In Praise of Bacon

You know this is true. You know it. Don't lie.

Nihilist thought for the day: Nothing really matress

Even when misspelled, it is still true.

Here's a Bible Verse You'll Never See Cross-stitched on a Pillow

Just when you think you've solved a problem, along comes a bigger one

You know the old saying, "One step forward, three steps backward"? Well, this video is a good example of "one step forward, 1000 steps backward."

One priest per Dublin parish shortly, archbishop warns

Ireland, once a mighty powerhouse of priestly vocations, sent men by the thousands to the United States, Canada, and elsewhere to help build the Church here, over the last 150 years. But the Emerald Isle is now struggling just to ordain enough priests to meet its own ever-dwindling church-going Catholic population.

What has shut off the firehose of Irish vocations to the priesthood in Ireland? My guess is that it is the steadily tightening grip of secularism and indifferentism that have coiled around the Irish so unremittingly in the post-War era, as well as the terrible sex-scandals with men, women, and children involving Irish priests and even bishops which have soured so many in their view of the priesthood. What can be done, short of a miracle, to reverse this trend? I have no idea, but I am praying for a miracle.

The Irish Times reports:

DUBLIN’S CATHOLIC archdiocese will soon have barely enough priests to serve its 199 parishes, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has said.“We have 46 priests over 80 and only two less than 35 years of age. In a very short time we will just have the bare number of priests required to have one active priest for each of our 199 parishes,” he said in Dublin’s pro-cathedral at the weekend.

He was speaking at a Mass on Saturday to celebrate the feast of St Lawrence O’Toole, principal patron of the Dublin Catholic archdiocese, of which he was archbishop from 1162 until 1180. Last April Archbishop Martin said there were now 10 times more priests over 70 than under 40 in the archdiocese.

In April also it emerged that the number of priests in Tuam Catholic archdiocese is set to fall by 30 per cent over the next four years, leaving most parishes there with just one resident priest. . . . (continue reading)

A Caller to My "Open Line" Radio Show Asks Me About the "Good Fruits" of Medjugorje

A call came in recently from a woman who wanted to remind me about all the "good fruits" associated with the alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje. You know, the thousands of confessions and conversions, rosaries and other prayers prayed, and even numerous priestly vocations which are attributed to men having made a pilgrimage there.

Well . . . I don't deny that there are good "fruits" associated with Medjugorje, but even so, I am strongly disinclined to believe that it is the site of authentic Marian apparitions. And, as I explained to the caller, I personally do not agree that the "good fruit" argument constitutes proof of its authenticity.

The Medjugorje issue comes up from time to time on my "Open Line" show, and the fact that I am skeptical about this alleged apparition seems to perplex and, at times, irritate some of my listeners. I surely do not mean to irritate them! But I feel obliged to give my honest opinion when callers ask me about it. Take a listen.