What Bothers You Most About the Celebration of the Eucharist/Mass?

Note: I want to keep this at the top of my postings so that I can elicit as many comments/emails as possible. New postings may be below this one for that reason.

 

I'm soliciting opinions, feelings, anger, whatever about the Eucharist that will be used in a book that will be entitled something like "How to Get the Most Out of the Eucharist." I want to make it "real" so I'm putting it together from the ground up with all the feedback that I hear when I speak about the Mass to a wide variety of groups.

 

So I think their are three problem areas, but I'm open to expanding the list based on the feedback that I get here:

 

1. Feelings and Reality: "I'm bored" "I don't like the pastor (or fill in the blank)" "I don't understand what's going on" "The preaching (or again fill in the blank) sucks" "I'm not being fed" "I don't believe in it" "I'm angry with the way things are done either correctly or incorrectly"
2. The Wandering Mind: "I'm thinking about something else most of the time" "I find it impossible to concentrate"
3.  Real Abuses: "We use words that aren't in the Missal" "We shake hands at the beginning and in the middle" "(fill in the blank) "We hold hands during the Our Father" "The role of the priest and the laity is confused by the way the Eucharist is celebrated in our parish"

I would like to say with regard to #3 that sometimes people perceive and abuse where no real abuse is taking place, in defense of priests they sometime inherit a situation where certian things have been taking place in a parish and it is hard to stem the tide. I also think that many of the "abuses" have crept into the liturgy because of the items in #1 and attempts to make the liturgy more exciting or relevant, both huge mistakes. Such errors reveal that one doesn't understand the liturgy enough to know that it is the most amazing, exciting and relevant thing we will ever do in this earthly life!

Please link to this discussion on your blog, inviting your readers to participate in this discussion. Feel free to use the comments or to email me directly.

Thanks!

 

 

To Ordain Homosexuals, Unfair to Them

Bishop D'Arcy reiterates something he has said in his diocese back home in Boston...



From Boston.com / News / Local / Mass. / Bishop urges gay ban in clergy:



"''We must be very careful of who we accept in the seminary and who we ordain as priests,' D'Arcy told parishioners at Our Lady of the Presentation Church, the Brighton parish in which he grew up. ''It's time to ordain men of quality, not to just look for numbers.'



During yesterday's 10 a.m. Mass, D'Arcy, now bishop of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese in Indiana, said the church must look for men whom children can respect -- ''men who would be good husbands, men who would be good fathers,' he said.



In an interview after the service, D'Arcy acknowledged that his reference to ''good husbands . . . good fathers' conveyed his belief that only heterosexual men should be allowed to become priests. He said men in the priesthood must embrace celibacy.



To put a gay man in the priesthood, in a mostly male environment, is unfair, given the potential attractions, D'Arcy said. ''We don't put these [heterosexual] men in with attractive women,' he said, referring to seminarians. ''You're putting him in with men. It's not fair to him, it's not fair to them, it's not fair to the church.'"

Farewell Mass For Lastiri

Not just a "bishops" problem, but clearly the laity want to be led by guys picking up guys on the internet. I wonder when he'll be declared "healed" at St. Luke's and sent back to do parish work?



From ABC30.com: Farewell Mass For Lastiri:



"St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Merced held a farewell mass Sunday for outgoing Father Jean-Michael Lastiri.

Supporters of the priest are collecting signatures on petitions and hope to present the names of 2,000 supporters to the Fresno Diocese.



The priest is facing allegations of using the internet to solicit sex with men.



Although the priest was not at Sunday's mass, he did leave a statement to the parish vowing he will return.



Supporters hope he'll be forgiven for the alleged misconduct.



Lastiri has been removed from the parish. He is expected to leave the area next week and will then head to a Maryland treatment facility for psychological and spiritual counseling."

The Most Important Thing We Can Do in Our Lives

From Pope John Paul at Zenit:

 

"While Martha is taken up with domestic affairs," the Holy Father said, "Mary is seated at the feet of the Master and listens to his word. Christ affirms that Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

 

"To listen to the Word of God is the most important thing in our lives," the Pope added.

 

"Christ is always in our midst and wants to speak to our hearts," the Holy Father continued.

 

"We can listen to him by meditating with faith on sacred Scripture, recollecting ourselves in private and communal prayer, pausing in silence before the tabernacle, from which he speaks to us of his love."

 

In this context, John Paul II explained that Sunday is the day that Christians are called especially "to encounter and listen to the Lord." They are given the opportunity in the holy Mass "in which Christ prepares for the faithful the table of the Word and Bread of life," he said.

 

"But other moments of prayer and reflection, of rest and fraternity, can usefully contribute to sanctify the day of the Lord," the Pope continued. Moreover, when "by the action of the Holy Spirit, God takes up his dwelling in the heart of the believer, it becomes easier to serve brothers," as "happened in a singular and perfect way in Mary Most Holy," he added.

Michael Rose on the Austrian Seminary Scandal

I will tip my hat to him, he now admits that the gay subculture isn't just a "liberal" problem in the Church. Be warned that some may find the photos on Cruxnews.com objectionable.

Happy Birthday to Amy Today!

I'll leave it to her to reveal her age...

Funny!

Check out the animation of the presidential race.

A Lot of Sinners Do...

Carry a rosary around with them, that is. Castro did when he was in the hills of Cuba forming his revolution, I do and so does the Senator from MA it turns out...



From ABCNEWS.com : ABC News' The Note: First Source for Political News:



"'On the road, Kerry carries a rosary, a prayer book and a medal with the image of St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers, which he wore during the Vietnam War, according to a longtime associate who demanded anonymity to discuss an issue the candidate did not want to discuss. Kerry prays, sometimes with friends, including in 1999 when he helped former Vietnam crewmate Del Sandusky through hard times, the associate said.' "

If You Are in the Fort Wayne Area...

Come see us on Sunday at Barnes and Nobles...



From News Sentinel 07/15/2004 Arts & Entertainment:



"AUTHOR EVENT: Amy Welborn, Kay Cozad, Michael Dubruiel and Julianne Will, 2 p.m. Sunday, Barnes & Noble, Jefferson Pointe."

Feast of Saint Bonaventure

From TheUniversalis: Office of Readings:



"Christ is both the way and the door. Christ is the staircase and the vehicle, like the throne of mercy over the Ark of the Covenant, and the mystery hidden from the ages. A man should turn his full attention to this throne of mercy, and should gaze at him hanging on the cross, full of faith, hope and charity, devoted, full of wonder and joy, marked by gratitude, and open to praise and jubilation. Then such a man will make with Christ a pasch, that is, a passing-over. Through the branches of the cross he will pass over the Red Sea, leaving Egypt and entering the desert.



There he will taste the hidden manna, and rest with Christ in the sepulchre, as if he were dead to things outside. He will experience, as much as is possible for one who is still living, what was promised to the thief who hung beside Christ: Today you will be with me in paradise.



For this passover to be perfect, we must suspend all the operations of the mind and we must transform the peak of our affections, directing them to God alone. This is a sacred mystical experience. It cannot be comprehended by anyone unless he surrenders himself to it; nor can he surrender himself to it unless he longs for it; nor can he long for it unless the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sent into the world, should come and inflame his innermost soul. Hence the Apostle says that this mystical wisdom is revealed by the Holy Spirit.



If you ask how such things can occur, seek the answer in God?s grace, not in doctrine; in the longing of the will, not in the understanding; in the sighs of prayer, not in research; seek the bridegroom not the teacher; God and not man; darkness not daylight; and look not to the light but rather to the raging fire that carries the soul to God with intense fervour and glowing love. The fir is God, and the furnace is in Jerusalem, fired by Christ"

Politicians, Abortion and the Eucharist

Quoted here are the words of Bishop Victor Galeone of the Diocese of Saint Augustine...



From The Saint Augustine Catholic Online:



In 1962 Archbishop Joseph Rummel of New Orleans excommunicated Judge Leander Perez for attempting to block the desegregation of the school system in the archdiocese. The mainstream and liberal media applauded the archbishop’s action. Racists and segregationists attacked him vehemently. How dare he try to impose his sectarian views on those who held a different opinion on how the schools should be integrated?



In recent months, several Catholic bishops have issued directives forbidding the Eucharist to Catholic politicians who support abortion-on-demand. The media has been quick to respond with scurrilous editorial cartoons and commentaries, castigating those bishops for breaching the wall between church and state. How dare they try to impose their sectarian morality on the rest of the nation?



How does one respond to these charges? First, one should bear in mind that the right to life is not a sectarian Catholic issue – like celibacy for priests or meatless Fridays during Lent. It is a fundamental moral attribute of our humanity. We possess this right not from the state, not from the church, but from God himself. The founders of our nation acknowledged as much when they declared to the British monarch: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (emphasis mine)



Second, the right to life is the foundation of all our other rights. Just as a building without a foundation will ultimately collapse, so too, every other right we enjoy will crumble unless buttressed by this most basic right of all. So a politician of whatever or no religious persuasion at all is bound to respect the right to life of others, including incipient life in the womb.



“But the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that one cannot be sure when human life begins.” That assertion was disingenuous on the part of Justice Harry Blackmun. It’s embryology, not theology, that asserts: “Development is a continuum that begins when an ovum is fertilized by a sperm and ends at death. All the genetic information of the human adult is already present in that single combined cell, the zygote, which definitely marks the beginning of a new individual.” All that is needed for development is time and nourishment, the same components needed by a newborn child.



“Can an avid proponent of abortion-on-demand be at the same time a Catholic in good standing with the church?” I answer that question by asking another: Can an avowed racist be a member in good standing of the NAACP? For similar reasons, there are some positions so extreme that they would bar one from being considered a good Catholic, not because a specifically Catholic teaching is being denied, but because a basic tenet of the natural law is being trashed. As members of the human family, we must obey the natural law, written on our hearts: “You shall not take an innocent life.”



“Are you implying that Holy Communion should be denied to Catholic candidates who espouse abortion-on-demand?” I would hope that those candidates who consistently vote in support of abortion have enough integrity to willingly exclude themselves from receiving the Eucharist. After all, they are supporting a procedure for which the church reserves the penalty of excommunication for those directly involved. Besides, consider what St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:27: “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in any unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.”



“What about Catholic politicians who support the death penalty? Shouldn’t they refrain from receiving Holy Communion too?” According to church teaching, the state has the right to protect its citizens from unjust aggressors through use of the death penalty. However, at present the church stresses that non-lethal means – namely life-imprisonment – are more in keeping with human dignity, thus making reasons for recourse to the death penalty almost non-existent. Still, the church does not deny that the state continues to have the right to impose the death penalty. Furthermore, although the life issues are all interrelated, not all of them are of equal importance. In 1998, the bishops of the United States issued Living the Gospel of Life, a pastoral letter that stated categorically that the right to life carried more weight than other issues because it served as their moral foundation.



“I still feel that you bishops are meddling in politics.” Abortion is a moral, not a political issue. The United States Constitution does not prohibit a member of the cloth from addressing moral issues. If it did, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would never have achieved all the good that resulted in the area of civil rights. Besides, would not our silence be similar to that of the German clergy who looked the other way while millions of innocent citizens were being herded off to the ovens? And finally, God’s word roundly condemns anyone who tolerates evil. God commands Samuel to inform Eli that his house will be punished “because although he knew that his sons were blaspheming God, he did not reprove them” (1 Sam 3:13). A very similar message is found in the prophet Ezekiel 33:7-9. The lesson from Scripture is clear: Whoever tolerates evil becomes an accomplice in that evil.

The Continuing Saga of Father Christopher Clay

New bishop of Scranton says he is banned from active ministry.



From Times Leader | 07/14/2004 | Suspended or not? Accused ex-local priest's status unclear:



"A former area priest accused of sexual abuse was banned from active ministry, then given the OK to resume that work ... except he wasn't.



Confused? So is the priest's lawyer.



Attorney Greg Magarity says his client, the Rev. Christopher Clay, deserves answers. In 2002, Clay was accused of sexual misconduct and relieved of his duties. But he later received approval to resume active ministry from then-Bishop James Timlin.



Yet according to Diocese of Scranton spokeswoman Maria Orzel, Bishop Joseph Martino, who replaced Timlin last year, still bans Clay from active ministry. On Tuesday, Orzel said the ban is intact because a diocesan investigation is 'ongoing.'"

Pope Writing New Book

From Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome:



John Paul II is writing yet another book, this time on philosophical and existential reflections, says an aide.



The process of the writing "is quite advanced," said Father Pawel Ptasznik, head of the Polish section of the Vatican Secretariat of State, in an interview with the Polish Catholic news agency KAI.



Yet, "it is a long process and one must not expect the publication to be imminent," the priest said.



"In regard to the content, I can say that the news, according to which he will address above all the problems of totalitarianism, is not true," Father Ptasznik added.



"It is an open secret that for years Father Jozef Tischner" -- a philosopher and friend of the Pope -- "suggested to the Sovereign Pontiff an interview on philosophical and existential topics," Father Ptasnik said. "If I am not mistaken, this interview took place in the summer of 1984, and it was recorded."

Augustine Day by Day

An ongoing series at Fides, Cogitatio, Actio:



"'You who do not yet see God will, by loving your neighbor, make yourself worthy of seeing him. By loving your neighbor, you cleanse your eyes so you can see God. Love your neighbor, then, and see within yourself the source of this love of neighbor. There you will see God insofar as you are able.'



-- Sermon on John 17, 8"

Survey Reveals Influence of The Passion of the Christ

Interesting, though not surprising who gave it the lowest rating.



From :



"As might have been expected, evangelicals were the most enthusiastic about the movie (89% said the movie was excellent) while the lowest ratings came from atheists and agnostics, homosexuals and liberal Democrats. Protestants were more likely than Catholics to give The Passion an "excellent" rating (78% versus 68%, respectively)."

A Seeker's Dozen: The 12 Steps for Everyone Else

Kathy Shaidle's book...

A Seeker's Dozen: The 12 Steps for Everyone Else > Relapsed Catholic Store | CafePress: "A Seeker's Dozen: The 12 Steps for Everyone Else"

Cardinal Ratzinger says he, U.S. bishops 'in harmony' on politics

From CNS STORY: Cardinal Ratzinger says he, U.S. bishops 'in harmony' on politics:



"Following a rash of news reports claiming the U.S. bishops defied Vatican Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger on the question of withholding Communion from Catholic politicians whose actions conflict with church teaching on abortion, Cardinal Ratzinger said the bishops' statement on the issue 'is very much in harmony' with his recently leaked memo on the topic.



In a letter dated July 9 and made public July 12 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said the bishops' June 18 statement, titled 'Catholics in Political Life,' 'is very much in harmony with the general principles (of) 'Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion.''"

What You Have to Bring With You

If you are joining the Nashville Dominicans...





From The Theoscope: A Search for a Vocation, among other things...:



"Yesterday someone asked what items we must bring with us. Again, it's not a long list (and this one is not that complete) but here are a few of the more interesting things:



Rosary (duh, we're the Dominicans :)

Bible, Catechism, favorite prayer books

Vatican Documents (volumes I & II)

Shoe polish (we already discussed that)

8 Aprons (we already discussed this too)

2 Tupperware containers (to hold our in-progress habits)

Sewing supplies (to make in-progress habits)

A Bookbag (most, if not all of us, are going back to school!)

Musical instrument (if we play one--we are under the patronage of St. Cecilia, after all!)"



Julie is entering the community this Fall, her blog is all about her discernment.

`Virgin Mary' Vandal Jailed

Group that owns the building doesn't wish to press charges though...



From `Virgin Mary' Vandal Jailed | theledger.com:



"The small, white-haired woman emerged from the courtroom gallery Monday morning with a cross dangling from her neck and a message to deliver to the judge.



On the other side of the aisle stood an equally undaunting figure: a wiry young man with blue eyes and a tight haircut that made his ears look big.



The woman was Rosie Reed, the site leader for Shepherds of Christ Ministries, which owns the mirrored building on U.S. 19 that many think holds the rainbowhued image of the Virgin Mary.



The young man was Kyle Maskell, the 18-year-old who slung steel balls into the top windows of the image, shattering the image and beheading one of Clearwater's most beloved figures.



Despite the damage, Reed told the judge: 'Shepherds of Christ Ministries does not wish to press charges.'"

Athens Goes Dark

Reminiscent of the blackout that occured in this country last August.



From My Way News:



"The worst blackout in more than a decade hit Athens and southern Greece on Monday, leaving millions sweltering in a heat wave and raising concerns about whether the lights will go out at next month's Olympics.



The government blamed the outage on 'mismanagement' of the electricity grid. Still, officials promised the network was ready to handle the Aug. 13-29 Olympics.



But it was yet another hurdle in Athens' attempt to convince the world it is ready to host well-run and safe games. Olympics preparations have come under criticism because of construction delays and concerns over security arrangements to stop terror attacks."

Priests 'In Orgy' at Seminary

There is an issue here that transcends the United States and is crying to the Heavens to be addressed. Father Andrew Apostoli once told me that Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said,"If the authorities don't clean up the mess in the Church, the Holy Spirit will take the broom and do the job."



From Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Priests 'In Orgy' at Seminary:



"Roman Catholic leaders in Austria called an emergency meeting today after officials discovered a vast cache of photos and videos allegedly depicting young priests having sex at a seminary.



About 40,000 photographs and an undisclosed number of films, including child pornography, were downloaded on computers at the seminary in St Poelten, about 50 miles west of Vienna, the respected news magazine Profil reported.



Officials with the local diocese declined to comment but were meeting privately on the scandal, Austrian state television reported.



It said the seminary's director, the Rev Ulrich Kuechl, and his deputy, Wolfgang Rothe, had resigned.



The Austrian Bishops Conference issued a statement today pledging a full and swift investigation."

Good Endorsement of Amy's Book

From The Tablet:



"Among the new books that point out the errors in The Da Vinci Code is Amy Welborn's De-coding Da Vinci: The facts behind the fiction of The Da Vinci Code(Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc;, Huntington, Indiana 46750, 124 pp.). I have just finished reading it and I think it is exceptionally good. There is not space in this column to report the numerous errors that Welborn points out in Brown's novel. She has done her homework well. The book is attractively laid out and that, along with Welborn's clear writing, make the book an easy read even though it contains a great deal of information.



Amy Welborn wrote her book to help readers sort out the errors in The Da Vinci Code. She was disturbed by the enthusiasm with which this novel has been received. I am too. What to make of this phenomenon? Welborn writes the following:



"I wrote this book because I wanted to help the curious readers sort through the many interesting issues raised in The Da Vinci Code."

The View Through The Windshield - Blog - Weblog

Check out The View Through The Windshield - Blog - Weblog:



"Reformation II? The Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon (just across the river from here) became the first Catholic diocese in the country to seek bankruptcy protection because of multimillion-dollar awards given to victims of clergy sex abuse. This action will be followed closely by Catholic dioceses and parishes throughout the U.S. and could result in drastic structural changes to the U.S. Catholic Church."

Toledo to Close 24 Parishes

What is interesting if you go to the original story is the listing of how many parishioners attend each parish. The diocese has a host of parishes that have under 500 parishioners and not many that have a large amount. What has happened to the Catholic Faith in this part of the country?



From toledoblade.com:



"Two dozen of the Toledo Catholic Diocese's 157 parishes are recommended for closure as part of a realignment study designed to consolidate parishes with too few members and assign a dwindling number of priests to no more than two parishes at a time (See Diocesan statistics below).



Bishop Leonard P. Blair will announce the names of parishes involved in the recommended changes in September after a series of meetings with clergy and members of the diocese, church leaders announced yesterday. The bishop will then meet with each affected parish to explain the situation, hear feedback, and announce his final decision on the changes in March, 2005."

Actor Mistaken for the Real Deal

From Ananova - Jesus actor mistaken for the real deal:



"James Caviezel has been swamped with requests to perform miracles by Mexican fans who believe he really is Jesus Christ.



The 35-year-old actor, who played Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, was on a one-week tour of the east Mexican state of Veracruz.



According to Mexican newspaper Reforma, dozens of residents from villages throughout the state, one of the poorest in the country, asked Caviezel to heal the sick and perform other miracles as he passed through.



The actor, who is himself a strict Catholic, said: 'The belief of these people really moved me.



'It was a shock for me to see how they came up to me to ask for my help. I had to explain to them that I was only an actor, and wasn't really the son of God.'"

Catastrophic Effects?

Who will win this battle? Will Bin Laden be caught before the election or will he "inflict catastrophic effects"? And what are you and I doing about effecting that result by our prayers?



From The New York Times > Washington > Bin Laden Is Said to Be Organizing for a U.S. Attack:



"Counterterrorism officials have said for weeks that they are increasingly worried by a continuing stream of intelligence suggesting that Al Qaeda wanted to carry out a significant terror attack on United States soil this year. But until the comments of the senior administration officials on Thursday, it was not clear that Mr. bin Laden and top deputies like Ayman Zawahiri were responsible for the concern.



Another senior administration official said on Thursday that the intelligence reports - apparently drawn partly from interviews with captured Qaeda members and partly from other intelligence - referred to efforts 'to inflict catastrophic effects' before the election.



This official said that the reports did not refer specifically to Mr. bin Laden's instructions or desires, but did make clear that instructions were coming from Qaeda leaders. 'It sounds like a corporate effort,' the official said."

Pre-Order Now!

The Power of the Cross: Applying the Passion of Christ to Your Life

Large Scale Attack on U.S. Imminent?

From My Way News:



"Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Thursday that there is 'credible' information indicating that al-Qaida is moving ahead with plans for a 'large-scale attack' in the U.S. aimed at disrupting the November elections.



Ridge said it's clear that al-Qaida has the capability to carry out such an attack. He said U.S. authorities don't have information on the time, place or method, but that they're 'actively working' to gain that knoweldge.



He also said al-Qaida is working under the 'mistaken belief' that such an attack would affect the nation's resolve.



Ridge said there was no specific information indicating that al-Qaida is targeting either the Democratic National Convention later this month in Boston or the Republican National Convention a month later in New York.



The United States is tightening security in the face of a steady stream of intelligence indicating al-Qaida may seek to mount an attack aimed at disrupting elections, the White House said earlier."

Other Dioceses to Declare Bankruptcy?

From State News - StatesmanJournal.com:



"The Portland Archdiocese is the first, and probably not the last, U.S. Roman Catholic diocese to seek bankruptcy protection from multimillion-dollar judgments in clergy sexual-abuse cases.



"I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier," said Father Thomas Reese, editor-in-chief of America, the weekly Catholic magazine published by the Jesuit Society. "Given the judgments, someone had to run out of money. I don't think this is the last diocese."



The Tucson Diocese in Arizona has set a mid-September deadline for deciding whether to file for bankruptcy, and the Boston Archdiocese sold the former archbishop?s residence and surrounding land to raise $90 million to help pay a settlement with sexual-abuse victims.



The Boston Archdiocese is closing schools and parish churches to cut costs because donations and attendance at Mass dropped after revelations of sexual abuse by priests. The Boston Archdiocese's Web site states that the properties will be sold and the proceeds will be shared with remaining parishes and used to support health and pension funds for church employees.



Tucson Bishop Gerald Kicanas has publicly considered Chapter 11 bankruptcy as one way to deal with possible judgments in the cases of more than 20 alleged victims. Lawyers representing people with possible claims have asked the courts to stop the diocese from selling any property before Kicanas decides whether to file for bankruptcy."

Accused Priest Dies

From The Rev. Joseph Romansky dead, was priest accused of child abuse:



"The Rev. Joseph Romansky, 52, the Cleveland priest accused of abusing dozens of boys in Cleveland over 20 years, died Saturday night.



A spokesman for the Cleveland Catholic diocese confirmed his death, but declined to comment on any details, including how he died.



'The family has requested privacy,' said Robert Tayek. 'We have to honor that. The funeral and burial are already over. He was buried Tuesday.'



Romansky had been on administrative leave since April 2002 and was living in an apartment near his last assignment, chaplain at St. Augustine Manor, a nursing home on Detroit Road.

Romansky was among 15 Cleveland diocese priests suspended in 2002 pending lawsuits and investigations into child-molestation charges. "

Insight Scoop 2004

The Ignatius Press blog at Insight Scoop 2004

McCarrick Says Leaked Ratzinger Memo Not Whole Story

From CNS STORY: Cardinal McCarrick says leaked Ratzinger memo is not whole story:



"Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington said July 6 that the leaked text of a recent memo he received from a top Vatican official, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, on Catholic politicians and abortion appeared to be 'an incomplete and partial leak' not reflecting 'the full message I received.'



The memo outlined principles of moral and sacramental theology that should be taken into account in determining whether Catholic politicians who take public policy stands contrary to fundamental church teaching in areas such as abortion and euthanasia should be allowed to receive Communion or asked or ordered not to receive the sacrament.



Cardinal McCarrick is head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' task force studying how bishops should deal with Catholic politicians in those areas."

New Bishop for Jamaica

From The Vatican Information Service:



The Holy Father has..



- Appointed Bishop Gordon Dunlap Bennett, S.J., auxiliary of the archdiocese of Baltimore, U.S.A., as bishop of Mandeville (area 3,319, population 576,000, population 8,200, priests 37, permanent deacons 6, religious 41), Jamaica. He accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Paul Michael Boyle, C.P., upon having reached the age limit.

The Kerry Affair: What Ratzinger Wanted from the American Bishops

From www.chiesa | The Kerry Affair: What Ratzinger Wanted from the American Bishops:



"Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was clear with Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, archbishop of Washington and the head of the "domestic policy" commission of the U.S. Catholic bishops' conference. He was more than clear, he set it down in writing: no eucharistic communion for the politicians who systematically campaign for abortion.



Read: no communion for the Democratic candidate for the White House, the Catholic John F. Kerry.



Ratzinger's memorandum is presented in its entirety below. It was sent as a confidential letter, during the first half of June, to cardinal McCarrick and to the president of the bishops' conference, Wilton Gregory.



But the bishops of the United States made a different decision. After months of discussion, and after days of wrangling at their conference's general assembly, held in Denver from June 14-19, they published a note entitled "Catholics in Political Life," which leaves to each individual bishop the decision of whether or not to give communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians."

New Bishop

From the Vatican Information Service:



The Holy Father has...



- Appointed Msgr. Thomas Mitchell Rozanski, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Severna Park, U.S.A., as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Baltimore (area 12,430, population 2,972,083, Catholics 500,179, priests 497, permanent deacons 171, religious 1,446), U.S.A.

Vocation Journey

A blog detailing a man's discernment of his vocation, along with his thoughts on other hot topics at Vocation Journey

Kerry Says He Believes Life Starts at Conception

If you believe life begins at conception and you vote to fund the terminating of life, what does that make you Senator?



It's not a religous belief of some unseen deity, it is a truth based on scientific fact. You are either a liar or worst.



From Kerry Says He Believes Life Starts at Conception (washingtonpost.com):



"But even as he tried to avoid making news Sunday, Kerry broke new ground in an interview that ran in the Dubuque, Iowa, Telegraph Herald. A Catholic who supports abortion rights and has taken heat from some in the church hierarchy for his stance, Kerry told the paper, 'I oppose abortion, personally. I don't like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception.'



Spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said that although Kerry has often said abortion should be 'safe, legal and rare,' and that his religion shapes that view, she could not recall him ever publicly discussing when life begins.



'I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist,' he continued in the interview. 'We have separation of church and state in the United States of America.' The comments came on the final day of a three-state Midwest swing, during which Kerry has repeatedly sought to dispel stereotypes that could play negatively among voters there. "

Priest Has Vision of Hell

Bishops and priests among the populace there...



The priest serves in the Diocese of Saint Augustine, and I know him but never knew of this event in his life...



From Spirit Daily:



That, asserts Father Maniyangat, was when hell, an awful sight, opened before him. It was daunting. "I saw Satan and people fighting, tortured, and screaming," claims the cleric. "And the fire too. I saw fire. I saw people suffering and the angel told me it was due to mortal sin and the fact that they were not repentant. That was the thing. Unrepentant."



The priest says he was told there are seven "degrees" or levels of suffering in the netherworld. Those who committed "mortal sin after mortal sin" in life were suffering the most intense heat. "They had bodies and looked very ugly, so cruel and ugly, horrifying," says Father Maniyangat. "They were human but like monsters: fearful, ugly-looking things. I saw people I knew but I can't say who they were. The angel told me I could not reveal this."



The sins that got them into that state, he says, were transgressions such as abortion, homosexuality, hatefulness, and sacrilege. If they had repented, they would have gone to purgatory -- the angel allegedly told him. He was surprised at who he saw in hell. Some were priests. Some were bishops. "There were many, because they had misled the people," he asserts -- again, for your discernment. "They were people I never expected."

2004 NFB National Convention Information

2004 NFB National Convention Information

New Bishops

Gerald Walsh and Dennis Sullivan are new auxiliaries in New York. Theologian Bruno Forte is named an Archbishop in Italy...

The Blind Leading the Blind

Interesting combination, the National Federation for the Blind is meeting in the same hotel where the Christian booksellers are staying...with us here in Atlanta, GA.

Priest Beats Up Would-Be Robbers

Time to "enforce" the Gospel...



From FOXNews.com - Foxlife - Out There - Priest Beats Up Would-Be Robbers:



"Father Matt Foley ran in and grabbed the man's tools, but the crook fought back, and the tussle wandered into the street, then a nearby alley.

'He had threatened me that he had a knife,' Foley told the TV station. 'I had to physically keep his hand away from the knife so I wouldn't be harmed. So I put him basically in a half-nelson and held him to the ground.'



Two men who had gotten free meals at the church were arrested.



Growing up with four brothers and two sisters taught him how to fight, Foley explained, adding that he was ready to risk his life again for the sake of the church's money."

The Flannery O'Connor - Andalusia Foundation, Inc. Home Page

The Flannery O'Connor - Andalusia Foundation, Inc. Home Page

An Antenna Disquised as a Crucifix?

From Mobile Phone Masts Go Undercover | Science & Technology | Deutsche Welle | 14.06.2004:



"European companies are finding ingenious ways to disguise ugly, but necessary, mobile phone antenna masts. Customers can pick everything from trees to crucifixes.



Those willing to set up mobile phone antenna masts on their property can get good money for their cooperation -- along with grief from their neighbors.



The masts are typically unwanted in neighborhoods, either because of fears that they can damage your health or due to their ugly appearance. There's an answer to that last objection, simply dress the masts up as trees, chimneys, or even crucifixes."

Part II of Jennifer Ferrara Interview

ZENIT News Agency--The World Seen from Rome:



Q: What role is left for women in the Church if they cannot be priests?



Ferrara: It is not a matter of a role "being left for women" but of women embracing their proper role. There has always been plenty for women to do in the Catholic Church.



Remember, the ordination of women in Protestant communities is a recent development. Before then, women had almost no role to play in those denominations. Protestant churches are starkly masculine.



As a Lutheran, I had no female models of holiness to turn to for comfort and guidance. Though many Protestant denominations ordain women, they do not recognize the importance of the feminine -- mother Church embodied in Mary -- in God's plan for salvation.



I do not see why many Catholics discount the importance of the women religious in the life of the Church as if they were second-class citizens. They are our spiritual mothers.



Protestants have never recognized such a role for women. Moreover, there are also all sorts of lay apostolates, orders and associations women can join.

Jesse Jackson Speaks at the 10:00 A.M. Mass?

I wonder if this was a reaction to the Bishop's strong statement in Denver?



At St. Gertrudes in Chicago...

Women's Ordination?

From Zenit News Agency - The World Seen From Rome:



"When she was younger, Jennifer Ferrara never would have foreseen the day when she became a sort of apologist for the all-male Catholic priesthood.



But that's what the former Lutheran minister who converted to Catholicism has become.



Ferrara, who became Catholic in 1998, recently told her conversion story in 'The Catholic Mystique: Fourteen Women Find Fulfillment in the Catholic Church' (Our Sunday Visitor), which she co-edited with Patricia Sodano Ireland, another former Lutheran pastor.



Ferrara shared with ZENIT how her search for theological justification of women's ordination in Lutheran seminary eventually changed her mind about the priesthood and opened her heart to the Catholic Church. "

Occaision of Sin?

Someone should remind the Salesians about the "avoiding the near occaision of sin"...very troubling and arrogant!



From

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News:



"About a dozen children circle around the Rev. Frank Klep after Mass on one sun-kissed Sunday. They chirp his name, trying to catch his eye as he begins handing out foil-wrapped candy. He calls them by name, too, beams and hugs some of them.



Few, if any, locals are aware that the friendly priest is a convicted child molester who has admitted abusing one boy and is wanted on more charges back in Australia. In 1998, his religious order placed him here in the South Pacific. Australian police can't touch him now because their country has no extradition treaty with Samoa.



Neither he nor the church feels an obligation to tell anyone about all that. "

Dallas News with Another Invetigative Report

In my very limited dealings these days, I do know of one African priest who was sent to a U.S. diocese because he was having serious problems back in Africa. The bishop who knew the full details was not assigning the man to any parish though.



FromDallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News:



"Catholic priests accused of sexually abusing children are hiding abroad and working in church ministries, The Dallas Morning News has found.



From Africa to Latin America to Europe to Asia, these priests have started new lives in unsuspecting communities, often with the help of church officials. They are leading parishes, teaching and continuing to work in settings that bring them into contact with children, despite church claims to the contrary. "

Imitating a Life

A brutal review of Bill Clinton's life story in the NY Times...



From The New York Times > Books > Books of The Times: The Pastiche of a Presidency, Imitating a Life, in 957 Pages:



"Unfortunately for the reader, Mr. Clinton's much awaited new autobiography 'My Life' more closely resembles the Atlanta speech, which was so long-winded and tedious that the crowd cheered when he finally reached the words 'In closing . . .'



The book, which weighs in at more than 950 pages, is sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull -- the sound of one man prattling away, not for the reader, but for himself and some distant recording angel of history."