The pope invented Leap Day!

It's a conspiracy!  Occupy the Vatican!  This is not a theocracy!!!
That is all. 

"Suckaaaaz"

Cardinal Burke points to Bl. John Paul II as model of saintly suffering

Cardinal Raymond L. Burke thinks that Blessed John Paul II's life and teachings are a model for how Christians should view suffering.

“Blessed John Paul II is extraordinary,” Cardinal Burke said Feb. 25. “His own life is a testimony to suffering embraced in order to love more.”

“But in addition to that he was also the great teacher, especially in this document ‘Salvifici Doloris,’ which he wrote after the attempt on his life.” Cardinal Burke spoke to CNA after giving the keynote address at “The Boundaries of the Human” conference in Rome. The Feb. 25-26 gathering was organized by the groups The Life Guardian Foundation, Family of the Americas, and the Italian pro-family group Associazione Famiglia Domani.

In his speech, Cardinal Burke challenged “a mechanical approach” that views the sick person merely “as an object burdened with great suffering,” leading to “the conclusion is that their life no longer has meaning.”

continue at CNA

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Teamwork

Abp. Listeck blasts Lassa-Pasch coalition, sloppy MJS reporting, sets the record straight

My emphasis:

Since my return from Rome last week, I have been catching up on all the things that happened while I was away for the ad limina trip and the consistory where my friend and predecessor Timothy M. Dolan was elevated to the office of Cardinal.

The first thing that confronted me was the media coverage of the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 proceeding and statements made about the number of abuse claims filed and the safety of children in the Church today.
Any instance of sexual abuse of a minor is a disgusting sin and a horrible crime. My heartfelt apology goes out to anyone who has been harmed. When Pope Benedict visited the United States in April 2008, he rightly referred to the sexual abuse of children by priests as “evil” and a “sin,” acknowledging that the crisis was “sometimes very badly handled by Church leaders.”

However, statements reported as facts in the media, go beyond the adversarial rhetoric we have come to expect in this proceeding. On top of that, several state legislators, without having access to factual information regarding any of the claims, compounded the issue by calling for the state attorney general to investigate, unaware that both old and new claims have been turned over to and been reviewed by district attorneys for more than a decade.

The combination of these two actions is, to me, the equivalent of shouting “fire” in a crowded movie theater and it set off a number of anxious inquiries from our people to which I feel compelled to respond. Here are the facts about the archdiocese’s policies and protocols that have been rigorously followed since 2002.

First, of all the claims filed in the archdiocesan bankruptcy only one (1) claim alleges sexual abuse occurring since 2000. That means the vast majority of claims allege incidents of abuse that date back decades, in some cases more than 70 years.[the Lassa-Pasch coalition and MJS support prosecution of dead priests] This means the Safe Environment education and protocols implemented by the archdiocese in the mid-1990s are working. As a point of comparison, there have been more than 40 cases of sexual abuse in our state involving public school personnel since 2000 -- and those are just the cases where a person was convicted in court.

Second, it is true that some new names of diocesan priests did surface in the claims process. In those instances, if the accused is still alive, the claim has been sent to the appropriate district attorney’s office for review. If the district attorney chooses not to pursue the case, the archdiocese follows its policies and conducts an independent investigation. During that time, the priest is restricted from public ministry. In addition, any claim against a religious order priest is sent to the religious order with a copy of the allegation sent to the district attorney. This has been diocesan policy for years and it was at my insistence that we worked with the claimants’ attorneys to ensure we could continue this investigative process in Chapter 11. We encourage anyone making a claim involving a lay person to also follow our lead and report the claim to the district attorney.

Third, and just as important, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has listed the names of diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor on its website since 2004. When Cardinal Dolan made the decision to list these names, he faced a tremendous amount of criticism since the majority of those listed were never convicted of a crime. No other organization that I am aware of has taken such a drastic step to publicly identify perpetrators within its own organization. Our state legislators should demand public school districts to do the same for teachers and school employees who have been charged with sexual abuse.

Fourth, claimants’ attorneys said there are 75 new priests named in claims who are not listed on the archdiocesan website. What they neglected to say is that all of these priests are either dead or have been reported to the district attorney.

Fifth, claims filed in the Chapter 11 totaled approximately 570 claims. Attorneys representing abuse survivors have attempted to make the pool of claims as large as possible, including at least three tort attorneys who purchased television advertising to solicit clients. In a claims process, anyone can say anything about anybody. Now the system will evaluate those claims.

There is no excuse for what happened within the Church. But there is also no excuse for public officials or media to hold the Church to a different standard than other institutions in society.

As a Church, WE voluntarily hold ourselves to a higher standard. I wish each perpetrator could be punished under criminal law, but as the district attorneys tell us, that is not possible. Instead, the Church has imposed its own rigorous standards and consequences, as proven by the 44 priest-perpetrators listed on the archdiocesan website who either are no longer priests or can no longer serve in any public ministry. We exercise this degree of accountability regardless of the criminal statutes of limitations and it goes beyond what civil authorities can impose.

Since 2004, the archdiocese voluntarily implemented a mediation system that allowed abuse survivors to seek the resolution the criminal courts would not allow, namely, a way to receive assurance their perpetrator was held accountable and that they themselves received pastoral, spiritual, therapeutic and financial considerations. We fought to try and continue this mediation system in the bankruptcy proceeding, but claimants’ attorneys said “no.”

Our Safe Environment initiatives have trained more than 30,000 people who work with children; conducted criminal background checks on staff and volunteers; and provided tools and training for people to recognize suspicious behavior.

These continued attacks on the Church are to be expected. They’ve been happening in different forms for centuries. They have been elevated during this past decade when the Church has admittedly been humbled by the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Reporters, editorial writers and some legislators will use this opportunity to try and weaken the Church’s teaching authority, especially on social issues such as marriage, abortion, workers’ rights, health care and religious freedom. I will not allow that to happen.

In the Chapter 11 proceeding, our goals remain the same. The archdiocese wants to reach resolution with abuse survivors and continue its essential ministries for those who rely upon the Church for assistance.

During this penitential season of Lent, we must humble ourselves in front of our Lord, asking forgiveness for our sins and demonstrating our resolve to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again. As the leader of this Catholic community, I must also call for all involved in this proceeding to act justly and speak truthfully as we continue to reach out and attempt to bring healing through the mandate of Christ to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

In His Name,

Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki

Arch Milwaukee

Wow!
 
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Shop til ya drop - parish shopping

My wife and I have been parishioners at the Cathedral in La Crosse since before we were married.  They have a fantastic music program, and overall a solid liturgy, but we are looking for a new parish.  Don't get me wrong, there are some great people at Cathedral, it was a family there we became friends with that first got us interested in homeschooling.  There just aren't going to be any big traditional leaps happening and we felt called to move to a smaller parish.  So we began the process we've all come to enjoy; parish shopping.

I think The American Catholic says it well:

Some of the things [the shopper] looks for are an orthodox priest faithful to the Magisterium, a beautiful Church, and a liturgy that aspires to beauty and lacks some of the folksy elements of post-Vatican II as well as the more scandalous aspects of the “spirit of Vatican II” like liturgical dancers.

That sums it up pretty well but I thought I would expand on it a bit for my own sake. 

1.  Music

No drum set.  Check.  No guitars.  Check.  No pianos.  Check.  We're already half way there.  Choir in choir loft or rear of church?  Check.  Now that it is possible to actually survive a Sunday liturgy, let's talk about the specifics.  I cannot recommend enough how important the book Why Catholics Can't Sing makes the whole concept of congregational singing apparent even to uneducated folk like me.  The goal as a parish should be to sing the proper chants of the Mass in Latin.  If there's no plan in place that chant be "given pride of place" in the liturgy, I'm not interested.  There is certainly a place for well selected hymns in this mix, but when hymns replace the words of the liturgy itself, things are headed in the wrong direction.

2. Black & Red

Do you say the black and to the red?  If you are interjecting your personality or politics into the Mass, I'm pushing eject.  Here's a true story.  After the big priest shift in the Diocese of La Crosse, we started attending different Masses in the area.  The most beautiful parish church in La Crosse is Holy Trinity.  We went to one Mass and it didn't take long to find out what the new priest was like.  During Mass he changed the words of the Creed from "born of the Virgin Mary and became man" to "born of the Virgin Mary and became human."  Almost walked out.  It's like being scammed by a bait and switch.  One quick way to lose any interest in joining your parish.

3. Beauty

Is your church a circle?  If it is, why haven't you fixed it yet?  If I want to waste my time walking in spiritual circles instead of pushing onward to the heavenly beatitude, I'll start smoking hash and rubbing Budda's belly.  We all know how hard it can be to find a church that has not been destroyed by a "worship committee."  Basically you have the beautiful, wreckovated, and repaired wreckovation.  A rule of thumb is to steer away from anything built within the last 40 years(there are exceptions of course).  We are looking for something sacred, something our ancestors would be proud of.

4. Extraordinary

Ideally for any parish, especially in a city, should have both the ordinary and the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite.  St. Agnes in St. Paul comes to mind.  Whether once a month or just on special occasions, or just knowing that the parish is open to the idea if enough people are interested is extremely important.  As Pope Benedict stated so well, the ordinary and the extraordinary forms should provide "mutual enrichment."  There are many options here to help make it accessible to the newbie, if the parish is willing.  Completely opposed?  Funny, my sentiments exactly on joining your parish. 

5. Parish life

Several other factors come into play.  Is there a school, and is it any good?  If not, is there a homeschooling group?  Location matters too, but you will find that we are willing to travel great distances for what we are looking for.  Are there babies crying during Mass?  If not, that's a very bad sign.  Does the parish have a focus on projects, like the missions, etc., so that parishioners are enabled to perform corporal works of mercy(something other than scheduled diocesan second collections)?  Community is important, but unlike in a liberal parish where it is the end unto itself, it should exist to support the growth in holiness, proper worship of God, and promotion of traditional Catholic devotions.

Alright, that got long.  In Part II of this series I'll look at some specific examples.

Marquette prof gives thanks to Planned Parenthood in new book

Marquette prof Dan McGuire has a new book out... titled "Whose Church? A Concise Guide to Progressive Catholicism."

Book review from the New Oxford Review:

There are many shepherds today who act like sheep, along with many wolves who pose as shepherds. Daniel Maguire is a case in point. In Whose Church? A Concise Guide to Progressive Catholicism, the ethics professor from Marquette University poses as a shepherd guiding us to an alternative Catholic Church, one that can exist without a pope and bishops.

Let’s start with Maguire’s acknowledgments: He gives abject thanks to Planned Parenthood for lavishing “awards” on him and inviting him to present “keynote addresses at the annual events of at least a third of their 130 affiliates.” Oh, how he loves them: “Being with them has always infused the blood of hope into my veins.” Yes, the blood of hope. Well, that group indeed has a lot of blood to spare, since it is up to its neck in it. It’s definitely not “the blood of hope,” however, but the blood that crieth to Heaven from the earth (Gen. 4). Then Maguire gives an accolade to Mar­quette (run by the Jesuits) for defending his academic freedom “almost perfectly” for 35 years. What this implies is that they defended his “freedom” to teach the opposite of the Church’s moral theology, as he has done, on contraception, masturbation, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, abortion, and embryonic stem-cell research.

Maguire is a virtual atheist. He praises the priest-shaman Thomas Berry for saying that the natural world, not the Bible, is the “primary revelation of the divine.” Then Ma­guire denies divine providence with a scoff: Although Vatican I declared that God protects and governs all things with sweetness and strength, “the tumultuous rise and fall of stars” seen in the Hubble Telescope reveals that the process is not “under sweet management.” Richard Dawkins could not have written with more contempt against a compassionate God. In addition, while posing as a Catholic, Maguire denies the dogmas of our Lord’s virgin birth and our Blessed Mother’s perpetual virginity. He laments that 83 percent of Americans “believe in the literal virgin birth of Jesus, even though Bible scholars see this as metaphoric,” and claims that Mary saw “two of her sons, Jesus and James,” killed as “rebels.” He also presents Christ’s divinity as an invention: In orthodox Christianity “a human male was divinized” and “Goddess images vigorously suppressed.”

Besides this, Maguire uses vulgar expressions to heap scorn upon Catholic bishops. He says that they keep “bleating about their pelvic obsessions, abortion, and same-sex marriage.” In wanting to consign homosexuals to a life of chastity, he adds, they are not as Catholic as he is: “The view that homosexual people are condemned to involuntary celibacy for life is as cruel as it is absurd. And it is very Catholic to say so.”

He instructs the bishops that on abortion, too, they are not as Catholic as he is: “The Roman Catholic position on abortion is pluralistic and always has been.” Of course, this is a downright lie, but it is one that Maguire has repeated for several decades, with impunity. The difference here is that he is boldly shoving it down the bishops’ throats by saying that “if bishops don’t know that, there is a cure for their ignorance: they can be sent back to school.” What school? In his book he refers favorably to Daniel Dom­browski and Robert Deltete of the Jesuit University of Seattle, who promote the myth of a “pluralistic” Catholic tradition on abortion.

Read the rest here.

H/T James for emailing the Marquette Warrior blog link. Image.

Casting out my sin

It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer' but you have made it a den of thieves.

Source

‘Somewhere there is a lady in her 30s who is alive because I became pro-life’

WAUPUN, Wisconsin – It wasn’t until the day that Kristin Port (name changed), 22, witnessed her boyfriend get plastered drunk that she realized her feelings for him had changed. As their relationship crumbled before her eyes, Kristin wished that she had not allowed the young man to use her as he pleased as she naively offered him sex in exchange for love.

It was the fall of 1979. Kristin’s boyfriend had just departed, but she could not get away from the increasing feelings of nausea in her stomach. After a free pregnancy test at a public clinic the young woman was told that she had a certain number of days to decide if she wanted to have an abortion.

Raised with Christian values, Kristen saw abortion as a way to cover up her secret: that she had given herself away sexually outside of marriage. She viewed the changes happening within her body as a mistake that needed to be dealt with.

Kristen decided to share her secret with someone she trusted, a youth pastor. He told her something that forever changed her life and the life of her baby.

“Abortion is not an option,” he said. “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” The kind pastor suggested that adoption would be a more loving option.

“His words reminded me that this was a baby we were talking about,” Kristen told LifeSiteNews in an interview.

continue at LifeSite

Bill banning webcam abortions passes Wis. State Senate

The Wisconsin State Senate passed legislation on Wednesday that would prohibit the use of videoconferencing to prescribe and automatically dispense abortion-causing drugs such as mifepristone, also known as RU-486. Senate Bill 306, authored by Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), effectively prohibits so-called web cam abortions by requiring the prescribing physician to perform a physical exam of the woman and to be physically present in the room when the abortion-inducing drug is given to the woman. The bill also requires the woman to return to the abortion facility for a follow-up visit 12 to 18 days after the use of an abortion-inducing drug to confirm the termination of the pregnancy and evaluate the woman's medical condition. Senate Bill 306 passed on a party-line 17-15 vote. All Senate Republicans voted in favor of the bill. Click here for a copy of the roll call vote and here for a Madison Capital Times story on the bill.

In 2010, Pro-Life Wisconsin warned of the likelihood of RU-486 web cam abortions in Wisconsin and the health dangers of mifepristone. We reported that Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin dispenses birth control, which can act as an abortifacient, via teleconferencing. At the time, video phones, which are the size of a laptop computer, were at 10 Planned Parenthood locations, chosen because they are the organization’s Title X family planning clinics and receive funding from the federal government. Please see the full story here (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Pro-Life Wisconsin thanks Senator Lazich and all Senate Republicans for passing this important legislation. Senate Bill 306 now advances to the State Assembly.

Pro-Life Wisconsin

Cardinal Raymond Burke talks marriage, life, culture and Legatus’ 25th anniversary Summit

With Legatus’ 25th Anniversary Summit less than two months away, members from across the country and around the world are gearing up for what’s anticipated to be one of the highlights of the organization’s quarter century of existence.

The event’s remarkable lineup of faculty and clergy will focus on this year’s theme — “Living the Fullness of Faith.” Attendees will hear from President George W. Bush, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Dr. William Donohue of the Catholic League, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Legatus’ former national chaplain Fr. George Rutler, and others. EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo returns as the master of ceremonies.

As a preview of the Feb. 2-4 event — to be held at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort in Naples, Fla. — we bring you an exclusive interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke, the head of the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church. American Catholics recognize the former archbishop of St. Louis for his orthodoxy and willingness to confront America’s culture wars head-on. He is the recipient of Legatus’ 2006 Defender of the Faith Award.

The prefect of Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, Cardinal Burke is the second-highest ranking American prelate in the Roman Curia after Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. His talk title at the Summit is: The Universal Vocation to Holiness and the New Evangelization.

Tell us about your upbringing.

I grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin in a very Catholic home as the youngest of six children. We were certainly encouraged both at home and at school to consider the possibility of a vocation. At an early age, I felt a strong attraction to the priesthood. My family even obtained for me — and this was very common at the time — a little Mass kit for children to play “Mass.” I received that for Christmas one year. Over time the attraction grew stronger.

continue at Legatus

Oconto Falls parish recovers from fire

OCONTO FALLS — Yellow caution tape surrounds St. Anthony School as a reminder of a fire that broke out at approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21. While some damage is visible on the outer structure of the school, the blaze gutted the inside of the 55-year-old building, said Tim Magnin, Oconto Falls fire chief. The adjoining St. Anthony Church was covered in soot, but spared of any serious damage.

The morning Ash Wednesday Mass was moved to St. Patrick Church in Stiles. The evening Mass was canceled. Parish members were directed to evening Mass at Holy Trinity Church in Oconto. Fr. Joel Sember, pastor at St. Anthony, said that he has seen the somber effect the fire has had on the people of the school and parish community.

"People are crying a lot," he said. "They are taking it very personally. This is part of their family; it's part of their community, and so they are taking this as if it happened to their home."

continue at The Compass 

This today:

A 16-year-old boy is to be arraigned Wednesday on charges he set the Feb. 21 fire that heavily damaged St. Anthony School in Oconto Falls.

At a custody hearing Monday morning, Oconto County Circuit Court Judge Jay N. Conley was told the boy acknowledged starting several fires.

The boy “admitted being involved in setting fires at St. Anthony School” to Oconto Falls Police Chief Mike Roberts, said Michael Schultz, a juvenile case worker for the Oconto County Department of Human Services.

GBPG

Things not to say to a Catholic woman on your first date

I would add to the title: If you're Catholic, and on a date with a Catholic woman... please don't do any of the below.

Or, as Matt suggested, fire them all off in rapid succession and hope for the best.

1. On February 14: "Happy VD Day."
2. The Church's position on married priests is rather outdated, don't you think?

3. Lent... who does that?

4. You have 5 siblings, wow... that's a pretty Catholic family.
5. Opening the priesthood up to women would really help with the priest shortage.

6. SHOTS!

7. I'm thinking about starting a "Catholics for Contraception" group in Milwaukee... and I'm already president of "Catholics for Obama", so why not?

8. I never talk to my mother.

9. Babies are overrated.

10. Those people who are married for decades... how is that possible?

Now, some of you might say, how is it possible that a person could be so oblivious as to say these things? Or, how do you find these people? To that, I have no defense.

Matt's response to #2: "Well are you a priest cause I really want to marry one!"

Temptation

Source

Could "the homily" happen in your Wisconsin parish?

A couple of weeks ago, our priest gave a homily about contraception. While speaking about the Health and Human Services mandate, our associate pastor, Fr. Jonathan Raia, made a few allusions to the fact that the Church believes that contraception is bad. There were over a thousand people packed into the building, and a slight but noticeable tension developed as he inched closer and closer to the subject. This most controversial of Catholic teachings had been splashed all over the news in recent days, ridiculed and denounced throughout popular culture, and the question hung in the air: “Is he going to go there?”
He did.

You can hear the whole homily on our parish website here. In the second half of his talk, he gently but unflinchingly explained that the Catholic Church teaches that contraception is wrong. He gave a bit of background about the reasoning behind this stance, cleared up some common misconceptions, and pointed people to resources where they could find out more about methods of Natural Family Planning. As he spoke, the thought came to mind:

I think we’re finally ready for this.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jennifer-fulwiler/father-were-ready-for-that-homily-on-contraception-now/#ixzz1nJj0UlfV

A telling story that the tides are turning.  The ship might just be correcting course in Catholic America.

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On Lent and fasting

As far back as I can remember, our family has observed a Lenten fasting custom that, until recently, I thought everyone did. Obviously Lenten fasting regulations have been loosened a bit since, ahem, Vatican II, but... howcanIsaythis... I'm not a fan of the Council that brought us polka Masses, rainbow vestments and tabernacles removed from the main Church, so I never thought it peculiar when others didn't do I as did during Lent.

I almost wrote "normal Lenten fasting observances" but realized that people's beliefs on Lenten fasting are so varied, "normal" is in the mind of the beholder (for example: do you simply have to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and it's a free-for-all other than that? if you give something up, is Sunday your "day off"? what if you

Is it just me -- or does anyone else try to eat meat just once a day during Lent (along with going meatless on Fridays and other feast days?) I grew up eating meat once a day during Lent -- lots of pb&j and cheese sandwiches for lunch, yum -- so now I have this Catholic guilt complex if I forget or find myself in a situation where I have business/social engagements for both lunch and dinner. I actually like shellfish, so it's not as much of a big deal for me as for those who swear by their cheeseburgers.

But it did get me thinking about Lenten fasting "rules"... and Matt said, hey, if you want to bare your Catholic guilt to the world, go for it... I thought it would be fun to do a history of how Lent is and has been observed, to provide a little perspective.

The word Lent itself is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning "Spring," andlenctentid, which literally means not only "Springtide" but also was the word for "March," the month in which the majority of Lent falls.

By the end of the fourth century, the 40-day period of Easter preparation known as Lent existed, consisting of prayer and fasting. The rules of fasting varied. Some areas of the Church abstained from all forms of meat and animal products, while others made exceptions for food like fish. For example, Pope St. Gregory (d. 604), writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury, issued the following rule: "We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs." Second, the general rule was for a person to have one meal a day, in the evening or at 3 p.m.

These Lenten fasting rules also evolved. Eventually, a smaller meal was allowed during the day to keep up one's strength from manual labor. Eating fish was allowed, and later eating meat was also allowed through the week except on Ash Wednesday and Friday. Dispensations were given for eating dairy products if a pious work was performed, and eventually this rule was relaxed totally. (However, the abstinence from even dairy products led to the practice of blessing Easter eggs and eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.)

In 1966, the USCCB released new fasting guidelines for Lent and beyond. These new guidelines made it no longer required to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year, and the general fasting requirement is no longer required.

For me, growing up, Lent = no eating between meals; meat once a day (usually dinner); no meat on Fridays during Lent; and we usually gave up something as family, like dessert or watching movies. Sounds fun, eh? But Lent isn't supposed to be fun (neither was Christ's death on the cross): through Lent, we purify our earthly body and mind to receive the Risen Christ on Easter Sunday.

I had the most difficult time trying to find what, exactly, are the Church's guidelines on Lenten fasting. I finally found this Pastoral Statement from 1983, which can be summarized to read: "We strongly recommend some sort of penitential observance during the 40 days of Lent; no meat on Ash Wednesday nor Fridays during Lent."

Bishop Ricken did provide some tips for Lent from a bishop's perspective. Fr. Z has them here.

Also, read "The Idiot's Guide to Lent and Fasting." It gets much closer to where I was aiming for.

I am curious, though, among our (500 daily!!) readers -- what Lenten traditions do you follow? What have you heard?

Image source.

Blessed are those who mourn: The Gift of Tears

Saint Peter Weeping in the Presence of
the Sorrowful Mother by Guercino, 1647.

“We shall not be accused of not having performed miracles. We will not be accused of having failed to be theologians or contemplatives. But we shall surely have to answer to God for not having wept ceaselessly for our sins.” - St. John Climacus

“Whoever seeks deliverance from sins will find it in tears and weeping, and whoever wishes to advance in building up virtue will do so through weeping and tears.” - St. Anthony of the Desert

The Most Precious Thing in the World

God asked three of His angels to go down to earth and bring back to Him the most precious thing in the world.  After venturing the world, the three returned to God and submitted their findings.  The first reached into his feathers and brought out a vial containing a drop of blood from a person who had sacrificed his life to save another.  God said, “Surely this is precious in My sight for there is no greater love than this than for one to lay down his life for his friend, but it is not the most precious thing in the world.”

The second angel reached into his feathers and brought out a vial containing the last breath of a nurse who died from a dread disease she contracted from nursing others to health.  God smiled and said, “Surely this is precious in My sight, for doing so to my brethren she had surely done the same for me; but it is not the most precious thing in the world.”

The third angel approached deeply affected by his journey.  With a contrite face, the angel reached into his feathers and brought out his findings.  The angle captured a tear of a sinner who had repented and returned to God.  God beamed upon the angel as He said, “Surely, O angel, you have brought Me the most precious thing in the world—it is the tear of repentance that opens the gates of heaven.”

continue at St. George Coptic

CapTimes: In moderate Wisconsin, Santorum is poised to win GOP primary

When it comes to social issues, Wisconsin is a middle-of-the-road state. While the Republican Party here confidently supports the national platform on issues such as abortion, sex education and gay rights, the religious right is not front-and-center of politics here the way it is in the South.

Perhaps the best indicator of a population's stance on social issues is church attendance, and according to a 2009 Gallup poll, about 40 percent of Wisconsinites go to church weekly or biweekly, a rate slightly lower than the national average of 41.6 percent.

While Wisconsin voters comfortably approved a ban on gay marriage in 2006, recent polls indicate that, if given the opportunity again, Wisconsinites would vote differently. As for abortion, Wisconsinites, like many Americans, are ambivalent, but polls show the vast majority are opposed to a "personhood amendment" that would define life as starting at fertilization, thus banning all abortions and emergency contraception.

So why is Rick Santorum -- the man who alleged "Satan" was "attacking the U.S." in 2008 -- poised to squash Mitt Romney in the state GOP primary in April? According to a Marquette University Law School poll released today, Santorum has the support of 34 percent of likely GOP primary voters, followed by Romney at 18 percent, Ron Paul at 17 percent and Newt Gingrich at 12 percent. Seventeen percent remain undecided.

Read more at Your Progressive Voice

In 2008, of the three candidates left, McCain took 55%, Huckabee 37%, and Paul 6%. 

Wisconsin Family Council put out a voters guide.  It's pretty good, but interesting they did not publish if the candidate supported taxpayer funded contraception which is a bigger deal to both sides than say: "Using a prospective federal judge's ability to empathize with particular societal groups as a criterion for their nomination."  Wouldn't it be nice if the Catholic dioceses put something out like this?  Or distributed the WFC guide? 

Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s Belated Health-Care Conversion

Totally missing the point as is the rest of the media, but has some interesting information.  The HHS mandate has nothing to do with contraception and everything to do with a maniacal government dictating how religion in the United States is performed.  They will do the same thing trying to force Catholic priest to perform gay "marriages."  It would seem this country was founded on the principle that religions were allowed to freely exercise - but don't tell that to them.  Definitely worth a read though. 

Before emerging as a key fighter against Barack Obama’s mandate that insurers provide no-cost birth control, Cardinal Dolan skirted the issue for years. 

But while Dolan has lately emerged as a vehement foe of both the initial and revised versions of the White House’s plan, his voice was rarely heard before this year, even as laws in New York and Wisconsin compelled Catholic institutions under his spiritual direction to provide employees with health-insurance plans that cover prescription birth-control medication.

Dolan kept a similarly low profile on the issue of mandated coverage when he was Archbishop of Milwaukee from 2002 to 2009. In June of 2009, Wisconsin became one of the now 28 states that require health insurers to cover birth control without a co-pay. Dolan, who had been reassigned to New York that February, wasn’t very involved with the mandate either before or after leaving the state, said John Huebscher, executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference—who added that the measure was a little-discussed eleventh-hour addition to the state’s budget.

At Marquette, a Catholic university in Milwaukee, the university’s plan has covered contraceptives, but not emergency contraceptives, since before 1990, according to spokesman Brian Dorrington. 

whole article at The Daily Beast

The article goes on to almost imply that Huebscher was saying it was Dolan's fault that the Wisconsin contraception/abortifacient mandate was not addressed by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference(the conference remained neutral although Listecki and Morlino broke from the WCC opinion).  That could be I guess.  

Also goes on to explain how vicious Democrats and NARAL were to Catholic institutions in Wisconsin, I hope union supporters consider this with the upcoming election.  Unfortunately in this state, you cannot have both union rights and the Catholic religion, so you have to pick between the two.  Which is most important?

From a commenter on an old post:

Then there was then Ab. Burke – still of La Crosse – ‘incident’. Ab. Burke had made some strong comments about pro-abortion Catholic politicians still presenting themselves for Holy Communion. Dolan was asked to comment and instead of supporting Burke made the dismissive remark: “Well that’s just Ray…” No one took much notice of it at the time, but it struck me forcefully and I felt it said a lot about Dolan.

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Watch your step

Source

Wisconsin Democrats want probe into Milwaukee Archdiocese sex offense

MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) - Nine Democratic state lawmakers have asked the Justice Department to investigate an attorney's claim that eight-thousand sex offenses were committed by people connected with the Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese.

At a court hearing last week, Jeff Anderson said up to 100 previously undisclosed offenders committed the crimes.

If it's true, the legislators said it's nothing short of a "public safety crisis." And they said the hiding of the offenses might have resulted in hundreds of other abuses against children as well.

Justice spokeswoman Dana Brueck says the agency will review the lawmakers' request.

Anderson made the allegation to a judge investigating compensation claims by over 570 victims of sex abuse by priests. Those claims were made as part of the church's Chapter 11 bankrtupcy reorganization.

Peter Isley of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said he would welcome a Justice Department review. The lawmakers seeking it are Senators Julie Lassa, Lena Taylor, Bob Jauch, and Jessica King -- and Representatives Sandy Pasch, Chris Taylor, Kelda Helen Roys, Robert Turner, and Terese Berceau.

WTAQ

Robert Banks, bishop emeritus of Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, suffers heart attack

Bishop Robert J. Banks, 83, bishop emeritus of Green Bay, is recovering after suffering a heart attack on Sunday, according to the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay.

Banks received two stents and is recovering at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, the diocese said Tuesday.

He is expected to be released from the hospital later this week.

Post Crescent

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Final claim dismissed in La Crosse Diocese fraud suit

Bishop Raymond L. Burke, Bishop John Paul,
and Bishop Frederick Freking

A judge dismissed the last of three legal claims Tuesday against the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse in a 2008 lawsuit that accused the diocese of covering up sex abuse allegations against a priest.

In keeping with his earlier rulings, La Crosse County Circuit Judge Scott Horne said the plaintiff, Brenda Varga, failed to demonstrate fraud and that her attorneys shaded facts in their complaint to get before the courts and fish for more information to support "a questionable lawsuit."

The diocese issued a statement saying in part, "This case illustrates the procedural difficulties in allowing the filing of old claims, particularly where plaintiff's lawyers are willing to make misrepresentations of fact to the court. ... The willingness to take liberties with the requisite facts in a case such as this does not further, and in fact deprecates, founded and credible claims of sexual assault and fraud."

According to the complaint, Varga, 49, met the late Rev. Raymond Bornbach in 1971 when her family attended a wedding at his church. She said he later befriended the third-grader's family, bought her gifts and molested her over the course of a year.

The church removed Bornbach from the ministry in 2004 after a diocesan review panel found Varga's allegations credible though Bornbach's attorney denied them. Bornbach died in 2006.

Varga's suit alleged then-Bishop Frederick Freking knew Bornbach had a proclivity for young girls when he was assigned to St. Michael's Parish in Hewitt, Wis. It made three claims of fraud.

According to the complaint - which Horne deemed "sloppily drafted, at best" - a parishioner told Freking in 1968 that his wife had witnessed Bornbach "touching a little girl inappropriately." But his testimony in depositions painted a different picture.

Read more: http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/final-claim-dismissed-in-diocese-fraud-suit/article_ab816fbe-5d14-11e1-85f0-001871e3ce6c.html#ixzz1n7nbwTZp

Your souls are exceeding thirsty

Draw near to me, ye unlearned, and gather yourselves together into the house of discipline. Why are ye slow? and what do you say of these things? your souls are exceeding thirsty. I have opened my mouth, and have spoken: buy her for yourselves without silver, And submit your neck to the yoke, and let your soul receive discipline: for she is near at hand to be found. Behold with your eyes how I have laboured a little, and have found much rest to myself.

Ecclesiasticus 51 31-35

Spare those who repent

Almighty and Eternal God, spare those who repent, show mercy to those who implore Thee, be pleased to send Thy holy Angel form heaven to bless and sanctify these ashes; that they may be a wholesome remedy to all who humbly call upon Thy Name; and conscious of their sins, accuse themselves, deplore their crimes before Thy Divine leniency or humbly and earnestly kneel before Thy most exalted goodness; and grant, through the invocation of Thy most Holy Name, that all who may be sprinkled with these ashes for redemption from their sins, may receive both health of body and safety of soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Inn at the End of the World

Pray for sinners.

Pro-abortion Rep. Gwen Moore to speak at Catholic Mount Mary College

First was this Tweet from Mount Mary College:

View the event info here.

Moore is proudly pro-abortion, and recently made the curious statement that “Pregnancy is a danger to women’s health.” PolitiFact rated Moore’s claim that Gov. Walker ended cancer screenings for low-income women as false. This past summer, Moore received an achievement award from Planned Parenthood of America. Moore spoke on behalf of Planned Parenthood at a Milwaukee “Pepto Bus” rally in March 2011. Moore rather infamously declared that abortion is better for a poor baby than a lifetime spent eating Ramen noodles.

And all of the above happened from February 2011 through February 2012. Moore is no wallflower when it comes to her love of Planned Parenthood and abortion.

To contact Mount Mary, email or call the President: salounp@mtmary.edu or (414) 256-1207.

Pro-Life Wisconsin

Madison's Bishop O'Connor Center chapel gets face lift

Details from Mr. Yanke

HT FatherZ

Marquette theology professor & abortion advocate Dan Maguire cancels appearance at abortion debate

Dan Maguire

 Milwaukee, WI -- The College Republicans at Marquette University were eagerly anticipating a debate on abortion set for March 1st. The organization had booked Marquette theology professor Dan Maguire, S.T.D., an outspoken pro-choice liberal, and Dr. Mike Adams, a professor at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington and an energetic pro-life advocate. The debate was to be funded in part by the Marquette University Student Government Activity Fee and Young America’s Foundation.

After researching his opponent, Dr. Maguire told the College Republicans he could not participate in the debate because “[Adams] would not want to debate me in theology since he is not a theologian and could not argue a theological position with professional competence.”  Mike Adams is a professor in the Criminal Justice department at UNC-Wilmington.

Dr. Adams responded, “Professor Daniel Maguire says I lack the competence to defend a theological position on abortion. I'm no theologian. But I do understand ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’.”

Event organizer Maggie Gervase said, “The goal of the debate was to bring the abortion discussion to campus. We wanted the two professors to develop a debate that would resonate with students; a debate on theological arguments alone would bore students.”

Political science professor and College Republican faculty advisor Dr. John McAdams wrote on his blog, “His insistence that he will debate only theologians is odd, given that [I], over the last couple of decades, have been on two panels with Maguire. One, in the 1990s, was on the death penalty. Two people debated on the pro-death penalty side, and Maguire (along with another faculty member) were on the anti-death penalty side.”

With Dr. Maguire’s past history of debating a political science professor on the death penalty, why would he shirk away from a debate with a fellow academic? Liberals espouse open mindedness, yet the pro-choice movement’s biggest cheerleader at Marquette is denying his students a balanced debate.

The College Republicans will still be hosting an event with Dr. Mike Adams. Adams will speak on Thursday, March 1st in the Alumni Memorial Union Ballroom at 7pm. The event is free, open to the public, and an RSVP is encouraged.

For more information about the event or the College Republicans please visit the CRs website www.marquettecrs.com, email marquettecrs@gmail.com, or call (920) 474-MUCR(6827).

In other Marquette news, MU placed six fraternities on probation.   Maybe if Marquette faculty could engage students in a topic they are passionate about to keep their interest in.... well I guess not. 

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Pine Creek, WI - first TLM photos

Photos courtesy of Edward Jones. Note the pro-life icon on the small altar(I think that might be in the basement).  The Extraordinary Form Mass was offered on one of the side altars.  I am still looking for the story of when Fr. O'Hara beat up some thugs trying to rob his church(he was a college wrestler).  Next TLM will be March 3rd at 10:00 am. 

Abp. Hanus of Dubuque recuperating after car accident

Dubuque Archbishop Jerome Hanus was working from home Friday, recuperating from injuries he sustained in a one-car accident Monday night near Dows, Iowa.

The 71-year-old leader of the Dubuque Archdiocese and its 202,600 Roman Catholics in 30 counties was driving alone in his car on an icy roadway when the accident happened. Hanus was on his way to Des Moines for the Iowa Catholic Conference legislative breakfast Tuesday morning. After spending Monday night at Wright Medical Center in Clarion, where he was treated for bruises and lacerations, including a gash on his head, he returned to Dubuque on Tuesday night.

Telegraph Herald

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Why I voted for Ron Paul in 2008 and will do it again in 2012

The Wisconsin Republican primary is April 3.  I do not post a whole lot on national politics here.  But since the primary is coming up and a few people have asked I'll share with you my thoughts.

I'll try to briefly make my point.  Despite the fact that I think Rick Santorum is a good Catholic and a good man, that doesn't make him a good politician. For example, he voted for the No Child Left Behind Act doubling the size of the Department of Education.  And despite the feel good story of the Partial Birth Abortion ban, let me ask you; how many people have been prosecuted for committing partial birth abortions?  I'm glad the issue brought to light the brutal secrets of the abortion industry, but the legislation contains pretend exceptions which render is practically speaking, useless.  Ron Paul has a real plan for ending abortion immediately.  We get all giddy when a president reverses the Mexico City policy; is that really the best we can do?  Is that all a pro-life president can do?  None of the other candidates will limit the size or scope of the federal government and put the power back in the hands of the states where it belongs.  If Paul doesn't get the nod, fine, I'll support one of the other three.  But don't blame me when a "conservative" Republican can't balance the federal budget any better than a liberal can, or when their hands are tied to promote pro-life legislation.  As we have already seen, this monster that Bernardin Catholics have created in Washington has now turned on us.  It's up to the next generation of Catholics to undo the damage and bring back the sanity of subsidiarity. 








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Abp. Listecki to kick off 40 Days for Life in Milwaukee

Photo via Anne Bender at Imprisoned in my Bones

40 Days for Life begins this Wednesday in cities around the world (258 locations, the most ever!)

40 Days for Life will be observed in Wisconsin in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Medford, Milwaukee, Stevens Point and Wausau. La Crosse will participate as well in an unofficial capacity.

On Wednesday, February 22, Archbishop Jerome Listecki of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will lead 40 Days for Life of Milwaukee’s opening prayer vigil. 40 Days for Life is observed in Milwaukee at Affiliated Medical Services (the state’s only late-term abortion facility), located at 1428 N. Farwell Ave. Archbishop Listecki will be there from approximately 10:30-11am. Join us!

There have been nine coordinated 40 Days for Life campaigns since 2007, mobilizing people of faith and conscience in 422 cities across the United States and Canada, plus communities in Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belize, Denmark, England, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Puerto Rico and Spain.

During these unified efforts, participants witnessed countless blessings from God:

• 1,633 individual campaigns have taken place in 422 cities
• More than 500,000 have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion
• More than 14,000 church congregations have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns
• Reports document 5,045 lives that have been spared from abortion — and those are just the ones we know about
• 61 abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry
• 21 abortion facilities completely shut down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns
• Hundreds of women and men have been spared from the tragic effects of abortion, including a lifetime of regrets
• More than 1,800 news stories have been featured in newspapers, magazines, radio shows and TV programs from coast to coast … and overseas
• Many people with past abortion experiences have stepped forward to begin post-abortion healing and recovery

Pro-Life Wisconsin

Iiiiiiiiiit's Bacon!

Glenn Reynolds on the contraception mandate fracas: "It’s as if we passed a law requiring mosques to sell bacon and then, when people objected, responded by saying 'What’s wrong with bacon? You’re trying to ban bacon!!!!'"

- via CatholicVote

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You can only use NFP for grave reasons...What are these reasons?

Pope Pius XII Who Gave Us
 the Four "Grave Reasons"

The last post about the sinfulness of contraception and sterilization (Read: 6 Reasons Why Contraception is Sinful) stirred up some comments about natural family planning (NFP). NFP is a popular contemporary term for "periodic continence." NFP works by observing the cycles of a wife's fertility and then avoiding the nuptial embrace during her times of fertility so as to avoid pregnancy. In NFP, the husband and wife abstain from the nuptial embrace altogether during the time of the wife's monthly fertility.

The Church allows married couples to practice periodic continence only for grave or serious reasons. These reasons were explicitly listed by Pope Pius XII in his “Address to the Italian Catholic Union of Midwives" from 1951.

NFP or periodic continence can only lawfully be practiced without sin for grave reasons, which he lists as “medical, eugenic, economic, and social” reasons.

If a couple is healthy, financially secure, and living in a stable community, then recourse to NFP is contrary to the mind of the Christ's Church and sinful.

Note that NFP or "periodic continence" in itself is morally neutral since observing a woman's cycle and remaining continent are morally neutral. Therefore, NFP is not intrinsically evil. Artificial contraception (condoms, the pill, interuptus) are intrinsically evil because they directly intervene in the natural process. Artificial contraception obstructs the natural act either through devices, chemicals, or direction intervention.

So then, NFP can be used when there is a proper "grave"or "serious" circumstance, and the Holy Father provides four such circumstances. Let's go through these four grave reasons.

continue at Canterbury Tales

Zombie porn and serial killers in Wisconsin Girl Scouts?

Pelosi: Girl Scouts' Relationship
With Planned Parenthood ‘Very Valuable’

I found this story fascinating, for two reasons — the Girl Scouts are hyper-aware of their public image, and are taking steps to maintain that image (not as wholesome as it once was).

News stations on Thursday evening broke the news that a Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast leader was let go from the organization due to including her husband’s website in a Girl Scouts email.

Her husband’s website, Wisconsin Sickness [as of Thursday evening, the website is down; all of the traffic must've crashed the servers], promotes zombie porn and serial killers, among other things.

According to the site’s Facebook page:

Wisconsin Sickness is a Mental Shed project created to expose and preserve the dark and disturbing underground world of Wisconsin art in all its forms, including art, film, and the world-renown WI metal!

Maybe there’s something in the water. Maybe we’ve inhaled too much cow shit and chemical fertilizer. [...] Whatever the reason, there is a deep and passionate psychosis that runs through the unstable synapses of those of us from Wisconsin, land of serial killers and cannibals.

And we’re proud of it.

Wisconsin Sickness is all about bringing the independent, underground Wisconsin scene together and spreading the sickness like a virus.

Hintz herself admits the website is “an alternative site that is not for everyone especially children” but claims linking to the website in a recent Girl Scouts email was inadvertent.

Hintz’s husband — owner of the website in question — has some sort of online post/plea here, bewailing this culture we live in that judges people for their Satanic beliefs.

Other than the link to the main website above, I don’t think much linking to the website in question is necessary, but there is more info here, including Hintz’s YouTube videos and the resignation letter, if you’re interested.

The Girl Scouts have gotten a bad rap lately, due to their associating with Planned Parenthood and various gay rights/sex-ed/alternative groups.

Is partnering with the devil himself just a step too far?

 Pro-Life Wisconsin

Abp. Dolan "weights" for tomorrows elevation to Cardinal

With the help of Shapiro’s counsel, Dolan has lost 25 pounds in the last year, after trying every diet from Atkins to cleansing shakes.

“His brother and I would joke about the diet du jour," said Jerry Topczewski, who was Dolan's chief of staff when he was archbishop of Milwaukee.

“He will never pass up a plate of meatloaf and macaroni and cheese,” he said, recalling how Dolan would joke he wouldn’t stay for the food at functions if the mashed potatoes weren’t real.

Milwaukee Auxiliary Bishop Donald Hying, 48, remembers Dolan was watching his weight when they attended a conference dinner in Seattle in June 2011.

He only ate half his steak and potatoes and passed the rest of it to Hying, down a line of cardinals.

“It was a surreal moment,” he said.

Dolan’s brother, Bob, said he’s not sensitive about his rotund silhouette.

"He's always making fun of himself. His weight is fair game because he makes fun of it himself all the time," he said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/archbishop-timothy-dolan-t-basta-pasta-future-cardinal-carbo-loads-rome-diet-article-1.1024040#ixzz1mfI03UAf

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New Traditional Mass near Pine Creek, WI tomorrow

On Saturday, Feb 18 (this week), I will offer Mass in the Extraordinary Form at 10:30am, Sacred Heart Church.

physical address
(N20555 CTH G Dodge, WI 54625)

near Pine Creek, WI - 20 minutes from Winona

We have servers for the Low Mass.

All are welcome! Please spread the word.

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