More News Highlights

Some more recent news highlights...

* A group opposing the sale of a Catholic healthcare system in Boston has written a letter to Pope Benedict asking him to stop negotiations. Already included in the agreement is an option allowing the Catholic healthcare system to "go secular" (e.g. provide abortion, contraception, etc.) upon donating $25 million to charity. The payment has been compared to Judas' 30 pieces of silver

* Here we go again: Cardinal Bertone has scandalized & confused Catholics by issuing a letter on Pope Benedict's behalf which pays tribute to 'Brother Roger' (a Protestant founder of 'Taizé ecumenical community') and states that the Protestant "has entered into eternal joy" [Note: For more on the Church's defined dogma of 'no salvation outside the Church', click here]

* A Protestant school in California has fired a number of employees because their beliefs were at odds with those taught by the Protestant 'church'. Most of the employees fired were Catholic [Hmm... Why were Catholics hired to begin with? And why did Catholics accept positions there?]

* A call to shoot oneself in the foot? An elderly Irish woman is calling on females in her country to join her in boycotting Mass one Sunday (e.g. commit a grave sin) in an attempt to advance a feminist agenda in the Church (e.g. an impossible-to-be realized desire for women priests). Reportedly. her eldest son - who is a monk - supports her plan [Big problem here, ladies: Missing Sunday Mass without a suitable reason is a grave sin. To be forgiven, one must have sufficient contrition. If you will not repent of the grave sin of missing Sunday Mass, how do you expect to receive forgiveness? Is your feminist agenda really worth risking eternal hellfire?]

* No surprise here: Researchers studying documents from the Vatican Secret Archive have determined that voting patterns among bishops at the Second Vatican Council were influenced by non-Catholics. According to their analysis, Church leaders "were almost impervious to outside influence and opposed to most kinds of change" in areas where the Church "enjoyed a stable monopoly." Where bishops did not have this advantage, "leaders of other religious institutions were a crucial source of influence" [Related: Summary of Changes Since Vatican II A Revolution in the Church?]

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Why all the fuss?

Misinformed people don't understand the "fuss" being made over a well-known Protestant receiving Holy Communion from an archbishop. Could someone please explain to them that...

* This "wafer" (as many secular accounts call It) is the very flesh of Jesus - God Incarnate. It is the most sacred of all objects on earth.

* This sacred Host was received by a heretic (who they originally thought pocketed It!). Scripture says that "whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:27)

* The recipient presumably failed to discern the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. As Scripture says, "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself" (1 Cor. 11:29)

* The archbishop has the duty to protect the Holy Eucharist & should have known better (or he should have paid more attention). His actions have caused grave scandal.

This is no mere "faux pas". It is a serious matter. Frankly, given the gravity of the situation, it's hard to imagine that anywhere close to enough "fuss" is being made. For the good of the recipient and for the good all Catholics (and non-Catholics alike, as this is a "teaching moment"), this abominable occurrence should be given the scrupulous attention it deserves. This is necessary in order to make adequate reparation, repair the scandal, and prevent its recurrence.

As the Scripture passages above clearly indicate, what occurred is not light blunder and it therefore must be taken very seriously. Furthermore, the Bible also indicates that unworthy reception of Holy Communion resulted in death (1 Cor. 11:30: "That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying."), but worse of all it is a direct offense to Almighty God. What could be more deserving of our attention?

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