Thank goodness for something other than what we've all been dealing with lately; a wonderful video from Lizzie Answers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fqt0JpFfjo
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Harshest blog post yet by Matt Walsh
It has now been three days since the Pope was credibly accused of personally covering up sex abuse. The charges against him, originating from a former high-ranking official in the Church who purports to have firsthand knowledge of the cover-up, are detailed and well-documented. They have been corroborated by one other party and the integrity and credibility of Francis' accuser, Archbishop Vigano, has been confirmed by six other bishops. In light of these allegations, and the rampant corruption and moral rot infecting the Church at every level, many faithful Catholics are confused, heartbroken, and outraged. This is one of the greatest moral crises the Catholic Church has faced in its 2,000 year history.
And what has this Pope said in response?
Nothing. The Pope has said nothing. The Vatican has issued no statement. Well, I shouldn't say that. It did issue a statement just today — to clarify comments that offended gay people. This is the Vatican's priority. It cares about soothing the hurt feelings of the LGBT community. As for the spiritual chaos and despair of devout Catholics everywhere, it has no concern at all.
Has anyone else offered a halfway plausible defense of this suddenly mute Pope? The liberal Cardinal Cupich, a disgrace of a man and an embarrassment to Christians everywhere, said Francis is too busy protecting the environment to bother with these allegations. All of the defenses offered for the Pope have been as weak and stupid as that. The leftist media (which has only very recently discovered a burning love for the papacy) claims that this is a "coup" against the innocent Francis waged by dastardly conservatives. Snakes and liars within the Church have attempted to deflect by slandering Archbishop Vigano and accusing him of his own sex abuse cover-up. These accusations are not only false but irrelevant. Call Vigano any name you want to call him. Accuse him of anything — sex abuse cover ups, the JFK assassination, whatever — none of that answers the question: are his claims true? Nobody has answered that question. Nobody has said, simply, "No, they are not true."
And the weakest defense of all is the one offered by Francis. It is weak because it is non-existent. He offers no defense. He gives us no explanation. He waves us off dismissively, as he has been doing to faithful Catholics for six years. Can it be reasonably imagined that an innocent man would behave this way? The accusations are clear and easily denied if false. If Francis never knew about McCarrick's predatory behavior, he can say so. If Francis never lifted any sanctions, he can say so. It should not take three days to figure out how to say, "This thing didn't happen."
The only explanation that reasonably ties together all of these factors — the accusations, the reaction (or lack thereof) from the bishops, the Pope's silence — is that Francis is guilty. We still cannot say with certainty that he is guilty, but we can say that everything points to guilt. We have been given no reason to disbelieve the allegations and several reasons to believe them. And, aside from the question of guilt or innocence, Pope Francis has provided us with strong evidence of something else: that he is a coward.
And what has this Pope said in response?
Nothing. The Pope has said nothing. The Vatican has issued no statement. Well, I shouldn't say that. It did issue a statement just today — to clarify comments that offended gay people. This is the Vatican's priority. It cares about soothing the hurt feelings of the LGBT community. As for the spiritual chaos and despair of devout Catholics everywhere, it has no concern at all.
Has anyone else offered a halfway plausible defense of this suddenly mute Pope? The liberal Cardinal Cupich, a disgrace of a man and an embarrassment to Christians everywhere, said Francis is too busy protecting the environment to bother with these allegations. All of the defenses offered for the Pope have been as weak and stupid as that. The leftist media (which has only very recently discovered a burning love for the papacy) claims that this is a "coup" against the innocent Francis waged by dastardly conservatives. Snakes and liars within the Church have attempted to deflect by slandering Archbishop Vigano and accusing him of his own sex abuse cover-up. These accusations are not only false but irrelevant. Call Vigano any name you want to call him. Accuse him of anything — sex abuse cover ups, the JFK assassination, whatever — none of that answers the question: are his claims true? Nobody has answered that question. Nobody has said, simply, "No, they are not true."
And the weakest defense of all is the one offered by Francis. It is weak because it is non-existent. He offers no defense. He gives us no explanation. He waves us off dismissively, as he has been doing to faithful Catholics for six years. Can it be reasonably imagined that an innocent man would behave this way? The accusations are clear and easily denied if false. If Francis never knew about McCarrick's predatory behavior, he can say so. If Francis never lifted any sanctions, he can say so. It should not take three days to figure out how to say, "This thing didn't happen."
The only explanation that reasonably ties together all of these factors — the accusations, the reaction (or lack thereof) from the bishops, the Pope's silence — is that Francis is guilty. We still cannot say with certainty that he is guilty, but we can say that everything points to guilt. We have been given no reason to disbelieve the allegations and several reasons to believe them. And, aside from the question of guilt or innocence, Pope Francis has provided us with strong evidence of something else: that he is a coward.
Saint for Thursday is the founder of the Little Sisters of the Poor
St. Jeanne Jugan
Facts
Jeanne Jugan was born on October 25, 1792 in a small fishing village of Brittany, France. She was the sixth of the eight children of Joseph and Marie Jugan. When she was three and a half, her father was lost at sea. Her mother struggled for years to keep the family together in their one room earthen-floored cottage. When Jeanne was about 16, she became the kitchen maid of the Viscountess de la Choue, a kind-hearted Christian woman, who took her on visits to the sick and the poor on and around her estate. Jeanne learned by example, the meaning of truly Christian charity and a refinement of manners not customary among those of the peasant class. When she was about 25, Jeanne took a job in the crowded hospital in the town of Saint Servan. After six years of devoted toil at the hospital, she was so worn out that she had to leave this work. She went to work for a good Christian woman named Mlle. Lecoq. Daily, the two women spent hours in prayer, and they assisted at Mass. They also instructed the town's children in their catechism. They also cared for the poor and other unfortunates until the elderly woman died. In 1837, the forty-five year old Jeanne and a seventy-two year old woman named Francoise Aubert rented part of a humble cottage. They were joined by Virginie Tredaniel, a seventeen year old orphan and the three formed a community of prayer. They taught catechism and assisted the poor. Whatever they had left over from their earnings, they gave to the poor. At age 47, with the approval of Francoise and Virginie, Jeanne turned her attention to the most pitiful of the poor-abandoned old ladies. In 1839, she brought home a blind widow named Anne Chauvin. Jeanne gave up her own bed to provide sleeping quarters for their guest. Henceforth, she was to share intimately in the sufferings of the poor, even physically, considering herself one of them. This characteristic is expressed in the name that eventually developed for Jeanne's charitable work: The Little Sisters of the Poor. As the number of guests grew, so also did her little community. Jeanne wrote a somple rule for them and herself. Putting aside personal pride, theLittle Sisters daily went out door to door asking for food, clothing and money. In 1879 Jeanne was eighty-seven. At this time the community she had founded had 2,400 Little Sisters and had spread across Europe and across the Ocean. Toward the end of August, she was given the Last Sacraments. Her last words were, "O Mary, my dear Mother, come to me. You know I love you and how I long to see You!" After her peaceful death, Jeanne was buried in the graveyard at the motherhouse. She was beatified in Rome on October 3, 1982.
Archbishop of San Francisco weighs in
Directly addresses all things Vigano testimony:
https://www.sfarch.org/newsroom#Vigano
Give it a read
https://www.sfarch.org/newsroom#Vigano
Give it a read
Archbishop Aymond's Homily at Mass of Forgiveness
>>This is the homily of our Archbishop here in New Orleans as he presided at a Mass called for forgiveness over the scandals in the Church; over 1,100 people attended:
·
"I acknowledge with gratitude those who are standing in the back – and there are many of you. Thank you for bearing this inconvenience in order to be with us in prayer today.
"This week in New Orleans, we remember that it was 13 years ago that Hurricane Katrina hit our beloved city and caused the deaths of many people as well as incredible destruction. It was in time that the people of
New Orleans came to accept God's compassion and his faithfulness in the midst of this disaster.
"Thirteen years later, we are hit by another storm, not rain, not wind. It is indeed a manmade storm.
"Yes, all of us have heard of church leaders being unfaithful to their vocations, unfaithful to the promises they made at ordination. And, yes, this has included a cardinal, bishops, priests and deacons. They have
taken advantage of the young and the weak and have abused them sexually.
"There is no excuse in the world for abusing a child, especially by a church leader. If we look closely at the recent stories and we carefully analyze them, we know that most of these cases happened 30 to 60 years
ago. Nevertheless, the victims have carried the pain and shame for decades and so only recently have come forward.
"We are here tonight, my sisters and brothers, to reach out spiritually to the victims and also to the survivors and to pray for their healing.
"I would like for a moment to speak directly now to victims and to survivors who are present in the church with us this evening. As a bishop of the church, I offer my sincere apology – and these are not empty words,
I can assure you. Yes, they really do come from the depths of my heart and the brokenness in my heart.
"I am sorry that a church leader misused his power and abused you. I am sorry for your pain and the ways in which this abuse has affected your life's journey. For those who have been abused, none of us here tonight
know the depth of your pain. We cannot; though we try, we cannot.
"But we want to walk with you and do our very best to walk with you to healing. Please forgive us.
"Tonight, I also ask forgiveness from many, many good Catholics – all of you here – for you have been scandalized by this abuse and you have been hurt by this abuse. You have been disillusioned by all of this. We
acknowledge that as leaders we have failed you.
"I am sorry that we have caused you disillusionment, and perhaps you even questioned your faith in the church and whether you will continue to remain in the church. Thank you for being here tonight. Please forgive
us.
"I also ask forgiveness from the many, many good priests in the Archdiocese of New Orleans – and there are many. Look how many came tonight. My brothers, in a particular way, because most of the abuse took place by
priests, you are tainted by the sins of others. I'm sorry that you have to bear that burden. Some priests have expressed to me recently that they feel self-conscious in wearing the Roman collar, wondering 'what are people thinking about me, what's going through
their mind.'
"I'm sorry that you have to go through that, but I beg you to continue to bear the burden of the cross of that and thank you for being faith-filled priests and serving God's people in this local church.
"This has also affected deacons. To you, my brothers, thank you for your ministry. I'm sorry for your pain.
"And seminarians – seminarians, you are not a part of the problem. May I suggest as the church moves forward, you are a part of the solution.
"To all of you, as leaders of the church, it is time for us to repent. And I promise, as a bishop and your local bishop, your shepherd, I promise not only to pray but to fast. Some things can be driven out only by
prayer and fasting.
"We as bishops hope some day that we will be able to regain your trust. I know it will take time. I ask you to be patient with us and to help us repent.
"As painful as all of this is, our sin is public. Therefore, because it is public and we admit it and we see the depth of it, it is a time of purification, a time of repentance in the church. In the midst of this
darkness. my sisters and brothers, we must be mindful of our weakness and sin as leaders. But let us also be mindful of God's great fidelity.
"We just heard that a few moments ago from the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34: 11-16). Through the prophet, God says, 'Woe to the shepherds of Israel. They have used my sheep. They have abused them. They have taken advantage
of the sheep.' And God says, 'I am faithful. I will save my sheep. I will be their shepherd. The injured I will bind up myself.'
"In the Gospel (John 21: 15-17), we are reminded that it was St. Peter who betrayed Jesus three times and said, 'I do not know the man. Who is he?' And after his resurrection, Jesus asked Peter three times, 'Do you
love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? And if you do, feed my sheep. Be a humble shepherd.'
It is the same Lord Jesus who asks of our church leaders today – and especially the bishops – 'Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Then feed my sheep and be a humble shepherd.'
"We are now called in many ways to move forward, yes, as a wounded church. But as a wounded church, we can move forward. When someone is wounded, they can still walk, and we must move forward, asking for God's mercy
and healing.
"Recently in a conversation with someone who had been abused, I was told, 'Your apology is not enough.' I agree. It's not enough. It's a first step. And I can assure you that with this apology will come action in
our archdiocese and throughout the United States.
"Cardinal (Daniel) DiNardo, the president of our bishops' conference, outlined some things that we promise to do, outlined some things that will help us to be repentant and to change.
"He promises that a full investigation regarding Archbishop McCarrick will take place because this can never happen again – someone who is a cardinal of the church. It can't.
"He also says that we must find a way to report the abuse and misconduct of bishops and to be able to report it in such a way that it is swift and effective.
"He promises that we as bishops will form a lay commission so that bishops will have greater accountability, and this independent lay commission will help us oversee our handling of abuse cases.
"He also promises that he will very soon be in Rome with our Holy Father Pope Francis and ask for an apostolic visitation – for the Holy Father to appoint someone from outside the United States – to look closely at
what has happened and to be critical and to show us the way forward.
"My sisters and brothers, thank you for being here tonight. I am overwhelmed, truly overwhelmed by this crowd. Thank you. And you came here tonight knowing the sin of the church, the sin of church leaders. You feel
the pain of victims and you experience darkness, but you are here. You are here. Thank you not only for your presence but also thank you for your prayers.
"Thank you for holding the bishops accountable to what we have promised and will promise to you.
"To all of you, if you know anyone who has been abused by a church leader, help me find them. Yes, help me find them so that we can walk with them toward healing.
"In this storm of 2018, many have been hurt, and we also know that some are tempted to walk away from the church because of our sinfulness. May I recall with you very briefly the Gospel from last Sunday (John 6: 60-69).
"We see in that Gospel that some are disappointed and scandalized by Jesus, by his words and by his actions. And what did they do? They left him. They went off. They will no longer be his disciples.
"And then Jesus turns to Peter and says, 'Will you leave me too?' Then he looks at all of the apostles and he says, 'Will you all leave me, too?'
"And Peter says, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life.'
"And Peter says, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life.'
"My friends, I beg you to be like the apostles and to stay with the Lord Jesus and to stay with his church in this dark time. Together, with the help of Jesus himself, we can purify the church. We can renew it, but
we must do it together. Yes, with the help of the Lord Jesus, we can renew his church. Please, be with us and join us in that renewal."
I pray this is not so
The attorney general of Pennsylvania, who brought all the madness in that state to light concerning 6 Catholic dioceses no makes this stunning allegation:
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/vatican-coverup-josh-shapiro-priest-sex-abuse-pope-francis-20180828.html?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/vatican-coverup-josh-shapiro-priest-sex-abuse-pope-francis-20180828.html?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
The very unhelpful words of Cardinal Cupich; my, oh my
Cardinal Cupich: “The Pope has a bigger agenda”
The cardinal archbishop of Chicago said of Pope Francis’ critics: “Quite frankly, they also don’t like him because he’s a Latino.”
In an interview with NBC 5 Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich spoke about accusations from former papal nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano that Pope Francis knew about allegations of sexual misconduct by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. Cupich was named in Vigano’s 11-page testament as one of the American prelates who owes his advancement to McCarrick’s influence.
“The record shows that whenever there’s actionable information, Pope Francis acts,” Cardinal Cupich told NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern. Pope Francis refused to comment on Vigano’s statement when asked about it by reporters on Sunday.
Cardinal Cupich seemed to defend Francis’ silence on Vigano’s charges.
“The Pope has a bigger agenda,” he said. “He’s got to get on with other things—of talking about the environment and protecting migrants and carrying on the work of the Church. We’re not going to go down a rabbit hole on this.”
Cardinal Cupich also had thoughts about the motives of some of Francis’ critics: “Quite frankly, they also don’t like him because he’s a Latino.”
Cardinal Cupich indicated that the Catholic Church should not be the only institution under scrutiny for its protection of minors.
“It’s not just about the Catholic Church. Let’s look at all the agencies and institutions that deal with children on a day-to-day basis.”
[Update] The full interview with Cardinal Cupich can be viewed here.
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