A final word in the WYD racetrack dispute?

Let's hope so!

Despite protests from racing officials, the government in the Australian state of New South Wales will not change plans to host World Youth Day (WYD) activities at the Randwick racetrack.

Premier Morris Iemma of New South Wales told an Australian broadcast audience that the state-owned racetrack is "the most appropriate venue for a whole range of reasons." WYD organizers have consistently said that Randwick is the only facility in the region that can accommodate the crowd of 500,000 or more that is expected for the event, which will culminate with Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.

...Premier Iemma said that his government is committed to finding a solution that will minimize the difficulties for the Randwick trainers, while allowing WYD to proceed on schedule. [CWNews]

CNA reports here.

More fear mongering greets UN reality check

Reuters today has an article entitled "Industrial nations shy away from stiff 2020 goals" which reveals that many nations at U.N. talks don't want to bind themselves to drasticly reducing their CO2 emissions.

This entirely reasonable decision given the economic drawbacks (and negative impact on people) was met with these kinds of quotations from global warming fear mongerers:

"This is voting for the apocalypse," said Stephanie Tunmore of environmental group Greenpeace. "The 25-40 percent range is needed to help avert dangerous climate change" such as more powerful storms, rising seas and melting glaciers, she said.

"Japan is willing to let the typhoons roll in and the water flow onto its coastal land. Switzerland is committed to melt all its remaining glaciers," environmentalists said in a newsletter.

The U.S. so far has not signed on to the Kyoto treaty. Bush, however, is calling a meeting of "major emitters" here in DC September 27-28th. It's amazing to read about what the EU is intending to do about emissions.

If you want an excellent, one-article thorough debunking of the global warming agenda (and which includes a discussion of its fanatical persecution of dissenting viewpoints), Thomas Derr offers it at First Things.

I applaud him for making the point that global warming alarmists are experiencing serious historical amnesia.

Pope Benedict to Loreto this weekend

Update: It looks like the kids in Loreto have already started the pre-arrival bash:

(REUTERS/Daniele La Monaca (ITALY)

CWNews:

Pope Benedict XVI will travel to Loreto, Italy this weekend for a gathering of young Italian Catholics.

The Holy Father will leave his summer residence on Saturday afternoon, September 1, traveling by helicopter to Loreto, on Italy's eastern coast. His weekend visit will include a question-and-answers session with the 800 participants in the "Agora" gathering, a time for private prayer in the Holy House of Loreto, and a Mass on Sunday morning. Pope Benedict will return to Castel Gandolfo on Sunday evening.

The "Agora" meeting is part of a 3-year campaign among Catholic youth, which in turn is the result of a pastoral-planning meeting among Italian Church leaders in 2006. The campaign, designed to reinvigorate the faith among young Italians, will continue through the World Youth Day observance in Sydney, Australia, in July 2008, and conclude with a final year of evangelization aimed at Italian youth.

Amy Welborn's new blog, "Charlotte was Both", has much more.

Next week Pope Benedict will be travelling next week to Mariazell, Austria, a popular Marian shrine that I was able to visit when I was studying nearby. More on that trip later.

Oh, and he's going to visit Naples in October.

EU might try to audit Vatican for property taxes

The UK Times reports:

A row over alleged Vatican interference in Italian affairs has erupted after a demand by the European Commission for Italy to explain tax breaks for the Catholic Church on income from property.

A spokesman for Neelie Kroes, the Competition Commissioner, said Brussels had received complaints that the tax concessions amounted to illegal state aid. He said that the Commission was merely seeking information at this stage.

That was enough, however, to unleash a political storm in Italy over the role and status of the Church, with the Left accusing it of using its “privileged position” to impose a Catholic agenda on Italians with the connivance of the Right. The Right accused the Left – and the Commission – of “anticlericalism”. The Commission insisted yesterday that it had acted “not out of disrespect for religion but out of respect for EU law”.

... In a conciliatory gesture this week, Monsignor Karel Kasteel, a senior Vatican official, told La Stampa that “the Holy See is ready to sit down at a table with the Government to update the Concordat and revisit the tax issue”. But a Vatican spokesman played down the statement later, saying that Monsignor Kasteel had been speaking “in a personal capacity”.

The article concludes by noting that the Vatican's portfolio is worth an estimated $3bn.

Update: Coverage from ConcordatWatch (an entire website dedicated, it seems, to eliminating official treaties between the Catholic Church and sovereign countries) available here at National Secular Society, who gives the offensive title "At last – Vatican’s money-grubbing accords under scrutiny in EU" to what is, actually, a fairly objective article (at least from what I can tell).

I'm not quite sure where I fall on this issue, i.e., whether I agree with some folks that this EU audit is an example of anti-Catholics finding excuses to persecute the Church. ConcordatWatch certainly seems to be riddled with false facts and accusations. I certainly don't rule it out as likely.

"Back to Blogging" special: BlogAds rates reduced!

I've reduced the rates to advertise Catholic & Christian products on AmP!

August is usually a slow traffic month for blogs but with September things will pick up significantly. Furthermore, if all goes according to plan, the next couple months will see numerous high-profile stories and features being published on AmericanPapist, so secure your place now if you want my papist readers to know about you!

Hint, Hint.

... and then everything crazy converged into "eco-confessions"

Meet Dom Anthony Sutch (far right), a Benedictine monk, who will be attending a Greenpeace festival in the UK this weekend "to hear eco-confessions in what is thought to be the first dedicated confessional booth of its kind."

Yes, you read correctly: "eco-confessions". The UK Times reports:

Vested in a green chasuble-style garment made from recycled curtains, and in a booth constructed of recycled doors, he will hear the sins of of those who have not recycled the things they ought to have done and who have consumed the things they ought not to have done.

... He told The Times: “It is not, I hope, blasphemous to do this. I do not think it is. It is just an attempt to make people conscious of the way they live. The Church is aware of green issues and of how aware we have to be of how we treat the environment.

... “I’ve had one or two comments about abuse of the confessional. One or two people have said, ‘Father, is this quite right?’ Luckily, more people see it as an excellent idea. As with all these things, we have to look in the mirror and see what we could stop consuming ourselves.”

My questions: is he actually trying to administer sacramental confession to folks who have not turned their lights out at night? I think this sort of thing scandalous, in the first place because it constitutes a mockery of the sacrament. Now look what he did to his home parish:

"Father Sutch tries to practise what he preaches but has turned the heating down so low at his church of St Benet’s that at least one parishioner has fled to the warmer care of a neighbouring priest for winter services."

... Father Sutch said that he tried “very hard” to live a green lifestyle but admitted that it was difficult. “I try not to turn on my heating but people come and stay with me and demand it. I get attacked for having a cold church. I have cut my electricity bill by 30 per cent.

Who is letting him get away with this? Turning down your heating as a penance is one thing. Turning it down (because you are motivated by fears about global warming) to where your parishioners are adversely effected is something else entirely. I'm sorely tempted to add this to my rapidly-expanding "For Shame!" list.

Update: Others have now noted this story:

• Father Forgive Me - I Threw an Aluminum Can in the Trash (Curt Jester)
• Bless Me Father, For I Have Not Recycled (Cafeteria is Closed)

And I have added this to my "For Shame!" list, as you can see on the sidebar. Looney-tunes!

Report: Fred Thompson to announce as soon as today

At least one political rumor site is claiming that Fred Thompson will enter the presidential race today. Even if he does not, it's a pretty sure bet that he will within the week (Sep. 6th, for instance) [edit: it will be Sep. 6th]. This is a late start, but he still has time to recover and become an easy frontrunner.

In any case, Fred Thompson appears to have a good voting record and history on pro-life issues, although the LA Times claims that he hasn't always been so in the past.

LifeSiteNews has three topical articles on this issue:
1] Fred Thompson Declares Pro-life Stance Before National Right to Life Committee (June 19) 2] Pro-life Candidate Thompson Now Leads Republican Nomination (June 20) 3]Abortion Advocates Accuse Fred Thompson of Lobbying for Abortion (July 9)

And just to be clear, I'm not endorsing Fred Thompson as my preferred candidate in any way.

Update: Also related, "Republican Presidential Candidates Debate Will Focus on Questions From 40 Pro-Family Leaders (LSN)."

Catholic News Highlights, Thursday August 30th

Catholic News Agency:

• Cardinal Bertone confirms Pope has been invited to visit Peru
• Creighton, Archdiocese of Omaha disagreement grows: While Fr. Taphorn will not say if the Archdiocese has discussed the possibility of the Archbishop Curtiss removing Creighton’s status of being a Catholic university, it is a possibility if the relationship continues to deteriorate. "
• Pro-life movie "Bella" to be released nationwide Oct. 26
• Passengers on Vatican's new airline prevented from carrying Lourdes water onboard
• Michael Vick’s statement on ‘finding Jesus’ causes opposing reactions
• Negotiations for Papal Mass at Australian racehorse track take a turn for the worse
• New documentary to expose academic punishment for those against Big Bang Theory
• Decision on hybrid embryos expected next week

Catholic News Service:

• In Peruvian city of Pisco, two minutes changed the lives of everyone

Catholic World News:

• Negotiating stands harden on use of World Youth Day site

Zenit:

• Men and the Abortion Aftermath
• New Cardinals Expected to Be Named Soon

Tom Monaghan: For Shame!

... for calling a group of hard-working, honest and embattled teachers "academic terrorists" simply because they tried to stand up to his vindictive, unethical leadership practices.

More on the story at In Light of the Law.

The ongoing implosion of the once-impressive Ave Maria School of Law chronicled here. More material at AveWatch.org. A picture of AveMaria town compared with its surrounding geography.

Amnesty International: For Shame!

As an ignomius charter member to my new "For Shame!" list I nominate Amnesty International, for abandoning neutrality and supporting legalized abortion, despite Vatican appeal, and without consulting its own members.

CWNews:

Brushing aside criticism from the Holy See, Amnesty International has affirmed its new policy of support for legal abortion.

Responding to public criticism by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, Amnesty International issued a statement saying that the group "notes the right of the Vatican to hold its views on abortion," but indicated that it would not change its policy. "The matter of whether individuals, of any faith, agree with or oppose Amnesty International's policy on sexual and reproductive rights, which includes selected aspects on abortion, is for the individual to decide and should be respected," the group said.

...

Amnesty International abandoned its previous policy of neutrality on the issue of rape after a long internal discussion. The shift drew an immediate protest from Cardinal Renato Martino, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, who suggested that Catholics might reconsider their support for the organization.

More recently Bishop Michael Evans of East Anglia, England, announced that he was dropping a 31-year association with Amnesty International. Bishop Evans-- who composed a prayer used by Amnesty International in a recent postcard campaign-- said that he could not accept the support for abortion. "There is no human right to acces to abortion," he said, "and Amnesty should not involve itself even in such extreme cases.”

[See also: CWNews' previous coverage on Aug 13, CNA coverage on Aug 21, and ]

Other coverage:

• Cafeteria is Closed (Aug. 27th) and again here.
• UK TimesOnline (Aug. 26th)
• CathNews (Aug. 27th)
• Catholic Online (Aug. 27th)
• LifeSiteNews coverage (Aug 27) and again here.
• CNA on Aug 20 here, Aug 21 here, again here and here and here, Aug 27.
• USCCB via the PR Newswire (Aug. 24th)

Details of note:

• Rock for Life, "a collaboration of musicians linked to the antiabortion [pro-life] movement, has accused Amnesty of using the album to promote abortion without making its intentions clear to the singers." [source] [source 2] [source 3]
• Bishop Skylstad, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to AI: “We call upon Amnesty International once again to act in accord with its noblest principles, reconsider its error, and reverse its policy on abortion,” he said, noting that the bishops had held almost a year of dialogue with leaders of the rights organization. [source] [source 2] [source 3]
• Deirdre A. McQuade, director of planning and information for the USCCB Pro-Life Activities Secretariat: "Amnesty International Sells Out,” that the rights group’s action “offers false hope to women” proposing “violence to solve violence and discriminate against a whole class of voiceless human beings: the unborn.” She called on members of the rights organization to “prayerfully consider” divorcing themselves from it and joining with an alternative group. Wrestle with how God is “calling you to be authentically pro-justice and pro-life,” she urged. [source]
• CNA: "Amnesty International affirmed its policy decision on Friday to become a pro-abortion organization and focus some of its efforts on creating universal access to abortion under select circumstances. The radical change has caused Bishop Michael Evans of the Diocese of East Anglia, England to withdraw his 31-year membership from the organization."
• CNA: “We cannot ever destroy life, we must always save life even if it is the fruit of violence,” exclaimed Cardinal Bertone in an exclusive interview with Vatican Radio about Amnesty International’s new abortion policy."
• CNA: "The headmaster of Sydney's St Aloysius College, Fr. Chris Middleton has confirmed that his school will cut its ties with Amnesty International because of its policy that promotes abortion in some cases."
• CNA: "A Canadian pro-life group has called for more action from the country’s bishops against Amnesty International’s decision to advocate for the worldwide decriminalization of abortion."

Clearly this topic has received a great deal of attention. I'm adding my voice to the plethora of Catholic figures and organizations earnestly petitioning Amnesty International to re-examine its decision for the good of all the persons it seeks to serve.

AmP's "For Shame!" List

The recent episode at Creighton U. has convinced me to go through with an idea I've been kicking-around for a few weeks but couldn't decide how I wanted to implement it.

Longtime readers of this blog will remember that I've often expressed an affinity to the comedy of Stephen Colbert. One of the things I especially enjoy about his show is the regularly recurring "On Report" segment, where he humorously lists the various people, organizations and inanimate objects that have done something in the last week to upset him.

I've decided to ape his feature with a sidebar addition entitled, "AmP's 'For Shame!' List," which I will update in roughly the same manner as (though with less frequency than) Colbert's "On Report."

Now, three important provisos. 1) I don't mean to trivialize the seriousness of some issues (such as, hypothetically, the pro-abortion stance of a Catholic politician), or 2) over-emphasize other issues which are relatively inconsequential (again, hypothetically, St. Thomas Aquinas for not adding citations to his Summa Theologica). 3) This is not vindictiveness on my part: items that are put on the list will be accompanied by a post explaining my reasons for their inclusion, and in this respect the list does not add anything to the regular reporting I've been doing on this blog since its beginning.

This post, for its part, serves as an explanation and reference for the new sidebar item. That said, feel free to drop me submissions now and then when you come across something you think worthy of inclusion.

Needless to say as well, items that make the list should, (presuming they possess volition), try to get themselves off the list. No one should try to get on the list. Complaining about being on the list is a sure way to maintain your spot on the list. Putting AmericanPapist on your list doubles your chances of staying on my list. :)

Update: After a good suggestion in the combox, I've also added a "For Honor!" list. I agree - fair's fair. Deirdre McQuade is the first inclusion, "for standing up to Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards on the topic of Plan B (Aug 25)."

Creighton U. comes around (in its own way)

Thanks to John Brehany for notifying me that Creighton U. has "mutually agreed upon cancellation" of author Anne Lamott's lecture on Women and Health, a story previously-reported on AmP earlier this week here.

The full text of Creighton's news release:

Creighton University and author Anne Lamott have mutually agreed upon cancellation of her public lecture on September 19, 2007.

After careful review of Ms. Lamott’s most recent writings (which postdated her contract agreement), we have concluded that key points are in opposition to Catholic teaching which, in our judgment, makes her an inappropriate choice for the Women and Health Lecture Series.

Creighton University is not “viewpoint neutral” as we have a religious, Catholic mission. However, as an authentic university, Creighton does respect other views and regularly has speakers, panelists and others who do not necessarily agree with all aspects of our beliefs. At a featured lecture like this, the degree to which the speaker’s views do not harmonize with our Catholic mission becomes more salient. As a Jesuit university, Creighton is a place of intellectual honesty, pluralism, and mutual respect where inquiry and open discussion characterize the environment of teaching, research and professional development.

I'm not very happy about how apologetically Creighton U. has disinvited an offensive guest. It's Ms. Lamott who should be apologizing. Still, this is a good step and I applaud Creighton for making the right call, even if I wish they would have shown a bit more courage in their new-found convictions.

This episode gets me to thinking - what other Catholic Universities currently have inappropriate guest lecturers invited? I'd like to compile a list and would appreciate any email tips. Other Catholic universities would be well advised to follow in Creighton's footsteps.

Go ahead, Catholic institutions, be Catholic!

Update: I've gone and did it.

Your PPOTD! Sunday, August 26th

When asked if he had any big plans for the fall, the Pope refused to elaborate in words. His face, however, could clearly be taken to mean "You ain't seen nothing yet!".

An exciting final weekend of summer before classes begin tomorrow

This weekend I attended a concert on Friday, a couple DC-area Catholic parties on Saturday and, most notably, spent this evening attending Mass and having dinner with Catholic speaker and writer Dawn Eden. To my mind, a perfect-send off before I begin classes tomorrow at the PFIC.

My course schedule this semester is as follows:

• Medical Moral Theology MWF
• Prophets of Israel MWF
• Theological Virtues MW
• Theology of Grace TTH
• Sacraments of Initiation TTH
• Intermediate Hebrew T

That on top of 20 hours a week working in the Advancement Office should keep me quite busy.

No worries, however, I hope that a full schedule will feed my blogging activity rather than diminish it. There will certainly be no end of interesting topics encountered in courses, work and DC-activities.

Deirdre McQuade (USCCB pro-life spokesperson) vs. Cecile Richards (president of Planned Parenthood)

Through some contacts I've been alerted to a very important debate currently taking place between Deirdre McQuade, the planning director for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities (pictured left), and Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood (right).

GoogleNews is providing a semi-official forum for their comments as a follow-up to a recent Associated Press story on the topic of Plan B's reception, growing use and continued controversial nature, one year after its being made available to the public.

McQuade has a much-longer comment than Richards, and also gets a chance to provide a helpful link to a USCCB informational page. These additions are gratifying since she is given only scant coverage in the AP article.

Somehow, I doubt Richards will post a follow-up comment. Truth is on the pro-life side of the abortion debate, no matter how many statistics the opposition tries to toss around. And for this reason I'm especially happy to see developments such as this Google News response and follow-up forum. Blogs, comment boards and the like allow the pro-life message to flourish despite its being ostracized from the mainstream media reports.

Incidentally, in the quote given by Richards to the AP, she is very careful to habituate this perception of the pro-life movement, saying "... there is a fringe group of folks in this country who seem determined to prevent women from getting emergency contraception." Spaces like this Google Forum make it more difficult for Richards to dismiss and demean such "pro-life fringe" groups. Groups that she is afraid to debate on a more even playing field.

Creighton invites pro-abortion, pro-euthanasia speaker Anne Lamott

When I hear about a women who has vocally defended the practice of abortion in America (while agreeing that the fetus is a human life), and who admits in the LA Times to have personally assisted a friend commit suicide, my next thought is not "Wow, what a great person to have promote her views during a lecture on the topic of 'Women & Health' at a Catholic University!"

But then again, I don't work at the Center for Health Policy & Ethics at Jesuit-run Creighton University. And more's the pity. For shame, Creighton.

Update: Thanks to commentor Jeff Baker who provides more coverage as well as marching orders for those who wish to officially notify the involved parties at Creighton of their displeasure.

Catholic News Highlights, Friday August 24th

Catholic News Agency:

• Officials investigating laboratories that are hiding potential abortifacient effect of morning-after pill: "Officials in Argentina are investigating the laboratories of Monte Verde and Biotenk, which market the “morning-after pill” under various brand names, for hiding from consumers the potential abortifacient nature of the drug."
• Africans demand countries follow Ugandan model of abstinence in order to stop AIDS: "The website AllAfrica.com has published an opinion piece by an African expert who is calling on leaders to follow the successful model of Uganda in the effort to stop AIDS, placing emphasis on abstinence and conjugal fidelity instead of the use of condoms."
• Sex-selective abortions skyrocket in India: "The increasingly more widespread use of technology in India to enable mothers to know the sex of their unborn babies has led to a significant increase in the number of aborted girls, according to pro-life activists and government officials."
• Controversy swirls as sales of Plan B soar: "The often contentious pill known as Plan B has turned out to be a major seller for its manufacturer with sales increasing eightfold since 2004. However, the pill still remains morally objectionable to many."
• Archdiocese of San Antonio dedicates new seminary dorm to meet vocational demands: "The Archdiocese of San Antonio has many things to be thankful for, but on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, Archbishop Jose Gomez was able to give it one more reason to express gratitude, a new dormitory for the seminary."

Catholic News Service:

• In India, bishops get a crash course in computers, Internet

Catholic World News:

• Australian bishop backs reconsideration of celibacy, women's ordination: "Bishop Pat Power, an auxiliary of the Canberra, Australia diocese, has indicated his support for an end to mandatory clerical celibacy, and suggested a new discussion of the possibility of ordaining women." [seriously?! I'll try to follow-up on this one. Update: more from Louise in Australia and Carl Olson of Ignatius Press and Diogenes of CWNews]
• UN leaders manipulated plan to promote abortion in Africa.
• Australian racetrack officials unhappy with World Youth Day plans [Apparently this dispute is still continuing. Hopefully it gets resolves soon.]

Zenit:

• Papal Address to Youth of Madrid: "Cultivate Your Own Personal Encounter With Christ"
• Teaching Self-Worth Seen as Africa's Solution: AIDS Nurse Addresses Communion and Liberation
• Italian Youth Readying for Papal Visit: Benedict XVI Will Head to Loreto Saturday
• St. Teresa of Calcutta This Year?: Lay Group Prays for Anticipated Canonization

"How about dinner, movie and ... confession?"

Today's news of the strange features Fr. John Dietzen answering a question posed by a Catholic Times reader (the official newspaper of the diocese of Springfield, Illinois) with a response I found surprising:

Q. Is it permissible for a husband and wife to receive the sacrament of penance together? We have experienced this in a retreat, and the ceremony was very meaningful and spiritually helpful for us. Recently, however, a priest told us this is never permitted, that each person must go to confession alone. How can it be allowed in one place and not another? (Wisconsin)

A. The practice you experienced is not uncommon in retreats or other spiritual occasions for married couples, provided, of course, that they both approve and consider it helpful for their marriage. As far as I can determine, there is no liturgical or canonical rule that prohibits a couple from receiving this sacrament in one another's presence.

But as Canon Lawyer Ed Peters points out, you can't expect every possible action to be explicitly condemned in Canon Law (or any realistic legal system, for that matter):

Deitzen's basic argument runs thus: there is no express canonical or liturgical prohibition against spouses confessing sacramentally in each other's presence, so "couple's confession" is licit. But even if, pro arguendo, no norm expressly prohibits joint confession, one may still ask, So what? There is no canon against the faithful attending Mass drunk or naked, but surely we cannot read the law's "silence" as approval, qualified or otherwise, for such practices. The Church could not possibly identify in advance and prohibit every illicit practice that the faithful might think of. Inclined though I am to give wide play in canon law to the legal maxim Libertas praesumitur (Freedom is presumed), joint confession is an instance where that worthy principle must yield to weightier considerations.

Indeed, I suggest that it is clearly discernible from several canonical norms that joint confession should be avoided. Ironically, Deitzen identifies these norms but seems to miss their obvious (to me, anyway) implications.

Read his treatment of the canonical arguments, which is followed by more objections from common sense.

Don't be unnerved by what you'll be hearing about Mother Teresa

Seen today on the DrudgeReport:

SECRET LIFE OF MOTHER TERESA: Newly Published Letters Reveal 50-Year Crisis of Faith ...

Which links to this article in Time magazine: "Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith."

The article is a review of a new book that Doubleday is releasing on September 18th, entitled "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light." The book "consisting primarily of correspondence between Teresa and her confessors and superiors over a period of 66 years."

I should be receiving a review copy of this book from Doubleday soon.

Suffice it to say for the present that the Time article looks to have missed the mark severely re: the spiritual draught in Mother Teresa's life that the book describes. I would recommend reading the book itself instead, or, in place of that, a competent review of it by a Catholic spiritual master once it has been published.

The Time article, on the other hand, certainly in its title and first few paragraphs, falls into the temptation of trying for shock value rather than honestly addressing the deep spiritual issues that the book discusses. And sadly, article titles and the first few paragraphs of those articles are the most often read, and generally contribute most to the public's general perception of an issue, the "knee-jerk" response of a media-soaked culture to a topic.

A clear error from the first page: the author frames Mother Teresa's request that her personal writings and correspondence be destroyed (a common act, which she shares with people like Pope John Paul II), as a decision that was motivated by embarrassment about her spiritual trials. This kind of mistaken conclusion tells me that the Time author is reading the book through an incomplete secular perspective and simply does not have enough knowledge of the long tradition of Christian spiritual experience/writing that he needs for insightful analysis.

You can bet, however, that Time's take on this topic will become the party line for the mainstream media; a state of affairs which could leave many folks confused about Mother Teresa's saintly character and legacy.

So be prepared.

Your PPOTD! Thursday, August 23rd

Rumors that the Pope intends to take up martial arts gained significant

credibility yesterday when he was seen pricing suitable attire .

[photo: REUTERS/Osservatore Romano (VATICAN)]

"Louisiana candidate decries anti-Catholic political ads" - CWNews

CWNews:

In Louisiana, a Catholic gubernatorial candidate has protested opponents' campaign ads that depict him as intolerant of Protestants.

Bobby Jindal, a Republican candidate, cited a television ad run by Democratic Party leaders in some heavily Protestant areas. The ad charges that Jindal thinks of Protestants as "scandalous, depraved, selfish, and heretical."

The ad is based on an article by Jindal that appeared in a Catholic magazine, the New Oxford Review, in 1996. In that article Jindal argued that there is "no justification in the Bible or the early Church" for the establishment of new Christian denominations outside the Catholic Church. While he praised the vigor and sincerity of many Protestant groups, he wrote that the divisions among Christians are "scandalous."

William Donohue, the head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, denounced the Democratic Party ads as a "scurrilous smear" that appealed to anti-Catholic prejudices. Democratic leaders have insisted in reply that the ads are accurate.

More from the Curt Jester and over at the Cafeteria is Closed.

The Vatican Gets Wings: Airline Routes for Pilgrims to Begin This Month

Well this headline helped me stave-off the urge to take an afternoon nap today. At least for now.

The UK Guardian has the story in English:

Vatican plans airways to heaven

The Vatican may have territorial limits, its own post office and even a football tournament, but it has hitherto lacked what all real states offer: an airline.

That will be put right this month as the Vatican launches its first charter flights for pilgrims from Rome to Lourdes, with some of the world's top religious destinations to follow, including the shrine of Fatima in Portugal and the shrine of the Madonna of Guadalupe in Mexico.

"The spirit of this new initiative is to meet the growing demand by pilgrims to visit the most important sites for the faith," Father Cesare Atuire at the Vatican pilgrimage office, the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, told La Repubblica. He said that with 8 million visitors a year, Lourdes was an obvious first destination.

The flights come thanks to a deal with Italian charter airline Mistral, whose blue and yellow colours coincidentally match the Vatican's, noted CEO Valerio Vaglio.

Mr Vaglio said the headrests on passengers' seats would sport the logo "I'm Searching for Your Face, Lord", while religious guides would be on hand, alongside the usual stewards.

The inaugural flight will include Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the former head of the Italian Bishops Conference, La Repubblica said.

Mistral was launched by the Italian action and comedy film star Bud Spencer and today it is controlled by the Italian post office. Mr Vaglio said that at night, the aircraft flying pilgrimage routes will have their seats removed and be converted back to flying sacks of mail.

Father Atuire hinted that luxury would not be a selling point. "The cost of the packages will bear in mind that the customers will be pilgrims," he said.

The Golden Compass is pointing towards anti-Catholicism

Update: Recent coverage: "Golden Compass author Philip Pullman calls critics "nitwits" (Nov. 27)

CathNews alerts us to the potential problem:

Nicole Kidman has denied that a new film she's making is anti-Catholic. The movie features an organisation known as "The Magisterium", which kidnaps children to remove their souls.

The Brisbane Times reports that Kidman told a US magazine that her Catholic faith affected her consideration of the script for the film, which is titled The Golden Compass.

The fantasy film is based on a novel by Philip Pullman called Northern Lights. It is already attracting attention in the US for avoiding much of the book's perceived anti-Catholic rhetoric.

Kidman said some of the religious elements were removed from the movie script.

Kidman told the magazine: "I was raised Catholic, the Catholic Church is part of my essence.""I wouldn't be able to do this film if I thought it were at all anti-Catholic."

The Golden Compass is due for release in the US on 7 December.

I watched the extended trailer for the movie recently, and remember raising my eyebrows during some parts:



Narrator: "[This] is a world dominated by the Magisterium, which seeks to control all humanity, and whose greatest threat, is the curiosity of a child." (oh darn, he's on to us!)

Scientist Good Guy: "... [there is a] parallel universe, where there is no Magisterium." Religious Evil Guy: "That is heresy." Scientist Good Guy: "That is the truth." (aw shucks, science proved us wrong again!)

What's worse, I found an Amazon review of the novel that this movie is based upon. The review more than collaborates first-hand what CathNews mentions about the books being anti-Catholic:

A shock of bigotry

I read all three of these books and I kept waiting for the Anti-Catholic crap to be explained and rectified. I was horrified particularly that this is a book directed at children when the point of the whole story was to kill the "Authority" aka God. Not only that but all of the Priests of the Church were horrible, evil men who are lacivious, dirty, and murderous. Not one of them is good. And then the only way that the world can be saved is for two 12 year olds to make out.

There are so many other details in the story that I could name as examples of the vemonous anti Christian and particularly anti Catholic bigotry in these books. The 'tempter' is an ex nun who flat out tells the two children that Christianity is a mistake...and there is also a thinly veiled reference to sex when the book says her greatest time of 'bliss' was not when she was a nun. She also goes on to tell these two 12 year old kids that she was not married but lived with a man for four years. Then there is a bizarre story of the two male 'angels' who are in love with each other.

I'd like to tell any parents to steer clear of this book that is supposedly for children or even young adults. And also for people who are fairminded individuals and who dislike bigotry in any form.

I rated this item one star but I would give it NO STAR if I could.

And that's just a start! Read what another Amazon reviewer, from another viewpoint, had to say:

I am not a religious person. I wouldn't say I'm an atheist, but I'm seriously leaning toward agnosticism. However, this series made me feel not just uncomfortable, but downright unclean because of how it dealt with religion. Mr. Pullman is an atheist, and I do not take exception with his right to his beliefs. I probably share some of them. The problem is, this series has been published and marketed as a children's fantasy novel, with no mention of the active dislike - hatred, even - in it's portrayal of religion. Mr. Pullman is free to believe what he chooses, and I'll defend to my dying day his right to do so. However, readers (and their parents) also have a right to their beliefs, and should not be blindsided by a seemingly harmless children's book. We label music with violent lyrics, restrict access to movies with adult themes, even rate television shows so parents have some idea of the content before allowing their children to watch. It disturbs me that this book is marketed directly to children, without any indication of its anti-religious themes.

This is not a series for young children, no matter how precocious they are. Religious issues aside, it's just too dark. Even young teens should not read this series without adult input. If your child wishes to read it, you should read it first and be prepared to discuss it with them. This is especially true if you are even casually religious because it's unsettling to have your beliefs twisted into something evil and spit back at you. Adults and older teens should be aware of the subject matter before reading it. If you don't have a problem with it, fine, enjoy the books. They're certainly well written. If I had been prepared for the subject matter before going into it, I might have actually liked the books.

... and here's a third negative review along similar lines, for good measure.

Now, tally these objections with the fact that New Line Cinema is trying to market the movie as a logical/related continuation of their Lord of the Rings productions (and thereby trying to take advantage of its huge audience), and I'm not at all pleased.

The official trailer begins with the line "In 2001 New Line Cinema opened the door to Middle-Earth. This December they take you on another epic journey", while the Golden Compass is falling through air and spinning around to look like the One Ring from the LOTR promotions. How cute, but also how wrong.

I don't think I'm being pedantic on this point. People love LOTR not just for its fantasy world, but for its philosophy. To say that LOTR and the Golden Compass are two epic journeys is to ignore what kind of epic journey the LOTR presents. While perhaps sharing a similar genre of fiction, these sound like two very different tales.

Of course, you might be wondering why people are making a fuss over the anti-Catholicism of the book if the movie has tried to remove the offensive parts. Well, these types of movies always generate a renewed interest in the original titles. In the case of the LOTR and Chronicles of Narnia, this is great. In the case of the Golden Compass, this is a problem. Moreover, it seems that the Golden Compass isn't just sprinkled with the occasional anti-Catholic/anti-religious sentiment - it is deeply-inundated with the bigotry of a bitter atheist.

.... and it's marketed as a book for children?!

Update: Christopher Blosser has previously treated the problematic nature of Philip Pullman's work. If you want a more in-depth analysis of the issues involved I highly encourage you to read Christopher's post.

Update 2: Carl Olson at Ignatius Insight has also posted today on this topic (he was planning on doing an updated story about Pullman anyway, since he has covered his works in the past). Quite a triple takedown, this.

"Pope Benedict sending Secretary of State to Peru" - CNA

CNA reports:

After reciting the Angelus prayer today, the Pope remembered those affected by the “devastating earthquake” in Peru and announced that he is sending the Vatican’s Secretary of State with help from the Church.

...

The Pope said that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, will soon be travelling to the country where he will personally relay the Pope’s sympathies and “concrete help from the Holy See”.

Catholic News Highlights, Friday August 17th

Catholic News Highlights:

• CNA: Peruvians see miracle in famous crucifix spared during earthquake // Rally against divorce planned for this weekend in DC // RU 486 abortion pill unsafe despite media reports
• CNS: College chaplains offer advice on how college students can keep faith
• CWNews: Irish Church looks to revival, archbishop says
• LifeSiteNews: Romney to Cut Embryonic Stem Cell Investments After Press Discovery
• Zenit (follow-up): Vatican Denies Tinkering With Wikipedia: "The director of the Vatican press office explained that, even if the BBC verifies the story, one still has to take into account that there are many computers in the Vatican, and that anyone could have access to Wikipedia on any one of them."
• NewAdvent: Priest fined for early morning bell-ringing

AmericanPapist Summer Shout-Outs

Several folks have been alerting me to their wonderful blogs and I've had to let them stack up until I had a chance to check them all out. Here they are!

Ryan Lobato has decided that "the one thing the internet needs is yet another Catholic blog with a funny Latin name" but has actually gone a step further and compiled links to as many free Catholic MP3 files he can find. See a need, fill a need! Go visit Sonitus Sanctus.

Elizabeth Andrew is beginning her post-college pro-life career. Best of luck!

Fr. Edward Seagriff gets a kick out of the PPOTD and has a fine parish/resource website.

And finally, a very unique (and exciting) blog by Brendan Koop and his family: Ecclesia Domestica.

"We are building a home in Ham Lake, MN over the next 2 years and have been amazed at the work of the Holy Spirit in the genesis of our project and how it may apply to Catholic families all over the country. We are planning a radically Catholic home, with a designed homschool area and a chapel, a home designed for the family as the "domestic church."

My younger brother, a graduate of Harvard with a Master's degree in architecture, is our architect. This is going to be a serious project that I hope has repercussions elsewhere in inspiring other families to build architecturally designed homes, or remodel their home, or even adapt their existing home to be a fortress of holiness and virtue.

The structure of the home won't make a family and its members more holy or virtuous, but it has been woefully overlooked as an important means of enhancing these goals. There will be more to come on the blog in the future in regard to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this endeavor, but I strongly believe the Lord wants to build up strong Catholic families to butress the attack on the family currently underway in the world, and home design to support that effort can be key."

Brendan further reports that in the first two weeks "we have already had over 1,000 unique visitors and over 1,250 hits! We've had comments from England, Arizona, an architecture student from Notre Dame, and even an Anglican who says he's interested in the project."

I'm always on the look-out for good Catholic blogs, drop me a line sometime!

Meditational video, "The Price of Salvation: The Life of Christ"

Forwarded to me by reader Gabrielle:

A prayer request to my readers

This passed-on to me by a friend studying at the University of Dallas:

Dear friends,The last few days have been unexpectedly heartrending for me, and I am writing this to ask for all of your prayers for the son of a wonderful Catholic family who was lost in a drowning accident yesterday afternoon.

My Mom and I drove to Kansas early yesterday morning, intending to pick up a friend for the weekend, and unexpectedly found ourselves in the midst of a tragedy. As we approached our friend's house in Maple Hill, we crossed a bridge full of police officers staring down into the water. We pulled into the Van der Puttens', and were met with the news that several families in the parish had been spending the day on the river to celebrate the feast of Our Lady's Assumption. About 11 boys, and one father, were on a sandbar about 30 feet out, when the sandbar suddenly collapsed, and the father and several teens tried frantically to swim the younger boys to shore. With the undertow pulling them under, they managed to get most of the boys to safety, but as Peter Zaplitow grabbed his nine-yr-old brother Michael and another 8-yr-old, all three began to sink. Michael finally pushed Peter away towards shore, and let go of his brother. Peter swam the other boy to shore, almost collapsing himself, and watched helplessly as his brother went under. It all happened in a matter of minutes, at about 1:30 pm.

When we arrived at 5 and received the news, we drove to the parish church, and joined several hundred sorrowing parishioners to pray Our Lady's rosary continuously until about 10 pm, when the search and rescue teams called off the search for Michael's body for the night. His body has still not been recovered, and the search will continue over the next days.

It is in times of great tragedy that the deep mysteries of our Catholic faith, the intermingling of sorrow with trust and hope, became so present and real. The Zaplitow family were an incredible witness of love and faith in their grief, and it was truly a gift to be able to pray for them as a community, truly joined in the body of Christ. Please, if you would, remember Michael's soul and the intentions of his family, in your prayers.

Now that's a Church.

Not to say that other churches aren't churches. But some certainly get closer to the ideal of "perfect church" than do others. Gerald would be pleased, I'm sure. And sure enough, this one is in Austria:

"Two priests pray in the church of the the monastery of Heiligenkreuz, south of Vienna during a media tour, on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007,. Pope Benedict XVI will visit the monastery during his three-day visit to Austria from Sept. 7 to 9, 2007. (AP Photo/Hans Punz)"

I love the name as well, Heiligenkreuz (="holy cross"). Here's its wikipedia entry. The church does indeed contain a relic of the True Cross, originating from Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, King of Jerusalem and given to duke Leopold V in 1182, who donated it to the monastery six years later. It was put on public display in 1983.

A silver lining to the Peru earthquake disaster

In no way intending to make light of the situation, I'd like to note Rod Dreher's observation that dozens of the fatalities caused by yesterday's earthquake in Peru occurred in a Catholic Church:

ABC News reported just now that the Peru earthquake caused a Catholic church to cave in during mass, killing a hundred people. One way to look at it: if you have to die, wouldn't you want to do it while in church? Another way to look at it: at mass? Come on, God, why?

Though it may seem easy for me to say this from my situation, I've often thought that the fulfillment of the final invocation in the Hail Mary that she be with us "now and at the hour of our death" would be a to die during one one of the Sacraments (presuming I was in a state of grace, etc).

Abp. Foley, in his homily on the Feast of the Assumption this week, made a similar point. He said that whenever he goes to bed, he prays to Jesus "that he might soon see Your mother, and mine."

We should all pray that the faithful who died attending Mass in Peru yesterday will soon enjoy the beatific vision, and be with our Blessed Mother.

Muslim leaders want to get involved in WYD '08

CWNews:

Islamic leaders in Australia may encourage participation in the 2008 World Youth Day celebration, in exchange for a promise from Catholic leaders that there will be no effort to convert young people of other faiths, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

CNA reports:

Sydney’s Muslim leaders have offered to open their mosques and school halls to Catholic pilgrims for World Youth Day 2008. The announcement was made after WYD organizers met with more than a dozen Islamic religious and community leaders on Monday for a briefing about the international Catholic youth event.

WYD Coordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher said the briefing was also a chance to consider ways that the Islamic community might collaborate by offering hospitality, hosting interfaith activities, or volunteering at WYD. The Church has committed that it will not try to convert members of other religious denominations volunteering at WYD, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

Certainly a good opportunity, under the proper circumstances.

Meanwhile, in other Catholic youth news, Pope Benedict "encourages young people to have nostalgia for the eternal":

In a message to the participants of the International Pilgrimage of Youth, which has arrived in the Marian shrine of Mariazell in Austria, Pope Benedict XVI told the young people that “despite ‘material satisfaction,’ nostalgia for the eternal is very present and that the Church in Europe is alive.”

The Pope invited participants to seek an encounter “with Jesus Christ, in prayer, in the Sacred Liturgy, which you celebrate in visible communion with the Church, as well as at different times during your encounter, so that your friendship with Him can grow.”

“When so many young people come to Mariazell to encounter Christ there in the sacraments, one cannot help but see in that a sign that despite ‘material satisfaction,’ nostalgia for the eternal is very present and the Church in Europe is alive,” the pontiff said in his message which was read by Cardinal Cristoph Schonborn of Vienna.

What exactly did happen to Bp. Pelotte?

One of the most strange (and troubling stories) happening right now involves the injuries sustained by Bp. Pelotte of Gallup, New Mexico. I briefly noted the story at the time a couple weeks ago.

CNA has the story near when it went public July 27th. Notable for our purposes is the fact that Bp. Pelotte sustained "Severe injuries to his face."

More strange still, however, is the story that Bp. Pelotte is circulating as the reason for his injuries: a fall down the stairs. This explanation is simply inconsistent with his injuries which appear "to have been the result of a severe beating," as CWNews relates on August 2nd.

Local news sources aren't satisfied with the official account either, and Rocco mentions that the bishop had his life threatened back in 2005. Gerard has posted on this story as well, and the attention it has been increasingly receiving recently. Diogenes doesn't buy the official line. AMDG has some coverage of the local news reporting on the story.

Sadly, the first explanation that normally comes to mind in this kind of situation - presuming the Bishop was actually assaulted and did not, as he claim, fall down the stairs - is that the Bishop has something to hide and is embarrassed about some aspect of his conduct relating to the event.

Or, again, it could be that he is trying to somehow defend his attacker for that person's best interest. But really, it's extremely difficult to envision a set of circumstances where Bishop Pelotte would be justified in his manner of treating the media (let alone his diocese, which, I would argue, has a legitimate right to know what has befallen their shepherd).

As a side note, Bishop Pelotte is the first American-Indian bishop.

Pope's new encyclical to be released in a matter of days?!

The report, however unlikely (read: very), comes out of India's Economic Times:

MUMBAI: The Vatican, the seat of the Catholic Church, has decided to lend a helping hand to governments across the globe that are trying to tackle the menace of cross-border tax evasion. It will soon come out with an Encyclical denouncing tax evasion and the tax havens that deprive many governments of resources for social justice.

According to the reports in the foreign media, the Encyclical, an official statement of the Pope issued periodically by the Catholic Church, will be released within a few days. The office of the Archbishop of Mumbai said it will be able to comment on the issue only after the Encyclical is released.

It makes sense that Indian presses would be particularly involved in speculation regarding the new encyclical's subject matter and release date. As I understand it, India is particularly notorious for its problems with tax evasion, where actually paying one's taxes to the government is the exception: most people find some way around the laws ("In fact, money flowing into Swiss bank accounts from India is estimated at $500 billion.")

Tax evasion will also be a political issue during our upcoming elections. The release time of this encyclical, whatever it is, will be interesting in the context of those accompanying debates. The local inspiration for the encyclical could well be the recent crackdown on tax evasion in Italy, led by Romano Prodi [source], himself a practicing Catholic who has called upon the Church to speak out on this issue. 1/3 of Italians, it is known, heavily evade their tax debts, creating a huge deficit problem for the government [source]. The time frame, of course, also coincides nicely with the 40th anniversary of Paul VI's encyclical Populorum Progressio [source].

What do we know for sure about the Encylical? One, that it is being worked on during the Pope's vacation [source: Msgr. Ganswein & Fr. Lombardi] Second, the subject matter will include the topics of globalization, tax evasion and offshore banks, as well as outline just guidelines for world trade, with care for the poor [source].

Already the debate over the wisdom of the Pope's perceived position is getting hot, and I guess that it would be too much to ask that people cool off until the time when we actually have a published text to read.

Until then, I'll be watching the ticker tape.

Can Emeril break-dance like our priest-turned-TV-chef?

In what has to be one of the most colorful stories Catholic News Services has published in a while, comes the report about Father Leo Patalinghug, the "break-dancing, martial-arts guru who also happens to be a skilled cook." After you read the story, visit his website, "Grace Before Meals."

A summary of one of the shows: "Picky eaters. A mom who hates to cook. One jam-packed schedule. Father Leo helps a busy Maryland family learn how to ditch their fast-food mentality for a delicious Italian meal."

Videos here. And the blog (with recipes) here.

This sure beats Emeril. And Bobby Flay. But not David Rosengarten. No one makes a better BLT than him!

Another day, another case of persecution in Iran

This time a man was lashed thirty-four times and suffered "other humiliations" for having a copy of the Gospel in his car, as CNA reports. Muslim leaders of the world - protest! Oh wait.

So that's why the Wiki entries on Catholic topics are so good....

C-S-L alerts me to the fact that some unnamed folks in the Vatican have taken it upon themselves to edit various Wikipedia entries on Catholic topics. Well, good for them! If their editing is honest and objective (which I presume), it is good to have qualified folks contributing. I've been consistenly impressed with the quality of Wikipedia pages on even rather obscure topics. The entry on the Tridentine Mass, for instance, is a wealth of information.

Mass of the Assumption today in DC ...

... was celebrated at the National Basilica by Archbishop John Foley (ex. president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications), with (obviously frail) Cardinal Emeritus Baum of Washington DC in attendance. Mass clocked-in at a healthy hour and forty minutes, mostly due to the after-celebration prayers for peace and the contributions of the Basilica choir. Here is a blurry picture which I snapped with my cameraphone of Abp. Foley dismissing the congregation. The liturgy was meticulously celebrated, which is encouraging considering it was the first Mass of the Basilica's new master of ceremonies (whose name, sadly, escapes me at present).

After the liturgy it was announced by Msgr. Rossi, rector of the National Shrine, that the foreword dome mural, paid for by the Knights of Columbus, had just that day been completed. I managed to snap a slightly better (and larger) picture of this most recent addition to the Basilica's sacred decoration. The mural is entitled "The Incarnation of our Savior" and will (I think) be officially dedicated November 16th - an event which I hope to attend. The central and final dome to be decorated (also the largest) is scheduled to be installed sometime in 2009.

Incidently, the cause for the beatification of the KofC's founder, Father McGivney, is being promoted by Dominican Father Gabriel B. O'Donnell, who I just met with during the week previous to go over my planned course of studies at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception. Father O'Donnell has "written extensively about the life and heroic virtue of the founder of the Knights of Columbus", and those articles are archived here.

I hope, as I become more involved in local Catholic events here in DC, to continue posting short updates on them and related topics, along the lines I've begun here. I hope this is of interest to my readers!

Pope Benedict: "The protection of Mary accompanies us throughout our lives"

CNA gives us a recap of the Holy Father's words today on the Feast of the Assumption.

Now I'm off to the Basilica of the National Shrine where I'll be satisfying my obligation to attend Mass!

Your PPOTD! Thursday, August 15th

Reason #63 why it's good to be Pope:

"You only have to try hailing a cab once."

[photo: REUTERS/Tony Gentile (ITALY)]

Mr. Pope, Don't Tear Down These Trees!

Meh, you get the general idea.

The trees in question (photo: AP Photo/Hans Punz):

The quote that sums it up for me:

Mariazell Mayor Helmut Pertl told the Kleine Zeitung daily he thinks the fuss is completely overblown.

"If this was my biggest worry [cutting down a few trees], I'd be pretty happy," he said.

The full story from the AP.

AmP's "Huh?!" of the Day

"Pray to Allah, Dutch bishop suggests."

A Baker for Birmingham

Birmingham (home diocese of EWTN) has a new bishop ... Robert Baker of Charleston.

• CWNews has the story
• Rocco reports
• Amy Welborn knows him
• And so does her husband, Michael
• The Birmingham News has a short story and bio

I'd love to blog more, but I only have a few precious minutes during this, my lunch break....

"A canonical response to a murderous priest "

In The Light of the Law:

"The story out of Mexico ... that a priest has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for the murder of his own son (committed to prevent detection of the priest's sexual misconduct and his possible expulsion from the clerical state) leaves one pretty much speechless. In the 18 months since this story broke, it appears that the Mexican hierarchy, appalled by the discovery, cooperated with state prosecutors pursuing the matter in secular court. That's all to the good, of course; but I think it important that the canonical consequences for such loathsome conduct be pursued as well." [Read more.]

The AmericanPapist is ...

... very happy to report that internet access has been installed in his new domicile.

Expect regular updating to resume in the next 24.

No worries...

Moving into my new apartment and starting a new job are (not surprisingly) taking up all of my time this week, but by then end of it my computer and Internet at home should be up and running and I'll be be able to get back into the swing of things at that point. Till then!

Catholic News Highlights, Friday August 3rd

CatholicNewsHighlights:

• LSN: "UK Bishop: Couples that Cohabit .... Should Not Receive its [Marriage's] Legal Benefits"
• CWN: "Questions persist about New Mexico bishop's injuries" - an odd story, to be sure.
• CNS: "St. Paul-Minneapolis Catholic community responds to bridge collapse"
• CNA: "Seminarians bring Church’s teaching on contraception, sexuality to YouTube" - these videos were posted on AmP earlier this week and can be seen right here.

B16 "dabbling in the hottest new religion"?

When the news first broke that the Vatican was trying to become the "world's first carbon-neutral state" I said it would be taken the wrong way by most people.

.... and here's one example of that happening.

Video: IT in the Middle Ages

Quite humorous:



Hey, I've been there!

Ph/t: Happy Catholic.

Your PPOTD! Thursday, August 2nd

Antonio's experience as a photographer for professional golf matches did not serve him well when it came time to capture the Pope from "innovative angles".

[photo: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Papist ponderings: U2 - The First Time

Listening to some lesser-known U2 tonight, I came across The First Time from the Zooropa album. Take a gander at the lyrics. Enterprising souls can probably find the sheet music easily enough.

Not a bad song, that.

Washington DC visit: follow-up

My trip to DC last week was extremely fruitful and successful. So successful, in fact, that I will be moving there after this coming weekend, beginning a job in the advancement office of Dominican House. I would request your continued prayers for a smooth and safe transition.

Incidentally, several folks felt apprehensive about offering tips on things as "mundane" as good places to eat and have a pint. Have no fears - such suggestions are more than welcome. After all, where else is a good papist supposed to do his plotting? :)

Catholic News Highlights, Thursday August 2nd

CatholicNewsHighlights:

Catholic News Agency:

• Pope’s personal secretary reveals details about Pope’s vacation in Lorenzago
• Anglican archbishop warns against boycotts of Lambeth 2008 (watch this situation develop)
• Japanese bishops: number of baptisms on the rise
• 13 million hits in first three days of new Vatican City State website (I account for a few of those....)
• Austrians can receive text messages from Pope (now that would cause me to keep my ringer on!)

Catholic News Services:

• Catholic campuses embrace 'green' initiatives: "Students at the college are familiar with the words of the founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius of Loyola, who said, "Go set the world aflame." The school used this familiar phrase, Dunn said, in its campaign to cut down on energy consumption. Posters around campus instruct students to "Go set the world aflame, but before you do, don't forget to turn off the lights." ( - doesn't that speak volumes?)
• Pope says he rejoiced with Iraqis when they won Asian soccer tourney
• Franciscan monastery in Washington offers glimpse of Holy Land (this is good to know!)

Catholic World News:

• Vacation Reading: top CWN stories from the past month
• Chinese officials arrest underground priests
• Flawed records found in San Diego diocesan bankruptcy

LifeSiteNews:

• Tonight Show's Jay Leno Jokes of Priests as Pedophiles Six Times in Five Weeks
• First Female President of India Calls for an End to Female Abortions
• Canada's Population is Aging at an Alarming Rate: 2006 Census
• Toronto Film Festival Winner "Bella" Finds Major Distributor, Anticipates Opening October 26
• Media Misses the Point: Pope Says Have Concern for the Planet Yes, but a Greater Concern for Human Life

A few random stories of note

Via AMDG, "Cardinal Martini Speaks Out Against Latin Mass".

Via Powerblog, "Flight 93 memorial: 'Giant mosque'".

Via WiredCatholic (and the NZ Herald), Catholic priest's unholy YouTube outburst.

Via CSL, a disturbing thought: What would WYD be without condoms?

Via the AP, Philly Archdiocese Takes Out Movie Ads.