Here's a line from that online Standard link: "This work also led him to be a cofounder of the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice". So who was the other founder of this "teach-in"? We learn that from the Georgetown Voice. He was ex-Father Bob Holstein. He passed away about 16 years ago; here is his obituary. He left the priesthood in 1967 because he thought the Church was "not progressive". According to the obituary, he was involved in the Democrat Party and "liberal causes" for the remainder of his life. He counted among friends California's Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown.
The two men were involved in the Ignatian Solidarity Network. Also involved, or at least accepting awards for them were dissidents such as:
I suppose this could go on and on, but you get my point. We should, of course, pray for Father Currie's eternal repose and that God have mercy on his soul. He should not be eulogized in a Catholic newspaper.
This afternoon Bishop Roger Foys of the Diocese of Covington finally issued an official apology for throwing the boys under the bus at the behest of the leftie hyenas. While a tad weak, the words "I apologize" appear therein. I regret that is more than the March for Life leadership has done to date (no doubt causing Nellie Gray to spin in her grave). The apology and some analysis can be found on LifeSiteNews and elsewhere. Archbishop Kurtz of Louisville has followed suit and also apologized on his blog. So too did the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
My colleague at Les Femmes advises us that some high profile lawyers, acting on behalf of the students, are planning lawsuits against some of the barbarians who issued slander, libel and even threats against the boys. I for one hope and pray that they are successful beyond their dreams. That said, there exists the very real possibility that these three Catholic dioceses issued apologies to escape being targets for legal action; I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case. At least something gave them cause for pause. One Kentucky bishop, John Stowe of Lexington, continues to pile on the boys. Lepanto Institute reveals that Stowe embraces just about all things heretical. Perhaps the less-than-good bishop will find himself in legal cross hairs.
While I've no doubt that these prelates might well fear more lawsuits, we cannot discount the role that faithful Catholics all over the nation have played in this. I'm sure many readers have joined in calling and/or emailing these dioceses to voice your displeasure. Moreover, in Kentucky some have no doubt informed their prelates of their intentions to reduce or suspend any future donations. Your voices, each and every one of yours', have played a pivotal role. You probably heard of this atrocity over various blogs, facebook,etc - in short, through outlets that are independent of mainstream media.
However, there are Catholics who, for whatever reason, are encouraging us to eschew social media, claiming that "it doesn't matter what we say". I have seen this mainly on facebook and have captured screenshots of those jaded sentiments. The key player in this knows who he is, and may well be reading this post. If I continue to see any more attempts to get us to stifle our voices, even if you believe your reasons to be spiritual and noble, I can promise you that you will be vociferously and publicly opposed. If there is one thing for which I commend the left, it is their astute use of social media. We are just starting to learn its power. What a sin it would be for us to abandon this tool - and yes, I do mean to use the word "sin" in all its aspects. It has proven to be of benefit to the Covington boys and I for one will take issue if other Catholics mistakenly deny their voices to these young men.
Nathan Phillips, the activist who accosted Nick Sandmann, is touted as a "native American elder" and a Vietnam Veteran. Regarding the latter title, Phillips has not acted to dispel that misconception. Had the press done some research and some basic arithmetic, they would have known it was impossible for Phillips to have served in Vietnam. Right below this paragraph I will post video that shows copies of his service records; the video makes plain that while Phillips did not claim outright to have fought in Vietnam, he really expended no effort to correct the media's spin. Indeed he most likely found it quite useful.
Phillips was born February 22, 1954. In order for him to enlist at the age of 18, he could have done so no later than Feb 22, 1972. He would have had to undergo basic training, a 13-week process. After that, he would have gone onto the School of Infantry, another 8 weeks. We're talking approximately 5 months before he would have been ready to deploy to a combat situation: that is, July-Aug 1972. At that time, the Marines were being withdrawn from Vietnam; the last troops left Vietnam in March of 1973. It's inconceivable that he would have gone to Vietnam as the bulk of US troops were leaving. So much for that schtick! Boys and girls, can we say "stolen valor"?
Phillips is quite adept at street theater - and video too, for that matter. Here is an article that details some of his chequered past; be sure to watch that Skrillex video for some insight into his various attitudes.
Mr. Phillips was a busy little bee that weekend. After he wreaked havoc at the Lincoln Memorial (a feat that could still have bloody consequences), he attempted to barge into the Mass being held at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception the following Saturday's Mass at 5:15, all the while chanting and drum-banging. Security guards had to lock the doors to keep the Phillips mob from disrupting Mass. I pray that neither Wuerl nor Rossi will throw the Shrine guards under the bus for keeping that mob from disrupting Mass, but given the lack of moral conviction and courage of today's prelates, one cannot be too sure. Will Phillips try to claim that he was surrounded by mean security guards? I wouldn't put it past him. But the truth is, he and his cabal are the real terrorists.
President Trump, to his immense credit, has come to the defense of the Covington students. Isn't it sad when we start to expect more charity and justice from our secular leaders than from our shepherds? It sickens me to see that the Diocese of Covington and the Archdiocese of Baltimore saw fit to basically grovel before Phillips. Foy and Lori played the feckless cowards. We must hold them accountable.
Here is my open letter to Covington High School. Begin letter
Dear Principal Browe, if there was anything that disgraced
your school over the past few days, it is that wretched “apology” that you now
have on your website. You immediately start off by condemning the actions
of your students at the March for Life. To your miniscule credit,
you do promise an investigation, but should not your investigation have
preceded your apology and your immediate condemnation of your own
students?
I would hope by now that you would have looked at the
plethora of videos of that incident. They clearly show Mr. Phillips and
his friends approaching your students. Then Phillips proceeded to get
within inches of your student’s face while chanting loudly and beating his
drums. In other words, Phillips accosted your student; yet you hold your
student to blame. Under the circumstances and given his age, I believe
your student showed remarkable restraint. Your student, Nick Sandmann,
who had the drum shoved in his face, has released his statement. Have you
read it?
I’ve no doubt that this “apology” was nothing more than a
groveling attempt to cower from politically correct harping by the media.
I regret that your local bishop has decided to join in the braying for the
heads of these young boys. Will you be prepared to issue another apology,
this time to the students whom you wronged? I trust you are aware of the
gravity of slander, and that is what you are committing against your students.
Should you be so foolhardy as to expel the boys, I hope that
their families avail themselves of all legal recourse and sue your school for
the maximum amount possible. It is your conduct thus far that calls into
question your claim to be a Catholic institution.
I hope that by the time you see this email, that
you will have reconsidered your actions and the injuries that you have
inflicted on your students.
End of letter I will advise when I get a response (as if that will happen!)
The young man has released a statement to CNN to give his perspective. I link to it now.
Tomorrow I will also draft an email to the Covington diocese. Their site remains down but here is their contact information.
And that is just what the administration of Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky is making of this. I refer to the viral video clips going through the internet that portray students from that school, attending the March for Life, to be racists. That groveling apology simply went up too quickly for any reasonable person to believe that the administration actually investigated the matter before they bad-mouthed their students and threatened them with expulsion.
There are other clips that tell quite a different story. They show the school group on the steps of the Lincoln Monument as they await their bus. In the rather long one below, you'll see that Nathan Phillips, the so-called "harassed Native American", approaches their group while banging his drum (about one hour into the clip). He and his friends plow right through them and pick one young boy to target. Phillips gets within inches of the boy's face while chanting and drumming. The boy remains motionless and looks at him; since when is that "harrassment"? If anyone was harassed, it's the boy who now is unjustly threatened with expulsion.
Now watch this one. Who is uttering racist screed in this one?
The guy telling the boys to "go back to Europe" has his camcorder at the ready. How convenient! By the way - please notice that the boys eventually left (presumably to get their bus).
I linked to Covington Catholic High School above. In the lower part of that main page is their contact information. No doubt the left is flooding them with demands for the blood of the boys. We need to issue a few of our own demands, too. We need to demand that they actually examine all the facts, that they retract their wimpering apology and show their students how real men handle these situations. Lord only knows that the Covington administration is failing to demonstrate that.
NOTE - While the school principal's email has "disappeared" from the school site, it was published on facebook. Here it is: browe@covcath.org. Let 'em have it!
I truly hope that if these boys are expelled and kicked to the curb as politically correct sacrificial lambs, that their families avail themselves of all legal recourse and sue that school to the whazzoo.
PS - If these videos "disappear", I've taken the precaution to download them. I suggest that all do the same.
PPS - I'm a little confused. Despite that "apology" on their webpage, their facebook page indicates that the school is standing behind its students. Now I'm hearing this page may be fake, as the school may have taken down their real page.
I've written before about the so-called "New Pro-life Movement" that I had redubbed the "Non Pro-Life Mutation". It seems that my nickname is more accurate than I had originally imagined it could be.
Rebecca Bratten-Weiss is one of the co-founders of this group. If you look at some of the articles (and related links) in the first link of this article, you'll see some expose on her. However, even these don't reveal the true horror than what she herself wrote. It was released a few days ago. Just read the first sentence. "wondering what I could burn as a sacrifice to Hecate"? "Contemplating witchcraft"? The rest of the article is quite revelatory. But please have a strong stomach before reading it.
In light of these revelations, particularly the one that Weiss herself provided, I cannot see how any decent person, let alone a faithful Catholic, can associate with the New Pro Life Movement. It should be avoided at all costs.
In my previous post I wondered if Cardinal Wuerl would exhibit the bad taste and tone-deafness so as to preside at the Youth Rally Mass before the March for Life on Friday Jan 18. I'm sure you share my delight in learning that he will not preside. The main celebrant will be the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre. The CNA article did not indicate whether or not Wuerl will be a concelebrant, but I hope not.
We can take a lesson from this, namely, when we speak up we can be heard. Our voices (and yes, our money) do matter. We must never be afraid or reluctant to take action to defend our Faith. Will we be successful every time we try? Probably not. However, we will fail every time we decline to act. Ora et labora.
In related news, our erstwhile bishop continues to make a fool of himself vis-a-vis his refusal to accept responsibility for allowing McCarrick to continue his predations for years after he learned of them. First he asked for "understanding". Now, in a word, he denies the denials that denied the denials. Got that? I trust that is as clear as mud. Anyway, he can run at the mouth all he want's; faithful Catholics are no longer buying the, uh, "bovine excrement".
But the fecal matter continues to flow. He tried to pin blame on a "memory lapse"? A decent, sane human being doesn't have "memory lapses" about such weighty matters. Perhaps he doesn't remember what he had for lunch on the day he learned of McCarrick's horrid crimes, but he would never forget the crimes themselves. What we are seeing in reality is a "credibility lack".
Keep your eyes open, your rosaries in hand, and act.
Archbishop Vigano, whose testimony was key in finally obliterating the charade carried out by ex-cardinal McCarrick, has issued an open letter to McCarrick to urge his public repentance. He was joined by Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, TX. Some might recall that it was Bishop Strickland who came and joined "The Bishops Knew" rally during the USCCB meeting two months ago.
Meanwhile Cardinal Wuerl is still engaging in sophistry to wiggle out of the mess his lie has caused him. What a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive! He asks for "understanding", you see? Oh, we understand quite well! We understand that you lied and can not be trusted. As I read that piece, I couldn't help but be reminded of the song below. Perhaps he can learn it and sing it as a "theme song" at the youth rally Mass, if he still has the audacity to be there.
No, Cardinal Tobin! Jesus was NOT "reborn in grace"! Jesus Christ, as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, was always God, a divine person. He never needed to be "reborn".
I am so grateful that Tobin said he would not be replacing Wuerl. Let's just hope we were being told the truth. Below is the heretical tweet.
When Jesus was baptized by John, he stood with all of us sinners seeking redemption. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the sinless Redeemer was reborn in grace as an example for us, and his Father was well pleased.
