Aristotle And Aquinas

I myself haven't watched the entire clip but I too believe that many of us faithful Catholics have suffered from lack of adequate intellectual formation in our Faith.  This clip is worth a listen, from what I've seen of it.

Catholic Charities CEO Botches Corporal Works Of Mercy

In the January 14th edition of the Catholic Standard, Msgr John Enzler (CEO of Catholic Charities of of the Archdiocese of Washington) had a piece entitled "Living The Works Of Mercy"; the online version is here.  It is ostensibly a "self-evaluation" to detail how he's implementing the Corporal Works of Mercy.  Something about the recitation of the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy struck me odd.  Therefore I looked up the Corporal Works of Mercy online; see here and here.

As I compared Enzler's list with the other two, I noticed a small but significant difference.  The work known as "shelter the homeless" was swapped for "welcome the stranger".  These two are not equivalent.  The second reveals the agenda of allowing indiscriminate immigration.  When one considers the millions of dollars that Catholic Charities has received from the federal government (which in turn are derived from our tax dollars), one can see that the CEO of a Catholic Charities office might - just might - have a vested interest in insinuating the idea into Catholic minds that the facilitation of indiscriminate amnesty is a teaching of the Catholic Church.  It's not - not by a long stretch.  I link now to a commentary on the thoughts of St Thomas Aquinas on immigration.  Bear in mind that this commentary does cite the appropriate passage in Summa Theologica.

I'm having trouble believing that this tweeking of the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy on the part of Enzler was inadvertent.  He did get all the others right, and they're even listed in the traditional order.  That the CEO of Catholic Charities would dare to misstate one of the Corporal Works of Mercy reeks to high heaven.  At least once a year there is an in-pew collection for Catholic Charities.  I haven't contributed in years due to its many shenanigans - this being merely the latest.

Facilitators Of Illegal Immigration Reject Catholicism For Progressivism

In the face of Obama's scheme to import 10,000 Syrian refuges into the United States, there has been much confusion on the part of Catholics regarding what the United States, as a nation, should do.  Some have opined that we should admit them indiscriminately, prefacing their remarks with "Jesus would welcome the stranger" and "what would Jesus do".  Implicit in their invocation of Jesus' name is that they imagine He would not consider the impact such decisions might have on others.  For instance, they direct these platitudes at governmental officials, urging them to base their policies on a rather simplistic impressions of Our Lord's will.  They fail to consider that governmental officials have as their FIRST priorities the welfare of their citizens.  They have a moral duty to do all they can to protect them from real threats.  And yes, evidence pours in that the Syrians are posing a threat to their host countries.  The attacks on France last week should serve as a stark lesson to us.

Suppose, for example, there was a neighborhood that was plagued by a series of house invasions that occurred when the robbers burst into homes when doors had been opened to them.  A father of a family heard a knock at the door at night.  He calls through the door, asking the visitors what they want, and they stated they needed help and wished to be admitted into the home.  Knowing the neighborhood situation, would the father be wise to believe the visitors?  Of course not.  "But Jesus would welcome the stranger", our good-hearted but weak-thinking friends might chime.  I for one beg to differ.  Would He not approve of the father's solicitude for his family, a solicitude that is enjoined on him by the Sacrament of Matrimony and the Fourth Commandment?  Just as the father of a family have to abide by his God-given priorities, so do those in civil authority.  Their FIRST responsibilities are to their citizens and constituents.  This is NOT rocket science!  Taylor Marshall wrote a piece that is an excellent treatment of this issue, drawing on Aquinas extensively.

Today ISIS released a video that threatens more destruction in Paris and the destruction of the White House.   A few days ago, the DHS confirmed that eight Syrians were taken into custody in Laredo TX.  Five others were arrested in Honduras as they attempted to use stolen passports.

So now Obama wants to allow muslim Syrians into the United States.  Why, then, does he refuse to allow Christian and Yazidi refugees to enter the US?  His bigotry against Christians is obvious and despicable.

Too many Catholic officials, carrying on like aging hippies with stars in their eyes, steadfastly refuse to acknowledge the truth and cling to their romantized notions of the "poor immigrants" with themselves as their noble saviors.  In the midst of their semi-annual meeting in Baltimore, the US bishops pompously announce their calls for de facto open borders while chiding the governors who are following the maxims of Aquinas.  Not to be outdone by the USCCB, the Maryland Catholic Conference put forth this laughable press release as it appears in the Catholic Standard.  A little aside.  Today I did not receive my issue in the mail.  I think it's fascinating that my delivery is either missed or late when one of these whoppers is published in the paper.  But I digress!

Anyway, there is the typical call for "compassion" (selective compassion, since non-muslims aren't allowed admittance).  The MCC goes on to tout the praises (?) of the Catholic Relief Services, saying that they have "a rich history of serving potential refuges in their native land".  Really?  CRS has been caught red-handed distributing condoms and abortifacients in Africa - not merely funding said distribution, but CRS personnel themselves distributing these tools of mortal sin.  They retained a "same-sex married" man as a vice president, knowing of his immoral lifestyle.  Read here for a whole litany of their horrid endeavors and search the Lepanto Institute for more details.  Here's a snapshot of their income statement for the fiscal year ended 9/30/2014.  Notice that almost half their funding came from governmental grants: that is, our tax dollars!  I suppose that's the "rich" part of their history.

Then the MCC crows about Catholic Charities.  Yes - same Catholic Charities that:

• Took one of their female clients to her abortion appointment
• Engaged in a "needle exchange program" for drug addicts
• Aided and abetted an illegal immigrant with an established habit of drinking and driving - until his accident in which he killed someone

Catholic Charities is one of the groups charged by the Obama cartel to help "settle" the Syrians as they invade arrive here.  There's most likely more than altruistic motivation for them to do so. Recall last summer when it was discovered that the feds had extended to Catholic Charities offices in Texas over $17 million in grants to take in refugees.  Wanna bet they're getting a nice chunk of change now?  Again, that's our tax dollars.  Just as they botched the three incidents listed above, they botched big-time this past week.

The Catholic Charities in Louisiana helped settle one such individual - and then lost track of him.  Governor Jindal insisted that Obama give him info on those that are being shipped to his state; he probably knows better than to hold his breath waiting.  But the story gets more interesting!  Lo and behold, the Louisiana government learned that this refugee had gone to Washington DC.  Now consider:

• He is supposedly a poor destitute refugee.  Yet he has the wherewithal to get off the boat and hightail it to Washington DC.  It sounds like he had some direction and resources to make the trip.  The distance between LA and DC is approximately 1100 miles.  How did he afford the transportation and other travel expenses?
• Recall from earlier in this post that ISIS made threats against the White House.  Did this "poor refugee" come up here to participate?  Was he ordered to do so?

I've received word that the House of Representatives voted today (by a veto-proof majority) to put a pause on Obama's scheme to import these refugees.  Let us pray that the Senate jumps on board.   Speaking of the House, I don't know if Trey Gowdy is Catholic or not, but he seems to have an inate grasp of Aquinas' thinking on immigration.

I'll end this rather long post with a video by Ann Corcoran detailing her research on refugee resettlement.

Kasperites Refuted By St Thomas Aquinas

Michael Hichborn of Lepanto Institute put up a piece that refuted some serious errors that were embraced by Elizabeth Scalia.  Some might recognize her as the Patheos blogger "Anchoress".  Recently she assumed the position of editor of Aleteia.  In her piece she argues for Holy Communion for adulterers and sodomites.  I recommend you read both.  A note regarding Patheos; that network pays its site owners based upon the number of clicks that their sites receive.  Since Scalia's piece is found on the Aleteia site I don't think she'll be compensated for the viewing of her errors; else I could not have linked to it in good conscience.

Please read Hichborn's piece closely; it is excellent and there is one key reason why that's so.  Hichborn addresses the arguments that Scalia proposes and demonstrates how they've been refuted centuries ago by St. Thomas Aquinas.  As such, the words of the Angelic Doctor are most applicable to the canards being raised now at the sin-nod and by many other such proponents.  Cardinal Wuerl may wish to study them and to revisit his attitudes towards Canon 915 and the injustice that he perpetrated three years ago against Father Marcel Guarnizo.  Those of us who remember the ever-relevant Baltimore Catechism will appreciate this diagram that sums up some salient points.

In yesterday's post I linked to a LifeSiteNews interview with Cardinal Arinze.  His Eminence expounded on the obligation that each one of us has to properly form and inform our consciences in conformity with Catholic teaching.  Voice of the Family today released a piece that delves into that matter and how that relates to the need to receive Holy Communion in a worthy state.

LifeSiteNews interviewed Bishop Athanasius Schneider last week.  He stated quite plainly that those Kasperites who yap and yammer about admitting mortal sinners to Holy Communion are "following the spirit and language of Satan".  The good bishop is not afraid to call out his errant brothers by name.  God bless him and the other faithful prelates.  Pray for them because you can bet the progressives in the Vatican and elsewhere have the long knives aimed at them.

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.

Why We MUST Speak Out When Clerics Err Publicly

I post below a video by Fr Paul Nicholson, but before I do, I want to post this piece by St. Thomas Aquinas.  He is a Doctor of the Church (probably one of the leading ones) and author of Summa Theologica, from which this quote is taken.  This is from "the second part of the second part", question 33, article 4, reply to objection 2.  It reads (in part), "It must be observed, however, that if the faith were endangered, a subject ought to rebuke his prelate even publicly. Hence Paul who was Peter's subject, rebuked him in public, on account of the imminent danger of scandal concerning faith and, as the gloss of Augustine says on Galatians 2:11, "Peter gave an example to superiors, that if at any time they should happen to stray from the straight path, they should not disdain to be reproved by their subjects."

Now the video.