The Bishops Are Democrats?

One has to wonder about the American Bishops. They were misinformed or hoodwinked by one nun, Sister Carol Keehan , who according to reports, assured them that Obama would not force contraception or abortion on them. Now, through services and medication, he as done both.

Doctors and Nurses
This is no surprise. Obama overturned previous conscience exemptions, which effected all healthcare providers, including doctors and nurses.  Nurses were put in a position where they are supposed to assist in abortions, which they are now suing to prevent from happening in the future. One nurse was coerced to assist in an abortion and is suing because of that.

Pharmacists
Pharmacists were forced to make a choice about their jobs. During the Bush Administration, they were given a conscience exemption, which they did not have to proscribe contraceptives. Now, they may loose their jobs.

The Future
There is an old saw in Psychology, "the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior."  Based on Obama's past performance, this gives us little hope he will change his stance in the future.

I have my own version, watch what a Candidate does, do not believe to what he says. Romney says he is pro-life, but his past support of contraceptives and abortion in Massachusetts, show a different story. He talks a good game, however, many in business do not mind lying it is gets them what they want, power. We have two candidates who has consistently stood for life. Neither of them is Romney.

Mormons have the dogma doctrinal evolution, which means their doctrine can change.  Such is the case with polygamy. I guess they think God is not all-knowing and therefore cannot get it correct this first time, every time.

Romney, who is a Mormon bishop, believes his so-called Church's doctrine. I wonder if his policies will evolve as well. Wait, he used the term evolve regarding his abortion stance. Hmm.

I wonder, if we have a Romney presidency, will he try to force polygamy on others? Will he relativize our moral framework, which is already quickly eroding?

The Bishops
Are they Democrats? Is they why they were so willing to believe Sister Carol Keehan. Are they members of the Old Democract's club? Why are they so willing to believe Sister Keehan, and unwilling to look at Obama's past behavior as a predictor? Or are they just poor judges of people?

"Be as clever as serpents, yet as innocent as doves" (Matt 10:16).

Where is the cleverness?  Perhaps it is time for the laity to step and do our mission, as well. We need to inform the bishops of the real deception that is going on in Society and the bounds that the power-hungry and Church-hating will go to in order to win an election.  The bishops seem clueless. Maybe it is time for them to be informed by those who are given a mission of ordering the World to the Gospel:

"It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle...But in particular the lay faithful are called to restore to creation all its original value. In ordering creation to the authentic well-being of humanity in an activity governed by the life of grace, they share in the exercise of the power with which the Risen Christ draws all things to himself and subjects them along with himself to the Father, so that God might be everything to everyone" (Christfidelis Laici, 3, 14).


We need to tell the bishops how the World functions, how those who hunger for power have no limits to their deception and how we need to be clever as serpents, with a proven liar and religious persecutor named Barrack Obama. Maybe next time, with our input and import, they will be ahead of the game.

The Authority of Papal Congregations

This is a heady posting. It delves into the Ordinary Magisterium, which is the day to day teaching of the Church. The Ordinary Magisterium has possibly fallible teachings which are also possibly infallible. In short, we do not know their nature unless we do an exhaustive theological survey, the college of bishops and the pope, or the pope alone states so, possibly by his "manner of speaking" (Lumen Gentium, 25, 1).

There are two general levels of teaching:

1. Infallible Magisterium: These are infallible teachings and contain two general levels, the Universal Ordinary Magisterium (the pope and bishops throughout the world teaching together) and the Extraordinary Magisterium (Church Councils, Papal Definitions).
2. Ordinary Magisterium: These are day to day teachings, which have the possibility of being infallible, however, could be fallible (contain error).

This article is not intended to be exhaustive, but to speak in general terms. I will try to boil these concepts to some main points.

Main Points
A great article on the authority of Ordinary Magisterial Teachings (possibly fallible) including Papal Congregations is found here. In it you will find a quote of what Blessed Pope Pius the IX, a great pope according to many accounts and his encyclicals, said about Papal congregations in an apostolic letter, which I have extended below:

"it is not sufficient for learned Catholics to accept and revere the aforesaid dogmas of the Church...it is also necessary to subject themselves to the decisions pertaining to doctrine which are issued by the Pontifical congregations..." (Pius IX, Tuas Libenter, Enchiridion Symbolorum).

It is assumed by some that Pontifical Congregations are to be ignored. However, Pius IX has explicitly taught otherwise, as quoted above. Pius the IX also goes on to speak of theological truths being binding (called sense of the faithful), but I will not address that here.

This seems to suggest that the teachings of Congregations belong to the Ordinary Magisterium, which is still binding on Catholics in various degrees. This is probably because they have the consent of the pope to engage in their activities, it is from him that they derive their authority.

Correction
The article above, states that such teachings are not infallible, however, that is an incorrect statement.  Just because a teaching is not infallibly defined or proposed does not mean it is not infallible, just that it has not been infallibly proposed, spoken or defined. We should reserve judgement on whether it is infallible or not, because the pope could later state it is so, or a theological survey and statement by the pope could reveal it is.

The Bottom Line
We are to treat Congregational Documents (especially from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) as being part of the Ordinary Magisterium, which requires at least religious assent.  You cannot marginalize this teaching because it does not agree with your training or opinion.

Please leave comments, requests for articles, or questions below!

Journalistic Responsibility

For those of you who do not know, John King confronted Newt Gingrich during the January 19th debate in South Carolina about what his former wife said about an "open marriage." John is a divorced man, according to reports, with a hostile relationship with his ex-wife. Perhaps we should trot out his ex-wife and see what she has to say?

I do not point this out the eviscerate John King, but to point out Journalistic responsibility according to John Paul II:

"In the communications media the Church finds a precious aid for spreading the Gospel and religious values, for promoting dialogue, ecumenical and inter-religious cooperation, and also for defending those solid principles which are indispensable for building a society which respects the dignity of the human person and is attentive to the common good" (John Paul II, The Rapid Development of Those Responsible for Social Communications).

I am a Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and have done job interviews regularly. One thing we do not ask is someone's marital status. In fact, this is illegal discrimination according to law. I do not care about what a candidates ex-wives say. Many divorcees are bitter about the divorce. We accept that.

Apart from an employment contract, all a human resources professional is supposed to care about is: "Are you qualified for the position to which you are applying?" Nothing else. Not your religion, race, marital status, hateful comments by your ex-wife or anything else. The Presidential Race is a big job interview.

Maybe our criteria, being a people of repentance, should be the Sacrament of Reconciliation and attempts to live a holy life. Too often, our Jerry Springer culture takes over and we forget the image of God in our fellow human beings.  Let us pray for everyone, and give them the respect they are due, even to Barrack Obama, or a repentant candidate who is doing the best he can:

Thus sin makes men accomplices of one another and causes concupiscence, violence, and injustice to reign among them. Sins give rise to social situations and institutions that are contrary to the divine goodness. "Structures of sin" are the expression and effect of personal sins. They lead their victims to do evil in their turn. In an analogous sense, they constitute a "social sin" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1869).

However, there is hope:

The redemption won by Christ consists in this, that he came "to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt 20:28), that is, he "loved his own to the end" (Jn 13:1), so that they might be "ransomed from the futile ways inherited from their fathers" (1 Pt 1:18). (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 622)

Let us choose the best candidate for the job, not give credence to salacious comments by a possibly embittered ex-wife. May Christ Reign!

Persecution By Homosexuals

If you did not know Cardinal Francis George apologized for saying that homosexuals might act like KKK members if the Catholic Church had too public an image during a Gay Parade.

This is an example of abandoning your flock. Catholics need to be told the truth about the homosexual agenda, so they can fight back against it. Homosexuals have attacked a church in San Francisco, banging on the doors. This was popularized by many Christian commentators including Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family.

Abandoning the Flock
This seems to be a case of an archbishop abandoning the flock. Catholics need to hear the unvarnished truth about what homosexuals are doing in Society. They are a very aggressive force that does not mind violating Church property rights and throwing glitter all over people. Keep in mind, Gingrich has no idea what is in that glitter. Letters have contained Anthrax and Gingrich has no idea what is being thrown over him.

Gay Adoptions
Obama has been so aggressive with his gay adoption policy, that he has forced Catholic Adoption agencies to shut their doors due their funds being cut off. The homosexual marriages in New York State and New Hampshire have caused backlashes which has created movements to overturn those laws.

Stand Firm
Catholic's need firm leaders. Who in every thought, word and deed, stand for the truth, like Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a leader who unabashedly stands for the truth, if with a bit of grace.

Please leaders, do not abandon the truth and in doing so abandon your flock. Stand firm and resolute. If the Homosexual Movement has acted like terrorists, let it be so. If they have attacked Catholics, say it is so. Do not let the flock suffer for the wolves.

Christian Bale Civic Hero

Recently, Christian Bale tried to visit the home and pro-life activist, Chen Guangcheng. Chen has been jailed for his efforts to document forced abortions of women in China. He was released, however he is under house arrest. Some reports state some of the charges may be trumped up.


Christian was roughed up by Chinese security guards who hold Chen under lockdown. Christian was inspired by Chen, and wanted to "shake his hand." Christian could not understand why the Chinese security guards would prevent him from seeing Chen, however, it is clear from China's human rights abuses why they would not allow such a thing.


This should be no surprise to anyone who follows China, that they have little respect for the human person. They have their own version of Gulags, and frequently lock up "dissidents" like Catholic bishops.


His Visit Will Not Go Unheard
Frequently the person under house arrest will hear of the attempted visit, and will take heart from it. Isolation is a big problem for the persecuted.  To think that no one knows your plight can cause depression.  This was the case with Nelson Mandela, who was allowed visitors only once every six months (Nelson Mandela, Memoirs).


For trying to visit a pro-life activist, Christian Bale showed civic heroism, though he has denied this. China is not your friendly neighborhood. It is far from it. So despite his protests, he demonstrated civic virtue in his visit, even if he may have been a bit impatient at times...but so have many.

Latin Mass Onliers

A schismatic tendency in Latin Mass Onliers has been a denigration of the Vernacular Mass. They present this argument as if it is objectively true that the Latin Mass is superior to the Novus Ordo. They get snarky, as one canon lawyer contemplated about himself, about the Latin Mass, as if it is obviously better.

This is fundamental disobedience. As the canon lawyer in this link, stated, as quoted by Fr. Z., the bishop can issue a decree forbidding the Latin Mass. However, even though he has recourse to the Congregation for Divine Worship, he has to stop the Mass (my comment). If he wins his recourse, he can continue it. This shows the Latin Mass is not objectively superior, since they Church would never stop such a good.

Moral Law
Unlike Canon Law, which in most part can be changed, Moral Law cannot. We are always obligated to follow the Moral Law (including the Ten Commandments) even should our death be the result. If this were true about the Latin Mass, we would be obliged to always attend it regardless of the circumstances or a bishops' decree.

As attributed, this Canonist says:

Perhaps at 3:00 p.m. [sic] in the afternoon, in a sidel chapel, after the heat in the church ahs been turned off, and while a janitor is cleaning the rest of the church with a loud buffer. (a bit too snarky?) [sic]

Yes, very snarky. Yet, a Bishop's Conference is obliged to consider:

The pastoral care of the faithful requires from every bishops' conference that their physical health is also taken into account (Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care Migrants and Intinerant Peoples).

The canonist above would not care for their physical health. What about the elderly? So Fr. Z. and the canonist would have the elderly suffering during Mass, possibly get pneumonia, since they want to attend the  Mass in English. This, of course would be a violation of papal teaching against the fourth commandment (i.e. doing harm).

Extremism
Of course, these are extreme examples of disobedience of Vatican Norms. However, they are very present, and people are being unduly influenced by them.

If this is the disobedience that the Latin Mass brings about in people, perhaps we should be done with it [ficetiously said]. We should abandon the Latin Mass because it causes disobedience [more facetiousness].

Or perhaps, we should respect the laity's desire to hear the Mass in their own language. Jesus did with his first Mass.

The Case of Schismatic Apologists

In case you did not know, several apologists seem to have stepped on the line of schism over the years. Some seemed to have stepped over. Gerry Matatics (see below) comes to mind, a fervent Catholic apologist who defended the faith, yet fell into schismatic traditionalism.

Schismatic Apologists Online
There are several schismatics (calling themselves Catholics) who perform apologetics online. This blog is not intended to be a laundry list of them, but to generally examine a couple of their positions.

Dimond Brothers
Michael and Peter Dimond have taken to debating with the Vatican, taking to attacking Vatican II, Current and past Post-Vatican II popes and other unpopular positions (to Sedes) such as the Novus Ordo (Post-Vatican II Mass).

Robert Sungenis
Currently Robert disagrees with the beatification of Pope John Paul II. He points to errors of judgement in his pontificate, saying they had to separate his pontificate from his cause for the first time in history.

Gerry Matatics
Gerry Matatics states that he believes in no salvation outside the Church. A strict position of "No Salvation Outside the Church" has been condemned by the Holy Office in condeming Fr. Feeney, who said Catholics cannot be saved:

“These things are clearly taught [in the Encyclical on the Mystical Body], in it the Supreme Pontiff clearly distinguishes between those who actually are incorporated into the Church as members, and those who adhere to the Church only by way of votum (will)...” (The Holy Office).

Sede Vacantism
I have address the Issue of Sede Vacantism in another blog. I will not get into it here.

I know Better
Sola Scriptura (using Scripture alone to interpret) and Sola Traditio (interpreting Tradition by personal judgement) cause these errors. In reading pontifical and papal-approved conciliar documents, we are not privately interpret them. We are rather to refer to other papal documents in interpreting such documents. This is because we individually have not been given infallibility, but it has been given to the pope, the bishops in union with the pope, or the Catholic Faithful as a whole.

No one knows better. Even the pope in his personal judgement does not know better. Rather, in view of his office as the successor of Peter, do we have a reliable interpretation.