Father Marcel Guarnizo On The Corruption Of Democracy

On November 22, Father Marcel Guarnizo gave an interview to Celtic Times.  The topic was the corruption of democracy.  During that conversation, Father differentiated between "true democracy" versus "procedural democracy".  I might opine that these could be more aptly called "constitutional republic" versus "mob rule".

A constitutional republic consists of government where the officials are elected by the citizenry and that government must act within the bounds set forth by constitutional law.  That is our form of government; at least that was the intention of our founding fathers.  Within the United States Constitution are key amendments known as the Bill of Rights.  Implicit in the concept of the Bill of Rights is an acknowledgment that the citizens possess rights and that these rights are unalienable because they are granted to human beings by God.  The Bill of Rights is an acknowledgment of our preexisting rights, and it certifies that the federal government will make no attempt to usurp these rights out of respect for the citizenry and respect for God's omnipotent authority.

Years ago I often wondered why the ranks of liberals, progressives, Democrats, etc were populated with far more atheists than were the ranks of conservatives, etc.  The preceding paragraph provides a big part of the answer to that question.  Atheists have attempted to expunge God from their personal lives and from civil life.  But nature abhors a vacuum, and even their human natures sense the void they created by their atheism. Unconsciously seeking for a "deity", they have ascribed that role in their lives to civil government.  Hence we see atrocities like Roe v Wade and the more recent pushes to legalize euthanasia, same-sex marriage, etc.  The proponents for these murderous policies are ascribing to the state authority over life itself.  We also can grasp how and why Obamacare was passed by the Democrat-controlled congress and signed into law by the Messiah Most Miserable.  One unconscionable facet of Obamacare is that it forces every citizen to purchase a commodity that he or she may not desire.  In all these examples, government has encroached upon unalienable rights, with a result that our constitutional republic has degraded to a "mob rule" regime.

Another theme discussed was that of a unifying principle.  It seems that when the constitution of the European Union was drafted, there was not stated therein any principle that might unite the member nations.  Father mentioned that prior to the EU, the various nations had pronounced Judeo-Christian heritages but that those who drafted the EU constitution deliberately omitted any acknowledgement of that pre-existing heritage.  In doing so, they acted against the council of Pope Benedict XVI.  Now there are many problems in the EU, and unsurprisingly so.

The conversation then shifts to the silence of Irish bishops on the threatened abortion law in Ireland.  Both Father and Ms. Sinnott remark that the Irish bishops don't understand the connection between their silence and their loss of freedoms to operate their schools and hospitals according to Catholic principles.  Both opine that the bishops are compromised by the acceptance of government funding.  They could just as easily be talking of the situation in the United States and how our USCCB - heavily funded by the feds - will not speak with force on moral issues such as abortion and gay marriage.  Father remarks about the situation in Germany and Austria, with their "church tax", saying that the next synod on the family should tackle these matters.  Yes they should, but as long as Kasper and Marx wield the influence that they currently enjoy at the Vatican, they will not be upsetting their gravy train.

Father believes, and I concur, that real democracy ended with Roe v Wade, when the right to life of a whole class of citizens was devalued.  Unless we change course on this matter, no other reforms (taxes, economy, etc) will suffice to save our democracies and end the de facto tyrannies (or, as Pope Benedict calls it, the dictatorship of relativism) in which we find ourselves.  Here is the link to the interview.  Listen closely at the 25:00 mark.  At the 26:42 mark, Sinnott asks him what can be done about it.  Among other things, Father urges that all in the Church be educated in these matters, placing responsibility on the bishops and clerics to do so.  My editorial comment: if the bishops won't be equal to that task, the Catholic in the pew will have to educate themselves; in these days of the internet that is NOT hard to do.

Please listen to it and share it far and wide.  Thank you.

From The Ecumenicide Department - Is The Vatican Trying To Thrust On Us A One-World Religion Of Humanism?

I don't know what else to make of recent events.  Last summer the Holy Father proposed a 10-point plan for happiness: a plan that didn't once mention the word "God".  The SinNod that happened last October bore evidence of high church officials trying to compromise the Church's moral teachings regarding sexuality, marriage and family life.  He urged protestant Tony Palmer not to convert to Catholicism when the latter expressed that desire.  On Pentecost Sunday the Holy Father allowed a Muslim to utter idolatrous islamic "prayer" in the Vatican Gardens.

Today, during his visit to Turkey, Pope Francis went to the Blue Mosque and prayed in it with the Grand Mufti and did so while facing Mecca.  He then asked the Mufti to pray for him.  Knowing that the Mufti would do obeisance to a false idol, what benefit did he think he'd acquire from such idol worship?  Has he been listening too much to Cardinal McCarrick?  It is said that he wants "dialogue" to combat "fanaticism and fundamentalism".  Can he really be that naive?  Once again, the Church is about the business of saving souls, not combating "fanaticism and fundamentalism".  That means proclaiming the Gospel and the teachings of the Church, not praying to false idols.

In 1928 Pope Pius XI released his encyclical Mortalium Animos.  In it Pope Pius wrote about religious unity and the fact that true unity can only be obtained when the world converts to the one truth Roman Catholic Faith.  Until then, no Catholic is to engage in any pretense of a premature unity.  In that encyclical, it is clear that Pope Pius is condemning false unity with protestants.  These words still bind on us.  If they bind on us with regards to protestants, how much more do they do so with regards to those whose very quaran evinces hatred of Christians?

I for one look upon this incident in the Blue Mosque with much regret.

Rose-Colored Glasses Often Lead To Complicity In Sin

Yesterday was Thanksgiving.  Being busy with Mass, food prep and the dinner I was unable to post some thoughts.  For what it's worth, I'll do so now.

With some regularity I'll receive some very irate comments to my posts urging - even demanding - that I "cease negativity and be grateful for the a) pope's cuteness, b) happy-clappy crap, c) you name it".  For the record I'll state that I am very grateful for what Jesus did 2000+ years ago, and that He founded His Church to mediate His graces and to save souls, including mine.  But thanksgiving is more than just happy, "positive" thoughts about real blessings received.  It also involved dogged, relentless efforts to preserve these blessings AND to recover those that we squandered by apathy and even disdain.  Those efforts require speaking the truth, sometimes in direct and blunt terms.  It is for these reasons that I - and other bloggers - speak out against evils emanating from within the Church and even those originating from the Holy Father (when not speaking infallibly).

I now have a word of warning to those who insist on looking at the hierarchy - and particularly the pope - through rose-colored glasses.  While in the past you have lambasted others and me for "being negative", I could not help but notice your abysmal silence when that debacle that I call the SinNod was going down last month.  Why, oh why, was that?  I could hypothesize a number of reasons, but in reality those reasons are quite irrelevant.  Rather I beg you to consider that you are silent in the face of numerous gaffes and even de facto heresies that have spewed from the Vatican and even the Holy Father's mouth.  Time and time again you ignore the glaring evidence before your eyes.  Not only that, you chastise those of us who have the clarity to understand that there is an elephant in the living room - all to perpetuate your own denial of the truth that all is not peaches and cream at the Vatican.

Church teaching has always taught that there are nine ways that one can share in the guilt of a particular sin without being the primary one to commit that sin.  I refer to this, this and this (paragraph 1868).

For ease of reference, I'll list the nine below.

1. Counsel: Giving advice or direction to the evil-doer;

2. Command: Ordering or inducing another to commit sin;

3. Consent: approving of the sin, before or after its act;

4. Provocation: Inciting or urging one to commit sin;

5. Praise or flattery: Inciting or urging one to commit sin by praise;

6. Concealment: helping one to commit sin by offering to conceal the crime;

7. Partnership: Sharing the fruits of another’s sin;

8. Silence: Not speaking out when we should, or not acting to prevent sin when obliged;

9. Defending evil: Attempting to justify the evil actions of others.

Many detractors, I believe, are acting in accord with numbers 8 and 9.  This goes for some bloggers and other social media wielders who do not speak out when the Pope utters rank heresy (as I believe he did here).  To those bloggers, I believe our platforms and audiences present to us an obligation to speak out.  If that is not your persuasion, I'd welcome comments as to why you would not believe that to be the case.

Be advised that I will not risk being an accessory to the corrosion of Holy Mother Church by my silence.  I'd encourage others to do the same so that the Church can be about her true mission to save souls.

I'll present this link to show how many sainted Catholics - many of them popes - regarded silence in the face of evil with utter disdain.  I'll close with this from St Catherine of Siena: "We've had enough of exhortations to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence!"

Hichborn On CCHD, Cdl Maradiaga And Their Corrupting Influences On The Church

Christine Niles of Forward Boldly recently interviewed Michael Hichborn of Lepanto Institute.  Hichborn has done extensive research on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and other socialistic encroachments into the leadership and structure of the Catholic Church.  Another corroding element upon which he touched is Cardinal Maradiaga.  He focused on Maradiaga's leadership of Caritas International.

The interview was extensive so perhaps time did not permit the discussion of other issues regarding Maradiaga; I've touched upon some of these, as you can see in this anthology of blog posts.  One of them is the role that Maradiaga played in our recent and ongoing influx of illegal aliens pouring through our southern border.  The other is the role that he played in the SinNod last month, advocating for the distribution of Holy Communion to those living in adultery.  Yet another is the role that Maradiaga holds as he is de facto head of the group of eight cardinals who are top advisers to the Holy Father.  Pope Francis picked them himself.  I find it difficult to believe that the Holy Father was unaware of Maradiaga's unsavory doings at the time of his selection.

Please continue to offer prayers (especially the Mass and Rosary) for Holy Mother Church.  Now here is the interview.

Has Pope Francis Jumped Onto The "All Are Saved" Bandwagon?

Today at St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father spoke to pilgrims gathered there.  Much of his talk was nice-sounding, except for this: "It is beautiful to think of this, to think of Heaven. And we will all meet there. All of us, All of us...Up there...all of us."

All of us?  Dare I opine that his certitude may be, at best, a bit premature?  Or has he bought into the "no one is in hell" heresy?  No one's salvation is assured.  Before any of us dies, we may have the misfortune of committing a mortal sin.  If one dies with an unrepented mortal sin, that individual will go to hell.  That remains Church teaching.

I go to Mass on Sundays and whenever I can make weekday Mass.  I confess once or twice a month and pray daily.  I know I need the graces from these to avoid mortal sin (and for other reasons of course).  Even at that, I don't dare presume that I'll make it to heaven for I know myself too well.  What then, can be said for those who completely disdain the salvific graces procured by Christ's death and resurrection, and mediated by the Church?  While I hope the Holy Father was only intending to be encouraging, such language can very well have the consequence of lulling mortal sinners into false complacency while they hop and skip merrily to eternal perdition.

Providentially (and through Pewsitter) I came across this post from Athanasius Contra Mundum regarding what to do if a member of the magisterium errs.  This webmaster draws from St. Thomas Aquinas.  It's well worth your time to read it, and explains the reasons why I bring these matters to the forefront.

Church Prelates - Jacks Of All Trades And Masters Of None

As I said yesterday, our bishops - and even the Bishop of Rome (he likes to call himself that!) - are occupied with all sorts of important matters - well not all sorts!  Let's see what tickles the fancy of some USCCB officials.

First we hear that some USCCB officials are jumping on the bandwagon to get the Feds to spend $1.5 billion so that all schools can have high speed internet.  Let's lay aside for a moment the fact that this $1.5 billion comes straight from our tax dollars.  Just get a load of what Bishop John Wester had to say on the matter. "It will mean that more of our schools can provide the bandwidth necessary to support 1:1 digital learning ... The additional funding will ensure adequate access to connectivity, including a focus on our schools in disadvantaged communities so that everyone, everywhere – rural, urban and suburban – has access to sufficient capacity."

That may be fine from someone trying to sell some technology, but it's missing something if it's coming from a bishop.  My question is to Bishop Wester, "how do you believe this will aid you in your task to bring these school pupils to heaven"?  Not one peep is uttered by this successor to the Apostles regarding what should be the driving motive behind everything he does and says.  In his considerations of all this technology, is Bishop Wester taking into account the need to protect Catholic students from the pornography and false doctrine that will literally be at the students' fingertips?  I've a hunch that hasn't crossed his mind.

Sadly, another who seems to be veering into areas in which he has no expertise is the Holy Father.  As he addressed a UN meeting on nutrition, he called for a "fair distribution" of food and condemned profit-making and commodity speculation with regard to food trade.  A question that should occur to all is "with whom or what would the pope entrust with this fair distribution"?  Is this a thinly-disguised call for collectivism?  Another is why he veers into the realm of economics.  Read Tom Worstall's excellent article as he tries to educate the Holy Father (and his readers) on basic economic principles and why the Holy Father was flat out incorrect.  I'm sure the Holy Father was not trained in economics, so why would he lend the weight of his high holy office to his mere opinions?  Once again, we must also ask "what does this have to do with the salvation of souls - not bodies, but souls"?

If our church leaders stuck to the mission with which Jesus Christ entrusted to them, more people would be escaping hell and going to heaven (including them).  They might also find that many social ills would also be greatly reduced, as personal sin is addressed.

USCCB Doesn't Know The Church's Primary Mission

Once upon a time there was no question regarding the Church's primary mission.  As a refresher, I present Baltimore Catechism Question 137: "Why did Jesus Christ found the Church?  Jesus Christ founded the Church to bring all men to eternal salvation."  In short, the Church's all-encompassing mission is to save souls from hell and lead them to heaven.  Anything else that the Church does must be done with the aim of facilitating that first mission - not replacing it with anything else, good as that "anything else" may be.

Sadly, over the years we've seen the Church hierarchy focused more on temporal matters rather than their chief mission.  And even the "temporal matters" leave something to be desired, for all too often the USCCB and its state affiliates have fallen lock-step in with Democratic and progressive efforts.  The latest scandal of the USCCB supporting Obama's amnesty initiative is just the latest example.  It seems to matter not a whit to the bishops that once again the Messiah Most Miserable is jettisoning the rule of law to flood this country with illegal immigrants.  I've detailed before how the bishops have a financial stake in aiding and abetting the president's violation of oath of office.  In their high-sounding prattlings regarding illegals, the bishops and their henchmen blur the very real distinctions between those crashing our borders legally and those who abide by our laws.

I don't intend to focus on illegal immigration in this post.  I merely cite it as the latest glaring example of the US bishops selling their souls and high offices to facilitate progressive causes so that they can receive their "thirty pieces of silver".  Of course in all the endless screeds they vomit forth regarding illegals, we hear nary a word about the salvation of their souls.  Perhaps, though, the bishops are merely following directives that seem to be emanating from the Vatican.

Yesterday, during his homily, the Holy Father uttered these troubling words: "The starting point of salvation is not the confession of the sovereignty of Christ, but rather the imitation of Jesus’ works of mercy through which he brought about his kingdom."  Pardon my french, but His Holiness has things precisely ass-backwards.  Please see this excellent analysis by "From Rome" to understand why the Pope may have uttered heresy (albeit not solemnly).  One can see, though, how progressives would believe that this pontificate may very well be giving them carte-blanche permission to be spewing their progressive poison and touting it as "catholic teaching"; hence the slop oozing forth from the USCCB regarding immigration.

Let me make an important point on how the SinNod may have endangered souls.  Recall the interim report and its three paragraphs that were intended to compromise the Church's teachings on divorce and homosexuality.  If Archbishop Forte, Cardinal Kasper et al have their way, sins of the flesh will be validated by the Church.  Now recall what Our Lady of Fatima said to the three children about those who go to hell.  She told them that most who go to hell do so because of "sins of the flesh".  Of course she meant sexual sins.  These so-called church leaders, by their attempts to enable sins against marriage, are contributing to the damnation of souls, not their salvation.  Pray that they'll see and repent of their errors and that more prelates like Cardinals Burke, Muller et al will rise.

Let us oppose error, no matter its source.

Pope Francis Rebukes SOME Fees Collected In Churches

Two days ago, the Pope rebuked priests and parishes that levy fees for baptism, Mass intentions, etc.  He invoked the image of Jesus chasing the money changers out of the temple.  Does his displeasure include the renting out of church facilities for concerts?   There are two instances that come to my mind.

One incident may be fresh on many people's minds.  A good friend of mine, when she read the above, wondered how the Holy Father could have rented out the Sistine Chapel last month.  This happened last month and it cost a pretty penny to be allowed into the Sistine Chapel for that time slot.  Problem!  It's still a church, even for that moneyed time slot.  Does Canon Law permit the prohibition of valid church visiting without an entrance fee?  I would think not (canon lawyers, please educate me if I'm incorrect), and I don't think "charity" poses a valid reason to block the free use of a church for all Catholics.

Another incident happened seven years ago, at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.  The administration of the Shrine allowed the Upper Church to be commandeered by the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington.  I wrote a bit about the blasphemies that occurred there.  What I neglected to mention is that I had to pay for admittance to the Upper Church that evening.  At no time should I, a Catholic, have to pay for admittance to a Catholic Church, let alone to have idolatry displayed before my eyes and ears.  Period.

Is The Vatican Shilling For Illegal Immigrants?

Last Thursday many of us watched the Messiah Most Miserable spit upon the United States Constitution as he attempted to usurp legislative powers to grant amnesty to illegal aliens in this country.  It is not my purpose to analyze the sludge that oozed from his mouth but to dwell on a concurrent event.

That event is the World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Migrants.  I believe it started November 19th.  Am I the only one who thinks it to be quite a coincidence that this meeting is concurrent with Obama's nonsense?

Let's take a gander at some of the Pope's remarks during this Congress; "When encountering migrants, it is important to adopt an integrated perspective, capable of valuing their potential rather than seeing them only as a problem to be confronted and resolved. The authentic right to development regards every person and all people, viewed integrally. This demands that all people be guaranteed a minimal level of participation in the life of the human community. How much more necessary must this be in the case of the Christian community, where no one is a stranger and, therefore, everyone is worthy of being welcomed and supported”  I agree - when the immigrants come here legally.  If not, they are disrespecting our laws.  If they come here illegally, they are the ones who make themselves strangers.  Again - notice that we see no distinction between law-abiding immigrants and those who flout our rule of law?  I find that lack of distinction, particularly among progressive Catholics, to be patently dishonest.

Earlier in the address he said that the Church "is a mother without limits and without borders".  Well, ok - but the Church is not a nation in the political and temporal sense.  I certainly hope that no one tries to draw a false analogy and try to adapt that principle to nations.

As I said, I don't think the timing of these two events "just happened".  Most likely the White House glommed onto this Congress since the latter would have required a long time to plan.  But I certainly expect to see more cooperation, uh, "coincidences" in the future.

Doctrine Is To Be Obeyed, Not Debated

In Mark 8, we read that Jesus elevated Peter to the role of His first vicar on earth.  However, we also read that after Jesus told them of His impending crucifixion. Peter objected.  Immediately Jesus rebuked him, saying "get behind me, Satan.  You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men".  Notice that Jesus did not "discuss" and "dialogue" with Peter.  He taught Peter the truth in no uncertain terms, and that truth simply was not a topic of legitimate debate.  Objective truth never is subject to debate for truth stands on its own merits, regardless of the opinions of mere humans.  That same principle holds for the truths that are solemnly declared by the Church for they are the very teachings of Jesus.

Sadly our current pontiff shows signs of falling into Peter's error.  We know that those Catholics who are validly married in the Church and then divorce and take up with other people are living in the sin of adultery.  They cannot be admitted to Holy Communion, lest they burden their souls with additional mortal sins of sacrilege.  These are immutable truths, not subject to debate.  Yet as we read the interim report of last month's extraordinary synod, we see that these topics were indeed debated by prelates who should know better than that.  Pay attention to paragraphs 47-48, and 50-52.  Those who wrote these paragraphs undoubtedly toy with the heinous notion that these truths, taught by Jesus Christ Himself through the Magisterium, are subject to debate and even doubt and disobedience.  Towards the end of the synod, these paragraphs were voted out of the report by the synod fathers.  Incredibly and yes, inexcusably, the Holy Father ordered that these paragraphs remain in the final report, thus opening the topics once again to debate at next year's ordinary synod.  We also note with dismay that the Holy Father has retained Archbishop Bruno Forte as special secretary of the synod.  It was he who wrote paragraphs 50-52.

Already one can see the scandal wrought by this de facto wavering on the truths that have always been taught by the Church.  Many good priests and religious are now finding themselves in constant "damage control" mode, trying to repair the damage done by signals from the synod that are conflicted at best.  Read this account by Father Jerry Pokorski in the Catholic Thing.

In a valiant effort to prevent much damage at next year's synod, Cardinal Burke is urging all the faithful to write to the Pope to ask him to remove these topics from the agenda for the next synod.  Here is contact information.

Liberal Insanity In Maryland Continues

The Thomas More Law Center is representing a Charles County family in their action against La Plata High School.  An eleventh -grade student was being forced in her "World History" class to make affirmations of islamic doctrine.  Her father, a Marine veteran who saw action in the middle east and saw first-hand muslim brutality, took issue with the school administration.  For his efforts he found himself banned from school property.  The young lady refused to carry out the brainwashing exercise and received failing grades.  Read this account; you'll see how the students were forced to affirm islam, even though religion and state are ostensibly held separate.  Or does that theory only hold when the religion in question is Christianity?

Speaking of not mixing Church and state, church-goers in neighboring Prince George's County may want to be alert to an increase in envirowhackoism spewing forth from the pulpits.  Churches in Prince George's county will see reductions in their "rain tax" IF they institute "green ministries" and incorporate "environmentalism" into sermons.  I'm not sure whether this is governmental 1) blackmail or 2) bribery.  At any rate, churches will see a reduction in an already immoral tax if they allow the county government to set the tone of what is preached from the pulpit.  Ladies and gentlemen, the First Amendment was written to prevent such governmental intrusions into church affairs as this obviously is.

If any local Catholic churches exhibit evidence of such blackmail, would you please advise us via comments?  Thank you.

Something Appropriate For Your CCHD Envelopes - From Lepanto Institute

Michael Hichborn, formerly of the American Life League, has formed an organization called the Lepanto Institute for the Restoration of All Things In Christ.  Read their mission statement from their website.  I highly recommend following this.

Hichborn has done much work while at ALL in terms of exposing the CCHD.  Yesterday he began the website with the publication of this.

See Lepanto's site for important information, including a blatant conflict of interest harbored by CCHD director Ralph McCloud.   For your convenience in printing and distributing these "dollars" to your friends and colleagues for their CCHD collections, download this pdf and send it far and abroad.

For additional info on the scandal known as Catholic Campaign for Human Development, please place that name (or CCHD) in this blog's search box to the top left.  You will get an eyeful of relevant information.  

Remember - say #no2cchd!

From The Maturation Department: Dolan Tries To Discredit Voices Of Truth

At the USCCB meeting last week, Cardinal Dolan apparently voiced a snit over the fact that the truth about the SinNod was promulgated far and wide.  Without realizing it, he gave a back-handed compliment to the independent media who were at the Vatican, those of us utilizing electronic media to spread the word and yes, to the synod fathers who were courageous and clear-minded enough to blow the cover off the shenanigans that Kasper and yes, the Pope, tried to conduct.

In today's Vortex, Michael Voris picks apart Dolan's screed bit by bit.  A question he keeps asking is
Now is Dolan simply trying to intimidate us into silence, to cow us into submission before next year's scheduled debacle?  Well, yes, but I believe it's part of an orchestrated effort.  Recall that as the SinNod closed last month, the Holy Father said we had a year to "mature" before the ordinary SinNod convenes next October.  I believe Dolan's pouting is nothing more than a part of the maturation campaign.  After all, a month has elapsed already!  It's time for the progressives to get the rest of us brainwashed matured!  We gotta get with the program!  Not!

Cardinal O'Malley Sympathetic To Dissidence Regarding Women Priests

This stunning admission of dissident proclivities was made during a "60 Minutes" interview with Norah O'Donnell.  What else can we call it when he states, "if I were founding a church, you know, I'd love to have women priests. But Christ founded it and what he he has given us is something different."

Let's unpack this, shall we?  We'll first examine Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, an Apostolic Letter written by Pope Saint John Paul II and promulgated on May 22, 1994 - the Feast of Pentecost that year.  To the best of my knowledge, this is the only time the sainted pontiff spoke ex cathedra.  I'll quote the key paragraph from the bottom of this letter where Pope John Paul II invoked infallibility.

"Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful."

I underlined that last phrase for a reason.  In his interview with 60 Minutes, did Cardinal O'Malley definitively hold that judgment?  He did not!  His acknowledgment of it was grudging at best.  This Prince of the Church, in clear dereliction of his sacerdotal duties, makes plain his personal  ambivalence regarding Pope John Paul's declaration and sympathy to those dissenting on the matter of women-priestess wannabees.

In August 2013, Pope Francis reiterated Pope John Paul II's declaration.  Cardinal O'Malley is the lone American among the group of eight cardinals selected to reform the curia.  What he does and says will not be lost on Pope Francis.  The question now is, what will Pope Francis do about this not-so-sly dissent from the Magisterium by Cardinal O'Malley?

Do You Know Catholic Charities?

The above is the title of a pamphlet included in our parish bulletin today.  It, along with a talk from a CC supporter, is a push for donations.  I'm sure they do good work, and at least one good friend of mine was adopted through Catholic Charities.  However, that was fifty-some years ago.  Since then Catholic Charities has shown itself prone to embroiling itself with all sorts of squalid affairs.

The presentation today dwelt on only the positive aspects of Catholic Charities.  However that is an inadequate response to the question, "do you know Catholic Charities".  I'd like to present some posts I've done over the years that might show some different and very important aspects to Catholic Charities.  Please read before donating so that your decision might be fully informed.

Catholic Charities, like Catholic Relief Services and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, may not be a worthy recipient of your donation dollars.

Pope Asks Punk-Rock Blasphemer To Perform At Vatican Christmas Concert

Patti Smith is called the "godmother of punk rock".  It does seem she is an icon to the aging hippy crowd.  She once quipped "Jesus Christ died for somebody's sins but not mine."  I do hope and pray for her repentance and conversion; else that statement will be written in stone to her eternal damnation.  She is said to have been involved in a romantic, later platonic relationship with infamous BSDM artist Robert Mapplethorpe.  These claim her as an influence on their own "work" (using work loosely): Courtney Love, Madonna, Pussy Riot.  I've heard it said that she supports abortion and LGBT rights; I've found no documentation of the former, but I believe her relationships with the late Mapplethorpe and Pussy Riot would lend credence to the latter allegation.

So why, oh why, has a woman of this immoral caliber been invited - by Pope Francis himself - to perform at the official Vatican Christmas Concert on December 13?  What next?  Will the Rolling Stones or maybe a "gangsta-rapper" bunch be doing the Easter Concert?

Besides the disregard for the dignity of the Vatican, invitations such as these can be understandably construed as an affirmation of the aberrant lifestyles and/or stances of these individuals.  The pope's invitation to Patti Smith is to be deplored in no uncertain terms.

Vatican Corruption And Intent Of Many Prelates

In the Vortex from last Thursday, Michael Voris touches upon the obvious corruption in the Vatican.  Much of that was obvious in how the progressives tried to drive the SinNod last month.  Not to be ignored is the corruption that permeated the semi-annual USCCB meeting in Baltimore last week.  After this clip, I ask you to read below it.



I'd now like to turn your attention to a column written by Vincent Chiarello that was published in The Remnant on Thursday entitled "Cardinal Ambition: From Wolsey To Wuerl".  I had not known all the chequered details of Cardinal Wuerl's career, even though I live in the DC archdiocese.  I certainly was aware that as Archbishop of Washington, he is prone to smooch up to rich and powerful "katholyc" dissidents.  When Chiarello mentions "Wuerl approved the removal of a priest from a parish for denying Holy Communion to a self-described agitprop Buddhist lesbian", I don't think he's 100% correct.  He is referring to Father Marcel Guarnizo and that situation happened in my parish.  I wouldn't be surprised if Wuerl not only approved Father Guarnizo's ouster but initiated it.

Now indeed we do find that Cardinal Wuerl's star is rising in the Vatican horizon.  Consider that both Archbishop Wuerl and Archbishop Burke were named cardinals at the same time, and that both men have diametrically opposed views to key areas, such as whether Canon 915 will be obeyed or not.  It was Pope Benedict XVI who called Burke to Rome and placed him in the Congregation for Bishops and named him Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura.  After Pope Francis came on the scene, we see Burke removed from both positions and Wuerl essentially replacing him in the Congregation for Bishops.  Moreover, Cardinal Wuerl was one of the six whom Pope Francis unilaterally appointed to help write the interim report for the SinNod.  Frank Walker of Pewsitter put up an article regarding Wuerl's concerns for "pastorally applying" the synod.  That's his excuse not only for disobeying Canon 915 himself but punishing those who do obey it.

That Vortex ended by saying we smell a rat.  Some of us are in very near proximity to them.

The Madness Of Thanking Accomplices To Baby-Murder

Many readers know that on most Saturday mornings I can be found in front of the Planned

Thank me very much!

Parenthood facility in Silver Spring MD.  Abortions, that is, the murder of babies occurs there regularly.  Our attempts to offer help are hindered by a group of pro-abortion activists, hereafter called deathscorts invited there by Planned Parenthood; certainly they don't want us to deprive them of their blood money.

The neighborhood to our north seems to be populated by mostly pro-abortion sympathizers.  Bear in mind this is Silver Spring, one of the most liberal/whacko areas of the state.  Last January I posted about an orchestrated campaign of their's to offer "thanks" to the deathscorts.  Why they offer "thanks" to these misguided individuals is beyond me; suffice it to say that in doing so, they accept part of the guilt for the blood of babies wantonly shed within a mile of their homes.

Well, word must have gotten around that the deathscorts were down in the dumps.  Who wouldn't be, when they're actively participating in the murder of babies?  So the "thank the deathscort" troupe was obviously mobilized to come out en masse today.  I have to say they're so transparent.  They seem to have protocols in place as they congratulate accomplices to baby-murder.  To wit:

• The deathscort-thanker must be walking a dog.  It is, however, acceptable not to have a dog with you if you're driving by in a car or maybe jogging.
• The deathscort-thanker must stop and allow the deathscorts to pet the dog.  This allows the deathscorts to pretend that they're kind and gentle as they hustle mothers into the doors and block our efforts.
• The deathscort-thanker must never, ever ask the pro-life activists why they are there.  To do so might introduce truth to them and cause them to understand that Planned Parenthood is committing murder in their own neighborhood.

Pray for all involved in the murder of babies - and for those who give aid and/or comfort to them.  They place their immortal souls in grave danger of eternal damnation.

An Excellent Homily On Purgatory

I found this on Father Ray Blake's blog.  Father Gerard Hatton, ordained just three years ago, gave a talk at a Catholic Church in England.  He speaks on Purgatory and the need to prepare for a holy death.  Here we have an alter christus speaking the truth!

US Bishops Push For Amnesty - Part And Parcel Of Larger Corruption?

The US bishops seem to have interpreted last week's elections as a referendum (in part) on the Obamanista regime's attempt to grant large-scale amnesty and loosen our borders.  To be fair, they are correct in understanding that most people of common sense understand these policies to be crippling to the US and helpful to no one in the long run.

They - that is, the leadership of the bishops - are in a tizzy over this development.  As you might recall, they've been caught accepting millions of dollars (through grants to Catholic Charities) for the express purpose of absorbing the millions; see this link.  If those big ole' GOP meanies get their way, why, that spigot might be stopped!  Note: "spigot" in this context means millions of our tax dollars flowing into corrupt Catholic Charities coffers.

Therefore, in complete disregard for the will of the American citizens - you know, the ones whose wallets are being raided for these Catholic Charities grants - the bishops, from their meeting in Baltimore, are urging that we support the Messiah Most Miserable in this latest power grab.  Here are details from Huffington Post.  I know, some of you are going to dismiss that link as liberal wishful thinking.  Would that were true - but they're right as you can see from this USCCB-controlled site.

But might there be another motive besides the filthy lucre?  Might someone in high places in the Vatican have a stake in allowing the influx of Central Americans, including Hondurans, into the US?  The "Hondurans" reference might give you a hint of my theory.  It wouldn't surprise me a bit to learn that Cardinal Maradiaga of Honduras might be pulling a lot of strings to get the US bishops to screech for de facto open borders.

Does he have the influence?  He most certainly does.  As the acknowledged leader of the group of eight cardinals selected to advise the pope, he has the pope's ear and consequently many churchmen might be inclined to pay him quite a bit of deference.  If you read a bit of that article, you'll notice that one goal of their's is to give more power to the various bishops' conferences; at this time, they have no canonical authority over their member bishops.  Of course this would include the USCCB.

This leader of the Council of Cardinals has shown himself to be a counselor for evil in the various dealings that he has.  He is president of Caritas International.  This organization sits on the International Council of the World Social Forum.  In other words, Caritas has an active role in setting goals and priorities for the World Social Forum.  Among the goals and priorities of the World Social Forum is the promotion of abortion and homosexuality: two anti-life realities that are completely contrary to Christ and the teaching of His Church.  Please read this report by American Life League and watch the related video.

The Tablet has an article about the bishops' debate regarding Holy Communion for divorced/remarried - that is, adulterous - Catholics.  Cardinal Kasper led the way, but Maradiaga was right beside him.  Cardinal Burke stood for the Church's teaching as it has stood for nearly 2000 years; last week he received persecution from his brother bishops in high places and yes, the pope.  Remember - Maradiaga has the pope's ear.  In his piece entitled "Burke And Another Translation Error", Robert Royal rightly includes Maradiaga in a list of "unreliable counselors" to the pope.

I have here an anthology of posts dealing with Maradiaga: Caritas (discussed above), his envirowhackoism, and his push to get the US to assimilate Hondurans into the US.  He seems to be working in concert with the Honduran president to ship as many of their problematic citizenry into the US as possible.  See here and here.

So this gang of eight wants the conferences to have more power?  Let us pray that they - at least the USCCB and its state counterparts - are abolished.  This bunch is trying to amass power for itself, as its push for amnesty illustrates.

When The Messiah Most Miserable Learned Of The Election Results

The People's Republic Of Montgomery County MD Strikes Again

It seems that some Muslims were offended that some of their holidays weren't included on school calendars as were Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.  Both of these are key Jewish holidays.  Quite some time ago, the Montgomery County School Board purged the calendar of the names of Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

So what does our school board, the bunch stricken with terminal political correctness disease do?  Do they heed the Muslims?  Why no!  They believe in "equal opportunity atheism" in schools!  They hauled off and pulled the names of the two Jewish holidays from the calendar.  Here are accounts from Washington Post and Universal Free Press.  Never mind that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.  Such are the members of our school board.  I hope some of them were replaced during the election last week.

Voris Rebukes Some High-Placed German Bishops

In today's Vortex, Michael Voris calls out the bishops of Germany for their heresy.  I just have a few caveats.  First, while he rightly rebukes Cardinals Kasper and Marx, one must bear in mind just who is enabling these men to wield considerable influence.  It is none other than Pope Francis.  While he lauds the heretical Kasper as a "serene theologian" he has stripped Cardinal Burke, a truly capable and faithful son of the Church of all Vatican authority and assigned him a largely ceremonial role.  I believe that means that Cardinal Burke will not be able to attend next year's Ordinary Synod on the Family.

I also hoped that he would have exempted Cardinals Gerhard Muller and Walter Brandmuller, for they have spoken against much nonsense, including some that occurred at last month's SinNod.  They are Germans but they are so in the mold of Cardinal Von Galen.  Of course we won't forget the German bishop who is now the Pope Emeritus.

He does accurately diagnose some motives behind Kasper's shilling for laxity in Catholic moral teaching.  Listen closely as he describes how Germany allots tax revenues to the churches in its borders.  But as you do, bear in mind the question, "who is enabling Kasper and Marx in their promulgation of heresy and dereliction of duty?"

Just Say No To CCHD

My archdiocese (of Washington) had their CCHD collection last August.  They tried to camouflage it by calling it "Communications and Human Development" but I don't think they're fooling too many people anymore - if they ever really did.

The majority of US dioceses still retain the November date as their CCHD collection.  Over the years many of us have pointed out that the CCHD collection funnels Catholic dollars into organizations that foment the Culture of Death.  I join my Catholic Media Coalition colleagues in saying #no2cchd.  Here is a press release from CMC president Mary Ann Kreitzer.  Read below that for an additional comment of mine.

PRESS RELEASE - Catholic Media Coalition

Contact:

Mary Ann Kreitzer
540-459-9493

kreitzr1@shentel.net

“Just Say No!” to the CCHD Collection
November 11, 2014

Most Catholic dioceses around the country will take up the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) collection later this month. CCHD professes to assist the poor, not by direct charity, but by developing projects that enable the poor to help themselves. While CCHD uses development grants to promote the collection, the bulk of donations goes to community organizing groups that agitate for a leftist agenda in direct conflict with Catholic teachings. Over the years controversy about CCHD has continued unabated because of this reality and the bishops' failure to institute change. Many Catholics will remember the millions of dollars funneled to ACORN before its scandalous activities leading to the mortgage and bank collapse were exposed. Several times, CCHD has pledged to reform, but, despite short-term improvements, its direction remains unchanged. Abuses continue and, according to Stephanie Block, an expert on Alinskyian organizing, CCHD, under the guise of "charity," channels money solicited from the faithful into groups that promote abortion, contraception, homosexual activism, socialist economic policies, etc.

In a recent report Block wrote:

In fact, 50% of the 2013-2014 CCHD grants have been given to Alinskyian organizations! This doesn’t include an additional award of $300,000 to one of the Alinskyian networks at its national level, nor $500,000 to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to restructure its approach to include community organizing and political advocacy, and $500,000 to the California Catholic Conference which has been forced to battle U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandates that would force Catholic institutions to purchase health insurance that covers abortion. This latter would be a positive development if it weren’t for all the millions of dollars CCHD poured into California Alinskyian organizations to “advocate” for universal health care legislation regardless of any “reproductive justice” components.

Block reaches this conclusion: 

For forty-four years [CCHD has] shamelessly pushed aside any corrective reform efforts, expanding its Alinskyian networks into more cities and exporting the twisted theology of Alinskyian organizing into other countries.

So, no, the CCHD hasn’t reformed, not even a little…and it doesn’t intend to reform.

Catholic Media Coalition and its individual member groups urge Catholics in the pew to "Just say NO!" to the CCHD collection this month. Give your hard-earned money to groups that really serve the poor.

For more see: 

http://www.speroforum.com/a/AGMRZDSLKE26/75284-Catholic-Campaign-for-Human-Development-should-practice-truth-in-advertising#.VGIu2PnF-HQ

http://www.speroforum.com/a/AGMRZDSLKE26/75284-Catholic-Campaign-for-Human-Development-should-practice-truth-in-advertising#.VGIu2PnF-HQ

-30-

I'd only add one thing.  Let the church know why you won't give them money.  You might wish to use the note below or write something of your own.  Please give that money to a truly worthwhile charity.  Say #no2cchd.

Cardinal Burke's Straight-Forward Interview In Vienna - And Why We Bloggers Write

He participated in a panel discussion in Vienna on November 4th, as he was presenting the book "Remaining In The Truth Of Christ".  His Eminence stated that he and the other writers wrote it to rebut the "claims of Cardinal Kasper"; Cardinal Burke is far too restrained, but I'm not.  Those "claims of Cardinal Kasper" are outright heresy.  So who is cashiered from the Vatican and who retains his position of influence?  The moral responsibility for that travesty lies squarely at the feet of Pope Francis, but I digress.

I will link to Gloria.tv's post, with video of the discussion.  Note at 12:41 when he that "one of the profound sadnesses of the synod. at least in the first week of the synod, is the seeming forgetfulness of the Magisterium.  It was as if the church for the first time, addressing the question of marriage and teaching about it.."  At 29:04 he called the interim relatio "one of the saddest documents that I could ever imagine coming from the church.."

While it's a little over 40 minutes long, I'd suggest you listen to it.  And by all means, if you haven't done so already, get your own copy of "Remaining In The Truth Of Christ".

Let me raise another point.  If not for the efforts of Gloria.tv, Vortex, many good Catholic bloggers and yes, Yours Truly, you may not have heard half of what Cardinal Burke and other faithful Catholics had to say about the SinNod.  Another blogger makes this point quite well.  We humbly endeavor to highlight the truth that other mainstream Catholic media won't broach.  We shine light on cockroaches, as it were.  We will continue to do so.

Cardinal Burke And Archbishop Schneider Warn Of Evils Underlying SinNod Debacle

Cardinal Raymond Burke, now Patron of the Order of Malta, gave an interview to Breitbart News this past Tuesday November 4.  In it he stated that the Church risks schism if bishops are seen as going contrary to the Church's teachings in the month ahead.  No doubt exists in my mind that he is speaking of Cardinals Kasper, Marx, Baldiserri and others who seek to change the Church's teachings on marriage and Holy Communion to a horrible deformation of Christ's authentic commands.  He warned of trying to accommodate the faith to the culture.

By the way - I've reason to believe that Cardinal Kasper will be exercising strong influence over the USCCB meeting that starts tomorrow in Baltimore.  Since he was in the area last Thursday, he may well even be at the meeting - or at least orchestrating things from the background.

The next day Archbishop Athanasius Schneider also gave an interview, echoing many of Burke's concerns.  Rorate Caeli has the entire text of the interview.  He state that during the SinNod there were moments of obvious manipulation and that "the interim report was clearly a prefabricated text with no reference to actual statement of the synod fathers".  I mentioned that in earlier posts.  Consider.  If indeed the SinNod puppet-masters put forth a prefabricated document while holding it out to be a reflection of deliberations that just happened, they were in fact lying to the Church at large.  There's no way to put lipstick on that pig.  Since the pope hand-picked those extra men (including Cardinal Wuerl) to the committee to compose that report, is it not logical to deduce that if the report was prefabricated that happened with the pope's approval if not initiation?

Schneider then called those paragraphs on divorced/remarried people and homosexuality as stemming from a "radical neo-pagan ideology".  He stated that the interim report will remain "a black mark which has stained the honor of the Apostolic See".  While he praises the final report, he also expresses concern that the paragraphs remain in the final report.  I've no doubt that this is being done to keep those topics "on the table" for next year's ordinary synod.

I'd urge study of the remarks of both these men.  Pray for them as well as the Church.  Cardinal Burke has already tasted vengeance for speaking the truth.  Will similar fates await Scheider, Muller, Pell and others?  We will be watching.

Today Is A Day Of Shame For The Catholic Church

We knew this would happen since September.  The announcement appeared today on the Vatican website that Cardinal Raymond Burke has been removed from his post as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura and will now be patron of the Order of Malta.  Until today, Burke was the highest ranking American in the Vatican, overseeing the Vatican's highest court.  Now his position is largely ceremonial.  Ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake about it.  Cardinal Burke, for all his loyal and impeccable service to the Church, has been shamefully insulted by the Pope.  Some will wince at that last statement, but it is what it is.  LifeSiteNews has more detail.  On that page is an open letter to the Cardinal, thanking him for his service at the Vatican.

I now link to an archive of all posts I've written that touch upon Cardinal Burke and how he's stood for the Faith.  I'm also now reading "Remaining In The Truth Of Christ".  The book is an anthology of articles written by Cardinal Burke, Cardinal Pell and others that defend the Church's teaching on marriage and Holy Communion.  It was written and published in anticipation of the attacks that were sustained on the Church's teachings in those two crucial areas.  We all recall that Cardinal Kasper fired some opening volleys on the Magisterium in those areas.  In Cardinal Burke's article entitled "The Canonical Nullity Of The Marriage Process As The Search For The Truth", Cardinal Burke contradicts Cardinal Kasper by name.  This book is no doubt part of the reason why the Pope has thrown Cardinal Burke under the bus, because truth is spoken in that book.  Ignatius Press published it; I got my copy through Amazon.

It is this same Cardinal Kasper who spoke at CUA yesterday and who I suspect will be poisoning contributing to the USCCB meeting next week.  Kasper claimed to speak for the pope; since the latter never repudiated that I assume there's truth to Kasper's statement.  Moreover the pope praised Kasper's "serene theology" during the SinNod.  Burke took issue with some of that "sereneness".  I strongly suspect that earned him the sacking that was made official today.

To Cardinal Burke:
Your Eminence, thank you for your service to Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church in the face of formidable opposition.  That you have maintained fidelity and charity - even as that opposition came from the highest offices of the Vatican - redounds to your credit and I trust, to outpouring of graces upon the Church that stands in desperate need of those graces.  God bless you, sir, and we will keep you and the Church in prayer.

CUA - Cardinal Kasper Does Damage Control For Pope Francis

As stated a few days ago, Cardinal Kasper was slated to give an address at Catholic University of America yesterday.  He did, as scheduled.  What I know of the address can be found at Catholic News Agency.

The main purpose of his address seemed to be to project a particular picture of Pope Francis.  He cautioned against conceptions "which try to appropriate Pope Francis in their own way."  Thus said he who claimed to speak for the pope a month or two ago.  Cardinal Burke's contradiction of that statement notwithstanding, Cardinal Kasper probably does speak for the pope.  It is precisely that which makes Kasper's shilling for Holy Communion for those living in adultery to be so troubling.

Further in the address Kasper said that Pope Francis can be better understood against "the backdrop of Argentinian liberation theology".  That would be the same "liberation theology" roundly condemned by Pope Benedict XVI in December 2009; see this Vatican site - you'll probably need to translate it.

Then he introduces a rather bizarre concept of "theology of the people".  "Theology of the people"???!??!  Pardon my french, but what the hell is that????   He says Pope Francis honors the concept of sensus fidei, but of course that leaves us to wonder how the pope honored the sensus fidei of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, or even that of the synod fathers when he ordered the voted-down heretical paragraphs to be included in the final relatio synodi.

I urge all to read carefully the Catholic News Agency link, for it summarizes quite well how dangerous Cardinal Kasper is to the True Faith.  Moreover, since Pope Francis has yet to contradict Kasper's claim of speaking for him, it is not unreasonable to opine that perhaps he too embraces those same harmful mindsets.

So now you have an idea of what will most likely happen at the USCCB meeting that starts Monday.

Final Relatio Synodi's Serious Errors

Yesterday LifeSiteNews published a piece in which Cardinal Reinhard Marx, president of the German Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that Pope Francis ordered the rejected paragraph on homosexuality to be published in the final SinNod report.  He is referring to the ones asking the Church to "learn to accept homosexual orientations".

Please see this link to the English translation of the final SinNod report; it is on the Vatican site.  I've read through this thing carefully; at least I think I did.  I do not see those paragraphs about "valuing the homosexual orientation" at all.  If I'm missing something, would a reader please be so kind as to cite the paragraph number?

It is quite possible that the heretical paragraphs are included in translations other than English. This example is not the only one in which the English translation differs from that of other translations.  Catholic Culture has an article stating that the Italian translation is quite different.  The difference is at the end of paragraph 4 of the introduction.  Notice that the English states "to discern how the Church and society can renew their commitment to the family."  Period.  However, the Italian version appends a significant phrase to the end of that sentence.  It reads "to the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman."  Rather telling, isn't it?  Catholic Culture, with tongue-in-cheek humor, quips that it's "an oversight".  Of course it isn't.  That was a deliberated omission, most likely done with the intention of muddying the true definition of marriage.  By the way - here's the Italian translation, again from the Vatican site.

Now here's the question of the hour.  Is there an English translation of the final "Relatio Synodi" that accurately reflects the original?  Obviously the one that's on the Vatican website leaves a lot to be desired.

More On The Archdiocese Of Washington And Protesters

It does appear, from this Washington Post article, that there are indeed protesters at various Catholic churches who have crossed bounds of decency in the conduct of their protests.  These incidents seem to have occurred within the past several weeks, one of them being at St Pius in Bowie.

Apparently these people on two occasions stormed inside churches.  They were shouting "anti-Catholic" slogans and distributing "fundamentalist literature".  Well, what does that mean?  "Anti-Catholic slogans" is so broad as to be nebulous.  Just what were they saying?  What was on the flyers that they were distributing? Why is the Archdiocese being so coy with this information?  Such information would help us get a glimpse into their mindsets.  I'd imagine that some Catholics would have retained these flyers.   If any of my readers witnessed any of these incidents, would you please relay your experiences and, if possible, summarize what was shouted and what was on the flyers?

No doubt the concerns of the Archdiocese of Washington are well-founded.  Now why could they not have shared them with all Catholics?  Why must we discover these things through the Washington Post?

Franciscan Action Network To Honor A Socialist Friday Nov 7

From the Franciscan Action Network website, we see that they will honor Eliseo Medina for his "work with immigration reform".  This will be during their "Cardinal McCarrick Award Celebration" this Friday November 7, starting at 6pm at Trinity University in DC.

I was alerted to this by a friend who is on their email list.  The email contains this curious language, not found on the webpage announcement. "We knew that no matter yesterday's election results, we would have to work harder than ever on our core issues: immigration, climate, peacebuilding, and money in politics."  The FAN is an ostensibly Catholic organization.  The issues of baby-murder, contraception, gay lifestyles, abuse of embryos - all issues having to do with intrinsic evils - should be at the top of any "issues" list for any Catholic organization.  However, these serious matters aren't mentioned once!  This is sadly typical of organizations shilling for progressive goals while attempting to maintain a faux-katholyc veneer.

The bio that they supplied for Medina is rather sketchy.  Let's pop to wikipedia.  We see that he is currently Secretary/Treasurer of the SEIU.  Until recently he was one of their executive vice presidents.  I've written enough on the SEIU on this blog; review some of these posts to see how anti-Christian they are.

He's also an honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.  Pope Piux XI declared that "no one can be a sincere Catholic and true Socialist."  By bestowing honors upon this socialist, the Franciscan Action Network betrays its own stripes.

Election Results Are Coming In..

While those of us who seek to honor God are grateful that we've been granted (in a general sense) some breathing room to make real changes, it seems not all are pleased!

Oh, well!

Why Is Pope Francis Admired By Unrepentant Deviants?

From Elton John's warped perspective, his adulation of Pope Francis is entirely logical.  A few days ago, I saw on LifeSiteNews that Elton John, entertainer and flagrant gay activist, heaped praise upon the Holy Father for the latter's ill-advised "who am I to judge" quip.  Recall that in 2006, John called for the banning of religion because many faiths don't coddle the sin of sodomy.  Now he says of the Pope, "(he) wants everybody to be included in the love of God."  With all due respect to John, the fact is that he hasn't the foggiest idea of what constitutes "the love of God", owing to his unabashed disobedience to God's just commands.

Unfortunately there are some sadly-deluded Catholics who believe that such adulation from unrepentant deviants is the greatest thing since life's bread.  Mark Shea of the patheos network is one of them.  Because the patheos bloggers are compensated based on the number of hits they receive, I will not link to his piece; I suppose those interested can google it if they wish.  He thinks that because of Pope Francis, John and others "are revisiting what the gospel has to say".  Not so.  They believe that the Pope will help them revise what the gospel has to say.

Later he chides faithful Catholics by stating "Such people don't want the gospel.  They want a little system of order that keeps them safe from the radical demands of love that Christ lays upon us.  They want to keep people out of the Church.."  Note the silly attempt to divorce the Gospel from - wait for it! - the Gospel.  I don't know what he thinks this "little system of order" is.  I think it's a derisive term for trivial things such as the Ten Commandments, the Magisterium, etc - trivialities that were established by God Himself.  Here's a big lesson to learn: if "radical demands" deviate from what Shea calls "a little system of order", these demands have diddly-squat to do with the authentic love of Christ.

Elton John is waxing lyrical over Pope Francis because he believes the latter will attempt to make the mortal sin of homosexual conduct to be acceptable in the Church.  Sadly, I can understand, particularly after the SinNod, how John might have arrived at his conclusion.

Shea seems to think that because a growing number of people, hitherto cold to the Church, are warming up to the Pope, this is a good thing.  Not so - not if these people remain in mortal sin and who now think the Pope will help them dull their consciences.  Perhaps he needs to be reminded that when Jesus walked the face of the earth, He was not popular with all people. After all, one does not find oneself crucified because they won a popularity contest.

To assist in the removal of rose-colored glasses regarding this papacy, I recommend - and will link to - an article written by Pat Buchanan entitled "The Price Of Papal Popularity".  He asks the question, "should the church accommodate itself to a culture as decadent as ours?"  Elton John et al would breathlessly pant in the affirmative.  But of course we are to be the sign of contradiction, speaking truth to immoral power and hedonism that both rules and corrodes our society.

He also said that  "Pope Francis is hugely popular. But his worldly popularity has not come without cost to the church he leads and the truths he is sworn to uphold." Buchanan is correct, and John's statements bear testimony to the veracity of Buchanan's observation.  We have paid a price for the Pope's popularity, as so many - Elton John included - now think their sin is coddled.  So many of us have feared that souls would be scandalized and given bad example by the Pope's questionable doings.  One such poor soul has made that perfectly clear.  Isn't it time the Sheas of this world woke up?

Prayer ALONE Just Won't Suffice

Today's Vortex details the efforts by the progressives to brainwash help Catholics to "mature" towards embrace of sodomy and other vices against marriage coupled with sacrilegious Holy Communions.  Actually, Voris didn't use the word "mature" but I do in the sense that Pope Francis invoked that term in his final address of the SinNod.

There certainly is a bombardment; I've written a bit about that already and I'm sure more is to come.  It is this bombardment, this maturation process, that must be resisted.  We have to speak out and oppose the errors.  I'll take the thought a step beyond Voris's and say we must resist the errors that come even from the Pope himself.  I emphasize that the Pope does not err when he speaks solemnly of faith and morals, but there have been other serious errors.

To my friends who think they can retreat into prayer alone without confronting the error and maybe getting some "dirt under the nails" as it were, I join Voris in insisting that you come down from the "heads in the clouds" mentality.

Aim For Conversion, Not Welcome

I link now to an excellent piece by Eric Sammons, a former fellow parishioner of mine who moved to Florida a while back.  He correctly observes that the focus of "evangelism" has gone adrift.  We have become too centered on making people feel welcomed as opposed to leading them to real conversion, a process that can (depending on individual circumstances) lead to them being challenged.

He makes another excellent point when he speaks of an overemphasis on trying to be understood as opposed to being precise in our language.  To quote, "the irony is that when one works for precision he gets understanding, but when he works solely for understanding he gets confusion."  As an example, he pointed to changes made by Pope Benedict XVI to the English translation to the Ordinary Liturgy.  Words employed therein are not used colloquially but they do convey more accurate meanings.

He gives a well-placed warning about attempts to "soften" the Church's language in misguided attempts to make the sinner feel "welcome".  Too often these attempts lead to obfuscations about the seriousness of sin, particularly of sexual sins.  These sins are objectively grave and will lead to loss of sanctifying grace; if one dies in that state they are damned.  Much better is it to warn people in forthright language so that they will be motivated to go to Confession to have grace restored.

Enough of my commentary!  Please read the link above.

From The Maturation Department - Another Reason Why Cdl Kasper Might Be In Town?

Call me cynical, but I find it hard to believe that Cardinal Kasper would take the time and trouble to fly across the Atlantic just to receive one bauble and make one speech at Catholic University of America on November 6 (see previous post).  It dawned on me just this morning that I should check out the precise dates of the USCCB's annual November meeting in nearby Baltimore.  Sure enough!  The scheduled dates are Nov 10 - 13, at the Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore (Inner Harbor area).

So Kasper's CUA appearance is the evening of Thursday the 6th.  The USCCB meeting starts the following Monday.  Will he be putting in an appearance at the meeting?  Here's the USCCB info about this meeting.  Am I the only one who finds this agenda to be rather curious for what's NOT on it?  Two weeks ago occurred one of the most controversial meetings in recent church history.  Yet the word "synod" is not to be found on the USCCB page that's dedicated to this meeting.

I'm willing to go out on a limb and opine that the SinNod most certainly will be discussed at the meeting that will start one week from tomorrow.  After all, there is only this meeting, with next summer's meeting, to browbeat faithful bishops "help" faithful bishops to "mature".  I also think that the main reason for Kasper's trip is to attend that meeting OR, at the very least, to drive some of the preparation for that meeting during the preceding weekend after his CUA appearance.  I understand that this CUA award is prestigious, but it cannot be so wondrous as to justify a transatlantic trip!

By the way - would Cardinal Burke be invited to this USCCB meeting?  I'd be pleasantly surprised if he was, but I think not.

Introducing The Maturation Department With Marquette's LGBTQ Masses

A few hours ago I said that I'd be adding to that list quite a bit over the year.  I didn't think, though, that I'd be adding to it so soon.  To accommodate all these additions, I now institute my "maturation department".  I do so to point out these things as they occur as I believe they may well be part of a coordinated effort to get the decent bishops to swallow pro-sodomite poison by the time the ordinary synod rolls around next year.

The Cardinal Newman Society reports that Marquette University started conducting "LGBTQ and allied community Masses" on October 22, 2014.  It appears that these things will be held monthly.  The Louis Joliet Society, a group of alumni, parents and other interested individuals are raising concerns regarding how - and even if -  Church teaching will be communicated and upheld properly during these Masses.  Both they and the Cardinal Newman Society have broached these questions with University officials; neither have received any response to date.

I rather think we can guess the answer to that.  Note that Masses are being offered, with no mention of Confession.  During these Masses, will Holy Communion be denied to practicing gays?  If not, mortal sins will be committed during these monthly Masses.

Please notice that this practice was inaugurated on October 22, the time of the SinNod (or just thereafter).  This is no coincidence.  Have we yet discovered another tentacle of this "maturation squid"?

Cardinal Burke gave two interviews last week.  In one, he stated that "there is a strong sense that the Church is like a ship without a rudder" and he's "praying very fervently that this coming year that this confusion will stop.."   Good Catholics will join His Emnence in this prayer. But we must also consider that there are dangerous elements within the Church hierarchy that seek to foster this confusion so that they can more easily introduce their doctrinal poisons more easily.  We must be alert this coming year to such tactics as we pray.

We Are Being Bombarded With Maturation Efforts

Remember the Pope's closing address of the SinNod?  Here is the link to it at the Vatican site for reference.  In the third-to-last paragraph, we were told that "we have one year to mature", presumably before the ordinary synod next year.  Commenting on my post from yesterday, "TLM" had a great point to make on what "mature" means in Jesuit lingo.

The "maturation" has begun in earnest.  No one who has two functioning eye balls can deny the obvious as they behold these incidents of the past few weeks.  Please note that the incidents that I will list are merely those of which I've learned.  There might well be more, and I'm sure this list will grow over this coming year.  Now, the list thus far:

• Two weeks ago, I posted that Catholic University of American intended to host a showing of the movie "Milk".  It's a very sympathetic portrait of a gay activist's life.  The screenwriter was also scheduled to speak.  I do not know if that has happened or even if it's scheduled for a future date.  My emails have received no response.
• Again, at CUA, Cardinal Walter Kasper will receive a prestigious award and will talk about "the vision of Pope Francis".  He is the orchestrater of much of the SinNod's mischief.  No doubt his talk is being give with the goal of furthering this "maturation".
• Yesterday the University of Notre Dame hosted a "Gay In Christ" conference.  Ostensibly its aim was to address "a pastoral strategy for parishes to be able to receive the gifts of self-identified gay Catholics".  Right there we see a massive problem.  There are no "gifts" that come from anyone on account of any disordered tendencies they might have.  Would we speak of the "gifts of self-identified spouse-beating Catholics"?  Of course not.  Moreover, some of the speakers have been quite open about their embrace of the gay lifestyle.
• During the month of October, Father Walter Cuenin, a Boston-area college chaplain displayed a GLBTQ (did I get these initials right?) flag outside the chapel over which he presides.  Recently he had circulated a petition to have that rainbow monstrosity hung over the Oval Office.  On the altar of the chapel he has a pink cloth and pink candles.  I understand from the Boston Catholic Insider that this has been going on for at least ten years.  Why has not Cardinal O'Malley defrocked him yet?
• Three days ago my friend at Connecticut Catholic Corner posted news of a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Father Gary Meier, who has "come out for gay equality because it's what Jesus would do".  He himself is gay and refuses to tell his followers that homosexual acts are mortally sinful.  Julie asks a good question: where is his bishop in all this?
• Another suspiciously silent bishop is Baltimore's Archbishop Lori.  Two days ago I pointed out that the Baltimore Catholic Review, the Archdiocese's official paper, was used to shill for a "gay coming out" session at a Baltimore parish.  I continue to ask why this piece saw print in a Catholic paper and why the pastor of this parish isn't removed and even defrocked.

You might have noticed a common theme in these incidents.  They all involve the condoning of the mortal sin of sodomy by Catholic institutions.  Recall that in the English translation of the final report on the SinNod, those paragraphs that condoned sodomy were stricken, and probably to the chagrin of the progressive puppet masters of the SinNod.  I wouldn't count the elimination of those paragraphs as a clear-cut victory for those who uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Rather, it was a temporary retreat, a tactical maneuver of the dissidents so that they could cut their losses and regroup for next year.  As we continue through the year, please expect the above list of atrocities and abominations to increase.

These sorts of things have been going on for several years.  However, I don't recall them ever being so blatant or as numerous as they are now.  This has all the stench of a coordinated effort to "help us mature", as it were.  This past Tuesday I wrote of the need to resist the Vatican progressives.  One of the ways we must resist is to expose these tactics and explore action against them as they occur.  No longer can we remain passive.