Photos: 300,000 printed signatures being shipped to Notre Dame

David Costanzo, Communications Director of the Cardinal Newman Society (which organized the NotreDameScandal.com petition), has sent me the original covert art and actual photos of the ready-for-shipping mega-binders which contain the first 300,000 signatures:

I hope Fr. Jenkins has a big mailbox:

These were sent out to Fr. Jenkins today.

[second photo credit: Sioux Printing]

Legion of Christ to expand into U.S. Catholic higher education?

The Legion of Christ runs many high schools in the United States. Now it appears they are on the cusp of making their first foray into U.S. Catholic higher education (I, at least, am unaware of another Legion-run Catholic College in the US), according to this press release:

Legion of Christ, Southern Catholic Eye Long-Term Collaboration

The Legion of Christ and Southern Catholic College (SCC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that could make possible the college becoming a Legion institution.

"We are excited about this development," said Jeremiah J. Ashcroft, president of SCC. "By collaborating with the Legion, we'll be able to attract students from across North America and develop programs with institutions around the world. This expanded reach and support greatly enhances our ability to achieve our mission to prepare moral and ethical leaders who will enlighten society and glorify God."

"By working with SCC, the Legion can accelerate its desire to offer a greater contribution to higher education in North America. Nevertheless, we are still working things out, so it's not a done deal yet," said Father Scott Reilly, L.C., territorial director for Legion. "Southern Catholic is a great college and there would be considerable sharing of best practices with our existing institutions. I expect that SCC will experience significant growth in student population in the years ahead, with added growth coming from Legion-affiliated secondary schools in North America."

Southern Catholic College is a co-educational liberal arts college, Georgia's first and only residential Catholic college. The school provides a learning environment for academic excellence grounded in the Catholic intellectual and moral tradition. SCC was founded in 2000 and has more than 200 students from 25 states on its campus in Dawsonville, GA, an hour north of Atlanta.

My sources tell me the acquisition of SCC by the Legion is actually farther along than the press release claims. Donors, faculty, staff, students and students' parents have supposedly already been informed about the plans, and the local Archdiocesan paper will be covering the story very soon.

The title of the press release, which mentions "collaboration", seems a technical misnomer. From what I understand, the Legion is buying Southern Catholic College, which has been experiencing difficulties (see below).

While clearly this plan has been in the works for awhile, making the news public at this time - as the Legion is preparing to undergo a apostolic visitation by the Vatican - is interesting to me. Apparently, at this local level, business is certainly being carried on as usual within the Legion.

The Center for Catholic Higher Education has a six-page overview and evaluation of SCC. They have only been hosting students since 2005. A student has been blogging about his experiences at SCC for some time, and makes some allusion to "many difficulties going on" at SCC. For those interested, his 2008 archive is probably the best place to browse. I am not trying to paint an negative picture of the situation - after all, it is by no means out of the ordinary for a start-up Catholic college to experience trials and difficulties in its early years of operation.

From the Legion's perspective, I think this line from Fr. Scott Reilly in the press release is the critical one: "I expect that SCC will experience significant growth in student population in the years ahead, with added growth coming from Legion-affiliated secondary schools in North America."

Currently, graduates of Legion high schools in the U.S. go on to attend a wide variety of colleges and universities. Soon, if they so choose, they may now opt to continue their education in a Legion institution during their undergraduate years as well.

update: readers have noted that the Legion has operated the University of Sacramento since 2005.

Exclusive: New ND Law Dean contributed to Obama/pro-abortion Catholic politicians

Notre Dame is really on a roll, isn't it?

It appears that the upper administration has made yet another questionable decision.

Yesterday they announced their new Law School dean:

"The chancellor and dean of the Hastings College of the Law at the University of California has been named as the new Joseph A. Matson Dean of the University of Notre Dame Law School. Nell Newton will assume her new responsibilities on July 1. She succeeds Patricia O'Hara, who is stepping down after 10 years as dean."

And who does the new dean of Notre Dame Law support when it comes to political candidates?

[source: Huffington Post.]

That's right, she donated the maximum amount to Barack Obama for his presidential run. And she gave money to Jackie Speier who is a pro-abortion Catholic politician. And she gave money to John Kerry was was a pro-abortion Catholic nominee for President.

... and this is the type of scholar that Notre Dame chose to lead its Catholic Law School?

An informed reader contributes:

"The law school at Notre Dame has made great strides in recent years, recruiting a respectable number of folks that are drawn to Catholic orthodoxy ... The law school has been trying to fill the deanship for some time. There were hopes for an outstanding transitional figure, who could foster both academic rigor and Catholic orthodoxy at Notre Dame. Yesterday, ND announced its new law school dean, Nell Jessup Newton. She may be a gifted administrator, but there are far superior scholars on the current ND faculty ... So much for hope and change."

So much for Catholic identity and witness, too.

update - LifeNews:

In its announcement, Jenkins praises Newton but makes no mention of her donations to pro-abortion candidates in opposition to the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church.

“In Nell Newton, Notre Dame has gained a superb scholar, a proven academic leader, and a person deeply committed to the University’s mission,” Father Jenkins said.

Ah, this could be helpful - what is the university's mission, Fr. Jenkins?

Update: PDF Scan of Cardinal George's ND letter

Earlier this morning I blogged:

"I received a report which says Cardinal George's office is writing back to people who have expressed complaints about ND, saying that neither he nor the USCCB has authority in the issues."

Here now is a PDF scan of the Cardinal's letter:

The circling was done by the individual who scanned the document, I believe.

Open Letter: Dr. Janet Smith to Fr. Jenkins

Dr. Janet E. Smith is the Fr. Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. She has granted permission for her letter to Fr. John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame, to be published:

"Dear Fr. Jenkins - Let me add my voice to those who are profoundly disappointed at the choice of President Obama as the commencement speaker.

The Notre Alumni Association has been putting out this statement [full text here]:

“The University does not support the President’s positions on specific issues regarding the protection of human life, including abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Our positions on these issues are firm and unwavering. The invitation to President Obama to be the Commencement speaker shouldn’t be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions that contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Rather, the University has invited the President to campus for what he’s done for racial equality, and for his stands on poverty, immigration, education, infectious disease, and seeking peace. These are causes dear to the heart of Notre Dame, and he has elevated these causes and made them his own.”

Father, I know that if someone like George Wallace had been elected president of the United States, no matter how much good he had done – no matter how many causes “near to Notre Dame’s heart” he had elevated, Notre Dame would not have invited him to be the commencement speaker nor given him an honorary degree. The world would not have believed that Notre Dame remained “firm and unwavering” in its opposition to racism. It would not have thought that Notre Dame was hoping to spark a national dialogue on racism. It would have thought Notre Dame had lost its mind and faith.

It truly is a scandal that Notre Dame has decided to honor President Obama. There is no reason that Catholics should believe that we can look to Notre Dame for leadership on the most controversial issues of the day, issues that involve the yearly killing of millions of the innocent. It is such a shame."

Bishop Olmsted tells Fr. Jenkins Obama invitation "public act of disobedience to US Bishops"

Here is a screen capture of the letter that the Bishop of Phoenix Thomas Olmsted sent to Notre Dame President Father Jenkins yesterday (on the Feast of the Annunciation) and has now permitted to be published today:

These are very strong words from Bishop Olmsted, especially these two lines:

"It is a public act of disobedience to the Bishops of the United States."

"I pray that you come to see the grave mistake of your decision, and the way it undercuts the Church's proclamation of the Gospel of Life in our day."

Mike Phelan, Director of Marriage and Respect Life for the Diocese of Phoenix, introduced the letter this way:

"Due to the fact that the invitation by Notre Dame’s president, Fr. John Jenkins, to President Barack Obama to give the commencement speech at Notre Dame’s May graduation is a public act causing widespread public scandal due to the US President’s clear support of policies which fail to protect and even attack innocent human life, Bishop Olmsted has given permission to release the attached email text publicly."

And now you have it, too. My comprehensive coverage of the Notre Dame scandal is available here.

Welcome, new readers, don't forget to follow my Twitter updates and join the AmP Facebook Fanpage.

Exclusive: Director of ND Alumni sends email to club leaders

I have received a copy of the email, which I post in full:

Dear Club Leaders:

As you know, the University recently announced President Barack Obama will be the principal speaker and recipient of an honorary degree at Notre Dame’s Commencement ceremony this May. President Obama will be the ninth U.S. president to be awarded an honorary degree by the University, and the sixth to be the Commencement speaker. Here is the press release about the announcement.

Many alumni, parents, and friends of the University have expressed their opinions about the selection of the Commencement speaker. We welcome their feedback and appreciate the passion the Notre Dame family has for Our Lady’s University.

As leaders of ND clubs, classes, and alumni groups, you may receive phone calls, e-mails, and letters from alumni, parents and friends regarding the Commencement speaker.

If alumni, parents or friends would like to express their opinions to the University regarding this issue , please ask them to send an e-mail to the Alumni Association at ndalumni@nd.edu . They will receive a timely response.

The Alumni Association also welcomes you to share your personal views on this issue, but requests that any communications be sent outside the structure and distribution lists of the Notre Dame club, class or alumni group that you represent.

Here are a few University observations about the selection of the President as the Commencement speaker:

The University does not support President Obama’s positions on specific issues regarding the protection of human life, including abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Notre Dame’s positions on these issues are firm and unwavering. The invitation to the President to be the Commencement speaker shouldn’t be taken as condoning or endorsing his positions that contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Rather, the University has invited the President to campus for what he’s done for racial equality, and for his stands on poverty, health care, immigration, education, infectious disease, and seeking peace. These are causes dear to the heart of Notre Dame, and he has elevated these causes and made them his own.

It adds special significance that the Notre Dame family will hear the Commencement address from our first African-American president, a man who has spoken eloquently on the issue of race in this nation.

That said, presenting a Commencement speaker with an honorary degree does not imply approval of all a person thinks or does. We recognize that the University has differences with the President on specific issues of protecting life, and we hope his visit to campus will provide an opportunity t o address our concerns in a dialogue that can deepen over time, and ultimately lead to better policies for protecting life. A policy that is never discussed is policy that is never changed, and we’re going to get more discussion on these issues because of his visit to Notre Dame.

Also, I want to mention that Fr. Hesburgh spoke last Friday evening (3/20) to a group of alumni, parents, and friends who had gathered on campus for the Academic Recognition Weekend. Someone in the group raised the question: what did Fr. Hesburgh think of the University’s announcement of Obama as Commencement speaker? “No speaker who has ever come to Notre Dame has changed this University, he explained. We are who we are. But, quite often, the very fact of being here has changed the speaker.”

Do we expect President Obama to reverse his stance on life issues after visiting campus? No, but we do expect that the national attention drawn to these matters by virtue of his being here will open up the conversation around these critical issues—and shed light on Notre Dame’s and the Catholic Church’s firm opposition to abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

Your devotion to Notre Dame is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support and all you do for Our Lady’s University.

For Notre Dame,
Charles F. Lennon Jr. ’61, ’62 M.A.
Executive Director, Notre Dame Alumni Association

Exclusive: Abp. Chaput calls on Catholics to write ND

I just heard that Archbishop Chaput, who is at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit for their St. Paul conference, has encouraged people to write charitably to the President of ND to protest the Obama invite.

You can join 10,000 people who have already done so here. My coverage of this developing story here.

[retweeet.]

Report: LC "town hall meeting" with vocations director

On March 9th I posted news forwarded to me by a member of Regnum Christi about the first-ever Interactive Teleconference hosted by Legion vocations director Fr. Anthony Bannon.

Fr. Bannon was one of the figures instrumental in the founding and expansion of the Legionaries and Regnum Christi in the United States, and has been with them for more than thirty years.

Here are my observations of the conference call he conducted last night, numbered for convenience:

1. There was a moderator of the conversation that introduced Fr. Bannon. People calling-in were given the option of submitting a question. Some of these questions were submitted to Fr. Bannon by the moderator (scroll down). It was promised that every question would eventually receive a response from Fr. Bannon or one of his assistants.
2. Fr. Bannon began with a clarification of what the call was, and was not. He said it was not a news conference and he would not be discussing or answering questions about the "unexpected events" and "total surprise" of the "serious failings of the father founder" which he went on to say were "difficult to accept, but accept them we must." [These parts felt recited and measured.]
3. He said the time was not yet mature to discuss these matters and promised that the Legion was in constant contact with the Holy See. He said there were facts that still need to be investigated. Prudentially and without rushing. He promised they were working on it.
4. [This sounded more ad-libbed] He emphatically stated that "we’re deeply sorry and apologize to anyone who has been hurt or scandalized by these actions. Our directors are quietly trying to get in touch with possible victims." He went on to apologize again for the scandal caused to "you."
5. "Many of you have gotten in touch with us to say you are praying for us, so let me express my gratitude for your prayers over these past weeks."
6. "One of the main reasons that you have supported us is our fidelity to the Holy See. That part of our spirituality is not about to change nor will it ever I hope."
7. He promised that anything the Holy Father saw as appropriate (in terms of taking action), "we will do that and do it happily."
8. [It was evident at this point that he was in fact going to discuss the situation at some length.]
9. "First point, our trials have been a blessing. You have been very kind to us." He said the Legion has received many accolades including from many quarters in authority in the church.
10. He said the apostolates were growing tremendously. "All of this is good." But at the same time: "We are human and this is therefore a danger. We can get overconfident, begin to feel superior." He said there was a real danger of "losing the focus" and that "the present situation has helped bring us back."
11. He continued: "This experience of weakness has brought us back to the core of what we are doing as priests. We must review our actions to make sure no one except Christ is at the center of our lives. A better awareness that it is Christ we are following, and no one and nothing else."
12. These points are perhaps the most interesting of what he said: "Our constitutions were approved 25 ½ years ago. It was like the church took our charism out of our hands. Received from God, and taken out of our hands and our founder’s hands. For those 25 years, not even he could change them without going through a process."
13. [I'm paraphrasing:] The church has guaranteed ours as a valid charism, and protects it. It is a valid path to holiness. Regnum Christi was approved in similar fashion 4 years ago.
14. We work to do what the church has approved in order to make it a reality. [At this point it felt rather distinctly that he was reading from a prepared statement. Though perhaps rephrasing things in his own words. It was very fluid.]
15. He concluded by saying, in effect, "We want to make sure we are what we are supposed to be, in what the Church has approved."
16. (I forget exactly how long this opening statement took to complete, but I believe it was about 8 minutes.)
17. Next, he overviewed the situation of Legionary formation in the United States. "Vocations are up this year" was the bottom line. But he spoke at length and in great detail. He talked a lot about how happy the seminarians are.
18. He said formation of Legionary priests faces two challenges: fostering commitment to the vocation they have chosen on the side of the seminarians, and providing for the financial needs of their education on the side of the formators.
19. At this point, the moderator came back on the line and asked five survey questions of the listeners, which I paraphrase: a) how vital is the work of the legion to the future success of the Church? b) in addition to vocations, what are you most interested in -
    Youth family programs; Schools/education; Work with poor abroad? c) what age group are you in? d) have you ever met a legion priest or seminarian? e) are you interested in a future teleconference?
20. Following this, roughly 30 minutes of the moderator asking questions from the listeners while Fr. Bannon responded. The questions: a) “how come the Legionaries aren’t assigned to parishes like regular priests?” b) “Should parents be allowed to see those in the novitiate more often?” [Fr. Bannon explained that the novitiate is "Almost like a year or two of contemplative life."] c) "how has the economic downturn affecting the legion in the way you operate?" [Fr. Bannon said it has affected them as much as anyone else, so seriously. They are looking to expand their donor base, I gathered] d) "how much time does the Legion spend supporting human life and against abortion, etc?" e) why does it take so long to reach ordination?" [The gist of Fr. Bannon's answer: because they are not ordained until they are ready to act as priests.] f) "We’re in a period of spiritual warfare. What should we do and what is the Legion doing?" [Here it was interesting to note that I believe Fr. Bannon slipped at one point into saying "John Paul II told the founder ... I mean, told us ..."] g) "do the Legion receive funds from anyone besides private donors? Do the dioceses?" [This question, perhaps because he did not understand it, I don't think Fr. Bannon ended up answering. He spoke about collaboration between the Legion and local dioceses instead.]

I've not posted most of the spiritual insights and attitudes that Fr. Bannon expressed. I had the impression I was in the presence of a holy man, very dedicated to his mission of forming priests.

He often thanked the listeners for supporting the Legion. He said "God’s providence is always there, and he will bless and help us" and asked that "we may have the perseverance to do what we need to do". He prayed that he could "Serve you and serve souls better" and promised to pray for the listeners in his prayers and Masses. He said God was very present to us now.

Afterwards the moderator returned to the line and thanked everyone, saying he thought it was an excellent way to be "close to you." People whose questions were not answered were invited to leave a voicemail.

I'm not sure that I have any commentary to add except one observation: it's a pity that this conversation had to be conducted about such pressing issues as the formation of seminarians, the financial stress of our times and on the Legion, and the future of the Legion in relation to the Church ... without any up-front discussion of the Maciel scandal. Clearly it is on people's minds, clearly they are looking for answers, and Fr. Bannon could not (read, is not allowed at this point to) give any.

Let us pray for priests and seminarians of the Legion, for the consecrated lay members of Regnum Christi, and for Maciel's victims, that a forthright solution will be pursued to these too-long-festering wounds.

Exclusive: Legion discontinues controversial "Prayer for Fidelity"

I have it on good authority that the "Prayer for Fidelity" said by Regnum Christi members has been officially discontinued.

This communique originated from Fr. Scott Reilly, the Legionaries of Christ Territorial Director in Atlanta, Georgia.

Fr. Reily appears to be a catalyst in making information known within Regnum Christi. He was one of the first priests to begin informing various Regnum Christi sections about Maciel's misdeeds.

I am also told that a new prayer is being composed, although I do not know who is responsible for that task.

Here is the text of the discontinued prayer, with parts I found interesting in bold:

Lord Jesus, you have entrusted to us the mission of furthering the Legion and Regnum Christi, and making them grow healthy and vigorous for the good of all people and of your Kingdom. This mission comes to us as an utterly free, unforeseen, mysterious reality, out of all proportion to our abilities.

Since the Legion and the Movement will be vigorous and will flourish as long as the spirit of our founder is present and active in our lives and behavior, we ask you to open our eyes to the urgency of learning, assimilating and passing on the doctrine, spirit, apostolic methods, genuine traditions, discipline and lifestyle of the Legion and Regnum Christi, just as our founder has made them known to us, since this is our responsibility.

Lord, help us to adhere totally to the charism you inspired in our founder.

You have chosen to give us a role in your plan of salvation, and we have the possibility of fulfilling it, step by step, for the good of the Church and of humanity, or of making it fail deplorably. So, we ask from you what you ask of us: faith, great faith in your work, love for it, trust in its mission, docility, loyal collaboration, humility, a sense of responsibility, and fidelity. Amen.

An encouraging move.

update: welcome, SpiritDaily readers, my complete coverage of the Legion scandal is documented here.

Photo source.

Expected: Cardinal Pell to call for Vatican oversight of Legion

I'm hearing reliable reports that during Cardinal Pell's recent visit to England he said on the record that he thinks the Legion can't possibly be expected to sort out its own affairs and that some sort of Vatican involvement is needed, probably in the form of an apostolic visitation.

Stay tuned....

Related: "Cassandra Jones" pens a lengthy summary of the Maciel scandal in Spero News Forum and claims that the Legion is delaying its response due to an internal debate over its "charism".

update: as expected: "Cardinal backs intervention in Legionaries crisis".

Posted: LC donor invitation to "town hall meeting" with vocations director

Forwarded to me by a member of Regnum Christi. This was sent out to select members this morning:

After the image cut-off the phone number and details are given, along with the text "We look forward to you joining us! ~ Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Anthony Bannon, LC."

Can you guess what the questions from donors will be about? Notice that the questions follow after updates on vocations and the contributions of the Legion to the Church. Good news first, bad news last, I guess.

Fr. Bannon used to be the North American territorial director of the Legion and is among those who strongly denied charges brought against Maciel, claiming they were an attack by surrogates on John Paul II.

Exclusive: Newt Gingrich conversion details; plans release of JP2 documentary

Earlier this week the New York Times dropped the news that Newt Gingrich will soon become Catholic (which I had rumored before), and I blogged about it.

I can now add some more details. Mr. Gingrich has regularly been seen attending Mass with his wife at the National Shrine here in Washington DC (including once by yours truly). He'll be entering the Church on Sunday, March 29th in DC.

Another interesting tidbit: Newt and his wife Callista are in the process of completing a documentary about Pope John Paul II’s pilgrimage to Poland in 1979 entitled "Nine Days That Changed The World":

Nine Days is meant to inspire and educate those who view it to understand the nature of freedom, to live in the truth, and to recognize that there is evil in the world that, with God’s help, must and can be defeated.

From the movie's website, it says we can expect its release this Fall.

Welcome home, Speaker.

Photo: The many sides of Abp. Dolan

Archbishop Timothy Dolan leads a procession following a mass at the Missionaries of Charity home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. With support from Catholic Relief Services, the home serves more than 1,000 children and adults who are orphaned or ill. Photo by Jim Stipe/CRS.

Observers of Abp. Dolan will often focus on his boisterous presence, easy-going character and boundless energy.

But there is another side to this able pastor which comes out in his efforts on behalf of Catholic Relief Services - where he has served as their Chairmen of the Board since November 2007.

The President of CRS said in a statement this morning:

"...Although he leads a busy Archdiocese in Milwaukee, Archbishop Dolan devoted considerable attention to his work with CRS. In just the last year he traveled to the field twice. In May he went to Ethiopia, where he met with people suffering from the twin blows of the global food crisis and devastating drought. And last month, he traveled to India to see CRS programs and to witness our longstanding collaboration with the Missionaries of Charity...

"... I’m confident Archbishop Dolan will bring to New York what he has brought to CRS as our Chairman: dedication to the Church, tremendous energy, a warm sense of humor, and deep compassion for the poor and vulnerable."

Amen.

Kmiec's epic fail in Time magazine

When I found out Doug Kmiec had shot out an article for Time magazine in the wake of Pelosi's meeting with Pope Benedict, I geared myself up for yet another point-by-point critique of his flawed arguments.

This time, however, I don't even need to take the trouble, because the entire premise of Kmiec's latest piece is factually in error. To see why, first I will summarize Kmiec's argument.

Kmiec says:

"If you read [the pope's statement to pelosi] carefully, the statement is actually quite radical — perhaps unintentionally so. The brief message — just two short paragraphs — draws no distinction between the moral duties of Catholic policymakers and Catholic judges to work against abortion.

As a lifelong Catholic, Pelosi could not feign surprise at being called upon by the Church to use her gift for persuasion to restrict abortion legislatively, or at least not to be its advocate. But until now, the Church had not formally instructed judges in a similar fashion. As written, the Pope's statement has the potential, at least theoretically, to empty the U.S. Supreme Court of all five of its Catholic jurists and perhaps all other Catholics who sit on the bench in the lower federal and state courts."

Kmiec spends the rest of his time flushing out the implications of Pope Benedict's supposed admonition to "jurists" telling them to, in Kmiec's words "undertake an activist, law-changing role."

Out of this mistaken interpretation, Kmiec tries to create a lose-lose scenario where jurists are stuck between the rock of Peter and the hard place of their judicial oath.

Kmiec next handily provides a solution to his self-created dilemma, saying the Vatican should renege its statement and re-introduce the distinction between jurists and legislators.

.... now comes the reality check: the Vatican statement does include the necessary distinction in terminology.

From an AmP source with extensive experience in Italian legal matters:

"... giuristia is not the word an Italian author would use when referring to a judge. He would use giudice. A giurista is someone who attends to he law as a matter of profession, most frequently a lawyer, or a professor of law. But a giudice is a magistrate who evaluates the merits of an argument in a case or controversy.

In American law, distinctions between words carry great significance; and in Vatican press releases, the spokesmen for the Holy See select their words very carefully. In this instance, the press office elected to use the more vague term giuristi rather than the specific term giudici. However, Kmiec misses this critical distinction."

Kmiec's "missing" of this critical distinction creates his entire argument. Consequently, once it is made clear that the Vatican did use its words right, Kmiec is left out in the cold, actually saying nothing.

Re-reading Kmiec's piece then becomes comical once you realize his premise is false: the statement is not, in fact, "quite radical - perhaps intentionally so" ... it is actually quite logical -intentionally so. The statement is not a "sharp break with the past." The Church's teaching is aware that the responsibility to defend life ought to be "applied in light of the scope of office."

Proceeding in the same vein, someone in the Vatican office did not "in the rush of the event [...] mistakenly included the judicial terminology" ... it was Kmiec who, in the rush of trying to publish in Time, didn't bother to double-check his Italian-language comprehension skills.

(.. and this is the man who hopes to become the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See?!)

So, if Kmiec hasn't actually illumined a "surprising" and "overlooked" aspect of this recent statement, what can we learn from his writing?

I'd offer this observation: Kmiec is predisposed to seeing difficulty and crisis whenever one attempts to bring one's Catholic faith into politics. Because of this pessimism, his initial reaction to the Holy See's communique was not to check his translation or try to understand what the Holy See was saying, but instead to criticize it and call on them to change.

In reality, however, the Church's admonition to public servants is reasonable, is informed, and is livable.

You just have to give it a chance - and yes, even pull out your English-Italian dictionary once in awhile.

Published: RC director encourages members to offer "spiritual bouquets"

Someone has created a website to offer "Spiritual Bouquets" for LC priests and RC consecrated members. I'm told it began as a Facebook group and crossed-over onto a full website. The individual who registered the website lives in Connecticut, near where the Legionaries of Christ are based in the United States.

This email was sent by a national-level director of Regnum Christi to their women members:

Many of you have told me about the beautiful initiatives of individuals and local sections and cities to support your local legionaries, consecrated, and the Church as a whole during this difficult time. Thank you for your love for Christ and the Church!

One city decided to start a website to gather a spiritual bouquet in gratitude for the vocations of the Legionaries of Christ, and Consecrated members. It is http://www.spiritualbouquet.net/. I wanted to share it with you in case you’d like to participate, and in any case, to encourage you to pray for the perseverance of all priests, consecrated and religious, and for Our Church. Below is a message from the organizers:

“Let us join the thousands of other Regnum Christi Members from around the world by offering up a spiritual bouquet for the Holy Catholic Church and especially for the Legionaries of Christ and the Consecrated Men and Women of Regnum Christi in gratitude for their vocations and as a means for their perseverance in faith.

You can include the number of Masses, Rosaries, Holy Hours and sacrifices that you would like to offer up on the website. The website will keep a runny tally of all the prayers and sacrifices offered. (This is a continuous spiritual bouquet so you can later go back and offer more if you would like.)

The spiritual bouquet will then be sent to Pope Benedict XVI, Fr. Alvaro and the Legionaries of Christ priests and Consecrated Men and Women of Regnum Christi so they could see the continuous number of prayers and sacrifices offered for them and the whole Catholic Church.

Not our will, but God’s Will be done. Let us entrust this into the hands of Our Mother.”

God Bless, you are all in my prayers.

Yours in Christ and the Movement,

[name]

Note how "movement-centric" this innitiative is, with no mention of those outside the movement who have suffered, beginning with Maciel's own victims. This is how the petition reads:

"Considering the painful times that we suffer together as the Mystical Body of Christ and a Regnum Christi family, please join in gathering and assembling spiritual flowers. This spiritual bouquet of prayers and sacrifices will be offered especially for the Legionaries of Christ and the Consecrated Men and Women of Regnum Christi in gratitude for their vocations and as a means of perseverance in faith. Not our will but God's Will be done."

The website also contains a quotation from a speech Pope Benedict XVI made during his visit last year to the United States. I will quote a line from this speech (that appears on the website):

Charisms are bestowed by the Holy Spirit, who inspires founders and foundresses, and shapes congregations with a subsequent spiritual heritage."

Maciel certainly left a heritage.

update: from "Dominus Flevit" in the comments:

The spiritual bouquet is quite revealing. The immediate, overriding concern of the LC leadership is clearly the retention of its priests and RC consecrated members ("perseverance").

The leadership realizes what the Deep Denial crowd does not: A significant number of LC priests are likely to head for the exits over the next several years, if not sooner. Some of them (Fr. Berg?) may even make noisy exits. That in turn will shake what remains of the faith RC members have in the Movement.

This catastrophe could be averted with a thorough and credible housecleaning, including identification and removal of all LCs who knew or should have known of Maciel's double life. Sadly, the LC leadership doesn't look capable of taking the steps necessary to salvage credibility.

On Facebook, Regnum Christ youth react to Maciel news

A search of the popular social networking website Facebook reveals several popular groups created (some time ago) to support Marcial Maciel. Out of curiosity, I visited two of the largest ones to see how young Catholics are reacting to the news.

The first one is named "Sainthood Quickly for Fr. Marcial Maciel, LC!" (click on the picture for full-size.)

With 318 members currently, the description reads:

This group is especially created for all those who believe and know that Nuestro Padre has been in life and is now a saint!! Withut [sic.] doubt this man is probably one of the greates [sic.] men of our times and all of us and the whole world will be touched by him in many ways. This is a man that the world will never forget especially his beloved legionaries. Lets hope and pray that the process of beatification and canonization will begin quickly!!

One line from the group's discussion area caught my eye: "We cannot expect people on the outside to understand, because they have not had the opportunity to know the spirituality. Anyone who has taken the time to read the Cartas, CLC, etc and truly pray about it knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the author of those letters was in no way a man of sin or vice."

More work to be done.

The second group is named "In loving memory of Fr. Marcial Maciel, MC" (click on the picture for full-size.)

This group has obviously changed it group picture into one depicting a grieving Christ. The group's description has similarly been changed and, without mentioning what has happened, and counsels prayer for all those involved and hope that God will bring something good out of this.

And while some of Fr. Berg's comments are mentioned (greatfully) in the discussion thread, one person says: "I have learned a lot out of this experience. The mesage is: everyone can be a saint!"

More work to be done, still.

President of Mexican Bishops calls on LC to apologize

It's taken some time for me to get up to speed with the Maciel situation in Mexico. There is sadly very little cross-over between English and Spanish language journalism. The results of my search, however, do not disappoint.

To begin with, the President of the Mexican Bishop's Conference (CEM) has called on the Legionaries to apologize to Maciel's victims (underlining mine):

The Legionaries of Christ will have to ask pardon from the sex-abuse victims of Marcial Maciel, because this would be a sign of reconciliation, said Carlos Aguiar Retes, the president of the Mexican Bishops' Conference. In a statement yesterday, he condemned the fact that Maciel, a priest from Michoacan, led a double life. The president of the Bishops' Conference (CEM) said that yes, the Legionaries should ask pardon from those who denounced Maciel, founder of the Legionaries, for having sexually abused them, "because it certainly helps a lot when a person accepts his responsibility, for this is the principle of reconciliation. In this case the priest has already died and the congregation should make the apology as an institution. This is the principle of reconciliation." (All translations by a reliable AmP reader. Original Spanish text here.)

Archbishop Retes continues (underlining again mine):

For Aguiar Retes, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ "was a public person who had his freedom and, lamentably, we now know about this conduct." The Legionaries, the ecclesiastical leader added, have confronted this situation. They were the ones who made the information public. "No other source made this information public," he said, and he clarified that "this revelation was a very great act of courage, which hopefully will help them purify themselves internally." This situation will not affect the works of the religious order which Fr. Marcial Maciel founded, because they have spoken with the truth and "the truth purifies, and since they are doing this with transparency, that will help a lot to heal the wound, since it is undoubtedly a very serious wound."

Sadly, I do not share the Archbishop's view of the matter at present, unless there are LC Spanish-language apologies and acts of transparency which I have missed.

Nonetheless, I completely agree with Abp. Retes that accepting responsibility, apologizing and speaking the truth in full transparency are the appropriate actions in this situation - actions that will heal this "very serious wound." I think the Legionary leadership has a long way to go still.

Here is more from Archbishop Retes, as well as a quick overview of what is being talked about south of the border. This from the Spanish-language magazine Proceso {my comments in brackets}:

The Catholic Church "did not hide" the sexual affairs of the priest Marcial Maciel, according to astatement made today by Carlos Aguiar Retes, president of the Mexican Bishops' Conference (CEM). {I believe there have been charges in Mexican media that this was a Church cover-up}

In this way, the highest authority of the Mexican Catholic hierarchy – which brings together more than 100bishops from the country – distanced itself from the signs which were indicating that the Church always covered up for the controversial founder of the Legionaries of Christ.

In the press conference, Aguiar Retes made this clarification because the Legionaries themselves last week made public the news that Macielhad "at least" one daughter. In last week's edition of the magazine"Proceso," Javier Bravo, the spokesman for the Legionaries in Mexico, did not wish to clarify how many children Marcial Maciel had, nor how many mistresses. {See the incredible lack of transparency at work here? If Maciel had only one mistress, the LC spokesperson should deny multiple affairs. If Maciel had more, the LC spokesperson's silence on the question probably evens out to the same thing in the end.}

The most widely spread version of the story is that he had a daughter who currently lives in Spain, although also it has come to light that over the course of decades he maintained sexual relations with various devoted women. {There is not a source given for this claim. Again, I am unable to definitively dismiss this rumor because the Legion remains silent on these typs of follow-up questions.}

A third article in Proceso drops a bomb:

Javier Bravo, spokesman for the Legionaries in Mexico ... revealed that, even before the death of Marcial Maciel last January 2008, the Vatican already had in its possession an ample documentation about the amorous affairs of Maciel. [He also said that] the Vatican was planning on making this information public, and indicated this to Father Alvaro Corcuera, successor of Maciel at the head of the Legionaries. {note plural "amorous affairs", again.}

This is simply stunning news if it is true. It contradicts what the Legion has been saying that they found out first and went to the Vatican. It also contradicts the claim that the Legion spontaneously brought this information to its rank-and-file members.

For if the Legion's hand was indeed "forced" by an understanding that the Vatican was going to make this known anyway, then the Legion was actually granted permission by the Vatican to spread the news in their own way first (and we are witnesses to how that has worked out).

Most of these above-cited stories have only been out a day or so.

And I must say, once again, these confusions will continue to exist as long as the Legion maintains its silence.

{update: it's probably best to take this post with a couple more grains of salt than usual. I'm operating in a language that I don't speak natively and I don't have as sure a grasp on the reliability of sources.}

Posted: "Grisez's Response to a Critic and a Friend" {AmP Exclusive}

Dr. Germain Grisez, who has already posted an open letter and a follow-up on these pages, now responds to what he describes as "the nastiest critic and the only serious effort at counterargument that I’ve seen".

Read his response here.

update: Dr. Grisez's interventions, in addition to being cited on EWTN's The World Over, have also made it into Canada's Western Catholic Reporter.

Dr. Grisez's Comment on Fr. Berg's Letter {AmP exclusive}

Dr. Germain Grisez, Flynn Professor of Christian Ethics at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, has published his official comment on Fr. Thomas Berg's letter to Regnum Christi members.

Dr. Grisez asks that this comment, published first here on AmP, be widely distributed.

Important links:

• Dr. Grisez's new comment on Fr. Thomas Berg's letter
• Fr. Berg's original letter to Regnum Christi members
• Dr. Grisez's first open letter to the Legionaries of Christ (which has been widely distributed and quoted at-length in EWTN's interview of two Legionary priests.)
• George Weigel has also called for Vatican intervention in this matter
• My complete coverage of the Maciel scandal is available here

Text: Letter of Legionary priest in Mexico

"I am a Legionary of Christ" by Juan Pedro Oriol.

What this is: "An open letter published in the leading Mexican journal Reforma. It is a letter by a Legionary priest recounting his vocation experience and asking for forgiveness."

Thanks to an AmP reader for a quick translation from the Spanish (the original spanish text is available at the end of the post linked above).

We should be aware that, while this story is breaking mostly on English-language blogs in the United States, the Legionaries have an even more active presence in Mexico, where Maciel was born.

[Photo credit: Religion en Libertad]

Statement from Director of Regnum Christi in New York {AmP exclusive}

From Fr. Richard Gill, Director of Regnum Christi in New York and of Our Lady of Mt. Kisco Retreat Center.

I’ve been a Legionary priest since 1991 and I have always loved my Congregation and my priestly vocation and I only hope Our Lord has used it as an effective means of grace for many people to find their way to a deeper relationship with Christ.

I thought I knew Fr. Maciel. I do believe he did many good things for many people. I have benefitted greatly from the formation and life I have lived as a Legionary for twenty-eight years. I defended Fr. Maciel because to the extent I thought I knew him, I sincerely believed the allegations against him were baseless.

Yet, in light of what has been coming out about him, I must say I am terribly sorry to have defended him. I believe I acted in good faith, yet nonetheless did an injustice to the victims.

I am deeply sorry to the people who have suffered from these inexcusable and reprehensible actions of Fr. Maciel. No person should have to suffer abuse at the hands of a priest in whom they have put their trust. And his actions have damaged the holiness of the Church and contributed to the alienation many people feel due to similar scandals in the Church.

I offer my prayers and sacrifices for anyone who was victimized, so they may continue to heal and discover the love of Jesus Christ.

I am confident that our superiors are working closely with the appropriate dicasteries of the Holy See to chart the best course forward for the Legion of Christ so it can be of better service to the Church and the Holy Father.

Fr. Richard Gill, LC
Our Lady of Mount Kisco Retreat Center
773 Armonk Road
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
rgill@legionaries.org

Posted with permission of the author.

Please keep all members of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi in your prayers.

update: Edward Peters examines this new letter, at the end of this post.

Picture: The face of pro-choice protestors

Anyone who has been on a pro-life march or participated in a public prayer witness knows instantly what I'm talking about. But for the rest of us who have not had the displeasure, consider:

And sadly, this is just a mild case. Details on this one from AmP reader Jerry:

"... he was counter-protesting in a most dispicable way at last year's Rally for Life March here in Austin. Of course, the press have used a different photo from the same event where he wasn't holding that sign. [The person pictured above] is on trial for building molotov cocktails for protests at the Republican National Convention ... this violent thug is a pro-choice activist and this kind of ugliness is what we are up against."

Let's pause a moment and say a prayer for the brave souls who seek to defend the unborn ... and for sorry souls like this young man who persecute them.

{Updated} Who started the FOCA novena?

A novena petition to prevent the passing of FOCA has been spreading like wildfire via email. A facebook group dedicated to the novena has almost 30,000 members. In one twist, an Irish representative has been receiving flak for forwarding the email to her constituents. I've received the forward multiple times myself.

{update: I should hasten to add - because I forgot this is not evident to everyone - that the novena email below contains a severe factual error - FOCA is not scheduled to be voted on or signed around January 21-22 or anytime in the foreseeable future. The bill doesn't have the needed votes.}

The basic text of the forward looks like this:

If you are opposed to abortion then there is bad news on the horizon. For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The FOCA is the next sick chapter in the book of abortion... [snip]

... Perhaps most importantly the government will now have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, down syndrome babies, etc) and could even regulate how many children women are allowed to have.

Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly true. As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the needless killing of innocent children, we must stand as one. We must stop this horrific act before it becomes a law.

The Plan: To say a novena (9 days of prayer) along with fasting starting on January 11th (even if you're beginning this late, please join!). The prayer of choice will be the rosary with intentions to stop the FOCA. The hope is that this will branch and blossom as to become a global effort with maximum impact.

My question is - who started this? One report identifies a "Fr. Tom", another says it was "Lord Alton." No proof for either author is given.

Obviously, the petition is generating a considerable amount of traction and I would be interested to see how it caught on, and who first set the ball rolling. This sort of grassroots organization is admirable and will no doubt be useful in the future for similar initiatives.

McCain's Hail Mary to Hispanics

Adapting an emailed tip in my own words here ....

The McCain team has sent 25,000+ of these two-sided prayer cards (PDF) to Hispanic churches and prayer groups in NM and CO. They contain an image from when McCain visited Our Lady of Guadalupe as well as a prayer for John McCain. More pictures of McCain's Mexico visit are available here.

The text of the prayer:

God, our Father, all earthly powers must serve you. Help your servant, Senator John McCain, to fulfill your plan for him. By honoring and striving to please You at all times, may he continue to defend the right to life of the unborn and promote peace, justice and freedom for our Nation. We ask this through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother and Patroness, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The text is in English and Spanish.

AMP NEWS Video - Episode One Featuring Archbishop Chaput Interview!

This week I sat down for an interview with Archbishop Charles Chaput of the Archdiocese of Denver to discuss his NYT bestseller Render Unto Caesar as well as Catholic voting in this election as part of my new collaborative project AMP NEWS.

Regular AmP readers will know that Archbishop Chaput has been one of the most (if not the most) vocal bishop defenders of the unborn in the American public scene of late, despite some criticism. God bless him for it.

Archbishop Chaput, I am thrilled to say, gave me frank answers to the tough questions that are facing American Catholics this election, and it is my hope my that many people will have a chance to see this interview before they vote on Tuesday.

Embedded below are the four segments of AMP NEWS Episode One. You may also watch the entire episode as a whole right here on YouTube. We hope to continue providing quality Catholic news, interviews, and offbeat programming to you in the future!

Episode 1 - "Headlines"

Episode 1 - "Papist Chat with Archbishop Chaput {Part 1 of 2}"


Episode 1 - "Papist Chat with Archbishop Chaput {Part 2 of 2}"


Episode 1 - "The Papist Takedown"

This link creates a playlist of the entire episode: http://tinyurl.com/ampnews

Now that you have seen the show, please forward these videos to your friends and family who are preparing to vote on Tuesday, and send AMP NEWS to folks who are seeking an informed, Catholic perspective on the important stories facing Catholics in America today. Please also subscribe to our AMP NEWS YouTube Channel if you want to be updated instantly when new episodes are uploaded.

Special thanks go to the Catholic Information Center in Washington DC (and do check out their upcoming events) for giving AMP NEWS the opportunity of interviewing Archbishop Chaput, to AMP NEWS producer Alex Buder, to William Newton for creative input, and our profound gratitude to His Excellency, Archbishop Charles Chaput O.F.M Cap, for his faithful service on behalf of Christ and His Church.

update, some pull quotes from the interview with Archbishop Chaput:

• On Barack Obama: "Senator Obama is the most active pro-abortion politician to run for the Presidency since Roe v. Wade. He has committed himself to do things the Church would resist."
• On vocal bishops: "The bishops are aware ... a quieter approach to these things has not been effective ... we have to be stronger in what we say. We've just had it."
• On Faithful Citizenship: "[It is] not very clear. We either ought to get rid of it, or say things much clearer."
• On claiming Obama is a pro-life candidate: "It would be foolish to say that someone who ... runs on a party platform that has no regret at all about abortion ... to call that position pro-life is really strange."
• On IRS investigations: "It's simply bullying. It shouldn't stop us from talking about the important issues of our time."
• On the separation of Church and State: "We do believe in it. We don't like the state to tell us what to do. We don't believe in the separation of faith and politics."

And here is a running tally of the blogs/websites that have picked up on AMP NEWS so far:

• National Catholic Register Daily
• Commonweal
• HuffingtonPost
• LifeNews
• CatholicVote.com
• LifeSiteNews
• Catholic Culture
• New Advent
• BeliefNet's Pontifications
• Catholic Key
• Ignatius Insight Scoop
• Inside Catholic
• The Curt Jester
• Catholic iPod
• The Blog of the Courtier
• Te Deum Laudamus
• Aggie Catholics
• Catholic Mountain
• Duc in Madison
• The Arbiter of Common Sense
• A Shepherd's Voice
• Lily Maiden
• Zappe.us
• Servant For Truth

If I left your name off the list please send me an email!

Rumor: USCCB to respond to Joe Biden's comments tomorrow?

The USCCB is planning to release a statement tomorrow responding to Senator Joe Biden's comments made Sunday on Meet the Press. Justin Cardinal Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities will probably issue the statement.

That's the entire substance of the tip I've received, from a reliable source. So check back soon.

Two weeks ago when we went through something very similar with Nancy Pelosi, Justin Cardinal Regali and Bishop William E. Lori, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, released a welcome response one day after Pelosi made her claims.

Movies: "Henry Poole is Here" ... is here!

Back in early June I gave AmP readers an exclusive preview of the new movie staring Luke Wilson and directed by George Lopez, Henry Poole is Here.

Since then, a winner for the theme song contest I promoted has been chosen through your votes.

Tomorrow, on the Feast of the Assumption, the movie opens in theaters around the country.

See a complete list of the cities and showtimes here.

Deacon Keith Fournier writing for Catholic Online sums up the movie like this:

"Henry Poole finds out that in the midst of the stuff of daily life, with all of its pain and struggle, hope really can save you. A truly good film."

The U.S. Bishops' review has some high praise for it:

"This little gem of a film with its truthful emotions, likable characters, and themes of faith and community concern (even when Henry commits a desperate act) should resonate warmly with Catholic viewers."

The trailer (see it in HD over at Apple):

Renew Theology on Tap has even written a discussion guide for the movie.

Sounds like a fun Friday or Saturday night excursion to me!

Text: Excerpt of Vatican's communique to ex-bishop Lugo

Translated exclusviely for AmP by a Spanish-speaking friend:

The recent situation which has been created with the election of Mons. Fernando Lugo President of the Republic of Paraguay demands another consideration of, for the good of the country and so that the charge of President of the Republic and the Episcopal ministry can be clearly and definitively distinguished, the petition that he presented in his day that the loss of his clerical state be conceded. In effect, his acceptance of the charge of President of the Republic of Paraguay is not compatible with the obligations of Episcopal ministry and clerical state.

In this way, having carefully examined all the circumstances, His Holiness Benedict XVI has conceded for him the loss of clerical state, with the corresponding loss of those rights inherent to that state, dispensing him at the same time of his religious vows made in the Society of the Divine Word, of the obligation to celibacy (cf. CIC can. 291), and of the other obligations which make up the clerical state (cf. CIC can. 292).

The Pontiff exhorts to Mr. Fernando Armindo Lugo Mendez to be faithful to the Catholic faith in which he was baptized and to live a life coherent with the Gospel.

Note the use of "Mr." (as opposed to "Rev.") in the final address.

The original, full Spanish text is available here.

First to press: Vatican Approves New English Translation for the Order of the Mass

I have just received a copy of today's press release from the USCCB making official what was recently rumored. I believe I'm the first blog to have access to and publish this news.

... and here it is!

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has received approval (recognitio) from the Holy See’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for the new English-language translation of the Order of Mass (Ordo Missae).

This is the first section of the translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal. It includes most of the texts used in every celebration of the Mass, including the responses that will be said by the people.

In its letter, the Congregation pointed out that while the texts are binding, the approval “does not intend that these texts are to be put into use immediately.”

Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation, explained the reasons for providing the text at this time. The purpose is to provide “time for the pastoral preparation of priests, deacons and for appropriate catechesis of the lay faithful. It will likewise facilitate the devising of musical settings for parts of the Mass.”

(Now the notable details....)

The more significant changes of the people’s parts are:

1. et cum spiritu tuo is rendered as “And with your spirit”
2. In the Confiteor, the text “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” has been added
3. The Gloria has been translated differently and the structure is different from the present text
4. In the Preface dialogue the translation of “Dignum et justum est” is “It is right and just”
5. The first line of the Sanctus now reads “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts”
6. The response of the people at the Ecce Agnus Dei is “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

At this point, it has not been determined when this new translation of the Roman Missal will be made available (and it's interesting to me, to say the least, that the text is copyrighted by ICEL).

And as for the six points noted above, all of them represent accurate, faithful translations of the Latin text of the Mass, remedying the previous mistranslations (and outright deletions) executed by ICEL.

This is welcome news, to be sure. Hopefully it quickly reaches the faithful who desire and deserve it.

update: Rocco adds details.

Update: Voting Begins for Movie Soundtrack Contest

As promised, a notification that the contest to submit a song for the upcoming movie, Henry Poole is Here, has entered its final stage:

You can read my advance review of the movie here and vote in the MySpace contest here.

Mike Mangione increases distribution; will appear at WYD and more!

Talented Catholic musician Mike Mangione, who I spotlighted back in March, has plenty of good news to report:

Tenebrae (his latest CD) will be at a Barnes and Noble near you Aug 5th. That's right, it is being distributed by Oarfin and will be in Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Borders as well as many more stores/Ma and Pa record places .... Make sure to run out to the stores Aug 5 and make Tenebrae's national release a huge success! [You can already purchase it on Amazon].

And what's more - they'll be at World Youth Day! Stuck in the states like me? You'll get your chance:

The band will be playing all the way through October so be sure to see them when they pass through your town! Check for dates here on myspace (or here on Facebook). If you would like to help promote please drop us a line and we will send you posters.

Here's a music video for Mike's tune "Me Not You", animated by Grey Gerling:

Are you a Catholic musician or artist who wants some exposure? Drop me a line and we can try to work something out for you. I'm always happy when I can introduce my readers to up-and-coming talent.

AmP on the road: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis

During my recent visit to St. Louis, MO I had the opportunity of visiting the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis [wikipedia], the seat (until August) of Archbishop Raymond Burke.

I was lucky enough to show up at the cathedral precisely when a tour was starting, which I decided to follow around. If facts and figures are your thing, the 83,000 square feet of mosaic art in this Church have been under construction for a period of 75 years I found out!

Pope Paul VI called it the "outstanding cathedral of the Americas" and having been myself, I can see why. It's certainly one of the most beautiful churches I've seen in the Americas, and the most beautiful large one. There's a wealth of artistic and architectural styles harmoniously integrated in its cavernous interior.

The Cathedral Basilica's website offers an online tour of it's art. I took a few pictures myself:

This one below intrigued me - I had never seeing an "Hourglass Angel" before. Have you?

The rest of the pictures are in a new AmericanPapist Flickr Album.

I also took a video of the cathedral interior and put it on my YouTube channel:

If you ever have the opportunity of visiting the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica - do so!

AmP Exclusive: Film review of "Henry Poole Is Here"

Last week Corby Pons of Different Drummer got in touch with me about a new movie that had just screened at the Sundance film festival. He said it was worth the time to see and I think you might agree. My thanks to him for giving me an exclusive opportunity to see a screener of the film.

Staring Luke Wilson and directed by Mark Pellington, with an original screenplay by Albert Torres, the movie tells the story of Henry Poole, a man who discovers he only has six weeks to live. Here is the synopsis:

"Henry Poole is Here tells the funny, poignant and uplifting story of a disillusioned man who attempts to hide from life in a rundown suburban tract home only to discover he cannot escape the forces of hope."

The fact that this movie even showed at Sundance is astonishing, given its subject matter and the way topics of faith and hope are treated in it. Well, it's a refreshing development, to be sure.

Before I talk about my impressions of the film, here is the trailer:

(You can also watch the trailer here on Apple.)

I don't intend to give away any spoilers in publishing a few thoughts about the movie. I’ll post a full review of the movie closer to its official release.

First of all, I enjoyed the movie. It passes my essential litmus test for a good film - I would recommend it to a friend. It's a film that talks about ultimates - life, death, faith, despair. Luke Wilson plays the central character very well, and from his first moments on the screen you really can't envision anyone else playing the role.

If I had to speak about only two subjects the film addresses, it would be hope and community.

The film revolves around Henry Poole's loss and discovery of hope. One wonders if he ever really had hope, even before his diagnosis. But perhaps even more, the film is about community. And again, one wonders if Henry has ever experienced a true community. This community of believers is not something he chooses. Indeed, it comes beating at his door when he has locked himself away. The connection between living by hope and living within a community of believers I found especially compelling. Hope, after all, is in the air these days.

The movie also treats the phenomenon of apparitions and spontaneous popular devotions. I think that's an important area to explore and I came away pleased with the essential points the movie tries to make about them. The issues are crystallized by Henry's militant secular opinions about them. This is not to say, however, that he a straw man for those who doubt the authenticity or fruitfulness of devotions, instead Henry says some harsh things that any true devotion should be prepared to answer, and in this film is given the chance. Even the relationship between these devotions and the local hierarchical Church is give attention, and George Lopez (an unlikely choice) plays the part of a Catholic priest respectfully and accurately (with perhaps one exception).

The supporting cast is also strong, and the viewer is told just enough about their characters to understand the role they are to play in Henry's own journey. Albert Torres' screenplay remains minimalist, so as not to obscure the essential drama. The soundtrack is especially strong (but more about that later), and director Mark Pellington's fame as a music video director is put to good use in several set pieces which provide a forward motion to the narrative (as opposed to the "artsy" intermission role they can sometimes be used for in the hands of lesser artists).

I really have to stop myself at this point. Which brings me to my final major point about the film - it's a thinking film. It doesn't attempt to argue a certain point definitively or perfectly answer the questions it raises - it dramatizes the human conflict and allows the audience to follow if it wants. I can't wait to watch this film among friends upon its release and have a long discussion about it. And for me, that's a sign of a good movie.

The early critical reaction that I've found so far is a mixed bag, with Variety horribly (and not surprisingly) missing the point. It tries to claim the movie opposes science and faith, when actually it transcends science in the questions it asks. Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, tries to put the film in a box I don't think it at all deserves. I think the subject matter of the movie makes most reviewers suspicious, and they resist the path which the movie attempts to show them.

The film will be released August 15th, but don't worry, I'll remind you.

(I should note as well that I love showcasing quality art, so drop me an email if you want some exposure!)

... but wait - there's more!

I told you the film already features an excellent soundtrack. I also told you its director Mark Pellington made his start with music videos (U2, Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, etc). Well what I didn't say is that the producers have partnered with MySpace to let bands write a song and have their music video directed by Mark Pellington and played during the movie's ending credits!

The clock is ticking to send in your submission so hurry over and spread the word. A winner will be chosen from among the finalists by the online community, and I'll be sure to mention that as well. I'd love to see one of the many deserving (undiscovered, unsigned) Christian bands win the contest.

Exclusive: On day of PA primary, Hillary Clinton wears Madonna Bracelet!

Check out this photo of a celebratory Hillary Clinton taken on the night of the PA primary:

Now let's have a closer look at that bracelet she's sporting:

To many Catholics, it's instantly familiar as a "Madonna bracelet", such as this one (maybe exactly this one):

So, here it is: on the day of a crucial primary for her campaign, in a state with a large Catholic vote, Hillary Clinton deliberately wears a piece of religious jewelry identifying her with a popular Catholic devotion.

Am I surprised? Not at all. After all, it paid off. She won the "Catholic vote".

But I thought it should be pointed out nonetheless.... what do you think of her choice?

update - this story has gone big. Feel free to add this to Digg, etc. The buttons are below.

update 2 - welcome, readers of HotAir, MichelleMalkin, Ace of Spades, NRO's The Corner & Lucianne.

You saw it here first: Hillary Clinton, a Methodist, wearing a Catholic devotional bracelet! See more of my posts:

• Hillary Clinton
• Barack Obama
• 2008 Presidential Race
• Catholicism & Politics
• My previous exclusives

.... and if you want some Friday humor, check out the archived papist picture of the day!

Exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from the NYC papal Mass!

These sent to me by AmP reader Jeff, studying at St. Mary's Seminary and University.

A gorgeous altar crucifix, seen close up. This guy had access.

The sacristy (aka the Yankee's locker room) all decked-out.

Cardinals DiNardo, O'Malley and Maida chat before the Mass.

Cardinal Folley takes an opportunity to get off his feet prior to the official activities.

Cardinal O'Malley shows off his spiffing matching red socks. Get it ... red sox?! :)

Angels in the outfield, and bishops in the dugout!

The commemorative plaque donated by the KofC that will remain in Yankee Stadium.

I had to laugh at this one: the famous orange fanta that the pope supposedly loves!

A couple more photos can be found on the AmP Flickr set I've created for these.

My thanks to Jeff for sending these to me. I think they reveal a nice alternative perspective on what was - by all accounts - a "well polished production of a Mass."

If you have any behind-the-scenes photos, please, send them along! I'd love to share them with AmP readers.

A youth's first-hand account of the papal youth rally

This sent to me last night by an overjoyed Megan B., of Hyde Park, New York:

"Hello! I’m a long time reader of your blog and I wanted to give you some more details on the papal youth rally, which I was able to attend today.

First of all, it was absolutely amazing. It was like a giant 4th of July fireworks event, or county fair (including long lines for food!)

One of the things they didn’t show on TV (I don’t know if they mentioned it) was that there was also a prayer chapel and confessions available. The prayer chapel was a white tent with a gold tabernacle, a life-sized crucifix and big picture of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. All day they had prayer services like meditations, songs, the rosary, and dance. I was with a group that did two prayer services, and people just kept coming in and out to pray.

Also, I’ve never been to a world youth day, so this is the most brothers, sisters and priests I’ve seen in one place! There were tons of priests/seminarians in cassocks everywhere. I also saw the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Sisters of Life, Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist (from Michigan!) and Mother Theresa’s sisters, the Sisters of Charity. I saw regular Franciscans, and also Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, including…Fr. Benedict Groschel! He passed by my area in a wheelchair; it looked like he was going to the VIP section.

It was also so amazing to see everyone’s shirts. Almost all the schools/parishes had personalized shirts. Some had the Christ our Hope logo, and the year and their parish name, there were jersey style “Benedict 16” shirts, I "heart" B16 (styled after the I love NY logo), “I’d rather be studying theology,” “I love Jesuits.” It was amazing. It really made you realize how many people there are that love their faith.

Besides the marriage vocation video, they also showed a clip of “God in the Streets of New York” by Grassroots Films. They also showed an interview with a friend of mine, sharing an experience of living the Gospel in daily life, specifically through sports.

Overall, the vibe was really great. The MCs were good, and they kept dangling Kelly Clarkson in front of the audience, but honestly, I think all the other Christian artists did a better job of psyching people up. What better way to prepare for seeing the pope than singing “Jesus Freak” with TobyMac, or the Apostle’s Creed with Third Day or “Here I am Lord” with Matt Mahr. The last one was the only song that everyone sang along with.

Once the pope arrived, we all just couldn’t stop cheering. I think we ran overtime because of that. The seminarians were the worst—I don’t know if you could tell, but the pope actually stopped at one point to let them finish the song they were singing—I think it was a Gregorian chant. The pope was definitely happy to be there.

Also, everyone got a good bag with:

• a bottle of water
• emergency poncho (which we used to sit on, since there was no rain)
• a white or yellow bandana (you can see them in the pictures)
• a 2-for-1 admission pass t the Cathoics in New York dispay at the museaum of the City of New Yorka prayer card for the pope's visit
• a "Come Follow Me" vocation prayer carda brochure and card about vocations to the priesthood
• the program book, which had the songs that were song with the pope, including "Happy Birthday" in German (you didn't think we all knew that, did you?)"

Thanks, Megan, for your wonderful account!

Pope leaves 46,000 happy (and sunburned!) Catholics

Since I haven't seen anyone else mention this yet....

In the wake of Pope Benedict's public Mass at the Washington National's Stadium yesterday, well, let's just say it's as obvious as the ruddy, sunburnt glow on your face whether or not you were in attendance (at least for fair-skinned individuals like me).

In fact, the Pope brought with him the temperate Mediterranean climate and clear skies, which chased away the rain showers and general dreariness that had been pervading DC up until the day before his arrival.

While it wasn't particularly hot, everyone had to be in the stadium by 8:30 am, and the Mass didn't end until almost 12:30 pm. Luckily there were plenty of volunteers handing out water. Most folks managed to improvise make-shift hats. But you had to sympathize with the numerous vested clergy as well as the seminarians in their black clericals. Plus the aluminum flooring they placed on the field served as very efficient double-sided quick-tan setup.

And of course, Pope Benedict had more layers than probably anyone else in the stadium, but he was in the shade most of the time. Actually, by the time he was ready to leave a brisk breeze was blowing. How convenient.

If you want to see how my skin fared, it's looking like you'll have that chance tomorrow in the late morning on CNN, presuming my plans for an appearance on that network work out. So stay tuned, I'll have an update soon!

Video & Photo: Pope Benedict Receives Enthusiastic Greeting!

After attending the Papal Mass at Nationals Stadium today in Washington DC, I decided at the last minute to catch a final glimpse of Pope Benedict as he arrived on the CUA campus to address Catholic Educators.

This (shaky) video I took captures well the level of enthusiasm I've been witnessing for the pope:

Amid all this hubbub, I managed to snatch this photo:

What a pope.

NBC Nightly News interview: the extended cut

Here is the extended cut of the interview I taped last week:



World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia is actually this summer, not next summer.

On the fly right now, just wanted to make the video available for those interested.

update: keep the interview requests coming, my email is "thomas [at] americanpapist.com".

Rumor: Bishop Thomas Wenski bound for Detroit?

Adam Cardinal Maida of Detroit is the oldest serving Cardinal in the United States. His replacement has been past due for a couple years at this point.

Earlier this month, I published a rumor that Cardinal Maida was in Orlando with Bishop Thomas Wenski discussing a "transition plan" with him.

Today I've received the breaking news from a source on the ground that today Bishop Wenski has named six of his priests monsignors, an apparently unprecedented move in the diocese.

A final note? Bishop Wenski is Polish. There are lots of Polish people in Detroit. I'm just sayin' ....

The media has descended...

What was last week a trickle of occasional TV vans and camera crews at CUA has become a flood of media trucks, construction workers, CIA representatives and plain-clothes Secret Service men.

This CUA press release mentions 13 media satellite trucks in front of McMahon Hall alone.

That lines up with my on-the-ground observation:

And the pope doesn't even arrive until Wednesday.

I'm happy to report that through the kindness of the Dominican Friars I have a ticket to the front steps of the National Shrine when Pope Benedict XVI arrives there on Wednesday afternoon (I hope to provide pictures and video of that event). I'll be standing about where I was when I took this video last week.

Also, through an additional kindness, I have access to the CUA mall on both days the pope will be there. I hope to provide pictures and video of what is happening on the ground Wednesday and Thursday.

Busy times - keep it tuned here!

Video & Recap: Internationally-known panelists on the pope's visit

As I mentioned last week, on Friday I attended an event put on by the good people at Crossroads which assembled an internationally-known panel of experts to discuss the pope's visit.

The event entitled "Only something infinite will sufice" was held at the John Paul II Cultural Center, which is where Pope Benedict will be holding his ecumenical dialogue on Thursday, April 17th.

Speakers from this evening included:

• His Eminince Pietro SAMBI Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See to the U.S.
• John L. ALLEN, Jr. NCR Senior Correspondent, CNN Senior Vatican Analyst
• David SCHINDLER Dean of John Paul II Institute, Editor of Communio
• Monsignor Lorenzo ALBACETE Theologian, Author, Columnist
• ... and a surprise appearance by EWTN's Raymond Arroyo

Here is a picture of the panel:

(from R-L: Albacete, Sambi, Schindler, Allen - if you can't read the placards)

And for any die-hard Arroyo groupies:

Crossroads has released video with highlights from the evening:

And here is a short video I took of John Allen and the presentors (apologies for the vertical orientation at the very beginning of the video - don't get neck strain!):

You can see Abp. Sambi listening very attentively.

John Allen at the podium:

My brief reactions to the presentations:

• Monsignor Albacete's wit and deep knowledge were evident from his participation. He's a joy.
• Abp. Sambi's presentation helped identify the pope's priorities for his visit. He singled out the phrases Conversi Ad Dominum (turn towards the Lord!) and Sursom Corda (Lift up your heart!) as being integral to the message he wishes to bring to the United States.
• Allen provided inside and exhaustive knowledge of what a papal trip entails in general, and what this one will in particular. Besides some amusing personal antedotes, he stuck fairly close to the material he has published on his weekly web column. It was nice to meet him.
• Schindler provided the theological heft of the evening, and provided thought-provoking points.

Abp. Sambi was somewhat surreptitiously taken away before the Q&A session in order to appear on EWTN, which will be broadcasting from the John Paul II Cultural Center throughout the pope's visit.

And there you have it. More inside scoops to follow!

Video First Look: Pope Benedict's Travel Path at the National Shrine

Just to make sure my camera still works, here's a short video I took of the travel path Pope Benedict will follow when he visits the National Shrine for Vespers with the U.S. Bishops on April 16th:

The beginning of the video shows 4th street, where the Popemobile will originate, and then the ellipse where he will greet the 3,000+ person crowd waiting outside the National Shrine.

I then pan to show the front of the National Shrine, with its two large papal welcome banners displayed, which I photographed yesterday and are now on the AmP Flickr Page.

Pictures: First look at National Shrine & CUA papal welcome banners!

Taken this afternoon!

Theological College across the street from the CUA campus.

Unfolding the large welcome banner on the National Shrine's tower.

A sample Archdiocese of Washington banner on 4th Street, across from the National Shrine.

The CUA (left) and Papal Welcome (right) banners, with National Shrine in background.

Pope Benedict XVI's papal coat of arms, posted above the National Shrine's main entrance.

The fully unfolded papal welcome banner on the National Shrine's tower. It's huge!

I've uploaded these to the AmP Flickr page, where you can find full-size versions of them.

update - I decided to add a few more:





Very nice.

Your chance to help greet the pope!

I've got an inside scoop for you this afternoon.

The Dominican Friars here in Washington DC are going to be helping to organize and co-ordinate the pre-appearance gathering at the National Shrine before the pope's meeting with U.S. Bishops on the 16th. This includes praying the rosary while the gathered crowd (of thousands) as they await Pope Benedict XVI's appearance, and other planned activities they are organizing around it.

One of the things they want to do is teach the crowd to sing a chant so when the pope arrives he is greeted properly. This will be the first public appearance of the Holy Father during his visit to the U.S.

... that's where you come in! What should they sing? It has to be short, pithy, appropriate, and memorable.

(begin update .... some ideas:)

"Pope Benedict, We love you. Pope Benedict, Yes we do!"

"Christ our Hope - we love our Pope!"

Hopefully that gives you a better idea what we're looking for. (end update)

So jump into the comment box and help the Dominican Friars out with some suggestions.

More on this story as it develops!

AmP Exclusive: Pope Benedict already undercover at the National Shrine?

One of my friends will be singing for Pope Benedict during the Vespers with bishops at the National Shrine. Tonight after choir rehearsal he sent me this saying "it appears the Holy Father is now working at the Shrine too!"

I wonder if he autographs posters?

AmP Exclusive: Loyal Papists in Chicago show their (papal) colors

Seeing my recent post which included the Archdiocese of Chicago's welcome message to the Holy Father (scroll down), one of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius Catholic Church in Chicago sent me this:

"In light of the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict, here a a couple of photos taken at a spontaneous rally for Pope Benedict in which St. John Cantius Parish marched to Holy Name Cathedral to show support for the newly elected Pope three years ago."

For their proud papist pageantry, they get an AmP Shout-Out!

These are the same kids, by the way, who I ran across during this year's march for life:

What a fantastic idea it would be to have your parish host a papal rally! If you do, drop me a line.

AmP Exclusive: Sen. Browback on John McCain's support of stem cell research + an overview of his true position

This week I attended a book launch hosted by InsideCatholic in Washington DC that included a Q&A with author Deal Hudson and Senator Sam Browback.

I posed a queston for both men which went like this (according to my memory, their responses are also according to my memory):

Recently, in a conference call with Catholic representatives, John McCain restated his support embryonic stem cell research, but also said that he was open to further dialogue on the topic. Do we know if this dialogue is in fact taking place, and is there any chance McCain will change his position before the general election?

A paraphrase of Hudson's response:

I believe McCain is hoping that scientific progress [on alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells] renders the question academic [in other words, irrelevant in terms of policy]. One of the things about McCain is that once he takes a position he's very persistent about keeping it.

A paraphrase of Senator Brownback's response:

I can personally assure you that dialogue is ongoing with McCain about this issue [i.e., he is one of the persons doing it], but it is true that right now McCain supports the research.

The video of my question and the two responses it received will be aired on C-SPAN in the next 2-3 weeks. When it is aired, I will provide a link to it and update this post with the exact quotes.

More research on John McCain and federal funding of embronic stem cell research:

It is important to note that, from my research, McCain supports the use of fetal stem cell lines that would otherwise be discarded but opposes the creation of new fetal stem cell lines.

Pew Forum on the issues:

McCain opposes embryonic stem cell research that uses cloned human embryos, but supports research using human embryos left over from fertility treatments. In 2006, McCain supported a trio of Senate bills designed to increase federal funding for adult stem cell research, ban the creation of embryos for research and offer federal support for research using embryos slated for destruction by fertility clinics.

McCain's all-important statement on the question at the May 3, 2007 GOP primary debate:

Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?

A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It's a tough issue. I support federal funding.

CNN provides video of his expanded response, in which he again states that he hopes new scientific breakthroughs make this question "academic." He also mentions his 24-year pro-life voting record.

John McCain's position from an article published on his official campaign website last year:

"John McCain opposes the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes. To that end, Senator McCain voted to ban the practice of 'fetal farming,' making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes. Furthermore, he voted to ban attempts to use or obtain human cells gestated in animals. Finally, John McCain strongly opposes human cloning and voted to ban the practice, and any related experimentation, under federal law. As president, John McCain will strongly support funding for promising research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research and other types of scientific study that do not involve the use of human embryos. Where federal funds are used for stem cell research, Senator McCain believes clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress, and that any such research should be subject to strict federal guidelines."

To recap:

• From what I've found, John McCain opposes federal funding for the creation of new embryonic stem cell lines, but supports the use of embryonic stem cell lines already in use.

Readers should not take this post to necessarily mean that I support McCain's position on this issue, nor that I support John McCain for president, but these remain the facts, as I've discovered them.

I've often heard the claim made by some that "McCain supports embryonic stem cell research." That claim, however, ignores the distinction between killing further unborn human life through the creation of new stem cell lines, and using stem cell lines derived from embryos already destroyed.

Both forms of research are objectionable, but the former kind is far more objectionable because it entails the willful killing of human embryos, which one can never do nor support.

The use of already-derived embryonic stem cell lines, on the other hand, is closer to the moral category of using vaccines derived from research done on embryos, which can (I would argue) be legitimately done in some circumstances, but in general should be avoided, if possible, as a witness to the dignity of human life.

AmP Report: Onward Christian Soldiers book launch

On Wednesday I attended an official book launch hosted by InsideCatholic of Deal Hudson's new book "Onward Christian Soldiers," in downtown Washington DC, and which featured a short speech by Senator Sam Browback.

About the book:

Many books have been written about the so-called Religious Right in American politics. Deal Hudson's new book, Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States, published by Simon & Schuster, documents the surprising role of Catholics in the creation of the religious conservative movement. Hudson conducted dozens of interviews with religious and political leaders to explore the history and significance of Catholics in the conservative movement. He looks not only at Catholic contributions beginning in the 70s but also the specifically Catholic controversies that arose along the way.

Bill Donohue's endorsement:

Hudson has written an insider's jewel on the political and cultural dynamics that have affected presidential politics over the past several decades. It is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding the intersection of politics and religion in the twenty-first century. Professors and pundits alike will repair to this book for years to come."

The event was recorded by C-SPAN, and I'm told that the video will be aired as part of their Book TV series in the next 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, here is a short video of Hudson answering a question about John McCain and the religious right:

I've uploaded a few photos from the event to the AmP Flickr page.

For the response to a question I posed to Senator Browback during the Q&A session about John McCain's continued support of embryonic stem cell research, click here.

Deal reports on the IC blog that they sold all the books which were available for purchase and signing. I hope to read the book once I get some spare time from classes and preparations for the pope's visit.

Exclusive: Pictures of Pope Benedict's DC Mass pulpit, lectern & chair

Today the winning design for the pulpit, lectern and chair that Pope Benedict will use for his public Mass at DC's Nationals stadium during his April visit was unveiled.

I was able to tour the exhibit this afternoon and take a few photographs of the chosen models. Enjoy!

The complete set of photos is available on the AmP Flickr page.

From the CUA press release:

Washington DC - Student Winners of Papal Design Contest Announced at CUA

The winning architectural design by two Catholic University students for a 10-by-4-foot papal altar and a pulpit, lectern and chair that Pope Benedict XVI will use when he celebrates Mass in Washington, D.C., was unveiled today at The Catholic University of America, D.C., in partnership with the Archdiocese of Washington.

The model by John-Paul Mikolajczyk, of Staten Island, N.Y., and Ryan Mullen, of Manchester, N.H., both candidates in the master's program at Catholic University's School of Architecture and Planning, shows an altar with a substantial top, a repeating pattern of decorative parabolic arches beneath it and a smaller base.

...

At the unveiling, Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, said that the design is "a tribute to this school of architecture, Catholic University and the quality of students here.

Twenty-one entries were submitted for the design competition, or charrette, which was held last week at CUA's Edward M. Crough Center for Architectural Studies, where the winners were announced.

The top award for the design competition will receive a $1,500 prize. The second-place winner will receive $1,000 and five honorable-mention winners will each receive $500. The proposed designs will be displayed at the Crough Center for about a week.

More information from the press release:

The front of the pulpit (or ambo), where the Holy Father will read the Gospel, is adorned with images of the Bible and the Holy Trinity. The tall chair back is decorated with Pope Benedict XVI's papal coat of arms.

Mikolajczyk and Mullen will work with architecture faculty and the Archdiocese of Washington to fine-tune the design and actually construct the altar and the other furnishings at the Crough Center. The four pieces will become part of the sanctuary for the Mass that Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate April 17 at the city's new baseball stadium, Nationals Park. Following the Mass, the pontiff will give a major address on Catholic education at CUA.

Students, working individually or in teams of up to four people, prepared their models and drawings over an intense few days of work between Jan. 18 and Jan. 23. The entries were judged on Jan. 24.

Catholic University's School of Architecture and Planning is the largest in the Washington, D.C., area. The school offers a bachelor of science in architecture, master of architecture and master of architectural studies and its graduate program concentrations include cultural studies/sacred space, design technologies, digital media, real estate development and urban design. For more information see
architecture.cua.edu.

[Above photo credit: Tony Fiorini, CUA - "Ryan Mullen and John-Paul Mikolajczjk and their winning papal design." All other photographs: Thomas Peters, AmericanPapist blog.]

So, what do you think of the chosen design?

March for Life (5): March for Life Videos

Here are two of my exclusive videos taken today at the 2008 March for Life.

The rest (8) are available on the AmP YouTube channel.

First, enthusiastic marchers perform one of their pro-life chants for my camera:


Second, an eagle's eye view of the march from the Blogs4Life conference room:


Complete AmP Coverage of the March for Life collected here.

March for Life (4): March for Life Pictures (1 of 2)

Here are my exclusive photos taken today at the 2008 March for Life.

The rest (60) are available on the AmP Flickr page.










Complete AmP Coverage of the March for Life collected here.

March for Life (3): March for Life Pictures (2 of 2)

Here are my exclusive photos taken today at the 2008 March for Life.

The rest (60) are available on the AmP Flickr page.










Complete AmP Coverage of the March for Life collected here.

March for Life (2): Blogs4Life Videos

Here are some exclusive vidoes taken this morning at the Blogs4Life conference.

The rest will soon be made available on the AmP YouTube channel.

Senator Sam Brownback answering a question from the audience:



Random footage of the Blogs4Life conference and participants:



Complete AmP Coverage of the March for Life collected here.

March for Life (1): Blogs4Life Photos

Here are some exclusive photos taken this morning at the Blogs4Life conference.

The rest are available on the AmP Flickr page.








Complete AmP Coverage of the March for Life collected here.

Back from the March for Life...

... and let me say, it was incredible. Now to begin a marathon of uploading pictures and video (4GB!).

My Itinerary for the March for Life

Tomorrow morning I will be at the Blogs 4 Life conference hosted at the Family Research Council.

By noon, I will be on the National Mall marching with the Dominican Friars, by kind invitation. If you see me at any time during the March, please - by all means - walk up and introduce yourself. I'd love to meet you.

Around 3pm, I will probably return to the Blogs 4 Life conference, in their special rented room complete with wi-fi access and a eagle's-eye view of the marchers coming up the hill to the Capitol. I may or may not be able to post a mid-day selection of pictures and vidoes at this time. Hopefully someone is feeling generous.

I may also stop by the Blogger's Tea Party, hosted at the Catholic Information Center, time allowing.

At 5pm, I will be attending the Champions for Life Award Reception, and documenting it officially.

To wind down, I will probably stop by the Dubliner Irish Pub, a long-standing March tradition, before heading home to post my pictures and video, as well as recap the day's news stories and blog postings.

And Wednesday morning ... a surprise!

Oh, and more videos from today are now available on the AmP YouTube Channel, so give them a look-see.

Second Report: Vigil for Mass Pre-Gathering (pics & video)

An abbreviated report this time, due to technical issues (now resolved) that precluded coverage of the Rock For Life event.

I do however have a few pictures from the Vigil Mass pre-gathering uploaded to the AmP Flickr page.

There are also two new (HD-quality!) YouTube videos which capture how full-past-capacity the Basilica becomes for this Liturgy (scroll down to see them embedded in this post).

The originals are available on the AmP YouTube channel.

Related headlines:

CWNews: Pro-lifers converge on DC for Roe anniversary

LifeNews: West Coast Walk for Life Sees Record 25,000 Pro-Life People Participate

Zenit: Pro-Lifers March on West Coast

WTOP News: Annual 'March' Will Close City Streets

LifeNews: Pro-Life Advocates: Roe v. Wade Support Weak as Abortion Case Reaches 35

Here is the first high-definition short video of the interior of the Basilica from this evening:

A second video, taken from the front of the Basilica, is available on the AmP YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, seminarians were keeping a close watch on the sanctuary while preparing for the liturgy:

To switch gears quickly and end with an observation, the metro has been mobbed all day by March for Life walkers. I went on several trips as I criss-crossed the district assembling my coverage, and each time I was able to strike up a conversation with someone sitting near me by saying "So, are you here for the March?" "Yes!"

It would be almost impossible for the average DC metro dweller to not notice the throngs of young kids and chaperones on every car and at every station. They are very orderly groups(ticket mishaps aside) and far more outgoing than the daily commuters you normally encounter. A very fine witness, right there.

And remember, this is all pre-coverage to the March itself tomorrow! Stay tuned....

Related: All AmP postings on the 2008 March for Life.

First report: Cardinal O'Conner Conference (pics & video)

I'm just returning from the Cardinal O'Connor Conference long enough to upload some pictures and videos. Full report to follow. Next on the itinerary: Rock for Life Training & Activism.

Here is a photograph of Deirdre McQuade's keynote address at the O'Connor Conference:

New pictures from the Conference have been uploaded to the AmP Flickr page.

It was my first time using the camera, so the output was a little sketchy. It does very well with outdoor and up-close photos, however, and those will predominate in tomorrow's March for Life coverage.

Here is an embedded YouTube video of an excerpt of Deirdre McQuade's response to a question asked by an audience member after she had given her keynote address:

Here, next, is a sample from one of the conference's "break-out" sessions, this one by Fr. Kevin T. FitzGerald, SJ, MD on the topic of "the future of stem cell research", and also available on the AmP YouTube channel:

Related news:

• All AmP postings on the 2008 March for Life.
• CWNews: Pro-lifers converge on DC for Roe anniversary

Schedule of Events: The 35th March for Life (AmP Complete Coverage)

As I blogged earlier, the 35th Annual March for Life will be happening in my backyard of Washington, DC next Tuesday, January 22nd. There are also many related events scheduled in the days leading up to the March.

This is the link you want to bookmark for upcoming March for Life posts.

I'll be personally walking with the local Dominican Friars, as well as attending as many private events and public conferences as I can swing. According to Wikipedia, this is the most attended annual march in Washington D.C. (100k+) so there is plenty happening.

I also hope to have a flickr slideshow of exclusive images and several high-quality youtube videos up throughout the long weekend, so stay tuned!

*Notice: March for Life Buses *must* purchase a DC permit*

To get started, let's take a look at the important events coordinating with this year's March for Life:

• Official schedule of events from the USCCB (beginning with Jan. 21 Vigil Mass)
• MarchForLife.org - the organizers of the even
• StudentsForLife.org - they host a pro-life conference in DC on the 20th.
• Cardinal O'Connor Conference for Life - Takes place at Georgetown on the 21st.
• 2008 Rally for Life & Youth Mass - Jan 22nd, by the Archdiocese of Washing & Abp. Wuerl
• The American Life League is hosting Rock for Life, a training & activism weekend for youth.
• Blogs For Life Conference - A must for St. Blog's community members, hosted by the FRC
• Priests for Life has a list of events listed here and here (focusing on Fr. Frank Pavone).
• LifeSiteNews offers its schedule of 2008 Conferences and Activities here.

I'm planning on attending Abp. Wuerl's Mass for Life on Sunday evening, and much of the Cardinal O'Connor Conference for Life on Monday. I don't think I'll make it to the Youth Rally on Tuesday morning, but I will be at the Blogs for Life Conference a couple times when I'm not walking with the Dominicans. In the evening I'm currently planning on attending the ICL, Champions for Family Reception.

Now, let's take a look at recent stories about or mentioning the March for Life:

• Last year, President Bush called the Marchers for Life and gave them encouragement. CNS: "Culture of life means changing hearts, president tells March for Life"
• Dawn Eden informs us that the Catholic Information Center is doing several things to help Marchers, including discounts, free wireless internet and a tea party! She'll also be at Blogs for Life.
• This year, CNS reports, "Founder says walk to Capitol Hill still the top March for Life event"
• LifeSiteNews announces that the entire student population of Christendom college is coming.

We should not forget to mention the West Coast March for Life, taking place on Saturday the 19th. The fourth French Pro-Life march in Paris will take place on the 20th, last year they assembled 10k people.

(And I would be remiss to not mention that every of age Catholic pro-lifer warms up at The Dubliner Irish Pub after the cold day of marching. I'll be there. In fact, I'll probably be switching between "The Dub" and Kelly's Irish Times.)

The Dominican Friars posted videos on YouTube from last year's March: [Part 1] - [Part 2].

The March for Life website has provided video from the 2007 pre-march rally:

The best places to find up-to-date pro-life news is the ProLifeBlogs aggregator, as well as Jill Stanek.

Notice: Readers are more than welcome to submit information to this post by posting it in the comments!

Notice of Complete Coverage: March for Life in 7 Days

The 2008, 35th Annual March for Life will be happening in my backyard of Washington DC's National Mall on January 22nd, with numerous activities taking place in the days leading up to it, which I'm now in the process of compiling into a one-stop list.

I also plan to provide exclusive audio/video coverage of these important events, so bookmark AmericanPapist, start your preparations and then check back soon!

Exclusive: Advance photos and summary of Dominican diaconate ordination

As I mentioned previously, this past Saturday I was able to attend an ordination of seven Dominican friars to the transitional diaconate. The Mass was held in the Crypt Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception here in DC, and was celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus of Louisville, Thomas Kelly, O.P.

Here is a picture of the seven newly-ordained deacons (vested in gold).

Here is a photo of the ordination Mass taken by a professional photographer:

And here is a Flickr set of 20 more pictures of the event which capture it well. (Just to be cruel, I'm barely visible in one of the pictures. Props to the first person to spot me, that is, if Where's Waldo? is your idea of fun.)

Anyway, as you can see from the photos, it was a beautiful and reverent celebration.

The first reading was very appropriate considering the fact that there were seven candidates, viz., Acts Chapter 6:1-7, which tells the story of the first seven deacons to be ordained by the apostles in the early church.

My favorite off-the-cuff moment took place after the solemn presentation and election of the candidates. Once Fr. John Langlois, the Student Master of the Dominican House of Studies had read the names of the seven candidates and declared them fit for ordination, and Abp. Kelly had recited the formula acceptance and acknowledgement, he went on to add, "So John, really - are they ready?". Fr. Langois was quick to respond, "Oh yes, they are."

Abp. Kelly went on to say that, having lived in the community of Dominican friars at the Priory of the Immaculate Conception for many months, he would happily vouch personally for each one of the candidates.

And in related news, their new $18M Academic Center and Theological Library is quickly taking shape:

The roof panels have since arrived and are now being fitted to the visible steel lattice work.

update: The Dominican Friars now have another slideshow of images available for viewing.

[photo credit: Kristian Grabosky, All Rights Reserved.]

[photo credit: Dominican Vocations Blog, All Rights Reserved.]

Fr. Hardon Day of Remembrance this Saturday in Detroit

I emerge from my Christmas blogging hiatus to post about this upcoming local event:

Dear Friends,

Attached is a flyer with information on the annual Day of Remembrance in honor of Fr. John Hardon, the saintly Jesuit whose influence still reverberates throughout America, particularly in the archdioceses of Detroit and Chicago.

Fr. Hardon was the spiritual director of Mother Teresa, and was the only priest at the altar at her public funeral Mass. He developed a catechetical curriculum for her order, and for 26 years traveled worldwide giving retreats at Missionaries of Charity convents. Fr. Hardon has been declared a “Servant of God” by the Vatican, and efforts are well underway for his eventual canonization.

This day-long event, slated for Saturday, Dec. 29, at Assumption Grotto Church in Detroit, has been held every year since Fr. Hardon died in 2000. The event is always a great time to not only learn more about Fr. Hardon, but to spent time with and meet with many people who knew and worked with him during his 10 years in Detroit.

Three speakers will talk about their personal experiences with Fr. Hardon.

• Marlene Elwell, long-time pro-life political activist/strategist and most recently founder of Catholics in the Public Square. Marlene is one of the giants of the pro-life movement in the United States, and she is responsible for the brilliant strategic success of getting a pro-life plank in the Republican platform in 1980, when the GOP’s convention was in Detroit.
• Carole Breslin, who assisted Fr. Hardon in many ways. Including helping to prepare his manuscripts for publication. Particularly noteworthy was her help in the writing of his last project, his remarkable Catholic Prayer Book.
• Jay McNally, journalist and biographer of Fr. Hardon. Jay has done investigative reporting for the Wanderer, the National Catholic Register, New Oxford Review and Catholic World Report, and was executive director for six years of Call to Holiness, one of the last of many apostolates founded by Fr. Hardon.

A great highlight of the event will be the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass at Assumption Grotto.

The PDF flyer is available here: HardonDayofReflectionDec29.

Blogging will be sporadic for the remaining Twelve Days of Christmas.

St. Gabriel Possenti: "Patron Saint of Handgunners"

No, I'm not kidding. Or at least, these folks aren't.

From the St. Gabriel Possenti Society website:

The St. Gabriel Possenti Society promotes the public recognition of St. Gabriel Possenti, including his Vatican designation as Patron Saint of Handgunners.

St. Gabriel Possenti was a Catholic seminarian whose marksmanship and proficiency with handguns single-handedly saved the village of Isola, Italy from a band of 20 terrorists in 1860.

The Possenti Society offers a variety of materials related to St. Gabriel Possenti and a biblical understanding of self-defense.

So why the pistol and lizard in their emblem? Well, the story goes:

In 1860, a band of soldiers from the army of Garibaldi entered the mountain village of Isola, Italy. They began to burn and pillage the town, terrorizing its inhabitants.

Possenti, with his seminary rector's permission, walked into the center of town, unarmed, to face the terrorists. One of the soldiers was dragging off a young woman he intended to rape when he saw Possenti and made a snickering remark about such a young monk being all alone.

Possenti quickly grabbed the soldier's revolver from his belt and ordered the marauder to release the woman. The startled soldier complied, as Possenti grabbed the revolver of another soldier who came by. Hearing the commotion, the rest of the soldiers came running in Possenti's direction, determined to overcome the rebellious monk.

At that moment a small lizard ran across the road between Possenti and the soldiers. When the lizard briefly paused, Possenti took careful aim and struck the lizard with one shot. Turning his two handguns on the approaching soldiers, Possenti commanded them to drop their weapons. Having seen his handiwork with a pistol, the soldiers complied. Possenti ordered them to put out the fires they had set, and upon finishing, marched the whole lot out of town, ordering them never to return. The grateful townspeople escorted Possenti in triumphant procession back to the seminary, thereafter referring to him as "the Savior of Isola".

Aspiring Catholic movie makers, I think you've found your plot. (But read on....)

If you want to understand the society a bit better, a look at their links page reveals a list of resources on Saint Gabriel Possenti ... as well as "Firearm links." You can also buy St. Gabriel Possenti tokens and the founder of the society exhibits materials (including the Saint's biography entitled "Gun Saint") at NRA meetings. The "What you can do" page recommends distributing the tokens at "gun shows and in gun stores" or "deposit[ing] them in church collection baskets."

Most recently, the interdenominational society presented an award to the woman who fired upon a "madman" who killed two worshippers at New Life Chuch in Colorado Springs last week.

Personally, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the petition to designate St. Gabriel Possenti the "Patron Saint of Handgunners" to get approved.

As for the legend of St. Gabriel's gunslinging ways, it appears to be just that.

The Wikipedia author, for instance, is very skeptical (and cites sources):

A campaign is under way in the United States to have Saint Gabriel declared patron of hand-gunners. This is in reference to an apocryphal story which has the saint rescuing the town of Isola from marauding bandits, using the skills from hunting he had learnt as a boy. Whilst this story is mentioned in one biography of the saint,[15] the author admits that some of the accounts in his book were invented to “enliven” the story.[16] No account of the alleged event is present in another independently researched biography of the saint[17][18][19][20], in particular early sources of the saint’s life[21][22][23] making such an incident seem unlikely. Moreover at the time of the alleged incident (1860) Gabriel was in the later stages of tuberculosis making such a strenuous exercise impossible for one in such a condition.[24]

His Catholic Encyclopedia entry makes no mention of the tale.

Fr. Robert F. McNamara reproduces the story but adds:

"Recently, some pistol fans have asked the present pope to name St. Gabriel Possenti the patron saint of pistol-bearers. The Passionists have rightly rejected such a thought. Even if Gabriel knew how to use a gun in self-defense, he would surely have deplored showing any fondness for a weapon that has been used to assassinate Pope John Paul II and many other victims of modern terrorism."

The God, Guns & Glory blog isn't so discerning.

Catholic Enyclopedia notes:

It is the express wish of Leo XIII and Pius X that he should be regarded as the chief patron of the youth of today, and especially as the patron of young religious, both novices and professed, in all that concerns their interior lives.

... for reasons other than his excellent markmenship, I'd wager.

Still, we can certainly pray to St. Gabriel Possenti for gun safety.

(And maybe for success in lizard hunting?)

[photo 1: St. Gabriel Possenti Society.]
[photo 2: The Shot. Copyright by John Michael Snyder.]

Rep. McCotter introduces resolution into House to welcome Pope Bendict in April

Rep. Thad McCotter (R. Mich.) has introduces a resolution this week which was referred to the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs "That the United States House of Representatives welcomes His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on his first apostolic visit to the United States."

The press release:

On November 12, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican’s representative to the US, announced Pope Benedict XVI would visit the United States in April 2008. This is heartening news for our nation’s 65.7 million Catholics.

Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting our nation for five days from April 15-20, during which time he will celebrate his 81st birthday. The visit will be a whirlwind of activity for the Pope. During his time on US soil, His Holiness will make an official state visit to the White House, lead services for tens of thousands of worshippers, hold an inter-religious dialogue, address the United Nations, and visit Ground Zero.

Please join me as a cosponsor of H. Res. 838, which welcomes Pope Benedict XVI on his first visit to America.

Thaddeus G. McCotter, Member of Congress

I've uploaded the resolution in PDF format: popebenedictresolution.pdf. You can read the text online here. It provides a short list of Pope Benedict's accomplishments. Regarding his pontificate, it reads:

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has made repeated calls for peaceful resolutions to international conflicts, especially with respect to North Korea's nuclear ambitions;

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has made reconciliation and peace an important goal of his Papacy on an ecumenical level reaching out to both Orthodox and Protestant Churches and in an inter-religious manner with Judaism and Islam;

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has affirmed the dignity of the human person with respect to refugees, exiles, evacuees, and other migrant persons;

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has written 25 books and given thousands of hours of lectures, making him one of the most prolific theologians in modern times;

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has decried the imminent dangers terrorism and extremism pose to Western Civilization; and

Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has identified the failed revolutions and violent ideologies of the 20th century as being the result of the `Dictatorship of Relativism' stating that `absolutizing what is not absolute but relative is called totalitarianism'.

Not a bad CV, that.

You can track the bill's progress on GovTrack here. I'll provide an update if it gets scheduled for debate.

AmP quoted in Catholic News Service

A little bird told me that an excerpt from my recent article criticizing the favorable review of The Golden Compass published by the U.S. Bishop's office for Film and Broadcasting has been quoted in a Catholic News Service piece by Mark Pattison entitled "Critics debate merits of 'The Golden Compass' movie".

I'll post a link once it is made available online. If it isn't uploaded, I'll excerpt a selection.

More proof that New Line Cinema is trying to advertise the Golden Compass in Catholic publications

Catholic institutions promoting a movie based on a book that attempts to bring down Catholic institutions.

This is the reality we will face if rumors come true that New Line Cinema is using the USCCB's favorable review of the Golden Compass to spearhead an advertising campaign among Catholic publications.

Today, I received another confirmation that such a project is in the works:

Last week, I couldn't help overhearing our ad salesman ask our business manager if we would want to accept a full-page ad promoting "The Golden Compass," to which the answer was (thankfully) no.

But the exchange piqued my interest, and so I asked the sales rep about it. Turns out, some agency was trying to arrange a group buy of Catholic papers around the country, and we were contacted to see whether we wanted to be in or it. I asked whether any Catholic papers were taking the ad, and he said, "Oh yes, quite a few."

Of course, from New Line Cinema's point of view, it's an excellent move: what better way to downplay criticism that the material is anti-Catholic than being able to produce a whole list of Catholic publications and institutions that have consented to advertising it?

Of course, as I reported about a year ago, some Catholic newspapers have no problem advertising for pro-abortion Governors. An anti-Catholic author, you say? No biggie.

I guess all of this leads up to the conclusion that I won't be surprised to find a new BlogAds submission from New Line Cinema asking me to advertise the Golden Compass on my sidebar (not going to happen).

So, what can you do about it? Well, as a start, if you find a Catholic publication that is running advertisements for the Golden Compass, let me know by emailing me or posting in the comment box so I can compile a list.

I'd be especially interested to find out if the New Line Cinema advertisement quotes the favorable USCCB review.

update: Curt Jester has heard from a reader that New Line Cinema is claiming that the Golden Compass is "entirely in harmony with Catholic teaching" - an incredible inflation and misapplication of the (already-flawed) particular endorsement given by the USCCB reviewer.

update 2: Catholic News Agency picks up on this story and confirms it:

The promoters of the controversial movie, The Golden Compass, are making an effort to diminish the boycott being threatened by Catholics and other Christian groups. The advertising agency for the movie has sent an email to the top 50 weekly Catholic newspapers asking that they consider running an ad promoting the movie.

Advertising Media Plus, the agency promoting The Golden Compass, is trying to use a review by Steve Forbes, the director of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference Office for Film & Broadcasting, as leverage against the boycott being called for by Catholics and Evangelicals.

National Account Manager for Advertising Media Plus, Bob Bugle sent an email to the top 50 Catholic newspapers saying that New Line Cinema is interested “in possibly advertising The Golden Compass in the Catholic press.”

His email goes on to mention that the movie has caused some controversy and then attempts to ease any concerns by citing a positive review from Harry Forbes, the Director of the USCCB’s Office of Film and Broadcasting.

Now to wait and see who takes New Line up on their golden offer....

Meanwhile, LSN reports that some are calling for the resignation of the USCCB reviewers.

Looking Ahead: Review + Interview for the Human Experience

This is a very busy week for me, but I will be sitting down at some point to sketch out a brief review of the Human Experience by Grassroots Films, which I had the privilege of seeing at an advance screening this weekend.

I'll also be posting excerpts from an interview I was able to conduct afterwards with Joseph Campo (Producer/Cinematography) and Michael Campo (Associate Producer/Writer/Actor).

I was very impressed by these gentleman and by the rough cut of the movie that I saw. Grassroots Films is best known for producing the award-winning vocations video Fishers of Men for the USCCB.

I've posted previously on this film and production company here:

• Human Experience advance screening this weekend
• The Next Big Thing: "The Human Experience" (Megapost)

In the meantime, the Dominican Friars who generously hosted the screenings have a post covering the events.

New Line Cinema uses favorable USCCB review to advertise in Catholic publications?!

I hate to use a hackneyed phrase, but the plot just thickened.

Amy reports:

Using the positive review of the[the Golden Compass] that has come to us from the USCCB film office, a review penned by Harry Forbes and John Mulderig, New Line’s advertising agency is reaching out to diocesan publications.

Amy then reproduces an email sent from New Line Cinema to diocesan publications. Most notably in it:

"We’ve spoken extensively about this film with Harry Forbes, Director of the USCCB’s Office of Film and Broadcasting."

I echo Amy in asking, what is that supposed to mean?

Again, I really try to avoid being cynical in my postings, but in this case we shouldn't forget that Pullman, New Line Cinema, et al. stand to make (or lose) a great deal of money on this movie adaptation.

Now, these same folks are approaching Catholic and Diocesan publications to have them promote the film, and they are using Harry Forbes' favorable review as their trump card. You've got to be kidding me.

I explain why this is not the kind of material the USCCB should be rubber-stamping right here.

Catholic League slams USCCB for positive review of Golden Compass

LifeSiteNews interviewed the Catholic League for their response to the USCCB's recent positive review of the Golden Compass, which I took issue with yesterday in my extensive post on the topic.

In most instances, this article repeats the main points that I made. One interesting connection the interview makes:

Forbes has for many years been the Director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Office for Film and Broadcasting. In 2005, LifeSiteNews.com pointed out that Forbes issued a glowingly positive review of the homosexual propaganda film "Brokeback Mountain". Yesterday, Forbes issued another positive review, this time for the film adaptation of the specifically anti-Catholic novel "The Golden Compass."

... The League did not take issue with the USCCB review praising the film for its artistic merit, but for its winking at the devastating anti-Catholicism.

... Forbes' 2005 USCCB glowing review of the homosexual film Brokeback Mountain was substantially altered after a LifeSiteNews.com readers issued numerous concerns to the Bishops Conference. (See coverage here.) LifeSiteNews.com has retained a copy of the original glowing review for those interested.

A litte zing that I passed over:

In what the League calls "mind-boggling", the USCCB review actually congratulates the screenwriter for portraying the characters as demonstrating "free will" for their opposition to the Magisterium and then suggests that this is a reflection "entirely in harmony with Catholic teaching".

"To the extent, moreover, that Lyra (the central character) and her allies are taking a stand on behalf of free will in opposition to the coercive force of the Magisterium, they are of course acting entirely in harmony with Catholic teaching," writes Forbes. "The heroism and self-sacrifice that they demonstrate provide appropriate moral lessons for viewers."

The League countered: "Nazis are portrayed as having free will in movies, too. Should the screenwriters of this film be commended for reflecting Catholic values? Free will is indeed a Catholic value, but it is the object of free will that carries moral weight."

CPT Tom and Freder1ck in the comments thread to my original post also brought up the USCCB's prior "glowing" review of Brokeback Mountain. I think it is important to make clear once again that there is nothing outrageous, properly speaking, in criticizing a USCCB-sponsored movie review. These are journalists hired by the USCCB, not U.S. Bishops invoking their teaching authority.

Related: "Plan to Turn Anti-Christian Books into Super-Series after "Golden Compass" Released" (LSN):

British author Philip Pullman's anti-religious children's fantasy stories will become a multi-million dollar Hollywood "super series", according to a Reuter's report, along the lines of Lord of the Rings and the still unfinished Chronicles of Narnia. At the same time, opposition to the anti-religious, and specifically anti-Catholic themes of the book are coming under greater scrutiny with the US Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights calling for a boycott.

Carl Olson, who has long been following this story, notes how the book is explicitly anti-Catholic:

I recently sat down and read a few chapters of The Golden Compass. Chapter 21 is especially notable, what with its remarks about "the Church," "the doctrines of the Church," "exorcisms," "original sin," "God," "Adam and Eve," quotes from Genesis 1-2, the Bible, castratos, Church music, etc. (all of which, needless to say, are presented in a most negative way).

Yeah, sure sounds to me like Pullman is thinking of one organized religion in particular: Catholicism.

U.S. Bishops give Golden Compass a pass, and why we shouldn't.

This post is rather long and is divided into two parts. If you want to skip down to my short essay on why I find this movie problematic, scroll down until you see the text bolded in red.

If you want my commentary on an advance review of the movie, read on:

CNS news hub introduces the USCCB's "much-awaited movie review of 'The Golden Compass', which they rate suitable for A-II: adults and adolescents. The story is being marketed primarily to children.

My comments and interspersed with parts of the review, which begins by praising the movie as a "lavish, well-acted and fast-paced adaptation" from "Philip Pullman's much-awarded trilogy, "His Dark Materials":

The film has already caused some concern in Catholic circles because of the author's professed atheism, and the more overt issue of the novels' negative portrayal of his (very much fictionalized) church, a stand-in for all organized religion.

The fact that the church described in the novels is "fictionalized" does not matter so much in this case. Pullman wrongly proposes his caricature of the Church not as caricature but as the actual reality.

Most moviegoers with no foreknowledge of the books or Pullman's personal belief system will scarcely be aware of religious connotations, and can approach the movie as a pure fantasy-adventure. This is not the blatant real-world anti-Catholicism of, say, the recent "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" or "The Da Vinci Code." Religious elements, as such, are practically nil.

Just because this movie is not the blatant real-world anti-Catholicism of the movies noted does not rule out the possibility that the Golden Compass may also be offensive for different, but significant reasons.

(As an aside, it's no surprise to find the "excellent voice work" of homosexual-activist/anti-Catholic British actor Ian McKellen as the the great polar bear. But who knows, maybe it's a slow time of the year.)

Even if Pullman's fanciful universe has a patchwork feel, with elements culled from other fantasy-adventure stories -- most especially "The Chronicles of Narnia" (a work Pullman disdains) -- there's hardly a dull moment, and the effects are beautifully realized, including the anthropomorphized creatures like the polar bears whose climactic fight is superbly done.

"Disdains" is a very sublimated way of describing Pullman's systematic, energetic rejection of C.S. Lewis's art and belief. To use a culinary analogy to make my point: if I only disdained domino's pizza I would not set out to create an alternative pizza that I marketed as better, more appealing and then insult anyone who still professed a preference for domino's pizza. Pullman more than disdains C.S Lewis, that's certain.

Whatever author Pullman's putative motives in writing the story, writer-director Chris Weitz's film, taken purely on its own cinematic terms, can be viewed as an exciting adventure story with, at its core, a traditional struggle between good and evil, and a generalized rejection of authoritarianism.

First of all, Pullman's motives aren't "putative", they are explicit and intentional. The traditional struggle of good and evil, and the rejection of authoritarianism, moreover, are warped in his storyline into an invective against the Church, again falsely attributing to it the attributes of "evil" and "authoritarian." Movies are cultural moments, and those who resist this movie are doing so to build up a culture of respect for the Catholic Church and in so doing militantly oppose those artists who insult and denigrate it. Correctly, I would argue.

There is, admittedly, a spirit of rebellion and stark individualism pervading the story. Lyra is continually drawn to characters who reject authority in favor of doing as they please. Equally, only by defying the powers that be, can a scientist like Lord Asriel achieve progress. Pullman is perhaps drawing parallels to the Catholic Church's restrictive stance towards the early alchemists and, later, Galileo.

Again, Pullman is not "perhaps drawing parallels." This is to grant him an absurdly-merciful benefit of the doubt. And since when do we support drudging up the hackneyed relationship between the Catholic Church and Galileo? Isn't that getting old? Even a cursory analysis of the myriad of circumstances that obtained in that controversy make it clear that focusing on a minor aberration in Church history does a disservice to the Catholic Church's vibrant, pervasive tradition of encouraging the sciences! Fair's fair.

The script also makes use of some of the occult concepts found in the books, such as the diabolically named "daemons" -- animal companions to each person, identified as their human counterpart's visible soul.

Again, occult? daemons? visible souls? Such material in a children's book is a serious matter. A child's imagination is a precious thing that should be guarded carefully.

Will seeing this film inspire teens to read the books, which many have found problematic? Rather than banning the movie or books, parents might instead take the opportunity to talk through any thorny philosophical issues with their teens.

Clearly, it's absurd to argue that every child who sees this movie is in danger of losing their faith. Parents, however, are charged with the education and formation of their children. "Thorny philosophical issues" are constantly the proximate cause of genuine crisis among youth, and sometimes it's best to nip them in the bud, not buy popcorn and absorb them in vivid technicolor dolby surround at a theater.

The religious themes of the later books may be more prominent in the follow-up films which Weitz has vowed will be less watered down. For now, this film -- altered, as it is, from its source material -- rates as intelligent and well-crafted entertainment.

Intelligent, well-crafted entertainment is not an end in itself if it betrays fundamental human goods and divorces beauty from truth. The fact that New Line is evaluating the sustainability of these latter, presumably more offensive films based on the ticket sales of this first one further council a prudent consideration of whether one can support it. In essence, there is more at-stake here that artistic integrity. Let me elaborate:

I've been thinking about the Golden Compass and trying to better formulate why I'm so opposed to it. I have not seen the movie, nor have I read the books. Here's what I came up with that might be helpful.

One could easily argue that movies are the contemporary medium of popular art. Within this medium, there are, I would submit, two great movie series vying for the imagination of the next generation. The Lord of the Rings, clearly, is the greatest. Second to that is the Chronicles of Narnia (the second film in that series, Prince Caspian, will be released in spring of '08). The authors of these two series are both brilliant intellectual Christians who employ fantasy in different ways to communicate transcendent truths about man, the world and God.

The production of these two series have provided a wonderful opportunity for a wider audience to familiarize themselves with stories long cherished by Christians in general and Catholics in particular. They are excellent tools for evangelization (and I don't meant that in a utilitarian sense), just look at the bevy of books they have prompted. Their beauty, and the richness of the worlds they create, lead towards truths concretely realized in the Christian revelation. They are "ours", and we are only too willing to share them with others.

Enter into this scene Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. New Line Cinema, who is producing this series and also produced The Lord of the Rings, is explicitly in their advertisements attempting to draw a parallel between the two works (I blogged about that strategy here when I first heard about the Golden Compass, and stated my problems with it then). They claim it is a continuation of Tolkien.

Now, while Pullman does share in the same broad category of "fantasy" as Lewis and Tolkien, he is also at-odds with their more fundamental philosophical and religious worldviews. Pullman has been named the "anti-Lewis" for a reason. New Line Cinema may not realize it, but Tolkien and Pullman are not peas in a pod. In fact, they aren't even Jacob and Esau. They are more like Gandalf and Sauron, more like Aslan and Jadis.

The fate of our corporate "movie imagination" balances on the edge of a knife. Catholics, I think, realize without completely understanding why, that Pullman's movie is a danger to what has so fortuitously come about as a result of Hollywood's storyline vacuum - a vacuum filled so-far, and happily, with the accumulated wisdom and beauty of Tolkien and Lewis. Pullman is poised on the brink of entering into what has been so carefully assembled, and blast it to pieces. If I may be permitted a moment of cynicism, I suspected that the avowed anti-Lewis is content to see his series of books become the new cinematic anti-Narnia, and by extension, anti-LOTR.

I remain open to the possibility that I'm making too much of all this, but I can't shake the sense that part of building up a Catholic culture, in this instance, involves sedulously resisting the lure of His Dark Materials.

***

As a postscript, I am aware of the argument that any attempt to boycott or vocally criticize this movie will supposedly only play into the hands of those who want to see the film do well (a la The Da Vinci Code). At the same time, of course, I think it is important to inform Catholics and Christians about the true nature of this film. Many people simply don't know why it problematic because and it is not overtly anti-Catholic or anti-God. There is already a very large movement to boycott the film, and a brief look at the social networking site Facebook reveals literally hundreds of thousands of folks doing so. In other words, this little post is just a drop in the bucket. And we should also refuse to be marginalized from these public debates. That's a sure path to defeat.

***

Incidentally, my previous posts on this topic have been receiving a large influx of visitors from search engines who are looking for background on the claim that this movie is anti-Catholic. I've written this post in part as a service to those new readers who might not be aware of the issues involved. Towards that end, you should also consider my previous posts on this topic, which in turn include links to other good commentaries and sources:

• update 2: New Line Cinema uses favorable USCCB review to advertise in Catholic publications
• update: Catholic League slams USCCB for positive review of Golden Compass
• Actor Daniel Craig: "They sell Dan Brown now in the Vatican"
• Golden Compass author Philip Pullman calls critics "nitwits"
• The word is getting out about The Golden Compass
• The Golden Compass is pointing towards anti-Catholicism
• Related: Posts on Philip Pullman and other dark materials

If you found this post informative, please digg it so others will find it!

"Spe Salvi" - AmP Coverage of Pope Benedict's Second Encyclical

I am planning on waking up early tomorrow morning to provide comprehensive links and coverage of Pope Benedict's second encyclical "Spe Salvi" (on the theological virtue of Hope). So check back then!

What we know:

• The official press conference will be at 11:30am Rome time (6:30am EST)
• The encyclical is 81 pages long (update: CNS claims it is only 65). The Pope's first encyclical ("Deus Caritas Est"), by comparison was about 50 pages (I believe).
• "Spe Salvi" will be the 295th encyclical published since the first one was issued in 1740.
• It is not guaranteed that the text of the encyclical will be published tomorrow morning, but *ahem* we live in hope, and I'll do my best to find a reliable copy as soon as it's available.
• The Pope's last encyclical was signed Christmas Day, 2006, and released January 25th, 2007. It is believed that this encyclical will be published shortly after being signed, if not the same day.

Some advance reading:

Zenit just posted an interview with Monsignor Robert Sokolowski on the Pope's upcoming encyclical.

Irony of ironies - I just got out of my class with Msgr. Sokolowski. I wish he would tell me these things. :)

The Next Big Thing: "The Human Experience" (Megapost)

I'm very excited about a new movie that has been brought to my attention and would like to share it with you.

In this case, the trailer speaks louder than my words alone could:

Okay, now that I've got your attention, here's what you need to know....

The Film: "The Human Experience"

"The Human Experience is the story of a band of brothers who travel the world in search of the answers to the burning questions: Who am I? Who is Man? What is the meaning of it all? Their journey brings them into the middle of the lives of the homeless on the streets of New York City, the orphans and disabled children of Peru, and the abandoned lepers in the forests of Ghana, Africa."

What the young men discover changes them forever. Through one on one interviews and real life encounters, the brothers are awakened to the beauty of the human person and the resilience of the human spirit."

The movie has an official Facebook group. The official website has a trailer page, pictures, list of upcoming screenings and a "share your human experience" page.

Here's what I've found people saying about the film after watching it: