April 2004 Archives

Fr. Gee is asking for help in funding the start of a school at the Banica mission where he serves. Can you pitch in?

Since the permalinks for his blog are broken, I'll quote the post here...

Our attention was recently brought to the following, which we found to be most informative.

"The discernment of cases in which the faithful [...] are to be excluded from Eucharistic Communion is the responsibility of the Priest who is responsible for the community. [The priest is] to give precise instructions to the deacon or to any extraordinary minister regarding the mode of acting in concrete situations."

See the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts for the complete text.

While the document concerns itself specifically with cases of "remarriage" after divorce, the above would seem to apply to other cases, such as politicians with pro-abortion voting records, &c.

Surely Cardinal McCarrick and Archbishop O'Malley have read this document? Surely they will make their priests abundantly aware of it (with a promise of defense and support in the application of this policy, of course)?

So I just registered for my thesis "class," which in reality is just a way for George Mason University to extract money from me for the privilege of talking to the three professors on my committee. No hard feelings, though -- their time is valuable. Now I can finish the Open Source Shakespeare project and get my M.A.

It's taken me almost five years to finish since I was admitted to the Professional Writing and Editing program (you there! stop laughing!). When I took my first class in 1998, before I was admitted, the total cost was about $540. That includes the various fees for things everyone uses (the library) and fees for things I will never, ever use (the pool, the student union, the gyms, the movie theater, etc.)

Today, taking my three-credit "class" will cost me $772. That's an increase of 43%, or more than 6% a year during a time when inflation was less than 2%. It's becoming increasingly clear that education has become yet another excuse for the government to extract money from productive people and give it to a class of people (educators) whom it favors.

Hi there. Here's the bleg of all blegs.

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Please take a moment to help a brother out. It will take only 5 minutes, I'm sure.

Survey is at this link.

"Well... not exactly... I get to keep my job and stuff. I just have to do some community service... and also speak about the dangers of alcohol.

Of course, I already had to speak about the dangers of alcohol in my job as Alexandria, VA's Public Schools Superintendent!"

You tell me the lesson for the children.

All punctuation and capitalization appear here as they are in the original.

The Gloria

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth to people of good will.

We praise you,
we bless you,
we worship you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father.

Lord, Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

The Australian media has obtained what appears to be a copy of ICEL's draft for the new English Mass translation.

(Thanks to AAE and Fr. Keyes for the news.)

I was out of town over the weekend at a conference, and attended Sunday Mass at a seminary near the place. Later that day I went to visit a friend some miles away; he's in a religious order and currently serving as a transitional deacon. We talked over pizza:

RC: Well, here's the latest liturgical war story.
Bro: Oh, boy. What happened now?
RC: [pauses:] What's the worst liturgical accident possible?

Months ago, some advisor told John Kerry to be as "macho" as possible when he is interviewed. Every answer he gives is overly aggressive, in the manner of someone uncomfortable in his own skin. Clearly, he prefers the quiet, dismissive arrogance that endeared him to Massachusetts voters; acting like He-Man doesn't quite fit.

Senator Kerry, caught in a web of his own words about whether he threw his medals over the White House fence a third of a century ago, has decided to criticize President Bush's military service. He sputtered, "This comes from a president who can't even show or prove that he showed up for duty in the National Guard."

Actually, the original criticism to which he responded was from Karen Hughes, not the president, but leave that aside. I think the whole Medalgate episode is uninteresting in itself: he was a strident anti-war protestor, which everyone knows, and you'll think that was admirable or disgraceful according to your political beliefs.

What's interesting is a couple of things: first, that despite his initial reluctance to be "above the fray," Kerry abandoned that stance when his attacks on Bush have gone nowhere. (Why do we have to revisit the whole Guard thing again? Bush served honorably, and the pay records prove it beyond question.)

Second, I'm totally confused by t Kerry was supposed to have done or said or thrown. I bet most people are, too, if they've paid any attention. The relevant datum is that Kerry doesn't remember what he has said over the last 33 years because it's changed so much -- yet he can't escape his own words because his statements were recorded. Instead of just saying, "Look, I may have been unclear in the past, but here's the truth: I did ______, and if I said anything contrary to that, then I apologize for misspeaking."

Instead, Kerry lashes out at the interviewer and Bush and everyone else involved, because he can't show weakness or humanity. The whole incident makes him look as personally insecure as Algore, and as mendacious and slippery as Bill Clinton. Probably not the best combination in a general election.

leave Kerry in the lurch...

Democrat John Kerry on Sunday criticized the firing of two cargo workers who photographed flag-draped coffins of U.S. soldiers, saying such images shouldn't be hidden from the public.

He also castigated Bush for eating Asapargus on Tuesday and for wearing brown shoes with blue pants.

"The hungry throngs of unemployed IT workers desire Asparagus every day. They long for the succulent flavors of spring but this administration has outsourced their ability to pay for high-quality, organic vegetables."

He went on to say, "I, like many other Americans, don't agree with the the Bush tactic of mixing brown and blue. What's next? Will all the norms of fashion be tossed out the window just so Bush can dress comfortably? What will the starving dock-workers of Nantucket wear?"

Seriously folks: Kerry is making me sick by trying to turn every action, statement and occurrence related to this administration into something he can use for political gain. Does Kerry really think that Bush & Co. are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of us simple Americans by not letting us see flag-draped coffins? Does he not know that every major news outlet reports the deaths of American soldiers almost immediately after they happen? And just a few weeks ago, we saw the charred bodies of private citizens hanging from a bridge in Iraq. You think a few flag-draped coffins are part of a vast cover-up, Mr. Kerry?

I'm thinking the answer to the question in the headline is "no," but before you answer, read this screed, and pay attention to this paragraph:

There is a lot of talk amongst Bush's opponents that we should turn this war over to the United Nations. Why should the other countries of this world, countries who tried to talk us out of this folly, now have to clean up our mess? I oppose the U.N. or anyone else risking the lives of their citizens to extract us from our debacle. I'm sorry, but the majority of Americans supported this war once it began and, sadly, that majority must now sacrifice their children until enough blood has been let that maybe -- just maybe -- God and the Iraqi people will forgive us in the end.

This has all the earmarks of Michael Moore since he decided to join the freakshow Left: self-righteousness, blatant anti-Americanism, with a little blasphemy thrown in for good measure. His mendacity has been chronicled in many other places (for instance, lying to get an interview with Charlton Heston). He's not real good with the facts -- I didn't know the U.N. had citizens, or maybe that's just sloppy writing? -- and he's probably not worth anyone's attention.

Still, if I saw him in person, I would be strongly tempted to punch him. In the passage above, he's basically saying, "The rest of America is so f----- up because they don't agree with me, so I hope a lot of Americans die." What kind of man wishes death on innocent people from a disagreement? Why do we keep having to read about this disgusting person?

Moore, unfortunately, speaks for a loud sliver of the American population that genuinely hates America. I know it's gauche in polite circles to question other people's patriotism, but when you're gladdened by the deaths of Americans, what else is that but anti-Americanism? In any situation, they know the U.S. is wrong, so it's just a question of figuring out what evils it is perpetrating.

When I've conversed with, or read about, an anti-American person, I've strongly suspected that they really hate themselves and are directing that hatred outward. I've never heard of a calm, self-confident America-hater.

I know, I know. Pray for your enemies.

(Ten points if you can write a Thomistic article on the question in the headline.)

GoldenGopher found this press release:

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=123-04232004

It's about Planned Parenthood making its first presidential endorsement ever -- radical pro-abortion Senator John Kerry. The interesting thing about this is that it includes contact information for the guy responsible for the press release:

Steve Smith of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, 202-973-4972 or 202-360-1198 (cell)

I'm not saying you should call this guy at his office. He's probably out of his office -- because of the pro-abortion rally this weekend -- so you should call his mobile number. After all, he put it on there if you have any more questions! I'm sure St. Blogs readers have some questions for Steve Smith, don't you? Can you think of any?

Remember, that's

Steve Smith of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, 202-973-4972 or 202-360-1198 (cell)

This morning, I considered working from home, as I heard downtown was going to be such a mess because of the pro-abortion and anti-globalization people. I was expecting to see hairy-armpitted feminists and mangy college kids swirling around the streets of downtown D.C., but so far I'm disappointed.

After going to confession on K Street, I celebrated my infusion of grace by strolling around and smoking a Backwoods cigar. I wandered by the World Bank on 17th, and nobody was there. In Lafayette Square, across the street from of the White House, there were a handful of older white people standing on the curb with anti-war signs. They were vastly outnumbered by tourists gawking or arguing with them. ("You're full of s---, sir," said one tourist to a protestor as he walked away shaking his head.)

I want to see angry people marching. I want to smell a whiff of tear gas. I want to hear badly-rhymed slogans. I demand my freakshow!

Reuters reports that Cardinal Arinze thinks pro-abortion politicians should not receive the Eucharist. Reuters is, in my opinion, the worst of the international news services (note that they spell the cardinal's name "Arnize" in the third paragraph, at least as of the 10:09am version of the story). However, they use the more honest term "pro-abortion."

Cardinal Arinze deserves a lifetime Catholic Light Total Badass Award for resisting the culture of death.

Pat Tillman, a football player who gave up a $9 million contract to join the Army Rangers, was killed by thugs in Afghanistan. Instead of living the self-indulgent, pampered life of a sports star, he chose to risk death thousands of miles from home. I stand in awe of him.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
(John 15:13)

Grant them eternal rest, O Lord;
and let light perpetual shine upon them.
(Mass for the Dead)

A debate is brewing around St. Blog over the appropriateness of refering to pro-abort "Catholic" politicians as Catholic In Name Only (CINO). Initially, I intended to stay clear of this controversy since I'm personally not fond of the CINO label. This has nothing to do with canon law and everything to do with taste -- I prefer the much more inflamatory (and I would argue accurate) designation of Demoncrat.

Nevertheless, over at Catholic Kerry Watch my friend Earl Appleby posted a good post on why he believes the CINO term is appropriate. Additionally, Earl dropped me an email soliciting my thoughts as a canonist and inviting me to respond.

Truth be told, I really don't know what canon law says about calling a pro-abort "Catholic" politician a CINO. Nor am I all that interested in researching the question, since I really don't care about the answer. I only have so much sympathy to go around, and as long as innocent children in the womb are being brutally dismembered limb-by-limb, I'm not gonna waste a drop of sympathy on some panty-waist pro-abort who claims to share the same faith as I do. Guess what? You don't.

So if pro-abort "Catholic" politicians find the CINO designation offensive, I don't care. Why? Because try as I might, everytime I get past my outrage at their abuse of the name Catholic, the horror of abortion stops me before I can give the CINO debate any serious thought. In short, every pro-abort Catholic politician is, in my opinion, an offense that should be met with excommunication or public refusal of Holy Communion.

So rather than cry over a few lost votes, pro-abort "Catholic" politicians should sit down, shut-up and thank God their mother didn't similarly dissent from Catholic moral teaching.

In this article, I don't agree with Neumayr's assertion that Catholic bishops are Democrats first and foremost. That's completely unfair. He is entitled to his frustration with the bishops' collective squeamishness about the issue of pro-abortion Catholic politicians.

Last week Kerry arranged a meeting with Cardinal McCarrick [of Washington] -- a meeting Kerry had the chutzpah to arrange at his home (that plan was scotched after word of it leaked out, forcing the locale to be changed for face-saving reasons). Kerry called for the meeting to ensure that the pliant cardinal would keep the lid on the boiling pot of lay Catholic outrage. Unknown at the time, there was an added element of chutzpah to the meeting: At the very moment Kerry was chatting with the cardinal, his campaign team was preparing to roll out a pro-abortion advertising blitz. It appeared on television stations nationwide this week.

"The Supreme Court is just one vote away from outlawing a woman's right to choose. George Bush will appoint anti-choice, anti-privacy justices. But you can stop him. Help elect John Kerry and join the fight to protect our right to choice. Contribute now at JohnKerry.com. Call or log on now," says the ad, Kerry's can-rattling pitch to the deep-pocketed abortion lobby.

My wife was leaving daily Mass and overheard a woman telling our pastor something about "Dancing With the Psalms."

Here's the Sibleyan link to what she might have been talking about.

Check out the high-tech flip-chart action. The section about "Writing Original Psalms" looks promising as well.

And here's a keeper from the section about how the program was developed:

"...when experimentation with LSD was banned..."

If you didn't get to contribute to the Peter's Pence Collection this year, it's not too late.

Our pal Steve Schultz is hard at work at St. Charles Seminary, so do remember to pray for him and his studies. On Sunday, he and another seminarian were invited to serve at an Armenian Catholic parish.

He writes:

The attached photo was taken today at St. Mark Armenian Catholic Church. I have been to this parish several times this year when we have had free weekends. The rite is different from the Latin rite that most Catholics celebrate. The pastor, Fr. David Bedrossian, likes for us seminarians to do the readings and serve Mass. He is pictured in the chasuble on the left. The priest next to him is a retired General in the Chaplain Corps, Monsignor King. I like the vestments because they are so ornate but mostly because they have a slimming look. The way the deacons wear the stoles is pretty cool too - I wish we did that in the Latin rite.

Take care, everyone! You are in my prayers!

My wife, my 60 pound Belgian Shepherd and I were chased down by a loose pooch this morning. It was one of those 15 pound Bichon Frises or Cock-a-poos or some such dog that belongs warming someone's feet instead of in the middle of the street. I had to hold my dog back from having a morning meal. Since blood wasn't drawn, the other "dog" just kept circling, barking and snapping. The owner's finally came up the street but couldn't get the pooch to go back in its yard and after 3 tries, my wife finally made a menacing gesture and the little dog settled down on the ground long enough for the owner to pick it up. Her apology: "The electric fence is broken."

Eeesh. How about something exciting like, "I was watching The Life of the Cheeta on Animal Planet last night and it must have gotten to him." or, "My dog's been very territorial since real estate taxes went up."

Anyway - we were no worse for the wear and got more exercise this morning.

Kindly sympathize with reader Gordon Zaft who is currently going through blog-writing withdrawal due to a broken wrist.

1. Do not take a cellphone call while kneeling to receive Holy Communion.

Key West homotel expels heterosexual couples.

[I just submitted this to the Wanderer]

Hopefully, this is the first instalment in what will become a monthly blog-style column for the Wanderer. For our readers unfamiliar with this new medium, a blog is basically a cross between a webpage and an internet diary. It is much shorter than an editorial, and it allows the blogger - that is, author of the blog - to link and comment upon various news stories ignored by the mainstream media. In general, there are five rules for blog commentary: keep it short; stick to current topics; don’t hold back on sarcasm; be personal; and stay informal.

Many Catholics discovered the power of this medium last October when the Terri Schindler-Schiavo became hot news in Florida. Where the New York Whines injected its usual liberal spin, bloggers got the facts out in time to save Terri. Anyway, if you happen to be surfing the net, please stop by the two group blogs to which I regularly contribute. These are Catholic Light [http://catholiclight.stblogs.org] and Envoy Encore [http://envoymagazine.com/encore].

From Charles Krauthammer's column today:

The first George Bush once said he thought the Persian Gulf War would cure America of the Vietnam syndrome. He was wrong. There is no cure for the Vietnam syndrome. It will go away only when the baby boom generation does, dying off like the Israelites in the desert, allowing a new generation, cleansed of the memories and the guilt, to look at the world clearly once again.

Standard disclaimer: I'm talking about the ersatz "Spirit of Vatican II," not the actual council with its documents and suchlike.

The Litany of the Saints - Chanted

And it wasn't even close.

I know why some people like the Becker. It's likable in the same way that Big Macs and Happy Meals are. It's fun to perform if you crave theme songs from children's shows. Clowns. Pandas. Big Colorful Banners. That's what the Becker is.

The Chant - in English or in Latin - is a prayer, pure and simple. And prayerful people like to pray when then sing.

The Chant is praying twice.
The Becker is clanging - twice, twice, twice again.

...comes Private Member's Bill C-250 that would outlaw the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as hate literature. What's scary is that this bill is close to passing. Here's my thoughts from an editorial I recently wrote...

--------------------------
Speaking of silence and the culture of death, Canada’s homosexual lobby is marching again to silence faithful Catholics, Evangelical Protestants and Orthodox Jews. This comes in the form of Bill C-250, a private member’s bill currently proceeding through the Canadian Senate. This bill attempts to enshrine “sexual orientation” in Canada’s anti-hate speech laws. What terrifies many Canadians is that the terms “sexual orientation” and “hate speech” both remain undefined. Yet if recent rulings from Canada’s various human rights tribunals are any indication, simply quoting from the Bible or the Catechism of the Catholic Church could now land you in jail. No word yet whether or not the Wanderer and Envoy Magazine will move to an on-line edition so that our Canadian readership can remain informed.

*****

Via Drudge:

After just two weeks on the air, Air America Radio, the fledgling liberal talk-radio network featuring Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo, appears to have encountered serious cash-flow problems.

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE is developing a story, insiders tell DRUDGE, on how the network was pulled off the air this morning in Chicago and Los Angeles, the network's second- and third-largest markets, because, the owner of both stations said, the network bounced a check and owes him more than $1 million! A charge the network strongly denies...

The folks organizing to build an "Arch of Triumph" Marian shrine in Buffalo even have a song about it now! I still like the idea of supersizing it, but if it comes off in just the regular version (below), it may actually be an interesting place to visit.

I worry a little when I hear talk about our Lady's coming "triumph", because a bunch of very kooky phony mystics in the '80s and '90s made it their theme. If we'd all sign on to the latest apparitionist's messages, it seemed, Our Lady's Triumph (gotta use that capital T) would be ever closer, and surely it was coming next year. All we needed was one more apparition movie with Martin Sheen.

The latest addition to stblogs.org is Fathers Know Best, a weblog for Catholic men talking about famliy life; and a bunch of great guys are posting. Get over and read Allen Browning's piece about his 19-year-old Sam.

The Chanted Litany of the Saints
vs.
The Becker Litany of the Saints

Have at thee in the comments below!

Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . . "I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead."

John 19:30: "when he had taken the vinegar, Jesus said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

The Greek expression translated "It is finished" is a single word: tetelestai. It is completed: it is fulfilled. The word was used by tax collectors, who marked it on a bill, with the meaning: paid in full.

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything.

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

“Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.

-George Herbert

Psalm 57

This psalm tells of our Lord's Passion (Saint Augustine)

Have mercy of me, God, have mercy
for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge
till the storms of destruction pass by.

I call to God the Most High,
to God who has always been my help.
May he send from heaven and save me
and shame those who assail me.

May God send his truth and his love.

My soul lies down among lions,
who would devour the sons of men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongue a sharpened sword.

O God, rise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!

They laid a snare for my steps,
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path
but fell in it themselves.

My heart is ready, O God,
my heart is ready.

I will sing, I will sing your praise.
Awake, my soul,
awake, lyre and harp,
I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
among the nation I will praise you
for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.

O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth.

Despair is one of the seven deadlies, and I'm not tempted to it, but I can understand why many orthodox Catholics want to withdraw from the world in disgust. One of two men who will be president is a Catholic who openly defies Catholic teaching and dares Church leaders to do something about it. Yet it looks like the shepherds will be as sheep once again:

Rev. John Ardis, director of the Paulist Center, said the Kerrys had received Communion [at the Paulist Center in Boston] and were always welcome to do so. Asked if he had been instructed not to offer Kerry Communion Ardis said: "No. Definitely not. I got a call from them (the archdiocese) an hour ago ... They wanted me to know that the archbishop has not taken a stand and he is free to receive the Eucharist."

If you've read my postings, you know that I believe Catholics should engage and transform the culture, not shun it. It would be nice if bishops would try harder to restrain the wolves among us who mislead the faithful into thinking that abortion and Catholicism can somehow be reconciled.

Here is a United States senator and presidential candidate who doesn't just look the other way if women procure abortions, he goes out of his way to make sure they do it. He even thinks it's okay to deliver a child partially and violently murder it by stabbing it in the head and sucking out his brains -- and he went out of his way to vote against prohibiting that type of murder.

This problem isn't going to go away. The bishops need to collectively correct John Kerry or people will continue to make excuses for attacks on innocent children. There are plenty of laity who are pointing this out, but it is bishops and priests who bear the primary responsibility for teaching the faith and protecting the faithful. Some of the clergy have begun to contend for the faith; others must join them. On my knees, I pray they will do their duty.

Today, Senator Kerry thinks it's good time to excoriate the president in an NPR interview while soldiers and Marines are dying. At this very moment, there are men fighting to capture or kill the enemies of the United States and the Iraqi people. Doesn't he grasp that? Can't he come out of his fog of preening self-absorption and think, "Maybe there is a better time to offer my criticisms"?

I have no problem with criticizing Bush administration policy per se. But there's are proper times to do it, and there are better and worse ways to phrase it. You should not do it in a way that helps murderous, anti-American thugs. When Kerry recommends handing Iraq over to the U.N., or criticizing the arrest of someone openly fomenting rebellion against the Coalition, it can't do anything but gladden the hearts of the insurgents and their Islamist cheerleaders around the world.

When it comes to destroying armed, lawless militias, is the U.N. going to do a better job than the U.S. Marines? Let me put that another way: if you had to live in a war zone, would you feel safer being with a battalion of Marines, or with a battalion of blue-helmeted soldiers under U.N. command?

I listened to the interview as NPR broadcast it, and I've read several articles about the interview, and I don't think Kerry bothered to make a perfunctory statement such as, "Whatever my differences with the president, I want our troops to emerge victorious, and may God protect them and comfort their families." With all that money, he can't even buy himself an ounce of class.

Later today, Kerry is speaking at Georgetown University, which isn't that far away from my office. I want to go and ask, "Do you think encouraging the enemy is a good idea during wartime?" Of course, he did the same thing during the Vietnam War, so the answer is "no not really."

UPDATE: Kerry said in his Georgetown speech that the Iraq War was "one of the greatest failures of diplomacy and failures of judgment that I have seen in all the time that I've been in public life." He said "we're all united as a nation in supporting our troops" but said nothing about the troops winning.

He repeated his charge that the handover was predicated on the timing of the presidential election. He's wrong. The administration's original timetable called for the handover in 2005, but Ayatollah Sistani demanded an earlier date and so we compromised. It had nothing to do with the election, which one would think journalists might remember (it was in all the papers last November), but there are so few real journalists these days.

UPDATE #2: We're also "mak[ing] war against the Iraqi people" and the Hezbollah-backed Muqtada al-Sadr is a "legitimate voice." Is it fair to say he's making excuses for the enemy?

The group I regularly sing with is in Boston, but I'm here ten miles north, living in a big parish with 3000 people but only an occasional choir -- I think they sing for Easter, Christmas, and confirmations.

So I asked the pastor on Saturday if it would be OK to organize a group of people to learn and practice chant, and maybe be of some use to the parish?

Now, I didn't really expect him to take a strong interest in it: I figured the only thing Fr. Bill had enthusiasm for is the local baseball team. The flag hanging outside the rectory door isn't yellow with a pair of keys, but blue with a pair of red socks! Well, it shows how much I knew about him: he says he loves chant and he's all for starting a schola!

OK. Now what do I do?

Lord Jesus, protect the soldiers and Marines who are fighting the enemies of peace. Save the people of Iraq from the wolves who seek to dominate them. Pour out your wrath on the bloodthirsty men who kill and terrify the innocent. Have mercy on their souls, but crush them utterly, and may their humiliation lead the wicked to repent their evil deeds.

Gymnast survives 33-foot fall, relying on tumbling skills

John Donne (1572-1631), Anglican priest and poet.

We think that Paradise and Calvary,
Christ’s Cross, And Adam’s tree, stood in one place;
Look, Lord, and see both Adams met in me;
As the first Adam’s sweat surrounds my face;
May the last Adam’s blood my soul in embrace.

So, in his purple wrapp’d receive me, Lord,
By these thorns give me his other Crown;
And as to other’s soul I preach’d they word.
Be this my Text, my Sermon to mine own,
Therefore that he may raise the Lord throws down.

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born.

Hi folks... I'm writing this between periods of strong medication before heading back to bed. Hopefully this blog will be somewhat lucid. Please keep me in prayer down in Florida. I've got one of the worst cases of the shingles that my doctor has ever seen. Hopefully the cause of the breakdown of my immune system is stress and not cancer. Should know by next week and will likely remain out of action for remainder of the month.

Fortunately, this is Holy Week. So the pain is rendered bearable by the fact I have Our Lord's suffering to which to turn. Nevertheless, prayers would be much appreciated.

...but I think we'd agree there's a potential Lack of Consent here.

There's some interesting stuff in the comment boxes below related to the Top 100 Hymns. Fr. Tharp has a simple solution for pastors: give the music director a list of hymns that don't make the theological cut and request they be removed from the parish repertiore.

It strikes me that the faithful need to wait for pastors who are willing and able to do something that the US Bishops have not done for forty years: get specific about hymn and song texts. I'm in my 10th year as a choir director and the silence sometimes makes me wonder where music is in the hierarchy of liturgical importance. Somewhere between flowers for the altar and cushions for the pews? Or somwhere between the placement of the tabernacle and the use of unleavened bread?

The flip-side is the heavy-handed pastor who has his list of favorites that includes the Top 40 hits from 1960-present, and can't stand latin, "Holy God We Praise Thy Name" or even "By Thou My Vision." I've heard the stories that make the average, faithful organist run screaming into the night.

It's great more guidance is coming even if you'll hear the cries of oppression from the folks who think it's perfectly acceptable to sing whatever makes them feel good.

Just remember who didn't cry "Oppression!" on Good Friday.

"The promise offered by the use of stem cells is virtually boundless," DiPrima said. "There is no reason why stem-cell-based cures can't be found for such unfortunate afflictions as wrinkles, cellulite, excessive flatulence, chronic halitosis, and erectile dysfunction."

Two stories about Senator Kerry from a Catholic perspective:

1. Kerry attended an African Methodist Episcopal church on Sunday, which was really a political rally dressed up in churchly garb. "[T]he Rev. Gregory Groover recognized him from the pulpit as 'the next president of the United States,'" AP reports. But AME churches are predominantly black, and so it's okay for them to have tax-free political rallies on Sunday mornings. Kerry also received communion. Yes, communion in a Protestant church.

2. An article in the Telegraph about how American bishops are thinking of collectively refusing Kerry communion. The piece is well worth reading, because if true, this could really help turn the Church around: by showing that institutionally, the Church is willing to fight up for its beliefs even though it might not go over well with the liberal media. (As if the media loves the Church right now.)

Buried in the story is another item that Kerry avoided Mass in favor of attending a Baptist Church. Kerry's rejection of Catholic teaching on life issues, his rejection of the Eucharist in favor of Protestant services, and his defiance of the bishops, can only lead to one conclusion: he's really a Protestant. Refusing him communion is more of an act of public truth-in-labeling than anything else.

Postscript: He's sold out Christianity if he supports a pro-abortion purist like Kerry (and his own people -- abortion kills black babies disproportionately more than any other group). However, "Reverend Groover" is the coolest name for a preacher I've ever heard.

Good news! Bp. Vigneron of Oakland is addressing a long-neglected issue: hymns that do not reflect Catholic teaching. The Register reports that he's drafting guidelines for the USCCB's consideration.

(Via med student Dev Thakur's new blog. Welcome, Dev!)

Update: Fixed the typo; thanks for spotting it, Fr. K. I've had an unblemished record with Nihil Obstat until now and wouldn't want to lose it!

I have never used the words "What-not" in conversation.

I have decided to form a group devoted to the election of Senator John F. Kerry called "Pro-Life Catholics for Kerry." I was thinking the other day: isn't being "pro-life" more than fetuses? What about what happens after the little things are born?

Senator Kerry has consistently opposed the machinery of death that spews out of the Defense Department and its lackey contractors. That's pro-life. He believes that human needs should take priority over killing in the Federal budget. That's pro-life. He wants to make sure that those with different sexual orientations can have children using extra-natural means, and not be beaten up by right-wing religious thugs. That's pro-life.

Sure, he isn't "pro-life" by the standards of, say, the Pope. He is personally against abortion, though, and as far as we know, he has never encouraged any of his past girlfriends or heiress wives to have abortions. Like President Clinton, he wants to mitigate the conditions that drive women to get abortions. Isn't that more important than making women feel bad about their choices?

I will be voting for John F. Kerry for President, and I encourage all pro-life Catholics to follow my example. I'll post the link to Pro-Life Catholics for Kerry site when it becomes available.

Richmond's new ordinary, Bp. Francis DiLorenzo, is being transferred in from Honolulu.

Before his service there, he was an auxiliary in Scranton, and if the rumor mill is right, he was, alas, not very sympathetic to the traditionalist movements in that diocese.

But that was ten years ago, and during those ten years in Hawaii, commenters at Amy's and Dom's sites say, he improved the discipline of the clergy in what had been a somewhat lax diocese. Congratulations to everybody in Richmond.