Given the shibboleth coming from Rome, this is no time for sloth.

I am really taking a shine to Bishop Schneider!

In another peculiar development coming from Rome, the other day I read about a 'tribunal for bishops in sex abuse cases' and thought to myself, Gee, I hope they don't use this kangaroo court to remove bishops who are opposed to the Roman Mapplethorpe they are building. I mean, they wouldn't sink that low, would they?

I didn't much like the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach, but I chalked it up to the many years of experiences I had with Fr. Bill Scanlon (RIP) who had a cocktail napkin placed in his personnel file after he made noise about suspicions about a pedophile ring and various characters at Catholic Charities. The napkin said 'fools around with boys'. They used that napkin to torment the guy his entire vocation. It took a terrible toll on his health and destroyed his vocation. We were robbed and the Church was robbed. After his premature death, to those us who loved him and knew of his innocence, the antics rose to the level of
manslaughter. Consequently, when it comes to assessing what the lavender mafia is capable of doing and getting away with, I plead guilty to being 50 shades of jaded. But, I am very aware of my bias and will often dismiss my suspicions.

I must say however that when I read about Archbishop Neinstedt's resignation, the first thing I said was "Oh bleep, here we go!"

I immediately did some poking around to see if it was my imagination that only faithful bishops are being accused of 'mishandling' the ephebophiles the lavender mafia ordained.

I found this on Rorate:

As one conservative bishop after another is speedily removed over allegations of mishandling accusations of immorality and / or sexual abuse against the clergy subject to them, we await the day when liberal bishops and cardinals who are guilty of far greater offenses will experience the same treatment.

So it is more than my post-traumatic biases from the retaliation of scribbling on a napkin at some drunken party and slipping into a personnel file when a priest was on their trail.

Let us face it: The evidence to exonerate the Holy Father of the charge of letting the lavender mafia take over the Holy See is virtually non-existent.

A kangaroo court is in place and lo and behold, it is in pursuit of faithful bishops.

Given what we know about what kind of bishops ordain men sexually attracted to teenagers and then enable them, doesn't this strike you as inconsistent with abolishing the practices that lure teenagers into the hands of sexual predators?

Given what we know about the cause and effect, what are the odds it's a coincidence all the bishops they are accusing do not fit the profile of the real enablers?

Stinks to the high heavens.

This ought to liven things up.

Decision on Medjugorje a few months away.

Matt Abbot has a great round up.

He quotes a Vatican source:

In recent weeks, a source informed me that the Vatican commission has concluded that the reported apparitions are not supernatural in origin, "but because of the publicity surrounding [them] and the potential chaos that could result from the announcement, the authorities in Rome are sitting on it for now."

I also have a source who confirms the announcement will be the shenanigans and charades are not supernatural. Any discussion on facebook about the matter substantiates their fears of hysteria.

I just can't get over the number of people thinking the announcement is going to be about making it a National Shrine.

Forget about the priest who impregnanted a nun and the houligans of the 'seers'--Are they not unable to process the hammer swinging from the CDF

Don't they have a relationship with the Blessed Mother? Do they think she would sound like a broken record?

"Little children"

"I am your mother"

"You are my children"

"Pray"

"Thank you for having responded to my call".

Christ left us a Church that provides us a daily message from the Gospel.

It's half past time for the Holy See to crush the head of this serpent.

If you are a pagan and don't pray, send me your gyrations.

"Pray for me, and if some of you can't pray because you are not believers, send me good vibrations,"

Whatever floats your boat and causes your gyrations, spread it around to others.

If you don't pray, you've got yourself some vibrations all right. Why he would want them is a mystery.

Straining the Gnat

Parents should not let children use computers in their bedrooms, the pope has said, while warning of the dangers of internet ‘filth’.

This is very good advice.

But it is much more important for a Pope not to let apostates in our parishes and classrooms, wouldn't you say?

Patheos hosts symposium on 'why I am not leaving the Catholic Church'

What's the heck is going on here?

How is the caricature that the Church is an indentured servant who is falling down on the job, helpful?

Are they in love with God or does their relationship depend on the presents He brings like Santa Claus?

Is that how all the other relationships in their life work?

When their children come home with bad report cards, would they hold symposiums on Why they are NOT leaving their children?

God only knows.
I mean that quite literally. God only knows.
I have fallen away from practice of my Catholic faith before. ..I have even struggled with temptations to apostatize. I don’t intend to give you details of that, since I consider the matter personal, but I share the fact of those temptations because they exist and they need to be acknowledged as existing. No good comes from refusing to admit one’s own limitations.

Every one of us goes through moments when our relationship with God is tested. Sickness, shouldering more than our share of suffering, death and many other things, including the reckless behavior of priests or bishops--these things can and will cause a terrible storm. But for the life of me, I just don't get living in a relationship with God - of all people - with one foot out the door.

Like every other relationship, if you're feeling distance - that's the sign it's time to step up the labor involved in bringing yourself closer.

Primary relationships work best when they are paid attention to every day of your life. A tiny drift is effortless to rein it back in. But if a boat drifts way, way out-it becomes a lot of work that few people desire to do. Like an old car that needs a lot of work, trading it in is an enormous temptation.

The stuff that you trade in Sanctifying Grace for is always destructive. Always.

We're talking about the Body and Blood of Christ. Nobody with an aspostolate should portray Its value in our lives like that of a motor vehicle. Let's kick it up a few notches.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Pope Francis did not approve of Cardinal Kasper's plan. No, no.

He simply told Kasper to present it and afterwards publicly stated he was satisfied with what was said.

But the Pope did not approve it. Heavens no. Why that would be preposterous.

Sir, there isn't a Catholic in Christendom who is in a state of grace who doesn't recognized this as deception.

Did Cardinal O'Malley give Cardinal Pell the Stinkeye?

Beef up the prayers for Cardinal Pell. The rats are gnawing away at his vocation.

Did Bishop Chaput throw out orthodox music director?

This story surprised me.

His crime? Attempting to return the Cathedral to its proper place as the leading church in the Archdiocese, both musically and liturgically, after it had fallen on tragically hard times prior to his coming to Philadelphia when Justin Cardinal Rigali was its archbishop. Romeri may not have been able to challenge the supreme standard established by Westminster Roman Catholic Cathedral in London, England, but he struggled manfully and successfully to raise that standard well beyond that which he had inherited.

Don't tell me Archbishop Chaput likes sappy protestant music?

Bear Wrongs Patiently

From Monsignor Pope.

Magnificent.

Fr. McCloskey's Intro to Lord of the World

Every once in a while you come across something that takes you deep into the spiritual world - the invisible world - and confirms something we see but nobody really wants to say out loud. Fr. Rutler, Bishop Fulton Sheen, St. John Paul II's writings have always struck a chord for me.

I came across this into of Lord of the World from Fr. McCloskey that fits the genre. It's a brief but well-done description of Church teaching on the antichrist and commentary that gives some perspective.

Nothing new, just a refresher on things I hadn't read in a while which for me really hit below the belt on the papacy of Pope Francis. I'm not implying Fr. McCloskey intended to convey anything about Pope Francis, but that the Catechism and Church teaching was a reality check.

I give the devil a lot of due. It's possible to be so powerful as to twist every word and deed of Pope Francis. I'd have a much easier time swallowing it, if it weren't for the things I see Pope Francis doing with my very own eyes.

When deception and confusion is about and I am trying to get to the bottom of it, sometimes the answers come down to one question where the person is trapped.

It is this way for me with the Holy Father. With all the hoopla around the papacy of what he didn't mean to say and do, there is just no getting around the author of appointing Kasper and Marx and helping them spread their errors.

I just can't help reading the description of Church teaching about the antichrist and pinning it like a rose to the trajectory of Pope Francis' 'pastoral policies' that contradict the Magisterium.

Nobody want's to pin such a sinister deception on such a loving, affectionate man. I hope the guy is just a tool. There is no question that he is being used as a tool.