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Hello everyone and welcome to The Vortex where lies and falsehoods are trapped and exposed. I’m Michael Voris. A big question has erupted lately around the question of how should Catholics vote. The choice for faithful Catholics isn’t between Obama and Romney. The idea of voting for Obama is simply off the table. No the choice is between voting for Romney or not. Under the “or not” category that could mean either just not voting for president at all, voting for a 3rd party guy or writing someone in. Now immediately – the knee jerk and valid response on the...

Please pray for the repose of the soul of my dear cousin, Joanna Gatten, who died this morning, after a long battle with cancer. She was a good Catholic, devoted wife, mother of four great and grown children. Should your beliefs exclude the possibility of such, may I please ask your kind prayers for her husband Jim, a better man than I'll ever be, and for their four children.

Eddie Gaven is in his 10th season of Major League Soccer. His career includes an MLS All-Star Game appearance in 2004 and an MLS Cup victory with the Columbus Crew in 2008. These are impressive accomplishments for anyone, but what makes them even more so is that Gaven is only 25. In 2003, the Hamilton Township, N.J., native was the youngest player up to that point to sign an MLS contract. He was only 16 at the time. While Gaven’s soccer career was pursued with youthful zeal, his Catholic faith was left to decay. The restoration of his faith started...

All which notwithstanding the jury found him guilty, and incontinent upon the verdict the Lord Chancellor [for that matter chief commissioner] beginning in judgment against him, Sir Thomas More said to him, "My Lord, when I was towards the law, the manner in such case was to ask the prisoner before judgment, why judgment should not be given against him." Whereupon the Lord Chancellor staying his judgment, wherein he had partly proceeded, demanded of him what he was able to say to the contrary. Who then in this sort mildly made answer: "Forasmuch as, my Lord, this indictment is grounded...

French Revolution martyr beatified Father Pierre-Adrien Toulorge (1757-93), a Norbertine priest martyred during the French Revolution, was beatified on April 29 at the cathedral in Coutances, France. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the beatification, which was attended by 1,500 faithful and hundreds of priests and religious. When Father Toulorge was sentenced to death, a nun who was arrested with him wept, prompting this rebuke from the priest: Madame, the tears you are shedding are unworthy of you and me. What would worldly people say if they knew that having renounced the...

Rome-SSPX: "We cannot be 88ers" From the May 2012 issue of Seignadou, the newsletter of the chaplaincy of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) for the schools of the Traditional Dominican Sisters of Fanjeaux (France) - chaplain, Father Michel Simoulin, SSPX: Following our Jubilee [pilgrimage] in the year 2000, Rome took the initiative of establishing new relations. Today, the same Cardinal, having become Pope, has told us that the Tridentine Mass has never been abrogated (July 7, 2007: "It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by...

Meditating on Good Friday with St. Francis de Sales But could God not have provided the world with a remedy other than that of His Son's death? Certainly, He could have done so, and by a thousand other means. Could He not have pardoned human nature with absolute power and pure mercy, not invoking justice or the intervention of any creature? Doubtless He could, and who would have dared to question or criticize Him? No one, for He is Sovereign Master and can do all He wills. Besides, if He had wanted some creature to undertake our redemption, could He...

Caussin in Lent: Jesus flies from scepters and runs towards the Cross Fr. Nicolas Caussin, S.I., confessor to Louis XIII exiled by Cardinal Richelieu and heavily criticized by many Jansenists, is well-known as the author of "La Cour Sainte" ("The Holy Court"). In his "Entretiens" ("Entertainments") for Lent, some of his sermons for the Season are presented in a devotional format: an examination of the traditional scriptural readings for the day in the Roman Rite followed by the aspirations of the soul thirsty for Christ. He is our main inspiration for seasonal posts this Lent. ________________________________________ "When, therefore, Jesus had...

From the website of the "French District of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter" (FSSP): Offering up our Lent for Catholic Unity (Last modification: 02.24.2012, 0827) In this Lenten season, some among our friends have taken the initiative of offering up their struggles and sacrifices for reconciliation and unity between all Catholics. At a moment in which the dialogue between the Society of Saint Pius X [SSPX] and the Holy See reaches a decisive point for the future, the District of France [of the FSSP] encourages its friends to double their fervor in prayer. P.S. reading material to enrich our...

In March 2010, I expressed the view that Nancy Pelosi’s protracted and public anti-life conduct, which she repeatedly justifies with (twisted takes on) the Catholic faith, sufficed, in my view, to bring about her debarment from the reception of holy Communion under Canon 915. If Pelosi’s “prolonged public conduct does not qualify as obstinate perseverance in manifest grave sin,” I wrote two years ago, “then, in all sincerity, I must admit to not knowing what would constitute obstinate perseverance in manifest grave sin.”It’s now February of 2012, and nothing in Pelosi’s conduct over the last 23 months suggests any emendation...

/>Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), catholic and openly an abortion absolutist, is from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, but she spends most of her time in Washington DC. She has at least quasi-domicile in the Archdiocese of Washington DC. She is Archbishop Niederauer’s and Card. Wuerl’s subject it seems, and yet – year after year – she, saying openly that she is “catholic”, runs her mouth off with deeply and stupidly wicked remarks such as what follows.From Life Site News: Pelosi: ‘I am going to stick with fellow Catholics’ in supporting Obama birth control mandate BY CHRISTINE DHANAGOMFebruary 6, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) –...

A letter from Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr concerning HHS edict January 26, 2012 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people – the Catholic population and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful. The U.S. Department...

Today we begin what was called for decades the Church Unity Octave, 18-25 January inclusive. The purpose of the octave is to pray for the unity of the whole Catholic Church. This octave was originally approved by St. Pope Pius X in 1909. Benedict XV extended it for use in the universal Church in 1916. It’s observance is option, but it was highly recommended. January 18 through 25 Official Octave Prayer (to be recited daily) ANTIPHON: That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in Me and I in Thee; that they also may be one in Us; that...

A week or so ago I posted about Archbishop John Nienstedt’s (St. Paul and Minneapolis) initiative to promote a defense of true and natural marriage in an amendment to the State Constitution of Minnesota. His Excellency indicated to the priests of the Archdiocese that if they had an objection to his intiatives, they should not make those objections a matter of public scandal (my description… because that is what objections would cause). In the past some priests of the Archdicoese have publicly attacked their Archbishop, even in the local newspaper. Now I read in the Strib that there may be...

I have received a few emails asking if I was still content with my decision to shut down my brokerage. Not only am I content, but after seeing the news that broke over the weekend, I am of the considered opinion that the entire financial blogging community should formally call for a general financial market strike. And I’m not kidding. A couple of things have happened regarding the MF Global mess that I don’t think got the attention they should have because they broke over the weekend. So let me fill you all in. First, all notions of personal property...

Pope Benedict during his Wednesday Audience said: “I would like to renew my call to everyone to pray the Psalms, to become accustomed to using the Liturgy of the Hours, Lauds, Vespers, and Compline.” From VIS: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 PRAYING THE PSALMS ENRICHES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD VATICAN CITY, 16 NOV 2011 (VIS) – During today’s general audience in St Peter’s Square, attended by over 11,000 pilgrims, the Holy Father imparted the final catechesis of his cycle dedicated to the Psalms. He focused on Psalm 110, which “Jesus Himself cited, and which the authors of the New Testament referred...

Some of you may remember my asking for your kind prayers for my cousin, Joanna, mother of friend, dear friend, stalwart Catholic. I've received an update from my mother I'd like to share, and, if I am not imposing, I would like to ask your prayers again. First, though, the update: " am so sorry to tell you that the spots in Joanna's lungs are stage 4 cancer. She had very bad pain in her side over the weekend, and Heather took her to the hospital in Detroit where all her surgeries have been done. An emergency room intern, when...

SALT LAKE CITY — In the calendar of the Catholic Church, All Souls’ Day is celebrated on Nov. 2, unless it falls on a Sunday, then it is celebrated on Nov. 3. The day commemorates all the faithful departed. It comes from the ancient pagan Festival of the Dead. The pagan belief was that souls of the dead would return for a meal with the family, so candles were lit in windows to guide the souls back home and another place was set at the table. Children would go through the village asking for food to be offered symbolically to...

Today I’m going to say a word about All Saints’ Day. Quite often, people will ask about saints, and how the Catholic Church sees the saints. As a matter of fact, a lot of people misunderstand what the Catholic Church teaches about saints. I’ve heard non-Catholics say to me, ‘You worship the saints, but we worship Jesus.’ That’s not quite true. The saints are not worshiped. The saints are human beings, they lived on the face of this earth. But they are people whom the Church has declared to be saints. That is to say that the Church acknowledges that...

Youtube link, also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DioQooFIcgE&feature=player_embedded