Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto and the defeat of the mighty Turkish navy through the intercession of Our Lady and the power of the Rosary. In the picture notice the flag of the ship of the Order of Malta in the lower left corner.

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto and the defeat of the mighty Turkish navy through the intercession of Our Lady and the power of the Rosary. In the picture notice the flag of the ship of the Order of Malta in the lower left corner.

Archbishop Chaput's Fine Response To Cardinal Cottier

Archbishop Chaput from Denver has written an excellent letter in response to Cardinal Cottier's remarks about the Notre Dame scandal involving Pres. Obama. Here are some of the points the Archbishop made but I urge you to read the rest of the article at Catholic News Agency.

First, resistance to President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame had nothing to do with whether he is a good or bad man. He is obviously a gifted man. He has many good moral and political instincts, and an admirable devotion to his family. These things matter. But unfortunately, so does this: The President’s views on vital bioethical issues, including but not limited to abortion, differ sharply from Catholic teaching. This is why he has enjoyed the strong support of major “abortion rights” groups for many years. Much is made, in some religious circles, of the President’s sympathy for Catholic social teaching. But defense of the unborn child is a demand of social justice. There is no “social justice” if the youngest and weakest among us can be legally killed. Good programs for the poor are vital, but they can never excuse this fundamental violation of human rights.

Second, at a different moment and under different circumstances, the conflict at Notre Dame might have faded away if the university had simply asked the President to give a lecture or public address. But at a time when the American bishops as a body had already voiced strong concern about the new administration’s abortion policies, Notre Dame not only made the President the centerpiece of its graduation events, but also granted him an honorary doctorate of laws – this, despite his deeply troubling views on abortion law and related social issues.

The real source of Catholic frustration with President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame was his overt, negative public voting and speaking record on abortion and other problematic issues. By its actions, Notre Dame ignored and violated the guidance of America’s bishops in their 2004 document, “Catholics in Political Life.” In that text, the bishops urged Catholic institutions to refrain from honoring public officials who disagreed with Church teaching on grave matters.

Thus, the fierce debate in American Catholic circles this spring over the Notre Dame honor for Mr. Obama was not finally about partisan politics. It was about serious issues of Catholic belief, identity and witness – triggered by Mr. Obama’s views -- which Cardinal Cottier, writing from outside the American context, may have misunderstood.

Third, the Cardinal wisely notes points of contact between President Obama’s frequently stated search for political “common ground” and the Catholic emphasis on pursing the “common good.” These goals – seeking common ground and pursuing the common good – can often coincide. But they are not the same thing. They can sharply diverge in practice. So-called “common ground” abortion policies may actually attack the common good because they imply a false unity; they create a ledge of shared public agreement too narrow and too weak to sustain the weight of a real moral consensus. The common good is never served by tolerance for killing the weak – beginning with the unborn.

Archbishop Chaput's Fine Response To Cardinal Cottier

Archbishop Chaput from Denver has written an excellent letter in response to Cardinal Cottier's remarks about the Notre Dame scandal involving Pres. Obama. Here are some of the points the Archbishop made but I urge you to read the rest of the article at Catholic News Agency.

First, resistance to President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame had nothing to do with whether he is a good or bad man. He is obviously a gifted man. He has many good moral and political instincts, and an admirable devotion to his family. These things matter. But unfortunately, so does this: The President’s views on vital bioethical issues, including but not limited to abortion, differ sharply from Catholic teaching. This is why he has enjoyed the strong support of major “abortion rights” groups for many years. Much is made, in some religious circles, of the President’s sympathy for Catholic social teaching. But defense of the unborn child is a demand of social justice. There is no “social justice” if the youngest and weakest among us can be legally killed. Good programs for the poor are vital, but they can never excuse this fundamental violation of human rights.

Second, at a different moment and under different circumstances, the conflict at Notre Dame might have faded away if the university had simply asked the President to give a lecture or public address. But at a time when the American bishops as a body had already voiced strong concern about the new administration’s abortion policies, Notre Dame not only made the President the centerpiece of its graduation events, but also granted him an honorary doctorate of laws – this, despite his deeply troubling views on abortion law and related social issues.

The real source of Catholic frustration with President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame was his overt, negative public voting and speaking record on abortion and other problematic issues. By its actions, Notre Dame ignored and violated the guidance of America’s bishops in their 2004 document, “Catholics in Political Life.” In that text, the bishops urged Catholic institutions to refrain from honoring public officials who disagreed with Church teaching on grave matters.

Thus, the fierce debate in American Catholic circles this spring over the Notre Dame honor for Mr. Obama was not finally about partisan politics. It was about serious issues of Catholic belief, identity and witness – triggered by Mr. Obama’s views -- which Cardinal Cottier, writing from outside the American context, may have misunderstood.

Third, the Cardinal wisely notes points of contact between President Obama’s frequently stated search for political “common ground” and the Catholic emphasis on pursing the “common good.” These goals – seeking common ground and pursuing the common good – can often coincide. But they are not the same thing. They can sharply diverge in practice. So-called “common ground” abortion policies may actually attack the common good because they imply a false unity; they create a ledge of shared public agreement too narrow and too weak to sustain the weight of a real moral consensus. The common good is never served by tolerance for killing the weak – beginning with the unborn.

Hollywood Elite Wants Pervert Released

The moral vaccuum that is Hollywood sees a number of its stars calling for the release of the pervert/child rapist Roman Polanski who was arrested in Switzerland. While they spare no quarter in calling for heads of child abusing priests they find it an outrage that the U.S. government has continued to pursue the rapist Polanski who fled the country after pleading guilty to sex with a 13 year old girl because he was afraid the judge was going to throw the book at him. Here is what Whoopi Goldberg had to say,

Whoopi Goldberg used her spot on ABC's "The View" to try to clear up the record regarding the crime to which Polanski pleaded guilty in 1978.

"I know it wasn't 'rape' rape. I think it was something else, but I don't believe it was 'rape' rape," said Goldberg, dismissing the possibility that Polanski had forced himself on anyone.

"He pled guilty to having sex with a minor and he went to jail, and when they let him out (on bail, pending sentencing), he said, 'You know what, this guy's going to give me 100 years in jail. I'm not staying.' And that's why he left.

Hollywood Elite Wants Pervert Released

The moral vaccuum that is Hollywood sees a number of its stars calling for the release of the pervert/child rapist Roman Polanski who was arrested in Switzerland. While they spare no quarter in calling for heads of child abusing priests they find it an outrage that the U.S. government has continued to pursue the rapist Polanski who fled the country after pleading guilty to sex with a 13 year old girl because he was afraid the judge was going to throw the book at him. Here is what Whoopi Goldberg had to say,

Whoopi Goldberg used her spot on ABC's "The View" to try to clear up the record regarding the crime to which Polanski pleaded guilty in 1978.

"I know it wasn't 'rape' rape. I think it was something else, but I don't believe it was 'rape' rape," said Goldberg, dismissing the possibility that Polanski had forced himself on anyone.

"He pled guilty to having sex with a minor and he went to jail, and when they let him out (on bail, pending sentencing), he said, 'You know what, this guy's going to give me 100 years in jail. I'm not staying.' And that's why he left.

Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Tip o' the hat to Fr.'s Ray Blake and Fr. Z.

The Wrecks of Walsingham

[attributed to Sir Philip Howard]

In the wrecks of Walsingham
Whom should I choose
But the Queen of Walsingham
to be my guide and muse!

Then, the Prince of Walsingham,
Grant me to frame
Bitter plaints to rue thy wrong,
Bitter woe for thy name.

Bitter was it, O to see
The silly sheep
Murdered by the ravenous wolves
While the shepherd did sleep.

Bitter was it, O to view
The sacred vine,
Whilst the gardeners played all close,
Rooted up by the swine.

Bitter, bitter, O to behold
The grass to grow
Where the walls of Walsingham
So stately did show.

Such were the worth of Walsingham
While she did stand,
Such are the wrecks as now do show
Of that Holy Land.

Level, level, with the ground
The towers do lie,
Which, with their golden glittering tops,
Pierced out to the sky.

Where were gates are no gates now,
The ways unknown
Where the press of friars did pass
While her fame was blown.

Owls do screech where the sweetest hymns
Lately were sung,
Toads and serpents hold their dens
Where thepalmers did throng.

Weep, weep O Walsingham,
Whose days are nights,B
lessings turned to blasphemies,
Holy deeds to despites.

Sin is where Our Lady sat,
Heaven is turned to hell,
Satan sits where Our Lady did sway—
Walsingham, O farewell!.

Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Tip o' the hat to Fr.'s Ray Blake and Fr. Z.

The Wrecks of Walsingham

[attributed to Sir Philip Howard]

In the wrecks of Walsingham
Whom should I choose
But the Queen of Walsingham
to be my guide and muse!

Then, the Prince of Walsingham,
Grant me to frame
Bitter plaints to rue thy wrong,
Bitter woe for thy name.

Bitter was it, O to see
The silly sheep
Murdered by the ravenous wolves
While the shepherd did sleep.

Bitter was it, O to view
The sacred vine,
Whilst the gardeners played all close,
Rooted up by the swine.

Bitter, bitter, O to behold
The grass to grow
Where the walls of Walsingham
So stately did show.

Such were the worth of Walsingham
While she did stand,
Such are the wrecks as now do show
Of that Holy Land.

Level, level, with the ground
The towers do lie,
Which, with their golden glittering tops,
Pierced out to the sky.

Where were gates are no gates now,
The ways unknown
Where the press of friars did pass
While her fame was blown.

Owls do screech where the sweetest hymns
Lately were sung,
Toads and serpents hold their dens
Where thepalmers did throng.

Weep, weep O Walsingham,
Whose days are nights,B
lessings turned to blasphemies,
Holy deeds to despites.

Sin is where Our Lady sat,
Heaven is turned to hell,
Satan sits where Our Lady did sway—
Walsingham, O farewell!.

Canonization Cause of Bishop Sheen on EWTN Live

On Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. Eastern time, Msgr. Stanley Deptula the Executive Director for the Archbishop Sheen Foundation will be a guest on EWTN Live to discuss the Cause for Canonization of Bishop Sheen. Tune in Wednesday or check listings for encores of the show, Thursday and Sunday.

Canonization Cause of Bishop Sheen on EWTN Live

On Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. Eastern time, Msgr. Stanley Deptula the Executive Director for the Archbishop Sheen Foundation will be a guest on EWTN Live to discuss the Cause for Canonization of Bishop Sheen. Tune in Wednesday or check listings for encores of the show, Thursday and Sunday.