Whatever the reasons for this practice(Communion in the hand), we cannot ignore what is happening worldwide where this practice has been implemented. This gesture has contributed to a gradual weakening of the attitude of reverence towards the sacred Eucharistic species whereas the previous practice had better safeguarded that sense of reverence…Then there are those who take away the sacred species to keep them as souvenirs, those who sell, or worse yet, who take them away to desecrate it in Satanic rituals…Now I think that it is high time to review and re-evaluate such good practices and, if necessary, to abandon the current practice that was not called for by Sacrosanctum Concilium, nor by the Fathers, but was only accepted after its illegitimate introduction in some countries.” Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship
The Catholic Spectator
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Time To Re-Evaluate
January 31, 2008 by Eugene Michael
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The Fallout Continues
January 29, 2008 by Eugene MichaelThe decision to shutter 13 of our Catholic schools may be the most unpopular decision ever by a bishop of our diocese. In the midst of this conundrum several varied events are playing out behind the scenes. They are as follows:
-It is reported that a wealthy and influential group of donors on the east side is threatening to withhold a promised multi million dollar donation to the diocese if their parish school closes. The donation is said to be over ten million dollars. The diocese projected a five million dollar deficit for the school system next year before the reorganization plan. The reorganization plan would save five million dollars in the school budget but could provoke a ten million dollar or more loss in donor income. Not a very good business plan. I don’t think the task force factored this into their recommendations.
-There is a reported massive withdrawal of pledge money for the CMA. This means that the CMA pledge thermometer on the DOR website is going to start going down instead of up. The CMA goal is a little over five million dollars. A substantial drop in giving will be another financial loss that the task force apparently didn’t factor in.
-Some of the schools that are not slated for closing are near capacity with current enrollment. There does not appear to be a coordinated plan to redistribute the 2,000 displaced pupils. Some schools may have to turn students away if they get overloaded with enrollment requests. Didn’t the task force foresee this possibility? It’s hard to know since up to now the process has been so secretive.
-Some east side students who are being displaced will no longer qualify for district bus transportation as the next closest school is too far away to meet district guidelines. Looks like another little oversight by the task force.
-The rumor that 13 schools were going to be closing was circulating long before the diocese had publicly named its task force. Is this another case of a diocesan committee rubber stamp on a plan that had already been formulated? It wouldn’t be the first time.
Perhaps the task force should have met with real people before they made their recommendations. Now the diocese is talking about going on a listening tour to the schools that are slated for closure. It is said that they will only be meeting with select parent representatives. Apparently they don’t want to expose themselves to the unruly crowds that would populate an open forum.
Of course the people could just show up and demand to be heard. Isn’t this what “representatives of the bishop” did just two weeks ago when they participated in a disruption of the closed meeting of the Monroe County Public Safety Committee? As they say, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
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No Nuns, No Schools
January 28, 2008 by Eugene Michael“The Catholic school system is essentially an enterprise of nuns who work without salaries. If the supply of nuns should be cut off, the system would rapidly disintegrate.” Paul Blanshard, American Fredom and Catholic Power, p.287
There were 179,954 women in religiouis orders in 1965. Today there are 67,773. Their average age is 69.
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Rest Assured, Veggie Tales Safe For Children
January 25, 2008 by Eugene MichaelThe Democrat and Chronicle carries a weekly feature in its Weekend section called “Beyond G: Should My Kid See That Movie?”. This feature typically offers reviews of movies that are on the edge in the areas of sex, drugs, violence and language. The point of it is to let parents know if it is safe to take a younger child to see a movie that is perhaps PG-13 or R rated. This week the column considers whether or not it is safe to take your child to see the new Veggie tales movie which is G rated.
One would think that it is safe because it is a G rated cartoon and has no explicit sex, language etc. So why would the newspaper include this movie in its feature? Because its Christian elements have been sanitized! The reviewer summarized the movie as follows: “Utterly harmless, as all Veggie Tales are, and politically correct, thanks to the creators scrubbing the biblical proselytizing from their tales.”
So parents can rest assured in the knowledge that Veggie Tales has been scrubbed clean of its Christian theme. Otherwise this G rated movie could have had a corrosive effect on their morals. Will wonders never cease?
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It Will Not Stand
January 24, 2008 by Eugene Michael“Roe v. Wade is incompatible with human dignity. It must not stand. It cannot stand. It will not stand.” From a homily by Cardinal Justin Rigali at the National Shrine in Washington on the eve of the March for Life.
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Fighting The Good Fight
January 23, 2008 by Eugene MichaelAbout 175 hearty souls gathered yesterday in front of the First Unitarian Church to enthusiastically show their support for New York State’s largest group of homicide victims, pre-born babies. The occasion of the gathering was an appearance by Governor Spitzer’s wife, Silda, who was there to advocate for the continued unrestricted killing of these innocent babies. About 150 people reportedly attended her speech inside that advocated for new state legislation to continue the abortion holocaust if Roe vs. Wade is ever overturned.
The contrast in the two groups that gathered was striking. The defenders of death that gathered to hear Mrs. Spitzer speak appeared to generally range in age from early fifty to late seventy. I didn’t see any children. They sat quietly and politely listened as Mrs. Spitzer droned on about infanticide. They didn’t appear to be having much fun at all.
In contrast, the defenders of life had many young babies and children gathered with them. It was an enthusiastic and upbeat crowd that marched, prayed and chanted their way through the almost two hour demonstration. Many people driving by were giving thumbs up and honking. This group was excited, energetic and happy to be there.
By the way, thank you Planned Parenthood for committing the tactical blunder of hosting this event on one of Rochester’s busiest streets at rush hour. There were no counter demonstrators to be seen. Apparently they were all inside staying warm and toasty.
The demonstration for life received plenty of news coverage. Jessica Shanahan, president of New Yorkers for Parental Rights, was especially genuine and forthright when speaking to the media. On the other hand her counterpart, Carol Love of Planned Parenthood, was only able to babble on mindlessly about “freedom” and “choice”. Even the media must be getting tired of this worn out verbiage.
In fact they were probably wondering why we were so happy, friendly and enthusiastic while the other side appeared to be so grim and bored. Pretty soon though they’ll catch on.
We are winning. They are losing. We are having children. They are contracepting. We are people of prayer. They are people of pleasure. We have a future. They have only a fleeting moment in time.
God bless all you beautiful pro-life people. I am proud to stand tall with you against the culture of death.
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Silda Here To Promote Baby Killing
January 22, 2008 by Eugene MichaelToday Governor Spitzer’s wife, Silda, will be speaking at the First Unitarian Church at 220 Winton Rd. South. She will be speaking about proposed NYS legislation that would ensure the continued slaughtering of innocent babies in the event that Roe vs. Wade is ever overturned. Her appearance here on this day of infamy is a provocative “in your face” act of aggression against the pro-life movement in this area.
There will be a peaceful pro-life demonstration on the sidewalk in front of her speaking venue beginning at 4:15 PM today. Please be there to show your support for the slaughtered innocents. Mrs. Spitzer needs to be reminded that her husband is the governor of all the people of New York, both born and unborn. Let us have a tremendous turnout so that she will see someone other than the smiling faces of baby killers and their supporters.
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Cardinal Pell on Climate Change
January 21, 2008 by Eugene MichaelCardinal Pell on climate change:
“We have been subjected to a lot of nonsense about climate disasters as some zealots have been painting extreme scenarios to frighten us.” Full article
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Representatives Of the Bishop?
January 18, 2008 by Eugene MichaelLast night a group of about 50 people disrupted a meeting of the County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee. The meeting, which took place in the legislature chambers, was the first in a series to select a new public defender. The meeting was initially open to the public but the committee chairman, Michael Barker, decided to make it private after people had already been admitted. Apparently the chairman thought the crowd would be too disruptive to the process. I think he knew what he was doing.
Uniformed Public Safety Officers directed the crowd to leave the chambers. Some members of the crowd refused to leave including Assemblyman David Gantt. When Gantt broke through the railing separating the committee from the spectators he was temporarily placed in handcuffs. He then backed away and the officer released him.
In the ensuing chaos Channel 13’s cameraman panned the crowd and captured left wing activist, Sister Grace, on tape. She began shouting: “This is the way Republicans act allllll the time! Republican control!”
The camera continued to pan and came upon two agitated looking men sitting there refusing to leave. One of the men said to the camera: “Representatives of the Bishop of Rochester sat here”. This statement was in apparent reference to their refusing the orders of the Public Safety Officers to leave the chambers. The cameraman stayed on them for a few more seconds waiting for a further explanation but that was all they said.
The camera then panned back to the rest of the mob and their apparent spokesperson, Sister Grace. She was now yelling: “Are you going to arrest representatives of the poor?!” and “Arrest the Republicans!”.
So here we had a Roman Catholic nun and two of the bishop’s representatives participating in an unruly mob action all because some Republican legislators could possibly appoint a fellow Republican to a public office. And this public disturbance is apparently justified all because they are “representatives of the poor”. Don’t you wonder if the poor ever get tired of being used as pawns for every left wing political cause that comes along?
Furthermore, why are representatives of the bishop spending their time participating in such a blatantly political disturbance? Is it really essential to our salvation that representatives of the bishop engage in a political battle with the Republican party? Or for that matter, is it relay essential that we have the bishop’s representatives fighting global warming? Or spending time on projects like “Solidarity with Africa”?
I wonder, when was the last time “representatives of the Bishop” showed up at an abortion mill to protest the killing of innocent children? Of course, ending abortion is anything but a “cause celebre” for left wing activists.
Perhaps the bishop’s people are running with the wrong crowd. Perhaps it’s time for them to get involved with an authentic Catholic cause. The disenfranchised dying babies really would like to have their support unlike the mythical “poor” person who is constantly abused as political cover for left wing ideology.
To view these representatives in action follow this link for raw footage of the meeting. Click on the “Raw Video” link on the left side of the page under “Top Stories”. The bishop’s representatives make their stand at the 1:37 mark of the tape.
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Confronting The Culture Of death
January 15, 2008 by Eugene MichaelOn Tuesday, January 22, Silda Spitzer, the wife of the governor, will be in Rochester to promote unrestricted access to abortion for New Yorkers in the event that Roe vs. Wade is someday overturned. She will be speaking about her husband’s proposed legislation, the Reproductive Health and Protection Privacy Act(RHAPP), at the First Unitarian “Church”, 220 South Winton Road. New Yorkers for Parental Rights (www.nyfpr.com) is organizing a peaceful protest of this event on the sidewalk in front of the church beginning at 4:15 PM.
This RHAAP legislation demonstrates that the culture of death must be engaged at the local level as well as the national. Please be there to help defend the future lives of the untold numbers of innocents that are threatened by this heinous legislation.