Unedited and controversial.

So Cardinal Bertone was right.
.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I do believe Bertone was correct in his assessment that the sexual abuse crises was/is largely a homosexual problem.  But I also made a point to explain that not all men with homosexual attraction are attracted to underage boys.  Fear mongers and journalists such as Ann Coulter seem to suggest that all homosexuals (sodomites as Coulter refers to them*) are natural born pedophiles, ephebophiles, and predators.  Such generalizations are not only absurd, they overlook the fact there are some men who, although they experience sexual temptation toward men (ie - understand themselves to be same-sex attracted), may never have acted out sexually with another male, therefore they cannot be described as predators, much less gay.  Likewise, I seriously doubt the majority of men with homosexual attraction ever felt themselves to be attracted to children, young boys, or even teenagers.  Nevertheless, principals on both sides of the argument seem to be painting same-sex attracted (or tempted) men with a very broad brush.  That is not to deny gay culture (GLBT) embraces a wide range of behaviors, but that is a separate issue.
.
There are actually men out there who are virgins and wouldn't think about committing a homosexual act, and then there are those who have been made virgins by the blood of Christ, who would never again act out.
.
Can men with SSA be admitted to monasteries, religious orders, or seminaries?
.
I went through a period when I thought absolutely not, but as a priest friend cautioned me that attitude discounts the grace of God which can cause a man to renounce such behaviors for the sake of the Gospel, as well as the grace to effect not only forgiveness of sins, but healing and wholeness for the man seeking to conform his life to Christ.  Of course my opinion is just that, a personal opinion - neither is it my call to make.  As I always say, these matters need to be discerned by the appropriate superiors, rectors, and in some cases, the local ordinary.  Imagine if Fr. Corapi's past had been homosexual?  Would his conversion have been accepted by the Church?  If not, where would the Church in this country be without such a powerful witness?  Just so, I'm convinced there are good priests in the Church who have renounced homosexuality and follow the teachings of the Church.
.
A sub-culture. 
.
Several years ago, in this archdiocese at least, there existed what one might call a rather permissive attitude regarding homosexuality, even in the seminary.  That has all changed today of course.  I mention it because in that atmosphere, a type of unacknowledged 'gay culture' developed - being gay wasn't a problem as long as the person was willing to live celibately - hence the perception you could still be gay and celibate...  the observance of chastity seemed to be a matter open to interpretation.
.
For me, and I believe for those charged with discernment in the matter of vocations (The call to orders is the personal responsibility of the bishop or the major superior.), this attitude poses a problem chiefly due to the fact one clings to his identity as a gay man, even though he has chosen to live celibately.  This may sound confusing and seem to make little difference in the long term so long as the man remains chaste.  However, as most people know, gay is a political term and denotes a sort of third way, implying the person accepts the active gay lifestyle - wherein chastity is not a priority.  Whereas same-sex attraction or homosexual inclination/tendency speaks more to the condition or sexual orientation of the person and not behavior.  Thus affirming that "One's fundamental identity is as a creature of God, and through grace, His child and heir to eternal life."  - Fr. Harvey, The Homosexual Person, New Thinking in Patoral Care.
.
The call to chastity.
.
Catholics must remember that the Church does not require a person with same-sex attraction to change his/her orientation, but the Church does require the person to live a chaste and celibate life.  The Church asks the same of all persons, no matter their sexual orientation.  What is required for a person with same-sex attraction to enter the priesthood or religious life is another matter however.

Fr. John Harvey notes, "among American bishops and provincials of religious congregations of men there are divergent views...  The existence of the orientation itself is regarded as sufficient reason for excluding such people from the seminary or religious order." - Harvey, Truth About Homosexuality.

Here it would seem most Catholics would agree.  Although Fr. Harvey goes on to say, "So far as I know, there is no document from the Roman congregations that explicitly forbids a man who has led a chaste life despite a homosexual orientation from entering a seminary or religious congregation; nevertheless, ordinaries of dioceses and provincials of religious orders have the authority to set up such a policy, and some do.

However, some bishops of dioceses and religious provincials are willing to accept such candidates after careful screening by professional therapists and vocation directors." - Ibid
.
What the Church teaches.
.
Perhaps the latter rule has always been followed, except with this twist:  Some of the therapists and vocation directors were gay and certain requirements were compromised, if not tossed out entirely.  And of course we now know that some of the bishops and religious provincials were gay as well.  See the problem?  To guard against this danger I suspect it would be necessary to conduct reappraisals during formation and before ordination on a case by case basis - assuming everything is in order with the hierarchy.  Fr. Harvey appears to allow for the possibility that a person with same-sex attraction could be ordained - so long as the person thinks in union with the Church on the issue and has led a chaste life, in accord with the criteria set forth by the Congregation for Catholic Education and signed off on by Pope Benedict XVI:
.
"Deep-seated homosexual tendencies, which are found in a number of men and women, are also objectively disordered and, for those same people, often constitute a trial. Such persons must be accepted with respect and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. They are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter.7
.
In the light of such teaching, this dicastery, in accord with the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, believes it necessary to state clearly that the Church, while profoundly respecting the persons in question,9 cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or who support the so-called ‘gay culture’.
.
Such persons, in fact, find themselves in a situation that gravely hinders them from relating correctly to men and women. One must in no way overlook the negative consequences that can derive from the ordination of persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.
.
Different, however, would be the case in which one were dealing with homosexual tendencies that were only the expression of a transitory problem - for example, that of an adolescence not yet superseded. Nevertheless, such tendencies must be clearly overcome at least three years before ordination to the diaconate." - Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders
.
This is probably as good a place as any to insert a statement from a psychiatrist who recently defended Cardinal Bertone's assertion that the sex abuse crises was a homosexual problem:  "Cardinal Bertone's comments are supported completely by the John Jay study report and by clinical experience," Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons told CNA. "In fact, every priest whom I treated who was involved with children sexually had previously been involved in adult homosexual relationships.  [  ]  Because of the link between homosexuality and clerical sexual abuse mentioned by Cardinal Bertone, men with same sex attraction have a solemn responsibility to seek help and to protect the Church from further shame and sorrow, said Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons." - Source 
.
Answering the other question:  What is wrong with Fr. Regis Scanlon?
.
I don't know if anything is wrong with him, but his criteria for discernment with regard to persons with homosexual tendencies seems a little strict.  What am I talking about?  An article by Fr. Scanlon that first appeared in Oxford Revue and is now hosted at Pertinacious Papist regarding this whole question of admitting men with homosexual inclination to ordination and religious life, although Fr. Scanlon takes it a step further, asking:
.
"... what about a celibate man with homosexual tendencies: Should the Church dismiss him from religious life? A religious community accepted him and perhaps even knew of his same-sex attraction. It would therefore seem to be uncharitable to dismiss an elderly religious homosexual who has no problem living chastely. More to the point, then, the Church should ask whether men with homosexual tendencies ought to be permitted to enter male religious life now and in the future." - The Validity of Homosexual Vows of Chastity in Religious Life.     
.
After a lengthy article which takes Church teaching beyond what I have ever been taught, Fr. Scanlon concludes:  "A celibate man with homosexual tendencies should not be permitted to enter religious life because (1) he will be entering a near occasion of sin; (2) his vow of chastity will be meaningless; and (3) his vow of chastity will be scripturally and canonically invalid. The Catechism states, "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" (#2359). One should not, however, confuse this vocation with the call to community religious life." - Ibid
.
If Fr. Scanlon's view was official Church teaching I know of at least a couple of monasteries of men which would lose many of its members over night, as well as at least ten ordained priests in this geographic region who would be dismissed from the priesthood tomorrow - and that is just off the top of my head.
.
Living in obedience... "He learned obedience from what he suffered." - Hebrews 5:8
.
Very often those who have reformed their lives and live according to Church teaching continue to experience rejection by fellow Catholics and Church authorities...  In fact it doesn't always matter if the accusers be progressive or traditional,  it is the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" syndrome at work here.  Hence I've concluded long ago that part of one's penance may be to suffer the rejection and discrimination in union with that experienced by sexually active gay people, sometimes even sharing the shame, the stigma and condemnation that accompanies the lifestyle.  Instead of protesting and rebelling as many gay activists and their sympathizers are inclined to do, one could offer it up as one's penance (in the sense of Hebrews 13: 12-15) - offering a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips which acknowledge his Name, even rejoicing to be found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the Name.
.
(My apologies for such a long post - but I raised these questions earlier last week and I wanted to conclude.  It's a big subject that I feel inadequate to address on my own.)
.
*Context for Ann Coulter reference:  "Despite the growing media consensus that Catholicism causes sodomy, an alternative view -- adopted by the Boy Scouts -- is that sodomites cause sodomy. (Assume all the usual disclaimers here about most gay men not molesting boys, most Muslims being peaceful, and so on.) " - Source
.
Human Life International defends Cardinal Betrone

Mass Chat: Saturday night, Sunday morning.

"We have come to listen to the 'music of the universe'" - Prayer of the Faithful
.
Yep.  So we kinda sorta celebrated Earth Day at Mass last night.  We had some made-up blessing for the Prayer of the Faithful... 
.
It was announced that after Mass this morning they will have the blessing of bicycles and feet in the parking lot - feet for walking instead of driving, you know.  Earth Day is actually April 22, so I'm sure more solemnities are probably on the schedule.
.
That's all.
.
Photo:  Source

Just a story for your Saturday viewing pleasure...

Kateri Tekakwitha

April 17 is the birthday of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, daughter of a Mohawk chief and an Algonquin woman, born near what is today Auriesville, New York.  Kateri contracted smallpox at a young age which left her permanently scarred, and as one biographer tells it:  "Her smallpox face led to her being a spinster and having a personality disorder." - Source  Enough said for me to like her.

Fortunately I had been acquainted with Blessed Kateri as a young boy.  Her reputation for sanctity, including her penance and works of charity amongst her people captured my imagination, much in the same way as had the example set by St. Rose of Lima and St. Mariana of Quito.  Though very young when I first developed a devotion to Bl. Kateri, the fact she had been scorned and rejected by her tribesmen, all the while accepting it as a grace from God and a penance, made a deep impression upon me.  Kateri's example and prayers helped me understand how to bear the trials of my childhood with confidence in God.  

The art I have chosen to illustrate Blessed Kateri is from the tapestries of The Communion of Saints by John Navo at the Cathedral of Los Angeles.  I know I'm not supposed to like the Cathedral, but I do, and I especially love the artwork - from the doors to these exquisite tapestries.
.
Art: Communion of Saints Tapestry: St.s John Baptist de la Salle, Paul Chong Hasang, Moses the Ethiopian, Kateri Tekakwitha, Thomas Moore.  Thanks to Paul Snatchko Blog

My email to Cardinal George.

Dear Cardinal George,
.
I am writing to express my sadness over the conduct of Fr. Michael Pfleger and the scandal he is causing by his public statements (ordination of women) and sacrilegious liturgies (Holy Thursday) which have been published throughout the Catholic Internet. Unfortunately his recent apology is perceived to be disingenuous and obsequious at best. His conduct and method certainly appears to fall short of the decorum proper to a Roman Catholic priest.
.
I hope and pray these errors may be corrected.
.
Thank you.
.
Respectfully yours,
.
Terrance J. Nelson
.
.
I will be sure and post any reply I might receive.
.
If you would like to contact the Cardinal, email him: archbishop@archchicago.org.
.
If you are uncertain what the fuss is all about, check out American Papist.

Saint Benedict Joseph Labre

Sharing the shame.

Today is the feast day of the mendicant/pilgrim saint, Benedict Joseph Labre.  It is also Pope Benedict XVI's birthday.  St. Benedict Joseph must be a very special patron to the Holy Father - as he is for me.

St. Benedict Joseph Labre was a single layman.  God called him to such a life.  Some people like to say there is no such thing as a vocation to single life - one is either called to priesthood, religious life, or the married state.  The single life is not a vocation of course, it is a state in life.  In this state a person is called to work out his or her salvation, to accomplish the will of God - which is our salvation.  Hence, one must be prudent when telling others there is no vocation to the single life, lest they discourage them from seeking God according to their state in life - which happens to be the single life.

St. Benedict tried his vocation with the Carthusians and Trappists, although he was subsequently rejected due to a disorder or defect in his temperament.  Some believe he may have suffered from a form of mental illness.  Whatever the case, the Saint lived a devout life as a layman.  Inspired by an interior impulse, Benedict Joseph followed the pattern of life set by St. Alexis, the Roman noble who left his wife on their wedding night and lived the rest of his life as an ascetic - a pilgrim and mendicant.

I would like to suggest St. Benedict Joseph Labre as a patron for laymen who find themselves rejected or refused entrance to seminary or religious life due to some disorder or defect in their temperament.  I'm convinced there are some men who have gone through very deep conversion experiences, and in some cases, experienced God's grace of healing of this or that disorder.  Forgetting to account for the grace of God, seminaries and religious houses may continue to refuse these men admission.  Perhaps through the intercession of St. Benedict Joseph, such a lack of faith on the part of superiors could be remedied, thus clearing the way for these men to be admitted to Holy Orders or some form of religious life after all.

Failing that, I would hope St. Benedict Joseph could be a model and patron especially for such men, that they not lose hope or abandon the practice of religion all together.  The penance of St. Benedict Joseph not only comprised homeless poverty, but actual rejection by representatives of the Church and society.  His is a wonderful example of humility, patience, and penance in the following of Christ.   One versicle for his Mass is taken from Paul's Letter to the Hebrews:

"Let us go to him outside the camp, bearing the insult which he bore.  For here we have no lasting city; we are seeking one which is to come.  Through him let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which acknowledge his name." - Hebrews 13: 13-15

Happy Birthday Holy Father!

Tonight it's tomorrow in Rome!

April 16 is Pope Benedict's Birthday.  Happy Birthday Holy Father!

Please continue to pray for the Holy Father every day.

Hot for teacher...

Totally unscientific and unsympathetic musings about teenage boys scoring...
.
Remember Van Haylen's song?  Remember the female teachers in the news who had sex with their teenage boy students - one couple even married after she got out of prison (Mary Kay Letourneau).  The women were prosecuted as sex offenders - having had sex with a minor and all of that.  That's okay - it's the law.
.
Ask the boys though, and they might tell you they scored big time.  Guys know that.  Now think about teenage boys getting a bj from a teacher, a priest, a Christian Brother, a neighbor, a coach, a shopkeeper, or a candlestick maker...  Yep - it's a sin and against the law - guys know that too.
.
In my neighborhood there lived a Mexican guy named Ernesto, and then there was the young guy, Bob who owned the corner store - both guys had a reputation.  Many of the boys in the neighborhood were frequent visitors.  Most, if not all of those boys are now married with children.  (Remember I grew up in a tough part of town.) 
.
I've just been thinking about all of this stuff while everyone seems to be jumping to conclusions as regards all of the scandals swirling around - especially the Betrone controversy that homosexuals are natural born pedophiles, and the other Spanish bishop who said some of the victims may have not been such victims after all.  There may be some truth to that - then again - it can get pretty twisted as well.
.
Though most people know that I consider any male to male sexual gratification to be 'gay' that does not mean I think all homosexually inclined men are pederasts or pedophiles.  Not at all.
.
Likewise, all children, boys or girls who have been abused do not automatically turn into abusers when they grow up - nor do they 'turn gay' if the contact was male to male.  And early childhood sexualization (abuse) is much more traumatic than teenage sexual abuse.
.
I think many good people are getting hysterical about this stuff right now and they are falling into rash judgement, detraction, and calumny.  As is so often the case, alot of people do not know what the hell they are talking about.
.
I'm just sayin'.
.
On a related note:
.
Western Confucian, Richard Dawkins, Pedophile Delusion  H/T Enbrethiliel
.
And our next class will be on Admitting Men With SSA to Religious Life, or What's Wrong With Fr. Scanlon?
.
I'll be at adoration once again, I found out a nearby parish has adoration all day on Thursdays.

Please continue to pray for the Pope every day.

The novena continues.
.
A gentleman from the Archdiocese notified me that 800 novena prayer cards for the Holy Father are available for distribution.  You may contact Thomas D. Schulzetenberg schulzetenbergt@archspm.org for more information.  Mr. Schulzetenberg informs me the supply is limited so 'first come first serve'.

Think about adding a rosary as well.

Hoochimama! Pflagrant Pfleger!

More at WDTPRS.

A letter of St. Catherine of Siena to me and my friends...

"For everyone who does wicked things hates the light, and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed." - John 3: 16-21 (Gospel of the day.)

In the Name of Jesus Christ crucified and of sweet Mary:

Dearest son in Christ sweet Jesus: I Catherine, servant and slave of the
servants of Jesus Christ, write to you in His precious Blood, with desire
to see you in true light. For without light we shall not be able to walk
in the way of truth, but shall walk in shadows. Two lights are necessary.


First, we must be illumined to know the transitory things of the world,
which all pass like the wind. But these are not rightly known if we do not
know our own frailty, how inclined it is, from the perverse law which is
bound up with our members, to rebel against its Creator. This light is
necessary to every rational creature, in whatever state it may be, if it
wishes to have divine grace, and to share in the blessing of the Blood of
the Spotless Lamb. This is the common light, that everybody in general
ought to have, for whoever has it not is in a state of condemnation. This
is the reason; that, not having light, he is not in a state of grace; for
one who does not know the evil of wrong, nor who is cause of it, cannot
avoid it nor hate the cause. So he who does not know good, and virtue the
cause of good, cannot love nor desire that good. - Letter to Br. William, the English hermit

“Scandals are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!" - Luke 17

.
I find the recent report that Cardinal Sodano may have had some conflict of interest in his friendship with Fr. Maciel and the Legion to be terribly sad and disturbing.  Just when I thought these scandals can't bring me down any lower, I happen upon this...
.
"The National Catholic Reporter has published part two of Jason Berry’s report into the Legionaries of Christ, the hugely wealthy Mexican order founded by a paedophile priest which exerted major influence in the Vatican during the reign of John Paul II.
.
The second half of the investigation contains allegations relating to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, former Vatican Secretary of State, which I think will force him to resign as Dean of the College of Cardinals. Sodano is accused by Berry of exerting improper influence on behalf of the Legionaries, who allegedly entered into a professional relationship with the cardinal’s nephew, Andrea Sodano.
.
One sad and grubby detail: Fr Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legionaries and until his death in 2008 revered by them as a saint, apparently took his illegitimate children to meet Pope John Paul and had them photographed with them. The Pope was completely unaware that they were the old man’s children, of course. It’s the sort of high-risk stunt one associates with paedophiles." - Read More at Damian Thompson - the post contains all pertinent links to principal sources.
.
I have come to the conclusion I must stop looking back - in the sense of Lot's wife I mean.  Even if the whole edifice tumbles down, that is, the mountains tumble down into the sea as the psalm says, I need to make myself continually aware (as I was when I first returned to the Church), that the Church is more than the Vatican and its art and architecture, lace and cappa magnas, pomp and ceremonies, etc..  It is the Body of Christ... it is Christ Jesus truly present:  Christ in the Eucharist, the Mother of God, The Holy Father.  I need to return to my early love.
.
"You will not take from me, my God, what you once gave to me in your only Son, Jesus Christ, in whom you gave me all I desire.  Hence I rejoice that if I wait for you, you will not delay.
.
With what procrastination do you wait, since from this very moment you can love God in your heart?
.
Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth.  Mine are the nations, the just are mine, and mine the sinners.  The angels are mine and for me, because Christ is mine and all for me.
.
What do you ask, then, and seek, my soul?  Yours is all of this, and all is for you.  Do not engage yourself in something less, nor pay heed to the crumbs which fall from your Father's table.  Go forth and exult in your Glory!  Hide yourself in it and rejoice, and you will obtain the supplications of your heart." - Prayer Of A Soul Taken With Love.  St. John of the Cross
.
Photo:  Cardinal Sodano

In the majority of cases, it wasn't really pedophilia.

Understanding ephebophilia.
.
"If one tries to look up ephebophilia in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, one will not find it. Several years ago that Association decided that a homosexual orientation is not a disorder. Officially, homosexual behavior is no longer deviant but a healthy alternative to heterosexual behavior. Thus ephebophilia, being a kind of homosexuality, has no place in the Association’s catalog of mental disorders.
.
As Rossetti says (88), pedophiles are not amenable to treatment because “psychotherapy usually cannot change one’s sexual orientation.” But, as he also points out (68): “Many times adults who are sexually aroused by minors may also be aroused by adults as well.” The vast majority of clerical sexual molesters have been involved with postpubescent youths, generally age 14 years and over. Other things being equal, they are, Rossetti says (88), “more amenable to treatment,” for they can learn to “develop satisfying relationships with age-appropriate peers.”
.
In other words, clerics who have engaged in criminal sexual behavior with adolescent boys and young men can learn to satisfy themselves with consenting adult males, because that change in their behavior involves no change in their sexual orientation. Such clerics simply are homosexuals who have found underage partners attractive and convenient. But unlike most homosexuals, these clerics have been willing to commit crimes against adolescents and young men. Expecting their bishops to be tolerant and protective, they no doubt hoped to get away with those crimes, and for a long time their bishops did not disappoint them.
.
The adolescents and young men were victims of abuse. But in most cases, sexual acts involving such young people are not only abuse. To be sure, in some cases, the youngster did not understand what was going on and/or was unable to resist, and in such cases he was simply a victim of abuse. But in very many cases, as the victims’ own statements usually make clear, they were troubled by the sexual activity in which they were involved yet were submissive partners with the cleric, whose dirty secret they kept because he had lured them into making it their own.
.
Thus, such young people cooperated in the sexual activity: they were seduced. Their guilt may well have been venial and may even have been none at all—only God knows—and their cooperation in no way mitigates their seducers’ guilt. Indeed, seducing the victims into sexual sins was far graver than the clerics’ own sexual sinning." - Source
.
Links (related topics):
.
It's the Homosexuals
.
Spanish Bishop of Tenerife suggests children cooperated in sexual abuse.  I need to thank Thom at Ad Dominum for originally posting on this.  I read the same news story.  If the reporting is accurate, the Bishop is misinformed, as the study I cite here suggests:  Though "such young people cooperated in the sexual activity: they were seduced. Their guilt may well have been venial and may even have been none at all—only God knows—and their cooperation in no way mitigates their seducers’ guilt. Indeed, seducing the victims into sexual sins was far graver than the clerics’ own sexual sinning." 
.
Likewise it could even have happened that a prematurely-sexualized young person (most likely abused at a very early age) initiated some sort of contact, made himself available, or indicated an overt curiosity and/or arousal - that does not mitigate the responsibility of the adult in question to resist, much less his culpability in the crime.  (The youth in question always falls into the category of 'vulnerable youth'.)
.
That said, it is shameful and  irresponsible to blame the youthful victim.
.
Photo:  Curious photo of an Islamic cleric kissing a boy.

Novena for the Holy Father

Support the Pope.
.
It's free.
.
And it's not a gimmick.
.
Maybe you can add a rosary to it as well.

Who speaks for the Church?

L'Osservatore Romano?
.
This is how ridiculous things are getting, the Vatican's official newspaper, obviously considered the official voice of the Roman Catholic Church by secular media, is now writing music reviews praising the Beatles.  Comes under the heading of public interest stories, I suppose.  Taking it for dogma, secular newspapers (one actually) are claiming: "Pope finally forgives Beatles for past excesses... Church dismisses drug taking, 'Satanic' messages."  LOL!  That didn't happen.
.
In a move sanctioned by Pope Benedict XVI, the Catholic Church has forgiven the Fab Four for their various excesses and even gone so far as to laud them as a "precious jewel."
.
In a front-page article, L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's official newspaper, offers a glowing assessment of The Beatles' achievements 40 years after they split up, heralding their "beautiful melodies" and asking "what would pop music have been like without the Beatles?" - Vancouver Sun
.
"In a move sanctioned by Pope Benedict XVI."  Isn't that dumb?  (Actually, I think this story rolled around awhile back as well.)
.
Taking the name of the Pope in vain.  It's become a very popular past-time for many...

Good pope, bad pope.

More at WDTPRS.

Vogue!

And Karl.
.
Karl Lagerfeld is one of the very last emperors of haute couture (Chanel), yet the tres influential German born maestro made a couple of controversial statements regarding the international agenda promoting same sex marriage and same sex adoption of children.  He's against it.
.
“I’m against it (gay marriage) for a very simple reason: In the 60's, they all said we had the right to the difference. And now, suddenly, they want a bourgeois life,” Lagerfeld recently told contemporary youth culture magazine, Vice. “For me it’s difficult to imagine—one of the papas at work and the other at home with the baby. How would that be for the baby? I don’t know. I see more lesbians married with babies than I see boys married with babies. And I also believe more in the relationship between mother and child than in that between father and child.” - Source 

See - not all gays are nuts.  Mr. Lagerfeld only looks eccentric - he's quite nice however - he just happens to love menswear from the 17th century.  He definitely makes sense here - I've been telling gay people this for years - especially those pushing for inclusion in the Catholic Church.  Hello?  Any self respecting sexually active homosexual can't really want to be so square and homogenized, right?  (Well some might.)  Nevertheless, today there are some very vocal gay people who seem to crave some sort of old fashioned normalcy, hence they opt for a hip "Little House on the Prairie" lifestyle.  They want their own version of traditional domesticity, a place at the table on the PTA, while trying to take over the pulpit, like twisted little church-ladies, ranting:  "Gays would not do naughty things if they were accepted like straight people, and all the stereotypical stigmas were outlawed."  Oh yes they would George slut-in-the-bushes Michael. 
.
Karl is absolutely correct: "suddenly, they want a bourgeois life!"   (He might have added a bit from Karen Walker:  "Good Lord! Don't they know what that'll do to the fall line?")
.
Anyway, how Stepford-esque.
.
Vogue redux.  (Love how this song starts out.)

Avoiding the hype and the logos.

To wit.
.
Journalists who defend the Holy Father and the Roman Catholic Church actually exist - even if they be few and far between, on op-ed pages and blogs.  Catholic bloggers are doing a very good job refuting the claims against the Holy Father as well.  I can't make this stuff my daily bread however.  I can't take seriously grown up, intelligent men throwing plates of spaghetti at one another, much less supposedly sophisticated intellectuals discussing such things as arresting the Pope.  Oh - it could happen - but the Vatican has its own international lawyers and professionals, and I trust they can handle these situations as they arise.  I think Bishops and Cardinals and leaders of other denominations have to get on board denouncing the attacks as well.
.
But let's face it - this is a spiritual battle - and the majority of Catholics should be on their knees praying for the Holy Father and the conversion of sinners - their eyes fixed upon Jesus.
.
Pray the novena prayer for the Holy Father, and add a rosary to it - if everyone prayed a novena of rosaries, I think the enemies of the Church would be driven back.  I also think it would be wonderful if priests - especially those with free schedules, would offer a novena of Masses for the Pope.
.
And watch the bombast - don't make a Richard Dawkins-Christopher Hitchens ass of yourself.
.
Another prayer...
.

Supplication To The Holy Virgin Of The Revelation
.
O Most Holy Virgin of the Revelation, obtain for our Holy Church and her visible head the Supreme Pontiff the joy of seeing the conversion of her enemies, the spreading of the reign of Christ over all the earth, the true unity of all believers in Christ and the peace of all nations so that we can love and serve You in this life and thank You in Heaven for ever and ever.  Amen.
.
Information on the Virgin of Revelation.

"To suffer and be despised." - St. John of the Cross

"We can only acquire a 'scientia crucis' if we have the grace to taste and relish the Cross through and through." - St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
.
When I was little, family and school mates often mocked me for my devotions, attending daily Mass and staying after school to pray my rosary.  I can't remember ever being angry or fighting anyone because of it.  When one of the parish priests told me I was using religion as an escape - I wasn't big into sports as a kid - I didn't know how to respond.  He also told this to my dad, and so many times I had to "sneak away" to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady.  Once or twice a friend of my brother, who happened to be an altar boy,  would see me in church "after hours" and tell my brother - together they would make fun of me.  Another friend of my brother's who intended to enter seminary, once told me I could never be a priest because I was too pious.  I never got mad or tried to defend myself - I just felt a deep sense of sorrow and sadness, which I offered up.
.
I only relate all of this to explain how I feel about the attacks upon the Holy Father and the Church - especially by those who profess to be Catholic.  Surprisingly, I'm not angry about it.  I feel no need to lash out or attack the "enemy".  Instead I feel the most peculiar sorrow - much like I felt as a little kid - although it seems more intense than that.  It is more akin to pain, and then sorrow and sadness, which I offer up.
.
I consider it a special grace from the Divine Mercy.
.
Novena prayer for the Pope.
.
Photo credit: Zimbio

Three reasons why I remain a Catholic.

• The Real Presence of Jesus Christ - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Blessed Eucharist.

.

• True devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

.

• The Pope, Successor of Peter, Vicar of Christ, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Servant of the Servants of God.

.
+A novena for the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI begins today, I have a link in my sidebar or click here.

The Second Sunday of Easter

"I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple..." - Ezekial 47:1
.
Once again this year, Fr. Mark of Vultus Christi posts this magnificent work by John Granville Gregory. It is obviously a modern interpretation based upon Carravagio's work - I admire both works, but I especially love Gregory's masterpiece, "Still Doubting" shown here.  Many years ago now, I made preliminary drawings for a similar painting - a self-portrait based upon Carravagio's Thomas.  Now I don't have to paint it.
.
I highly recommend reading Fr. Mark's post for this Divine Mercy Sunday:
.
Drink deeply today of the Water and the Blood; like Thomas, stretch out our hands to probe Christ's glorious wounds, to penetrate even to His Sacred Heart. In response, the consecrated hands of the priest, acting in the person of Christ the Bridegroom and Head, will offer you the mysteries of His Sacred Body and Blood. Then, will the prayer of Saint Faustina -- Jesus, I trust in you! -- well up from deep within all of us. Then will the cry of Thomas become our own: "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28). - My Lord and My God

Oh God!

If only you recognized the gift of God.
.
I enjoyed the movie "Oh God!" partly because it depicted God as someone totally kind and merciful and human - and full of common sense.  It also demonstrated how men fail to recognise him, or believe in him - just as the people of Israel (and all men) failed to recognize him throughout Salvation history.  Haven't you heard contemporaries say, "If only God world perform some sign, or appear to us as he did to the disciples after the Resurrection."?  Or, "I wish God would do something about this or that - to make the whole world convert - maybe a warning or something?" and so on.  You know what I'm saying - human nature is slow to believe, and in our day especially, nearly unable to trust.
.
Our Lord knows us, which is why he compares us to kids at the mall hoping to be entertained, "We piped you a tune but you did not dance.  We sang you a dirge but you did not wail" - [Luke 7: 32]
.
In the last 10 years, especially since John Paul II promulgated the devotion and feast of the Divine Mercy, the popularity of the devotion seems to have blossomed.  Although this year it seems to me not that many Catholics are speaking about it online.  I may be wrong of course, and admittedly, many parishes locally will be hosting special devotions this weekend - which is wonderful - but is the message continuing to spread?  That said, despite the fact Catholics are not required to practice this or that devotion, I'm surprised so few blogs mention or promote the Divine Mercy devotion.  Although I'm more surprised so many people seem to think the devotion is out of place, or an intrusion upon Easter Week, especially the celebration of the Second Sunday of Easter as the Feast of Mercy - a request made by Christ himself.  I must admit, I find it sad that many priests do not promote this devotion, while some even criticize it.
.
I think these good people fail to understand that the devotion and the message of Divine Mercy emanate from the depths of the Heart of Jesus - opening all the treasures of his merciful love in a prodigious and ineffable manner.  Perhaps it is too simple and ordinary for well educated sophisticated persons to believe.  Or as Christ gently rebuked his audience in the synagogue at Capernaum for their disbelief;  "Let me remind you... the many lepers in Israel in the times of Elisha the prophet, yet not one was cured except Naaman the Syrian." - [Luke 4:27]  In case you forgot, Naaman was only cured after his servants convinced him to do as the prophet instructed - "Wash seven times in the Jordan".  Reasoning with their master they contended; "...If the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it?" - [2 Kings 5:13]
.
Our Lord told St. Faustina that on the Feast of Mercy, "...are opened all the floodgates through which graces flow."  It is as if Jesus, "on the last and greatest day of the festival" cries out:  "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me; let him drink who believes in me.  Scripture has it: 'From within him rivers of living water will flow.'" - [John 7: 37-38]
.
"If only you recognized the gift of God, and who it is that is asking for a drink... Whoever drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty; no, the water I give shall become a fountain within him, leaping up to provide eternal life." - [Jn 4: 10-14] 
.
Can anyone of us ever be satiated and refuse to come to him?
.
"Blood and water flowing forth from the side of Christ, I trust in you."
.
Divine Mercy links:
.
This Sunday Is A Very Special Day
.
What is Divine Mercy?
.
The Divine Mercy Devotion

It is mercy I desire...

Jesus, I trust in you.
.
Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. —Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, n. 1146

On anger.

Whatever the reason for the passion of anger arising, it blinds the eyes of the mind, and puts a pernicious beam into the faculty of sight like a dangerous cataract, blocking the light of the sun of justice. - Institutes, Chapter 6
.
Keeping the uncertain state of man ever before our eyes, let us believe ourselves daily to be on the point of death, and know that we would profit nothing from pure chastity, the renunciation of all our property, the contempt of riches, fasting or vigils, for the Universal Judge has promised eternal punishment simply for wrath and hatred alone. - Institutes, Chapter 22
.
Art: Patience of Christ - Buenos Aires

"Indeed, you will be hated by all nations on my account." - Mt. 24:10

"... They will manhandle and persecute you, summoning you to synagogues and prisons, bringing you to trial before kings and govenors, all because of my name." - Luke 21:12
.
UN Judge Says Pope Should be Prosecuted at International Criminal Court.
.
In London last Friday, a high ranking United Nations (UN) jurist called on the British government to detain Pope Benedict XVI during his upcoming visit to Britain, and send him to trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “crimes against humanity.” - Story here.

.
"All will hate you because of me, yet not a hair on your head will be harmed.  By patient endurance you will save your souls." - Luke 21: 17-19

St. Gianna's Husband

And a question I raised.
.
Pietro Molla, aged 98, husband of St. Gianna died in his house at Mesero, near Milano. He was surrounded by his children. He died on Holy Saturday this year. - Idle Speculations
.
I expect most Catholics are aware of his death by now.  However, his death led me to pose a question concerning the death of a husband and wife, on a memorial post for Mr. Molla at Angela's Angels blog.  I'm sure she thought my comment was facetious, but I was serious when I asked:
.
Since one is married until "death do you part" is the couple still married in heaven after they are both dead? Remember how Christ answered the Sadducees who were testing him about the woman who had seven husbands, asking whose wife she would be in heaven?  Jesus explained, "You are badly misled because you fail to understand the Scriptures and the power of God.  When people rise from the dead, they neither marry or are given in marriage but live like angels in heaven." - Matt. 22: 23-33
.
I'm not trying to be clever here, nor am I trying to 'test' anyone.  I suppose it is like the popular question that everyone with a cat or a dog wants answered in the affirmative, "Do pets go to heaven?"  In other words, we can't really say for sure.  Although we do know that a priest will still be a priest in heaven, because the sacrament confers a character - Holy Matrimony doesn't... so will the couple be married in Heaven? 
.
Oh!  Oh!
.
Bonus question:  Do you have to be with your family in Heaven?
.
Bonus answer:  It wouldn't be Heaven then, would it.
.
(Just making light here.)
.
Photo:  Pietro and Gianna Molla.  Source.

Warning!

Block your com boxes, I'm really, really in a bad mood.
.
I just returned from the framers and they obviously hired new people since I was last there.  All I want to say to anyone working in retail and/or/especially in a frame shop: never, ever keep telling the customer - "No, you don't want this... you want this."  "No, that is not right - this is better." 
.
No.  No.  No. NO!  Amy Winehouse!
.
Never tell the customer what they are supposed to want - especially if the customer is the painter.  Today I explained that to the frame people very clearly, and politely. 
.
I'm very much in a mood to make very clear, albeit polite statements to anyone I run over today.

The Easter appearances...

"My lover put his hand through the opening;
my heart trembled within me,
and I grew faint when he spoke..." - Songs 5:4
.
I wish everyone could experience the presence of the risen Christ in a tangible way this Easter.  I'm convinced this is what the devotion to the Divine Mercy accomplishes in a marvelous manner, either through the image, the prayers - especially the chaplet, or confession, culminating of course in the Holy Eucharist, the reception of which plunges us into the most intimate union with Jesus.  Just as with the disciples, the risen Christ opens our minds to understand the Scriptures which speak of him, and the work of Divine Mercy - which has been at work in the Church since the beginning.  He penetrates through every boundary and obstacle we set up, just as he entered through the locked doors of the room where the disciples were assembled.
.
Art: Ethiopian Icons Through the Centuries
Top left: Anastasis (Resurrection), Top right: Crucifixion, Lower left: Joachim and Anna (?) 
.
Editor's note:  The attribution of Joachim and Anna is a mistake - not uncommon amongst antiquarian, museum, or collector sites - many today do not know the works they exhibit.  Rather than Joachim and Anna, the image clearly shows the Risen Christ appearing to his Mother, Our Lady Regina Coeli.  This is obvious by the clothing of Our Lady - which matches that of her depiction in the Crucifixion scene, as well as by the cruciform nimbus of the Lord, his resplendant robes, and evidence of his wounds on the hand that grasps Our Lady's... "My lover put his hand through the opening..."

Painting something every day.

If I am not working outside in the garden, I try to paint something every day.  For awhile in winter I was trying to complete a painting each day - small panels of course.  A friend asked me if I'm selling them online, to which I answered "not yet".  At first I told people I was trying to have enough pieces for a show.  Now that I have enough for that, I say I'm amassing a collection for after my death... I have no idea why or what difference that would make, except to explain why I'm not trying to sell (or show) my stuff.  Seriously, I just paint for the work, it's the process that is important to me.  (Of course I will be entering a piece or two in a juried show this month, but I still just paint for the work.)  Providentially last night, I came across a story I knew from the Desert Father's which I had been looking for, but couldn't find; hopefully to better explain my point.  It is from Cassian's Institutes.
.
"A worthy Father, Abba Paul, who lived in a vast solitude called Porphyrium, sustained himself on palm fruits and a small garden which gave him enough to support and feed himself; he had no other possibility of performing useful work, since his desert dwelling lay distant from towns or inhabited country, and the cost of transporting any goods he had made would be more than they could possibly be worth.  He used to collect palm fronds and carefully make a daily amount of work as if he were to support himself thus.  When his cave was quite blocked up with the products of a whole year's careful work, every year he would put all of it on the fire and burn it.  By doing this he showed that a monk cannot remain happily in one place without manual labor, nor ever rise to perfect virtue, so that even when the necessities of life do not demand it, he should perform it simply for the purification of his heart, the control of his thoughts, perseverance in the cell and the defeat and overthrow of acedia itself." - Chapter 24 - Abba Paul, who every year used to burn what he had made with his hands.
.
No - I am not going to burn my paintings.
.
Art: "It is a question of discipline," the little prince said to me later on.

URGENT: N. Korean Fashion Update!

Little Kim Jong-Il rules the fashion world.
.
Strike the pose!
.
The trademark suit sported by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is now in fashion worldwide thanks to his greatness, Pyongyang's official website said Wednesday.
.
Uriminzokkiri, quoting an article in communist party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, said the modest-looking suits have gripped people's imagination and become a global vogue.
.
The article quoted an unidentified French fashion expert as saying world fashion follows Kim Jong-Il's style.  "Kim Jong-Il mode which is now spreading expeditiously worldwide is something unprecedented in the world's history," the stylist was quoted as saying. - Full report here.
.
Vogue! Vogue! Vogue! Vogue! Vogue! Vogue! Vogue! Vogue! Vogue! Vogue! Vogue!
.
Photo:  Kim workin' the runway.

A week of Sundays

This is what Easter week is.
.
Today is my regular day of recollection so I'll be at adoration... like the disciples at Emmaus - my heart is already burning within me...
.
Consider this if you will, how Jesus gently reminded the two disciples on the way to Emmaus of what the prophets said in his regard.  The disciples were obviously scandalized by Christ's passion and death, and Jesus, still unrecognized by them, said to them, "Oh how foolish you are!  How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" - Luke 24: 13-35
.
"Do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring in your midst.  It is a test for you, but it should not catch you off guard.  Rejoice instead, in the measure that you share Christ's sufferings." - 1 Peter 4:12-13
.
Call to arms... Call to prayer.
.
Art: Velasquez: The Supper at Emmaus - c. 1620; Oil on canvas; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
.
Praying for all of you. :)

Man kills the man who sexually abused him.

Pleads no contest to manslaughter...
.
A California man pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter with the use of a gun Tuesday in the shooting death of a man who he claimed sexually abused him as a teen, a prosecutor said.
.
The plea comes less than a week before Aaron Vargas' first-degree murder trial was supposed to start for the slaying of Darrell McNeill, a neighbor from his childhood and a family friend whom Vargas claims began molesting him when he was 11 years old.
.
Under the terms of a plea deal, Vargas, now 32, faces anywhere from probation to 10 years in prison for shooting the former Boy Scout leader and local businessman last year in his home in the Northern California community of Fort Bragg.  - Story
.
One might editorialize this story on so many different levels.  Pointing out that the perpetrator wasn't a priest or a bishop, but a neighbor, a husband,  a Boy Scout leader and a community business man, a friend of the family.  The victim is now an adult married man with a child.  The secret was kept for years, and the perpetrator remained a family friend, making regular visits to the family, etc., etc..
.
No one has the right to murder another person or take the law into their own hands, yet even the murdered man's wife believes the shooter should be shown some clemency:  "I cannot condone what Aaron has done, but I do understand it. I believe he took the wrong avenue by taking the law into his own hands. Like most of this community, I do not feel he deserves 50 years in prison. Unlike most of this community, I feel he should serve some time, but not much."
.
That is an incredible position to take by this widow who just lost her husband.  Everyone else seems to believe the shooter needs therapy rather than a jail sentence.  In these cases, the best therapy can accomplish is for the victim to learn how to cope with life - the harm has already been done - the wounds never go away.
.
I know from experience how disgusting it is to live with the fact the perpetrator continues to visit the victim's family... that happened to me as well.  I never killed the guy - I moved far away from my family instead.  For me, the worst part of it was that everyone knew what happened, and yet he was still welcome in the house.
.
Sexual abuse kills.

Please pray for the coal miners in West Virginia.

MONTCOAL, W.Va. -- Rescuers at the site of the worst U.S. coal-mining disaster in more than two decades likely won't be able to resume the search for four missing miners until at least Wednesday evening, officials said this afternoon.
.
"I just don't think there is much hope held out at all [with the families]," McGraw said. "They made it clear to the families that it is not a good situation in there and probably not survivable." - Source

The Novena

"By this novena I will grant every possible grace to souls." - Words of Our Lord
.
I haven't noticed any Catholic blogs posting on the Novena to the Divine Mercy, which began on Good Friday and ends on the Feast of Mercy, the Second Sunday of Easter.  Of course I don't read that many blogs, so maybe it's just me, or maybe everyone knows enough about it already.  That can't be of course, since the Divine Mercy is inexhaustible - right?  :)
.
No doubt about it, the Divine Mercy is a very important devotion for our times.  As I mentioned, the novena began on Good Friday.  Most people use the prayers Jesus dictated to St. Faustina combined with the chaplet.  The novena of chaplets is the one by which Jesus promises his greatest graces to "anyone who prays it", while the prayers of Faustina may be substituted with our own.  Jesus told the Saint:
.
"On each day you will bring to my Heart a different group of souls; you will immerse them in this ocean of my Mercy; on each day you will beg my Father on the strength of my bitter Passion for graces for these souls."  Words of Our Lord
.
If you haven't started the novena, begin now, having confidence in the Divine Mercy.  Remember the parable of the laborers in the vineyard [Matt. 20:1-16]; those who were hired late received the same compensation as those who were hired early in the day.  Confidence - trust - is the essence of this devotion.
.
And most especially, go to confession, and on the Feast of Divine Mercy receive Holy Communion since the Lord promises:
.
"The soul that will go to confession, and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment... Let no soul fear to draw near to me, even though its sins be as scarlet." - Words of Our Lord
.
Links:
.
The Divine Mercy - Marians of the Immaculate Conception
.
Divine Mercy Devotion - EWTN
.
Cathedral of St. Paul, Minnesota:  Continue your Easter celebration by participating in the Cathedral’s Divine Mercy Sunday activities. Following the noon Mass on Sunday, April 11, we will have Eucharistic Adoration with music, meditations from Pope John Paul II & Saint Faustina, the Rosary, and confessions. At 3 p.m., the hour of Divine Mercy, we will sing the Divine Mercy Chaplet and have Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Happy Birthday Blessed Pier Giorgio!

Forever young.
.
If Frassati was still living on earth he would be 109 years old.
.
Pray for us Blessed Pier Giorgio that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.  Amen.
.
Links:
.
A short biography.
.
Frassati USA
.
Photo:  Pier Giorgio is wearing the party hat.

Bunch of boobs.

Enraged over male voyeurism.
.
About two dozen women marched topless in Portland, Maine Saturday to protest the inequality of male/female nudity - after all, men can run around with shirts off.  No - that's not it - they were actually protesting the  double standard which exists over male/female nudity.  Historically, men have paid money to see women topless.  No - I'm sure that's wrong too.  Anyway...
.
"The women, preceded and followed by several hundred boisterous and mostly male onlookers, many of them carrying cameras, stayed on the sidewalk because they hadn't obtained a demonstration permit to walk in the street. About a thousand people gathered as the march passed through Monument Square, a mix of demonstrators, supporters, onlookers and those just out enjoying a warm and sunny early-spring day.
.
Ty McDowell, who organized the march, said she was "enraged" by the turnout of men attracted to the demonstration. The purpose, she said, was for society to have the same reaction to a woman walking around topless as it does to men without shirts on.
.
However, McDowell said she plans to organize similar demonstrations in the future and said she would be more "aggressive" in discouraging oglers." - Story
.
What the hell did she expect?

Anyway - no arrests were made for sexual harassment or bare-breasts; nudity is illegal in Maine only if genitals are exposed.
.
Oh, that's good.
.
Photo:  Ad for male bra.  This might placate things.

Easter memories...

Easter photo:  Me and my brother with Dad all dressed up.  (I'm the littlest one looking into my brother Skip's basket.)

Cardinal Sodano's pep talk: Yeah, I thought it was weird too.

Defending the Pope 'to his face'.
.
Cardinal Sodano addressed the Holy Father at the beginning of Mass yesterday...
.
It was not clear whether this greeting was actually part of the liturgy, as it seemed, coming after the entrance hymn, or was simply a preface to the liturgy, like an announcement at the beginning of Mass -- though such an announcement still ought to come before the entrance hymn.
.
If news is something that happens that is "new," this was news.
.
And when this cardinal (Sodano) rose to his feet and took the microphone to speak, every newsman within hearing pricked up his ears, thinking, "This is something new."
.
What did Sodano say?
.
Essentially, that Catholics around the world love and support Pope Benedict XVI, and will continue to do so no matter how fiercely he his attacked by the media.
.
Sodano, clearly referring to recent attacks on the Pope from the New York Times and other media outlets which allege that he did not do enough during his many years as an administrator in the Church to halt and punish priests accused of sexually abusing children, said the "people of God" would not be influenced by "petty gossip." - Inside the Vatican
.
Evidently, such a gesture is unprecedented - Moynihan says even the Pope looked surprised.  I watched it on the news and I think it was inappropriate and unnecessary to interrupt the Mass for such a display for the person of the Holy Father.
.
Don't get me wrong - I love the Pope, particularly this Pope - I pray for him and support him as best I can.  That said, I love the Papacy more, if you will.  Which means, when a Pope dies, I know another will be elected.  The Pope is Peter, he is Christ's Vicar on earth.  I wonder how much Catholics really appreciate that however?  With John Paul II we oftentimes witnessed over the top displays of affection and adulation by the crowds.  Sometimes his 'fans'  seemed to be more animated by the cult of personality which developed around him, rather than devotion for the Vicar of Christ.  I too loved John Paul II, but I wasn't so sad when he finally died after much incapacitating suffering, as I knew we would have a new Pope.  Just as when I was little and Pius XII died, I was thrilled we would have a new Pope.
.
I may be off in this, but it seems to me being off about things isn't all that uncommon these days - especially amongst the 'good' Catholics.  Consider how everyone got on Cantalamessa's case on Good Friday, as he attempted to compare the current media assault upon the Pope and the Church to the anti-semitism of Nazi Germany.  After which, self-appointed uber-Catholic bloggers rushed to judgement, along with secular media and the JDL, and criticized the hell out of the guy.  Right or wrong, one wonders just how devoutly some of these more Catholic than the Papal Theologian observed their Triduum, shooting their mouths off online.  Talk about "petty gossip".
.
Wanna buy a "Pray for the Pope" water bottle?  Golfshirt?

The most necessary 'call to arms' of all...

The spiritual combat.
.
"For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12  (So do not grow slack in your Easter celebration and relaxation.  The devil prowls like a roaring lion.)
.
I don't know about you, but it seems to me the real spiritual battle only now begins.  I'm so grateful to my friend who returned my book yesterday.  The title?  Cassian's, Monastic Institutes.  All I can think of is that he reads my blog and realizes how badly I need this instruction.  I opened to the chapter on vainglory, noting in particular the following counsels...
.
Of the Spirit of Conceit (or vainglory)
.
Chapter 9 - How conceit is more perilous when mingled with virtue.
.
Other disorders when they are opposed by their opposite virtues, are engaged in the open like battle in the light of day, and can easily be overcome or avoided: this alone when it is entwined with virtues is far more dangerously deceptive to the unwary warrior, as if battle were joined in confusion, fighting in the thick of night.
.
Chapter 14 - How conceit suggests they might rise in the hierarchy.
.
Often it instills an ambition for Holy Orders and the priesthood or diaconate.  If a monk has been chosen for ordination, it makes him imagine himself ministering with such piety and correctness that he can give an example of holiness to other priests, and winning many souls not only by his manner of life but also in his teaching and preaching.  Even one dwelling in the desert or in a cell is made to imagine himself travelling round different houses and monasteries, and converting many by the eloquence of his fantasy discourses.
.
Chapter 18 - How a monk should avoid women and bishops.
.
The consistent and still current teaching of the old Fathers (which I am embarrassed to repeat, I who failed to escape from my girl cousin, or elude the hands of the bishop) is that in all ways a monk should flee women and bishops.  Neither would allow him, once entangled in their company, either to apply himself to peaceful work in his cell, or to cleave to divine contemplation, in the consideration of holy things with undistracted eye. - The Monastic Institutes, John Cassian
.
Art: The Holy Communion of Mary of Egypt from the hands of the monk Zosimus.  St. Mary of Egypt's feast is observed on different dates at the beginning of April - I always observe it April 2.

Stalking the Great Easter Fire

Funny thing is, Father Erik never even noticed me there...  Oh - I have more photos - I have more!  Insane laughter...

Chocolate thoughts after Easter Mass...

BREAKfast - at last.
.
I can give up smoking, dope, and booze - but not chocolate.  Seriously - I'm letting a piece of Organic and fairly traded VERY DARK chocolate from "small-scale co-ops in Latin America" melt in my mouth as I write this...  Thank God for chocolate!  In moderation of course.
.
So anyway - I went to first Mass at St. Agnes this morning - ah!  How I miss attending Mass there.  The church is beautiful as usual, and I will say right now, I don't care how big the statues are - they fit!  The pastor, Fr. Ubel is pretty much the perfect parish priest as far as I'm concerned.  His homilies are excellent and lively, his decorum gentlemanly and elegant, his celebration of Mass ad orientem is faithful and reverent - without ostentation.  He's a wonderful priest and pastor - St. Agnes is fortunate to have such a fine, well-balanced priest.
.
I must say a special thanks to Lee, who returned a book - obviously waiting to do so for over a year, since that is how long it's been since I've been to Mass there - and a big thanks and promise of my prayers for his gift of Bishop Van Thuan's book which he included.
.
This morning I left the church feeling everything is okay.  How can I say that, what with everything going on in the world, in the Church?  I don't know... but I felt great peace.  There was something reassuring in Father's homily - he was reassuring.  He wasn't railing from the pulpit, condemning anti-Catholics - he spoke of Our Lady, Regina Coeli, of joy and peace... and I don't know what else right now - but his homily seemed to me to have been formulated in prayer, and spoken from his heart.  And his smile was real...  I sensed a wonderful freedom of spirit at St. Agnes today.  It remains the same church, however it felt fresh if you will, or perhaps renewed is a better word.
.
I think the cult effect is gone... Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.
.
Photo: Juliette Binoche, Chocolat

Happy Easter!

Art: Lavinia Fontana "Noli me Tangere"