EXCLUSIVE: CARDINAL BURKE INTERVIEW WITH RORATE CAELI

Last week, Rorate Caeli interviewed Raymond Cardinal Burke via telephone on numerous topics. Nothing was off the table for this interview and His Eminence was incredibly generous with his time. He showed himself to be brilliant and yet filled with humility. And his care and concern for traditional Catholics must be acknowledged and appreciated.

In this wide-ranging interview, His Eminence talked about issues ripped from the news such as: Vatican officials threatening to sue bloggers; more priests coming under his authority; the dismantling of the Franciscans of the Immaculate; how traditional Catholics can save their souls in this modern world -- and get their children the sacraments in the traditional rite in the face of dissenting bishops; priestly celibacy; daily confusion from Pope Francis; and much, much more. 

All may reprint/repost this interview -- but you must credit Rorate Caeli. 

Click here to follow @RorateCaeli on Twitter

VATICAN OFFICIALS THREATENING TO SUE BLOGGERS

Rorate Caeli: Your Eminence, thank you very much for agreeing to this interview. As the most-read international blog for traditional Catholics, we believe this will give much hope to our readership, and to traditional-minded Catholics everywhere. For our first question: The traditional world, recently, has been stunned by the news that two officials of the Vatican have threatened to sue traditional-minded Catholic bloggers and reporters. Do you agree with this approach, and do you think we should expect to see more of this in the future?

Card. Burke: Unless the blogger has committed a calumny on someone's good name unjustly, I certainly don't think that that's the way we as Catholics should deal with these matters. I think contact should be made. I presume that the Catholic blogger is in good faith, and if there's someone in the hierarchy who is upset with him, the way to deal with it would be first to approach the person directly and try to resolve the matter in that way. Our Lord in the Gospel and St. Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians instruct us not to take our disputes to the civil forum, that we should be able, as Catholics, to resolve these matters among ourselves. (cf. Mt. 18:15; 1 Cor. 6:1-6)

CONFUSION FROM POPE FRANCIS

Rorate Caeli: After eight years under Pope Benedict XVI, clergy, laymen, even the media became accustomed to clarity. With so much confusion stemming from the daily statements of Pope Francis, confusion from the Synod, et cetera, is it best to focus more on the local and parish level and on the Church's tradition, rather than looking for specific guidance from Rome on issues of the day?

Card. Burke: Yes, I think that, in fact, Pope Francis himself has given that indication. For instance in his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, he says that he doesn't consider it to be a magisterial teaching. (n. 16) With someone like Pope Benedict XVI, we had a master teacher who was giving us extended catechesis on various subjects. I now say to people that, if they are experiencing some confusion from the method of teaching of Pope Francis, the important thing is to turn to the catechism and to what the Church has always taught, and to teach that, to foster it at the parish level, beginning first with the family. We can't lose our energy being frustrated over something that we think we should be receiving and we're not. Instead, we know for sure what the Church has always taught, and we need to rely on that and concentrate our attention on that.

COMMUNION FOR ADULTERERS & ATTACK ON DOCTRINE

Rorate Caeli: Speaking of that teaching and what we're hearing, you've made news lately by saying you will resist any teaching that's heterodox on marriage, and that Catholics should fight back, which gets to a whole other question we were asking about. What should be the response of faithful Catholics if there is a change in the discipline in regards to Holy Communion for divorced and remarried adulterers?

Card. Burke: I was answering a hypothetical question. Some people have tried to interpret it as an attack on Pope Francis, which it wasn't at all. It was a hypothetical question posed to me, and I simply said, "No authority can command us to act against the truth, and, at the same time, when the truth is under any kind of threat, we have to fight for it." That's what I meant when I said that. When the hypothetical question was put to me, "What if this agenda is pushed?" I said, "Well, I simply have to resist it. That's my duty."

Rorate Caeli: How can a faithful Catholic fight back? Is it in his home? Is it on a blog?

Card Burke:  I think you have to keep teaching, in your home and in your own personal life, to hold to the truth of the faith as you know it, and also to speak up about it and to make known to the Holy Father your deep concern, that in fact you cannot accept a change in the Church's discipline which would amount to a change in her teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. Here I think it's very important to address a false dichotomy that's been drawn by some who say, "Oh no, we're just changing disciplines. We're not touching the Church's doctrine." But if you change the Church's discipline with regard to access to Holy Communion by those who are living in adultery, then surely you are changing the Church's doctrine on adultery. You're saying that, in some circumstances, adultery is permissible and even good, if people can live in adultery and still receive the sacraments. That is a very serious matter, and Catholics have to insist that the Church's discipline not be changed in some way which would, in fact, weaken our teaching on one of the most fundamental truths, the truth about marriage and the family.

DISSENTING BISHOPS & SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM

Rorate Caeli: Getting to something that's right in Your Eminence’s wheelhouse, how do we fulfill the promise and the mandate of Summorum Pontificum at this particular time in the Church, and what role does Canon Law play in making the traditional Latin Mass available in every parish?

Card. Burke: The law stands as it was given by Pope Benedict XVI, and it has not been changed. The document for its implementation was issued by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. All of that holds. All of that urges that when there is a desire for the traditional Mass among a group of the faithful, it is to be provided for them.

Rorate Caeli: Sticking to Summorum, for families whose children have never been exposed to the Novus Ordo, yet their local ordinary will not fulfill the mandates of Summorum by granting them traditional Confirmation, should those families take their children to a neighboring diocese or a personal parish like the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, FSSP, in order to have them confirmed in the traditional rite?

Card. Burke: They certainly have the right to receive the sacraments in the traditional rite, in the Extraordinary Form. If they can't receive it in their own diocese, then certainly they could ask their parish priest to give them a note that the child is ready to be confirmed, and then have them confirmed in another place where it is permitted.

DISMANTLING THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF THE IMMACULATE

Rorate Caeli: You probably know, we have been covering the disheartening and frightening accounts of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate being dismantled over the last year. Does Your Eminence think that the commissioner, Father Volpi, has been fair? And what does Your Eminence think of Father Volpi's court mediation statement regarding the founder’s family?

Card. Burke: I really don't have the kind of direct information on which to make a judgment about the matter. I have to say that, just from an outsider's view, Father Volpi has taken some very strong actions very quickly. Seemingly, I read the story too, he had to admit that the accusation which he made against Father Stefano Manelli, the founder of the Friars of the Immaculate, and his family members, of somehow misusing the temporal goods of the Friars of the Immaculate, was not true. That's certainly a very serious matter. Many friars are leaving, and it would seem that there should be some way of dealing with the whole situation in which the order itself wouldn't collapse, because they were strong, they had a lot of vocations, and they have a great number of apostolates. That's the part that's worrisome to me.

Rorate Caeli: There are reports, and frankly we get personal reports of this, of FFI priests saying they're “fleeing,” they're “in hiding,” using those words from the current FFI under Fr. Volpi. There's also reports of bishops taking in FFI priests seeking refuge in their dioceses. Would Your Eminence encourage those other bishops to do the same?

Card. Burke: If there's a priest who desires to leave his religious community, and this a good priest, and there isn't anything contrary to the bishop accepting him, I think a good bishop would certainly accept such a priest and try to help him to become a priest in his diocese. There's a process; it takes time. The priest who is wanting to leave his religious community has to have a welcoming bishop. When a bishop is able to welcome such a priest, I think the bishop should be happy to do that, because it assists a good priest to be able to continue to exercise his priestly ministry.

TRADITIONAL PRIESTS SUPPRESSED BY DISSENTING BISHOPS

Rorate Caeli: What, in Your Eminence's opinion, are good priests supposed to do who are being suppressed by their bishops? We know of many, though we're not going to name them publicly. Some have no mission whatsoever now, and they're living on donations and help from family and friends. Some find it necessary to join independent groups. What is Your Eminence's advice to those priests who simply want to live, preach and say Mass as all priests did before the Council?

Card. Burke: I would simply urge them to seek a bishop who is receptive to such priests and would try to help them, if he can, or if he can't help them directly himself, to help them find another bishop who would permit them to lead a good priestly life. That's all that one can do. Obviously, also, there is recourse to the Congregation for the Clergy. If the priest feels that he's simply being treated unjustly, then he could ask the Congregation for the Clergy to intervene.

Rorate Caeli:  There are reports that in an attempt to fix the problem we just discussed, an Apostolic Administration for traditional priests and religious may be in the works, in order to solve many of these issues facing them, in terms of living out their vocations strictly according to Summorum Pontificum. Can Your Eminence comment on where in the process that may be -- the future of an Apostolic Administration?https://twitter.com/roratecaeli

Card. Burke: Such a thing is possible. I'm not aware that anything is in process in that regard. Maybe it is, I just haven't heard about it. Certainly that is a possibility and would be a way of assisting these priests and the faithful who are attached to them to remain in communion with the Church.

MORE PRIESTS COMING UNDER CARD. BURKE'S AUTHORITY 

Rorate Caeli: Now, Your Eminence may have a bias on this question, but would the Sovereign Military Order of Malta theoretically be able to function as an Apostolic Administration, giving faculties for traditional priests and religious?

Card. Burke: Well, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, has incardinated priests. But it did so as a sovereign military order, not as an Apostolic Administration. The Order has a Prelate, appointed by the Holy Father, who participates in the governance of the Order. He is clearly the lawful superior of any priests incardinated in the Order. Right now, we're studying the whole situation because we have requests from additional priests who wish to be incardinated in the Order. But certainly it has happened in the past, and there's no reason why it couldn't continue to happen, not in virtue of the establishment of an Apostolic Administration, but in virtue of the nature of the Order.

PRIESTLY CELIBACY

Rorate Caeli: We were already planning on asking this question months ago when we first started crafting these interview questions, and then the Pope was reported to have said just yesterday the issue of married priests is "on his agenda." Is priestly celibacy for western priests under serious threat with this pontificate?

Card. Burke: That would be a very serious matter because it has to do with the example of Christ Himself, and the Church has always treasured in her priests the following of Christ's example, also in His celibacy. I've heard this reported, but I haven't been able to verify it, but that would be, obviously, a very serious matter. The matter was taken up already by a world synod of bishops in the late '60s, and at that synod there was a very solid reaffirmation of the Church's teaching on clerical celibacy. I don't refer to it just as a discipline because it has to do with what from the earliest centuries the Church understood as being most fitting for her priests. It's something more than a discipline, and therefore I would think it's very difficult to conceive that there would be a change on this.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TRADITIONAL CATHOLICS

Rorate Caeli: What words of encouragement can Your Eminence give to traditional Catholics who are struggling to save their souls and the souls of their children in this modern world, and without, it sometimes seems, any help from Rome?

Card. Burke: I frequently say to those who are writing to me and are expressing such discouragement, or are asking for direction in what seems to be a very troubled situation, that when, in times like this, there seems to be some confusion in the governance of the Church, then we have, more than ever, to steep ourselves in the Church's constant teaching and to hand that on to our children and to strengthen the understanding of that teaching in our local parishes and our families. And our Lord has assured us -- He didn't tell us that there wouldn't be attacks on the Church, even from within, but He has assured us that the gates of Hell will never prevail over the Church. In other words, Satan, with his deceptions, will never finally prevail in the Church. We have to have that confidence about us and go about it with great joy and great determination, in teaching the faith, or in giving witness with apologetics to souls who don't understand the faith or who have not yet become members of the Church. We know that the gates of Hell will not prevail, but in the meantime, our way is the Way of the Cross. And when we have to suffer for the sake of what we believe, what we know to be true, we can embrace that suffering with the knowledge of the final outcome: that is, that Christ is the Victor. He is the one that ultimately overcomes all the forces of evil in the world and restores us and our world to the Father. That is the way in which I try to encourage faithful Catholics. I think it's important, too, that devout traditional Catholics get to know one another and support one another, to bear one another's burdens, as the Scripture says. We ought to be prepared to do that and be sensitive to families that might be suffering some particular difficulty in this regard, and try to be as close to one another as possible.

THIRD VATICAN COUNCIL?

Rorate Caeli: Thank you. We only have a few questions left. There are some very loose reports, but from credible sources, of Francis considering calling a Third Vatican Council. Has Your Eminence heard anything about this at all?

Card. Burke:    No, not at all.

PROCESS FOR CHOOSING BISHOPS

Rorate Caeli: Episcopal appointments in the United States were, on average, conservative-leaning under Benedict XVI. That was not the case everywhere. From this arises what is a clear gap with the priests and actual churchgoing faithful of the new generation that are widely conservative, attached to the true catechism, to Catholic moral law, to a reverent Sacred Liturgy. Is Your Eminence in favor of a new orientation in the naming of bishops in the United States and elsewhere? Is the current method for the selection of bishops a good one, in your view?

Card. Burke: I think it is. It involves the consultation not only of other bishops and priests in the diocese, but also the lay faithful. And there is always the possibility for individual members of the laity or groups of lay faithful to make known their concerns to the Congregation for Bishops or the Nuncio. I think that the most important thing is to let the Apostolic Nuncio know, when there's an appointment of a bishop being considered for a diocese, that there are very many faithful Catholics who  have particular needs and to express those needs.

CURRENT ROLE IN THE CHURCH

Rorate Caeli: What's Your Eminence's main focus on work these days?

Card. Burke: My main focus is on the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, helping the Grand Master with the governance of the Order, especially in the spiritual dimension. The Order has a twofold purpose: the defense of the faith, and the care of the poor. The two things honestly go very much together. I'm helping him with questions about the structure of the Order itself in order to fulfill more effectively those two purposes, but also to deal with questions that inevitably come up in any Catholic organization with regard to doctrine and with regard to morals. That's my main focus. I am also spending time studying and writing on important questions in the Church today.

TRADITIONALISTS RESTORING THE CHURCH

Rorate Caeli: Do you see traditional Catholics taking more of a leading role, in the future, in the restoration of the Church?

Card. Burke: I think so. I find more and more very strong Catholic families who are devoted to the traditional Mass, and I think that those families will have more and more influence in the time to come. If those families influence other families, then obviously there's a momentum that grows.

Rorate Caeli: Is there anything else that we haven't touched upon that Your Eminence would like to add?

Card. Burke: Just to encourage everyone to be devoted to the Sacred Liturgy, which is the highest expression of our Catholic faith, the highest expression of our life in God, and to be very devoted to the study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and to the teaching of the faith in our homes and in our local communities. The Church has suffered terribly from decades of poor catechesis, such that the faithful, children and young people, even adults, don't know their faith, and we need to address that because the two things go together. When we know our faith well, then we have a strong desire to worship in accordance with our faith, and at the same time our worship makes us desire more to know our faith. And then, obviously, all of that gets expressed in action by the charity of our lives, especially on behalf of those who are in most need.

Rorate Caeli: That leads to one last question. Your Eminence has mentioned the family in the home many times. Was John Paul II prophetic when he spoke about the Domestic Church?

Card. Burke: Oh, yes. He said that the Church comes to us by way of the family, and that's true. Christ Himself comes by way of the family. He was prophetic in the sense that he pronounced again what the Church has understood from the very beginning. That term, Domestic Church, is very ancient, and it was repeated at the Second Vatican Council. It's a very ancient terminology for the family. In that he was prophetic, in the sense that he set forth what God Himself teaches us about the family.

Rorate Caeli: That's all we have for Your Eminence. Thank you very much for your time today and for your incredible service to Holy Mother Church.

Click here to follow @RorateCaeli on Twitter

[Original posting time: March 2, 2015, 8:00 AM GMT]

FIRST CLASS RELIC OF POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II - At Saint Joseph Church, Salem. Wednesday, March 11th.

The first class relic of Pope Saint John Paul 11 will make an unexpected trip to Oregon.  Not even on the schedule, because of an Oregon priest's close relationship to an Order of Sister's affiliated with the Shrine, we are given this possibly once in a lifetime gift.

A vial containing the blood of Pope John Paul II -- now St. John Paul II -- Will be at St. Joseph Church, Salem. 721 Cottage St. on March 11th.  The hours are 5:30 - 6:30.  The first-class relic will be there until 11 pm. 

The blood is from the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, and is housed in an elaborate reliquary.  Many healings have been said to occur when visiting this loving Saint's relic.

The relic was given to the Knights of Columbus, which established the shrine in 2011. The shrine's website explains the design of the reliquary housing the blood:

"At the center of the reliquary is a glass ampoule that contains the Holy Father’s blood, which remains in a liquid state. Surrounding the relic is a nimbus decorated with 12 red stones representing the Twelve Apostles and with rays projecting downward. The design evokes John Paul II’s homily during the Mass dedicating the Divine Mercy Shrine on August 17, 2002. Citing the Diary of Saint Faustina, he said, “From here there must go forth ‘the spark which will prepare the world for [Jesus’] final coming.’ This spark needs to be lighted by the grace of God. This fire of mercy needs to be passed on to the world.” The late pope’s likeness is depicted just beneath the relic, and at the base of the reliquary in silver is a relief of his coat of arms. The reliquary was crafted by Wiesław Domański, a member of Saint Brother Albert Council 14332 in Lublin."

Many Catholics venerate the relics of saints as well as those related to Jesus Christ. These relics come in three classes: A first-class relic is from the body of a saint, a second-class relic is something used by a saint while a third-class relic is one that has been touched by a first-class relic, explained Father William Saunders, dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom, on the website of the Catholic Education Resource Center.

"These relics summon us to appreciate more profoundly not only the heroic men and women, boys and girls who have served the Master so selflessly and generously, but especially the love and mercy of the Almighty who called these His followers to the bliss of unending life in His eternal kingdom," he wrote.

Mic'd Up: "Smuggling in Sodomy". Featuring names you should know.

This is a disturbing but very necessary for adults to acknowledge this reality.  This is a video from Militant.TV and has many interviews by people you need to know. 

VOCAL has been part of Catholic Media Coalition for over ten years and Mary Ann Kreitzer, the president, did an exceptional job in her part of this video.  It is at 13:54 minutes into it.  She is well worth viewing.

The whole presentation is worthwhile since our children have to live in this world.  It is our responsibility to gain as much knowledge and now hide our heads in the sand.




 See more at:
 http://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2015/01/smuggling-in-sodomy-on-micd-up.html#sthash.2klH0hi1.dpuf

NEW! Happy St. Valentine's Day: Office of Marriage and Family Life is Resurrected.

 VOCAL.  Our Archdiocese has an Office of Marriage and Family Life once again.  In 1998 Archbishop Emeritus John Vlazny hired Jay Wonacott for this Office at the same time he became the Archbishop.  But by 2007 the Office of Marriage and Family Life and Jay slowly began to die in the Archdpdx.  Thanks to Archbishop Alexander Sample, the value of marriage and family life is resurrected.  If you'd like to contact the Archbishop his address is
2838 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97214 or 503.234.5334


 Archdiocese re-sparks marriage and family life office

Jason Kidd

LAKE OSWEGO — A longtime youth minister will lead the Archdiocese of Portland’s reactivated Office of Marriage and Family Life. Jason Kidd, director of youth ministry at Our Lady of the Lake Parish here assumes the Portland post March 3.

“Marriage and family life is a key pastoral priority for the Church in western Oregon, and restarting the Office of Marriage and Family Life brings me great joy,” says Archbishop Alexander Sample.

The archbishop says Kidd, 33, has been an “exemplary” youth minister and will provide “great service” to pastors and parishes.

“As the Church considers marriage and family issues on the universal and national level with the upcoming Synod on the Family and the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, we are blessed to give more dedicated attention to marriages and families here on the local level,” Archbishop Sample says.

Kidd quoted Pope Francis, saying the Church has a lot of room to grow in how it serves people considering the vocation of marriage and family. Marriage preparation and baptism - those are key moments to welcome Catholics who have strayed, to invite them into the life of the Church. In that sense, Kidd said, the diocesan office is very much connected to the New Evangelization.

“I’m excited to connect with parishes,” he said. “Coming from a parish, I understand that there’s an opportunity for the archdiocese to really support our parishes.”

Kidd hopes to be out of the office as much as possible, talking to pastors and vicariate groups, meeting volunteers, and polling Catholics about how diocesan marriage and family services can be improved.

Kidd grew up in Arizona and studied electrical engineering at Northern Arizona University. It was during his college years that he began to explore the depth of his Catholic faith and felt called to serve in ministry full time. He moved to Oregon in 2005 and completed a master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame in 2011.

Kidd and his wife Sarah have four children.

QUESTIONS for Oregon Catholic Faithful.

There have been many things brought to my attention that are not in keeping with the Catholic Churches teachings but paid for by our collection plate money.



Would you please post your answer or contact me as usual.  

Question 1:  Should Catholic Churches host events by organizations not in keeping with our Church?


Question 2:  Should parishioners or non-parishioners host events when they belong to organizations not in keeping with Church teaching?

Question 3:  Should any church or school in the Archdpdx hire Catholics or non-Catholics who cannot uphold our teachings on morals at their job?

Question 4:  Should any church or school in the Archdpdx hire Catholics or non-Catholics who cannot uphold our teachings on morals when they aren't on the job?

Thanks for your input.  It will be used for conversation at the least and maybe a change at best.
I will follow-up with your responses with out without names.  I will contact you if this isn't clear, no worries.

Keynote Speaker for Archdpdx Advocacy Day with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, past Planned Parenthood Board of Director

On February 11, 2015 the Archdiocese of Portland abdicates, once again, to Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and their Interfaith Advocacy Days. 

Wednesday February 11: Interfaith Advocacy Day. 8:30 a.m. Salem Capitol. Co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Portland Flyer

Our lobbyist rehired again in 2005 is still Roger Martin who voted to legalized abortion in Oregon before Roe V Wade (which passed) and after that proposed to eliminate any parental notification or husband notification before an abortion in Oregon that failed, at that time.

We need a representative for Catholics at the Capital and cannot always depend on Oregon Family Council to speak for us.  We don't belong to any mainstream Christian organization that upholds our morals on Life and Purity.  

This year the keynote speaker is probably a very nice misguided lady who was complicate in abortions by being connected with Planned Parenthood.  

Who will advocate for Christ at the Capitol in the Archdiocese of Portland?

Nichole Maher

 http://www.theskanner.com/news/health/14625-nayas-nichole-maher-named-president-and-ceo-of-northwest-health-foundation-2012-06-11

Catholic Relief Services & "My Changing Body".

An ongoing investigation into the political and social activities of Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

 

by Stephanie Block 

 

For several years, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its partners have come under scrutiny for increased financial ties to the United States government through the federal Agency for International Development (USAID).  This relationship has relegated CRS to the position of a secular distributor, disbursing government money as the government dictates…and thereby violating CRS’ own Catholic moral framework. 

 

Specifically, CRS was discovered to be passing millions to CARE, an international “confederation of organizations…working together to end poverty.”  Among unobjectionable activities, CARE promotes “family planning” in the form of contraception and “safe” abortion.

 

CRS was also revealed to be not only a dues-paying member of several organizations that promote contraception and “safe” abortions among the poor of the world but itself engaged in producing educational materials that favored these activities.

 

Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute and former director of the American Life League’s Defend the Faith project, recently unveiled another CRS scandal.   CRS has been working in partnership with Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) to test and implement the program, “My Changing Body: Fertility and Puberty Awareness for Young People.”[i]  

 

Insofar as CRS is still a Catholic organization, one would not expect any program it tests and/or implements to be flagrantly in contradiction of Church teaching.  My Changing Body, however, is unreservedly hostile to such teaching.   It promotes “acceptance of masturbation as healthy sexual expression during adolescence,” [ii] teaches contraceptive use (including contraceptive practices that are abortifacient) and sterilization,[iii] and provides adolescents with abortion resources, including Planned Parenthood contacts.[iv]

 

The program treats “sexual orientation” as morally neutral: “Heterosexual, gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth can all experience same-gender sexual attraction and/or activity around puberty. Such behavior, including sexual play with same-gender peers, crushes on same-gender adults, or sexual fantasies about same- gender people are normal for preteens and young teens and are not necessarily related to sexual orientation. Negative social messages and homophobia in the wider culture can mean that young adolescents who are experiencing sexual attraction to and romantic feelings for someone of their own gender need support so they can clarify their feelings and accept their sexuality.”[v]

 

The Lepanto Institute report concludes that “CRS and Caritas Rwanda implemented the second edition of My Changing Body in Rwanda, with the full intention of passing the program on to other organizations afterward. It is equally clear that My Changing Body is completely incompatible with Catholic moral teaching.”

 

[i] Institute of Reproductive Health (IRH), “Meeting the Needs of Very Young Adolescents (VYA) in Rwanda” FAM Project, Georgetown University, 2013: http://irh.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/VYA_Rwanda_Brief_8.5x11_2013.pdf .   Page 3 says Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Rwanda were “implementing partners” for IRH’s “My Changing Body” program. 

 

The Institute for Reproductive Health, “My Changing Body: Puberty and Fertility Awareness for Young People, 2nd Edition – A Pilot Study in Guatemala and Rwanda,” December 2011, http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00JN7J.pdf.  Page 3 acknowledgements “thank the staff and youth workers of APROFAM and CRS for their enthusiasm and hard work revising and testing the My Changing Body curriculum.”

 

[ii] “My Changing Body: Puberty and Fertility Awareness for Young People, 2nd Edition – A Pilot Study in Guatemala and Rwanda,” p 9.

 

[iii] “My Changing Body: Puberty and Fertility Awareness for Young People, 2nd Edition,” pp 74-76.

 

[iv] “My Changing Body: Puberty and Fertility Awareness for Young People, 2nd Edition,” p 186.

 

[v] “My Changing Body: Puberty and Fertility Awareness for Young People, 2nd Edition,” p 177.

Spero News columnist Stephanie Block edits the New Mexico-based Los Pequeños newspaper and is the author of the four-volume Change Agents: Alinskyian Organizing Among Religious Bodies, which is available at Amazon.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author only, not of Spero News.

Fr. Joseph Illo Explains Altar Boys-Only Policy at San Francisco Parish. Bishop Vasa's Archdiocese.

VOCAL applauds Father Illo in bringing back common sense to our Church.  It isn't easy to tell our daughters that there are things in serving the Church in which they aren't included.  Parents need to not abdicate to the culture, but adhere to Church wisdom.

Our daughters need to realize:  Family, how it affects the culture, parental responsibility to children.  It never changes and has Our Lady as example.
http://www.cultura.va/content/cultura/en/plenarie/2015-women.html

January 29, 2015  Jim Graves

The pastor of Star of the Sea Church notes that “altar service is intrinsically tied to the priesthood"; says media furor over decision is "biased"

 

Fr. Joseph Illo, pictured celebrating Mass in an undated photo, has been pastor of Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco since last year. (Photo courtesy of Fr. Illo)

Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco made national news recently when its priests announced that female altar servers were being phased out and the parish was returning to the traditional practice of having only altar boys assisting the priest during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. A CBS television news report (“Peeved Parishioners Leaving SF Catholic Church Over Ban on Girls as Altar Servers”) declared there was “outrage” among parishioners and featured a girl from the parish school saying she feels “insulted” because “it makes me feel like I’m not good enough because I’m a girl.” Other reports were also negative. “Because they are too good at fulfilling their duties,” the New York Daily News stated, “girls will no longer be trained as altar servers at a Catholic church in San Francisco.”

A Religion News piece reported that the “move that is sparking both criticism and praise and comes amid a wider debate over conservative concerns that the Catholic Church has become too 'feminized',” seeking to connect the story to recent remarks by Cardinal Raymond Burke about the lack of men attending Mass.

Fr. Joseph Illo is pastor of Star of the Sea Church and is a co-founder of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, which operates the parish. (He was interviewed by Catholic World Report last May about the Oratory.)

On January 26, he issued a two-fold defense of the policy, stating 1) that mixed altar-server programs typically result in boys losing interest; conversely, “a boys-only program gives altar boys the space to develop their own leadership potential,” and 2) more importantly, “altar service is intrinsically tied to the priesthood and serve as feeder programs for the seminary. If the Catholic Church ordained women, altar girls would make sense, but the Catholic priesthood is a male charism. Nothing awakens a desire for the priesthood like service at the altar among the brotherhood of young men.”

Fr. Illo's decision was supported by the San Francisco archbishop, Salvatore Cordileone.
Star of the Sea Church is a beautiful historic church in the City’s Richmond District established as a mission in 1887 and parish in 1894. It’s located in a densely populated (and often foggy) neighborhood between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park. In recent years, it has been home to the local traditional Latin Mass community (which drive in from the surrounding communities). Archbishop Cordileone, in fact, visited the parish on September 14, 2014, to celebrate an Extraordinary Form Latin pontifical solemn high Mass.

Fr. Illo spoke with CWR about the altar boy controversy.

CWR: Have you been surprised at all the media coverage regarding your decision?

Fr. Illo: Yes, I am, because there are many parishes that do not allow altar girls and some dioceses as well. My guess is that the desire was to present a negative, “the Church hates women,” story just 12 hours before the San Francisco Walk for Life [on Saturday, January 24]. I do think it was coordinated.
Also, an altar boy-only policy is a poke in the eye of the liberal culture of San Francisco. I’ve received over 300 emails about altar boys—mostly positive, except for the ones from the Bay area.

CWR: The CBS news story interviewed several people besides yourself, all of whom were opposed to the altar boy-only policy. It has a clip of you saying parish income is up, and then cuts to a parishioner saying that that is a “shallow argument.” Did this story strike you as biased?

Fr. Illo: It was biased. What’s going on is that we have two entities: a parish church and a parish school. The 1,000-seat church draws about 100 to 130 for each Sunday Mass. It’s a big, empty city parish. Our contributions cover about 40% of our operation; we survive by renting out the empty buildings we don’t use any more. It’s a dying parish we hope to revive.

Those who attend the church are, for the most part, fine with it. Most of the people complaining about the altar boy decision have left.

The school is thriving, but not as a Catholic school. Like Catholic universities who want to be independent of the bishops, many parish schools like to be independent of their pastors. Of its 150 families, about three attend the church. The school is only 40% Catholic. Most of the people CBS interviewed are school people from whom you heard the objections.

I must admit, the disjunction between the parish church and school and the vehemence of the school’s opposition has been surprising to me. In other parishes I’ve served at, the school loves the parish priest. When I’d go over, they’d run over and want to talk to me, or if, say, I were walking by a basketball court they’d hand me a basketball and want me to play. It’s not the case here. The priest is ignored. The school is lacking in Catholic identity.

CWR: Is this the first time you’ve had such a policy in the parishes in which you’ve served?

Fr. Illo: Yes. In my last parish we did not recruit girls, but would not deny them if they applied. Hence, we had few girls serving at the altar.

When we arrived at Star of the Sea four months ago there were hardly any servers, so we decided to only have a boy’s program. We’re the new administration, we’re building from zero, so we thought we’d start by implementing our vision.

CWR: An internet search on CBS San Francisco and Catholic news turns up headlines such as “Vatican reviewing Catholic stance of gay marriage, contraception; calls for being ‘less judgmental’”, “New S.F. archbishop riles gay rights advocates”, and “San Francisco Catholic high school apologizes for snubbing tuxedo-wearing girl’s portrait”. Is the San Francisco secular media pretty hostile to the Church?

Fr. Illo: [laughing] Of course. The media and liberal Catholics are on edge because of the new archbishop. One of the emails I received from one such person lamented, “This is the beginning of the end.” I do hope it is the beginning of the end of cultural Catholicism in the Bay area.

San Francisco is an amazing city in many ways. It has a rich history and is beautiful. But it is very secular and is a battle zone for faithful Catholics. One of our biggest problems is that it is so expensive to live in the city, that we have few families with children here. And where you don’t have families, you don’t have the Catholic Church!

At our Masses, you hardly see any children. I was speaking to one parishioner and she was crying, telling me it was so hard to raise children Catholic in a culture that is so secular. She’s afraid they’ll be brainwashed.

CWR: What have your fellow clergy said to you about the altar boy policy?

Fr. Illo: The archbishop is supportive, but it is not a big topic of discussion between us. I just saw him. He said the negative press coverage was par for the course for this kind of announcement, and we expect it to just be a flash in the pan. Some of the priests I’ve spoken to have been supportive, but others probably think I’m crazy.

CWR: Do you wish you’d taken a more low-key approach?

Fr. Illo: If you have the support of your bishop, I think it’s better to be clear. It’s a moment of evangelization, and I think it’s great that we’re getting all the media attention. It helps us define the mind of the Church.

In 2001, the Congregation for Divine Worship issued a response to a bishop’s question regarding the question of female altar servers. While the innovation of altar girls has been permitted since 1994, it stressed that a preference for altar boys is to be greatly encouraged as it leads to vocations to the priesthood. It also indicated that it was for the bishop to decide, and that no priest is obliged to have female servers. Altar girls are permitted if there is a pastoral need, but you have to prove the need. It is not the normal way of doing things.

CWR: You came to San Francisco to establish the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. How has it gone, and do you have any big plans coming up?

Fr. Illo: It is going well. We have two priests, and we have accepted two men as applicants. They’re living in our community now, and will be going to seminary in the fall. They’ll be going to St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park during the week, and spend the weekends at our house.

We have three key things we’re looking at doing in the near future: 1) We have a big empty convent on the grounds; we want to bring in a community of sisters to fill it up. 2) We want to start a perpetual adoration chapel; right now, there is not a single one in the City of San Francisco. We need people to keep this going, though. 3) We’ve hired a music director, and we want to start a music program to teach Gregorian chant and polyphony. We’ve talked to the archbishop about this; we want it to be a model for parishes and schools.

CWR: You mentioned the Walk for Life through downtown San Francisco. How did it go?

Fr. Illo: It was great, as usual. There weren’t too many protestors this year, but the few who came walked alongside us. Most were from outside the City.

CWR: Has it been tough receiving so much hostile press on the altar boy program?

Fr. Illo: It has been difficult for the moment, but it was a necessary purging. We needed to draw a line in the sand and say what we had to say. The parish has declined so much that there is only one way we can move. And, part of becoming more committed to the practice of our Catholic faith is trusting your pastor and the universal church. The Church is a divinely-guided institution, and we must place our trust in her.

Read more on Fr. Illo’s thoughts on the altar boy controversy and other topics by following his blog, www.frilloblog.com. 

The Tide is Turning in the Media: Pampers | A Newborn Journey of Firsts

The Power of Prayer.

Oregon Catholic Mom: Facing "Death with Dignity"....with REAL Dignity.

Happy 2015. GK Chesterton on New Years.

(29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936)

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. 

 It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes.

just one buddy?

 Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. 

 Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective.” 

 

The Wise Men by G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

If you haven't met GK Chesterson yet, let 2015 be a year to read one book of his.  It might be the start of a beautiful realtionship.

The Wise Men

G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

 Step softly, under snow or rain,
    To find the place where men can pray;
The way is all so very plain
    That we may lose the way.

Oh, we have learnt to peer and pore
    On tortured puzzles from our youth,
We know all labyrinthine lore,
We are the three wise men of yore,
    And we know all things but the truth.

We have gone round and round the hill
    And lost the wood among the trees,
And learnt long names for every ill,
And served the mad gods, naming still
    The furies the Eumenides.

The gods of violence took the veil
    Of vision and philosophy,
The Serpent that brought all men bale,
He bites his own accursed tail,
    And calls himself Eternity.

Go humbly…it has hailed and snowed…
    With voices low and lanterns lit;
So very simple is the road,
    That we may stray from it.

The world grows terrible and white,
    And blinding white the breaking day;
We walk bewildered in the light,
For something is too large for sight,
    And something much too plain to say.

The Child that was ere worlds begun
    (…We need but walk a little way,
We need but see a latch undone…)
The Child that played with moon and sun
    Is playing with a little hay.

The house from which the heavens are fed,
    The old strange house that is our own,
Where trick of words are never said,
And Mercy is as plain as bread,
    And Honour is as hard as stone.

Go humbly, humble are the skies,
    And low and large and fierce the Star;
So very near the Manger lies
    That we may travel far.

Hark! Laughter like a lion wakes
    To roar to the resounding plain.
And the whole heaven shouts and shakes,
    For God Himself is born again,
And we are little children walking    Through the snow and rain.

Cardinal Burke: WE HAVE TO LIVE IN WHATEVER TIME THE LORD GIVES US; WE DID NOT CHOOSE OUR BIRTHDAY.

Thursday, December 11, 2014
An Interview with Cardinal Burke
By Bishop Emeritus Rene Henry Gracida of Diocese of Corpus Christi
http://abyssum.org/

His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke

On Vatican II

Q. Your Eminence, you grew up before the Second Vatican Council. How do you remember those times?

A. I grew up in a very beautiful time in the Church, in which we were carefully instructed in the faith, both at home and in the Catholic school, especially with the Baltimore Catechism. I remember the great beauty of the Sacred Liturgy, even in our little farming town, with beautiful Masses. And then, I’m of course most grateful for my parents who gave me a very sound up-bringing in how to live as a Catholic. So they were beautiful years.

Q. A friend of mine who was born after the Council used to say, “Not everything was good in the old days, but everything was better.” What do you think about this?

A. Well, we have to live in whatever time the Lord gives us. Certainly, I have very good memories of growing up in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. I think what is most important is that we appreciate the organic nature of our Catholic Faith and appreciate the Tradition to which we belong and by which the Faith has come to us.

Q. Did you embrace the big changes after the Council with enthusiasm?

A. What happened soon after the Council – I was in the minor seminary at that time, and we followed what was happening at the Council – but the experience after the Council was so strong and even in some cases violent, that I have to say that, even as a young man, I began to question some things – whether this was really what was intended by the Council – because I saw many beautiful things that were in the Church suddenly no longer present and even considered no longer beautiful. I think, for instance, of the great tradition of Gregorian Chant or the use of Latin in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy. Then also, of course, the so-called ‘Spirit of Vatican II’ influenced other areas – for instance, the moral life, the teaching of the Faith – and then we saw so many priest abandoning their priestly ministry, so many religious sisters abandoning religious life. So, there were definitely aspects about the post-conciliar period that raised questions.

Q. You were ordained a priest in 1975. Did you think that something in the Church had gone wrong?

A. Yes, I believe so. In some way, we lost a strong sense of the centrality of the Sacred Liturgy and, therefore, of the priestly office and ministry in the Church. I have to say, I was so strongly raised in the Faith, and had such a strong understanding of vocation, that I never could refuse to do what Our Lord was asking. But I saw that there was something that had definitely gone wrong. I witnessed, for instance, as a young priest the emptiness of the catachesis. The catechetical texts were so poor. Then I witnessed the liturgical experimentations – some of which I just don’t even want to remember – the loss of the devotional life, the attendance at Sunday Mass began to steadily decrease: all of those were signs to me that something had gone wrong.

On the Two Forms of Holy Mass

Q. Would you have imagined in 1975 that, one day, you would offer Mass in the rite that was abandoned for the sake of renewal?

A. No, I would not have imagined it. Although, I also have to say that I find it very normal, because it was such a beautiful rite, and that the Church recovered it seems to me to be a very healthy sign. But, at the time, I must say that the liturgical reform in particular was very radical and, as I said before, even violent, and so the the thought of a restoration didn’t seem possible, really. But, thanks be to God, it happened.

Q. Juridically, the Novus Ordo and the Traditional Latin Mass are the same rite. Is this also your factual experience when you celebrate a Pontifical High Mass in the new or the old rite?

A. Yes, I understand that they are the same rite, and I believe that, when the so-called New Rite or the Ordinary Form is celebrated with great care and with a strong sense that the Holy Liturgy is the action of God, one can see more clearly the unity of the two forms of the same rite. On the other hand, I do hope that – with time – some of the elements which unwisely were removed from the rite of the Mass, which has now become the Ordinary Form, could be restored, because the difference between the two forms is very stark.
 
Q. In what sense?

A. The rich articulation of the Extraordinary Form, all of which is always pointing to the theocentric nature of the liturgy, is practically diminished to the lowest possible degree in the Ordinary Form.

On the 2014 Synod

Q. The Synod on the Family has been a shock and sometimes even a scandal, especially for young Catholic families who are the future of the Church. Do they have reasons to worry?

A. Yes, they do. I think that the report that was given at the mid-point of the session of the Synod, which just ended October 18th, is perhaps one of the most shocking public documents of the Church that I could imagine. And, so, it is a cause for very serious alarm and it’s especially important that good Catholic families who are living the beauty of the Sacrament of Matrimony rededicate themselves to a sound married life and that also they use whatever occasions they have to give witness to the beauty of the truth about marriage which they are experiencing daily in their married life.

Q. High-ranking prelates keep giving the impression that “progress” in the Church lays in promoting the gay agenda and divorce ideology. Do they believe that these things will lead to a new springtime in the Church?

A. I don’t know how they could believe such a thing, because, how could it be that, for instance, divorce – which the Pastoral Constitution on the Church Gaudium et Spes called a plague in society – how could it be that the promotion of homosexual acts, which are intrinsically evil, how could any good come from either? And, in fact, what we witness is that both result in a destruction of society, a breakdown of the family, the breakdown of the fiber of society, and, of course, in the case of unnatural acts, the corruption of human sexuality which is essentially ordered to marriage and to the procreation of children.

Q. Do you think that the main problem in vast territories of the Church is the lack of Catholic families and especially the lack of Catholic children? Should that not have been the focus of the Synod?

A. I believe so, very much so. The Church depends on sound Catholic family life, and it depends on sound Catholic families . I do believe that, where the Church is suffering most, there also marriage and family life is suffering. We see that when in marriage couples are not generous in bringing new human life into the world, their own marriages diminish, as well as society itself. We witness in many countries that the local population, which in many cases would be Christian, is disappearing because the birthrate is so low. And some of these places – for instance, where there is also a strong presence of individuals who belong to Islam – we find that the Muslim life is taking over in countries which were formerly Christian.

On the Society of St. Pius X

Q. In many parts of Western Europe and the U.S., the only parishes who still have children belong to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, while whole dioceses are deserted. Do the bishops take notice of this?

A. I would imagine so. I do not have direct experience of what you are describing. From my own time as bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin and as archbishop of Saint Louis, Missouri, I have heard this said about dioceses in certain European nations where the dioceses are practically unable to continue, yet there is a strong presence of those who belong to the Society of St. Pius X. I cannot help but think that the bishops in those places must take note of it and must reflect upon it.

On Young Catholics

Q. Most practicing Catholics in an average parish in Western Europe and the U.S. are those who were baptized and catechized before the Council. Is the Church in these countries living from her past?

A. I think that my generation, for instance, was blessed to grow up at a time in which there was a strong practice of the Catholic Faith, a strong tradition of participation in Sunday Mass and the Sacred Liturgy, a strong devotional life, a strong teaching of the Faith- But in some way, I believe, we sadly took it for granted, and the same attention was not given to pass on the Faith as we had come to know it to the success of generations. Now what I see it that many young people are hungering and thirsting – and this already for some time – to know the Catholic Faith at its roots and to experience many aspects of the richness of the tradition of the Faith. So I believe that there is a recovery precisely of what had been for a period of time lost or not cared for in a proper manner. I think that now there is a rebirth at work among the young Catholics.

Q. Does the Synod on the Family have any plans to promote marriage and to encourage and support families with many children?

A. I sincerely hope so. I’m not part of the central direction or the group of cardinals and bishops who assist in the organization and direction of the Synod of Bishops. But I would certainly hope so.

On the Kasper Proposal

Q. Many Catholics fear that, in the end, the Synod of Bishops will resort to doublespeak. “Pastoral” reasons are used to de facto change doctrine. Are such fears justified?

A. Yes, they are. In fact, one of the most insidious arguments used at the Synod to promote practices which are contrary to the doctrine of the Faith is the argument that, “We are not touching the doctrine; we believe in marriage as the Church has always believed in it; but we are only making changes in discipline.” But in the Catholic Church, this can never be, because in the Catholic Church, her discipline is always directly related to her teaching. In other words: the discipline is at the service of the truth of the Faith, of life in general in the Catholic Church. And so, you cannot say that you are changing a discipline not having some effect on the doctrine which it protects or safeguards or promotes.

Q. The term “mercy” is used to change Church doctrine and even the New Testament in order to condone sin. Was this dishonest use of the term “mercy” exposed during the Synod?

A. Yes, it was. There were Synod Fathers who spoke about a false sense of mercy which would not take into account the reality of sin. I remember one Synod Father said, “Does sin no longer exist? Do we no longer recognize it?” So, I believe that was very strongly addressed by certain Synod Fathers. The German Protestant – Lutheran – pastor who died during the Second World War, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, used an interesting analogy. He talked about “costly” grace and “cheap” grace. Well, there is no “cheap” grace. When God’s life is given to us as it is in the Church, it demands of us a new way of life, a daily conversion to Christ, and we know God’s mercy to the degree that we embrace that conversion and strive to  turn every day our lives over again to Christ and to overcome our sinfulness and our weaknesses.

Q. Why is the term “mercy” used for adulterers, but not for pedophiles? In other words: Does the media decide when the Church is allowed to apply “mercy” and when not?

A. This, too, is a point that was made during the Synod. Mercy has to do with the person who, for whatever reason, is committing sin. One must always call forth in that person the good – in other words, call that person to be who or she really is: a child of God. But at the same time, one must recognize the sins, whether they be adultery or pedophilia or theft or murder – whatever it may be – as a great evils, as mortal sins and therefore as repellent to us. We can’t accept them. The greatest charity, the greatest mercy that we can show to the sinner is to recognize the evil of the acts which he or she is committing and to call that person to the truth.

On the Power and Authority of the Pope

Q. Do we still have to believe that the Bible is the supreme authority in the Church and cannot be manipulated – not even by bishops or the Pope?

A. Absolutely! The word of Christ is the truth to which we are all called to be obedient and, first and foremost, to which the Holy Father is called to be obedient. Sometime during the Synod, there was reference made to the fullness of the power of the Holy Father, which we call in Latin plenitudo potestatis, giving the sense that the Holy Father could even, for instance, dissolve a valid marriage that had been consummated. And that’s not true. The “fullness of power” is not absolute power. It’s the “fullness of power” to do what Christ commands of us in obedience to Him. So we all follow Our Lord Jesus Christ, beginning with the Holy Father.

Q. An archbishop recently said, “We obviously follow the Church’s doctrine on the family.” Then he added, “…until the Pope decides otherwise.” Does the Pope have the power to change doctrine?

A. No. This is impossible. We know what the teaching of the Church has been consistently. It was, for instance, expressed by Pope Pius XI in his encyclical letter Casti connubii. It was expressed by Pope Paul VI in Humanae vitae. It was expressed in a wonderful way by Pope St. John Paul II in Familiaris consortio. That teaching is unchanging. The Holy Father gives the service of upholding that teaching and presenting it with a newness and a freshness, but not changing it.

Q. Cardinals are said to wear crimson in order to represent the blood of the martyrs who died for Christ. Except for John Fisher, who was made a cardinal when he already was in jail, no cardinal has ever died for the Faith. What is the reason for this?

A. I don’t know, I can’t explain it. Certainly some cardinals have suffered greatly for the Faith. We think of Cardinal Mindszenty (1892-1975), for example, in Hungary, or we think of Cardinal Stepinac (1898-1960) in what was Yugoslavia. And we think of other cardinals of different periods in the history of the Church who had to suffer greatly to uphold the Faith. Martyrdom can take more than the bloody form. We talk about red martyrdom, but there is also a white martyrdom which involves faithfully teaching the truth of the Faith and upholding it, and perhaps being sent into exile as some cardinals have been, or suffering in other ways. But the important thing for the cardinal is to defend the Faith usque ad effusionem sanguinis – even to the outpouring of blood. So, the cardinal has to do everything he can to defend the Faith, even if it means the shedding of blood. But also all that goes before that.

On Cardinal Burke’s Favorite Things, Fondest Memories, and Fear of Judgment

Q. Your Eminence, a few quick observations: Who is four favorite Saint?

A. Well, the Blessed Mother obviously is the favorite of us all.

Q. That doesn’t count!

A. [Laughs] I also have a great devotion to St.Joseph. But one Saint who has really helped me a great deal during my life, since the time I was a child and in the seminary, is St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. Her Little Way continues to be, for me, very helpful in my spiritual life.

Q. What is your favorite prayer?

A. The rosary.

Q. What is your favorite book?

A. I suppose the Catechism doesn’t count. [Laughs]

Q. No, neither does the Bible.

A. I like also very much the writings of Blessed Columba Marmion (1858-1923), spiritual writings, and I’m also fond of the writings of Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1979).

Q. What was your greatest moment as a priest?

A. I think my ordination to the priesthood itself. I keep thinking back to that and everything was there, everything has unfolded from there. What I found most beautiful on the priesthood was that, in the first five years of my priesthood, I hade a very intense priestly service in a parish with the Sacrament of Confession, with many confessions, and the celebration – obviously – of the Holy Mass, and then the teaching of the children in the Faith. Those memories – and then, for a brief period of three years, I taught in a Catholic high school – those are really, for me, treasured memories of my priesthood.

Q. Do you fear the Last Judgment?

A. Of course I do. One thinks, for instance, of all the responsibility that was mine, first as a priest, but even more so as a bishop and a cardinal, and it causes one to examine his conscience. I know there are things that I did that I could have done much better, and that causes me to be afraid. But I hope that the Lord will have mercy on me and I pray for that.

Q. Thank you, Your Eminence.

A. You’re welcome.

What's Wrong With This Picture? Who Neglected to tell Archbishop Alexander Sample He's Promoting Saul Alinsky?

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Look at the back wall.  See the signs?  Someone in the Archdiocese failed to educate Archbishop Sample on the influence that Saul Alinsky has over the Catholics in Oregon.   He will be swallowed whole by "Alinskyites" that have been around the Archdiocese in our Catholic churches for decades.   We love his passion for people.  However, we realize that this passion is also used against him when it comes to helping others.  Case in point, not being told everything about MACG.

If Catholics had twenty or so years building up internal organizations within our churches like Portland Organizing Project, growing up into Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good (MACG),  what a vibrant witness we would be.   Thus avoiding the parallel, parasitical anti-Catholic groups having their basis in the teachings of Saul Alinksy and not Jesus Christ.
  
http://iafnw.org/macg   
Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good an affiliate of Industrial Areas Foundation a Saul Alinsky organization.

 Saul Alinsky dedicates his book, “Rules for Radicals” to Lucifer.



“Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins — or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom — Lucifer".

Digital Christmas-just for fun.