Controversies: May 2004 Archives

Here's one-stop shopping for bishops' statements on political support of abortion and communion. Fifteen bishops are pictured with their statements, in some cases multiple statements. A very hopeful sign.

HLI's Fr. Thomas Enteneuer responds to the 48 pro-abortion politicians who wrote to Cdl. McCarrick.

I received a copy of a sermon from Father James Poumade, parochial vicar at our parish. He commented, "Feel free to share it with anybody you think may be interested," and since he is a personal friend and avid reader of Catholic Light (and godfather of my younger son), I thought he wouldn't mind if I posted it here for everyone's edification. The text follows, with italics in the original.

Phil Lawler of Catholic World News grouses about the parish closings in his e-mail today:

Closing parishes might solve the superficial problem, by saving money. But it doesn't solve the deeper problem. If there's a long-term plan in place for revitalizing the archdiocese-- getting ordinary Catholics back to church-- I haven't heard about it.

I don't want to lump Phil in with some of my fellow parishioners, but they make the same complaint too, and in their case I call it whining, because they speak of long-term efforts to preach the gospel and re-convert the lapsed faithful as a substitute for consolidating parishes.

That's a losing proposal from the start: instead of correcting real current problems with overextended priests and underfunded, underattended parishes, it tells everybody to keep paying and praying, and tells Father to keep saying four Masses on Sunday, and makes the future of the Church dependent on the return of people who have left the Church!

Look, miracles are great, and a substantial re-conversion of lapsed Catholics would be one, but to base the Church's pastoral strategy on them would be somewhere between irresponsibility and presumption.

At the state-owned Cow Palace in California, you're allowed to have a convention dedicated to sex shows. However, if a bunch of law-abiding citizens want to sell each other legal firearms, they can't do that in the Cow Palace, according to a bill passed by the California legislature.

I know what you're thinking: no woman would ever go to a place called the "Cow Palace," so that's why their events must revolve around guns and sex.

terrisfight.org has the latest news on efforts to protect disabled Terri Schindler Schiavo from a death by starvation imposed by her adulterous husband. This week, Terri's parents have been cleared of spurious accusations that some marks a nurse's aide saw on Terri's arms were puncture wounds and that the parents had caused them. The Clearwater Police report stated that was no evidence that there were any such wounds or that any assault had been committed. The accusations are especially baseless, considering that the marks were discovered before the parents' visit that day.

A petition seeking sanctions against Mr. Schiavo's attorney George Felos for his alleged public misrepresentations is being prepared for submission to the Florida Bar, Department of Lawyer Regulation.

(Thanks to Juan Schoch for info on the petition.)

Retired Episcopalian "bishop" "marries" "male" "partner" in SF "church".

Caption contest at The Curt Jester.