Monday, September 30, 2013

And All the World Will Praise Your Great Name








Jesus, worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us.
Son of God and Man, You are high and lifted up
And all the world will praise Your Great Name.


Monday, September 23, 2013

Thought-Provoking



A very thought-provoking article on Rorate.

I read it several times. It gave me the chills.

There are things that, even when one wants to, one cannot let go: it happened thus with Jonah and his duty of preaching in Nineveh; and it thus happens with me regarding my faith. But Saint Augustine taught us that, even though we must never refuse martyrdom, neither must we deliver ourselves to it senselessly.

I who am the most senseless man in the world spent many years delivering myself joyfully into martyrdom, in a battle with the world that left me in shreds, with my literary career thrown in the wastebasket and turned into the laughing stock of all my colleagues; and I made this daily exercise of immolation joyfully, because I considered that my obligation was not to please the world, but to fight it until my last breath.

Where there were nests yesteryear there are no birds this year, Don Quixote tells us, when he comes back to his senses. I am unaware if I was insane before; but today, reading a certain interview that kicked up a dust cloud, I felt that I played the fool during all these years.

And, following the example of the distinguished interviewee, I will dedicate myself from this day forward to pleasing and flattering the world, in order to avoid its condemnation.

My head is still reeling that the Pope thinks the murder of unborn children is a small-minded rule and he has instructed prelates to withhold the tenets of our religion to the faithful.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Early Fruit from a Pope who calls Commandments against murder and adultery "small-minded rules".


Our colleague Julie at Catholic Corner has some citations from the thugs who have been successful in keeping two generations of Catholics from hearing the teachings of the Church.

The fruit of Pope Francis.

The “Catholics United” group came out with:

PRESS RELEASE: Pope to Right-Wingers: I’m Not One of You

Posted September 19, 2013

In startlingly honest interview, Pope confirms he believes the “imbalance” caused by the far right is damaging to the reputation of the churchWASHINGTON—Today, lay Catholics across the world are celebrating a wide-ranging interview given by Pope Francis to 17 Jesuit-affiliated periodicals. In the interview, published in English by the Catholic magazine America, Francis articulates his vision of moving the priorities of the Catholic faith away from divisive social issues, like what he calls an “obsession” with gay marriage, abortion and contraception, while refocusing on core Gospel teachings relating to poverty.In the interview, found at America’s website, americamagazine.org, Pope Francis makes a number of statements that provide hope to lay Catholics who want a church more rooted in social justice values [end- full story in links below]

And this one from a “Catholics United” Fox News Contributor who wrote the above article: …


Thank God -- Pope Francis tells Catholics they need an attitude adjustment

By James Salt

Published September 20, 2013

[In part] “Lay Catholics across the world are celebrating a wide-ranging interview given by Pope Francis to 17 Jesuit-affiliated periodicals. In the interview, published in English by the Catholic magazine America, Francis offers us some of his most startling thoughts, such that our church needs an attitude adjustment and should be more in tune with the needs of the laity.And most notably, he suggests the Catholic Church has become obsessed with divisive social issues like abortion, gay marriage and contraception. In his own words, he suggests that reducing the faith to these issues threatens to collapse the “moral edifice” of the Church and fails to honor the “full fragrance of the Gospel.”To be clear, Francis is not suggesting a change in Catholic teaching. Instead, he is suggesting we must revisit how our teachings are manifested. Rather than leading the culture war against abortion, gay marriage and contraception, perhaps, he suggests, the church would be better served by walking with those who are struggling with these very human conditions. Instead of judging people with the rigidity of doctrine, why don’t we minister to their needs?The pope’s comments are groundbreaking because of their stark contrast with what we’ve been hearing from the American Catholic bishops lately.”

[More from the same article]

“And this trend offers hope to more than just Catholics. As many fallen away Catholics find renewed hope in a church institution that has lost relevance, so, too, can conservatives learn to be more responsible in how they govern.Francis offers conservative lawmakers a roadmap for how to regain credibility. Instead of embracing socially-divisive issue campaigns, perhaps the conservative movement would be better served by focusing on what can unite us.What if, like Francis, they led by example?Perhaps a more humble, less strident approach would help people better understand the merits of their argument.So this Sunday, I expect to see more faces of formerly lost sheep in the pews. I know many of my progressive friends are planning to give Sunday services a second look. Let’s hope priests and bishops take Francis’ advice and welcome them with open arms.” [Link below]

And here we were worried about Obama paying terrorists to murder Christians all over the world.

The enemies within the 'field hospital' have taken up their swords to slay the living Word of the Magisterium and faithful Catholics who had been gathered in the pews to be taught to live by it.

This is precisely what we can expect in every parish in the world from those poised into positions to kill what is left of the teaching of our religion.

n.b. Pope Francis battle against teaching our people the Commandments and their Faith has the stink of Boston all over it.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Pope Francis Profoundly "Anti-Catholic" says HuffPo


Ok, they didn't exactly say the Pope was 'antiCatholic', but since there is no such word as 'conservative' in the realm of faithfulness to Catholic Doctrine, that is precisely what they meant.

Take a look for yourselves.

Church teaching is actually law. When you describe people who are required to obey law, there's no such thing as liberal or conservative. One either obeys laws or they violate them.

Driving 60 in a 30 mile an hour isn't liberal it violating laws. Selling crack pipes to children isn't liberal, its criminal.

When the mainstream media and people with agendas call Catholics "Conservatives", they people they are referring to are Catholics who practice their religion by doing everything within their power to live by Church Law. They are Catholics.

Catholics aren't Jews because Catholics don't practice Jewish laws.

Consequently, what HuffPo is trying to say isn't profoundly 'anti-conservative', he is 'anti' - the definition of which is 'against' - Catholics who faithfully adhere to the practice of their religion.

After six months of watching the show, I think that is an astute observation.

He doesn't like us.

The Pope himself uses an even more derogatory term for faithful Catholics than the mainstream press:

“I have never been a right-winger."

I wasn't too happy when Archbishop Chaput used the term, but at least he doesn't have a history of confusing our children in the public square.

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn whether he likes faithful Catholics or he doesn't.

The Pope has a duty to ensure that our children get catechized in the tenets of our religion and he has just told us that is a practice he thinks should stop.

Faithful Catholics (who quite frankly are not exactly taking a shine to him either) are stepping up to say there's going to a lot of commotion.

We want to be catechized. We want our children to be catechized. We want our relatives, friends and everyone we love and care about to be catechized.


Here's what this Pope taught our children about the infallible teaching of Christ's Church:

“When the dialogue among the people and the bishops and the pope goes down this road and is genuine, then it is assisted by the Holy Spirit. … We should not even think, therefore, that ‘thinking with the church’ means only thinking with the hierarchy of the church.”

No matter what they think, it's infallible teaching because they are baptized.

Get it?

Come on. Let us cut the baloney and face the truth.

Obsessed with the Transmission of a Disjointed Multitude of Doctrines to be Imposed Insistently

I beg your pardon?

Small-minded rules that are driving the faithful away?


Most certainly a breathtaking glimpse into how the Pope views our magnificent Magisterium and the tools for the salvation of immortal souls.

You can't kid me baby!

Take that seamless garment and put it right back into the mothballs. We are allergic to it.

And while we are at it, don't come around these parts telling the starving flock that the problem with the Church is...we have oversaturated our parishes with Church teaching. That observation is so patently absurd, it is maddening.

Is he serious?

If he is that out of touch with reality, we better strap ourselves in because this papacy is going to be a poop show.

Since Woodstock, we could count on one hand number of times we have heard priests teach women about contraception and abortion or gays about abstinence and celibacy.

If these teachings are being 'repeated constantly', we would all certainly like to know where.

Please. Send us map.

What makes this ludicrous observation so frightening is, his fix is in: We have to find new ways to reserve Church teaching or we will fall like a deck of cards.

He certainly published his piece in the right magazine. America have been misleading the flock with this praxis for decades. Look how it has panned out for the culture.

This ought to give the thugs in the Chancery some real talking points against priests who have been teaching and preaching the faith to the starving lambs.

If you really want to get scared, read this.

The fruits of Vatican II?

People fell out of a state of grace, the pews emptied out and we have a mess in the world from the diabolical disorientation of sin.

It is not possible to interfere in the spiritual life of a person?

What is he talking about?

That is our entire mission. Our whole fiat in a nutshell.

For the love of Christ, please do permit His Church to interfere in my spiritual life and into the spiritual life of the people I love and care about.

Just when you think it couldn't possibly get any more insane.

I have not read the interview in its entirety, but have been following the spin. Whenever I feel like the Pope is off of his rocker, I fly unto the sanity of Fr. Z. to talk me out of it.

Fr. Z does a masterful job at putting the shinola on the Pope's latest controversial statements and I agree with the tenet of his talking points.

But... me thinks...at this point...our dear Fr. Z is examining each flea on the dog to explain it all away.

There are many excerpts from the interview that reinforce the gut instincts I have had since the beginning: This is a shepherd who is going after the lost, those duped by the mainstream and chanceries who have portrayed repentance and the Sacramental tools of Confession and the Eucharist as an unwelcome sign.

This is the most compelling:

"I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds.... And you have to start from the ground up."


He has taken control of the soundbytes of the MSM. This is spectacular and we are on board any momentum to cast the net into the deep.

I see where he's going, but there are several problems in the execution of it.

First, he is not the brightest bulb and the articulation of his off-the-cuff remarks are a theological disaster.

I suspect he too is aghast when he sees how his own remarks are being cast. As soon as his gag order on teaching was published in the mainstream media, in a little-covered story, he blasted the siren on abortion.


More importantly, if it were not for the fact that once the uncatechized and defiant show up and volunteer to teach their views in CCD, RCIA and the Liturgy and the bishops didn't load the chancery with them, Catholic parents would buy into his fix.

But we are all too familiar with the execution of this fix.

We have been there done that and we now have two generations who have been led astray.


Here's an honest and decent summary of the general sentiments of the shtick.

It is SO clear to me over the past few weeks that the Pope is going after couples cohabitating, the gays, divorced, women who have been brainwashed into being chemically sterilized with contraception. I am praying for reconciliation and fruit and my ground game, still, is looking everywhere and in every thing to support and assist with that goal.

Keep your hands on that wheel and we can worry about the rest later.

I can't, at this point, spit on people and tell them that its raining.

That's my two cents, FWIW.

Meanwhile, here is a developing story.





Thursday, September 12, 2013

Did the Vatican's Secretary of State say that Church teaching on celibacy is his biggest challenge?



Much ado about nothing.

It seems, however, that the NBC news version is an exaggeration of the actual words of the Secretary of State, who merely stated the obvious in an interview to Venezuelan paper El Universal. The celibate priesthood, he said, "is not a dogma of the Church [quite true] and it can be discussed because it is an ecclesiastical tradition", but "it cannot simply be said that it belongs to the past".

BTW - I see Rorate shut off comments. Ugh. The commentary there was magnificent and informative. I'm bummed.

I digress.

The media still seems to be under some kind of spell, but is now bending its knee to Christ's Church.

It is fascinating.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Did Pope Francis Say Let Your Misinformed Consciences Guide You ?



Pope Francis' letter and outreach to a poor misguided atheist as instructions to obey the diabolical influence of sin upon your intellect.

What a hoot.

From today:


Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.
But now you must put them all away:
anger, fury, malice, slander,
and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another

From yesterday:

See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy
according to the tradition of men,
according to the elemental powers of the world
and not according to Christ.

From tomorrow...read the entire thing.

The caricature of what the Pope said is the same old skulduggery of the Jesuits and polyester pantied nuns: If you can convince yourself to contradict Church teaching with some good excuses, if you don't roll like thunder under the covers with that eye candy, you are sinning against your own conscience.

This concept could be used to validate the mass murders of Christians, the bombing at Hiroshima, Hitler's mass murder of the Jews and ethnic cleansing all over the world. It could be used to rape women. Pedophile priests could use it. So on and so forth.

I don't think that is what he is saying.

I think he's saying Catholics have a right to speak freely in the public square. That dialogue shouldn't be approached nor received as a contest for moral superiority - it is an invitation to something profoundly beautiful, a humble relationship with God and if you approach Him without preconceptions, and a sincere and contrite heart, God will judge us with His tender Mercy that knows extenuating circumstances involved - and there can be forgiveness. He said truth is neither variable nor subjective, nor arrogant. Truth is only given to us as the path to life.

Kinda like this.

Much like a dog whistle, there are many who can't hear what Pope Francis is saying as he is softening hearts. Maybe some do see it but it's never been about the conversion of hearts to them.

I don't really care what way Pope Francis breaks through the diabolical disorientation to call the masses unto Christ. I'm not crazy about it by any means but what do I know in this dangerous time in our history. I continue to pray for its efficacy and play the ground game every chance I get.

Give a little whistle



Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Triumphalist Christians - Who dat?




TLM community is getting all worked up, but...I just can't get to indignation with them on this one.

Do you really think the Pope is saying that Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is among a schmorgashboard of equal religions?

What TLM community does not believe in the Resurrection?

Come on kiddies.

He's saying no matter how many people surround our wagons to murder us, no matter how bad it looks and gets - don't lose hope, we don't have to worry about any of it because the victory was won by the Resurrection of Christ and will in the future be won by the Resurrection of Christ. His Church is the Resurrection. The teachings of His Church are the Resurrection. The Sacraments of His Church are the Resurrection.

He is saying there is many a fool who, instead of knowing and believing the above, are all wound up in their own intellect, thoughts, words, deeds and power.

He is not speaking of the Sacred Liturgies of the Church.

He's talking about the people who subvert the Sacred Rites with asinine innovations, puppets, pride in rolling like thunder under the covers themed Masses, nuns on the bus and the women with inferiority complexes who boo-hoo about women 'priest' movements.

His train of thought is continued from HERE.

As a general rule of thumb, if one is in need of explanation about anything having to do with the Catholic Church, If Fr. James Martin was the last person on earth, one should not pay any more attention to his crackpot interpretations than one would rely on a broken compass to find your way to the North Pole.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Robert Kennedy Jr's three-point plan


The poor slob is in the news was deprived of a few valuable lessons on life.



The first is a lesson I learned in the second grade when I passed note to a classmate saying Sister Mary Hollarian was mean:

If you're going to say or do something stupid, don't write it down.

The codes corresponded to sexual acts, with 10 meaning intercourse, Mary told a confidant. There are 37 women named in the ledger, 16 of whom get 10s.


The poor guy had it bad.

Kennedy writes near the end of his jail sentence that he has a “three-point plan” for “fixing my greatest defect . . . my lust demons.” He doesn’t write down the plan, leaving the subsequent days of the diary blank.


Second lesson: You can't fight your demons without the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.

An entry five days later reads “Drove to Cape with Mary and all the kids.” By mid-August, he again records women’s names in the back of his journal.

Kennedy holds back on any detailed description of his conquests and bizarrely portrays himself as a kind of victim. He uses the word “mugged” as shorthand for being seduced.

“I narrowly escaped being mugged by a double team of [two women]. It was tempting but I prayed and God gave me the strength to say no,” he writes on Feb. 6. A few days later, on Valentine’s Day, he gives his pregnant wife orchids, he notes.

On May 21, he writes about hosting dinner for Leonardo DiCaprio, driving the actor to the city and then meeting someone else in Manhattan. He notes he “got mugged on my way home,” recording a 10 with the name of a woman next to it.

“I’ve got to do better,” he adds.

I'm not sure the word mugged is all that bizarre. I don't think he's talking about the women. (Are there that many women who will degrade their precious gift of human sexuality by hopping into the sack for a one-night stand?)

I was relieved to read he called upon the Name of Jesus in the crucible of his temptation.

Here's your three-point plan:

1. Pick up the phone and make an appointment with the priest for the Sacrament of Confession and make a firm purpose of amendment.
2. As soon as you receive the Sacrament, go to Mass and receive the Eucharist.
3. Do it every day if you have to.

The power in that plan is incapable of failing us.

Sincerely following the three-point plan, the Eucharist has as much power as you want to draw from It.

What do you think the chances are that the folks in the Chancery are going to pastor the souls of a political family to salvation?

Slim to none.

Bishop Tobin put a sincere effort into Patrick and others, but sixty years of gross negligence from the policies of Bryan Hehir et al in Boston...it's a bit hard to overcome.

This is a perfect example of how families can suffer for generations so priests and bishops could be invited to swanky cocktail parties with political movers and shakers.

I hope the guy found his way.






Saturday, September 7, 2013

Are SSPX sedevacanists?


There seems to be a lot of confusion out there about what a sedevacanist is and how the definition applies to SSPX

Before I let SSPX answer that, here are a few talking points on sedevacanists.

Sedevacanists reject the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. They have their own Magisterium.

They reject the authority of Christ's Church and the authority of the Pope.


From SSPX
:

Sedevacantism is the theological position of those traditional Catholics who most certainly believe in the papacy, papal infallibility and the primacy of the Roman Pontiff, and yet do not recognize John Paul II as a legitimate successor of Peter in the primacy. In other words, they do not recognize John Paul II as a true pope. The word Sedevacantism is a compound of two Latin words which together mean "the Chair is vacant."1Sedevacantism appears then to be a theological position or a theory kept by some traditional Catholics who think that the most recent popes, the popes of the Vatican II council, lost their pontifical authority on account of the grave heresies they have been promoting, and the crisis that came along...

Survey of the Theological opinions of a heretical pope: For that survey, I will follow the study of Arnaldo Xavier de Silveira in his book ‘La Nouvelle Messe de Paul VI: Qu'en penser’ (or: LNM)3. After explaining how the New Mass departs from the traditional teaching of the Church, this author makes an in-depth study of the theological hypothesis of a heretical pope. Such study was highly praised by Archbishop Lefebvre, as "the very objective study of Xavier de Silveira". .

Just in case you remain unconvinced that SSPX are sedevacanists, here's more:

It consists of saying that a heretic cannot be head of the Church, but John-Paul II is a heretic, therefore he cannot be a true Pope.

Here they are calling Ratzinger and future popes heretics.

This is the exact substance of their defection,

SSPX can claim they are against sedevacanism all they want. It is intellectual dishonesty. It's what they are doing and therefore what they are.

The lifting of their excommunication was for the purpose of trying to bring them into communion - which in my opinion is an exercise of futility because they reject the authority of the Church and Pope.

In my opinion they are worse than sedevacanists because they are telling Catholics what they're doing isn't sedevacanism.







Tradition vs. Traditionalism? (The Latin Mass isn't holy, it's just old?)


Anyone see this?


Anthony does a decent job articulating flaw of SSPX and sedevacanists. They lose sight of Christ's authority to the Apostles to bind and unbind teaching.

The brilliance of the delegation of authority to Apostles and their successors to bind and unbind Catholics to teaching escapes most.

There was and never will be a declaration of the Magisterium of Christ's Church that any of us ever have to worry is an error. So long as we submit ourselves to it, whether we understand it or we don't, whether we like it or we don't, we are pleasing Christ, have access to Sacramental Grace through the Sacraments and we're following the path to salvation and spending our eternity with our Beloved in Heaven, so long as we surrender to the authority of Magisterial substance.

I've watched the sedevacanist-minded folks and have observed two afflictions that blind them to the above: they have personalities that suffer from despair and pride. It can be a lethal combination.

Few who contemplate jumping off of the ship to SSPX and the like are ignorant of Church teaching.

Most, if not all, have encountered the see of priests and bishops who have abandoned their duties to become a fundraiser or celebrity. They have watched these men misinform and mislead their children, grandchildren, relatives, friends and community.

Most, like me, were probably misled themselves and trudged through years of the consequences of sin: the fruit wrong judgment. To the relief of their guardian angel, something or somebody woke them up. Upon their return to Christ's Church, found the barnum and bailey circus.

What was being taught and done was so absurd, they ran educate themselves on what went down. What happened. What the teachings were and are, what happened to their Sacred Liturgy.

I remember watching the bleep shows in nearly every parish and reaching a point where I simply could not tolerate it. Sedevacanists surrounded and flooded me with their assertions.

Against the beauty and simplicity of Christ's delegation of teaching authority to His Apostles, their theories fall apart.

I take great issue with Anthony's caricature of the TLM community. He has fallen into the trap of using the word 'traditionalist' to paint the entire TLM Community.

I also take great exception to his caricature that the evidence that the Catholic media covers up for the corruption of priests and bishops is flimsy.

Most importantly, I am offended by (disgusted might be a better word) Anthony's assertion that the Latin Mass isn't holy, it's just old.

The TLM community is just an unholy alliance with vernacular?

I am not feeling rational enough to articulate my disgust in the assault upon this Sacred Liturgy. My frustration with these folks needs the Sacraments.

My Jesus help me.

Nearly all of the people I know who attend the Latin Mass have done so because they want to hear the actual teachings of the Church in a homily - how Sacred Scripture tells us the story of how to apply Church teaching to our lives in personal temptation or through evangelizing against the demoralization of the government (Gog) and culture (Magog).

People who attend the Latin Mass are the refugees of Catholics who PRAY the Canon with the priest. They actually understand what is happening in front of them mystically and they mystically enter into the prayers. They have found the asinine liturgical innovations and the circus of clowns impossible to retain the concentration it takes to enter into the Mystical prayer of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

They are not going to Mass for religious entertainment.

They are not going to Mass to boost their self-esteem.

They are going to Mass to literally make physical and intimate contact with the Divinity of Christ because that intimate union feeds their intellect with the properties of Divinity contained in the Eucharist.

They don't want those moments challenged, interrupted, diluted by the post-menopausal women stampeding the Sanctuary for their hour of American Catholics Have Talent competitions in every parish across their diocese.

They are scandalized by the bishop who hand picks his staff from the lavender mafia and estrogen-free women and then pretends the execution of his own agenda by them has nothing to do with him.

They are tired of corruption, the lies, the bishops use of public relations people to cover up his own ineptitude and misfeasance, the bishop's use of blogs and Catholic publications to publish his lies and talking points. (That's the current dust up - Catholic journalists are involved by omission or commission. There is ten years of irrefutable evidence.)

Most Catholics in the TLM are just quietly seeking refuge and raising their family in a place where they are evangelized with tools of sanctification. With very little exception, the Novus Ordo completely deprives Catholics of these tools. Priests who are sanctifying souls are maliciously undermined and thwarted by the bishop and his lavender mafia staff.

There are many Catholics like myself, who stayed in the Novus Ordo community and we did so to speak out against the victims of spiritual misfeasance and malfeasance in the NO community.

We expose what is happening.

We make the phone calls to the Chancery.

We notify and appeal to the Nuncio and then onto the Holy See.

Through these actions over the last ten years, the Holy See was able to identify the corrupt within the Walls of St. Peter's Square.

We have overthrown it the highest levels.

You see the train wreck at the Vatican?

We are the people who hijacked the train and drove it into the brick wall.

It has been done before by Saints. Consequently, the assertions of the patheols and katholic answers crowd, the Sheas and Keatings and Longeneckers and Armstrongs, do not conflate with tradition.

Get it?

Knock it off.

Stop trying to paint the TLM community using words like 'tradition' or 'traditionists' to make them look like the lunatic fringe.

Stop trying to paint people who are sick and tired of the corruption in their parish and Chancery as people doing a disservice to the Church.

We are approaching a time in history wherein the ethics of making money in Catholic journalism is a treacherous path. There is omission and commission. One can admit it and continue to work in the field doing what they can to evangelize and change.

But there is an exchange of money for publishing the bishops talking points - or not publishing them.


Whether you like it or lump it, there are ethics involved and what the Longeneckers and Sheas and Armstrongs and Keatings are doing is reprehensible.

If you can't be a man, at least have the decency to sit down and shut up while other men step forward.

O glorious St. Joseph, you were chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus, the most pure spouse of Mary ever Virgin, and the head of the holy family. You have been chosen by Christ's Vicar as the heavenly patron and protector of the Church founded by Christ. Therefore it is with great confidence that I implore your powerful assistance for the whole Church on earth. Protect in a special manner, with true fatherly love, the Pope and all bishops and priests in communion with the See of Peter. Be the protector of all who labor for souls amid the trials and tribulations of this life, and grant that all peoples of the world may follow Christ and the Church He founded.

Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Is Dave Armstrong on break from the nuns on the bus tour?


Several days back, I reported that Al Kresta's producer sent me a nastygram saying the following:

Now that you have publicly stated that “I like Al Kresta and all - but he DOES coverup corruption by refusing to report the corruption” I’d like for you to point out instances of where the program has covered up corruption.

I explained to him that one cannot prove a negative but to review his archives and if a list of programs Al has done on episcopal corruption turns out to be bupkis, there is his evidence.

But then I thought it would be a good idea to offer him the opportunity to help Catholic's upset Bishop Soto's idea of resolving a priest who is giving sexual sadomasochist lessons as telling him to do it off of diocesan property.

He wrote back telling me maybe I ought to read Dave Armstrong and it will help me out.

Dave Armstrong?

Isn't he on tour with the nuns on the bus?

What could I possibly learn from a guy who is an "apologist" for Communion in the hand? We are not made from the same cloth. I didn't realize Al Kresta got his pearls of wisdom from that trough.

Since I hadn't read him for the last ten years, out of curiosity, I googled Dave Armstrong. Wow. There's a lot going on there.

Anyhoo, I don' think Al Kresta is interested in helping expose Bishop Soto's unacceptable resolution.

We all know the reasons why.


Cardinal Dolan Appears on Comedy Central


You can't make this stuff up.

Can anyone say....narcissism?

The MTV music awards must have rejected him?

I must say I never thought I would see anything that would top THIS, but at least Barnum and Bailey is a family-oriented show that is unharmful to souls and our country.







Monday, September 2, 2013

Ten things Christians should say more often..says HuffPo



Ten things Christians should say more often.

I'm going from memory here, but let me recap.

1. Ruh-oh.
2. Really?
3. There is pain and alienation in truth and certainty.
4. I dunno, whatever you say.
5. That's a crying shame but I'm not going to respond.
6. Stinks to be you.
7. Howza bout dems Red Sox.
8. I love you, St. Paul tells us to forget about the spirit-killing mantra of the Church so...let me show you what I'd like to try.

And my favorite: If you want to learn Christianity, you have to ask non-Christians to teach it to you.

Get it?

I'd say these talking points were written by the luminaries in some Chancery.

Has Fr. Corapi Surfaced?


I saw a music video earlier this summer without any content, but Fr. Corapi supporters say they were emailed what they believe to be a new video and there appears to be a somewhat new facebook page.

Some good things - the blacksheepdog is gonzo and he is wearing a Roman collar. He makes an ambiguous reference to things he may have done to deserve criticism, but then says people who should have known better believed things that were untrue - and he mentions all of his good fruit.

I have always felt terrible over the way he was treated by Mark Shea and company. It was a terrible witness and disservice to Christ's Church. Even a man guilty of such things should not have been treated in the way he was treated. He did much good for the Church and there was incredible fruit.

Everyone is in need of kindness, compassion, redemption. I pray for the man, hope he is connected to the Sacraments that heals all wounds and sanctifies even the hardest of sinners.




Slow Fade

Traditional Catholicism


I think my regular readers know this, but I wanted to say it again.

I have never liked the word 'traditional Catholic' as it has been used to smear and tarnish the reputations of Catholics who are faithful to Church authority and teaching but needed to get away from the antics of the gross abandonment of the salvation of souls in the United States for the last 40 years.

I know many and myself have thought about seeking refuge in motu proprio from time to time.

Because Pope John Paul II generation is now ordained, the situation has improved in Boston. We are still oppressed, and the power of the corrupt mafia of priests still exists, but the situation has improved and I remain in the local parish community.

I understand and have been very supportive of the TLM community. I have many TLM readers and link to several TLM sites.

The word 'trad' is thrown around by the patheos crowd to convey the entire TLM community is sedevacanist, angry, anti-Semite, etc.

Every one of us have been scandalized by what has been going on over the last 40 years.

For those of us who will never abandon Christ's Church, God has seen us through it and He will continue to see us through. The Deposit of Faith is magnificent. I am in love with it. Do not lose sight of It in the chaos around us.

Listen, I think what Fr. Longenecker did was a gross violation of his duty as a priest. He is using his roman collar to wound the unity of the Church and the wingnuts at patheos are clapping him on. I am sorry that this happened. Do not fall into despair or let the fruit of what he did lead you astray.

We are heading into another chapter of the history of humanity. The harvesting of souls. The collection. The separation of the goats from the sheep right before our eyes. It is devastating to watch. Frustrating as an evangelist, as a parent, a relative and friend.

This period may last hundreds or thousands of years. Who knows.

We can't stop it. We have to roll with it. Each one of us will be tempted in unpredictable ways. Keep on your toes.

We are all sitting on the edge of our seats wondering who and what the Pope is, what his driving force is and where he is going to take the train.

I am confident that the Holy Spirit is behind him.

But let me say this: Even if it turns out he is driving souls to their trainwreck, our path does not change. We are connected to the Deposit of Faith because Christ said He will render His judgment on our soul based upon fidelity to it, irrespective of what we think about it. Whether we understand it, like it or we don't.

Let it all rip.

We are connected to the Deposit of Faith and the Sacraments of Christ Church. Christ said He will render His judgments on our salvation based upon the Deposit of Faith.

If you are tempted to despair or see anyone else tempted to despair or tempting others to despair and seek refuge in the sedevacanists whose despair has led them to supersede the authority of Christ's Church, make a good faith effort to show them the path. If they continue - do not walk, run.

Please keep all those tempted to despair in our prayers.

Christ's Church is the price of our soul's salvation. Tie yourself to It and ride out the storm come what may.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Another Magnificent Post on Fr. Longenecker and the patheos at Patheos



Take the time to read this beautifully-written post.

They are only kidding themselves.

Fr. Tom Bonnaci Giving Leather Bondage Spiritual Sex Lessons in Sacramento


Fr. Tom Bonnaci is giving lessons on how to integrate leather sexuality with spirituality at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center in Sacramento.

““What we notice about our sexual experience as leather people is that much of what turns us on sexually has to do with such things as power exchange(dominance/submission); trust in s/m scenes where we feel the power of vulnerability and even fear, whether our own or the placing of another’s in our hands; and the intimacy of intense physical bonding which carries deeper meaning beyond the outward act itself. Words we use in the leather community such as “honor” and “respect” reflect that as well…. For us this has taken us into acknowledging the deeper meanings of our sexuality and its connection to the interior life. We choose to identify that dimension of our life as our spirituality. For us, that connection both grounds ‘spirituality’ in a healthy, freely given sexual life and acknowledges our capacity in sexual activity to have deep and soaring, even ecstatic, experience…”"


What?

Ah, come on, cut him some slack.

Can't an ordained guy incorporate leather and buggery into the Divinity of Christ and Sacramental life of the Catholic Church?

Like me, I'll bet you are wondering how a priest could feel so empowered by his bishop to do it right out in the open without fear or ramification.

Some of you may remember his bishop, Bishop Jaime Soto, recently canceled an event informing Catholics of the ethnic cleansing of Christians by islamic terrorists.

Still, isn't it nice of him to put a priest in charge of sex bondage and let him host an event on diocescan property.

From what I understand, after the phone rang off the hook at the Chancery asking Bishop Soto for intervention, he picked up the phone and asked Father Bonnaci to lead the sex bondage retreat at a facility that is unaffiliated with the Catholic Church.

I'm sure I speak for most people when I say that action by Bishop Soto just isn't good enough. Fr. Bonacci needs to be taken out of commission and sent to a lockdown facility for intense psychosexual and spiritual treatment and an exorcism of the demons counseling him.

This actually is very timely.

I received an email from the producer of Al Kresta's show, Nick Thomm.

Nick asked:

Now that you have publicly stated that “I like Al Kresta and all - but he DOES coverup corruption by refusing to report the corruption” I’d like for you to point out instances of where the program has covered up corruption.


I explained that I'm sure the message is upsetting, but asked if he could separate from the emotions of it and try to understand what is being said.

One cannot prove a negative.

Has Al done any programs exposing episcopal corruption in an effort to shut down something scandalous and spiritually abusive and malfeasant?

Has he ever responded to the pleas of Catholics begging Catholic journalists for help in exposing the unacceptable resolution to a scandal, intended to hold the Bishop's feet to the fire?

When you go to the archives and you come up with bupkis, there is your evidence that his silence is enabling and contributing to the corruption.

I'm going to write back to the producer and ask him if Al Kresta will help us expose the unacceptable response of Bishop Soto. I'll let you know his response.

Again, Al is doing tremendous work, as are other Catholic journalists. And everyone who knows how the Mystical Body of Christ functions is acutely aware that the Bishops response to exposing corruption will be tarring, feathering, slandering, threatening, bullying, public excoriation. Their careers will be over.

Al Kresta has got to rub elbows at swanky events with the men who are robbing people of their salvation and sometimes their lives.

And the reality is, there is a subgroup of people who find that compromise repulsive.

It doesn't make us better people. Everyone has their job to do. I have advised many priests, deacons, lay people working inside of the Church who are troubled that they can't speak out that it isn't their job to do so. God has given them a different role and they are not to feel any remorse over their silence.

But any and every righteous Catholic concerned about the salvation of souls understands that somebody has to do it. When theologically and spiritually immature or wounded Catholic journalists attack the people doing it, that a malicious action they need to be called out on.

Maybe they think rushing to the defense of a Bishop's misfeasance or corruption will earn them respect, get them an exclusive scoop, a ticket to a swanky event or maybe it is just personally important to them to feel like the bishop likes them.

For people like Voris, our friends at BCI, myself and others - the victims of misfeasance and corruption and the salvation of souls is more important to us than having the bishop 'like' us.

It isn't intended to give them an inferiority complex but if they have one over it and try to cure it by attacking righteous people, they are lemmings who need a good swift kick in the backside.