Shut Up, I Explained

Joan Chittister is an outspoken advocate of justice, peace and equality — especially for women world-wide — and has been one of America’s visionary spiritual voices for more than 30 years.

Just to be clear, Sister Joan thinks a dead baby is better than a poor one.

Margaret Sanger, call your office!

Solid Advice

From Epic Pew:

10 Things You Might Be Doing Wrong at Mass 

1. Changing posture early

 2. Leaving before the Mass is over

 

3. Genuflecting toward the altar

4. Nodding your head instead of a proper bow

5. Standing in the Orans position during the Our Father

 

 6. Walking around at the Sign of Peace

7. Not saying “Amen” before receiving Communion

 8. Not singing

9. Not saying the responses

10. Arriving late

The Trouble With Franciscans, Part 1

The White House has honored 12 religious believers for "their grassroots efforts to green their communities and educate others on the moral and social justice implications of climate change," according to a blog post by Angela Barranco, the associate director for public engagement at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Among those honored as "champions of change" on July 20 were Sister Joan Brown, executive director of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, and Patrick Carolan, executive director of the Franciscan Action Network.

Sister Joan Brown

Executive Director, New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light
Sister Joan Brown, osf is the Executive Director of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light. A Franciscan Catholic Sister, Sr. Brown has worked for various non-profits in Colorado and New Mexico, including the Peace House, a shelter for women living on the streets in Colorado Springs. Sr. Brown has served on the leadership team of the Rochester, Minnesota Franciscans and currently serves on the Finance Committee for the Congregation. Sr. Brown is an Oxfam Sister on the Planet and works and collaborates with many local and national organizations in addressing climate change and creation care.

Creation Care? What is that?

It's too dreadful for me to write about. Go here http://creationcare.org/ and read it yourself.

Remember the Pronunciation When You Say the Niacene Creed

As one ocmmenter said, "At least he didn't say 'Pancho'".

Round Up The Usual Suspects

In the wake of two videos allegedly showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of aborted fetal body parts, Republicans in Congress are working to ensure that Planned Parenthood is stripped of its federal funding.

However, it’s not only the government that fills Planned Parenthood’s coffers. According to 2nd Vote, a website and app that tracks the flow of money from consumers to political causes, more than 25 percent of Planned Parenthood’s $1.3-billion annual revenue comes from private donations, which includes corporate contributions.

Dr. Mary Gatter, Head of the Planned Parenthood medical directors council, negotiates the price for baby organs.

2nd Vote researched the corporations and organizations to find which supported Planned Parenthood and found that more than three dozen donated to the group. Some companies donated directly, while others matched employee gifts.
 
Here are the 38 companies that have directly funded Planned Parenthood.

1. Adobe
2. American Cancer Society
3. American Express
4. AT&T
5. Avon
6. Bank of America
7. Bath & Body Works
8. Ben & Jerry’s
9. Clorox
10. Converse
11. Deutsche Bank
12. Dockers
13. Energizer
14. Expedia
15. ExxonMobil
16. Fannie Mae
17. Groupon
18. Intuit
19. Johnson & Johnson
20. La Senza
21. Levi Strauss
22. Liberty Mutual
23. Macy’s
24. March of Dimes
25. Microsoft
26. Morgan Stanley
27. Nike
28. Oracle
29. PepsiCo
30. Pfizer
31. Progressive
32. Starbucks
33. Susan G. Komen
34. Tostitos
35. Unilever
36. United Way
37. Verizon
38. Wells Fargo

Diogenes, Call Your Office

In a stunning indictment against Planned Parenthood two abortion executives have exposed themselves negotiating pricing for the marketing of baby organs harvested from abortion procedures. In damning evidence collected by The Center for Medical Progress Dr. Deborah Nucatola and Dr. Mary Gatter, both senior executives of Planned Parenthood, are each videoed discussing the illegal activity of providing vital baby organs to interested clients.

 Dr. Nucatola in Louisiana is seen sipping wine while bragging “we are very good at it” in providing high quality baby parts to those in the market to obtain organs or specimens. Dr. Gatter in a separate video is heard promising to also deliver organ specimens by using “less crunchy” methods of dismembering the body of a baby during an abortion.

 When the second video emerged a week later of Dr. Gatter of Planned Parenthood’s Pasadana and San Gabriel facilities, she was heard promising to deliver high quality organ parts by using “less crunchy” methods of slaughtering the babies during an abortion. She then quipped regarding the price negotiations, “I want a Lamborghini”. 

Noted Theologian Nancy Pelosi

And how did former Speaker of the House and noted Theologian (and self-proclaimed Catholic" respond?

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday joined calls for a federal investigation into the California-based anti-abortion group that sparked the Planned Parenthood hidden camera controversy.

“Let’s have an investigation of those people who were trying to ensnare Planned Parenthood in a controversy that doesn’t exist,” Pelosi said Thursday in her first public remarks about Planned Parenthood since the first undercover video surfaced last week.

A long-time abortion rights champion, Pelosi dismissed accusations that Planned Parenthood has raked in profits from its fetal tissue donation program.  

“Planned Parenthood has said that they have done nothing illegal,” she said. “They do not ever charge, which would be illegal, for fetal tissue. They have only defrayed the cost of mailing that to someone, which is not breaking the law.”

Oh, and Diogenes is considered a founder of Cynicism. It is a different cynicism as displayed by the noted theologian but cynicism nonetheless.

The Trouble With Jesuits, Part 40

Even the ANTI-Catholics liked picking on the Jesuits! This beauty is from Charles Reinhart in 1873 and shows a Jesuit priest telegraphing Rome with the "state secrets" being confessed to him.

Click to enbiggen

Auxilliary Bishop Barron Update

 From Eye of the Tiber:

Barron Wondering Why Bad Things Happen To Good People 

Just hours after being named auxiliary bishop to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis, Fr. Robert Barron has reportedly begun contemplating the problem of suffering and why bad things happen to good people.
“I just don’t get it,” a despondent Barron told EOTT as he walked sadly along the shore kicking rocks. “I’m not saying I’m a saint or anything, but I’m not an altogether bad guy. I help the poor and I’m genuinely nice to people. I just…I don’t know…I just don’t understand why a good and loving God would allow me to be become a bishop in Los Angeles.”

 
Barron, who was later quoted as saying that he could finally relate to the character of Job in the Bible, also said that he felt as though he was going through the dark night of the soul.
Colleagues of Barron have also been mystified by the sudden, tragic turn of events in their friend’s once happy life, with one friend saying that he even attempted to comfort him with scripture, but that nothing had worked.
“I quoted him Romans 8:18, where it says, ‘I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us,’ but you could tell he just wasn’t having any of it. And I’m gonna be honest, it was even hard for me to stomach. It’s an easy thing to contemplate when you’re not suffering, or suffering a little, but when you’re being punished to this degree…it takes a lot of faith. I ask everyone to please keep Fr. Barron in your prayers in this difficult time.”

Dung of the Devil Revisited

ASUNCION, July 11 (Reuters) - Pope Francis appealed to world leaders on Saturday to seek a new economic model to help the poor, and to shun policies that "sacrifice human lives on the altar of money and profit."
It was the second time during his trip to South America that Francis, the first pope from the region, used a major speech to excoriate unbridled capitalism and champion the rights of the poor.

 MEANWHILE....

 The Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, has filed a legal challenge to new state legislation that bars the archdiocese from selling headstones at archdiocesan cemeteries. 

The New Jersey law was enacted earlier this year, prompted by private sellers of headstones, who complained that the archdiocese was exploiting its non-profit status to drive down prices, corner the market, and put them out of business. The archdiocese, in its legal challenge, characterizes the law as “private economic protectionism.”
The lawsuit challenging the law is being argued by lawyers from the Institute for Justice, a Virginian-based libertarian group. The group reportedly approached the archdiocese, offering to bring the appeal.

Clutch Cargo's Mom?

Hundreds of Christians are flocking to church to witness a 'miracle' painting of the Virgin Mary who appears to join in with the Lord's prayer.
Stunned believers filmed the astonishing moment her lips appeared to move on the artwork during Mass last Sunday.
Footage shows the congregation saying the 'Our Father' prayer but after several seconds it's clear several Christians are distracted by something else.




If you look closely, the Virgin Mary's mouth appears to move during the biblical reading, becoming clearer towards the end of the video.
Baffled George Akary filmed what he believes is a 'miracle' in St Charbel's church, Sydney, before posting it on Facebook.

The church is St. Charbel's in New South Wales. St. Charbel was a Maronite and hermit. His feast day was last Sunday!

Congratulations to the new Auxiliary Bishops of Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Calif., Jul 21, 2015 / 07:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Known for his online videos which tackle everything from the saints, to the “new atheism,” to the latest blockbuster film, Fr. Robert Barron will have a new responsibility: auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, one of the cultural capitals of the world.
“It was with enormous surprise that I heard the word of my appointment last week, but it is with a humble and joyful heart that I have accepted it,” said the Chicago-native in a July 21 statement.
“I am grateful to Pope Francis for his confidence in me and to Archbishop Gomez for his willingness to allow me to minister in this beautiful, richly diverse, and spiritually vibrant Church.”

Father Barron, Msgr. David O'Connell and Msgr. Joseph Brennan,

Since 2012, Fr. Barron has served as the rector and president of the Chicago Archdiocese's Mundelein seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake.
However, he is perhaps best known as the founder of the online initiative Word On Fire Catholic Ministries, as well as the producer of the documentary series Catholicism. His latest series, Pivotal Players, is currently in production.

I hope Father Barron is right, but I don't think the Pope put as much thought into it...

CNN Asks a Penetrating Question

Why is Pope Francis so obsessed with the devil? 

 I don't know....why do dogs hang around the kitchen table?

From the article:

(CNN) Pope Francis seems to be obsessed with the devil.

His tweets and homilies about the devil, Satan, the Accuser, the Evil One, the Father of Lies, the Ancient Serpent, the Tempter, the Seducer, the Great Dragon, the Enemy and just plain "demon" are now legion.

For Francis, the devil is not a myth, but a real person. Many modern people may greet the Pope's insistence on the devil with a dismissive, cultural affectation, indifference, or at the most indulgent curiosity.

Yet Francis refers to the devil continually. He does not believe him to be a myth, but a real person, the most insidious enemy of the church. Several of my theologian colleagues have said that he has gone a bit overboard with the devil and hell! We may be tempted to ask, why in the devil is Pope Francis so involved with the prince of demons?

Asked and Answered.

 From Father Z.:

From a reader:

A new pastor to our church celebrated the Sacrifice of the Mass dressed only in a white alb with a green stole this Sunday. It is my understanding a priest is always to wear proper liturgical vestments when carrying out his priestly function. The heat and humidity may have prevented him and I would like to give him the benefit of a doubt but he seems to be a maverick, if you get my drift, refusing even to purify the sacred vessels after communion or after Mass. Can the bishop give special dispensations for priests who may have health problems and simply can not bear the heat of wearing a chasuble?

No.

Pepto Bismol Feast of St. Margaret of Antioch, July 20

 From Catholic Online:

Also known as Marina, she was converted to Christianity, whereupon she was driven from home by her father. She became a shepherdess and when she spurned the advances of Olybrius, the prefect, who was infatuated with her beauty, he charged her with being a Christian. He had her tortured and then imprisoned, and while she was in prison she had an encounter with the devil in the form of a dragon. According to the legend, he swallowed her, but the cross she carried in her hand so irritated his throat that he was forced to disgorge her (she is patroness of childbirth). 

The next day, attempts were made to execute her by fire and then by drowning, but she was miraculously saved and converted thousands of spectators witnessing her ordeal-all of whom were promptly executed. Finally, she was beheaded. That she existed and was martyred are probably true; all else is probably fictitious embroidery and added to her story, which was immensely popular in the Middle Ages, spreading from the East all over Western Europe. She is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and hers was one of the voices heard by Joan of Arc.

Why Catholics Have a Hard Time Evangelizing

They Thought the Habits Made Them Look.... Non-Affiliated

A US federal appeals court has ruled that the Little Sisters of the Poor must comply with the contraceptive mandate in the “Obamacare” health plan.
The Tenth Circuit Court ruled that the Little Sisters are not an exempt religious institution because they are not directly affiliated with any particular house of worship. The court said that the Obama administration has provided sufficient accommodation for non-profit organizations—such as the Little Sisters—that have moral objections to providing contraceptive coverage. 

From the website of the Little Sisters of the Poor:
 
The Little Sisters of the Poor are an international congregation of Roman Catholic women religious founded in 1839 by Saint Jeanne Jugan. Together with a diverse network of collaborators, we serve the elderly poor in over 30 countries around the world.

I hereby declare that the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals are not directly affiliated with anything resembling truth or common sense.

A Reading From the Book of Revelations

Rich Lowery writes for National Review:

The pope is famously prone to being misquoted, but this confession of economic ignorance has the ring of truth about it: In fact, the pope expressed “a great allergy to economic things,” explaining that his father had been an accountant who often brought work home on weekends. “I don’t understand it very well,” he said of economics, even though the issue of economic justice has become central to his papacy.

Papal Economic Consultant, Professor Irwin Corey

Solyndra Feast of Kateri Tekakwitha, July 14

The "Lily of the Mohawks" is a North American saint - but not American. She was born before there was a United States in what later became New York.

 Tekakwitha is the name the girl was given by her tribe. It translates to "She who bumps into things."

When Tekakwitha was around four years old, her baby brother and both her parents died of smallpox. She survived the disease, but was left with facial scars and impaired eyesight. The Jesuits’ account of Tekakwitha said that she was a modest girl who avoided social gatherings; she covered much of her head with a blanket because of the smallpox scars. They said that, as an orphan, the girl was under the care of uninterested relatives.

Only known portrait from life of Catherine Tekakwitha, circa 1690, by Father Chauchetière

  Tekakwitha believed in the value of willingly offering suffering. Accordingly, she did not eat very much and was said to add undesirable tastes to her food. She would lie on a mat with thorns. There was a custom among some Native American peoples of the time of piercing oneself with thorns in thanksgiving for some good or an offering for the needs of one's self or others. Knowing the terrible burns given to prisoners, she burned herself. 

What a tough life. It couldn't get more trying could it? Well....

After the defeat by the French forces, the Mohawk were forced into a peace treaty that required them to accept Jesuit missionaries in their villages.

That's just cruel.

Practicing vs. Observant

I'm Starting to Distrust Priests Named Federico

  The Hammer and Sickle...stands for "a symbol of dialogue and commitment to freedom" and is "not about a specific ideology".


The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Thursday the pope had no idea that Espinal had designed the crucifix and was surprised to receive it — a reaction clearly visible in the footage of the encounter. Some reports suggested the pope told Morales "This isn't good;" one of Francis' friends sent a tweet quoting him as saying such. But Lombardi said it wasn't known what the pope had said.

 
Lombardi said Espinal had designed the crucifix as a symbol of dialogue and commitment to freedom and progress for Bolivia, not with any specific ideology in mind. Lombardi said he personally wasn't offended by it.
"You can dispute the significance and use of the symbol now, but the origin is from Espinal and the sense of it was about an open dialogue, not about a specific ideology," Lombardi said.

Stupidity on stilts.
 Mass killings occurred under some Communist regimes during the twentieth century with an estimated death toll numbering between 85 and 100 million
 

THE SEVEN MILLION UKRAINIANS STARVED TO DEATH BY COMMUNISTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR DIALOGUE.

The Trouble With Jesuits, Part 39

Bolivia’s President Evo Morales drew a rebuke from Pope Francis when he presented the Pontiff with a crucifix mounted on a hammer and sickle.
“That’s not right,” the Pope said when he saw the crucifix combined with the symbol of Communism. The incident occurred during the traditional exchange of gifts as the Pope paid a courtesy call on the Bolivian leader. 

 
Morales—who has a penchant for mixing Communist ideology and pagan rituals with Catholic symbols—has had a tense relationship with the Church since becoming president of Bolivia in 2006. He once referred to the Church as his “main enemy.”
Pope Francis appeared to be taken aback by the unusual gift. Bolivian officials explained that it was a replica of a crucifix made by Father Luis Espinal, a Jesuit human-rights activist who was killed in 1980. The Pope had paused to pray at the site of the priest’s death before arriving at the presidential palace. 

The 7,000,000 Ukrainians Joseph Stalin starved to death were unavailable for comment.

 

Leonine Prayer

The Leonine Prayers are a set of prayers that from 1884 to early 1965 were prescribed for recitation by the priest and the people after Low Mass but not as part of Mass itself. Hence they were commonly called Prayers after Mass.
The name "Leonine" derived from the fact that they were initially introduced by Pope Leo XIII.  They were slightly modified under Pope Pius X.

Pope Leo XIII

The intention for which the prayers were offered changed over time. Originally they were offered for the defence of the temporal sovereignty of the Holy See. After this problem was settled with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, Pope Pius XI ordered them to be said for the restoration to the people of Russia of tranquillity and freedom to profess the Catholic faith. This gave rise to the unofficial use of the name "Prayers for the Conversion of Russia" for the prayers.
The final form of the Leonine Prayers consisted of three Ave Marias, a Salve Regina, followed by a versicle and response, a prayer for the conversion of sinners and the liberty and exaltation of the Catholic Church, and a prayer to St. Micheal the Archangel. Pope Pius X permitted the addition of the invocation "Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us", repeated three times.

Father Z recommends bringing it back:

In these USA, I would like to see the American Bishops promote the Leonine Prayers during this time when true marriage is under attack. Since the SCOTUS decision Obergefell v. Hodges has changed the laws of the lands, many enemies of the laws of nature and of nature’s God are going to try to force Catholics to violate their consciences. Secularists and their liberal catholic bed-partners will work relentlessly to drive faithful Catholic voices from the public square.
Think about it:

O God, our refuge and our strength, look down with mercy upon the people who cry to Thee; and by the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Joseph her spouse, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Thy mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of Holy Mother Church.

There are some variations of translations, but … I ask you: Is that not a great and appropriate prayer for the challenges we are facing right now?

Next...How Many Angels Can Dance on a Pin!

Someone sent this poser to Father Z:

This may be more of a canon law question (and therefore not necessarily your expertise), but I was rueing the number of Catholics rejoicing with the recent SSM ruling, and it strike me, if they are married, is it possible the marriages are in fact null because of their support for SSM? My understanding that part of the requirement is understanding the nature of marriage, if you support it, do you really understand it? Anyway, a hypothetical really, but thought it could be a thought provoking proposition (and one where I would benefit from more learned individuals).

  What does the Code Canon Law say about it?


Can.  1096 For matrimonial consent to exist, the contracting parties must be at least not ignorant that marriage is a permanent partnership between a man and a woman ordered to the procreation of offspring by means of some sexual cooperation.

Discuss.

God Ordered to Aplogize

 From Eye of the Tiber:

Just hours after ruling that all Americans, no matter their sexual orientation, can now legally marry the people they love, the U.S. Supreme Court went forward with plans to demand that God apologize and make amends for His actions at Sodom and Gomorrah.

Many are calling the decision to hold God liable for the destruction of the impenitent cities as a victory for gay rights activists who have fought for centuries to see God brought to justice.
The justices found that, under the 14th Amendment, states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex unions that have been performed in other states, and that the Divine judgment of God that was passed upon Sodom and Gomorrah was unjust. Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the majority opinion and was joined by Justices Ginsburg, Kagan, Breyer and Sotomayor in calling God to step down from his post immediately.

First Continental Congress, Opening Prayer

 Read this, and then look at the photo below of the California Sate Capital....and wonder whether God is on our side anymore.

O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle! 

Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior.
Amen.
Reverend Jacob Duché
Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
September 7, 1774, 9 o’clock a.m.

The Trouble With Jesuits, Part 38

While the U.S. bishops responded to last week’s marriage ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court by upholding the teachings of the Catholic Church, one Jesuit University chose to publicly celebrate the decision in direct conflict with its Catholic identity and mission.

Over the weekend, the University ofSan Francisco (USF), a Jesuit Catholic university, used Twitter and Facebook  to celebrate the San Francisco Pride Parade and the recent 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.

“Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage nationwide in wake of #SFPride-@USF_LTMC #LoveWins,” read one of the messages from USF’s official Twitter account on Friday. The message was accompanied by a photo of the California State Capitol lit up in rainbow colors.

While the U.S. bishops responded to last week’s marriage ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court by upholding the teachings of the Catholic Church, one Jesuit university chose to publicly celebrate the decision in direct conflict with its Catholic identity and mission.
Over the weekend, the University of San Francisco (USF), a Jesuit Catholic university, used its Twitter and Facebook accounts to celebrate the San Francisco Pride Parade and the recent 5-4 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.
“Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage nationwide in wake of #SFPride-@USF_LTMC #LoveWins,” read one of the messages from USF’s official Twitter account on Friday. The message was accompanied by a photo of the California State Capitol lit up in rainbow colors.
- See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/4273/Univ-of-San-Francisco-Celebrates-SCOTUS-Marriage-Ruling-Despite-Catholic-Mission.aspx#sthash.iIc7jyGD.dpuf