Sigh...

Archbishop Currie explains how CCCB report on the investigation of Development and Peace partners was written by D & P...

Archbishop Martin Currie of St. John’s Newfoundland has said that a report that exonerated several pro-abortion groups funded by the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (D&P) and that slammed LifeSiteNews.com (LSN), was actually written by D&P along with the then-General Secretary of the Bishops conference, Mario Paquette...

... Archbishop Currie acknowledged that LifeSiteNews’ investigation may well have been more accurate than that of his delegation. “With LifeSite, perhaps they would dig a lot deeper ... and make connections which perhaps we didn’t make because we don’t have that kind of access or time.”...

I guess nobody is surprised that a document 'investigated' by D & P and ultimately written by D & P , does not censure D & P. I guess noone is surprised that they took the opportunity to make a swipe at LifeSiteNews, the agency that broke the scandal.

Thank God for bishops like Archbishop Prendergast, who felt that the matter of his flock sending 'charity' to abortion promoters was important enough to warrant his time and personal initiative.

And ask God for many more new bishops just like him.

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LifeSiteNews Rocks - Detractors Are Wrong

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Readers may have noticed that I frequently link to LifeSiteNews stories. This is because I have found them to be a reliable, fair and thorough source of information on life issues around the world. A recent Catholic Culture site review of LifeSiteNews would seem to concur.

Not everyone can bring themselves to accept that lay people have access to knowledge of right and wrong - even as regards Catholic institutions or individuals. They find it shocking and dangerous that the 'hierarchy of information' has been disturbed by the lowly person in the pew, sharing information and demanding accountability .

As patient as a mother of eight can be (or not) I am fed up with the pettiness and vitriol of some maligners of good journalists and faithful Catholics doing their Christian duty.

I care that my friends are being attacked maliciously and publicly and that those perpetrating this injustice are (mis)using their collars to gain an audience. I think it's wrong. A horrible example . Shameful. A scandal.

Am I being dangerous or 'hateful' to say so?


RELATED:

LSN: Charity Answerable To Truth

Especially For Fr. Rosica
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Lifesite News: Charity Answerable to Truth

LifeSiteNews seems to provoke venemous attacks from quarters that should be allied with them. Last week's National Post editorial is an example of such:

“At best, the activity of LifeSite is a form of unthinking activism akin to a shooting gallery. Now and then they hit a target,” [Fr. Rosica] said. “More often, however, they leave a vast trail of collateral damage, character assassination and destruction of reputations of good people, including Cardinals, Bishops, priests, religious and community leaders.

LifeSite's editorial response is very charitable in comparison:

The open secret is that much of the talk about “civility” we hear nowadays is too often only a ploy to silence, dismiss, and ultimately condemn those with whom one happens to disagree. We saw this clearly in 2009, when Fr. Rosica chastised many pro-life and Catholic leaders for the position they took on the grandiose Catholic funeral given to Senator Ted Kennedy.

There was, of course, plenty of room for legitimate disagreement on the issue. However, in almost the same breath that Fr. Rosica lamented the loss of “civility, charity, mercy and politeness,” he labeled those who had criticized the public funeral for the late pro-abortion senator as “not agents of life, but of division, destruction, hatred, vitriol, judgment and violence,” and described them “as little children bullying one another around in schoolyards - casting stones, calling names, and wreaking havoc in the Church.”

Vatican Archbishop, now Cardinal, Raymond Burke had an opposite view to that of Fr. Rosica towards those who sincerely saw that there was scandal in the way the Kennedy funeral was conducted. Archbishop Burke went so far as to say, “One sees the hand of the Father of Lies at work in the disregard for the situation of scandal or in the ridicule and even censure of those who experience scandal.”

I feeel sorry for clergy who have difficulty discerning enemy from friend, and will continue to pray for faithfulness and charity in all our clergy and of course, in the entirety of the pro-life movement.

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"Letter To The Catholics Of Ireland"

PASTORAL LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE BENEDICT XVI
TO THE CATHOLICS OF IRELAND

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Church in Ireland, it is with great concern that I write to you as Pastor of the universal Church. Like yourselves, I have been deeply disturbed by the information which has come to light regarding the abuse of children and vulnerable young people by members of the Church in Ireland, particularly by priests and religious. I can only share in the dismay and the sense of betrayal that so many of you have experienced on learning of these sinful and criminal acts and the way Church authorities in Ireland dealt with them.

As you know, I recently invited the Irish bishops to a meeting here in Rome to give an account of their handling of these matters in the past and to outline the steps they have taken to respond to this grave situation. Together with senior officials of the Roman Curia, I listened to what they had to say, both individually and as a group, as they offered an analysis of mistakes made and lessons learned, and a description of the programmes and protocols now in place. Our discussions were frank and constructive. I am confident that, as a result, the bishops will now be in a stronger position to carry forward the work of repairing past injustices and confronting the broader issues associated with the abuse of minors in a way consonant with the demands of justice and the teachings of the Gospel...

read more

Commentary:

George Weigel "The End Of Euphemism"

Contrast the above with the misleading article by a churlish 'Sister'Turlish at the National 'Catholic' Reporter (Someone explain to me why we still find these at the back of some churches? The by-lines read like a list of 'most bitterly unhappy dissidents' with few exceptions! I mean, really, McBrien!?)

In "Media Attacks Mounting", LifeSite News shows how some outlets had their reactions written BEFORE the Pope's letter was even released! (ESP?)

As expected, and as with everything Catholic, the reactions run the gamut from optimism to disgust. Read the Pope's letter for yourself (link above) and use the reason God gave you. Ask yourself if the purpose of the letter was to 'assuage anger', and if that would have been appropriate as a first public response.

I don't believe it would have been appropriate or possible. The Pope's letter is a public apology, an admission of guilt , and a call for reform. Its a preliminary step along a long and arduous path to renewal in the Catholic church in Ireland and hopefully, eventually, forgiveness. Eventually. Pope Benedict in his letter acknowledges how difficult forgiveness will be.

I find it curious that some of the criticism of his letter, sounds like defensiveness. 'He's blaming the Irish!'
Who is to blame for abuse in Ireland, if not those there? In America, the Americans, in Germany the Germans, in Newfoundland, the Newfoundlanders. Acceptance of responsibility must be one of the very first things for reconciliaton. The Church for her part, the clergy and religious in Ireland for theirs (a number of them Irish, yes?),the Irish seminaries and religious orders and those who knew, for their part.

I would have thought this to be rather obvious.

Let us see what the Pope's investigations produce. I am interested to see what reforms, resignations, and re-structuring may come of the process. That is now the Church's part. To pray and to wait and to support the process of reform and reconciliation, in the hope that the Church in Ireland may regain some of its former acclaim - for the glory of God.

The Four Evangelists in the Book of Kells

The Scandal of Badly Formed Priests

Normally I do not like to criticize the clergy. I like to pray for them. However, when a priest puts on public display his dissident beliefs it does need to be pointed out.
Here is a recent example of a badly formed priest who is president and vice-chancellor of a purportedly Catholic university, who makes a statement that is scandalous. (Even an unbeliever would realize the scandal in Fr.Paul Rennick's statement!)

LifeSiteNews:

...LSN sought comment regarding the school's decision to invite Cokie Roberts, a pro-abortion Catholic news analyst who has criticized the Church for preaching against homosexuality and contraception, to address the school as part of the "Christian Culture" lecture series.

Fr. Rennick told LSN that he had "personally vetted" the selection of Roberts and chose her because she was "a woman of faith," a "well known Catholic" and "successful as an individual Christian."

LSN asked Fr. Rennick, "Do you think there is a possibility of scandal from the fact that she has professed very pro-abortion views and has criticized Catholic bishops for teaching Church doctrine on homosexuality and contraception?" The President of the Catholic University replied, "No, I don't."

Asked to elaborate, Fr. Rennick said: "If you look at the catholic population, you'll find a whole variety of positions on all of those topics. It seems to me that disagreement on a particular position doesn't disqualify one from being a Catholic. Unless, of course, that position is whether Jesus is the Christ."

"Abortion is not an infallible teaching. It never has been proclaimed infallibly," he said. "This attempt to put everything that the Church teaches in this one set of categories, it seems to me, is not a proper Catholic position, not according to the history of our church," he added.

LSN sought comment about Fr. Rennick's remarks from London Bishop Ronald Fabbro who is Chancellor of Assumption University. Mark Adkinson, Director of Communications for the diocese, told LifeSiteNews.com he would not be able to have the bishop comment. Asked if there would be a better time to contact the bishop, Adkinson replied, "No, because I don't view LifeSite as a legitimate news source."...

...Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) Assistant Director Lea Singh noted that the Catechism reads: "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every produced abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable." (CCC 2271).

"As an 'unchangeable' teaching, it does indeed seem to be an infallible teaching," said Singh. "Over the years the CCCB has repeatedly spoken out strongly against abortion." She quoted a 1990 CCCB document which stated: "Catholic teaching on abortion is clear and unequivocal. Abortion is a moral evil because it involves the destruction of human life. Direct killing of an unborn child is never justified." ...

The scandal is clear. Fr. Rennick is in desperate need of formation, and hopefully he will get it. It is disturbing to think that people send their college students to Assumption Univ., thinking that THEY will receive a good formation! I guess there is a reason why that university did not make the 'faithful to the Magisterium' list!!

(Our two eldest have attended Our Lady Seat Of Wisdom, which IS on the list, and we can personally recommend it!)

As an aside, Mark Adkinson would serve Bishop Fabbro better if he kept up to date with his communications contacts. (That's his job, right?!) LifeSiteNews has an international reputation amongst faithful Catholic lay persons,priests,Bishops,Cardinals and academics for producing a superior Catholic news service. (Unlike some other Canadian 'catholic' productions often found in the back of churches!)



PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

Most gracious Heavenly Father,

We thank you for our for our faithful priests and bishops, whose spiritual fatherhood and example of fidelity, self-sacrifice, and devotion is so vital to the faith of your people.

May our spiritual fathers be guided by the examples of Saints Peter and Paul, all the Apostles and their saintly successors. Give them valiant faith in the face of confusion and conflict, hope in time of trouble and sorrow, and steadfast love for you, for their families, and for all your people throughout the world. May the light of your Truth shine through their lives and their good works.

Assist all spiritual fathers, that through your Grace they may steadily grow in holiness and in knowledge and understanding of your Truth. May they generously impart this knowledge to those who rely on them.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(from Women For Faith and Family)