'Pope Joan' Movie

Despite the fact that known evidence disproves the legend and that most serious historians reject it, a new movie based on the myth of 'Pope Joan' has risen to the top 10 list in Italian cinema. Once again, it seems apropos that Catholics refresh their memories regarding this legend which was previously believed even by Catholics. To that end, please recall that...

* The first mention of 'Pope Joan' did not occur until centuries after her supposed existence

* 'Pope Joan' does not fit in the historical timeline

* There is no solid evidence for the legend, and there are contrary explanations for various supposed "proofs" (e.g. chairs with holes do not prove there was a 'Pope Joan', because chairs with holes predate the legend)

* Even enemies of the Church today admit the story is a fable

* In the past, this legend has been used to tarnish the reputation of the Church. It has also been used by feminists to advance their agenda

Related: Vatican Q & A: Was there ever a "Pope Joan"? | The Popes: From St. Peter to Present | Top Reasons Why Women Can't Be Priests

Blasphemous Hyundai Commercial [Updated]

Thinking about buying a car? If you're thinking about a Hyundai, you might want to think again. Automaker Hyundai has run a highly offensive World Cup commercial which mocks the Catholic Church. The blasphemous commercial parodies Catholic liturgical practices in a non-Catholic 'church' which was founded in honor of a former soccer player. The commercial begins with a procession - of a housed light & soccer ball - accompanied by the song Agnus Dei (meaning 'Lamb of God', a reference to Jesus). It also contains a scene where the "priest" feeds a kneeling "communicant" pizza and shows a bridal couple placing their hands on a soccer ball just before the immodestly dressed "bride" head-butts the ball inside the "church".

Call Hyundai today and object to this blasphemy!

Note: To complain, you can try calling (714) 965-3000 (located in Fountain Valley, CA) or toll free at (800) 633-5151. Or try online for e-mail addresses or mailing addresses. [Reminder: Callers who prefer to keep their phone number private should bear in mind that caller ID blocking may not prevent the transmission of your phone number when a toll-free number is used]

UPDATE: Hyundai has apologized for and removed the offensive commercial, noting in part that "Because of feedback like yours, we have removed the ad from all Hyundai communications and stopped airing it. We credit the passionate World Cup viewers and Hyundai owners for raising this issue to us. The unexpected response created by the ad, which combined both soccer and religious motifs to speak to the passion of international soccer fans, prompted us to take a more critical and informed look at the spot. Though unintentional, we now see it was insensitive. We appreciate your feedback and hope you will accept our sincere apologies." [Commentary: Anyone doubt they would have taken a "more critical and informed look at the spot" BEFORE it aired if it parodied Islam rather than Catholicism?]

[6/14, updated 6/15]

Who should pay for abuse settlements?

Various Catholics outraged by the Irish abuse scandal are up in arms over the request that they help contribute to settlements. Certainly it doesn't seem fair that an innocent Catholic should have to pay for the misdeeds of members of the Church's hierarchy. However, the fact is that the money will have to come from somewhere. Given the vow of poverty taken by many of the individuals involved, it's unlikely that those who committed abuse personally have piles of money lying around to compensate their victims.

While we might hope dioceses have stacks of cash to pay victims, the truth is that much of their assets may be illiquid and those assets they do have may be insufficient to cover the huge damages, not to mention the heavy legal costs. Besides, whatever assets they do have were likely already funded by previous donations from the laity. Furthermore, if the diocesan assets are sold, worthy programs might suffer. So if the laity are unwilling to provide funds for settlements, it seems very likely that worthy programs will be cut or that parishes may be at risk. Even if one's own parish isn't lost, precious other churches and assets of the Church which have been handed down to us from our ancestors may not survive. And once these are lost, we will probably never recover them.

Sometimes it seems that a parish or Catholic school is lost every week... complete with painful consequences for those involved. Chances are those affected by the closures would be willing to donate at least some amount to get their beloved parish or school back. But at that point, it's probably too late. While we may not wish to donate hard earned money for abuse settlements, we could ultimately suffer similar consequences if we categorically refuse to help out. Perhaps if we were left in charge we could find a way to pay off settlements with the least amount of damage (e.g. by selling non-sacred assets which are most removed from parishioners and cutting only unworthy programs), but the reality is that the laity probably won't have much of a say in the final decision regarding the disposal of assets. So, holding one's nose and coughing up some cash might seem like a reasonable "insurance policy" for our beloved parishes If nothing else, it is a work of charity to assist those who have suffered from abuse. There's no guarantee, of course, that such donations will save any given parish, but will a faithful Catholic ever regret that he at least tried to save God's house? An can we not expect that God will reward us for our efforts even if we are not successful?

That's not to say it will be pleasant. Perhaps, therefore, it may be more meritorious.

[3/8]

A Time to Lament

The following is a brief overview of some recent scandals in the Church. Definitely not fun reading.

* Reports are circulating about a homosexual "prostitution ring" involving an usher at the Vatican ("a member of an elite group called 'Gentlemen of His Holiness'") as well as a Vatican chorister. At least one seminarian is reportedly also involved.

* A Mexican woman who has come forward regarding her alleged affair with the disgraced founder of the Legionaries of Christ and allegations that she bore two of his children said in a recent interview that she was not aware that he was a priest. The Legionaries' founder allegedly used a different name and "lived a parallel life". Her children were also interviewed and they made abuse accusations against him.

* The abuse scandal in Germany continues to widen. It now includes the choir where Pope Benedict's brother worked for 30 years. The Pope's brother said he did not know about any abuse at the choir.

* Many Irish Catholics are in an uproar over being asked to contribute for abuse victims' compensation. The scandals have also provided those who hate the Church many opportunities to spew insults, and at least one notorious anti-Catholic has predicted the Church's "downfall"

Related: Scandal in the Church (apologetics)

[3/5]

The March 14th Collection: Where Will Your Money Go?

Catholics in the U.S. will be asked to donate to a "Give Hope to Jesus in Disguise" collection on March 14. Be advised that, according to a CNA report, funds from the collection will be going to the following six programs...

* Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

* CLINIC (Catholic Legal Immigration Service, Inc.)

* The Holy Father's Relief Fund

* The USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development (JPHD)

* The USCCB Department of Migration and Refugee Services (MRS)

* The USCCB Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church

[3/2]

50 years late, but still good to hear

In a recent speech ("given at the scene of the crime"), Archbishop Charles Chaput criticized former President John F. Kennedy's 1960 campaign speech that "left a lasting mark on American politics" in which the politician spoke of a clear wall of separation between his duties as a Catholic and his public duties. The archbishop said Kennedy's speech was "sincere, compelling, articulate – and wrong." He also noted that Kennedy's remarks "began the project of walling religion away from the process of governance in a new and aggressive way" and said that "Today, half a century later, we’re paying for the damage."

"Further, it is unlawful to follow one line of conduct in private life and another in public, respecting privately the authority of the Church, but publicly rejecting it; for this would amount to joining together good and evil, and to putting man in conflict with himself; whereas he ought always to be consistent, and never in the least point nor in any condition of life to swerve from Christian virtue." (Pope Leo XIII, "Immortale Dei", 1885)

[3/2]

Highlights From 2010 Pontifical Yearbook

The following are some highlights from the 2010 edition of the "Annuario Pontificio" (Pontifical Yearbook)...

* Eight new episcopal sees and one territorial prelature were erected in 2009

* There were 169 new bishops appointed in 2009

* "The number of Catholics in the world increased from around 1,147 million in 2007 to 1,166 million in 2007, an increase of nineteen million faithful which corresponds to a growth of 1.7 percent"

* The number of priests increased over the last nine years from 405,178 in 2000 to 409,166 in 2008

* The number of female religious dropped (markedly) from 801,185 in 2000 to 739,067 in 2008

* Globally there was slight growth in the number of candidates to the priesthood (from 115,919 in 2007 to 117,024 in 2008). There was a decline of 4.3 percent in Europe, "while the situation in America remained unchanged"

Source: Vatican Information Service

[2/22]

More good news: Anglican 'bishop' converts

A retired Anglican 'bishop'*, Paul Richardson, has been received into the Catholic Church. The new convert said it was "like coming home".

[* Reminder: Anglican 'clergy' are not true priests - their orders have been ruled invalid by the Church: "Wherefore, strictly adhering, in this matter, to the decrees of the pontiffs, our predecessors, and confirming them most fully, and, as it were, renewing them by our authority, of our own initiative and certain knowledge, we pronounce and declare that ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been, and are, absolutely null and utterly void." (Pope Leo XIII, "Apostolicae Curae", 1896 A.D., emphasis added)]

[2/19]

Anglican Conversions Update

A couple updates regarding Anglican conversions...

* An Anglican 'bishop' ⁽¹⁾ finds some Catholic prelates "unsympathetic" regarding the Pope's efforts to bring Anglicans into the Catholic Church, according to his "leaked" letters. Shamefully, the letters reveal that some Catholic prelates apparently think heretical Anglicans "are best off doing what they are presently doing." The Catholic prelates are also reportedly resisting the Pope's provisions to bring Anglicans into the Church. (Note: Click here for information on the necessity of being Catholic for salvation)

* A group of Anglicans in Australia ("Forward in Faith Australia") has voted to enter the Catholic Church under the special provisions recently issued by Pope Benedict XVI.

[(1) Reminder: Anglican 'clergy' are not true priests - their orders have been ruled invalid by the Church: "Wherefore, strictly adhering, in this matter, to the decrees of the pontiffs, our predecessors, and confirming them most fully, and, as it were, renewing them by our authority, of our own initiative and certain knowledge, we pronounce and declare that ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been, and are, absolutely null and utterly void." (Pope Leo XIII, "Apostolicae Curae", 1896 A.D., emphasis added)]

[2/17]

What's up with those headlines?

Do some of today's mainstream Catholic news agencies downplay bad news? If nothing else, some of their headlines appear far too upbeat.

Two recent examples:

(1) A Catholic News Agency article bears the headline: "Millennial Catholics’ interest in religious education a good sign, survey suggests"

However, a more evaluative reading of the article reveals that... [Note: Commentary below added by us]

* About 15% - more than 1 in 10! - of "self-described Catholic Millennials" apparently do not even believe in God ["But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Heb.11:6)]

* About 75% of surveyed Catholics fail to attend Mass "at least once a month" ["It is a mortal sin not to hear Mass on a Sunday or a holyday of obligation unless we are excused for a serious reason." (Baltimore Catechism); Third Commandment: "Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day"] Therefore, objectively speaking, 3/4 or more of these Catholics are - apparently - regularly in a state of mortal sin. ["Faith teaches that the pains of Hell are eternal, and it also warns us that one single (unrepented) mortal sin suffices to condemn a soul forever because of the infinite malice by which it offends an infinite God." (St. Anthony Mary Claret)]

* More than 50% of these (seriously deluded!) 'Catholic Millennials' approve of people practicing more than one religion - which necessarily means they think it is acceptable for people to practice at least one false religion, since the Catholic religion alone is true. ["[H]e scatters and gathers not who gathers not with the Church and with Jesus Christ, and all who fight not jointly with him and with the Church are in very truth contending against God." (Pope Leo XII, "Sapientiae Christianae", 1890 A.D.)] Note: For more on religious indifferentism, click here

* More than 80% of the misguided young 'Catholics' surveyed think morals are "relative" ["Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 Jn. 2:4); "We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit." (1 Jn. 4:6)]

* About 50% of 'Millennial Catholics' believe "people should have different business and personal ethical standards" ["Further, it is unlawful to follow one line of conduct in private life and another in public, respecting privately the authority of the Church, but publicly rejecting it; for this would amount to joining together good and evil, and to putting man in conflict with himself; whereas he ought always to be consistent, and never in the least point nor in any condition of life to swerve from Christian virtue." (Pope Leo XIII, "Immortale Dei", 1885)]

* A mere 18% of Catholics surveyed considered being "spiritual" or being "close to God" a long-term life goal - an even lower percentage than non-Catholics! [Remember that the very purpose of life on earth is to "to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next." (Baltimore Catechism)]

* Around 40% of 'Catholic Millennials' fail to oppose the murder of the unborn in the womb, even though abortion is a grave sin ["Those who give drugs causing abortions are murderers themselves, as well as those who receive the poison which kills the fetus." (St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church, c. 369 A.D.)]

* Close to 40% of Catholics surveyed find (gravely immoral!) embryonic stem cell research to be "morally acceptable"

* 'Catholic Millennials' were "less likely than their peers to say drug use is morally wrong"

* About 25% of the young Catholics surveyed said divorce was "morally acceptable" ["Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk. 16:18)]

* Almost 40% of 'Catholic Millennials' surveyed find fornication acceptable ["Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 6:9-10, emphasis added)]

* More than 35% of surveyed young 'Catholics' find homosexual relations - a serious sin that "cries out to heaven for vengeance" - morally acceptable and around 25% support homosexual 'marriage' ["Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 6:9-10, emphasis added); "Likewise, Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding towns, which, in the same manner as they, indulged in sexual promiscuity and practiced unnatural vice, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7]

The minute "crumbs" of good news in the survey - really just items that Catholics should be able to take for granted - seriously pale in comparison with the apparently terrible spiritual state of young Catholics. The real, actual crisis of faith and morals existing among young Catholics today (the subject of much of the article) and the resulting consequences are surely the most newsworthy elements in the piece - not a mere "interest" in religious education. So why settle on that as the story's headline?

(2) A recent Catholic News Service article headline proclaims: "Study: Catholics at Catholic colleges less likely to stray from church"

The article, however, reports that... [Note: Commentary below added by us]

* "[M]any Catholic students at Catholic and public colleges disagree with church teaching" ["He requires the assent of the mind to all truths without exception. It was thus the duty of all who heard Jesus Christ, if they wished for eternal salvation, not merely to accept His doctrine as a whole, but to assent with their entire mind to all and every point of it, since it is unlawful to withhold faith from God even in regard to one single point." (Pope Leo XIII, "Satis Cognitum", 1896 A.D.); "If any one does not profess, in accordance with the holy Fathers, properly and truthfully all that has been handed down and taught publicly to the holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church of God, both by the same holy Fathers and the five approved universal councils, to the last detail in word and intention: let him be condemned." (Lateran Council, 649 A.D.)]

* Over 40% of 'Catholic' students at Catholic colleges apparently believe abortion - the murder of the unborn in the womb - should be legal. The article also notes that a "majority of Catholic students leave college disagreeing that abortion should be legal but they number fewer than those who entered with that opinion" - So much for a Catholic education! ["Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize." (Pope John Paul II)]

* About 2/3 of Catholics attending Catholic colleges support homosexual 'marriage' ["You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination." (Lev. 18:22)]

* Close to 15% of those attending Catholic colleges apparently indicated that their "religiousness" became weaker in college

* Mass attendance among almost 1/3 of Catholics at Catholic colleges declined during college years

As if the headline wasn't rose-colored enough, the article quotes the president of the ACCU as follows: "Disturbing as these figures are, they should not be a surprise and should not be interpreted as a specific outcome of students' attendance at a Catholic college or university"

Translation: The emperor has clothes. Really he does.

[Note: To the article's credit, however, it does quote the president of the Cardinal Newman Society as follows: "[If ACCU officials think] it is a happy fact that Catholics lose their faith somewhat slower at Catholic colleges than elsewhere, then they fail to appreciate the concerns of faithful Catholic families."]

Isn't it about time these Catholic news agencies stopped donning rose colored glasses when affixing headlines to such stories? These misleading headlines don't help anyone, but only serve to mask the truth. To correct these very real, serious problems among Catholics today requires that they be confronted openly, followed by proper education. News agencies should also call on those in authority to consider what has brought about this crisis and what can be done to fix it, not simply pretend the crisis doesn't exist.

Remember: These statistics relate to real people who have real souls to save. Grave errors in such important matters will have serious consequences for their adherents - both on earth and possibly for all eternally. "Since it is in the very nature of man to follow the guide of reason to his actions, if his intellect sins at all, his will soon follows; and thus it happens that false opinions, whose seat is in the understanding, influence human actions and pervert them." (Pope Leo XIII)

Ignorance in matters of religion is not a light matter - it can lead to the eternal loss of souls. As Pope Benedict XIV stated: "We declare that a great number of those who are condemned to eternal punishment suffer that everlasting calamity because of ignorance of those mysteries of faith which must be known and believed in order to be numbered among the elect."

The situation among Catholic youths today - a true crisis - does not warrant overly upbeat headlines, but rather calls for (1) better religious instruction, and (2) increased fear of the Lord. It does not well-serve Catholics to put a positive spin on this disaster.

"[F]or it is one of the most painful and grievous sights to see so many souls, redeemed by the blood of Christ, snatched from salvation by the whirlwind of an age of error, precipitated into the abyss of eternal death." (Pope Leo XIII, "Supremi Apostolatus Officio", 1883)

"Already the fields cultivated by our Lord are everywhere turning into a wilderness abounding in ignorance of the Faith, in error and vice, as though blown upon by some hideous pest. And to add to the anguish of this thought, so far from putting a check on such insolent and destructive depravity, or imposing the punishment deserved, they who can and should correct matters seem in many cases, by their indifference or open connivance, to increase the spirit of evil." (Pope Leo XIII, "Magnae Dei Matris", 1892)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; prudent are all who live by it." (Ps. 111:10)

"What can there be that is worse than hell? Yet nothing is more profitable than the fear of it! For the fear of hell gains for us the crown of the kingdom" (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)

[2/12]

More than a quarter of health care facilities worldwide are managed by the Catholic Church

According to a CNA report, the Catholic Church "manages 26 percent of health care facilities in the world", including "117,000 health care facilities, including hospitals, clinics, [and] orphanages." The statistics were obtained from a press release from the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers on the occasion of the council's 25th anniversary.

[2/10]

USCCB President Warns: "Don't Be Mislead"

USCCB President Cardinal Francis George has reminded that a dissenting group's support of gay 'marriage' is not authentic Church teaching. He reiterated that "No one should be misled by the claim that New Ways Ministry provides an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching and an authentic Catholic pastoral practice" and noted that "Like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of church teaching, New Ways Ministry has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church and...cannot speak on behalf of the Catholic faithful"

Related: Listing of Possible Dissenters

[2/6]

Highlights From Address of Archbishop Chaput

The following are some highlights from a recent speech of Archbishop Charles Chaput...

* "God has never been more absent from the Western mind than he is today. Additionally, we live in an age when almost every scientific advance seems to be matched by some increase of cruelty in our entertainment, cynicism in our politics, ignorance of the past, consumer greed, little genocides posing as 'rights' like the cult of abortion, and a basic confusion about what – if anything at all – it means to be 'human.'"

* "While many people in the developed world still claim to be religious, their faith – in the words of the Pontifical Council for Culture – is 'often more a question of religious feeling than a demanding commitment to God.' Religion becomes a kind of insurance policy for eternity. Too often, it is little more than a convenient moral language for daily life."

* "Much of modern technology isolates people as often as it brings them together. It attacks community as easily as it builds it up. It also forms the human mind in habits of thought and expression that are very different from traditional culture based on the printed word. And that has implications..."

* "It is very odd that in the wake of the bloodiest century in history – a century when tens of millions of human beings were shot, starved, gassed and incinerated with superhuman ingenuity – even many religious leaders are embarrassed to talk about the devil. In fact, it is more than odd. It is revealing."

* "This is the kind of Being – once glorious, but then consumed by his own pride - who is now the Enemy of humanity [the devil]. This is the Pure Spirit who betrayed his own greatness. This is the Intellect who hates the Incarnation because through it, God invites creatures of clay like you and me to take part in God's own divinity. There is nothing sympathetic about Satan; only tragedy and loss and enduring, brilliant anger."

* "If we do not believe in the devil, sooner or later we will not believe in God. We cannot cut Lucifer out of the ecology of salvation. Satan is not God's equal. He is a created being subject to God and already, by the measure of eternity, defeated. Nonetheless, he is the first author of pride and rebellion, and the great seducer of man. Without him the Incarnation and Redemption do not make sense, and the cross is meaningless. Satan is real. There is no way around this simple truth."

* "We live in an age that imagines itself as post-modern and post-Christian. It is a time defined by noise, urgency, action, utility and a hunger for practical results. But there is nothing really new about any of this. I think St. Paul would find our age rather familiar. For all of the rhetoric about 'hope and change' in our politics, our urgencies hide a deep unease about the future; a kind of well-manicured selfishness and despair. The world around us has a hole in its heart, and the emptiness hurts. Only God can fill it."

* "...but the really essential questions, the questions that determine everything else in our life as Christians, are these: Do I really know God? Do I really love Him? Do I seek Him out? Do I study His word? Do I listen for His voice? Do I give my heart to Him? Do I really believe He's there?"

* "We have an obligation as Catholics to study and understand the world around us. We have a duty not just to penetrate and engage it, but to convert it to Jesus Christ."

* "The Love which moves the sun and the other stars. That is the nature of the God we preach. A God so great in glory, heat, light and majesty that He can populate the heavens and call life out of dead space; yet so intimate that He became one of us; so humble that He entered our world on dirt and straw to redeem us. I think we can be forgiven for sometimes running away from that kind of love, like a child who runs away from a parent, because we simply cannot understand or compete with that ocean of unselfishness. It is only when we give ourselves to God that we understand, finally, that we were made to do exactly that. Our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. We should not be afraid to believe and to love; it took even a great saint like Augustine half a lifetime to be able to admit, that 'late have I loved thee, Beauty so old and so new; late have I loved thee.'"

[1/28]

Ohio Commission Recommends Designating Six More Catholic Churches as Historical Landmarks

The fight over church closures in Ohio is continuing with the recommendation by Cleveland's Landmarks Commission that six additional Catholic churches be "designated as historical city landmarks, which would give them some protection against demolition or structural changes." Many Catholics welcome the government intervention to save their parishes, but the diocese opposes the plans, calling city proposals "extremely offensive." The issue may ultimately be resolved through the courts.

[1/27]

Need a Chuckle? Media Bias

Should you need a chuckle, consider reading news accounts regarding Archbishop Burke's upcoming talk at the 40th annual Red Mass at St. Mary's Basilica in Arizona. A couple examples...

1- "One of the Catholic Church's most controversial figures, Archbishop Raymond Burke..."

2- "Divisive bishop to speak at Red Mass"

If you didn't know any better, what might you think of such a person? Truth is, he's an orthodox, faithful prelate who takes the Catholic faith seriously. Perhaps that is why he was made the "chief justice" of the "Catholic Supreme Court" and is "one of the highest ranking Americans in the Vatican."

For a little more ...um...fun... try comparing media accounts regarding this faithful prelate with articles concerning prelates who have publicly dissented from Church teachings. A betting person might wager one would see outright praise - or at least muted acclaim - for the "progressive" prelates, without a hint that such prelates were "controversial" or "divisive" (unless, of course, they made a point to decry the "unjust" Church teachings that their 'hero-like' prelate disagrees with).

Gotta love that oh-so-impartial secular media.

[1/11]

U.K.: Goodbye Religious Freedom?

The Church's freedom in the U.K. may be severely threatened by a controversial equality bill according to a new report by "the leading charity – backed by a legal opinion from a leading QC". It is feared that the bill will make it illegal for the Catholic Church and other Catholic organizations and charities to hire and fire based on allegiance to Church teachings. For example, a Catholic charity may be prohibited from firing openly gay employees and they may be forced to hire non-Catholics. Also, the Church may be prevented from hiring only male, celibate priests. The fact that the Church has important reasons for maintaining priestly celibacy (click here) or the fact that the male gender is essential for the valid transmission of priestly orders (click here) may not prevent such practices from being considered "illegal" under the controversial equality bill that is likely to severely threaten religious freedom in the country.

[1/11]

Critic Suggests Demonic Influence in Blockbuster Works

LifeSiteNews is reporting on an "insightful analysis" written by "one of the world's best-known critics of the Harry Potter series." The critic says the popular Twilight vampire novel series "dangerously twists evil into good and may even be demonically influenced." He notes similarities between the vampire book author's experiences and the Harry Potter author's experiences - both received ominous "inspiration" for their work (the vampires author heard "quite literally, voices in my head" as she wrote and had a "terrifying conversation" in a dream; the other author says "The character of Harry Potter just popped into my head, fully formed" and claimed the books "almost wrote themselves", an experience she called "quite spooky"). The critic also notes that both novels are "permeated with occultism", and that both writers were novices before authoring these books (both are now multi-millionaires). Looking at their similar experiences and the occultism in the works, the critic asks, "Based on this, it's appropriate to wonder, is there a supernatural source behind these revelations?"

The works have been condemned by various persons in the Church (including the Chief Exorcist of Rome, Father Gabriele Amorth, who said, "Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil"; Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, who said, "It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly"; and Monsignor Franco Perazzolo of the Pontifical Council of Culture who referred to the recent vampire film as "a moral vacuum with a deviant message"). Unfortunately, both works are "immensely popular", even among some Catholics who fail to see the moral dangers - in fact, many Catholics even allow their children to be exposed to these works which are "permeated with occultism".

"Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour." (1 Pt. 5:8)

[1/9]

Ever wish you were the interviewer?

Nancy Pelosi, a supposed 'Catholic' who flagrantly disregards Church teachings, has said in a year-end interview that she thinks "women should have that opportunity to exercise their free will" to have abortions as well as making other erroneous and ridiculous statements. Hearing this, wouldn't you just love to be the interviewer? Wouldn't it be refreshing to hear Pelosi be asked if she'd also support, say, the "free will" of a person who wanted to kill high-ranking legislators? Or the "free will" of someone who no longer wanted to pay taxes? Wouldn't you love to hear her try to explain how she could feel safe to even walk out her door in a world where everyone was free to exercise their "free will" without limit?

Further, wouldn't it be interesting to ask her point-blank to explain how she can, in actuality, be a "practicing Catholic" since she rejects Church authority and promotes a mortal sin (abortion) which automatically excommunicates one from the Church?

Wouldn't it also be great to press her for specific details about how she "practically mourn[s] this difference of opinion" she has with the Church? What, does she cry? Say prayers? Don black? How exactly does she "practically mourn"? Please, give details. Further, while on the topic of mourning, does she also mourn the death of the innocent victims of abortion who are (painfully) killed in their mothers' wombs? Does she care about them at all or about their "free will"?

And, regarding her "thanking God" that the Senate healthcare bill funds abortions, wouldn't you relish the opportunity to question her about how God - the author of the Fifth Commandment - might feel about being thanked for the Senate's publicly funding the murder of persons He created and fashioned in His image and likeness? Or about how the "free will" of abortion-minded women must be respected, but not the "free will" of persons who don't want to pay for others' abortions?

Wouldn't it be great if the interviewer wouldn't let her off with evasive answers to these questions - but kept the cameras rolling and pressed her as often as it took for her to directly address each and every point, being certain to call her on every single one of her contradictions as well as her many errors of logic and of fact.

Of course we'll never see a "real interviewer" do this, so what about citizen interviews? It is the citizens, after all, who pay her salary and are due an accounting. She is, in effect, our employee. And, should Pelosi decline to be interviewed voluntarily, might she support an interviewer's "free will" to follow her around with a camera until all his questions were fully answered? Or, do you think some limits to others' "free will" may suddenly be found by Pelosi when the issue affects her - personally - in a negative way? Too bad the unborn babies aren't likely to be the subject of those limits to "free will" that Pelosi may suddenly discover. But then again, it's only their lives on the line for the unborn babies, not the terrible annoyance of being followed around by a camera.

[Notice: We do not condone murder, tax evasion, or harassment]

[12/30]

'Poker playing priest' wins $100K

The South Carolina priest who hoped to win $1 million for his church in a televised poker tournament did not walk away with the top prize, but he did win $100K. The priest, who obtained his bishop's permission to participate, plans to donate the winnings to his church's building fund.

[12/23]

Incoming Milwaukee Archbishop responds to dissident 'Catholic' group's ad campaign

The incoming Archbishop of Milwaukee has responded to a dissident 'Catholic' group's scandalous ad campaign which promotes c*ntraception and abortion for Catholic youth, as well as advancing the homosexual agenda. Regarding the claim that "Catholics can disregard Church teaching regarding c*ntraception, abortion and human sexuality in general and remain Catholics in good standing" he said that "Nothing could be further from the truth." He further stated that...

"While people can call themselves whatever they want, it is my duty as a bishop to state clearly and unequivocally that by professing and disseminating views in grave contradiction to Catholic teaching, members of organizations like 'Young Catholics for Choice' in fact disown their Catholic heritage, tragically distancing themselves from that communion with the Church to which they are called."

Perhaps if obstinate, dissident 'Catholics' were formally excommunicated, their ability to mislead other Catholics would be lessened. But don't hold your breath.

[12/15]