The Holy Family

From EWTN's collection of prayers:

This novena is most appropriately begun nine days before December 28, the feast of the Holy Family. It is also fitting to pray it during the month of February, which is consecrated to the Holy Family.

Novena Prayer:

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving Holy Church as I should, above every earthly thing, and of ever showing my love by deeds.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of openly professing as I should, with courage and without human respect, the faith that I received as your gift in holy Baptism.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of sharing as I should in the defense and propagation of the Faith when duty calls, whether by word or by the sacrifice of my possessions and my life.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving my family and others in mutual charity as I should, and establish us in perfect harmony of thought, will, and action, under the rule and guidance of the shepherds of the Church.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of conforming my life fully as I should to the commandments of God’s law and those of His Holy Church, so as to live always in that charity which they set forth.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I ask in particular this special favor:
(Mention your favor).

Dedication of One’s Family:
Most loving Jesus, by Your sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience, and gentleness, You blessed with peace and happiness the family which You chose on earth. In Your mercy look upon my family. We belong to You, for we have received Your many blessings over many years and we entrust ourselves to Your loving care.

Look upon my family in Your loving kindness, preserve us from danger, give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in imitation of Your holy Family, so that having revered You and loved You faithfully on earth, we may praise You eternally in heaven.

Mary, dearest Mother, to your intercession we have recourse, knowing that your Divine Son will hear your prayers. Glorious patriarch, Saint Joseph, help us by your powerful prayers and offer our prayers to Jesus through Mary’s hands. Amen.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to Mary and Joseph, You sanctified family life by Your beautiful virtues. Grant that we, with the help of Mary and Joseph, may be taught by the example of Your holy Family, and may after death enjoy its everlasting companionship.

Lord Jesus, help us ever to follow the example of Your holy Family, that in the hour of our death Your glorious Virgin Mother together with Saint Joseph may come to meet us, and we may be worthy to be received by You into the everlasting joys of heaven. You live and reign forever. Amen



Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/novena/HolyFamily.htm#ixzz1hy4ktnbI

The miracle of Blessed Pedro Calungsod!

CEBU CITY— She had no idea who Blessed Pedro Calungsod was until she benefited from a healing miracle attributed to the intercession of the young Visayan martyr.

The miracle, recorded in March 2003, had since led the woman to start a devotion to the 17th century catechist from Cebu, said Msgr. Ildebrando Leyson, a lead advocate for Calungsod’s sainthood.

Officials of the Archdiocese of Cebu have chosen not to disclose the woman’s name for now out of respect for her privacy.

But her identity will be made public when she accompanies the Philippine delegation to the Vatican for Calungsod’s canonization, now a certainty thanks to a papal decree issued last week.

Leyson described her as a businesswoman in her 50s, not a Cebuana but someone who hails from Eastern Visayas.  [Samar or Leyte.]

The woman knew nothing of Calungsod prior to her astounding recovery within hours after falling into a coma at around 2 p.m. on March 26, 2003, due to insufficient oxygen in the brain, Leyson told the Inquirer on Friday. The coma rated “3” on the Glasgow Coma Scale, meaning she had no verbal or motor response, and could not even open her eyes.

It was actually one of the doctors who prayed to Calungsod for help after the patient suffered complications a day after undergoing heart surgery in a Cebu City hospital, the monsignor recalled.

“Those who were looking at her brain data knew from experience that the woman would die the next day,” Leyson said.

It was at this point of near resignation that the doctor uttered a prayer to Calungsod.  [Most atheists think they are smarter than doctors at this point.]

At around 6 p.m., the woman woke up.

According to the doctors, if any recovery was still possible from such a comatose state, it would take weeks and the patient would be reduced to “a vegetable, paralyzed and unable to speak,” Leyson said.

And yet the woman recovered in just four hours and showed no signs of physical impairment whatsoever.  As word spread around the hospital, more doctors and other members of the medical staff rushed to the patient’s room.


One of them wondered whether there had been a misreading of the patient’s brain data, but a check later showed that all measurements were accurate.

“That is the miracle,” Leyson said.

According to Leyson, when the doctor told the patient that she should thank Calungsod for her new lease on life, the woman asked with a puzzled look: “Who is that?” [ :) ]


The grateful woman has since devoted a part of her day saying novena prayers to Calungsod, who was beatified by then Pope John Paul II in 2000, three years before the miracle.

On Monday last week, Pope Benedict XVI issued a decree acknowledging the woman’s healing as a miracle obtained through Calungsod’s intercession.

During the long process of verification, it had to be established that only Calungsod was called out by the woman’s doctor and not any other saint or figure honored by Catholics, Leyson explained.

The monsignor said the Pope would meet with the cardinals in February next year to seek approval on the move to declare Calungsod a saint. Only after this stage can a date for the canonization rites be set, he added.

Lay catechist Calungsod was born in what was then the Diocese of Cebu which covered the Philippine islands of Panay and Mindanao as well as the Pacific island of Guam.

A lay catechist, Calungsod died in Guam while trying to defend his fellow mission worker, Jesuit priest and now Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, when the natives attacked them on April 2, 1672. Calungsod was 17 years old.

Calungsod was struck by a spear and his skull was split with a machete blow. Their bodies were then tied together and thrown into the sea.  [Therefore there are no relics of Blessed Pedro.]

On March 5, 2000, Pope John Paul II beatified Calungsod along with 43 other martyrs in ceremonies held at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. The Vatican officially set April 2 as Calungsod’s feast day.

In his homily during the beatification, John Paul called on the youth to emulate Calungsod: “From his childhood, Pedro Calungsod declared himself unwaveringly for Christ and responded generously to his call.”
“Young people today can draw encouragement and strength from the example of Pedro, whose love of Jesus inspired him to devote his teenage years to teaching the faith as a lay catechist,” John Paul said.  [Teach the Faith!]

In October this year, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said members of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Cause of Saints and all the cardinals had voted unanimously in favor of canonizing Calungsod, who would be the second Filipino saint.

The first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz, a parish scribe and former altar boy born in Binondo, Manila, was martyred in Japan in 1637. Ruiz was elevated to sainthood in 1987.

***

There are some interesting facts here folks.

Our first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz is a product of the Dominicans.  Pedro Calungsod is a product of the Jesuits.

Dominicans, Jesuits.  :)

Lorenzo is from Manila.  Pedro is from Cebu.

Manila, Cebu.  :)

Anyways, I am both associated with both Lorenzo and Pedro, Dominicans and Jesuits (ehrm...) Manila (ehrm...) and Cebu (woohoo!)

Daghang salamat sa imong pagtabang kanamo, 

San Pedro Calungsod!

I-ampo ko sa Ginoo!

Angry at Christmas?

And at Christians?

Or just The Pinoy Catholic?

This was actually a comment I published in this blog post.

***

I do not celebrate Christmas. I did 5 loads of washing and other housework on the 25th. Happy? [What did you wash and whose things you washed?  If it ain't yours and you aren't being paid to do it, and you do not even have any feelings for the owner of those things, then, yeah, you have every right to gripe. Other than that, you are just like that old man staring out of the window, griping and gnashing his teeth while the whole world around you basks in the joy of the season.  All....MERRY.]

We have our own 'thing' we do so we can exchange gifts blah blah. We do it on 21st Dec so that should give you a clue.  [Nah!]

I do not go to Christmas parties, as for gifts, and would go to work if I were required to (have done many times), [Scrooge?] so NO - I do not take advantage of any perks. [Good!]

The way you have put this sounds very childish.  [Because this one isn't.]

Most people accept that Christmas really doesn't have that much to do with Christ, [SWS ALERT!] so they are hardly hypocrites for having a family gathering and festivities of a specific kind. [If you are in a Muslim country!]

Many of the Christmas symbolism and traditions are Pagan in origin, so I could ask 'why do Christians use pagan symbols?'

***
'why do Christians use pagan symbols?'

SIMPLE!

Christianity triumphed over paganism.

We started using pagan temples and converted them into Christian basilicas!

The obelisks of ancient Egypt are religious symbols of the Pharaoh and the Sun god, Rah. But these were brought to Rome and was placed in front of major papal basilicas like St. Peters, but not before a Cross was placed on top of it. Why? Again... SIMPLE. The CROSS IS VICTORIOUS OVER THE PAGAN GOD.

Ever heard of the Pantheon?

Celebrating birthdays is a pagan thing. Burying the dead is a pagan thing.

So?

Blah blah blah...

We all do things pagans do. But does it make us pagans?

Here is the thing.

Be happy because the whole world is happy for just even 24 hours.  You may think of other reasons for being happy on THAT DAY but please, just go out and share the day with others.  Stop washing, ok?

CHEERS.

About an old blog post

Now I believe that there are those really hit hard by my post about the Masonic logo and INC logo.

Go to the post and read the latest comments.

Thank you very much!

To our fellow countrymen and brothers and sisters from Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City...

You who have been painfully struck with tragedy by Typhoon Sendong...

I just saw interviews of you over the national news just a few minutes ago.

And I must say, you have humbled me and my family for smiling in the face of extreme pain.

You kept an indomitable spirit and faith in the Lord believing that there will always be something to hope for in the days ahead.

Thank you for showing us what living is all about, what it means TO HOPE IN THE LORD, and that what matters the most is not the lost property or the lost opportunity, but that we have the precious gift of life that we have most of the time taken for granted.

We, most of the time, gripe over simple things like unsent and unanswered text messages and emails, clothes, technology and food.

But you have showed us that all of these do not matter when everything you hold precious is lost except your own life...

Thank you for your courage and resilience!

God bless you!

Why I was not around...

Most of you may be wondering why I suddenly was not blogging for several days.

Well, it's because I spent more time in these few precious days with my family.

I stopped everything.  Work, Church work, Pro-Life work...for the meantime.

And even though I continue to receive heckling messages from die-hard fans from You-Know-Who-Just Got-Seated, from Masons and INCs, I don't fret, because my work here in the blog is to tell you what I know and what you should know, things that matter to a Filipino Roman Catholic.

And to all the followers of the unknown Pinoy Catholic, who patiently read this blog and even send out messages to add more interesting posts to this blog...

And to the atheists, agnostics, Freemasons, Iglesia ni Cristo...who I think don't have any difference at all...

And since we are all celebrating, the birth of the God-Man...

This is for you...

SIT NAVITATIS DOMINI FESTUM, 

VOBIS BEATUM AC FELIX

ANNUS NOVUS FAUSTUS ET PROSPERUS

Vatican is ok?

Oh really?

From Cathnewsphil.com

Thanks Tim!

***

DESPITE reports to the contrary, sources say [WHO NOW?] there’s no particular Vatican concern about the new archbishop of Manila over an article he contributed more than a decade ago to a controversial history of the Second Vatican Council. The article had not been part of the official documentation considered before his appointment. [If there is nothing wrong with it, why leave that one out?]

Luis Antonio Tagle, 54, seen as one of the leading theological minds among the Asian bishops, was installed as the 32nd archbishop of Manila Dec. 12, after being named to the position by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 13.

Though Tagle has been hailed as a rising Asian star and even a possible papal contender, a mid-November article by veteran Italian journalist Sandro Magister suggested that some in the Vatican may have second thoughts, related to an article Tagle authored for a history of Vatican II edited by Italian scholars Giuseppe Alberigo and Alberto Melloni, exponents of a progressive current in Italian Catholicism known as the “Bologna school.”  [The Baloney school]


The Alberigo and Melloni history has been blamed in some quarters for promoting a distorted reading of Vatican II as a “rupture” with previous eras of church history – as opposed to the “hermeneutic of reform,” emphasizing continuity with the Church before Vatican II, promoted by Benedict.  [Well, Tagle's connection to the Baloney school explains why he spoke that way when he was my teacher at LST.  He portrays Vatican II as the Super Council.  Yup.  No joke.  He speaks differently when not in the classroom.]

Tagle earned his doctorate at The Catholic University of America under Fr. Joseph Komonchak, the American editor of the Alberigo and Melloni history, and joined the project’s editorial team while a seminary professor. In 1999, Tagle contributed an essay to the fourth volume of the history on Vatican II’s so-called “Black Week,” which unfolded at the close of the council’s third session in 1964, when several actions by Pope Paul VI caused alarm among reform forces.

***

See how much sentence the writer dedicated to saying that the Vatican was not concerned about the omission of that info about Tagle's career?

By the way, the original article appeared in the dissident National "Catholic" Reporter aka Fishwrap.

That is where John Allen writes.  He was the one who was all praises for the appointment of Tagle.

As if Allen stepped foot in Imus.

Duh!

The Prayer of Jabez?

I have heard about this a long time ago.  It is heavily promoted in the "Prosperity Gospel" circles, as it can bring you, uhm, prosperity and riches.  Sounds like a magic incantation to me.

Well, here is the prayer.

If you ask me, why have that when you can have this!

Makes me wonder why these Born-Again Christians keep on promoting the other prayer when this one was taught to us none other than the Lord Himself!

Never heard these supposedly Bible believing Christians promote the Lord's Prayer.

For those who do not believe in Christmas

 
Those who do not believe in Christmas should...

a.  Go to work on Dec. 25.  There is no reason for the holiday anyway.

b.  Not get any bonuses.  There is no reason for the bonus anyway.

c.  Not receive any gifts.  You don't believe in the season in giving

d.  Not ask for any gifts.  Duh!

e.  Not join any Christmas Parties.  What is there to party for?

f.   Not be carolled.  They hate jolly music.

g.  Not be greeted Merry Christmas.  You do not deserve to be Merry on a day you don't believe in!


PS:  This is for the Iglesia of Manalo and Atheists (spoiled brats who could not get over their unhappy home).

I have Muslim friends who greet me "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays", you know that "politically correct" crappy greeting.  Better for my Muslim friends.  These INCs and Atheists are uncouth!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ANYWAY.  :D

Blessed Pedro Calungsod!!! It's official!!!

 VATICAN CITY, 19 DEC 2011 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorised the promulgation of decrees concerning the following causes:

MIRACLES

- Blessed Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth and of the Congregation of the Humble Sister Servants of the Lord (1841-1913).

- Blessed Jacques Berthieu, French martyr and priest of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) (1838-1896).

- Blessed Maria del Carmen (born Maria Salles y Barangueras), Spanish foundress of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Teaching (1848-1911).

- Blessed Maria Anna Cope, nee Barbara, German religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse U.S.A. (1838-1918).

- Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, American laywoman (1656-1680).

- Blessed Pedro Calungsod, Filipino lay catechist and martyr (1654-1672).

- Blessed Anna Schaffer, German laywoman (1882-1925).

- Servant of God Louis Brisson, French priest and founder of the Oblates of St. Francis of Sales (1817-1908).

- Servant of God Luigi Novarese, Italian diocesan priest and founder of the Silent Workers of the Cross (1914-1984).

- Servant of God Maria Luisa (nee Gertrude Prosperi), Italian abbess of the convent of the Order of St. Benedict of Trevi (1799-1847).

- Servant of God Mother St. Louis (nee Maria Luisa Elisabeth de Lamoignon, widow of Mole de Champlatreux), French foundress of the Sisters of St. Louis (1763-1825).

- Servant of God Maria Crescencia (nee Maria Angelica Perez), Argentinean professed religious of the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Orchard (1897-1932).

The Pope's message to the Philippines

What Hitler said after learning that RH was not passed this year

The face of a national tragedy

Probably one of the saddest snapshots of TPC.

Read more about the photo here.

Pope prays for flood victims

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday prayed for the victims of mammoth floods unleashed in the southern Philippines by tropical storm Washi that have killed hundreds of people.

"I pray for the victims, many of them children, for the people without homes and for the many missing," the pope said in an address in Saint Peter's Square after his weekly Angelus prayer before thousands of pilgrims.

"I would like to assure the people of the southern Philippines of my closeness to them," he added.

The Red Cross on Sunday said the death toll from the floods was now at 652 with 808 others missing. The devastated port cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in Mindanao island accounted for most of the deaths.

Entire villages were swept away when the storm struck on Saturday.

Request for Prayers: Just stop and pray

Just pray for those who perished in the terrible flood in Northern Mindanao...

Pray for the eternal repose of their souls..

Pray for their families that they continue to hope in the Lord...

And this is the time that our government officials and volunteers need our prayers as well.

***

Pray the Rosary and the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.

Ask for the intercession of St. Lorenzo and Blessed Pedro.

Look who's coming to Davao!

 

Click the list for a larger view.

Papa Lolek is coming back to Davao.  His first visit was in the 80s during his first Papal trip to the Philippines where he beatified Lorenzo Ruiz and companions.




***

Thanks for the tip, Frater!

Stay safe and lock your doors well before you go on retreat. :)

World renowned atheist is dead

Christopher Hitchens is dead.

The atheist who spent his life ridiculing the existence of the Living God has died of cancer.

Now here is the million dollar question that a brother Knight asked of me:

Shall you pray for the repose of the soul of a man who does not even believe in God and the afterlife?

If I'd be the complete blunt about it...I WON'T. It's like praying for Hitler in his dying minutes.

BUT...

We don't know.  He might have a change of heart a few moments before he died.

BUT, would it hurt if you ask for God's mercy on him?

Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies, didn't He?

BUT...Hitchens spent the rest of his life cursing God.

According to our Faith, we know what awaits an unrepentant man.

Quite ironic that he still chose to be named "Christopher", meaning Christ-bearer.


***

Our priest readers might want to give us a little lesson on this one.

Father Gary?

How to make a church renovation

From the wonderful Canterbury Tales blog:

***

Before

Typical church design from the hippies and graduates of Liturgy at MST, SVST, Euntes and Bukidnon


After

What is so bad about the last photo that the liberals had to destroy beautiful churches just to have a drag, senseless building that is too ugly for a church and would not also pass for an auditorium or meeting hall!

ANSWER: Guess who this guy is.

Remember the post about asking who this guy is?

Now here is the answer.

Look for him below.  Click the image for a bigger view.

Yup.  He represents the highest degree of Masonry of the York Rite.  There are two "rites" in Masonry:  Scottish and York.  The Scottish Rite is the one here in the Philippines.

That guy up there is Knight Templar, a member of the Order of the Knights Templar.  (Ha!)  equal in right a dignity to the highest degree of the Scottisch Rite's 33rd degree.

Here is how they look today:

Now do they look familiar to you?

Look here.

That is a group of 4th degree Knights of Columbus, wearing the chapeau, baldric and ceremonial sword, the same as those of the Knight Templar of Masonry.

4th degree Knights of Columbus always do not dress this way.

Here is an example of one of the first 4th degree Knights of Columbus.

 

SEE THE SIMILARITY?

There is a reason for this.

It was said that the author of the fourth degree ritual of the Knights of Columbus, William Harper Bennett, (here wearing his fez as Supreme Commander of the Order, pictured with Blessed John Paul II) was once a Mason, and brought back to the Church by our Holy Father Founder, Servant of God, Fr. Michael Joseph McGivney.  Bro. Bill then founded the Order of Alhambra, which is a counter to the Masonic Order of Shiners.  Look at the picture above an look for the guy standing below the arch, the one wearing a fez.

Fr. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus to encourage Catholic men to form a fraternity to support one another and to keep them away from the Masonic Association, which endangers a Catholic man's eternal salvation.

Now you know.

For a more detailed discussion about the connection of the Knights of Columbus and the Freemasons, and why Catholic Men MUS NOT be Masons, click here.

Guess who this 4th degree KofC is

I mean the guy on the right.

See his Baldric?  The sash under his tuxedo?  That is a mark of a 4th degree Knight of Columbus.

The other Knight, third from left, is wearing a Jewel of the Office from his neck, and looks like he is a Grand Knight, since his Jewel looks like an anchor.

And the prelate with the Knights is wearing his ferraiolo or clerical cape which is worn by clerics on formal occasions and remains so today.  The practice is NOT abolished.

Judging by his watered-silk cape, he might be either a papal legate, nuncio or a cardinal since these ranking prelates are the only ones allowed to wear that kind of a ferraiolo.

So chime in your guess.

Servant of God Fulton Sheen moving closer to beatification

And some GULP Exam for you...

 Oh and here is the Rome Reports video of the miracle

***

PEORIA, Ill. (CNS) -- Boxes wrapped in ribbon and a happy little boy are Christmas images, but the combination had another joyful meaning Dec. 11 during ceremonies closing the Diocese of Peoria's inquiry into an alleged miraculous healing through the intercession of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. "May God, who has begun this great work, bring it to fulfillment," said Peoria Bishop Daniel R. Jenky after affixing a wax seal on a box containing evidence gathered in the past three months by an investigative tribunal.

The assembly gathered for the special Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral responded with sustained applause. That evidence is now on its way to Rome for consideration by the Congregation for Saints' Causes. [VEEERRRYYY Special if you watch the video below.]

The congregation is studying the sainthood cause of Archbishop Sheen, a central Illinois native and priest of the Peoria Diocese who became an internationally known evangelist, radio/TV personality, writer and missionary. In a pew just outside the cathedral sanctuary, the focus of the testimonies contained in the box -- 15-month-old James Fulton Engstrom -- sat contentedly with his parents and two older siblings, squirming occasionally as all healthy little boys will do. "For a lot of us it felt like a full-circle moment," said James' mother, Bonnie Engstrom, of the official ceremonies that took place at the start of Mass.

Among those in attendance were members of the tribunal as well as the Archbishop Sheen Foundation. Bonnie Engstrom recalled sitting in the same cathedral -- where Archbishop Sheen had been ordained in 1919 -- a few days after James' birth and "begging for a miracle" during a holy hour attended by family and friends. Considered stillborn on Sept. 16, 2010, after a routine pregnancy, James was without a pulse for the first 61 minutes of his life. It was only when doctors at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria were ready to call the time of death that his heart started beating. The doctors had warned the parents he might not be able to function normally, but they were proved wrong. "It's an amazing story," said Msgr. Jason Gray, who served as episcopal delegate to the investigative tribunal and was responsible for guiding the process.

An oath of secrecy sworn by tribunal members kept Msgr. Gray from commenting further about the findings of the tribunal or expectations regarding its review in Rome.

***

And here are more about this wonderful news.

I am happy for this development as Archbishop Fulton Sheen is one of the patrons and inspirations of this blog and this blogger.

I watched with anticipation the Mass...until....

You find out.  This is one for God's Undercover Liturgical Police aka GULP

No not the Papal Knights nor the Knights of Columbus Honor Guards...though the entrance of the Honor Guards did not follow the standard protocol.  Honor Guards ALWAYS are the first to enter and the last to leave.

***

You can watch more videos about the Cause of Canonization of Archbishop Sheen from the Postulation's YouTube Channel.

The Pope's Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe

The guitars almost made me fall down on my seat. But this is Papa Benny's call and it is just for a one shot deal.....is it?

He will next travel to Mexico and Cuba, his second to Latin America.

When will he travel to Asia?

He is not getting any younger, no.

Not excommunicated anymore?

PHOENIX (CNS) -- A Mercy sister who was automatically excommunicated because of her role on the ethics committee that allowed an abortion to be performed at a Catholic hospital in Phoenix in 2009 is back in good standing in the Catholic Church.

In May 2010, officials at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center publicly acknowledged that an abortion had occurred at the hospital in late 2009. Officials said the woman was 11 weeks pregnant and suffered from pulmonary hypertension, a condition that the hospital said carried a near-certain risk of death for the mother if the pregnancy continued.  [In effect, the "Catholic" hospital chose the life of the mother over the unborn child.  But who are we to choose who is to live and who is to die?  That my friends is the kind of Catholic morality this hospital has.]

It also was revealed at the time that Mercy Sister Margaret McBride had incurred automatic excommunication because of her role on the ethics committee that sanctioned the abortion. On Dec. 21, 2010, Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted announced that the hospital could no longer identify itself as a Catholic hospital.

In a Dec. 8 statement, the hospital said Sister Margaret has since "met the requirements for reinstatement with the church and she is no longer excommunicated. She continues to be a member in good standing with the Sisters of Mercy and is a valued member of the St. Joseph's executive team."  [Why was there no statement from the bishop?  Hmmm...]

The statement, emailed to Catholic News Service in response to a query about her status, provided no more details and the hospital had no further comment.  [Fishy...]

Sister Margaret is currently the medical center's vice president for organizational outreach.

Last year when Bishop Olmsted issued his decree revoking the 116-year-old hospital's affiliation with the Catholic Church, he wrote that he could not verify that the hospital provides health care consistent with "authentic Catholic moral teaching."  [Can this be applied to schools as well?  I think so.  Bishop Nes Ongtioco, how about MST and Ateneo?]

After he learned about the abortion, Bishop Olmsted said at the time, he had met with hospital officials to learn more about the particular case.

"It became clear that, in their decision to abort, the equal dignity of mother and her baby were not both upheld," he said. The baby "was directly killed," which is a violation of the ethical and religious directives.  [Killing an unborn human is simply inhuman.]

Throughout the process, St. Joseph's Hospital and its parent organization, San Francisco-based Catholic Healthcare West, maintained that the intention was to save "the only life that could be saved," the mother's, according to the hospital.  [tell it to the marines!]

"We continue to stand by the decision, which was made in collaboration with the patient, her family, her caregivers and our ethics committee," she added. "Morally, ethically and legally we simply cannot stand by and let someone die whose life we might be able to save."  [You save a life by killing another?  Hope St. Gianna talks to this family.]

Bishop Olmsted said it was his duty to strip St. Joseph's Hospital of its Catholic identity because its leadership, as well as that of its parent organization, San Francisco-based Catholic Healthcare West, is not committed to "following the teachings of the Catholic Church."

"I really want to have Catholic health care," he said. "We should be working together, not against each other."


To demonstrate that the hospital was no longer Catholic, Bishop Olmsted prohibited the celebration of Mass on the hospital's campus and had the Blessed Sacrament removed from the hospital's chapel.

***

I heard a hospital run by a Protestant church here in Manila is the haven for celebrities wanting to have an abortion. Hmmm...

Not the Roman Catholic Bishop's turf but expect the CBCP to speak against this once it gets out.

Thank God we still have someone like Bishop Olmsted doing what a bishop ought to do.

See...The most effective bishops are most of the time NOT on TV.

Can't help myself with that one.

Ha!

The Sign of the Cross

And you wonder why BIBLE Christians don't sign themselves with the sign of our own salvation.

RIP: Cardinal John Foley

I grew up listening to him at every Papal Mass.

I will miss his voice.

Pray for the eternal repose of the Cardinal.

More about this sad news, here.

Heard on TV: Installation of Abp. Tagle

"For the priests, please leave your chasubles and stoles."

They had to announce it on national TV and on Live streaming video.

Is this the only way to do this?

Manila, the new Vienna, Austria?

If you are abreast with the latest news in Church affairs, aka Vaticanista, you know what this means.

Don't believe everything you see on TV.

There are die hard fans.

As in, DIE HARD.

They do not know how to separate reality from fiction.

And that is what happens with MOST OF THOSE WE WATCH ON TV.

We might think he is a great guy, adhering to the BASICS of the organization he is attached to.

Unfortunately, after the cameras stop rolling, the wool is shed and out comes the black fur.

The difference between the DIE HARD FANS who got so entangled with their hero is that their experience is limited on their TV viewing.

While this guy whom one guy mentioned as a ranting traddie, was a student and co-worker of their TV hero.

Who then has more access to the CLOSET?

The moral of the story:  Not everything you see in TV is true, even if they use the BIBLE to expose the beauty of our religion.

Prayer Power

More details here.

JUST BE THERE!!!

I WILL BE.

An Epic Fail of a Movie

TEAM HAKOT

TEAM LIARS

TEAM P350

TEAM DEATH

***

Thanks to a TPC reader for sending this in.  Keep it coming.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Tota pulchra es, Maria,

et macula originalis non est in te.

Vestimentum tuum candidum quasi nix, et facies tua sicut sol.

Tota pulchra es, Maria,

et macula originalis non est in te.

Tu gloria Jerusalem, tu laetitia Israel, tu honorificentia populi nostri.

Tota pulchra es, Maria.

You are all beautiful, Mary,

and the original stain [of sin] is not in you.

Your clothing is white as snow, and your face is like the sun.

You are all beautiful, Mary,

and the original stain [of sin] is not in you.

You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you give honour to our people.

You are all beautiful, Mary.

***

Today is a Holy Day of Obligation folks.

Please pray for me during the Mass as I will pray for you too.

Guess who this guy is?

The answers from me tomorrow.

You can send in your guess either here in the comment box or over at the TPC Faceboook Page.

Who was St. Nicholas? The true story of Santa Claus

TLM Mass Schedules for December

Click the image for a larger view.

Regular Daily EF Mass at 8AM and Regular Sunday EF Mass every 2PM is at the Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City.

Cardinal gives reasons for choice of new archbishops

I wanted to knock my head on a wall for this one...

From Chiesa.

***

ROME, December 1, 2011 – Rounding the turn of his first year as prefect of the congregation for bishops, Cardinal Marc Ouellet (in the photo) has surveyed the course in an interview with Gianni Cardinale for "Avvenire," the newspaper owned by the Italian episcopal conference.

In the interview, he revealed among other things that it often happens, "more than I could have expected," that the candidate chosen to be made a bishop does not accept the appointment.

He indicated the reasons for such refusals in the growing difficulty of fulfilling the role, in a society in which the bishops are under public attack, "in part as a result of the scandals and charges concerning sexual abuse."

As for career ambitions – the cardinal cautioned – if a priest or a bishop aspires and maneuvers to be promoted to a prominent diocese, "it is better for him to stay where he is."  [Well, one appointee has this trait, yet he still got appointed!]

And he concluded the interview by sketching the profile of the bishop the Church needs most today. A bishop who is at the same time a theologian and an apologist, a public defender of the faith:  [TAKE NOTE OF THIS ONE FOLKS!!!  Because it will not fit one of the appointees as far as I know.]

"Today, especially in the context of our secularized societies, we need bishops who are the first evangelizers, and not mere administrators of dioceses. [One is an evangelizer indeed, but only on TV.  He loves the limelight.  But NEVER an administrator.  He is a disaster.] Who are capable of proclaiming the Gospel. Who are not only theologically faithful to the magisterium [The same guy is NOT faithful.] and the pope, but are also capable of expounding and, if need be, of defending the faith publicly."  [The "appointee" attacks it by making it look like a theological discourse therefore "protected" by the so-called "academic freedom".]

[Chiesa lists the names of key appointments...but I'll get to the meaty part.]

........

The sixth appointment, on October 13: that of Luis Antonio Tagle as archbishop of Manila.

Tagle received his doctorate in theology in the United States, at the Catholic University of America, with a thesis on episcopal collegiality, [Vatican II aggiornamento HOOHA!] under the guidance of Professor Joseph Komonchak. With him, he collaborated on the drafting of the history of Vatican Council II most widely read in the world, promoted by the "school of Bologna" founded by Fr. Giuseppe Dossetti: a history with a particular slant, which sees Vatican II as a rupture and new beginning with respect to the previous experience of the Church.  [This book sums up the whole theological leaning of Tagle.  Believe me, it is.]

In this history, Tagle wrote among other things the chapter dedicated to the "black week" of November 1964: "black" for the progressives, hostile above all to the "Nota explicativa prævia" that Paul VI added at that point to the beginning of the dogmatic constitution "Lumen Gentium," in order to clear up its ambiguities.

When the volume with this chapter of his saw the light of day, in 1999, Tagle had been for two years a member of the international theological commission that flanked the Vatican congregation for the doctrine of the faith, at the time headed by Ratzinger.

In 2001, Tagle became bishop of Imus, where he distinguished himself by his nearness to the poor and his simple and charitable way of life. [Just that.  Nothing about his REAL job description as bishop of the diocese.]

At the episcopal conference of the Philippines, he is president of the commission for the doctrine of the faith.

As www.chiesa revealed in an article last November 14, in the biography of Tagle delivered [meaning Tagle personally wrote this and sent this to the Vatican.] to the cardinals and bishops of the Vatican congregation responsible for evaluating the candidates for archbishop of Manila, his collaboration with the "school of Bologna" was completely omitted. [Conveniently omitted.] To the disappointment of some who learned of it only after the appointment was made.

Manila is a cardinal see. And there are some who have even added Tagle to the list of the "papabili." [God help us...]


***

But....No.

I'd rather take aspirin.

If what Cardinal Oullet says is true, then why....

Never mind the aspirin.

P350 for RH

This is the smoking gun!

Thanks to a fellow Knight for sharing these!

Love it!

How to earn a quick P350.00 without even trying

How?

Go to a pro-RH rally!

Occupy Congress!

Heckle the hell out of the congressmen who are in session!

It's easy!

Click here and here to know how.

Serves her right!

Go find yourself your own space for your pathetic business you blob!

I say, sweep the country with this motto!

BAN CARLOS CELDRAN.

The Philippines does not need a fat obnoxious homosexual, playing hetero, who is rabidly anti-Catholic.

If you are really man enough, DO IT TO THE MUSLIMS, HUMPTY DUMPTY!

Obama Government calls Christians, Pro-Lifers, War Veterans...TERRORISTS

Let the video speak for itself.

The pro-RH people are saying the same thing against Pro-Lifers and the Catholic Church.

Official TPC page on Facebook

Even if you don't have a Facebook Account, you can access this page I created.

Click here to visit the page.

Are they really fighting for a cause...

OR FOR A COST?

The RH people I mean.

Suprisingly published by Hell's Bible, Pinoy version.


***

Are opponents of the reproductive health (RH) bill intentionally delaying the passage of the measure or are its proponents simply in a hurry?

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Thursday doubted Senate Bill No. 2865 would be passed by the chamber before Congress goes on its Christmas break in two weeks.

But he made it clear that he and the other senators who had expressed reservations about the bill were not trying to delay its passage.

“I don’t think it will pass this year,” he said at the weekly Senate media forum. “There are (still) many issues to be clarified. We are not delaying it.”

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III earlier cried foul over the allegation of Senators Pia Cayetano and Miriam Defensor-Santiago, cosponsors of SB 2865, that some senators were trying to torpedo the bill.

On Monday, Cayetano took the floor and manifested her desire to move for the termination of the period of interpellation. “There do not seem to be any other senators who have indicated their desire to interpellate,” she had said.

“I take exception to the fact that they mentioned the word ‘delay,’” Sotto said. “The last thing I would want to do is not discuss the RH bill. I want to discuss it because I want an intelligent vote from the members of the Senate. I want them to find out more about the bill, like what is happening in the House (of Representatives).” [You know, salesmen need to catch up with their sales target before the year ends.  And if they fail to do so, they do not get their COMMISSION.]

Still in line to interpellate Cayetano and Santiago are Sotto, Enrile, Ralph Recto, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Lito Lapid. Lacson is the principal author of another version of the RH bill.  [Pia Cayetano said there are no more senators willing to interpellate.  So, this means she was lying.  Well, not surprising for a rabid anti-Catholic feminist.]

“We are not delaying. We still have plenty of questions… I have just started discussing the economic impact of this bill because I am concentrating on the population aspect. I have not yet dealt with the religious aspect. There is (also) a security aspect in this bill,” Enrile said.  [Pia Cayetano and Miriam Santiago do not have anything to say to defend the bill except "my body, my rights".  That's it.  And they call that argument intelligent.]

“I would support this bill if it is only to provide health measures to womanhood. But this has an impact on our country and its future, not only in terms of health but (also) in terms of economic growth, its security and viability as a country.”  [Sex perverts like Humpty Dumpty and those paid hags like Angsioco, Melgar and Claudio would never think about any other thing about the purpose of the RH Bill other than sex anytime anywhere as long as you are "protected"...protected from responsibility and from disease.  It is NEVER about REPRODUCTION and HEALTH.]

Early this year, the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) received P4.4 million from the United Nations Population Fund to push for the passage of the RH bill before the end of 2011. Dr. Junice Melgar, RHAN secretary general, admitted that her group solicited the amount because it “has no ongoing funding.”  [SEE! THE CAT IS FINALLY OUT OF THE BAG!!! IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!  SEE!  THEY ARE PAID HAGS!]

Based on RHAN’s budget proposal, the amount was to be spent on activities such as “education and mobilization” program. One item worth P2,837,500 was to go to organize “two nationally coordinated (and) high-profile mobs.”  [High profile mobs, like the hags who kept shouting at Congress while it was on session?]

The group scheduled the “peak” of its pro-RH rally for September and set aside P1,750,000 to organize a rally of “at least 5,000 people.” Each participant was supposed to receive P350.  [See that?  Rights advocates my @$$!!!]


***

Carlos Celdran admitted over his twitter account that he received P100,000 from Durex Condoms as "DONATION"

Donation, my shomation!

It's all about the money and never about the poor women and the mythical 11 daily maternal deaths.

This photo sums it all.

No choice...

Push came to shove...

Someone was trying to hack my email account to create a fake Facebook account.

So I had no choice but to jump right in.

Yup, that is my Facebook Account.

I used the name of my patron saints....yup saints...Pedro Calungsod and Lorenzo Ruiz as my profile name for FB since FB's system don't want The Pinoy Catholic as a profile name.

And secondly, Pedro is the Spanish/Tagalog name of St. Peter, the first pope, whom this blogger expresses filial devotion, especially to St. Peter's successors, who shepherd the Church along with the bishops who are in communion with him.

Basically, how will my Facebook account work.

All my blog posts will be posted on my FB Wall.

Second, all private messages, chats and conversations will now be on FB.  But if you still prefer my email, I have no problem with that.

So, go ahead and start adding me up.

Why I am not on Facebook

Lotsa a people love TPC and they even took the time to register a fake account using the TPC email!

Ugh!

Makes me wanna do something....

A crazy woman, Miriam, teaches us human sexuality

(I love this image so even though it is not related to the post, I pasted it here.)

From Hell's Bible.

A reaction of a concerned citizen about Miriam Santiago's speech about people who don't have sex "need to see a doctor."

Yup, take it from the woman we all love to call "Brenda"

***

On TV news last Nov. 25, our very assertive senator dished out sex like she were giving out lollipops to little kids. In that one minute or so coverage, her message must have sunk deep into the nation’s viewing audience.  [Oh yeah, I did.  The side that is about Miriam giving her all out and telling the country she will have a career after her stint in politics: Stand Up Comedy, which obviously she will STINK BIG TIME!  Stand up comedians don't read from a piece of paper.  And, uhm, as a sex therapist?  Ugh!  One reasons why there is such a thing as chastity and celibacy.  Miriam would scare the hell out of you when she talks sex!]

What was very alarming was her sweeping statement that if you do not like sex, you’ve got to see a doctor because you are abnormal. [Because Miriam talks and behaves NORMALLY....No that is a joke.]  What for? Because of a brain damage or something? [For Miriam?!  Ha!  That is funny!] Isn’t she aware that there are many people who opt out of sex for higher dimensions of spirituality? Surely priests and nuns, bishops and cardinals and, above all, the pope are not abnormal people, considering the responsibilities they are holding.  [Well, if you are someone like Miriam Santiago who learned all about this in Maryhill School of Theology where they teach students that "sex was given a dirty concept by the Church and women are oppressed and...."  You get the drift.  The MJ superior said this.]

By endorsing a piece of legislation like the RH bill, this senator was expected by the people to do a candid but dignified handling of the topic because controversy over this issue has been raging for months. But no, she seemed to be taking it lightly, somewhat jokingly without regard to the repercussions of her pronouncements. [What do you expect with a loon like Miriam?] And to think that it was a lady-senator who could have been our president telling university students to buy condoms if they could no longer suppress their sexual urges. [Maybe she'd be the same woman to tell you and me that if you can't take your enemies anymore to just shoot them in the face!  Well, you have to think crazy things if you think of Miriam!]  It sounds like she was encouraging the indiscriminate use of condoms. No, madam senator, not that easy, not that fast. You have to be married first and, in a Christian society, we follow rules. [Not for brats and b*Tches in the Freethinking Filipinos, which I love to call Freefarters because that is what they do, release gas!  And the group of Angsioco and Claudio an Melgar.  No rules, just sex.  But wait!.....Isn't THAT A RULE?  As I said before, there is no such thing as Anarchy because anarchists have their own rules.]  Rules that preserve life, and rules that do not kill.

You have overlooked the fact that Filipinos have dignity and moral values. They don’t copulate like dogs by the roadside to satisfy a sexual urge. [Well, that makes Celdran a...NOOOO!!!!   I love my pet dogs!  Bad bad TPC!  Do not ever compare Celdran to dogs!  They are more civilized than him.  HA!]  You underestimate the sensitivity of Filipino society. Please do not bark this way or the big bone will fall from your mouth.  [Miriam is already foaming in the mouth.  Not from anger, but from lapsed medication.  Ha!]

—ESPERANZA M. SAGRA,
retired principal,
Surallah, South Cotabato;

***

Looking at how Miriam behaves, this is one of the occasions I could go and give ex Pres. Fidel Ramos a big hug...for not letting her win in the 1992 Presidential Elections.

I know it's wrong, but hey, at least we did not end up in the asylum with her!

And as a hindsight, I still am banging my head why Cardinal Rosales did not give her a dressing down when she celebrated her wedding anniversary in the Manila Cathedral.

But it's just me.

I would still want to see her gagged and in  straight jacket.