A Challenge to Life: Quarrel in Rome

There seems to be a disagreement in Rome over the life of an unborn baby, whether it was appropriate to abort the life or to save it to less the emotional pain of the parties involved.

Now that seems weird to have this particular argument with the Rome leaders. Catholic Culture brings this argument into focus.

An Important Quarrel in Rome
You probably remember the case of the abortions performed on the Brazilian girl who was impregnated with twins by her step-father last year. Archbishop José Cardoso Sobrinho publicly stated that the doctors who performed the abortions would incur excommunication. But the President of the Pontifical Academy for life then wrote an essay in L’Osservatore Romano in which he sharply criticized Archbishop Sobrinho for an alleged lack of sensitivity to the difficulties of the situation, especially for the girl. Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella argued that the Church would have been better served by a strong display of mercy and tenderness rather than a pronouncement of justice.
MORE

Elton John: "Jesus was a Gay Man"

Oh brother, another celebrity interpretation of who Jesus is. Most of the time it's an explanation that usually justifies their life style.

According to Elton, yup you guessed it. Jesus was a Gay Man.

Elton John Says Jesus Christ Was Gay

He's made some crazy statements in the past, but pop singer Elton John now claims Jesus Christ was gay.

In an interview scheduled to be published by Parade magazine this Sunday, John says, "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems,

MORE

Our Jewish Roots - Catholicism

Just finished a great book by Taylor Marshall - 'The Crucified Rabbi, Judaism and the Origins of Christianity'

JPII And Pius XII Declared 'Venerable'

Looking for some good news....

The Vatican has declared Pope John Paul II and Pope Pius XII 'Venerable' on their way to sainthood.

AmP has the story:

Vatican: John Paul II and Pius XII declared Venerable!!!

Pope Benedict XVI has signed a decree recognizing the late Pope John Paul II's life of “heroic virtue.” With his signature, Benedict XVI throws the door wide open to the beatification of the much-loved Polish Pontiff and gives him the title "Venerable."

On Saturday morning, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints led by Archbishop Angelo Amato met with Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate their 40th anniversary as a dicastery of the Holy See and to present decrees for papal approval. Pope John Paul II's name was among the Congregation's nominations for those possessing “heroic virtue.”
MORE

Politico Shows It's Anti-Catholic Colors

Catholic Bashing by the Politico with allegations of Racism because it voices it's teachings on abortion.

...oh and anti-woman as well.

Creative Minority has a post on the article.

Politico: Church is Racist and Anti-Woman
I present to you as a gift the most ridiculous and just laughably bad attempt to slime the Catholic Church by The Politico in weeks.

But this attack on the Church is just so poorly done that I literally laughed out loud on reading it. You've got to check it out. The whole thing is ludicrous but you at least have to read the first two sentences. Here's the first sentence:

Thirty-three years ago this fall, a bitter, race-tinged fight over abortion matched Roman Catholic bishops and the House against the nation’s first popularly elected black senator, Republican Ed Brooke of Massachusetts. MORE

New Book: Life After Death - Dinish D'Souza

Dinish D'Souza is one of my favorite debaters when it comes to answering the arguments from Atheists.

I've viewed many of his debates which he approaches from using mostly Non-Biblical sources and argumentation. More from a 'proof-by-reason' approach.

He's book 'What's so great about Christianity' does a fine job of explaining Christianity from this Faith/Reason method.

Dinish now has a new book, which I just picked up. It's entitled 'Life After Death'.

Here's what amazon.com summary says:

Unlike many books about the afterlife, Life after Death makes no appeal to religious faith, divine revelation, or sacred texts. Drawing on some of the most powerful theories and trends in physics, evolutionary biology, science, philosophy, and psychology, D Souza shows why the atheist critique of immortality is irrational and draws the striking conclusion that it is reasonable to believe in life after death. He concludes by showing how life after death can give depth and significance to this life, a path to happiness, and reason for hope.

The forward is by Rick Warren

“A brilliant investigation of the fascinating and crucial issue of what happens when we die. It is an inquiry conducted on the basis of scholarship and reason and it provides a convincing answer that is explosive in its impact.”--RICK WARREN, author of The Purpose Driven® Life

Greta on Foxnews interviews Dinish. Here's a link with a short video:

Author Dinesh D'Souza Says Life After Death Can be Proved

Conservative author Dinesh D'Souza recently spoke with Fox's Greta Van Susteren about his new book "Life After Death: The Evidence," in which he purports that documented cases of near death experiences give true, scientific credence to the prospect of an afterlife.

MORE

I'm looking forward to reading it.

Book Review:

Human Events

Author Dinesh D’Souza doesn’t approach the subject of life after death as a man of faith might in his latest book -- even though he is just that.

Instead, he tackles the biggest question facing mankind as any skeptical scholar would in Life After Death: The Evidence. The new book earns him the admiration of none other than avowed atheist Christopher Hitchens, which whom he has famously squabbled with on amicable terms.

Life After Death squares off against the naysayers, scientists and non-believers regarding the afterlife in D’Souza’s gentle, pragmatic style. He sets any direct notions of fire and brimstone aside, aiming not for the true believer but for those open minded enough to consider a rational argument for life after death that doesn’t rely on blind faith or wishful thinking. MORE

Anglicans Come Home - Continuing Coverage

More coverage on the (Traditional) Anglican entrance into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Some say Yea, some say Nea...

I'm all for it!

Three dubious and curious conclusions - InsideScoop

Yesterday's announcement from Rome was quite stunning and historical, and much ink is being spilled, opinions rendered, and spleens ruptured (at last metaphorically) as every stripe of Catholic, Anglican, human, and other biological life form takes aim, makes claim, and—in some cases—cries, "Shame!" Amid the spilling, rupturing, and aiming, here are three negative, even sulking, pieces that caught my attention: MORE

Benedict XVI opens door wide to Anglicans seeking full communion...

In a meeting with journalists held this morning in the Holy See Press Office Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia O.P., secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, presented a note on a new measure concerning "Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering the Catholic Church".
MORE

Open Thread: Anglican-Catholic Reunification - AmP

Here are the posts AmP published yesterday on the issue of the Vatican announcing special pastoral provisions for traditional Anglicans to be received back into the Catholic Church: MORE

Anglicans Coming! - Catholic Culture

The Holy See took the ecumenical imperative out of the hands of ecumenists, with the result that the reunion of Christians -- at least in one limited area of schism -- ensued. From the Vatican website:
MORE

Traditional Anglicans Come Home to Catholic Church!

Fantastic news from the Vatican. B16 has announced a 'structure' in which Traditional Anglicans can enter into full communion into the church!


In a press release from the Vatican the announcement came:

“In this Apostolic Constitution the Holy Father has introduced a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony.”

This is monumental. Stay tuned for more details.

B16 - “Jesus in fact is not contented by a merely superficial or formal belonging; an initial and enthusiastic adhesion is not enough for him,”

Benedict XVI on the 'Paradox of Faith'.

“On the one hand, there are philosophies and ideologies, but also on an increasing scale, ways of thinking and acting that extol the freedom of man as the only principle, as an alternative to God, and thus transform man into a god, whose system of behavior is of an arbitrary nature,” Benedict XVI explained. “On the other hand, we note the saints, who, practicing the Gospel of love, make reason of their hope, show the true face of God who is love, and at the same time, the true face of man, created in the image and likeness of God.”

Substituting God for an ideology of 'Man can do anything', that there is no longer a need for God and man can control his own destiny, his own greatness is false.

It will only lead to his demise.

“Jesus in fact is not contented by a merely superficial or formal belonging; an initial and enthusiastic adhesion is not enough for him,” he said. “On the contrary, we must take part in ‘his thinking and his will’ throughout our entire life.”

At the same time we can't just belong to the Catholic church without living the faith. We can't just pick and choose what teachings we want to follow and ones we don't.

We need to use the lives of the saint as an example of how to live out our faith in our daily lives.

Benedict nails it again. What a teacher.

Benedict and the Paradox of Faith

The Jesuit Problem

It's no secret that the Jesuit Congregation, once staunch defenders of the Catholic Church, is starting to 'change' for some reason.

We've seen it mostly in the Catholic University institutions they helped build, as in the most resent Notre Dame scandal. And I've been noticing it in theological opinions in the Catholic news, with support for 'women in the priesthood', support of gay marriage, of stem cell research, even abortion.

The exact opposite of what the church teaches. I don't know what's the cause of this, modernism, relativism, I just don't know. There are more learned people that can articulate this and with more authority than I can.

But as lay Catholic, I believe this is becoming a big problem. A problem because it appears that the church flock is being mislead by a few of it's supposed protectors and shepherds. People are now starting to rationalize there going against the church by siding to these dissenters.

What's the Church to do. We can look to the Vatican for answers, which we should do and not stray from. But all to often we realize that the wheels of the church grind slowly, though when they do grind... they grind to a pulp.

We as a lay Catholics need to have our wits about us. We need to question the sources. To study our faith, pray for our church and it's leaders and shepherds.

Here's another case in point.

Father Donal Godfrey, a prominent Jesuit University Official is to speak at a gay-rights Dignity conference. This organization Dignity USA opposes the Magisterium's teaching on the grave immorality of homosexual acts. Now I hope that Fr. Godfrey is there to share the true teachings of the church, of it's love for all, forgiveness and understanding, but firmly against the practices of the the homosexual life style.

But I doubt it.

Prominent Jesuit University Official To Speak At Gay-Rights Dignity Conference

The Catholic Church is also looking at the various Congregations of Sister in the U.S. . The Vatican did this 'looking into' , reviewing, whatever you want to call it, of the U.S. Seminaries following the priest scandal.

They needed to do this, and in my opinion they need to review the good sisters as well. The Sisters numbers in America have gone down drastically, as with the priest in the US, and the Vatican wants to get a full understanding of what's going on.

The Sisters have done, and continue to do great work in our parishes and communities. Sometimes it hard to see their accomplishments... especially when you don't know who they are since many don't wear habits anymore.

The good sisters have their dissenters as well. Just read the NCR and some of their stories and contributors.

The NYTimes is reporting this one:

U.S. Nuns Facing Vatican Scrutiny

Some sisters are not happy campers at all, and oppose this 'Vatican intrusion'. Just ask Sr. Sandra M. Schneiders professor emerita of New Testament and spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, in California. she urges her fellow nuns not to participate in the Vatican visits to the various congregations.

Well, again lets pray for the religious and pray for vocations. We have many wonderful priest, deacons, bothers, sisters and nuns.

A few bad apples doesn't spoil the whole bunch.