Free Republic

The convergence of several stories I've been reading over the past few days is triggering a reaction in me which I find singularly unpleasant. First, we have Nancy Pelosi - a Catholic - pushing for massive spending on contraception as part of the Democratic stimulus plan.  This morning, Deal wrote about  the 18 Catholic Senators who did not support the restoration of the Mexico City Policy.  Also today, the story emerges that Cardinal Mahony is under investigation for fraud regarding his handling of the sex abuse crisis in his diocese.  (Whatever the outcome of this, one could argue that...

ON SEPT. 23 I walked down the center aisle of our parish church, genuflected and made the sign of the cross while saying, In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Thus began my first Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962 more than 22 years after my first experience of celebrating the Eucharist. When Pope Benedict XVI issued his letter of July 7 eliminating most restrictions on the use of the so-called Tridentine Mass, my reaction oscillated between mild irritation (Will this ignite conflict? How will we ever provide such Masses?) and vague interest (Is there perhaps some...

We are told by the mainstream media that there is a priest shortage which will cripple the Church and that empty convents will never be occupied again. These same media organizations float that idea that only non-celibacy can save the day. Increasingly, the numbers of young men entering the seminary to become priests and young women entering religious life are telling these media gatekeepers that they are wrong. In my book, The Tide Is Turning Toward Catholicism, the facts are clear: those dioceses that are orthodox in nature and taht defend the teachings of the Church generally find themselves with a number of...

While the contents of what Pope Benedict XVI may eventually say about the pre-Vatican II “Latin Mass” remain a tightly guarded mystery, that vacuum hasn’t stopped Vatican officials, bishops and liturgists from pondering the possible fallout – from the political to the eminently practical. In the Vatican, one concern is that such a move would be seen as an ideological statement about the general direction of the church, and especially its commitment to the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). They insist that Benedict XVI’s motives are actually pastoral rather than ideological. Some bishops, meanwhile, hope that if a ruling does come,...

An attempt to recapture the Catholic vote has been launched by Democratic supporters. A new 2006 Voter Guide has been put out by "Catholic in Alliance for the Common Good" (CACG) a group headed up by Alexia Kelley who in 2004 worked as a religion advisor to John Kerry in the closing weeks of his campaign. An initial printing of one million copies of "Voting for the Common Good: A Practical Guide for Conscientious Catholics" will be distributed nationwide through on-the-ground organizers and partner networks in all 50 states, says CACG. The groups admits in a press release that the...

Few would dispute that the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin exercised great influence in the Catholic Church in the U.S. Sadly, however, that influence was not for the good of the Church. The following are pertinent excerpts from Randy Engel's new book The Rite of Sodomy. Chapter 15 The Special Case of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Introduction This segment on Joseph Cardinal Bernardin was originally incorporated into the previous chapter on homosexual members of the American hierarchy. However, because of his extraordinary influence on AmChurch, I decided Cardinal Bernardin deserved a chapter all his own. To do real justice to Cardinal Bernardin...

I could no more stop being Catholic than I could stop being a native New Yorker or of Irish descent, my parent's child or my children's mother. Being Catholic is a condition of my being. It might as well be genetic. Catholicism is my faith, my culture, my heritage. The Church is my social community and my spiritual sanctuary. It is the source of the very language with which I contemplate life, and death, give thanks, seek comfort, define and comprehend the substance of things hoped for. To leave the Church for another—less sexist, less maddening—religious institution would save me...

Minnesota churches will soon see a sign of protest in collection plates. Gay Catholics and their supporters plan to mark their donations to send a message to let the church know who exactly is giving them their money. Cash donations will be marked with a pink triangle around the pyramid on the back, while checks will have a notation in the memo field. “If you want our money, then support us,” says parishioner Tom Degree. “They need to know how much they are receiving from GLBT congregants.” Degree and others are concerned about several positions the Catholic church has taken...

The mother of a Loretto High School student obtained photographs that exposed a drama teacher as a former Planned Parenthood volunteer, a revelation that led to the teacher's firing last week. It wasn't the first time Wynette Sills raised her anti-abortion views on the all-female, private Catholic campus. Sills, who leads anti-abortion rallies outside Sacramento-area Planned Parenthood offices three times a week, complained to school administrators last year about a classroom presentation on domestic violence, said Gail Erlandson, a theology teacher for 11 years at Loretto. Sills objected to brochures listing agencies that offer help for women because they included...

From a "homily" given at St. Bede the Venerable Church in the affluent community of La Cañada. I'm gonna give you a little bit of a trade secret here that we don't often mention from the pulpit. And that's something about Church law itself which says that Church law is to be applied more strictly the more generally it's applied and it's to be applied more loosely the more particularly, specifically, it's applied. What that means is if I am standing up here and we have a discussion going, let's say, on birth control. As a Catholic priest I'm sort...

What happened? On August 5, 2005 Bishop Paul Loverde suspended Fr. Joseph Clark without notice and without serious cause. Why? On Sunday, July 24 Fr. Clark celebrated the 11:00 a.m. Mass at Holy Family Church in Dale City assisted by a permanent deacon who committed serious liturgical abuses in handling the Precious Blood. After Mass, Father attempted to correct and instruct the deacon who was unreceptive. Father told him in the future he would not permit him to assist if the abuse continued. How did the deacon respond? A few days later Fr. Robert Avella, the Bishop’s Delegate for Clergy,...

Bishop Matthew Clark took over my home diocese of Rochester, New York, in 1978 when I was about ten years old. So fixed is his name in my memory that regardless of where I attend Mass, during the liturgy of the Eucharist I half expect the priest to say "Matthew our bishop" despite the fact that I haven't lived in Rochester for almost twenty years. A Visit Home The controversy surrounding the renovation of Sacred Heart Cathedral is something I've followed off and on since the bishop announced his intentions in 2000. Clark’s plan was to "update" the small 1928...

Fr. Robert Carr, Holy Cross Cathedral, Boston, sends us the following: "We have been alerted here that there is a move to make an assault on the Church in the US and an attempt to bring down Pope Benedict XVI in Rome through propaganda.   The Rainbow Sash Movement has called for protests in churches throughout the United States in favor of Gay rights and against Pope Benedict. http://www.rainbowsashmovement.com/New_Web_Site_12_18_04/Stories/RSM_Pentecost_2005.htm   Meanwhile Voice of the Faithful, another movement against the Church is using the case of Fr. Marcial Maciel the founder of the Legionaires of Christ who is accused of...

A young adult minister reflects on the election of Pope Benedict XVI We were at the zoo. Every few months our parish staff tries to do something just for fun. When you spend a good portion of your time together talking about who’s dying and who’s dead its important to go outside and play once in while. So, we were at the zoo. We had admired the tiger and the elephants, applauded the sea lion’s tricks, wondered at the wolves and were on our way through the reptile house talking about where we wanted to go for lunch when we...

U.S. Roman Catholics adored Pope John Paul II but vast numbers of the nation's 67 million parishioners openly disregard the pontiff's core teachings about abortion, divorce, extramarital sex and birth control. But Catholics have become more conservative in recent years, a movement fueled, in part, by the growing numbers of more traditional Latino members. Church officials estimate Latinos will comprise half of the U.S. membership within a decade. A majority of Catholics voted for President Bush, the first time a Republican presidential candidate has taken the Catholic vote. A historic union between conservative Protestants and Catholics helped re-elect Bush. Catholic...

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The board of directors of the Catholic Theological Society of America has expressed "profound distress" at the Vatican action condemning a book by U.S. Jesuit Father Roger Haight and banning him from teaching Catholic theology. "Father Haight's book 'Jesus Symbol of God' has done a great service in framing crucial questions that need to be addressed today," the board said in a statement given to Catholic News Service Feb. 16. It said the book, sharply criticized for doctrinal errors in a notification issued Feb. 7 by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has provoked...

HOME | ABOUT US | PRESS | EVENTS | PEOPLE | ISSUES | NEWSLETTER | CONTRIBUTE | CONTACT US | SEARCH AMCHURCH UPDATE: Protestantization of Catholic Parishes Continues Unabated in Kentucky, home of the holy trifecta: "Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Sanctifier" 1/31/2005 9:42:00 PM By www.catholicmediacoalition.org - Mary Ann Kreitzer, President, Catholic Media Coalition "Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Sanctifier" CCI recieved this letter from our friends at CMC. And you think you have it bad in your Diocese? Thank GOD you don't live down the street from St. William's... ### Catholic Media Coalition, 1216 Mill Rd., Woodstock, VA 22664...

(TUCSON, Arizona) -- A former Catholic seminarian is suing the Diocese of Tucson, its bishops, and Bishop Wilton Gregory, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops among other high-ranking American prelates. The suit alleges a pattern of racketeering activity exemplified by fraud and obstruction of justice. Attorney Ivan Abrams filed the case under provisions of federal RICO - Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations - statutes. The federal RICO law is a set of statutes that was initially directed at shutting down organized crime. Over the past two years, however, RICO has been used by some plaintiffs who argue...

"GLBT Pride/Twin Cities Presents the 2004 Community Pride Award to Church of St. Joan of Arc." This distinctive award inscription honored St. Joan's for their committed support of their GLBT members. To show that support, over 150 members of the parish marched in this year's Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade held June 27 and attended the "Dreaming Out Loud GLBT Prayer Service-A Celebration of Pride and Community” held in SJA's church on June 23rd. In a time when right wing conservatives of many churches condemn the lifestyle of homosexuality, some excluding gays and lesbians from worship while perpetuating a message...

Presidential Candidate John Kerry charged in Catholic Court for Abortion Stand BOSTON, July 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Catholic canon lawyer has filed suit with the Archdiocese of Boston, charging John Kerry with causing a "most serious scandal to the American public," for continuing to take Communion while being an active proponent of the grave sin of abortion. Marc Balestrieri, a Canon lawyer and Associate Judge for the Los Angeles archdiocese tribunal, launched the suit June 14, which was released to the public on Sunday. "Heresy is a public, ecclesiastical crime," Balestrieri told the Washington Times. "It affects entire communities....

"In a time when right wing conservatives of many churches condemn the lifestyle of homosexuality, some excluding gays and lesbians from worship while perpetuating a message of hate, St. Joan's has been steadfast in welcoming their GLBT parishioners. A monthly potluck support group run by Ron Joki and Theresa Healy allows for an outreach of connectiveness. An annual GLBT spiritual retreat explores biblical readings, meditations, rituals, play and musical skits with guest performers and speakers that confront negativity, challenges exclusivity and affirms acceptance and healing. This very website includes a GLBT section devoted to updates of relative news, GLBT families,...

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops met recently in Denver for their June plenary conference. This year's meeting, originally said to be a retreat, was held behind closed doors. The usual visitors and observers were not invited. Each bishop was warned not to respond to reporter's requests to give interviews. It is well known that a large number of Catholic faithful have petitioned their bishops to address the scandal of sacrilegious reception of the Eucharist by manifest sinners who obstinately persist in their grave sin. They asked why c. 915 of the Code of Canon Law is not being...

Among the oldest active archbishops are Cardinals Eagen, Keeler, McCarrick, and Maida. All will probably be retired within three years. This isn't shocking, since being a Cardinal is a "senior" position. But what is interesting is that there are a handful of bishops who have been made archbishops at a very young age. Archbishop Dolan is an archbishop at only 54 years old. The next youngest are Burke of St. Louis, Chaput of Denver, and O'Malley of Boston. These three oversee the prime dioceses in their ecclesial regions. And the next youngest, Meyers, also oversees a major archdiocese, Newark. Dolan,...

<p>Newark Archbishop John J. Myers yesterday defended his position on whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should receive Communion, calling himself a "moderate" on the issue.</p> <p>Myers said he believes politicians who support abortion rights should not receive Communion, but unlike other, more hard-line bishops, he said he also thinks Communion should not be denied if the politicians do seek it.</p>

Verlyne Gray had always stood by her man, convicted pedophile priest James Porter -- until she divorced him and turned into a witness for the state. But in Bristol County (Mass.) Superior Court Monday, Porter had a new woman in his corner, 70-year-old ex-nun Anne Milner, who displayed an engagement ring and said she is ready to marry the former Minnesota priest.

During the last 18 months, at least 150 Catholic priests from 56 dioceses who were removed or retired facing credible sexual abuse allegations have quietly moved away, according to a church-sponsored report released two days ago. In at least 138 cases, according to the report, the perpetrators went to other American dioceses. In at least ten cases, offending priests left the country: Metuchen NJ, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Antonio (4), San Bernardino and Santa Rosa CA (3). In at least four cases, bishops claimed they had lost track of the abusers: Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia and Santa Rosa, and...

Cheekbones And Hormones; 10:00 Mass Memo To: All priests, bishops, cardinals, etc. who have decision making ability in regards to the massFrom: JB Doubtless, average CatholicRe: Requests to keep me coming back every Sunday You guys want us to come back, right? I thought so. Then please, for the love of all that's holy, stop messin' with the freaking service! What am I talking about? Well, here's a short list I compiled after today's mass: 1. No extra peace session at the beginning. Don't make us introduce ourselves to our fellow parishoners okay? We're Minnesotans, and as such don't really...

St. Petersburg Diocese Announces End Of Regular Exposition Of The Blessed Sacrament. Culture/Society News Keywords: EUCHARISTIC ADORATION, ST. PETERSBURGSource: The WandererPublished: 9/7/00 Author: Thomas A. DroleskyPosted on 09/13/2000 09:01:19 PDT by marshmallow ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Fourteen years after the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy attempted a frontal assault upon all forms of solemn eucharistic adoration, whether periodic or perpetual, which had grown tremendously in this country during the early 1980s, efforts to attack the tradition and the theology of such adoration continue. This reporter documented the misrepresentation of eucharistic adoration which a priest in the Diocese of Davenport,...

HOME | ABOUT US | PRESS | EVENTS | PEOPLE | ISSUES | NEWSLETTER | CONTACT US | SEARCH SCANDAL IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: BEHIND THE SMOKE AND MIRRORS IS A COVERUP OF HOMOSEXUAL PRIESTS AND BISHOPS 10/28/2003 9:11:00 AM By Fr. Charles Dahlby - www.RCF. org "IT IS BETTER THAT SCANDALS ARISE THAN THE TRUTH BE SUPPRESSED!" - Pope St. Gregory the Great   During the Dallas bishops conference in 2002, Bishop Wilton Gregory admitted the church was threatened by a homosexual subculture in the priesthood. However, the directives coming out of that conference focused only on...

<p>So before Saturday&#8217;s auction at Becker&#8217;s Moving and Storage Warehouse, the four longtime Sacred Heart Cathedral parishioners kept guard over several 12-foot pews that didn&#8217;t have scratches or missing legs.</p> <p>“ I just thought it would be nice to have a pew,” shrugged Rosemary Hahn of Perinton as she wandered down a row. She pointed to a prayer book holder on the back of a pew. “ My husband, years ago, worked hard to border and put those in.”</p>

While the Catholic Bishops claim to have been "enlightened" and say they are doing everything they can to protect our children, nothing could be further from the truth. Bishop Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger of Evansville Indiana, one of seven bishops who voted against the "Zero Tolerance" policy which called for the removal of any priest guilty of abusing one child, believes that an admitted "sex addict," registered sex offender, and convicted felon is the best man to run the diocese's diaconate program. "Father" Jean F. Vogler, who served jail time for possession of dozens of video tapes containing child pornography, who...

A FEW MONTHS AGO the Jesuit-run America magazine ran a smartly-designed full-page ad headlined with a pithy statement in large bold typeface: "Small is Good." The ad was for the American College of Louvain (ACL), the seminary in Belgium run directly by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the oldest national seminary for Americans, founded in 1857. "When it comes to business, bigger is usually better," the ad states. "When it comes to Church, does the same principle apply?" Heavens no, the ad claims, and ACL happens to be living proof-or so it claims: "For almost ten years, our...

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS VATICAN CITY, JUN 18, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father: - Accepted the resignation to the pastoral care of the diocese of Phoenix, U.S.A., of Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien, in conformity with Canon 401, para 2, of the Code of Canon Law. NER:RE/.../IBRAHIM:O'BRIEN VIS 030618 (80)

SONS of EARTH, MALE SPIRIT interfaith retreat for gay, bisexual and questioning men June 13-15, 2003, Bethel Horizons Retreat Center, Dodgeville, Wisconsin. This retreat is about listening, deeply to God's voice, to our own gifted and wounded selves, and to the voices of our gay, bisexual and questioning brothers. God speaks to us in many subtle voices which can be heard in those times during the retreat in which silence and stillness is shared among us; in entering the sacred space of our morning prayer, in sitting together in the quiet that comes after singing and moving together in the...

<p>Boston-area Catholics, increasingly alienated by the sexual abuse crisis that has rocked the church, say the characteristic they would most like to see in a new archbishop is openness to change, according to a new Boston Globe poll.</p> <p>Overwhelming majorities of Catholics living in the Archdiocese of Boston still have favorable opinions of their own parish priests and of Pope John Paul II, and 41 percent say their faith is very important to their everyday lives.</p>

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - A gay couple who became parents of quadruplets after enlisting the help of a surrogate mother had their 3-month-old children baptized Saturday in a Roman Catholic church. Father Paul Prabell blessed the men, Thomas Dysarz and Michael Meehan, and baptized their daughter and three sons at Lexington's Cathedral of Christ the King. "This is what Christ would do," said Meehan, the quadruplets' biological father. The babies "are God's children. That's how the church should view it." Saturday's ceremony was attended by about 30 friends and relatives. The mother, 23-year-old Brooke Verity, has said she thinks Dysarz...

Jim Likoudis (Dad) & president-emeritus of Catholics United for the Faith has written a book of Christian Unity specifically aimed at the full reconciliation of the separated Byzantine Greco-Slav chuches. Paul Likoudis (Son) & news editor of The Wanderer has written a book addressing "The U.S. Bishops, Pedophile Scandals and the Homosexual Agenda." The Divine Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and Modern Eastern Orthodoxy: Letters to a Greek Orthodox on the Unity of the ChurchBy JAMES LIKOUDIS TITLE The Divine Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and Modern Eastern Orthodoxy: Letters to a Greek Orthodox on the Unity of...

BOOK REVIEW of: AMCHURCH COMES OUT by Paul Likoudis AMCHURCH COMES OUT is boldly proclaimed by the title of a new book by Paul Likoudis, that is subtitled “The U.S. Bishops, Pedophile Scandals and the Homosexual Agenda.” So what is Amchurch, who is Paul Likoudis and why should you care? First and foremost, you should care if you believe that Jesus Christ is indeed “the way, and the truth, and the life” as Christ Himself proclaimed in John 14:6. People of other faiths or those who do not adhere to a particular religion, but live according to a moral code...

Addressing A Scandal . . .Bishops’ Actions Expose More Corruption By MICHAEL S. ROSE and Paul Likoudis   DALLAS — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ summer meeting in Dallas closed with the bishops approving a "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," a shovelful of ground meat thrown to a media pack and victims of clerical sexual abuse demanding some sort of response to decades of clerical misconduct and episcopal cover-up.   The bishops placated almost no one. Critics assailed them from both the left and right and in the long run, the only likely lasting results from the meeting...

Fr. Rueda Book Warned of Scandals Almost 20 Years Ago - Rueda Persecuted, Facts Ignored DALLAS, June 13, 2002 (LSN.ca) - The US Bishops meeting on the sexual abuse scandals which commenced in Dallas yesterday was addressed by a record six lay persons. Among the presenters were 3 victims of abuse and one expert in dealing with such cases. However there were two lay persons addressing the bishops who were in the words of USCCB President two lay people deeply concerned about the impact of the current crisis on the Church." LifeSite was very concerned with the selections since both...

 Episcopal Aptitude TestWherein the reader can match his instincts against those of clerics destined for quick ecclesial advancementBy Diogenes Several months ago (in June, to be precise) I offered in this space a series of questions designed to help readers discern whether or not they had the qualities of judgment that are expected in an American Catholic bishop. Some readers later pointed out that the test was incomplete, and with their help I now offer some further diagnostic aids. The following questions are based on the assumption that the reader is currently serving as the bishop’s secretary.I: Appropriate ResponsesFour letters...

VATICAN, May 17, 02 (CWNews.com) - The latest edition of the Italian Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica has said that bishops of priests accused of sexual abuse cannot be held liable for the act, and then outlines all of the rights and duties of accused priests and their bishops. Some observers said the article showed a disquieting indifference to the apparent misdeeds of bishops who shuffled around priests with credible allegations against them, refused to cooperate with law enforcement, and attempted to silence victims, because it focuses more on shielding bishops and priests from accusations and legal action than on the...

Liberals Planning for Vatican III? by Deal Hudson, Editor of Crisis Magazine I guess it was just a matter of time. As you and I both know, critics of the Church are taking advantage of the sex scandal to push forward their own agendas. We've seen it time and again in newspaper editorials, radio call-in shows, and TV interview programs. And now, to the list, we can add The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) -- that venerable old institution of tedious (and increasingly gray-haired) dissent. CRISIS reader Danny deBruin alerted us to NCR's latest overturn-the-Church scheme. The newest issue sports...