Wednesday, February 9, 2011

'Welt' Accuses Cardinal Marx of Covering up Abuse-- Archdiocese Threatens Lawsuit

Editor: as kreuz.net earlier reported, Regensburg Diocese has already sued 'Spiegel'.

A serious accusation: Cardinal Marx is said to have covered up a suspected sexual abuse, in order to use this "politically" -- The Archdiocese of Munich is taking legal steps.

Munich (kath.net) "Cardinal Marx covers suspected abuse". With this headline on late Wednesday afternoon the newspaper "Die Welt" has aroused the concern of the Archdiocese of Munich. "There was an impression that Marx himself was the one who was aware of the abuse at first. Actually, he held back the information of a suspicion of sexual abuse, in order to use it later for political reasons.", wrote the paper. It is maintained in a report that the Munich Archbishop Cardinal Reinhard Marx, according to information from "Welt Online", is suspected of allegedly covering up an abuse for over three months and through that he could allegedly permit a man exposed as a pedophile to continue working as an educator at Cloister Ettal.

The "Welt" declared that it should have been the case that the victim of the educator who had informed the Diocese at first on 5. April 2010 was brought to the attention of the abuse delegate of the Archdiocese. Supposedly this was reported three months later to the State Prosecutor of Munich. The Cloister in Ettal, where the educator was active, should have been the first to have been informed, actually.

According to information from "Welt Online" Archbishop Marx is supposed to have been personally aware of the accusations against the Ettal teacher. Corresponding guidelines of the German Bishops Conference for the handling of sexual abuse require that the abuse delegate is "immediately" informed over these events. Otherwise the suspected victim according to "Welt" is supposed to have spoken later to Marx personally.

The paper reported that there was a conflict in the background between the Archdiocese of Munich and Cloister Ettal. In February 2010 Archbishop Marx had demanded the resignation of the then Abbott and the director of the Ettal Dormitory, both of whom were later rehabilitated by the Pope. The Diocese then directed, according to "Welt", the suspicion against the Ettal Educator to after a month of inactivity in the same week in which the rehabilitation of the Ettal Abbott was made public. "Possibly, these recent negative allegations could draw a cloud over the positive media-echo for Ettal", writes Welt.

The Archdiocese of Munich and Freising has condemend the report from "Welt" as untrue. "The "Welt" is called to retract and omit the untrue and damaging information. We plan on taking legal steps to obtain retraction and omission." they said in an official statement.

From kath.net...

Cardinal Kasper Defends Celibacy and the Pope

Editor: The man who was rebuked by Cardinal Burke , and a "destroyer of the Faith" by Father George May is now weighing in in defense of Tradition. Wow, didn't see this one coming.  Cardinal Kasper actually supports the Pope.  The following excerpt is the google translation from Enlace Catolico.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said Monday, speaking to the Portuguese agency Ecclesia, who never called for the abolition of celibacy in the Church.The German Cardinal was yesterday in Lisbon, on the occasion of the honorary doctorate awarded him the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP).


His name, along with the current pope, Joseph Ratzinger, and Karl Rahner, Karl Otto Lehmann Semmelroth and appears in the signing of a memorandum of 1970 to the German bishops, which called for a study on the need mandatory celibacy for priests.This text was made public by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, referring to the recent manifesto signed by 143 theologians German, Swiss and Austrians in which inter alia calls for the repeal of the law of celibacy.Cardinal Kasper, asked Ecclesia, clarified that the memorandum of 1970 was intended to "discuss" the issue, but no proposal to "abolish" the discipline.


"After this, there was much discussion, there were three global synods spoke on celibacy, and it was decided to maintain this discipline, and I credited that celibacy is good for the Church," added the cardinal.


He also stated that since 1970, "times have changed, and although he admitted that this argument is never closed,  he also stressed that "the decision of the Church in this matter has been concluded and that the current Pope does not intend to change this discipline" of mandatory celibacy.



(Rd/Zenit) (Rd / Zenit)

A New Motu Proprio on Liturgy is Here

Hero-Bishop Williamson


Bishop Williamson described a Motu Proprio that was to come out soon, back in August. There was also talk from Bruno Volpe of a Motu Proprio touching on the current talks between the SSPX and Rome.   Bishop Williamson also mentioned this talk as we reported.  No sooner this than that denials came forth by Society Superior Bishop Fellay that there was any such Motu Proprio in the future.

The current one in the works looks like it will touch on the Mass, and there's no indication that it will deal with the SSPX at all, but we'll see more when it comes out.  Here's an excerpt from Rorate Caeli.

The document, which will be published as a motu proprio, is the result of a long development - it has been reviewed by the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts and by the offices of the Secretariat of State - and is mainly motivated by the transferral of competences on matrimonial matters to the Roman Rota. ... Foregoing this [competence], which will be passed on to the Rota, the Congregation for Divine Worship will not occupy itself, in fact, with the sacraments, and will keep solely its competence in liturgical matters.

According to some authoritative rumors, a passage of the motu proprio of Benedict XVI could expressly mention that "new liturgical movement" of which Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera has spoken in recent times, when intervening in last November's consistory.  ...

The Congregation for Divine Worship - which some would wish to rechristen as "of the Sacred Liturgy" or "of the Divine Liturgy" - will henceforth busy itself with this new liturgical movement, including the creation of a new section of the dicastery dedicated to sacred art and music.

Berlin Cardinal in Induced Coma

His 75th birthday brings Georg Cardinal Sterzinsky to the intensive care unit of a Berlin hospital.  His condition is serious.

(kreuz.net) For already two weeks Georg Cardinal Sterzinsky has been in a hospital in the middle of the Berlin district.

According to reports of the Regional edition of the German boulevard magazine 'Bild' for Berlin-Brandenburg, Georg Cardinal Sterzinsky has been operated upon at the end of January for stomach cancer.

"At that point the health of the patient worsened,  the doctor of the wearer of purple put him in an induced coma" -- reported 'Bild' today.

On last Friday the surgeons attempted a second operation according to 'Bild'.

After the most recent reports the Cardinal should be ready for a fourth operation.

In the meantime the induced coma established a condition so that the Cardinal is not able to speak.

According to reports from 'Bild' the Cardinal's close relatives and ecclesiastical benefactors will gather at his sick bed.

It is self-evident that Cardinal Sterzinsky is being cared for by the Sister-run Franciscan Hospital on Budapest Street.

From kreuz.net...

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Careful: The Abuse-Hoax is a Diversionary Tactic

A German homosexual-ideologue is using the the timeliness of the hour in order to strike more homopolitical capital from the abuse-hoax.  A Commentary, translated from kreuz.net.
More homosexuality means, necessarily, more abuse.

(kreuz.net) The Jesuit, homosexual-ideologue [are there any others?] and striking Rector of the Berlin Cansisius College, Father Klaus Mertes is once again the homo-propagandist underway in German lands.  This, according to the 'Frankfurter Allgemein Zeitung' today.

On Sunday he indoctrinated the participants of an event at the Jesuit-led Old Liberal Philosophy-Theology faculty of the University of St. George in Frankfurt am Main.

Father Mertes is known for covering up the real reason for the very infrequent cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

This consists in over eighty percent of the cases of abuse, homosexual perpetrators of sexually mature boys.

With preemptive complaint about the supposed discrimination against homosexual perps finds Fr. Mertes usually insisting that this problem has been made a taboo by German society.

At the same time he insults the Church because it is the only institution in the West that has the courage to condemn homosexual depravity.

With his attacks on the Church, the priest diverts attention from the homosexual problem.

In the case of the Berlin Canisius College the then supervisor categorically declared, since which -- as it was later exposed -- not having any information about the abuses at the school.

Actually the homo-ideological Jesuits aren't concerned about the protection of minors from homosexual perpetrators.  He wants to revile the Church.

So, he portrays one aggrieved of homosexual abuse as a "victim of a church pastor".

During his attack on the Church, the German priest imitates the national-masochism of his homeland.

This rages from a sexually morbid self-depreciation.  Example?

The Church never offered to approach the victims once in a "therapeutic manner" -- as the Jesuit waltzed into the slime.

Or:  It won't do, "to instrumentalize the victims as learning experiences for the Church".

Or: "What does the institution recongize, when they look from the perspective of the victim, when they see themselves in the mirror held for them by the victim?"

His answer: "The Church is also a sinner".

Naturally -- the tabooization undertaken by the Jesuits of the homosexual perpetrator only functions when the guilt can be pushed onto another -- on the Church.

After this cheap diversionary maneuver, Father Mertes published his own concern.

He can't get around, "to declare that from the perspective of the victim the fundamental question is placed in the context of Church sexual morality and the definition of spiritual power."

All clear?

Translated from kreuz.net...

Cardinal Brandmüller Celebrates Pontifical High Mass

EditorYou'll remember the Cardinal for his apt criticism of German politicians who thought they could weigh in on the Catholic doctrine of celibacy and how he was in turn unjustly criticized by Cardinal Lehman.

Walter Cardinal Brandmülle celebrated a pontifical high Mass in the Immemorial Mass of All Ages, in the sanctuary of the Dolors of the Virgin in Camovacallo di Osimo [Marken].


Campocavallo di Osimo (kath.net) After the solemn procession in the sanctuary at 15:00 the Cardinal led prayers before the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, according to the prayers of the "Hora tertia Pontificalis" and vesting for the celebration of Holy Mass at 15:45.

Musically the liturgy was sung by the Schola Cantorum "Sancta Cecilia" from Corridonia under the direction of Alessandro Pucci with the "Missa secunda Pontificalis" by Lorenzo Perosi.

Since 1893 the sanctuary of Campocavallo village honors the Dolors [sorrows] of the Mother of God.  Campocavallo is located in the vicinity of the great Marian sanctuary 'Casa Santa" [Holy House] of Loretto.  Every Sunday and on feast days a Mass in the Immemorial Rite is celebrated  at 16:45, and on workdays at 7:00.

Every day  at 18:30 after Holy Mass the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and the rosary is prayed with a concluding Eucharistic blessing.  Every Saturday from 21:30 till 5:30 the next morning, there is a Eucharistic vigil.

iPhone App is Invalid for "Confession": Hate-media Strikes Again

Once again, the Church hate-media publishes untrue things that ridicule the Catholic Faith.  Confessions by telephone are already invalid, so this report is exaggerated and untrue.  Of course, those who are willing to believe this non-sense are of two types and you all know who you are.

The Catholic Church is the most maligned religion in the world.

Link, here.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Father Schmidberger Defends Vatican II and Celibacy

The German District Superior of the Society of St. Pius X has reprimanded the 'Central Committee of German Catholics', not only for pharisaicaly demanding a  recognition of the Pastoral Council, but also not following it.

Father Schmidberger Celebrates Mass in Holland

(kreuz.net)  Demands from some politicians of the Homosexual and Abortion CDU party in favor of married priests is against the Pastoral Council.

This was explained by the German District Superior of the Society of St. Pius X, Father Franz Schmidberger in a statement last Thursday.

The cited  principley from the decree on priestly education 'Otatam Totius' of October 1965.

Vatican Council II: Celibacy is Better

The document solemnly declared that the Seminarians must live "according to the holy and certain laws of their own Rite and venerable tradition of priestly celibacy"

Seminarians should be carefully prepare for a single state.

They were denied marriage by heaven's will and serve Christ with undivided love.

Still further  it is said that the Seminarian must understand the value of Christian marriage: "they should recognize the precedence of Christ's virginity".

Especially in the "present society" -- meant is the time of 1965 -- where there are dangers to chastity.

Seminarians are to be watchful  -- as the Decree continues:

"They must learn to protect themselves by various divine and human means."

Celibacy  should enable the future priest to "a complete mastery of body and soul toward a higher human fullness".

Old Liberal Mentality of Self-Justification

Father Schmidberger demands that the CDU- abortion politicians and the Old Liberal Lay Committee, 'Central Committee of German Catholics' with exclamation points that they obey the specifications of the Second Vatican Council and recant their Anti-Celibacy declarations.

Whoever demands recognition of the Pastoral Council in any discussion, must himself adhere to it.

The Society of St. Pius X has always declared that only a part of the Council can be corrected, which is in conflict with tradition.

On the contrary, the "Central Committee" deals with a "mentality of self-justification".

Father Schmidberger has the impression that the Council will be degraded to a "Decree Buffet": "Whatever one likes is picked up and eaten.  The rest goes back into the 'Roman kitchen'."

One such subjective method of selection can not be a foundation for serious theological confrontation -- states Father Schmidberger.

Link to kreuz.net...

Evangelical Lutheran Sex-Change Pastor

This goes well with the week of prayer for the unity of Christians.  In any case this "fairy" would like to be known as "Herr Pastor".

This Pastor is now a Pastoress

(kreuz.net) January  24 2011 - The married protestant pastor, Hans Gerd Spörkel (54) told the world through the boulevard magazine 'Bild', that he was "born in the wrong body".

Spörkel is active in the 5000 population town of Haldern -- a part of the city of Rees in the district of Dusseldorf.

The evangelical community  has about 1250  people.

'Bild' formulated the problem in a humorous light: "Pastor Hans-Gerd Spörkel (54) was earlier a man and enters now as a woman before the community."

Even as a young boy Spörkel cried in front of the television when he watched the film "Sissi":


"He cried from joy, because he found the glistening clothes of the Empress so beautiful" -- 'Bild" said of the schmaltzy Sissi-film and Spörkel.

Since the beginning of last month the pastor has been taking feminine hormones.

He pulls the hair of his beard out, wears makeup and wears woman's clothes -- naturally from the protestant pulpit.

His decadent community clapped for a long while as he danced into his house of worship for the first time as a woman.

Spörkel's been active there for  26 years.

Before his most recent step, there were "rumors" in his community, where he was seen wearing women's clothing.

Finally, he had understandable thoughts of killing himself, suffered a nervous breakdown and entered into a "psychosomatic" clinic.

There he turned himself around and came to consider himself as a "woman".

Spörkel is separated from his wife.  According to reports from 'Bild' he will continue being there for his children.



As you would expect he is supported in his madness by the protestant church leadership.

His boss is Dieter Schutte (61) who is the Superintendant of the communities of Wesel.

'Bild' cites him: "It was important to handle this transparently.  We have spoken with him intensively and paid close attention to how the community would handle his decision."

In the mean time Spörkel is stepping out, according to 'Bild', as a fairy:  "blue, rimless glasses, elegant makeup, blonde, short hair, two earrings, purple scarf."

He still wants to be addressed as "Herr Pastor".

"I still want to retain the masculine title for identification -- perhaps I will change it sometime," was how 'Bild' cited the disturbed man.

Link to kreuz.net original...

Freiburg Dogmatic Theologian Helmut Hoping Criticizes Bishops and Liberal Theologians

A sharp criticism on the Theologians Declaration and the Bishops:  At present, priests can "teach what they want, live as they wish and they can also celebrate liturgy as they want but that doesn't interest bishops in the main."

Cologne (kath.net) Helmut Hoping, Professor of Dogmatics at the Albert-Ludwig University in Freiburg and permanent Deacon explained his decisive  rejection of the provocative Theologians' - Memorandum.  He will not sign the Memorandum because he is criticizing the fundamental consideration of the Theolgian-Memorandum:  one use the "sexual abuse debate" to promote a simple opening of ecclesiastical offices "for married" and the "recognition of practicing homosexuality".

Otherwise, since the situation started he has had "the impression, that the Bishops are all too eager to hear movements in the community, instead of asserting certain questions like the question of celibacy."  The Memorandum criticizes, for all intents and purposes with justification, "a monstrous weight of double-standards in the Church", so went Professor Hoping's analysis.

For that reason he calls the "question of Abuse",  something which is ignored, "especially in other areas as well, so that the priests could teach what they want, they could live as they want, and they could celebrate liturgy as they want, but that doesn't interest most of the Bishops in the main."

The theology professor then expressed himself in these words:  "And that must stop, there must really be a renewal of the office following with a corresponding charge of the obligations of service law and with a powerful and transparent service law, and then one can discuss my considerations over the proposal as well, as it is now raised to the area of politics, about viri probati, with whom I generally have no problem with, since I'm a permanent Deacon, I can thoroughly imagine myself, that the office could open for married men.  But are we to believe, that one could make from the abuse debate and from the general crisis in the Church, a situation in which the office is opened for married men, and also how a part of German theologians would have it, to promote practicing homosexuality.  All of that is completely experimental, to develop a Church, which we already have in the area of Protestantism, with all of the problems that exist there.

Original, kath.net...

Saturday, February 5, 2011

German "Theologians" Attack Church

Ed: They're making hay out of the abuse hoax where a few homosexuals have taken advantage of the situation for free access to young males, food, lodging and cheap esteem.

By JUERGEN BAETZ, Associated Press Juergen Baetz, Associated Press – Fri Feb 4, 2:58 pm ET BERLIN – University theologians in Germany have called on the Catholic Church to abandon the vow of celibacy for priests, open up the clergy for women and accept gays couples.

The 143 professors said the church must implement bold reforms because of "a crisis without precedent" following the discovery of widespread sexual and physical abuses by clergymen a year ago.

More Christians than ever have turned their backs on the Catholic Church in the past year, they said. "The Church has to understand these signs and move beyond its ossified structures to regain new vitality and credibility."
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Friday, February 4, 2011

Nine-year old girl shocks grandfather after puberty talk at Catholic school

Editor: Remember, they'll get to you through your children.

A grandfather whose nine-year-old granddaughter asked him if he was concerned about the size of his genitals days after a "puberty talk" at a Catholic school is shocked at the age at which children learn about puberty.

He said children were losing their innocence too early.

But the principal of St Paul's School in Massey, West Auckland, said a public health nurse at the optional "mother and daughter" evening spoke only about puberty and the associated changes, and did not talk about penis size or go into any sexual detail.

The grandfather said he became alarmed when he overhead his granddaughter telling her younger brother about what she had heard, including that some boys were worried about the size of their genitals. She then asked her granddad if he was concerned.

 http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4616094/Personal-question-after-school-puberty-talk-shocks-granddad

H/t: MichaelNZ

Modernist Monastery Attacks New Translation of Missal: Homosexual Culture Promotes Abuse

Big surprise, homosexual super-culture promotes dissent.  Never mind that the whole thing could be solved by simply returning to the pre-54 Missal.  Father Ruff has, after much soul-searching, to be sure, has decided to call it quits. Maybe he should quit pretending to be a Catholic and a Benedictine? Why doesn't he just join the Unitarians?  Well, Pro-homosexual "America" has published his open letter.  Birds of a feather, etc...

Remember, this is the guy who recently lent an uncritical ear to the yammering of Germany's homosexual enthusiast David Berger, who recently got fired from a seminary faculty in Rome after he was shown as a promoter and practitioner of homosexuality. C'mon people, St. John's is the haunt of predatory homosexual vampires who want to destroy the Church as much as they want to corrupt and destroy young minds.  The only reason this dump still puts out a shingle with the word Catholic on it is because of lazy, good-for-nothing, laymen who turn a blind eye.  This place really deserves to be shut down by competent Church authorities.  Still, nothing heard about any disciplining for an evil Benedictine there who promotes homosexuality on your dime, [If you're stupid enough to give money to Collegeville that is]. 

You know it's got to be bad when Jeff Mirus at Catholic Culture catches on.

So, this should come as a surprise to no one, especially not the homosexual super-culture of the Modernist Monastery in the Midwest, surely the most ugly brutalist, Mies Van Der Rohe inspired pile of concrete in the world....
With a heavy heart, I have recently made a difficult decision concerning the new English missal. I have decided to withdraw from all my upcoming speaking engagements on the Roman Missal in dioceses across the United States. After talking with my confessor and much prayer, I have concluded that I cannot promote the new missal translation with integrity [You're worried about integrity now?]. I’m sure bishops want a speaker who can put the new missal in a positive light, and that would require me to say things I do not believe.[Knowing the Bishops, some of them would, at least, prefer a Catholic speaker]

I love the Church, [With caveats and qualifications] I love the sacred liturgy [You love defacing the liturgy], I love chant in Latin and English, [An artistic conceit?] and I treasure being involved with all these as a monk and priest. It has been an honor to serve until recently as chairman of the music committee of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) that prepared all the chants for the new missal. But my involvement in that process, as well as my observation of the Holy See’s handling of scandal, has gradually opened my eyes to the deep problems in the structures of authority of our church. [Yes, the practice of your community of continuing to ordain and tonsure homosexuals is a problem with authority, we suppose.]

The forthcoming missal is but a part of a larger pattern of top-down impositions by a central authority that does not consider itself accountable to the larger church. [Join a pro-homosexual, pro-anarchist "church" then, if you don't like top down arrangements.  It's not like there aren't other ecclesial arrangements more suitable to your predilections.]   When I think of how secretive the translation process was, how little consultation was done with priests or laity, how the Holy See allowed a small group to hijack [Probably that's what happened at St. John's in the thirties when Liturgical Abuses became the norm, among other kinds of abuses, to be sure] the translation at the final stage, how unsatisfactory the final text is, how this text was imposed on national conferences of bishops in violation of their legitimate episcopal authority, how much deception and mischief have marked this process—and then when I think of Our Lord’s teachings on service and love and unity…I weep. [Bullcrap]

I see a good deal of disillusionment with the Catholic Church among my friends and acquaintances. [Good, then leave.] Some leave the Catholic Church out of conviction, some gradually drift away, some join other denominations, some remain Catholic with difficulty. My response is to stay in this church for life and do my best to serve her. This I hope to do by stating the truth as I see it, with charity and respect. I would be ready to participate in future liturgical projects under more favorable conditions.

I am sorry for the difficulties I am causing others by withdrawing, but I know this is the right thing to do. I will be praying for you and all leaders in our church.

Pax in Christo,

Fr. Anthony Ruff, O.S.B.

There are a lot of other places you could go, Tony, and be an effeminate social worker with a decent salary.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Turkish Legal Claims Against Syriac Monastery

Editor: so much about the Turkish President's claims.

On 27.01.2011, Turkish Supreme Court made decision against Mor Gabriel Monastery concerning lands dispute with the villages and Turkish Treasury.

One more time there is a try to seize values and assets of Syriac people by legal and juridical pressures with the example of Mor Gabriel Monastery. With unfair methods and ways, a lot of lands of Syriacs have been seized during cadastral survey works since 2007, and had been transferred to the state treasury. The most important and clear evidence is the Mor Gabriel Monastery trials. These actions take source from local villages and state institutions. The local court made decision about cases, but later on all parties decided to go to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court dealt with the cases and reversed even the case which was gained by the Monastery Foundation. Finally, on 27.01.2011 according to the recent decision made by the Supreme Court, the Mor Gabriel Monastery has to transfer most of its lands to the state treasury.

At the time when AKP (Justice and Development Party) government is trying to persuade the whole world with the democratic openings, taking actions against Mor Gabriel Monastery is completely contradictory to the reality. And thus the AKP government is seen insincere by the Syriacs. With this latest development, the AKP government becomes a source of disappointment in the process of reforms towards European Union.

These political decisions had always been reasons of discussion on the international arena and often Turkey had been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights. We also believe that Turkey will be condemned by the European Court of Human Rights concerning the Mor Gabriel Monastery case. We call to the Turkish government to restore this unfair decision and make relevant legal arrangements.

European Syriac Union (E.S.U.), on behalf of the Syriac people, is strongly condemning the decision of the Supreme Court and made its call to all Syriac people all over the world, to the world public opinion and to relevant institutions and governments to be responsive to this situation.

Best

regardsEuropean Syriac Union -

ESUwww.esu.ccwww.esu-youth.eu
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Pope: The Church is not Merely the Dispenser of Social Services

Editor: While remaining ambivalent to the nature of the Church and the State, the Holy Father restates the importance of the State in maintaining the moral order.  Religion may not be merely limited as the participant in culture.

Rom (kath.net/as) This Thursday morning Pope Benedict invited the new ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Holy See, Alfons M. Kloss, for the handing over of qualifications, with which this extraordinary and appointed emissary was accredited.

In his address Benedict XVI. called Austria the "Land of Cathedrals", that in its culture, its history and not least in everyday life, the faith is deeply stamped and, while at the same time it could demonstrate a long history of friendly coexistence between different religions and cultures.

The Pope went about the "peculiar tension" in the relation between Church and State which exist in the various states of Europe.  It appears that one wants to adjust the Gospel to the culture, yet it is painfully intended to avoid the fact that the culture has been participated in by the religious.

As a second point Benedict stressed the actuality of the respect for religious freedom, which allows the ecclesiastical community to exercise its various activities, from which from which the entire society makes use. The engagement of the Church has its deepest foundation in God, "in God, is love": "therefore it is necessary, to attend the nature and actual effect of the Church, without making it merely a bearer of social services.  It is much more evident in the completeness of a religious dimension."


So, there is in place of prayer, "the tendency to counter egotistical individualism.  For all communal powers consist in the penetrating and persistent mission, to secure the moral dimension of the culture, the dimension of a culture, that which is representative of people as well as of life in society. 

Finally the Pope underlined the importance of family politics and the meaning of marriage as a natural help to social ordering:  "Therefore, marriage and family necessitates the special protection of the state.  They are, for all of their members, a school of humanity with positive consequences for the individual and for society."

The Pope's complete address is available on kath.net in German, here...

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Turkey: 'Seventh Church' of the Apocalypse is Found

"Church in Laodicea" has been located with underground radar signals -- The structure is in its basic and original state.

Ankara (kath.net/KAP) Archeologists have found the so-called "Seventh Church of Asia" from the biblical testimony of St. John.  Turkish Minister of Culture, Ertugrul Gunay said  for the Turkish press service [Tuesday] upon a visit to the excavation.

The antique city Ladoicea [Laodikeia on Lykos today's Cürüksu Cayi] in the city of Phrygia mentioned in the cryptic Apocalypse at the end of the New Testament mentioned as the place of the seventh Christian church [Apocalyse: 3,14-22]. Each of the seven churches [kath.net says 'communities'] - Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardes, Philadelphia and Laodicea -- thus contains an epistle to the baptized.

According to reports of the dig's director Celal Simsek the Church was located with subterranean radar.  The structure is in its basic and original state.

Minister Gunay spoke after a field inspection of the exciting find.  He announced that he would present further digs in the Summer for the world press.

The city of Laodicea was also the location of the Council of Laodicea in the 4th Century.

Link to the original, kath.net...

Cardinal Lehman Attacks Cardinal Brandmüller's Letter in Defense of Celibacy

Cardinal Lehmann attacked Cardinal Brandmüller in his own paper "Glaube und Leben" and shamed himself with an open letter to the Cardinal -- no critical word for the CDU-Politicians -- see the Survey on Lehman  -- speak out!
The Face of Germany's Bloated Hierarchy


Mainz  (kath.net) Cardinal Karl Lehmann, the former President of the German Bishops Conference had sharply attacked the Roman Curial Cardinal Brandmüller, because he had criticized a provocative assertion about celibacy by some CDU-Zdk politicians.  The politicians had made an appeal to the German Bishops advocating for a change in the practice of celibacy.  In this, they posed the question, "how can the growing priest shortage be managed?"

Lehmann spoke in connection with the provacative letter of "eight serving CDU-politicians in the Federal and National level", who recalled "one such inexhaustible theme" that has been discussed in the Church well "over 40years long".  Then the Mainz Bishop spoke of a "climbing priest shortage"  -- a contention, which appeared elsewhere in the last days in "Focus" --which was disproved by editor Alexander Kissler -- if one did not ordain priests "men who've proved themselves in families and occupations".  Lehmann recognized then that he had always took pains so that the Church is also "open to new ways of thinking" with an afterthought about the priesthood, "without that the discussion was already identical with an answer on these difficult questions".  For the Cardinal was also "expectant", that these questions about the "viri probati" [responsible men in families and marriages] would come again in the order of the day, if one were invited to a "Dialog Process" over today's questions.

Then Lehman attacked Cardinal Brandmüller's open letter and opines:  "I'm very ashamed of the tone taken by this open letter, and in all sympathy for the powerful objection of the letter by eight politicians for I have  worked for years as Bishop, active for a long time in Germany.  One must really not compare, if one touches on the subject of 'viri probati', speak of wanting 'another Church',  to put 'the German experience' in play, which 'leads to the path of the schism of a national German church.'"

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Lehman showed himself "deeply disappointed", as here for example the sitting Bundespresident, in any case after the Bundespresidents, the second authority in the land, a serving Bundesminister and three highly esteemed Ministerial Presidents are "attacked", who have worked in the Church for decades.  "This is not the style with which we go about our differences of opinion in this country."  For the Mainz Bishop, these opinions are "extreme", and even the opinions of the "Süddeutschen" he regards as "extreme".  "The Dialog Process must seek a new middle, without drifting into lazy compromises.  Hopefully we can come out of this stalled double dialog," he finally concluded.

Parts of Cardinal Brandmuller's letter, Celibacy Originates with the Time of Jesus, here translated from kreuz.net...

You can participate in a poll on kath.net if you want, make the first selection if you think that Cardinal Lehmann should be ashamed of himself for attacking Cardinal Brandmueller.  Most of the readers of kath.net feel that Cardinal Lehman should be ashamed of himself at the bottom of the article, here.

 Thanks to TIA for the photos.

Tudo Bem? The Immemorial Mass in Rio

Father Érico Rodrigues de Mello Falcão, the Paroquial Vicar of the Cathedral of Maceio, says the Immemorial Mass of All Ages every Sunday, here for more photos.  It's fairly significant that a man who's on the Diocesan staff like this is willing to say the Mass of All Ages.  It speaks well of his Bishop

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

A Brussels Archbishop Celebrates the First Gregorian Mass in Forty Years

The Previous Episcopal Conference speaker says this is a 'false signal'


Brussels (kath.net/KAP) The Brussels Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard just celebrated a Mass in the Traditional Rite.  The celebration took place in Brussels with about 500 faithful on Sunday for the occasion of the arrival of the "traditionalist" Society of St. Peter in Benelux-Staaten, as reported by the newspaper "De Standaard".

The Society of St. Peter is recognized by Rome.  Their foundation was an offer to those who were then members of the Society of St. Pius X in opposition to the Second Vatican Council.

The "Standard" reported that it is the first time in four decades that a Belgian Archbishop has celebrated the Old Mass.  The Church Historian and earlier Episcopal Conference Speaker Jürgen Mettepenningen, said that the Liturgy in the Old Rite is a "false signal".  It is a sign for a Church that had been understood as a matter between priest and God.

Link to original, kath.net... 

Related story: at Agneskerk Amsterdam, from Rorate, another Pontifical  Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Coppenhagen and Cardinal Burke in nearby liberal Holland.

Sri Lankan Cathedral Enforces Dress Code

[Rorate] The Catholic National Association of Laity (CNAL) in Sri Lanka has backed calls for people of all faiths to dress modestly in places of worship.

CNAL is worried about the wearing of increasingly revealing clothing during church feasts, weddings and Sunday Masses.In an appeal to worshippers, Victor Silva, secretary of CNAL, noted "with great sadness and dismay the unfortunate trend among some Catholic lay faithful to be dressed in an immodest and most disrespectful manner when participating in liturgical services, with scant attention to the sense of the sacred."

Sri Lankan authorities have already ordered the pulling down of billboards featuring women showing extra cleavage or exposing thighs to advertise products or services.The call by CNAL comes as part of a drive to have churchgoers dress appropriately during religious ceremonies.

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2011/01/example-of-colombo-cathedral.html
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