h/t catholicseeking
Happy New Year!
h/t catholicseeking
Fr. Hardon on mortal sin
No doubt, one reason for this sad state of affairs is the prevalence of some wild theories about mortal sin. For example, the Fundamental Option theory claims that no mortal sin is committed unless a person totally rejects God. Who but the devil hates God? One adultery or one abortion is not a mortal sin. On these grounds, there are parishes in which almost no one goes to Confession. - The Spiritual and Psychological Value of Frequent ConfessionAbbey-Roads
There is no hatred more cruel, no treachery more demonic than that of an unrepentant sinner. Thirty-seven years in the priesthood have taught me many things none more clearly than that. - Fr. Hardon
Practicing Catholic: 7 Catholic Blogs You Should Read
Why do I love Catholic blogs? Largely because maintaining one is a lot of work! When you find a good one, you know the person running it is dedicated and passionate about their mission. Each person is trying to use their knowledge, experiences, and perspective to communicate the truth and lead others closer to Jesus, one post at a time. I present, in alphabetical order, seven Catholic blogs you should resolve to read in the New Year.Read the whole list at The Practicing Catholic
2. The Badger Catholic: I admit a bit of regional bias. Matt Korger is a Wisconsin native (like me) who covers Catholic issues in Wisconsin and surrounding areas in a blunt, straightforward style. He started blogging to follow the local Church closer and get a better understanding of what it really means to be a “Sconnie” Catholic. All Catholics are members of the same Church, but each region or state has its own Catholic family history, so to speak. Bucky’s is told by Matt at The Badger Catholic.
I think one of the advantages to having a blog like this is that I do not have to suffer the political correctness that a diocesan newspaper has, and also I am not restricted to go to press bi-monthly. The funny thing is I don't really write any of my own stories, I just quote from here or there and insert my sometimes obnoxious commentary. Well, happy to have you all aboard. May Our Lady bless you all in 2011.
Pope Benedict The ‘Orwell Of Our Time’
EWTN NewsWriting in the latest edition of a British conservative quarterly, Theodore Dalrymple reflects on Pope Benedict’s recently apostolic journey to England and Scotland.
Dalrymple, who is not Catholic, states:
A great deal of the hostility to the Pope’s visit was likewise caused by his having been right, at least in some things, such as the insufficiency of consumerist materialism as a basis for a satisfactory existence. There are few human types less attractive, surely, than failed materialists, which is what the British, or at least so many of them, now are. They consume without discrimination what they have not earned: which is why many of them are so grotesquely fat as well as so deeply indebted … A nation that behaves thus is quite without honour or self-respect, collective or individual. All this Benedict XVI has seen with a perfectly clear eye; and if what George Orwell once wrote, that we have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men, we might even call the Pope the George Orwell of our time.
“He lays down a ethical challenge to our utilitarian ways of thinking; in other words, he is a heretic to be excommunicated from the Church of Righteous Liberalism,” Dalrymple adds. “Given that so intelligent a man as Professor Dawkins, and others like him, were so clearly illogical on the matter of the Pope’s visit, are we not entitled to suspect a deep emotional confusion within them: for example, one caused by a robust and unaccustomed challenge to a brittle Weltanschauung?”
HT: LC
Wigderson: reviewing last years predictions
New Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki will publicly criticize Catholic politicians by name for supporting legalized abortion, domestic partnerships, and embryonic stem cell research.Lib & Pub
I’m sorry Archbishop, I couldn’t hear you over the crickets.
*nodding*
...well of course it seems like we still did okay without it. Also these things usually start in private and after several warnings go public. Even then-bishop Burke never actually named names when he informed Julie Lassa that she could not receive communion in his diocese. She's the one that went public to the media.
The Wis Cath Con statement was weak though and almost completely ignored by any media.
JSOnline: Some say Christmas is perfect time to reflect on Virgin Mary
JSOnlineToday, in every corner of the world, Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, God incarnate, who millions believe died for their salvation and rose to eternal life.
The Nativity, like the crucifixion, is Jesus' story. Born fully God and fully man, he is its center and its purpose.
But it is a story that cannot be told without Mary, a young peasant woman - a girl really - who the Gospels say gave herself to the miracle.
Mary is an icon for the ages, many things to many people: the first and perfect disciple; queen of heaven; the embodiment of humility and faith and mercy.
But she has receded from the consciousness of many - displaced by Protestants after the Reformation and by Catholics in recent decades as Vatican II asserted the primacy of Christ and the Mass over other devotions.
Now many are revisiting Mary - Catholics and Protestants alike - in prayer, literature and theological debate. Christmas, some say, is a perfect time to tell her story.
"Mary is integral to the Christ event, but also to God's plan for salvation," said Cynthia L. Rigby, professor of theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and co-editor of the 2002 book "Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary."
"Christ is the son of God, but also the son of Mary," she said. "And this is the Christmas message. That God is with us - Emmanuel, really with us. . . . That the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
As laid out in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, Mary's is the story of a Jewish woman, a poor Galilean, who is engaged to Joseph and chosen to bear the Messiah. She figures prominently in Christ's birth and crucifixion and as a witness to his ministry.
There was little public Mary devotion in the early church, according to theologians[Sorry, but that is idiotic. I'm pretty sure the Orthodox churches have a major devotion to the Theotokos and it didn't come from the Middle Ages in Europe.], but it blossomed in the Middle Ages as the Catholic Church began to cast Jesus as a just judge who decides the fates of sinners and saints.
"The more the church emphasized sin and the sacrament of penance, the more people started worrying about getting into heaven, and the more they turned to her for mercy because she was a mother," said Sister Elizabeth Johnson, a professor of theology at Fordham University and author of "Truly Our Sister: A Theology of Mary in the Communion of Saints."
The Reformation brought an eventual rejection of Mary by Protestants, who viewed her as a symbol of what they saw as Catholic excesses. Over the centuries, she would all but disappear from some Protestant theologies and prayers (though Martin Luther and other reformers believed in her perpetual virginity and place as the mother of God, notes Luther scholar and Marquette University assistant professor Mickey Mattox).
In response, Catholics adopted an even more fervent devotion, embracing Mary "almost as a badge of identity," according to Johnson.
That fervor was dampened by Vatican II and, in some ways, the modern feminist movement, which cast Mary as a model of womanhood, sinless and obedient, that no woman could ever attain. [What a bizarre statement. I don't even know what that means.]
Today, there is a resurgence of interest in Mary, though it's more likely among Catholics to have made its way into the pews.
In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, for example, a Marian outreach program founded in 2003 with the blessing of then-Archbishop Timothy Dolan, sponsors conferences, evenings of reflection, retreats and other programs.
"There's been an explosion of grace," said Dick Boldin, co-founder of the Rosary Evangelization Apostolate, whose prayer gatherings have drawn as many as 1,000 people in recent years.
Among Presbyterians, "some pastors are inviting their congregations to take a new look at Mary," said the Rev. Karen Hagen of Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church on Milwaukee's south side.
"More and more theologians are saying we should recover our traditions as Protestants in our belief in Mary," said Timothy Matovina, director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame.
Historians and theologians point to a number of factors for this growing interest, from the influence of Pope John Paul II, who held a great reverence for Mary, and the burgeoning Latino church, where Our Lady of Guadalupe holds particular prominence. They point to ecumenical dialogue, the growing interest in spiritual practices and a greater willingness to re-examine Mary in the context of the Biblical and historical texts.
That is where Johnson, of Fordham, sees Mary's relevance today. Not as the blue-robed Queen of Heaven depicted in the Renaissance, but the Mary of the Gospels: an impoverished mother, a refugee, who flees an oppressive regime to save the life of her child. As a grieving mother whose son was unjustly murdered by the state.
"When you see her as a real woman with her own struggles in her own life, . . . it becomes very powerful," she said.
Mary will continue to be a point of contention for many. They will debate her virginity, her place in Christianity and her role in salvation.
But she is and always should be a reminder of the great mystery that is Christmas, Matovina said.
"She shows us the wonder of the incarnation - that God fully took on our human condition out of love for us," he said.
"To reflect on Mary as a model of faith for all of us - as a woman who didn't pray the rosary but lived it - can't help but lead us closer to her son."
.... All things considered really not a bad article at all. I hear again and again that more Protestants have got over the fear mongering of certain anti-papists and actually looked at the theology, the scripture, and the traditions of Christianity. Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit. I haven't read Mark Shea's series(I will once I have time), but Dr. Mark Miravalle covers this quite well on AirMaria.
Officials upbeat as Catholic schools merge to Wauwatosa Catholic
There are many ways to look at the recent decision to close the parish schools at St. Bernard and St. Pius X and combine them into one new school in fall.Wauwatosa Now
Bruce Varick prefers to turn to television.
"I look at this as like being 'The Brady Bunch,' " said Varick, St. Pius X principal.
The parish communities - and Wauwatosa as a whole - should look at the situation not with sadness or anger, but from the point of view that the schools are combining "two good schools to create one great school," he said. Just like Mike and Carol Brady did with their extended family.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki recently approved the formation of the new school, called Wauwatosa Catholic, and those involved said they are excited by the opportunity.
Discussions accelerate
While discussions about a combined Catholic school in the city have been going on for years, activity ramped up earlier this year, said Dean Weyer, director of administration for Wauwatosa Catholic.
Pius X, St. Bernard and Christ King were approached with the proposal, but Christ King officials didn't want to pursue a consolidation. But Pius X and St. Bernard officials backed the plan.
Varick said declining attendance has hurt St. Pius X.
"We were getting to the point where it was becoming very challenging to continue to put forth a high-quality Catholic education because of our small enrollment numbers," he said.
The two schools saw great potential in working together, and the decision was made to close both parish schools and create the new Wauwatosa Catholic.
Dividing spaces
Classes will be held in St. Bernard's school building - there is little to no need for renovations or improvements at the site, Weyer said. Athletics and other activities will be held at St. Pius X.
The school will offer 3-year-old kindergarten through grade eight, and Weyer said about 200 students are expected to attend in the first year. There are 193 students between the two schools this year.
There will be one class per grade level, and students also will take specialty classes like art, music, technology and gym. Along with the merger will come a corresponding staff reduction affecting teachers and administrators now working at the two schools, Weyer said.
Wauwatosa Catholic will be financially supported by tuition and fees, as well as an equal contribution from the St. Bernard and St. Pius X parishes.
And while Varick said he has heard "a sense of a loss and a sense of sadness" from some parish members, he said he hopes the new school does well enough that two campuses will be needed within five years.
"We're going into this to grow the school and making sure that it lasts 50 to 60 years at least," he said.
School promotion beginsWeyer said he doesn't expect to retain 100 percent of the students now at the two schools, but he thinks enrollment should stay steady and hopes the new school will attract families interested in a Catholic education.
To that end, Wauwatosa Catholic will be updating its website over the next month, and families should be able to visit the site of the new school during Catholic Schools Week, which starts Jan. 30.
Varick is enthusiastic about the prospect of Wauwatosa Catholic.
"We're trying to take the best of two quality schools into creating something even better and financially stable for our future," he said.
St. Bernard Principal Bill Strube could not be reached for comment prior to press deadline.
Photo
Chippewa Falls parish has Christmas & orphanage collection stolen
I'm always amazed that Fr. Z hears about Wisconsin news before I do. The story is also found in the Chippewa Daily Herald. Fr Felix also is one of the founders of the Institute of St Joseph and has a reputation of a fantastic priest. Probably thousands of dollars were stolen, but they do not estimate. It takes a special kind of person to steal money from poor orphans in Peru. All right before I go on a tirade, here is the story:
*Our own nazarethpriest
Casa Hogar is a big thing here in the La Crosse Diocese. Thank you to any who can help offset the crooks' ..... gggrrrrmmmmmhhhh no cussing during Christmastide.
From a reader:Father Z
I know you’re looking for good news, but this item just crossed my deck. Fr. William Felix, a good man and a holy priest, has had the entire Christmas collection stolen from his parish, St. Charles Borromeo in Chippewa Falls. A good portion of that collection was directed toward an orphanage in Peru sponsored by priests from the diocese of La Crosse. In the news article, Fr. Felix rightly brings up the fact that the thiefs will have to answer to the Divine Judge for their actions, and also calls on the parish to forgive them. In my experience, Fr. Felix is one of the finest confessors, and a man fully rooted in the Church. …One of the priests of the community at that parish is a frequent contributor in the combox here, although this alert did not come from him*.
If you could send out a clarion call to help St. Charles replace, at least the money destined for the orphanage in Peru, I’m sure Fr. Felix would be very grateful. The parish is St. Charles Borromeo, and their address is: 810 Pearl Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729-1797 (715) 723-4088
They don’t have, as far as I can tell, a way to give money online easily. But I bet that your check sent by snail-mail would be welcome. It would be tax-deductible. You could call them.
UPDATE:
A reader sends:
I just found the website for the orphanage – Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II – which has a handy little paypal-tab on it.
People can give directly to the orphanage, but perhaps they could still send a note to Fr. Felix that they’re doing so in the name of St. Charles.
*Our own nazarethpriest
Casa Hogar is a big thing here in the La Crosse Diocese. Thank you to any who can help offset the crooks' ..... gggrrrrmmmmmhhhh no cussing during Christmastide.
Bp Callahan dedicates renovated Rapids church
more at Wis Rapids TribThe Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church congregation in Wisconsin Rapids got a special Christmas gift this year.
Parishioners have the chance to celebrate today's services in their remodeled church with a recently installed pastor, the Rev. James Altman. Members saw the redecorated building for the first time Sunday, when Bishop William P. Callahan of the Diocese of La Crosse installed Altman to the ministry position and blessed the church.
In October, Altman told parishioners they should think of the church renovations as a Christmas present -- no peeking in advance; it should be a present they could all open together. He also didn't want curious church members slowing down the workers as they rushed to get the job done in time for the holidays. Most of the members complied with the request and saw the work for the first time at the dedication ceremonies.
"So many walked into the church, opening the Christmas present for the first time with such awe and joy; it was awesome to see them," Altman said.
People packed the building for the service, said Philip Kosloski, pastoral associate. The church congregation consists of about 580 families and has an average attendance of 1,200 to 1,400 people each week. Church members who attended services in the school's gym since mid-October during the construction had nothing but positive things to say about the remodeling job.
The parish is online and has a nice blog. They keep things pretty up to date but no photos yet of the finished product.
Fr. John Hardon Memorial Mass in La Crosse Thursday
The Dec. 30th 11 a.m. Holy Mass intention at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is for Father Hardon. Please assist at this Mass if you are able.
Prayer for the Beatification and Canonization of Father Hardon:
Almighty God, You gave Your servant,
Father John Anthony Hardon of the Society of Jesus,
the grace of consecration as a religious dedicated to the
apostolate and the grace of consecration as an ordained priest,
after the Heart of Your Divine Son, our Good Shepherd.
Father John Anthony Hardon of the Society of Jesus,
the grace of consecration as a religious dedicated to the
apostolate and the grace of consecration as an ordained priest,
after the Heart of Your Divine Son, our Good Shepherd.
Through Father Hardon,
You provided for your Flock an extraordinary teacher of the faith.
You provided for your Flock an extraordinary teacher of the faith.
You entrusted Father Hardon into the loving
care of the Blessed Virgin Mary
whose counsel, "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5)
he faithfully followed and whose intercession he unceasingly invoked.
care of the Blessed Virgin Mary
whose counsel, "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5)
he faithfully followed and whose intercession he unceasingly invoked.
If it be Your holy will, please grant the request I now make,
calling upon the help of Father Hardon,
so that his heroic sanctity may be recognized in the whole Church.
calling upon the help of Father Hardon,
so that his heroic sanctity may be recognized in the whole Church.
(intention)
I ask this through Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who
with You and the Holy Spirit, is one God forever and ever.
Amen.
with You and the Holy Spirit, is one God forever and ever.
Amen.
Photo: Fr Hardon Apostolate
HT LC
Hunting in Wisconsin
Father ZThe state of Wisconsin has gone an entire deer hunting season without someone getting killed. That’s great. There were over 600,000 hunters. Allow me to restate that number. Over the last two months, the eighth largest army in the world – more men under arms than Iran; more than France and Germany combined – deployed to the woods of a single American state to help keep the deer menace at bay. But that pales in comparison to the 750,000 who are in the woods of Pennsylvania this week. Michigan ‘s 700,000 hunters have now returned home. Toss in a quarter million hunters in West Virginia , and it is literally the case that the hunters of those four states alone would comprise the largest army in the world. America will forever be safe from foreign invasion of troops with that kind of home-grown firepower.
Hunting – it’s not just a way to fill the freezer. It’s a matter of national security!
Photo
Income limits raised for taxpayer-funded birth control
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 23 [emphasis added]:Pro-Life Wisconsin
A state program that provides free birth control to those from the ages of 15 to 44 will be available to more people after the federal government on Thursday approved raising income limits in the program.
Wisconsin is the first state to raise the income levels for the program.
The federal approval makes the program more widely available, but its future remains unclear because of skepticism from Republicans who will take over state government in January.
The family planning program, which also provides screening for sexually transmitted diseases, had been available to those making 200% above the federal poverty level. The changes approved Thursday raise eligibility to 300% of the federal poverty level, making it available to individuals who earn up to $32,490 a year.
The program is controversial because girls as young as 15 can get access to birth control without parental consent. Virtually anyone age 15 to 17 is eligible for the program because parental income is not taken into account when determining if children qualify for the program.
Click here to read more.
Merry Christmas from me to you ...
... on a Polka Friday!
Seriously folks, I do with you all a blessed Christmastide. Unless Cardinal Burke is elected Pope I probably wont be posting much. I pray Our Lady of Good Help may guide us all to our destinations safely, and ensure our arrival at our heavenly destination.
Seriously folks, I do with you all a blessed Christmastide. Unless Cardinal Burke is elected Pope I probably wont be posting much. I pray Our Lady of Good Help may guide us all to our destinations safely, and ensure our arrival at our heavenly destination.
Archbishop Listecki salutes tavern for its charitable efforts
Fox6WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE —Archbishop Jerome Listecki stopped into Kip's Inn Saturday to meet a group of people who are making a difference for a number of families in need. It was an opportunity for the archbishop to personally say thank you to the people at Kip's because they adopted 20 families for the 5th straight year through the Catholic Charities Christmas Giving program. In addition to the 20 families they've adopted, people at Kip's have been donating for those who don't have sponsors.
No photo, rats.
SNAP attempts to manufacturer outrage against GB diocese
"What they're doing is destroying evidence of child sex crimes. It's absolutely appalling," said John Pilmaier, SNAP's Midwest co-director, who took part in a news conference Tuesday outside the federal courthouse in Green Bay.JSOnline
The Green Bay Diocese issued a statement saying federal law keeps it from including psychological reports - which might contain information about inappropriate sexual behavior - in its personnel files. And diocese spokesman Ray DuBois said no files related to pending cases have been destroyed.
James Santelle, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, said he had not yet seen the deposition but would meet with SNAP members to discuss their concerns.
"This is an issue of considerable public interest, and therefore our doors are open," Santelle said. "I'm certainly interested and willing to meet with these folks . . . and make some determination about what if anything the . . . Department of Justice should be doing on this."
Merry Christmas from the Cistercians!
Ha! I couldn't help myself. If you follow Sub Tuum, which I thoroughly enjoy, you will recall this:
We now have five pig's heads in the freezer, which Fr. Robert plans to turn into a particular Italian treat as well as possibly pulling one out to stuff for the Boar's Head Carol at Christmas.Go check out the finished ... treat!
By the way, I see that the Spring Bank oratory is undergoing a renovation. The first phase is hoped to be completed by Christmas.
And don't forget to support our wonderful Laser Monks. Many different gift and items for sale to support a solid religious community in our own state in Sparta! They have been getting a great deal of press lately, I'll have to follow up on that next week while on vacation.
Merry Christmas from the Carmelites
The Sisters of Carmel support themselves with an online store. I bought a (traditional) Liturgical Calendar from them last year. I think I might get a new brown scapular from them among a few other things. Yes, these sisters are all the way out in Colorado Springs, CO but they've got some prayer power, methinks.
As is our custom, we are having three Masses offered for the families, friends, benefactors and loyal web site customers of our Carmel, living and deceased. These will be offered December 23rd and 24th, ending with the High Mass of Christmas Day.Okay, one more photo:
 |
| Sisters chanting Salve Regina |
Holy Redeemer Adoration Chapel in Madison rededicated
Last night after 5:15pm Mass Bishop Morlino rededicated the recently renovated adoration chapel at Holy Redeemer church in Madison. Here's a few photos courtesy of Ben Yanke.
Many more photos at his website.
Many more photos at his website.
No Settlement Between Abuse Victims and Archdiocese
MILWAUKEE - Settlement talks between the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and 24 plaintiffs in this clergy sex abuse case have reached a stalemate.JSOnline
In a letter posted on the Archdiocesan website, Archbishop Jerome Listecki said plaintiff's lawyers rejected a $4.6 million dollar settlement. But a spokesperson for abuse survivors says money is not their motivation. [Yeah]
Peter Isley, director of the midwest chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests is calling for the public posting of offenders' names, the release of files on abusive priests, and signed certified letters from every priest and deacon saying that they have not molested children. [That is ridiculous. Let's see you go to the school system and do that. It's painfully clear that it's ONLY about the money. 4.6 mil is only 20,000 per person not to mention some hefty legal fees I'm sure. I wonder how much SNAP is shooting for. $10 mil, $20 mil?]
In an interview with TODAY'S TMJ4, Archbishop Listecki said the demands have been met: "There is no priest who has a substantiated allegation against him who is functioning in any way in any ministry in the Archdiocese."
But Isley wants to talk to the Archbishop directly: "We're here today to urge the Archbishop to go back into talks with these victims and their attorney."
The victims in this case accuse the Archdiocese of defrauding them, by moving offender priests from parish to parish, without letting families know about their past abuses.
The archbishop says they will work to reach a settlement, ahead of any trial: "Well certainly a part of me, as both a priest, and a Catholic and as a bishop, I'm appalled by those actions that have happened."
And members of SNAP say this process could go on for some time. They say they will take this case to trial if they need to.
Sister Adele reminded bishop he was responsible for souls
 |
| Bp Joseph Melcher |
As one discovers when studying the stories of those canonized and beatified by the Church, lives blessed by an extraordinary amount of holy intercession are often lives bearing much suffering, tests and trials…circumstances which not only strengthen those receiving such intercession emotionally, but also spiritually. Sister Adele’s life proved to follow that course of courage and struggle.Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help
Once the story of the apparition was out, and pilgrimages and religious celebrations began to take place, avaricious and pleasure-seeking individuals took the opportunity to exploit the crowds who came to the Chapel. A variety of vendors set up business outside the Chapel grounds, over which Adele had no control, serving only to sully the solemnity of the feast of the Assumption and the Church. Such dealings threw a bad light on Adele and fueled the opposition of some of the clergy who believed her story a myth. Those who noted these irregularities pointed them out to the first Bishop of Green Bay, Joseph Melcher. Despite the lack of clear information and a complete understanding of the matter, Bishop Melcher placed an interdict on the Chapel. Sister Adele was refused the Sacraments and threatened with excommunication should she continue to tell her story of the apparition.
On one occasion, when Adele attended Sunday Mass with the children at a church a mile west of the Chapel, Adele found the pews closed against her. Adele heard Mass kneeling in the aisle.
Later, Bishop Melcher reconsidered and decided to visit the Chapel, accompanied by two physicians to test Sister Adele’s sanity. However, after protests by the vendors around the Chapel, the Bishop changed his mind on the visit, and commanded Sister Adele to close the school and the Chapel, and bring him the keys to both. After accomplishing the safe return home of her students, and after buying an acre of land near the Chapel to build a home to continue her commissioned duty to Our Lady, Sister Adele obeyed the Bishop’s command, reminding him that he would be responsible for the souls lost due to the lack of proper religious instruction. Impressed by her sincerity and zeal[to say the least!], the Bishop returned the keys to Sister Adele in order to continue her mission.
He could just have sent him an autograph, says alot about a certain #4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —Brett Favre had some inspiration during his surprise return to the field on Monday night.
Favre wore a towel during the game with a backwards No. 4 on it in honor of a 5-year-old Milwaukee boy with a terminal brain tumor. Favre and his wife Deanna flew to visit him on Friday.
Favre says the boy, whose first name is Anderson, writes his fours backward because of the tumor at the base of his brain. Deanna sent the towel down to Favre before the game and he wore it during the 40-14 loss to the Bears.
Become a fan of FOX6Now.com on Facebook
Favre wasn't supposed to play in the game. But he shrugged off a sprained right shoulder and started.
He finished 5 of 7 for 63 yards with a touchdown and an interception before leaving with a concussion in the second quarter.
Fox6
Dad29: More Bad Press for Marquette U
Buried in the middle of the "Catholic" Healthcare West/St Joseph's Hospital of Arizona story, we find this:Dad29
The bishop, in a letter dated Nov. 22, said he disagreed with an extensive analysis by Marquette University theologian M. Therese Lysaught that argued that the intention of doctors involved in the case, and the mother, was primarily to save the mother’s life – not to end the life of the fetus.
Oh, well.
Here's the lede, in case you haven't yet heard:
The Catholic Diocese of Phoenix has removed St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center’s status as a Catholic hospital for failing to strictly adhere to Bishop Thomas Olmsted’s demands that the hospital comply with church moral teaching.
Can't be 'Catholic' and perform abortions the way St Joe's did.
Here's the statement from the Diocese.
HT: Fr. Z
I've been wondering if procured abortion is the only thing the bishops are ready to address at their hospitals. From Reiki, to contraception, to euthanasia, there's probably a host of things that need to be addressed.
Have yourself a very Franciscan Christmas
It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission of the sovereign Pontiff. Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an ox and an ass to the place appointed. The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise. The man of God [St. Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of His love, He called Him the Babe of Bethlehem. A certain valiant and veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of Christ, had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this holy man, affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvellously beautiful, sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep. This vision of the devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him that saw it, but by reason of the miracles which afterwards confirmed its truth. For example of Francis, if it be considered by the world, is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in the faith of Christ; and the hay of that manger, being preserved by the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest prodigies and miracles.Catholic Education
Photo: AirMaria
RapidsTrib: Vatican II = less emphasis on the Church hierarchy
Note: This is part of a December Daily Tribune series about local faith communities.
St John Neumann,
Bishop of Philadelphia
Catholicism is the oldest remaining form of Christianity, but it was only one of many during the first few centuries of the common era. The early denominations had sometimes stark differences in beliefs, including disagreements about the divinity of Jesus, said Shanny Luft, an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
"There were massive varieties of Christianity in the first, second, third and fourth centuries,"[Gnostics and Arians] said Luft, who teaches courses on the history of Christianity and the Bible's New Testament. "What happened is the more powerful bishops in the church had an influence in the (church's) direction." [That's a moronic way to put it. ]
One of the most significant changes for the church came as the result of the Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II, movement of the mid-20th century -- something that made the Catholic faith much more accessible to the common person and began to ease tensions with other religions, Luft said. [Uhhh]
"It changed the actual experience of going to church from doing it in Latin to doing it in English," he said. "It also put more emphasis on the community of Catholics and less emphasis on the hierarchy." [DING DING DING, We have a Winner! Has Luft ever read the 16 documents? I doubt it.]
It altered the relationship between Catholics and Jews by absolving modern Jews from having to shoulder the responsibility for Jesus' crucifixion, Luft said, calling the change a success for both liberal Catholics and other religions.
Despite the opposition some Catholics had to Pope Benedict XVI recently meeting with Muslim leaders, [Fr. John] Swing praised the pontiff's efforts, saying a dialogue can only decrease the erroneous notion that all Muslims are terrorists.
"My heart goes out to (Muslims) because I think right now, they're being maligned because of all the atrocities that are being associated with them," said Swing, who studied in Israel for four months during the early 1980s. "My experience there is I found the Muslims to be a very devout people." [I don't think anyone is questioning whether Muslims are devout or not. Devout Muslims have done some ...bad things. Does he mean peaceful?]
"I think we have a wonderful ecumenical spirit in our community; we work together well," he said. "That can do nothing but be pleasing to God."
He dismissed the notion, however, that the two religions worship the same deity, saying the three-in-one God of Christianity includes the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Anchoress: Most Excellent Vid on Mariology
This is fantastic, especially right before Christmas. Wait until you have a little time to reflect and watch.
From The Anchoress
HT: AirMaria & LC
From The Anchoress
Sent along by reader Vicki, who is not Catholic, this video is one of the best brief expositions I’ve ever seen on the theological role Mary plays in this whole pageant of salvation in which we live, and for which we seek understanding.
It may seem a little long at11 minutes, but it moves quickly and covers quite a lot of ground. Stick with it and enjoy!
HT: AirMaria & LC
NLM: The Image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus promoted by Cardinal Burke
Cardinal Archbishop Raymond Burke visited New England recently as keynote speaker at the annual President's Council Dinner of Thomas More College of Liberal Arts. For those who are interested, you can read the text of his speech and see a video here. Afterwards, Cardinal Burke handed out small prayer cards to everyone who spoke with him. These were an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There is a connection here. The college had been inspired to enthrone the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its chapel, in large part, under the inspiration of then Archbishop Burke's writings on the subject (the commission by the college of a Sacred Heart image that was the subject of the first article in this series).New Liturgical Movement <- More photos
The image that the Cardinal was handing out was of the one commissioned for the shrine in St Louis as a focus for this ancient Church devotion. The St Louis Sacred Heart image is a mosaic and strikingly similar in form to the Maryvale Institute’s Sacred Heart images (which are based upon the visions of St Gertrude in the 13th century). The housing of the Shrine was designed by Duncan Stroik (with some input from New Liturgical Movement’s own Matthew Alderman, see here)
Photographs below are of the Shrine in St Louis, including the mosaic; and at the bottom of the two Maryvale Sacred Heart images, a panel painting and a window, which are in the same vein.As a postscript: the Cardinal has agreed to work with the President William Fahey of Thomas More College in New Hampshire on the production a children's catechesis for the Sacred Heart I will do the illustrations for the book. It is the third in a series of catechetical books for children, the last one God's Covenant with You, was written by Scott Hahn.
The Sacred Heart was also Enthroned by Cardinal Burke at the Cathedral in La Crosse. I'll get photos next time I think of it.
Wisconsin population growth much lower than national average
 |
| 2000 Census population map |
Wisconsin's population reached 5,686,986 and the state retained eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.JSOnline
Overall, the U.S. population reached 308,745,538. The population grew 9.7% from the 2000 population of 281 million, the slowest rate of growth since the 1930s and the Great Depression.
Wisconsin's population grew by 6% in the decade.
The Northeast grew by 3.2%, the Midwest by 3.9%, the South by 14% and the West grew by 13.8%.
Michigan was the only state to report a decline in population over the decade, 0.6%. [Ouch, that auto bailout worked great.]
Ahem, perhaps we should get to work on this problem Sconnies?
Seriously though, the abortion numbers are on the rise though so all is well. You have to figure that what, 90% of Catholic families in the area use contraception? I tend to think the percentage is lower than 90 but with the population spiraling out of control downward, it would appear that it is indeed very high. It seems like a good opportunity to hear about the deficiencies of a contraceptive marriage from the pulpit perhaps. What would it sound like to hear a Sconnie bishop say "Good Catholics drink and make babies. And that means more than two!" Obviously God has different plans for all of us, but can we really say that 2.1 children per family is the best we can do in the most developed nation in the world?
Mary's ultrasound image creator says pro-lifers "hijacked" his image
The traditional Nativity scene of the infant Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a straw-filled manger is so commonplace that it is almost part of the seasonal wallpaper rather than the beating heart of what Christmas is supposed to be about.Politics Daily
So a British church group that specializes in eye-catching advertisements figured it would try to shake things up this year, and it certainly did so with an ultrasound image of a halo-wearing fetus -- a sort of pre-Christmas card that can resonate with many expectant parents as well as reminding everyone about the reason for the season.
"He's on His way," reads the ad's text. "Christmas starts with Christ."
But abortion opponents who have been using ultrasound fetal photos as a pro-life tactic can relate to the image as well, and have thrilled to the pro-life message they believe it proclaims, a development that doesn't necessarily sit well with the chairman of ChurchAds.net, the ecumenical group that is seeking to put the ad on 2,010 billboards and bus shelters across Britain by Christmas in an effort to reach 40 million people.
"We're a reasonably PR-savvy group of people," said Francis Goodwin, a semi-retired ad man who specializes in poster campaigns and helped found ChurchAds.net nearly 20 years ago. "We were aware that people would try to hijack it," he said, referring to the poster. ["hijack"]
"But we've steadfastly said that this" -- abortion -- "is not our agenda," he said. "If other people want to try to hijack it and use it for other means, well, so be it. That's what they'll do." [We haven't modified the original image keep in mind]
Goodwin said that within his group, which has representatives from the Church of England, the Baptist Union, the United Reformed Church and the Methodist churches, there is probably no consensus on a pro-life message.
"Our intention at this time of year is purely to celebrate the birth of Jesus," Goodwin said. The "Baby Scan Jesus" poster "does communicate very quickly the humanity and the divinity of Jesus." [...."humanity" of an unborn child.... pro-lifers "hijacked" that? How?]
And it does so in such a way that for the first time in nearly two decades Catholic organizations are taking a major role by distributing 40,000 smaller versions of the poster, in part because of the implicit, or perhaps explicit, pro-life message.
"The advert is saying that Jesus was alive as a person before he was born," John Smeaton, of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child, told The Guardian. "They have a halo round his head and you don't have a halo around the head of a blob of jelly or a cluster of cells. This is not a cluster of cells but a human person and it just happens to be the God man Jesus. It is about the humanity of the unborn. That is a very, very powerful statement that will strike a chord with the general population." [The pro-life connotation is obvious to everyone. Abortion pushers within the Church have been chaotically doing damage control because of this for the very reason it is so obvious. They have to spin this to be something, anything, but God in the womb.]
Goodwin said he's received a huge response from people in the United States who have heard about the campaign, which officially launched this week with a goal of generating enough interest and funding to buy billboard and bus shelter space in the week before Christmas. The campaign also has several radio ads that it will broadcast nationally.
If the campaign draws enough U.S. interest, Goodwin would like to launch a drive next Christmas in America using the same theme. Whether he'd find supporters to work with is another question given the different religious and political cultures between Britain and the United States.
Goodwin says he doesn't want "to be like the ultra-right evangelicals who turn people off. We want to provoke thought and debate." [You can't control how your enemies brand you]
But in the United States, the mainline churches who would be Goodwin's natural allies [liberal Christians] might shy away from the poster's potential anti-abortion ramifications while conservative Christian groups would likely want to make that message a centerpiece. The political battle over abortion rights, Goodwin, said, "is not as strong an issue in the U.K." [Europe is dying fast. Maybe that's what it comes down to. He's just not ready to take a stand since Europe has sucked at life for so long.]
On the other hand, Goodwin is a veteran media professional, and he knows that buzz is the key to a successful campaign, even if the chatter isn't on point.
"If people write about it and discuss it, that's half our job done," Goodwin said. "It's so hard to get faith on the agenda in a modern, relevant way without sounding preachy."
Besides, Goodwin is justifiably proud of his group's success with this campaign. Every year they have an edgy message aimed at the many unchurched folk in deeply secular Britain, such as last year's depiction of the Holy Family in a bus shelter.
But he said they haven't had so much buzz surrounding a holiday blitz since their 1999 effort featuring Jesus as a revolutionary in the iconic Che Guevara pose. "Meek. Mild. As if," the slogan ran.
ChurchAds.net is still getting requests for that one, and they're likely to be fielding requests for this year's "Baby Scan Jesus" for a long time to come.
"The idea that you can get one photo conveying an idea with eight words is sort of the Holy Grail of poster design," Goodwin said. "This is extremely high quality."
I think liberals who claim Christianity here in the US have been de-emphasizing Jesus Christ here for some time for new age "spirituality" or as social justice Jesus "community leader." Even without the pro-life message I don't think Goodwin would find any allies in the liberal community.
Where is GK when you need him.
And I for One Welcome Our New Internet Overlords
From St. Louis Catholic:
FCC moves to regulate to itself control of the internets. Under the circumstances, as a trusted Catholic blogger, I can say with Kent Brockman:
Fr. Z: QUAERITUR: obligation to go to Christmas Mass twice so as to bring the squeakers
From a reader:Father Z
My wife and I this year were going to attend Midnight Mass this year. My father was going to stay at our house to watch our 2 and 1 year olds since they will be sleeping. Are we obliged to then go to Mass Christmas morning with the children so that they attend? My thought was that when the kids get to be 4 or 5 years old (and will a> understand the Mass and b> not throw a fit every time the organ wakes them up) that at that point we would bring the older children with but leave the wee ones at home to sleep. We bring the children on all Sundays and feasts unless they are sick. Someone on my blog commented “Did not Christ specifically request ‘the little children’?” which I agree, but… did he really want those sleep deprived children screaming during Silent Night?
Kids that young do not have an obligation to fulfill. You are not obliged to take them so they can fulfill an obligation they don’t have.
For the rest… this is a parenting question, and parents with children can chime in with their views.
You have to decide how to expose your children to the celebration of the sacred mysteries.
That said, I do not mind it at all when people leave their infants and very small children at home (in the care of an excellent sitter) rather than bring them to Midnight Mass.
“Squeakers”, by the way is a term used for the ship-board children in the Aubrey/Maturin books. Which it’s a term of endearment, ain’t it?
Thanks Father!
Fr Z: "God's Pit Bull"
His Eminence Raymond Card. Burke has been underscoring the interplay of civil law and the Church’s canon law. Last summer he organized a conference on that very subject.Father Z
This will be more and more important as the Church and state (and prevailing mores) become more and more estranged.
Catholics must consider what it will be like to maintain the Catholic identity of Catholic schools and hospitals (…. and, eventually, parishes). We must consider whether it is worth trying to do so. Most people will say that it is.
Under what conditions and constraints? At what cost?
I suspect we are going to get more direction from Card. Burke on these matters. Once he gets hold of something he, like a pit bull, doesn’t let it go. Think of can. 915.
Card. Ratzinger was nicknamed “God’s Rotweiller”.
Perhaps Card. Burke will be “God’s Pit Bull”.
I think recovering Catholic identity has to come first with our institutions. If "Catholic" hospitals dispense contraception, then it must be okay for Catholics to use contraception. Until the Catholic Church recovers what the word "Catholic" means, we will continue to live through our identity crisis.
Christmas Mass, what are your plans?
I will be at Midnight Mass this year at the Cathedral in La Crosse. For those not in the area, that is the Ordinary Form of the Mass but with some beautiful music. I would like to celebrate with our friars, but they are not yet permitted to celebrate Christmas with their own public Mass at this point. I think the Institute has a Midnight Mass at St. Mary's but I'm not sure if it's at the St. Mary's church or another. I think last year they had it at a different church. Anybody know? What is everyone else doing?
We are having gramps take care of our kiddies which will be nice, but then kiddies will not be going to any Mass on Christmas day either. They are all under 3 years old, sooo it's too late for them, buuuut, I don't know. This is okay to do right? Or am I thinking like a pagan?
We are having gramps take care of our kiddies which will be nice, but then kiddies will not be going to any Mass on Christmas day either. They are all under 3 years old, sooo it's too late for them, buuuut, I don't know. This is okay to do right? Or am I thinking like a pagan?
Settlement talks falter between victims, Milwaukee archdiocese
Settlement talks between the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and 24 victims of clergy sex abuse appear to have failed, both sides said Thursday.The rest at JSOnline
Archbishop Jerome Listecki said in a letter posted on the archdiocese website that the victims' attorneys rejected a $4.6 million settlement offer.
Plaintiffs' attorney Jeff Anderson blasted that characterization as misleading, saying victims told the archdiocese that they would not discuss monetary terms until the archdiocese had addressed their non-monetary demands, including the release of all documents related to abuse.
"We told them from the start that our first priority was to address the child protection initiatives . . . and they did nothing to discuss those," said Anderson. [Then why are you funding an effort to remove the statute of limitations in these cases? ]
Jerry Topczewski, chief of staff for Listecki, said the church remains open to a resolution of the cases before trial.
"And we'll certainly continue our best to reach out to the victims, not just the ones now, but those who will come forward in the future," he said.
The settlement talks include 16 victims in civil fraud cases now pending in Milwaukee Circuit Court, and eight others who have come forward but not yet filed lawsuits. The victims accuse the archdiocese of defrauding them by moving offender priests from parish to parish without telling families of their abusive histories.
Both sides met before a Chicago mediator on Oct. 18 and Nov. 11.
Anderson said victims presented a 14-point list of non-monetary demands, including requirements that the archdiocese:
• Identify and publicly post the names of all offenders.
• Release all of their files on abusive priests.
• Require every priest and deacon in ministry to sign certified letters saying they have not molested children.
I have different thoughts if this involved criminal charges, but it doesn't. Civil suits are about money. Releasing all files on abusive priest exposes victims to unwanted and harmful publicity and it just happens to be a great way for Anderson to solicit new customers. I've said before, I'm all for laws that protect children and I'm all about bringing criminals to justice. These civil suits are not that. I do want to see victims cared for financially but you can see the drooling lawyer coming out here.
A Fundamentalist Commenter
Need more cowbell?
I forgot to mention last year that I did buy this groups CD and found the choir to be fantastic and enchanting.... but ....maybe I just don't understand the East so well.... Do they ordinarily insert saxophone music into their sacred chant?
Schola Cantorum Riga
I'm having Kenny G nightmares right now!
We need more cowbell!!!
Schola Cantorum Riga
I'm having Kenny G nightmares right now!
We need more cowbell!!!
Cardninal Burke denies La Crosse Tribune editor interview
 |
| Cardinal Burke "fund raising" |
What question would you ask one of the most powerful figures [...and I guess it also turns out that he's from this area too...] in the Catholic Church?Jackson County Reporter
Cardinal Raymond Burke, the prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura — in layman’s terms he’s the Catholic Church’s highest-ranking judge [Actually that would be the pope, but that's a common misconception]— returns to La Crosse for the first time since being named a cardinal Nov. 20.
Burke was in La Crosse last week for several days, attending various events and raising money for the $25 million-plus [Badger Catholic, owner of a $800 auto repair bill, Don Quixote, owner of skinny horse Rocinante, Pres Obama and his $14 trillion debt] Shrine of Our Lady Guadalupe. [More on that below.]
The La Crosse Tribune requested an interview with Burke but was told — through a shrine spokesman — that the cardinal does not want to do interviews and wants to just enjoy the celebration. [Seems reasonable, after all his visit here was not a business trip.]
I think that’s unfortunate, because there are lots of issues in the church that serves 200,000 people in our region and more than 1 billion in our world that deserve discussion. Who better to talk about the church — local, national and international — than Burke, who served as bishop in La Crosse from 1995 to 2004?
Here are some questions we would ask:
I have to admit that at times it has been a frustrating year covering the Catholic Church, particularly the La Crosse Diocese. We’ve been greeted with lots of no comments and ignored phone calls when trying to report on: A priest charged with embezzling money from the church; another priest charged with sexual assault and later acquitted; a third priest accused of possession of child pornography; and criticism over the diocesan sex abuse policy, saying it is flawed because it encourages people to report the abuse to the church and not to civil authorities. [He's right. I've said in the past, I think this might be due to overprotective lawyers. I know in one of these cases the diocese would have been vindicated but chose to sit on information that would affirm faithful Catholics. Even the Vatican press office has been proven to be... shall we say ...less than adequate at times, so I guess it is to be expected that dioceses not know how to engage the press. It would serve the diocese well to effectively communicate its abuse reporting policy to the press(ie. not all charges against priests are true, and in fact malicious in intent). The woman who went after Donkor-Baine had in other diocese made similar false accusations and asked for shut-up money(she also tried to confront Burke during his time here).]
- Does Burke think there is a separation between how the Vatican views the church compared to how American Catholics view the church? [I would ask it a bit more spot on, since American Catholics embrace contraception in clear contradiction to the Church's 2000 year old teaching on the matter, do you think they should start their own protestant church or just keep on being protestants within the walls of the Catholic Church?]
- What are the church’s plans to continue to address social justice issues? [Hardie is pro-abortion; endorsed taxpayer-funded-abortion Ron Kind. I assume this is a question about abortion. I cringe when I see "social justice" now because the term has been hijacked. A person has to believe in virtue before they can believe in justice as a whole or even social justice for that matter.]
- The pope recently made a significant announcement regarding the use of condoms [for homosexual prostitutes]. Is the church changing its stance on this issue? [No but this has been rehashed to death already.]
- Has the shrine turned out to be what Burke expected? What does it represent today and what will it represent in the future?
- As a cardinal, Burke will be part of the selection process for the next pope. Does he ever foresee a pope coming from a continent other than Europe?
- How does a church steeped in ritual and history interact with the technology-driven society of today?
- What is the future of ecumenical dialogue and common understanding with other religions?
- How is the church addressing the shortage of priests and responding to pressure from some to allow priests to marry or for women to become clergy members? [The question itself is fair. Especially with certain Milwaukee clergy advocating publicly in newspapers.]
I think it would be appropriate to ask for Burke’s reaction to the challenges of this past year in his former diocese[Actually I really don't think that it is appropriate at all considering Burke had no involvement and could hardly comment without reviewing the cases. Funny that none of the questions he wanted to ask had anything to do with what Burke would actually be doing in his new role or what he does in his current role.], just as it would be to ask about his direction that Catholic politicians who support abortion rights and same-sex marriage should not receive communion and that Catholics must never vote for a politician who espouses such views. [That IS a fair question since he is thee expert on Canon Law and how it applies to the faithful. But asking on the occasion of his elevation to the College of Cardinals? ]
Burke certainly pulls no punches and does not apologize for what he says is “simply announcing the truth.” I’m sure some of his responses would have been considered controversial; the same consideration some gave to his plan to build the shrine. [So he wanted to ask controversial questions in his trip home to celebrate his elevation to the College of Cardinals? That sounds a bit disingenuous. If the Green Bay Packers came to town after a Super Bowl victory, would you be asking Mike McCarthy about inappropriate actions taken by Mark Chmura in 2000? Nope. Funny how that double standard works. If the story doesn't fit the mold being used, then make it fit.]
Perhaps we’ll catch him the next time he’s in town. [I DO hope Hardie gets his interview. Although throughout the article it is obvious he's not a fan of Burke, he does have some fair questions to ask. I think the main problem is that Hardie doesn't care about Burke as a person. He doesn't want to know anything about him, he just wants to stir up some controversy to sell newspapers. Controversy does sell, but so do historic events.]
While Cardinal Burke was in town, this was not published but I think worth mentioning. There is a long time member of the Cathedral parish dying from cancer. His Eminence took time out of his grueling schedule to go and visit and pray with this parishioner. It was a very touching moment for the parishioner and assisted parishioner in preparation for the inevitable. As another parishioner told me, "If somebody goes after that good man[Burke], I will ..." the words did not come to her but rest assured she would be not be happy. I think there's a few of us that share that sentiment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)