Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Faithful Departed and the National Shrine in Washington DC

The Washington Times reported that Msgr. Walter Rossi, Rector of the National Shrine in Washington DC, has pulled a book from the Gift Shop shelves, as well as, cancelling the book signing.

What book is this? It is The Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston's Catholic Culture by Phillip E. Lawler.

According to the article:

The monsignor declined to discuss specifics but said he had received several complaining calls and had read through the book. I asked him why the book-signing had been pulled. "That fell through the cracks," he said. "That should have been vetted."

In his April 18 homily at Nationals Park stadium in Washington, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged bishops and laity to "foster healing and reconciliation and to assist those who've been hurt," Monsignor Rossi said.

"Benedict over and over again said it's time to move on," the monsignor said of the sex abuse scandal. "It's not over, oh my God, no, but he says there should be healing and to move on."

As for "The Faithful Departed," he added, "I don't know if it fosters healing and reconciliation. I thought it contributed to greater breaking down of the church, rather than building it up."

Now, I do not know Msgr. Rossi, and have never met him. As far as I can tell, as the Rector he has the final say on what can or cannot be sold in the Gift Shop. (If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know.)

I will say that I have not only purchased a copy of the book but have read it, shortly after it was published. For the longest time, I have been meaning to write a review but have not had the time. This has sort of forced me to do one.

My recommendation: READ IT.

I am not saying that because I am looking at a way of getting back at Msgr.Rossi. Nope, not in the least bit. Nor will I make any money off the sales of the book. Don't know Mr. Lawler and have never met him.

I am not urging you to read this so that you can bash the Church.

I am urging you to read it for the following reasons.

First, Mr. Lawler is an editor at Catholic World News. This site is faithful to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Everything that I have read on this site would never lead me to believe that this is the VOTF or Call to Action crowd. (Psst...go take a look at it yourself.)

Second, it is an excellent read. Mr. Lawler keeps things going at a good pace, linking events and people -- even those whom you least expect. I had to force myself to put the book down on a number of nights to get some sleep.

Third, there are really two parallel themes running through this book. First, there is the story of abuse. A terrible one which we have started to come to grips with but will last with us for many, many years.

The second theme, I believe, is more important. (I know that there are those who will disagree with me on this and call me cold hearted, mean spirited, etc.)

That theme is the how our hierarchy lost their moral voice in Boston. Some of it is through their own doing. Some of it is due to the radical left or so called Church progressives. Some of it is due to the overall secularization of society.

Why is this second theme more important?

Because when the members of the hierarchy lost their moral voice in Boston, it was a parallel of what was happening across the US. That theme has much longer and lasting implications on the Church in society that you may think. It has put the Church in the position where it is today (among others): Catholic politicians are spouting theology, members of religious orders pushing for the ordination of women, and parishes hosting dissenting groups (such as the VOTF Chapter at Holy Trinity in DC).

So, go out and read The Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston's Catholic Culture.

What are you waiting for? Go.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Catholic Education: Looking to the Future w/ Confidence - (Conclusion)

Part Five: The Four Pillars of Catholic Schools.

In this section, he reviews the four pillars: Catholic Integrity, Academic Excellence, Accessibility and Affordability.

Catholic Integrity is simply that our schools, while welcoming those of other faiths, must be Catholic.

Academic Excellence is to be expected.

Accessibility is where we once again find an interesting passage:

A goal of our archdiocesan-wide strategy is toe ensure that the geographic placement of Catholic schools throughout the archdiocese, within the resources available, so as many Catholic students as possible are withing a reasonable distance of a Catholic school. The concept of accessibility is important since the distribution of limited funds to support Catholic schools must take into consideration where our schools need to be so they are accessible to students. The number and placement of schools will be a serious factor when parishes find it necessary to consider the consolidation of schools t achieve and sustain financial stability.

If this does not sound like the closing of schools, I don’t know what is.

In the section on Affordability, the Archbishop once again calls on all of us to be active in the support of our schools and describes the various efforts the Archdiocese has taken to assist parents and schools.

Part Five continues with the Government Support for Families. Once again, the Archbishop talks about the some of the programs that have been touted for a number of years but they are not enough to sustain the schools and really do not get to the heart of the matter: WE NEED VOUCHERS.

He also talks about the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC). In my humble opinion, the MCC has failed the Church in the area of funding for education. They are ineffective. To talk about how they are a central part is only setting us up once again for failure. The MCC is infected with the Cardinal McCarrick view of politicians: Don’t do anything to upset them, since we may need them for something else.

The Next Steps or the Conclusion

Although the process is underway, the Archbishop says that he does not anticipate what the conclusion of the work will be or what the consultation process might yield but he keeps writing about the consolidation of schools throughout this letter.

He states that the initial recommendations will be submitted for consultations to the following: Priest Council, Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Archdiocesan Board of Education and the College of Consultors. (The College of Conultors is a diocesan board made up of a small number of priests chosen by he Archbishop, whom he consults before making certain decisions.)

However, he will implement this vision for the 2009-2010 academic year. Since we are already at the end of September, I believe he will do what he did with the Consortium: Announce it so late in the year, that parents and parishes who wish to fight it will have so little time to put up $$ or a good defense.

The Archbishop knows that given only a short period of time, parents cannot rally to fight to save their schools.

Friday, September 26, 2008

For a Friday, Some Catholic Humor

I have to thank my friend Melvin for this...
________________________

A few minutes before the 10am Mass was to start, the congregation was sitting in their pews, reading the bulletin, praying, etc.

Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the back entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate.

Soon the church was empty except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew without moving, seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy was in his presence.

So Satan walked up to the man and said, 'Do you know who I am?'

The man replied, 'Yep, sure do.'

'Aren't you afraid of me?' Satan asked.

'Nope, sure ain't.' said the man.

Don't you realize I can kill you with one word?' asked Satan.

'Don't doubt it for a minute, ' returned the old man, in an even tone.

'Did you know that I can cause you profound, horrifying agony for all eternity?' persisted Satan.

'Yep,' was the calm reply.

'And you're still not afraid?' asked Satan.

'Nope,' said the old man.

More than a little perturbed, Satan asked, ' Why aren't you afraid of me?'

The man calmly replied, 'Been married to your sister for 48 years.'

++++

More on my take of the Archbishop's Pastoral Letter on Education next week.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Catholic Education: Looking to the Future w/ Confidence (Part 2)

This is a continuation from yesterday on my take on the Archbishop's Pastoral Letter on Education.

Part Three: Parish Religious Education

This section discusses the importance religious education, etc. However, the important things, as I see it, are as follows:

- Including learning objectives – what a student should know after a course of instruction. Now, I would have thought that any learning program should have learning objectives, unless they were just faking it or purchasing materials from the Watered-Down Catholic Faith Publishing Company.

- The development of new materials to assist catechists in their work. Makes me wonder how much these materials will be aligned with what the Archbishop has written?

Part Four: Overview of Catholic Schools.

In this, he provides a brief overview, as well as, the mission of Catholic Schools and an overview of them (just some numbers).

In the next session, Where we are today, the Archbishop once again lays out three important conclusions (all of which were mentioned before in the document):

1. An overall and shared vision for Catholic Education in the Archdiocese

2. a strategy to achieve this vision

3. schools to work together towards a more equitable manner of sustaining them across the archdiocese. (Note that this is once again mentioned.)

He then discusses the various initiatives, such as the City Center Consortium, Holy Redeemer and their collaboration with Notre Dame and Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School (in the People’s Republic of Takoma Park), Finally, he mentions St. Pius X Regional School in Bowie as one of those in which the responsibilities for funding are shared.

to be continued...

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Catholic Education: Looking to the Future w/ Confidence

Well, one of the problems I have been having lately is time to write. But I have promised to comment upon the Archbishop’s pastoral letter on Catholic Education.

Part One: The Command to Share the Good News

In this section, he outlines, using New Testament scripture, the command by Jesus to share the good news. He also touches upon the Holy Father’s visit to the US earlier this year which highlighted, among a number of things: education. He quotes from Dues caritas est (God is Love):

Education is integral to the mission of the church to proclaim the Good News. First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God, who in Jesus Christ, reveals his transforming love and truth.

Part Two: the Many expressions of the Catholic Faith

In this, he mentions the many different ways that Catholic education takes – such as RICA or youth ministry – but that all are help us to come to know Christ. (Personally, I wonder about some of these ministries, since they rarely mention Christ, let alone God. However, that is another story.)

So, Catholic education is the responsibility of the whole Church. He states:


We look to the future of Catholic Education throughout our archdiocese with the hope to renew in the hearts of all the members of this Church a sense of ownership of all of the expressions of education, particularly our schools.

He also points out the CARA study and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey results, both issued in Feb. 2008. These dealt with belief in God and living one’s faith.

So because of these studies, and the economic realities of educating as many as possible with the funding available, assist families who are attempting to send their children to Catholic schools and compensating teachers (“I wonder why he did not use the phrase “Just Wage” to describe this, since it is in line with the social justice crew”) two assessments are already underway.


The important thing to note is that these have already been started! We don’t know how long ago they started (at this point in the letter) but they are underway.

In the first area, an assessment will take place through a parish catechetical visitation assessment. The second will focus on how “our Catholic schools to work together towards a more equitable manner of sustaining them across the archdiocese.” This second assessment came out of the Convocation on Catholic Education in 2007.


To be continued...

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

My Occult Past - A Conversion Story

I joined the Dominicans in 1999. Being on the inside of the Church as a religious has opened my eyes to a number of problems that I recognize from my days as a fan of the occult. Everywhere, I see religious, priests, the laity giving themselves over to radical feminism and Earth worship; theologians preaching Gnostic doctrines like pantheism and pagan mythologies; the profession of various kinds of utilitarian-situational ethics in the public square; Catholics teaching pro-choice, sexual libertinism; various kinds of syncretistic liturgical theology (a dash of Hinduism here, a pinch of Native American religion there, some Wiccan rituals as decoration); but the final straw for me was then and is now the prominence of “social analysis” in among the “peace and justice” crowd in the Church, an analysis that was nothing more than Marxism in vestments. I should know. I was professed Marxist for years and I am very familiar with the primary and secondary literature.

Read the Conversion Story of Fr. Philip Neri Powell, O.P. PH.D.

Hat Tip to Curt Jester.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Archbishop Wuerl's Letter on Education

Since it was a very busy time at the homestead this weekend, I have not finished a careful reading the Archbishop's letter on education.

However, the letter lays out three basic areas in which are under review:

1. Religious education programs in many of our parishes.
2. There is a focus on homeschooling and how we can be of help.
3. How do we fund Catholic Schools.

Hope to have more for you in the next few days.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Born Alive Truth - Obama and the IL Born Alive Infants Protection Act

While waiting for Archbishop Wuerl to release his new pastoral letter on education, I came across a video made by Gianna Jessen. Ms. Jessen survived an abortion but if it was up to Sen. Obama, she would have died.

Although it looks like it has been taken down, I will none the less post it here, with the hope that it will come back. In addtion, you can go to her
website to learn more. HT to American Papist.







Now for those of you who are Cafeteria Catholics for Obama, you may want to purchase your t-shirt or bumper sicker here.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Don't Step on the Ducks! (A Little Catholic Humor)

This came from a friend via email, who received it from a friend, who got it from a friend...besides, you got to have a small chuckle sometimes.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven.

When they get there, St. Peter says, 'We only have one rule here in heaven: don't step on the ducks!'

So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one.

Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw. St. Peter chains them together and says, 'Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly man!'

The next day, the second woman steps accidentally on a duck and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing. With him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first woman.

The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps. She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day, St. Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on .... very tall, long eyelashes, muscular.

St. Peter chains them together without saying a word. The happy woman says, 'I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?'


The guy says, 'I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Podcasting the Kingdom from the Knights of Columbus

When anyone tells me that the pro-life movement is only interested in having the mother give birth and then does nothing else, the first group that I point them to is the The Knights of Columbus. Among the many things they do, is to provide help to not only to those who are not born but to those who are born and in need. From soup kitchens, to medical bills to the annual Tootsie Roll drive, they do it all.

I don't remember how I came across it but the Knights have an excellent series of podcasts on the Catholic faith. As they state it:

The Luke E. Hart Series of Podcasting the Kingdom is topic-driven collection based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church covering a wide variety of topics ranging from belief and worship to virtue and vice. This series is written by Boston College philosophy professor Peter Kreeft, Ph.D. who provides an insightful look into the Catholic faith. He proposes practical strategies to understand what and how Catholics believe, worship and live. There are 30 booklets and 30 podcasts.

The Veritas Series of Podcasting the Kingdom is an audio anthology with individual themes pertaining to Catholic faith and life. This series is written by a variety authors who demonstrate a commitment to the great task of integrating faith and reason with wisdom and holiness. The purpose of this series is to explore the truths of the Catholic faith that have been handed down through the centuries from the Lord to the Apostles and to succeeding generations of Christians.
The Hart and Veritas programs give basic, reasonable and verifiable information by which we ought to live our lives according to God’s plan.


I have started to listen to the Hart Series. They are very good but very long, up to an hour.

Monday, September 15, 2008

A Fresh Look or Preparing You for the Worse

This week, Archbishop Wuerl’s column (in the Catholic Standard) was entitled: A Fresh Look At Catholic Education.

Since most people probably do not read it, let me tell you what stuck out at me (or struck me, as the case may be):

In other words, Catholic schools will not simply expand automatically, certainly at the elementary level, following the traditional model of the stand-alone parish school. While this was once the very backbone of Catholic education across the country, circumstances have changed. Today the future of Catholic schools depends upon all of the Catholic faithful embracing the responsibility for Catholic schools across the archdiocese.

I will publish a pastoral letter entitled Catholic Education: Looking to the Future With Confidence, calling on all of us to look at our religious education programs with a particular emphasis on our Catholic schools. What we will be asked to do is envision how we can find new and better ways to sustain our schools and help them flourish.

The bishops' statement will highlight the importance of Catholic schools to the entire community and publicize specific initiatives that have been or will be implemented to sustain Catholic schools. It also provides information on how legislative advocacy plays a role in these efforts.

When we look at the education landscape today, we might be tempted to think of A Tale of Two Cities with its poignant declaration that it was the best of times and the worst of times. Catholic schools are facing today an enormous challenge. For some this can be seen as the worst of times. However, when we look at all of the possibilities open to us this could be a year that marks a turning point for Catholic education here in our part of the nation. If we are able as an archdiocese to come together with new energy around a collaborative effort to sustain our schools and if, at the same time, our voice is heard in the forums where public policy is molded, we can witness a rebirth of Catholic schools. It is worth the effort because we know our schools work.


What is he saying?

Basically, that the traditional model of an elementary school tied with a parish is going to go away, for the most part. No more will many parishes take pride in their local elementary school. No more will pastors have to worry about funding the local Catholic school. (A huge worry.)

The Archbishop is basically setting the groundwork for the closing and consolidation of schools in this Archdiocese. Note that he talks about one of the “model” programs for this was in Pittsburgh. And we know what he did there: close and consolidate.

He will close some schools down. He will consolidate others. Some schools will be leased out to Charter Schools or other entities.

You will be asked not to think or support the local school, which you, your children, and your grandchildren may have attended. Nope. That will all go away. He will ask you to think about the larger Catholic educational system. He will ask, don’t donate to the local school. Give to the larger school initiative.

This is the slow death of the pride that many take in their local schools.

For those who think that the Catholic elementary school system is on life support, you will probably want to start making the funeral arrangements.

I pray that I am wrong about this.


Friday, September 12, 2008

VOTF at Holy Trinity (Washington DC)

Well, it looks like the dissident group Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) is once again meeting at Holy Trinity Church in Washington DC in October. (Go to the very bottom of the bulletin.)

Don't we have enough problems with politicians who "pontificate" on the Catholic faith and help confuse the faithful, that we have to put up with dissenters meeting in our own Churches?


When will we recognize the wolves in sheep clothing?

If you need to learn more about VOTF, you can view some of my past postings:

VOTF and the Ordination of Women

VOTF and Bishop Robinson

Since the Archbishop will be at the parish this weekend for the installation of the new pastor, maybe the Archbishop can have a word (or two) with him.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Have You Forgotten? Remembering Sept. 11, 2001

Have you forgotten, how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten, when those towers fell
We had neighbors still inside goin through a livin hell
And you say we shouldn't worry bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
(Written by Darryl Worley and Wynn Varble)

I cannot. I will not.

If you have forgotten, then maybe you should listen to this.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Montgomery County Voters Disenfranchised!!

Well, the citizens of Montgomery County Maryland have been disenfranchised by Chief Judge Robert M. Bell and the Court of Appeals.

As you know, the Montgomery County Council rammed through a law giving special rights to those who are "transgendered" which would also force religious institutions to hire them, even it was against their beliefs.

The Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government fought the law and was able to get it on the ballot. The Montgomery County Circuit Court issued a 25-page opinion stating that advocates for the legislation were too late in challenging the signatures collected by Citizens for Responsible Government and certified by the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

However, the radical left must have been really scared to allow this to get on the ballot (since I believe that allocated over $80,000 to fight this) because they took it to the Court of Appeals. The Court has not issued the full opinion on it.

The radical left who talks about every vote counting has disenfranchised hundreds of thousands.

And one of the worst parts, the Archdiocese of Washington DC was silent on this issue.

For shame!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Blessings at Communion

I have noticed this practice occurring at a couple of churches. I think what really bugged me the most, as I watched this practice, was the fact that Ministers of Holy Communion were doing it and that I know was a no-no.

When the pastor decided to put a end to it at my parish, there was a great uproar. I think that part of it was due to the fact that he did not explain the reason behind it. At least that is my guess, since parishioners who were upset could not give me the reason why other than: Fr. XYZ said we could not do it.

Fr. Z has a simple explanation of why this practice should be stopped and a huge number of people asking questions and posing comments.

As always, kudos to Fr. Z.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Womenpriests and Archbishop Wuerl

Whenever I do not have access to the 'net, something like this happens.

It seems that one of the so called "womenpriest's/wymynpriest's" will hold a "Mass" at the Dorothy Day Center in Washington DC. Here is a description by Fr. Joe:

(September 5, 2008) at 7:30 PM. The so-called Roman Catholic (married) “Womanpriest” Janice Sevre-Duszynska, who recently attempted ordination, will offer her first invalid and illicit Mass at the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House in Northwest Washington, DC. This dissenting priestess belongs to something called the Central Kentucky Council of Peace and Justice. The local Catholic Worker Blog states: “A former prisoner of conscience for the School of the Americas Watch, Janice’s homily will reflect on the connections between sexism and violence, and explore ‘waiting on the Spirit’ in civil and ecclesial resistance.”

(Fr. Joe also has some good commentary and comments on the issue.)

Fr. Z has posted a letter by Msgr. Barry Knestout has issued a letter to all priests regarding the request by the Archdiocese that this not take place. However, the Dorothy Day Center will go ahead with it.

Now, there are a couple of things which come to mind:

1. Don't you just love the "prisoner of conscience" phrase? Solzhenitsyn was a prisoner of conscience. Aung San Suu Kyi is a prisoner of conscience. Janice was most likely held in the tank for a couple of hours, and told to come back for a hearing/sentencing in a couple of weeks for trespassing. The worse that probably happened to her was a fine.

2. In her bio, she is listed as the co-chair of the Ministry of Irritation of the Women's Ordination Conference. Sounds a lot like something you would find in Monty Python.

3. Note the term "ecclesiastical resistance." It the whole radical leftist movement, where there is always some sort of resistance to something.

4. This should have been issued in the Archbishop's name, not Msgr. Barry Knestout. This is serious enough that a note should have come from the Archbishop. (BTW, this is not a criticism of Msgr. Barry Knestout. According to a number of parishioners from his past assignment, he is a good and holy priest, who really cares about about the faithful.)

5. This type of scandalous situation comes up over and over again (Sen. Pelosi at Trinity College, former Lt. Gov. Townsend speaking at Stone Ridge). Each time, there is this "We don't want you to do this" request but the offenders do it anyway. Why? Because they know that their is no penalty.

The real question is once they do it, will they really revoke their status as a recognized Catholic organization in the Archdiocese? Will they also refuse to provide grants to them? Or is this just part of the "dance."

Let's wait and see.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Is the MCC supporting abortion, gay marriage and the ordination of women?

Is the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC):

  • Indirectly supporting abortion?
  • Promoting the homosexual lifestyle, including legalization of homosexual marriage?
  • Working against vouchers and tax credits for Catholic schools?
  • Indirectly supporting the ordination of women?

The folks over at Restore DC Catholicism have posted some information (see National News) on their website about an organization called FAITH IN PUBLIC LIFE, which the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) is a member.

I came across the website a few months ago, but did not blog on it, since there were more pressing issues. However, having taken a look at the website, I believe that the MCC has gotten in bed with some of the more radical Christian groups, as well as, allying itself with the Democratic Party.

Look at who is on the board of this organization:

  • Sr. Catherine Pinkerton, the same sister (sorry, can’t call her a “nun”) who gave a benediction at the Democratic Convention last week. (Note that she was invited but not the bishop!) There have been a number of very critical blogs about her, esp. her role in the ordination of women and her affiliation with NETWORK.
  • Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lt. Gov. of Maryland, and pro-abortion, pro-homosexual supporter.
  • Alexia Kelley, founder of Catholics for the Alliance of the Common Good.


However, this is just a natural outcome of their movement to the left, which started with Richard Dowling and Julie Varner. (I have written about this before.)

I am calling upon the MCC to disassociate themselves from this group. Contact them and let them know that you want them to de-link themselves from this group.

I am also calling upon Archbishop Wuerl to do what should have been done a long time ago: FIRE Julie Varner and all of those who are involved in linking the MCC with this group.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

What do you expect from a "Catholic" University?

During the family crisis over the weekend, I inadvertently left my paper copy of the Catholic Standard at an undisclosed location. (No, I know exactly where I left it.) However, I did have a chance to look through it before returning to my domicile.

If I remember correctly there was an article regarding the fact that US News and World Report came out with their college rankings. (Although I have always been very dubious of the rankings, nonetheless, many colleges love them.) The article focused on the fact that there were a couple of "Catholic" colleges on the list, Georgetown being one of them.

However, I came across a very interesting Commentary by Diogenes over on the Catholic Culture website. According to Diogenes:


A recent issue of the Georgetown Magazine contains an article titled "Out on the Hilltop," which treats of gay students at Georgetown over the years, and advances the University's efforts to make its connection to Catholic teaching totally opaque. We're given a number of brief profiles of gay students and alumni and their triumphs over homophobia and internalized shame. The Catechism's instruction concerning homosexual acts is stated correctly in the article, and thereupon the administration's response is given in the wooly prose that conveys the fact that the administration does not wish to communicate its mind on the matter.

If you've been paying attention to the way these battles are waged among Catholics, you won't be surprised that the issues are not subjected to a moral or theological assessment, but instead contradictory positions are elicited from a diversity of "Catholic voices," with the implication that no stance is more Catholic than another, but personal and arbitrary inclinations will steer different Catholics to different conclusions.


In the original article, two priests both graduates of Georgetown are interviewed. Once who upholds the Catholic faith and the other who believes that being gay and Catholic is a "matter of ongoing negotiations."

Personally, I have a real problem with a "Catholic" university (and a Catholic priest) basically supporting an immoral lifestyle. However, this is not just an issue for the university but even one for the USCCB.

How so?

When the Pope came to visit the USCCB created a Papal Blog. One of the postings discussed the number of Catholic universities and colleges. I posted the following, which was removed in a short time:


How many of those who are listed as Catholic colleges and universities are really Catholic? Georgetown and Trinity in the Washington DC area both have homosexual organizations and regularly go against Catholic teaching, such as Trinity's invitation to Nancy Pelosi.


And, let us not forget that Archbishop Wuerl has himself washed his hands of such matters.

So, what do you expect when the USCCB and the Archbishop refuse to take a stand. You get a Georgetown and a Trinity. Both Catholic in name only.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Two New Sites Added

Periodically, I like to add links to my site which I believe are good.

Today, I would like to highlight two.

The first is What Does The Prayer Really Say by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (aka Fr. Z). Having read thru his blog for the last few months, I am amazed at the information and analysis posted. Wow!

The second is a link that someone just sent to me. Archbishop Wuerl asked all priests to discuss the Catholic Church's belief on abortion at Sunday Mass. I asked if anyone had heard their priest discussing this and if it was good or bad. Someone sent me a link to the sermon given by Fr. Greg Shaffer, Parochial Vicar of St. Andrew the Apostle in Silver Spring, MD. His blog contains his sermons, as well as, answers to questions posed by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It is not only a very easy read (this is a positive, not negative) but also very informative.

++++

Help defeat Montgomery County's Gender Identity Bill 23-07 this November. Go to http://notmyshower.net/.

Monday, September 1, 2008

The Last Few Days...and Archbishop Wuerl and the Sanctity of Life

Nope, this is not a blog posting about the end of the world.

However, I have had to be out of town for a few days dealing with a family crisis (one that I have never dealt with before) which has not allowed me to post like I normally do. More about the family crisis later (like in a couple of months, maybe.)

In trying to follow-up with some of the stories, I came across this one at Fr. Z's blog on the Archbishop Wuerl's letter to all priests in the Archdiocese of Washington DC. It asks them to use the Sunday homily (Aug. 31st to be exact) to:

consider using this Sunday’s liturgy as an opportune time to present to the Catholic faithful of this archdiocese a number of elements of our Catholic faith.

This is an opportune time simply to reaffirm with all of our Catholic faithful and others who may be interested in what the Church has to say that abortion is and has always been considered a serious evil, that the destruction of innocent human life at any stage is wrong and that it is the task entrusted to the bishops of the Church to proclaim and when necessary clarify this constant teaching.

As you know, this is in direct response to Sen. Nancy "I Am Infallable" Pelosi and Sen. Joe "I will shove my Rosary down your throat" Biden's beliefs.

I got to give the Archbishop credit where it is due on pushing this issue, although not as forceful as I would like.

(However, I was reading that Sen. Biden's parish priest, in the Diocese of Wilmington, continues to offer the Holy Eucharist to Sen. Biden. Will there be no end to this sort of moral scandal?)

Since I was out of town, I missed the opportunity to hear my parish priest discuss this. If you heard your priest preach this message (or even read the letter), let me know what you thought. If you did not hear your priest talk about this, I would love to hear it to.

Hat tip to Fr. Z (again)!