Friday, March 11, 2011
Founders of Jesuits Canonized This Day in 1622
The founders of the Jesuits, Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, were canonized on this day in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. Ignatius died in Rome of Roman Fever in 1556. Francis died in China, also from a fever, at the age of just 46, in 1552. Francis had traveled to India, Japan, China, and the Philippines.
Meat on Fridays During Lent in Canada
In the US, abstinence from meat is mandatory on Fridays of Lent and Ash Wednesday.In Canada, the rule for meat on Friday is the same for the rest of the year. However, many people believe abstinence from meat was thrown out with Vatican II. Not so. After the Second Vatican Counctil, abstaining from meat could be substituted for another act of penance.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops puts it nicely:
Abstinence. This form of penance needs to be seen as a near cousin of fasting. We may give up meat or other desirable foods on one or two days a week during Lent, especially on Friday, the day of Christ’s saving death on the cross. Our abstinence is another way of sharing in Christ’s work of saving the world.
Throughout the year, every Friday is
day of abstinence from meat, obliging all Catholics who are 14 years or older.
We may also substitute other good actions for abstinence from meat. These could include special acts of charity (visiting the sick or aged, helping those in any need, contributing time or money to a work of charity) or other acts of piety (taking part in a service of worship with others, praying with our family, spending some extra time in personal prayer, especially with God’s holy word in the scriptures).
This is found in section 6 of "Living Lent", which can be found here.
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How the liturgy should look
I agree with Michael Voris in this video. An ongoing issue in the Church is the specifics of the liturgy, such as the singing, the homilies, the atmosphere, etc. I think Michael has made some great points in this video. The center of attention must be on Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. Not on the people or the choir or anything else. Michael's message gets quite strongly worded in the second half, perhaps more than I would have been, but overall I think the message is a good one.
Check out Cardinal Ratzinger's great book on the liturgy below:
Check out Cardinal Ratzinger's great book on the liturgy below:
Feds: Nun pleads guilty to embezzling $850,000
 |
| hmm, why is she so happy? |
It's sad that a woman who devoted her life to the Church ended up stealing from a Catholic college.
Let's pray for everyone involved here.
Feds: Nun pleads guilty to embezzling $850,000 - CNN.com
10 Youngest Catholic Bishops
Here is a Top 10 List of the Youngest Catholic Bishops in the World
There are about 5100 Catholic bishops in the world if you count those from both the Western (Latin or Roman) Rite of the Church and the Eastern Rites of the Church.
In order to become a Bishop, a man is required to be at least 35 years old and be ordained for at least 5 years. The man must also be very well educated and possess a doctorate or at least a licentiate in philosophy, theology, or canon law. But most of all, a bishop must possess good qualities such as piety, zeal, and love of the faith.
Although those named below are the youngest current bishops serving, they are not the youngest ever. For more on that, go to the bottom of this article.
Of the 5100 bishops in the world, here are the youngest:
In the history of the Church there have been bishops who were under forty, by many years.
For example, in 1932, Raymond Augustine Kearney became the bishop of Brooklyn New York, at the age of 32. He possessed a doctorate in canon law, and had been a priest for about 7 years. He would not however meet the criteria for consecration to the episcopacy today.
There are about 5100 Catholic bishops in the world if you count those from both the Western (Latin or Roman) Rite of the Church and the Eastern Rites of the Church.
In order to become a Bishop, a man is required to be at least 35 years old and be ordained for at least 5 years. The man must also be very well educated and possess a doctorate or at least a licentiate in philosophy, theology, or canon law. But most of all, a bishop must possess good qualities such as piety, zeal, and love of the faith.
Although those named below are the youngest current bishops serving, they are not the youngest ever. For more on that, go to the bottom of this article.
Of the 5100 bishops in the world, here are the youngest:
| [Sorry. No photo available.] | 10. Charles Joseph Sampa Kasonde Bishop of Solwezi, Zambia Age 42.19 Born 14 Dec 1968 |
 | 9. Xavier Novell Gomá Bishop of Solsona, Spain Age 41.84 Born: 20 Apr 1969 |
 | 8. Bashar Matti Warda Archbishop of Arbil {Erbil} (Chaldean), Iraq Age 41.69 Born 15 Jun 1969 |
 | 7. Vasile Bizău Auxiliary Bishop of Făgăraş şi Alba Iulia (Romanian), Romania Born 14 Oct 1969 Age 41.36 |
 | 6. Stephen Dami Mamza Bishop of Yola, Nigeria Age 41.23 Born 30 Nov 1969 |
| [Sorry. No Photo Available.] | 5. Santo Loku Pio Doggale Auxiliary Bishop of Juba, Sudan Age 41.16 Born 28 Dec 1969 |
 | 4. Sviatoslav Shevchuk Auxiliary Bishop of Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires (Ukrainian), Argentina Age 40.80 Born 5 May 1970 |
 | 3. Olivier Michel Marie Schmitthaeusler, M.E.P. Bishop Vicar Apostolic of Phnom-Penh, Cambodia Age 40.66 Born 26 Jun 1970 |
 | 2. Anselm van der Linde, O. Cist. Abbot of Wettingen-Mehrerau, Austria Age 40.42 Born 24 Sep 1970 |
 | and the youngest Catholic bishop in the world is... Bishop Mihai Cătălin Frăţilă Auxiliary Bishop of Făgăraş şi Alba Iulia (Romanian), Romania Age 40.21 Born 10 Dec 1970 |
In the history of the Church there have been bishops who were under forty, by many years.
For example, in 1932, Raymond Augustine Kearney became the bishop of Brooklyn New York, at the age of 32. He possessed a doctorate in canon law, and had been a priest for about 7 years. He would not however meet the criteria for consecration to the episcopacy today.
Death Penalty for Miscarriage?
That's the absurd title of several articles about Georgia Lawmaker Bobby Franklin who has introduced a new anti-abortion bill. But the title is a little misleading. Don't get me wrong, I think Mr. Franklin is a pretty extreme guy, especially considering some of the bills he has tried to pass.
Anyway, what he is really saying is that abortion should carry the same penalty as murder. He goes on to say that women who have a miscarriage should be investigated to ensure they did not procure an abortion. What this investigation involves and when it is carried out is not specified.
Obviously Mr. Franklin is very pro-life. He is not however saying that all miscarriages should be penalized with the death penalty. He's just saying abortion should be prosecuted as such and he wants to make sure women are not getting abortions and then claiming they just had a miscarriage.
The problem I have with all this is that pro-abortion activists are trying to make Franklin look like a total nut and any time they mention him they say he's trying to make miscarriage a punishable offense, along with abortion. They want us to categorize miscarriages and abortion in the same way. So a legislator who opposes abortion is just as crazy as one that opposes miscarriages.
It seems like in several states, there are bills on the table which would render abortion an illegal activity. The pro-life community is certainly not unianimous when it comes to how cases should be treated. The most common proposal is that the abortion providers would be prosecuted, not the women having an abortion.
You can read more about this representative's proposal by clicking the link below. But also take a look at some of the ridiculous bills he has introduced.
Georgia Lawmaker's Anti-Abortion Proposal Could Punish Women for Miscarriages - FoxNews.com
Anyway, what he is really saying is that abortion should carry the same penalty as murder. He goes on to say that women who have a miscarriage should be investigated to ensure they did not procure an abortion. What this investigation involves and when it is carried out is not specified.
Obviously Mr. Franklin is very pro-life. He is not however saying that all miscarriages should be penalized with the death penalty. He's just saying abortion should be prosecuted as such and he wants to make sure women are not getting abortions and then claiming they just had a miscarriage.
The problem I have with all this is that pro-abortion activists are trying to make Franklin look like a total nut and any time they mention him they say he's trying to make miscarriage a punishable offense, along with abortion. They want us to categorize miscarriages and abortion in the same way. So a legislator who opposes abortion is just as crazy as one that opposes miscarriages.
It seems like in several states, there are bills on the table which would render abortion an illegal activity. The pro-life community is certainly not unianimous when it comes to how cases should be treated. The most common proposal is that the abortion providers would be prosecuted, not the women having an abortion.
You can read more about this representative's proposal by clicking the link below. But also take a look at some of the ridiculous bills he has introduced.
Georgia Lawmaker's Anti-Abortion Proposal Could Punish Women for Miscarriages - FoxNews.com
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Coptic Christians being attacked again in Egypt
In a conflict between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Egypt left 13 dead and 40 injured. The Copts claim that all the dead are Christian, but Muslims say they lost 5 people.
This comes after a church was burned down by Muslim extremists last week. In Egypt, it is extraordinarily difficult to build or repair a church and it takes a presidential decree to do so. This is common in many Muslim countries, however often it's much stricter. In many places, Christians are completely forbidden from building or repairing any existing churches, so people are forced to overfill delapedated churches. In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, churches are banned outright and public Christian worship is forbidden. Ironically the situation in Egypt may not be as bad as it may become. Hosni Mubarak, when he was in power, maintained a secular government. The Copts fear a Muslim government will take over the reigns once hostilities have subsided and make being Christian, which represents 12% of the population, in that country even more difficult.
The protests are occurring in a part of Cairo known as Garbage City, where the mostly Christian residents eek out an existence by sorting through garbage and converting it to money by finding valuables.
Persecution of Christians in Egypt must end. A secular government is the only way to ensure their rights are not completely destroyed. Keep them in your prayers.
For more, go here.
This comes after a church was burned down by Muslim extremists last week. In Egypt, it is extraordinarily difficult to build or repair a church and it takes a presidential decree to do so. This is common in many Muslim countries, however often it's much stricter. In many places, Christians are completely forbidden from building or repairing any existing churches, so people are forced to overfill delapedated churches. In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, churches are banned outright and public Christian worship is forbidden. Ironically the situation in Egypt may not be as bad as it may become. Hosni Mubarak, when he was in power, maintained a secular government. The Copts fear a Muslim government will take over the reigns once hostilities have subsided and make being Christian, which represents 12% of the population, in that country even more difficult.
The protests are occurring in a part of Cairo known as Garbage City, where the mostly Christian residents eek out an existence by sorting through garbage and converting it to money by finding valuables.
Persecution of Christians in Egypt must end. A secular government is the only way to ensure their rights are not completely destroyed. Keep them in your prayers.
For more, go here.
Pope continues to be a trailblazer in using media
Pope Benedict XVI will answer questions on television from the public for a special program by RAI, an Italian station. The three questions will be on Jesus, and the answers will be pre-recorded. It will air on Good Friday at 3pm. This is a papal first. This coincides with Benedict's release of the second volume on his book on the life of Jesus called Jesus of Nazareth. The book recently captured headlines when the pope reiterated the Church's teaching that Jews as a whole are not responsible for deicide.
It's really wonderful that the pope is continuing to embrace new media. The Vatican has a Youtube channel and the Vatican.va website is a giant portal to all things Catholic, which is updated daily in many languages. The pope has continuously pledged for people to use new media to spread evangelization. I think though the pope must be careful to not try too hard to adapt to all media. Quotes, clips, and other forms of media can be distorted or taken out of context. An air of reverence must be maintained.
I think this is a great step overall.
For more on the story, see below:
Pope Benedict to answer Italian TV viewers' questions in papal first | World news | The Guardian
To purchase Benedict's new volume of his book Jesus of Nazareth, click the link below:
It's really wonderful that the pope is continuing to embrace new media. The Vatican has a Youtube channel and the Vatican.va website is a giant portal to all things Catholic, which is updated daily in many languages. The pope has continuously pledged for people to use new media to spread evangelization. I think though the pope must be careful to not try too hard to adapt to all media. Quotes, clips, and other forms of media can be distorted or taken out of context. An air of reverence must be maintained.
I think this is a great step overall.
For more on the story, see below:
Pope Benedict to answer Italian TV viewers' questions in papal first | World news | The Guardian
To purchase Benedict's new volume of his book Jesus of Nazareth, click the link below:
UK Court: Christian Households UNFIT for Children
A shjocking story has come out of the UK, where a Christian couple has been denied the ability to adopt a chidl because they are good Christians and opposed homosexual actions. The judge said that gay rights are more important than religious freedom in that country. In fact, the judge said, gay rights trump all others.
This story is not about whether or not these foster parents are correct. It is about the state intervening and declaring it to be illegal to teach your own adoptive children the morals and values of your faith. This is a complete outrage.
How long will it be before it becomes illegal for ANY parent to teach their children about proper sexual behavior? Soon enough, if parents teach Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist values concerning sexual matters, their household will be classified as a dangerous area for children and they will be removed by child services.
This is a complete infringement of rights. These good Christians have already raised 15 adoptive children and everyone who knows this couple say they are the best parents a child could ask for.
This case is primarily about destroying a parent's God-given right to teach their children proper morals and ethics.
It seems all too possible that soon enough there will be guidelines distributed by the government telling parents what they ought and ought not teach their children. These will not just be guidelines or suggestions, but rather they will be enforceable by law, with strict penalties attached to disobeying them.
Our rights are being trampled on more and more each day. We deride totalitarian regimes which force their citizens to behave and act a certain way. How is it any different in the UK or Canada where freedom of religion is at an all-time low?
For those who agree with homosexual actions and believe it should take precedence over all over human rights, how would you react if the government said rape was now legal and encouraged and that anyone who taught against it would not be allowed to adopt children? Rape and homosexuality both fall under the category of sexual morals. Homosexuality, as believed by all major religions, is sinful. It should not be illegal for a parent to teach his or her children their belief on the subject.
Goodbye freedom, welcome 1984.
Read more here.
Also, check out the book below for a good discussion of Catholic morals concerning homosexuality:
This story is not about whether or not these foster parents are correct. It is about the state intervening and declaring it to be illegal to teach your own adoptive children the morals and values of your faith. This is a complete outrage.
How long will it be before it becomes illegal for ANY parent to teach their children about proper sexual behavior? Soon enough, if parents teach Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist values concerning sexual matters, their household will be classified as a dangerous area for children and they will be removed by child services.
This is a complete infringement of rights. These good Christians have already raised 15 adoptive children and everyone who knows this couple say they are the best parents a child could ask for.
This case is primarily about destroying a parent's God-given right to teach their children proper morals and ethics.
It seems all too possible that soon enough there will be guidelines distributed by the government telling parents what they ought and ought not teach their children. These will not just be guidelines or suggestions, but rather they will be enforceable by law, with strict penalties attached to disobeying them.
Our rights are being trampled on more and more each day. We deride totalitarian regimes which force their citizens to behave and act a certain way. How is it any different in the UK or Canada where freedom of religion is at an all-time low?
For those who agree with homosexual actions and believe it should take precedence over all over human rights, how would you react if the government said rape was now legal and encouraged and that anyone who taught against it would not be allowed to adopt children? Rape and homosexuality both fall under the category of sexual morals. Homosexuality, as believed by all major religions, is sinful. It should not be illegal for a parent to teach his or her children their belief on the subject.
Goodbye freedom, welcome 1984.
Read more here.
Also, check out the book below for a good discussion of Catholic morals concerning homosexuality:
Oklahoma House passes bill banning abortion after 20 weeks | Reuters
This is a good first step, but there are many more to go. Let's hope many states, provinces, and countries take this lead.
Oklahoma House passes bill banning abortion after 20 weeks | Reuters
Oklahoma House passes bill banning abortion after 20 weeks | Reuters
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Coming up tomorrow...
Is Freedom of Religion a thing of the past in the UK and possibly elsewhere? Check out this blog tomorrow morning at 8:00 EST to find out what I have to say about it.
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