Some News Highlights

A few recent news highlights...

* Close to 2,000 persons in the Netherlands have made abuse complaints against the Church. "Most" of the allegations trace back decades and involve the Catholic school system. Reportedly, the complaints include accusations against two former bishops

* A nun who served as vice president of finance for Iona College (NY) was recently arrested and charged with embezzling $850,000 from the school over a 10 year period. If convicted, she reportedly may face nearly four years in prison

* Vandals have chopped down a tree in Britain that is said to trace back to the staff of Joseph of Arimathea some 2,000 years ago (the 'Holy Thorn Tree' of Glastonbury). The tree - which blossomed twice a year, at Christmas & Easter - previously suffered harm but locals apparently managed to re-grow it from salvaged cuttings obtained from the original tree. Some claim the recent vandalism was a 'deliberately anti-Christian act', others speculate it may be part of a 'vendetta' against the landowner

* Thousands of misguided 'Catholics' in Minnesota have returned marriage-defending DVDs in protest. Sadly, the woefully misled 'Catholics' considered the archdiocesan efforts at defending true marriage to be in conflict with "core Christian values of love, compassion, tolerance, and respect" and think that the rejection of unnatural, sinful homosexual 'marriage' is an "attack on human dignity" [Commentary: Bet it's been a long time since they've heard sermons on these topics...

"If your brother sins, rebuke him" (Jesus Christ, Lk. 17:3)

"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." (St. Jude 1:7)

"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." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 6:9-10)

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter!" (Isa. 5:20)

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." (Jesus Christ, Mt. 7:13-15)

For more, try: "10 Commandments" According to the Ignorant & Misguided: PC & False Christianity: A Scriptural Response (user-submitted article)]

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'Lack of spiritual content' in some priests says Dutch Archbishop

In a recent conference at the Pontifical Lateran University, a Dutch Archbishop noted that there is a "lack of spiritual content" in some priests because they "put their social work before their spiritual life". He said it is necessary for priests to "take care as much as possible of their relationship with Christ, priest, teacher and pastor."

Related: Priest / Priesthood Reflections (quotes from popes, saints...)

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Recent News Highlights

Some recent news highlights...

* Pope Benedict reminds that caring for the poor is the work of individuals motivated by charity and cannot be replaced by the State.

* The Pope's brother has admitted that he slapped boys in the face when he was choirmaster, even though he says it made him feel uncomfortable ("At the start, I also slapped people in the face but I always had a bad conscience about it"). He said that although he physically punished them (administered "clips round the ear" which was "a standard response at the time to failure or misbehaviour"), he felt it never rose to the extent of abuse. He also says he was "happy when in 1980 corporal punishment was banned by law". Although he indicated that he had no knowledge regarding cases of s*xual abuse, he admitted the following regarding allegations of physical abuse: "Pupils told me on concert trips about what went on. But it didn't dawn on me from their stories that I should do something. I was not aware of the extent of these brutal methods" and said "If I had known about the excess of force he was using, I would have said something". He also asked the victims for forgiveness.

* Ridiculous: Female activists in the Philippines recently delivered baskets of c*ndoms to the bishops, "humbly" asking them to "bless the c*ndoms as a conciliatory gesture to unite for reproductive health and women's rights" [Note: For information on the immorality of contraceptives, click here]

* Crazy: The sister who provides free needles to drug abusers (and calls it "common sense") has been awarded by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York and Bishop Howard Hubbard for her decades of "service" to Catholic Charities. The free needle program, which is at least partially funded by Catholics' donations, has been criticized for providing formal cooperation in evil. "It is never allowed, even for a good intention to do a thing that is bad in itself." (Baltimore Catechism)

* Still more ridiculousness: In all 50 states, 'same-sex couples' can apparently claim "married" status on U.S. Census forms

* Cardinal Levada has affirmed that "union with the Catholic Church is the goal of ecumenism". Pope Benedict also recently affirmed that conversion is the ultimate goal of ecumenism

* Some good news: Catholics in the Netherlands have launched a petition protesting the decision allow open homosexuals to receive Holy Communion. The decision - which violates Canon 915 and fails to protect the Sacred Host - came after homosexual activists engaged in protests. 1983 Code of Canon Law, Can. 915: "Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion."

* Almost funny: A Vatican Radio editor who has written a book on President Obama and faith has recently made reference to "the merit of Obama in having brought faith back to the center of the agenda of the Democratic Party". Comment: Faith is "back at the center of the agenda"? Must have missed that memo!

* A member of the Pontifical Academy for Life who signed the recent letter concerning the abortion controversy involving the Academy's President has asked a Vatican spokesman it issue a clarification asserting that the letter was not an official request for their leader's resignation, but was rather a "clarification of important facts and to correct the false impression of unity conveyed to the press on Feb. 12 by our President"

* Archbishop Chaput has offered further justification for the decision to prevent a student being raised by lesbians to reenroll in a Catholic school. He noted that "If parents don’t respect the beliefs of the Church, or live in a manner that openly rejects those beliefs, then partnering with those parents becomes very difficult, if not impossible" and affirmed that "The main purpose of Catholic schools is religious; in other words, to form students in Catholic faith, Catholic morality and Catholic social values." He also reminded that "Our schools...exist primarily to serve Catholic families with an education shaped by Catholic faith and moral formation" and said that "If Catholics take their faith seriously, they naturally follow the teachings of the Church in matters of faith and morals; otherwise they take themselves outside the believing community"

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Some are excluded

If only informed, courageous Catholic journalists would call certain people on the misleading one-liners they throw around! A perfect opportunity presents itself in the Netherlands with the uproar that has ensued over a priest's (proper) decision to deny Holy Communion to an open, practicing homosexual. [1983 Code of Canon Law: Can. 915 "Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion."] Those who protest the decision may be found flaunting signs containing the deceptive slogan "Jesus excludes no one", yet no article was found that calls protestors on their error. Actually Scripture is quite clear that Jesus does exclude certain persons - notably unrepentant sinners. Furthermore, our Lord personally drove people out of the temple with a whip (Jn. 2:15), called various people hypocrites, devils, serpents, and vipers and told his followers that "If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (see Lk. 14:26). He also says that "whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mk. 16:16) and explicitly tells his disciples to reject certain persons. Some examples include...

"And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lk. 9:5)

"After a first and second warning, break off contact with a heretic, realizing that such a person is perverted and sinful and stands self-condemned." (Ti. 3:10-11)

"We instruct you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to shun any brother who conducts himself in a disorderly way and not according to the tradition they received from us." (2 Thes. 3:6)

Scripture also tells us that some people will be eternally excluded from His presence. For example...

"Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Eph. 5:5)

"But as for cowards, the unfaithful, the depraved, murderers, the unchaste, sorcerers, idol-worshipers, and deceivers of every sort, their lot is in the burning pool of fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Rv. 21:8)

"The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 13:41-42)

"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)

"Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal. 5:19-21)

"For it is surely just on God's part to repay with afflictions those who are afflicting you, and to grant rest along with us to you who are undergoing afflictions, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels, in blazing fire, inflicting punishment on those who do not acknowledge God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power" (2 Thes. 1:6-9)

And, in fact, Scripture indicates that only a few will be saved (or "not excluded")...

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mt. 7:13-15)

The Church's earliest leaders - men who knew Christ personally (including St. Paul who spoke to Christ after His Resurrection) - were not afraid to say things like "Whoever sins belongs to the devil" (St. John, 1 Jn. 3:8) and "Would that those who are upsetting you might also castrate themselves!" (St. Paul, Gal. 5:12) They referred to certain people as "perverse and wicked" (St. Paul, 2 Thes. 3:2) and as Satan's ministers (cf. 2 Cor. 11:13-15) - they certainly were not mere pacifists who would allow sinners to purposely desecrate Christ's true Flesh & Blood in order to be "inclusive". "Do not give what is holy to dogs..." (Mt. 7:6)

It is true that Jesus does not exclude people from is His mercy & forgiveness - but to be salvific, there is the necessary condition of repentance. To throw around misleading phrases such as "Jesus excludes no one" in order to promote desecration of the Holy Eucharist is loathsome. Unfortunately, however, such one-liners - often left uncontested by courageous people with facts - tend to appeal to onlookers who either don't know better or who are engaged in wishful thinking.

The bottom line is that if Jesus didn't condemn people based on their actions (or lack of), but had rather come with the simple message that "I'm okay, you're okay", He wouldn't have made such fierce enemies and wouldn't have been crucified. The same goes for the other apostles who where likewise martyred.

"For there is nothing which We believe to be more needful than that truth should find defenders more powerful and more numerous than the enemies it has to face; nor is there anything which is better calculated to impress the masses with respect for truth than to see it boldly proclaimed by learned and distinguished men." (Pope Leo XIII, "Providentissimus Deus", 1893)

Related: "10 Commandments" According to the Ignorant & Misguided: PC & False Christianity: A Scriptural Response (User Article)

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