Blogroll Update Help Request

May 24, 2013 / / One comment

My blogrolls on the side are in desperate need of some upkeep. Yet, because my travels in the Catholic blogosphere have been somewhat limited, I am not up on the newest and best blogs and websites out there.

Would you be so kind as to leave in the comments any blogs, sites, or other items of interest that I may be leaving off the lists?

Also, I tried to organize things doing my relaunch in a way that is helpful to my most frequent readers. With the loss of Google reader, and the different way that we all read and follow blogs now, please let me know if you have seen a way or have a suggestion as to how to better organize sites.

 

Thanks!

Category: Uncategorized /

Pope Francis, the Devil, the Media, and Exorcism

May 22, 2013 / / No comments
Pope Francis allegedly performed and exorcism

Pope Francis allegedly performed and exorcism

By now, many of you have probably heard about the “Pope Francis Exorcism“ that was caught on tape. The media is in such a frenzy over this that everyone from the Sun.uk.co to local Michigan news sites have ran the story.

I am surprised that more Catholic blogs haven’t covered it, but my thoughts on the subject center less around did he or didn’t he perform an exorcism and more about why the media is so focused on this.

Here is the account from the Sun:

The Pontiff then grips the top of the subject’s head firmly and is seen  pushing him down into his wheelchair.

As this is happening Francis recites an intense prayer, and the boy’s mouth  drops wide open and he exhales sharply.

Francis’s usual smile then returns and he continues with the traditional and  more gentle Sunday greetings for sick or disabled visitors to St Peter’s.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4936655/pope-francis-caught-on-video-performing-strange-ritual-on-fan.html#ixzz2U1M0kQvb

He is a bishop, he can do exorcisms. Was this an exorcism? I don’t know, but what the media is saying, without saying it directly, is: “The Pope, this Pope1 actually believes in things like the devil and demons. So the media is starting to panic and freak out a bit.

As I have detailed in the past, the world the devil does not want us to believe in him, not in a real sense. He wants to fly just under the radar, maybe be blamed in a non-literal way for “evil” but mostly that we chalk up the “bad things” people do to a force that is somewhat outside of him. In many situations though, he gets a full on win when we blame “bad things” on the fact that there are just “purely evil/bad people” in the world.

It helps him operate. It gives him free reign over the world, and all its souls. Those in the media pushing secularism, tolerance, and relativism can’t have a devil running around. Why? Well, mostly because it would be proof of God, but second it would put a hitch into the entire idea of relativism. You can’t have a wishy-washy undefinable idea of good and evil, when you have the master of evil and lies spreading true evil.

The devil is real folks. He is the master of lies, the deceiver of truths, and the genius behind the fall of man. The sooner that we accept that he is real, the sooner that we can begin to defend against him. We can’t do it alone, so to battle intellectually over his powers and how it is exactly that he attacks is a fools errand. It is better to accept the reality of the matter, move on, and seek God’s help as well as all the angels’ and saints’ as well.

We are at war. The devil is our enemy. God is our Savior.

God Bless Pope Francis for showing this to us. It would be great if it was an exorcism, only so that it would continue to draw catechesis to the matter.

 

  1. The one the media/secular world is still crossing its fingers over hoping he is “Liberal” [↩]
Category: Canon Law, Culture, Doctrine, Featured, Spirituality & Spiritual Warfare, The Catholic Church / Tags: , ,

Pope Francis: ‘True prayer takes us out of ourselves’…

May 13, 2013 / / One comment

pf prayerThe Pope talked about prayer at Saturday Mass, and it was a message that really strikes home for me.

True prayer brings us out of ourselves: it opens us to the Father and to the neediest of our brothers and sisters. This was a central part of Pope Francis’ message to the faithful gathered for Mass on Saturday morning in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence at the Vatican, with agents of the Vatican Gendarmerie and a group of Argentine journalists with their families in attendance.

The Pope’s homily focused on the day’s Gospel reading, in which Jesus says, “[I]f you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you.” Discussing Jesus’ words, Pope Francis said, “There’s something new here, something that changes: it is a novelty in prayer. The Father will give us everything, but always in the name of Jesus.” The Lord ascends to the Father, enters “the heavenly Sanctuary,” opens doors and leaves them open because “He Himself is the door,” and “intercedes for us,” as priest, even, “until the end of the world”:

He prays for us before the Father. I always liked that. Jesus, in His resurrection, had a beautiful body: the cuts of the scourging and the crown of thorns are gone, all of them. His bruises from the beatings are healed and gone. But He wanted always to keep His wounds [in His hands, His feet and His side], for those wounds are precisely His prayer of intercession to the Father. [It is as if Jesus were saying,] ‘But … look,’ … this person is asking you this thing in My name, look.’ This is the novelty that Jesus announces to us. He tells us this new thing: to trust in His passion, to trust in His victory over death, to trust in His wounds. He is the priest and this is the sacrifice: his wounds – and this gives us confidence, gives us courage to pray.”

You can read the entire article and comments here.

I want to write about the amazing Homily I heard yesterday, but I want to have enough time to really write about it.

It is important to remember to pray… and ask the Holy Spirit to come down and be our power from above.

Category: Featured, Spirituality & Spiritual Warfare, The Catholic Church / Tags: ,

Protestors march outside of Archdiocese of Detroit for ‘Gay-Rights’

May 2, 2013 / / 2 comments

So the good Archbishop Vigneron continues to face opposition to his clear explanation of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

r-CATHOLIC-PROTEST-large570Today, protestors marched outside of the Archdiocese of Detroit carrying banners and flags in support of “Gay-Marriage.” From HuffPost-Detroit:

Most of the people carrying signs and rainbow flags while marching slowly along the sidewalk in front of the Archdiocese of Detroit on Thursday afternoon didn’t fit the typical profile a church protester. A majority of the group of 30 or so sign-holders were in their 50s and much older — and they all called themselves Catholics.

Linda Karle-Nelson, 72, and her husband Tom Nelson, 83, organized Thursday’s event in response to recent remarks made by Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron asserting that those who support gay marriage and take Communion are contradicting themselves.

Aside from the misstatement of what Archbishop Vigneron said, there is quite a bit of interesting tid-bits in this article.

The problem is not that these folks are protesting but that we have created a situation within the Church where the faithful believe their opinion is paramount. Or even, that the Archbishop’s opinion is the matter at hand.

The Church isn’t about opinion. It is about the ultimate Truth that is Jesus Christ.

Does the Church need to do a better job of communicating the Doctrine of the Church? Yes.

But this is true about marriage, contraception, co-habitation, social justice, abortion, families, education, and a lot of other things. The Church is pure truth in that it rests upon God. The people of the Church have faults as we all do. Reconciliation is a Sacrament because we all need to be forgiven for our faults. But what we can’t do, or expect, is that the Church will one day say, Sins are ok as long as you do most everything else we say.

Doctrine is a holistic inter-connected system of belief. It exists as a perfect puzzle of truth. Like a mathematical equation, we can’t simply pick and choose what parts we like and don’t and expect the answer to come out correct. Jesus certainly said that the greatest commandments were to love God and love your neighbor. But it doesn’t end there, he finishes by saying that all the rest rely upon those. Meaning: yes, we must love and accept one another but acceptance doesn’t mean that we stop striving for truth.

 

 

Category: Canon Law, Culture, Doctrine, Featured, Liturgy & The Sacraments, Pro-Life, The Catholic Church / Tags:

Defending the faith in the battles of everyday life

April 24, 2013 / / No comments

guns-255x255Politics and Faith often are not far from one another in American culture and society. Many Catholics shy away from injecting their faith too far into religion, but a proper understanding, I believe, if that our faith must animate and drive our political beliefs.

That being said, I found two articles yesterday worth reading I think they are prime examples of just how that occurs.

The first by Pia De Solenni,: “Guns and Gun Control.” This is often a touchy subject for some Catholics and I believe she does an excellent job at fairly talking about the issue.

Nevertheless, as a Catholic theologian, I am troubled by accounts suggesting that Catholics who don’t support the U.S. bishops on gun control are  akin to Catholics who disagree with fundamental moral teachings like  contraception, abortion and marriage.

Regardless of the passion of some gun-control advocates, there exist clear  distinctions between these issues.

The article is worth the read regardless of what side of this you are on.

The second is about fighting the pro-life battle in the political arena, and not just by defending life, but actually going on the tactical offensive a bit. Dave Weigel talks about how in Virginia a move by an off-shoot of the SBA List is putting messaging about the danger to women’s health through some pro-abortion laws.

Pro-life politicians have talked all year about flipping the script on Democrats and making them struggle to explain their abortion stances. To a very large extent, that was the point of the campaign to spur more coverage of Kermit Gosnell’s murder trial in Philadelphia. Why should Todd Akin have to answer a hypothetical question about the ugly aspects of banning abortion? Make Democrats answer hypotheticals about the ugliest aspects of legalization.

Again, worth the read, and an interesting race developing there in Virginia.

It is important to remember that as Catholics, our beliefs of the faith, our adherence to the Church’s teaching, and our moral convictions are not “stances on issues” but the inner core of our philosophical base. They are what should animate our political beliefs and our social understanding.

As I mentioned yesterday, where we get into trouble is when we attempt to fit our faith to our social and political beliefs – it should be that we fit those to the teachings of the Church and Jesus Christ.

Category: Culture, Doctrine, Featured, Issues, Philosophy, Politics, Pro-Life, The Catholic Church / Tags:

Detroit News: Detroit Catholics ‘divided’ on “Gay-Marriage”

April 23, 2013 / / One comment
Archbishop Vigneron of the Archdiocese of Detroit

Archbishop Vigneron of the Archdiocese of Detroit

The Archbishop Vigneron debate is still boiling a bit here in Michigan.

The Detroit News printed a story yesterday about the “debate” on “Gay-Marriage” amongst Detroit-area Catholics. They referenced the original Freep article which quoted Archbishop Vigneron and Archdiocesan officials.

Their summary:

Earlier this month, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron took the stance that  Catholics who support gay marriage should not take Communion, sparking an uproar  on both sides of the issue.

They freshened the story up by finding some new folks to quote. On the Catholic side of things, they have a statement from Jay McNally, former editor of the Michigan Catholic, now radio and political pundit, who said:

The Church can never, never change its stance on the man/woman relationship  being the only kind of marriage there can be,” said Jay McNally, former Michigan  Catholic editor. “What we need is good, sound teaching from the bishops, and  that is what Vigneron was trying to do.

He is 100% right about the fact that we need good sound teaching from the bishops. The biggest problem in this overall equation is that the pewsitters have been left to fend for themselves amongst the wolves of the world and develop their own understanding of what the Church’s teaching on marriage is.

Many people have been left to their own devices to balance the scant theology they are taught, with the sometimes-obtuse social doctrine that many priests, so-called Catholic groups, and others preach when it comes to social justice, love, and acceptance.

That is not to say that these latter things are wrong, or that every priest, bishop, and Church program is problematic, but that systemically there are problems and holes.

These weak-spots if you will are the areas where people then take it upon themselves to blend social understand and doctrine.

Case-in-point, a quote from the same story from David Garcia, executive director of  Affirmations, Michigan’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender  organization:

The Archbishop is on the wrong side of history, which, in the context of the  Vatican, should surprise no one.

I would suggest to  Archbishop Vigneron that he concentrate on feeding and clothing the poor and  nursing the sick and stay out of our bedrooms.

This statement isn’t a big shock when you see the group he represents, but the kicker comes when you see that the story informs that David was “raised Catholic.” The ”feeding the poor, clothing the sick” rhetoric might not be a complete reference to Pope Francis, but instead is symbolic of a larger notion.

This sentiment, that the Church is antiquated socially, and off-track in its mission is not an uncommon one – unfortunately. The biggest perpetrator of this seems to be: former Catholics.

To lend support to my point a few more paragraphs from the article:

Same-sex marriage also holds majority support among Catholics, according to a  March poll conducted by Quinnipiac University. The poll shows 54 percent of  Catholic voters support it, while 38 percent oppose it. The poll had a margin of  error of 4.4 percent.
…

Retired Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, who plans to lead an LBGT-friendly service  May 5 at Marygrove Chapel in Detroit, says Catholics have received some  conflicting messages lately, citing a statement from Cardinal Timothy Dolan,  archbishop of New York.

‘When the people come, they are acknowledged as gay and lesbian people. But  as Cardinal Dolan said, we want them to come to church. There are some priests  who don’t agree with that. So either we do want them to come or we don’t,’ said  Gumbleton.

As for LGBT individuals and supporters being told they can’t take communion,  Gumbleton said, ‘Many are hurt that way.’

Now, Bishop Gumbleton is no stranger to this debate, or to controversy. In fact, he is the same Bishop that Archbishop Sample, then Bishop of Marquette, refused to allow to speak in the Diocese of Marquette due to Gumbleton’s failure to follow protocol and decision to speak on things which were highly-questionable.

Unfortunately, Bishop Gumbleton makes a comment like the one above, and people take that to be the Church’s stance – that some how Archbishop Vigneron and Bishop Gumbleton are on two opposite sides of a coin, when in fact they aren’t, nor should they be.

For Archbishop Vigneron this was never, and will never, be about accepting homosexuals to Church, or even to Communion. Yet, when Bishop Gumbleton says that practicing homosexuals are “hurt” by being told not to take Communion, he is teaching contrary to the faith. As the Archdiocese has pointed out, if a person were to sin gravely, and then take Communion without contrite heart and confession - they too would would be committing the same wrong.

This isn’t solely about homosexual marriage, but about the teachings of the Church. It is about sin, doctrine, and the “Source and Summit” of Christian life – The Holy Eucharist.

We must have priests and bishops willing to be bold and courageous and stand up for all the teachings of the faith. To instruct the faithful in not only the position of the Church on things, but why it has that stance.

We must present the faith in a holistic way. That through all the teachings there is a continuity of Christ born unto the world, crucified, died, and resurrected. That there is ultimate truth which is the fabric of life, a truth that transcends politics, social structure, and even death.

But the Church can’t be about “issues.” It can’t speak to “Gay-Marriage” in a vacuum anymore than it should speak about “contraception” in a vacuum. Just as we can’t understand the Immaculate Conception aside from the true understanding of Jesus as both man and God.

The Church must be about faith, hope, and love. But with those things there must be continuity, truth, and honesty. We must be taught to understand things in entirety and not just the bits and pieces that are easiest, or least controversial. As a faith we can’t pick and choose what parishes ascribe to certain beliefs so as to create islands of he faith that are comfortable.

The Cross is not comfortable. It is hard, painful, and all consuming. As Jesus walked towards that Cross he fell and got back up again so as to ascend it for us and our failings. We do ourselves a disservice, but we insult his ascent on Calvary when we make the Cross about fitting our needs to His truth.

 

Category: Canon Law, Culture, Doctrine, Featured, Liturgy & The Sacraments, Marriage, Michigan, The Catholic Church / Tags: ,

Good Shepherding

April 22, 2013 / / One comment

Christ the Good ShepherdYesterday my family and I went to a parish in the area that we had not been to yet. We have been living in our new city for 2.5 months now, and wanted to settle into a parish and establish ”roots”, or something like them, as soon as possible. We have basically settled on a parish/community that celebrates Mass in the extraordinary form. Yet, because we have never had the opportunity to attend a parish with the Extraordinary form exclusively there are some “adjusts” and “growing pains” we are learning to deal with.

Fortunately, through our community and good networking fortune, we have tapped into a social circle fairly quickly. In doing so, we started asking some of the friends that don’t attend the extraordinary form Mass where they go. Because of the layout of the area, it makes sense that not everyone in the social circle attends the same place. Yet, one parish kept getting named as the Church that, “if I don’t go to…, we go here.” People didn’t relegate it to second place, more so it was an elevation to “I wish it were closer/had been that way when we moved/etc…” So we decided to check out what all the talk was about.

Instantly you could tell what folks were talking about. The Church itself wasn’t anything special, in fact it was… well, boring. But, what that did was lend itself to being a perfect canvass for the Sacred. What I mean is that the first thing my 3yo pointed out to me is that there were “tall candles like at Easter at the one Mass in the small church.” What she meant was that for Easter Mass in the Extraordinary Form, we had just acquired a full set of beautiful candlesticks. Six tall candles on the Altar, and who notices it? My 3yo.

From there things got better, a scola, altar boys in cassocks and surplices – nothing fancy, vestments that clearly spoke to those in attendance that the priest took his role seriously1 It was clear that there was an intentional decision on behalf of the pastor to do all of these things. There was purpose to everything.

The entire Mass things popped into my head, it drew me in to what we were all really there for.. the Holy Sacrifice.

As all of this was coming together in my mind, the homily is what really pushed me over the edge. He spoke of shepherds. He talked about how if men are never told to think about the priesthood, then few will become priests. He also said that if we knew of good men, good boys, that would make excellent husbands and excellent fathers – they then should be told to consider the priesthood. Because if they would not make good husbands or fathers – they should not then be priests. He did not say that if they are called, but that we, the people around them, see these traits in them and discern that.

While some may have arguments against this, I agree 100%. I do believe that priests and fathers/husbands are teachers, leaders and shepherds. We are working hard to shepherd our families to God, and hopefully towards heaven. In the end, I realized that he was right because of what I experienced at Mass. It was an intentional encounter, carefully prepared by a loving leader, hoping to guide and instruct us all towards Christ. It inspired me as a Catholic… but even more so as a father.

 

  1. that is not to say that they were extravagant, but simply befitting the rest of the Liturgy. [↩]
Category: Culture, Family, Featured, Liturgy & The Sacraments, Marriage, The Catholic Church / Tags: ,

The Joy of Christ – An ‘Imagine Sisters’ Vocational Video

April 20, 2013 / / No comments

This morning, why not take a few minutes and share this with someone…

Few will grow to hear the calling of a religious vocation if it is never made an option to them.

Plus, this video is a perfect example of recognizing the importance of joy in life.

Category: Culture, Featured, New Catholic Media, Religious Orders, The Catholic Church / Tags:

Roundup: Archbishop Vigneron & Communion

April 11, 2013 / / 2 comments
Archbishop Vigneron purportedly made comments suggesting to "Gay-marriage" supporters that they should skip Communion.

Archbishop Vigneron

There have been quite a few news reports and blog posts since Archbishop Vigneron made statements earlier in the week about the reception of Communion by supporters of “Gay-marriage.” I wanted to create a list for some that are hoping to get caught up on the matter.

Catholic Blog Posts:

That should do it… most of the “news” that you can read about it is contained as links within those posts.

For the most part the issue is being well handled, and if nothing else Catholics are faithfully defending the Church in the public square… but the battle wages on.

 

Category: Canon Law, Culture, Doctrine, Featured, Liturgy & The Sacraments, Marriage, The Catholic Church / Tags: , ,

Michigan Lawyer to Receive SBA List “Young Leader Award” at Campaing for Life Gala

April 11, 2013 / / No comments

katie wThe Susan B. Anthony List recognizes a few young leaders each year for their work and dedication to the Pro-Life cause at their annual Campaign For Life Gala.

This year one of the four women honored is from Michigan, and I have the pleasure of knowing her personally. Here is what the SBA List press release has to say about the honor:

The Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) today announced the four honorees who will receive the Susan B. Anthony Young Leader Award at the group’s annual Campaign for Life Gala on April 11 in Washington, D.C. The event will also feature Rep. Paul Ryan as the keynote speaker and Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, who will be honored with the Distinguished Leader Award. More information is available at www.sba-list.org/gala.ac

“These young women are leaders when it comes to protecting life at all stages. Like Lt. Governor Kleefisch and Congressman Ryan, they do not back down from a fight.” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List.  “Each one of these women has a unique set of talents and is using them to strengthen and grow the pro-life movement. We are grateful for these trailblazers who embody the legacy of our namesake, Susan B. Anthony.”

The award winner from Michigan is Mary Catherine Wilcox. The SBA List said the following about the reason for her recognition:

Katie Wilcox – Katie is a lawyer at a Michigan firm and graduated from Ave Maria School of Law where she served as Vice President of the Lex Vitae (“Law of Life”) Society. Her law review note, “Why the Equal Protection Clause Cannot ‘Fix’ Abortion Law,” was published in the Human Life Review and the Ave Maria Law Review. In high school, Katie volunteered for Right to Life of Michigan and started a Students for Life club. She went on to serve as President of Michigan State University Students for Life, where she planned the first statewide pro-life rally on MSU campus, and eventually founded Students for Life of Michigan.

In knowing her personally, I find it interesting to read a paragraph about her accomplishments because it really just scratches the surface of what she does for the movement. We should congratulate her, and the other women for their dedication and love that they pour into the Pro-Life Mission. It really is the Mission of the Church.

Right to Life of Michigan also had a nice write-up:

Katie was nominated for her already extensive career with building involvement in prolife organizations. Involved in prolife work at a young age, Katie was a state finalist at the Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund High School Oratory Contest. While in college she served as president of Michigan State University Students for Life. Her involvement on campus inspired her to found Students for Life of Michigan in 2005, an organization that provides support and leadership development for Students for Life chapters across the state of Michigan.

 

Category: Culture, Featured, Law, Pro-Life / Tags:

REPORT: Pope Benedict Ill, Suffering From Something ‘very severe’

April 10, 2013 / / 4 comments
Pope Emeritus Benedict meets with Pope Francis.

Pope Emeritus Benedict meets with Pope Francis.

It is all over the blogosphere, and it isn’t easy to write about, but it appears that Pope Benedict is “suffering from something very severe.”

Damien Thompson of The Telegraph reports, and everyone is quoting, that video of Benedict greeting Pope Francis was hard to watch, but the reports from Fr. Ray Blake are even more troubling:

The health of Benedict XVI has dramatically diminished in the last two weeks, Paloma Gómez Borrero wrote Tuesday night in the Spanish paper El Mundo. According to her, Benedict suffers from something – quote – “very severe”. She adds: “We won’t have him with us for very much longer”.

 

Fr. Ray Blake has the video on his website.

This could be the long good-bye with Pope Benedict, and even if it gives us some consolation as to why he stepped down from the Papacy, it still doesn’t mend the hurt in our hearts.

Let us all keep him in prayer, specifically what he asked of us:

“Pray for me, that I may not flee for fear of the wolves.”

 

Category: Spirituality & Spiritual Warfare, The Catholic Church / Tags: ,

Why I am so proud of Archbishop Vigneron …

April 9, 2013 / / 2 comments

A.M.D.G.
J.M.J.
A.T.C.

Laudetur Iesus Christus!
Nunc et in æternum! Amen.

Christus resurrexit!  Alleluia!
Vere resurrexit!  Alleluia!

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter

Yesterday started out as a great day.  It was Annunciation-mas, aka “Lady Day,” since the solemnity was transferred from Holy Week.  A friend and I were going to Theology on Tap in Detroit with a talk by our favorite Archbishop, our own Archbishop, Allen Vigneron of Detroit.  Those two things alone made the prospect of the day ahead quite exciting.

Then, reading through my blogs and watching the local news in the morning while getting ready for Mass made it all the better …

How?

My Archbishop did something that possesses so much WIN that to try to quantify it, it would be hard to do it justice.

What was so great and possessed so much WIN-ness?

He stood up for Holy Church and acted like the shepherd of souls that he is.

He didn’t cower.  He didn’t take off his miter and put down his crosier in the name of being “nice.”

He wasn’t a milquetoast when it came to the Truth.

Archbishop Vigneron was appointed the Archbishop of Detroit by Pope (emeritus) Benedict XVI … need I say more?!

He said, in no uncertain terms, that a Catholic who believes in the slippery slope of sin that is same sex “marriage” should not present themselves for Holy Communion because it would … wait for it … it’s beautiful with its blatant Truth … “logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury.”

Translation (not that it needs it): “Ummmm, you “Catholics” who think that same sex “marriage” is all honky-dory.  Well, if you value the salvation of your soul, don’t want to be a hypocrite/liar, and if you truly have reverence for the Real Presence … then you probably should not come up to receive Communion.  You know, you’re not “in union” with the Church.  That whole thing.  So either, straighten up and fly right or your soul be in danger, yo.” (My translation, not his btw)

I first heard about it from the local news, which, being the bastion of “fair and balanced” took it upon themselves to find the most disgruntled Catholic with SSA and have him caterwaul about how the Church didn’t “support” him.

Whaaaaa???  Why would Christ’s Church “support” someone in committing a sin that puts their immortal soul in danger?!!?!?!  Oh yeah, because feelings trump Truth nowadays.  *facepalm*  And people wonder why our society is in the dire straits it’s in.  *headdesk*

“All I am doing is stating the Truth, people. Why are you getting all upset? I’m just following the Head Shepherd’s example.” (Not a quote btw)

At the end of the video in that link, the reporter quotes the Archbishop by talking about a “personal disaster” that would result from such a person receiving …

What “personal disaster” is that?

Oh, I don’t know … the loss of their immortal soul because of their lack of unity with Christ’s Church and the fact that they unworthily received Communion?  Just a hunch about that one.  It’s not just a symbol, people!

This same Archbishop whose words were being dissected and analyzed, praised by the faithful and derided by the worldly, was speaking at the very Theology on Tap that I would be at that night!

YAY!

My friend and I were/are so proud of him!

Why?!

Because he did his job!

He was a shepherd of souls.  He didn’t lie down and let the intrinsically wrong actions of some go on unchecked.  No.  Out of care for the souls in his charge, he reminded all of us that in order to receive Communion, one should be “in union” with the Church on all of her integral teachings … marriage being one of them … marriage as in solely between one man and one woman.

And his wasn’t a fiery “You’re all going to Hell” statement.  No.  He stated the Truth.  Not watered-down.  Not laden with qualifiers.  Straight.  Just the way the Truth ought to be served.

If only we had more bishops and priests like that.  God knows we need them.  I think Archbishop Vigneron’s amazing statement also reminds us of one other thing (among others):

We MUST pray and offer penances for our priests and bishops … frequently and regularly.

Prayer and penance are powerful.  No prayer is wasted.  No penance is wasted.  The Lord takes it all and gives grace to His Church and her leaders.

Here is a quick little listing of where you can get information on all of which I am talking:

-The Detroit Free Press article that is cited constantly so it’s pretty much the source (I have not been able to find an official text from the Archdiocese.  Kinda assuming they came from a homily or something.)  Also, if you feel like having fun with vitriolic anti-Catholic trolls, the Freep comboxes are the place to go!

-Dr. Edward Peters (who is a prof over at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and a Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura) was also quoted in the Freep article.  He gives his analysis of the situation from his point of view as a canonist.

-I would possess major FAIL if I didn’t include Joe’s own post on the situation here.

-Father Z has a couple posts on Archbishop Vigneron.  I always love his red comments.  They make me lol.

-Creative Minority Report’s Patrick Archbold covers it here.

-Diane over at Te Deum Laudamus does a great job breaking it down by looking at what was said, who said what, and what it all means.

Seriously.  Archbishop Vigneron is my hero.  I am so proud of him.  I wanted to say something to him last night but being the oh-so-reserved person I am … lol … I didn’t.

The best thing we can do for our priests and bishops is to pray for and encourage them to be fearless defenders and promoters of the Truth in its fullness.  Remember, for every bit of encouragement they get from us, they also get a huge chunk of vitriol from haters.  We have to shower our shepherds with love, support, and prayers.

I am so proud of Archbishop Vigneron and I only hope that his words and actions serve as a catalyst for others in leadership in the Church to follow his example of boldly proclaiming the Truth, whether in season or not (mostly not).

His Excellency could have just as easily (more easily) not said anything and just stood by while members of the Church who are not completely in union with her present themselves as such when they approach for Communion.  He could have been a milquetoast.  Thank the Lord he wasn’t.

I think one of the problems that contributes to this attitude that the Church has no right to talk about who can and cannot receive Communion is the entitlement mentality that has crept into the minds of many.  ”We have a right to receive Communion.”  ”I am entitled to receive Communion.”  No.  You’re not.  Nor am I.  Receiving … not “taking” as the secular media articles put it (semantics are a powerful thing and they speak volumes) … Communion is the highest privilege this side of eternity.  You don’t just schlep up to the priest with an air of “I’m entitled to this because of who I am.”  One should think, “I am a fallen human being, and yet the Lord loves me so much that He freely gives Himself to me in such an intimate way.”  To receive Him unworthily then would be thought unthinkable.

But yeah, I am so proud of my Archbishop.  I’ve been a big supporter of his since he came to Detroit back in 2009.  I even got to go to his Installation in an absolute work of Providence (I got an email from the AOD the night before during my 4 hour Christology class)!  The picture at the top of this post is actually from when he was made the Archbishop of Detroit.

Some may be wondering why I am spending all this time writing about this but I think that those of us who are ardent supporters of our leaders in the Church (aka the priests and bishops) need to speak up more.  How often do you hear or read of someone promoting and lauding the good work of a solid priest/bishop?  How often do you hear or read of someone deriding the Church and detracting from one of her leaders?  We have to outnumber the detractors.  We have to shower our shepherds with love.  One of my ways of doing so (besides prayer and all that) is by writing verbose blog posts on my EPIC Archbishop.

Why is he EPIC?  Really … in the end, it’s because he is a shepherd of souls who is doing his best to follow the example of this Shepherd:

Christ the Good Shepherd

Just like how Christ set the example of a shepherd willing to put his neck on the line to save the flock entrusted to his care from the wolves, so is this dear Archbishop of Detroit is trying to do the like.  He sees an error that can cost souls their eternal salvation and he tries his best to encourage those erring souls from falling into that error with most dire consequences, fully aware of what will most probably be the result: decrying from within and without the Church.  But when souls are on the line, it is better to suffer than to allow one soul to be lost.

Did I mention that he’s TLM-friendly?  Oh yes.  Yes, he is.

Category: Uncategorized /

Alaska Readers & Lovers of Catholic Education – A Family Needs Your Kindness

April 8, 2013 / / No comments

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I saw this on a friends Facebook page, and I hope I am not overstepping any bounds, but I figured since I can’t responsibly do much on the financial end the least I could do was spread the word.

A Catholic family in Alaska needs your help. Here is the story from the donation page set up by some friends:

Valerie Shaut and her husband Richard are beloved teachers at Holy Rosary Academy in Anchorage, Alaska. Valerie teaches kindergarten and Richard teaches fifth grade. Richard also works part time at Home Depot. They have lived this way for the past 11 years, very frugally, the two of them along with their now 18 year old son Christian in a small, 550 square foot apartment at the school. 
Over the years, they have engaged in street ministry in Anchorage, feeding and clothing the homeless. They have spent time in Nicaragua at an orphanage there, as well as helping to raise funds for that mission while in Anchorage. They are ardent fundraisers for Bean’s Cafe, a local service provider for the homeless, encouraging their students to see the needs around them and to be more caring and service-oriented. 

Recently, a sudden and unexpected illness placed Richard Shaut in the hospital for 22 days and 8 surgeries–with a total bill of $172,000 after his insurance capped out. 

The Shauts are currently in the process of adopting two children from Nicaragua (seen in picture above). Just last year, they purchased a fixer-upper in Anchorage because of this incredible opportunity. Unfortunately, the financial situation resulting from the illness has placed this adoption at risk.

Valerie has since gotten a second job and is working 7 days a week. Richard is back to teaching and doing as much as he is able, although he is still weakened from the surgeries. 

Those of us who are blessed to know this giving and selfless family hope to do what we can to alleviate these expenses. Not only will the Shauts benefit from the assistance, but the two children waiting for their beloved “forever home” with the Shauts will have a more secure chance of reaching that dream.

Please help as much as you can.

While I don’t know this family, I do know many members of Holy Rosary Academy. I can tell you that it is one of the most devout communities and schools I have ever come across. Knowing the person that posted this message, it signals that this family and this cause is worthy.

Please do what you can, and spread the word. I don’t have a donate page here for the very purpose of being able to “go to the well” when I have to. If you have ever thought of “donating” here or “tipping” instead do this. If everyone that has read this blog today donated just $5, we could double what has already been pledged.

If nothing else… please pray for them. This appears to be a family that has given so much, it is time we live up to our calling and give freely.

Category: Alaska, Culture, Family, Featured / Tags: ,

Archbishop Vigneron of Detroit Urges ‘Gay-Marriage’ Supporters to Skip Communion

April 8, 2013 / / One comment

UPDATE:

I just saw this on the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Facebook page:

“Archbishop Vigneron makes it clear…”

I think that answers my questions from earlier. I will continue to monitor this, and add more later.

 

The Free Press this morning had a front web-page story about Archbishop Vigneron. It was  about the Holy Eucharist and people who publically support things like “Gay-marriage.”

The article is written by their religion beat writer, whom I am somewhat familiar with from Twitter. In terms of Catholic coverage, they are fairly straight forward in their approach but hardly ever crack even the surface of basic understanding of the faith. I don’t expect much from a paper on such matters because it isn’t their expertise, so I read everything with a grain of salt hoping they don’t trash Catholicism.

So when I read the headline I was worried it was misleading:

Detroit-area Catholic leaders urge gay marriage supporters to skip Communion

 

This had to be some sort of stretch-of-truth or maybe it was a contortion of various statements, added to this or that, and an insinuation stretched into a statement. This is a pretty profound thing, especially in our state where we have quite a few public Catholic’s that support many things from Abortion to ‘Same-sex marriage.’

So I read the article quickly, and then tried to corroborate it with… anything. I couldn’t. So that is my caveat. This is one article, I don’t know when and where the Archbishop said the following, but hopefully the reporter did their job. If this turns out to be something that it is not… I will let you know:

Here is what the article stated about what the good Archbishop purportedly said yesterday:

Last month, Vigneron said at a news conference that maintaining views that oppose abortion and support traditional marriage are important for Catholics.

“Were we to abandon them, we would be like physicians who didn’t tell their patients that certain forms of behavior are not really in their best interest,” said Vigneron, who oversees 1.3 million Catholics in southeastern Michigan.

On Sunday, Vigneron said about supporting gay marriage and receiving Communion: “For a Catholic to receive holy Communion and still deny the revelation Christ entrusted to the church is to try to say two contradictory things at once: ‘I believe the church offers the saving truth of Jesus, and I reject what the church teaches.’ In effect, they would contradict themselves. This sort of behavior would result in publicly renouncing one’s integrity and logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury.”

Vigneron said the church wants to help Catholics “avoid this personal disaster.”

This is a strong statement from an Archbishop. He has always been very careful, and tactful in his statements and so I am not surprised to see that he has been careful to speak strongly and yet at the same time carefully wrap those words in spiritual truth and care. This clearly isn’t about politics to him, but the truth of the teachings of the Church. He uses words such as integrity, logically, personal disaster, and contradict.

To Vigneron, this is a factual analysis of truth and Church teaching. This isn’t about opinion or desire, but about what is and isn’t allow in the faith. But that analysis, or its theological underpinnings aren’t arbitrary. This is about a cohesive and logical construction of truths and beliefs that must fit together in continuity.

I am going to work on getting more information about when and where this was said, and to see if there are more comments that accompany it. This is a huge statement for Michigan, and for other Bishops around the country. I pray that this statement is presented in proper context and that this isn’t some stretch to create controversy. I also pray that it unifies the Church.

Category: Canon Law, Culture, Doctrine, Featured, Marriage, Michigan, The Catholic Church / Tags: , ,
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