God help us. Hans Kung is speaking again. Yes we used to hear a lot from him but thankfully it is less and less nowadays . Well Kung is all on an anti Pope Screed and for added measure ask us to dream if Obama was Pope. Oh yeah the Pope is just like that old horrible George Bush.
See 'If Obama were Pope' by Professor Hans Kung
Tip of the Hat to Catholic Church Conservation at Church dissident calls for removal of Pope
from FT Germany:
There are so many contradictions of course in his article. The fact is that many Priests, religious, and others took his ideas hook , line, and sinker. That is one reason why we have some crisis in parts of the Church. It must gall him to see where Orthodoxy reigns there are new vocations while the orders that followed Father Kung are at death's door.
I love this part:
2. proclaim the vision of hope of a renewed church, a revitalized ecumenism, understanding with the Jews, the Muslims and other world religions and a positive assessment of modern science.
Here is a dirty secret. People like Kung are not thrilled with a lot of Ecumenism. Do you think they are thrilled when we become closer and closer to the Orthodox. Of course not because that just puts into huge clarity that their ideas are losing. Kung and his ilk are like the Blues Brothers. They truly think they are on a mission from God and it does not matter if their ideas were implemented it would cause world wide schism and a tearing apart of the Church.
UPDATE II
Please note all the powers he attributes to Pope Benedict that he truly does not have. Benedict must teach within the whole tradition of the Church. In Kung's world he used to argue about less power. But we see like the political radical left a glimpse of what they would do if they have it. They would use power with an iton fist and tear apart all those that opposed them
I tmust be horrible that the biggest Theologian that was held up by the Catholic radicals is now in Germany having to gloat on Obama
Saturday, January 31, 2009
What If Obama Were Pope!! - Some Catholics Dream It
Concerns About Federal Investigation of Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Cardinal Mahony is not one of my most favorites Cardinals. I view his tenor as being a disaster on several fronts. The sex abuse case was huge there and yes created scandal. Still the recent fact that a Federal Prosecutor is looking into the Archdiocese is puzzling. In fact it is person that has a Op-Ed in the LA Times called L.A. has more serious things to worry about than Billy and the cardinal
SO what is going on. He says in part:
So precisely what sort of investigation is O'Brien leading this grand jury through? (And make no mistake, federal grand juries indeed are "led" by the prosecutors who choose the witnesses and evidence put before them.) According to The Times' Scott Glover and Jack Leonard, he is trying to determine whether, by moving abusive priests from one assignment to another, archdiocesan officials -- presumably including the cardinal, although his lawyer says he's been told the prelate is not a "target" -- violated an obscure federal fraud statute that forbids using the mails or electronic communication to "scheme ... to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services." Congress wrote that provision to get at corrupt elected officials, though federal prosecutors since have extended it to corporate criminals like former Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling.The cardinal has pronounced himself "mystified and puzzled by the whole thing."
Now, it takes a lot to mystify a guy formally trained in scholastic philosophy and canon law, not to mention doctrines like the trinity and transubstantiation. He's hardly alone, however. Legal scholars have called O'Brien's attempt to apply the honest services provision to this set of facts "novel" and "creative." That's legalese for a shot in the dark.
What's really going on here?So far, the grand jury has subpoenaed records on 22 former priests, two of whom are dead, according to sources at the U.S. attorney's office. All of the relevant information on their cases has been in the hands of county prosecutors for years. The legal acrimony between the D.A.'s office and the archdiocese over all this has been corrosive enough to eat through titanium alloy. If any sort of criminal obstruction had occurred, does anybody really think L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley wouldn't have prosecuted? And if the evidence is there and he didn't, why isn't he being investigated for failing to provide "honest services"?
Moreover, what exactly constitutes "honest services" on the part of a cardinal? Does O'Brien really believe that his office is competent to determine that? If so, we've got not only a novel legal theory on our hands but also a novel notion of separation of church and state. What we've really got is one of the most dangerous things our system throws up -- an overreaching prosecutor.
Honest Services?
Big Election in Iraq Today- Progress
AJ has a good post with links at Victory In Iraq - Democracy Flourishes. The Anchoress also has another great roundup at Iraqis get the hang of voting! Obama ignores.
Michael Steele New Head of Republican Party- Devout Catholic and Ex Seminarian
Congrats!!!
Catholic News Agency has the story at Catholic Michael Steele takes over leadership of RNC
Meet Another Louisiana Catholic Blogger- University Catholic
Meet University Catholic. He is in the Dicoese of Baton Rouge. Toby over at his site gives us a introduction
Alex Harb, a Maronite Catholic seminarian attending LSU and a leader in the LSU Parousians, has launched University Catholic, a blog on successful strategies in forming Catholic students in the faith. His project is ambitious and deserving of your attention.
I think that the fact he is a Maronite is extremly interesting. Perhaps one day he will set up another blog to sort of explore that.
Oh Speaking of the Parousians I could use some guidance if their blog which I have on my links has sort of gone quietly forever :)
Anyway he shall be part for the "Daily" Louisiana Catholic Blog update and will be located also in my Dicoese of Baton Rouge links.
I shall talking about one of his posts coming up.
What is the Theology of Pope Benedict?
This has been translated from the Ratzinger Forum and I think it is work some posting even though it is long.. This is from a lecture by Dr. Siegfried Wiedenhofer emeritus professor of theology at the University of Regensburg, who served as teaching assistant to Prof. Ratzinger from 1967-1977, at the launching last Nov. 12 of the Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI Foundation, held at the Catholic Acedemy of Munich.
I guess he a pretty good idea what makes Benedict tick.
THEOLOGY FOR OUR TIME by Dr. Siegfried Wiedenhofer
In seeking to give a brief overview of the theology of Joseph Ratzinger, one is of course first confronted by the problem of its range. Joseph Ratzinger is among the most prolific theologians of our time, and probably of the history of theology as a whole.
His published work to date is contained in the bibliography that has been produced by the Schülerkreis, and in particular by Vinzenz Pfnür, and which will soon be published: 130 books and writings, numerous of which have been translated into many languages, and over 1300 articles, many of which are also available in translation.
But the breadth of the themes is also stunning. Most of these writings are from the field of dogmatic theology and take up the exposition of the main tenets of the Christian faith. However, he began as a fundamental theologian and has continually dealt with particular foundational questions, such as the question of faith and reason, questions of theological method, and especially questions of ecumenical theology.
But this is also a theology that understands itself to be particularly in the service of the ecclesial praxis of the faith. Thus there are also many writings such as homilies and meditations that emerged directly from pastoral tasks, and writings that pertain to ecclesial praxis and would ordinarily be considered to belong to the field of practical theology: writings about spirituality, about the liturgy, but also about ethics, particularly political ethics.
In addition, his interpretations of dogma almost always have a strong exegetical dimension, and he has also contributed several recognized works of theological and dogmatic history.
A final characteristic that makes an overview of Joseph Ratzinger's theology difficult is the fact that his theology is a dialogical theology through and through -- a theology that develops not only through a listening to what the sources have to say, but also through a critical conversation with other perspectives, a conversation that is not afraid to identify errors and sometimes to argue quite polemically.
What Joseph Ratzinger said in his first book, his dissertation on Augustine, surely applies to his own work as well: "Like every great theology, Augustine's grew out of polemics against error, which here too showed itself to be the fruitful power without which living intellectual movement is hardly imaginable."
On the other hand, like probably every other great theology, Joseph Ratzinger's is marked by a great inner unity. By this I mean not only a deep integration of thought and belief, reflection and meditation, but also the unity of his fundamental theological vision.
It is true that the theology of Joseph Ratzinger has in fact been read, criticized, and taken up in quite different ways, but the decisive aspect of this basic vision can be fairly clearly identified, in my opinion.
1. The theology of Joseph Ratzinger is not a theology for all times or a theology about history, but rather a theology for this time, and this time is for him above all the time of a fundamental crisis.
In the first place, there is the crisis of the Catholic Church, out of which the Second Vatican Council - prepared for and accompanied by a broad stream of Catholic reform theology - sought to lead us. The theology of Joseph Ratzinger is a part of this theology of reform.
Nonetheless, it differs from the work of the other theologians of reform, in the main, in that the question of the identity of faith and Church soon found its way to the fore in his theology. This came about because for Joseph Ratzinger after the Council, the ecclesial and theological situation in the Catholic Church increasingly emerged as a crisis such as had not been seen since the 13th century, as he once said.
In addition to this first diagnosis of crisis, there is - in connection with the great departure from tradition in the last third of the 20th century, and also in connection with the collapse of communism - his diagnosis of a fundamental crisis in morality and meaning in modern culture and society, which finds increasingly decisive expression in the charge of relativism.
Finally, toward the end of the second millennium and in the beginning of the third, in light of the new sense of globalization, he also diagnoses and reflects upon a fundamental crisis of Christianity and its truth-claim.
2. A theology in such a time of crisis and transition must concentrate upon what is essential in Christian faith, its identity and specificity, as these are recognizable in the basic structure and constitution of the faith. This essence of the faith can be summarized in three decisive aspects of Ratzinger's understanding of Christian faith: the rationality of faith, faith's historicity as centered in the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the personal nature of faith as summed up in love.
The theology of Joseph Ratzinger had developed above all in conversation with the Fathers of the Church and with the theology of the High Middle Ages, especially in conversation with Augustine, then also in conversation with Bonaventure -- thus on the whole much more strongly in dialogue with the tradition of Christian Platonism than with Christian Aristotelianism.
It is from the ancient Church's constitution of Christian theology, to which he continually makes reference, that 1) the epistemological claim of Christian faith, its truth claim, and 2) a dialectical relationship of faith to reason, philosophy, and science, come to be a dominant strain of his own theology.
On the one hand, the truth of God has, according to the witness of Christian faith, entered history definitively with the final revelation in Jesus Christ. But this knowledge of faith necessarily requires thought, requires philosophy, because it claims to be a knowledge of all of reality, and because, in any case, it has to make its witness to the truth comprehensible.
On the other hand, thinking needs the challenge of faith's recognition of truth, so that it can remain on the right path in the search for the real, one, whole truth, amid the intensifying Western dichotomization of faith and reason, theology and philosophy.
In his conversation with Jürgen Habermas on April 19, 2004, here in the Katholische Akademie Bayern in Munich, Cardinal Ratzinger could speak, in the face of dangerous pathologies of both religion and reason that cannot be ignored today, “of a necessary correlationality of reason and faith, reason and religion, which are called to mutual purification and healing, and which need one another and must each acknowledge this” (Habermas/Ratzinger 2005, 57).
It was only through a prolonged struggle with the present intellectual situation that it became evident to him that the question of truth must become a basic question for theology and philosophy: as he says, we do not dispose over truth -- rather, only in acknowledging ourselves to be claimed together by the truth can we escape the dictatorship of arbitrariness and relativism and rescue the true humanity and human dignity.
Against this backdrop, the doctrine of creation, for instance, which J. Ratzinger has continually taken up since his early lectures in dogmatics, acquires an elevated theological significance. Ethical questions, too (regarding education, culture, politics, the state, democracy, and so on) are increasingly discussed.
On the other hand, the thought of modernity finds itself the object of a radical critique (explicit for the first time in Introduction to Christianity): While in the metaphysics of antiquity and the Middle Ages the world, as an expression of the (creative) divine reason, was meaningful, comprehensible, reasonable, and transparent to its finality, the dominant modern notion of reason restricts itself to the knowledge of phenomena and the bare facts of history and to the cultural and technical production of goods in the service of man's self-realization.
In this reconfiguration of values, according to Ratzinger, reason becomes blind not only with respect to the truth of God, but also -- and in connection with this -- with respect to the difference between bare human existence and truly being human, a distinction essential for man's humanity.
According to the Christian confession of faith, the truth of God, the subject matter of theology, has appeared definitively in history in the person and history of Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh, the decisive sign of God's revelation and salvation in the world -- a revelation which, by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Church, is ever made newly present and effective.
God has really bridged the abyss of infinity and has become approachable in a wholly human way, in Jesus Christ and in the witness of the ecclesial community of faith immersed in history. And here we find not only that Christian faith bears a certain claim to absoluteness, but also the importance of the Church as a theme in the theology of J. Ratzinger.
The significance of this historical positivity of Christian faith can be seen also in J. Ratzinger's important historical works, in his lectures on dogma, which interpreted faith as a living path through history, and in his dogmatics, which, like few others, rests upon an intensive personal exegetical study of the biblical sources.
According to the logic of Christian faith, the question of truth is, in the final analysis, the quest for a truth that is really humane, that is, the truth of love, which permits the person to realize himself precisely in what most fully characterizes him: his being a person. In this emphasis on personhood as entailed in being human and in faith, we certainly see resonances of the personalist thinking of the period between the World Wars (Scheler, Guardini), which greatly influenced the theological development of Joseph Ratzinger in his early years.
For it was possible to show, from this perspective, that the Christian message of the truth of God does not reach man as a foreign message that imposes itself from the outside, but rather that it is a message of life that permits him to live in the full and proper sense. And it is this precisely because it is a message of love.
For man lives, finally, from the love that he receives and passes on, first and finally from the love that God is and that has become visible in the history of Jesus Christ. No one can live if he is not able to accept himself. But no one is able to accept himself if he has not already been accepted and loved by another. Truly being human is dependent upon being loved -- but of course what we mean here is true love. For love, in its own concrete expression, is no less multifarious and ambivalent than faith and hope.
Thus it is only where love is identical with truth that love is able to offer the salvation of man. And, of course, the inverse is also true: Only where truth is connected with love does truth become a possibility that does not need to be forced upon a person, but rather one that he can take up in freedom. Love is thus the true center of Christianity.
Naturally one might ask in closing, in light of all this: Why establish a foundation? Do we not have before us a very attractive understanding of Christian faith without the need for such a thing? And don't the unbelievable book sales (Jesus of Nazareth alone, for instance, began by selling 200,000 copies just in the first edition of the German) show that this message has in many ways arrived -- that this theology has already generated a strong response?
But in order to remain alive and effective, every great intellectual impulse needs cultivation, elaboration, interpretation, application, concretization, defense against misunderstanding and false criticism, but also expansion, debate, and critique.
It was never the goal of Joseph Ratzinger, the theology teacher, to found a school in which every member would be bound to his own theological conceptions. His purpose was always, in the first place, to understand and articulate for the present day the liberating and redeeming claim of the truth of faith -- most often through dialogue but also not infrequently through quite polemical disputation for the sake of this truth. A foundation that wishes not only to promote the study of his theology but also to foster a theology in his spirit might be aided by a word of guidance from the Council.
The Second Vatican Council's constitution on revelation summarizes its fidelity to the previous councils in the expression "vestigiis inhaerens": cleaving to the paths of these councils. To which, however, we ought to add Karl Barth's suggested translation (which, incidentally, Joseph Ratzinger affirmed in his commentary): “going forward along the paths of these councils.” For this foundation is not merely dedicated to the study and cultivation of the powerful theological work that we find before us, but is still more committed to its living future -- in the various modes of reception, continuance, debate, and also criticism -- as an effective orientation along the path of faith. [Translation by Lesley Rice]
What I Think About the Possibility of Female Priests
LOL, this is going around the net. Click here for the full story and Fr. Z commentary.
Tip of the Hat to Father at Orthometer
Is it That Easy to Set Up An Anglican Use Catholic Parish?
Father over at Standing on My Head has more "realism" about possible future reunions at Anglicanism Acronyms .
I do wonder about this part:
As Catholics we must be very realistic about the Anglicans. Already Rome has bent over backwards to give Anglicans who are interested in the Catholic Church everything they have asked for. You want married priests? You got it. You want your own liturgy? You got it. You want your own Anglican Use parishes? You got it. This has been an enormously generous move on the part of Rome. It has been creative, flexible and proactive to an amazing degree.
What has been the response? Next to no enthusiasm for the Anglican Use liturgy. Significant, but not major uptake on married men converting to Rome. Numbers of Anglican laypeople who want the Anglican Use to prosper and grow? Minimal. There are a hundred breakaway Anglican churches out there. Many of them could come into the Catholic Church lock stock and barrel very quickly by going to a Catholic bishop and saying, "We want to be an Anglican Use parish here in your diocese." We have three such parishes here in Greenville. They have their own church building, their own pastor and their own congregation and budget. They could feasibly become Catholic parishes tomorrow. The Catholic population here is growing. We need them. But this possibility is not even on their radar. They know about the option, but they don't want to pursue it.
Father knows a lot about this of course as a former Anglican that eyes these situations. But I really wonder if perhaps he is taking what he sees as his Diocese's viewpoint and thinking and applies it nationwide.
I am not so sure this is so easy. Is it fair to say that a number of Catholic Bishops don't want to create waves with their Episcopal Bishop friends in their own Diocese? Reunions are great but they also come with pain and some controversy on a local level. Also there might be a quite bit of Catholic Bishops that think as an overall ecumenical matter that this is not good relations on the local or has major implications on the national level(I disagree with that).
It seems to me that Anglican Use Parishes and in fact the coming in of Episcopal Priesst under the Pastoral provision seems to be located a lot in some areas and absent in others.
I have a viewpoint that Episcopal Churches become more Anglo Catholic the more Catholics that are around.We see that a good bit in Louisiana. I find it strange that if this was so easy that there is not one Anglican Parish in Louisiana. Especially around Lafayette, Baton Rouge , and New Orleans.
If lets say 50 Episcopal families in Baton Rouge approached the Bishop and said "We wish to convert , we will buy our own building an give it to the Diocese and we have the funds to operate it will you allow us to set an Anglican Use Mission" would it happen? I hope it would but again I am not sure. Rome has gone out it's way that is for sure. But as we often see on other matters what Rome would like promoted is not always promoted on the local level.
For a beautiful example of an Anglican Use Parish go here.
Why Is Obama Making Such a Mistake on the Stimulus?
I think we are seeing the problem of Obama's inexperience big time. The fact that he did not serve one complete term in the Senate and that for a significant part of that term he was running for President shows he is not even bringing in legislative smarts in the process.
I have read in now too many places that Republicans are amazed that Obama is letting the Dems in Congress just control things. That is if Obama had intervened and got Republicans on this he would have much more than just a win on a upcoming vote.
Ross Douthat points out just some practical concerns of a political nature at Deficits Don't Matter?
The Anchoress had a good post at Telling it straight: Must reads - UPDATED where among other people she quotes Peggy Noonan that might now be coming back to reality.
President Obama could have made big history here. Instead he just got a win. It’s a missed opportunity…the president made a mistake by not forcing the creation of a bill Republicans could or should have supported.
All that was needed was a sober, seriously focused piece of legislation that honestly tried to meet the need, one that everyone could tinker with a little and claim as their own. Instead, as Rep. Mike Pence is reported to have said to the president, “Know that we’re praying for you. . . . But know that there has been no negotiation [with Republicans] on the bill—we had absolutely no say.” The final bill was privately agreed by most and publicly conceded by many to be a big, messy, largely off-point and philosophically chaotic piece of legislation…
Friday, January 30, 2009
Louisiana Catholic Blog Update Post For Friday, January 30, 2009
Yes I know I have been bad and not have done this for "daily" post for two days. Lots of catching up to do
Ville Platte Catholic Youth Group has The Dumb Ox Explains Why Edward and Bella Aren’t Chaste
Unskilled Labor has exciting news See Blue Bell Mardi Gras Flavored Ice Cream . He also has Paging Mr. Kmiec...
Just Another Seminarian Blog links another Louisiana Bloggers poem here.
From The Recamier has her daily update here at Daily Update: January 29, 2009
The Louisiana Catholic podcast to the world has their latest podcast up. Go to Cathlolic Underground and see CU Episode 94: Beware the Dead Client . Their shownotes are here Episode 94 Shownotes. THe description is " this episode: the vatican gets its own YouTube channel, the cu crew discuss the lifting of the excommunications of the bishops of the Society of St. Pius X by Pope Benedict XVI. We’ve also got our picks of the week and the latest Catholic News on the cu metro. A backChat explaining how we do what we do on the podcast and some side chat to boot."
Footprints on the Fridge has Small Successes
Works and Prayers of a Fils Prodigue has CW Statement of Goals (c. 1936) (Catholic Worker) ,Confession ,De Sanctis 1/28 (Augustine on Grace) , and “Neither”
The Wolf Den has Run Scott Run!
The Louisiana Brown Pelican Society( lay Louisiana Catholic organization) has their major update.
The Everyday Catholic Podcast has The St. Aloysius Youth Group. He has what appears to be a great podcast with the Director of Vocations for the Dicoese of Baton Rouge. See Episode 4 John Smith, Come on down! You're the next candidate for the priesthood! (I will highlight later)
Stranger in a Strange Land has Desperately Seeking God , Lift High the Cross , Ideas Have Consequences (Great post also to be highlighted later), Psalm 37 , and Bene Scripsisti de Me Thomma
Astonished Yet at Home has given us a link to a new Louisiana Catholic Blogger. See University Catholic!!
For The Greater Glory has No, You Can't™: Obama shows his credentials on saving the world , Using Magic to make an Obama vote disappear? (I plan to comment on this at his site tonight), No, You Can't: Stimulus Package for Democratic Campaign Contributors , and Wait, he did? Obama takes out contraception from the stimulus
Father Decker of Thy Nose to the Marble. has something here.(scroll down)
Astonished, Yet at Home! has responded to a post I did. I intend to comment on his site later tonight. I am sorry I did not do that yesterday. See Inconsistent Opining, But Is It Catholic? Also see this must read post Introducing . . . and On My Greater Harshness Towards Conservatives Than Liberals . See also Premio Dardos Award Winner
Full Circle has Mt. Redoubt ... live feed from Alaska Volcano Observatory
Thoughts & Ruminations from Fr. Ryan has Amazing Gigaixel View of a lovely little Gothic Church. See Most awesome Pope Picture Ever! (scroll down), The USCCB Document "Faithful Citizenship" is (at least partially) to blame for Obama's Election, and SSPX Bishop who denies Holocaust is silenced by head of the Society!
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks has Taking a Break..., Yeah, What She Said..., and Remember That Garden?
Our expat priest in Houston Fr. Victor Brown’s Catholic Daily Message has some Vatican history here at Feast of Saint Hyacinth of Viterbo (30 Jan 2009)
Maudie in Mandeville has David Duke supports Obama's African abortion program , and Thomas Sowell's "thoughtless pursuit of a desirable goal"
Finally Our Catholic Priest Expat in NJ Da Mihi Animas has Celebration of 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesian Congregation to be opened shortly , Rich Mullins: Credo , Benedict XVI: Remission of excommunication an act of mercy , I miss the flawed Presidents! and Exponential Times!
New York Times Reporter Furious at Obama White House (Press Office Monkeyshines)
I am really shocked that the Obama White House is not seeing the problem here. I thought they were the smart ones.
Problems in Paradise
IF A DEMOCRATIC WHITE HOUSE PISSES HIM OFF LIKE THIS, IT MUST REALLY BE BAD I've had plenty of run-ins over the years with New York Times reporter David Cay Johnson. Seems like the Obama White House is having a few, too. From the Columbia Journalism Review site:
It’s 3 p.m. and the phone in the White House press secretary’s office is ringing. It rings and rings and rings. Eventually, a recorded voice asks callers to leave a message—followed by a second voice saying the voicemail box is full.
After a full week of such calls, a human being answers. But Ben LaBolt immediately bristles when asked to spell his name, refuses to give his job title, and says he is going “off the record” until I stop him to explain that the reporter grants that privilege, not the other way around—a basic journalistic standard that LaBolt seems unaware of. He soon hangs up without even hearing what I called to ask about.
A return call is answered by Priya Singh, who spells her name when asked, but does not know (or will not say) what her job title is and several times describes requests for information about how the Obama administration press office is operating as a “complaint” which she would pass on. She says she is not authorized to comment, though she at one point tells me she is a spokesperson.
...While it is too early to judge just how this will work out, the early signs are troubling. And interviews with a dozen Washington reporters indicate that the Obama press operation tends to embrace friendly questions, while treating skeptical questions as not worth their time or, worse, as coming from an enemy.
I have called 202-456-2580, the main number for the White House press office, going back to the Nixon administration. Never has anyone in the press office declined to spell his name, give his job title, or hung up, even after the kind of aggressive exchanges that used to be common between journalists and flacks—and between journalists and high government officials, for that matter.
Thanks to Justin Peters for the link.
Posted by Donald L. Luskin at 12:12 PM link
Salon has Hit Piece on Pope Benedict - Anti-Semitism
Creative Minority Report has the link and comments at Salon: Pope is Sick and Evil
Please note this is writen by the notorius Frances Kissling former head of Catholics for a Free Choice.
What is doing through the editors of Salon.com's mind? Do they think KisslingChurch hater could be fair and balanced. Also what in the world does this she know about this subject. It appears not so much.
Hey we need to have an article over the controversy involving SSPX and Benedict who should we Call? Lets call Francis Kissling she is good for a old fashioned rant.
Notre Dame Calls In Vatican Head Saint Guy- Still Loses
What is God trying to tell the Vatican about Notre Dame?
As Rome roiled last weekend, what many consider to be Stateside Catholicism's holiest ground -- namely, the University of Notre Dame -- hosted a key member of the reigning pontificate's inner circle on his first major US visit.Now prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints -- and, ergo, at the front of the queue for a red hat at the next consistory -- Archbishop Angelo Amato SDB served as #2 to then-Cardinal Ratzinger and Cardinal William Levada at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith before being named the church's saintmaker-in-chief in June...........
the archbishop celebrated and preached Sunday's main liturgy (fullvideo) in the university's Basilica of the Sacred Heart, looked on (and received a standing ovation from the crowd of 13,000) as UConn ended Irish basketball's home win streak at 45 on Saturday night and, most prominently, gave a Monday night lecture on "Catholicism and Secularism in Contemporary Europe" before a packed lecture hall, with a full overflow room watching via closed-circuit.
Things are not looking good for Charlie Weiss. Whispers has more at Amato Does the Dome
As well the full text of the above very interesting lecture.
Days of Youth- Recalling the Pinewood Derby
HA I did this and I expect a lot of other boys still recall this. What fun that was.
Mommy Memoir has more at Lessons Learned: The Pinewood Derby
Louisiana One of the Most Religious States- Gallup Looks at Religon State By State
Louisiana is at the the top of something good.
The good people at Gallup asked that question and came up with an interesting snapshot of which parts of America are most devout:
Want to be almost certain you'll have religious neighbors? Move to Mississippi. Prefer to be in the least religious state? Venture to Vermont.A new Gallup Poll, based on more than 350,000 interviews, finds that the Magnolia State is the one where the most people — 85% — say yes when asked "Is religion an important part of your daily life?"
Less than half of Vermonters, meanwhile — 42% — answered that same question in the affirmative.Joining Mississippi in the top "most religious" states are other notches in the Bible Belt: Alabama (82%), South Carolina (80%), Tennessee (79%), Louisiana (78%), and Arkansas (78%).New England predominates in the top "least religious" states: Following Vermont are New Hampshire (46%), Maine (48%), Massachusetts (48%), Alaska (51%) and Washington (52%).
No doubt Mississipi beats us out because of the number of residents that have turned to God for the reversal of woes of the Ole Miss and Miss State football programs. Who knew former Coaches Ed Orgeron and Sly Croom were indeed such instruments of God
The Deacon Bench has more at States of faith
Is Bishop Williamson of the SSPX Dying?
See Bp. Williamson’s health . This might explain in part what is in play here and the sense of urgency by Pope Benedict in this situation.
THe Ratzinger Forum has must read related news items related to the overall lifitng of the excommunications and SSPX that has been such a controversy on this page.
Among these are:
Israeli ambassador: good relations with Vatican
Interview with Mons. Bernard Fellay
The daring of Benedict XVI
Let’s thank God for the return of the prodigal sons
Taking a huge risk to heal a wound in the Body of Christ
Williamson apologizes for 'causing'unncessary distress' and thanks the Pope for lifting excommunication
Vatican-II is a main element in Benedict XVI's magisterium, says Cardinal Bertone
'I was in touch only with Fellay; we knew nothing of the interview'
Why Not Owner of Pittsburgh Steelers As Next Envoy to the Vatican
The Irish Times has a article that PROMINENT IRISH-AMERICAN businessman Dan Rooney, owner and chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, is widely tipped to be the next US ambassador to Ireland. See Rooney widely tipped as US envoy.
Rooney is a very devout Catholic and would be a perfect Envoy to to the Holy See. I think he would be acceptable to all groups in what is becoming among some Catholics one of President Obama most controversal open appointments.
Perhaps he should think about asking him to consider it.
Update- Is this not a win win for Obama. He can send Caroline Kennedy as Envoy to Ireland and placate the steamed Kennedy Clan. Plus he gets rid of one of his Catholic problems!!! In fact he gets rid of two of his "Catholic" problems :)
Are Rumors About Rome Welcoming Anglicans Legit?
I posted on this yesterday. We have been down this road before with TAC (Traditional Anglican Communion) with statements that never quite came to fruition. But as I said I sense there is something more here. Caution should be taken because as early as last December Rome seemed cool to the idea. See here. I think watching the Italian and UK press might show signs of what is up the next few days.
First what is TAC. First it is NOT in communion what is traditionally know as the Anglican Communion which has the Archbishop of Canterbury as it head. They basically scooted out some time ago. I think the Wilki page gives a good overview. They represent a lot of Anglo Catholics but of course many more Anglo Catholics stayed within the communion.
MCJ examines this latest news at REALISM. which is a good read.
There are some issues here if this come to be. What are we Catholics going to do with these married Bishops? I am not sure what the Catholic viewpoint is at the Vatican but I suspect the issues is will there be FUTURE Married Bishops (Bishops to Come) in such a communion or to be more precise personal prelature . Will the future clergy of this personal prelature be married? I suspect Rome will be open to accommodation on these topics but it will not want to the Latin rite practice of celibate Clergy in jeopardy to send the wrong signal.Clerical celibacy will continue to the the norm in the Latin Rite.
This is why, though if this happens the media will not get the difference and blur it, that these new creature or personal prelature is not going to be like Eastern rite Catholics (that are its own Church in communion with Rome) that have married Clergy but celibate Bishops. One does not see a lot Roman Catholics making the switch to the Eastern rite to become priests. First a Roman Catholic does become a Eastern rite (I know this term is offensive to some) Catholic like one would become just another member of another parish. There are some rules to this. Further the Eastern Churches have a whole different sort of Spirituality that someone raised in the more Western Latin Rite finds foreign. Plus there are all sort of cultural issues.
Here a Traditional Anglican Prelature would be different. In a sense I think it is far far easier culture and Spiritual wise to make the jump from Roman Catholic Liturgy and spirituality to Anglican. In fact there is not much difference at all which is part of the problem. Many people might see moving from their Mass to an Anglican Liturgy as a vast improvement.
This brings up problems especially in the UK. Catholic Bishops will not be thrilled as they are facing a Vocation crisis if people that wish to be Priests and married just jump into the Anglican Prelature.We would see a similar problem here in the USA.
How these problems are solved I don't know. It can't be "Church" like the Eastern rite but there is going to have to be some similar provisions in Canon Law
In the end I have to think as to the Celibacy Question as to future Priests they would be required to be celibate. If not well the basically this new creature will effectively end celibacy in the Latin rite. I have to think if TAC is so willing to make the jump they know this.
Also let me add another problem to the mix. What about the faithful in the pews marriages? What if they were divorced and remarried? I am not sure at how this all worked out as to TAC.
But still despite all this REALISM there seems reason for hope and that something might be up. As MCJ's post REALISM shows Pope Benedict has a huge interest in Anglicans as we saw when he on the behalf of Pope John Paul the II made their thoughts known to huge number of people at the famous Plano meeting.
See the warm letter of greeting and encouragement from then-Cardinal Ratzinger to the 2003 Plano Conference.
Also there has been something in the wind. A well known UK Priest Blogger today at his post Benedict's Ecumenism says in part:
The Pope's ecumenical strategy, most especially for those who have been at the cutting edge of ecumenical dialogue over the last forty years, seems strange, almost incomprehensible. It is liberal, in the sense of being generous. It is based on a clear statement of Catholic doctrine, it is almost triumphalistic in that sense. It is almost the antithesis of what has been understood in ecumenism.
His ecumenism is very much "you-come-in-ism", a clear welcome into the Catholic Church, with flexible structures then established to ensure both communion with the Church but also a continuation of individual customs, modes of worship. I suspect the unity offered to various traditional groups, and possibly to TAC, is a sign to the Orthodox world of the possibility of unity and pluralism.
AFTER THOUGHT
Having spoken to one of my parishioners, an Anglican clergyman friend says, there 250 English Anglican clergy who want to become Catholics, they have been told by the Bishop of Ebbsfleet to do nothing until Rome speaks later this year. Mmmmm!
I think one of the reasons for delay with the apointment of a new Archbishop of Westminster is finding someone who will be open to new "Benedictine" (or a proper VII) understanding of ecumenism.
.
I would be watching de cura animarum blog very closely over the next few months. He is a Anglo Catholic Priest in the UK currently in the Church of England and seems in tune with what is going on .He currently has a post that is worth viewing Prelature for Anglicans: An Open Discussion
One other blog post that is a must see on this is over at NLM called Traditional Anglican Communion to be Received as Personal Prelature? The comments are what the must read section and raise the problems but also the wonderful possibilities.
In the end if this is true this will be a vehicle for Anglicans worldwide to Cross the Tiber. Last year I was dubious this would happen. But perhaps Pope Benedict now sees as the Anglican breakup as unavoidable and is now putting measures in action.
Update-
Also see Anglo Catholic Church of England Priest blogger onetimothyfour and his post Rome, SSPX and the TAC
After
Will President Obama End the Culture Wars?
Peter Beinart has a rather curious article on this here .
Over at the Atlantic Ross Douthat pretty much tears apart this premise and exposes what "ending the Culture Wars" means to some folks at Ending or Winning?
As Ross says:
Beinart's argument is shot through with the characteristic liberal conceit that the culture wars are a one-sided affair, in which right-wing culture warriors start fights and peace-loving liberals try to avoid them. In reality, what makes Obama promising to liberals isn't his potential to "end" culture-war battles - it's his potential ability to win them, by dressing up the policies that Planned Parenthood or the Human Rights Campaign or the ACLU or whomever would like to see in the kind of religiose language and fuzzy talk about consensus that swing voters like to hear.
There are of course many Catholics in the political square of a more progressive nature that would love for Obama to be successful . You know why do we have to focus on all these "wedge issues" and such.
I am not sure how President Obama's pledge to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act that would open the door to forced acceptance of gay marriage in all 50 States and U.S. possessions is going to end the culture wars.
Beinart says "When it comes to culture, Obama doesn’t have a public agenda; he has a public anti-agenda. He wants to remove culture from the political debate. He wants to cut our three-sided political game back down to two." Hmm how does he do that. By returning such matters to more local politics? I don't see Obama as having a Federalism view on these matters.
I am not sure one can separate "Culture" from politics. What about the new Cultural explosive issue that we shall face as the Baby boomers age that being Euthanasia?
Obama Appoints 26 Year Old Pentecostal Preacher to Faith-Based Initiatives Office
This news is sort of breaking and is a important story to Catholic and other faith communities. Get Religion has an inital of overview of who this man is and what he believes at Covering the faith in faith-based.
It will be interesting to see how the Press covers this. One of course wonders how the press would have covered the appointment of a political savvy Pentecostal by a Republican. As the article points out Palin's Pentecostal leanings were covered a great deal and not in a general positive light.
The article brings up again a statement that President Obama made as to faith based groups and federal grants that has troubled many. So this is an important appointment to watch
Bush's New Neighbors Tired of the Bush Bashing
The Anchoress had a link at her post President Bush looks bushed…UPDATED to this interesting UK Guardian story on the Bush's new Dallas Neighbors and their welcome of the President back home. She mentions How funny you have to read about it in the UK press. Actually I am not shocked. The Press has been ignoring Bush for over a year including his grand trip to Africa. As to the UK press Dallas actually has a good number of British expats . In fact former Prime Minister Thatcher grandson lives I think in or near this neighborhood where by the way he is sort of rising High School football stud.
See Neighbours pay $20 to welcome Bush to Dallas
It is a nice story. The 20 dollars is in reference to a smart college student that sold over 800 signs to the former First Family now newneighbors to welcome the President home. We learn that the President's new digs are sort of modest compared the the Jones next door. I like this part:
The student, since Christmas, has since sold nearly 800 signs at $20 (£13) each - most to supporters of Barack Obama, according to his father, Bill Bibb. About $2 from each sign goes to a local primary school.
"I think it's kind of a general feeling that people are just tired of the bashing of the president," Bibb said. "Everybody I talked to supports Obama but does not support the way the [former] president has been treated since the elections. They feel it is disrespectful."
He added: "Not everybody agrees with everything that has been done in the past but he is our commander in chief - or was."
I have a feeling a good many Americans feel that way.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Les Miles Demands Catholic Church Investigate New Tim Tebow Miracle
The important thing is to separate the fakes from the true as you know . LSU Coach Les Miles cautions the SEC faithful to reserve judgement since Coach Urban Meyer (you know named after that Papist) seem to be promoting this without the guidance of his Bishop and might be using this to get the Notre Dame job next year
Tip of the hat to Tiger Droppings blogs
Dallas Media Versus New York Media
I thought this was pretty funny and insightful. You always hear people that travel alot say I am not sure what city I am even. I guess though as Crunchy Con points out this weatherman might give you some hints of where you are not
Ice, ice Bible
Ice storm in Dallas last night. The five pm news just came on. Guess what the second line from the anchorman's mouth was?
"Local churches have decided not to hold Bible classes tonight because of the ice."
News you can use. That's a man who knows his audience. I love Dallas.
Kids From Berkeley Teaching at Saudi Terrorist Rehab Center
( Be sure to click the pic for full pic)Yes paint some nice soothing picures and that will do it . I almost expect that guy with the big hair that did the oil painting show on PBS to pop out. See lets makes a TREE!!!
ABC Reporter on the Press and Obama
This is classic:
I would say for a lot of my colleagues, it’s perhaps an unrequited love between them and the president. He’s — you know, he’s a cool customer. You know, I think that there are some of us that, you know, maybe try to report on our feet a little bit more than on our knees and he doesn`t necessarily know what to make of us all the time. You know, he eyes us warily.
Of course the mind contemplates what actions he is talking about as to knees :)
more here
Tip of the Hat to Southern Appeal
Head of Vatican "Supreme COurt" Says U.S Bishops Election Year Document Caused Confusion
Former Archbishop of St Louis Missouri Raymond Burke now the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura is giving comments that I pretty much endorse.
Father Z has the link and comments at Archbp. Burke: USCCB document partly to blame for Catholic support of pro-abortion pols
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 the usual suspects will be calling Burke some far right conservative though he stands pretty much 100 percent with the Church on all Catholic Social Justice Issues.
Why Some Pro-Lifers Become Conservative On Other Issues
Not too long ago I posted Is the Pro-life Movement Just Republican Stooges? The blogger that is the subject of that post is a very devout Catholic and shows the need for the Pro-life Movement to be in all parties.
That post again came to mind when I read something at American Catholic. See this very good post Contact Conservatism
It references a former Democrat that started voting for Republicans because of the pro-life issue though he did not like it. He encounters that it became easier over time because he started listening to their arguments on other issues.
I think this is dynamic that is often missed. When people complain(and perhaps at times with justification) that Pro-Lifers are too linked to the entire Republican agenda perhaps they are missing out on how real life people interact.
People that interact in groups for a purpose do not just talk shop only. The work place does not work this way.
For instance the Pro-Life movement did more for true understanding between Catholics and Evangelicals than any other movement. Everyday Catholics learned their Evangelical neighbors were not crazed religious freaks that hated Catholics. Evangelicals learned we did not pray to Statues, think the Pope was God, or that all non Catholics were heretics and doomed to the pit.
In referencing this post the poster at Catholic American states:
I like this post because it was something which summarized what I had myself thought for quite some time. In my case, I was heavily conservative on many issues (my own main exception being immigration) from a very early age — but I’ve noticed more and more over the years that serious Catholics I know who I would not think of as being political seem to gradually get drawn into strongly conservative stands on a number of essentially secular issues. I think this is very much a result of the long standing association of the pro-life, pro-family movements with the wider conservative one.
At the same time, I think there’s a reverse effect: The influx of serious “life issues” voters into the conservative movement has also helped to change conservatism. Who, for instance, would have imagined Senator Brownback’s work on AIDS relief for Africa to be seen as a conservative project back in the Goldwater days. And yet few would question Brownback’s conservative credentials.
I think this is very true and I saw this in my work for the Huckabee campaign. Many were exploring themes that could be found in the Compendium of Catholic Social Justice.
I still think we need to have the pro-life viewpoint in all parties and especially the Democrat party. But I think this post is on too something when people make the claim that others are "sacrificing their ideals" or "compromising" them just because of the abortion issue. They are being engaged and well some think the arguments are pretty good. If there was a viable pro-life movement in the Democrat party this might happen as well.
Republicans and Conservatives Missing Bill Clinton
Yeah I think many of us will in some regards. Looking at the Press the last 5 months I am sort of nostalgic.
The Anchoress has I miss Bill Clinton! - UPDATED (Please watch the hilarious vid of Former President Bush (Bush I) and Clinton together).
European Union’s Committee on “gay rights” Doesn't Care About Dead Black Babies
I am hoping to see a quick condemnation of this proposal by Obama through Sec of State Clinton and that U.S. would have strong objections to such a move.
Creative Minority Report has more at Accept Gay Marriage or Die!
NBC Rejects Pro-Life Ad For the Super Bowl
Oh well!!! What has been acclaimed by many as one of the best pro-life ads in some time has been rejected for airplay by NBC for the Superbowl
Pro-Eccleisa has a detailed post on what went down see NBC Rejects Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad .
Please recall that Obama's big ad he ran as to last years Super Bowl was played. The Broadcaster for that Super Bowl is FOX News. That ad still might be able to be viewed here at Barack Obama Super Bowl Commercial
Thhis powerful anti abortion ad is located here LINK or go to Catholicvote.org
I would suggest calling NBC NOW!!!
Big Anglican / Vatican News- Vatican Congregation To Recommend “personal prelature” for Traditional Anglicans (Updated)
This is pretty big news. Father Z has the report at CDF will recommend a “personal prelature” for traditional Anglicans .
The article notes that besides bring in close to half a million members of the Traditional Anglican Communion into membership of the Roman Catholic Church the implications are very for those watching on the sidelines One must wonder if the Anglican Use we see in the USA will be greatly expanded. The stakes on the Anglican Egypt meeting have just go bigger.
If this happens its shows the Vatican has had enough. As the article notes "Cardinal Kasper warned Anglican bishops that Rome would turn to smaller ecumenical communities if the Anglican Communion at large proved unapproachable ecumenically."
The article is quite long and gives a lot of details. As you can see this appears to be something that is not some long term project but might be starting by Easter!!!
Related post-
Episcopal Church USA May Have First Buddhist Bishop (wjere I discuss Rome's warning to the Anglican Communion that things were about to change)
and
Will The Future of Espicopal Church USA Be Decided In Egypt
Update- As always we have heard these rumors before from TAC and of course the article is a very heavy TAC quoted article. But this seems a tad different
Standing Firm (an Anglican Site) has a few more links at Damian Thompson: Traditional Anglicans ‘to be offered personal prelature by Pope’
Again I think there is fire here. This seems pretty specific. Also this Vatican invitations to TAC members first suffered in England if I recall correctly and not in the Australian TAC world. That rumor was not refuted it appears by Catholic sources
When you look at the moves the Pope has made to SSPX ( a move of some risk) one gets the sense that Benedict has decided to move forward with aggression as to Christian Unity.
Finally it is the Pauline year and one cannot think of a better time for this to happen
Update II- Catholic Online has Traditional Anglican Communion to Enter Catholic Church?
There is Fire to this Smoke it appears
David Vitter One of Only Six Catholic Senators of 24 To Stand Up For Life.
Deal Hudson at Inside Catholic puts it front and center with his title Does It Get Any More Pathetic Than This? This is in reference to the effort to restore the Mexico City policy. For Louisiana readers as you can guess the other Catholic Senator Mary Landrieu did not vote the right way.
He has the too small list of those that stood for Life and too the far long list of those opposed. Please note "Pro" Life Carey of Penn is in the no column. As you can see at Deal Hudson's post you just need to follow the money.
Catholics Don't Need To Be Naive About FOCA
I saw a post at The Deacon's Bench called FOCA in focus: how serious a threat?
I left a comment that is currently as all comments awaiting moderation as all are at his blog. However I shall try to reproduce what I said.
Catholics on serious issues such as this need to be preemptive, As Predient Obama maps out what legislation he will expend poltical capital on (and contrary to the current wisdom it is not limitless) Catholics must show that this issue of FOCA is a big loser!!! That there will be a poltical price to pay.
The Vatican, the Bishops , and the those that supported immigration reform got blindsided by a very organized anti immigration reform movement. This happen not once but twice. I can tell you that issue is hot and many democrats are leery even now of bringing it up. There will be poltical captial that will have to be expended. There are lessons to be learned from that.
Darwin Catholic made an excellent point at American Catholic at Trust Us, We Were Lying! on FOCA.
I don’t see how we can even discuss politics if we don’t assume that the promises which a politician expressly makes on the campaign trial represent something which the politician at least thinks would be a good idea.
I don’t really doubt that if a some Republican presidential candidate were to get up in front of The American Nativist Association and announce that “the first thing he would do” about immigration reform would be to the sign the “Pure America Act” which would allow for the immediate deportation of all non-citizens and the sealing of the borders, that people would unhesitatingly call that candidate and dangerous yahoo and heap scorn upon him. Sure, such a bill would doubtless never pass congress, but the fact that he said he wanted to sign such a bill would be considered to be indicative of his character and policies.
Exactly!!!! If the aboved scenario occured I don't think we would be hearing America, or Commonweal, or others going chill don't worry. I am sort of amazed of a world view by some of lets not antagonze the Obama adminstration. The President is here to serve us not us him. I can not help but notice that Bush worked quite well with the Catholic Bishops and others even though on some issues there Catholic voices in stark oppostion to him. Why is Obama different?
Which leads us to the second point. That is the grand compromise that will repeated by an compromise next year and the year later and before you know it we have FOCA. For instance is FOCA being introduced in picemeal fashion. See this important post Worse than FOCA: Prevention First Act
I am not saying that we should be yelling the sky is falling in every ten minutes. But we do know where Obama and this Democrat majority Congress is hostile to very central Catholic issues. Lets not be fools
Will The Future of Espicopal Church USA Be Decided In Egypt
MCJ has DOOMSDAY SCENARIO. To be honest I have too many times about this is the MOMENT!!! But there is something to this.
I slightly disagree with him that even the most incompetent Bishop Schori will take option II. But who knows it seems she and others believe they are on a "Blues Bothers" mission of God with their "prophetic actions".
So what does it mean for Catholics? I would suggest if the Anglican Communion does not wish to be in communion with Orthodox Anglicans and Episcopals then the ecumenical nice stuff stops. We go after acceptable Anglican Priests and wave the very real possibility of the Catholic Pastoral provision to them and make a flat out appeal to them to cross the Tiber as well as individual members. The Catholic Anglican Use Parish and that option should be expanded and become a much more national thing.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
More Nonsense- Israel's chief rabbinate severed ties with the Vatican (Updated With Good News)
See Update at Bottom
Whispers has the story at The Rabbis Are Out . Father Z has some comments I pretty much agree with at Israel's chief rabbinate severs ties with Vatican
In of Father Z comment's he states in reference to some remarks:
How about the benefit of the doubt once in a while, relaxing the suspicion that the Vatican or Pope are just looking for way to hurt or insult Jews?
This is becoming a tiresome pattern. Many Jews in Italy are upset about the Pope over something else that despite reading the reports I can't figure out what the problem is.
It seems in this now what is going on to be the fourth decade of outstanding reaching out to Jews it seems more times than not we are getting our hand slapped in a public fashion.I do no think this is the attitude of the average Jew though just some of the leadership
I suppose it was not to be meant to be easy. Pray for Pope Benedict
Update Good News here see Jerusalem Rabbinate backing off threat to sever ties to Holy See
Should the Vatican Hire Hamas For Media Relations?
Creative Minority Report shows the obvious benefits
He says in part:
No. We need an organization that is awful and deadly who has gotten the media to love them. I know, I know. Obama fits that too. But I'm thinking we need Hamas to teach the Vatican about media manipulation. ..
Look, it's this simple: The Church prays for Jews they get in trouble. Hamas lob 800 rockets into Israel killing innocent civilians and they're portrayed as innocent rubes who just want peace..
Hamas, while employing an unceasing war to drive Israel into the sea has played the victim card every time Israel strikes back. And it's worked. The media treats Hamas as the misunderstood victims of an aggressive Israel.
When Hamas fires from school buildings and uses the civilian population of Gaza as a human shield, the media blames Israel for forcing them to do it.Hamas then parades out video of their fake dead for the cameras and it leads off the nightly news worldwide. And everybody pretends not to notice that the corpse is smiling and breathing.
When Hamas denies the Holocaust, it's not a source of outrage it's a sign of the need for more education funding for the poor dears.Now that's some media manipulation. The Vatican could learn a thing or two from these guys.
Louisiana's Most Popular Elected Offical Dies- Jerry Fowler
It seems I am hitting a lot of Louisiana based stories today but this is a interesting political one for those that have been around for a while in Louisiana
See Funeral arrangements for former commissioner of elections announced
I did not realize that the disappearance of his wife had not been solved yet.
His wife, Mari Ann, was abducted on Christmas Eve of 2002 while going to visit him in prison. She was never found. There has long been speculation that she was a victim of convicted serial killer Derrick Todd Lee. She was declared legally dead in 2004.
I had friends that were neighbors to their Lake House. The murder of his wife devastated him from what I understand
Porn "Star" to Run Against Louisiana Senator David Vitter
Oh gosh well this will be a interesting election. I have some ideas who is behind this nonsense.
For the record I am leaning in support of Sen Vitter even if he has GOP opposition (Serious Opposition)
New Orleans Community Organizer Becomes FBI Informant
This is a very interesting article (though a tad slanted).
See Brandon Darby- FBI Informant & Common Ground co-founder
A cofounder of the Katrina relief organization Common Ground is revealed as an FBI informant, leaving members angry — and wary.
I wonder what is up!!! I intend to update this as I see what the NOLA blogs are saying
More Proof People In Comas Know You Are There
One often hears from nurses to be very very careful about what you say around people that are in Comas. That is they are present. Well I guess they are right
See Sleeping beauty: husband's kiss revives woman in coma
Louisiana Coastal Erosion and the Stimulus Bill
I figured Jake Tapper of ABC would not just roll over
BARACK OBAMA
Gibbs: We Can't Be Expected to Weed Out All the Silly Spending
Jake Tapper of ABC — quickly becoming the toughest questioner in the White House press pool — pointed out that Obama managed to get Rep. Henry Waxman to remove $200 million in the bill set aside for family-planning services; he asked White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs why the president can't do it for other porky items, like the funds set aside for "smoking cessation" efforts. (Some portion of $500 million, by my reading.)
"Let's focus on the larger picture," is Gibbs' mantra. "If we get focused on this number and that number, and two-one-hundreths of one percent of the spending... while we're discussing this, in the past forty-eight 70,000 people have gotten a pink slip."
Tapper: "Why not take the money marked for 'smoking cessation' and give it to people who are out of work?"
Gibbs: "The vast majority of this bill does that... We can't afford to wait. We have to act."
01/28 02:05 PM
By the way as to all these projects what about LOUISIANA COASTAL EROSION? I mean we have a national emergency down here and the plans are on the books that coul demploy thousands upon thousands!!
Here is the latest form the Picayune
Louisiana senators angling for levee money
by Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune
Saturday January 24, 2009, 1:55 PM
Louisiana's two U.S. senators have begun a full-court press to include more than $6 billion in coastal restoration and levee construction projects in an economic stimulus bill now moving through Congress.
On Friday, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., sent Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and President Barack Obama a letter urging that the bill include the long list of projects that was provided to Louisiana members of Congress by the state Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration. "Millions of Louisianans remain at risk from inadequate coastal, flood and hurricane protection systems as we approach the fifth hurricane season since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and less than one year after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike," Vitter said in a news release.
A spokeswoman for Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said she also plans to include the list in amendments she will submit during a Tuesday meeting of the Appropriations Committee during which the Senate version of the bill will be written. Landrieu has been pushing for the Louisiana corps projects for several weeks with both Democratic leadership and members of Obama's transition team, said Landrieu press secretary Stephanie Allen.
A House version of the bill contains only $4.5 billion for corps projects, although corps officials have said there's a backlog of projects ready for construction that totals more than $65 billion. Col. Al Lee, commander of the corps' New Orleans district office, said the agency is still preparing its list of projects that meet the rules expected to be included in the stimulus bill: The projects must already be authorized and ready for construction, or must be part of ongoing operation and maintenance work. Included on the state list are most of the major diversions and restoration projects included in the nearly $2 billion Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Plan. The list also includes 24 smaller Breaux Act restoration projects and several other state-proposed projects that are designed and awaiting money for construction.
Hurricane protection projects on the list include "advanced measures" for the Donaldsonville to the Gulf project in Lafourche Parish, sections of new levees to be built on Lake Pontchartrain in St. Charles Parish, and portions of the Larose to Golden Meadow levee system. The list also includes money to restore damage done by recent hurricanes to several barrier islands, to relocate businesses affected by the now-closed Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, and $200 million for raising or relocating buildings in flood-prone areas.. . . . .
The time is now. If we don't get his funded and have this as a part of this then where will the money come from?
We cannot wait till Port Fourchon is gone and then reporters wonder why the Country just lost 20 percent of their energy supply.
Who Will Be the New "Conservative" Guy At The New York Times
Well as many of you know Bill Kristol is no longer on the New York Times Op_ed page. The Times it appears needs to give us conservatives some crumbs so I guess they are looking for a replacement.
See Who will be the new Bill Kristol?
I genrally agree with Rod that Ross Douthat would be a very good name. He list possible people -Peggy Noonan? ( I hope not).
I think NR's Byron York would be a excellent choice. He writes well and he seems to be able to see the big picture at times
Can President Obama Give A Shout to Catholic Schools This Week?
President Bush was a huge friend to Catholic schools. We have indications that perhaps President Obama could follow that path. In fact he has even more personal reasons to do so.
See Obama Should Acknowledge His Roots
Tip of the Hat to Mirrors of Justice
Pope Benedict Tames The Wild Beast- Pics From Wednesday Audience
Yes the Circus literally came to the Vatican today
VATICAN CITY, Jan. 28 (AP) – Pope Benedict XVI was greeted by an unusual guest during his weekly audience at the Vatican: a feisty lion cub. The beast was brought to the Pontiff in the Vatican's Paul VI hall on Wednesday as part of a performance by members of the Medrano Circus. An amused Benedict looked on as jugglers in sparkling costumes performed. He got up when the lion cub was carried closer so he could pat it. The lion's response: a roar, which drew laughter from the Vatican audience.
Does Catholic Charities Did To Become More Spiritual
Let me say I am not bashing Catholic Charities. What this post references could be done to other Catholic groups all that do good work.
The Washington Post ran a great article on a group of young Catholic young people that are giving serious radical witness to the poor in the D.C. It has gotten some buzz on the Internet in Catholic and non Catholic circles. See A Not-So-Simple Life
Now after this article ran a wonderful online discussion ran that included the writer fo the article and tow of the subjects of the article. People were able to ask all three questions. I think it is a important must read to the article. One is struck that there were a segment of questions that were a tad hostile and some could not understand why these folks had made promises to remain chaste while working here.
But one of the subjects brought up a interesting question and I would love if anyone involved in groups such as Catholic Charities or the like could give their thoughts
Falls Church, Va.: Must saintliness be an all or nothing proposition? I know saintly people who work with really vulnerable needy people, who still hold jobs, have joie de vivre, and a rich family life.
Second question: wouldn't these people be more effective in helping the targeted population if they were trained in social work, or community organizing, or other skills?
Clark Massey: 1st Question: I think that we must give our lives to God. This can't be a 80/20% or even 99/1% proposition. The Bible talks about dying to self and being reborn. This is 100%.
Christians should strive to be saints at least as hard as a businessman tries to make a million or a drug addict strives for a fix.
2nd Question: I don't know. This is a mystery to me. Social workers are very important, and we constantly take people we know to social workers for help. There is a shortage of social workers, but there is also a shortage of friends/missionaries.
There is something about social work that troubles me. It is built on materialistic premises, and the now dated work of Msgr Furfey and Mary Elizabeth Walsh talk about this problem. I think that all of Christianity will start rethinking social work in the next few decades. It is hard to imagine, but I think that Catholic Charities will be more spiritual in the near future. As a whole, society is getting tired of secularism and materialism.
I for one am not familar with this work. This comes ups again
Falls Church Va. (again): I don't understand the response about the materialistic basis of social work, and I am unfamiliar with the two authors you cited. What is "materialistic" about it? I am also thinking about the example in the article about the difficulty of helping the woman with several children keep them in decent schools that were arranged for her children.
Clark Massey: By materialistic basis, I mean that it tends to ignore the spiritual and supernatural. Social Work is a social science, and as a science, it limits itself to the material world.
Most people think that the material world is real, but they also know that the real world isn't limited to the material world.
I look forward to people of faith rethinking social work and helping it to encompass more of human life. Pope Benedict's first letter addressed this topic, and I hope that starts the ball rolling for a big reform.
Please don't think that I'm slamming material help. We spend a lot of time materially helping people
Thoughts?