Get ready to indulge yourself

Vatican, Nov. 29 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI has declared a plenary indulgence for Catholics who honor the Virgin Mary on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8.

The indulgence declared by Pope Benedict may be obtained by those who "participate in a sacred function in honor of the Virgin, or at least least offer open testimony of Marian devotion before an image of Mary Immaculate exposed for public veneration, adding the recitation of the Our Father and of the Creed, and some invocation to the Virgin."

More HERE.

Martyrdom of St. Andrew

RIBERA, Jusepe de
(b. 1591, Játiva, d. 1652, Napoli)

COLLECT

Lord, in your kindness hear our petitions. You called Andrew the apostle to preach the gospel and guide your Church in faith. May he always be our friend in your presence to help us with his prayers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Go HERE for more about St. Andrew.

Vatican cardinal ordains priests in Hanoi

(BBC photo)

THE BBC reports ...

Fifty-seven priests were ordained in a ceremony outside Hanoi Cathedral.

Vietnam's Communist rulers insist on strict controls over how Catholics in the country worship.

But correspondents say ties are gradually improving between the government and the Roman Catholic church.

Go HERE for more.

From the man who would be pope

JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME

What can the third fall of Jesus under the Cross say to us? We have considered the fall of man in general, and the falling of many Christians away from Christ and into a godless secularism. Should we not also think of how much Christ suffers in his own Church? How often is the holy sacrament of his Presence abused, how often must he enter empty and evil hearts! How often do we celebrate only ourselves, without even realizing that he is there! How often is his Word twisted and misused! What little faith is present behind so many theories, so many empty words! How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him! How much pride, how much self-complacency! What little respect we pay to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where he waits for us, ready to raise us up whenever we fall! All this is present in his Passion. His betrayal by his disciples, their unworthy reception of his Body and Blood, is certainly the greatest suffering endured by the Redeemer; it pierces his heart. We can only call to him from the depths of our hearts: Kyrie eleison ­ Lord, save us (cf. Mt 8: 25).

From Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's Good Friday meditations (2005)

Let us pray ever more fervently for our bishops and priests, faithful and unfaithful!

Finally.

Nov. 29 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican today officially released an Instruction barring the admission of homosexual men into priestly training. Go HERE.

'Throw it on the fire and watch it burn'

HERE is one priest's advice for liturgical reform. You know what? He's right.

Authentic pastoral care for homosexual persons

Clayton Emmer has a great post on the subject. Go HERE.

Dr. Bill and the bishops

Philip Lawler writing in December 2002 about the U.S. Bishops' meeting in Dallas, mentions Dr. Bill Mochon, teacher on human sexuality to L.A. catechists as well as co-director of Cardinal Mahony's MLGC ('Ministry to Lesbian and Gay Catholics'). Addressing the "gay-priest" question, Lawler writes:

From April through June, when the US bishops gathered in Dallas, the mass media gave heavy coverage to questions about homosexuality among American clerics. Although the scandal facing the American Church was ubiquitously described as involving "pedophilia" or "child abuse," honest reporters were unable to ignore the fact that in the vast majority of reported cases, the sexual misconduct of priests involved young men. During press conferences in Dallas, reporters persistently questioned bishops about their plans for addressing the issue. Would they exclude homosexual applicants from their seminaries? Would they refuse to ordain men with homosexual tendencies?

However, the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was curiously silent about the issue of homosexuality. And in the weeks following their Dallas meeting, the American bishops showed no interest in following up on the suggestion that had been made--and ratified by Bishop Gregory--during the April meeting in Rome. Several Vatican officials have repeated their argument that homosexual men should not be ordained to the priesthood, but the issue has not been addressed by the American hierarchy.

In July, a revealing article published by a gay-activist magazine shed an interesting light on the American bishops' silence. The Advocate, in an article entitled "The Dangerous Lives of Gay Priests," offered this perspective on the Dallas meeting:

"It [the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People] was almost anticlimactic for those of us expecting the gay issue to be a big battle," says Bill Mochon, an openly gay Los Angeles psychologist who has counseled priests accused of abusing minors. Mochon attended the bishops' conference as part of a panel of psychologists and psychiatrists. "Our job was to educate the bishops on the psychology of sexual abuse," he says. The fact that gay priests were not singled out in the adopted statement, says Mochon, "is a clear indication that the bishops finally got the message that sexual orientation is not an element of sexual abuse."

If that analysis is accurate, then once again the American bishops are apparently prepared to accept a conclusion radically at odds with the position adopted by the Vatican and the US cardinals in April.

Dr. Bill Mochon, who is undergoing training for the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was chosen by DIGNITY to be a speaker at one of their recent conventions.

Why did Father Walker walk?

More on the Arizona priest who resigned because of alleged "'aggressive anti-gay positions' coming from the pope in Rome and bishop in Phoenix."

THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports ...

He said that Olmsted has been "aggressively anti-gay," unlike previous bishops, and that the Vatican also has taken anti-gay positions.

Among them:

• In 2000, the Vatican suspended the Rev. Robert Nugent, Walker's colleague in the Salvatorian order, from continuing a ministry to gays and lesbians in Washington, D.C.

• The Vatican is visiting American Catholic seminaries to assess their treatment of gay candidates, directly as a result of the clergy abuse scandal.

• Olmsted rejected the pro-gay Phoenix Declaration, signed by nine Catholic priests, after his two predecessors made no such move. He required the signers to revoke their support or risk their jobs. Walker did not sign.

• Finally, according to Walker, a Phoenix-area priest, whom he declined to identify, lost his job as pastor recently because of his homosexuality, a reason not disclosed by the diocese. Adamson said he knew nothing about that.

The article quotes Father Carpenter, a Mesa priest who is sympathetic to the cause of Father Walker:

"... Walker could be the first of many to step aside. He added that any priest who discloses that he is gay 'risks immediate reprisals.'"

If this is true, I wonder what will happen to THIS - PRIEST?

Bye bye, guy

THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports ...

A Catholic priest in Mesa has resigned as a pastor because of "aggressive anti-gay positions" coming from the pope in Rome and bishop in Phoenix.

The Rev. Leonard Walker, 58, who as pastor was chief executive of Queen of Peace church, is the first priest in the Phoenix Diocese to resign over church treatment of gay men, specifically a new Vatican document aimed at keeping gay men out of the priesthood.

Walker declined to disclose his sexual orientation, but he said he was no longer comfortable "wearing the uniform" of the priesthood.

"It's like a Jew wearing a Nazi uniform," Walker said. "I could no longer stay in that institution with any amount of integrity."

Go HERE for full story.

Well, there goes a guy with at least some integrity. He should be commended for being honest (he doesn't believe what the Church teaches) and for leaving (he has our prayers and will need them).

Straight talk on homosexuality

Boston archbishop Sean O'Malley has issued a pastoral letter about how the Church views homosexual persons. The letter was read at all Masses in the Archdiocese last Sunday. O'Malley's words are clear and at the same time full of tenderness toward those who bear the heavy burden of same-sex attraction. He writes:

We know that friends and relatives of homosexual Catholics sometimes feel torn between their allegiance to Christ and their concern for their loved ones. I assure them that these goals are not incompatible. As Catholics we profess a firm belief in the dignity of each person and in the eternal destiny to which God calls us. Calling people to embrace the cross of discipleship, to live the commandments and at the same time assuring them that we love them as brothers and sisters can be difficult. Sometimes we are told: “If you do not accept my behavior, you do not love me.”In reality we must communicate the exact opposite: “Because we love you, we cannot accept your behavior.”

Finally, a shepherd who is not afraid to tell it like it is. Would that it were so in L.A.

Note that the Archbishop avoids the use of politicized language like 'gay' and 'lesbian,' but uses instead language which respects the dignity of each individual human person. "The Church," he writes, "has often warned against defining people by their sexual orientation in a way that diminishes their humanity. Each person is a mystery, an irreplaceable treasure, precious in God’s eye. We are God’s creatures and in baptism we are His sons and daughters, brothers and sisters to one another."

Read the entire pastoral letter HERE. It is brief and a worthy read.

See the Catechism of the Catholic Church on homosexuality.

Pride in turning twenty

Mahony's 'Lesbian and Gay' ministry celebrates an anniversary

THE TIDINGS reports ...

This winter, the Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Catholics (MLGC) will celebrate 20 years of ministering to homosexual Catholics and their families in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles ...

What is meant by "ministering to homosexual Catholics" is not readily clear. There is so much to unpack for you from this article, but alas, I haven't the time just now. Suffice it to say that:

• MLGC was founded by Cardinal Roger Mahony and Father Peter Liuzzi. Liuzzi is a former chaplain for DIGNITY (website), according to the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries (NACDLGM, scroll down and look for Liuzzi) .
• The director or coordinator of MLGC (according to the TIDINGS piece) is Fran Ruth, an avowed homosexual who is on staff at St. Genevieve High School in Panorama City.
• The chaplain is none other than Father Ponnet.
• And while the article does not acknowledge that former seminarian Dr. Bill Mochon co-directs MLGC with Ruth, it does mention in the subscript of their joint photo that he is a deacon candidate for the Archdiocese. What we are not told is THIS (scroll down).

More to come ...

See related post: Connect the dots

Photo credits: Ellie Hidalgo/THE TIDINGS

L.A. preaching

Father Kevin Kester of St. Bede's Church in La Cañada obviously considers himself a good preacher, but he doesn't like the preaching of his boss. Here's what he had to say in a recent homily ...

I went to a chrism Mass a few years ago. That's the Mass where the Cardinal blesses the oils. It's on Monday of Holy Week. I confess I really don't enjoy listening to the Cardinal preach. But this time I paid close attention and he really gave a very good homily, very nice words. But as I was listening I thought the man speaks in a monotone and his voice is pitched a little too high for someone who is as tall as he is and I think his voice gets in the way of his preaching. Uh. He may have a great message to give, but God didn't give him a really good gift of presenting that message. Uh. And if he were to ask for a gift that might be it. His giftedness in being Cardinal and bishop lies in other areas and he's doing an O.K. job. I'm not here to complain about the Cardinal at all but just to say that we have certain gifts. We have to use the gifts we have.

For once, Father Kester has said something true from the pulpit. He's right about the poor Cardinal, but I think he just may be delusional about himself.

You may listen to the entire homily HERE.

Here are other previously posted homilies of Father Kester:

-- The "I have a (pipe) dream" sermon. Click.

-- The "I don't believe everything the Catholic Church teaches" homily. Click.

-- The "I would not have voted for Ratzinger" homily. Click.

-- The "Rodney King" homily ("People, can't we just get along?"). Click.

-- The "Loosey-goosey Gospel" homily. Click.

-- The "What do Jeffrey Dahmer, a garbage disposal and the Eucharist have in common?" homily. Click.

Advent

Check out THE WEIGHT OF GLORY 'Advent Page' HERE.

McCarrick to sodomite priest and his 'partner', 'God bless you both!'

From THE STAR-LEDGER ...

Gargiulo said McCarrick told him he wanted him back as a priest, but that he would have to be celibate. Gargiulo told McCarrick he would not return.

"I said to him, 'I have to tell you that my partner is in the outer office, and if you'd like to come and meet him that would be fine, and if you don't, I understand that completely.'

"He said 'Oh no, I'll come out and meet him.' He came out, he shook his hand, he was very nice. He said, 'Mariano's worked very hard for us for many years, and you take care of him. And God bless you both.'

"I have to say, he's a gentleman. He truly is."

If celibate, why does 'gay' or 'straight' matter?

DIOGENES responds to an LA Times piece written by an ex-priest. Go HERE.

L.A. Masses

2003 Religious Education Congress "Black Culture" Mass

How was the "Hip Hop" Mass in your parish today?

'Dignity' condemns Vatican instruction

In a statement condemning the forthcoming Vatican instruction on the unsuitability of homosexual men as candidates for the priesthood, the leaders of DignityUSA, are calling upon bishops and those responsible for seminary admissions to simply ignore the document. They also encourage homosexual men "who have been called by God" to be "courageous" in seeking admission to the seminary.

DIGNITY ...

"In the face of this latest move by the Vatican, we remain hopeful that many Catholic seminaries will continue to admit and provide a welcoming environment for gay candidates for the priesthood."

Unfortunately, there are seminary "gatekeepers" like Father Charles Bouchard of the Aquinas Institute of Theology who, if allowed to stay in place, give the DIGNITY folks reason to hope.

DIGNITY ...

"Many American bishops recognize the outstanding contributions faithful gay priests and bishops have made and continue to make in service to the Church."

Apparently there are more than a few U.S. bishops who are in this "pro-homosexual priest" camp and who therefore would not be in agreement with the thrust of the Vatican instruction. Here is a short list.

Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, California.
Bishop William Skylstad, bishop of Spokane, Washington, and president of the USCCB.
Bishop Matthew Clark, bishop of Rochester, New York.
Bishop Patrick McGrath, bishop of San Jose, California.

Feel free to add to the list in the comments box.

I hate to say it, but I think Pope Benedict needs to start kicking ass.

Irish prelate okays 'gays' for priesthood

Dublin, Nov. 25 (CWNews.com) - The Archbishop of Dublin has said that homosexual men are not excluded from ordination as Catholic priests, according to a report in the Irish Times.

The archbishop's remarks on the Vatican document appeared to contradict the text of the Instruction from the Congregation for Catholic Education. But they matched previous statements from Archbishop Martin, who had earlier told The Tablet: "You don't write off a candidate for the priesthood simply because he is a gay man."

Full report HERE.

See related post: Woe to you who call evil good and good evil.

Mahony should be thankful he still has a job

LOS ANGELES TIMES' Steve Lopez ...

The archdiocese, now led by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, has been sued by more than 560 people for allegedly failing to protect children from abuse. Mahony refuses to turn over the files of accused priests despite demands from investigators.

This hasn't been a particularly good year for His Eminence. Prosecutors reopened a child-abuse investigation of a priest who remained in the ministry after telling Mahony he had molested children.

The priest, Michael Stephen Baker, reported his crimes to the cardinal in 1986. Rather than call the police, Mahony sent Baker for treatment, and he was later assigned to nine different parishes. Four of his alleged 23 molestations occurred after his confession to Mahony.

The cardinal removed Baker from the ministry in 2000 but didn't bother calling police until 2003.

The attorney for another former Los Angeles Archdiocese priest admitted last week that his client had molested 13 boys in the 1970s and '80s. The priest, Michael Edwin Wempe, is one of at least three priests accused of molesting children after Mahony sent them to therapy and then put them back in business ...

"For decades we've seen victims blamed, salacious journalists blamed, greedy civil attorneys and prosecutors blamed," [SNAP spokesperson, Mary] Grant said. "The root cause of this is not whether a priest is gay or straight, or even a child molester. It's because of the complicity of bishops who aided and abetted [molesters] and continue to aid and abet them."

On this holiday weekend, we can thank the Lord someone is willing to tell it like it is.

And church leaders, including Cardinal Mahony, can be thankful they've still got their jobs.

Read the entire piece HERE.

England's other 'queen' will 'tie the knot'

THE EVENING STANDARD reports ...

Sir Elton [John] and [David] Furnish, a Canadian-born film-maker, have been together for 12 years.

They will tie the knot on December 21, becoming one of the first same-sex couples to "marry" following the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act.

Tie the KNOT? No they're NOT. Tie all they will, it's just NOT possible.

It is possible, I suppose, however remotely so, that Elton could become a 'gay' deacon in L.A. We have those and more are waiting in the wings. Moreover, we heard from "the mouth of Todd" Himself that being 'gay' is not a problem in L.A. even for those who want to be priests.

Of course, Sir Elton would have to make a few adjustments like, become a Catholic and tone down his hatred for the pope. But, heck, queerer things have happened.

Deus Caritas Est

This is reportedly the title of Pope Benedict's first encyclical which is scheduled to appear on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I can't wait.

Goofball

Father Chris Ponnet at Mass in St. Camillus Chapel (TIDINGS photo)

Clayton Emmer's post on Father Ponnet's strange behavior at an Archdiocesan conference on human sexuality has elicited an illuminating response from someone who knew the HIV ministry, anti-death penalty, activist priest when he was stationed at Our Lady of the Assumption in Claremont.

From the comment box at THE WEIGHT OF GLORY ...

When my husband and I were living in Southern California, attending Our Lady of the Assumption parish in Claremont, Fr. Chris was the associate pastor. He was one guy who gave us great impetus to jump ship and join the nearest Protestant church. We stuck it out in the end thanks to the timely homily of a different priest in that parish, and eventually Fr. Chris was sent off to minister to AIDS patients as a hospital chaplain. I see that he hasn't changed much in all these years.

The first time I had my parents visit us in So-Cal, Fr. Chris celebrated Easter Mass and decided that instead of saying the responses, the priest and people would "clap" the responses. As in: One clap = The Lord be With You. Two claps = And also with you. It was the most unbearably corny, embarrassing, idiotic thing I've ever been forced to endure in a Mass - and I've seen plenty of foolish stuff in years of living all over the USA. On another occasion, Fr. Chris was giving a homily about the Jews grumbling in the desert. He kept shrieking the word "grumbling!" - when suddenly, he took off down the main aisle of the church, ran up the stairs into the choir loft and finished his shrieking homily standing at the railing above everyone. He then bolted back downstairs to the sanctuary and asked, "Did I make you uncomfortable just now?" I remember a lady next to me nudging me with her elbow, rolling her eyes and muttering, "Theatrics." Fr. Chris might argue that I still remember his homily to this day...but the fact is that I have no memory of what he was "preaching." I only remember the lunacy of him running all over the church and shrieking "grumbling!"

My husband and I grew so weary, also, that in every homily Fr. Chris always had to mention sexual orientation - and how God did not withhold his grace based upon one's sexual preference. We were amazed, as a young couple beginning to raise a family, that we always heard about the needs of those with SSA - but never a word about living family life as a man and woman raising children in today's world.

See related post: Sex in the City (of the Angels?)

The Instruction

Go HERE to view the "leaked" version.

Diogenes is pleasantly surprised

" ... the good news is that there are honest men out there with the guts to tell the truth about themselves and (in Cardinal George's words) to let the Church be the place where Christ changes them. They've got a document they can work with, and we've got a document we can defend."

Go HERE to read the entire post.

Connect the dots

M.L.G.C. ... DIGNITY



Clayton Emmer posted a comment over at the Openbook blogger that is too important to be overlooked. The subject is the November 12 conference on human sexuality (pdf file) sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Clayton was one of the attendees. He writes:

Just a taste of what the 30 or so catechists received in the presentation on Gay and Lesbian Catholics:

Dr. Bill Mochon (gay Catholic, aspiring permanent deacon for the archdiocese, and co-director of the Ministry to Gay and Lesbian Catholics) told us that the Bible has nothing to say about homosexuality. The OT passages were related to hospitality, and St. Paul's references were vestiges of the OT habit of avoiding all similarities with pagan practices.

I gather that Clayton is planning to post more details concerning this presentation. Until then, however, I cannot help but attempt to connect some of the dots, at least for myself.



The ludicrous assertion that the Old Testament passages about homosexuality are related to "hospitality" comes straight out of the DIGNITY playbook. DIGNITY considers itself a Catholic organization which is actively working to change the Church's clear and constant teaching that homosexual acts are always intrinsically disordered and gravely sinful.

In 1986, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a letter on the pastoral care of homosexual persons in which it was stated:

"All support should be withdrawn from any organizations which seek to undermine the teaching of the Church, which are ambiguous about it, or which neglect it entirely. Such support, or even the semblance of such support, [emphasis mine] can be gravely misinterpreted."

Yet the man to whom Cardinal Mahony has entrusted the delicate task of teaching catechists about human sexuality as well as co-direct the Archdiocese's M.L.G.C. ("Ministry to Lesbian and Catholics") is obviously a friend of DIGNITY. In fact, just two years ago, Dr. Mochon was one of the headliners at the DIGNITY convention in Las Vegas. Other speakers included Richard Sipe (darling of the "Keep the Faith, Change the Church" VOTF crowd); Brendan Fay (of ACT-UP New York infamy); and the ever recalcitrant Jesuit John McNeill (long-time 'gay' activist and DIGNITY member).

My question is: why is this man given a platform to teach catechists of the Archdiocese and minister to homosexual persons when only a short while ago he associated himself with an organization and with individuals who flagrantly opose the moral teachings of the Catholic Church?

Connect the dots.

This all fits in with what the LOS ANGELES TIMES reported regarding the Archdiocese's reaction to the soon to be released document on homosexuals and the priesthood:

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said the instructions would have little, if any, effect on how seminaries in the Los Angeles area admit candidates.

In Mahony's L.A., despite whatever Rome might say, it's always business as usual.

Related posts:

Openly 'gay' in Mahony's L.A.
Mahony's openly 'gay' deacon designs new website
A tangled web

Sexual orientation not an issue in L.A.

USA TODAY reports ...

Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, "has said over and over that he chooses potential priests by focusing on their ability to lead a holy, chaste life and the ability to lead other people closer to Jesus," archdiocese spokesman Tod Tamberg says.

"The seminary application process should treat all people and their gifts distinctly, with no variation based on orientation," he said.

For Chris and other young men discerning

"The priesthood is a life of sacrifice, it's a life of service, because it's the life of Our Lord ..."

"The priesthood is tough and it's for real men. You have to be a real man if you want to become a priest."

Click HERE (it takes a moment to download) for the inspirational video trailer ("Fishers of Men") produced by GrassrootsFilms, Brooklynn, New York.

November 22, 1963

Life Teen Mass @ St. Timothy's

St. Timothy's in Mesa, Arizona, is the former parish of LIFE TEEN founder Monsignor Fushek.

Tip to Gillibrand.

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament

Sacramento's Catholic cathedral opens to rave reviews. Go HERE for a video report. Read about the newly renovated cathedral HERE.

If you need a good cry, go HERE.

A bishop with class

OFFICIAL STATEMENT RE: MSGR. DALE FUSHEK

(Nov 21)—Bishop Thomas Olmsted and the Diocese of Phoenix learned today that the Maricopa county Attorney's office has filed misdemeanor charges against Msgr. Dale Fushek. The Bishop is saddened by the pain that is involved in these accusations and prays for healing. The Diocese will continue to cooperate with the County Attorney's office in this matter. Msgr. Fushek remains on paid administrative leave.

Bishop Olmsted continues to pray for Msgr. Fushek and his family, for those who bring these charges against him, and for the people of St. Timothy Parish. In a special way he prays that our legal system, which presumes a person is innocent until proven guilty, will lead to a just conclusion in this case.

Our Faith calls us to seek out the truth and to act with mercy and justice. These principles serve as a guide for the Bishop and the Diocese in a compassionate care for everyone involved.

L.A. Times report on Father Fushek

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports on Life Teen founder's arrest and charges HERE.

Related post.

View of Vibiana

Pedro Galindo and his sister Natalia have a view of Vibiana Place, the city's former cathedral, from their downtown loft. (Genaro Molina/LATimes)

Now that's a cathedral!

Sacramento. The capitol of the State of California, named after the Most Blessed Sacrament, now has a newly renovated cathedral worthy of the name.

Take an audio/visual tour HERE.

Click HERE for a colorful diagram of the cathedral.

Sacramento Bee article.

News 10 ABC article and video.

Blessed Sacrament Cathedral is 116 years old. The renovation cost $34 million, a mere fraction of what it cost to build THIS.

Seminary rector responds to L.A. Times

November 21, 2005

Re "Trail of Abuse Leads to Seminary," Nov. 17

Your story implies that decades ago, St. John's Seminary in Camarillo may have been less thorough in preparing young men for the priesthood. But it ignores the fact that the vast majority of graduates have gone on to rich lives of service. Indeed, most of the extraordinary parish priests serving in Southern California today are graduates of St. John's. There is no mention of their tireless efforts to provide spiritual and physical sustenance to those in need or to provide leadership in addressing issues such as homelessness or poverty.

We have been humbled by this crisis and have worked diligently to make sure it won't happen again. Just as our churches are providing mandatory training, education and, yes, even screening to our thousands of priests, teachers and volunteers who work with children, we have instituted tough application and admission standards that include psychological testing and background checks.

In the last 20 years, we have ordained 155 priests for the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Of those, two have been accused. Of course we are not happy with any number above zero, but this statistic reflects the success of our more informed approach to this problem.

The Times has an obligation to inform its readers of the reforms that have taken place as a result of lessons learned.

REV. MSGR. HELMUT A. HEFNER

Rector, St. John's Seminary

Camarillo

Sex in the City (of the Angels?)

Clayton provides us with another post about the conference on sexuality he attended at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center on November 12. Father Ponnet began the day with a "prayer" and a surprise.


Father Chris Ponnet

He prayed: "Gracious God ... You bless us as human and sexual and holy people ..."

Next he led them in singing a verse and chorus of that nauseating song: We come to share our story ...

And then, as the music from Disney's "Main Street Electrical Parade" began, Father Ponnet donned a Mickey Mouse sorcerer's hat and spoke animatedly to the attendees:

"It's now time to wake up and stand and [hear] a little Christian aerobics ... Please stand ... You thought you were going to sit here all day and hear about what organ parts are a part of human sexuality ... So put your hands up in the heavens ... "

You can listen to the rest of it HERE.

This is utter buffoonery. It is not only unbecoming of a priest but also totally inappropriate in the context on what should be a serious presentation to an adult audience on an important and delicate topic.

To learn more about Father Chris Ponnet, go HERE, HERE and HERE

Life Teen priest arrested

THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports ...

A charismatic priest who once held a high position with the Diocese of Phoenix was arrested this morning.

Monsignor Dale Fushek, once the highly popular, magnetic pastor of St. Timothy's Catholic Church in Mesa, was being booked at the Madison Street Jail, according to Bill FitzGerald, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

An official with Maricopa County Superior Court says Fushek is facing 10 misdemeanor counts. He is charged with three counts of assault, two counts of indecent exposure, and five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

For full story, go HERE.

LIFE TEEN website HERE.

Seal threatened (not a PETA story)

THE SACRAMENTO BEE reports ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A judge ruled that a monsignor in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles must submit to deposition questions in the far-reaching clergy abuse case.

In his Wednesday order, Superior Court Judge Haley J. Fromholz wrote that Monsignor Michael Lenihan cannot assert "clergy privilege" to avoid revealing whether he heard confessions of a deacon accused of sexual abuse.

"The penitential privilege protects 'a communication made in confidence,'" Fromholz wrote. "It does not prohibit the disclosure of the fact that the communication occurred."

The argument could be made, I suppose, that the mere disclosure by a priest of having heard a particular individual's confession does not constitute, in the strictest sense, a violation of the seal. I do believe, however, that such a disclosure comes dangerously close to threatening the absolute, sacrosanct integrity of the sacramental seal.

I hope that Monsignor Lenihan firmly disobeys Judge Fromholz' order, whatever the consequences.

For a good article on the seal of confession, go HERE.

L.A. Masses

This photo from the 2005 Religious Education Congress has been posted all over the internet. One would think that it would be a source of great embarrassment for Cardinal Mahony and the Archdiocese. Evidently, it is not. On the contrary, this image which has fast become a kind of icon of L.A. weirdness is proudly being recycled in the official catalogue announcing next year's Congress. By the way, in case you cannot tell, that is Cardinal Mahony himself "presiding" over this "Youth Day Mass".

So, not to change the subject, but ...

How was "liturgy" in your parish this Sunday?

Mahony pledges fight to the death

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

Lawyers for Cardinal Roger M. Mahony say they will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a court order forcing the archdiocese to disclose the confidential personnel files of two former priests accused of child molestation.

Go HERE for story.

Rich place, cheap talk

There was a lot of talk about "inclusion" of the poor and marginalized at the recent symposium, "Gaudium et Spes at 40," held at the "exclusive" Wilshire Grand Hotel.


"We need especially to be critical of the privileges of class, gender, ethnicity, wealth and national origin," said a very white and pleasantly plump Barbara Busse, dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount University, which co-sponsored the event along with the Archdiocese and Mt. St. Mary's College.



Another panelist, Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), looking rather well fed herself, stated: "Poor people must work tirelessly, often working two or three jobs, forced to make the economy the purpose of their lives."



"Gangsta priest," Father Greg Boyle, engendered a collective "wow" from the conference participants with his observation: "The measure of our compassion lies not in our willingness to serve those on the margins but in our willingness to find ourselves in kinship with them."



At the end of the symposium that "kinship" was in evidence when one unnamed attendee, slipping a few bucks into the hand of the valet, was heard saying, "Oyes, muchacho. Go fetch my Mercedes."

These "peace and justice" gatherings are always a scream.

See my previous post regarding Gaudium et Spes HERE.

'Confiteor' meme

Patrick Coffin has suggested I get on the "I confess" meme bandwagon, so here goes ...

I confess that I used to love "guitar Masses."

I confess that I cannot figure out why Father Corapi is so hugely popular (my spell check always wants to substitute "crap" for Corapi.

I confess that I hate menudo.

I confess that I like Cindi Lauper's music.

I confess that I can't get through the Apostles Creed without importing phrases from the Nicene Creed.

I confess that I go through about 50 rosary beads a year due to breakage or loss.

I confess that I used to be a Democrat.

I confess that I never smoked pot (one reason why I couldn't remain a Democrat).

I confess that I have removed copies of the NCR and US Catholic from parish literature racks and trashed them.

I confess that I cannot resist the temptation to "ignite" every darn electric votive "candle" in the churches where I find them. Of course, I don't pay for them, but use my car key to "turn them on."

I confess that I always bring a book to Mass with me to read during the homily, just in case.

I confess that I know all the words to "I am the Walrus."

I confess that I fell asleep during the movie "Therese."

I confess that I confess once a week (I'm a big sinner).

I confess that I am out of things to confess, at least for today.

I hereby tag: Clayton, Rick, Non Sum Dignus, Patrick, and Thirsty Scribe.

The Cardinal has no courage

Clayton Emmer at THE WEIGHT OF GLORY has an excellent post about the "Issues in Human Sexuality Conference" he attended on November 12 at the Archdiocesan offices on Wilshire.

Go HERE.

Be sure to read David Morrison's response to Clayton's post.

Cracks in the wall?

Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral

DALLAS MORNING NEWS ...

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, serious cracks now appear in the stone wall Cardinal Roger Mahony has erected to protect his archdiocese from victims' lawyers, civil authorities and the media. In October, a court forced Cardinal Mahony to release information from priest personnel files that showed how the local hierarchy shuffled abusers around for years and covered it up.

Earlier this month, a judge put 44 civil sex abuse cases on track for a 2006 trial, which would provide the first public courtroom airing of the scandal's scope in Los Angeles.

And just yesterday, The Los Angeles Times reported that the seminary that has long provided training for Southern California priests has a rate of abuse allegations more than double that of the church-reported national average.

'Living will' Bill

From WORLD NET DAILY ...

The impeached president mentioned the case of Terri Schiavo, the brain-injured Florida woman who was starved to death by court order after a long legal battle between her parents and her husband, Michael.

"We spend far more money on the last two months of life than any other country," Clinton noted. "And I think the only answer to that and maybe the good thing that came out of the terrible agony of the Schiavo family that we were all treated to for weeks is that amazing numbers of Americans including Hillary and me ... did living wills. We'd been wanting to do it a long time. We just kept puttin' it off and puttin' it off, and I saw that [tragedy] unfold and I said 'You know, I don't want to see Chelsea on television like that. Let's do the living will.'"

You can hear the entire 1 hour, 14 minute speech that the long-winded ex-President delivered at the University of Minnesota HERE.

Fork over the files, please

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday let stand a court order forcing Cardinal Roger M. Mahony to give authorities the confidential files of two former priests accused of child molestation.

Mahony has fought for three years to quash grand jury subpoenas on the grounds that opening the files would violate the church's constitutional right of religious freedom.

"This is an important milestone in addressing the issue of clerical sexual abuse," Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said of the Supreme Court's action. "I look forward to immediate access to files we subpoenaed from the Los Angeles Archdiocese."

Not a pretty picture

(Stephen Osman/LA TIMES)

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES does a number on L.A.'s seminary.

"About 10% of St. John's graduates reported to have been ordained in the Los Angeles Archdiocese since 1950 — 65 of roughly 625 — have been accused of molesting minors, according to a review of ordination announcements, lawsuits, published reports and the archdiocese's 2004 list of alleged abusers. In two classes — 1966 and 1972 — a third of the graduates were later accused of molestation."

Go HERE for full story.

Before I go ...

Check THIS out.

L.A. Stray CATholic

Meow!

I will be away from blogging for a few days. Hasta la vista!

And remember, this CAT loves RATZ.

Just found this ...

KNBC News video coverage of the late Congressman Edward Roybal's funeral Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral.

The video shows pro-abortion, "Catholic" mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, eulogizing the deceased politician. After a timely and deferential nod to recently deceased civil rights paragon, Rosa Parks, Villaraigosa offered a short list of pro-abortion Latino leaders like himself who owe their political careers to the former congressman:

"If there hadn't been a Rosa Parks or an Ed Roybal, there wouldn't be a Gloria Molina, or an Antonio Villaraigosa or a Xavier Becerra, or an Alex Padilla, or a Rocky Delgadillo. We're all here on the shoulders of this great man."

Go HERE and click on VIDEO link.

Below is the "Edward R. Roybal Comprehensive Health Clinic" in East L.A. (I pass by this place all the time). Click HERE (and scroll down) and HERE (and scroll down) to see just one part of the "legacy" of this so-called "great man" and just how comprehensive are the services offered by the clinic which bears his name.


(Photo/KNBC TV 4)

St. Vibiana rises from the dead

The earthly remains of the early Christian saint and martyr, St. Vibiana, are kept in an out-of-the-way, one-kneeler niche in the basement of the new cathedral. Click HERE.

St. Vibiana's Cathedral gets new life

LOS ANGELES (CBS TV News, Palms Springs) -- St. Vibiana's Cathedral, the 129-year-old church that narrowly escaped demolition after earthquake damage closed it a decade ago, has been resurrected.

The Spanish-Baroque cathedral has been restored and converted into a community arts center with the name Vibiana Place and a stage in place of the altar. The center was scheduled to be unveiled Saturday night at a $350-a-person fund-raiser for the Los Angeles Conservancy, a preservation group that fought to save the building.

Built in 1876, St. Vibiana's was the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Southern California and a downtown landmark with an 83-foot-tall bell tower, vaulted ceiling, distinctive cupola and carved wooden doors.

It was severely damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the city declared it uninhabitable. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles wanted to tear down the building and put up a new cathedral on the site. However, demolition plans were abandoned in 1996 after courts forced further environmental studies.

A new $195 million cathedral, Our Lady of the Angels, eventually was built elsewhere.

The archdiocese approves of the St. Vibiana's renovation and even loaned the arts center six Art Deco chandeliers that once graced the old cathedral.

"Church law requires that former churches be used for a dignified purpose," said Tod Tamberg, a spokesman for the archdiocese.

"It's really a wonderful second life for the former cathedral," he added.

What an ass! (the word is in the Bible)

Tip to Rick Lugari.

Forgive me, Father ...

LOS ANGELES TIMES' Michael Ramirez ...

The Church's '40 year old virgin'

Gaudium et Spes

It's been misused by dissidents on the left to re-invent the Church; it's been abused by dissidents on the right who question its authority and the Council that gave it birth. For many people, though, Gaudium et Spes, simply put, is virgin territory in that it remains largely unread and unknown. The same can be said about the other 15 documents of Vatican II as well.

On Thursday, November 8, Cardinal Mahony sponsored a symposium entitled, "Gaudium et Spes at 40." I suppose it is grossly unfair to judge the event without having attended, but considering the symposium's sponsor as well as the roster of speakers, I do not expect that anything useful emerged from the conference. If any L.A. Catholic readers attended the symposium, let us hear from you. I would love to be proved wrong.

With 40 years of turbulent water under the bridge and with no sign that the flood waters of dissent and confusion will soon subside, I think it is fair to say that many if not most of the Council Fathers were imbued with an excessive and naive optimism about the Church and the world. This almost (shall I say it?) cheery outlook was most evident in the Council's opening address given by Blessed Pope John XXIII on October 11, 1962. There is no question that "Good Pope John" was indeed a good and faithful son of the Church. Could he have foreseen, however, the crisis that would ensue after the Council he might not have convened it.

That being said, Vatican II was not a mistake. Vatican II was hijacked. We must earnestly pray for Pope Benedict XVI that God will give him the wisdom and fortitude he will need to put the Council back on track. This way, the Church on earth will be what Pope John XXIII desired her to be: the divine instrument which brings to a lost world the true light of the gentiles (lumen gentium), namely, Dominus Iesus, He Who alone is the source of true joy and hope (gaudium et spes). As we say in Spanish, así sea.

Another nouveau 'ambulance chaser'

View attorney-Joe's "infomercial" HERE.

"Whether you have been abused [by a priest] recently or possibly many years ago, it is possible to take action and stop suffering in silence."

Alphabet Scoop

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

American researchers have discovered a 3,000-year-old stone on which is written the oldest known version of the Hebrew alphabet, the precursor of all the alphabets used in the Middle East as well as the modern English alphabet.

The 22 letters of the ancient alphabet were inscribed on the 38-pound stone in their proper order, making it the oldest known abecedary — the letters written out in their traditional order.

Click HERE for more.

Preaching the naked truth in L.A.

Sitting naked on a rock on a Mexican beach, L.A.'s most famous deacon found God

"A few years ago I was in Puerto Vallarta with a group of friends. We were waiting to be seated in a restaurant. It was loud, everyone was talking and laughing, and I wasn’t in that space. Little things about my friends started bugging me, and I felt a great sense of unease. So I excused myself and took a cab back to the resort.

It was about midnight, and I was walking on the private beach trying to figure out why I felt so upset. My stomach was in knots, my heart was beating fast. I tried to categorize and analyze the many little imagined offenses I was harboring, wanting to free myself from all this pettiness amid the crashing and roaring of the ocean.

Then, I don’t know why, I took off my clothes and sat on a rock at the edge of the waves. I sat there for a long time, with the waves sometimes crashing over my shoulders and sometimes only wetting my toes. I looked out at the dark waters. And I realized that the ocean is like the love of God."

Homily for Trinity Sunday 2005 by Deacon Eric Stoltz. Stoltz is a successful website developer. Go HERE to see some of the sites he has designed and HERE for a photo of the good deacon fully clothed.

Vatican document will bar homosexuals from the priesthood

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A new Vatican document will bar from the priesthood practicing homosexuals, men whose gay tendencies are "deeply rooted," or who openly espouse a gay culture, a leading Italian newspaper reported on Friday.

"The Church cannot admit to the priesthood those who practice homosexuality, have deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or those who support the so-called 'gay culture,'" [Il Giornale of Milan] quoted the document as saying.

A tangled web

Cardinal Mahony's openly 'gay' deacon recently launched an all new website for the L.A. Archdiocese. (Go HERE to see a photo of Mahony and his deacon on ordination day).

Here is an inexhaustive list of OTHER WEBSITES developed by Deacon Eric Stoltz.

Archdiocese of San Francisco (click)

World famous 'gay' city. Need I say more?

Archdiocese of Anchorage (click)

They invited L.A.'s openly 'gay' deacon to speak at their 'Discipleship Days'

Diocese of Santa Rosa (click)

Their bishop emeritus is the Most Reverend and openly 'gay' G. Patrick Ziemann who is also Archbishop Mahony's former auxiliary bishop.

Diocese of Stockton (click)

The former ordinary of this diocese is now the 'gay' friendly Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles. The current ordinary, Bishop Stephen Blaire, dedicated an "AIDS" chapel in a parish in L.A. when he was still Mahony's auxiliary bishop.

St. Brendan's Church (click)

This is the "proud" parish of Mahony's openly 'gay' deacon, Eric Stoltz.

St. Matthew's, Long Beach (click)

A 'gay' friendly parish near the Queen Mary and a recipient of a Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride 2005 Grant Award.

St. Maximillian Kolbe (click)

The CURT JESTER did a fairly thorough evaluation of this website last September. From the "spirituality" page he cites the following atrocious statement:

"While Catholicism once took the position that it was the "one true faith," the Second Vatican Council made it clear that Almighty God was much more open minded than that."

If God is open minded enough to give into the notion that one religion is as good as another, then certainly He is equally disposed to change His mind about the sin of sodomy. Heterosexual? Homosexual? It's all the same. Now how convenient is that?

Oh what a tangled web we weave!

Celebrating Mass with dignity

I don't think this is what Pope John Paul II had in mind when he wrote about "THE DIGNITY OF THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION" in chapter five of his encyclical, Ecclesia de Euchartistia.



Hey, wait a minute. No altar girls? Find out why HERE.

The Gay Gene

NC TIMES reports ...

The first openly gay Episcopal bishop [GENE ROBINSON] insisted Wednesday he was not encouraging Roman Catholics to leave their church when he criticized its view of homosexuals during a recent speech in London.

I am. Leave.

See William Donhue's (Catholic League) statement regarding the "Gay Gene" HERE.

Autopsy report on Prop. 73

Click on map for interactive explanation of the election results.



Who's to blame? Go HERE for the answer.

Michael Ramirez cartoon

LOS ANGELES TIMES ...

The silence of the shepherds

Voters say "No" to Proposition 73 and I am angry.

In my Mexican barrio where my polling station is located, the turnout was incredibly strong. All across Cardinal Mahony's archdiocese, millions of Latinos -- even viejitas [little old ladies] who pray their Rosary to the Virgencita every day -- cast their votes against Prop. 73.

Most of my people do not even know what they are voting for (and I suppose that's true for large segments of other groupings of people). They watch lots of Spanish language TV which is sleazy, pro-abortion and politically ultra liberal, and they vote accordingly.

Do I blame them? Not really. I blame the bishops and priests of the Church for failing to teach their people.

Most of my neighbors had no idea what Prop. 73 was really about. They obviously swallowed in big chunks the propaganda they had heard from the Spanish media.

There was little or no mention of the "Parental Notification" ballot measure in the several parishes in my part of town. And even in those parishes where it was mentioned, support for it was, at best, anemic.

I know the Conference of California Bishops and even Cardinal Mahony "endorsed" Proposition 73. But when it comes to saving young girls and unborn children from the scourge of abortion, "endorse" is not a very generous word.

In the crucial month before yesterday's election, where was the spiritual leader of the millions of Catholics in Los Angeles who could have easily and overwhelmingly approved Proposition 73 had Mahony done his job?

He was in China cavorting with his newfound friends in the communist government sponsored Patriotic Church.

The blame for the defeat of Proposition 73 should be laid at the feet of Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and shepherds like him for failing to preach the Gospel of Life to the people entrusted to their care.

Read more about the "silence of the shepherds" HERE, HERE and HERE.

The opening salvo in the Eurabian civil war

Mark Steyn writes in the Telegraph ...

Some of us believe this is an early skirmish in the Eurabian civil war. If the insurgents emerge emboldened, what next? In five years' time, there will be even more of them, and even less resolve on the part of the French state. That, in turn, is likely to accelerate the demographic decline. Europe could face a continent-wide version of the "white flight" phenomenon seen in crime-ridden American cities during the 1970s, as Danes and Dutch scram to America, Australia or anywhere else that will have them.

As to where Britain falls in this grim scenario, I noticed a few months ago that Telegraph readers had started closing their gloomier missives to me with the words, "Fortunately I won't live to see it" - a sign-off now so routine in my mailbag I assumed it was the British version of "Have a nice day". But that's a false consolation. As France this past fortnight reminds us, the changes in Europe are happening far faster than most people thought. That's the problem: unless you're planning on croaking imminently, you will live to see it.

'Christianity Today' editor rethinks contraception

Agnieszka Tennant, senior associate editor of Christianity Today, writes in A Hard Pill to Swallow ...

Early in my job as an editor at CT, I worked on a piece by a just-married couple, Sam and Bethany Torode, which they later developed into a provocative little book titled Open Embrace: A Protestant Couple Rethinks Contraception (Eerdmans, 2002). It was a personal narrative about how they—somewhat irresponsibly, I thought—had had unprotected sex since their wedding. They were so cute, so Bible times!

I had to wonder, though: Did no one tell them that newlyweds are supposed to secure some essentials before risking the intrusion of a baby? Didn't they want to make love without visualizing cribs? Didn't they need to get used to one another as husband and wife before succumbing to the asexual roles of sleep-deprived young parents? How would they find time to travel, to secure academic degrees, well-paying jobs, and a mortgage? And would they be able to afford Starbucks?

What finally led Tennant to dump the pills? A lecture she heard by Duke Divinity moral theologian, Amy Laura Hall. Tennant writes ...

Hall taught me that being pro-life isn't only about opposing surgical abortion. It's about opening ourselves to the risk and mess and uncertainty that accompany any God-sent guest we allow into our lives. The least we can do is leave our doors unlocked. Like Rahab did for the spies. Like Mary did for Jesus.

For Hall, this openness to divine interruption extends beyond defending embryos to adopting a child, lobbying workplaces to offer generous maternity policies, making sure to work as a professor no more than 40 hours a week, and sharing baby clothes.

I want my faith to be as imaginative.

When Jesus appears on my doorstep—disguised as a cluster of 128 cells or a single mother who could use some free baby-sitting —he'd better find an open door.

The Pope knows what he's doing

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Cardinal Julian Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, as a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

He's Catholic.

Archbishop Levada, who is, shall we say, under-qualified, will need all the help he can get.

The Diana Lopez story

When she learned that her 13 year old daughter had been taken to a Planned Parenthood to have an abortion, Diana Lopez got a ride to the "clinic" (she does not have a car).

After being dropped off there, Lopez demanded that the abortion be stopped.

According to Lopez, the receptionist replied that the clinic couldn’t release any information to her because it was a confidential matter, nothing could be done and Lopez just needed to wait until her daughter came out from the surgery. Lopez’s stunned response: "What? She's only 13 and I'm her mother! I want to be there with her!" Lopez also spoke to a supervisor, who, she said, threatened to call the police when Lopez got into a heated discussion with the boyfriend’s mother.

Lopez said that Planned Parenthood sent her daughter home with painkillers, antibiotics, and birth control pills but did not speak with Lopez regarding aftercare instructions. Lopez insists that had she known her daughter was pregnant, she would have urged her to have the baby.

See the Diana Lopez story on video HERE.

Stop secret abortions for little girls

Go HERE for more information on Proposition 73 and vote YES.

We'll see you in court

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

"After three years of failed settlement talks, a judge Monday placed 44 civil cases accusing the Los Angeles Archdiocese of failing to protect children from sexual abuse on track for trial sometime next year.

The cases are the first involving Los Angeles priests to make it this far toward jury trial. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Haley Fromholz's order raises the prospect of the first detailed public airing of charges that church officials moved around priests who were accused of molestations rather than turning them over to authorities or warning parishioners.

In making the request to go to trial, Raymond Boucher, the liaison counsel for the plaintiffs, and J. Michael Hennigan, lead counsel for the archdiocese, said they had reached an impasse, which they blamed on the unwillingness of the church's insurers to come to the table.

"It turned out we were overly optimistic," Hennigan said of hopes that all parties could come to an agreement in the 562 cases without going to trial. "The insurance companies are not satisfied that they know the cases well enough."

Insurers were unable to "tell sheep from goats," he said. "I can't entirely blame them for feeling we pushed them a little too hard."

But some plaintiffs' attorneys say it is the church that has dragged its heels. "Anybody who is blaming the insurance companies are singing the cardinal's tune," said Costa Mesa attorney John C. Manly, referring to Mahony, who has led the Los Angeles Archdiocese since 1985.

Manly called the settlement talks "a big lie designed to wear down victims and their lawyers" and questioned why church officials had not liquidated real estate assets and put the cases behind them."

For full report, go HERE.

See my previous post, Opposition is mounting against Mahony, which features a video showing both Boucher and Hennigan.

YES on 73

Why?

Just look at who's voting no.

US Senator Barbara Boxer + Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez + State Senator Martha Escutia (Whittier) + Assemblymember Fabian Nunez (Los Angeles) + Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg (Los Angeles) + Assemblymember Jenny Oropeza (Long Beach) + Assemblymember Cindy Montanez (San Fernando) + Assemblymember Dario Frommer (Los Angeles) + Assemblymember Ed Chavez (La Puente) + Dolores Huerta, President, Dolores Huerta Foundation + Planned Parenthood + NARAL + ACLU + Catholics for a Free Choice + N.O.W. + Reproductive Rights Coalition + Feminist Majority + and more ...

Paulists to withdraw from St. Mark's University Parish

Good.

THE PAULIST FATHERS, the once truly great and uniquely American congregation of missionary priests founded by convert, Father Isaac Hecker, have announced that they will no longer staff St. Mark's University Parish in Goleta (Santa Barbara).

Since their founding in 1858, the Paulists have always been a comparatively small congregation of priests. But in recent years the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (official name) has suffered a virtual implosion with few new vocations and the inevitable loss of members due to death and defection.

At their recent "extraordinary general council" the Paulist leadership had to make hard decisions with respect to abandoning certain foundations (e.g., Newman Centers, parishes) which had been staffed by Paulists in some cases for decades. Among those that got the ax, so to speak, was St. Mark's.

This is a good thing. In Santa Barbara, as elsewhere (e.g., HERE, HERE, and HERE), the Paulists are doing more harm than good. This is because the Paulists as a society of priests has gone the way of the Jesuits and countless other great religious orders and congregations by its open dissent from the Magisterium of the Church.

In a letter published in St. Mark's bulletin, Paulist president, Father John Duffy, CSP, wrote:

"Last week, in an extraordinary painful decision, our General Council determined that to continue to utilize effectively our limited Paulist resources to accomplish our ongoing objectives, the Paulist Fathers will be required to reduce some commitments and withdraw from others. With great regret, the Paulist ministries at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Saint Mark's are among those from which we must withdraw ...

The Paulists who minister at Saint Mark's and I will do all that we can to ensure a smooth transition. Under the direction of Cardinal Mahony and his Regional Vicar, Bishop Thomas Curry, new pastoral leadership for this congregation will be found at some point between now and June 30th of 2006."

Sounds like the perfect job for a clone of the dynamic duo, Sister Susie and Father 'Lacky.'

My only concern is: who's going to help Clay celebrate his birthday?

L.A.'s Jesuit institution of higher yearning offers you ...

Yoga, yoga, yoga ... and a lotta yada, yada, yada.

THE GODDESS AND YOGA

This class will explore the history of Goddesses on the South Asian subcontinent from earliest times until the present. Topics covered include the many forms and manifestations of the Great Goddess, the important celebrations and festivals, and particularly the social and sacred meanings of the Goddesses in the context of Hinduism.

Tuition: $165
Who should attend? Open to all, especially practioners and teachers of Yoga.

Postscript

I noticed that this particular class has been cancelled. I guess the goddess got pissed off about something or other. You know how moody goddesses can be.

Click HERE and HERE for related posts.

A dangerous 'job'

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

"I thought someone was driving a nail into the wall," [Monsignor Weber] said. "Then [Father] Thom opened the door to the lobby [and] fell across the threshold, gasping, 'My God, I have been shot, I have been shot.' "

Bressie [the assailant] calmly put down her gun at one end of a conference table and seated herself at the other to await the police.

"She just walked in, and bang, it was over," Weber said.

Thom was struck by twin bullets from the .32-caliber derringer. One hit his heart, the other his head.

Bressie admitted the killing but wouldn't say why she had done it.

"I'll take the reason with me to the electric chair," she said.

For full story, go HERE.

L.A. Masses

Youth gather around the altar at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels during the Holy Childhood Association Mass Oct. 26. (Mike Nelson/THE TIDINGS)

Pass me the Tylenol.