President Gives Doctor Frankenstein Green Light

     

Dr. Victor von Frankenstein had no comment yesterday after President Obama signed an executive order reversing the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. Professor Abraham van Helsing, however, a vocal opponent to Frankenstein's previous experiments, warned reporters yesterday that the green light has now been given to immoral medical research. "Is it not pure evil to create human life in embryonic form merely to harvest physiological research material?  If society would not tolerate the digging up of corpses to harvest body parts to be spliced together in attempts to resuscitate dead people, why would they allow scientists to experiment on human embryos?"  Van Helsing pointed out that it is a more grave evil to intentionally fertilize human eggs with sperm just to produce human embryos as research 'material.'  Dr. Josef Mengele, notorious Nazi and concentration camp physician during WWII, performed numberless experiments on living men, women and children seeking to find a process to turn Jews and Eastern Europeans into becoming members of the perfect Aryan race. Ironically, more data has been established to demonstrate that adult stem cells have more potential for long term, sustained and diversified treatment and cure of many devastating diseases. Embryonic stem cells, which must be taken from living human beings at the embryonic stage, have shown to be unstable and not as promising as previously predicted.  Adult stem cells do not require the death, torture or mutilation of human life as in the case of embryonic stem cell harvesting. Science is not the motivating denominator, rather, politics, since it is the common misconception that embryonic stem cells will easily produce cures for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, as well as many others. Real medical science, however, has shown that adult stem cell research, which is morally permissible, is better science and better medicine since it has a better chance of sustained and diverse success.

Overturning the ban President Bush had imposed has symbolic value of further repudiation of his previous administration but it is not something medical science has deemed as necessary for human survival.  Media coverage, on the other hand, makes it sound as if human beings are doomed unless we experiment on human embryos.  What if science concluded that it would be more advantageous to experiment on older fetuses, say six to nine months in the womb, and not just embryos from the first several weeks of conceived human life?  What if infants and toddlers had the raw material needed?  What happens if the food supply runs short and someone finds a way to commercially produce nutritious substitutes based on synthesizing human cadavers?  Would there not be some in Washington attempting to promote a version of cannibalism if it became politically correct to do so?

While there is no Dr. Frankenstein or Professor van Helsing, there is President Obama who did reverse the federal ban on public funding of embryonic stem cell research.  While the intentions are good (discovery of treatment and cures for horrible diseases), as Saint Paul says in Romans 3:8 and as known by the Natural Moral Law, THE ENDS NEVER JUSTIFIES THE MEANS.   Niccolo Machiavelli and Nazis like Mengele believed the opposite.  Killing innocent human beings in their embryonic stage is nothing less than murder no matter what medical benefits can be obtained from their unjust deaths.  The fact that more medical knowledge and better results can be achieved morally through adult stem cell research has been eclipsed by the radicals who want to keep abortion legal no matter what.

Embryonic stem cell research based on the harvesting and destruction of human embryos is intrinsically evil and immoral and has less scientific promise than the morally preferred method of adult stem cell research.  Yet, if there is any possibility of a profit margin for embryonic production at a commercial level, guess what happens to ethics and morality?  Will not modern scientists and doctors more resemble Victor von Frankenstein whose monster eventually destroyed even his creator?

Blistering Cold Weather But Warm and Friendly Bishop

BISHOP EDWARD BURNS
Diocese of Juneau, Alaska

Although the temperature will often be frigid and bone-chilling, the zeal and enthusiasm of the faith will perennially be as hot as sun with the recent (March 4th) ordination & consecration of Msgr. Edward Burns as the Bishop of Juneau, Alaska. His disarming smile is only matched by his sense of humor and his genuine commitment to complete and unabashed hospitality. "Pittsburgh's loss is Juneau's gain" said Bishop Zubik of Pittsburgh (one of the co-consecrators).

I met His Excellency several years ago at the Fall meeting of the USCCB when he was executive director of the Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. Accompanied by our mutual friend and his seminary classmate (and roomate) from Mount Saint Mary's, Emmitsburg, MD, Father Dennis Dalessandro, I attended the Mass at Saint Paul Cathedral, Pittsburgh. Several of Bishop Burn's classmates from the Dioceses of Harrisburg, Allentown, Arlington and Altoona-Johnstown were guests of honor and had an enormously fun time going down memory lane. Even the Apostolic Nuncio could not resist the temptation and kidded with the Bishop-Elect at the luncheon just hours before the ordination when he remarked that Pittsburgh was ten degrees COLDER than Juneau that very same day. And brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrh, was he right. Despite the bone-chilling cold wind, 300 priests concelebrated the Mass along with a couple dozen bishops and at least a thousand or more laity and religious. Father Dalessandro and I could not help but notice the overt friendliness we encountered throughout the Pittsburgh area, from Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Everyone went out of their way to be polite, courteous and friendly, just like Bishop Burns (who is the plethora of niceness). I thought I was back in Alabama visiting EWTN, also known for his hospitality. Usually in the northeast, you get a much COLDER response from the locals when you visit a place. Yet, in Steeler-Pirate-Penguin country (a.k.a. Pittsburgh), visitors are treated as royalty.

Mount Saint Mary Seminary can be proud that a multitude of alumni have become successors of the Apostles. My own bishop, Most Rev. Kevin Rhoades, was former rector. Bishop Burns is the most recent. Likely, more will come due to the orthodoxy and piety of this excellent place of priestly formation.

Requiescat in pace, Mother Eliane, OCD

Sister Eliane Cooper, OCD

Here is the obituary for a dear friend and a very holy nun, Mother Eliane, a discalced Carmelite in Erie, PA.

Sister Eliane of the Mother of God, OCD, (Margaret Cooper), age 96, of the Carmelite Monastery of Erie, passed away Thursday, February 26, 2009. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona, to Carl and Harriet May (nee McKay) Cooper on November 27, 1912. Her family relocated to southern California where Sister Eliane converted to the Catholic faith while studying at Ramona Convent Secondary School. She attended Mills College. Sister’s family lived close to the Carmelite Nuns and Friars in Alhambra, Calif., and their friendship strongly influenced her desire to enter the Carmelite Order. Sister Eliane was directed to the Carmel in Wheeling, W.Va. At age 21, she took leave of her family and friends, boarded a bus by herself, and traveled cross-country to enter the Carmelite Monastery in Wheeling on December 7, 1933. She was clothed with the Holy Habit of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on October 3, 1934, and made her Profession of Solemn Vows on December 14, 1938. Sister was given the name ‘Eliane’, after the 9th-century BC, Hebrew prophet Saint Elijah (also called ‘Elias’), “Leader and Father’ of the Carmelites. Holy Scripture describes Saint Elijah’s encounter with the living God on Mount Carmel, in present-day northwestern Israel. His words are the Carmelite motto: “With zeal I have been zealous for the Lord God of Hosts.” Sister Eliane was insurmountable in zeal, holding many responsible positions in Wheeling, including the Office of Sub-prioress. In 1957, after 24 years in Wheeling, Sister Eliane was chosen as one of the original foundresses of the Carmel of Holy Family in Erie, Pa. Sister helped design and maintain the Monastery and held various positions throughout her 52 years in Erie, including the Office of Prioress. At the time of her death, Sister Eliane held the following offices: Subprioress, First Council Sister, Novice Mistress, Turn Sister or Portress (greeting through the covered gate all who visited the Monastery), Infirmarian, Provisor, Bookkeeper. Sister also enjoyed gardening and reading. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, James Cooper and his son Max, and Donald Cooper, including his wife Bea, and their son David. Survivors include one brother Robert Neal Cooper and his wife Gei of Honolulu, Hawaii, sister-in-law- Susan Cooper of Calimesa, Calif., two nieces, devoted Janet (Jackie) Cooper of Concord, Calif., and Leslie Cooper of Millbrae, Calif., two nephews Robert Vei Cooper of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Todd Cooper, grandniece Carrie Cooper Loibl, and her husband David of Marietta, Ga. Sister Eliane was a true Carmelite and an example of unbounded generosity for more than 75 years. She is already greatly missed by her Community, family, and innumerable friends who she so faithfully greeted, comforted and counseled for many years at the turn by the Monastery entrance. Special thanks to the Staff at St. Vincent Hospital and the Sisters of Mercy Infirmary for their tender loving care and support. All are welcome to the viewing in the Chapel at the Carmelite Monastery, 510 E. Gore Road, on Tuesday, March 3, from 7:30 a.m. through 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, March 4, from 7:30 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the Monastery Chapel by the Most Reverend Donald Trautman, STD, SSL, Bishop of Erie on Wednesday, March 4, at 3:30 p.m. May our beloved Sister rest in the Eternal Peace of Christ. Arrangements are under the direction of A. Brugger & Sons F.H., LLP, 845 E. 38th St. Condolences at www.bruggerfuneralhomes.com.

BRAVO to Bishop Martino

Scranton's Bishop Martino orders priests: no Communion for public sinners

Feb. 27, 2009 (CWNews.com) -

Bishop Joseph Martino-- who has emerged during the past year as the American bishop most determined to call pro-abortion politicians to account-- has now issued an order that in his Scranton, Pennsylvania diocese, "Those whose unworthiness to receive Holy Communion is known publicly to the Church must be refused Holy Communion in order to prevent sacrilege and to prevent the Catholic in question from committing further grave sin through unworthy reception."

Bishop Martino's directive was conveyed by the diocesan chancellor, James Earley, in an official notice dated February 26. The crucial concluding portion of notice reads:

Therefore, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, Bishop of Scranton, reminds all ministers of Holy Communion, ordinary and extraordinary, that:

1. To administer the Sacred Body and Blood of the Lord is a serious duty which they have received from the Church, and no one having accepted this responsibility has the right to ignore the Church’s law in this regard;

2. Those whose unworthiness to receive Holy Communion is known publicly to the Church must be refused Holy Communion in order to prevent sacrilege and to prevent the Catholic in question from committing further grave sin through unworthy reception.

The official notice does not mention any individual by name. However it is impossible to overlook the fact that on the same day, February 26, the Scranton diocese also posted an open letter from Bishop Martino of Pennsylvania Senator Robert Casey, in which the bishop-- for the second time-- reminded the Catholic lawmaker of his moral obligation "to oppose abortion and other clear evils." [See CWN headline story on the bishop's letter.]

Earlier in the month, in a first rebuke to Senator Casey, Bishop Martino had warned that the senator's vote against an extension of the Mexico City policy-- which prohibited US taxpayer funding of abortion advocacy abroad-- was a violation of the legislator's moral obligation. “Your failure to reverse this vote will regrettably mean that you persist formally in cooperating with the evil brought about by this hideous and unnecessary policy,” the bishop wrote.

The February 26 notice from the Scranton diocese notes that the #915 of the Code of Canon Law instructs Eucharistic ministers not to administer the Blessed Sacrament to Catholics "who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin." [emphasis added] The official notice goes on to quote then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in his 2004 message to the bishops of the United States:

Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.

Thus Bishop Martino has clearly drawn the connection between public support for legal abortion and obstinate perserverance in grave sin, pointing toward the inevitable conclusion that a lawmaker who supports abortion must be barred from receiving the Eucharist.

Continuity vs Discontinuity

 

A British magazine has attacked Father Tim Finigan, author of the blog HERMENEUTIC OF CONTINUITY and has given a soapbox for recalcitrant dissidents and disgruntled parishioners. They allege he has force-fed the Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite upon unsuspecting faithful. Poppycock.  Here is what is at stake:

 
reverent, sacred, licit and valid; edifying and efficacious
Mass at Father Finigan's parish

     
    irreverent, sacrilegious, illicit and nauseating
    Clown Mass


Ironically, the media never interferes with the worship rituals in the local mosque or synagogue. Only the Catholic Mass attracts such attention. When was the last time you read about a Rabbi or Imam not being 'popular' with 100% of his congregation? But if a Priest has one vocal opponent to complain that he is 'too traditional', it mysteriously gets more press coverage than you can imagine.

Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant

     Bishop Thomas J. Welsh (founding Bishop of Arlington, VA; retired Bishop of Allentown, PA)


One of the good ones were called home to the Lord this week. Bishop Thomas Welsh died February 19th at the age of 87. He was born (1921), raised and ordained (1946) a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  Ordained an Auxiliary Bishop in 1970, Bishop Welsh was appointed the founding Bishop of Arlington in 1974.

During his administration, the Diocese of Arlington mushroomed with vocations from around the nation. Known for his personal piety and orthodoxy and his staunch pro-life support, many men came to the diocese discerning the call to priesthood. I was one of them. Born and raised in Erie, PA, I first entered High School Seminary in 1976 after graduating Catholic grade school. While in college seminary (and attending Gannon University), and thanks to the help of Father Bob Levis, I switched dioceses from Erie to Arlington. Arlington was sending college seminarians to Erie to attend Gannon just as I was for the Diocese of Erie at the time. Personable, humble, reverent and affable, Bishop Welsh showed a keen interest and true affection for all his seminarians. So much did he interact with his potential future priests, that he insisted on pitching every year at the softball game for the annual seminarian picnic. On several occasions he met with seminarians, whether for a pizza party or to have a one-on-one conversation. My prior experience with diocesan bishops had not been pleasant or encouraging. Bishop Welsh went out of his way to make you feel WANTED and APPRECIATED. He thanked his seminarians for considering a priestly vocation. He and the diocese of Arlington made you feel like FAMILY.

Unfortunately, Bishop Welsh was transferred from Arlington to Allentown just before I was to begin studies at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD. Some shenanigans and skulduggery took place before I realized what had happened and I ended up without a diocese and without a seminary with just one month to go before graduating from college seminary. Thanks to Father Levis, I got into Holy Apostles Seminary, CT, at the eleventh hour just before the school year began in 1983. One year later, I was accepted into the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA, and sent to Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, PA, which is in the Allentown Diocese. In just one month, I met Bishop Welsh again when he came to the seminary for candidacy. He remembered me from my brief stint of being a college seminarian for a year and half in the Diocese of Arlington while studying at Gannon University in Erie. When he learned I was accepted into Harrisburg, he expressed genuine relief and joy and he himself would give me the ministries of Lector and Acolyte during my time in Northampton.

Bishop Welsh was also a strong supporter and member of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. His last talk to the CCC took place when we met at EWTN in Alabama (Irondale, Hanceville and Cullman) in 2000 for our 25th anniversary. He refused any and all honoraria and stipends as a speaker and only asked for reimbursement for airfare. What a gentleman.  Every time he met my mom and dad, he went out of his to thank them for giving the Church their son to be a priest.

I will always remember Bishop Welsh with fondness and I mourn with my sacerdotal brethren in Arlington and Allentown. He may not have been a clone of Cardinal Krol (my all time hero), but in his own, quiet, strong and faithful way, he was a true son of the Church and served the Lord VERY WELL.

requiescat in pace

 

puzza di morto

 


Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, recently made an official visit to the Vatican as second in line to the Presidency (after the Vice President).

Despite efforts with fancy perfume, she still exuded the 'smell of death' [puzza di morto] for her staunch pro-abortion support as a US politician.

(thanks to American Papist for photo)

'Profound sadness' regarding Maciel scandal

from Matt Abbott's column in RenewAmerica

'It is with profound sadness that I learned of the scandalous revelations recently disclosed on the late founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Father Marcial Maciel Degollado. Anytime any of the clergy misbehave, it is not only a stain on the Church and the priesthood, but it is also a personal blow to every individual cleric since Holy Orders ontologically unites us together as ordained brothers in Christ the High Priest.

'On the one hand, we recall the common wisdom of 'There but for the grace of God go I,' meaning that none of us is without sin, none of us is perfect, and none of us can cast the first stone, so to speak. On the other hand, we cannot and should not sweep under the carpet any misdeeds especially when it involves the abuse — physical, emotional, sexual or spiritual — of children or adolescents.

'While personal weaknesses can often be overlooked if someone is trying to recover and repent, harm to any minor is something which cries to God for justice in this life as well as the life to come. If a priest, deacon or bishop has a gambling, drinking, or other addiction/problem, so does a similar percentage of the lay population. Abuse of children and teenagers, however, is reprehensible, inexcusable and repugnant and down right evil in its fullest sense. Other moral weaknesses harm the sinner more than anyone else. Abusing children, however, injures more innocent victims than one can imagine.

'Perfect men are not ordained and imperfect men are not ordained as perfect priests. Though we are all sinners, we are all called to persevere and never give up the struggle to do and to be better. Saints are not sinless human beings, rather, saints were sinful human beings who never quit and who never stopped trying to do and to be better. They all had weaknesses. Saints just did not make excuses for them nor did they rationalize them. Instead, by God's grace, they overcame their shortcomings and sins by hanging in there to the bitter end.

'That being said, no one should be surprised that there were some skeletons in Father Maciel's closet. Allegedly siring children out of wedlock and allegedly abusing teenage boys are bad enough but worse when done by a priest. Now that he is dead, we should still pray that the Good Lord would have mercy on his soul knowing that the justice of God cannot and will not be outmaneuvered.

'I know many good, orthodox, devout, pious and morally upright priests and seminarians and laity (Regnum Christi) in the Legionaries of Christ. The institute has done a lot of good in terms of vocations, catechesis, evangelization and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. No sins or faults of the founder should tarnish the reputation or diminish the efficacy of the apostolates engaged and performed by the followers of this foundation.

'That being said, that does not mean that corrections are not in order. Besides the moral scandals involving the founder, the prudential judgment of other members is open to review. Certain editorials, editorial policies and public statements, made not by Father Maciel but followers of his, are not beyond scrutiny. Mistakes are made in seminaries, dioceses, religious communities and so on. Prudential judgments are open for interpretation and evaluation. Moral behavior is easily judged when one uses the wisdom of God found in the natural moral law and the divine positive law (as found in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition) as the litmus.

'Perhaps a papal legate or visitator should be appointed by the Roman Pontiff to make whatever adjustments, improvements, or sanctions deemed necessary to preserve and enhance the Legionaries of Christ, Regnum Christi and Familia. We all need to pray for the members who have consistently and perennially remained faithful to their vows and who have not strayed from the path of righteousness. We need to thank and support the good, honest and often holy men and women, clergy and laity of the Legion who have brought nothing but honor and integrity to the Church.

'Every association, order, community, congregation and movement must also be vigilant about hero worship insofar as the founder is sometimes given too much emphasis. Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Dominic, Saint Ignatius, Saint Benedict, Saint Augustine and Blessed Theresa of Calcutta and many others certainly attracted many vocations because of their personalities, which influenced the charisms of their societies.

'At the same time, these saintly men and women would never want their followers to have anyone other than Christ as supreme role models. The cult of personality does not always deteriorate into a full blown cult as the secular world uses the term. No saint who was not pope ever enjoyed infallibility and, other than Our Lady, no one has enjoyed impeccability, either. This is why followers today have no problem making adjustments or even improvements to constitutions devised by the original founder or foundress.

'The Legion will survive and might be a little leaner, but a lot stronger, too. The good done in the past and present should never be forgotten or ignored and the good yet to come should be appreciated and anticipated.

'(Likewise, a full and complete reconciliation and reintegration of the Society of St. Pius X is possible, and necessary, but it too will have to eliminate any hero worship of the late Archbishop Lefebvre and certainly will also entail a repudiation of the egregious and abhorrent proclamations of Bishop Richard Williamson. Since he is still alive, he can and ought to repent and recant and then he can be truly reconciled after some form of public penance has been made. I would advocate an early retirement and not allow any return to seminary rectorship nor to any exercise of episcopal authority.)

'The Legionaries of Christ have been and continue to be blessing to the Church, but just like Opus Dei and Communion and Liberation, it is not for everyone. Their spirituality is not the only valid or effective one. Many valid forms and flavors exist (hence the mark of universality or Catholicity) that remain orthodox and authentically Catholic. Cursillo and the Charismatic Movement do not exhaust the varieties of ways the Holy Spirit can lead souls into the Church. All valid ecclesial communities and their respective founders are here for one purpose, to facilitate the will of God, not the will of one man or one woman, but the will of the one, triune God.

'I hope and pray there is no witch hunt or purge in the Legion because of the recent revelations. My prayer is that Rome takes a strong and personal interest in helping the community whereas the enemies and opponents of the Legion merely want revenge.

'When Saint John of the Cross and others reformed their orders, they met with adversity but later were vindicated by the fruits of their labors. Maybe the Legion needs a major overhaul or reform, or it may need only a good fine-tuning and adjustment. A papal legate or visitator with full authority from the Holy Father should decide that or recommend to the pope himself. Everyone else should leave internal matters to those who are in the family.

'This is the beauty and wisdom of God that Jesus founded the Church on one person, Peter and his successors. Founders and foundresses may have some spiritual guidance but only the Vicar of Christ enjoys the charism of infallibility and the awesome responsibility of full, supreme, immediate and universal authority.'

© Matt C. Abbott

EWTN is in and with the REAL Church

Father Zuhlsdorf recently exposed the ludicrous and absurd claims of a professor of moral theology (Keith Soko, PhD) at St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa. This 'expert' pontificates (in the tradition of Luther, Zwingli, Hus, et al.) that EWTN "offers an outdated view of the church." Sadly, his caustic remarks were printed as an editorial on the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Messenger. Here is my comment as posted on WDTPRS:

Pathetic diatribe. The good professor claims EWTN is pre-Vatican II and yet he embraces an ecclesiology totally alien to the Second Vatican Council. Lumen Gentium reiterated what Pope Pius XII taught in Mystici Corporis and found in the epistles of Saint Paul, namely, that the church IS the Mystical Body of Christ. Jesus = Church. “He who hears you, hears Me.” Why did Christ say to Saint Paul on the road to Damascus “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” The Church IS the living, teaching, sanctifying, governing presence of Christ on earth. Jesus the Prophet teaches through His Body, the Church, via the Magisterium. Jesus the Priest sanctifies through His Body, the Church, via the Seven Sacraments. Jesus Christ the King governs through His Body, the Church via the Hierarchy.

Hence, the Church is more than a TOOL. The Bride of Christ is also the Mystical Body of Christ. She is an extension of Christ in the modern world. Dr. Soko is inaccurate when he presents the Church as some mere incidental as opposed to an essential element of salvation. Christ is the sole mediator, redeemer and savior and His Church speaks, teaches, sanctifies and governs IN HIS NAME. To reject the Church is to reject Christ, the founder, the bridegroom, the head of the Mystical Body.

EWTN does a phenomenal job showing the splendor of the Church, from the Papacy to the ordinary baptized member of the Christian faithful. Clergy and laity alike work at EWTN and are on the air. Respect and obedience to the legitimate authority of the institutional and, as V2 affirmed in chapter three of LG, HIERARCHICAL church is the hallmark of EWTN. His notion of the church being some ‘idol’ that EWTN proselytizes over the airwaves is absurd and ludicrous. EWTN is not the Vatican and never claimed to be. Neither is it the CDF. It is a precious vehicle by which the Bride of Christ and the Mystical Body of Christ is served faithfully. The Protestant Reformers of the 16th century, however, would have embraced his bizarre ecclesiology, but not Trent, V1 and most especially not V2. God bless Mother Angelica and EWTN.

PRESS RELEASE FROM CONFRATERNITY OF CATHOLIC CLERGY

Catholic Clergy Stand Behind B16

HARRISBURG, PA (February 6th, 2009) - The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, a national association of 600 priests and deacons publicly reaffirm our obedience and respect for the Holy Father. We furthermore declare our unequivocal support for Pope Benedict XVI as the Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff. We pledge our continued prayers for His Holiness especially in light of the recent slander being leveled against the current Successor of Saint Peter for his pastoral decision to rescind the excommunication of the four bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X. Those who distort the facts would have us believe that the individual prejudices of one man represent an entire group. The only person who has admitted and professed to hold bizarre and reprehensible notions diluting or mitigating the full horror and pure evil of the Nazi Holocaust has been Bishop Richard Williamson. It is unfair, unjust and unreasonable to assume the clergy and laity who identify and associate themselves with the Society of Pius X share any of these repugnant notions. Likewise, the Confraternity wishes to underscore that the decision of the Holy Father to remove the canonical penalties incurred by the four bishops illicitly consecrated by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre without papal mandate is based solely and totally on the Pope’s pastoral desire for reconciliation. His decision was meant to heal a twenty year old schism involving thousands of persons around the world and had nothing to do with the personal and private, albeit reprehensible, ideas of one bishop. It is a non-sequitur to infer that lifting a penalty implies endorsement of the ideology of the offender. A purely juridical act employed to bring healing is now being misrepresented and misunderstood as some form of tolerance to anti-Semitism. Bishop Williamson’s own superior Bishop Bernard Fellay rebuked him and his remarks. Pope Benedict publicly stated UNEQUIVOCALLY that he and the entire Roman Catholic Church express FULL AND INDISPUTABLE SOLIDARITY with Jews and warned against ANY DENIAL of the horror of the Shoah. Rabbi Kula, President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, New York, said the official American Jewish reaction to the Pope’s lifting of the excommunication was disproportionate and “outrageously over the top.” He shows more common sense than some Catholic dissidents calling for B16’s resignation. The CCC stands with Benedict in his condemnation of anti-Semitism and his pastoral desire to bring unity to the Church.

Papal Bumperstickers - Well, Almost

VistaPrint allows you to upload a picture and create your own magnetic car door signs. I adapted the Support Pope Benedict XVI and added my touches and am awaiting my two signs at $4.99 each

support the pope

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The recent 'demand' of German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Pope Benedict XVI make an 'adequate' clarification on the Vatican's position on the Holocaust in light of Bishop Richard Williamson's unfathomable and unconscionable remarks is equally as unfathomable and ludicrous. The Holy Father already stated UNEQUIVOCALLY that he and the entire Roman Catholic Church express FULL AND INDISPUTABLE SOLIDARITY with Jews and warned against ANY DENIAL of the horror of the Nazi Holocaust. She is merely pandering to the press for publicity.

Liberal Catholic theologian Hermann Haering was even more outlandish and uttered this incredible (as well as horribly offensive) statement:

"If the pope wants to do some good for the Church, he should leave his job," as told to the German daily Tageszeitung. (We know who SHOULD leave, or rather should be thrown out, and it ain't B16, that's for sure)

This GERMAN Pope made a visit to a synagogue in Germany and the USA; he has reiterated the total condemnation of the Shoah (Holocaust). But there are those who have another agenda. One seeks to derail the reconciliation of the SSPX (Society of Saint Pius X) with Rome, the other seeks to discredit anything and everything Pope Benedict does and says, regardless of the issue. Bishop Williamson may have intended this to happen, I do not know. His offensive remarks went beyond imprudent, they were reprehensible. If he calculatingly did this after the excommunications were lifted in order to sabatoge the reconciliation, then he is more cunning than anyone suspected. If, however, he was just stupid, then someone else is taking advantage of the faus pax and cranking it up to thermonuclear proportions. There is more than meets the eye here, to be sure. We know that dissidents who hated Cardinal Ratzinger also loathe Pope Benedict for the same reasons: orthodoxy. Restoring the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Missal angered many liturgical-nazis and ultra-liberal ideologues who perverted the documents of Vatican II to advance their own agenda. These lefties would love to discredit B16 AND the SSPX in one fell swoop and ride the wave which they hope would also eliminate the Fraternity of Saint Peter and the Institute of Christ the King.

I say it is time for all loyal Catholics, whether you like the Ordinary or Extraordinary Form, Latin or Vernacular, Oriental or Roman Rite, to stand up and be counted. UBI PETRUS IBI ECCLESIA. WE STAND WITH PETER. The sad reality is that the far left and far right have something in common: their dislike and disobedience for the Holy Father. And they say politics makes stange bedfellows.

3 February --- Happy Saint Blaise Day

Feb. 2nd, Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord (Candlemas)
Feb. 3rd, Feast of Saint Blaise (Blase)

Per intercessionem Sancti Blasii, episcopi et martyris, liberet te Deus a malo gutturis, et a quolibet alio malo. In nomine Patris, et Filii +, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God free you from ailments of the throat and from any other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

(thanks to FrZ at WDTPRS)

Papal Ejector Seat

 

The Vatican Car Salesman shows the Holy Father a new feature in his Popemobile:
an EJECTOR SEAT for those occasions when he has a dissident theologian or rebel bishop sitting next to him;

James Cardinal Bond was the previous owner of this particular vehicle.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same

Angelic Doctor

Today is the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, OP (in the Ordinary Form calendar; March 7th in the Extraordinary Form calendar), also known as the Doctor Angelicus (Angelic Doctor) or the Doctor Communis (Common Doctor). Other doctors in the church include St. Augustine (Doctor Gratiae); St. Bonaventure (Doctor Seraphicus); St. Anselm (Doctor Magnificus); St. Bernard (Doctor Mellifluus); St. John of the Cross (Doctor Mysticus); St. Therese of Lisieux (Doctor Amoris); and the famous mentor of Aquinas, St. Albert the Great (Doctor Universalis); to name a few.

ROME, DEC. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Moral theology based on St. Thomas Aquinas is among one of theology's most popular branches today, says a Vatican official, but this popularity has come about only after decades of disdain.

Archbishop Jean Louis Bruguès, secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, spoke about his journey with moral theology when he delivered an address at a conference last Friday in Rome, which marked the 30th anniversary of the St. Thomas Aquinas International Society.

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17. Among the Scholastic Doctors, the chief and master of all towers Thomas Aquinas, who, as Cajetan observes, because "he most venerated the ancient doctors of the Church, in a certain way seems to have inherited the intellect of all."(34) The doctrines of those illustrious men, like the scattered members of a body, Thomas collected together and cemented, distributed in wonderful order, and so increased with important additions that he is rightly and deservedly esteemed the special bulwark and glory of the Catholic faith. With his spirit at once humble and swift, his memory ready and tenacious, his life spotless throughout, a lover of truth for its own sake, richly endowed with human and divine science, like the sun he heated the world with the warmth of his virtues and filled it with the splendor of his teaching. Philosophy has no part which he did not touch finely at once and thoroughly; on the laws of reasoning, on God and incorporeal substances, on man and other sensible things, on human actions and their principles, he reasoned in such a manner that in him there is wanting neither a full array of questions, nor an apt disposal of the various parts, nor the best method of proceeding, nor soundness of principles or strength of argument, nor clearness and elegance of style, nor a facility for explaining what is abstruse.

18. Moreover, the Angelic Doctor pushed his philosophic inquiry into the reasons and principles of things, which because they are most comprehensive and contain in their bosom, so to say, the seeds of almost infinite truths, were to be unfolded in good time by later masters and
with a goodly yield. And as he also used this philosophic method in the refutation of error, he won this title to distinction for himself: that, single-handed, he victoriously combated the errors of former times, and supplied invincible arms to put those to rout which might in after-times spring up. Again, clearly distinguishing, as is fitting, reason from faith, while happily associating the one with the other, he both preserved the rights and had regard for the dignity of each; so much so, indeed, that reason, borne on the wings of Thomas to its human height, can scarcely rise higher, while faith could scarcely expect more or stronger aids from reason than those which she has already obtained through Thomas.

19. For these reasons most learned men, in former the highest repute in theology and philosophy, after mastering with infinite pains the immortal works of Thomas, gave themselves up not so much to be instructed in his angelic wisdom as to be nourished upon it. It is known that nearly all the founders and lawgivers of the religious orders Thomas, fearful least any of them should swerve even in the slightest degree from the footsteps of so great a man. To say nothing of the family of St. Dominic, which rightly claims this great teacher for its own glory, the statutes of the Benedictines, the Carmelites, the Augustinians, the Society of Jesus, and many others all testify that they are bound by this law.

20. And, here, how pleasantly one's thoughts fly back to those celebrated schools and universities which flourished of old in Europe - to Paris, Salamanca, Alcalá, to Douay, Toulouse, and Louvain, to Padua and Bologna, to Naples and Coimbra, and to many another! All know how the fame of these seats of learning grew with their years, and that their judgment, often asked in matters of grave moment, held great weight everywhere. And we know how in those great homes of human wisdom, as in his own kingdom, Thomas reigned supreme; and that the minds of all, of teachers as well as of taught, rested in wonderful harmony under the shield and authority of the Angelic Doctor.

1. But, furthermore, Our predecessors in the Roman pontificate have celebrated the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas by exceptional tributes of praise and the most ample testimonials. Clement VI in the bull In Ordine; Nicholas V in his brief to the friars of the Order of Preachers, 1451; Benedict XIII in the bull Pretiosus, and others bear witness that the universal Church borrows lustre from his admirable teaching; while St. Pius V declares in the bull Mirabilis that heresies, confounded and convicted by the same teaching, were dissipated, and the whole world daily freed from fatal errors; others, such as Clement XII in the bull Verbo Dei, affirm that most fruitful blessings have spread abroad from his writings over the whole hurch, and that he is worthy of the honor which is bestowed on the greatest Doctors of the Church, on Gregory and Ambrose, Augustine and Jerome; while others have not hesitated to propose St. Thomas for the exemplar and master of the universities and great centers of learning whom they may follow with unfaltering feet. On which point the words of Blessed Urban V to the University of Toulouse are worthy of recall: "It is our will, which We hereby enjoin upon you, that ye follow the teaching of Blessed Thomas as the true and Catholic doctrine and that ye labor with all your force to profit by the same."(35) Innocent XII, followed the example of Urban in the case of the University of Louvain, in the letter in the form of a brief addressed to that university on February 6, 1694, and Benedict XIV in the letter in the form of a brief addressed on August 26, 1752, to the Dionysian College in Granada; while to these judgments of great Pontiffs on Thomas Aquinas comes the crowning testimony of Innocent VI: "His teaching above that of others, the canonical
writings alone excepted, enjoys such a precision of language, an order of matters, a truth of conclusions, that those who hold to it are never found swerving from the path of truth, and he who dare assail it will always be suspected of error."(36)

22. The ecumenical councils, also, where blossoms the flower of all earthly wisdom, have always been careful to hold Thomas Aquinas in singular honor. In the Councils of Lyons, Vienna, Florence, and the Vatican one might almost say that Thomas took part and presided over the deliberations and decrees of the Fathers, contending against the errors of the Greeks, of heretics and rationalists, with invincible force and with the happiest results. But the chief and special glory of Thomas, one which he has shared with none of the Catholic Doctors, is that the Fathers of Trent made it part of the order of conclave to lay upon the altar, together with sacred Scripture and the decrees of the supreme Pontiffs, the Summa of Thomas Aquinas, whence to seek counsel, reason, and inspiration.

23. A last triumph was reserved for this incomparable man-namely, to compel the homage, praise, and admiration of even the very enemies of the Catholic name. For it has come to light that there were not lacking among the leaders of heretical sects some who openly declared that, if the teaching of Thomas Aquinas were only taken away, they could easily battle with all Catholic teachers, gain the victory, and abolish the Church.(37) A vain hope, indeed, but no vain testimony.

24. Therefore, venerable brethren, as often as We contemplate the good, the force, and the singular advantages to be derived from his philosophic discipline which Our Fathers so dearly loved. We think it hazardous that its special honor should not always and everywhere remain,
especially when it is established that daily experience, and the judgment of the greatest men, and, to crown all, the voice of the Church, have favored the Scholastic philosophy. Moreover, to the old teaching a novel system of philosophy has succeeded here and there, in which We fail to perceive those desirable and wholesome fruits which the Church and civil society itself would prefer. For it pleased the struggling innovators of the sixteenth century to philosophize without any respect for faith, the power of inventing in accordance with his own pleasure and bent being asked and given in turn by each one. Hence, it was natural that systems of philosophy multiplied beyond measure, and conclusions differing and clashing one with another arose about those matters even which are the most important in human knowledge. From a mass of conclusions men often come to wavering and doubt; and who knows not how easily the mind slips from doubt to error? But, as men are apt to follow the lead given them, this new pursuit seems to have caught the souls of certain Catholic philosophers, who, throwing aside the patrimony of ancient wisdom, chose rather to build up a new edifice than to strengthen and complete the old by aid of the new-ill-advisedly, in sooth, and not without detriment to the sciences. For, a
multiform system of this kind, which depends on the authority and choice of any professor, has a foundation open to change, and consequently gives us a philosophy not firm, and stable, and robust like that of old, but tottering and feeble. And if, perchance, it sometimes finds itself scarcely equal to sustain the shock of its foes, it should recognize that the cause and the blame lie in itself. In saying this We have no intention of discountenancing the learned and able men who bring their industry and erudition, and, what is more, the wealth of new discoveries, to the service of philosophy; for, of course, We understand that this tends to the development of learning. But one should be very careful lest all or his chief labor be exhausted in these pursuits and in mere erudition. And the same thing is true of sacred theology, which, indeed, may be assisted and illustrated by all kinds of erudition, though it is absolutely necessary to approach it in the grave manner of the Scholastics, in order that, the forces of revelation and reason being united in it, it may continue to be "the invincible bulwark of the faith."(38)

25. With wise forethought, therefore, not a few of the advocates of philosophic studies, when turning their minds recently to the practical reform of philosophy, aimed and aim at restoring the renowned teaching of Thomas Aquinas and winning it back to its ancient beauty.

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31. While, therefore, We hold that every word of wisdom, every useful thing by whomsoever discovered or planned, ought to be received with a willing and grateful mind, We exhort you, venerable brethren, in all earnestness to restore the golden wisdom of St. Thomas, and to spread it far and wide for the defense and beauty of the Catholic faith, for the good of society, and for the advantage of all the sciences. The wisdom of St. Thomas, We say; for if anything is taken up with too great subtlety by the Scholastic doctors, or too carelessly stated-if there be anything that ill agrees with the discoveries of a later age, or, in a word, improbable in whatever way-it does not enter Our mind to propose that for imitation to Our age. Let carefully selected teachers endeavor to implant the doctrine of Thomas Aquinas in the minds of students, and set forth clearly his solidity and excellence over others. Let the universities already founded or to be founded by you illustrate and defend this doctrine, and use it for the refutation of prevailing errors. But, lest the false for the true or the corrupt for the pure be drunk in, be ye watchful that the doctrine of Thomas be drawn from his own fountains, or at least from those rivulets which, derived from the very fount, have thus far flowed, according to the established agreement of learned men, pure and clear; be careful to guard the minds of youth from those which are said to flow thence, but in reality are gathered from strange and unwholesome streams.

Leo XIII, Aeterni Patris, 1879

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31. If one considers all this well, he will easily see why the Church demands that future priests be instructed in philosophy "according to the method, doctrine, and principles of the Angelic Doctor," since, as we well know from the experience of centuries, the method of Aquinas is singularly preeminent both of teaching students and for bringing truth to light; his doctrine is in harmony with Divine Revelation, and is most effective both for safeguarding the foundation of the faith and for reaping, safely and usefully, the fruits of sound progress.

Pius XII, Humani Generis, 1950

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The recommendation of Leo is still valid: 'those who to the study of philosophy unite obedience to the Christian faith are philosophers indeed; for the splendor of the divine truth, received into the mind, helps the understanding and not only detracts in no wise from its dignity, but adds greatly to its nobility, keenness, and stability ... The immortal Pontiff recalled that the method, the principles and the teaching of Aquinas had, down the centuries, been specially favored not only by learned men but by the supreme teaching authority of the Church... If today also, he insisted, philosophical and theological reflection is not to rest on an 'unstable foundation' which would make it 'wavering and superficial'... it will have to draw inspiration from the 'golden wisdom' of St. Thomas... Now that a hundred years of the history of thought have passed we are able to appreciate how balanced and wise were these appraisals. With good reason, therefore, the Supreme Pontiffs who succeeded Leo XIII, and the Code of Canon Law itself ... have repeated them and made them their own ... The words of the [Second Vatican] Council are clear: the Fathers saw that it is fundamental for the adequate formation of the clergy and of Christian youth that it preserve a close link with the cultural heritage of the past, and in particular with the thought of St. Thomas; and that this in the long run, is a necessary condition for the longed-for renewal of the Church

John Paul II, allocution Perennial Philosophy of St. Thomas for the Youth of Our Times, L'Osservatore Romano, Dec. 17, 1979

Msgr William Smith Dead at 69

The Archdiocese of New York has lost another giant.  Only two weeks ago they said good-bye to Father Richard John Neuhaus.  Today it was Msgr. William Smith.  Smith was a brilliant scholar, moral theologian and seminary professor (St. Joseph, Dunwoodie).  bio

 

A regular host on EWTN, Monsignor Smith was also a permanent fixture at Saint Joseph Seminary, Dunwoodie.  His staunch orthodoxy annoyed a few ecclesiastical bureaucrats so he never moved up or fast on the church food chain, but to those of us who had the privilege of being his students and disciples, he was like an American version of Cardinal Ratzinger.  Dry wit, Smith was the quintecential faithful son of the Church.  Loyal to the Magisterium and obedient to the Roman Pontiff, he never diluted what he taught for the sake of political correctness.  Had he been rector of some of the more problematic seminaries in the USA, you can be sure he would have removed dissident theologians A.S.A.P. and there would not have been any immoral shanannigans going on in the wee hours of the night, either.  We could have used a cadre of Bill Smiths to reform and renew the seminaries across America and restore orthodox doctrine, reverent worship and moral probity.  I never had the honor of attending Dunwoodie as a seminarian but I did have Msgr. Smith as a guest professor for the annual seminarian seminar sponsored by Opus Dei at Arnold Hall every Easter week while I was in the seminary.  He also spoke on seversl occasions for the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy.  He, Fr. George Rutler and Fr. Ken Baker, SJ, were regulars when Fr. Bob Levis had our annual convocations for 19 years at Gannon University in Erie, PA.  If he had been bishop, that diocese would have been a pinnacle of wisdom and grace and many vocations would have come from it.  I had to telephone him on several consultations involving medical moral and bioethic problems and Msgr. Bill Smith cut through the fat and got right to the meat.  A modern day Aquinas when it came to moral theology.  He will be sadly missed on earth and richly rewarded in heaven.

March for Life 2009

If you ask me, it looked like 500 priests and almost twice as many seminarians attended the Vigil Mass for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday evening, Jan. 21st. Two dozen bishops and about half a dozen cardinals concelebrated the Holy Mass with a standing room only congregation (seating capacity 3,500). The following day, anywhere from 250,000 to half a million (500,000) men, women & children marched to the Supreme Court. Most secular news agencies boycotted any and all coverage of the March, despite the huge volume of pro-life anti-abortion protesters in attendance. Not surprising since the same secular media were conspicuously silent when 300,000 young people came to Word Youth Day in Rome, 2000. If 1% of the number who attended this years March for Life had been there on the Mall to support same-sex marriages, the press would have given it gavel-to-gavel coverage and told viewers that thousands attended. We could have had a million or more Pro-Life marchers, and the press would have kept quiet OR causually remark that a few thousand participants were in attendance.

More distressing than the miniscule (if any) media coverage of the March for Life is the plethora of rationalizations being offered by Catholics for voting Obama-Biden undid 35 years of Pro-Life blood, sweat and tears of Pro-Life work. Some have commented that the Pro-Life movement needs to forget the political process of changing immoral laws and opt for changing the hearts of citizens to abandon immoral ideas like supporting abortion. What these people do not realize is that it is NOT a question of EITHER/OR (aut ... aut in Latin), rather as Pope Benedict points out on numerous occasions, Catholicism is the religion of the great BOTH/AND (et ... et in Latin). In other words, we need to change the hearts of citizens AND change the laws. Immoral laws do not force good people to do bad things, but they do enable people of weak will or weak morals to do evil under the guise of legality. Good laws will not force people to be good but will make doing good easier and will help those of weak will resist since what they contemplate is illegal. Saint Thomas Aquinas gave the best definition of law:

rationis ordinatio ad bonum commune, ab eo qui curam communitatis habet, promulgata

ORDINANCE OF REASON PROMULGATED BY HE WHO HAS CARE OF THE COMMUNITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Hence, for any law to be morally binding, it must be RATIONAL and it must serve the COMMON GOOD. Abortion is irrational since the unborn child is no threat to the mother. There is never a medical condition that requires the killing of the fetus. There may be complications in giving birth but the baby can always be allowed to be born (or removed without directly killing him/her) and also save the lfe of the mother. It is a false argument to invoke the threat to the life of the mother as OB-GYN doctors attest that despite difficult pregnancies, they never HAVE to kill one to save another. Neither baby nor mother need to be murdered. One may die INDIRECTLY and NATURALLY but then there is no unjust killing. Check out the NICU in most hospitals and you will find premature babies being treated and surviving many problems and conditions which are feasibly overcome, yet often a doctor somewhere along the way advises to 'terminate the pregnancy' to avoid a 'complication.' In other words, KILL the baby without even trying to save his or her life. Imagine if we did that to toddlers and teenagers or to middle agers or the retired. Extraordinary means are never obligatory but ordinary means of today were once the extraordinary means of yesteryear.

Abortion is not only IRRATIONAL it is also a crime against the COMMON GOOD. There is more than one victim in abortion. Besides the unborn, the mother suffers from her crime, the biological father suffers, the doctor and nurse who performed the heinous deed hurt themselves (in their conscience), and all of human society suffers whenever an INNOCENT PERSON is UNJUSTLY KILLED. How many diseases could have been cured by now HOWEVER, the discoverer of the cure for cancer was aborted and not allowed to live? Could there have been peace already between the Israeli's and Palestinians had the right diplomat been allowed to be born rather than aborted? God could be sending us the medical, political, economic, scientific and religious heroes we desperately need, yet our sick society has prevented the rescue due to the legality and availability of ABORTION. We could be our own worst enemy.

Therefore we NEED to change the immoral laws just as our nation needed to outlaw slavery and segregation. Should Rosa Parks have not committed civil disobedience in 1955? Should she have gone to the back of the bus and waited for hearts to change in the South? Of course not. She and Dr. Martin Luther King sought to change BOTH hearts and laws and thus restore JUSTICE to all men and women, regardless of color or creed. Why then are Pro-Lifers been told to go to the back of the bus and wait for the hearts of pro-choice pro-abortionists to change? Even the 13th and 15t amendments did not eradicate all forms and instances of racism but the law is still there which the racist cannot deny and if he disobeys can be prosecuted. We need the law of the land, federal and state, to protect the civil and human rights of unborn human children just as we have laws to protect citizens of color, gender and religion. That is serving the COMMON GOOD.

Lest We Fool Ourselves

History was made today when the first African-American President was sworn into office. Ironically, the U.S. Supreme Court had decided in 1857 that blacks, whether slave or free, were legally non-persons and therefore could not vote nor run for office. Worse yet, the highest court of the nation decided that states could consider and treat African-Americans as personal property of their slave masters even if other states considered them free men. It took people of faith and good will to get the 13th amendment to the Constitution ratified and thus end slavery and it took the 15th amendment to recognize the right of black Americans to vote.

Had no one challenged the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857, Barak Obama would never have been able to be elected President. Thanks be to God, our nation came to its senses and finally outlawed slavery and segregation. Sadly, our nation is still committing a grave miscarriage of justice in denying the same civil and human rights we say every man, woman and child enjoys regardless of color, race or religion, when we deny it to the unborn. Babies in the womb are as much human as a white or black, woman or man. Human DNA and genes are present in the unborn as they are in those who were formerly slaves. Human nature is not defined by color or location. Whether in the womb or outside the womb; whether in a free state or a slave state; human beings are human and as such they are legal persons and they have an inalienable RIGHT TO LIFE AND LIBERTY.

The Supreme Court was WRONG in 1857 and it was WRONG in 1973. It was wrong to defend slavery and it was wrong to defend abortion. African-Americans were called negroes, blacks and other terms, but none of those words could change or alter their metaphysical nature,i.e., HUMAN. Likewise, whether we call them zygotes, embryos or fetuses, the unborn child is still HUMAN and is still a PERSON regardless of what the Supreme Court says.

We have a Catholic Vice President who openly and staunchly supports Roe v. Wade despite the fact that he himself admits that human beings exist from the moment of conception. Today, as Fr. Z (WDTPRS) points out, the CURRENT White House webpage makes it UNAMBIGUOUS and UNEQUIVOCAL, President Obama supports Roe v. Wade and abortion:

WOMEN

Reproductive Choice

• Supports a Woman's Right to Choose: President Obama
  understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case.
  
• Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: President Obama was an
  original co-sponsor of legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies. Introduced in January 2007, the Prevention First Act will increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education that teaches both abstinence and safe sex methods. The Act will also end insurance discrimination against contraception, improve awareness about emergency contraception, and provide
  compassionate assistance to rape victims.

• Supporting Stem Cell Research: President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that we owe it to the American public to explore the potential of stem cells to treat the millions of people suffering from debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Obama is a co-sponsor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which will allow research of human embryonic stem cells derived from embryos donated (with consent) from in vitro fertilization clinics. These embryos must be deemed in excess and created based solely for the purpose of fertility treatment.

"From the first moment a woman dared to speak that hope -- dared to
believe that the American Dream was meant for her too -- ordinary women have
taken on extraordinary odds to give their daughters the chance for something
else; for a life more equal, more free, and filled with more opportunity than
they ever had. In so many ways we have succeeded, but in so many areas we have much work left to do."

-- Barack Obama, Speech in Washington, DC
November 10, 2005

President Obama has a long record of standing up for women. In Illinois, he
passed the Equal Pay Act to give 330,000 more women protection from pay
discrimination and passed another law that ensured victims of domestic violence
could seek treatment without losing their jobs. In the U.S. Senate, he
introduced and sponsored legislation to reduce unintended teen pregnancy,
strengthen families by supporting fathers who are doing the right thing and
cracking down on those who are not, guarantee workers paid sick leave, and
ensure that women are not receiving less pay than men for comparable work. And
throughout his career, in the Illinois Senate, the U.S. Senate, and the White
House, Obama has stood up for a woman’s right to choose.

Can those Catholics who voted for Obama-Biden now sleep with a clear conscience ??? FOCA will be soon down the pike and will unravel all the good done since Roe. Is this supposed to engender HOPE? Change for good or for bad?

Seminary Report Accurate, Encouraging and Reprimanding

Catholic World News (now with CatholicCulture.org) released this item today (see below). It is encouraging to know things are getting better in many seminaries but discouraging to know that there are still some brazen dissenters teaching their heterodoxy to future priests. As survivors of minor and major seminaries (1976-1988 high school, college and major theology), my classmates and I can vouch that significant improvements have been made but much more work needs to be done. The most encouraging news is the presence of Archbishop O'Brien. Former rector of Saint Joseph Seminary, Dunwoodie (Archdiocese of New York) and former Archbishop for the Military, he is currently the Archbishop of Baltimore and most likely to elevated to the red hat once his predecessor turns 80. O'Brien is a no-nonsense, practical, orthodox, and decisive man which the Church in America needs to clean out some of the dens of iniquity pretending to be houses of formation.

The first seminary visitation was a farce and accomplished nothing. Then the clergy sex scandals changed everything. While the actual number of pedophile (attracted to pre-pubescent boys or girls) priests was very small, the more disturbing revelation was the larger instances of ephebophile (attracted to post-pubescent and adolescent boys or girls) clergy. As the age of victims gets closer to legal adulthood, there are some who dangerously back-off and conspicuously keep silent since the issue of homosexual clergy then becomes evident. Immoral behavior and activity in the seminary was and is inevitably connected and associated with the simultaneous presence of liturgical abuses and theological dissent being taught and proliferated. Bad morality is bred and encouraged by bad liturgy and bad theology. LEX ORANDI, LEX CREDENDI, LEX AGENDI. Hence, conversely, when you have faithful faculty teaching orthodox Magisterial doctrine to seminarians in a place where reverent, valid, licit and edifying sacred worship is present, then the moral activity of the students is exemplary. In these places, like Mount Saint Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland, you have an outstanding Rector (Msgr. Rohlfs) and a superb faculty who not only teach orthodox theology, but they also celebrate dignified and proper liturgies in the chapel which reaffirm what is taught in the classroom. When someone does evidence a moral problem, he is given the direction and discipline needed and if not corrected, dismissed. CONSISTENCY is what is needed. When seminarians see their professors being loyal, faithful and obedient to the rubrics of the Missal, the Code of Canon Law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, then they too, will be drawn to follow the right path and God willing become good priests themselves oneday.

Jan. 15, 2009 (CWNews.com) - A Vatican investigation into American seminarians, undertaken in a response to the sex-abuse scandal, has given the institutions a passing grade but taken note of many difficulties.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has quietly posted on its web site the final report of the apostolic visitation of seminaries in the United States. Dated December 15, the report, issued by the prefect and secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, offers a generally positive assessment of US seminaries but notes numerous problems. The apostolic visitation stemmed from an extraordinary April 2002 meeting between Roman curial prefects and cardinals and other leaders of the American hierarchy. Issued at the height of the clerical abuse scandal, the meeting’s final communique called for “a new and serious Apostolic Visitation of seminaries and other institutes of formation must be made without delay, with particular emphasis on the need for fidelity to the Church’s teaching, especially in the area of morality, and the need for a deeper study of the criteria of suitability of candidates to the priesthood.” The visitation’s final report observes that “an Apostolic Visitation is a blunt instrument but by no means an infallible one,” providing only a brief snapshot of life in US seminaries. Intended to assist US bishops and major superiors in fulfilling their responsibilities related to seminaries, the report chronicles developments from 2002 to 2005, when the visitations, coordinated by Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, began. Visitations were conducted in 2005 and 2006. The report then issued conclusions in several areas. While concluding that “in the great majority of diocesan seminaries, the doctrine on the priesthood is well taught,” the report nonetheless noted in some seminaries, students have an “insufficient grasp” of Catholic teaching and the distinction between the common priesthood of the faithful and the hierarchal priesthood is blurred. Some religious institutes speak primarily of “ministry” rather than the priesthood in a “mistaken attempt” not to offend opponents of Catholic teaching on women’s ordination. While praising bishops and major superiors for being “interested in and supportive of” seminaries, the report urged each bishop to make the seminary “the object of his most intense and assiduous pastoral care.” Although the majority of seminary rectors are “good and holy men,” not all are leaders who are “comfortable making difficult decisions.“ Rectors need to spend more time at the seminary, while frequent personnel changes among seminary faculty need to end. Praising “most diocesan seminaries” for the unity of their faculty with the Magisterium, the report nonetheless noted the presence of some faculty members who dissent from magisterial teaching; such dissenters are “out of kilter with the rest of the faculty and with the seminarians themselves.”

“Quite often,” the visitors found faculty who mocked magisterial teaching without “speaking openly against Church teaching.”

“More widespread dissent” exists in other places, “particularly in institutes run by religious,” and in these places, “there can be no possibility of a unity in direction.” Dissenting superiors and faculty members, the report observed diplomatically, need to be removed. The report also observed that the formation of laity “really ought to take place elsewhere” than at a seminary, which exists for the formation of candidates to the priesthood. If lay formation must take place there, laity should not “routinely be admitted” to certain areas.

Praising the criteria of admission of seminary candidates, the report nonetheless found grave deficiencies in seminary formation before the four years of theology formation. “Almost nowhere” has a propadeutic year before the two years of philosophical formation been implemented. While most college seminaries-- in which students receive philosophical formation-- are “good,” seminarians, before the four years of theology formation, are at times not formed with adequate oversight and are even not looked upon fully as seminarians. The report urged bishops to take a greater role in the acceptance or rejection of priestly formation candidates and noted that in some institutes, “lack of vocations has caused a lowering of standards,” with “possible wretched consequences.” The report took special note of moral problems, primarily associated with homosexual behavior, in some US seminaries. While the situation has improved because of “better superiors (especially rectors),” there are “still some places-- usually centers of formation for religious-- where “ambiguity vis-à-vis homosexuality persists," the document said. Commenting on the report, the Congregation for Catholic Education urges American Church leaders to pay special attention to the 2005 document from the same dicastery on criteria for admission to seminaries-- a document which states homosexual men are not appropriate candidates for priestly training. The report on the Apostolic Visitation does not take into account the public statements from several American seminary officials who, in response to the 2005 directive, announced that they would continue to accept candidates with homosexual inclinations.

The report also noted many seminaries’ “laxity of discipline” over students’ off-campus activities-- a problem avoided by Neocatechumenal Way seminaries. In some seminaries, “formation advisers” and psychologists delve into seminarians’ spiritual lives, while ascetic rules are lacking. The heart of seminary formation, the report continued, is prayer. “In the diocesan seminaries, the liturgical norms are generally obeyed, but this is not always the case” in religious institutes. Despite this general fidelity, some of the report‘s strongest criticisms come in the area of spiritual formation. “Regrettably, very few seminaries fix periods of time for prayer,” and “some seminaries” need to do more to introduce students to classical Catholic spirituality. The report exhorted seminaries to celebrate Mass, Lauds, and Vespers every day, including on weekends. “A great many seminaries” need to introduce seminarians to the Rosary, novenas, litanies, and Stations of the Cross-- otherwise, the seminarians “will be unprepared for ministry in the Church, which greatly treasures these practices.” The report also noted faculty members who criticize the discipline of clerical celibacy. While praising the intellectual formation seminaries offer in philosophy and theology-- with some seminaries being “truly remarkable”-- the report condemned the practice of sending students to community colleges for their philosophy classes. Criticizing widespread weaknesses in the study of Mariology, patristics, and Latin, the report noted that “even in the best seminaries,” some faculty members dissent from Catholic teaching on moral theology and the ordination of women. Dissent is widespread at some seminaries, “particularly in some schools of theology run by religious.” Offering strong general praise for seminaries’ pastoral formation programs, the report noted that in some places, bishops ordain men against the advice of rectors, while in “a few places,” the evaluation process was suspect-- with the non-ordained, and even non-Catholics, voting whether candidates should be ordained. “Such practices are to cease.”

The report’s generally positive conclusion noted that seminary formation has gradually improved since the 1990s-- “at least in diocesan seminaries”-- because of the appointment of “wise and faithful” rectors. The bottom line, according to the Apostolic Visitation: “The diocesan seminaries are, in general, healthy.”