The following appeared in the online version of the National Catholic Reporter on July 31.
If last week’s elevation of Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of Oakland, Calif., to archbishop of San Francisco proves anything, it’s that attacking marriage equality puts a man on the fast-track to promotion in the Roman Catholic Church. A quick survey of the hierarchy’s most recent, high-profile appointments reveals a common denominator.
The trend became apparent in March, when Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., was given his papal orders to take over the reins in the historic Archdiocese of Baltimore. Lori, the longtime chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, no doubt earned his reward as chair of the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty.
Although the religious freedom battle has been widely associated with contraception, the bishops have always included same-sex marriage as a clear threat to their First Amendment rights. Of the committee’s six signs of attack on religious freedom, two relate to marriage equality: the Department of Justice’s refusal to defend the Defense of Marriage Act and the “narrow religious exemption” in New York State’s same-sex marriage bill. Lori, still seething from the successful passage of the marriage equality bill in Connecticut in 2008, was no doubt delighted to take up the cause.
Just weeks after Lori’s promotion, Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle made national news for exhorting pastors in his diocese to use their parishes to collect signatures in support of a repeal of Washington state’s newly passed marriage equality law. Only 10 days after this headline, Sartain practically became a household name when he was tapped to head the “reform” of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Given the backlash the LCWR crackdown created, it might be a dubious honor, but it is nevertheless a powerful and high-profile position.
Before their respective appointments, each of these men publicly declared himself a culture warrior ready to do battle with lesbian and gay couples who seek to formally honor their commitments and protect themselves legally.
There almost seems to be an element of retribution in these promotions. Lori’s anti-LGBT zeal was unleashed on a state in which the Catholic governor, Martin O’Malley, was instrumental in passing Maryland’s marriage equality. Sartain was charged with leading the hostile takeover of women religious who were in trouble for (among only a few other reasons) not pushing the church’s agenda against same-sex marriage.
It is possible to interpret the elevations of Lori and Sartain as payback by the Vatican. But the Cordileone appointment is downright combative. For years, Cordileone has quietly made his mark as the USCCB’s fiercest opponent of same-sex marriage. Last year, his labor earned him the role of chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. And now he has been tapped to be the chief shepherd of a city known for its prominent LGBT population and its historic role in the LGBT liberation movement.
To read entire story, click here.
Are these bishops reacting to the move by homosexuals? Or are they nipping it in the bud? My guess would be “reacting”. This would explain why the sodomite movement is gaining political ground.
It’s very sad to see the Reporter becomimg a thrall of leftist haters. Surely none of the bishops mentioned have anything but a heart full of charity for those afflicted with Same Sex Attraction. But it was recently explained that many SSA people suffered from feelings of loneliness, alienation and ‘otherness’ as predispositions to their disorder so that they believe themselves to be hated. Love Can only reach out so far to overcome such disordered sexual paranoia.
Charlio, I remember while in secondary school, hearing of boys who would wait for men to come out of a local gay bar at night so they could beat them up. As well, I have worked with people who were ostracized by family and friends because of homosexuality. Attitudes have changed only very recently, and indeed, there are many who still despise gays. The Matthew Shepherd incident is a more extreme example.
I assent (not without struggle) to the Church’s teaching but find the lack of good pastoral care for Catholic gays and homsexuals (in this context, people in the first group affirm their sexual orientation, even if chaste, those in the second group see their orientation as a wound and try to ignore it) by the hierarchy, or anyone doctrinally orthodox, frustrating. On an emotional level, the average Catholic does not make a distinction between orientation and practice. This seems especially true of the traditionalists, who can be just awfull.
Anecdotal tripe.
Why are you focussed exclusively on the one type of sin, namely sodemy? You should well be concerned about the lack of pastoral care for murderers, thieves, occultists, boozers, dopers, racists, abusers, rioters, etc.
Steve, I agree that they all need good pastoral care. My backround is in social work and I’ve counseled prisoners, prostitutes, lots of drug users, alcoholics and even some occultists. So, I’m not blind or insensitive to the needs of these other groups.
Nontheless, there hasn’t been a whole lot of fire from the hierarchy aimed at these groups.
I admit that my previous post relied too much on the anecdotal and agree that the stat’s point to a much more tolerant atmosphere. Still, in counseling people, I find those with same sex attraction face a very mixed reception from family and friends. As well, it’s difficult for them to relate to a church that says they can’t get married, ordained or (if I’m not mistaken) join a religious order. And that, other than a few chapters of Courage, offers little support in living the way official teaching demands. Sounds a little like what St. James wrote about “Keep warm, be at peace…”
Sodomy.
Because they have their own rah-rah social engineering section aimed at normalizing this perversion and indoctrinating our children-get it now?
Michael….. Have you heard of ‘Courage’? I believe they have a chapter in California. I know they have one here in Manhattan…..I’ll agree homosexuals were treated terrribly in the past. I don’t believe it is the case now, although with their intolerance and agressiveness of pushing their agenda in your face, there is a lot of resentment.
ABC reported that Matthew Shepard was not killled and tortured because he was gay. It was a robbery. And there have been case of torture by homosexuals, Jesse Dirkhizing (1999) and Jason Shepard (2008) come to mind. Of course, we need to separate the inclination to this orientation and the practice of it, I’ll agree.
I don’t find this hate from traidtionalists. The opposite. I see the hate, intolerance from the gays whenever we protest their agenda. Remember, they are trying to infiltrate our schools with pro-homosexual propaganda, under the guise of ‘bulling’ while many parents object to this lifestyle and have no say….
So I think we can agree more chapters of ‘Courage’ should be promoted by the church and those who attend can educate the church and the schools about this inclination and how they deal with this struggle….
Michael Roi,
You are wrong! True Catholics definitely know there is a difference between orientation, and action on those orientations. In CRCOA, Inc. we have at least two very Catholic celibate persons with SSA.
I refuse to call them homosexuals, sodomites, gays, or any other such term because they may well be saints for accepting their very difficult crosses for the love of Christ and His Mother.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Kenneth, I am delighted to hear of people receiving support which harmonizes with official teaching. I agree that catholics who truly understand their faith make the distinction.
By the way, it’s Michel, not Michael. Thanks for the good wish.
Very well said Mr. Fisher! Homosexuals have the potential to increase their goodness too when they choose Christ and Mary. Why insult their love for Jesus, by labeling them homosexuals when they choose to remain chaste and follow Jesus.
Traditionalist awful, really? well we own the future so you better get use to it. I find gays shoving their perversions in my face awful and the telling me its marriage.
Canisius, I’m not refering to those who “shove their perversions” in your face. Rather, I refer to those who experience attraction to members of their own gender, but who accept the doctrine of the Church and strive to live accordingly. I have found tradionalists who regarded them as abhorent, simply on the basis of their temptations. No distinction was made, as far as I could tell, between temptation and consent. I have in mind certain writers and authors whose material and works appear in tradionalist media.
I am not unsympathetic to many traditionalist concerns (cheifly the continuity of Church teaching and the limits of papal power with respect to faith and practice), but have been disappointed by this.
That is PURE calumny.Orthodox not the leftist slur of “Traditionalist” Catholics must hate the sin and LOVE the sinner.We sponsor such programs as courage.Please stop slandering devout obedient Catholics in the name of the Church of You.
The “Church of You”. Hmmm. I’ve never heard of that one Gordon. The Church I belong to was founded by Jesus Christ on St. Peter and the Apostles and is the only true Church.
When I use the term “Traditionalist”, I am referring to those who either belong to the Society of Pius X or are sympathetic to it’s cause, which is :questioning whether, or to what extent, the Second Council of the Vatican was in harmony with the constant teaching and practice of the Church. And rejecting the liturgical changes that followed it. This is what is generally meant by “Traditionalist” in all Catholic discussions that I have been part of. I am a friend to bishops and many priests here in canada so I think my use of terms is correct.
It strikes me that you are confusing the term “traditionalist” with “orthodox”. Doubtless there are some tradionalists who would be delighted with this but the terms are not equivalent.
I always hope for civility in this sort of discourse but alas, it would seem civility is an increasingly rare treasure.
Yes Gordon, there are orthodox Catholics doing wonderful things for all sorts of people, but (now do hold on to your seat) there are conservative and traditional Catholics who do not distinguish between sin and sinner. I work in a Catholic milieu and know catholics of every star, stripe and position. Some, many orthodox Catholics are great examples of faith. They “put their money where their mouth is”. Others are judgemental prigs. Reality pal, wake up!
The stain of sin can eventually disfigure every iota of the sinner, making a complete merging of sin and sinner … hence, the unforgivable sin.
“(now do hold on to your seat) “: Why, Michel? What are you dreaming of here?
Thanks for the condescending reply.By traditionalist I am referring to devout OBEDIENT orthodox-in-belief Catholics who follow Church teachings – don’t you DARE use sleight of semantics to label them/us SSPX who are in schism.
The SSPX are at present not part of the Church-they ARE in fact Protestant in the true meaning of the word. Anything that you say SSPX’rs cling to is irrelevant and moot and the rest is anecdotal hooey. LOVE the sinner. HATE the SIN. And SIN it is.I admire those who embrace the cross of celibacy as I embrace it as an unmarried Catholic. I KNOW how difficult that is.
Let’s keep in mind that words should be precise. Same sex attraction is not really what we’re talkng about. It is same sex lust.
Are the reporters not the ‘haters’ in this case
Isn’t it time someone with the power to do so required the National Catholic Reporter to drop the title “Catholic”? Or is this beyond the jurisdiction of any prelate?
Dropping the name “Catholic” from the “National Catholic REPORTER” is the responsibility of the Bishop of the Diocese in which the Reporter is located. I agree that the Reporter fosters heresy, schism, and disobedience of Church teaching.
This should not be confused with the “National Catholic REGISTER” which is a faithful paper and blog site.
Interesting Question. Did the Churches in the United States ever have a copyright on the word “Catholic” or other legal means to copyright the adjective??
They were told to stop using Catholic in their name in 1968. They refused to comply.
k, where can we get a copy of the 1968 letter telling the Reporter not to use the name ‘Catholic’ ?
Please provide the name of a link or whatever.
Since the Diocese of Kansas has a newer/younger Bishop now, this needs to be revisted with him, and made public.
With the use of the internet these days, it would be good to have the current Bishop make a public statement to insure that many Catholics will know the non-Catholic status of the Reporter. – And will prove their deceitfulness.
What happened almost 40 years ago does not really matter regarding the Reporter, in fact the current writers were probably in diapers or grade school.
I urge everyone to copy offending articles from the Reporters web site and send them to Bishop Finn in Kansas. And ask him to revoke their use of the name “Catholic”.
MIKE, the easiest way to find it is to to the wiki page for National Catholic Reporter. In the footnotes (number 8) is a link to it. Sorry it took me so long to read and answer your question.
If REAL CATHOLIC TV had to change it’s name for being TOO orthodox the the Catholic Reporter must change it’s name because it is heterodoxically seditious.
Jamie Manson is really way out there in her article, and I don’t care what her credentials are in relation to her writing. She is likely not a practicing Catholic, at least not a faithfully practicing one, since she is assuming that the appointment of Bishop Cordelione to San Francisco is due to his oppositon to the homosexual agenda of what they would like to call marriage, but is actually not marriage. The more I read about this, and come to a deeper and greater understanding of what marriage is, I am committed to defending it as the good bispop is, and especially after hearing his arguments for defending it as well. What ever the homosexual person who struggles with same-sex attraction believes in, their right to have a relationship and practice homosexuality is unquestionably and decidedly NOT a right to redefine marriage. They seem not to be able to say things like “I like sinning as a homosexual” and instead defend their behavior and call it marriage. My friends, please, be kind, gentle, but do not allow them to use that word in describing what they are doing. It is not marriage, but the very grave sin of acting on tendancies that are evil and depraved. Let us not forget that, and let us not allow them to forget it either. Like a child having a tantrum they would like it to be otherwise, but I am sorry, for them especially, it is not and cannot be marriage. God bless Archbishop Cordelione. He will need all the prayers and sacrifices we can offer for him in his new home in San Francisco.
When writing about their evil claims to marriage, just use quotations marks. It is “marriage”!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
How about “marriage of man with devil”?
Why event report on such a story? The National Catholic REPORTER is hardly “Catholic.” In fact it’s a well known anti-Catholic rag. Stories like this are nothing special. To report on them does nothing but lend some level of credence to them. Had an actual Catholic newspaper like the National Catholic REGISTER printed such a story it would indeed be news. This is just a waste of space.
Thank you, National Catholic Reporter, very well stated and correctly so! These far right wing bishops deserve one another, there sole concern is to climb the ecclesiastical corporate latter! The concept of Christ centered service to the “people of God” has been usurped by the sick power to rule over and to remove the God given freedom of thinking for ones self!! Vatican II is lost, gone, as long as this pompous, self righteous, hierarchical gang is chasing after their red hats!! The real question is who will win this pathetic battle; GOD WILL!!!
MILES, apparently you have not read the CCC.
No matter how hard the heretical and schismatic “REPORTER” tries, they will not change the truth of what the Catholic Church teaches.
As others have stated when it comes to FAITH there is no liberal (left) or conservative (right) only TRUTH – which does not change.
It is time for all heretics and schismatics to leave the Catholic Church.
TEM,
You are free to use your “God” given rights, and you are free to suffer the consequences at your Particular Judgement!
May God have mercy on your deeply compromised soul,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Right wing or left wing do not make sense in the Catholic Church. These are political labels. To be a Catholic means to assent to all that the Church believes and teaches. There is no such thing as a “liberal” or “progressive” or “conservative” Catholic. Your are simply Catholic, accepting and believing the teachings of the Church, founded by Jesus, and entrusted with the power of binding and loosing. If you do not give assent to the teachings of the Church, guaranteed by Jesus to have binding authority, then you must question whether you are truly a member of the Church. There are many other places where you can go and be assured of the rightness of your positions, as opposed as they may be to the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
More than mere assent is required to be a faithful Catholic. Action is required. The Gospel calls man to action, not merely to sentiment or agreement. Agreeing with the Church is easy; acting with the Church is anything but easy. So, if you find it easy, then you are on Easy Street, and not on the Via Dolorosa.
I you adhere to the teachings of the Church, you are doing more than merely assenting.
Please read the CCC in entirety and you will understand that action is required.
One can not assent to teachings of the Church without action.
Oh I forgot-the rebellious nuns are about to be booted.Funny how the orthodox orders are brimming with young devout Catholic women.
This article is an excerpt from an article by Jamie L. Manson in the online edition of the so-called “National Catholic Reporter”. If you read this article it will convince you that the “National Catholic Reporter” is “Anti-Catholic” NOT Catholic and is a “Distorter” NOT a Reporter. — The last sentences of Jamie L. Manson’s essay are venomously anti-Catholic accusations: — “With this latest appointment, the Vatican solidifies its “pack mentality” approach to promotions. Nowadays, a man earns his stripes and proves his loyalty to the hierarchy by attacking a group the hierarchy perceives as a threat to survival, even if the threat is based on nothing more than fear and paranoia.
That paranoia, however, might also be giving way to delusion. I’m sure there are some within the Vatican and the laity who believe this appointment will demonstrate the Roman Catholic Church’s commitment to robust, uncompromising, “we’ll-show-them-who’s-boss” leadership. But in reality, for the majority of Catholic laity in this country who support marriage equality, Cordileone’s promotion is only further, glaring evidence of the hierarchy’s deepening descent into meanness, spitefulness and pastoral insensitivity.” —
Jamie L. Manson’s credentials as given at the end of this “National Catholic Reporter” article may be a clue to her hostility to the Catholic Church: — “[Jamie L. Manson received her Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, where she studied Catholic theology and sexual ethics. Her columns for NCR earned her a first prize Catholic Press Association award for Best Column/Regular Commentary in 2010.]”
Jamie Manson, writer of the article, seems to favor gay and lesbian causes rather than Catholic doctrine. He has only criticism for Bishops Lori, Sartain and Cordileone, because they all supported and fought for Catholic doctrine. I would expect Catholic prelates to support and defend Catholic precepts; that’s what they took solemn vows to do. People who do not believe in or want to obey the unchanging Catholic doctrine, but choose to support the LGBT doctrine, might want to consider leaving the Church, and such people should not be writing for a so-called Catholic publication such as the National Catholic Reporter.
And the gates of Hell shall not prevail against His Church.
These folks are “Progressives” before they are Catholics. Sad.
???? The bishops are progressive before being Catholic? I don’t think so. God love you.
In the title “Liberal”, since it is related to Faith, means “Heretical” or “Schismatic”.
There is no such thing as a liberal or conservative Catholic in matters of Faith. So lets all use the correct vocabulary in all public media formats.
This will help all people understand that these people are not Faithful Catholics.
“HERESY is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same.”
“SCHISM is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”
Thank you Beth. I have always been uncomfortable using the terms Liberal and Conservative to refer to Catholics. You defined what the correct words for “Liberal” Catholic should be, i.e. “heretical” or “schismatic”. Could you tell me what you would suggest as a term for “Conservative” Catholic? I myself wish that the term “Catholic” would be self evident, but unfortunately in today’s world this isn’t readily understood. I am not to crazy about using the term “Orthodox” Catholic, but can’t come up with another term. Maybe “Devout” suffices, but I am not sure about that either.
Liberal Catholic, using liberal in the political sense is one thing. But liberalism in religion cannot be Catholic. As Cardinal Newman says, liberalism is the anti-dogmatic principle. For the liberal, truth is always in flux. It is one thing to say that we can never describe God’s will in human language, quite another than as proposition affirmed by the Church need not be accepted by an adherent, or beyond this, that the Church has no power of coersion. Even though, the Gospel has OUR LORD saying to the Apostles: whose sins you shall retain are retained.
Gee.Forty years of appeasement didn’t seem to work..It just encouraged false heterodox hopes.This Pope is making Catholic teaching clear and unequivocal.If it upsets the National `Catholic`Reporter we MUST be on the right track.
These `Catholics`see this appointment as combative? I see it as good disciplinary medicine and a call to obedience.
Its about time…..
It’s no surprise that the NCR would come out swinging in favor of same sex marriage. They have been in bed with liberal dissenters in the Church, and subversives outside the Church, too long to maintain any semblance of orthodoxy. They are also covertly supportive of elective abortion. I predict it won’t be long before we see articles in that publication castigating any bishop who dares to oppose a woman’s ‘right to choose’.
Joanne, please make sure they know the NCR to which you are referring is the National Catholic Reporter not the National Catholic Register. I know it takes time to type it out fully, but some people do confuse the two.and they are poles apart.
Point well taken, Anne. I did not know there were two “Catholic” publications that used the same initials.
Well then things must be going in the right direct, I love it the “catholic” left is going nuts, I hope this signals that its time for them to leave the Church. Go ahead form the AmChurch you’ve always wanted and don’t go away mad, just go away.
The other day, I told an ex-Catholic Latina, that if she wants to know the true Church, look for the Church that is most under attack, and come Home. I then told her about “For the Greater Glory” and gave her a picture of Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio.
As a person of Mexican heritage, it breaks my heart to see so many Latinos and Latinas now what they call Christians.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
I know what you mean Mr. Fisher. Just last week we met a family who use to be Catholic, they left the church and have never baptized their children. That really breaks my hearts, poor innocent kids!
In very many cases I don’t think they even know what they have left and lost as the quality of much catechesis these days isn’t very good. In Canada I find many young people who have been through catholic School, have little idea of what catholicism really is about.
Michel that happens in Canada also happens here
No sense reading the full story as this little bit is disgusting enough. We expect this type of drivel from the secular press, but, from what is SUPPOSE to be a Catholic source, it is disgusting and as the author shows, he/she shows a complete lack of respect for bishops by not using their proper titles. The Reporter and America are not part of the Roman Catholic Church and they should not be allowed to pretend to be so. I cancelled NCR many years ago and every few months, I get offers for free copies of America, of which I accept, receive them, throw them in the rubbish without reading them and cancel my subscription. Thank God that we do have some Bishops that will try to act as God of men. +JMJ+
It’s hard to imagine more ridiculous commentary from a so-called Catholic source than the article above. Look at the buzz words, and notice the incredibly narrow range of interest.
Newsflash for the Reporter-
1) Cordileone and the other bishops mentioned are concerned with a lot more than redefining marriage.
2) Catholics owe their fidelity to Jesus and His Church, and are called to love everyone. It is not the task of bishops or laity to validate peoples sex lives when they are lived out contrary to the gospel, but to genuinely love them.
3) Abp Cordileone is fierce. From his record working with everyone from
immigrants and the unborn among us to patiently and firmly dealing with
dissidents, and yes! by daring to assert that children deserve a mother and a father, he has shown himself to be fiercely compassinate.
The Reporter has it wrong, yet again. We do not need leaders who define themselves along shifting, worldly “liberal” or “conservative” labels and ideas. We need spiritual fathers like Abp. Cordileone, who define themselves through a full and consistent embrace of the gospel. The faithful deserve nothing less!!!
Red seems to be the Handwriting on the Wall for the “Who Me?” bunch. The truly knowing Catholic already has it written in his own heart.
woody,
I like to consider the color for true Catholics to be the Blessed Mother’s favorite, Blue!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Why publish anything from the “National Catholic Reporter” ????????????? They are nothing but an enemy of the church who stubbornly hang on to their Protestantized new age catholicism bordering on being “The New Order.”. However, I am very pleased that they are finding the appointment of orthodox Catholics to the higher clergy.
The Catholic Church is finally beginning to wake up to the mortal threat to Her liberty which the pseudo-marriage movement has always represented.
The question is whether She is doing so in time, as far as the Church in the West is concerned.
If Barack Obama is reelected, then persecution will escalate, and we will find our how many Catholics there truly are in the United States.
Payback to whom? Fishwrap must think that the appointment is directed against them and their inflated egos and that they, somehow, represent Catholics. The last line, “…prominent LGBT population and its historic role in the LGBT liberation” also points out the real reason for their dismay – not only are they in direct opposition to over two millenia of Church teaching, but also in at least three of the nine ways in participating in someone else’s sin. How anti-Catholic is that?
What is Catholic about that newspaper!!
I have been told by a priest that the National Catholic Reporter (Rag) is sent free to every priest in America!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
By whom? Someone must be footing the bill for giving away thousands of copies.
A number of years ago I subscribed to the “National Catholic Reporter” (NCR) under a different name at a mail service address because I did not want this awful newspaper coming to my home. I used the paper to get a feel for the anti-Catholic sentiment that was to increase steadily to where is is common-place today. As anyone can see from this hit-piece, the paper is exremely negative when it comes to anyone who speaks for the Magesterium and the Pope.
Don’t financially support the “National Catholic REPORTER” with your money for any reason. Since you have a computer, you can find them on the internet to see their anti-Cathoic rehetoric.
The “National Catholic REGISTER” can also be found on the internet and is a good paper.
Both have the initials NCR. The hertical Reporter which is not as old as the Register did this on purpose to confuse people.
Laurette,
If you have bird, dog, or cat the Rag makes a great lining for their domiciles. Actually for any species of pet!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Kenneth, The former VP of the USCCB, Bishop Kicanas, did an interview with the ‘Reporter’ several months ago. I’m sure that issue could have been used in the elephant house!
Ken and Beth, my comment said “a number of years ago I subscribed…”. I have not subscribed to NCR for at least 10 years. By the way, the Catholic publications I find that are the most Catholic are Christian Order (from England), New Oxford Review, The Wanderer, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review (now on-line only). These are the “real-deal”.
Great idea, Kenneth. It would make great material for target practice, whether using firearm, bow, spear, chinese star, slingshot, sword, rock throwing, or even a spitting contest. I would, however, not recommend it for kindling for a barbecue, but maybe to get a campfire started (so long as the Rohr-ites were not lurking in the dark ready to jump through it au naturale).
JLS you lead a very exciting life…!
Is not just the tone, the vocabulary of the NCR article telling? Is not the “tolerance” of Catholicism telling in that those supporting heretical statements can still use the term “Catholic?”
As defined in the Pocket Catholic Dictionary by Fr. John Hardon, S.J., whose cause for canonization is being presented, a heretic is one who questions or denies a truth taught not merely on the authoirity of the Church, but on the word of God.
Appling this definition, reread the NCR article, their support of persons with a SSA and weep.
Let’s pray for our bishops and help them teach the American people about the sanctity of marriage and meaning of human sexuality. Our country is where it is now because of the breakdown of the family and we have to work to restore morality in our homes. God Love You.
I’m enjoying the snappy headlines! Remember “Mayor tells NewYork to Drop Dead”? Definitely an art.
Many prayers, many rosaries, much support is all needed for our priests fighting the good fight. My heart really goes out to these good men, holy men. The battle is heating up, after much patience by the heavens above. Sorry to say, National Catholic Reporter, your analogies are all wrong. It is the Holy Spirit of TRUTH that has put these priests in charge, not a “viewpoint.” The sword slays the dragon, and the dragon spews his red vile as much as he can before his death. Pride cannot see its destruction coming. Queen of Heaven and Great St. Michael protect these good men from the wiles of the enemy.
What do you expect from a lefty rag like the National Catholic Reporter? They see the appointment of orthodox Bishops as a real threat to the stranglehold that they have held for so many years and they know that their days are numbered. Orthodox Bishops and priests are a threat to their very existence and they know it. Fortunately, their influence is waning, as death and age reduce their numbers. Thank God that the Holy Father in his wisdom is making appointments that will reverse this rot and will return the Church to her former glory. We must pray very hard for these men, they have a prodigious job ahead of them. They battle the Evil One Himself.
This record is all good. But the real test is yet to come: public identification — “outing” if you will — and sanctioning of individual politicians and celebrities and others of public note who proclaim themselves “Catholic” and then take communion openly. Those who wish to avoid salvation are permitted to do so, but they cannot use their sinfulness to possibly drag others to perdition while Catholic leaders do nothing. The record of bishops in America insisting on conformance to Catholic beliefs is dismal. This is why many bishops, such as Bishop Galante (Camden, NJ) who said that “Fear is not a teaching tool” when proclaiming that they needed to make the Mass “more welcoming” and not a subject of sin (if you miss), are enablers of the disintegration in the Church. Less believe in the Church because less is taught and less is enforced once the truth is taught. Bishop Cordileone must say to homosexuals, “you cannot practice homosexual sex and be a moral person” to, and in, the Church. Kids need to be taught that there can be no moral sexual expression before marriage, and that there are real consequences for ignoring this. Like what, you say? Like Hell, is the answer.
Canon 915 can be found on the Vatican web site, under Code of Canon Law.
Each Bishop must get rid of all Catholic Heretics and Schismatics within his own Diocese. Communicate with your Diocese Bishop – by sending him information/documentation of evil things going on within his own Diocese by those who use the name “Catholic”.
Beth,
Many have done what you proscribe, and many have wept at the answers or lack of same that came from the man who is supposed to be their Shepherd!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Number One, what a nerve these people at the ‘Catholic’ Reporter
have, calling themselves a Catholic newspaper!!!
And as far as our new AB Cordelione goes………
Bless his beautiful heart and I and many of us in the archdiocese
of San Francisco are SO grateful to the Good Lord for sending
him to us…….this huge ship known as the archdiocese of San Francisco
has been sinking for years………
I, as a fourth generation San Franciscan , REJOICE and will be praying
for our new TRUE SHEPHERD daily!!!
From Wikipedia: In 1968, NCR’s ordinary, Bishop Charles Herman Helmsing “issue[d] a public reprimand for their policy of crusading against the Church’s teachings,” condemning its “poisonous character” and “disregard and denial of the most sacred values of our Catholic faith.” Helmsing warned that NCR’s writers were likely guilty of heresy, had likely incurred latae sententiae excommunications, and because the publication “does not reflect the teaching of the Church, but on the contrary, has openly and deliberately opposed this teaching,” he “ask[ed] the editors in all honesty to drop the term ‘Catholic’ from their masthead,” because “[b]y retaining it they deceive their Catholic readers and do a great disservice to ecumenism by being responsible for the false irenicism of watering down Catholic teachings.” NCR refused to comply with its ordinary…
it’s also interesting to see what Schools, unions & orders advertise with NCR.
I was so mad at the NCR one time that I actually wrote to some of the school and church advertisers who didn’t seem to know straight-up about what the NCR was all about. I pointed out that while they were seeking orthodox employees, the NCR was also advertising the porn flicks of a former Jesuit who promoted sacred sexual rituals. Oh, by the way, this pornographer was a buddy of Fr. Jim Schexnayder of Dignity and NACDLGM and CALGM fame.
I hope and pray I am wrong, but let me guess, Nortre Shame, Georgetown, all the Loyolas, USD, etc. etc. ad nauseam!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
there are many groups calling themselves “CATHOLIC” which are not part of the catholic church at all.
unfortunately, the HOLY FATHER does not have a trademark or the work, although i wish that he did.
for example, there are ‘churches’ out there that claim to be cathlic and use dthe word catholic in their name, which misleads realy catholics who are looking for a parish in which 5to get married, etc.
a prime exmaple of this problem is the OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH.
another example of this is the huge of number of INDEPENDENT CATHOLIC CHURCHES which easily trick people into thinking they are part of us – some of them ordain women, some of them do gay weddings, etc., which really causes confusion because they use the word catholic as part of their title.
there is a nut here in s.f. who claims to be a catholic priest, or sometimes claims to be a catholic bishop, or a ‘francisan monk’ (which not not even exist!!!), and has a website where every page asks fo4r donations. he belongs to the “american cathlic church” which is one of these made-up organizations.
They are not only seeing red, they are Red. There as been a communist infiltration in the Church for a long time. It is not some “conspiracy theory.” This is a fact and we are seeing it more and more coming out of the woodwork in this country ever since Obama was elected . For starters two good books to read are “You can Trust the Communists to be Communist” and AA1025 memoirs of an anti-apostle.
It’s not combative… it’s supremely pastoral.
We must pray for Archbishop Cordileone that he will still support outreach and compassion for all Catholics, including those who may disagree with one or more of the Vatican’s teachings (and what thinking Catholic doesn’t?). That may mean appearing at Most Holy Redeemer in the Haight area of San Francisco, ground zero for gay Catholics.
The Vatican strategy behind these bishophric apointments for senior management in America is very consistent with the “smaller Church” movement, a concept whereby Rome concurs with a large decrease in the membership of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide to only those souls who agree 100% with Rome, instead of the current 1 Billion global Catholics model, where there are both healthy and unhealthy disagreements worldwide among practicing Catholics. Crisp dogma, forcefully conveyed, harshly enforced, with no discussion, inquiry, study, or compassion, is what Rome wants in its leaders. The departure of large numbers of Catholics has never been an issue for the Vatican, isn’t now, and never will be. In the ensuing years, this trend will continue, and under the new managment of our coutry’s dioceses, even accelerate. The debate in Rome over who to appoint to the San Francisco archbishopric was over this very troubling issue.
most holy redeemer parish is in the castro district of s.f., which is the gay area.
the parish in the haight-ashbury district is the jesuit church (st. agnes).
I hope this Bishop makes it clear to the homosexual community that their lifestyle is an abomination and cannot and will not be tolerated by the Catholic Church. I pray he sets all these “thinking” progressives” where they need to be placed. If you don’t beleive in the teachings of the Catholic Church, then get out and find a church that suits your feel good senses.
The current Catholic hierarchy has utterly failed the People of God. I expect Bishop Finn (KC/St. Joseph) to be found guilty in September. He then can replace Cardinal Law in Rome. Sadly, this is how the patriarchical Church operates today. I trust NCR, VOTF, SNAP, LCWR more than USA cardinals & bishops.
The Martinez K of C member is very happy on the announcement of the promotion and elevation of Bishop Sal. Cordileone to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Francisco. We still have him as the shepherd of northern California. He prayed to god to help me with an unjust and mistaken parking citation I got in Oakland within a block of Christ the Light Cathedral last October at a K of C Chapter meeting early on a Saturday morning last October when the “Occupoopers” terrorized, firebombed and messed up the Oakland environment. The Cathedral security did not want the basement garage to be trashed or burned so they kept the basement locked for health and safety reasons. My recommendation for new bishop of Oakland is Bishop Tom Daly, the auxilliary of San Jose diocese and former Very Rev. President of Marin Catholic HS. Aother candidate is Father Larry D’Anjou, now a pastor in Oakland, former vocation recruitment official, (as was Bishop Daly in SF) and secretary to Most Rev. Allen Vigneron before he went to Detroit in 2009. Let us pray for the fight against counterfiet marriage and the fight for innocent life and a new president in 2013.
as if kc have such long history of non-discrimination. not!
You fling this word “discrimination” as a shibboleth. The Church discriminates between truth and error, and you are bound to obey its determinations. You seem to think it has no authority to do so.
Brother Morphy,
If you are coming to the annual Supreme Council Meeting, August 7-9, come out side of the Hilton Hotel, and get an education on what Supreme and some State Offices are doing to keep you in the dark about their dismal failure to enforce Article 162-7 that clearly calls for the expulsion of those who bring scandal on the Knights of Columbus.
I just picked up a 4X8 banner that spells out that KofC Charter Constitution and Laws Article 162-7 in large easily to read letters. Then ask why Councils, Districts, and even some State Offices have been forbidden by Supreme Council to carry out that Article.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
for those who claim the HOLY FATHER doesn’t take action re erring bishops…
On the very day Müller got a new job, Archbishop Róbert Bezák of Trnava, Slovakia, lost his old one. He was removed from office by the Vatican on July 2, and since that’s a fairly rare occurrence, curiosity continues to swirl around what happened in the case of the 52-year-old Redemptorist, appointed to lead the Slovakian church in April 2009…
…a Slovakian television network claimed to obtain leaked copies of letters among Bezák, the Vatican and the Slovak bishops, outlining various concerns about Bezák’s leadership. According to the report, there were 11 such concerns, including:
•Bezák’s choice of aides, charging they included priests who are known homosexuals or who have illegitimate children.
•Bezák’s willingness to accept candidates for the priesthood who had been rejected in other dioceses, either for their doctrinal views or for suspect personal morality.
•Questions about financial management, including Bezák’s reliance on Slovakian laity linked to political and financial scandals.
•Questions about Bezák’s views on issues such as priestly celibacy, Marian devotion, the ordination of women, abortion, euthanasia and extramarital sex.
•Bezák’s allegedly irreverent manner of referring to the pope simply as “Mr. Pope” in public (in Slovakia, it’s apparently common parlance to add “Mr.” before formal titles), and of allegedly referring to other Slovakian bishops as “old men and fools” while styling himself as “modern” and “enlightened.”
•Complaints that Bezák spurns formal church attire, referring to it as better suited for sorcerers, preferring casual secular dress. (The Fleet Street boys in London predictably fastened on this point, with the Daily Telegraph asserting that Bezák fell victim to a “papal crusade against sweatpants.”)
(i got this from the website of the NCR, by John L Allen Jr on Aug. 02, 2012 All Things Catholic)
Until about 1980, the “progressive” Catholics were marching from triumph to triumph in the Church. The Jesuits were at the head of it, and we know how Pope John Paul II met from little co-operation for this community. Even now, the many progressives bishops must be treated gingerly, because they have allies in the Vatican itself. Even the pope must choose his “battles.” and we are in as dire a situation as we were during the Protestant Revolution.
Why was he appointed in the first place?
By the way, isn’t combating errors what the Pope is chosen for and is supposed to do?
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
KENNETH, that’s why i pointed out he’s doing his job. as when he laicized that canadian bihsop for child porn.
and fired tghat french bishop (jacvques gaillot), but that was pope johjn paul the second.
Jamie Manson is a self proclaimed lesbian journalist and member of Dignity inc. She was a keynote speaker at the 2011 CTA conference where she denigrated heirarchy who disapproved of women becoming priests.
Everyone should write to or contact the office of Bishop James Finn, Diocese of Kansas City MO.
Send him copies of articles of the REPORTER from the internet and ask him to remove the right to use the name “Catholic” from their title.
This heretical and schismatic paper should never be permitted to deceive people by using the name “Catholic” again.
This is an ongoing scandal.
Bishop Finn probably has no clue that this rag is home based in his Diocese, and perhaps he has never read it.
Tracy says:
August 3, 2012 at 4:14 pm I am not to crazy about using the term “Orthodox” Catholic, but can’t come up with another term. Maybe “Devout” suffices, but I am not sure about that either.
Authentic is a good word that hasn’t become too politicized as yet.
Help stop Scandal, Heresy & Schism.
The Church encourages the Christian faithful to promote or sustain a variety of apostolic undertakings but, nevertheless, prohibits any such undertaking from claiming the name Catholic without the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority (see canon 216 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law).
” Can. 216 Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.”
(Can be found under Code of Canon Law on the Vatican web site.)
Everyone should write to BISHOP FINN and send him various support for heretics, schisms, and publication of anti-Catholic articles from the “National Catholic REPORTER’s web site (copy and paste, and provide link), along with quoting the accurate paragraph from the CCC so he can easily see the violations.
They are based in Kansas City, MO Diocese.
Google the Kansas City Diocese and you’ll be led to their ‘contact us’ direction, and voice your assessment of this scandal sheet ! It is published in Bishop Finn’s diocese and you should send him some ‘cut and paste’ items you’ve been discussing here. This simply must stop! We must call for an end to the use of Catholic in their name!
“The fort is betrayed even by them that should have defended it. Everything is turned upside down, the beautiful order of virtue was overthrown, the bright light of of life quenched, and scarce anything left in the church but open iniquity and feigned sanctity….innumerable souls are falling to destruction.”
St John Fisher in his last farewell before dying for his faith and fidelity to the Church
Thanks mike! Must be great minds’ and all that….
Ha!
Also, JLS if you’re reading this, you must not stop contributing here. I can only think you’d be pleasing only one
and I shouldn’t think you’d ever want to let the devil win. I remember when I first started reading CCD and you were on a sabbatical then and everyone kept asking ‘Where’s JLS’ etc. and I was so relieved when you finally returned because frankly I was sick of hearing about you! ;0)
Well there you go JLS, you can’t deny the request from a lady, after all you are a real gem and gentleman!
Well, ladies, thankyou. A circus of events in my battlegrounds has reduced my attention to this site. However, I’m rebounding a bit. A. My aging puppy loving female dog was seriously ill for a week, B. a tenant has gone over the edge legally and morally, and the challenge to persuade him to move out is at hand, C. unimaginable difficulties obtaining overhaul parts for my offroad jeep, D. bus adventure to Vegas but only cost me $150 and amazingly all the temptations there were somehow subdued for me, not quite on the order of what St Louis experienced on the grill, however, E. life seeming to be going in slow motion yet every Sunday comes around faster than ever, F. efforts to be a “kinder, gentler” blog voice, but this ain’t gonna work too good, as you’ll see in my subsequent post.
JLS I’ll pray for your intentions, I understand about the battlegrounds, same here but different situations. God bless you….
This newstory by way of National Catholic Reporter resonates with me on so many levels that, once again, I scarcely know where to begin. And at this point, if it weren’t for the tenacious perspicacity of CalCatholic Weekly,I doubt if MOST of us would scarcely have heard of it. But what is now beginning to happen in the U.S. Catholic church is very instructive and HUGELY portentious ( and certanly WAY OVERDUE) to THE FUTURE of the U.S. Catholic Church.
First, the ridiculously ostentatious term used by N.C.R.in descibing PERVERTED ‘GAY’ MARRIAGE as “marriage equality” is SO instructive in what N.C.R. and it’s and ALL subversive leftist’s agenda is really all about. For they try to paint “gay marriage” in so very simple terms as an EQUALITARIAN matter, SO simple, merely granting what’s probably buried in the U.S. Constitution and its MANY penumbras, similar to “removing fetal tissue” from the womb of the mother vis-a-vis legalized murder (abortion), etc. And the list can and does go ON AND ON; how about “euthanizing” old people because its their TIME TO GO.
Second, the installation of Bp.Cordileone is a BRILLIANT move by Pope Benedict to REINVIGORATE a city (“Sodom by the bay”) that has tragically been allowed to fester with DEPRAVITY due to the lackluster leadership of the present Bishop, even to the point of allowing one of the WICKED ONES of San Francisco’s homosexual elite to recieve the SACRED BODY AND BLOOD of our Lord Jesus Christ in 2007 BY HIS OWN HAND! He, the Bishop, didn’t even have the presence of mind to DENY this sacred act to such a one! As our Jewish brothers in another context put it, “NEVER AGAIN!”
Sorry, I have gone on too long. But God bless the Pope, Bp. Cordileone and CalCatholic Daily for beginning hopefully the American “spring” in terms of the renewal of our Blessed Fatih by the San Francisco appointment AND the other Bishops mentioned in the above piece. GOD BLESS ALL, MARKRITE
Markrite,you didn’t go on too long at all and your verve and interest is a wonderful contribution ! We all must truly speak out and pray mightily! Our gracious and loving Father deserves so much better than we have been giving Him! We can barely leave mass fast enough to go to our golfing, brunches and visits. That is our Savior , that died for love for us and shared His body and blood with us at Eucharist, and we can’t sit for even five minutes with Him in quiet reflection of just what we had been given . We must deepen our prayer lives, start putting God first and living as though we really believe He lives. When we change the culture cannot remain unmoved. I truly believe that if our shepherds do fail us, then we must not fail them….by which I mean Him, all glory and honor to His name!
you really cannot win in this question of who should receive communion.
if you refuse someone communion, the nuts come down on your head like a ton of bricks, and you get fired, like that priest from the diocese of moscow (with the lesbian woman and her lover).
if you do give someone communion, like that weirdo-in-drag at most holy redeemer, it gets on video and plagues you till your dying day.
in our own parish, we have had BATTLES over this issue, with some people saying xxx should not receive communion because she was married before, and others attacking the pastor because he didn’t give a child communion who seemed too young and appeared not to know what she was doing.
at times i wish we had the EASTERN ORTHODOX method, where you have to really knoww what you are doing, and give you confirmationname or something in russian or greek, or they will not give you holy communion. in our churches, any nut case can walk up, and GOD only knows if they are a catho0lic, an atheist, a nut case, or what.
max, you and I can, and others in your Parish can not judge the life of an individual. For example: divorced and remarried Catholics can recieve Holy Communion if they repent (Confession) and now live in complete continence. (- CCC # 1650).
The Confessors of these persons will know the truth, but we do not know what people do within the privacy of their own homes.
Rightly, your Priest is not going to tell anyone what goes on in the Confessional.
Scandal on the other hand is public behavior. This behavior can cause the loss of Souls in addition to their own. We can and should judge scandalous actions to Save Souls. Admonishing sinners is one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy.
If the lesbian was living in the state of mortal sin, the Cardinal of Washington DC will have to answer to God for not stopping the SCANDAL and the SACRILEGE which is within his power.
Good comments MIKE! I appreciate your faithfulness to deliver, I may not always agree in some of the approach or interpretation but I do appreciate your love and zeal to soul search and seek to be faithful. God bless you KEEP ON!
I was just about to call it a night when a friend sent me a shocking email! Her friend is a journalist and sent an article about Mexicodismantling their FBI and legalizing drugs.! Sounds ominous. Also, for those of you who support illegal immigration, are you so trusting and naive that it has never occurred to you that thousands of these illegals are very likely terrorists, drug dealers, or rapists? Do you care so little for your families that you don’t want to protect them from such as these? Are you so dead to patriotism or love of neighbor that it doesnt concern you that many Americans are being murdered by these people along the borders? There’s no way to tell because there are no background checks, documents and various little items a sane society uses to protect itself. I just can’t believe the level of thinking people employ…you want to be the “good and loving Christians” but ask yourselves JUST WHO AM I LOVING HERE?
Saint Hildegard pray for us and pray for Archbishop Cordileone. This great saint and soon to be proclaimed a Doctor of the church, knew very well what would happen to this world if people went against the Natural law. We pray for her intercession and for a miracle for California!
For those that do not know the God well here is a synopsis of the writings of Saint Hildegard “The Scivias’ Part 5: 5. The jealousy of God
“The Lord is a jealous God and avenging, the Lord is avenging and wrathful; … The Lord is slow to anger and of great might, and will by no means clear the guilty” (Na 1:2-3). This grim vision presents the vengeance of God against evil, symbolized by a wrathful crimson face and three silently beating wings. Naturally the head faces north, directing its vigilance against Satan and his kingdom.
In the face of God’s jealousy no sin goes unpunished. If it is not avenged by voluntary penance it will exact its price either in earthly suffering or in the torments of purgatory or hell.
Correction I meant to say For those that do not know GOD well. Sorry for the added word The. Must have been typing too fast and thus causing that error.
As far as I know, Hildegard has never been declared a saint by the Church, although I suppose you are quite free to pray for her intercession. There are also good reasons for Hildegard’s cult-like popularity among the feminists (e.g. Rosemary Radford Ruther) and LCWR types. I recommend careful research.
I don’t know what canon law states–but I would not recommend praying TO anyone unless their cause has been introduced for sainthood.
Larry I agree
How could that be? The New Advent website calls her a saint and tells her background and I also read somewhere that she may be up to be declared a doctor of the church? Explain that?
On Catholic World report website it states this for those that speak out of ignorance, before you speak do your research, that is my suggestion! Here is what they report: “Next October, Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) will join a most select company of saints if she is proclaimed a Doctor of the Church, as reports indicate. To date, there are only 33 of these saints, whose exceptional holiness and wisdom have made significant contributions to our Faith. Hildegard would be only the fourth woman so honored, joining Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, and Therese of Lisieux. “
Dave N you are right she was not officially canonized but it looks like it will soon happen. On my last post I was not referring to you, I was speaking in general on anyone who do no know who this saint to be was. But I just don’t understand how Catholic Encyclopedia called her a saint?
DAVE N., if memory serves, the holy father recently decided to name her a saint.
maybe he wants to get in as many germans as possible.
i saw a great film about her life, ‘VISION,’ which was however in german. thank goodness for subtitles.
max thank you for pointing that out. I saw the movie too and it was not a good movie because it did not tell the truth in whole, I say this with all due respect but it was not portrayed well in my opinion and I do not recommend the movie.
We were taught in school that God is love. To me jealousy is a human failing and in some cases even a sin. It is hard for me to see God as jealous as God has perfect love and wisdom and is above such things as jealousy. When reading the gospels, I don’t find any examples of Jesus showing jealousy.
Mark from PA that’s because it is not in the same understanding of how human’s understand it. Remember that holy scripture that states in Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not to thy own understanding. Remember Mark that we ought to love the Lord above all things, when we turn away from Him and choose to distract ourselves or fall in love with worldly pleasures and ways, they amount to no good. Peace.
We are the bride of Christ, and when we love other gods, we in efffect commit adultery, withholding from Him what is owed to him, which is perfect obedience. God is patient, but when we “sleep” with other gods, we are in effect rejecting his love, and that will doom us.
The meanings of words change over time. It means demanding exclusive devotion; also guarding what belongs to Him. It doesn’t mean being petty and rivalrous.
good reply, k.
as you point out, the biblical words can sound weird, scary, or petty to today’s ear, so research is helpful.
i like your describiton of “exclusive devotion.”
you are a.o.k., k!
to call the holy ftaher’s appointment of archbishop-elect cordileone to san francisco “combative” is just plain dumb.
i do not know of a SINGLE catholic bihsop in the word who supports same-sex marraige, so this is pretty much a given in the episcopacy.
any who expressed contrary opinions have been fired by the pope, like that bishop in australia. (or was he supportivinng homosexuality in general?)
Mark, do you never study the Old Testament? Ex.20 1-5. Worth writing out….” Then God spoke all these words saying,
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or make any likenesses of what is in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them:for I your God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving kindness to thousands to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Jesus said He didn’t come to CHANGE the law but to complete it. Choices you make can and do affect your descendants! Oprah Winfrey, priestess to the new age, said that she couldn’t accept a jealous God, that it was trivial and human and unacceptable. Well, our God cares very much that we’re to be true to Him. Putting anything before Him, and that includes family, friends, jobs, avocations et al.
Right on Dana! here is also information from Catholic World report: Next October, Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) will join a most select company of saints if she is proclaimed a Doctor of the Church, as reports indicate. To date, there are only 33 of these saints, whose exceptional holiness and wisdom have made significant contributions to our Faith. Hildegard would be only the fourth woman so honored, joining Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, and Therese of Lisieux.
is unacceptable to Him for He is a Holy and jealous God. People in this careless age, going to mass dressed as though they’re going to the beach, behaving as though there were no consequences for sin as long as they confess and that God will love them no matter what are utterly deceived by the father of lies. Our God is a jealous God. Forget that at your peril, and remember that the beginning of wisdom is FEAR of the Lord. Yes, He does forgive us because Jesus died that we could live, but we still live with the consequences of sin…like old people who chose their careers over family by using contraceptives must face an often lonely and meaningless old age, or homosexuals who believed what they were doing was okay and now suffer incurable venereal diseases or bitterness at losing so many friends to disease…divorce, adultery and on and on, we know absolutely theses are disorders and have consequences for ever really, when you look at the life of Henry VIII for ex. How many souls were lost because he had the hots for Anne Bolyne? I’m being deliberately coarse to make a point. Sin is serious stuff! We must tell our children in meaningful ways just why God gave us just TEN rules to live by, and if we just Love Him with all our hearts, we won’t break the others. He is a jealous aka Loving God.
Good job Dana! Also here is some important news from Rome Reports website: December 16, 2011. ( From Romereports) Benedict XVI is set to appoint Hildegard of Bingen as a Doctor of the Church in October of 2012. She was a German Benedictine nun and was known for her visions and prophecies.
Hildegard of Bingen lived in the twelfth century. In addition to being a nun, she was a composer, philosopher, physicist and ecologist. A multi-talented woman, and a pioneer for many of these fields during the Middle Ages.
She came from a wealthy family and when she was only eight years old was sent to study in a monastery. She eventually decided to become a nun and later became an abbess.
Her visions and prophecies were recognized by the pope during that time, allowing her to speak about them publicly.
Since she has not been officially canonized, the ceremony is likely to take place before the pope names her as a Doctor of the Church in October.
also said this on that report: “Benedict XVI dedicated several of his general audiences to this German nun, saying that she “served the Church in an age in which it was wounded by the sins of priests and laity”.
Well, then, I’m putting in for knowledge of this nun, Hildegard of Bingen.
Archbishop Cordileone should emulate Jesus in throwing the money changers out of the temple, and throw the sodomites out of his diocese.
Juergensen I agree. Sodomy is a grave sin and offends our Lord, if someone who suffers with SSA’s and is repentant and wants to carry their cross and follow Jesus, we welcome them. But anyone promoting their “gayness” and blatantly is a sodomite, then I agree 100% with your comments! I appreciate them!
Our Lord told St. Catherine of Sienna that the sin of sodomy was so despicable and perverse that even the devil, who tempts the soul into the act, leaves the room in disgust being that it is an affront even to their fallen angelic character.
On the other hand the Catholic hierarchy deserve all the embarrassment and chastisement they receive for both protecting homosexual priests and for not excommunicating politicians and public officials who support publically homosexuality, abortion, and any attack against Catholic doctrine and dogmas.
The homosexual disease now affecting the priesthood is only the tip of the iceburg, there are still many priests that are homosexual, but who avoid young boys and frequent only adult men. What can we expect from clown masses, guitar masses, dancing masses, kool aid and hot dog bun masses, etc, how can any graces fall on the Church that allows it to ignore and abandon nearly 2000 years of tradition for the modern mess we have now.
Robert I agree! Great comments!
Wow,Abeca, that was all really interesting! And though max ignores all I write (and I don’t blame him . I bore myself sometimes) would someone please tell him that his satiric words about Pope Benedict XVI were unworthy of a Catholic to speak so disrespectfully about our beloved Holy Father. In Christ there is no East or West, Black or White, and most especially no German or American. And this is coming from someone who was raised feeling nothing but contempt and bitterness of Germans. But before I
Feel a sermon coming on, I wanted to say Robert that your post was excellent. This tolerance for homosexuality in the priesthood has got to be routed out. When I think of the shame and expense they’ve brought to the church, it’s beyond belief…and they have the gall to accuse the church of persecution. Have you read some of the posts from July under the heading News Flash,Bombshell Appt ? I would love to hear your take on it. Thanks again Catherine & Abeca, for your kindness and support. How good it is tobe able to speak openly of these topics! I confess I really got a kick out of writing on political correctness…really had me laughing. I look forward to reading Kenneth’s post about his protest at the KOC convention!
Dana your comments are not boring. You are correct to correct max on his German comment about our Holy Father. I don’t think he meant to offend our Holy Father, from past posts, I think that he loves our Holy Pope. But I don’t know, I am just trying to be charitable and give him the benefit of the doubt. You are right on also on your comments about the tolerance of homosexuality in the priesthood. Just today I was praying and asking God to help us endure these times. Sometimes I just want to be a hermit but I don’t know if that is coward of me to feel that way. God forgive me but it takes courage to raise a family during these trying times. Please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you. God bless you sister in Christ! I’m not getting younger and I think that after I almost lost my life with my last pregnancy/miscarriage/complications, I haven’t been the same. God have mercy.
Oh by the way Dana, I am sorry if I seemed like I have dismissed your other comments, I don’t blame you for saying WOW to me, I read your comments but I replied with something else and for that my apologies for coming off as if I didn’t notice your comments. So sorry sister in Christ!
DANA i did not mean to insult the holy father, and i am also german by hertiage.
howwever, it seems normal to me that people would find holiness often in those of their own culture, which they know best – for excample, i read a book by pope john paul ii years ago in which he kept referring to polish philosophers, authors and theologians, with words such as, “of course, we all know ___” whereas in fact, probably nobody except the polish people had heard of this author.
Mit vielen herzlichen Grüßen (with many cordial greetings), max :)
Forgive me. I meant to say practicing homosexuals. There is a profound difference and I truly respect and honor all who are called to chastity because of this . Words don’t express how much love and compassion you deserve. Again, forgive my casual condemnation. I hate the thought that my words would hurt anyone, but when it is the truth of God, none of us should feel hurt but sorry that we wound the Sacred Heart of Jesus through our choices.
Dana you are super sweet and full compassion. Since you come off as in good will, I know what you meant and do not see any malice at all in your comments.
Thank you for saying that, Dana. Many priests are gay and are faithful to their vow of celibacy and chastity. We do need to respect and honor them. It is surely difficult for them because most of them are probably “passing.” This is similar to fair skinned blacks who passed as white and also European Jews who passed as non-Jews. Many did this so they could have a better life but there is a cost when one has to “pass” as someone they are not for their own protection and to escape prejudice and discrimination. We need to listen more to the words of Jesus who loved and accepted all.
As to homosexual priests. I do not claim to know how they perceive the world, but they are in the position of a drunkard who works as a barkeep for a living.
I’m disgusted when Mark From PA states that many priests are gay. What a lie! That is a shameful remark and he should not be permitted to print such a lie! What a misconception!
Abeca Christian, would you prefer that I said that a large percentage of priests are not heterosexual and do not have any sexual attraction to women? A large number may be asexual (not sexually attracted to men or women.) Men with strong attractions to women are not interested in being priests in the Latin Rite.
“Men with strong attractions to women are not interested in being priests in the Latin Rite.” I don’t believe that’s true. There’s certainly no evidence to support such a sweeping generalization.
Gays have zero business being in the priesthood, they have corrupted it to the point where it need to be purged from top to bottom. PA your constant defense of homosexuals is quite tiring, gays do NOT belong in the priest, in the priesthood authentic masculinity is called for, gays by their nature are incapable of this
Saint Hildegard of Bingen, O.S.B. (German: Hildegard von Bingen; Latin: Hildegardis Bingensis) (1098 – 17 September 1179), also known as Saint Hildegard, and Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath.[1] Elected a magistra by her fellow nuns in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and Eibingen in 1165. One of her works as a composer, the Ordo Virtutum, is an early example of liturgical drama and arguably the oldest surviving morality play.[2]
She wrote theological, botanical and medicinal texts, as well as letters, liturgical songs, and poems, while supervising brilliant miniature Illuminations.
On 10 May 2012, Pope Benedict XVI extended the liturgical cult of St. Hildegard to the universal Church,[3] in a process known as “equivalent canonization”.[4] On 27 May 2012, the Pope announced that, on 7 October 2012, he will declare St. Hildegard to be the 35th Doctor of the Church.[5]
Some of Hildegard’s work, including her very R-rated explicit descriptions of coitus and female orgasm—especially considering the fact she entered religious life at age of eight and theoretically shouldn’t have been having these experiences—is really questionable. But of course she is a darling in the eyes of contemporary feminists for this very reason. (This can all be very easily Googled for your verification; you don’t have to take my word for it.) I think naming her a Doctor of the Church is an appalling move by the Vatican in the direction of political correctness and will only bring sad scandal on those truly great women saints who already have been named such. There is good reason popes have demurred for over 800 years in naming her a saint. And what a boon for the feminists this will be!!
Dave N I keep noticing that you keep mentioning feminists. Just in case I want you to know that I am NOT a feminist, I try to avoid that mentality even though I am a product of these modern times but I have always honored God in the way He wants my role as a mum and wife should be. I pray He takes care of me as I have embraced His plan for my life and pray that my family stays faithful. I only discovered Hildegard because we read the headlines about her maybe becoming a doctor of the church and well we wanted to know who she was. You are right though, I was a little bit disturbed by some of her work, even the movie The Vision” kinda makes it seem like she is new age but I know that they did not do a good job at portraying her life, so I will not credit this movie as a history lesson. Now where did you find that source you mention about female orgasm, I didn’t find anything to verify that claim. I don’t want gossip going around, I would prefer facts though. Thanks Dave. God bless you for sharing.
Simply google Hildegard and the “o” word. There are plenty of scholarly sources.
the “o” word???
may i assume you are NOT referring to the “o antiphons” of advent?
DAVE N., interesting stuff about hildegard of bingen, much of which i had never heard about.
Sister Faustina Kowalska and herr writings were also considered to be pretty weird and nutty by the church, which for a long time told novices in the convent NOT to read them because they were so suspect. then we got a polish pope who changed this approach toward this polish nun.
i guess it’s good to have friends in highplaces.
That is a very interesting and revealing parallel.
good points max!
My goodness,Dave, I’ll bet Abeca didn’t know that! What twists and turns these posts take…the only saints I feel pretty conversant with never seem to mention such topics and it seems strange for an intelligent woman, who would certainly know the Church’s teaching on self-gratification to write such forbidden persiflage. Controversial, indeed!
Dana you are correct I didn’t know that but I still have to verify and see what is the whole truth. You know how gossip is and pointing out a few things can only miss the total picture if we don’t put the puzzle together. I just find it hard to believe because why would our Precious Pope want to make her one of the doctors of the church if that was true? I’m sure there is more to just what is posted here.
Thankyou and God bless you Abeca. I’m so sorry for the difficult birth…sometimes these things haunt us forever. You have the most loving nature and always try to say something kind to everyone, even when you’re speaking the hard truths. Don’t worry about me taking offense at anything. I just hope I never hurt you with my sometimes buckshot aim. (where the shot peppers everything in range. Haha). Please share what you find on Hildegard…I have a CD of her chants that is really lovely. If you want it I can send it out c/o Cal.Cath. I have put it on iTunes. Thanks for your prayers…you’re in mine as well. How is it going with your new priest?
Thank you Dana it was actually a difficult pregnancy miscarriage, a couple of years back or so. I am fine now, took time to heal though and my body hasn’t been the same since. thank you for the compliments, I’m glad you find me to be kind, sometimes I feel like I am not. You are fine, I actually like peppers, they taste good with food, lol. I’ll try to find more about on Hildegard but haven’t found anymore other than what I already posted here. You are so sweet, no worries about sending any CD’s, I don’t know how to even collect them from this website plus I don’t know if they even like me here, haha, we have had our love and hate relationship due to how I felt about their censoring techniques on the faithful, just being honest. The new priest at the Arabic parish, well lets just say I really miss Father Nabil tons and it hasn’t been the same. But at our Latin Rite parish, we still have our wonderful priests there to help balance that. Love you dearly in Christ! you are in my prayers!
the word “feminist” has more than four letters, guys.
on this very site, there is an ad to the left (no pun intended) that leads you to a site called “feminists for life”
soemtimes a “feminist” can be a man or woman who simply doesn’t believe women should be treated like second-class citizens…it doesn’t have to mean something zany, you know…
max I get what you mean. It was probably meant for good but you know how imperfect people are, they take it to a new toll. I have a friend who has five kids, she is a devout Catholic faithful, devoted to her family, she became as stay at home, loved her hubby and family but just this past year, her husband had an affair and is threatening to leave her. She was a stay at home mum and has no work experience, her husband is all she knew and her children. So I can see why the feminist movement came to be, men didn’t protect their wife’s, they didn’t honor God’s commandments and placed their families in harms way. I feel for her. She is heart broken, she home schooled her kids, she would cook daily, clean house do all that house wife stuff, she adored her hubby and look what he did to her.
If that man goes through with his threat, he is looking forward to eternity in hell, where he may be tortured without end or alleviation by the sight of his loving wife enjoying one of the highest places in heaven. Someone had better get through to that husband and convey the Holy Spirit’s warning before it is too late!
Larry God bless you. Yes we have tried intervening. We have recommended Retrouvaille, a Catholic program for troubled marriages. I like what you posted, I will make sure I direct a great attention to your post, for it is the truth. Pray for them and pray for our other friends too, they are now divorced, the wife left her marriage, she felt her husband was no good. They use to participate a great deal in marriage encounter for Hispanics. It’s too bad that it didn’t work for them. I did warn the husband that since they did not go through the church for an approval on the divorce that if he saw other people that it would be considered adultery. I don’t think they attend church anymore and I feel for their two kids.
also, in some cultures, women are terrorized by their own parents. just this week i read about a young woman in england who was murdered by her pakistani parents for wearing modern clothes, etc.
her little sister had to testify against her parents, who killed her in the “honor killing system” and the little sister had witnessed the horrible death.
i cannot undesrtand the killing of one’s child because she lives in england and wears western clothing, but there you have it — in some cultures women have little or no rights. not even the right to life.
Many do not want to believe that Muslims are so radically different from others, not even when they live in a western country. The sad thing about multiculturalists is that they condescend to other cultures even as they claim to honor them. They think that with enough exposure to their thinking, to their way of life that a Muslim from Pakistan will INEVITABLY be assimilated. In fact, the shock of such exposure may induce nothing but moral disgust.
John Schuh I agree, the Muslim religion is truly an bad. I know, I have family who left their country because they were Catholic and were being persecuted by Muslims.
All parents should encourage their daughters to get a college education in a lucrative (useful) field prior to marriage in case they ever need to support themselves.
The need to support oneself and children involved, could be due to death of a spouse or the spouse insisting on a divorce.
Unfortunately, nothing in life is certain today. (Except death and taxes.)
In the meantime, if a divorce is inevitable, Abeca, your friend should get a good attorney for the property, alimony, child support – UNLESS the guilty party is willing to put a very good settlement in writing prior to the divorce papers being filed. Make certain that the guilty party pays for any attorneys.
In addition, the innocent party must stop feeling sorry for herself and think of her future needs and those of her minor children. There’s nothing like being practical (planning for the future) to ease the pain. We should all pray for people in these types of situations.
MIKE I agree. Your suggestions are noble and true coming from a good gentleman.
Feminist for life… a contradiction in terms
Not if you consider Susan B. Anthony a feminist. Most people do.
as someone raised by clipped hair, mean faced , man hating femi nazis, the term feminist deserves the derision it has earned… Feminst=Evil
Thanks Max, you relieve my mind. I confess that because my ancestry is English, my interest tends to lie in that direction…Chesterton,Knox,Waugh,Tolkien. Thanks to Alice Von Hildebrand, I’m coming to appreciate German philosophers…they’re not all neitzsche. Ugh
Abeca, I’m so sorry! My 4 month old son was killed when a drunk driver hit our van…it changes you forever when your child dies. where would we be without the prayers for us from friends? Sometimes I’m sure I can feel the warmth, can’t you? I hope everyone reading this will try to lift up at least one person in prayer. I often think of John M. Is he on vacation? What a brain! And Catherine too. Well, this takes too long typing one letter at a time! My computers in the hospital …iPads too hard!
Dana,
I am so sorry to read about your little 4 month old son. What a very painful loss for your entire family. I know that God has comforted you and will continue to always comfort you in your sorrow. Dana, Even through all of the tears, your trust in God shines ever so brightly through your compassion for others and your love of the faith. Dana, I am glad to hear that you feel the warmth. Your family has an advocate in heaven!
Dana I am so sorry about your 4 month old. My heart and prayers go out to you and your loved ones. I lift you up in prayers my friend and sister in Christ! God bless you. Mum to mum, I embrace you and ask your guardian Angel to hold you in his arms and give you much comfort, for just bringing it up re-opens the memory of that loss. Jesus kisses to you. You are right, not something we ever get over, we may come to acceptance but we still look back and still have a moment. I hope you had much support during that time. Dana praise God we have our faith and our love for and in Jesus, to help us endure tragedy’s, it is during those hardships that I feel Jesus closer. I pray and hope to always remain faithful through good times and bad times. For the love of Jesus gives us strength! We give thanks to our almighty God for the moments we did have with those precious little ones, they are His children and we trust in His goodness and promises to be in great hands with our Lord!
That was truly beautiful Abeca Christian. I mirror your sentiments. It is such a tragedy to lose a child. Dana, be assured that you have a little saint in heaven looking out for you and praying for you. God’s blessings to you.
Thank you
Perhaps the saddest of sadnesses. May the Lord of Mercy bless you and your family in your loss, Dana.
on behalf of the entire archdiocese of san francisco, i say we look forward to welcoming archbishop cordileone to our diocese!
we’ve had a spaniard, gobs of irish, a portuguese archbishop, a german, and now, finally, an italian — or sicilian, to be precise.
like each bishop, he’ll have a rough job, and i for one will keep him in my prayers.
even angela alioto was all atwitter in the s.f. chronicle, so let’s hope HER good mood lasts — she’s quite a handful…
max you are showing us your good heart. God bless you and hear your prayers and ours.
John S, you might find Brand New Leather Jacket on YouTube amusing.
Dana, many years ago, I knew an Air Force pilot who was driving when he had an accident and his child was killed. He had been in combat in Vietnam and had been wounded, but nothing shook him like the death of that child.
Thank you so much Catherine and Abeca. It’s been many years now, but as you know, it greatly affected many people and changed my life forever. I do know that he is with Jesus for I was given a very special dream of Jesus holding Brandon in His arms surrounded by a light filled garden . Every time I would reach for my son they would retreat but I wasn’t sad but filled with joy because I knew he was so loved and safe forever. It was so real! Sorry I didn’t respond sooner but I didn’t see your posts! God bless you!
CATECHISM:
886 “The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular Churches.” As such, they “exercise their pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them,” assisted by priests and deacons. But, as a member of the episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches. The bishops exercise this care first “by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the universal Church,” and so contributing “to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches.” They extend it especially to the poor, to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working throughout the world.
(for thoswe who are crabby about archbishop cordileone coming to our archdiocese, i hope they would keep an open mind, and also keep IN MIND that this is not some popularity contest…he has been assigned by the vicar of CHRIST to guide the church of san francisco and we catholics need to work with himm – not agains thim)
Be that as it may, many Catholics are very ambiguous about bishops, not so much about the office as the officers.
why so much hatred?
Paul you ask? Wow how did you draw such conclusion? Wow some people never cease to amaze me…Lord help us!
God hates the devil, and we are being restored in the image and likeness of God: Does that answer your question, Paul Q?
JLS, thankyou, but thanksbe to God for strength and healing…and time. Your bus trip sounded so fun! I took a bus pilgrimage with lots of other crazy Catholics to EWTN in Irondale Ala ..great scenery and impromptu rosaries and put up at nearby monastery and spent one day at the glorious shrine in Hanceville. Touring the tv station was fun. You Californians should get a bus trip together! Remember when we were young and you could take a bus anywhere? I have a nephew that is always fixing up jeeps if you need a source (I think they’re still made in Toledo? Bud would know)
My jeep is still almost half jeep and half aftermarket manufactured parts. The jeep is a great platform to build on. Jeep is also partially built in Montreal, or was. Parts are Japanese but assembled in the USA. I was able to identify and buy parts that caused a seasoned parts man to scratch his head over. BTW, my bus ride was on the low road; through familiar territory, but nothing like taking a gander off the highway and into what to most travelers is a scene to be seen. Funniest time was a few years ago, our two jeep caravan was meandering rough trail out in middle of Nevada, albeit along a recommended petroglyph route, when we passed a small rental car with a senior couple plowing over the rocks and potholes. That trip was when I learned I could read the petroglyphs without any trouble, and exciting discovery. The symbol system is one with the habitat … if you understand the basics of both along with basic human needs, then you can read it.
Canisius, I don’t have nearly the reason to get puckered about the word feminist as you, but I share your aversion because I feel everyone should be treated with fairness, dignity and respect. I feel exceptionalism is vindictive and divisive. The Constitution and amendments are prettycomprehensive . Also, what if men decided to promote masculinism? The way movies and tv shows mock them and make men look like stupid buffoons wouldbe grounds for protest. Women are always shown being superior and smarter. what injustice! What a crock!
JLS that is my nevvie, too. He can rebuild a jeep with bits and pieces he gets from his cronies. I’m so proud of him because he makes the best of what he has. He lost his job to a woman who didn’t have his training or background and he’s suffered severe bouts of depression as a result. He designs lamps, makes walking sticks and makes a living of sorts but mostly is a great dad while his wife works…our society is making our young men redundant and I hate what’s happening to our young men!!