Dr. John Haas Appointed to Pontifical Academy for Life

Last Tuesday Pope Benedict appointed Dr. John Haas to serve on the Governing Council of the Pontifical Academy for Life.  Dr. Haas is the President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center which I have linked on my sidebar.  He is also a Knight of Malta.

Here is the press release.

June 22, 2010. John M. Haas, Ph.D., S.T.L., K.M., President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center, has been appointed by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI to serve as a member of the Governing Council of the Pontifical Academy for Life for a period of five years. Dr. Haas was appointed as an Ordinary Member of the Academy by the Holy Father in 2006. The Academy chose to announce the appointment on June 22, the feast of the English martyrs Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More who “gave their lives for principles which are very much still actual and which are deeply relevant for the work of the Academy in the defense of human life.”

The Pontifical Academy for Life was established by Pope John Paul II with his Motu Proprio "Vitae Mysterium" on February 11, 1994. The first President was the noted French physician, geneticist, and Servant of God Dr. Jérôme Lejeune who was an ardent defender of life and the researcher who discovered the chromosomal cause of Down syndrome which came to be called Trisomy 21. The principal objective of the Academy is the study of problems of biomedicine and of law relative to the promotion and defense of life and especially the direct relation that they have with Christian morality and the teachings and directives of the Church's Magisterium. The academy for life is autonomous but collaborates closely with the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers and various other dicasteries of the Roman Curia committed to the service of life.

The Governing Council of the Pontifical Academy for Life consists of 8 of the members of the Academy including the President, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, and the Chancellor, Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula of Spain, who is a moral theologian and physician.

Dr. Haas has said of the appointment, “I am deeply honored and humbled with this appointment from the Holy Father and pray that I, with my colleagues at The National Catholic Bioethics Center, may make some real and lasting contributions to the building up of a Culture of Life worldwide.”

Dr. John Haas Appointed to Pontifical Academy for Life

Last Tuesday Pope Benedict appointed Dr. John Haas to serve on the Governing Council of the Pontifical Academy for Life.  Dr. Haas is the President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center which I have linked on my sidebar.  He is also a Knight of Malta.

Here is the press release.

June 22, 2010. John M. Haas, Ph.D., S.T.L., K.M., President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center, has been appointed by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI to serve as a member of the Governing Council of the Pontifical Academy for Life for a period of five years. Dr. Haas was appointed as an Ordinary Member of the Academy by the Holy Father in 2006. The Academy chose to announce the appointment on June 22, the feast of the English martyrs Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More who “gave their lives for principles which are very much still actual and which are deeply relevant for the work of the Academy in the defense of human life.”

The Pontifical Academy for Life was established by Pope John Paul II with his Motu Proprio "Vitae Mysterium" on February 11, 1994. The first President was the noted French physician, geneticist, and Servant of God Dr. Jérôme Lejeune who was an ardent defender of life and the researcher who discovered the chromosomal cause of Down syndrome which came to be called Trisomy 21. The principal objective of the Academy is the study of problems of biomedicine and of law relative to the promotion and defense of life and especially the direct relation that they have with Christian morality and the teachings and directives of the Church's Magisterium. The academy for life is autonomous but collaborates closely with the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers and various other dicasteries of the Roman Curia committed to the service of life.

The Governing Council of the Pontifical Academy for Life consists of 8 of the members of the Academy including the President, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, and the Chancellor, Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula of Spain, who is a moral theologian and physician.

Dr. Haas has said of the appointment, “I am deeply honored and humbled with this appointment from the Holy Father and pray that I, with my colleagues at The National Catholic Bioethics Center, may make some real and lasting contributions to the building up of a Culture of Life worldwide.”

Pope Benedict Receives Fra' Matthew Festing Grand Master of the SMOM

Pope Benedict Receives Fra' Matthew Festing Grand Master of the SMOM

Anniversary of the Fall of Fort St. Elmo

Today marks the anniversary of the fall of Fort St. Elmo during the siege of Malta.  It was a crucial victory in defeat by the valiant Knights who fought to the last man and made the Turkish attackers pay a huge price in blood for their efforts.  It also provided the main body of defenders at Fort Saint Angelo additional time to await reinforcements from Europe.  What the Turkish invaders hoped would fall in 10 days took nearly a month and cost them dearly in men, resources, and time.  Please take a moment  to remember our brothers who fell this day in defense of the Faith.  This picture is taken from Fort St. Angelo looking across the bay to Fort St. Elmo on the left.

Anniversary of the Fall of Fort St. Elmo

Today marks the anniversary of the fall of Fort St. Elmo during the siege of Malta.  It was a crucial victory in defeat by the valiant Knights who fought to the last man and made the Turkish attackers pay a huge price in blood for their efforts.  It also provided the main body of defenders at Fort Saint Angelo additional time to await reinforcements from Europe.  What the Turkish invaders hoped would fall in 10 days took nearly a month and cost them dearly in men, resources, and time.  Please take a moment  to remember our brothers who fell this day in defense of the Faith.  This picture is taken from Fort St. Angelo looking across the bay to Fort St. Elmo on the left.

More Nonsense from Fr. Richard McBrien

The scandal to Catholics caused by the University of Notre Dame invitation to Pres. Obama continues on by the shameful fact that Fr. Richard McBrien is still on the faculty there.  Fr. McBrien's latest article to appear in the National Catholic Distorter,  the aptly self titled "independent" Catholic weekly is a particular hoot.  Fr. starts out with this particular gem, praise for Fr. Charles Curran.

Georgetown University Press will publish a new book by Fr. Charles E. Curran, who is widely regarded as the leading Catholic moral theologian in the United States and one of the Catholic church's most distinguished moral theologians worldwide.  Curran is currently the Scurlock University Professor of Human Values at Southern Methodist Univ.

What Fr. McBrien fails to mention is that in 1986, the Catholic University of America removed Fr. Curran  from his teaching post after the Vatican declared that he was "neither suitable nor eligible" to teach as a Catholic theologian.  The Vatican had condemned Fr. Curran's liberal writings on issues of sexual ethics such as artificial contraception and homosexuality.  There is a reason he can't be called a Catholic moral theologian.  Guess that says a lot about credibility and the dissenting ideas of Fr. McBrien too.

He continues,

In 1976, the first presidential election since the Roev. Wade decision, the then-president of the bishops' conference, Archbishop Joseph Bernardin, elevated the abortion issue to such a central place that many concluded that the bishops were supporting the candidacy of Gerald Ford, the Republican, over Jimmy Carter, the Democrat.

Bernardin not only backed away from this impression, but in due course he developed what he called a consistent-ethic-of-life approach to abortion and related moral issues.

For several years thereafter the bishops endorsed now-Cardinal Bernardin's consistent-ethic-of-life framework, that is, until 1989 when they unanimously passed a resolution making abortion a moral issue of the highest priority. When Cardinal Bernardin died in 1996, the consistent-ethic-of-life approach died with him, according to Charles Curran.

Under the impact of Pope John Paul II's 1995 encyclical, Evangelium vitae, the bishops in 1998 applied papal teaching to the U.S. scene, calling abortion and also euthanasia preeminent threats to human dignity.

But the bishops went even further than that. They reinterpreted the consistent-ethic-of-life principle in a way that differed from Cardinal Bernardin's original idea.  [Blather]

Not only is Fr. McBrien misleading about Fr. Curran he also spreads falsehoods about Cardinal Bernardin's consistent ethic of life philosophy. It was Cardinal Bernardin himself who dismissed those [like Fr. McBrien?] who hijacked his philosophy by trying to make all moral issues equivalent. He emphatically re-affirmed that abortion was a greater moral issue than the other moral issues in his consistent ethic of life idea. It is a shame that Fr. McBrien still seems to be stuck in the age before computers where you couldn't fact check someone. Fortunately Catholics today can quickly find the truth about issues rather than the serpents spin.  If you have a strong stomach you can read the rest of the article here.

More Nonsense from Fr. Richard McBrien

The scandal to Catholics caused by the University of Notre Dame invitation to Pres. Obama continues on by the shameful fact that Fr. Richard McBrien is still on the faculty there.  Fr. McBrien's latest article to appear in the National Catholic Distorter,  the aptly self titled "independent" Catholic weekly is a particular hoot.  Fr. starts out with this particular gem, praise for Fr. Charles Curran.

Georgetown University Press will publish a new book by Fr. Charles E. Curran, who is widely regarded as the leading Catholic moral theologian in the United States and one of the Catholic church's most distinguished moral theologians worldwide.  Curran is currently the Scurlock University Professor of Human Values at Southern Methodist Univ.

What Fr. McBrien fails to mention is that in 1986, the Catholic University of America removed Fr. Curran  from his teaching post after the Vatican declared that he was "neither suitable nor eligible" to teach as a Catholic theologian.  The Vatican had condemned Fr. Curran's liberal writings on issues of sexual ethics such as artificial contraception and homosexuality.  There is a reason he can't be called a Catholic moral theologian.  Guess that says a lot about credibility and the dissenting ideas of Fr. McBrien too.

He continues,

In 1976, the first presidential election since the Roev. Wade decision, the then-president of the bishops' conference, Archbishop Joseph Bernardin, elevated the abortion issue to such a central place that many concluded that the bishops were supporting the candidacy of Gerald Ford, the Republican, over Jimmy Carter, the Democrat.

Bernardin not only backed away from this impression, but in due course he developed what he called a consistent-ethic-of-life approach to abortion and related moral issues.

For several years thereafter the bishops endorsed now-Cardinal Bernardin's consistent-ethic-of-life framework, that is, until 1989 when they unanimously passed a resolution making abortion a moral issue of the highest priority. When Cardinal Bernardin died in 1996, the consistent-ethic-of-life approach died with him, according to Charles Curran.

Under the impact of Pope John Paul II's 1995 encyclical, Evangelium vitae, the bishops in 1998 applied papal teaching to the U.S. scene, calling abortion and also euthanasia preeminent threats to human dignity.

But the bishops went even further than that. They reinterpreted the consistent-ethic-of-life principle in a way that differed from Cardinal Bernardin's original idea.  [Blather]

Not only is Fr. McBrien misleading about Fr. Curran he also spreads falsehoods about Cardinal Bernardin's consistent ethic of life philosophy. It was Cardinal Bernardin himself who dismissed those [like Fr. McBrien?] who hijacked his philosophy by trying to make all moral issues equivalent. He emphatically re-affirmed that abortion was a greater moral issue than the other moral issues in his consistent ethic of life idea. It is a shame that Fr. McBrien still seems to be stuck in the age before computers where you couldn't fact check someone. Fortunately Catholics today can quickly find the truth about issues rather than the serpents spin.  If you have a strong stomach you can read the rest of the article here.

Don't Judge Me - I'm Just Speaking the Truth

An excellent article by Msgr. Charles Pope found at the blog of the Archdiocese of Washington.  How often have we heard someone excuse their behavior or that of another by the words, "don't judge me."  Of course that it utterly fallacious because we judge actions and events every day.  Our society would collapse wthout making judgements.  And as Msgr. rightly points out we cannot believe ourselves to be better than someone else but we can certainly judge that an action is right or wrong.  Here is a portion of the article and the rest should be read here. 

In today’s Gospel there is a Scripture passage that is “too well known.” I say this because the world has picked it up almost as a club to swing at Christians. The text is used almost as if it were the whole Bible and it is used to shut down any discussion of what is right or wrong, what is virtuous or what is sinful. Even many Christians mis-interpret the passage as a mandate to be silent in the face of sin and evil. It is a passage “too well known” because it is remembered but everything else in the Scriptures that balances or clarifies it is forgotten. Here is the passage:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ”Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matt 7:1-5)

Any time the Church or an individual Christian points to a certain behavior as wrong or sinful, inevitably wagging fingers are raised and an indignant tone ensues which says something to the effect, “Ah, ah, ah…..you’re being judgmental! The Bible says, judge not. Who are you to judge your neighbor!?” etc. This is clearly an attempt to shut down discussion quickly and to shame the Christian, or the Church into silence. To a large degree this tactic has worked and modern culture has succeeded in shaming many Christians from this essential work of correcting the sinner. Too many are terrified and simply shamed when they are said to be “judging” someone because they call attention to sin or wrongdoing. In a culture where tolerance is one of the only virtues left, to “judge” is a capital offense. “How dare we do such a thing!” The world protests, “Who are you to judge someone else?!”

But pay careful attention to what this Gospel text is actually saying. The judgment in question is not as to the question of right and wrong. Rather, the judgment in question regards punishment or condemnation. The next sentence makes this clear when it speaks of the measure we use. The measure in question is the level of condemnation, harshness or punishment that is used. A parallel passage in Luke makes this clear: Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven…. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Luke 6:36-38). Hence the word “judge” here is understood to mean an unnecessarily harsh and punitive condemnation. To paraphrase the opening verses here would be to say, “Be careful not to be condemning for If you lower the boom on others, you will have the boom lowered on you. If you throw the book at others, it will also be thrown at you.”

Further, the parable that follows in the passage above about the plank in one’s eye does NOT say not to correct sinners. It says in effect, get right with God yourself and understand your own sin so that you will see clearly enough to properly correct your brother. Hence, far from forbidding the correction of the sinner the passage actually emphasizes the importance of correction by underscoring the importance of doing it well and with humility and integrity.

In these times one of the most forgotten virtues and obligations we have is the duty to correct the sinner. It is listed among the Spiritual Works of Mercy. St. Thomas Aquinas lists it in the Summa as a work of Charity: [F]raternal correction properly so called, is directed to the amendment of the sinner. Now to do away with anyone’s evil is the same as to procure his good: and to procure a person’s good is an act of charity, whereby we wish and do our friend well. (II, IIae, 33.1)

Now to be sure, there are some judgments that are forbidden us. For example we cannot assess that we are better or worse than someone else before God. Neither can we always understand the ultimate culpability or inner intentions of another person as though we were God. Scripture says regarding judgments such as these: Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart (1 Sam 16:7). Further we are instructed that we cannot make the judgment of condemnation. That is to say, we do not have the power or knowledge to condemn someone to Hell. God alone is judge in this sense. The same scriptures also caution us against being unnecessarily harsh or punitive. As we already read from Luke, Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven…. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Luke 6:36-38). So in this text “to judge” means to condemn or to be unmerciful, to be unreasonably harsh.

Scripture commends and commands Fraternal Correction: I said above that the Gospel from today’s Mass is, in a sense “too well known.” That is, it has been embraced to the exclusion of everything else, as if it is ALL the Bible has to say about correcting the sinner. But the fact is that over and over again Scripture tells us to correct the sinner. Far from forbidding fraternal correction, the Scriptures command and commend it. I would like to share some of those texts here and add a little commentary of my own in Red.

1. Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt 18:15-18) Jesus instructs us to speak to a sinning brother or sister and summon them to repentance. If private rebuke does not work and, assuming the matter is serious, others who are trustworthy should be summoned to the task. Finally the Church should be informed. If they will not listen even to the Church then they should be excommunicated (treated as a tax collector or Gentile). Hence in serious matters excommunication should be considered as a kind of medicine that will inform the sinner of how serious the matter is. Sadly this “medicine” is seldom used today even though Jesus clearly prescribes it (at least in more serious matters).

2. It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened….I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; 10not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Drive out the wicked person from among you. (1 Cor 5:1-13) So the Holy Spirit speaking through Paul commands that we “judge” the evil doer. Now again in this case the matter is very serious (incest). Notice how the text says he should be excommunicated (handed over to Satan). Here too the purpose is medicinal. It is to be hoped that Satan will beat him up enough that he will come to his senses and repent before the day of judgment. It is also medicinal in the sense that the community is protected from bad example, scandal and the presence of evil. The text also requires us to be able to size people up. There ARE immoral and unrepentant people with whom it is harmful for us to associate. We are instructed to discern this and not keep friendly company with people who can mislead us or tempt us to sin. This requires a judgment on our part. Some judgements ARE required of us.

Don't Judge Me - I'm Just Speaking the Truth

An excellent article by Msgr. Charles Pope found at the blog of the Archdiocese of Washington.  How often have we heard someone excuse their behavior or that of another by the words, "don't judge me."  Of course that it utterly fallacious because we judge actions and events every day.  Our society would collapse wthout making judgements.  And as Msgr. rightly points out we cannot believe ourselves to be better than someone else but we can certainly judge that an action is right or wrong.  Here is a portion of the article and the rest should be read here. 

In today’s Gospel there is a Scripture passage that is “too well known.” I say this because the world has picked it up almost as a club to swing at Christians. The text is used almost as if it were the whole Bible and it is used to shut down any discussion of what is right or wrong, what is virtuous or what is sinful. Even many Christians mis-interpret the passage as a mandate to be silent in the face of sin and evil. It is a passage “too well known” because it is remembered but everything else in the Scriptures that balances or clarifies it is forgotten. Here is the passage:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ”Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matt 7:1-5)

Any time the Church or an individual Christian points to a certain behavior as wrong or sinful, inevitably wagging fingers are raised and an indignant tone ensues which says something to the effect, “Ah, ah, ah…..you’re being judgmental! The Bible says, judge not. Who are you to judge your neighbor!?” etc. This is clearly an attempt to shut down discussion quickly and to shame the Christian, or the Church into silence. To a large degree this tactic has worked and modern culture has succeeded in shaming many Christians from this essential work of correcting the sinner. Too many are terrified and simply shamed when they are said to be “judging” someone because they call attention to sin or wrongdoing. In a culture where tolerance is one of the only virtues left, to “judge” is a capital offense. “How dare we do such a thing!” The world protests, “Who are you to judge someone else?!”

But pay careful attention to what this Gospel text is actually saying. The judgment in question is not as to the question of right and wrong. Rather, the judgment in question regards punishment or condemnation. The next sentence makes this clear when it speaks of the measure we use. The measure in question is the level of condemnation, harshness or punishment that is used. A parallel passage in Luke makes this clear: Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven…. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Luke 6:36-38). Hence the word “judge” here is understood to mean an unnecessarily harsh and punitive condemnation. To paraphrase the opening verses here would be to say, “Be careful not to be condemning for If you lower the boom on others, you will have the boom lowered on you. If you throw the book at others, it will also be thrown at you.”

Further, the parable that follows in the passage above about the plank in one’s eye does NOT say not to correct sinners. It says in effect, get right with God yourself and understand your own sin so that you will see clearly enough to properly correct your brother. Hence, far from forbidding the correction of the sinner the passage actually emphasizes the importance of correction by underscoring the importance of doing it well and with humility and integrity.

In these times one of the most forgotten virtues and obligations we have is the duty to correct the sinner. It is listed among the Spiritual Works of Mercy. St. Thomas Aquinas lists it in the Summa as a work of Charity: [F]raternal correction properly so called, is directed to the amendment of the sinner. Now to do away with anyone’s evil is the same as to procure his good: and to procure a person’s good is an act of charity, whereby we wish and do our friend well. (II, IIae, 33.1)

Now to be sure, there are some judgments that are forbidden us. For example we cannot assess that we are better or worse than someone else before God. Neither can we always understand the ultimate culpability or inner intentions of another person as though we were God. Scripture says regarding judgments such as these: Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart (1 Sam 16:7). Further we are instructed that we cannot make the judgment of condemnation. That is to say, we do not have the power or knowledge to condemn someone to Hell. God alone is judge in this sense. The same scriptures also caution us against being unnecessarily harsh or punitive. As we already read from Luke, Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven…. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you (Luke 6:36-38). So in this text “to judge” means to condemn or to be unmerciful, to be unreasonably harsh.

Scripture commends and commands Fraternal Correction: I said above that the Gospel from today’s Mass is, in a sense “too well known.” That is, it has been embraced to the exclusion of everything else, as if it is ALL the Bible has to say about correcting the sinner. But the fact is that over and over again Scripture tells us to correct the sinner. Far from forbidding fraternal correction, the Scriptures command and commend it. I would like to share some of those texts here and add a little commentary of my own in Red.

1. Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matt 18:15-18) Jesus instructs us to speak to a sinning brother or sister and summon them to repentance. If private rebuke does not work and, assuming the matter is serious, others who are trustworthy should be summoned to the task. Finally the Church should be informed. If they will not listen even to the Church then they should be excommunicated (treated as a tax collector or Gentile). Hence in serious matters excommunication should be considered as a kind of medicine that will inform the sinner of how serious the matter is. Sadly this “medicine” is seldom used today even though Jesus clearly prescribes it (at least in more serious matters).

2. It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened….I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; 10not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Drive out the wicked person from among you. (1 Cor 5:1-13) So the Holy Spirit speaking through Paul commands that we “judge” the evil doer. Now again in this case the matter is very serious (incest). Notice how the text says he should be excommunicated (handed over to Satan). Here too the purpose is medicinal. It is to be hoped that Satan will beat him up enough that he will come to his senses and repent before the day of judgment. It is also medicinal in the sense that the community is protected from bad example, scandal and the presence of evil. The text also requires us to be able to size people up. There ARE immoral and unrepentant people with whom it is harmful for us to associate. We are instructed to discern this and not keep friendly company with people who can mislead us or tempt us to sin. This requires a judgment on our part. Some judgements ARE required of us.

The Compassion of Jesus on the Infirm

In an old book of meditations by a Jesuit priest I found this wonderful reflection, particularly relevant to us as members of a hospitaller order.

"And when it was evening, after sunset, they brought to Him all that were ill, and that were possessed with devils.  And all the city was gathered togethered at the door. . . . But He, laying His hands on every one of them, healed them."  Observe here the extreme goodness of our Divine Lord, who let all approach Him without difficulty or ceremony, and who never betrayed the smallest annoyance or impatience, either on account of the lateness of the hour, the pressure of the crowd, or His own weariness.  He might have got rid of the people more quickly by curing them all at once; but He preferred laying His hands on each one of separately, and addressing a few words of consolation to each.  Singulis manus imponens.
 
APPLICATION.  Let us imitate our divine master in this conduct.  It is most edifying to see a religious, a superior, a confrere, always kind-hearted and cheerful, easily accessible to everyone, and forgetting his own sufferings to minister to others.  But this is a degree of perfection quite beyond nature.  Have we striven to acquire it?  and with what success?

The Compassion of Jesus on the Infirm

In an old book of meditations by a Jesuit priest I found this wonderful reflection, particularly relevant to us as members of a hospitaller order.

"And when it was evening, after sunset, they brought to Him all that were ill, and that were possessed with devils.  And all the city was gathered togethered at the door. . . . But He, laying His hands on every one of them, healed them."  Observe here the extreme goodness of our Divine Lord, who let all approach Him without difficulty or ceremony, and who never betrayed the smallest annoyance or impatience, either on account of the lateness of the hour, the pressure of the crowd, or His own weariness.  He might have got rid of the people more quickly by curing them all at once; but He preferred laying His hands on each one of separately, and addressing a few words of consolation to each.  Singulis manus imponens.
 
APPLICATION.  Let us imitate our divine master in this conduct.  It is most edifying to see a religious, a superior, a confrere, always kind-hearted and cheerful, easily accessible to everyone, and forgetting his own sufferings to minister to others.  But this is a degree of perfection quite beyond nature.  Have we striven to acquire it?  and with what success?

Seeing God in All Things - Good and Bad

I was reading a meditation for the day by Benedict Baur O.S.B on seeing God in the things of life that are welcome and those that are not.

As we pass through life, in everything we meet on the way, in everything the day may bring, welcome or unwelcome, we see Him, His continual presence, His holy will, His wisdom, His goodness, His love, and His providence.  In all our labors, trials, sufferings, and temptations, we see God before us and the working of His love in us.  Thus we rest in God's good pleasure, in His wisdom, His goodness, and His eternal love for us.  Therefore we are not disturbed by the injustice and injuries done to us by other men.  Neither are we too concerned about our health, our existence, or our earthly goods; for we have found peace in God.

It is easy to see God's presence in the good and the beautiful but not so easy I think in time of trial.  Even though I try to be accepting of God's good pleasure in trials and sufferings it is often more of a challenge to see His actual presence then.  How often have I told some story about something good that happened in my life and how clearly I was able to see the hand of Providence at work.  But how difficult it can be to see God's love and wisdom when we encounter some trial.  I expect this is true for most people and something to work toward overcoming in order to find true happiness and peace. 

Seeing God in All Things - Good and Bad

I was reading a meditation for the day by Benedict Baur O.S.B on seeing God in the things of life that are welcome and those that are not.

As we pass through life, in everything we meet on the way, in everything the day may bring, welcome or unwelcome, we see Him, His continual presence, His holy will, His wisdom, His goodness, His love, and His providence.  In all our labors, trials, sufferings, and temptations, we see God before us and the working of His love in us.  Thus we rest in God's good pleasure, in His wisdom, His goodness, and His eternal love for us.  Therefore we are not disturbed by the injustice and injuries done to us by other men.  Neither are we too concerned about our health, our existence, or our earthly goods; for we have found peace in God.

It is easy to see God's presence in the good and the beautiful but not so easy I think in time of trial.  Even though I try to be accepting of God's good pleasure in trials and sufferings it is often more of a challenge to see His actual presence then.  How often have I told some story about something good that happened in my life and how clearly I was able to see the hand of Providence at work.  But how difficult it can be to see God's love and wisdom when we encounter some trial.  I expect this is true for most people and something to work toward overcoming in order to find true happiness and peace. 

Celebrating and Worshiping Ourselves in Liturgical Music

If you are a supporter of the reform of the Sacred Liturgy proposed by Pope Benedict XVI then I suggest you visit the website of the Adoramus Bulletin which is a great source of information.  The next time Fr. Feel Goode, the liturgy or contemporary music director tell you that their selection of music at Mass is what the spirit of Vatican II called for; arm yourself with the actual documents of the Church on liturgical matters.  Along with official documents you will also find a number of well written essays like the one below by Fr. Paul Scalia.  If you have ever cringed upon hearing that awful hymn, Come to the Table, you will appreciate Fr. Scalia's writing.  A lunatic is someone who repeats the same actions and expects a different outcome.  As long as we allow banality to continue in the liturgy we cannot be surprised at the loss of Faith amongst the majority of Catholics.

Imagine the following scene: You arrive at Mass on Sunday, eager to thank God for His goodness to you. You slide into the pew early, kneel in prayer, and direct your praise and worship to your Lord and God. You stand as the song leader introduces the opening hymn: "Table of Plenty". Suddenly your praise comes to a screeching halt, not because of your own prayers, but because of what you are singing. In fact you are no longer praising God at all, but singing to the others:

Come to the feast of heaven and earth!
Come to the table of plenty!
God will provide for all that we need,
here at the table of plenty.

Now it gets worse: you begin to sing His lines:

O, come and sit at my table
where saints and sinners are friends.
I wait to welcome the lost and lonely
to share the cup of my love.

And so at the very beginning of Mass, your conversation with God is derailed and transformed into a participation in the congregation's introspection.

To appreciate the damage done by such hymns, we must first call to mind two essential aspects of the Mass: presence and dialogue. First of all, what distinguishes the Mass from all other forms of worship is the re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice. The Mass does not merely recall or reenact Christ's redemptive act but in fact makes present the mystery of faith, the passion, death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1366).

Second, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and indeed throughout the Mass makes possible a real dialogue between God and man; it creates an active conversation. The remembrance of someone does not lead to dialogue with that person; only to reminiscing. The presence of Christ in the Mass, however, inspires us to speak to Him as only the beloved can speak to the Lover. Thus the Mass is a dialogue between Christ and the Church, between God and man, in which God speaks His lines and we speak ours. He speaks to us through the readings and (we hope) the homily, while we respond to Him through the prayers of the priest, our personal prayers, and the hymns.

Accordingly, active participation at Mass requires the faithful to acknowledge the presence of Christ and enter the dialogue, taking the words of the Bride as their own. They embody the Bride, and their Mass parts -- the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei ­ express her desire for union with the Bridegroom. Other texts used at Mass should reflect and deepen this sentiment. The dialogue reaches its culmination at the Consecration, when the Bridegroom speaks His definitive words of love and thus becomes really present to His Bride in the Eucharist.

Given the lyrics of much contemporary liturgical music, however, we must ask what has become of this dialogue and our ability to enter it. Many hymns have us sing only about ourselves and to ourselves, even going so far as to usurp God's part. Such words fail to convey the true meaning of the Mass as a dialogue between Christ and the Church. The offending lyrics come in two varieties: in the first, we sing to one another and about one another, but do not include God in the conversation; and in the second, we sing God's parts.

The rest of the article can be read at the Adoremus Bulletin site.

Celebrating and Worshiping Ourselves in Liturgical Music

If you are a supporter of the reform of the Sacred Liturgy proposed by Pope Benedict XVI then I suggest you visit the website of the Adoramus Bulletin which is a great source of information.  The next time Fr. Feel Goode, the liturgy or contemporary music director tell you that their selection of music at Mass is what the spirit of Vatican II called for; arm yourself with the actual documents of the Church on liturgical matters.  Along with official documents you will also find a number of well written essays like the one below by Fr. Paul Scalia.  If you have ever cringed upon hearing that awful hymn, Come to the Table, you will appreciate Fr. Scalia's writing.  A lunatic is someone who repeats the same actions and expects a different outcome.  As long as we allow banality to continue in the liturgy we cannot be surprised at the loss of Faith amongst the majority of Catholics.

Imagine the following scene: You arrive at Mass on Sunday, eager to thank God for His goodness to you. You slide into the pew early, kneel in prayer, and direct your praise and worship to your Lord and God. You stand as the song leader introduces the opening hymn: "Table of Plenty". Suddenly your praise comes to a screeching halt, not because of your own prayers, but because of what you are singing. In fact you are no longer praising God at all, but singing to the others:

Come to the feast of heaven and earth!
Come to the table of plenty!
God will provide for all that we need,
here at the table of plenty.

Now it gets worse: you begin to sing His lines:

O, come and sit at my table
where saints and sinners are friends.
I wait to welcome the lost and lonely
to share the cup of my love.

And so at the very beginning of Mass, your conversation with God is derailed and transformed into a participation in the congregation's introspection.

To appreciate the damage done by such hymns, we must first call to mind two essential aspects of the Mass: presence and dialogue. First of all, what distinguishes the Mass from all other forms of worship is the re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice. The Mass does not merely recall or reenact Christ's redemptive act but in fact makes present the mystery of faith, the passion, death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1366).

Second, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and indeed throughout the Mass makes possible a real dialogue between God and man; it creates an active conversation. The remembrance of someone does not lead to dialogue with that person; only to reminiscing. The presence of Christ in the Mass, however, inspires us to speak to Him as only the beloved can speak to the Lover. Thus the Mass is a dialogue between Christ and the Church, between God and man, in which God speaks His lines and we speak ours. He speaks to us through the readings and (we hope) the homily, while we respond to Him through the prayers of the priest, our personal prayers, and the hymns.

Accordingly, active participation at Mass requires the faithful to acknowledge the presence of Christ and enter the dialogue, taking the words of the Bride as their own. They embody the Bride, and their Mass parts -- the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei ­ express her desire for union with the Bridegroom. Other texts used at Mass should reflect and deepen this sentiment. The dialogue reaches its culmination at the Consecration, when the Bridegroom speaks His definitive words of love and thus becomes really present to His Bride in the Eucharist.

Given the lyrics of much contemporary liturgical music, however, we must ask what has become of this dialogue and our ability to enter it. Many hymns have us sing only about ourselves and to ourselves, even going so far as to usurp God's part. Such words fail to convey the true meaning of the Mass as a dialogue between Christ and the Church. The offending lyrics come in two varieties: in the first, we sing to one another and about one another, but do not include God in the conversation; and in the second, we sing God's parts.

The rest of the article can be read at the Adoremus Bulletin site.

Pope Calls for "Offering Up" Prayers and Penances for Reparation

In his Letter to the Catholics in Ireland from March 19th, Pope Benedict called on Catholics to offer up prayers and penances, and Eucharistic Adoration to "make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm".  While that letter was addressed to Irish Catholics, his call for prayer and penance is certainly commendable for all Catholics, here is a portion of his letter,

I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances,[a good reminder that we are still required to perform acts of penance on Friday even though the traditional practice of abstaining from meat is no longer an obligation] for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention.  I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland.  [Or other country] I encourage you to discover anew the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose.  I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses, and monasteries to organize periods of Euchraristic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part.  Through intense prayer before the Real Presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

The full letter is available at the Vatican website.

Pope Calls for "Offering Up" Prayers and Penances for Reparation

In his Letter to the Catholics in Ireland from March 19th, Pope Benedict called on Catholics to offer up prayers and penances, and Eucharistic Adoration to "make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm".  While that letter was addressed to Irish Catholics, his call for prayer and penance is certainly commendable for all Catholics, here is a portion of his letter,

I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances,[a good reminder that we are still required to perform acts of penance on Friday even though the traditional practice of abstaining from meat is no longer an obligation] for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention.  I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland.  [Or other country] I encourage you to discover anew the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration, and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose.  I ask parishes, seminaries, religious houses, and monasteries to organize periods of Euchraristic adoration, so that all have an opportunity to take part.  Through intense prayer before the Real Presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm, at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

The full letter is available at the Vatican website.

Bob Newhart Psychological Advice

Have you heard enough psychobabble analysis to the problems of modern life?  Well Bob Newhart has the answer to dealing with your fears and phobias, proving that Catholics have the best sense of humor.  H/T to Creative Minority Report. 

Bob Newhart Psychological Advice

Have you heard enough psychobabble analysis to the problems of modern life?  Well Bob Newhart has the answer to dealing with your fears and phobias, proving that Catholics have the best sense of humor.  H/T to Creative Minority Report. 

Sr. Keehan Steps Down from Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board

H/T to Fr. Z for posting this article and it is good to see the successful efforts of fellow knights with regards to Sister Keehn but from the comments by the Chairman of the Foundation perhaps he needs to go next.  For more information about the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem which is a major work of the Order of Malta click here. 

Sister Keehan Off Prestigious Hospital Board over Obamacare Fallout

By John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, DC, June 4, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Sister Carol Keehan, President of the US Catholic Health Association, has been pressured off the prestigious Holy Family Hospital Foundation board over her support for the federal health care bill. Sr. Keehan, in opposition to the United States bishops, was a key supporter of the abortion-expanding bill – so much so that she was given one of the 21 ceremonial pens President Obama used to sign the measure into law.

The hospital is a work of a Catholic Order known as the Knights of Malta.

One of the members who holds the position of Hospitaller, a leading office in the ancient Order, wrote a letter of concern to the presidents of all the Order of Malta associations in the United States noting that Sister Keehan remained on the board of the Holy Family Hospital Foundation even though she supported the health care bill, which opens taxpayer funding of abortion, and even though she acted in contradiction to U.S. bishops.

In response to the complaint, Sister Keehan resigned from the board with a letter of her own in which she expressed great displeasure with the criticism directed at her, characterizing it as “abusive.”

However, the “abusive” criticisms in the letter of complaint were mostly a compilation of quotes from the Vatican’s Archbishop Raymond Burke who, like other bishops in the US such as Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann, expressed shock at Sister Keehan’s defiance of their pro-life opposition to Obamacare.

“Who could imagine that consecrated religious would openly, and in defiance of the bishops as successors of the apostles, publicly endorse legislation containing provisions which violated the natural moral law in its most fundamental tenets – the safeguarding and promoting of innocent and defenseless life, and fail to safeguard the demands of the free exercise of conscience for health care workers?," wrote Burke.

“The spiritual harm done to the individual religious who are disobedient and also the grave scandal caused to the faithful and people in general are of incalculable dimensions.” [How is that "abusive"? Sorry… I needed to throw that switch and try to think like a liberal.]

Although LifeSiteNews viewed Keehan’s letter of resignation decrying "abusive" treatment, Fred Caesar, Special Assistant to the CHA President, Keehan denied the situation. "Sr. Carol Keehan was not ‘pressured off the Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board’ in any way,” Ceasar responded to LifeSiteNews. “You can verify that fact with the Chairman,” he added, refusing further comment.

In fact, Chairman James Murray’s letter to the Hospitaller, also seen by LSN, said specifically that “Sister Carol has tendered her resignation from the Board as a result of your letter.”

The Chairman expressed displeasure with the situation saying that the Hospitaller had, by causing Keehan to resign, harmed the work of the foundation and the hospital as well as the women who use it.

In the end, suggested a Knight who wished to remain unnamed, “Carol Keehan was basically forced out under pressure by Knights and Dames of Malta.” It was, he said “part of an ongoing effort to keep the Order of Malta true to its pro-life foundations.”

Sr. Keehan Steps Down from Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board

H/T to Fr. Z for posting this article and it is good to see the successful efforts of fellow knights with regards to Sister Keehn but from the comments by the Chairman of the Foundation perhaps he needs to go next.  For more information about the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem which is a major work of the Order of Malta click here. 

Sister Keehan Off Prestigious Hospital Board over Obamacare Fallout

By John-Henry Westen

WASHINGTON, DC, June 4, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Sister Carol Keehan, President of the US Catholic Health Association, has been pressured off the prestigious Holy Family Hospital Foundation board over her support for the federal health care bill. Sr. Keehan, in opposition to the United States bishops, was a key supporter of the abortion-expanding bill – so much so that she was given one of the 21 ceremonial pens President Obama used to sign the measure into law.

The hospital is a work of a Catholic Order known as the Knights of Malta.

One of the members who holds the position of Hospitaller, a leading office in the ancient Order, wrote a letter of concern to the presidents of all the Order of Malta associations in the United States noting that Sister Keehan remained on the board of the Holy Family Hospital Foundation even though she supported the health care bill, which opens taxpayer funding of abortion, and even though she acted in contradiction to U.S. bishops.

In response to the complaint, Sister Keehan resigned from the board with a letter of her own in which she expressed great displeasure with the criticism directed at her, characterizing it as “abusive.”

However, the “abusive” criticisms in the letter of complaint were mostly a compilation of quotes from the Vatican’s Archbishop Raymond Burke who, like other bishops in the US such as Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann, expressed shock at Sister Keehan’s defiance of their pro-life opposition to Obamacare.

“Who could imagine that consecrated religious would openly, and in defiance of the bishops as successors of the apostles, publicly endorse legislation containing provisions which violated the natural moral law in its most fundamental tenets – the safeguarding and promoting of innocent and defenseless life, and fail to safeguard the demands of the free exercise of conscience for health care workers?," wrote Burke.

“The spiritual harm done to the individual religious who are disobedient and also the grave scandal caused to the faithful and people in general are of incalculable dimensions.” [How is that "abusive"? Sorry… I needed to throw that switch and try to think like a liberal.]

Although LifeSiteNews viewed Keehan’s letter of resignation decrying "abusive" treatment, Fred Caesar, Special Assistant to the CHA President, Keehan denied the situation. "Sr. Carol Keehan was not ‘pressured off the Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board’ in any way,” Ceasar responded to LifeSiteNews. “You can verify that fact with the Chairman,” he added, refusing further comment.

In fact, Chairman James Murray’s letter to the Hospitaller, also seen by LSN, said specifically that “Sister Carol has tendered her resignation from the Board as a result of your letter.”

The Chairman expressed displeasure with the situation saying that the Hospitaller had, by causing Keehan to resign, harmed the work of the foundation and the hospital as well as the women who use it.

In the end, suggested a Knight who wished to remain unnamed, “Carol Keehan was basically forced out under pressure by Knights and Dames of Malta.” It was, he said “part of an ongoing effort to keep the Order of Malta true to its pro-life foundations.”