Apparently, God has nothing to do with it!

http://www.catholiccourier.com/tmp1.cfm?nid=88&articleid=108674&cfid=1797499&cftoken=77341329

And finally, a post that seems to focus largely on the U of R, or as it has apparently branded itself, UR...we'll work from quotes, most from a girl named Kellie Ileto...my comments in red

"Newman is a nonjudgmental environment. We all introduce ourselves, and there's no cliques.

Nonjudgemental in what way? I recall a post from Gene Michael that mentioned a "homosexual" student "coming out" during his...well, why he was talking during the homily baffles me, but mid-mass. There's a big difference between being judgemental and ignoring Catholic morality. I had the distinct displeasure of going to Mass at the U of R once...what she doesn't mention is that they all introduce themselves...at Mass...during the liturgy!
Ileto, who is minoring in religion at UR, has come to accept that "there's not just one way to feel close to God"
This sounds an awful lot like it's not Catholic...the paper seems to imply she is correct, and despite her previous convictions, she now realizes that Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. work well too? Has she been reading THE SHACK? Presumably the Religion Department at U of R teaches the same crap every other religion department teaches at a secular University--that all religion is essentially the same, and that it's a great sociological phenomenon.

Ileto acknowledged that transitioning your Catholic faith to college is no easy process for many. She said that some students are jarred by a style and setting for Catholic worship that is much different than in their home parishes;

WHY?! The U of R Newman Club...Community?...worships in the basement of an ugly building that lacks any Catholic character. It should be jarring. They don't kneel, they sit in chairs, and they face each other across a big aisle, on one end of which is the "altar" and on the other is the "ambo" though it's a bit of a stretch to call either by those names.
"One big thing is, who am I going to be friends with? You may be 18, but still very insecure. It's all about fitting in."
I never knew the U of R was a middle school. How about that. It's all about fitting in. It's not about learning, it's not about God, it's not about growing up and being independent, it's all about fitting in. Remind me to send my daughter there for middle school!

Loughlin gave special credit to her campus ministers at the time, Wes Kennison and Father Jim Hewes, for guiding her through that period. "They're why I'm still Catholic," remarked Loughlin

God has nothing to do with it! Nope, not grace, nothing to do with God...Jim and Wes, though, they're great!

"In the end it doesn't matter about the time commitment, the exhaustion. It only matters that they're my family," Ileto said. "Really, bottom line, is the Catholic Newman Community is my family."

It's not about God, just that they're all really close, it seems...Apparently, God has nothing to do with it!

-Arialdus

Busted Halo, Busted Haehl-o

The second in my series of issues with this Catholic Courier theme issue...

http://www.catholiccourier.com/tmp1.cfm?nid=88&articleid=108679&cfid=1797499&cftoken=77341329

"Try campus ministry."
"It will be different from your parish back home, but give it a try," she said. "Once is not enough. You've got to give yourself a chance to get used to it. There will be enough that's familiar, and it can be a great anchor to your week."

HUH?! Why? Why should it be different? I mean...the rubrics are the same...and...the purpose of going to Mass is to prevent you from being homesick? And the way that it helps...is...not prayer...nothing to do with God...just...that it's an anchor to your week?

Of course, our CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER cites something from BustedHalo, a site with an entire section on sex and relationships, The Freshmen Survival Guide encourages you to be chaste for the first few weeks...so you don't hook up with a jerk...and this is a book we want to sell our teens? Wait a few weeks? Great. Somebody get Jason Evert on the line and tell him he's asking too much. Purity is only required for the first month of college!

The site also includes this article:

http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/back-from-vocation/

Apparently, the chain smoking kept Freud here from tormenting some poor bishop...

In any case, Nora Haehl often preaches at St Paul's in Webster, since apparently, she fails to understand that...well, she's not a priest. As many of my friends know her well, and I have spent some time with her, I can guarantee that this woman is never ever ever ever ever meeting (nor falsely catechizing) my kids. So, apparently, my children will never see the beautiful interior of St Paul's in Webster.

-Arialdus

And to think, I considered the salvation of souls!

This is the first in a series of posts I hate to have to make.

The Catholic Courier is officially a less trustworthy source than Wikipedia.

http://www.catholiccourier.com/tmp1.cfm?nid=88&articleid=108675&cfid=1797499&cftoken=77341329

"Loughlin noted that students may be more willing to try new things and join new groups when they are in a group of their peers.

"The goal is to give them experiences and faith and skills that they bring back to their parish experience," Loughlin said."

NEW IN 2009: THE PARISH EXPERIENCE! Activities include a scavenger hunt entitled: Where the heck is the Tabernacle?, a prayer labyrinth, and an opportunity to come together as a community by holding hands and sitting on couches, rather than archaically kneeling for the consecration! Get your tickets today!

All joking aside, the phrase "parish experience" gives me the heebie-jeebies. After all, would this parish experience include readings of The Shack?

Let's discuss the book that's mentioned in our CATHOLIC newspaper...

“I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring from the inside. It’s not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it”

“When we three spoke ourself into human existence as the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed. Even though we have always been present in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood”

"Evil and darkness can only be understood in relation to Light and Good; they do not have any actual existence."

"Authority, as you usually think of it, is merely the excuse the strong use to make others conform to what they want.... We carefully respect your choices...."

"'Are you saying I don't have to follow the rules?'...

"'Yes. In Jesus you are not under any law. All things are lawful.'

"'You can't be serious! You're messing with me again,' moaned Mack.

"'Child,' interrupted papa, 'you ain't heard nuthin' yet.'...

"'...enforcing rules [says Sarayu] ...is a vain attempt to create certainty out of uncertainty. And contrary to what you might think, I have a great fondness for uncertainty. Rules cannot bring freedom; they only have the power to accuse.'"

"That made Mack smile. This lady was fully enjoying herself...“We created you to share in that. But then Adam chose to go it on his own, as we knew he would, and everything got messed up. But instead of scrapping the whole Creation we rolled up our sleeves and entered into the middle of the mess—that’s what we have done in Jesus.... When we three spoke ourself into human existence as the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed. ...flesh and blood.".

"Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims.... I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters.”

HUH?! These are all quotes from Papa, the black female God character, Sarayu, the Holy Spirit character, and the Jesus character. Of course, I suppose William Young's writing is just as good as divine revelation...you know, even though it's...kinda...sorta...heresy

If anyone finds this book encouraged by someone in your parish, please give them a smack of the crozier!

Back to the article and the main point of this post

"The goal of the essay contest -- and of campus ministry in general -- is to engage students in genuine conversation, Father Smith said.''

HUH?!

The point of ministering to college students is to engage them in conversation? That's it?! That's why Newman Centers/Clubs/Communities exist?! Remind me to shake the hands of Richard Hunt over at RIT and Brian Cool over at U of R. They are actually doing their jobs! We must stop criticizing them. After all, it appears they don't need to seek the salvation of souls, only genuine conversation.

-Arialdus

He's Baaaaack!

After a long absence, the writings of Fr. Richard McBrien once again taint the pages of the Catholic Courier. This time he is addressing the issue of the upcoming visitation of women’s religious communities, particularly that of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The point of McBrien’s piece is to question the objectivity of the CDF’s investigation and to suggest that they are setting up straw-men now so that they can harass women’s religious communities in the United States. “one has reason to wonder how objective and dispassionate the visitation of religious communities of women in the U.S. will be.” Of course, this notion is preposterous, given the CDF’s role in safeguarding the objective truths of the faith.

He then summarizes Cardinal Rode’s outlining of four distinct approaches to religious life today.
“The cardinal-prefect listed four distinct approaches to religious life today: new communities that bring energy to old traditions, older communities that have revived their traditions, and older communities that have, according to The Boston Pilot, simply accepted their decline and have acquiesced. Again, no examples were given.
Cardinal Rodé described the fourth approach in even more ominous terms. He claimed that "there are those who have opted for ways that take them outside communion with Christ in the Catholic Church, although they themselves may have opted to ‘stay’ in the church physically."…

Nonetheless, Cardinal Rodé’s was a serious allegation and should not have been made without evidence. Perhaps it is expected that such "evidence" will be gathered during the course of the visitation of religious communities of women in the U.S. and in the CDF’s investigation of the LCWR.”

McBrien seems plenty ready to hurl accusations here. He insists on examples of abuses being given and lambasts Cardinal Rode over his mention of religious communities that have broken with the Catholic tradition without specific examples. He seems to think that we’re going on a witch hunt for ills that aren’t there.

If Fr. McBrien needs evidence of heterodoxy within US womens’ religious societies, he need look no farther than here, here, or here! Then again, in McBrien's world, orthodoxy is outdated and madness is the hip thing. In any event, let the investigation begin!

-Bellarmine

An Important Announcement

Guinness is good for you. Apparently it contains antioxidants that help prevent heart disease. It's the luck of the Irish I tell ya! Props to Kevin at New Advent for finding that one!

-Bellarmine

Hell and Its Torments

I spent most of today reading on a variety of topics. Perhaps the most challenging and interesting reading that I did today was a sermon of St. Robert Bellarmine's, Hell and Its Torments. To quote the man from whom I took my pen name, "I have considered that I shall be doing a work most pleasing to God an useful to yourselves if today... I call to your memories and place before your very eyes how horrible, how atrocious and how abiding are the tortures which God has prepared for wicked and impious people." So, without further adieu, let us have a look at just what this Doctor of the Church had to say about Hell.

Bellarmine begins his 1574 sermon by expressing his astonishment that anyone could not be Catholic in light of the prophets, miracles of Christ, and the hope that nourishes Christ's Church. He then bemoans that fact that a great many Catholics live in sin despite Jesus's teachings on Hell.

Having wondered at the tendency of even Catholics to sin, St. Robert attributes this to three factors: 1. a lack of consideration, 2. ignorance, and 3. self-love. St. Bellarmine exhorts us to consider Hell and its torments in order that we might repent and refrain from sin on account of our understanding what will happen should we be condemned. He then moves to ignorance; particularly to the ignorance of those who fail to understand the magnitude of sin. He quotes St. Augustine in saying: "Now eternal punishment seems hard and unjust to human senses for the reason that in (our) infirmity of dying senses there is lacking that sense of the highest and purest wisdom, whereby it can be felt what a great outrage was committed in that first prevarication." In other words, we mortals cannot sense the severity of an offense against the infinite and eternal God. Finally, Bellarmine decries the self-love that persuades us to believe that in spite of our wickedness, God will have mercy because our good deeds can be attributed to us whereas the evil that we do can be attributed to external factors. He then refutes several other excuses for sin put forth by misguided Catholics.

After establishing reasons why those who should know better sin, St. Bellarmine turns his attention to the wage of sin, death. He explains the dual punishments of the loss of Heaven and the active torments of both body and soul reserved for the damned. He emphasizes that the condemned must continually be aware of what they have lost, excruciating physical and mental pain that intensify one another continually, and the never-ending nature of condemnation.

In doing all of this, St. Bellarmine reminds us that forgiveness is no farther away than repentance and confession; a paltry price to pay for eternal life with God.

Perhaps the most chilling aspect of this account of Hell is that it is not so simple as eternal death, rather, it is a combination of what can be the worst parts of life and death. Like life, Hell endures and unlike death, it never ends.

St. Robert Bellarmine's goal, the one I now more emphatically share with him, is to seek to alert souls to the dangers of Hell and the promises of eternal life. May the Lord have mercy on us and help us to see even our hidden faults so that we might repent and believe. Please consider reading this work and definitely be sure to examine your conscience carefully, but not scrupulously.

God love you,
-Bellarmine

Somewhere, some village is missing their idiot

Since we've got two here in Rochester!

Okay, fine...I suppose we've got more than that, but the picture made me chuckle...Grosswirth and the Bish...tehe

-Arialdus

C'mon, Bish, just 2 more!

As you've all heard by now, it appears that St. Thomas the Apostle is on the chopping block. And this, just as I was trying to find a good time to get over there on occasion this summer. Just as I was excited that perhaps Fr. Peter Abas would be saying Mass there at times (as he is at Christ the King for the next 6 months), these self-serving idiots wind up reccomending the closure of one of the few decent churches in this diocese.

This would leave a mere two places in the entire diocese I trust to go to Mass when I have my choice...Our Lady of Victory/St. Joseph's and, of course, at St. Stanislaus.

It also sounds like they're trying to destroy St Monica's. Great. Nothing I like more than ruining a beautiful church in favor of hiding the tabernacle.

On the plus side, I did get out to Our Lady of Victory for Mass this weekend. As is always the case, the music was beautiful, the preaching of Fr. Antinarelli did not sugar-coat a thing, and the church was reverent throughout the pre- and post-Mass times, and reverently focused throughout the liturgy.

Everytime I see a child receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament on the tongue (which happens quite often there!), I can't help but smile. I always want to shake the hands of the few parents around who raise their children with Catholic Orthodoxy at the forefront of their lives. And, I think to myself..."Brick by brick!" 1098 days, I suppose, and perhaps the diocese will be turning around.

-Arialdus

Caritas in Veritate

ENCYCLICAL LETTER
CARITAS IN VERITATE

OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI

TO THE BISHOPS PRIESTS AND DEACONS

MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS

THE LAY FAITHFUL

AND ALL PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL

ON INTEGRAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

IN CHARITY AND TRUTH

-Bellarmine

The bishop's column: as delusional as Fr. Richard McHeretic?

The quotes come from the latest Catholic Courier Bishop's Column.

"Nevertheless, as we near the end of our pledge payment period for our Partners in Faith capital campaign — which to date has raised more than $44 million dollars to build a new theology and ministry school, renovate our cathedral as well as provide much-needed funds for our parishes — we all are amazed at how generous our parishioners really are."

Ha! Let's discuss this, shall we? We've expanded the French Road Center for Heresy, Dissent, and Schism. We've turned Fulton Sheen's lovely Cathedral into a protestant barn, and...the funds for the parishes?? What's happened in my childhood parish goes like this...we paid the diocese great sums of money, some of which they gave back. With this we built a parish center, with a daily Mass chapel and a new "Parish Hall." But, since we couldn't afford to keep this and other things heated, all winter, twe don't have daily Mass in a legitimate church. Also, we closed down the wonderful 3+ story building that was used for parish offices, religious ed, youth ministry, and sacramental preparation. Now all of this is jammed into the existing Catholic School, which has lost well over 60% of its enrollment since 1995

Works out great!

While it is no secret that Mass attendance has generally declined since the mid-1960s nationwide — not unlike attendance for other mainline Christian denominations — we saw last year in our own diocese a leveling off of that trend. I can only attribute that leveling off to our Spirit Alive-related efforts. Even as we engage the people already in the pews through this spiritual renewal, we also are reaching out in new 21st century ways to people we want to welcome back — and especially to attract young people to become active member of our faith communities. This is so important in an age in which all religious groups must vie with Hollywood, the Internet and other media in touching and forming the lives of the young.

ARGH! How pompous can this man be? We have not leveled off at all? The numbers don't lie! We have lost...

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOy2aclzdOETNefgYO2kXnBeJz83k85FN90-h9iku_wKUDPdLGwLzf6zF5ZfYwFWwK_qTrbDWh-QuvXXKktv7ENwoQL-gJZ7uJnDhGj-8UG6iU6FK7peyg-toM65_R7wmYE8asT6teCs/s1600-h/DOR-AOA.JPG

There, there's a graph! We lost another 4000 per week in the last october-october comparison. In fact, since Spirit Alive! began, we've continued losing people at exactly the same rate. In the same time period, Dioceses with Orthodox Bishops (see Charles Chaput and Fabian Bruskewitz...both of their diocese are quite healthy!) have not really declined at all...in fact, nationally, Mass attendance has been relatively consistent for the past few years...but since 2001 we've lost over 25%...what gives?

Does he honestly believe his own greatness? How about some legitimate catechesis, Bishop Clark? Show your flock that Orthodoxy is important. Replace "Illiturgical Prancing" with Eucharistic Processions, and nuns in albs with altar boys in cassocks. Since the mid-60's, even the heterodox admit the church hasn't done as well. Shocking how much better orthodoxy works, eh?

-Arialdus