William Daley, "Chicago Catholic" , Embarrassed (Oh Woe!)

Father John Zuhlsdorf comments on Daley's 'bad catholic' response to Catholic outrage over honouring the dishonorable at Notre Dame. He points out the false premises and corrupt thinking of a man who is more 'Chicago' than he is a Christian. That does not a 'good Catholic' make!

...A main talking point clutched by Catholics who are trying to defend the invitation by Notre Shame to Pres. Obama is that disapprobation of the invitation is really political.

That is because the defenders of the invitation are long-habituated to reducing what are really questions of faith and reason to politics.

With that in mind, let’s see what a long-time Chicago Democrat politician, not coincidentally named "Daley", brother of the current Mayor of Chicago, Pres. Clinton’s Secretary of Commerce, chairman of Vice-Pres. Gore’s campaign, supporter of Pres. Obama, the Loyola University educated William M. Daley has to say.

He is the ultimate Catholic Democrat/Obama insider....

Father Z goes on to take Daley's 'complaint' apart - line by line. A great read!

"Penance And The Gift Of Forgiveness"

(part one of Archbishop John C. Neinstedt's Advent series on the sacrament of penance)

(Catholic Spirit)

Within the first verses of St. Mark’s Gospel, Jesus appears in Galilee, proclaiming God’s Good News:

“This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and be­lieve in the Gos­pel!” (Mark 1:15).

From the very be­ginning of his public ministry, then, Jesus calls all men and women to conversion from sin. But, one might ask, what is sin? Why are we call­ed to conversion? What kind of reform is being asked of us?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church indicates the answer:

“To try to understand what sin is, one must first recognize the profound relationship of man to God, for only in this relationship is the evil of sin unmasked in its true identity as humanity’s rejection of God and opposition to him...

“Without the knowledge Revela­tion gives of God we cannot recognize sin clearly and are tempted to explain it as merely a developmental flaw, a psychological weakness, a mistake, or the necessary consequence of an inadequate social struc­ture, etc. Only in the knowledge of God’s plan for man can we grasp that sin is an abuse of the freedom that God gives to created persons so that they are capable of loving him and loving one another” (CCC. 386-387).

Who has sinned? St. John gives us the answer in his first letter:

“If we say, ‘We are free of the guilt of sin,’ we deceive ourselves; the truth is not to be found in us” (1 John 1:8).

Therefore, to be truthful, we must all admit that we have sinned. Sin affects both our relationship with God and with our neighbor. But the truly good news is that Jesus came to save us from sin and that he has entrusted the power to absolve sin to his apostles. That power of forgiveness is offered to us in the sacrament of penance, otherwise known as reconciliation.

The ordinary, and therefore most appropriate, way of celebrating this sacrament calls for a verbal confession of our sins to a priest. Why? Allow me to give three reasons for this.

The first reason is that, during his earthly ministry, Jesus himself always forgave sins in a one-on-one encounter with the penitent. While other miracles in the Gospels may have involved groups of persons, the gift of forgiveness is always given to an individual, who hears Jesus speak the words, “Go, your sins have been forgiven.”

Second, as human beings, one of the most difficult things we ever have to say is, “I’m sorry.” Yet, once we have said it, we are freed to accept our guilt and then to begin the process of reconciliation. We can inevitably find all kinds of self-justifying reasons for what we have done or failed to do. Yet, once we have spoken out loud the reality of our guilt, it is often only then that we accept responsibility for what we have done, and only then can we begin to reform our ways.

Finally, the actions that we call “sins” very often betray an attitude or an inner disposition that ultimately led us to commit a particular sin.

Over the next weeks, I plan to share with you some thoughts as to how we can move forward with a total re-catechesis for the sacrament of penance Having taught a penance practicum to seminarians for 13 years, I have learned that there is an art on the part of the confessor in hearing a confession. The priest has to listen closely to what is being said “between the lines.” It is one thing to know that one has been uncharitable, hurtful or unfaithful, but that doesn’t necessarily lead one to know why he or she committed the particular act, i.e., what prompted this action in the mind or heart.

Only by getting “behind” the objective sinful act, can one begin to change one’s life with a firm purpose of amendment. The assistance of a confessor can be invaluable in this process.

Historically, the Second Vatican Coun­cil, contrary to what some may think, never envisioned the use of Form III with General Absolution as the ordinary way to experience the sacrament of pen­ance. The church has never approved its use, even though it has been widely practiced in some places.

In response to a question regarding this very point, Archbishop Harry Flynn wrote clearly in his pastoral letter of Feb. 20, 1996, that general absolution is not acceptable as a normal practice. This is also the position of the last two popes, a synod of bishops as well as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ general assembly. It is now codified into law.

But my concern here is much more a pastoral one than a legal one.

A regular use of general absolution is bound to have a negative effect on the spiritual well-being of the penitent because general absolution involves a depersonalized experience of the sacramental grace of forgiveness.

Without the one-on-one encounter and an explicit confession of guilt, penitents also risk developing a superficial understanding of their willing participation in the personal evil that is sin.

I am pleased to be receiving requests these days from pastors who are planning penance services using Forms I or II during the upcoming Advent season. I encourage all pastors in the archdiocese to do the same. To be clear: The use of general absolution is simply not allowed.

I appeal to all of our priests to be obedient to the promises they made on their ordination day and offer our Catholic people the sacrament as it is meant to be celebrated. I likewise appeal to our faithful laity not to participate in celebrations prohibited by church norms.

It is my sincere hope that the clergy, religious and laity in this local church may reflect in practice the unity that Jesus himself desired as we join in a common celebration of the sacrament of penance.

Over the next weeks, I plan to share with you some thoughts as to how we can move forward in this archdiocese with a total re-catechesis for the sacrament of penance so that it may be the powerful help in our growth toward holiness that it is meant to be.

Until then, let us pray again and again for the grace of that conversion from sin that Jesus announced so long ago: “This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the Gospel!”

God love you!

UPDATE: 'Conservative' Policy Results

LifeSiteNews:

...P-203, which was passed by well over 90% of the delegates, is a resolution to remove authority from the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Tribunal to regulate, receive, investigate or adjudicate complaints related to Section 13 (hate messages) of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Critics of this section of the Act have long said that the clause creates the precise equivalent of a "thought crime." Under this section of the Act, Christian ministers have been prosecuted simply for defending traditional Christian teaching on marriage.

Prominent Human Rights Commission critic Ezra Levant said he was “delighted” with the vote. The message is clear, said Levant: “the party's grass-tops activists … support freedom of speech and thought, and now see the Canadian Human Rights Commission for what it is: a violator of rights, not a protector of them.”

Resolution P-207 is similar to former Conservative MP Ken Epp’s Unborn Victims of Crime Bill in that it seeks additional charges for anyone who harms or kills an unborn baby while attacking a pregnant mother. While P-207 is not binding, it is now official Conservative Party policy to recognize the rights of pregnant women by bringing to justice those who harm an unborn baby against their mother's will.

According to Canada.com, a delegate from the riding in Saskatchewan that proposed the resolution said, "Families who have lost their daughters, wives, sisters ... know there are two victims. They want the law to recognize that."....

I guess we'll all be impressed when Harper actually DOES something. Right.

Meanwhile, in Toronto ....Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Predergast spoke at the Humanae Vitae Conference, commemorating 40 years since the prophetic encyclical 'On Human Life', which reaffirmed Church teaching against contraception in the wake of the advent of the birth control pill:

...."We need to go back and embrace or re-embrace the prophetic encyclical Humanae Vitae given through the Theology of the Body," he said. "There is no doubt that we need to do more to promote the teaching of Humanae Vitae," he added. "Many in our time do not understand the evil of the contraceptive act."

The Archbishop urged the faithful "to read the encyclical, to study it and embrace it." He noted that the "prophetic" encyclical which "time has shown … to be a gift from Christ to men and women everywhere," is "just as important today as it was in 1968." Prendergast quoted Cardinal Edward Gagnon as saying that Humanae Vitae is "one of the most important documents in the history of the church." He also prayed "for the conversion of those who are still resisting" the teaching of the encyclical.

The archbishop of Canada’s national capital stressed the importance of a new document from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, released this year. That document, called "Liberating Potential," was released in September and contained nothing but praise for and faithful adherence to Humanae Vitae. LifeSiteNews.com coverage noted that the new CCCB document contained not a mention of the Winnipeg Statement or a hint of its dissenting slant on contraception (see coverage: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08092909.html).

The archbishop urged faithful Catholics to "work for a better future by moving ahead and leaving the past in the Lord's hands." Concluding, he said, "I want to thank all of you who over the past 40 years have kept the truths of HV before us. I know that God will bless you for your efforts and your suffering and I ask that we all go forward now with the task of building the culture of life and love here in Canada."

The conference was sponsored by Campaign Life Coalition, Priests for Life Canada, the Natural Family Planning Association, the Catholic Doctors Guild and LifeSiteNews.com. Jim Hughes of Campaign Life Coalition told LifeSiteNews.com that he was thrilled with the conference and that the sold-out crowd was very enthusiastic. "To see that there are bishops willing to speak out on this prophetic document bodes well for the future," said Hughes.

Certainly the Church has many encyclicals and documents to aid in the understanding of its teaching in this area. We also have Pope John Paul II's work on the 'Theology of the Body'. What lacks is access, by which I mean that most Catholics have never even heard of most of these things. Priests and Bishops need to promote better education in the faith amongst their people. RCIA and Marriage Prep. classes, not to mention our deplorable public Catholic schools (not all of them- just most), might be a place to start.

"The Church Is Not Burger King!"

Diane at Te Deum has quite a bit to say about the scandal of pride filled dissidents following their 'conscience' over the teachings of the Magisterium:

...Is it any wonder why this group is often indifferent towards the Blessed Mother or holds her in disdain? She is the new Eve who rejected pride in humble obedience to the will of God for her.

The defiant attitude we see belongs to the "either/or" crowd - the one that tries to pit peace and justice against humility and obedience; and the Iraq war against abortion. Mother Teresa proved that peace and justice worked right along side humility and obedience (and perhaps that is why she is held in disdain by some in this group). And, you can't compare nearly 50,000,000 lives of the unborn lost to several thousand in the Iraq war. All lives are valuable and the 50 million can't be ignored.

I have also found the propensity running high among them for using the priest scandal as an excuse to set aside authentic dialogue and reason. At the very least, the priest scandal is used to divert attention away from the subject at hand.

Folks, there can only be one true North, where the compass points. One cannot go south and proclaim that it is north because he wants it to be so. Catholics need to understand that we rely on a compass to tell us where North is and that compass is the Catholic Church. Otherwise, we would have some people going East and want to proclaim it as North, while others are going West or South and want those to be proclaimed as North.

Jesus Christ is Truth. There can't be different versions of the truth any more than there could be different types of Jesus to pick and choose from. But, that is what some are trying to do - to treat the Church like Burger King where you can, "have it your way"....

(You Go Girl!)

Judgement

Mark Shea writes about "Judgement":

... “Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven — through a purification or immediately — or immediate and everlasting damnation.

“At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love” (No. 1022).

This surprisingly quiet picture of the judgment that awaits us is basically the same thing Jesus says: “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:35-36).

All the stuff you did out of love for your neighbor — even the boring stuff and even the boring neighbor — is what makes the difference between eternal happiness and everlasting loss of the life of God....

"If Catholics Were Catholic"

Matthew Warner has a new 'category' of post over at Fallible Blogma:

...If Catholics actually acted Catholic when we voted we could change the political landscape forever.

Catholics made up about 25% of the 123 million Americans that voted in the last presidential race - so about 30 million Catholics voted (of which there are many more that did not vote). And for our purposes, McCain and Obama pretty much split the Catholic vote - so about 15 million Catholics each. Obama won the popular vote by only about 8 million votes and it was even closer in battleground states.

In other words, for all practical purposes, Catholics have the power to easily cover that gap and decide pretty much any election…if we chose to stick together and fight for truth. No other demographic can really compare in terms of unity in belief (not in America or even the entire world).

The problem is that 1) there are many Catholics that claim to be Catholic but do not fully understand what that means and how it should affect their lives and voting, and 2) many Catholics believe they have to compromise on their values when it comes to politics. Basically, we need to catechize better and we need better Catholic political leadership to create a clear vision that unifies us.

Let’s be clear - it would take one election. In one election Catholics could change the entire political landscape forever....

We have the numbers. We just don't have the Faith.



St. Thomas More "The King's good servant, but God's first."

"Life Will Not Go On"

Jill Stanek at WorldNetDaily:

....For 35 years, the pro-life movement has been doing its best. We educate. We help mothers in crisis pregnancies. We stand along streets with our signs. We try to elect solid pro-life public officials and defeat dastardly pro-aborts. We introduce pro-life legislation and thwart anti-life bills. We go so far as to stand on sidewalks by abortion mill doors begging mothers to reconsider in a last-ditch effort.

But the pro-life movement is hobbled. We can get up after being knocked down as we were Tuesday, and we can walk, but we do so with a limp. We have been able to accomplish some things but never as they should be. On our own we'll never be vigorous, muscular, vibrant.

The collective Christian church in America must wake up and finally take responsibility for abortion. That's what Election Day 2008 showed.

The pro-life movement was actually born of necessity by a void in church teaching, and now the church is almost completely reliant on our para-church organizations and the government to handle the gravest human atrocity in all of history.

Find another genocide or catastrophe or war or famine or plague to match 1 billion people systematically killed in just a 20 year span, the number who have been murdered by abortion worldwide just in the past two decades according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, research arm of Planned Parenthood.

The church must stop abdicating responsibility to stop abortion to the pro-life movement and politicians. God's people are commissioned.

But since we are uneducated and compromised on the issue of sexual relations and abortion ourselves, it's no wonder our culture is uneducated and compromised.

It is your responsibility, pastor and church leaders, to teach your people that abortion is abominable, and before that to teach chaste living. And before that, at the risk of making my Protestant friends flip, to teach that the contraceptive/sterilization mentality, which considers children bad, not blessings, is also a component of the sexual demise of our country....

.

Pope To Canada "There Is Hope"

(LIFESITE) Today Pope Benedict XVI addressed Canadians as he greeted the new Canadian Ambassador to the Holy See, Anne Leahy.

In his address, the Holy Father noted his concern for Canada's growing lack of respect for life and family, despite the fact that Canadian culture has Catholicism as one of its cornerstones and has been recognized as a champion of human rights and dignity.

"Nevertheless, profound changes can be noticed today, which are seen in different sectors and at times cause concern to the point of asking ourselves if it does not mean a regression in the understanding of the human being," he said. "These changes mainly concern the areas of defense and the promotion of life and the family based on natural marriage."

"In this context," said the Pope, "I would like to encourage all Canadians to reflect deeply on the path that Christ calls us to follow." That path, he said "is bright and full of truth." Speaking of turning to a culture of life, Benedict XVI said, "I know it is possible and that your country is capable." He said, "A culture of life can nourish anew the personal and social existence of Canada as a whole."

"To help," said the Holy Father, "it seems necessary to redefine the meaning of freedom of expression too often invoked to justify certain excesses." He noted that freedom is often wrongly perceived as an absolute value, disregarding its divine origin and its communal dimension. In such an interpretation of freedom, he suggested, "only the individual can decide and choose the form, characteristics, and ends of life, death, and marriage."

"True freedom," he observed, "is ultimately based on and develops in God." He added: "It is a gift that can be accepted as the seed from which the person and society can grow responsibly and be enriched. The exercise of this freedom implies reference to a natural moral law that is universal, which precedes and unifies all rights and duties. In this perspective, I would like to show my support to all the Canadian Bishops' initiatives in favor of family life and thus of the dignity of the human being."

( full address in French )

We Do Both

Thomas Peters of American Papist writes a good article covering the latest developments in the 'Catholic Obamites Apologetics'.

Catholics care about the mother, the child, and even the abortionist. This is not impossible with the Republicans. This IS impossible with the Democrats.

For The Soul

Fr.Z's 20 Tips For Making A Good Confession:


We should…

1) ...examine our consciences regularly and thoroughly;
2) ...wait our turn in line patiently;
3) ...come at the time confessions are scheduled, not a few minutes before they are to end;
4) ...speak distinctly but never so loudly that we might be overheard;
5) ...state our sins clearly and briefly without rambling;
6) ...confess all mortal sins in number and kind;
7) ...listen carefully to the advice the priest gives;
8) ...confess our own sins and not someone else’s;
9) ...carefully listen to and remember the penance and be sure to understand it;
10) ...use a regular formula for confession so that it is familiar and comfortable;
11) ...never be afraid to say something "embarrassing"... just say it;
12) ...never worry that the priest thinks we are jerks…. he is usually impressed by our courage;
13) ...never fear that the priest will not keep our confession secret… he is bound by the Seal;
14) ...never confess "tendencies" or "struggles"... just sins;
15) ...never leave the confessional before the priest has finished giving absolution;
16) ...memorize an Act of Contrition;
17) ...answer the priest’s questions briefly if he asks for a clarification;
18) ...ask questions if we can’t understand what he means when he tells us something;
19) ...keep in mind that sometimes priests can have bad days just like we do;
20) ...remember that priests must go to confession too … they know what we are going through.

Charles Chaput, American Hero (Kmiec NOT)

LifesiteNews:

In an address delivered to a women's group last week, Archbishop Charles Chaput of the Archdiocese of Denver strongly criticized Obama-supporting Catholic Doug Kmeic, and called it absurd for self-professedly pro-life Catholics to support Obama, "the most committed 'abortion-rights' candidate ... since the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973."

"To suggest - as some Catholics do - that Senator Obama is this year's 'real' prolife candidate requires a peculiar kind of self-hypnosis, or moral confusion, or worse," said the archbishop, who emphasized that his address at the ENDOW ('Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women') dinner expressed his views as a private citizen, and not as a representative of the Church.

Archbishop Chaput made his remarks as he spoke about his recently published book, “Render Unto Caesar,” in which he delineates the role of Catholics in the political life of the nation. He then mentioned Prof. Doug Kmeic's book, “Can a Catholic Support Him? Asking the Big Question about Barack Obama,” in which Kmeic had quoted part of Chaput's book and claimed that the archbishop's reasoning and his are "not far distant on the moral inquiry necessary in the election of 2008."

"Unfortunately, he either misunderstands or misuses my words, and he couldn't be more mistaken," said the archbishop in reply. Kmeic, whose "strong record of service to the church" the archbishop commended, recently went public with his support of Obama, and has encouraged Catholics to vote for the virulently pro-abortion Obama as a morally viable option.

"His activism for Senator Obama, and the work of Democratic-friendly groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, have done a disservice to the Church, confused the natural priorities of Catholic social teaching, undermined the progress prolifers have made, and provided an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn," continued the archbishop...

Loud Confused Catholics

Deal Hudson:

When is the last time a bishop's statement on abortion resulted in several days of protest from pro-abortion Catholics? The joint statement issued last Friday by Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth and Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas has done just that. No doubt the forceful clarity of the bishops' message elicited the outcry.

The protests began on Sunday when the statement was read from the pulpit by Rev. Tony Ruiz, pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in downtown Dallas. Some two-dozen parishioners walked out and went to the local media to lodge their complaints about "political endorsements."

The next day, the Dallas Morning News carried the story on the front page of its Metro section. "The silver lining was that the article contained a link to the bishops' statement," said Karen Garnett, executive director of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee, Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Dallas.

Garnett told me that the subsequent protest on Wednesday afternoon in front of the diocesan chancery attracted the same number of people who had walked out of the Mass at Holy Trinity. Bishop Farrell, who was out of town on Wednesday, has offered to meet with the protesters.

"Too many parishes do seminars on 'Faithful Citizenship' that don't put the life issues first. We've been dealing with that problem for 35 years," added Garnett.

Olivia Franklin, a member of Holy Trinity for 15 years, heard Father Ruiz read the statement. "I'm thrilled that he read it, and I hurried out the door to tell him thank you. This is the truth, and we need to hear the truth."

Franklin had recently attended four seminars at Holy Trinity on "Faithful Citizenship." At these sessions she was told "one could in fact vote for a pro-abortion candidate if one was not voting for them for that reason." She raised objections to what was being taught, only to be told it was just her opinion.

There have been over 40 statements to date issued by bishops this election season. Some responded to comments made by Sen. Barack Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, about the beginning of human life. Others responded to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's appearance on Meet the Press when she, too, misrepresented the Church's teaching on abortion...

(Hopefully those people will be advised as to appropriate steps to take before receiving communion..)

jesterlicious

Jeff Miller reviewing the priestly ambitions of women...

Being Faithful

Bishop Blair (Toledo):

"..Over the last 30 years or more there has been a great upheaval in the life of our society. Consensus about fundamental moral issues has broken down, for example, with regard to the protection of unborn life and the very definition of marriage and family.

In the Catholic Church this tidal wave of cultural and social change has given rise to a situation in which some people claim to be Roman Catholic and yet dissent from fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church. Sometimes they do this in a public manner that is scandalous, sometimes out of ignorance of what their own church believes and teaches, and other times not.

Recently, in anticipation of the November elections, we have witnessed the spectacle of certain politicians who say they are Catholic yet publicly misrepresent the history and content of church teaching. Our U.S. Bishops’ Conference, as well as several bishops individually, were compelled to respond to this intrusion of politicians into the teaching office of the church.

Lest anyone be misled, it bears repeating that "since the first century the church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion." (Catechism, no. 2271) The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council defined abortion, together with infanticide, as an "unspeakable crime." (Gaudium et Spes, no. 51) And, "while in past centuries biological knowledge was often inaccurate, modern science leaves no excuse for anyone to deny the humanity of an unborn child. Protection of innocent human life is not an imposition of personal religious conviction but a demand of justice." (USCCB, 9/9/08)

As moral teachers and leaders, what we bishops are calling for is a political engagement by the Catholic people "shaped by the moral convictions of well formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and the vulnerable."

.......................................................................

The Catholic community in America should be greatly encouraged by the forthright and instructive way in which the Bishops are standing up and defending their faith, and the American society as a whole.

Bishops On Pelosi

A running list of Bishops active in rebutting Nancy Pelosi's amazingly ignorant misrepresentation of Catholic doctrine is provided at TeDeum.

COMMUNION

I had been hoping to time our yearly migration north to coincide with the Eucharistic Congress. Stuff happened, and that wasn't possible, but I'm grateful for the excellent addresses given and available on the internet:

"The Eucharist Is Not A Meal Amongst Friends"- Pope Benedict XVI

"The Eucharist, the Life of Christ in Our Lives" -Elizabeth Nguyen Thi Thu Hong (Cardinal Nguyen's sister)

"Spiritual Worship and Authentic Adoration" - Bishop Louis Tagle

"Eucharist and Mission" - Cardinal Telesphore Toppo

"Witnesses to the Eucharistic Christ" - Cardinal Francis Arinze

Photo Essay of the closing MASS

Photo essay of the Eucharistic Procession

Video Journal


(Its wonderful to see 'Catholic Church' and 'Quebec' linked positively . Is the long winter over?)

Communion Means COMMUNION

The Church is nothing if not patient, as Cardinal Bagnasco explains the meaning of COMMUNION:

"..reception of Holy Communion 'does not depend on an external disposition but rather comes from the interior of the sacrament of the Eucharist itself, the sacrament of the perennial unity between the love of Christ and humanity'.."

Its NOT about politics or image, but about REALITY. You cannot separate yourself from God, and unite yourself with Him at the same time. ITS NOT POSSIBLE.