LCWR Nuns Ride Luxury Bus to Defend Poor!

Edit: Perhaps it's all about self-interest that the nuns are now campaigning more than ever on behalf of the Democratic Party. Catholic Charities receive substantial subsidies from the Federal and State governments, so understandably, they're concerned about it. But this government support comes at the price of Orthodoxy.

But never mind the Orthodoxy, these nuns are worried about their position. In a bid to ride the crest of the wave they feel they've surmounted with the current Rome investigation taking place where they are under the gun for their Feminism, Marxism and anti-Catholicism, these intrepid warriors are trying to stay in the limelight. These LCWR nuns took the fight to the people last month at the end of June to the 2nd of July, as they mixed their religion with politics and got aboard an enormous luxury bus tour to Washington D.C. over 2,700 miles (at 7 miles to the gallon) where they aired their support for the Democratic Party, which they felt was violated by Representative Ryan's budget proposals, as it was reported in the Washington Post.The nuns complained:

Ryan’s budget “rejects church teaching about solidarity, inequality, the choice for the poor, and the common good. That’s wrong,” said Campbell, executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby.

This new found love for the authority of Church teachings is matched only by the exuberance of the group led by Sister Simone Campbell, and the price tag, as they climbed aboard their mega-bus which must have cost at least $100,000 for a used model of this vintage, but often go for much higher, as much as $1,000,000, complete with graphics on the side which run into the high end about $20,000. Sure, when you think of such a counter-cultural effort, you think of hippies, or Paul Wellstone's groovy bus, for example.

But what you're getting is something much more luxurious and spacious. The nuns deserve it after all, since they're campaigning for the poor. You know, they might not care about being Orthodox, but they go forth into the market with a luxury bus, laying in on the the horn when they give alms. This bus must have a large cooler where the nuns can store their falafel sandwiches, their organic cheese and tofu pronto pups. You can't be an activist on an empty stomach after all. But the bus actually looks like this.

While the bus doesn't get very good gas mileage, surely the poor appreciate all of the campaigning on their behalf by the dissident nuns, who it is claimed by the Post, are being "greeted as rock stars wherever they go." Surely, such a large carbon footprint will yield some good political points for the Democratic party, whose policies are openly antagonistic to Catholics. Surely the damage to the environment, and the luxurious bus with its high-end graphics could have been better spent on the poor?

The nuns traveled over 9 days and 2,700 miles, to speak out about their message of keeping taxes high to take care of poor families who they insist need their help, but did anyone ask these LCWR nuns if the price of the bus or what the cost to the Catholic Church's credibility would be?

Catholic Charities may Close in DC after all.

It might not just be a matter of refusing government funds in the future which will cost the Diocese upwards of $9 Million but of the government revoking state licenses required for Catholic poor relief. This is the reward for all of those years in which Catholic Charitable organizations weren't very active in proselytism for the undoubted financial support of the Government; strings are attached to that money. Perhaps now is a good time to consider closing Jesuit and Catholic Colleges in the Nation's Capital and converting those properties to better use than they are now currently engaged? Now we're increasingly facing a wonderful situation where the Catholic Faith is illegal. Deo Gratias. We're just happy the Bishops are being intransigent about this.

Yesterday, the DC City Council passed the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009" with a nearly unanimous 11-2 vote, completing the first of three steps necessary to enact the bill into law.

In response to the tremendous support of the bill and the very high probability that it will pass the second step, in about 30 days, and continue into the books, the Archdiocese of Washington as well as other Christian religious leaders are weighing their options.

Although the bill does exempt religious organizations from celebrating same-sex marriages it does not protect nor exempt them from recognizing it as employers or social service providers.

The diminished capacity or capability is not just a monetary thing, it is also related to the certifications and licenses archdiocesan agencies need in order to provide particular services such as homeless services, mental health services, foster care, etc. Should the law pass, the city would be required to revoke current certificates and licenses or withhold their renewal. Therefore preventing the archdiocese, Catholic Charities, and other religious organizations, individuals, and agencies from providing those services because of their legitimately-held religious beliefs.

The Archdiocese of Washington has partnered with the other religious leaders around the nation, the ACLU, and other public-interest legal firms to assert their concerns regarding the narrowing of religious freedoms as well as seeking a balance of interests so that religious organizations, their social services agencies, and individuals can function without violating their faith tenets on same-sex marriage.

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Catholic Charities in D.C. Will Continue Operations Even If Bill Passes

Auxiliary Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Washington said despite news reports to the contrary, “Catholic Charities is vowing to continue its services even if a same-sex marriage bill passes” in the District of Columbia’s City Council. Bishop Knestout made the commitment in an open letter to local Catholics posted on the Web site of The Catholic Standard, Washington’s archdiocesan newspaper. The bishop said the level of services will not be the same, though, because “without a meaningful religious exemption in the bill, Catholic Charities and other similar religious providers will become ineligible for contracts, grants and licenses to continue those services.” Arch-diocesan officials and other religious leaders in the district have said that if the council is going to pass the measure despite their objections, then it must include strong protections for religious conscience. Catholic Charities currently serves 68,000 people in the city, including one-third of Washing-ton’s homeless.

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The Styrian Hands out Turkeys in Fresno

The worthy Styrian, Arnold Swarzenegger, in a gesture reminescent of the Hapsburgs of old, comes to hand out food to the poor at Catholic Charities with his encouraging peasant grin and kind words. Such displays are expected of public figures, but not all public gestures are heartless and cynical. Gifted, public men should set a good example by selfless, if public, acts of charity; still, we were really taken by the good natured, hearty magnanimity of the Styrian. He has always been a charming, sometimes kindly, if scandalous, presence in American life, but his kind gesture is a worthy immitation of better men whose legends he must have learned as a child living in the night time of the Kingdom of the Danube.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Governor Schwarzenegger was back in the Valley to lend a hand at a holiday food giveaway the day before Thanksgiving.

His visit comes as the number of families in need of public assistance continues to grow. The number of Fresno County residents on food stamps has jumped 84-percent in the last four years.

Governor Schwarzenegger greeted families who patiently waited outside Catholic Charities on Wednesday. They carted off enough food for a holiday meal, including turkey and vegetables.

Balloons for the kids helped raised the spirits of families who face gloomy times.

Olivia Calistro of Fresno said, "There's not a lot of work. Me and my husband we're on a fixed income, whatever he brings in. All the holiday food helps."

The governor said, "They all know tomorrow will be a day of eating and they will not be left out."

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"Peace and Justice" Group Organizes Protest at Catholic Charities

Bishop Zubik, sproting a really ugly stole, attempts to address the material needs of new arrivals from Myanmar who don't speak English. They were led to convene at the Catholic Charities office named after Bishop Zubic's mother by a "Peace and Justice" organization.

Refugees from Myanmar picketed the opening of a new welcome center for clients of Catholic Charities at its Downtown office yesterday.

Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh, who dedicated the Susan Zubik Welcome Center in honor of his late mother, went out to meet the protesters, who spoke little or no English. Counting children, they included more than 30 ethnic Karens, who carried handwritten signs such as, "We demand a professional translator who speaks our language."

The protest was organized by Three Rivers Coalition for Justice, a group with ties to organized labor that helps workers with problems such as evictions. It printed a leaflet claiming that Catholic Charities had assigned the Karens a Burmese translator who did not speak the Karen dialect and who treated them with contempt.

It claimed that a Karen refugee facing eviction had given $500 to a Catholic Charities caseworker to pay his rent, but eviction notices kept coming. It also said that refugees are placed in low-paying, dangerous jobs.



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Catholic Church in D.C. threatens to close its Services over "Same-Sex" Marriage Law.

You can't make concessions to these people.

By Tim Craig and Michelle Boorstein
Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

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