Bishop Paprocki Defends the Church!

Against what Pope Francis calls "cultural imperialism."

Bless his heart, Paprocki I mean, but Pope Francis too!

From Catholic Culture:


Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, has instructed his pastors that they should not administer the sacraments to Catholics who are engaged in same-sex marriages.

That's Bishop Paprocki, top left, with Archbishop Cordileone, Bishop Barber,
and our wonderful 95 year-old Fr. Armand Oliveri after last year's Red Mass, here at Saints Peter and Paul.

In a formal decree circulated to the clergy of the diocese—which promptly leaked to the secular media—Bishop Paprocki said that since the government now offers legal recognition to same-sex marriages, the Church “has not only the authority, but the serious obligation, to affirm its authentic teaching on marriage and to preserve and foster the sacred value of the married state.”

Toward that end, the bishop said, Catholics should not participate in same-sex marriage ceremonies, nor should those events take place in churches or on parish property, the bishop said. Catholics who are legally married to same-sex partners should not be lectors or extraordinary ministers of Eucharist; they should not be admitted to RCIA classes or Confirmation programs; they should not be sponsors or godparents.

The bishop instructed his priests not to administer Communion to people who are engaged in same-sex marriages, nor to allow their funerals, unless there is an indication that the individuals have repented and accepted the Church’s teaching. If informed that a parishioner is involved in a same-sex union, Bishop Paprocki directed his priests to “address these concerns privately with the persons in such circumstances, calling them to conversion.”

Father Alvin Yu's First Mass at Saints Peter and Paul!

On Saturday, June 10, at St. Mary's Cathedral, Deacon Alvin Antonio Yu was ordained Father Alvin Antonio Yu by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. The next day, Father Yu returned to his home parish Saints Peter and Paul, to celebrate his first Mass at 5:00 PM on Sunday, June 11. Praise God! Here is a photo by Saints Peter and Paul parishioner Patrick Gee, and you can see more on his website. That's how you celebrate a Mass!

Over 20 priests, as well as Bishops William Justice, Ignatius Wang, and Thomas Daly of Spokane concelebrated--and there were many of Fr. Alvin's friends from the seminary on the altar as well, including Fr.Michael Liliedahl, who was ordained with Fr. Alvin at the Cathedral.

Fr. Alvin, who attended Saints Peter and Paul Pre-Kindergarten, K-8 school, the Salesian Boys' and Girls' Club, and was baptized, received First Communion and Confirmation, as well as serving Mass at Saints Peter and Paul, has said publicly what a powerful influence our dear departed Fr. John Malloy had been on him, and you just know Fr. Malloy was beaming down from heaven!

On Sunday, July 2, Fr. Alvin will celebrate his first Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form, also at Saints Peter and Paul. God bless you Fr. Alvin, and all praise to God!

Nice! Italians offer Reparation for Celebration of Sodomy

Church Militant has the story:

Larger turnout than expected

A procession meant to offer reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the offenses of the local gay pride parade was a success. Organized by Committee Bl. Giovanna Scopelli in Reggio Emilia, a lay initiative aimed at repairing the scandal caused by the public celebration of sodomy, about 350 people from all over Italy attended the procession, including dozens of priests, with a notable presence of the young.

The priest leading the procession, Fr. Luigi Moncalero, once again had to explain to the press that they weren't there to hold a counter-protest. "This isn't a protest against the Gay Pride Parade, but a prayer to repair public sin: from the moral point of view, homosexuality is a disorder strongly reprimanded by the Holy Scriptures. To glorify homosexuality means not only to contradict the Bible ... but to invert Nature's natural order."

Read the whole thing.