Named by Pope John Paul II today to be an Auxilary Bishop in Miami. I've known him since 1980 when I visited Saint Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He was the Rector at the time and took me outside as the sun was setting and said the memorable words, "Mike, this is Florida!"
A few years ago, I was visiting the Seminary and he recounted a fascinating nugget when I told him I was now living in Fort Wayne, IN--this Cuban born man had grown up in Fort Wayne! He also was ordained a priest for a Cuban diocese in abstentia in the Cathedral in Fort Wayne. Its a small world!
He'll make a great bishop!
Friday, November 21, 2003
Archdiocese Found Guilty of Failing to Report Abuse
Part of the Prosecuting Attorney's Statement...
From :
"Hold them accountable.
Make sure this doesn't happen again.
I cannot tell you how many times or how many people have said that to me over the last year. But they were not talking about a serial rapist, or a multiple murderer, or the vicious rioters who brought our city to its knees.
They were talking about one of the most respected and revered institutions in our county - the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
And the depth of the public's anger and frustration with the leadership of the Catholic Church rivals that expressed to me about any case since I have been prosecutor.
I can tell you today that we have done exactly what the citizens of Hamilton County and this office felt was required. We have held them accountable, and we have taken steps to make sure what took place in the Catholic Church over the last several decades will not happen again. "
From :
"Hold them accountable.
Make sure this doesn't happen again.
I cannot tell you how many times or how many people have said that to me over the last year. But they were not talking about a serial rapist, or a multiple murderer, or the vicious rioters who brought our city to its knees.
They were talking about one of the most respected and revered institutions in our county - the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
And the depth of the public's anger and frustration with the leadership of the Catholic Church rivals that expressed to me about any case since I have been prosecutor.
I can tell you today that we have done exactly what the citizens of Hamilton County and this office felt was required. We have held them accountable, and we have taken steps to make sure what took place in the Catholic Church over the last several decades will not happen again. "
Grave of Simeon?
Interesting find in Jerusalem.
From Gospel verse found on ancient shrine:
"The inscription says the monument is the tomb of “Simeon who was a very just man and a very devoted old (person) and waiting for the consolation of the people.” Simeon is a Greek version of Simon.
The passage is identical to the Gospel verse Luke 2:25, as it appears in a 4th-century version of the Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, which was later revised extensively.
“This (the inscription) shows there were different versions of the Old and New Testament going around,” said Zias, who presented his find Thursday at the annual conference of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Atlanta.
The Zachariah and Simon inscriptions were chiseled into what is known today as Absalom’s Tomb, one of three large funerary monuments built in the Kidron Valley for the city’s rich."
From Gospel verse found on ancient shrine:
"The inscription says the monument is the tomb of “Simeon who was a very just man and a very devoted old (person) and waiting for the consolation of the people.” Simeon is a Greek version of Simon.
The passage is identical to the Gospel verse Luke 2:25, as it appears in a 4th-century version of the Bible, the Codex Sinaiticus, which was later revised extensively.
“This (the inscription) shows there were different versions of the Old and New Testament going around,” said Zias, who presented his find Thursday at the annual conference of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Atlanta.
The Zachariah and Simon inscriptions were chiseled into what is known today as Absalom’s Tomb, one of three large funerary monuments built in the Kidron Valley for the city’s rich."
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Pretending to be Catholic--In Order to Save Your Life
I'm working on talks for my upcoming mission and illustrations for the talks. One of the most remarkable people that I have come to befriend in the past few years is someone who for a period of her life pretended to be Catholic in order to save her life. She is a Polish Jew who growing up in Poland in the late 1930's literally survived the horrors of the Nazi occupation by pretending to be Catholic. She was given a fake Baptismal Certificate, a Christian name, and she attended Mass regularly (Communion was not a problem in the pre-conciliar church because hardly anyone received regularly). Much later in life she became close friends with a fellow Pole (besides me that is) who just happens to be the Pope. In a correspondence with her, one of his recurring messages to her, is that she "be herself" and I find this remarkable because of her early history where survival was only possible by not being herself but pretending to be someone else. Even though she is a Jew the Pope is very Christian in his correspondence to her, he recommends her to the Blessed Virgin Mary, wishes her well on Jewish feasts as well as those connected to Christ, he even sends her a piece of his Oplatek, Na szczescie, na zdrowie z Wigilia!.
She has written a book about Him and her own experiences entitled Building Bridges: Pope John Paul II and the Horizon of Life.
What strikes me about Lena's story is how many of us are pretending to be Catholic in our own day? And why?
I often wonder when I hear people talk about what they believe and what they do not believe and wonder why they remain Catholic if they really don't believe? The amazing thing I have learned from my experiences with Dr. Allen-Shore is that she believes more about the Catholic faith than many who say they are Catholic. She once pretended to be Catholic in order to save her life and perhaps in the end all of us our pretending to be Catholic so that we too might save our lives. But is "pretending" going to be enough in the end?
If we followed the Pope's advice to Lena to "be ourself" would we be something else? I know deep down that when the Pope tells Lena to be herself that he knows that she is a follower of Christ. That something in her early years catechized her to the truth of the Gospel and it has never left her. And I truly believe that if each of us was the person that God created us to be, namely ourself, we too would hear the truth of the Gospel and coming to Christ in the Eucharist would be something that would enable us to become even more truly who we are!
She has written a book about Him and her own experiences entitled Building Bridges: Pope John Paul II and the Horizon of Life.
What strikes me about Lena's story is how many of us are pretending to be Catholic in our own day? And why?
I often wonder when I hear people talk about what they believe and what they do not believe and wonder why they remain Catholic if they really don't believe? The amazing thing I have learned from my experiences with Dr. Allen-Shore is that she believes more about the Catholic faith than many who say they are Catholic. She once pretended to be Catholic in order to save her life and perhaps in the end all of us our pretending to be Catholic so that we too might save our lives. But is "pretending" going to be enough in the end?
If we followed the Pope's advice to Lena to "be ourself" would we be something else? I know deep down that when the Pope tells Lena to be herself that he knows that she is a follower of Christ. That something in her early years catechized her to the truth of the Gospel and it has never left her. And I truly believe that if each of us was the person that God created us to be, namely ourself, we too would hear the truth of the Gospel and coming to Christ in the Eucharist would be something that would enable us to become even more truly who we are!
In the Philipines if You're a Priest and You Father a Second Child--You're Out!
Why not with the first????
Same rule applies to those with a homosexual orientation but its unclear how they would know if it was the first act or second act?
From The Manila Times Internet Edition | TOP STORIES >:
Priests in the Philippines found to have fathered a child will not be automatically defrocked but those with two will be immediately asked to leave the Catholic Church.
Those found committing homosexual acts will be sent to a rehabilitation center run by the Church, but if they repeat the offense they will be expelled at once.
The offenses and their penalties are contained in an 18-page “Pastoral Guidelines on Sexual Abuses and Misconduct by the Clergy” released by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Wednesday.
The CBCP was forced to issue the protocol after two prominent bishops earlier this year figured in sex scandals.
Bishop Crisostomo Yalung left the clergy after begetting two children by a parishioner in Antipolo City, while the Vatican removed Teodoro Bacani, bishop of Novaliches, on allegations that he sexually harassed his secretary.
For the first time last year the Catholic Church publicly apologized for sexual abuses committed by Filipino priests, but insisted that most of them remained faithful to their vows.
The Church admitted that some 200 priests have been investigated for sexual misconduct over the past 20 years. Some were dismissed; most resigned voluntarily.
Same rule applies to those with a homosexual orientation but its unclear how they would know if it was the first act or second act?
From The Manila Times Internet Edition | TOP STORIES >:
Priests in the Philippines found to have fathered a child will not be automatically defrocked but those with two will be immediately asked to leave the Catholic Church.
Those found committing homosexual acts will be sent to a rehabilitation center run by the Church, but if they repeat the offense they will be expelled at once.
The offenses and their penalties are contained in an 18-page “Pastoral Guidelines on Sexual Abuses and Misconduct by the Clergy” released by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Wednesday.
The CBCP was forced to issue the protocol after two prominent bishops earlier this year figured in sex scandals.
Bishop Crisostomo Yalung left the clergy after begetting two children by a parishioner in Antipolo City, while the Vatican removed Teodoro Bacani, bishop of Novaliches, on allegations that he sexually harassed his secretary.
For the first time last year the Catholic Church publicly apologized for sexual abuses committed by Filipino priests, but insisted that most of them remained faithful to their vows.
The Church admitted that some 200 priests have been investigated for sexual misconduct over the past 20 years. Some were dismissed; most resigned voluntarily.
FSU Joke of the Day
In preparation for the Florida-Florida State game on Nov. 29th:
A state trooper pulls over an FSU grad on Interstate 10.
State trooper asks, "You got any I.D."
The FSU grad replies, "About what??"
A state trooper pulls over an FSU grad on Interstate 10.
State trooper asks, "You got any I.D."
The FSU grad replies, "About what??"
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
The Next Archbishop of Atlanta?
A friend who has an uncanny knack for being right when it comes to telling me weeks before who the most likely candidates are to fill vacant sees, claims Bishop Boland will be the next Archbishop of Atlanta...today he raises his voice against same-sex marriages.
From MDJonline.com - Marietta, Georgia:
"A Roman Catholic bishop who co-authored a statement opposing same-sex unions, approved by U.S. bishops last week, said Monday legal gay marriages would be 'another diminishing of society, just like abortion.'
But Bishop J. Kevin Boland of the Diocese of Savannah insisted the document, to be distributed to Catholic churches in pamphlet form, was not intended to condemn homosexuals.
'We respect their dignity as persons,' Boland said at a news conference. 'We know that, with some individuals, it's not their choice to be gay. But at the same time a gay person, just like a heterosexual person, may be obliged to chastity.'
At their annual meeting in Washington last week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted a four-page statement explaining why Catholics should oppose legal recognition of same-sex unions. As chairman of the bishops' Committee on Marriage and Family, Boland was one of the document's authors and sponsored it before the full conference."
From MDJonline.com - Marietta, Georgia:
"A Roman Catholic bishop who co-authored a statement opposing same-sex unions, approved by U.S. bishops last week, said Monday legal gay marriages would be 'another diminishing of society, just like abortion.'
But Bishop J. Kevin Boland of the Diocese of Savannah insisted the document, to be distributed to Catholic churches in pamphlet form, was not intended to condemn homosexuals.
'We respect their dignity as persons,' Boland said at a news conference. 'We know that, with some individuals, it's not their choice to be gay. But at the same time a gay person, just like a heterosexual person, may be obliged to chastity.'
At their annual meeting in Washington last week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted a four-page statement explaining why Catholics should oppose legal recognition of same-sex unions. As chairman of the bishops' Committee on Marriage and Family, Boland was one of the document's authors and sponsored it before the full conference."
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