Catholic Church Conservation

Wonderful Mass in Liverpool

2012-01-22T14:20:00.003+02:00

LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL MASS SERVICE- click on image to see video

Parish priest admits to 280 incidents of sexual abuse

2012-01-13T14:44:00.000+02:00

Pfarrer gesteht 280 Fälle von Missbrauch - sueddeutsche.de

A priest who is accused of sexual abuse of children in 280 incidents has admitted the truth of the allegations before the District Court of Braunschweig. Defenders of the 46-year-old said at the trial opening on Thursday, that the allegations were true in their entirety. According to prosecutors, the accused had previously admitted in a five-hour interrogation just a small number of the allegations. Victims are three boys who had met the priest during First Communion preparation. The children stayed sometimes in the rectory of the cleric in Lebenstedt in the Salzgitter and and spent holidays together with him in Disneyland Paris, on the Usedom and in Salzburg. The penalty for the actions of the parish priest will be jail of between two and fifteen years. DAPD

Cathcon- today also the Belgian Church has formally apologised for its scandalous inactivity in response to sexual abuse. Long overdue, too little, too late. The Catholic Church claims to be mother and teacher of all nations in matters of faith and morals. Since the Council, it has turned a blind eye and then covered up for sexual abuse by her clerics.

Saving crocodiles is not the supreme law of the Church

2012-01-12T12:56:00.000+02:00

Among the "guests" at today's general audience was an endangered Cuban crocodile, who "met" the Pope as Rome's Bio Park zoo celebrates its centenary.

The croc, only about two feet long, will be returned to Cuba about the time that the Pope visits the island nation next spring.

The Cuban crocodile population only survives on a small area of the island.

Benedict XVI continues to emphasize the need for respect for for creation.

Was the Crocodile called Castro by any chance?

Archdiocese deliberately confusing

2012-01-11T13:41:00.000+02:00

Local News Reports on Possible Church Closings in Phoenixville - Phoenixville, PA Patch

Parishioners complained that they can’t get a straight answer from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia concerning the possible closures. The reporter stated that the news station contacted a representative from the Archdiocese who said, “There are no concrete plans to close either church,” and said a study is underway to look at the effects of priest shortages and demographic changes.

Apologetics- for re-configuring parishes

2012-01-11T13:03:00.000+02:00

One of the few journalists civilised enough to use Latin

2012-01-07T18:19:00.001+02:00

Questions at Hadron Collider: just ask the Child in the manger - Mail Online - M E Synon's blog:

"If you are lucky enough to go to a Tridentine Rite Latin Mass on Christmas -- and plenty of both Catholics and non-Catholics do -- listen for what I think is the most mysterious line in the service, from the Psalms: In splendoribus sanctorum, ex utero ante luciferum genui te. In the brightness of the saints, from the womb before the day-star I begot Thee.

The day-star is how man measures time. 'Before the day-star' means before time. Ex utero ante luciferum genui te.

Which rather supports the suspicion I've had since the Large Hadron Collider got going: all those scientists under that mountain in Switzerland are asking questions about the wrong side of the big bang... the big question is not what happened just after time got going, but what happened just before. "

A guest blog by myself for The Times of London

2012-01-05T19:27:00.000+02:00

A Catholic in Kuwait: behind a paywall for those not already subscribed.

A previous blog attracted the comment that "I did not realise that people like Christopher Gillibrand still existed"!

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The Belgian Church’s “mea culpa”

2012-01-05T19:22:00.000+02:00

from - Vatican Insider

Long overdue. I sat in the public gallery when first Cardinal Danneels and then the Archbishop gave evidence to the Belgian Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry. Danneels, one can suspect, was being economical with the vérité

as he presided over the Church over the years of scandal. But I was horrified, when the Archbishop came to give evidence when he said that he liked to say provocative things in order to get people into dialogue. It was so inappropriate in the circumstances, I just felt sick.

His press officer, who has written a great book on Nouvelle Theologie, albeit that he agrees with the movement, subsequently resigned when the Archbishop just kept on provoking, while the Belgian church tried to avoid her obligations to the victims.

Cardinal and German Muslims in spat

2012-01-04T23:46:00.000+02:00

Muslime fordern Kardinal Meisner zur Fairness auf - Freie Presse:

The Central Council of Muslims in Germany rejects accusations of Cologne's Cardinal Joachim Meisner, that the representatives of Islam in Germany would not disassociate themselves from anti-Christian violence in Africa. "Cardinal Meisner is either taken in by extremist agitators," said the chairman of the Central Council of German Muslims, Aiman Mazyek to the "New Osnabrück newspaper" according to a preliminary report. "Or did he speculate without the knowledge of his church community."

Mazyek said that the Central Council of German Muslims had released on Boxing Day, an unambiguous statement on the attacks on Christians in Nigeria. "Just recently, we have jointly declared that the Koran itself clearly forbids attacks on churches, synagogues and mosques during war ," he said. From a church leader he expects fairness. "Besides, I am still waiting from him for a condemnation of terrorism in Nigeria - and the Christian organization akhwat Akwop" said Mazyek. They were responsible for killing 20 Muslims during prayer for Ramadan and in the past year alone, set five mosques and 50 houses on fire.

A ‘Pan-Orthodox Council’?

2012-01-04T23:10:00.000+02:00

A ‘Pan-Orthodox Council’?

The Orthodox have been planning a Council for fifty years- given the disasters of the post-Conciliar times in the Catholic Church, they would do well to just call the whole thing off.

Muslim fight for Catholic churches

2012-01-02T00:28:00.001+02:00

Duisburger Muslime kämpfen für katholische Kirche - Region | DerWesten

In the north of Duisburg, the Catholic Diocese wants to close five or six of their churches - including, possibly, St. Peter and Paul in Marxloh. As a result, there is interest from the association of the neighbouring Merkez Mosque: "Regardless of whether its a church or mosque - it's about a house of God," said the association chairman Mohammed Al.

Vigils, protest letters - if the bishop closes churches, protest is planned. The Ruhr diocese has long previous experience. But now Muslims have set their sights on the threatened Catholic Church. Muhammed Al finds that only logical: "Regardless of whether its a church or mosque - it's about a house of God. This affects us just like our Catholic friends, "says the chairman of the association of the Duisburg Merkez Mosque, the largest in Germany

Since the founding of the mosque association in 1984, there has been close contact with the Catholic community of St. Peter and Paul. He was "very distressed" therefore, when he heard from the local parish priest, Michael Kemper that the church may be closed. He has written to the bishop, with a request to "consider all options for maintainance." It would be "unfortunate if a church is closed only for financial reasons."

On closure, there is no way around it

After closure in the first large wave about five years ago, the Ruhr diocese wants to let go other churches in the north of Duisburg. Nothing had been decided, but there is no way around, says Pastoral Councillor, Michael Dörnemann. In Duisburg-Marxloh, only 19 percent are Catholic. Five, maybe six churches are at stake. The large parish of St. Norbert with the Peter and Paul parish could be absorbed into a neighboring parish. For weeks, resistance has been met - even against the style of the bishop, who has flouted with a "binding proposal" all other closure scenarios of the parish.

Besides the loss of a home for a - shrunken - parish, there are fears thatof the end at Peter and Paul in Marxloh of a piece of successful integration in a problem district. "It would be fatal," says Father Kemper. Muhammed Al is at least satisfied that the diocese has responded and assured him "we would explore all possibilities."

Bishop Overbeck has made the north of Duisburg clearly a top priority: On Tuesday, he wants to visit all the affected communities himself.

Cathcon- the parish website indicates a thriving parish. There are other agendas here which are less than public.

St Sylvester, whose Feast we celebrate today, baptises Constantine

2011-12-31T12:29:00.001+02:00

It is time to restore the primacy of the spiritual, which will require a thorough going reform of church and state. European politician should make a pilgrimage of penance to Rome given their mistakes on economic issues which are going to cause untold suffering to millions and Pope and Bishops should make a pilgrimage of penance to the Palatine Chapel in Aachen in penance for the systematic child abuse and its cover up of the post-war years by the Catholic Church, which was a complete inversion of the moral and religious order.

Only then will Europe be at peace. And they thought that mere money in the form of the euro would give her prosperity.

Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain that keepeth it.

nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem frustra vigilavit qui custodit

Psalm 127.1

Father Tomas Tyn OP

2011-12-30T23:38:00.000+02:00

A fascinating life in service of the Church. If the Church rediscovers Thomistic philosophy, much evil will be repaired.

Much more but in Italian on the same website.

Caption competition for the wierdest Mass

2011-12-29T21:40:00.000+02:00

Suggestions anyone?

We modern pilgrims see no journey's end

2011-12-29T14:36:00.004+02:00

The opening and closing of the great modern rendering of the Canterbury Tales by Powell and Pressburger.

There is no journey's end in Canterbury since Henry VIII destroyed the tomb of Becket- the whole history of Henry II and Becket ending in Henry II's public penance must have much troubled his conscience. The empty space where the shrine once stood is the hole at the very heart of England.

An artist's impression of the original

And now the Anglicans organise clog dancing in front of the High Altar behind which the shrine once stood.

At the Altar of the Martydom itself, there used to me a realistic depiction of the murder. Now there is an abstract piece of modern art. Reality is clearly too much for the Anglicans, as it was for King Henry VIII when he tried to destroy the cult of that most glorious of English saints.

Feast of St Thomas Becket- "and prayed to in this Kingdom as a Saint."

2011-12-29T14:07:00.002+02:00

The Excommunication Scene

The argument with King Henry was over reserving the punishment of criminal clerics to the Church. Over the last fifty years, the Church has systematically covered up the horrendous crimes of some of her clergy and turned a blind eye to their original commission. What irony!

Greeks and Armenians fight from Grave to Cradle

2011-12-29T04:29:00.000+02:00

From the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in November 2008

To the Church of the Holy Nativity in December 2011

They should contract out their cleaning to a third party, as this has not been the first time in either case that fists were flung and brooms were thrown

Bavarian Justice Minister demands change to the statute of limitations for sexual abuse cases

2011-12-29T02:04:00.002+02:00

Justiz in Bayern - Ministerium - Pressemitteilung 132/11:

Beate Merk (Bavarian Minister for Justice) demands extension of the statute of limitations for sexual abuse: "protection of victims must not fail due to the statute of limitations!"

At the latest in November everywhere there are warnings: Attention warranty due to expire! Usually, they are claims for damages or about purchase price. Usually only our bank account is threatened. The statute of limitations is quite different in criminal law. Bavarian Justice Minister, Beate Merk: "If a victim of sexual abuse is struggling to bring his tormentors to justice, and then the prosecutor gets the answer" Sorry, unfortunately a case is not possible', then something is wrong in our constitutionally-based state! "

Sexual violence is a crime that places a lifetime burden on the victim. The childhood and youth of the victims are destroyed forever, and even as adults, victims are still suffering from the consequences. A normal reaction is the displacement of many victims. Only long after the deeds are they mentally able to reveal their story of suffering and to see the culprit. Policy objective:.. "We must not accept any longer that the victims suffer throughout their lives, while the perpetrators are in many cases after ten years safe from any prosecution. An assailant who abuses a child sexually commits a heinous crime which should be consistently pursued and punished. If prosecution fails due to the expiration of deadlines, we mock justice ".

Merk therefore reiterates her call for an extension of time limits for prosecuting and punishing sexual abuse of children to at least 30 years. The limitation period should in the opinion of Merk begin with the 21st and not as is now the case with the 18th birthday of the victim.

Incredibly, there is long-term opposition to Beate Merk's proposal. This article from almost two years ago.

Vorstoß aus Bayern: Missbrauch soll erst nach 30 Jahren verjähren - Nachrichten Politik - Deutschland - WELT ONLINE:

Strong criticism for the proposal came from the Opposition. "A society based on constitutional law is not only punitive but also a forgiving", the Alliance 90/The Greens spokesman in parliament on legal matters, Jerzy Montag told Welt Online. The current limitation periods are sufficient. Montag called the Merk proposals "absurd": "The policy is not based on Christianity but on fundamentalist rancour." (The German left has an entirely discreditable past to conceal on these matters, especially Cohn-Bendit, one of the Green's leaders and now an MEP)

Even in the CDU, Merk's proposal is controversial. "A blanket extension of the limitation period to 30 years is without purpose," said the legal affairs spokesman of the CDU / CSU faction in the Bundestag, Michael Grosse-Brömer to Welt Online. The decisive point is the severity of the offense. Grosse-Brömer argued for, in less serious cases, to raise the statute of limitations from five to ten years. Also, it would make sense to treat sexual abuse of children basically as a "crime" category, with a minimum sentence of one year in prison. So far, sexual abuse of children are classified as "misdemeanors" (Cathcon!!!)

Justice Minister received support from the Deutsche Kinderhilfe. "Especially with sexual offenses against children, the victims sometimes only talk about itecades later," said Chairman George Ehrmann to this newspaper. His association has therefore been calling for some time to extend the limitation period to 30 years.

14 reasons why nuns should wear the habit

2011-12-29T00:04:00.000+02:00

Kronika Novus Ordo: 14 powodów, dla których zakonnice winny nosić habit:

'via Blog this'

Greeks and Armenians slug it out with mops in the Church of the Nativity

2011-12-28T20:21:00.000+02:00

Humanae Salutis calling Second Vatican Council published 50 years ago

2011-12-28T14:04:00.002+02:00

The rest is a historical catastrophe which has hindered rather than promoted the salvation of which the Pope spoke.

After having listened to Their Eminences the Cardinals, We announce,

We determine and We convene, on the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and our own authority, for the coming year 1962 the second Ecumenical and general Council of the Vatican, which will be held in the Vatican Basilica on the days that the Divine Providence will inspire us to determine.

We also desire and command that at this Ecumenical Council determined by Us, Our Beloved Sons Their Eminences the Cardinals, Our Honourable Brothers the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops and Bishops, both resident and titular, from all parts of the world are present and likewise all those of the Church who have the right and the duty to be present at the Ecumenical Council.

Feast of the Holy Innocents

2011-12-28T13:48:00.001+02:00

Source

Holy Innocents - Vultus Christi:

Cardinal criticises EU integration process

2011-12-28T13:35:00.001+02:00

Bosnien: Kardinal sieht EU-Integrationsprozess kritisch

The Archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Vinko Puljic has given a critical perspective from the church on the EU integration process in his traditional Christmas reception on Boxing Day. "Up until now, the process of integration has proven to be inadequate," said Puljic. The crisis comes from the fact that the fundamental moral and spiritual values are missing, as these would be the basis for rapprochement between people - and not only the benefits, interests, profits and consumption added the Bosnian cardinal. Generally a recession is spoken of "but it is really a depression," said Puljic. The Cardinal on religious policy in Bosnia-Herzegovina said he had at last year's Christmas reception mentioned the problem of VAT reimbursement which the ecclesiastical institutions are not obtaining. One faced a "crippled state" which could not resolve the problems that affect the freedom and rights of churches and religious communities, solvent. This also concerns the restitution laws and de-nationalization, the law on religious holidays or laws on social security and pension insurance for employees of religious institutions.

A year ago the battling Cardinal was facing eviction.

The Williamson case goes on and on

2011-12-27T20:18:00.001+02:00

OLG-Entscheidung im Fall Williamson steht aus - München - Bild.de:

The decision of the Higher Regional Court (OLG) in Nuremberg in the appeal by Holocaust denier Bishop Richard Williamson will be further delayed. The files on the case have in the meantime been transferred from Regensburg to Nuremberg. Currently, the documents are before the competent judge, a court spokeswoman said on Tuesday. They will give a decision but it may take several weeks.

Where the Catholic Faith never died

2011-12-27T12:55:00.003+02:00