On Monday, December 3, the newly elected or re-elected 80 members of the California state assembly held their opening session for the 2012-2014 term in the ornate assembly chamber in Sacramento.
The November 6 election resulted in more than a “supermajority” (more than two-thirds) of 55 Democratic Party Assembly members to 25 Republican Party members.
Since any legislative action, including new tax increases and putting constitutional amendments on the ballot without gathering signatures, can be passed by a two-thirds vote in the assembly and in the senate, where Democrats also have more than a “supermajority”; the Democratic Party leadership now has almost complete control of the legislative process in California.
Democrat governor Jerry Brown can veto legislation, but the Democratic supermajorities in the assembly and senate can override his vetoes with two-thirds votes. The governor has no power to block any initiatives that the legislature places on the ballot.
The California Democratic Party leadership has for years rigidly required that Democratic Party-supported candidates for the state assembly, state senate, and Congress must be pro-choice.
This guarantees that only pro-abortion Democratic Party candidates can be elected. The last pro-life Democrat in the California legislature was state senator Ruben Ayala who was termed out of office in 1998 and died on January 4, 2012 at the age of 89.
One of the first acts of the Democratic Party dominated assembly on Monday was to re-elect openly-partnered, homosexual Democrat John Perez as the speaker of the assembly.
A voice vote was used to avoid a roll call vote which no doubt would have exposed and recorded the Democratic assembly members’ preference for John Perez. Even so, Republican assemblyman Tim Donnelly and at least one other assembly member shouted NO!
John Perez is a cousin and protégé of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former California assembly speaker, a militantly pro-abortion, pro-Planned Parenthood politician. Villaraigosa personally campaigned against the California parental notification propositions on behalf of Planned Parenthood.
A special celebration was conducted by Cardinal Roger Mahony in his Queen of Angels Los Angeles Cathedral for the inauguration of Los Angeles mayor-elect Villaraigosa in 2005.
A special ceremony, with Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto in attendance, was held in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento for John Perez when the California assembly Democratic members selected him as the first openly gay speaker in the U.S. in March, 2010.
On Monday, the prayer at the beginning of the 2012-2014 assembly session was offered by Father Scott Santarosa, S.J., pastor of Dolores Mission Church in downtown Los Angeles.
Father Santarosa:
“This day I dedicate this prayer to my grandparents, Pasquale and Gracia Santarosa, proud immigrants from Italy, and to all of our ancestors who built a life for them and for us in this Golden State.
Let us pray:
Loving God, help us to be true to the vision of our ancestors who sacrificed so that we could be here today, who faced unknown challenges and unseen dangers, but guided by a vision of a compassionate land waiting with open arms, stepped forth onto this land, to become fruit pickers and lumber workers who would dream of sending their children to college and would see that dream realized.
On this day, this new day, this first day, may we step forward with their courage, their vision, their hope.
May all that we do make our ancestors proud, whether native to this land, or immigrants to this land, or born in this land, as we keep our land the one they would recognize, the one that provided for them, welcomed them, was home for them.
May all that we do make our ancestors feel that their sacrifices for us were worth it.
Help us to be true to the vision of our ancestors who rejoice that we are here today.
And we say: Amen”.
To see video of the prayer, click here.
At: 3 min. 01 sec, on the video recording there is the introduction by chief clerk of the Assembly.
Father Santarosa’s prayer ends at 5 min. 25 sec. on the video.
They didn’t need a prayer. They needed an exorcism!
“The path to Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops, priests, and religious”!
If my memory serves me correctly, Mahony actually desecrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in celebration of pro-evil Villagarosa’s election.
Does anyone still doubt that Soto is two faced in his policies?
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Amen! I pray that liberal California’s hardened heart be opened to the precious gift of life. Stay strong remnant!
An army can be small but still be very powerful. Pray, pray, pray.
Proud ancestor worship … interesting. A. “Pride goeth before the fall”, B. Idolatry. But then what can be expected from Jesuits. Too bad a Catholic priest did not say the prayer, but then why would a Catholic priest go there and pray among anti-Christs?
When you associate and deal with pigs, not only do you get dirty, but the pigs like it. Before Vatican II, the Catholic Church had very little dealings with liberals, free thinkers, and radicals. As a result, the Catholic Church was respected, obeyed, and held in high esteem for her unbending moral principles. Since now, anything and everything goes, the Church has lost her moral voice in a sewer of iniquit. As a result,the perverse and demonic are running the world in which we live, causing many souls to be lost to hell, while the weak voice of the Church is hardly heard..
Karl, you are so right — after watching THE BORGIAS, how can one fail to agree with you?
When you listen to ‘fantasy’ you believe ‘fantasy’
Secession is looking better as the leftist states and the federal government go their way down the primrose path of progressive/communism.
Roll on Great chastisement, Roll on…….
this reminds me strangely of a country western song…
exc ept for the chastisement part…
Did I miss something? There was a mention of a prayer but I didn’t see one in the whole article. I did read something in regard to ancestor worship not unlike shintoism but surely that wasn’t a prayer to our Creator of the Universe or to His Only Begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered and died for us that we may have eternal life? Was that fellow with the collar a Catholic priest or someone playing a joke on all of us? You Californians sure have a sense of humor!
The big question here is:
WHO INVITED FR. SANTAROSA TO SAY THIS IMMIGRATION THEME “PRAYER?”
It could only have been Ned Dolesji, head of the bishop’s political lobby.
Dolesji needs to be fired. In fact, the bishops need to dismantle the entire lobby. With a pro-abortion Democrat super-majority, truly Catholic supported legislation has absolutely no chance.
Was that a prayer invoking God’s grace to carry out his will, or an invocation to follow our ancestors?
Father Karl, I’m wondering if you really thik that any human has the ability to predict which soul will be lost in hell. Certainly, all the vile evil(how’s that for a play on words?) can be a reason to be lost-but not unless Our Lord HIMSELF says so. Clearly, all can opine that the Church in its activity or speech or numbers is weak-but I feel more Catholic letting the Lord make that BIG one. That our voice is weak is due to US-not God’s proclaimed Word.
Fr. Scott (Santarosa) is heavily involved with PICO, an Aulinsky community organizer group that had a $9 million budget in 2011. This group is socialist and abhors the pro-life and pro-family effort. Fr. Santarosa has often been a spokesperson for PICO LA VOICE.
Abp Gomez needs to tell the priests in his archdiocese to get out of LA VOICE and the parent organization, PICO.
With a legislative body such as that, an exorcism would be more appropriate.
We know that Archbishop Mahoney was (is) a liberal who had few, if any, Catholic priniples, but I thought Bishop Soto was better than that. Can’t any Catholic clergy say NO to the Democrat politicians? Are they so thrilled and flattered to be asked to speak before the Assembly that they’ll compromise their Catholic values just for the brief attention?
What a real nice prayer.
It reminds me of the Jewish and Christian prayers that tell the story of the past, so that we don’t sin in the present and future.
We have some characters here in California who think they “own” the joint, even though their ancestors came from Europe and other places.
Good job, Father Santarosa!
The Magnificat
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exalts in God, my savior. For God has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness, and my name will be blessed forever. The Mighty One has done great things for me and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersing the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the mighty from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remember his mercy, according to his promise to our ANCESTORS, to Abraham and his descendents forever. (Luke 1:46-55)
Little does father santarosa know that his ancestors are rolling over in their graves with what is going on.
“Help us to be true to the vision of our ancestors who rejoice that we are here today. And we say: Amen”.
I think the exaltation of our ancestors stand is marked contrast to the Magnificat, which rejoices in the exaltation of God. Anonymous, your juxtaposition of the two is therefore a remarkable non-sequitor to say the least. The “prayer,” if that is what it was, is general enough to mean something to anyone, yet nuanced enough to promote a specific agenda to the democratically dominated legistature. The question is, which of the democrats’ policies has our ancestors clapping, and which have them rolling in their graves? The lack of specificity is quite deliberate and validates the legislators’ decisions so long as they accord with the spirit of our ancestors, which means everything and nothing.
Have you ever watch a star trek episode where all actors are the same but act weird? That’s what comes to mind to see a Catholic Cardinal celebrate the election of someone who is openly anti Catholic.
At least they let in a Catholic priest. I expected the local chapter of the Hara Krishnas or perhaps the chief poobah of Scientiology to give the invocation.
Catholics are still allowed to show up and give the invocation at the Legislature…..and that’s about it.
With so many Catholics in California, how on earth did we elect a supermajority of pro-abortion/pro-homosexual legislators?! Is it that we are truly uniformed or just obstinate.
As for the electeds, I wonder how many of these Catholic pro-abortion/pro-homosexual legislators have been told to refrain from presenting themselves for communion. If the outcomes of both the California and the national elections are not a wake-up call to our shepards, I don’t know what is.
“This day I dedicate this prayer”
Huh?
Dedicating a prayer?
How does this correspond to the Virtue of Religion?
Good grief!! Father Santarosa’s ancestors are no doubt rolling in their graves. What a sad state.
See MilitantCatholicTV “The Pro-life Problem’ on YouTube.
Is this the reason for so many predictions of California sinking beneath the sea one day?
yes, this is precisely the reason.
that, and having watching the film 2012, no doubt…
What ever happened to excommunication? The church used to excommunicate the heretics that didn’t follow the magistarium… For centuries that’s what keep the faith together, families together, and society together???
So John Perez is an elected member of the California Assembly and was elected speaker of the Assembly. He was elected by voters and his peers. Should he not be allowed to be in public office due to his orientation? I don’t know what the point is. This isn’t pre-Civil War America. There is a wide diversity of people serving as representatives and senators in state and federal government.
To bring conversions one must become friendly with sinners, realizing we to are sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory. We must be as Christ was with sinners, this can open doors to hearts and change people’s thinking.
Our ancestors sacrificed; but we as a 21st century racist people aren’t willing to sacrifice, we are narcisstic only willing to tolerate the destruction of our religion, morals, values, rule of law, our society, our neighborhoods, and our childrens future; and to push God off our shores/throw Him out the window. What is also frightening is the growth in socialism, lack of self responsibility, loafing, ignorance of our constitution, and acceptance of sharia law in this world. Seems like few people want to carry their daily crosses that God has prescribed for them. God said we are to pick up our crosses and follow Him to Heaven. If we are unwilling to carry our crosses like He did and follow His holy example, do we think we are really going to be deserving of eternal life with God in Heaven? He suffered a most ignominious death on the cross for each one of us. What have we sacrificed for Him lately? I would have prefered if the prayer-time spent in the corrupt legistlature had taken on more of an air like what our Lord did when He was present in the midst of sinners and ridiculed by the ungrateful pharisees. Jesus did not condone the sinners iniquities and accept their excuses/alibies; no rather He corrected their ways and told them how much they offended His holy Father, and what they need to do to gain eternal life. For those who were truly sorrowful He forgave them and told them to sin no more as well. Pray the rosary and regularly receive the ancient Holy Sacraments availble to us and we will then see God’s truth, for our Lord said to Saint John the Baptist’s followers, that through Him the blind do see . . .