More News Highlights

Some more recent news highlights...

* Vatican spokesman Fr. Lombardi is reportedly 'downplaying' WikiLeaks disclosures, claiming that "There’s nothing new, nothing that wasn’t abundantly well known" in the disclosures

* Various reports indicate that the Vatican Bank is under 'new scrutiny' in the money-laundering case which led to the seizure of millions of dollars a few months ago. Reportedly, court documents indicate that the bank "deliberately flouted anti-laundering laws 'with the aim of hiding the ownership, destination and origin of the capital'" and "reveal investigators' suspicions that clergy may have acted as fronts for corrupt businessmen and Mafia"

* Cardinal Burke recently lamented that many American Catholic colleges are 'Catholic in name only'. In an address earlier this month, the prelate noted that "A Catholic college or university at which Jesus Christ alive in His Church is not taught, encountered in the Sacred Liturgy and its extension through prayer and devotion, and followed in a life of virtue is not worthy of the name"

* Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Ireland has apologized for the abuse scandals and subsequent cover-up. He noted that "Many of those who came forward did not want to damage the Church they loved; they simply wanted abuse to be stopped effectively and definitively" and noted that "Their love of the Church was betrayed by leadership in the Church"

* Scandalous: TFP volunteers examined websites of nearly 250 Catholic universities & colleges in America and discovered that "101 (41%) of Catholic universities and colleges currently list pro-homosexual student clubs on their web sites. Among Jesuit-run universities, however, the number increases to 100%" They note that "Many of these clubs sponsor events that promote the homosexual movement’s most radical agenda, the redefinition of marriage and the social acceptance of unnatural vice, which is contrary to Catholic moral teaching". TFPStudentAction.org has launched a petition in protest [Related: Catholic teachings on homosexuality (Topic Page)]

* Here we go again: A dissenting priest in Wisconsin has questioned Church teachings concerning the all-male priesthood. His (inaccurate) comments appear in a newspaper column [Related: Top Reasons Why Women Can't Be Priests]

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Some Quotes

Some quotes regarding recent news items...

* A recently leaked cable from the U.S. Embassy to the Vatican concerning 'climate change' states that: "Conversi's offer to support the U.S., even if discreetly, is significant because the Vatican is often reluctant to appear to compromise its independence and moral authority by associating itself with particular lobbying efforts." [Related: 'Global Warming' / 'Climate Change' (Incl. 'Is global warming real?' & 'Scientific heavyweight' resigns over concerns related to "global warming scam") {Topic Page}]

* Pope Benedict on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: "[T]he most beautiful gift, and most pleasing to [the Blessed Virgin], that we offer is our prayer, the one we bear in our hearts and which we entrust to her intercession" [Related: Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page)]

* Some 19th century instructions attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Good Help at Champion) from the recently approved apparition in Wisconsin: "I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same"; "Make a general confession and offer Communion for the conversion of sinners. If they do not convert and do penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them"; "Teach them [the children] their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the cross, and how to approach the sacraments" [Related: Marian Apparitions]

* Damian Thompson, Editor of Telegraph Blogs, on the policy of the Bishops of England and Wales regarding the TLM: "(a) Do as little as possible to make it available and (b) announce that not many people are going to it." Regarding the apparently misrepresented statistics concerning TLM attendance, he asks "how many other dioceses’ liturgical mafia are under-representing the number of Catholics attending EF Masses?" and says that "The only explanation I can come up with is that the great composer popped along to a Reading TLM one Sunday but, such were the clouds of incense, could make out only half the worshippers." [Related: Traditional Latin Mass (Topic Page)]

* Troubling plans for Christmas from the dissenting (homosexual activist) group 'Catholics For Equality' [commentary in brackets]: "One of the most interesting aspects of this campaign is our understanding that we don’t need the consent of our hierarchy to effectively mobilize [!] our fellow pro-equality [read: pro-sin] parishioners inside our churches. This Christmas [!] we will be rolling out the [so-called] Catholics for Equality line of smartphone apps, which will allow supporters to connect with each other while they’re sitting in the pews [that is, during Mass!] or attending an after-church social. The apps will also allow them to report hostile [!] activity [a sermon, perhaps, that condemns a sin which 'cries out to heaven'?] in their parish or make a special contribution to the campaign as the Holy Spirit [not!] moves them." [Refresher: "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)] [Related: Catholic teachings on homosexuality (Topic Page)]

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