The Vatican Is Getting Groovy, Man!

One would have thought the 1960s had past, with its main proponents now ensconced in academia and high political office.  However, the Vatican appears not to have gotten the memo.

From Tradition In Action, we read that L'Osservatore Romano reviewed a documentary done by Ron Howard called "Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years".  Obviously it focuses on the Beatles.  TIA exposes the inanity of this review, chastising the Vatican for glossing over the cultural rot that is directly attributable to the Beatles and many groups that came after them.  Indeed, the Vatican appears to heap gushing praises on the Beatles, nothwithstanding John Lennon's infamous quip that the Beatles "were more popular than Jesus".  Some even more fundamental questions are these: "what on earth is the Vatican thinking when it even writes such an article?  What does this have to do with the Roman Catholic Church?  Aren't there other topics on which to write that are actually relevant to the Church?  I blogged several months ago about Cardinal Ravasi waxing lyrical about the late David Bowie.  What?  Is the Vatican now trying to prove to pop-culture aficionados that it too is "relevant"?   Whatever happened to focus on Jesus Christ and being the Church that He intended?  How about focus on Tradition as opposed to the fleeting fads of today?  No wonder Mass attendance is shrinking.

Instead of the Church getting "with the times" it needs to realize its timeless nature.

Mainstream Catholic Media Mess

Michael Voris of the Vortex nails this right on the head with L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's own newspaper.  Not only did it deliberately disobey Vatican instructions by releasing snippets from the Pope's new book, but it has made brainless claims such as the Simpsons (that's a cartoon, folks!) being Catholic and praising Michael Jackson and the Beatles.

Actually, there's quite a list of Catholic mainstream media that needs some cleaning up.  Certainly the Catholic News Service and the National Catholic Reporter have some progressives spewing forth nonsense.  Sadly, many of the archdiocesan newspapers suffer the same maladies.  To the extent that they are directly controlled by their respective chanceries, the staff of those newspapers may have reduced culpability - but not completely eliminated.  I speak of those publications that insist on praising pro-abortion Catholic bigwigs and being utterly silent about doctrinal matters such as contraception, etc.  Yes, the Catholic Standard is included in that mix!

The statements above, and this Vortex video, make achingly plain why alternative sources for Catholic news are needed - such as this blog and those listed on the right tool bar and the Vortex itself.  Click here if you can't see embedded video.

Cardinal George Congratulates (!!?!?) Obama for Peace Prize

After the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano stuck its editorial foot in the mouth when it congratulated Obama's receipt of the Nobel Prize, it retracted itself and rightly criticized that presentation of the award. However, it did so only after the hue and cry of faithful Catholics flooded its mailboxes, filled its email server and melted the fax lines.

Perhaps the USCCB needs to receive similar feedback from American Catholics, because Cardinal George, president of the USCCB, has displayed similar foot-in-mouth tendencies.

Part of the Cardinal's boot-licking included the comment, "the President of the United States has already changed the international conversation." Yes, the Messiah Most Miserable certainly has - I'll give the Cardinal credit for that statement. Obama has apologized for the US all over the globe while kissing up to insane tyrants. He has rescinded the Mexico City Policy. He is ramrodding through Congress one of the most pro-abortion and pro-euthanasia bills ever known. He is similarly ramrodding through Congress measures to change the definition of marriage to include all manners of deviancy. For this the Cardinal congratulates Obama? He should be decrying this disgrace.

If nothing else, this is just another reason why the Catholic Campaign for Human Development collection should be boycotted by all thinking Catholics this November 22nd. The USCCB has demonstrated, time and time again, that it doesn't know apple butter from cow pie. I posted a few days ago some revelations about CCHD grantees from the last collection.

To communicate to the USCCB about:
1) your concern at Cardinal George's ridiculous statement
2) why you won't contribute to the CCHD collection
Write/email here..

3211 Fourth Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20017
(202) 541-3000

Francis Cardinal George
Archbishop of Chicago
PO Box 1979
Chicago, IL. 60690-1979
Phone: 312-534-8230
Fax: 312-534-6379
E-Mail: archbishop@archchicago.org

Hey! He is the archbishop of Chicago, the same town that spewed forth Obama. Coincidence?