Guest Post: The Heretics among Us

Mary, Theotokos, Mother of God

Contemporary Nestorian Heretic Exhorts His Flock:

“Mary is Not the Mother of God”

By Randy Engel

Introduction

Down under, and I mean “really down under,” in the Australian Diocese of Wollongong in New South Wales, a Roman Catholic priest by the name of Father Rick McCann, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Church in Oakdale, has resurrected the fifth century Christological heresy known as Nestorianism.

In his parish bulletin for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, “Fr. Rick” offered a new rendition of the Hail Mary which not only disavows the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God, but also strikes out at two of the cornerstones of Catholic doctrine – the Blessed Trinity and the Incarnation. Father McCann also added a notation defending his heretical views:

Guest Post: Is Putin a Charlatan?

Has David Martin got it right? Is Putin the Christian hero so many paint him as or is he a subversive Gramski commie using any means to attack the West including pretending to support a return to moral values? For more insight on this Russian leader read this. People are not always what they seem. 

Obama's Sanctions Against Russia a False Flag

Who is the real Vladimir Putin?

By David Martin

The news is abuzz with commentary over Obama's move to impose sanctions against Russia in response to its supposed cyber-attack in the 2016 election which marred Hillary's reputation and contributed greatly to Donald Trump's victory.

The problem is that Obama has not imposed any sanctions against Russia. It's a false flag. This is being done to solidify the fake news that Russia aided Trump's victory by "hacking" the DNC—something they never did—so that America will protest Trump's inauguration. 

Homosexual Public School Teacher and Partner Molested Young Students

Homosexual teacher Aric Babbitt (right) and his "husband,"
Matthew Deyo, molested eight underage boys before killing
 themselves after the "vacation of a lifetime." 

Did you see any national headlines about this pair? Did it spark any on-going investigation by the Boston Globe or any other major newspaper about the problem of public school teacher/molesters? Where are the day after day, blow by blow description of the stories of teachers like Aric Babbitt with detailed descriptions of their victims? Where is the "Teacher Accountability" website describing the cover-ups by administrators, school boards, and teacher unions? Where's the SNAT website, Survivors Network of those Abused by Teachers?

Meditation on the Feast of the Holy Family

The Holy Family by Esteban Murillo

I love Friday morning Mass because it's the day the pastor of our little mission church comes to preach and his homilies are always insightful.  This morning, being the Feast of the Holy Family, he preached on personal and family virtues.  His homily began with a hat tip to Thomas Aquinas who in his Summa, after speaking about creation, wrote, not about sin, but about virtue.

Father said most of us work on eliminating sin in our lives which is good, but too often we focus so much on sin that we forget about virtue. And if we do, we are like the man in the parable whose house is swept clean, but then the devil returns with seven more who are worse than himself.

On Gender, Inclusive Pronouns, and the Language Cops

Tracking the pronoun offenders!

My, my...the gender police are working hard to transform language in order to make sure we are all culturally sensitive and don't offend any of the differently gendered, or is that "alt-gendered"? All the lesbian, gay, intersex, gender-fluid, genderqueer, intersex, cisgender, agender, and other odd folk must not be alienated or made to feel...well...odd. And so we have language gymnastics in order to develop an inclusive vocabulary that makes everyone feel at home in the loony bin. He and she personal pronouns must be replaced. Many have already done that using the grammatically incorrect "they" to stand in for "he or she" which, unfortunately, doesn't consider those who want to be "its".

Thinking about New Year's Resolutions and the Bookshelf Purge

It's not too early to think about my new year's resolution and I think it will have to be to purge my bookshelves of useless blather that I will never read. I'm working in the office/library at present where all my religious, English lit, and pro-life books are and I'm facing a dilemma.

I have a shelf of books that I consider heretical. I have notes in the front covers of all of them to warn anyone randomly picking up the book that it is dangerous. What's on that shelf? The Dutch catechism, books by Chardin and other questionable authors, several books by priests who left the Church. One, A Modern Priest Looks at His Outdated Church by James Kavanaugh has a personal connection since the dissenter from Humanae Vitae (who left the priesthood to marry and later divorced) gave a "retreat" at my alma mater, Trinity College in D.C. when I was a Junior or Senior there -- just one of the scandals at that nominally Catholic institution. He was funny, cynical, sometimes outrageous and told a classmate of mine who went to him saying, "I get nothing out of Mass," to stop going. Some retreat, eh?

Are There Any Sane People Left in the World Anymore?

NIGERIA

This 13-year-old girl has been forced to marry (be raped by) her 56-year-old teacher.

It's the Third Day of Christmas - Do You Know Where Your Christmas Tree Is?

Please, don't tell me it's out at the curb waiting for the trash pickup!

One of the great things about being a Catholic (in addition to the Catholic Church being the one, true faith expressing the fullness of the truth from God Himself) is that, after the seasons of waiting and sacrifice, there is ALWAYS an extended season of celebration. (Somebody please inform Pope Francis.) We have about four weeks of Advent, then the twelve days of Christmas until the Epiphany and then another week until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Waging War on Christmas? And the Pope Said What?

Is this the "charade" of Christmas?

Pope Francis is Waging War on Christmas; Christians Should Join Him

Yikes!

Where did this idea come from? 

Christopher Hale in a Washington Post article on Christmas Eve reminded readers that last year the pope told a group of Mass goers that "Christmas is a charade:" Here's how he quotes the pope:

“Christmas is approaching: There will be lights, parties, lighted Christmas trees and manger scenes. … It’s all a charade....The world continues to go to war. The world has not chosen a peaceful path. There are wars today everywhere, and hate.... We should ask for the grace to weep for this world, which does not recognize the path to peace. To weep for those who live for war and have the cynicism to deny it. God weeps; Jesus weeps.”

Joy to the World the Lord is Come!

Merry Christmas 

to all our readers and your families. 

You are in our prayers during this holy season!

Malicious Resistance, the Inspiration of the Devil, and the Pope of Mercy

Is Pope Francis Dividing the Church?

The pope's Christmas message to the curia was a stocking filled with switches and coal. (To read the message to the curia in full go here.) Filled with the typical mix of nasty and nice, the pope is ambiguous (nothing new there) about who the malicious devils are. Which is why it's necessary, in order to understand him, to consider his other statements. Since, in the past he has reserved his condemnation for those who uphold doctrine and love the Church's holy tradition, one can only presume he is going after those "rigid" folks in both the clergy and laity whom he's targeted in the past with the labels of pharisees or whose love for tradition, e.g., the Latin Mass, indicates (in his opinion) psychological problems. 

I confess that I'm baffled by the meanness of this pope who talks compassion and mercy while he condemns and commits rash judgment against those who embrace tradition and orthodoxy, labeling them as "rigid" and stating that their love for Church doctrine indicates psychological illness or the attitude of the pharisees. How charitable were these statements of Pope Francis?

When Santa Came Knocking at My Door

          We lived along the train line to Manhattan in Fairfield, Connecticut from 1981-1990.  Spencer caught the 6:52 each weekday morning, and the 5:02 out of Grand Central Station each evening.  He rose at 5:30 to dress,  left home at 6:15 to drive to the station, park, and buy a paper before boarding, and if the trains were on time, he was back in the driveway at about 6:30 that evening.  A long day for anyone in a suit and tie and one that was filled with the burden of performing well in the office and the added stress of public transportation schedules and serious weather conditions at least half the year.  When you live like that, you want home life to be as peace filled as possible. 

          We naturally looked forward to the holidays even knowing they could get complicated.  One year we invited my parents to come for Christmas.  They were excited to see the children and to see New England decorated in the style of Norman Rockwell/Christmas card fame.  It truly is beautiful. 

There's no place like home

for the holidays

          Mother came prepared to help in the kitchen, of course, but besides the main Christmas dinner there were regular meals to be prepared, gifts still to be wrapped, last minute things to purchase, and other company--old friends we'd known in Texas, who had transferred north shortly before we did.  We thought my parents would enjoy seeing them again and meeting their growing family, three boys, ages one, three, and five,  so we invited them over to share a little supper and some "holiday cheer" a couple of days before Christmas.  

          Everything seemed to go wrong that day.

Would General Patton's Manly Christmas Card Send the Snowflakes to Their Safe Spaces?

At Christmas time in 1944 the U.S. Army was struggling against, not only the evil Axis forces, but against the weather. Two months of continuous rain had bogged down Allied progress and now, in December continued to hinder troop movements. 

With Christmas approaching, General Patton asked Chaplain Fr. James O'Neill to compose a prayer to be delivered to the 250,000 soldiers of the Third Army under his command inviting them to pray to God for an end to the rain and victory against the German Army. The chaplain included a personal message commending the courage of the soldiers and wishing them a Merry Christmas. Approval and signing of this Christmas message by General Patton took place on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

The message was delivered in mid December about the time the Battle of the Bulge began with the Nazis soon encircling 15,000 troops in Belgium around the town of Bastogne with a massive German force of 50,000.  The rain, preventing air cover, kept Patton from coming to the rescue and the American troops were in danger of running out of ammunition and being overrun. But shortly after the prayer effort began (The Christmas letter was delivered to the troops around December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, shortly before it's December 14th letter date.), the rain stopped, the fog lifted, and the skies cleared.

"Demons in Roman Collars": Part III of Randy Engel's Series on Fr. Anthony Cipolla

Protect the children, Holy Father.

Randy Engel wrote this series in an attempt to gain justice for the Thompson family whose sons were both abused by pederast Fr. Anthony Cipolla. In her research, Randy also gives an extensive report on the pederast problem in the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh whose bishops covered up for the abusers for decades including Cardinal Donald Wuerl currently the head of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.! 

I urge you to read the entire series, but Part III can stand on its own and actually provides somewhat of an overview of the magnitude of the problem. I quote the end of the article (after the break) which identifies the problem -- It's homosexuality in the priesthood! 

All I Want for Christmas is a Genderqueer Teddy Bear

"...and a Genderqueer Teddy Bear."

Sally Ann, a small girl missing her 2 front teeth:  Thanta! Thanta!

Santa:  Well, hello little girl...Sally Ann is it?

Sally:  Yeth!

Santa:  Ho ho ho. Well, what is it that you want Santa to bring you this Christmas, Sally Ann?

Sally Ann, whispering in Santa's ear:  Thanta, I want a Genderqueer teddy bear! The one with the symbols on his...or is it her...or maybe their…chest...or is it breast or ...I got it! It's a reconstructed girl chest likes Caitlyn Jenner gotts! He's a boy who wants to be a girl just like the girl in my nursery school wants to be a boy! We get to choose our own pronoun now, Thanta!!

Santa...thinking:  Good grief. What on earth is this child being taught? And who is teaching it to her? Her kindergarten? Surely not!

Summer 2016 Newsletter Now On-Line

If you like the blog, visit the website. The Summer 2016 issue of the Les Femmes newsletter is now the website and click on newsletter on the sidebar for the latest on-line issue. Here's a bit from the lead article, The Answer to All Our Problems? Jesus and Mary:
on-line. Just go to

The world faces problems these days on an apocalyptic scale. Wars and terrorist attacks, devastating natural disasters, increasing plagues like AIDS, Zika, Lyme, and antibiotic resistant super-bugs, not to mention the anxiety, stress, and depression that accompany modern living. And, of course, we all have relationship challenges among our families, friends, and acquaintances. I’d like to suggest in this article that the answer to all our challenges is simple – increasing devotion to the Real Presence of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist (and, of course, the rosary) and devotion to Our Lady. But I’m going to focus here on the Eucharist, the bread of angels. 

Guest Post: Will You Let Your Beloved Feed You on Christmas Morning?

St. John Paul II in humble obeisance before Our Lord.

How do you think of Jesus? Is He your beloved? Do you want Him to be? 

Think of how lovers feed one another at their wedding in a profound gesture of trust and commitment. "I love you; I trust you. My hands will only do good to you, never harm." 

Think of a baby being fed, or a little bird opening its mouth to receive nourishment. Receiving the Eucharist on the tongue is a humble gesture of total trust in the Divinity.

Do you want to give Jesus a gift of love on Christmas morning? Receive Him on the tongue and, if possible, on your knees. 

"Come to me, Lord Jesus. I am little and helpless and I want to be fed by you. I will not grasp you, but will receive you on my tongue from the hands of the priest in trustful humility. Come, Lord Jesus, come!"

Communion in The Hand Undermining the Faith

by David Martin

Those who Uphold the Doctrine of the Church are now the Dissenters?

Did the wind of the Holy Spirit blow off the pope's zucchetto?

I never expected to live to see those who uphold the two-millennial unchanging doctrine of the Church labeled as dissenters. But is it really surprising? The modus operandi of liberals is name-calling. If you can't answer an argument, attack its source. And then tell them how worried you are about the state of their souls for being rigid and unmerciful and how they must have psychological problems if they love the Latin Mass (and the truth)!

 But what I find disconcerting and distressing is that people I thought were faithful Catholics are so starry-eyed over this pope (I think popolatry is a an accurate term) and so enamored of his faux compassion and faux mercy that they are willing to attack anyone who even asks a question -- like the four cardinals who requested clarification of Amoris Laetitia. Asking questions is now dissent?

Remarkable Photo from the Grotto at Notre Dame

The following is posted with the permission of Robert Kloska from his blog, Thoughts from the Side of the House - sideofthehouse.wordpress.com

That remarkable photo from the Grotto at Notre Dame

(Part 1 of 3) I posted something 8 days ago on my Facebook page that has kept me busy with correspondence all week. It’s been shared and re-shared (update: thousands and thousands of times) and I’ve heard from people from all around the world. Up to this point, I have not shared any thoughts about it. I’ve simply shared the photo without much comment. However, since this image was entrusted to me, I feel a responsibility to say a few things. First, let me rehash the story:

Fr. Gerard Murray: Puts the Claim of a Two-Thirds Approval by the Synod Fathers to the Lie

"Go your way and sin no more." John 8:11

The Pope Francis idolaters are busy as bees promoting the falsehood that two-thirds of the Synod Fathers approved of giving Communion to the divorced and invalidly remarried. Is it true? NO! The disputed paragraphs now being treated like doctrine did NOT receive the necessary two-thirds vote of the Synod but were ordered to be included by Pope Francis himself. It appears we are now seeing exactly why that happened as the Synod is distorted by the modernists. (It's deja vu! The "Spirit of Vatican II" has reincarnated as the "Spirit of the Synod.") 

It's a Sad Christmas for The Sheep in Exile at St. Peter's

In fact, it's a "sardine" Christmas since Fr. Tuck has eliminated one of the Masses (on a Sunday no less) so one can expect to be jammed into the pews with many folks standing in the aisles...unless, of course, they are in-the-know and choose another parish for Mass.

I confess at this point I think Fr. Grinnell has a problem with belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. According to witnesses, he doesn't bend the knee at the Consecration. One would like to believe he has serious knee problems, but goes skiing on his vacation  so that's a little hard to believe. He eliminated Thanksgiving Mass altogether in favor of an ecumenical prayer service. And now, for Christmas which falls on a Sunday, he eliminates one of the usual Sunday Masses. On Christmas...when people who don't come the rest of the year crowd the pews!

Politics is the Pope's Passion, not being a Shepherd

I decided to work in the Church because ever
since I was a little kid, I've wanted to be really
vague whenever someone asks me what I mean.

The 12/16/16 article below is by Austen Ivereigh, Contributing Editor at CRUX. 

(If you can make it through 1/3 of the article, you're a better person than I.)

If Pope Francis allows himself the chance today, he might pause at his 80th milestone to review his core life task and be grateful for its remarkable fruition.

A core life task is the source of our sin as well as our redemption. It is our inspiration, as well as our temptation. It is the playing out of the hand we were given at birth, developed in childhood, and which as an adult we must deploy in the service of others lest it lead us into a dead end.

For Jorge Mario Bergoglio, that life task was defined at an early age. Call it ‘big politics’: the craft of building consensus and unity out of the material of diversity. It’s the art of building institutions and nations.

London Muslims March for a European Caliphate

This beautiful 20 year old woman, Banaz Mahmoud,

was honor killed in 2006 in London by her own 

father. Two days ago London Muslims marched 

for their right under Islam to commit honor 

killings, along with other heinous barbaric 

Islamic crimes under Sharia law.

Article copied from this link: THIS LINK     

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Muslims in London rallied for nearly an hour last night, calling for Sharia law, the establishment of an Islamic caliphate, and the punishment of America for failing to stop the strikes in Aleppo. Chants of "Allahu Ackbar" could be heard for blocks as the crowd was worked into a frenzy by charismatic speakers.

It is unknown who organized the rally, but several conservative Muslims appeared carrying signs and flags. A Taliban flag was spotted as well as slogans on signs calling for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.

The Exploitation of "Transgender" Children and their Confusion

   Take a look at the two photos with this post.. Last winter the NEA did an article using the picture on the right to illustrate it. At the time, my colleague and I discussed the possibility that the child was a boy dressed up as a girl and that the NEA very deliberately asked the modeling agency for a "transgender" kid for the article. They definitely have an agenda! Today, I saw the picture from the cover of National Geographic on Matt Walsh's Facebook page (below). The child looked familiar, so I pulled up the photo from Susan's article. The child looks different but the same. High forehead, light straight eyebrows, dark eyes, same nose, May very well be the same model. And just think how much easier it will be to get jobs using the transgender card. It's so "in" right now.       Not that the child is scamming the system. He is no doubt legitimately confused, but really, the competition must be much less fierce in the modeling industry if you have a corner on the transgender market. And when you think of how parents have exploited their children for Hollywood in the past (Think Judy Garland.).... Well, please excuse my cynicism, but money (and fame) talk. And let's face it, much of the LGTBQXYZ agenda is all about attention. Bruce Jenner is certainly enjoying it.

Babies Made from Two Women and One Man

Teach your children that
this is where babies come from

The article below is copied and pasted from the UK Catholic Herald

Babies made from two women and one man have been approved by the UK's fertility regulator

The creation of babies made from two women and one man has been approved by the UK’s fertility regulator, prompting condemnation from pro-life campaign groups.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority announced its endorsement of the new procedure yesterday. It is supposed to prevent babies being born with genetic disorders such as mitochondrial diseases.

The genetic diseases are inherited from the mother only, so the new technique uses a donor egg as well as the mother’s egg and father’s sperm in order to ensure the disease is not passed on to the baby.

The first such child could be born, at the earliest, by the end of 2017.

You Just Gotta Laugh: Outgoing Vatican Ambassador Worries about Trump "Surprises!"

Don't worry, Holy Father, Donald Trump can't win!

I had to laugh when I read the statement of outgoing U.S. Vatican Ambassador, Ken Hackett, a past CEO of the discredited Catholic Relief Services, saying:

“There is a general concern among everybody in the world [Nothing humble about that claim!]  – whether you were for Trump or against Trump – because it’s a surprise every day...[Hey, isn't that a good thing? After all, our God is a "God of surprises" according to the Holy Father so he must be God's choice.] ...they just don’t know what to expect."

Watch Out for More Pederasty in the Priesthood and More Sex Abuse on the Horizon!

St. James: a sword for Santiago's bishop?

In view of the previous post about the Bishop of Santiago, Spain ordaining a homosexual couple to the priesthood (Can these possibly be valid ordinations?), a July open letter from sociologist Richard Sipe to Bishop Robert McElroy seems timely. Here are two important paragraphs from Sipe's letter:

The number of priests and bishops having sex with minors was not the primary or central focus of the study [A Secret World; Sexuality and the Search for Celibacy]. But my calculation of 6% (six percent) clergy abusers as a base line has held up very well. [ the most recent validation is between 6 ½ and 9% in the U.S. Some dioceses have registered 23%. Some religious houses have recorded 25%.] Sexual violation within the RC clergy is systemic. I say that on the basis of observation and scientific conclusion. And I say that with empathy and concern.

Now that aspect of the sexual crisis is well known around the world. The crisis behind the scandal will be the next phase of reality with which to come to terms: Namely: the broad range and frequency of sexual behaviors registered in the clerical system. “At any one time no more than 50% of priests are practicing celibacy.”  [emphasis by author]

Archbishop Julian Barrio (Santiago, Spain) Ordains Sodomite Couple

Article copied and pasted from this link: http://forums.carm.org/vb5/forum/churches-orthodox-heterodox/general-church-topics/roman-catholicism/4312983-archbishop-of-santiago-ordains-public-sodomite-couple-to-the-priesthood

It has been reported that the “Archbishop” of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Julián Barrio Barrio, has just “ordained” two men who are publicly known as sodomite lovers, according to Gabriel Ariza of the Spanish web site InfoVaticana. http://infovaticana.com/2016/12/12/a...biendo-pareja/

Here is an English translation of the article.

The Archbishop of Santiago ordained two homosexuals to the priesthood whom he knew to be a couple.

Julián Barrio has committed a grave offense by conferring the priesthood on two men, knowing their status as active homosexuals who live together as a couple.

Fr. Anthony Cipolla Scandal Part II by Randy Engel

Part I

We must never forget the abuse cases in the Church because as long as homosexuals are welcomed into the seminaries there will be more in the future. And it's important for parents to understand how they groom their targets and what they do to the families. And so, as painful as it is, I urge you to read part II of Randy Engel's story.

The Sex Abuse Case Against Father Anthony J. Cipolla 

Part II The Life and Death of a Pederast Priest

By Randy Engel

Introduction

Father Anthony Joseph Cipolla was born on August 29, 1943 in Rochester, PA, a borough of Beaver County.  He was the youngest of five children – Ann, Vincent, Genevra, Anita, his twin sister, and Anthony –  born to Ambrose and Albina (Natale) Cipolla. His first parish, where he received his First Holy Communion on June 17, 1954, was St. Titus Church in Aliquippa. It was a heavily mixed ethnic church with German-born, Italian- speaking Father Edward Zauner serving as its long-time pastor. Fr. Cipolla, a country boy, gave credit for his vocation to Fr.  Zauner and to his mother, who by every account was a devout Catholic and a kind, generous soul. 

That same year, 1954, due to the expanding population in the area, Pittsburgh Bishop John Dearden established a new parish, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, in nearby Aliquippa under Father Cornelius J. Finneran. A small chapel was built on the site in September 1954, but the church was not completed until 1987. It was here that the young Anthony Cipolla learned his catechism, went to confession and attended Mass. And it was here that the Mass of Christian Burial was said for the 73-year-old priest following a fatal auto accident on August 30, 2016.           Read more....

Hilarious: Watch "Save the Snowflakes!"

Brent Bozell of MRC

I love the Media Research Center (MRC). Their comedian, Jodie Foster, does a fabulous job with "News Busters" videos. Their work across the board as a media watchdog truly benefits the conservative cause, as in "conserving" solid values! The video below is hilarious and shows exactly how silly things have become on college and university campuses where young people are supposed to be learning and defending the truth. But today, sadly, most students think the truth is a gut feeling in the stomach instead of a reasoned thought in the mind. So laugh at this and then, if you are a parent or grandparent of a snowflake, tell the silly crybaby to grow up and get serious. Can you imagine these kids as CEOs or Vice Presidents at contentious board meetings (with their coloring books) or anything other than clerks at Starbucks?

Thinking about Christmas and a Book to Help Catholics "Get It!"

Jesus teaching his disciples

Book Review:
The Language of Dissent: Answering Those Who Distort the Catholic Faith
by Kevin Lents
Published by Litteral's Christian Library Publications, 2014

How many Catholics really know their faith? Most young parents today grew up with marshmallow-style catechetics. I remember one of the elementary books in my own parish that had mirrored foil in the front of the book to focus the child on self and pictures of Jesus that were downright scary. I sometimes wonder whether there was a deliberate attempt to make materials that would destroy the faith of children. Whether or not it was deliberate, it certainly did the job judging from those falling away from the faith, especially the millennials. It isn't just Catholic millennials, of course; Sadly, the younger generation across the board is bailing on the Church.

Guest Post: The Queen of Heaven Clothed with the Stars

The Heel of Our Lady

of Guadalupe upon the Global Serpent

By David Martin

The first and perhaps greatest prophecy given after the fall of our first parents is contained in Genesis 3:15, where God speaks to the serpent: "She shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." This verse of scripture references the Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception and the great power she would exert over the devil, especially in the latter times.

The Virgin's appearance at Guadalupe is certainly no exception to this. The word "Guadalupe," derived from the Aztecan word quatlasupe, providentially means "to crush the head of the serpent," which was precisely the work of the Blessed Virgin in her apparition to St. Juan Diego on December 9, 1531. She appeared on the hill called Tepeyac outside of Mexico City, which formerly was the site of the Aztec temple dedicated to the idol Tonotzin. Her mission was to dispel the magic and indigenous practice that had bewitched that part of the world, and bring the One True Universal Faith to the people. Some 9,000,000 Mexican Indians were converted to the Catholic Faith through her intercession, assisted by the clergy of Mexico. She truly stood upon the hill and conquered the serpent!

Bloody but still standing: Facebook Follies and an Imaginary Conversation

I just extricated myself from a circular firing squad at Patrick Archbold's Facebook page where I am considered a "Neo-pelagian who prefers sentimentality to the truth".  I'm still kind of laughing considering my history of getting into trouble over the "tone" of my newsletter and blog for being too rigid in proclaiming the truths of the faith.

But setting that aside for the moment, it all began over a discussion of the Christmas song, Mary, Did You Know? I confess that I know the song implies that Mary did not know (and, of course she did) and that the song reflects the Protestants' disbelief in the Immaculate Conception, in the lines, "Mary did you know...that the child that you delivered would soon deliver you." (And, of course, Jesus delivered Mary at her conception). But, really, the song was written by a Protestant Christian who is recognizing Mary's central role in the Nativity. Is there nothing here to celebrate?

Anthony Esolen on the Middle Ages

Most people are arrogant in their dismissal of the Middle Ages and the role of the Church in building up architecture, literature, art, science, etc. Let Anthony Esolone explain it all for you. This is the brilliant professor being persecuted by the neanderthals at Providence College caving into the bullies on campus.

Is Logic Dead? Situation Ethics Seems More Alive than Ever!

Socrates was forced to drink Hemlock for asking
questions that disturbed people. Sound familiar?

I was browsing blogs today and am disheartened by the apparent inability to think on the part of seemingly intelligent people whom I believe love the faith. 

Two I read are totally on board with Francis mercy and both engaged in condemning "rigidity" as in, the cardinals who issued the Dubia are "rigid" for asking five simple yes and no questions about how to interpret Amoris Laetitia. 

The bishops of Argentina, on the other hand, who developed a creative and loose approach to doctrine that undermines the moral law are compassionate. 

Oh gosh! I recognize this. Been there, done that. It's Situation Ethics all over again. I think I'm back in Mr. Reilly's immoral moral theology class at Trinity!

Please, wake me up; I think I'm having a nightmare!

An Anonymous Letter and a Promise of Prayers from Louisville

Pastoral administrator and "parish assembly" at
St. William of York in Louisville

I wrote a letter awhile back to a so-called Catholic parish in Louisville that is so far out in la-la land it would be hard to find it on a lunacy map. When I say I wrote the letter "awhile back" I admit it's so far back, I can't remember, and unfortunately I forgot to date it. But I got a copy of it in the mail yesterday with an anonymous note on the back that made me laugh. Since the letter is online I can't be sure it came from someone at the parish, but it was, in fact, postmarked from Louisville so it's likely. Nice to know somebody was paying attention.

Coincidence or "Big God": Tim Tebow Shares his Incredible Story!

A Tale of Two Bishops: a Wolf and a Shepherd

A good shepherd, Bishop James Conley of Lincoln

Will the real shepherd of Christ please stand up!

Remember the old game show, To Tell the Truth?The panel of four celebrities would face a group of three individuals consisting of the real contestant who had an interesting job or story and two imposters. The host always began by asking the contestant's name. "What is your name please." All claimed to be "John Smith" the alligator wrestler (or whatever) and the panel's job was to identify the real one.

Today in the Church we find ourselves in a similar situation. Many men in miters or roman collars claim to be shepherds acting in the image of Jesus Christ.

Safety Alert for Parents with Children in Car Seats.

Take off that bulky coat before strapping your precious little ones in their carseats! Pass this on to all the parents of young children you know.

Congratulations to Jimmy Kimmel and a Big Thank You for this Pro-LIfe Announcement

After announcing that he will be hosting the Academy Awards next year, he said his wife is "hosting a baby inside her body" not a fetus, but a baby. The audience went wild. He then went on to describe how they had an ultrasound and were "spying on the baby." He made the little one a person in his routine. God bless Jimmy Kimmel. May he and his wife have a safe and easy delivery.

Will Our Lady Withdraw Her Protection from Our Poor World?

Our Lady, Theotokos and protector, pray for us.

Bishop Athanasius Schneider recently stated in an interview on French TV that "schism already

exists in the Church." He also said, "We are witnessing in our time an ambiguity of such scope only comparable to the general confusion of the Arian crisis of the fourth century.' He said this about clerics who are undermining Church doctrine:

All of these ecclesiastics who want another gospel, meaning a right-to-divorce gospel, a gospel of sexual liberty — in short a gospel without God’s sixth commandment. These ecclesiastics make use of all evil means, that is to say ruses, deceptions, masterful rhetoric and dialectics, and even the tactic of intimidation and moral violence in order to attain the goal of admitting so-called “remarried” divorcés to Holy Communion, without the latter fulfilling the condition of living in perfect continence, a condition required by divine law.

Random Thoughts on the Feast of St. Ambrose and Pearl Harbor Day!

To fight for the defense of the persecuted and vulnerable is a holy thing! Thanks, Daddy, for your service at Pearl Harbor and throughout your career as a naval officer! May we never forget those who fought or died for our freedom!

To fight for the faith and lead people to salvation is a noble calling that every priest should remember. In the words of Pope St. John Paul II: “Your first duty as pastors is not projects and organizations, but to lead your people to deep intimacy with the Trinity.” It is all about the salvation of souls and is certainly NOT about community organizing in Alinskyite style. 

Happy St. Nicholas Day or Punch a Heretic Day

Coal and a switch for you, heretic!

Have you ever heard the story about St. Nicholas punching Arius during the council of Nicaea?

Archbishop Nicholas attended the first Ecumenical Council at Nicaea (325), where he allegedly assailed the heretic Arius. In the middle of his hearing, Arius stood up on his seat in order to be better heard. Enraged by Arius’ denial that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, Archbishop Nicholas strode quickly over to Arius, pulled him down by his beard, and punched him in the face.

Now there's a man of action! You better watch out....

What Are They Crying About?

What happened to the

peaceful transfer of power?

The supporters of Hillary Clinton are still unsettled over the results of the election and one has to wonder what it is at this point that has them still so terribly sad and unwilling to accept the results and move on.  Generally it is that segment of the population which is yelling at the rest of us to "Move On!"  But then, I realize their "move on" is not toward reconciliation of differences, but toward revolution of one kind or another. 

If you could put a liberal on Santa's lap and let them tell you what would make their dreams come true, I think it would be very different from what we know, and they also know is ahead for them in the next four years.   It's easy for me to say, "but they will be happy because what I voted for is going to be so good for them."  Like saying to a child in the high chair, "Here, yum yum, have a bite, you are going to like it."  However well the incoming president makes his case, they won't like it.  And here's why.

Fr. Spadaro Must be a Democrat -- He's Got the Liar, Liar Part Down Pat!

Don't worry, Holy Father, I got your back.

According to OnePeter5, Fr. Anthony Spadaro, one of the pope's Amoris Laetitia cheerleaders, uses a dummy "sock-puppet" Twitter account to bolster the opinions he expresses in his newspaper, La Civiltà Catholica. I had to laugh at one quote of Spadaro's in the article:

I think that some people are exploiting the cardinals’ letter [the dubia] in order to ramp up the tension and create division within the Church. These groups feel sidelined, so they’re yelling, and attacking anyone perceived as being close to the pope. I’m not here referring to the case of the tweet, but more generally.

Sunday Meditation: Enough Already with the Hordes of "Extraordinary" Ministers of Communion

Do we really need all these "extraordinary" ministers?

I went to the Tridentine Mass today in Front Royal at St. John the Baptist. It's my Mass of choice if I can do it. Why? It's reverent, filled with a number of large devout families many with babes in arms, and, perhaps best of all, it is quiet, a respite from a world that's "all noise" as Screwtape would have it. There is no loud choir laughing and chatting in the back before Mass starts. There is no cantor who can't sing from the rear but has to come up to the sanctuary to perform.

Aside from an occasional crying infant the Church is quiet. One can actually adore Our Lord in union with the community all of us silently worshiping together. In a world desperately in need of silence, that is a real gift! And come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard a cell phone ring at the Latin Mass. Hmmm.... Are people more aware of what they are doing, perhaps?

When Pope Francis Threw Open the Closet Door We Could Guess Where this was Going!

Vatican appointee says gay sex can express Christ’s ‘self-gift’

Well, if there were any doubts about where this pope stands and where he is taking us his appointment last year of Timothy Radcliffe as a consultor for the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace should have alerted us. The Synod on the Family, the bizarre interviews and telephone calls, the pope's favorites -- they all are signposts along the tracks.

We're on the express circus train to Sodom and Gomorrah with Francis as the engineer and a whole host of evil clowns taking the tickets and rummaging through the baggage.

What does an Alinskyite parish look like? St. Peters in Little Washington, VA is the Answer!

Fr. "Tuck" Grinnell

When a pastor decides he'd rather follow the ungodly example of Saul Alinsky rather than the example of Jesus Christ, it has devastating effects on the people of his flock. St. Peters in Little Washington, VA used to be an orthodox parish. After many years of faithful, reverent priests who formed the parish into a cohesive family of God, however, they were assigned an Alinsky follower named Fr. Horace ("call me Tuck") Grinnell.

Fr. "Tuck" helped to found the Industrial Foundations affiliate, VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement), in northern Virginia when he was a pastor there. His credentials as a dissenter are long. While at St. Anthony's in Bailey's Crossroads, his Grinnell Lecture Series in honor of his parents welcomed numerous dissenters to speak including Monika ("the modernist") Hellwig now deceased. One of his cheerleaders, "Sister" Brigid Mary Meehan, ultimately had herself "ordained" as a priestess and now pretends to be a Catholic bishop.

When he was pastor at St. Charles in Arlngton, Father invited the Nuns on the Bus to use the Church  as a propaganda stop for liberalism and to promote Democrat candidates. The list of scandals goes on and on.

Is This How the Schism Begins? In the name of love (Amoris Laetitia)?

Well, the division in the Church is intensifying because of the disastrous document Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). It has become increasingly clear that the pope intended the ambiguities in the document to allow sacrilegious Communions and that some liberal bishops are dumping Church doctrine in the name of the pope's faux "mercy." The progressives are showing exactly how unmerciful they are as they threaten the cardinals who had the courage to respectfully ask for clarification to alleviate the confusion that is upsetting so many Catholics. That these men are being vilified and attacked shows the bad faith of those clerics who want to make the Catholic Church one more Protestant sect not in the image and according to the dictates of our head, Jesus Christ, but in the image of people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other rebels. Pray for Holy Mother Church, study the doctrine, and discern the spirits. There are many wolves in cassocks. Recognize them for what they are, don't listen to their ear tickling, and keep the faith!