Father Z Pins the Tail on the Donkey

You simply must read Father John Zuhlsdorf's brilliant and devastating analysis of "the ultra-left-wing National Catholic Reporter [which] has an editorial in which they reveal their darkest fear:

...the goalposts have shifted in the U.S. episcopacy in the past decade – and they have swerved in a decidedly rightward tilt on both the ecclesial and political spectrums.

As you read this mournful baying of desperation, keep in mind that the NCR editors know they have lost the Catholic identity debate.  

Catholics cannot be pro-abortion.  NCR and their pack are still weakly proposing we can be soft on a politicians pro-abortion agenda if they are doing other good social justice things. They claim this will really result in a reduction of the number of abortions anyway.   

They know now that they have lost that argument because it is being made clearer and clearer from pulpits and in the blogosphere and press that Catholics cannot support abortion.  We can differ on how to help the poor but we cannot compromise on the fundamental human right: the right to life precedes the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

What follows in this long NCR editorial is a demonstration of desperation.  Because they have lost the Catholic part of the argument they now fall back on the only weapon they have left: party politics. . . . (continue reading)

More Water Under the Bridge as Archbishop Weakland Makes His "Announcement"

I suppose this AP story about Archbishop Weakland publicly admitting his homosexuality was intended to be a "bombshell," but it's really more of a dud of a scud missile that everyone saw coming, long ago. There's no need to rehash the sordid details here, this article does that for us.  But I would like to comment on one thought that came to mind as I read this sorry tale. 

Many years ago, perhaps as many as 20, I read an interview by Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, a Catholic psychotherapist who specializes in counseling homosexual men and women, in which he asserted that he knew for certain that there were at least 3 or 4 (I'm paraphrasing here) actively homosexual Catholic bishops. I recall the emotions of shock and anger and  . . . credence . . . that washed over me when I read that claim. Shock that a bishop -- a bishop! -- as well as priests could be implicated thusly ( I see now how utterly naive I was back then), anger that someone would even make such a claim about Catholic bishops, and, yes, credence -- a slowly unfolding, dread-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach kind of horrified realization, that this vile claim just might be true.

And, oh boy, was it ever true. Much more than I ever could have imagined back then. It is a truism to say that a lot has happened in the Catholic Church since the 1980s, back when the very suggestion that homosexuality was a widespread problem among the clergy then (and quite possibly even now), a lot of terribly murky, fetid, noisome water has passed under the bridge.  How much more such flotsam will pass by as the years flow into the past and as the Catholic Church (please God!) gradually becomes more purified, repaired, renewed, and restored by God's grace and by the courageous, heroic virtue of her priests and bishops, religious and laity? How long, O Lord? How long?

New Japanese Video "Game" Glorifies Rape and Abortion

Players earn points for acts of sexual violence, including stalking girls on commuter trains, raping virgins and their mothers, and forcing females to get abortions, according to the group's online statement.

Airplane Apologetics

Would you care for some coffee, tea, or truth?

Kevin was headed home at last, tired from a long business trip and eager to see his wife and kids again. He settled down in the back of the plane with his Bible and Catechism, looking forward to an hour of peace and quiet. But just before takeoff, two United Pentecostal preachers sat down beside him, and when they discovered he was Catholic, they were ready for a theological rumble. Reluctant yet prepared to “proclaim the Word . . . whether it is convenient or inconvenient” (2 Tim. 4:2), this Catholic lay apologist dove into a deep debate about the truths of the Faith. Little did he know what God was up to . . . at thirty thousand feet. (read article)

Are You Tired of Bibles Made Out of Paper?

Then try the new i-Bible. 

As a Catholic Apologist, This Is Not What I Mean By "Apologist"

But it's pretty hilarious, even so!

Shut Up

Does it Count? Here's the Bottom Line on Sunday Obligation

Most Catholics find themselves, from time to time, feeling a little blasé about fulfilling their “Sunday Duty.” No, that doesn’t refer to getting coffee and donuts on the way home from Mass, it refers to going to Mass. Sometimes Catholics slip into a minimalist mindset about their Sunday obligation of going to Mass, wondering to themselves, “What’s the absolute minimum of time I have to put in to ‘make it count’?”

Do you feel that showing up for weekly Mass is often no more than a roll call? And when it does feel that way, then are the spiritual goods still evident in your life? Do you ever find yourself asking, “Does it Count?” Do you struggle with some of the “requirements” of being Catholic? Come on . . . not even with one or two? Aha! That’s what I thought. So check out this very helpful Envoy Magazine article by Eric Scheske . . .

We Are At War! Are You Ready to Fight the Good Fight?

Bishop Robert Finn recently declared: "We are at war!" I couldn't agree with the good bishop more, and in response to his rallying cry, I have devleoped a plan to help Catholics everywhere get into high gear as the "Church Militant." Please click the banner to see how you can take part in this new apostolic project to combat error with truth and darkness with light. Join me!

Extreme Home Makeover — Depression Edition

I’m a California native, born & raised, and lived there most of my life. I never imagined I would ever see anything like this. Could it be a bizarre portent of worse things to come? I am starting to become inclined to think so. I hope I'm wrong. What do you think?

More Proof that Contraception & Abortion Are Killing Our Culture

For years, I've been giving lectures at parishes and conferences warning about the dire demographic consequences we are going to experience as a result of the blight of contraception and abortion. Here's a good depiction of what I've been saying, with a twist.

Extreme Shepherding

Israel Security Agency Expresses Concern About Assassination Plot Against Pope Benedict

As Pope Benedict's long-awaited visit to Israel nears, a new worry has emerged in the Israeli press about what some security experts fear will be an attack on the Holy Father during his stop in Nazareth.

The Pope will be in Bethlehem and Nazareth on May 13, the date which marks two important anniversaries in the Catholic Church: First, the 92nd anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, on May 13, 1917; and second, May 13, 1981, the date on which Muslim hitman Mehmet Ali Agca attempted to assasinate Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square.

In 2000, I co-hosted the EWTN coverage of Pope John Paul II's Holy Land visit. I recall our being very alert to the possibiliy of an attack on the pope during that trip — keep in mind that this was pre-9/11 — and many were praying especially for his safe travel. Thank the Lord, nothing terrible happened.   

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz posted an eyebrow raising article on its website yesterday, saying:  

The Shin Bet security service does not want Pope Benedict XVI to use his so-called pope mobile in Nazareth next month, saying it may not be enough against any attack by radical Islamic groups. Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov will discuss the issue at Sunday's cabinet meeting.

The Holy See told the Israeli government that the pope wants to get as close as possible to his followers, so the Vatican hopes the pope will use the vehicle.

But the Shin Bet opposes this, citing pamphlets in Arab towns in the north calling for demonstrations during the visit. Other pamphlets by radical Islamists allegedly call for physical attacks on the pope. (read article)

Pope Benedict XVI Could Really Use Your Prayers

Click the image to open the PDF of this prayer. Please share it with your friends & family.

My Newest DVD Now Available: The Persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico