Fr. Z's Blog | Formerly entitled: "What Does The Prayer Really Say?" – Clear, straight commentary on Catholic issues, liturgy and life by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf o{]:¬)

Sr. Keehan backtracks?

Posted on 15 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Sr. Keehan! GIVE BACK THAT PEN!

It seems that Sr. Keehan’s Catholic Health Association, which in abandoning unity with the bishops gave cover to catholic dems so they could vote for Obamacare and get us now into the mess that has arisen, has done a little back-tracking.

This is from the site of the CHA with my emphases and comments.

Catholic Health World
February 15, 2012 Volume 28, Number 3 [Feb 15!]
Something has to be fixed
By SR. CAROL KEEHAN, DC
CHA president and chief executive officer

CHA and its members were profoundly disappointed to learn that the definition of a religious employer was not going to be broadened in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ rules for preventive services for women.

The impact of being told we do not fit the new definition of a religious employer and therefore cannot operate our ministries following our consciences has jolted us. [Well well well… isn’t that interesting. NOW something has to be fixed! When you lie down with dogs, Sister, you rise us with fleas… and that beautiful pen you received when you sold out the bishops.] The contributions of Catholic health care, education and social services to this country’s development are legion. [Aren’t they just sooo special? Interesting choice of words, “legion”.] They have responded to the needs of all, not just Catholics. They have been delivered by many who do not share our faith, but share our commitment.

From President Thomas Jefferson [Not the other two guys?] to President Barack Obama, we have been promised a respect for appropriate religious freedom. [Note the qualifier.] The first amendment to our Constitution affirms it. We are a pluralistic country, and it takes respectful dialogue to sort this out fairly. This decision was a missed opportunity.

CHA has expressed concern and disappointment about this on behalf of the ministry. [You mean after going all weak-kneed at the White House seeking you out as a weapon against the bishops? Those phone calls from the White House could make smart people a little stupid.] We have said the problem is not resolved, and we must have a national conversation on this. CHA is working closely with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, [Is that so?] Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and others to look at options to resolve this. We will be discussing it at the CHA board meeting on Feb. 8. [Note that the date of the release of this, at the top, is 15 February. What’s up with that? Or is that supposed to be 18 Feb?]

I assure you that we will use the time to pursue a correction during the one-year extension. We will give this issue priority and consult with members and experts as we evaluate options to deal with this. Any suggestions, comments or questions are welcome. [Start by giving back that PEN!] I promise to keep the membership informed as we move along in this effort. Please keep this important effort in your prayers as well.

I’ll bet that what happened here is that the BOARD of the CHA thinks Sr. Keehan is too far out in weeds. Sr. Keehan had her hand slapped by the board.

There is division in the CHA. Not everyone is with Sr. Keehan.

Don’t imagine that the people who have reined Keehan back are actually on the side of the bishops. It is more likely that people who run hospitals, and not hospital associations, are making calls and pointing out how how much trouble they are really in over this HSS mandate.

If you didn’t see it when I posted it before, here it is again.

From Richard III. Buckingham starts to learn what it means to support the wrong guy.

[ENTER, Sr. Keehan with members of the CHA. Barack walks in loggia saying his prayers.]

Richard Elected King

UPDATE: On the site of the National Catholic Register (that’s the good paper), you find this:

“If the CHA board hasn’t authorized this, if she has no mandate from the USCCB, and if there are no legally binding documents, she is operating without any legal, governance or regulatory basis. That is a hell of a situation for a Roman Catholic nun that heads the Catholic Health Association to be in.”

Posted in Dogs and Fleas, Emanations from Penumbras, Linking Back, Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty, The Drill, The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice |
71 Comments

G. Weigel gets it about the Magisterium of Nuns and

Posted on 15 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

On the site of National Review George Weigel has a piece about the bishops and Pres. Obama’s attack on the Catholic Church and the 1st Amendment rights of all Americans.

Among other things he wrote:

[…]

In his appearance on Fox News Sunday on February 12, White House chief of staff Jack Lew discussed with host Chris Wallace what the administration was determined to sell as an “accommodation” to Catholic concerns, an “accommodation” that tweaked an HHS mandate requiring that all health insurance provide no-co-pay abortifacients, sterilizations, and contraceptives. Lew tried, unsuccessfully, to shore up the administration’s pretense that something in the moral calculus of the original mandate had changed with the administration’s “accommodation” — which, of course, it hadn’t. What was truly striking about the administration spin, however, was Lew’s suggestion that the Catholic Health Association (whose president, Sister Carol Keehan, had quickly and publicly applauded the administration’s “accommodation”) trumped the bishops’ conference when it came to who-speaks-for-the-Catholic-Church-in-America.

[…]

Mr. Weigel is right, of course, in his analysis… which points to what I have been saying for years about the Magisterum of Nuns. I pointed this out in regard to Mr. Lew with Mr. Wallace last Sunday. More people are noticing this, which is a good thing.

Weigel went on to say:

[…]

In the administration’s view, then, primacy in the Catholic Church is not conferred by the pope, but by the White House. Thus Sister Carol Keehan could be recognized by the president’s chief of staff as primate of the Catholic Church in the United States, because she headed an organization that “knows a fair amount about . . . health care in this country” — unlike, for example, those mulish bishops who had failed to be taken in by the administration’s shell game.

[…]

Yes, and WDTPRS has also made this point in the past several times, but in starker terms. We have described what Pres. Obama and his familiars want: an American Catholic Patriotic Association. The latest explication of this same was on 9 Feb HERE. If he had his way, the President would probably like to be able to make the ecclesial appointments… and he wouldn’t even have to wait for non-recess “recesses” of Congress to make them. But it is good to know that someone else is noticing.

You might check out Weigel’s piece, which has some other good points for your consideration.

Posted in Linking Back, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged 1st Amendment, American Patriot Catholic Association, George Weigel, HHS, magisterium of nuns, Obama, Pres
8 Comments

“In order to avoid conflicts, they let the poison spread.”

Posted on 15 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

“[I]t is true that the Church may never simply align itself with the “Zeitgeist” [spirit of the times]. The Church must address the vices and perils of the time; she must appeal to the consciences of the powerful and of the intellectuals, not to mention of those who want to live narrow-minded, comfortable lives while ignoring the needs of the time, and so forth. As a bishop [of Munich] I felt obliged to face this task. Moreover, the deficits were too obvious: exhaustion of the faith, decline in vocations, lowering of moral standards even among men of the Church, an increasing tendency towards violence, and much else. The words of the Bible and of the Church Fathers rang in my ears, those sharp condemnations of shepherds who are like mute dogs; in order to avoid conflicts, they let the poison spread. Peace is not the first civic duty, and a bishop whose only concern is not to have any problems and to gloss over as many conflicts as possible is an image I find repulsive.“

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in Salt of the Earth: The Church at the End of the Millennium. An interview with Peter Seewald. (Ignatius Press, 1996, pp. 82-83)

Posted in Dogs and Fleas, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty, The Drill |
22 Comments

Card. George writes about unity, Pres. Obama’s attacks, and Catholics who don’t stand with the bishops.

Posted on 14 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Card. George of Chicago offers observations about the present situation we face as a Church in the United States even as the President of the United States attacks the Church.

He first speaks about the “ad limina” visit he is making to Rome with other bishops and the sense of unity he has with them and with Peter. Then he says this:

[…]

Even in the midst of this strengthened unity, news of attempts to weaken the unity between the bishops and the faithful have been reported. This is the first time in the history of the United States that a presidential administration has purposely tried to interfere in the internal working of the Catholic Church, playing one group off against another for political gain. [Pitting the Catholic Health Association (willing accomplice) against the Catholic bishops.] What isn’t always understood is that the Bishops of the Church make no attempt to speak for all Catholics; they never have. The Bishops speak for the Catholic and apostolic faith, and those who hold that faith gather around them. Others disperse. That dynamic is clear in history and became clear also in the official visit to Rome that the Bishops of our region made this week.

Our visit has reminded us that the Church enjoys divine assistance even when she is being attacked. It was a timely visit.

Francis Cardinal George, OMI

[…]

He is, of course, speaking about the “Magisterium of Nuns” with their familiars and polymorphous manifestations, such as Sr. Keehan and the Catholic Health Association. They chose not to stand with the bishops. They stand with the President who attacks the Catholic Church.

The time will come when can. 915 is employed and the sooner the better.

“Sr. Keehan! Give back that pen!”

Posted in 1983 CIC can. 915, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty | Tagged ad limina, Archd. Chicago, Card. George, HHS, Magistierum of Nuns, POTUS, Pres. Obama, religious liberty
30 Comments

Pres. Obama’s war on religious principles

Posted on 14 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Did you see what the Food and Drug Administration did to an Amish farmer? The Washington Times reported, and I saw it again tonight on the news:

The FDA won its two-year fight to shut down an Amish farmer who was selling fresh raw milk to eager consumers in the Washington, D.C., region after a judge this month banned Daniel Allgyer from selling his milk across state lines and he told his customers he would shut down his farm altogether.

The decision has enraged Mr. Allgyer’s supporters, some of whom have been buying from him for six years and say the government is interfering with their parental rights to feed their children.

But the Food and Drug Administration, which launched a full investigation complete with a 5 a.m. surprise inspection and a straw-purchase sting operation against Mr. Allgyer’s Rainbow Acres Farm, said unpasteurized milk is unsafe and it was exercising its due authority to stop sales of the milk from one state to another.

[…]

By the way, the FDA is part of the Dept. of Health and Human Services, the HHS, run by the same Kathleen Sebelius, catholic, who at her master’s command is trying to force distribution of abortifacients on Catholic institutions.

One of your fellow readers here is/was a customer of this Amish farmer. He told me by email that under the cover of darkness the FDA came in armed to raid the man’s farm … at gunpoint. He has 7 children. Nice.

The Amish can’t sell milk across state lines, but the Obama Adminstration can sell guns to drug lords across borders.

The Obama Administration is going to make sure you can’t buy or sell milk the way you want to according to your religious principles, and make damn sure your religious principles are violated when turning contraception into a human right entitlement you have to pay for whether you want to or not.

Imagine what a second term would be like. Without the constraint of facing reelection, how far will he go?

Posted in Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged Amish, FDA, HHS, milk
43 Comments

Feedback from a reader about “Laundering Liturgical Linens”

Posted on 14 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

Thank you for recommending the little book “Laundering Liturgical Linens“. It has been a great help to me as a new sacristan with almost no training.

This past Sunday I asked our priest if he would like to do the first rinsing, and he looked at me like I had sprouted a second head.

Now I need to be sure all the other sacristans are rinsing the linens into the sacrarium prior to laundering, because I was not trained to do that!

Again, thank you for pointing us in the right direction.

My work here is done.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Linking Back, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged altar linens, sacrarium
11 Comments

Washington State unnatural “marriage” bill will force churches to accommodate ceremonies or face penalties

Posted on 14 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In finem citius?

From LifeSite:

Washington governor signs gay ‘marriage’ bill

February 13, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Gov. Christine Gregoire of Washington State has signed into law a gay “marriage” bill that will force church-owned facilities to accommodate homosexual ceremonies.

Gregoire, a lame-duck Democrat [A catholic democrat in favor of unnatural “marriage”. I’m shocked.] governor who proposed the bill earlier this year, celebrated the end of defining marriage as between a man and a woman as she signed the bill on Monday.

“I’m proud our same-sex couples will no longer be treated as separate but equal,” she said. [Canon 915 should be applied immediately.]

The bill makes Washington the sixth U.S. state to redefine marriage, in addition to the District of Columbia.

Local religious leaders have been particularly alarmed about the bill because it will force facilities owned by churches that are regularly used for marriages to be offered to homosexual couples.

The bill text originally stated that religious organizations that provide “accommodations, facilities, advantages, privileges, services, or goods related to the solemnization or celebration of a marriage” to the public must offer all those goods for use to homosexual couples seeking marriage or else face a penalty for discrimination. The version of the bill that passed dropped the qualification, allowing religious groups to retain marriage facilities for heterosexual unions.

Prior to the change, evangelical Pastor Joseph Fuiten last month said that the bill’s “discrimination” language puts “virtually every church in Washington” under legal threat should they abide by the teachings of their faith on the nature of marriage.

The bill is expected to take effect no earlier than June.

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has vowed to initiate a referendum effort to bring the new law before voters to decide on the ballot.

“NOM will not stand by and let activist politicians redefine marriage, the bedrock of civilization, without voters having a say,” said NOM president Brian Brown on Jan 23. “Just as we mounted a People’s Veto in Maine and were responsible for qualifying Proposition 8 to the ballot in California, we will make sure that voters in Washington have the ability to decide the definition of marriage for themselves.”

CLICK THIS

Posted in 1983 CIC can. 915, Dogs and Fleas, One Man & One Woman, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged can. 915, Gov. Christine Gregoire, homosexuality, Washington
39 Comments

More things to know about the HHS Mandate

Posted on 14 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The USCCB had posted six things people should know about Pres. Obama’s HHS mandate, HERE. Again at the blog of the USCCB, you will find an entry:

Six More Things Everyone Should Know About the HHS Mandate

1. The rule that created the uproar has not changed at all, but was finalized as is. Friday evening, after a day of touting meaningful changes in the mandate, HHS issued a regulation finalizing the rule first issued in August 2011, “without change.” So religious employers dedicated to serving people of other faiths are still not exempt as “religious employers.” Indeed, the rule describes them as “non-exempt.”

2. The rule leaves open the possibility that even exempt “religious employers” will be forced to cover sterilization. In its August 2011 comments, USCCB warned that the narrow “religious employer” exemption appeared to provide no relief from the sterilization mandate—only the contraception mandate—and specifically sought clarification. (We also noted that a sterilization mandate exists in only one state, Vermont.) HHS provided no clarification, so the risk remains under the unchanged final rule.

3. The new “accommodation” is not a current rule, but a promise that comes due beyond the point of public accountability. Also on Friday evening, HHS issued regulations describing the intention to develop more regulations that would apply the same mandate differently to “non-exempt, non-profit religious organizations”—the charities, schools, and hospitals that are still left out of the “religious employer” exemption. These policies will be developed over a one-year delay in enforcement, so if they turn out badly, their impact will not be felt until August 2013, well after the election.

4. Even if the promises of “accommodation” are fulfilled entirely, religious charities, schools, and hospitals will still be forced to violate their beliefs. If an employee of these second-class-citizen religious institutions wants coverage of contraception or sterilization, the objecting employer is still forced to pay for it as a part of the employer’s insurance plan. There can be no additional cost to that employee, and the coverage is not a separate policy. By process of elimination, the funds to pay for that coverage must come from the premiums of the employer and fellow employees, even those who object in conscience.

5. The “accommodation” does not even purport to help objecting insurers, for-profit religious employers, secular employers, or individuals. In its August 2011 comments, and many times since, USCCB identified all the stakeholders in the process whose religious freedom is threatened—all employers, insurers, and individuals, not just religious employers. Friday’s actions emphasize that all insurers, including self-insurers, must provide the coverage to any employee who wants it. In turn, all individuals who pay premiums have no escape from subsidizing that coverage. And only employers that are both non-profit and religious may qualify for the “accommodation.”

6. Beware of claims, especially by partisans, that the bishops are partisan. The bishops and their staff read regulations before evaluating them. The bishops did not pick this fight in an election year—others did. Bishops form their positions based on principles—here, religious liberty for all, and the life and dignity of every human person—not polls, personalities, or political parties. Bishops are duty bound to proclaim these principles, in and out of season.

Here are USCCB’s first “six things” on the HHS mandate.

Posted in Dogs and Fleas, Emanations from Penumbras, Religious Liberty, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged 1st Amendment, HHS, Pres. Obama, religious liberty, USCCB, USCCB Media blog
9 Comments

CNS: Villanova to Host Radical Militant Gay Rights Performer (and Member of an Anti-Catholic Group)

Posted on 14 February 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This is from the Cardinal Newman Society:

Villanova to Host Radical Militant Gay Rights Performer (and Member of an Anti-Catholic Group)

Villanova University, a Roman Catholic Augustinian University outside Philadelphia, has invited a militant gay rights performance artist to be an artist in residence this April and lead workshops for students, according to an email shared with The Cardinal Newman Society. Villanova’s website confirms it.

But the term “militant gay rights activist” doesn’t really begin to explain Tim Miller, the performance artist. Miller, according to Facebook, sued the National Endowment for the Arts for pulling a grant due to his obscene “art,” he’s been arrested dozens of times, is a very public advocate of gay marriage and abortion rights, and is a member of the anti-Catholic group ACT UP which once sent protesters to interrupt Sunday mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York and desecrated the Eucharist, according to The New York Times.

Far from renouncing his membership in ACT UP after that 1989 incident, Miller remains a member of ACT UP, according to Facebook, and even called the group’s confrontational tactics, “the single most influential thing in my life.“

[…]

You, and everyone else, can read the rest there.