USCCB Immigration Pandering - Ulterior Motives Exposed

Brad Miner of The Catholic Thing wrote a piece entitled "Why the Catholic Bishops Are Wrong on Immigration."  I'd suggest that all read it.  I'd suggest a small but significant change in the title; change "Catholic Bishops" to "USCCB Bureaucrats and Administrators" as it is the latter who actually call the shots at the USCCB while hiding behind the robes of the bishops.  Among other things, he points out the USCCB has far more permissive attitudes towards illegal aliens coming from our southern borders than they harbor for immigrants hailing from other areas of the world.

Dexter Duggan of the Wanderer took what Miner wrote and placed it in context with the immigration battle as it looms in Congress today.  His article is reproduced in Angelqueen.org.  Let me sum that up.  The US Senate has already come up with its excuse of an "immigration reform" bill.  Led by Harry Reid and enabled by the "Gang of Eight (now including Marco Rubio)", this bill does nothing in terms of securing the southern border and dealing with the illegal aliens who are already here.  They understand that a similar bill does not have a snowball's chance in hell of ever getting passed.  Thus the progressives, from Obama on down, are trying a different strategy.  They just want the House to pass some sort of immigration bill.  Once this bill is passed, it will go to joint conference along with the Senate version.  It is in this conference that the progressives plan to strip all border control provisions from the House bill and then ram this joint bill through both Houses again.  Defenders of sovereignty understand that the best alternative would be to keep the House from bringing any "immigration bill" to the floor.

Now, in the minds and dreams of the progressives, enters the USCCB with its push to lobby the House of Representatives to pass "immigration reform".  Recall that right now the progressives aren't too particular on the particulars, as it were.  Their sights are set on the joint-conference version of the bill, but the House must pass a bill as a precursory step.  Notice that all the pressure is being put on the House of Representatives.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why the Messiah Most Miserable and his Minions Most Mindless (particularly those in the USCCB, and I do mean you, Kevin Appleby!) are going "full press" on this matter.  Let me now refer you to Father Z's blog; pay attention to his quote from Apostolos Suos, that reminds us that the USCCB does not speak with Magisterial authority, pretensions to the contrary.

I suppose both the USCCB and the Obama regime consider this arrangement a "win-win" proposition.  From the USCCB perspective:

• They ingratiate themselves with the regime, gaining access to money and some political leverage
• They think they gain new Catholics in the pews - except that many of them join protestant sects upon arrival

From the regime's perspective:

• This, coupled with opposition to voter id requirements, gains them a whole new voting block - and just in time for the 2014 elections!  How convenient!
• More demand will be put on American society for social services, etc, granting the regime prime opportunities to implement Cloward-Piven and an whole host of other Alinskyian tactics to bring about their socialist utopia.
• Pro-abort and pro-sodomy pols get to appear in a positive light by championing "compassion" and even win some photo-ops (Think of Obama at the Al Smith Dinner just before the election.)

So there you have it!  The Obama regime needs the House of Representatives to pass some sort of "comprehensive immigration reform" bill, so they send out marching orders to their adoring puppets, including Appleby et al in the USCCB.  Right away, they snap to attention, cry out "Yessuh, Massuh!", and waste no time doing the regime's imperial bidding!

Don't believe me?  Well, to my readers in Montgomery County MD, you probably picked up the latest Our Parish Times (for August 2013) with your bulletins after today's Mass.  Go to page 32 and look at that big gray box on the bottom right.  What do you suppose that is?  Notice that none of those "bullet points" says one thing about securing our national borders.  Notice the term "undocumented persons" instead of making plain that these folks are willfully breaking our laws.  If, for some reason you were pulled over by a police officer but left your license at home, would you get away with claiming to be an "undocumented driver"?  I expect to see similar drivel in the next issue of the Catholic Standard.  Since this is a national campaign, this sort of thing will most likely start popping up everywhere.

Some deluded souls at the USCCB no doubt think they are being "compassionate".  They are, in fact playing into the hands of progressives who want nothing more than to eviscerate this country so that atheism and socialism may prevail.  Will we let that occur?  Contrary to the whining of the USCCB puppets, I'm suggesting that you lobby your Representative to sit tight on any "comprehensive immigration" bill until we can get some intelligent people in both Houses after the 2014 elections.

Catholic Charities Gets Well-Deserved Comeuppance

President Trump announced that he was going to enforce our immigration laws and not allow the border-crashing criminals to get away with their crimes. Imagine that!  The president of the United States actually fulfilling his constitutionally-appointed duties.  However, progressive organizations carrying the name "Catholic" in their names understand that their incomes will dry up in the process.  To be specific, they will be expelled from the Federal teats (that is, our tax dollars) since "immigration processing" is a major reason for them receiving Federal grants.

Faithful Catholics have documented many times how Catholic Charities branches, particularly those located near the southern border, receive billions of federal dollars (that originate as withholdings from our paychecks).  That link details other evils committed by Catholic Charities over the years: needle exchange programs, driving young girls to abortion appointments, trafficking of children.

Well, Catholic Charities got wind of the newly-invigorated enforcement, as ICE and other agencies started snatching up illegals for deportation.  They released the video below, showing that they are entirely complicit in the de facto breaking and entering that these guys (and yes, it's mostly young males) have been doing, all on the federal (i.e., your) dime.  Observe.  A little translation: this woman says "undocumented"; that means "here illegally".  I doubt that she would call a burglar breaking into her home "an undocumented house guest".

So here you have it - a Catholic organization telling criminals how to evade the law.  President Trump was having none of that.  He made clear that any such organization who aided and abetted criminals could not reasonably expect the government to fund them.  Catholic Charities was literally slapping the hand that fed them and they expected that hand to keep on doling out the cash.  Had that hand been Biden's, that might have happened.. Wait!  Scratch that!  Biden would never have started to enforce the border at all!

Right on cue, the Maryland Catholic Conference ordered the parishes to email all their parishioners some very disingenuous blather regarding immigration.  The text is on their site.  You will notice immediately that there is no distinction between legal immigration and illegal immigration.  The lack of distinction is so egregious that we can call it deliberate deception - a lie.

President Trump, to his immense credit, announced the defunding of not only Catholic Charities, but any NGO that facilitated the breaking of immigration law.  Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, mentioned Catholic Charities by name when queried by a reporter about the matter.  This screen shot from a Facebook page lists some others.

It says that Catholic Charities will soon be bankrupt.  Perhaps the creator of that meme was simply being facetious, but we all know that a significant part of Catholic Charities' budget does come from federal grants.  In-pew collections?  Well, they haven't received a penny from me in several decades, and I cannot imagine one informed and decent purpose funding their mischief.  If Catholic Charities does go bankrupt, all I will say is "good riddance".

Catholic Standard Articles Reveal True Thrust Of The Current Pope.

Today I picked up the July 17th issue of the Catholic Standard (the official mouthpiece for the Archdiocese of Washington).  While disappointed at the amount of bilge that was contained therein, I was not surprised.

Let's go in order as the stuff appeared in the print edition.  On page 3 was the account of Cardinal McElroy receiving a pallium from Pope Leo XIV.  The online article is here.  Most of the article was a rehash of a homily that Leo gave on the occasion.  Some bloopers popped up.  He spoke of moving "beyond a tired and stagnant faith".  If he truly is serious about such movement, one key thing he could do is stop the insidious attempts to quash the Traditional Latin Mass.  I attend these regularly on Sundays.  The faith there can in no way be called "tired and stagnant".  Then towards the end, he spoke of the beatitudes as being equivalent to the goals of today's "social justice warriors".  No where did he mention that the beatitudes spoke of the repentance from sin and pursuit of personal holiness.

We then turn a few pages and see two articles that are basically screeds that shill for those border-crashers euphemistically called "undocumented immigrants".  They are found here and here.  The first is an interview with Cardinal McElroy while the second is penned by Auxiliary Bishop Menjivar.  Both articles share the same flaw, and I think this flaw has been repeated so often that, owing to its repetition, is actually a blatant sin against honesty.  I am talking, of course of the disingenuous refusal to differentiate immigrants who come here in accordance with our immigration laws versus those who deliberately violate our laws by sneaking across the border, coming under false pretenses, overstaying visas, etc.  All of us welcome those who arrive in accordance with our laws.  Decent people object to those who flout our laws, and lately, with the complicity of progressives, including those in the US Catholic hierarchy, are coming in by the thousands.  Hitherto, Catholic Charities have received millions in federal grants to "process" thousands of these people, many of whom are being sex-trafficked across the border.

I noticed towards the end of the interview article, McElroy couldn't help but put in a plug for one of his pet divergences from Sacred Tradition.  He of course shilled for "women deacons".  Bishop Menjivar, on the other hand, actually stated our case for us, albeit unwittingly.  The whole article is lacking in wit, but I digress.  Here is what he said, and you can read it for yourselves in the link provided.

"That’s right. From the very beginning of the United States, this country was pro-immigration; and one of the main complaints of the Founders was the English government forbidding the colonies from passing laws promoting migration and naturalization of people from countries other than England."

England disregarded our right to pass laws regarding immigration, rendering existing ones moot in practice.  Those crashing our borders are doing the exact same thing in disregarding our laws and our right to regulate immigration.  I might add that the moral guilt lies not only with the border-crashers,  but with people such as McElroy and Menjivar who hold our laws, and our law-keepers, in contempt.

But enough with immigration, for social justice has many facets.  In this same issue, we read that Pope Leo is praying for the "conversion" of certain people.  Who might be these people?  Are they those who embrace homosexuality and other perversions?  Are they those who facilitate the baby-slaughter known as abortion?  Nope!  Well then, just who are these depraved degenerates who stand in need of all this "conversion"?  Why, these are dastardly fiends who (I can scarcely bring myself to mention these horrid, scandalous words!) resist climate action!  Read it here!  

On Monday July 9, Leo celebrated a Mass "for the care of creation".  Yes, it is a new Mass that has been added to the Roman Missal.  Of course natural disasters are lamented for they supposedly "are in part created by the excesses of human beings with their lifestyle".  In other words, people are the big meanies who need to undergo the requisite guilt trips.  Most troubling, though, is this echo from Laudato Si: "we listen to the cry of the earth, we listen to the cry of the poor".  In other words, the planet is being made equal to human beings.  That is heresy.  We cannot assent to that under any circumstance.  We cannot say "amen" to any prayer containing that error, even if a pope were to put forth that prayer.  I did several posts in the past regarding the problem in which this pope seeks to embroil us.  Please read.   When Francis died and Leo was elected, I had hopes that there would be fidelity to Tradition again.  Those hopes are growing dim and once again, we must resist papal errors.

USCCB Releases Amnesty Screed After Illegals Brutalize Young Girl

The entire nation has heard what happened a few days ago at Rockville High School, less than a half-hour's drive from my own home.  A 14-yr-old girl was brutally raped by two immigrants, with at least one of them here illegally and facing deportation due to another crime.  Although the immigrants are 17 and 18 years old, they were allowed to register in that school as freshmen.  Of course the lame-stream media did their best to cover up the illegal status of the thugs but thanks to the internet the truth is out.  I don't have time in this post to go into details.  Suffice it to say that county and school officials are in major cover-up mode since they do hope to have Maryland declared a "sanctuary state".  The Superintendent of Schools has gone so far as to accuse concerned parents of being racists and xenophobes.  Governor Hogan is demanding answers from Montgomery County - as well he should.  We pray for that poor young lady as she recovers from the trauma of her brutal rape.  If there is one thin silver lining to this cloud, it may be the awakening of the parents and some citizens; at least one woman is rethinking her former liberalism.  Let us remember this in 2018.  We must vote out that entire school board, certainly that superintendent and those in Annapolis who are behind this cockamamie "sanctuary state" crap.

Meanwhile, London is reeling from a Muslim terrorist attack at the Westminster Bridge and the grounds of Parliament.  Five people are dead.  Although the Mayor of London, himself a Muslim, is downplaying the Muslim connection, the Islamic State is claiming responsibility for it.  London authorities are investigating other potential terrorist threats.  Again we see signs of realization on the parts of some, but will it be too little and too late?

Others, though, continue to dig in their heels regarding the farce known as multiculturalism and unbridled immigration and amnesty for those who break immigration laws (like the two rapists in Rockville).  I speak primarily of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Yesterday they released a screed called "Living As A People Of God In Unsettled Times".  As you read this gobblygoop, you'll notice the ever-present obfuscation of the real concerns of faithful Catholics.  Forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but we simply want our immigration laws to be respected for the sake of all concerned - especially for the sake of those immigrants who are honorable and who enter the country via already-established channels.  These good people don't deserve to be vilified as "racists", "xenophobes", or whatever epithets the progressives like to fling about.

The bishops sure like to misquote the Scriptures, don't they?  "When an alien resides with you in the land, do not mistreat such a one."  Is it "mistreating" the alien to expect him or her to abide by the laws of the land, just as everyone else does?  I could go on and on about this and maybe will do so in a future post.   I will say two things, though.

First, bear in mind that the impetus behind this guilt-trip attempt may not be entirely altruistic.  The USCCB and Catholic Charities have a lot of Federal grant money tied up with the facilitation of mass immigration.  I have written much in general about the USCCB's blind following of the progressives in regards to illegal immigration.  When it comes to this issue, the US Catholic hierarchy may well be motivated by their financial bottom lines.  See this and this

Second, consider that the USCCB spewed forth this vomit right after the events in Rockville and London.  These acts of violence were perpetrated by thugs who had no intentions of assimilating in their host cultures.  The governments of both Montgomery County and London, being run by progressives, have been way too cavalier in their admittance of harmful immigrants, to the detriment of their citizens.  The USCCB is likewise acting irresponsibly - or maybe, in their case, greedily.

Amnesty For Illegal Aliens Makes For Strange Bedfellows In Catholic Circles.

Let's take a look at Pax Christi.  We haven't done so in a while but in Montgomery County MD behooves us to do so.  They put on a nice pacifist front and they claim to be Catholic, but underneath that nice sanctimonious image they project lies an organization that is at odds with the Church on several key matters of faith and morals.

Over the years Pax Christi has cropped up like kudzu.  See some basic information here.   I won't rehash everything, but will highlight some key points.

• Two of its former presidents, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton and Bishop Gambino Zavala.  Both these prelates were forced to resign.  No, I don't mean just resign from Pax Christi; I mean resign from their posts as bishops, both for grievous causes.
• Three years ago, I blogged on the American Catholic Council, an organization thoroughly steeped in the heresy of Americanism.  At that time the ACC linked to member organizations, including Pax Christi.  Well, bust my britches, that link has disappeared!  Why, oh why, do you think that happened?   Hmmm!
• Discover the Networks has much information about Pax Christi and its sordid networks.

That's enough information for now - certainly enough to understand why the flyer below, inserted in yesterday's parish bulletin, caught my eye.

Let's ponder the subject matter of the flyer.  It regards immigration: illegal immigration to be precise.  Now let's think for a minute.  No Catholic in their right mind has any problem with immigration per se.  Most of us are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants.  So why the perceived need for all this "discussion"?  Ladies and gentlemen, in a very circuitous fashion these progressives are trying to get us to acquiesce to blanket amnesty for those who imperiously break our laws.  Of course they dare not say so openly, lest their disingenuous thought-reform gambits be laid bare for all to see.

I've been blogging a bit about this misguided effort to reward those who disobey our laws; see a montage of these posts here.  Please notice the June 22 post, where I quote Section 2241 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  The Catechism states that host nations should welcome immigrants to the extent that they are able.  Who determines that "extent"?  This question alone makes plain that the debate regarding the immigration matter falls within the realm of prudential judgment.  That is to say that good Catholics can have legitimate differences of opinions regarding the various facets of the immigration question.  There is no one "Catholic position" on this matter.  Moreover, Pope Benedict XVI reiterated that national bishops' conferences have no inherent authority per canon law.  For the USCCB to state that there is a "Catholic position" here is flat out presumptuous, if not downright deceitful.

That section of the Catechism states quite plainly that the immigrants have a duty to abide by the laws of their host countries and to recognize their "duties to their countries of adoption".  In other words, they should expect no consideration above and beyond that experienced by other citizens.  Some in the "immigrant rights" movement have trouble with the concept of "equal justice".  One such individual might be Salvador G. Sarmiento, one of the speakers; at least he demonstrated such trouble in a situation regarding his wife's traffic violations.

One hazard of the bishops flirting with pet causes of progressives is that they engage in unseemly partnerships with organizations that are at clear variance with Church teachings, sometimes to the point of dissent and disobedience.  In this flyer we see (yet again) another incongruous alliance, this time with Pax Christi.  It's quite likely that Pax Christi won't trot out their gripes with the Magisterium at St. Francis' on Oct 30th.  However, in this partnership, the Church is lending to Pax Christi - as an organization - credibility that it just doesn't deserve.

It is this alliance with Pax Christi that renders the upcoming "discussion" utterly unacceptable.  I am exploring the feasibility of a picket of this event.  I will keep you posted.

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.

Francis Effect And Seattle Metropolitan See - Out With Faithful Catholics, In With Baby Killers

The two incidents on which I'll speak below would seem unrelated to each other on the surface but for two things:

1. They both occurred within the metropolitan see of Seattle (Washington) AND
2. They closely resemble two recent actions by Pope Francis.

Because this is a very long post, I'm placing a jump break here.  So...

Maryland Catholic Conference Botches Immigration Again

In today's parish bulletin is the thing to the right.  It most likely appeared (or will appear soon) in the bulletins of all Catholic parishes in Maryland.  On the surface, it sounds nice and lovely, doesn't it?  However, what is not said is just as important as what is said.

In its treatment of immigration, the Maryland Catholic Conference continues to obfuscate the immense differences between those immigrants who come to this country by following the established legal procedures for so doing, versus those who enter the country by deliberately flouting those very same procedures.  In other words, the latter group sneaks in, dodging legal authorities.  They are here illegally.  By definition, they become criminals by breaking our laws.  If I were to rob a store or commit an act of vandalism, I too would become a criminal.  One class of crimes does not exempt a perpetrator from the label "criminal".

The Maryland Catholic Conference, along with its USCCB puppet-masters, have long been "front and center" in promoting the progressive agenda of amnesty for illegal immigrants.  Of course these illegal immigrants would both serve to bolster Democrat party votes and undermine traditional American culture, owing to the refusal of many of them to assimilate into American society.  I've written about this many times before, but one little fact deserves special attention.  Catholic Charities received millions in Federal grants to "assist in refuge resettlement".  The Maryland bishops most likely have some financial skin in facilitating the crime of illegal immigration.  I link now to a post in which Michael Hichborn deals with systemic corruption at the USCCB - much of it swirling around immigration.

For those of you who think that Trump's orders are "mean-spirited", bear in mind that illegal immigrants are by definition criminals.  More than a few of them are guilty of other heinous crimes as well, as detailed here.  There are other examples that I may dig out later.  Suffice it to say that this MCC flyer may not be what it purports to be.

Good News! DREAM Act Referendum Effort Successful!

The despicable malfeasance of the Maryland Catholic Conference notwithstanding, the effort to petition the Maryland DREAM Act will go to referendum.  This effort was spearheaded by the Maryland Society of Patriots.  Here is their report.  The results were so impressive that they drew the attention of both the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun.

My blogging colleague, An Archdiocese of Washington Catholic, has this to say about the dubious efforts of the Maryland Catholic Conference - and Casa.  Displaying dangerously simplistic thinking (and that is a generous assumption), the MCC fails to consider this dangerous aspect of the DREAM Act.  Funny thing - they like to glom onto these booby traps that sound oh-so-compassionate, but they don't address the whole picture.  In particular, they don't address the funding aspects.

According to this email that I've received from the Archdiocese of Washington today, the MCC seems resigned to the DREAM Act appearing on the next ballot.  Here is the relevant portion:

Church Prepares to Educate Parishioners on the DREAM Act

The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) is pleased to announce the creation of an Interdiocesan Immigration Task Force, whose mission will be to educate Maryland Catholics about why the DREAM Act deserves their support, and to help them make the connection between Gospel values and the Church’s public policy positions on immigration.

The DREAM Act provides tuition equity for all students who have been residing in Maryland for at least three years while attending high school. Bishop Francisco González, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, will chair the task force. It includes representatives from the Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore and the Diocese of Wilmington. Each have have territory in Maryland
.
As a first step, the MCC has launched a Facebook page dedicated to the issue of immigration as a way to connect people to this issue and educate them. To sign up visit them on Facebook.
MCC has extensive material on their website on immigration issues. Visit the MCC website for more information, or call Kathy Dempsey at 301-261-1979.

Got that?  We're going to be "educated"!  I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some of that occurred during homily time - in others words, during Mass!  Shouldn't the Maryland chanceries be more concerned with education about.., oh, I dunno... things like the Magisterium's teaching on baby-murder, contraception, the homosexual lifestyle being inherently sinful, or adherence to Canon 915 with respect to pro-gay, pro-abortion politicians (many of whom are supporters of this DREAM Act)?
 
When I learn of specific "educational" actions to be undertaken, I'll advise you - and I ask that you let me know via a comment.

Additional Information Regarding Illegal Immigration - Including REAL Church Teaching

Yesterday I raised a number of questions about the sudden increase in the number of children being sent from Mexico and points south of there to the United States.  I had suggested that perhaps the children were seized from their parents.  Another possibility might be that Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and other countries are emptying their orphanages and juvenile detention centers and literally dumping their problems and responsibilities into our laps.

Read about the deal cut between Mexico and Guatemala.  They call it the Southern Border Program to Improve Passage.  It sounds so nice and official, doesn't it?  Unlike the US today, Mexico takes its border control responsibilities seriously - particularly to its south.  However, Mexico is cutting its immigrants a break, provided that their ultimate destination is the United States via our porous southern border.  People coming into Mexico will receive a "Regional Visitor's Card", allowing them to stay in Mexico for up to 3 days - enough time for them to make their way to the northern border.  Of course other countries such as Honduras and El Salvador will be sending their migrants through Mexico, too.  Wanna bet that the Obama regime is in on the scheme?

We also hear that on Friday some Central American leaders pressed Vice President Biden to "improve migrant rights".  One might wonder why Biden didn't retort that these countries should be addressing their national ills that would impel their citizens to leave their countries.  But again, Biden is in on the scheme.  One of these (so-called) Central American "leaders" was Jorge Ramon Hernandez, president of Honduras.  He threatened to continue the rapid influx of Honduran children "unless immigration reform" happens.  That's nonsensical.  Suppose the US "reformed" immigration to his liking; does that mean he'd stop sending Honduran children?  But wait!  Let's leave that irony aside for the time being!  Didn't we just read of another Honduran leader trying to cajole the US into accepting Honduran children - "problem children" to be precise?  Read yesterday's post!  That other Honduran leader, closely echoing his president (and NOT Church teaching) is Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga.  They're spouting the same talking points, hoping we won't notice.

As far as Church teaching goes on the matter of immigration, might not the Summa Theologica of St Thomas Aquinas have something to say on the matter?  Here is the second part of the first part of his work; scroll to Article 3.  John Horvat has commentary on it.  Time prohibits me from going into a full analysis.  Suffice it to say that the Angelic Doctor clearly states that a nation has the right and responsibility to control who gets to enter into the nation and if/how immigrants assimilate into that nation.  St Thomas states that the nation's leaders have a responsibility to secure the best interests of the nation and its citizens.

Getting back to the massive shipment of Central American children to the US, one must wonder if the USCCB is being complicit in what may be a child-trafficking scheme.  With the millions of grants they've received these past two years, do they care?

Seamless Garbage Contributes To Episcopal Brain Rot

In last night's State of the Union address, President Trump announced a plan to usher 1.8 million illegal-immigrant "dreamers" towards citizenship and to keep their nuclear families intact.  Obviously taking their cues from the sourpusses on the Democrat side of the chamber, the USCCB announced that they were "deeply troubled" about the plan's "impact on family unity".  What?  Trump said he'd keep nuclear families intact.  He simply said "chain migration" would end, meaning that an immigrant could not pull over his third cousin twice removed.  This is not rocket science.

Bishop Vasquez of Austin Texas made these remarks.  In his embrace of "seamless garment" no-holds-barred illegal immigration, he also revealed his abysmal ignorance regarding the nature of the Church.  He claimed that "family immigration is part of the bedrock of our country and of our church".

Family immigration, or any immigration, is part of the bedrock of the One True Church?  Excuse me!  Can anyone cite the support for that from any dogma?  Any Church fathers?  Our Lord founded the Church to save souls.  That's it!  Anything else, be it hospitals, schools, charities, etc is ancillary to that one all-encompassing mission - to save souls from damnation and to lead them to heaven. 

Those embroiled in "seamless garbage" organizations discount the Church's sole mission.  That's why they count gays among their boards of directors.   That's why they divert from truly intrinsic evils such as abortion, contraception, homosexual conduct and focus attention on matters that at most, fall into the realm of prudential judgment.  Bishop Vasquez and most of the higher-ups in the USCCB do exactly that, as they pander to governmental and Soros-related sugar daddies.

Pray for these bishops, but please never put another red penny in any USCCB-related collection.

Woe To You That Call Evil Good, And Good Evil

That passage from Isaiah 5:20 is a strong admonition to left-leaning Catholics who have joined the progressive clarion call to fight all kinds of what they consider to be "social injustices" that may not be unjust at all.  The measure of what is good or evil, just or unjust is to be found in the Church's teaching traditions of the past two centuries, as opposed to popular fads that are spewing forth from dissident Catholic quarters.

Let's look at immigration, since these left-wing quarters, from the top down (that means you, USCCB) are having hissy fits about President Trump's ongoing efforts to expel foreign invaders.  The left-wing, clergy included, refuse to acknowledge that our concerns lie not with those who immigrate in conformity with our applicable laws, but with those who flout our laws and sneak inside the US.  They are, by definition, criminals.  They are breaking US law that does comply with Catholic moral theology.  In obfuscating that important distinction, they commit serious sins against the Eighth Commandment.  I've written a bit on this topic over the years; here's a collection of it.  So in this case, what's being called "evil" is the responsible regulating of immigration and what's being called "good" is the direct disobedience of immigration laws and being accessories to these crimes.

Let's move to another darling cause of the progressives - gun control.  The left is all gung-ho on this bugaboo, not addressing the fact that criminals, by definition, disobey laws.   The only ones impacted would be law-abiding citizens who desire to own firearms for the protection of themselves and their families.  Whenever a shooting happens, immediately the left starts kveling about the need for firearm restriction - never the apprehension of criminals.  Would that impinge too greatly on the Democratic voting base?  Look at England.  They've essentially outlawed guns, so what happens? Knife attacks arise - surprise!  The "geniuses" governing England are now into (wait for it!) knife-control!  Same thing in Red China!

Again, I've written a bit about that.  See here.  Please note that the top post explains why I believe that the USCCB's stance on gun control runs counter to Catholic moral theology.  Once upon a time I believed that this was an area in which good people could disagree.  I no longer hold onto that delusion.  The right to adequate self defense is a moral good that no one may call evil, on pain of sin.  A former pro-life leader, Rob Schenck, has glommed onto the erroneous push for arms banning, and in the process has allowed his thinking on basic pro-life issues to become corrupted.  I'll have more to say on that later.

Let's move on to the death penalty or capital punishment.  If gun control is an attack on the good of self-defense, the push to eliminate the death penalty is an attack on the good of civil government protecting its citizens from violent criminals.  Again, the USCCB and their dutiful puppets are lock-step with their Soros-esque sugar-daddies in their shielding of criminals from the death penalty.  Again, I've written much on that and won't rehash everything, but will elaborate on one major point.  In the past, all the popes have upheld the legitimacy and the good of capital punishment.  The most recent catechism from Pope John Paul II does the same.  However, last year Pope Francis annnounced his intention to rewrite the catechism to say that the death penalty is inadmissable.  I said it then, I'll say it now; THIS IS HERESY.   Of course the USCCB intends to happily comply in promulgating this heresy.  So now the good of capital punishment has been called evil, and this error has reached the proportions of full-blown heresy.

The USCCB, their obedient state-wide counterparts and the rest of their lapdogs are fully engaged in calling good "evil", and evil "good".  They have jettisoned all authentic moral bearing for the favors of money, power, and worldly prestige.  In so doing they have allowed their own thinking to become clouded, as have those who unthinkingly swallow the progressive bile simply because it comes from men wearing miters.

However, there have been pro-life leaders who, themselves succumbing to the siren calls of emotion-based leftwing sentiments, have allowed their pro-life beliefs to become weak and uncertain.  In other words, by assuming progressive positions on immigration, gun control, etc, they have assumed progressive positions in pro-life matters as well.  I have already mentioned Rob Schenck a few paragraphs back.  He now supports the legalized murder of children.  Another former pro-life leader, John Cavanaugh-O'Keefe, became so enamored of progressivism that he cast his vote for the rabidly pro-abortion Hillary Clinton in 2016.  Both of these men clearly called evil "good".

Ladies and gentlemen, liberalism is harmful to the soul and can impede eternal salvation.

Dr. Mirus Disappoints Again

Dr. Jeff Mirus today released a piece on his CatholicCulture site entitled "We Can't Afford Children, Can We?"  This is an obvious attempt to lay upon good people who are concerned with out-of-control immigration a guilt trip akin to that of the guilt of abortion.  Dr. Mirus, if the attempt weren't so silly and clumsy, it would border on the unethical.

All he does in his two scenarios is basically describe two motivations for abortion and contraception, then asserts that they are analogous to our concerns for illegal immigration.  He doesn't really expound on any philosophical parallels.  It's somehow expected that the reader will passively assume that such must exist.  If the reader is an opponent of illegal immigration, he/she will be tempted to try to refute an argument that really doesn't exist and will expend much mental effort in a wild-goose chase.  It's quite an interesting debate tactic, one in which I've learned not to fall while debating real pro-aborts.

His last paragraph is his real blooper, where he in effect turns the Gospel of John into some progressive screed.  Let's explain this in black and white, shall we?  Jesus came to the Jews proclaiming the Gospel and Himself as the Messiah.  The Jews rejected Him as their Messiah.  How on earth does Mirus justify using this passage to pretend that the Jews declared Him "illegal"?  Does Dr. Mirus really think so little of the intelligence of his readership?

The only voice of sanity in that column is the comments of Ms. Agnes Day; more may appear after this post is published.  Thank you, Ms. Day.  Dr. Mirus, for your sake I hope you are indeed "wrapping this up".

The Bishops and Bogus "Immigration Reform"

In the previous post, I mentioned the USCCB's embrace of "environmentalism" as a way in which they seek to bring the US Church into lock-step conformity with the progressive agenda being crammed down our throats.

Another avenue into which the USCCB seeks to drive us, as sheep to the slaughter, is through "immigration reform".   I now link to an article written by my colleague, Stephanie Block.  She lives in New Mexico (a border state) and has done extensive research on various Alinskyite groups and those within the Church that seek to corrode the mission that Jesus gave to the Church..  I urge its study.

Now just what harm would be done by removing our national border controls, as suggested by these groups?  Well, remember the Cloward-Piven strategy.  In a nutshell, the aim is to bring down a society by overwhelming it with impossible demands.  Open the floodgates to unregulated immigration and demands galore will suddenly assail us: social services, etc.  It is unreasonable to expect any system or society to meet that kind of demand, all good intentions notwithstanding.  We have only to look to California to see how that state has become bankrupt due to overwhelming demand.  The capacity of any society is limited; it is not reasonable to expect any society to be a boundless cash cow.  Despite their self-righteous attempts to "guilt-trip" us to try to meet these demands, the progressives know we can't!  That's their idea!

There's yet another angle.  Do you remember that clip from the previous post, where it talks about the demise of democracy, where it says democracy will end when folks decide they can "vote themselves" extra goodies?   The progressives want those types of voters; that's why they have engaged in their various "community organizing" stunts for much of the 20th century.  They believe that these immigrants will vote their way.

Sadly, I believe the USCCB realizes all this, too.  They are acting as willing accomplices to the destruction of the USA.

Francis Goes Into A Panic Over Trump's Border Reinforcement

Francis has now removed any shred of doubt that he is part and parcel of what Archbishop Vigano and others have dubbed as the "deep church".  He has issued a letter to the United States bishops that orders them to help illegal immigrants flout United States immigration laws.  Here it is - straight from the Vatican's website.

So let's take a look at this thing.  Right off the bat, we see Francis trotting out that tired old fantasy about the Holy Family immigrating to Egypt.  There are two major facts that Francis conveniently omits.  First, they were immigrating nowhere.  Both Egypt and Israel were subsumed into the Roman Empire.  Differences in local customs aside, they were not foreigners.  Second, the Holy Family broke no laws as a result of their travels.

Then in section 4 he states, "The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality.   "  That is sheer, utter nonsense.  Criminality is determined by the commission of illegal actions.  In the eyes of Francis, if law enforcement cannot determine illegal status, perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to determine if someone is a victim of human trafficking.  If Francis really believes that, he must have flunked out of his moral theology class in seminary.  I'd like to go on, but I haven't the time.

If Francis really thinks he should exhort nations to dissolved their own national borders, why does he not lead by example?  He could easily order that the walls around Vatican City be dismantled and allow all sorts of folks to gallop into St Peter's Square and even the living quarters there.  If he's still staying in that hotel, then the papal apartments should be available for immigrant use, right?  Perhaps he should read Matthew 23:4.

It is plain to see that Francis is in a panic.  He, and most likely his handlers, understand that their hold is slipping.  They are seeing in Trump and other good people - traditional Catholics among them - threats to their schemes to bring about a new world order that is under their heels.  This is a lash-out.  However, it will lend to those US bishops, who are also part of the "deep church", moral credibility to pursue their clarion cry for open borders.  I wonder how loud that will be, though, seeing that Catholic Charities funds may soon be drying up?   Case in point - Detroit is getting a new archbishop (and so soon after DC got a new one!  But I digress!)  His name is Edward Weisenburger, a bishop hailing from Arizona.  He's starting off with a bang, suggesting that those Catholics who enforce our immigration laws be subject to "canonical penalties" and even excommunication.

Hmmm!  Funds drying up!  Might we have stumbled upon another motivator for this obvious papal temper tantrum?  Speaking of funds, give the chanceries not one penny of your funds.  The Sixth Precept of the Church does not mean rewarding those who advocate that our national borders and immigration laws be trashed with impugnity.

Who Does The Pope Call When Bishops Disgrace The Church?

The scandals have been erupting at a rapid pace this week.  It's almost as if progressive bishops were vying with Planned Parenthood for the "outrage of the month award".  We read that in Germany, a flaming lesbian is running a Church daycare.  This is in the wake of weakened policies of the German Catholic Conference, chaired by Cardinal Reinhard Marx.  In fact, the debacle is occurring in his diocese.  He is one of the pope's top nine advisers.

Stateside, in the Archdiocese of Newark (NJ) an openly gay priest will be assigned to two parishes.  He was fired from Seton Hall University for posting a tweet sympathetic to gay #mowwidge.  As you look at this article from ChurchMilitant.tv, notice Father Warren Hall's picture.  He's not in clerics, but in the context of the picture it is a blessing for he does appear to be "flipping the bird".  How he came to be assigned to parishes, where he can spew forth his spiritual and moral poison, is beyond me.  Better for everyone - Father included - had he been reassigned to a monastery to spend a good chunk of time in prayer and reparation for his public embrace of mortal sin.

I mentioned the Planned Parenthood videos.  How have some of our, uh, "intrepid" bishops reacted?  Well, there's this from Archbishop Blaise Cupich of Chicago.  It starts out well enough but soon segues into "seamless garment" pabulum.  Ladies and gentlemen, can we agree that immigration concerns don't amount to a hill of beans in comparison to the butchery and sale of babies?  Apparently the good archbishop seems to be befuddled by that obvious distinction.

But at least Cupich made a statement, lame and silly that it is.  From the Archdiocese of Washington we hear crickets.  Oh, the Catholic Standard had a rather paltry blurb deep in the inside of the rag speaking of the impending Congressional investigation, but that's it.  That blurb is dwarfed by the "walk with Francis" hoopla.  By the way, if they really want to "walk" in service of the Church, why not promote some "walking" and prayer in front of the several abortion mills within the Archdiocese of Washington?

We saw that Bishop Farrell of Dallas, Texas seems to be suffering from the same confusion about the immigration issue as does Cardinal Dolan.  Both seem hell-bent on obfuscating the difference between those here legally, that is, respecting our rule of law, versus illegally, in defiance of our laws.  Why, a cynical person (ahen!) might be tempted to believe that Farrell and Dolan are receiving and spouting talking points furnished by some progressive sugar-daddy, since they sound so very similar!  But we know that's just pure coincidence, right?   Right?  (cough!)  The Archdiocese of Atlanta is taking the immigration nonsense a step further.  It is giving refuge to an illegal immigrant who cut her legally-ordered monitor bracelet from her ankle.  Lord only knows how many other criminals they are harboring.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are solid bishops out there.  I will touch on them in another post.  Suffice it to say for now that the clerics mentioned above (and many more) are making fools of themselves and casting dishonor upon Holy Mother Church.

Regrettably the pope is not helping much.  He seems to recognize the Church's utter lack of moral credibility in the eyes of the world, but what he proposes as a solution will only worsen the problem.

He has asked some prominent individuals to assist in improving the Church's image in the media, forgetting that the Church, being the Bride of Christ, is not to be concerned with worldly image but rather pleasing and being obedient to Jesus Christ.  Didn't Our Lord say that the world would hate us, that is, the Church, as much as it hated Him?

So who are these individuals?  Well, they include Oprah Winfrey, Matt Damon, and Ari Emmanuel: three of the people who are least qualified to counsel Catholic clergy on matters of Church "image".  I must admit when I first saw this news, I thought it was a spoof; sadly it isn't.

Winfrey has made no secret of her new-age dalliances, going so far as to announce the founding of her own "church".  Steeped in deadly spiritual error as she obviously is, she has absolutely no credibility to assist the Bride of Christ in anything.  She is in deep need of repentance herself.  Does the Church now literally take cues from someone under the influence of Satan?

Then there's Ari Emmanuel.  Besides being a prominent Hollywood agent, he's the brother of Rahm Emmanuel, mayor of Chicago and Obama-buddy.  Of all the Hollywood agents, why was this one picked?  On the other hand, should the pope reinstate the fish-on-Friday discipline, Emmanuel might prove to be helpful since his brother Rahm knows how to get his hands on lots of fish.

The pope's priorities are woefully misplaced.  The Church is not about "image".  It is about preaching the truth of Jesus Christ and saving souls from hell.  We know from Our Lord Himself that Satan wields power in this world; therefore, to seek a favorable "image" from worldly institutions is to coddle favor with minions of the devil.  Let our clergy (right up to the pope) start obeying Our Lord by proclaiming His Truth in its entirety and administering the Sacraments.  Period.

Eric Holder And Illegal Immigration

It has never been any big secret that US Attorney General Eric Holder has disregarded federal immigration laws.  At a La Raza summit a few months ago, he promised/threatened to oppose state and local efforts to control illegal immigration (mostly on the Mexican border).  Gee willikers!  Isn't the Attorney General supposed to enforce US law?  Or is Holder simply too, too busy prosecuting trumped-up charges against pro-life activists who convince mothers not to allow abortuaries to murder their babies?

These illegal immigrants often hire themselves out as cheap labor.  They well know that they have no legal standing to file complaint against exploitation by unscrupulous employers.  If they hide themselves from US law, then they cannot be protected by that law, can they?  It's simple common sense.

In Wake County, North Carolina, a chain of McDonald's restaurants has been found to be hiring illegal immigrants.  The owners of that chain are William and Deborah Holder.  William and the US Attorney general are brothers.  Well whadya know?  I'm in no way implying that William and Deborah are exploiting the illegals whom they employ.  But they are breaking the law with impunity.  North Carolina law requires that employers who employ more than 25 people (and the Holders have 4 restaurants) participate in the E-Verify program.  It's just the kind of law that the US Attorney General opposes - very convenient for William and Deborah, I'd think.

That's just another reason to vote this bunch out in November.

Pope Francis, The One-World-Government Shill

Pope Francis, several weeks ago, stated plainly that he wants to see an end to national sovereignty and the establishment of a world-wide government.  In practical terms, that would mean ascribing authority to the United Nations to encroach upon national governments as the latter tries to address the interests of its citizens.  He used the progressive talking points of both climate change and massive, unbridled immigration as excuses to bring about a globalist monstrosity.  If the pope has his way, we in the US and elsewhere would have unbridled baby-slaughter shoved down our throats.

A week or two after that at the Rome Life Forum, Cardinal Burke flat out contradicted the pope regarding one-world government, rightly calling it "not just and legitimate" and noting that one-world government would be by definition totalitarian.  Moreover, he pointed out that patriotism is an extension of the Fourth Commandment, as is limiting Muslim immigration.

Cardinal Sarah also offered correction to positions espoused by the pope and others.  Last month, he pointed out that the call for unfettered immigration is "a false exegesis to use the word of God to promote migration.  God never wanted these heartbreaks."  He was stating that defending migration is a misinterpretation of Gospels by priests and bishops "bewitched" by political and social issues.  I might also point out that the direction of the "bewitching" exclusively tends toward the direction of progressive and anti-God proponents, and that the "misinterpretation" is quite deliberate and thus malicious.

Thankfully more people are waking up to the perils of a one-world government.  The member countries of the European Union held elections this week, with conservatives gaining significant ground in Europe.  Also see here and here.   Immediately the pope whined about the election results, blaming "intolerance" and "racism".  Gee!  Why does that sound familiar?  Shades of November 2016!  Harping on the same theme, the pope, during an interview, compared the wall along our southern border to the Berlin Wall.  I suppose it didn't dawn on him that our wall is to keep out border crashers while the Berlin Wall served to imprison people within the east part of the city.  He then said he didn't understand "this new culture of defending territory by building a wall".  Is he serious?  Is he truly that ignorant of world history?  Perhaps he should take a look at that structure that surrounds Vatican City!  Walls like this have existed for centuries!

But the Vatican isn't only being bested on the political front.  Several leaders of nationalist bents are displaying and honoring their Catholic heritages.  The presidents of Brazil and Italy have both consecrated their nations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Recall that Our Lady of Fatima requested that Russia be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  To date, the popes (not just Francis) have refused to do so.

Let us pray that more and more Catholics wake up and rediscover the One True Faith, for now it seems that the pope and the Vatican have forgotten it.  Pray that they too will return to the Faith.

Boehner: "Surrender On Obamacare AND Illegal Immigration"

Last Thursday, at a Rotary Club meeting, the Weeper of the House said the repeal of Obamacare "isn't the answer".  After giving a bunch of lame excuses for a statement that many of us knew for years he was waiting to utter, he plops another about illegal immigration.  In other words, (paraphrasing ever so slightly), "As long as we're wimping out over Obamacare, let's wimp out over illegal immigration, too."

One of the commenters in this article asks a very good question: "What does Obama have on Boehner?"

Boehner faces a Tea-Party challenger in his primary election: J.D. Winteregg.  I would urge Ohio's 8th Congressional District to support him and retire John Boehner.

Obama, Bishops And Child-Trafficking

My colleague at Les Femmes has noticed that this massive immigration of children from locales south has all the stench of child-trafficking.  Oh, many nefarious purposes can be served with this sudden influx of immigrants:

• Michael Voris pointed out that the Texas political landscape could be drastically altered
• This is a perfect implementation of the Cloward-Piven Strategy.
• The bishops think they might increase their numbers in the churches, although these immigrants have historically become secularized in the US.

On Saturday, I proposed the possibility that the bishops who accepted grants from the government to facilitate the massive immigration are now complicit in child-trafficking.  Perhaps it wasn't their intention but they cannot now ignore what is transpiring before their very eyes.  Because it is quite possible that they are blind to the child-trafficking because of the grants, I'll call the grants what they most likely are - bribes.

The bodies of small children have been found on the shores of the Rio Grande after drowing therein.  We also hear that parents of girls about to be shipped here give their daughters contraceptives - in case they're raped on their way to the US.  What kind of parents, or government would expose their children to that risk of violence?  What kind of bishop is complicit and silent in the face of the kind of travesty to which Mexico and the Central American countries are inflicting upon their own children?  A bribed bishop?  Readers, if any of you think that's impossible, please explain your reasoning.

Another blogging colleague at Connecticut Catholic Corner has this to say about the Pope's remarks on illegal immigration.  Spot on.