloween thought!

What is at stake in the upcoming election?

Here is something to think about from LifeNews.  My emphases and comments.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)— In a Thursday interview with NBC News, Barack Obama repeated the pledge he’s made throughout the campaign. Obama indicated he would only appoint judges to the Supreme Court who support unlimited abortions, [That’s the issue, folks.] in what is a clear pro-abortion litmus test for federal justices.

"Well, look, I think that you—what you can ask a judge is about their judicial philosophy," he said when asked how he would make selections if he defeats John McCain on Tuesday.

"I can tell you that how a Justice approaches their job, how they describe the path of interpreting the Constitution, I think can tell you a lot," he added.T

"And so my criteria, for example, would be—[read carefully] if a Justice tells me that they only believe the strict letter of the Constitution—that means that they possibly don’t mean—believe in—a right to privacy ["right to privacy" discovered in the Constitution by the majority in Griswold v Connecticut was the basis for the Court’s eventual Roe v Wade abortion decision.] that may not be perfectly enumerated in the Constitution but, you know, that I think is there," Obama said.   [Uh huh … it’s CLEAR!  It’s right there!  In those penumbras formed by emanations.]

NBC News columnist Mark Impomeni understood the clear meaning of Obama’s words.

"No originalist judges need apply," Impomeni wrote in response. "The right to privacy is a code word for abortion rights. The focus of liberal jurisprudence since Roe v. Wade first conferred the right to an abortion has been the protection of that ‘right.’"

And with Roe guaranteeing virtually unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy for any reasons, based on the so-called privacy right, Obama is confirming his intent to only select pro-abortion judges who want no limits on abortion.  [But not only abortion, folks.  Think of the other things justices appointed by him might find in the penumbras formed by emanations.  Think about it.]

Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, a pro-life legal group, understands the enormous impact of the presidential election on the Supreme Court  [And not just because of abortion!] and how an Obama victory could keep unlimited abortions in place for decades.

"This is a historic election," she told USA Today. "With the next president having the opportunity to appoint one, two or even more justice on the life issue."  [And not only the life issue.  Start thinking about, well… eminent domain.  Do you own your own home or land?]

The differences are clear, with McCain saying he wants judges who won’t make up law form the bench but who will respect the rights of the people and their elected officials to make the law on abortion.

In a February letter to the Federalist Society, McCain sounded out the kinds of themes that delight pro-life groups.

In the letter, McCain promised to nominate "judges who understand that their role is to faithfully apply the law as written, not impose their opinions through judicial fiat."

"When I was running for president in 1999 I promised that, in appointing judges, I would not only insist on persons who were faithful to the Constitution, but persons who had a record that demonstrated that fidelity," the letter said.

For Obama, a pro-abortion litmus test is nothing new.

As early as a November 2007 debate with Democratic primary candidates, Obama confirmed he would only back pro-abortion Supreme Court picks.

"I would not appoint somebody who doesn’t believe in the right to privacy," he said.

Penumbras formed by emanations, everyone.  Penumbras formed by emanations.

Think about this. 

Now think about scary things beyond the penumbras and emanations.

Cobwebs on the Constitution.

Election zombies.

Federal judiciary vampires.

The tombstones of the unborn and elderly.

New visitors:



Jaunty!

Plays well with others.

I would like to add more of these to the feed.  I believe this is the female Cardinal.

His Excellency Most Reverend Robert Carlson, Bishop of Saginaw, has issued a statement to Catholics in that diocese about the issues to consider at this year’s election.

Read this also against the background of what the dreadful pro-abortion "Catholic" Governor Jennifer Granholm (D-MI) has endorsed: Prop. 2.  Bp. Boyea of Lansing has spoken against this already.

My emphases and comments.

I. On Abortion and Catholic Voters

As the presidential election approaches, I want to respond to a few questions that many Catholics are asking themselves, and each other.

“Isn’t abortion the only issue in this election?” No. Any serious Catholic voter must be concerned about a great many issues in this election: the right to life, education, war and peace, how we treat the poor and the vulnerable, the economy.  [Watch what he does.]

“Isn’t abortion just one issue among others in this election?” No. Any serious Catholic voter must recognize abortion as the premier threat to human rights and dignity in our day. The right to life is the right through which all others flow.  [He is helping people prepare to respond to questions or objections in a conversation.]

“So, how’s a Catholic to vote?” Let me put the matter as simply as I can: Abortion results in the killing of approximately 1 million children in the womb every year. A Catholic can, in good conscience, vote for a pro-choice candidate only if other issues outweigh this one in number and in kind.  [I don’t think we have seen this approach from an American bishop yet.  I am always, btw, delighted to see a bishop speak about anything having to do with "number and kind".  We need to remind people that they must confess their sins in number and kind.  These are very important distinctions.]

What do I mean by “in number and in kind”? Let’s take an example. The Church is opposed to the use of the death penalty. But the death penalty does not outweigh abortion because:

1) they differ in number: over 1 million abortions per year vs. less than 100 executions per year, and

2) they differ in kind: the directly willed death of the innocent vs. the directly willed death of those found guilty in a court of law.

Aren’t there other issues to be considered? Absolutely.

Immigration, the economy, the use of military force, the care of the poor, the use of renewable energy. These are all important issues in the life of the country. In good conscience, a Catholic voter must weigh them all.

But there is also a scale of values. [scale of values] In good conscience, a Catholic needs to recognize that all issues do not have the same weight. [Exactly.] The directly willed death of over a million innocent children each year certainly places a special burden on the conscience.

Can any other issue, or combination of issues, attain sufficient gravity to outweigh the directly willed destruction of 1 million children every year? That’s the question we must ask ourselves and each other as we weigh our election choices.  [Clearly from this the answer is "No. They do not outweigh the willed destruction of the innocent in the millions."]

II. Finding Cures and Protecting Life  [Making it more concrete.]

Proposal 2 asks us to amend the state constitution to expand the use of human embryos for the purposes of embryonic stem cell research.

Regarding the presidential election, there is the potential for Catholics to reach different conclusions in good conscience. Regarding Proposal 2, however, the duties of every Catholic voter are clear.

In the first place, Proposal 2 is scientifically unnecessary for following reasons.

1) The use of adult stem cells has already played a role in the treatment and cure of over 70 types of diseases, including sickle-cell anemia and various types of leukemia. The use of embryonic stem cells has resulted in 0 treatments or cures. (For more information, go to www.stemcellresearch.org)

2) Researchers prized embryonic stem cells because of their capacity to become any other cell in the body. (In scientific language, they are “pluri-potent” stem cells.) Scientific breakthroughs in the last year have made it possible to take ordinary skin cells from any adult and transform them into pluri-potent stem cells. (In scientific language, these are called “induced pluri-potent stem cells” or iPS cells.) The technique has already been used to cure sickle-cell anemia in mice.  [Therefore there is no need to attempt this with embryonic stem-cells.]

In other words, there are other and better avenues for finding cures. In fact Dr. Field, the Director of the Field Neurosciences Institute (FNI), has made a statement that the FNI “will not be using human embryonic stem cells in its clinical or preclinical research projects. We believe that stem cell therapy has tremendous potential for treating brain and spinal cord damage due to trauma or disease, but that either adult-derived stem cells or inducible pluri-potent stem cells have the potential to provide therapeutic efficacy in this regard.”

In the second place, Proposal 2 goes too far as a piece of legislation. Proposal 2 would not only authorize the destruction of human embryos to obtain pluri-potent stem cells, it would take the drastic step of prohibiting any state or local law that would discourage such research. Even a regulation that required researchers to pursue all other options before turning to embryonic stem cells would be unconstitutional. In this respect, Proposal 2 is not only scientifically unnecessary, it simply goes too far.

In the third place, and most importantly, Proposal 2 is based on principles that are morally reprehensible, [morally reprehensible] namely:

1) Things like size, age, and location matter in determining whether a human life is to be accorded legal protection. If those who are very small, very young, and dependent on others for their existence are not to be accorded legal protection, it is hard to see why those who are very old, very infirm, and equally dependent on others for their existence should be accorded legal protection.

2) One group of human beings can be used to advance the well-being of another group of human beings. This is the same principle that justified slavery.  [And Nazi human experimentation.]

3) We can sacrifice the lives of some individuals for the sake of research “because they are going to die anyway.” Those with advanced dementia are also going to die. That hardly justifies using them for research.

The reasoning behind Proposal 2 establishes dangerous moral precedents. In the words of one commentator, “If a principle is established by which some indisputably human lives do not warrant the protections traditionally associated with the dignity of the human person — because of their size, location, dependency, level of development, burdensomeness to others — it would seem that there are numerous other candidates for the application of the principle, beginning with the radically handicapped, both physically and mentally, not to mention millions of the aged and severely debilitated in our nation’s nursing homes.”

Finding cures for diseases is surely a great good. And science and technology are needed to show the way to those cures. But:

1) there are other avenues for research that protect life rather than destroying
it, and have a better scientific track record in finding cures, and

2) there are some things we must never do, like sacrificing our children’s lives to extend our own health and well-being.

Because it is scientifically unnecessary, because it goes too far, and because it is based on reprehensible moral principles, I call on all Catholics in the Diocese of Saginaw to oppose Proposal 2.  [There it is!]

For more information on Stem Cells and Proposal 2, visit the following websites: www.2goes2far.com, www.micause.org, www.stemcellresearch.org, and www.ncbcenter.org/10Myths.pdf

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson
Bishop of Saginaw

 

Another good statement.

BENEDICT XVI’S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR NOVEMBER

VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2008 (VIS) – Benedict’s general prayer intention for November is: "That the testimony of love offered by the saints may fortify Christians in their devotion to God and their neighbor, imitating Christ who came to serve and not to be served".

  His mission intention is: "That the Christian communities of Asia, contemplating the face of Christ, may know how to find the most suitable ways to announce Him, in full faithfulness to the Gospel, to the people of that vast continent so rich in culture and ancient forms of spirituality".

Our friend Fr. Scott Haynes at St. John Cantius in that toddlin’ town Chicago, sent me a link to his article on lectio divina.  Check it out.

Bishops are standing up.  Priests are standing up.

Will you now stand up?

Here is another good example of leadership from a bishop in the USA.

This is a strong and very personal appeal from a bishop about standing up and doing one’s duty.

This is from the Catholic Sentinel by Bp. Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon.

You might remember from Scripture the martyrdom of the Maccabees, whom we celebrate on 1 August.

If you do nothing else due to lack of time, read at least the end part where I make the emphases and comments.

We are edified by the courage of Eleazar and companions

By Bishop Robert Vasa

BEND — Note that Eleazar has no illusion about the practical value of his fidelity. It would not cause the king to change the law, it would not cause his friends to convert, it would not result in a miraculous intervention by God. In worldly terms, his death is useless, his resistance futile. Yet, Eleazar states the hope implicit in his willingness to die: “I will prove myself worthy of my old age and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws.” This is what it means to be a witness, a martyr. It means leaving a noble example for the encouragement, the emboldening of one’s successors.

Another example is found in the chapter immediately following the story of Eleazar. It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law. One of the brothers speaking for the others said, “What do you expect to achieve by questioning us we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.” Then follows a description of a whole series of the most horrendous tortures which these brothers endured. All the while the mother watched and encouraged her sons. The Scriptures then rightfully recognize the dignity of the mother: Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother who saw her seven sons perish in a single day yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord. Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage she exhorted each of them in the language of their forefathers. The mother was the last to die after all her sons. None of these family members was given a name. In purely secular terms we could come up with all kinds of reasons why the mother and her sons should have feigned eating pork in order to spare their lives. These seven sons could have been valuable resistance fighters. They could have raised up faithful sons and daughters to assure the survival of Israel. It could be argued that their faithfulness, which led to the destruction of the entire family, was an exercise in complete futility and even foolhardiness. Was their witness foolhardiness or was it courage?

These Old Testament examples manifested wonderful and exemplary courage. Saint Thomas positions the Cardinal Virtue of fortitude or courage between fear and daring. Courage, he says, curbs fear and moderates daring. We would be more inclined to say that courage stands between cowardice and foolhardiness. A secularist looking at martyrdom would, almost of necessity, conclude that the death is the result of foolhardiness. Such bold actions, in our current, “can’t we all just get along” mentality, will always be viewed as imprudent, politically incorrect, and misguided. Such a disdain for martyrdom and for holy boldness is nothing other than a disdain for faith; a disdain for a hope in the Lord. It is perhaps, also a symptom of the hopelessness of which Pope Benedict XVI speaks in, Spe Salvi. In the case of these Old Testament examples it is clear that each was confronted with a very definitive choice. None of us have ever been confronted with such a dramatic choice but for these Old Testament heroes it came down to this, “Your faith or your life.” In a positive sense, using Pope Benedict’s words, the question would be: “In what do you hope?” We are edified, in the best sense of that word, by the witness, the martyrdom, the courage of Eleazar and companions. We could cite many such examples from the early years of Christianity. Even in our own day, the numerous saints canonized by Pope John Paul II, many of them martyrs, is a testimony to the fact that faith-filled courage is not dead. It is a testimony that hope is not dead.

When I consider the courage of these Old Testament figures and the firm witness of other saints and martyrs I would honestly have to say of myself, “I am a coward!” There are many times when fear impedes me from acting with what could be called holy boldness. The nature of that fear which impedes is perhaps different for each of us but I hope that each of us acknowledges such fear, grapples with it and even occasionally overcomes it, at least for a time. [This bishop is hitting the nail on the head.  Watch where he goes with it now.]

Unfortunately, for me, the nature of the perceived threat is so paltry that allowing it to impede correct acting can only be the result of profound cowardice. The most serious threat to my well being for acting with greater boldness has been an intimation that I will be rejected, hated, ridiculed, rendered ineffective, deprived of financial support, judged to be insensitive, misunderstood, or verbally vilified. [This is what has been aimed at the Church.  It is aimed at individual priests and bishops too, to intimidate them into silence and inaction.] In other words the threats, all things considered, are quite innocuous and yet these things generate within me a variety of fears and doubts and misgivings. At times they even paralyze me into a state of cowardly inaction. [But indeed… he has overcome it here!]

It might be the perception of some that the issuance of my 2004 document, Giving Testimony to the Truth, was a courageous act. Others would classify it as foolhardiness. This is the document which required that individuals serving in a variety of Diocesan Ministries must affirm some basic tenets of the Church in order to continue to serve. It is, however, very difficult for me to see how the simple fulfillment of the episcopal duty which I have to teach could be considered an act of courage. In that I would turn to the Gospel of Saint Luke, 17:10: “When you have done all you have been commanded to do, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” It is a rather sad commentary for our age that a simple fulfillment of duty is mistaken for a courageous act. [A very good point.  He is trying, however, to put the outside pressures into perspective.]

It might be a perception that my boldness regarding pro-abortion politicians is courageous but in truth I only follow the lead of those who exemplify a boldness far greater than my own. [Well said.] The bold speaking out on the part of Archbishop Raymond Burke regarding the contentious issue of Catholic pro-abortion politicians and Holy communion emboldens cowards like me to follow his example. [God love this man.]  The firm and measured response of Cardinal Egan and a variety of other Archbishops and Bishops to misleading statements of the Speaker of the House emboldens others, like myself, to shake off the shackles of fear and to stand with them.

WDTPRS is impressed.

 

I am presently sipping one of the best cups of coffee I have had in a while: dark roast Sumatra… very strong.

Penjing is pulling in some morning sun.



The birds are at it.



All is right with the world.

Or not…

The blog went down sometime last evening.

We had to do a reboot.

I was on this morning with the wonderful tech guy in S. Africa who pulls levers behind the cyber curtain.  He doesn’t know what happened and vows to look into it.

In the meantime, we may have a little downtime in the future as I make changes to how you get here.  I’ll try to give you notice in advance.

For the rest, I made a little roast last night.  I found it at the grocery for an absurdly low price per pound.  Since we have so many nice root vegetables these days, it seemed the right thing to do.

After browning it with my usual preparation of seasoning, I put it in the oven, covered, for about an hour.  I browned the veg, onion, carrot and parsnips and then put them in separately… just easier.  When the roast was done… as I guessed it… I had this:

WARNING: Objects in the photo are larger than they appear.

I decided on some gravy.  Thus I first added some water with just a hint of a prepared vinegar and started deglazing.



Finally I added a little flour mixed with a little more water.  I didn’t have any stock around, alas, and I was in a hurry.



The result.



The roast was as tender as can be and the roasted veg very nice.  I fended off death by starvation for another night and have leftovers.

In any event, that is the Sabine Farm, Penjing and blog report. 

Again… when I make some changes in the near future, there will probably be a little downtime, but I’ll warn you.

After a long hiatus, I am back with another PODCAzT.  Travelling, being tried, tired, and problems with teeth have quieted me at the microphone.  Even with this one, it was a bit of a chore. I also need to reacquaint myself with the tech stuff.

Today we delve into St. Augustine of Hippo’s 3rd Exposition of Ps. 103 (104).  He has three sermons on this psalm, preached in Carthage, probably in 411.  He uses an allegorical approach to interpreting the many elements.  This is a psalm often associated with Pentecost and the Holy Spirit, having as it does the lines: "Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth."  So, we’ll drill into Augustine’s 103, 5-6. and hear the psalm 103 (104) as well.

I got into this psalm today because of the word caminus, which Augustine uses in the sermon.  This one of the words for chimney.  I just made an appointment for my chimney to be cleaned.  Also, he speaks of birds, which we view at the Sabine Farm, and he talks of onagers and rocks and heretics! 

By the way, in paragraph 4, just before this section Augustine in his allegorical approach interprets the wild asses in the psalm as being celibates, which his audience must have enjoyed enormously.

In Kansas City, Missouri recently I met the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles.  They are very fine group of young women, happy and dedicated to prayer for priests.  They have a CD of music, chant and their own compositions.  We will hear one I found on their website.  They sing as beautifully as they smile and bear their traditional habits.

Some of the tunes you will encounter along the way…

On the Air – Carrol Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orphaens
Emendemus in melius by Orlando de Lassus
Concerto for Oboe in D minor, Op. 9-2 – Adagio by Tomaso Albinoni
Ave Maria by the Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles
Wandering Along – Carrol Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orphaens

http://www.wdtprs.com/podcazt/08_10_30.mp3
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/10/podaczt-69-augustine-on-ps-103-benedictines-can-sing/

 

In a moment of grim expectation as I contemplate the upcoming election, I found this little graphic over at Wormtalk and Slugspeak to be just the right thing.

This from the Holy See to all involved in seminary formation…. including the wicked ******** years ago who used psychologists and psychological "discernment" as a weapon to keep normal, Church loving, faithful men out of the priesthood.

GUIDELINES FOR USE OF PSYCHOLOGY WITH FUTURE PRIESTS

VATICAN CITY, 30 OCT 2008 (VIS) – This morning in the Holy See Press Office, the document “Guidelines for the Use of Psychology in the Admission and Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood” from the Congregation for Catholic Education was presented. The text consists of fifteen pages and was published in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.

  Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues, O.P., and Fr. Carlo Bresciani, respectively the prefect, secretary, and consultant and psychologist of the Congregation for Catholic Education took part in the press conference.

  Cardinal Grocholewski affirmed that the document highlights “the socio-cultural context that, more or less, influences the mentality of the candidates that apply to the seminary, creating, in some cases, wounds that are still unhealed or particular difficulties that could ‘condition their ability to progress along the formative path toward the priesthood’”.

  “These problems,” he said “are seen not only at the moment of entry into the seminary but, at times, also clearly manifest themselves at the moment prior to priestly ordination”.

  The cardinal stated that “the influence of the socio-cultural context as well as the need for a demanding human formation of the future priest, raise the question of the eventual use of the psychological sciences in the seminaries”.

  “This document,” he continued, “emphasizes the fundamental role of the formators and, therefore, the need of an adequate preparation in the area of vocational pedagogy”. On the other hand, he said, “in the human formation – which cannot be separated from the spiritual formation – the spiritual director has a special role”. In this sense he quoted the document where it says that “spiritual direction can in no way be substituted by forms of analysis or psychological assistance, and that the spiritual life, of itself, favors growth in the human virtues if no blocks of a psychological nature exist”.

  He then stressed another aspect that the document focuses on: “the importance of divine grace in the formation of candidates to the priesthood”. The cardinal indicated that “recourse to experts in the psychological sciences should be used only ‘in some cases’ to show the assessment of a diagnosis, or eventual therapy, or psychological support in the development of the human qualities demanded by the exercise of the ministry. These should be consulted,” he insisted, “‘si casus ferat’, meaning in exceptional cases that present particular difficulties”.  [The problem is that for years those ******** looked at normal men and said, "You are against homosexual clergy.  You must be a homophobe.  You need help."  Or  "You don’t think women should be ordained?  Perhaps you need to see someone."  Or "You feel the need to follow the rubrics or quote canon law.  You are very rigid.  Perhaps this is a sign of psychological instability?"  Or "What is with the statue of Mary in your room?  Are you perhaps troubled in some way?  We may have to discern if you are psychologically suited to continue in the process of formation." Or "What about praying to the Spirit as female is wrong?  Are you incapable of dealing with women?  That is a sign we should refer you for closer examination."  I’ll tell… a lot of the guys I know who were good solid men maybe need help now for delayed stress syndrom after the battles endured with these wicked ********.]

  “The aid of psychology,” he continued, “should be integrated into the candidate’s global formation in such a way that it does not hinder but rather ensures, in a particular way, the safeguarding of the inalienable value of spiritual accompaniment”. This is why, he said, “psychologists cannot be part of the formation team”.

  Cardinal Grocholewski concluded by recalling that the document “on three occasions cites canon 1052 of the C.I.C., according to which, for the bishop to proceed to ordination, he must have moral certainty that the candidate’s suitability, ‘has been positively established’ and that, in the case of a substantiated doubt, cannot proceed to ordination”.

  Archbishop Brugues asserted that “no one, not even religious or diocesans superiors, can enter into the details of candidates’ psychological profiles without having received their prior, explicit, informed, and total consent ... The psychologist cannot disclose aspects of their patients’ private lives to third parties, regardless of their authority, be it religious or political, without the free consent of the interested parties”.

  Finally, Fr. Carlo Bresciani emphasized that “with these guidelines, the Church, far from wanting to entrust to psychologists the psychological formation of candidates to the priesthood, which is and continues to be essentially of a spiritual nature, seeks to value what the human and the psychological sciences in particular can contribute to the preparation of priests with equilibrated personalities. The Church appreciates the psychological disciplines but, at the same time, wants to discipline its use in a way that it might be truly beneficial”.

Satan is our enemy who hates us and desires our eternal pain.  He works with angelic power to corrupt, to confuse, to lull, to pacify.  He has many agents, angelic and human.  Some are his willing minions.  Most are unwitting dupes.

That said, read this story from SeacostOnline.  I add my emphases  and comments:

Robinson led retreat for gay Catholic priests

By Associated Press
October 29, 2008 9:59 PM

MANCHESTER —Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson [Robinson is the active, open homosexual Episcopalian Bishop of New Hampshire.  They "ordained" him despite his having left his wife to live openly in a homosexual relationship.  His elevation to to bishop inflamed controversy among Anglicans and made most sensible people scratch their heads in total awe at their blindness.] said he led a confidential retreat a few years ago for gay Roman Catholic priests. [A few years ago… so this is not current.  But if he did it then, has he done it since?]

Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church and world Anglican Communion, said the Catholic priest group that organized the meeting had invited him to attend.

About 75 Catholic clergy from around the U.S. participated without notifying their bishops or provincial leaders, [Secular priests don’t need to notify their bishops to go on a retreat.  I don’t know about religious.] Robinson said. In 2005, the Vatican issued a document affirming the church’s stance that men with "deep-seated" attraction to other men should not be ordained.

The retreat was held outside of New England, but Robinson would not say where.

Robinson briefly discussed the retreat during a question-and-answer session after a viewing Saturday of a documentary featuring his life story [yuk] called, "For The Bible Tells Me So," according to The Laconia Daily Sun.

The film features Robinson’s parents and other Christian parents discussing their faith and having a child come out as gay or lesbian.

The documentary was shown at Gilford’s First United Methodist Church as part of the Open Doors Fellowship, which aims to make the church welcoming for gays and lesbians.

[Watch this!] The film makes a link between sexism and anti-gay prejudice, contending that, "at its root, the hatred of gays is driven by a hatred and second-class status of women," Robinson said.  [HUH?]

Robinson said he made a similar point in the priests’ retreat.

"I had said to them, ‘It’s too dangerous for you to come out as gay to your superiors, but I believe that [Here is the money quote…] if you work for the ordination of women in your church, you will go a long way toward opening the door for the acceptance of gay priests," Robinson said.

 

Can there be any doubt that these two issues are often connected in the minds of the men who promote the (impossible) ordination of women?

Satan is our enemy who hates us and desires our eternal pain.  He works with angelic power to corrupt, to confuse, to lull, to pacify.  He has many agents, angelic and human.  Some are his willing minions.  Most are unwitting dupes.

Our colleagues at Rorate have this stunner.  Be sure to visit their site.  My emphases and comments.

SSPX: pilgrimage and a new Crusade of the Rosary

Pictures of the Solemn Mass, of the public recitation of the Holy Rosary, and of the Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament, as the Sanctuary of Lourdes once again opens its doors and buildings to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX) during the weekend of Christ the King. The four bishops of the SSPX, who were consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988, were present in the pilgrimage.

Regarding developments in the ongoing conversation between the leadership of the Fraternity and Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", the SSPX will start this Saturday a "Crusade of the Rosary" to "obtain from Our Lady the removal of the Decree of Excommunication", a "crusade" which will last from November 1 to Christmas Day.  [OKAY!  Well… this is a good initiative.  But let us not forget that grace builds on nature.  Hopefully some of that prayer will be dedicated to softening hearts, not just in the Holy See, but also in the SSPX and its followers so that they will submit in concrete ways to the Roman Pontiff.]

This is a most auspicious development, considering that the last time a Crusade of the Rosary was proposed by the SSPX (in July 2006), its main intention was to "obtain from Heaven for Pope Benedict XVI the strength required to completely free up the Mass of all time, called the Tridentine Mass". [I hope they are not thinking that all the credit goes to them, though I don’t hesitate to affirm that PRAYER HELPS!] All eyes to Heaven, and to Rome, in the next few months.

 

I will participate in this Rosary "Crusade".  It would be a joy to see the excommunications lifted.

I urge you to do the same.  Add this intention to your daily recitation of the Rosary.

In the meantime… I guess you can say the old Mass at Lourdes after all!

His Excellency Most Rev. Robert Finn, Bishop of Kansas City, MO speaks out in his column in the Catholic Key.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Warriors with Our Eyes Fixed on Heaven

Last Saturday I had the privilege of consecrating the restored church of Old St. Patrick. This is the oldest existing Catholic church in Kansas City. It will serve as the Oratory for the Latin Mass community which first began here under Bishop John Sullivan, and for many years has shared the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows.

One of the beauties of the Traditional Latin High Mass that I celebrated is that it highlights a most profound aspect of the Mass, namely our participation with the Communion of Saints. The high altar, multiple candles, incense and Gregorian chant, collectively give us a striking image of the Heavenly Jerusalem which is our ultimate home. Every Mass celebrates this reality, but I must admit that the traditional Mass captured this magnificent expression of the ultimate hope and goal of Christians in a powerful way. We should reflect on this often, because the ultimate goal of everything we do is to get ourselves to heaven and bring with us as many as we can.  [EXACTLY!   This is the whole point of how we worship, the kind of building we worship in, what we put in it, and what we do in it.  GET.TO.HEAVEN.  If the aforementioned don’t help us in this goal, then they fail their purpose.  They can be obstacles.  This has been a theme of several sermons I have posted here and articles I have written.  The present contrast of the older rite and how the newer rite tends to be celebrated, between the older churches and many of the newer, and even the texts themselves, alas, give us a lot to consider.]

The month of November begins with the two great celebrations: All Saints day (November 1) and the Commemoration of All Souls (November 2). These feasts celebrate our communion with the "Church triumphant" in heaven, and the "Church suffering" in purgatory. Today I would like to share a few brief comments about what we have sometimes called the "Church militant," the Church here on earth.  [When was the last time you heard a BISHOP talk about the Church Militant.]

We, the Church on earth, have a very special challenge as participants in the grace and life of Jesus Christ to "fight" against the enemies of Christ’s justice and truth and light and life. We must be attentive to the demands of this daily "battle" in a peaceable but serious manner.  [There are enemies and there is a battle!]

I am sometimes amazed at the casual manner with which Christians, Catholics included, take up our life within what Pope John Paul II rightly called the "culture of death."  [Remember: the Bishop began with presenting the goal of getting to heaven.  Make your own conclusion about where embracing the culture of death will get you!] The Church, by comparison, reminds us that we are engaged – by reason of our Baptism and Confirmation – in a battle, "not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities and powers, with the rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in heaven." (Eph 6:12) [A bishop who preaches about the Devil.  God love him!] Jesus Christ has won the ultimate battle, but we, in the course of our human life must make our choice, determining on whose side we will live and die. Whose side will you choose?!  [YES!]

What is at stake in this battle is our immortal soul, our salvation. My responsibility as bishop is with the eternal destiny of those entrusted to my care.  [At this point I had to stop and go get more coffee!  This is GREAT STUFF!  It has not been fashionable to speak of the "cura animarum" for a long time, but here it is.] My total energies must be directed to the well being of those who otherwise may come under the spell of a radically flawed and fundamentally distorted moral sense, at odds with what our Mother the Church teaches. There are objective and transcendent truths. There is such a thing as right and wrong. There is a legitimate hierarchy of moral evils, and the direct willful destruction of human life can never be justified; it can never be supported. Do you believe this firm teaching of the Church?  [This gets better and better.  Yes!  Put it in the form of a direct question!]

Did you know that in Canada priests and Christian ministers have already been brought before tribunals for preaching and teaching in support of marriage?  [We Catholic bloggers need to give this fellow as big a megaphone as we can.] They are charged with "hate speech" against homosexuality. In light of the tyranny of choice growing each day in our own beloved country, we ought to be ready for similar attacks on religious freedom. [Indeed.  I remember reading Michael O’Brian’s Eclipse of the Sun, set in Canada in modern times, and thinking that the hunting down of priests was a bit far fetched.  Then I read in the news about what the Canadian parliment was doing.  I read that same week a newstory about how a legislator in Kentucky was trying to remove from priests the right to keep material from confessions priviledged.  It failed.  But it was tried. ] We must not fail to preach the Gospel. We can not withhold the truth of our faith. That is why I will never be silent about human life. It is why I am proud of so many others – bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity – who are not afraid to speak out about the values that matter most. What about you?!

Our Lord told His apostles that they would be hated by the world, just as He was. Nearly all of them died a martyr’s death. As warriors in the Church militant, we must never resort to violence. But we must stand up fearlessly against the agents of death, the enemies of human life. Human beings are not Satan, but we know too well that they can come under his spell. They can become willing agents of death, numbed and poisoned in this culture of death. What about you?!

As we begin this month of November, the month of the Church, let us call upon the Saints to inspire us, befriend us, and pray for us. Let us offer many prayers and sacrifices for the poor souls who have gone before us. They need our meritorious suffrages to help them reach heaven.

And let us resolve to be warriors of the Church militant; warriors with our eyes fixed on heaven. Let us ask God’s mercy and strength to persevere in our call – individual and collective – to holiness. Mary, Mother of the Church, Pray for us!

 

Enough said.

His Excelleny Most Reverend John Nienstedt, Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis has unsheathed his pen concerning the "Freedom of Choice Act".

Here is his statement:

 Abp. Nienstedt: Obama’s Freedom of Choice Act is bad legislation

The Freedom of Choice Act will be considered by Congress (S. 1173, H.R. 1964) when it reconvenes in January.

Contrary to its deceptively clever title, FOCA would create a “fundamental right” for a woman to “terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability” or to “terminate a pregnancy after viability where termination is necessary to protect the life or health of the woman.”

No governmental agency at any level (federal, state or local) could “deny or interfere with” this right nor discriminate against the exercise of this right “in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services or information.”

Devastating effects

If enacted, this would become the first time in our nation’s history that abortion is established as an “entitlement.” This, in effect, would move our country beyond even the Supreme Court’s decision of Roe v. Wade.

It would also do away with a large number of existing state laws on abortion, substantially impede the ability of states to regulate abortion, and override nearly 40 years of jurisprudential experience on the subject of abortion.

Legal experts say it would likely invalidate informed consent laws, parental notification laws, laws promoting maternal health (if they result in an increased cost for abortions), abortion clinic regulations (even those designed to make abortion safer for women), laws prohibiting a particular abortion procedure (such as partial-birth abortion) and laws requiring that abortions only be performed by a licensed physician.

It is hard to imagine a more radical piece of pro-abortion legislation. FOCA would have a devastatingly destructive impact on the government’s ability to regulate abortion.

I urge our readers to contact their senators and representatives and tell them to vote against this bill.

   Cardinal’s warning

Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of our U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said on the occasion of last month’s Respect Life Sunday:

“FOCA establishes abortion as a ‘fundamental right’ throughout the nine months of pregnancy, and forbids any law or policy that could ‘interfere’ with that right or ‘discriminate’ against it in public funding and programs. If FOCA became law, hundreds of reasonable, widely supported, and constitutionally sound abortion regulations now in place would be invalidated.

“Gone would be laws providing for informed consent, and parental consent or notification in the case of minors. Laws protecting women from unsafe abortion clinics and from abortion practitioners who are not physicians would be overridden.  Restrictions on partial-birth and other late-term abortions would be eliminated. FOCA would knock down laws protecting the conscience rights of nurses, doctors and hospitals with moral objections to abortion, and force taxpayers to fund abortions throughout the United States.

“We cannot allow this to happen.  We cannot tolerate an even greater loss of innocent human lives.  We cannot subject more women and men to the post-abortion grief and suffering that our counselors and priests encounter daily in Project Rachel programs across America.

“For 24 years, the Catholic Church has provided free, confidential counseling to individuals seeking emotional and spiritual healing after an abortion, whether their own or a loved one’s. We look forward to the day when these counseling services are no longer needed, when every child is welcomed in life and protected in law.  If FOCA is enacted, however, that day may recede into the very distant future.”

In effect, FOCA would certainly be a boon to the abortion industry with the government forced to condone and promote such procedures. Now is the time to reduce, not increase, the incidence of abortion. Now is the time to work for the defeat of the Freedom of Choice Act.

God love you!

I must add that this has implications for voters at the voting booth.  If candidates promote FOCA… don’t vote for them.

Also, the local archdiocesan newspaper The Catholic Spirit has a piece that the Archbishop also spoke on the Catholic radio station Relevant Radio.

Listen to Archbishop Nienstedt radio interview on voting your Catholic conscience
By The Catholic Spirit  

Thursday, 30 October 2008

Archbishop Nienstedt did a 12 minute interview earlier this week with Relevant Radio (1330 AM) addressing the principles of our Faith that Catholics should consider carefully as we approach the voting booths next Tuesday.

The interview, which features direct questions from station manager Brian Acker can be heard this Friday morning on Relevant Radio during their "City Winds" program which begins at 9:00 A.M.  It will also be rebroadcast Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00 AM,  just prior to the station’s weekly broadcast of Mass at Saint Olaf Church.

This morning I went out and could smell woodsmoke as the morning birds began their songs.

A tip of the biretta to the Laudator:

Seneca, Phaedra 483-485 (tr. John G. Fitch):

No other life is more free and blameless,
or better cherishes the ancient ways,
than that which abandons city walls and loves the forests.

non alia magis est libera et vitio carens
ritusque melius vita quae priscos colat,
quam quae relictis moenibus silvas amat.

For you who regularly use Italian or are in Italy.

There is a new Messale ordinario tradizionale. Testo latino a fronte.

The descriptive blurb:

Il Messale perpetuo non solo per i fedeli della Santa Messa Tradizionale detta di San Pio V, ma dal 14 settembre 2007 anche per tutte le parrocchie e i sacerdoti in seguito alla liberalizzazione della messa in latino ad opera di Papa Benedetto XVI, rieditato in forma elegantissima per tutte le parrocchie, da mettere sui banchi in chiesa. 64 pagine, copertina in simil tela con impressioni in oro, immagini sacre, facilita’ di consultazione, qualita’ grafica. Uno strumento indispensabile per chi vuole partecipare con profitto al Santo Sacrificio. Un’opera realizzata con elevatissima qualita’ artistica.

Nota Breve : Messalino economico da uso comune, da mettere sui banchi delle parrocchie.

In an interview with Zenit,  Giovanni Zenone, editorial director of Fede & Cultura stated that the older rite "brings us closer again to Orthodox Christians". 

This is a very good point.  Our liturgy and our identity are bound up with each other.  Thus, like the liturgy did for the Orthodox in many places, it protected the identity of the people from ungodly attacks of materialist atheists or fundamentalist religious extremists.  In the West, we need that sort of bulwark against the encroaching relativism we are experiencing.  However, having a rite that is more stable and in continuity with the past also gives us common groud for dialogue with the Orthodox.  Perhaps we can win their respect again, on the liturgical front, through a use of our own traditional liturgical expresssions.

The new messale and the "pew version" for churches, has a preface by Card. Castrillon of the PCED.