+Hubbard Gushes over Pro-Homosexual Cuomo: Vatican admonishes Cuomo over communion | WIVB.com

Father Z makes an apt comparison from I, Claudius, here.

Albany's +Hubbard is one of the worst Bishops in the Church, possibly even more evil than Bishop Cawcutt.   +Hubbard is a hard core, homosexual enabling, negligent, liberation theology advocating promoter of collectivism and, now as always, public wickedness:

[WIVB] The Vatican was questioned after the governor recently received communion at a mass in Albany. Bishop Howard Hubbard never challenged him to reform. He issued a statement, saying it's unfair and imprudent "to make a pastoral judgment about a particular situation without knowing all the facts." However, local Catholics see both sides.

Earl Newman said, "I think Catholics around the world listen to the pope. He carries a lot of weight. And if the governor is living in sin, he should be condemned."

 +Hubbard goes on to attack those finding fault with Cuomo's public scandal mongering, asserting that his detractors have dirty minds, but perhaps the biggest reason +Hubbard defends Cuomo is that he has been a supporter of the legitimization of sodomy.

Vatican admonishes Cuomo over communion | WIVB.com

Hubbard Defends Cuomo

Vatican "Expert" on Islam Sees New Springtime in Middle East

This is a good indicator that this latest uprising isn't a good thing.

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/vatican-advisor-islam-hails-springtime-arab-world

Egyptian Armed Forces Demolish Fences Around Coptic Monasteries

(AINA) -- Egyptian armed forces this week demolished fences surrounding ancient Coptic monasteries, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by armed Arabs, robbers and escaped prisoners, who have seized the opportunity of the state of diminished protection by the authorities in Egypt to carry out assaults and thefts.

"Three monasteries have been attacked by outlaws and have asked for protection from the armed forces, but were told to defend themselves." said activist Mark Ebeid. "When the terrified monks built fences to protect themselves, armed forces appeared only then with bulldozers to demolish the fences. It is worth noting that these monasteries are among the most ancient in Egypt, with valuable Coptic icons and manuscripts among others, which are of tremendous value to collectors."

http://www.aina.org/news/20110222203937.htm

H/t: J Bennet
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Peru: The Rosary as an Answer to Homo-Protest

At the Cathedral of Lima a "kiss-in against homophobia" was planned, and about 200 Catholics were there in peaceful prayer.

Lima (kath.net) Hundreds of Peruvian Catholics gatheredd last Saturday in front of the entrance of the Cathedral in the Capital, Lima:  They prayed the Rosary together as an answer to a "Kiss-in against homophobia", which was hald by a small homosexual group only a few meters from the church.  This was according to CNA.

This was the second "Kiss-in" of the group.  At the first occasion, a few weeks before, they were removed from the entrance of the Cathedral by the police.  This time the Group had permission from the Mayor of Lima, Susana Villaran, who has already made her support for expressions of homosexuality known on a number of occasions.  Although this second "Kiss-in" was very heavily reported by the media, only eight persons took part in it, three couples of males and one female pairing.

As an answer to the planned and broadcast homosexual event there were some 200 Catholics in front of the Cathedral who formed a kind of human chain aroud the church.  They peacefully prayed the rosary and sang religious songs.

Daniel Torres Cox, who had come to the prayer, told ACI Prensa:  "We are simply here to defend our faith in some way."  He described the homosexual protest  "an attack on that which we believe and that is the reason why we're here in order to protect it."

Homosexuals in Peru "provoke us, because the Catholic Church represents everything that they want to destroy," said Nancy Freundt of Zentrum for Natural Family Planning.  "The Catholic Church is not made of adobe bricks.  The Church is made of all Catholics who understand and believe their faith."

A more recent poll was published indicating that 75 percent of Peruvians are against "homosexual marriage".  The Peruvian Congress even declared, that which is also in the Constitution of the Land, that marriage is a bond between man and woman.

Kath.net original, here...

Woman Renounces "Womenpriest" Returns to Church

[California Catholic Daily] On July 22, 2007, I was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Patricia Fresen, of Germany and South Africa who was ordained by three male bishops in Germany for the group called Roman Catholic Women Priests. The ordination took place at the Santa Barbara Immaculate Heart Spiritual Center. Because neither Patricia Fresen nor myself were given permission for the ordination by Pope Benedict XVI, the ordinations were illegitimate and not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Thus an excommunication process called Latae Sententiae occurred, excommunicating oneself by failure to observe the Canon Laws of the Church.

I wish to renounce the alleged ordination and publicly state that I did not act as a deacon as a part of this group except on two occasions, when I read the gospel once at mass and distributed communion once at this same mass. I withdrew from the program within two weeks of the ceremony because I realized that I had made a mistake in studying for the priesthood. I confess to the truth of Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis. I confess the authority of the Holy Father on these issues of ordination and recognize that Christ founded the ordination only for men.

 Read further, here.http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=67472154-7019-4ee0-8b1b-d7880809a907

Judge Assigns Penance in Church as Punishment

 Restorative Extra-Judicial Justice 

In Italy two youth who were brought to trial for robbery must also "do penance" in the Church...

Mestre (kath.net) In the Italian city of Mestre two convicted minors have received an unusual punishment, as the Austrian daily 'Kurier' reported:  A 15 year old and a 16 year old, members of a youth gang, were charged with robbery and extortion.

The judge decided for the following "judgment":  The boys must go to Mass every Sunday to Mass.  They must get volunteer jobs, earn good grades in school and apologize to their victims.

Original, from kath.net... 

Aha -- Life in the Pius Mass -- Germany

The Pope really doesn't have any other choice, than to conclude with the Society of St. Pius X.  Because besides them, the Council in Germany doesn't have many left.

(kreuz.net) On 7 January 36 year old man visited Holy Mass with the Society in the village of Kleinwallstadt in Unterfranken.

He did it -- his piece on 4.  February for the regional paper 'Main-Echo' -- "out of curiosity".

It appeared to him that the Mass was well attended for a week day.

He noticed, "that I wasn't -- as in other religious services -- the youngest one there -- but at least somewhere in the middle."

He estimated the median age of those present at about thirty or forty years old.

Next to the reporter there were some boys about fifteen years old.

They showed themselves "enthused" by the old Mass -- the reporter explained:

"The devotion was so heavy and deep, that it was almost alien".

The priest spoke during the Holy Mass, who was silently reading, not a single loud word.

For that reason, the reporter asked the question, why the youth would visit such a weekday Mass, while such age groups are almost never represented in Novus Ordo religious services.

As an answer he rhymed it out that those Pius people are drawn by the living example of the celebrating Priest?

The corresondent was also astonished that the Pius-priest prayed in every Mass for the Bishop and the Pope -- "which can not be said of many diocesan priests."

Which brought him to the point:  "Critics of the Society of St. Pius X insist that they do not subject themselves to the Pope."

At the same time he called the words of Germany's Jesuit Provincial.

This one had promoted "open disobedience" against the Pope and German Bishops, "not to wait for a decision from Rome",  rather to "ordain trustworthy laymen to the priesthood".

Link to kreuz.net...

Catholics defend Cathedral of Lima against gay provocation with prayer :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Catholics defend Cathedral of Lima against gay provocation with prayer :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Local Minneapolis Progressivist Flips Out About Cancelling of Gay Event

Homosexual Enabler Par Excellence

Local publicist Peter Canisius is being taken to task by the local blog written by a man posing as a Catholic to promote the cause of Sodom.  Pretty Boy Peters got the word out to thousands of people, and the event got canceled by Archbishop Ninstedt.  Now the Wild Reed is having a tizzy, insisting his innocence and the innocence of the church's pastor, Father Leo Tibesar and the untruth of Canisius' statement:

Here’s one example of misleading and inflammatory language used by PC: The parish priest, Leo Tibesar, is described as a “well known and highly respected same sex marriage and gay rights activist.” Can you imagine members of a Catholic parish going public with such a statement – even if it was true? It’s just asking for trouble (and PC knows it).

This isn't the first time Tibesar has been in trouble or hosted unCatholic activities at his gathering space, even being on the board of Dignity.

Archbishop Nienstedt's predecessor, Archbishop Flynn, was understandably blasé about Tibesar's activism, and Father Z gave him a pass too.  C'mon, how many times do you have to have evidence that someone clearly doesn't represent Catholic teaching before you call him into the office and send him packing.

Surely, Father Tibesar would be more comfortable at Collegeville?   No, wait, they still claim to be Catholic?  Oh, well, putting them together might have advantages.

In any event, now even the Wild Reed is trying to defend the innocence of the homosexual enabler, Father Leo Tibesar.

The Archdiocese released the following statement in the wake of one of the last controversies in December 2007 with Father Z's bolding: 

Various bloggers and websites have reported that Father Leo Tibesar, of Saint Frances Cabrini Parish in Minneapolis announced his intention to bless same sex marriages. Those reports are not true. Father Tibesar has never blessed a same sex marriage nor does he intend to do so, which would be a violation of his priestly vows and state. He made this very clear in a public clarification issued by Saint Frances Cabrini’s parish council and following a meeting with Archbishop Harry J. Flynn. 

During his meeting with Archbishop Flynn and Auxiliary Bishop Richard Pates, Father Tibesar also agreed to remove any language from the St. Frances Cabrini parish website that is in opposition to Roman Catholic Church doctrine and to refrain from statements in any form that are contrary to Church teaching. He confirmed these commitments to Archbishop Flynn in a letter following their meeting. Communications Office, Archdiocese of StP&M

 Father Z went on to say about Tibesar:

I am posting about this because I am pleased with content of the statement.  It is a very good thing that people know that a Catholic priest, in the midst of controversy, has never done what he was accused of doing.  He didn’t in fact do something so scandalously irresponsible as bless a same-sex "marriage".  [Heaven forfend, you OMIT to say that he was willing to do one and dissents from Church teaching on the issue in the first place] That should make people happy and relieved.  Also, steps are being taken to remove improper language from the website.  Moreover, Archbishop Flynn has taken the matter in hand.  All these are good things.

Actually, Tibesar broadcast his willingness to perform those evil ceremonies on his website.  Tada... Conveniently, Father Z left that part out.

Maybe Father Z thinks he can get back in the good graces of the Archdiocese by playing damage control for them when they get caught being less than honest?

What's clear to us in this case is that there are a lot of people out there who care about their Catholic Faith, and those people are not to be confused, necessarily, with the Clergy, who seems incapable of pleasing anyone, not the CCPSM people, nor the other alphabet soup Soviet-Style Acronym groups that don't like what the Church teaches.

Other efforts stopped in the past by CCCR,  and here.

H/t to Stella too, with appraisal of Archbishop Nienstedt, here.

On the World Scene

Virtually every single Diocese in the developed world has a parish like Cabrini, here, Australia's "acceptance Mass" here, and on +Schoenborn's watch in Vienna.

Catholic Church Established in China by St. Thomas Apostle

Read the amazing details, here.

H/t: AQ

The Old Mass is the Catholic Standard: Bishop Huonder Defends Old Mass in Switzerland

His Lordship Saying Mass

Editor: As he's trying to get his Diocese in order and free it from the lay apparatus which controls the purse strings, he's just recently accepted the resignation of his Seminary rector, Ernst Fuchs and has been denied a replacement for the next Auxiliary Bishop.  This doesn't "violate any Church law".
 
Huonder described in the interview how much power criticisms of his person cost, where he wants to lead the faithful of his Diocese and how capable he is for his office.  Of course, he was eager to defend the Immemorial Mass as well in his interview with 'Sudostschweiz" on Sunday, here's a partial translation, h/t kreuznet; but he's never been shy about that:

The education of priests who will read the Mass in Latin, is not a sign of a conservative outlook.  "I work integratively in these cases", he said in the interview this Sunday.   After all it will be forbidden the current Mass in the vernacular in return; the old Rite deals almost like a second upgrade of the offering.

"In this case I want to act integratively", he said in his interview with 'Sudostschweiz on Sunday".  He concluded by saying that he wouldn't abolish the Mass in the vernacular.


Huonder is further convinced that the refusal of a second Auxiliary Bishop will lead to calm the situation in the Diocese of Church.  A "large weight"  has fallen from his shoulders now that the solution had been possible, he explained.

US Catholic is Curious about SSPX's Dilemma

I'm a bit puzzled by the SSPX on this one. It seemed to me likely that they would have been given a situation similar to the Anglican ordinariate, with freedom to do pretty much what they pleased, if they would just admit that the teachings of the Second Vatican Council are authentically Catholic. Did they really think that the pope was going to say that Vatican II was in error?

null

Catholic Church is a Comfortable Hangout for Liberals and Marxists

You think the Catholic Church is a bastion full of backwards feudal reactionaries who want to live in medieval keeps and lord it over the lower classes?  Think again, it's actually full of hardened Marxists who want to lord it over the lower classes from really ugly office blocks; read the essay and the comments:

Link to American Thinker...

Photo credit at "CaliVita", here.

Cardinal Sean and Archbishop Martin Pretend to Contrition

Editor: They're not reading from a Catholic script here, they're participating in something akin to a reality television show, like Bishop Bode's phony attempt.   Cardinal Sean and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin are playing ball for the wrong team, as usual.  His Lordship, the Primate of Ireland, has been vocal about his role as the good guy, but he's consistently silent on Catholic teaching.  His job shouldn't be to attack the Catholic Church and provide fodder for Its enemies, you'd think.  In any event, +Martin is a homosexual enabler and that makes him an enabler of the Church's enemies too. 

It's going to be difficult to be convincing about whatever it is you're apologizing for if you're not going to admit what the problem really is, it's integrity, as pointed out above and repeatedly on this blog.  Neither the Primate of Ireland, nor the Archbishop of Boston are consistently Catholic.  So, the problem isn't with the media manufactured sex-abuse crisis, it's a problem with the integrity of Catholic Bishops.  Very few are consistently Catholic. and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is helping the enemies of the Church by his concessions to their deceitful poses of sympathy for the victims of various homosexual predators.

Again, if we're going to attack the Catholic Church for the rare infractions of its ministers, we'd better be going after academia, the entertainment  industry and leftists political parties with the same gusto, for their moral relativism is a feeble impediment toward the kind of behavior exhibited by pillars of the community like Rob Lowe, Woody Allen, Allen Ginsburg and other, and that's not even taking into account the descriably systematic attempts at the corruption of children in what that industry produces.  Actually, leftist political parties admit that they're interested in sexualizing children, and it still doesn't matter to the media: they hate the Church, so no small wonder then that these Old Liberal Bishops play along to their tune.  The pay is good and it's good to be Bishop.

No guts, no integrity, no Faith.

If you're going to be credible about being penitent as we'd suggested last year when +Martin was crying his crocodile tears in Dublin, try and do it for the right reason, and perhaps make it something like this, at 4:35:

[Catholic Culture] At a special liturgy of lament and repenetance in Dublin’s pro-cathedral, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin rued the sexual abuse of children and the response by Church authorities to the abuse.

“I can ask myself how did this happen in the Church of Jesus Christ where as we heard in the Gospel children are presented to us as signs of the kingdom,” he said. “How did we not see you in your suffering and abandonment? The Church of Jesus Christ in this Archdiocese Dublin has been wounded by the sins of abusers and by the response to you for which we all share responsibility.”


“All survivors are indebted to those who had the courage to speak out and let it be known what had happened and how they were treated,” he continued. “The Church in Dublin and worldwide and everyone here today is indebted to them. Some of you in your hurt and your disgust will have rejected the Church that you had once loved, but paradoxically your abandonment may have helped purify the Church through challenging it to face the truth, to move out of denial, to recognize the evil that was done and the hurt that was caused.”

 Read further...

New Nuncio for Russia

Editor: Paolo Rodari told you so. 

21 febbraio 2011 - February 21, 2011 -

On Saturday Benedict XVI appointed apostolic nuncio in the Russian Federation, Ivan Jurkovič, Titular Archbishop of Krbava, Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine so far.
I had written here that things were going well. It's up to Jurkovič pursue the dream of a meeting between the Pope and the Patriarch.  And most importantly, to overcome all the ' Ukrainian obstacles .
Pubblicato su palazzoapostolico.it lunedì 21 febbraio 2011

18 Bishops in a Hunger Strike -- 56 Churches Destroyed, And Government Exonerates Perpetrators

(New Delhi) Thousands of Christians from Karnataka are protesting with demonstrations and hunger strikes against a government report.  Instead of reaffirming justice for the Christians, it vindicated both anti-Christian Hindu organizations who were behind the unrest in 2008.  At that time, 56 churches were burned or destroyed.  The president of the Global Council of Indian Christians greeted the report as "a bundle of lies that will  misinform and confuse people."  A counter-report was sent today to the Governor and the Prime Minister of Karnataka.

 18 Bishops [13 Catholic] participated in a silent hunger strike on the property of St. Mark-University of Bangalore, among them the Archbishop of Bangalore, Msgr Bernard Moras.  At the protest and the hunger strike the Bishops present, the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) and the Christians of Karnatakas have forged a counter-report with the title: "1000 Day Government, 236 Attacks, 1000 traumatized people".

The official report of the Somsekhar-Investigative Commission exonerated the radical Hindu organizations Bajrang Dal and Sangh Parivar.  The Bishops called a press conference to make note of this, that this exoneration is "politically motivated".  At the end of the report, where both Hindu organizations were exonerated, was a listing of the 56 churches destroyed by the perpetrators.  In 12 cases Bajrang Dal was named, in one case Sangh Parivar.  For that reason it was inconceivable, say the Christians, how the report came to its final ruling.

Te President of the GCIC, Sajan K. George, reiterated the complaint which the Christians have been making for two years:  "28 attacks, which took place between August and September 2008, were accomplished by Hindu extremists, in the first line of Bajrang Dal.  The Somakeshar-report made the exact opposite report after a year of published investigations, which named the leaders of the Hindu National Party and National Hindu Organizasions as responsible for the anti-Christian excesses of the police.  At that point the contacts between the radical organizations and the Hindu government party of Karnatakas were proven.

Sajan K. George portrayed the Somasekhar-report during the press conference, as the "exoneration of unjust violence of the police against women and children in the churches of Kulschekara and Vamanjoor."

(Asianews/Giuseppe Nardi, Bild: Asianews)

As the Guardian reports, they are also protesting that charges against 150 Christians who were injured in the attacks be dropped.

Diddums: Jesuit Cries Crocodile Tears at Tablet

Waaah, I want my ++Martini:

Worship and power

There are also serious questions about how authority is being exercised... But in both cases authority has dealt high-handedly and secretively with the sacred, the intimate, the vulnerable. High officialdom has been evasive; lesser authority has tacitly colluded...
... But "abusive" would not be too strong a word to describe the exercise of authority here.
...How are responsible Catholics to cope? The standard answer to that question is: "trust the authority of the Church's office-holders; give them the benefit of the doubt; make the best of the situation."...
...Pope Benedict himself acknowledged the difficulties ahead, and pointed to the need for both sensitivity and catechesis in implementing the change, given that "many will find it hard to adjust to unfamiliar texts after nearly 40 years".

Ignis Ardens: Diddums

Seminarians: Summorum Pontificum to extend to the Ambrosian Rite -- Call for the Old Rite

(Mailand)A group of seminarians of the ecclesiastical province of Milan have asked Pope Benedict to extend the Motu Prorprio Summorum Pontificum with the generous reinstatement of the Tridentine Rite as the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, to the Ambrosian Rite as well.  This was reported by the Italian blog, Messa in latino.  The seminarians are asking that in the upcoming rules of implementation for the Motu Proprio that it be specifically mentioned that it is valid for all Latin Rites, and not just forthe Roman.  The Ambrosian Rite, like the Braga [once celebrated in Portugal] or the independent "old" Rites of the various religious orders, as they were celebrated up until the Liturgical reform.

The Ambrosian Rite, which dates from St. Ambrose (339-397), Bishop of Milan and some neighboring areas, as also in parts of the Diocese of Lugano in the Swiss Canton of Tessin.  The Archbishop of Milan is numerically the largest Diocese in the world.  Only some parishes of the Diocese celebrate in the Roman Rite.

The reigning Archbishop, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, has refused up until now the implementation of the Motu Propio Summorum Pontificum with the reason that the Ambrosian Rite isn't effected by it.

The same position  has been used by the Bishops of other Rites in the Latin Church,, like the Archdiocese of Braga in Portugal.

Because of this various internet blogs of Tradition have expressed the "concern" that the rules of implementation for the Motu Proprio will not bring the hoped for spread of the use of the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite.  Much worse, it will bring feared "limitations" .  For this reason the call "Request for the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, [English] in the event of the Instruction/Clarification of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum" has been called to life.  The text is in seven languages (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese und Dutch) and published on the internet for signatures.

 (Giuseppe Nardi, Bild: The Pope Benedict Forum)

Link to katholisches.info...

Archbishop Gall: Concerns about Liturgy

Editor: Rorate Caeli had caught this Archbishop saying in 2008 that he was mystified about the reports of liturgical abuses in France, but as we can see from what Messa in Latino says:

Good taste reigns supreme.

The rites are defined by a noble simplicity ...(Sacrosanctum Concilium, 34):

Archbishop Le Gall, archbishop of Toulouse, President of the Episcopal Commission for the liturgy and the sacramental ministry and a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship, during the celebration of a 'Day of Peoples' 

Additional Information: In an interview with Le Monde of 5.7.2008,  Le Gall decried the "intolerable pressure" by those who are requesting the old Mass, and at the same time observed that it is essential to reintroduce the celebration according to the new missal [in a] "quieter, more reverential, more interior,  with more beauty to the liturgical vestments." C As shown in the photo above, is precisely what he is doing ...

Father Harrison Takes on Wanderer For their Misinterpretation of Cantate Domino

Editor:  Wasn't aware the Wanderer still existed. 

The following is a scan from the current issue of the Wanderer (Vol 143, No.7- Feb 17, 2011) in which Fr. Harrison corrects them for their misinterpretation of Cantate Domino.

 Read further at Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus, here.

New Cloister in Vienna for The Sisters of the Lamb

In the Briggittenau there is a "little cloister" -- The financing of the building comes completely from donations, the foundation will be followed by a contribution from the Archdiocese of Vienna.

Vienna (kath.net/PEW) In Vienna- Brigittenau there is a new Religious Order:  In the Dammer Street there will be built  a "little cloister" of the "Little Sisters of the Lamb". The corresponding approval has been taken care of.  The building for the wooden frame structure should begin in the spring.  The Sisters should be celebrating Christmas in their new cloister.

The new cloister will have two ground level courtyards and an additional chapel connected to the street.  The financing of the construction comes exclusively from donations.  The building has been ordered by the Archdiocese of Vienna. 

As a newer branch of the Dominican order the Little Sisters of the Lamb want "simple clean homes" built, in order to "live among the people" and make people "from every walk of life" welcome. That they are building their new cloister in the 20th district with its diverse population is especially interesting for the Sisters, because they offer a "wide field for friendship and meeting".  The Sisters would like to be a "sign of friendship and peace of God" in a multicultural area: "We are really happy in our new neighborhood."

Till now the Sisters have set up housekeeping in the former Carmelite church on the Taborstrasse.  Even here -- in an environment that is very strongly marked by Jewish and Islamic families -- they have already begun with "many signs of friendship".

The "Community of the Lamb" is in nine countries with a membership of 130 Little Sisters and 30 Little Brothers.  In solidarity with all of the poor of the world the Brothers and Sisters have chosen a simple life.

Since 1996, Cardinal Schonborn has been ecclesiastically responsible for the order.  Since then the Community has presented itself in Vienna.  The Little Brothers and Sisters of the Lamb bestow their power of prayer to all people, who they meet every day and who confide in them. 

There is a community of the "Friends Promoting the Community of the Lamb"  where you can support it at www.freundevomlamm.at, or here in English.

Translated from kath.net...

Is the Secret of the Tower of Jericho Solved?

Archeolgists: The 11, 000 year old building has something to do with the summer solstice.

Jerusalem   (kath.net/KAP)Two Israeli Archeologists want to solve the riddle surrounding the tower of Jericho.  As Roy Liran and Ran Barkai in the specialist magazine "Antiquity" write, the 11,000 year old structure clearly has some connection with the summer solistice. The cone shaped tower whose situation on the west side of the neolithic settlement has raised some questions, was erected as a kind of guardian against the powers of darkness.

After Liran and Barkai's observations puts the 8.25 meter high structure in alignment with Dschebel Quruntul, which in the Christian tradition is known as the "mountain of temptation" where Jesus is honored, and the point of the sunset on 21 June.  In a computer simulation the researchers from the University of Tel Aviv discovered that the angle of the shadows of the Quruntul-summit matches the tower exactly on the longest day.

According to their indication, the tower structure was a "symbol of strength" to the ancient inhabitants and an expression of their "ability to endure the awe inspiring powers of nature".   At the same time the Archeologists speculate that the builder used collective fear, in order to control the population. In this respect the tower is in the earliest phase of human settlement and also the earliest concrete monument of the "use of architecture as a means of calculating human control".

Link to msnbc, here

Link to kath.net original, here.

Scipio the Continent

Napoleon once said, "this old Europe bores me".  No wonder then that he wanted to kill it.   There was a temptation, still alive today, to regard the classics as something tired, old and dead.   There is a very real inducement to do this as Latin and Greek has been virtually expunged from all academic expectation.  So, too, are the classics, relegated by the perversity of multiculturalism to languish in old libraries and the few classics departments where it is still lingers on like a flickering light among the tombstones and memorials in the cavernous darkness of this present age.

If there were a temptation to join with those who don't know Ozymandias and stare in incomprehension when his name is mentioned, it is a temptation to that same desolation from which he suffered as part of the poet Shelley's ironic contrast, part of that motive force of self-destruction so prevalent in modernity which celebrates the evil as good, and portrays the most deplorable and vile scenarios for the viewing public, to desensitize their finer natures...as if despising creation itself.  If there were a temptation to join that vexing crowd of moral zombies, it would be staved off by a quiet journey to stand before the plan for that drawing by the Venetian painter Pordone, Giovanni Antonio de' Sacchis (c. 1484 – 1539), called, "The Continence of Scipio"

It was astonishing to encounter this work in a public gallery, thrown together by the curators who now guard these collections, what might be a fossilized rendering of the moral refinement of a bygone age, unexpected, perhaps passed by without much of a look.  This painting demonstrates at once the hand and vision of a man raised and bred in Christendom, and who makes something he has witnessed through a lens, peering back through the ages, to the heart of noble antiquity where the conquering General Scipio is offered one of the vanquished city's maidens to have for pleasure;  but he astonishes us, astonished his men, astonished the grateful people of the captured city and pleased the young girl, by having her fiance restored to her as a free gift.

Such grace, nobility and beauty amid the cruelty of war, particularly a war as brutal as that between Carthage and Rome, is captured for us, held in thrall as it were in a modern museum, like an exotic captive, war booty from some revolutionary's conquests, and brought for the contemplation of the masses who pass it by, perhaps unremarked, the way they carry on under the roofs and lattices of Europe's prayer in stone, Her glorious Cathedrals.

It is a work of great moment, because it is a great moment of art history, and of history, of the story of a man, that any man, even a great man though he,  great not unlike the now forgotten Ozymandias, refuses to do what he is expected to do and acts graciously to those in his power, acting for their good, for no other reason than his own virtue.

Is it any wonder, considering the men who are our masters now, that the classics are no longer taught in schools, and that the master works, and the classical education that was their matrix, instead are pushed aside as mere curiosities, antiquarian interests and dusty mementos of the past.

Traditional Nuns Join the Society of Pius X

Traditional Reparative Sisters of the Holy Ghost have taken the consequences after a year long terror from the side of Conciliar Jacobins.

Website of the Reparative Nuns of Niedaltdorf

(kreuz.net) The Traditional religious community of the Reparative Sisters of Niedaltdorf have established themselves under the Society of St. Pius X.

The Sisters explained this in an open letter to the General Superior of the Society, Bishop Bernard Fellay.

The text is available on the website of the Society. [In German]

Niedaltdorf -- is a village in the community of Rehlingen-Siersburg in the district of Saarlouis located in the Diocese of Trier in Saarland.  The Sisters have been entrusted to run the elder home St. Antoniushaus.

In 2000 the Sisters were required to find a second house.


For the moment all the Sisters live in Niedaltdorf.

Worldwide there are twenty seven religious communities in the Society of PIus X.

Persecuted by the Communists and by the Conciliar Commisars

In their letter the Reparative Sisters thank "from the heart" and with "deepest gratitude" for their acceptance into the ranks of the Society.

Since their founding, it has been a goal of the Sisters, through the Old Mass, through prayer and service to neighbor to sacrifice and atone.

The foundress, Mother Cornelia Holewik, gathered her first daughters in Communist  Czechoslovakia between 1945 to 1966. 

The Sisters were inflicted with severe physical and spiritual torments during the Communist persecution -- explained the letter to Bishop Fellay:

"In true and real Catholic Faith for atonement for the mother house and enduring six years of factory work under the worst conditions, till she could travel to the Bundesrepublik after long, difficult battles."

In the Conciliar confusion the Nuns  " were exposed to many battles"  again:  "We have prayed all year for clear understanding."

They learned that  divine providence had led the Order in incorporation with the Society of St. Pius X  -- it went on.

There is "still where the true Catholic Faith is promoted and lived".

The Sisters of the Reparation invited Msgr Fellay to their house:

"Porae patent, magis cor"  -  "The doors remain open, even more so then the heart."

Link to original, here.

Attacker did not drink B.C. bishop's blood, court hears

Editor: Well, that's a relief. Shew.

Attacker did not drink B.C. bishop's blood, court hears

The Coming Decree on the Liturgy is Authentic [Not Watered Down]

Editor: Basically, Paulo Rodari is contradicting some of the big boys in town. Some editing with google-translate:

It is writen here , here and here that the Vatican is trying to water down the implementing decree of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum.
 
In essence, the blogs mentioned above [Rorate, Messalatino, Summorum Pontificum]  instead of giving a greater impetus to the decree Motu Proprio, showing how it will explain the implementation of the Old Mass to the bishops in the best way; they are saying instead that the Old Liturgy is just a concession to the "traditionalists" in recognition of their particular sensitivity. Even still the bloggers write that the originator of this dilution would be Monsignor Charles Scicluna, promoter for  justice in Malta under the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.
 
 I have personally made the necessary checks and I can say that, according to sources inside the Vatican, the information given above "is entirely without foundation." The implementation of the decree is not being watered down. Cardinals Canizares and Scicluna among others  are not working in that direction.
 
The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which is now chaired by the prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal William Joseph Levada, has already prepared the text of the decree, is waiting for the difficult work of translation to finish, and expects to publish all (provided that the translations do not suffer delays) before Easter.

Original at Apostolic Palace...here 

Fools' Masses All Over Germany for Carnival

In the past many modern parishes have so-called Fool Eucharists. Who can express it more clearly, that his own liturgy is a joke?

Blessed Masks

"The Fool's Mass began with the invitation of the pastor and his music ministers through the Lumpenchapel Burladingen. The Jester Choir, the fool's chapel, the children and the adults form the fool's guild for the festival in the fully occupied Church to make their own contribution. Paster Bueb [sic] has written his sermon in rhyme and has moved the faithful to complete the end of his sentences [...] At the end of the joyful service, the masks will be blessed."

From an article of the newspaper "Sudwest Presse' about a Fool-Sunday Mass in the Fideliskirche in the City of Burladingen in Baden-Württemberg.

What hasn't God given us?

"In the restlessly filled Church of the Assumption there wasn't the usual Sunday Mass. There were already Guggen musicians, cymbals and bells which will accompany the church service. The sermon by Pastor Stefan Möhler which was in rhyme was entertaining [...]. Fools in full uniform are welcome at Mass. 'It is a beautiful living picture. We're not bringing in foolishness into the Church, rather the joy that God has given to us;, said Möhler"

Disclaimer: The Savior will not stand by Fools

"The Vöhrenbacher fools experienced a happy start, as the home guild's cheerfulness invited the Proclamation of the Fool's Mass in the Parish Church. 'The Savior won't stick by the fool, rather the fool is, someone who God doesn't recognize', Pastor Martin Schäuble offered for consideration and was pleased at the full church pews."

From an article with the heading "Preaching with the Foolss Cap" from the Thursday regional paper 'Südkurier' about a Fool Mass in the City of Vöhrenbach in Baden-Württemberg.


Even a Fools' Mass

"Actually, on Saturday evening in the Catholic St. Stephanus Church in Bernhausen there are also numerous uncostumed churchgoers taking their place, but the fools were sigificantly in the majority. 'I'm delighted that the Church is so full it's ready to explode', said [Fr.] Andreas Marquart right at the beginning, and the word choice of the pastor indicated: It was not going to be a normal Mass. Rather a Fools' Mass even -- the third in the last six years. 'That has gradually, slowly become a tradition', said Sabine Paser of the Howler-Witch-Guild, who had organized the spectacle."

From an article in the Tuesday edition of the news 'Stuttgarter Nachrichten'.

The Fool Enters

"Where a few weeks ago the Advent cross dangled was hung a festive carnival cap. The symbol of the Christmas feast has vanished from the Galluskirche. In place of that is the train of fools. Accompanied by organ music come the actors of the Flörsheimer Carnival with their flag altar. All over the pews there are clowns, cowboys and Indians. 'We stand today as fools for God", groaned Pastor Frank-Peter Beuler to the costumed crowd, who were visiting the fourth Flörsheimer Carnival Mass."

From an article in the regional paper "Frankfurter Neue Presse" of February 1.

Fools Instead of Readings

"The Children were always involved with the celebration, as for example at the Kyrie and the intercessory prayers. Even at the 'Our Father' they were invited by the Pastor Hermann Otto who brought them to prayer with arm waving, in which the children joined with glee. The reading was omitted in place a princess entered, a clown, an indian, a pirate and a third level female spellcaster in front of the altar. A mother explained all of that, her life and the meaning of her costumes."

Evil Sorceress Puts Hex on Father Otto

From an article in the 'Münsterländischen Volkszeitung' about the 'first great Carnival Mass" on Sunday morning in the Visitation Church in the City of Rheine in Northern Münsterland.

Liberation Theology is Back?

Will Liberation Theology be Exhumed?

Vatican, today the new neo-Conservative Archbishop João Bráz de Aviz takes up his new office as Prefect for the Congregation for the Institutes of Religious Life. For the occasion, the Vatican daily, 'Osservatore Romano' published an interview with him wherein he defended the Old Liberal Liberation Theology. That which is found as a "preferential option for the poor" is being sold as a "holy imperative option for Evangelization". Already the supposedly holy John Paul II has said that Liberation Theology is "not only useful, rather also necessary".

From kreuznet.

Is Arturo Vasquez Also a Red?

Probably

Arturo has been a kind of crypto-Gnostic presence on line for a while, considered by some to be an interesting "Traditional" Catholic with a unique, if unsystematic and emotional, approach to the Catholic experience. In a post where he criticizes a "what-if" scenario where the South wins the War of Northern Aggression, the ex-SSPX seminary student, not unlike another ex-seminary student, correctly asserts that the institution of Slavery would die out, owing perhaps to the high expense of the commodity.

Actually, and certainly one of the things he misses, serfdom in Russia, which is similar to Southern slavery, was being abolished just as the War of Northern Aggression was coming to a close in 1865. It wasn't merely the expense of keeping slaves without a slave trade, which certainly increased their expense, it was the invention of the modern Cotton Gin and the industrialization of Agriculture and Urbanization, then taking place in Russia and throughout the West.

In any event, Arturo goes on to say the following, using Marxist terminology and assumptions, to describe what was happening in the South as elsewhere, to explain the possibility of the Southern victory as being a victory for "progressivism".

If the South won, perhaps the United States and the world would be far more progressive, and not less. Only in Russia, an autocratic, pre-capitalist society, did an actual “socialist” revolution take place, precisely because only such a radical change could bring Russia into the 20th century. Perhaps if what is now the United States had been dominated by a rural autocracy and a backwards lumpenbourgeosie, it would have been the beacon of socialism, and not Russia, in a massive revolutionary movement. This would have been due to what Trotsky called, “combined and uneven development”. Defeating the South may have been the best friend that capitalism ever had.

Why use Marxist terminology and assumptions if you are not also a Red? Is there sarcasm there, or just intellectual laziness? Arturo was at Berkeley and we know what goes on there. But here, he describes "autocratic" Russia as "pre-capitalist" and then explains, quite inaccurately, that it had to be dragged into the "20th century" by a "socialist" Revolution. about:blank

In reality, the Red Revolution which Arturo is praising here as something which brought the Soviet Union to the Twentieth Century, actually put Russia back at least fifty years. Pre-Revolutionary Industrial growth in Russia was such that it was poised to outproduce Germany by the twenties, had not the First World War and the Russian Revolution not happened. Read the link to an exhaustive article on Industrial Growth prior to the Revolution: Actual estimates put Russia at about seven percent annual growth, lagging behind the USA by about five times, but closing the gap. [The Rate of Growth of Industrial Production in Russia, 1887-1913 in pdf]

Budget cuts must protect poor and vulnerable, say US bishops :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Budget cuts must protect poor and vulnerable, say US bishops :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Monstrance with Blessed Sacrament stolen from parish in Spain :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Monstrance with Blessed Sacrament stolen from parish in Spain :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Bishop Dolan Trashes Attorney ACLU Anderson

Editor: Finally, ++Dolan is catching on. He's an ACLU, Democratic National Convention supporter.

Groundless Gossip

I owe it to all of you — both the Catholic and wider community — to be very clear about the ridiculous and groundless gossip spread about me by a tort lawyer named Jeff Anderson.

You may have heard this man claim that, when I was Archbishop of Milwaukee, I “hid’ $130 million of archdiocesan funds so victims of clergy sexual abuse could not sue for it.

Malarkey! The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has an excellent record of fiscal integrity and transparency.  I worked hard at that, and my successor, Archbishop Listecki, continues to do so.  (By the way, you might also be interested to know that during my years as Archbishop of Milwaukee, and with the generous service of many dedicated people, we established a mediation process that reached settlements with almost 200 victim survivors; that mediation process has been praised by the victim survivors who have participated in the process.)

From the Diocesan paper, here.

H/t: Catholic Culture.

Vindictive Pro-Abort Priest Sues Lifesite in a fit of Rage

Raging priest, Fr. Gravel, who is on record for attacking the teachings of the Catholic Church is now suing the organization that reported his evil deeds.  It should mean that the raging ex-catechist and politician will have to cover their substantial legal costs when all's said and done.

He claims that Lifesite damaged his position in the Church.   Perhaps you did that when you decided to flaunt your anti-Catholicism by saying the following:

“I am pro-choice and there is not a bishop on earth that will prevent me from receiving Communion, not even the Pope.”

Actually, this case should have trouble even being heard, unless they Lavender Mafia has paid off the judge.  Just goes to show you how vindictive and nasty these people are.

Lifesite, here.

Catholics in Boston Ask Holy Father to Intervene

 Catholics who oppose the Archdiocese of Boston’s ill-conceived policy to admit the children of gay and lesbian parents to Catholic schools and who are FED UP  with the leadership of the archdiocese can now voice their opinion directly to the Holy See–and ask them to intervene and rescind the policy. Just click the FedUp button to the right.
As you may already know, Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley pandered to people pushing the gay agenda on Catholic schools by approving a policy that directs pastors they cannot discriminate against children of gay parents in school admissions.  So, if two gay parents want to place their child in a Catholic school, the policy says the pastor is not to refuse them admission.

Never mind that the young child who depends on their gay/lesbian parents for sustenance might be harmed by hearing their teacher say their parents’ lifestyle is considered disordered and immoral. Never mind that the Church would be giving some implicit or explicit seal of approval on the gay relationship of the parents.  Never mind the rights of faithful Catholic parents to protect the innocence of their own children’s minds at a young age. Never mind that the Boston Archdiocese misappropriated a quote from the Holy Father saying on a financial basis all children should be able to access Catholic education, and instead used it to deceive people into thinking the Holy Father condoned this policy.

Gay “Catholic” organizations like DignityUSA praised the archdiocese and Catholics for Marriage Equality said they “hope dioceses around the country will adopt Boston’s guidelines.” So, like “gay marriage” that originated in Massachusetts, this disaster too could sweep across the country quickly if faithful Catholics do not act quickly.

Read further and sign the E-Mail petition, here.

WANTED! Bishop of Fulda Seeks Priests for 'Old Mass'

Heinz Josef Algermissen to priests:  "I would be grateful, if one or more of you could learn this Mass, in order that the faithful who wish it can enjoy the celebration of the Eucharist in the extraordinary form."

Fulda (kath.net) Heinz Josef Algermissen, the Bishop of Fulda, has encouraged the learning of the extraordinary form of the Mass through a current letter to the priests of his Diocese.  "In order to meet the desire of the faithful  with the celebration of the Holy Mass in the extraordinary form, I wish to request something of you:  I would be thankful, if one or more of you could learn this mass in order that the faithful who wish it, to hear the Mass in the extraordinary form," wrote the Bishop in a recent correspodence to kath.net.

Algermissen recalled the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of 7. July 2007, with which Pope Benedict XVI had freed up the celebration of the "Old Mass" and also, that the Holy Father who was concerned for the unity of the Church, who also lifted the excommunications which were incurred when Society of St. Pius X Archbishop Lefebvre engaged in forbidden consecrations in1989.

Algermissen wrote then, that there has been an "Old Mass" Indult allowed in his Diocese since 2003 and that presently it is being celebrated in the Diocese of Fulda and in Kassel as well.  For that reason six priests are needed some of whom will serve as replacements for various reasons  (Age, health) for those priests who can no longer say the Mass.  "Please understand this proposal as an opportunity to help fulfill the desires of the Holy Father", wrote Algermissen at the end to his priests.

Read further...

FSSP Mass on EWTN.

Conservative Jews Vote for Homosexual Rabbis

[New York Times] The decision, which followed years of debate, was denounced by traditionalists in the movement as an indication that Conservative Judaism had abandoned its commitment to adhere to Jewish law, but celebrated by others as a long-awaited move toward full equality for gay people.

"We see this as a giant step forward," said Sarah Freidson, a rabbinical student and co-chairwoman of Keshet, a student group at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York that has been pushing for change. But in a reflection of the divisions in the movement, the 25 rabbis on the law committee passed three conflicting legal opinions — one in favor of gay rabbis and unions, and two against.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/us/07jews.html?_r=1
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Priest Says Cardinal Will Report Irish Church Close to Collapse

Editor: That's the problem when you send a pro-Abortion politician to do the job of a Catholic Prelate.

Monday, 14 February 2011 15:11
DUBLIN — Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley reportedly will tell Pope Benedict XVI that the Catholic Church in Ireland is "on the edge" of collapse due to the fallout from clerical abuse scandals. Cardinal O'Malley is one of several senior prelates charged by Pope Benedict with carrying out an apostolic visitation of the Irish Catholic Church following a series of highly critical judicial reports that revealed abuse by priests and a widespread culture of cover-up for decades among church leaders. Father Tony Flannery, a leading member of the Association of Catholic Priests, revealed at a conference of laypeople Feb. 12 in the Irish capital that "Cardinal O'Malley told the association the Irish Church had a decade, at most, to avoid falling over the edge and becoming like other European countries where religion is marginal to society." The Compass here, for the  rest.

Catholic Church Hosts Anti-Semitic, Marxist Congressman for Talk

Editor:  Antonio Gramsci alert... Comrade Keith Ellison,  a Jesuit educated byproduct, has been brought to you by the usual socialist electorate you'd expect in a major American city.  He's been an enthusiastic supporter of Lou Farrakhan in the past, when he's not dodging parking and traffic tickets, but anti-Semitic is ok at the leftists who run the Basilica of St. Mary's; perhaps someone should explore the connection between fascism, homosexuality and Islam?  Certain people have long inspired the public to believe, with some justification, that there's a connection between Catholicism and homosexuality, and given what goes on regularly at the Basilica, you can see why this is more than a passing possibility.

"Jews are among the most racist white people I know." Declared Ellison [laughably]:

“We stand by the truth contained in the remarks attributed to [Ms. Jackson], and by her right to express her views without sanction. Here is why we support Ms. Jackson: She is correct about Minister Farrakhan. He is not a racist. He is also not an anti-Semite. Minister Farrakhan is a tireless public servant of Black people, who constantly teaches self-reliance and self-examination to the Black community.”

Here's the offending article at Basilica:

Interfaith Forum with Congressman Keith Ellison

The Generosity of Inclusion: Everybody Counts, Everybody Matters

Thursday, February 24, 12:00–1:00pm
Westminster Presbyterian, Nicollet Mall & 12th StKeith Ellison represents Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A member of the DFL Party, he is the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress. He served two terms in the Minnesota State Legislature, representing District 58B, prior to election to national office. Keith Ellison offers a message of hope, reconciliation, respect, and inclusion. Join us for music at 11:30am and a reception at 1:00pm. Free and open to all! Co-sponsored by The Basilica of Saint  Mary. Contact Susan McKenna at 612.332.3421.

Link, here.

They were also present at the "Gay Pride" event last year too.

Catholic Priest Removed From San Dimas Church

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Catholic priest who admitted having a sexual relationship with a high school girl more than 40 years ago was removed his position, and a high-ranking official who oversaw the background checks of priests resigned.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced Friday that the Rev. Martin P. O’Loghlen, who worked at Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas, was removed from any priestly activities.

The archdiocese said it was reacting to inquiries from a New York Times reporter researching an article about O’Loghlen.

The 74-year-old priest is accused of having a long-term sexual relationship with the teenage girl beginning in 1960, and seeking her forgiveness later, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Read More: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/02/12/catholic-priest-removed-from-san-dimas-church/

In brief: Afghan soldier killed and dozens injured in bomb attack on police HQ

Taliban suicide bombers killed an Afghan soldier and wounded 28 people yesterday in an assault on the police headquarters in the main city in southern Kandahar province, the focus of a Nato offensive against insurgents.

In what appeared to be an attempt to raid the provincial police headquarters in downtown Kandahar, insurgents detonated a car bomb just outside the building before two suicide bombers blew themselves up on the street, the Nato-led coalition said

Read More: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/in-brief-afghan-soldier-killed-and-dozens-injured-in-bomb-attack-on-police-hq-2538192.html

Death toll in Iraq blast rises to 36

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say the death toll in a suicide bombing on a bus carrying Shiite pilgrims has risen to 36.

The blast went off Saturday, as pilgrims were returning from a religious ceremony.

Police and hospital officials said Sunday that 64 people were wounded in the attack in Samarra, 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Baghdad

The officials did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Read More: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jidMrfMrtjpxQswXQMj1Sg8pXx9Q?docId=559b029cdd9c4eb5b946446d9066ed4f

Notre Dame Loses Senior Night Clash With Knox Catholic

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost a close game to the Knox Catholic Fighting Irish on Saturday night. The visitors won 47-37 on Senior Night.

Notre dame fell behind early, but managed to climb back into the game in the fourth quarter only trailing the ranked Knox Catholic team by 4 points with 3:47 left in the contest.

Read More: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_194496.asp