Gobs and gobs of great 'gay' guys in the priesthood

Bishop William Skylstad, Bishop of Spokane and President of the USCCB, in a letter to his flock writes ...

"There are many wonderful and excellent priests in the Church who have a gay orientation, are chaste and celibate, and are very effective ministers of the Gospel. Witch hunts and gay bashing have no place in the Church."

'Making the Church safe' for converts and other living things

ASSOCIATED PRESS reports ...

(WACO, TEXAS) - A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning after grabbing a microphone while partially submerged, a church employee said.

The Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was standing in water up to his shoulder in a baptismal at University Baptist Church when he was electrocuted ...

The woman Lake was baptizing was not injured, Dudley said.

"He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear," Dudley said. "It's the only way you can be loud enough."

This is a sad story and not one to be made light of, but ...

Baptists could take a few lessons from L.A. Catholic priests when it comes to safely performing baptisms.

First, if you really must use a microphone, go wireless like Jesuit Father Michael Mandala pictured below.


Or do what Paulist Father Hensely does: forget the microphone altogether.



This way BOTH HANDS are free to really celebrate baptism. But watch it, Father. Possible "boundary violation" there.

Of course, as Cardinal Mahony and Monsignor Kostelnik demonstrate in this photo, FOUR HANDS are even better than TWO.



Which reminds me, how many clerics does it take to change a diaper?

L.A.'s iron maiden

Alias, 'Our Lady of the Angels'



It's pretty bad, I know, but it could have been a lot worse. Click HERE. WARNING: Rated PG-13.

To see what else bronze artist Robert Graham has produced, go HERE. WARNING: Rated R.

Mahony's openly 'gay' deacon designs new website for Archdiocese

Featuring a dramatically enhanced photo of Robert Graham's bronze "iron maiden" which hangs over the entrance of Mahony's cathedral, the Archdiocese's new website is a vast improvement over the one it replaces. Its designer is 'gay' activist, Eric Stoltz, who was ordained a permanent deacon by Cardinal Mahony in 2004.

One innovative feature on the new website is Liturgy in your own language. This link shows the wide array of languages in which Mass is celebrated in L.A. and where they can be found.

Among the more exotic languages mentioned are Garifuna, Tongan, Haitian, Aramaic, and, yes, African-American. Do they mean Ebonics?

Oddly enough, English Masses are not mentioned, but multitudes of Spanish Masses are.

Conspicuously not listed are the very few places where the Latin indult Masses are offered in the Archdiocese. This comes as no surprise since Cardinal Mahony has never been particularly solicitous of "those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition," in spite of the Holy See's admonition that there be a "wide and generous application of the directives" of Pope John Paul's motu propio, Ecclesia Dei.

I think that an excellent service provided at the new archdiocesan website is the "parish-finder," which allows you to type in a zip code and find the parishes nearest you. This will be particularly useful as more and more parishes are taken over by PLD's (Parish Life Directors). This way when you really need a priest rather than just a hug from Sister Susie, you'll know where to go.

A website designed by L.A.'s openly 'gay' deacon would not be complete without a Gay and Lesbian link. Here one finds support groups for "gays and lesbians" as well as for the parents of "gays and lesbians." In addition, at this link are listed those parishes which are considered "welcoming," that is, (although the term is not used) "gay friendly."



As at the old website, the "homosexual fish" pin is featured rather prominently along with the following explanation:

See in the fish pin a sign of recognition of our lesbian and gay sisters and brothers.

I guess that means if your "gaydar" isn't working that well, the "gay fish" pin is evidently a good backup.

The "gay and lesbian" page states that it was the Cardinal himself who founded the Archdiocese's unique and groundbreaking "Ministry to Lesbian and Gay Catholics." It is curious, however, that not a word is said about Father Peter Liuzzi, O. Carm. He is the reportedly 'gay' priest who was the face of Mahony's "outreach" to homosexuals until the "ministry" folded in 2002 due ostensibly to budget cuts.

The new website includes a "photo album" page where you may not only view archived photos but even submit your own photos of events related to Catholic life in L.A.

How about sending an e-card to that special loved one or nemesis? The newly built website allows you to do just that and to accompany your greeting with images such as THIS ONE.

In appearance, if not in content, the all new L.A. archdiocesan website is a huge improvement over the old one which was, frankly, quite embarrassing (especially since L.A. is, like, the media capitol of the world!).

Before I do another thing, I am going to send an e-card with this HALLOWEEN THEME IMAGE to Deacon Stoltz to congratulate him on a job well done. You can do the same right HERE.

Visit the new and improved L.A. Archdiocesan website HERE.

L.A. Masses

Did Mass in your parish look anything like the horrid cover of this infamous booklet?

O.C. Catholics plan protest

A grassroots organization of lay Catholics in the Diocese of Orange is planning a "peaceful and prayerful vigil in front of the Bishop Tod D. Brown's mansion."

When:
Sunday, November 6

Time:
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Where:
Bishop Tod D. Brown's "mansion"
18152 Darmel Place
Santa Ana (map)

THE LAITY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE is sponsoring the event. The purpose of the vigil is to expose what they argue is widespread "corruption" in the Diocese of Orange under the leadership of Mahony crony, Bishop Tod D. Brown.

For more information, call (562) 544-0505 or visit the organizing group's website HERE.

(Photo/Orange County Register)

L.A. cathedral will hold funeral Mass for pro-abortion politician

EDWARD ROYBAL, former California congressman and father of congresswoman, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, died earlier this week of respiratory failure. He was 89.

In an obituary which all but canonized Roybal a saint, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES described the first Latino to sit on the L.A. City Council since the 1880's, as one " ... who championed the rights of the underprivileged and the elderly during 30 years in the House of Representatives and was the mentor to scores of Latino lawmakers in Los Angeles."

He may have championed the rights of the underprivileged, but there was just one hitch: if they were unborn, they were out of luck. That's because throughout his long career Edward Roybal was an unflinching supporter of abortion. He spawned a "dynasty" of hispanic politicians who, like Roybal himself, claim to be Catholic but at the same time tenaciously hold to the so-called "pro-choice" doctrine: a women's right to kill her unborn baby trumps all other rights.

Among these is his own daughter, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). She received a 100 per cent approval rating from NARAL, the National Abortion Rights Action League. Others include L.A. mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, known to be a "good friend of Planned Parenthood," Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), yet another NARAL star, and Board of Supervisors member, Gloria Molina, all of whom voiced high praise for the late politician.

One of Edward Roybal's most enthusiastic backers is none other than Cardinal Roger Mahony. A number of years ago when a group of Catholics attempted to have Roybal's Knights of Columbus membership revoked, His Eminence came to the rescue by writing a letter of support in which he stated:

"Congressman Roybal is a faithful Catholic, one of our best examples of an Hispanic Catholic in public office who is not afraid to live out his Catholic life with pride. I have known him and his family for over thirty years, and I have the highest respect for him as a member of this Archdiocese."

Sickening.

On Monday, Mahony's cathedral will serve as the venue for Roybal's funeral Mass. It is not known whether the Cardinal will be back in time from his month long sabbatical in China to offer the Mass. We can be sure, however, that Roybal will be eulogized as a great Christian and humanitarian.

There will also be innumerable sacrilegious communions that day as scores of pro-abort politicians glibly step forward to receive the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ.

In his inaugural homily on the day Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral was dedicated, L.A.'s archbishop said:

"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."

Don't believe a single word.

See previous post: Mahony's Cathedral and the Gospel of Life.

Teenager dies from Planned Parenthood abortion

Holly Paterson was given RU-486 at a Planned Parenthood. Now she's dead. See the video news report HERE.

Find out the truth about Planned Parenthood HERE.

Our daughters' abortions

Lister to two callers to a San Diego radio program (THE ROGER HEDGECOCK SHOW) tell the sad story of their underage daughters' abortions.

Caller #1

Caller #2

Go to the PARENTS' RIGHT TO KNOW website.

Californians, VOTE YES ON 73.

'Snoop Sister'

(Myung J. Chun/LA TIMES)

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES ...

"At 16, Mario Rocha was convicted of murder as an adult. A nun has fought nine years to free him. To her, it's about more than one boy.

For nine years, the dedication, zeal and self-acknowledged pestering of the 75-year-old Roman Catholic nun have spurred a campaign to free Rocha. The case has galvanized members of California's Catholic community, prompted filmmakers to make a documentary on juvenile justice, and attracted the pro bono commitment of the high-powered law firm Latham and Watkins.

Petitions filed by the firm have persuaded an appeals court to hear new oral arguments in Rocha's case. A hearing is scheduled for today."

Go HERE for full story.

'Wilma' crashes sodomite party

WORLD NET DAILY reports ...

Despite the attempt to dodge the impact of Hurricane Wilma by changing the dates for the annual Fantasy Fest, the storm has deluged any hopes for the homosexual debauchery party this week, and could force a complete cancellation.

CA voters, YES on 73

Take a look at this brief clip explaining the "Parents right to know initiative," Proposition 73.

'Feisty nun'

From Father McCloskey's review of Raymond Arroyo's book on Mother Angelica ...

"One of the adjectives most often used to describe Mother is "feisty," and Arroyo does not shrink from revealing that side of her at length and in depth. Well-known and not so well-known contretemps with bishops, cardinals, elements of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and even some of her staff and financial backers, are recounted fairly and judiciously."

Read about Mother Angelica's famous feud with L.A.'s own Cardinal Roger Mahony HERE.

'The Triumph of Rita Rizzo'

"How did Rita Rizzo, the sickly girl who, with only a high school diploma, fights her way out of poverty and single handedly creates the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), the largest religious broadcasting empire in the world – succeed where all the bishops of the United States (and several millionaires had failed)?

This new biography by Raymond Arroyo comes closer than anyone has yet done to explaining Mother Angelica – The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles (Doubleday, 2005, $23.95). It is a welcome sign of the burgeoning Catholic book market's coming of age when a prestigious house such as Doubleday picks up this biography and heavily markets it."

Father C. John McCloskey writes an approving review of Raymond Arroyo's new book on Mother Angelica.

Read the review HERE.

Tijuana priest murdered

TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) - A Roman Catholic priest was found shot to death in his car with his hands cuffed in the rough border city of Tijuana on Monday, in what police said appeared to be an organized-crime killing.

For full story, go HERE.

Good News for Hollywood

Clayton has started a new blog: RCIA Hollywood. Check it out HERE.

Disposable babies

Luis Sinco/LA Times

This is the dumpster where USC architecture student, Holly Ashcraft, threw away her baby.

According to the LOS ANGELES TIMES, the pretty and popular high achiever from Montana, "... was investigated -- but not arrested or charged -- in April 2004 after she arrived at a downtown Los Angeles hospital having just given birth but without a baby. She told authorities the child in that earlier case was stillborn and that she had disposed of the body on her own."

Make that TWO disposable babies.

Ashcraft has been charged with murder just for the one.

Two for the price of one.

It is a safe bet that Holly was a girl out of control, caught up in the orgiastic culture that prevails at college campuses all across the country.

"She went out and had fun," is how one of her friends described Holly. She obviously also went out and had sex. And she was no stranger to alcohol.

Holly's family and friends are understandably upset and at the same time completely supportive of her. "She is a distinguished and wonderful girl, and I am very proud to be her parent," Holly's mother reportedly told the TIMES. She didn't indicate how it feels to be the grandmother of two dead grandchildren, however.

Which brings me to what is most troubling about this admittedly tragic story. No one -- at least among Ashcraft's cadre of backers -- is troubled by the fact that Holly's baby who was born alive was left to die in a trash bin.

It's all about Holly who now sits in jail in lieu of $2 million bail. Her attorney, in true lawyerly fashion, is implicitly making the case that his client didn't really throw away a baby because the child was a few weeks short of being full term.

I am very sad for Holly Ashcraft. But it isn't all about her. There is also the innocent child who was robbed of his life and whose tiny body was thrown out with the garbage. Somewhere out there, too, is the father of that child. In fact, it's quite possible that there is more than one young man who is wondering, if he has any conscience at all, was that my baby?

And he must have been a beautiful baby.


Holly Ashcraft

This is shocking!

Did you know that you can see anyone's Driver's License on the Internet, including your own? I just searched for mine and there it was ... picture and all! Thanks Homeland Security! Where are our rights? I definitely removed mine. I suggest you do the same.

Go to the web site and check it out. Just enter your name, city and state to see if yours is on file. After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked "Please Remove". This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement.

DRIVERS LICENSE SEARCH.

Mysterious illness prompts mid-Mass evacuation

WETHERSFIELD, Conn. -- A mysterious illness forced the evacuation of hundreds of parishioners in the middle of a Mass Sunday at a local church.

Police, fire and environmental crews responded to The Church of Incarnation during 11 a.m. Mass after getting reports that several people had fallen ill.

The symptoms included dizziness, nausea and, in one case, fainting, said Deputy Fire Marshal Jeffery Morrissette. About a dozen people were affected and at least two were taken to the hospital.

1 Corinthian 11

27 Therefore whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. 30 Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep.

The thought occurred to me ...

'Wimpy Award' goes to Bishop Michael Sheridan

(AP) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Bishop Michael Sheridan has apologized for remarks by his assistant that Roman Catholics shouldn't attend Protestant worship services because they could "confuse" some Catholics.

Sheridan's executive assistant, Peter Howard, also told The Gazette of Colorado Springs this week that Catholic participation in Protestant services denigrates the Catholic faith. He made similar comments in an Oct. 7 article in the diocesan newspaper.

In a letter regarding Howard's comments to The Gazette, Sheridan said Howard is free to express his views but said he doesn't agree with them.

Full story HERE.

The L.A. Catholic 'Wimpy Award" should not be confused with THIS.

Can't understand how Mahony escapes criminal prosecution

LONG BEACH PRESS TELEGRAM ...

"It is very hard for us to understand the fact that Cardinal Bernard Law (former archdiocesan leader in Boston) and Cardinal Mahony have never been criminally indicted," [Mary Grant] says. "It's hard for us to comprehend why prosecutors can't obtain every file they need. When someone has been covering up crimes for decades, as Mahony has done, it's just incomprehensible that there can't be any (prosecutorial) intervention."

What shame! How lame!

St. Brigid Church, San Francisco (1931)

There are two reasons why the Archdiocese of San Francisco sold one of the city's oldest Catholic churches ...

1) To pay for civil damages incurred by the sinful actions of mostly sodomite priests.

What shame!

2) To continue to provide social services to the needy.

How lame!

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - A group of Catholics risked arrest Friday when they formed a human chain to stop the San Francisco Archdiocese from removing religious artifacts from St. Brigid Church.

By the time the dramatic showdown ended late in the day, doors had been slammed, tears shed, and building inspectors and police called to the scene. The archdiocese, which sold the church to the Academy of Art University, said it simply wanted to remove property that was not included in the sale of the building.

Parishioners said items such as the statuary and the Stations of the Cross are sacred and as integral to the building as the granite walls.

St. Brigid, one of the oldest churches in the city, was closed June 30, 1994, due to a decline in attendance and high costs of seismic retrofitting work. The archdiocese said this year that it needed to sell the long-shuttered building to pay for clergy abuse settlements and to continue to provide social services to the needy. The church was sold to the Academy of Art for $3.75 million.

HELP ST. BRIGID website.

Taken out of context

Clayton Emmer at THE WEIGHT OF GLORY has memed me.

Here are the rules for this meme:

1. Go into your archives.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Post the fifth sentence (or closest to it).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same thing.

Here is my sentence from May 2005.

Why argue with success?

HERE is the context.

I hereby tag ...

Tito.
Gillibrand.
G. Thomas.
LRS.
Rick.

Cardinal Mahony's 'broad' vision of church

"Liturgical leadership" is the title of this TIDINGS photo

L.A. Masses

In L.A., the land of zero liturgical abuses, there's probably not anything interesting to report.

The Quotable Mahony

"Since Roe v. Wade, there have been a lot of Catholic politicians doing and saying things that would not be in line with the church's teaching."

And not just Catholic politicians, Your Eminence, but even, as shocking as it may sound, CATHOLIC BISHOPS!

No to married priests, yes to Latin

L.A. Times

ROME — Roman Catholic bishops gathering here from all over the world broached taboo topics and gave the public rare glimpses of policy debate within the Vatican. But as the three-week meeting draws to a close today, the clerics have chosen not to break new ground or stray from tradition.

The Synod of Bishops on Saturday approved a 50-point package of "propositions" to be handed to Pope Benedict XVI that reinforced long-standing policies, including an enthusiastic endorsement of celibacy for priests and the denial of Communion to Catholics who have divorced and remarried.

Although the critical shortage of priests dominated deliberations, the bishops recommended maintaining the church's ban on married priests, according to information released by the Vatican and first reported in the Catholic press. They also encouraged a greater use of Latin in religious services.

The Quotable Mahony

"I'm very close to the pro-life movement."

Oh, really?

A wolf in shepherd's clothing

This dated photo shows Father Robert Drinan, SJ, four term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who has been nominated to receive the Congressional Medal of Freedom.

During his years in the House, Drinan was a militant advocate of abortion rights and his views have remained unaltered. The Jesuit priest went so far as to support President Clinton in his 1996 veto of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.

Drinan will be 85 in November.

Blurred vision

From THE WEIGHT OF GLORY ...

"The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is a case study in the confusion of roles that is becoming more and more a part of the Church in the United States. In many cases, there seems to be an earnest effort to blur the distinctions between the ordained ministry / priesthood and the lay apostolate."

Where did they go?

THE WASHINGTON POST
Patricia E. Bauer

"In ancient Greece, babies with disabilities were left out in the elements to die. We in America rely on prenatal genetic testing to make our selections in private, but the effect on society is the same.

Margaret's old pediatrician tells me that years ago he used to have a steady stream of patients with Down syndrome. Not anymore. Where did they go, I wonder. On the west side of L.A., they aren't being born anymore, he says."

It is well worth the minute or so to read the entire piece. Go HERE.

Tip to SONS OF IRV.

While Father Larry looks on ...

(Paula Doyle/THE TIDINGS)

The TIDINGS caption which accompanies the above photograph says it all ...

PARISH LEADERS --- St. Stephen parish life director, Sister Susan Slater, SHCJ (far left) helps to distribute catechetical materials during a recent Sunday liturgy while Father Larry Estrada looks on.

Even as Cardinal Mahony calls for a Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations, he is aggressively moving forward with a plan to appoint non-ordained persons (typically women religious of this variety) as surrogate "pastors" of parishes. This, the Cardinal has said, is the way of the future.

"Furthermore, I am committed to the implementation of this form of parish leadership, which is not a stopgap measure or temporary solution [emphasis mine] to the diminishing number of priestly and Religious vocations." [source]

Sister Susan Slater is one of the pioneers of this "new way of being church." She is the "Parish Life Director" of St. Stephen's Parish in the L.A. suburb of Monterey Park. Father Larry Estrada is the "Sacramental Minister" who comes in from the sidelines only when something needs to be done ex opere operato. Otherwise, Sister's in charge.

According to THE TIDINGS,

"[Sister Slater] likes to promote the idea, which she has voiced to anxious parishioners wondering who will pastor them, that 'many people pastor you.'"

This, of course, flies in the face of what the Church teaches about the unique and indispensable role of the priest for the life of the parish community. In the introduction to the document, THE PRIEST, PASTOR AND LEADER OF THE PARISH COMMUNITY, Pope John Paul II wrote:

"It is therefore of fundamental importance for the parish to have a priest as its pastor and the title of pastor is specifically reserved to the priest. The sacred Order of the presbyterate represents the indispensable and irreplaceable condition for him to be appointed pastor validly (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 521, 1). Certainly, other faithful can actively collaborate with him, even full-time, but because they have not received the ministerial priesthood, they cannot replace him as pastor."

Sister Slater arrived at St. Stephen's as its first "pastoral associate" a number of years ago. In an October 2003 edition of THE TIDINGS it was explained ...

"After Sister Slater's pastor took a leave of absence from the parish in February, Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala and the Vicar for Clergy's office recommended she be given extra responsibilities as parish director for five months until a new priest administrator could be named for the parish in July. Sister Slater was able to perform child baptisms, offer Communion services (not Mass), preach the Word, direct funeral liturgies and witness marriages."

A new priest administer was never appointed.

Here is Sister Slater today, "embracing a parishioner [boundary violation?] in St. Stephen's vestibule."


(Paula Doyle/THE TIDINGS)

Sister told THE TIDINGS that ...

" ... she has been accepted as a pastoral leader by parishioners. When she wore an alb on the altar for the first time at a prayer service, "a lot of women said it was nice to see me up there --- even older women," confided Sister Slater, who feels Catholics can adapt to pastoral leadership changes."

Working six days a week, and always on Sunday, Sister Slater balances administrative and pastoral duties such as bereavement counseling, marriage preparation and visiting the sick. "I do whatever the pastor would have done," said Sister Slater. She greets parishioners before Mass and makes announcements following the liturgy. Parishioners know she is there for their spiritual needs.

"I do whatever the pastor would have done."

Yes, Sister is doing whatever 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.

The Quotable Mahony

"It's very helpful to move forward, and we're all learning. There's nothing the church can do that's failsafe. You can't inaugurate something that's not going to have hiccups and pros and cons. We've got to be open to the Spirit, and I think the Spirit is leading us in the right direction."

I think I have a headache.

You're fired!

THE OTTAWA SUN reports ...

PETERBOROUGH -- An Eastern Ontario Catholic priest has been stripped of his duties for suggesting women could someday become priests. Rev. Edward Cachia "can no longer be relied upon to celebrate the Eucharist within the Church as Christ intended," states a letter from Peterborough Diocese Bishop Nicola De Angelis. Cachia served at St. Michael's parish in Cobourg. Following an unofficial ordination of nine women on a tour boat on the St. Lawrence River near Kingston in July, Cachia told the Cobourg Daily Star that he hoped the ceremony was "the beginning of a new and awesome change in the life of the church."

Bad news for Roger

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES reports ...

Los Angeles County prosecutors have reopened a child-abuse investigation into a priest who was allowed to remain in ministry after admitting to Cardinal Roger M. Mahony that he had molested children, law enforcement sources and the boys' attorney said.

The priest in question is Father Michael S. Baker who is alleged to have abused as many as 23 boys and girls from 1974 until 1999.

The new investigation involves two brothers who say they were molested more recently. The investigation had been stalled because the brothers now live in Mexico.
Last spring, however, Los Angeles prosecutors obtained U.S. visas so the brothers could be interviewed in Arizona, according to the brothers' attorney and law enforcement sources.

In 1986, Baker told Mahony that he had abused children. Rather than notify the police, the Archbishop sent the priest away for treatment and then assigned him to a series of 9 different parishes.

Mahony has expressed regret over the way he handled Baker, calling the case the one "that troubles me the most." In a May 2002 letter to priests, Mahony apologized for failing "to take firm and decisive action much earlier."

J. Michael Hennigan, church attorney, said the archdiocese isn't proud of the Baker case. "It is a case that taught us painful lessons," he said.

In the year 2000, a $1.3 million settlement was negotiated for the brothers by their civil attorney, Lynne M. Cadigan. According to the L.A. Times ...

The Archdiocese paid $325,000.
Insurers paid $400,000.

And Father Michael Baker paid $500,000.

Wow! For a guy who was supposedly away on therapy for a good part of the time and who while on the job was allegedly doing other kinds of "jobs," Baker sure knew how to rake in the bucks!

Mahony's most troubling case

Ric Francis/AP

Father Michael Baker. Now this is a case that just might (or at least should) keep Roger Mahony from getting a good night's sleep.

LIFESITE reports ...

The case of Baker is illustrative and it was the one which Cardinal Mahony has referred to as the case “that troubles me the most.” Some have speculated that the part most troubling to Mahony is the indication from prosecutors that Baker could be called upon as a state’s witness.

It would be a gross understatement to say that this would be very bad news for Cardinal Roger M. Mahony.

Catholic-Baptist dialogue advances

Go HERE.

Tip to the Curt Jester.

An excellent essay on homosexuals and the priesthood

CATHOLIC CULTURE'S Jeff Mirus weighs in on the question with a succinct but penetrating analysis ...

Homosexuality is a heavy cross, and we must be sympathetic to all those forced to carry it. No one should want to add to its weight. But the prudential reasons for refusing ordinartion to homosexual men are also weighty, and deserve the most careful consideration.

Read it HERE.

Tragic end for pro-life priest

THE NEW YORK POST

October 19, 2005 -- The Rev. James Pilsner was a devout pro-life activist who boasted of saving more than 200 children from being aborted, but when it came to saving himself, the young Catholic priest could not overcome the demon of depression that plagued him, family and friends said yesterday.

Pilsner, 35, hanged himself Monday night in the rectory of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in New Dorp, Staten Island, after being depressed for more than a year.

"He was one who promoted life," said the Rev. Aloysius Thumma, who worked with Pilsner from 2001 to 2004 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Pelham Parkway in The Bronx. "It must have been a deep depression that made him lose touch with reality."

May these posts about Father Pilsner bring us to our knees in prayer for his soul and for his grieving parents and family.

Father James Pilsner, R.I.P.

Read about the 2001 ordinand HERE.

See related post HERE.

Pupilla oculi

Archbishop Burke of St. Louis has written a beautiful letter about the importance of the seminary.

His words are reminiscent of what Pope John Paul II said in extemporaneous remarks made in an address to the clergy of Rome in 2002.

The words stay with me: "the apple of his eye" (pupilla oculi). The "apple" of the bishop's eye is the seminary, because through the seminary, he sees the Church's future. I am prompted to say this by the experience I have had of being bishop for so many years, first in Krakow and then in Rome: in Krakow for 20 years, in Rome already for 24. This is very true, this is the "apple of his eye".

One would be hard pressed to make the claim that the "apple" of Cardinal Mahony's eye is the seminary. After all, the future he sees for the Church in L.A. is one with fewer and fewer priests, which Mahony considers, as dippy as it sounds, "a sign of God's deep love for the Church."

Undoubtedly, the "apple" of Mahony's eye is NOT the seminary. But if I had to guess what in fact it is, I'd put my pesos on this ...



How do you like them apples?

Don't do it!

THE TELEGRAPH (U.K.)

A Roman Catholic bishop has caused uproar in Ireland over his plans to redesign a neo-Gothic cathedral built by one of the most celebrated ecclesiastical architects.

Wikipedia, caveat emptor

Blogger, TOCQUEVILLE, makes a good point about WIKIPEDIA. Some threateningly disagree.

Caveat emptor.

Diogenes is evil.

I don't think so.

But Tom Kreitzberg over at DISPUTATIONS does.

"What "Diogenes" does at "Off the Record" is evil.

Gravely evil. Mortally sinfully evil. Putting his immortal soul at risk of damnation evil.

By their formal support for "Diogenes," the editors of Catholic World News are formal cooperators in this grave evil. Formal cooperation in grave evil is gravely evil."

What DIOGENES does at "Off the Record" is "mortally sinfully evil." CWN are "formal cooperators" in this grave sin. Why? A link made by DISPUTATIONS to Mark Shea is supposed to explain the reason for this excessive remark.

I can't wait to hear what the Openbookblogger has to say about this. She abides the raffish rants of Rocco Palmo without a word of judgment, but obviously has reservations about the "perspective" of blogs such as this one.

It will be interesting and indeed very telling to see how she as well as other Catholic bloggers sort themselves out over this.

I have benefited much from both DISPUTATIONS and MARK SHEA and include them in my blogroll. But I could not disagree with them more on this particular "disputation".

L.A. fruitcakes

What's the matter? Did you have another type of fruitcake in mind?

Get yours HERE.

Priest suicide

Stories like these fill me with a profound sadness. I pray for his soul and for divine assistance for his poor family.

New York Post reports ...

A Staten Island priest hanged himself in an apparent suicide last night inside his church's rectory, police said.

The priest, identified by the pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in New Dorp as the Rev. James Pilsner, 35, had been missing since 3 p.m., law-enforcement sources said. Another priest went to Pilsner's room and noticed the door was locked. He went to get a spare key and, when he opened the door, found Pilsner hanging from a rope attached to a chin-up bar, the sources said.

Pilsner was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

"All I can tell you is Father James Pilsner died this evening in the rectory," said the pastor, the Rev. John Sheehan.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2282-2283

Grave psychological disturbances, anguish, or grave fear of hardship, suffering, or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide.

We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.

A new breed of 'ambulance chasers'?

KIESEL, BOUCHER & LARSON, LLP
A law firm with a very specialized practice ...



Click on box or go HERE

Alleged victim demands Mahony's resignation

THE MERCURY NEWS reports ...

LOS ANGELES - A woman who claims she was sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest as a child in the 1970s called for Cardinal Roger Mahony's resignation Monday, a week after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles released summaries of personnel records of dozens of accused priests.

The archdiocese posted the documents, which detailed allegations of past abuse, on its Web site early last week after a state appeals court ruling cleared the way for the disclosure.

Jackie Dennis, 44, said Mahony had ignored 85-year-old George Neville Rucker's 40-year history of alleged abuse against dozens of girls, allowing "him to retire in good standing" almost two decades ago.

"Cardinal Mahony has patted Rucker's back, when he knows Rucker committed felonies against children," Dennis said.

The Cardinal's spokesman, Tod Tamberg, said that ...

... he considers Dennis a "brave woman" and is horrified by her story.

"I think, however, that what happened in the '70s is not how the church would handle it today. I think Cardinal Mahony has been at the forefront of making the church a safe place for young people."

Europe's sympathy for the devil

George Neumayr writes in the American Spectator ...

Europe, according to Newsweek, is too enlightened for the Vatican's exorcisms. But it is not too enlightened to host a growing number of demonic cults. The Devil's greatest triumph, it's said, is to convince man that he doesn't exist. But this saying needs revision. Europe displays an even greater triumph for the Devil -- not ignorance of his designs but respect for them.

Read The Exorcism of Europe and find out about the true story behind the movie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

If only she had killed "it" just a little bit sooner ...

A newborn infant with umbilical cord still attached was found near a dumpster not far from the USC campus. Holy Ashcraft, 21, a coed at the University, is being held on suspicion of MURDER and CHILD ABUSE.

The irony is that if the baby had been killed sometime before birth or even during birth, this would not be considered a murder investigation.

Go to the KTLA news video report HERE.

One woman, commenting on the story, said:

"She could have dropped "it" off at any, like, fire station."

True believer

He is the driving force behind California's Proposition 73 (Parents' right to know and child protection initiative) plus ...

Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission
San Diego News Notes
San Francisco Faith
La Cruz de California

From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES ...

At Planned Parenthood in San Diego, President Mark Salo said Holman's low-profile but critical support for Proposition 73 does not surprise him. For years, as he entered the driveway at the agency, Salo would pass a lone abortion protester. The man never yelled or bothered anyone, but he did hold a sign bearing an enlarged color picture of a fetus.

"It was Jim Holman," Salo said, "just standing out there with his sign."

More ...

Stand up, girl.

Help for girls in trouble HERE.

Jane Roe speaks to East L.A. audience

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- More than 100 parishioners from a dozen East Los Angeles parishes turned out Oct. 8 at Resurrection Church for a Spanish-language respect life program featuring Norma McCorvey, the "Roe" of the Roe vs. Wade 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

Go HERE for more.

L.A. Masses

Cardinal Mahony at the 2005 Religious Education Congress "Closing Liturgy"


Tell us about your Sunday "liturgy."