Church funds at risk from bishops and priests

Recently a priest in CT ran away with his boyfriend and millions of the parishioners' money. That is why the parishioners wanted to revamp the financial controls of the church funds. In my dioceses, there must have been close to 5 incidents when priests stole the church's monies for the last 30 years.

The bottom line is that if the faith communities will not revise the financial controls, then the risk remains. For more details on how the methods and procedures are unchecked, you may do some web searches yourself on "catholic church ct financial mismanagement bridgeport". Once you realize the precariousness of the situation, they you may want to raise the issue to the pastor or a parish council member.

For myself, I've stopped giving to Abp. Wuerl's diocese ever since he announced that he is willing to give Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians. Instead, I send my donations to places whose bishops are more supportive of pro-life efforts.

Correct me if I am wrong, but it appears that the same uncontrolled and unchecked financial policies and procedures are in place in all the Catholic communities and churches. So, unless there's a change, then the vulnerability is there waiting for the next thief.

After clerical abuses, Pope urges laity to evangelize

Here is a letter to Pope Clement VII dated July 13, 1530 that asks for the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon and includes the seals of dozens of bishops of England who concurred with the request. These bishops later supported the separation of the Church of England from Rome.

Last month, more than a hundred US bishops gave their tacit consent as they refrained from criticizing the honor given by Notre Dame to the Obama, a prominent supporter of abortion laws However, there were seventy or more who publicly protested this scandal.

Last week, the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, published in Dublin last week, reported some 8,000 religious people were involved in the maltreatment of 35,000 children.

Yesterday, during the opening speech of the Diocesan Ecclesial Conference in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, the Pope pointed out that the laity must progress beyond simply collaborating with the clergy to a greater share in the responsibility of the Church's activity which includes evangelization. Cf. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPSNbu9lRg4

If you read the older posts, this is already being done in various ways e.g. influencing Abp. Wuerl to enforce canon 915 etc... Now, we have the Pope's blessings and mandate to continue to build the church with the good clerics and without the pedophiles and politicians.

Working for God or doing God's work

( pic from http://www.lolsaints.com/)

With all the wrongs and lies going around, someone who cares about God and the world might pop a gasket or have a hissy fit everyday. And with more bad news coming from all over e.g. Ireland and the recent events at Notre Dame, one can just sink into depression and despair.

While I do not advocate a passive approach of watching things fix themselves, I do suggest a little perspective. It's not like God has left us although that is what many thought after the Holocaust. Have we forgotten the miracle of the dancing sun at Fatima? And how about Mother Teresa who simply picked up and washed dying outcasts but in the process touched the world?

This is God's war and we just have to do our part and keep that big picture in mind. So, there's no cause to feel defeat. There's a huge difference between doing God's work and working for God. A person who works for God will not be perturbed.

And a time will come when our bodies will feel sluggish, weak, tired and ready for that eternal rest. ( My diabetes is getting worse; I might need insulin shots soon. ) As we degenerate to that condition, we end up doing even less. So, while we do not have to be flippant about our contribution, we do not have to take ourselves too seriously either. As St. Teresa of Avila counsels,

Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things pass away;
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.

The holy family is still human

(pic from http://www.lolsaints.com/ )

Just hanging loose tonight. With all that's going on, it helps to think that "He's got the whole world in His hands." and "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow."

Beat the blues - what works for me

Here are some things that I do to beat the blues.

Take St. John's Wort, an over the counter herbal happy pill.

Walk to get some sun and fresh air. Feeling follows action. And action we can control easily.
So, when we act happy, we start feeling the same way.

Help others. When I was between jobs, I was able to spend time with my Dad. We bought his car together and I accompanied him for cataract surgery. He's gone now but I kept the car to remind me of those special days.

Talk things out with my wife to get another view - a cognitive reappraisal. "Most people
are as happy as they make their minds up to be."

Count my blessings - faith, health, love, and kids.

Pray. Check out the link below. Something happens to our brains during prayer. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104310443&ft=1&f=1007

Go to confession and receive Communion often. Grace amazes.

To ND grads:

Congratulations on your witness to the sanctity of life. 

Thanks to those who supported the students.

The Catholic Identity: divine, regal, sacerdotal and prophetic

There’s a lot of talk about identity these days because, ND is giving Obama an honorary degree in Law.  Go figure.  And that’s what 70 bishops and 350,000 church-going Catholics are doing as they contacted ND and asked, “What the ?”

 Long story short, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Some graduates including professors are mad because this is messing up their party – their prestigious commencement.  They don’t have a clue how the award goes against everything Catholic.  And what is Catholic you might ask. 

 Catholic does what Catholic is.  And Catholic is who we chose to be when we got baptized.  Our ID or passport declares who we are and our homeland.  We are God’s adopted children.  We’re more than blue-blooded aristocrats for we have divine life in our veins.

And we're citizens of heaven and just resident aliens here.  We are kings, because we’re responsible for others including the unborn.  We are prophets, because we speak for God.  We are priests, because we relate to the living God by offering ourselves as a living sacrifice – sacrum facere  means making holy.  We are other Christs as we follow, imitate and are united with the Incarnate Son of God. 

 That is who we are.  Can you imagine what can happen when we live that out?

A new approach to pro-life

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/bishops-urged-restore-civility-pro-life-efforts

In the article above, Fr. Langan tells the bishops to back off because they’re just being played and that they’re not considering the big picture with all the good that’s happening. And he proposes that we go along and tolerate abortion because it is impractical to criminalize the supply. But the demand can be reduced. It may not be the perfect solution, but it is good. And the best is the enemy of the good. So, why not shift the paradigm along those lines?

If we don't live as we believe, we'll believe the way we live. If we tolerate abortion, we accept that abortion is tolerable. And that starts to desensitize us. It poisons our minds and hearts that we've come to a point to allow a baby to be killed.

They cite the parable of the weeds and the wheat and argue that God lets the weeds thrive and so should we. There is a difference between God's patience with sinners and our resignation to whatever evil happens around us. Aren't we our brother's keeper? If we let women just go and murder their child by making things safe and legal, then what kind of keepers are we? Didn't the Lord identify with the least and said, "Whatever you do to them, you do to me?" So, should we just let the Lord get siphoned into bit and pieces or burned with chemicals?

So, there's the poison in the Kool-Aid.

Pure Politics behind the Pro-Life Protests?

I started being active in the pro-life effort at around 1995 after going to Conyers, GA.  There was a rumor that Mother Mary was visiting a woman there every month  I did not see or hear anything, but I came back with the conviction that abortion is what offends God the most nowadays.

To raise awareness the horror of abortion, I taped a huge picture of an aborted baby at my back windshield and parked where it can be seen from 10 floors.  At the end of the first day, I found the windshield covered nicely with brown paper and masking tape.  I took it off and parked at the same spot with the poster the next day.  That afternoon, my manager asked me to remove that 'political poster'.  I took it off rather than risk my job.  Nevertheless, I continued protesting abortion in others ways e.g. organizing rescue efforts in abortuaries.

These days, I have been reading how pro-lifers are accused of being politically motivated.  Maybe there are some who use the pro-life cause as a political tool.  But, no one except God knows peoples' intentions.  And I doubt if people really buy that line because you probably know at least one pro-lifer who honestly does it for the babies.  So, I think the Democrats are saying it to convince themselves - to numb their hearts and minds.

Laity to deal w/ Abp. Wuerl and Rev. Jenkins

I took this post down before because I thought I was being too hard on some clerics. But after the entire student body chanted in support of Obama at Notre Dame, I decided to take off the gloves. These clerics, Jenkins & Wuerl, are the cause of the confusion and even corruption of the Catholic convictions when it comes to choice and abortion. So, here's that post again and more to come.

----------
During the commencement exercise at a military academy, the nation's president gave the address. At the middle of the speech, he stopped. He looked at the cadets then picked up a poster board and turned it around. It read, "Reform the Armed Forces." He showed it slowly to everyone without saying a word. There was stillness as the meaning sank in. It was genius. He conveyed an uncomfortable reality about the generals whom he relied on, without insulting them. This was never reported in the news, so it saved everyones faces and kept the peace while starting a reform movement. As the young officers entered the force, they had a mission to restore the dignity and integrity of serving the nation and to shed the current culture of corruption.

When the Observatore Romano acknowledged the achievements of the American president, it was standard operational procedures. It saw the facts and noted them as a stateman would. ( Of course the fans became giddy and saw to it a lot more i.e. like an endorsement of the abortion policies.) A few days later, the Vatican sends its 'Chief Justice' Arch. Burke who presented unequivocally the official position about the Catholic Church in America vis-a-vis the issues around her. It is clear and distinct. No one can spin or frame it any other way. And those who refuse to align themselves are identified by their positions.

In a way, it is like the president showing the poster board "Reform the Church in America". The Vatican cannot come in the US to slap wrists everytime someone falls out of line e.g. Fr. Jenkin's and his honoring of Pres. Obama (contrary to the USCCB directives) or Archbishop Wuerl and his willingness to give Holy Communion to public supporters of abortion (contrary to Canon Law). It is up to the laity to discipline these miscreants by dialogue and sanctions e.g.withdrawal of financial support and volunteered services. Here's Abp. Burke's message http://zohoviewer.com/docs/vdrxc

And where Peter is, there the Church is (and definitely not in the archdiocese of Washington, D.C.).

Real Exorcism of Annelise Michel (DISTURBING)

Video by Phil R.XP of REQUIEM ETERNAM about the real exorcism of Annelise Michel who inspired the movie Exorcism of Emily Rose. For more information about what is happened exactly all in my blog on myspace site http://www.myspace.com/requiemeternam7

Mother Mary - Mediatrix, Coredemptrix and Advocate

In honor of Mother Mary - Mediatrix, Coredemptrix and Advocate.

Father Cutie beach pictures

Father Cutie Pie administers a new paraliturgical move.  

Lessons Learned:  

Prudence & modesty.  

Live in the presence of God & avoid dissipation.  

Practice mortification of the senses & pray.

Also, swim in the priests pool.

About the other Rev. Cutie

Creative Minority Report: When Quasi Celebrities Cheat

DC Archbishop disregards Vatican Official on Church Law

In his words, Arch. Wuerl states "Why I Won't Deny Pelosi Communion"

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/05/06/archbishop-wuerl-why-i-won-t-deny-pelosi-communion/

Acc. to Arch. Wuerl, "there's a question about whether this canon'' – the relevant church law – "was ever intended to be used'' to bring politicians to heel. He thinks not. "I stand with the great majority of American bishops and bishops around the world in saying this canon was never intended to be used this way.''

In http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=31984 Arch. Burke says, ""The Church's law is very clear, the person who persists publicly in grave sin is to be denied Holy Communion, and it [Canon Law] doesn't say that the bishop shall decide this. It's an absolute."

IMHO, Arch. Burke, head of the Church's highest court, the Apostolic Signatura, trumps Arch. Wuerl in matters of canon law. And I read his arguments; they made more sense than saying "I stand with the majority." Afterall, when was it ever about numbers when it comes to truth and morals?

In the link below, you can read from a canon lawyer how that Church law was misinterpreted by Arch. Bishop Wuerl.

http://www.canonlaw.info/2009/05/response-to-abp-wuerls-claims-that.html

Other commentaries:

http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/archives/2009/05/protecting-the.php

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/05/bishops-disciplining-visitors-from-other-dioceses/

http://momsforlife.blogspot.com/2009/05/voice-your-concern-to-rome-archbishop.html

Related material:

Vatican Official: Bishops Have no Choice But to Refuse Communion to Pro-Abort Politicians
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/feb/09020402.html
Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion. General Principles
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/apr/050419a.html

American Papist: Not Your Average Catholic!: Text: Archbishop Burke's Keynote Address on the teachings of the Catholic Church

Charity to Obama and Jenkins

There have been comments that Catholics need to be charitable to President Obama and Fr. Jenkins implying that that we quietly let the commencement speech go on and honorary degree to be given. But is this really what the gospel requires?

Turning the other cheek does not mean accepting the abuse and simply forgiving. To do this is to make the aggressors comfortable and complacent in their wrongdoing. To let one's brother go astray without engaging him in fraternal correction is not to be a brother's keeper. And this is when resistance not acquiescence becomes the charitable thing to do.

Would you let an African-American be dragged out of his apartment and taken into the woods only to be found dangling by a tree? Would you ignore your Jewish neighbors who got picked up and herded into cattle car never to be heard from again? Is this any different from having a newborn starve or die of complications?

No, but the president supported live birth abortions like this and continues to promote abortions by his policies. And Fr. Jenkins plans to honor him with an honorary degree in law - adding insult to injury.

To be silent during this travesty is to be complicit with it. It is to approve of Jenkins' disobedience to the bishops and scandal to 300,000+ petitioners. But the gospels are quite emphatic about scandal i.e. it is better for someone to drown with a millstone on his neck than to scandalize others. And didn’t the Lord identify with the bishops, who succeeded the apostles when he said, "He who hears you, hears me."

Then there's Obama who promised to put the pro-life efforts to rest as he reverses all pro-life legislation and policies and promises to sign FOCA into law. As he sells the soul of a nation, he explains that, "He is paying his debts to political and financial backers."

And so, to be charitable to Fr. Jenkins and Pres. Obama is not to let them slide down into the culture of death and take many along. The gospel compels us to correct our brothers and to defend those who are about to be murdered by their scandal and compromise with evil. To protest and to resist this is not only justifiable; it is a moral imperative for everyone who believes in the fatherhood of God who is life and the brotherhood of men - no matter how insignificant.

American Papist: Not Your Average Catholic!: Video: Powerful Notre Dame Response

People of God

An introduction or a reminder for the academics in universities called Catholic, for politicians who call themselves Catholic, for doctors and nurses in a Catholic hospital, for cradle Catholics who got confused, hurt or scandalized, for non-Catholics who want to convert, for ex-Catholics who want to revert, for the so-so Catholics who forget who they were and everyone else out there because, Catholic means universal.  And that includes you.

Source:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCskGhDZFdk

Making an appearance for our mother

For years, she's been visiting us.  This May 17th, let's make an appearance for her in Notre Dame .

Link to listing of apparitions & visitations:

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//resources/aprtable.html  

Zeitoun (Egypt)

Akita (Japan)