A good story but somewhat motivated by the wrong reasons, at least the wrong primary reasons. Russia is getting worried about its plummeting birth rate, so the country is implementing measures to stop it's atrociously high level of abortions. More babies are aborted in the country than are born. Some of the measures being implemented is that women will be told the risks of having an abortion to their bodies and future fertility. Also, doctors can refuse to perform the procedure. This is all obviously good news, whatever the motivation. However, the primary reason to end abortion is not so sustain the population or continue economic growth, but rather because it is the murder of innocent children.
Here is the article:
Russia considering abortion restrictions to slow population collapse | LifeSiteNews.com
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Uganda: What's Wrong With Otunnu Receiving Catholic Eucharist
This is a discussion you may not hear much around here. In Uganda, a political leader who is Anglican received communion at a Catholic Church. Of course, this is not permitted. Now, if this happened around here, some people would probably react, but the bishop would probably not react as strongly as the Ugandan one did. Check out his quote:
Expressing his disapproval, Lwanga said: "We were shocked to see an Anglican taking Holy Communion. We have seven sacraments and this one highly differentiates us from other Christians who have only one. We Catholics believe in the Holy Orders sacrament, which empowers the episcopate, the priesthood and the diaconate. That is why non-Catholics are not supposed to take Holy Communion."
Lwanga is the bishop of the area. His words are not mean or rude, he simply clarifies the Catholic position. I think this type of clarification is necessary from time to time. If it is explained properly, people are not offended. I have had non-Catholic friends attend Mass with me, and in some way or another I let them know that non-Catholics should not receive communion. Non-Christians usually accept without question. But non-Catholic Christians are sometimes a little harder to convince, but if done properly, no one needs to be embarrased or upset.
A lot of times, priests or bishops may turn a blind eye to a violation of the rules in the spirit of not offending anyone. But I think offense can be avoided if things are explained with love. So if you went to a non-Catholic and just said "Only Catholics can receive communion, so don't you dare go up!" that would probably be offensive. However, a better alternative may be to say something like "You probably already know this, but communion is for those in communion with the Catholic Church, however you can approach the priest for a blessing if you would like. How does that sound?" Asking the question at the end allows them to express their opinion on the matter, giving you a chance to explain further if necessary. Never phrase in terms of them not being worthy or "good enough". Also, don't be over-apologetic. Phrasing it as something normal and "not a big deal" will make them feel less out of place or strange.
As Peter says, we have to speak the truth, but do it with love and reverence. Don't forget the second part!
Here's the article:
allAfrica.com: Uganda: What's Wrong With Otunnu Receiving Catholic Eucharist
Expressing his disapproval, Lwanga said: "We were shocked to see an Anglican taking Holy Communion. We have seven sacraments and this one highly differentiates us from other Christians who have only one. We Catholics believe in the Holy Orders sacrament, which empowers the episcopate, the priesthood and the diaconate. That is why non-Catholics are not supposed to take Holy Communion."
Lwanga is the bishop of the area. His words are not mean or rude, he simply clarifies the Catholic position. I think this type of clarification is necessary from time to time. If it is explained properly, people are not offended. I have had non-Catholic friends attend Mass with me, and in some way or another I let them know that non-Catholics should not receive communion. Non-Christians usually accept without question. But non-Catholic Christians are sometimes a little harder to convince, but if done properly, no one needs to be embarrased or upset.
A lot of times, priests or bishops may turn a blind eye to a violation of the rules in the spirit of not offending anyone. But I think offense can be avoided if things are explained with love. So if you went to a non-Catholic and just said "Only Catholics can receive communion, so don't you dare go up!" that would probably be offensive. However, a better alternative may be to say something like "You probably already know this, but communion is for those in communion with the Catholic Church, however you can approach the priest for a blessing if you would like. How does that sound?" Asking the question at the end allows them to express their opinion on the matter, giving you a chance to explain further if necessary. Never phrase in terms of them not being worthy or "good enough". Also, don't be over-apologetic. Phrasing it as something normal and "not a big deal" will make them feel less out of place or strange.
As Peter says, we have to speak the truth, but do it with love and reverence. Don't forget the second part!
Here's the article:
allAfrica.com: Uganda: What's Wrong With Otunnu Receiving Catholic Eucharist
Fr. Ray Earle celebrates 25 years as priest
Fr. Ray Earle, who served as pastor at St. Teresa's for several years celebrated his 25th anniversary as a Catholic priest this past evening, May 3rd, 2011. I remember Fr. Ray when I was younger attending St. Teresa's parish. After leaving St. Teresa's, he spent several years in Marystown. Fr. Steve Courtney gave the homily, where he presented many funny stories about Fr. Ray, including a funny incident involving fire on a fishing trip.
Congratulations Fr. Ray Earle on your 25 years as a priest. I hope the next 25 are even better!
Congratulations Fr. Ray Earle on your 25 years as a priest. I hope the next 25 are even better!
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Obama's comments on the Pope
I just came across something a little funny. Oprah is having her 25th anniversary show soon, and recently she interviewed Barack Obama and his wife.
Asked about some of the first family’s best moments, Michelle recalled when her daughters met Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. The president joked that, as the girls got tired, every time someone wearing a frock passed by, they asked, "Is that the pope?" He said he told them they will know when it’s the pope.
Source: http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/as-oprah-s-show-draws-to-close-a-big-farewell-1.2845347
Asked about some of the first family’s best moments, Michelle recalled when her daughters met Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. The president joked that, as the girls got tired, every time someone wearing a frock passed by, they asked, "Is that the pope?" He said he told them they will know when it’s the pope.
Source: http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/as-oprah-s-show-draws-to-close-a-big-farewell-1.2845347
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A few in Venice will be pope's gondoliers - UPI.com
Me and my girlfriend were on a gondola in Venice and it was fun, so I am posting this :)
A few in Venice will be pope's gondoliers - UPI.com
A few in Venice will be pope's gondoliers - UPI.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Anti-Catholicism integral part of British Monarchy
The Act of Settlement of 1701 expressly forbids any monarch or anyone in the line of succession in Britain from being Catholic. This happened because of several factors at the time. Queen Anne had at least 18 pregnancies, but one child survived - her son William, Duke of Gloucester. Unfortunately he died at the age of 11. Britain enacted a law which would continue the line of succession, but disallow any Catholic from taking the title. Anne's father, King James II of Britain and his children were removed from the line of succession.
The relevant section of the Act reads:
Therefore anyone who is Catholic or marries a Catholic is prohibited from being the monarch of the United Kingdom. It's important to note that this law has not been repealed, although several attempts have been made to do this.
The relevant section of the Act reads:
That all and every Person and Persons that then were or afterwards should be reconciled to or shall hold Communion with the See or Church of Rome or should professe the Popish Religion or marry a Papist should be excluded and are by that Act made for ever to inherit possess or enjoy the Crown and Government of this Realm and Ireland and the Dominions
Therefore anyone who is Catholic or marries a Catholic is prohibited from being the monarch of the United Kingdom. It's important to note that this law has not been repealed, although several attempts have been made to do this.
Royal Wedding and Pope John Paul II Beatification Double-Standard
Interestingly enough, there hasn't been much news on the upcoming beatification of John Paul II in Rome this coming Sunday. Every night on the news, we've been inundated by William and Kate's wedding, which is taking place on Friday in London. Literally every night on the National they do a special report on it, and the hosts of the show will be traveling to Britain to cover the event. In fact, coverage will begin at 2am on CBC Friday morning. So that's why it's so strange that not a single mention of Pope John Paul II being beatified has been made on the same news program. Not even a brief mention.
Even though it has not been mentioned, the beatification is not much smaller than the wedding. There will be an estimated 1.1 million visitors to the city to witness the event, about the same as the wedding. I'm not sure of the television viewership for the Vatican ceremony. However, for the royal wedding, some are predicting an astounding 2 billion viewers.
Of course, if some priest, anywhere in the world was charged with the abuse of a minor, even if it happened 30 years ago, that would be headline news. It is frustrating that the news seems to have such a bias against the Church. Catholic events are usually downplayed. When the pope visited Canada for World Youth Day, it was covered, but not nearly as much as it should have been. Indeed, it was the largest gathering in Canadian history.
Hopefully after the wedding, the main news organizations will broadcast more on the last pope's beatification. It's the final step before canonization or the act of declaring someone a saint officially. More likely though, the news channels will simply air endless "analysis" of the royal wedding and the pope's beatification will be a side-story at best.
Check out the following news article for more information:
Rome to Host 1 Million Pilgrims for John Paul Beatification - Bloomberg
Even though it has not been mentioned, the beatification is not much smaller than the wedding. There will be an estimated 1.1 million visitors to the city to witness the event, about the same as the wedding. I'm not sure of the television viewership for the Vatican ceremony. However, for the royal wedding, some are predicting an astounding 2 billion viewers.
Of course, if some priest, anywhere in the world was charged with the abuse of a minor, even if it happened 30 years ago, that would be headline news. It is frustrating that the news seems to have such a bias against the Church. Catholic events are usually downplayed. When the pope visited Canada for World Youth Day, it was covered, but not nearly as much as it should have been. Indeed, it was the largest gathering in Canadian history.
Hopefully after the wedding, the main news organizations will broadcast more on the last pope's beatification. It's the final step before canonization or the act of declaring someone a saint officially. More likely though, the news channels will simply air endless "analysis" of the royal wedding and the pope's beatification will be a side-story at best.
Check out the following news article for more information:
Rome to Host 1 Million Pilgrims for John Paul Beatification - Bloomberg
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
SHAM ALERT: 100 Spiritual Power List by Watkins
Yesterday, a famous spiritual guru, Sathya Sai Baba, typically known as simply Sai Baba (pronounced "Sa-E" Baba), died in Puttaparthi, India at the age of 84. He was quite well-known in India and abroad, especially by Hindus, and he had many devotees. I went to Wikipedia and saw him mentioned on the front page, so I took a look at his profile. They said he was listed as one of the 100 most influential spiritual leaders in the world on a list prepared by the Watkins Review.
I took a look at the list and noticed something strange. Out of the 100 people on the list, the pope was nowhere to be found. I searched it several different ways, and sure enough, he wasn't there. This strikes me as awfully odd and I would like to know the explanation. I imagined he would be number one. Look at the news. No other religious or spiritual leader is broadcast as much as the pope, not even close. If he says something deemed "controversial", it gets picked up by thousands of news outlets. I would venture to guess that most Westerners have not even heard of Sai Baba, yet he's listed as number 37. Others on the list include Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle.
A cursory look through the list seems to reveal that most of the names represent advocates of Eastern or New Age spirituality. Few, if any of the names, represent traditional Christian views. It seems this list is simply very biased and unreliable.
100 Spiritual Power List by Watkins | Esoteric News
I took a look at the list and noticed something strange. Out of the 100 people on the list, the pope was nowhere to be found. I searched it several different ways, and sure enough, he wasn't there. This strikes me as awfully odd and I would like to know the explanation. I imagined he would be number one. Look at the news. No other religious or spiritual leader is broadcast as much as the pope, not even close. If he says something deemed "controversial", it gets picked up by thousands of news outlets. I would venture to guess that most Westerners have not even heard of Sai Baba, yet he's listed as number 37. Others on the list include Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle.
A cursory look through the list seems to reveal that most of the names represent advocates of Eastern or New Age spirituality. Few, if any of the names, represent traditional Christian views. It seems this list is simply very biased and unreliable.
100 Spiritual Power List by Watkins | Esoteric News
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