Thursday, March 31, 2005

Pope Given Last Rites

This is being reported, but as usual the reporters have no understanding of what they are reporting saying that it refers to the "annointing of the sick." If the Vatican is saying that the Pope has been given the Last Rites they are referring to a series of "rites" that are performed for a dying person including:

Confession and Absolution

Annointing of the Sick...this was referred to
in the old days as "extreme unction"

and...

Viaticum...Holy
Communion
given to accompany the dying person on their way, their "via" to God.

If this is truly what the Vatican is reporting then the condition of the Pope must be very grave and I would ask all to pray for this saint who God has blessed us with these past twenty-six years.

Terri has Died

May she rest in peace...may God forgive those who put an end to her life.

From the Front Lines

Outside of Terri Schiavo's "cell":



From Sacred Miscellany:



"Better late than never - we went down to the hospice in Pinellas Park where Terri Schiavo is being starved to death. It was a wretched day with heavy downpours on the Interstate. When we got there, the weather had cleared and we found ourselves in a surreal universe of people keeping vigil, encamped media, and an overwhelming police presence. Was it worth the four-hour drive? Yes. You very clearly have a sense of being present at a turning point in American life. There were Catholics, Protestants, disabled and able-bodied, adults and children. Not the numbers we would have hoped, but maybe crowds don't turn out for these moments in history.



What did I hear from the people around me? Why were they there? Because they cared. Because they were scandalized that no one else was there. Over and over I heard, 'Where are the bishops?' Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament was there, and we know that where He is, His mother is never far behind."

Michael Brown and the Scientology Connection

In the Terri Schiavo horror...



From Spirit Daily - Daily spiritual news from around the world:



"Scientologists in Clearwater faced a major lawsuit a while ago over the death of a member named Lisa McPherson, who, the suit alleged, was isolated, starved, and dehydrated as part of an attempt to make her fall back into line. The lawsuit asserted that 'Scientologists are ordered to and have been successful in infiltrating other organizations and government agencies, newspapers, medical associations, psychological associations, and psychiatric associations throughout the world.' Scientology's 'mecca' is Clearwater, says the literature."

Providence Gets the Bishop of Youngstown

From the Vatican Information Service:

The Holy Father appointed Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Youngstown, U.S.A., as bishop of Providence (area 3,143, population 1,063,200, Catholics 649,188, priests 407, permanent deacons 107, religious 895), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Robert E. Mulvee whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese was accepted by the Holy Father, upon having reached the age limit.

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Audio Blog on the Origins of My New Book

this is an audio post - click to play



Pope Being Fed Through a Tube

Appears at window but once again an attempt to speak is muted.



From CNN.com - Pope being fed through a tube - Mar 30, 2005:



"Pope John Paul II is being fed through a nasal tube in an effort to boost his calorie intake, the Vatican says.



'To improve his calorific intake and promote an efficient recovery of his strength, nutrition via the positioning of a nasal-gastric tube has begun,' Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in a statement released Wednesday.



The pope underwent a tracheotomy on February 24 and still has a tube inserted in his windpipe to help his breathing.



Earlier Wednesday the pope appeared at his studio window and blessed the thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square."