Because they don't think they've done anything wrong. That's why Most Holy Redeemer in San Francisco was willing to give space in their October 14 bulletin to a "Sister of Perpetual Indulgence" thanking the parish for the lovely welcome back on October 7, despite the nationwide scandal caused by the Archbishop giving Communion to two members of the SPI.
As we argued back on August 27, 2007, in the post "MHR and How it Got That way" , where we reviewed of Fr. Donal Godfrey's history of Most Holy Redeemer:
"Relentlessly and beyond doubt, (Fr. Godfrey's book "Gays and Grays") shows that the authentic community-forming experience at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in San Francisco is not Catholicism, but homosexuality. Existentially, Most Holy Redeemer is not a Catholic parish. It is not a Christian parish. It is a gay parish."
hence:
"...such events (i.e., the Archbishop giving Communion to the SPI) will not be experienced by the parishioners as blasphemous, because they validate the community-forming experience."
and, we argued:
"The fault lies squarely with the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which, as detailed in Fr. Godfrey’s book, allowed a Catholic parish to turn into an heretical spiritual institution."
American Papist, & Threshing Grain, are on the case.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
Monday, October 15, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Sheriff Joe At It Again
Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray
animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over and the County Supervisors said okay. The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78. The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals. I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $ 8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote. Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a "Git-R Dun" kind of Sheriff. Update on Joe Arpaio.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO
HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF
AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY: Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona) Who created the "Tent City Jail": He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights.
Cut off all but "G" movies. He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get Sued For Discrimination.
He took away cable TV Until he found out there was A Federal Court Order That Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel. When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be while They Are Working ON My Chain Gangs.
He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value. When the inmates complained, he told them, "This Isn't the Ritz/Carlton.....If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back."
He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails. When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place. More On The Arizona Sheriff: With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), The Associated Press Reports: About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees inside the week before.
Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS. "It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace," Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. "It's Inhumane."
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: "It's 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Damned Mouths!" Way To Go, Sheriff! Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.
If you agree, pass this on. If not, just delete it.
Sheriff Joe was just reelected Sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona.
animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over and the County Supervisors said okay. The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78. The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals. I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $ 8 for the Holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote. Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a "Git-R Dun" kind of Sheriff. Update on Joe Arpaio.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO
HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF
AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY: Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona) Who created the "Tent City Jail": He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.
He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights.
Cut off all but "G" movies. He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get Sued For Discrimination.
He took away cable TV Until he found out there was A Federal Court Order That Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV Again Only Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel. When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be while They Are Working ON My Chain Gangs.
He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value. When the inmates complained, he told them, "This Isn't the Ritz/Carlton.....If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back."
He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails. When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place. More On The Arizona Sheriff: With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), The Associated Press Reports: About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The Maricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued Pink Boxer Shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees inside the week before.
Many Were Also Swathed In Wet, Pink Towels As Sweat Collected On Their Chests And Dripped Down To Their PINK SOCKS. "It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace," Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. "It's Inhumane."
Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: "It's 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear, But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes, So Shut Your Damned Mouths!" Way To Go, Sheriff! Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.
If you agree, pass this on. If not, just delete it.
Sheriff Joe was just reelected Sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Archbishop Responds...
Archbishop Niederauer’s response to the scandal generated by his offering the Blessed Sacrament to two members of the infamous “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” at the equally infamous Most Holy Redeemer Parish on October 7, was, with all due respect, pathetic. His Excellency asks us to believe that he did not know that the two drag wearing men, with painted faces, in obviously satirical religious habits, at Most Holy Redeemer Parish, were members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. This is on a par with His Excellency’s professing not to know House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s stand on abortion, a claim he made on KCBS radio on February 4, 2007. Speaking as a member of the flock, this “lack of knowledge” doesn’t give me much confidence in my shepherd.
More:
The Cafeteria is Closed
American Papist
Curt Jester
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
More:
The Cafeteria is Closed
American Papist
Curt Jester
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Scandal in San Francisco--Video
More than once, (see here and here) we've chronicled the relentless onslaught of the homosexualist agenda in our Archdiocese of San Francisco. This onslaught has been going on for decades. We who saw it develop could watch, and plead with our leaders for action, but to no avail.
But last Sunday, for good or ill, a tipping point may have been reached. His Excellency Archbishop George Niederauer celebrated Mass at the notorious Most Holy Redeemer parish.
Now, to list the misdeeds of Most Holy Redeemer parish would take more space than we have here. Suffice it to say that they are rooted in "gay culture" itself, which seeks to be recognized on a par with say, Chinese Culture, or Italian Culture.
When the Archbishop celebrated Mass at Most Holy Redeemer he was confronted with two members of the infamous Sister of Perpetual Indulgence in the communion line. What an opportune teaching moment!
It is important to understand who the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are, and what they do. Youtube has a video of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence holding an obscene "bingo" in MHR's Ellard Hall. Once you look at this video, you will see why last Sunday's events were so blasphemous. Quamdiu Domine also has a video of last Sunday's Mass at MHR.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
But last Sunday, for good or ill, a tipping point may have been reached. His Excellency Archbishop George Niederauer celebrated Mass at the notorious Most Holy Redeemer parish.
Now, to list the misdeeds of Most Holy Redeemer parish would take more space than we have here. Suffice it to say that they are rooted in "gay culture" itself, which seeks to be recognized on a par with say, Chinese Culture, or Italian Culture.
When the Archbishop celebrated Mass at Most Holy Redeemer he was confronted with two members of the infamous Sister of Perpetual Indulgence in the communion line. What an opportune teaching moment!
It is important to understand who the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are, and what they do. Youtube has a video of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence holding an obscene "bingo" in MHR's Ellard Hall. Once you look at this video, you will see why last Sunday's events were so blasphemous. Quamdiu Domine also has a video of last Sunday's Mass at MHR.
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Fr. Euteneuer on Connecticut
Fr. Tom Euteneuer over at Human Life International respectfully disagrees with the Connecticut Bishops decision on "Plan B" in Catholic hospitals. Quote:
"I envision a day in which Catholic leaders may have to resign from lucrative positions in business and shut down Catholic healthcare institutions rather than cooperate in the arrogant and coercive programs of the culture of death. Actually, I think that day has already arrived."
Read the whole thing.
God Bless him!
Posted by Gibbons.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Who Are the Poor?
Robert Rector of The Heritage Foundation is a national authority on poverty and the U.S. welfare system. Specializing in welfare reform and family breakdown, Rector has done extensive research on the economic and social costs of welfare.
This post reflects some of his comments on this burning issue:
John Edwards and others lament that 37 million Americans struggle with incredible poverty every day.When such a statement is made the average citizen is led to believe that one in eight do not have enough money for adequate, food or shelter or clothing.
With presidential candidates of a certain hue decrying the suffering of the 37 million Americans who have been officially classified as poor by the U.S. Census Bureau, Rector was asked if these poor people are really as poverty-stricken as we have been led to believe:
Q: You say it is not so simple or accurate to think of them as truly poor. What do you mean?
A, When you look at the people John Edwards and others insist are poor, what you find is that the overwhelming majority of them have cable television, have air conditioning, have microwaves, have two color TVs; 45 percent of them own their own homes, which are typically three-bedroom homes with 1{1/2} baths in very good recondition. On average, poor people who live in either apartments or in houses are not crowded and actually have more living space than the average person living in European countries, such as France, Italy or England.
Also, a lot of people believe that poor people are malnourished. But in fact when you look at the average nutriment intake of poor children, it is virtually indistinguishable from upper-middle-class children. In fact, poor kids by the time they reach age 18 or 19 are taller and heavier than the average middle-class teenagers in the 1950s at the time of Elvis. And the boys, when they reach 18, are a full one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than the GIs storming the beaches of Normandy. It’s pretty hard to accomplish that if you are facing chronic food shortages throughout your life.
If you are looking at people who do not have adequate warm, dry apartments that are in good repair, and don’t have enough food to feed their kids, you’re probably looking at one family in 100, not one family in eight.
Since the beginning of the War on Poverty we have now spent over 11 trillion dollars.
Q: Where did that money go -- and who got it?
A: Basically, we have spent a lot of money but we spent money in such a way that we displaced the work effort of the poor, so that we did not get very much net increase in income. Rather than bringing people’s incomes up, what we’ve done is supplanted work with welfare. What you need to do in order to truly get improvements is to create a welfare system that requires work and encourages marriage so that the recipient is moving toward self-sufficiency while receiving aid, rather than receiving aid in lieu of his own work efforts.
Q: Who are these “truly poor” and where do they live?
A: Generally, they will be families that have a whole lot of behavioral issues in addition to mere economic issues -- possibly drug problems, mental problems, certainly very low work effort, probably unmarried mothers and so forth. They would be spread around the country. Very few of them are elderly. Even though the elderly appear to have low incomes, they are not likely to lack food or to have a hole in their roof or things like that.
Q: Is there any single reason why the “official poor” are poor?
A: If you look at the official poor, particularly at children who are officially in poverty, there are two main reasons for that. One is that their parents don’t work much. Typically in a year, poor families with children will have about 16 hours of adult work per week in the household. If you raised that so that you had just one adult working full time, 75 percent of those kids would immediately be raised out of poverty.
The second major reason that children are poor is a single parenthood in the absence of marriage. Close to two-thirds of all poor children live in single-parent families. What we find is that if a never-married mother married the father of her children, again, about 70 percent of them would immediately be raised out of poverty. Most of these men who are fathers without being married in fact have jobs and have a fairly good capacity to support a family.
This post reflects some of his comments on this burning issue:
John Edwards and others lament that 37 million Americans struggle with incredible poverty every day.When such a statement is made the average citizen is led to believe that one in eight do not have enough money for adequate, food or shelter or clothing.
With presidential candidates of a certain hue decrying the suffering of the 37 million Americans who have been officially classified as poor by the U.S. Census Bureau, Rector was asked if these poor people are really as poverty-stricken as we have been led to believe:
Q: You say it is not so simple or accurate to think of them as truly poor. What do you mean?
A, When you look at the people John Edwards and others insist are poor, what you find is that the overwhelming majority of them have cable television, have air conditioning, have microwaves, have two color TVs; 45 percent of them own their own homes, which are typically three-bedroom homes with 1{1/2} baths in very good recondition. On average, poor people who live in either apartments or in houses are not crowded and actually have more living space than the average person living in European countries, such as France, Italy or England.
Also, a lot of people believe that poor people are malnourished. But in fact when you look at the average nutriment intake of poor children, it is virtually indistinguishable from upper-middle-class children. In fact, poor kids by the time they reach age 18 or 19 are taller and heavier than the average middle-class teenagers in the 1950s at the time of Elvis. And the boys, when they reach 18, are a full one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than the GIs storming the beaches of Normandy. It’s pretty hard to accomplish that if you are facing chronic food shortages throughout your life.
If you are looking at people who do not have adequate warm, dry apartments that are in good repair, and don’t have enough food to feed their kids, you’re probably looking at one family in 100, not one family in eight.
Since the beginning of the War on Poverty we have now spent over 11 trillion dollars.
Q: Where did that money go -- and who got it?
A: Basically, we have spent a lot of money but we spent money in such a way that we displaced the work effort of the poor, so that we did not get very much net increase in income. Rather than bringing people’s incomes up, what we’ve done is supplanted work with welfare. What you need to do in order to truly get improvements is to create a welfare system that requires work and encourages marriage so that the recipient is moving toward self-sufficiency while receiving aid, rather than receiving aid in lieu of his own work efforts.
Q: Who are these “truly poor” and where do they live?
A: Generally, they will be families that have a whole lot of behavioral issues in addition to mere economic issues -- possibly drug problems, mental problems, certainly very low work effort, probably unmarried mothers and so forth. They would be spread around the country. Very few of them are elderly. Even though the elderly appear to have low incomes, they are not likely to lack food or to have a hole in their roof or things like that.
Q: Is there any single reason why the “official poor” are poor?
A: If you look at the official poor, particularly at children who are officially in poverty, there are two main reasons for that. One is that their parents don’t work much. Typically in a year, poor families with children will have about 16 hours of adult work per week in the household. If you raised that so that you had just one adult working full time, 75 percent of those kids would immediately be raised out of poverty.
The second major reason that children are poor is a single parenthood in the absence of marriage. Close to two-thirds of all poor children live in single-parent families. What we find is that if a never-married mother married the father of her children, again, about 70 percent of them would immediately be raised out of poverty. Most of these men who are fathers without being married in fact have jobs and have a fairly good capacity to support a family.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Action Step
LANSING, Michigan, OCT. 3, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A packet of information about the Church's stance on stem cells is being delivered to every Catholic home in Michigan that's registered with a parish.
A letter signed by the state's diocesan bishops, a 12-minute DVD, and a brochure explaining the Church's support for adult stem cell research are being sent out as part of the Michigan Catholic Conference's "The Science of Stem Cells: Finding Cures and Protecting Life" campaign.
The conference foresees reaching 500,000 homes and nearly 800 parishes.The Michigan Catholic Conference campaign comes as proponents of embryonic stem cell research seek to overturn the state's ban on research that involves the destruction of human embryos, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Paul Long, the vice president for public policy at the conference, said the central message of the statewide education program is the Church's support for adult stem cell research and opposition to research which involved destroying human embryos.
A letter signed by the state's diocesan bishops, a 12-minute DVD, and a brochure explaining the Church's support for adult stem cell research are being sent out as part of the Michigan Catholic Conference's "The Science of Stem Cells: Finding Cures and Protecting Life" campaign.
The conference foresees reaching 500,000 homes and nearly 800 parishes.The Michigan Catholic Conference campaign comes as proponents of embryonic stem cell research seek to overturn the state's ban on research that involves the destruction of human embryos, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Paul Long, the vice president for public policy at the conference, said the central message of the statewide education program is the Church's support for adult stem cell research and opposition to research which involved destroying human embryos.
Stem Cells
I was listening to a broadcast yesterday in which the protagonist was bemoaning the fact that the Christian Right is against stem cell research, which is here to stay and certainly will not go away despite opinions to the contrary!
Not true at all. The Church is not against research, but is against its misuse. The Church is always pro-life and condemns embryonic step cell research. As a matter of fact stem cell research has already contributed to marvelous cures, which embryonic research has not surpassed. No need to kill life, when cures are possible with other stem cells.
Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, said during a conference co-sponsored by the Vatican dicastery and the Acton Institute, titled "Health, Technology and Common Good:
"The ultimate criterion in the use of all technologies must be the good of man.
"In discussing the sciences of life and reflecting on the experimental sciences that manipulate life, one wonders about correct human behavior in relation to human life, deficiency in human life, increase in human life, improvement in human life, procedures to be followed to obtain this improvement and deviations to be avoided.
"Thus, technology left to itself can build or destroy man; technology in itself is blind, even if it appears to be the most advanced and the most marvelous. In itself, biotechnology is blind and ambivalent."
Not true at all. The Church is not against research, but is against its misuse. The Church is always pro-life and condemns embryonic step cell research. As a matter of fact stem cell research has already contributed to marvelous cures, which embryonic research has not surpassed. No need to kill life, when cures are possible with other stem cells.
Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, said during a conference co-sponsored by the Vatican dicastery and the Acton Institute, titled "Health, Technology and Common Good:
"The ultimate criterion in the use of all technologies must be the good of man.
"In discussing the sciences of life and reflecting on the experimental sciences that manipulate life, one wonders about correct human behavior in relation to human life, deficiency in human life, increase in human life, improvement in human life, procedures to be followed to obtain this improvement and deviations to be avoided.
"Thus, technology left to itself can build or destroy man; technology in itself is blind, even if it appears to be the most advanced and the most marvelous. In itself, biotechnology is blind and ambivalent."
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Gil Bailie Speaks!
On October 10, at 7:30 PM, over at St. Thomas More Parish in San Francisco, our friends at Catholics for the Common Good present "Essentials for The Evangelization of Culture--Challenges confronting the Christian vocation" by Gil Bailie.In a clear and inspiring way, learn about the uniqueness and universality of Christianity, and its indispensability to humankind. This is based on the theology of Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, Hans Urs von Balthasar and others with the anthropological insights of Rene Girard.
Gil Bailie, founder and president of the Cornerstone Forum, is a nationally respected Catholic author and lecturer concerned with today’s spiritual and moral crisis and dedicated to fostering a better understanding of the challenges that confront the Christian vocation in our time. To read one of Mr. Bailie's essays, "The Subject of Gaudium et Spes: Reclaiming a Christocentric Anthropology of the Human Person" click here.
St. Thomas More is at the corner of Brotherhood Way and Thomas More Blvd., in San Francisco. For more info, call 415-651-4171.
Communion & Politicians
Here is a significant pronouncement by Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, as quoted yesterday in an article by Fr. John Flynn, L.C . (Zenit.org):
Within the Catholic world, a divisive issue in the religion and politics debate is how to treat Catholic politicians who are manifestly pro-abortion. A recent contribution to the question came from Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, in an essay published in Volume 96 of the canon-law journal Periodica de Re Canonica.The article, titled "The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin," noted the differences in opinion, including among bishops themselves, over whether support for anti-life legislation should disqualify a politician from receiving Communion.
After a detailed analysis of Church teaching on the question of Communion and those in grave sin, Archbishop Burke concludes that "a person who obstinately remains in public and grievous sin is appropriately presumed by the Church to lack the interior bond of communion, the state of grace, required to approach worthily the reception of the Holy Eucharist."A consistent public support of policies that are in grave violation of moral law, he pointed out, can indeed be classified as "gravely sinful."
The archbishop clarified, however, that denying Communion in these circumstances should not be interpreted as a penal sanction against the person, but rather it is concerned with respect for the Eucharist.
The United States, Archbishop Burke commented, is a society that "canonizes" radical individualism and relativism, thus making it very difficult to apply sanctions such as denying Communion. Notwithstanding these difficulties, if a bishop or priest preaches Church teaching on life matters, but does nothing when a Catholic who publicly supports anti-life legislation comes to receive Communion, "then his teaching rings hollow," Archbishop Burke judged.
Within the Catholic world, a divisive issue in the religion and politics debate is how to treat Catholic politicians who are manifestly pro-abortion. A recent contribution to the question came from Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, in an essay published in Volume 96 of the canon-law journal Periodica de Re Canonica.The article, titled "The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin," noted the differences in opinion, including among bishops themselves, over whether support for anti-life legislation should disqualify a politician from receiving Communion.
After a detailed analysis of Church teaching on the question of Communion and those in grave sin, Archbishop Burke concludes that "a person who obstinately remains in public and grievous sin is appropriately presumed by the Church to lack the interior bond of communion, the state of grace, required to approach worthily the reception of the Holy Eucharist."A consistent public support of policies that are in grave violation of moral law, he pointed out, can indeed be classified as "gravely sinful."
The archbishop clarified, however, that denying Communion in these circumstances should not be interpreted as a penal sanction against the person, but rather it is concerned with respect for the Eucharist.
The United States, Archbishop Burke commented, is a society that "canonizes" radical individualism and relativism, thus making it very difficult to apply sanctions such as denying Communion. Notwithstanding these difficulties, if a bishop or priest preaches Church teaching on life matters, but does nothing when a Catholic who publicly supports anti-life legislation comes to receive Communion, "then his teaching rings hollow," Archbishop Burke judged.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Sadness from Connecticut....
What's the reaction in Connecticut to their Bishops' aboutface on Plan B?
Connecticut Catholic has a couple of posts:
Outrage and Shame Over Plan B in Connecticut
Quote:
"Let me refresh their memories from their own Connecticut Conference of Catholic Bishop's Q&A still, temporarily I presume, located on their website:
7) Connecticut's Catholic hospitals have said that Plan B can sometimes cause an abortion. Is this correct?
The primary mechanism of Plan B is to prevent ovulation, and therefore conception.
The secondary mechanism of Plan B is to prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum, which is abortion. This is confirmed on the manufacturer's web site that says, Plan B may also work by preventing it (the fertilized egg) from attaching to the uterus (womb).
8) Is it a true statement to say that forcing Catholic hospitals to provide Plan B under all cases is equivalent to forcing Catholic hospitals to perform an abortion?
Yes. When Plan B cannot act as a contraceptive, it can only act to cause an abortion. Forcing Catholic hospitals to provide Plan B in these situations forces the hospitals to perform abortions."
And:
Local reaction to Plan B Sucker Punch
Quote:
"Mark Pazniokas of the Hartford Courant had a brief report in CAUCUS - Politics from CT to DC, and reports that Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. stated: 'For those very same bishops to do a 180-degree turnabout two days before the legislation becomes law, without any adequate explanation, is incomprehensible,' Cafero said. 'It shows apparent disregard and disrespect for the political process and those of us who worked in their behalf.'"
Pray for our brothers and sisters (including our Bishops) in Connecticut!
Posted by Gibbons Cooney
Connecticut Catholic has a couple of posts:
Outrage and Shame Over Plan B in Connecticut
Quote:
"Let me refresh their memories from their own Connecticut Conference of Catholic Bishop's Q&A still, temporarily I presume, located on their website:
7) Connecticut's Catholic hospitals have said that Plan B can sometimes cause an abortion. Is this correct?
The primary mechanism of Plan B is to prevent ovulation, and therefore conception.
The secondary mechanism of Plan B is to prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum, which is abortion. This is confirmed on the manufacturer's web site that says, Plan B may also work by preventing it (the fertilized egg) from attaching to the uterus (womb).
8) Is it a true statement to say that forcing Catholic hospitals to provide Plan B under all cases is equivalent to forcing Catholic hospitals to perform an abortion?
Yes. When Plan B cannot act as a contraceptive, it can only act to cause an abortion. Forcing Catholic hospitals to provide Plan B in these situations forces the hospitals to perform abortions."
And:
Local reaction to Plan B Sucker Punch
Quote:
"Mark Pazniokas of the Hartford Courant had a brief report in CAUCUS - Politics from CT to DC, and reports that Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr. stated: 'For those very same bishops to do a 180-degree turnabout two days before the legislation becomes law, without any adequate explanation, is incomprehensible,' Cafero said. 'It shows apparent disregard and disrespect for the political process and those of us who worked in their behalf.'"
Pray for our brothers and sisters (including our Bishops) in Connecticut!
Posted by Gibbons Cooney
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