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On the eve of his first Stateside appearance, the hammers have begun to fall on Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, the retired Sydney auxiliary whose controversial tome on power, sex and abuse in the church has seen the reserved, strait-laced canonist publicly taken to task for "casting doubt" on the teaching of Christ and the authority of the Magisterium. In recent weeks, after Robinson wrote courtesy notes to the bishops of the American dioceses where he'd be appearing simply to inform them of his presence, several of the ordinaries reportedly responded by requesting that he cancel his plans. From Rome, the...

Poland paused this week to pay tribute to Irena Sendler -- a Catholic social worker who risked her life during World War II to smuggle 2,500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto, saving them from the ravages of the Holocaust. Sendler died Monday at 98, and after a large crowd flocked to her funeral at a Warsaw church yesterday, Poland's Orthodox chief rabbi offered prayers at her graveside. Yad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev said: "Irena Sendler's courageous activities rescuing Jews during the Holocaust serve as a beacon of light to the world, inspiring hope and restoring faith in the innate...

The armies of female ordination have just taken over Hollywood and are now set to march onto the Vatican. Coming soon to a movie theater near you is a "historical drama" about "Pope Joan." Shooting is set to begin in August, for a planned 2009 release, says Yahoo. You've heard of Pope Joan, right? Pope Joan is the name of a female pope (also La Papessa) who supposedly reigned for less than three years in the 850s, based on a legend that circulated in the Middle Ages. Pope Joan is regarded by most modern historians and religious scholars as fictitious,...

Up Next: watch the promo May 18, 2008 on WGVU-TV West Michigan:#820 Christians in the Courtroom Witnesses place their hand on the Bible before they testify: how would principles from that Bible play out if it were actually opened up and applied? Would prosecutors be arguing for forgiveness? Stephen Bloom, attorney with Irwin & McKnight law firm in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and author of The Believer's Guide to Legal Issues, wonders with host Karen Saupe how empty courtrooms might become. Inner Compass is a television interview show that explores how people make their decisions about ethical, religious, and social justice issues....

Gentleness: The Mark of a Christian Gentleness, so sadly lacking in this world, should be evident in the life of a Christian. What is gentleness, and how can it be a part of your life? by Noel Hornor "I love those dear hearts and gentle people who live in my home town. Because those dear hearts and gentle people will never, ever let you down." The words of this song, written 47 years ago by Bob Hilliard, call to mind a time when the world was (at least in our collective memory) a more neighborly place. Do you sometimes find...

When Obama's Catholic supporters attacked Catholic League president Bill Donohue for his criticism of their candidate, they did not mention Obama's support for infanticide. The question will inevitably arise for the distinguished group of Catholics supporting Obama as to how they can defend his preference for infanticide in cases where a child survives a botched abortion. The fury Obama's Catholics vented toward Donohue will only force them to face that question sooner than they may have expected.  It's clear to me how it will be answered: It won't. Obama's Catholics are already attempting to reframe the abortion issue in their favor....

By President Thomas S. Monson.In April 1966, at the Church’s annual general conference, Elder Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a memorable address. He quoted an account written by Samuel T. Whitman titled “Forgotten Wedges.” I too wish to quote from Whitman’s account, followed by examples from my own life. Whitman wrote: “The ice storm [that winter] wasn’t generally destructive. True, a few wires came down, and there was a sudden jump in accidents along the highway. … Normally, the big walnut tree could easily have borne the weight that formed on its spreading...

Aberdeen, SD, May 14, 2008 / 01:08 am (CNA).- Presentation College in Aberdeen, South Dakota has withdrawn an invitation to a commencement speaker because of her views on legalized abortion.State Senator Nancy Turbak-Berry was scheduled to deliver the commencement address at the college on Saturday.  According to the Associated Press, she said she was told on Friday that she could not speak there because of her views on abortion.  She had accepted the invitation to speak in January.College officials reportedly said they had made an “administrative decision” to withdraw the invitation because her pro-abortion views were incompatible with Catholic...

The video has pictures of earth’s universe and its grandeur. The pictures and images are of space Nebulas and show the magnificent awesomeness of our solar system.

DEAR ONES, IF any of you have suffered at all at the hands of Alcoholism in any form via any connection, then you may well know something of the traumas involved between and behind the hubby's words below. I believe that only The Grace of God AND great persistent dogged efforts on the part of all concerned can bring victory in such matters. PLEASE pray with me in behalf of this whole family . . . --that the wife will decide deeply and comprehensively to be done with such an addiction, affliction, oppression . . . --that her family members...

So you are the bishops of England and you've got a moral problem. Scientists of the "Hey! We've got Funding! We *Have* To Do it!" school of post-Christian ethic in the UK are champing at the bit to commit brand new sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance by creating human-animal hybrid embryos. A bill legalizing this monstrous evil is submitted. What do you do? Well, the first thing you do is say "most of the procedures covered by the bill should not be licensed under any circumstances. They argue that this is because they violate human rights." So:...

May 13 - Homily - Fr Bonaventure: Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of Fatima speaks of our modern times and the many errors that would be spread. Listen as Fr. Bonaventure outlines the fulfillment of this prophesy in the many modern errors, especially communism, and what is needed for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart. Ave Maria! This is a 31 minute video and it is excellent! http://www.airmaria.com/?sn=080513&vp=1448&prefx=hmly&plyrnb=1&ttl=Homily

Mormonism, like many Protestant churches, began as a restorationist movement, which is to say that it was dedicated to “restoring” everything in the Bible. Joseph Smith, Jr., Mormonism’s founding prophet, felt especially close to the Old Testament, so he believed his mission was to restore Old as well as New Testament traditions such as the authority of prophets, temple rituals, and the ancient Semitic custom of plural marriage. Midwestern Origins According to Mosiah Hancock, whose father, Levi, reportedly performed a plural marriage for the Mormon prophet, the first of these unions occurred in Ohio in 1833 when Joseph married...

The best evidence yet that the drumbeat against public support of pro-abortion Catholic pols at Catholic institutions is having an effect appears in the Boston Globe of all places. The Globe tells us how the personally opposed prevaricators are just not getting the choice commencement invites from Catholic Institutions to which they had shamefully become accustomed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is one of the nation's most powerful Catholics, but this year the only commencement address she gave was at one of the eight campuses of Miami Dade College. Senator John F. Kerry is headlining three commencements this year - the...

Vatican, May. 12, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Humanae Vitae (doc), the landmark encyclical of Pope Paul VI "became a sign of contradiction" because it upheld the Church's traditional condemnation of contraception, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) told a Roman audience on May 10. The encyclical was a significant show of courage, the Holy Father told participants in a conference held by the Pontifical Lateran University to prepare for the 40th anniversary of the document's release. The passing years have helped to underline the importance and power of the encyclical. "The truth expressed in Humanae Vitae does not change," Pope Benedict...

A coalition of faith-based groups has joined forces, calling on Congress to pass resolutions in both houses to focus on the Ten Commandments. Bill Murray, son of deceased atheist leader Madelyn Murray O'Hair and chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition, is part of the pro-Ten Commandments coalition. "Both of these [resolutions] would authorize a Ten Commandments weekend in order to recognize the Ten Commandments as the foundation of law in this country," Murray explains. "But with Nancy Pelosi in charge of the House and Harry Reid in charge of the Senate, we can't have a voice. We can't get these...

(IsraelNN.com) A new study carried out at Brandeis University finds that as the liberal Jewish community empowers its women, its men appear to be losing interest in their Jewishness. According to a report in JTA, which publishes parts of the study, "outside the Orthodox world, men are becoming less and less engaged in every aspect of Jewish life, from the home to the synagogue to communal organizations. Numerous studies show that fewer boys than girls go to non-Orthodox youth groups, religious schools or summer camps, fewer go into the rabbinate and cantorate, and fewer serve on synagogue or federation committees....

“The Atonement at Work,” Ensign, Mar 2008, 39–41 I knew the Lord had a plan for my son, but when he chose a path I wished he hadn’t, I wasn’t sure how he was going to come back. I joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1992 in the Netherlands. However, my husband didn’t join and wouldn’t allow our children, Alex and Petra, to be baptized (names have been changed). Even still, the three of us attended church and had regular family home evenings. . . .

Memo to Arch-Tame Wuerl: Yes, sir, it can be done! Kansas, May. 9, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City has announced that Governor Kathleen Sebelius should not receive Communion because of her support for legal abortion. In a column appearing on May 9 in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Leaven, the archbishop said that Governor Sebelius has sent a "spiritually lethal message" by implying that she could remain a Catholic in good standing while supporting abortion on demand. The archbishop's column cited in particular the governor's veto of the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act, which would have required abortionists...

[This article by Jim Akin is a good companion to the previous post about Arch-Tame Wuerl. Jim is director of apologetics and evangelization at "Catholic Answers" and is a contributing editor of This Rock. --PP] Abortion Is the Black Hole of Moral Issues A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia but votes...

'Might our religion be killing us?' That's what a Baptist minister was asking recently in an editorial in USA Today. Rev. Oliver "Buzz" Thomas writes: Be fruitful and multiply," says the book of Genesis, and Lord knows we have. To the tune of more than 300 million at home and more than 6 billion abroad. But as we go about the heavenly task of multiplying, a poignant question arises: Might our religion be killing us? Insert the deep dark foreboding music. We all remember the Aztecs. Some say their religion, with its penchant for violence and human sacrifice, played a...

Six translations of Qur'an 4:34: "Men are superior to women on account of the qualities with which God has gifted the one above the other, and on account of the outlay they make from their substance for them. Virtuous women are obedient, careful, during the husband's absence, because God has of them been careful. But chide those for whose refractoriness you have cause to fear; remove them into beds apart, and scourge them: but if they are obedient to you, then seek not occasion against them: verily, God is High, Great!" (Rodwell's version of the Koran, Quran, 4:34) "Men have...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Armenia's Orthodox leader on Wednesday used the pulpit of the Vatican to condemn the 1915 killing of 1.5 million ethnic Armenians by Ottoman Turks, saying the whole world should recognise it as a genocide. "We Armenians are a people who have survived genocide, and we know well the value of love, brotherhood, friendship and a secure life," Karekin II said in a public address during Pope Benedict's general audience in St. Peter's Square. "Today, many countries of the world recognise and condemn the genocide committed against the Armenian people by Ottoman Turkey ..." the head of...

The Pope is set to make an historic apology when he visits Sydney in July - to the tens of thousands of Australians sexually and physically abused by predatory Catholic priests. Church sources have told The Daily Telegraph there is mounting expectation that Pope Benedict XV1 will use his Australian trip to express his shame and regret over the church's long-running abuse scandal - and may also meet with victims. The likelihood of an apology increased yesterday when one of the Catholic church's most senior figures, the bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, Michael Malone, gave his backing for a papal apology. Bishop...

We speak as bishops, as teachers of the Catholic faith and of the moral law. We have the duty to teach about human life and dignity, marriage and family, war and peace, the needs of the poor and the demands of justice. Today we continue our efforts to teach on a uniquely important matter that has recently been a source of concern for Catholics and others. It is the teaching of the Catholic Church from the very beginning, founded on her understanding of her Lord's own witness to the sacredness of human life, that the killing of an unborn child...

NEW YORK — Several years ago while he was still mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani and Cardinal Edward Egan of New York reached a private understanding. Giuliani agreed to refrain from receiving Communion because of his strong support for abortion rights. But when the pro-abortion politician breached his private commitment in just about the most public manner conceivable — by receiving the Eucharist at the April 19 Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York — Cardinal Egan decided an equally public rebuke was required. In an April 28 statement posted on the archdiocesan...

Does Catholic outreach matter? Even after Hillary Clinton’s impressive wins among Catholics in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana (though Obama did make modest gains among Catholics in that state and North Carolina yesterday) the conventional wisdom was that economic issues--not religion--were driving Catholics to support her over Obama. These Catholics, the thinking goes, overlap with the white working class voters that Obama has had difficult connecting to lately, particularly after his remarks about small towners and the Rev. Wright flap. As the Obama camp has struggled to win white Catholics, his advisors have joined the chorus of voices claiming that the...

Demography is destiny. For the most part, this apothegm has defined this year’s Democratic presidential election results. It sure characterized last night’s results in Indiana and North Carolina. As Christi Parsons and Mike Dorning, my old colleague at The Chicago Tribune, wrote, Blacks, young people and college-educated voters overwhelmingly favored Obama, while white working-class voters, seniors and white women lined up decisively behind Clinton, a division in the Democratic Party that now appears impervious to gaffes, attacks and multimillion-dollar ad buys. The results followed each state’s demographic makeup. Yet one voting group has been a demographic outlier: Catholics. In several...

At first blush, there’s no obvious reason to explain why Barack Obama is, according to exit polls, struggling with Catholic voters. He’s opposed the war in Iraq; he’s presented an ambitious plan to combat global warming; he’s taken a progressive attitude on capital punishment and immigration, emphasizes “social justice,” and while he’s pro-choice, Obama has talked at some length about the kind of policies that could reduce the number of abortions. Pepperdine’s Doug Kmiec, a conservative Catholic, endorsed Obama in February, saying he’s a “natural” for the Catholic vote. Except, it clearly hasn’t worked out that way. The white Catholic...

The first step toward being able to go to a Mormon temple is an interview with the "ward bishop" (roughly equivalent to a parish priest). During this interview a Mormon is questioned by the bishop to see if he has been faithful in his commitment to the teachings and ordinances of the Mormon church. The questions cover a variety of subjects, including his tithing track record; use of alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine; sexual immorality; and any failures to adhere to church doctrines and disciplines. If the applicant has had difficulties in any of these areas, he will not receive a...

Manila, May 6, 2008 / 04:03 am (CNA).- Archbishop of Manila Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has forbidden cross-dressing homosexuals from dressing up as female saints in religious processions, calling the actions an “insult to the Blessed Mother.” Every May, Catholics throughout the Philippines hold a “Santacruzan” flower festival in honor of the Virgin Mary.Speaking to the church-run Radio Veritas on Monday, Cardinal Rosales said the cross-dressing was “horrendous” and “defeats the real purpose” of the procession.  He said that the Catholic faithful should keep religious festivals sacred and solemn at all times."Gays should not be allowed to participate in Santacruzan since...

CATHOLIC parishes that allow cross-dressing homosexuals to play female saints in the Santacruzan or Santa Cruz de Mayo procession do not honor but instead insult the Blessed Virgin Mary and will be punished, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Archbishop of Manila, warned on Monday. The punishment is the removal of the faculty for Holy Masses in those parishes. In the Catholic Church, the month of May is devoted to Mary, who is revered as the Mother of God since her son Jesus is God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Pious Catholics go on pilgrimages to shrines dedicated to the Blessed...

Hi all, several years ago those of you who were around FR might remember a band of young rocker brothers who did a song "Hateful Lies" that skeweed Michael Moore. Well, the band is still around, and has just released a music video for its new song "Westboro", inspired by the lunacy of the WBC. We thought some of you might be interested, if so the video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD0oSIyBUBQ. If you like their music video, let them know please, they have a myspace at http://www.myspace.com/attilahuns. FYI, here are the lyrics: Westboro, words and music by Andrew O'Donnell...

Pope: Trinity Reflected in Solidarity, Subsidiarity Urges Social Sciences Academy to See Principles' Link to God VATICAN CITY, MAY 4, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Faith in the Trinity enlightens the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity proposed by Catholic social doctrine, says Benedict XVI.The Pope affirmed this Saturday when he addressed participants in the plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Their meeting is focused on "Pursuing the Common Good: How Solidarity and Subsidiarity Can Work Together." It began Friday and continues through Tuesday."How can solidarity and subsidiarity work together in the pursuit of the common good in a way...

Dear Father, we thank you and praise You for the grace and mercy You bestow on us each day. Thank You for life and health, in whatever measure You have given it to us. Father God we lift up the sidewalk counselors, prayer warriors and others who are doing battle on the frontlines against the Spirit of Death in the form of Planned Parenthood. Father, we thank and praise You that our voices are being heard, that others are lifting up their voices to join in this spiritual battle. Father God thank you that there were 1,000,000 praying the rosary...

Bill Donohue may not be tired of the culture wars–or internecine Catholic wars. The head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is often over the top in denunciations of anti-Catholicism, real or perceived, and of other Catholics who Donohue sees as not toeing the proper Catholic line. But even Donohue may have outdone himself, and done in his own organization, if his latest press release prompts an IRS investigation. The May 2 release is “Catholic Dissidents Advise Obama,” and it draws down on Obama’s Catholic National Advisory Committee, which includes several Commonwealers, such as Cathleen Kaveny and...

Contact: Loralei Coyle, 202-905-6852 cell, lcoyle@TheIRD.org; Radio Interviews: Jeff Walton, 202-413-5639 cell, jwalton@TheIRD.org; both with the Institute on Religion and Democracy FT. WORTH, Texas, May 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- The United Methodist General Conference, the Church's governing body that meets every 4 years, overwhelmingly adopted several petitions affirming the sanctity of life during its quadrennial meeting in Fort Worth. Conference delegates voted to: "Affirm and encourage the Church to assist the ministry of crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers that compassionately help women find feasible alternatives to abortion." "Respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother...

Ross LeBaron, Jr's three sons broke away from the polygamist lifestyle and claim that their father is impregnating their sister and claim to have the DNA evidence to prove it. Ross LeBaron, Jr is a wealthy Utah man and three of his sons, David Uri LeBaron, Elend LeBaron and Alaric LeBaron (He is an Air Force doctor in Afghanistan so his comments were made via the phone), all tell a disturbing tale of their fathers belief that "incest is going to bring back the line of Jesus Christ."According to David, one of his sisters has bore four children and his...

During the last years of his service to the Church and the world, the Servant of God John Paul II addressed an assembly of the leaders of the “Catholic Action” movement in Italy on the “gospel of work”. His words echo on this day when much of the world commemorates “International Workers day.” He proclaimed a theme that was one of the many profound contributions of his extraordinary pontificate. It is one that is rooted in the Sacred Scriptures, expounded upon at length in the Christian Tradition and is DESPERATELY needed in this age of secular pursuits, the true meaning...

FORT WORTH, Texas | Representatives of the United Methodist Church turned back attempts to liberalize its policy on homosexuality Wednesday. Almost 1,000 delegates to the church’s General Conference rejected a proposal from a legislative committee, leaving in place the position that the practice of homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching.” The General Conference, which meets every four years, is the only assembly that can set policy for the 7.9 million-member church. It includes delegates from all 50 states and 66 overseas regional jurisdictions. The question of the status of gays was likely the most contentious one delegates will deal with...

For all the public moments and visuals of The Visit, it seems that the event that'll be most remembered took place in private: B16's emotional meeting with the small group of abuse survivors from Boston. Held only after the Pope overruled a strong current of resistance to the gathering from within the Vatican ranks, the first-ever encounter's key advocate -- Beantown's Cardinal Sean O'Malley -- recounted the experience in the archdiocesan Pilot: Q: Can you explain your involvement in that unannounced meeting in Washington that brought together the Holy Father with five local victims of sexual abuse by clergy?...

LAS VEGAS, NV April 29, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A visitor to the Cathedral of Las Vegas was shocked recently to see an advertisement for the Imago Dei ministry in the cathedral bulletin. Jack Fonseca, a 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus, has since worked to rally other Catholics to have Bishop Joseph Anthony Pepe disband the group for its infidelity to Church teaching regarding homosexuality.According to its official site, "Imago Dei was established to meet a need in the Church for support of gay Catholic women and men.  Gay people have been made to feel that they are...

A papal visit, with its weeks of build-up and intense media coverage, often seems to end with an afterglow — but very little news — once the pope and his party fly back to the Eternal City. Not so with Pope Benedict’s recent U.S. visit where, more than a week after it ended, the volatile issue of public figures, the abortion & Communion issue is making headlines.While journalists reported that prominent Catholic politicians who support abortion rights stepped up to receive the Eucharist during Masses in Washington and New York (here’s our story and blog post), the development was...

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband Todd, having put their pro-life beliefs into personal practice, introduced their fifth child to reporters and photographers April 21. Their son, born April 18, has Down syndrome. "When we first heard, it was kind of confusing," Palin, 44, said of the testing early in her pregnancy that showed her baby had Down syndrome. The news was "very, very challenging," she said, according to the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News. However, the governor said, she and her husband came to believe that God has blessed them. Palen said her son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, is...

im Caviezel, the star of the blockbuster film The Passion of the Christ, told an interviewer that he had been challenged by a friend who was not pro-life to live up to his professed pro-life convictions and adopt a disabled child. The friend told Caviezel that if he did that, then he would change to the pro-life position. When Caviezel and his wife, Kerri, went to China to adopt not one, but eventually two orphans suffering from brain tumours, the friend reneged on the deal. Caviezel, however, said, "It didn't matter to me because the joy that we had from...

Tiburon, Calif. (AP) -- The highest court of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has found that a Northern California minister did not violate denominational law when she officiated at the weddings of two lesbian couples. The ruling announced Tuesday by the Louisville, Ky.-based court overturns a decision against the Rev. Jane Spahr last year. A regional judicial committee had found Spahr guilty of misconduct and gave her a rebuke — the lightest possible punishment. The church's high court found that the ceremonies Spahr performed were not marriages, so she did not violate the church's constitution. The panel reiterated the church's position...

Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-Mich.), a Catholic congressman who endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) for president, told Cybercast News Service Wednesday that despite Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) failure to capture Catholic voters in the Pennsylvania primary, the majority of Catholics will vote for the Democratic candidate in the general election, whether it's Obama or Clinton. According to the exit poll of the Pennsylvania primary, church-going Democrats picked Clinton over Obama on Tuesday, with Catholic voters especially lining up behind Clinton. Among all Democratic primary voters who said they attend church weekly, Clinton beat Obama 61 percent to 39 percent. Among...

April 28, 2008 -- NEW YORK - New York Cardinal Edward Egan says Rudy Giuliani should not have received Holy Communion during the pope's visit because he supports abortion rights. Egan says he had "an understanding" with the former presidential candidate and New York mayor that he is not to receive the Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches "that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God." The cardinal says Giuliani broke that understanding when he received the Eucharist during Pope Benedict XVI's visit. Egan says he will be seeking a meeting with Giuliani "to insist that he abide...

One of the world's most famous evangelical theologians quit the Anglican Church of Canada this week because he believes many of its bishops are "arguably heretical" for adhering to "poisonous liberalism." James (J.I.) Packer, whom Time magazine recently named as one of the planet's 25 most influential evangelicals, said he hesitated before using the harsh terms to describe the Anglican bishops, but believed he must do so in the name of truth. Vancouver-based Packer, who has sold more than four million copies of his many books, said he and 10 other B.C. Anglican clergy left the national denomination this week...

I was thinking about getting a tattoo of a Byzantine style 3 bar Cross on my upper right arm. I am wondering if that would be considered wrong or somehow sacreligious. Please let me know your opinion because I cannot find any conclusive answer.