Louisiana Supreme Court Orders Priest To Violate Confessional Seal

In the Diocese of Baton Rouge, LA - 5 years ago - a 12-yr old girl allegedly went to Confession and reported to the priest, Fr. Jeff Bayhi, that she was being sexually abused.  She reported that he counseled that she remain silent on the matter.

The parents filed suit against Fr. Bayhi and the Diocese of Baton Rouge and are trying to compel Father Bayhi to comment about what the girl said in confession.  In other words, they're demanding that he violate the Seal of Confession.  The LA Supreme Court is joining in the demand.

Ladies and gentlemen, a priest may never - under any circumstances - divulge what he heard in the Confessional.  If he dares to do so, he incurs automatic excommunication, imperiling his own immortal soul.  This is nothing more than an attempt to marginalize Catholics as they freely live out their faith.

The Diocese of Baton Rouge has issued their statement.  They intend to take this matter to the Supreme Court, if necessary.  For now, I'd suggest an immediate cessation to the "face-to-face" option that is currently available in parishes.  That was a lousy idea from the get-go.

Saint John Nepomucene, pray for us.

Seeking Unity With Evangelicals - But On What Basis?

Today Charismanews published a piece detailing a meeting that Pope Francis had with some evangelical leaders - among them Kenneth Copeland.  If I understand properly, the Holy Father recorded a greeting, telecast to several of the leaders' congregations, in which he expressed a "desire that Christians would become family and not be divided".  Ladies and gentlemen, let's "cut to the chase", shall we?  There is only one way that can happen, and that is if these congregations, from the pastors on down, convert to the Roman Catholic Faith - the One True Church.  Only in the Roman Catholic Church can they find the fullness of Christ's teachings and the Sacraments that He instituted.  I realize that most of them were born into their respective denominations and have little culpability for schism, but they still must "cross the Tiber" as it were.

According to James Robison (one of the evangelical leaders in attendance), the Holy Father "challenged Catholics never try to control the Holy Spirit but yield to Him".  We Catholics understand what that means, but do the evangelical leaders have that same understanding - particularly Kenneth Copeland and John Arnott?

Copeland is a huge promoter of a vary dangerous spiritual practice known under various names: slain in the spirit, resting in the spirit, drunk in the spirit, Toronto blessing (owing to Arnott's contribution to it), soaking prayer, holy laughter (I'm sure there are others).  I've seen this with my own eyes - several times.  Before the reform of the Mother of God Community in the mid 1990s, the practice was becoming commonplace there before Cardinal Hickey definitively forbade it.  I myself never joined in for I could sense the spiritual danger in submitting to an experience that had basis in neither Holy Scripture nor the Tradition of the Catholic Church.

Below I post a video of one such "holy laughter" session featuring Kenneth Copeland.  In the beginning, the late Kenneth Hagin is leading the meeting (when he can stand up without babbling, that is).  Toward the middle Copeland can be seen next to him as they're both sprawled on the floor - I believe he's wearing a white jacket and red shirt.  Here is the write-up from where I got the video.  The author's observations closely correlate to my own from almost 20 years ago.  The behaviors of the various people are quite identical to what I saw in MOG before Cardinal Hickey's intervention.  I'd like to point out that I later did some research into this phenomenon and discovered some reason for my own instinctive revulsion; the practice is heretical and is steeped in eastern religious and even occultic practices.

Does it sound like I'm digressing from the Pope's meeting to Copeland's heresies?  Not really.  If we don't understand that without a solid, explicitly-stated basis in the Fullness of truth that can be found in the Roman Catholic Church, practices such as the "slain in the spirit" stuff can seduce the unwary - as it did so many of my friends.  Now the video.

Why Did Pope Francis Make A Joke Out Of The Creation Of Eve?

I've said it before and I'll say it now.  The Holy Father's attempts at spontaneous interviews often yield disastrous results.  He gave an interview to Il Messagero, and the reporter seems to have been a feminist.  She was implying that there's misogyny in the Church.  He attempted to reply in the form of a joke: "the fact is that woman was taken from a rib..(laughes)... I'm kidding, that's a joke."

Really?  The Genesis account of the creation of man and woman is a joke?  Since when is Holy Scripture a joke?  There has been some discussion about the creation of the universe and other animal species, but the Church has always taught that Adam and Eve were real people who were created immediately by God and infused with souls.  See Humani Generis by Pope Pius XII.   Pope Francis' lame attempt at humor (presuming it's that innocent) undermines the teaching of the Church in that matter.  I only hope and pray that he did not deny the Genesis account of the creation of Adam and Eve.

When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio accepted the papal election last year, he accepted a calling that is his 24/7/365.  There is no "punching the clock", as it were.  In the eyes of so many, every deed and utterance is taken as God's holy will for the Church.  Most of his deeds and utterances will not happen ex cathedra but he will bear immense responsibility for any scandal caused by any carelessness.

These interviews should cease immediately.  What we are seeing is a key reason why his predecessors never granted these.  Why does he not learn from their wise practices?

Thomas Rowan, Former Standard Editor - Requiscat In Pace

From this week's Catholic Standard I learned that Tom Rowan, former editor of the Catholic Standard (he preceded Mark Zimmerman) passed away last Sunday.  He retired from the Standard in 1991 - approximately 23 years ago.  Zimmerman extolled the praises of Rowan.  It is a rare occasion when I agree with Zimmerman, but this is one such occasion.  Perhaps Zimmerman can learn a bit if he rereads his own words.

Zimmerman rightly points out that Rowan had no bones about "fearlessly taking on a cast of villains that included the ACLU, Washington Post, Catholic pro-abortion politicians" and "lambasting rogue theologians".  Indeed I remember some of those columns; he wasn't afraid to speak the truth.  He wasn't afraid to hear it either, as the Standard featured a "letters to the editor" column.  Sadly, that important component of journalistic professionalism seemed to have disappeared when he left the Standard.

Soon after Rowan's retirement, Cardinal Hickey retired and then-Archbishop McCarrick took the helm at the Archdiocese of Washington.  Far from being one to "lambast rogue theologians", McCarrick openly rubbed elbows and struck hands with them, going so far as to sign the Land O' Lakes Statement that openly welcomed heresy on Catholic college campuses in the US.  As far as CINO pro-abortion politicians and others go?  As this post states, I've led numerous pickets of events where Cardinal McCarrick honored Ted Kennedy, John Sweeney, etc.

Then of course there's the disappearance of the Standard's "letters to the editor" column.  It happened at the time Cardinal McCarrick made known his disdain for Canon 915.  I have it on inside information that the decision to halt the column was made in reaction to the hundreds, if not thousands, of angry letters pouring in to denounce the Cardinal's position; mine was one of them.  That cessation of the "letters to the editor" column was a key impetus to the start of this blog.

As I ponder Mr. Rowan's passing, I wonder if he would have stood still for such muzzling of truth at the newspaper to which he devoted 40 years of his life had he not retired.  Whatever, much integrity of the Standard left with him.

Priorities Before The Festivities Of The Fourth

Before we celebrate our once-great nation, we need to take an honest assessment of it.  If you've read this blog and others like it - and have been paying attention to current events - you'll realize that the United States of America is undergoing serious decay on all fronts.  The deterioration has been primarily spiritual and moral as we've forgotten and even disdained our Christian roots and the Lord Jesus Christ.  The decay naturally spread into economic and military aspects of our nation.

Our responsibility as Christians is to pray and work for repentance of all.  Only then dare we entertain any hope of abating this rapid deterioration of our country - and western civilization, for that matter.

As well as being Independence Day, today is First Friday.  Have you gone to Mass yet?  If not, I'd suggest looking on the internet for a First Friday Mass that you can attend.  Our Lord gave to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque very specific promises to those who receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays; can we not agree that in this day and age that these graces are desperately needed?

Also, tomorrow is First Saturday.  Our Lady of Fatima made additional promises to those who make reparation for sins and blasphemies of others.  Please read this brief account.  Again, do we not see that our poor world needs all the graces that our poor actions can procure for it?  Those of you away on a nice holiday weekend - please go to Mass tomorrow as well.  Everything else can wait.

I'll end this by quoting 2 Chronicles 7:14 (from the Douay-Rheims version): "And my people, upon whom my name is called, being converted, shall make supplication to me, and seek out my face, and do penance for their most wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land."

Who are "my people"?  That's us, folks!  The responsibility is laid squarely on our shoulders.  Let's move.

Carhart's Indiana Abortuary Among Three Mills Closed This Week

Operation Rescue announced the happy news that three places where children were being murdered are now defunct.  One of them is a baby-killing center where Leroy Carhart worked one day per week.  The place in Indianapolis where Carhart worked was called Affiliated Women's Services and was owned by Lois Bennett.  It seems she owed about $20,000 in county taxes; the place was seized and will be sold at auction so that some of those taxes can be recouped.  It also appears that the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana was investigating the mill over questions related to patient safety.

Operation Rescue broached the Indiana officials about those matters and the latter at least seemed to address them with professionalism and impartiality.  They also broached the State of Maryland regarding Carhart after he sent his third Maryland victim to a hospital (one of them a fatality).  However, the Maryland State government, with the de facto abortuary employees that inhabit high offices in Maryland, have largely turned a blind eye to Carhart's many deficiencies.

Ladies and gentlemen - particularly Maryland citizens - this is why the upcoming election in November is so critical. (Reminder - Faithful Catholics of MD/DC Inc is not a 501c3 charity.  We can make any political statement that we wish).  We need to clean house in Maryland - that means Anthony Brown cannot be allowed to move into the State House; vote for Larry Hogan for governor.  We need to eject the NARAL puppets - including Joshua Sharfstein - from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and other related state agencies.  We also need to rid county-level governments - particularly Montgomery County and Baltimore City - of the NARAL lackeys who wasted taxpayer dollars to try to stymie the First Amendment rights of pro-life pregnancy centers.  Only then do we stand half a chance of abating the slaughter within the State of Maryland.  I'll have more on the elections later.

I rejoice at the closure of Carhart's Indiana mill.  I only regret that this might mean he'll spend more time in Germantown killing babies.

Apostate Bishops And Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants

When waffling/politician bishops stick their noses into issues such as immigration, gun-control, minimum wage, etc they often find themselves in squalid associations with pro-abortion politicians.  Perhaps "find themselves in" is not an accurate phrase.  The phrase "actively seek out" probably describes their mindsets much more accurately - particularly if they hanker after the perks that come with rubbing elbows with the worldly rich and powerful who flout God's laws.

Such was the case last Friday with Cardinal Dolan, as he teamed up with rabidly pro-abortion and pro-sodomite Chuck Schumer to shill for amnesty for illegal immigrants.  Ignore the obviously left-wing bias of the Irish Central as you read the account of their joint photo-op at the Statue of Liberty.  Notice one key concept in one statement of Cardinal Dolan's; it's a concept that seems to have gone over his head.  Here's the statement.  "I would not be here if my great-grandfather Patrick Dolan was turned away in 1852.
I'm a pastor and every great religion welcomes the immigrant. It is fundamental and moral.."

Like Cardinal Dolan, I am primarily of Irish descent.  I would imagine his great-grandfather arrived here by way of Ellis Island, as did most of my ancestors.  My ancestors arrived at Ellis Island, respecting the laws of their new host nation and quite prepared to comply with immigration policies at that time; I presume that was the case with the Cardinal's great-grandfather.  They did not come skulking across the border for they knew such actions were inherently criminal and immoral.

To the right I have posted a very helpful chart to explain to Dolan and his progressive donors friends just exactly why we oppose amnesty for those here illegally.  I don't think they care; in fact, they do their utmost to obfuscate the issues to make people of common sense out to be hateful xenophobes (as exemplified in the Irish Central article).  More and more people are waking up; see this account of citizens of a southern California town who didn't want their hometown used as a haven for busloads of these people.

There's no doubt in my mind that these progressives simply see illegal aliens as those who will be dependent on them for everything - and who will vote them into power.  Nancy Pelosi has been shilling for amnesty for some time now, although not as fervently as she shilled for Obamacare and unrestrained baby-murder.  Recently Sarah Palin demonstrated her ability to pin Pelosi down, stating that Pelosi is more interested in illegal aliens than in unborn children.

I wonder if the latter statement can be said of Cardinal Dolan and so many of the progressive "social justice" USCCB-types within the Catholic hierarchy?  Given the amount of effort spent on each issue, I'd have to opine "YES".

Apostate Bishops - Key Factor In Today's Crisis In The Catholic Church

Why did Cardinal Dolan allow St. Francis of Assisi to conduct their "pre-pride mass" while sending a faithful priest packing?  Why did Cardinal Wuerl have Father Guarnizo ousted from the Archdiocese of Washington while apologizing to lesbians who didn't have their mortal sin validated at St. John Neumann Church?  The list of questions could go on and on.   Please watch.

Vortex Expose On St. Francis Of Assisi In NYC - What Will Cardinal Dolan Do???

I believe we already know the answer to the above question.  Regular readers of this blog will recognize this sodomite enclave as I have mentioned it in writing about Holy Innocents Parish and Father Wylie.

Cardinal Dolan will look the other way and let the gay-enablers at St Francis do as they please.  He either doesn't care or finds himself in sympathy with the sin of sodomy.  Otherwise, he'd act.  Whatever else we can say of his abysmal treatment of Father Wylie, Dolan acted with resolve and alacrity; he can move when he wants to!  He doesn't care to do so here.  Just think - Dolan was a past president of the USCCB.

No Roman Catholic Church, No Jesus

In today's Vortex, Michael Voris is offering commentary on an address given by Pope Francis this past Wednesday.  Father Zuhlsdorf also offered some commentary.  There's no gainsaying that only the Roman Catholic Church has the fullness of God's revelation and the sacraments.  I thank His Holiness for stating that quite clearly.  I would only wish he could have been so clear when it came to that debacle in the Vatican Gardens a few weeks ago.