I’m shocked – LCWR supports Obamacare March 17, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in Abortion, asshatery, General Catholic, scandals.comments closed
“Your winnings, sir…..” Just as Police Captain Louis Renault was shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in Rick’s Cafe Americain in the classic film, Casablanca, I’m just as shocked to learn that “Some 60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns Wednesday sent lawmakers a letter urging them to pass the Senate health care bill.” Those “60 leaders” are certainly members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), who have had no problem dissenting from Church doctrine in the past. And so we see another group of ostensible Catholics attempting to give a patina of devout respectability to those politicians who choose political expediency over core views of the faith. And, again, I am left wondering if these ‘leaders,’ who have made plain their penchant for far left politics in the past, aren’t perhaps trading a core doctrine of the faith (abortion is never licit) for an economic program that they think will help bring a slow motion revolution to the United States. One can never really know, but my instinct tells me that their political preferences play a huge role in their support for this disastrous legislation.
I am sure there are still some very good, devout, Catholic nuns in the orders represented by LCWR. They need our prayers. Prayers to continue to live according to the beliefs of the Faith, and prayers to convert their wayward sisters through their witness. And, we must pray for those very lost souls who long ago traded rage and feminist dogma for the teachings of the Church. And pray for the continued explosive growth of those religious under the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious.
UPDATE: Creative Minority Report has the text of the letter sent by the nuns supporting the health care bill. I was correct – the signatories include the head of LCWR and most of the major dissenting religious orders in the US. Again, what a shocking turn of events: it’s about as unpredictable as the sun coming up in the morning. I can assure you that the timing of this was worked out carefully with the leadership of the demonrat party. There is an effort afoot, for the umpteenth time, to create an aura of inevitability around this bill.
Pope stresses need for solid priestly identity March 17, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in Basics, General Catholic.comments closed
Pope Benedict met with priests and bishops participating in an international theological convention on Friday and spoke with them on the importance of understanding what it means to be a priest. In his address, the Pope stressed the need for priests to focus almost exclusively on their priestly mission, to spread the Word of God to the people. They should not allow themselves to be reduced to the role of ‘social worker’ or administrator, but must insure that their efforts are concentrated on delivering the message of redemption that is found only through Christ. The Pope further stressed that priests must not be afraid to carry this message out into the world, not just in the confines of the parish and the Mass.
I think this is all good advice. I know that, especially in this diocese, our parishes are horribly understaffed with clergy and so our priests do get sucked into alot of administrative and other tasks that take an unfortunate amount of their time. The Pope’s comments are nevertheless a good reminder, an exhortation, to priests to focus as much as possible on their apostolate. With regard to his advice to bear witness to their faith in the world, I think this is an area where some priests can improve. One concern I have is when priests do not wear clerics outside the confines of the Mass, and sometimes, not even then. Clerics, just like religious habits, are a powerful witness to the world, that mark the priest or religious as someone marked by Christ for very special work. Wearing ‘civilian’ clothes may be more comfortable, but it gives up a wonderful opportunity to bear witness to the world the Word of God and the graces available through Christ’s Church.
I love to see priests and religious out in public wearing their clerics or habit. I have seen the impression a faithful, hopefully happy(!!) priest or religious can make by their presence in the world. It can have a powerful impact on people’s behavior, and it can help remind lapsed Catholics that Christ is waiting for them in the Eucharist (after Confession, of course). I encourage all priests to wear clerics whenever practicable.
What’s more, while the standard priest ‘suit’ is fine, I love to see a priest in a cassock and/or biretta. I would be happy to buy an interested priest both or either……but they have to promise to wear it, alot!
Archbishop Naumann on CHA and Sr. Keehan March 17, 2010
Posted by Tantumblogo in Abortion, General Catholic, Society.comments closed
The very good Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas has released a statement blasting, and I think that’s a fair word, CHA’s endorsement of Obamacare and its massive funding for abortion. The good Archbishop’s thoughts on the matter are quite similar to mine…..I wonder if Sr. Keehan will fire off an emotional comment to him?
I was deeply troubled to learn that Sister Carol Keehan, the Chief Executive for the Catholic Health Association has urged members of the House of Representatives to vote for the Senate Health Care Reform Bill. This action by the Catholic Health Association could not come at a more critical time….
The Catholic Health Association’s position, in effect, provides cover for any member of the House who chooses to buckle under the pressure of the President and the Democratic leadership to accept government funding of abortion. They can now defend themselves by pointing out that Catholic Health Care leaders recommended they vote for the bill.
The Catholic Health Association’s leadership took this action knowing that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops continues to urge members of the House of Representatives to vote against the Senate Bill, unless a way is found to amend the bill to prohibit federal funding of abortion and provide conscience protection for health care professionals as well as health care institutions. The National Right to Life Committee, as well as every other creditable pro-life organization, recognizes that the Senate Bill allows for unprecedented government funding for abortion.
Sister Carol Keehan claims: “On the moral issue of abortion, there is no disagreement. On the technical issue of whether this bill prevents federal funding of abortions, we differ from Right to Life.” I find this statement by Sister Keehan either incredibly naïve or disingenuous. Either the bill permits previously prohibited government funding of abortion or not. This is not a technicality.
Go read the full statement. I think the good Archbishop has been reading my blog, because his comments so closely mirror my own. Sr. Keehan and CHA are being disingenuous, or dangerously naive, as are the publications that have rallied to her defense (America Magazine, Vox Nova, National Catholic Distorter, etc.). The USCCB and most bishops agree. I know there is a terrible temptation to subborn one’s faith to one’s political preferences, or at the least to unintentionally make the former align with the latter. I have personally fought, and continue to fight, that temptation. I pray that the leadership at CHA, and those who have come to their defense, will very prayerfully reconsider their support for this monstrosity. Everyone wants great health care for every single person in this country, but we disagree on how to get there. But allowing a massive increase in abortion, even if it is only a substantial risk of a huge increase in abortion funding, should be enough to make any faithful Catholic seriously question this pending legislation. I pray that Sr. Keehan and her allies will realize how they are undermining the truly pro-life members of Congress, and how they are spreading error through their support of this very bad legislation.
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