In a meeting with a group of Brazilian bishops on Saturday, the Holy Father warned of the dangers of Marxist liberation theology and noted its grave consequences for ecclesial communities.
During the ad limina visit, the Pope recalled that “last August marked 25 years since the Instruction “Libertatis nuntius” of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on certain aspects of liberation theology. The document "highlights the danger involved in the uncritical absorption, by certain theologians, of theses and methodologies that come from Marxism."
The Pope warned that the “more or less visible” scars of Marxist liberation theology, such as “rebellion, division, dissent, offenses, anarchy, are still being felt, causing great suffering and a grave loss of dynamic strength in your diocesan communities.”
For this reason, he exhorted all those who in some way feel attracted or affected by “certain deceitful principles of liberation theology” to re-visit the instruction and be open to the light that it can shed on the subject. (http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17965)
The Spanish press is highlighting the dilemma faced by Juan Carlos, king of Spain, a Catholic, who may be called upon to sign into law a bill that, if passed, would further liberalize abortion.
On November 25th, Spain's Catholic bishops warned that those politicians who vote in favor of the law will have excommunicated themselves, having put themselves in an "objective state of sin." The bishops wrote that "while the situation lasts," politicians who vote in favor of the law "may not be admitted to Holy Communion."
However, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 stipulates that new laws must be promulgated by the king, who is head of state, but who now faces possible excommunication if he gives royal assent to the bill.
Prominent Spanish Catholics are calling on the king to refuse to sign the law. In an article appearing on the website Religion en Libertad, titled, "The King should not sign the abortion law," the head of the lobby group HazteOir, Nacho Arsuaga, said the country could be heading for a constitutional crisis over the bill.
"The king of a democratic state under the law cannot sign a law approving the right of a few to kill other human beings. With this law, the government is de facto destroying the validity of the Spanish constitution, which stipulates in its Article 15 the right to life." Arsuaga called on the king either to refuse to sign or to abdicate.
Javier Maria Perez-Roldan, president of the Thomas More Law Center, said that the law would "contradict the principle of monarchy," which "loses all authority if it is exercised against the common good."
Arsuaga's article quotes politicians and the heads of a number of Catholic organizations who have called on the king to abdicate in imitation of King Baudouin of Belgium, who in 1990 temporarily renounced his throne rather than sign his country's law liberalizing abortion. They also cited the more recent case of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, who refused last year to sign the duchy's law legalizing euthanasia and who may be stripped of his constitutional powers as a result.
Milian Manuel Mestre, a businessman and politician and Member of the Congress of Deputies, called it "incomprehensible from the ethical point of view," that the government could pass a law that establishes abortion as a right.
"As a believer and a citizen of this country it does not seem appropriate for the King to sign into law the Act ... Neither the king nor the government nor the Spanish Courts may violate principles of fundamental ethics," Mestre said. (continue adding)
Quite by accident, I happened to see this the other day as I was changing channels, and I simply couldn't believe my eyes. It's repugnant and infuriating what these people at CBS are doing, in the name of "humor," to destroy whatever vestiges of innocence might remain among American children and youth today (cf. Matthew 18:6).
A video advertisement on CBS's Web site that "mashes" material from the iconic "Frosty the Snowman" Christmastime cartoon with two of the network's comedy series is offensive and should be pulled, media analysts told FoxNews.com.
The video ad, "Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman," takes authentic dialogue from CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and a Half Men" and dubs it on top of the cartoon classic, changing well-known "Frosty" scenes to contain suggestions that the snowman and his friends visit a "strip club."
The mash-up also discusses Frosty's "porn collection" and contains repeated mentions of prior sexual conquests. The ad is intended to promote the network's upcoming broadcasts of "Frosty the Snowman" and "Frosty Returns."
Colleen Raezler, a research assistant for the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center, said the spot is "highly inappropriate," and improperly uses a Christmas special to promote an adult-oriented comedy. "The ad introduces children to the idea of strippers and pornography," Raezler told FoxNews.com. "The people in charge obviously thought this was funny, but the question they should ask themselves is if this is appropriate, not if it's funny." (continue reading)
Here come those Christmas dinners with family and friends. And here come the seemingly inevitable jibes, digs, and even overt challenges aimed at your Catholic beliefs, sometimes from those you love most, perhaps including children returning from college who think they’ve “outgrown” the Faith. You can get prepared for these conversations with this "Crash Course" in how to explain, share, and defend your Faith.
Last night, Nancy and I went to Children's Hospital to visit our precious little grandson, Killian Patrick, (grandchild number 7) and, for the first time, I was able to hold him. Here are some pictures of that happy experience.
P.S. Thanks be to God, Mr. Kilpatrick continues to do well, and he's been packing on the ounces, day by day, and is now about 3-and-a-half pounds (he weighed just 2 lbs., 2 ozs. when he was born, three months premature). We really appreciate all the prayers that many of you have been praying for Killian. Thank you.
(St. Francisco Borgia performing a deathbed exorcism, by Francisco Goya)
There is a particular reason why we Catholics invoke the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary when we say, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, amen."
In addition to Scripture's repeated reminders that the devil is actively seeking the spiritual destruction of as many men and women as he can possibly destroy, many of the great saints (too many to be numbered here) have attested to the fact that the evil one is allowed by God to harass people with all kinds of temptations and even, in some cases, to make a final, furious, frantic attack on someone who is dying. St. Anthony of the Desert, St. Benedict, St. Dominic, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Anthony Claret, St. John Vianney, Blessed Padre Pio, and many others warn about this, as does theCatechism of the Catholic Church.
This is why, in addition to prayer, the sacraments, cultivating virtue, and frequently invoking the intercession of Mary and the saints, we must always remember, trust in, and live according to this glorious truth about God's love for us:
"Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
With all that in mind, I bring you the following audio clip from my "Open Line" radio show yesterday in which I took a call from Kathy, who wanted to know about whether the devil and his demonic helpers were in the habit of harassing people on their deathbeds. She asked because of something she herself had seen as she attended her own mother in her dying days. Take a listen . . .
This is a hopeful sign! I'm not sure exactly what it portends, but it's cause for hope.
Evidence of "possible cooperation" between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church continues between Rome and Moscow. And the playing filed on which they meet remains the struggle for the affirmation of the Christian roots of Europe "threatened by secularism. The latest episode that gives hope for a real climate of greater proximity between the two Churches, is the presentation (today in Rome) of "Europe Spiritual Homeland", a bilingual volume in Italian and Russian collecting the speeches that Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI dedicated to Europe over the pastdecade. The novel aspect is that for the first time the publisher of the book is the patriarch of Moscow. The introduction to the volume is by the Chairman of the Department for External Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The editorial initiative was taken by the Department of External Relations of the Patriarchate in cooperation with the International Association "Sofia". The publication takes place on the eve of the visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the Vatican where he will meet the Pope. The leader of the Kremlin will arrive December 3 in Italy on the occasion of bilateral Summits of Heads of State and Government of both countries. In diplomatic circles linked to the Vatican, for the past few months there have been rumours that Russia will open an embassy to the Holy See. A few months ago, Medvedev himself had mentioned, to the Italian press, this possibility. . . . (continue reading)
It's good that we were able to unpack this issue more on Drew's show, given that we had upwards of 40 minutes to discuss it and even take a few calls. There is plenty more that could have and should have been said in defense of my advice, but this is a helpful start, I think. Take a listen, and let me know what you think.
The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts has okayed its clergy to marry "all eligible couples."
You've seen those slo-mo videos of buildings being demolished by planned detonation, like the one above, right? Watch how it implodes, floor by floor, into an unrecoverable shamble of rubble and dust. Watch and learn. Why? Because, see below, here's one of the floors detonating before your eyes . . .
As of Nov. 29, clergy of the diocese may solemnize marriages for all eligible couples, Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE has announced.
The decision comes after a long discernment process leading up to and continuing after the action of General Convention this past July allowing that “bishops, particularly in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage is legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this church.”
The full text of Bishop Shaw’s statement follows.
Advent I, November 29, 2009
Christian marriage is a sacramental rite that has evolved in the church, along with confirmation, ordination, penance, and the anointing of the sick, and while it is not necessary for all, it must be open to all as a means of grace and sustenance to our Christian hope.
I believe this because the truth of it is in our midst, revealed again and again by the many marriages—of women and men, and of persons of the same gender—that are characterized, just as our church expects, by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, and the holy love which enables spouses to see in one another the image of God.
In May of 2004 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court opened civil marriage in our state to same-gender couples. That ruling set up a contradiction between what civil law would allow and what our church’s canons and formulary state, which is that marriage is between a man and a woman. And so, for more than five years now, while faithfully waiting for the General Convention of the Episcopal Church to act in response, we in the Diocese of Massachusetts have been living at some cost with an imperfect accommodation: Our clergy have not been allowed to solemnize same-gender marriages, but they have been permitted to bless them after the fact.
In July of this year, the 76th General Convention adopted resolution C056, “Liturgies for Blessings.” It allows that “bishops, particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this church.”
Your bishops understand this to mean for us here in the Diocese of Massachusetts that the clergy of this diocese may, at their discretion, solemnize marriages for all eligible couples, beginning Advent I. Solemnization, in accordance with Massachusetts law, includes hearing the declaration of consent, pronouncing the marriage and signing the marriage certificate. This provision for generous pastoral response is an allowance and not a requirement; any member of the clergy may decline to solemnize any marriage.
While gender-specific language remains unchanged in the canons and The Book of Common Prayer, our provision of generous pastoral response means that same-gender couples can be married in our diocese. We request that our clergy follow as they ordinarily would the other canonical requirements for marriage and remarriage. And, because The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage in The Book of Common Prayer may not be used for marriages of same-gender couples, we ask that our priests seek out liturgical resources being developed and collected around the church. We also commend to you the October 2008 resource created by our New England dioceses, “Pastoral Resources for Province I Episcopal Clergy Ministering to Same-Gender Couples,” available at www.province1.org.
We have not arrived at this place in our common life easily or quickly. We have not done it alone. This decision comes after a long process of listening, prayer and discernment leading up to and continuing after General Convention’s action this past summer. Our Diocesan Convention recently adopted a resolution of its own expressing its collective hope for the very determination that your bishops have made. Even so, we know that not all are of one mind and that some in good faith will disagree with this decision. Our Anglican tradition makes space for this disagreement and calls us to respect and engage one another in our differences. It is through that tension that we find God’s ultimate will.
We also know that by calling us to minister in the context of this particular place and time God is again blessing our diocese with a great challenge by which we might enter more fully into that ethic of love which Jesus speaks to us through the New Testament. It is an immeasurable love given for all. We are being asked to live it, all of us, children of God, each with equal claim upon the love, acceptance and pastoral care of this church, so that the newness and fullness of life promised through word and sacrament might be for all people and for the completion of God’s purpose for the world.
Here's a campaign commercial attacking Gov. Romney's record on the issue of abortion. It raises interesting issues that I'd like to see clarified, once and for all.
