How the Jesuits “banished the heart” of the Catholic Faith… August 1, 2013 Posted by tantamergo A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/how-the-jesuits-banished-the-heart-of-the-catholic-faith/ …and in so doing, may have made their present deplorable state inevitable. I read a book some time back by Dr. Geoffrey Hull, an Australian linguist and Catholic of the traditional sort. The book was called The Banished Heart, and along with much, much, waaaay too much glorifying of Eastern Orthodox practice of the Faith (and numerous shots taken at Catholic relations with the Orthodox), was the main point of the book, which is that the Church, under the influence of the post-protestant revolt Jesuits, lost touch with the ultimate importance of the “Source and Summit” of our Faith, the Liturgy, and became too focused on reasoned theological arguments, instead of focusing on the “heart” of the Faith, the Liturgy. It is true that even today, and even though very few Orthodox go to Mass on any given Sunday, the Liturgy remains the true focal point of the Orthodox religion. But in the Catholic Church, there has been a tendency to focus more – perhaps too much – on theological arguments, and to see the Liturgy as something of an adjunct to that theological focus, instead of the other way around. That part of Hull’s book was important and valuable, and I think he may be right. Fr. Ray Blake discussed this, without reference to Dr. Hull’s book, on his blog yesterday, on the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola. Fr. Blake noted that the Jesuits have never placed a strong emphasis on the Liturgy – or, at least, did not make it the very center of their lives as most other religious orders do – and thus, they may have, over time, lost the “heart” of the Catholic Faith (I [i.e., tantamergo] add comments [in brackets]): The most radical change that Jesuits introduced was that they were not committed to the common or public recitation of the Divine Office, even in Jesuit houses the Office was said privately, though devotions of one kind or another might be done publicly, the Church’s liturgy became an entirely private affair, except possibly with the exception of Sunday Vespers but even this became a source of “devotions” a basis for Rosary, sermon, litanies and Benediction. [It must be noted that the "Liturgy" consists of more than the Mass, but also the Divine Office. The Mass/Office always formed the very basis of life in Benedictine, Carmelite, Dominican, and other orders, but in the Jesuits, it was seen as more of an adjunct to their focus on more active, natural virtues. It must be noted that the Church overall, especially in the last century and under the influence of Americanism, has also stressed the natural virtues even to the detriment of the passive, supernatural virtues] Before the Jesuits churches consisted of nave, chancel and sanctuary but because there was not public chanting of the Office, there was no need of a chancel with Continue Reading

Austrian police arrest 34 [pro-abort-nazis] after attacks on Human Life International’s pro-life demonstration by Joannes Bucher www.lifesitenews.com/news/video-austrian-police-arrest-34-after-attacks-on-hlis-pro-life-demonstratio SALZBURG, Austria, August 1, 2013 (HLI Worldwatch) – Last week on July 25, on the 45th anniversary of the publication of Pope Paul VI’s prophetic encyclical Humane Vitae, 34 radical protesters were arrested after trying to disrupt a peaceful pro-life demonstration in Salzburg, Austria which Human Life International helped organize. The “1,000 Crosses for Life” march has sparked violence and attacks on Human Life International’s office in Austria in the past. The protesters launched several violent attacks against our peaceful procession, which required a police escort through the streets before gathering for prayer in front of the statue of the Immaculate Conception in the Cathedral Square in Salzburg. The abortion activists carried a big black banner depicting the HLI logo inside of a condom which read, “Prevent forced reproduction. Abortion on demand for everyone!” Local media captured video of the protesters. Those in our procession carried white crosses representing lives lost to abortion, images of the unborn, and a large image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Organizers of the march along with HLI included Europrolife, Youth for Life, the Prayer Initiative, and Salzburg Pro-life Centre. The rally in Salzburg, led by Auxiliary Bishop Laun, called attention to both the dignity of every life and to the sins against life we face in this world. In a memorial ceremony, 100 roses were symbolically thrown into the Salzach River accompanied by a peal of bells – the flowers serving as reminders for all the babies who were not allowed to see the light of the world. To those unborn children we say, “We will not forget you, we love you, we will give you our voice.” This article originally appeared on HLI Worldwatch.

English bishop: same-sex marriage the ‘inevitable outcome’ of artificial contraception CWN – August 02, 2013 In a message to his diocese, Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth said that the recent legislative passage of same-sex marriage in England and Wales is “the inevitable outcome of a process that has been gathering pace since the sexual revolutions of the 1960s,” particularly artificial contraception, “which split [the] two ends of sexual intercourse, separating the unitive and suppressing the procreative aspect.” “In the revised understanding of sexual intercourse and family life, powerful lobby groups have enabled homosexual relationships to become socially acceptable, and so the Government’s attempt to extend marriage to same-sex couples – and in time, presumably, to other combinations and partnerships – is an inevitable development,” continued the prelate, who was ordained a bishop in 2012. “As Catholics, like Israel in Egypt, we now find ourselves in an alien land that speaks a foreign language with unfamiliar customs,” he added. “Parliament’s Orwellian attempt to redefine marriage radically changes the social context and this presents a massive challenge to the Church in England and Wales: to those who wish to marry in our churches, to Catholic parents bringing up children, to teachers in our Catholic schools, and to the clergy engaged in pastoral ministry. It may also be a legal minefield, although we will have to wait before the full implications of the new legislation take effect.” Additional sources for this story: Message from Bishop Philip about the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Diocese of Portsmouth) www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/bishop/talks_and_addresses/2013-07-29_BoP_Message_about_Same_Sex_Marriage.php

Again Michael, you speak of things such as alter girls, protestant hymns, applause at Mass, chatting at Mass, Communion in the hand, the Tabernacle being shoved off in a corner, nuns not in habits and priests offering Mass in just an alb and a stole as “not sinful.” In all charity, you are wrong. We are commanded to know, love and serve God and we are commanded to give Him due reverence and worship. All of the aforementioned are opposed to that command, therefore they ARE SINFUL. Now not every individual involved is guilty of SIN, but there is objectively SIN involved. The culpability is assigned by God alone. We are also commanded to FLEE occasions of sin and to not do so is SINFUL. You mentioned that Gregorian chant is a Catholic marker that brings reverence. If it is suppressed and replaced with banal music, that IS SINFUL behavior. You stated that to not wear a scapular or to not pray a rosary is not a sin, technically you are correct. But if one has knowledge that these practices are most efficatious to obtaining salvation and they still “blow them off”, that is rejecting God’s graces and IS SINFUL. You are correct in that small t stuff safeguards big T stuff and are mostly correct in that the so-called neo-cons believe the dogmas, but many of them do not believe in Extra Ecclesia Nulla Salis. This is due to their adhearance to Vatican 2 errors. Also, Neo-cons and many “trads” are infected with americanism and buy into the condemned error of “religious liberty.” Your last 2 Vortexes have show quite clearly that the Novus Ordo is the ultimate little t and big T killer as it is not purely Catholic as is the Traditional Mass and through that crack the smoke of Satan has entered in. All one has to do is see the “fruits” of 43 years of the Novus Ordo and know that they should run for the hills of Tradition. Pray for the true conversion of Neo-cons and “soft trads.” From: ChurchMilitant.TV To: tim Sent: Thursday, August 1, 2013 6:52 PM Subject: Thunder on the Right Dear Friend in Christ, The war going on among so-called conservative Catholics will determine the future of the Church in the west. Please watch this episode of the Vortex and pass it to your family and friends. GOD Bless you and your loved ones, Michael Voris ~senior executive producer at ChurchMilitant.TV To unsubscribe from ChurchMilitant.TV mailings, visit this webpage. You are subscribed with the email address tim For information on ChurchMilitant.TV speaking engagements, visit this webpage

I never thought I’d live to see the day… August 2, 2013 Posted by tantamergo A Blog for Dallas Area Catholics veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/i-never-thought-id-live-to-see-the-day/ …….that the President of Russia was positioning himself as the champion of Christendom! There are certainly reasons to question Vladimir Putin’s motivations here (for instance, geo-politics and support for Russia’s remaining client states, like Syria), and of course the Orthodox Church is not the One, True Church, but at the same time, I’ve got to say, I’m glad at least one world leader of note is willing to speak like this. It’s refreshing, to say the least. How different from our own political leaders! It is amazing, but perhaps inevitable, that US is now a state that actively persecutes Christians (but it did so, at least against Catholics, all along), while Russia, having come through the nightmare of ultimate liberalism in communism, is now finding its soul again (my [i.e., tantamergo's] comments [in brackets]): Vladimir Putin has urged the world’s political leaders to stop the violent persecutions against Christians that have erupted in many Middle Eastern countries. Speaking at a meeting with Orthodox Christian leaders in Moscow last week, the Russian President said he noted “with alarm” that “in many of the world’s regions, especially in the Middle East and in North Africa inter-confessional tensions are mounting, and the rights of religious minorities are infringed, including Christians and Orthodox Christians.” Putin praised the growth of cooperation between the Orthodox Churches and the Russian state, saying, “We act as genuine partners and colleagues to solve the most pressing domestic and international tasks, to implement joint initiatives for the benefit of our country and people.” [Can you imagine Barack Obama saying such, at least with honesty? He says many incredible things, but almost all of them are either outright lies, or severe distortions of reality] The Russian Federation recently passed legislation making it illegal to promote homosexuality as normal, a move that, while condemned by many European leaders, was strongly supported by the Orthodox Church. [Moldova and Lithuania (which is Catholic) have adopted similar legislation, and the Ukraine and Hungary and considering it. Again, the former communist states, having seen what misery unconstrained sexular paganism leads to, are now re-embracing Christianity. Even more importantly, that Christianity is guiding public policy. What a radical concept!] Putin added Thursday that the Church was giving Russians a moral compass when so many were looking for help. “Today when people are once again searching for moral support, millions of our compatriots see it in religion,” he said. “They trust the wise, pastoral word of the Russian Orthodox Church.” He added that it was the Church that was ultimately responsible for the development and rise of “culture and education” in Russia over the last 1,000 years. “The adoption of Christianity became a turning point in the fate of our fatherland, made it an inseparable part of the Christian civilization and helped it turn into one of the largest world powers,” Putin said. The head of Continue Reading

Papal greeting to Wiccans [(parody) and Muslims (for real)] Louie Verrecchio 8/2/13 www.harvestingthefruit.com/papal-greeting-to-wiccans/ OK… Every time I use parody lately, I end up having to point out later, “Hey guys, this is just a parody.” So, right out of the gate, know that this is. Don’t, however, let that fool you into thinking this isn’t a very serious subject. The Holy Father just issued a message to Muslims; i.e., those who worship the false god, Allah, to mark the end of Ramadan, the feast dedicated to “amplifying” this figment of the false prophet Muhammad’s imagination. Speaking of imagination, imagine if you will what a similar message to another false religion might look like. Message from His Holiness Pope Francis to Wiccans throughout the World It gives me great pleasure to greet you as you celebrate the sabbat of Lughnasadh, so commencing the month of August, dedicated mainly to honoring Lugh, the sun god. This year, the first of my Pontificate, I have decided to sign this traditional message myself and to send it to you, dear friends, as an expression of esteem and friendship for all Wiccans, especially those who are religious leaders. This year, the theme on which I would like to reflect with you and with all who will read this message is one that concerns both Wiccans and Christians: Promoting Mutual Respect through Education. Turning to mutual respect in interreligious relations, especially between Christians and Wiccans, we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values. It is clear that, when we show respect for the religion of our neighbors or when we offer them our good wishes on the occasion of a religious celebration, we simply seek to share their joy, without making reference to the content of their religious convictions. At the Mass marking the beginning of my ministry, I greatly appreciated the presence of so many civil and religious leaders from the Wiccan world. With these words, I wished to emphasize once more the great importance of dialogue and cooperation among believers, in particular Christians and Wiccans, and the need for it to be enhanced. With these sentiments, I reiterate my hope that all Christians and Wiccans may be true promoters of mutual respect and friendship, in particular through education. Seems preposterous, doesn’t it? Well, it should. So, what is the primary difference between the message of the pope to Muslims and the parody above? Some will be tempted to answer, “We worship the same God as Muslims!” Others who know better may be tempted to point to claims of “common patronage” in Abraham. Others still will point to “monotheism” and the fact that Wicca is far more obviously false. All of these responses speak to the very reason why the pope’s message to Muslims is even more dangerous and ill advised than the parody message to Wiccans; namely, it lends credibility to a demonstrably false religion that is at pains to disguise itself as being dedicated to Continue Reading

[The eighth sacrament?] New poll: Majority of Catholics in the United States believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases Ben Johnson WASHINGTON, D.C., August 2, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – For the second time in two weeks, a poll finds that most Catholics in the United States believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. A new Quinnipiac poll found that born again evangelicals were far more likely to support the right-to-life than any other religious group in the United States. However, the results varied dramatically based on church attendance. The survey, released on Friday morning, found that 54 percent of Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 43 percent support the right-to-life in all (10 percent) or most cases. Last week a Washington Post-ABC poll, taken in the wake of the murder convictions of Philadelphia “house of horrors” abortionist Kermit Gosnell, found that 50 percent of American Catholics generally favored abortion, albeit with restrictions. Born again evangelical Christians were most likely to say abortion should be illegal in all cases (23 percent), and another 36 percent opposed abortion in most cases: 59 percent. Only eight percent of evangelical Protestants believe abortion should be legal in all cases, less than half the overall national result. The poll revealed that those who attend church services weekly are far more pro-life than less faithful church-goers. The percentage among Protestants and Catholics who assemble frequently is indistinguishable (61 percent for Sunday go-to-meeting Protestants, 60 percent for Catholics who meet their weekly obligation to attend Mass). A recent poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 89 percent of Jewish people say “abortion should be legal in all or most cases,” 17 points higher than those who have no religion (72 percent). The poll also found broad support for Republican “fetal pain” laws such as the one recently passed in Texas, which restrict abortion to the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. Women and young people were more likely than men to believe that 20 weeks, or roughly five months, gave pregnant women more than enough time to decide whether to carry their babies to term. That feeds concerns from supporters of abortion-on-demand that Roe v. Wade will be revised or repealed. “I think we are going to see Roe overturned,” said Karen O’Connor, a political science professor at American University who describes herself as pro-choice, last week. “I’m thinking 2015.” The 1973 ruling held that a woman’s “right to privacy” could be restricted at the moment of a child’s viability. But polls have consistently shown that most Americans – including most women – believe viability should not be the only restriction on abortion. Increasingly, fetal pain is being considered a valid reason to restrict the timing of a termination. Quinnipiac found that 60 percent of women and 50 percent of men back the “fetal pain” provision. “Taken as a whole, it’s pretty clear that women are broadly supportive of the ban Continue Reading

Martyrology-August 4th Roman Martyrology-August 4th- on this date in various years- St. Dominic, confessor, founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, who on the sixth day of this month rested in peace. In the village of Ars, in the diocese of Belley, France, the birthday of St. John Baptist-Mary Vianney, priest and confessor, renowned for his devotion as a parish priest. Pope Pius XI placed him in the number of the saints, ordered that his feast should be observed on the 9th day of this month, and appointed him as the heavenly patron of all parish priests. At Thessalonica, the birthday of blessed Aristarchus, disciple and inseparable companion of the apostle St. Paul, who writes to the Colossians: “Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner saluteth you.” He was consecrated bishop of the Thessalonians by the same apostle, and after long sufferings under Nero, crowned by Christ, rested in peace. At Rome, St. Perpetua, who was baptized by the blessed apostle Peter. She converted to the faith her son Nazarius and her husband Africanus, buried the remains of many holy martyrs, and finally went to our Lord endowed with an abundance of merit. At Rome, on the Latin Way, the martyrdom of blessed Tertullinus, priest and martyr, in the time of Emperor Valerian. After being cruelly beaten with rods, after having his sides burned, his mouth shattered; after being stretched on the rack and his limbs crushed, he completed his martyrdom by being beheaded. At Constantinople, the holy martyr Eleutherius, of the senatorial rank, who was put to the sword for Christ in the persecution of Maximian. In Persia, in the time of King Sapor, the holy martyr Ia and her companions, who, with nine thousand Christian captives, underwent martyrdom after having been subjected to various torments. At Verona, St. Agabius, bishop and confessor. At Tours in France, St. Euphronius, bishop. At Cologne, the commemoration of St. Protase, martyr. In company with his brother Gervase, he suffered at Milan on the 19th of June. And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins. R. Thanks be to God.

[It won't take much effort] HuffPo Live Wants to Gay Up Catholic Colleges By Lauren Enk | August 02, 2013 NewBusters The Huffington Post wants to make Catholic colleges more gay. So, HuffPo Live hosted a segment called “Rainbows for Catholic Colleges” on Thursday, and discussed how to undermine Catholic teaching and push the gay agenda on Catholic campuses. (Because Heaven forbid there be any institution left standing that hasn’t capitulated to postmodern morality.) The panel included no traditional priests, not a single traditional Catholic student, and not even a straight Catholic layman. Nope. Just three gay guys. There’s diversity for you. HuffPo Host Ricky Camilleri opened the discussion by lauding uber-liberal and nominally Catholic Georgetown University as a model of gay acceptance for all other Catholic colleges to follow. Hailing GU for “setting an example” to other Catholics, he wondered how the college had managed to “keep Catholic doctrine at bay.” The panel was composed of two gay students from Georgetown: one was the leader of Georgetown’s gay pride group; the other was its first gay student body president. The third panelist was a HuffPo employee who wasn’t Catholic, and confessed to not even be particularly “religious.” But he was there because he once transferred to a Methodist college and – of course – because he was gay. The gay pride group leader, Thomas Lloyd, said, “LGBTQ people have something to offer, in the discussion of … what our values should be in the future.” (Our?) “There are a lot of changes the Church needs to make,” he said. He also claimed that “the gay experience can enrich the Catholic experience,” and argued that gays’ “experiences” should be “shared within their places of worship.” Georgetown has long been known for so offending its Catholic identity that the college is currentlyembroiled in a lawsuit from alumni seeking to have the college’s “Catholic” status revoked. Georgetown also produced the infamous Sandra Fluke, an activist who demanded free birth control. Like Fluke, the gay college students on the HuffPo Panel argued that encouraging the gay lifestyle was somehow part and parcel with the Jesuit Catholic mission of Georgetown – a logical contortion worthy of a school that doesn’t hide its contempt for its Catholic legacy. “Does it help that Pope Francis is a Jesuit?” Camilleri asked hopefully. But Lloyd had to admit that it “hasn’t helped in particular yet.” (Hopefully someone has explained to him that Pope Francis’ stance on same-sex relationships is quite traditional.) Then again, the Huffington Post is the same news outlet that can’t stop smirking about the Pope,loves the idea of gender-bending children, and thought the Prop 8 Supreme Court Ruling wasn’t pro-gay enough. Add “Rainbows for Catholic Colleges” to a long list of ludicrous left-wing chatter in the HuffPo Live echo chamber. Read more: newsbusters.org/blogs/lauren-enk/2013/08/02/huffpo-live-wants-gay-catholic-colleges#ixzz2asKj8G72

fROM MY LOCAL NEWSPAPER fOREIGN NEWS: “Brazilian researchers say the Roman Catholic Church’s estimate of the crowd that turned out to see Pope Francis celebrate Mass on Copacabana beach is inflated, if still impressive. The Vatican says 3.7 million people turned out last Sunday to see the Pope in Rio…But one of Brazil’s top polling and research firms says it would be physically impossible to cram that many people into the area where the crowd was gathered. The firm estimates the crowd at the Mass was at most 1.5 million people, which it called a generous estimate.” Gosh. And I was so sure 3.7 million people were there…

The future world: More Godly or more godless? Louie Verrecchio 8/3/13 www.harvestingthefruit.com/the-future-world-more-godly-or-more-godless/ “Whether you like it or not, religion is not of the past but is the key ingredient on the menu of modern and future politics and public life,” wrote Michael Coren in a recent Toronto Sun article, ultimately concluding, “the world of the future will be a lot more God-centred.” I must admit, I know very little about Coren’s work, but based on the fact that a number of my traditional Catholic friends hold him in high regard, I expected something more from the above referenced article. It’s not that Coren doesn’t make some valid points; it’s just that his conclusions are wrong in that his observations don’t appear to be the fruit of an entirely Catholic worldview. Of course religion is, and will continue to be, a major factor in human affairs; mankind is religious by his very nature. The most salient question remains, to whom or to what will he direct his worship? The major flaw in this article is a common one these days, even in Catholic circles; that is, treating of religion in a largely generic sense. Ultimately, Coren fails to address the real issue as it relates to the relative God-centeredness of the world in which we live, and that is the degree to which human beings either accept or reject the Catholic Faith, and the Blessed Trinity that she worships, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, which is directly related to the degree to which the Church, through her official organs, embraces her divinely given mission. Ironically, in an article that might seem to suggest that Pope Francis will play an instrumental role in what is presumably a Catholic understanding of a world drawn closer to God, Coren opens by recalling the day immediately following the Holy Father’s elevation when “more than 6,000 journalists gathered in Rome.” It was, indeed, a memorable day if for no other reason than the new Roman Pontiff’s breathtaking decision to withhold the papal blessing from those gathered, and to refrain from making the sign of the Cross and invoking the Blessed Trinity, because, as he explained, “many of you are not members of the Catholic Church, and others are not believers … respecting the conscience of each.” “In Brazil this week,” Coren observed, “millions are swarming around Pope Francis for World Youth Day, not because they embrace either the free market or state socialism and not because they are liberal or conservative. No, it’s because they acknowledge him as the direct successor to St. Peter, given the keys of the kingdom by Jesus Christ, the son of God, while the messiah was here on Earth among us.” Yes, true enough, but then Coren proclaims what has become the centerpiece of modernist thought in our day, saying, “You might reject this — and thank goodness you have that right in the west…” Apparently, Coren believes the utterly false proposition that human beings enjoy a “right to reject” the Continue Reading

Archbishop of Rio underscores positive impact of WYD Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jul 31, 2013 / www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-of-rio-underscores-positive-impact-of-wyd/ (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro said World Youth Day 2013 has had a positive impact on the country, not only in economic terms, but also as far as Catholic witness. “Copacabana has never seen so many joyful and peaceful people committed to building a better world,” he said, referring to the more than three million young people who lined the beach for the Closing Mass. Speaking at a July 30 press conference to thank volunteers, host families and organizers of World Youth Day, the archbishop said the event’s success can ultimately be attributed to God. He pointed to numerous changes that had taken place during the planning process. “There was even a change of Popes, but we were able to hold a beautiful World Youth Day and serve all the young people,” he said. “It was an event without any violence or crime,” he added. “And those positive signs that we saw in young people should continue. We want these young people, inspired by World Youth Day, to continue to be the protagonists of a new world.” Pilgrims from 175 countries registered for the World Youth Day events, Archbishop Tempesta said. The majority were between the ages of 19 and 34. Fifty-five percent of registrants were women, and 45 percent were men. According to tourism estimates, pilgrims spent nearly 1.8 billion Brazilian reales – the local currency – during the event. Four million hosts were made for the various Masses, the archbishop continued, and the final Mass drew more than three million participants, including 664 bishops and 7,814 priests. Catechesis sessions took place at 264 locations throughout the city and in 25 languages. During the press conference, Archbishop Tempesta said that each time Pope Francis flew over the Christ the Redeemer statue, he prayed and gazed upon the monument with admiration. Recalling an encounter between a 9-year-old Brazilian boy who climbed up on Pope Francis’ vehicle to talk to him and embrace him, the archbishop said that the boy “demonstrated the affection of the entire Brazilian people.”

Martyrology-August 5th On this date in various years- At Rome, on the Esquiline, the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Snows. At Chalons in France, St. Memmius, a Roman citizen, who was consecrated bishop of that city by St. Peter the Apostle, and brought to the truth of the Gospel the people committed to his care. At Rome, during the persecution of Diocletian, the martyrdom of twenty-three holy martyrs, who were beheaded on the Salarian Way, and buried at the foot of Cucumer Hill. At Ascoli in Piceno, St. Emygdius, bishop and martyr, who was consecrated bishop by Pope St. Marcellus, and sent thither to preach the Gospel. He received the crown of martyrdom for the confession of Christ under Emperor Diocletian. At Antioch, St. Eusignius, a soldier, who, at the age of one hundred and ten years, because he reproached Julian the Apostate for forsaking the faith of Constantine the Great, under whom he had served, and for having degenerated from his ancestor’s piety, was beheaded at his command. Also the holy martyrs Cantidius, Cantidian, and Sobel, Egyptians. At Augsburg, the birthday of St. Afra, martyr, who being a pagan, was converted to Christ by the teaching of St. Narcissus the bishop, and being baptized with all her household, was given over to the flames for the sake of Christ. Seven days later her mother Hilaria and three handmaids were also crowned by enduring the same kind of torment. At Autun, blessed Cassian, bishop. At Teano in Campania, St. Paris, bishop. In England, St. Oswald, king, whose life is related by St. Venerable Bede. On the same day, St. Nonna, mother of Saints Gregory Nazianzen, Caesarius, and Gorgonia. And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins. R. Thanks be to God.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

A dearest friend Convert, with some minor left over confusions of the heart, asked me about the frequency of making Confessions and receiving Absolutions within a practicing Catholic’s… “Daily”…life. Just to recap the basics so as to have a platform, a starting point to work from: Every Catholic knows by the 6 Laws of the Church that the Third Law states: We have “To Confess at least once a year” (That is Go to Confession to a Priest) is the bare minimum we are to confess our sins. It is a Sin not to. Once a liberal told me that going to confession too often was a sin, a cannon lawyer laughed and said that is a self-defeating concept: If going to confession too often is a sin then you would have to go even more often to confess it! Over the years we had already discussed Confessional topics like Why Confess? ‘Because Our Lord said to in Holy Scripture: “Confess your sins to one another.” ‘And we also discussed ‘Why Confess to a Priest and not to everyone, or just privately to God? ‘Because Our Lord after the Resurrection declared to the Apostles who are His 1st Priests/Bishops- ‘He breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit, who so ever sins you forgive are forgiven in Heaven and who so ever sins you hold bound are held bound.”’ Thus conferring the ability to forgive sins to His Priests and establishing the Sacrament of Confession. I had asked a Priest/Historian about the early Christian Church practice of telling your sins to the whole parish up on a stage and why the Church went instead to the private confessional and not even face to face confessions. For one reason ‘stage fright’ could limit a sinners ability to confess. Also, God forgives everyone who is contrite but people don’t always do that. Say a man is truly contrite for having had an affair with his neighbor’s wife. If he should say so publicly, God’s forgiveness is not the problem, but will the husband of that woman be able to forgive this sinner for the affair with his wife spoken of publicly? That is why not only does the Priest have the Authority to forgive sins in God’s name but also by virtue of his pastoral ship the Priest has the Auto Power of Attorney authority to forgive sins “in all our names” as well. Sins are never private. “All will be shouted from the mountain tops” and known by everyone else with the exception of our sins which were confessed in the Confessional which God has decreed Forgiven and forever forgotten by the Absolutions & Blessings conferred by His priests. “What God has forgiven No one has the right to hold bound!” Not even the sinners themselves. God never takes back His forgiveness & Grace because God is incapable of going against Himself. No one has the right to say: I saw them go into the Confessional but how do I Continue Reading

Martyrology-August 6th Roman Martyrology-August 6th- on this date in various years- On Mount Tabor, the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. At Rome, on the Appian Way, in the cemetery of Callistus, the birthday of blessed Sixtus II, pope and martyr, who received the crown of martyrdom in the persecution of Valerian by being put to the sword. Also, the holy martyrs Felicissimus and Agapitus, deacons of blessed Sixtus; Januarius, Magnus, Vincent, and Stephen, subdeacons, all of whom were beheaded with him and buried in the cemetery of Praetextatus. With them suffered also blessed Quartus, as is related by St. Cyprian. At Bologna, the birthday of St. Dominic, confessor, founder of the Order of Friars Preachers, most renowned for sanctity and learning. He preserved his chastity unsullied to the end of his life, and by his great merits raised three persons from the dead. After having repressed heresies by his preaching, and instructed many in the religious and godly life, he rested in peace. His feast is celebrated on the 4th of August by decree of Pope Paul IV. At Burgos in Spain, in the monastery of St. Peter of Cardegna, of the Order of St. Benedict, two hundred monks, with their abbot Stephen, who were put to death for the faith of Christ by the Saracens, and buried in the monastery by Christians. At Alcala in Spain, the holy martyrs Justus and Pastor, brothers. While they were yet schoolboys, they threw aside their books in school, and spontaneously ran to martyrdom. By order of the governor Dacian, they were arrested, beaten with rods, and as they exhorted each other to constancy, were led out of the city, and had their throats cut by the executioner. At Rome, St. Hormisdas, pope and confessor. At Amida in Mesopotamia, St. James, a hermit renowned for miracles. And elsewhere in divers places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins. R. Thanks be to God.

Papa Bergoglio tells folks he’s able to take it easy since the Vatican ( where he doesn’t seem to like spending much time, anyway ) is running like clock work. Really? So, if you’re wondering how the new kid on the block is ACTUALLY doing when he runs into grownups…. Consulates and the Vatican in chaos as HSBC tells them to find another bank By Joanne Hart, Financial Mail On Sunday PUBLISHED: 16:42 EST, 3 August 2013 | UPDATED: 02:55 EST, 4 August 2013 Diplomats in London have been thrown into chaos after Britain’s biggest bank, HSBC, sacked them as customers and gave them 60 days to move their accounts. Their situation has been made far worse because other banks have been closing ranks and refusing to take their business. More than 40 embassies, consulates and High Commissions have been affected. Even the Vatican has been given its marching orders. Havoc: HSBC’s decision to sack embassies as customers has caused chaos also because other banks refused to take their business Havoc: HSBC’s decision to sack embassies as customers has caused chaos also because other banks refused to take their business The Pope’s representative office in Britain, the Apostolic Nunciature, has banked with HSBC for many years but was told to find another bank. One diplomatic source said he believed HSBC feared being exposed to embassies after it was fined $2billion (£1.32billion) by US authorities last year. More… Do you care where your money goes and would you accept less to make a difference? Bank of England warns lenders they face £120bn hole in their finances Church decides to keep its pension fund with Barclays despite scandals It was blamed for alleged money-laundering activities said to have been conducted through its Latin American operations by drug cartels. HSBC admitted at the time that it had failed to effectively counter money laundering. Bernard Silver, head of the Consular Corps, which represents consuls in the UK, said: ‘HSBC’s decision has created havoc. Embassies and consulates desperately need a bank, not just to take in money for visas and passports, but to pay staff wages, rent bills, even the congestion charge.’ Embassies also have to pay for ambassadorial accommodation and sometimes even school fees for diplomats’ children. None of these bills can be settled without a valid British bank account. John Belavu, minister at the Papua New Guinea High Commission, said: ‘We’ve been banking with HSBC for 22 years and for them to throw us off in this way was a bombshell.’ Lawrence Landau, honorary consul of Benin, said: ‘We have been trying everyone, but all the UK banks are clamming up.’ Other embassies are equally fraught. One said: ‘HSBC did not give us any real explanation. They have only given us until the middle of August to find another bank. We can’t find one and we are going crazy.’ Banking sources said diplomatic missions are considered to be ‘politically exposed’, which means they are at risk of money laundering activities. HSBC, however, claims Continue Reading

Obama’s Gay Military Posted by Donald R. McClarey American Catholic 8/5/13 Probably an apocryphal comment by a ”Gunnery Sergeant Harry Berres”: “When I joined the military it was illegal to be homosexual, then it became optional and now it’s legal. I’m getting out before Obama makes it mandatory.” Allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military is giving a whole new meaning to unit cohesion: U.S. soldiers deployed to Afghanistan are using Craigslist to meet and have sex with each other on bases across the war-torn country, leading to concerns about a breakdown in discipline overseas. Military commanders have forbade any service members who are not married to each other from having sex while deployed to the combat zone. As a result, each of the covert meetings is a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.The vast majority of the posts on Craigslist involve male soldiers seeking sex with other men – a practice that could have resulted in the discharge of both parities from the military under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which barred gays in the armed forces. Go here (www.coloradonewsday.com/national/9284-u-s-soldiers-in-afghanistan-using-craigslist-to-hook-up-with-each-other-on-base.html) to read the rest. Any officer or non-com who acts against this will be taking their career in their hands as it will surely be a strike against them in the eyes of the gay friendly powers that be. Therefore most of them will turn a blind eye to this as sexual relationships rip apart units and gays form an ever more powerful lavender mafia in the military. Then we have the growing problem of sexual assaults on male troops: But in a debate that has focused largely on women, this fact is often overlooked: the majority of service members who are sexually assaulted each year are men. In its latest report on sexual assault, the Pentagon estimated that 26,000 service members experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2012, up from 19,000 in 2010. Of those cases, the Pentagon says, 53 percent involved attacks on men, mostly by other men. “It’s easy for some people to single out women and say: ‘There’s a small percentage of the force having this problem,’ ” said First Lt. Adam Cohen, who said he was raped by a superior officer. “No one wants to admit this problem affects everyone. Both genders, of all ranks. It’s a cultural problem.” Though women, who represent about 15 percent of the force, are significantly more likely to be sexually assaulted in the military than men, experts say assaults against men have been vastly underreported. For that reason, the majority of formal complaints of military sexual assault have been filed by women, even though the majority of victims are thought to be men. When our military suffers a devastating loss in a future war, I guess we take consolation in the fact that while we may no longer have an effective military, we certainly have the gayest: www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/25/pentagon-celebrates-gay-troops/ – See more at: the-american-catholic.com/2013/08/05/the-obama-army/#more-48148

Novena for the Assumption Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, Thou hast at last been taken to the throne prepared for Thee in heaven by the Holy Trinity. Lift my heart with Thee in the glory of Thy Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity. Teach me how small earth becomes when viewed from heaven. Make me realize that death is the triumphant gate through which I shall pass to Thy Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of heaven. From this earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to Thee for help. I ask for this favor: (State your intention here…) When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with Thee.

[AbortioNazis in action] Abortion Activists Rip Out Pews, Spraypaint Profane Graffiti in Catholic Church by Raimundo Rojas | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 8/4/13 www.lifenews.com/2013/08/04/abortion-activists-rip-out-pews-spraypaint-profane-graffiti-in-catholic-church/ A Catholic Archbishop is savaged in Belgium; protestors at a Catholic Church in Spain block exits and doors; in Chile demonstrators interrupt Mass, demolish confessionals, rip out pews and paint profane sacrilegious graffiti throughout the church. Pro-abortion feminists under the guise of promoting “choice” carried out these and other attacks in the last few months. Their actions make it seem that they have declared war on the Catholic Church with no regard for parishioners, common decency or law. Welcome to the pro-choice Jihad. Many of these radical extremists are enabled, if not directly funded, by an international cabal of pro-abortion organizations with far-reaching and deep-pocketed tentacles. For years groups like the oxymoronically named Catholics For Choice (CFC) have attacked Vatican policy as a way of promoting and demanding legalized abortion in predominantly Catholic pro-life countries. CFC is the organization that years ago published disseminated a prayer card with the image of our Lady of Guadalupe on one side with a prayer to the Virgin Mary on the other imploring God for the legalization of abortion. There have no sense of morality or shame. What’s worse is that they regularly publish an in-house newsletter (Conscience) that is used almost explicitly to promulgate their misplaced anti-Catholic rage. They used a recent edition to extol the wisdom behind Roe v Wade and 40 years of abortion on demand. They venerated the US Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in 1973 without mention of late-term abortions, deaths from abortion, sex-selection abortion, unregulated and unhygienic abortion clinics, 55 million dead, Kermit Gosnell, or Tonya Reaves. Like publishing a ham-salad recipe without mentioning the pig. In the same recent publication a woman named Joanne Omang also wrote a very dismissive article about the Holy See’s presence at the United Nations in an attempt to further Catholics for Choice’s anti-Vatican campaign in delegitimizing the Vatican’s representation at the UN. It’s worth noting that in the brief bio under her by-line, the editor mentions that Ms. Omang is a writer of fiction – after reading her piece I would encourage her to keep to that medium and leave journalism to folks with a bit more regard for accuracy. Especially when it deals with something as convoluted and unsettling as the United Nations and global policy. She does, however, in the course of her harangue, manage to stumble upon one truth when she writes: Holy See delegates [to the United Nations] are legendary for their tireless attention to detail at UN conferences. Apparently that’s a bad thing. In Joanne’s worldview the most liberal policies, – those considered offensive in most countries of the world – should be adopted without question or reservation. To do otherwise is deemed oppressive by Ms. Omang and the editors at Conscience. She augments her venomous assault on the Vatican by regurgitating comments from a tragic New York Times editorial Continue Reading

How the Jesuits “banished the heart” of the Catholic Faith…

Austrian police arrest 34 pro-abort-nazis after attacks on Human Life International’s pro-life demonstration

English bishop: same-sex marriage the ‘inevitable outcome’ of artificial contraception

Not SInful, Michael ? 2

I never thought I’d live to see the day….

Papal greeting to Wiccans (parody) and Muslims (for real)

New poll: Born again evangelicals by far most likely to support a child’s right-to-life

MARTYROLOGY-AUGUST 4

HuffPo Live Wants to Gay Up Catholic Colleges

Crowd at Pope Francis Mass In Brazil

The future world: More Godly or more godless?

Archbishop of Rio underscores positive impact of WYD

MARTYROLOGY-AUGUST 5

“Who am I to judge?” cartoon

On Confession too often & re Confessing

MARTYROLOGY-AUGUST 6

HSBC to Pope: Take Your $$$ and Take a Hike!

Obama’s Gay Military

Our Lady’s Assumption novena August 6-14

Abortion Activists Rip Out Pews, Spraypaint Profane Graffiti in Catholic Church