Gotta give it up ...

This is good - from Bishop Barron.

I have to let my participation in any discussion fade away.  I hurt too many feelings with my commentary.  I'm so sorry.

The McCarrick Mess | Word on Fire

So what should be done? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has no juridical or canonical authority to discipline bishops. And even if it tried to launch an investigation, it has, at the moment, very little credibility. Only the Pope has juridical and disciplinary powers in regard to bishops. Hence, I would suggest (as a lowly back-bencher auxiliary) that the bishops of the United States—all of us—petition the Holy Father to form a team, made up mostly of faithful lay Catholics skilled in forensic investigation, and to empower them to have access to all of the relevant documentation and financial records. Their task should be to determine how Archbishop McCarrick managed, despite his widespread reputation for iniquity, to rise through the ranks of the hierarchy and to continue, in his retirement years, to function as a roving ambassador for the Church and to have a disproportionate influence on the appointment of bishops. They should ask the ecclesial version of Sen. Howard Baker’s famous questions: “What did the responsible parties know and when did they know it?” Only after these matters are settled will we know what the next steps ought to be. - Read more here

The Church and the Episcopacy Cannot Be Politicized

Archbishop Joseph Naumann

[He's an excellent bishop,

he once rebuked VP Biden as well.]

That's corrupt.

Crux reported on the election of Archbishop Naumann as chairman of the Committee for Pro-Life Activities for the USCCB as if it was a race for political office.

Yesterday’s big Catholic news in the States was the election of Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, over Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago as chair of the Committee for Pro-Life Activities at the U.S. bishops’ fall meeting.

It was the tightest vote of the six races for committee chairs at the 2017 meeting, with Naumann prevailing 96-82. Going in the thought was that Cupich might have the edge, in part because of the bishops’ tendency to choose cardinals to lead the committee to give it a higher profile. - Crux

While posting a disclaimer, and doing a good job explaining the election process,  the tone is decidedly partisan, political and all about competition.  Why are these things represented in partisan-political terms? Why is this considered a 'race' for committee chairs?  A competition to gain control?  That's totally inappropriate language and terminology for ecclesial affairs.  It feeds into the clericalist culture everyone likes to condemn.   Furthermore, it feeds into liberal/conservative anti-papist politics and propaganda circulated online.  Catholic journalists, pundits, and commentators share responsibility with right-wing-nuts for the divisiveness in the Church.  

I'm against it.

Archbishop Chaput: Smarter Than A Jesuit ...

We need to speak plainly and honestly. - Archbishop Chaput


I think the Archbishop is smarter than most everyone I've been reading lately.  He certainly knows what's going on in American politics, and what has been going on in the "American" Catholic Church.  At least what he has to say really resonates with me.

I want to speak first about the people we’ve become as American Catholics. Then I’ll turn to how and why we got where we are. Finally I’ll suggest what we need to do about it, not merely as individuals, but more importantly as a Church. We need to recover our identity as a believing community. And I think a good way to begin doing that is with the “catechetical content” of our current political moment.

My focus today isn’t politics. And I won’t waste our time weighing one presidential candidate against the other. I’ve already said elsewhere that each is a national embarrassment, though for different reasons. But politics involves the application of power, and power always has a moral dimension. So we can’t avoid dealing with this election at least briefly.

The 2016 election is one of those rare moments when the repellent nature of both presidential candidates allows the rest of us to see our nation’s pastoral terrain as it really is. And the view is unpleasant. America’s cultural and political elites talk a lot about equality, opportunity and justice. But they behave like a privileged class with an authority based on their connections and skills. And supported by sympathetic media, they’re remaking the country into something very different from anything most of us remember or the Founders imagined.

The WikiLeaks email release last week from the Clinton entourage says a lot about how the merit-class elite views people like those in this room. It’s not friendly.

But what does any of this have to do with our theme? Actually quite a lot. G.K. Chesterton once quipped that America is a nation that thinks it’s a Church. And he was right. In fact, he was more accurate than he could have guessed. Catholics came to this country to build a new life. They did exceptionally well here. They’ve done so well that by now many of us Catholics are largely assimilated to, and digested by, a culture that bleaches out strong religious convictions in the name of liberal tolerance and dulls our longings for the supernatural with a river of practical atheism in the form of consumer goods.

To put it another way, quite a few of us American Catholics have worked our way into a leadership class that the rest of the country both envies and resents. And the price of our entry has been the transfer of our real loyalties and convictions from the old Church of our baptism to the new “Church” of our ambitions and appetites. People like Nancy Pelosi, Anthony Kennedy, Joe Biden and Tim Kaine are not anomalies. They’re part of a very large crowd that cuts across all professions and both major political parties. - Chaput at Notre Dame

That's a lot to quote - but it's important - the entire address is very important for Catholics to read and ponder.  I was especially struck by Chaput's notion of a smaller, more faithful Church - which echoes what Pope Benedict XVI said.  I don't hear Chaput condemning anyone - but simply pointing out some very serious differences.

During his years as bishop of Rome, Benedict XVI had the talent of being very frank about naming sin and calling people back to fidelity. Yet at the same time he modeled that fidelity with a kind of personal warmth that revealed its beauty and disarmed the people who heard him. He spoke several times about the “silent apostasy” of so many Catholic laypeople today and even many priests; and his words have stayed with me over the years because he said them in a spirit of compassion and love, not rebuke.

Catholics today—and I’m one of them—feel a lot of unease about declining numbers and sacramental statistics. Obviously we need to do everything we can to bring tepid Catholics back to active life in the Church. But we should never be afraid of a smaller, lighter Church if her members are also more faithful, more zealous, more missionary and more committed to holiness. Making sure that happens is the job of those of us who are bishops.

Losing people who are members of the Church in name only is an imaginary loss. It may in fact be more honest for those who leave and healthier for those who stay. We should be focused on commitment, not numbers or institutional throw-weight. We have nothing to be afraid of as long as we act with faith and courage.

We need to speak plainly and honestly. Modern bureaucratic life, even in the Church, is the enemy of candor and truth. We live in an age that thrives on the subversion of language. - Read the entire address here.

The Archbishop discusses inclusivity at the end of the address.  I apologize for such a long post, but what he has to say is especially important to ponder and come to terms with ...

If by “inclusive” we mean patiently and sensitively inviting all people to a relationship with Jesus Christ, then yes, we do very much need to be inclusive. But if “inclusive” means including people who do not believe what the Catholic faith teaches and will not reform their lives according to what the Church holds to be true, then inclusion is a form of lying. And it’s not just lying but an act of betrayal and violence against the rights of those who do believe and do seek to live according to God’s Word. Inclusion requires conversion and a change of life; or at least the sincere desire to change. 

Saying this isn’t a form of legalism or a lack of charity. It’s simple honesty. And there can be no real charity without honesty. We need to be very careful not to hypnotize ourselves with our words and dreams. The “new evangelization” is fundamentally not so different from the “old evangelization.” It begins with personal witness and action, and with sincere friendships among committed Catholics—not with bureaucratic programs or elegant sounding plans. These latter things can be important. But they’re never the heart of the matter. - Finish reading here.

Don't read too much into the title of this post.  Remember Tim Kaine is very proud of his Jesuit education - and rightly so.  Archbishop Chaput is smarter though. More credible as well.

h/t Ray

God really is gravely offended by sacrilege and blasphemy...

Bishop Paprocki.

The Bishop of Springfield recently banned Rainbow Sash people and gay marriage advocates from the Cathedral, explaining that praying the rosary publicly for same sex marriage is blasphemous:

“Praying for same-sex marriage should be seen as blasphemous, and as such will not be permitted in the cathedral,” he warned. “People wearing a rainbow sash or who otherwise identify themselves as affiliated with the Rainbow Sash Movement will not be admitted into the cathedral, and anyone who gets up to pray for same-sex marriage in the cathedral will be asked to leave.” - Source

The Shepherd is exercising his right and duty, protecting the sheep - he is also protecting the perpetrators from committing blasphemy, a grave offense against God.  In effect the Bishop is acting mercifully.

God is gravely offended by sacrilege and blasphemy.  We try to make reparation for such sins through prayer and penance.  ["Reparation is a work destined to save society." - Pius IX]  When possible, it seems to me it is even better to prevent the commission of such sins.  For myself, that is the positive side, the merciful aspect of Bishop Paprocki's actions, he not only prevented public blasphemy but he also protected the faithful from grave scandal.  There are consequences to sin.

Does God get angry?

People like to say God doesn't get angry, that he doesn't punish.  I'm not a theologian, but I think that may be a mistaken notion.  After all, aren't there sins that cry to heaven for vengeance?  Doesn't every sin carry with it some sort of chastisement?  In the Old Testament there are numerous examples of God's 'wrath', likewise, private revelations in recent times have indicated that God is not pleased - to say the least - by the increase of sin throughout the world.  In her apparitions Our Lady frequently calls Christians to amend their lives and stop offending God, who is already gravely offended.

Pondering the purposeful actions of Bishop Paprocki, I searched St. John of the Cross for examples of prayers which might displease God - the type which could be considered blasphemous or sacrilegious.  I searched for scriptural references I knew St. John used to illustrate God's anger over similar things.  St. John points them out by way of his teaching on prayer and the purification required in preparation for a soul to arrive at union with God. 

God has fixed natural and rational limits by which man is to be ruled.

I couldn't really find anything directly related to God's anger because someone prayed for something illicit or against his will.  We know of course that God punished the Israelites for complaining and demanding the food they craved as they wandered in the desert.  We also know how Christ rebuked the disciples when they asked if they should call down fire from heaven on those who rejected their preaching.  Although vivid examples of Christ's anger are those directed to the money-changers in the Temple, as well as the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees.

Though I couldn't come up with anything specific, St. John of the Cross does cite several instances of God being angered, which may help us understand the grave offense of sacrilege and blasphemy.

In Chapter 21 of Book II of the Ascent, St. John writes that God is displeased by the request for revelations and locutions, despite the fact that some believe their curiosity to know these things is good because God has revealed himself in this manner in the past.  St. John asserts that God is not pleased, saying not only is he displeased, he is 'frequently angered and deeply offended.'  Explaining:

The reason lies in the illicitness of transcending the natural boundaries God has established for the governing of creatures.  He has fixed natural and rational limits by which man is to be ruled.  A desire to transcend them, hence, is unlawful... consequently, God who is offended ... is displeased.

"He has fixed natural and rational limits by which man is to be ruled.  A desire to transcend them, hence, is unlawful ..."  Imagine how 'unlawful' it is to transcend God's plan for marriage and family?

I may be overworking this, but...

St. John goes on to cite several examples of God's displeasure from scripture.  Now of course St. John is speaking of the illicitness of seeking knowledge of God through revelations and locutions, and in the cases he cites, these requests run contrary to God's will and are therefore sinful.  As St. John explains why it was lawful to request signs and wonders in the Old Covenant, and why it is not expedient to do so in the New, I think he also helps us understand why praying for Divine approval or a change in doctrine upon something as illicit and sinful as same sex marriage, is so offensive to be regarded as blasphemous.

We must be guided humanly and visibly in all by the law of Christ the man and that of his Church and of his ministers.  This is the method of remedying our spiritual ignorances and weakness; here we shall find abundant medicine for them all.  Any departure from this road is ... extraordinary boldness ... one must ever adhere to Christ's teaching. - John of the Cross

Of course there are other sections of the Saint's writing which describe God's anger, but I'm not sure it's worth the time to try and manipulate them to illustrate something so obvious.  I'm not even sure why I even worked on this?  At any rate,  Bishop Paprocki's statement is enough:  “Praying for same-sex marriage should be seen as blasphemous..."

More importantly, Bishop Paprocki prevented the blasphemy from taking place, and he also offered pastoral consolation when he counseled:

"Of course, our cathedral and parish churches are always open to everyone who wishes to repent their sins and ask for God's forgiveness."

I believe God is always pleased by our repentance, and prayers for forgiveness - no matter where we are at.

Confidential memo from Bishop Morlino leaked...

Wisdom Well - turns out to be a leaky cistern.*


This story demonstrates - to me at least - though we do not often see public rebukes, corrections, disciplines applied to 'recalcitrant' religious persons or groups, Bishops do indeed take action to correct, admonish, and do whatever else is necessary before canonical censure, interdict, or excommunication is applied.

Bishop Morlino bans Madison Dominican sisters from conducting workshops and offering spiritual direction. 

Two longtime Madison nuns who lead an interfaith spirituality center have been banned by Madison Catholic Bishop Robert Morlino from holding workshops or providing spiritual direction or guidance at any Catholic churches in the 11-county diocese.
Sisters Maureen McDonnell and Lynn Lisbeth, both Sinsinawa Dominicans, have diverged too far from Catholic teaching, according to a confidential memo sent Nov. 27 to priests on behalf of Morlino. A copy of the memo was leaked to the State Journal.

Two other women connected to the interfaith center, called Wisdom's Well, also have been banned as part of the same action.

The memo says Morlino has "grave concerns" about the women's teachings, specifically that they "espouse certain views" flowing from such movements as "New Ageism" and "indifferentism." The latter, according to the memo, is "the belief that no one religion or philosophy is superior to another."

The women "may not share an authentic view of the Catholic Church's approach to interreligious dialogue," the memo said.

Brent King, a spokesman for the diocese, said three other potential parish guest speakers, all male, have been banned "in recent years." The women are not prohibited from attending Mass or, if Catholic, from receiving communion, King said. Asked whether they could contribute to parish life in other ways, such as reading Bible passages from the pulpit or chairing a church committee, King said that would be up to individual priests. - Read more here.

I suppose the Wisdom Well Holiday Retreat Cruise is off now too?

Wisconsin Dells Cruises

* Click here for musical accompaniment to this post.

h/t to Badger Catholic 

The other Terry...

Archbishop Terrence Pendergast speaks out in defense of marriage.

The Archbishop is here in the Twin Cities as a guest of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.  The Archbishop knows  first hand the consequences and limitations to religious freedom State-imposed same-sex marriage laws will effect.

MINNEAPOLIS — A religious leader from Canada visited the Twin Cities Monday to speak out in defense of marriage and families.

The Archbishop of Ottawa spoke at the University of St. Thomas, where the Minnesota Catholic Conference is underway.

Archbishop Terrance Prendergast says he’s here because of Minnesota’s upcoming vote on a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage, and he’s encouraging citizens to vote yes in November.

Canada’s parliament legalized same sex marriage several years ago. Prendergast says since then, the people of Canada’s religious freedoms have been under attack.

Prendergast was among several guests from Canada who talked about what they say are consequences of legalizing gay marriage.

The archbishop says businesses have been fined for turning away same sex couples. He claims Catholic schools that are publicly funded have no choice but to allow students to be a part of gay and lesbian clubs, even though it’s something they don’t believe in.
He points out voters in Canada didn’t get a choice, but voters in Minnesota do.

“They have the chance to say that in my conscience that I really believe the best thing for society or the better thing for society is to continue with the traditional meaning of marriage between a man and a woman,” said Prendergast. “For the good of society, for the good of children, for the good of everyone.” - Source

 

Pray for Archbishop Cordileone

Photo source.

 

The installation of the new Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco took place today in the City.

Salvatore Cordileone was installed as archbishop during a ceremony at St. Mary's Cathedral after being appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in July. - Source

The Archbishop needs our prayers.  Very much.

Yes! Yes! Bishop condemns cell phones and Internet as tools of...

SIN!

Paraguayan Catholic bishop Claudio Silvero said 40% of Catholic families suffer because of the bad use of mobile devices and the internet, “accursed tools of sin”. 

Bishop Claudio Silvero denounced the use of cell-phones and the internet in a homily last week at the shrine of Caacupe, 32 miles east of Asuncion.

According to the bishop, “phones ease access to pornography and aid in “inappropriate relations.” 

The Paraguayan bishop considers it is the Church’s responsibility to “warn and educate” parishioners about the dangers of these devices, a position not necessarily shared by the Vatican, with a handful of apps to their name, and always trying to up their presence in social networks. - Source

I'll bet the Bishop would love my "Blognic in an Egg".   It might even get an Imprimatur now!

Remember!  The road to hell is paved with donate buttons and credit cards.

Mass chat: Archbishop Nienstedt leads the battle for the pro-marriage vote.

It was in yesterday's paper:  Minnesota's Bishops say amendment that would ban gay marriage is a top issue in 2012 election.
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Archbishop Nienstedt is in the forefront of this struggle and is wasting no time:

Minnesota's Roman Catholic bishops are taking the unusual step of urging parish priests across the state to form committees to help get the proposed marriage amendment passed by voters in 2012.
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"It is imperative that we marshal our resources to educate the faithful about the church's teachings on these matters, and to vigorously organize and support a grass-roots effort to get out the vote to support the passage of this amendment," Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt wrote in a letter to his priests dated Oct. 4.
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The letter asks parish priests to "appoint a captain or co-chairs to lead a special parish ad hoc committee to spearhead this effort."
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Coming more than one year ahead of the November election, the move is the latest sign of the early intensity surrounding the amendment to change the state's Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
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Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, said the state's other bishops are expected to send out similar letters, "if they haven't already done so."
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"We believe it [marriage] is a vital social institution, and it's under attack in the courts, the Legislature and the culture," Adkins said. "And it would have profound consequences if marriage is in fact redefined. That's why we're putting extraordinary resources toward making sure this marriage amendment gets passed." - StarTribune

 So far no calls have come for a committee or chairperson to spearhead a grass roots group in my parish, although my pastor, who is very much on board with the Bishops on this issue, has been writing about Church teaching and the definition of marriage in the weekly bulletins.  Therefore, I expect some form of committee will indeed be organized sooner or later.
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I applaud the courage and leadership of the Archbishop in leading this battle, while providing such excellent catechesis and direction in the process, amidst such opposition.  My prayers for the bishops and the priests and lay faithful who support Church teaching and labor to safeguard traditional marriage and family life.

Pray for Bishop Finn, and all of our bishops...

Bishop Robert Finn Indicted.
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I haven't followed this story closely because I never expected it to come to the point of indictment.  As 'they' say, it is unprecedented.  I think Bishop Finn is a very good bishop, although others may condemn him for one mistake, most likely done in good faith.  At any rate, his 'negligence' was not criminal.  Anyway, he needs our prayers.  Here is the story:

Bishop Robert Finn on Friday became the highest-ranking Catholic official in the nation to face criminal prosecution in the decades-old child sexual abuse scandal — an action that stunned many inside and outside the church.

A Jackson County grand jury on Oct. 6 secretly indicted both Finn and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph on misdemeanor charges of failure to report child abuse in a case involving a priest facing child pornography charges.

As Finn and the diocese denied wrongdoing Friday after appearing in court, news of the charges roiled the nation and the Catholic world.

“This is historic,” said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, author of “Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church.” - Finish reading here.

Bishops in jail?  Be careful what you wish for.
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The Bishop Finn story reminds me of the Peter Kreeft statement:

Kreeft: It would be wonderful if 100 bishops got thrown in jail for marching with graphic images. - Source

Speaking of images of aborted babies, I know what he meant of course, but the idea of bishops in jail is never a good one, even in times of bloody persecution, and I wouldn't wish it on the worst of them.  On the subject of showing people graphic images of aborted, torn asunder, babies, whenever I've done it Catholic pro-life women asked me to remove them - so I'm not sure showing dead babies is the way to go.  I became convinced abortion was wrong when I actually saw a film from Sweden - shot inside a woman's body, showing the man ejaculating and following the rest to conception, implantation, and birth.  Explicit but not pornographic.  As a 'virgin' I understood the true meaning of sex and the conjugal act and I became entirely pro-life. 
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We don't have to show people death - we need to show them life.  Show them creation and creating life.  Americans are desensitized to death - remember Halloween is coming and all you have to do is count the zombies to know what I mean.
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Speaking of pro-life - it shouldn't be a business.
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Fr. Pavone defied his bishop and refused to meet with him.  Not good.  Not a good sign.  $$$$$$$

Pray for Fr. Pavone's Bishop Zurek too.

Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska on the need for clear teaching.

This is good...
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Priests should not use concerns over “prudence” as an excuse to avoid speaking boldly on the immorality of homosexual acts, says Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska.

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“Caution and prudence are important, but I don’t think they should be excuses for not properly speaking when speaking is necessary or extremely important pastorally,” the bishop told LifeSiteNews this week.
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He said priests may be reluctant to address homosexuality because “there’s a lot of intimidation in various places,” but he stressed that the wide promotion of openness to homosexuality in our culture demands that they present the Catholic Church’s teachings clearly. “In a culture in which this kind of activity is broadcast all over, I think it’s important that the teaching of the Church be clear and precise,” he said.
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“Homosexual acts are intrinsically evil, and if one does them with full knowledge and consent, they’re mortal sins and place one’s eternal salvation in the gravest of jeopardy,” he added.
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Those who experience same-sex attractions must “resist that inclination,” he said. “People who have such an inclination, however they obtained it, must maintain what God wants us to do in regard to the way human sexual activity and human reproductive activity takes place.”

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Bishop Bruskewitz lamented that “in recent times things that were unspoken, or basically unspeakable, are now broadcast all over the media.” “We have a proliferation of every sort of pornography on the internet, and there’s a general cultural deterioration in that direction,” he said.
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While there’s a need to present the Church’s sexual teachings clearly, the bishop also stressed that priests must make a “pastoral judgment” in determining the appropriate context for these discussions. “I think there’s a time and place to do these things. Sometimes there’s a certain delicacy, I think, and modesty in speaking and referring to sexual matters that has to observed,” he explained. - Source
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Unfortunately, because there is a proliferation of every sort of pornography in media - more like an inundation - Church teaching needs to be reiterated again and again.

Bishop Tobin regards homosexual persons with "respect, compassion, and sensitivity."

Faithful and charitable.
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Bishop Tobin may have surprised some when in an interview with a local news site he conceded, “People deserve human rights whether or not they’re gay.”  Although some people may disagree, especially those who would like to see homosexual persons exterminated from the face of the earth, there is nothing unusual or extraordinary in the Bishop's statements.  As to be expected, they accord perfectly with the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

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2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection. - CCC
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Bishop Tobin:  "The state should not be sanctioning behavior the Church regards as immoral."
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"In an exclusive interview, Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin said the Church is not opposed to granting some benefits and rights to gay couples—as long as the term marriage is not used.

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His statement—which was couched in caveats—nonetheless indicates a flexibility in the Church’s position that has previously been overlooked in the polarizing debate over gay marriage in Rhode Island.
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“The legislation we would support is what is often called ‘reciprocal benefits,’” Tobin told GoLocalProv. “It does not use marriage as a reference point. It would grant some legal benefits [and] some legal rights to two people who have some kind of established relationship without any particular reference to marriage. So it could be someone and their grandfather. Could be two cousins. Could be two elderly sisters.”
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Tobin declined to elaborate on exactly which legal benefits and rights he thought unmarried couples should have—saying that’s a question for legal experts. “People deserve human rights whether or not they’re gay,” Tobin said. “Now the reciprocal benefits [bill] recognizes some rights and some privileges irrespective of their orientation and that’s the key I think.”

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Tobin said he would not go as far as supporting civil unions, saying the church is as steadfastly opposed to civil unions as it is to gay marriage.
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“We would oppose what is commonly called civil unions because it’s really just another name for what would be same-sex marriage,” Tobin said. “We’ve found invariably whenever civil unions are introduced in a state that is quickly followed by full-fledged gay marriage.”
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“We think it is an ill-advised attempt to redefine the very basic parameters of marriage as they’ve existed from the very beginning of mankind—as the union of one man and one woman designed to create new life and to encourage the love of the spouses,” Tobin said.

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He also said the state should not be sanctioning behavior the Church regards as immoral and expressed concern that that a gay-marriage law could limit religious freedom. Even though the bill does not mandate that any church or other religious community perform gay marriages, Tobin said it could still force religious groups to grant benefits to gay couples.
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“The question whether or not some people are made that way—I think that’s still an open question. I’m not quite ready to cede that. But even if that is the case, that someone has that disposition, they still have the ability as human beings to control their behavior—otherwise there’s anarchy and chaos,” Tobin said.

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“The fact that a person is made a certain way is not immoral—again that’s the difference between orientation and activity,” Tobin said. “Having a homosexual orientation is no more or less immoral than having a heterosexual orientation. But, in both cases, whether it’s heterosexual or homosexual, we have to be able to control our behavior.” - Source

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Truth in charity.
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Photo credit:  Bishop Tobin

Sheehan speaks out on cohabiting couples.

Good stuff too!
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Read more here and here.
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What?

Bishop Aquila: Sound teaching.

Don't go to strangers...
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Avoid self-appointed prophets and visionaries.  At last the Church in the U.S. is getting  courageous and outspoken bishops defending the Truth of Catholic doctrine.  From Bishop Aquila:
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"Bishops and priests should not apologize or make excuses for the teachings of Christ and the Church, Bishop Aquila exhorted. Rather, they should teach with “charity and unhesitating truth.”

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The exercise of Church authority faces challenges because secular culture “makes man into god” and undermines any authority attributed to God. Bishops and priests should turn to Jesus Christ to learn how to exercise their authority in governing the Church, the Fargo bishop said.
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Jesus was “direct” in calling people to conversion and to change their way of acting and thinking, he pointed out.
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“This directness makes many of us uncomfortable today.
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“We should follow his example and language, even if we do not use his precise words. His language is good to contemplate and definitely should challenge us to look at how we correct the faithful, including priests and bishops, and speak the truth especially with those who say they are with Christ and the Church but do not accept the teaching of Jesus and the Church.”
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Jesus’ “forceful” language towards the Pharisees and Scribes “would never be tolerated today” but the Gospel writers did not hesitate to pass down his words, Bishop Aquila said.
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“In love Jesus makes these direct statements to open the eyes of those whose hearts and minds are hardened. His straight talk, given in love for the person, desires the conversion and holiness of the person to the ways of God,” the bishop explained.
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“(T)oo many people understand correction or punishment as not loving the other or as dominion over the other, and this is the work of ‘the father of lies.’ A reluctance or hesitancy to correct and properly punish does not invite the other into the truth that frees and ultimately fails in true charity.
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“As servants of truth, of Christ, we will correct those who sin for their own good and for the love of the other, even if it leads to our own persecution and rejection,” Bishop Aquila said. - CNA

"Don’t get trapped by partisan politics." - Archbishop Chaput

Feb. 25, 2011 (Fargo, ND) - Archbishop Chaput addressed laypeople of the Diocese of Fargo, with a presentation titled “Building a Culture of Life.” Archbishop offers a few “dos” and “don’ts” for building a culture of life, based on what he has seen in the American prolife experience throughout the past 38 years.

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...[T]he fast pace of party politics, and the illusion that politics rules the “commanding heights” of our society and can satisfy our Christian social obligations, makes political life very addictive. And this illusion gets dangerous when defending the unborn child is too closely identified with any particular political leader or, even worse, one specific party. The more prolifers tie themselves to a single political party, the less they can speak to society at large. Here in the United States, Catholics -- both on the left and the right -- have too often made the mistake of becoming cheerleaders for a specific candidate. - Archbishop Chaput, Building a Culture of Life
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"Here in the United States, Catholics -- both on the left and the right -- have too often made the mistake of becoming cheerleaders for a specific candidate."  Ain't that the truth. 

Can anything good come from California?

Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento.
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Bishop Soto is a very courageous bishop - remember when he 'crashed' the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries Conference back in 2008?  He gave the keynote address - which flipped out several traditional Catholics who felt he should have ignored the conference all together.  I agree with Soto's tactic - don't send spies or just issue press statements and letters - meet the problem head on - face to face.  He did.  He told the gathering: 
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"Sexual relations between people of the same sex can be alluring for homosexuals," Bishop Soto told the conference, "but it deviates from the true meaning of the act and distracts them from the true nature of love to which God has called us all. For this reason, it is sinful." Bishop Soto also urged Catholics to support Proposition 8, a ballot measure to protect marriage as a sacred covenant between a man and a woman. 
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Bishop Soto began his speech with a meditation on Jesus as he is frequently portrayed in modernity - the compassionate, lenient benefactor found in the Gospel miracle accounts.  "This can oftentimes lead us to the conclusion that Jesus always said 'yes.' He always gave people what they wanted. He was an agreeable person," said the bishop. This, however, is not the complete Gospel picture of Jesus, he warned. - Finish reading. 
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You have to be a man about it and step out of your paradigm - tell the truth.
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Bishop Soto is also one of the very few bishops or priests to actually address the issue of contraception - the 'original sin' of the 'sexual revolution'.  Nobody talks about this, just as most have been preaching watered down catechetics for the past 40 years.  Soto grabs the bull by the horns and gets to the root of the problems society is experiencing today:  Contraception.
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Writing in the Catholic Herald, the diocese’s new bimonthly magazine, Bishop Soto said that building a culture of life is “more than a political agenda.” The gospel of life has the power to “transform hearts and habits as well as laws.”
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“One habit that has taken hold of many marriages is the use of artificial means of contraception,” Bishop Soto wrote. “The prevalence of the practice in and outside of the Catholic community has made contraception the unquestioned default mode of marriage. As a consequence, sexuality and relationships are misunderstood and misused; and their true purpose is misplaced.”
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“The habit has shaped the hearts and minds of many, especially the young,” he continued. “Marriage is no longer understood as the covenant of love between a man and a woman that creates life, because procreation is no longer associated with sexual intercourse,” Bishop Soto continued.
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He said that in this situation, many people cannot understand why a sexual relationship between any two people who care for each other cannot be called a marriage. - Finish reading.
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How many bishops and priests do we ever hear this stuff from?  How many actually go out and face the dissenters head on?  God bless Bishop Soto.
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Image:  The personal coat of arms of Bishop Soto.  "To the upper left (to chief dexter) is a blue seven pointed star taken from the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe to reflect the Bishop’s deep devotion to the Virgin Mary, in this title, but also that all that he does as a bishop will be under her watchful protection. "