Must Read | Pope Benedict XVI, in his ad limina address to U.S. Bishops of Region VII-IX discusses marriage, the family, and the Church's teaching on sexuality in the public square. You will not be disappointed with what the Holy Father has said to the bishops, especially on the failure of catechesis in these areas. He even talks about cohabitation - a subject I have often expressed how perplexed I was that it simply isn't mentioned from the pulpit. God bless the Holy Father for speaking without ambiguity. Here is just one snippet:
In our conversations, some of you have pointed with concern to the growing difficulties encountered in communicating the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family in its integrity, and to a decrease in the number of young people who approach the sacrament of matrimony. Certainly we must acknowledge deficiencies in the catechesis of recent decades, which failed at times to communicate the rich heritage of Catholic teaching on marriage as a natural institution elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament, the vocation of Christian spouses in society and in the Church, and the practice of marital chastity. This teaching, stated with increasing clarity by the post-conciliar magisterium and comprehensively presented in both the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, needs to be restored to its proper place in preaching and catechetical instruction.
Hey! Even Catholic News Service (CNS) put it front-and-center, and gave it an appropriate headline: Church must better explain teaching on sexuality, pope tells US bishops. Catholic News Service is the reporting arm of the USCCB, but over the years the emphasis has been on social justice, often at the expense of presenting, front-and-center, serious moral issues. Social justice is not a bad word, and it is important. However, while there are no grey areas in certain aspects of morality in Catholic teaching, when it comes to social justice there are many ways that good Catholics can disagree on the best approach. I think CNS will evolve in time as the bishops become more vocal on these moral issues, as well.
Trust me, people, the Angel of Darkness, who has enjoyed the silence from pulpits the most, is going to get a run for his money with this generation of bishops and priests. Let's keep them in our prayers because many of these men will endure a white martyrdom or a red martyrdom to turn things around. Like many, I am disappointed about the past, and I am not ignorant of how we got here. However, I am very hopeful with what I see many bishops and priests doing today. For that reason, I refuse to dwell in the past, and look forward to the future with genuine Christian hope out of respect for the words of Our Lord who told us the Gates of Hell would not prevail against the Church. Hold these clerics up with your prayers and sacrifice.
At the very bottom of this post is a video that carries an audio homily.You will hear a priest who has been passionately awakened - a member of the great sleeping giant that is the Catholic Church.
Cardinal Burke speaking in metro-Detroit this Saturday
It's not too late! Tomorrow, Saturday, March 10, Holy Trinity Apostolate is having it's annual Lenten Symposium and Cardinal Burke will be speaking on The Christian Vocation: The Call to Martyrdom. I understand you can still get in at the doors. Go to HTA's website for more info. Registration is from 7-8 am and Mass follows to kick it off.
Interesting Reads from the Catholic Net
NEW VATICAN DOC RELEASED: Catholic Scripture scholar, Michael Barber, discusses the newly released, International Theological Commission's document: Theology Today, Perspectives, Principles and Criteria. Barber focuses on some key points at his blog, the Sacred Page.
At Catholic World Report's site (yes, they are now online), Carl E. Olson talks about how the bishops are taking on "cave-in" Catholics in, The bishops are taking it to the "in house"
Are the bishops diluting the their authority over major, non-negotiables by putting out statements on matters where there is room for good Catholics to disagree? Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture comments on the "noise-to-signal" ratio at the USCCB.
After getting publicly called out by Bishop Lori and Cardinal Dolan, America Magazine is now featuring an article by Mary Ann Glendon on the First of Freedoms.
Catholic News Agency has the latest on the hack-attack against the Vatican's website which had it down for several hours the other day, but prevented a complete takeover.
Crisis Magazine, recently taken over by the Sophia Institute, is featuring an article by the every-respectable Fr. George Rutler called, The Dark Gulf Before Us.
What does the Church mean when she says, "sing the chant"? Jeffrey Tucker answers at the Chant Cafe
The ever-insightful Msgr. Charles Pope reflects on the Remarkable and Lesser Known Insights of C.S. Lewis on the Loss of Faith in the West
In the Catholic Herald - the UK's leading source for Catholic news - William Oddie talks about a bishop who discussed the reality of Hell! Contrary to what you may have been told, Vatican II did not do away with Hell and you can go there even if you aren't out there committing murder!
Jeff Miller, the Curt Jester - a voracious reader - extracts something interesting from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church that is applicable to the HHS mandate matter: The right to conscientious objection.
Dom Mark at Vultus Christi shares the words of a Benedictine bishop who discusses silence in church.
At the National Catholic Register, Mark Shea helps a reader who is struggling with some things in St. Louis de Montfort's, True Devotion to Mary.
Over at Why I am Catholic, Frank Weathers looks at how women feel about the HHS mandate. He has some interesting videos. Go see how women are challenging the HHS mandate!!!
Deacon Greg Kandra has a short, 2-minute clip of an excellent video produced by Americans United for Life. This is a must-see.
Recently, at First Things, Elizabeth Scalia wrote an excellent piece entitled, A Mass Less Ordinary. She has a tendency to go to the early-bird Mass. Why? Read it and you might find yourself relating.
Over at Catholic Vote, Stephen White writes that the White House and Bishops agree that there is not much they agree on when it comes to the HHS mandate. In the meanwhile, Tom Peters examines some media shenanigans on the mandate.
Shawn Carney at LifeNews reports that 40 Days for Life has helped 61 abortion mill employees quit.
At the New Theological Movement, Fr. Ryan Erlenbush talks about St. Thomas Aquinas - always a great topic!
There is some hearty discussion going on at Father Z's blog about the Holy Father's praise for Bishop Aquila's re-ordering of the sacraments in his diocese. Go read what this is all about and follow the discussion in his combox in his post: American bishop receives kudos from the Pope for reordering sacraments. Father Z also has two audio versions of Stations of the Cross.
Seminarian, Philip Gerard Johnson, encourages frequent sacramental confession, even weekly.
I leave you with this video clip, of an audio-recorded homily of Fr. Sammie L. Maletta, Jr., boldly talking about religious liberty from the pulpit.
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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
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