I love this blog.Very informing and well put.Thank you for sharing it with me.I shall pray for our church,our priests,all of our bishops,etc,And ofcourse our pope.Thank you father and may God bless you.Sincerely,Carlos.
 

Thanks, Carlos, and welcome to the blog! God bless you and your family.
 

What does Holy Cross say about their decision to hold the conference? Are they hoping to offer information on abortion alternatives or to voice a Christian point of view to the members of the pro-choice organizations (or to the people who are likely to attend such an event)? If so, they may be out to reach a crowd that wouldn't dream of going to church but that will freely congregate at an event such as this. If those are the people that need to hear it most, then what better place to minister? Reminds me of the ministry at WWW.XXXCHURCH.COM

I don't know that ministering to people is what Holy Cross is after, however. But this piece left me wondering what their intention is.
 

They offer no excuse, and I wish, I pray, I could offer a charitable excuse for what they are doing. There is none. This is one more example on the part of Holy Cross, and many Catholic Colleges, to redefine what it means to be Catholic, placing themselves over and above Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and Magisterium and establishing "new-church." There is no principle at play except the desperate need to marry the zeitgeist. But, as the expression goes, he who marries the zeitgeist becomes a young widow. In their desire to be relevant they become irrelevant, because the Church is not meant to be off the times, but above all time, transcending fad and culture and society in favor of eternity, truth, and the un-changing God. When we strive to be 'with it', we lose who we are, and then we lose everything.
 

IF they offer no reason, then there clearly is a problem.

However, in response to the rest of your comment, is it really possible to transcend society? I mean, aren't some of us, in essence, using Myspace as a means of ministering and helping others learn about truth and our un-changing God? If we're using Myspace to deliver this message, aren't we acquiesing to "fad and culture and society"? I think we are. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that because I believe you're making a difference in people's lives, Father V. I pray that I am also, but I know that you are. With the help of the very fadish Myspace, you're reaching people you might otherwise not encounter in a typical day.
 

Transcending society doesn't mean that we don't have to use the means at hand to distribute the message, but it does mean that we don't tailor the Gospel to the whims of a particular time or culture. We must use whatever means we can to spread the unchanging Truth of Jesus Christ.
 

I absolutely agree. Thank you for wording that so well.
 

Yep. Unfortunately this isn't the only one of it's kind. A friend of mine withdrew her daughter from a "Catholic woman's college" because of things happening there like this.
 

I could name on my fingers the Catholic colleges and universities I would recomend people send their children to. There are not that many.
 

Don't mean to put you on the spot Father V, but which ones would you suggest? My daughter will be graduating in a couple of years and I'd love for her to attend a "real" Catholic college.
 

Franciscan University (Ohio), Christendom College (Virginia), Magdalen College (NH), St. Thomas More College (NH), University of St. Thomas, (Texas).

Check out the Cardinal Newman Society website for more info on good Catholic schools. You can find it on Google!
 

Thanks so much Father V!
 

hmmmm Maybe their are some in the catholic faith who are finally beginning to "see the light"(so to speak). Father, to me, this is good news.
 

Again, Glenda, you miss the point. I almost get tired of typing that same sentence over and over again. It is about integrity. If an institution chooses to call itself a Catholic school (no one forces them too) they should be Catholic through and through. Otherwise, integrity demands that they cease to call themselves Catholic. To continue to do so is a lie. Even agnostics value integrity and honesty I hope.
 

Oh Father, I understand your blog post, I understand why some Catholics are trying to change things, also I agree with you ( believe it or not ) that this is the way the religion is, if you don't like it, leave it. But Father the reason I agree with you has nothing to do with integrity and honesty. Because in my opinion there's nothing honest about any religion.
 

Again, you miss the point. If a communist is touting the importance of a free market and democratic elections, even though I think communism a fatally flawed system of government, I need to say that the communist in question is lacking integrity and intellectual honesty because he is not who he claims to be. It's not about religion in the grade sense, Glenda, but integrity.

There is nothing honest about religion? Yet you admire Mother Theresa. As a devout proponent of the Church, she too then is intrinsically dishonest and not worthy of your admiration. Intellectual consistency is as important as, and essential to, intellectual honesty and integrity.
 

I admired what she did to help the poor and needy, not her religion. There are good religious people, that doesn't mean their religion is good. I believe these people would probably good wether they are religious or not.
 

THANK YOU for posting this Father V. I feel a "stand on my soap box moment" building within me and I'd like to scream.<P>
It's actions like the one taken by "College of the Holy Cross" that inspired me to leave the Church years ago. My thinking was we have lost our way as a religion and it's not showing any sign of returning these days either. Granted College of the Holy Cross defines itself as a "Liberal Arts" institution; but it looks like the word "Arts" can, and probably should, be dropped.
What motivated me to come "home" is if there is a need to change something, it has to happen from within, and I couldn't do anything from the outside.<P>
More power to Bihsop McManus and his leadership. Should His Excellency's hand be forced, I pray that he will have the strength to withdraw the school's recognition until its leadership and those who are allowing this anti-life, anti-Christian, and apparently anti-Catholic institution is gutted like a fish and reestablished within the confines of the Faith.<P>
Let NARAL and Planned Parenthood have their little conference the same way as most anyone else. In the secular world and in a secular place that might have them.<P>
If His Excellency backs down from this fight, I would hope the Holy Father would intervene and take over. This Liberation Theology BS HAS TO STOP. I mean, I've committed sins that I'm sorry were sins, and far be it for me to point out specks without seeing planks. But this is an exception.<P>
What is more, if the Society of Jesus gives any sort of approval to holding this "conference", the Order should either be disbanded or ended.<P>
WTF is wrong with our people (Catholics, both clergy, laity, and us "regular folk") anyway? I mean, where is the line to be drawn? What's more, why does the line get erased when the next line is crossed? We're backing ourselves into a corner and I assure you once there is no room to turn all will be lost.<P>
If this stands, things will only continue to get worse. The question becomes "What's next? I don't even want to think about those consequences.<P>
If nothing else, come Judgment Day, when God asks me "Michael, what did you do for me?" I can at least respond "In addition to my being a miserable sinner, I at least gave a damn for my fellow man and did what I best could to help him."<P>
Should College of the Holy Cross stay its course, I pray the bishop will, with a loving and thoughtful heart, respond with "Cry Havoc! Let slip the dogs of war." Do what must be done to get this so-called institution of "higher" learning back on track.<P>
Outstanding post as always Father V.<P>
My God love you and keep you well always,<P>
Mike
 

Mike, you are absolutely right and I am encouraged by your zeal! We all need to stand up and say enough is enough. The pope, speaking about the Korean martyrs, said, "No cost is to high for proclaiming the truth." I would rather wihdraw the name "Catholic" from these schools than have young people go there and be fed lies in the name of the Church.
 

"Don't take any s**t from the zeitgeist" - George Carlin.
(I can see it now, support for the bishop from such quarter.)
 

Unfortunately, from the way this thing seems to be going down, I don't see any opportunity to share Truth and Light unless one is willing to climb under the bushel basket and get close to the lamp.
 

You are spot-on correct. We make dismiss all common sense, and hold as an absolute only that there is no truth (except, of course, what we espouse.)
 

Our Jewish friends call it the Golem...
 

You are correct. The legend is that the one who makes is can't control it for long, and it always turns and kills its creator. Very apropos.
 

This is just like the Jesuits. Loyola Univeristy in California invited the judge of the Terri Schaivo case to lecture at their university on the topics of ethics when dealing with the media and judicial cases. They seem to have abandoned Scripture and Tradition. They were disbanded before, perhaps their time has come again.

If I were bishop, I would yank the title of Catholic from the university if they go through we the event and I would consider excommunication for the decision makers who approved it.

And you are right Father, they will hate the monster that they make.
 

Father-

With all do respect to the wonderful people of Massachusetts, I can't think of a more hideous Frankenstein(s) than the Kennedy's.

Holy Cross has betrayed our Catholic social teaching and for what? Why can't the people of that college start their own splinter group and have a free-for-all outside the Catholic name and Catholic history.

Tom
 

I am from New Hampshire, for the record.
 

I love and enjoyed the blog!:) I love to learn new information and history! Thanks for shareing the info. I'm not catholic but I do love to learn more about the Roman Catholic history and faith.
 

You are welcome!
 

Creighton did have some difficulties, and I believe the bishop severed the relationship between the diocese and the University. I am not sure, though.

Even if organized by those of different faiths, the school had to aprove it. However, I find those of differet faiths are more aware and respectful of being in a Catholic institution than the Catholics are. "I'm Catholic, and I am okay with it. The school should be too," is how the conversation usually goes.

Your new blog is great, and very powerful, by the way! Thanks for writing it!
 

Did u know planned parenthood first started around WWII and dealt with eugenism?
(OR something like that)
 

Margaret Sanger, the "mother" Planned Parenthood, was a member of the American Nazi party and supported birth controll primarily as a way to keep the "darker races," (black, Hispanic, Italian, Greek, etc.) from reproducing and flooding society with undesirables.

Thanks for your note!
 

Rev. Martin Luther King's neice was in Des Moines a couple weeks back to speak at one of the public school's, once the school district found out what her topic was, they uninvited her the day before her speech. Fortunately, she was on a local radio station that is clear channel and broadcast her message far and wide. I wish I had a recording of it, it was very worthwhile.
She also confirmed what you wrote about Margaret Sanger here.
I find neoliberalism extremely Orwellian. I guess some animals are just more equal than others.
 

Thanks for this blog post Father V. Praise God for this Bishop! Take a stand... even if you're the only one standing!. Kudos Father.


 

That's the beauty of taking a stand with the Church: you stand with Christ, and two thousand years of popes, bishops, priests, deacons, holy laymen and saints, not to mention myriads of saints. Even if no one else can see them, you know they're there!
 

Stay true to your inner voice and all will be fine.


 

As long as the inner voice matches the outer countenance. When there is a discrepancy, one has to be brought into line with the other. Either these schools need to stop calling themselves Catholic, or they need to start being Catholic schools.

Kudo's for a great picture! Did you know his brother is a priest? Great guy, brilliant priest. I think he is head of the Acton Institute.
 

I agree with you Padre. but I'm not worthy to express my feelings as I've not been to services in a while... not for a lack of study though!


 

It's never to late to go back... Confession is Saturday afternoon, Mass on Sunday Morning!
 

Not in my parish. I'm happy to find a confessor at all. Lord knows I NEED it.
 

Get up with me soon Father I have NEWS!!!
It seems that Catholic Schools (kindergarden thru college) every year become less Catholic and more School and i wish the Bishops would flex their canonical muscles and do something about it.
 

Just like the Jesuits. Big surprise my friend. What happened to the unity of the "one, true church?" How can there possibly be dissension from within the ranks of Ignatius's namesake homeboys?!

Now, you know how we Anglicans feel first hand. Welcome to the post modern world Father. Rome had to join in on the fun that is Western Christendom eventually, right?
 

Our Unity doesn't come from our members, but from the Lord. It is His Body, after all. People can choose to leave, dissent, or attack, but it doesn't change the nature or constitution of the Church that Christ founded.

Anglicans are falling apart from the top, because there is no true authority, just a loose confederation of local ecclesial communities bound together by...well, I am not sure what. Rome has always had dissenters (you should know about this... ;-) )But Rome is what Rome is: Peter's seat of universal authority in the one, true Church.

Are you sure you're not going to storm my rectory? With the advent of the new "Elizabeth" movie, it might stir Anglican ardor...
 

The new Elizabeth movie is good... though definitely not very Catholic-friendly... it even has reference to the Inquisition, which we all know is a Protestant myth. ;-)
 

In large part what it has become is... ;-)
 

I promise that I will not storm your rectory. ;-)

However, I do intend on seeing the new movie about Elizabeth. You should too. :-P

As far as there being no authority within the structure of Anglicanism, I have two answers. In the American church it is quite clear that there is a crisis of authority, although not on the part of the bishops or priests avoiding their respective responsibilities as leaders. No: their failure is to live up to the charter given by the English Reformers to be obediant to Scripture. The Church lives under Scripture, not over it (or beside it). This is where the failure takes place..in both our Communions my friend.

Now, where I disagree is in the fact that throughout the Anglican world the authority of the local epsicopate is just as centralized and effective as it is in Rome, if not more so, especially when compared to the American Council of Catholic Bishops (with some taking pro-choice views, albeit under the covers). Both of our respective Communions are dealing with a crisis in authority, as well as morals. All Christians are a remnant people in this culture. Which is why I do not always enjoy these conversations about our differences. Anyway, if that were not so, then Benedict would not have saw it necessary to release a reassertment of "Dominus Iesus," no? What is the problem there? If it is not chiefly an attack upon other Christian "ecclesial communities," then it is, as you wrote, an "in house" clean up job. Which presupposes that a great many of issues in authority exist within the "teaching" authority of the Roman Church, for obviously he is not attempting to rebuke the opinions of a few wayward lay groups or local college professors (ala Kung or Boff). Those types are free to come and go, as history attests.

Be honest, your Church is having just as many problems as mine, only yours is better at being tight lipped about them.
 

Thanks the for assurance of safety from roaming Anglican hordes...now if only Cardinal Pole, Thomas More, John Southworth, et al, had received the same assurances. But I digress. ;-)

It's not a question of authority being effective. Goodness, if Christ had wanted CEO's and businessmen to make the Church effective, he would have convinced the Rich Young Man in the Gospel to stick around. He chose the men He chose, and still does. I would vehemently disagree that there would be any bishop in the USCCB who would be pro-choice. Some are not as strong on the issue as I would like them to be, but they are not trying to be in any way as I might like them to be, and that's fine: God called them to the role of Apostle, and not me. Our Bishops conference has it's problems, but not one of that magnitude.

There is a difference in the Crisis of Authority that you would speak of, and that I would speak of. Any such problem in the Church is one of men not responding as well as they should, or resisting an authority that they know, at the end of the day, they will indeed acquiesce to. The Crisis of Authority in the Anglican communion is one of individual bishops acting as they want, simply because they don't recognize that Canterbury, or the Lambeth Conference, as having any true authority over them at all. It has gone from a 'church of Bishops' to a 'church of Bishop." Huge differences here. Roman Bishops have their squabbles, differences, sins, and difficulties, but at the end of the day they know that Rome is Rome, and this is how Christ ordained it. Anglican bishops don't acknowledge any authority, save their own, and no one has the ability to tell them otherwise. In the words of Bishop V. Gene Robinson, "Just because scripture and tradition say something is wrong doesn't mean that it is." Bishops know that when Roma locuta est, they can only stamp their feet for so long before they need to get in line. Is this the best way to do it? No, but men, like unruly children, are weak, and don't always know their place. One can only hold their breath for so long before the realization sets in that they are better off breathing and swallowing their pride before they have to swallow their medicine.

I guess it's the difference at the end of the day between men struggling with authority but ultimately realizing and submitting to it, and men (and women) not acknowledging any authority save their own (and perhaps some vague notion of God who really doesn't care what we do- Robinson, as an example.)

As for Dominus Iusus and such, part of the difficulty here is that the men who necessitate the in-house clean up, recognize intrinsically the Divine Nature and mandate of the Church, and don't leave to start their own show. A house such as that needs to be swept and ordered once in a while. Karl Rahner is one such example (although not like Boff or Kung). Rahner was asked, near the end of his life, why he didn't leave the Church. His reply was one of shock, "Leave the Church? Why would I do that?" Whereas other ecclesial communities, without the same theology of Divine foundation and mandate, simply have groups break off and do their own thing. There's no need for sweeping the house, when those who make the mess simply move out, taking their mess with them.

I don't enjoy conversations about our differences, but I don't mind them. The differences are real, and substantial. There is a great deal, though, that we have in common, and from these "first things" we need to battle the culture war together. If you recall, though, this particular blog wasn't about our differences, and I am not sure how it got there... ;-) Always fun, though.
 

Moe
I am glad to see you "don't enjoy conversations about Christian differences"
Why else would you be here then? Is it because you want to know more about the Caholic church?
Or is it as I suspect, you think that just because someone is born a Catholic that means they should automatically know the differerence between right and wrong? And yet somehow in all of this the Anglican church lives under the Scripture of ...or wait... am I trying to have a conversation about christian differences? sorry ...I'll try to stay on topic.

This blog is about what is right and what is wrong.

Sometimes people make mistakes.
We're all only human after all.
We only get to be saints when we die.

I'm glad the bishop did what he did. We-meaning Catholic and other christians -can now see another example of the "in house job cleaning project" that is under way.

Welcome to Fathers' blogs.
 

I'm not going to speak for Cory (aka Moe) as to why he's here, although I do suspect that you misunderstood some of his post...

I do want to point out though that you stated that "we only get to be saints when we die." This is untrue, as it does not fit with the testimony of Scripture, because if this principle were true, then Paul's letter to the Ephesians was only addressed to dead people.
 

I think what she means is that until we die, we all are in a state of "working out our salvation with fear and trembling." We all sin and fall short, and, relying on God's grace, hope to share in His victory. Are their saints among us? Of course. I don't think she was making a theologically pronouncement but a human one. One which, I am sure, you would agree with.