Baltimore Catholic Review Slobbers Over Pro-Abortion Diane Feinstein

It would be commendable of the authors and editors of the Catholic Review to actually bring the Faith to bear on their reporting of the deaths of well-known people.  They eulogized the rabidly pro-abortion senator, giving only token mention to her championing of the slaughter of innocent babies.

The piece does comment about Feinstein's anti-Catholic bigotry.  Recall that when Amy Comey Barrett was undergoing her vetting for a seat on the US Supreme Court, Feinstein said to her, "the dogma lives loudly within you, and that's of concern".  Feinstein implied that faithful Catholics cannot occupy positions of authority and responsibility, an unabashed statement of bigotry.

The article actually seems to be a reprint of an Our Sunday Visitor piece.  Still, the Review had no need to publish this puff-piece about a politician who proved in every way to be an enemy of Faith and Morals.  At the very least, these "katholyc" mouthpieces could have at least reminded their readers that we'll all face death and judgment, and that we should pray that God have mercy on her soul, particularly in light of the damage she wrought.

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Washington's Catholic Standard follows suit.

Commencement Catastrophes

In a few months, high school and college seniors will be receiving diplomas during ceremonies where they will listen to speakers.  We would hope that at Catholic institutions that those speakers would be people who exemplify fidelity to Church teaching in their lives and words.  Sadly that has not always been the case during these past few decades.  I and others have often stood in protest at commencements where the speakers scandalized students and others, simply by being honored despite (or maybe because of) their publicly sinful conduct.

That trend still continues.  During these past two years, commencements often were canceled due to covid-related concerns, but now they are ramping up, as are the appearances of dissidents.  The Archdiocese of Baltimore, via the Catholic Review, just announced two such speakers about to poison the minds of the graduates.

The first is Sister Helen Prejean, who will address graduates of Notre Dame of Maryland University on May 22 at the Baltimore Convention Center.  She will be delivering her address virtually, but the plug needs to be pulled on that public address system when she speaks.  I have written quite a bit on her over the years.  Her heretical position on the death penalty is NOT her only problem.  I am considering a picket of that event, urging attendees to walk out during her prattling.

Then there's Anisya Thomas Fritz.  She is a bit of an entrepreneur.  There's nothing wrong with that, but she has other questionable associations.  According to her Linkedin page, she is a founder and current chair of something called Georgetown Ambassadors for Women, Peace, Security.  Any group that gives out "Hillary Clinton awards" is questionable, at best.  Then I googled that group and discovered who's on the board.  Ms. Fritz is, of course, but so is someone else named Tricia Hoefling.  Her bio blurb quite plainly states that "she is an outspoken advocate for reproductive rights" and counts as an "accomplishment" the establishment of two abortuaries.  Mind you, this is right on the website of Georgetown University, an ostensibly Catholic institution, but then again, it's Georgetown.  Anyway, we know a lot about people by the company they keep.  If she was a founder of that group, would she not have had some input regarding the composition of the board?  Can Ms. Fritz be that much of an exemplar of Catholicism? 

Fritz will be speaking at the commencement of Loyola University on May 14th at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore at 11am.  That's a Sunday morning.  Just when do the Loyola administration think that attendees will be able to attend Sunday Mass that day?  Or don't they care?  What's even more peculiar is that the Review staff didn't pick up on that.  On second thought, maybe not.

The fact that these scandals are happening is bad enough.  That they are lauded in an archdiocesan newspaper is itself bona fide evidence of the corruption that exists within Church hierarchy.  As I said earlier, I am contemplating a picket of the Notre Dame fiasco.  We've done it before, many times.  I link now to a picket that some of us conducted when Sr. Carol Keehan of the Pen of Perfidy spoke at Gonzaga High 12 years ago.  Watch the video to the end.  We need to rebuke the sinner.

Baltimore CCHD Gets A New Director

Here is the write-up in Baltimore's Catholic Review.  Monsignor Richard Bozzelli is replacing Monsignor William Burke, who ran the Baltimore CCHD for 50 years.  According to the Review, Burke "left his legacy of social justice in the Baltimore area."   Legacy of social justice!  If these escapades are their idea of "legacy of social justice", no wonder Baltimore has degraded into a decrepit slum town!

Burke was at the helm of the CCHD these past several decades, so he completely owns responsibility for those debacles.

Truth be told, I don't expect much improvement (if any) under Bozzelli, for the corrupt hierarchy would not choose someone who might actually bring Catholic faith and morality into its social-justice rackets. I'd be delighted if I were proven wrong in that respect, but I don't think that will happen.

Baltimore Catholic Review Salutes Pro-Gay Activism Of Local Priest

Several priests in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have retired, including the renegade priest Father Joseph Muth.  Recall that his retirement wasn't entirely voluntary; Archbishop Lori asked for his retirement, and for ample reason.  The Catholic Review sang the praises of these new retirees, Father Muth among them.   I thought that the Review, being the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, might have the good sense not to mention the gay pandering of Father Muth throughout the years.  After all, to have a priest actually herding his all-too-willing sheep on the their way to hell is not exactly worthy of praise.  It speaks ill of the Review, and perhaps the Archdiocese of Baltimore itself, that they would choose to celebrate Father Muth's promotion of mortal sin.

Baltimore Catholics, would not "letters to the editor" be in order?  I suspect that the Review is at least partially funded by the Archdiocese of Baltimore: in other words, by your contributions.  Do you want your contributions used to affirm mortal sin?   On the Review's page, I saw no provision for letter submission, so I'd suggest that you send yours to mail@CatholicReview.org.  Not only Baltimore Catholics, but all faithful Catholics should protest this travesty.  Here is my letter to the editor. 

Dear Editor, I read with disappointment Christopher Gunty’s all-too-glowing article regarding the retirement of Father Joseph Muth.  It’s understandable that when highlighting the career of a retiring priest, that the Archdiocese would wish to laud his legitimate accomplishments.  However, his activity for the mortal sin of homosexual conduct is  not among those accomplishments.  He validated so-called “gay couples” in their mortal sin.  Time and again, he led a contingent of St Matthew’s parishioners in Baltimore’s “gay pride” parade, while carrying a St. Matthew’s banner.  The list of scandalous behaviors could go on. 

Gundy’s article says that he provided “welcome” for gay people.  May I remind you that Holy Mother Church has always provided that welcome?  She has always welcomed not only homosexual people but others also embroiled in mortal sins such as murder, drunken behavior, theft, etc.  That welcoming has always been accomplished through the Sacrament of Confession, when those in mortal sin foreswear their sinful conduct.  Mr Gundy and most likely others of the Review staff seem to approve of homosexual conduct; in so voicing that approval, they commit their own sin and most likely could benefit from a visit to a confessional themselves.

Open Letter To Archbishop Lori Regarding Two Problematic Baltimore Priests

Your Excellency, you have spoken much (and well) regarding the perils that are confronting Holy Mother Church in ways that are waxing more blatant and ominous with each passing day.   The threats posed to us by the HHS mandate and other encroachments upon Christianity must be met with charity, but also with firmness.

However,  as we fight the culture of death around us, we must first fight it within our own ranks.  I regret to state the obvious: that progressive influences are ensconced within the Church and within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  Several weeks ago, Father Richard Lawrence mocked your letter from his pulpit during Mass.  To that you issued a reply stating that no one can change moral teaching.  To be frank, it was much too nuanced and general.

It has come to my attention that Father Lawrence has at least one like-minded crony in crime among the clergy.  I speak of Msgr Paul Byrnes, a retired priest who assists with Masses at St Peter the Apostle in Oakton, MD (southern Garrett County, in the western panhandle).  As confirmed by the Catholic Review, he operates a blog called “Half Hermit by the Lake”.  On November 7, the day after the election,   he praised the election of Barack Obama and other pro-abortion politicians.  Moreover, he lauded the passage of Question 6, allowing for the perversion of marriage in the state of Maryland.  He opined in that post that gay marriage fits within the Church’s teachings on social justice.  Mind you, he made these statements in a blog that’s available to anyone at the click of a mouse.

While I hope that these two priests are "flashes in the pan", I suspect that others share their warped views albeit quietly.  At any rate, Your Excellency, you have some housecleaning that is screaming for your immediate attention.  For the sake of these two priests and the rest of your archdiocese, I strongly urge you to bring down public discipline upon these two priests.  I emphasize "public" because their behaviors have brought very public scandal upon the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  We can safely assume that their terrible example has helped lead astray many of your flock, to the point of imperiling their immortal souls.

There is an additional dimension to the trouble posed by dissident priests that extend well beyond your diocesan boundaries.  A few days ago, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the Holy Father's emissary to the US, warned that dissident priests, Catholic professors and other officials posed "grave threats to religious liberty".  I surmise he refers to the undermining of your authority in the eyes of the state and populace at large.  It therefore behooves you, Your Excellency, to remove such threats as they appear within your diocesan boundaries.

In a meeting at St John Neumann Church in Annapolis a few months ago, you stated that in part you were beholden to the USCCB regarding the exercise of your episcopacy within your Archdiocese.  Your Excellency, the Holy Father has stated quite plainly that national bishops' conferences have no intrinsic authority at canon law.  You do not need their approval to act, nor need you fear any repercussion for exercising your duties within your archdiocese.  The Holy Father has already laicized Roy Bourgeous.  He has given an example for the US bishops to follow.  Please do so immediately.