The month of May will see Catholics making appointments at California lawmakers’ offices, phoning and sending emails to lobby for and against four pieces of legislation prioritized by the California Catholic Conference….
The Catholic Conference is supporting SB 2, a gun control measure which would add more limitations on concealed weapons; SB 4, which would smooth the zoning process for conversion of religious property to affordable housing; and AB 238, which would fund a program to give grants to student teachers, including to parochial school teachers.
The conference is opposing AB 315 which would allow prolife pregnancy centers to be sued by private citizens as ‘fake clinics’ for false advertising since they do not provide abortion.
Original story at Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Which brain trust writes the Conferences pamphlets? Bp. Cantu is president, which is telling. Absolute joke that the Bishops are against the second amendment and supporting Senator Wiener’s land grab.
This organization needs to be disbanded.
They are not against the 2nd amendment.
“The Catholic Conference is supporting SB 2, a gun control measure which would add more limitations on concealed weapons; SB 4, which would smooth the zoning process for conversion of religious property to affordable housing; and AB 238, which would fund a program to give grants to student teachers, including to parochial school teachers.” Which of these is a clear matter of faith and morals, and not a matter of prudential judgment?
Bishops and other clergy should focus on their primary calling: faith and morals. It’s not our role to give political advice (except in clear cases of intrinsic evils like abortion and child abuse). We should provide moral principles and leadership for the lay faithful, who can influence the temporal order far more effectively.
We are not glorified social workers in Roman collars. Unless Christ rose from the dead and we’re offering Him in Word and Sacrament to His people and a dying world, we’re wasting our time. Souls and their eternal destinies are at stake.
— I’m sorry that someone gave you a down vote.
I agree with your post. Prelates pontificate about politics because it gets them attention, unites them to the praises by the leaders of the culture, and really is virtue signaling, safe space for them. To go door to door proclaiming Jesus, to do Eucharistic processions, to proclaim the name of Jesus and ALL that HE TAUGHT, to gather priests to teach them to evangelize, rather than re echoing the worldly gospels of guns, dei, blm, climate, lgbtq, immigration, personal opinions of justice, and on and on would be more difficult and require prelates to get off their seats and really start to get the smell of the sheep on them, as Pope Francis said. The sheep, me included, stink of sin and error, and need a shearing of holiness in teaching, guiding, and sanctifying as JESUS taught, rather than the personal opinions of churchmen in power who are protected and well fed.
The bishops do that through their priests.
And being political is easy. Being a shepherd is hard. The bishops have bought the lie that being political is their role.
On April 25th, various organizations launched a lawsuit against the State of California, to declare assisted suicide unconstitutional. They hope to take their case all the way to the Supreme Court, in the hopes that assisted suicide/euthanasia will be declared unconstitutional for the entire Nation. Hope they succeed! I am sure our bishops will support this! Suicidal patients need tremendous help and support from our clergy, and clergy of other churches, too.
I propose we clone Fr. Richard and “anonymous clergyman” — the bishops have lost their way…
That would be a sin.
Nothing the bishops proposed is sinful. What you propose is gravely sinful.
Hear, Hear!
As much as I agree with Fr. Perozich and Anonymous Clergyman most of the time, cloning people is a sin. That’s a no, no.
Anne TE – I’m quite sure the cloning comment was meant as tongue-in-cheek.
I knew it was, and my reply was a way of jesting with “clone our commenters”, but I did want to stress that cloning people, just like other unnatural ways of conception, are against Catholic teaching. Sorry if I confused anyone. Originally, I was going to say that cloning was a “no, no” because the world does not need another one of me, but that did not fit with “Comment’s” post. (Laughter.)
I just heard that Kirk Cameron is scheduled to come to San Francisco, to Story Hour at the Presidio Library branch, at 4:30pm on Wed. May 10th! Dream come true! I put in several requests at different SF library branches, for him to come! Got my wish! I am so thrilled! The Presidio Library branch is near where I live, and it is the branch I always go to. Will call the library first thing in the morning, to reserve a Story Hour seat! I am so thrilled, and thankful to God!
I called the Presidio Library branch today, and contacted the the Kirk Cameron book tour people. Kirk Cameron’s Story Hour at the Presidio Library branch is listed on the Book Tour schedule, and it is free, on a first-come, first-served basis. However, the Presidio librarians could not find the event, on their May calendar! They advised me to call the Children’s Librarian in the coming week. I hope to get some good news, at that time! I want to support all who are doing good, trying to defeat the Satanic Death Culture, and bring Christian beliefs and values, and Traditional Marriage and Family, back to America, by God’s help! Kirk Cameron’s Book Tour schedule lists a Story Hour date at the Billy Graham Library, in Charlotte, NC, after the SF Presidio Library date. Wonderful! I bet he will get lots of enthusiastic support, there!
Why don’t you bring your old 1989 copy of Tiger Beat for him to autograph? Then you can hang it on your wall next to your dresser and think how dreamy he is.
What on earth is “Tiger Beat?” A silly animal game, or action song, for preschoolers? I know some good ones — how about Daniel Tiger and his songs? Or how about “Five Little Tigers,” “Baby Shark,” “Going on a Bear Hunt,” “Six Little Ducks,” “Wake Up, Little Bunnies,” “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” “Five Little Speckled Frogs,” “Five Little Ducks,” “The Wheels on the Bus,” “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,” “10 in the Bed,” “Five Little Monkeys”— and much more! Cute action songs/games for little ones. Great for Story Hour. Christ loves His little ones, too! Turn to Christ, and become His follower, in the Catholic Faith. I am probably the same age as Kirk Cameron’s grandma– but I don’t care, look at how old the Pope is. Age makes no difference. We all must join together and support all those working hard to bring Christ and good Christian beliefs, values and morality– and Traditional (one man, one woman) Marriage and Family– back to society– and convert the Culture of Death to the Culture of Life, for Christ. You must convert to Christ, too, and bring your family and friends to church with you. And bring your wife and kids to Library Story Hour, with Kirk Cameron, too. You will all have “a whale of a good time.”
Regarding my comment of April 29th at 7:39pm– I looked up Kirk Cameron’s age. He is about 20 years older than I had previously thought! So–no, I am not old enough to be his grandma. Just old enough to be his mom. God bless him, for his dedication to Christ.
Tiger Beat was a shallow, picture-heavy magazine about teen idols marketed to young girls that was very popular in the 1980s and 1990s. I attended St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, CA, and I remember young girls from the neighboring Catholic elementary school (St. Dominic Savio) hanging outside the high school after dismissal with their Tiger Beat issues featuring Chad Allen on the cover, hoping to spot him and get him to sign their magazines. Chad attended Bosco at the time. Joke was on them, though, because he later came out as gay.
Fr. Perozich is correct: the California bishops need to focus on knowing, and preaching, what Christ commanded all to know. Slavering over economic, political and social issues will not get you to Heaven. Certainly help the poor, nurse the sick, visit those in prison, but do so to bring the message of Christ. See, e.g., Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical group that pretty much gets it right, from a Protestant perspective, to helping those in dire need and giving them the word of Christ (and a Bible).
Too bad California, and, sadly, America it seems, have such lost shepherds. We need men to stand up to modernity, not spend their time wallowing in it. You clergy who wish to focus on socialogy should consider leaving the priesthood and entering social work. You bishops need to stand up to the insanity of the Vatican, such as Traditiones Custodes and Amoris Laetitia. We need s robust return to the True Faith.
I agree. The Catholic clergy has been focusing greatly on advancing mankind’s progress, alleviating mankind’s plight of earthly suffering, mainly via temporal and worldly, secular, and political endeavors, since the 1960s, right after Vatican II. They seemed to dump the traditional emphasis on the eternal, the spiritual, and God, contemplation and prayer, seeking the goal of Heaven– and take up social work. We were told on many occasions, that to be involved a lot in prayer and religious devotions, was now deemed selfish and an escape from real life. We should get involved, even in worldly politics, in solving the plight of suffering mankind, all around us. When all of this started, I said to a priest one day, “that is not the way of the Catholic Church. Too worldly. Traditionally, only top Church leaders, and the Pope, wrangled with big political leaders– kings, princes, presidents, prime ministers, etc., and local political leaders– on tough issues, to protect the Church and society, and try to stop great evils. They were very good— and the Pope was a huge moral force for the world to reckon with.” The priest replied to me, that with Vatican II, the Church now wants to emphasize our humanity and directly seek to alleviate mankind’s plight of suffering on earth, but not preach morality so heavily– that is too judgmental and negative, and the Church has been wrong, in the past, to do that. And the laypeople are supposed to get involved, not sit at the back of the church. Well, all of that just sounded like abdication of clerical responsibilities– and dumbing down the religious role of the priest, falsely equalizing him with untrained, unordained laymen. And seeking to create a false utopia on earth, alleviating human suffering– without emphasis on God, religion and morality, and leading a good life. All of this is still continuing today. It is really supposed to be Christ in us that loves, cares for, and helps people. Our poor, weak, little human self, clothed in human flesh, is essentially self-oriented, self-seeking– and badly in need of Christ. We must humbly bow to Christ, and carry His Light into the world, to do His work. Christ is found in deep prayer, worldly detachment, and an authentic Catholic spiritual life.
This is all false what “Reply” is saying. False, erroneous generalizations of the Catholic clergy. Beware people. Beware.
No, jon. None of this was false. I am most probably of a different generation than you, with very different experiences, in a different era. Life does not always conform to what you might expect, hope for, or want– or read in a book. And don’t be silly, telling readers to “beware.”
A “Comment” section is not serious at all— it is only for a reader to express their individual ideas and opinions. “Beware of jon,” eh? What a laugh! Go attack another windmill, Don Quixote! Don Quixote, who travels the world, seeking “enemies” to defeat– where there are none.
“seeking to create a false utopia on earth, alleviating human suffering– without emphasis on God, religion and morality, and leading a good life.”
This is false from “Reply.” No priest bishop or priest I know does what she is alleging.
I do not think that person goes to a Catholic Church. Just guessing.
I think it might be one of the infiltrators.
A family member was in a relationship with a schismatic and they try to use things like that to undermine faith.
Then they switch to Catholic sounding stuff but it is not said the way Catholics say them.
Do you understand what a “false utopia” really is? It is a society of much social progress, strong materialistic emphasis, and seeking for all material needs to be met– without God. It will eventually collapse. The “rich man” without God suffers acutely. A good education can teach you these things.
I guess she does not know the Catechism, huh?
The bishops whom many complain about, are seeking a false “utopia” for society, through emphasis on political action to alleviate social ills, on topics such as immigration, housing, the environment, gun control, women’s rights, etc.– instead of teaching and preaching the Catholic Faith. The German bishops — in disobedience to God — seek a false “utopia” for LGBTs, with trying to falsely accept gay “marriage” and the LGBT “lifestyle,” in the Church and in society. Catholic “Liberation Theology” seeks a false “utopia,” to alleviate the plight of the poor, by fusing Christianity with radical Marxist political revolutionary ideas. The only “utopia” is what Christ promised—- Eternal Life with God in Heaven, after leading a good life on earth, faithful to Christ. Give a person a loaf of bread to eat, and water to drink– but also, give him religious teaching, along with the baptismal waters leading to Eternal Life, and the Bread of Christ in Holy Communion! He will oneday never again suffer hunger nor thirst.
A few more thoughts, regarding my comment of April 29, at 2:52pm. I believe in good religious catechesis, and for priests and nuns to teach the Catholic Faith well, and show their students or parishioners Christ-like love and respect, kindness, support and encouragement. Besides Mass and religious devotions– prayer, asceticism, good spiritual reading, and doing good for others daily, is very important. Before Vatican II, there were some priests and nuns who were too stern, too judgmental and negative. That needed to change. And it is nice for laymen to be more involved in parish life– but the trained, ordained priest must be respected at his altar– our “Alter Christus,” our spiritual leader. There are many good endeavors, to help the poor, the sick, the marginalized, pregnant mothers with unborn children, etc. But prayer must be at the heart of all endeavors, that priests and laymen undertake. Christ must lead the way, and guide them. And no one should be selfish, just attend Mass and religious devotions– but not try to help their neighbors in need. That’s wrong– utter hypocrisy! St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata, and her nuns, respected the religious beliefs of those they helped. But they also required of them to learn about the Catholic Faith, and reject a life of sin, and reform their lives. That is the right thing to do! The Church of today, ought to listen to the ideas of St. Mother Teresa and her nuns, and be very clear– and mean it, insist on it– regarding important points, and requirements, for all Catholics, in the practice of our Faith. Yes, there is certainly Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. The Church must fulfill her mission to help guide souls to Heaven.
How about this deal: when no parish in the diocese sings OCP or GIA music, when all sing proper music at Mass, then that diocese’s bishop can be political.