Monday, April 30, 2012

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Attacked by “Tolerance”

Monday, April 30, 2012

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Attacked by “Tolerance”

Dan Savage–I Blame the Fundies

Monday, April 30, 2012

Dan Savage is a person who bullies high school students when he gives speeches against bullying.

If you haven’t seen it already, there’s a video clip of him giving a speech to some high school students in which he attacks Christianity relentlessly. Some Christian teens walk out and he gets even nastier about them. You can find the clip if you’re interested. I’m not going to embed it or even link to it, because the language is disgusting and I don’t want to give this aggressive sodomite any more publicity.

What interests me in this savage attack on Christianity is that his attack is against Scripture. His essential argument is, “We don’t take any notice of the Old Testament’s prohibitions on eating shellfish or crustaceans. We ignore the fact that the New Testament allows for slavery. We overlook the polygamy amongst the patriarchs. We have learned that the Old Testament’s rules on eating pork are not to be taken seriously, so we’ll soon learn that the rules against homosexuality are also something we can safely ignore.

Where does he get that method of arguing? It can only come from a set of assumptions about the Christian faith which he has picked up from fundamentalism. So, although this guy is a pretty unpleasant and aggressive piece of work there is more at work here. Read more.

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Dan Savage–I Blame the Fundies

Ohio bishop tells Catholic college to disinvite pro-abortion speaker

Monday, April 30, 2012

The bishop of Youngstown said State Representative Bob Hagan “consistently voted for pro-abortion legislation, policies, and funding.”

Bp. George V. Murry of Youngstown.

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, April 30, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – A bishop in Ohio has become the latest to insist universities not host speakers who oppose the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion.

Bishop George Murry instructed Mercy College School of Nursing in Youngstown to disinvite State Representative Bob Hagan, a Democrat who supports abortion-on-demand, from delivering its commencement address.

The politician was to speak to students inside St. Columba Cathedral.

The invitation came “without any proper review by my office,” wrote Bishop Murry in a statement released on Friday: “While I respect and appreciate many of the social justice positions taken by Representative Hagan, it remains a fact that he also has consistently voted for pro-abortion legislation, policies, and funding.”

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Disobedience on abortion disqualified Hagan and others who hold the same positions, he said. “Abortion extinguishes an unborn human life,” Bishop Murry wrote. “It is an intrinsically evil action which the Catholic Church has condemned for centuries. As Catholics, we must in good conscience oppose Representative Hagan’s position in support of abortion.”

Hagan responded on his FaceBook page:

I have fought for social justice my entire life and today, I am one disappointed Catholic. After being invited to give the commencement speech at Mercy Nursing School here in Youngstown, I got a call telling me that the Bishop has overruled their invite and they have rescinded the invitation because of some of the political positions I have taken. I am saddened that the work that I have done to feed the poor, clothe the naked, help cure the sick, and to bring an end to the death penalty has fallen on deaf ears.

Bishop Murry said he would be happy to meet with Hagan, “speaking with him about the Church’s long-standing teaching about the sacredness of human life in all its dimensions.”

Hagan later posted a message on both his FaceBook and Twitter pages stating, “Lets be clear, the Bishop is just doing his job.”

He is one of an increasing number of bishops doing their job to safeguard the identity of Catholic institutions.

In March, Bishop Robert McManus asked Anna Maria College of Massachusetts to rescind an invitation to Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the second wife of the late Ted Kennedy, to speak at its commencement. Kennedy, who like her late husband is a supporter of abortion, was to receive an honorary degree from the college.

Two national organizations, Catholic Democrats and Faithful America, delivered 20,000 petitions in a bid to pressure the bishop to change his mind. Bishop McManus replied his decision was based on the church documents “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” and “Catholics in Political Life” and is “in the best interest of all parties and most importantly the students which will be graduating.”

The Cardinal Newman Society, a campus watchdog organization, discovered “at least 11 scandalous speakers and honorees at Catholic colleges” in a recent special report. Some of these include:

Bellarmine University presenting an honorary law degree to Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, a supporter of abortion and same-sex “marriage”;
Boston Law College inviting Victoria Reggie Kennedy;
Gonzaga University honoring Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a supporter of abortion and the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals;
Saint Joseph College honoring Connecticut Governor Daniel P. Malloy, a supporter of the HHS mandate and same-sex “marriage”;
John Carroll University inviting Dr. Charles M. Geschke, a supporter of same-sex “marriage” and female ordination;
Loyola Marymount University’s Law School asking Judge Mary Margaret McKeown, a Clinton appointee to the Ninth Court of Appeals and a supporter of Roe v. Wade, to speak at commencement;
Loyola University in New Orleans honors Newsweek writer Jon Meacham, who called the overturning of California’s Proposition 8 “A Victory for Liberty”;
Mount St. Mary’s College hosting columnist Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times, whose column has supported same-sex “marriage”;

The number is lower than in previous years. The society says the faithful should “celebrate the fact that the large majority of Catholic colleges appear to have chosen non-controversial speakers or honorees whose public actions don’t run counter to Catholic teaching.”

“Nevertheless, in a year when the Catholic Church is fighting for religious liberty against government overreach, it’s especially important that colleges refrain from undercutting the clear moral stance of the bishops.”

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Ohio bishop tells Catholic college to disinvite pro-abortion speaker

Too Many Friends!

Monday, April 30, 2012

How is it possible that a little ol’ introverted blogger has received so many kind emails, blog comments and phone calls from people expressing their sympathy for my job loss?

I am going to assume it is because I am a really likable guy!

Or, maybe it’s because you are all so nice. But if my friends are all so nice, that must mean I am so nice!

This is what I want to believe, so that is what is true.

I don’t know if it needs to be said, but I am doing okay. You have made it so. Keep the prayers coming. They have made a difference to my insides… hopefully one day they will translate into a job that’ll pay the bills – and moreover, that’ll help me to help others. It’s not everyone who gets the opportunity to share his time, talent and treasure so as to make a difference in others’ lives. That is my dream.

I suppose I should hasten to add that I have loved my years at OLSWA – as much as one can love an imperfect thing. It has been such a blessing in my own life, and hope it has been as much a blessing to others – especially our students, the ones for whom it is intended to bless. Personally, I hope this apostolate thrives!

As I have said, it is truly time for me to move on. That, I am quite sure, is God’s will. I have been the better for coming here, and now leaving will be for the better.

My life has been grace after grace. If you can see it that way despite the hardships, you can pretty sure you are on the right track – at least to some extent.

So, please keep the prayers coming for me and my family!

Any one know of a good novena? Usually people suggest praying to St. Joseph for a job, but I don’t just mean a job, I mean all the blessings we are going to need for this coming year and beyond.

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Too Many Friends!

Poor Little Nuns

Monday, April 30, 2012

Published on Apr 30, 2012 by RealCatholicTV

There are many things that could be said about the nuns that have abused their positions as teachers of the faith for decades now .. but the term ‘victim’ is not one of them.

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Poor Little Nuns

Pope Ordains Nine Priests in St Peter’s Basilica

Monday, April 30, 2012

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Pope Ordains Nine Priests in St Peter’s Basilica

The Presbyteral Assembly

Monday, April 30, 2012

Rocco Palmo giving a presentation at the Presbyteral Assembly.

In a tradition of many years, the priests of the Diocese of Fort Worth meet in what is called a “Presbyteral Assembly” which is a time of common study, prayer, and fraternity. Since our Diocese is spread so far (25,000 square miles), this assembly is valued as a time of fraternity and priestly friendship. This Spring we were blessed to have as our speaker Rocco Palmo, the scribe and author of “Whispers in the Loggia.” Over the span of these days, we reflected on the use of social media to teach our Faith, and the ways it could aid us in getting “our story” out. We also looked at ways we could be proactive with our message to better illustrate the beauty of our Catholic Faith. Rocco led us in an afternoon which showcased the various kinds of social media; how to begin a blog, how to use “Twitter”, and how to pull various media sources together while using these contemporary communication tools. He also acquainted us with various Catholic blogs from around the country. We were very grateful for the time he spent with us in reflecting on important trends in the Catholic Church in the United States and the Church Universal. His presentations were very supportive and affirming of the ministry of our priests in this growing Diocese and were very enjoyable and educational. A number of us have used various forms of “social media” in our parishes and for communication, but this was a very thorough overview, and gave us many points for reflection and further study in a part of life that moves and changes rapidly. The use of social media can be a catechetical and evangelical tool, and his presentations reflected what is found in the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” regarding catechesis, which says in II No. 6:

“While not being formally identified with them, catechesis is built on a certain number of elements in the Church’s pastoral mission which have a catechetical aspect, that prepare for catechesis, or spring from it. They are: the initial proclamation of the Gospel or missionary preaching to arouse faith; examination of the reasons for belief; experience of Christian living; celebration of the sacraments; integration into the ecclesial community; and apostolic and missionary witness.”

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The Presbyteral Assembly

This Is A Serious Attack on Religious Freedom

Monday, April 30, 2012

This Is A Serious Attack on Religious Freedom

Bishop Thomas Tobin

War Monument Cross is to Religious For Atheist Group

by Dee DeQuattro: Bishop Thomas Tobin says the challenge to the war monument that features a cross in Woonsocket by a Wisconsin atheist group is a “serious attack on religious expression and religious freedom” and that the atheists are bullying those who have faith.

“The majority now is being bullied by the minority, by the atheists and by the secularists and we feel like we are on the defensive, we are being bullied and that is not a good feeling to have,” Tobin told WPRO’s John DePetro.

“We are seeing a slow but steady erosion of a basic American value and that is the freedom of religious expression,” said Bishop Tobin. Tobin said the cross should not be taken down but he is open to relocating it to an area of more prominence where it will not be an “issue.” Mayor Leo Fontaine of Woonsocket said he is looking at spaces on private land that the monument could be relocated to if necessary. A rally scheduled for next Wednesday May, 2 at 4:30 p.m. at the monument aims to urge the city to keep the monument where it is.

Tobin told John DePetro that religion is everywhere in American society and various faiths are represented. He said that it is impossible for someone “offended” by the presence of religion to avoid it completely so they need to come to terms with it. “It is very hard to be immune to all that. If people are offended by that they have to deal with their issues,” said Tobin. “They cannot live in a bubble. They cannot isolate themselves completely from every religious expression in our nation, in our culture, in our society.”

Tobin said he does not believe the monument violates the separation of church and state despite accusations from the Freedom from Religion Foundation that the memorial is an egregious violation of the constitution. “This certainly has nothing to do with the separation of church and state. This is not the establishment of a denomination, it is not the establishment of a particular church by the state,” said Tobin, “this is a cultural symbol, this is a religious symbol that speaks to most of our people especially when it is dedicated to our war veterans I think it has a very special reverence.”

Tobin described a cross or a Star of David as a very basic expression of faith and said they are very natural symbols for U.S. citizens. Tobin said this challenge is a “very grave threat to our way of life as Americans and our freedom of religion.”

Tobin said that Rhode Islanders are in a battle for the cross and he hope that the cross will come out on top. “This whole debate about the cross is taking place during Easter season when we celebrate a victory of the cross, so, I think we need another victory of the cross in Woonsocket and I hope that will ultimately prevail,” said Tobin.

Dee DeQuattro | WPRO News

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Pope makes donation to Ordinariate

Monday, April 30, 2012

2012-05-01 Vatican Radio

Pope Benedict XVI has offered a generous donation to the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham to help support its clergy and work. The Vatican nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini said the gift “is a clear sign of (the pope’s) personal commitment to the work of Christian unity and the special place the ordinariate holds in his heart.”

A May 1^st press release announcing the donation said that “the gift will help establish the ordinariate as a vibrant part of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.”

Msgr. Keith Newton, who heads the Ordinariate, said, “This gift is a great help and encouragement as we continue to grow and develop our distinctive ecclesial life, whilst seeking to contribute to the wider work of evangelization.”

Pope Benedict established the ordinariate to welcome former Anglicans into the Catholic Church. The structure provided a way for entire Anglican parishes or groups to become Catholic while retaining some of their Anglican heritage and liturgical practice.Our Lady of Walsingham was the first ordinariate to be created after the Pope issued his apostolic constitution “Anglicanorum coetibus” in 2009.

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Pope makes donation to Ordinariate

When Pope Benedict beatified John Paul II …

Monday, April 30, 2012

2012-05-01 Vatican Radio

A year ago Benedict XVI beatified his beloved predecessor to the See of Peter John Paul II in Saint Peter’s Square in front of the Basilica where a vast sea of pilgrims had gathered spilling beyond into the streets surrounding it.

It was a prayerful moment but also a joyful one and pilgrims from Karol Wojtylas’s native Poland attended in great numbers.

On a more official level over a dozen heads of State alongside the cardinals , bishops , priests and men and women religious were seated up close to the altar.

Only six years had gone by since the death of John Paul II and in his homily on this occasion the Pope mentioned how he had wanted the cause of beatification to move forward with reasonable haste and he exclaimed : ” And now the longed-for day has come,it came quickly because this is what was pleasing to the Lord: John Paul II is blessed…”

In this same homily Benedict XVI pointed to how this ceremony was timed to coincide with the Second Sunday of Easter which the late Polish Pontiff had dedicated to Divine Mercy. But also with the beginning of May, the month traditionally dedicated to Mary , the Mother of God to whom this late Pope had such special devotion.

His motto ‘totus tuus’ , Latin words meaning ‘I belong entirely to you ‘ referred to Mary and let’s recall too how he had placed the letter M beside the Cross on his coat of arms. And the Holy Father remarked:
” The beatitude of faith has its model in Mary, and all of us rejoice that the beatification of John Paul II takes place on this first day of the month of Mary, beneath the maternal gaze of the one who by her faith sustained the faith of the Apostles and constantly sustains the faith of their successors, especially those called to occupy the Chair of Peter”.

Benedict XVI also highlighted John Paul II’s first words following his election to the See of Peter in October 1978 : “Do not be afraid! Open, open wide the doors to Christ!”

What the newly-elected Pope asked of everyone on this occasion the Holy Father explained he was himself the first to do : ” …By his witness of faith, love and apostolic courage, accompanied by great human charisma, this exemplary son of Poland helped believers throughout the world not to be afraid to be called Christian, to belong to the Church, to speak of the Gospel. In a word: he helped us not to fear the truth, because truth is the guarantee of freedom.”..

A report by Veronica Scarisbrick .

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When Pope Benedict beatified John Paul II …

‘Click it or Ticket,’ but feel free to kill your baby

Monday, April 30, 2012

Recently I bought a new (used) car. Mercy is a bit fancier than her predecessor, Gracie, and has a loud seatbelt beep.

April 30, 2012 (Bound4Life.com) – Recently I bought a new (used) car. On Friday I went to the courthouse to register Mercy (the car). Mercy is a bit fancier than her predecessor, Gracie, and has a loud seatbelt beep. Unlike my previous car, it doesn’t just flash a light if the seatbelt isn’t on, but beeps louder. If I dare put her in gear without the seatbelt on, she doesn’t stop beeping for a bit. She gets louder as if yelling at me. I hate beeping a lot, but it’s not too much of an issue because I always wear a seatbelt. I like seatbelts. I believe in them. I think everyone should wear them. That’s my disclaimer, because on Friday I just got annoyed.

You see, seatbelts laws are a big deal in our nation. The law says I have to wear my seat belt, and if I were to be caught without one, I’d be fined. “Click it or Ticket” campaigns exist across the nation. I’ve lived in towns where police officers even did pull-over campaigns to enforce it. And even though I wear seatbelts, the principle of the whole thing has bothered me deeply. These laws are referred to as vehicle “Occupant Protection” laws. The law, therefore, sees it as its duty to protect me, and fine me if I refuse, but the same nation which heralds these laws gives me license to take the life of the occupant in my womb if I’m pregnant.

Wearing a seatbelt should be my choice. It’s a matter of my personal right to privacy. It’s my business what I do. If I don’t wear my seatbelt and get hurt in an accident, that is my decision about my body. Mine. Mine. Mine.

Sound familiar?

The point here isn’t to argue about seatbelts. It’s pretty dumb not to wear one, but I think the laws about seat belts being mandatory in a nation that lets a woman kill her baby because it’s her body display the absurd deception of the abortion industry.

As my car beeped at me, when I was barely moving and still in a closed-off parking lot going about 2 mph, I had one of those moments.

“Oh, honestly! Make me wear a seatbelt but I can KILL my baby!” I yelled to no one in particular, or maybe to the courthouse where I was, because I carry a keen awareness that the courts are where these laws are upheld.

Click ‘like’ if you are PRO-LIFE!

It suddenly just made me angry. What a double standard. That I don’t have to right to choose if I will protect my own body when I drive when no one else’s life is in danger if I personally act irresponsibly and don’t wear a seat belt, but I have every right in the world to choose to take a life growing inside me, up until full term in some states, is unreal to me.

Of course the National Transportation Safety Administration lays it out not only as a safety issue but a financial one. It saves money if I wear my seatbelt and have an accident because of medical cost savings. And that’s always the bottom line. Certainly a nation that condones the killing of its unborn at close to 4,000 a day doesn’t care about a few people dying as much as it does the medical costs.

Hear me: I agree with the idea that people should wear set belts (and if I catch you without a car seat for your baby, you will see my bad side), but the point here is choice. I do not have the choice to strap a seatbelt on me but I do have a choice whether to kill my child as long as she hasn’t breathed outside the womb.

I wonder what the high court would say if I tried to challenge the seatbelt laws as my right to choose. Chances are they’d say the government has a right to protect its citizens.

Let the reader understand.

Reprinted with permission from Bound4Life.com

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‘Click it or Ticket,’ but feel free to kill your baby

Max Monday

Monday, April 30, 2012

(Click to enlarge)

Party in Paris — Max Beckmann, 1931 (reworked in 1947)

“When Renaissance or Impressionist artists portrayed a group of people, they generally gave them a vectorial coherence: faces were directed toward the spectator standing before the canvas, toward a common focus – as in Rembrandt’s Night Watch – or toward a sports event or other spectacle. Beckmann, however, shows a fragmented society, a gathering of uncommitted individuals. This gives the group an air of slight decadence. Each character is not only unique, but convinced of his own uniqueness. These people experience no genuine communication; each is wrapped up in his or her own significance. Beckmann’s sharp, critical eye has registered that at a party of this sort exactly as many heads are turned away from each other as there are faces pretending to notice others. And not a single face is turned toward the poor singer in the background!

The citizens Beckmann presents are obviously important, intelligent, polished, wealthy, and interesting in their own way. Counteracting the satirical intent is the flawless elegance of their dinner jackets and haute couture. The male custom of dressing in black dinner jacket, stiff white shirt, and black tie had become quasi-universal in those years. Films of the period show it to be practically the uniform of “good society” after dusk. Yet it is surprising how rarely the tuxedo found its way into major works of art. Despite the fact that its simple black-and-white contrast lent itself easily to treatment in the woodcut medium, and that woodcuts, in turn, frequently dealt with social criticism at the time, Beckmann may be the only painter who depicted the tuxedo in a straightforward manner. In this way the black-and-white male attire served him in Self-Portrait in Tuxedo of 1927 and in The Loge of 1928. Later on evening clothes acquired sinister connotations: the singing angels in Death (1938) and the Minotaur in Blindman’s Buff (1945) make these garments appear very macabre. The dinner jackets in Party seem to evoke just a trace of awe.” –Stephan Lackner

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Max Monday

I Agree with Mark Shea’s taking on of Michael Voris. This article expresses well why he should be of concern to Catholics everywhere

Monday, April 30, 2012

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I Agree with Mark Shea's taking on of Michael Voris. This article expresses well why he should be of concern to Catholics everywhere

Dilemma? What dilemma? The U.S. must protect Chen Guangcheng. Period.

Monday, April 30, 2012

The Old Media are describing it as a “dilemma” for the U.S. that Chen has escaped imprisonment and fled to a U.S. embassy in China.

BY Marianna Trzeciak, Esq.

April 30, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Old Media (ABC, CBS and NBC) are describing it as a “dilemma” for the United States that Chen Guangcheng has made a daring and amazing escape from home-imprisonment and years of torture and detention. Only in the Old Media’s world, where evil is called good and good is called evil, is there a perceived negative to the United States due to this turn of events.

As readers of LifeSiteNews recall, Chen Guangcheng is a heroic human rights activist, blind since childhood, who nevertheless became a lawyer and catalogued abuses perpetrated in China due to its one-child policy. In 2005-2006 Chen’s focus on Linyi City in the Shandong Province of China brought world attention to forced abortions and sterilizations, beatings of people who resisted the one-child policy, and the detention, fining and torture of the extended families of those trying to protect their unborn children.

Chen and his wife were incarcerated and tortured. Even under house arrest, it is said that they endured hours-long beatings by multiple men. Last week Chen escaped to the American Embassy in Beijing. From all accounts it appears that he is somewhere in Beijing under American care; there is no news yet about the Chen family.

CBS News described Chen’s pursuit of American protection as “High Stakes,” which forces a “potential crisis” as Chen arrived at the Embassy only one week before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s anticipated visit to China to discuss economic issues. President Obama has already made it abundantly clear on other occasions that China’s human rights abuses would not be a stumbling block to his administration’s dealings with China.

NBC News reported that Chen’s actions “looked sure to complicate” Secretary Clinton’s trip. Reporter Andrea Mitchell said, “There are very delicate negotiations under way.” ABC News reported on its website, “Top officials from the U.S. and China are locked in intense meetings regarding the fate of activist Chen Guangcheng ….”

Not one of the Old Media Big Three produced comment from Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), who has tirelessly advocated for Chen’s security. It would not have been difficult for ABC, CBS or NBC to obtain such a comment, given that it is showcased on the Congressman’s website and reads in part,

“This is a test of Premier Wen’s commitment to fundamental human rights, the rule of law, and common decency.”

“It is also a test of America’s resolve to safeguard human rights whenever and wherever those rights are violated.”

“The Chinese government construed Chen’s compassion for women and unborn children as a crime.”

“The eyes of the world are on Premier Wen Jiaboa, the Chinese government and U.S. diplomatic leaders—Secretary Hilary Clinton; Assistant Secretary of East Asian Affairs Kurt Campbell; and Assistant Secretary for Human Rights Michael Posner—all of whom are in or are about to be in Beijing.”

“Chen’s dramatic escape from his prison home in rural Shandong province underscores the depth of the danger facing his family and his need to once again—in the most conspicuous way possible—call the world’s attention to human rights abuses in China.”

“The cruelty and extreme violence against Chen and his family brings dishonor to the government of China and must end.”

“Over the next few hours/days, whatever it takes, everything discussed in China between Secretary Clinton and Premier Wen, as well as their staffs, must be through the prism of the struggles, torture, escape and justice overdue Chen Guangcheng, his family and other human rights activists in China.”

“Perhaps it is a gift that so many U.S. leaders are there. They must push for human rights like never before.”

“On her first trip to China, Secretary Clinton said she would not allow human rights concerns to ‘interfere’ with other issues like global warming and debt. That’s nonsense.”

“Chen and his family must be free.”

And so dilemma for the Obama Administration, according to the Old Media, is that Obama in the past has avoided calling for basic human rights in China. Now during an election season and with an internationally known human rights activist seeking refuge, how can Obama call evil evil and good good? (Isaiah 5:20.)

Marianna Trzeciak, Esq., is a homeschooling mother of three who contributed to amicus briefs in the Rule 60 motions to overturn Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. She initiated 40 Days for Life—Burlington, Vermont. Now residing in Texas, Ms. Trzeciak speaks regarding pro-life feminism at college, law school and other forums.

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Dilemma? What dilemma? The U.S. must protect Chen Guangcheng. Period.

Holy water as a crowd dispersal weapon…

Monday, April 30, 2012

On Sunday, activists from the Union of Orthodox Banner-Bearers, a lay Russian Orthodox organisation, dispersed a group of protesters gathered in downtown Moscow near the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour by dealing with them in a distinctively brutal and Russian way; dousing them with Holy Water.

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Holy water as a crowd dispersal weapon…

The Confirmation Season

Monday, April 30, 2012

Recently I was corresponding with another Bishop about my current travels throughout the Diocese, as it is the time of year for the celebration of Confirmations. Like our Diocese, this Bishop is also the Shepherd of a Diocese with many thousands of square miles. He said to me that “I am in high season for Confirmations too, my favorite thing to do as a Bishop.” Indeed, it is a time of year in which there is much traveling. Last Sunday, we logged over 500 miles for Confirmations, and this past Sunday (April 29) was a close second. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches (No. 1285) that “By the Sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.”

There are many blessings for me personally in these visits, and for the parishes and the entire Diocese. So many young people make their profession of Faith and receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are sent forth to be witnesses to the love of Christ, and to say by the lives they lead, with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, that “God is here.” Through the reception of Confirmation, their bonds to the community of the Church are strengthened, and I always urge them to be open to whatever the Lord is asking them whether it be for involvement in a parish, the Diocese, or the wider Body of Christ. These visits are a time of great hope, and I would also say gratitude, for the faithful and dedicated service of so many catechists, teachers, parish priests, religious and others who work tirelessly during the year for these young people and others.

The pictures that I am sharing here are from some of the rural parishes that are known for their beauty and character, which is a further sign of the presence of Christ in these communities. It would also be appropriate to mention that St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s (along with some other rural parishes in the northern part of the Diocese) were established and built, in large part, by the Benedictine Monks from Subiaco, Arkansas. The fruits of their prayer and labor built a foundation that lasts to this day. What follows are some scenes from St. Joseph in Rhineleand and St. Mary’s in Windthorst.

The pamphlet from the Confirmation
Ceremony at St. Joseph’s Catholic
Parish in Rhineland.

God’s Blessing Sends Us Forth

God’s blessing sends us forth, Strengthened for our task on earth,

Refreshed in soul and renewed in mind.

May God with us remain, Through us the Spirit reign,

That Christ be known to humankind.

God’s news is spoken word Joyfully our hearts have heard;

O may the seed of God’s love now grow.

May we in fruitful deeds Gladly serve others’ needs,

That faith in action we may show.

We by one living bread As one body have been fed;

So we are one as we share this food.

How gracious to behold All people of one fold

Who ever seek each other’s good.

Grant in this age of space Triumph of your truth and grace;

Lord, you alone are unchanging truth.

Bring us into your side; Preserve and ever guide

Your ancient church in ageless youth.

Pictures of St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish

St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish in
Rhineland, Texas

The hand-carved main altarpiece
at St. Joseph’s.

A beautiful stained glass window
inside St. Joseph’s.

Pictures of St Mary’s Catholic Parish

St. Mary’s Catholic Parish in
Windthorst, Texas

A view from inside St. Mary’s.

St. Benedict and Our Lady of Guadalupe
to the right of the altar.

The outdoor grotto built to Our Lady
to ask for her intercession and protection
for the servicemen of the parish
during the Second World War.
All returned unharmed!

Taken from:

The Confirmation Season

CORRECTED: Rwanda government official denies that proposed changes to law would legalize abortion

Monday, April 30, 2012

Legalizing abortion “amounts to killing Rwandans and killing the future of Rwanda,” the government minister said.

Updated 05/01/12 – This article originally stated that the Rwandan government had already passed the regulations that would liberalize the country’s abortion law. However, it remains unclear whether the regulations have in factpassed all the way through the legislature, and this article has been amended to reflect that fact.

KIGALI, April 30, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In the midst of intense controversy over a change in Rwanda’s penal code that would liberalize the country’s abortion laws if passed, a government official denied last week that abortion had been legalized in Rwanda.

While the nation’s ban on abortion has had a long-standing exemption for situations where the mother’s life or health is at risk, a change approved by the country’s Chamber of Deputies earlier this month had reportedly expanded that exemption to cases of rape, incest, forced marriage, or when the “health of the unborn baby” is in question.

The legislature is also considering lifting a reservation on a section in the 2003 Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa condoning abortion in cases of rape, incest, or maternal or fetal health concerns, according to the New Times. Rwanda is a signatory to the Charter but had originally withheld its approval from that section.

In the face of criticism from religious and political leaders, Protais Muson, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the office of the Prime Minister, claimed that the country had not legalized abortion in comments last week reported by News of Rwanda.

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“There is no way the government can legalize the killing of unborn babies because that amounts to killing Rwandans and killing the future of Rwanda,” he said, during a Rwandan event called Accountability Day, a periodic occasion in which the Administration fields questions from the press and the general public on its recent activities.

Musoni claimed that journalists had been responsible for disseminating misleading information about the recent change, and added that abortion was still a crime in Rwandan law.

“Rwandan law continues to prohibit abortion, except under the circumstances stipulated in the Penal Code,” he said.

The comments came a week after the Rwandan Civil Society Platform, a prominent non-profit organization in the country, had condemned the proposal to revise the penal code, and appealed to President Paul Kagame not to sign it. Edouard Munyamaliza, the Chairperson of the Rwanda Civil Society Platform, said that abortion was against Rwanda’s “cultural values,” according to the New Times.

Originally posted here:

CORRECTED: Rwanda government official denies that proposed changes to law would legalize abortion

Rwandan official denies abortion legalization after country liberalizes abortion law

Monday, April 30, 2012

Legalizing abortion “amounts to killing Rwandans and killing the future of Rwanda,” the government minister said.

KIGALI, April 30, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In the midst of intense controversy over a change in Rwanda’s penal code that liberalized the country’s abortion laws, a government official denied last week that abortion had been legalized in Rwanda.

While the nation’s ban on abortion has had a long-standing exemption for situations where the mother’s life or health is at risk, a change approved by the Rwandan Parliament earlier this month had reportedly expanded that exemption to cases of rape, incest, forced marriage, or when the “health of the unborn baby” is in question.

The legislature is also considering lifting a reservation on a section in the 2003 Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa condoning abortion in cases of rape, incest, or maternal or fetal health concerns, according to the New Times. Rwanda is a signatory to the Charter but had originally withheld its approval from that section.

In the face of criticism from religious and political leaders, Protais Muson, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the office of the Prime Minister, claimed that the country had not legalized abortion in comments last week reported by News of Rwanda.

Click ‘like’ if you are PRO-LIFE!

“There is no way the government can legalize the killing of unborn babies because that amounts to killing Rwandans and killing the future of Rwanda,” he said, during a Rwandan event called Accountability Day, a periodic occasion in which the Administration fields questions from the press and the general public on its recent activities.

Musoni claimed that journalists had been responsible for disseminating misleading information about the recent change, and added that abortion was still a crime in Rwandan law.

“Rwandan law continues to prohibit abortion, except under the circumstances stipulated in the Penal Code,” he said.

The comments came a week after the Rwandan Civil Society Platform, a prominent non-profit organization in the country, had condemned the changes in abortion policy in the revised penal code, and appealed to President Paul Kagame not to sign it.
Edouard Munyamaliza, the Chairperson of the Rwanda Civil Society Platform, said that abortion was against Rwanda’s “cultural values,” according to the New Times.

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Rwandan official denies abortion legalization after country liberalizes abortion law

Life on the Rock – 2012-04-26 – Life on the Rock – Fr Mark and Doug w-Damon Owens Cindy Fulmer.mp4

Monday, April 30, 2012

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Life on the Rock – 2012-04-26 – Life on the Rock – Fr Mark and Doug w-Damon Owens Cindy Fulmer.mp4

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