A reader forwarded me a link to an article which is cited at another Catholic Blog and asked me whether the organization responsible for the article is indeed Catholic. It is not. The organization in question is the "Most Holy Family Monastery," a sedevacantist organization which has challenged the papal authority of Pope John Paul II. This dissident organization published a pamphlet entitled "101 Heresies of Anti-Pope John Paul II." A chief concern, running throughout the list of the Holy Father’s alleged heresies, involves his outreach to other faiths and efforts at ecumenism. The pamphlet’s message is that by virtue of Pope John Paul II’s heresies, his papacy is no longer valid.
The Catholic Register, official newspaper of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, commented on the dissident organization's magazine, A Voice Crying in the Wilderness saying, "That magazine, slick and expensive, is very anti-Catholic, and seems to have the purpose of luring unsuspecting Catholics into grave error and schism. There is no 'Most Holy Family Monastery' in Fillmore, New York, listed in the official Catholic Directory. Therefore, it is not authentically Catholic at all. Fillmore is located in the Diocese of Buffalo, New York, and the bishop there has announced that the magazine and 'Monastery' have no connection with the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, there are many anti-Catholic tricks abroad, some disguised one way and some another. Always check with your parish priest about "new magazines" claiming to be Catholic or religious."
In his classic work entitled Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton so eloquently explains that: "This is the thrilling romance of Orthodoxy. People have fallen into a foolish habit of speaking of orthodoxy as something heavy, humdrum, and safe. There never was anything so perilous or so exciting as orthodoxy. It was sanity: and to be sane is more dramatic than to be mad. It was the equilibrium of a man behind madly rushing horses, seeming to stoop this way and to sway that, yet in every attitude having the grace of statuary and the accuracy of arithmetic. The Church in its early days went fierce and fast with any warhorse; yet it is utterly unhistoric to say that she merely went mad along one idea, like a vulgar fanaticism. She swerved to left and right, so exactly as to avoid enormous obstacles. She left on one hand the huge bulk of Arianism, buttressed by all the worldly powers to make Christianity too worldly. The next instant she was swerving to avoid an orientalism, which would have made it too unworldly. The orthodox Church never took the tame course or accepted the conventions; the orthodox Church was never respectable. It would have been easier to have accepted the earthly power of the Arians. It would have been easy, in the Calvinistic seventeenth century, to fall into the bottomless pit of predestination. It is easy to be a madman: it is easy to be a heretic. It is always easy to let the age have its head; the difficult thing is to keep one's own. It is always easy to be a modernist; as it is easy to be a snob. To have fallen into any of those open traps of error and exaggeration which fashion after fashion and sect after sect set along the historic path of Christendom -- that would indeed have been simple. It is always simple to fall; there are an infinity of angles at which one falls, only one at which one stands. To have fallen into any one of the fads from Gnosticism to Christian Science would indeed have been obvious and tame. But to have avoided them all has been one whirling adventure; and in my vision the heavenly chariot flies thundering through the ages, the dull heresies sprawling and prostrate, the wild truth reeling but erect."
"It is always simple to fall; there are an infinity of angles at which one falls." Truer words were never spoken. This is so because men are tempted by pride to prefer their own opinions and preferences to the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ through the Magisterium of His Church. Such people forget that, "..the task of authentically interpreting the word of God, whether written or handed on, has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This teaching office is not above the word of God, but serves it, teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it draws from this one deposit of faith everything which it presents for belief as divinely revealed." (Dei Verbum, No. 10).
Many of those who adhere to Fr. Leonard Feeney's interpretation of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus are in this category. Others are simply confused as to what the Church actually teaches. Dr. Germain Grisez provides us with clarification on this teaching:
"Because the Church is the unique new covenant community, outside her there is no savation, as Lateran IV solemnly teaches: 'There is but one universal Church of the faithful outside which no one at all is saved' (DS 802/430). Vatican II reaffirms this definitive teaching (see LG, 14, AG, 7). But it must be rightly understood. Already in 1863, Pius IX, while absolutely rejecting indifferentism, teaches (as something taken for granted by both himself and the bishops) that those who are ready to submit to God but are separated from the true faith and Catholic unity by invincible ignorance can receive God's grace, live uprightly, and be saved (see Quanto conficiamur moerore, Pii IX Pontificis maximi acta, 3.1 [Rome 1868], 612-614 [DS 2865-67/1677]; PE, 60.6-8). Also, in a 1949 decree approved by Pius XII, the Holy Office rejected a more restrictive interpretation (see DS 3866-73). What is new in Vatican II's teaching is the clarification that, although the one and only Church subsists in the Catholic Church (see LG, 8; UR, 4; DH, 1), she also embraces in various ways all who 'sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do his will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience" (LG, 16; GS, 22)...Thus, it remains true that there is no salvation outside the Church, but it is now recognized that those who are in good faith in not wishing to be inside the Catholic Church are not entirely outside her (see UR, 3; CMP, 30.2)."
In the mid-1990's, I tried to explain this to Mother Teresa Benaway of St. Ann House in Still River, Massachusetts. I had written Mother because a local priest had advanced Fr. Leonard Feeney's strict interpretation of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus during Holy Mass at St. Ann House. I also contacted The Most Reverend Daniel P. Reilly, then Bishop of the Worcester Diocese, with my concerns. This after Mother Benaway asked me not to return to St. Ann House for Holy Mass. His Excellency explained to Mother why she was in the wrong and that I could return to Mass there if I so desired (for the sake of prudence, I decided not to). He also explained to Mother Benaway that should he receive additional complaints that Fr. Feeney's strict interpretation of Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus was being advanced, he would take away the indult for celebrating the Latin Mass.
It is always simple to fall. But when we stand with the teaching of the Magisterium, we have Christ's teaching. And we will not fall.
Related reading here.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Pope Benedict XVI: "Homosexuality is incompatible with the priestly vocation.."
From the La Salette Journey archives:
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Priesthood as vocation
Before entering into any state of life, a divine vocation is necessary. This because without such a vocation, it is difficult if not impossible to fulfil the obligations which pertain to that state and to obtain salvation. This is particularly true for the ministerial priesthood or any other ecclesiastical state. After all, it was Our Lord Who said: "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber" (John 10:1).
Consequently, the man who takes holy orders without a call from God is convicted of theft in taking by force a dignity which God has not called him to and does not desire to bestow upon him. This is the teaching of Saint Paul:"Neither doth any man take the honor to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. So Christ also did not glorify Himself that He might be made a high priest; but he that said unto Him: Thou art My Son; this day I have begotten Thee." (Hebrews 5:4,5).
It matters not then how learned or prudent or holy a man may be. No man may place himself into the holy sanctuary unless he is first called and introduced to the same by Almighty God. Jesus Our Lord was certainly the most learned and holy among all men, full of grace and truth (John 1:14), the Son of Man in Whom were (and are) hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). And yet, Jesus required a divine call to assume the dignity of the priesthood. This is the teaching of the Council of Trent. That the Church regards the man who assumes the priesthood without a vocation not as a minister but as a robber: "Decernit sancta Synodus eos qui ea (ministeria) propria temeritate sibi sumunt, omnes, non Ecclesiae ministros, sed fures et latrones per ostium non ingressos habendos esse" (Session 23, cap. 4).
Those who seize the priesthood without a vocation may labor and toil exhaustively. But their labors will profit them very little before God. In fact, the very works which would be considered of much merit when performed by others will deserve chastisement for such souls. Because such men are not in conformity with the divine will, not having a vocation to the state of life which they have usurped, the Lord Jesus will not accept their toils: "I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will not receive a gift of your hand" (Malachi 1:10).
Not only will God refuse the gifts of their hand, He will punish the works of the minister who has entered the sanctuary without being called; without a vocation:"What stranger soever cometh to it (the Tabernacle) shall be slain." (Numbers 1:51). Bearing all of this in mind, please read the following which first appeared in The Wanderer [I submitted it back in 2001] and may be found at the Faithfulvoice.com website:
On October 1, 1986, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published an instruction entitled, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Pastoral Service for Homosexual Persons, signed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and approved by Pope John Paul II. In this Instruction, Cardinal Ratzinger writes, "It is necessary to point out that the particular inclination of a homosexual person, though not a sin in itself, nevertheless constitutes a more or less strong tendency to an intrinsically evil behavior from the moral standpoint. For this reason, the very inclination should be considered as objectively disordered." (No. 3).
This would appear to be especially significant since Canon 1040 of the Code of Canon Law states that: "Persons who are affected by a perpetual impediment, which is called an irregularity, or a simple impediment, are prevented from receiving orders." Now, irregularities arise either from defect (ex defectu) or from crime (ex delicto). It seems clear to me that a homosexual inclination, which Cardinal Ratzinger has referred to as "objectively disordered," constitutes an irregularity ex defectu. In fact, when asked by a Bishop if it is licit to confer priestly ordination to men with manifest homosexual tendencies, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments replied with a letter signed by Jorge Cardinal Medina Estevez which stated that, "Ordination to the diaconate and the priesthood of homosexual men or men with homosexual tendencies is absolutely inadvisable and imprudent and, from the pastoral point of view, very risky. A homosexual person, or one with a homosexual tendency is not, therefore, fit to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders."
Related reading: Father John Dietzen on ordaining homosexual men to the priesthood.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Priesthood as vocation
Before entering into any state of life, a divine vocation is necessary. This because without such a vocation, it is difficult if not impossible to fulfil the obligations which pertain to that state and to obtain salvation. This is particularly true for the ministerial priesthood or any other ecclesiastical state. After all, it was Our Lord Who said: "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber" (John 10:1).
Consequently, the man who takes holy orders without a call from God is convicted of theft in taking by force a dignity which God has not called him to and does not desire to bestow upon him. This is the teaching of Saint Paul:"Neither doth any man take the honor to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was. So Christ also did not glorify Himself that He might be made a high priest; but he that said unto Him: Thou art My Son; this day I have begotten Thee." (Hebrews 5:4,5).
It matters not then how learned or prudent or holy a man may be. No man may place himself into the holy sanctuary unless he is first called and introduced to the same by Almighty God. Jesus Our Lord was certainly the most learned and holy among all men, full of grace and truth (John 1:14), the Son of Man in Whom were (and are) hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). And yet, Jesus required a divine call to assume the dignity of the priesthood. This is the teaching of the Council of Trent. That the Church regards the man who assumes the priesthood without a vocation not as a minister but as a robber: "Decernit sancta Synodus eos qui ea (ministeria) propria temeritate sibi sumunt, omnes, non Ecclesiae ministros, sed fures et latrones per ostium non ingressos habendos esse" (Session 23, cap. 4).
Those who seize the priesthood without a vocation may labor and toil exhaustively. But their labors will profit them very little before God. In fact, the very works which would be considered of much merit when performed by others will deserve chastisement for such souls. Because such men are not in conformity with the divine will, not having a vocation to the state of life which they have usurped, the Lord Jesus will not accept their toils: "I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will not receive a gift of your hand" (Malachi 1:10).
Not only will God refuse the gifts of their hand, He will punish the works of the minister who has entered the sanctuary without being called; without a vocation:"What stranger soever cometh to it (the Tabernacle) shall be slain." (Numbers 1:51). Bearing all of this in mind, please read the following which first appeared in The Wanderer [I submitted it back in 2001] and may be found at the Faithfulvoice.com website:
On October 1, 1986, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published an instruction entitled, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Pastoral Service for Homosexual Persons, signed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and approved by Pope John Paul II. In this Instruction, Cardinal Ratzinger writes, "It is necessary to point out that the particular inclination of a homosexual person, though not a sin in itself, nevertheless constitutes a more or less strong tendency to an intrinsically evil behavior from the moral standpoint. For this reason, the very inclination should be considered as objectively disordered." (No. 3).
This would appear to be especially significant since Canon 1040 of the Code of Canon Law states that: "Persons who are affected by a perpetual impediment, which is called an irregularity, or a simple impediment, are prevented from receiving orders." Now, irregularities arise either from defect (ex defectu) or from crime (ex delicto). It seems clear to me that a homosexual inclination, which Cardinal Ratzinger has referred to as "objectively disordered," constitutes an irregularity ex defectu. In fact, when asked by a Bishop if it is licit to confer priestly ordination to men with manifest homosexual tendencies, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments replied with a letter signed by Jorge Cardinal Medina Estevez which stated that, "Ordination to the diaconate and the priesthood of homosexual men or men with homosexual tendencies is absolutely inadvisable and imprudent and, from the pastoral point of view, very risky. A homosexual person, or one with a homosexual tendency is not, therefore, fit to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders."
Related reading: Father John Dietzen on ordaining homosexual men to the priesthood.
"..there was a woman who loved me deeply.."
Nine months before I was born
there was a woman who loved me deeply.
She did not know what I was going to be like,
but she loved me because she carried me in her womb.
And when she gave me birth,
she took me in her arms
because her love was not just beginning –
she conceived it along with me.
A mother loves –and that is why abortion is so abhorrent:
A mother who aborts is unfaithful to the love that she should have(like God in eternity) before her child is born.
Oscar Romero, the martyred Archbishop of San Salvador
Pro-Life resource here
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Time is short: Messages given to Mark Mallett
TIME IS SHORT!
August 24th, 2010: Speak the words, My words, which I have placed on your heart. Do not hesitate. The time is short! …Strive to be single-hearted, to place the Kingdom first in all you do. I say again, do not waste anymore time.
August 31st, 2010 (Mary): But now the time has come for the words of the prophets to be fulfilled, and all things brought beneath the heel of my Son. Do not delay in your personal conversion. Listen intently to the voice of my Spouse, the Holy Spirit. Remain in my Immaculate Heart, and you will find refuge in the Storm. Justice now falls. Heaven now weeps… and the sons of men will know sorrow upon sorrow. But I will be with you. I promise to hold you, and like a good mother, protect you beneath the shelter of my wings. All is not lost, but all is gained only through the Cross of my Son [ie. suffering]. Love my Jesus who loves all of you with a burning love.
October 4th, 2010: Time is short, I tell you. In your lifetime Mark, the sorrows of sorrows will come. Do not be afraid but be prepared, for you do not know the day or the hour when the Son of Man will come as the just Judge.
October 14th, 2010: Now is the time! Now is the time for the nets to be filled and drawn into the barque of My Church.
October 20th, 2010: So little time is left… so little time. Even you will not be ready, for the Day will come like a thief. But continue to fill your lamp, and you will see in the coming darkness.(cf. Matt 25:1-13, and how all the virgins were caught off guard, even those who were "prepared").
November 3rd, 2010: There is so little time left. Great changes are coming over the face of the earth. People are unprepared. They have not heeded My warnings. Many will die. Pray and intercede for them that they will die in My grace. The powers of evil are marching ahead. They will throw your world into chaos. Fix your heart and eyes firmly on Me, and no harm shall come to you and your household. These are days of darkness, great darkness such as has not been since I laid the foundation of the earth. My Son is coming as light. Who is ready for the revelation of His majesty? Who is ready even among My people to see themselves in the light of Truth?
November 13th, 2010: My son, the sorrow in your heart is but a drop of the sorrow in your Father’s heart. That after so many gifts and attempts to draw men back to Me, they have stubbornly refused My grace.
All of Heaven is prepared now. All the angels stand ready for the great battle of your times. Write about it (Rev 12-13). You are on its threshold, mere moments away. Stay awake then. Live soberly, do not fall asleep in sin, for you may never wake up. Be attentive to My word, which I will speak through you, My little mouthpiece. Make haste. Waste no time, for time is something you do not have.
Our Lady has spoken to Father Gobbi many times about the satanic pride which is crippling humanity and so dangerously threatening it. On December 8, 1993, she told Father Gobbi, "Satan has deceived this entire poor humanity, bringing it so far away from God and building for it idols of his own perversion: money, pride, egoism, amusement and impurity. And so humanity is today greatly threatened by violence, hatred, rebellion and war. During these years, you will see the great chastisement, with which the justice of God will purify this world, which has become a thousand times worse than at the time of the flood and so very possessed by evil spirits.....Satan has also entered into the interior of the Church and has succeeded in darkening her splendor. With the darkness of sin, he has obscured the splendor of her holiness; with the wound of division, he has made an attack upon the strength of her unity; with the spread of errors, he has stricken her in her proclamation of the truth.."
On May 13, 1993, Our Lady told Father Gobbi, "The powers which are directing and arranging human events, according to their perverse plans, are the dark and diabolic powers of evil. They have succeeded in in bringing all humanity to live without God. They have spread everywhere the error of theoretical and practical atheism. They have built the new idols before which humanity is bowing down in adoration: pleasure, money, pride, impurity, mastery over others, and impiety. Thus, in these years of yours, violence is spreading more and more. Egoism has made the hearts of men hard and insensitive. Hatred has blazed up like a scorching fire. Wars have multiplied in every part of the world, and you are now living in the danger of a terrible world war which will bring destruction to peoples and nations, a war from which no one will emerge victorious. Satan has succeeded in entering into the Church, the new Israel of God. He has entered there with the smoke of error and sin, the loss of faith and apostasy, of compromise with the world and the search for pleasure. During these years, he has succeeded in leading astray bishops, priests, religious and faithful.."
Today we are living in the most decadent, violent and faithless period in the history of mankind. But many cannot see this because they have succumbed to satanic pride. Satan fell in love with his own beauty and wound up rebelling against God and leading other angels to do the same, drawing them to Hell. Today, bishops, priests, religious and laity, puffed up with satanic pride, have become enamored with themselves and their "intellectual prowess." And like their master, the father of all lies (John 8: 44), these too are now rebelling against God and His Holy Church. These sons of Hell spend much of their waking hours contradicting Sacred Scripture, denying dogma and popularizing immorality. These pseudo-intellectuals arrogantly divinize man's intellect while ridiculing the Word of God. Saint Paul spoke of these disciples of Lucifer in 2 Timothy 4: 1-4: "I charge you to preach the word, to stay with this task whether convenient or inconvenient - correcting, reproving, appealing - constantly teaching and never losing patience. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but, following their own desires, will surround themselves with teachers who tickle their ears. They will stop listening to the truth and will wander off to fables."
In Romans 1, Saint Paul emphasizes the fact that there is a connection between a refusal to acknowledge and obey God and a subsequent degeneration of morality. And yet, with all the sex abuse scandals within the Church and all the sexual immorality and dissent, there has been very little discussion about this truth. False worship and pride in one's own intellect cause spiritual blindness and subject men to the destructive and degrading drives of fallen nature - most especially in the area of sex. Saint Paul tells us that people who fall into such spiritual blindness begin to encourage others to do so. And so infidelity spreads like a cancer.
If we are to remain steadfast in the faith, we must continue to rely only on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of His Mother. As Father Lorenzo Scupoli reminds us, "Distrust of yourself is so necessary in the spiritual combat that, without it, you may be assured that you will neither gain the desired victory, nor be able to overcome even the weakest of your passions. You must be firmly convinced in your mind that this is the case, for, through our natural conception, we are too prone to make a false estimate of ourselves. Although we are absolutely nothing, we persuade ourselves that we are something and presume without the slightest foundation on our own strength." (Spiritual Combat, p. 11, Sophia Institute Press).
Jesus has said it: "Without Me, you can do nothing." Do we really believe this? Do we remind ourselves every day that without Him we can do nothing, that we are nothing? We are like a puff of smoke, a blade of grass - here today and gone tomorrow. Do we, insignificant creatures that we are, dare to question or challenge Almighty God? Do we dare to contradict the Son of Man and His Church? If so, then we are either unbelievers or demoniacs.
And His Word is not in us.
Signs: North Korea attack
'...I now turn to the Korean conflict. While I was not consulted prior to the President's decision to intervene in support of the Republic of Korea, that decision from a military standpoint, proved a sound one, as we -- as I said, proved a sound one, as we hurled back the invader and decimated his forces. Our victory was complete, and our objectives within reach, when Red China intervened with numerically superior ground forces.
This created a new war and an entirely new situation, a situation not contemplated when our forces were committed against the North Korean invaders; a situation which called for new decisions in the diplomatic sphere to permit the realistic adjustment of military strategy.
Such decisions have not been forthcoming.
While no man in his right mind would advocate sending our ground forces into continental China, and such was never given a thought, the new situation did urgently demand a drastic revision of strategic planning if our political aim was to defeat this new enemy as we had defeated the old.
Apart from the military need, as I saw It, to neutralize the sanctuary protection given the enemy north of the Yalu, I felt that military necessity in the conduct of the war made necessary: first the intensification of our economic blockade against China; two the imposition of a naval blockade against the China coast; three removal of restrictions on air reconnaissance of China's coastal areas and of Manchuria; four removal of restrictions on the forces of the Republic of China on Formosa, with logistical support to contribute to their effective operations against the common enemy.
For entertaining these views, all professionally designed to support our forces committed to Korea and bring hostilities to an end with the least possible delay and at a saving of countless American and allied lives, I have been severely criticized in lay circles, principally abroad, despite my understanding that from a military standpoint the above views have been fully shared in the past by practically every military leader concerned with the Korean campaign, including our own Joint Chiefs of Staff.
I called for reinforcements but was informed that reinforcements were not available. I made clear that if not permitted to destroy the enemy built-up bases north of the Yalu, if not permitted to utilize the friendly Chinese Force of some 600,000 men on Formosa, if not permitted to blockade the China coast to prevent the Chinese Reds from getting succor from without, and if there were to be no hope of major reinforcements, the position of the command from the military standpoint forbade victory.
We could hold in Korea by constant maneuver and in an approximate area where our supply line advantages were in balance with the supply line disadvantages of the enemy, but we could hope at best for only an indecisive campaign with its terrible and constant attrition upon our forces if the enemy utilized its full military potential. I have constantly called for the new political decisions essential to a solution.
Efforts have been made to distort my position. It has been said, in effect, that I was a warmonger. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes. Indeed, on the second day of September, nineteen hundred and forty-five, just following the surrender of the Japanese nation on the Battleship Missouri, I formally cautioned as follows:
Men since the beginning of time have sought peace. Various methods through the ages have been attempted to devise an international process to prevent or settle disputes between nations. From the very start workable methods were found in so far as individual citizens were concerned, but the mechanics of an instrumentality of larger international scope have never been successful. Military alliances, balances of power, Leagues of Nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blocks out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature, and all material and cultural developments of the past 2000 years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.
But once war is forced upon us, there is no other alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end.
War's very object is victory, not prolonged indecision. In war there is no substitute for victory.
There are some who, for varying reasons, would appease Red China. They are blind to history's clear lesson, for history teaches with unmistakable emphasis that appeasement but begets new and bloodier war. It points to no single instance where this end has justified that means, where appeasement has led to more than a sham peace." (General Douglas MacArthur, Farewell Address to Congress, April 19, 1951).
Related reading here.
This created a new war and an entirely new situation, a situation not contemplated when our forces were committed against the North Korean invaders; a situation which called for new decisions in the diplomatic sphere to permit the realistic adjustment of military strategy.
Such decisions have not been forthcoming.
While no man in his right mind would advocate sending our ground forces into continental China, and such was never given a thought, the new situation did urgently demand a drastic revision of strategic planning if our political aim was to defeat this new enemy as we had defeated the old.
Apart from the military need, as I saw It, to neutralize the sanctuary protection given the enemy north of the Yalu, I felt that military necessity in the conduct of the war made necessary: first the intensification of our economic blockade against China; two the imposition of a naval blockade against the China coast; three removal of restrictions on air reconnaissance of China's coastal areas and of Manchuria; four removal of restrictions on the forces of the Republic of China on Formosa, with logistical support to contribute to their effective operations against the common enemy.
For entertaining these views, all professionally designed to support our forces committed to Korea and bring hostilities to an end with the least possible delay and at a saving of countless American and allied lives, I have been severely criticized in lay circles, principally abroad, despite my understanding that from a military standpoint the above views have been fully shared in the past by practically every military leader concerned with the Korean campaign, including our own Joint Chiefs of Staff.
I called for reinforcements but was informed that reinforcements were not available. I made clear that if not permitted to destroy the enemy built-up bases north of the Yalu, if not permitted to utilize the friendly Chinese Force of some 600,000 men on Formosa, if not permitted to blockade the China coast to prevent the Chinese Reds from getting succor from without, and if there were to be no hope of major reinforcements, the position of the command from the military standpoint forbade victory.
We could hold in Korea by constant maneuver and in an approximate area where our supply line advantages were in balance with the supply line disadvantages of the enemy, but we could hope at best for only an indecisive campaign with its terrible and constant attrition upon our forces if the enemy utilized its full military potential. I have constantly called for the new political decisions essential to a solution.
Efforts have been made to distort my position. It has been said, in effect, that I was a warmonger. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes. Indeed, on the second day of September, nineteen hundred and forty-five, just following the surrender of the Japanese nation on the Battleship Missouri, I formally cautioned as follows:
Men since the beginning of time have sought peace. Various methods through the ages have been attempted to devise an international process to prevent or settle disputes between nations. From the very start workable methods were found in so far as individual citizens were concerned, but the mechanics of an instrumentality of larger international scope have never been successful. Military alliances, balances of power, Leagues of Nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blocks out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature, and all material and cultural developments of the past 2000 years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.
War's very object is victory, not prolonged indecision. In war there is no substitute for victory.
There are some who, for varying reasons, would appease Red China. They are blind to history's clear lesson, for history teaches with unmistakable emphasis that appeasement but begets new and bloodier war. It points to no single instance where this end has justified that means, where appeasement has led to more than a sham peace." (General Douglas MacArthur, Farewell Address to Congress, April 19, 1951).
Related reading here.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Pope Benedict XVI: Humanity facing catastrophe
From Michael Brown over at Spirit Daily:
A Matter To Discern: From Apparition To Exorcisms Were Claims On An Anti-Christ
When we left off, we were speaking about the claims from exorcists and others that a special evil entered the world during the past two centuries and especially the claim that it occurred since the pontificate of Pius IX -- who tirelessly fought the heresies of the 19th century (and instituted the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception).
As he himself said, "Since we have fallen on these evil times let us take care first and foremost, as good soldiers of Christ, not to lose heart. Indeed, in the very storms in which we are tossed, there is a certain hope of achieving future tranquility and greater serenity in the Church."
So tumultuous were those times that for a while Pius was forced to flee Rome. He faced a myriad of other challenges, challenges that continued after his pontificate and remain with us in ways that seem to be intensifying.
At LaSalette, France, where Mary appeared in 1846 -- the same year that Pius rose to the Throne of Peter -- a "secret" prophecy related that "in the year 1864, Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from hell. They will put an end to faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God. They will blind them in such a way that, unless they are blessed with a special grace, these people will take on the spirit of the angels of hell; several religious institutions will lose all faith and will lose many souls." As we have noted, the year 1864 was smack in the middle of Pius IX's pontificate, which was the longest in history (1846-1878).
While the Church declared the apparition itself and an initial prophecy (concerning a coming famine and disease) as authentic, the secret portion referred to above was treated separately and has gone through both acceptance and rejection. Among a long list of coming evils, it asserted that many priests would fall away from the Church and that convents would no longer be houses of God but rather "the grazing ground of Asmodeus" (a pagan idol).
"It will be during this time," said the controversial part of LaSalette, "that the anti-christ will be born of a Hebrew nun, a false virgin who will communicate with the old serpent, the master of impurity."
He would perform wonders, said a message conveyed by seer Melanie Mathieu, and would have brothers who would "each lead armies."
At this time, claimed Melanie, "the seasons will be altered" and "the anti-christ will perform great wonders on earth and in the atmosphere." He would be preceded, it was said, by "ten kings of the anti-christ" as "the wicked will give themselves over to all kinds of sin."
The Church would be in 'eclipse.'"
Does that sum up the times we are living in?
A Matter To Discern: From Apparition To Exorcisms Were Claims On An Anti-Christ
When we left off, we were speaking about the claims from exorcists and others that a special evil entered the world during the past two centuries and especially the claim that it occurred since the pontificate of Pius IX -- who tirelessly fought the heresies of the 19th century (and instituted the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception).
As he himself said, "Since we have fallen on these evil times let us take care first and foremost, as good soldiers of Christ, not to lose heart. Indeed, in the very storms in which we are tossed, there is a certain hope of achieving future tranquility and greater serenity in the Church."
So tumultuous were those times that for a while Pius was forced to flee Rome. He faced a myriad of other challenges, challenges that continued after his pontificate and remain with us in ways that seem to be intensifying.
At LaSalette, France, where Mary appeared in 1846 -- the same year that Pius rose to the Throne of Peter -- a "secret" prophecy related that "in the year 1864, Lucifer, together with a large number of demons, will be unloosed from hell. They will put an end to faith little by little, even in those dedicated to God. They will blind them in such a way that, unless they are blessed with a special grace, these people will take on the spirit of the angels of hell; several religious institutions will lose all faith and will lose many souls." As we have noted, the year 1864 was smack in the middle of Pius IX's pontificate, which was the longest in history (1846-1878).
While the Church declared the apparition itself and an initial prophecy (concerning a coming famine and disease) as authentic, the secret portion referred to above was treated separately and has gone through both acceptance and rejection. Among a long list of coming evils, it asserted that many priests would fall away from the Church and that convents would no longer be houses of God but rather "the grazing ground of Asmodeus" (a pagan idol).
"It will be during this time," said the controversial part of LaSalette, "that the anti-christ will be born of a Hebrew nun, a false virgin who will communicate with the old serpent, the master of impurity."
He would perform wonders, said a message conveyed by seer Melanie Mathieu, and would have brothers who would "each lead armies."
At this time, claimed Melanie, "the seasons will be altered" and "the anti-christ will perform great wonders on earth and in the atmosphere." He would be preceded, it was said, by "ten kings of the anti-christ" as "the wicked will give themselves over to all kinds of sin."
The Church would be in 'eclipse.'"
Does that sum up the times we are living in?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The Archdiocese of Boston: Saying yes to those who associate with demons
Saint Peter Damian, a Doctor of the Church, in his book Liber Gomorrhianus (The Book of Gomorrah), tells us that the vice of sodomy "surpasses the enormity of all others" because, "Without fail, it brings death to the body and destruction to the soul. It pollutes the flesh, extinguishes the light of the mind, expels the Holy Spirit from the temple of the human heart, and gives entrance to the devil, the stimulator of lust. It leads to error, totally removes truth from the deluded mind ... It opens up hell and closes the gates of paradise ... It is this vice that violates temperance, slays modesty, strangles chastity, and slaughters virginity ... It defiles all things, sullies all things, pollutes all things ...This vice excludes a man from the assembled choir of the Church ... it separates the soul from God to associate it with demons. This utterly diseased queen of Sodom renders him who obeys the laws of her tyranny infamous to men and odious to God. She strips her knights of the armor of virtue, exposing them to be pierced by the spears of every vice ... She humiliates her slave in the church and condemns him in court; she defiles him in secret and dishonors him in public; she gnaws at his conscience like a worm and consumes his flesh like fire. ... this unfortunate man (he) is deprived of all moral sense, his memory fails, and the mind's vision is darkened. Unmindful of God, he also forgets his own identity. This disease erodes the foundation of faith, saps the vitality of hope, dissolves the bond of love. It makes way with justice, demolishes fortitude, removes temperance, and blunts the edge of prudence."
Now, in a previous post, I noted how Father Thomas Massaro, S.J., a professor at Boston College who recently spoke at a "Social Justice Conference" with Father J. Bryan Hehir, is a member of the Cambridge Peace Commission, an organization intimately linked with the GLBT agenda which presented an award to Mr. Sarav Chidambaram of the Cambridge GLBT Commission. Mr. Chidambaram is also a board member of MassEquality, a radical homosexual organization which promotes same-sex "marriage."
But equally troubling is the work of militant homosexual activist Charles Martel, a clinical social worker in Boston who received his BA and MSW from Catholic University of America. Mr. Martel has worked for Catholic Charities within the Diocese of Worcester and for the Family Counseling and Guidance Center in Braintree, Massachusetts, a clinic which is affiliated with the Boston Archdiocese. Mr. Martel served as a member of the Board of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry and recently co-founded Catholics for Marriage Equality. He is described as an "active member of St. Ignatius Parish in Chestnut Hill." (See here). One has to assume then that Mr. Martel receives Holy Eucharist. One has to wonder how archdiocesan officials reconcile this with Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law and with the clear and unambiguous teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1395.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its document entitled Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, warns that even where homosexual unions have been legalized, "clear and emphatic opposition is a duty." (No. 5). This important document stresses that, "any kind of formal cooperation in the enactment or application of such gravely unjust laws" and even any "material cooperation on the level of their application" must be avoided. "In this area," states the document, "everyone can exercise the right to conscientious objection."
Apparently the Boston Archdiocese doesn't take this teaching very seriously.
Considerations makes it abundantly clear that, "The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to considerations of homosexual unions." (No. 11). In other words, there can be no doubt that all Catholics have a moral duty to oppose the homosexual agenda
Now, in a previous post, I noted how Father Thomas Massaro, S.J., a professor at Boston College who recently spoke at a "Social Justice Conference" with Father J. Bryan Hehir, is a member of the Cambridge Peace Commission, an organization intimately linked with the GLBT agenda which presented an award to Mr. Sarav Chidambaram of the Cambridge GLBT Commission. Mr. Chidambaram is also a board member of MassEquality, a radical homosexual organization which promotes same-sex "marriage."
But equally troubling is the work of militant homosexual activist Charles Martel, a clinical social worker in Boston who received his BA and MSW from Catholic University of America. Mr. Martel has worked for Catholic Charities within the Diocese of Worcester and for the Family Counseling and Guidance Center in Braintree, Massachusetts, a clinic which is affiliated with the Boston Archdiocese. Mr. Martel served as a member of the Board of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry and recently co-founded Catholics for Marriage Equality. He is described as an "active member of St. Ignatius Parish in Chestnut Hill." (See here). One has to assume then that Mr. Martel receives Holy Eucharist. One has to wonder how archdiocesan officials reconcile this with Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law and with the clear and unambiguous teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1395.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its document entitled Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, warns that even where homosexual unions have been legalized, "clear and emphatic opposition is a duty." (No. 5). This important document stresses that, "any kind of formal cooperation in the enactment or application of such gravely unjust laws" and even any "material cooperation on the level of their application" must be avoided. "In this area," states the document, "everyone can exercise the right to conscientious objection."
Apparently the Boston Archdiocese doesn't take this teaching very seriously.
Considerations makes it abundantly clear that, "The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to considerations of homosexual unions." (No. 11). In other words, there can be no doubt that all Catholics have a moral duty to oppose the homosexual agenda
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Joy Behar Show: Children are "litter"
The March 13, 1996 edition of L'Osservatore Romano published the following talk in which Pope John Paul II highlighted the fact that motherhood is a gift from God:
"The Old Testament not only shows that motherhood is a gift of God but also suggests a special link between the destiny of mothers and their sons
"The Bible's message regarding motherhood reveals important and ever timely aspects: indeed, it sheds light on the dimension of gratuitousness, which is especially apparent in the case of barren women, God's particular covenant with woman and the special bond between the destiny of the mother and that of the son", the Holy Father said at the General Audience on Wednesday, 6 March, focusing on the Old Testament's treatment of motherhood. Here is a translation of the Pope's catechesis, which was the 14th in the series on the Blessed Virgin and was given in Italian.
Motherhood is a gift of God. "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord!" (Gn 4: 1), Eve exclaims after giving birth to Cain, her first-born son. With these words, the Book of Genesis presents the first motherhood in human history as a grace and joy that spring from the Creator's goodness.
The birth of Isaac is similarly described, at the origin of the chosen people.
God promises Abraham, who has been deprived of children and is now advanced in years, descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven (cf Gn 15:5). The promise is welcomed by the patriarch with the faith that reveals God's plan to this man: "He believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness" (Gn 15: 6).
This promise was confirmed in the words spoken by the Lord on the occasion of the covenant he made with Abraham: "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations" (Gn 17:4).
Extraordinary and mysterious events emphasize how Sarah's motherhood was primarily the fruit of the mercy of God, who gives life beyond all human expectation: "I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her" (Gn 17:15-16).
Motherhood is presented as a decisive gift of the Lord. The patriarch and his wife will be given a new name to indicate the unexpected and marvellous transformation that God is to work in their life.
The Lord gladdens with the gift of motherhood
The visit of the three mysterious persons, whom the Fathers of the Church interpreted as a prefiguration of the Trinity, announced the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham more explictly: "The Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him" (Gn 18:1-2). Abraham objected: "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" (Gn 17:17; cf. 18:11-13). The divine guest replies: "Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son" (Gn 18:14; cf. Lk 1:37).
The narrative stresses the effect of the divine visit, which makes fruitful a conjugal union that had been barren until then. Believing in the promise, Abraham becomes a father against all hope, and "father in the faith" because from his faith "descends" that of the chosen people.
The Bible relates other stories of women released from sterility and gladdened by the Lord with the gift of motherhood. These are often situations of anguish, which God's intervention transforms into experiences of joy by receiving the heartfelt prayers of those who are humanly without hope. "When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children", for example, "she envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or I shall die!'. Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, 'Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?'" (Gn 30:1-2).
But the biblical text immediately adds: "Then God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son" (Gn 30:22-23). This son, Joseph, would play a very important role for Israel at the time of the migration to Egypt.
In this as in other narratives, the Bible intends to highlight the marvellous nature of God's intervention in these specific cases by stressing the initial condition of the woman's sterility; however, at the same time, it allows us to grasp the gratuitousness inherent in all motherhood.
We find a similar process in the account of the birth of Samson. The wife of Manoah, who had never been able to conceive a child, hears the Lord's announcement from the angel: "Behold, you are barren and have no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son" (Jgs 13:3). The conception, unexpected and miraculous, announces the great things that the Lord will do through Samson.
In the case of Hannah, Samson's mother, the special role of prayer is underlined. Hannah suffers the humiliation of being barren but she is full of great trust in God, to whom she turns insistently, that he may help her to overcome this trial. One day, at the temple, she makes a vow: "Oh Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant, and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give to your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life" (1 Sm 1: 11).
Her prayer was answered: "The Lord remembered her" and "Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel" (1 Sm 1:19-20). Keeping her promise, Hannah offered her son to the Lord: "For this child I prayed; and the Lord has granted me my petition which I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord" ((1 Sm. 1:27-28). Given by God to Hannah and then given by Hannah to God, the little Samuel becomes a living bond of communion between Hannah and God.
Samuel's birth is thus an experience of joy and an occasion for thanksgiving. The First Book of Samuel contains a hymn known as Hannah's Magnificat, which seems to anticipate Mary's: "My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord" (I Sm 2: 1).
The grace of motherhood that God granted to Hannah because of her ceaseless prayers filled her with a new generosity. Samuel's consecration is the grateful response of a mother who, recognizing in her child the fruit of God's mercy, returns his gift, entrusting the child she had so longed for to the Lord.
God intervenes in important moments
In the accounts of miraculous motherhood which we have recalled, it is easy to discover the important place the Bible assigns to mothers in the mission of their sons. In Samuel's case, Hannah has a determining role in deciding to give him to the Lord. An equally decisive role is played by another mother, Rebecca, who procures the inheritance for Jacob (Gn 27). That maternal intervention, described by the Bible, can be interpreted as the sign of being chosen as an instrument in God's sovereign plan. It is he who chooses the youngest son, Jacob, to receive the paternal blessing and inheritance, and therefore as the shepherd and leader of his people.... It is he who by a free and wise decision, determines and governs each one's destiny (Wis 10:10-12).
The Bible's message regarding motherhood reveals important and ever timely aspects: indeed, it sheds light on the dimension of gratuitousness, which is especially apparent in the case of barren women, God's particular covenant with woman and the special bond between the destiny of the mother and that of the son.
At the same time, the intervention of God, who, at important moments in the history of his people, causes certain barren women to conceive, prepares for belief in the intervention of God who, in the fullness of time, will make a Virgin fruitful for the Incarnation of his Son."
Motherhood is presented as a decisive gift of the Lord! Reflect carefully on those words. For the Culture of Death has a very different message. This message was presented most clearly on the Joy Behar Show where Ms. Behar accused parents of large families of overpopulating and a guest labelled children as "litter." See here.
Two decidedly different world-views. One sees children as precious gifts from the Lord God. The other sees children as a burden, a drain on world resources and as garbage.
What is your view?
"The Old Testament not only shows that motherhood is a gift of God but also suggests a special link between the destiny of mothers and their sons
"The Bible's message regarding motherhood reveals important and ever timely aspects: indeed, it sheds light on the dimension of gratuitousness, which is especially apparent in the case of barren women, God's particular covenant with woman and the special bond between the destiny of the mother and that of the son", the Holy Father said at the General Audience on Wednesday, 6 March, focusing on the Old Testament's treatment of motherhood. Here is a translation of the Pope's catechesis, which was the 14th in the series on the Blessed Virgin and was given in Italian.
Motherhood is a gift of God. "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord!" (Gn 4: 1), Eve exclaims after giving birth to Cain, her first-born son. With these words, the Book of Genesis presents the first motherhood in human history as a grace and joy that spring from the Creator's goodness.
The birth of Isaac is similarly described, at the origin of the chosen people.
God promises Abraham, who has been deprived of children and is now advanced in years, descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven (cf Gn 15:5). The promise is welcomed by the patriarch with the faith that reveals God's plan to this man: "He believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness" (Gn 15: 6).
This promise was confirmed in the words spoken by the Lord on the occasion of the covenant he made with Abraham: "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations" (Gn 17:4).
Extraordinary and mysterious events emphasize how Sarah's motherhood was primarily the fruit of the mercy of God, who gives life beyond all human expectation: "I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her" (Gn 17:15-16).
Motherhood is presented as a decisive gift of the Lord. The patriarch and his wife will be given a new name to indicate the unexpected and marvellous transformation that God is to work in their life.
The Lord gladdens with the gift of motherhood
The visit of the three mysterious persons, whom the Fathers of the Church interpreted as a prefiguration of the Trinity, announced the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham more explictly: "The Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him" (Gn 18:1-2). Abraham objected: "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" (Gn 17:17; cf. 18:11-13). The divine guest replies: "Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son" (Gn 18:14; cf. Lk 1:37).
The narrative stresses the effect of the divine visit, which makes fruitful a conjugal union that had been barren until then. Believing in the promise, Abraham becomes a father against all hope, and "father in the faith" because from his faith "descends" that of the chosen people.
The Bible relates other stories of women released from sterility and gladdened by the Lord with the gift of motherhood. These are often situations of anguish, which God's intervention transforms into experiences of joy by receiving the heartfelt prayers of those who are humanly without hope. "When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children", for example, "she envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or I shall die!'. Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, 'Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?'" (Gn 30:1-2).
But the biblical text immediately adds: "Then God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son" (Gn 30:22-23). This son, Joseph, would play a very important role for Israel at the time of the migration to Egypt.
In this as in other narratives, the Bible intends to highlight the marvellous nature of God's intervention in these specific cases by stressing the initial condition of the woman's sterility; however, at the same time, it allows us to grasp the gratuitousness inherent in all motherhood.
We find a similar process in the account of the birth of Samson. The wife of Manoah, who had never been able to conceive a child, hears the Lord's announcement from the angel: "Behold, you are barren and have no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son" (Jgs 13:3). The conception, unexpected and miraculous, announces the great things that the Lord will do through Samson.
In the case of Hannah, Samson's mother, the special role of prayer is underlined. Hannah suffers the humiliation of being barren but she is full of great trust in God, to whom she turns insistently, that he may help her to overcome this trial. One day, at the temple, she makes a vow: "Oh Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant, and remember me, and not forget your maidservant, but will give to your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life" (1 Sm 1: 11).
Her prayer was answered: "The Lord remembered her" and "Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel" (1 Sm 1:19-20). Keeping her promise, Hannah offered her son to the Lord: "For this child I prayed; and the Lord has granted me my petition which I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord" ((1 Sm. 1:27-28). Given by God to Hannah and then given by Hannah to God, the little Samuel becomes a living bond of communion between Hannah and God.
Samuel's birth is thus an experience of joy and an occasion for thanksgiving. The First Book of Samuel contains a hymn known as Hannah's Magnificat, which seems to anticipate Mary's: "My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord" (I Sm 2: 1).
The grace of motherhood that God granted to Hannah because of her ceaseless prayers filled her with a new generosity. Samuel's consecration is the grateful response of a mother who, recognizing in her child the fruit of God's mercy, returns his gift, entrusting the child she had so longed for to the Lord.
God intervenes in important moments
In the accounts of miraculous motherhood which we have recalled, it is easy to discover the important place the Bible assigns to mothers in the mission of their sons. In Samuel's case, Hannah has a determining role in deciding to give him to the Lord. An equally decisive role is played by another mother, Rebecca, who procures the inheritance for Jacob (Gn 27). That maternal intervention, described by the Bible, can be interpreted as the sign of being chosen as an instrument in God's sovereign plan. It is he who chooses the youngest son, Jacob, to receive the paternal blessing and inheritance, and therefore as the shepherd and leader of his people.... It is he who by a free and wise decision, determines and governs each one's destiny (Wis 10:10-12).
The Bible's message regarding motherhood reveals important and ever timely aspects: indeed, it sheds light on the dimension of gratuitousness, which is especially apparent in the case of barren women, God's particular covenant with woman and the special bond between the destiny of the mother and that of the son.
At the same time, the intervention of God, who, at important moments in the history of his people, causes certain barren women to conceive, prepares for belief in the intervention of God who, in the fullness of time, will make a Virgin fruitful for the Incarnation of his Son."
Motherhood is presented as a decisive gift of the Lord! Reflect carefully on those words. For the Culture of Death has a very different message. This message was presented most clearly on the Joy Behar Show where Ms. Behar accused parents of large families of overpopulating and a guest labelled children as "litter." See here.
Two decidedly different world-views. One sees children as precious gifts from the Lord God. The other sees children as a burden, a drain on world resources and as garbage.
What is your view?
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Spirit of Rebellion in the Diocese of Worcester
Archbishop Raymond Burke is saying what devout Catholics have been saying for some time now: namely that a spirit of rebellion entered seminaries in the 1960s. See here. This spirit of rebellion has produced a harvest of bitter fruit within the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts. As noted here, "Most of the Catholic priests accused of abusing youth in Worcester County over the past 53 years were not pedophiles, but priests who abused post-pubescent teenage boys." In other words, most of the abuse has been homosexual in nature. 45 priests have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors resulting in a financial cost to the Worcester Diocese of $2,280,833. Needless to say, the greater cost - the damage done to young people who are created in the Imago Dei, the Image and Likeness of God, is immeasurable. As is the loss of credibility for a diocese which seems to have lost its way.
The diocese lost an incredibly holy and gifted priest, Father Anthony Kazarnowicz, because he couldn't bear to remain in this local Church which has been crippled spiritually and emotionally by dissent and homosexual ideology.
And while homosexual men have been ordained to the priesthood, when I wrote the Bishop of Worcester and told him of my desire to discern a vocation to the priesthood, I received no response whatsoever. As I mentioned in a previous post, I wrote the following letter to Bishop Robert McManus:
December 5, 2009
The Most Rev. Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester
49 Elm Street
Worcester, Ma 01609
Re: Rev. ..............................
Your Excellency,
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches quite clearly that, “Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave scandal when there is corruption of the young” (2353). No. 1852 of the Catechism, citing Galatians 5: 19-21, states, “The Letter to the Galatians contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: ‘Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.’”
It would appear that Fr. ....... ......., pastor of two parishes – ........................................... and ....................., does not accept this authoritative teaching of the Church’s Magisterium. This past week....I spoke with two individuals who approached Fr. ............. about living together and engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage. This couple was troubled about their living situation and sought moral guidance from Fr. ............. They explained..that Fr. ............. told them not to have any concerns since they are too old to have children. Additionally, they were told that if anybody should approach them to warn them about about the sinfulness [objectively speaking] of engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage, such people could “go to Hell.” These two seniors were told by Fr. ........... that such people are themselves sinning and should go to confession.
Needless to say, such an attitude [if indeed true, and I have no reason to doubt the truthfulness of the couple who spoke of these matters] is gravely disturbing and needs to be addressed immediately. According to Catholic faith, every sin can be forgiven during life because of God’s surpassing love (DS 349). However, the Scriptures speak of sins that cannot be forgiven in the sense that they constitute a terrible offense against the truth and the light, against the Holy Spirit (Mt 12: 31-32; 1 Jn 5:16). In speaking of sin this way, the Scriptures refer to a sin more radical than most mortal sins, for it is a sin whose nature blocks forgiveness. Since the time of Saint Augustine, theologians have provided us with a list of sins against the Holy Spirit, proceeding from initial impenitence through obduracy, presumption, despair, rejection of known truth, envy of the grace given to others, to final impenitence. Final impenitence leads to Hell, the eternal separation from God begun in this life through our free self-determining choices to turn from God and His law of love and to cling inordinately to some created good that, in effect, one puts in God’s place.
Any priest who convinces those entrusted to his care to rationalize sin is no lover of souls but is instead an enemy of souls. When a person is encouraged to rationalize what is known to be wicked in the sight of the Lord, that person opens a chasm between themselves and God which continues to grow wider and wider until they can no longer hear His call and discern the word of truth that He has spoken.
It is my hope that Your Excellency will address this situation with the seriousness it deserves. One can only wonder how many others have received similar advice and counseling from Fr. ........ How many of the faithful have been confused or led astray by Fr. ............?
It is nothing short of amazing that when I approached the Diocese about pursuing a vocation to the priesthood, I received absolutely no response whatsoever. This even though I embrace, promote and defend the Church’s authentic teaching as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican II and previous Church Councils and papal encyclicals and documents. One can easily understand why my good friend, Fr. Anthony Kazarnowicz, did not feel at home in this our troubled diocese. Perhaps he was never made pastor because of his fidelity to Church teaching? Perhaps this is why I cannot even volunteer – at any level – at my parish? Perhaps my orthodoxy is the reason I am treated with such contempt? Perhaps because I do accept the Church’s teaching on matters pertaining to human sexuality [and indeed everything Holy Mother Church teaches], I am deemed “too rigid” and therefore “unacceptable”?
Asking Your Excellency’s Blessing,
I am, Yours Respectfully
Paul A. Melanson
No, I am not welcome in this diocese. But this professor is.
What does this tell us about the Worcester Diocese?
Related reading here , here and here.
The diocese lost an incredibly holy and gifted priest, Father Anthony Kazarnowicz, because he couldn't bear to remain in this local Church which has been crippled spiritually and emotionally by dissent and homosexual ideology.
And while homosexual men have been ordained to the priesthood, when I wrote the Bishop of Worcester and told him of my desire to discern a vocation to the priesthood, I received no response whatsoever. As I mentioned in a previous post, I wrote the following letter to Bishop Robert McManus:
December 5, 2009
The Most Rev. Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester
49 Elm Street
Worcester, Ma 01609
Re: Rev. ..............................
Your Excellency,
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches quite clearly that, “Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the dignity of persons and of human sexuality which is naturally ordered to the good of spouses and the generation and education of children. Moreover, it is a grave scandal when there is corruption of the young” (2353). No. 1852 of the Catechism, citing Galatians 5: 19-21, states, “The Letter to the Galatians contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: ‘Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.’”
It would appear that Fr. ....... ......., pastor of two parishes – ........................................... and ....................., does not accept this authoritative teaching of the Church’s Magisterium. This past week....I spoke with two individuals who approached Fr. ............. about living together and engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage. This couple was troubled about their living situation and sought moral guidance from Fr. ............. They explained..that Fr. ............. told them not to have any concerns since they are too old to have children. Additionally, they were told that if anybody should approach them to warn them about about the sinfulness [objectively speaking] of engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage, such people could “go to Hell.” These two seniors were told by Fr. ........... that such people are themselves sinning and should go to confession.
Needless to say, such an attitude [if indeed true, and I have no reason to doubt the truthfulness of the couple who spoke of these matters] is gravely disturbing and needs to be addressed immediately. According to Catholic faith, every sin can be forgiven during life because of God’s surpassing love (DS 349). However, the Scriptures speak of sins that cannot be forgiven in the sense that they constitute a terrible offense against the truth and the light, against the Holy Spirit (Mt 12: 31-32; 1 Jn 5:16). In speaking of sin this way, the Scriptures refer to a sin more radical than most mortal sins, for it is a sin whose nature blocks forgiveness. Since the time of Saint Augustine, theologians have provided us with a list of sins against the Holy Spirit, proceeding from initial impenitence through obduracy, presumption, despair, rejection of known truth, envy of the grace given to others, to final impenitence. Final impenitence leads to Hell, the eternal separation from God begun in this life through our free self-determining choices to turn from God and His law of love and to cling inordinately to some created good that, in effect, one puts in God’s place.
Any priest who convinces those entrusted to his care to rationalize sin is no lover of souls but is instead an enemy of souls. When a person is encouraged to rationalize what is known to be wicked in the sight of the Lord, that person opens a chasm between themselves and God which continues to grow wider and wider until they can no longer hear His call and discern the word of truth that He has spoken.
It is my hope that Your Excellency will address this situation with the seriousness it deserves. One can only wonder how many others have received similar advice and counseling from Fr. ........ How many of the faithful have been confused or led astray by Fr. ............?
It is nothing short of amazing that when I approached the Diocese about pursuing a vocation to the priesthood, I received absolutely no response whatsoever. This even though I embrace, promote and defend the Church’s authentic teaching as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Vatican II and previous Church Councils and papal encyclicals and documents. One can easily understand why my good friend, Fr. Anthony Kazarnowicz, did not feel at home in this our troubled diocese. Perhaps he was never made pastor because of his fidelity to Church teaching? Perhaps this is why I cannot even volunteer – at any level – at my parish? Perhaps my orthodoxy is the reason I am treated with such contempt? Perhaps because I do accept the Church’s teaching on matters pertaining to human sexuality [and indeed everything Holy Mother Church teaches], I am deemed “too rigid” and therefore “unacceptable”?
Asking Your Excellency’s Blessing,
I am, Yours Respectfully
Paul A. Melanson
No, I am not welcome in this diocese. But this professor is.
What does this tell us about the Worcester Diocese?
Related reading here , here and here.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Bishop Kicanas has only to look in the mirror to understand "why more was not done."
Breaking News: Archbishop Timothy Dolan selected as head of USCCB! Praise God!
As Matt Abbot notes here, Bishop Gerald Kicanas was aware of accusations of sexual misconduct against Father Daniel McCormack while he was serving as rector of Chicago's Mundelein Seminary but chose to ordain him anyway. Father Daniel McCormack molested at least 23 boys. When asked about the situation, Bishop Kicanas said he would do it again.
Now, in a memo dated March 29, 2010, Bishop Kicanas said:
"The recent reports of more cases of sexual abuse of children by priests in Ireland and in countries in Europe saddens, angers and shames us. As Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, wrote, "The child abuse committed within the Catholic Church and its concealment is deeply shocking and totally unacceptable. I am ashamed of what has happened." I share his feelings.
While these instances of abuse happened many years ago and are only now being reported, they rightly shock and upset us. Even if one child were abused it would be tragic, but it is hard to fathom and comprehend that so many were harmed. We ask why more was not done, why these priests could continue in ministry, why the bishops did not report these crimes or deal with the situations more decisively.
The Holy Father rightly described his feelings of abhorrence at what happened and has called the Church to address this tragic situation directly and forcibly. Victims need to come forward so that the Church can express its deep sorrow for what occurred and provide opportunities for healing. Allegations of abuse must be turned over to civil authorities for proper investigation. Any priest who has harmed a child can never return to ministry.
In addressing our struggles in the Diocese of Tucson, I found the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed then by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, attentive and concerned. When I visited the Congregation to emphasize the seriousness of several situations here, they responded. Cardinal Ratzinger and his staff demonstrated they understood the enormity and seriousness of our situation.
Our Church has learned a painful lesson. We need to take ownership of what happened. We need to continue to provide safe environments for our children and vulnerable adults. We need to become champions in the effort raise awareness of and to prevent child abuse.
Last week, I met with a number of our compliance representatives at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Tucson. I thanked them for the hard work they are doing to monitor the screening of personnel and volunteers, our programs for the personal safety education of children and their parents and our education on the child abuse mandatory reporting law. With our pastors and principals, our compliance representatives have made the safety of children a priority. They are helping to restore trust that has been so badly damaged.
In our Diocese, I promised victims of child abuse by priests and workers for the Church that we would do whatever possible to make sure that what happened to them will not happen to others. I only wish the past could be changed, but we cannot. Nevertheless, we must make the present and future different, and much is being done to assure that." (See here).
Bishop Kicanas' actions do not correspond with his words. This is why he should not serve as head of the USCCB. Why didn't certain Bishops do more to report crimes? Bishop Kicanas can answer that question better than most.
As Matt Abbot notes here, Bishop Gerald Kicanas was aware of accusations of sexual misconduct against Father Daniel McCormack while he was serving as rector of Chicago's Mundelein Seminary but chose to ordain him anyway. Father Daniel McCormack molested at least 23 boys. When asked about the situation, Bishop Kicanas said he would do it again.
Now, in a memo dated March 29, 2010, Bishop Kicanas said:
"The recent reports of more cases of sexual abuse of children by priests in Ireland and in countries in Europe saddens, angers and shames us. As Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, wrote, "The child abuse committed within the Catholic Church and its concealment is deeply shocking and totally unacceptable. I am ashamed of what has happened." I share his feelings.
While these instances of abuse happened many years ago and are only now being reported, they rightly shock and upset us. Even if one child were abused it would be tragic, but it is hard to fathom and comprehend that so many were harmed. We ask why more was not done, why these priests could continue in ministry, why the bishops did not report these crimes or deal with the situations more decisively.
The Holy Father rightly described his feelings of abhorrence at what happened and has called the Church to address this tragic situation directly and forcibly. Victims need to come forward so that the Church can express its deep sorrow for what occurred and provide opportunities for healing. Allegations of abuse must be turned over to civil authorities for proper investigation. Any priest who has harmed a child can never return to ministry.
In addressing our struggles in the Diocese of Tucson, I found the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed then by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, attentive and concerned. When I visited the Congregation to emphasize the seriousness of several situations here, they responded. Cardinal Ratzinger and his staff demonstrated they understood the enormity and seriousness of our situation.
Our Church has learned a painful lesson. We need to take ownership of what happened. We need to continue to provide safe environments for our children and vulnerable adults. We need to become champions in the effort raise awareness of and to prevent child abuse.
Last week, I met with a number of our compliance representatives at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Tucson. I thanked them for the hard work they are doing to monitor the screening of personnel and volunteers, our programs for the personal safety education of children and their parents and our education on the child abuse mandatory reporting law. With our pastors and principals, our compliance representatives have made the safety of children a priority. They are helping to restore trust that has been so badly damaged.
In our Diocese, I promised victims of child abuse by priests and workers for the Church that we would do whatever possible to make sure that what happened to them will not happen to others. I only wish the past could be changed, but we cannot. Nevertheless, we must make the present and future different, and much is being done to assure that." (See here).
Bishop Kicanas' actions do not correspond with his words. This is why he should not serve as head of the USCCB. Why didn't certain Bishops do more to report crimes? Bishop Kicanas can answer that question better than most.
Monday, November 15, 2010
"...and to such miserable beings their crimes become their religion.."
Those who abandon Divine Revelation and the Natural Law will no longer seek God and His precepts and Commandments but will instead pursue their own lusts and fantasies. Such people will create and adore their own gods which are almost always a mythical projection of their own vices. They attribute a religious dimension to these vices to "baptize" them, to justify them in their own darkened minds.
It was Saint Cyprian of Carthage, writing against the Greco-Roman pagan world and its vices, who said:
"That Jupiter of theirs is not more supreme in dominion than in vice, inflamed with earthly love in the midst of his own thunders...now breaking forth by the help of birds to violate the purity of boys. And now put the question: Can he who looks upon such things be healthy-minded or modest? Men imitate the gods whom they adore, and to such miserable beings their crimes become their religion." (Letters 1:8).
In a series of letters written from 1969-1970, Sister Lucia [of the Fatima apparition] wrote: "It is indeed sad that so many people let themselves be dominated by the diabolical wave that is sweeping the world, and that they are blinded to the point of being incapable of seeing error! Their principal fault is they have abandoned prayer; in this way they have become estranged from God, and without God everything fails. The devil is very cunning and looks for our weak points in order to attack us. If we are not diligent and careful to obtain strength from God, we shall fall, for our age is very wicked and we are weak. Only the strength of God can keep us on our feet."
There is a retreat from truth across society and throughout the Church. The USCCB faces a critical choice at this moment: will it opt to clean house and turn back the radical homosexual agenda within the Catholic Church in the United States? Or will it continue to slide down the slippery slope of moral corruption and apostasy from the True Faith?
Related reading: Sodomite activists issue statement of support for Bishop Kicanas.
Related reading: Pope Benedict XVI on the root of the sexual abuse scandals.
It was Saint Cyprian of Carthage, writing against the Greco-Roman pagan world and its vices, who said:
"That Jupiter of theirs is not more supreme in dominion than in vice, inflamed with earthly love in the midst of his own thunders...now breaking forth by the help of birds to violate the purity of boys. And now put the question: Can he who looks upon such things be healthy-minded or modest? Men imitate the gods whom they adore, and to such miserable beings their crimes become their religion." (Letters 1:8).
In a series of letters written from 1969-1970, Sister Lucia [of the Fatima apparition] wrote: "It is indeed sad that so many people let themselves be dominated by the diabolical wave that is sweeping the world, and that they are blinded to the point of being incapable of seeing error! Their principal fault is they have abandoned prayer; in this way they have become estranged from God, and without God everything fails. The devil is very cunning and looks for our weak points in order to attack us. If we are not diligent and careful to obtain strength from God, we shall fall, for our age is very wicked and we are weak. Only the strength of God can keep us on our feet."
Related reading: Sodomite activists issue statement of support for Bishop Kicanas.
Related reading: Pope Benedict XVI on the root of the sexual abuse scandals.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
When the collapse comes...
Our Lady to Fr. Stephano Gobbi,
November 15, 1990,
Malvern PA
"I announce to you that the hour of the great trial is on the point of arriving. The great trial has arrived for your country. How many times, as a concerned and sorrowing mother, have I endeavored to urge my children to follow the path of conversion and of return to the Lord. I have not been listened to. You have continued to walk along the way of rejection of God, and of His law of love. Sins of impurity have become ever more widespread, and immorality has spread like a sea which has submerged all things.
Homosexuality, a sin of impurity which is against nature, has been justified; recourse to the means of preventing life have become commonplace, while abortions - these killings of innocent children, that cry for vengeance before the face of God - have spread and are performed in every part of your homeland.The moment of divine justice and of great mercy has now arrived.
You will know the hour of weakness and of poverty; the hour of suffering and defeat; the purifying hour of the great chastisement. The great trial has arrived for your Church. How great is your responsibility, O Pastors of the Holy Church of God! You continue along the path of division from the Pope and of the rejection of his Magisterium; indeed, in a hidden way, there is in preparation a true schism which could soon become open and proclaimed...And then, there will remain only a small faithful remnant, over which I will keep watch in the garden of my Immaculate Heart.The great trial has arrived for all humanity. The chastisement, predicted by me at Fatima and contained in that part of the secret which has not yet been revealed, is about to take place. The great moment of divine justice and of mercy has come upon the world."
Related reading here.
November 15, 1990,
Malvern PA
"I announce to you that the hour of the great trial is on the point of arriving. The great trial has arrived for your country. How many times, as a concerned and sorrowing mother, have I endeavored to urge my children to follow the path of conversion and of return to the Lord. I have not been listened to. You have continued to walk along the way of rejection of God, and of His law of love. Sins of impurity have become ever more widespread, and immorality has spread like a sea which has submerged all things.
Homosexuality, a sin of impurity which is against nature, has been justified; recourse to the means of preventing life have become commonplace, while abortions - these killings of innocent children, that cry for vengeance before the face of God - have spread and are performed in every part of your homeland.The moment of divine justice and of great mercy has now arrived.
You will know the hour of weakness and of poverty; the hour of suffering and defeat; the purifying hour of the great chastisement. The great trial has arrived for your Church. How great is your responsibility, O Pastors of the Holy Church of God! You continue along the path of division from the Pope and of the rejection of his Magisterium; indeed, in a hidden way, there is in preparation a true schism which could soon become open and proclaimed...And then, there will remain only a small faithful remnant, over which I will keep watch in the garden of my Immaculate Heart.The great trial has arrived for all humanity. The chastisement, predicted by me at Fatima and contained in that part of the secret which has not yet been revealed, is about to take place. The great moment of divine justice and of mercy has come upon the world."
Related reading here.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Anti-Catholicism in Austria: Blasphemous attack on Mary
The lower Austrian main building of government (No-Landhaus) is hosting an exhibition which displays Mary, the Mother of Jesus, covered in a condom and sperm. See here. Please offer the following prayer of reparation:
THE PRAYER OF
REPARATION FOR BLASPHEMY
AGAINST THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Most glorious Virgin Mary,
Mother of God and our Mother,
turn thine eyes in pity upon us,
miserable sinners;
we are sore afflicted by the many evils that surround us in this life,
but especially do we feel our hearts break within us
upon hearing the dreadful insults and blasphemies uttered against thee,
O Virgin Immaculate.
O how these impious sayings offend the infinite Majesty of God
and of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ!
How they provoke His indignation
and give us cause to fear the terrible effects of His vengeance!
Would that the sacrifice of our lives
might avail to put an end to such outrages and blasphemies;
were it so, how gladly we should make it,
for we desire, O most holy Mother,
to love thee and to honor thee with all our hearts,
since this is the will of God.
And just because we love thee,
we will do all that is in our power to make thee honored and loved by all men.
In the meantime do thou,
our merciful Mother,
the supreme comforter of the afflicted,
accept this our act of reparation
which we offer thee for ourselves
and for all our families,
as well as for all who impiously blaspheme thee,
not knowing what they say.
Do thou obtain for them from Almighty God the grace of conversion,
and thus render more manifest and more glorious thy kindness,
thy power and thy great mercy.
May they join with us in proclaiming thee blessed among women,
the Immaculate Virgin and most compassionate Mother of God.
3 Hail Mary...
(Source: The Raccolta, 1950)
THE PRAYER OF
REPARATION FOR BLASPHEMY
AGAINST THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Most glorious Virgin Mary,
Mother of God and our Mother,
turn thine eyes in pity upon us,
miserable sinners;
we are sore afflicted by the many evils that surround us in this life,
but especially do we feel our hearts break within us
upon hearing the dreadful insults and blasphemies uttered against thee,
O Virgin Immaculate.
O how these impious sayings offend the infinite Majesty of God
and of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ!
How they provoke His indignation
and give us cause to fear the terrible effects of His vengeance!
Would that the sacrifice of our lives
might avail to put an end to such outrages and blasphemies;
were it so, how gladly we should make it,
for we desire, O most holy Mother,
to love thee and to honor thee with all our hearts,
since this is the will of God.
And just because we love thee,
we will do all that is in our power to make thee honored and loved by all men.
In the meantime do thou,
our merciful Mother,
the supreme comforter of the afflicted,
accept this our act of reparation
which we offer thee for ourselves
and for all our families,
as well as for all who impiously blaspheme thee,
not knowing what they say.
Do thou obtain for them from Almighty God the grace of conversion,
and thus render more manifest and more glorious thy kindness,
thy power and thy great mercy.
May they join with us in proclaiming thee blessed among women,
the Immaculate Virgin and most compassionate Mother of God.
3 Hail Mary...
(Source: The Raccolta, 1950)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
We Shall Keep the Faith
We Shall Keep the Faith by Moina Michael, November 1918
Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.
Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
"Welcome, Mr. President, to India. As a fellow Kenyan.."
Did anyone check?
Patrick Wood, a global prophecy expert, has said, "As previously noted in Pawns of the Global Elite, Barack Obama was groomed for the presidency by key members of the Trilateral Commission. Most notably, it was Zbigniew Brzezinski, co-founder of the Trilateral Commission with David Rockefeller in 1973, who was Obama’s principal foreign policy advisor. The pre-election attention is reminiscent of Brzezinski’s tutoring of Jimmy Carter prior to Carter’s landslide election in 1976. For anyone who doubts the Commission’s continuing influence on Obama, consider that he has already appointed no less than eleven members of the Commission to top-level and key positions in his Administration."
Related reading here.
Monday, November 08, 2010
"..the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.."
"When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands. Like merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar. She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household. She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms. She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. She fears not the snow for her household; all her charges are doubly clothed. She makes her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing. Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land. She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel. She watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness. Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her: "Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all." Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates." (Proverbs 31: 10-31).
I am privileged to have some wonderful friends on Facebook. Louri Boilard is one such friend. A remarkable woman in every sense of the word. I cannot help but think of her as I ponder on the Scripture above. She is beautiful in more ways than one. And a blessing not only to her family but to all she comes in contact with. Louri is collecting clothing items for the poor and homeless who find comfort and solace at the New Horizons Shelter in Manchester, New Hampshire.
It was Saint Francis who said, "Preach always, use words if necessary." Louri preaches through her good works. Won't you join her in her efforts? Visit Louri at her website which may be found here.
I am privileged to have some wonderful friends on Facebook. Louri Boilard is one such friend. A remarkable woman in every sense of the word. I cannot help but think of her as I ponder on the Scripture above. She is beautiful in more ways than one. And a blessing not only to her family but to all she comes in contact with. Louri is collecting clothing items for the poor and homeless who find comfort and solace at the New Horizons Shelter in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Obama: Americans are stupid
Sophocles, in Antigone 1. 1023, says, "Stubborness and stupidity are twins." How so? Dr. Montague Brown explains as he makes the distinction between tenacity and stubborness: "Tenacity is the dedicated adherence to something we know to be worthwhile. As such, tenacity is positive. It involves a clear purpose - to persevere in what is good - and welcomes new evidence and perspectives that clarify or enrich that good...Tenacity is particularly evident when the adherence required is difficult. If my perseverance requires great effort of body or mind, or if it requires me to face a great deal of peer pressure and perhaps even ridicule, then my holding fast to my good purpose shows strength of mind and courage. In such cases, there may be little to gain in terms of social standing, but much in moral standing. Tenaciously holding to what is true and good not only benefits me in terms of virtue; it also works to ensure the stability of these goods in the community....Stubborness is the uncompromising insistence on having our own way. As such, stubborness is negative. It involves a kind of blindness, along with a willful rejection of evidence and the perspectives of others. Stubborness is particularly evident when the compromise required is easy. If the evidence I need to convince me to change my mind is readily available, or if accepting another's perspective would mean giving up little of importance, then my refusal to yield is not reasonable, but is motivated by stubborness. There is little to lose except my desire to be in control. Such rigid clinging to my own will hurts the community, because I refuse to cooperate with others, and it also prevents me from becoming successful and virtuous." (Dr. Montague Brown, Ph.D, The One-Minute Philosopher, pp. 162-163, Sophia Institute Press).
Rather than addressing the serious and substantive criticisms – or just plain concerns – directed at his policies, Obama has chosen time and again to dismiss his critics by painting them as dishonest, emotionally unstable or simply obstinate. And now, he is suggesting that the American people are stupid. In an article which may be found here, we read how Obama told Steve Kroft during a "60 Minutes" interview that, "..leadership isn't just legislation..it's a matter of persuading people..making an argument that people can understand."
How patronizing. How insulting. If the American people are not convinced of Obama's policies, it is not because they lack understanding, it is because his policies are inane and his ideas lack substance. Remember when this mental giant suggested that those who oppose homosexuality (because of Divine Revelation and Natural Law) were clinging to "worn out arguments"? How about when Pope Benedict XVI telephoned Obama after the election to congratulate him on his victory? The Holy Father brought up the subject of abortion and Obama said simply, "We agree to disagree." See here.
Authentic leadership also involves acknowledging when one is wrong and not blaming one's failures on other people. Our president is grossly immature. And that fact is chilling.
Rather than addressing the serious and substantive criticisms – or just plain concerns – directed at his policies, Obama has chosen time and again to dismiss his critics by painting them as dishonest, emotionally unstable or simply obstinate. And now, he is suggesting that the American people are stupid. In an article which may be found here, we read how Obama told Steve Kroft during a "60 Minutes" interview that, "..leadership isn't just legislation..it's a matter of persuading people..making an argument that people can understand."
Authentic leadership also involves acknowledging when one is wrong and not blaming one's failures on other people. Our president is grossly immature. And that fact is chilling.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Signs: Food Prices Soaring
In an article entitled, "Expect The Unexpected, Including Time Of Rage As Nation Threatened With 'Uproar'," Michael Brown wrote: "As we continue our little series on prophecy and expecting the unexpected: I'm asked often what I think is "coming" and when it might come and I have been careful to express the viewpoint that major events loom but I have always stayed away from a strict timeline. The first time I wrote a book on prophecy was The Final Hour in 1992 and it concluded that our era is ending and that there will be a major change "between now and 2040." I think that's still true and have been able to expand upon it in what is the companion book to The Final Hour, released last week as Tower of Light, which takes matters a step further. I am going to let the book speak for itself. The contents will be kept in book form. But let me expand on something that was on this website, this notion of expecting the unexpected. Two weeks ago I wrote about how something like disappearance of honeybees, which we would not anticipate as a "chastisement," could have a dramatic effect. We rely on these creatures to pollinate thirty percent of our crops.
In the same way, we forget how delicate our infrastructure is. Such comes to mind as the price of gasoline skyrockets. Could a major shift in the availability of energy provoke huge disturbances? Might we be in for societal disturbances such as what we saw at Virginia Tech -- but for different reasons and on a larger scale?
Without prayer, without massive conversion, this is precisely the direction in which we are headed. A societal breakdown. A collapse of infrastructure.
Are we facing a time when the rule of law will break down? An economic or natural disaster could spark it -- as happened on a smaller scale in the aftermath of hurricanes like Katrina. Might we be in for a time when there be ethnic violence? Will resentments harbored by various factions break out into a chaotic form of civil warfare? Roving bands of miscreants could cause a huge disruption that would tear at the very fabric of the nation.
I feel called to mention that. Such is the fate of a country that has forsaken belief. Just yesterday, a 91-year-old was beaten mercilessly in a carjacking in Detroit. Meanwhile, an estimate says that by 2050, a billion will be displaced worldwide by climate shifts. Right now, instead of conversion, there are signs of an intolerance toward Christianity that is nothing short of startling. A worker is fired for hanging a picture of Jesus in his own cubicle. A student is not allowed to have a Christian t-shirt (although Harry Potter, or demonic rock stars, are allowed). At Virginia Tech itself, a spiritual convocation in the wake of the shootings stayed conspicuously away from direct mention of Christ! Cho mentioned Jesus more than the preachers did.
And so can come mayhem. Such may arrive by way of radical terrorist Muslims or bands of the alienated.
Our failure to help third-world nations transform into modern ones -- to develop supplies of water, to develop hygiene -- may now bring immigrants from those downtrodden nations to our doorstep (and lead one day to uprisings). Without God, factions could find themselves at odds with newcomers.
Or there can be disputes over water. Regions from the southwest may vie with those around the Great Lakes. Might the U.S. one day find itself split into several federations? If nothing else, shooting outbreaks could spread in the same way that Virginia Tech was followed by threats at others schools (causing dozens to lock down in California alone and a shooting at NASA). Strange are our times when a female astronaut is arrested for trying to abduct another astronaut just weeks before.
We have celebrities who murder. We have movies that show how to cause mayhem. Years ago, we had an article on Dr. Howard Storm, a former atheist and college professor who underwent a dramatic conversion when he "died" from a ruptured duodenum (while leading a tour of Paris art museums) and found himself in a foggy corridor on the way to what he believes was hell.
When this atheist finally called out to God, a Light came and drew him out of the pit. Dr. Storm found himself in the company of angels who supposedly showed him the future of our country. The professor -- who is now a protestant minister, and also a missionary in Belize (he has built three Catholic churches there) -- claims he was told by the angels that there would come a time during this century when America would be broken down into a peasant way of life. "I asked how [purification] would come about, and they said it would be simple, that our society is very dependent on a lot of very fragile things -- energy grid, transportation," he intoned. "In each geographical area of the United States people used to be relatively self-sufficient as far as agricultural products. Now, how long would any state survive without the transport of food and energy?
"What would happen is these very complex and delicate grids of our economic system would begin to break down. We've created a society of such cruel and self-centered people that the very nature of civilization would begin to break down. They (the angels) showed me that what would happen is that people would begin robbing the grocery stores, hoarding goods, and killing one another for gasoline and tires, and as a consequence everything would break down and would end up in chaos."
The word we get here is "uproar." There will be upheaval. There is always upheaval in the absence of the Prince of Peace. There is also upheaval when we turn against life, as with the birth rates. Although previously reserved about a timetable (saying that the events he saw would occur over a century or two), Reverend Storm says in a new video interview that he has a growing sense of urgency. He isn't quite ready to wear a sandwich sign proclaiming the end. But he too senses change.
"I think we'll find it even with what's happening to gasoline," he told me yesterday (5/14/07). "Now that it's more than three dollars a gallon, things will be changing. Everything is going to be changing. "I don't think this country is going in the right direction. I don't think that it has responded appropriately to God for the blessings it received. We are consistently moving away from God. If we went out to the rest of the world and acted in a Christ-like manner, we would not have problems with terrorists."
That is Dr. Storm's take. Time frames? No one can really get into that. But sometimes we feel "pushed" by the Holy Spirit. The Final Hour was interesting because one morning when I was writing it I suddenly "heard" the words, "You shall call this book 'The Final Hour,'" (in my head, not my ears). It was an odd notion because I never thought of such a title for this book (about apparitions of the Blessed Mother) and had no intention of such a "sensational" title! I shook my head, went back to writing, and heard the words again. You shall call this book 'The Final Hour.' And I rejected it again. Then I "heard" it a third time. It was about 7:30 a.m., and shortly I was on my way to Mass. I had all but forgotten the "title" suggestion -- having rejected it as too "apocalyptic."
The Mass reading that day took me aback. It was from 1 John 2:18: "Children, it is the final hour; just as you heard that the anti-christ was coming, so now many such antichrists have appeared. This makes us certain that it is the final hour." I got the same "word" on my current book, Tower of Light. It just came out of nowhere. That should not have surprised me. For it is the follow up, the other bookend, to The Final Hour and a book that I hope inspires prayer." (Article here).
According to a very disturbing report, food prices will soon spiral out of control. The result will, of course, be societal chaos. Our Lady has warned that America would know the hour of poverty and defeat because of its refusal to accept God's Law of Love and to follow His Commandments. The handwriting is now on the wall for this country, for a nation which slaughters the innocent unborn and promotes a multitude of evils including sodomy:
"You have defied the Lord of Heaven, you have had the vessels from His Temple brought to you, and you, your noblemen, your wives and your singing women have drunk your wine out of them. You have praised gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, which cannot either see, hear or understand; but you have given no glory to the God Who holds your breath and all your fortunes in His hands. That is why He has sent the hand which, by itself, has written these words. The writing reads: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. The meaning of the words is this: Mene, God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Parsin, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians." (Daniel 5: 23-28).
In the same way, we forget how delicate our infrastructure is. Such comes to mind as the price of gasoline skyrockets. Could a major shift in the availability of energy provoke huge disturbances? Might we be in for societal disturbances such as what we saw at Virginia Tech -- but for different reasons and on a larger scale?
Without prayer, without massive conversion, this is precisely the direction in which we are headed. A societal breakdown. A collapse of infrastructure.
Are we facing a time when the rule of law will break down? An economic or natural disaster could spark it -- as happened on a smaller scale in the aftermath of hurricanes like Katrina. Might we be in for a time when there be ethnic violence? Will resentments harbored by various factions break out into a chaotic form of civil warfare? Roving bands of miscreants could cause a huge disruption that would tear at the very fabric of the nation.
I feel called to mention that. Such is the fate of a country that has forsaken belief. Just yesterday, a 91-year-old was beaten mercilessly in a carjacking in Detroit. Meanwhile, an estimate says that by 2050, a billion will be displaced worldwide by climate shifts. Right now, instead of conversion, there are signs of an intolerance toward Christianity that is nothing short of startling. A worker is fired for hanging a picture of Jesus in his own cubicle. A student is not allowed to have a Christian t-shirt (although Harry Potter, or demonic rock stars, are allowed). At Virginia Tech itself, a spiritual convocation in the wake of the shootings stayed conspicuously away from direct mention of Christ! Cho mentioned Jesus more than the preachers did.
And so can come mayhem. Such may arrive by way of radical terrorist Muslims or bands of the alienated.
Our failure to help third-world nations transform into modern ones -- to develop supplies of water, to develop hygiene -- may now bring immigrants from those downtrodden nations to our doorstep (and lead one day to uprisings). Without God, factions could find themselves at odds with newcomers.
Or there can be disputes over water. Regions from the southwest may vie with those around the Great Lakes. Might the U.S. one day find itself split into several federations? If nothing else, shooting outbreaks could spread in the same way that Virginia Tech was followed by threats at others schools (causing dozens to lock down in California alone and a shooting at NASA). Strange are our times when a female astronaut is arrested for trying to abduct another astronaut just weeks before.
We have celebrities who murder. We have movies that show how to cause mayhem. Years ago, we had an article on Dr. Howard Storm, a former atheist and college professor who underwent a dramatic conversion when he "died" from a ruptured duodenum (while leading a tour of Paris art museums) and found himself in a foggy corridor on the way to what he believes was hell.
When this atheist finally called out to God, a Light came and drew him out of the pit. Dr. Storm found himself in the company of angels who supposedly showed him the future of our country. The professor -- who is now a protestant minister, and also a missionary in Belize (he has built three Catholic churches there) -- claims he was told by the angels that there would come a time during this century when America would be broken down into a peasant way of life. "I asked how [purification] would come about, and they said it would be simple, that our society is very dependent on a lot of very fragile things -- energy grid, transportation," he intoned. "In each geographical area of the United States people used to be relatively self-sufficient as far as agricultural products. Now, how long would any state survive without the transport of food and energy?
"What would happen is these very complex and delicate grids of our economic system would begin to break down. We've created a society of such cruel and self-centered people that the very nature of civilization would begin to break down. They (the angels) showed me that what would happen is that people would begin robbing the grocery stores, hoarding goods, and killing one another for gasoline and tires, and as a consequence everything would break down and would end up in chaos."
The word we get here is "uproar." There will be upheaval. There is always upheaval in the absence of the Prince of Peace. There is also upheaval when we turn against life, as with the birth rates. Although previously reserved about a timetable (saying that the events he saw would occur over a century or two), Reverend Storm says in a new video interview that he has a growing sense of urgency. He isn't quite ready to wear a sandwich sign proclaiming the end. But he too senses change.
"I think we'll find it even with what's happening to gasoline," he told me yesterday (5/14/07). "Now that it's more than three dollars a gallon, things will be changing. Everything is going to be changing. "I don't think this country is going in the right direction. I don't think that it has responded appropriately to God for the blessings it received. We are consistently moving away from God. If we went out to the rest of the world and acted in a Christ-like manner, we would not have problems with terrorists."
That is Dr. Storm's take. Time frames? No one can really get into that. But sometimes we feel "pushed" by the Holy Spirit. The Final Hour was interesting because one morning when I was writing it I suddenly "heard" the words, "You shall call this book 'The Final Hour,'" (in my head, not my ears). It was an odd notion because I never thought of such a title for this book (about apparitions of the Blessed Mother) and had no intention of such a "sensational" title! I shook my head, went back to writing, and heard the words again. You shall call this book 'The Final Hour.' And I rejected it again. Then I "heard" it a third time. It was about 7:30 a.m., and shortly I was on my way to Mass. I had all but forgotten the "title" suggestion -- having rejected it as too "apocalyptic."
The Mass reading that day took me aback. It was from 1 John 2:18: "Children, it is the final hour; just as you heard that the anti-christ was coming, so now many such antichrists have appeared. This makes us certain that it is the final hour." I got the same "word" on my current book, Tower of Light. It just came out of nowhere. That should not have surprised me. For it is the follow up, the other bookend, to The Final Hour and a book that I hope inspires prayer." (Article here).
According to a very disturbing report, food prices will soon spiral out of control. The result will, of course, be societal chaos. Our Lady has warned that America would know the hour of poverty and defeat because of its refusal to accept God's Law of Love and to follow His Commandments. The handwriting is now on the wall for this country, for a nation which slaughters the innocent unborn and promotes a multitude of evils including sodomy:
Friday, November 05, 2010
Pope Benedict XVI: Church needs purification
And that purification is coming. Our Lady told Father Gobbi of the Marian Movement of Priests that very soon, "there will come to completion that fullness of time beginning with La Salette all the way to my most recent and present apparitions; the purification will come to its culmination; there will come to completion the time of the great tribulation, foretold in Holy Scripture, before the Second Coming of Christ; the mystery of iniquity, prepared for by the ever-increasing spread of apostasy, will become manifest; all the secrets which I have revealed to some of my children will come to pass and all the events which have been foretold will take place."
Most people today have become numb. Even most within the Church no longer believe in prophecy because certain prophecies have not been fulfilled within their timetable. Such people forget that our first Pope warned that God does not "delay" but is patient as He waits for His children to return to Him. But the time of mercy is quickly fading.
The Church will be purified. Our Lady has said so. And Christ's Vicar is saying that the Church needs purification. More than ever, we must avail ourselves of the sacraments. Now is the time to reconcile with God. Receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Eucharist, confess your sins, pray every day (and especially the Rosary), adore Jesus in the Eucharist.
Time is running out. The Dies Irae is approaching. The Day which makes even the angels tremble. We need not fear if we are striving to live a godly life and trust in the Lord Jesus. But God will not be mocked.
Most people today have become numb. Even most within the Church no longer believe in prophecy because certain prophecies have not been fulfilled within their timetable. Such people forget that our first Pope warned that God does not "delay" but is patient as He waits for His children to return to Him. But the time of mercy is quickly fading.
The Church will be purified. Our Lady has said so. And Christ's Vicar is saying that the Church needs purification. More than ever, we must avail ourselves of the sacraments. Now is the time to reconcile with God. Receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Eucharist, confess your sins, pray every day (and especially the Rosary), adore Jesus in the Eucharist.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
"...the world will be completely covered in the darkness of the denial of God.."
So few have time for God in our sin-sick, materialistic society. While stores, restaurants and sports stadiums are filled to capacity, our churches are emptying and only a handful spend time in Eucharistic Adoration. Our Lady told Father Gobbi of the Marian Movement of Priests, "...His Second Coming, beloved children, will be like the first. As was His birth on this night, so also will be the return of Jesus in glory, before His final coming for the last judgment, the hour of which, however, is still hidden in the secrets of the Father. The world will be completely covered in the darkness of the denial of God, of its obstinate rejection of Him and of rebellion against His law of love. The coldness of hatred will still cause the roadways of this world to be deserted. Almost no one will be ready to receive Him...
The great ones will not even remember Him, the rich will close their doors on Him, while His own will be too busy with seeking and affirming themselves. 'When the Son of Man comes, will He still find faith on the earth?' He will come suddenly and the world will not be ready for His coming. He will come for a judgment for which man will find himself unprepared. He will come to establish His kingdom in the world, after having defeated and annihilated His enemies."
Are we ready to receive the Lord Jesus? Are we prepared for what is coming? It was St. Louis de Montfort who said, "The reign of the Father's Mission was complete with the deluge of the flood; the reign of the Son's Mission was complete with the deluge of Blood on the Cross; the reign of the Holy Spirit's Mission will be complete with the deluge of 'Fire and Love and Justice' in the latter days."
Remember the warning of Akita?
The great ones will not even remember Him, the rich will close their doors on Him, while His own will be too busy with seeking and affirming themselves. 'When the Son of Man comes, will He still find faith on the earth?' He will come suddenly and the world will not be ready for His coming. He will come for a judgment for which man will find himself unprepared. He will come to establish His kingdom in the world, after having defeated and annihilated His enemies."
Are we ready to receive the Lord Jesus? Are we prepared for what is coming? It was St. Louis de Montfort who said, "The reign of the Father's Mission was complete with the deluge of the flood; the reign of the Son's Mission was complete with the deluge of Blood on the Cross; the reign of the Holy Spirit's Mission will be complete with the deluge of 'Fire and Love and Justice' in the latter days."
Remember the warning of Akita?
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Pro-Life Tsunami At The Polls?
"America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father's role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts -- a child -- as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience. It has nominally accorded mothers unfettered dominion over the independent lives of their physically dependent sons and daughters"
And, in granting this unconscionable power, it has exposed many women to unjust and selfish demands from their husbands or other sexual partners. Human rights are not a privilege conferred by government. They are every human being's entitlement by virtue of his humanity. The right to life does not depend, and must not be declared to be contingent, on the pleasure of anyone else, not even a parent or a sovereign." (Mother Theresa -- "Notable and Quotable," Wall Street Journal, 2/25/94, p. A14)
"But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - a direct killing of the innocent child - murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even his life to love us. So the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love - that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.
"Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted, and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child, and be loved by the child. From our children's home in Calcutta alone, we have saved over 3,000 children from abortions. These children have brought such love and joy to their adopting parents, and have grown up so full of love and joy!"
February 1997 - National Prayer Breakfast in Washington attended by the President and the First Lady. "What is taking place in America," she said, "is a war against the child. And if we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another."
"Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants."
"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish."
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