Te Deum laudamus!

Photos from Pentecost Solemn High Mass

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:17:00 +0000

Today for Pentecost we had a Solemn High Mass, thanks to the assistance of the newly ordained Deacon Louis Lapeyre (to the left of the celebrant, Fr. John Bustamante, also isolated below) and Mr. Tim Ferguson (to the right, who served as sub-deacon). Deacon Lapeyre, a parishioner of Assumption Grotto and former choir member, looks forward to priestly ordination here in the Archdiocese of Detroit within the next year. Mr. Ferguson will be following his call to the priesthood in the Diocese of Marquette. He has been serving as a canon lawyer for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Please keep both men in your prayers.

Fr. Perrone conducted an orchestral Mass today - the Mozart, Missa in C major (KV 257). It will be heard again at the Noon Mass on Corpus Christi. At this time, I do not know if that will be a Solemn High, but I do expect the Traditional Latin Mass.

The ladies schola sings the Alleluia and Sequence.

The ladies schola is directed by parishioner long-time choir member, Ruth Lapeyre, the mother of Deacon Louis Lapeyre. She also teaches voice at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

A couple of young parishioners got in the way of my camera lens, as often happens at Mass.

I have not fully processed the photos, nor have I uploaded any to Smugmug yet. I have some home projects going on right now and have not had much time for blogging and photography. In fact, I still have May Crowning photos to get to yet, hopefully soon. In any event, blogging will be light for a few weeks.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Orchestral Mass Schedule for Pentecost and Corpus Christi

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Wed, 15 May 2013 01:17:00 +0000

Photo taken at a past dress rehearsal

Here are the Orchestral Masses coming up, starting this Sunday for Pentecost. I know the Pentecost Mass at 9:30 will be in the Extraordinary Form - a Solemn High Mass. I'm not sure yet about Corpus Christi.

Orchestral Masses

Performance - Sunday, May 19 Pentecost Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Mass

Performance - Sunday, June 2, Corpus Christi Sunday at 12:00 Noon Mass.

Mozart: Missa in C major (KV 257)

Schubert: Salve Regina in A, op. 153

Because of the dress rehearsal on Wednesday night, the evening Mass is moved to 6:00 PM from it's usual 7:00 PM time-slot.

On Corpus Christi, following the Noon Mass, there will be a Eucharistic Procession on the grounds of Assumption Grotto, weather permitting. You can see some pics from the 2010 procession here. This is usually well attended, and well appreciated.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Grotto's Got Talent! Come Saturday for an Evening of Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:03:00 +0000

This Saturday night, some very talented people at Assumption Grotto will be putting on a Vaudeville Night. It is at 7:00 PM in the gym at the parish. If you have never been to one of these talent shows at Assumption Grotto, it is no ordinary show. Some of the young people are near professional caliber. They have been working for a couple of months now, so please come for an evening of fun.

Also, if you are local please let others know even if you cannot make it. Use the Facebook share buttons and other social media, or just email this post to your friends.

SIDE NOTE
I'm aware of the Gosnell guilty verdict and will be posting soon on it. I recommend visiting LifeNews.com for the latest if you have not heard. How fitting it should come on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

May 13: Our Lady of Fatima

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Today in the new calendar, is the optional Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. May 13, 1917 is the first day the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the children of Fatima. (See the official page and click around here)

The apparitions are described on this page, with their dates. Note how distinct each message is and how few there are.

Today, Papacy of Pope Francis was consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima, at his request. I'll update the post later with information on this as it is not yet available online. I wanted to watch it but forgot to set the DVR and woke up at the very end of the Mass in Fatima.

Several years ago, Fr. Perrone began a series of talks on the 13th of the Month beginning in May that that year. They were based on the book, "Fatima in Lucia's Own Words." This book is not for the faint of heart, nor for those who believe that the faith is all Resurrection and no Cross. In the book, Sr. Lucia explains the heroic virtue, especially of Bl. Jacinta. That child found many creative ways to engage in voluntary redemptive suffering (Col 1:24) in response to Our Lady's call to make acts of reparation.

See also, the prayers of Fatima. Some you may recognize.

Please note that this post is not about the Consecration of Russia. I'm hesitant to make any posts on Fatima because of how this issue detracts from the larger message of Fatima which is one of prayer, reparation and personal holiness. Therefore, I will not be publishing any comments related to that topic, so please do not spend the time writing them out. Thank you.

OTHER, UNRELATED NOTES

Pope Francis proclaimed new saints yesterday. See the full text of his homily at that Mass.

If you missed my Saturday book review of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross on The Beatitudes by Thomas M. Reid, OCDS, please check it out. Tom Reid is the president of the secular Carmelite community at Assumption Grotto which meets on First Saturdays starting with the special 8:30 AM Mass. He wrote the book in 2010 and it is quite unique in looking at the Sermon on the Mount through the mother and father of the Carmelite order.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

For Some Mothers, a Bouquet of Prayers...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Sun, 12 May 2013 11:57:00 +0000

That was my mother, Rose, sitting outside at Grotto waiting for Fr. Perrone's 30th Anniversary party to begin on June 1, 2008 - almost one full year to the date of her death on June 17, 2009 at the age of 77.

I'm copying in something I made in a previous year because it is so fitting.

*******

Dear Mom,

While you passed away several years ago, there isn't a day that goes by that you don't come to mind. The flowers I will put out at your grave may console me, but I know the greatest gift I can give you today, and everyday, is a bouquet of prayers for the repose of your soul. I am comforted to know that if you are not in purgatory and in no need of my prayers, they will go to some other mother in need of them. You wouldn't have it any other way. I entrust you to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom I also honor this day Mother's Day.

I now give this bouquet of thanks:

The first rose is for saying "YES" to life - my life.

The second rose is for all of those diapers you changed.

The third rose is for always feeding your children and husband before yourself.

The fourth rose is for all of the sleepless nights you had to care for me while I was sick.

The fifth rose is for the times you invited me as a young child to assist you in the kitchen, even though I was more of a hindrance than a help.

The sixth rose is for telling me how you let your stroke-ridden grandmother do the dishes knowing you would have to quietly redo them after she went for a nap.

The seventh rose is for not letting me barricade myself in a room while relatives paid a visit.

The eighth rose is for making me come in the house when the street lights went on.

The ninth rose is for making me laugh.

The tenth rose is for going to Mass every Sunday unless you were half-dead.

The eleventh rose is for being a witness to charity.

The twelfth rose is for being my mother and my friend.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Book Review: St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross on the Beatitudes

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:12:00 +0000

Thomas M. Reid, the current president of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Carmelite Community which meets at Assumption Grotto on First Saturdays, was the formation director for many years. In fact, he is one of several co-founders of our community having been a secular Carmelite long before coming to the parish. Grotto's pastor, Fr. Eduard Perrone, also an original member, serves as the chaplain or spiritual director. I joined the community in 2005. In fact, it is one of several factors that led me to the parish for the very first time on May 15, 2005, the Feast of Pentecost that year. I was pursuing spiritual direction given to me by my Franciscan novice mistress in February 1983 to find a spiritual director fluent in the works of St. John of the Cross, to which I had gravitated before leaving that community in Herzegovina due to illness. That was not an easy task and I abandoned it after about a year of coming up empty. Then one day, I contacted Mother Mary Elizabeth at the Carmelite Monastery in Clinton Township, who referred me to Fr. Perrone and the community at Assumption Grotto. The rest is history.

Tom has been helpful in many ways over the years, even writing workbooks on the writings of St. John of the Cross. His talks at our monthly formation meetings have enabled us to probe the writings of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila much deeper. A look at one of his well-read Carmelite books tells you something. I happened to have my camera with me in 2009 and when I got a glimpse of one of his Carmelite books -- this one being the collected works of St. John of the Cross, I believe -- I asked to take pictures of it. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of one of the pages with notes on top of notes, on top of other notes. These tiny bundles of thoughts went in every white space that could be found on a given page. Tom never saw a need to replace his trusty old books, held together with rubber bands, with newer, crisp versions. I think it could be summed up in my father's explanation as to why he hated it when my mother washed the coffee pot: "All the flavor buds go down the drain." Tom's disintegrating Carmelite books are full of flavor buds and gems to be mined. In fact, I think we need to put them in a special library for future reference after he has gone to his reward. Only the Good Lord knows what treasures we will find there. Click on the pics below to get a closer look at the book he had that day.

St. Teresa of Jesus & St. John of the Cross on The Beatitudes

With some word about who Tom Reid is above, I now begin my long over-due review of his book on the Beatitudes in the writings of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross - the mother and father of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. Secular Carmelites were once called lay or third order Carmelites. But, as Fr. Perrone's example shows, even a diocesan (secular) priest can become a secular Carmelite, the formal expression now used by the order.

Tom's targeted audience for this book is secular Carmelites because we are supposed to pay particular attention to the Beatitudes in our daily life. However, it would be a significant mistake to limit the audience in such a way. The Beatitudes is a book for any Catholic wanting to probe the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.

What Tom does is he first explores a particular Beatitude, then he breaks it down into two parts. For example, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven, is broken down by looking at the Kingdom of God, then looking at poverty in spirit. What he does next could only be done by someone who has read the same works over and again over a period of many years, or in Tom's case, decades. He pulls from each of the primary Carmelite works those things that pertain to the Beatitudes. When he finishes the first one, then moves on to the second one and the process begins again, first finding relevant nuggets in each of Teresa's key works, followed by those of St. John of the Cross. Throughout the book you are exploring certain themes or even words in the works of these saints. As many times as I have read the Sermon on the Mount, I never peeled away the layers the way Tom has in his book, The Beatitudes.

One thing this achieves is to give us a very good orientation of the primary Carmelite works. Even though I have read most of the books he excerpts from cover to cover, he really opened them up for me, as he has in his talks, and in his work books.

Here is one excerpt discussing poverty of spirit (pardon any typos or errors which may have occurred as I typed this part out).

We now turn to The Ascent of Mt. Carmel of St. John of the Cross to examine his views on the importance of poverty of spirit that will result in a soul gaining the Kingdom of God. We can easily translate this Beatitude into the language of St. John of the Cross. Poverty of spirit is the result that occurs in the soul that traverses the dark nights of the spiritual doctrine of this saint. The core of St. John's teachings concerns the dying of the soul to all the attachments it has to the world and it's attractions, the devil and his wiles, and most of all to the self defined as the center of the soul's consciousness and the object of its activities. As the soul progresses through each of the dark nights, of sense and spirit, active and passive, poverty of spirit increases. Each of these nights requires an increasingly painful separation from an attachment to creatures that is deeply embedded in the soul. Later in its journey, the soul will be required by God to detach itself from the spiritual satisfactions and the obstacles to union with God. They are obstacles because they are treated as ends in themselves, rather than means to the true end: union with God.

These attachments are barriers to poverty of spirit because they bind the soul to practices and methods of approaching God that are contaminated with self-interest, and seek as their object something that is less than God. In this way, the soul tends to retain something for itself and its own delight, and therefore, poverty of spirit is limited until these spiritual attachments are also surrendered and abandoned and no longer treated as ends (page 35).

If you have never read any of the works of St. Teresa of Avila or of St. John of the Cross, this book may get you interested in reading them. For those who have read the great works, you will find your understanding blossoming in ways unexpected.

How to get the The Beatitudes and other Carmelite works:

For those not local, Tom's books are sold through Little Flower Press. Here is the page for St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross on The Beatitudes. Once again, while it is targeted to secular Carmelites, this treasure is useful for any Catholic wanting to understand the Beatitudes or the works of the great Carmelite reformers. They are not available at Amazon, nor is there an e-version of the book at this time. Some pretty high volume would be needed for these things and perhaps your interest could help in this regard.

Getting started in the great Carmelite works, I think it is best to begin with the Way of Perfection by Teresa of Avila. It is in the Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, or in a stand alone version. Likewise, I recommend the Collected Works of St. John of the Cross. You will go back to them over and again as you grow in spirituality. Carmelites and non-Carmelites alike learn from these Doctors of the Church. I prefer the translations by Kieran Kavanagh, OCD through ICS Publications.

Visit your local Catholic book store to help keep them in your neighborhood. Assumption Grotto's giftshop, which is open on Sundays after the 9:30 AM and Noon Masses, as well as on weekdays for about an hour after the 7:30 AM Mass should have these books, as well as Tom's book on The Beatitudes. Just ask at the desk or inquire through direct message at the giftshop Facebook page.

If you don't have a local bookstore to support, or want to get the great Carmelite works online, here are some of my suggestions.

Amazon.com Widgets

From time to time I get email inquiries about life as a secular Carmelite. To learn more about living in the world as a Secular Carmelite may want to consult the little booklet by the OCD Delegate to the OCDS, Fr. Aloysius Deeney, OCD: Welcome to the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. If you want to visit a secular Carmelite community, look at the OCDS Generalate page in Rome to see if there is one near you. You may have to really click around, especially within the various US provinces, and not all of them are kept up to date. I give that link because I have a global readership and there are communities in many countries. Not all of them have websites, and those that do don't necessarily keep them up to date.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Photo: Assumption Grotto Church from another angle

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:59:00 +0000

I was out getting some stock photos in recent days. This one turned out quite well, by the grace of God. He set the stage; I just snapped a button.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

St. Augustine on Psalm 37: Do not fret because of the wicked

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:51:00 +0000

How often do we get upset about what others are doing - things that are immoral, unethical, and often sinful? How often do we envy how easy evil-doers seem to have it in life? Psalm 37 deals with this and teaches us how to respond.

I'm going to do a lot of quoting here because I just can't summarize Augustine. He has a way of saying things that hits home, but you may have to read it more than once.

St. Augustine, in discussing Psalm 37[36] had this to say:

2. This it is that disturbs you who are a Christian; that you see men of bad lives prospering, and surrounded with abundance of things like these; you see them sound in health, distinguished with proud honors; you see their family unvisited by misfortune; the happiness of their relatives, the obsequious attendance of their dependants, their most commanding influence, their life uninterrupted by any sad event; you see their characters most profligate, their external resources most affluent; and your heart says that there is no Divine judgment; that all things are carried to and fro by accidents, and blown about in disorderly and irregular motions. For if God, you say, regarded human affairs, would his iniquity flourish, and my innocence suffer? Every sickness of the soul has in Scripture its proper remedy. Let him then whose sickness is of that kind that he says in his heart things like these, let him drink this Psalmby way of potion....

Today's Office of Readings (OOR) began with Psalm 37 and it is broken up into parts. Here is a link to the Office of Readings for May 7, 2013 (Tuesday of 6th week after Easter) at DivineOffice.org; hopefully, it will work indefinitely. I'm going to quote some of it, but I prefer to use the RSV-Catholic Edition online for Psalm 37 [36]. Here is the beginning:

1 Fret not yourself because of the wicked, be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.

It is interesting to read how St. Augustine probes this sentence. He writes quite a bit on so little text. First he tells us that what is "soon" to God is long to us and that we need to conform ourselves to what is "soon" for God. This means patience is required. He points out that the grass and green herb are on the surface of the ground, without deep roots. They may fair the winter well, but in the scorching heat of summer they fade and wither. He then writes:

But if your love has but a deep root, like that of many trees during winter, the frost passes away, the summer (that is, the Day of Judgment) will come; then will the greenness of the grass wither away. Then will the glory of the trees appear. For you (says the Apostle) are dead, Colossians 3:3 even as trees seem to be in winter, as it were dead, as it were withered. What is our hope then, if we are dead? The root is within; where our root is, there is our life also, for there our love is fixed.

That last sentence by Augustine reminds me of Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.

The Psalm continues:

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will dwell in the land, and enjoy security. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your vindication as the light, and your right as the noonday. 7 Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over him who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the wicked shall be cut off; but those who wait for the LORD shall possess the land. 10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look well at his place, he will not be there.

Augustine explains that the land spoken of is the Church. The security of those who trust in the Lord is not like the fleeting trust of those who are attached to worldly things. Possessing things is different from possessing God. Possession of things does not come from God's grace, but from the world and the flesh. Our possession of God begins with God's possession of us and it is our response. We can't possess both God and things (Mt 6:24). Later, in section 9, Augustine explains why it bothers us, what others do, and why we should not fret.

9. See! I do so; I do 'submit to the Lord, and I do entreat.' But what do you think? That neighbour of mine is a wicked man, living a bad life, and prosperous! His thefts, adulteries, robberies, are known to me. Lifted up above every one, proud, and raised on high by wickedness, he deigns not to notice me. In these circumstances, how shall I hold out with patience? This is a sickness; drink, by way of remedy. Fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way. He prospers, but it is in his way: you suffer, but it is in God's way! His portion is prosperity on his way, misery on arriving at its end: yours, toil on the road, happiness in its termination. The Lord knows the way of the righteous; and the way of the ungodly shall perish. Thou walkest those ways which the Lord knows, and if you dost suffer toil in them, they do not deceive you. The way of the ungodly is but a transitory happiness; at the end of the way the happiness is at an end also. Why? Because that way is the broad road; its termination leads to the pit of hell. Now, your way is narrow; and few there be that enter in through it: Matthew 7:13-14 but into how ample a field it comes at the last, you ought to consider. Fret not yourself at him who prospers in his way; because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

He continues in section 9 to discuss the seriousness of potentially sinful anger. There is such a thing as righteous anger, but it is not what most think it to be. We will explore this in another post on anger and righteous anger (and it may need to be a series of posts). When someone else is doing something wrong, we do not have a right to be angry any way that fits us. Here is some of what Augustine says in the next paragraph of section 9:

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath Psalm 36:8. Wherefore are you angry? Wherefore is it that, through that passionand indignation, you blaspheme, or almost blaspheme? Against the man who brings wicked devices to pass, cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Do you not know whither that wrath tempts you on? You are on the point of saying unto God, that He is unjust. It tends to that. Look! Why is that man prosperous, and this man in adversity? Consider what thought it begets: stifle the wicked notion. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: so that now returning to your senses, you may say, My eye is disturbed because of wrath. What eye is that, but the eye of faith? To the eye of your faith I appeal. Thou believed in Christ: why did you believe? What did He promise you? If it was the happiness of this world that Christ promised you, then murmur against Christ; yes! Murmur against Him, when you see the wicked flourishing. What of happiness did He promise? What, save in the Resurrection of the Dead? But what in this life? That which was His portion. His portion, I say! Do you, servant and disciple, disdain what your Lord, what your Masterbore?...

There is so much more worth quoting, but it is really best if you just read Psalm 37 in it's entirety, then read St. Augustine's exposition on it at New Advent. Read it slow; read each paragraph several times if need be. When I am fixed on a particular psalm or scripture passage, I like to visit New Advent (which has a collection of texts from Church Fathers and others) then type in a few keywords, psalm, or passage number in the search tool there and see what comes up. Sometimes, you can find several saints with commentaries or letters involving a given text.

God gives us the tools to handle situations, we just need to look in the tool box, then use those tools.

Lots of things are happening out there that could cause us to be down when we are suppose to mirror the light of Christ. Every generation has it's challenges and it isn't up to us to question why we must deal with this or that. The issue is not that others sin; rather, it is our response to the sinfulness of others. Don't dwell in it. Don't let it make you bitter or anxious. Bookmark this post and go back to Psalm 37 and St. Augustine's exposition if you find yourself down because of what others do. May God give you comfort.

We will give St. Teresa of Avila the parting word since this is so apropos.

*******

Update: Last night I didn't think to look in my book of commentaries on the psalms by Saint Robert Bellarmine. He writes a rather lengthy exposition on Psalm 37. I will make another post with further thoughts from him on this subject.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Bishop Conley: Media reluctant to cover "murderous doctor, running a 'clinic' reminiscent of Auschwitz"

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:51:00 +0000

The jury will begin it's third day of deliberations in the trial of Kermit Gosnell, who is accused of the murder of one woman who died from an overdose of drugs at his abortion mill, and for the horrendous murders of four babies, born alive, then killed with scissors. Gosnell faces the death penalty, but could end up with life in prison, if convicted.

Gosnell, who has been in jail since his arrest, was moved to solitary confinement for his own safety. Other convicts, "frown on snipping babies." Two days ago I suggested that if he ends up with life in prison, it will be lived out in isolation for this very reason. Visit LifeNews for all the latest on the Gosnell trial.

I hope Bishop James D. Conley doesn't mind me quoting this article in full. It was in the Southern Nebraska Register, the newspaper of the Diocese of Lincoln where Bishop Conley has succeeded Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz.

*******

Abortion, Contraception Consequences on Display in Gosnell’s ‘house of horrors’

May 3, 2013

Our news outlets are not known for their squeamish attitude toward violence. On the contrary, reporters are often criticized for fixating on violence, exploiting it as fodder for the 24-hour news cycle.

We rarely see journalists shying away from a gruesome case. Yet, the media has been reluctant to cover the trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell – a Philadelphia abortionist accused of committing unspeakable crimes at his "Women’s Medical Center."

Already indicted by a grand jury, Gosnell is on trial for running a "house of horrors," where hundreds of infants were born alive and beheaded with scissors.

The testimony against him includes some of the most shocking statements ever made in an American courtroom. His former aides speak of infants whose hands and feet were kept in jars, and their bodies flushed down toilets, after they were delivered alive and decapitated.

Somehow, this story went largely unnoticed by mainstream reporters. One would expect a murderous doctor, running a "clinic" reminiscent of Auschwitz, to face a media blitz and a burst of public outrage.

Instead, Gosnell’s trial has been treated as a low-key, local story. Pro-life advocates took up the task of publicizing it, using social media to make up for news outlets’ silence.

I suspect journalists would rather ignore what happened at Gosnell’s "Medical Center." The case raises too many disturbing questions – about the mentality behind abortion, and our culture’s troubling attitude toward human life.

For instance, most "pro-choice" partisans dismiss the idea that abortion leads to infanticide. They distance themselves from thinkers like Princeton’s professor Peter Singer – who defends the killing of newborns, and the "right" to abortion, on the same philosophical basis.

But Gosnell’s trial shows the difficulty of separating abortion from infanticide, in theory and in practice.

Indeed, there is a hideous logical consistency in Gosnell’s career. He started off killing children in the womb, and ended up killing them after birth. At some point, the distinction between abortion and infanticide must have struck him as a mere technicality, just a matter of geography.

Most abortion advocates are, thankfully, not so logical. Most of them find Gosnell’s actions appalling. Yet they have no valid or compelling grounds on which to condemn his particular methods of abortion as wrong.

Indeed, on the level of moral principles, infanticide and abortion are equivalent. Kermit Gosnell took the abortion mentality to its logical conclusion.

This is a hard fact, with disturbing implications. It is an inconvenient fact for journalists, and many members of their audience, to face. This partly explains their reluctance to cover Gosnell’s trial, since it directly raises the question of abortion and its relationship to infanticide.

But the link between infanticide and abortion is not the only issue raised by this case. There is also the larger question of how human life is regarded, in a culture where contraception is widespread and abortion becomes "backup birth control." After all, most women who seek an abortion are on some form of birth control.

Kermit Gosnell’s actions are the logical outcome of the abortion mentality. But they are also, in a deeper sense, the result of what Blessed John Paul II called the "contraceptive mentality."

Many people wrongly believe contraception prevents abortion. This is not borne out by statistics, or by careful thinking about the issues.

Research shows that contraception leads to riskier behavior, more unplanned pregnancies, and consequently, more abortion. When contraception fails – as it inevitably does – couples are tempted to eliminate the "unwanted" life.

Kermit Gosnell looked at these "unwanted" lives, and saw burdens placed upon women. He was more ruthless than most, in his efforts to eliminate these living "burdens."

Most people do not share Gosnell’s ruthlessness. But many in our society seem to share his attitude: that human life is sometimes an inconvenient and unnecessary burden, rather than a sacred gift from God.

This is the "contraceptive mentality" that Blessed John Paul II saw as a root cause of abortion. When we see any human life as a troublesome burden we must manage, rather than a sacred gift entrusted to our care, there is a temptation to get rid of the burden by any means necessary.

The Gosnell case suggests that our society’s view of human life is deeply wrong. It suggests that a culture of contraception cannot avoid becoming a "culture of death" – in which some lives are seen not as gifts, but as burdens.

Our media outlets thrive on provocation and controversy, but they shrink from life’s deeper questions. They shy away from suggesting that abortion might lead to infanticide. They don’t dare to ask whether the "contraceptive mentality" makes us callous toward life.

The popular media will not take the risk of raising these more fundamental questions by publicizing Gosnell’s trial. That is why we must raise awareness of this case, to help the world see the consequences of contraception and abortion.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Assumption Grotto's website is [edit]... back up

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:43:00 +0000

Assumption Grotto's website is back up!

~~Yeah. I know. So does the webmaster, and Fr. Perrone. Our webmaster is in the process of moving it to a new server, so your patience is appreciated.~~

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Pope Francis: Difficulties and trials are part of the path that leads to God's glory.

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:07:00 +0000

Pope Francis continues to be very quote-worthy. World Youth Day should be interesting. Here he is addressing Confirmands in Rome.

*******

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Dear Confirmands,
I would like to offer three short and simple thoughts for your reflection.

1. In the second reading, we listened to the beautiful vision of Saint John: new heavens and a new earth, and then the Holy City coming down from God. All is new, changed into good, beauty and truth; there are no more tears or mourning… This is the work of the Holy Spirit: he brings us the new things of God. He comes to us and makes all things new; he changes us. The Spirit changes us! And Saint John’s vision reminds us that all of us are journeying towards the heavenly Jerusalem, the ultimate newness which awaits us and all reality, the happy day when we will see the Lord’s face – that marvelous face, the most beautiful face of the Lord Jesus - and be with him for ever, in his love.

You see, the new things of God are not like the novelties of this world, all of which are temporary; they come and go, and we keep looking for more. The new things which God gives to our lives are lasting, not only in the future, when we will be with him, but today as well. God is even now making all things new; the Holy Spirit is truly transforming us, and through us he also wants to transform the world in which we live. Let us open the doors to the Spirit, let ourselves be guided by him, and allow God’s constant help to make us new men and women, inspired by the love of God which the Holy Spirit bestows on us! How beautiful it would be if each of you, every evening, could say: Today at school, at home, at work, guided by God, I showed a sign of love towards one of my friends, my parents, an older person! How beautiful!

2. A second thought. In the first reading Paul and Barnabas say that “we must undergo many trials if we are to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). The journey of the Church, and our own personal journeys as Christians, are not always easy; they meet with difficulties and trials. To follow the Lord, to let his Spirit transform the shadowy parts of our lives, our ungodly ways of acting, and cleanse us of our sins, is to set out on a path with many obstacles, both in the world around us but also within us, in the heart. But difficulties and trials are part of the path that leads to God’s glory, just as they were for Jesus, who was glorified on the cross; we will always encounter them in life! Do not be discouraged! We have the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome these trials!

3. And here I come to my last point. It is an invitation which I make to you, young confirmandi, and to all present. Remain steadfast in the journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of our journey! He gives us the courage to swim against the tide. Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current; this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide. Jesus gives us this courage! There are no difficulties, trials or misunderstandings to fear, provided we remain united to God as branches to the vine, provided we do not lose our friendship with him, provided we make ever more room for him in our lives. This is especially so whenever we feel poor, weak and sinful, because God grants strength to our weakness, riches to our poverty, conversion and forgiveness to our sinfulness. The Lord is so rich in mercy: every time, if we go to him, he forgives us. Let us trust in God’s work! With him we can do great things; he will give us the joy of being his disciples, his witnesses. Commit yourselves to great ideals, to the most important things. We Christians were not chosen by the Lord for little things; push onwards toward the highest principles. Stake your lives on noble ideals, my dear young people!

Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/28/homily_of_pope_francis_celebrating_confirmation_mass/en1-687144
of the Vatican Radio website

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
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- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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The Holy Spirit is coming to rest on some bishops, and others...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:29:00 +0000

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed,

because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you (1 Peter 4:14)

Some bishops are under attack, even physically. From Catholic News Agency:

Brussels, Belgium, Apr 24, 2013 / 04:13 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Four semi-nude feminist protestors attacked Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard of Malinas-Brussels during a recent conference on freedom of expression.

The April 18 conference took place at the Free University of Brussels and was entitled, “Blasphemy – crime or freedom of expression.”

The four women, who belong to the radical group Femen, removed their shirts and used plastic bottles similar those used by pilgrims at Lourdes to throw water at the archbishop while shouting insults and making violent gestures.

The women painted their bodies with the phrases, “My body, my rules” and “God loves lesbians.” They also carried a sign which read, “Stop homophobia.”

The archbishop did what any good cleric should do, closed his eyes and prayed silently. After they were done and gone, the archbishop kissed one of the bottles which bore the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Catholic Vote has a petition to sign that is not really a petition, but a show of support. This is all well and good, but don't forget to pray for Archbishop Leonard and all of the bishops. May God grant them spiritual, emotional, and physical courage to continue proclaiming the truth, in season, and out of season.

*******

The other day I mentioned that Episcopal, Bishop Gene Robinson attacked Archbishop Vigneron for teaching Catholics, Catholic teaching.

*******

Over at Catholic Vote, we read about a case in Columbus, Ohio

The Columbus Dispatch reports that a Catholic High School fired a physical education teacher last month after it became public knowledge that she is a lesbian who lives with her partner, in direct violation of Church teachings. Sadly, the teacher, Carla Hale, reacted by suing the Diocese of Columbus under the city’s anti-discrimination law, which does not provide an exemption for religious organizations and carries a penalty of up to 180 days in jail.

There is a very real possibility then that Bishop Campbell could be sent to jail for upholding the Catholic faith. There is also the possibility that this case could end up in the Supreme Court, as the unanimous decision in the Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC case specifically leaves open the possibility of subsequent litigation for breach of contract. However, one has to wonder whether a contract based on a 19-year lie could still be valid. The Dispatch article does not state whether the school knew Hale was a lesbian and perhaps had some informal agreement with her provided she kept it quiet, but if so, the concealment on Hale’s part would only be more damning. Neither the school nor the diocese should be punished for trying to right the situation.

Before you know it, it is going to be illegal to be Catholic. History repeats itself.

*******

Here we have a story of "tolerance" for home-schooling in the United States. A German family was granted asylum here in 2010. They left Germany because they could not home school their children there. The parents did not approve of the anti-Christian values being forced on them in the public system . Apparently, the Obama Administration feels these kids must be in a public school and since they refuse, they want them deported. Their case is before a U.S. Court of Appeals. You can read more here, as well.

I think it's a matter of time before there is a major, broad assault on home-schooling. You can teach your kids Christian and Catholic values all day long, but someone else who has them for much of the day is un-teaching those values. That is why more and more people are going to home-schooling. And, the "tolerant" leftists don't like the fact that they cannot indoctrinate your kids into values incompatible with Scripture, especially from a Catholic point of view.

We shouldn't be surprised. Jesus told us it would be like this.

*******

Pope Francis spoke about the two Syrian Orthodox bishops who are still missing after being kidnapped. Please pray for them.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Episcopal Bishop "rebukes" Catholic Archbishop for teaching Catholics, Catholic teachings

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:46:00 +0000

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching. (Hebrews 13:8, 9)

I just spotted a headline in the Detroit Free Press that made me do a double-take: Gay Episcopal bishop rebukes Detroit Catholic archbishop for anti-gay marriage remarks. Upon clicking it, I learned it was a report on a blog-post made by Gene Robinson at the Washington Post's, "On Faith" blog, entitled: Catholic leaders using Communion as a weapon in the culture wars.

If you are unfamiliar with what Archbishop Vigneron said that sparked this, see my last post on the subject.

First of all, I want to say something about the title of Robinson's post: "Catholic leaders using Communion as a weapon in the culture wars." That is a complete perversion of what is going on between Archbishop Vigneron and Detroit Catholics, about whom he is speaking. What we believe as Catholics is based on sacred Scripture, sacred Tradition, and the teaching Magisterium (CCC 74-95). When Catholics knowingly espouse and promote beliefs that are contrary to these things, they lead themselves and others down paths that could be spiritually perilous (1 Cor 11:2-29). It would be a form of malpractice for a priest or bishop to remain silent if they are aware that souls are putting themselves in danger and do nothing.

Going to his blog-post, here is one excerpt:

I believe that using Communion as such a manipulative tool surely profanes the sacrament. Perhaps these Catholic leaders should revisit their church’s theology of the Eucharist. Reception of the body and blood of Christ at Communion is God’s gift to God’s people, not a reward for right behavior. We receive Communion not because we are worthy of it, but because God’s offers us the body and blood of Christ despite our unworthiness.

Note that he starts out with what he believes, personally. His frame of reference is not Catholic teaching, but what he personally believes. That's why the rest of his argument is so messed up. When he begins to talk about "worthiness" I'm wanting to know where in the Bible he gets that? What does Scripture say?

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. (1 Cor 11:2-29)

The Sacrament is profaned by those who receive it unworthily, not by those who try to discourage others from eating and drinking unworthily.

Unbelievable.

Robinson continues:

While some are seeking to withhold Communion from pro-choice and pro-marriage-equality Catholics, I have heard no call to withhold Communion from priests and bishops who have engaged in horrific sexual abuse against vulnerable children, nor their enablers. Bernard Cardinal Law, whose administration actively facilitated the moving around of known pedophile priests to other unsuspecting parishes, has not been denied Communion, but instead been rewarded with a prestigious church in Rome.

Non sequitur? Apples and oranges? A little bait-and-switch?

There are many flaws in this argument and I will probably only pull a couple. For example, pro-choice means pro-abortion; and, abortion is murder. So, if one wants to thumb their nose at the 5th Commandment and work at Planned Parenthood as an escort they are free to do so, but they would compound their problem by receiving holy Communion with this kind of conflict. One should abstain from Communion until they have reconciled through Sacramental Confession.

With regards to predator clerics who are guilty of sins that cry out to heaven in the form of sex abuse against children, this is indeed grave matter that, if one is guilty, they should abstain from holy Communion until they have reconciled through Sacramental Confession. This doesn't mean one can slide from justice here on earth. A debt to the victims and society should be expected.

If a priest or bishop was involved in some kind of cover up of sexual abuse, an examination of conscience needs to search for the true cause of the cover up. Nothing can be hidden from God - not the guilt of wanting to hide the shame involved or any malfeasance. Here too, Sacramental Confession would free someone to receive holy Communion.

There is no teaching that says someone is permanently banned from ever receiving Communion again, no matter what they have done. If one seeks forgiveness, repents, and has a firm purpose of amendment and receives absolution through Sacramental Confession, they are free to present themselves for Communion. This does not mean they cannot be held accountable in a court of law for their deeds.

Here is the next paragraph:

It seems that the church hierarchy is sending the following message: two gay men or lesbians (not to mention their supporters) who want to vow a lifetime of commitment, monogamy and love should be denied Communion, but those who exploit vulnerable children (and those who facilitate their abuse) for their own sexual gratification are still welcome. Those who make the excruciating and gut-wrenching decision to have an abortion (not to mention those who understand why this might be a moral choice) are barred from receiving Communion, but those prelates who live a lavish lifestyle far from the real-life, harsh circumstances some women face that might make such an abortion morally permissible are accepted at the Communion rail.

I find it amazing that he doesn't really mentioned Sacred Scripture. Everything he says is based on feelings and emotion and these are very subjective. He doesn't mention pleasing God; he only mentions pleasing people. It's all kind of horizontal thing he has going on without much of anything vertical. He continues to compare apples to oranges rather than comparing the apples and oranges to Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium.

Robinson is also revealing his relativistic mind-set. Those unfamiliar with Catholic teaching on things like relativism, consequentialism, proportionalism, subjectivism, and a few other "isms" should read Pope John Paul II's Encyclical, Veritatis Splendor. Perhaps before giving the Catholic Church advice on what she should teach the faithful, Gene Robinson would do well to consult this Magisterial teaching of the Church on these things. He basically wants to change something that he does not understand, and if he did understand it, he would know the Church does not have the authority to change these things.

In the next two paragraphs we get Robinson's ad populum potpourri:

American Catholics have a long and honorable history of discerning their own consciences in matters of human life and dignity. For instance, 98 percent of Catholic women have gone against church law and used birth control. Indeed, individual conscience is a core value in Catholic teaching. It seems that Catholic laity are refusing to be treated like morally ignorant children who cannot think for themselves. At a very minimum, Catholic laity (and many of their local clergy) know that these issues should be discussed in an open and faithful way. They also know that people of faith will disagree on some of the ramifications of trying to live out the Gospel.

But increasingly, it appears that the hierarchy wants to shut down open discussion by punishing those who would raise any questions about the church’s stance on these issues. Fewer and fewer Catholics are willing to be threatened by such tactics, and many are looking elsewhere for spiritual nourishment, or simply becoming disillusioned with a church that has lost its way.

That false and misleading 98% figure was dealt with here. But for talking purposes, the only number that matters is the number of married women of child-bearing age using contraceptives to avoid pregnancy. Any other Catholic women using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy are already involved in other sinful activities (pre-marital/extra-marital sex). Aside from that, while numbers mean everything to liberals who try to force an issue through ad populum arguments, would do well to remember Our Lord was crucified via poll. Polls are subjective opinions in motion - one day it reads this way, in 6 weeks, 6 months, or 6 years, it could read differently. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

As far as the "fewer and fewer Catholics are willing to be threatened by such tactics, and many are looking elsewhere for spiritual nourishment..." I have two words: Anglicanorum Coetibus. So many Anglicans and Episcopalians were looking to find their way into the Catholic Church because of her clear and constant teaching, Pope Benedict XVI had to create a provision that would allow large groups to come in all at once. And, they are taking advantage of it (see here, here and here for some examples). I don't have time at the moment to grab statistics, but I don't think the numbers will be favorable to Robinson's claim. The Catholic Church is growing and I believe the Anglican/Episcopalian Church is shrinking. But I will find the data, unless one of my readers can find recent statistics versus say 5-10 years ago.

You can read the rest of his blog post at the link at top. I'm done quoting.

Gene Robinson has an awful lot of gumption to look over from his side of the Tiber and point fingers at a Catholic archbishop interpreting Catholic teaching for his flock.

The bottom line is that Gene Robinson can't accept a Catholic archbishop teaching Catholics, Catholic teachings. He doesn't understand that Catholicism is not like Protestantism whereby you make faith your own thing. While he is busy re-inventing faith to make it relevant to himself and to the people of today, Archbishop Vigneron is simply passing down the faith Catholics have held for some 2000 years, which is his job.

Truth is timeless and unchanging. Five plus two will always equal seven. And, Our Lord told us the road is narrow and difficult, not wide and easy (Mt 7:13,14). Just think of the many who died getting us to where we are today. While some died horrific red martyrdoms, many more have died to themselves in white martyrdom by saying "no" to their own will and "yes" to God's will. Love for God doesn't demand that he accept our ways; rather, love for God demands that we seek to understand of what is pleasing and displeasing to him and act accordingly. No amount of rationalization about the forbidden fruit could make Adam and Eve eating it pleasing to God. It doesn't matter if it was nutritious, pleasant tasting, and made them feel good. The greatest appetite Adam and Eve satisfied by eating the forbidden fruit was the appetite to do their own thing without regard for what God wanted.

I want to add some links at the bottom here for related posts written by others on this continuing saga, and I'm sure there will be some new posts out in response to what Gene Robinson had to say. Check back tomorrow night for more.

Ed Peters: Rt. Rev. Robinson fails to carry his point, but makes mine ably

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
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- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Pope Francis to young people: Ask Jesus what he wants from you and be brave!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

In the Regina Caeli message for today, Pope Francis spoke about vocations. Today, in the new calendar, is "Good Shepherd Sunday." He talks about that, and he talks about vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life since this is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

Last week we saw seven men ordained to the transitional diaconate here in Detroit and I was very grateful to be there to witness and photograph one of Grotto's own being ordained. One of my seminary elves tells me we will see priestly ordinations on May 18th at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. How many? I do not yet now. Perhaps another elf can tell me in the combox. It is good to see so many faithful men entering the priesthood in Detroit. We need more good men in our parishes. http://detroitpriest.com

***********

(Vatican Radio) Below a Vatican Radio transcript and translation of Pope Francis’ Regina Caeli address this Fourth Sunday of Easter, World Day of Prayer for Vocations:
Dear brothers and sisters,

Fourth Sunday of Easter is characterized by the Gospel of the Good Shepherd - in the tenth chapter of St. John – which we read every year. Today’s passage contains these words of Jesus: " My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one"(10.27 to 30).These four verses contain Jesus’ entire message, the core of His Gospel: He calls us to participate in His relationship with the Father, and this is eternal life.

Jesus wants to establish a relationship with his friends that is a reflection of His relationship with the Father, a relationship of mutual belonging in full trust, in intimate communion. To express this deep understanding, this relationship of friendship Jesus uses the image of the shepherd with his sheep: he calls them, and they know his voice, they respond to his call and follow him. How beautiful this parable is! The mystery of the voice is suggestive: from our mother's womb we learn to recognize her voice and that of our father, from the tone of a voice we perceive love or disdain, affection or coldness. The voice of Jesus is unique! If we learn to distinguish it, He guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond the abyss of death.

But at a certain point Jesus, referring to his sheep, says: "My Father, who has given them to me..." (Jn 10,29). This is very important, it is a profound mystery, that is not easy to understand: if I feel attracted to Jesus, if his voice warms my heart, it is thanks to God the Father, who has put in me the desire of love, of truth, life, beauty ... and Jesus is all this to the full! This helps us to understand the mystery of vocation, particularly the call to a special consecration. Sometimes Jesus calls us, invites us to follow him, but maybe we don’t realize that it is Him, just like young Samuel. There are many young people today, here in the square. There are many of you! So many of you young people present today in the square!

I would like to ask you: have you sometimes heard the voice of the Lord which through a desire, a certain restlessness, invites you to follow Him more closely? Have you heard it? I can’t hear you…there you are! Have you had any desire to be apostles of Jesus? Youth must spend itself for high ideals. Do you think so? Do you agree? Ask Jesus what he wants from you and be brave! Be brave, ask Him!!! Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life, is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a community ... That's why Jesus said, "Pray the Lord of the harvest - that is, God the Father - to send out laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38). The vocations are born in prayer and from prayer, and only in prayer can they persevere and bear fruit. I like to underline this today, the "World Day of Prayer for Vocations." We pray especially for the new priests of the Diocese of Rome, whom I had the joy of ordaining this morning. And we invoke the intercession of Mary. Today there were 10 young men who have said "yes" to Jesus and were ordained priests this morning ... This is beautiful! Let us invoke the intercession of Mary who is the woman who said "yes." Mary said "yes," all her life! She has learned to recognize the voice of Jesus since she bore him in her womb. Mary, Our Mother, help us to know better the voice of Jesus and follow it, to walk the path of life!

Thank you so much for your greeting, but let us also proclaim Jesus loudly... Let us all pray together to the Virgin Mary.

Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/21/regina_caeli:_ask_jesus_what_he_wants_from_you/en1-685094
of the Vatican Radio website

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Prayers for Boston and West, Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:49:00 +0000

There is no shortage of news out there on Boston and West, Texas. With little available time today, I just want to offer my sincere prayers for healing for victims and families in both towns. I also pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, and for conversion of heart for the remaining Boston bombing suspect, who is said to be clinging to life. From a Christian perspective, we can desire justice for victims while asking God to convert the hearts of perpetrators. It's easy to pray for conversion of those you love; it takes strong love in Christ to pray for the conversion of those who commit heinous acts. Just remember, when Jesus said, "I thirst" from the Cross, he was thirsting for every soul, especially sinners.

Side note: I have photos from my recent trip to to Sacred Heart Major Seminary and plan to do a stock photo post. I will try to get that up in the coming days.

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Today is a #Gosnell TweetFest and Facebook Share day

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:23:00 +0000

Michael Vick was involved in dog-fighting and dogs died. He made headline news day after day. Kermit Gosnell killed babies. Have you seen coverage of his trial in your news sources? He may get the death penalty and if that happens, you might hear about it.

Gosnell committed infanticide, delivering full term babies and killing them in the most gruesome, painful fashion. The sanitized version of this is "live birth abortions." That's an oxymoron because once the baby is born and breathing it is no longer an abortion, but a delivery - induced or otherwise. That they cried as they were killed is evidence that they were murdered in cold blood. Perhaps the reason the media is largely ignoring it is because it tugs at the conscience: If it is murder to deliver a baby then kill her, how is it not murder to do the same thing inside the womb?

Much of the media has chosen to be silent, with a few exceptions, on the ongoing trial of Kermit Gosnell. This is a man who made a living giving birth to late term babies (through the 8th month), then committing a clear act of infanticide. His attorney says a Grand Jury report is false, that his client did not murder viable babies born alive during abortions. Right. Then I suppose the babies, some of them crying and showing other obvious signs of pain, forced their necks into the scissors held by Gosnell's hand which "snipped" their spines. Not even the beef on your plate died that way. Read the Grand Jury Report for yourself. There is no comparison to Auschwitz, yet the attitude of those "in-the-know" and turning a blind eye to what went on in the "house of horrors" over 13 years of complaints to the state, has the same ugly roots of denial.

After a woman died and feds raided one of his abortion mills, they were sickened at what they found there.

Last week, after a twitter campaign to raise awareness about the case using the hashtag, #Gosnell, at least one celebrity picked it up, tweeted on it and got it trending which caused more tweets and re-tweets. Apparently, Anderson Cooper of AC360 on CNN picked it up on Twitter and when he understood the case, didn't waste any time putting together a show that very night. Here is a brief video segment from the show which will bring you up to speed if you had not heard of Kermit Gosnell due to a deliberate media blackout.

At the blog of Anderson Cooper for AC360 was this discussion with several experts. Watch the whole thing - about 8 minutes.

They want to raise awareness again today, so blog it, tweet it, and share the information on Facebook and other social media.

The website, "Who is Gosnell?" has a page dedicated to helping you spread the word in social media.

Here is the twitter stream for #Gosnell

Why a TweetFest? From the site:

The mainstream media has all but ignored this case. Can you imagine the media reaction if the case were reversed and it was a pro-lifer on trial for 7 counts of 1st degree murder?

Exactly.

We are going to make “new media” work on behalf of Kermit Gosnell’s innocent, helpless victims. The mainstream media is acting like nothing is happening, however – if we unite & spread the word far enough, we can FORCE the media to cover this horrific story.

Why do we need the media to cover this story? The Gosnell case is the face of the abortion industry. Abortion brutally kills preborn children and exploits women. The Gosnell case busts open the lie of “safe legal & rare” abortion.

One last thing. Love in Christ demands that we pray for sinners, even those who commit sins that cry out to heaven. May God bring Kermit Gosnell to his knees in remorse and repentance.

More:

Al Kresta had a discussion on yesterday concerning the Gosnell case and the TwitterFest. Listen to it in the audio archive about 40 minutes into the one hour show.
Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture has a good op-ed piece up: The Key Lesson of the Gosnell Trial
Steven Ertelt of LifeNews.com has had some excellent coverage at his site, and he has been very active on Twitter and Facebook. Visit his site and follow him in social media.

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Photos: Seven Men Ordained Transitional Deacons in Detroit

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 20:56:00 +0000

Yesterday, seven men were ordained transitional deacons by the Most Reverend Michael J. Byrnes, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. This is the last stop before priestly ordination. One of the men ordained yesterday, is a fellow parishioner at Assumption Grotto, Rev. Mr. Louis Lapeyre.

I took many stock photos at the chapel of Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS) yesterday, but I will save those for another post some time within the next week. As you will see in these photos, there was some real craftsmanship that went into this old building.

What follows are just a sampling of the many photos taken. At the bottom you will find a link that will take you to the full gallery.

The environment was much darker than that to which I am accustomed. No flash is used during liturgical events, so natural lighting is all there is to work with. Regrettably, I did not use a white card to set white balance before-hand, so they may be "warmer" in appearance. I use Adobe Lightroom and can still tinker with quality, but two computers show me two different hues and exposures. It's hard to tell which one is right.

There were many religious orders represented among those watching, including some of the S.O.L.T. brothers who are studying at SHMS.

The Mass got underway. Roughly 50 priests were there for the ordinations. I've been told that the window seen in the Sanctuary was made by the same man who crafted the stained-glass windows at Assumption Grotto.

Bishop Byrnes delivers his homily

From left to right: Rev. Mr. Joseph Kirkconnell (St. Ignatius, Cayman Islands), Rev. Mr. Jeffery Allan (St. Colette, Livonia), and Rev. Mr. Ryan Adams (Holy Redeemer, Detroit)

Rev. Mr. John Kopson (St. Mary Queen of Creation, New Baltimore) , Rev. Mr. Louis Lapeyre (Assumption Grotto, Detroit), Rev. Mr. Gregory Piatt (St. Sylvesters, Warren), Rev. Mr. Joseph Tuskiewicz (St. Josaphat, Detroit)

The promise of respect and obedience to the Ordinary of the diocese and successors

The Litany of the Saints

Laying on of Hands and Prayer of Ordination

Investiture with Stole and Dalmatic

Handing on of the Book of the Gospels

Kiss of peace

Incensing the Altar as we entered Offertory

The Sacred Heart Seminary Choir after singing a beautiful "O Cor Jesu" by Rossini

Rev. Mr. Greg Piatt is seen kneeling here

Rev. Mr. John Kopson holds the Sacred Chalice

Rev. Mr. Louis Lapeyre

Rev. Mr. Jeffery Allan spoke on behalf of the newly ordained

Pure cuteness got in the way of my camera lens

I had never been in the gym at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, but even that shows the craftsmanship of a previous era. The reception was held here. This doesn't do it justice, but gives you a glimpse.

Please pray for these new transitional deacons for Detroit, and all of the seminarians in the Archdiocese of Detroit working towards the priesthood. (see more at DetroitPriest.com including social media options)

There are many more photos from this event in my Smugmug account.

Gallery (several pages of thumbnails you can go through)
Slideshow (this is a good way to view them, but I recommend setting it to "fast" in the upper left corner)

Want Prints?

Newly ordained deacons should see Rev. Mr. Louis Lapeyre who will have a disk for you and your families, with my compliments. Perhaps you could include me in your prayers.

All others are welcome to purchase photos through the Smugmug site. Purchases help mitigate the cost of uploading high resolution photos to a quality site that offers a quality service. If you have problems, please let me know.

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Caption Call: Pope's Flying Zucchetto

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:50:00 +0000

This photo was posted on the Facebook page of the Swiss Guard

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Coming up: Transitional Diaconate Ordinations; Restless Heart Movie; Maximillian Kolbe Stage Production

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:24:00 +0000

In the Archdiocese of Detroit, this weekend, we will have 7 men ordained to the transitional diaconate - the last stage before priestly ordinations. They must be in the transitional diaconate for at least 6 months before they can be ordained priests.

There is no public announcement that I can find on the website for the Archdiocese of Detroit, the Michigan Catholic, or Sacred Heart Major Seminary. But, I believe this is invitation only due to space. There should be a report with details on the men after.

It is happening at Sacred Heart Major Seminary on Saturday. Please pray for all of these men, and watch for a follow up post.

I have not yet heard about any priestly ordinations this year. I hope we will see an announcement soon. In recent years, this happens the Saturday before Pentecost and their First Masses begin on Pentecost Sunday. Archbishop Vigneron has sometimes broken with this, opening up the possibility for some men to be ordained after just 6 months. So, we will periodically see an individual ordination in the fall. My Sacred Heart Major Seminary "elves" can keep me updated via combox or email TeDeumBlog (at) gmail (dot) com.

There is a movie, Restless Heart, out on the life of St. Augustine and it will be showing one time only, locally in Clinton Township this Sunday at 4:00 PM. Tickets can only be purchased at the theater, the Star on Gratiot.

My understanding is that this will not be available on DVD for individual sales for about a year. They do, however, have packages for large groupings. Click around the site or inquire there.

Here is a trailer:

April 14th - Michigan

Clinton Township, MI - Due to popular demand, The iC Organization will present another showing of the film RESTLESS HEART at the AMC Star Gratiot, 35705 Gratiot Avenue in Clinton Township. There will be one performance on Sunday, April 14th at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased at the theater on the day of the show – NO credit or debit cards. For more information:iCtheLight@mail.com, 313-407-2284. Proceeds will benefit the New Evangelization for the Catholic Church.

Leonardo Defilippis is back in town to perform his great, one-man show on Maximillian Kolbe. Leonardo is a very talented actor who has played in several Catholic films, including St. John of the Cross. See the schedule here for the next week and visit his site to see other times and places for this performance, and others by St. Luke Productions, in your area. This is filtered for the next week or so.

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Photo Caption Call: Pope Francis and Msgr. Guido Marini

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:44:00 +0000

A picture is worth a thousand words. Some are worried that Pope Francis is going to "ship" the Papal MC who was Pope Benedict XVI's right-hand man. Personally, I don't think Msgr. Marini is going anywhere.

This was published on the Msgr. Guido Marini Facebook page. It is likely a fan page, but as others have observed there are many photos that are from behind the scenes, just like this one. So, it may be done by someone else, but perhaps with his knowledge.

Captions? [keep it fun if you want it published!]

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Pontificate of Pope Francis to be consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:48:00 +0000

A Portuguese sites is reporting that Pope Francis has asked Card. Polycarpo of Lisbon to consecrate his pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima. The Cardinal Patriarch told his brother bishops that the Pope had asked him twice.

It will be done on May 13th, the 96th anniversary of first apparitions to the Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco.

For those thinking of going to Fatima on the 13th of May, the Cardinal said something would be inserted in the prayer booklet for that day.

I would imagine that everyone could unite in prayer that day, likewise. Fatima has live stream available, so as we get closer we'll see if we can look in.

Here's the original Portuguese article.

One thing I have noticed and told others about is how Pope Francis responds after Mass when there is a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary nearby to venerate. He practically runs for the statue like a boy running to his mother, stands there in visible devotion for a minute or two, then leaves. The first time I saw him do this on video, he almost plowed down an unsuspecting MC trying to get there.

There is little doubt in my mind that Pope Francis is very devout when it comes to the Blessed Mother.

I'll publish any comments related to this, but what is not in scope for this post is discussion concerning the third secret. Comments not in scope will be deleted. At some point I may make a post to explain my position, but this is not the post for that. I don't have time for debate right now.

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Red martyrdom still happens today...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:33:00 +0000

I wonder if we will hear from the Obama Administration, decrying this form of "tolerance?"

Oh, wait, the Obama Administration is too busy working on all those Catholic and Evangelical extremists. My mistake.*

From BosNewsLife:

RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Arshed Masih, a Pakistani Christian who was burned by Muslim hardliners for refusing to convert to Islam, died early Tuesday, March 23, at the age of 38, his family told BosNewsLife. He had become a symbol of Christians facing persecution in Pakistan, suggested Life for All, a Pakistani advocacy group closely following the case.

Grieving relatives gathered at Rawalpindi Holy Family Hospital where Masih had been treated since Friday, March 19, when he was reportedly burned by at least a handful of Muslim religious leaders backed by police.

Masih was attacked in front of a police station in Rawalpindi, near Pakistan's capital Islamabad, after he refused to convert to Islam, law enforcement and medical sources confirmed to BosNewsLife.

His Christian wife Martha Masih, 33, was believed to have been raped by possibly three police officers in the police station where the couple was held Friday, March 19, for questioning.

Their small children, ranging in age from 7 to 12, were allegedly forced to watch Friday's attacks against their parents.

Continue reading at BosNewsLife

Pray for his family. They have paid, and continue to pay, a heavy price.

*Added the note and link about Obama Admin after initial posting.

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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Discussion of Worthy Reception of Holy Communion in Detroit

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

In yesterday's Detroit Free Press, a local religion reporter, Niraj Warikoo did a story on some things Archbishop Vigneron said about people who reject Catholic teaching, and receive holy Communion. In a nutshell, they shouldn't present themselves. The issue at hand, of course, is are hot-button issues: Support for "gay marriage" and support for abortion.

Just to be clear, Archbishop Vigneron, and the professor cited, Ed Peters, are not providing an opinion. They are explaining Catholic teaching and canon law. Both have their roots in Sacred Scripture, the Magisterium, and sacred Tradition.

For the past few decades priests and bishops have been quite silent about many catechetical matters, not just these. While some Catholics may be shocked in a negative way that a Catholic archbishop would instruct the Catholic faithful in Catholic teaching, other Catholics are shocked just to hear and see it done because of it's absence.

If a math teacher fails to teach students that 2 x 3 = 6 and every student grows up believing the answer is whatever they make it, it does not change the objective reality that 2 x 3 = 6.

Archbishop Vigneron...

Here are some snippets from the article:

A Detroit professor and legal adviser to the Vatican says Catholics who promote gay marriage should not try to receive holy Communion, a key part of Catholic identity.

And the archbishop of Detroit, Allen Vigneron, told the Free Press Sunday that Catholics who receive Communion while advocating gay marriage would "logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury."

The comments of Vigneron and Edward Peters, who teaches Catholic canon law at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, are part of a polarizing discussion about gay marriage that echoes debate over whether politicians who advocate abortion rights should receive Communion.

[snip]

Last month, Vigneron said at a news conference that maintaining views that oppose abortion and support traditional marriage are important for Catholics.

"Were we to abandon them, we would be like physicians who didn't tell their patients that certain forms of behavior are not really in their best interest," said Vigneron, who oversees 1.3 million Catholics in southeastern Michigan.

Asked by the Free Press about Catholics who publicly advocate for gay marriage and receive Communion, Vigneron said Sunday: "For a Catholic to receive holy Communion and still deny the revelation Christ entrusted to the church is to try to say two contradictory things at once: 'I believe the church offers the saving truth of Jesus, and I reject what the church teaches.' In effect, they would contradict themselves. This sort of behavior would result in publicly renouncing one's integrity and logically bring shame for a double-dealing that is not unlike perjury."

Vigneron said the church wants to help Catholics "avoid this personal disaster."

What personal disaster?

The "Four Last Things" (which do not include taxes), were not rendered to the Smithsonian with Vatican II. What are they? 1) Death 2) Judgment; and 3) Heaven or 4) Hell

Every one of us will go through the first two and will end up in one of the last two places. The Catholic Church is here to help us to get into Heaven and to avoid Hell, not to reinforce us in whatever makes us comfortable regardless of whether it pleases God or not.

Jesus said the road would be narrow, not broad; difficult, not easy. (Mt 7:13-15)*

"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Scripture warns us not receive the Body and Blood of Christ unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:2-29).

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.

Who decides what makes us worthy: Everyone for himself? Does that even make sense? There is no personal interpretation of Scripture (2 Peter 1:20). And, he gave to Peter the keys to bind and loose here on earth (Mt 16:19)

Ed Peters...

Back to the article, it also quotes a blogpost by Peters (I have inserted a live link for your convenience).

In a post on his blog last week, Peters said that Catholic teachings make it clear that marriage is between one man and one woman. And so, "Catholics who promote 'same-sex marriage' act contrary to" Catholic law "and should not approach for holy Communion," he wrote. "They also risk having holy Communion withheld from them ... being rebuked and/or being sanctioned."

Peters didn't specify a Catholic politician or public figure in his post. But he told the Free Press that a person's "public efforts to change society's definition of marriage ... amount to committing objectively wrong actions."

The article also quotes Fr. Thomas Reese of the "Woodstock Theological Center" who raises the usual canard (numbers mean everything to those who want to pretend Church teaching is something other than what it is, but just keep in mind that Our Lord was crucified via poll):

Most American bishops do not favor denying either politicians or voters Communion because of their positions on controversial issues” and Peters’ views are “in a minority among American canon lawyers.“

The press loves Fr. Reese because he will soft-shoe around Catholic teaching every chance he gets and they get to present "another view" as if all have equal weight, including those that are erroneous or out of harmony with clear teachings. As an aside, the Woodstock Theological Center, ~~has gone out of style with faithful Catholics. and it's funds are drying up as financial backers age~~ is closing because there aren't enough Jesuits to staff it.

Ed Peters responded to this, and a few other things here: A couple notes on today’s DFP article on holy Communion and gay activists, esp in re Fr. Reese

"The archdiocese 'dialed back' it's position" Not!

This morning I saw the headline: Detroit archdiocese dials back no Communion for same-sex marriage supporters

The title has since been changed: "No Communion for gay marriage supporters? Archdiocese tries to reframe comments"

I clicked the link to see what was said. How the blogger at CNN ever thought anything was dialed back is beyond my understanding. If anything, the Archdiocese of Detroit public relations officer, Joe Kohn, doubled-down by adding clarity for those who didn't understand.

On Monday, the archdiocese looked to step back and add context to the statement.

“The archbishop's focal point here is not ‘gay marriage’; it is a Catholic’s reception of Holy Communion,” Joe Kohn, the archdiocese spokesman, wrote in an e-mail to CNN. “If a Catholic publicly opposes the church on a serious matter of the church’s teaching, any serious matter - for example, whether it be a rejection of the divinity of Christ, racist beliefs, support for abortion or support for redefining marriage - that would contradict the public affirmation they would make of the church's beliefs by receiving Communion.”Kohn continued: “As the archbishop states, the pastors of the church are ready to assist Catholics to help them understand and avoid this conflict.”

Nothing's dialed back there, at all. It was wishful thinking.

Today, I'm seeing a number of articles quoting people who don't know if they want to be Catholic anymore because of what Archbishop Vigneron and Ed Peters said.

I'm guessing that if the Archbishop had been talking about stealing, people wouldn't be throwing a nutty. But, some don't want to know what the Church teaches. Recall how some villagers responded after Jesus cast out some demons and those demons entered a herd of swine and ran off the cliff? Upon seeing him coming to their town they got uneasy:

"...behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood." (Mt 8:34)

They. Did. Not. Want. To. Know. Or. To. Change. .... Jesus in their midst made them uncomfortable and they would have to give up sinful lifestyles that made them feel good.

Being a Christian is not just about following commandments: it is about letting Christ take possession of our lives and transform them.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 10, 2013

Father Z fisked that piece at the CNN blog.

And, Ed Peters had a go around with it after he saw it: CNN sees what I see, but reads it exactly the opposite. Who’d'a’thunk’it?

Pray!

Pray for priests, especially our bishops! For every kind letter they receive thanking them for speaking the truth with charity, they probably get hundreds of letters filled with venom. 1 Peter 4:14 comes to mind: "If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

While no bishop should need praise to just do his job, they are human. Letting them know you appreciate their willingness to defend truth with charity, along with your prayers, can hold them up. Even Moses needed his arms held up at one point. (Exodus 17:12)

Pray for all the faithful that they ask how they can please God, not how the Church can please them.

*Scripture quotes taken from RSV-Catholic Edition online

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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

A strange case of invalid sacramental "confirmations" in Herzegovina {Updated}

noreply@blogger.com (Diane Korzeniewski, OCDS) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:24:00 +0000

Today, Divine Mercy Sunday, some invalid "confirmations" were set to take place near Medjugorje.

{Update: April 8, 2013: On this Solemnity of the Annunciation, the Croatian daily, Večernji List, reports that 50 youngsters received First Communion; and 150 were "confirmed" by the ex-Francisan, and suspended Petar (formerly "fra Bonifacije") Barbarić. One reason there are likely so many is that they have often included young people lower than 8th grade, which is not done in most dioceses of the Latin Rite, including those in Herzegovina. Of course all of these sacraments [the confirmations] are invalid. And, it is an offense against the Holy Spirit to perform fake "confirmations." Read below and please make acts of reparation for these most serious offenses. One has to wonder how thousands of invalid sacraments can take place since 1997, including those yesterday, in such close proximity to Medjugorje, and Lady of Medjugorje says nothing. Astonishing, really.}

An alert reader sent me something that had just appeared on the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno's website: His Excellency, Bishop Ratko Perić, responded to an invitation by a woman at a parish for Confirmations, usurped in the 1990's by some rogue Franciscans, since expelled and suspended.

I've known about these suspended priests for many years now and they have significant followings. They have been performing invalid sacraments all these years, and when it comes to getting the children of the parish Confirmed, they find themselves in pickle. The former Franciscans, who have yet to give up their habits, have tried various ways to deal with it, as you will see, if you read the context I provide below the official English translation of the document in focus, embedded here (and now available on the diocesan website.)

On Thursday, 4 April 2013, the Diocesan Chancery office in Mostar received an e-mail message written in capital letters, sent from the e-mail address of Zdenko Vego, but signed by Marijana Vego. Marijana’s precise message follows in full, along with the Bishop’s response:

LETTER TO BISHOP RATKO PERIĆ

DEAR BISHOP RATKO,

I’M ADDRESSING YOU IN THE NAME OF ALL CATHOLIC MOTHERS WHO ARE PREPARING THEIR CHILDREN FOR THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY CONFIRMATION ON SUNDAY.

THE CONFIRMATION WILL BE ON 7 APRIL 2013, IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS IN ČAPLJINA. (WHITE SUNDAY OR DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY).

MAY GOD BLESS YOU BY THE MODEL OF DIVINE MERCY AND MAY YOU ACCEPT THIS INVITATION SO THAT OUR CHILDREN CAN, WITHOUT ANY DUALISM, RECEIVE THIS HOLY SACRAMENT IN PEACE AND HUMILITY - I INVITE YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND HIS LAWS OF LOVE WHICH SHOULD NOT SUBSIDE IN OUR UNIVERSAL CATHOLIC WORLD. FOR IF WE ACCEPT THE HOLY GOSPEL, THEN IT’S CLEAR THAT WE WILL BE JUDGED BY LOVE.

I BELIEVE THAT THIS INVITATION WILL NOT BE REFUSED, BUT ON THE CONTRARY, BE ACCEPTED - BECAUSE WE ARE ALL GOD’S CHILDREN MADE IN HIS IMAGE.

DEAR MONS. RATKO, I BELIEVE THAT THE FEELING OF LOVE WILL ALSO PREVAIL IN YOU TOWARDS OUR YOUTH WHO ARE AT VARIOUS TURNING POINTS IN THEIR LIVES. HENCE, LET’S NOT ALLOW THIS KIND OF UNIVERSAL CONFUSION TO ALSO REIGN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THAT MAY MAKE THEM GO ASTRAY FOR WE KNOW THAT EVERY HUMAN ORDER WITHOUT GOD IS AN AWFUL ERROR WHOSE INSTIGATOR IS THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS.

MAY THE LIGHT OF THE RISEN JESUS CHRIST SHINE UPON YOU WITH A CLEAR BRIGHTNESS – WISHING YOU A HAPPY AND BLESSED EASTER FROM THE PARISH OF ST. FRANCIS, ČAPLJINA.

MARIJANA VEGO

*******

THE BISHOP’S RESPONSE TO MARIJANA VEGO, ČAPLJINA

Dear Marijana!

Thank you for the Easter wishes that you sent to me yesterday by e-mail.

I agree with you that we have to do whatever we can to deter young believers from universal confusion that can lead them astray. If we agree on this, I think we will then agree about these other points that follow.

1 – The Lord Jesus instituted the Church and entrusted it to the care of the Apostles with Peter as its head. Their successors, the bishops, in communion with the Pope, lead the Catholic Church. Since in this world we are imperfect, the Church therefore, besides love requires laws and a canonical order. According to the teachings and Canon Law of the Catholic Church “A parish is a certain community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular church, whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor (parochus) as its proper pastor (pastor) under the authority of the diocesan bishop (Can. 515 §1).

2 – The parish of St. Francis in Čapljina, as a community of faithful in the diocese of Mostar-Duvno, has a temporary parish office and liturgical space in the city of Čapljina, located on G. Šušak Street, in the part of the city called Peline. It also has an official parish priest, Father Ivan Kordić, who is assisted by Father Dragan Filipović. At the beginning of this school year about 50 pupils in the 8^th grade presented themselves to the parish priest, Fr. Ivan, to be confirmed this year. In our dioceses in Herzegovina, we do not encourage confirmation in the lower grades. Upon the invitation of the parish priest, I agreed that with God’s help, I will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation in that parish on Sunday, 16 June 2013, (Službeni vjesnik, 3/2012., str. 278; http://www.cbismo.com/files/file/Vjesnik_2012_3.pdf).

3 – Unfortunately, the parish church of St. Francis, the parish house and rectory in Čapljina are still being unlawfully usurped by three suspended priests, who have been dismissed by Franciscan Order due to their disobedience. They and the community that gathers around them are not in communion with the particular or the universal Church, commonly known as Catholic. We have invited those suspended priests to resolve their priestly status and placed the Chancery Office at their disposal in order to mediate in this matter (Vrhbosna, 2/2004., pp. 180-181), and that the parish rectory and property be handed over to the legitimate parish priest, thereby putting an end to the division that exists in Čapljina. They have however, remained obstinate in their disobedience.

4 – In the Catholic community we wish to develop, it is the right and the duty of parents to register their children as candidates for holy Confirmation with the parish priest. It is the right and duty of the parish priest to teach those candidates properly. It is the right and duty of the parents and godparents to guarantee that their children are ready to take on the obligations regarding their Christian life and to grow in maturity. It is the right and duty of the bishop to make sure that those children receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

5 – If you accept this, then it is obvious that Christian mothers, individually or in a group; or the suspended priests in the parish of Čapljina, cannot schedule any celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Therefore, I invite you and the other mothers in whose name you are writing, to contact your parish priest, Father Ivan Kordić. The preparation for this sacrament as a rule, usually takes a full school year. However, if we all make an effort, with God’s assistance, why not celebrate a lawful and valid Confirmation this year of all those in the 8^th grade on 16 June as has already been officially scheduled?

6 – As your bishop I ask and beg you, by the Divine Mercy of the Father in Heaven: do not call upon the Holy Gospel to say that we are acting against the Gospel of Christ the Lord and his Church – which is one, holy, catholic and apostolic! It is precisely this that creates a “dualism” and takes away “peace and humility” from us!

In the name of the Crucified One, who Died, and has Risen and who will judge us, please do not organize an unlawful and invalid rite of “confirmation” in Čapljina on 7 April or at any other time.

I plead with you by the gifts of the Holy Spirit which the candidates receive in a lawful and valid Confirmation, that you not support the ecclesiastical disorder in Čapljina, especially because you are aware that: “every human order without God is a awful error whose instigator is the Prince of Darkness.” If this is the case with “human order”, how will it be then when dealing with church disorder?

By the love of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron of the parish of Čapljina, please do not take part in this kind of unlawful and invalid “confirmation”, nor invite or expect me to bless this scandalous and schismatic situation.

Thank you for your message which has helped us once again to explain this tragic “dualism”, intolerable “confusion” and schismatic “situation”, so that the people cannot justify themselves by saying that they did not know.

To you and to the other Catholic mothers in Čapljina, I wish and I pray to God, that you all be enlightened with the light of the Risen Christ and that the Spirit kindle in you love for peace and unity in the Church!

Mostar, 5 April 2013

+ Ratko Perić, Bishop

It seems apparent that the woman knows the "confirmations" that will be given by these suspended priests will not be valid. Why else would she ask the bishop to come?

*An interesting side note: Fr. José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM, has been appointed by Pope Francis as the Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. He has been the Minister General of the OFM since 2003. He signed the 2009 document announcing the laicization of Tomislav Vlasic, and was involved when the list of sanctions came down against him in 2008 as he was being investigated "in the context of Medjugorje." As someone else just pointed out to me in Facebook, he is likely well familiar with all that is going on in Herzegovina and can bring Pope Francis right up to speed.

Some Context

The Diocese of Mostar-Duvno might be most well known for the popular town of Medjugorje, seen highlighted in the map of that region of Herzegovina above, along with Mostar, Grude, and Čapljina - places that will be discussed in this post. Note the close proximity of Čapljina to Medjugorje, about 8 miles, and Grude just over 20.

Most of you reading this post probably live in a diocese which has parishes run by diocesan priests, sometimes referred to as secular priests (in contrast to a religious order priest). Many dioceses have a few parishes that are in the hands of religious order priests, such as Franciscans or others. Here in the Archdiocese of Detroit, I can probably count on one or two hands the number of parishes run by religious order priests (and those parishes still fall under the responsibility of the local bishop).

Missionary territory, on the other hand, can have a higher number of religious order priests - especially from orders known to do missionary work, such as the Franciscans. Once an area is settled and stable, a diocese is erected and diocesan priests take over. I may be over-simplifying it, but that's generally how it has worked for centuries.

Rebellion in Habit in Herzegovina

In this part of Herzegovina, there developed a unique case where most of the parishes were in Franciscan control. In 1975, Pope Paul VI issued the decree Romanis Pontificibus (full text now available in English) ordering a redistribution of parishes, to include more in the control of diocesan priests (the document itself is somewhat catechetical, and worth reading for that alone).

In the late 1990's, a number of parishes were usurped, some forcibly, by rebellious Franciscans. When it comes time for Sacramental Confirmation, it presents a problem when they don't have a bishop; and the diocesan bishop cannot go to usurped parishes lest he legitimize their disobedience and sacrilegious acts. In 1997, one of the priests acted as a bishop coming from "a far away land" using a fake mitre, and visited one of the other seized parishes. Bishop Perić, in a document updated in 2007 details more of the chaos:

They forcefully occupy at least five parishes, all the while continuing with all priestly functions. They invalidly perform marriages, hear confessions without canonical faculties, some of them invalidly confirm youngsters, and in 2001 they invited an old-Catholic deacon who falsely presented himself as a bishop to “confirm” about eight hundred young people in three parishes. Two of these expelled Franciscans even went as far as asking the Swiss old-Catholic bishop, Hans Gerny, to ordain them as bishops, yet they did not succeed.

In his 2001 homily in Medjugorje, Bishop Perić went into more detail on that deacon from the old-Catholic Church:

[The fake bishop stated] "Our aim is to make the Pope revoke the Romanis Pontificibus decree through these confirmations… the Franciscans and I believe in Mary's apparitions in Medjugorje". Regarding celibacy he said: "when it is abolished, priests will be able to marry. This is what we want". Being a non-catholic he also said: "the impeccability of the Pope cannot regard dogmas" (statement: 23 May 2001). He was probably referring to the Pope's infallibility in faith and morals. These are the beliefs of the person that was invited to three parishes of this diocese: Grude, Čapljina and Tepčići, to illegitimately "confirm" 779 candidates. What is at hand here are not only invalid confirmations and a sacrilege against the Holy Spirit but invalid masses also, which this non-priest acted out before the faithful who were led astray by a hireling, like sheep without a pastor (Jn 10).

Stepping back to 1999. After years of work between a representative of the Holy See, the Vicar General of the OFM, and Bishop Perić, we find a document stating that, despite the chaos in a few parishes, Romanis Pontificibus was "definitively implemented," It discusses the extent to which the friars and followers went to seize parishes:

2.It is painful to note that it has not been possible to transfer the parishes mentioned in the Decree from the Franciscans to the Diocesan Clergy on 21 February 1999, as previously agreed, notwithstanding the good will of the Co-executors, for the following reasons: acts of organised physical resistance, serious written and verbal threats, occupation of parochial Churches and houses, removal of parish registers and stamps

Among other things, the grave situation in Čapljina, where the parish of St. Francis was actually bricked-up when it was taken over, was addressed:

5.In regard to the current situation in Čapljina, the Co-executors draw attention, particularly to the Faithful, that the priests Bonifacije Barbarić and Bože Rados, were dismissed from the Order of Friars Minor, on 28 February 1998. The Holy See confirmed their dismissal on 23 March 1998. Consequently, they may no longer use the Franciscan habit. On 17 December 1998 they were suspended "a divinis" by the Holy See, such suspension being applied by the Diocesan Bishop on 30 December 1998; they are thus forbidden to celebrate all the sacraments. The process for the dismissal from the Order of the third disobedient priest residing in Capljina, Br Mile Vlacic is under way. The sacraments of Confession and Matrimony, administered by the three above named persons are invalid.

6.Similar canonical sanctions will be taken against those other Franciscans who do not adhere to the directives of the Holy See and the Minister General with his Definitory. In cases of extreme necessity, ecclesiastical law allows the local Bishop to place under inderdict Churches that have been occupied illegally.

A visit to the website for the unlawfully held parish of St. Francis was enough to make my hair stand on end. As a Catholic, it's shocking, chilling, and deeply saddening to read some of what is there.

On a page which is dismissive of canon law, we see how bitter one of the suspended priests is. Here is just one snippet translated for me. You can put the link into an auto-translator to get the idea (if you use Google Chrome it asks if you want it translated, automatically)

"It is significant that Bishop Perić has constantly suppressed Christ in his claims about the value of sacraments of Christian faith in the disputed parishes, and in canons on which he bases his claims. And who is Bishop Perić without Christ in the sacramental world? A sorcerer What can he do without Christ? Just sorcery."

One passage of Scripture came to mind when I read that: If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:14)

Theological oddity for discernment of spirits?

One thought I have turns to the alleged apparitions of Medjugorje. When you read the background provided above and see the extent of the sacrilege and blasphemous acts taking place there, you should be shaking your head in amazement that there is no mention in any Medjugorje "messages." If you do not find that astonishing, then you do not understand the seriousness of the offenses committed by the priests, and by those who know it is wrong, yet follow them. We aren't talking about the Franciscans in Medjugorje themselves, or other faithful priests in the same province. Rather, we are talking about the objectively grave matter - sins and sacrilege being committed - in the immediate vicinity of Medjugorje, - sometimes mentioning "apparitions," yet the "gospa" is silent?!?!?

Bishop Perić has pointed out this theological oddity many times. Here is what he said in 2004:

If the "seers" with their "visions" tolerate such schismatic scandals, without in any way admonishing those involved, and likewise those who support the "seers" and act as their public relations men, without ever distancing themselves from or condemning such local schisms, then in the name of the Mother of God, the Queen of Peace, yea, in the name of the Holy Trinity, one God, might that not be a sign that those involved in propagandizing in support of the supposed credibility of such "visions" do not have the Divine will at the forefront of their thoughts?

A group of Franciscans (nine living, one deceased) who have been expelled from their Order for their notorious disobedience to the decisions both of their own superiors and of the Holy See with regard to matters of ecclesiastical administration in the diocese, have forcibly taken over a number of parishes in which for some years now they have been administering invalid confessions, and officiating at invalid marriages, some even carrying out invalid confirmations, and generally carrying on in defiance of Canon Law, all in the immediate or general neighbourhood of Medjugorje, as the place where tens of thousands of "visions" have occurred.

It is indeed astonishing that the "apparition", which has passed on messages to thousands of the curious, even including American President Ronald Reagan, and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, and its supporters, have not yet expressed concern, whether about the blasphemy perpetrated against Christ's sacraments, or the damage to the unity of the Church in the diocese of Mostar-Duvno. It is certainly remarkable that people come from all over the world to make their confessions in Medjugorje, but the expelled Franciscans and a few others who are in a state of disobedience to the Holy See, their Order and the local Church authorities, give thousands of invalid absolutions in the very neighbourhood of Medjugorje.

What must St. Francis think about Franciscans who are so attached to specific parishes that they seize them, even unto violence, against the explicit will of the Holy See itself? As if that is not enough, they engage in lying to the people, and to give people invalid sacraments?

Pray for everyone involved. God have mercy on them.

As if you haven't read enough background, there is more.

If you put this link into a translator, you will find more details on what the suspended priests did.
My recent post with some thoughts on Pope Francis and Medjugorje (because people kept asking)

**I should have mentioned that the first chapter of Donal Foley's book, MEDJUGORJE REVISTED: 30 Years of Visions or Religious Fraud? looks closely at the conflict often referred to on pro-Medjugorje sites as "the rift between the Bishop and the Franciscans" or similar. He goes back to the 14th & 15th centuries and walks us up to present day, showing the efforts the Holy See has made to get that area of Herzegovina out of a kind of "missionary status." Many Medjugorje enthusiasts, frequenting those websites, are left with the impression that this is a "Bishop vs. Franciscan" disagreement, often creating contempt for the local bishop. In reality, it is the Franciscans vs. the Holy See. A more detailed reading of the conflict, and looking closely at the 1975 Decree, Romanis Pontificibus, reveals a different story than painted on those sites.

*Text added 10:15 PM 4/7/2013
**Text added 8:15 AM 4/10/2013

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