The following comes from a January 15 story on the site of the Catholic News Agency.
The U.S. bishops are inviting the faithful to participate in Nine Days of Prayer, Penance and Pilgrimage surrounding the 40th anniversary of legalized abortion throughout America.
“In addition to our current everyday pro-life efforts, a nation-wide commitment to prayer and penance is essential to ushering in a culture of life,” said Tom Grenchik, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.
In a Jan. 4 post on the website for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, he emphasized the need to “respond to 40 years of the culture of death with great confidence and hope.”
The bishops have announced a call to prayer, penance and pilgrimage for life on Jan. 19-27 this year. Materials have been published on the bishops’ conference website for those who want to participate in the campaign.
Jan. 22 marks 40 years since the Supreme Court legalized abortion throughout the nation with its decision in Roe v. Wade.
More than 55 million unborn children have been killed through abortion since that ruling. Hundreds of thousands of pro-life supporters are expected to flood Washington, D.C., on Jan. 25 for the annual March for Life.
The bishops are asking Catholics to pray and fast for a renewed respect for life in America during the days surrounding the anniversary and the march.
The initiative is part of a larger movement by the bishops to encourage prayer for the defense of life, marriage and religious liberty in the United States.
The nine-day campaign focuses on the theme of pilgrimage, particularly for those who will be making trips to commemorate four decades of legalized abortion in America.
As hundreds of thousands prepare to travel to the nation’s capital in support of life, the bishops’ conference has published both English and Spanish blessings for pro-life pilgrims before their journey. Other prayers and materials are also included to help transform the trip into a pilgrimage.
The Jan. 19-27 call to prayer features a youth-friendly novena with daily intercessions, reflections and acts of reparation, as well as facts about abortions.
Over the course of nine days, participants will pray for the conversion and healing of all parents, medical professionals and politicians who have been involved in abortion in America.
Those who wish to receive novena materials through daily text messages can sign up by texting “9days” to 99000. The prayers will also be available online and on social media website.
The initiative also includes a Pro-life Profile activity for young people. It encourages them to take photos of themselves holding signs with a simple explanation of why they are pro-life and to use these photos as their profile pictures, or default pictures, on Facebook, from Jan. 19-27.
In addition, the bishops’ conference is holding a video contest for high school students throughout America. Students can submit videos of less than a minute in length from a pilgrimage, rally or other pro-life event surrounding the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade…
To read entire story, click here.
As long as they give the Holy Eucharist to abortionist-homosexualist politicians it is difficult to take seriously their “campaign for life”.
“The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.”
–Pope St. Gregory the Great
Great idea! I hope it is successful and that millions join in. The Bishop’s have there work cut out for them. I just read this headline from a Pew survey – So why exactly is everyone fighting about abortion again? A Pew poll released Wednesday found that not only do a majority of Americans want to keep abortion legal, but also that just 44 percent of those under 30 even knew the landmark Roe v. Wade case .. So, there is not only the issue of abortion to deal with, but the fact that so many young people don’t even know that it is an isssue. I asked my teenage grand children once if they knew about Roe v. Wade and they had never heard of it. A lot of prayer and education is needed…
Bob One, you’ve got to ask yourself, is it an occasion for a parade or a time to stop abortion. Pick your pill, the sweet one or the bitter one.
“The U.S. bishops are inviting the faithful to participate in Nine Days of Prayer, Penance and Pilgrimage surrounding the 40th anniversary of legalized abortion throughout America.”
Aha! So THIS is why people on this site so often attack the U.S.C.C.B. as being evil and subversive!
It’s all becoming clear to me now……
No, M, the bishops are attacked for not doing anything effective to stop abortion. You need to understand the distinction.
The USCCB loves to sit in places of honor and receive the accolades of all – but do they do anything effective in the pro-life effort? Certainly not that is easily discerned.
40 years of giving the Holy Eucharist to abortionist politicians and we’re supposed to be impressed by 9 days of prayer?
50 million butchered babies and we’re supposed to be impressed by 9 days of prayer?
Unfortunately, this is a classic case of (in)actions speaking louder than words.
On a side note, the phrase “Roe vs. Wade” always reminds me of that sushi with salmon roe… fish eggs… which is a sad reminder of what abortion does to a mother’s egg in the woman that has been fertiziled by the fther’s sperm, thus starting the miracle of human life.
With God as the one who makes it happen — not man.
We don’t get to decide if the life will begin or not — think of the many couples TRYING to get pregnant for years.
The USCCB is a den of snakes. They are either wonton hippocrits or totally ineffectual sheephards. The ONLY way to change the abortion holocaust is to excommunicate high-profile pro-abortion politicians. They don’t have the guts to do this. Grass-roots efforts in each parish should be directed towards this end. These are harsh words, I know, but I truly believe that until you hold bishops responsible they will always be weak-kneed administrators and not true sheephards of their flocks.
When it comes to the American Holocaust against the unborn, the bishops always “do the least possible.”
When it comes to real important issues like immigration, death penalty, or re-electing Obama and other DEMs, the bishops become ardent activists.
For example, Archbishop Gomez will host a huge expensive panel of Leftist speakers for en educational conference to tell Archdiocesan employees/teachers what is really important, but gives pro-lifers a 6 pm Mass on Saturday night when few will attend.
When it comes to the moral issues, the bishops talk the talk, but rarely ever walk the walk in a profund way. Shameful.
Alan, Alan, you don’t have to be a knuckle-dragging troglodyte to be pro-life, so please don’t spell words like you don’t have a clue; always carry a thesauras or dictionary with you, they’re great aids in spelling.”wonton hippocrits”, “sheepard”, are you kidding me? Just to be clear, and you should write and spell clearly, it’s “WANTON HYPOCRITES” and “SHEPHERDS,” but basically I believe that your heart’s in the right place. And yes, I surely agree with you, as would 99% of those who post @ this site, that ALL Catholic pro-abort high-profile (and low-profile as well) politicians DEFINITELY should be excommunicated, but I believe it should be done PUBLICLY, for there’s NO EXCUSE, NONE, that they should have what I believe is this SELF-INFLICTED intellectual wound of thinking in this way, in too many cases, that they’re PERSONALLY OPPOSED to pre-born baby killing, BUT cannot expect ANYONE to believe as they do, therefore it’s OPEN SEASON on the preborn. This is MORAL CRAZINESS! Excommunicate Pelosi and Biden and Cuomo NOW, and let it be done PUBLICLY so the bishops will give EXCELLENT WITNESS to so many in our society that are stupid and morally and intellectually lazy, calling themselves Catholic, yet INDIFFERENT to the holocaust that in so many ways dwarfs what the nazi’s did to the Jews.
Not everyone has mastered spelling, markrite. Both you and I are guilty of errors in spelling, grammar and composition. I was the Spelling Bee Queen of the 5th grade in the outstanding Catholic school I attended, and despite that, I have amassed a lifetime of errors in spelling, grammar and composition that would cause poor dear Sister Mary St. John the Baptist to despair. I think we should abandon schoolmarmish critiques of one another’s spelling, and I should refrain from pointing out your own errors of spelling, grammar and composition, which begin a the outset of your comments, where I notice you do not capitalize your proper name. Sister Mary St. John the Baptist could help you with that rule, but bless her wonderfully good heart, she would refrain from correcting, criticizing or otherwise insulting you, now that you’re all grown up, so as to engage in more exalted discourse with you, sainted soul that she was. I try to follow her example and of course fail at that as well at times, and I notice that some others do as well. Maybe we should all try harder to elevate our discourse and forget about marking people down for spelling errors. Judging by the standards of the younger generation, spelling, grammar and composition are rather passe these days anyway.
Thesaurus, Markrite, dear friend, thesarus. Not thesauras. It’s Greek.
Prayer and penance are always good!
yes I agree. : )
Has anyone read what the French bishops are doing? They’re undermining the pro-family movement in France by calling for support of same-sex marriage, where the couple may live together chastely!! I’m not kidding. It was in the NOR daily news today.
I rent a room to a young banker, and we like each other a lot and live together chastely. Is that a sin? Why can members of the same sex who care for each other deeply not live together chastely? If one is not sinning, where is the error? I can’t think how many people must have studied, worked, fought and lived together chastely in schools, college dorms, military settings, and roommates motivated by financial, educational, or practical reasons, find other people attractive, and live together 100% chastely, never giving life to unwelcome thoughts and conducting themselves wholly honorably. This is called living well and is to be admired and emulated, not denounced, just because a human being finds another human being attractive. Attraction is not action. I happen not to be attracted to my nice-looking, admirable room renter, but if I were, I would live honorably at all times and never give expression to my admiration, and I would expect the archbishop to acknowledge that I am not sinning just beause I am that person’s friend or companion. That is going too far! Do we so hate homosexual behavior that we almost condemn people suffering from same sex attraction as sinners even when they are not, and condemn our bishops for refraining to do so? I would say the sin is ours for hating our brothers and sisters even when they are fully chaste. Wow. No wonder secular society thinks we are too extreme. In some ways we fail our own brothers and sisters just because we are revulsed by what attracts them. Once upon a time, I saw people express hatred for others due to race or gender; now I see people openly hating old people, fat people, and homosexuals. Is that progress? Why not denounce sin and praise goodness where we find it instead of assuming the worst about people with disordered attractions?
Well, Maryanne, I couldn’t agree more, but you don’t feel the need to marry your young banker, do you? The bishops were recommending marriage. Also, if the ‘couple’ have been having a relationship, isn’t that like trying to put the genie back into the bottle to ask them to live chastely now that they’ve had a ‘marriage ceremony’? You can read the article yourself on LifeSite Newsand see what you think.
What you’re describing is lovely and I’m glad you have company! Actually, what ANYONE does in the privacy of their homes is THEIR business! That’s not what I was talking about, dear sister in Christ. I hope you don’t think I’m some sort of judgmental busybody as I have several good friends who are lesbians and when I was in fashion design, many I worked with may have been of the same persuasion… I never asked. What was truly heartbreaking was seeing young men looking so thin, pale and ill on the streets of the Village, selling their household goods spread out on blankets. My niece’s life has been utterly destroyed by her lifestyle and it’s causing much distress in my family.
Please don’t preach to me about hating homosexuality. Stuff and nonsense. I do hate what it’s doing to this country, to our Church and to our families!
Thank you Dana
PLEASE READ WHAT THE HOLY FATHER SAYS:
“Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the Church is often labeled today as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and swept along by every wind of teaching, looks like the only attitude acceptable to today’s standard.” Pope Benedict XVI
“We are moving towards a dictatorship of moral relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has for its highest goal one’s own ego and desires…” Pope Benedict XVI
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
2286 Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to “social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible.” 88 This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger, 89 or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values.
2287 Anyone who uses the power at his disposal in such a way that it leads others to do wrong becomes guilty of scandal and responsible for the evil that he has directly or indirectly encouraged.
“Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!”
“Again, to satisfy is to cut off all occasions of sin, and to close every avenue against its suggestions” Catechism of the Council of Trent,
Sacrament of Penance
1867 The catechetical tradition also recalls that there are “sins that cry to heaven”: the blood of Abel,139 the sin of the Sodomites,140 the cry of the people oppressed in Egypt,141 the cry of the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan,142 injustice to the wage earner.143
(CNA) – Former Archbishop of Milwaukee Rembert Weakland, who resigned after revelations that his archdiocese paid $450,000 to a man who alleged the archbishop had sexually assaulted him, will soon publish a memoir describing his work in the Church and his sexual orientation.
His book “A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop” will be released in June.
On Monday the archbishop told the Associated Press he was “very careful and concerned that the book not become a Jerry Springer” to satisfy a “prurient curiosity.”
“At the same time, I tried to be as honest as I can.”
He said he wrote about his sexual orientation because he wanted to be candid about “how this came to life in my own self, how I suppressed it, how it resurrected again.”
Theological dissent
In 2000, Weakland was a critic of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s document Dominus Iesus on religious relativism.
One of his last major actions as archbishop was effecting a controversial renovation of the historic Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee… Wikipedia
Rembert Weakland is a disgrace. How the Vatican tolerated such a man for so long is incomprehensible to me.
Catherine, that book came out a few years ago. I remember seeing it in a bookstore. If the Church hierarchy was honest it would acknowledge the high percentage of priests who are gay and affirm their ministry. Instead, they appear to be ashamed of these priests and attempt to deny their existence. In doing so they contribute to society’s homophobia and encourage gay priests to view their God-given sexuality with shame. However, the hierarchy is well aware of the large numbers of homosexuals in the priesthood. I think the time has come for more honesty about this. What good does it do to continue to tell people something that they know isn’t true? Priests shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for who they are.
PA when gay mobs start demanding the Church bow to their will, whose side will you be on?
PA, the Church has dis-affirmed gay priests and seminarians. You should recall having this explained to you by many bloggers who included the quotes from the Pope and other Church authorities. The Pope has said that seminaries should not accept same sex attracted men, and should give the boot to any who are already in seminary. Again, you defy Church doctrine and the life work of Blessed John Paul II by continuing to equate personal identification with moral disorder. I suspect that you get a thrill from running this nonsense all the time.
Well said Skai…
Skai, I realize that some Catholics would like all homosexal men out of the seminaries, all homosexual priests out of the priesthood and all openly gay Catholics, out of the Church. There have always been priests with a homosexual orientation. To get rid of all of them would be a big change. Gay Catholics are in a similar situation to that of Catholic Germans in the 1930’s that had German blood. As long as they hid it they were tolerated but if it was known in many places they were unwelcome. A Catholic priest said as much to me. Should gay Catholics be treated like that? That isn’t the way of Christ.
PA It would be an excellent change and yes Christ would approve
Canisius, do you think that Christ would approve if all gay people were driven from the Church? Should gay people find another church? Is it stupid to stay where one is not wanted?
PA your constant defense of sodomites really, really is aggravating….
Yes, PA, Jesus drove lesser sinners from His Father’s House, and He did it by using a whip and violent behavior. Jesus by means of the Pope has made it clear that gays should never be admitted to seminaries and if already in the clerical system should be made to leave. This would perhaps make a kind of avalanche where gays would leave the Church in droves, even though their presence in the Church is kind of a mockery in most cases … “gay Catholic” is an term known as an oxymoron.
I made a mistake in my post of January 21, 2013. I meant to say Catholic Germans that had Jewish blood were in a bad situation. Many of these Catholics of Jewish origin were imprisoned and died during World War II. Some Catholic bishops were strong supporters of the Nazis while other bishops were wary. Some Catholic clergy who were of Jewish origin or were gay, were also imprisoned or killed.
Mark from PA, a large number of posters here translate the word “gay” as meaning homosexual persons in an sexual relationship and who are working to change society’s lack of acceptance of homosexual relationships. I am assuming from your post that you intend “gay” to mean those who have an orientation (not acted on) toward homosexual attraction. Priests should not be active in a sexual relationship with anyone. People with deep-seated homosexual tendencies are not candidates for the priesthood. As for there being more honesty, I think all Catholics would like that. What we really need are priests that truly live their vocation. I picked up an old book of Scriptural meditations and in the introduction, the author mentioned a priest named Father Rex Mansmann who was working among the Tboli tribe in the Phillipines. I googled him. He got in trouble several years ago, accused of raping a 12 year old Tboli girl.. One blogger, who lives in the area now, states that in the tribe there are a dozen children which he sired with different women. Latest news said that he has disappeared.
K, when I speak of gay, I mean the orientation. Some gay people are in sexual relationships and others are not. Where I live gay is the common word for this. The term same sex attraction is not used where I live and where I live I have NEVER heard anyone refer to a person as a sodomite as some here do. OF course, priests are called to a life of celibacy and chastity. This includes gay priests. That is horrible about that priest you mentioned. In many countries in Latin America and Africa it is common for priests to have relationships with women and yes some do have children.
Mark from PA, it does not matter what temptation a Priest has – even if its ‘same sex attraction’ or ‘opposite sex attraction’.
They are all merely temptations. Temptations do NOT define the person.
It does matter what they do, and what they teach.
QUOTE: ” 15. We encourage the Bishops, then, to provide pastoral care in full accord with the teaching of the Church for homosexual persons of their dioceses.
No authentic pastoral programme will include organizations in which homosexual persons associate with each other without clearly stating that homosexual activity is immoral.
A truly pastoral approach will appreciate the need for homosexual persons to avoid the near occasions of sin.
We would heartily encourage programmes where these dangers are avoided.
But we wish to make it clear that departure from the Church’s teaching, or silence about it, in an effort to provide pastoral care is neither caring nor pastoral.
Only what is true can ultimately be pastoral.
The neglect of the Church’s position prevents homosexual men and women from receiving the care they need and deserve. ” UNQUOTE –
“LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON THE PASTORAL CARE OF HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS” Vatican web site.
It’s worth reading this too:
“Sins against nature, therefore, like the sin of Sodom, are abominable and deserve punishment whenever and wherever they are committed. If all nations committed them, all alike would be held guilty of the same charge in God’s law, for our Maker did not prescribe that we should use each other in this way. In fact, the relationship that we ought to have with God is itself violated when our nature, of which He is Author, is desecrated by perverted lust… Your punishments are for sins which men commit against themselves, because, although they sin against You, they do wrong in their own souls and their malice is self-betrayed. They corrupt and pervert their own nature, which You made and for which You shaped the rules, either by making wrong use of the things which You allow, or by becoming inflamed with passion to make unnatural use of things which You do not allow” (Rom. 1:26).
–Saint Augustine of Hippo
Yes Catherine, you hit it on the nail… scandal harms the soul, mixed messages too.
Thank you, Catherine
SCANDAL is one of the most ignored Mortal Sins that causes the loss of Souls and breeds relativism – in the USA today.
Where are most of our US Bishops?
The lack of actively addressing SCANDAL is one of the causes of the poor state of our society today.
Catholic Poilticians who support ‘abortion’, ‘homosexual marriage’, ‘euthanasia’, and embryonic stem cell research need to be publically excommunicated until they repent, and repair the damage they have done to both society and the loss of Souls.
MIKE you are correct and this is what jon keeps on missing that important fact.
Maryanne Leonard, almost everyone in years gone by boarded at times with those of the same sex without living sinfully. Most women have even slept in the same bed with other women at times and not even touched each other in an improper way, and I am sure some men have too. My sister and I had to sleep in the same bed as teens and did nothing improper, as family’s were larger then. Widows and sisters often lived and live in the same houses after their spouses died. No one cared. That is not what we are talking about here. There is no point to marriage between two people of the same sex unless it is giving approval to sexual relations between the two people. No point at all. Even domestic partnerships between people of the same-sex is just a code word for approving their sexual relationships.
‘Our chronicles relate an even more dreadful happening. One of our brothers, well-known for his doctrine and holiness, was preaching in Germany. He represented the ugliness of the sin of impurity so forceful that a woman fell dead of sorrow in front of everyone. Then, coming back to life, she said, “When I was presented before the Tribunal of God, sixty thousand people arrived at the same time from all parts of the world; out of that number, three were saved by going to Purgatory, and all the rest were damned.’ ….St. Leonard of Port Maurice
Authentic Catholic news outlets are reporting that the French bishops support the pro-family movement and are opposed to same sex union. The are telling the French government to “Listen to the Streets”.
Yes, there are many good bishops in France. But it was a French Rabbi that Pope Benedict quoted in his speech to the Curia in Dec.
I guess I shouldn’t have brought up the topic as it will distract us from the importance of fasting and praying to support life and to be faithful to our bishops. I pray for them every single day, especially the bishop of my diocese, who is a faithful shepherd, and who supports Catholic radio and pro-life rallies. He’s not perfect, but he is truly a good man, as so many of our bishops are.
Wow Dana that is awful.
The price of 55 million dead unborn babies? ONE TAX EXEMPTION for the Church during the past 40 years.
Strong pro-life statements from the US bishops such as this reveal the anti-clerical lie and attack that many posters here have leveled against the Catholic clergy/hierarchy. The common refrain one hears from these vociferous commeters is that “Ugh, the bishops aren’t doing diddly squat about abortion!”
Well, folks, here it is. You’ve been proven wrong. And see how tangential and silly the above comments are. The French bishops? Assuming the worse about people who have “disordered” attractions? The bishops are wanton hypocrites and a den of snakes?
People, do hear yourselves speak unChristianly? When these bishops say nothing about abortion, you hem and haw.
Now when they are saying something about it by urging the faithful to enter into this novena for pro-life, you still hem and haw. No where in the comments have I read anyone saying that they will do the novena.
Instead, you continue in your anti-clergy hate fest.
Jon,
Name one thing the bishops collectively have DONE to stop abortion.
Not SAID or WRITTEN.
DONE.
Thanks!
Juergensen,
Have you even read this article?
This ACTION, yes ACTION, of the bishops calling for the laity to ACTION speaks for itself. The bishops are ordained to TEACH, GOVERN, and SANCTIFY the Church. It is by their teaching that they exercise their ministry.
jon, yes the Bishops are doing a good job with lip service regarding abortion.
But before you make a judgement if they are doing all they can or the best that they can, on the net, please read:
1) “The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin” by (Cardinal) Raymond Burke.
2) Also read Canon 915, on the Vatican web site.
3) Then read: “Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion, General Principles” by Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict).
4) Then read: CCC 2284, 2285, 2286 &; 2287 regarding SCANDAL.
5) Then read 1 Cor 5:11-13 from St. Paul.
After reading the above, please answer the following questions:
1) Do most US Bishops (or your own State’s Bishops) publicly excommunicate ‘ab homine’ all those Catholics who are obstinate in supporting abortion and other grave sins?
2) Do most US Bishops (or your own State’s Bishops) publicly enforce Canon 915?
If not, they are NOT doing their jobs to stop: the murder of innocents/abortion, scandal and relativism regarding abortion within their own Diocese; or stop other grave sins that send people to Hell.
Actions speak louder than words.
The abomination of the torture and murder of these babies must be a top priority.
As some wrote several months ago, if the President and his Party hacks were dismembering, and burning (with saline solution), their brother Bishops throughout the County – they would not be yucking it up with these politicians, or inviting them to speak at Bishop supported functions, etc., etc., etc.
No jon, the Bishops are not doing all they can. Words ring hollow.
Read what Cardinal Burke wrote – its a real eye opener about Sacrilege, and lack of enforcement of Canon 915, and the confusion the Bishops are causing due to their apparent lack of action.
PAUL, I contend that it is YOU who needs to read Cardinal Burke’s writing as you do not seem to have understood it.
Specifically, you missed his fifth conclusion where the Cardinal states that “This [the pastoral approach], in fact, is done effectively in a pastoral conversation with the person, so that the person knows that he is not to approach to receive Holy Communion and, therefore, the distribution of Holy Communion does not become an occasion of conflict.”
Therefore PAUL, unless you have concrete knowledge and undeniable proof that a bishop and a Catholic elected official ARE NOT in any “pastoral conversation” on this matter, YOU have NO RIGHT to be clamoring for denial of communion!
jon, read it again.
It is the responsibility for the Bishop to communicate with the person prior to an excommunication, to make certain that the Bishop and the person understand the reasons and that the person to be excommunicated is not repentant and will make reparation for his/her sin. – This is the conflict to avoid if there is one.
Cardinal Burke spent several paragraphs on “SCANDAL” – which has to do with public actions.
The Cardinal’s final conclusion is: ” Finally, the discipline must be applied in order to avoid serious scandal, for example, the erroneous acceptance of procured abortion against the constant teaching of the moral law.
No matter how often a Bishop or priest repeats the teaching of the Church regarding procured abortion, if he stands by and does nothing to discipline a Catholic who publicly supports legislation permitting the gravest of injustices and, at the same time, presents himself to receive Holy Communion, then his teaching rings hollow. To remain silent is to permit serious confusion regarding a fundamental truth of the moral law.
Confusion, of course, is one of the most insidious fruits of scandalous behavior.
jon, when reading do not pick and choose only certain paragraphs to support your personal point, rather the document as a whole which supports the TRUTH.
The Bishops have an obligation to correct public SCANDALS, and when required excommunicate those who call themselves “Catholic” yet gravely and publically violate Church teaching.
The Church allows for ‘ab homine’ (public) excommunication.
For those who want more information on EXCOMMUNICATION – see: Catholic Encyclopedia – Excommuncation on the net.
It explains the difference of ‘a jure’ (private) vs ‘ab homine’ (public) excommunication and more.
“Excommunication is either a jure (by law) or ab homine (by judicial act of man, i.e. by a judge [Bishop]). The first is provided by the law itself, which declares that whosoever shall have been guilty of a definite crime will incur the penalty of excommunication. The second is inflicted by an ecclesiastical prelate, either when he issues a serious order under pain of excommunication or imposes this penalty by judicial sentence and after a criminal trial.”
“Excommunication ferendæ sententiæ can be public only,
as it must be the object of a declaratory sentence pronounced by a judge [Bishop];
but excommunication latæ sententiæ may be either public or occult.
It is PUBLIC through the publicity of the law when it is imposed and published by ecclesiastical authority; it is PUBLIC through notoriety of fact when the offence that has incurred it is KNOWN to the majority in the locality,…..”.
On the contrary, excommunication is occult (private) when the offence entailing it is known to no one or almost no one.”
Repeating: “……it is public through notoriety of fact when the offence that has incurred it is known to the majority in the locality.”
Most US Bishops have done little to correct the public SCANDALs re abortion, and refused to publically excommunicate those who are obstinately persevering in grave public sin.
PAUL, your entire argument is lacking in reality. Plus, you show no prudence, which the bishops in this situation amply show. How?
1) PAUL, face the sad political reality squarely in the face lest you bring MORE scandal to the Church by clamoring that the bishops effectively use the Sacraments as a political weapon. THIS is the additional scandal that will occur if the bishops heed your demands.
2) The sad reality you have to face is that many Catholics are NOT “scandalized” that their pro-choice Catholic Congressman and Senator (whom they elected) continue to receive communion. Sad to say it, but they are not.
3) They will be scandalized as soon as they hear from the left-wing media that the Church is “persecuting” their elected member of Congress.
4) The bishops have shown great prudence and pastoral attitude by continuing to teach against abortion (such as this call to take part in the novena) and by giving these politicians whatever pastoral assistance they may need.
5) Additionally, the bishops have more political sense and savvy than you and others here. Cardinal Burke himself is more prudent and savvy politically than you. He says specifically that denying communion “must not be precipitous.”
6) It is the anti-clergy rants of commentators here who are bringing scandal to the Church. Bear that in mind.
jon, when you assert that PAUL “is lacking in reality”, what your many blogs suggest is that you have no sense of reality. You constantly use a foundation of clerical opinion as your “gospel”, even though many Scriptures, Doctrinal quotes, and reasoned arguments have shown this to be folly. jon, you need first of all to bow your knee before Jesus and confess with your tongue that “Jesus is Lord”. Then you can go forth and study what He has given us.
Young jon, the bishops have not changed what they’re doing or saying about abortion since 1973; Fifty years later and more than fifty million abortions, not counting the chemical contraceptive abortions which would multiply that number. Hopefully some day, jon, you will come to understand that words are cheap and actions are expensive.
And Skai/JLS, as well as Paul, someday you will come to understand that it is sacrilegious to use the Sacraments of the Church for political purposes.
jon, when are you going to stop redefining Catholicism?
jon, it is heresy to claim that the Sacraments cannot be legitimately used for political purposes. You continue to fail to understand that Jesus is both man and God and that the faithful who receive the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist share in these two important features. Being thus, it is inescapable that the faithful be involved in politics. jon, read the Great Commission, which commands the Church to involve Herself in politics … “disciple the nations”. St Paul tells us that we shall “stand before kings”.
Skai, your comment here lacks any logical sense. The laity are indeed called to bring the Gospel to the secular world, including politics.
Where you are very wrong, and where you are being sacrilegious, is your calling our bishops to use the Sacraments for the party-political gain.
Additionally, your comments do not negate the fact that the bishops here, in this call to enter into the novena, has indeed ACTED on behalf of pro-life, your call to excommunicate a bunch of un-catechized, willful politicians NOTWITHSTANDING! This action by the bishops reveals the unwarranted anti-clergy rants of many folks here.
There are no anti-clergy rants on this site, jon. There may be harsh criticism and labeling, but these are not unwarranted, and whether in rant form or otherwise, they are the expressions of souls rising up on the most grave of all battlefields in Church history, or at least of similar gravity. You can write off a million abortions per year as of no more consequence than a handful of state executions of violent criminals … but you do not speak for the Church and neither do bishops who hype that non-cause to the hilt while glad handing the politicians who push the slaughter of the innocents and try to regularize a sin that cries out to Heaven for vengeance. Which of the other four sins that cry out to God do you next plan to “forgive”, jon?
I think what jon was trying to point out is that the same fault that is manifested by the disobedient politicians — lack of docility to the bishops — is manifested by some who post here.
Skai, stop fooling yourself. You are one of the loudest anti-clergy ranters on this blog. I know, because I notice it here often.
Helen, you should also oppose bad clergy. When the Pope himself tells the bishops to become holy, it is because they are not. A bishop has no meaning in life if he is not holy. Jesus called such people “whited sepulchres filled with dead men’s bones”, and that was specifically referring to those religious leaders who did not even have the benefit of the Holy Spirit indwelling them. How much more worthless are bishops who cannot even strive for holiness when they have the resource of union with God through the Holy Eucharist?
Anonymous, “docility to bishops”? What about faith in Jesus? Why would anyone in their right mind choose to be docile to a faithless bishop? You have yet to explain what good a bishop who is not holy is.
jon, you do not know that ‘Catholic’ politicians are uncatechised.
If they are, that is their Diocese Bishop’s fault as well.
According to the CCC the Bishop’s first responsibility is to teach.
If any Bishop has not instructed those in his Diocese to read the CCC, shame on him.
Any literate person over age 16 can easily read and understand the CCC.
The bishops have admonished the politicians. It is the politicians responsibility for ignoring the bishops. They have been told not to approach the sacrament. Should they do so in disobedience, they are increasing their sin.
jon, I read the USCCB novena prayers. They start out good, but then frizzle away into some sort of absurdity. Go to EWTN and you’ll find infinitely better novena prayers. No doubt there are other sites, too, maybe even sites with novenas written by faithful bishops or priests, that would be excellent to engage with.
There is nothing wrong with the novena, Skai. What is wrong is your attitude of contempt and dissent against the clergy of the Catholic Church, which is evident in your many comments on this blog.
Well, Maryanne Leonard, I guess you told me! So did you get out of the wrong side of the bed today? I was only referring to the ABOMINABLE spelling done by Alan, and NOTHING ELSE. In fact I congratulated Alan on one of his major points re his post, and that was when he mentioned the excommunication of pro-abort Catholic politicians. Your response to me comes under the heading of NOT minding one’s one business. Just being fraternal, Maryanne, nothing personal intended. GOD BLESS EVERYONE, MARKRITE (sorry I capitalized everything in the last sentence, Maryanne, just being emphatic. Pace, Maryanne)
Markrite, thank you for your response. I do see the humor in my pointing out your failings in criticizing a poor speller mercilessly and saying we shouldn’t be criticizing each other while I busily point out your failings. I don’t know how to say, “Hey, let’s make nice,” without implying that someone has not been doing so. If you figure out how to do that, do let us know. Capitalizing everything is a worse failing in my books than poor spelling. Poor spelling may be due to mental deficiencies or sloppiness or lack of caring, but writing in all caps is seen as “flaming,” meaning screaming in anger, the result of which is the writer is likely to be ignored. It is visually hard to read and emotionally upsetting to imagine the writer is screaming at you. Now I’m sure all this sounds like criticism, but I too mean it fraternally, just to let you know, in case you do not, how capital letters are perceived. I really do want to “hear” what you have to say, so I often try to struggle through it, yet today I wound up feeling sorry for the excoriated misspeller. I truly do think we should all try our human best to stick to exchange of ideas and information, or even interesting insights and stories, and avoid criticizing each other unnecessarily when possible, except of course denouncing sins and serious major failings of all kinds. Without slashing people’s hides. I’m thinking it takes reminding one another: me, you; and you, me. Maybe one day it may become second nature to us all, or am I dreaming here?
It’s so funny to read the comments above from some of the people who incessantly complain that the US bishops aren’t doing anything about abortion. Why don’t you people congratulate the bishops on this wonderful call to the laity to take part in the novena? Why don’t you do the humble thing and apologize for the falsehoods you repeatedly write here that the bishops do NOTHING for abortion.
jon if you find that humorous, then you are laughing about something you have imagined and are in denial. It’s no laughing matter, the proof is in the pudding. There are many other concerns that have already been proven that our church needs to go back to Christ, especially since Obama was voted in by many unfaithful Catholics or mislead Catholics.
I hate all this dishonesty and denial. jon telling from your comments, something is not right. If you deny the problems within our church by those in charge, then I don’t know what to tell you.
The only thing I can think of is that bad will is what blinds one spiritually.
jon, because many Faithful Catholics have been praying Rosaries and Novena’s to stop abortion since 1973. This is not new, but it is important.
Prayer is always crucial whether Bishops say so or not.
When Bishops tell us to pray because they do not want to do their jobs, it is also scandalous.
Many US Bishops have avoided or refused to address the mortal sin of SCANDAL by those within their own Diocese.
Those who commit SCANDAL must REPENT and PUBLICALLY REPAIR the damage caused by their scandal.
SCANDAL causes the loss of Souls.
PAUL, The bishops are not telling us to pray “because they do not want to do their jobs.” They’re telling us to pray so that abortion in this country may stop!
Please do this novena. In addition to prayers it has works of reparation.
I googled up “pilgrimage novena” and selected the usccb link; and there it is, easy to use. I never thought I’d be acting on any of k’s suggestions, but what the hey, why not cafeteria pick at what the usccb puts out? After all, they’re not all bad apples.
While we’re on the subject of “disorders” in our Church, has anyone read AA-1025?
What is the real scandal on this thread is the implied dislike of people with same-sex attraction. In some parts of tlhe country they are called homosexuals. People who do not have same sex attraction are called heterosexual. Both are born of mothers. Both are people born in the likeness of God. Both are worthy of our prayers, our respect and our love. Where there is love, there is God. A hate of homosexuals is not accepted Catholic behavior. Considering homosexuals less that worthy of God’s love is not Catholic behavior. When we go to church, we don’t accuse people of being “sodomistes”. Who came up with that one. We don’t ask heterosexual people if they are living with an unmarried partner, if they are single, if they are in a chaste relationship. It is none of our business. Many people on this site need to join the family of God and stop hating other people. We just witnessed one of the greatest inaugurations in our history. The blessings of God were requested every few minutes. We, the people who write on this site need to ask the blessings of God so that there will be less hate in the world, more love of everyone, more social justice for those who need it. Read the poem that was read at this morning’s ceremony. That is what we should inspire to be. Unhappy people are never happy and never enjoy the greatness of life.
It is the use of the sacred Sacraments of the Church for political gain and advantage that likewise brings scandal.
It is the public castigation of the anointed shepherds of the Church by the uninformed and half-informed members of their flock that also bring A LOT of scandal to the Church.
Look at yourselves first people before you castigate others for by your own castigations you condemn yourselves!
Ho Hum! The bishops are pro-life! 55 million dead babies too late. When are they going to get serious with their liberal friends in congress? How about excommunicatig all nominally Catholic politicians who perpetuate the American holocaust? Roe v Wade will stand as long as we have liberal judges. We will have liberal judges as long as we have liberal politicians.
What part of that syllogism do they not understand? I shall NEVER vote for a pro-choice politician. If all Catholics did the same we could stop marching through San Francisco every year getting insulted by the perverts. We CAN defeat the culture of death, but only through the ballot box. We need our prelates to set the example. They are sinning by their neglect. They are letting us down.
I am woefully disappointed in Cdl. Dolan. He could have shown courage, instead he kissed Obama’s ring. He addressed the convention of the party of death, abortion, and perversion, and gave them his blessings. He kissed up to the same unholy alliance of perverts and abortionists at the Al Smith dinner. Myself, I would not be seen within ten miles of such an event! I no longer have any faith in our bishops.