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)

NIH - provides free treatment and medicines for certain cases

My daughter has this severe skin irritation that eludes conventional treatments.  Her doctor suggested that we take her to NIH to be a subject of their study.  We applied and got accepted in the program.  Now, NIH provides free treatment and medicines in exchange for the data that they get from my daughter's case.  Confidentiality is assured and we can back out anytime.

Origins of the Fighting Irish

I've always wondered about the "Fighting Irish". What's with the fighting? For a Catholic people, it seems contradictory. Folks at http://catholic-dads.blogspot.com/ had this to say.

Thomas More says, "I think it has more to do with the Irish Brigades that fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War."

RobK states,   "The most generally accepted explanation is that the press coined the nickname as a characterization of Notre Dame athletic teams, their never-say-die fighting spirit and the Irish qualities of grit, determination and tenacity. The term likely began as an abusive expression tauntingly directed toward the athletes from the small, private, Catholic institution. Notre Dame alumnus Francis Wallace popularized it in his New York Daily News columns in the 1920s."

But my favorite explanation is from the late Archibishop Fulton Sheen.   It's been said that during the war between Lucifer's legions and God's faithful angels, a third group of angels stayed on the sidelines - taking neither side. At the end, these neutral angels were also banished from heaven until judgment day. Though they were not condemned in hell, they were sent to Ireland. Ever since, they have inspired the people there to fight the good fight.

Is abortion the most important issue? [annotated commentary]

I found this article at Vox-nova http://vox-nova.com/2009/04/22/is-abortion-the-most-important-issue/

Is abortion the most important issue?

[The answer below is no. It is not torture either. See below for the surprise ending.]

Though abortion is objectively the most widespread and murderous social evil in America (and those who fight against it - whether at abortion clinics or in politics - are to be honored), this does not make all other issues somehow less important. Even John Paul the Great, a man on a crusade against death, proclaimed that “the one issue which most challenges our human and Christian consciences is the poverty of countless millions of men and women.” [so is it the one or just one of many?]

This is JPII saying this, not Vox Nova, not Nate Wildermuth, but the man, our man, John Paul. (Might I add that it’s a great name for a baby?) [Only for a son.]

It’s time we saw all these “issues” as one great problem: sin. [It is both then because they’re interwoven. ] Abortion and poverty and violence are all interwoven into one terrible system of sin. [Getting to the root – radical approach]
This sin can only be confronted through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not through clever programs, not through vicious blogs [most likely not], not through dense books [alone], not through televised homilies [by themselves],

[ Recall when a professor once remarked about St. John Vianney, "This fellow is a complete ass. What can he possibly accomplish?" Father Vianney replied, "If Samson armed only with the jawbone of an ass, could kill one thousand Philistines, imagine what God can do with the complete ass!"]

but through a personal encounter with the King and the Kingdom.
[whose personal encounter - the pro-lifer, the pro-abortionist or both? Both, only Jesus can move the pro-abortion folks. For the pro-lifers to bring Jesus, they must first have Jesus – can’t give what you don’t have. Nemo dat quod non habet.]

But what does that really mean? [Good question. It means we’re involved in a spiritual combat as Arch. Chaput mentioned before. What does it not mean? It does not mean that we have to stop other efforts e.g. legislation, counseling, rescue and education to stop abortion.]

It means, perhaps, finding a holy hour instead of an internet hour. [perhaps both]