Novus Ordo: Latest Francis Buffoonery and "Going on's" in the Cult of Man
This blog is loaded with the latest from the Vatican II cult of man.
Please pray for Conversions Vatican II is not our Faith nor Gospel.
Francis: God can only love and not condemn??
(Vatican Radio) "Pope"
Francis says God can only love and not condemn and that love is His
weakness and our victory. He said we are so closely bound to God’s love
that nothing can sever us from it. That was the message at the heart of
the Pope’s homily delivered on Thursday (29th October) at the Santa
Marta residence.Taking his cue from St Paul’s letter to the Romans, Pope Francis’s homily was a reflection on God’s unwavering love for us and how no person, or power or thing can separate us from this love. He said St Paul explains how Christians are the victors because “if God is for us, who can be against us.” This gift from God, he continued, is being held by Christians in their own hands and it’s almost as if they could say in a triumphalistic manner, “now we are the champions!” But the meaning is another: we are the victors not because we are holding this gift in our hands but for another reason. And that is because “nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
“It’s not because we are the victors over our enemies, over sin. No! We are so closely bound to God’s love that no person, no power, nothing can ever separate us from this love. Paul saw beyond the gift, he saw more, who is giving that gift: it is a gift of recreation, it’s a gift of regeneration in Jesus Christ. He saw God’s love. A love that cannot be explained.”
God’s impotence is His inability not to love
Pope Francis noted that every man, every woman can refuse this gift by preferring their own vanity, pride or sin but despite this God’s gift is always there for us.
“The gift is God’s love, a God who can’t sever himself from us. That is the impotence of God. We say: ‘God is all powerful, He can do everything!” Except for one thing: Sever Himself from us! In the gospel, that image of Jesus who weeps over Jerusalem, helps us understand something about that love. Jesus wept! He wept over Jerusalem and that weeping is all about God’s impotence: his inability to not love (us) and not sever himself from us.”
Our safeguard: God cannot condemn but only love
The Pope goes on to explain how Jesus’ weeping over Jerusalem that kills its prophets and those that announce its salvation is an image of God’s love and tenderness. He admonishes Jerusalem and all of us saying: “How often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you refused!” He said that is why St Paul understands and can say: “I am certain of this: neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nothing already in existence and nothing still to come, nor any power, nor the heights nor the depths, nor any created thing whatever will be able to come between us and the love of God.”
“It’s impossible for God to not love us! And this is our safeguard. I can refuse that love, I can refuse just like the Good Thief did, until the end of his life. But that love was waiting for him there. The most wicked and the most blasphemous person is loved by God with the tenderness of a father. And just as Paul said, as the Gospel said, as Jesus said: ‘Like a hen with her brood.’ And God the all-powerful, the Creator can do everything: God weeps! All of God’s love is contained in this weeping by Jesus over Jerusalem and in those tears. God weeps for me when I move away from him: God weeps for each one of us: God weeps for the evil people who do so many bad things, cause so much harm to mankind… He is waiting, he is not condemning (us) and he is weeping. Why? Because he loves (us)!”
Has He ever read Scripture?
Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in
thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy
name?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
Pope: Now's the time to end indifference, 'false neutrality'
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Wishing for a year better than 2015, Pope Francis on Friday called for an end to the "arrogance of the powerful" that relegates the weak to the outskirts of society, and to the "false neutrality" toward conflicts, hunger and persecution that triggers exoduses of refugees.
In his New Year's homily,
Francis emphasized the need to "let ourselves be reborn, to overcome the
indifference which blocks solidarity, and to leave behind the false
neutrality which prevents sharing.(aka...socialism)"
After
celebrating Mass, the pope came to the window of a Vatican palazzo
overlooking St. Peter's Square to offer new year's wishes to a crowd of
tens of thousands of tourists and Romans cheering him from below.
"At
the start of the year, it's lovely to exchange wishes. Let's renew, to
one another, the desire that that which awaits us is a little better"
than what last year brought, Francis said. "It is, after all, a sign of
the hope that animates us and invites us all to believe in life.""We know, however, that with the new year, everything won't change and that many of yesterday's problems will also remain tomorrow," the pope said, adding that he was making a "wish sustained by a real hope."
As
he did in his homily earlier in St. Peter's Basilica, the pope issued a
caution that "the enemy of peace isn't only war, but also
indifference," and he decried "barriers, suspicions, fears and closures"
toward others.
See the New Age on "sharing"
Vatican II heretical ecumenism does not teach conversion
Pope's prayer intentions for January: Dialogue, peace, and unity
Ex-papal functionary says she will go to jail
‘I’ll give birth and write a book there’, Chaouqui says
[If (as she expects) the court does not vindicate her, then she will
refuse any pardon from FrankenPope (an expected and supposedly grand
gesture of mercy on his part during his Year of Mercy)]
She said that she would use the time in jail to write a book “on my story”.
In 2015 Significantly Fewer People Wanted to See the "Pope"
The total number of participants at papal events declined over the previous year from 5.9 to 3.2 million.Vatican City (kath.net/ KAP) In his third year in office, Pope Francis has apparently lost much of his appeal to visitors: 2015 halved the total number of participants at papal events at the Vatican over the previous year from 5.9 to 3.2 million people. This emerges from participant statistics for 2015, published the Vatican on Wednesday. In his first year in office in 2013, approximately 6.6 million participants were registered at his election in March to December.
According to the statistics of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household in 2015 a total of nearly 1.6 million people came to the Angelus prayer with the Pope in St. Peter’s Square, 700,000 attended the General Audiences and another 500,000 who attend Mass with the Pope. Francis received 400,000 people in special audiences in the Vatican. The foreign trips of the Pope and his visits to the diocese of Rome are not included in the statistics.
Francis approaches thus the number of participants for events in papal pontificate of Benedict XVI. in his last year in office in 2012, with 2.35 million people coming to the audiences, Angelus prayers and Masses. For a general audience the Pope averaged in 2015 almost 17,000 people. The highest number of participants were reported at a total of 120,000 people General Audiences in October, when the Synod of Bishops in Rome met.
The statistics are based on estimates, the Vatican has said. For access to the St. Peter’s Square or in the Paul VI Audience Hall entrance cards are required for general audiences, which are issued free of charge. The people who follow the General Audiences from the areas outside St. Peter’s Square are not statistically recorded. Participation in the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square is not regulated.
Interview with Rome chief exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth
Exclusive: Interview with Rome chief exorcist Fr. Gabriele Amorth
On Fatima: “The Consecration has not yet been made”
On the synod: “It pleases me that the Pope has called the Synod on the Family”!?
Mauro Faverzani
December 30, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – It is only a year and a half to the anniversary of the first hundred years of the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima. Our Lady here made explicit reference to the evils that would come from Russia, were it not to be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart. Since then, maybe with some delay, various consecrations have been actually carried out – of Russia and the world – several times and by different Popes. Solemn among them, that of 25 March 1984, led by John Paul II, with all the world’s bishops.
But Father Gabriele Amorth, 90, known as the dean of the exorcists, as well as a prolific author, does not believe that what was requested by the Blessed Virgin has, in fact, been fulfilled. He asserts in fact that,
“the Consecration has not yet been made. I was there on March 25 in St. Peter’s Square, I was in the front row, practically within touching distance of the Holy Father. John Paul II wanted to consecrate Russia, but his entourage did not, fearing that the Orthodox would be antagonized, and they almost almost thwarted him. Therefore, when His Holiness consecrated the world on his knees, he added a sentence not included in the distributed version that instead said to consecrate “especially those nations of which you yourself have asked for their consecration.” So, indirectly, this included Russia. However, a specific consecration has not yet been made. You can always do it. Indeed, it will certainly be done … “.LifeSite: Our Lady had foretold at Fatima the blood of martyrs, if penance were not done. The blood of the martyrs has begun to flow copiously: how long will it be before God sends His punishment?
Fr. Amorth: “Look, today there are more martyrs than during the first centuries of Christianity. Just think of the Middle East, where so many Christians are killed simply because they are Christian. There is a huge amount of martyrs! But let us not forget what our Lady said: “In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, which will be converted and the world will be granted a period of peace “… Soon we will have great happenings.”
LifeSite: When?
Fr. Amorth: “It is hard to give details of what you do not live. I’m not a prophet. At one time, Israel pulled away from God to embrace idolatry. Prophets were treated very badly. Finally God punished. Today the world does not turn from God because it is idolatrous; rather it pursues pure atheism, so as to put science on the altar. But science does not create; it only discovers that which God has made. In turning away from the Lord, its breakthroughs are put to disastrous use. Without the Lord, progress too is misused. We see it in laws that go totally against nature such as divorce, abortion, ‘gay marriage’ … we have forgotten God! Therefore, God will soon admonish humanity in a very powerful manner, He knows how to remind us of His presence.”
LifeSite: There are rumors that you had recently indicated a period of eight months, maybe less … But, as I understand it, there is not a precise time…
Fr. Amorth: “I think it is early. I think we are close. More and more so. The Lord will make Himself heard, and the world will respond. I look at all this with optimism, because God always acts for us to obtain a greater good than the punishments inflicted, which are meant to open the eyes of humanity, which has forgotten and abandoned him. I always remember the rhyme of Metastasio: “Wherever I look, / immense God, I see: /in Your works I admire you, / I recognize You in myself.” We should always seek the Lord, we can not forget the origin, the First Cause, as unfortunately happens today … I was with Padre Pio for 26 years and remember how furious he was about the invention of television: “You will see what it will do!” he said. It has also allowed good things. But I’m very much in the midst of people and see how many people have been ruined by television and the Internet. ”
LifeSite: You spoke about the laws against nature, of divorce, of gay unions, … These are the themes of the two Synods on the Family, the Extraordinary held last year and the next one, the Ordinary. Do you believe that these issues have been adequately addressed, or should they be addressed from another perspective at the next meeting in October?
Fr. Amorth: “Certainly it pleases me that the Pope has called the Synod on the Family. But you have to aim to the united family. Divorce has been a disaster; abortion has been a disaster. Each year 50 million children are murdered by abortion. And euthanasia, the broken family, cohabitation … It is all destruction! The Lord gave us sex for a purpose and He also declared: “May no man divide what God has joined.” One thing is sexual fun; another is love. Today there is much talk of love, but there truly is none! Precisely in Fatima did Our Lady say to the young, seven-year old, Jacinta: “the sin that brings the most souls to hell is the impure sin,” the sin of the flesh. She said this to a young girl, who did not even know what it was! We must listen to that which Our Lady says.”
Words, that in any case indicate as reasonable a single stance: conversion, penance, prayer.
Springfield Bishop Rebukes Abp. Blase Cupich & His False Notion of ‘Conscience’
[The bishop who should have been Cardinal George’s successor in Chicago]
by Christine NilesIn a rare move, the bishop of Springfield, Illinois is publicly correcting fellow Illinois prelate Abp. Blase Cupich of Chicago and his false notion of “conscience.”
In a letter to the editor published over the weekend in The State Journal-Register, Bp. Thomas Paprocki responded to a local dissenting Catholic who had praised Abp. Cupich for his erroneous remarks about Holy Communion. John Freml, author of the letter and local leader in the dissident groups Call to Action and Equally Blessed, had written on December 20:
As Archbishop Cupich said, “I think that when people come for Communion, it’s not up to any minister who’s distributing the Eucharist to make a decision about a person’s worthiness or lack of worthiness. That’s on the conscience of those individuals.”Freml was referring to Cupich’s recent remarks made during and after the 2015 Synod on the Family, where he implied that Holy Communion should be open not just to the divorced and remarried, but also to others in “irregular unions.” At a Synod press briefing in October, Cupich had said, “When people come to a decision in good conscience, then our job with the Church is to help them move forward and to respect that. The conscience is inviolable, and we have to respect that when they make decisions, and I’ve always done that.”
I hope that local Catholics who have previously refrained from participating in Communion will take to heart Jesus’ message: “Take this, all of you, and eat it.” Remember that Jesus welcomed everyone to the table without condition, even Judas.
In response, Bp. Paprocki wrote that “[it] is important to set the record straight,” and that, contrary to Cupich’s claims, “Canon 916 directs those ‘conscious of grave sin’ to refrain from receiving Holy Communion.” He continued:
Individuals must form their consciences in accord with Church teaching. Conscience assesses how a person’s concrete action in a given situation accords with Church teaching — not to determine whether one agrees with or accepts Church teaching in the first place.The bishop went on to clarify that Canon 915 mandates clergy to withhold Communion from manifest, public, grave sinners. This includes those joined in invalid, non-sacramental marriages, considered adultery in Catholic teaching. Refusing Communion to such people is not about “assessing personal worthiness,” Paprocki explains, but rather meant to protect the Sacrament from sacrilege as well as prevent the harm of scandal “caused by someone’s public conduct that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ.”
It is true that Jesus welcomes everyone. But as Jesus said at the Last Supper, so we say in the eucharistic prayer at Mass, Jesus poured out His blood “for you and for many,” since not everyone accepts what Christ offers, just as Judas did not accept what Christ offered him.Bishop Paprocki has headed the Springfield diocese since 2010, and during his tenure has developed a reputation for orthodoxy. Archbishop Cupich, on the other hand, has developed a more questionable reputation during his brief time as head of the Chicago archdiocese, and has a history of willingness to offer the Eucharist to those not in communion with the Church.
In November 2014, when asked point blank on CBS’ “Face the Nation” whether he would give Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians, Cupich answered, “I would not use the Eucharist or, as you say it, the Communion rail as a place to have those discussions or a way in which people would be … excluded from the life of the Church” — this in spite of the fact that his position contradicts canon 915 of the Catholic Code of Canon Law, which states that those “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
And in a televised funeral Mass in April over which Abp. Cupich presided, the Protestant governor of Illinois, in violation of the norms of the Church, was given Holy Communion — a sacrilege. When ChurchMilitant.com reached out to the archdiocese to ask whether it had contacted the governor’s office ahead of time to advise that non-Catholics should not approach to receive Holy Communion, the archdiocese responded by saying that “when any person presents himself or herself for Holy Communion, the Minister of Communion presumes that the person can receive Communion.”
The mercy that frees us
· In his Christmas message Francis emphasizes that peace is a gift to invoke and build while on St Stephen’s he recalls the martyrs persecuted today on account of faith ·
Dec. 28, 2015
“Only God’s mercy can free humanity from the many
forms of evil, at times monstrous evil, which selfishness spawns in our midst”.
At Christmas in the Holy Year dedicated to mercy, delivering the traditional
message to the city and to the world, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of
divine grace, the only thing, he explained, that “can convert hearts and offer
mankind a way out of humanly insoluble situations”. From the central loggia of
the Vatican Basilica on Friday morning, 25 December, the Pontiff stressed that
“where God is born, hope is born”, and that “where God is born, peace is born”.
Nevertheless, however, there are many situations
of conflict that Francis chose to list regarding the most painful circumstances
humanity is experiencing in various areas of the world. He began with the place
“where the incarnate Son of God came into the world”, the Holy Land where
“tensions and violence persist”. He expressed that hope that “Israelis and
Palestinians resume direct dialogue and reach an agreement which will enable
the two peoples to live together in harmony, ending a conflict which has long
set them at odds, with grave repercussions for the entire region”.
This was followed by the invocation to the Lord
that “the agreement reached in the United Nations may succeed in halting as
quickly as possible the clash of arms in Syria and in remedying the extremely
grave humanitarian situation of its suffering people”. The Pope then noted that
“it is likewise urgent that the agreement on Libya be supported by all”. He
then called for the international community to direct its attention toward
ending the atrocities in Iraq, Libya, Yemen and sub-Saharan Africa. After
evoking “the recent massacres which took place in Egyptian airspace, in Beirut,
Paris, Bamako and Tunis”, Francis conveyed hope for a future “concord among the
peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and South Sudan”, as well
as peace in Ukraine and Colombia.
He then expressed closeness “to those who are
most vulnerable, especially child soldiers, women who suffer violence, and the
victims of human trafficking and the drug trade”, in addition to “to all those
fleeing extreme poverty or war” as well as to prisoners.
Previously, on Thursday evening, 24 December, as
he celebrated Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, the Pope called for Christmas to be
lived “in a way that is simple”, by getting back to “the ”what is essential”.
Later, at the Angelus on the 26th, the Feast of
St Stephen, he recalled the many martyrs still persecuted today on account of
their faith.
Did a Catholic seminary just open its doors to homosexuals?
According to the service, which seeks to prevent the erosion of traditional Catholic doctrine and halt the church's slide into liberalism, the seminary's new handbook states in its section on celibacy:
"Each person must come to terms with his own sexual drives and sexual orientation."
"The formation program is designed to provide guidance and assistance according to each person's needs, not to simply confront mistakes that are made. Every person experiences the force of compulsion at times. ... Both persons [homosexual and heterosexual] are capable of making and keeping a commitment to celibacy. But in either case, the expectations are the same: the ability to refrain from genital sexual experiences and the ability to avoid a style of socializing that compromises or endangers one's moral character or reputation," the handbook reads.
The handbook, according to the news service, seems to draw an uneasy equivalence between homosexual and heterosexual desire, but perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the new handbook is the exhortation that seminarians shouldn't meddle in one another's personal lives. Above all, it said, they should avoid "nurturing homophobia within the community."
The handbook also doesn't address how the church should discipline seminarians whose homosexuality is brought before the church and fails to specify their dismissal from the institution upon the discovery of homosexual "tendencies." The seminary's website, however, does claim that the school follows the guidance of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the matter.
Those guidelines instruct the seminary to follow the instructions "provided by the Holy See" when considering the admission of candidates with same-sex attractions or experiences in their respective pasts.
According to Vatican, the seminary is not the place for a student to receive counseling as he attempts to work out his sexual orientation, primarily because of the negative consequences it can bring on the educational community and the church.
"One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies," the church said in 2005.
In 2008, the church listed homosexual tendencies as a psychological deficiency in some potential candidates. If discovered in a seminarian, "the path of formation will have to be interrupted," the church said.
The new handbook has softened that approach, indicating that as long as the issues are worked out prior to ordination, the seminarian may remain enrolled.
"An individual may require professional counseling to work through his feelings, come to a sense of peace with his own sexuality, and proceed to live a healthy celibate lifestyle in anticipation of making a permanent commitment at the time of ordination or the profession of vows. It should be stated clearly that there is no such thing as a double standard when it comes to the meaning of a celibate way of life for a person with a heterosexual or homosexual orientation," the handbook reads.
Pope accepts resignation of Australian bishop accused of being evasive at abuse inquiry
An Australian bishop accused of protecting himself and the Catholic church at the child abuse royal commission has resigned.
The pope has accepted Brisbane auxiliary bishop Brian Finnegan’s resignation upon his reaching the retirement age, the Vatican’s press office has announced.
Finnegan, 77, was accused of not being candid about his knowledge of paedophile priests in a bid to protect himself and the church during his December evidence to the child abuse royal commission’s inquiry into the Ballarat diocese.
Finnegan was secretary to the bishop of the Ballarat diocese, Ronald Mulkearns, between 1979 and 1985 when the priest Gerald Ridsdale was abusing children in parishes within the diocese.
Finnegan repeatedly told the commission he was unaware of Ridsdale’s abuse at the time and had no concerns about the priest.
But the commission heard evidence Finnegan had been phoned by a mother who was concerned about Ridsdale’s interactions with her eldest son.
In documents revealed by the commission, Finnigan once described the Mortlake parish where Ridsdale worked as priest in 1981 and 1982 as “a real trouble spot” where there was “drama” around “kids in classes”.
Finnegan’s statements that he was not aware of the abuse were questioned by one of the chair’s of the commission, Justice Peter McClellan.
Top Spokesman for Scotland’s Catholic Church Pushes Humanist Schools
The official spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland is pushing for the creation of schools with more "diverse" belief systems.
In a column published Monday in the Herald Scotland, Peter Kearney criticized the notion of doctrinal conformity, urging a more diverse educational system that goes beyond solely Catholic schools.Quoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone "has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion," Kearney asks, "[W]ith such a rousing universal standard in mind, isn't it time we expanded faith schools, so our education system truly reflects our plural society?"
"Why, for example, should tax-paying parents who follow a secular humanist belief system be denied the opportunity to have their children educated in accordance with their beliefs?" he asks.
The column spends most of its time criticizing the secular atheist agenda in Scotland's education system — an agenda he claims is far more dogmatic than any religious system. As a counterbalance to atheistic dogmatism, Kearney promotes a religious pluralism that explicitly rejects any dogma or creed, denying the notion that one belief system fits all.
"[F]rom humanists to Hindus, there is no mythical default setting," Kearney insists, "no neutral standard of belief that can or should be imposed on all."
"In reality, we are far more likely to engender tolerance and respect for diversity by promoting variety rather than imposing conformity whether in education or across society."
Kearney's remarks come in light of parents' petition to create the country's first Muslim school — an initiative supported by the Catholic Church in Scotland. The great majority of schools in Scotland are not religiously affiliated, but among those that are, the vast majority of them are Catholic. There are only three Episcopalian schools and one Jewish school, while there are currently 366 Catholic schools in Scotland. All schools, including religious schools, are state-funded.
Will Pope Francis Become a Holy Man for the World?
The specifically Catholic aspect of this announcement is that the Church will be "a witness of mercy," but for those of us who aren't Catholic, there's a universal message voiced personally by the Pope: "No one can be excluded from God's mercy." The question, then, is how potent this mission will be. Francis I has already achieved something extraordinary by helping to bring the U.S. and Cuba together in a historic reconciliation. Can being a witness actually extend mercy in a world where, to the distress of all believers, God has been hijacked by fanatical extremists?
Only the Pope knows what actions he will take. Standing outside the Church looking in, millions of non-Catholics feel a fresh wind blowing. Pope Francis has shown that he is aware of world problems, and from the outset he has occupied a unique position. He's become a spiritual exemplar whose personal values remind us of the Jesus we learned about as children. In India I was educated as a boy by Irish Christian Brothers, because my parents believed that their schools were the best.
The Christian Brothers were gentle propagandists. We boys accepted them as friends, but we also knew that our teachers would be delighted if we converted to Catholicism. At home my family was ecumenical, and streams of every faith flowed through our door. I was inspired by Jesus, even as I went through several turbulent phases later in life, from idealist to agnostic, before adopting scientific medicine as my faith, and eventually becoming what I'd call a practicing idealist.
Was Jesus a practicing idealist, too? We'll never know, because the historical Jesus has been lost, and he may have spread the Gospel for as little as eighteen months, probably no longer than three years, before the Crucifixion. but Pope Francis appears very much to be a practicing idealist, and the causes he has thrown his weight behind, such as global warming and the plight of the poor, require every ounce of practicality and idealism both.
But every pope is also the guardian of a second Jesus, the Jesus of theology. to an outsider, it has appeared that modern Catholicism has been mired in a rearguard effort to protect theology at all costs. As beloved as John Paul II was, his views on dogma were totally conservative, and his strong arm of enforcement, the cardinal who became Benedict XVI, was even more strict. Under their guidance, the Church fell behind by decades when it came to modern social trends.
I've used the word "outsider" because we non-Catholics have no stake in how the Church conducts its affairs. But if Francis I is the most conscious of modern popes when it comes to modernizing the Vatican, he might still wind up as a symbol of the theological Jesus. That would be a shame, because the theological Jesus, a creation of Church politics (and revelations) over two millennia, may be unsalvageable. He is mired in dogma, and it is dogma that has driven countless believers to label themselves as "spiritual but not religious."
The Church is perennially worried about its straying flock, and here I will take the risk of advising the Pope about how spiritual he should be. There is a third Jesus who today stands higher in modern reputation than either the historical or the theological Jesus. This is the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount, a teacher of higher consciousness. The Sermon on the Mount stands apart from the rest of the New Testament because it concentrates a mystical worldview that cannot be accepted in normal waking consciousness.
Taking Jesus at face value, he offers the following teachings to his listeners:
Don't gather up worldly possessions.
Live for today, not caring about tomorrow.
Don't labor and store away treasure.
Trust that Providence will provide for you as abundantly as it provides for the birds and flowers.
Don't be fooled by riches and power.
The dispossessed will inherit the earth.
Stated this baldy, Jesus's teachings are simply impossible to follow. (The same charge has been leveled against the Golden Rule and "turn the other cheek.") They have zero practical value, and yet we respond to them--at least I did as a boy--exactly because they are so impossible. Jesus was speaking from the level of God consciousness (as we tend to call it today), inviting his listeners to create the world he envisions. Clearly the prerequisite for building this City on the Hill is to rise to higher consciousness ourselves. The third Jesus, in short, was enlightened.
To dogmatists, this statement is heretical. I once opened one of John Paul II's books where he remarked that some Catholics have seen resemblances between Jesus and the Buddha. such views, John Paul asserts, are totally wrong and contrary to Christianity. Why? Because Jesus was the son of God. It makes perfect sense, if you are following the dictates of theology, to separate enlightenment (Buddha) from divinity (Christ). It may be that even the most conscious pope would never blur that line.
But I hope in a corner of my heart that Francis I can open himself to a kind of Super-ecumenical position, not only allowing that other faiths have validity, but seeing that the Eastern tradition of higher consciousness is in fact universal. When he was John Paul's enforcer, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote an edict that forbade devout Catholics form the practice of Eastern meditation, on the grounds that the only way to approach God was through the intercession of Mary. As dogma goes, that's a pretty one, since Mary is one of the most beloved and lovable figures in world religion.
But we must be realistic. Spiritual experiences occur in consciousness, and they are made manifest through the brain. There is no reason to reject meditation as "not Christian" when the point is that meditation, among other contemplative practices, alters brain function. In so doing, specific regions of the brain are trained to register subtle perceptions. The deeper your perceptions, the more subtle the levels of reality you are comfortable with. At the deepest level, we encounter the entire history of spiritual awakening, which is the opening of the self to the self through expanded awareness.
To me, this is the story that needs to be told, however a Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, or Muslim wants to couch it. Does it matter if a celestial light seen emanating from a holy person is Darshan in Sanskrit, Shekinah in Hebrew, and Halo in English? What matters is a realistic validation that the experience of holy light is valid, both spiritually and biologically. There's nothing beautiful about an MRI compared to The Last Supper, but it's too late in the day to base faith on symbols, however beautiful they are. If we are in fact witnessing the career of the most conscious pope in modern times, let him tell us more about consciousness and the spiritual fulfillment it contains.
Fruits of Vatican II
Pope’s Problem: Fewer churchgoers, fewer priests
I enjoyed reading the article “As 2015 ends, List of accomplishments, challenges for pope” by John L. Allen Jr. (World, Dec. 27).
I would like to include three more items in the challenges facing Pope Francis.
1) The fact that only 24 percent of adult Catholics are attending Mass each week shows that something about the church is terribly wrong. This is a decline from 41 percent in 1985.
At age 58, I notice that I am frequently the youngest person attending mass. The Catholic hierarchy gives the decline in mass attendance as one reason for consolidation of parishes.
Even more than the decline in the number of congregants, the shortage of priests is tearing parishes apart, with many forced to close or merge with others. At the Christmas Mass I attended at St Anne’s in Readville, the celebrant revealed he was 83 years old. The Vatican is controlled by elderly men who refuse to open the priesthood to people different from themselves.
2) Led by Francis, the Vatican needs to embrace the reality that people like my smart and caring daughters would make great priests. Unless the all-male policy is changed, many Catholics will walk away from the church due to this obvious discrimination against more than half its members.
3) The Vatican needs to acknowledge that priests of whichever gender should be allowed to marry so that they can lead full and natural lives.
And finally, here’s an item for the Boston Archdiocese, and others in similar situations, to consider. Let’s do something about the rectories that sit half empty. The one at St Gerard’s in Canton has five empty bedrooms — a whole second floor which we parishioners pay to heat and maintain. Many other rectories around the city and state are mostly vacant and could be put to better use by programs for families in need, elders, or single pregnant mothers. The list is endless. Isn’t helping others the foundation of our faith?
When I made this suggestion to our beloved pastor, he bellowed that the “parish would have to buy me a condo.”
7 ways that St. Faustina is influencing Pope Francis on mercy
Yet Francis’ signature initiative — probably the thing he would tell you he’s been building toward from the beginning, his Holy Year of Mercy — has at its core a figure straight out of the St. John Paul II playbook.
In fact, there’s a woman behind the pontiff’s jubilee: St. Faustina Kowalska, the Polish nun who launched the worldwide Divine Mercy devotion.
Faustina was an early 20th century mystic who belonged to an order called The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. She reported a series of visions, captured in her 700-page diary, in which she said Jesus told her to spread devotion to his mercy under the motto, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
Growing up in Krakow, the young Karol Wojtyla was fascinated that this message of mercy arose in Poland between the two World Wars. Later, as John Paul II, the Polish pope would beatify and canonize Faustina, and he also established a feast of Divine Mercy for the first Sunday after Easter — another request that Faustina said came straight from Jesus.
It’s true that Francis has not talked much about Faustina out loud in connection with his Year of Mercy, leading some devotees to wonder if she’s in danger of becoming the “forgotten woman” of the jubilee.
1. Papal bull
When Francis issued a formal papal bull decreeing his holy year, titled Misericordiae Vultus, he chose to do so on April 11, 2015 — the vigil of the feast of Divine Mercy, the observance directly associated with Faustina.
In the bull, Francis wrote, “I think especially of the great apostle of mercy, Saint Faustina Kowalska.”
“May she, who was called to enter the depths of divine mercy, intercede for us and obtain for us the grace of living and walking always according to the mercy of God and with an unwavering trust in his love,” he wrote.
2. Programmatic line
Looking back, it seems clear that the programmatic line for Francis’ jubilee came during his first airborne news conference returning from a trip to Brazil in July 2013.
Although he was asked specifically about Communion for the divorced and remarried, he gave a broad reply about the importance of mercy. He said he believes the present era is a “kairos” of mercy, using an evocative Greek New Testament term that means a privileged moment in God’s plan of salvation.
In the next breath, Francis cited John Paul II and Faustina.
“But John Paul II had the first intuition of this,” he said, “when he began with Faustina Kowalska, the Divine Mercy …. He had intuited that this was a need in our time.”
3. “Ocean of Mercy”
In his homily for this year’s New Year’s Day Mass, marking his first public utterance of 2016, Francis argued that alongside a “torrent of misery” in the contemporary world, there is also an oft-overlooked “ocean of mercy.”
Though he didn’t explicitly cite Faustina, he easily could have. “Ocean of mercy” is one of her signature phrases, appearing in her diary a robust 16 times.
Here’s a classic for-instance, in this case from one of her visions of Jesus: “I have revealed to you the whole ocean of my mercy,” she reports Jesus saying. “I seek and desire souls like yours, but they are few.”
In another place, Faustina writes that “during Holy Mass, I was given knowledge of the heart of Jesus and of the nature of the fire of love with which he burns for us … he is an ocean of mercy.”
4. Poland trip
At least in terms of crowd size and the magnitude of the event, the highlight of Pope Francis’ jubilee year isn’t likely to come in Rome. Instead it’s likely to be in Krakow in late July, when Francis travels there to lead the Church’s World Youth Day.
Obviously, the legacy of John Paul II and Faustina will be front-and-center throughout that trip.
To make sure no one misses the point, Francis signed off on making John Paul II and Faustina the co-patrons of World Youth Day, referring to them both as “apostles of divine mercy.” The outing shapes as an homage by Francis to Faustina and the pope who canonized her, and one can expect him to reflect on the Divine Mercy devotion at length.
5. The “misericordina”
On Nov. 17, 2013, Francis used his typical Sunday Angelus address to do something more customary in TV infomercials: He hawked a prescription drug, even having people hand out samples in St. Peter’s Square.
Only the “drug,” in this case, wasn’t actually from a pharmacy, even though it was made up to look that way. Instead it was a small packet containing a rosary, the Divine Mercy image with the motto “Jesus, I trust in you,” and instructions for use. Italians call it the misericordina, a play on the word for mercy.
“It’s a spiritual medicine,” the pope told the crowd that day. “Don’t forget to take it, because it’s good for you, it’s good for your heart, your soul, and your whole life.”
6. Roman priests
In March 2014, Francis held a session with priests of Rome in the Vatican’s Paul VI audience hall, saying he wanted to devote it to the theme of mercy. He spoke at length about John Paul II and Faustina.
“In his homily for the canonization, which took place in 2000, John Paul II emphasized that the message of Jesus Christ to Sister Faustina is located, in time, between the two World Wars and is intimately tied to the history of the 20th century,” Francis said, going on to quote several passages from the homily.
In a key line, Francis said, “Today we forget everything far too quickly … but we cannot forget the great content, the great intuitions and gifts that have been left to the People of God. And Divine Mercy is one of these.”
In retrospect, it seems a clear hint that Francis understands his jubilee of mercy as an extension of that “intuition and gift.”
7. Francis in Cuba
When Pope Francis traveled to Cuba just before heading to the United States last September, he chose “messenger of mercy” as the motto for the outing, making it something of a preview of his jubilee.
He said Mass in Havana’s Revolution Square on Sept. 20, and commentators noted the irony that alongside the towering images of Che Guevara and José Martà that dominate the space, there was also a large image of Jesus that was put up for the day.
What was less commented upon, however, was the nature of that depiction: It was the Divine Mercy image, with the motto “Jesus, I trust in you” in Spanish.
An earthier brand of mercy
Granted, the approach Francis takes to the theme of mercy is not simply a photocopy of Faustina’s.
Hers was a highly spiritual version of mercy, focused on compassion for lost souls and people suffering under the weight of sin. Francis’ brand of mercy is earthier, insisting on finding expression in concrete acts of solidarity with the poor, with migrants and refugees, with prisoners, and other victims of what he calls a “throwaway culture.”
That’s why one could make a strong case that the other woman behind the pope’s jubilee is Mother Teresa, and it’s probably no accident that her canonization also seems likely to take place during the year, perhaps in early September.
Yet these are questions of emphasis, not contradiction. Francis certainly would acknowledge that one does not have to be poor to need mercy, and it’s not as if Faustina was blind to the social gospel; the order she joined in Poland, after all, was devoted to helping troubled women, including unwed mothers and prostitutes.
Make no mistake: Francis is a change agent in many respects. But when it comes to his jubilee of mercy, he’s not reinventing the wheel; he’s giving a new push to a wheel that started rolling with a Polish nun and was sped up by a Polish pope.
As a final note, Francis would no doubt also say that Faustina offers a classic illustration of his oft-stated argument that women in Catholicism don’t have to be ordained priests in order to exercise influence.
It’s entirely possible that by the end of the jubilee, it’ll be like a hockey game with three stars of the game acknowledged: Francis, who called it; Faustina, who inspired it, and Mother Teresa, who provided its model for mercy-in-action.
In other words, the female contribution may actually trump that of the male. If so, that’s something in which a pope who’s repeatedly vowed to seek greater roles for women in the Church may find food for thought.
TradCatKnight Radio: "2016: The Year of Pseudo-Mercy"
Paris Agreement: Recycled “Process” Socialism
At the Paris climate conference, President Obama got exactly what he wanted: the framework for a multi-decade, global campaign of political pressure directed chiefly against Republicans and their fossil-fuel industry allies.
The Paris Agreement does not directly impose “legally binding” emission-reduction and “climate finance” commitments on the United States. But both conservative gloating and green grousing about the treaty being “toothless” overlook what matters most in climate policy: politics.
Obama will use the Agreement to claim that EPA’s Clean Power Plan and other elements of his climate agenda are promises America has made to the world. The Agreement, moreover, will establish the institutional framework for a global coalition of 190+ foreign leaders, legions of UN bureaucrats, scores of green pressure groups, and hundreds of corporate rent-seekers. The coalition will demand that future Congresses and the next president enact and adopt whatever additional laws and regulations are needed to meet Obama’s emission-reduction pledge — known in bureaucratic parlance as the U.S. “Nationally Determined Contribution” (NDC).
The Agreement contemplates that Parties will submit ever-more “ambitious” NDCs every five years. So the global coalition will be poised to demand that future U.S. NDCs also be turned into laws and regulations. No chains are as binding as those we forge for ourselves!
The Paris pressure cooker is recycled process socialism. There’s an old joke that socialism (spending other people’s money) would be fun if it weren’t for all the committee meetings. Actually, socialist leaders got their jollies at such meetings, which employed a confessional exercise called criticism and self-criticism to cure “false consciousness,” inculcate doctrinal conformity, and enhance understanding of and allegiance to “the plan.”
The parallel to the Paris regime is striking. The Agreement and accompanying “Decision of the Parties” envision endless rounds of meetings and reports. The incessant bureaucratic activity will facilitate the naming and shaming of Parties who doubt the so-called consensus of scientists, deviate from their five-year plans, or fail to demonstrate the desired climate “ambition.”
Inside the Pressure Box
Penn State law prof. Jean Galbraith offers a useful taxonomy for understanding how Paris is supposed to work. She distinguishes between non-binding “substance-based commitments” and binding “process-based commitments.”
The most important substance-based commitments are the emission-reduction targets and policies set forth in industrial countries’ NDCs, and the expectation that industrial countries will contribute at least $100 billion annually to subsidize developing countries’ expenditures for “clean energy” and climate change adaptation.
The process-based commitments involve monitoring, reporting, and participation in committees focused on such matters as mitigation, adaptation, and compliance.
Galbraith quotes the first sentence of Article 4(2) of the Agreement to explain the interaction between binding and non-binding commitments:
Other provisions of the same article require Parties to ensure the clarity and transparency of their NDCs, explain how NDC policies will achieve the intended emission reductions, list the NDCs on a public registry, and communicate updated NDCs every five years.Each Party shall prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions that it intends to achieve.This sentence deals with both substance and process. Substantively, each party is to “intend” to achieve a certain nationally determined contribution to emissions reductions. But this language does not give rise to a binding international legal commitment to achieve any particular contribution, even the one that the party “intends” to achieve. Procedurally, each party “shall” (which, in legal jargon, means “must”) communicate to the other parties what its intended contributions are. By contrast, this procedural language does give rise to a binding international legal commitment.
Similarly, although no Party can be sued for not paying billions in “climate finance,” Article 9(7) requires industrial countries to submit biennial reports on their efforts to provide and mobilize financial support for developing countries.
Augmenting the political impact of the Agreement’s reporting requirements will be a peer-pressure system implemented by multiple bodies tasked to monitor and guide Parties’ efforts regarding mitigation, adaptation, finance, capacity building, technology transfer, and compliance. Such bodies include:
- the Technology Mechanism
- the Financial Mechanism
- a compliance-related mechanism
- the Forum on the Impact of the Implementation of response measures
- the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice
- the Subsidiary Body for Implementation
- the Adaptation Committee
- the Least Developed Countries Expert Group
- the Green Climate Fund
- the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage
- the Global Environment Facility
- the Least Developed Countries Fund
- the Special Climate Change Fund
- the Standing Committee on Finance
- the Climate Technology Center and Network
- the Paris Committee on Capacity-building
- the Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency
What Is to Be Done
GOP leaders can foil this plan to make U.S. climate and energy policy captive to foreign leaders, multilateral bureaucrats, and green pressure groups. But to do so they must launch a political counter-offensive. Their top priority should be to pass a Byrd-Hagel 2.0 resolution clarifying that the Paris Agreement is a treaty, hence is not a policy of the United States unless the U.S. Senate ratifies it. They should pass the resolution before President Obama signs the Agreement at a “high-level signature ceremony” hosted by the U.N. Secretary General on April 22.
Only then can they convincingly explain to the American people that Obama’s signature is just a proposal of a lame duck administration, not a promise America has made to the world.
Archbishop Daniel Bohan of Regina: Just what kind of a Polka Mess of the Mass are you up to out there?
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| Bishop Bohan (right) praying with schismatic and heretic |
Fortunately, Toronto was able to ditch this liturgical heresiarch a few years ago as an Auxiliary. Sorry, Regina, if it were up to me, I would sent him to a monastery but you can go on blaming Toronto for this too. We deserve it, we truly do! The good news for the people of Regina is that this hireling will be 75 in November 2016. A priest of poor Moncton, he is. The other part of Canada suffering from these types. Let us hope that Cardinal Ouellet, can sneak a good one in under the nose of you know who.
It seems they suffer from Polka Masses. Yes, authorised and Archdiocesan website promoted, Polka Masses. It was last summer, but it is never too late to spread the news of the Polka Mess in Regina, courtesy of the Archbishop.
Tell me Bish Bo, if you were at Calvary at our Blessed Lord's crucifixion, would you be singing "He's too fat for me?
Bish Bo, where exactly in the GIRM of the Roman Missal or Sacrasanctam Concilium, the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, can I find the rubrics for a Polka Mass?
Anyone from Saskatchewan wishing to provide photos, recordings or comments about the mess there under Bishop Bo, please feel free to make use of the combox or send an email to voxcantoris@rogers.com.
Oh, Bish Bo - you've been voxed again; we wouldn't want the new year to start off to peaceful for ya. Oh, and how ya doin' with that "Holy Yoga," eh?
Gynecological Conference at Vatican Story Ends: Not With a Bang, But With a Whimper
Posted by St. Corbinian’s Bear
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
This is how the story of The European Society of Aesthetic Gynecology (ESAG) vs. the Patristic Institute and the Vatican ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. You may recall that ESAG claimed to have secured conference facilities at the Patristic Institute for their 1st World Congress.
Each side utterly disputes the other’s account, yet neither side will back up their claim with evidence.
Inquiries to the Patristic Institute simply went unanswered. The Vatican must remember the unfortunate incident of 1493 and retains their “no communication with Bears” policy. All we know is that they disputed ESAG’s claim. Fr. Federico Lombardi, Vatican Press spokesman also denied a connection.
ESAG, on the other hand, issued a press release yesterday insisting that there was an agreement, the Vatican knew the nature of the conference, but backed out of the agreement once some colorful stories appeared first in the Daily Mail, then in Catholic blogs. It also stated ESAG had the evidence to back up their side of the story.
Unfortunately, ESAG is now playing the lawyer card, and will not reveal any of the evidence that would vindicate it in the realm of public opinion.
So we’re back where we started from, in the curious position of two sides saying opposite things, but neither willing to back up their story with a scintilla of evidence. Anyway, as a story, this affair is finished at the choice of the parties. When half the conservative Catholic bloggers on the planet get sued and are eating cat food the rest of their lives, the Bear will cover that, assuming he can keep the broadband on.
The Bear does have a couple of additional observations, however.
What We Did Right
First, Oakes Spalding of Mahound’s Paradise, and Maureen Mullarkey, at her blog Studio Matters, were eventually unwilling to accept the Institute’s, and later, the Vatican’s denials at face value. They examined what little we knew (some of it brought to light by the Bear’s investigation) and concluded it just didn’t make sense that a respected surgeon would invent out of whole cloth an imaginary conference venue, in the Vatican of all places. Ms. Mullarkey even went so far as to write a new article withdrawing a previous “mea culpa” written after her original article had been pulled by The Federalist.
This is good blogging. Curious, tenacious, original and smart.
The Bloggers and the Parties
However, the Bear wonders if bloggers didn’t have a little too much fun with the story. Of course, what we were all doing is pointing at another misstep by the Bergoglio Vatican. Let’s face it: it’s low-hanging fruit. Does an aesthetic gynecology conference belong at the Patristic Institute, within spitting distance of the Vatican? Certainly a debatable proposition on which the Bear takes no position. However, both parties should have foreseen the storm of raillery that would engulf them.
Criminal defense lawyers do legitimate and important legal work in all sorts of fields the general public finds incomprehensible or distasteful. The Bear would probably not choose the Patristic Institute for a conference on “Credibility Issues In Rape Cases” (and he can think of far more alarming examples) even though that is certainly a legitimate subject for a legal conference. Why wouldn’t the Bear do this? Because it is foreseeable that the Daily Mail would run a story entitled “Vatican Hosts Rape Conference,” and the whole thing would unravel.
By and large, while salacious, the reports did not strike the Bear as any more inaccurate than any other story. The headlines, emphases, and general tenor of sensationalism and humor, however, do leave me sympathetic with Dr. Bader, the man behind the conference. Bloggers may have had their targeting reticles fixed firmly on the Vatican, but this was a story with a third party — Dr. Bader. Maybe he assumed the risk when he scheduled the conference (assuming he did), but maybe bloggers should take their hands off their keyboards and think for five minutes before writing any story that may make a third party collateral damage.
Ultimately, this is all about perceptions. From inside Dr. Bader’s professional bubble, G-Spot Enhancement is no more strange or funny than a tonsillectomy. Outside the bubble, it’s like Woody Allen said. “I don’t know the question, but sex is definitely the answer.”
First "Catholic" service for centuries to be celebrated in chapel of King Henry VIII
The first Roman Catholic service for more than 450 years is to be celebrated in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace.
Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Nichols will celebrate Vespers and the Bishop of London, Dean of the Chapel Royal, will preach in Henry VIII's chapel, built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in the early 16th century but taken from Wolsey by the King and rebuilt.
The Genesis Foundation and the Choral Foundation are working together to make the service possible, as the first Latin Rite of the Catholic Church to be celebrated since the 1550s at the Chapel Royal.
A spokesman described it as "an unprecedented coming together of the Catholic and Anglican churches on such an historically important site".
The Vespers will be dedicated to St John the Baptist, remembering the origins of the chapel as built by Cardinal Wolsey on the site of a former chapel of the Knights of St John Hospitaller. Members of the public will be able to take part in a ballot for a stall or boxed pew at the service.
The music will be performed by Harry Christophers and his ensembles The Sixteen and Genesis Sixteen and will include Thomas Tallis' Magnificat, William Cornysh's Salve Regina and John Taverner's "Leroy" Kyrie.
Before the service, Cardinal and Dean will take part in a "conversation" on "Faith and the Crown" in the Great Hall at Hampton Court. They will debate the role of the Chapel Royal in maintaining elements of Catholic worship to the present day.
John Studzinski, founder and chairman of the Genesis Foundation, said: "Dialogue between faiths is much needed and welcomed in these turbulent times. We need to recognise that we have more in common than not. I'm therefore delighted that the Genesis Foundation is enabling the Catholic and Anglican churches to engage in dialogue on this site that is so rich in history, both theological and musical. It will be an unforgettable occasion and is genuinely one for the history books."
Michele Price of the Choral Foundation said: "The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court played centre stage to the religious changes in the 16th Century. Its musicians and composers met the challenge of serving the spiritual needs of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I, by producing new and beautiful music and in so doing became the cradle of English church music. This historic occasion enables us to explore our rich heritage and bring together Christian traditions as we celebrate 500 years of Hampton Court Palace."
Nuns claim they were forced to brand themselves with fire, eat out-of-date food and write orders of obedience in their own blood in Mafia-style initiations at Italian convent
Vatican Loans Relic to Protestants
Vatican loans deeply symbolic religious relic to meeting of Anglican primates in Britain.
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is loaning a deeply symbolic religious relic to a meeting in Britain discussing the future of the 80 million-strong Anglican Communion that has been badly divided over issues of female bishops and same-sex marriage.
The ivory top of the pastoral staff of St. Gregory the Great — the 6th-century pope who dispatched missionaries to England to spread Christianity — will be displayed in England's Canterbury Cathedral before and after the Jan. 11-16 meeting of Anglican primates.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has summoned the 37 primates to discuss how the Communion can keep working together after it has been splintering for years over issues such as the ordination of female and gay bishops and the blessings of same-sex marriage.
The Vatican has watched from afar but nevertheless with alarm as the rift has widened, fearing that schism within the Anglican Communion will only complicate its own efforts at promoting Christian unity.
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's culture minister, authorized the loan of Gregory's pastoral staff last month, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that it was a "highly symbolic" relic and a "mark of the bond that spiritually unites the Catholic and the Anglican churches."
Gregory, who was pope from 540-604, sent a mission to England in 597 to bring Christianity to the region. The mission leader, Augustine, became the first archbishop of Canterbury, and both Augustine and Gregory remain important figures to the Anglican Church.
The dean of Canterbury Cathedral, the Very Rev. Robert Willis, said the loan of Gregory's crozier was a sign of "ecumenical encouragement" during the primates' meeting, as well as a link to Gregory.
The Catholic and Anglican churches split in 1534 after English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. A half-millennium later, the two churches remain divided on a host of issues, including the same ones that are dividing the Communion itself: female bishops and gays.
The idea to send the relic came from the Rev. Robert McCulloch, the Australian procurator general of the St. Columban Catholic missionary order. McCulloch — who has been active in interfaith and ecumenical relations, most recently the round of cricket matches between the Vatican's cricket club and the Church of England's team — will personally take the relic to Britain on Friday.
In an interview, McCulloch said it was remarkable how quickly the loan was approved by the Vatican and the Italian governments, with support from the British.
"It's a gesture of support, of unity and harmony from the Catholic Church for the Anglican Church," he said.
The crozier is usually kept at the San Gregorio al Celio church in Rome. The church has long played a role in Anglican-Catholic affairs. Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams celebrated a vespers service at San Gregorio in 2012, and their predecessors, John Paul II and George Carey, celebrated vespers together there in 1996.
Francis the Modernist....
The Pope Video – Inter-religious Dialogue
"Catholic" Univ. of San Diego students issue list of demands on LGBT, race issues
January 7, 2016 (CardinalNewmanSociety) -- Responding to a list of “demands” by student groups focused on racial and LGBTQ issues, a University of San Diego (USD) official told The Cardinal Newman Society there are items on the list “that are inconsistent with our Catholic identity,” and that such proposals would be vetted through a process of working with students to initiate change “in a constructive and respectful fashion.”
“In this process,” said Peter Marlow, associate vice president of communications at USD, “any fringe ideas that may be contrary to our Catholic identity would be vetted by a broad audience and even broader perspectives and priorities.”
Marlow told the Newman Society that the newly installed University president, Dr. James Harris, who began his tenure this past August, recently met with four of the students involved with publishing the demands “to help steer them toward submitting their ideas via the strategic planning process” currently underway at the University. The process, scheduled for completion by early fall, is collecting “ideas for the future” from USD student groups, faculty, alumni, administrators, trustees, community members and other friends of USD.
The list of 22 demands made by “concerned students” focuses mainly on racial issues “in solidarity with the Black student activists of [University of Missouri],” and a similar list of demands by USD students appears on the website of the Black Liberation Collective. But there are also several LGBT and gender identity issues listed among the demands, including calls to have:
-The installation of gender-neutral bathrooms in every building on campus.
-The development of a Gender and Queer Studies department with at least 12 full-time faculty.
-More people of color, queer-identified people and women represented in positions of administrative and student leadership.
-The active inclusion of cultural, LGBT and feminist student organizations in the planning of campus events related to the concerns of these organizations.
-The creation of a comprehensive orientation on racial, gender, and queer inclusion and diversity, mandatory to students, staff, faculty and administration.
-An increase in resources and support groups for queer and trans students of color.
The Newman Society asked Marlow if he could identify the items on the list of student demands that are inconsistent with the University’s Catholic identity. He responded saying “there is not one fixed list of demands” as of yet, and a “more constructive/thoughtful list” could be presented to Harris by the students later this month after they return from break.
One of the demands highlighted in a report by The College Fix was that the University change the name of Serra Hall after the administration acknowledged “the colonialist legacy” of Saint JunÃpero Serra, who according to the students “massacred the vast majority of native peoples in California.”
“The University is not going to change the name of Serra Hall based on the rationale presented” by the students, Marlow told the Newman Society. He added that Harris sees the entire situation as “a teaching moment for the students.”
“Dr. Harris prefers to meet face-to-face with students and explain how best to go about initiating change in a constructive and respectful fashion,” said Marlow. “He wants to advise them how to channel their energy in ways that appeal to broad audiences and to understand the trade-offs that would have to be made with various ideas, and most importantly, to understand how to approach these topics at a Catholic University and within the context of Catholic intellectual tradition, which has always encouraged, embraced and debated the diversity of ideas.”
Charles LiMandri, founder of the group Alumni for a Catholic USD, told the Newman Society that the nature of the students' demands “are probably reflective of much of what they’re being taught by a secular and anti-Catholic faculty.”
“There are so many secular faculty there now and people hostile towards the magisterial teaching of the Catholic Church,” he said. LiMandri, who used to run USD’s alumni program, has been critical of the University’s commitment to defending its Catholic identity in recent years, calling specific attention to an annual “drag queen show” sponsored by USD since 2012.
LiMandri told the Newman Society he’s “cautiously optimistic” that USD’s new president can effect positive change at the University, saying, from what he knows about Harris and the limited interaction LiMandri has had with Harris thus far, he expects “more of a positive response” than what his group received working with the prior administration.
“I want to give this new president the benefit of the doubt and all the support I can because if he can bring about some positive change, God bless him,” he said, “and people need to stand behind him because he does have a very difficult job.”
But LiMandri added that he’s realistic about the amount of change than can take place. “I know what Harris is up against,” LiMandri said, telling the Newman Society that a number of professors have complained to him about the lack of tolerance for Catholic orthodoxy on campus. “He’s going to meet a lot of resistance.”
Drag Show ‘Scandal’ at USD
Previous administration actions and statements reported on by the Newman Society raised a number of Catholic identity concerns.
For the past four years, USD has hosted and promoted a “drag queen show” featuring students dressed up as members of the opposite sex. These events were organized by the LGBTQ student organization Pride at USD with the help of openly lesbian USD theology professor Evelyn Kirkley. LiMandri said the shows push agendas contradictory to Church teaching.
In 2014, the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education issued a letter about the drag shows at USD stating that the performances have caused “scandal.”
“n view of the gravity of the case, it is worth mentioning that in light of the show and the scandal that it caused, this congregation intends to act through administrative channels to the competent ecclesiastical authority in San Diego,” the Congregation wrote, responding to a petition to review the situation filed by LiMandri and Thomas McKenna, founder and president of Catholic Action for Faith and Family.
USD defended the drag show performances in the past, stating in 2013, “The show as scheduled violates neither the university’s mission nor any university policies. The Celebration of Gender Expression supports the Church’s teaching on the dignity of the human person and does not promote either behavior or lifestyle that is contrary to the teachings of the Church.” In 2012, then-USDPresident Mary Lyons stated the event is “intended to foster students’ understanding of, and empathy for, the complexities of gender non-conformity.”
And despite the Vatican Congregation’s statement, USD held the drag show again in April 2015, hosted by same-sex marriage advocate “Tootie Nefertootie,” who also emceed the performance in 2014.
USD also promotes the controversial “Vagina Monologues.” The performance has been criticized by several bishops for its positive portrayal of distorted human sexuality and promotion of immoral behaviors, such as lesbian sexual activity and masturbation.
The USD Women’s Center states that the performance “invites students to explore sexuality,” and is representative of “USD’s core values.”
The Newman Society asked USD’s Marlow if President Harris considers the promotion and support of the drag show and “Monologues” performances to be consistent with the University’s Catholic identity, or if he plans to take any action or make any statements indicating that these performances are inappropriate for USD to support. No response was received by the time of publication.
Planned Parenthood Links
The Newman Society has also reported on controversial links between USD and the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.
In the August 2015 special report “A More Scandalous Relationship: Catholic Colleges and Planned Parenthood,” the Newman Society found:
-The University of San Diego (CA) recommends potential careers at Planned Parenthood for students who have majored in women’s studies. (Update September 10, 2015: Page removed from site.)
-The University of San Diego (CA) employs Bob Beatty, an instructor in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences whose faculty profile touts his past work for Planned Parenthood San Diego.
-The University of San Diego (CA) employs Kathy James, associate professor of nursing, and notes in her “biographical sketch” that she studied under Planned Parenthood and UCSF for a certificate in “Obstetric/Gynecological Nursing.”
-In November 2014, the University of San Diego School of Law (CA) hosted a reproductive rights discussion, “Burwell v. Hobby Lobby: The Decision and its Impact on Reproductive Rights,” including panelist Tracy Skaddan, whom the University identifies as general counsel of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. According to the clinic’s LinkedIn page, its services include “contraception, STD testing and treatment, sterilization, and safe and legal abortion.”
-The University of San Diego (CA) Department of Political Science and International Relations praises a recent graduate for her contributions in the sexual health field and work with Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. (Update September 10, 2015: Planned Parenthood mention removed from alumna profile.)
With the many Catholic identity issues on campus that need to be addressed, LiMandri said he’s looking forward to working with the new University administration.
“I’ve got no illusions about how hard it will be for President Harris,” he said. “I’m cautiously optimistic he’ll do what he can when he can, and hopefully that will mean at least cancelling the drag queen contest.”
Self-proclaimed Pastor accused of using religion to rip-off believers
He's known as “Father Erwin Mena”. Since the mid 1990’s he’s been
celebrating mass at Catholic churches throughout California. He’s held
prayer meetings, paid counseling sessions and nights of confession.
But
he’s not really a priest. Detectives say he's a fake wanted by the LAPD
for swindling thousands of dollars from believers. His latest ploy was
selling tickets for a pilgrimage to New York and Philadelphia to visit
with Pope Francis during his last U.S. tour.
Detectives
say the Pope-Tour scam netted Mena more than $15,000 dollars from
unsuspecting victims, many from low income families.
