Catholic University leaders reject criticism of Koch grant

Washington D.C., Feb 23, 2014 / 04:46 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Catholic University of America’s president and business school dean say criticism of a $1 million grant from the Koch Foundation is unfounded and treats debatable positions as official Church teaching.

“We think the groups complaining about the Koch Foundation gift are suggesting a litmus test that neither we nor they would want to apply to other cases,” university president John Garvey and Dean Andrew Abela of the university’s School of Business and Economics said in a Feb. 20 Wall Street Journal essay.

“We welcome constructive criticism, but we believe it would be a mistake to stifle debate by pretending that genuinely controversial positions are official church teaching.”

Read more here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/catholic-university-leaders-reject-criticism-of-koch-grant/

Something does not add up...

Recently, the WashingtonCompost posted another story about a homosexual who was denied Holy Communion by a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Washington.

According to the WashingtonCompost:

A Catholic chaplain at MedStar Washington Hospital Center stopped delivering a 63-year-old heart attack patient Communion prayers and last rites after the man said he was gay, the patient said Wednesday, describing a dramatic bedside scene starting with him citing Pope Francis and ending with him swearing at the cleric.
 
Details of the exchange this month between the Rev. Brian Coelho and retired travel agent Ronald Plishka couldn’t be confirmed with the priest, who did not respond to a direct e-mail or to requests left with the hospital and the archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Washington, for which he works, declined to comment and said Coelho “is not doing interviews.” The bedside discussion was first reported Monday in the Washington Blade.

To read the full story, go here:   click here. 

Now, in reading the story, a couple of things here come to mind: 

1. The Archdiocese of Washington did not comment on the story.  Very unusual, esp. considering Fr. Marcel and the Boy Scouts.  Maybe they learned a lesson not to speak until all of the facts are in.  Maybe they feel that by remaining hush and not chastising Fr. Coelho in public, the story might go away.
2. If Mr. Plishka goes to Mass every Sunday and claims to be Catholic, then he should know that if he is living an active gay lifestyle, and refuses to change his ways, then he should not receive Holy Communion.
3. This has not generated the level of interest as with Fr. Marcel.  Why?  Maybe the homosexual community knows that there is more to the story than published and if it comes out, might be an embarrassment?
4. Overall, there is something not right with this story.  I was talking about this with a female friend and she even feels that something is missing from the story.  Did Mr. Plishka leave something out?  Possibly.
5. Considering th fact that there have been a number of anti-gay hoxes over the last few months (the waitress, the birthday party for the 7 year old, etc.), could this too be story that has been embellished by Mr. Plishka so that he could get his way?

The National Catholic Register (thank you reader for pointing me to this) goes into some possible reasons for this but they too have some serious questions regarding this story.

The story just does not add up.

FINAL UPDATE on the St. John the Evangelist Teacher

This is the final update to the case of the St. John the Evangelist Elementary School (Silver Spring) teacher.  The case is now considered closed.  Possible commentary in the future on this case.



http://awashingtondccatholic.blogspot.com/2013/06/teacher-arrested-from-st-john.html

Robert McCartney - Another WaPo Anti-Catholic BIGOT

Although I should not be surprised at this but once again, we have another hit piece on a Catholic priest and the Church by the Washington Compost.  In this case, it is Robert McCartney.  For the rest of this article, I will refer to him as Mr. BIGOT.  I really don't know any other term to call him and I am tired of playing nice with guys like him.

So, let's point out a couple of things here..

• Fr. DeCelles is the pastor and makes the final decision, unless overridden by his bishop, of which organizations can or cannot meet on Church property.
• Every organization has rules -- Boy Scout, Girl Scouts, Trail Life -- and if you wish to join the organization, then you basically agree to follow the rules. Sort of like when you are hired by a company -- like the Washington Compost -- you agree to abide by certain things.   I wonder if Mr. BIGOT actually went to the Trail Life website and read what they actually said.  I doubt it, because he would not have written what he did.
• Wow, a Catholic priest who believes that the gay lifestyle is wrong (and is against the Catholic faith) and posts such things on the parish website.  My heavens, what is the world coming to.  
• If Mr. Bigot was as open minded as he says he is, then he should not be upset with Fr. De Celles.
• As a typical liberal, he does not fully understand the statement by the Pope on "If they accept the Lord and have goodwill..."  It means, M. BIGOT, that they do not live the gay lifestyle and live in accordance with Catholic teaching.  He did not mean that if you live nicely, and believe that you are doing right, that all is well.  
• Cardinal Wuerl has been more worried about bad publicity (and government contracts) than really standing up for Church teaching.  We have seen this over and over, so using him as an example, just weakens your argument Mr. BIGOT.
•  The National Catholic Committee on Scouting takes its cue from the Catholic Conference of Bishops.  It does not strike out on its own.  An if you read their 40 point statement, it really attempts to fit a square peg into a round hole.  I wonder if Mr. BIGOT read the statement.  I have.
• Yes, a drop in Scouting of 6% (almost 160,000 members) is not as bad as over 10% but it is still a significant drop in one year.  And, BSA cannot keep up dropping by 3% to 6% each year.  That is unsustainable, even for them.  If WaPost subscriptions dropped that much in one year, would they be saying "It is not that bad.."

HOWEVER, if this decision such a good decision -- allowing publicly gay youth in BSA -- then why wasn't there a INCREASE in membership by 5% or 6%?  

I mean, we would have seen thousands of new adult volunteers?  

How about all of those parents who swore up and down that they would not put their child in Scouting unless it opened up? I mean, their actions speak louder than words, and their words are meaningless. 

So, if Mr. BIGOT is so supportive of what Scouting has done, I would expect that he will be making a very nice donation to BSA of both time and money.

Yes, Mr. BIGOT cannot wait for the next fight -- gay leaders in BSA.  It will give him something to fill is column with -- the talking points of Troop 52 from Chevy Chase. 

The Cardinal's Appeal -- A Mixed Bag in Retrospect

Once again, the Cardinal's Appeal is upon us.  

Many of us have received he mailing.   And, we have probably heard the message read from the pulpit or altar re The Appeal.  In my parish, you could tell that it was only a half-hearted attempt at sounding excited about asking parishioners, in this economy, to give over and above the weekly collection. 

This year, the Archdiocese has touted that in 2013, more money was pledged, than every before.  And they are correct.  Not only that, but they actually took in more in 2013, than ever before.  So, you have to congratulate them on that.

Nevertheless, even with these increases in pledges and actual donations, you will notice on thing: There are fewer people giving.  

Since 2008, there are almost 4,000 fewer (3994 to be exact) people giving to the Cardinals Appeal than ever before.  

This is not good.  You really need to increase you base because at some point, the well will run dry.  And the Dreamer's, which the Archdiocese has so heavily counted on, will not be there.

Once again, I will not give.  If I decide to give, and I will, I will donate directly to my nearby Catholic school, so that they can purchase paper, supplies, etc. without the Archdiocese deciding. 

I urge you not to contribute, esp. after the Cardinal and the Archdiocese "threw Fr. Marcel under the bus."  It is the only message the Cardinal will understand.

Breathing with both lungs: Eastern Orthodox make strong showing at March for Life!

March for Life President Jeanne Monahan addressed concerns that the annual pro-life walk was too heavily Catholic, reaching out to evangelical Protestants. But based on the participation of Eastern Orthodox Christians in this year's events, marchers may have been forgiven for believing the whole march breathed with the other lung.
 
Every major event, and several minor ones, featured distinguished clergy from the world's second largest Christian denomination.

Archpriest John Jillions, the chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), represented his church at the “National Memorial for the Preborn and their Mothers and Fathers,” an annual interdenominational prayer service held at Constitution Hall.

The most visible participation came as Orthodox clergy filled the stage at the March for Life, which began with an invocation given by Bishop Demetrios (Kantzavelos), the Greek Orthodox bishop of Chicago.

For more, go to: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breathing-with-both-lungs-eastern-orthodox-make-strong-showing-at-march-for


And to one of my loyal readers...Thank You!!