Open Rebellion Coming to a Church Near You!

Congratulations, United States Catholics!  You’ve now got a parish openly rebelling against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Didn’t know that?  Sorry to break it to you.  Most “LGBT” parishes dance ever so carefully around the issue of active homosexual acts.  They dangle their feet over the line but never actually speak of the fact that they are encouraging people to accept homosexual activity.  Unfortunately, this parish is now openly doing it.  I, for one, am happy to just see them say what they mean for once and ditch the wink and the nod.  In this parish, it’s A-O-K to be a drag queen, or a physically active homosexual (sodomy and masturbation – I’d like to be super clear on that for some goof who is going to try and argue that simply being homosexual is not a sin), or a champion of “gay marriage”, in  a “gay marriage”, and for homosexual “married” partners to adopt children.  I’d guess it’s probably just peachy to use IVF, sperm donors, egg donors, and surrogacy to have children, too.  You know, because their desire comes before EVERYTHING else, especially Church teaching.  Joseph Sciambra has put together a nice, not-so-little dossier here:  http://josephsciambra.com/gay-man-announces-his-same-sex-wedding-in-radical-lgbt-affirmative-parish-bulletin/

And then there’s this:

St. Matthew Catholic Church: LEAD Ministry from Eric Kruszewski on Vimeo.

This is one of the most deplorable things I’ve ever seen, and it’s been a year since it came out. Pretty much shows how the pastor is accepting of moral behavior. I found it here: http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2016/1/11/watch-inside-lgbt-friendly-catholic-church Really, if OUT.com is extolling the virtues of a Catholic parish, it’s time to do something.  I’m sure Archbishop Lori agonizes over this parish, but the time for contemplation is over.  Fr. Muth is actively leading souls away from Truth.  Don’t we care about the parishioners?  Yes, it would be a news story to shut down the heresy. Yes, some are going to leave the Catholic Church behind if you teach Truth.  We know this, for Christ himself saw followers walk away, but ignoring this is aiding and abetting leading souls right into the hands of Satan.  Please take the time to watch the video.  People have very openly said they are in homosexual relationships.  This isn’t simply about “a parish being welcoming.” This is about a parish making people “feel at home” with their active homosexual lifestyles.

So what’s the Church to do???  We cannot “welcome” sinful acts that lead people into spiritual and physical danger.  We can’t tell the person suffering from same-sex attraction that we accept their lifestyle any more than we can accept a drug addict’s lifestyle.  Earning the “tolerant and nice” badge is anything but loving.  In fact, it’s pretty much selfish on the behalf of those that do it.  The only loving and kind thing we can ever do is to tell people the Truth, help them carry their crosses, and ease their sufferings as much as we possibly can in light of the Truth.

Fr. Muth says he just want to “provide a place where people can simply find their moment to seek God in their life.”  That’s just a bold face lie.  God is Truth and Fr. Muth is doing anything but putting Truth before the people in his congregation.  He’s doing nothing but validating their lifestyle choices.  I’m sickened at his attitude that HE, not the Church, provides a safe haven to people suffering from SSA.  Sorry, Father.  I must have missed the part where your accepting ways led the people in this video to a chaste lifestyle.

This is the type of thing that the parishioners get out of St. Matthew’s and Fr. Muth: “I love God, and I love myself, and it’s unfair to think I have to choose between the two,” said Victoria Moore, a lesbian…” https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/offically-sanctioned-baltimore-parish-group-welcomes-lgbt-catholics  FACEPALM!  I’m sure NcR was glee writing this one.  Somehow these (and so many other things) were completely missed at St. Matthew’s.

Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matt. 16:24

And calling the multitude together with his disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Mark 8:34

And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

And they that are Christ’s, have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences. Gal 5:24

For you are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ shall appear, who is your life, then you also shall appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols.  For which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief, In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them.  Col 3:3-7

And you, too, must think of yourselves as dead to sin, and alive with a life that looks towards God, through Christ Jesus our Lord.

You must not, then, allow sin to tyrannize over your perishable bodies, to make you subject to its appetites. You must not make your bodily powers over to sin, to be the instruments of harm; make yourselves over to God, as men who have been dead and come to life again; make your bodily powers over to God, to be the instruments of right-doing. Sin will not be able to play the master over you any longer; you serve grace now, not the law. Romans 6:11-14

Well, brethren, you too have undergone death, as far as the law is concerned, in the person of Christ crucified, so that you now belong to another, to him who rose from the dead. We yield increase to God, whereas, when we were merely our natural selves, the sinful passions to which the law bound us worked on our natural powers, so as to yield increase only to death.  Now we are quit of the claim which death had on us, so that we can do service in a new manner, according to the spirit, not according to the letter as of old. Romans 7:4-6

And now, brethren, I appeal to you by God’s mercies to offer up your bodies as a living sacrifice, consecrated to God and worthy of his acceptance; this is the worship due from you as rational creatures.[1] 2 And you must not fall in with the manners of this world; there must be an inward change, a remaking of your minds, so that you can satisfy yourselves what is God’s will, the good thing, the desirable thing, the perfect thing. Romans 12: 1-2

So,yes Victoria, you are supposed to choose between your desires and God when they are at odds and I’m so sorry that Fr. Muth hasn’t shown you true accompaniment.  You wanted bread and he gave you a big, old stone.

Like I said here, https://onemadmomblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/fr-martins-bridge-too-far/, this issue is the Catholic Church’s Iraq or Syria, and our hierarchy is acting more like Obama than Christ and His saints.  (If the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t put it on.)  The several lines in the sand has repeatedly been crossed by dissenters, and now an entire parish, yet it doesn’t even matter if Archbishop Lori is doing something behind the scenes to rectify the problems. To be fair, he has made them cancel things in the past.  That said, this parish is the proverbial “Mother of All Bombs” in the obedience area and unless something is done to publicly correct the pastor and the flock, you can bet more parishes will follow.

I’m a mom.  I can tell you when children don’t get a firm smack down on serious issues, many more will arise and it can spread through the family.  Our hierarchy might think that quietly dealing with things is the way to go but this isn’t somebody stealing a cookie.  This is akin to the family finding your kid with a needle sticking out of their arm.  It’s not just harmful to them but to the entire family unit with such a display.  And you know what?  You might just lose that child, but if you make sure that you ALWAYS let them know your actions are done out of concern for their physical and immortal well-being, they will remember that.  As parents, we cannot make our children not sin. It’s impossible.  I’ve tried.   We can only teach them.  If we do and they sin, they will be held responsible.  If we don’t teach them and they sin, woe to us!

P

Cardinal Maradiaga’s Big Obsession

I kind of knew this was coming, but it took me a couple days to get around to reading it. Now that I have, I have to say it was far more entertaining than I thought it would be.

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/05/19/cardinal-watch-maradiaga-bashes-burke-benedict-lauds-sarah/

Two prominent and sometimes controversial cardinals, both seen as conservatives, recently have drawn stinging criticism in one case and a stirring defense in another, and both have come from extremely high-ranking sources.

American Cardinal Raymond Burke was recently dismissed as a “disappointed man” upset over the loss of his power by fellow Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras, coordinator of Pope Francis’s “C9” council of cardinal advisers.”

OK, this made me chuckle.  If Cardinal Burke is such a sad, disappointed, pretty much retired guy –  basically a has-been in the Catholic world (all Maradiaga’s insinuation, not mine) – why is Maradiaga talking about him every five seconds?  I mean, look at the people I write about.  Do I do so because they are inconsequential?  Some are but some are very influential, and that is a big problem.  I’ve got to give Cardinal Maradiaga points for attempting to verbally pat Cardinal Burke on the head, but I think he picked the wrong guy.  Cardinal Burke is the mouthpiece for millions of Catholics around the world, especially the ones who actually attend Mass regularly.  Maradiaga, Cupich, Marx, etc.?  They’re the ones who represent the Catholics who follow the Church’s teachings only when it’s comfortable to do so.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea, head of the Vatican’s liturgy department, was praised by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI as someone with whom the liturgy is in “good hands.”

Do you think Maradiaga’s going to try getting away with patting Cardinal Sarah on the head, too?

<snip because we all know about the dubia by now>

In the new interview, Maradiaga comes out swinging.

“That cardinal who sustains this,” Maradiaga said, referring to the criticism of Amoris, “is a disappointed man, in that he wanted power and lost it. He thought he was the maximum authority in the United States.”

Seriously?!  Cardinal Burke is from Wisconsin.  I realize that readers outside of the country might not have a clue about Wisconsin, but it’s not really known for power-hungry, maniacal people.  It’s WISCONSIN, for goodness sake! I know a lot of people who know him personally, and he sounds like he’s exactly what you’d expect from Wisconsin.  He’s a kind and compassionate man who will take time to talk to anyone and everyone he can.  People always seemed to be amazed that he remembers them from brief encounters, and they’ll all swear he’s a deeply caring man who cares about the Church, the faithful, and people in general.  He’s truly a fatherly type of guy.

“He’s not the magisterium,” Maradiaga said, referring to the authority to issue official teaching. “The Holy Father is the magisterium, and he’s the one who teaches the whole Church. This other [person] speaks only his own thoughts, which don’t merit further comment.

“They are the words,” Maradiaga said, “of a poor man.”

Maradiaga also criticized conservative schools of thought in Catholicism, of which Burke is often seen as a symbol.

“These currents of the Catholic right are persons who seek power and not the truth, and the truth is one,” he said. “If they claim to find some ‘heresy’ in the words of Francis, they’re making a big mistake, because they’re thinking only like men and not as the Lord wants.”

Irk.  Let’s just stop right here, Cardinal Maradiaga.  I’m reasonably sure you know quite well, despite your innuendos, that Cardinal Burke has never declared Pope Francis a heretic.  Let’s just look at this to put an end to the silliness:

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/5292/Cardinal_Burke_No_I_am_not_saying_that_Pope_Francis_is_in_heresy.aspx

CWR: Some critics say you are implicitly accusing the Pope of heresy.

Cardinal Burke: No, that’s not what we have implied at all. We have simply asked him, as the Supreme Pastor of the Church, to clarify these five points that are confused; these five, very serious and fundamental points. We’re not accusing him of heresy, but just asking him to answer these questions for us as the Supreme Pastor of the Church.

<snip rest of lengthy q&a>

CWR: Just to clarify again, are you saying that Pope Francis is in heresy or is close to it?

Cardinal Burke: No, I am not saying that Pope Francis is in heresy. I have never said that. Neither have I stated that he is close to being in heresy.

What the what?  But Cardinal Maradiaga said… 

Now, let’s just juxtapose these two gentlemen, shall we?

First, you’ve got Cardinal Maradiaga, who seems rather fond of making fun of people who are in the “Catholic right.”  He makes his fellow Catholics and fellow Cardinals to be rather pathetic.  He’s a huge fan of talking about all these people who are always so mean (even though he probably can’t back it up with fact).  I’m glad he knows so much about what the Lord wants for those of us in the Catholic right.  I mean, thank you, Cardinal Maradiaga, because I really thought it was to follow and defend the faith of the Catholic Church.  Silly us.

Last time I checked (as shown just a smidge above), Cardinal Burke said he finds no heresy in the Pope and the Pope says he doesn’t see Cardinal Burke as an enemy, yet Cardinal Maradiaga stands right in the middle intent on stirring the pot of uninformed Catholics spreading rumors and falsehoods. 

Then you’ve got Cardinal Burke, who could likely spew volumes on the likes of Cardinal Maradiaga but does not (clearly a better person than I).  He has not made one personal attack on him, the Holy Father, or any of his other critics.  In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Cardinal Burke utter Cardinal Maradiaga’s name.  He goes straight to the issues every time, and nobody anywhere can point to something that would lead us to believe that he is not well within his right and duty to present a dubia to the Holy Father.

“What sense does it have to publish writings against the pope, which don’t damage him but ordinary people? What does a right-wing closed on certain points accomplish? Nothing!”

Writings against the Pope?  When did “Holy Father, we ask you to clarify a teaching” become a hit piece???  Oh, the horrors.  And really, again, if these people are just has-beens why are they on your lips every other sentence?  I mean, shouldn’t you just let them wander off into oblivion?  The answer is, they’re not.  They are very important to the faithful and I think what they do is to stymie the liberal spin on Catholic teaching.  

One would have to wonder what Cardinal Maradiaga thinks of St. Paul.  If he’s having this much trouble with four bishops asking questions for the pope to clarify then he really must have a problem with Saint “I Withstood Him to the Face!” Paul.

But when Cephas was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. (Galatians 2:11 for people who are unfamiliar.)

 

“Ordinary people are with the pope, this is completely clear,” Maradiaga said. “I see that everywhere.”

Uh, define “with the pope.” Define ordinary people.  I am quite ordinary and I consider myself “with the pope,” but I still would like the clarifications made to save the likes of people like me who might be led astray by people like you who twist ambiguities into pretzels and feed them to the hungry.  This doesn’t have anything to do with trying to take down a papacy.  It has everything to do with my kids understanding clearly what is being taught.

“Those who are proud, arrogant, who believe they have a superior intellect … poor people! Pride is also a form of poverty,” he said.

I find it sooooo ironic that he’s saying this about Cardinal Burke and the “Catholic right.”  Sometimes looking into a mirror might be helpful. 

“The greatest problem, however, is the disorientation that’s created among people when they read affirmations of bishops and cardinals against the Holy Father,” he said.

Oh my gosh!  Maradiaga is “Cardinal Disorientor of the Faithful,” not Cardinal Burke!  I mean, that’s his standard method of operation!  Why do you think he’s got trouble with someone askng for clarification on Amoris Laetitia?

Maradiaga called his fellow cardinals to loyalty.

“I think that one of the qualities we cardinals [should have] is loyalty,” he said. “Even if we don’t all think the same way, we still have to be loyal to Peter.”

The accusations are rampant!

Whoever doesn’t offer that loyalty, he said, “is just seeking attention.”

Again, where’s the disloyalty? And, really, just who is seeking attention?

While such public clashes between cardinals are rare, they’re not unprecedented.

During the Benedict years, for instance, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna publicly suggested that Italian Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who served as Secretary of State under St. John Paul II, had blocked an investigation of sex abuse charges against Schönborn’s predecessor, Cardinal Hans Hermann Gröer.

In that instance, Benedict called in both cardinals for a fence-mending session, among other things reminding them that “when accusations are made against a cardinal, competency falls exclusively to the pope.”

So, let me get this straight.  When Cardinals are chastising other cardinals (please make a note, Cardinal Maradiaga!), the pope is the only competent judge???  And what did the pope already say again?  Oh yeah, that he did not consider Cardinal Burke an enemy, so maybe, just maybe, it is you, Cardinal Maradiaga, who usurps a little too much authority. 

Maradiaga also appeared to suggest that Burke may have been disappointed in the outcome of the conclave of March 2013 that elected Francis.

“The papal candidates others wanted remained in place, while the one the Lord wanted is the one who was elected,” he said, “so the dissent is logical and understandable, [because] we can’t all think the same way.

“However,” Maradiaga said, “it’s Peter who leads the Church, and therefore, if we have faith, we must respect the choices and the style of the pope who came from the end of the earth.”

Some days don’t you feel you’re seeing the high school rumor monger?  How sad is this coming from a cardinal? 

This is not the first time Maradiaga has attacked a fellow cardinal seen as being a conservative.

In 2014, he called on the head of the Vatican’s doctrine office, German Cardinal Gerhard Müller, to “be a bit more flexible” during an interview with Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger, a German newspaper.

Maradiaga said Müller “see things in black-and-white terms,” adding that “the world isn’t like that, my brother.” Maradiaga also accused the German cardinal of only listening to his group of advisors, not hearing “other voices.”

Well, in your world it might not be like that, but in the real world, the Truth is found in the teachings of the Church, not in your world of moral relativism.

Sarah, meanwhile, who was appointed by Francis as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments in November 2014, has drawn fire in more progressive quarters for his fairly traditional views on the Church’s worship.

In April, for instance, Sarah gave a talk on the 10th anniversary of Benedict’s document Summorum Pontificum, authorizing regular celebration of the older Latin Mass, in which Sarah spoke of a “serious, profound crisis” in the Church caused in part by liturgical changes after the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s.

“Even today, a significant number of Church leaders underestimate the serious crisis that the Church is going through,” Sarah said, including “relativism in doctrinal, moral and disciplinary teaching, grave abuses, the desacralization and trivialization of the Sacred Liturgy, [and] a merely social and horizontal view of the Church’s mission.”

One liberal commentator derided Sarah for nostalgia for a bypassed “golden age.”

One person’s “nostalgia” is another’s reality of the Tradition of the Church.

“Yet in a new afterword to a book by Sarah, Benedict XVI says the liturgy is in “good hands” with the Guinean cardinal, and praises Sarah for his prayer life.

Sarah, Benedict writes, speaks “out of the depths of silence with the Lord, out of his interior union with him, and thus really has something to say to each one of us.

“We should be grateful to Pope Francis for appointing such a spiritual teacher as head of the congregation that is responsible for the celebration of the liturgy in the Church,” Benedict writes.

The afterword’s last line is, “With Cardinal Sarah, a master of silence and of interior prayer, the liturgy is in good hands.”

The book is The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, published by Ignatius Press.

Benedict’s vote of confidence is all the more striking given that when he resigned the papacy in February 2013, Benedict vowed to remain “hidden from the world,” and has rarely broken his silence since. The fact that he chose to do so now, many observers believe, reflects both his passion for the liturgy and also his support for Sarah.

Despite this, I’m reasonably sure Cardinal Maradiaga will get around to publicly lambasting Cardinal Sarah at some point.  Don’t think he’s likely gotten over Cardinal Sarah’s take on Caritas International: 

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/as-caritas-identity-is-refined-new-slogan-called-unrealistic/

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/issues/march-11th-2016/the-unstoppable-rise-of-cardinal-sarah/

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=9349

Fr. Martin’s Bridge Too Far

This was a great article on why Fr. Martin is a doofus, but sadly, it doesn’t really address the overarching issue.  https://liturgyguy.com/2017/05/07/why-bishops-should-condemn-fr-martins-dangerous-bridge/  It’s spot on regarding why Fr. Martin is so wrong and should be condemned, but it’s as if people don’t realize that he’s so popular because he’s filling a void not met by our pastors.  You have to ask yourself why a laughable, hypocritical guy like him is being given any attention at all.  There are reasons why people embrace the suspension of reality.

First of all, the faithful Catholics suffering from same-sex attraction are not having their needs met by the Church.  Quite frankly, I don’t think the hierarchy (at least the part of it that  truly cares for souls) was prepared for the numbers affected, and they’ve got a priest shortage as it is. I mean, there’s an even bigger priest shortage for those who give a flying fig about Catholicism in general, but still, something needs to be done in this area.

The other problem I see is that many of the good priests, deacons, etc., simply don’t know how to handle them.  It’s almost like being the first-time parent of a teenager.  There’s a lot of feeling your way along.  Some parents indulge their teens, some try to be their buddies, and some simply ignore the problem hoping it will go away.  A good parent is going to try their hardest to see what it’s like for them, support them when they do right, correct them when they are wrong, and involve them in the Church.  That’s the only way any of us are going to survive our lot in life.  We need that Catholic community.

I’ve had more than one faithful, abstinent person suffering from same-sex attraction contact me, and the story is always the same.  They are so grateful for the Courage ministry, but it’s not given enough attention.  More often than not, the faithful bishops love the idea of Courage but don’t back it up with a chaplain who really has time to minister to those seeking counseling. (Highlighting suggested by one who knows the situation well.)  Quite frankly, this is why Martin sucks so many in.  This is the Church’s Iraq – a giant hole in leadership leads to stupid people taking advantage of the situation. 

People are hurting and looking for help to live heroic lives of virtue, but they are simply getting, “Here you go!  Good luck!” from many of the faithful bishops. And then you’ve got the folks on the flipside who are going to “accompany them” to “embrace their gift from God!”  If you’re suffering from SSA, which one is going to look more appealing to you?  This is where Martin scores.

Look at another problem people have, like depression.  Would a support group of depressed people be able to help each other without some spiritual guidance?  We need to figure out a way to build thriving communities of Courage and Encourage.  Sadly, this is a common issue. Well, at least it is here in California, where SSA is a trend before a reality.  In fact, it’s so prevalent and urgent that maybe it would behoove us to move past these small little groups and make it a parish mission to encourage all parishioners to help each other to morality, chastity, and everlasting life, no matter their affliction, station, vocation, etc.  If there aren’t enough priests to go around, this might be a better alternative than nothing.

Time and again, I’ve heard from my friends suffering from same-sex attraction that their biggest helps in life are their “straight” fellow parishioners who befriend them and welcome them into their families.  Yet treating someone like family doesn’t mean you agree with or understand every aspect of their life.  It means that you are simply there for them.  Thanks to those filling this growing void!

In a perfect world, every Courage/Encourage group would have a chaplain just for them. It would be a thriving community where they counseled each other how to live their lives to get them to an everlasting life with God.  In reality, there just aren’t enough priests to go around.  An even sadder reality is that the priests who are often ready and available to these groups are the Fr. Martins of the world.  Personally, I think they find them easy prey to pick off for their dissent brigade.  It’s the predator’s way to go after the vulnerable and they do.  We’re simply not doing enough to protect them from those who want to use them for their own devious ends of destroying the Truth found in the Church.

As I and my fellow pew sitters go, we spend a lot of time discussing why people are the way they are, how to prevent it, etc.  We can look at, say, Milo and discuss human nature or nurture till we’re blue in the face.  I have my beliefs on that issue, too, but when I’m talking to someone struggling from same-sex attraction who is trying to remain chaste when the world is telling them to do what feels good, nature or nurture ain’t going to solve the immediate problem at hand.  It’s also not going to help those friends who struggle with loneliness and depression, another big problem in the homosexual community.

I don’t have much pull in solving the priest shortage crisis by anything other than prayer and sacrifice and encouraging men to look at that vocation for their lives.  I can see this shortage hurts a lot of parishioners, but again, it’s especially hard for parishioners in crisis.  In my particular area, the bishops are overwhelmed with the amount of people who need help.  I mean, we were essentially deprived of the Faith for many years.  We have many struggling souls struggling with many different things.  We all, however, should have the same goal. 

Maybe we need to keep it simple?  Stop the hemorrhaging of people via bad catechesis and example, remind people that the devil wants to keep them from everlasting life, and start with some broader game plans to keep that from happening.  As descendants of Adam and Eve, we’re all struggling with something.  None of us is perfect. We’re all sinners, and we share some common struggles.  We all struggle with chastity.  We all struggle with temptation.  If we can’t focus on each individual affliction, maybe we should have programs in our parishes focusing first on the cardinal virtues instead of having the dioceses spending so much time on the idea in society at large.  You know, right the boat first before you start plucking people out of the water.  If we can’t aid people in our own parishes, how are we ever going to the rest of the world on board with prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance? 

Can you imagine a Church – dare I say world – where people have learned to overcome their temptations in life?  This might be one area where Fr. Martin is accidentally right.  People suffering from SSA could enrich the Church.  Of course, it won’t be by their afflictions and sins but by overcoming them!  Personally, my friends who suffer with SSA and still live the faithful Catholic life are an inspiration for me every bit as much as, say, St. Therese and St. Bernadette, who suffered so much physical pain here and kept their eyes on everlasting life with God.

James Martin, SJ, is building bridges to nowhere.  Like I said earlier, he knows how to find the vulnerable and prey upon their weaknesses like a pro. This is why people who have embraced Church teaching and have come out of the SSA lifestyle are so adamant that the Church needs to do something. They know firsthand how souls are lost in this area, and they can be a BIG help in fixing the problem.  The Church needs to reach these people before the Martins of the world get them onto the bridge with the big gaping hole in the middle of it and encourage them to drive right to their spiritual (and often physical) deaths.  He’s not going to be stopped by platitudes.  He’s going to be stopped by action.

I’d like to thank “Thomas from Michigan” for his input on my thoughts and for making suggestions.

Call No Woman Father! (It’s Just Kind of Stupid!)

Another day, another insane woman who’s jealous of the all-male priesthood.  Move on ladies. 

http://www.lifezette.com/faithzette/ordained-female-priests-now-saying-fake-mass/

‘Ordained’ Female Priests Are Now Saying ‘Fake Mass’

by Leah Jessen | Updated 02 May 2017 at 9:04 AM

A spin-off “group” of the Roman Catholic Church has ordained a woman priest — a decision not in union, of course, with the church.

First of all, the title should have read “Fake Female Priests are Creating the Usual Mockery.”  Next, they are not a spin off group of the Roman Catholic Church.  There are no “spin off groups.”  There are heretics, schismatics, dissidents, etc., but they are not the Church and THE Church doesn’t splinter.  It is “One” or so we say in the Creed.

The Association of Roman Catholic Priests ordained Abigail Eltzroth, 64, this past weekend in Asheville, North Carolina. The ordination is not endorsed by, nor does it follow the correct process of, the Roman Catholic Church, which does not ordain female priests.

Not a shocker that this babe grew up in the 60s and 70s.  I wish the children of the felt age would just quietly (and faithfully but I’ll take quietly if that’s all I can get) ride off into the sunset.  Now Ms. Jessen, if the ordination is “not endorsed by, nor does it follow the correct process of, the Roman Catholic Church, which does not ordain female priests,” why aren’t we asking how they think they can call themselves “The Association of Roman Catholic Priests?”  Hmmmm???  False advertising wouldn’t you say?  In fact, the only true “association of Roman Catholic Priests” is in, and ordained by, THE Roman Catholic Church.  Maybe you’ve heard of her? And, BTW, Lifezette got the name of Abigail’s organization wrong.  The actual name is the “Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests” (https://arcwp.org/en/) and their mission statement is:

The Association of Roman Catholic women priests, therefore, responds to this call from the Holy Spirit, in our time, by preparing, ordaining and supporting qualified women and men, from all states of life, who are committed to a model of Church grounded in Jesus’ vision of an open table, where all are welcome.

By our living and ministering within a community of equals, we are respectful of differences among people.

In the tradition of our mystics and prophets, we challenge the dominance of patriarchal systems by promoting practices of equality that lead us to recognize and stand for justice on behalf of all people, locally and globally, and on behalf of the urgent needs of Eco-justice for our planet.

Now, if you look at this, haven’t they chosen the wrong name?  If you’re ordaining “qualified” MEN, isn’t the  “Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests” a little off?  I mean, not that they weren’t off before but…  I have to laugh at the thought that some man must have made such a stink that they are now getting a dose of their own whiney medicine.  Seems like maybe the “Association of Felt Loving Androgynous Comrades” would be more appropriate but I guess AFLAC is taken and we wouldn’t want to tarnish the poor duck.

At any rate, these “folks” (to be gender inclusive) aren’t “qualified.”  The Sacraments always have to have valid form, matter and intent.  At least the babes aren’t valid matter, and if the guys had the right intent, I would think they’d go through the normal channels.

And this – doesn’t it kind of crack you up?

In the tradition of our mystics and prophets, we challenge the dominance of patriarchal systems.

Come on, ladies.  Let’s name some names.  Which mystics and prophets challenged those mean ol’ patriarchal systems?  Do your mystics and prophets come from Themyscira, perhaps? (Start googling, people.)  I’ll give you a hint.  Diana, Lasso of Truth…  Just like her, you’re a fictional character and so are your “mystics and prophets.”

“We use equal rites to promote equal rights.”

Let’s hear it for the soundbite!  Seriously, your silly made up “rite” doesn’t even compare to the amazing Rite of Ordination for Priests.  Not equal in any respect. One is very fake and one is very real.

“I’m sure that I will be [excommunicated] if I haven’t been already,” Eltzroth told The Charlotte Observer. “But there are plenty of saints who have been excommunicated. So that’s not going to stop us.”

Kind of blasé about the whole excommunication thing, no?  Declaring yourself or comparing yourself to a saint is kind of a HUGE tell that you’re probably not.  And “plenty” of saints who have been excommunicated?  Anyone else want to call her on that? I’m pretty sure she’s googling now just to make sure she can scrape together a few names.  I’m just going to clue you in, Abigail, the situation was rare.  “Plenty” doesn’t even come close to truth. Half of them weren’t actually excommunicated (say, for instance, Joan of Arc whose excommunication was ruled invalid buy Roman Pontiff – the guy who gets to rule on such things) and the other half’s excommunications were lifted.  And, I guarantee none of them took their situations as lightly as you.  It wasn’t trivial to them.

Eltzroth “now plans to to start a Catholic worship community in the Asheville area,” according to The Observer.

Let’s go over this one more time.  It’s not a “Catholic” anything unless it’s actually Catholic.  It’s just a little monument to her hubris.

She joins the ranks of 250 other women priests who are part of a “renewal movement within the Roman Catholic Church.” Eltzroth converted from Presbyterianism to Catholicism in her 50s.

Well, she would be, if there were such a thing as “women priests.”  She might have some sort of movement going on, but it’s anything but Roman Catholic.  I’d kind of have to quibble about the whole conversion thing.  Seems like she’s still pretty entrenched in the Presbyterian group that ordains women.  It’s splintered that denomination to pieces.  

As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, Eltzroth is not an actual priest. “I hope that Catholics in the diocese will understand that it would be sinful to receive a fake sacrament from a woman priest, and that includes attending a fake Mass,” said David Hains, a spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte.

Exactly. Thank you Diocese of Charlotte!

The women’s priest group views the situation quite differently.

Uh, because reality has left the building where they are concerned? 

We prepare and ordain qualified women and men to serve the people of God as priests,” the organization’s website maintains. “We use equal rites to promote equal rights and justice for women in the church.”

The group claims to welcome all and to offer an “inclusive” service.

Well why the heck not?  Anything goes in her little church.

’“The Vatican states that we are excommunicated; however, we do not accept this and affirm that we are loyal members of the church,” the organization claims. “We continue to serve our beloved church in a renewed priestly ministry by welcoming all to celebrate the sacraments in inclusive, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered communities wherever we are called.”

Again, not a shocker when reality is whatever you decide.  Want to be the church where pink elephants are priests?  Bam.  It is so!

Sorry, ladies. You serve yourselves.  It’s always been all about you.  “Look at me!” has been the rally cry.

Some church denominations allow women to serve in leadership roles. The Catholic Church, however, has kept its longstanding tradition of male leadership in the church.

…because Truth cannot change.

“For one, it should be noted that Jesus did not ordain any women,” the Catholic Education Resource Center notes. “He selected all of his apostles, and none were women … There were other roles that Christ had in mind for women. For example, they played a key role in the spread of the Gospel, being the first to spread the news of the risen Christ.”

Yes and yes.  Again, women are the wrong matter.  I’m so tired of the feminist hacks.  Women have always had an important role in our Church.  Sadly, this fact is lost on many.  I wish St. Teresa, St. Catherine, and St. Therese would come down and thump these silly women on the head.  I can only imagine what they’d say to those who reject Church teaching on the matter.  

“If I should say anything that is not in conformity with what is held by the Holy Roman Catholic Church, it will be through ignorance and not through malice. This may be taken as certain, and also that, through God’s goodness, I am, and shall always be, as I always have been, subject to her. ~ St. Teresa of Avila

Do you think the ARCWP crowd has heard that one before?  Yeah, me neither.  

In 2016, Pope Francis created a commission to study the idea of having women in deacon roles within the church.

Blah, blah, blah.

Fordham Cries Fowl!

Oh, my ever loving goodness!  Catholic college students everywhere should be embarrassed!  For those of you who don’t know, Fordham is a “Catholic” university. (Quote marks totally appropriate!)  That said, all is right with the world, because, unlike Duquene, this is a Jesuit university, so this makes total sense given the lack of Catholic logic in Jesuit schools.

http://www.fordhamobserver.com/student-groups-shut-down-chick-fil-a-proposal/

Student Groups Shut Down Chick-Fil-A Proposal

Apr 21, 2017

Chick-Fil-A

(Katarina Marschhausen/The Observer).

By STEPHAN KOZUB

News Co-Editor

For now, members of the Fordham community will not “Eat Mor Chikin.” Following push back from clubs and independent students over LGBTQ issues and menu offerings, the university has opted to decline an Aramark proposal to install a Chick-Fil-A in the Ram Cafe.

The proposal, initially discussed in early March, included renovating the grill area, or Urban Kitchen, to house a Chick-Fil-A. The hot entree station, or Cloverleaf, would have remained in place.

The student groups that were consulted in responding to the proposal were the United Student Government (USG), the Commuter Students Association (CSA), the Residence Hall Association (RHA) and the Rainbow Alliance.

I reiterate again: Fordham is supposedly a Catholic school!  Why is a Catholic school consulting with the “Rainbow Alliance?”  Give me a stinking break!  Here’s a novel idea.  Why don’t you consult with the Catechism?  Never mind, I’m sure you lost (or burned) the one copy that might be somewhere on the campus.

The Rainbow Alliance was consulted in the decision-making process because of a controversy regarding Chick-Fil-A’s stance on LGBTQ issues that has been stirred up to varying degrees since 2012. That year, the family that owns the fast food chain made public statements against marriage equality, a stance backed up by several million dollars in donations they have made over the years to organizations working actively against same-sex marriage. When the chain opened their first location in New York in 2015, they faced protests on the issue.

Hmmm…the city of New York.  What happened to that Chick-fil-a in NYC?  Oh yeah, it’s thriving and more have opened.  Uh, Fordham, that might give you a clue as to your stupidity.  They are chicken sandwiches.  Chicken sandwiches can’t change your “sexual identity.”  If they could, I would totally invest with your best interest in mind.  Sadly, all Chick-fil-a does, dear “Rainbow Alliance,” is feed college kids on a budget.

Representatives from Chik-Fil-A offered to collaboratively run unspecified programming with the Rainbow Alliance in conjunction with the rollout of a venue on campus. Due to continued concerns regarding this issue, however, the Rainbow Alliance unanimously voted against the proposal. Several students independently reached out to USG to voice their concerns, according to then-USG president Leighton Magoon, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’17.

“If they want to bring in Chick-Fil-A, they can bring in Chick-Fil-A,” Renata Francesco, FCLC ’19 and Rainbow Alliance Co-President, said. “But we’re not going to partner with an institution, a corporation that has so strongly supported other institutions that work to destabilize and demolish movements for queer equity.”

I think they’re just liberal wannabees instead of Catholics.  Hey, Fordham – I live in just about the most liberal state of the union, and guess what?  Many of our state schools (not even Catholic schools) have Chick-fil-a’s on campus, and quite frankly, they’re laughing at you.

And, guess what?  I’m sure most of you don’t know the history of Chick-fil-a, but I looked it up for you.  In 1998, Chick-fil-a had 134 stores and 114 of them were on college campuses.  http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/1998/11/16/story2.html  Did somebody at Fordham suddenly notice that these campuses all become conservative bastions and/or places where homosexuals have been persecuted for years?  Please.  Get just a little grip on reality.  When did serving chicken sandwiches become a form of persecution?

When resistance to the proposal started to gain steam, the USG executive board began to reconsider if USG was okay with having a Chick-Fil-A on campus, said Magoon. Over spring break, they were informed that the university had declined the proposal and that Aramark would no longer pursue the installation of a Chick-Fil-A.

Define “gaining steam?”  Apparently the university missed an op-ed by one of its own: https://fordhamram.com/2017/02/15/chick-fil-a-is-here-to-stay/  I’d bet money that for every one liberal whiner, there are ten hungry students who want their chicken.

Francesco said that she was surprised about this decision, because of “Fordham’s recent handling of major queer issues on campus, most notably the hesitation and denial to create trans-inclusive spaces.” The Observer reported on issues facing trans students on campus in a recent issue.

“Part of me is hopeful that they’ll start taking this attitude of listening to queer students and queer voices, because there are so many on this campus and just in life,” she said. “I really do hope this is a step, as opposed to just a final ‘Oh we’ll do this, we’ll give them that,’ as a way to placate us. But we were very happy with the decision.”

Really?!?!  Surprised about the decision?  http://www.campusreform.org/%5C?ID=6659  It’s Jesuit.  It’s Fordham.  I’d expect no less, even though it’s ridiculous.  I’ve learned to expect this from the likes of them.  Traditional marriage?  Not really in their wheelhouse.

Students also had concerns with Chick-Fil-A’s menu options, according to Dining Services Contract Liaison Deming Yaun.

“Certainly, there were some menu concerns as it related to special diets that Chick-Fil-A did not have a lot to offer for,” Yaun said. “They didn’t have a lot to address special diets.”

Additionally, the proposal process revealed that any instillation of a national chain in the Ram Cafe would also necessitate a total revamp of the hot entree Cloverleaf station.

“What came out was that Cloverleaf cannot stand on it own against a national brand really of any kind,” Yaun said. “So we were off replacing one format, but it’s really got to be a comprehensive change involving the whole line.”

Regarding the concerns that students had, Yaun stated that “if we were to try again, we would make sure that everyone that was in the decision process heard the presentations” that the representatives from Chick-Fil-A gave during the proposal process. As of now, there are no alternative plans being discussed to install a national chain in the Ram Cafe in light of the decision on the proposal.

Lamest. Argument. Ever.  Again, hundreds of college campuses house a Chick-fil-a, but it couldn’t possibly work here because it doesn’t address special diets.

While the leaders of the Rainbow Alliance see the rejection of Chick-Fil-A as a step in the right direction, they say that it is only a “tiny step.”

“This is something that I don’t want to congratulate Fordham for, like ‘Oh my god, I’m so glad that you can see this. You’re such a good person,’” said Rainbow Alliance co-president Roberta Munoz. “I don’t want to pat them on the back. You can’t say ‘Oh you’re such a great ally’ when there’s still so many issues with our queer students. Like great, love it, but keep going.”

You didn’t get a segregated space (one of those things that used to be frowned upon when people were sane), and there are “so many issues”?  Yeah, I’m pretty sure you won’t be happy until you’ve erased all traces of Catholicism if they’re not gone already.

I See Pharisees!

Anyone ever notice that those who are really acting like Pharisees are the one constantly throwing out that epithet?  I cannot be the only one.  Seriously, it’s like the Catholic version of Nazi.  I am here and now declaring that “One Mad Mom’s Law” applies when liberal Catholics with no valid arguments want to score points with people who don’t really know much about Catholicism, they will inevitably start parroting “Pharisees!”  (Godwin has his law, now I have mine.) And, when I say “those really acting like Pharisees,” I mean the “good old liberals’ club.” 

Seriously though, have you ever noticed the name calling among the clergy always comes from one side?  You’ve got James Martin, SJ, with “haters” (I’ll let that go when he gets a clue!), Cardinal Maradiaga (and many more) still going with the old-school “Pharisees”, and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before someone like Fr. Rosica throws out “Alt-Right Catholics.” 

So here’s the name calling of the week:

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/papal-advisor-rips-dubia-cardinals-they-have-not-read-amoris-laetitia

 

Advisor close to Pope Francis accuses dubia cardinals of ‘a new pharisaism’

 April 24, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – The leader of the Pope’s Council of Nine cardinals said the dubia cardinals haven’t read Amoris Laetitia and wondered why they haven’t “said anything about those who manufacture weapons.”

Personally, Cardinal Maradiaga is starting to sound like someone just woke him up suddenly from a nap and something very random just pops out of his mouth that has nothing to do with anything.  Because, really, what in the world does a have to do with b?  Nothing.

Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga made these remarks during a radio interview on March 25. Andrew Guernsey translated them at OnePeterFive.

“I think, in the first place, that they [the four cardinals] have not read Amoris Laetitia, because, unfortunately, this is the case!” said Maradiaga. “I know the four and I say that they are already in retirement…They should do something else.”

Really, Cardinal?  They didn’t read Amoris Laetitia?  Don’t you think that is a wee bit of a stretch? We seem to have wandered into “Let’s just throw it at the wall and see if it sticks!” mode.  Also, our American dude is retired?  You are 74 and he is 68.  I believe someone has far more voting years left than someone else.  Numbers.  They’re such a hard thing.  I half expect him to say “Somebody get those dern kids off me lawn!”

He criticized the cardinals who asked Pope Francis to clarify whether Amoris Laetitia is aligned with Catholic morality as Pharisees, the hypocrites in the Bible.

Remember, One Mad Mom Law.  Here you go. 

“How come they have not said anything about those who manufacture weapons?” asked Maradiaga. “Some are in countries that manufacture and sell weapons for all the genocide that is happening in Syria, for example. Why? I would not want to put it – shall we say – too strongly; only God knows people’s consciences and inner motivations; but, from the outside it seems to me to be a new pharisaism.”

So, the Fab Four are for the chemical attacks in Syria now?!  Did they also push the button that launched them?  Please.  The shark has officially been jumped.

“The car of the Church has no gear to go in reverse,” continued Maradiaga. “It pulls itself forward because the Holy Spirit is not accustomed to go backwards.”

Except when it makes awkward translations…or prints Catechisms…or…  The Church isn’t going “backwards.”  It corrects course. It clarifies.  Are you really saying the Church has never answers dubias?  Could have fooled me.

He said he’s not worried about the direction of the Church because “it is not Francis, it is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church.”

So, no popes throughout history have ever done anything wrong?  They have all been kept free from error in all regards?  Yeah, not quite historically accurate.

In August, documents released by Wikileaks showed George Soros’ Open Society Foundation planned to work through Maradiaga to influence American Catholic bishops during the Pope’s visit to the U.S.

“We will support PICO’s organizing activities to engage the Pope on economic and racial justice issues, including using the influence of Cardinal Rodriguez, the Pope’s senior advisor,” a report from the Open Society Foundation said. PICO is a leftist community organizing group. Using Maradiaga’s influence included “sending a delegation to visit the Vatican in the spring or summer to allow him to hear directly from low-income Catholics in America.”

(If you want more details on PICO, Stephanie Block has done a great job running down all of the problems.  Here’s just a tidbit: http://johntwo24-25.net/IAF%20and%20Abortion%20-%20Three%20Articles%20by%20Stephanie%20Block.pdf

In 2015, Maradiaga participated in the “shadow synod” that attacked Church teaching and contributed to the subversion of the two synods on the family. 

Not entirely sure how shadowy it was.  Cardinal Madariaga apparently doesn’t do stealth.

<Snip because I see no reason to quote vague statements.  That’s pretty much all you’re going to get from most of the liberals in the Church on homosexuality.  They’re not really fond of pointed questions and they definitely aren’t going to give pointed responses!>

The Council of Nine pledged allegiance to Pope Francis after a poster campaign in Rome and a satirical version of the Vatican newspaper were critical of the Pope in one week. German Cardinal Reinhard Marx and Council of Nine member has also said of the dubia, “the document [Amoris] is not as ambiguous as some people claim.”

OK, a couple of things here.  I’m not sure who chose the “Council of Nine” moniker.  Does anyone know who the “Council of Nine” were in Greek Mythology and what they gave us? Anyone? Homeschool mom here!  Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena, Demeter, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon and Zeus. They gave mankind Pandora and Pandora’s Box.  For those of you rusty on the story, Pandora’s curiosity got the best of her, so she opened the box and released all of the misfortunes of mankind.  That’s also the name for the leaders of Church of Satan (which I just found out).  How’s that for ominous????  I’m so wondering if Cardinal Pell finds himself questioning how the heck he got there because he said all of this: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-pell-on-dubia-how-can-you-disagree-with-a-question

Next, this “poster war” is bizarre.  Nobody seems to know who was behind the original posters critical of the Pope, and then there was the next round in support of Pope Francis.  The second round of “poster war” in support of the Holy Father was not put out by a Catholic group but by the “Global Tolerance Initiative.”  This guy, Shaikh Mohammed, is behind the group:

Might I point out that the UAE doesn’t have the best record on women’s right nor tolerance towards homosexuals? Just a tad bit hypocritical. What’s even more bizarre is that it happened right around the same time this guy was appointed to the Vatican Communications office:

Let’s see what happens when you put the two together…

What does this have to do with anything?  Not much, but I’ve been dying to find a place to put this when I stumbled across this pictures in close proximity.   The resemblance in both hypocrisy and look was uncanny.  I just can’t help myself!  Seriously!  Brothers from another mother!

Show…Me…the Canons!

Fight the false history, people!  Here’s a newsflash!  People who commit mortal sins should not be receiving Communion! This applies to you.  This applies to me.  This also applies to people who find themselves in really sad and/or hard situations. This does not now, nor has it ever meant, that said sinners are necessarily excommunicated.  That’s a whole separate issue.
Lately, I’ve seen many try to confuse the situation by suggesting that people who are not free to receive Communion are excommunicated.  Seems to be the new liberal strategy of the day.  The fact is, most people who may not receive Communion are simply in a state of mortal sin that doesn’t rise to the level of excommunication.

Now, some are creating imaginary canons and applying imaginary scenarios to them.  Ed Peters clarifies that nicely.  Might be nice if the Crux folks investigated a bit, but sadly, I think this is their chosen method of operation as of late.  They seem to be running on a “Let’s just say that John Paul II did something and hope nobody actually verifies it”, adding a “He who frames the question…” flourish, concluded with a “Repeat the lie until everyone believes it” move.

https://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/

Fr. James Keenan writing in Crux this week makes his own a question raised (last July, it seems) by Rocco Buttiglione in L’Osservatore Romano: “Is there any contradiction between the popes who excommunicated divorced and remarried persons and Saint John Paul II who lifted that excommunication?

That’s fake canon law. John Paul II never lifted any excommunication against divorced and remarried Catholics because, quite simply, there was no excommunication against divorced and remarried Catholics for him to lift. Shall we talk about it?

Let’s all watch Ed school those so desperate to admit all to Communion.

Buttiglione writes in the L’OR piece upon which Keenan draws: “Once upon a time, divorced and remarried persons were excommunicated and excluded from the life of the Church. That kind of excommunication disappears from the new Code of Canon Law and Familiaris Consortio, and divorced and remarried persons are now encouraged to participate in the life of the Church and to give their children a Christian upbringing. This was an extraordinarily courageous decision that broke from an age-old tradition. But Familiaris Consortio tells us that the divorced and remarried cannot receive the sacraments.

Gracious! However far back in Church history Buttiglione needs to search for an excommunication of divorced-and-remarried Catholics, he apparently thinks that the 1917 Code itself excommunicated divorced and remarried Catholics and that, only by making a “courageous decision that broke from an age-old tradition”, could John Paul II ‘disappear’ that “excommunication” from the new (1983) Code of Canon Law.

I’ve kind of learned along the way to ask for citations mainly because it’s fun to watch their heads explode when they don’t actually have one.  So much “fake Catholicism” out there nowadays, I really don’t trust much.

There is just one problem with Buttiglione’s and Keenan’s canonical narrative of a pope kicking down a penal door locked against divorced-and-remarried Catholics—and thus with their broader ‘if-John-Paul-could-then-Francis-can’ claim, namely: the 1917 Code did not excommunicate divorced and remarried Catholics.

Oops.

Oops is right, and it’s a biggie for Crux peeps!

Neither Buttiglione nor Keenan provide a citation for their claim about what canon law allegedly did up to the time of John Paul II (nor, come to think of it, did Abp. Scicluna who was, it now seems, uncritically repeating Buttiglione’s claim and extending it to embrace adulterers!), so one is left to guess at what they had in mind. But a couple of ideas occur to me, some of which I have addressed before.

Ed points out what I said earlier: the liberal spin doctors are in full swing with each repeating the error as truth and it won’t be long before they’re all parroting the same talking points.  It spreads like a wildfire.  The response we need to keep repeating in our best Jerry Maguire voice is “Show me the canons!”  Heck, let’s even slow it down a bit for dramatic effect.  “Show…me…the canons!”

Maybe Keenan and Buttiglione had in mind the Pio-Benedictine excommunication levied against Catholics who attempted marriage in violation of canonical form; problem is, this sanction was applicable to all Roman Catholics (not just to divorced-and-civilly-remarried ones) and, more importantly, it had already been abrogated by Paul VI in 1970, a dozen years before the 1983 Code went into force!

Or maybe Keenan the American (if not Buttiglione, an Italian) recalled when American Catholics who divorced and civilly remarried were indeed excommunicated for that offense; problem is, that rule was peculiar to American (not universal) canon law, it dated back only to 1884 (hardly ‘age-old’), and, most importantly, it too had already been abrogated in 1977—again by Paul VI, not John Paul II—several years before the 1983 Code was promulgated.

Cue Britney Spears, JCL: Oops, they did it again!

Or maybe by “new” Code of Canon Law, Buttiglione and Keenan meant the 1917 Code which, in its day, was certainly new; problem is, I can’t find an excommunication for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics in the main, pre-Code, penal document of the 19th century, Pius IX’s Apostolicae Sedis moderatione (1869). Do Buttiglione and Keenan know of one? Of course, even if one were found lurking somewhere, it had obviously ‘disappeared’ from codified canon law some 65 years before John Paul II arrived on the scene.

So, in short, John Paul II had zippo to do with lifting excommunications on divorced-and-civilly-remarried Catholics.  Is this just poor education on the part of Keenan, Buttiglione, Scicluna, and the growing number embracing this falsehood, or is it simply tactics on their part?  Regardless, thanks to Ed Peters for showing us the error of their ways.

Or maybe Buttiglione and Keenan understand by the term “excommunication” a much older usage that sometimes blurred the distinctions between “excommunication” (as a canonical penalty, c. 1331) and “denial of holy Communion” (as a sacramental disciplinary norm, c. 915); problem is, their claim about what John Paul II supposedly did demands that they use canonical terms as he and the Church understand them today—and as Buttiglione himself recognizes when he notes above that, despite the (alleged) lifting of a (non-existent) excommunication, divorced-and-remarried Catholics are still prohibited the sacraments (a statement wrong in some respects, but right enough in this regard).

So what does this mean? So much confusion exists about “excommunication.”  I often refer people to this and so I shall again: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05678a.htm  Excommunication is FAR different from not being free to receive Communion.  When you are excommunicated, you are barred from ALL of the Sacraments, public worship, and the Christian community in general. When you are in mortal sin, you are to refrain from Communion and encouraged to the hilt to cease sinning and get thyself to confession to rectify the mortal sin, but you are never to cease your Mass-going obligations.  Big difference!

So much contextualizing and back-storying, just to address one more fake canon law claim. But at least such research allows one to argue better not ‘if-John-Paul-could-then-Francis-can’, but rather ‘John-Paul-didn’t-and-Francis-shouldn’t’.

Sadly, it is necessary, Ed, and we thank you for doing so.  The question is, are people going to start doing their own homework or are they simply going to go with what’s most convenient for them to buy?  Honestly, people!  We’re talking about eternal life here!  It’s worth putting in just a little effort to go beyond the comfortable.  I mean, I’d love to believe that I no longer have to deal with hard situations in life and can just get to heaven because I mean well despite my sins, but I’m not so sure I’d be happy with the everlasting outcome of that stupid move.  I’m a mom.  The reality we employ around here is that the easy way, more often than not, is the wrong way, and at some point, the wrong way will bite us in the end.