More on Albany

They've hired a Mary Jo White to investigate the claims against Bishop Hubbard. And the intrigue around the priest who wrote Cardinal O'Connor with claims against Hubbard only grows...



From Fox News:



The Albany County Coroner tells Fox 23 News autopsy results on Father John Minkler's body were inconclusive, and they are waiting for more tests to determine exactly how he died. But today we spoke with several people who say they spoke with Father Minkler just days before his death.



Stephen Brady is the director of Roman Catholic Faithful, an Illinois-based group which investigates clergy corruption allegations. Brady faxed us documents which he says are just some of his correspondence with Father John Minkler.



The signature on the cover letter appears similar to the one on the affidavit Minkler gave the Diocese on Friday. In the affadavit, Father Minkler said he never wrote a 7-page letter to Cardinal O'Connor citing improprieties by Bishop Howard Hubbard.



Brady claims Minkler sent him the letter in 2001 and made it clear he wanted to remain anonymous. “He made it clear he wanted to be very careful. He in no way wanted Bishop Hubbard to ever find out who was behind this, who was going to O'Connor behind his back, and who was looking into information in the Diocese regarding misconduct, especially homosexual activity,” said Brady. The editor of “The Wanderer,” a national Catholic weekly published in Minnesota, tells Fox 23 News Father Minkler has been informing him about problems within the Albany Diocese for 13 years. Paul Likouidis says he spoke with Father Minkler on Friday, just two days before Minkler was found dead in his Watervliet home.



He alleges Minkler told him he was called into the Diocese office and asked to sign this affidavit. “He went into an office and his longtime friend Father Ken Doyle had a document for him to sign and all Doyle said was sign this,” said Likoudis. “What he said to me was ‘Hubbard forced me to lie,’ and he felt very bad about that.”



Likoudis says he advised Father Minkler to call Father Joseph Wilson of St. Luke's Church in Queens for advice. Father Wilson says he too spoke to Minkler on Friday, and he was distraught. “I don't remember his exact phrase, but the connotation was he was trying to put out the fires caused by his mention. He did concede to me that he had written on the bishop and he had handed that report into Cardinal O'Connor,” said Father Wilson.



The Diocese issued a statement late today saying, “Father John Minkler denied four times to officials of the Albany Diocese that he had written a letter critical of Bishop Howard Hubbard." The statement goes on to say, “at no time did anyone associated with the Albany Diocese seek to pressure Father Minkler to meet with diocesan officials or to deny the letter or to sign a statement denying the letter. At no time was Father Minkler summoned to the Diocesan Pastoral Center. He came willingly..."

Horrifying!

From CNN.com - Draft survey: 4,450 priests accused of sex abuse - Feb. 16, 2004:



" Children accused more than 4,000 priests of sexual abuse between 1950 and 2002, according to a draft survey commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.



The survey, to be released February 27, found that children made more than 11,000 allegations of sexual abuse by priests. The 4,450 accused priests represent about 4 percent of the 110,000 priests who served during the 52 years covered by the study.



The report is based on a nationwide survey of church records, and was compiled by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the conference. The bishops' conference commissioned the survey to get a better understanding of the scope of the crisis. "

More Strange News Out of Albany

Priest dies two days after stating he was not the author of letter addressed to Cardinal O'Connor claiming Bishop of Albany was sexually involved with his priests.



I've heard from some that it was a suicide, but I'm guessing the police in Albany are suspicious.



From Fox News:



The Rev. John Minkler, 57, was found dead Sunday in his home in Watervliet. Police there won't say how or when Minkler died.



"He was very disturbed that his name was associated with this letter and he wanted to assure me that he was not its author," Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard said Monday.



Last week, Andrew Zalay said Hubbard had abused his brother, Thomas Zalay, 30 years ago. Thomas Zalay committed suicide in 1978.



Hubbard has maintained he has never broken his vow of celibacy and has denied ever sexually abusing anyone. He also says he has handled all claims of abuse by clergy seriously and has dismissed several abusive priests.



Minkler was ordained in 1972 and had been chaplain of the Stratton Veterans Administration Hospital (search) in Albany for about 20 years.



"This is a tragedy no matter what the circumstances," Hubbard said. "A priest has died and I have great sympathy for his family and they will be very much in my prayers."



Prosecutors have declined to investigate the 30-year-old claim against Hubbard, saying the allegation didn't represent a crime. The Albany Diocese (search), which represents more than 400,000 Catholics, has said it will hire its own investigator to look into Zalay's claim.



A copy of the 1995 letter to the archdiocese in New York City surfaced following a press conference last week called by a lawyer who has represented several alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests. The Albany Diocese in a statement issued Monday said Minkler was identified as the letter's author in a television news report.



"The purported letter" to the late Cardinal John O'Connor (search) was denied by Minkler in a written statement and no such letter was found in the files of the archdiocese, according to the Albany Diocese statement.



Amy has more on this over at Open Book.

Update on Father Benedict (Mother Teresa's Express Novena)

An interestig side note is the revelation of Mother Teresa's express novena...



From Father Glenn:



"Both Father Juniper and Brother Daniel Marie report that today was a quiet day for Father B. He didn't attempt to get into his 'lounge chair'; although Father is a fighter, he does know his limits. In fact, today he said something to a nurse which one rarely hears coming from the lips of Father Benedict. He said, 'I don't want to overdue it!' I have known Father for close to thirty years - I have never heard him say this! Well, thank God he knows that even he must respect his limitations. He wants to go home yesterday, but every evening I remind him that we can't make a move without the doctor's 'green light'.



Today he called the friars over to his bedside; he wanted to pray. He began to pray the Memorare - nine times in a row. Those of you who knew Mother Teresa know that this is her famous 'express novena'. When she wanted something 'pronto', she would gather with her sisters and pray this prayer. Now, I'm not a mind reader, but I suspect Father B. had one ear turned toward the phone hoping it was his doctor who would say, 'Father Benedict, start packin''. On the other hand, he might have been praying to receive a special grace for patience - which he needed real quick!"

Who Killed Jesus?

I had a conversation the other day with a good friend, a Jewish woman, who I've blogged about on these pages before. She is very upset and fears that the release of Mel Gibson's movie will unlease an uprise of anti-semitism. We talked about this for some time and at the time while trying ally her fears--I really felt that she was over reacting. Until, of course, I recall her personal history.



She grew up a young Jewish girl in very Catholic Poland in the 1930's and 40's. Surrounded by Christians, she witnessed first hand the complicity of many who willingly handed over their Jewish neighbors to the nazis. She and her family survived through the help of other Catholics--who gave them a "Catholic" cover; fake baptism certificates, allowed them into their churches and ultimately saved their lives. But one only has to put themselves in the place of a twelve year old who knows they are being hunted down sitting in a church and looking up at the stations of the cross and seeing the passion of Christ in an entirely different light.



So then armed with some compassion, I revisit this issue again. It bothers me that Mel Gibson cut the scene with Caiphas yelling, "His blood be upon and our children." It after all is a line from the Gospels. I would have rather he had kept the scene in and interwoven a scene from the Exodus where Moses sprinkles the blood that has been sacrificed to ratify the covenant upon the heads of the people. Then, the scene becomes one of the priests unwittingly invoking salvation upon the Jewish people, not giving bigots and ignorant people a blank check to disregard the entire Gospel message of love and to use it as a reason to hate anyone.



After all, the same Gospel that some used to fuel hatred for the Jewish people--of which Jesus and his Blessed Mother were members of that same chosen race, enabled some Catholics in Poland to shield and protect Jews during the shoah. Obviously, it is a matter of clearly understanding the Gospel and its demands for a radical response of love.



So who killed Jesus, might better be asked by who continues to kill Jesus? This puts the ball in our court--"when I was hungry, when I was naked, when I was in prison, when I was a stranger," etc. (Matthew 25)...it could well be us!



The Gospels portray the religious and world leaders turning against the innocent Christ...it wasn't something that was specifially "Roman" or Jewish" but rather something that was a "world' event and when it comes to reliving the Passion of the Christ it is always us, not any race of people, who stand in the crowd screaming "crucify him" and we can only hope that his redemptive blood will be upon us and our children.

Bishop Takes Public Stand Against Notre Dame

Good for Bishop D'Arcy! Unfortunately not only is Notre Dame having a performance of the V-Monologues but also is having a "Queer" film fest.



I know many good and holy alumni of Notre Dame. Is this what you remember about your alma mater? The Bishop's stand will mean more if you the alumni of Notre Dame back him and threaten to cut off all support. Notre Dame's prestige comes from its being the premier Catholic University in the United States--but because of weak leadership from within its days as a "Catholic" university may be numbered.



From A Statement by the Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend:



"Also, what possible advantage can this text have to the common good of society or of the church? I have dialogued on this matter with Father Edward Malloy, CSC, most recently in an exchange of letters initiated by me this past summer, in which I shared with him my pastoral concern. Such quiet dialogues on difficult matters have always been my modus operandi with Notre Dame and the other Catholic institutions of higher learning in our diocese, especially on difficult issues. This is in the spirit of Ex Corde Ecclesiae which calls for a spirit of friendship between bishops and university leadership through close personal and pastoral relationships characterized by mutual trust, close and constant cooperation and continuing dialogues. But a bishop has an obligation to teach, and there comes a time when the young people at Notre Dame, many of whom, along with their parents, have written to me over the years about this text, need to know the judgment of the bishop on a moral question at a time when clarity about the teaching of the church is required. A bishop can never refuse to exercise this responsibility so central to his vocation.



As an example of a sound moral choice within the context of true academic freedom, I would like to refer to Portland University, a sister institution of Notre Dame, also under the Congregation of Holy Cross. There, Rev. David Tyson, CSC, at that time president of Portland, after reading the text and consulting his deans, who also read the text, determined that it was inappropriate to the mission of a Catholic university, and the play was cancelled.

Feast of St. Cyril and Methodius

But most will celebrate the lesser saints of the day, choose one of the three St. Valentine's commemorated today. Most of us have learned stories that combine all three into one.



From CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Valentine:



"At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under date of 14 February. One is described as a priest at Rome, another as bishop of Interamna (modern Terni), and these two seem both to have suffered in the second half of the third century and to have been buried on the Flaminian Way, but at different distances from the city. In William of Malmesbury's time what was known to the ancients as the Flaminian Gate of Rome and is now the Porta del Popolo, was called the Gate of St. Valentine. The name seems to have been taken from a small church dedicated to the saint which was in the immediate neighborhood. Of both these St. Valentines some sort of Acta are preserved but they are of relatively late date and of no historical value. Of the third Saint Valentine, who suffered in Africa with a number of companions, nothing further is known.

Four Nuns Kept off Flight

Obviously, we're talking about four nuns in habits.



From CNN.com - Nuns among six passengers kept off American flight - Feb. 12, 2004:



"Four California nuns say they were among six passengers kept off an American Airlines flight in January after crew members complained of a sulfur smell in the cabin and ordered passengers off the plane.



'I felt discriminated very much, because the four of us were taken out from that group, kept us aside, not telling us why we were there,' said Sister Tessy Pius, the principal of Mary Immaculate Queen School in Lemoore, California. She and the three other nuns are natives of India and are employed at the school.



The nuns were among the group of passengers held in Dallas, Texas, for additional screening before being allowed to board another flight to Fresno, California, January 2, American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner told CNN.

At the time, airlines were acting under strict security rules because the national threat level was orange, or high. When the Department of Homeland Security raised the threat level December 21 from yellow to orange, it warned that al Qaeda may use international flights to launch attacks on the United States. "

Dad of Kerry Intern, "I think he's a sleazeball."

I heard Kerry on Imus this morning, lot of coughing, didn't sound well. He denied that there was anything to this story.



From The Sun Newspaper Online - UK's biggest selling newspaper:



"PRESIDENTIAL hopeful John Kerry was branded a "sleazeball" last night by the parents of a young woman he allegedly tried to woo.

Alex Polier, 24, was named as the woman at the centre of a scandal that threatens to damage Democrat Kerry's bid for the White House.



Her mother Donna claims Kerry, 60 -dubbed the new JFK - once chased Alex to be on his campaign team and was "after her".



There is no evidence the pair had an affair, but her father Terry, 56, said: "I think he's a sleazeball. I did kind of wonder if my daughter didn't get that kind of feeling herself.



"He's not the sort of guy I would choose to be with my daughter."



Terry, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, added: "John Kerry called my daughter and invited her down to Washington two or three years ago.



"He invited her to be on his re-election committee. She talked to him and decided against it."

Priest's Warnings About Bishop went Unheard

From Berkshire Eagle Online - Headlines:



The Rev. James Scahill, a longtime critic of Dupre and his handling of the clergy sex abuse scandal, counseled the mother of one of the boys. He said he spoke with Reilly after he left an urgent message for O'Malley in November.



But O'Malley never returned his call, and Reilly "said that if the victims were willing to come forward, he would prosecute to the full extent of the law," Scahill said.



Ann Donlan, a spokeswoman for Reilly, confirmed that the attorney general met with Scahill in November to discuss the allegations against Dupre.



"The identity of the victim was not passed on," Donlan said. "The attorney general made it clear that the matter would be referred to the district attorney's office if the victim came forward."



Donlan said Scahill was not obligated to report the suspected abuse to police because the alleged victims are now adults.



Attorney Eric MacLeish, who has counseled both alleged victims of Dupre, said both men wish to remain anonymous.



Before he called Reilly, Scahill said he left a message for O'Malley, saying he needed to discuss "a dire matter that concerned the entire well-being of [the] church."



Scahill said he also spoke with a woman at the archdiocese, but did not give her any details about the abuse allegations. He said no one from the archdiocese called him back.



"I said it was very urgent that he contact me because of the importance of the matter," Scahill said.



Mary McGeer, a nun in Scahill's East Longmeadow parish, said she was in the room with the priest when he made the call. "He certainly got his message across that this was very serious," she said.



O'Malley's spokesman, the Rev. Christopher Coyne, said neither the archdiocese nor its attorney on sexual abuse matters has any record of receiving a phone call or letter from Scahill concerning allegations of abuse by Dupre.



"Anyone who knows the policies and procedures for handling matters like this would know that a phone call of this type is not the way to do it," Coyne said.



He said Scahill should have gone through the proper channels by calling the diocese's Sexual Misconduct Delegate's office and following up with a letter.



"That's the way you do it," Coyne said. "An unsolicited phone call of such an ambiguous nature is not the way you handle serious matters such as this."



Scahill said he didn't write a letter or follow up on his call because "I felt I did what I could."



"I'm so used to this system of denial that I felt I did all I could do to fulfill my obligation, and that was it," Scahill said.



Accusations of clergy sex abuse have plagued the diocese during Dupre's tenure, but have been overshadowed by reports of widespread abuse in the Boston Archdiocese, where MacLeish and other attorneys brokered an $85 million settlement between the church and more than 550 victims.



The allegations against Dupre are the first public claims that the bishop himself may have abused children.

Debunking the Da Vinci Code...Who's at the table with Jesus?

Elizabeth Lev who teaches art history at Duquesne's Rome campus weights in on Lenardo's painting...



From Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome:



"Truth be told, Leonardo da Vinci is not one of the 10 historical figures I would most like to invite to dinner. Perhaps the historical rivalry between Leonardo and Michelangelo was so fierce that one starts to take sides. Nonetheless, after 46 weeks of 'The Da Vinci Code' ensconced at the top of the best-seller lists, I felt obliged to come to the defense of his work.



A little background for the remnant still unsullied by the reading of this book: Author Dan Brown makes the incredible claim that the individual seated at the right hand of Jesus in da Vinci's 'Last Supper' is not, as commonly understood, the Apostle John, but rather ... Mary Magdalene, who would be Jesus' wife.



Although the work presents itself as fiction, it is written in such a way as to cause doubt. I have heard countless Rome visitors make comments like the following: 'I know it is fiction, of course, but it brings up some interesting questions ...'



The acute nature of the problem set in when my American students, instead of asking where the outlet stores in Florence were, began inquiring where they could see 'The Last Supper.' Then one day in the classroom, the bomb was dropped: 'Professor Lev, isn't that Mary Magdalene sitting next to Jesus?'



Now, there is a positive side to all this. The students are taking an interest in Leonardo and many are learning the names of the apostles for the first time. Unfortunately, the author stimulating these first impressions has no idea what he is talking about. The major religious and historical gaffes aside, a word must be said about Leonardo's 'Last Supper.'

Amid Leonardo's copious writings, very little reveals his personal thoughts and feelings. Artists generally do not look to be remembered through their diaries, notebooks or doodling pads. One thing for sure, nothing in Leonardo's writings suggests that the person next to Jesus is anyone other than John.



Brown capitalizes on Leonardo's soft-featured, beardless depiction of John to offer his fantastic claim that we are dealing with a woman. Of course, if St. John were really Mary Magdalene, we may well ask which of the apostles excused himself at the critical moment.



But the real problem stems from our lack of familiarity with "types." In his Treatise on Painting, Leonardo explains that each figure should be painted according to his station and age. A wise man has certain characteristics, an old woman others, and children others still.



A classic type, common to many Renaissance paintings, is the "student." A favored follower, a protégé or disciple, is always portrayed as very youthful, long-haired and clean-shaven; the idea being that he has not yet matured to the point where he must find his own way.



Throughout the Renaissance, artists portray St. John in this fashion. He is the "disciple Jesus loved" -- the only one who will be at the foot of the cross. He is the ideal student. To the Renaissance artist the only way to show St. John was as a beardless youth, with none of the hard, determined physiognomy of men. The "Last Supper" of Ghirlandaio and Andrea del Castagno show a similarly soft, young John.



Leonardo's innovation lies not in his depiction of John, but rather in the dynamism of his composition. Unlike his predecessors who showed a group of men talking around a table, Leonardo selects the most dramatic moment of the meal. Jesus has just made the announcement, "One of you will betray me." The composition accordingly registers the shockwave that emanates from this statement.



Instead of the typical 11 apostles on the far side of the table and Judas on the side closest the viewer, Leonardo places them all on the same side, so there is a ripple effect from the isolated Christ framed by a window out toward the apostles who are grouped into threes. The most important set comprises Peter, John and Judas. Impetuous Peter thrusts himself toward John, asking him to inquire of Jesus who the betrayer will be; in doing so, he pushes Judas outward toward the viewer.



The original image (it has been heavily repainted) had Judas' head turned directly toward John, whose serene countenance manifests the assurance of his own innocence. The low forehead, and dark, brutish features of the traitor Judas stand in sharp contrast to the luminous delicacy of John. The viewer is forced to think about where he or she stands (or sits) in this picture. Are we calm in certainty of fidelity, do we protest too much, or do we hide in the shadows?



Unfortunately, all these truly important questions are overshadowed by the silly speculations of Dan Brown.



One thing is clear, during the real Last Supper, Mary Magdalene was elsewhere.

Pray the Passion

New book by Paul Thigpen that relates to the upcoming Mel Gibson movie and more importantly the subject of the movie...the passion of Jesus...

University of Notre Dame to Host Gay Film Fest

Comfortable sending your child to a Catholic school to get a good Catholic education? Willing to spend your life savings to finance their indoctrination to all things not Catholic?



Why is it that the religious orders that run these campuses are incapable of seeing the damage they are doing to young impressionable minds.



From Yahoo! News - At Notre Dame, gay film fest a first:



"'You have to understand what a breakthrough this is,' said Richard Friedman, a fifth-year student participating in the event. 'The university's administration had even barred gay groups from advertising in the student newspaper.'



On many campuses, eyebrows wouldn't be raised by a gay film series featuring titles such as 'Jim in Bold,' which kicks off the series Wednesday.

During freshman orientation at state schools and secular colleges, it is commonplace to see the information booth of a gay-and-lesbian group.

But that is not the case at universities affiliated with a religious denomination that considers homosexuality sinful.



Yet even at some such schools, things are changing quickly, given society's increasing acceptance of alternative lifestyles. Deans and presidents are feeling the pressure of gay and lesbian students, newly determined to have an accepted place on campus.



'The landscape has changed,' said Nicholas Sakurai, an official of the United States Student Association, which is preparing a guide to forming homosexual campus organizations. 'Young people have been coming out in droves in high school since the '90s. They're now in college and challenging administrators who would deny them a place in campus life.'



For instance, Boston College, a Catholic university run by Jesuit priests, extended official recognition to a gay group last May, after many years of denying previous requests.



'This film fest is our way of forcing people to recognize there is an active gay community here,' said Liam Dacey, a Notre Dame senior. 'There's been a fear on this campus to come out.' "

Alleged Kerry Infidelity Predicted to Ruin His Campaign

Breaking news from theDRUDGE REPORT 2004

Eucharist to be the theme of this Fall's Synod

From the Vatican Information Service:



The Holy Father has announced that the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will take place

in the Vatican from October 2 to 29, 2005 on the theme. “The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church.”

Why the Bishop of Springfield, MA Resigned

And why it was accepted immediately on a Wednesday...



From Boston.com:



In a press release and a press conference, the diocese said that Dupre had resigned because of failing health and that he had requested permission to resign last November and was only informed of the pope's decision yesterday.



But in a series of interviews late yesterday, a diocesan spokesman and Monsignor Richard S. Sniezyk, who was named yesterday as the diocese's interim administrator, confirmed that Dupre had been made aware Tuesday of allegations made against him by the mother of one of two men who say Dupre abused them about 25 years ago when he was a priest and they were boys in Holyoke.



The allegations were contained in a series of questions submitted to the bishop Tuesday by The Republican newspaper in Springfield. The newspaper reported last night that the mother of one alleged victim, who it described as a longtime diocesan school worker, had written to the bishop about the allegations last year. The newspaper reported that weeks after the woman said she wrote to the bishop, Dupre told the newspaper last spring he was considering early retirement because of a heart condition and other health problems.



Mark E. Dupont, a spokesman for the diocese, said he understood that the timing of Dupre's resignation was coincidental. He said Dupre, 70, had told him in either late November or early December that he had requested the pope's permission to resign five years before the mandatory retirement age of 75 because of his declining health. Dupont said Dupre checked himself into a hospital Tuesday after receiving a copy of the questions about the allegations and left without issuing a denial or any other statement.

A Shocker--Monsignor Andrew Cussack has Died

Msgr. Cussack was the leader and founder of a conference for the continuing formation of priests to which Father Benedict Groeschel was headed to in January when he was struck by a car. It seems that Monsignor Cussack died a week later.



From The Ashbury Park Press:



Family and parishioners, as well as friends from across the country, paid their respects yesterday to Monsignor Thomas Andrew Cusack, 71, who died Tuesday at his home in Brick. Cusack was remembered as a kind and gentle man whose words touched the hearts of churchgoers and helped give meaning to their lives.



"He was the most caring, intelligent, spiritual priest I have ever known," Brick resident Ann Scrudato said at O'Brien Funeral Home, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "His homily always seemed to be a message just for you. Whenever he spoke, his words reached inside of you and warmed your soul. He was always fond of saying, 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery and today is love.' I will never forget those words."



Cusack served as a weekend celebrant for Masses at St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church in Brick from 1984 until his death. He was a member of American Catholic's "Who's Who" and received an award for outstanding achievement from the Graduate School of Pastoral Counseling of Iona College.



According to his obituary, Cusack appeared on national television shows and produced a 13-week series called "Living Life Fully." He lectured to clergy throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Ireland, England, Scotland, Italy, Central America, west Africa and Turkey.

Update on Father Benedict

From Father Glenn's Letter 2/10/02:



"Well today, the breathing doctor allowed Father to breathe on his own - and without his 'training wheels'! Guess how long he did it? One hour! And he didn't fall once! So, let's not forget to thank Jesus and pray, if the doctor allows, that Father will ride on his own tomorrow for two hours!



Today we also had a speech therapist and an assistant come in to help Father Benedict communicate. The assistant is deaf and obviously adept at reading lips; while the therapist knows how to use sign language! Well, 'the best laid plans of mice and men' - Father was somewhat 'out of it' due to the pain medication. After about fifteen minutes it was evident to everyone that this wasn't the best time. I was disappointed, but am hopeful for round two. "

"All fear had left me" Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

In Bernadette's own words, what happened during the first apparition on February 11th 1858, from Catholic Online - Blessed Mother Mary - Apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes:



"'I had just begun to take off my first stocking when suddenly I heard a great noise like the sound of a storm. I looked to the right and to the left, under the trees of the river, but nothing moved; I thought I was mistaken. I went on taking off my shoes and stockings, when I heard a fresh noise like the first. Then I was frightened and stood straight up. I lost all power of speech and thought when, turning my head toward the grotto, I saw at one of the openings of the rock a bush - only one - moving as if it were very windy. Almost at the same time, there came out of the interior of the grotto a golden coloured cloud, and soon after a Lady, young and beautiful, exceedingly beautiful, the like of whom I had never seen before, came and placed herself at the entrance of the opening, above the rose bush. She looked at me immediately, smiled at me and signed to me to advance, as if She had been my Mother. All fear had left me, but I seemed to know no longer where I was. I rubbed my eyes, I shut them, I opened them; but the Lady was still there continuing to smile at me and making me understand that I was not mistaken. Without thinking of what I was doing I took my Rosary in my hands and went on my knees. The Lady made with Her head a sign of approval and Herself took into Her hands a Rosary which hung on Her right arm. When I attempted to begin the Rosary and tried to lift my hand to my forehead, my arm remained paralysed, and it was only after the Lady had signed Herself that I could do the same. The Lady left me to pray all alone; She passed the beads of Her Rosary between Her fingers but She said nothing; only at the end of each decade did She say the Gloria with me.



'When the recitation of the Rosary was finished, the Lady returned to the interior of the rock."

Add Sex Abuse to Pot Priest's Charges

All alleged of course...



From cleveland.com:



"A priest charged with growing marijuana in his church residence is under investigation for alleged child abuse, a prosecutor said.



Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Mary Ann Kovach said Tuesday that she plans to meet with police to determine if sex charges should be brought against Rev. Richard Arko, 40.



The allegation surfaced during a court appearance by Andrew J. Smith, 25, of nearby Barberton, who tipped police last month to marijuana plants allegedly grown by Arko inside the rectory of Prince of Peace Roman Catholic Church.



Smith, in court Tuesday for violating probation in an unrelated case, claimed Arko began a sexual relationship with him when he was 15. "

Much Worst than Anyone Thought

The report will be released on the 27th of this month.



From My Way News:



"The scope of sex abuse accusations against Roman Catholic clergy since 1950 appears to be much greater than previously estimated by victims' groups and the media, an Associated Press review of reports from dioceses has found.



The U.S. church will make an unprecedented, nationwide accounting of abuse claims and costs later this month, and some bishops already have started releasing local figures. The AP contacted dioceses across the country and found that 1,341 clergy members have been accused of molesting minors, with more than half the dioceses yet to report.



'What it's really doing is showing us in black and white that the problem is much worse than any of us thought,' said Sue Archibald, president of The Linkup, a Kentucky-based victim advocacy group.

Statistics have yet to be released by some archdioceses that have faced hundreds of allegations, including Boston and Los Angeles.



A January 2003 review by The New York Times counted 1,205 accused priests nationwide over five decades. Survivors First, an advocacy group compiling its own list from media reports and lawsuits, has counted 1,800."

Do You Write Like a Man or a Woman?

The Gender Genie



Thankfully, I write like a man:



Words: 516



(NOTE: The genie works best on texts of more than 500 words.)



Female Score: 342

Male Score: 808



The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male!

Papal Acts--New Bishop for Portland--New Saints

- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the diocese of Madison, U.S.A., presented by Bishop George O. Wirz, upon having reached the age limit.



- Appointed Bishop Richard Joseph Malone, auxiliary of Boston, U.S.A., as bishop of Portland (area 85,541, population 1,274,923, Catholics 213,680, priests 211, permanent deacons 23, religious 471), U.S.A. The bishop-elect

was born in Salem, U.S.A. in 1946 and was ordained a priest in 1972. The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Joseph John Gerry, O.S.B., upon having reached the age limit.



New saints to be canonized on February 19th:



- Blessed Luigi Orione, priest and founder of the Little Work of Divine Providence and of the Congregation of the Little Sisters, Missionaries of Charity.



- Blessed Annibale Maria di Francia, priest and founder of the Congregation of the Rogationist Fathers of the Heart of Jesus and of the Religious Daughters of Divine Generosity.



- Blessed Jose Manyanet y Vives, priest and founder of the Congregation of the Sons of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the Missionary Daughters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.



- Blessed Nimatullah Al Hardini, priest of the Lebanese Maronite Order.



- Blessed Paola Elisabetta, nee Costanza Cerioli, widow Busecchi-Tassis, foundress of the Institute of Religious of the Holy Family.



- Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla, mother.

Scandal at 34 Catholic Colleges

What Catholic Colleges are planning to perform the Vagina Monologues this year? Here's the list... Unbelievable...visit the site and email the presidents, protest!

Will Something Happen in 2004...

...that will change the world and bring everyone to their knees?



From Father Robert Altier:



Beyond that, back a few years ago, the day after the tragic incidents that took place out in New York City with the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, the very next day Mother Angelica went on national television and announced that in the year 2004 we will be in the era of peace. She said, “Do not ask me how I know that because I will not tell you. All I can tell you is that in 2004 you will see the era of peace.” There is a woman by the name of Christina Gallagher, whom many people purport to be a true mystic from Ireland, and she is saying the same thing. There is a woman from Venezuela by the name of Maria Esperanza who has the approval of her bishops and has made a variety of predictions with extraordinary accuracy over the years, and for quite a few years now, certainly more than ten, she has been telling the world that in 2004 everyone on the face of the earth will know that God exists. More recently, she has said, “In mid-2004, you will begin to see the light,” and that the turn-around is going to be taking place around halfway through the year. Again, all of these people could be entirely wrong. The date can be pushed back; things could be mitigated. We do not know.







There is a Vietnamese priest who was captured by the Communists some 21 or so years ago now. He was put into a concentration camp where for 13 years he had to break rocks everyday. At the end of the day, they would give him a cup of rice and send him back out the next day to break rocks. He did that everyday for 13 years. He is now free, and a couple of years ago this man was traveling to France for some surgery (you can imagine the condition his body is in after all of that) and he heard about a hermit priest in Belgium. He wanted to stop and speak with that priest about something extraordinary that had happened to him, and he told the hermit priest this story. He said, “I had a friend, another priest in Vietnam, who was also captured by the Communists. This particular priest was beaten to a bloody pulp by the Communists, dragged into the sanctuary of this parish church, dumped on the sanctuary floor, and there he died in front of the Blessed Sacrament.” Not a bad way to go. About two years or so ago, he said, “My friend has recently appeared to me and he told me this: that in the year 2000 the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart began, but it will begin with the Triumph of the Cross.” (Which I interpret to mean that the Church is going to be crucified, which the Fathers of the Church told us many times is going to happen.) He then went on to tell his friend that Satan had been given 100 years to destroy the Church. (That is according to the vision of Pope Leo XIII from 1884.) In that 100 years, Satan overstepped his boundaries and in punishment for overstepping his boundaries God has meted out two points of punishment: number one, He took some of Satan’s power away from him and has given it to Our Lady; number two, the reign of the antichrist will be severely limited – perhaps to even as little as six weeks. Thanks be to God! Three and a half years is what Scripture told us it would be, which none of us would be able to survive. Our Lord knew that and He Himself told us, “If the time were not shortened even the elect would fall astray.” So we knew the time would be shortened; the question was how much. This man is saying “perhaps even as little as six weeks”. Then he went on to say, “In the year 2004, you will see the era of peace.”







Now that coupled with what happened back in 1961in a little village called Garabandal in Spain, with some apparitions that have only just recently received local approval by the bishop so now we can actually talk about them, and in those apparitions, Our Lady said a few things that are of import for us. Number one, she said that there will only be three more popes until the end of the present age. How one interprets that is entirely up to you because she did not explain it. Our present Holy Father is the third, the three being Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II. Now this becomes also very important timing-wise because Our Lady told us at Garabandal that there will be a warning, and the warning will be what is variously called “an illumination of conscience”, or simply put, every person will get to see their soul as God sees it. For some, this will be a great blessing. After all, if you just think about it, if you had been shown by God everything that is on your soul so that you have the opportunity to go to confession and rid yourself of absolutely everything that is there, this is cause for great rejoicing. For some, however, she said it will be so horrifying that they will die. So it will not be a pleasant thing for most people to see, but for anyone who is trying to live a good life, it will be a great blessing. That is really something to look forward to, although it is going to require a great grace because she said, “The priests will be in the confessional around-the-clock hearing confessions, one after the next, 24 hours a day.” Not humanly possible, but with God all things are possible. And then she said, “Within a year, that will be followed by a great miracle which will be a Eucharistic miracle.” The children thought it seemed that it would be much, much shorter than a year, but what Our Lady said was that within a year this miracle would happen. It would be able to be seen by television cameras and it will be demonstrated throughout the world. But what is important for us is that she said, “The Pope will see the miracle from wherever he happens to be in the world when it happens,” which means that our Holy Father has to be alive when it happens.







So you have the two persons who have been named: Sister Lucia being 95 years old, and our Holy Father being 83 years old and not in very good health. Whether it happens in 2004 or sometime thereafter, one can surmise that it cannot take too much longer before something is going to occur. Now at Garabandal, Our Lady said, “If people do not change their ways, that will be followed by a great chastisement.” The chastisement was foretold at the last fully approved apparition (“fully approved” meaning not only locally and provincially, but even by the Vatican), and that was at Akita in Japan in 1974 when Our Lady appeared to a nun and told her that fire will fall from the sky killing the greater part of humanity and the living will envy the dead thinking that they had the better part. Everyone in the state of mortal sin will die, and some who are in the state of grace will die so that no one will be able to make judgments about the people who have died. It will not be a pleasant time for anyone on the face of the earth. How exactly that is going to be, we do not know. The fact that Our Lady appeared in Japan to tell us that I think is important. Many saints from back in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries had visions and prophesied about the fact that a comet is going to crash into the earth. Now this is my pure conjecture, but back in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries they did not have intercontinental ballistic missiles; if you were a sixth century mystic and saw a fireball coming from the sky with a tail on it and a huge explosion following from it, what would you think it was? It looks like a comet, so it must be a comet. We know better. If you read the Book of the Prophet Zechariah, you will find two things there that are rather terrifying. One, the prophet says, “One-third of the people will be saved through the fire.” Our Lady said, “The greater part of humanity will die.” So one-third will be saved through the fire according to Scripture. And then the prophet Zechariah gives a particularly terrifying presentation of what is going to happen to people: their flesh will rot, their eyes will be pulled into their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths as they stand there. That is exactly what happens when a nuclear device is exploded.

Pre-Valentine's Day Story

While attending a Marriage Encounter Weekend, Walter and his wife Peg, listened to the instructor declare,

" It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."



He addressed the men, "Can you name and describe your wife's favorite flower?"



Walter leaned over, touched Peg's arm gently and whispered, "Pillsbury All-purpose, isn't it?

Do You Know Where He is?---No Comment

I've seen bits and pieces of the President's interview on Meet the Press, but hadn't heard this part...



From MSNBC - Transcript for Feb. 8th:



Russert: "Russert: Senator Charles Grassley, a Republican



President Bush: Yes.



Russert: said he is absolutely convinced we will capture Osama bin Laden before the election.



President Bush: Well, I appreciate his optimism. I have no idea whether we will capture or bring him to justice, may be the best way to put it. I know we are on the hunt, and Osama bin Laden is a cold blooded killer, and he represents the nature of the enemy that we face.



These are these are people that will kill on a moment's notice, and they will kill innocent women and children. And he's hiding, and we're trying to find him.



There's a I know there is a lot of focus on Iraq, and there should be, but we’ve got thousands of troops, agents, allies on the hunt, and we are doing a pretty good job of dismantling al Qaeda better than a pretty good job, a very good job. I keep saying in my speeches, two thirds of known al Qaeda leaders have been captured or killed, and that's the truth.



Russert: Do you have a pretty good idea where Osama is?



President Bush: You know, I'm not going to comment on that."

Safety Worker Killed When Hit by Paraplegic Racecar Driver

No matter how this is reported it will come across as politically incorrect. This incident happened under a caution flag when race cars are not racing but at Daytona may still be traveling at speeds of 90 miles per hour. No one seems to know what happened. The strange thing about the incident is that Paprota's car wouldn't start at the beginning of the race and they had to take it behind the wall after the race had started to get it going--might have been a sign, just to forget it for this day anyway. All his controls were on the steering wheel. He must not have seen the man on the racetrack and unfortunately the man on the track must not have been looking for Paprota.



From ThatsRacin.com - Your online source for NASCAR and all auto racing:



"A Daytona International Speedway safety worker was killed Sunday afternoon when he was struck by a race car being driven by a paraplegic competitor in a race during activities leading up to next week's Daytona 500.



Roy H. Weaver III, a 44-year-old track crew supervisor, was picking up debris in the Turn 2 area of the 2.5-mile track after a crash during the IPower 150 when he was struck by a race car being driven by Ray Paprota.



Paprota, 41, is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of injuries he suffered in an automobile crash in 1984. He uses specially modified hand controls to accelerate, brake and change gears in his race car."

Humane Killing???

If this doesn't make people stand up and take notice of what is going on during an abortion...people are really in a sad state. If we can't once and for all recognize what this is, we are no different then those parents of terrorist who give their children up to be suicide bombers...Is this how far civilization has evolved?



From MSNBC - Va. Lawmakers Consider Fetal Painkiller Bill:



"Virginia lawmakers are considering a proposal that would require painkillers be administered to fetuses before abortions are performed.



Delegate Dick Black, a Republican from Loudoun County, Va., introduced the measure. The plan (House Bill 1315) will be considered by the House of Delegates' Courts of Justice Committee on Monday.



The Senate takes up a similar measure on Thursday.

'We must do everything possible to relieve the terror and suffering of children as they are aborted,' said Black in a statement released to the media.



Black's bill would apply to any abortion performed after the 12th week of pregnancy.



The bill is enjoying support in the Virginia General Assembly with more than 50 delegates and 15 senators acting as co-sponsors of the measure. The sponsors are mostly Republicans but the plan does have bipartisan support.



Under the plan, abortion doctors who do not administer the painkiller could face criminal charges. "

Top Catholic Web Listings

Site ranks the Top Catholic Web Listings

Anne Catherine Emmerich Probably Beatified Next Year

The visionary who inspired Mel Gibson's "The Passion." And for those who say, how do you know you haven't seen it, I spoke with someone yesterday who has seen it and described in detail what they saw in the movie and compared that against the scriptures. A lot of what you'll see on Ash Wednesday is directly from the vision that Anne Catherin Emmerich had, non-Catholics will be exposed to the "stations of the cross" for the first time. Catholics should take along a non-Catholic friend to help them.



From CNS NEWS BRIEFS Feb-6-2004:



"Pope John Paul II, meanwhile, is said to take an intense interest in Sister Emmerich and her life. Under his papacy, her sainthood cause has advanced to the point where she is expected to be beatified, probably sometime early next year."

John Paul Speaks Out

Pope addresses crisis to those in Vatican dealing with it...



From CBS news:



Pope John Paul II called Friday for fairness in judging priests accused of sex abuse but said the "predominant" need was to protect the young. That, he said, would be assured if seminaries and church authorities did a better job instructing priests to be celibate.



The pope made the comments in a speech to members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's orthodoxy watchdog which also judges cases of priests accused of sexual misconduct.



John Paul told the prelates they had seen a "noteworthy increase" in their caseload ever since the abuse crisis erupted in the United States in January 2002, with dozens of reports of abusive priests who had been moved from parish to parish rather than punished.



Since then, more than 325 of the United States' 46,000 clergy have either resigned or been barred from church work.



But John Paul said current church law — if fairly applied — "tends to guarantee the exercise of the right of defense of the accused as well as the needs of the common good."



Once there is evidence of a crime, church authorities must consider "the just principle of proportionality between guilt and punishment, as well as the predominant need to protect the people of God," he said.

Becoming A Benedictine Monk

A blog detailing one man's journey into a monastery. Very interesting site and well designed besides.



Becoming A Benedictine Monk

The Passion of the Christ on the Hood of NASCAR Car

Bobby Labonte's #18, for the Daytona 500 a week from this Sunday.



From Churches flock to see controversial film on Jesus:



"Norm Miller, chairman of Dallas-based Interstate Batteries, replaced his own company's hood-sized logo with an ad for 'The Passion' on NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte's No. 18 Chevrolet. The car will carry the ad during the Daytona 500 race Feb. 15.



Miller said he feels 'privileged' to offer the giveaway publicity.



Miller is yet another volunteer in an effort to turn 'The Passion' into a success of biblical proportions. Many think a successful opening will encourage more Christian-themed movies — and win more souls. 'We need this film to have the biggest opening on record,' said the Web site catholicexchange.com."

State Department Dictates use of Times New Roman 14

No more Courier New 12 for you...



From Yahoo! News - US bans timed-honored typeface from diplomatic correspondence:



"In an internal memorandum distributed on Wednesday, the department declared 'Courier New 12' -- the font and size decreed for US diplomatic documents for years -- to be obsolete and unacceptable after February 1.



'In response to many requests and with a view to making our written work easier to read, we are moving to a new standard font: 'Times New Roman 14',' said the memorandum, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Thursday.



The new font 'takes up almost exactly the same area on the page as Courier New 12, while offering a crisper, cleaner, more modern look,' it said, adding that after February 1 'only Times New Roman 14 will be accepted.'



'This applies to diplomatic notes,' the memorandum said tersely.



There are only three exceptions to the draconian new typographical rules: telegrams, treaty materials prepared by the State Department's legal affairs office and documents drawn up for the president's signature, it said. "

"I Have Never Had Sexual Relations with Anyone."

If he has, we're sure to hear about it in the coming days. One Catholic watchdog group, Roman Catholic Faithful, have had their spotlight on him for some years and if they have anything they are sure to release it.



The fact that he is not stepping down, shows a flaw in the system. If he were just a priest, he'd be removed while they investigated this. I find the reaction of the priests, giving him a standing ovation, a little tasteless. They do not know what the truth is, anymore than I do, but gravity should be the tone when a serious charge has been raised not elation.



And I'm not sure, if I was the Bishop, I would use a phrase that sounds very Clintonian.



From Albany, N.Y. -- timesunion.com:



"During an extraordinary news conference in which the spiritual leader of the region's 400,000 Catholics was asked detailed questions about his sex life, Hubbard said the allegations, made the day before by the dead man's brother, were 'completely and utterly false.'



The 64-year-old Hubbard added, 'I have never had sexual relations with anyone.'



Hubbard cut short a vacation in Florida to answer charges made Wednesday by Andrew Zalay, a 56-year-old electrical engineer who now lives in Laguna Nigel, Calif. Zalay released what he said was an unsigned, typewritten suicide note from his brother, Thomas N. Zalay, that described a homosexual affair with Hubbard.



Both Andrew Zalay and his attorney, John Aretakis, said they don't know how or when Thomas Zalay and Hubbard could have met.

Thomas Zalay died April 19, 1978, at age 25, after he set himself ablaze in the bedroom of his family's home on Myrtle Avenue in Albany. Andrew Zalay said he found the note among his late mother's possessions when he was cleaning out the home for sale last August.



In a second, handwritten suicide note, Thomas Zalay described himself as deeply troubled, saying he was plagued by thoughts of murder, incest and child molesting, and called himself a 'dangerous monster.' The note does not mention Hubbard.



Thomas Zalay had been an altar boy at St. Vincent de Paul Church on Madison Avenue. He attended Boston's Northeastern University and worked as a computer technician for the General Electric Co. in Pittsfield, Mass."

Sad News-- Body of Missing Girl Found Dead

Evil.



The strangest thing about this incident was that she didn't seem to put up a fight when she was abducted.



From New York City - Body of Missing Girl Found Dead:



"The body of an 11-year-old girl whose abduction was captured by a surveillance camera has been found and a mechanic has been charged with her murder, officials said Friday.



Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill refused to say where Carlie Brucia was found, saying it is an active crime scene.



He said Joseph P. Smith, 37, has been charged with her murder. He is believed to be the tattooed man in a mechanic's shirt who was seen in a car wash surveillance video leading Carlie away by the arm Sunday evening, authorities said.



He has been held without bail since Tuesday on an alleged probation violation."

Zook Demotes Zaunbrecher at UF

Offense was already sputtering, makes me wonder why you wouldn't bring someone in with a proven track record.



From Gatorsports.com:



"Zook demoted offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher and promoted outside receivers coach Larry Fedora to the position.



'Larry's going to run the offense,' Zook said. 'They are both great coaches, and the system's not going to change. I just wanted a little more tempo, a little more upbeat, and I think Larry will do that.'



Already with one opening on his staff after defensive backs coach Mike Woodford was fired Jan. 3, Zook could have another one today. He said he was unsure whether Zaunbrecher would remain on the staff as quarterbacks coach.



'It's up to Ed,' Zook said. 'I told Ed and I left and told him we'd talk again in the morning. I hope he stays on to coach the quarterbacks.'"

'Great Number' Dead Near Beijing

From what? We'll have to wait to know...



From ABCNEWS.com : Report: 'Great Number' Dead Near Beijing:



" A 'great number of people' were killed and many others injured Thursday at a holiday gathering outside the Chinese capital, the official Xinhua News Agency said.



The agency's brief report quoted police sources and gave no details. It said the accident whose nature it didn't specify occurred in Miyun County, a suburb of Beijing."

Not Just the Evangelicals

Catholic Exchange and Ascension Press announce the Catholic Passion Outreach today!



I have stated this before, giving that this movie is based largely on the revelations of Anne Catherine Emmerich which are very very Catholic in their telling of the Passion of Christ--the evangelicals may be doing us a favor by getting people to see it. Now what will we do with all those who discover Christ leaving his disciples the Eucharist?

Albany Bishop Accused of Inappropriate Relationship

That led to suicide...



From Capital News 9 | 24 Hour Local News | Capital Region:



"Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship more than 20 years ago.



Attorney John Aretakis and his client Andrew Zalay are accusing Hubbard of having a sexual relationship with Zalay's brother Tom in the 1970s, before Hubbard became bishop. Tom Zalay committed suicide in 1978.



Andrew Zalay said, 'As a bishop, I think he has unfairly used his position in the church to get what he wants from me. So that's my brother crying out to me. I mean, you can't be simpler than that. I wish he could be here.'



Andrew said he wants to make sure no other family has to endure what they had to. Tom left behind his diary in which Andrew claims there's clear indication Bishop Howard Hubbard had a sexual relationship with Tom in the late 1970s. "

Willie Williams Picks U of Miami

But may end up in jail in farm land, (see previous post). Now we see why he didn't like U of Florida all that much...



From The Gainesvillesun.com:



"Carol City High School linebacker Willie Williams signed with the University of Miami on Wednesday but before he plays for the Hurricanes he has some legal problems in Gainesville to clear up.



Three separate sworn complaints were filed against Williams after his recruiting visit to Gainesville last weekend.



The first was for battery on Saturday night on the second floor of the Reitz Union. According to a University of Florida Police Department report, Williams grabbed a female student from the front against her will while she was walking to the stairs with her boyfriend.



The second incident occurred at 2:30 on Sunday morning at the Royal Blue Night Club. Akeem Thompson of Gainesville told the Gainesville Police Dept. that Williams 'started hitting him with his fist for no apparent reason.'



Thompson picked Williams out of a photo lineup and Williams later admitted hitting Thompson.



Two hours later, according to the UPD, Williams discharged three fire extinguishers at the UF Hilton Conference Center where the recruits stayed during their visits.



The latter charge is a felony. "

Gibson to Delete a Scene in Passion

Sad. A better answer to this would have been to do a flash back of Moses sprinkling the blood of the lamb upon the people as the covenant between God and his people were ratified--that would have put the saying of the High Priest into the right context.



From Gibson to Delete a Scene in Passion:



"A scene in the film, in which the Jewish high priest Caiaphas calls down a kind of curse on the Jewish people by declaring of the Crucifixion, 'His blood be on us and on our children,' will not be in the movie's final version, said the Gibson associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity.



The passage had been included in some versions of the film that were shown before select groups, mostly of priests and ministers.



'It didn't work in the focus screenings,' the associate said. 'Maybe it was thought to be too hurtful, or taken not in the way it was intended. It has been used terribly over the years.'



Jewish leaders had warned that the passage from Matthew 27:25 was the historic source for many of the charges of deicide and Jews' collective guilt in the death of Jesus. "

Continuing Recruiting Quest of Willie Wiliams

He visits U of F and isn't impressed. Didn't get quite the royal treatment he got at FSU and Miami. I wonder if the NCAA is reading his account...



From the Miami Herald:



Rejecting the Gators was easier. Before his trip, Williams said he had heard lots of good things about coach Ron Zook. But after a few days in Gainesville, Williams said he was turned off.



On Friday, he and Carol City teammate Akeem Robinson boarded a private jet and arrived in Gainesville at 5 p.m.



Upon arrival, the two were greeted by the Florida coaching staff and whisked away to a dinner party at Alumni Hall. Williams ate swedish meatballs but passed on gator tails.



''I ate so many meatballs, the people there started looking like meatballs,'' Williams said. 'Some guy kept trying to get me to eat these alligator tails, but I wasn't having it. I told him `I'm not the Crocodile Hunter.' I don't touch reptiles.''



After dinner, Williams and other recruits were taken to an on-campus beauty pageant.



''They had girls come out, all dressed nice, but it took awhile,'' Williams said. ``It was a weird beauty pageant because there were some people talking about black history the whole time. Then it got worse. They had guy models come out.''



Williams was then dropped off at The Hilton. His hotel room wasn't as nice as the the Paradise Suite in Coconut Grove, but it did come with a special touch.



''There was Gatorade all over the place,'' Williams said. 'I was like `I get it. Gatorade was made at Florida.' ''



The following morning, the recruits toured campus and met with the Florida coaching staff. Later that night, Williams said he was surprised to learn he was eating at the stadium again for dinner.



''The first night I was OK with eating at the stadium,'' Williams said. 'But when they told me were going to eat there again, I was a little disappointed. I was like, `Take us to Red Lobster or something.' Instead, it was the same old fried chicken.



``That's when I pretty much made up my mind. I can't live in a place that don't have any restaurants. What am I going to do -- fly home to eat shrimp?''



Later that night, Williams ran into a few familiar faces at a frat party -- UM cornerback Travarous Bain and UM receiver Darnell Jenkins. Both were in Gainesville for a track meet.



''I was happy to see those guys,'' Williams said. 'They were like, `So Willie, are you going to stay up with these farm people or come home with us?' I told them, 'I'll let you know on Wednesday.' ''

Bush-Giuliani 04?

From MSNBC - Will Giuliani replace Cheney in '04?:



"A well-placed source says that the president will "most likely" drop Dick Cheney from his re-election ticket and his first choice for a replacement is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.



"The issue of Cheney's health will probably be given as the reason," says the insider. "There's a short list of possible replacements, and Rudy is at the top of the list."



The source adds that the selection of the former New York mayor may be overridden by Bush advisors from the far right. "Giuliani has been pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and is pretty liberal on some other social issues, but the thinking is that he might broaden Bush's appeal."

Feast of the Presentation

Sadly, many of the traditions of this mid-winter festival have fallen by the wayside. In the past the faithful would have gathered at the Church on this day with candles made of beeswax. These candles would be blessed along and a procession of lighted candles (similar to the Easter vigil) would take place symbolizing the light of Christ arriving at the Temple. Later when people would return to their home they would place the lit candles in their windows...something that many now do with electronic candles during Christmas time.



The feast of the presentation is a feast of sacrifice. The first born child was to be offered to the Lord but not in a bloody sacrifice as with the pagan religions. A modern celebration of this feast could emphasize this sacrificial nature that Christianity brings over and against the horrible sacrifice that modern consumerism preaches that leads to the bloody sacrifice of many first borns to the gods of convenience and pleasure.

Groundhog Predicts more Winter Weather

Winter continues...



I think I posted some info on this last year, but what most people forget is that this whole groundhog thing is rooted in today's Christian feast of the Presentation--candlemas...Mass of the candles. Light shining in darkness...



From MSNBC - :



"Despite astounding leaps in meteorological technology -- geostationary satellites and Doppler radar -- all eyes this time of year are once again on a rodent in Pennsylvania. And this morning, Punxsutawney Phil offered little relief to Americans worn out by a harsh winter: the groundhog saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter weather, according to legend.



The tradition is rooted in a German superstition that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow Feb. 2 --the Christian holiday of Candlemas --winter will drag on. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early."

Super Bowl Halftime Outrage

Now Janet Jackson wants to get into the business of forcing her sexuality on young people. They may claim this was a mistake, but no way...people should protest CBS, the NFL, and all the advertisers that chose to sign off on this.



I didn't see it, but heard about it on theDRUDGE REPORT 2004? after the game was over. Hopefully a lot of other people missed it too.



More from Worldnet.com:



The show included:





--Janet Jackson grabbing her breasts;



--Sean P. Diddy repeatedly fondling his crotch;



--striptease cheerleaders;



--gyrating transvestites;



--simulated lesbian sex;



--Jackson and Timberlake groping each other.



As the finale song finished, Timberlake reached across Jackson's leather gladiator outfit and pulled off the covering to her right breast. The final lyric of the song goes, "Going to have you naked by the end of this song."



The network quickly cut away from the shot and did not mention the incident on the air. But despite CBS' apology, there are indications the incident was not spontaneous.



Wade said CBS officials attended rehearsals of the halftime show all week, "and there was no indication any such thing would happen. The moment did not conform to CBS' broadcast standards and we would like to apologize to anyone who was offended."



The Super Bowl halftime show, which also featured Nelly and Kid Rock, was produced by MTV, CBS' corporate cousin in Viacom.

Pope's Envoy Decries Immorality of Some Clergy

From The Sunday Standard:



The Pope’s representative in Kenya, Archbishop Giovanni Tonnuci, yesterday admitted that immorality had creeped into the church’s vicarage.



The Archbishop said some Catholic clergy had fallen to immoral urges, thus denting the church’s image.



Tonnuci, who fell short of naming names, urged those involved in the vice to "repent and return to the life of chastity

Super Bowl Prediction

I really don't care who wins this year. Don't have any vested interest in the game. I've felt that it is just the type of game where everyone talks about how good one team is at the expense of the other--which usually is a set up for a blow out in the other direction. My prediction:



Carolina 24

New England 10



Update: I was wrong, of course. New England 31 Carolina 29