A New Look!

So, tell me how like the new look and features of the blog. I'm not quite done yet, but there's been progress. I still need to work on the links--and perhaps some more images.

But take a gander and let me know what you think.

BTW--be sure to vote in my poll! I'm curious.

You Go, Girl!!!

In a post below, entitled "Gays don't like freedom of speech", I wrote about Cynthia Dixon, an administrator at the University of Toledo, after she wrote a editorial, in which she did not identify herself as associated with the University, taking exception of the Gay Rights movement identifying itself with the civil rights movement.

The University fired her for her views.

She has retained counsel. And she is being represented by the ST. Thomas Moore Law center as well.

Go for it! We need, more than anything else at this point, clarity. A clarity of line. Where is the line drawn, that limits or prohibits free speech for Christians. As long as servants of the Enemy, (and have no doubt, those who are trying to silence Christian speech about morality are serving the Enemy), are able to obfuscate what they are doing in the name of "justice" and "equality", they will be able to confuse people. But when we can make it clear that they are actually in the process of silencing Christianity, that they are removing our freedom of speech, then at least the battle lines will be clear to everyone.

I do not expect us to be vindicated in the courts--eventually the Great Persecution will come. already the Great Apostasy is upon us. But at least then, people will have to explicitly choose which side they are on: they won't simply gravitate to one or the other through confusion.

Good Article.

Here's a good article on the Catholic left, and it's problems. I liked it, and you might too. I don't usually like the author, but this is good.

http://www.catholic.org/politics/storey.php?id=280408&page=1 .

Suicidal Tourists

There's a group in Australia that is in the habit of arranging trips to Tijuana to buy euthanizing drugs, so that people can kill themselves easier.

Exit International, is a euthanasia advocacy group. They're the folks doing this. These drugs, usually Nembutal, are illegal in Oz. They are legally restricted in Mexico to prescription veterinary use. Of course this is TJ, so that isn't much of an obstacle.

But in OZ, Shirley Justin was put on trial, the 5th of this month, for murdering a man using these drugs. she's a member of Exit International. Caren Jenning was charged as an accomplice for going to Mexico and bringing the drugs back, to be used to murder people in the name of mercy.

OK-Fine

I probably shouldn't be as entertained by this as I am, but I am.

In Mexico City, two transsexuals, a woman who "transitioned" into being a "man", and a man who "transitioned" into being a "woman", got married.

I must admit that there is an "Eeeeewwwwww" factor at work here.

However, their is another factor--it's not a same sex marriage. No matter how you look at it. If you accept the modernist theory that people can change from their biological sex or gender to a desired one--it's not a same sex marriage. On the other hand, if you reject the possibility, it's not a same sex marriage, either.

Of course neither partner is fertile. The surgeries that made them what they are preclude that. But, surgical procedures that result in sterility, are not necessarily sinful--if they were undertaken to treat another problem and the sterility is an unavoidable consequence that is unintended. So that's taken care of.

It's a civil wedding--Mexican law does not recognise Church weddings. So the questions of sacramentality don't arise. They desire a Church wedding, and it will be interesting to see how this shakes out.

Of course there is the question of....let's use the phrase "Theology of the Body".

But mostly, I'm amused by both the WTF reactions, and the failure of language to make it in anyway simple to discuss this.

And, no--I don't approve.

Over in San Diego

Geoffrey Robinson, a RAB from Oz, has been requested not to speak in several American diocese. Including San Diego. So, he's speaking at the UCSD Faculty Club. The topic is how the evil, "Lordship Based" church didn't do enough to eradicate and prevent the
abuse Scandal.

Normally, with Bishop Brom and Cdl Mahoney saying don't speak in their diocese, and given the topic, I would be on his side. Except he's the codger whose book was denounced by the Australian Bishops for doctrinal problems. It's not that he's critical of the Bishops and the Administrative apparatus of the Church--it's that his ecclesiology is entirely modernist. It's that he lays the blame for the scandal, not on sinful activities, and the infiltration of the Anglophone clergy by Gay chicken hawks, and those who sympathize and covertly embrace the Gay lifestyle, but on the structure of the church and the Administration there of.

He doesn't really get Lumen Gentium.

And so, he speaks in the diocese of other bishops, who have asked him not to. Nice going, dude.
Let's just be part of the problem of disobedient bishops--the ones who disregarded long standing directives to enable the problem in the first place. I guess now I know why you didn't get a diocese of your own.

I wish those bishops who have asked him not to speak in their diocese had used their authority in a more proactive fashion: they could have simply forbade him to do so, which would then render his activities an action that could be disciplined. But they left him wiggle room.

Shepherds don't sweet talk sheep--I've watched them wrestle them into position. and, shepherds don't ask predators to leave the sheep alone--they fight them off.

Law Suit, Trademark Infringement.

Victoria's Secret is in court over the idea that it's line of hair care products, called "So Sexy" confuses consumers, detracting from the value of Sexy hair Concepts, Llc.

Crap!

Really, Vickie's markets an idea. Women. Must. Be. So. Hot. That. Men. Just. Wannna. Jump. On. Em. .

It's just another part of the hyper-sexualization of our culture, a process driven by marketing, to increase the volume of business by inculcating insecurity in some, and arrogance in others.

How about a product line called "So Nice, I Think I Want to Marry Her"?

Ladies, you have other avenues to both value, and feminine power than a 24 -7 attempt to work on the male libido.

Ahh Yes, The Accomplishments of the French...

I have been underwhelmed by the accomplishments of the French for years. Whether it was watching elite french commandos fail to seize a ship crewed by Greenpeace, on TV, or noticing that the French Marines I was sharing an OP with buried their weapons to go get drunk, I just haven't been impressed. I mean, look at the Citroen: the only automobile that's a bad copy of it's self.

So, the french adventured who has already tried twice, and failed twice, to set a new world free fall parachute record, went to Canada to attempt once again. he's trying to break a record set by an American, as part of a research project. He had a new high-altitude balloon built for the purpose.

So, they inflated the expensive, high tech balloon. It floated away, unconnected to the capsule that was to carry him to new heights.

I am unsurprised by this latest French accomplishment.

Wasting Time

So, I show up at the Office today, only to find that there is some sort of big meeting, and everyone who actually has a job here will be gone. That means my job today consists of answering the phone, and telling whoever is on the other end that the party they wish to speak to isn't in, and asking if they would like to leave a voice mail message for the appropriate person.

So, I guess that I'll just kill time by blogging.

Some questions

Do you ever pray in front of your computer?

Do you use prayers you have found on the Internet?

Do you pray for intentions recommended on peoples sites?

Do you pray because of issues you read about, or because of temptations presented to you?

Chant!!!

I love chant. For me it's the most accessible style of liturgical music. No, really. Liturgical music that is, well, poppy, is in no way accessible to me. I can neither read music, nor sing well. That means that I need to listen to the words, or let the sound carry me as an adjunct to prayer.

With the typical soft rock/pseudo folk music we get, the words are trivial, infantile. They usually make bad poetry, and are theologically impoverished. So much for listening to the words in order to orient myself to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Not to mention that some of the lyrics are just flat bad theology. Now the tunes..the tunes are dreck, for the most part. Especially the pseudo-folk. (Let me give a hint--if it's written in a style that the people, the "folk" don't sing, has an accredited author and a copyright notice, it ain't folk, it's pseudo-folk.) The soft rock often sounds like a piano bar that has been invaded by a bad garage band. Sorry, no uplift there--most often a sense of irritation and aesthetic scandalization

There are of course traditional hymns, like those in the Adoremus or St. Michael's hymnals. they tend to be better theologically, and tend more towards the congregational sing ability. They even have the advantage of sounding more like music for church, and less like music for a piano bar. But they too have drawbacks for me. Often, the language is that marred, syllable counting 18th and 19th century affected hieratic English. Often, the originals are not in English, and the translations have been...creative. Not as good as chant, but better than the neo-dreck ersatz
liturgical music we often suffer through.

Chant is a different animal.

The Graduale is in Latin, a language that I don't speak, or understand when I hear it. I am able, however, to piece bits together, Nouns and verbs that I do know. I get a bit of the gist. But that's not as important as one might think. Simply, I can read the translation of the text, especially for the ordinaries, and be able to understand quite well what I am hearing and praying. I can even hold my own, buried in the congregation, for many of the chants I hear or that we sing. It has sort of an internal logic that other musical forms often don't.

The sound of chant is important as well. One does not typically have associations of, say, a folk festival, or a political rally, or a boar, when one hears this music. One associates it with Church, Prayer and Worship. The sound of the music helps me to participate meaningfully, actively and actually in the actions at the altar. Much more so than any other form of music.

And I don't think I'm alone. The Monks of Stift Heiligenkruez have been signed by Universal to make a CD of chant. I remember that a CD of Chant from the Benedictines was a best seller in the 90s. People like it enough to make it a marketable musical form even in these days of music being all about the...well, you know. I think this is because, as the Catechism says, we are made to find our happiness in God, to know, love and serve him. In a secular world, hearing chant speaks to something deep in us, in our soul, that transcends the shallow, self centered worlds in which we live. It touches us in our hearts in a way that the keyboard and guitars can't.

I think that's why some people involved in the church resist it--if they get touched in their hearts, the cal to repentance follows naturally, so to speak, and they don't want to think it's necessary.

Father Jeffery Tucker has a nice article up in The New Liturgical Movement, asking why chant is making a comeback. he enumerates several contributing factors: Groovyness burnout, Battle Weariness, Catholic Identity, Chant lives in the Culture, The Rise of Seriousness, Multiculturalism, Musicians Want a Challenge, Pope Benedict XVI, the Moto Proprio, and Forty Years.

That last is interesting. He was told by someone that we would soon be out of our liturgical wilderness, simply because of the Biblical significance of the number forty. He doesn't really know what to make of it, but he acknowledges that we've been wandering in the liturgical wilderness for forty years, and now we can see signs of recovery. Go read his article at http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com . It's dated 14 May.

Chant: It's how we sing a New(ly restored and faithful) Church into being.

I wanna start a Militia!

Indeed I do!
Maybe with a catchy name, like The Militia of St. Michael.

I'd be very selective in membership--only catholics who have received confirmation.

We'd get a really snazzy uniform--work trousers, shirts with button flap pockets, and a cool St. Michael's Medal as an insignia.

We'd do things like march in parades, and go into places in formation, to mow lawns for the disabled, work on home maintenance for struggling single mothers, etc.

And, we'd throw good BBQ's, mostly for fun. But we'd do it sometimes in places like parks, where hippies and homeless hang out, and feed them without actually preaching to them--but among our selves we'd say grace out loud.

We'd equip ourselves with shovels and rakes and wheel barrows, so we could help sandbag in times of flood, and bring food to people doing relief work and disaster work.

And part of our rules would be to have fun and joke a lot.

Maybe we could even get an auxiliary that specialized in grilling sauces and good bread.

I could just join the Knights of Columbus, but I've never really felt that I wanted to do that--I'm not so sure that they would like conservative, traditional type catholics.

Or, I could just brew beer and make wine for parish dinners and picnics, and leave them anonymously at the rectory door.

Quit Being So Meme To Me!

I'm not even going to try to explain this one. Suffice it to say that it's unorthodox enough to have come to me without the use of any electronic media, and some odd , (well, one odd) rules.

Here we got:

Rules:
Answer the questions.
Tag 3.5 other blogs.

!-- Would you rather give up ice cream, or Pizza? Okra.
@--Which season would you eliminate? Depends! In the Mid-west, winter, on the gulf coast, summer.
#--You're stuck on a desert island, would you rather have your best friend with you, or cable television? My Best friend.
$--would you rather be a bird, or a fish? 'Coon
%--Which song would you ban from wedding receptions? Take my Breaqth Away.
^--You have 5,000 dollars to spend in one store, where do you go? Bass Pro Shop Outdoor world.
&--You get to have one president of the US as a drinking buddy. Who do you pick? James Madison.

OK-- I tag Karin, @ http://wifeandmomoftwo.wordpress.com/
Sarah, @ http://morialives.blogspot.com/
Adoro, @ http://adorotedevote.blogspot.com/
Subve........
Elizabeth@ http://spreadingolive.blogspot.com

Domestic Exchange

ME,(after unplanned and rather unpleasant nap): Uber Toddler, what happened to my brain?

Uber Toddler: The couch ate it.

Why are we even going to bother to send her to school?

An interesting discussion:

There is an interesting discussion below, on the post about abortion supporters not believing in the viability of their cause--please chime in.

Abp. Burke

YAY!

I think the man has done a goodun'. His current seminary class is the largest in twenty years. It's a 50% increase over last years.

The seminarians mention, that they are comfortable applying to be priests in his archdiocese because he allows them to be conservatives. That's important, as most of the young men entering seminary now are conservatives--progressives don't seem to be hearing the call as much.

He meets one on one with his seminarians once or twice a year. The seminary has Latin Liturgies once a week. Morning and Evening Prayer are in choir--and choir dress.

In my own Archdiocese--we haven't ordained a priest in a couple of years. I hope Abp. Burkes brother bishops are paying attention.

Of Course the Press hates the Church! (Cali, again)

Of course the press hates the Church. One, it doesn't stand for whatever sells at the moment. Two, it continually says there is something called right, and something called wrong. Three, it doesn't let those persons who have graduated from journalism school tell us what's right and wrong--it hews to an objective, unchanging standard.

And, since the 60's "good journalism" has meant trying to take down what ever power structure isn't run by the left, and destroy any sense of worth in our own culture.

Here we go--two things:

The L.A. Times has been praising the "documentary" Bloodline. How stupid. The thing about documentaries is, they're supposed to be factual. Factual. Bloodline is a rehash of the hoax presented by a French Trickster in the 50's, the "Priory of Sion". It's been debunked. And debunked. And, debunked. But it keeps coming back, like a stray cat that found food on the front porch. And the media just keeps putting it forward. Why? Well, according to sociologists, the two professions most likely to have members devoid of religious belief are Astronomers and Journalists. It must drive journalists nuts, that the "western-cultural-archetype-of-Jesus" won't go away. So there are constant attempts to re-define him. Jesus, the semi literate proto-marxist who was executed to preserve the status quo. Jesus the new age rabbi who got it on with Mary Magdalen.

And, always, it's the evil Catholic Church that has preserved the "fraud" for 2000 years. (Here's a question--why isn't it ever the evil orthodox church that has preserved the fraud for 2000 years? They've been around as long as we have! Oh--that's right, most Journalists are ignorant of religious history.) This hoax is intrinsically, and explicitly, anti-clerical and anti-catholic.

And, Sex Scandals. Everybody "knows" now that the Church is all about sexing up little kids. Never mind that when examined, the problem was gay chicken hawks, overwhelmingly. Or that the rate of sexual offenders for the priesthood was just about half that of the population at large. It's just understood that priests are perverts. And especially, don't worry about the Justice Department study two years ago. The one that said that the most likely place for a Minor to be abused wasn't some skanky trailer park, or even at home across the board--it was in public school. In fact, the Justice Department estimated that there were more children at risk for sexual abuse in California Public Schools than in the entire US Catholic School system! That didn't get much play, and what it got was the buried on page 5 kinda coverage.

Of course, there wasn't anything juicy, like Steve Rooney getting charged with 13 felony count sexual offenses, including sex with 13 and 14 year old girls while an assistant principal, or that he was assigned to that job even though the LA school district knew he was being investigated for having sex with another student at his previous job, (who testified he got her pregnant.) Oh wait--that's happening now.

And there wasn't anything like 21 teachers and administrators being pulled for sexual conduct with students since January this year. Oh wait, that's happening now! (Gee-they went back 50 years to pull up big number on us.)

And, nothing happened like two administrators being given criminal charges for concealing sexual abuse, and being sent back to work at school, this year. Oh wait! That's happening now.

And, there hasn't been anything like an administrator saying "These things happen" when questioned about the sexual abuse scandal. OH ww....you know the deal.

And L.A. has done this before--in the 80's.

So, where is all the MSM feeding frenzy? This can mean two things--either everyone knows teachers diddle kids, and no one is shocked, or they could care less about kids getting used like sex toys, and just wanted to ding on the Church.

Of course there's a double standard.

Heh

Cherie Blair has written a book about herself. It's called Speaking for Myself, and in it she talks about a lot of things, like using contraception, sleeping with Tony Blair on the first date, and trying to be sorry for fornication in confession.

Well, that's honest. Mrs. Blair is perhaps the UK's most public Catholic layman. Certainly one of two. She had been publicly noted as a devout, practicing Catholic. Well, now that can be re-interpreted. Certainly their will be a chorus of progressives who hold her up as an example of "courage" (as if it takes courage to dissent from Church teaching nowadays--it takes more to be orthodox!) and to show that it's just the Magisterium who says these things--the "Real Church" believes differently. And, on the other hand, there will be those voices who cast her as the Scarlet Woman, the smoke of Satan incarnate, and a finagler of modernist heresy in the English Church.

I really don't care about the whole thing: Mrs. Blair's soul is the concern of her pastor, her Bishop, and ultimately The Lord. If I hadn't ever done sinful things, things that make her decisions look like sunshine and ice cream in the park--I'd be a lot holier and therefore more perfected in Charity, and still wouldn't get excited. But there is one thing I think is kinda ironic:

On June $, she will address Youth Rally on "Creating a more Human Global Society". Then she gets followed by Cormac Cardinal O'Conner. Who will be speaking on "Integrity in Public Life".
MY, I wonder how much tounge biting and proper etiquette this is gonna take?

NARAL

It seems NARAL is mad at itself. The endorsement of Obama, wasn't actually decided on by the rank and file. It was decided by the National PAC. The various state level member groups are saying that they should have remained neutral about the democratic race. Some of them are upset, because much of their membership is old school feminist, and can't see the group endorsing a "dangler".

There is an old military toast: Confusion to Our Enemies!

Why Laws targeting Islamic Customs can Suk

In Baden-Wuerttemburg, one of the states comprising the Bundesrepublic Deutchland, a law was passed that prohibits Islamic teachers from wearing headscarves in the class room. Of course it went to the courts.

The ruling that came out was, I must say, evenhanded. The law was written so that religious costumes were forbidden. The court has ruled that that applies to nuns habits, (friars and monks as well!) Jewish yarmulkes, whatever. The only exception would be religious doctrine classes.

So a law conceived as an aid to assimilation has been applied fairly, and has limited the ability of Religious to witness via their habit--the public witness of their consecrated state. It has furthered the aim of secularization.

So, perhaps we should be a little careful.

I want to change.

I'd kinda like to change my blog around some. Like, get a different graphic (if I can remember how I put that one up). I like my little motto about the Church Militant. I would also like to incorporate an old artillery motto. It's found in two forms: Ultima Ratio Regum, and Ultima Ratio Regis. One means "The kings final argument" and the other means "The final argument of Kings". I think that the first one, in Latin, corresponds to the first one in English, but my Latin doth suk--so I hope I can get it figured out.

I'd like to put it with a graphic, of either the cross of some sort of symbol or icon of the Resurrection.

I'd also like to figure out how to put my blog roll on the darn blog.

Opinions? Suggestions?

Archbishop Coleridge and the Pentecost Letter

Yep, here I is, a day late and a dollar short. As usual.

But before commenting on Abp Coleridge's, (of Canberra),letter I wanted to read it my self. Good Good. I hope to see more like it in the future, hopefully from American Prelates. It's a very simple, to the point but not confrontational teaching on the Liturgy.

There's lots to like in it, even though it's short. Some of my favorites? How about "The Sign of Peace is not just a hearty G'Day to the world; it is a ritual action expressing something different and deeper." Or the bit about music and the Psalms in Mass--he pointed out that the typical usage of the Latin Rite, historically had been to use only the Psalms in the Eucharistic Liturgy. WOW! I've known that, and seen so many music ministers and priests bend over backwards to make sure it didn't happen. (To the point of attending masses where all Psalms and antiphons were replaced by "new music and peoples hymns".) He also pointed out that mass is "noisy" because of the music--it interferes with the silence that is part of the Liturgy. (He also pointed out elsewhere that the Liturgy presumes that the silences are not "token" but real. [Token is his word!]) He described much of the music as "decidedly feeble and even at times questionable theologically". Good Stuff. You can read the letter at http://cg.catholic.org.au/_uploads/rsfil/oo724.pdf .

And, as an added bonus, if you don't want to read the letter but would like a peek at the new translation, He's included the url for that: www.abccatholic.org.au/documents/200707031933.pdf.

As an aside--our own Bishops seem to be keeping the new translation secret--or trying to. Heck--last year there was a brouhaha over the bishops being handed their "grey books" and asked to vote, without having been given the opportunity to read and study them first, makes me wonder who's doing the pooch.

Abortion Supporters Don't Believe in the Viability of Their Cause.

UPDATE: The commentary on this thread has gotten out of hand. In fact, many of us--me included have allowed wrath to override charity. Now, I'm not saying that the commenter "Hans Kung" is anything good--I find her to be a....I won't say, because I can't say anything nice. But we should hold ourselves to a higher standard. So I'm closing comments. At least one person has asked me to delete their comments--I'll try, but I have the computer skills of a highly intellegent dog, and i don't know if I can.


At least not in the market place of ideas.

Here are some items that will help me explain what I mean. They are not all from the US, only two of the three. But they have a common thread--shut up pro-lifers, marginalize them, don't let their message be heard. Actually, I think they are afraid of our message. That fear drives them to attempt to remove freedom of speech on this issue.

Item the First:

http://www.lifesitenews.com/Idn/2008/may/80051401.html

In the ongoing saga of the Kansas Planned Parenthood prosecutions, something new has come to light. Actually, not new, but now proven. Obstruction of Justice and suppression of evidence.

Court records that have been released show that District Attorney Phil Cline had subpoenaed documents, unrelated to privacy protected information, that showed instances of records being altered or manufactured--pencil whipping we called it, in the Army. Five minutes later-- FIVE MINUTES!--Attorney General Stephen Six filed a protective order request, resulting in the record and their keeper being ordered not to appear or be turned over.

PP is facing 107 criminal charges in this matter. And, the State Attorney General is trying his damnedest to protect them. Redress of Grievances, access to fair judicial proceedings, is the logical and final protection of free speech, of truth. And this lawyer doesn't want another voice to be heard. In my opinion, he feels that if the truth were to come out, the blow to PP and to the regular feeding of Moloch would be unsustainable. So he moves, possibly illegally, to shut a District Attorney up, rather than have the doings of an abortuary discussed.

Item the Second:

http://www.lifesitenews.com/Idn/2008/may/08051407.html

Again, in Kansas, there is some court action. It seems that the security chief of an abortuary released a "stink bomb" on picketers. Now these folks had already established their legal right to do what they do. George Tiller, who runs the murder for money business, Women's Health Care Services, wasn't happy. People were saying not nice things. Things like: You don't have to do this, there are other alternatives, etc. Some of them even went so far as to point out that they are killing babies there, for money. Contract killers. Even worse, they had some success in convincing women not have their kids killed. Bad for business, that, reduces the customer base.

So, a "stink bomb" is released. People, that's a type of chemical weapon. I a pro-lifer threw such a thing into a "clinic", he/she/they/it/them would be liable to prosecution for terrorist acts. And rightly so. But these gazebos did it, and it is a civil tort case. And, to be sure, the picketers were sickened by the fumes, reporting headache and nausea.

So to shut them up, they were gassed with some homemade concoction, and driven away--no free speech for you!

It reminds me of the folks who, in Austria I think, (perhaps Switzerland? Been a few months) who paid people to act as if they were possessed, to make lascivious gestures and to grope and dry hump the protesters. After all, Christians are so superstitious, they'd just run away. (They didn't.) I saw the videos from this--I don't know Euro-Law, but in the US, in all 50 States, the conduct would count as assault, much of it as sexual assault.

Anything to shut us up.

Item the Third:

http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=12658

This is from The Land of Oz. At the University of Queensland, a Catholic student group given the choice--shut up or get out. The University students union is calling it "disaffiliation". Here we'd probably call it "thrown off campus". Their horrible crime? They had a "prowoman" "propregnancy" campaign. So, they got told to shut the hell up.

The Newman Society was instructed to take down their materials, and placed on a years probation. They must submit all materials they wish to publicly display to a tribunal of three student union officials, one of which is the president of said union. The guy trying to shut them up.

The basis for this is a 1993 "referendum", in which 1900 voted in favour of abortion, 1400 voted against, and 200 abstained. Out of a student body of 30,000. When Joshua Young, the pres of the student union was asked if this meant other views could not be expressed in campus debate, his answer was direct: "It does".

The Catholics pointed out that the vote only established the Campus as pro choice--it didn't require suppression of other view points.

But for some reason, the pro-aborts don't like it when other viewpoints are expressed, using everything they can think of to silence them. I don't think that they believe that their idea can win in a marketplace of ideas, so they ban others views, or attempt to, or disrupt them so they can't be heard. BTW--in a post below, I wrote about a young man who flat said freedom of speech did not apply to pro-life speech. He had just vandalized a pro-life installation. The post was called "Abortion Supporters Don't Like Free Speech".

A Trifle Unsetteling, A lot Sad.

I just read an article--(OK, I looked at the pictures and had the dog read it to me! Give me a break, I'm ignorant!)--written by a fellow named Anthony Stevens-Arroyo, it's called "Priests Working Part-Time, Short Term". It was published under the heading "Catholic America", by the Washingtonpost.com website. http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/catholicamerica/2008/priests_working_part_time.html

If I got the link right!

The author seems to me to misunderstand a couple of things--one is the prep time, the training time, to be a priest. The other is the imprint that Holy Orders leaves on the soul. Not to mention a very secular, modernist view of the Church.

But there are 68 comments (right now) and they are...informative. What I pick up is that orthodox Catholics don't really even have a common language with modernists, and that modernists really don't have much understanding of ecclesiology.

I also notice a real strain of hostility to the Church on the part of some commenter's, who claim to be catholic. It's as if,, in deciding they have a grudge against the Church, they have decided to disassemble it, to make it more palatable: They view the Church as a purely human institution, and view it's workings through the hermeneutic of power, or of modern corporate models.

One priests commentary, although I agree with it, is heartbreaking when taken in Toto . The article is basically a throw-away, but the comments are worth reading and reflecting on.

God, Guns and Decrepitude

Has anyone with knowledge of firearms come up with something better than a .25, but that is light and has a fairly low recoil that a guy with a permanently broken arm can use to keep the orcs away from the womenfolk?

I may go to a shotgun--that I can use with both hands and the recoil goes to the shoulder. Like a Mossberg Maverick security model with the 8 round mag.

A Science Fiction Short Storey About Jesus

An odd little storey it was! It's in The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, edited by Jonathan Strahan, copyright 2008 by Night Shade Books. It's called "Jesus Christ: Reanimator".

It's your usual modernist take, Jesus was misunderstood by his contemporaries. Except different--in this take, everything major reported by the gospels was true. And, the hypostatic union is operating. Jesus Returns.

But it's not a big deal. It turns out that only the Copts are "raptured", and the Israeli Ari Force intercepts them--they're confused so they are escorted to Earth as UFOs. Nobody likes Jesus' message. Very few get it. Jesus is ultimately assassinated by a deranged fundamentalist.

But what I liked was this--at the end, everything Jesus said or did, as recorded by his small numbers of followers is carefully safeguarded and kept straight on the Internet--the followers are painstaking in keeping apocryphal and false things out. Cell phone footage, recording etc are studied and meditated upon. And, those who do this find their lives changing.

Not the greatest, but not too bad. And, even modernists and relativists can't "get Jesus outta their heads". Not Jesus the Man. Not Jesus the God. Not Jesus the Historical Person, with two natures in one being. Somehow, although I could find ways to be offended, I think it's a little on the hopeful side.

Abp. Dolan...

...of Milwaukee is tightening ship. In light of recent scandals involving embezzlement of Church Funds, he has ordered an Audit of all Parishes in his Archdiocese.

Hmmm...could be interesting. What would be most interesting is if all the funds balanced, and there was no skulduggery. Hey, it's the mid-west, it can happen!

This is Most Excellent!

The Archbishop of Ottawa, Terrence Prendergast addressed a convocation. In it he talked about the duty, under obedience, of Clergy to preach against the evils of contraception, and Humanae Vitae. People afterword said they had waited 35 years to hear that from a Canadian Bishop. This same guy also says that pro-abortion politicians are to be refused communion, and explains why.

I like this Guy.

The Boston Globe Makes Me Love BXVI!

The Boston Globe has a three page article on their website about who Catholic Colleges are inviting as commencement speakers. Or rather, who they are not. Three years in, and US Catholic colleges and Universities are shying away from commencement speakers and honorees who are Catholic Dissenters ( all pelvic) or pro-death non-catholic politicians and activists. This is the reign of Benedict XVI, Servant of the Servants of God.

And European Law Continues to Baffle Me.

In 2001 an Italian court pressed charges against Cdl Roberto Tucci and Fr. Pasquale Brogomeo of Vatican Radio for having EMF emissions above those allowed by Italian Law, I believe for tempest transmissions around their radio tower.

In 2005 they were convicted and given suspended sentences. The convictions were reversed on appeal in 2007. Now they are charged again. I don't debate the ability of a civil court to try churchmen for violating civil law. Nor do I deny the right of Italy to set it's own limits for EM Tempest. What has me confused is--convicted--overturned--re-charged etc. It looks almost like double jeopardy. I can't even sort out the whys.

OK

An 11th century Catholic Church in Catalonia was covered with water when a dam was built. Only the Bell Tower was visible. But then a drought came, and the reservoir dried up. Now tourists are flocking to see the drowned Church.

I have to wonder--was some saints relic left behind, or other inadvertent thing that would cause the drought to return people to this ancient place of worship?

Of Interest, at Harvard

It seems that Harvard Undergrads pay about a buck apiece on the Health Insurance that's earmarked for abortions at the Student Health Circus. Now, some of them are opting out, and getting their dollar back, as they do not wish to be paying to have someones baby murdered.

It started in '06-'07, with 128 folks participating. This year they have 400. And, the followers of Moloch are not pleased. They accuse those who opt out of naivete or worse, and are questioning whether or not they should have the right to opt out at all. After all, 400 bucks is a huge bite out of the budget for Harvard health services.

The death mongers are calling it an attack on personal autonomy of women, of creeping theocracy, etc.

So--I expect to see court battles over the servants of Molochs right to make Catholic Students pay for everyones abortion

Why is it...

...that the majority of American Catholic Religious Orders can issue resolutions and briefs on everything from global warming to unions to how to use stock holders powers to enforce rights for illegal aliens--but they don't issue anything like that for abortion?

"Retired Auxillery Bishop"

That phrase always brings a question to mind--why didn't he get a see of his own? What did he do or not do to prevent that?

And, when a "retired auxiliary Bishop writes or speaks, I expect dissent, or tom foolery. Just think of Bishop Gumbleton.

So a "RAB" (hey, I coined a new Internet word!) in Oz wrote a book what happens? Something kinda new--Bp Geoffrey Robinson published a book last year called Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus. Australian Bishops Council has issued a statement that Doctrinal difficulties permeate the book. That's new speak for "heresy".

After three years of H.H. Benedict XVI, The Good Bishops are finding their voice, and the bad bishops are shuttin' the h*ll up.

Why I Don't Think We Should Cut the Bishops Slack.

A Catholic Priest has resigned his pastorate. Good. Double Good. Goody GOODY GOOOODDDYYYY!

I shall elucidate. (Hah! found a new word that I don't need!) It seems this...specimine...had been active on the St. Sebastian's Angels website. You've probably heard of it. It is--or was--a website for Gay priests and religious to post on, leaving photos and blurbs, to meet others. This site was first exposed as pornographic in '99. If you've seen it, you know why it was called porno. Well, this guy was an active member of the site until 2001. On it he posted pics, and spake much Kaa Kaa on H.H. Pope John Paul II, and on a certain Cdl Ratizinger. He was appointed pastor of St. Michael's, in McKinney Texas. The Diocese confirmed that the specimen had been a member of SSA, but left because of the direction it was taking vis a vis being a gay porno dating site. (Hmmmmm...first noticed as a bad place in '99, took him 2 or three years to figure it out!).

So the laity got involved--big time. Doing those things we're "not supposed to do", they publicised the problem. Named names. Asked questions. And so this guy, who was appointed just recently, has resigned. (I imagine there is/was some sort of back channel communication going on, but I don't really know.) A lady named Barbara Kralis wrote a column concerning this on CatholicCitizen.org. A Sunday column. She asked people to contact the Bishop and Chancery. Then the storey got out, and was publicised by other sources, and now he has resigned. The Other sources included Dallas TV channel 8, life site, and other bloggers.

We're told not to do this--but canon law says we are to do this--the problem isn't that the laity got involved and pointed things out, the problem is that Bishop Kevin Farrel had let things slip, badly. Especially in the light of recent--since 1960, more or less regularly--Vatican directives concerning such things.

I've noticed that the people most likely to point out that the laity should have a voice in the running of the Church always get mad--and if they're clerics or religious lot's madder--when the laity stand up for orthodoxy and morality--then were supposed to be sheep and listen to our degreed and appointed betters.

Hooray for the Coast Guard! (I won't mention it took lawyers and litigation!)

Lt. Cdr Joseph J Healy was given an exemption from using the hepatitis vaccine that the CG uses. His objection was on religious grounds--the vaccine is derived from aborted children.

His original request was denied, as the CG felt--or the officer reviewing the application felt--that vaccination did not contravene Catholic Teaching, regardless of the origin of the vaccine.
So, on being ordered to take the injections, began to look for another way to remain in good standing, and not take the vaccine. Then the CG changed it's mind.

After the Alliance Defense Fund filed suit on Jan 2 in the US Circuit Court for the District of Columbia. Friday the CG told the court it was granting a religious exemption to Lt Cdr Healy.

Where am I, and Why aren't I Blogging?

Dashing the hopes of many, it so turns out that I haven't been kidnapped by Aliens for use in fiendish genetic engineering experiments meant to create a master race of possum/human hybrid terrorists.

No, I'm holed up in a small cottage in the forest. I haven't been blogging because the 'puter is some sort of mid- 90s kludge-a-matic cobbled together out of spare parts and utilizing a very, very slow dial-up connection. It's so slow that I don't have patients to read the news, let alone the stupid methods of blogging that I have devised for myself.

But really, it's all to the good. There have been better things to do anyway, like listen to the whip-or-wills or the rain, interact with the dogs, listen to the absence of street noise, and ramble all about the place by my self. I love my family, and wouldn't change back if you paid me, but I do miss the quiet and privacy of living alone.

So here's what I've figured out in all this solitude and slow-internetness:

SPAM: the kind you e