Guess What Day It Is?

 

The half-time extravaganza is rumored to be a debacle in the making.  I think I will "miss" it.

Sacred Art And Dubious Standards

Today there came the news that the pope ordered a church in Rome to fix a restored fresco of an angel.  Apparently, in the eyes of some, the angel bears too much of a resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia, Meloni, who happens to be an ally of President Trump.  

Now what will the pope do about the cathedral church of Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia?  On its wall is a very prominent mosaic featuring all kinds of people in various homoerotic poses.  One of those people is unmistakably Paglia himself in an embrace with another gay pervert. I have heard no announcement of the pope ordering Paglia to remove that blasphemy.

This isn't a matter of careless double-standards here.  We are clearly getting a picture of just what the denizens of the Vatican value and prioritize, and they don't involve Our Lord nor the souls placed in their care.

Cardinal McElroy! Walk Back That Statement NOW!

On January 29, the Catholic Standard published on its website the following screed; one of the signers is Cardinal McElroy.  Since the Standard did not publish any qualifying statements, we must conclude that McElroy assents to this statement in its entirety.  I have reproduced it here in case it "mysteriously disappears" (ahem!) from the Standard website.

Now the article from the Standard:

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, has joined with seven Washington-area leaders of other faith traditions in issuing a Jan. 29 statement regarding recent immigration enforcement actions.

Here is the complete statement:

The murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti – two U.S. citizens devoted to civic engagement and to caring for their immigrant neighbors – have left communities in Minneapolis and across the nation grieving, shaken, and rightly outraged. Their deaths are a profound moral failure, and they demand our collective attention and response.

As faith leaders in the greater Washington, D.C. region, we affirm the sacred worth of every human life. That commitment includes – and compels us to stand with – immigrants and others who are especially vulnerable in this moment. We condemn without reservation the use of indiscriminate and lethal force against civilians. The actions we have witnessed in recent days represent a grave departure from our nation’s deepest moral commitments and from the values of human dignity, restraint, and accountability that our faith traditions uphold. When the power of the state is exercised without regard for life, justice, or the common good, the foundations of democracy itself are put at risk. We speak out now from a place of deep love for our nation and a growing concern that our own local communities will potentially experience the same loss of life and turmoil we are seeing in Minneapolis.

Renee and Alex were killed while seeking justice for their community. We honor their lives by refusing to look away and by calling, together, for accountability from those entrusted with authority. At this pivotal moment in our nation’s life, we are faced with a choice: whether to allow fear, cruelty, and disorder to define us, or to respond with courage, conscience, and moral resolve. We stand with our neighbors, fellow clergy, and state and local leaders who have called on national authorities to end practices that place people in harm’s way.

Throughout history, people of faith have been called to speak when human dignity is threatened. We believe that call is before us now. Communities in the greater Washington region have already experienced the fear and disruption caused by aggressive enforcement tactics, including incidents near schools and houses of worship – places that should remain sanctuaries, not sites of intimidation. We will not accept the tearing apart of our neighborhoods or the normalization of dehumanization. We urge government officials at every level to recommit themselves to policies that uphold life, dignity, and the rule of law. And we call on all people of conscience to work together for a society in which every person can walk their streets without fear, and with the knowledge that they are seen, valued, and protected.

Robert Cardinal McElroy,

Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington

Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky,

Director of Intergroup Relations & Rabbi-in-Residence, JCRC of Greater Washington

Romi Sawhney, Executive Director,

Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GGSF)

Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt,

President of the Unitarian Universalist Association

The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde,

Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington

Behram Panthaki,

Head Priest, The Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington Inc (ZAMWI)

Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling,

Resident Bishop, The Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula Delaware Area, The United Methodist Church

Dr. Sousan Abadian,

Executive Director, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington

The complete statement can also be found on the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s website at https://jcouncil.org/page/dc-area-faith-leaders-statement-immigration-enforcement-actions

Now ends the article.  My remarks and some videos will appear after the jump break.

A Truly Useful Examination Of Conscience

Ladies and gentlemen, we have had set before us a myriad of "examinations of conscience" that are nothing more than shill pieces for some "social justice warrior" cause or another.  Here is a truly useful one.  

Political Life and the Ten Commandments

This examination of conscience is designed to help Catholics reflect on how their participation in political life aligns with the teachings of Christ and His Church. As citizens, we are called to engage in the public square while keeping God first in all things. Before going to Confession, prayerfully consider these questions, asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate areas where you may have strayed from God's will.

I. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before Me.

Have I placed loyalty to a political party or candidate above my loyalty to God and His Church?

Have I compromised my faith or moral principles to advance a political agenda or maintain political allegiances?

Have I sought political solutions to problems while neglecting prayer and trust in God's providence?

Have I made an idol of political power, influence, or victory, placing hope in political outcomes rather than in God?

Have I supported or remained silent about policies that promote ideologies contrary to the natural law and the dignity of the human person, such as socialism that denies the right to private property, or collectivism that subordinates the individual to the state?

II. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Have I used God's name disrespectfully or blasphemed when discussing political matters?

Have I invoked God's name to justify positions that contradict Church teaching?

Have I cursed, blasphemed, or used profane language in political debates or out of anger over political outcomes?

Have I used sacred things irreverently in political satire or mockery?

III. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.

Have I deliberately missed Mass on Sunday or Holy Days of Obligation because of political activities or events?

Have I refused to attend Mass because of disagreement with my priest's or bishop's political views or statements?

Have I allowed political work or activism to prevent me from keeping the Lord's Day holy and set apart for rest and worship?

Have I prioritized political rallies, meetings, or media consumption over my Sunday obligation to worship God?

IV. Honor your father and your mother.

Have I shown disrespect or contempt for lawful authority, including civil leaders, even when I disagree with their policies?

Have I failed to show proper respect for my country and its legitimate governing institutions?

Have I neglected my duties as a citizen, such as voting, serving on juries, or being informed about important issues?

Have I shown excessive nationalism or patriotism that borders on idolatry, or conversely, have I failed to have reasonable love for my country and its genuine goods?

Have I caused division within my family through harsh or uncharitable political arguments?

V. You shall not kill.

Have I supported, promoted, or voted for candidates or policies that permit or fund abortion, the direct killing of innocent human life?

Have I supported candidates who oppose legal protection for unborn children, or have I minimized this grave evil by treating it as merely one issue among many of equal weight?

Have I advocated for or remained silent about euthanasia, assisted suicide, or attacks on the elderly and infirm?

Have I fomented, encouraged, or excused political violence or civil unrest?

Have I participated in or encouraged riots, destruction of property, or violent protests?

Have I used violent or threatening language in political discourse?

Have I wished harm upon political opponents or celebrated when harm befalls them?

Have I failed to speak out against violence when my political allies have engaged in or excused it?

VI & IX. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.

Have I supported or promoted policies that undermine marriage between one man and one woman?

Have I advocated for or remained silent about the legal recognition of so-called same-sex marriage, which contradicts the natural law and the Church's constant teaching?

Have I supported policies promoting sexual confusion, including transgender ideology that denies the reality of the human person as male and female?

Have I supported legislation or candidates who promote radical gender theory in schools or who support medical interventions that harm children's bodies in the name of gender transition?

Have I failed to defend the innocence of children against sexualized content in education or media?

Have I supported policies that promote contraception, undermine parental rights, or attack the sanctity of marriage and family life?

VII & X. You shall not steal. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

Have I envied the wealth or success of others and supported political policies motivated by envy rather than justice?

Have I supported unjust taxation or redistribution of wealth that violates the right to private property?

Have I advocated for economic systems that deny human dignity, such as socialism or communism, which have historically led to poverty, oppression, and the violation of fundamental human rights?

Have I supported policies that enable or encourage government corruption, theft of public resources, or economic injustice?

Have I been willing to compromise my principles for personal financial or professional gain in the political sphere?

VIII. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Have I spread false information, rumors, or detraction about political opponents?

Have I engaged in slander or calumny against those with whom I disagree politically?

Have I shared unverified news stories or propaganda without concern for truth?

Have I judged the interior motives of others harshly while giving benefit of the doubt to those who share my political views?

Have I misrepresented the positions of my opponents or the teachings of the Church to win arguments?

Have I used harsh, demeaning, or cruel words toward those with different political views?

Have I damaged the reputation of others through gossip or rash judgment?

Act of Contrition

After examining your conscience, pray an Act of Contrition:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.

Remember: The Church calls us to be faithful citizens who engage in political life while maintaining our primary allegiance to Christ and His Church. We must form our consciences according to truth, defend the dignity of every human person, and work for the common good while keeping God first in all things.

Your Prayers Are Requested

Two weeks ago I learned that a friend of mine from many years ago recently died.  We lost touch about 30 years ago, but knowing details of my friend's life and other details regarding the death announcement, I have reason to suspect suicide.

I am not at liberty to reveal details, but am asking prayers that this friend was granted the grace of final repentance for their eternal salvation and that purgatory time be minimized.  Rosaries would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

How To Turn Advent Into A Social-Justice Screed

I am just now seeing the Dec 18th issue of the Catholic Standard and a piece written by Auxiliary Bishop Menjivar entitled "The Closeness of God in Advent: Longing for Salvation".  I believe this article was misnamed, for I detect in it no concern whatsoever for eternal salvation.  It merely is a shill piece for social-justice-warrior talking points.  Wouldn't we expect something better from an ostensibly Catholic publication?  Not only are Catholic priorities jumbled up in this piece, but Menjivar badly botches American history.  I hope that botching isn't intentional, but those hopes aren't high.

The history-twisting occurs with his rendition of the facts surrounding Our Lady's apparitions at Guadalupe.  To quote Menjivar:"The context was an oppressive colonial system in which the native people felt crushed and insignificant. "  If anyone was making the tribe to which St. Juan Diego belonged, and other tribes as well, feeling "crushed and insignificant", it was the Aztec nation.  The Aztecs would regularly raid those tribes and seize from them victims for the Aztec's human sacrifices.  When Hernando Cortez and the Conquisadors arrived and did take the land for Spanish control, many of the victimized tribes joined forces with Cortez to defeat the Aztecs.  By and large, Cortez et al put an end to the human sacrifices, although pockets of it lingered.

Catholic priests and religious made inroad in converting the natives to the One True Faith.  Recall that when Juan Diego had his first exchange with Our Lady, he was on his way to Mass.  That is to say that Diego was already a Catholic.  As we all (hopefully) know, when the cathedral that Our Lady requested was completed and dedicated, human sacrifice was largely halted as Aztecs converted to Catholicism and found salvation.  It is worth noting that one of the attendees at that consecration was Hernando Cortez.

Then Menjivar writes, "Our Lady of Guadalupe remains a powerful sign that God sides with those who are marginalized. Immigrants and the poor today find hope in her words  "  Actually, she sides with those proclaiming the Gospel.  "Marginalized" hasn't much to do with it, seeing as how the definition of "marginalized" seems to be open for debate.  As for immigrants, Juan Diego was certainly not an immigrant, so I cannot fathom what mental gymnastics Menjivar is using to arrive at that conclusion.

In the middle of his article he writes, "The longing awakened in Advent is not only for personal consolation but for a transformed world. The biblical promise of God’s coming always had social consequences: justice for the oppressed, peace among nations, a new community under God’s reign ".  Here his priorites are precisely ass-backwards.  The "social consequences" MUST take a back seat to personal repentance from sin, such as missing Mass, contraception usage, fornication, embrace of socialism, facilitation of sexual perversions (too numerous to name here).  The repentance must involve taking the aforementioned sins (and any other sins) to the Sacrament of Confession and frequenting the Sacraments and prayer.  Not a one of these "social consequences" will happen until the bishops believe and act like they are successors to the Apostles as opposed to CEOs of business conglomerates that only serve to divert tax dollars to anti-life and anti-God socialists. 

This isn't the first time that Menjivar has used the Catholic Standard to propagate politically correct screeds and distortions of historical facts.  Sadly it probably won't be the last.

Our Lady - Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix

As the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God draws near, we must address the latest and needless kerfuffle to emanate from the Vatican.  Apparently, they are discouraging the use of the terms "co-redemptrix" and "mediatrix" as titles for Our Lady.  This was accomplished through the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on November 4, when they issued Mater Populi Fidelis.  By the way, the prefect is Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, aka, Cardinal Kissy-Face, who has published veritable pornography.  In a nutshell, it's more dumbing down of the faith, all to appease the idol of false ecumenism.

A few weeks ago, Father James Altman was interviewed by John-Henry Westin of LifeSiteNews.  Among other things, they discuss these insults to Our Lady.  He states that this move is just the latest step to try to turn the One True Faith into just another protestant denomination.  I recommend that you read this piece and watch the embedded video.

Also read this piece from eternallycatholic.com.  The author delves into some history behind those two Marian titles, showing how popes, bishops, and doctors of the Church have advocated their usage.  This latest insult, courtesy of Kissy-Face, flies in the face of the Tradition of the Church.

A Review Of Church History In 2025

Tonight's episode of the Lepanto Institute featured Michael Hichborn reviewing the accomplishments of the Institute in 2025.  In doing so, he also gave helpful snapshots that reveal the ills that still plague the Church.  Some of these ills are new.

Please take the time to watch this.  Then consider how your donation dollars might be better spent: on diocesan structures or charities that are actually carrying out the mission of Holy Mother Church.  Also consider how you might be more diligent about waking up your fellow Catholics to the problems of the Church.

Memphis Rescue Update

Another update, courtesy of Will Goodman via his Facebook page.  As of Tuesday December 9, the last man was released.  All rescuers are now out of jail.  Arraignment was on December 8.  No conditions were put on their release, but a court date has not yet been determined. I will advise when I am apprised.  

Seventeen Pro-Life Activists Arrested At Memphis Planned Parenthood Rescue

On Friday morning, December 5 2025, a clinic rescue took place at the Planned Parenthood of Memphis, TN.  It was spearheaded by Rescue Resurrection.  Rescue Resurrection was founded by Randal Terry with the express purpose of reviving the pro-life rescue movement.  Once a vital tactic until the 1990s, rescues were largely stymied by the FACE act.  Now this act has been de-fanged, since President Trump ordered the Department of Justice not to prosecute under FACE. The possibilities of rescues have opened up once again.  The website is rescueresurrection.com.

Joan Andrews Bell Arrested

Abortions in Tennessee are illegal.  The pro-aborts get around this by referring their clients out of state, and that is something that the Memphis Planned Parenthood had been doing.  That means that Planned Parenthood is trafficking minors across state lines.

As part of their inauguration, Rescue Resurrection decided to engage in a rescue there.  Memphis has great significance for the civil rights movement, for there Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated.  The National Civil Rights Museum is built around the Lorraine Motel, where King was shot.  Now let’s get back to the events of December 5^th.  Another important note: much of this information is gleaned from the Facebook page of Will Goodman.  He was there, chronicling the events with words, video clips and pictures.  He is also one of the Garland Nine.

The local deathscorts, along with Memphis Police, had been alerted and were awaiting the pro-life activists.  They had, in fact, created their own blockade of the building entrances.

Rescuers in Place; Deathscorts Are Behind Them

Many activists were already gathered on the sidewalk in front of the mill, praying the Rosary and bearing Crucifixes, banners of Our Lady of Guadalupe, etc.  Soon they were joined by other pro-lifers who assumed positions in front of the deathscorts already blocking the Planned Parenthood entrance.  Randall Terry and Terrisa Bukonivac carried a banner with the name of Rescue Resurrection on it.  They were singing “we shall overcome”, reminiscent of the civil rights marches of over 60 years ago.  Joan Bell and Monica Miller were marching behind them, with many others.

Randall Terry arrested

Minutes after they had assumed their positions, Memphis Police arrived, with squad cars and paddy wagons and sirens blaring.  After some preliminary conversation between Randall Terry and the in-charge officer, the arrests started.  For the most part, the pro-lifers went limp as they were cuffed and hauled away to the paddy wagons and cruisers.  Seventeen activists were arrested.  The detainees include: Randall Terry, Terrisa Bukonivac, John Hinshaw, Joan Bell, Monica Miller, Melanie Salazar, Elise Ketch, Doc Kovaly, Nathan Berning, Cathy Ramey, Emily Mahon, James Carney, Rob Rudnick, Richard Dur, Matthew Connelly, Alan Aversz.

The men and women were taken to separate holding facilities.  As of this writing, all of the women have been released.  Arraignment will take place Monday, Dec 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conceptions.  I will advise of further developments.