Pro-Lifers Conduct Red Rose Rescues At Three Baby-Murder Centers

In three cities in the U.S. today - namely, Alexandria VA, Detroit MI, and Albuquerque NM, pro-life activists went into local death mills and offered red roses to mothers who were about to have their babies murdered.  When confronted by police, they refused to leave and were arrested.  I believe all have been released.  Moreover, three babies were saved.

I link now to the LifeSiteNews article detailing the Red Rose Rescue effort.  Please watch the video; the bottom video is the account of activity at the Alexandria mill; I've worked besides several of the people in various pro-life activism efforts.  Below is a video posted by Monica Miglorino Miller, who was at the Detroit rescue.  I echo her call at the end, that we would all rededicate ourselves to acting to bring about a Culture of Life.

Seamless Garment Adherents Are The Real Pharisees

As faithful Catholics know, the pope has a lamentable habit of insulting us precisely because we are faithful Catholics.  Not at all surprisingly, one big slur he hurls at us is that we are "pharisees" because we acknowledge that God's laws are as immutable as He is, and that they are to be obeyed by everyone in their entirety.  Of course that is not the essence of being a "pharisee".  What does that term mean?

I link to Mark 7:1-13.  The key phrase is in verse 13: "making void the word of God by your own tradition, which you have given forth".  I believe that sums up what it means to engage in pharisetical behavior: to create man-made precepts and to ascribe to them the status equal to that of God's own laws.

"Seamless garment" adherents do precisely that.  They regard their progressive causes - most notably illegal immigration amnesty, climate-change junk-science, and the abolition of the death penalty - with the same level of concern as they might regaard contraception, homosexual behavior, abortion.  Did I say "same level"?  In most cases the progressive causes are deemed worthy of more attention and effort than those matters that are truly intrinsic evils.  Moreover, I believe I've amply stated the case why these so-called "seamless garment" advocacies may well be sins in and of themselves: see here, here, here.

Within the past few days we've seen the progressive-controlled USCCB go ballistic because one of their pet causes is being dealt some well-needed blows and because Steve Bannon spoke truth to the liberal-pandering of the nation's bishops.  We have also seen hysterical cries for "climate-change" deniers to be jailed simply for disagreeing with progressive tyrants.  Toronto Catholic Witness advises us of a Franciscan friar who a) advocates criminalization of "climate change deniers" and b) advocating for gay rights.  By the way, as TCW makes plain, this friar is the quintessential pharisee: trashing God's moral teachings and substituting junk-science precepts.  He is not alone.  Many join him in earning that title; faithful Catholics who love Our Lord and His Traditions are not among that number.

Bannon's Truthful Rebuke Stings The Bishops In Their...

Did you think that last word was going to be "consciences"?  Don't be silly!  That last word is really "coffers".  Steve Bannon might not have realized it, but he spoke the only language that the US bishops seem to heed: the language of $ka-ching$.  A video of Bannon's interview is found here.  When queried by Charlie Rose about Cardinal Dolan's displeasure with President Trump's actions on DACA, Bannon correctly responds that the USCCB's stance on DACA is not doctrine - progressive pretenses notwithstanding (I hold that it is the USCCB that stands in sin owing to its facilitation of illegal immigration).  Moreover, Bannon is correct that the bishops have an economic interest in illegal immigration.  However, he seems to limit that interest to the filling of church pews.  In reality, it goes much further for the Church hierarchy receives federal grants for the "processing" of aliens, and the amounts of those grants is proportional to the number of immigrants.

Cardinal Dolan, when he heard of Bannon's interview, got his knickers in a royal knot.  Breitbart has the low-down on that.  Dolan quoted Bannon as saying that the only reason they (bishops) care about illegals is for economic reasons.  You can see it in the first few paragraphs of the linked piece.   The title states that "Dolan bears false witness".  Well yes, but I think it's more than that.  I think Cardinal Dolan uttered a quintessential Freudian slip.  I've no bones opining that $$$ is a prime motivating factor in their shilling for illegal immigration.

Yesterday the pope got in on the act.  Of course the blather happened on a plane (mathematical equation alert!  plane+pope+reporters=insults+heresies+blasphemies).  He went so far as to cast doubt on the president's pro-life beliefs because of his termination of DACA.  Whatever happened to "who am I to judge?"  Does that apply only to those flaunting mortal sins of sodomy?  But I digress.

The pope said of Trump, "he presents himself as a pro-life man. If he is a good pro-lifer, he should understand that the family is the cradle of life and you must defend its unity."  A goodly number of pro-life leaders replied to that statement as they came to Trump's defense.  I might add one more key thing.  If the pope is pro-life, he will do all he can to protect and promote the encyclical Humanae Vitae.  He can start by dismantling that commission that was assembled to "study", that is, weaken this key encyclical.  Humanae Vitae must stand.  Contraception, an intrinsic evil, must be seen for what it is: a satanic instrument of death and destruction.  The pope casting doubts on the president's pro-life credentials?  Never did I think I'd see the day when I trust the White House more than the Vatican, but now that has come to pass.

Magnum Principium - A Liturgical Disaster

Magnum Principium is the name of the Motu Propitio released by Pope Francis today.  It will take effect October 1, 2017.  Rorate Caeli has an excellent analysis so I don't need to reinvent that wheel.  In essence though, this papal directive will ascribe to local bishops' conferences the authority to amend liturgical texts and actions based on local proclivities.  Now just think of the wide range of differences that exist with the conferences' varying interpretations of Amoralis Lamentia; also consider that in the case of AL, the interpretations that most widely diverge from Sacred Tradition are the ones validated by this pope.

One Peter Five has an analysis, too.  In that one, this MP is contrasted to Quo Primum by Pope St. Pius V.  The latter was written to unify the liturgies of all the Church into one text and format.

I can only surmise that this Motu Propitio is just the latest deliberated step in the progressives' ultimate goal to undermine the papacy.  Recall that Our Lord called Peter "the rock on which I'll build my church".  If the rock should crack that would seriously compromise the integrity of the Church.  Our Lord promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, but He never promised that the church would be unscathed.  In fact, while the Church would survive (in one fashion or another) it could be so battered as to be unable to attend to millions of souls.

Another troubling aspect of potential liturgy-tampering may be found in the phrase "lex orandi lex credendi lex vivandi".  In other words, as you pray you believe, and as you believe you live.

UPDATE - Another phrase to describe the anticipated results of this motu is Liturgical Anarchy.

ADW Choir Sings Backup For Gay Performer

From time to time I do not receive my copy of the Catholic Standard in the mail, and I strongly suspect that's by design.  As soon as I pick up a copy from a church lobby I see the reason why my delivery was sabotogued.  That happened today; it only took about 20 seconds to deduce the reason.  First some background.

Barry Manilow is a singer who has been popular since the 1970s.  Recently he announced that not only was he gay, but he considers himself "married" to his accomplice in sodomy.

On page 9 of the Standard's print copy, and here online, we read that the choir from Saint Columba Church in Oxon Hill sang backup for Manilow when he performed at MGM National Harbor Theater on July 24 & 25.  Apparently when he goes to his different venues to perform, he invites local choirs to sing with him.

Several choir members gave reasons why they thought this idea was so wonderful: "bring awareness of the church", "something out there bigger than they are".  In striking hands with someone who is in fact living in objective mortal sin, they render moot all the lofty ideals that they enunciated.  Would it not have been better for them to decline the invitation politely by stating that their partnership with him would have signaled to the world tacit approval of his deviant lifestyle?  Might not preference for Christ's moral teachings over fleeting fame have been more of a powerful witness to the Church?

Instead this choir disgraced themselves for a mere moment of fame.  The Standard is likewise to be ashamed of itself (once again) for crowing giddily about this moral compromise of this choir.  I cannot imagine either this choir nor the Standard taking such stances had it been a white supremist outfit asking for the choir's singing abilities at some event of their's.  They would have been indignant at the idea, and rightly so.  So why the compromise in regards to Manilow?

Support Of Illegal Immigration Is Inherently Sinful

If a parent steals something and gives it to his/her child, is the child penalized when he/she is compelled to return the stolen goods or make other reparation?  Common sense - and Catholic moral theology answer "no", for the child should never have come into the possession of the goods in the first place.  Let's add another dimension.  Say the child receives the contraband as a minor, then becomes aware of the theft when he reaches the age of majority.  Is he/she required to make restitution?  Again, the answer is yes, for he/she may not knowingly accept benefit from the commission of sin.  Should they do so, they themselves become guilty of cooperation with the sin of their parents.  I link now to a post that I created several months ago; therein is a video that explains the nine ways in which a person can become an accessory to the sin of another, thus incurring guilt for his own sin.  Bear all this in mind as you read the account below.

We all know that President Trump has decided to undo the patently unconstitutional stunt initiated by the Messiah Most Miserable known as DACA (Deferred Action for Child Arrivals).   Compare the screed spewed from the USCCB to the statements issued by both the White House and the Department of Homeland Security.  While those impacted are children of illegal immigrants, it is important to note that they are now adults as opposed to non-emancipated minors.  They are now responsible for their own lives.  If they haven't taken measures to correct their own immigration status, they have no one to blame for the consequences but themselves.

I became aware of this account of a "dreamer priest", Father Rey Pineda, through a facebook friend of mine.  As I read this account, I detected no trace of him trying to rectify his status.  He went to school in Georgia and then discerned a vocation; "he felt God was calling him to be a priest but his spiritual path was blocked.  He was a dreamer".  Excuse me, but isn't part of priestly preparation to remove moral impediments from one's life?  He knew he was here in disobedience to legitimate national laws: laws that have basis in Section 2241 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Now recall the video that I mentioned in the first paragraph, and count the ways that Father Pineda actively cooperates with the sin that his parents committed:

• Consent - That is evident in the absence of any steps to correct his status.
• Defense of evil done  No where does he express regret for the flouting of U.S. law.
• Partaking as a "dreamer".  If his seminary formation was facilitated by the dream act, then his priestly formation would be an ironic act of cooperating with sin.  I hope that's not the case

Other ways that he might be cooperating with the sin of evading US immigration laws would be counsel, provocation, praise.  We cannot say "silence" is a chosen means of such cooperation, for he is quite strident in his crowing about his sin.

So his deportation would be a loss to his flock?  Really?  Who would really seek him out in the confessional, knowing he doesn't give a whit about legitimate civic law?  We Catholics are called to obedience to such laws and not only when convenient.  The sacrament itself would be efficacious since it doesn't depend on the worthiness of the minister, but his counsel might be suspect.

One troubling aspect about the hierarchy's embrace of progressive positions is that church authorities too often strike hands with politicians who foment the Culture of Death.  Father Pineda did precisely that by his partnering rabidly pro-abortion Dick Durbin.  Thanks to Pineda's own celebration of his sin, he lent to Durbin a credibility that the latter simply doesn't deserve.  By the way - this is the same Dick Durbin who questioned the Catholic faith of an Appeals Court Nominee.  Got that?  Durbin is very supportive of the Catholic faith of a potential puppet, but takes a dim view of the Catholic faith of a Trump nominee.  That's whom Pineda - this shill for illegal immigration - helped to legitimize.

Let's get back to DACA and illegal immigration in general.  If you haven't yet, please read the linked press releases of the USCCB, White House, and DHS.  If you noticed the USCCB waxing hysterical, you are quite correct.  I won't rehash it all, but the USCCB and Catholic Charities are funded by the feds.  Part of that funding has to do with the number of immigrants - including illegal - that they process.  The amount of funding is based on headcount!  Yes!  If the number of illegal immigrants in this country declines, so too does the amount of funding that the Church hierarchy receives.  Maybe the USCCB's overly-vaunted concern for "the strangers we must welcome" is not completely altruistic.

DACA as promulgated by Obama was patently unconstitutional.  Congress needs to act on this matter, and act first and foremost for the citizens whom they represent - who voted for them and who pay their salaries.

Prayer Of Thanksgiving For The Closing Of Germantown Abortuary

As mentioned last week, the Germantown Reproductive Health Services and its sister abortuary, Prince Georges Reproductive Health Services, have been sold.  Both mills committed baby-slaughter for the last time last week.  On Monday, September 4 (Labor Day) at 9:30 am, a group of us gathered for thanksgiving prayer outside the office park where GRHS was formerly located.

Because Maryland is still an abortionist's dream location, owing to the horrid political climate, we've no doubt that Carhart and/or Charlie Browne will try to set up shop elsewhere in Maryland.  For updates, please check www.prayforgermantown.com.  The clip of our prayer time is below.

Progressive Vatican Hyenas Frothing At The Mouth

One such critter is Father James Martin, author of the misnamed "Building Bridges".  That screed is nothing more than a lame attempt to normalize the mortal sin of homosexual perversion.  Happily Father Martin has been and is being rebuked by fellow clergy.  Cardinal Robert Sarah, in a piece published in the Wall Street Journal, reminded him that "those who speak on behalf of the Church must be faithful to the unchanging teachings of Christ"  (italics mine).

Pssst!  Father Martin!  The Catholic Church has always had the best bridge for those living in perversion to come back to the Church!  It's called the Sacrament of Confession!  You cannot improve on that!

Archbishop Chaput spoke similar words in his regular column in the newspaper of the Philadelphia archdiocese.  In that column Chaput reminds Martin (and all of us) that "the church is not simply about unity - as valuable as that is - but about unity in God's love rooted in truth."

The archbishop's words were enough to arouse the ire of Father Thomas Rosica.  It doesn't take too much to get his dander up. I could spend an hour unpacking the errors in this latest of Rosica's rants, but I don't want him monopolizing my time.  You might recall that Father Rosica actually attempted to sue one of my blogging colleagues at Vox Cantoris for calling him out on various heresies; his Vatican superiors put the kibosh on that stunt.  However, Rosica, in that column, took the occasion to lambast faithful Catholic bloggers as "the dark, dysfunctional side of the Catholic blogosphere...erecting high, impenetrable walls and noisy echo chambers of monologue.”  With respect to his badmouthing of us bloggers, maybe someone should remind him that "to use clerical status, episcopal authority, or other forms of leadership to dismiss, disparage or slam the efforts of those who simply want to reach those on the peripheries is not befitting of shepherds, pastors or servants of the Lord. It has nothing to do with the Gospel! It is not who we are!"  Now who originally uttered those words??  Hmm...!

Professor Josef Seifert is another faithful Catholic who has taken issue with Amoralis Lamentia.  I related a few days ago how he (and many others) were expelled from the Pontifical Council for Life to make room for dissenters.  We now learn that he was fired from his position at the International Academy of Philosophy in Granada by the local Archbishop Martinez Fernandez.  Seifert rightly pointed out that if unrepentant adulterers and sodomites were seen as justified, then the same could happen for anyone else embroiled in any intrinsic moral evil.  He called AL a "theological atomic bomb".  That was enough to get him sacked.  I suspect that if Seifert advocated for more perversion, he might have been offered tenure.

Moral of the story?  When one advocates for rank disobedience to God's moral laws, today's Vatican rewards them with prominent positions.  When one defends the timeless teachings of Jesus Christ, the current hierarchy, headed by Pope Francis, plunges the long knives in their back. The persecution is real and is becoming ever more stark; be watchful and praying.

Rehumanize International - A Veritable Snake In The Grass

On Facebook I noticed that some pro-life friends of mine, highly respected, "liked" an outfit called Rehumanize International.  If you go to that page, you'll see that they oppose abortion, euthanasia, and other intrinsic evils.  They also oppose capital punishment and nuclear armament, which are not intrinsic evils.  Ladies and gentlemen, when both categories are mish-mashed together in one list, my "seamless garment" red flags start flying.  Therefore I did some research.  Regrettably my suspicions about RI's moral base are confirmed.  Notice that there are intrinsic, anti-life evils that they don't list: contraception, homosexual lifestyle, attacks on marriage and family.

President Trump Proclaims Sunday, Sept 3 2017 As A National Day Of Prayer

This proclamation is occasioned by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana.  No sane person can gainsay the need for prayer, not only for relief for the hurricane victims but for the grace of national repentance on account of this nation's profound spiritual and moral decay.

Tomorrow is Sept 3 and Sunday, the day of the week that the Third Commandment binds us to keep holy by attending Mass.  While there - particularly during the Prayers of the Faithful - let's lift up our nation, and do so again as we pray our Rosaries.

Now the proclamation as it is found on the White House page..

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Hurricane Harvey first made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Rockport, Texas, on the evening of August 25, 2017.  The storm has since devastated communities in both Texas and Louisiana, claiming many lives, inflicting countless injuries, destroying or damaging tens of thousands of homes, and causing billions of dollars in damage.  The entire Nation grieves with Texas and Louisiana.  We are deeply grateful for those performing acts of service, and we pray for healing and comfort for those in need.

Americans have always come to the aid of their fellow countrymen -- friend helping friend, neighbor helping neighbor, and stranger helping stranger -- and we vow to do so in response to Hurricane Harvey.  From the beginning of our Nation, Americans have joined together in prayer during times of great need, to ask for God's blessings and guidance.  This tradition dates to June 12, 1775, when the Continental Congress proclaimed a day of prayer following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and April 30, 1789, when President George Washington, during the Nation's first Presidential inauguration, asked Americans to pray for God's protection and favor.  

When we look across Texas and Louisiana, we see the American spirit of service embodied by countless men and women.  Brave first responders have rescued those stranded in drowning cars and rising water.  Families have given food and shelter to those in need.  Houses of worship have organized efforts to clean up communities and repair damaged homes.  Individuals of every background are striving for the same goal -- to aid and comfort people facing devastating losses.  As Americans, we know that no challenge is too great for us to overcome.

As response and recovery efforts continue, and as Americans provide much needed relief to the people of Texas and Louisiana, we are reminded of Scripture's promise that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  Melania and I are grateful to everyone devoting time, effort, and resources to the ongoing response, recovery, and rebuilding efforts.  We invite all Americans to join us as we continue to pray for those who have lost family members or friends, and for those who are suffering in this time of crisis.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 3, 2017, as a National Day of Prayer for the Victims of Hurricane Harvey and for our National Response and Recovery Efforts.  We give thanks for the generosity and goodness of all those who have responded to the needs of their fellow Americans.  I urge Americans of all faiths and religious traditions and backgrounds to offer prayers today for all those harmed by Hurricane Harvey, including people who have lost family members or been injured, those who have lost homes or other property, and our first responders, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and medical professionals leading the response and recovery efforts.  Each of us, in our own way, may call upon our God for strength and comfort during this difficult time.  I call on all Americans and houses of worship throughout the Nation to join in one voice of prayer, as we seek to uplift one another and assist those suffering from the consequences of this terrible storm.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.

DONALD J. TRUMP