Today the Holy Father appointed the Most Rev. George Vance Murry, S.J., formerly bishop of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, as Bishop of Youngstown, OH. Youngstown had previously been without a bishop since March 31, 2005.
Bishop George Vance Murry was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1948. In 1972, he became a member of the Jesuits religious. (more…)
Of the many attacks against the Catholic Church today, most all come from members within the Church. In fact, reports from Rome indicate that the Pope is isolated and resisted at the Vatican. Phil Lawler of Catholic World News translates Italian journalist Ignazio Ingrao as saying. "The Pontiff has faced stiff resistance in his effort to reform the Roman Curia and to broaden access to the traditional Mass." [1]
To add to the Pope's suffering there is the gravity of scandal caused by a large majority of U.S. Cardinals and Bishops who aid and abet hundreds of U.S. 'Catholic' politicians, both Democrat and Republican, in their support of abortion while continuing sacrilegious reception of Holy Communion.
Because the Pope has no prisons for disobedient hierarchy, the Catholic faithful have no other recourse than to write en masse to the Pope regarding out-of-control U.S. bishops such as Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington.
Do you agree that Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. should obediently enforce Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law as the Vatican has explicitly instructed all bishops to do? If you agree, would you be willing to write the Pope a letter, asking him not to appoint activist Archbishop Wuerl to the College of Cardinals? Then, perhaps, Archbishop Wuerl would become obedient to the Pope. Why reward a disobedient Archbishop who gives scandal to millions of faithful?
I will show you at the bottom of this column how there is a way our letters might actually be read by the Pope.
This is an important time for such a letter writing campaign. There is usually a consistory of the Cardinals called by the Pope in February or in June for the purpose of naming new Cardinals. Usually, an Archbishop will not receive the red hat as long as the previous Cardinal is still alive [in this case, that would be Cardinal Theodore McCarrick]. However, Washington, D.C. is too important a Cardinal 'See' for the Pope not to make an exception to the usual practice.
Therefore, a letter writing campaign to the Holy Father may be most effective at this time, explaining why you believe Archbishop Wuerl's disobedience should not be rewarded with the red hat of a Cardinal.
Below is a wealth of information or 'talking points' that you could use in your letter to the Pope. However, we must discipline ourselves to keep the letter brief and concise, preferably one page in length.
Also provided herein are very helpful, substantiated hyperlinks. Each of these links could be printed out and attached to your letter to the Pope, if you so desire.
It is important that we keep our letter to the Pope very polite and kind. Our letter should show it is written by a faithful Catholic who has grave concerns regarding Archbishop Donald Wuerl's disobedience.
Here are the talking points. Use some or all of these points in your letter to the Pope:
— Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington recently told journalist Allyson Smith that he would not discipline nor deny Holy Communion to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, nor to other Catholic politicians who promote and legislate procured abortion. [2] Wuerl knows well that Pelosi, a dissident Catholic who calls herself a 'conservative Catholic,' has repeatedly voted 100% to uphold abortion and abortion of partially born children who are up to 9-months of age in the womb, as well as voted against parental notification when minor girls seek murderous abortions. [3]
Congressman Nancy Pelosi told reporters during a 2004 press conference:
"I fully intend to receive Communion, one way or another. That's very important to me…. I believe that my position on choice [abortion on demand] is one that is consistent with my Catholic upbringing, which said that every person has a free will and has the responsibility to live their lives in a way that they would have to account for in the end. I'm certainly concerned when the Church comes together and says it's going to sanction people in public office for speaking their conscience and what they believe." [4]
— Archbishop Wuerl recently told reporters it is his policy that those who are manifestly [publicly] obstinate and persistent in their grave sins are not to be disciplined but are to be catechised in the faith.
— How is it that Archbishop Wuerl can refuse to discipline Nancy Pelosi? He is in obstinate opposition to Cardinal Ratzinger's [now Pope Benedict XVI] Eucharistic instruction to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB] during their June 2004 Denver conference. Entitled 'Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion,' Cd. Ratzinger warned the U.S. Bishops regarding pro-abortion politicians trying to receive the Eucharist sacrilegiously: "The minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it." Cardinal Ratzinger did not say 'could,' or 'may,' but that the minister 'must' refuse to give it. [5]
— It is time for U.S. Catholic laity to ask the Pope if Archbishop Wuerl can continue to ignore what His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect for The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, strongly warned the U.S. bishops in April 2004, that a pro-abortion politician "is not fit" to receive Holy Communion, adding, "If they should not receive, then they should not be given."
— 'Inside the Vatican' magazine interviewed Francis Cardinal Arinze, asking the question: "Should those Catholic pro-choice politicians be given Holy Communion?" Cardinal Arinze answered:
— In June 2004, Bishop Donald Wuerl, then Bishop of Pittsburgh, was a member of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick's Ad Hoc Committee that drafted the USCCB's Denver Spring Meeting statement regarding denying manifest grave sinners of the Eucharist. The Committee statement falsely told the all bishops that Cardinal Ratzinger [now Pope Benedict] left it up to the USCCB whether to deny the gravely manifest sinner the Eucharist. The instruction from Cd. Ratzinger "Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion" that the minister 'must deny' the Eucharist was not incorporated into the Ad Hoc Committee's statement:
— For the past several years, the USCCB has denied 'Rainbow Sashers' from receiving Holy Communion. These are persons publicly wearing the 'gay and lesbian' rainbow colors and who either live the 'gay' and 'lesbian' lifestyle or who promote it. Why is it that the USCCB will not deny public politicians promoting and legislating procured abortion from receiving Holy Communion? Is not murder of the child just as evil as sodomite lust in the eyes of God?
— In August 2005, as Bishop of Pittsburg, Wuerl released a statement entitled: "Episcopal Pastoral Decisions and Ecclesial Communion." In his statement, Bishop Wuerl called for all bishops of the USCCB to consult with each other on 'controversial issues' before taking individual action. Then, having arrived at a majority consensus, a decision would be imposed by the USCCB upon all bishops. Wuerl's statement clearly confronted Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis, and 11 other active U.S. diocesan bishops, plus 2 inactive bishops. Out of the 226 dioceses in the U.S., only 14 diocesan bishops publicly stated they must deny the Eucharist to persons who obstinately persist in their grave manifest sins. [7] In other words, the 14 active diocesan bishops who opposed Holy Communion for persons who were persistent and obstinate in their grave manifest sins caused real difficulties for the other 212 active diocesan bishops. In addition, Bishop Wuerl's proposed statement wrongfully intended to silence and restrain those 14 faithful bishops in their own Sees, especially during a time when the Catholic Church in America desperately needs for its bishops to not be afraid to lead.
— Bishop Rene Gracida and Fr. J. Patrick Serna wrote a most revealing essay entitled 'A Mechanism for Restraint: An Analysis of a Proposal To Rein in Activist Bishops.' The well-documented and important essay explains Archbishop Wuerl's statement as a source of confusion couched in obfuscating language and an attempt to silence faithful bishops.
— Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law definitely teaches the person who is persistently obstinate in his or her grave manifest sin must be denied the Eucharist. [8]
— Archbishop Raymond Burke, Juris Canonis Doctor, [9] Archbishop of St. Louis, told this writer in a recent interview:
— Canon Law expert Archbishop Raymond Burke said: "Canon 915 is not an option. Those persons who obstinately persist in grave manifest sin after having been spoken to by their bishop, must be denied the Eucharist."
— The period of time that it takes a bishop to privately warn the sinner is relatively short, a matter of days or weeks. A letter is sent to the obstinate sinner in question, asking to meet with the bishop who will clarify the church's teachings and remind the manifest sinner he or she is jeopardizing the life of their eternal soul. If the sinner refuses to meet with the bishop, the bishop further informs the public sinner of the gravity of his or her actions. If the sinner still remains obstinate and persists in his or her mortal sin in a manifest way, then the bishop notifies his priests and deacons that the sinner should be denied Holy Communion. The catechesis of the faith will continue from the Bishop to the sinner for however long it takes, but until the public sinner's public conversion, the Eucharist is to be denied.
— If Archbishop Wuerl remains disobedient, the result will be the continued disintegration of the Catholic Church's infallible teachings regarding the right to life for the unborn.
— In a recent address, Archbishop Burke spoke about the importance of causing scandal to others: "So serious is the moral obligation to avoid scandal that we are admonished not only not to do wrong but also not to appear to do wrong. When a person acts, he or she must always consider the appearance of the act to be done."
— Recently, Fr. Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, a prominent worldwide pro-life organization, told LifeSite.com: "I don't believe Archbishop Wuerl is doing his job," and that Ms. Pelosi should be excommunicated. [11]
For this work of letter writing to be effective, Pope Benedict himself must read the letters. With a billion Catholics in the world, you can see the problem one has; it is simply impossible for the Pope to see, much less read, the thousands of letters that pour into the Vatican every day addressed to him. Letters addressed to the Pope that are not from a bishop get delivered at the office of the Secretary of State where they are read by monsignors and are answered by the Office of the Secretary of State or are delivered to the Nuncio to be answered by him or are delivered to the Ordinary of the diocese of the writer to be answered by him.
I have reasons to believe that a letter written to the Pope concerning Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, enclosed in an envelope addressed to the Pope's private secretary, Monsignor Georg Gäenswein, would in fact reach the pope. In addition, within the same envelope addressed to Monsignor Gäenswein, wisely write a separate and very short request to Monsignor Gäenswein, 'begging' him to give your enclosed letter to the Pope. When the Monsignor reads your polite letter to the Pope, it may compel him to give the Pope your letter.
For all that I have read and have been told about how mail delivery works at the Vatican, I believe that mail addressed to Monsignor Gäenswein actually reaches Monsignor Gäenswein. Therefore, may I repeat, we should address the outside envelope to Monsignor Gäenswein, put our concise letter to the Pope [including any attachments you have printed out] in the same envelope, and lastly include a short request to Monsignor Gäenswein begging him to give your letter to the Pope.
Be sure to put the following postage to Italy on your envelope:
Up to 1 oz. = $ .84
Up to 2 oz. = $l.70
Up to 3 oz. = $2.55
Up to 4 oz. = $3.35
Up to 5 oz. = $4.20
Up to 6 oz. = $5.05
Up to 7 oz. = $5.90
Up to 8 oz. = $6.75
Address your envelope to:
Msgr. Georg Gäenswein
Private Secretary to Holy Father
00120 Via del Pellegrino
Citta del Vaticano
Note bene: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said: "Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops, and your religious act like religious." [12]
NOTES:
Retired:
Bishop Henry Rene Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, TX
Archbishop John F. Donoghue Archbishop of Atlanta, GA
Barbara Kralis writes for various Christian and conservative publications. Her columns have been featured at RenewAmerica.us, Catholic World Report, Alliance Defense Fund, Intellectual Conservative, Life Issues, Catholic Culture, The Wanderer newspaper, Phil Brennan's WOW, ChronWatch, North Carolina Conservative, MichNews, Catholic Citizens, Illinois Family Institute, Illinois Leader, New Oxford Review, Seattle Catholic, Faithful Voice, NewsBull, and others. She and her husband, Mitch, live in the great State of Texas, and co-direct the Jesus Through Mary Catholic Foundation. She can be reached at: AveMaria@earthlink.net
© Copyright 2007 by Barbara Kralis
The 2007 Catholic Blog Awards are soon approaching, so its time to start thinking about your favorite blogs and who you want to nominate! The nomination process will begin on Sunday, February 4 at noon CST and end on Friday, February 9 at noon CST. Voting will be held the week on February 12-16. This year's categories have been refined to help remove some of the redundancy that was seen in years past. The listing of the categories is as follows: (more…)
Did you know there are serious cracks in the cement of western civilization? To repair these, two books work excellently well together. While one is fiction and the other non-fiction, together they provide food for thought to supercharge our diet of 21st Century Catholic perspective.
The Decline & Fall of the Catholic Church in America by David Carlin (Sophia Institute Press) addresses the real causes of the disintegration of Catholicism in America. Brilliantly defining the three powerful social forces storming against the Catholic Church in America, this is must reading and re-reading for every concerned Catholic. I would choose this work over owning a thousand mediocre Catholic books.
If one were to ask what is the single most important chapter of all – and believe me when I say all are excellent and timely – but my vote would firmly be cast for Chapter 25, “Losing the Catholic Voice Will Harm American Culture.” This analysis is so good one is tempted to memorize it word-for-word. It shows where the Catholic Church kept rising in influence until the 1960s – then declined due to three powerful forces.
I believe this 30-year interruption was only temporary – a darkest-before-the-dawn scenario – and now in 2007 the Catholic Church will resume where it left off, if we regain the perspective in this book. And if this book is used in conjunction with its counterpart in timely fiction, Museum of Heretics by Stephen Volk (available now at Lulu.com). Together, both books are essential!
As the 54-year old author of Museum of Heretics, I hadn’t first read The Decline & Fall of the Catholic Church in America till two weeks after publication of Museum of Heretics. You can imagine my surprise when I realized how the Holy Spirit and His endless true creativity led one author in fiction and another in non-fiction to present to the world two timely and pleasantly urgent books! These two books have the complementariness of Paul and Timothy; of true doctrine with true morality. Like the Apostles going out two-by-two, these books going to the world two-by-two will revolutionize! If these were the only two books one read and re-read in 2007, one’s Catholic literary diet would be immensely gratified and satiated.
Let me shout it from the house tops! Don’t go blindly into 2007 and beyond without the powerful illumination of these two books. The Decline & Fall of the Catholic Church in America (Hardcover from Sophia Institute Press @ Alibris.com) and Museum of Heretics (Hardcover and paperback @ Lulu.com). Surely they are must reading for every Catholic home and high school, college, rectory and retirement home library! Together, like a 21st century Paul and Timothy, they are a force to turn things around…
Today the Holy Father accepted the resignation of the Most Rev. John J. Nevins from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Venice, FL where he has served as bishop for 22 years. Bishop Nevins resignation was accepted on the day of his 75th birthday.
Bishop Nevins is succeeded by Bishop Frank Dewane, Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, whom Bishop Nevins consecrated as bishop in July of 2006. We wish Bishop Nevins the best of luck in his retirement and ask God’s blessing upon Bishop Dewane as he begins his ministry as chief shepherd in the Diocese of Venice
We don’t often think of it in those terms any more. But the immutable fact for our souls is that Liberalism is a sin! Liberalism is radical immorality…
As a fraction of our society becomes burned out on sin - that is, burned out on the false promises and strong delusions of "spirit of the age" Liberalism - there is a refreshing turn to Catholicism and orthodoxy. Perhaps there is no higher indication of this, at the moment, than the EWTN Journey Back Home television show.
Meanwhile, Liberalism continues to "just take over." It was because of this I felt a dire need to write Museum of Heretics (now available at Lulu.com). A satirical novel with all the classical ingredients of satire, it emerged as an entertaining story with a serious message: As we study the inner life of Father Elmo Walsh of Dyersville, Nebraska, who cannot esacpe the fact he is being overcome by Liberalism.
I heartily recommend this new book to Catholic Readers ages 14-90, as it expressly is directed to our 21st century predicament in North America. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and so this is definitely soft, gentle satire, done in fun but with a most serious message.
As the old saying goes, before we can attempt to solve any problem, we must first define it. Museum of Heretics is a novel with a "very thin gloss of fiction" presenting in an entertaining way, the snake-like snares of Liberalism. As a 54-year old author who has lived in 14 countries - whose great uncle cast the deciding vote for Pope John Paul I - I want you to trust me when I say this novel is "must reading" for your home, school, church and community libraries.
Are you an amateur Catholic writer looking for a place to display your talents? cyberCatholics.com is looking for guest contributors and you’re invited! Send an email to Josh telling him you want to have your articles published for all to see. If you’ve applied in the past, we ask that you please reapply and you will be up and running in no time thanks to our new publishing system!
One of the chief symbols of the early Church is the fish symbol, the Symbolum maius. The Sacred and essential characteristic of the Christian fish symbol passes throughout time unchanged and preserved in 
Sacred Tradition. The holy, ancient, outward symbol represents our Lord and the Eucharist, in association with the loaves of bread and the fishes. The fish symbol was derived from the Greek word for fish, Ιχθυς [or ichthus], and became a holy acrostic for "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour." [1]
Contrary to Sacred Tradition, [2] Cardinal Roger Mahony's Archdiocese of Los Angeles 'Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Catholics' [MLGC], under his Episcopal authority, has robbed this ancient symbol of its sacredness, mutating and deforming the Christian Eucharistic fish symbol into a profane external sign of the homosexual subculture.
Cardinal Mahony instructs his nearly 5 million Catholic members to "see in the [gay] fish pin a sign of recognition of our lesbian and gay sisters and brothers." Is Cardinal Mahony trying to hook his already desensitized laity with this fishy bait?
The Cardinal is perversely distorting a once holy and revered symbol used not only by the early Christians but today's Christians as well. Through the gift of the same Sacred Tradition the Apostles received from Christ, the early Christians recognized one another in the image of the fish during the persecution of their Church. [3]
Most harmful are the Cardinal's attempts to further confuse his priests, religious, and laity by 'normalizing' the homosexual idioms 'lesbian' and 'gay' using the 'gay' Rainbow colored fish.
Let us examine how damaging is Cardinal Mahony's normalization of homosexuality, especially now when once again Californians are battling evil legislation which would permit 'homosexual marriage' in their state of California. [4]
The idioms 'lesbian' and 'gay' signify same-sex unions between two or more persons. 'Lesbian' and 'gay' couples boldly assert that one's same-sex perversion is equal to heterosexual, traditional marriage. [5] The 'lesbian' and 'gay' idioms denote 'acting out,' or openly and freely promoting and seeking the sodomite lifestyle. A popular gay chant is "We're here, we're queer, get used to it!"
No one can honestly refute that the same-sex 'lesbian' and 'gay' culture subverts and degrades procreation in traditional marriage. 'Lesbians' and 'gays' have, because of their same-sex perversions, high disproportional rates of health problems, [6] infectious sexually transmitted diseases, mental depression,[7] drug and alcohol use, suicide, domestic abuse, child abuse and pedophilia. [8] 'Lesbian' and 'gay' acts go against God's natural law. [9] To be 'lesbian' or 'gay' means being defiantly unresponsive to the Church moral teaching about this evil. [10]
To this effect, why would any Archdiocese give normal, sacred recognition to homosexuality by the use of a Sacred Christian symbol? [11]
The Vatican has warned against such recognition. On June 3, 2003, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith [now Pope Benedict XVI] published the infallible moral document: [12] "Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons," which makes special mention of the obligation of Bishops and politicians to oppose any type of recognition of homosexual unions.
Why does Cardinal Mahony attempt to confuse others by covering the Church's Sacred fish with the homosexual Rainbow Flag colors? If the same-sex 'lesbian' and 'gay' culture is normalized, will not Los Angeles Catholics falsely accept 'lesbian' and 'gay' couples as equal to traditional 'one man and one woman' married couples?
Is the Los Angeles Archdiocese attempting to normalize the abnormal 'lesbian' and 'gay' culture?
Let us examine just how dangerous is Cardinal Mahony's Rainbow 'gay' fish and what the Rainbow Flag signifies to most all world cultures.
The homosexual movement has established the 'gay' Rainbow Flag symbol worldwide to publicly personify the 'lesbian' and 'gay' pride and perversity. [14]
Looking at the homosexual Rainbow Flag, we see it consists of six colored stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, with the red stripe on top. [15] These colors are displayed worldwide, everyday, in a myriad of ways: on flags, on sashes, on jewelry, T-shirts, parade floats, body paintings, tattoos, billboards, banners, store window displays, subtly and surreptitiously hidden signs in the most unexpected places — even recently displayed upon a Christian fish. Any sorrowful display or exhibit of this 'lesbian' and 'gay' Rainbow sign is offensive to the people of God and demonstrates opposition to the biblical promise by God to Noah of God's everlasting Covenant to mankind:
"And God said, 'This is the sign of the Covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between Me and the earth" [RSV, Gen.9:12-13]. In addition, "When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting Covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth" [RSV, Gen.9:16].
The Rainbow Flag sign is so combative that the Catholic Church forbids anyone wearing this 'lesbian' and 'gay' attire from receiving the Eucharist. It is important to understand that this Church discipline is for those persons wearing the Rainbow signs who are living the intrinsically disordered lifestyle as well as for those persons wearing the Rainbow sign who are not living the lifestyle but openly support it. The 'gay' Rainbow sign is a public statement of opposition to the Catholic Church's infallible moral teachings against homosexuality, and a public statement that the wearer condones sodomy.
Today's Eucharistic abuses "are not to be taken lightly," said Francis Cardinal Arinze recently. [16] Is Cardinal Mahony defying the Vatican's recent teachings regarding worthiness to receive Holy Communion by placing a 'gay' Rainbow upon a Sacred Christian symbol, the fish?
On February 11, 2005, in an interview with Eternal Word Television Network [EWTN] host Raymond Arroyo as reported by LifeSite, Vatican Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Francis Arinze said when asked if people wearing homosexual 'Rainbow Sashes' could receive Holy Communion:
Catholic Church. It says it is not condemning a person for having homosexual tendency. We do not condemn anybody for that. But a person stands condemned for acting on it…. The Catholic Church has never accepted homosexuality as normal. You read the scripture. It is very clear. What exactly are we examining? Are we going to change Divine Law, how God made us…. Quite another matter if a person had just the tendencies and is making (an) effort to live the Divine Law, then that is fine. So, we respect persons but be clear on the truth."
Cardinal Mahony of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has notified the 'Rainbow Sash Movement' that his Cathedral will welcome 'Rainbow Sash Members' as part of the Catholic Family to his Cathedral. Cardinal Mahony further assures members of the 'Rainbow Sash Movement' [a movement similar to the bowel movement] that when they present themselves for Holy Communion, they will receive 'it.'
Cardinal Mahony has never denied the 'Rainbow Sashers' Holy Communion, even though the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops as a whole has denied 'Rainbow Sashers' Holy Communion at each of their plenary conferences for the past several years. In 2005, the Rainbow Sash Movement issued a national call for others who oppose the Church's teachings on sodomy to join them on Pentecost Sunday by wearing the Rainbow Sash in a parish or a Cathedral.
Meanwhile, in another related fishy issue, we read a disturbing interview with the Los Angeles Times wherein Cardinal Mahony stated on December 1, 2006, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will pay $60 million to settle just 45 of the 562 clergy homosexual and sex abuse cases pending. The 517 remaining molestation lawsuits could cost Californian parishioners hundreds of millions more. The Cardinal remarked December 2, 2006, he felt energized by this decision to fight the remaining lawsuits, "I feel much more energized for the other 500 cases now." [17]
Consistently tolerant of homosexuality, Cardinal Mahony stated in a 2004 deposition related to civil trials in Los Angeles, as reported recently by the New York Times, that a priest expressing sexual urges toward a 9-year-old would not be an automatic cause for removing him from duty in his archdiocese.
Adding to the disconcerting reports on Cardinal Mahony, it is no secret he is most notable for hosting controversial and heterodox Religious Education Conferences each year. At each of these modernist annual conferences, Cardinal Mahony presides over various events and liturgies, most featuring abuses forbidden by the Vatican such as immodestly clad women liturgical dancers, rock music, pop liturgical 'vocalists' and bongo instruments. The stage 'Altar' is always absent of necessary Sacred Vessels and crucifix, while use of large illicit glass pitchers of altar wine, glass chalices and ciboria, wicker baskets of illicit altar bread, multi-colored picnic-style tablecloths in lieu of altar linens, New Age labyrinth arrangements are 'soup de jour.'
Journalist Allyson Smith covering the 2006 Convention noted no artwork nor statutes of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Saints nor Angels were found anywhere, but she noticed there was one piece of artwork in the place of Eucharistic Adoration called 'Sacred Space.' It was a painting showing the muscular backside of a man wearing only tight shorts, who was apparently "stepping into freedom." Too bad we don't have a photo of that inspiration.
The list of the 2006 annual Conference speakers teaching heretical catechesis to approximately 41,000 attendees included the usual suspects from Call to Action, Dignity, We Are Church, noted liturgical pirates, also heretical Fr. Richard Sparks,[18] as well as noted Lesbian and Gay Ministries leaders and clerics supporting the homosexual lifestyle by attacking church teachings. Included in this list was controversial Keynote speaker, Great Britain's Fr. Timothy Radcliffe.
In respect of your office, Cardinal Mahony, this writer fully understands you are a priest 'in Persona Christi.' Please do not continue to cause further scandal to the Catholic faithful by persisting in these abuses. Start the New Year 2007 A.D. by turning from error and instead faithfully and obediently follow all magisterial teachings and show respect for the Church's Sacred Traditions.
NOTES:
Cf. In "An Open Letter to the Bishops," the Catholic Medical Association Task Force on July 23, 2002, had this to say: "The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that homosexuality's "psychological genesis remains largely unexplained" (#2357). While it is understandable that the writers of the Catechism would not wish to make a definitive statement about a question which is at the center of such a contentious public debate, this statement does not accurately reflect what is known about homosexuality. There is ample evidence that same-sex attraction has many different causes. These lead to significant childhood and adolescent emotional pain and psychological problems. Among males these could include a weak masculine identity, social isolation and loneliness, peer rejection or a poor body image and in females, a mistrust of male love or a weak feminine identity. No one can say "this is the cause" for same-sex attraction as though there were a single cause, but an individual can come to understand the origins of his or her own same-sex attractions through insight gained in therapy."
Cf. NARTH, for numerous well-documented medical and psychological sources of the harmfulness of homosexuality upon society and individuals.
© Copyright 2007 by Barbara Kralis
Recently popular on Youtube, the do-it-yourself online video network, has been something called the blasphemy challenge. The purpose of this "challenge" is to have individuals make vidoes that deny the existence of the Holy Spirit and then post these videos online. Purportedly they are attempting to commit the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Now comes a rebuttal by Deacon Chris Decker, co-founder of cyberCatholics.com and catholicunderground.com His answer to this is the creation of the "Confessional Challenge" in which he invites individuals to create a video of themselves reciting the Creed to show their belief in God.
You can view the website he has setup at ConfessionalChallege.com (more…)