Catholic Vote does it again!

This is first class work and an exemplary way to change minds. Catholic Vote has released yet another stellar video to make their pitch, "Life! Imagine the Potential"



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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and a day celebrated especially by Carmelites the world over. This includes secular Carmelites like myself.

The Divine Office speaks about the feast day:

Sacred Scripture celebrated the beauty of Carmel where the prophet Elijah defended the purity of Israel's faith in the living God. In the twelfth century, hermits withdrew to that mountain and later founded the Order devoted to the contemplative life under the patronage of mary, the holy Mother of God.

According to Carmelite tradition, July 16, 1251, St. Simon Stock was given the Brown Scapular by the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Later Carmelite writers give more details of such a vision and revelation. Johannes Grossi wrote his "Viridarium" about 1430, and he relates that the Mother of God appeared to Simon Stock with the scapular of the order in her hand. This scapular she gave him with the words: "Hoc erit tibi et cunctis Carmelitis privilegium, in hoc habitu moriens salvabitur" (This shall be the privilege for you and for all the Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall be saved).

Members of the order had been praying to the Blessed Virgin amidst great trials. The Manila Bulletin Publishing Company adds this interesting note:

Pope John XXII in 1322 decreed a special indulgence for those who die wearing the brown scapular. The pontiff said that Our Lady appeared to him and asked him to specially look after the Carmelites. In addition to this, the Holy Father said, Our Lady promised that all faithful Christians who die wearing a scapular would enjoy early liberation from purgatory with her special intercession before God. The Blessed Mother herself would fetch the pious soul in purgatory the Saturday after their death in order to bring them to heaven. Marian devotees thus call this special intercession the “Sabbatine Privilege’’ (from Sabbath, meaning Saturday).

Air Maria has two key prayers, and a nice write-up.

FLOS CARMELI
O beautiful Flower of Carmel
Most fruitful vine,
Splendor of Heaven,
Holy and Singular,
Who brought forth
the Son of God,
still ever remaining
a pure Virgin,
Assist us in our necessities.
O Star of the Sea,
Help and protect us.
Show us that you
are our Mother. Amen.

Song of Gratitude to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

By St. Therese of Lisieux

From the first moments of my life,
You took me in your arms.
Ever since that day, dear Mother,
You’ve protected me here below.
+
To preserve my innocence,
You placed me in a soft nest.
You watched over my childhood
In the shade of a holy cloister.
+
Later, in the days of my youth,
I heard Jesus’ call!…
In your ineffable tenderness,
You showed Carmel to me.
+
“Come, my child, be generous,”
You sweetly said to me.
“Near me, you’ll be happy,
Come sacrifice yourself for your Savior.”
+
Close to you, 0 my loving Mother!
I’ve found rest for my heart.
I want nothing more on earth.
Jesus alone is all my happiness.
+
If sometimes I feel sadness
And fear coming to assail me,
Always supporting me in my weakness,
Mother, you deign to bless me.
+
Grant that I may be faithful
To my divine Spouse Jesus.
One day may his sweet voice call me
To fly away among the elect.
+
Then, no more exile, no more suffering.
In Heaven I’ll keep repeating
The song of my gratitude,
Lovable Queen of Carmel!

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Bishop D'Arcy and his new NORMS for TABERNACLE placement

This is awesome news....(h/t to Fr. Z)

Bishop D'Arcy, who heads the Fort Wayne - South Bend, Indiana Diocese has issued new norms to better align Tabernacle placement with universal norms, and the sentiments of the faithful. The people have been heard by their bishop and he responded.

Here is his lead in, with my emphases in bold and comments bracketed in red.

July 19, 2009
Bishop promulgates norms for tabernacle placement

To Priests, Deacons, Religious, and to All the Faithful,

The presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is at the center of our faith and of the devotional life of our Catholic people.

In recent years, the place of the tabernacle in our churches has become a source of controversy. This should not be. The Eucharist, whether we are referring to its celebration or to the place of reservation, should always be a means of unity and communion, and never of division [and he is putting an end to that division in his diocese, God bless him!]

The place of the tabernacle in our church should reflect our faith in the real presence of Christ, and should always be guided by church documents.

[Here is the kicker] My experience is that our people, with their instinct of faith, have always desired that the tabernacle be central and visible. They find it confusing when the tabernacle in their churches is not visible, and if possible, central. [He went by his experience, but somewhere along the line people were communicating to him what they wanted. If you want your bishop to follow suit, write him a letter and refer to Bishop D'Arcy's norms, or even send him a copy. Always be courteous, keep it brief (1 page), let him know you are praying for him and then be sure you follow through!]

Because of my responsibility to foster the devotional life of our people [Eucharistic devotion is back from the abyss where it was stuffed for the last few decades], and to keep it sound, I have asked our Office of Worship to prepare norms for the placement and design of the tabernacle in this diocese. These norms were brought before the Presbyteral Council, the Liturgical Commission and the Environment and Arts Committee. Suitable refinements and improvements were prepared [read that, "everybody's on board so lets implement this smoothly].

These norms are promulgated to the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend on June 14, 2009, the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of the Lord. They will be effective on Aug. 4, 2009, the feast of St. John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of priests, in whose honor the present Year for Priests has been dedicated by the Holy Father Benedict XVI.

I urge all priests to follow these norms carefully and completely, and most importantly — to foster devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

Sincerely yours in our Lord,

Most Reverend John M. D’Arcy

Fr. Z has extracted a couple of interesting points from the actual document. I provide them here, as well. I have a link to the FWSB Diocese webpage which has the full text of the document.

4. In the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, the Bishop has judged that the tabernacle is normally to be prominently located in the sanctuary of the church, along the central axis behind the main altar. Under this arrangement, the tabernacle should be at an elevated, open location in the apse area, or in another central place in the sanctuary that is equally conspicuous. Where a high altar with a tabernacle remains in place, it is appropriate to continue using this noble structure for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament

5. This prescription is to be observed in all future construction or restoration projects involving places of sacred worship (including all churches, oratories, and private chapels) in the Diocese. Any exception to this norm must be approved by the Diocesan Bishop, and must clearly demonstrate itself as a worthy alternative that would accentuate the sacramental nature of the church building and contribute to the spiritual life of the worshiping community.

6. In those existing places of sacred worship where the tabernacle is currently located elsewhere in the sanctuary or the main body of the church, a liturgical consultation with the faithful and with the Diocese should begin, regarding the possibility of moving the tabernacle to a central position in the sanctuary. Especially if the tabernacle in a particular church was central at one time and then was moved, it should be returned to its original location.

[snip]

24. Aside from tending to the tabernacle itself, we must ensure that the faithful receive proper guidance and formation with respect to reverence before the Blessed Sacrament.Today there are many of all ages who inadvertently do not genuflect or bow in the correct situations.

Care should be taken to instruct the faithful that genuflection is the appropriate sign of adoration in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, “whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration.” Before or after Mass, when the tabernacle is visible somewhere in the church, genuflection should be directed towards it. Although those who genuflect when a tabernacle is not present or when the Blessed Sacrament is clearly removed from the tabernacle (for example, during much of the Sacred Triduum) typically do so out of a commendable pious habit, they should instead bow out of reverence towards the altar.

25. Every church should strive to make the tabernacle accessible for prayer during the day, and to preserve a peaceful setting favorable to prayerful visits. Meetings and other activities without a strictly spiritual purpose should therefore be held elsewhere on the church premises whenever possible. Under extraordinary circumstances, such as if it became necessary for a church to host an event of a purely secular nature, the Blessed Sacrament may be removed from the tabernacle and transferred to the sacristy or another suitable place. The location should be secure, with the ciboria veiled and the Lord’s presence clearly marked.

As I said, if you like what Bishop D'Arcy has done, print out a copy of the document and cover letter and send it with a kind note to your own bishop.

Go to this page at the FWSB Diocese website to read the entire document in several formats. I recommend the PDF in Sequential Order, which has nice formatting and pictures.

Pray for our bishops and our priests!

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Twitter Feed Updated...

I'm going to get back into updating the Twitter Feed daily with news that is flying around the blogosphere. Click the bird in the upper right hand corner of my sidebar daily to see what is up. When I can I will update it several times daily. Basically, if you want to see the hottest Catholic news, you want to read twitter feeds.

One word of caution: Be careful about clicking on people who are following me in twitter. Each day I try to filter through the new ones. Some of those "following" are doing so to entice people to click their twitter feeds. Some of these people have sexually explicit feeds that lead to what appears to porn sites (I don't know that for certain and such sites are known to be good carriers of computer viruses - no pun intended).

Right now blogging and twittering is light as I finalize many of my mother's affairs since her passing. We need to have her apartment vacated in two weeks. Many thanks for the offers I have had with helping. There isn't much that people can help with as it is time consuming just to go through things (and Mom had her stuff very well organized). Thankfully, my siblings and I have been working together, each of us with complimenting skills. My sister is great at packing, and my brother wants to be the "mover" (and boy can he move stuff). The usual bickering you hear about after someone dies over "things" is just not happening with the three of us. In fact, we seem to have a sense for what the others may want. What a tribute to my mother and father that the things most important to us are not those of monetary value, but things come with a story or bring about a happy memory.

I must admit that with as organized as my mother was in her home, and with her paperwork, I now have a desire to get my affairs in order to spare my family any difficulty when I leave this life. I highly recommend that people do this, not for yourself, but for your loved ones.

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Judicial Confirmation Process - a double standard for Catholics?

There is a good piece in the Wall Street Journal that has been making it around the Catholic blogosphere. I'll start you out here and you can finish reading it at WSJ.

In opening yesterday's Judiciary Committee hearings on Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court, Chairman Pat Leahy (D., Vt.) alluded to the religious prejudice that has too often intruded on the process.

The first Jewish nominee, he noted, had to answer "questions about the Jewish mind and how its operations are complicated by altruism." The first Catholic nominee, he added, "had to overcome the argument that, as a Catholic, he'd be dominated by the pope."

"We are," Sen. Leahy declared, "in a different era."

Maybe. It's true that if Ms. Sotomayor is confirmed there will be six Catholics on the Court -- a higher percentage than almost any Notre Dame starting lineup of the past three decades. It's also true that notwithstanding a few scattered references to this fact, for the most part the judge's religion has been greeted, as a USA Today headline put it, with a "yawn."

How different from just a few years ago. Back when the nominee was Sam Alito, talk was about the "fifth Catholic" on the bench. Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority, complained that "with Alito, the majority of the Court would be Roman Catholics."

Before that it was John Roberts. In the run-up to his confirmation, the Los Angeles Times ran a piece headlined "Wife of Nominee Holds Strong Antiabortion Views." Though the article conceded that a "spouse's views normally are not considered relevant in weighing someone's job suitability," plainly these were not normal times. Mrs. Roberts, the paper pointed out, had worked for a group called "Feminists for Life," and was characterized as an "extremely, extremely devout Catholic."

....continue reading The Catholic Double Standard - Why was Samuel Alito's Catholicism so much more discussed than Sonia Sotomayor's? at the Wall Stree Journal

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

1656 - 1680

Kateri Tekakwitha was born in Gandahouhague, in the territory of the Mohawks, which later became part of New York. Her father was a Mohawk warrior of the Turtle clan, and her mother was an Algonquin captive. At the age of four smallpox ravaged her village, leaving her disfigured, impairing her eyesight, and depriving her of her parents. She was then raised by an uncle. She met Jesuit missionaries and, despite opposition to Christianity from her tribe and particularly her uncle, met with the missionaries in secret. She was baptized at Easter, 1676. She then became subject to increased contempt and derision from the people of her village for her conversion, as well as her refusal to work on Sundays or to marry.

In 1677 Kateri fled to Quebec, to the mission of St. Francis Xavier du Sault, called Caughnawaga by the native people. The following Christmas she received her first communion. At Caughnawaga she contributed to the community's economy while engaging in great personal austerities. She also continued to keep her personal vow of chastity. In 1679 she was allowed to begin a small convent at the mission. The following year she died. She was beatified in 1980.

Source

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Even the birds of the air are provided for....

Some of you may have noticed me walking around taking pictures, without a tripod. I finally got a lens with a heavy duty stabilizer in it that I was hoping would permit me to take indoor pictures without a tripod. I will probably still mount at critical times as it allows me to use a lower ISO for better quality, but the pics came out decent. I'll be sharing Mass and Eucharistic Procession photos later. For now....

In many of our outdoor Stations of the Cross are bird's nests. The First Station has baby robins in it. They sit real still and are easily missed (the best defense for them at such a young age). Mama Robin came to feed her brood, but there were too many people standing there waiting for the weekly Eucharistic Procession and Rosary to begin down by the Grotto.

Isn't he cute with that little patch of feathers sticking up like a mowhawk? Too bad I wasn't taller.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Happy Feast Day Pope Benedict!

I didn't forget that today was the Feast of St. Benedict. It is the Holy Father's feast day.

There is one passage from the Office of Readings for today that I would like to share. It is from the second reading, which is taken from the Rule of St. Benedict. While it addresses monks, you have to admit, most of this applies to anyone, anywhere.

"...Just as there exists an evil fervor, a bitter spirit, which divides us from God and leads us to hell, so there is a good fervor which sets us apart from evil inclinations and leads us toward God and eternal life. Monks should put this fervor into practice with an overflowing love: that is, they should surpass each other in mutual esteem, accept their weaknesses, either of body or of behavior, with the utmost patience; and vie with each other in acceding to requests. No one should follow what he considers to be good for himself, but rather what seems good for another....."

While this is great to think about in the context of a family or household, don't stop there. How about the work place? How about the parish? There is always greater room for charity.

If you have ever been involved in a parish you will quickly learn that there are many people who want to volunteer in everything from singing to cleaning. This means there are groups and sub-groups; cultures and sub-cultures and, opinions, opinions, and more opinions on "the way things are suppose to work" (setting aside liturgy of which we should yield to those pastors who have the mind of the Church on the Mass). Let's stick with apostolates and activities.

Sometimes when we want to do something a certain way, we need to make the sacrifice and yield to someone else's way, even when it may not seem to be the best way to do something. In other words, practice bearing with the imperfect ways of others.

It's easy to imagine these examples because they involve young people: A mother lovingly accepts a piece of "art" from her small child, even though by many standards, it wouldn't get past the scrap bin. A father may let his son do something his way, so that the boy can learn why a particular way is not good.

If we love our neighbor, we are constantly willing to evaluate whether yielding to their way of doing something isn't the greater act of charity, than actually being right about something (and I'm not talking about where morality is concernced, but about getting things done).

Have you ever seen groups of people struggle over the details of how a festival should be planned? Or, about who should do what? It's called parish "politics" and it is one of the most poisonous things we can encounter. It is not from God, but from our human fallen nature, or from the Angel of Darkness who wants to divide and conquer us. What better way for any apostolate or parish to fall apart than like this?

We end it by recognizing when we are participating in it, and doing the hard things...talking to people we wouldn't ordinarily socialize with; participating in doing things the way others want us to do them (all too often I've seen people quit rather than do things another way).

Go read again what St. Benedict says. Ponder it and look at doing what is good for others, not for ourselves.

Charity rules.


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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Breaking: CDF clarifies Catholic Teaching on Abortion in Case of 9 Year Old Brazilian Girl

You may recall the very tragic case of a 9 year old Brazilian girl who was pregnant with twins which were aborted. Pastoral care had been given, and every attempt made by the archdiocese to offer alternatives, and necessary support. Some claimed the babies had to be aborted to save the life of the mother, but this proved to be false. The girls life was not in danger. The archbishop, having followed the case closely and attempting to intervene, explained that those directly involved (not the innocent little girl), had brought upon themselves excommunication.

In March, a rather surprising article was published in the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano by Archbishop Fisichella who heads the Pontifical Academy for Life in which he condemned the actions of the Brazilian archbishop. This raised eyebrows across the world as the statements by Fisichella seemed to fly in the face of basic Catholic teaching. For some, this may be hard to understand, but it boils down to the fact that, the ends don't justify the means. Evil cannot be done (murder of the innocents) for the good of the girl (remember that her life was not threatened with the pregnancy). One cannot say that she was "punished with a baby" due to someone else's evil action (which, if memory serves, was a case of incest). The unborn cannot be punished with death because an act of evil made it possible for them to come into being. Catholic teaching does permit medical procedures needed to save a woman that could put the unborn at risk, but is not intended to terminate a pregnancy. The babies in this case would not have had to gestate to full term, but could have been taken by C-Section as soon as they were considered viable, then given up for adoption.

The distinugished Italian journalist, Sandro Magister offered an excellent recap from beginning to where it stood last week, which would be helpful to read if you are just learning about this case, or if you struggle with Catholic teaching on the issue.

Now, the Holy See has gotten involved. It is a clarification from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which repudiates what is written in the original article by Fisichella. This vindicates a villified Archbishop Sobrinho, whose retirement was just accepted by the Holy See (and exploited by some to justify the position of those who felt he was wrong).


Go Read: Retractions. The Holy See Teaches Archbishop Fisichella a Lesson by Sandro Magister which contains the CDF statement in full.

Related Links (to be updated for reaction since this is breaking news so check back for more links)

• The Recife excommunications: Summum ius, summa iniuria (Ed Peters, JD, JCD)
• Vatican Newspaper Issues CDF Clarification on Abortion in Wake of Fisichella Controversy (LSN)

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Fr. J. Augustine De Noia to be ordained an archbishop today in Washington; becomes Secretary of CDW

From the DCist (H/T American Papist), who may fit in some twittering from the event (emphases mine in bold; comments in red):

Little Rome to Celebrate One of Its Own

Some happy news from the part of Washington that is so Catholic it used to be called Little Rome. With the exception of papal visits to Washington, the concerns of the American Federal City and the Eternal City do not overlap all that often, but one long-time Washingtonian is about to assume the reigns of a powerful curial office in Rome. Fr. J. Augustine Di Noia, a Dominican priest and influential theologian, has been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as Secretary of the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

A beloved professor of theology at the Dominican House of Studies, near Catholic University, for two decades Fr. Di Noia has been an assistant in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (first under then-Cardinal Ratzinger) for the past several years. Now he will assist Cardinal Llovera, prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship, in overseeing the Catholic liturgy (especially the implementation of the new form of the English Missal [isn't it great to have a solid "home-boy" in this position]). In response to an e-mail, the Prior of the Dominican House of Studies, Fr. Giles Dimock, told DCist: "Fr. Di Noia taught in this house for twenty years and this is his home. His brothers here are overjoyed because he's a good theologian who is a great human being and a great priest, who loves to laugh and loves all things Italian. It's an honor for our house, for our Province, and for the Church in America."

Because the holders of offices of this rank are traditionally appointed to the stature of archbishop, Fr. Di Noia will be ordained Titular Archbishop of Oregon City this Saturday (July 11, 2 p.m.). Such Ordination Masses almost always take place in Rome, but Fr. Di Noia has chosen to be ordained in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (4th St. and Michigan Ave. NE), across the street from his former home. William Cardinal Levada, former Archbishop of San Francisco and now the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the office held for many years by Cardinal Ratzinger), will come from Rome to celebrate the Mass, as will presumably a gaggle of the American hierarchy

I was wondering why this was taking place in the US.

EWTN will be broadcasting this afternoon at 2:00pm EDT. If you don't have cable, just go to EWTN.com and watch it live online (click on Television and follow the prompts).

Fr. Z reports that Cardinal Canizares - the Prefect of the CDW was held up due to VISA problems and won't be there.


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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

White House: Obama will have frank talk on abortion with Pope

In just over two hours, President Obama will be meeting Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. From LifeNews:

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The White House is saying that pro-abortion President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Catholic Church, will have a "frank' talk on abortion when they meet on Friday. Obama is currently in Italy for the Group of Eight summit and the two will meet after the conference concludes.

"I think there will be a frank discussion [about abortion]," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One, according to an AP report.

On subject like abortion where Obama is out of step with the pro-life teachings of the Catholic faith, Gibbs said "even if we don't see eye to eye on everything, there are steps that can be taken on a number of issues that will show progress, whether it's on something like unintended pregnancy or adoption."

Gibbs said the pontiff is "somebody that gets to see a lot of the world, and I think getting his continued support for these efforts is obviously important."

....continue reading at LifeNews


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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Horrific tragedy in nearby Canton, MI as train hits car with 5 teens

CARLOS OSORIO/Associated Press

Five people were killed, all believed to be teens, when the vehicle they were in was struck by an Amtrak train bound for Chicago from Dearborn, Michigan. No one on the train was hurt by the accident. After four hours, passengers were transported back to Dearborn where they were put on buses for Chicago.

Investigators say that it appears the teens attempted to go around the gates.

Pray for the repose of their souls, as well as for all those affected by their deaths.

Related Links:

• 5 Teens killed trying to beat train... Detroit Free Press
• Local ABC affiliate with video coverage
  

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Oh...my gosh! Justice Ginsburg: I thought 'Roe' was to rid undesireables...

Unbelievable.....

In an astonishing admission, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she was under the impression that legalizing abortion with the 1973 Roe. v. Wade case would eliminate undesirable members of the populace, or as she put it "populations that we don’t want to have too many of."

Go read it in full at World Net Daily, "Ginsburg: I thought 'Roe' was to rid undesireables"

H/T to Fr. Z and Sancte Pater


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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

A short collection of analytical reading of dissident news articles

Fr. Z has been analyzing some recent articles from dissident sources (in particular, women religious who have their dander up over the apostolic visitation of active orders).

Here are two worth reading, with the first one having just been posted:

• Women religious in discontinuity
• US women (progressivist) religious defy Vatican Visitation

Similarly, you may be interested to read more analyses by Fr. Z on other issues. While there are more positive things to read, it is purely educational to see how dissidents twist things to sow the seeds of confusion. How I wish I would have had the understanding of the faith I now have, back in the 70's and 80's when priests, religious and theologians were trying pass off similar fluff as Catholicism.

• NCR's attack on the Year for Priests: Heresy and arrogance
• Anxious NCR editorial - They KNOW they are losing and they are terrified
• Response to America Magazine's editorial: "Community of Disciples"
  

Visit his site regularly to get read more like this

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

Canadian Archbishop gives Holy Communion to non-Catholic Prime Minister

For my non-Catholic readers, we Catholics believe that the Eucharist (Holy Communion) is the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (see the scriptural basis for this at Catholic Answers)

Can you imagine that an American archbishop would not know that President Bush, or current President, Barack Obama, are not Catholic and should not be given Holy Communion?

Well, Canadian Archbishop, Andre Richard of Moncton, New Brunswick, distributed Communion to the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper - an evangelical protestant - who did not consume the Eucharist within the video footage shown. Various sources are claiming that the Consecrated Host went into the pocket of the PM, but this cannot be proven by what is seen. However, what did Mr. Harper do with Our Lord? His staff is claiming that the Eucharist was consumed by Mr. Harper after he was out of view.

When I watched the video, I saw what appeared to be an awkward approach by the Prime Minister. He puts one hand out, while in the other hand is, perhaps, a program. Catholics typically do not receive this way. Archbishop Richard does look up momentarily before putting the Host into the hand of the PM. Harper's hand never goes up to his mouth, but drops to his side.

At Assumption Grotto during weddings and funerals, the priests typically address those present immediately following the homily, explaining that only baptized Catholics who are in communion with the Catholic Church, accepting of her teachings and properly disposed, should present themselves. Then, they explain what it means to be properly disposed.

This is rarely seen in the vast majority of parishes.....unfortunately.

It was wrong for the PM to present himself, but it's possible, with all of the ambiguity coming from Catholic pulpits these days (and winks & nods given offline), that there was ignorance on his part that he was doing something offensive. One report suggests he asked a Catholic what to do with it following Mass which, if true, is a manifestation of the sad position in which this Protestant was put when he was not denied or offered a simple blessing instead (a manner of denying Holy Communion that is not condescending, and recognizes the awkward position some may be in when an entire pew is emptied into procession).

The Toronto Star quotes Archdiocese of Toronto spokesman Neil McCarthy, who stated (my comments bracketed in red; emphases in bold; I have changed, to capital letters, all references to the Eucharist which are bracketed):

...that Harper should not have accepted the [C]ommunion given that he isn't Roman Catholic [was this explained to him during the Mass]?

"In the Roman Catholic faith we say that Roman Catholics are the only ones who should present themselves for [C]ommunion because we believe that are actually consuming the [B]ody and [B]lood of Jesus Christ," he told the Toronto Star. [was this explained during the Mass]?

MacCarthy said he is sure Harper meant no disrespect but should have politely declined by crossing his arms over his chest [and he would know to do this how? Was it explained?] "We encourage those who are non-Catholic ... to present themselves for a blessing (instead)," he said. [Again....was this explained during the liturgy, which is where it should be explained. If it was, and the PM still presented himself, then we can shift some blame to him. Otherwise, it is most charitable to assume he didn't know any better].

Responsibility falls with the celebrant of the Mass (or other priest who steps out as Fr. Perrone sometimes does when other priests have the liturgy) and those distributing Communion. They must protect not only the Eucharist, but others from participating in scandal. As for the Archbishop, please pray for him, especially, if he was aware that he was giving the Eucharist to someone who was not in Communion with the Catholic Church.

Here is the video, and below you will find some posts and news coverage links from around the internet.

Further Reading:

• Canadian Communion Blunder (Ed Peters, JD, JCD)
• Catholics demand explanation for PM pocketing communion wafer at LeBlanc funeral (Canada East Telegraph-Journal)
• Canadian Non-Catholic PM and a consecrated Host (Fr. Z)
• American Papist blogs the story
  

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!