Laudato Si - Featuring The Neverly Brothers!

From Harvesting the Fruit by Louie Verrecchio!  Enjoy!

It's Hard To Part With Rose-Colored Glasses, But They Blind One To The Truth

Steve Soukup of the Culture of Life blog sounds the siren call for denial of reality when it comes to serious blunders by the Pope.  He repeats the tired yarn of "blame it on the big bad media for misquoting the Pope".  No.  Perhaps we might have ascribed credibility to that excuse early on in the papacy, but admittedly this spiel is getting rather old and worn.  Two years have gone by.  That should have been plenty of time for the Vatican press office to take control of the pope's messages to present them to the media.  After all, the mainstream media was no more friendly to Pope John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI than they are to Pope Francis.

The previous pontiffs did take some precautions.  Rarely, if ever, did they do extemporaneous interviews.  They knew that the media would indeed make mincemeat out of their words.  Incredibly this pope engages in these interviews quite frequently.  He cannot claim ignorance regarding any potential misquote, given the fiascoes that have already occurred.  Therefore we must conclude that either: 1) he doesn't care about the damage caused by the media or 2) he actually desires the confusion.

I don't know how Soukup gets the erroneous impression that we rely upon mainstream media for our information. There is so much "first-hand" data from which to learn.  For instance, to learn just what poison was foisted upon us last October in the interim relatio from the sin-nod, we need only look at the report that is posted on the Vatican's own website.  And then there are video clips of the pope himself prounouncing horrible stuff that might well veer into heresy - such as the one below that smacks of the heresy of indifferentism (with that same stench being acknowledged by the pope!).  Both Creative Minority Report and Harvesting the Fruit have commentary.  Soukup et al can rail all they want against those of us who call a spade a spade, but that won't change the nature of the truth that daily slaps us in the face.

Why Is The Archdiocese Of Baltimore Allowing Tai Chi Workshops On Its Properties?

First, let's go into some background on tai chi itself.  Touted as a "martial arts" series of disciplines and exercises, its roots in Taoism and Buddhism cannot be denied.  Despite pipe dreams to the contrary, these pagan roots permeate the various motions and do cause altered mental states.  In short, like many "new age" gimmicks, it can open one to demonic influences since it does mimic idol worship.  In a saner time, when our prelates valued prudence and wisdom, no Catholic would have been granted permission to participate in any of these rituals.  That was then, this is now.  Progressivism has wormed its ways into our chanceries as prelates lack the backbone and/or wisdom to oppose it.

My blogging colleague at Harvesting The Fruit, headquartered in Baltimore, posted about a tai chi workshop being hosted by the Sisters of Bon Secours in Marriottville, MD.   I will divert from the topic of this post for a few moments to comment on this so-called "retreat center", starting with some personal experience.  About 10 years ago, a pro-life group with which I was affiliated had a day-long retreat/conference.  This Bon Secours place was booked; unbeknownst to us, it was even then a new-age haunt.  I arrived late for the meeting and rushed in, not paying attention to my surroundings.  Only after the meeting ended did we look around and noticed the literature rack by the front door, loaded with pamphlets that extolled the wonders of ashrams and crystals.  Needless to say, our eyes were opened.  They were opened even further as we walked to our cars and noticed the labyrinth to the side.  We each made a Sign of the Cross.  Our first trip to Bon Secours was also our last.

Let's take a virtual tour of Bon Secours, shall we?  To their dubious credit, they make no bones about being a de facto witches' coven.  At their main page you can see to the right the tai chi session.  Go to the events page and scroll down till you see the "soulcollage" thing.  The whole idea of this thing revolves around the unsuspecting victims participants selecting images that "depict your personality parts, your archetypal guides, your energetic companion animals, and even some of the sentient beings that have loved, taught, and challenged you."  Sentient beings!  And just who/what might they be?  Familiar spirits?  Demons?

Now check out the "grounds and meditation" tab.  We've touched a bit on the labyrinth so why not visit the "peace garden"?  Well, one reason not to visit is that they call it "zen-type".  It even comes with a "peace pole"!  That is a new one on me.  Until an hour ago, I never heard of a "peace pole".  Look - if you really want a prayerful garden, go to the grotto at Mt. St Mary's in Emmitsburg.  There you'll find a garden with mosaics of the Stations of the Cross, the Mysteries of the Rosary AND a chapel with the Blessed Sacrament reposed.  Why waste time in a place filled with symbols of idolatry - and most likely worse?

And to this snake-pit the Archdiocese of Baltimore refers Catholics?  But wait!  We're not done yet!  It gets worse!

Tai-chi poison is being spread in a Catholic church in Baltimore!

Again, with the Catholic Review singing its praises, we read an account of it at St Dominic's church in Baltimore.  The aged perpetrator nun declares right off the bat that "this is not something like tai chi or yoga".  But a few paragraphs before that we read how all the participants were in a "trance like state".  If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck - guess what?  It's a duck!  They call this sign chi do, as though a name change will fool everyone.  I googled it and it does seem to be quite the money-making racket.  One site I found does acknowledge the obvious; that is, tai chi is to be found in the roots of this sign chi do.  It goes on to blather about being "aligned in body mind and spirit" and "healing".  She calls it "sacred".  It's not; it's new age claptrap.

For two thousand years the Roman Catholic Church has preached the way to true healing.  Our Lord Jesus Christ has given to us His Sacraments.  Confession and Holy Communion are the two to which we can and should frequently resort.  Of course that involves repentance and conforming our lives with His Word.  Around that there is no short-cut; all other gimmicks are false and will lead to hell.  Shed the gimmicks and stay with Christ and His Church.