Archbishop Cordileone Reminds Us of Our Duty to Jesus

God bless our good shepherd! We must be in agreement with the Church, both in thought and deed, to receive Holy Communion. Check out his video on properly receiving God:

I myself sometimes see Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar as the same as Jesus on the cross. He is there, defenseless, helpless. Will I hurt him or not? If I receive communion unworthily I am hurting a defenseless Jesus.

"Let not the partaking of Thy Body, Lord Jesus Christ, which I, unworthy, presume to receive, turn to my judgement and condemnation, but through Thy goodness may it be to me a safeguard and remedy both of soul and body."

Western Imperialists Push Immorality on Poor at U.N.

I used to think the U.S. ought to get out of the U.N. because the U.N. was rotten. But the anti-family, anti-life Obama Administration may be too rotten for the U.N.

The latest U.N. outrage perpetrated by the European Union and the Obama Administration, from Breitbart News:

U.S. Blocks 'Sexual Fidelity' as AIDS-Fighting Strategy at U.N.

The Obama administration, along with the European Union and the Nordic countries, ganged up on poor African nations over the past two weeks at the United Nations, insisting that sexual fidelity and delaying sexual debut cannot be defensive strategies against the spread of HIV.

The African countries sent delegates to New York with high hopes that at least one of the non-binding but influential documents produced at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, among the largest annual gatherings at the United Nations, could be a vehicle to help them slow the growth of HIV on their continent. Instead, working in tandem, the United States and the European Union blocked language encouraging the reduction of the number of sexual partners.

According to witnesses who spoke with Breitbart News, in the middle of the final night of negotiations, some African delegates actually wept in frustration.

At the start of negotiations, the United States, Europe, Norway, Mexico, and other Latin American nations threatened that there would be no HIV/AIDS resolution if it contained references to abstinence and fidelity, reducing the number of sexual partners, or even what would seem noncontroversial, "delaying sexual debut." For two weeks negotiations were stalled and delayed. The US and the EU with their dozens of diplomats easily outmatched poor African countries that may have only one or two diplomats to cover the entire span of negotiations. The US and EU insisted that language like "fidelity" and "sexual delay" would stigmatize and therefore discourage those with HIV from getting tested and seeking treatment. The Africans insisted these were the only real defensive strategies against the disease, which is still at epidemic proportions in Africa..."

So the Obama administration opposes the one real solution to AIDS. No surprise there.

C-Fam, the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, is one group that is constantly fighting the anti-family agenda pushed at the United Nations by the European Union, the Obama Administration, the Homintern, and the international feminist mafia. C-Fam deserves your support!

Happy First Anniversary, Fr. Malloy!

Today is the first anniversary of the rebirth into eternal life of our dear Fr. John Malloy, SDB. How can we thank him for all he has done for us and for the Church?

His unheralded 2001 arrival (at age 79!) at Saints Peter and Paul parish in San Francisco introduced an unapologetic champion of Catholic orthodoxy, of life and the family, into the city of St. Francis, which had become ground zero for the culture of death.

It was the 2004 rally in defense of marriage, which he hosted as pastor of Saints Peter and Paul, that fired the opening shots in the defense of marriage and family in our City. Fr. Malloy was not alone in fighting that battle, others worked with him, but as was said of the first Salesian pastor of Saints Peter and Paul, Fr. Raphael Pipierni, he “started the fight when it was hard to start.” That war to restore sanity to the culture has just begun, and it will continue for generations.

The marriage rally galvanized the pro-family and pro-life movement in San Francisco, and gave birth to the Walk for Life West Coast, the best thing going in San Francisco!

Now our City is blessed with an even more prominent champion of marriage and the family, our good Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. Who would have believed that 10 year’s ago?

Father, we thank you for all you did for us when you were here on earth. And we know you are still fighting the good fight and praying for us unceasingly in heaven!

Salesians Elect New Rector Major!

This is from an article by Fr. Anil Kr. Toppo, SDB, writing in Don Bosco India:


Kolkata, Mar. 25. The 27th General Chapter has elected Fr Angel Fernandez Artime, Provincial of Argentina South, as tenth Successor of Don Bosco. The election took place at 10:20 on the first ballot.

The official announcement was welcomed with long and warm applause.

Fr Angel Fernandez Artime, 53 years of age was born on 21 August 1960, at Gozon-Luanco, Spain. He made his first profession on 3 September 1978, his perpetual profession on 17 June 1984 and was ordained priest on 4 July 1987. Originally from Leon Province, he has been Youth Ministry Delegate, Rector of the Salesian school at Ourense, member of the Provincial Council and Vice Provincial, and from 2000 to 2006, Provincial of Leon.

He was a member of the technical commission in preparation for General Chapter 26. In 2009, he was appointed Provincial in Argentine South, a task he has carried out until now. In this capacity he got to know the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, and had the opportunity of working with him.

He has a Doctorate in Pastoral Theology and a Licenciate in Philosophy and Pedagogy.

On 23 December last year, he was appointed Provincial of the new province of Mary Help of Christians in Spain, a role which Fr. Angel obviously now will not be able to take on, since he will exercise his ministry as Father of the whole Salesian Congregation.


We thank Fr. Pascal Chavez for his long and devoted service, and we welcome Fr. Fernandez Artime!


May St. John Bosco and Mary Help of Christians guide his steps!

More Wisdom from Fr. James Schall: On Multiculturalism

What a great teacher he is! This essay was published at The Catholic Thing. Excerpts:

"The modern notion that all cultures and nations can and should live together in harmony requires either: a) a general agreement about the basis of virtue and truth, or b) the elimination of any difference between good and evil, truth and falsity. “Multiculturalism,” itself a construction of the mind, is what happens when the latter alternative is accepted, not as “true,” but as “workable” or “practical.”

Cultures, however, are not philosophically or morally neutral. Within each is found a certain configuration of good and evil habits, laws, and customs. In earlier ages, though massive migrations and invasions occurred, it was difficult to pass from one country to another. Each culture or nation worked out the norms of how it was to live...

The only kind of multiculturalism that is possible is one that recognizes a transcendent order. A multiculturalism that denies it ends up by establishing and enforcing a world order in which only what is objectively true is disallowed. The “fear” is precisely that truth does exist. The refusal to look for such truth recalls the scene in the Gorgias of Plato where the politician refuses to listen to argument, lest he be forced to admit its logic."

Oakland Diocese catches up with "A Shepherd's Voice"--Priests bounced from "Queer Rosary" parish

Today's California Catholic Daily re-posted an article from the East Bay Express ('Gay Priest Ousted by Conservative Bishop') reporting that Oakland's Bishop Michael Barber, left, is removing two priest (one an open homosexual) from their positions at Newman Hall-Holy Spirit Parish in Berkeley. The article included the sentence "And yet more troubling was the fact that according to the pastor, Barber had made it clear that the removal of these two priests supported his broader goal 'to see a major redirection of ministry at Newman.'”

We blew the whistle on these guys long ago, we know a major redirection at Newman has been necessary for a long while, and we don't find the Bishop's actions troubling in the least.. On September 29, 2009 we had a post entitled "Shadow Churches: UPDATE "Queering the Rosary." The post also appeared as an article in California Catholic Daily.

Part of the article dealt with what homosexual activist call the "relational mysteries" or the "queer rosary" which is an attempt to co-opt Catholic devotion in furteherance of the homosexualist agenda. From our article:

"A crystal-clear description of purpose of the 'Relational Mysteries' was given in the online calendar of the New Spirit/MCC Church in Berkeley. The entry was for an event held on Sunday, May 31, 2009, and reads: “GTU doctoral student Eugene McMullan and Reverend Jim Mitulski will lead a two part class on 'Praying the Queer Rosary,' based on stories from the bible which depict Queer Families or Relationships. The class will include a brief history of the rosary, introduction to Catholic devotions, sharing of stories, and praying together.”

The MCC is an overtly homosexual activist church; that was its founding purpose, so it is not surprising to see such an event held there. Unfortunately, the homosexual activists have managed to introduce the 'relational mysteries' into at least one Catholic parish as well. The September 13 web bulletin of Berkeley’s Newman Hall - Holy Spirit Parish announces: 'Praying the Rosary in solidarity with LGBT Catholics. Join us Sept. 17, 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the lounge as we explore the Relational Mysteries: Fidelity—Ruth's pledge to Naomi (Ruth 1:16-18); Grief—The parting of David and Jonathan (I Sam 20:35-42); Intercession—Esther intercedes for her people (Est 4:9-5:2); Restoration—the raising of Lazarus (John 11:38-44); and Discipleship—the two encounter Christ on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). The group will be co-facilitated by Mike Campos and Eugene McMullan, Ph.D. students at the Graduate Theological Union.'”
It's very heartening to see that the Oakland Diocese is catching up with A Shepherd's Voice, even if it did take four-and-a-half years.

‘Awakening a conscience that has gone dead’ SF's Interfaith Committee for Life Memorial Service

On Friday, February 28, the Interfaith Committee for Life of San Francisco held its Annual Interfaith Memorial Service for the Victims of Abortion at St. Sebastian’s Catholic Church in Greenbrae, north of the City. The event was the 27th consecutive year that the IFCL has held the Memorial Service. The IFCL was founded under the auspices of the Archdiocese of San Francisco under its then-Archbishop John Quinn. Vicki Evans, the Respect Life Coordinator of the Archdiocese of San Francisco said “It is so important to bring good people of all faiths together who share a love for the unborn—something which unites us more than anything else.”

Around 60 persons were in attendance. Clergy included Fr. Mark Taheny, pastor of St. Sebastian’s, and Fr. Aris Metrakos, the Protopresbyter of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in San Francisco, who also serves as the current chairman of the IFCL. Music was provided by the St. Thérèse Choir of St. Andrew’s Church in Daly City.

The theme of this year’s service was “Be the Light.” The first reading was John 8:12 “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Following the reading Robin Strom, Executive Director of the Marin Pregnancy Clinic, spoke. She herself has had two abortions--one before Roe v. Wade the other after—a circumstance which gave her empathetic insight into the desperation which leads too many women to choose abortion. She described the work of the Clinic, and the difficulties of trying to operate a crisis pregnancy center in the darkness of the wealthy but abortion-friendly Marin County. Marin Pregnancy provides free prenatal counseling and medical care to women facing crisis pregnancies as an alternative to abortion. The organization is always strapped for cash, and the greatest challenge it currently faces is their old ultrasound machine. This critical piece of equipment allows a mother to see her living child--perhaps the strongest inducement for a wavering mother to choose life. She compared their current machine to an old laptop—constantly needing to be rebooted, powered on and off, in order to function properly.

The second reading was Psalm 112:4 “Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright.” Dana Cody, Executive Director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation, spoke about the LLDF’s mission both in and out of the courtroom. Expanding on the “Be a Light” theme, she said “Flowers love light and so do the spirits of men.” She noted that is why the abortion industry, despite its incredible financial resources, still feels compelled to try every means possible to silence the pro-life message of hope. As an example she recounted the LLDF’s representation of Oakland’s Walter Hoye, who was sentenced to 28 days in jail simply for sharing the pro-life message of hope on a public street. Life Legal got Hoye’s conviction overturned, and the presiding judge informed Oakland’s law enforcement agencies that they are not allowed to favor one message over another.

The final reading was Romans 13:10-14 “Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Following the reading, Gil Bailie, Executive Director of the Cornerstone Foundation, spoke. He situated the work of pro-lifers in a long-term historical context, as a profound message of hope, able to restore the moral health of a society which has degenerated to the point of making abortion legal. He said “In a world, in a culture, in a city so inhospitable in every way to the message of life your work is very inspiring. In our time we have witnessed the most savage intentional destruction of human life in history. Your most important work is touching the conscience of those who may be hostile. If the conscience is dead you can’t hire enough police. If this country, if this culture, if this civilization is to be saved, you are the point of the spear. You are doing the work of preserving our civilization by awakening a conscience that has gone dead. Whenever you are working to save a baby you are also giving an example of moral intentionality and witness that is absolutely essential to our world. There is no more important work. It is something of enormous historical importance.”

Knights to match donations for Ultrasound Machine

Each year the Memorial Service spotlights one particular organization. In the words of Fr. Metrakos “By drawing attention to a specific Pro-Life group each year, we hope to encourage financial and volunteer support .” This year’s organization is the Marin Pregnancy Clinic, specifically their need for a new ultrasound machine. The Marin County Knights of Columbus have stepped up to help raise funds for the machine, and the national Supreme Council of the Knights has pledged to match every dollar that the Marin County Knights raise. Checks may be made payable to:

Knights of Columbus-Ultrasound
PO Box 703
Novato CA 94948

For more information about the Marin Pregnancy Clinic, visit www.marinpregnancyclinic.org.

Today's Call to Prayer: On Marriage

Today's call to prayer and fasting for Life Marriage, and Religious Liberty from our U.S. Bishops is on the meaning of marriage:

Intention

We pray for a greater understanding of marriage as the unique and permanent union of one man and one woman.

Reflection

In today's Gospel , the Pharisees approach Jesus to ask if it is lawful for a husband to divorce his wife. Interestingly, before He explains that divorce is not lawful, Jesus first explains what marriage is - the union of one man and one woman: "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (Mark 10: 6-8)."

The Church's teaching on marriage is not founded on statistical data nor merely in upholding tradition, but is rooted in the truth of the human person: men and women are created "in the image of God" as male and female. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that "marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they come from the hand of the Creator (no. 1603)." Furthermore, what is truly united can never be separated. This is why the union of a man and woman in marriage is permanent: "So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate (Mark 10: 8-9)."

Did you know?

At the beginning of the Extraordinary Consistory, Pope Francis addressed the College of Cardinals and introduced their topic of discussion. "During these days, we will reflect in particular on the family, which is the fundamental cell of society. From the beginning the Creator blessed man and woman so that they might be fruitful and multiply, and so the family then is an image of the Triune God in the world."

If you'd like to receive the Bishop's weekly Friday Fast and Call to Prayer go here to sign up (on the right hand pane).

Senators, Congressmen Introduce Bills to Defend Marriage

Excellent news from Catholic News Agency:

"Washington D.C., Feb 19, 2014 / 08:11 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have introduced bills bolstering the ability of individual states to declare what they will and will not recognize as a marriage and enforce that definition within state boundaries.

The State Marriage Defense Act of 2014 declares that in a given state, the term marriage will “not include any relationship which that State, territory, or possession does not recognize as a marriage, and the term ‘spouse’ shall not include an individual who is a party to a relationship that is not recognized as a marriage by that State, territory, or possession.”

The bill was introduced Feb. 14 by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) in the Senate, and Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) in the House of Representatives..."

Read the whole thing.

Archbishop Cordileone to establish "Oratory of St. Philip Neri" in SF! Fr. Joseph Illo to lead it!

Our Archbishop is certainly building up the Church in San Francisco! This is from the blog of Fr. Joseph Illo, chaplain of Thomas Aquinas College. San Francisco Catholics: go to Fr. Ilo's blog to pledge your support for this worthy effort!

Appeal for the San Francisco Oratory of St. Philip Neri

I’ve been serving as chaplain to Thomas Aquinas College for the last two years and feel greatly privileged to work among such deeply Catholic educators and students. Recently, however, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has invited a priest-friend and me to establish an “Oratory of St. Philip Neri” in his city.

Most diocesan priests who pray their breviaries pray them alone. Those who do the daily holy hour do it alone, and those who pray their daily rosaries do so by themselves. I’ve done this, more or less, over the 24 years of my priesthood, and I’ve always desired greater priestly community. In my last parish (St. Joseph’s in Modesto) we did pray our holy hours together every morning, and I miss that here in the College. In 1996 I spent two weeks with the Missionaries of Charity Fathers in Tijuana, discerning if I should join their Order. I concluded that God wanted me to remain “in the world,” pastoring a parish and evangelizing the workaday world. Now comes the opportunity to work in the world and live in community.

The Oratory is an Institute in the Church that allows “secular” (parish) priests to live in community under a rule of life. St. Philip Neri founded “the Oratory” in Rome in 1575 as a religious congregation of priests and brothers who lived in the parish of Santa Maria in Vallicella, now known as Chiesa Nuova, in downtown Rome. It provides a supportive rule of life for priests who desire a greater commitment to prayer in common. The most famous Oratorian Father for English-speakers is Blessed John Henry Newman, who brought the Oratory to England in 1848. Today there are 85 Oratories with 500 Oratorians in 19 countries. We would establish the first congregation of Oratorian Fathers in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

We would begin with two priests and two brothers in a downtown parish with a large rectory, which Archbishop Cordileone has offered us. One of us priests would serve as pastor; we would build up the parish through beautiful liturgy and the lay apostolate, but focus also on evangelizing young adult professionals. The Archbishop has mentioned possibly establishing a Catholic center in one of the larger office buildings with daily Mass and confessions.

A few months ago we were discussing the enormous potential of the Oratory in San Francisco with Archbishop Cordileone. At one point he paused and smiled: “I’m a diocesan bishop, and so I have to think about money, too. I would need you to secure financial commitments to fund part of your living expenses over three years.” I knew he was going to get around to that sooner or later! But as Mother Teresa used to say, “Don’t worry about money. God has lots of it.” If the Lord Jesus and his holy Mother want an Oratory in San Francisco, they will find the money. But of course we have to ask for it.

Would you, my dear readers, like to help us establish the San Francisco Oratory of St. Philip Neri? One of the founding priests would receive a pastor’s salary, but the Archbishop needs us to obtain $220,000 in pledges to fund living expenses for the other three founders, contingent on our actual expenses. If each of you pledged $150 per year for three years, we would meet our goal. Some can pledge much more, and some less, but together we can present a commitment of full support to Archbishop Cordileone.

We don’t want any money right now, but only pledges of financial support. We would begin either the summer of 2014 or the summer of 2015, and would call upon those pledges only as needed from that time for three years. If you get a chance, look-up the “Oratory of St. Philip Neri” to better understand what kind of community and ministry we are seeking to establish in San Francisco. Ask God if He would like you to support this work with a pledge. If you can partner with Archbishop Cordileone and us, please fill out the pledge form below and keep the San Francisco Oratory of St. Philip Neri in your prayers.

We place this work in the hands of Immaculate Mary, Cause of Our Joy and Mother of the Church.

Yours sincerely in Christ,



Fr. Joseph Illo
Head Chaplain, Thomas Aquinas College
Santa Paula, California

Like I said, you can pledge support at Fr. Illo's blog. Go for it!

UPDATE: The pledge drive progress page is here.

Great Video: Taiwanese Standing with the Family!

Here's something else you won't hear about in the anti-family American Mass media. Very well made video of 300,000 Taiwanese standing up for natural marriage and in opposition to a 2013 bill which would have imposed counterfeit marriage on their nation and culture. God bless them!

 

Europeans Continue Massive Demonstrations in Support of the Family!

The "Manif pour tous" began in France, against the imposition of same-sex "marriage" on the culture, but it is arising in other counties as well--and not only in Europe! On February 2 there were enormous demonstrations in support of the family in Paris and Lyon in France, amd also in Rome. French Police said there were 80,000 at the Paris Manif, so you know there were far more. Check out the photos below! You did not see that in the U.S. News, did you? According to Galliawatch, the proximate cause was the latest anti-family legislation, which the government has now modified.

The Galliawatch author translates an article posted on Le salon Beige:

"From the tsunami of articles and commentary on the astounding capitulation of the French government to the irresistible counter-revolutionary movement in the streets of Paris and France I am hastily translating only this excerpt from a longer piece at Le Salon Beige. Written by a blogger named Autheuil, about whom I know very little, except that he identifies neither with the left nor the right, and therefore at times sounds uncommitted and indecisive, it nonetheless contains some good points that stress the potential consequences of the government's sudden change of direction. Note that the figure of 80,000 is highly debatable and proves that the author has confidence in police statistics (organizers placed attendance at the Paris Manif as closer to 500,000) :

"I(t) didn't take twenty-four hours for the government to beat a retreat. After the success of another demonstration by the reactionary right (after all, 80,000 persons), the government announced the postponement of a law that should have already been submitted. It renounced also the commitment it had made in January 2013 to insert into the body of the law on the Family the question of medically assisted procreation, which is probably now a dead issue. After such a backing-off, it isn't even worth the effort to hope for the slightest societal reform before the end of his term in office…That the movement is still able, one year after the great demonstrations against "marriage for everyone", to mobilize 80,000 thanks to a threat as unlikely as "gender theory", is an important sign. The reactionary right is back in France, and it isn't an epiphenomenon, it's a groundswell, begun no doubt years ago, that will last a little while longer....This movement is a violent opposition to the eradication of the difference between genders in Western culture. It is the anthropological protest in favor of maintaining a social structure based on the difference between masculine and feminine, implying differentiated roles, hence a different place for men and women.

Here are some pictures (click for larger sizes). The man in the foreground is the Italian Luca Volonte, former chair of Communion and Liberation, and now Group Chairman of the Popular Christian-Democrats to the Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Here is an excerpt of a speech he gave at Lyon (Google translation):

"No, the family is the fundamental unit that strengthens the pact between generations, which creates social cohesion and raise the future. Not all of us and all the children in the history of mankind had the right to have a father and a mother!

Our 'no' always come from more 'yes', the huge positive family for us, for our families, for our children, for the history and civilization of the world. This is our happy family experience that opposes the new tyranny and slavery of "atheistic humanism" described by (Cardinal Henri) De Lubac."

Another shot of the Paris Manif:

The shot below is in the French city of Lyon:

Polish demonstrators at the Lyon Manif:

Young people showing support for the family:

In Rome, pro family supporters lit up the Coliseum: