L.A. stray CATholic

Meow! THIS L.A. CAT LOVES RATZ.

News flash: Mahony and Pope Benedict find 'common ground'

Cats. They both love them.

Could this be the beginning of some sort of rapprochement between the disobedient Cardinal and the Pope?

L.A. Catholic calls it quits ... for a couple of weeks

I will be visiting family in different parts of the country as well as in Mexico. Pray that we may have a safe and restful journey. Be assured that I will be praying many Rosaries for my beloved City of Our Lady of the Angels, for her shepherds and for all who live here.

If I have a chance and have access to a computer, I just might drop a post, so do check back. Hasta la vista.

El Presidente and the pill that kills

Millions of Mexicans profess their love for the Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, the Mother of God, but they ignore the teachings of Her Son and of His Holy Church. President Vicente Fox is one such Mexican Catholic who is more like a Judas Iscariot than a Juan Diego.

MEXICO CITY, July 13 (Reuters) - President Vicente Fox, the first devout Roman Catholic to lead Mexico in decades, has been labeled a traitor by the church after his government put "morning-after" contraceptive pills in public clinics this week.

The morning-after pill, sometimes called emergency contraception, is taken within 72 hours of intercourse to prevent pregnancy. It contains hormones such as estrogen and progestin that stop a fertilized egg from becoming implanted in the uterus.

For full story, go here.

This report from Reuters calls Fox "the first devout Roman Catholic to lead Mexico in decades." DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT.

When he ran for office, Fox gave the impression of being a faithful Catholic. On the day that he assumed office, he made a public spectacle of going to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe where he attended Mass and received Holy Communion. But shortly after that, the betrayals came, one after another, beginning with his civil marriage to his spokesperson, Martha Sahagún. Both of them have a previous marriage in the Church.

Sadly, the Reuters report of this latest act of betrayal, therefore, comes as no surprise. From the start, President Fox has shown that he is about as Catholic as John Kerry.

Linked HERE is an excellent article in SPANISH about the many betrayals of President Vicente Fox.

Homophobe alert!

Many homosexual leaders have admitted that there is a natural link between a homosexual orientation and child sexual abuse.

You probably don't want to say these words too loudly at the Gold's Gym where L.A.'s openly gay permanent deacon, Eric Stoltz, works out.

Nor would it be advisable to have these words printed on a T-shirt and then dare to wear it at Mahony's cathedral. The cathedral goons will surely intimidate you and threaten you with arrest like they did the college students who wore pro-life T-shirts at Villaraigosa's gala pow-wow/prayer service at L.A.'s "mother church."

Nevertheless, to think, say or write these words makes one neither "homophobic" nor hateful, only honest.

The U.S. Bishops' John Jay report showed that over 80 per cent of the sexual molestation cases involving priests were homosexual in nature and not heterosexual.

Brian Clowes of Human Life International and David Sonnier contribute to a better understanding of this issue with their recent Homiletic and Pastoral Review article, Child Molestation by homosexuals and heterosexuals.

Something 'cool' and patriotic

Click HERE and enjoy.

Tip to Karen at SOME HAVE HATS.

Bush, Republican majority, send big check to 'Planned Barrenhood'

Yes, your friendly, neighborhood abortuary, Planned Parenthood, founded by Hitlerian, white supremecist, Margaret Sanger, will be able to keep its doors open and continue what they do best: kill unborn children and destroy women's lives.

Title X is one of two major federal government funding sources for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation's largest chain of abortion centers murdering over 244,000 unborn human beings per year by surgical abortion alone).

One of Sanger's infamous quotes (and there are many) is:

"The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." Margaret Sanger, Women and the New Race (Eugenics Publ. Co., 1920, 1923)

Margaret Sanger 1879-1966

Duh!

Boys will be boys and girls will be girls.

Take a look at this brief but interesting article posted at Zenit regarding the need to be more aware of the innate differences between boys and girls when it comes to pedagogy.

Go HERE to see Teaching boys and girls differently.

This will scare the hell out of you ...

... and keep you in the state of grace.

If it's been a while, get in line for Confession (that is, if you can find one in L.A.)

Brace yourselves for the "American Hiroshima."

Hat tip to Karen at SOME HAVE HATS.

Mahony's Cathedral and the Gospel of Life

The new, nominally Catholic, pro-abort mayor of Los Angeles was warmly received by Cardinal Mahony at his Cathedral for a prayer service on July 1. Meanwhile, a group of about 20 pro-life college students were harassed and threatened with arrest by Cathedral goons because they wore T-shirts which said: YOU CAN'T BE CATHOLIC AND PRO-ABORTION.

Add to this travesty of justice, the words spoken by Cardinal Mahony in the first homily that he preached at his "Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral" on September 2, 2002:

"Be assured that the fullness of the Gospel of Life will be proclaimed here, and each human life, from its earliest moments to its eldest years, will find in this place nurture and respect."

Now I ask you, how does one explain the stark incongruity between these words and Mahony's actions?

I can think of a few possible explanations and perhaps L.A. Catholic readers will come up with some of their own.

1. There was a typo on the final version of the 32 drafts of Mahony's cathedral dedication homily. It should have read: "Be assured that the fullness of the Gospel of Life will NOT be proclaimed here, and each human life, from its earliest moments to its eldest years, will NOT find in this place nurture and respect."

2. Mahony did not write the homily himself but had it ghostwritten by one of his many pro-abort, political cronies. However, there was a malfunction with the Tel·e·Promp·Ter donated by Mahony's billionaire buddy, Rupert Murdoch, which caused a couple of small, but very important words to fall off the screen.

3. It wasn't really Cardinal Mahony who gave the homily. On September 2, 2002, he was just too busy talking with his lawyers about the daily barrage of clergy sexual abuse accusations. He had no choice but to hire a "Cardinal Mahony impersonator" out of the Hollywood phone book who did an excellent job during the dedication festivities (I hear that Michael Jackson impersonators are expensive, but the guys who do Mahony are pretty cheap).

4. He got distracted by actress Angelica Houston who was sitting in the front pew to the left, or was it body builder (now governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger who was sitting right behind her? (Houston is married to Robert Graham who was responsible for making the "Great Bronze Doors").

5. He was blinded by the milky, alabaster-filtered light bouncing off the boring, brown cement walls.

6. He has left brain, right brain issues.

7. He speaks with forked tongue.

8. He sports two faces.

9. He's got Betty Davis eyes ("And she'll tease you, she'll unease you, all the better just to please you")

10. He stopped attending his Prevaricator Anonymous meetings and fell off the wagon.

Any other explanations I may have overlooked?

The truth about Rosemary

I let sympathy get the best of me in my previous post about Rosemary Radford Reuther. An old biddy she is, to be sure. But I want to be clear: make no mistake about the sinister designs behind her ideas which are thoroughly pagan and not Christian by any stretch. She is poison.

Read HERE about Rosemary Radford Reuther Unmasked.

The nutty professor strikes again

OTTAWA, July 12, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Rosemary Radford Ruether, a professor of Feminist Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley California, has announced that for feminists and so-called ‘liberal’ Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI does not represent them as head of the Catholic Church. She says in a media release from an organization called, “Women’s Ordination Worldwide” that the Pope “is not our Pope.”

This announcement might come as a surprise to some Catholics who know that Radford Ruether long ago renounced her affiliation with the Catholic Church. Her claim, therefore, to have the personal authority to depose the 265th successor of St. Peter the Apostle, might have some high-level Catholic theologians puzzled.

Not that such a revelation would trouble Radford Ruether who has long supported not only women’s ordination, but has spent years calling for the Church to lift her bans on homosexual deviancy, abortion, sterilization, contraception, divorce – the full roster of the sexual revolution’s demands."

Full report HERE.

I must be a softy or maybe it's getting late in the day, but I just feel so sorry for this poor old biddy. Hey, Rosemary! The Sixties are over!

The pope's very impressive press secretary

L'espresso has conducted a fascinating interview with Dr. Joaquín Navarro-Valls, press secretary for Pope John Paul II and now Pope Benedict XVI.

"You don't expect a Vatican spokesman to be like this, even if you've seen him on television a thousand times and have grown accustomed to his handsome face and his musical Spanish intonation. After long wooing, the man who was Karol Wojtyla's public voice for twenty years and has just been reconfirmed by the new pope agreed to this emotionally intimate interview."

For the interview, go HERE.

Go to Joaquín Navarro-Valls' personal website HERE.

'Theology of the Collar'

Clayton over at THE WEIGHT OF GLORY has a very thoughtful post about the priesthood. He links to a theological reflection paper that he wrote 10 years ago at the end of the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) component required of every seminarian. Seminarians usually find CPE insufferable for reasons that Clayton explains in his post. He relates, however, that the 3 months he spent in the program were eminently positive and also how he ended up teaching a Unitarian woman who had studied under Rosemary Reuther how to pray the rosary! What an apostle!

Clayton stayed in the seminary just 2 years. He now lives in L.A. and is obviously as apostolic as ever. But I can't help but think, damn he'd make a great priest!

Closing the closets

ROME, July 11, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - One of the best known English-speaking Vatican reporters, John Allen, reports that the long-expected Vatican document calling attention to the fact that homosexual persons are not to be admitted to the priesthood is "now in the hands of Pope Benedict XVI". The document will come as no surprise to Vatican watchers since Rome has previously released two official documents barring homosexuals from the priesthood. As Allen puts it, with the new document, the teaching won't "change, but the level of authority and clarity" will, since the new document will be directly authorized by the Pope.

Not quite ready for Lepanto

John Allen on the the flap over Pope Benedict's communique to Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, in which the Pontiff expressed his sorrow over the terrorist bombings in London.

For Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Lepanto, go HERE.

Hit the road (Father) Jack

His Excellency Bishop Thomas Olmsted

Dom over at bettnet.com cites an interesting piece from the Arizona Republic about how the new bishop of Phoenix is cleaning house, so to speak.

Michael Clancy
The Arizona Republic

"Five of the nine Catholic priests who signed the pro-gay Phoenix Declaration no longer are on active duty in the Phoenix Diocese.

"Three of those who have left active duty say they were forced out by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. One other is seriously ill, and the fifth resigned on his own, in part because of philosophical differences with the bishop. They all signed a 2003 declaration endorsing civil rights for gays and lesbians that was endorsed by clergy members from several Christian denominations.

"The ousted men are among at least 11 Catholic priests who have left active ministry since Olmsted became bishop in late 2003. Their departures further exacerbate a shortage of priests in the diocese, which has several parish vacancies.

" ... But some church insiders believe the recent ousters are an indication that Olmsted is cracking down on liberal-minded priests, and possibly all of the Phoenix Declaration signers. Olmsted is known for his orthodox ways. He has put a stop to what he considers liturgical violations, has brought back Mass in Latin and has written three articles about church teachings against homosexuality.

"I believe he wants to purify the church," said the Rev. Ken Van de Ven, a declaration signer who was forced to resign as pastor of Glendale's St. James in March.

He said he believes the bishop is looking into the backgrounds of all liberal priests. "The diocese simply wants to get rid of us."

Umm. I wonder if when Roger's Reign of Error is over the good bishop of Phoenix might be sent out west to do some more sacerdotal ass kicking.

I have a dream.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

DIOGENES has a post highlighting some of the points of the Instrumentum laboris of the upcoming Synod of Bishops.

With Benedict XVI at the helm, I am hopeful that the harm caused to the Sacred Liturgy by those who highjacked Vatican Council II will begin to be repaired. I am not naive, however, and I recognize it will take time. Many bishops and priests will have to grow old and die before the true reform of the reform can begin to take hold. But time is on our side.

Attached to DIOGENES' post is a picture of the L.A. Cardinal on his hands and knees near the hiddeous altar that he himself designed for his cathedral. I believe this picture was taken during the dedication ceremony (September 2002) at the point when Mahony placed relics in the floor below the altar.

What is interesting about this is the paragraph from the Instrumentum laboris that DIOGENES attaches to the Mahony photo.

"The altar is the most holy part of the Church building and is elevated to indicate that God's work is far superior to all human works. The linens which cover it are symbolic of the purity which is necessary to encounter the divine. Like the Church building, the altar is dedicated to the Lord only, and cannot be used for any other purpose." (§62)

Stop, in the name of Love

POPE BENEDICT TO TERRORISTS: STOP, IN GOD'S NAME

VATICAN CITY, JUL 10, 2005 (VIS) - At midday today, after praying the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI expressed his "profound grief over the atrocious terrorist attacks in London last Thursday."

After calling for prayers "for those killed, for the injured and for their loved ones," the Holy Father also invited people to pray "for the perpetrators of the attack: may the Lord touch their hearts."

He went on: "To those who nourish feelings of hatred, and to those who carry out such repugnant terrorist acts I say: God loves life, which He created, and not death. Stop, in God's name."

Benedict on Benedict

ZENIT (Angelus address from Sunday, July 10, 2005)

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Tomorrow the feast of St. Benedict of Norcia is celebrated, patron of Europe, a saint who is particularly dear to me, as can be intuited from my choice of his name.

Born in Norcia about 480, Benedict's first studies were in Rome but, disappointed with city life, he retired to Subiaco, where he stayed for about three years in a cave -- the famous "sacro speco" -- dedicating himself wholly to God.

In Subiaco, making use of the ruins of a cyclopean villa of the emperor Nero, he built some monasteries, together with his first disciples, giving life to a fraternal community founded on the primacy of the love of Christ, in which prayer and work were alternated harmoniously in praise of God.

Years later, he completed this project in Monte Cassino, and put it in writing in his Rule, the only work of his that has come down to us. Amid the ashes of the Roman Empire, Benedict, seeking first of all the kingdom of God, sowed, perhaps even without realizing it, the seed of a new civilization which would develop, integrating Christian values with classical heritage, on one hand, and the Germanic and Slav cultures on the other.

There is a particular aspect of his spirituality, which today I would particularly like to underline. Benedict did not found a monastic institution oriented primarily to the evangelization of barbarian peoples, as other great missionary monks of the time, but indicated to his followers that the fundamental, and even more, the sole objective of existence is the search for God: "Quaerere Deum."

He knew, however, that when the believer enters into a profound relationship with God he cannot be content with living in a mediocre way, with a minimalist ethic and superficial religiosity. In this light, one understands better the expression that Benedict took from St. Cyprian and that is summarized in his Rule (IV, 21) -- the monks' program of life: "Nihil amori Christi praeponere." "Prefer nothing to the love of Christ."

Holiness consists in this valid proposal for every Christian that has become a true pastoral imperative in our time, in which one perceives the need to anchor life and history in solid spiritual references.

A Sublime and perfect model of sanctity is Mary Most Holy, who lived in constant and profound communion with Christ. Let us invoke her intercession, together with that of St. Benedict, so that the Lord will multiply also in our time men and women who, through an enlightened faith, witnessed in life, will be in this new millennium salt of the earth and light of the world.

Papa Bene, you rock!

Happy feast day, Papa Benedict!

Today is the feast day of St. Benedict, the patron saint of our beloved Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI. Why did the former Cardinal Ratzinger choose the name "Benedict" upon being elected pope? At his first public audience he gave this answer:

Vatican, Apr. 27 (CWNews.com)

"Explaining his choice of the name "Benedict," the Pontiff referred to his predecessor Pope Benedict XV, "a true and courageous prophet of peace," who sought first to avert World War I and later to limit the slaughter. "In his footsteps I place my ministry, in the service of reconciliation and harmony," the Pope said.

"Next the Holy Father spoke the St. Benedict, the co-patron of Europe, and the founder of the religious order that "exercised an enormous influence on the spread of Christianity throughout the European continent." He stressed the importance of Europe's Christian patrimony, "which cannot be renounced," and asked for the intercession of St. Benedict to protect the Church and further her mission of evangelization."

Love the pope a lot! And keep him constantly in your prayers!

L.A. Masses

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

The guy doesn't have a prayer

P.C. PRAYER FOR L.A. MAYOR


LOS ANGELES TIMES PHOTO

On the day that the Catholics of California celebrated the feast of the "Apostle of California," Blessed Junipero Serra, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony gathered with the notorious "apostates of California" to invoke God's blessings upon the new mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraisgosa.

Mr. Villaraigosa claims to be a Catholic but flagrantly rejects the Church's teachings.

"I'm strongly, strongly pro-choice," said Villaraigosa in a 2001 L.A. Times interview 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."

Well, whatever religion that is, it's not Catholicism.

But alas, Catholic or not, Villaraigosa was invited by the Cardinal of Los Angeles to his Cathedral for a gala, interfaith pow-wow which included a pagan-like "circle of prayer" around the new mayor and his wife. Later, according to THE TIDINGS, Mahony "delivered" his own prayer for the occasion on the steps of City Hall.

Mahony's bland entreaty was awash with political correctness. It was a cautiously worded prayer that could scarcely offend anyone except God Himself to Whom it was addressed.

The Cardinal's prayer began:

"God of life and love, God of compassion and mercy, God of reconciliation and forgiveness, God of justice and peace."

Standing before a largely politically homogeneous but religiously very diverse crowd, Cardinal Mahony avoided any reference whatsoever to the Holy Name of Jesus. This dissing of Christ comes as no surprise in view of Mahony's carefully nuanced but critical assessment of then Cardinal Ratzinger's masterful work, Dominus Iesus.

Mahony continued ...

"We pray today that your Spirit will inspire each of us to embody in our words, actions, and policies those values that protect human life, establish peace, promote justice, and uphold the common good."

Protect human life. This is, at best, an oblique reference to the unborn but the language is so inexplicit that I am sure that even the rabidly pro-abortion Villaraigosa, looking quite pious throughout, could whisper agreeingly, "Amen."

Then, returning repeatedly to the refrain, "In you, O God, we trust," the Cardinal launched into a prayer for just about everybody except the most forgotten and vulnerable of all: the child in the womb.

He prayed for "the sick and the elderly, those who are poor and downtrodden, those on skid row and those on death row," but not for the unborn child.

He prayed for families so that they will have "enough food to eat ... clothing to keep themselves warm, adequate shelter ... decent education for their children," but he asked for nothing on behalf of the unborn.

He prayed for a society in which "working people earn wages that can sustain themselves and their family members in dignity, and that they have access to adequate healthcare, childcare, and education," but nothing about caring for the child in the womb.

He prayed that everyone will embrace "the truth that our neighbor is anyone near or far who needs our assistance and support," unless, of course, that neighbor is an unborn child.

He prayed that "we will recognize that the dignity and worth of each person comes from [God] and is not determined by race or ethnicity, by age or gender, by economic or immigration status, by faith or creed," unless that person's legal status is "fetus."

He prayed for peace on earth and for a "world free from violence, war and oppression," but made no mention of the war against the unborn which continues with unabated fury. Neither did he acknowledge that abortion is the most heinous act of violence imaginable because it destroys an innocent and defenseless human life.

Mahony's prayer for the new L.A. mayor used lots of words but said really nothing.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, like so many of the saints, used few words but said a whole lot.

Here is what she said at the 1997 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., with Bill and Hilary Clinton -- abortion's most powerful friends -- in attendance.

Mother Teresa: "What is taking place in America is a war against the child. And if we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another."

Cardinal Mahony could have simply quoted those few words of Blessed Mother Teresa and sat down and a spiritual earthquake would have rocked L.A. L.A. Catholics would have loved him for it and undoubtedly others would have hated him. But surely God would have been pleased and a revolution would have begun. But, sadly, he did not. Is it cowardice that muzzles him? Are there too many favors owed to too many powerful people? Is it allegiance to ideology? Or lack of faith?

God alone knows the answer and we may never know it.

Meanwhile, we cry out still: how long, O Lord?

And we pray for the Cardinal Archbishop of the largest Archdiocese in the richest nation in the world.

Molester protester in the hot seat

This is local T.V. coverage (click HERE) of the incident involving a man who handcuffed himself to the archbishop's chair (or cathedra) at the L.A. Cathedral while Cardinal Mahony was giving a homily.

See my post, The man SNAPPED during Mahony's homily.

Here is a picture of Cardinal Mahony's 'chair,' (without cuffs).

Pray for Benedict, our pope

Pope Benedict XVI wants Catholics to begin to memorize basic prayers in Latin so that the faithful from every nation on earth may pray together in one voice.

In addition to the Pater Noster, the Ave Maria and Gloria Patri, I suggest we encourage our brothers and sisters to learn this traditional prayer for the Pope.

OREMUS PRO Pontifice nostro, Benedicto.
R. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius.
Pater Noster…, Ave Maria….

LET US PRAYER for our Pontiff Benedict.
R. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him to be blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.
Our Father…, Hail Mary….

L.A. clergy sexual abuse website

THE TIDINGS reports ...

The law firm representing the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has established a website to provide comprehensive information and analysis about the resolution of clergy sexual abuse as a legal issue.

... J. Michael Hennigan of Hennigan, Bennett & Dorman, which represents the Archdiocese, said legal issues stemming from the clergy abuse scandal are complicated and often misunderstood.

"I think everyone, from Cardinal Mahony on down, has felt some frustration that the local media just hasn't been explaining these issues completely," he said. "And that's a shame because the issues before the courts involve matters fundamental to the way Catholic practice their religion. We hope this website will clear up some of the misinformation and help people to understand better the positions staked out by the Archdiocese."

www.la-clergycases.com/

Former L.A. priest gets life behind bars

Former religious priest, John Salazar, who was ordained in L.A. and worked in several East L.A. parishes, has been given a life sentence after a jury found him guilty of sexual assault of an 18 year old male. Salazar had been a member of a religious order known as the Fathers of the Pious Schools.

DALLAS (AP) -- A former Roman Catholic priest was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting an 18-year-old former parishioner who said he was too drunk following a wedding party to defend himself.

For full story, go HERE.

To Roger, with love

VATICAN CITY, July 7 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Thursday said too many Roman Catholics were not taking their religion seriously and that those faithful who receive communion and still support abortion rights were behaving scandalously.

In an 88-page working document for a synod of bishops to be held in October, the Vatican also decried dwindling attendance at Sunday Mass and reaffirmed a rule that Catholics who divorce and remarry outside the Church cannot take communion.

The document on the theme of the Eucharist said many Catholics had lost the sense of the sacred surrounding communion, which the Church teaches becomes the body and blood of Christ during the Mass.

One part of the document returned to an issue that remains particularly hot in the United States -- whether Catholics who support abortion rights can receive communion.

"Some receive communion while denying the teachings of the Church or publicly supporting immoral choices in life, such as abortion, without thinking that they are committing an act of grave personal dishonesty and causing scandal," it said.

"Some Catholics do not understand why it might be a sin to support a political candidate who is openly in favour of abortion or other serious acts against life, justice and peace," it said.

For full report, go HERE.

Liturgical pain remedies for Karen

Rx from R.S.

Complaints Regarding Abuses in Liturgical Matters (Redemptionis Sacramentum)

[183.] In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will be protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses be thoroughly corrected. This is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one, and all are bound to carry it out without any favoritism.

[184.] Any Catholic, whether Priest or Deacon or lay member of Christ's faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff. 290 It is fitting, however, insofar as possible, that the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally to be done in truth and charity.

Footnote 290 refers to Canon 1417 § 1, which states:

Because of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff, any of the faithful may either refer their case to, or introduce it before, the Holy See, whether the case be contentious or penal. They may do so at any grade of trial or at any stage of the suit.

LA-bound Roman 'missile'

O felix culpa! O happy fault! O gleeful gaffe!

In my haste to post what I thought were Pope Benedict's words about dissent from the Magisterium, I failed to recognize that the quotation cited in my previous post, "Roger, are you listening?", should have been attributed to the late Pope John Paul II. I consider the gaffe fortuitous, though, because Pope Benedict was citing words spoken by his beloved predecessor almost 20 years ago in ... you guessed it ... Los Angeles!

Now how awesome is that? And why, I ask, out of the massive body of writings left to us by John Paul II, did Benedict zero in on those particular words which were uttered in an L.A. seminary which Cardinal Mahony closed down years ago? A coincidence? Maybe not. Was this a warning shot, albeit semi-stealth, aimed in the direction of Cardinal Mahony's Archdiocese of Open Dissent?

VATICAN, July 5, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) -Speaking to the Bishops of the United States at Queen of Angels Seminary in Los Angeles [shut down by Mahony] on September 16, 1987, Pope John Paul II stated: "It is sometimes reported that a large number of Catholics today do not adhere to the teaching of the Catholic Church on a number of questions, notably sexual and conjugal morality, divorce and remarriage. Some are reported as not accepting the clear position on abortion. It has to be noted that there is a tendency on the part of some Catholics to be selective in their adherence to the Church's moral teaching. It is sometimes claimed that dissent from the magisterium is totally compatible with being a 'good Catholic,' and poses no obstacle to the reception of the Sacraments. This is a grave error that challenges the teaching of the Bishops in the United States and elsewhere."

Roger, are you listening?

“It is sometimes claimed that dissent from the magisterium is totally compatible with being a 'good Catholic,' and poses no obstacle to the reception of the Sacraments. This is a grave error that challenges the teaching of the Bishops in the United States and elsewhere. "

-- CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY quoting Pope Benedict XVI

Three amigos

What's so damn funny?



A giddy Cardinal Mahony flanked by a broadly smiling Antonio Villaraigosa and a dorky looking Al Gore at the new L.A. mayor's inaugural festivities. Villaraigosa is the ultra liberal, nominally Catholic, pro-abortion, pro-gay politician who was elected mayor of Los Angeles by just 289,000 votes out of nearly 1.5 million registered voters. Not to worry, though. Cardinal Mahony prayed privately with the new mayor at the tomb of St. Vibiana in the basement of the new L.A. Cathedral.

L.A. preaching: what do Jeffrey Dahmer, a garbage disposal and the Eucharist have in common?

The Church has some very good preachers.
New York City has Father George Rutler.
Chicago has Father Robert Barron.
The Twin Cities have Father Robert Altier.

And poor L.A. has Father Keven Kester. He is in a category all by himself.



I have posted Father Kester's homilies here before.

-- 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.

This most recent homily, preached on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, is bizarre to say the least. Father Kester begins with an appalling anecdote about a young priest who is throwing consecrated hosts down the garbage disposal. Upon witnessing this sacrilege, the "old and crotchety" pastor, with a reputation for being mean to his people, screams at the young curate: "Stop that! What do you think you're doing? You can't grind up the Body of Christ!" The assistant brazenly retorts, "I will stop grinding up the Sacramental Body of Christ when you stop grinding up the Mystical Body of Christ."

And what is the point of this scandalous story? The answer comes in the form of the predictable interrogative: "How do we treat one another? Do we treat each and every person we meet with the same respect we give to Jesus present in the Eucharist?"

For Kester, true modernist that he is, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is not about affirming the Church's faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. No, it's about treating others with respect.

What poor Father Kester doesn't seem to understand is that the power to love others as God loves them comes precisely from the Eucharist wherein Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, is really, truly and substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine (cf. Mane Nobiscum Domine, 24-28). It's not an "either, or" proposition: love the Eucharist, despise people. Although, many preachers who talk about loving one's neighbor see no contradiction in despising our Eucharistic Lord by treating him shabbily in their handling of the sacred species, in failing to genuflect at the times prescribed by the Church, in their use of tacky and unapproved "sacred" vessels, and in relegating the Blessed Sacrament to the equivalent of a closet.

So what do Jeffrey Dahmer, a garbage disposal and the Eucharist have in common? Click HERE, if you dare, and listen to "the rest of the story."

'Murder(ers) in the Cathedral'

More on Mahony's prayer service for pro-abortion Catholic mayor

LOS ANGELES, July 5, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Faithful Catholics were outraged last week, when a group of young pro-life Catholics were removed and threatened with arrest at the Los Angeles Cathedral where notoriously liberal Roger Cardinal Mahoney (sic) was “celebrating” a pro-abortion politician.

For the full report, go HERE.

The following is a list of some of the more notable (notorious?) 'Catholic,' pro-abortion politicians and civic leaders who were part of Mahony's Cathedral celebration for the new mayor:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Governor
Cruz Bustamante, California Lt. Governor
Jerry Brown, mayor of Oakland
Richard Riordan, former L.A. mayor
Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Representative from California
Fabian Nunez, California Assembly Speaker
Dolores Huerta, United Farm Workers official

Also in attendance was former Vice President Al Gore, who while not a Catholic, has this in common with the aforementioned Catholic politicos: he loves abortion.

L.A. Catholic is on this story and promises there is more to come.

Meanwhile, check out my previous posts on this scandalous event: ONE, TWO, THREE and FOUR.

Listen to the latest 'Catholic Cast'

You will 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.

Springfield, Mess.

DIOGENES has a post on the former bishop of Springfield, Mass., Thomas Dupre, who resigned his post over a year ago amid accusations of sexual abuse. It seems that no one from the Diocese wants to say where the former bishop is hanging his zucchetto, so to speak.

Even from the vantage point of L.A., one can see that Springfield is a MESS, albeit on a smaller scale.

Dear Holy Father ... help!

Karen over hat SOME HAVE HATS is so exasperated with the liturgical funny business going on in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that she's planning on writing a lengthy letter to Rome. She is hoping to compile a dossier detailing violations of liturgical norms by the chief liturgist (and I hasten to add, chief abuser) Cardinal Mahony, on down.

Here's what she writes:

Okay, I mean it. I am collecting material on what is going on in the Los Angeles diocese and I'm going to send it, along with the strongest letter I can muster, to Rome.

I need material. Please send me your L.A. stories of liturgical abuse and incidents that are in blatant contrast to the teachings of the Church, such as the Rainbow Sash stuff or throwing a big pagan party at the Cathedral for all the pro-abortion politicians.

I'd also be happy to start a petition, if anyone thinks it would do any good.

Cough it up, fellow liturgical martyrs! Then send it here or post it below.

L.A. Catholic is doing what it can to help the cause.

In a related post, Karen writes:

At my church, we kneel after communion, in direct defiance to instructions from the Taj Mahony. But if I knelt after the Agnus Dei, I would be the only one in the church. I hate this more every Sunday. Again, it seems like the Pope could put an end to it with one phone call. So why doesn't he? How can we get an L.A. movement going that says we want to have the same Mass as everyone else on the planet?

I've got it! We need to come up with the "We want to kneel, dammit!" sash! Does anyone have a suggestion for a color?

Adoremus Survey due August 1

ADOREMUS is asking Catholics to participate in a survey in order to assess the implementation of Redemptionis Sacramentum in parishes and dioceses across the land. Redemptionis Sacramentum is the proscriptive liturgical document which was ordered published by the late John Paul II one year ago. The document stipulated that its provisions should be implemented immediately. It is apparent, however, that in Los Angeles and in other places, Redemptionis Sacramentum has been virtually ignored.

In fact, in some places, it has been said that the document isn't really needed.

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, in his Archdiocesan newspaper, THE TIDINGS, wrote ...

Most of the abuses mentioned in Redemptionis Sacramentum do not pertain to the celebration of the Eucharist in our Archdiocese because of our many efforts to provide intensive and extensive training in proper liturgical norms and practice.

That's a lie.

DIOGENES seems to think that reporting liturgical abuses will not do any good and maybe Diogenes is right. I still think we should give it a try.

You may access the survey HERE. The deadline for returning the survey to ADOREMUS is August 1.

For more about the ADOREMUS SURVEY, see my PREVIOUS POST.

Pope Benedict XVI is winning over hearts .. and minds

From THE NEW YORK TIMES ...

-- "I have been pleasantly surprised by what we have seen thus far," said the Rev. Keith F. Pecklers, an American Jesuit who is a professor at the Gregorian, a pontifical university in Rome. "What strikes me is that he is clearly a man of deep prayer and spirituality. He is very intelligent, a good theologian. And he is very humble. He clearly does not want to call attention to himself."

-- "At first, I wasn't sure about this pope," said Teresa La Peruta, 59, a homemaker from Naples who, along with thousands of other Catholics, cheered Benedict recently in St. Peter's Square, even though she did not like his involvement in the fight over the fertility law. "I have to be honest: I didn't like him."

"He is beginning to win me over," said Ms. La Peruta. "I hope he does so more and more."

-- His writings have found a new and larger audience, one that appreciates their intelligence and clarity. " I feel less alone when I read the books of Ratzinger," the Italian writer Oriana Fallaci told The Wall Street Journal last month. "I am an atheist, and if an atheist and a pope think the same thing, there must be some truth there."

[Not everyone is warming up to Pope Benedict, like poor old Frances "Quisling" Kissling, president of an anti-Catholic, pro-abortion group]

-- For more liberal Catholics, the current honeymoon represents a victory of style over substance: Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice, an American group that advocates abortion rights, said Benedict had reached out to non-Catholics but not to Catholics who disagree with church teaching on abortion, contraception or the place of women in the church.

"It reminds me of my mother," Ms. Kissling said. "My mother was a person all my friends adored. She was urbane. She was modern. And she was charming. Yet at home she was a strict disciplinarian and a pain in the neck.

She said she had hoped that a new pope would "concentrate intensely on healing the deep political rift that exists between orthodox Catholics and liberal or progressive Catholics, because the church internally is in bad shape." Under Benedict, she predicted, "this is not going to happen."

You'd better start saying your prayers ...

... in Latin!

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Presenting the new "Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church," Pope Benedict XVI urged Catholics around the world to memorize the most common Catholic prayers in Latin. Learning the prayers in Latin as well as in one's own language "will help Christian faithful of different languages pray together, especially when they gather for special circumstances," the pope said June 28 as he distributed the Italian version of the compendium, which included an appendix with the Latin texts of many traditional prayers, including the Sign of the Cross, the Gloria, the Hail Mary and Come, Holy Spirit.

How am I presiding?

You've seen the bumper sticker, HOW AM I DRIVING? When a motorist sees the driver of a commercial or public vehicle driving discourteously or recklessly, he can call the attendant toll-free number and report the infraction.

I have often thought that it would be a good idea to make a bumper sticker for bishops and priests that says: HOW AM I PRESIDING?* And then all one would have to do is dial the toll free hotline to Pope Benedict XVI and get the guy busted for "presiding" recklessly without regard for God, the safety of souls and the liturgical norms.

(* For a somewhat tangential but excellent essay on the dreadful terms "presider" and "presiding", go HERE).

I am happy to say that the folks at ADOREMUS have come up with a much better idea (the bumper sticker idea was never a serious one, by the way). They have developed a SURVEY that allows Catholics (lay and ordained) to assess how the provisions of Redemptionis Sacramentum are being implemented in their parishes and dioceses.

About the ADOREMUS SURVEY:

A year ago the Holy See issued Redemptionis Sacramentum, an Instruction subtitled “On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist”. Dated March 25, 2004, it is the “prescriptive document” called for by Pope John Paul II in his last encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia (May 2003), and is intended to “help to banish the dark clouds of unacceptable doctrine and practice, so that the Eucharist will continue to shine forth in all its radiant mystery”. On October 7, 2004, Pope John Paul II issued Mane Nobiscum Domine, and declared the beginning of the Year of the Eucharist, to conclude with a synod of the world’s bishops on the subject of the Eucharist to be held in Rome October 2-23, as confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI.

[one] ... focus of [Adoremus'] observance of the Year of the Eucharist is to survey implementation of Redemptionis Sacramentum during the past year. Its corrective provisions were to be implemented immediately. The survey questions concern practices that the document calls “grave matters”. The completed survey forms will be tabulated by Adoremus, and the results will be sent to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

No bumper stickers. No 888 numbers. But you can be sure that you will be heard. Remember that Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio has been a major impetus behind ADOREMUS and he is also very close to Pope Benedict XVI.

Go HERE for the survey and don't delay. The deadline for returning it to ADOREMUS is AUGUST 1, 2005.

L.A. Masses

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

Catholic Cardinal prays with Catholic mayor who prefers ficuses to fetuses

PLANT FICUSES, KILL FETUSES: CAMPAIGN PROMISES FULFILLED



From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES ...

"The day began with Villaraigosa and more than 1,000 others attending an interfaith service at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels ...

When he arrived at the cathedral, the mayor and his family, who are Roman Catholics, went to St. Vibiana's Chapel for a private prayer with Cardinal Roger M. Mahony.

... Villaraigosa then led a procession of hundreds down Temple Street to City Hall. Heavy security, some of it by union activists, kept more than a dozen anti-abortion protesters from getting close to Villaraigosa. They followed on the sidewalk chanting, "You can't be a Catholic and pro-abortion."

PLANT FICUSES



From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES ...

"Still keyed up from his swearing-in festivities, Villaraigosa arrived early in a Mid-City neighborhood to help the nonprofit group TreePeople plant a new tree and prune 30 others. He was dressed casually in a short-sleeve shirt and slacks, and seemed eager to help out.

... Villaraigosa had pledged during his campaign that he would plant 1 million trees in the city, and he told more than 30 volunteers and residents of 5th Avenue on Saturday that their work planting and caring for trees would help him realize his dream."

KILL FETUSES



From Prolifeblogs.com

"Villaraigosa is no friend to preborn babies," said [Joseph] Starrs. "According to Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, while serving as a state assemblyman Villaraigosa had a 'perfect' pro-abortion voting record, including a vote in support of partial-birth abortion."

Group calls for Mahony's resignation

DAILY NEWS photo.

From WORLD NET DAILY.

A pro-life Catholic group is calling for the resignation of Los Angeles Archbishop Cardinal Roger Mahony after security guards at the city's main cathedral threatened to arrest students protesting at inauguaration ceremonies held there for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Go HERE for full story.

If Mahony is going to leave L.A. anytime soon, it will not happen by an intervention from below (i.e., by petition or protest), but rather by an intervention from on high (i.e., by the pope or higher).

We must pray for him. He appears altogether oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

For related stories, go HERE and HERE.

This, too, is L.A.

Here is a piece from THE TIDINGS about nuns who care for the dying.

I believe it was St. Augustine who said:

"If you pray well, you will live well. If you live well, you will die well. If you die well, all is well."

You can't be Catholic and pro-abortion

These photos from THE LOS ANGELES TIMES show scenes from the inaugural ceremony held at the L.A. Cathedral for leftist, pro-abortion, pro-gay, "Catholic" politician and now mayor of Los Angeles.



That's the Cardinal of Los Angeles on the left.



"Circle of prayer" around the new mayor and his wife. That's Cardinal Mahony on the left.



An alternative rite is performed at our Our Lady of the 'Eagle's Wings' Cathedral. I wonder if Cardinal Mahony would be as welcoming to alternative rites such as the Tridentine Mass. By the way, the Cardinal is so far to the left in this picture that he is out of camera range.



Cardinal Mahony is the big guy in black on the left.

N.B. the blue signs just below the American flag suspended over the crowds are being held by the "Crusaders for the Defense of the Catholic Church." These are the university students who were threatened with arrest at the Cathedral before the "inter-faith prayer service" there.

One of the signs says:

YOU CAN'T BE CATHOLIC AND PRO-ABORTION.

Pipeline to the pope

Just in case any readers of L.A. Catholic would like to drop a line to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, I am posting here for your convenience his e-mail address.

benedictxvi@vatican.va

Too bad exorcisms are out of vogue

CIRCLE OF PRAYER AROUND THE MAYOR

Students threatened with arrest at L.A. Cathedral prayer service for new mayor

The politically leftist, nominally Catholic, pro-abortion, pro-gay, newly elected mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, began his inaugural rites at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

LOS ANGELES, July 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Today's attempted arrest in Los Angeles of the student participants in American Life League's Crusade for the Defense of our Catholic Church is beyond scandalous," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "Since when is it against the law for Catholics to defend the Catholic faith at a Catholic Cathedral? We are outraged at the situation."

Today's scene occurred when more than a dozen young people attempted to attend the inauguration ceremonies of Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor-elect of Los Angeles, who is a pro-abortion Catholic. The young adults are part of American Life League's 2005 Crusade for Life walks in which they are trekking from San Diego to Sacramento spreading the truth about the incompatibility of Catholicism and support of abortion.

The group planned to attend the inauguration ceremonies, beginning at the Cathedral, and peacefully protest with shirts and signs that read: you can't be Catholic and pro-abortion.

"It is an outrage that an event honoring a pro-abortion Catholic public figure that openly supports the killing of the preborn would occur at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral," said Brown. "It is even more shameful that Cardinal Mahony and others would attempt to censor faithful Catholic students from proclaiming the truth."

Full story HERE.

LOS ANGELES TIMES staff writers describe the event ...

At the first event, readings and prayers were recited from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and other faiths.

The cathedral was infused with incense burned during a Native American prayer. Clerics in turbans and flowing orange gowns sat next to those in traditional Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Rite robes.

Attending were Jerry Brown, mayor of Oakland; former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and his wife, Nancy Daly Riordan; U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi; California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez; Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante; United Farm Workers official Dolores Huerta; former Vice President Al Gore, and state Treasurer Phil Angelides.

[One is hard-pressed to find any pro-life folks in that crowd]

The service ended in a prayer circle, with religious leaders surrounding Villaraigosa, and a concluding benediction by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony.

Mahony urged Villaraigosa to show "special concern for those residents of our city on the margins of life, of society and most in need," and "to strive for what is right and just."

To mariachi music, Villaraigosa then strode out of the sanctuary and onto the downtown streets at 9:09 a.m. for the short walk to City Hall.

"All of us were so moved by the spirituality of giving the strength to the mayor and his wife as they take on this unbelievably challenging role," said Nancy Riordan during the procession.

Cardinal Mahony walked alongside Villaraigosa from the Cathedral to City Hall where the remainder of the inaugural ceremony took place. The new mayor took the oath of office with his right hand on the Holy Bible (or was it the Koran?) and then gave his inaugural speech which was greeted with frequent applause.

Standing on the dais with the assembled dignataries, directly behind the new mayor, was an almost giddy looking Cardinal Mahony who smiled and applauded along with the others. Click HERE to see a BRIEF VIDEO of this portion of the inaugation.

In his benediction back at the Cathedral, Mahony entreated:

"We pray for a new kind of politics -- focused on moral principles, not on the latest polls, on the needs of the poor and vulnerable, not the contributions of the rich and powerful."

Former L.A. priest may go to jail for good

The ASSOCIATED PRESS reports ...

DALLAS - A former priest was convicted Thursday of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old former parishioner who said he was too drunk following a wedding party to defend himself.

John A. Salazar, who was already a convicted sex offender, faces up to life in prison after jurors found him guilty after five hours of deliberation. His sentencing hearing was scheduled to begin Wednesday.

Click HERE and HERE for more details.

The former priest was a member of a religious community and served in parishes in East Los Angeles.

A uniquely Catholic blood drive

July is the month dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus.

"No! the chastisements of God are not yet at an end; still more sorrowful times are ahead; and divine justice will be placated by the devotion to the Blood of Jesus Christ."

"The world can still set itself right and always will be able to, because the voice and blood of Christ cry out for pity and mercy . . . Devotion to the Precious Blood is the devotion of our time . . . It is a devotion for all souls, for the whole world."

These quotations are so homogeneous in thought and spirit that one may well be pardoned for thinking that they were spoken by the same person, perhaps even on the same occasion. Actually they were uttered more than a century apart by two different men, each aflame with love for the Precious Blood.

Who were they? Go HERE.

Apostle of California

Blessed Junipero Serra (1713-1784)



Today is the feast day of Blessed Junipero Serra, the Franciscan priest from Mallorca who at the age of 55, with a limp in his gait and afflicted with asthma, walked up and down what is now the State of California evangelizing the indigenous people, teaching them European methods of farming and defending them against those who would have taken advantage of them. He is associated with the establishment of the California Missions, many of which still function as parishes today. The earthly remains of Father Serra are interred in the Mission San Carlos Borromeo in Carmel, California.

At the time of his death, Blessed Serra had baptized 6,000 Indians, a number which comprises approximately 10 per cent of the native population of California at the time. The Serra International website states:

Between the years of 1796 and 1784, Father Serra made six voyages by sea totaling 5,400 miles. He traveled by land the distance between Monterey and San Francisco eight times, Monterey and San Antonio 11 times, His longest journey by land was from Monterey to Mexico City. In total, he traveled well over 5,500 miles by land.

His motto was, "Siempre adelante, nunca retredecer," which in English means, "Always to go forward, never to turn back."

Blessed Junipero Serra, Apostle of California, pray for us!

The parishes in L.A. name after Blessed Junipero Serra are in Camarillo and Lancaster.

Officer down

LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

Jerry Ortiz was the kind of deputy whose flashy grin could make even the suspects he was booking smile.

It was his good humor and love of family that fellow deputies remembered as Ortiz, killed while searching for a suspect one week ago today, was eulogized on a misty Thursday morning at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

It was the largest funeral to date at the nearly 3-year-old cathedral, with 4000 people inside and an additional 2,000 listening to speakers outside, cathedral spokeswoman Carolina Guevara said. The motorcade escorting Ortiz's body from the cathedral to an East Los Angeles cemetery was so large, with more than 2,000 vehicles, that it took more than 90 minutes for the motorcade to make the five-mile trip.

Ortiz, 35, a 15-year Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, was shot in the head June 24 at a Hawaiian Gardens apartment complex while searching for a suspect wanted on suspicion of attempted murder. Jose Luis Orozco, 27, a known gang member and the man whom Ortiz was looking for, was arrested hours after the shooting and is the main suspect in the deputy's killing.

"We knew he went out and tried to change people's lives," said Msgr. James J. Loughnane, a pastor at St. Denis Catholic Church in Diamond Bar, where Ortiz was an usher for the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sundays.

Outgoing Mayor James K. Hahn, incoming Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton joined thousands of other law enforcement officers from throughout California for the two-hour service celebrated by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony.