Friday, May 7, 2004

8 Priests Ignore Phoenix Bishop Olmstead

I went to school with a number of guys who were studying to be priests for Phoenix in the 1980's.



One of them was a young man who was very homosexual and to the best of my knowledge was never ordained--in fact he left suddenly along with his "lover" amid rumors that both had been married by a former classmate who at the time was a priest in Phoenix. This created quite a buzz at the time.



What is interesting and related to the current issue is that this young man's father was also studying to be a priest at the time at another seminary, one for older vocations. He was ordained and is one of the priests who is ignoring Bishop Olmstead's decree. (As I recall in his case his wife had died).



It will be interesting to see how all of this resolves itself, I think this is the first shots of a war that is about to break out into the open.



From 8 Priests Ignore Phoenix Bishop Olmstead:



"A week after they were ordered by the bishop to remove their names from a pro-gay statement, only one of nine Catholic priests who signed the document has complied.





The Rev. Chris Carpenter, pastor of Christ the King Parish in Mesa, said Tuesday in an e-mail to the media that he would remove his name from the Phoenix Declaration 'in fidelity to my promise of obedience and respect for the bishop of Phoenix and in the interest of parish and diocesan unity.'





He said he would continue to offer pastoral care to gay people and to stand with them 'when they are uncharitably or unjustly treated.'





The e-mail followed the publication in the diocesan newspaper and on its Web site of the first of three columns by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted about homosexuality. Last week, Olmsted sent a confidential letter to the priests demanding they remove their names from the document, prepared by a coalition of Catholic and Protestant clergy called No Longer Silent. Olmsted said the columns are an attempt to respond to the declaration."

New Book on Pope John Paul I





Also an interesting story about John Paul I at Spirit Daily.

New Auxilary Bishops for the Military

From the Vatican Information Service:



The Holy Father appointed Msgrs. Richard Brendan Higgins, chaplain of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, U.S.A, and Joseph Walter Eastbrook, chaplain of the Navy in Pearl Harbor, U.S.A., as auxiliary bishops of the Military Ordinate of the United States. Bishop-elect Higgins was born in 1944 in Longford, Ireland and was ordained a priest in 1968. Bishop-elect Eastbrook was born in 1944 in Kingston, U.S.A. and was ordained a priest in 1969.

D.C. Cardinal's Comment Spurs Ad Campaign

From D.C. cardinal's comment spurs ad campaign - (United Press International):



"The American Life League launched an ad campaign Thursday aimed at Catholic leaders who will not bar pro-abortion rights politicians from taking communion.



The group says its first ad is a response to Washington Theodore Cardinal McCarrick's recent statement that he was not yet 'comfortable' denying the right to participate in the Holy Sacraments to pro-abortion rights political leaders like Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass.



'Pope John Paul II has made clear that 'in cases of outward conduct which is seriously, clearly and steadfastly contrary to the moral norm,' Catholics should not receive Holy Communion,' League President Judie Brown said. 'It is not a question of the cardinal feeling 'comfortable.' It is a question of doing what is right.'



A spokesman for the league said the full-page ads would appear in the Washington, D.C.-area and in in several national publications."

Thursday, May 6, 2004

Bush Pauses to Comfort Teen who Lost Mother on 9/11



Bush pauses to comfort teen:



"'This girl lost her mom in the World Trade Center on 9-11.'



Bush stopped and turned back.



'He changed from being the leader of the free world to being a father, a husband and a man,' Faulkner said. 'He looked right at her and said, 'How are you doing?' He reached out with his hand and pulled her into his chest.'



Faulkner snapped one frame with his camera.



'I could hear her say, 'I'm OK,' ' he said. 'That's more emotion than she has shown in 21/2 years. Then he said, 'I can see you have a father who loves you very much.' '



'And I said, 'I do, Mr. President, but I miss her mother every day.' It was a special moment.' "

Antiwar.com Pledge Week...

Antiwar.com So far they've raised $24,000! Impressive!

Now What? Gaypriests.org?

A new web site, I couldn't find anyone claiming responsibility for it though...Main Page