Tim Drake’s Account of His Visit to the White Hous…

Tim Drake’s Account of His Visit to the White House and President Bush last Friday

From a reader of this blog: I appreciate your b…

From a reader of this blog:

I appreciate your blog and all the other authentic catholic blogs for informing the laity. An informed laity will insist on change, and prayer for the laity to have the courage to speak up would be good too.

My friends and I are making copies of the Open Letter to the Bishops from the Catholic World News site to send to all the Bishops in this country along with a letter saying who we are and why we are concerned.

A list of the Bishops can be found on their site, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,, then clic on either bishops or dioceses, We hope that if they are flooded with mail before their June meeting it will help.

Here are some points made in the Open Letter;

First, this is crisis is not the creation of the secular media:

The severity of this crisis should not be underestimated. This scandal has not been created by the mass media; secular reporters have merely exposed the unhappy truth, uncovering a frightening pattern of abuse and corruption within the Church.

Secondly, it is a problem of widespread acceptance of active homsexual activity among clergy:

In the vast majority of cases, the priests’ victims have been adolescent boys or young men. Emerging evidence makes it impossible to ignore the widespread toleration of homosexual activity among American priests.

This widespread acceptance of homosexual activity is a grave problem in itself because it causes disdain for Catholic doctrine and fosters a climate of hypocrisy among those who are the official representatives of Church teaching.

We believe that the current scandal is a direct consequence of a failure to uphold and promote the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding sexual morality. When bishops do not accept, understand, and boldly proclaim the necessary link between sexual intimacy and procreation, they cannot expect the faithful of their dioceses to uphold that magisterial teaching.

Third, a new “policy” is not the solution:



The problem that you must now confront cannot be solved simply by adopting new procedures and guidelines for the handling of troubled priests. Still less can it be solved by setting “boundaries” for the clerical behavior, as some commentators have suggested. Guidelines and procedures are useless if they are not enforced; “boundaries” will soon be crossed by clerics who lack the habits of chastity and self-discipline.

The resolution of this crisis will begin, we respectfully suggest, when you, our bishops, firmly insist that the teachings of the Church must be upheld, and the discipline of the Church must be enforced, in the seminaries, parishes, and schools under your authority.

Finally, a plan of action is laid out:

1. NO ONE SHOULD ASSUME ANY POSITION OF AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH (INCLUDING ADMISSION TO HOLY ORDERS OR RELIGIOUS VOWS, APPOINTMENT AS RELIGIOUS SUPERIOR OR DIRECTOR OF FORMATION, OR EMPLOYMENT IN ANY DECISION-MAKING POSITION WITHIN A DIOCESAN CHANCERY) WHO DOES NOT WILLINGLY ACCEPT AND PUBLICLY DEFEND ALL THE TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

2. EVERYONE WHO UNDERTAKES A POSITION OF AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH MUST RESOLVE TO ENFORCE THE TEACHING AND DISCIPLINE OF THE CHURCH, AND DEMAND THE SAME RESOLVE FROM THOSE WHO ARE UNDER HIS AUTHORITY.

3. CHURCH LEADERS MUST MAKE A FIRM COMMITMENT TO BE DILIGENT IN INVESTIGATING ANY CREDIBLE EVIDENCE OF DISSENT FROM DEFINED DOCTRINE, OR VIOLATION OF MORAL NORMS, WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THEIR AUTHORITY.

I think the letter is strong and makes very good points, until you get to the conclusion where it seems to state the obvious. Perhaps some stronger sense of “enforcing” such a plan should be part of it, as well as cleaning house.

It is freezing here today–48 degrees but feels wa…

It is freezing here today–48 degrees but feels way colder.

Terrorist Threats Against the water supply in O…

Terrorist Threats

Against the water supply in Orlando, FL.

Also against the water supply in New York City.

Against apartment buildings.

Stolen truck with 10 tons of cyanide found, with some cyanide missing.

From Snopes.com, someone has way too much time on …

From Snopes.com, someone has way too much time on their hands:

A properly folded U.S. $20 bill reveals images of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

E-Mail the Pope Remember to write formally. He …

E-Mail the Pope

Remember to write formally. He should be addressed as “Your Holiness.” Humbly present yourself to him.

Here is is: Pope John Paul II’s Email

Mallon’s Media Watch has an interesting run down o…

Mallon’s Media Watch has an interesting run down of who will be speaking at various “Catholic” colleges and universities for commencements. One wonders what the Bishops are doing on any front these days (I say this mindful that there are good bishops who are doing plenty–and deserve our support).

This is a continuation of the 73 Steps to Spiritua…

This is a continuation of the 73 Steps to Spiritual Communion with God. The previous posts are below and in the archives to the right. This is the 32th step:

(32) Not to curse them that curse us, but rather to bless them.

There is an image that comes to mind when I read this counsel. It is the image of a bishop (no one in particular) walking up the aisle in procession at the beginning of Mass or at the conclusion of Mass, turning from side to side and blessing all those in attendance. What he is doing at that moment (no doubt every bishop has more than their share of people who are cursing them), is what we are all to do–at every moment of everyday.

I’m not real good at this, as anyone who knows me well will tell you, I’m more apt to criticize those who curse me, not bless them. So I certainly need God’s help in this regard.

One might wonder what benefit blessing those who curse us could possibly have. Here is a hint from Scripture. In the Second Book of Samuel, when David had been overthrown by his son Absalom and is fleeing the city of Jerusalem, a man comes out and curses him. Shimei, throwing stones and “saying as he cursed: ‘Away, away, you murderous and wicked man! (2 Sam. 16:7). In response to this outrage one of David’s guards says to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, please, and lop of his head,” (2 Sam. 16:9)

David’s response to this is interesting and not at all what one would expect (if you are an avid reader of the Old Testament that is). Here is David’s response, “Suppose the LORD has told him to curse David; who then dare to say ‘Why are you doing this?’ (2 Sam. 16:10). So they went on and Shimei “kept abreast of them on the hillside, all the while cursing and throwing stones and dirt as he went,” (2 Sam.16:13).

“Perhaps the LORD is telling him to curse me.” An interesting thought, and again one that can only lead to a deeper relationship with God. To at least admit to seeing God’s hand in all things.

Most of the curses that I receive are from those who don’t like the way I drive (and they are usually right to offer a gesture of displeasure) or those who don’t like what I write (again they are often right–things are seldom one way or another but grayer). May I bless them all.

A blessing is only possible when we see ourselves as blessed by God, then we share the abundance of what God has given us with those who wish us evil. We acknowledge God as the final judge and we are selves are not to quick to judge (as David wasn’t in the above). Interestingly, when David is restored to the throne in Israel, Shimei (the cursing stone thrower) is brought before the king and does have his head lopped off.