President Trump Nominates Neil Gorsuch To Supreme Court

From what I can gather, Mr. Gorsuch seems to be a good choice to fill the seat vacated by the death of Antonin Scalia.  As a judge of the U.S. 10th District Court of Appeals, he ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby against the ACA gremlins that tried to force them to provide contraceptives for employees.  In his acceptance speech this evening, he decried the de facto legislation that progressive judges do from the bench.  Conservative Review has other highlights about him.

Many pro-life groups (see here and here for example) express hope for this nominee.  Of course he faces a rigorous Senate hearing, particularly in light of some of the Democratic temper tantrums that have been occurring.  We need to pray and lobby our senators to confirm him.

Now let me say a word to my #nevertrump friends.  If you had your way several months ago, this quality nomination would have remained a far-distant dream of ours.  Indeed, can one imagine the scoundrel that Clinton might have nominated, if you had your way?  Alright, I didn't merely have a word with you; it's a rebuke but one you earned.  I hope you are learning your lessons.

USCCB Admits That Money Is Behind Its Kvelling About Trump's Order

Although I saw the reprint on the website of the Diocese of Green Bay Wisconsin, it is an article published by the Catholic News Service - the official media outlet for the USCCB.  Read it, paying attention to the last few paragraphs.  Their big concern is the reduced funding that the USCCB might experience, along with USCCB jobs.

Now, once again, guess who's really paying for all this resettlement?  One of those funding sources can be found staring at you from your mirror.  Your tax dollars are being diverted to the USCCB for the benefit of poorly vetted "refugees" while many of you are struggling to support your own families.

Meanwhile, some so-called "Catholic" leaders scribbled off a letter to President Trump touting the "seamless garment" nonsense as authentic Catholic teaching.  With immigration are progressive pet projects such as abolition of death penalty, climate change junk science.  Let's look at some of these organizations, shall we?

We examine the web page of Columbian Center for Advocacy and Outreach.  Immediately you can see their focus.  They address the progressive hot-button issues, while uttering not one peep about baby-murder, euthanasia, evils of homosexual conduct, protection of marriage.  Are we surprised?

Then there's Catholic Mobilizing Network.  I always find it helpful to browse an organization's board of directors to get an understanding of the mindsets of those running the group.  Immediately we see trouble in the presence of Ralph McCloud.  Not only has he presided over the diversion of Catholic dollars to anti-God organizations as long-time head of the CCHD, but he was treasurer of the campaign for Wendy "Abortion Barbie" Davis to the Texas legislature.  Put his name in the search box at the top of this blog.  One of their sponsors is the Congregation of St. Joseph.  They too are all about progressive causes, with an unhealthy smattering of new age poison thrown into the mix (see here, scroll all the way down).

Regarding some of the other organizations, just put "Catholic Climate Covenant" and "Leadership Conference of Women Religious" in that search box to see just how far they have wandered from the One True Faith.

If anyone from President Trump's administration is reading this, please be assured that the letter you received and the racket emanating from the USCCB is not rooted in the Catholic faith.  Real Catholics are delighted that President Trump is in the White House.  Mr. Gorsuch's nomination seems very promising.  We thank the president for taking action to control the immigration situation in the United States.

Dispelling Media Myths Regarding Trump's Immigration Order

This weekend President Trump signed an executive order to institute vetting for incoming immigrants and refugees.  Less than ten countries are of interest, and he has temporarily suspended the admission of those from Syria.  Well, while the Messiah Most Miserable is history, the Minions Most Mindless aren't.  Don't we all think it rather remarkable that so many of them could be so quickly mobilized to show up at airports and make oafs of themselves?  If this seems to have the paw prints of George Soros all over this, that is a reasonable hypothesis.  Legal efforts have been launched to block the order, and these lawyers are from groups funded by Soros.

To hear these people carry on, one might think that President Trump is lining immigrants up and having them shot by firing squads.  Not to be outdone, the USCCB is jumping on that bandwagon.  Here's a "statement" from Cardinal Cupich, in which he blubbers about this "dark moment in U.S. history".  Cardinal Cupich knows a thing or two about "dark moments".  He certainly caused one when, as bishop of Spokane, he forbade his priests from participating in the 40 Days for Life campaign.

Just so that my readers don't have to rely on second-hand accounts, I make available the full text of the order.  Please read it.  To the right are some highlights.

The mainstream media is being dishonest.  The USCCB and many of our bishops are being dishonest.  The latter may well have some, uh, "ulterior motives", shall we say.  Over two weeks ago, well before the inauguration, Brigitte Gabriel of Act For America released some information about the handling of refugees in the U.S. under the Obama administration.  Pay close attention to her between the 0:32 and 1:47 marks.



Did you catch that?  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Service is the largest private refugee resettlement agency in the US.  That means lots and lots of $$$$$$ have been flowing into USCCB coffers, and it has been coming from your  tax dollars - $82 million in 2014, to be precise.  Doesn't this remind us all of the opening of the Mexican border, and how Catholic Charities (particularly the Texas affiliates) made out like bandits with our tax dollars while they were handling those pouring over what was our border with Mexico?  Deja vu?

By the way, regarding the point she was making about Saudi Arabia, they do have the capability of handling refugees.

There are several reasons why the progressives aren't interested in pursing the option to the left.
First, the refugees can't vote for the Democrats over there.  Second, they cannot serve as the cheap labor to which Ms. Gabriel referred.  Third, over there they are less likely to contribute to the collapse of western civilization, a prime goal of the progressives.

I hope this sheds a balanced perspective on the latest snit-fit of the progressives, especially those in high places in the Church hierarchy.

Wuerl To Seminarians: Subjective Judgment Usurps Objective Truth

On Tuesday I reported how Cardinal Wuerl sent a letter to priests basically telling them to be derelict in their duties to lead those in mortal sin to repentance.  Yesterday Church Militant picked up on another article in the Catholic Standard that reported how Wuerl gave the same message to seminarians in the archdiocese.  I think in that address he went a step further in counseling for evil.  I quote: "Pastoral dialogue [involves] the development of conscience and also the expression of a level of support or confirmation for the judgment the individual is making about the state of his or her own soul."

Notice the part about "support or confirmation for the judgment.."  Well, what if that judgment is objectively wrong?  What if that judgment leads to the commission of mortal sin?  How can a priest - or any faithful Catholic - support a "judgment" like that?   He can't.  He must warn the individual of the sinfulness of his/her course of action and in no unambiguous terms call that person to repentance.  If the priest refuses to do so, he endangers his own soul owing to his de facto cooperation with the sin of that individual.

Below I post a video detailing the nine ways that Catholics can veer into cooperating with the sin of others.  Pay close attention to "number nine", for that is primrose path to hell down which Cardinal Wuerl would usher his priests and seminarians.  In doing so, he too seems to be cooperating with mortal sin via "counsel".

Wednesday I posted about the thinly-disguised war that Pope Francis seems to be waging on truth.  That is pretty serious considering that Jesus Himself said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Truth is immutable.  It is NOT subject to manipulation by human consciences.  Rather, it is the human conscience that must conform and be subject to truth.  But, if the proper role of truth is trivialized, then we can see how subjective "judgments" can be regarded as idols.

Pray for our pope and bishops that they come to their senses.  Pray for our seminarians and help them become inoculated to the mental and spiritual poison being fed to them in their formative years.

Another Pile Of Dirt In the Malta Scandal

Yesterday I posted how Fra Matthew Festing, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta and by all accounts an exemplary Catholic, was strong-armed by Pope Francis into resigning his position.  A day later, Albrecht von Boeselager, the Grand Chancellor who Festing dismissed because he allowed a Malta organization to distribute condoms, was reinstated.  Most of us believe that this is yet another attack on Catholic morality.  Don't forget what Pope Francis said at the end of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family over a year ago: we faithful Catholics have to "mature".  However, there might have been an additional reason to reinstate Boeselager.

Today I saw on Pewsitter a link to a Vatican press release, published last year.  It announced the appointment of three new board of director members for the Vatican Bank.  one of them is Georg von Boeselager.  Yes, he and the disgraced-but-reinstated Condom Chancellor are brothers.  If anyone believes this is a coincidence (note the timing of events), they are inexcusably naive.

This sheds some new light - and questions - as to why the pope has literally attempted to seize control of a sovereign state.  Whether or not that attempt will hold water I don't know; I don't see how it can.  Other bloggers have pointed out that if this attempt stands, then the Vatican would have no rational defense if Italy were to attempt an annexation of the Vatican.

I believe more on this rather sordid matter will be coming to light soon.  Stay tuned.

Sometimes One Has To Laugh Or Cry

All real humor contains generous amounts of truth.  Sometimes it takes humor to get that truth across.  So while we pray and offer reparations for sins being committed by the Vatican officials, we can also relate only too well to these videos - at least I can.

Malta - Lastest Skirmish In The War Against Truth

Two weeks ago I wondered aloud about the dictatorial streak that was being displayed as he began his meddling in the internal affairs of the Knights of Malta.  I had proposed earlier that he was emulating Juan Peron, the infamous dictator who ruled his own native Argentina with an iron fist.  It is now becoming evident that what was a minor "streak" is evolving into a full-blown modus operandi.  No one who is watching his growing encroachment into the governance of the Knights of Malta can pretend otherwise.

The Knights' Grand Master, Fra Matthew Festing, was compelled to resign his position (a life-time appointment, by the way) by Pope Francis.  Recall that the Festing presided over the ouster of Grand Chancellor, Albrecht von Boeselager when the latter was implicated in a scheme to use the KofM's charitable arm to distribute condoms.  The Lepanto Institute, headed by Michael Hichborn, produced evidence pointing to Boeselager's guilt.  Apparently the latter has friends in high Vatican places.   Because Festing resisted the pope's arm-twisting and attempts to meddle in the internal governance of a sovereign state, he was ousted and now some "delegate" will be at the KofM's helm.  The Vatican took umbrage that Boeselager's dismissal occurred without "dialogue", but then seems to have given the heave-ho to Festing without "dialogue"; go figure!

But the sordid tale gets worse.  After Festing was forced to resign, Boeselager was reinstated into his old position.  So the Catholic official who upheld the teachings of the Church was kicked to the curb by Pope Francis while the dissident enabler of anti-life activities was affirmed in his sin.  Life Site News also touched on this travesty.  Read the comments.  One reader asked a very astute question in reaction: "No truth anymore?"  To me, the question isn't merely rhetorical; rather it gets to the heart of a lot of the ills with this papacy.

Yesterday I wrote how Pope Francis obscured the concept of objective truth.  I believe that is a key theme to so much of his mischief, whether or not it is deliberate on his part.  He seems intent on denying the existence of objective truth.  Witness how he mocks Catholics who are faithful to the Church's timeless teachings as "rigid", "neo-palegian", etc.  With Amoralis Lamentia, we see the none-too-subtle exaltation of subjective "conscience" over the objective truths of God's revealed moral teachings.  Truth is timeless and eternal.  It is immutable.  But those who revel in sin wish to deny that, for truth demands accountability.  Eliminate truth, they reason, so that accountability is likewise quashed.  I link now to a post written by Billy Graham three years ago that touches on the topic of truth versus lie, good versus evil.

That is why five years ago Father Guarnizo was ejected from my parish.  He stood for truth against the politically correct gay agenda and the ever-pandering DC chancery.  That is why the pope continues his efforts to marginalize Cardinal Burke (and the other faithful prelates).  That is why Fra Festing was ejected from his leadership role, in favor of the unfaithful Boeselager.  Rorate Caeli's commentary raises the question of whether or not the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI was obtained in a similar manner.  That is a valid question.

We'll see more instances of truth being rejected for oh-so-enticing lies.  We need to keep praying, with Rosaries in hand.  We need to keep speaking out.

Pope Francis Obscuring The Concept Of Truth In An Address To Media Workers

In a message for the World Day of Communications, Pope Francis urged media personnel to tell "good news".  Why?  The reason is, in his own words, to "work at overcoming that feeling of growing discontent.."  (The full text of his address can be read here.)  Now what is wrong with that?  Plenty!  Those in the media have the responsibility of telling the plain truth that is free of spin, be that spin "happy" or "sad".  It is NOT the media's job to "overcome feelings" or instill them or to engage in any kind of emotional manipulation whatsoever.  Any "spin", be it "happy" or "sad", is a distortion of truth and thus a sin against the Eighth Commandment.

The pope's message gets worse as we read along, for the very concept of truth itself is assailed.  He said (I kid you not)  "Life is not simply a bare succession of events, but a history, a story waiting to be told through the choice of an interpretative lens that can select and gather the most relevant data.  In and of itself, reality has no one clear meaning.  Everything depends on the way we look at things, on the lens we use to view them.  If we change that lens, reality itself appears different.  So how can we begin to “read” reality through the right lens?"

I was going to touch on another related topic in this post, but there's so much to unpack in that gobblygoop quote that the other topic will have to wait for another post.  I'll do this in bullet format.

• In and of itself, reality has no one clear meaning.  What kind of Jesuitical nonsense is that?  Reality is truth!  It stands on its own, regardless of subjective "interpretation".  Jesus declared that "I am the way, the truth and the life".  That is reality - but now the pope says what Jesus said has no clear meaning?  Well, given that this statement seems to be the pope's mindset, we can see how he justifies Amoralis Lamentia, the "breeding like rabbits" crack and his meddling in the Knights of Malta (that is the other topic to which I alluded earlier)
• Everything depends on the way we look at things.  That is the warped underpinnings of the permission given to adulterers to receive Holy Communion because "the way they look at things" they aren't steeped in mortal sin.  A rude awakening awaits them.
• Read reality through the right lens  Now wait a minute!  He just said that reality has no one clear meaning!  So how can there be a "right lens" for reality?  He just contradicted himself big-time!

He did say that for Christians the "right lens" is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Frankly I take no comfort in that.  What does he think the "right lens" might be for a Muslim?  The koran?  How about for an atheist?  Either the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Truth for all or it isn't the truth at all!  Of course the Gospel is the truth that stands on its own.

It would appear that Pope Francis does not believe in objective reality.  How then can he believe the truths that Jesus revealed through His Church, truths that are the pinnacle of objective reality?

Amoralis Lamentia Oozing Through The Archdiocese Of Washington

Long-time readers of this blog will recall the key roles that Pope Francis gave to Cardinal Wuerl during the two synods that were the cover for culminated in Amoralis Lamentia (see here and here).  Therefore it is no surprise that the Cardinal is singing the dubious praises of AL, giving great cause for concern for the over-emphasis on the role of subjective "conscience".

In the online version of the Catholic Standard, an article was released today dealing with a letter that the Cardinal sent to archdiocesan priests regarding Amoralis Lamentia.  As you read it, note the incorrect exaltation of subjective conscience.  Basically what he says is that all priests can do is remind their parishioners of what the Church teaches, but at the end of the day each person will do what he/or she wants based on their "conscience".  Completely lacking is any mention of the fact that if these "consciences" run counter to the Teachings of Jesus Christ, then any acquiescence to these "consciences" (in a saner time, they were called "temptations to sin") would be sinful - perhaps mortally sinful.

Note this quote from the Standard: "Our task as pastors of souls is to provide the guidance that we hope will lead the person to more fully grasp the teaching and make a right judgment,” the cardinal wrote. Noting the catechism’s teaching on forming and following one’s conscience, he added that priests “are called to walk with the faithful so that they might grasp, understand and make their own the teaching of the Church… But the person, not the priest, makes the final personal conscientious judgment.”

Do you notice how there's no mention of any remedy when these "final personal judgments" lead to mortal sin?  Please note that if a person continues in an action that he/she knows goes counter to the Teachings of Jesus in matters of marriage and sexuality, they already know it's a grave matter and they most likely have deliberated on it.  I believe those are the elements of mortal sin.  Remedy most certainly is needed in those cases for these people imperil their own souls and those of others (including their accomplices in adultery).

The article ends with a thinly-disguised dig at the four cardinals who issued their dubia.  It's not too surprising that Wuerl might do that since he most likely had some hand in the proceedings of the sin-nods, if not the crafting of Amoralis Lamentia itself.  However, not all share his opinion.  Last month Msgr Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington wrote a piece that appears in the National Catholic Register.  In that piece the Msgr stated his support of the dubia and restated clear teaching that de facto adulterers cannot be admitted to Holy Communion, "consciences" notwithstanding.

Faithful Catholics, Msgr Pope is quite correct.  Precisely because he's correct and is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, we need to lift him up in prayer and to make plain to the DC chancery that our eyes are open, lest he be subject to retribution, much like Father Guarnizo was five years ago when he withheld Holy Communion from a practicing lesbian.  I've also written before about the harassment being inflicted on the Knights of Malta.  Today things there took an ugly turn as we learned that the pope demanded the resignation of the Knight's Grand Master, Fra Matthew Festing.  All Festing did was what was required of him in dismissing the condom-dealing official.  Might Msgr Pope suffer similar vindictiveness?  We must watch and pray.

Why Did Catholic Groups Attend The March To Perdition?

Yesterday I commented on the "pussy hat" that many deluded women wore to the Women's March.  It turns out that the hat was somewhat innocuous compared to some of the get-up that many women wore.  To wit:

 As I said yesterday, this is a far cry from what I remember the feminist movement of the 1960s to be.  Can anyone believe that Susan Anthony, Elizabeth Stanton or any of the other earlier pioneers would have approved of this nonsense?

These gals claim that they want to be respected.  Respected for what?  There is a degree to which respect must be earned.  As you can see, many - maybe most of the women in attendance dressed and acted in ways demonstrating that they have no sense of dignity as human beings, let alone women.

These gals claim that they were concerned with a variety of issues.  Climate change, environmentalism, etc-etc, yada-yada was among them.  See how they demonstrated their concern for the environment as they departed from the orgy.  Great example, right?  By the way - I attended a number of Tea Party rallies a few years ago.  I can attest that we know better than these progressives.  Here's what they left behind.

Well, perhaps George Soros can clean up the mess.  It seems that his paw prints are all over this debacle.  According to this New York Times article, he has financial ties with about 50 of the "partners" that produced this orgy.  Recall that he was also one of Hillary's biggest donors.  These progressives like to pretend that the march was a "spontaneous groundswell".  Well, when big bucks influence things a bit, I'm sure it can be seen to be "spontaneous".  Right!

The presence of Soros influence and cash might be a reason why a pro-life women's organization was given the heave-ho.  Initially they were permitted to be a partner, but after some very nasty tweets (and perhaps other financially-based incentives), their status was rescinded.  I will now link to a Church Militant piece on the matter.  Embedded in that article is an interview with the president of that pro-life organization.

Now I will broach another troubling aspect of yesterday's March to Perdition.  These days, it seems that these affairs are never quite complete without some dissident Catholics literally selling their souls by striking hands with demonic forces.  Two Catholic institutions of higher learning (?) sent busloads of their students to the march in Minnesota.  I thought these schools were supposed to be forming the hearts and minds of students so that they would follow Christ and His Church, helping them towards eternal salvation.  Yesterday these schools sacrificed the souls of their students on the idolatrous altar of political correctness.  In Chicago, a bunch of Franciscans joined the perverts and pro-aborts in their revelry.  I embed a tweet from one of their Franciscan buddies.  He denies supporting abortion.  Well, be that as it may, they all gave aid and comfort to pro-aborts.  Even if they were initially unaware of the nature of the event, they were duty-bound to leave as soon as they did become aware.  Since these perverts were so brazen in their conduct, the Franciscans could not have remained oblivious for long.  They simply didn't care.  Now the tweet.

Proud of my #Franciscan brothers, marching in solidarity at #WomensMarch in #Chicago! @HolyNameProv pic.twitter.com/XltiPPgBkp

— Daniel P. Horan, OFM (@DanHoranOFM) January 21, 2017

Many, including me, rebuked them in comments.  I'd suggest all readers do the same.