2005 Catholic Blog Awards

The 2005 Catholic Blog Awards

Here's a list of past winners - I have bookmarked many of the listed blogs, as they are all well-worth reading if you ever get some free time.

Pro-Life Passages in the Bible

In reading the Bible, we must always realize that reading it, along with respecting the teaching authority of the Catholic Church, is one of the best ways we can come to know Jesus. The Bible was compiled by the early Catholic Church, and it is hard to understand certain passages without the Church's teaching authority (this is one of the reasons Jesus established the Catholic Church!).

Well, anyways, I thought I'd just show you some of my favorites:

Genesis 1:27-28: God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and femail he created them. God blessed them, saying to them: 'Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.'

My Commentary: Man is created in God's image. Man's life, therefore, is sacred. To destroy Man is to destroy something sacred. God frowns on this. Plus, God blessed Man with the gift of fertility, so we could subdue the whole earth! 'Population control' policies are surely opposed to the will of God on this one...

Exodus 20:13: You shall not kill.

My Commentary: This is the most simple, yet the most intriguing commandments. For, if we are to take this literally, we are obliged to never kill anyone or anything. But the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." (p. 2258). From 2258-2330, the Catechism oulines more teaching concerning the fifth commandment - it's worth a look.

Matthew 18:6: Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

My Commentary: After reading this passage, it is obvious that Jesus has a deep love for everyone, especially the 'littlest ones' -- i.e. children. Whoever causes one of these children to sin would be better off drowning in the sea! How much worse would the sin of killing one of these children be??? We must hope that people are not misinformed to think that the fetus inside a mother's womb is not a living human being -- one of God's children!

John 13:35: I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

My Commentary: Jesus told us to love one another. What love involves taking a life? People sometimes misguidedly think that euthenasia is 'mercy' killing, but it is not. Abortion is not a loving act - it is a wrongful act. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, "One may never do evil so that good may result from it," (1789), meaning one cannot do sinful acts in order to acheive a perceived good. Concerning Euthenasia, "Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable" (2277). If we do not have love for one another, we are not Christians.

Final Comment: While reading through different parts of the Bible, I am amazed, time and again, at how every passage can have great meaning, especially when you take time to reflect on the passages (using footnotes in my Fireside Study Edition of the New American Bible helps me tremendously!). If you aren't already, I encourage you to pick up your Bible and read it from time to time - start with the Gospels and New Testament, then work your way around the Old Testament.

Post-Disgrace No More? We shall see...

I was especially glad to read one section, in which the Archbishop mentions Kenrick-Glennon Seminary:

"[Archbishop Burke] thinks attracting young men to the priesthood is crucial for the health of the church and has an aggressive strategy to bring more of them to Kenrick-Glennon seminary. Burke spends a lot of time at Kenrick-Glennon, meeting with seminarians there weekly, going on long walks with them, trying to get to know them and hoping they come to know him.

"It's a good time to visit," he said. "I really have to say that one of the most hopeful signs of life of the Church in the archdiocese is our seminarians. We really have an exceptional group of young men who are studying for the priesthood."

Archbishop Burke is not what the media typically portrays him to be. He is not some power-hungry mastermind of an administration to gain wealth and political power, as some would say. The St. Stanislaus situation and the dealings he has had with Catholic politicians (PDF download) are part of his important duties in the Archdiocese.

In summary, I am glad to have an outstanding Archbishop who truly cares for his flock, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a non-anti-Burke article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Let us pray that Archbishop Burke may continue to be a courageous and loving pastor, and for his continued health and safety!

Name-that-Site Contest!

So, there you have it: I'm thinking about registering a web address for my websites (my blog, personal site, seminary site, pro-life wristband site, jjjcl latin site, and my Mac support site). I want it to be relatively short, easy to remember, and encompass some of my personality, while being fairly broad (so it can cover topics on all those sites).

So far, all I have is 'www.byyourwords.com' (ref. to Matthew 12:37...), but that's not very good. It has to be a web address not already in use, and I want a '.com' address (not '.net' or '.us' or something like that).

To enter:

1. Look up prospective web addresses by typing them into the search area on this page.
2. Make sure the name is creative, relatively short, and easy to remember.
3. Post the name, along with your name, in the comments section of this post.
4. Wait until I find a winner.

Youth-Sized Wristbands are HERE!!! $0.25 each, 50 or more!

Here's a size comparison of the youth (180mm) and adult (208mm) sized wristband:

Archbishop Burke's 1st Anniversary of Service in St. Louis

I would personally like to thank Archbishop Burke for all the wonderful things he has done while in St. Louis. He is a very nice person, relates to others well, and truly cares for the people of his Archdiocese. In my opinion, any Catholic who is vehemently and often opposed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is doing something right. And, judging by all the negative articles written about him (those are but two of the many), Archbishop Burke is doing many things right!

Let us pray that Archbishop Burke continue to provide strength and encouragement for Catholics both here in St. Louis and elsewhere, and that he continues to shine the Light of Christ to all peoples!

Hate Crime against Catholics in Louisiana (UPDATED)

"This Monday the Catholic anti-abortion student group at LSU called "Students For Life" that had erected a display of nearly 4,000 crosses on the LSU Parade Ground over the wekend to commemorate the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade found the exhibit vandalized.

There are several things that make this story important. First, is that an LSU police officer saw five individuals removing a large number of the crosses just after midnight on Monday, but did not report the individuals.

Second, the major news outlets in Baton Rouge and in the state did not give adequate coverage to this incident. The local Baton Rouge TV station covered the story, and the local paper put a blurb in about it. The best coverage you will find is in the LSU student newspaper, The Reveille (Michelle Malkin linked to the story yesterday).

Finally, under Louisiana law such an action of damage to property based on religious beliefs can be constituted as a hate crime.

Please help the LSU Pro-Life Community by spreading the word about this crime. If you are interested in getting more involved you can call Mary Higdon, President of LSU Students for Life,(225) 772-9024, and Richard Mahoney, President of St. Mary and St. Joseph Family Memorial Foundation, (225) 802-8920."

I have personally talked to one of the organizers of another Louisiana Catholic group that placed 4,000 crosses in the ground. They spent quite a bit of time, and had many dedicated volunteers work on this project. It is a shame that the perpetrators of this crime can run free, after all the hard work that those who installed the crosses must have done. Please try to help in this case, if not by calling someone, then by prayer.

UPDATE: From A Saintly Salmagundi:

The ring leader of the vandals sent a letter explaining the evils of the cross.

In response to charges that the crosses were political crosses and not religious crosses thus no hate crime, and to profile the LSU Students for Life, read this weekly column.

And the original sources (one and two) of the political crosses.

Problems inevitably happen when someone becomes confused over the true meanings of Freedom (hint: it has to do with God and truth).

2005 Pro-Life March - Wrapup - War of the Words (UPDATED x2)

I am not an enemy of life. I am an ardent supporter of all human life; from the moment it starts (conception, when sperm meets egg), to the moment it naturally ends.

And yet, I am a 'foe'. I am an 'enemy', according to most media sources. Take a look at these headlines:

• "Anti-abortionists pledge to fight on"
• "Abortion foes march in capital"
• "Abortion foes rally in Washington"
• "Abortion Foes Get Call From Bush"

Some may think that this is a non-issue, but it is not. Many members of the media are playing a game with words, trying to make pro-lifers sound like bad people, and 'pro-choicers' sound good. This is an example of a euphemism. Planned Parenthood and its media allies use words such as 'anti-abortion', 'foes of abortion', 'anti-choicers', and the like to make Pro-Life people sound bad. And they make the supporters of intrinsically evil abortion sound good by calling them 'pro-rights', 'pro-choice', and 'women's rights supporters'.

We, as pro-lifers of a new generation, must respond with unparalleled vigor in the 'War of the Words.' It is a very important war to win -- it is one of the stepping stones that must be overcome on the road to final fictory: an end to abortion and the devastation that it entails.

UPDATE: Thanks for the kind words from The Dawn Patrol, Myopic Zeal and JivinJehoshaphat!

UPDATE 2: Someone has raised the objection that I am being hypocritical by calling those who are in favor of abortions in 'rare cases' "pro-abortion".

Here's my argument:

These people are 'pro-abortion', even if they are 'pro-abortion' as minimally as possible. They are pro (for) abortions in certain cases, so there is, by no stretch of the imagination, no problem with me calling these people 'pro-abortion'.

Someone is for the death penalty, even if he or she hopes it is only used in extreme cases -- this is the same as with those who are for abortion, even if in only rare cases. (But, let the record be set, I am not for the Death Penalty in the U.S., but that's a different argument ;-).

2005 Pro-Life March - Day Four - The March, etc.

After my last entry, I went to the hotel lobby and sold some Pro-Life Wristbands, which sold like hotcakes to many different youth! I stayed in the lobby for a while with many other seminarians who were waiting for our buses, in order to load our luggage on them. Some of the seminarians and I walked to Pennsylvania Ave. and 15th Street to meet with other Seminarians who were at other places, such as Planned Parenthood or the Youth Rally and Mass.

I met with the seminarians and snapped some photos, then pulled out wristbands and bumper stickers to sell them. Immediately many more youth mobbed around the 'wristband crew', made up of four seminarians - one to handle money, one to handle the wristbands, one for the bumper stickers, and one with wristband business cards. We sold out of all the approximately 600 wristbands I had brought with me within about one hour! I have heard that the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Office sold out of the 1,000 wristbands they had brought as well -- the wristbands are defintely a hit! I only hope they can help to reinforce the Pro-Life message in our nature.

The March, as it always has been, was an extremely moving and strengthening experience. There are so many people there that you can't find the beginning or the end of the marchers, looking all the way up or down Constitution Avenue (I would guestimate there were at least 100,000 marchers there). Along with my fellow Kenrick-Glennon Seminarians, I participated in a sung litany of saints, a Rosary, and a sung Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I took many pictures, and you can find a link to them at the bottom of this post.

I pray for an end to the evil that is abortion, and for a change in our culture from a culture of death to a culture of life. Not only does there need to be an end to abotion, but also an end to artificial contraception, Planned Parenthood, euthanasia, the death penalty in the U.S. and other deeds and institutions against certain human life. We must pray that the Holy Spirit may strengthen our nation's leaders; both in the government and in our Church.

2005 March for Life Main Page
March for Life - Pictures - Day Four (The March)

2005 Pro-Life March - Day Four - The Meaning of "Bundled Up" (UPDATED)

I woke to the shrill sound of our room's alarm around 5:30 a.m. (4:30 St. Louis time), and realized that, because I pressed the 'Snooze' button, I was obliged to get out of bed and take the first shower. After everyone was ready to go, we walked to a small but beautiful Catholic Church in downtown D.C., "Queen of the Rosary". Of course, something on this trip had to go wrong -- I forgot my camera -- so you will not be able to see any pictures.

Archbishop Burke was the principle celebrant, and there were seven concelebrating priests from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. His homily was very good; he told us of St. Francis de Sales, whose feast is today, and he gave words of encouragement for the Pro-Life March, telling us of the necessity for us to continue this witness to a renewed respect for life in our culture. Afterwards, I headed back to the hotel (some others went to the MCI Center for the Youth Mass & Rally), and I am now packing.

For this trip, I wanted to be 100% sure I would not freeze to death (as had happened three or so years ago, when it was bitter cold), so I am now wearing three layers of pants (with an extra pair of tearaway sweatpants in my bag, just in case), three layers of shirts (two longsleeve), and two layers of socks (one thermal!). And I have yet to put on my winter coat, hat, hood, scarf, and gloves. And, just in case I still get a teensy weensy bit cold, I have hand warmers (four of them!) in my pockets, plus an extra headband.

I think that If someone were to push me over, I might bounce right back up! I will have pictures up later -- I promise!

UPDATE: I now have pictures!

2005 March for Life Main Page
March for Life - Pictures - Day Four (Preparing for March)

2005 Pro-Life March - Day Three - News Flash

2005 Pro-Life March - Day Three - Mass and Touring D.C.

I woke up around 8:30 a.m., had breakfast, then left for Mass at the National Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (link to pictures below), and went from there to many other activities. The group of seminarians I was with took a tour of a theological seminary building on the Catholic University of America campus, led by David Skillman. We then travelled via the Metro to our hotel for a refreshing break, and hopped onto the Metro again. After much debate, we decided to go to the Natural History Museam (about 1/2 mile from our hotel), and to the art museum from there. We dined at Johnny Rocket's in the Pentagon City Mall, and finally returned back to our hotel room (where I am now!).

It was quite windy throughout the day, and the temperature was far below freezing. That didn't stop us from touring D.C. today, and it won't stop the hundred-thousand plus marchers from taking a stand for life tomorrow! Please pray that this March for Life will be fruitful and it's marchers will be blessed with many graces from God.

2005 March for Life Main Page
March for Life - Pictures - Day Three (Tour D.C.)

2005 Pro-Life March - Day Two - Arrive at Hotel (UPDATED)

More about the road: Many prayers were said for our safe passage, and none were wasted. Because of a 4"-6" snowfall (with more falling while we were driving), the roads were quite treacherous, especially for many two-wheel-drive cars (which seemed to be plentiful today). Many times we would be glancing out the window watching a car go wily-nily through lanes of traffic, coming within a foot or two of hitting the bus -- luckily we saw no accidents, and most people regained control of their cars.

Please continue praying for safe passage for those who are still on the road, and for a safe return trip!

A frighteningly common sight during the last few hours of the drive.

Some people, though, don't understand the concept of letting their feet off the gas pedal when their cars are drifting without any traction. There was one small Porsche with its tires continually spinning; the driver did not seem to let his foot off the gas pedal at all while we were watching! Driver's Ed to the rescue! (For those of you not in the know, it's safest to let your foot of both the gas and brake pedal until your tires regain traction, while turning your steering wheel in the direction of the slide, then slowly braking.

I will soon be attending Mass, then likely travel to Washington, D.C.'s Union Station for a dinner with some fellow seminarians.

UPDATE: I am soon going to bed, and I have posted pictures...

I have posted pictures on my Cardinal Glennon College website for your enjoyment! Click on a link below to view them!

2005 March for Life Main Page
March for Life - Pictures - Day Two (Arrive at Hotel)

2005 Pro-Life March - Day Two - Bus Trip (still...)

It's been snowing much harder now; a large storm has found it's way to the roads we are driving on (supposedly there are 6-8" of snow in some Midwestern locales!). I have said a prayer for our caravan's continued safety, and I hope all the rest of the pro-lifers are having a safe journey as well.

I'm working on posting more pictures from today (Saturday), but don't have very many so far. I do have a picture of the heavy snow that has been falling around where we are (somewhere in Pennsylvania):

Here we find Andy, a seminarian, in a snowstorm!

2005 Pro-Life March - Day One - The Bus Ride

Here's the bus I'm traveling on:

Our bus prayed evening prayer and a rosary, watched American Idol (the St. Louis audition show - ick!), screened Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, then prayed night prayer and proceeded to take a stab at sleeping. After four bus-riding 18-hour trips, you'd think I'd have it nailed... but, no, I was aching quite a bit when I arose; these seats aren't the most comfortable in the world ;-) .

I will be posting at least one blog entry a day so all my St. Louis friends (and whoever else may be interested) can keep up with what's going on in D.C. -- a few people were very excited to be going on the trip, but had other important events come up at the last minute, and couldn't travel with us :-( -- but I'll do my best to keep everyone up-to-date!

I have posted pictures on my Cardinal Glennon College website for your enjoyment! Click on a link below to view them!

2005 March for Life Main Page
March for Life - Pictures - Day One (the Bus Ride)

Leaving today! Yipee! Please pray for all the Marchers...

In 30 minutes, I'll be sardine-wiched into a bus for the annual trek to the March For Life. During the bus ride, I'll be saying Evening, Night, and Morning Prayers, saying the rosary, praying, reading, and setting up some pages for pictures on my CGC website. Please visit often, as I'll be updating my blog and my pictures daily (the hotel in D.C. has free WiFi :-).

I also ask that you pray for all those participating in this year's March. Many people will be on the road for more than 15 hours, trekking through snow, ice, rain, and even sunlight! Please pray for safe passage, everyone's health, and, most of all, for the unborn who we hope to help by marching for life!

God Bless :-)

Hello... I'm Mister Confused! [Illustration]

Why is mister confused quite so befuddled? I don't know for sure, but maybe it has to do with his puzzlement over the media's irrational anti-Catholic stand... maybe he's puzzled over the fact that abortion and contraception are 'silent killers' in our nation and many people are okay with that... whatever the case, he's quite a puzzled little fella!

Jeff News - 2005 March for Life in Washington, D.C.

For your benefit, I will be taking pictures of all the sights while in D.C., and I will be able to post them daily (possibly along with a blog topic), since (I recently discovered), the hotel I'm residing in will have free wireless access! Please pray that all those who are journeying to D.C. this weekend may arrive safely, and for our march to show the nation the importance of a renewed respect for life.

I leave you with a picture from last year's March for Life:

"Stay sober and alert"

"Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith, realizing that the brotherhood of believers is undergoing the same sufferings throughout the world. The God of all grace, who called you to his everlasting glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish those who have suffered a little while."

I'm a Nerd? Well... I guess--that is, if I'm an 'Anti-Choicer'

Make sure you know what your SPID (if you're using ISDN) or your MAC ID (if you're not) is before taking the quiz. (Or am I bluffing?).

Taking a Swipe, eh? - I'm am 'anti-choicer'

Interesting. It makes me sound like less of a snob maybe? What choice do they speak of? Leave some comments here and let me know what you think. Or, better yet, check out the blog "Third Wave Agenda", and leave a comment there:

"one anti-choicer [ooh--that's me!] lays it all out when he says that abortion shouldn't be allowed in any case, even if the life of the pregnant woman is at stake. he borrows this answer from a "catholic answers" website, which basically takes swipes at mormonism for its "liberal" position on abortion (which states that "There is seldom any excuse for abortion. The only exceptions are when-(1) Pregnancy has resulted from incest or rape; (2) The life or health of the woman is in jeopardy in the opinion of competent medical authority; or (3) The fetus is known, by competent medical authority, to have severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth" (General Principles, 251)". pretty liberal, huh?)."

Catholic Bishop Captured, then Released, by Iraqi Terrorists

From Reuters.co.uk:

"VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Iraqi Catholic archbishop of Mosul who was kidnapped at gunpoint on Monday was freed today and said no ransom had been paid.

Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa, 66, said on Tuesday he hoped his ordeal would not be seen as an attack on the Church in the predominantly Muslim nation.

The Vatican, which had condemned the abduction as an "act of terrorism", welcomed his release and said Pope John Paul "thanked God for the happy ending".

Casmoussa told Vatican Radio he had been treated well during his one day in captivity.

"As soon as they found out I was a bishop, their attitude changed ... I think that my abduction was a coincidence. In recent times, there have been numerous kidnappings around here," Casmoussa said.

"Based on the conversations I had with them (the kidnappers), it didn't appear to me that they wanted to strike at the Church as such."

Misna, a Rome-based Catholic missionary news agency with extensive contacts in the developing world, earlier reported the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of $200,000 (106,800 pounds).

The Vatican, which on Monday night demanded the immediate release of the archbishop, confirmed no ransom had been paid.

Casmoussa was kidnapped by gunmen in two cars in the northern al-Majmoua al-Thaqafiya district of Iraq's third largest city on Tuesday afternoon while he was on his way to visit some families in his congregation.

Navarro-Valls, the Vatican spokesman, said the kidnapping had "prompted great surprise" because Casmoussa was "very much loved" by both the Christian and Muslim community.

Casmoussa was believed to have been the highest ranking Catholic prelate to be abducted in Iraq, where the local church has been the target of a bombing campaign aimed at intimidating the tiny Christian minority.

ANCIENT CHURCHES

Most of Iraq's Christians, who make up some 3 percent of the 25 million population, belong to the early Assyrian and Chaldean Catholic churches. The Vatican strongly opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

While Christians had little political power under Saddam Hussein, they were free to worship and did not feel threatened by sectarian violence.

But Iraq's 650,000 or so Christians have been trickling out of their ancient homeland since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 as insurgents step up attacks against both Muslim and Christian holy places in an apparent bid to inflame sectarian tension.

On August 1 five churches in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul were bombed in coordinated attacks that killed 12 people. Five Baghdad churches were bombed on the October 16 start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Eight were killed in two church bombings on November 8.

Midnight Mass was cancelled last Christmas, as several cities were under curfew and Iraq's Christian religious leaders feared renewed attacks.

Last month the Vatican's foreign minister warned that anti-Christian feeling was spreading in Iraq and other Muslim countries because of the war on terrorism.

Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, the Vatican's second-ranking diplomat, said anti-Christian feeling existed where political strategies of Western countries were believed to be driven by Christianity.

"Post-Disgrace" At It Again - 'Morning After Pill'

"Fierce arguments have gone on inside and outside the Food and Drug Administration, which may decide as soon as this week whether drugstores can sell the emergency contraception known as Plan B without a prescription to women age 16 and older."

Why do they persist in calling this 'morning after' or 'Plan B' pill 'emergency contraception'? The fact is, this pill is an abortifacient drug -- that is, it kills a baby. It terminates a pregnancy. It is NOT a 'contraceptive' by any means! From the USCCB Website:

"A woman who uses EC after unprotected sex clearly intends to prevent pregnancy. However, she may be quite unaware of "where" she is in her cycle (i.e., whether or not she has ovulated). Although she may not intend to abort, the drug's action of altering the endometrium to interfere with implantation may in fact abort the developing embryo."

The Post continues to say,

"Plan B supporters say the pill is a safe way to prevent thousands of unwanted pregnancies and the abortions that sometimes follow. Making the contraception available over the counter, they say, is crucial for women who might need the protection over a weekend or when it is difficult to obtain a prescription.

Plan B can prevent pregnancy for up to 72 hours after sex."

Like I mentioned above, 'Plan B' is NOT a contraceptive - it cannot prevent abortion; it IS abortion! Also, why is this 'crucial' for women to be able to obtain anytime? Are we saying that women should be able to have sex when they want, where they want, how they want, and with whom they want? Or are we telling men, "Hey, we have this new drug that can let you have sex with a woman and hand the pill to her so you don't have to be responsible."

I have another solution for Planned Parenthood, NARAL, NOW and other organizations: abstinence. There is a 100% success rate in preventing pregnancy. If you can't afford a baby, or you don't want a baby, why are you taking any risk at all? There are grave moral consequences to taking this pill, using artificial contraception or having an abortion, but these organizations mislead people into thinking these practices are perfectly normal, safe, and effective -- condoning irresponsible and 'free' sex.

In our culture, where we can, supposedly, take a pill to help solve most any problem, it is no wonder that pro-abortion advocates' 'pill' seems to help get rid of another one of 'life's problems'.

When will everyone realize the cold, hard truth!?! A PREGNANCY IS NOT A DISEASE! A BABY IS NOT A TUMOR!

Humor for Sunday - Post-Dispatch Article on Life March

The picture in the Post (see me in the blue circle?):

And the picture I snapped (the Post photographer is circled in blue):

If you have today's Post-Dispatch, you can see the article on the front page of the "Metro" section, and continued on page "C7". If you do not live in St. Louis, or don't have access to today's post, here's a link to the article online. The article was much less 'Church-bashing' than many in the past, but there is still a pro-abortion slant throughout most of it. We can only hope for small victories -- at least the front page of the Metro section was neutral.

2005 St. Louis Pro-Life Mass and March (Updated x2)

The principle celebrant was Archbishop Raymond Burke, and many parish priests concelebrated. Myself and six other seminarians assisted in server's roles (I was a vimp, holding the Archbishop's Mitre). The march began after Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and we marched from the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis to the Planned Parenthood abortion mill in St. Louis. On the way to PP, we prayed the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary, while standing in front of PP, we prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries, and while returning, we prayed the Glorious Mysteries. We finished the morning with Benediction.

The whole event went smoothly, but every time I go to this Mass and march (it's a monthly event, with today's being the annual 'largest' one), I feel great pity for all the women who have abortions on these Saturdays, and I am saddened that the women would submit their bodies and their babies to Planned Parenthood's murderous acts.

Even the facility looks more like a prison than a "Reproductive Health Center". You may view more pictures from the event by clicking here.

Please pray for an end to abortion!

UPDATE: The Curt Jester, The Dawn Patrol, and LifeSteward have linked to this article - these blogs are well worth reading, IMHO.

Abortion: What about Rape and Incest? (UPDATED)

Abortion: What About Rape, Incest, Danger to Mother's Life?

Excerpt:

"Recently someone emailed me (in good spirit), encouraging me to outline the Church's response to abortions in case of rape, incest, grave danger to the mother's life, etc., and so I shall oblige.

One must understand, as I have come to understand, that abortion is evil. Abortion causes the death of a human being—a living person (that I believe is endowed with a soul given by God at the moment of conception, although that is debatable)."

UPDATE: Check out my 1/18 post on 'anti-choicers'.

Pope John Paul II Approves Plenary Indulgence for Year of Eucharist (UPDATED)

In honor of the Year of the Eucharist, Pope John Paul II has approved a special plenary indulgence for certain acts of worship and veneration of the Most Holy Sacrament (text from Catholic Online):

"According to a decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, during the Year of the Eucharist a plenary indulgence may be gained by participating in acts of worship and veneration of the Most Holy Sacrament, as well as by praying vespers and compline of the Divine Office before the tabernacle."

The objective of the papal disposition, the document indicates, is to "exhort the faithful in the course of this year, to a more profound knowledge and more intense love of the ineffable 'mystery of faith,' so that they will reap ever more abundant spiritual fruits."

The decree reminds the faithful that to obtain a plenary indulgence it is necessary to observe the "usual conditions": "sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion, and prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin."

In the Year of the Eucharist -- which began October 2004 and will end October 2005, when the world Synod of Bishops will be held on the Eucharist -- the plenary indulgence may be obtained in two ways.

In the first place, according to the decree, "each time the faithful participate attentively and piously in a sacred function or a devotional exercise undertaken in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, solemnly exposed or conserved in the tabernacle."

In the second place, it is granted "to the clergy, to members of institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, and to other faithful who are by law obliged to recite the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as to those who customarily recite the Divine Office out of pure devotion, each and every time they recite -- at the end of the day, in company or private -- vespers and night prayers before the Lord present in the tabernacle."

The decree also provides the granting of the plenary indulgence to those persons who, due to illness or other just cause, cannot participate in an act of worship of the sacrament of the Eucharist in a church or oratory.

These persons will obtain the plenary indulgence "if they make the visit spiritually and with the heart's desire, with a spirit of faith in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, and pray the Our Father and Creed, adding a pious invocation to Jesus in the Sacrament (for example, "May the Most Holy Sacrament be blessed and praised forever").

Since many people, Catholic or not, may not know what exactly is meant by an 'indulgence', I direct you to a very good explanation on Catholic.com (Catholic Answers Online):

"What is an indulgence? The Church explains, "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain defined conditions through the Church’s help when, as a minister of redemption, she dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions won by Christ and the saints" (Indulgentarium Doctrina 1). To see the biblical foundations for indulgences, see the Catholic Answers tract A Primer on Indulgences.

To see some common misconceptions and clarifications about Indulgences, click here.

UPDATE: What a Mystery has posted on this topic as well!

"I Am Pro-Choice America" NARAL Campaign (Updated)

All of the pictured women seem to be in offices, and none are pictured with husbands or children. Does 'Pro-Choice' equate to 'family-less'? I guess so, according to what I see on NARAL's site.

I don't know if these abortion and artificial contraception advocates realize that their numbers will, by default, decline over time. You see, they're killing their own potential supporters! Abortion is homicide. Artificial contraception goes against our nature, can cause complications (look at how many side effects there are for the pill!), and does not prevent AIDS, as Planned Parenthood says. It seems like everything the so-called 'pro-choice' movement does is hypocritical.

Please pray for an end to abortion and a respect for life from conception to natural death.

UPDATE: The Curt Jester has a humorous response to NARAL's request for pictures. Click here to see it.

Surprise! The Media was Wrong Again (UPDATED)

More Mistranslations and Misrepresentations

"Previously there were many news stories on an al ledged Vatican document during WWII saying that Jewish children that were baptized were not to be returned to their parents. The document under question in fact turns out that the document had the seal of the the apostolic nunciature of France and was written three days later than what was stated in the article At this time the apostolic nuncio was Angelo Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII.

The original document contradicts Melloni's version. It states, in fact, that the children should be returned to their original Jewish families.

also

Pius XII took to heart the fate of these Jewish children and, in that same month of March, asked the Holy Office to study the case.

The Holy Office, after hearing from several consultors, prepared a document in response to the Pope's request.

In August 1946, some French bishops and, specifically, Coadjutor Archbishop Emile Guerry of Cambrai and Cardinal Pierre Gerlier of Lyon, asked nuncio Roncalli for pointers as to how to resolve the situation of Jewish children saved from Nazi persecution.

Angelo Roncalli gathered all this material and, at the end of September, sent a letter to the Vatican Secretariat of State requesting instructions.

Roncalli was answered by Monsignor Tardini, secretary of the Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, not in the way quoted by the article in Il Corriere, but rather in the way mentioned above."

I wonder if anyone is keeping track of the number of times the media has promulgated false reports concerning these anti-Catholic rumors. If they were, the number would probably be unimaginable. However, I am about 99% sure I'll be asked about this by some misled Catholic or non-Catholic in the coming years...

UPDATE: I found a posting on Catholic Apologetics of America that explains this even better than I.

Reading Augustine, Doing Laundry... A Reflection

Augustine writes:

"While a man thinks that he is very unhappy if he has lost his fine reputation, great wealth, or various goods of the body, would you not consider him extremely unhappy even if he had an abundance of such things? For he is clinging to things that he can very easily lose and that he does not have while he wants them; he lacks, moreover, the good will which is not to be compared to these and which, though it is so great a good, he needs only to will in order to possess."

Augustine arrives at one of the most important messages Catholics and Christians of our modern world must embrace and proclaim to the world: detachment from material goods. It is essential, especially in our modern world, for us to not have a 'dependency' on material goods (i.e. cars, houses, property, computers, jewelry, etc.) that detract from a deeper spirituality and unity with God. This does not entail a complete dismissal of all things material, but a 'detachment' -- that is, we should be able and willing to part from any and all material goods we are given--without complaint. After all, all is given by God. This is no small task to accomplish, but it can be done through the grace and redemptive power of Jesus Christ.

Let us pray that we may become simple people and may offer all our worries, delights, sufferings and triumphs over sin to the Lord, acknowledging that we are subordinate to Him and that we truly love Him as he has loved us.

PROLIFE Wristbands - Major News Announcements! (Updated)

There are many major news announcements that my sister and I are releasing concerning the PROLIFE Wristbands:

• Ordering Pro-Life Wristbands in Bulk
• Pro-Life Wristband Press Release
• Pro-Life Wristbands in the News

Please continue to pray for an end to abortion and for the success in the mission of these wristbands to help spread the Pro-Life message! We have been contacted by various groups wanting more of these wristbands. We are currently awaiting our third shipment of 20,000 adult-sized wristbands, and soon will receive 10,000 youth-sized wristbands as well!

Updates! Here is a list of news sites covering this story:

• Catholic Online PRWire
• More to come!

Apple's Macworld Expo - New Products Introduced

Basically, Apple released a $99 iPod, a $499 Mac, some new software, and many cool new features for some old software programs. If you're thinking about buying any of these things, now's the time to do it :-).

"People's Choice" Awards - Another Award Loses Respect

Here, my friends, we have another example of an award that has lost any esteem it may have previously had, for it has changed the way it allows 'the people' to vote (from The Daily Times):

"In past years, the organization hired the Gallup group to poll the general public concerning its favorite movies, TV shows, musicians and actors. People were free to pick any movie, show or celebrity they liked. They were not limited to a bunch of fixed nominees.

This year things changed. A partnership was formed between the show's producers and Entertainment Weekly magazine. What was described as a "front-row panel of 6,000 entertainment enthusiasts" selected nominees and then people were asked to vote via the Internet for their favorites.

It isn't hard to see how that might change the results. Instead of the most popular films being named favorites, those films with the most rabid and loyal followings would win.

It is no secret that Mr. Moore actively campaigned for his award, seeking votes on his own Web site. Obviously, his followers jammed the PCA's electronic ballot box."

Chalk that one up as yet another award that I don't really respect anymore. Web polls are completely ridiculous as a current method of polling 'the people' for three reasons:

1. There are many, many people in this country who either (a) don't regularly access the Internet, or (b) don't want to fill out any forms on the Internet,
2. There are still many ways to 'cheat' when voting (i.e. doing multiple votes) on the Internet, and
3. Many of the users more likely to vote on this pole are (a) extremists who are 'voting for the cause', and will 'rabidly' vote for a movie they like, or (b) young people, who are more likely to do things such as voting on an online poll.

Technical Notes...

-Jeff

Planned Parenthood (yes, again...)

"Let's look at this, starting with the words "emergency contraception."

It is not contraception.

It is abortion."

Dawn's post (along with many other previous posts - look in her archives) shows some of the typical improper usage of terms dealing with the babies they routinely kill.

"It is typical of Planned Parenthood to go after the weakest victims. And it is typical of them to do so, knowing that, in many areas, they themselves will be the facility to which women will be referred for "emergency contraception" pills. It boils down to more taxpayer money for Planned Parenthood—at the expense of already-victimized women and their unborn children. Even without the additional funds it would get from such mandated "emergency contraception," Margaret Sanger's organization gets over a quarter-billion in taxpayer money each year."

Some of the government's uses of our money truly disgust me. Let us pray for a change in the minds of our political leaders, the mainstream media, Planned Parenthood's employees and, most of all, the women who have their babies killed—that they may find God's abundant mercy and forgiveness and become ardent supporters of every human child's right to life!

Update to "Prayers" Section of CGC Website

If you have any suggestions for future featured prayers, drop me a line.

I'm Back; Preview of What's to Come!

During the Priestly Formation Week (the official name for what the college seminary community was participating in), there were a variety of activities. We attended one-hour conferences concerning different aspects of the priesthood relevant to our lives, including 'suffering', 'embracing the Cross', and 'diocesan priestly spirituality'. We participated in daily Mass, communal prayers, the Rosary, and Eucharistic Adoration. A pick-up game of basketball was played, as well as some ping pong and a wiffle-ball game. After it snowed late Friday night, we decided to have a few snowball fights (I, thankfully, was wearing water resistant clothing!)-"When life gives snow, make snowballs" (that's my wintertime motto). We lodged in cottages located in Catholic Camps of America, in Dutzow, Missouri, and the facilities, staff and food were all excellent.

Here's a picture of the 'Chapel on a Hill' at the 150 acre Catholic Camps of America:

While spending some time in quiet solace, I thought of some excellent topics to blog about and to spend some serious time researching and reflecting further upon, as they will become increasingly important to my role as a priest (if I, God-willing, become one!). Some topics I pondered included: morality in clothing and lifestyles, a 'fast' from ALL media, intrinsically integrating prayer into daily life (for everyone), and liturgical music and singing.

Pictures from the Priestly Formation Week may be found on my Cardinal Glennon College Website.

I pray that everyone has a peaceful and abundantly blessed year, in the year A.D. 2005!

Formation Retreat Until Saturday, General Stuff

If you would like to leave comments or email me, feel free to do so, but I will not be near a computer (GASP!) until Saturday afternoon...

-Jeff

Mary and the Saints: Much Confusion (Part II) - UPDATED

"I read your entry and I appreciate your trying to address the issue, but it's the same thing I've heard from every Catholic who's tried to explain the issue. There is a fundamental difference between asking a live person to pray for me, and asking a dead one to do so. The very nature of the form of prayer necessary to pray "through" a saint implies that it is substituting the saint for God. This is not true of the nature of asking a live person to pray for me."

Ah, but there is the fundamental issue! The souls in Heaven are, in fact, not dead, but alive and well. In fact, to gain admittance into Heaven, one must be alive and perfect (according to the Catholic Church).

Our bodies are truly resurrected once we die; not necessarily our 'atomic-structured' bodies, but our glorified bodies. Because of Jesus' Resurrection, we are all allowed to become alive again in Him, and rise to new life in Heaven (though many of us will have to stop by Purgatory for some temporal punishment because of Earthly sins). For more information on the resurrection of the body, read Catholic Answers' explanation.

The whole of the 'communion of saints' (as we Catholics call it) is alive and well: on Earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven. This includes all the Saints and Mary.

If they are not alive, there is no Resurrection, and our faith in Jesus Christ is null and void:

"But if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith." (1 Corintians 15:12-14)

Aid for Tsunami Victims - Catholic Relief Services

They have a special website set up for Tsunami Relief.

Mary and the Saints: Much Confusion

The concepts that are more difficult for me are things like praying through Mary and the saints."

These concepts are difficult for many Catholics as well.

I try to think of it like this:

We have mothers on Earth. These mother's give us a certain type of love—a love that no one else can give. They hold us in their wombs from conception until birth in the world, then they nurture us physically, spiritually, and mentally for many years. Without our mothers, we miss a lot of the love that is necessary to truly become one with Christ in his sufferings and his glory.

In much the same way, we are advantaged to be able to go to our Heavenly Mother, Mary, in times of trouble, or to find love. She is like our 'perfect Earthly Mother'. Who better to show us Jesus than His Mother? She nurtured Jesus from the time of His conception onward. She was there with Him on the road to Calvary; she was there for him when he was on his cross, dying in reparation for our sins—even though many others were not.

Mary went through grief and trials of faith and love, just as any loving mother does. She was, perhaps, the person closest to Jesus on Earth, and she is now close to Him in Heaven. What better way to speak to Jesus and to know him better than through Mary? Sure, we can pray 'straight to Jesus'... but what if we could also have Mary and other saints intercede for us?

Is that not what we do on Earth when we pray for our brothers and sisters here? We pray for each other here, but imperfectly (as we are not made perfect until we enter God's Kingdom). Is it a waste of time to pray for each other, or to request that someone pray for you? If it is a good thing on this earth, how much betterwould it be to have former Earthly companions who are now in Heaven (Mary included) to be praying for us as well?

That is why Catholics are not ashamed to pray through Mary and rest of the communion of saints, both heavenly and earthly.

For more reading on this issue, I highly suggest:

Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in The Word of God (by Scott Hahn)

And Catholic Answers' Library: Mary & the Saints

UPDATE: This topic is continued in a post on January 5.

Terri Schiavo - Pray for Life

A reason we must always remember that being 'Pro-Life' means being 'Pro-Life' from conception to natural death. Abortion, although extremely important, is not the only issue here (courtesy of The Dawn Patrol):

"One of Terri Schiavo's new lawyers visited her and reports that she is alert, smiling, and engaged in the world around her.

It is truly chilling to think that her ex-husband—and many in the court system—are devoting great resources to the effort to kill her.

For updates on the Schiavo case, visit Media Culpa."

For even more information, visit the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation's website.

St. Louis "Post Disgrace" (Part II: More anti-Catholicism...)

"St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has threatened each of the six members of the board of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish with the canon law penalty of interdict. 'I warn you that your refusal to comply with the legitimate directives of the Holy See and me, your Archbishop, carries with it, the punishment of interdict or other just penalties,' wrote Burke in a letter to the board members that was obtained by the Post-Dispatch today.

...The penalty of interdict would be issued by Burke, not by the Vatican, but its effect for the board members would be in place throughout the Catholic world, not just in the archdiocese of St. Louis.

...'I consider it a badge of honor,' said board member Zabielski. 'I'm sticking up for what is right. Pedophiles in this church are transferred from diocese to diocese while good, faithful people are excommunicated.'

I'm sorry, Mr. Zabielski, but 'faithful' people do NOT openly mock their superiors, do NOT go against their proper authorities, and are NOT people who try to get their own way. There is a great misunderstanding among many Catholics. A great number of Catholics think that Jesus' earthly body is a democracy—that you can 'vote out' a bishop or a pastor—but that is not how it works. A 'faithful' member of the Catholic Church is one who remains 'faithful' to it.

And what do 'pedophiles' have to do with any of this? The Catholic Church in the U.S. is bending over backwards to apologize for the past misdeeds of a small percentage of priests—very few of whom were pedophiles—and moving on to tackle greater issues, such as the faith of it's people and the holiness of its priests. The Post, in it's usual anti-Catholic way, uses the language 'threaten' and shows a dark, eerie picture (shown below) of the Archbishop when dealing with him, to give the reader nothing but nasty feelings when they hear his name.

I have talked to the Archbishop, and can assure you he is not an evil man. In fact, he's quite a nice guy, and very friendly. But he is very smart, and will not tolerate a lack of respect for institutions and sacred things that justly deserve it. He cares for his flock, and is not afraid to discipline certain members who break the rules if they necessitate it.

The article makes it sound like the Archbishop is doing something extraordinary, or that he is doing something independent of the Vatican. Not so. Archbishop Burke's actions are legally faultless. From The Code of Cannon Law, number 1373:

"A person who publicly incites among subjects animosities or hatred against the Apostolic See or an ordinary because of some act of power or ecclesiastical ministry or provokes subjects to disobey them is to be punished by an interdict or other just penalties."

Yet again, we find an example of a mainstream media outlet jumping on the Catholic-bashing bandwagon, spreading misinformation (i.e. saying the truth, but a radically distorted and disordered version of it) and, for some odd reason or another, trying to smash Archbishop Burke's reputation.

Blog Reading Explodes in America (and a bonus!)

From the article:

"The number of blogs and the use of blog readers rose rapidly last year--but a majority of Americans still do not know what a blog is.

A report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, called the "State of Blogging," discovered that readership of Web blogs--essentially, Web-based diaries--spiked 58 percent last year, with 27 percent of Internet users, or 32 million people, saying that they read blogs. Twelve percent of people who read blogs also chose to post comments on them.

Blog creation is also growing. By the end of 2004, seven percent of U.S. adults, or more than 8 million people, had written a blog, according to the study.

...Blog creators tend to be young men who have broadband and are Internet veterans. Fifty-seven percent of bloggers are male.

Hmm... who does that sound like?

Interestingly, I had never heard of a 'blog' until early this year! I set up a preliminary blog at the beginning of my school year with a free service called 'Xanga', but have since set up my own blog on my own webspace (I like having the control) using an open-source blogging app called 'Thingamablog'.

The most amazing aspect of this 'blog revolution' is the fact that almost every Google search I now perform brings up as many blog entries in the results as 'old-fashined websites'; and a lot of times that's a good thing. Blogs are 'new' and 'current', while many older pages are 'static' and 'outdated'. There is still a place for the traditional, static website (check out all of mine in the links column here) — but the blog is here to stay. For some, it's their livelihood, for others, it's a fun diversion. But for all, it can help to disseminate important information at a more rapid rate than traditional media (as was evidenced by 'Rathergate' and many other 'blogosphere exposés').

This entry includes a bonus! To those of you who hope to set up a well-read and awesome blog, here are some tips:

1. Keep entries somewhat short (i.e. no books on pages!).
2. Use proper grammar (this is NOT a chat room!).
3. Find a service (or set up your own blog, like me) that is indexed by Google and other web search sites, and try to get people to link to your blog - this way people will find you blog when doing web searches. Xanga did not do this.
4. Link to sources of information, and try to include other's information, pictures or links from time to time (it adds some variety).
5. Try to use a service (or set up your own blog) with RSS or Atom news feeds.
6. Read other's blogs to find out what looks nice, and what doesn't. The design of a blog is very important!
7. Keep a sense of humor. Blogs aren't news sites—they ought to be somewhat personal.

St. Louis "Post Disgrace". The Media. Hmm...

The article states, concerning foreign aid offered by Israel but refused by Sri Lanka:

"In Rome, the semi-official Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, accused Israel of refusing to help flood victims in Sri Lanka. The paper scolded that it was time for "a radical and dramatic change of perspective" among people who are "too often preoccupied with making war...

That cut about a people 'too often preoccupied with making war' is particularly savage... And in any case, would an Italian newspaper with close ties to the Vatican ever hint that, say, Germans were a people 'too often preoccupied with making war"? Or radical Muslims? Inconceivable."

"The Vatican newspaper was misinformed."

No, I'm sorry Mr. Mainstream Media—you were misinformed.

The truth is, somehow, someone either accidentally or purposefully mistransleted to original L'Osservatore Romano article, and the media quickly jumped on the Catholic-bashing bandwagon, without even fact-checking. The truth? The L'Osservatore Romano was chiding Sri Lanka for not accepting aid from Isreal; not the other way around.

I'll be surprised if this error gets as much as 200 words as a correction in a future Post-Dispatch. If that. Similar articles were posted in various other columns. A few have been pulled, but many of these false stories remain.

For reasons such as these, I distrust mainstream media.

Planned Parenthood

Today's blog entry, "Knife Work if You Can Get It", is especially disturbing. The entry concerns an abortionist who has "the utmost respect for life," but says, "how can you not give [little girls] the choice to terminate a pregnancy?" You can read the whole article about this abortionist here.

This is sick.

But, Planned Parenthood would have you believe otherwise. On their website: "We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child." Hmm...

Many times, when I witness to my Pro-Life stance, whether it be at a political rally, a few hours of prayer in front of Planned Parenthood's abortion mills, or at the annual pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life, I am asked by confused or brainwashed youth and adults, "What about the mother's right to her own body?" Well, I have news for them: when someone decides to have an abortion, her body is holding another body - and that body inside her has it's own rights. What about that body's rights? And nothis is not some anti-feminist thing. I am not a chauvinistic male—I simply care about the life of the mother and the child.

It really is sick how misguided the organization Planned Parenthood is. Their Teenwire website (note: there are some VERY sick things on this website, including some material I would classify 'soft-porn'), the website that supposedly "provides valuable information" (according to plannedparenthood.org) to our nation's youth, is really some perverted people's idea of a fun place for teens to hang out, learn how to have oral sex, learn that they can have sex as much as they want, whenever they want (oh, as long as they still eat and sleep...), and basically let their hormones run free. Teenwire teaches that masturbation is a wonderful thing in this post. This post made me wonder if the webmasters of Teenwire are losing touch with reality because of all the lies presented. Teenwire even accepts beastiality!

And yet, our government subsidizes this 'healthcare provider'.

Please pray for an end to abortion and a renewed truthful respect for life throughtout society, from conception to natural death.

Anti-Catholocism in American Culture - Pope Pius XII

"Another approach to discrediting the Church — and one in which the news media are quite culpable — involves distorting Church history or Church teachings, or giving disproportionate attention to actual or alleged misdeeds by individual Catholics.

Consider, for example, what Newsweek's Kenneth Woodward has aptly named the "monstrous calumnies" being perpetrated against Pope Pius XII. "Something shameful is going on," Woodward wrote about the concerted effort to portray Pius and the Catholic Church as having been "silent" during the Holocaust — in the face of considerable evidence to the contrary, indlucing expressions of tribute and gratitude from so many leaders of the Jewish community. Yet the news media dutifully report such accusations as accepted truth, without any apparent need to supply evidence, or to even acknowledge the contradictory evidence."

Hmm... the media not being responsible??? GASP!

'Mysterious Letter' Found; 'Stirs Pius XII Debate'...

The central issue, In My Humble Opinion, concerns certain groups' and individuals' anti-Catholic bias and vendetta against the Church. But, since this letter is the cause of much confusion and misinformation, I will analyze it as best I can.

So far I am unconvinced of the letter's validity. But, even if the letter is a valid letter, no one yet knows who wrote the letter. (How convenient!). They only know to whom it is addressed. There is also confusion (hinting at a possible falsity?) as to when the letter was written. Some sources say November 20, 1946, others say October 23, 1946.

I'll go through some facts concerning this letter:

1. No one knows who wrote this letter
2. I have not found any proof through my research that this letter is true, forged, or falsely identified (the articles say it was "The document was discovered recently in Roman Catholic Church archives outside Paris by a French historian"). I'm a little skeptical as to it's validity... remember 'Rathergate'?
3. It is New Year's Day today (this is to lighten up my mood a little... ;-)
4. This whole 'hot-topic' issue has been raging for years now; many people who absolutely hate the Catholic Church and all it stands for continually promulgate these mysterious letters...

For some good reading on this issue, I suggest:

• http://catholic.com/library/HOW_Pius_XII_PROTECTED_JEWS.asp
• http://www.ewtn.com/library/issues/pius12gs.htm
• http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=1438
• http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4685
• http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4363
• http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSetId=257&fSectionId=225&fArticleId=148357

I am sorry if my tone is a little rough—but put yourself in my shoes: I am a Catholic who is trying to show someone the terrible consequences of misguided misinformation. This 'Evil Pope' thing has been going on for ages now, and it will continue into the foreseeable future. Once this 'letter' and all the 'mystery' surrounding it is definitively debunked, another controversial letter will be 'found', and so on and so forth. Even in my short lifetime, this has happened more than once.

For this letter, no one even knows who wrote it! The letter says it "summarizes the views of the Vatican's Holy Office", but I could say that this blog summarizes the views of the Catholic Church -- that doesn't make my statement valid. From the article (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apeurope_story.asp?category=1103&slug=Vatican%20Jewish%20Children):

"One mystery is who exactly wrote it. The letter is datelined from Paris and says it summarizes the views of the Vatican's Holy Office, the precursor to the current Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

It also notes that the contents were approved by Pope Pius XII - the controversial figure accused by some Jewish groups of not doing enough to prevent the Holocaust.

Rev. Peter Gumpel, a Jesuit investigator promoting Pius' cause for sainthood, denied that the letter came from any Vatican source. He suggested it might have been a brief, incomplete summary of church position by religious officials in France."

Another line confused me, because it seems to not be clear as to what the 'letter' is particularly saying. It seems that the lines I quote below might not be so bad - what if the original author simply misworded what he was saying... or, worse yet, what if the news media is-GASP-misquoting the source! (It's been known to happen before...).

"One of the letter's most jarring lines says that children whose families survived the Holocaust should be returned, "as long as they had not been baptized." Those whose parents were killed "should not be abandoned by the Church," even if they had not received the sacrament.

That stance on baptism predated the Holocaust by nearly a century - in 1858, papal guards took a 6-year-old Jewish boy named Edgardo Mortara from his family in Bologna, Italy, after hearing he had been secretly baptized by a Catholic housemaid."

Another point of interest - different articles are quoting different dates... seems to be a 'convenient' inconsistency that could point to the letter's falsification (or some sleepy reporter for the newspaper)?

"The one-page document, dated Oct. 23, 1946, advised French church authorities on how to handle information requests from Jewish officials, asking them not to put anything in writing."
-http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apeurope_story.asp?category=1103&slug=Vatican%20Jewish%20Children

"The Vatican instructed the Catholic church in France not to return Jewish children to their families after the Holocaust, according to a letter dated November 20, 1946, that was published Tuesday in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera."
-http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/520870.html

So far, as far as I'm concerned, the jury is out as to whether or not this letter is even valid. Even if it is, who is it really from? Shouldn't that be answered before we blindly presume it was approved by Pius XII?

Feast of Mary, Mother of God

For those of you who don't already know, January 1st is the Feast of Mary, Mother of God. Now, most dioceses in the United States do not require Catholics to attend Mass on this date this year (as a Holy Day of Obligation) because it falls on a Saturday; but in many other countries (and in New York, I'm told), today is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Anyways, I would just like to let everyone know what a wonderful blessing it was for me to be able to celebrate the New Year with a holy hour before the Lord during Eucharistic Adoration, then Mass at midnight (fireworks were present outside the chapel!), and finally a small celebration afterwards (complete with pretzels, chips and cheesecake!). I found this to be a wonderful way to kick off what I think will be the best year of my life so far.

May Mary intercede for us as we begin this New Year, and may we remember to thank our blessed virgin Mother on this day for her acceptance of God's Son into her womb over two millenia ago!