John Schultz: April 2009 Archives

Is this what you would call the ecclesiastical pile-on?

Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde has become the 46th Catholic bishop in the U.S. to publicly castigate the University of Notre Dame for inviting President Obama to give this year's commencement speech and grant to him an honorary doctorate.

The invitation, which was announced March 20, has roiled America's Catholics: apart from the unprecedented episcopal criticism, more than 330,000 people have signed an online petition asking the historic Catholic institution to rescind the invitation that would give a pro-choice president a coveted platform in a Catholic setting.

"If Notre Dame were hosting the president as a participant in a dialogue that included a full presentation of the Church's position regarding the primacy of life, then the university's action would be more understandable," Bishop Loverde said in a statement made public Thursday.

"However, given the unique national prominence of Notre Dame among Catholic universities, the decision by a few administrators to give him a platform and honor on commencement day will be damaging to the Church, to the pro-life cause and, ultimately, to the university itself." >full article

Catholic Leaders Will Keep No Communion Instruction for Pro-Abortion Sebelius

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Should pro-abortion Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius become President Barack Obama's health secretary, she will likely be asked to continue refraining from receiving communion at Washington-area Catholic churches. In May 2008, her own archbishop told her to not present herself for communion.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City called on Sebelius to take the "necessary steps for amendment of her life" because of her strongly pro-abortion position.

He said Sebelius needs to refrain from receiving communion until she changes her position supporting abortion.

Now, two Washington area bishops, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington and Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, Virginia, both said they would enforce the communion request Naumann put in place if Sebelius lives within their jurisdictions.

I'm convinced that here in the United States, we have no "sensus fidelium" - no "sense of the faithful."

Or perhaps - we have the sense of the marginal. The sense of the ill-informed. The sense of the folks who will darken a church door this Easter, and not return until Dec 24th out of some sort of misguided semi-annual obligation.

Because this Gallup poll wasn't of active, faithful, prayerful Catholics who frequent the sacraments.

I hate to say this, but if you are a marginal, sometimes-go-to-Mass "catholic" - what's the first thing you would like to a pollster over the telephone about. That's right: your regular Mass attendance.

Hey Gallup - why don't you find a sample of Catholics who go to Eucharist Adoration at least once per month? Call my wife sometime- she's there right now!

Benedict prays for John Paul's beatification.

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI marked the fourth anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II with a memorial Mass on Thursday and new prayers for the Polish pontiff's beatification.

Later, Benedict descended to the grottos underneath St. Peter's and knelt for a few minutes of silent prayer before his predecessor's simple, marble tomb, decorated with a red rose. The pope sprinkled holy water in blessing before returning to the basilica upstairs and greeting some of the pilgrims.

The pope told Polish pilgrims on Wednesday he was praying for John Paul's beatification, the first step to possible sainthood.

At first you might be thinking - what? Can't Pope Benedict just declare Pope John Paul II a saint? What happened to Santo Subito?

And the answer is: that's not how it works, even for Pope John Paul II, The Great.

His cause for canonization is proceeding like any other. So keep up the prayers!

This article shows the depths of the assisted suicide obsession.

The Swiss "clinic," serving mostly "patients" from Britain, now plans the assisted suicide of a perfectly healthy woman. Why? Because her partner is terminally ill - and if he goes, she wants to go at the same time.

It seems like the stuff of romance novels and epic stories - the suicide pact. I'm sure there are people who are so without hope that they feel their life is already over, or could end at any time.

Still the "clinic" operators return to the same point when explaining their reason for being.

...anyone who has "mental capacity" should be allowed to have an assisted suicide, claiming that it would save money for the National Health Service.
...Mr Minelli said that failed suicide attempts caused problems and extra costs for the British health service.
..."For 50 suicide attempts you have one suicide and the odds of failing with heavy costs for the National Health Service," he said."In many, many cases they are terribly hurt afterwards, sometimes you have to put them into institutions for 50 years, very costly."

Let's look on the bright side, they tell us:

"We should have a nicer attitude to suicide, saying suicide is a very good possibility to escape."

So there you have it. The "patient" has no hope. The clinic has the secular reason for making it happen: cut costs.

As we approach Holy Week, we are about to relive the story of hopelessness turned to hope through the death and resurrection of Jesus. May those who are contemplating their escape find hope in Jesus' sacrifice.