As the month of the Sacred Heart draws to a close ...

Expiation, expiation, expiation!

MOST sweet Jesus, whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Thee, eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries to which Thy loving Heart is everywhere subject ...

Act of Reparation

Cha-ching!

Two more California dioceses settle claims

LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

SACRAMENTO — Marking another turn in the Roman Catholic Church's nationwide sexual abuse scandal, two Northern California dioceses Wednesday announced $45.6 million in legal settlements with dozens of alleged victims of molestation by priests.

The Diocese of Sacramento will pay $35 million to 33 people who said they had been sexually abused decades ago. Leaders in the Diocese of Santa Rosa agreed to legal settlements totaling $10.6 million for nine parishioners.

For full story, go HERE.

Doing 'nunthing' in Springfield

THE REPUBLICAN reports ...

SPRINGFIELD - A nun who has been involved in the day-to-day operation of St. Jerome Parish in Holyoke for almost 20 years has become the first woman named as an administrator of a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.

Although the position is temporary until a new pastor arrives in October, a diocesan spokesman said the naming of Sister Joan A. Ryzewicz is significant.

"On a certain level, it is a historic moment in the diocese," said Mark E. Dupont, diocesan spokesman.

With the number of priests declining, Dupont said that nuns and deacons could be increasingly named to head parishes.

"Certainly anyone traveling west would be exposed to more nuns, deacons and even lay people as parish administrators. It's new here," Dupont said.

Did you catch that last line?

"Certainly anyone traveling west ..."

Would that be ... mmm ... California?

Obviously, Sister Joan's appointment as parish administrator will not be the last in Springfield. More non-ordained administrators are coming in the future, as was indicated by the diocesan spokesman, Mr. Dupont.

With the number of priests declining, Dupont said that nuns and deacons could be increasingly named to head parishes.

The sentiment expressed in Mr. Dupont's statement is one which is shared by Cardinal Mahony and a host of others in the "American" Church. It is, however, a sentiment which directly contravenes authentic Catholic teaching about the priesthood and its indispensability to the life of the Church.

In the introduction to the document, PRIEST, PASTOR AND LEADER OF THE PARISH COMMUNITY, the late Pope John Paul II wrote the following:

It would be a fatal mistake to be resigned to present difficulties, and act as if we should prepare ourselves for a Church of tomorrow that some imagine as being almost without priests. In this way, the measures adopted to remedy the present scarcity, in spite of all good will, would be seriously harmful for the Ecclesial Community.

How many priests, if any, were ordained for Springfield this year? How many men do they have in the seminary? What's being done to foster vocations? From what I can tell -- just like in L.A. -- nothing is being done because they have almost glibly resigned themselves to a future without priests.

Pope John Paul II was much too generous in the statement cited above in assuming the "good will" of those who are promoting priestless parishes. No doubt there are some who because of poor doctrinal formation think that the "Parish Life Director" (as they are called in L.A. and San Bernardino) is the greatest thing since liturgical dance. But most of those who are aggressively promoting this frightening trend are not so innocent. The radical, feminist, call-to-action nuns, as well as their wimpy clerical allies, undoubtedly know what they are doing. Their motto could easily be, "If you can't join 'em (that is, become a priest), beat 'em." And that's exactly what they'll do. As pointed out in the document, PRIEST, PASTOR AND LEADER OF THE PARISH COMMUNITY, the parish without a priest and without the regular celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, will die, as will priestly vocations.

Sister Joan A. Ryzewicz, the new administrator at St. Jerome's, is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield. Are you asking right about now, "What kind of congregation is the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield?"

You can spare yourself a trip to Springfield by clicking HERE. And as you scroll down, remember, "By their LINKS you shall know them."

See my RELATED POST about Sister "Sledge" and the Sacramental Monster.

He'd cut your throat, but wouldn't eat meat on Fridays

The "legendary" Redwood 2nd Street Saloon in dowtown L.A. closed its doors on Monday for the last time.

LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

Alice Broude, 86, the Redwood's beloved waitress for 51 years, came out of retirement to bid farewell. She wore her martini-shaped earrings and nursed a Jack Daniel's on the rocks. She recalled serving 35-cent grilled-cheese sandwiches and taking the orders of mobsters such as Mickey Cohen and Frankie Carbo. Carbo liked take-out steak four times a week and fish on Fridays, she said.

"He'd cut your throat, but he wouldn't eat meat on Fridays," Broude recalled.

Go HERE for the full story.

Harried Krishnas

LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

Leaders of the Hare Krishna faith last week began carrying out the terms of a $9.5-million settlement that closes the books on a long-running child abuse scandal.

Under the plan, the International Society of Krishna Consciousness organization has filed for bankruptcy in Los Angeles while it determines how to compensate 535 former students who say they were abused in the 1970s and '80s by adults at boarding schools run by the society.

For the full story, go HERE.

Catholic Podcast

I really like this guy -- Jayson Franklin of Cincinnati, Ohio -- who puts on a weekly audio show. It's refreshing, funny, serious, and faithful. Jayson is a convert. Give it a listen HERE.

L.A. will make Boston look like an altar boy picnic

An earthquake of unprecedented magnitude is coming to L.A.
Roger, put on your handcuffs ... ur ... I mean, seatbelt.

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINAL reports ...

"The epicenter is California," [Father Thomas] Doyle said. "One diocese just paid out $36 million, and the Diocese of Orange paid out $110 million. When Los Angeles bursts, it will make Boston look like an altar boys' picnic."

I don't particularly like Doyle. He is the darling of the VOTF and SNAP crowd which is more concerned about reinventing the Church than with helping those who have been truly hurt by clerical sexual abuse. But much of what Doyle says, I think, as regards California and specifically Los Angeles, is "on the money," so to speak. Go HERE for the full article.

Nathaniel said to Philip ...

Can any thing of good come from Nazareth, ur, I mean, L.A.? (Cf. John 1:46)

You betcha, says Karen over at SOME HAVE HATS, and I would have to say I agree. In spite of all that is wrong with the Church in L.A. in this "present darkness," there are bright spots here and there. Check out Karen's post, Yes, there IS a good priest in L.A.

The man SNAPPED during Mahony's homily

Most L.A. Catholics just NAP when the Cardinal preaches -- he is such a bore! -- but evidently the guy in this story had too much coffee that morning and he SNAPPED!

Here is a follow-up to my previous post about the protester who handcuffed himself to Cardinal Mahony's cathedra in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Sunday.

The LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

During his homily Sunday, Mahony talked about the archdiocese's efforts to train church staff and clergy about abuse prevention and about other safeguards they have implemented.

"This will continue forever, and it's wonderful to put these efforts in place," Mahony told the congregation.

At those words, James C. Robertson, 58, of Mount Washington, "snapped," explaining later in a telephone interview that the Cardinal's words made him angry. Robertson said he had been abused by two priests during the 1960's.

Robertson had been demonstrating with a group of about 200 members of SNAP outside the Cathedral before the Mass. SNAP stands for Survivors' Network of Those Abused by Priests.

The TIMES report states that after Robertson handcuffed himself to Mahony's chair, the " ... Mass continued without interruption as security guards surrounded Robertson, who stood expressionless while churchgoers received communion."

Yes, while they received communion from cheap looking, dull silver-colored salad bowls and sipped the Precious Blood which had been poured from what appear to be Kool Aid pitchers into oversized glass goblets. Now there's an abuse that could cause anyone to snap. In fact, this whole incident has inspired me to establish a new group which I will call SNAPPED.

SNAPPED means: SURVIVORS NETWORK of those ABUSED by P0MPOUS PRELATES who can't stand EUCHARISTIC DEVOTION.

Where do you fit in?

Corpus Christi Parish in Pacific Palisades, has an online survey asking "Where do you fit in?"

Here are the possible answers:

Traditionalist Catholic
Neo-Traditionalist Catholic
Liberal Catholic
Progressive Catholic
Alienated Catholic

Guess who wins.

To see the poll results (and to enter your response) click HERE and scroll down.

Excitement at Roger Stadium

Man arrested in protest at L.A. cathedral

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A man was arrested Sunday after he handcuffed himself to Cardinal Roger Mahony's chair during a service to protest the church's handling of allegedly abusive priests.

Several thousand people were attending Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels when James Robertson walked toward the altar and handcuffed himself to the chair, police said.

Mahony, who was delivering the homily about 15 feet away, continued with the service. Robertson did not speak with Mahony.

For the full story, go HERE.

MAHONY'S VERY UNUSUAL "CHAIR" (aka "cathedra")

L.A. Masses

Anything to report, good or bad, about Sunday Mass in L.A. today?

Mahony honors Opus Dei founder

Now this is a strange one. One can scarcely imagine two greater opposites: Josemaria, the founder of Opus Dei and canonized saint and Roger Mahony who most assuredly will never even make it to "venerable." And yet the Cardinal celebrated a Mass yesterday at his Cathedral in honor of the Spanish priest who is best known for his little book of inspirational sayings, The Way.

Surprisingly enough, this is the second or possibly third time that such a Mass for the founder of Opus Dei has been celebrated at the Cathedral.

If any readers of L.A. Catholic were present at this Mass, we would be grateful to hear from you.

Roamin' Catholic visits Mahony's Cathedral

LOS ANGELES LAY CATHOLIC MISSION'S Roamin' Catholic reports ...

I have been to many unusual events in Cardinal Mahony's unusual cathedral. I have seen Burt Bacharach play and sing, "What the World Needs Now (Is Love Sweet Love)" and seen Anjelica Huston speak movingly of Christ; I have seen a Chinese dragon and Korean round dancers. I have even seen an Easter Sunday Mass in Lent. But never, until May 15, 2005, Pentecost Sunday, had I ever experienced a regular liturgy there.

Click HERE for the full account.

IT is so damned unfair

ITS name is Patricia. IT claims to be an "ordained" Catholic priest.

According to the BBC news article,

Patricia has impeccable Catholic credentials. For 45 years she was a Dominican sister, nun and an academic, who trained with men destined for the priesthood.

"My first feeling was: I'm doing the same study as the men, and I'm being excluded from the priesthood. It's so damned unfair," said IT.

No argument there. IT is so damned unfair.

Bring on the buzz saws

Thanks to Suzie for alerting L.A. Catholic to an illustrative post over at TRADITIO IN RADICE. GFvonB, citing an article in L'Osservatore Romano, highlights the correlation between fidelity to the Magisterium and priestly vocations.

The data is not at all surprising. The connection between faithfulness to the Teachings of the Church and vocations to the priesthood has been alluded to in other studies.

The operative principle here, of course, is biblical. Jesus says:

"A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them." Mt 7:18-20

The sound of a buzz saw can be beautiful sometimes.

Happy Birthday, JB

Happy Birthday, St. John the Baptist!

"When John was preaching the Lord's coming he was asked, "Who are you?" And he replied: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness." The voice is John, but the Lord "in the beginning was the Word." John was a voice that lasted only for a time; Christ, the Word in the beginning, is eternal."

St. Augustine

No matter how you try to dress her up ...

Ugly is still ugly.



This "exquisite gold ornament" is available for just $17 exclusively at the Our Lady of the Angels Gift Shop.

"Ugly is as ugly does." -- Cardinal Gump

'Web' is an interesting word

POSTSCRIPT to Worship AIDS for HIV Masses post.

The WEB developer for Bishop Blaire's diocesan WEBsite is GUESS WHO. He's the same guy who did Mahony's L.A. Synod WEBsite. He is a permanent deacon in L.A., ordained by Cardinal Mahony himself in 2004. Bishop Blaire is Mahony's former auxiliary.

'WEB' sure is an interesting word.

Worship AIDS for HIV Masses

"AIDS Memorial Chapel" at St. Victor's Church, West Hollywood

According to the St. Victor's Church website, this chapel of Our Lady is " ... a memorial to those lost to the AIDS epidemic. It was dedicated on Palm Sunday 1994 and contains a Book of Remembrance with over 1,500 names submitted by parishioners and friends."

"Parishioners pray for those included in this book at our twice-yearly HIV Masses."

At the time of the dedication, Bishop Stephen Blaire, then auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and now bishop of Stockton, offered his thoughts about the AIDS Memorial Chapel. The full text may be accessed HERE (pdf file).

Select quotes:

[Your mother should know]

"It has been noted that the collective experience of the gay community is that when no one else realizes that one is gay, a mother can tell. “A mother always knows,” they say. It’s a phenomenon seen time and time again. Our blessed mother Mary knows her gay and lesbian children, just as she knows all her children. She knows them and accepts them with the unconditional love of a mother."

[What viruses can teach us]

"Let this be the lesson we learn from AIDS this Holy Week: that we honor our dead and care for the sick, and that we not cry out in judgement on one another, calling out again for Christ to be crucified in the person of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters."

Okay, I am fine with praying for all who are sick and for those who have suffered with AIDS and related diseases. I am all for praying for those who have died and for giving comfort to those who mourn. And yes, it is our duty to treat every human being with the dignity that is his by virtue of having been made in the image and likeness of God. But what about calling people to repentance? What about imparting with charity and clarity the fullness of the Church's moral teaching? How I long to hear a truly manly and fatherly bishop lovingly call his spiritual sons who struggle with homosexuality to "turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel."

Monumental abuse

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport unveiled a monument that is dedicated to the dozens of men and women who were sexually molested by eastern Iowa priests in the last 50 years."

"The ceremony on Monday was attended by victims of abuse, including those who were part of the 37-member group that sued the diocese for damages and agreed to a $9 million settlement in October. The Millstone Marker was created as part of the settlement agreement."

Inscribed on the millstone marker are the words taken from Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 18, wherein Jesus Christ states:

"And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!"

These words are recorded in Mark and Luke as well.

According to the AP report, the bishop of Davenport, William Franklin, told the small group of people who attended the ceremony that the Church was "truly sorry" for what had happened to the victims. He added, "Young people were hurt by those who should have known better."

Davenport is not the first diocese to erect such a momument. Back in December of 2003, a Mendham, New Jersey parish, erected a 400 pound millstone monument following the suicide death of a 37 year old man who claimed he had been sexually abused by a priest during the 70's.

MENDHAM, NEW JERSEY MILLSTONE MONUMENT

CARDINAL MAHONY: LEADER OF THE PACK

Cardinal Mahony, who prides himself in being at the cutting edge of the latest innovations in the American Church, was once again at the head of the pack on this score as well. In May of 2003 -- mind you, 6 full months before the New Jersey monument was erected -- Mahony set aside in his new Cathedral the first ever "chapel" dedicated to those who have been affected by sexual abuse.

CHAPEL FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE
OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS CATHEDRAL

I have to admit that the millstone idea was a stroke of genius and unfortunately Mahony's chapel-monument to victims does not have one.

Perhaps someone could suggest to the management of the Cathedral Gift Shop that they make available for purchase limited edition, mini-millstone monuments. Each hand-crafted item could even be signed by one of the hundreds of accused L.A. clergy perpetrators.

On second thought, maybe not.

COMMERCIAL

For other Cathedral Gift Shop ideas, go HERE and HERE and HERE. Be careful, though. You could end up spending a bundle on this stuff.

Money to burn

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE reports ...

"... by an apparently unanimous voice vote the [American] bishops approved a commitment of up to $1 million from the quasi-endowment fund to help fund a major study on the causes and context of clergy sexual abuse of minors over the past half-century."

The US bishops can send the money to me because I have the answer to their query (although it is an answer that they obviously do not want to hear).

What is the cause of clergy sexual abuse of minors?

TOO MANY JUDASES IN THE PRIESTHOOD.

Pope John Paul II explained it this way in his April 2002 address to the U.S. Cardinals:

"The abuse of the young is a grave symptom of a crisis affecting not only the Church but society as a whole. It is a deep-seated crisis of sexual morality, even of human relationships, and its prime victims are the family and the young ..."

"... People need to know that there is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who would harm the young. They must know that Bishops and priests are totally committed to the fullness of Catholic truth on matters of sexual morality, a truth as essential to the renewal of the priesthood and the episcopate as it is to the renewal of marriage and family life."

Or as Father Richard John Neuhaus put it, taking his cue from John Paul II, THE REAL ISSUE IS FIDELITY.

"The simple fact is that, if priests and bishops had been faithful to the church's teaching and their sacred vows, there would be no scandal. Jesus asks in Luke 18, "When the Son of man returns, will he find faith on earth?" The crisis created by clerical sexual scandals is essentially about three things: fidelity, fidelity, and fidelity."

On second thought, the bishops, with all that money to burn, can split the difference between Pope John Paul II and Father Neuhaus. I'd be grateful if they'd simply do what they're supposed to do: get down on their knees and pray.

The bishops would also do well to read the study by Clowes and Sonnier entitled, Child Molestation by Homosexuals and Heterosexuals.

L.A. gays prefer crystal

Crystal methamphetamine, that is.

The LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

"Nearly one in three gay and bisexual men who tested positive for HIV at a major Los Angeles clinic last year acknowledged using crystal methamphetamine, an illegal drug that increases sexual risk taking, according to a new study."

"Meth increases arousal and reduces inhibitions, often prompting users to seek sex with multiple partners, heightening the risk of contracting HIV, experts said."

L.A. Catholics may want to skip the so-called "wine line" the next time they go to Mass. Who knows what else they will receive when they take a sip of the Precious Blood from the ubiquitous "crystal" goblet?

Openly "gay" in Mahony's L.A.

Photo: DEACON ERIC STOLTZ AND CARDINAL MAHONY
Mahony ordained Mr. Stoltz to the diaconate in 2004

In Cardinal Mahony's L.A., priesthood ordinations are way down. Only 5 priests were ordained this year and future vocations projections hold very little promise of improvement as long as the man at the top in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is Roger M. Mahony.

The ordination of married permanent deacons, by contrast, is way up in Roger's realm. On June 11 of this year, Mahony ordained 11 men to the permanent diaconate. All 11 of the new deacons are married and, one would assume, heterosexual. Last year, yet another group of 11 married, presumably "straight" men, were ordained deacons by Mahony, plus one other man whose sexual orientation is in no wise in doubt. His name is Eric Stoltz. Stoltz has an impressive looking resume and currently works as an apparently successful web developer. Deacon Stoltz is also an avowed homosexual.

Mr. Stoltz, a self-described "gay urbanite," sees himself as ...

"... one of that despised class widely assumed to be irreligious and hedonistic and an imminent threat to everything that is good and holy in our society."

He continues:

" ... we [gays] are supposedly to blame for the breakdown of the family, yet I know of no gay people that have abortions, abuse children, get divorced, neglect the ethical and religious education of children; heterosexuals do all these things, but blame homosexuals for the results ..."

Stoltz is a professional writer and published author who obsessively weaves into his essays and homilies the usual "gay" themes: discrimination against "gays" by "straights" and by the Church; special privileges for "gay" couples; and, of course, AIDS.

Not surprisingly, Deacon Stoltz is a big fan of both Cardinal Mahony and Father Peter Liuzzi, O. Carm. (former director of Mahony's "ministry to Lesbian and Gay Catholics" and currently pastor of St. Agnes Church and School in Phoenix). He wrote about both (without explicit mention of their names) in a piece that was published in the "gay" friendly Jesuit weekly, America.

About Liuzzi:

"I recall the words of a priest in charge of gay and lesbian ministry for the archdiocese who encountered the protests of a deacon who complained about gay people "flaunting" their orientation; why couldn't they just keep all that to themselves? (Don't ask, Don't tell.) "And what about that ring on your finger and the picture of your wife on your desk?" he asked the startled deacon. "Are you not flaunting your heterosexuality?"

Regarding the advancement of militant homosexuality in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles:

"And what have I seen in the Church since I returned? I've seen wonders that you can never imagine. I've seen my friends received into the Church with their lovers as sponsors. I've seen bishops welcome the gay and lesbian community by name. I've seen gay couples bring up the gifts at the offertory procession. I've seen the funerals of friends who accepted death from AIDS with joy as new members of Christ’s Mystical Body."

And about the most influential champion of "gay" militancy among Catholics in L.A., Cardinal Roger M. Mahony:

"I have seen the archbishop of Los Angeles process into a church (for the record, not my parish) preceded by six gay pride flags (and I wept)."

Later in the same article, Mr. Stoltz talks about ...

"... the publicly orthodox Western bishop who says privately that the Catholic Church will recognize gay unions within the next 20 years."

"... the pastor who counsels parishioners on how to develop a positive gay relationship."

"... the bishops who dine regularly with gay couples."

"... the pastors who give the blessing of the meal at all-gay dinner parties."

And then by way of conclusion, he writes:

" ... Vatican bureaucrats and self-proclaimed defenders of orthodoxy may take offense at my experiences, but I know that I have been witness to wonders and marvels that will forever affect the nature of the Mystical Body, for we, too, gay men as we are, are also members of that body. And mind by mind, soul by soul, heart by heart, we are building a consensus fidelium that will one day set us free ..."

"Have you noticed that I named no names in this article? What does that say for a Church that proclaims that "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free?" On the day that I can name names in this article, pastors, people and parishes, we will all be truly free. Until then, we will continue to struggle ... "

For more jeremiads by Cardinal Mahony's "gay" deacon, Eric Stoltz, go HERE and HERE. Go also to the webpage for St. Brendan's Church in L.A. where Stotlz serves as deacon.

Ecce 'homos'

A shocking, but not at all surprising post from DIOGENES about the U.S. bishops who are known homosexuals. Click HERE.

How painfully true are the words penned by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in his meditation on the Ninth Station of the Cross: Jesus Falls the Third Time (Lent 2005):

... How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him!

... 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. Matthew 8: 25).

PRAYER

Lord, your Church often seems like a boat about to sink, a boat taking in water on every side. In your field we see more weeds than wheat. The soiled garments and face of your Church throw us into confusion. Yet it is we ourselves who have soiled them! It is we who betray you time and time again, after all our lofty words and grand gestures. Have mercy on your Church; within her too, Adam continues to fall. When we fall, we drag you down to earth, and Satan laughs, for he hopes that you will not be able to rise from that fall; he hopes that being dragged down in the fall of your Church, you will remain prostrate and overpowered. But you will rise again. You stood up, you arose and you can also raise us up. Save and sanctify your Church. Save and sanctify us all.

Models of the church

Only $22 (batteries and assembly not included)

Available for purchase exclusively at the Cathedral Gift Shop is this replica model of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the "Angles." The models are individually handpainted, making each reproduction unique. In fact, the one pictured above resembles any one of the many lean-to cardboard shelters which the homeless along Fifth Street make for themselves to keep warm on cold nights. A Cathedral model would make a great gift for Dad on Father's Day to remind him of how grateful he should be to have a roof over his head.

The color of the model, like that of the building itself, is said to be reminiscent of the sun-baked adobe walls of the California Missions. Truth is, this alleged continuity between the Cathedral and the California Missions was the half-baked idea of the building's architect, No-way-José Moneo.

Seismologists might want to buy a dozen or more of the Cathedral models to test the ability of the actual building to withstand a major earthquake. Scientists predict that the BIG ONE, which is sure to come, will be triggered by a newly discovered fault line running directly beneath the Cathedral. In spite of all this, the eternally optimistic Cardinal Mahony insists that the edifice will stand until about the year 2502. By then, however, L.A. will have become completely Muslum because the Catholics of Mahony's time never heard of Humanae Vitae. Oh, to be alive long enough to see the look on the Mullah's face when he beholds the Cathedral altar designed by Mahony himself and which was fashioned out of a huge chunk of marble imported from Turkey!

WARNING: This model is not intended to be placed on the dashboard of your car or hung from the rear view mirror. With some minor modifications, the model could be converted into a dog house for your Rottweiler.

'Take me to your leader' pen and box set

Just $24.50 (writes in 42 different languages in a Rainbow Sash of colors to celebrate the L.A. Archdiocese's cultural diversity and moral perversity)

Cathedral of Our Lady of the "Angles" elegant wooden Pen and Box set with laser engraved alien creature from a far away galaxy. Pen features classic styling with wide-diameter design. Luxurious wood finish with Gold plated appointments. Pen comes with a black ball-point tip, suitable for general-purpose writing, for writing letters to Pope Benedict XVI to register complaints about liturgical abuses at the cathedral, or simply for blackballing orthodox candidates for the seminary. (Refillable with standard refills similar to Cross pens for 5 centuries of use!)

Kathedral Keychain

Only $8 (plus $14 parking fee)

Only Available at the Cathedral Giftshop! (No one else would be caught dead selling it). The Cathedral of Our Lady of the "Angles" Keychain makes a perfect gift or serves as a great reminder of your visit to the Cathedral and how much it cost you to park your car in the underground parking structure. It is classic in design and it features a dramatic image of the Cathedral plaza.

WARNING: Image on keychain may be closer than it appears.

My cathedral? Our cathedral?

No way, José [Moneo]! Don't try to pin this one on us. You and Mahony have no one to blame but yourselves.

Good riddance to O.C. "nun"

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

An Orange County Catholic school that angered some parents by allowing a gay couple to enroll their two boys last year has drafted a policy that would forbid the men to appear as a couple at school functions, according to a memo distributed to teachers.

... Some parents say Sister Mary Vianney, the school's principal for 31 years, has not had her contract renewed after she objected to the new attendance requirements. The parents held a candlelight vigil Saturday and have asked Orange County Diocese Bishop Tod D. Brown to intervene.

(W)rappin' up the Gospel in the culture of the streets

Roll over Beethoven!

Hat tip to the "OpenBookblogger" ("I link to anyone who has an interesting story") for the story on Father Stan Fortuna. He uses "rap" music to transmit the Gospel to today's youth culture. Inspiring! Cool!

Be sure to check out the video link.

A house of prayer for all peoples, except ...

L.A.'s new "Catholic" mayor, by his own admission, doesn't go to Mass that often. During the recent mayoral campaign, though, Antonio Villaraigosa made himself very visible at two well attended Masses at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral. One was a funeral Mass for the leftist Chicano labor leader, Miguel Contreras, and the other was a memorial Mass for the late Pope John Paul II. There were reports that the then candidate Villaraigosa received Holy Communion at both Masses, one of which was celebrated by His Eminence.

During his failed 2001 mayoral campaign, Villaraigosa granted an interview to the Los Angeles Times and the subject of religion came up. "I'm strongly, strongly pro-choice," said Villaraigosa and then added that he did not subscribe to "some of the church's teachings on sexuality with respect to gays and lesbians." He explained that "religion is more about my spirituality and faith than adherence to rigid theological concepts." [source]

As politicians go, they do not come much more leftist and irreligious than Antonio Villaraigosa. But that evidently is not even an issue with Cardinal Mahony. According to THE TIDINGS,

"An Interfaith Prayer Service is currently being planned to be held at the Cathedral prior to the upcoming inauguration of our new mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa."

In the same article which boasts about how the Cathedral has opened its creepy ("great bronze") doors to various and sundry non-Catholic religious and non-religious groups, THE TIDINGS points out that ...

"The cornerstone of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral boldly proclaims, in the words of the Prophet Isaiah, 'My House Shall Be a House of Prayer for All Peoples."

I seriously doubt that this is what the Holy Spirit had in mind when He inspired Isaiah to convey those words. The larger context of that verse suggests a different message altogether:

Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. Happy is the man who does this, the son of man who holds to it; who keeps the sabbath free from profanation, and his hand from any evildoing ... Them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their holocausts and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:1-2;7).

I, therefore, propose that someone modify the Isaian inscription on the cornerstone of Mahony's dreadful looking edifice to say the following:

"This house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples (except those who were not lucky enough to have escaped the abortionist's scalpel and vacuum hose)."

Villaraigosa with pro-abort former mayor and Mahony crony, Richard Riordan, who endorsed Villaraigosa's bid for mayor.

Something to make L.A. Catholics smile

Now available: the movie trailer for this summer's most anticipated film, Lord of the Thing (formerly called Mordor in the Cathedral). It's a movie in which Middle Earth meets the twenty-first century Archdiocese of Los Angeles. (Hat tip: Veritatis Splendor)

See it at The Weight of Glory weblog near you. Or if you are a TWOG MovieCard holder, here is your FREE PASS.

USC chaplain resigns

L.A. Catholic has received information regarding the controversial priest-chaplain at Our Savior University Parish which serves Catholic students at the University of Southern California. The L.A. Times reported early last month that Father William Messenger had been accused of "inappropriate touching" of a male university student.

According to an Archdiocesan official, the investigation into this serious allegation revealed that other persons had come forward with "related" complaints about the priest. The Church official added that "... the investigation also revealed violations of Church and University policies regarding alcohol that had nothing to do with the original report of misconduct." In view of what will likely be a somewhat lengthy investigation, sources say that Father Messenger has elected to resign his post as pastor while making no admission of guilt regarding the allegations of inappropriate conduct.

There is no mention on the part of the Archdiocesan official of any violation of Church teaching. On that score Messenger is beyond a doubt guilty. For over a decade and apparently with Cardinal Mahony's blessing, Father Messenger has openly dissented from Church teaching through his preaching and by way of the official "USC Catholic Community" webpage.

Related links ...

Bill Cork on Messenger.

Messenger on celibacy.

Messenger on the conclave.

Messenger on how best to observe Lent.

Mahony and Messenger enjoying wine and quesadillas.

In one ear, out the other

In 1998, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, along with the other bishops of California and the bishops of Nevada and Hawaii, had his ad limina visit with Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father's message to Mahony, et al., can be summed up in two little words:

Humanae vitae.

John Paul II told them:

The teaching of Humanae Vitae honors married love, promotes the dignity of women, and helps couples grow in understanding the truth of their particular path to holiness. It is also a response to contemporary culture's temptation to reduce life to a commodity.

As Bishops, together with your priests, deacons, seminarians, and other pastoral personnel, you must find the right language and imagery to present this teaching in a comprehensible and compelling way. [For the complete address, click HERE.]

The Holy Father told them in no uncertain terms: Brother bishops, teach Humanae Vitae to your people. This is the truth they need to hear! This is the truth that will set them free!

And the Cardinal of the West and his episcopal entourage gave a respectful nod to the already aging pontiff, returned to their respective dioceses and kept their mouths shut.

Humanae Vitae in Hollywood

Clayton over at Weight of Glory will be hosting a study session on Humanae Vitae next Thursday. Go HERE for more details.

Two little words never heard in L.A.

humanae vitae

I cannot remember the last time I heard a homily about Humanae Vitae.

L.A. pulpits are silent when it comes to proclaiming the truth and beauty of the Church's teaching regarding God's plan for husbands and wives.

My own people (of Mexican descent) have completely bought into the contraceptive culture. I cannot tell you how many of my primas and tias are on the pill or use the patch or inject the Depo or wear the IUD or están operadas (they've had their tubes tied).

I tell them that it's bad for them, bad for their physical health, bad for their emotional health, fatal to babies that may be conceived (due to the abortiacient nature of most contraceptives) and, most of all, deadly for their souls.

They don't want to listen. They tell me, "El Padre me dijo en la Confesión que no es pecado." [The priest told me in Confession that it isn't a sin]. How do I compete with that? He's the Padre; I'm just their overly religious cousin or nephew. Soy, para ellas, un fanático. [They think I'm a religious fanatic].

The words of the prophet Hosea come to mind (Hosea, 4:6):

" ... my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."

Cardinal Mahony, when did you ever talk to us about Humanae Vitae? You love to talk about welcoming immigrants, paying a living wage to hotel workers, and ending the death penalty. But -- correct me if I am wrong -- what have you ever said or written about the evil of contraception? If the polls are correct, staggering numbers of the souls in your charge are contracepting and you have remained silent. In the 20 years that you have been Archbishop of Los Angeles, I have never heard these two little words -- humanae vitae -- fall from your lips.

The insolence of the sheep is the direct result of the silence of the shepherds.

I cite again the words of the Prophet Hosea (4:9):

"And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds."

Lord, have mercy on Your Church!

New priests greeted with applause at L.A. Cathedral

"As you make your commitment of service," the cardinal told the new priests in his homily at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, "be men who do not fear; be ever joyful and joyous in God's presence. And make your life a living sacrifice in the presence of all you shall serve."

L.A. priesthood ordination 2005

Cardinal Mahony to L.A.'s five new priests ...

"You are blessed to be ordained in the Year of the Eucharist, and I urge you to be men of the Eucharist, to see that as the source of all you need to journey with Jesus."

Let us earnestly pray for these new priests and for all the priests of the Church. They need our prayers and we need the grace that comes through their consecrated hands. -- QUINTERO

THE TIDINGS

Extreme makeover for a serial murderer

Thanks to Marc over at A voice crying out from the thickness for this link.

Michael Ross (aka Brother Dismas) came from the dregs and ended up hanging on the cross next to Jesus crying out, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."

THE CONNECTICUT POST reports ...

Ross, who killed eight young women in the 1980s, is scheduled to be buried privately today at the Benedictine Grange in Redding. According to Ross' writings and those knew him, the killer took vows as a Benedictine oblate on death row shortly after his execution was delayed Jan. 25. It was carried out May 13.

"His Catholicism was absolutely sincere," said Barry A. Butler of Fairfield, a public defender who used to represent Ross. As an oblate — a lay affiliate of the Roman Catholic Order of St. Benedict — Ross chose the name Brother Dismas. He explained the choice in a May 1 letter to friends. According to the Gospel of Luke, two thieves were crucified with Jesus. One challenged Jesus to use his power to save them; the other — by tradition the "good thief," St. Dismas — rebuked the other thief, and received Jesus' blessing. I have always had a fondness for St. Dismas, and, in fact, I have published articles under the pen name of Michael Dismas. So the choice of becoming Brother Michael Dismas was an obvious choice for me," Ross wrote.

The date of Ross' execution -- May 13, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima -- is not insignificant. Father John Giuliani, one of Ross' spiritual advisers, had known the convicted murderer for 7 years and said Ross' conversion began shortly after his arrest when he began to pray the daily Rosary.

At Fatima, Lucia asked Our Lady if she would go to heaven. Our Lady answered, "Yes." Lucia inquired further, "And Jacinta and Francisco, too?" "Yes, they, too, will go to heaven," responded the Blessed Virgin, adding, "But Francisco will have to say many Rosaries."

Michael Ross prayed many Rosaries and underwent a profound conversion. Now we must pray for his soul so that he may be cleansed of every vestige of sin in the purgatorial flames of Divine Love. Let us pray also for the souls of his victims and for all those whose lives were in any way diminished or whose souls were in any way harmed by Ross' sinful past.

POSTSCRIPT

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 982 ...

There is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive. There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest. Christ who died for all men desires that in his Church the gates of forgiveness should always be open to anyone who turns away from sin.

Smarter than the average Buddha

No, this is not Jellystone University.



It's Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles.

And its not Yogi Bear they're talking about.



It's Yoga, Buddha (aka Boo boo), Vishnu, Kali and Krishna.

I must admit that I have not carefully studied the university catalog, but it would not surprise me at all to find LMU offering a degree major in Paganism with a minor in Catholicism.

If I am not mistaken, Loyola Marymount University was founded and is staffed by the religious order known as THE SOCIETY OF SHIVA, the KALI-fornia province. To visit their website, click HERE.

Take a look at these tantalizing summer course offerings.

(Sacramental) Monsters, Inc.

FATHER LAWRENCE ESTRADA
Sacramental Minister
"Have stole, will transubstantiate"

25 years ago, Father Lawrence Estrada was ordained a priest at the future Saint Vibiana Performing Arts Center/Hotel/Restaurant complex over on 2nd and Main. He's held several assignments throughout those years, including a stint as Archbishop Roger M. Mahony's priest-secretary, as well as serving as pastor of St. Stephen's Church in Monterey Park from 1996 to 2003.

You can still find him at St. Stephen's, but he doesn't answer to "pastor" anymore. He is now the designated SACRAMENTAL MINISTER. He steps in when you absolutely need something to be done "ex opere operato." For all your other pastoral needs, you must go to Sister Susie. You remember her.

"I love to vision for the future and think about how we're going to get there," said Sister Slater, [Parish Life Director] at St. Stephen Church in Monterey Park. "There's enough work for all of us. It's about doing it together and not being threatened by each other."

As PASTORAL LIFE DIRECTOR at St. Stephen's, Sister Susan Slater baptizes, she witnesses marriages, she officiates at funerals and preaches homilies. She probably even slices and dices for all I know. And she does all this right smack in the middle of Los Angeles with Father Estrada just a few steps away. Isn't that somethin'? Looks like the future is already here.

"Sacramental Minister."
"Parish Life Director"

These terms form part of the specialized lexicon for the "new church" which is being "sung" into existence in L.A. by the painfully tone deaf Cardinal Roger Mahony. And about the only one at St. Stephen's who is escatic about this radical retooling of parish life is Sister herself. No doubt she'd love to be the SACRAMENTAL SISTER, but since that's an impossibility, PARISH LIFE DIRECTOR will do. After all, she is doing everything a priest does except transubstantiate. Theoreticaly, she can even hear confessions. That is to say, she can listen to peoples' sins; she just can't absolve them. But very likely Sister doesn't believe in all that hocus pocus anyway.

This is all part of Mahony's "broader" vision (no pun intended) to deal with a future with fewer and fewer priests. The Cardinal wrote about this in his pastoral letter, As I have done for you.

"What is called for is a major reorientation in our thinking about ministry as well as in our ministerial practice."

Wittingly or not, what the Cardinal is promoting in his Archdiocese is nothing short of a kind of Frankensteinish tinkering with the priesthood. SACRAMENTAL MINISTER is really a euphemism for SACRAMENTAL MONSTER. Men are ordained to be priests, not sacramental machines. I do not know Father Estrada or what he thinks about all this, but I do feel very sorry for him. 25 years ago when he lay prostrate on the floor of St. Vibiana's Cathedral, did he or anyone ever think it would come to this?

How long, O Lord?

Patrick Madrid weighs in on Bishop Zavala

Over at the Envoy blog, Patrick Madrid writes ...

"The one thing I do remember about Bishop, then Father, Zavala, was his overt hostility to Catholic Answers, where I worked for eight years, and (or so it seemed to me) to the apologetics movement in general."

For the entire post, click HERE.

In light of the foregoing, I would respectfully submit to Bishop Zavala that he spend his sabbatical doing THIS.



If necessary, we could even take up a collection to help with the added expenses. Donations could be sent to the Bishop Zavala VACATION or VOCATION Sabbatical Fund.

Some people never change

And that's a good thing sometimes. Click.

What ever happened to that Italian guy?

You know. Father Peter Liuzzi. The Carmelite priest who ran Mahony's "Ministry to Gay and Lesbian Catholics". He just sort of disappeared all of a sudden. What's up with him?

Back in 2002, he was mentioned in the infamous Mahony e-mails. He was pretty tight, so to speak, with another Carmelite priest, Dominic Savino, who was forced to step down as President of Crespi Catholic High School on account of alleged sexual abuse of minors.

Sister Judy Murphy, the then in-house attorney for the Archdiocese, wrote about Liuzzi in an e-mail sent to one of the attorneys of the Archdiocese's legal firm. She doesn't mention Liuzzi by name, but it is clear from the context that she is referring to Liuzzi.

Sister Judy's e-mail:

As to the other [Carmelite] priest, he is the priest who ministered at the ACC to gay and lesbian Catholics. He stayed on the narrow line until he wrote his book. He is gay and the Catholic Mission (the off the wall right wing throw-away newspaper) has been gunning for him for years.

There is no suggestion here that Liuzzi had been accused of any improprieties with minors. The concern, which is raised in another e-mail, is that Liuzzi, simultaneous to the announcement of the removal of Father Savino, was being transferred to the faculty of Crespi following the dismantling of his Gay and Lesbian Ministry due to the loss of funding. There was clearly some apprehension on the part of some of the Archdiocesan managers over the appointment of Liuzzi, a known homosexual, to an all boys' school, given the torrent of revelations involving homosexual priests abusing young men and boys.

The Vicar for Clergy, Monisgnor Cox, was strongly opposed to the removal of Liuzzi from the Crespi faculty. In another e-mail, one of the Archdiocesan attorneys told Sister Judy:

Msgr. Cox is opposed to the removal of Fr. Liuzzi who teaches a one hour course once a week at Crespi reasoning that if he was good enough to be on the Cardinal's staff, he is OK to teach at Crespi H.S. (Disagree.) All homosexuals are not pedophiles. (Agree.) If the Cardinal was to tell the Carmelites to remove Fr. Liuzzi, that is his decision. There has never been a claim about Fr. Liuzzi.

I am not sure how long Liuzzi was on staff at Crespi, but he wasn't there too long. I think he took one of those "sabbaticals."

And now where is he?

Three guesses before you click.

The ANSWER.

And also HERE.

And HERE as well.

POSTSCRIPT



L.A. Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala and Father Peter Liuzzi both served on the National Assn. of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries. They both resigned from the organization at the same time reportedly because some German theologian in the Vatican was cracking down on so-called "ministries" to homosexual persons that did not uphold the teachings of the Church.

L.A.'s new 'deacon couples'

Sr. y Sra. Diácono/Mr. and Mrs. Deacon

THE TIDINGS reports ...

"Cardinal Roger M. Mahony will ordain 11 permanent diaconate candidates to the Sacred Order of Deacon on June 11 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Their ordination will bring to nearly 250 the number of permanent deacons serving in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles."

"Those to be ordained and their wives have undergone a four-year formation period of study, service and prayer in preparation for their new ministry, for which they will be assigned to their home parishes. Following are brief profiles of the new deacon couples."

Women deacons are practically a reality in L.A. What? You still don't believe me? Then go HERE.

What blogs are Catholic bloggers reading?

Ignatius Insight provides the answer.

And no, this young blog -- L.A. Catholic -- is not on the list.

I did discover, though, that enough bloggers have read me to at least register a small tidal wave of dislike for "my perspective." Amy Welborn writes with reference to my post about L.A. auxiliary bishop Gabino Zavala, "A lot of you don't like the perspective of the LACatholic blogger, but ah well. You know, I link to anyone with an interesting story."

I can handle it. In L.A., Catholics grow very thick skin.

Thanks, nonetheless, to Amy for the backhanded compliment.

Advice to the L.A. Five: Keep your collar on

Free Republic posts comments about the L.A. priesthood ordinations.
Clayton wanted to attend the Mass, but didn't have a ticket.


THE L.A. FIVE

It's sad to note that only one of the ordinands is dressed as a priest. This is, of course, in keeping with the prevailing trend among L.A. priests who in large numbers dress in non-clerical attire. In fact, I was told that Mahony actually encourages this by insisting on "casual" attire at priests' meetings.

I have heard some priests justify the wearing of non-clerical garb as a way of "identifying with the people." But I suspect that the real reason behind it is simply not to be identified, period. It's less of a hassle for them. When they're at the mall or the cineplex, no one's going to bug them for a blessing or a confession or a few words of advice.

If I were a priest, I would always wear, along with my scapular, the Roman collar. Remember that priest who was nearly beaten to death in a park by two youths after he allegedly propositioned them for sex? In addition to suffering substantial injuries that almost took his life, the priest, who was the chancellor of his diocese, may never function as a priest again.

You know what? A lot of misery, both physical and moral, could have been avoided had Father just kept his Roman collar on.

Mahony gives bishop a break

Cardinal Mahony announced in the June 3 issue of THE TIDINGS that his auxiliary bishop, Gabino Zavala, will be taking a sabbatical from July to December. According to the report, the purpose of the sabbatical will be "to provide [Zavala] time for spiritual and theological renewal, an ecclesial experience and time for the exploration of personal interests and talents."

There is something very odd about all this.

First, this announcement comes without any advanced notice. There is a suddenness about it that is somewhat troubling.

Second, there is the cryptic "churchspeak" that is used to explain the purpose of the sabbatical.

"Spiritual and theological renewal"

The Tidings blurb does state that Zavala will begin his time off with a 30 day Ignatian retreat. Okay, so he's going on a month long retreat. Nothing wrong with that.

Then it says he's going to Rome "where [Zavala] hopes to explore in depth the ecclesial and cultural history of the Church." Nothing wrong with that either. Everyone should get "Romanized," and no one stands in need of it more than Bishop Zavala. But what does this mean exactly? Will Zavala be attending a course at one of the pontifical universities, or perhaps catching up on his reading of Ratzinger books, or simply hanging around Italian restaurants for a couple of months?

"Time for an ecclesial experience"

According to the Tidings, Zavala will spend some time in Brazil "where he hopes to experience the Church in Latin America in its work for justice." Again, the language is vague. Will he be on some sort of "fact finding tour?" Will he be doing pastoral work somewhere in that huge country (does Zavala speak Portuguese?)? Or will he be simply enjoying life on the beaches of Rio?

"Time for the exploration of personal interests and talents"

A time for exploring? What the heck does that mean? Will he be taking up cooking lessons or line dancing? At 54 years of age -- in his prime -- the bishop is taking time off to find himself? This strikes me as very strange indeed.

My theory is -- and it's just a theory -- that Bishop Zavala is just a little bummed out. He's been an auxiliary in Los Angeles since 1994 and it's got to be difficult working under Cardinal Mahony. And now it's suddenly dawned on him that the only "ecclesial experience" he is going to have is right where he is. For a youngish auxiliary bishop who certainly had higher ambitions (i.e., a diocese of his own), the thought of staying in L.A. for the rest of his days has got to be a little depressing.

When the Phoenix diocese opened up because of the O'Brien debacle, there was much talk about Zavala taking that post. When Olmstead got the nod instead (thanks be to God!), there were reports that Zavala was more than a little disappointed because he had been passed over for the job.

Some observers say that Mahony's influence in Rome has shrunk when it comes to the appointment of bishops. Mahony's men -- and Zavala is one of them -- can no longer count on receiving the consideration they once did or at least they will be considered with more hesitation. And if this was true before it is all the more so now under a Pope Benedict papacy.

So whatever the reason -- only God, Gabino and the all-knowing Cardinal know for sure -- the guy probably does need a break. So let's give him a break and keep him in our prayers.

By the way, Bishop Zavala was ordained a priest along with Father "Bill" Messenger.

N.B. The Zavala story cannot be found in the online version of the Tidings, only in the print version. Otherwise I would have linked it.

'Bring me all your half-empty bottles of Scotch'

Photo from THE TIDINGS, May 31, 2002

Father "Bill" Messenger, who was accused last month of allegedly touching inappropriately an adult male student, once gave the following advice about Lent.

The Christian Post reports ...

Father William Messenger ... believes doing something active for the season [of Lent] is a better way to deepen a student’s relationship with God than the traditional way of abstinence. I would prefer that students add charitable acts to their [Lenten observance] rather than omit things, he said. "My standard homily on Ash Wednesday includes, 'I do not give up Scotch, so bring all your half-empty bottles to me.' "

Don't tell my wife, but ...

Over at Diogenes Dan has posted the perfect rejoinder to Father “Bill” Messenger’s idiotic statement regarding celibacy.

First, Father "Bill" in his own words:

I, for one, did not choose celibacy. I chose priesthood and accepted celibacy because there was no choice. I do not consider myself to have been free. There was simply no other way to be ordained. And even in accepting celibacy, it was not a vow. The distinction between vow and promise is perhaps more important than is immediately evident.

Dan's response:

Don't tell my wife, but...

I, for one, did not choose monogamy. I chose marriage and accepted monogamy because there was no other choice. I wanted children but was not free to choose monogamy or polygamy. Since the Catholic Church will not marry polygamists, there was no other way to be married except to promise monogamy. It was not a free choice. I know it is called marriage vows but aren't they really promises?

Didn't Solomon have hundreds of wives?

Go and tell that fox ...

... that it is an exercise in futility to hammer his 95 FECES* to the door of the Wittenburg church, or any door for that matter. My suggestion would be to wait at least several months before attempting this again. By then, paradoxically, harder will mean easier. And then all he'll need is some good duct tape from Das Heimdepot.

We can give the poor old Fox an "A" for effort, however.



* [Middle English, from Latin faecs, pl. of faex, dregs.]

St. John's 'Cemetery' College

THE [BAD] TIDINGS announces a momentous event in the history of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the following blurb ...

The St. John's Seminary College Class of 2005 held its final graduation ceremony on May 14 at the Camarillo campus.

Graduates of the class of 2005 include Daniel Gutiérrez, John Andrew Alexander, Uriel Tovar Jr., Edin Barrera, José G. López, Michael Uythien Nguyen and Alexander Gamino, Jr. of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Rogelio González and Alexander Gamino, Jr. of the Diocese of San Bernardino.

That's it. I suppose "they" think the least said the better so as to draw as little attention as possible to the ongoing disintegration of the Catholic Church in L.A. under Cardinal Roger M. Mahony.

What the blurb leaves out is significant: just 9 graduates from the college seminary of the most populous diocese in the country (7 for L.A. and 2 for San Bernardino).

Note, too, that the article does not indicate that a single one of the graduates will be going on to the Theologate which is adjacent to the soon to be demolished college seminary campus.

In the Mahony years, fewer and fewer graduates of St. John's Seminary College have made it to the Theologate, either because they were not interested in pursuing a vocation to the priesthood or because they were not deemed acceptable as candidates for the priesthood in the Archdiocese.

During Roger Mahony's 20 year reign as archbishop, the largest Archdiocese in the richest nation in the world has closed 2 of its seminaries: Our Lady Queen of Angels (Minor Seminary) and now, St. John's Seminary College. Ironically, Mahony sold the latter to a developer ostensibly to provide an endowment for the education of future priests.

Tales from the crypt

Not all of Cardinal Mahony's skeletons are in the closet. Some are in the basement. Have a look for yourself HERE.

L.A. Cathedral Mass?

Good guess, but thankfully, no.

First, the church where this "clown Mass" took place is much too beautiful to be Our Lady of the "Angles" Cathedral.

Second, there is a real chalice on the altar and all one sees at the L.A. Cathedral are "glass chalices" (a "grave abuse" proscribed by Redemptionis Sacramentum, 117; 173).

Third, the clowns in L.A. put on make-up and wear costumes on their off hours.

Mr. Chaput goes to Washington?

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput's name is being churned in the rumor mill as the next archbishop of Washington, D.C. - and the noise is so loud that even Chaput is acknowledging it.

[Father John] Neuhaus said Chaput would be a "lively candidate" anywhere. The San Francisco diocese, which also is vacant, would be considered a lateral move and not likely, other observers say.

"Would he be a splendid and bold and persuasive voice for the Catholic Church in the nation's capital?" Neuhaus said. "My answer would be most emphatically, 'yes,' and therefore I would welcome such an appointment."

L.A. priest's trial to begin

VENTURA COUNTY STAR (free registration required)

LOS ANGELES -- A retired Roman Catholic priest will stand trial next week for allegedly molesting a boy in the 1990s ...

... After treatment in New Mexico, Wempe was reassigned as chaplain at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. That became controversial several years ago when Mahony acknowledged he should have told hospital officials more about the priest's background.

Wempe was removed from the ministry in 2002 by Mahony.

When cathedrals fly ...

FLYING HOUSE, the Victor Lams' song [download it HERE] about the Holy House of Loreto gave me an inspiration.

I propose that we all pray really, really hard and beg the angels to transport Mahony's Cathedral out of L.A.

It might take some convincing, however, since this moving job is a lot more complicated. To be sure, the Santa Casa di Loreto weighs almost nothing in comparison to the massive Holly(wood) House of Zuchetto.

According to my calculations, the building cost approximately $1.33 per pound (that's $200 million divided by 150 million pounds, which is what the Archdiocese says the building weighs). Believe it or not, this is a lot cheaper than beef jerkey.

This really should not be too difficult a job for angels since it's no big deal for them to move planets around and such.

What do you say we pray?

And any thoughts on where they should drop it?

Would it be too much to ask them to take the Cardinal with them?

It looks like he's even stretching his wings in this pic:

Holy House of Loreto

Victor over at Catechism Rock has composed a fun song about the Holy House of Loreto.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

As lately as 1894 Leo XIII, in a Brief conceding various spiritual favours for the sixth centenary of the translation of the Santa Casa to Loreto, summed up its history in these words: "The happy House of Nazareth is justly regarded and honoured as one of the most sacred monuments of the Christian Faith; and this is made clear by the many diplomas and acts, gifts and privileges accorded by Our predecessors. No sooner was it, as the annals of the Church bear witness, miraculously translated to Italy and exposed to the veneration of the faithful on the hills of Loreto than it drew to itself the fervent devotion and pious aspiration of all, and as the ages rolled on, it maintained this devotion ever ardent."