Giving up.

Until the Holy Father speaks and addresses the issue of sexual abuse and cover-up I have no interest in what any Catholic has to say on the subject, be they cardinal, archbishop, bishop, priest, religious or laity.

I'm going to confession now.

Song for this post here.

Our Lady's Birthday

You, O little Mary, Maria Bambina, are the Cause of our Joy! Your appearance in the arms of your mother announces that the Word of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, will soon appear in your arms. And you have but one desire, one joy: to give us your Son, to draw us to Him, that your joy might be ours and that our joy might be fulfilled. Amen

I am all thine, and all that I have is thine, O most loving Jesus,

through Mary Thy most holy and Immaculate Mother.

Just a thought ...

I'm sincerely and honestly sad about the crisis in the Church. I don't think I have ever felt such sorrow. I no longer feel anger or betrayal, but genuine sadness. I thank God for this grace.

Catholics are fed up?

And wouldn't object to a federal investigation?

Who is Austin Ruse to make a claim like that?  What Catholics are saying that?  What do these people believe?  Are they really Catholic?  Or do they worship Trump and the U.S. Government?

It’s possible the president does not know what the Vatican is really doing to handle the crisis. Someone should tell Trump that Pope Francis and his men have been content to remain silent and allow media cutouts to slander the accuser, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who released his j’accuse two weeks ago.

President Trump should understand that Catholics are fed up and would not object to federal intervention into this crisis. Consider that high-ranking officials of a foreign government have covered up the criminal sexual assault of American men and boys. This is how this crisis should be viewed by the U.S. government. 

The U.S. government should request that the Vatican release all documents related to McCarrick’s sexual assaults. There are files in the Vatican embassy in Washington DC and in various offices in Rome. Again, the President should act as if that criminal behavior against Americans was covered up by officials of a foreign government. - Ruse

Bringing it on themselves.

These people believe Government can fix everything, that Trump can make the Church great again.  They are willing to surrender their religious freedom to the Government.  They don't know what they are asking, they don't know of what spirit they are.

Mr. Ruse and his fellow ideologues have lost any shred of credibility they maybe once had.  This proposal is sheer demagoguery.  You cannot serve God and mammon.  History demonstrates the lunacy of government intervention in the Church.  Be careful what you wish for and the precedent you are willing to sell Peter for.

NB: To be sure, criminal acts should be prosecuted, and victims should be free to alert the police when crimes are committed, as in the case of sexual abuse of minors and rape.  Mistakes were made when victims appealed to chanceries and bishops in the past.  However, sexual misconduct with adults, as in McCarrick's case is probably not a criminal offense.  It's sexual harassment most likely, but if victims did not report, or were ignored, and a culture of abuse ensued, I'm not sure it is a criminal offense in the same way as abuse of minors. I'm not a lawyer.

It should be noted that as in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report, several priests who were listed for 'credible charges of abuse' were either found innocent or their cases dismissed - nevertheless, their names remain on the list of priests with credible allegations.  This is how it works in every diocese.  It's one thing to have a DA or Grand Jury to review records, it's quite another to call on the Trump Administration to intervene.

"When we try to use the federal government to intercede in religious affairs, it inherently weakens the unique character of Christ's kingdom." - Jimmy Carter

Mexico

Spain

Fun painting.

I'm working on Nativity backgrounds for a priest friend of mine.  The photo shown here is part of a series I did for a creche a few years ago.  They are fun to paint because it's all imaginative - just a landscape with romantic scenes.  I looked up my old photos to see how they compare, so far my new stuff is darker.  This kind of thing is fun to do.

Things that don't matter: Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations (2005)

Dos sacerdotes fueron denunciados y arrestados

por practicar sexo oral dentro 

de un Volkswagen negro estacionado 

en medio de una populosa Ocean Drive en Miami Beach

cuando fueron tomados por sorpresa por la policía.

But Father!  Lewd and lascivious behavior and indecent exposure?

But we spent three years of prayer and chastity before ordination!

That's why I bring the gay stuff up. You know, like admitting homosexuals to seminary or religious life - encouraging them in a vocation? How can spiritual directors do that? How can aspirants be so selfish but to think religious life is some sort of safe-space for them? How can they be led to believe celibate life will somehow guarantee a life of religious continence when they know they can't even stop thinking about touching themselves?

Or in the case of the two priests arrested in Florida, they can't keep from touching one another.

Two priests from the Archdiocese of Chicago were arrested Monday in Miami, after the men were reportedly found engaged in a sex act within a parked car. At least one of them was a participant in a program for Hispanic seminarians that was suspended by the Archdiocese of Chicago. 

One of the priests, Father Diego Berrio, is the pastor of Misión San Juan Diego in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He was also appointed this summer the interim “coordinator of the Office for Extern and International Priests.” The other priest, Father Edwin Cortez, reportedly listed the parish as his address when he was arrested, but CNA could not confirm whether he is assigned to the parish. 

The priests were both charged with lewd conduct, and Father Cortez was also charged with indecent exposure. 

Father Berrio was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2008. Father Berrio was a judge on the Metropolitan Tribunal from 2014 to the present.   Finish reading here.

These poor guys may suffer from SSA, but they are not at all gay... don't ever say they are gay.

As politicized white folks screaming at each other doesn't meet any credible standard of "news" - Whispers

What's that supposed to mean?

Just kidding, kinda.  A friend sent me the Rocco quote this morning.  I love how people use 'white folks' to insinuate some sort of racist motive - or not.  Last week Cupich suggested the enemies of the Pope didn't like him because he's Latino - I thought that was stupid too.  Especially considering Francis is Italian, born in Argentina.  Anyway, he was deflecting as usual.

Talk about politicized.

Mass hysterics ... Now Catholics want the Government to step in?

Blognic in an egg.

(I depicted Thomas Peters in the papal tiara.)

Catholic Vote Thomas Peters is sounding more and more like Michael Voris.

Church Militant says Catholic Trump supporters would like the trump administration to step in an resolve clergy sex abuse scandal and make the American Church great again.

Politically conservative, angry Catholic Trump supporters want the federal government to take action and end the scourge of sex abuse and cover-up by Catholic clergy and leaders, and these are the voters among Catholics that Trump needs to pay attention to - regular Mass attending Catholics. - CM

Peters has lost it as well, writing:

I have come to the difficult conclusion, along with Hugh Hewitt and others, that a government-led investigation into the Catholic hierarchy is probably the only means at our disposal to be an example for the universal church for how to uproot this network of corruption inside our church and yes, to get priests and bishops to begin speaking out and turning each other in, following the trail back to the loggia of Rome. 49 more state attorney generals and the Attorney General using every means at their disposal to discover which bishops and cardinals have endangered children by moving predator priests, have orchestrated cover ups to protect abusive priests and bishops and cardinals and have individually and collectively preyed upon young men and seminarians. Open up the files. Follow the paper trail. Deposition. Subpoena. Jail. - CatholicVote

You Mr. Peter's think like American lobbyists and political pundits.  Talk about partisanship and tribalism - who knew uber-Catholics would be the ones to bring on the persecution?  They literally have more faith in the secular government and Trump than in Christ and the Church.  Be careful what you wish for Poodles.

"Christ wins in the end." - Pope Benedict

Be careful what you wish for.

Protests too much ...

What?

Me thinks.

These days, just be careful who is outing who, Poodles.

That's all.

“Express how you feel and then be quiet. Because the truth is humble, the truth is silent, the truth isn't noisy." - P. Francis

When the lies and hypocrisies are exposed, the lusts and indecency out in the open ... 

Amid the shouting, Jesus walked in peace through the midst of them.

I think this is what is happening - the shouting and accusations and stories circulating within ourselves, keep us from recollection and prayer.  The fighting - the competition between politics and religion and our social calendars and agenda; the betrayal of trust, the hypocrisy, the in-fighting, the name calling, vanity and greed, placing our trust in all that is not God, the lying ...  

So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. - John 8:59

We encounter Christ rejected, in the sin that wears a thousand faces.

How could we possibly have the heart to mock these people or to hate them, this multitude of sinners with whom we rub shoulders?

The solitude of God in fraternal charity; it is Christ serving Christ, Christ in the one who is serving and Christ in the one being served. - Madeleine Delbrel

He walked in peace through the midst of them. 

The world revolves, the cross remains the same.  It's not just a pious platitude.  Misguided churchmen think the papacy will become irrelevant, that the Church will collapse, and everyone feels an urgent need to call out warnings, making calls for battle, and so on, yet Christ remains with the Church.  He remains with us, in his silent loving action in the Eucharist.  The same yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

I need to try and make reparation.

There is a time for everything,

a time to be silent,

 and a time to speak. - Eccl 3:7

Nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor ...

Eternal Father, 

we offer You the Adorable Face of Your well-beloved Son,

 for the Honor and Glory of Your Holy Name, 

and for the salvation of all men. Amen.

The Readings for Today.

I've gone too far online, I've sat among the scorners and offered reproaches against my neighbor, slandered and/or spread scandalous theories and speculation regarding the moral life of those I don't know.  Once again, I've engaged in spreading gossip regarding the scandals in the Church.  This isn't what religion is all about - this isn't religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father.  This behavior has nothing to do with true devotion and reparation.

This morning I understood how the Holy Face of Jesus is the perfect reflection of what the Church suffers, and how all of the reproaches, scorn and contempt filling the Internet have fallen upon the Holy Face of Jesus - in his sacred passion of course, but also once again in the current crisis the Church is going through.  I am guilty. I need to try and make reparation.  

Many of us have aligned ourselves with factions which are more political in nature - identifying as liberal or conservative and so on.  The Church has to be above that.  I think that would be the message of Christ's silence before Pilate, and likewise, his silent loving gaze in the Veil of Veronica, and in the Eucharist.  He remains silent.  I may be wrong, but it seems to this is a mystery we cannot lightly attribute to anyone save Christ and the Church.  

I look at the Holy Face, covered with blood, sweat, spittle, bruising from slaps, covered once again in the barrage of daily scorn and contempt, and shouts, repeating in our own mendacious manner: "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?" And they spoke many other words against him, reviling him."  We keep doing it.

I have to try to make reparation.

Happy indeed is the man
who follows not the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingers in the way of sinners
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord
and who ponders his law day and night.

He is like a tree that is planted
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper.
Not so are the wicked, not so!

For they like winnowed chaff
shall be driven away by the wind.
When the wicked are judged they shall not stand,
nor find room among those who are just;
for the Lord guards the way of the just
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.