Wednesday, September 28, 2016

EWTN SPECIAL PROGRAMMING: A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. SATURDAY 10/01/2016 - 7:30 PM PACIFIC - National Catholic Register Article Included!!!

Special Programming
A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING
A look back on the life, ideals, and works of 1960s community activist, Saul Alinsky, through the lens of a Catholic perspective.
Saturday
10/01/2016
7:30 PM
01:30 hr.
CC TV-14

 Unmasking Saul Alinsky, a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

A brilliant new EWTN film unmasks the man behind community organizing and what has greatly contributed to today's chaotic culture.

09/24/2016 National Catholic Register

Do you want an understanding of where so much of society’s problems originated and how things went radically wrong in everything from culture to family life to politics?

You’ll find out from A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, set to air on EWTN television on Saturday evening, Sept. 24, at 6 pm Eastern time (check schedule for other time zones). (In Western Oregon Oct 1st. 7:30PM.)

The film is no less than riveting. By the brilliant team of Richard and Stephen Payne, the father-son filmmakers who head Arcadia Films, it explores the life and beliefs of one Saul Alinsky, often called the father of community organizing.

Sure, he said he wanted to help the poor, but we see how his tactics were no less than wrong and anti-Christian. He deceived many and used and abused elements in the Catholic Church in the process.

Richard Payne explained that St. Matthew gave the filmmakers the classic three-act structure in 7:15-20.

Act One: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.” In this act we get the story of the rise of Alinsky, where he got h
is ideas, and how as a socialist/Marxist he began applying them to manipulate people and society.

Act Two: “By their fruits you will know them.” Was there good fruit in his work, or did it lead to a basket of rotten goods?

Act Three: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.” Here comes the assessment of the fruits which look ready for the trash heap. People at this point should be asking themselves, How did we get to this precipice and is there hope to back away 
 
The film immediately grabs our attention with the tale of a wolf dressing as a sheep to mingle unnoticed with the sheep in the pasture. That sets the stage for the early years of Alinsky.
Period photos, headlines, and film bring to life the narration of Alinsky’s beginnings and growth in a fascinating way to get to understand the man. The Paynes blend these techniques in a way that keeps us moving closer to the edge of our seats as details pile up about his rise to unholy power.

Born in 1909 into an Orthodox Jewish family where the father was a successful middle class tailor, Alinsky became an agnostic and wanted to help the poor rise out of their condition. But how?
In college he took a social pathology course that, among other things, devalued marriage and family and ideas were constructed in Marxist terms.

“Treat persons not as persons but symbols,” says Alinsky in one of the vignettes throughout the film, punctuating Alinsky’s ideas in his own words. Actor Jim Morlino of Navis Pictures portrays Alinsky as that disguised wolf yet shows his sinister and dark edge, like a commentator in a 50s film noir.
“Life is a corrupting process…he who fears corruption fears life…” he says another time.

“Truth is relative and is changing,” he asserts. Get the picture? There’s a healthy dose of relativism already here in early to mid-20th century. Make truth what you want it to be at the moment.
In his sheep’s clothing he says again, “The end justifies almost any means.” And “You do what you can and clothe it in moral garments.”

That he did, we learn. It all sounded so good, helping the poor improve their lot. Who could be against that? But with what we learn are Marxist, Socialist, Communist tactics? 
Of course, he must have picked up a thing or two from Chicago’s mob bosses. Studying criminality on a fellowship, he got to known the ruthless Al Capone and then Frank Nitti who took over for Capone.  By his own admission, Alinsky said of Nitti, “I called him the professor and I became his student.”

In sheep’s clothing, Alinsky linked with the trade unions to help backside workers in Chicago’s meat packing industry. A noble goal to get them out of squalor. He befriended a Catholic who introduced him to members of the Church and subsequently parish leaders who didn’t spot the wolf beneath.
The Paynes reveal some telling examples of the way Alinsky worked among the sheep who maybe didn’t realize the philosophy behind the tactics he was about to use.

One of the good examples we get is the conflict when the University of Chicago attempted to expand its campus into a poor neighborhood. Alinsky got the chance to apply his Marxist conflict theory using division and deceit to conquer, casting the university into the role of the big rich bully enemy against his poor group.

As we get other examples, one of the experts briefly interviewed in the film says the organizing talk used was the language of peace and light, but all this was putting into place something different — a great evil coming in like a fog where people no longer see things distinctly. His idea to help the poor was good, but the means were evil.

These short, insightful commentaries come at critical moments from people including Allice von Hildebrand, Father Andrew Apostoli, Father Mitch Pacwa, and actors playing Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko (we think we’re seeing the priest himself), Leo XIII, Hildegard of Bingen, and St. John Paul II, and clips of Bishop Fulton Sheen.

The Paynes bring us some shattered news in the way we learn a number of Catholics thought Alinsky’s way was the way to go to help empower the poor. One was Msgr. John (Jack) Egan who became a close associate and prompted Alinsky to write what would be his last book, Rules for Radicals (which is linked to Marx).

We learn that Cardinal John Cody of Chicago shut down the priest’s office when he realized what was going on with the organizing. But Msgr. Egan was invited to the Notre Dame University where he stayed for several years, working with five priests — four were Alinsky supporters — to form the Campaign for Human Development, convinced Alinsky’s approach was the best.

Msgr. Egan was appointed co-chair of the first Call to Action conference where radicals took over. One recommendation was training Alinsky organizers. At a news conference Cardinal John Krol said that “rebels have taken over our conference.”

It should be no surprise that Msgr. Egan up to a month before he died called for ordinations of women and married priests.

In this fascinating film, the Paynes are cinematic investigative reporters showing us how after Alinsky died, the organization used its Marxist, socialist progress causes to influence every facet of American political power and culture. Alinsky organizing has vastly impacted our society’s culture, marriage, family life, morality and even spiritualty. Over 800 Alinsky organizations are spread throughout American communities today.

As one of his ardent followers stated, it’s guised under the name of liberalism instead of socialism. Alinsky was a major wolf, and there were others. The Paynes make the connection by detailing for us, with names and places and ideas all visualized, the three “hellfire movements of Marxism” that helped Alinsky and then affected Americans.

We’re shocked to learn about Frankfurt Socialism called Institute for Social Research in the USA, to change and bring down America by criticizing it, developing political correctness, the sexual revolution, and gender conflict and confusion; Gramsci Socialism targeting specifically the Catholic Church and transform America’s Judeo-Christian culture from the inside through law, media, entertainment, and family life, and limit religion only to private worship; Fabian Socialism to slowly break down the morals of the family in a stealthy, nearly imperceptible way.
Sound familiar when you look around?

The film helps us understand how these goals have affected our society, politics (some top politicians were Alinsky followers), media, entertainment, families, morality, culture and even, sadly, some inside our Church. We have to be aware of that. St. John Paul II called this culture of death.

We’re reminded the names of the devil are his tactics — liar, deceiver, divider, accuser, adversary, lawless one, destroyer. Alinsky dedicated his book to Lucifer. Sadly, and tragically, Alinsky said if there is a heaven or hell, he would choose to the latter where he could organize. We’re told not to hate Alinsky but pray for him.

Despite all this the Paynes don’t leave us stranded because ultimately, they said the film is not a political one but a spiritual one. The last part, beautifully intertwined with the delicacy of lace yet the strength of steel, shows us that despite what has been done to America, by seeing what we have to reclaim there is hope of restoration.

The filmmakers spell out the way with uplifting visual details that multiply the effect of the narrative line which Stephen Payne delivers in a way that brings the viewer to trust the facts as coming from a caring authority who is also a friend.

We see what are the true social principles of the Catholic Church, how to restore our country to a nation recognizing that rights come from God and our God-given heritage, and how important our Blessed Mother is in this reclamation.

The Paynes end as they began, with the story of a wolf — only this one ends differently.
Don’t miss this most timely film about the wolves in sheep’s clothing at this critical time in our country and world.

Monday, September 26, 2016

Blessed Herman the Cripple, the Salve Regina and 40 Days for Life.


Each time we pray the Hail Mary, we need to remember that Blessed Herman the Cripple,  was the author of the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) we sing, or say, at the end of this prayer.

Blessed Herman the Cripple, monk 1013-1054, is living proof why we value each life. According to our new Saint, Mother Teresa, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise" instead of the seeing any human as a burden on our "environment".

Archbishop Sample has a few churches sing the Salve at the end of mass in Latin.
                                                                     
Blessed Herman was born with a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida to a farm family. His parents cared for him until the age of seven, but in 1020 they gave him over to the abbey of Reichenau Island in Lake Constance, southern Germany; he spent the rest of his life there.

He became a Benedictine monk at age twenty. A genius, he studied and wrote on astronomy; theology; math; history; poetry; Arabic; Greek and Latin. He built musical instruments and astronomical equipment. In later life he became blind and had to give up his academic writing.

The most famous religious poet of his day, he is the author of the hymns: Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater.

Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiæ,
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevæ,
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuo.
misericordes oculos ad nos converte;
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, 
our life, our sweetness and our hope'
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; 
to thee do we send up our sighs, 
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. 
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us; 
and after this our exile, 
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
V. Pray for us O holy Mother of God,
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 
Herman The Cripple
by
William Hart Hurlbut, M.D.
I am least among the low,
I am weak and I am slow;
I can neither walk nor stand,
Nor hold a spoon in my own hand.
Like a body bound in chain,
I am on a rack of pain,
But He is God who made me so,

that His mercy I should know.
Brothers do not weep for me!
Christ, the Lord, has set me free.
All my sorrows he will bless;
Pain is not unhappiness.
From my window I look down
To the streets of yonder town,
Where the people come and go,
Reap the harvest that they sow.
Like a field of wheat and tares,
Some are lost in worldly cares;
There are hearts as black as coal,
There are cripples of the soul.
Brothers do not weep for me!
In his mercy I am free.
I can neither sow nor spin,
Yet, I am fed and clothed in Him.
I have been the donkey’s tail,
Slower than a slug or snail;
You my brothers have been kind,
Never let me lag behind.
I have been most rich in friends,
You have been my feet and hands;
All the good that I could do,
I have done because of you.
Oh my brothers, can’t you see?
 You have been as Christ for me.
And in my need I know I, too,
Have become as Christ for you!
I have lived for forty years
In this wilderness of tears;
But these trials can’t compare
With the glory we will share.
I have had a voice to sing,
To rejoice in everything;
Now Love’s sweet eternal song
Breaks the darkness with the dawn.
Brother’s do not weep for me!
Christ, the Lord, has set me free.
Oh my friends, remember this:
Pain is not unhappiness.


This year we start 40 Days for Life two days after his feast day, September 26th and ends on November 6th, two days from the elections.  We believe each life has immeasurable value and we pray for leaders who see that value. 

Click on your area of Oregon for a 40 Days for Life near you.  This year there is a "mission".  This is for the Lovejoy Surgicenter to be closed down.

 Portland    Salem    Eugene   Klamath Falls

Blessed Herman is an inspiration to 40 Days for Life. Pray for us!


Sunday, September 25, 2016

Priest: ‘You might not have a church to go to if you don’t vote the right way in November’





NAPLES, Florida, September 23, 2016 (LifeSiteNews)—We are at a “precarious moment in our history” when churches must speak truth to power or risk the loss of a lot more than their tax statuses, former Ave Maria Law School chaplain Father Michael Orsi said in a blistering speech at a National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children event on September 10.

Orsi, now on the pastoral team of St. Agnes Church in Naples, Fl said, “For too long, pastors and churches have been bullied into believing that they can say nothing political from the pulpit,” said Orsi. The regulation that is used to silence them “was a piece of spite work” against non-profits that had opposed President Lyndon Johnson, he said.

“Let me remind you: the Bible is a political document,” the priest said. “The prophets, including John the Baptist, and Jesus, lost their lives because they spoke the truth to power."

“The Constitution is quickly being destroyed,” warned Orsi, and “unless the right choice is made in November, we may not have a court that is fair and balanced in its interpretation of the Constitution.”
“Too many of the pastors—too many, practically all—in Germany refused to speak against national socialism,” continued Orsi. “And look [at] the result: millions of Jews, pastors, priests, homosexuals, gypsies all lost their lives because everyone was afraid. What are you afraid of, a couple of bucks? Your tax-exempt status? What’s that going to do to you? Your churches may be closed anyway, because if a certain party gets elected, this certain party said, if the churches do not agree with our interpretation of women’s reproductive rights, they’ll just have to change their doctrine.”

“If a certain party gets elected, I can assure you what kind of judges are going to be on those appeals courts,” he said. And those judges will be charged with deciding whether the government may force churches and religious institutions to pay for abortion, contraception, and abortifacient drugs, he noted.

Furthermore, “I’m not going to vote for a candidate who decides that we can redefine the meaning of marriage,” proclaimed Orsi. “Our opponents believe once they destroy the family, once they destroy the churches, they can re-create society in their own image and their own likeness. That, my friends, is not just political. That is diabolical. Get it straight, for crying out loud! The devil is in this!”
“We are in a battle for the soul of America,” he said.

“Somehow, [Christians] have come to buy the story that you cannot be political in church,” said Orsi. “Let me tell you right now, oh yes, you can, and oh, yes, you better be. Because you might not have a church to go to if you don’t vote the right way in November.”

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

ON EWTN TONIGHT: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing:The Disguised Socialism of Saul Alinsky




This 60-minute docu-drama presents a Catholic response to the life and thought of a 1960s community organizer whose “Rules for Radicals” impacts the thinking of many in politics today as well some in the church, especially in the area of social justice.
Duration: 01:30

A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING
A look back on the life, ideals, and works of 1960s community activist, Saul Alinsky, through the lens of a Catholic perspective.

TV-14
DateTime
Wednesday, 09/21 07:00 PM
Thursday, 09/22 12:00 AM
Saturday, 09/24 03:00 PM

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

AND IT BEGINS: The Election of 2016 - The Archdpdx OCC Agent's Response to Questions.


And it begins:  I emailed Bill Allen.  He is listed as a volunteer for the Oregon Catholic Conference www.archdpdx.org (OCC). He was the only contact.  Bishop Peter Smith was listed as Secretary/Tresurer.

Here is the response.

Sent: Monday, August 29, 2016 1:27 PM
To: Allen, Bill
Subject: Election



Hello,

I was wondering if there was anything from the Archdiocese to help Oregon Catholics who to vote for President this election? 

There are certain things that Catholics need from the Archdiocese to make a decision.

The "seamless garment" thought/heresy as it makes giving money to the less fortunate as critical as abortion a child.

We really don't have much time to educate on this issue. 

The Peace and Justice Ministry is pushing this "heresy" in equating some issues that are not the issues of abortion and euthanasia in protecting our brothers and sisters against.

Please let me know if there is any movement at all.  Maybe I'm just missing something.

Thanks,

Carolyn Wendell

"Dear Carolyn,


Thank you for your e-mail.



The U.S. Bishops recently revised the document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”.  The document lays out the primary principles that Catholics should consider when voting.  You can find it online, along with other good resources at: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/ .



Please let me know if you have additional questions.



In the peace of Christ,                                                                                

 

Todd Cooper                                                                      

Department Director

Special Ministries of the Archbishop

Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

Representative, Oregon Catholic Conference

www.archdpdx.org"

Having more questions I continued:


Todd,
Thanks for getting back to me.  Just for point of inquiry, are you telling me that there is no Oregon Catholic Conference and that you and Matt Cato are the only ones that speak for the OCC and not Bill Allen or Bishop Smith?
The Faithful Citizenship info on the USCCB website is very confusing.  Wouldn't it be better to mention on "our" website the guidelines of not voting for intrinsic evils of abortion or euthanasia?  Feeding the hungry are not equal with these, even if there was a candidate, let's say, for President. 
Pointing out those qualities of each party would be very helpful since people's souls are a stake.  Don't you agree?
PATRON SAINT OF POLITICIANS

Thanks,
Carolyn 

Here is his response.  Many people have said that Matt Cato as agent had a "seamless garment" attitude and paraphrasing an Oregon Catholic,  Matt Cato said regarding the Life issues, "Oregon Right to Life can do the life issues".  Just ask him about them he is totally "Peace and Justice". The "Life" was added, in my opinion the make pro-lifers, "feel good".  And also save money. We need transparency and justice for the pro-lifers. But I digress.

Since Todd Cooper and Matt Cato are agents of  the Bishops, he continues:

Dear Carolyn,



The Oregon Catholic Conference is made up of the bishops in Oregon, including Archbishop Sample, Bishop Cary, and Bishop Smith.  I serve as representative of the OCC.  Matt Cato is on the OCC advisory committee.  Bill Allen works as a volunteer, assisting me with the work of the OCC and with other projects.  It is the bishops who speak for the OCC.  The rest of us serve as their agents.



Regarding the information on the USCCB website, if you find it confusing, I recommend reading in its entirety the recently revised edition of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.  The document lays out the principles by which Catholics can form their consciences and faithfully exercise their political responsibility.  This includes voting in good conscience.



A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who supports a policy that promotes intrinsic evil – if the voter’s intent is to support that position.  At the same time, a Catholic should not use a candidate’s opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference to other important moral issues related to human life and dignity.



The challenge for Catholics is to allow their Catholic faith to inform their politics.  In the case of many, it is their politics that inform their Catholic faith. 



The Church respects freedom of conscience.  The US bishops do not tell Catholics which candidates or parties to support.  They simply give guidelines that help Catholics develop a well-formed conscience so that they can make well informed decisions and participate responsibly in political life.



Hope these thoughts are helpful.


In the peace of Christ,

Todd

Todd Cooper
 Representative

Oregon Catholic Conference



 
The response will be posted soon.  Any comments from you would be welcome.