How do you recognize a faithful priest?

First of all, he never preaches anything but the truth. He preaches the word of God in its fullness. He never undermines the doctrine of the Church or promotes heresy and dissent. He prays the liturgy with reverence and follows the rubrics. He loves the Blessed Mother, guardian angels, and the saints. He knows that love isn't a warm, fuzzy feeling but a strong desire for the greatest good for the other, i.e., eternal salvation. He knows that sometimes love requires speaking the hard truth.

On the other hand, how do you recognize a priest who can't be trusted?

Yikes: Read the Description of How this Birth Control Device Works....

FDA announces additional risks of Essure birth control device

Essure is a permanent type of birth control in the form of tiny metal coils inserted into women’s Fallopian tubes. When the coils are implanted they are supposed to stay in the Fallopian tubes, where they create a chronic infection that will cause scar tissue to form around the coils, effectively closing the tubes and rendering the woman sterile....

At least five deaths of women, and five deaths of fetuses in women who’ve been implanted with Essure, have been reported. Other side effects many of the “Essure Problems” women have experienced include perforated organs, coils lodged in colons, fetal disfigurement due to nickel poisoning, chronic pain, exhaustion, bouts of depression, and suicidal thoughts.

Would you use it? If yes,

If you're feeling hot and want to cool off....

....check out the winter issue of the Les Femmes newsletter here. Click on Newsletter on the index. Yes I know it's summer, but wouldn't a nice cold snowball feel good. The Spring issue is at the printers and coming soon. Hopefully the summer issue will come out before the fall.

How the American Psychiatric Association Went Gay

If you think the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association removed homosexuality from the list of mental disorders in 1973 based on sound scientific study and research, think again. It was nothing but a cowardly collapse in the face of homosexual confrontation and intimidation. And one collapse after another has occurred since then.

Brian Clowes, director of research at Human Life International gives a chilling description of how it came about in his article, The Homosexuals' American Psychological Association Coup.

Now How Could That Be? The Seas Used to be Higher?

My husband and I just returned from a campout in Colonial Beach. Great place, lots to do! On one of our field trips we visited Westmoreland State Park where they have a "Fossil Beach" along the Potomac River. Prospectors find all kinds of things there: shark teeth, porpoise vertebrae, clam shells, etc. "What?" you ask. "Sharks teeth in a river?" Let me explain.

While we were walking back from the fossil beach we stopped to rest on a bench (long uphill climb). That's when we had the good fortune to meet a part ranger on her way back from the beach. We asked her if she found anything -- "Just a few shark teeth." But she had a box filled with fossils found on the beach by the park and shared them with us. One was a gargantuan shark tooth, about seven inches from tip to root.and about six inches across. Whoa! Wouldn't want to be bitten by that baby.

I found the fossil beach puzzling. "Sharks are salt water animals. What are they doing in the Potomac River?"

"Good question," she answered, "Ten thousand years ago the sea levels were much higher and this area was all salt water. Then gradually the rivers cut through and made it fresh."

Wait a minute! The seas were "much higher?" Was the polar ice cap melting? Were early buffalo exhaling so much carbon dioxide they caused warming that melted the ice cap and made the seas rise? Maybe the million humans supposedly on the planet at the time were all hyper-ventilating.

Ah...the mysteries of life. Perhaps Al Gore can explain it.

Virginia Bishops Respond to SCOTUS Decision

Virginia bishops release statement on yesterday's SCOTUS decision

SCOTUS Decision on Same Sex Marriage Came Today....

And the opinion, making same sex "marriage" a national right, was written by so-called Catholic Anthony Kennedy. It is Roe v. Wade all over again except this time the Catholic responsible for the evil decision is happy to take the credit unlike William Brennan who hid behind Harry Blackmun's majority authorship. But the result is the same -- a supposed "right" never enumerated in the Constitution, another one that would shock the Founders, is made the law of the land by fiat. Like abortion that has brought about the physical death of millions of children; today's decision will bring about the spiritual death of millions who will weep and gnash their teeth if they fail to repent.

It is enlightening to look at readings from Mass over the next few days following this decision. Is the fact that they relate to the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sins of sodomy and lust a coincedance? I don't think so. But there is more even than that.

Beyond Insanity: Treating the "Transabled"

Remember when a primary rule of medicine was "first do no harm?" Today, the mantra of medicine is coddle the maniacs. If you're a man who feels like a woman trapped in a male body, cut off the male organs, insert breast implants, etc. to make the body reflect the mental illness. And, of course, vice versa with women who feel like males trapped in women's bodies. (Does this sound like a B movie to you? It does to me. The Stepford Trannies or maybe The Creatures from the Psych Lab.) 

Well, it's about to get worse. Professionals are now justifying medical intervention for those who are, get this, transabled. You never heard of that? Let me clue you in from an article interviewing Canadian professor Clive Baldwin:

You Better Be Paying Attention: How Gays Indoctrinate Your Kids!

Many times people tell me we don't have to worry too much about the culture of death because we're having children and they are not. While that may be true, it doesn't worry the pro-deathers at all. Their strategy? Steal YOUR kids. And here is how it's done.

Lesbian Teacher Shares her Approach to Indoctrinating 4-year-olds

The article reminded me of James Clavell's book, The Children's Story, about a classroom of young children with a new teacher after a Communist takeover of their country. Here's how the story came about according to the author:

It was a simple incident in the life of James Clavell—a talk with his young daughter just home from school—that inspired this chilling tale of what could happen in twenty-five quietly devastating minutes. He writes, "The Children's Story came into being that day. It was then that I really realized how vulnerable my child's mind was —any mind, for that matter—under controlled circumstances. Normally I write and rewrite and re-rewrite, but this story came quickly—almost by itself. Barely three words were changed. It pleases me greatly because I kept asking the questions… 

Questions like, What's the use of 'I pledge allegiance' without understanding? Like Why is it so easy to divert thoughts? Like What is freedom? and Why is it so hard to explain?
The Children's Story keeps asking me all sorts of questions I cannot answer. Perhaps you can—then your child will...."

What happens in The Children's Story is exactly what the lesbian teacher describes in the above article as she goes from classroom to classroom exercising mind control on her little guinea pigs. You see, nobody is really born gay and the gays themselves know it. Recruitment is part of their strategy through indoctrination and sexual experimentation and, as this teacher brags, it starts early.

So you see why no one in the pro-abortion or pro-homosexual crowd is worried about the fact they don't have children. As long as parents aren't paying attention to what is going on in the classroom, gay activists are home free. They don't need kids because they are stealing yours.

And even if parents are awake, the damage is often done to the chldren before parents find out. Read about the Maine school that used "diversity day" to teach middle schoolers about homosexual foreplay. Fighting after the fact is all well and good, but the children have already been emotionally and psychologically raped. Pray and fight, parents. And if you are able, home school.

St. John the Baptist and the Fortnight for Freedom

It's interesting that St. John the Baptist's feast today falls within the U.S. bishops' Fortnight for Freedom project. Perhaps that was deliberate although I think the event is more linked to the 4th of July. His is one of the few birthdays celebrated by the Church and one of the few saints with multiple feast days.(His beheading is commemorated on August 29 and his baptizing the Lord on January 13.)

St. John is certainly an appropriate saint for the Fortnight for Freedom. King Herod had him killed because he dared to speak out about the man's corruption. (No religious freedom rights for loudmouthed saints!) His preaching earned him the diabolical hatred of Herod's wife, Herodias. She bided her time until she could bring about John's murder with the aid of her seductive daughter and Herod's lust.

How many of us dare to speak truth to power, even to the emotional power of our children, relatives, and friends? We shrink from anything that makes us "uncomfortable." Somebody might think we are "judgmental." Not that we need to imitate the fire and brimstone style of a Savonarola calling for the Church to rule the state, but we are called to witness, going out "to the whole world." We would do well to reach at least the first circle of the world by speaking the truth to family and friends.

But it's not easy to do, God knows. What a blessing that we have in John the Baptist the perfect saint to intercede for us as we evangelize, one who prepared the way of the Lord by his preaching and the witness of his life. He can help prepare us as well.

St. John the Baptist, pray for us!

Are you eating and feeding your children GMO corn? Better rethink it.

And check out the research results from these studies on GMO foods:

Severe Weather Events are Nothing New! Laura Wrote about Them!

I've been reading a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Donald Zochert. What a lovely book. Laura wrote her mostly biographical little house stories when she was in her 60s after a long and exciting life. Zochert treats her story with wit and tenderness.

I especially enjoyed the refrain throughout the book about Pa and his honey-colored fiddle that played tunes that were cheerful, sorrowful, and called to mind the days of auld lang sine. Many events in Laura's life recalled episodes of the long-playing TV series with Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert. Our whole family loved gathering round the television to watch the show -- so heart warming! Not like so much of today's TV trash.

Laudato Si': Who Really Cares about the Poor?

I've read the first 60 paragraphs of the 246 in Laudato Si' and have reached a portion the media is likely to ignore. Why? Because it challenges the population controllers:

49. It needs to be said that, generally speaking, there is little in the way of clear awareness of problems which especially affect the excluded. Yet they are the majority of the planet’s population, billions of people. These days, they are mentioned in international political and economic discussions, but one often has the impression that their problems are brought up as an afterthought, a question which gets added almost out of duty or in a tangential way, if not treated merely as collateral damage. Indeed, when all is said and done, they frequently remain at the bottom of the pile. This is due partly to the fact that many professionals, opinion makers, communications media and centres of power, being located in affluent urban areas, are far removed from the poor, with little direct contact with their problems. They live and reason from the comfortable position of a high level of development and a quality of life well beyond the reach of the majority of the world’s population. This lack of physical contact and encounter, encouraged at times by the disintegration of our cities, can lead to a numbing of conscience and to tendentious analyses which neglect parts of reality. At times this attitude exists side by side with a “green” rhetoric....

50. Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate. At times, developing countries face forms of international pressure which make economic assistance contingent on certain policies of “reproductive health”....

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has Advanced Lymph Cancer

Please pray for Larry Hogan who recently announced he has advanced lymph cancer.

Among the people who influenced my serious commitment to the pro-life movement when I was a young wife and mother was Maryland Congressman Larry Hogan Sr., father of the current governor, and Dr. Bill Hogan, the older Larry's brother and the governor's uncle. Larry Hogan spearheaded some of the early Congressional efforts to protect unborn babies along with Congressman Henry Hyde. Dr. Bill Hogan developed some of the earliest media programs on abortion using slides provided by a pathologist who was appalled at finding the bodies of aborted babies in his lab refrigerator. That was back in the 1970s even before Roe v. Wade. I remember well attending a slide presentation by Dr. Hogan and being shocked and grieved at what was happening. And so I became a pro-life activist: giving hundreds of presentations, picketing and praying at abortion mills and ultimately being a rescuer, sidewalk counselor, and crisis pregnancy worker.

Unfortunately, Governor Hogan doesn't have the strong record of his dad and uncle. He "moderated" his stance when he ran for governor. But the Hogan family have a long history defending the unborn and deserve our thanks despite the current less than heroic positions of Governor Hogan..

So please pray for Larry Hogan and his family. God willing he will be cured and his close brush with death will give him a new commitment to protect the most vulnerable among us..

Laudato Si' accepts man-made climate change as a fact. But Is It?

Working my way through the climate portion of the encyclical I agreed with many of the problems the pope articulates with regard to pollution, the need for pure water, the destruction of the rain forest and wetlands, etc. However, the underlying assumption that global warming/climate change is directly linked (or even exists) to anthropogenic, i.e., man made, activity is questionable. Here's a little of the section involved. Note the claim of a "very solid scientific consensus:

23....A very solid scientific consensus (my emphasis) indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system. In recent decades this warming has been accompanied by a constant rise in the sea level and, it would appear, by an increase of extreme weather events, even if a scientifically determinable cause cannot be assigned to each particular phenomenon. Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it.... 

25. Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades. Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial activities or resources which can enable them to adapt to climate change or to face natural disasters, and their access to social services and protection is very limited....

But is there, in fact, a "solid scientific consensus" that mankind is causing a rise in CO2 emissions and that CO2 is responsible for changes in the climate that are going to devastate the planet? Certainly there is solid REPORTING of a consensus. But does it actually exist? Or is it really a deliberate effort from the global warming cheerleaders to outscream the "deniers" (name-calling is always a tactic that raises my eyebrow) and prevent any scientific questioning of the party line?

First of all the "consensus."

Apparently "the consensus" comes from a 2013 study that examined almost 12,000 peer-reviewed papers on climate change from the scientific literature.The study was performed by climate change activists who promote the theory. Where did they get the 97% figure? Not from the unbiased results of the study. It showed that 66% of the articles' authors took no position at all, either for or against, global warming. Of the 34% that took a position, 97.1% supported global warming. And that's how the cheerleaders reported it, simply making those who deny or question the global warming theory disappear. Poof! (Source)

Many of the articles supporting man-made climate change come from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) which clearly has an agenda and is critical of all scientists who disagree.

That political views and opinions about climate change consensus affect the views of scientists was confirmed in a survey by the American Meteorological Society in 2013. (They surveyed all who had email addresses and over 25% responded.) They found that political ideology and opinions about consensus affected the views of their members. In other words, studying the data was not necessarily the principle measure of the scientists' views on whether climate change is real.

In America alone 31,000 scientists (over 9000 with PhDs) have signed a petition to the government disputing global warming. Qualifications required of the signers are here. Many actually work in environmental and meteorological areas. They fear the results of global warming policy will hurt the poor especially in technologically underdeveloped nations.

One other disturbing fact: It appears the Vatican has silenced the voices of those who question anthropogenic climate change. At the Vatican climate summit in April sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, promotion of global warming was clearly on the agenda. With U.N. reps as prominent participants, discordant voices were deliberately excluded. That strategy is reminiscent of the Pontifical Academy's meeting on evolution in 2009 when scientists supporting Intelligent Design Theory were also excluded from participation. No boat-rockers welcome.

Yesterday's Washington Post described the efforts of global warming skeptics to be heard at the April meeting of the Academy, but, in the end, they were excluded leading to an alternate conference a stone' throw from St. Peter's sponsored by The Heartland Institute. The scientists there hoped to have an impact on the final report, but in the end did not see any evidence of it:

We all want the poor to live better lives, but we just don't think the solution to that is to restrict the use of fossil fuels, because we don't think CO2 is causing a climate crisis....So if that''s our message in a sentence, that message was not reflected in the encyclical.

Talk about an understatement!

So...Is there really a "solid scientific consensus" on global warming, or are those scientists who dispute it simply gagged and persecuted like scientists who explore Intelligent Design? Is there a consensus or just the perception of a consensus fueled by liberals using the green movement to enrich themselves (Think Al Gore.) and redistribute income?

It would be interesting to see a Ben Stein documentary on the question like the one he did on evolution, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.  And don't forget, an encyclical is not a doctrine of the Church and can only be unreservedly trusted when it corresponds to the unchanging teachings over the millennia like Humanae Vitae on marriage and sexuality. (To be continued....)

Happy Fathers Day -- to all the fathers in my life!

To my dad, Raymond Schneider, who was such a model of strength to his family. I thought he could do anything, fix anything, and knew everything. I especially thank you and Mom for giving me brothers and sisters and having us in Church every Sunday dressed in our Sunday best. (And for doughnuts after church!) Rest in peace, Daddy.

To my father-in-law, Albert Kreitzer, who could build anything and was usually busy doing it. Thanks for teaching Larry so many skills that he continues to use today and especially an example of living the faith. Rest in peace, Dad.

To my husband Larry who is kind, considerate, a loving father to his children and the best "Paka" our many grandchildren could possibly have. Enjoy a great Father's Day, honey!

To all the fathers of our grandchildren, our two sons David and Neil, and our sons-in-law, Chris, Lawrence, and Jonathan -- thank you for your love for your wives and your love and protection of our grandchildren! You have truly blessed us.

To all the spiritual fathers in my life -- all my past spiritual directors, my priest friends, those who've heard my confessions and given me Holy Communion. And a special thank you to Fr. James Buckley who leads a silent Ignatian Retreat that I've been attending for a decade. He celebrates his 50th anniversary as a priest this year. Congratulations, Father.

And to all the lay fathers I know who I see serving their families, the Church, and the community. God bless you all on this Father's Day!

Do You Believe in Miracles?

This is the true picture of priests -- not what gets all the publicity. Priests are angels of mercy.

Laudato Si' Chapter One: Pollution

As I work my way through Chapter one of the encyclical, I came across this sentence which struck a discordant note:

"The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth." 

Really? Is that how the pope sees the earth and the people in it who, by implication, are responsible for the "immense pile of filth?"

Of course, I live in the Shenandoah Valley and all around me are small towns and farmland tucked in between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Alleghenies to the west, a paradise of natural beauty. But I came from Alexandria

Laugh of the Day from Fr. Z's Comment Section: Turn Down that Air Conditioner!

Fr. Z has a post on the encyclical and, as I was reading the comments, I had my first laugh of the day. Thanks to "Anj" for the laugh and to Fr. Z for his insightful and entertaining blog.

I now have ammunitation to persuade my wife to turn up the temperature control on the air-conditioning. She has it stubbornly set at 72 degrees F. Every time I sneek it up to 74, somehow she knows. Now, I can say: Stay! The pope has declared in his Encyclical that use of the air conditioner is a act of violence against our sister/mother the earth. Don’t you think we should nudge that thermostat up to 75? Maybe even 78? Otherwise, the next confession is going to have to add irresponsible air conditioning use to the list.

I'm still slogging through Laudato Si' but can someone explain why this man would be involved?

BREAKING: Schellnhuber Appointed to Pontifical Academy of Science
Why exactly would the pope select an atheist and a population control guru to sit on a pontifical council? If somebody can't even get the first principle (God exists!) right, how can he be trusted to get anything else right? And if he thinks there are too many people on the planet and thinks we need to get rid of about six billion of them, why is he not dismissed as an enemy of the poor. Let's face it; these people ALWAYS talk about overpopulation in the THIRD WORLD. Elimination of the poor through exporting abortion and contraception is a major priority. And the U.N., whose agenda this guy champions, is an expert at promoting the culture of death. Doctors in the Third World describe shelves filled with contraceptive pill packets and abortion machines while they have no antibiotics or anti-diarrhea medicine. Ah...but they care about the planet!

I'm a Fan of Wild Bill: Here are His Thoughts on Atheistic Evolution

I'm with Wild Bill. I believe in creation.

I'm only up to paragraph 18 of Laudato Si' and I'm disturbed by its assumptions

Here's the paragraph that started the lights flashing and bells and sirens going off in my head:

18. The continued acceleration of changes affecting humanity and the planet is coupled today with a more intensified pace of life and work which might be called “rapidification”. Although change is part of the working of complex systems, the speed with which human activity has developed contrasts with the naturally slow pace of biological evolution. Moreover, the goals of this rapid and constant change are not necessarily geared to the common good or to integral and sustainable human development. Change is something desirable, yet it becomes a source of anxiety when it causes harm to the world and to the quality of life of much of humanity.

"Rapidification?" Is that even a word? I suppose one could talk about the term in the sense of "future shock," too much change in too short a period of time. I pretty much agree with that as being a problem of modern life. But what are we to make of the pope talking about the "slow pace of biological evolution." I have to assume he accepts evolution as a fact rather than a theory and dismisses fiat creation which all the Fathers of the Church accepted. So already the encyclical is beginning from assumptions that aren't necessarily true.

And I can't agree with the blanket statement that "Change is something desirable." Is it? If I'm healthy is a change to sickness "desirable?" Is a change from virtue to vice desirable?

Some changes are desirable, but certainly not all, as the pope himself points out in the second part of the sentence. So why make that blanket statement at all? It seems to me to be a distinctively liberal idea.

But I've only just begun and there are pages and pages and pages to wade through. Want to join the journey? Find the encyclical here.

In Honor of the Papal Encyclical on the Envirnoment...

I sprayed my circle garden out front with a very effective weed killer -- white vinegar. It's non-toxic and as effective as all get out. You can check out my results here.

And now, I need to get down to reading the encyclical. I have a feeling I"m going to be shaking my head as I read.

The Nonsense that Passes for Thinking among Liberals

Fr. Tom understands the psychology of the liberal mind. God save us indeed!

Observations on Democratic Logic

by Fr. Tom Collins

The leaders of the Democratic party often rely on demagoguery when they cannot give reasoned answers to reasonable questions raised by the American public. A few examples are given below.

• If you believe that a woman, such as Hillary Clinton, should be held accountable for her actions, you are a sexist bigot.

• If you disagree with Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton on any issue whatsoever, you are a racist.

Archbishop Cupich Confirms the Worst Fears of the Orthodox

The Chicago archbishop will be participating in a conference of dissident Catholic speakers

If anyone asked at this meeting for the real Catholics to please stand up, there wouldn't be a single one standing in the house. They are all enemies of the one, true faith based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. You cannot say you love Christ and hate his commandments and the doctrines taught by the Church He founded.

For the Archbishop to line up with this stable of radical dissenters is a scandal of massive proportions. Am I surprised? No, all the signs were there already. And now the dismantling of the faith in Chicago continues.  

Pray for the people of Chicago. It's hard to believe they could do worse than Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, but maybe Cupich will prove it's possible.

Wow! Out of the Mouths of Babes!

I think of some of my own extended family members who started out like these little ones and now think abortion is perfectly okay. How tragic and heartbreaking that is. No wonder Jesus said unless we become like little children we can't enter the kingdom of heaven. The natural instinct of children is to protect babies. Help me to have the love and trust of a little child today, Lord.

Exorcism of Mexico: Let's Do It in the U.S. as Well....

....and Canada and Ireland and Germany and the Middle East and Iraq and Pakistan and the Sudan, etc., etc. etc.

What happens when an entire country becomes infested with demons?

Here's a sample from the article at Catholic News Agency:

Fr. Fortea emphasized that “when the exorcists of a country drive out its demons, it has to be done in faith. You’re not going to see anything, feel anything, there’s not going to be any extraordinary phenomenon. We have to have faith that God conferred on the apostles a power, and that we can use this power.” 

“In any case, if this ritual were to be carried out in more countries once year, before or after, this would put an end to any extraordinary manifestations which would show us the rage of the devil. Because, without a doubt, the demons hate to be driven out of a place or to be bound with the power of Christ.” 

The Spanish exorcist said that “it would be very desirable that when there’s an annual meeting of exorcists in a country, a ritual such as this exorcismo magno that took place in Mexico be performed.”

I'm all for it. I have no intention of rebuking any demons myself. I stay as far away from them as possible. But I think all our exorcists should be more active in fighting the evil surrounding us. An exorcism at the Capitol and the White House would be a good start along with every abortion mill in the country where the blood sacrifice to demons are carried out.

Thoughts on the Upcoming Encyclical on the Envioronment

I echo Fr. Tom Collins' thoughts below. If you aren't praying about the upcoming encyclical yet, start now! We need to think about man's inner ecology. It's certainly as important as the global ecology.

I have read a report that the new encyclical on the environment is just under 200 pages! I just pray that it has at least as much on the real danger of everlasting "warming" being promoted by the Culture of Desecration and Death as it does on the alleged dangers of terrestrial warming. Our modern day Chicken Little's are not crying, "The sky is falling!", but rather, "The earth is warming!" In spite of actual data that shows otherwise, they contend that the data should not be reported, but rather carefully adjusted by computer programs to indicate that humanity is indeed the earth's greatest enemy. Some are even getting so bold as to openly declare that cleansing the "disease" of humanity from the earth's biosphere will have to include the development of policies and practices to promote or benignly neglect the evil consequences of contraception, abortion, sterilization, infanticide, homosexuality, plagues, famines, euthanasia, war and ethnic cleansing. I just pray that the new encyclical will be decisively Christocentric, and not just "lead from the rear" with a new "Me too" spirituality, which struggles to catch up with the agenda and the "wisdom" of the secular progressives.

In Christ,

Fr. Tom

Another Head Rolls: Archbishop Nienstedt Resigns

UPDATE: June 20, 2015
An Isolated Nienstedt Tried to Limit Investigation

I'm not a big fan of liberal public radio, but it's beginning to look like all that smoke has fire behind it. Indeed, things aren't looking good for Archbishop Nienstedt and I'm afraid more revelations are likely to be coming out in the days ahead. So disheartening. Sometimes the bishops who appear to be orthodox use it as a screen behind which to hide. 

_____________________________

I read an article in The Wanderer this morning about St. John the Baptist and the dance that cost him his head. So glad I saw it before reading about Archbishop Nienstedt's resignation which I found very disheartening.

But the article on John the Baptist puts things in perspective. Herodias, whose sexual sins earned the ire of the saint, had it in for John and she schemed and planned until she had the opportunity to finish him off once and for all.

Archbishop Nienstedt, whose given name also happens to be John, has been stalked by the gay "marriage" crowd ever since he sent out CDs to his diocese defending Church teaching on homosexuality and the attack on marriage between a man and a woman. The gays tried to get him with accusations of sex abuse which never stuck. So they went after him for "mismanaging" sex abuse in the diocese. 

I don't know whether he mismanaged things or not, but all the signs are that the modern day Herodias lobby doesn't really care whether he's guilty as long as they get his head on a platter. His real crime is being orthodox instead of pandering to the gender Nazis. 

Nienstedt is one more orthodox bishop who publicly defended Church teaching who has now been chopped to pieces. He joins Bishop Joseph Martino and Bishop Robert Finn in early retirement, as well as Cardinal Raymond Burke who was as good as retired when he was named patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Let us pray that all these men, relegated to the proverbial desert, imitate Jesus spending some time in prayer and fasting and then come out fighting for the faith with voices of truth!

Have you been to Confession Lately?

Fr. Tom suggests some important guidelines for examining your conscience. This would be a great article to run off and take with you (along with your Bible) for your next Confession.

A MORE DOCILE APPROACH TO THE EXAMINATION OF ONE’S CONSCIENCE

by Fr. Tom Collins

The Rite for the Sacrament of Reconciliation encourages the use of God’s Word, found in Holy Scripture and in Church Tradition, for the examination of one’s conscience. Just as a diagnosis of a sick person requires many forms of examination (e.g., blood tests, pulse, blood pressure, EEG, X-rays, EKG, urine analysis, CAT scan, etc.), so a thorough examination of conscience should consider the many dimensions of one’s spiritual life in the light of God’s revealed Word. Our need for diverse formats for an examination of conscience can be seen in a simple exercise. Counting the number of times "F" is found in the following sentence:

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOLLOWED BY MONTHS OF CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF THE FACTUAL DATA COLLECTED FROM IT.

The correct answer is at the bottom of this page in italics.

Sometimes you just gotta laugh at the ridiculousness of the liberal mind....

....that gushes over the courage and inspiration of Bruce Jenner for letting out his inner woman....

but excoriates Rachel Dolezal for "pretending" to be black.

How come a man pretending to be a woman is brave and garners all kinds of positive, no, idolizing press, but a woman pretending to be black is described as "faking" and "lying?" Hey, isn't it all about feelings today? Bruce Jenner is a man who "feeeeeeels" like a woman. Chastity Bono is a woman who "feeeeeels" like a man. Why can't Rachel Dolezal be a white woman who "feeeeeels" black.

Why can't I be whatever I "feeeeel?" I think I'll let out my inner president. I "feeeeel" like the first woman president. Soooooo.....Get out of my house, Obama!

Now here's the reality of feelings. Live in the real world. "I'm a boy, she's a girl and this is the world....The feeling may be fleeting, here one second and then it's gone, gone, gone."

On the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus....

....why not learn more about the extent of His love for you by studying the Shroud of Turin. Jesus shed every drop of His blood for you. What will you do for Him?

My brother has a five-part lecture series on the Shroud at Shroud University. Check it out.

Strange Animals and Strange Behavior!

My husband and I went to the Pittsburgh zoo yesterday with our daughter and four granddaughters. It's a lovely facility and we enjoyed every minute.

God certainly made some beautiful, strange, and exotic animals. I like to think of him pondering what to put on the planet on those days of creation.and saying to himself, "Now what would delight and spark the imagination of mankind?

Here are some of the sights that delighted me:

How Seemingly Small Decisions Can Have Big Consequences

I once had a neighbor, a wonderful Lutheran Christian. We used to walk together around our neighborhood chatting about anything or nothing. One day (I don't remember how it came up.) he mentioned that his father was a Catholic. "Oh Marvin," I said, "You should have been a Catholic." 

On another occasion two women from the Jehovah's witnesses knocked on my door.

I'm with the Pope on This One!

Pope to Parents: Remove Computers from your Kids' Bedrooms

Strange Times: Russia is More Christian These Days than the West!

Russian police and citizens stop homosexual pride parade

The U.S. and most of western Europe may have tossed the Judeo-Christian ethic and the Ten Commandments, but Russia seems to have picked them up. Maybe this is an indication that Our Lady of Fatima really did accept the flawed consecration of Russia. We certainly live in strange and interesting times. Some days I think I'd be more comfortable in Russia these days than in the U.S. which has become Gender Insanity Land.

I'm not a liberal either!

The main reason I'm not a liberal is because I'm incapable of believing two diametrically opposed things at the same time as so many liberal do.

They Put Men on the Moon and They Doubt Man-made Global Climate Change!

Have you uncritically accepted "Chicken Little's" theory of man-made climate change? If yes, you need to check the data. A group of scientists retired from NASA who were involved in the Apollo program have banded together to examine the data. Read that again -- "examine the data"-- not the opinions, not the flawed computer models, but the data.

According to them (and these are scientists who put men on the moon), there is no convincing evidence that the planet is at a crucial point and that we need to STOP GLOBAL WARMING OR DIE!!!!! (Ominous music plays in the background.) According to the group, which has been studying the data since 2012:

Think I'll Pass on Tomorrowland....

Sunday Meditation: Keeping Sunday Holy: What Exactly Does that Mean?

I often wonder whether I keep Sunday well. Oh, we go to Mass, of course. But what about the rest of the day? What makes it different? After all, we almost always go to daily Mass as well. So what should we be doing that sets Sunday apart? We rarely do any shopping and, if at all, it's my husband going to the grocery store because he makes Sunday dinner and isn't good at planning ahead.

I haven't figured out yet how to make Sunday that holy day for the Lord.

How do you keep Sunday holy?

Transgenderism: The Dark Underbelly of the Beast

Bruce Jenner's story has put transgenderism in the spotlight. And all the usual media cheerleaders are slapping "her" on the back for "her" courage. But the fact is that sexual reassignment is impossible. People are what they are made by God -- "male and female he created them."

While many have jumped on the transgender bandwagon out of false compassion, the truth is that, like an iceberg that looks relatively benign on the surface but hides underneath its deadly bulk, transgenderism is a disaster -- both to the individual and to society.

Read this article and pay particular attention to the so-called scientists who took their perverted theory and thrust it on others.

The Dark, Untold Story of Transgenderism

The tragic story of Dr. John Money's experiment with a little boy whose genitals were severely damaged in a circumcision gone wrong was unethical and an extreme example of medical malpractice. Money convinced the parents to allow reassignment surgery on the little boy who had a twin brother. Money had the twins engage in sex play in his office during interviews while he took poloroids. Like his mentor, Alfred Kinsey, he was a sick man.

See the documentary on David Reimer below. It's heartrending and reveals just how evil  Money's experiment was. Pray for the repose of the souls of David and his brother. What Dr.Money did to those two children and their family was so incredibly evil it's almost unbelievable. And even when it was clear that his experiment was a disastrous failure, he continued to pretend it was a success and lied about it.

No doubt we can expect a movie glorifying Money in the future like the sick film about his teacher, Alfred Kinsey.Money should be stripped of every degree and honor he ever received in the course of his career!



See more:

The Tragedy Of The Work Of Prominent Psychologist And Sexologist Dr. John Money, Ph.D., Of Johns Hopkins University

Sex Change Regret

Wonders Never Cease: New York Times Throws Overpopulation Myth on Ash Heap!

We should all be dead and gone according to the population hysteria created by bug scientist Paul Ehrlich who wrote The Population Bomb in the 1960s. But now even the New York Times admits it was all a crock of horse manure. (Like Malthus who in the 18th century believed there would be no place to put it all.)

Read an excerpt from the New York Times article:

Dr. Ehrlich’s ominous declarations cause head-shaking among some who were once his allies, people who four decades ago shared his fears about overpopulation. One of them is Stewart Brand, founding editor of theWhole Earth Catalog. On this topic, Mr. Brand may be deemed a Keynesian, in the sense of an observation often attributed to John Maynard Keynes: “When the facts change, I change my mind, sir. What do you do?” Mr. Brand’s formulation for Retro Report was to ask, “How many years do you have to not have the world end” to reach a conclusion that “maybe it didn’t end because that reason was wrong?”

One thing that happened on the road to doom was that the world figured out how to feed itself despite its rising numbers. No small measure of thanks belonged to Norman E. Borlaug, an American plant scientist whose breeding of high-yielding, disease-resistant crops led to the agricultural savior known as the Green Revolution. While shortages persisted in some regions, they were often more a function of government incompetence, corruption or civil strife than of an absolute lack of food. [This has always been the case!]

But liberals never have to say they're sorry. Ehrlich continues to be a doomsayer and he still desires tyranny against those who want to have the number of children they want to have. Some things never change.

From the "Good Grief" Department

President Obama will be keynote speaker at Catholic Health Association convention

No surprise here. CHA is one of those organizations that uses the name Catholic loosely to mean anything but what scripture and the catechism describe.

Nancy Pelosi: Gay ‘marriage’ is ‘consistent’ with Catholic teaching   

And to think she took her grandchildren to see her get the gay award discussed in the article. She needs to read the scripture passage about the millstone award for those who scandalize God's little ones.

Bruce Jenner wanted his oldest daughter aborted

He fathered six children with three wives, but he's really a woman. Someone take this man to the mental hospital. He's selfish and narcissistic, a man to be pitied and prayed for.

Are You Going to a College Graduation?

Here's the Commencement Address Most College and University Students Should Hear!

On the Feast of St. Justin Martyr -- Are You Prepared?

Things look pretty bleak these days, but on the bright side, bad times are great times for intense sanctity. That's why it's so important to be prepared to be a martyr. We've been privileged in this country. We've escaped most of the violence of countries where Christians die for the faith like China, Russia, the Sudan, Iraq etc.. But there's no guarantee that will continue.

So get in practice for martyrdom by being willing to speak the truth to the world in charity. Don't shrink from the challenge. Bishop Athanasius Schneider, like Maximilian Kolbe before him, urges us to use the instruments of social communications to spread the gospel: