Excellent Idea For Annual Bishop/Cardinal Appeal

Most of the United States Catholics have recently been browbeaten asked to contribute to their annual chanceries' appeals.  I'm within the Archdiocese of Washington.  It's bad enough dealing with the routine progressivism that pours forth from the DC chancery.  However, with Cardinal Wuerl apparently playing a role in this Vatican financial flim-flam, the whole idea of contributing to this DC appeal is especially repugnant.  Regrettably I'm sure there are other such situations throughout the country.

Therefore I am grateful for reader/commenter "jmbutk" for his/her suggestion posted as a comment on my latest post on Bishop Paprocki.  He/she intends to divert his/her appeal dollars to the Diocese of Springfield as opposed to his/her home diocese.  I think that is an excellent example to be emulated.  Bishop Paprocki is a bishop worth supporting.

Of course he's not the only one. In this anthology of posts I've recounted the good deeds of several US bishops.  Perhaps some readers would care to donate to these bishops, too.  I haven't time or space to list all their addresses, but it would be a simple matter of googling their names to get the mailing addresses of their chanceries.

Let's support our good bishops with prayers AND with financial resources.

Cardinal's Appeal Is Unappealing

Today at Mass most parishioners in the Archdiocese of Washington (DC) were presented the flyer at the right, along with a preliminary pitch from the celebrating priest.  I've no doubt that the priests were directed from above to incorporate it into their homilies.  Today we heard that one primary purpose of the Appeal was to finance the formation of seminarians within the archdiocese, mostly at the Saint John Paul II Seminary that is adjacent to Catholic University.  If the flyer at the right is any indication of the formation these good young men are receiving, we have much cause for concern.

Do you see the problem?  Don't feel bad; I missed it too!  Fortunately a friend pointed it out to me via email.  Look at the top picture.  That is not just a stage presentation.  A closer examination will reveal clergy, vested for Mass, seated behind the dancers.  What we are seeing here is the liturgical abuse known as "liturgical dance".  In Churches in the West, liturgical dance is forbidden.  Period.  The fact that this picture of liturgical dissidence is featured in an archdiocesan publication - and located on the front top section, no less - is an indication of the abysmal ignorance (or possibly cavalier disregard) for the rubrics of the liturgy on the part of highly-placed archdiocesan officials.  I hope the seminarians are availing themselves of real information regarding the proper celebration of the Sacraments.

At any rate, this flyer that the Archdiocese seems to think will drum up dollars is indicative of why they may not be the best stewards of your contributions.  Now we are commanded by the Precepts of the Church to "support the Church's work".  The promotion of "liturgical dance" (and some of the other archdiocesan escapades exposed on this and other blogs) is NOT the work of the Church!  There are plenty of other worthy recipients of your donation dollars.  The much-beleaguered Little Sisters of the Poor and/or the Missionaries of Charity comes to mind, as well as pro-life pregnancy centers and others.