Author of Dominus Est, Bp Athanasius Schneider, to appear on EWTN Wednesday

Bishop Schneider of Kazakhstan standing in the sanctuary at Assumption Grotto, July 20th, 2008 following the 9:30am Mass. The bishop delivered the sermon at all Masses that weekend and went to Sts Cyril & Methodius to celebrate Mass the following Saturday. It was during his July visit that he went to EWTN where he appeared in a televised Mass, and recorded the program to be aired this Wednesday.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ORC of Kazakhstan will be featured on EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa this coming Wednesday night, December 17th. If you don't have cable, watch it online if you have something better than dialup.

If you missed Bishop Schneider's visit to Assumption Grotto in July (when the taping for this episode took place) or are not local, do tune into this event. The bishop discusses his childhood and growing up behind the Iron Curtain. Reading Dominus Est is good. But, reading it after hearing him speak, helps the reader to understand how the bishop came to have such a great love and devotion for the Eucharist.

If you want to know what the book is about, I highly recommend reading the excerpt that appeared in the Vatican's newspaper: Historical-Liturgical Notes on the Rite of the Eucharist by Bishop Athanasius Schneider

The photo on the back cover was taken at Assumption Grotto ahead of the 9:30am Mass on July 20th, 2008

If you are local, you can purchase this book at the Grotto gift shop after the 9:30 or Noon Mass on Sunday, or any weekday after the 7:30am Mass until around 9:30/10:00am.

If you are not local, you can purchase bulk orders through Newman House Press, the publisher. They were offering 50% off on orders of 5 or more.


Help Get the Word Out on the Book
Please ask your local Catholic book store to order copies of this book. If you order a copy for yourself, order one or two extra and give them to priests, seminarians and others.


Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Were vocal pro-life bishops heard before the election?

Some recent polling statistics would suggest that Catholics in Missouri and Pennsylvania were less likely to vote for Barack Obama than they were for John Kerry in 2004. Recall that several bishops, especially Bishop Finn of Kansas City, MO and Bishop Martino of Scranton, PA actually made headlines in local papers.

In the link is audio of Bishop Finn just before the election. He just picked up the phone and called in to a local radio show. The Host, Chris Stigall, gave His Excellency a good opportunity to be heard with this unscheduled interview. In it, Bishop Finn told his flock to consider their eternal salvation explaining in detail how it could be affected.

Who can forget Bishop Martino crashing a forum in which some members of the faithful were attempting to persuade other Catholics that they could vote for Obama with a clear conscience. Martino made it clear it wasn't happening on his property. That alone made headlines across the US. As a great followup, Bishop Martino spoke up loud and clear at the USCCB's General Assembly on the matter, as Rocco reports:

In the public session, this past campaign cycle's most-forthright hierarchical voice said that his confreres would one day have to deal with their collective "reticence" on the question of Catholic politicians who support abortion rights in defiance of church teaching.

Go read more from the National Catholic Register in, "Did US Bishops Sway Catholic Voters?"

As of this morning, I'm still waiting for the "on demand" video from the USCCB's lively afternoon session, in which Bishop Martino made his point, to be uploaded. I'll look again tonight.


Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Fr. Trigilio's Catechetical Crash Course: Pro-Abort Catholic Pols

Fr. John Trigilio of EWTN's Crash Course in Catholicism and author of many great books offers yet another clear catechetical lesson in yesterday's post: Thirty Pieces of Silver.

Give this man a violet biretta. "Bishop" Trigilio has a great ring to it, don't you think?

Read the entire entry. Here are some snippets (emphasis mine in bold):

IF some Catholics voted for Obama merely to save their 401K, then what is the difference had they been given thirty pieces of silver? Both are blood money and innocent blood at that.

The only time a Catholic can morally vote for a pro-choice candidate is when there is no viable pro-life opponent running against him/her. But we had a pro-life alternative, albeit not perfect, but more anti-abortion than Obama.

The courageous Bishops who enunciated this moral teaching preached to deaf ears, sad to say. While we are not one issue voters, there is a hierarchy of goods, values and principles, which must be respected. The RIGHT TO LIFE outweighs all other issues, no matter how serious or important.

Now that there is a PRO-ABORTION Catholic Vice President, the US Bishops have a once in a lifetime opportunity. Senator Joe Biden has stated unequivocally he knows abortion is wrong as life begins at conception BUT he also vehemently supports Roe v. Wade and will always support legal abortions. He and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and all Congressmen and Senators who refuse to repent and abandon their support for abortion must be denied Holy Communion AND face the real possibility of EXCOMMUNICATION. If the Vice President and the Speaker flagrantly show contempt for the Moral Law and Magisterial teaching which condemn abortion, they cause great scandal when they approach Holy Comunion.

Amen, Padre!

LOOPHOLE THEOLOGIANS UNDERMINING OUR BISHOPS
Now, I'm going to take it a step further and suggest we need to start writing our bishops, and to Rome, in order to pull the rug out from under loophole theologians who are given a paid platform at Catholic institutions to undermine our bishops. It is total madness that people like Doug Kmiec are permitted to say anything at all on any Catholic campus. That applies to other dissidents like Fr. Richard McBrien and others who have been permitted to act like wolves in the sheep pen for too long. I'll be posting more on this when I get the time to sit down and put something together. How many souls have to be lost before these people lose their good standing?

Check in periodically with Fr. Trigilio at his blog, The Black Biretta.

Books authored or co-authored by Fr. John Trigilio

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Bishops Meet in Baltimore in Annual General Assembly

Some 300 bishops are in Baltimore meeting as they do each year at this time, and there is much to pass along. Unfortunately, I finally sat down to write this post and it is already 9:43pm.

So, I have no choice but to leave you with coverage from others.

Rocco Palmo is an American Catholic reporter for The Tablet - an international Catholic weekly published in London. On his blog, Whispers in the Loggia, Rocco gives us a play-by-play, so if you want to know what is going on throughout the day, check his blog.

The first thing I want to draw your attention to is a paragraph from plenary session address by USCCB chief, Cardinal Francis George, OMI, of Chicago, who took the helm last year (emphasis mine in bold). I recommend reading the entire address to give this paragraph context and to read a few other gems I don't have time to sift through.

In working for the common good of our society, racial justice is one pillar of our social doctrine. Economic justice, especially for the poor both here and abroad, is another. But the Church comes also and always and everywhere with the memory, the conviction, that the Eternal Word of God became man, took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, nine months before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This truth is celebrated in our liturgy because it is branded into our spirit. The common good can never be adequately incarnated in any society when those waiting to be born can be legally killed at choice. If the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision that African Americans were other people’s property and somehow less than persons were still settled constitutional law, Mr. Obama would not be president of the United States. Today, as was the case a hundred and fifty years ago, common ground cannot be found by destroying the common good.

Rocco noted earlier that Bishop Martino of Scranton was in the building. What is the significance of this? Well, Bishop Martino was not present at last years assembly. Just before the presidential election this year, he crashed a forum held on diocesan property in which some members of the faith were explaining how Catholics could vote for Obama. Calling it "madness", he admonished those present, duly catechizing them and said the USCCB doesn't speak for him and that his statement, clarifying Catholic teaching on voting was the authoritative document. A collective gasp and cheer could be heard from sea-to-shining-sea, that a bishop would act like.....well, a bishop.

There was a press conference that followed at 12:30pm, which Rocco also summarized. In a 30 minute video (click here and pick your speed), the bishops fielded only one liturgical question near the end. The other questions were on the campaign. If you have heard or read other accounts of what was said, I urge you to watch the video and judge for yourself.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR BISHOPS?
It's important to note that when the bishops were trying to prevent the situation we are in - dealing with a highly pro-abort presidential candidate, their language was much more forceful. Some are puzzled at the soft, and seemingly back-pedaling language now that Barack Obama is president-elect.

A couple of things to keep in mind: 1) The bishops have not had time to get their arms around the matter collectively. Some will feel strong about taking firm actions while others will still want to play [to] nice and, 2) Barack Obama IS the next US President and he doesn't have to listen to any group. He can make it look like he's listening, but he doesn't have to hear a thing.

The bishops have entered a new stage now - a diplomatic stage - and that is what they are setting up with the words and tone that you hear. When you read Cardinal George's statement in full that I provided, you will see that he gets it and is not going to compromise (read it a few times if you must). But, he doesn't want to have the door slammed in his face either. If you read the Holy Father's words, he is doing the same. They must keep the door open for diplomacy and their speech will now reflect that. There is a fine line they must walk now in getting Barack Obama to not only listen, but to hear. It won't happen with the verbal equivalent of a baseball bat.

ACORN AND CCHD
Something also noteworthy is that the bishops will discuss the matter of ACORN. The USCCB hired a forensic accountant to review contributions from Catholic Campaign for Human Development to the whacky community organizing group that endorsed Obama (even though it is supposedly non-partisan). Rocco reports:

The plenary's final public agenda-item late tomorrow afternoon will be a discussion of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development's relation to ACORN, the recently under-fire community organization. Due to the packed schedule -- which also includes reports on the recent Synod of Bishops and post-Hurricane Ike relief efforts in the Gulf Coast -- a later-than-usual end of session is expected.

In his Day One, Evening Wrap, Rocco provides a few excerpts from the day found in various publications who have representatives there covering the event. It's interesting to watch the video link I provided earlier, to read the statement by Cardinal George, and then to see the spin in some of those publications.

Hopefully, more tomorrow.

Now, GO PRAY FOR THE BISHOPS!!!

More from the USCCB meeting in Baltimore:

• Bishops to vote on blessing service for children in the womb (CNS)
• Bishops Will Not Skip Debate on Abortion and Politics (CNA)
• HEAD OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS SAYS OPPOSING ABORTION SIMILAR TO OPPOSING RACISM (LifeNews)
• From Rome's "Messenger", Pietro Sambi (Pope's representative in US addresses bishops)

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Illinois State Lottery Number on Heels of Obama Win: 6-6-6

Is this strange or what?

I'm not making any suggestions here, but reporting a simple fact: One of the Illinoise State Lottery numbers the day after Obama was voted in as President, was 6-6-6.

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Blessed are They Who Mourn.....Obama's Win

A nation disregarded the gravest threat against the unborn and voted their pocketbooks, to make history, for their own sense of health and economic security, and for change. That all came at the expense of the unborn who remain a class of people who aren't considered people at all.

Barack Obama vowed to fight for all Americans. That is, all Americans except the unborn. The silent slaughter will now be exacerbated with President-elect Obama's promise to sign FoCA into law within the first 100 days. All of the individual state bans on partial-birth abortion and parental notification laws will be struck down if he succeeds in fulfilling his promise to Planned Parenthood. Given Obama's doctrine on abortion, it will probably work against the Born Alive Infant Protections Act, in which babies who survive botched abortions are currently required by federal law to receive life-saving treatment.

Even if I thought Obama had the best economic plan, the best approach to health care, for jobs, for national security, voting for him would have been like selling my soul for some temporal short-lived comfort.

What is most disappointing, is the Catholic Vote. It would appear that as a nation the Catholic vote went to Obama. What's more, is that it should be of little comfort to anyone, especially the bishops, that in those states where the Catholic vote supported McCain, it was only marginal. That 46% or 48% of Catholics voted for McCain, in contrast to some 74% of white, born again evangelicals is also disturbing news. They've got it right and a good many Catholics didn't.

Holy Mother Church and her bishops have much work to do. We must pray fervently for them, that they take all necessary actions to turn this around in the next four years. Unfortunately for millions of babies, it will be too late. It will take decades to undo the damage about to be done.

Forgive me for not believing that Obama's rise is not the will of God. Rather, I believe God is permitting this nation to suffer consequences of man's own sinfulness and greed. God can turn every evil into good. I'm not talking about health care or the economy. The good I'm talking about is the effect it will have on our bishops and priests as they must now reconcile with overwhelming evidence that Catholics have much to learn and they have much to teach.

Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a people

whose hearts go astray

and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger,

“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Our bishops made one of the most valiant efforts in recent weeks, with over 120 bishops making strong statements that life itself has priority. The intrinsic evil of abortion is so great, and the magnitude of unborn being murdered far outnumbers deaths in any other category. It is the moral issue of our day. You can't compare the number of people suffering from the Iraq War to the nearly 50 million already aborted. Over 4000 babies are aborted each day here in the US, and it's very possible that the number of late-term abortions are about to increase.

None of this minimizes the suffering of living, breathing people caught up in war. Rather, it underscores that the unborn aren't considered people at all, otherwise they would be a protected class with all of the rights provided for by our founding fathers, chiefly, the right to life.

Unfortunately, ignorance, confusion, and outright disregard for Catholic teaching could not be remedied by the good bishops no matter how valiant the effort. The bottom line is that it is a problem with a 35-40 year head start and it got deeply ingrained. Such things couldn't be resolved in weeks or months. God has been patient, enduring a deafening silence for decades from the pulpits of priest and bishop alike on abortion, contraception, extra-marital and pre-marital sex, homosexuality and more. But, the zeal and courage shown by certain bishops have given me real hope for the future of our Church, especially with the manner in which they witnessed the faith for a new generation of seminarians and priests.

Let's face it, most abortions are not taking place in the context of marriage. Rather, it is often the result of promiscuous sex outside of marriage - the primary product sold by Hollywood these days. One only has to look at the pregnancy rate of teenage girls who watch racier programs in contrast to those who don't watch those programs. Do the bishops have any idea just how many adult and teen Catholics regularly snack on programs like Desperate Housewives?

Remember your leaders

who spoke the word of God to you;

consider how their lives ended,

and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,

today, and forever.

Do not be led astray

by all kinds of strange teaching

(Hebrews 13:7-9a)

The silence and ambiguity on the part of most bishops over decades with regards to these things gave rise to dissident theologians who have participated in protecting free sex, and ultimately abortion. Their specialty is loop-hole theology, by which they give Catholics various ways to justify their anti-Catholic positions.

While bishops, cardinals, most theologians and Catholic apologists make strong and consistent cases in Catholic media, the dissident Catholic theologians like Richard McBrien have proven to be the darlings of secular media sources like the New York Times and CNN. Far more average Catholics - practicing and not - are probably getting their catechesis from the New York Times than from diocesan papers. Even some of those diocesan papers carry articles riddled with namby-pambyism on the part of waffling writers who don't seem to understand or communicate the faith with clarity.

What has further complicated all of this, is that dissident theologians and professors continue to enjoy "good standing" with the Catholic Church, and with their respective Catholic insitutions. This gives them a forum. Average, unsuspecting Catholics, as well as groups bent on distorting Catholic teachings are led into great scandal by them. They are the chief architects of dissent found throughout Catholic culture and the Church should stop paying them to do it and providing a platform for their anti-Catholic rhetoric. Think about that the next time you go to send your alma mater a check and send it to a college that is actually employing faithful professors.

No matter how much the bishops speak up, as long as dissidents have good standing at Catholic institutions, and remain a "representative" of the Catholic faith for the secular, loop-hole mentality media, things are not going to change in any appreciable way.

Today while others celebrate their victory with President-elect Obama, many will be silently mourning with Our Lord. Now, we need our bishops to teach us something else: How to make acts of reparation for offenses committed by the other 50%+ of Catholics who didn't vote pro-life, especially those in leadership positions who led large numbers of Catholics astray. The outcome of the election would have been quite different had far fewer Catholic votes gone to Obama.

Pray for President-elect Obama, his supporters, and for our bishops who have a most difficult task ahead of them. Given their recent zeal, I am hopeful that in their annual bishop's conference taking place in about a week from now we will see signs that they have learned some things from this election cycle. However, the first sign I will be looking for as a member of this Church, is for the scandalizing of Catholics by dissident theologians, professors, and politicians to be brought to a clear end. These people should no longer be permitted to represent the face of Catholicism. The only way they are accessible to the sources who regularly use them, is if they remain in good standing.

Now, we get on with mourning and with reparation.

Note: Edited at 4:48pm for clarity.

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Photopost: 2008 Election Eve Adoration Vigil

The 2008 Election Eve Adoration Vigil at Assumption Grotto in Detroit had greater turnout than I expected. For the 7:00pm Mass which was concelebrated, I would estimate that there were roughly 200-250 people. Normally, the weekday evening Mass will net about 40-50 people. It was great to see so many people and I'm sure God appreciated the diffiulties some had in getting there on a work/school night. This is especially true considering that we are a commuter parish. And, there were so many kids and young people there for that Mass. People travel great distances for the Grotto experience. I know many wanted to be with us and couldn't be. There's no doubt in my mind that their prayers were joined with ours wherever they were.

I fully expected that by 11:00 or Midnight, we would see numbers taper off down to about one handful of people. Boy, was I wrong about that. The low of the night was about 25 at 3:00am, with up to 40+ in attendance through 11:30pm.

Quite a few people remained with Our Lord all night - perhaps 10-12, with only a few short coffee breaks (I think I made 4 or 5 pots in the vestibule).

I never did take any more pics after the Mass.

I felt somewhat sad after Benediction was done around 6:25am, watching Our Lord being reposed back into the Tabernacle. At the same time, I was glad that we would soon be able to receive Holy Communion at the 6:30am Mass.

I know a lot of stuff happened out there. Tell me about the prayer vigils and events at your parish for the election. Drop a note in the combox. But, it may take a while for me to post it. I just voted a short time ago and I'm heading into bed for a couple hours before take my Mom in for bloodwork.

EDIT: Who needs sleep? I will continue to update this as I find a few minutes.

Ok - here are some late breaking headlines:

• ARCHBISHOP BURKE TALKS TO INSIDE THE VATICAN ON EVE OF ELECTION
• American Papist, Tom Peters, has an open thread, and many late breaking news stories of interest to Catholics.
  
  
  

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

It's in God's Hands Now....

The election is now in the hands of voters, and ultimately in God's hands. If the culture of death candidate - Barack Obama - wins this election, I don't believe it will necessarily be God's will. Rather, it is a matter of permitting him to win in spite of the significant evil he represents with regards to life issues for the unborn.

It wasn't that long ago that some were personally opposed to slavery, yet did nothing because they didn't want to impose their views on others. Never mind that the views of a major stakeholder were not considered. That stakeholder, a human himself who was held captive wasn't considered human enough to be eligible for life and liberty.

Then there those who were personally oppossed to segregation, but again, certain stakeholders were left out of the equation - the affected students (or shall we say, disaffected).

We don't need a PhD to know today that these things were terribly wrong. In fact, when we look at them today, we ask how people could be so stupid!

It doesn't take a PhD to know that pulling a baby at 8 months, 3 weeks and 3 days through the birth canal by his feet, leaving his head undelivered where it can be punctured by an abortionists sheers, and it's brains sucked out, followed by further indignity of being dismembered is.......WRONG. There is NO possible health issue that would make partial birth abortion necessary. Yet, Barack Obama supports partial-birth abortion.

He has also vowed to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act (FoCA) which will strike down parental notification laws and partial birth abortion bans in many states, giving abortion federal protection. It says nothing of Obama's unwillingness to sign on to legislation that require medical attention be given to babies who survived botched abortions (yes, it happens - they are burned in saline abortion solutions and come out alive, then are left on a shelf, or in the trash to die).

It is for these reasons that I can't believe that God, the author of life, would will such a man to become president as opposed to permit the consequence of man's sinfulness to get him elected. People are prideful and not wanting to do their homework to learn about the faith. As a result, they themselves want to define it. Yet, they don't consider that if we left it up to each person to define truth, it would be like permitting North to be any direction one points. Truth is absolute. It doesn't shift. Truth transcends time.

We may have had silence out of the vast majority of our bishops on abortion for the last 30+ years, and perhaps have never heard the word from most pulpits over the same time. I am full of much hope to see that over 115 bishops have spoken up to clarify Catholic teaching upon discovering distortions and they have been doing so with vigilance and zeal.

I'm willing to bet that this is going to change. No one will feel the pain more than our bishops who are responsible for teaching. The lack of catechesis couldn't be clearer.

We have to pray for our bishops and priests, as well as those who have gone astray, and those who don't get it - like, Barack Obama.


Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

All Night Adoration Tonight - at Assumption Grotto

I have much to do today before I head over to Grotto. I am going to leave you with this, probably my last post before the vote. I may update with some edits so scroll down and look.

Please join us for the 7:00pm Mass tonight if you are unable to come during the night and watch with Our Lord for one hour. You are welcome to help us to watch with Our Lord anytime during the night. Please park between the school building and church so that the scope of ground to be covered by Grotto security is limited. Refreshments to help some long-watchers through the night will be available after 10:00pm in the back vestibule. Fr. Perrone has asked that we keep all refreshments out of the main church.


The overnight vigil will conclude just before the 6:30am Mass, which at Grotto is the Extraordinary Form. If you have never been to a "Tridentine" low Mass, here is your chance. It is largely silent. Booklets are usually available on the railing before Mass and if you look inside the back cover, there are notes for posture. Most likely you will need to follow posture for the low Mass.

Adoration will continue throughout the day until 6:30pm in the convent chapel, ending with Benediction. If you have never been to the convent chapel, please go to the convent, which is in the yard adjacent to the school. Ring the bell and tell the sisters you would like to gain entry to the chapel and they will guide you in the first time.

Keep in mind, that the Assumption Grotto Cemetery is the final resting place of many aborted babies, including those buried this past summer by Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life.

Map for Assumption Grotto in Detroit

In her local and national hour on Ave Maria Radio, Teresa Tomeo was naming some places locally here in metro Detroit where you can catch Adoration, including Assumption Grotto. I had made the request that they list such events because people are undoubtedly looking for some place to pray for a miracle, this election. Go to the archives page for Teresa Tomeo, here for November 3 and you can listen to it. I hope to later - she had some really good guests on both hours.

Michigan Pro-Life Endorsements

The Michigan Right to Life has made it easy for voters to print out a list of endorsements for your area in Michigan. Simply click this link and put your street name (not the numbers, just the name) and other info and it will show you which district you are in and who you can vote for to support life. If a candidate isn't listed or if it says, "no endorsement", it means they are not pro-life.

Recent Posts

• Real Catholic TV featured in the Detroit Free Press
• Tom Peters, the American Papist, interviews Abp Chaput of Denver
• Obama vs Jobs
• Video: Catholic Election News and Commentary from Real Catholic TV
• A Must Read for Catholics: A Bishop's Humble Admission about Fear and Courage
• Photopost: Feast of All Souls 2008 - Latin Novus Ordo - Black Vestments
• Photopost: Wine-tasting Fundraiser at Assumption Grotto
• Over 115 Bishops Have Spoken Out on Priority of Life Issues Heading into Election
• Obama's Musical Middle Class

Here are some posts around the blogosphere. I may edit this...

• Audio: Bp. Finn of KC speaks on voting: “consider your eternal salvation” (Fr. Z)
  
  
  

Videos worth watching

From Catholic Vote



From the Judeo Christian View (the non-graphic version)...






Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Obama vs Jobs

I can't set aside "life" issues. The old, "I'm personally opposed, but" argument doesn't wash. Think about it. I'm sure there were people personally opposed to all kinds of things, but turned a blind eye to them, like slavery, segregation and the "extermination" of disabled people, and people of certain ethnicities, or religions during the Holocaust years. People could use the "personally opposed, but" argument to absolve themselves of protesting most anything, including pedophilia, sex between minors, stealing, and.....you name it.

However, above and beyond that, I want to explain why else I could not vote for Obama. But wait, someone has already done it for me, quite well. It's jobs!

Go read: Obama vs. Jobs by Ralph R. Reiland in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Video: Catholic Election News and Commentary from Real Catholic TV

This is from Friday, but it is very good. Watch these two videos out of Real Catholic TV, which is based in metro Detroit. Vic Faust has a great newscast (as always), and in the second video, Michael Voris talks about the need for prayer for this election, using the Battle of Lepanto as an example. Michael explains the similarities of 1571 and how the Christians who were outnumbered, won in the end.





For more, go to RealCatholicTV.com

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

A Must Read for Catholics: A Bishop's Humble Admission about Fear and Courage

More than 115 US bishops issued statements or written articles clarifying Catholic teaching since it was so grossly misrepresented by Catholic Democrats, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden on national television. The bishops have gotten fired up in this election cycle and as I have said before, they are not playing partisan politics. Rather, they have been dragged into the frey when Catholic pols and other Catholic public figures like Doug Kmiec have so distorted Catholic teaching so as to lead others into scandal. Several Catholic Democratic politicians and other Catholic public figures who support Obama have continued to use these perversions of the faith to get votes.

One of the most humbling and profound things I've read out of the many US bishops who have spoken up has been this recent article by Bishop Robert Vasa of Oregon. Keep in mind that euthanasia is legal in Oregon. His words should have us all thinking about the kinds of fears that motivate us - fears of speaking up for the common good, and for truth. What kinds of fears motivate us to vote our pocket book ahead of life or make us indifferent to the plight of a class of people?

First he calls to our attention some things from the Old Testament. Then he shifts to a reflection that is well worth pondering. Emphasis is mine in bold with added emphasis in blue-bold; comments in red.

BEND — Note that Eleazar has no illusion about the practical value of his fidelity. It would not cause the king to change the law, it would not cause his friends to convert, it would not result in a miraculous intervention by God. In worldly terms, his death is useless, his resistance futile. Yet, Eleazar states the hope implicit in his willingness to die: “I will prove myself worthy of my old age and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws.” This is what it means to be a witness, a martyr. It means leaving a noble example for the encouragement, the emboldening of one’s successors.

Another example is found in the chapter immediately following the story of Eleazar. It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law. One of the brothers speaking for the others said, “What do you expect to achieve by questioning us we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.” Then follows a description of a whole series of the most horrendous tortures which these brothers endured. All the while the mother watched and encouraged her sons. The Scriptures then rightfully recognize the dignity of the mother: Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother who saw her seven sons perish in a single day yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord. Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage she exhorted each of them in the language of their forefathers. The mother was the last to die after all her sons. None of these family members was given a name. In purely secular terms we could come up with all kinds of reasons why the mother and her sons should have feigned eating pork in order to spare their lives. These seven sons could have been valuable resistance fighters. They could have raised up faithful sons and daughters to assure the survival of Israel. It could be argued that their faithfulness, which led to the destruction of the entire family, was an exercise in complete futility and even foolhardiness. Was their witness foolhardiness or was it courage?

These Old Testament examples manifested wonderful and exemplary courage. Saint Thomas positions the Cardinal Virtue of fortitude or courage between fear and daring. Courage, he says, curbs fear and moderates daring. We would be more inclined to say that courage stands between cowardice and foolhardiness. A secularist looking at martyrdom would, almost of necessity, conclude that the death is the result of foolhardiness. Such bold actions, in our current, “can’t we all just get along” mentality, will always be viewed as imprudent, politically incorrect, and misguided. Such a disdain for martyrdom and for holy boldness is nothing other than a disdain for faith; a disdain for a hope in the Lord. It is perhaps, also a symptom of the hopelessness of which Pope Benedict XVI speaks in, Spe Salvi. In the case of these Old Testament examples it is clear that each was confronted with a very definitive choice. None of us have ever been confronted with such a dramatic choice but for these Old Testament heroes it came down to this, “Your faith or your life.” In a positive sense, using Pope Benedict’s words, the question would be: “In what do you hope?” We are edified, in the best sense of that word, by the witness, the martyrdom, the courage of Eleazar and companions. We could cite many such examples from the early years of Christianity. Even in our own day, the numerous saints canonized by Pope John Paul II, many of them martyrs, is a testimony to the fact that faith-filled courage is not dead. It is a testimony that hope is not dead.

[Watch where this goes now and reflect inward on it] When I consider the courage of these Old Testament figures and the firm witness of other saints and martyrs I would honestly have to say of myself, “I am a coward!” There are many times when fear impedes me from acting with what could be called holy boldness. The nature of that fear which impedes is perhaps different for each of us but I hope that each of us acknowledges such fear, grapples with it and even occasionally overcomes it, at least for a time.

Unfortunately, for me, the nature of the perceived threat is so paltry that allowing it to impede correct acting can only be the result of profound cowardice. The most serious threat to my well being for acting with greater boldness has been an intimation that I will be rejected, hated, ridiculed, rendered ineffective, deprived of financial support, judged to be insensitive, misunderstood, or verbally vilified. [Wow!] In other words the threats, all things considered, are quite innocuous and yet these things generate within me a variety of fears and doubts and misgivings. At times they even paralyze me into a state of cowardly inaction. [While there are things here for any priest or bishop to reflect on, ponder for a moment those times that we didn't want to leave our comfort zone to talk to our friends and family about what was right and just. Such things don't have to be confrontational. How many times were we silent in the face of distortions or misunderstandings about the faith to avoid discomfort? False charity can sometimes lead us in this direction]

It might be the perception of some that the issuance of my 2004 document, Giving Testimony to the Truth was a courageous act. [This was a bold document in which he told lay people involved in various "ministries" that they should be of high moral character. As you can imagine, it drew some serious flack, as well as support]. Others would classify it as foolhardiness. [ahh....here we go....]This is the document which required that individuals serving in a variety of Diocesan Ministries must affirm some basic tenets of the Church in order to continue to serve. [God bless this bishop. Consider how people are led into scandal by people who are openly pro-abortion handing out Communion as EMHC's]. It is, however, very difficult for me to see how the simple fulfillment of the episcopal duty which I have to teach could be considered an act of courage. In that I would turn to the Gospel of Saint Luke, 17:10: “When you have done all you have been commanded to do, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” It is a rather sad commentary for our age that a simple fulfillment of duty is mistaken for a courageous act.

It might be a perception that my boldness regarding pro-abortion politicians is courageous but in truth I only follow the lead of those who exemplify a boldness far greater than my own. The bold speaking out on the part of Archbishop Raymond Burke regarding the contentious issue of Catholic pro-abortion politicians and Holy communion emboldens cowards like me to follow his example [Jesus chose more than one apostle and there are examples of where they embolden each other]. The firm and measured response of Cardinal Egan and a variety of other Archbishops and Bishops to misleading statements of the Speaker of the House emboldens others, like myself, to shake off the shackles of fear and to stand with them.

This is a point I have made about the bishops speaking up - it is catchy. Things really began to steamroll in this election when Archbishop Chaput of Denver didn't waste any time addressing the gross distortions of Catholic teaching presented on Meet the Press by Nancy Pelosi at the time of the Democratic National Convention. Several other bishops followed suit, and more joined in when Joe Biden went and did the same thing. Both of these politicians thumbed their noses at the bishops when they continued, after the public corrections, to distort Catholic teaching to crowds in an effort to get votes.


IT'S ALL ABOUT DYING TO SELF
We have to get out of our comfort zones if we are to follow Christ. We have to imitate His life. The Cross is something we should spend some time meditating upon. What does it teach us? We must die with Christ. Martyrdom is still seen in some places today, but the vast majority of us will need to work on dying to self. That is, chipping away at all that is displeasing to God. More often than not, there is great suffering in letting go of our sinful and unvirtuous attachments. Some of those attachments are subtle, such as being more concerned with what others think, than what God "thinks". We need to constantly evaluate whether we are following Christ by going with the flow, or going against the grain. As was pointed out to us today, the gate is narrow. This means, we cannot be liked by everyone and we should expect ridicule and misunderstandings.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you

Matthew 5:10-12

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Obama's Musical Middle Class

You may recall John McCain pressing Obama earlier in the campaign asking Obama to define what he meant by the middle class - with numbers. Well, Obama has, and it has been changing.

Is it 250,000, 200,000, 150,000, 120,000 or.......45,000? Watch this...



There is another video that goes all the way back to the Hilary-Obama debates that discusses the same tax issues raised in that race, now. I don't know if it is in this video, but in one of these debates with Hilary, he gave said that those making over 97,000 would see an increase. This video has some interesting info about what happens when you raise capital gains taxes which affects anyone with a 401k, or a pension. He wants to raise that from 15% to 28%. The stock market will not grow when people stop investing in it because they will have to pay more taxes. They will look for alternatives.

Hmmmmmm.....I wonder why the stock market has been swinging widely ahead of the election.






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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!

Obama Kicks 3 Conservative Papers Off the Plane

Ok, so Obama says they had to cut seats from some reporters, like the Washington Times, which just endorsed McCain last week, as well as the New York Post and Dallas Morning News. All of these are conservative papers. From ABC News:

The campaign says that a limited number of seats forced it to make the tough decision of which journalists would be permitted to follow the Democratic presidential candidate in the last four days of the campaign, but the papers are calling foul, claiming they were targeted for their editorial-page positions and kicked off while nonpolitical publications like Glamour and Jet magazines remained on board.

Eliminated from the plane's traveling press were the Washington Times, the New York Post and the Dallas Morning News.

"It feels like the journalistic equivalent of redistributing the wealth," said John Solomon, executive editor of the Washington Times.

Continue reading at ABC News...



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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!

The ACLU and the Left's Double Standard

I've often said that the ACLU should start focusing it's time and money on things like "pre-existing" medical conditions, one of the most blatant forms of discrimination, in my humble opinion. But, they are too busy with fighting God in city hall, on the dollar bill, and on the football field.

There's also a double standard, which Michelle Malkin pegs perfectly in this article. I'll start you out here and you can follow the link to finish reading....

Plundering the Plumber's Records
by Michelle Malkin

If Joe the Plumber were Jawad the Suspected Terrorist, civil liberties activists would stampede the halls of Congress on his behalf. Liberal columnists would hyperventilate over the outrageous invasions of his privacy by Ohio state and local employees. The ACLU would demand the Big Brother snoopers' heads. And Democratic leaders would convene immediate hearings and parade him around the Beltway as the new poster boy/victim of unlawful domestic spying.

But because peaceful American citizen Joe Wurzelbacher is an outspoken enemy of socialism, rather than an enemy of America, the defenders of privacy have responded to his plight with an impenetrable cone of silence.

After the last presidential debate, during which John McCain invoked Joe the Plumber's anti-socialism shot heard 'round the world, several taxpayer-subsidized employees in Ohio immediately rifled through government databases in search of damning information. The Columbus Dispatch identified Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, as one of the dirt-diggers. She also happens to support Barack Obama and contributed the maximum amount to his presidential campaign.

On Wednesday, Jones-Kelley admitted that the records checks on Wurzelbacher that she approved were far more extensive than she first acknowledged. In addition to pawing through his child-support papers, the agency "also checked Wurzelbacher in its computer systems to determine whether he was receiving welfare assistance or owed unemployment compensation taxes."

Jones-Kelley argued that plumbing the plumber's information was no big deal because the agency always checks up on citizens who come into public light. Democratic Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland quickly pooh-poohed the civil liberties infringements and denied any nefarious political motives.

If that doesn't send a chill up your spine, you don't have a spine.

...continue reading Plundering the Plumber's Records

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Diocese of Scranton: Groups "Treading on the name Catholic" with false voting doctrine

There is so much going on it is hard to keep up with. In the diocese of Scranton, we have some great action on the part of the bishop.

Bishop Martino is at it again. This time he is taking on so-called "catholic" groups which are perverting Catholic teaching in an effort to shift the Catholic vote into the Obama column. He has done this in two places:

1) Catholic Light (pdf) - the diocesan paper (Oct 23, 2008)

2) A video which calls out those groups and their errors.

In left sidebar of paper is the following lead-in:

The Catholic Church and the Issues

In this election cycle, many public misrepresentations about Catholic teaching on the
life issues, particularly abortion, have surfaced.

Certain groups and individuals have used their own erroneous interpretations of Church documents,particularly the U.S. Bishops’ statement on Faithful Citizenship, to justify their political positions and to contradict the Church’s actual teaching on the centrality of abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research.

The faithful of the Diocese of Scranton are hereby reminded that partisan political groups such as Catholic United, Catholics in Alliancefor the Common Good, and other like-minded groups and individuals who make statements about Catholic teaching do not speak with the same authority or authenticity as their bishop.

This issue of The Catholic Light contains several articles that clarify what the Church actually teaches about the issues and the concept of the common good.

There are several great articles in that same edition.


Now for the video. This should be broadcast everywhere. Dioceses should pick it up and put it on their own websites.




Related:

• Scranton Bishop Blasts "Catholic" Groups (Brian Burch at CatholicVote.com)
• Scranton Bishop Releases Video Slamming Groups “Treading on the Name Catholic” with False Voting Doctrine (Catholic Exchange)
• Bishop Martino of Scranton, PA: "This is madness, people!" (Te Deum)

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Bishop Finn: Whose side will you chooose?

Fresh before it goes to print, is a strong statement out of Bishop Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph about voting. It has been released to the blog of the Catholic Key, the diocesan paper where it will appear as a column.

This is what Catholics should be hearing from the pulpit. Based on the list of over 80 bishops which have spoken up similarly in recent weeks, I think it is only a matter of time before priests start following the lead of their bishops. He starts out talking about the recent consecration of the Cathedral of st. Patrick and works that into the main point.

Warriors with Our Eyes Fixed on Heaven

Last Saturday I had the privilege of consecrating the restored church of Old St. Patrick. This is the oldest existing Catholic church in Kansas City. It will serve as the Oratory for the Latin Mass community which first began here under Bishop John Sullivan, and for many years has shared the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows.

One of the beauties of the Traditional Latin High Mass that I celebrated is that it highlights a most profound aspect of the Mass, namely our participation with the Communion of Saints. The high altar, multiple candles, incense and Gregorian chant, collectively give us a striking image of the Heavenly Jerusalem which is our ultimate home. Every Mass celebrates this reality, but I must admit that the traditional Mass captured this magnificent expression of the ultimate hope and goal of Christians in a powerful way. We should reflect on this often, because the ultimate goal of everything we do is to get ourselves to heaven and bring with us as many as we can.

The month of November begins with the two great celebrations: All Saints day (November 1) and the Commemoration of All Souls (November 2). These feasts celebrate our communion with the "Church triumphant" in heaven, and the "Church suffering" in purgatory. Today I would like to share a few brief comments about what we have sometimes called the "Church militant," the Church here on earth.

We, the Church on earth, have a very special challenge as participants in the grace and life of Jesus Christ to "fight" against the enemies of Christ's justice and truth and light and life. We must be attentive to the demands of this daily "battle" in a peaceable but serious manner.

I am sometimes amazed at the casual manner with which Christians, Catholics included, take up our life within what Pope John Paul II rightly called the "culture of death." The Church, by comparison, reminds us that we are engaged - by reason of our Baptism and Confirmation - in a battle, "not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities and powers, with the rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in heaven." (Eph 6:12) Jesus Christ has won the ultimate battle, but we, in the course of our human life must make our choice, determining on whose side we will live and die. Whose side will you choose?!

What is at stake in this battle is our immortal soul, our salvation. My responsibility as bishop is with the eternal destiny of those entrusted to my care. My total energies must be directed to the well being of those who otherwise may come under the spell of a radically flawed and fundamentally distorted moral sense, at odds with what our Mother the Church teaches. There are objective and transcendent truths. There is such a thing as right and wrong. There is a legitimate hierarchy of moral evils, and the direct willful destruction of human life can never be justified; it can never be supported. Do you believe this firm teaching of the Church?

Did you know that in Canada priests and Christian ministers have already been brought before tribunals for preaching and teaching in support of marriage? They are charged with "hate speech" against homosexuality. In light of the tyranny of choice growing each day in our own beloved country, we ought to be ready for similar attacks on religious freedom. We must not fail to preach the Gospel. We can not withhold the truth of our faith. That is why I will never be silent about human life. It is why I am proud of so many others - bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity - who are not afraid to speak out about the values that matter most. What about you?!

Our Lord told His apostles that they would be hated by the world, just as He was. Nearly all of them died a martyr's death. As warriors in the Church militant, we must never resort to violence. But we must stand up fearlessly against the agents of death, the enemies of human life. Human beings are not Satan, but we know too well that they can come under his spell. They can become willing agents of death, numbed and poisoned in this culture of death. What about you?!

As we begin this month of November, the month of the Church, let us call upon the Saints to inspire us, befriend us, and pray for us. Let us offer many prayers and sacrifices for the poor souls who have gone before us. They need our meritorious suffrages to help them reach heaven.

And let us resolve to be warriors of the Church militant; warriors with our eyes fixed on heaven. Let us ask God's mercy and strength to persevere in our call - individual and collective - to holiness. Mary, Mother of the Church, Pray for us!

Source: Bishop Finn's Latest Column at the Catholic Key Blog




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A Post to Watch: "50 Bishops"... and Then Some

You have to check a list that Rocco Palmo is continuously updating on Bishops who have spoken up in recent weeks as we head into the election. Keep it as a reference and check in for updates. The link....in a moment.

As I said in my last post, the bishops have not been butting in and being partisan. They were dragged in by Catholic politicians who grossly and very publicly perverted Catholic teaching. At best it was ignorance. But it seems this is not the case with certain politicians who are persisting in their errors and leading others into scandal. At worst, these Catholic pols are attempting to get Catholic votes for themselves, someone else, or on anti-life/immoral proposals.

Check this out.....read and then scroll down. It is breath-taking....

"50 Bishops" ...and Then Some


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Bishop Boyea of Lansing Michigan Publicly Corrects Governor Granholm

Over 80 bishops have said that abortion/life issues are defining matters.for the Election. They have not injected themselves into partisan politics; they were drawn in by Catholic politicians skewing the teachings of the Church in public ways. The bishops are the teaching authority on Catholic matters for their dioceses.

In this case, Governor Granholm uses her public position to tell other Catholics that it's "pro-life" to vote "yes" on embryonic stem cell research (Proposal 2 on the Michigan ballot) when voting "no" is actually consistent with Catholic teaching.

Bishop Earl Boyea, recently installed in the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, had this to say:

Bishop Responds to Governor

The Most Reverend Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing, issued the following statement on October 27, 2008 in response to recent comments by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm:

In a Sunday address in Grand Rapids, Governor Jennifer Granholm incredibly said of Proposal 2 "As a Catholic, I can say to be pro-cure is to be pro-life." Of course, Catholics and all other responsible citizens will continue to seek cures for disease and injury. But to imply that Proposal 2 is a valid expression of Catholic principles is shocking. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Proposal 2, which goes before Michigan voters in a week, would give an unrestricted license to those who perform destructive experiments on human embryos. While the Catholic Church strongly supports legitimate forms of stem cell research and all other proper forms of scientific inquiry, the Church also teaches that is it is always immoral to destroy a human embryo. For that reason, the Catholic Bishops of Michigan have taken a strong position in opposition to this well-funded assault on human life.

Saint Paul reminds us that we must preach the Truth in season and out of season. The Truth will never go unspoken. To be in favor of Proposal 2 is not to be pro-life. A well-formed Catholic conscience would never lead a person to support Proposal 2 "as a Catholic."

Bishop Boyea also released another document: How Shall I Cast my Vote? While this talks about Proposal 2, His Excellency also goes into other life issues, and prudential issues (war, justice, etc.)

Resources on Proposal 2 in Michigan and Stem Cell Research

• Michigan Catholic Conference Letter on Proposal 2
• Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science & Experimentation (MiCAUSE)
• A Spectacular Stem Cell Scandal (Fr. Tad Pacholcyk)
• Adult Stem Cells: 72, Embryonic Stem Cells: 0 (The Anchoress)

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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!

The Constitution of the United States and Obama. Huh?

Back in the 2001 radio interview which just surfaced, in which Barack Obama reveals more of his "spread the wealth" ideology, I found this one statement so stunning that my jaw dropped while I was at work hearing it.

"The Constitution reflected the enormous blind spot in this culture that carries
on to this day. The framers had that same blind spot ... the fundamental flaw of
this country."

Let me understand this right. A man who could very well become our next US president - that is, one who is charged with upholding the Constitution of the United States finds it....well...imperfect???

There is no way to spin his words. Of course, the media elites are either not bothering to cover it, or they are downplaying it. There's more in the interview that is quite disturbing.

It's bad enough that a court, legistlating from the bench, managed to pervert the US Constitution in Roe v. Wade in order to permit the killing of unborn citizens, with unborn black babies being burned and dismembered at a rate of 5x that of white babies. The US Constitution guarantees the right to life, not the right to kill. Now, we have someone who will look for an opportunity to turn the Supreme Court and federal courts into one kangaroo court system to advance more of the same.

Related:

• A Game Changer for Obama (Washington Times)
• Shame, Cubed (Bill Whittle - NRO)
  
  
  
  Full interview here:
  
  
  

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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!