tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10159499695308674562024-03-12T21:05:09.437-04:00THE TENTH CRUSADE<p><strong>The Tenth Crusade</strong></p>
A blog for rabbits.
TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.comBlogger3510125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-28239673878065551772018-06-13T17:20:00.000-04:002018-06-13T18:35:25.181-04:00Change of Venue<br />
I've been speaking about making some blog changes for some time, and there's nothing like a rainy day to take the time to set up a new blog. <br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">It will take me time to set up and add links, but I'm going to just bite the bullet and start</span>writing at <a href="https://conqueredbylove.blogspot.com/">Conquered by Love</a>, as of today, so please bookmark and update your links!<br />
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Thanks for all your love, support and prayers through the years!<br />
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ps - something was wrong with my commenting -- sorry for gumming all the comments up, I think I've fixed it on this blog and published all the backlog. (That's what happens when your grandchildren pick up your phone!)TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-59886697719379041542018-06-11T10:42:00.001-04:002018-06-11T10:42:31.162-04:00Anchor Yourself in Heaven<br />
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From a great homily on Four Pillars that anchor a good spiritual life:<br />
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<u>1st Pillar: <b>PRAYER</b>.</u> Prayer is 10% talking and 90% listening. Prayer can be a simple as thanking God first thing in the morning, asking Him to guide and counsel you through the day, talking to Him and your guardian angel throughout the day, your simple words and thoughts. Without the daily presence of prayer, the devil is right there to suggest and guide. <br />
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<u>2nd Pillar: <b>SACRAMENTS</b>.</u> The Supernatural Grace that comes from the Sacraments of Confession and Communion are on the same level of importance as eating and sleeping.<br />
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<u>3rd Pillar: <b>EFFORT</b></u>: Constant efforts in our words and actions in relationships and encounters throughout the day - every day, trying to be more aware of serving others in Christ than the day before.<br />
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<u>4th Pillar: <b>CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP:</b></u> Surround yourself with people whose spiritual life is healthy. Join prayer groups, have people who post solid, sound and prayerful things on your social media, read books written by saints, turn on EWTN, listen to Christian worship music and Catholic radio. Your mind is a blank chalkboard--weed out people and things whose influences take you away from God. <br />
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Without the constant practice of these four pillars, it won't be long before the devil strikes you out of the game. The devil is constantly pitching you the ball. Be on the lookout for him, through your day, using even good friends, unwittingly, or in things you read and watch. Remember that the devil even used Peter, whom Christ later chose as Pope to dissuade him from doing God's will in his life. People who love us are often not impartial. They say and support things, or want things for you they think will bring you happiness or make life less burdensome.<br />
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Listen carefully to your conscience. It knows and will speak the truth.TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-35976476789808085372018-06-11T10:14:00.000-04:002018-06-11T10:14:30.534-04:00Cardinal Burke "Situation in the Church is Very Alarming"<br />
<a href="https://gloria.tv/article/6eLBDdoqH99xADzBCCv3KymJv">Hearing the honest, articulate good shepherd's description of the situation in Rome</a> and the Church is so refreshing. <br />
TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-15639077659416945992018-06-09T17:35:00.000-04:002018-06-09T17:35:59.574-04:00The malicious hostage situation with Archbishop Sheen's Corpse has ended.<br />
As you are all aware, the Archdiocese of NY Lavender Mafioso has been gumming up Archbishop Sheen's Canonization by holding his corpse hostage.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/ny-court-rules-archbishop-sheens-body-should-go-to-peoria">The Appellate Court has ordered the shanghaiers to release Archbishop Sheen's corpse.<br />
</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote>In today’s decision, Judge Bluth found that “everyone at the hearing testified that Archbishop Sheen, a devout Catholic, would definitely want to be named a saint because it would help him continue to serve man and God and Catholics all around the globe for generations and generations.”<br />
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Weighing testimony from both sides, Judge Bluth determined, “It follows that Archbishop Sheen would care much less about the location of his earthly remains than his ability, as a saint, to continue to serve man and God on a grand scale after his earthly demise.”<br />
</blockquote><br />
Cringeworthy they have to be taken to the shed by a civil judge on something everyone knows they already know. <br />
<br />
Their malice, of course, is predicated upon the guilt they feel when they hear Church teaching being taught with zeal and clarity. <br />
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The same reason they've been holding moral theology hostage for 50 years. <br />
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Poor Bishop Sheen! They gave him a run for his money when he was alive and their contempt is still percolating 30 years later. <br />
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That is some grudge. <br />
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TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-29866571233173852632018-06-08T07:44:00.000-04:002018-06-08T07:44:02.325-04:00Archbishop of Malta flops off horse in Corpus Christ Procession while Holding Monstrace Containing Divinity of Christ<br />
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Anyone who is paying attention, <a href="https://gloria.tv/video/N4uNb67DUUpV4sTfDJzUYD1Hu">is not the least bit surprised</a>.<br />
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(As an aside - I love Frank Walker's descriptions!)<br />
TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-48541640698311905652018-06-06T08:29:00.000-04:002018-06-06T18:57:04.861-04:00Pope Finally Concedes Only Catholics Can Receive the Blessed Sacrament<br />
<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/vatican-blocks-german-plan-to-expand-communion-1528117103">This doozy of an article</a> sheds light on the impression Pope Francis has created that he is 'making decisions' about overturning and overruling infallible Church teaching and Scripture.<br />
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A pope has no such authority. When the Romans pretend they do, it feels like they are summoning the luminaries in the episcopal see to figure out if water is still wet. It's a devious charade.<br />
<br />
Last month, the Holy Father told the German Bishops that Church teaching is authored by or overruled with unanimous votes on an episcopal level. By restating Church teaching, the article duly notes "The decision indicates that the Pope...recognizes doctrinal impediments to such <b>decentralization</b>".<br />
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No, it isn't 'decentralization', it's called a counterfeit church. It's Pilate standing washing his hands of Christ's Blood while asking 'what is truth' when he is staring It right in the Face.<br />
<br />
Dutch Cardinal Eijk, said it best when he called the attempted decapitation of Christ's Mystical Body 'incomprehensible' and said the pope should have given the Germans clear directives based upon clear doctrine and the practice of the Church. <br />
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Of course.<br />
<br />
While its delightful the Holy Father has put an end to this charade, brace yourself: Archbishop Ladaria has disclosed that the Romans have been told to prepare a 'clarification' on Church Law relevant to "Communion for Protestants".<br />
<br />
Other than 'clarifying' Protestants may never receive Communion unless its a death-bed conversion to Catholicism, there is really nothing to say. <br />
<br />
My gut instincts are, they are going to produce a wordy, clear-as-mud document that will screw up Church teaching to a fare-the-well. The modus operandi of this papacy.<br />
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<br />
One thing we have going in our favor, <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-rejects-german-proposal-for-intercommunion">it appears Archbishop Ladaria is a practicing Catholic</a>: <br />
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<blockquote>Finally, he said the question of Communion is a matter of Church law and cited Canon 844 of the Code of Canon Law, which deals with access to the sacraments of the Catholic Church.<br />
</blockquote><br />
It will be interesting to see if screwball footnotes get added before publication!TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-3716728836539036182018-06-01T20:48:00.001-04:002018-06-03T21:17:37.516-04:00Groundhog Day at the Braintree Bunker <br />
Once a year, the Archdiocese of Boston holds a ritual to confirm they are still paying Terry Donilon's bloated salary. Cardinal O'Malley found Terry's political activism for proabort politicians such an asset for the sanctification of our people, he recruited him to be his Secretary of Communications. <br />
<br />
Boston Catholics had <a href="https://bostoncatholicinsider.wordpress.com/tag/terry-donilon/">quite a few run-ins with Terry</a>.<br />
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Readers outside of Boston may remember him for the <a href="https://bostoncatholicinsider.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/cardinal-omalleys-vatican-pr-campaign/">PR campaign he ran to elect Cardinal O'Malley pope</a>.<br />
<br />
Terry described their family aspirations i<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-brothers-donilon-ones-boss-is-president-obama-the-others-could-be-pope/2013/03/10/afec9b04-89a6-11e2-98d9-3012c1cd8d1e_story.html?utm_term=.4dd5df441730">n this WaPo article</a>:<br />
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<blockquote>One Donilon brother “working for the most powerful man on the planet and the other one could work for the most powerful religious leader on the planet?” mused Terry on Saturday, <br />
<br />
</blockquote><br />
But, the Holy See did not find the Cardinal O'Malley for pope campaign very "musing". We didn't see or hear too much from Terry after that.<br />
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But once a year, just like Punxsutawney Phil, the archdiocese sends Terry into the public square to announce an initiative. <br />
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This year, Terry let us know Cardinal O'Malley is concerned about carbon footprints and is <a href="https://aleteia.org/2018/06/01/bostons-cardinal-omalley-leading-effort-to-go-green/"> going to spend thousands in contributions turning the Chancery into an solar power grid for 100 homes</a>.<br />
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With the state of affairs on matters of the soul, I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how their brain could ever think about and 'worry' about carbon footprints.<br />
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It's like a conductor after recklessly derailing his train, tell us how much he's taking care of God's universe by using an led flashlight to walk over the broken bodies.<br />
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Gives a whole new meaning to that old saying...<i>The lights are on, but there's nobody home.</i> <br />
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Why on earth would a financially-struggling diocese who can't pay their priests medical bills and pensions, hope that parishes would spend money they don't have on carbon footprints?<br />
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Our people are uncatechized. Just do your job and leave worries about electricity to National Grid. That's their job. <br />
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TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-74637163196127462212018-05-26T22:06:00.002-04:002018-05-29T20:31:21.185-04:00Voris suggests Pope Francis' La Cage aux Folles is being brought to us from Jorge Bergolio, the man.<br />
<a href="https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vortex-flat.-out.-wrong">Flat.Out.Wrong.</a><br />
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Oh come on. <br />
<br />
I'm going to explain why splitting a pope into two personalities to excuse his spiritual misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance is a fools errand, but first, a little history:<br />
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Michael has a long history of taking the position that criticism of a Pope's spiritual malpractice is a disservice to Christ's Church. His position is not without controversy. <br />
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Michael's apostolate pitches itself as a vortex where 'lies and falsehoods are trapped and exposed'. With the exception of the Pope, he's done an outstanding job exposing lies and falsehoods of anyone and everyone who teaches in the Name of the Church. He's been a tremendous help to Boston Catholics in the past. It stands to reason, if the exposition of corruption of everyone underneath a pope effectively stalls and obstructs spiritual abuse of everyone underneath a pope, the same stratagem works for a pope who is misleading Catholics from Church teaching and truth. Some suggest that Church Militant purse strings are controlled by Opus Dei members, but Michael says he's concerned criticism of the pope leads Catholic families already scandalized and abused by 60 years of spiritual treachery of priests, bishops and Cardinals to despair and separation. This just doesn't make sense to me. Moreover, it doesn't gel with the wisdom and counsel of Canon law. <br />
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It's been my experience that refusing to acknowledge corruption and fight against it the exact dysfunction that led to (and leads to) the despair of our people. <br />
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We refused to acknowledge the large number of sexually-obsessed homosexual priests who were attacking faithful Catholic families in parishes. We refused to acknowledge their enablers in the Chanceries. We were intimidated by them. We lacked the backbone and courage to tell Father (and his enablers) that what he was doing to those families was spiritually malicious. This is the form of enabling that causes victims of sexual and spiritually-abusive priests to despair and flee. <br />
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Exposing abuse where it exists, fighting against it, defending and protecting victims, keeps 95% of those with the tendency to despair from fleeing Christ's Church. There is a small number of victims whose effects from the separation from the Sacraments is so deep-seated, we are unable to help. But, the overwhelming majority of scandalized are relieved and energized when abusers are being hampered and chased back into the rabbit holes by exposing their deeds. <br />
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I know that Michael is aware of this, because that's the efficacy of his apostolate. Whatever the reasons Michael likes to pull his own leg, the Holy Father's latest has finally caused Church Militant to draw a line in the sand. <br />
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But, rather than come clean, Voris tries his darndest convince people that when the pope leads Catholics into sin and error, we are all supposed to be relieved that he isn't robbing our relatives of salvation in his official role of pope. <br />
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<blockquote>The man who is the current pope is wrong in his very personal, very fallible opinion presented as a mere man, and not as Pope. God does not make people gay, and such a person is not born that way.<br />
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Jorge Bergoglio is wrong...If Bergoglio the man — not Francis the Pope — did indeed say that..So let's be clear here. The opinion of the man Jorge Bergoglio means absolutely nothing in this regard. He is not a psychologist...</blockquote><br />
Listen, the role of pope isn't a job. There is no hour or nanosecond when a pope is off the clock. When he's in his pajamas, he's the pope. When he's in the shower, he's the pope. A pope is a pope 24/7.<br />
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The role of a pope is parental. Just like a mother could never be in the same room as her children, do or say something that damages them, and then suggest she didn't damage her child in her role as a mother. <br />
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If a pope starts talking and after he's finished hundreds of thousands of uncatechized believe God creates sexual depravity and likes it, he's hurting people. Some of them irreparably. <br />
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It is absolute balderdash to suggest the loss of salvation is less painful because he somehow wasn't the pope when he said it. <br />
TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-76885087891221498342018-05-23T08:29:00.000-04:002018-05-23T08:45:18.576-04:00Archbishop Gänswein: Women will never be ordained.<br />
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No kidding. <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com//news/pope-benedicts-personal-secretary-women-will-never-be-ordained-not-even-aft">Can you believe this really news?</a><br />
<br />
I wonder if the coven<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study_Commission_on_the_Women%27s_Diaconate"> is still 'studying'</a> whether women can be ordained as deacons? <br />
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One charade after another. Such a colossal waste of time. <br />
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Instead of handing out Church teaching on why women can never be ordained, and explaining that the diaconate requires an ordination, and therefore women will never be deacons, the Holy Father makes believe the question is open, convenes a committee of buffoons willing to give up years of precious time loving family and friends to play a game of rope-a-dope with people who are deceiving them. That is my idea of hell.<br />
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I don't see good will in their endless game of stringing people along. I came across a heartbreaking thread on Facebook yesterday discussing the latest "God made you gay" sophistry. A gay man was convinced Pope Francis believes God is the creator of homosexuality and therefore the disordered use of God's gift of human sexuality doesn't lead to hell. Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.<br />
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Deception cripples the brain. The idea that there are people out there who cannot process the diaconate requires ordination and therefore women will never be ordained, is astonishing. Their brain deliberately puts the brakes on to prevent it from crashing into truth. They can't see beyond the deception.<br />
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I've always been a person who uses my brain to think. That's what saved me from being sucked into the rabbit hole. <br />
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For the life of me, I cannot fathom why a person wouldn't carry the thought through, that if the Pope is suggesting God creates disordered use of sexuality, then he created the victims pedophile, and his words are applicable to pedophilia: <i>"You have to be happy with who you are. God made you this way and loves you this way, and the pope loves you this way.”<br />
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</i><br />
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The same flaw in critical thinking would be applicable to liars, mass murderers and serial rapists. <br />
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Ergo, coming full circle with your brain, it is not possible for God to be the creator of homosexuality. That would be vicious. God endowed us with free will. Our transgressions against Divine Law are our own creation. <br />
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Of course God loves us all, in spite of the things we do and say that violate and harm other people. He loves us in the same way a parent loves a child, even when that child is unruly and undisciplined. <br />
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Just as parental love is incapable of saving their children from the consequences of committing a crime, God's love doesn't absolve us from the consequences of committing mortal sin. <br />
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God's love made only forgiveness available. Forgiveness requires contrition, a promise to avoid not only the sin, but anything and anyone who would cause us to sin, and the Sacramental absolution of Reconciliation. <br />
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If Mr. Cruz is giving an accurate depiction of what the Holy Father said and did not say to convey the idea that God loves and created his sexual disorder with the intention that its a gift he should act upon, he's been lied to, by commission and omission. <br />
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Nothing the pope says or doesn't say, does or doesn't do changes that reality. <br />
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TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-6676339459750108442018-05-21T22:05:00.001-04:002018-05-21T22:05:36.265-04:00Pope Francis Words to Abuse Victim<br />
<a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/05/21/abuse-victim-says-pope-francis-told-him-being-gay-doesnt-matter/">Here's some balanced coverage of the latest hoo-ha. </a><br />
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As frustrating as some of the headlines and resulting confusion is on this story, I don't think this crack pipe <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/pope-francis-homosexuality-stance-catholic-church-same-sex-marriage-catechism-a8361821.html">is worth getting worked up over</a>. Though I'm <a href="https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/the-city-gates.cfm?ID=1585">in complete agreement with Phil</a>.<br />
<br />
God made you a polygamist and loves you as a polygamist. It doesn't matter. You have to be happy with being a polygamist. <br />
<br />
SMH...<br />
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<br />TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-28343342136134673872018-05-14T07:51:00.001-04:002018-05-14T09:14:09.605-04:00Pope Francis Says Jesus was Daring to Pick Apostles Who Were So Stupid...<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">That statement you make when you think all blue collar workers are stupid: </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=17491">“It really seems too daring that Jesus entrusts the task to a small group of simple men without great intellectual abilities!” </a></span><br />
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The man seems to subscribe to an awful lot of urban legends.</div>
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Blue collar workers are stupid.</div>
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People who own guns are not Christian.</div>
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Women who trust God and are open to life know about as much about procreation as wild bunny rabbits.</div>
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Folks who come to Mass to immerse themselves in Christ in mystical prayer are people who don't like to dance.</div>
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People who know the effects of receiving the Blessed Sacrament in a state of mortal sin are museum mummies. </div>
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Catholics complaining about the stupid things he's doing and saying and the damage its doing to people we love are bitter, rigid, pickle-pussed gossip terrorists.<br />
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It's all so tiring.</div>
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Tomorrow, citizens of my beloved Ireland are voting on a referendum to put children to death. The Holy Father has said nothing. Absolutely nothing. He expresses his disgust for every raised eyebrow but nothing to say about the lives of the unborn and the salvation of their mothers.<br />
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At the end of the day, Christ knew when it comes to an apostolic mission, even an apostolic imbecile is better than someone who just doesn't give a damn.</div>
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TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-50351480701192831192018-05-09T12:02:00.000-04:002018-05-09T12:20:45.249-04:00Are Catholic Blogs Cultivating a Cottage Industry of Outrage?My general sentiments are: Some things in this life require outrage. The problem we have in Rome is one of them.<br />
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<u>But</u>, I am in agreement with many of bear's <a href="http://corbiniansbear.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-catholic-outrage-blog-industry.html">most recent observations about the response Pope Francis pontificate has elicited on Catholic blogs</a>.<br />
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I'm not a person with a propensity toward despair or letting negative emotions find a home in my heart and intellect. The sacraments and intimacy with Christ are my oxygen - so synthesizing the Holies of Holies and the angelic mystical world as associated with the broken and corrupt, thereby weakening my own faith, is impossible for me. I'm truly baffled how anyone would or could make an intellectual association between the reception of Divinity and Christ in one's soul and all its gifts and effects with the products of sin, and reach a conclusion they need to stay away from Christ's Intimacy and Divinity in His Sacraments. (IMHO, this is also an intellectual product of some kind of deadly sin that requires the Sacraments.) <br />
<br />
But, people do leave comments on the blog and reach out to me personally to discuss their despair. Not very often, but it does happen and I see its effects on Facebook and other public media sources. I understand why the bear made a personal decision to stop writing about the big problem and return to evangelism.<br />
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I started this blog in the late 90's to chronicle various catechetical, liturgical, problems in the Chancery in the Archdiocese of Boston. As I've written about before, Thousands of faithful Catholics tried to resolve misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance of teaching and sanctification of their loved ones internally for decades. We went all the way up to dicasteries in Rome on many occasions. Those efforts were a complete waste of time. Most of us have boxes of patronizing communications expressing gratitude for bringing the problem to their attention, but the spiritual abusers were actually coddled and emboldened. <br />
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Similar to the effects of episcopal enabling and coddling of ephobophiles, the enabling and coddling of spiritual abuse made problems worse.<br />
<br />
Similar to the public exposition of coddling ephobophiles, blogging about heresy and liturgical nonsense in parishes (and the Chancery) is THE ONLY response that will bring a screeching halt to spiritual malpractice. <br />
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I couldn't count the number of priests who have told me that they stopped something or refused to do something because they "didn't want to read about it on your blog". Priests friendly to practicing Catholics have said it with a grin, priests no so friendly through gritted teeth. Faithful bishops telling war stories of catechetical problems told me they wished I lived in their diocese, that it was 'too bad' when bishops don't know how to 'use you' to defect criticism and blame when he explains why some half-baked idea can't be implemented. <br />
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We have many years of experience in how bishops license spiritual abuse. <br />
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With respect to the Holy Father - et al - we've tried internal charitable dialogue to explain the effects upon the family and Church and ask him to stop it. The response has been enabling, coddling, promoting praise and defense of abusers and ridicule, slander, removals and vindictive punishments directed towards people asking him to stop it. Sadly, this is all very familiar to us. <br />
<br />
I do not know who or what he is or why and frankly, after experiencing the damages in my own network of poorly catechized Catholics, and his response to our disclosures, I do not give a damn. I pray fervently for him and I'm doing my best to continue to say what needs to be said in charity and love. It certainly is not the behavior of any prelate I've ever met whose desires were for children to have access to the tools to live every day in a state of Sanctifying Grace. As a mother and grandmother, that is all I need to know.<br />
<br />
It's been my experience that public exposition has an immediate effect upon episcopal leaders who operate this way. As bad as things are, I believe the public exposition has effectuated an inability to fully roll out ideas and plans. We will never know in this life whether a desired letter written to German Bishops about reception of the Blessed Sacrament would have instructed them to give it out like bubble gum. Or whether the Holy Father is dealing the cards to faithful Catholic Bishops. Or a little of both.<br />
<br />
The non-answer paved the way to deflect criticism from the Holy Father. Which ever way it turns out. This is how the game is played. It will be left to the minority of German Bishops to what we refer to in Boston as "gum it up".<br />
<br />
This minority needs the back up of faithful Catholics in the public square. More than ever. This back up is also essential to the handful of Romans (working with Cardinal Burke) to our local priests and bishops.<br />
<br />
The problem for Catholic bloggers is, things have reached a point where something screwy is happening every day. If you haven't ramped up your apostolate to several writers who can focus on different things, your stuck making choices about what is more important service to Christ's Mystical Body on a particular day. <br />
<br />
For me, writing about this stuff is the complete opposite of what I say and do in my real life. The zeal for the teachings of the House of the Lord, love, joy, compassion, laughter is on the backburner on the blog. As the hauntings from the Romans ramp up, I do struggled with what to do about the blog. <br />
<br />
Lately, I've been choosing my battles, writing about my zeal for Christ's teachings or writing less often. I'm feeling a change down the road, but I'm not sure what it will mean. I may recruit a few others and create a new blog that can focus on zeal while still producing back up, I may cut back to writing once a week. I'm praying about it. You'll be the first to know when I come to a decision.<br />
<br />
One thing I do know: I'm not going to stop writing about the buffoonery.TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-82420424460207654012018-05-07T20:22:00.002-04:002018-05-07T20:34:46.453-04:00Legacy of Pope Francis Pontificate: Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur<a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-raises-question-is-pope-francis-part-of-churchs-final-trial">Cardinal raises question: Is Pope Francis part of Church’s ‘final trial’? <br />
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</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>A Dutch cardinal has said that Pope Francis’ failure to uphold the Church’s authentic faith makes him think of the Catechism of the Catholic Church’s prophecy of a “final trial” for the Church before the second coming of Christ.<br />
<br />
Cardinal Willem Eijk, 64, the Archbishop of Utrecht, made the startling comment in an article published today at the National Catholic Register.<br />
<br />
</blockquote><br />
Startling? To whom?<br />
<br />
I think the number of informed Catholics who haven't thought this pontificate could be the <a href="https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/catechism.htm">CCC prophecy of the Church's final trial</a> could dance on the head of a pin.<br />
<br />
The legacy of this papacy is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mundus_vult_decipi,_ergo_decipiatur">Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur</a>!<br />
<br />
If it isn't the prophecy, it might as well be.<br />
TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-32920320485814827222018-05-04T07:34:00.002-04:002018-05-04T10:35:28.112-04:00Holy Father Tells Heretical German Bishops to Vote for Doctrine Rather Than Seek Answers from the Magisterium<br />
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<a href="https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2018/05/03/pope-wants-germans-to-find-unanimous-solution-on-intercommunion/">This is a significant development.<br />
<br />
</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote>
After a clear division over giving Communion to the Protestant spouses of Catholics in mixed marriages led to a rare summit between German prelates and Vatican officials on Thursday, the Germans were told that Pope Francis appreciates their “ecumenical commitment” and would like them to find a “possibly unanimous” solution.<br />
<br />
The outcome seems to make clear that Francis is not inclined to settle the dispute himself, preferring that the German bishops work it out among themselves.</blockquote>
<br />
So, here we have a situation where Church teaching is clear, but a group of heretical bishops formally asks the Pope for permission to openly violate Church teaching. <br />
<br />
They’ve asked, “should we give the Blessed Sacrament to non-Catholics who reject the Magisterium?”<br />
<br />
In practice, the Holy Father tells them the authority of the Chair of Peter and the CDF no longer exists and therefore they have no resources put answers they already know in writing - but they can do something schismatic if they take a unanimous vote.<br />
<br />
The Head of Christ's Church is the means through which the Holy Spirit unites us to the Truth. When a pope (bishop or priest) severs us from unity in the Truth, it's an act of decapitation to the Body of Christ.<br />
<br />
The Holy Father's synod with another act of decapitation. These same bishops took their swords and decapitated the Magisterium. In turn, diocese, parishes, families were severed and scattered.<br />
<br />
Cardinal Burke has been attempting to return Christ's Mystical Body to its intact state.<br />
<br />
As we are trying to patch the pieces, they've delivered another blow with the sword. <br />
<br />
It'ss bad as it gets.TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-85445516947834803392018-04-29T17:19:00.004-04:002018-04-30T04:16:03.399-04:00Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Did the Notorious AntiCatholicism of British Aristocracy Play a Role in Alfie Evans Case? <br />
<br />
Prayers ascending for Alfie's parents. Two 20-year-olds whose names are Love and Courage. So proud of them. Alfie was a baptized Catholic who died before the age of reason, so we can say with confidence, he went straight to Heaven.<br />
<br />
A few thoughts and lessons learned about socialized medicine and letting your country fall into the rabbit hole morally-bankrupt Machiavellian political power.<br />
<br />
1. When Tom and Kate first brought concerns to Alfie's pediatricians, they were told Alfie was just lazy. Here's a reality check: As it turned out, its was the doctors practicing socialized medicine who were being lazy.<br />
<br />
2. When it became clear that doctors at Alder Hey did not have the knowledge and resources to determine what was wrong with Alfie and treat him, they refused to refer him to doctors and facilities with greater expertise and resources. They held Alfie hostage to their limitations until his condition deteriorated beyond his ability to full-recover. <br />
<br />
3. At this point, Alfie's doctors began to recommend the best course for Alfie was to let him die. <br />
<br />
There is much speculation that Alfie's diagnosis is medical malpractice or a possible reaction to Britain's aggressive immunization schedule and the refusal to refer him to another facility is a cover-up. This is certainly within the realm of possibilities. Alder Hey is notorious for egregious ethical violations, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder_Hey_organs_scandal">unauthorized removal of organs</a> and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/forgotten-for-25-years-now-the-1000-infant-bodies-found-after-alder-hey-can-be-laid-to-rest-50417.html">retention of children's bodies in their basement</a>. <br />
<br />
Here's where it starts to get complicated:<br />
<br />
4. When a hospital decides it is going to stop treating a patient, people who are free have the ability to say "bye Felicia", pack up their belongings and walk out the door. <br />
<br />
We are free to accept an offer from the Pope for free medical care and step into his helicopter loaded with doctors and resources to care for us. Or, we are free to come to terms with the futility of further treatment and hitch a ride back home to die in the comfort of our own homes, surrounded by the things and people who love us.<br />
<br />
In the US, we do have doctors, hospitals and insurance companies make life and death decisions about health care. This is a necessity. <br />
<br />
We also have judges who have the authority to take legal control away from the parents of minor children. This is also a sad necessity.<br />
<br />
These two infrastructures need people in them who have right judgment and the resources to treat or care for sick or at-risk children. Problems start to develop in both of these infrastructures when we elect morally-bankrupt politicians.<br />
<br />
There are US cases that intercede when the religious convictions of a parent prevent a sick child from antibiotics and surgeries that will cure their maladies. There are also US cases where doctors obtained legal authority over minor children in cases of suspected <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/munchausen-by-proxy#1">Maunchhausen by proxy</a> or neglect.<br />
<br />
To the best of my knowledge, there is no case in US history where the doctors who refuse to treat a patient obtained legal authority to instead imprison a child in a hospital for the purposes of keeping him from people who want to help him and starving him to death. This is a new low.<br />
<br />
And this one is the most important...<br />
<br />
4. Doctors stated the reason they were preventing parents from taking Alfie home to die was not a medical issue, but was <a href="https://www.redstate.com/sarah-rumpf/2018/04/26/hospital-refusing-let-alfie-evans-go-home-die-unless-parents-sea-change-attitude/">related to an 'attitude' of the parents</a>.<br />
<br />
Doctors actually admitted they were using the powers of police and the court to prevent Alfie from dying at home to take revenge for criticism directed towards them by his parents. The extraordinary cruelty of using a dying child for revenge is <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/04/27/newt-gingrich-alfie-evans-is-condemned-to-die-at-23-months-because-britains-scary-secular-state.html">corruption of power of the worst kind</a>. <br />
<br />
What reason could their possibly be to prevent a child from receiving free health care at another facility? Especially when it's an offer from the Pope? <br />
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What would the possible motive be for imprisoning a child in a medical facility whom you've stopped treating for the purposes of killing him?<br />
<br />
It's important to analyze what's gone awry in the UK. The US is well on its way to surrendering our freedom to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism">totalitarianism</a>. We are not there yet and if we never want to arrive there, the time is now to do everything within our means to reverse eight years of power with Democrats in control of our three branches of government. <br />
<br />
The British aristocracy has a long history of conducting themselves like murdering savages incapable of mercy. Does socialized medicine grant the license necessary to subjugate citizens to <a href="https://libertyunyielding.com/2018/04/26/little-alfie-evans-exposes-brutal-totalitarian-state/">the oppressive cruelty of political barbarians</a>? <br />
<br />
Or was something more sinister at play? <br />
<br />
Who wouldn't respect an offer from the Pope? Why, if it cost them nothing and they were not treating a patient, would they obstruct him from being walked 50 feet to hop on a mediflight? Something stinks.<br />
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Sadly, I think its entirely within the realm of possibilities that Alfie was a victim of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Catholicism_in_the_United_Kingdom">notorious antiCatholicism in the UK</a>.<br />
<br />
Whatever has gone awry, if we don't want our relatives to be subjected to the cruelty of revenge of reprobates, we need to put enormous effort into preventing it from happening in the US. <br />
<br />
We dodged a canon with Trump. Moving forward, it is critical to use our voting power to keep socialists/communist/democrats out of office. (More on this later.)<br />
<br />
Finally, speaking of miscreants, this case once again demonstrated we're not going to have the help of Bishops in the Catholic Church. As physicians surrounded Alfie by police to kill him by cutting off nutrition and hydration, the bishop of Liverpool ran into the public square to claim the attempted murder was '<a href="http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/04/26/archbishop-of-liverpool-backs-alder-hey-hospital-in-alfie-evans-case/">doing everything humanly possible' for Alfie.<br />
</a><br />
<br />
In 2004, Pope John Paul II addressed a group of physicians in Rome, saying: “I should like particularly to underline how the administration of water and food, even when provided by artificial means, always represents a natural means of preserving life, not a medical act. Its use, furthermore, should be considered, in principle, ordinary and proportionate, and as such morally obligatory, insofar as and until it is seen to have attained its proper finality, which in the present case consists in providing nourishment to the patient and alleviation of his suffering.<br />
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It is clear that "by euthanasia in the true and proper sense must be understood an action or omission which by its very nature and intention brings about death, with the purpose of eliminating all pain"; such an act is always "a serious violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person".<br />
<br />
The teachings of the Church convict the bishop of Liverpool of lying. <br />
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Bishops are right where they always have been when our people are being slaughtered: Licking our blood from the swords of our murderers, twisting the teachings of the Church to help them get elected, defending their crimes against humanity to help them stay in office.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<i>Children, let us love not in word or speech<br />
but in deed and truth.<br />
Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth<br />
and reassure our hearts before him<br />
in whatever our hearts condemn,<br />
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.<br />
</i>TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-82560777881681257552018-04-27T08:25:00.001-04:002018-04-27T08:34:33.686-04:00Legal and Ethical Problems in Latest Developments in Alfie Evans Case<br />
<br />
Very important ethical problems with the hospital's issued demands for Alfie's release to his parents for home care.<br />
<br />
The hospital made the statement they would only 'consider' releasing Alfie if the attitude of the parents changed.<br />
<br />
The hospital is not holding Alfie because of a medical condition. They are holding Alfie because of public criticism of their cruelty, imprisonment and attempted murder. <br />
<br />
What legal and ethical authority does a hospital have to impose the cessation of public criticism as the benchmark for releasing a patient from a hospital?<br />
<br />
This is actually an outrageous development.<br />
<br />
There is basis for a hospital to argue they need the legal authority to detain Alfie because the conditions to keep him medically stable or comfortable can only be achieved at the hospital. <br />
<br />
But, let's think this through.<br />
<br />
In this case, we have doctors who, in fact, want the child's condition to deteriorate. They tell the court Alfie will only live minutes after withdrawing life support. When they withdraw life support and Alfie wouldn't die, they attempted to kill him through starvation. <br />
<br />
Sadly, for the family, Liverpool is burdened with <a href="http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/04/26/archbishop-of-liverpool-backs-alder-hey-hospital-in-alfie-evans-case/">a rat of an archbishop</a> who makes the claim that the starvation of a non-dying child - which by the way is a violation of Church teaching - was the hospital's way of 'doing everything humanly possible to help Alfie'.<br />
<br />
There certainly is no shortage of liars and murderers in the episcopal see. Every time one opens their mouth to display their forked tongue, we see why Christ sweat His Precious Blood in the Garden of Gethesemene. <a href="https://dwightlongenecker.com/alfie-and-the-archbishop/">Fr. Longenecker has an excellent analysis of this no good episcopal cretin HERE.</a><br />
<br />
If the medical conditions of palliative care for a child breathing on his own is hydration, nutrition and oxygen - all of which can be done at home - where is the legal authority to keep the child surrounded by police officers imprisoning him in a room and set the conditions of release the silencing of criticism? <br />
<br />
Another excellent analysis <a href="https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2018/04/27/alfie-versus-the-state/">HERE - Alfie vs the State</a>.<br />
<br />
What is the medical criteria for a court to give authority for doctors to detain a child over the objections of his parents?<br />
<br />
From what I am seeing, criticism is on the list.<br />
<br />
This treachery cannot be tolerated.<br />
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TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-35662036581527497782018-04-21T10:39:00.002-04:002018-04-21T12:23:07.966-04:00Sources Claim Rebecca Bratten Weiss Spearheading Attack upon Catholic Theology at Franciscan University<br />
<a href="https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/steubenville-alumni-attack-conservative-profs">Weiss is still trying to infect Steubenville with her ideological and theological cancer.<br />
</a> <br />
<br />
I don’t understand how her ideas get traction amongst the catechized. <br />
<br />
Their grievances are so nonsensical, it begs the question: What flaw or vice is behind the attraction to such ridiculous logical fallacies? <br />
<br />
Is it women with low self esteem? Not a heckling question.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote>An <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScouIg8NH4d4M8RMoE3_DsuMEZBRte3q3tWRp7R8Sj09SHYMg/viewform">open letter</a> published by "alumni and friends" of the university accuses Professors Anne Hendershott and Stephen Krason, among others, of being "strongly ideologically aligned with the far right of American politics." As proof, the letter cites articles authored by Hendershott and Krason calling out liberal Catholic schools, leftist protests, Obama policies and feminism.<br />
</blockquote><br />
Duh. Of course Catholics with right judgment align ourselves with politicians whose policies don't rob the uncatechized of salvation and human life. <br />
<br />
These are the actions demanded by Church teaching. <br />
<br />
The only other alternative would 'ideologically align' us with politicians who murder children and sick people and advance the culture of immoral and amoral antichrist. <br />
<br />
This is not theological rocket science. There is no principle of sufficient reason to advance, vote for or support politicians who will morally debase and kill our people. <br />
<br />
Scripturally, these politicians are Herod and Herodias. In accordance with the Holy Family, we flee from and shelter our families from their political empires. In accordance with Scriptural Apostolic witness, we testify against them in the public square. <br />
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Like apartheid and slavery, politicians who cultivate ideological moral bankruptcy and abortion rule out a voting Catholics ability to align ourselves with them. <br />
<br />
I'm dumbfounded by the theological daffiness of asking Franciscan University to disassociate themselves with Scriptural and Apostolic examples of how and what to teach and preach and do in the public square with morally bankrupt political leaders who kill children. The complainants are not attacking professors, they are attacking Catholic teaching and the witness of the Holy Family and the Apostles.<br />
<br />
How did these women spend four years at Franciscan and walk away so theologically uncatechized? <br />
<br />
Was one 'professor' with low self esteem given the license to destroy right judgment of students? Or, is there a bigger problem at Franciscan? <br />
<br />
If I were their parents, I'd be sending Fr. Sean Sheridan a FedEx demanding my tuition money back! <br />
<br />
N.B. In the comments section, it appears one of the authors of the letter is a sede vacanist? I'm guessing this is the fruit of a rotten tree at home and FU has no culpability in her sad trajectory. I'm not familiar with the internal workings of trad families, but breeding feminists seems like the furthest thing from trad family culture. Am I mistaken? Was this woman was sucked into Weiss' vacuum? <br />
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TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-66469767648910385162018-04-14T23:20:00.000-04:002018-04-15T14:00:42.552-04:00Strikes in Syria and Catholic Just War Theology <br />
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I'm a huge believer of teaching and evangelizing through Facebook. I know controversy has developed over privacy and Catholic censoring concerns and some are considering moving to MeWe. But, I take the position that having political warriors poaching our opinions is actually a desired outcome. I'm thrilled Trump wants to use Cambridge Analytics to shape policy. If the communists want to send up a trial balloon and they read their own logical fallacies, that is an excellent use of my time and treasure. Why on earth would I want to move my efforts to a social media website where my efforts echo in a canyon?!<br />
<br />
Yes, there is censoring of Catholics. How is this different from the 2000 years that precede us? <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/quo-vadis">Quo Vadis</a>?!<br />
<br />
I've been on Facebook for about ten years. But over the course of the last year, I've noticed the virulent habit of Catholics posting fake news on my feed. What's extremely frustrating is, these Catholics used to be reliable sources for Catholic news and theology.<br />
<br />
Before I realized folks were falling into rabbit holes, I confess to sharing a story or two before somebody informed me it was fake news. Because I use Facebook as an evangelization and teaching tool, and because I have a family member in the military, I'm extremely careful at who I've friended and what I personally share with the Big Tent of people who have friended me, some of whom are uncatechized. A few times of being duped - I immediately removed the story from my feed and now personally verify anything I share, even if the person is a solid, reliable Catholic. I was floored to discover solid Catholics defending the posting of fake news and conflating their own opinions as Church teaching.<br />
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Yesterday, several solid Catholics on my FB feed were rushing to Assad's defense. Their position is, his atrocities and mass murders are ok because Christians are not his primary target. Maybe, but <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/religion/332938-dont-be-fooled-assad-is-no-friend-of-syrias-christian-minorities">many Christians who flee his tyranny complain of his brutality, torture and murder - he is not our friend</a>. </div>
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All hell broke loose when I asked one Catholic <i>"So then Auschwitz was ok with you?"</i></div>
<b></b><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><i></i><br />
When it comes to the Middle East, I trust no one. Between the Taliban, Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS, HAMAS, al-Qa’ida, the rebels, Obama and Putin, whom I do not trust, I feel like the demons change form so often, it's impossible to keep track.<br />
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What we do know is, Obama was on the side of the rebels who were killing Christians. It is absolutely true that Assad and Putin were defending Christian lives against Obama and his Islamic allies ethnically cleansing Christians. But, with absolute certainty, I knew and know that Assad is a sociopath and mass murderer. He is not a good guy. He is a brutal murdering dictator. His countrymen have been fleeing the brutality of his dictatorship and seeking political asylum. He is not our ally. He is a murdering sociopath. Sociopaths, charm and pretend they are your friend. You never suspect they are your enemy until the nanoseconds before they slice your throat. <br />
<br />
The way some Catholics are speaking of Assad, you'd think he was Joan of Arc!<br />
<br />
<br />
There <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/03/31/assad-and-his-allies-endless-atrocities/">is THIS.</a><br />
<br />
and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_violations_during_the_Syrian_Civil_War">THAT</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/04/06/syria-president-bashar-assad-war-criminal/100116828/">and THIS</a>.<br />
<br />
and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2017/03/17/syrian-defector-who-documented-assads-atrocities-returning-to-washington/?utm_term=.64527ba06fde">THAT</a>.<br />
<br />
and <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/04/18/bashar-al-assads-war-crimes-exposed">THIS</a>.<br />
<br />
and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/mideast-crisis-syria-chemicalweapons/">THAT</a>.<br />
<br />
and <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/Timeline-of-Syrian-Chemical-Weapons-Activity">THIS</a>.<br />
<br />
and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/world/middleeast/syria-bashar-al-assad-atrocities-civilian-deaths-gas-attack.html">THAT</a>.<br />
<br />
I could keep going, but this is enough diligence for any honest, rational person to come to the conclusion Assad is a tyrannical sociopathic liar and murderer. An individual like this, if he hasn't done so already, will eventually kill Christians. Just as the Third Reich did. <br />
<br />
Putin is a mystery to me. He is a dictator and runs a tyranny, but, I believe his respect for Christianity and concern for persecuted Christians is sincere. I pray for his conversion. Whatever he's doing in the Middle East, he is not an ally of US citizens. He will kill us in a New York minute. He is not to be trusted. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Trump has done more to defend the life and liberty of Christians since Ronald Reagan. He defeated ISIS within a year. He is on our team, as is General Mattis.</div>
<br />
When looking for solid information that has the interests of US citizens at its core, these are our go-to people.<br />
<br />
Assad has all but won the civil war against rebels in his country. The US is winding down our military action in Syria. Assad wants us out and we want to go. Although Assad controls the chemical weapons infrastructure and has used weapons of mass destruction on his own people <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/Timeline-of-Syrian-Chemical-Weapons-Activity">dozens of times</a>, it was within the realm of possibilities that the few cornered rebels were responsible for last weeks attack. Not very likely, because why would Trump and our military, who have feverishly been working to defeat ISIS in Syria, now lie about evidence to help the handful of Islamic terrorists?<br />
<br />
That wouldn't make sense. But, I wanted to know the truth, so listened to military briefings and read coverage from a variety of reliable media sources. <br />
<br />
I was surprised to see reliable Catholics posting FB links to a story reporting General Mattis 'admitting' there was no evidence Assad was responsible. This completely contradicted what I personal heard General Mattis say in press briefings. I clicked on the link and discovered it was a story from several months ago.<br />
<br />
If you are too lazy to click on a link and read the story about who is bombing whom before you post it to your feed for my unchatechized people to read, regretfully, we're not using FaceBook for the same purpose, and the time has come to cut you loose. <br />
<br />
All of a sudden, it seems like people are jumping off of the sanity ledge. I probably cut 50 people loose over the last week. Some of them had been on my Facebook feed for years. <br />
<br />
Ain't nobody got time for that. <br />
<br />
If you're looking to be on the side of is the guy helping to defeat islamic terrorists killing Christians, Trump and his military are your freedom fighters. <br />
<br />
There was also a flurry of FB activity concerning Catholic Just War theology as it relates to allied strikes in Syria. <br />
<br />
This is very important.<br />
<br />
With respect to the strikes in Syria and Catholic teaching:<br />
<br />
All conditions to justify the legitimate exercise of force have been met. <br />
<br />
1. Assad's mass murders, atrocities and war crimes have been lasting, grave and certain. <br />
<br />
2. Many years and many leaders from numerous countries have attempted and exhausted diplomacy, giving ample warning to Assad of consequences should he continue endless atrocities, human rights violations and mass murders. These efforts were ineffective.<br />
<br />
3. Allied forces strike was tactical and precise hits to chemical weapons infrastructure. No deaths, and only 3 injuries are reported.<br />
<br />
4. The use of arms did not produce evils and disorders graver than Assad atrocities.<br />
<br />
Finally - The responsibility for determining whether these conditions are met belongs to "the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good." Military leaders who are privy to intel. In this case, there are photographs of Assad's planes dropping the explosives, chemicals and gas.<br />
<br />
This is incontrovertible. There is no authority or case to be made by honest, educated Catholics to convict allied forces of actions that violate Church teaching. <br />
<br />
Yet - here are some of the responses from what I formerly considered educated, sound in mind and spirit Catholics:<br />
<br />
<i>Living in Boston usually means abortion supporter, ultra liberal socialist and feminist...I have relatives in Boston whom falsely claim to be roman Catholic. I know the dance of deception. Please list what you have done to oppose the evil genocide of abortion? Do you vote for candidates who promote abortion?...<br />
</i><br />
<br />
<i>What does the Church require, Carol? I’m a dumb priest. Please educate me. Tell me, how was number 2 (in the modernist Novus Ordo Catechism, no less), fulfilled in this case?</i><br />
<br />
Are we really incapable of leaving the lunatic-fringe schismatic chit chat aside? I'm a Catholic daily Mass goer who tries every hour to be in a state of Grace. I'm pretty educated in the faith. That should be enough to hold an adult conversation about theology without the absurd inference there are two religions within Catholicism and I belong to an invalid sect. <br />
<br />
Here are more chestnuts:<br />
<br />
<i>You are just a liar. Sins of slander and detraction to promote grave evil are themselves gravely evil. What have you done to vote in pro life candidates in Boston to substantiate you are not a deceptive hypocrite? ?<br />
</i><br />
<br />
<i>If you support unjust murder and the mortal sins of detraction slander and calumny to justify same you are not in a state of grace. You avoid stating for the record what steps you have taken in Boston to be pro life and vote in pro life politicians. I know for a fact no pro life politician can be elected dog catcher in Boston. I support innocent Christians in Syria and want them to be protected from ISIS. You hate Catholic justice which thinks well of others until the contrary is proven. Enjoy your invalid blasphemous fake mass in your invalid Modernist sect.<br />
</i><br />
<br />
<i>I do not associate myself with sinful detractors and immoral heretics. I refuse to submit to false altars who defame the blood of the Lord and mock the saints. Enjoy the unjust attack on Syria Madame. <br />
</i><br />
<br />
Hey, Thanks for giving Pope Francis the ammunition to conclude all trads are nuts. Ok. Bye.<br />
<br />
Many who have wondered what they would do if they were alive during the holocaust of the Third Reich now have their answers: They would do nothing and claim their cowardice and sins of omission are on behalf of Christ.TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-28717129614211919422018-04-13T08:12:00.000-04:002018-04-13T09:57:03.220-04:00There is no equality going on here.<br />
Well, after spending days deliberately finding things to do other than read the latest apostolic exhortation, I have a confession: reading theological drivel to me feels like wading into a cesspool.<br />
<br />
I just can't do it. <br />
<br />
I've read several synopses, including <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-francis-issues-lengthy-apostolic-letter-on-universal-call-to-holiness">this one</a>, <a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/04/09/gaudete-et-exsultate-key-quotes/">this one</a> and <a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/04/09/in-effect-francis-answers-amoris-critics-dont-reduce-constrict-the-gospel/">this chestnut</a>.<br />
<br />
These were my favorites: <a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2018/04/reading-gaudeteetexsultate-pope-francis-blasts-punctilious-concern-for-the-churchs-liturgy/">Fr. Z</a> and <a href="https://www.realclearreligion.org/2018/04/11/pope_francis_039takes_aim039_mdash_and_misses_279475.html">Carl Olson</a><br />
<br />
Several themes jump out at me:<br />
<br />
<br />
1. The Gospel doesn't constrict us from ways of acting that lead us to commit mortal sins.<br />
<br />
2. Using the Magisterium to guide your choices is a subtle form of Pelagianism.<br />
<br />
3. Believing the purpose of the Incarnation, Death and Sacrifice of God was to leave us the rules to guide our conduct and the properties of Divinity in the Eucharist that enlighten the intellect and endows us with the tools to resist temptation and sin, is Gnosticism. <br />
<br />
<br />
4. Voting for politicians who violate constitutional, moral and divine laws to enable criminal trespass, admitting terrorists to our country to rob us of jobs, money, benefits and life,is equally as important as voting for politicians who will save lives of children and the salvation of the soul of their mother.<br />
<br />
5. Still no mention of hell.<br />
<br />
6. When their narcissism, irreverence and unfaithfulness overcome the sacredness, mysticism and prayers of the Liturgy, they are not the problem. <br />
<br />
7. Blogs that report the effects of the carelessness of the Holy Father’s spontaneous articulation of theology, his praise of heresy and use of heretics and atheists to interpret Church teaching, are the problem.<br />
<br />
I could go on, but I will leave you with this thought:<br />
<br />
I agree with the Holy Father here:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.”</blockquote>
<br />
But the real problem is - they do not teach these things <b>'equally'</b>. They've silenced and robbed three generations of moral theology, the Magnificat and the sanctity of human life in the womb. The Holy Father came the United States, stood in front of the people who enact laws and did not mention the injustice of laws that kill children deprive mothers of salvation. <br />
<br />
With the exception of trying to discourage the defense of the unborn, in the five years of confusing claptrapping of this pontificate ad nauseum, I do not recall the Holy Father speaking of the moral theology or the sanctity of human life ONCE. And that's right on target with the last 60 years. <br />
<br />
So there is no equality going on here.<br />
<br />
Another apostolic exhortation complaining about victims of spiritual harm caused by their own misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance is not getting us where we need to be.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Oh God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful, look with favor on your servant Pope Francis, whom you have appointed pastor of your Church. Grant that by word and example he may assist those over whom he is placed, so that shepherd and flock may together attain everlasting life. Through our Lord. <br />
<br />
<br />
</b></i>TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-32053206675881082492018-04-10T20:29:00.000-04:002018-04-10T20:29:11.826-04:00I thought the Pope said he didn't read blogs.<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-document-holiness-devil/after-no-hell-report-pope-gives-the-devil-his-due-idUSKBN1HG2GY">Blogs have made it into an apostolic exhortation!<br />
<br />
</a><br />
<br />
I've only read excerpts from the exhortation, so that's a blog post for tomorrow, but if he was as clear as a bell on the existence of the devil and hell with Scalfari, shouldn't he be the one taken to the shed for defamation and slander in an apostolic exhortation?!<br />
<br />
This was a fast response. The swiftboating after Scalfari's accusations that the pope renounces the immortality of souls and existence of hell got the Romans hopping like bunnies on Easter Sunday. <br />
<br />
I'm relieved he corrected the confusion. What bothers me, is the Holy Father's refusal to hold himself accountable for five years of confusion. Blaming victims, ad nauseum, is not at all helpful. <br />
TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-51260997984393922022018-04-04T16:57:00.000-04:002018-04-04T16:57:08.310-04:00Brazilian Jackhole Uses Drone for Monstrance Reserving the Divinity of Christ<br />
I sometimes wonder if priests who pull these kinds of stunts smoke pot. What else but hallucinogenic drugs would make them do something so bizarre? <br />
<br />
<iframe width="460" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-dnk-vC2Djk" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Brazil is a mess. <a href="https://gloria.tv/article/4Ht82FuMpwsi3BXYVsK4WKxZu">Here's a story of a Brazilian bishop</a> who plopped himself into Dante's Inferno to tell the chained prisoners it's linked to Christ and salvation. <br />
<br />
We had a jackhole or two in Boston who would pull stunts like this back in the glory days of wildliturgical shenanigans. I'm not sure we'll see a resurgence. The internet and blogs drove most of this kind of misconduct right back to hell where it belongs. This priest is getting pummeled. The likelihood anyone else in Christendom is going to try using a drone for the Eucharist is nonexistent. <br />
<br />
Criticism and humiliation is a fools best friend.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-52611485260068514192018-04-02T21:48:00.001-04:002018-04-02T21:48:06.057-04:00I think you've made your point now. You've even gone a bit too far to get the message home. Before it gets too frightening, we ought to call a halt, so could we start again please?Back in the days when my spiritual life was going through the motions and rituals, I was always bummed when Lent and Advent ended. Lent/Advent always brought closeness to Christ, bettered my prayer life, brought more awareness of the suffering of others, opened opportunities for sacrifice and charity, etc. It felt like a long period of spiritual monotony between Easter Sunday and the first day of Lent. <br />
<br />
I was well into my 20s before I woke up and realized <i><b>"Wait a minute...What am I doing? I can do this every day!!" </b></i><br />
<br />
Life is walking from town to town with Christ through the crowds of hemorrhaging and spiritually afflicted. The lost, grieving, sick, suffering, angry, unemployed, addicted, uncatechized, rebellious. Getting on a train, standing in line at the supermarket, friends, family, neighbors - every interaction is an opportunity to teach or learn. I can stay close to Christ in conversation, prayer and His Sacraments every day of my life.<br />
<br />
Every year post Lent, along with trying to improve my own spiritual life for the next year, I reset my apostolic mission by looking for ways I can improve reconnecting people around me to the Sacramental life. <br />
<br />
What am I doing right?<br />
What am I doing that isn't fruitful?<br />
Where am I wasting time?<br />
How do I keep Christ front and center in casual interactions?<br />
Who (and how) should I work on this year within my close circle of family and friends?<br />
What way is the wind blowing in Christendom and how do I want to use the blog?<br />
<br />
I'm feeling a bit like evangelists in Christendom are perplexed about how to use their treasure and talents. We went through a period where catechesis was terrible or non-existent and the people we love were being misled. A lot of energy needed to be spent exposing and stopping that spiritual abuse. Significant progress was made, but then we got wrapped around the wheels of the pontificate of telling our children the people who taught them errors were correct and parents and faithful pastors are the enemies of Truth and Christ. It's deja vu all over again.<br />
<br />
This week's fruit from the fifth interview with an atheist who doesn't have the spiritual maturity to reach through the confusing stream of consciousness to crack the code of what the Holy Father likely meant to say, was a Rubicon for me.<br />
<br />
No way the pope believes <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2018/04/pope_quoted_as_saying_there_s_no_hell">'there's no such place as hell and immortality of souls'</a>. <br />
<br />
You know what this is like? It's like Alcoholics Anonymous deciding it's half passed time to ditch people who are practice sobriety to teach others and instead use people who like getting stinking drunk to craft the message of how to use alcohol. When active alcoholics start to teach getting wasted is not an obstacle to sobriety, instead of admitting their new marketing idea is a bust, AA tries to redeem themselves by attacking families who tell them their loved one who joined AA to get help is now abandoning sobriety.<br />
<br />
Since we are now five years into this crucible that sows confusion, covering every incident leaves little time for volunteer evangelists to use their treasure and talents writing things to help people heal and reconnect to the Sacramental life. <br />
<br />
I've been thinking a lot about the blog. Synthesizing the constant asshattery is inconsistent with the apostolic mission I live and breathe, every day, every hour of my life. We have to find a way to plug away at communicating the magnificence and beauty of the Deposit of Faith. People with bigger apostolates have a staff that can cover both, but as a more time-challenged blogger, I'm feeling the Holy Father is putting more bricks on our backs, in our family and as evangelists and we need a little less whining and a little more talking about how to mitigate the damage.<br />
<br />
I've personally experienced the sour fruit of his trajectory in my family, circle of friends, in the uncatechized and scandalized. I'm going crazy with the pontificate of dali lama proverbs. It's important to keep talking about the damage of using heretics and atheists to translate the faith. But, I believe his feeble attempts are crack at the mission explained by St. John Paul II in <a href="http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_07121990_redemptoris-missio.html">Redemptoris Missio</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>The Acts of the Apostles records six summaries of the "missionary discourses" which were addressed to the Jews during the Church's infancy (cf. Acts 2:22-39; 3:12-26; 4:9-12; 5:29-32; 10:34-43; 13:16-41). These model speeches, delivered by Peter and by Paul, proclaim Jesus and invite those listening to "be converted," that is, to accept Jesus in faith and to let themselves be transformed in him by the Spirit.<br />
<br />
Paul and Barnabas are impelled by the Spirit to go to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 13:46-48), a development not without certain tensions and problems. How are these converted Gentiles to live their faith in Jesus? Are they bound by the traditions of Judaism and the law of circumcision? At the first Council, which gathers the members of the different churches together with the apostles in Jerusalem, a decision is taken which is acknowledged as coming from the Spirit: it is not necessary for a Gentile to submit to the Jewish Law in order to become a Christian (cf. Acts 15:5-11, 28). From now on the Church opens her doors and becomes the house which all may enter, and in which all can feel at home, while keeping their own culture and traditions,<i> <b>provided that these are not contrary to the Gospel.<br />
</b></i> (This is where I believe the message is going haywire)<br />
<br />
The missionaries continued along this path, taking into account people's hopes and expectations, their anguish and sufferings, as well as their culture, in order to proclaim to them salvation in Christ. The speeches in Lystra and Athens (cf. Acts 14:15-17; 17:22-31) are acknowledged as models for the evangelization of the Gentiles. In these speeches Paul enters into "dialogue" with the cultural and religious values of different peoples. To the Lycaonians, who practiced a cosmic religion, he speaks of religious experiences related to the cosmos. With the Greeks he discusses philosophy and quotes their own poets (cf. Acts 17:18, 26-28). The God whom Paul wishes to reveal is already present in their lives; indeed, this God has created them and mysteriously guides nations and history. But if they are to recognize the true God, they must abandon the false gods which they themselves have made and open themselves to the One whom God has sent to remedy their ignorance and satisfy the longings of their hearts. These are speeches which offer an example of the inculturation of the Gospel....<br />
<br />
The liberation and salvation brought by the kingdom of God come to the human person both in his physical and spiritual dimensions. Two gestures are characteristic of Jesus' mission: healing and forgiving. Jesus' many healings clearly show his great compassion in the face of human distress, but they also signify that in the kingdom there will no longer be sickness or suffering, and that his mission, from the very beginning, is meant to free people from these evils. In Jesus' eyes, healings are also a sign of spiritual salvation, namely liberation from sin. By performing acts of healing, he invites people to faith, conversion and the desire for forgiveness (cf. Lk 5:24). Once there is faith, healing is an encouragement to go further: it leads to salvation (cf. Lk 18:42-43). The acts of liberation from demonic possession-the supreme evil and symbol of sin and rebellion against God-are signs that indeed "the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Mt 12:28).<br />
<br />
15. The kingdom aims at transforming human relationships; it grows gradually as people slowly learn to love, forgive and serve one another. Jesus sums up the whole Law, focusing it on the commandment of love (cf. Mt 22:34-40; Lk 10:25-28). Before leaving his disciples, he gives them a "new commandment": "Love one another; even as I have loved you" (Jn 13:34; cf. 15:12). Jesus' love for the world finds its highest expression in the gift of his life for mankind (cf. Jn 15:13), which manifests the love which the Father has for the world (cf. Jn 3:16). The kingdom's nature, therefore, is one of communion among all human beings-with one another and with God.<br />
<br />
The kingdom is the concern of everyone: individuals, society, and the world. Working for the kingdom means acknowledging and promoting God's activity, which is present in human history and transforms it. Building the kingdom means working for liberation from evil in all its forms. In a word, the kingdom of God is the manifestation and <b>the realization of God's plan of salvation in all its fullness...<br />
<br />
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,...and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age"...<br />
<br />
In this regard, certain guidelines remain basic. Properly applied, inculturation must be guided by two principles: "compatibility with the gospel and communion with the universal Church."94 Bishops, as guardians of the "deposit of faith," will take care to ensure fidelity and, in particular, to provide discernment,95 for which a deeply balanced approach is required. In fact there is a risk of passing uncritically from a form of alienation from culture to an overestimation of culture. Since culture is a human creation and is therefore marked by sin, it too needs to be "healed, ennobled and perfected."<br />
<br />
This kind of process needs to take place gradually, in such a way that it really is an expression of the community's Christian experience. <br />
</b><br />
</blockquote><br />
IMHO, all his mother earth talk and the things he's articulated about the divorce and remarried and alienated Catholics over teachings on divorce and faithful use of the great gift of human sexuality are coming from this basic apostolic mission - which in itself is consistent with Church teaching. <br />
<br />
At the end of the day - no matter what's going wrong - maybe even especially because things are going wrong - we have to talk about them and ways to keep correcting misunderstandings and errors, teaching truth and connecting anyone and everyone who crosses our path to the Sacramental Life. <br />
<br />
<i>"Holy Spirit, Creator, mercifully assist Thy Catholic Church and by Thy heavenly power, strength and establish her against the assaults of all her enemies; and by Thy love and grace, renew the spirit of Thy servants whom Thou has anointed, that in Thee they may glorify the Father and His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen."<br />
</i>TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-78430710436253805062018-03-31T10:47:00.001-04:002018-03-31T13:36:53.031-04:00Holy Saturday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-7LPCeVjvYkjWqTKy_EFaclJwd9pYZVtBkCNpVU6X-qC4oX5L0BfccUGUyu4_OBwzeMYCJcTPsPXdzEo0FOqXV-B9dLju0HIwCAjoq2BQz1_8A33OgLRL_44sWyk_KLpGBzgmP5L__Zn/s1600/Holy+Saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-7LPCeVjvYkjWqTKy_EFaclJwd9pYZVtBkCNpVU6X-qC4oX5L0BfccUGUyu4_OBwzeMYCJcTPsPXdzEo0FOqXV-B9dLju0HIwCAjoq2BQz1_8A33OgLRL_44sWyk_KLpGBzgmP5L__Zn/s320/Holy+Saturday.jpg" width="320" height="320" data-original-width="370" data-original-height="370" /></a>Yesterday, local news <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2018/03/family_mourns_marine_recruit_after_body_id_d">carried the story of a missing young marine recruit whose body was found in the woods</a> along a major Massachusetts highway. Unbelievably, his E7 marine recruiter is a suspect. The young man had difficulty reaching running/sit ups/push up requirements for military service and his recruiter told him if he moved in with him, he'd help him reach the goals. Anyone familiar with the military would be suspicious the recruiter was up to no good. Recruiters are forbidden to have any communication with a recruit outside of procedure and process.<br />
<br />
NCIS swarmed all over the recruiting office shortly after Joey went missing. The recruiter was taken into custody on several unrelated charges - a DUI, a separate altercation with other marines and <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/29/body-found-off-highway-canton-identified-missing-marine-recruit-from-boston/Dqto5MQXmUNhOGlvpQLVRK/story.html">another incident threatening a Dominos delivery guy</a> with his gun because he didn't get hot sauce with his order. My gut instincts tell me its just a matter of time before they nail him on murder charges.<br />
<br />
Please keep this family in your prayers. It's hard to imagine that a person in a position that you instinctively trust could be capable of debauchery, but this is the world we live in. Overcoming family turmoil in the aftermath of death of a loved one, especially a death like this, takes heroic strength.<br />
<br />
Another military mother reached out to a Facebook military moms group for prayer this morning. Her 27 year old son died in his sleep last night. She lost her husband and another son years ago. So much suffering in this world.<br />
<br />
Many is the Holy Saturday we've all drawn strength from the Mother of God and the Apostles in the death of a loved one. Holy Saturday is the period of being stunned and paralyzed by the loss and changes to your life. Sadness and paralysis, and in some circumstances anger, wait patiently nearby for their opportunity to completely destroy you and everyone around you. If you let it, it can rob you of love, your life and vocation, relationships, the Sacraments.<br />
<br />
In her perfection, the Blessed Mother knew and knows how to handle it all. She is the go-to person in the death of a loved one, or any loss for that matter. Especially in circumstances when the confusion and pain distances you from God. She will comfort you in your own pain, keep you close to her Son and His Sacraments and help you to move forward. <br />
<br />
If you are feeling the ache of grief <a href="https://abedformyheart.com/7-things-since-loss-of-child/">great words of wisdom can be found in this post</a>. <br />
<br />
<i>My tears are mingled with my drink, for you have lifted me up only to cast me down, and I am as withered as grass. But you O Lord, abide forever. You will arise and have mercy on Sion, for it is time to pity her. <br />
</i><br />
<br />
<i><b>O God, in your passion, the prophecy of Simeon was fulfilled that a sword of sorrow should pierce the sweet soul of your glorious virgin-mother Mary. We reverently recall her sufferings and sorrow; mercifully grant us the fruits of the redemption that was paid for by your own sufferings, through the merits and prayers of all the saints watching beside the cross; who lives and rules with God the Father.<br />
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</b></i>TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-86979263214555453492018-03-29T20:33:00.002-04:002018-03-29T20:33:24.866-04:00The cock crows twice on Maundy Thursday:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/03/29/did-pope-francis-say-there-no-hell-not-quite-vatican-insists/470442002/">Scalfari claims the Pope told him that there is no hell, condemned souls simply vanish</a>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>"They are not punished, those who repent obtain the forgiveness of God and enter the rank of souls who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot therefore be forgiven disappear. There is no hell, there is the disappearance of sinful souls."<br />
</blockquote><br />
Denying the existence of Hell and the immortality of a soul.<br />
<br />
Brace yourself. It hasn't hit midnight here in the US, so there's still time for the third whopper.<br />
<br />
Journalists are reporting 'the Vatican' denies the Holy Father renounced Church teaching, but if you ask me, their statement seems mamby-pamby: <br />
<br />
<blockquote>In a statement released on Mar. 29, after Scalfari's report garnered worldwide attention, the Vatican said:<br />
<br />
"The Holy Father Francis recently received the founder of the newspaper La Repubblica in a private meeting on the occasion of Easter, without however giving him any interviews. What is reported by the author in today’s article [in La Repubblica] is the result of his reconstruction, in which the textual words pronounced by the Pope are not quoted. No quotation of the aforementioned article must therefore be considered as a faithful transcription of the words of the Holy Father."<br />
<br />
</blockquote><br />
This is worthless. <br />
<br />
What inquiring minds want to know is, what DID the pope say?<br />
<br />
It does seem far-fetched. But, if Scalfari is the devil's useful idiot, <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/pope-allegedly-says-hell-doesnt-exist-in-latest-scalfari-interview">why does the pope keep giving him ammunition</a>? <br />
<br />
<br />
TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015949969530867456.post-5115612750718268522018-03-22T19:11:00.001-04:002018-03-22T19:11:11.462-04:00I hope they don't ask him about Ouija Boards<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/03/20/pope-francis-gives-blessing-tattoos/">Pope Francis gives his blessing to tattoos.</a><br />
<br />
<blockquote>Asked about tattoos and other expressions of modern culture by a seminarian from Ukraine, the pope said that the problem is that some people exaggerate by covering their body with tattoos, but “the problem is the exaggeration, not the tattoos.”<br />
<br />
Don’t be afraid of tattoos,” the pope responded, noting that for many years Eritrean Christians and others have gotten tattoos of the cross on their foreheads.<br />
<br />
“Of course, there can be exaggerations,” the pope said, remarking that people who get too many tattoos cannot give blood because of a “danger of blood poisoning.”<br />
<br />
A tattoo “is a sign of belonging,” Francis said, and offers an opportunity to strike up a conversation with young people about what matters to them “and then you can enter into the culture of the young.”<br />
<br />
“But do not panic,” he said. “With young people you should never be frightened, never! Because always, even behind the not-so-good things, there is something that will get us to some truth.”</blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2TzullWWBAXmwqUjU9siJ6vIbkdHkowW_tSIHfxMBX0abCWRw0LbI8FPYvkhbe2qrvKjJVArNW8IaPxjk9Nqe0fbm-BmwAf6rz_WTQZx4cqGMe0FhrqtEy1FDrLneIDgtWMFDl_nTtq7/s1600/popetat.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2TzullWWBAXmwqUjU9siJ6vIbkdHkowW_tSIHfxMBX0abCWRw0LbI8FPYvkhbe2qrvKjJVArNW8IaPxjk9Nqe0fbm-BmwAf6rz_WTQZx4cqGMe0FhrqtEy1FDrLneIDgtWMFDl_nTtq7/s320/popetat.png" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="72" data-original-height="96" /></a></div><br />
I'm pretty sure he wasn't giving his blessing to tattoos, but I think his point would have been better made if he said something like 'the tattoo is a symptom of a bigger problem, so when you see them, use your pastoral gifts to open conversation with the ultimate goal of healing the wound with Sacraments.'<br />
<br />
I hope they don't ask him about Ouija boards!<br />
<br />
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TTChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08738875888053745269noreply@blogger.com13