What Do Catholics Really Believe?

Catholics believe that "Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God"

2011-11-01T06:01:00.001-07:00

"Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession." There are profound reasons for this. Christ is at work in each of the sacraments. He personally addresses every sinner: "My son, your sins are forgiven." He is the physician tending each one of the sick who need him to cure them. He raises them up and reintegrates them into fraternal communion. Personal confession is thus the form most expressive of reconciliation with God and with the Church.

-- CCC 1484

Catholics receive Communion at least once a year during the Easter Season

2011-04-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

"Take and eat." Our Lord urges us to share intimate communion of love and life through grace with Him especially through the Eucharist, His true, real and substantial Presence on the altar through the priest in every holy Mass.

Unfortunately there are some who, though not hindered for reason of divorce and remarriage or living with someone with whom they are not sacramentally married, for example, yet remain distant from the Eucharist perhaps because unwilling to confess mortal sins sacramentally, as required, before doing so.

Catholics are required to receive Communion at least once a year during the Easter Season. For some this means celebrating Confession also if they are in a state of mortal sin. For more about this and other Catholic customs for the Easter Season, visit Fish Eaters.

Catholics believe that Saint John Vianney, the holy Curè of Ars, is "the model of priestly ministry in our world"

2010-06-12T05:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Brothers in the Priestly Ministry,

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Year for Priests which we have celebrated on the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the death of the holy Curè of Ars, the model of priestly ministry in our world, is now coming to an end. We have let the Curé of Ars guide us to a renewed appreciation of the grandeur and beauty of the priestly ministry.

The priest is not a mere office-holder, like those which every society needs in order to carry out certain functions. Instead, he does something which no human being can do of his own power: in Christ’s name he speaks the words which absolve us of our sins and in this way he changes, starting with God, our entire life. Over the offerings of bread and wine he speaks Christ’s words of thanksgiving, which are words of transubstantiation – words which make Christ himself present, the Risen One, his Body and Blood – words which thus transform the elements of the world, which open the world to God and unite it to him.

The priesthood, then, is not simply “office” but sacrament: God makes use of us poor men in order to be, through us, present to all men and women, and to act on their behalf. This audacity of God who entrusts himself to human beings – who, conscious of our weaknesses, nonetheless considers men capable of acting and being present in his stead – this audacity of God is the true grandeur concealed in the word “priesthood”. That God thinks that we are capable of this; that in this way he calls men to his service and thus from within binds himself to them: this is what we wanted to reflect upon and appreciate anew over the course of the past year.

Holy Mass concluding the Year for Priests

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
St Peter's Square
Friday, 11 June 2010

Catholics believe that "the greatest persecution of the Church comes not from her enemies without, but arises from sin within the Church"

2010-05-13T16:10:00.001-07:00

"... there is also the fact that attacks on the Pope and the Church come not only from without, but the sufferings of the Church come precisely from within the Church, from the sin existing within the Church. This too is something that we have always known, but today we are seeing it in a really terrifying way: that the greatest persecution of the Church comes not from her enemies without, but arises from sin within the Church, and that the Church thus has a deep need to relearn penance, to accept purification, to learn forgiveness on the one hand, but also the need for justice. Forgiveness does not replace justice. In a word, we need to relearn precisely this essential: conversion, prayer, penance and the theological virtues. This is our response, we are realists in expecting that evil always attacks, attacks from within and without, yet that the forces of good are also ever present and that, in the end, the Lord is more powerful than evil and Our Lady is for us the visible, motherly guarantee of God’s goodness, which is always the last word in history."

INTERVIEW OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI
WITH THE JOURNALISTS DURING THE FLIGHT TO PORTUGAL

Papal Flight
Tuesday, 11 May 2010

Catholics believe that "penance is a grace"

2010-04-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

"Christ, the Savior, has given Israel conversion and forgiveness of sins (v. 31) - in the Greek text the term is metanoia - he has given penance and forgiveness of sins.

"This for me is a very important observation: penance is a grace. There is a tendency in exegesis that says: Jesus in Galilee had announced a grace without condition, absolutely unconditional, therefore also without penance, grace as such, without human preconditions. But this is a false interpretation of grace.

"Penance is grace; it is a grace that we recognize our sin, it is a grace that we know we need renewal, change, a transformation of our being. Penance, being able to do penance, is the gift of grace. And I must say that we Christians, even in recent times, have often avoided the word penance, it has seemed too harsh to us. Now, under the attacks of the world that speak to us of our sins, we see that being able to do penance is grace. And we see that it is necessary to do penance, that is, to recognize what is wrong in our life, open ourselves to forgiveness, prepare ourselves for forgiveness, allow ourselves to be transformed.

"The suffering of penance, of purification, of transformation, this suffering is grace, because it is renewal, it is the work of divine mercy. And so these two things that Saint Peter says - penance and forgiveness - correspond to the beginning of the preaching of Jesus: metanoeite, which means be converted (cf. Mk. 1:15). So this is the fundamental point: metanoia is not a private thing, which would seem to be replaced by grace, but metanoia is the arrival of the grace that transforms us."

Full text at "For This Pope, All Is Grace, Even 'The World's Attacks on Our Sins' "

Catholics believe that the Church "must be humble enough to recognize the failures and sins of its members"

2010-04-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Victim in Malta: Pope had 'tears in his eyes'

by John L Allen Jr on Apr. 18, 2010

Valletta, Malta -- One of the eight victims of sexual abuse who met Pope Benedict XVI today in Malta described the encounter as "very emotional," saying most of those present were crying, and even the pope had "tears in his eyes."

"I made peace with the church," said Joseph Magro, one of the victims who met the pope.

Catholics believe that Church canonical norms on sexual abuse "did not seek, and have not favoured, any kind of cover-up of such crimes"

2010-03-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

"Furthermore, an important and wide-ranging interview given by Msgr. Charles J. Scicluna, promoter of justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gives a detailed explanation of the significance of the specific canonical norms established by the Church over the years to judge the heinous crimes of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy. It is absolutely clear that these norms did not seek, and have not favoured, any kind of cover-up of such crimes; quite the contrary, they initiated intense activities to confront, judge and adequately punish the crimes in the context of ecclesiastical legislation. And it must be remembered that all this was planned and set in motion when Cardinal Ratzinger was prefect of the Congregation. The line he followed was always one of rigour and coherence in dealing with even the most difficult situations.

From Vatican Information Service: an important and wide-ranging interview given by Msgr. Charles J. Scicluna, promoter of justice of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gives a detailed explanation of the significance of the specific canonical norms established by the Church over the years to judge the heinous crimes of sexual abuse of minors by members of the clergy.

Photo: Pope Benedict with Cardinal Brady. (Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images)

Catholics believe that "the main purpose of Catholic schools is religious; to form students in Catholic faith, Catholic morality"

2010-03-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

"Catholic schools began in this country in the early 19th century. Catholics started them as an alternative to the public schools of the day, which taught a curriculum often hostile to Catholic belief. In many ways times have changed, but the mission of Catholic schools has not. The main purpose of Catholic schools is religious; in other words, to form students in Catholic faith, Catholic morality and Catholic social values. We take great pride in the academic excellence of our schools as well. The reason is simple. A strong, well-rounded academic education helps to create mature citizens who contribute to the wider community. It’s also true that some of our schools exist as a service outreach in largely non-Catholic communities. Many of our schools also accept students of other faiths and no faith, and from single parent and divorced parent families. These students are always welcome so long as their parents support the Catholic mission of the school and do not offer a serious counter-witness to that mission in their actions." -- Archbishop Chaput in his recent column.

Catholics believe that "in normal conditions to ignore the liturgical directives can be interpreted as a lack of respect towards the Eucharist"

2010-02-24T19:11:00.000-08:00

Every priest who offers the holy Sacrifice should recall that during this Sacrifice it is not only he with his community that is praying but the whole Church, which is thus expressing in this sacrament her spiritual unity, among other ways by the use of the approved liturgical text. To call this position "mere insistence on uniformity" would only show ignorance of the objective requirements of authentic unity, and would be a symptom of harmful individualism.

This subordination of the minister, of the celebrant, to the mysterium which has been entrusted to him by the Church for the good of the whole People of God, should also find expression in the observance of the liturgical requirements concerning the celebration of the holy Sacrifice. These refer, for example, to dress, in particular to the vestments worn by the celebrant. Circumstances have of course existed and continue to exist in which the prescriptions do not oblige. We have been greatly moved when reading books written by priests who had been prisoners in extermination camps, with descriptions of Eucharistic Celebrations without the above- mentioned rules, that is to say, without an altar and without vestments. But although in those conditions this was a proof of heroism and deserved profound admiration, nevertheless in normal conditions to ignore the liturgical directives can be interpreted as a lack of respect towards the Eucharist, dictated perhaps by individualism or by an absence of a critical sense concerning current opinions, or by a certain lack of a spirit of faith.

Upon all of us who, through the grace of God, are ministers of the Eucharist, there weighs a particular responsibility for the ideas and attitudes of our brothers and sisters who have been entrusted to our pastoral care. It is our vocation to nurture, above all by personal example, every healthy manifestation of worship towards Christ present and operative in that sacrament of love. May God preserve us from acting otherwise and weakening that worship by "becoming unaccustomed" to various manifestations and forms of eucharistic worship which express a perhaps "traditional" but healthy piety, and which express above all that "sense of the faith" possessed by the whole People of God, as the Second Vatican Council recalled.

As I bring these considerations to an end, I would like to ask forgiveness-in my own name and in the name of all of you, venerable and dear brothers in the episcopate-for everything which, for whatever reason, through whatever human weakness, impatience or negligence, and also through the at times partial, one-sided and erroneous application of the directives of the Second Vatican Council, may have caused scandal and disturbance concerning the interpretation of the doctrine and the veneration due to this great sacrament. And I pray the Lord Jesus that in the future we may avoid in our manner of dealing with this sacred mystery anything which could weaken or disorient in any way the sense of reverence and love that exists in our faithful people.

John Paul II

Dominicae Cenae

February 24, 1980

-- With grateful thanks to Rorate Caeli

Catholics believe that sacred Liturgy should use every means to reflect and proclaim the holiness of God

2010-02-19T10:46:00.003-08:00

The Benedictine arrangement which allows the priest and people to face and worship the Lord together in particular during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Photo depicts the new Abbot's Installation at Clear Creek Abbey, February 11, 2010. For more about the monks and their way of life visit their web site by clicking here.

Catholics believe that 'New Ways Ministry' is not Catholic

2010-02-07T05:46:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I, archbishop of Chicago and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued the following statement on the status of the organization "New Ways Ministry":

New Ways Ministry is an organization based in Mount Rainier, Maryland, that describes itself as "a gay-positive ministry of advocacy and justice for lesbian and gay Catholics and reconciliation within the larger Christian and civil communities." From the time of the organization's founding in 1977, serious questions have been raised about the group’s adherence to Church teaching on homosexuality. In 1984, the archbishop of Washington denied New Ways Ministry any official authorization or approval of its activities. At that time, he forbade the two co-founders of New Ways Ministry, Sr. Jeannine Gramick, SSND, and Fr. Robert Nugent, to continue their activities in the Archdiocese of Washington. In the same year, Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent were ordered by their superiors to separate themselves from New Ways Ministry. Although they resigned from leadership posts, they continued their involvement in New Ways Ministry activities until 1999, when the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that because of errors and ambiguities in the approach of Sr. Gramick and Fr. Nugent they are permanently prohibited from any pastoral work involving homosexual persons.

In reference to his decision not to grant any approval or authorization to New Ways Ministry in the 1980s, Archbishop James Hickey of Washington cited the organization's lack of adherence to Church teaching on the morality of homosexual acts. This was the central issue in the subsequent investigation and censure of the founders of New Ways Ministry, Sr. Jeannine Gramick and Fr. Robert Nugent. This continues to be the crucial defect in the approach of New Ways Ministry, which has not changed its position after the departure of the cofounders.

New Ways Ministry has recently criticized efforts by the Church to defend the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman and has urged Catholics to support electoral initiatives to establish same-sex "marriage." No one should be misled by the claim that New Ways Ministry provides an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching and an authentic Catholic pastoral practice. Their claim to be Catholic only confuses the faithful regarding the authentic teaching and ministry of the Church with respect to persons with a homosexual inclination. Accordingly, I wish to make it clear that, like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of Church teaching, New Ways Ministry has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church and that they cannot speak on behalf of the Catholic faithful in the United States.

Catholics believe continuity is "the only authoritative criterion" for interpreting the life of the Church and the liturgy

2010-02-01T20:02:00.001-08:00

"Continuity, a word very dear to our present Holy Father. He has made it the only authoritative criterion whereby one can correctly interpret the life of the Church, and more specifically, the conciliar documents, including all the proposed reforms contained in them.

How could it be any different? Can one truly speak of a Church of the past and a Church of the future as if some historical break in the body of the Church had occurred?

Could anyone say that the Bride of Christ had lived without the assistance of the Holy Spirit in a particular period of the past, so that its memory should be erased, purposefully forgotten?"

-- Msgr. Guido Marini,
INTRODUCTION TO THE SPIRIT OF THE LITURGY
Vatican City, January 6, 2010

Catholics believe that "the message of Jesus is intended for all"

2010-01-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

^"10Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him this man standeth here before you whole.

" ¹¹This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner.

^"12Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved."

-- Acts, Chapter 4

Quote in blog post title by Archbishop Timothy Dolan in recent comments on Catholic Radio.

In photo: New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan kneels in prayer during a visit to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan April 24, 2009 in New York City. Dolan, recently installed by the Vatican as archbishop for the New York metropolitan area, says he felt "overwhelming sadness" at the site of the worst terrorist attack in the nation's history. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Catholics believe “An immigrant is a human being, different in origin, culture and tradition, but he is a person to respect, with rights and duties"

2010-01-12T06:39:00.001-08:00

In recent remarks, Pope Benedict said violence was not the answer to the problem of tensions between immigrants and residents.

For more, read the Angelus address of Pope Benedict XVI of 10 January 2010.

Photo: BBC.

Catholics believe "HEALTH REFORM BILL NEEDS MORE WORK DESPITE NEW LANGUAGE ON ABORTION"

2010-01-11T10:43:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON—The Senate health reform bill should not move forward in its current form, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, and Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City said December 19, as senators proceeded closer to a vote. Cardinal DiNardo chairs the bishops' Committee on Pro-life Activities. Bishop Murphy chairs the bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. Bishop Wester chairs the bishops' Committee on Migration.

For more, visit A Priest Life.

Catholics believe that "what tradition hands down frequently has a practical origin beyond merely the visually impressive"

2010-01-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

"... what tradition hands down frequently has a practical origin beyond merely the visually impressive spectacle that to sceptical modern eyes it had appeared to have become."

-- Dominic Scarborough, a regular commentator in the press and internet on Catholic affairs, on the use of the sedia gestatoria. His company, Proteus Risk, advises companies on security issues. For more on this, visit A Priest Life.

CNS file photo: John Paul I was the last pope to be carried aloft by the sediari, or chairbearers.

Catholics believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary is "Mother of God"

2010-01-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Mary is truly "Mother of God" since she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who is God himself.

-- CCC 509

Catholics believe that the political form of secular messianism is "intrinsically perverse"

2009-12-31T05:09:00.001-08:00

The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.
-- CCC 676

Art: Luca Signorelli, Preaching and Deeds 0f the Antichrist, Orvieto.

Catholics believe "pornography is a quiet family killer"

2009-12-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

New study on effects of pornography reveals ‘a quiet family killer,’ researcher says

Patrick F. Fagan, Ph.D

Washington D.C., Dec 4, 2009 / 02:57 am (CNA).- A new study on the effects of pornography indicates that it erodes the family, corrupts men’s sense of normal sexuality and is frequently a major factor in most divorces. The author of the study characterized pornography as “a quiet family killer.”

The study, titled “The Effects of Pornography on Individuals, Marriage, Family and Community,” was authored by Patrick F. Fagan, Ph.D, who is a trained psychologist and a former Deputy Assistant Health and Human Services Secretary. He is also Director of the Center for Research on Marriage and Religion at the Family Research Council (FRC), which produced the study.

The study reports that men who regularly view pornography have a higher tolerance for abnormal sexuality, including rape, sexual aggression and sexual promiscuity.

For more, read here.

Catholics believe “The sexual abuse of a child is and always was grievously sinful"

2009-12-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

“The sexual abuse of a child is and always was a crime in civil law; it is and always was a crime in canon law; it is and always was grievously sinful. One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the report is that while church leaders — bishops and religious superiors — failed, almost every parent who came to the diocese to report abuse clearly understood the awfulness of what was involved.”

--Archbishop Diarmuid Martin,
on the "Dublin Report"
Dublin, Ireland

For more, read: Pope calls Irish church leaders to Vatican to discuss abuse report

Catholics believe that same sex attraction is not evil but "objectively disordered"

2009-11-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

"The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition."

-- CCC 2358

Catholics believe "issues that are moral questions before they become political remain moral questions when they become political"

2009-11-17T05:59:00.000-08:00

"The challenge to governing effectively and pastorally as bishops and priests is to be public without being co-opted and to be who we are without being isolated. We approach every issue from the perspective of the natural moral law and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for issues that are moral questions before they become political remain moral questions when they become political. To limit our teaching or governing to what the state is not interested in would be to betray both the Constitution of our country and, much more importantly, the Lord himself."

-- Cardinal Francis George,
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
2009 FALL MEETING OF THE US CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS
BALTIMORE, 16 NOVEMBER 2009

Catholics believe in the grace of "Exodus" from homosexuality

2009-11-12T19:05:00.000-08:00

Interview: Former Gay Youth Leader Re-Emerges to Tell His Dramatic Conversion Story

By Patrick B. Craine

November 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Two years ago Michael Glatze sent shockwaves through the homosexualist establishment when he declared publicly that he had left his life as a prominent homosexual activist, become Christian, and embraced "normal human sexuality."

However, after being subjected to intense criticism and ridicule following his conversion, Glatze decided to "go inside," "be silent," and "process" for a time, but now says he feels compelled to share his story anew. In an interview with LifeSiteNews.com (LSN), Glatze said that, far from reverting back to his old lifestyle (as many of his critics in the homosexual community said he would) he is "extremely happy, and able to have a very good, normal, healthy life."

Click here to read the rest of the story.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09111207.html

Catholics believe that true health care protects all life

2009-11-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

Bishops: True Health Care Protects All Life!

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK

“ Genuine health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all is a moral imperative and a vital national obligation” — Bishop William F. Murphy, chairman, USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice & Human Development.

The bishops of the United States recently asked that all Catholics be informed of their position on the current health care reform proposals. Plans being debated by Congress include coverage for abortions. Abortion is not health care; abortion is murder. Any health care plan that includes paying for abortions is not health care and cannot be supported by the bishops or any Catholic in good conscience. The most recent letter from the bishops dated October 8, 2009 is reprinted here.

+ + + Dear Member of Congress: On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), we are writing to express our disappointment that progress has not been made on the three priority criteria for health care reform that we have conveyed previously to Congress. In fact, the Senate Finance Committee rejected a conscience rights amendment accepted earlier by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. If final legislation does not meet our principles, we will have no choice but to oppose the bill. We remain committed to working with the administration, congressional leadership, and our allies to produce final health reform legislation that will reflect our principles.

We continue to urge you to: 1. Exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test.

2. Adopt measures that protect and improve people’s health care. Reform should make quality health care affordable and accessible to everyone, particularly those who are vulnerable and those who live at or near the poverty level.

3. Include effective measures to safeguard the health of immigrants, their children, and all of society. Ensure that legal immigrants and their family members have comprehensive, affordable, and timely access to health care coverage. Maintain an adequate safety net for those who remain uncovered. We sincerely hope that the legislation will not fall short of our criteria. However, we remain apprehensive when amendments protecting freedom of conscience and ensuring no taxpayer money for abortion are defeated in committee votes. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously. Catholic moral tradition teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential to protecting human life and dignity. Much- needed reform of our health care system must be pursued in ways that serve the life and dignity of all, never in ways that undermine or violate these fundamental values. We will work tirelessly to remedy these central problems and help pass real reform that clearly protects the life, dignity, and health of all.

Sincerely, Bishop William F. Murphy ( Diocese of Rockville Centre, chairman: Committee on Domestic Justice & Human Development); Justin Cardinal Rigali ( Archdiocese of Philadelphia, chairman: Committee on Pro-Life Activities); Bishop John Wester ( Diocese of Salt Lake City, chairman: Committee on Migration).

+ + + Take Action! Join the efforts of the U.S. Catholic bishops in supporting health care that respects the life and dignity of all people. You are invited to visit the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment web site at http:// actions. nchla. org and use the online form to send a message to your representatives that you stand up for life and against abortion coverage masquerading as health care. Thank you.

+ + + (See coverage of my journey in Italy and my running in the 34th Marine Corps Marathon at apriestlife. blogspot. com.)

Catholics believe "It's called Christmas"

2009-11-11T12:15:00.001-08:00

Catholics believe that being Catholic corresponds to truth

2009-10-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

"Let me state clearly that I did not leave the C of E (Church of England) over women's ordination or homosexuality though in regards to both of these issues I hold the Catholic orthodox line. I became Catholic because being Catholic was true, the primacy of Peter and his infallibility is true and the lack of the Magisterium in Anglicanism leaves the priest with nothing other than his (or now her) own opinion.

"On June 7, 2009 I resigned as a priest in the Church of England. On July 18, 2009 I was received into full communion in the Catholic Church. I have been asked numerous times if I am sorry that I left when I did as a result of the news this week from the Vatican on what Pope Benedict XVI is graciously offering Anglicans. The answer is a theological profound no way. I am a Catholic now and I have never been more happy about my personal decision to depart when I did. I could do no other as it was an issue that impacted the salvation of my soul as one who was theologically convinced of Catholic theology and what it meant to be a Catholic in communio with the Holy Father and the universal Catholic Church."

-- Jeffrey Steel (De cura animarum blog), formerly an Anglican priest, writes of his reasons for entering the universal Church with his wife and six children

Catholics believe that "the longest war, with the greatest number of 'fallen', is the practice of abortion"

2009-10-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

L’Osservatore Romano published an article, signed by Lucetta Scaraffia, urging President Obama, named as this year's Nobel peace laureate, to recognize “ that the longest war, with the greatest number of ‘ fallen,’ is the practice of abortion, legalized and facilitated by international structures.”

Read more here.

Catholics believe Pelosi and pals can run, but they can't "Hyde"

2009-10-14T04:35:00.000-07:00

Pelosi and all her elected pro-abort pals want you to think the Hyde amendment applies to the proposed Health Care program. It doesn't.

We are not allowed to use the word "lie" to apply to this despicable and condescending behavior because that is now also declared politically incorrect. How about "mendacious"?

Nancy: You and your elected pro-abort pals can run, but you can't "Hyde". We are outing you.

Get the details at www.StopHyding.com.

Thank you.

Catholics believe no talk of dignity, justice and peace is meaningful in the face of abortion

2009-10-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

"a society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized"

(Evangelium Vitae, 93; cf. Caritas in Veritate, 15).

-- Pope Benedict quotes Pope John Paul II in his speech upon the occasion of acceptance of the credentials of the new US ambassador to the Holy See, Honorable Miguel Humberto Díaz.

Full text of the Holy Father's address to the new US Ambassador available at Vatican.va. Click here.

Many Catholics believe that CCHD needs oversight .... BVM provides it

2009-09-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

"The BVM report ... offers concrete evidence that grantees on CCHD’s list for both 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 advocate policies and activities deeply contrary to fundamental Catholic moral teaching, such as abortion, contraception, and legalized prostitution. The report also observes that some of these groups are involved in pushing Obama’s health care reform without prejudice to its proposed funding of abortion and contraception." (The Wanderer Catholic Newspaper.)

Take a look at the Bellarmine Veritas Ministry (BVM) website that details their oversight of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. The work of this watchdog organization has prompted the CCHD to de-fund organizations that pursue agendas inimical to Catholic faith and morals.

Go to the BVM website by clicking here.

LifeSiteNews also has a recent report on the CCHD which you can find here.

Catholics Believe the Pope is Right About Condoms

2009-09-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

And so does a French Epidemiologist:

Epidemiologist: Pope Is Right About Condoms

Says Issue Is a "Prisoner of Ideology"

PARIS, SEPT. 15, 2009 (Zenit.org).- There is a lack of realism in debate about condoms, according to a French epidemiologist who maintains that Benedict XVI's assertion that condom use can actually aggravate the AIDS crisis is "simply realistic."

Read the rest of the story by clicking on this link.

Catholics believe chastity is not optional

2009-08-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

Another ecclesial group votes to make chastity optional for ordained clergy. And they said the slippery-slope would stop at artificial contraception.

More on the story here.

"Unhealthy Care": Catholics cannot be part of it

2009-08-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Archbishop Dolan Tells KCs . . .
Church Won’t Be Part Of “Unhealthy Care”

PHOENIX ( CNA) — “ Healthcare reform is a good thing,” New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan told Catholic News Agency (CNA) during an August 5 interview in Phoenix, where he was attending the annual Knights of Columbus gathering. However, if it “ leads to the destruction of life, then we say it’s no longer health care at all — it’s unhealthy care and we can’t be part of that.”

Responding to a question about the Catholic Church’s view on health-care reform, Archbishop Dolan explained to CNA that the Church regards health-care reform as a good thing. “ The Catholic Church has been saying that for a long time,” he said, adding that our human dignity “ means that one has access to quality affordable first- rate health care.”

“That having been said, the devil is in the details,” he warned. While the Church agrees on the “ what,” namely, “ on the reform and renewed, reinvigorated health care,” it has some things to say on how it is carried out.

The archbishop of New York affirmed that the first thing that needs to be said is that “ every health- care system exists only to serve human life, not the other way around.”

“ Human life is not some commodity, some customer, some cog that is at the service of a bigger system or some bureaucratic network,” but rather, it is “ the end in itself and health care is how it is protected.” If health care begins to lead to the “ destruction of human life” through avenues such as abortion, end of life care, or the discarding of human embryos, then “ we say it’s no longer health care at all.” “It’s unhealthy care and we can’t be part of that,” Archbishop Dolan stated.

While some people question the Church’s involvement in the debate surrounding health- care reform, Dolan insisted that the Church should have a voice in the debate “ because nearly one out of every five patients in the United States who is in a hospital is under the embrace of the Church in a Catholic health- care network.”

“So please listen to us because we’ve been in this business a heck of a long time,” he said, recalling that members of the Catholic Church were the ones who “ opened up the first clinics, hospitals, and health- care networks.”

He concluded: “ Don’t exclude us now because you might be uncomfortable with the very values that gave rise to this magnificent network.”

Homosexuality is Bad For Your Health: Mortal Sin Means Mortal Danger

2009-08-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

Why Isn't Homosexuality Considered A Disorder On The Basis Of Its Medical Consequences?

By Kathleen Melonakos, M.A., R.N.

I worked as an RN for several years during the eighties and nineties at Stanford University Medical Center, where I saw some of the damage homosexuals do to their bodies with some of their sexual practices. As a result of that eye-opening experience, I much admire the work of NARTH in the research and treatment of homosexuality.

I have long been concerned about the serious medical consequences which result from the gay-affirming attitudes that predominate in the San Francisco Bay Area. For example, I knew personally a prominent dermatologist, a dentist, an engineer, and a hairdresser that died in their mid-forties of infectious diseases related to their homosexual behavior patterns. I know of many others that have died young as a result of living a gay lifestyle.

The co-author of my own medical reference book, Saunders Pocket Reference for Nurses,[i] was the head of the surgery department at Stanford. She related case histories of homosexuals needing emergency surgery due to "fisting," "playing with toys," (inserting objects into the rectum) and other bizarre acts. I am certain--in light of my clinical experience, and since doing considerable amount of studying about it since that time--that homosexuality is neither normal nor benign; rather, it is a lethal behavioral addiction as Dr. Jeffrey Satinover outlines in his book, Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth.[ii]

As far as I know, there is no other group of people in the United States that dies of infectious diseases in their mid-forties except practicing homosexuals. This, to me, is tragic, when we know that homosexuality can be prevented, in many cases, or substantially healed in adulthood when there is sufficient motivation and help.

I now live in Delaware and work in conjunction with the Delaware Family Foundation to inform the public about homosexual issues. We are debating gay activists who want to add "sexual discrimination" to our anti-discrimination code. In trying to make the case that homosexuality is not healthy and should not be encouraged, we come up against the fact that neither the American Psychiatric Association, nor the American Psychological Association recognize it as a disorder. Our opponents say we are using "scare tactics."

Dr. Satinover brilliantly laid out in his book, Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth the solid, irrefutable evidence that there are lethal consequences of engaging in the defining features of male homosexuality--that is, promiscuity and anal intercourse.

It doesn't take someone trained in medicine to recognize that, as Brian Camenker of the Parent Right's Coalition said on national TV, "A lifetime of anal sex does not do great things for the body." Brian also said, "As troubling as that statement sounds, there is no logical argument against it." Thus, even lay people recognize what should be obvious, especially to those trained in medicine, and who know the basic facts about homosexuality. It seems to me that medical professionals should be more aware and concerned about the consequences of habitually engaging in promiscuous anal intercourse, and other oral-anal practices of active homosexuals.[iiia]

The risk of anal cancer soars for those engaging in anal intercourse. According to one report, it rises by an astounding 4000%, and doubles again for those who are HIV positive.[iiib]
Can anyone refute that anal intercourse tears the rectal lining of the receptive partner, regardless of whether a condom is worn, and the subsequent contact with fecal matter leads to a host of diseases?

Diseases to which active homosexuals are vulnerable can be classified as follows:
Classical sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea, infections with Chlamydia trachomatis, syphilis, herpes simplex infections, genital warts, pubic lice, scabies); enteric diseases (infections with Shigella species, Campylobacter jejuni, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, ["gay bowel disease"], Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and cytomegalovirus); trauma (related to and/or resulting in fecal incontinence, hemorroids, anal fissure, foreign bodies lodged in the rectum, rectosigmoid tears, allergic proctitis, penile edema, chemical sinusitis, inhaled nitrite burns, and sexual assault of the male patient); and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).[iv]

Can anyone refute that increased morbidity and mortality is an unavoidable result of male-with-male sex--not to mention the increased rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, suicide and other maladies that so often accompany a homosexual lifestyle?[v] People with this whole cluster of behavior patterns are somehow "normal"?

My primary question is: why isn't homosexuality considered a disorder on the basis of its medical consequences alone? Dr. Satinover and others have made a solid case for why homosexuality parallels alcoholism as an unhealthy addiction. It should have a parallel diagnosis.
There is a lot of literature, including on the NARTH website, discussing the 1973 removal of homosexuality as a diagnosis. The arguments against the change in diagnosis seem to center around "societal standards," moral relativism, "subjective distress" of the client, and whether or not there is any objective standard for "psychological" normalcy (for instance, the debate between Joseph Nicolosi and Dr. Michael Wertheimer in A Clash In Worldviews: An Interview with Dr. Michael Wertheimer).

While these considerations are important, it seems like we can set aside, for the moment, the debate on whether homosexuality should be classified as a developmental disorder. Very simply, it seems, an objective person just looking at homosexuality's lifestyle consequences would have to classify it as some kind of pathology. Does it or does it not lead to a dramatically shortened lifespan? Studies say it does, some by as much as 40%; the Cameron study being only one of many other studies that suggest this.[vi]

Taken together, these studies establish that homosexuality is more deadly than smoking, alcoholism, or drug addiction. However, it appears that far too few physicians or other professionals are making arguments in favor of homosexuality as a diagnosis based on its adverse health consequences.

While doing research into the history of the 1973 decision to remove homosexuality from the diagnostic manual of disorders, I have been shocked to find out the specious reasoning upon which the decision was based, and that qualified physicians have allowed the decision to stand.
On Feb. 5, 2002, I corresponded by e-mail with Dr. Robert Spitzer of the APA and asked him to send me references for the position papers and studies upon which his committee based its decision to remove the diagnosis. He told me to read Ron Bayer's book,[vii] the "closest thing to a position paper" (American Journal of Psychiatry,130:11, 1207-1216), and he said, "There was no specific list of references, but what was influential too was the Evelyn Hooker Rorshach study and the Eli Robins community study."[viii]

I have read many of the criticisms of the Hooker study--how respondents were specifically selected rather than at random, and other methodological limitations.[ix] Dr. Charles Socarides, who was also on the Task Force on Nomenclature, informs us also that Spitzer was influenced by the Kinsey Report, which was recognized as early as 1976 by "social progressives" like Prof. Paul Robinson of Stanford as "a pathetic manifestation of Kinsey's philosophical naivete.. a mechanical contrivance, which...bore little relation to reality,"[x] and since has been discredited by the work of Judith Reisman and others.

It is clear that Dr. Socarides was right when he said that the decision to remove homosexuality as a diagnosis "involved the out-of-hand and peremptory disregard and dismissal not only of hundreds of psychiatric and psychoanalytic research papers and reports, but other serious studies by groups of psychiatrists, psychologists and educators over the past seventy years..."[xi]

It appears even more obvious that the Task Force on Nomenclature cavalierly ignored (and the APA's continue to ignore!) the substantial and unambiguous evidence that homosexuality involves a life-threatening behavior with an addictive component which has serious health implications.[xii]

That the APA's have escaped accountability for their lack of scientific and professional integrity is especially incredible since the advent of the AIDS epidemic. There are currently an estimated 900,000 people in the United States that are infected with the HIV virus, or 1 in 300 Americans. Though there has been a decrease in AIDS deaths per year due to drug therapy, (which costs an average of $12,000 per patient per year) the rate of new infections per year has remained the same, at 40,000, despite the twenty year "safe-sex" campaign.[xiii]

These facts demonstrate the failure of current policies in containing the AIDS epidemic. While drug therapy will briefly extend the life of these patients, AIDS remains the fifth leading cause of death among those aged 25-44, and 60% of new cases are contracted by men who have sex with men.[xiv] According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), homosexual men are a thousand times more likely to contract AIDS than the general heterosexual population[xv]
Dr. Satinover has said in an interview with NARTH:

"A recent article in a psychiatric publication informed us that 30% of all 20-year-old homosexual men will be HIV positive or dead by the age of thirty. You would think that the objective, ethical approach would be: let's use anything that works to try to take these people out of their posture of risk. If it means getting them to wear condoms fine. If it means getting them to give up anal intercourse, fine. If it means getting them to give up homosexuality, fine. But that last intervention is the one intervention that it absolutely taboo.

"There is no doubt that a cold, statistical analysis of this epidemic would lead you to believe that this attitude of political correctness is killing a substantial proportion of these people. I think there is an element of denial, in the psychological sense, of what gay-related illnesses really mean."[xvi]

It seems to me that the APA's should be aggressively pressed to recognize the facts about the morbidity and mortality directly attributed to homosexuality, or be exposed for the recklessly irresponsible "guardians of the public health" they have become, at least on this issue.
When will doctors and other health care workers demand that officers in the American Psychiatric Association respond to the clear evidence in the following: Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth: the mortality rates listed in their own "APA's Practical Guidelines for Treating Patients with HIV/AIDS";[xvii] and other important reports, such as the Monograph put out by the Institute of Sexual Health, Health Implications of Homosexuality?[xviii]

Lest we think that APA officers justify their neglect of medical consequences of homosexuality on the basis that sexual orientation cannot be changed, we note that Robert Spitzer acknowledged in his original 1973 position paper on Nomenclature that "modern methods of treatment enable a significant proportion of homosexuals who wish to change their sexual orientation to do so."[xix]

He has now confirmed the fact that sexual orientation can be changed with his recent study.[xx] We know that changing sexual orientation only became "impossible" in the nineties, as part of a political strategy by gay activists.[xxi]

Spitzer and his allies' rationale for removing homosexuality as a diagnosis in 1973 was that to be considered a psychiatric disorder,

"it must either regularly cause subjective distress, or regularly be associated with some generalized impairment in social effectiveness or functioning....Clearly homosexuality per se does not meet the requirements for a psychiatric disorder, since, as noted above, many are quite satisfied with their sexual orientation and demonstrate no generalized impairment in social effectiveness or functioning." (Spitzer, et.al, p. 1215).

The Task Force's reasoning fails for several reasons. First, even if we grant the validity of their stated criteria (which is questionable), the fact that many homosexuals "are satisfied with their sexual orientation," fails to take into account the large number of homosexuals who are not satisfied with their sexual orientation and who do experience "subjective distress and generalized impairment in social functioning." The removal of the diagnosis is not just unfair, but cruel to those who would seek treatment for their condition.

Secondly, there are unambiguous reasons to think that homosexuality per se does cause "generalized impairment in social effectiveness or functioning." If in fact it is a lethal addiction, and the many studies documenting the behavior patterns of homosexuals are correct (that show compulsive patterns of promiscuity, anonymous sex, sex for money, sex in public places, sex with minors, concomitant drug and alcohol abuse, depression, suicide), for the APA to argue that these features do not constitute an "impairment of social effectiveness or functioning," stretches the boundaries of plausibility. To argue that early death does not constitute an "impairment of social effectiveness or functioning" is absurd.

The APA claims its mission is "to promote a bio-psycho-social approach to understanding and caring for patients, in all aspects of health care, including illness prevention" (APA's Stategic Goals Statement). Thus the APA violates its own goals then when it ignores evidence that homosexuality can in many cases be prevented, and denies reorientation therapy to those who want it.

A careful reading of the articles opposing reorientation therapy reveals their authors' rationale that they find such therapy to be "oppressive" to those who do not want therapy.[xxii]
What if this logic was applied to any other lethal illness? What if doctors said, "We refuse to treat cancer (or, say, alcoholism) because we only achieve a 50% cure rate--and many people who don't want to be cured find it oppressive that we do cure the others?" Why wouldn't the lawsuits for malpractice be filed?

We know that Ronald Gold of the Gay Activist's Alliance, an openly gay man, was a member of the committee to remove homosexuality as a diagnosis in 1973. We know that gay activists were disrupting meetings, threatening doctors, and using other strong-arm tactics to get their way at that time.[xxiii]

We also know that homosexual activists like Dr. Richard Isay in the APA have pressed for resolutions to punish therapists for practicing reorientation therapy, and that threats of lawsuits appear to be the main reason the APA has not implemented his proposals.[xxiv]

We know homosexual advocates in the APA continue to suppress debate about Spitzer's new study documenting that sexual orientation can be changed (and to suppress debate about other supporting studies).[xxv] We also know that active homosexuals such as Clinton Anderson at the American Psychological Association refuse to permit NARTH to engage in open debate or announce NARTH meetings in APA publications simply because he disagrees with the premises upon which reorientation therapy is based.[xxvi]

For these reasons, I do not think it is far-fetched to use the analogy that the "drunks are running the rehab center," in reference to the APA's--at least as far as homosexuality is concerned. Active homosexuals can hardly be objective about an addictive behavior they engage in themselves. In light of the medical evidence, it seems that the Galenic dictum, "physician heal thyself," should apply, as it did it in the past, as Dr. Satinover suggests.[xxvii]

It seems to me the situation in this country will only get worse until the APA is held directly responsible for what is arguably their criminal negligence. In failing to reckon with serious medical consequences of the homosexual behavior pattern, they are harming our whole society, and especially the upcoming generation.

The recent decision by the American Academy of Pediatrics to endorse gay adoptions is yet another disturbing example of how the decision to "normalize" homosexuality by the APA has had a broad ripple effect. Health professionals especially, should heed Dean Byrd's outcry on the NARTH web site that it is time that the American people "insist on truth, not politics, from all of our professional organizations."

What will it take to insist on truth? Lawsuits? Protests? In my opinion, doctors and other health professionals must exert pressure, or share culpability.

What if every person reading this article sent a copy of it to the president of the American Psychiatric Association and asked for a response? Reasoned debate is the least that psychiatrists owe our society--especially those whose lives and loved ones are at risk.
The following is relevant contact information If interested in contacting these organizations, remember that our aim is to open up a principled, civil debate:

American Psychiatric Association
President, Richard Harding, M.D.mailto:M.D.RHarding@Richmed.medpark.sc.edu
President-Elect, Paul Appelbaum, M.D.appelbap@ummhc.org
Or: American Psychiatric Association1400 K Street N.W., Washington, DC 20005(888) 357-7924 -- FAX 202-682-6850 -- apa@psych.org

[i] Melonakos, Kathleen, Saunders Pocket Reference for Nurses, Philadelphia: Saunders, 1990, (2nd ed)., with Sheryl Michelson, , 1995.

[ii] Satinover, Jeffrey, Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth, Hamewith/Baker Books, 1996.

[iiia] For an eye-opening survey of the medical studies and journal reports describing the unhygienic and disease-producing practices of homosexuals, see http://www.cprmd.org, "Homosexual Myths--Male Homosexuals are Healthy and Have Normal Sex Lives."

[iiib] Fenger, C. "Anal Neoplasia and Its Precursors: Facts and Controversies," Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology 8, no. 3, August 1991, pp.190-201; Daling, J.R. et al., "Sexual Practices, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and the Incidence of Anal Cancer," New England Journal of Medicine 317, no.16, 15 October 1987, pp. 973-77; Holly, E.A. et al., "Anal Cancer Incidence: Genital Warts, Anal Fissure or Fistula, Hemorrhoids, and Smoking," Journal of the National Cancer Institute 81, no. 22, November 1989, pp. 1726-31; Daling, J.R. et.al, "Correlates of Homosexual Behavior and the Incidence of Anal Cancer," Journal of the American Medical Association 247, no.14, 9 April 1982, pp. 1988-90; Cooper, H.S., Patchefsky, A.S. and Marks, G., "Cloacogenic Carcinoma of the Anorectum in Homosexual Men: An Observation of Four Cases"; Diseases of the Colon and Rectum 22, no. 8, 1979, pp. 557-58. Also see Between the Lines, Michigan's statewide gay newspaper, reporting on the risk of anal cancer for men who have sex with men, http://www.afa.net/homosexual_agenda/ha031901.asp

[iv] W.E. Owen Jr., "Medical Problems of the Homosexual Adolescent," Journal of Adolescent Health Care6, No.4, July 1985, pp. 278-85.

[v] See O'Leary, Dale, "Recent Studies on Homosexuality and Mental Health," http://www.narth.com/docs/recent.html. O'Leary gives a summary of health findings and references for specific studies.

[vi] Mr. Trey Kern, President of the Citizen's for Parent Rights, in Pasadena, Maryland has collected an impressive amount data on studies documenting the diminished lifespan of active homosexuals. See www.cprmd.org, "Homosexual Myths: Homosexuals Live Long Lives, Fact Sheet. Studies include: (G. Tardieu, 1858; M. Hirschfield, 1914, Kinsey, 1930's, 1940's; Mattachine Society, 1950's: Berger, 1960's, Kinsey Institute, 1969; Spada Report 1978; M. Mendola, 1979; Cameron, Playfair, Wellum, 1994; Hogg, R.S., et. al, International Journal of Epidemiology, 1997; Cameron, P, Cameron, K, Playfair, WL., Psychological Reports, 1998.

[vii] Bayer, R. Homosexuality and American Psychiatry, Princeton University Press, 1987. Mr. Bayer chronicled the story of how homosexuality was removed as a diagnosis. It confirms that the APA did not officially investigate or study the issue thoroughly before it gave formal approval of the deletion of homosexuality from the DSMII.

[viii] Personal e-mail correspondence with Dr. Spitzer, Feb. 5, 2002.

[ix] Socarides, Charles, W., "Sexual Politics and Scientific Logic: The Issue of Homosexuality," The Journal of Psychohistory, 10:3, 1992, p. 309 Dr. Socarides explains that a task force within the APA itself concluded in 1973 that Hooker's study was full of methodological errors, and did not warrant her conclusions. See also, Joseph Nicolosi, "Clash of Worldviews: Interview with Michael Wertheimer", http://www.narth.com/.

[x] Socarides, p. 324.

[xi].Socarides, p. 315

[xii] Spitzer, R.L, et. al, in "Symposium: Should Homosexuality Be in the APA Nomenclature?" American Journal of Psychiatry, 130:11, 1973 make no mention whatsoever of any health implications of homosexuality. Also, I asked Dr. Spitzer in an e-mail correspondence April 4, 2001, whether there was any chance the APA might change its policy in light of evidence that sexual orientation can be changed and the negative impact of homosexual practices upon lifespan. He acknowledged nothing about shortened lifespan, but gave a one-sentence reply that said there was no possibility that APA would change its policy on homosexuality at that time.

[xiii] "APA's Practical Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with HIV/AIDS," Epidemiology, Clinical Features Influencing Treatment, sections, www.psych.org/aids/

[xiv] Ibid, Anti-Viral Treatment section.

[xv] The HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of HIV/AIDS, January, 1992, p. 9.

[xvi] Satinover, Jeffrey, "Reflections: Interview with NARTH," Feb. 5, 2001, http:www.narth.com/docs/satinover.html.

[xvii] See American Psychiatric Association website, www.psych.org/aids/, or obtain bound copy of report available from American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., 1-800-368-5777, or http://www.appi.org/.

[xviii] Monograph is available from The Institute of Sexual Health, P.O.Box 162306, Austin, TX 78716, ph (512) 328-6268, fax (ph) 538-6269.

[xix] Spitzer, R.L, et. al, "Symposium: Should Homosexuality Be in the APA Nomenclature?" p.1215.

[xx] Spitzer, R.L, "Two Hundred Subjects Who Claim to Have Changed Their Sexual Orientation from Homosexual to Heterosexual," presentation made at the American Psychiatric Association, May 9th, 2001, in New Orleans, available from NYS Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, phone (212) 543-5524.

[xxi] Rev. Dr. Earle Fox, former president of the chapter of Exodus Intl. whose members picketed the 2000 APA convention to protest the denial of therapy to those who want it (which resulted in Dr. Robert Spitzer's 2001 study on reorientation therapy), tells in "Homosexuality Wrongly a Civil Right," Delaware State News, January 13, 2002, how no one was disputing that sexual orientation could be changed until gay activists, Kirk and Madsen, in After the Ball: How America will Conquer It's Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's, Doubleday, 1989, outlined their plan to convince America gays were "born that way," and "beyond the realm of moral choice," p. 189.

[xxii] For an extensive survey of the articles promoting the view opposing reorientation therapy, see Diamond, Eugene, et.al, Homosexuality and Hope, the results of a two-year study, published by the Catholic Medical Association, p. 14, obtainable at P.O. Box 757, Pewaukee, WI, 53072 or http://www.cathmed.org/ . Some of the articles quoted are Davison, G., 1982; Gittings, 1973; Begelman, 1975, 1977; Murphy 1992; Sleek 1997; Silverstein, 1972; Smith, 1988. See also, "Psychiatrists Reject Therapy to Alter Gays: Efforts aimed at Turning Homosexuals into Heterosexuals are Harmful, Professional Board Declares, Even for Those Not Being Treated," Los Angeles Times, Dec. 12, 1998.

[xxiii] Socarides, p. 310. See also, Satinover, p. 31-40.

[xxiv] See Satinover, p. 36,180-182, and Stern, Mark, E, "The Battle Against the A.P.A. Resolution", www.narth.com, Interviews/Testimonies.

[xxv] Rev. Dr. Earle Fox, Delaware State News, Jan. 13, 2002.

[xxvi] NARTH Bulletin, Vol. 10, No. 3, Dec. 2001, Letter from Clinton W. Anderson to Drs. Nicolosi and Byrd, p. 16.

[xxvii] Satinover, p. 47.
Copyright © NARTH. All Rights Reserved. Leadership U.

(Thanks to Fr C.V. at Plinthos for bringing this to my attention.)

Health Care Act: Incremental promotion of the "banality of evil"

2009-08-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

JB of Wilmington, Delaware, wrote to say that she could not find mention of the elderly or disabled in USCCB statements about the Health Care Act:

"The Post had an interesting op-ed about how the House bill would pay doctors to give end of life counseling to seniors every 5 years. As a student of incrementalism, I can tell you that if this provision survived to become law, the next step would be to make it mandatory. Plus, the government would be providing the doctors with scripts. Care to guess what the scripts might say?

"Betsy McCaughey (former Lt Governor in NY, now heads an organization to build awareness about hospital deaths due to infections) had an interesting article on the risks of Obama care for the elderly in the Wall Street Journal. As a preview of things to come, she says that in Oregon, some cancer patients are being denied care by the state, and are afforded the benefit of physician-assisted suicide. Scary stuff. This is why people are angry. There will be countless opportunities via amendments to the law and regulations to push the culture of death inch by inch. First it's end of life counseling for seniors, then it will be mandatory prenatal testing & then counseling for pregnant women carrying a disabled child.

"Incrementalism is a powerful weapon in the culture of death - it helps promote the banality of evil that Hannah Arendt wrote of."

Health Care Act: "would mandate abortion coverage in private health plans, expand abortion funding, override laws limiting abortion"

2009-08-01T04:03:00.001-07:00

Health care: a basic right for all, from conception to natural death
Reform must not be vehicle for ‘abortion rights’ agenda
Congress: Follow President Obama’s pledge to preserve conscience rights

Cardinal Rigali Urges House Committee to Support Pro-Life Amendments to Health Care Reform Bill

WASHINGTON— Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, wrote on July 29 to the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging them to amend “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act” (H.R. 3200) to retain longstanding government policies on abortion and conscience rights.

Cardinal Rigali reiterated criteria for “genuine health care reform” set forth by Bishop William Murphy, Chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Policy, in his letter to Congress on July 17. He described health care as “a basic right belonging to all human beings, from conception to natural death” and said that “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is working to ensure that needed health reform is not undermined by abandoning longstanding and widely supported policies against abortion funding and mandates and in favor of conscience protection.”

The Cardinal enumerated several problems with the bill as introduced: It would be used to mandate abortion coverage in private health plans, expand abortion funding, override state laws that limit or regulate abortion, and endanger existing laws protecting the conscience rights of health care providers.

For the whole article visit the USCCB site here.

Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is the "Charity in Truth" essential for the authentic development of every human person

2009-07-07T06:28:00.001-07:00

INTRODUCTION

1. Charity in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by his earthly life and especially by his death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. Love — caritas — is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. It is a force that has its origin in God, Eternal Love and Absolute Truth. Each person finds his good by adherence to God's plan for him, in order to realize it fully: in this plan, he finds his truth, and through adherence to this truth he becomes free (cf. Jn 8:22). To defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life are therefore exacting and indispensable forms of charity. Charity, in fact, “rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor 13:6). All people feel the interior impulse to love authentically: love and truth never abandon them completely, because these are the vocation planted by God in the heart and mind of every human person. The search for love and truth is purified and liberated by Jesus Christ from the impoverishment that our humanity brings to it, and he reveals to us in all its fullness the initiative of love and the plan for true life that God has prepared for us. In Christ, charity in truth becomes the Face of his Person, a vocation for us to love our brothers and sisters in the truth of his plan. Indeed, he himself is the Truth (cf. Jn 14:6).

-- Benedict XVI, ON INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
IN CHARITY AND TRUTH

Recommended additional reading, "Pope Benedict XVI calls for new economic system based on love in G8 message" in The TimesOnline.

Catholics believe that grown-up Faith demands the courage "to stand against the winds of fashion".

2009-06-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

In the last few decades, the expression ‘adult faith’ [fede adulta, 'grown up faith'] has become a widespread slogan. It is often used in relation to the attitudes of those who no longer pay attention to what the Church and her Pastors say — which is to say, those who choose on their own what to believe or not to believe in a sort of ‘do-it-yourself’ faith. Expressing oneself against the Magisterium of the Church is presented as a sort of ‘courage’, whereas in fact not much courage is needed because one can be certain of receiving public praise.

Instead, courage is needed to adhere to the Church’s faith, even if it contradicts the 'order' of today’s world. Paul calls this non-conformism an ‘adult faith’. For him, following the prevailing winds and currents of the time is childish.

For this reason, it is part of an adult faith to dedicate oneself to the inviolability of life from its beginning, thus radically opposing the principle of violence, in defense precisely of the most defenseless. It is part of an adult faith to recognize the lifelong marriage between one man and one woman in accordance with the Creator’s order, re-established again by Christ. An adult faith does not follow any current here and there. It stands against the winds of fashion.

Benedict XVI
Homily - First Vespers of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
June 28, 2009

"The fulfillment of the covenants...is found only in Jesus Christ."

2009-06-22T05:10:00.001-07:00

"At the same time, we also believe that the fulfillment of the covenants, indeed, of all God's promises to Israel, is found only in Jesus Christ. By God's grace, the right to hear this Good News belongs to every generation. Fulfilling the mandate given her by the Lord, the Church, respecting human freedom, proclaims the truths of the Gospel in love."

Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

A Note on Ambiguities Contained in Reflections on Covenant and Mission

June 18, 2009

Benedict: Pentecost a real event with "less activity and more prayer"

2009-06-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

If we do not want Pentecost to be reduced to a mere ritual or to a suggestive commemoration, but that it be a real event of salvation, through a humble and silent listening to God's Word we must predispose ourselves to God's gift in religious openness. So that Pentecost renew itself in our time, perhaps there is need -- without taking anything away from God's freedom [to do as he pleases] -- for the Church to be less "preoccupied" with activities and more dedicated to prayer.

Benedict XVI

Homily for the Solemnity of Pentecost

May 31, 2009

Vatican Council II: "Not a rupture."

2009-05-26T16:28:00.001-07:00

In his epoch-making speech of December 22, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI introduced the notion that the documents of the Second Vatican Council must be interpreted only according to what he called the "hermeneutic of continuity" - that is, continuity with Tradition.

Today, the Pontiff developed this notion in his opening address of the Ecclesial Congress (Convegno Ecclesiale) of the Diocese of Rome. Excerpts:

"The Council was not a rupture which brought a new church into life, but a true and deep renewal of a single subject who develops."

According to the Pope, the Council "yielded good fruits", but was distorted by "an interpretive current which, referring to a supposed 'spirit of the Council', intended instead to establish a discontinuity with the Tradition of the Church, confusing, for instance, the objetively existing boundaries between the hierarchy and the lay faithful, observing the Church accordinng to a horizontal cut which excluded the vertical reference to God, in open contrast with Catholic doctrine."

(With special thanks and gratitude to Rorate Caeli.)

Marriage: "Lifelong fidelity of a man and a woman"

2009-05-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

This stage of my pilgrimage, I am confident, will draw the whole Church’s attention to this town of Nazareth. All of us need, as Pope Paul VI said here, to return to Nazareth, to contemplate ever anew the silence and love of the Holy Family, the model of all Christian family life. Here, in the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, we come to appreciate even more fully the sacredness of the family, which in God’s plan is based on the lifelong fidelity of a man and a woman consecrated by the marriage covenant and accepting of God’s gift of new life. How much the men and women of our time need to reappropriate this fundamental truth, which stands at the foundation of society, and how important is the witness of married couples for the formation of sound consciences and the building of a civilization of love!

HOLY MASS

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Mount of Precipice - Nazareth
Thursday, 14 May 2009

Pope Pius XII: A "Righteous Gentile"

2009-05-11T03:26:00.000-07:00

The blessed memory of a great Pontiff who was declared by the Jews a "righteous gentile" following the war because of his great efforts to save their lives.

On the day Pope Benedict XVI visits Yad Vashem, we recall the words of Paul VI:

The Church truly loves you all.

Our great Predecessor Pius XII affirmed this with all strength, and repeatedly, in the course of the last world conflict, and all know what he accomplished in defense and for the rescue of all those who faced difficulties, with no distinction whatsoever. And nonetheless, you are aware, suspicions, and even accusations, have been hurled against the memory of this great Pontiff. We are glad of having the opportunity of affirming it on this day and in this place: nothing is more unjust that this outrage against such a venerable figure.

Those who, like Us, knew this admirable soul closely know just how far his sensibility could go, his compassion for human sufferings, his courage, the sensitivity of his heart.

Those who, just after the war, came, with tears in their eyes, to thank him for having saved their lives also knew it. In truth, following the One whom he represents down here, the Pope wishes nothing else than the true welfare of all men.

Paul VI

Farewell from the Israeli authorities

Mandelbaum Gate (Jerusalem), January 5, 1964

With thanks to Rorate Caeli

Vatican paper on 'Angels & Demons': 'Harmless entertainment'

2009-05-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

The paper suggested moviegoers could make a game out of finding the many historical inaccuracies in the plot.

The Deacons Bench (deacbench.blogspot.com/)

NEW YORK - The first review of Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons" is in from the Vatican:

"L'Osservatore Romano ran a review and an editorial in Wednesday's edition, critiquing the movie based on the Dan Brown best-selling novel of the same name.

"Angels & Demons" had its world premiere Monday in Rome, after director Ron Howard charged that the Vatican interfered with getting film permits to shoot scenes in the city — a contention the Vatican said was a publicity stunt.

The newspaper wrote that the movie was "a gigantic and smart commercial operation" filled with "stereotyped characters." The paper suggested moviegoers could make a game out of finding the many historical inaccuracies in the plot.

However, L'Osservatore praised Howard's "dynamic direction" and the "magnificent" reconstruction of locations like St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Much of the film was shot on sets that painstakingly recreated church landmarks.

The film offers "more than two hours of harmless entertainment, which hardly affects the genius and mystery of Christianity," L'Osservatore's reviewer wrote. It's "a videogame that first of all sparks curiosity and is also, maybe, a bit of fun."

Vatican breaks silence on "Angels and Demons"

2009-05-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

by Philip Pulella, Reuters

The success of books and films like "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" should make the Catholic Church rethink the way it uses the media to present itself, the Vatican newspaper said on Wednesday.

The newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, ran two editorials on last Monday's premiere of "Angels and Demons" in Rome, ending an official institutional silence on the film. The editorials neither panned nor praised the film but rather offered up a mix of positive and negative comments.

One of the editorials called the film "ephemeral" but also conceded that it was "gripping" and called the camera work "splendid." It called the film "pretentious" but added that Ron Howard's direction was "dynamic and alluring."

One of the editorials, headlined "The Secret of His Success," said the Church should ask itself why such a "simplistic and partial" vision of the Church as portrayed in Dan Brown's works is so successful, even among Catholics.

"It would probably be an exaggeration to consider the books of Dan Brown an alarm bell but maybe they should be a stimulus to re-think and refresh the way the Church uses the media to explain its positions on today's burning issues," it said.

The film "Angels & Demons" sees symbologist Robert Langdon return to the big screen to try to help the Vatican rescue kidnapped cardinals who are being killed on the hour.

He also must stop a ticking time bomb by tracking down clues linked to a centuries-old secret society called the Illuminati.

Unlike its reception of The Da Vinci Code, the Vatican was officially silent in the run-up to "Angels and Demons," perhaps because its condemnation of "The Da Vinci Code" prompted an incalculable amount of free publicity that boosted box office sales.

"The Da Vinci Code" upset the Vatican and some Catholics because of its storyline, in which Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children, creating a royal bloodline that Church officials kept secret for centuries.

Howard accused the Vatican of trying to hamper his filming in Rome of "Angels & Demons," which had to recreate scenes of the Vatican and some Rome churches in Los Angeles.

John T. Noonan: "What Can and Cannot Change"

2009-05-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Take a look at these interestingly titled books, highlighted in red, by John T. Noonan, Notre Dame's choice to replace Mary Ann Glendon on the dais 17 May:

Noonan is the author of numerous books, including “A Church that Can and Cannot Change: The Development of Catholic Moral Teaching,” “Contraception: A History of Its Treatment by Catholic Theologians and Canonists,” “Power to Dissolve: Lawyers and Marriages in the Courts of the Roman Curia,” “Bribes,” “The Lustre of Our Country: The American Experience of Religious Freedom,” and “Narrowing the Nation’s Power: The Supreme Court Sides With the States.” He also has contributed essays, articles and reviews to such magazines and journals as Commonweal, The Tablet, The Wilson Quarterly, National Review, America, and The New York Times Book Review.

This information and more is available at the Notre Dame web site here.

Anybody read either of these and can give us the rundown?

Thank you,
((((..))))

Notre Shame FaithWreck

2009-04-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

The Notre Shame FaithWreck continues: Father Jenkins has announced that he will go "dumpster diving" to replace Mary Ann Glendon on the dais at 17 May Notre Dame commencement:

Statement by Father John Jenkins on the Laetare Medal

The following statement from Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame, is in response to the decision by Mary Ann Glendon to decline acceptance of the University’s Laetare Medal:

“We are, of course, disappointed that Professor Glendon has made this decision. It is our intention to award the Laetare Medal to another deserving recipient, and we will make that announcement as soon as possible.” (University of Notre Dame Office of News & Information)

N.B. Be assured the replacement will be the only acceptable kind of Catholic: a pro-abort "faux" Catholic. Wear Black 17 May to stand with preborn babies at risk, embryos destroyed for government-funded research and in protest of all crimes against human life.

Mary Ann Glendon: The Great Refusal

2009-04-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

Mary Ann Glendon wrote the following to decline the Laetare medal at Notre Dame:

Dear Father Jenkins,

When you informed me in December 2008 that I had been selected to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, I was profoundly moved. I treasure the memory of receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1996, and I have always felt honored that the commencement speech I gave that year was included in the anthology of Notre Dame’s most memorable commencement speeches. So I immediately began working on an acceptance speech that I hoped would be worthy of the occasion, of the honor of the medal, and of your students and faculty.

Last month, when you called to tell me that the commencement speech was to be given by President (), I mentioned to you that I would have to rewrite my speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the task that once seemed so delightful has been complicated by a number of factors.

First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.

Then I learned that “talking points” issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:

• “President () won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.”

• “We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about.”

A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.

Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops’ guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame’s example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.

It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony.

In order to avoid the inevitable speculation about the reasons for my decision, I will release this letter to the press, but I do not plan to make any further comment on the matter at this time.

Yours Very Truly,

Mary Ann Glendon

[source: First Things - which appears to be inundated with traffic...]

Update: Expert commentary on Glendon's noble refusal

In reaction to this morning's breaking news story that Mary Ann Glendon has refused the Laetare Medal.

Fr. Raymond J. de Souza at NCRegister:

Father John Jenkins likely thought himself very clever. Professor Mary Ann Glendon just took him to school.
In declining to receive the Laetare Medal alongside President N.’s honorary doctorate of laws at next month’s commencement, Glendon has refused to participate in the shabby manipulation Father Jenkins attempted to engineer. It is a rare personage who could ennoble an award by refusing to receive it, but Professor Glendon has done just that. The Laetare Medal will now be known best for the year in which it was declined. Glendon chose, to use the apt words of Bishop John D’Arcy in this regard, truth over prestige.
The significance of Glendon’s refusal is enormous. The most accomplished Catholic laywoman in America — former ambassador of the United States to the Holy See and current president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences — has refused to accept Notre Dame’s highest honor. It is a signal moment for the Catholic Church in the United States. It is a signal moment for the Church’s public witness. It is may even be a signal moment for Notre Dame. What Glendon will not say at Notre Dame will finally be a fitting response to what Gov. Mario Cuomo said there some 25 years ago. [Read on.]
(CNS Photo: Mary Ann Glendon. Story thanks to American Papist.)

America: Loss of moral direction?

2009-04-25T13:03:00.001-07:00

'Tonight on my drive home from work I heard about how 'O' stated that America has lost it's 'moral direction' in the torturing of terrorists at Guantanamo Bay.

"America didn't lose it's moral direction in torturing terrorists. It lost it's moral direction in 1973 when it sanctioned the ripping and dismembering, the burning, the suctioning and the scraping out of millions of unborn babies. Now that's a loss of moral direction.

Some people simply have no sense of perspective."

-- Angel

Thanks to American Papist

2009-04-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Thomas Peters of American Papist for a mention of the "Wear Black" campaign for 17 May in solidarity with unborn human life and in protest of all crimes against human life. Peters offers a comprehensive wrap-up of articles and news about the "Notre Shame" incident at the link.

Bishop Finn on Notre Shame: "wrong, scandalous, discouraging and confusing"

2009-04-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

Bishop Robert W. Finn of the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese delivered a keynote speech entitled “Warriors for the Victory of Life” at the Gospel of Life Convention last Saturday, April 18. In his speech Bishop Finn characterized Notre Dame’s decision to honor N. as wrong, scandalous, discouraging and “confusing to many Catholics.”

During his speech, Bishop Finn said, “I suspect that, since Notre Dame will need a scapegoat for this debacle, and Fr. Jenkins will probably lose his job, at this point perhaps he ought to determine to lose it for doing something right instead of something wrong. He ought to disinvite the President, who I believe would graciously accept the decision. Notre Dame, instead, ought to give the honorary degree to Bishop John D’Arcy of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, who has supported and tried to guide the University, despite their too frequent waywardness, faithfully for 25 years.”

The Easter witness of Peter: "No salvation through anyone else"

2009-04-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them, "Leaders of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

-- Acts 4:1-12

The name "Jesus" signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation, and henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his Incarnation, so that "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

-- CCC 432

The Latin phrase Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus means: "Outside the Church there is no salvation". This expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a bishop of the third century. The axiom is often used as short-hand for the doctrine, upheld by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, that the Church is absolutely necessary for salvation (cf. "one true faith"). The theological basis for this doctrine is founded on the beliefs that (1) Jesus Christ personally established the one Church; and (2) the Church serves as the means by which the graces won by Christ are communicated to believers.

An Eastern Orthodox bishop has expressed this doctrine as follows: "'Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. All the categorical strength and point of this aphorism lies in its tautology. Outside the Church there is no salvation, because salvation is the Church' (G. Florovsky, Sobornost: the Catholicity of the Church, in The Church of God, p. 53). Does it therefore follow that anyone who is not visibly within the Church is necessarily damned? Of course not; still less does it follow that everyone who is visibly within the Church is necessarily saved. As Augustine wisely remarked: 'How many sheep there are without, how many wolves within!' (Homilies on John, 45, 12) While there is no division between a 'visible' and an 'invisible Church', yet there may be members of the Church who are not visibly such, but whose membership is known to God alone. If anyone is saved, he must in some sense be a member of the Church; in what sense, we cannot always say."^[1]

The Roman Catholic Church also teaches that the doctrine does not mean that everyone who is not visibly within the Church is necessarily damned (see below).

Some of the most pertinent Roman Catholic expressions of this doctrine are: the profession of faith of Pope Innocent III (1208), the profession of faith of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), the bull Unam sanctam of Pope Boniface VIII (1302), and the profession of faith of the Council of Florence (1442). Whether these expressions constitute dogmatic definitions is the subject of investigation by Catholic theologians. The axiom "No salvation outside the Church" has been frequently repeated over the centuries in different terms by the ordinary magisterium.

-- From Answers.com

Catholics believe in loving and living "the Word"

2009-04-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

“Sanctify them in the truth.” Jesus adds: “Your word is truth.”

The disciples are thus drawn deep within God by being immersed in the word of God. The word of God is, so to speak, the bath which purifies them, the creative power which transforms them into God’s own being. So then, how do things stand in our own lives? Are we truly pervaded by the word of God? Is that word truly the nourishment we live by, even more than bread and the things of this world? Do we really know that word? Do we love it? Are we deeply engaged with this word to the point that it really leaves a mark on our lives and shapes our thinking? Or is it rather the case that our thinking is constantly being shaped by all the things that others say and do?

Aren’t prevailing opinions the criterion by which we all too often measure ourselves? Do we not perhaps remain, when all is said and done, mired in the superficiality in which people today are generally caught up? Do we allow ourselves truly to be deeply purified by the word of God? Friedrich Nietzsche scoffed at humility and obedience as the virtues of slaves, a source of repression. He replaced them with pride and man’s absolute freedom. Of course there exist caricatures of a misguided humility and a mistaken submissiveness, which we do not want to imitate. But there also exist a destructive pride and a presumption which tear every community apart and result in violence. Can we learn from Christ the correct humility which corresponds to the truth of our being, and the obedience which submits to truth, to the will of God?

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth”: This word of inclusion in the priesthood lights up our lives and calls us to become ever anew disciples of that truth which is revealed in the word of God.

-- Pope Benedict's Chrism Mass homily, 9 April 2009

( Photo: Pope Benedict XVI holds a candle during the Easter vigil mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, on April 11, 2009. Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

Cardinal Zen believes in reverence for the Eucharist

2009-04-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

And so do Catholics in Hong Kong.
Happy Easter.

The Right to Life: "inscribed in human nature itself"

2009-04-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the principal focus of her interventions in the public arena is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person, and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable. Among these the following emerge clearly today:

- protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death;

- recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family - as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage - and its defence from attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its destabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role;

- the protection of the right of parents to educate their children.
These principles are not truths of faith, even though they receive further light and confirmation from faith; they are inscribed in human nature itself and therefore they are common to all humanity. The Church’s action in promoting them is therefore not confessional in character, but is addressed to all people, prescinding from any religious affiliation they may have. On the contrary, such action is all the more necessary the more these principles are denied or misunderstood, because this constitutes an offence against the truth of the human person, a grave wound inflicted onto justice itself.

-- Pope Benedict in his March 2006 address to the European People’s Party

Catholics believe in reverence for the Eucharist

2009-04-07T16:56:00.001-07:00

And so does the Pope. Viva il Papa.

(Photo by Daylife.)

She Did It Anyway

2009-04-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

Archbishop Naumann asked Governer Sebelius to not present herself for holy Communion. She did it anyway as reported by a priest in Topeka. Now he's gone public...the Archbishop has asked that Governer Sebelius do the following in order to become once again a member in good standing of the Flock:

1. a confession

2. a public apology and

3. a promise to undo the damage done by her “scandalous behavior that has misled people into dangerous behavior.”

The Archbishop was interviewed by the organization Catholic Action for Faith and Family. You can read the article here.

Here's the story according to WaPo.

Bishop Doran Blasts "Notre Shame": "Dismay and outrage"

2009-04-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

March 31, 2009

Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Dear President Jenkins:

I wish to express in my own name and on behalf of the Catholic community of this Diocese, my dismay and outrage at your decision to invite the current President of the United States to address the 2009 graduates of the University of Notre Dame and to receive an honorary degree.

This decision of your flies in the face of the expressed directive of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in the year 2004, that Catholic institutions not so honor those who profess opposition to the Church’s doctrine on abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

I would ask that you rescind this unfortunate decision and so avoid dishonoring the practicing Catholics of the United States, including those of this Diocese. Failing that, please have the decency to change the name of the University to something like, “The Fighting Irish College” or “Northwestern Indiana Humanist University.” Though promotion of the obscene is not foreign to you, I would point out that it is truly obscene for you to take such decisions as you have done in a university named for our Blessed Lady, whom the Second Vatican Council called the Mother of the Church.

I sign myself

Very truly yours,
The Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Rockford

Readers: Stand with Bishop Doran and, on 17 May "Wear Black".

((((..))))

On 17 May, "Wear Black"!

2009-04-01T12:15:00.001-07:00

Wear Black on 17 May in solidarity with unborn human life. For details, please visit Meeting Christ in the Liturgy.

Thank you.

More lies spawned by the Father of Lies: there can be no "healthy" disagreement about the cult of death

2009-03-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

The warmongers of the whited sepulchre "death juggernaut" have released the following thinly veiled attempt to paint a pretty picture over the brutal and ugly reality of the senseless and evil slaughter of the weakest and most vulnerable members of the richest and most spoiled society in the world:

"Notre Dame is one of the first universities (a certain person) will visit as (a certain national position of leadership) and he is honored to address the graduating class, their families and faculty of a school with such a rich history of fostering the exchange of ideas… While he is honored to have the support of millions of people of all faiths, including Catholics with their rich tradition of recognizing the dignity of people, he does not govern with the expectation that everyone sees eye to eye with him on every position. The spirit of debate and healthy disagreement on important issues is part of what he loves about this country."

Those most capable of a generous expression of hospitality are guilty of the greater sin in refusing to welcome the unborn so that those who already happen to be living may do as they please. Have we participated in the transformation that has led our country to becoming central command of a world war against the most vulnerable of human lives: the unborn child in the sanctity of her mother's womb? Has the premier Catholic university in the United States now signed on as a fawning minion in this evil cause?

Absolutely essential: respecting the office of the President and the human being who holds that office and is made in God's image and likeness.

Absolutely essential: respecting and cherishing every other human life for the same reasons.

Also absolutely essential: peaceful, respectful and non-violent protest.

((((..))))

Recommended reading: Is Notre Dame Still Catholic?

Ask Father: What is "Holy Week"?

2009-03-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Holy Week is the anniversary of the last week of Christ's life on earth.

It begins on Palm Sunday (April 5 this year) with the celebration of Our Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem as the rightful king and ends after the reading of the Passion (the account of Christ’s sufferings and death, from St. Mark’s Gospel this year). On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday Mass is said as usual.

After Wednesday (sometimes called “Spy” Wednesday, because of Judas’ treachery), the Sacred Triduum (Latin for “three days”) begins: Holy (or Maundy) Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

Holy Thursday’s Mass is a celebration of the Last Supper, which was the first Mass ever offered. Three great gifts are recalled on this night: the Holy Eucharist, the priesthood, and the new commandment to love one another as Christ loves us.

Good Friday is the only day when the Church allows no Masses to be said; the afternoon service vividly recalls Our Lord’s suffering and death on the Cross.

Holy Saturday passes in watchful prayer at the tomb of Christ, until nightfall when, at the Easter Vigil Mass, we celebrate Christ’s rising from the dead. Finally, Easter Sunday is the celebration of the Lord’s glorious Resurrection.

(Photo: Holy Week in Sevilla, Spain. The "Ask Father" series is offered through the kindness of Father Charles Johnson, CHC, USNR, currently deployed with the USS Theodore Roosevelt.)

Catholic Bishops: "Reiki" a no-go

2009-03-28T04:37:00.000-07:00

US bishops: Reiki is dangerous, superstitious

March 27, 2009

In a document released March 25, the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops blasted Reiki, a practice developed in Japan in the late nineteenth century that has gained acceptance in some Catholic retreat centers and other institutions.

After distinguishing between natural medicine and supernatural healing effected by Christ, the bishops conclude:

Reiki therapy finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief. For a Catholic to believe in Reiki therapy presents insoluble problems. In terms of caring for one's physical health or the physical health of others, to employ a technique that has no scientific support (or even plausibility) is generally not prudent.

In terms of caring for one's spiritual health, there are important dangers. To use Reiki one would have to accept at least in an implicit way central elements of the worldview that undergirds Reiki theory, elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science.

Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science. Superstition corrupts one's worship of God by turning one's religious feeling and practice in a false direction. While sometimes people fall into superstition through ignorance, it is the responsibility of all who teach in the name of the Church to eliminate such ignorance as much as possible.

Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy.

The bishops add, “Some forms of Reiki teach of a need to appeal for the assistance of angelic beings or ‘Reiki spirit guides.’ This introduces the further danger of exposure to malevolent forces or powers.”

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

(With thanks to Catholic Culture.)

Canon 915: "Completely clear"

2009-03-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

"The Canon is completely clear, it is not subject in my judgment to any other interpretations. When someone is publicly and obstinately in grave sin we may not administer Holy Communion to the person. And that, basically, for two reasons: number one, to prevent the person himself or herself from committing a sacrilege, and secondly, to protect the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist."

- Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke,
Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura

"Benedict Has it Right"

2009-03-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

March 19, 2009 4:00 AM

Benedict Has It Right
The truth about condoms, and Africa.

(Photo: The faithful greet Pope Benedict in Cameroon.)

"The Pope is correct"

2009-03-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Edward C. Green, director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, has said that the evidence confirms that the Pope is correct in his assessment that condom distribution exacerbates the problem of AIDS.

"The pope is correct," Green told National Review Online Wednesday, "or put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope's comments."

"There is," Green added, "a consistent association shown by our best studies, including the U.S.-funded 'Demographic Health Surveys,' between greater availability and use of condoms and higher (not lower) HIV-infection rates. This may be due in part to a phenomenon known as risk compensation, meaning that when one uses a risk-reduction 'technology' such as condoms, one often loses the benefit (reduction in risk) by 'compensating' or taking greater chances than one would take without the risk-reduction technology."

Click here to read the full interview with Green.

"...let me stick up for Benedict"

2009-03-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

“ The usual howls of derision and contempt have greeted Pope Benedict XVI’s comments, as he arrived for his first visit to Africa, that the HIV/ AIDS holocaust there ‘ is a tragedy that cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem.' "

“ The thrust of his outraged detractors is that he is a cruel and vindictive old man, out of touch with the real world and condemning millions in the undeveloped world to unspeakable suffering and premature death. So let me stick up for Benedict. He declares that the Church’s historic teaching that chastity outside marriage and fidelity within it would prevent the spread of killer diseases such as AIDS. Whatever your views on the subject, that simple statement is undoubtedly true. And Benedict is in the truth business."

--Rev George Pitcher, Anglican

Notre Dame Shame

2009-03-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Notre Dame comes out of the closet: not even pretending to be Catholic now!

NOTRE DAME, Indiana (LifeSiteNews.com) - White House Secretary Robert Gibbs stated today that N. will give the commencement address at Notre Dame University this year. The school confirmed the announcement, stating on its website that N. will also receive an honorary doctor of laws degree at the University's 164th University Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. May 17 in the Joyce Center on campus.

In 2004, the United States of Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved a policy statement called "Catholics in Political Life," which says, with reference to pro-abortion politicians, "They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

President N. has been called the "abortion president" by pro-life activists, and his appearance at the university would appear to violate the USCCB's policy against honoring pro-abortion politicians.

Read the story here.

What’s with the pink vestments?

2009-03-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ask Father!

You may remember from Advent, the Church uses “pink” (technically, rose-colored) vestments at the half-way point during the great penitential seasons. Since this coming Sunday (the Fourth Sunday of Lent) is pretty much the half-way point of Lent, we are allowed to use rose-colored vestments for the celebration of holy Mass.

There are other signs of joy on this Sunday as well, for instance: it’s called (after the first word of the official Latin entrance antiphon) Laetare Sunday, from Latin “laetare”: “rejoice.” Solo pieces may be played on the organ (if we had an organist), and flowers may be placed on the altar. It is also customary to relax (a little bit) our Lenten penance and maybe indulge in a little dessert or snack or recreation.

You may remember, too, that some scholars think this “rose” color is the result of lightening the shade of the purple dye. But there’s another explanation that makes sense especially for this particular Sunday. Traditionally, the Pope blesses the Golden Rose on this day (see illustration above), the Golden Rose being a special mark of affection and honor for a Catholic ruler who has performed notable works of charity. And so, this Sunday is also called “Rose Sunday” (hence the rose vestments?).

Also, this Sunday is called “Mothering Sunday” because offerings were sent to the “mother church” of the diocese, i.e. the bishop’s cathedral. If you wish to contribute to our “Mother Church” (an excellent idea, I might add), go to www.milarch.org, the site of the Military Archdiocese, for the details.

(The "Ask Father!" series is offered through the kindness of Father Charles Johnson, CHC, USNR, currently deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt.)

Ite ad Ioseph...patron of a happy death

2009-03-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Church encourages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. In the ancient litany of the saints, for instance, she has us pray: "From a sudden and unforeseen death, deliver us, O Lord"; to ask the Mother of God to intercede for us "at the hour of our death" in the Hail Mary; and to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death.

Every action of yours, every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no great terrors for you if you had a quiet conscience. . . . Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? If you aren't fit to face death today, it's very unlikely you will be tomorrow. . . .
Praised are you, my Lord, for our sister bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe on those who will die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they who will be found
in your most holy will,
for the second death will not harm them.
--Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1014

"We do not agree with Archbishop Fisichella"

2009-03-18T11:17:00.001-07:00

We do not agree [with Archbishop Fisichella] that the "decision is hard... for the moral law itself". Our Holy Church continues to proclaim that the moral law is exceedingly clear: it is never licit to eliminate the life of an innocent person to save another life. The objective facts are these: there are doctors who explicitly declare that they perform and will continue to perform abortions, while others declare with the same firmness that they will never perform abortions. Here is the declaration written and signed by a Brazilian Catholic physician: "...As an obstetrician for 50 years, graduated in the National Medical School of the University of Brazil, and former chief of Obstetrics in the Hospital of Andarai [Rio de Janeiro], in which I served for 35 years until I retired in order to dedicate myself to the Diaconate, and having delivered 4,524 babies, many from juvenile [mothers], I never had to resort to an abortion to 'save lives', as well as all my colleagues, sincere and honest in their profession and faithful to their Hippocratic oath. ..."

Recife-PE, March 16, 2009

Fr. Edson Rodrigues

Parish priest of Alagoinha-PE - Diocese of Pesqueira

Mons. Edvaldo Bezerra da Silva

Vicar General - Archdiocese of Olinda e Recife

Fr Moisés Ferreira de Lima

Rector of the Archdiocesan Seminary

Dr. Márcio Miranda

Attorney for the Archdiocese of Olinda e Recife

(Thanks to Rorate Caeli, where full statement is available.)

One may never directly intend to take a life even for the sake of another life

2009-03-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Rino Fisichella only added to the confusing smoke of Satan by appearing to give Church approval to the Brazilian doctor or doctors who took the life of twin babies for the reason that they were a threat to the life of the nine-year-old mother. All the crimes in this case do not add up to support for committing another crime.

Saint Paul teaches, "One may never do evil that good may come of it." This is the revealed teaching of Christ. It cannot change. To will the killing of twin babies is an evil. The good of preserving the life of the nine-year-old mother cannot justify such an evil. Period. For these reasons the doctors in this case are excommunicated by the fact of their having committed the evil of abortion. Period.

Let us continue to pray that those in the Church who are able will do all in their power to act in such a way as to mitigate scandal and prevent such ocurrences in future.

((((..))))

For more on this story, read the Times Online.

"Why fish on Fridays?" and other questions.

2009-03-14T08:16:00.001-07:00

Ask Father!

Why do we have to eat fish on Fridays?

On the Fridays of Lent, we do not have to eat fish (or seafood). The essence of Friday abstinence is to abstain from eating meat (beef, chicken, etc.). Eating fish instead was always meant as a concession to human nature to make it easier to observe Friday abstinence. Since fish isn’t flesh-meat in the way that beef, etc., is, it was allowed as a kind of softening of the law.

And remember: the purpose of this penitential practice is to remind ourselves of Christ’s sufferings on that first Good Friday, our need for penance, and the suffering of all unfortunate people in the world.

Why is it called “Lent”?

Lent—so they’re telling us—comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning “spring-time.” Since Lent falls in the spring, this is the word that caught on in popular usage, instead of the more formidable Latin word Quadragesima (literally, “fortieth,” since Lent begins on the fortieth day before Easter).

Why does Lent last forty days?

Besides the fact that Christ Himself fasted forty days (as did Moses and Elijah), some have pointed out that our imperfection (symbolized by 6) is brought to perfection (symbolized by 7) during Lent, so that 6 x 7 is 42. After the 40 days of Lent, there are two days (Holy Thursday and Good Friday) and on the third Christ brings all to completion on Easter.

(Photo: Rev. Father Charles Johnson celebrates the liturgy of Vatican II in continuity with the entire liturgical tradition of the Church as the fathers of the Council envisioned it aboard the currently deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt. The "Ask Father!" series is offered through the kindness of Father Johnson.)

What are the “Stations” of the Cross?

2009-03-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

What are the “Stations” of the Cross?

“Station,” used like this, comes from the Latin word statio, which means a “stopping place” or “post.” The Stations of the Cross are the fourteen traditional places where Christ halted along the way of the Cross: that is, the route from Lithostratos—where He was condemned by Pilate—to Calvary—where He was crucified.

Where did this devotion come from?

In the Middle Ages, the Holy Land was overrun by the Moslem Turks in the 1000’s. The Crusades were largely launched to win back the Holy Land from the Turks (and others) so that Christians could once again visit the Holy Places. Eventually, the Franciscan Friars (followers of St. Francis of Assisi) were given care of the Holy Places, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (containing the tomb of Christ and Calvary), the Upper Room (where the Last Supper was celebrated), and so forth.

One of the devotions the Franciscans organized for pilgrims was the Stations of the Cross. Catholic pilgrims took this devotion back to Europe, erecting plaques or pictures of each Station.

Why have the Stations been so popular?

They are a very effective and touching way to recall Christ’s sufferings along the Via Dolorosa (literally, “the Way of Sorrow,” that is, the Way of the Cross). It’s difficult to explain the effect of devoutly praying the Stations, but it certainly fixes what Our Lord did for us more deeply in the mind and heart.

(The "Ask Father!" series is through the kindness of Father Charles Johnson, CHC, USNR, aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.)

Cardinal Mahony: Williamson "never" welcome in Catholic Church

2009-03-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

Huh? Cardinal Mahony decides who can become Catholic and who cannot?

As reported by Rorate Caeli,

Mahony and two officials of the American Jewish Committee signed a commentary that stated, "Holocaust deniers like Williamson will find no sympathetic ear or place of refuge in the Catholic Church, of which he is not — and may never become — a member.”

Again, huh?

Rorate Caeli wants to know: will this also apply to pro-abort politicians who claim to be Catholic?

Brownback goes turncoat

2009-03-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

Senator Sam Brownback, a heretofore thoroughly pro-life Catholic, perversely supports "abortion queen" Sebelius for HHS czar .

(Thanks to Dixi.)

Do we have to go to Confession?

2009-03-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

Do we have to go to Confession?

The Sacrament of Confession (also called Penance or Reconciliation) exists for the purpose of forgiving serious (“mortal”) sins committed after Baptism. So, anyone guilty of a serious sin after he or she has been baptized, has to go to Confession to be absolved from (i.e., forgiven) their sins.

Nevertheless, even those who are not guilty of any serious sins—or who have never committed a serious sin—find great profit in the Sacrament of Confession. In fact, the grace of forgiveness and strength against temptation is undoubtedly the reason why they are able to avoid serious sins.

How often should I confess?

First of all: we all have to go to Confession—if we’ve been guilty of a mortal sin—at least once a year. That’s the “bare minimum” required by the Church. And this once-a-year Confession is to be made during the “Easter time”: that is, from Ash Wednesday down to Pentecost Sunday. Of course, relying on the bare minimum isn’t usually a winning formula, and the same is true of the life of grace. Many Saints and spiritual writers recommend confessing at least once a month or every two weeks.

Do even priests go to Confession? The Pope?

They do! Just like lay folk, priests, bishops, and even the Pope go to Confession to a priest.

The "Ask Father"series courtesy of Rev. Chas. Johnson, Navy chaplain, USS Theodore Roosevelt. (Photo by John Clark, Deseret News.)

Maryland March for Life, March 9

2009-02-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

don't forget the

Monday - March 9th
5pm - 8pm

(410) 760-9166 or (301) 858-8304
www.MarylandMarchForLife.org

"I would rather go to hell"

2009-02-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

Such satanic talk is an example of the pagan and rebellious ideology exhibited by many politicians and public leaders today:

"I would rather go to hell than take orders on how to vote from the Cardinal."

--Australian Lawmaker

Sydney, Jun 7, 2007 (CNA).- Catholic lawmakers in Australia said yesterday they will vote in favor of therapeutic cloning regardless of the directives or warnings issued by the archbishop of Sydney.

Tony Stewart of the ruling Labor Party in the New South Wales state parliament, said he would rather go to hell than take orders on how to vote from Cardinal George Pell. "Maybe I'll go to hell, but if I go to hell I'm going to do so by saving a lot of lives, because that's what this bill is about," Tony Stewart said in a radio interview.

Cardinal Pell said recently that cloning is unethical and “a serious moral matter”, which could see the creation of human and animal hybrids.

“Catholic politicians who vote for this legislation must realize that their voting has consequences for their place in the life of the Church," he reportedly said.

Cardinal Pell was soon joined by Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth who also issued a similar warning. He said that Catholics who vote for cloning, "are acting against the teaching of the Church on a very serious matter and they should, in conscience, not vote that way; but if they do, in conscience they should not go to Communion."

The both prelates said they are considering refusing Holy Communion to Catholic lawmakers who vote in favor of the bill.

"We don't need a religious leader telling members of parliament what should be done," Stewart said in a radio interview.

Lawmakers are being allowed a conscience vote on a bill to bring the country's most populous state into line with the federal government, which overturned a ban on the so-called therapeutic cloning last year.

The new law would allow excess human embryos from in-vitro fertilization treatment to be used to create stem cells for research.

Both state premier Morris Iemma and his deputy, John Watkins, are Catholics who have said they intend to vote for the bill.

"I've already thought seriously about this legislation, and it passes all the ethical and moral issues that I need passed, and gives people hope," said Watkins, who admitted he is upset about the cardinal’s recent statements.

The Anglican Church is also asking lawmakers to vote against the bill.

-- From EWTN

(Photo: Detail, The Garden of Earthly Delights/Hell, by Hieronymus Bosch.)

"I like clarity"

2009-02-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

"I like clarity, and there’s a reason why. I think modern life, including life in the Church, suffers from a phony unwillingness to offend that poses as prudence and good manners, but too often turns out to be cowardice. Human beings owe each other respect and appropriate courtesy. But we also owe each other the truth -- which means candor."

-- Archbishop Charles Chaput, speaking to an overflow crowd at St. Basil’s Church in Toronto last week.

(Special thanks to Don Hemke.)

Pope: Man is greater than his genetic makeup and physical perfection

2009-02-25T05:45:00.000-08:00

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Man will always be greater than all that which makes up his body; in fact, he bears the power of thought, which is always directed toward the truth about himself and about the world." With these words, Benedict XVI has taken part in the discussion about the "New frontiers of genetics and the risk of eugenics" organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life and currently underway. Receiving the members of the Academy, on the occasion of their 15th General Assembly, he cautioned against a devastating new form of eugenics that discriminates "against the sick and disabled, or, even worse, goes so far as the selection and rejection of life in the name of an abstract ideal of health and physical perfection."

Receiving the members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Benedict XVI reaffirms the absolute value of the human person, against those who would like to use eugenics to eliminate all those who are sick or imperfect. It is necessary to fight "genetic reductionism," because man is greater than his physical body.

Read the whole story here.

Coming out of "coming out"?

2009-02-21T17:15:00.000-08:00

Giuseppe Povia, Italian pop singer, rocks the Italian music festival San Remo singing about someone escaping the same-sex attraction lifestyle, "Luca era gay".

Povia has "street cred" because the song, reportedly, is partly autobiographical.

(Photo and story by LifeSiteNews.)

Rebuked: "Get behind me, Satan!"

2009-02-19T07:55:00.001-08:00

"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoins all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."

The Vatican released the above statement moments before Nancy Pelosi met privately with Benedict XVI following the Wednesday general audience, 18 February 2009, in Rome.

(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.)

Is obdurate Pelosi on her way to Excommunication-ville?

2009-02-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

Nancy Pelosi's desperate attempt to put a positive spin on Wednesday's encounter with the Holy Father has just a few holes in it:

1. Contrary to precedent, no photo was released. The meeting was described as "private".

2. Contrary to precedent, the Vatican press statement on the event took no pains to hide the fact that the meeting was nothing other than a rebuke:

"Pelosi's positive spin on the meeting is not being swallowed even by left-leaning Papal watchers. Vatican correspondent John Allen, who writes for the National Catholic Reporter, noted that 'routine Vatican declarations after diplomatic meetings also generally sum up the range of issues discussed rather than concentrating on a particular point. In that sense, the statement can only be read as a rejection of Pelosi's statements last summer, and, in general, of her argument that it's acceptable for Catholics in public life to take a pro-choice position.' "

News item by LifeSiteNews.

The Pope teaches Madam Speaker

2009-02-18T06:49:00.000-08:00

Following the General Audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Mrs Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.
His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.
(With thanks to Rorate Caeli.)

Bishop Martino to Sen. Bob Casey: "Rescind your vote."

2009-02-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania recently voted against an effort to reinstate the Mexico City policy designed to deny funding for abortions overseas. Bishop Martino of Scranton in a statement on the issue has asked Sen. Casey to do the right thing as a professed Catholic and to rescind his vote which will cause the deaths of thousands of unborn children.

(Photo: Catholic Online.

Catholics do not believe those tempted by suicide should be left without help

2009-02-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Would not the fire department rush to the scene with a ladder should you or I threaten to jump from a tall building with the desire to end our lives?

Those tempted by suicide, virtual or otherwise, should never be left without others to defend them in such a supreme moment of human weakness and despair.

Eluana Englaro, even if she did at one time express a desire to have food and water denied to her in the case of a vegetative state, should also not have been left without defenders.

Pray for all families, that they will never fail in their duty to give true aid and help to their loved ones, which never includes denying food and water to any human being who is able to be sustained by such nutrition, no matter what their condition or suffering. No amount of suffering or pain ever takes away the sacredness of each and every human life, made by God in His own image and likeness.

"Thou shalt not kill."

Read more about the case of the killing of Eluana Englaro.

On the Shoah

2009-02-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Shoah should be "for everyone, a warning against forgetting, against negating or reductionism, because violence committed against even one human being is violence against all."

-- Benedict XVI, General Audience, 28 January 2009.

The cost of imprudent speech

2009-02-09T08:07:00.001-08:00

Confirmed:

Williamson removed

UPDATE (1200 GMT): The official news agency of the SSPX, DICI, has now confirmed the following:

Bishop Williamson, as he declared in his interview [to Der Spiegel] does not wish to "hurt in any way the work of the Fraternity"; that is why he accepted, on January 31, the decision of the Superior General [Bishop Fellay] to relieve him of his position as director of the Seminary of La Reja (Argentina). [In French: DICI - permanent link]

Courtesy of Rorate Caeli.

A lesson for us all?

Death Watch: Eluana Englaro

2009-02-08T08:09:00.001-08:00

Pray for Eluana Englaro.

(Photo by AP.)

"There's not a question"

2009-02-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

"I don't understand the continual debate that goes on about it. There's not a question that a Catholic who publicly, and after admonition, supports pro-abortion legislation is not to receive Holy Communion and is not to be given Holy Communion."

Read the whole story here.

-- Archbishop Burke to LifeSite News.

Supposed "Seamless garment" cannot condone voting FOR abortion

2009-02-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

Exclusive Interview: Leading Vatican Prelate Says Document of US Bishops Partly to Blame for Election of "Most Pro-Abortion President"

Also says Bishop's Catholic News Service needs to be given "some new direction"

By Hilary White, Rome Correspondent

ROME, January 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) A document of the US Catholic Bishops is partly to blame for the abandonment of pro-life teachings by voting Catholics and the election of the "most pro-abortion president" in US history, one of the Vatican's highest officials said in an interview with LifeSiteNews.com.

Archbishop Raymond Burke, the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, named a document on the election produced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that he said "led to confusion" among the faithful and led ultimately to massive support among Catholics for N.

The US bishops' document, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship", stated that, under certain circumstances, a Catholic could in good conscience vote for a candidate who supports abortion because of "other grave reasons," as long as they do not intend to support that pro-abortion position.

Archbishop Burke, the former Archbishop of St. Louis Mo. and recently appointed head of the highest ecclesiastical court in the Catholic Church, told LifeSiteNews.com that although "there were a greater number of bishops who spoke up very clearly and firmly ... there was also a number who did not."

But most damaging, he said, was the document "Faithful Citizenship" that "led to confusion" among the voting Catholic population. "While it stated that the issue of life was the first and most important issue, it went on in some specific areas to say 'but there are other issues' that are of comparable importance without making necessary distinctions."

Archbishop Burke, citing an article by a priest and ethics expert of St. Louis archdiocese, Msgr. Kevin McMahon, who analysed how the bishops' document actually contributed to the election of N., called its proposal " a kind of false thinking, that says, 'there's the evil of taking an innocent and defenceless human life but there are other evils and they're worthy of equal consideration."

"But they're not. The economic situation, or opposition to the war in Iraq, or whatever it may be, those things don't rise to the same level as something that is always and everywhere evil, namely the killing of innocent and defenceless human life."

Archbishop Burke also cited the work of the official news service of the US Catholic Bishops' Conference, that many pro-life observers complained soft-pedalled the newly elected president's opposition to traditional morality. "The bishops need to look also at our Catholic News Service, CNS, they need to review their coverage of the whole thing and give some new direction, in my judgement," he said.

(LifeSiteNews.)

"Bishop Williamson...will have to distance himself..."

2009-02-04T18:56:00.001-08:00

"Bishop Williamson, for admission to function as a bishop in the Church, will have to also, in an absolutely uneqivocal and public way, distance himself from his positions regarding the Shoah, which were not known by the Holy Father in the moment of the remission of the excommunication."

Full statement today from the Vatican Secretary of State follows:

NOTE OF THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE

Following the reactions caused by the recent Decree of the Congregation for Bishops, with which the excommunication of the four Prelates of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X was remitted, and regarding the Negationist or Reductionist declarations on the Shoah of Bishop Williamson, of the same Fraternity, it is considered convenient to clarify a few aspects of past events.

1. Remission of the excommunication.

As already made public previously, the Decree of the Congregation for Bishops, dated January 21, 2009, was an act by which the Holy Father graciously responded to the repeated requests by the Superior General of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X.

His Holiness desired to remove an obstacle which prevented the opening of a door to dialogue. He now expects that an equal disposition will be expressed by the four Bishops in complete adherence to the doctrine and discipline of the Church.

The extremely grave censure of latae sententiae excommunication, in which the aforementioned Bishops had incurred on June 30, 1988, then formally declared on July 1st of the same year, was a consequence of their illegitimate ordinarion by Mons. Marcel Lefebvre.

The removal of the excommunication released the four Bishops from an extremely grave canonical censure, but has not changed the juridical position of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X, which, at the current moment, does not enjoy any canonical recognition by the Catholic Church. Not even the four Bishops, though released from the excommunication, have a canonical function in the Church and they do not exercise licitly a ministry in it.

2. Tradition, doctrine, and the Second Vatican Council.

For a future recognition of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X, the full acknowledgment of the Second Vatican Council and of the Magisterium of Popes John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, and of the same Benedict XVI is an indispensable condition

As it was already affirmed in the Decree of January 21, 2009, the Holy See will not avoid, in ways deemed appropriate, discussing with the interested [party] the questions that remain open, so as to be able to reach a full and satisfactory resolution of the problems which originated this painful division.

3. Declarations on the Shoah.

The positions of Mons. Williamson on the Shoah are absolutely unacceptable and firmly rejected by the Holy Father, as he himself remarked on the past January 28, when, referring to that brutal genocide, he reaffirmed his full and unquestionable solidarity with our Brethren, receivers of the First Covenant, and affirmed that the memory of that terrible genocide must lead "mankind to reflect on the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers the heart of man", adding that the Shoah remains "for all a warning against forgetfulness, against denial or reductionism, because the violence against a single human being is violence against all".

Bishop Williamson, for an admission to episcopal functions in the Church, will also have to distance himself, in an absolutely unequivocal and public manner, from his positions regarding the Shoah, unknown to the Holy Father in the moment of the remission of the excommunication.

The Holy Father asks to be joined by the prayers of all the faithful, so that the Lord may enlighten the path of the Church. May the effort of the Pastors and of all the faithful increase in support of the delicate and burdensome mission of the Successor of Apostle Peter as "custodian of unity" in the Church.

From the Vatican, February 4, 2009.

[Translation corrected according to the published version -
L'Osservatore Romano, February 5, 2009.)

- Thanks to Rorate Caeli.

New Undercover Video Shows Tucson Planned Parenthood Hiding Sexual Abuse of 15-Year-Old Girl

2009-02-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

View the Live Action video with Lila Rose here.

Benedict XVI and the Shoah: Face to face with the horror of evil

2009-02-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Holocaust Memorial Day: Benedict XVI in Auschwitz

Friends of Life: Only 6 of 24 Catholic Senators

2009-01-30T06:31:00.000-08:00

Pray, and thank God, for these Catholic "Friends of Life" in Congress who voted to restore the Mexico City policy to protect unborn human beings:

Mel Martinez of Florida
Sam Brownback of Kansas
Jim Bunning of Kentucky
David Vitter of Louisiana
Mike Johanns of Nebraska
Jim Risch of Idaho

Hostile to Life

Two Catholic senators who frequently vote anti-life with Democrats voted against restoring the policy, thus allowing federal funds to be given to groups providing abortions overseas:

Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Susan Collins of Maine

These two Republicans joined 16 anti-life Catholic Democrats voting "NAY,":

Casey, Jr. (PA)
Gillibrand (NY)
Reed (RI)
Leahy (VT)
Cantwell (WA)
Menendez (NJ)
Murray (WV)
Begich (AL)
Dodd (CT)
Landrieu (LA)
Harkin (IA
Kerry (MA)
McCaskill (MO)
Mikulski (MD)
Durbin (IL)
Kaufman (DE)

Not voting was Sen. Kennedy (MA).

Read more about this pathetic and scandalous situation at One Nation Under God where Lisa Correnti explains how to sign a petition to Cardinal George, president of the USCCB, asking him to tell Catholic politicians to stop receiving campaign donations from pro-abortion organizations like NARAL, Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, and NOW.

"Here is a list of the total contributions made to the senators who voted against the bill to restore the Mexico City Policy.

"Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who assumed office only in January 2007, has accepted $986,619 from the pro-abortion lobby.

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) has received $205,768

“Pro-life" Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA), $327,914.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), $1,043,301

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), $17,400

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), $303,014

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), $44,585

Sen. Christopher Dodd (CT), $31,235

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), $326,996

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), $191,057

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), $367,491

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), $77,216

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), $24,435

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), $244,360"

Story from Catholic Online

Hey, Nancy, Babies Stimulate the Economy, Not Contraceptives!

2009-01-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Bravo, John Boehner! Thank you for asking N. for a true economic stimulus - not contraceptives but a culture of life that welcomes babies!

As The Miami Herald reports, Mr. Boehner responded to the insanity of the "contraceptive Madam", Nancy Pelosi, by demanding that this anti-life and anti-family economic killer be taken out of the proposed economic stimulus package. It sounds like maybe N. was listening.

Thank you, Mr. Boehner, you are a "Friend of Life". You see, just like our Holy Father Benedict said, that "reason and religion go together", not the violence of the war on children, women and families being waged every day with the weapons of contraception and abortion.

Mrs. Pelosi, please put down the weapons with which you are attacking babies and women! Please put down the weapons of the cult of death and help us create the peace which welcomes every human life as sacred and worth defending! Please join us in the Culture of Life, and you, too, will live!

Prayers, please.

-MCITL

Vatican II: Not a "dogma" of faith

2009-01-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

"From the moment in which the bishops and priests of the Fraternity recognize the Church, and the Magisterium of the Pope, that will suffice as an implicit acknowledgment."

The following news item from Rorate Caeli is offered in light of the recent act of our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, to lift the decree of excommunication from the bishops ordained by the late Archbishop Marcel LeFebvre of the Society of Saint Pius X:

Sunday, January 25, 2009

What will the SSPX have to do?

"Vatican II is not a dogma of Faith," Roman sources say

In her article on six questions related to the Decree which remitted the sanction of excommunication of the four bishops of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX), the Vatican correspondent for French newspaper La Croix (the Catholic-owned daily), Isabelle de Gaulmyn includes some well-known facts.

However, there is some new information in the text, which we present below.

1. Possible news conference by Cardinal Castrillón:

"This week, Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, president of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, which is in charge of this reintegration, should explain it [the future possibilities] publicly to the press."

2. Letter of Cardinal Bertone. Regarding the question on whether this "reintegration encompasses an acknowledgment of the teachings of Vatican II", De Gaulmyn reveals that the decree was the object of a letter sent by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone, to Curial authorities:

"This is the whole problem. The decree published on Saturday does not speak of Vatican II, but it evokes indirectly the 'problem posed at the origin'. Not more than, according to our information, the letter sent by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to the authorities of the Curia, in which he makes this gesture known."

3. So, what about Vatican II? At least for the moment there does not seem to be any desire from those responsible for the discussions on the Vatican side to demand from the SSPX the express acceptance of one specific Council (the Second Vatican Council or, for instance, the First Lyon Council), since they may all be implictly included in more generic expressions. In the words of De Gaulmyn:

"The refusal of the teachings of the Council is the true cause of the rupture of the Integrists. For the constitution of the Institute of the Good Shepherd [IBP] by former members of the Fraternity, in 2006, its members explicitly vowed 'to have a positive attitude of study and communication with the Apostolic See, avoiding all controversy, (...) regarding certain points taught by the Second Vatican Council or regarding subsequent reforms of the liturgy and of the law, and which seem to us hardly reconcilable with Tradition.'

"Nothing of the sort this time, according to our sources: 'Vatican II is not a dogma of faith', they say. From the moment in which the bishops and priests of the Fraternity recognize the Church, and the Magisterium of the Pope, that will suffice as an implicit acknowledgment."

Meatless Fridays: NOT abolished AND a serious obligation*

2009-01-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Ask Father!

Q. "Why does it say 'Abstinence from meat or other penance' on the Fridays of the Catholic Chapel Calendar" (page 2)?

A. A lot of Catholics think that abstinence (“fish on Fridays”) has been abolished. But it hasn’t! The Church’s official law—called Canon Law—governs all the Catholic faithful throughout the world. Let’s take a look at what it says concerning abstinence:

˜ “Abstinence from meat … is observed on every Friday of the year, unless it [the Friday] coincides with a feast of the rank of Solemnity”: canon 1251;

˜ “The Bishops’ Conference [of each country or region] may determine the observance of abstinence … in more detail … especially substituting works of charity or acts of piety in whole or in part for the abstinence ….”: canon 1253.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops early on (in the 1970’s) allowed Catholics, if they wished, to replace the usual abstinence from meat with some work of charity: e.g. helping the poor (as on a COMREL), nursing the sick, etc. Also, one can perform an act of piety: reciting all or part of a Rosary, making the Stations of the Cross, etc.

Q. So, is there still an obligation on Fridays?

A. Yes, a serious obligation: either abstinence from meat (which is easy), or charitable work, or prayer.

-- Thanks to Father Charles Johnson, CHC, USNR, aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

(Art: El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) (Greek, working in Spain),The Penitent Saint Peter, 1595-1600, Toledo, Spain. Oil on canvas. San Diego Museum of Art, Gift of Anne R. and Amy Putnam, 1940:7)

* unless, as we read, some other form of penitence is observed.

'African Americans...are pro-life and uphold pro-creative marriage'

2009-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

"As we see the dawn of a new year and a great milestone being passed, people across the country should let our new president know that we want babies in the womb protected and traditional marriage respected."
-- Alveda King

ATLANTA (Christian Newswire) - A group of African Americans and other community leaders gathered in Atlanta today to discuss an agenda to be presented to President Elect N. regarding his first 100 days in office.

The leaders agreed that African Americans who are celebrating the upcoming inauguration of President-Elect N. should carry a pro-family/pro-community agenda to Washington, DC.

"African Americans, like many Americans are pro-life and uphold pro-creative marriage," said Alveda King, a spokesperson for the team. "As we see the dawn of a new year and a great milestone being passed, people across the country should let our new president know that we want babies in the womb protected and traditional marriage respected."

The accomplishment of an African American holding the nation's highest office will be of little value if the black community continues to be destroyed by the horrible plagues of society such as: abortion's harmful effects on our women and children, teen pregnancy, AIDS/HIV, childhood obesity, incarceration of our youth, poverty, attacks on fatherhood, marriages and the hosts of evil we face every day.

The genocide must end. We are one human race, and it's time to stand up for the truth. It's time to stand up for life, liberty, and family.

"We need to be a party with a purpose," added the group. "We need to let N. know that our children's lives are more important than the money and political support of the abortion lobby, and that of all of the other special interests groups that destroy our quality of life. This nation was founded upon life, liberty, and justice for all."

The group will release their "open letter" to N., members of Congress, state legislators and other officials on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 10:00 A.M. at the Georgia State Capitol, room 125. The press is invited to attend.

(Story from Catholic Online.)

The Conversion of Dr. David A. White

2009-01-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Dr. White converted to the Catholic Faith in 1979. He has won some 35 converts at the U.S. Naval Academy to the Catholic Faith.

"I was raised liberal Protestant...

"Occasionally I would go and sit through a Sunday morning worship ceremony in the bare church, not pay attention to the sermon, sing a few hymns and then go home. That was about it. This means that when I was seventeen and was free and went off to university, I just gave the whole thing up.

"I say in sorrow, by the way, that this is what I now see my Catholic students doing. Very often, when the young people leave home, as soon as they get away, they stop going to Church. I know that. That's what I did...because there is nothing there to hold on to and they know it. As a result they leave."

Thanks to Una Voce Chesapeake, Dr David's story is available here.