From LifeSiteNews:
"After weeks of legal battles and searching for a hospital willing to take over his care, Baby Joseph Maraachli was airlifted Sunday night to a children’s hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.
Joseph and his father, Moe Maraachli, were joined on the specially-equipped air ambulance by Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of the U.S.-based Priests for Life. The organization paid for the flight, and will foot Joseph’s U.S. medical bills and the cost of his family’s accommodations."
Way to go Father Frank!
Amazingly, the staff of London Health Services Center complained:
"Joseph’s previous hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, which refused to perform the tracheostomy and had sought to remove his ventilator against his parents’ wishes, defended their care of Joseph again in a press release Monday. They insisted he was taken from the hospital 'despite the strongest possible medical advice.'
The hospital complained that their doctors and staff 'were targeted by well-organized social media feeds and directly via email with personal threats, threats to their families, innuendoes and falsehoods.'”
The article also had some very interesting commentary from Dr. Paul Byrne, a fifty-year veteran in the field of neonatology.
Dr. Byrne said that the "... issue shouldn’t be turned into a debate about the American health care system versus the Canadian system. Instead, he said it highlights the need for 'medicine that’s based on the Creator and the specialness of the person.'
“It’s medicine that is in accord with the Hippocratic oath, which very few doctors take any more, versus medicine that is not true medicine, but is actually part of the culture of death,” he explained. “It’s medicine that’s with God versus medicine that’s without God.”
'They make the person be like a machine, like an automobile that has parts,' he said. 'That’s not what the person is. When the automobile gets too much wrong with it, it goes to a junk yard.'
'They decided that baby Joseph was not worthwhile and to do a tracheostomy was futile, and therefore they weren’t going to do it,' he added."
Now thanks be to God, and to the efforts of many people, baby Joseph is in a hospital that will at least cooperate with his parents. Let us pray that he lives, and if it be God's will that he dies, at least it will be in a place where he is loved and valued.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query "baby joseph". Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query "baby joseph". Sort by date Show all posts
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Baby Joseph Goes Home!
Great story from Life Site News:
Baby Joseph and his family arrived in Windsor, Ontario on a medical transport flight from St. Louis, Missouri this morning. He is now at the family home, according to Brother Paul O’Donnell.
On behalf of Baby Joseph’s family, Brother O’Donnell told LifeSiteNews that that their son was weaned off ventilator support 12 days ago and has been successfully breathing on his own since then....
Commending the staff at Cardinal Glennon, Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life said Joseph has defied so many critics.
“Our mission to save Baby Joseph and help his family was never based on any prediction of the future, but rather on the value of his life here and now. Our critics, on the other hand, looking into the crystal ball that ‘right to die’ advocates seem to always think they have, claimed our intervention was futile because Joseph would only end up having a machine do his breathing for him,” said Fr. Pavone.
“We don’t have to answer their criticism; Joseph is doing that for us, with every breath he takes.”
Baby Joseph and his family arrived in Windsor, Ontario on a medical transport flight from St. Louis, Missouri this morning. He is now at the family home, according to Brother Paul O’Donnell.
On behalf of Baby Joseph’s family, Brother O’Donnell told LifeSiteNews that that their son was weaned off ventilator support 12 days ago and has been successfully breathing on his own since then....
Commending the staff at Cardinal Glennon, Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life said Joseph has defied so many critics.
“Our mission to save Baby Joseph and help his family was never based on any prediction of the future, but rather on the value of his life here and now. Our critics, on the other hand, looking into the crystal ball that ‘right to die’ advocates seem to always think they have, claimed our intervention was futile because Joseph would only end up having a machine do his breathing for him,” said Fr. Pavone.
“We don’t have to answer their criticism; Joseph is doing that for us, with every breath he takes.”
Monday, February 21, 2011
Baby Joseph Maraachli Granted Reprieve
Good news, background here. LifeSiteNews reports:
"One-year-old Joseph Maraachli of Windsor, Ontario, who was to have his life support removed Monday at 10 am. against his parents’ wishes, will now not die on the day that Ontario residents celebrate as Family Day. A hustle by pro-life and anti-euthanasia groups resulted in a change in legal counsel, which has led to at least a temporary stay of removal of the child’s ventilator. "
In a statement released today, London Health Sciences Centre said it has received a request from a Michigan hospital 'to review Baby Joseph Maraachli’s medical information regarding the feasibility and appropriateness of a potential patient transfer.'
'Our focus at this time is to work with the family on a patient care plan and to continue to provide compassionate and dignified care and comfort to Baby Joseph,' said the statement.
"One-year-old Joseph Maraachli of Windsor, Ontario, who was to have his life support removed Monday at 10 am. against his parents’ wishes, will now not die on the day that Ontario residents celebrate as Family Day. A hustle by pro-life and anti-euthanasia groups resulted in a change in legal counsel, which has led to at least a temporary stay of removal of the child’s ventilator. "
Alex Schadenberg, head of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, informed LifeSiteNews Sunday evening that negotiations are underway to transfer Joseph to a hospital in Michigan.
In a statement released today, London Health Sciences Centre said it has received a request from a Michigan hospital 'to review Baby Joseph Maraachli’s medical information regarding the feasibility and appropriateness of a potential patient transfer.'
'Our focus at this time is to work with the family on a patient care plan and to continue to provide compassionate and dignified care and comfort to Baby Joseph,' said the statement.
Thanks to LifeSiteNews, which stayed on the story and provided contact info for various Canadian officials, and thanks to all who called or emailed them.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Dear Lord!
LifeSiteNews is now reporting that Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario may remove baby Joseph Maraachli's life support, and that the hospital is denying his parents' a private visit with their own son. The parents are only allowed to see the boy with a security guard present.
Hospital threatens to remove baby Joseph’s life support anyway - parents denied private visitations
"While things were looking up for the parents of Joseph Maraachli this past weekend, the picture has now become bleaker. In the latest twist in the case the London hospital where their dying son is being cared for is seeking to remove the parents’ decision-making power after they refused to have him taken off life support. Hospital security is also denying them private visitations....
With the help of pro-life and anti-euthanasia advocates, Joseph’s parents have been trying to have their son moved to a hospital in Michigan. London’s Victoria Hospital, where Joseph has been treated since October, sent the records to the Michigan hospital Monday and the parents are still waiting to hear back.
But hospital officials now say that they may go ahead with removing Joseph’s life support even if the Michigan hospital or another agrees to the transfer. Because the parents refused to have Joseph’s life support removed Monday, the hospital has asked the Office of the Public Guardian to assume decision-making power. That office is expected to take a couple days, but could order his life support removed at any point."
Mary Help of Christians, Pray for us!
Hospital threatens to remove baby Joseph’s life support anyway - parents denied private visitations
"While things were looking up for the parents of Joseph Maraachli this past weekend, the picture has now become bleaker. In the latest twist in the case the London hospital where their dying son is being cared for is seeking to remove the parents’ decision-making power after they refused to have him taken off life support. Hospital security is also denying them private visitations....
With the help of pro-life and anti-euthanasia advocates, Joseph’s parents have been trying to have their son moved to a hospital in Michigan. London’s Victoria Hospital, where Joseph has been treated since October, sent the records to the Michigan hospital Monday and the parents are still waiting to hear back.
But hospital officials now say that they may go ahead with removing Joseph’s life support even if the Michigan hospital or another agrees to the transfer. Because the parents refused to have Joseph’s life support removed Monday, the hospital has asked the Office of the Public Guardian to assume decision-making power. That office is expected to take a couple days, but could order his life support removed at any point."
Mary Help of Christians, Pray for us!
Monday, March 21, 2011
"The gift of a few more months together"
Photo courtesy LifeNews.
Patrick Craine at LifeSiteNews has an update on the case of Baby Joseph Maraachli:
ST. LOUIS, Missouri, March 21, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Joseph Maraachli, who had been set to have his ventilator removed against his parents’ wishes at an Ontario hospital last month, received a tracheotomy Monday morning and is doing well, says his family.
His parents, Moe Maraachli and Sana Nader, took Joseph to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri last Sunday after trying unsuccessfully to get him the simple procedure at his Ontario hospital, London Health Sciences Centre.
The surgery involves a slit in the throat to allow a breathing tube to be inserted into the airway. The tube allows for suction of fluid out of the lungs, creates a safe and stable way to use a mechanical ventilator, and is more comfortable for the child.
The parents have been asking for this procedure in hopes that they could take Joseph home. The Maraachli’s daughter Zina died from a similar neurological disorder eight years ago, and in that case the family took her home after doctors performed the simple procedure. They now want the same for Joseph.
In a statement today, Cardinal Glennon hospital said that Joseph is currently in the pediatric intensive care unit, “where tracheotomy patients routinely spend 7 to 10 days following the procedure.
“After he is discharged from SSM Cardinal Glennon, Joseph will travel to Ranken Jordan - A pediatric specialty hospital in St. Louis before being transported to his family home in Windsor,” said the hospital. “It is our hope that this procedure will allow Joseph and his family the gift of a few more months together and that Joseph may be more comfortable with a permanent tracheotomy.”
ST. LOUIS, Missouri, March 21, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Joseph Maraachli, who had been set to have his ventilator removed against his parents’ wishes at an Ontario hospital last month, received a tracheotomy Monday morning and is doing well, says his family.
His parents, Moe Maraachli and Sana Nader, took Joseph to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri last Sunday after trying unsuccessfully to get him the simple procedure at his Ontario hospital, London Health Sciences Centre.
The surgery involves a slit in the throat to allow a breathing tube to be inserted into the airway. The tube allows for suction of fluid out of the lungs, creates a safe and stable way to use a mechanical ventilator, and is more comfortable for the child.
The parents have been asking for this procedure in hopes that they could take Joseph home. The Maraachli’s daughter Zina died from a similar neurological disorder eight years ago, and in that case the family took her home after doctors performed the simple procedure. They now want the same for Joseph.
In a statement today, Cardinal Glennon hospital said that Joseph is currently in the pediatric intensive care unit, “where tracheotomy patients routinely spend 7 to 10 days following the procedure.
“After he is discharged from SSM Cardinal Glennon, Joseph will travel to Ranken Jordan - A pediatric specialty hospital in St. Louis before being transported to his family home in Windsor,” said the hospital. “It is our hope that this procedure will allow Joseph and his family the gift of a few more months together and that Joseph may be more comfortable with a permanent tracheotomy.”
Let us continue to pray for the whole Maraachli family, and give thank for all the pro-life heroes whose work has allowed this to happen.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
God Bless Bishop Olmsted!
His Excellency Thomas Olmsted has exercised his duty as Bishop of Phoenix, and stripped St. Joseph's Hospital of it's Catholic designation. We heartily support His Excellency. From Catholic World News:
"When I met with officials of the hospital to learn more of the details of what had occurred, it became clear that, in the decision to abort, the equal dignity of mother and her baby were not both upheld; but that the baby was directly killed…In this case, the baby was healthy and there were no problems with the pregnancy; rather, the mother had a disease that needed to be treated. But instead of treating the disease, St. Joseph’s medical staff and ethics committee decided that the healthy, 11-week-old baby should be directly killed.'
In accordance with canon law, Bishop Olmsted said, he told Sister Margaret McBride, the administrator responsible for the decision to peform the abortion, that she had incurred the penalty of excommunication. 'I did this in a confidential manner, hoping to spare her public embarrassment,' he added. Knowledge of the excommunication became public as the hospital defended its decision to perform the abortion.
Since that time, Bishop Olmsted reports, 'subsequent communications with leadership at St. Joseph’s Hospital and CHW have only eroded my confidence about their commitment to the Church’s Ethical and Religious Directives for Healthcare.' Thus he felt compelled to take action.
Bishop Olmsted makes the point that the medical institutions performed many services that the Church condemns under the terms of government contracts. 'CHW and St. Joseph’s Hospital have made more than a hundred million dollars every year from this partnership with the government,' he reports."
This is very important and welcome. In related news, California Catholic Daily reports on a recent investigation by the American Life League which shows that problems similar to that which provoked Bishop Olmsted's action permeate Catholic Heathcare West, of which St. Joseph's Hospital is a member.
In more related news, we note that Lloyd Dean, president of Catholic Healthcare West, was honored this year at the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco. Dean was the Commencement speaker at the exercises for USF's School of Nursing.
"When I met with officials of the hospital to learn more of the details of what had occurred, it became clear that, in the decision to abort, the equal dignity of mother and her baby were not both upheld; but that the baby was directly killed…In this case, the baby was healthy and there were no problems with the pregnancy; rather, the mother had a disease that needed to be treated. But instead of treating the disease, St. Joseph’s medical staff and ethics committee decided that the healthy, 11-week-old baby should be directly killed.'
In accordance with canon law, Bishop Olmsted said, he told Sister Margaret McBride, the administrator responsible for the decision to peform the abortion, that she had incurred the penalty of excommunication. 'I did this in a confidential manner, hoping to spare her public embarrassment,' he added. Knowledge of the excommunication became public as the hospital defended its decision to perform the abortion.
Since that time, Bishop Olmsted reports, 'subsequent communications with leadership at St. Joseph’s Hospital and CHW have only eroded my confidence about their commitment to the Church’s Ethical and Religious Directives for Healthcare.' Thus he felt compelled to take action.
Bishop Olmsted makes the point that the medical institutions performed many services that the Church condemns under the terms of government contracts. 'CHW and St. Joseph’s Hospital have made more than a hundred million dollars every year from this partnership with the government,' he reports."
This is very important and welcome. In related news, California Catholic Daily reports on a recent investigation by the American Life League which shows that problems similar to that which provoked Bishop Olmsted's action permeate Catholic Heathcare West, of which St. Joseph's Hospital is a member.
In more related news, we note that Lloyd Dean, president of Catholic Healthcare West, was honored this year at the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco. Dean was the Commencement speaker at the exercises for USF's School of Nursing.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Baby Joseph Goes Home to the Lord
Little baby Joseph Maraachli has passed away.Earlier this year, we had followed his family's battles against the Canadian Healthcare system. The family was seeking the right to have the little fellow come home, so that he could die surrounded by those who loved him. Many people helped the family in that battle, formeost of whom was probably Fr. Frank Pavone.
Play with the Lord, little guy!
Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney
Thursday, February 17, 2011
"Outside of court, the boy's father broke down in tears and called doctors 'killers'."
A horrific story out of Canada.
From the Toronto Sun:
"A court appeal to stop doctors from removing a 13-month-old baby boy's breathing tube was denied Thursday, ending a Windsor couple's tragic fight to take their son home to die.
The parents accept that, barring a miracle, it as almost certain the little boy will die.
Joseph Maraachli, who's been in the London Health Science Centre's pediatric critical care unit since last fall, suffers from a terminal respiratory and neurological disorder.
Ontario's consent and capacity board recently agreed with doctors last month the boy's breathing tube be removed.
His parents, who lost a daughter to the same disorder eight years ago, had hoped to have a tracheotomy inserted and be allowed to take the child home to die peacefully.
Again, the parents accept that, barring a miracle, it as almost certain the little boy will die. They simply want to bring their own son to their own home, so he can die surrounded by those who love him. A government is denying them this right.
In her decision, an emotional Superior Court Justice Helen Rady said it was "a sad and difficult case" and praised the child's parents, Moe Maraachli and Sana Nader, for their dedication.
That "praise" is simply adding insult to injury.
But she said the baby has no brain stem reflex and is in a permanent vegetative state.
A deadline to take the baby off life support had been set for Friday, but Rady ordered the family to comply by Monday at 10 a.m., "to afford the family adequate time to say their goodbyes."
That's sounds just like a movie villain telling his victim "say your prayers" before shooting him.
Out side of court, the boy's father broke down in tears and called doctors "killers."
Which certainly makes sense.
Patrick Craine at LifeSiteNews has more, including contact emails.
From the Toronto Sun:
"A court appeal to stop doctors from removing a 13-month-old baby boy's breathing tube was denied Thursday, ending a Windsor couple's tragic fight to take their son home to die.
The parents accept that, barring a miracle, it as almost certain the little boy will die.
Joseph Maraachli, who's been in the London Health Science Centre's pediatric critical care unit since last fall, suffers from a terminal respiratory and neurological disorder.
Ontario's consent and capacity board recently agreed with doctors last month the boy's breathing tube be removed.
His parents, who lost a daughter to the same disorder eight years ago, had hoped to have a tracheotomy inserted and be allowed to take the child home to die peacefully.
Again, the parents accept that, barring a miracle, it as almost certain the little boy will die. They simply want to bring their own son to their own home, so he can die surrounded by those who love him. A government is denying them this right.
In her decision, an emotional Superior Court Justice Helen Rady said it was "a sad and difficult case" and praised the child's parents, Moe Maraachli and Sana Nader, for their dedication.
That "praise" is simply adding insult to injury.
But she said the baby has no brain stem reflex and is in a permanent vegetative state.
A deadline to take the baby off life support had been set for Friday, but Rady ordered the family to comply by Monday at 10 a.m., "to afford the family adequate time to say their goodbyes."
That's sounds just like a movie villain telling his victim "say your prayers" before shooting him.
Out side of court, the boy's father broke down in tears and called doctors "killers."
Which certainly makes sense.
Patrick Craine at LifeSiteNews has more, including contact emails.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Third Heaven
At the Winter Solstice, there are cultists who would turn the celebration of Christmas into some sort of light worship, replacing the Son with the Sun
That myopia venerates only what can be seen. In ancient cosmology, the "first heaven" was the easily visible part of the universe, and the "second heaven" was the stellar complex beyond that. But St. Paul said: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows – and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).
It is likely that he was speaking of the third heaven in the third person about himself. He encountered directly the "glory" that God allowed Moses to approach by indirection: "When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen" (Exodus 33:22-23). Peter, James and John bowed before this radiance at the Transfiguration, and the crowd saw it at the Ascension when they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the Temple praising God" (Luke 24:52-53).
A reflection of that joy was on the face of the Lady who appeared at Lourdes. In 1863 the sculptor Joseph-Hugues Fabisch interviewed St. Bernadette and made his famous statue from her description, but the saint was deeply saddened by how poorly it matched what she had seen. Our Lord guides us cautiously to glory so that we might not become blinded or made speechless by it. With splendid subtlety, the stars on the robe of Our Lady of Guadalupe are exactly as the constellation was in the Mexican sky when the image appeared on the tilma of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on December 12, 1531. Those stars show the lesser heavens, but are hints of the "third heaven" from which the Light of the World came to shine in our darkness first as a baby and then as a man.
At His birth "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). The night before His death, Christ "looked toward heaven" and prayed: "Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you" (John 17:1). Until then, the heavenly song had been hushed, for as Chesterton wrote: "There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth."
FATHER GEORGE WILLIAM RUTLER
That myopia venerates only what can be seen. In ancient cosmology, the "first heaven" was the easily visible part of the universe, and the "second heaven" was the stellar complex beyond that. But St. Paul said: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise – whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows – and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter" (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).
It is likely that he was speaking of the third heaven in the third person about himself. He encountered directly the "glory" that God allowed Moses to approach by indirection: "When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen" (Exodus 33:22-23). Peter, James and John bowed before this radiance at the Transfiguration, and the crowd saw it at the Ascension when they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the Temple praising God" (Luke 24:52-53).
A reflection of that joy was on the face of the Lady who appeared at Lourdes. In 1863 the sculptor Joseph-Hugues Fabisch interviewed St. Bernadette and made his famous statue from her description, but the saint was deeply saddened by how poorly it matched what she had seen. Our Lord guides us cautiously to glory so that we might not become blinded or made speechless by it. With splendid subtlety, the stars on the robe of Our Lady of Guadalupe are exactly as the constellation was in the Mexican sky when the image appeared on the tilma of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on December 12, 1531. Those stars show the lesser heavens, but are hints of the "third heaven" from which the Light of the World came to shine in our darkness first as a baby and then as a man.
At His birth "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). The night before His death, Christ "looked toward heaven" and prayed: "Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you" (John 17:1). Until then, the heavenly song had been hushed, for as Chesterton wrote: "There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth."
FATHER GEORGE WILLIAM RUTLER
Saturday, February 2, 2008
F.C.E.O.
Here are some insights picked up from a friend who ought to know. They can teach us something?
CLASSIFIED
For Catholic Eyes Only
This information is for Catholics only. It must not be divulged to non-Catholics. The less they know about our rituals and code words, the better off they are.
AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.
BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.
CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Parish to lip-sync.
HOLY WATER: A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY.
HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation's range.
RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.
INCENSE: Holy Smoke!
JESUITS: An order of priests known for their ability to find colleges with good basketball teams.
JONAH: The original 'Jaws' story.
JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.
KYRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides gyros and baklava. (For you non-Catholics it means Lord have mercy.)
MAGI: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower.
MANGER: Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn't covered by an HMO. (The Bible's way of showing us that holiday travel has always been rough.)
PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches.
PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of altar servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats.
RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
RELICS: People who have been going to Mass for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand.
TEN COMMANDMENTS: The most important Top Ten list not given by David Letterman.USHERS: The only people in the parish who don't know the seating capacity of a pew.
CLASSIFIED
For Catholic Eyes Only
This information is for Catholics only. It must not be divulged to non-Catholics. The less they know about our rituals and code words, the better off they are.
AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.
BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.
CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Parish to lip-sync.
HOLY WATER: A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY.
HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation's range.
RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.
INCENSE: Holy Smoke!
JESUITS: An order of priests known for their ability to find colleges with good basketball teams.
JONAH: The original 'Jaws' story.
JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.
KYRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides gyros and baklava. (For you non-Catholics it means Lord have mercy.)
MAGI: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower.
MANGER: Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn't covered by an HMO. (The Bible's way of showing us that holiday travel has always been rough.)
PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches.
PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of altar servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats.
RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
RELICS: People who have been going to Mass for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand.
TEN COMMANDMENTS: The most important Top Ten list not given by David Letterman.USHERS: The only people in the parish who don't know the seating capacity of a pew.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Fr. Fessio says marriage decisions show a "Stunning Intellectual Decline"
Here are Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ,'s observations about the DOMA and Prop 8 decisions, given to Aleteia.org:
"They are profoundly wrong and wrong-headed decisions. And it is deeply depressing that in each decision a Catholic justice was the swing vote. There is a twofold problem that underlies both decisions:
1) That issues of such fundamental significance for society should be decided by a single, unelected person. That’s what happens when there is a 5-4 decision.
2) That the judges of the Supreme Court who ought to be exemplary for their wisdom as well as their technical knowledge of the law can be completely blind to the obvious: this is not an issue of equality at all. Same sex unions are not in any way equivalent to marital unions.
"Justice Kennedy wrote: "The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the state, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity." This is only slightly less outrageously self-contradictory than his famous “mystery” utterance: “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” If you can define your own concept of meaning, well, I suppose you can play Alice in Wonderland with any concept you want, including marriage. So at least Justice Kennedy is consistent in his self-contradiction, and this decision is simply a consequence of the earlier principle. However, he even goes farther here and apparently can read hearts, since he claims that the “purpose” is to “disparage and to injure”. So one man sets himself against the wisdom of all recorded history which recognizes the obvious: a marital union can do what no other union can; further it is not only a benefit to the state, but the state cannot exist without it. Giving it special status and protection does not disparage or injure anyone; it simply recognizes an empirical fact that only the willfully blind can fail to see.
"Chief Justice Roberts wrote: “"We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to. We decline to do so for the first time here," Chief Justice Roberts said, alluding to the state of California's decision not to defend Proposition 8 in court.” By that principle the Supreme Court should have never made any decisions, since each new decision was a “first time”.
"So we have the sad parody of one Catholic judge being so liberal that even the meaning of meaning isn’t fixed. And another Catholic judge so conservative that he can’t recognize the need for an unprecedented decision when there is an unprecedented set of facts.
"People, myself included, lament the moral decline of America. Without this stunning intellectual decline—where one can claim that an unborn baby is not a human person and that man-to-man copulation is equivalent to marital union—we could not have sunk so low. With this decision we are about to sink even lower. God help us.
"I’m not a prophet. But it is certainly going to make it far more difficult for those who defend marriage.
"[The Church] will call forth saints and scholars who will “shine like the stars in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation”. They will also be humiliated and very likely, in time, persecuted. Welcome to the Brave New World."
"They are profoundly wrong and wrong-headed decisions. And it is deeply depressing that in each decision a Catholic justice was the swing vote. There is a twofold problem that underlies both decisions:
1) That issues of such fundamental significance for society should be decided by a single, unelected person. That’s what happens when there is a 5-4 decision.
2) That the judges of the Supreme Court who ought to be exemplary for their wisdom as well as their technical knowledge of the law can be completely blind to the obvious: this is not an issue of equality at all. Same sex unions are not in any way equivalent to marital unions.
"Justice Kennedy wrote: "The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the state, by its marriage laws, sought to protect in personhood and dignity." This is only slightly less outrageously self-contradictory than his famous “mystery” utterance: “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” If you can define your own concept of meaning, well, I suppose you can play Alice in Wonderland with any concept you want, including marriage. So at least Justice Kennedy is consistent in his self-contradiction, and this decision is simply a consequence of the earlier principle. However, he even goes farther here and apparently can read hearts, since he claims that the “purpose” is to “disparage and to injure”. So one man sets himself against the wisdom of all recorded history which recognizes the obvious: a marital union can do what no other union can; further it is not only a benefit to the state, but the state cannot exist without it. Giving it special status and protection does not disparage or injure anyone; it simply recognizes an empirical fact that only the willfully blind can fail to see.
"Chief Justice Roberts wrote: “"We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to. We decline to do so for the first time here," Chief Justice Roberts said, alluding to the state of California's decision not to defend Proposition 8 in court.” By that principle the Supreme Court should have never made any decisions, since each new decision was a “first time”.
"So we have the sad parody of one Catholic judge being so liberal that even the meaning of meaning isn’t fixed. And another Catholic judge so conservative that he can’t recognize the need for an unprecedented decision when there is an unprecedented set of facts.
"People, myself included, lament the moral decline of America. Without this stunning intellectual decline—where one can claim that an unborn baby is not a human person and that man-to-man copulation is equivalent to marital union—we could not have sunk so low. With this decision we are about to sink even lower. God help us.
"I’m not a prophet. But it is certainly going to make it far more difficult for those who defend marriage.
"[The Church] will call forth saints and scholars who will “shine like the stars in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation”. They will also be humiliated and very likely, in time, persecuted. Welcome to the Brave New World."
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