The 14th Call To Holiness conference has begun in Detroit. Originally this conference was convoked as a remedy, response, corrective to the pernicious and dissenting Call To Action thingy.
The conference is being held at a large Byzantine Catholic parish, which helps to underscore our rich Catholic identity. The work of the conference focuses especially on Vatican II.
Right now Louis Verrecchio is speaking. Later we have Fr Trigilio, Fr Philips, and Bp. Sample!
Since the conference started quite early, people are still coming in. There were about 500 registrations.
Tomorrow there will be a Pontifical Mass in the traditional form at Assumption Grotto.
UPDATE:
Fr Trigilio on Responsible Citizenship!
A bishop who dresses properly, listening to Fr T:
UPDATE:
Fr T just reminded people of what Card Ratzinger wrote some years back about cooperation with evil if you vote for a pro-abortion candidate because of the abortion position. He is clarifying “proportionate reasons”.
UPDATE:
His Excellency Most Reverend Alexander Sample is speaking about what Lumen gentium actually taught. He is making distinctions! Qui bene distinguit bene docet!
Bp Sample on Lumen gentium 25:!
“Read it! Live it!”
He is going after a false notion of freedom of conscience. Now also clericalization of laity.
UPDATE: Heh heh… LCWR!
UPDATE: Rosary and lunch are over.
Fr Philips is talking about sacred things in a sacred way. His examples are Msgr Hellriegel and Msgr Schuler!
UPDATE:
Dr Monica Migliorino Miller, pro-life activist and writer, is speaking!
UPDATE:
At the of the banquet, Bp Sample is speaking before the final blessing.
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Sounds like a great line-up of speakers! :)
There are bishops there who do not dress properly???
Father Z,
I hope you can address, or maybe if addressed at this conference you can share what is said, the question of voting for Romney/Ryan now that it is clear they are “against abortion with exceptions for rape, life of mother, etc.” That is certainly not a Catholic position. Is it still morally permissible to give them our vote if they can’t even get the very first basic principal correct? I’m not arguing, I’m asking.
w meyer: Seriously? Do the priests and bishops seen in public always wear clerical clothing so they are easily identifiable? I’ve been introduced to more than one priest (and nuns) who say they are Father so and so, or Sister so and so. It’s sad they are ashamed of wearing their “uniform” so that they can be easily identified.
@kat
Father Z’s update about Fr T seems to indicate that you can vote for them as long as you are not voting for them because of those exceptions.
I personally have no qualms about casting my vote for Romney/Ryan. While I wasn’t thrilled about the exceptions that Ryan mentioned, it is clearly a step in the right direction compared to the alternative who want to abortions easily available for any reason at all. Based on what he said at the debate, I suspect that Ryan himself probably does not support the exceptions, but as the VP candidate he can’t form the ticket’s policy. I think it’s an attempt by Mitt not to seem too extreme. I didn’t like that when I heard it, but to help the evil opposition win is not an option for me.
Would like to hear what Father Trigilio said about proportionality. I pored through my “Moral Guidance” textbook from college (way back in late ’40s, early ’50s) for the Principle of Double Effect and my “Moral Theology.” Then I saw an article from Catholic Answers on then Cardinal Ratzinger’s “Proportionate Reasons,” which made it seem that voting for R and R would still be unacceptable. Have been having discussions with fellow Catholics about voting for Romney/Ryan or not voting at all, which seems to be a worse answer. I want to vote out the pure evil that is now in office.
mamajen said: “I suspect that Ryan himself probably does not support the exceptions, but as the VP candidate he can’t form the ticket’s policy.”
I agree with you. I thought he looked uncomfortable saying that, and I don’t care for it either. But, he is the VP candidate, not the one running for President. It’s still a million miles better than what the other party endorses.
mamajen and sissiy – I agree.
I think that Romney/Ryan plan on nixing taxpayer funded abortion, overseas as well. No doubt they will repeal the HS Mandate and Obamacare.
A friend told me her son is not voting at all because he likes Ron Paul. He’s a good Catholic and yet a no vote is a vote for Obama. What is he thinking?
Sorry “sissy” – I am typing too fast.
JKnott, he is not thinking, or is woefully ignorant of history, and of the Electoral College.
“What is he thinking?”
JKnott, there are too many people in our country caught up in the mindset of “cult of personality”. No man or woman is so important individually that voters should sacrifice their principles to blindly follow that person. People who care more about Ron Paul or Barack Obama than they do the best interests of their country have fallen prey to this insidious cult-like thinking. Hopefully, he’ll outgrow it. It just shows that there are adolescent thinkers on both sides of the political spectrum. [I also think that many of the younger crowd who idolize Ron Paul or Gary Johnson are single-issue voters; it’s all about legal pot for some. Not saying that’s the case for this young man.]
Fr. Z, can you please provide the contact info so that we can purchase copies of the talks ? I suspect they are being recorded. Thanks.
I am a supporter of Ron Paul. I am not a single issue voter… never have been. I plan to vote for Romney… but I understand why some people refuse. I am close to that point myself. I am sick and tired of going into that booth and holding my nose and pulling the lever for the lesser of two evils. And often there is not much difference between the two… maybe only a handful of issues separate them.
And, no, most supporters of Dr Paul do not endorse him because of legal marijuana. That is a sad stereotype that the press have perpetuated. We endorse him because of his stand for liberty as the founding fathers envisioned it.
Romney is going to win Kentucky; therefore I could vote for Ron Paul because of his sensible views on foreign policy. And his sensible view on hemp!
“And his sensible view on hemp!”
I rest my case. Andy Lucy, I didn’t say everyone likes Ron Paul because of weed. Ron Paul has been in Congress for years and is one of the least effective legislators in American history. For anyone to waste a write-in vote for him when our country’s future hangs in the balance is irresponsible. Our two choices are Romney and Obama. Neither is perfect, but one is a whole lot less perfect than the other. It is our civic duty to do our utmost to save our country at this crucial point in our history.
no that’s what I call a feast of faith to be able to participate at a gathering like that.
As to sitting out the election because you don’t think The Wun’s opponent is “right enough” …as Father says many times…don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good. He’s not perfect…certainly, none of us are. But we know what we have in office now. Could it be advanced that by not doing everything in your power, through the exercise of your franchise, to remove a greater evil such as we have and replace it with a lesser one who is closer to being able to be brought along, and ensuring the continued reign of the petty miscreant, that you are, in some way, cooperating with evil?
In other words, Ron Paul was defeated. Santorum was defeated. Gingrich was defeated. Time to get over it. We have a challenger who may not be the “ideal”, but he is a damn sight better than the alternative, regardless of his deficiencies. Because if you, like me, are horrified by the last 4 years…think of the damage that will be wrought if he’s returned to office and never has to worry about standing for election again. That is truly horrifying.
“Romney is going to win Kentucky, therefore I could vote for Ron Paul”
According to this interesting electoral map at Nate Silver’s Five Thirty Eight (yes, I know it’s connected with a Ritually Impure Source, e.g. the NYT or Hell’s Bible, but it’s still a pretty darn careful and accurate reflection of current political trends), Nevada and Ohio are the two states in which an individual vote has the greatest chance of deciding the election’s outcome:
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/
The states most likely to provide the decisive electoral vote are (in descending order) Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin, Nevada, Iowa, Florida, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. At this point every other state appears to be “in the bag” for one candidate or the other (and there are now reports that the Dems have more or less conceded Florida to Romney).
If you live in any of the states listed above, especially Ohio, I’d say you have pretty close to a positive moral obligation to vote for Romney if you do not want Obama to win. If you live anywhere else, I’d say you are more free to vote third party or abstain since the odds of your vote, or the votes of the small minority of conscientious pro-life Catholics, materially determining which candidate gets your state’s electoral vote is slim to none.
I hope the conference attendees will return to their parishes fired up and ready to encourage their friends and neighbors. We all need to do our upmost in these last days before the election. I’m anxious to hear more about Fr. T’s talk, and his comments on “proportionate reasons”. I grow weary of that tattered old “seamless garment” argument and the way it has been hijacked as an excuse to vote for pro-aborts.
When do we get to the main event: the Fr. John Zuhlsdorf talk!?
God Bless His Excellency Most Reverend Bishop Sample ! Michigan’s Bishops have a lot of educating to do. It’s good to see him going at it!
@acardnal and anyone else interested:
http://www.relevantrecordings.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&layout=category&task=category&id=5&Itemid=56
cathgrl: Thanks!!
I spent most of today and yesterday watching/listening to a mostly boring IT conference broadcast from Las Vegas for $300– this one looks more interesting and probably would have held my attention longer. I wish I could have attended either in person or over Internet!
Video will also be available. Watch for info at calltoholiness.com
I saw a lot of empty seats and a lot of older people.
I am down at the moment because I recently learned that Australia, according to the latest census, has 5 million people who identify as Catholic but only 450,000, count of people at Mass on a particular Saturday/Sunday, who are attending Mass. I had no idea it was that bad. That works out to 9% of Catholics attending Holy Mass ; this doesn’t say anything about their knowledge of the Faith.
We all need to get to work and try to be a witness to the Faith and spread it, especially in this Year of Faith.
I have attended many “Call to Holiness”‘conference’s in the past they are vibrant and edifying functions . Welcome to Michigan Fr. Z and if you happen to meet Our very good and beloved Bishop Allen Vigneron (vigneron means vine dresser) ask him if he could Send some one around to some of our parishes to say mass in the EF for those of us who cant make it to St. Jehosophats.:)
What a line-up, if only I wasn’t so far away!
I continue to be impressed by Marquette. Reading his pastoral the other day, I was very inspired — PDF link:
http://www.dioceseofmarquette.org/images/Pastoral%20Letter%20-%20We%20wish%20to%20see%20Jesus(2).pdf
@Norah –
What you didn’t see, is an ENTIRE youth conference going on at the same time in a different room. While the “adults” were listing to one set of talks and speakers, the young people were listening to their own agenda of the SAME speakers with youth targeted topics.
Don’t worry – the younger generations are alive and well at Call to Holiness. :-)