And just in time for Helloween, yet another episode of The Exorcist:
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Posted on 10/20/2004 12:25:57 AM PDT by nickcarraway
The presidential race is full of religious ironies, pitting a Protestant who quotes the Pope against a Catholic who rejects the Pope. The Protestant -- campaigning on opposition to abortion and homosexual marriage -- will likely get the Catholic vote. The Catholic -- campaigning on embryo-destruction, partial-birth abortion, and the alternative lifestyles of pagan antiquity -- will get the mainline Protestant vote.
In one more irony and historical marker of clerical decadence, the Catholic candidate will receive a higher percentage of support from the Catholic episcopate than the Catholic laity -- the very episcopate Kerry has made a point of saying that he will ignore on matters of morality. John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter writes that "if the Holy See were to vote in a secret ballot for the American president, Kerry would beat Bush 60-40." Polling of American bishops would even be higher. Priests like Richard McBrien have appeared in clerical collar on national television to justify voting for Kerry. The dean of Notre Dame, which the bishops regard as their Harvard, recently published a piece saturated with third-rate casuistry urging Catholics to vote for pro-abortion Democrats.
Incapable of transcending long-elapsed stereotypes, the secular media cast Kerry's Catholic problem as a conflict with a reactionary hierarchy. Would that it were so. A few bishops oppose Kerry, but many more privately support him and have whispered against the handful of brave bishops who threatened to withhold communion from him.
Kerry's Catholic problem started not with the clergy but with the laity. The Roger Mahonys of the hierarchy are Democratic activists and dilettantes, not guardians of the ancient faith. (For more on Cardinal Mahony, click here.) They have no problem supporting an open heretic like Kerry, because their faith in Catholicism is as ambivalent as his. Kerry is their idea of a good Vatican II Catholic -- liberal on economics, avant garde on morality. Indeed, a loss for Kerry represents a loss for them. He embodies the liberal catechesis they have tried to drill into the laity for decades. If a majority of the Catholic laity vote against Kerry, it will be one more rude confirmation to Roger Mahony and company that their post-Vatican II project to liberalize the laity has flopped.
''We are looking at a broader picture, a more global picture,'' said Bishop Gabino Zavala, one of Mahony’s auxiliary bishops, to the New York Times. ''If you look at the totality of issues as a matter of conscience, someone could come to the decision to vote for either candidate.'' For the Democratic bishops, infanticide and minimum wage are weighted the same. Kerry knew early on that most of these bishops wouldn’t confront him, given their passivity and weakness for Democratic politicians who make the right social-justice noises from time to time. Kerry’s allies in the Democratic Party scrambled to produce a "Catholic Voting Scorecard" to show that he and other pro-abortion Catholics have adhered more closely to the positions of the "U.S. Catholic hierarchy" than to their Catholic Republican counterparts. By highlighting Kerry’s support for the liberal politics of the bishops -- on the Senate floor, he once read from their inane pastoral letter on Reaganomics -- the Democrats had hoped to cancel out the perception that Kerry was a heretic no self-respecting Catholic could vote for.
Kerry's plans to hide his heresies under Roger Mahony's Seamless Garment were blown out the water by the lay Catholic equivalent of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Numerous lay Catholic groups have exposed Kerry's Catholicism as a fraud and have coaxed out of timid bishops a few words of rebuke toward Kerry.
Not that the bishops aren't still constructing rationalizations for Kerry even after a debate before millions in which he misrepresented Catholicism wildly, managing to reject at least a third of the Ten Commandments. On Tuesday The Drudge Report had one of those blood-red headlines titled, "Vatican Denies It Responded To Lawyer Seeking Kerry’s Excommunication." This was a life raft the bishops were trying to throw the Kerry campaign. The story came from the Catholic News Service, the propaganda outlet the bishops use whenever they want to muddy an issue to the benefit of a pro-abortion Catholic.
Kerry has rejected Catholic teachings Martin Luther didn’t touch, yet CNS was frantic to dispel the notion that he is a heretic. "One Vatican official contacted by CNS said no church official had seriously approached the point of declaring Kerry a heretic. 'No, Kerry is not a heretic,' he said."
The National Catholic Reporter, which also speaks for many bishops (they advertise in its pages for chancery jobs) even as it wars on Catholic orthodoxy , is advising Kerry "to talk religion." It denounced the "small and narrow" group of Catholic laity opposing him and noted that many bishops support Kerry. But if Kerry takes its advice and campaigns on heretical Catholicism, where can he go without getting booed? Perhaps Roger Mahony, who encouraged his congregation to give Bill and Hillary Clinton a standing ovation on Palm Sunday during Clinton's race against Bob Dole, could arrange a town hall meeting at the Los Angeles Cathedral. But then Kerry had that vote sewn up a long time ago.
George Neumayr Ping
WOW! Excellent article. Nailed it. Thank you, my friend.
Actually he will find that many "mainline Protestants" are like President Bush and reject their national church heirarchy on issues like abortion and same sex marriage. Since they do not hear their ministers speak of these things, they may not know where their church "stands" on the issues. Who knows which national heirarchy dictates to their church? Who knows how long their church will remain affiliated before breaking from the antiChristian hierarchy that perverts religious tradition by celebrating the cities of Sodom and Gomorah and calling abortion a "God given right".
Catholics are all clear on what the Pope/Catholic Church's stance is.
Harder for Catholic priests and bishops to defend voting for Kerry if he is excommunicated.
Rumors are swirling and reportedly the Vatican won't deny them out right.
Don't expect to hear anything directly from Karol Wojtyla. His scarlet lackeys will do the 'it ain't so' dance to cover themselves with the socialist marxist membership and unholy priestly orders of the New Church. His much publicized denunciation of seminary enrollment controlled by the 'third sex' hasn't changed a thing either. Why? Because heretical bishops are still running the seminaries.
So much the better for the faithful who have turned to the SSPX for spiritual guidance. Holy priests are in demand to meet the growth of those faithful who refuse to deny the Sacred Dogma and Traditions of The One True Faith.
Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us.
Saint Pius X, pray for us.
Saint Padre Pio pray for us.
I think by "mainline Protestants" here, he is using a shorthand for the WCC and those churches whose spokespersons support it, not those many members and individual churches who want out.
In one of his books, Chesterton has a chapter on the times in Church history that the episcopate has been utterly corrupt and renewal surged up from the laity. This would seem to fit that pattern.
There has been a bit of a kerfuffle lately on whether Kerry has been excommunicated. For those who are not au courant, last spring a CA canon lawyer, Marc Balestrieri, filed a Complaint for Heresy against Kerry with the Boston Tribunal. I gather that for a layman to file such a thing was almost unheard of. Should the Boston Tribunal reject it, there remains the option of appealing to Rome.
The Boston Tribunal has taken no action, but has put the Complaint in the hands of the Archbishop. Balestrieri (possibly to keep the pot boiling) went to Rome in an attempt to get an answer to the question of whether politicians who vote for abortion should be excommunicated. He did get a response from a Vatican Congregation to the effect that they have excommunicated themselves. Kerry's name was never mentioned in this exchange, and there are those in Rome who are denying the whole thing.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Boston Archdiocese has said that it has "thousands upon thousands" of such Complaints to go through. This sounded highly unlikely to me, but on Balestrieri's website, De Fide, I thought I saw a message to his supporters a few days ago not to do anything else except on his instruction. I can't find it there today, but there are instructions for joining the suit: Join the Class-Action Lawsuit. Connection with the "thousands upon thousands"?
Balestrieri has been fired from his post as a canon lawyer with the Los Angeles (Mahony) archdiocese.
Excellent article. And it gives me yet another reason to vote for Bush.
John Allen is an apostate and a Marxist.
What he doesn't know about the Holy See would strain the capacity of the Library of Congress.
More proof that the road to hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.
"Catholics are all clear on what the Pope/Catholic Church's stance is."
I know what the 2000 years of Church teachings say, but the Holy Father...hasn't exactly been busting heads to get these heretics off our backs, has he?
I hope he's doing the right thing.
Sign of the times! Nothing new under the sun.
Even the suspect internals of the latest ABC poll show that Catholics are voting Bush 50/47. I say suspect because most other polls show anywhere from a 13 to 19 point spread.
In May Pew said 46/43 Kerry. In Sept it was 49/39 Bush.
In Oct is it 49/33 Bush.
There is no "Faith and Morals" issue here. The bishops can express their opinions and their's are as valid as ours.
Our's at catholicsagainstkerry.com is that John Kerry is the clearest danger to American Catholic values since the
"Know Nothings"
Come to our site. Help us push our final "hits" up to 100,000.
catholicsagainstkerry.com is fighting this fight for all of us. Help us now.
This makes me so sad, but increasingly, anger and disgust are winning out.
Ping!
Disgusting.
Note that Allen said the 60-40 split involved all officials, including the curia bureaucrats. He added that if the vote were just among the bishops and Cardinals, the vote would probably flip 60-40 the other way for Bush.
I give Balestrieri an A+ for strategery. A media campaign is the only way to move this forward.
Great points here.
Neumayr ought to change his first name to "Dead-Nuts-On"
Balestrieri was on WRKO talk radio in Boston for a segment this morning. He's doing his best.
[Luke 12:48] Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.
[Luke 12:47] That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely;
I believe it's mostly the TOMs (Tired Old Men) who support Kerry. They were all fired up by the Liberation Theology and Social Justice ideas of the 70s and 80s, and were too cowed by the Feminist movement, to speak out forcefully against abortion. I think the younger Bishops, those most recently appointed, are less likely to support Kerry because they have shown themselves to be much more pro-life and willing to speak out about it.
They're being replaced all over this country, and changes are being made every day.
Wish I heard it. Any new news?
No, nothing new. It was a pretty brief segment, and Scotto used up way too much of the time steering the discussion to the death penalty -- asking whether Blute, who is Catholic and pro-death penalty, should be excommunicated.
Important ping!
BUMP
And just in time for Helloween, yet another episode of The Exorcist:
Please let me know if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
Mahony appointed Bishop John Steinbach from Los Angeles to the Diocese of Fresno. Steinbach removed a very good and conservative preist Father Baca from St. Anthonys of Padua in Fresno because Baca gave a sermon supporting our military forces ( he gave a homily on the Church’s just war theory using the Catechism of the Catholic Church as his source)the same week that the Bishop sent a letter out to condem the war and be read at mass at all parishes. The bishop's letter was not religion and pure politics. Father Baca was loved at St. Anothony's and as punishment Steinbock sent Baca to another parish in Merced, Ca.
At St. Patrick’s, Father Baca found a divided parish. Many parishioners began flocking to Father Baca’s Masses, where he eliminated the use of inclusive language and gave homilies on the Church’s positions on hell, abortion, homosexuality, premarital sex, women’s ordination, and pro-life voting responsibilities. Father Baca began a catechism class that grew so popular that, after three weeks, there was not enough room for everyone. Penitents began returning to the sacrament of confession.
The pastor Father Jean-Michael Lastiri did not like the conservative Baca and conspired against him and lied to the Bishop and had Baca removed and punished for being a good priest and now Baca has no church or parish as Steinbock removed Baca again taking the word and lies of Lastiri.
Bishop Steinbock and Father Lastiri may have had more at stake than saving face about a bad decision. Parishioners at St. Patrick’s were alarmed when the June 2, 2002 Fresno Bee published an interview with a homosexual priest using the pseudonym “Father Henry.” Father Henry admits his attraction to males as well as his deviations from the vow of chastity: “I’ve slipped a few times.” The story quotes another Fresno priest, Father Jerry Amerando, saying that the bishop, “doesn’t consider this an issue.” It also quotes Bishop Steinbock on his tolerance of homosexual clergy: “A priest, no matter what his orientation, can be a good, loving priest.”
Including court records as proof with his letter, Walsh gave Bishop Steinbock all the details of the case, including a detailed report from Detective Mike Montejano regarding the search of Banuelos’ residence at the parish. Among the items found were condoms, sex toys, women’s underwear, 53 hard-core pornographic magazines, and framed photos and a card to Banuelos from Father Lastiri, among other things.
On October 7, Walsh distributed a flyer to parishioners detailing Father Lastiri’s relationship with Banuelos and suggesting that parishioners withhold financial support until the diocese take action. On October 10, Bishop Steinbock wrote a letter denying the charges in the flyer and accusing the parishioners who produced it of “hate.” After a meeting with parishioners on October 15, Father Lastiri had the letters removed from the bulletins and shredded. On October 27, Bishop Steinbock wrote Walsh accusing him of sending court records that presented “rumor and gossip.” The bishop enclosed an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church concerning defamation of character, suggesting Walsh “reflect on it seriously.” Walsh responded by writing Steinbock that the information was neither rumor nor gossip but had been referred to by the district attorney as the “testimony of several witnesses.”
If Father Baca’s presence did not initiate Father Lastiri’s troubles, his departure did not end them. In early July, 2004, some parishioners discovered discarded instant messages to and from Father Lastiri printed on the parish letterhead. After using the information to do an AOL internet search, they discovered a homosexual men’s website, www.bear411.com, and buddybear.net, where Father Lastiri had posted his own picture and profile, using the name “basqueoso.” Many of the profile photos at the site show explicit poses of naked men, but Lastiri’s showed him dressed in lay clothes, and he described his profession as “counseling.” The site also had 60 pages of messages, profiles, and e-mails exchanged between Father Lastiri and various members of the “bear” group, including information on trips Lastiri had made to Amsterdam, Florida, New Orleans, Huntington Beach, and Las Vegas. The last message posted by Lastiri was July 13.
On July 14, parishioners made the information public and presented it to Bishop Steinbock. The bishop quietly removed Lastiri from the parish. On July 16, in a statement appearing in the Modesto Bee, Bishop Steinbock said he had received information “regarding a Web page and chat room of Rev. Jean-Michael Lastiri that was totally inappropriate.” The bishop said he spoke to Lastiri “the very next day, July 15;” Lastiri “denied any inappropriate sexual activity on his part and declared that he only entertained fantasies through this activity on the Internet.”
Steinbock said he realized Lastiri’s behavior was “compulsive and addictive.” The bishop announced he was “removing Father Lastiri from St. Patrick’s parish and sending him to St. Luke’s Institute for appropriate psychological and spiritual counseling and appropriate therapy to help him deal with this problem.”
“Fr. Lastiri apologizes for any pain he has caused the community and wishes to seek the appropriate help to overcome his compulsive behavior so that he may return, with God’s grace, to full ministry as a good and faithful priest,” wrote Bishop Steinbock
This is what happens when Cardinals and Bishops depart from the faith and conspire and persecute good and holy men. The Catholic church is infiltrated with corrupt and sinful men that are even at more risk of losing their souls than corrupt politicians that don't practice their faith. Mahony and Steinbock have even more to fear from God than Kerry does.
So good to know! Your sources?
Lastiri accompanied Bishop Steinbock as his guest on his ad limina visit to Rome last April.
Lastiri never showed up at St. Luke's for treatment. No one knows where he is or if he is leaving the priesthood.
Those women are priestesses of Baal.
Where did it say he never showed up?
IIRC it was on the tv news.
Any comment from the bishop?
None that I've heard.
Yes, Lastiri has not shown up. Bishop Steinbock has a conflict of interest as the perponderance of facts makes it appear he has been protecting Lastiri. Is Steinbock gay and does Lastiri have something to compromise the Bishop? The vatican should investigate this and Mahony will not do it and could be culpable as well.
Amen. The Roger Mahonys of the hierarchy are Democratic activists and dilettantes, not guardians of the ancient faith.
And to this:
It denounced the "small and narrow" group of Catholic laity opposing him and noted that many bishops support Kerry
"Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is
the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction."
Have you heard the Bishop comment on the no-show? And just think, he was known as the second most conservative bsihop in California (pre-Vigneron).
Hi. Which Catholic fantasy land do you live in?
I do not doubt for a second that there are a very few - a tiny minoritiy of US bishops - who have made some tiny baby steps of positive change. But the homosexuals and mental defectives are firmly in control of the infrastructure of the regular Conciliar Church in this land.
In the Arch of NY - which has a much mistaken reputation as a "conservative" diocese...ROFL.......lunatics are still being ordained, right now. The faculty of the seminary is NOT sound - despite more faculty shuffling in the last 20 years then I can keep track of! It poses a conservative face, but lacks any real substance.
Else how can you explain the weird, liberal, and frankly freaky ones who join the Fransicans Friars of the Renewal? They comprise half of the seminary students. And they are no good. Neither are many of the diocesan clegy ordained from there.
Let us not fool ourselves with appearances. Just because a young priest wears a biretta, or a lace trimmed surpice, or is garbed in a cassock is only window dressing. Does he actually know Catholic philosphy and theology? Or does he bop to the rythym of modernistic Teletubbie/Barney liturgical music as if there is nothing wrong with it?
I bring up the music for good reason. Nobody reads the lyrics, which brim with heresy and apostacy. And if these young priests like them - beware! They are not all that they are cracked up to be!
I have one question for the US Bishops. I am of the opinion that it really does not matter who wins the election, in that neither major candidate will do anything to change the internal or deomestic policies of this nation - much less on abortion.
So here is my question: regardless who wins, will your diocesan Bishop call for public and private prayer, devotion, recitation of the rosary........for the conversion of the hearts of the President and members of Congress? For the salvation of their immortal souls? For a change of heart, and action on their parts to end abortion?
Frankly, I know what the answer will be. A resounding silence.
And the chalice, already filling to the brim and overflowing with the blood of those innocent babies will impell God to no longer restrain his wrath against the society of nations - and this disobedient land in particular.
We will reap what we sow.
BTTT, great article!
President Bush and John Kerry: On the Issues Important to Catholics
"Seismic" Catholic Shift to Bush [Insight ]
Analyst cites abortion stance as some Catholic voters shift to Bush
Poll: Catholics Trending Towards Bush
Kerry Losing Ground Among White Catholics
Voting Our Conscience, Not Our Religion [Catholic Prof Says "Vote Kerry"]
Vatican: Kerry guilty of heresy; incurrs automatic excommunication
Should a Catholic Vote for Bush or Kerry?
Why is Bush getting the bishop's blessing?
Ambassador Ray Flynn in Cleveland 10/16/2004- "Vote 2004: The Catholic Factor"
John Kerry Flip-Flops on When to Use His Catholic Belief on Politics
Abortion is Turning Democrats Off to Kerry
Planned Parenthood Unveils TV Ads Backing John Kerry on Abortion
So, I guess you'll be voting for Kerry?
Psssst....nobody's paying any attention to you.
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