The absurdity of Womyn priests!

From Reuters

***


LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Reuters) - In an emotional ceremony filled with tears and applause, a 70-year-old Kentucky woman was ordained a priest on Saturday as part of a dissident group operating outside of official Roman Catholic Church authority. [Boohoo!!! Hoooha!!!  Sniff sniff]

Rosemarie Smead is one of about 150 women around the world who have decided not to wait for the Roman Catholic Church to lift its ban on women priests, but to be ordained and start their own congregations. [Well, waiting was not even offered.  You can wait till General Judgment Day and you still would not have it, sister.  The Virgin Mary cannot have it too.]

In an interview before the ceremony, Smead said she is not worried about being excommunicated from the Church - the fate of other women ordained outside of Vatican law.  [Well, she already got it.  It is an automatic excommunication laetae sententiae.  No formal declaration needed.  As well as for the other Catholics who willingly joined in the "one-act-play".]

"It has no sting for me," said Smead, a petite, gray-haired former Carmelite nun with a ready hug for strangers. [Ooooooo....politician running for public office?] "It is a Medieval bullying stick the bishops used to keep control over people and to keep the voices of women silent. [Ehhhh....St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila were not of the medieval bullying stick nor were they silent.  I think you turned back the clock to Islamic Europe, sister.]  I am way beyond letting octogenarian men tell us how to live our lives."  [The 70 year old tells 80 year old men to stop telling her how to live her life.   Sweet.]

The ordination of women as priests, along with the issues of married priests and birth control, represents one of the big divides between U.S. Catholics [dissidents only!  duh!] and the Vatican hierarchy. Seventy percent of U.S. Catholics believe that women should be allowed to be priests, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll earlier this year.  [Back in 33 AD.  more than 70% surveyed also said the carpenter who can rebuild the Temple after it was turn down and who famously said "Before Abraham was I am" must die by crucifixion because of his "blasphemies".  Yup, surveys are another way of calling "voice of the mob".]

The former pope, Benedict XVI, reaffirmed the Catholic Church's ban on women priests and warned that he would not tolerate disobedience by clerics on fundamental teachings. Male priests have been stripped of their holy orders for participating in ordination ceremonies for women.  [Now that is being pope!]

In a statement last week, Louisville Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz called the planned ceremony by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests a "simulated ordination" in opposition to Catholic teaching.  [Wish Ko Lang episode?  Ha!]

"The simulation of a sacrament carries very serious penal sanctions in Church law, and Catholics should not support or participate in Saturday's event," Kurtz said.  [Boom!]

The Catholic Church teaches that it has no authority to allow women to be priests because Jesus Christ chose only men as his apostles. [Well, they can't argue against it eh?] Proponents of a female priesthood said Jesus was acting only according to the customs of his time.  [Argh!  Sumagot pa!   Ehhhh....Jesus did not conform to the custom of not working on a Sabbath....He did not conform to the custom of not eating and socializing with non-Jews or publicans or sinners....What version of the Bible did these looneys are reading?  Dan Browns?  Ha!]

They also note that he chose women, like Mary Magdalene, as disciples, [can you find Biblical proof the women served like bishops like the Apostles?  Nah... Unless you are using Dan Brown's Bible!  Ha!]  and that the early Church had women priests, deacons and bishops.  [Soooooo early it went back to the time of Genesis!  There is no proof whatsoever!]

The ceremony, held at St. Andrew United Church of Christ [Sooooooooooo Catholic.] in Louisville, was attended by about 200 men and women. [isn't that a bit sexist?  Separating men from women?  Why not just say "200 people" eh?] Many identified themselves to a Reuters reporter as Catholics, but some declined to give their names or their churches.  [Martians anyone?]

'NEW ERA OF INCLUSIVITY'
The modern woman priest movement started in Austria in 2002, when seven women were ordained by the Danube River by an independent Catholic bishop. Other women were later ordained as bishops, who went on to ordain more women priests and deacons.  [Keep on dreaming sisters!]

"As a woman priest, Rosemarie is leading, not leaving the Catholic Church, into a new era of inclusivity," said Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan during her sermon Saturday. [She already left the building, honey....along with Elvis.   Ha!]  "As the Irish writer James Joyce reminded us, the word 'Catholic' means 'Here comes everybody!'"  [Including the nut jobs and Satan?]

Smead had to leave the rigorous Carmelite life due to health reasons, and earned a bachelor's degree in theology and a doctorate in counseling psychology. [Maybe rigorous for her angry radical feminist mentality that the silent life of the cloister cannot contain her raging testosterones!  Nahhh... Just a thought.  Or maybe she did some self-help with her counselling....Nah....  Too boring.  She needs to be a priestess!  Wooot!!!]  She taught at Indiana University for 26 years, and works as a couples and family therapist.  [therapy?  with her?   I think I'd rather have a dog.]

During the ordination ceremony, Smead wept openly as nearly everyone [EVEYRONE can ordain!!!]  in the audience [see?  it's not a congregation!  It's a TV show!!!] came up and laid their hands on her head in blessing. Some whispered, "Thanks for doing this for us."  [If I were there, I'd tell her "Wow!  Great for Hollywood sister!]

During the communion service, Smead and other woman priests lifted the plates and cups containing the sacramental bread and wine to bless them.  [Uhhhh....I don't have a GULP thing for this.  I've been gulping since the start of this article.]

A woman in the audience murmured, "Girl, lift those plates. I've been waiting a long time for this." [YEAH!!! You go girl!! YEAH!!!]  One of those attending the service was Stewart Pawley, 32, of Louisville, who said he was raised Catholic and now only attends on Christmas and Easter. But he said he would attend services with Smead when she starts to offer them in Louisville.

"People like me know it's something the Catholic Church will have to do," said Pawley.  [Keep on dreaming dude.]


***

The problem with these whiners is they think it is just a matter of policy, that everything and everyone should be equal.

HELLO!!!

Wake up sister!

Smell the roses and try looking at the universe!

Not even identical twins are equal.

Male and female are not equal!

God Himself chose to be called "Father".  The second person of the Blessed Trinity took on the form of a male.

Christ chose only males as his apostles.  He did not choose women.

Deal with it.

Stop being such a cry baby and deal with it.

There are other ways that you can serve the Church other being a priest.

Some of the greatest saints in the world were either mothers or nuns!

It does not make you less of a person if you did not become a priest.

Now read this, pleeeeaaasssseee!!!

Uhhh.....not a woman priest....just a fake priest.....


Woman priest????  Hmmm.....Puwe.........................................

The hypocrisy of Akbayan and of the Aquino Family!

Read all about the how scheming and evil this socialist "partylist" group is by clicking here and here.

Partylist?  Wasn't that provision made available in the Constitution for the "marginalized" sector?

It seems the Akbayan group is the front of oligarchs and scheming businessmen to continue running the country as if it were own playground!

Told you the Aquino family and their cohorts are never to be trusted!

And they say Masonry is not a religion....

yeah......right!

But what do we have here?

A Masonic wedding in a Masonic Temple?!?!?

Never knew Masonic Grand Masters have civil licenses to solemnize weddings, eh?

This happened in Puerto Rico.

The old guy is giving a blessing?!?

Masonic toast from a single glass of wine and the glass is broken.

What the hell?  Catholic and Jewish wedding rites merged?

Signing of the Masonic wedding certificate.  They have their own city hall

Below is the message of the groom when he shared via email his wedding photos.

***

Greetings Brethren!

My name is Jesus E. Delgado, [Ugh!  used the Holy Name for himself and is a Mason.  Ugh!]  I'm a Past Master of the Respetable Logia Antorcha de Oriente # 65 under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of F. & A. Masons of Puerto Rico.  I'm also a member of the AASR, the KT and the Shrine.

On January 20, 2007 I was married in a Masonic Ceremony that took place at the Main Temple of the Grand Lodge of Puerto Rico in Santrurce.  My new wife Grace and I (Nesty) wanted to share some of the pictures of our wedding pictures with the visitors to your museum. 

Thanks for your wonderful work your website does in favor of Freemasonry!

Be blessed by the Grand Architect of the Universe!  [The god of the Masons.  Whoever that architect is in your mind, feel free to call on him.  But we Christians have a name for him, JESUS!]

Together in Faith!  Best Wishes!

W.:B.: Jesus E. Delgado, 32º, KT

***

And this is part of the wedding ritual:

On the night your husband was made a Freemason it was strongly impressed upon him that it is he, and he alone, who must shape his life. Today 1 want to repeat these words "It depends on you" to you both. 'No one in the world can do something that would guarantee the success of your marriage. That you must do yourself. Every person is like a world, and much wisdom and much love is necessary to ensure two persons - two worlds - can live together in harmony. 1 wish you both Health, Blessings and Prosperity* on your path to life's happiness.

See that?  The Mason alone shapes his life and the bride and groom alone can make their wedding a success.

Hmm...

Why would I join Masonry when Christianity offers Christ to us to help us shape our lives, with our cooperation, of course, and for the Christian Family to prosper under the mantle of Christ's protection with the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph as our patrons.

And they say that Masonry is not a religion?

Another reason why CATHOLIC MEN MUST NOT JOIN FREEMASONRY.

Still wondering what will happen to the Archbishop of Marseilles who admitted to being a Mason.

For more photos and the entire Masonic wedding ritual, click here.

Risa Hontiveros is demon possessed!

Do not vote Risa Hontiveros!!!

Keep on passing and sharing this!

Thanks to a brother Knight who shared this.

Honestly, the silence of the Knights is bothering me.

Another reason why most Jesuits squirm at the election of Bergoglio as Pope

And aside from the mostly liberal and modernistic Jesuits, include here those who graduated from the following theological schools in the Philippines!

St. Vincent School of Theology

Maryhill School of Theology

Institute of Formation and Religious Studies

East Asian Pastoral Institute

Euntes Mission Center, Zamboanga City

They are surely groaning that this pope is not into the "Spirit of Vatican II" of openness and acceptance.

And like Teilhard de Chardin and some of his brother Jesuits, like those who love that God-awful song "Christify"........Christ is present in everything and He expresses Himself in different cultures and religions....He may be Buddha for the Buddhist.........stuff like that.

Nail on the coffin for those who teach error like that!

***

Here is the full text of his homily:

I thank His Eminence, the Cardinal Dean, for his words: thank you very much, Your Eminence, thank you.

I also thank all of you who wanted to come today: Thank you. Because I feel welcomed by you. Thank you. I feel good with you, and I like that.

The [first] reading today makes me think that the missionary expansion of the Church began precisely at a time of persecution, and these Christians went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, and proclaimed the Word. They had this apostolic fervor within them, and that is how the faith spread! [Dear TPC readers, do you see that same religious fervor when you hear the likes of Bernas and Tabora publicly questioning the Church???  Duh.]  Some, people of Cyprus and Cyrene - not these, but others who had become Christians - went to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks too. It was a further step. And this is how the Church moved forward. Whose was this initiative to speak to the Greeks? This was not clear to anyone but the Jews. But ... it was the Holy Spirit, the One who prompted them ever forward ... But some in Jerusalem, when they heard this, became 'nervous and sent Barnabas on an "apostolic visitation": perhaps, with a little sense of humor we could say that this was the theological beginning of the Doctrine of the Faith: this apostolic visit by Barnabas. He saw, and he saw that things were going well.  [Only those who have something to hide are afraid of an Apostolic Visitation.  When can we have one for seminaries and the nuns here in the Philippines, eh?]

And so the Church was a Mother, the Mother of more children, of many children. It became more and more of a Mother. A Mother who gives us the faith, a Mother who gives us an identity. But the Christian identity is not an identity card: Christian identity is belonging to the Church, because all of these belonged to the Church, the Mother Church. Because it is not possible to find Jesus outside the Church. [BOOM!  Take that ECUMANIACS!!!]  The great Paul VI said: "Wanting to live with Jesus without the Church, following Jesus outside of the Church, loving Jesus without the Church is an absurd dichotomy." And the Mother Church that gives us Jesus gives us our identity that is not only a seal, it is a belonging. Identity means belonging. This belonging to the Church is beautiful.  [Now, you see why most of his Jesuit brothers hate him?  hahaha]

And the third idea comes to my mind - the first was the explosion of missionary activity; the second, the Mother Church - and the third, that when Barnabas saw that crowd - the text says: " And a large number of people was added to the Lord" - when he saw those crowds, he experienced joy. " When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced ": his is the joy of the evangelizer. It was, as Paul VI said, "the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing." And this joy begins with a persecution, with great sadness, and ends with joy. And so the Church goes forward, as one Saint says - I do not remember which one, here [The pope is speaking right off the cuff] - "amid the persecutions of the world and the consolations of the Lord." And thus is the life of the Church. If we want to travel a little along the road of worldliness, negotiating with the world - as did the Maccabees, who were tempted, at that time - we will never have the consolation of the Lord. And if we seek only consolation, it will be a superficial consolation, not that of the Lord: a human consolation. The Church's journey always takes place between the Cross and the Resurrection, amid the persecutions and the consolations of the Lord. And this is the path: those who go down this road are not mistaken.

Let us think today about the missionary activity of the Church: these [people] came out of themselves to go forth. Even those who had the courage to proclaim Jesus to the Greeks, an almost scandalous thing at that time. [Ecumaniacs surely are scandalized if you start preaching Jesus to the Muslims and pagans.  Yup.  Ask most missionaries in the South, and up North and the members of the MSP.  They bring Christ's love to the world.  But ask them if they try to convert the people.  You'd be surprised to learn that these missionaries do not want to convert them.]  Think of this Mother Church that grows, grows with new children to whom She gives the identity of the faith, because you cannot believe in Jesus without the Church. Jesus Himself says in the Gospel: " But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep." If we are not "sheep of Jesus," faith does not some to us. It is a rosewater faith, a faith without substance. And let us think of the consolation that Barnabas felt, which is "the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing." And let us ask the Lord for this "parresia", this apostolic fervor that impels us to move forward, as brothers, all of us forward! Forward, bringing the name of Jesus in the bosom of Holy Mother Church, and, as St. Ignatius said, "hierarchical and Catholic." So be it.


****


Owwwww....

"Hierarchal and Catholic".  Bummer for collegial monsters out there.

Such a bummer.

Well, anywho...

That is how the Church was since her foundation.

Blame Christ for it.  He made a patriarchal, hierarchical Church, contrary to the beliefs of the "Bad of Spirit of Vatican II" trumpeters.

Christ chose Peter to govern over the Church.  And Peter's successor continues to do so.

If you want collegiality, join the Anglican Communion.  They are happily united to be disunited.

Is the new president of the French Bishop's Conference a Freemason!

Here is a Google Translate of the news in French:

***


The Archbishop of Marseille was elected after three ballots, after which he received a majority of two thirds of the French bishops. He will succeed Cardinal Vingt-Trois, who reaches the end of his two non-renewable mandates, June 30.

Member of the Priestly Fraternity Jesus Caritas, which is connected with the spirituality of Charles Foucaud, Bishop [George] Pontier, also has broken links with the political world. Aged 70 years (born May 1, 1943), thin and discreet, Archbishop Pontier, from the Tarn, was ordained a priest in 1966 in Albi, then Bishop of Digne in 1988, then to La Rochelle and Saintes and finally Marseille, he is archbishop since 2006.

In 2009, he praised Islam during Ramadan:

"Who has not communed with the periphery of the Muslim community without knowing. Community is made visible at Ramadan the habits acquired in our country. Christians have at heart to discover the values ​​by this pillar of Islam and express their friendly closeness to the Muslims who live among us. "

He also chaired the Episcopal Committee France-Latin America (CEFAL),whose orientation is clearly in favor of liberation theology.

On the Taubira law, he stated his opposition and invited the Christians of his diocese to "train, discuss, argue ...", write to elected officials. He chaired the committee "Studies and Projects" of the episcopate, to examine the issues.

In his Who's Who of the bishops, Golias gave the maximum score (5 bolsters) to Bishop Pontier and explained that “he would one day become president, although he is too far to the left for the taste of many of his colleagues". And besides Golias, the Grand Orient of France welcomed his election for his (“rather fraternal, generous, and open views …")

Pontier Bishop is a member of the Grand Orient of France. [Emphasis ours.] He would even attend further meetings regularly. Questioned by the faithful on the subject during a pastoral visit, Archbishop Pontier has never denied that membership is still contrary to the law of the Church.

He will be assisted by two Vice-Presidents, Vice-Presidents:

-Bishop Pascal Delannoy, Bishop of Saint-Denis and until now President of the Episcopal Council and Finance Committee on Economic, Social and Legal Affairs of the CEF.

-Archbishop Pierre-Marie Carré, Archbishop of Montpellier and until now President of the doctrinal commission of the CEF.

***

He openly professes his membership to Freemasonry and yet the Church is not doing anything against it.

And then suddenly "Catholic" France legalizes same sex marriage.

The laity have come out in full force against the measure, yet the president of the episcopal conference had nothing against it.

And you are wondering if ever we are at a time that the Lady of Fatima was speaking about?

Call me a conspiracist.  I'd say, kick that bishop out!

Now, let us wait and see what the Holy See would do about this, huh?

Lord, what is happening to Your Church?  :'(

He is coming back!

Benedict XVI in the Vatican that is!

***


Benedict XVI returns to the Vatican. He left the Holy See on 28 February, the last day of his pontificate, which ended officially on the evening of that same day, following his resignation. Unless there is last minute change of plan, the Pope Emeritus is expected to return to the Vatican on 1 May. [Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.  His baptismal name is Joseph.  :)] The former cloistered monastery where the former Pope will be living, is now ready for him to move in. The monastery is a four story building, with communal areas and twelve monastic cells, a new wing measuring approximately 450 metres squared, a chapel, the cloistered nuns’ choir, a library, a gallery, an evergreen hedge, a heavy gate that separates the cloistered area from the other parts of the monastery and a large garden where peppers, tomatoes, courgettes, cabbages, lemons and oranges are grown.

Benedict XVI will be living with the four members of the “Memores Domini” association and his personal secretary, Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Papal Household. Others who are allowed to stay in the monastery are the Pope Emeritus’ brother and the German deacon who joined the small former “papal family” and assists Ratzinger when Fr. Georg is busy in the Apostolic Palace. The move will make Mgr. Gänswein’s life much easier as, up until now, he has had to go back and forth from Castel Gandolfo to the Vatican every day. It will also make it easier for Francis to visit his predecessor.

Ratzinger’s frailty was apparent during Pope Francis’ visit to the Pope Emeritus just a few days after his election. [He walked very slowly.  You can see the video here.]  But Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, who has confirmed the former Pope’s imminent return to the Vatican, had denied that Benedict XVI was suffering from any major illness.  [Uh.............]

***

These are for sure.

The former pope is weak.

The former pope needs our prayers.

The current pope need our prayers.

Deal?

Done.

Debunking the SWS Survey and Mr. Survey Joel Tabora, SJ

From the blog of Lingayen - Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, DD.

***


 CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES CATHOLIC DIRECTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES STATISTICS

It is interesting that Malacañang and its surrogates wanted to find out about the standing of the Catholic Church in the Philippines as far as its membership is concerned. More fascinating however is that a survey agency as in fact contracted, commissioned, and paid for the purpose. But what is truly intriguing -- funny, hilarious, ridiculous -- is the supposedly expert and the professional conclusion incredibly arrived at. This: One of every 11 Catholics wants to change their religion, to affiliate themselves with non-catholic sects or the like, for one reason of another.

Just for the record in black and white, the CBCP publishes the thick annual Catholic Directory of the Philippines forwarding in black and white the particulars of every Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction from all of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Just for the record, among but some — and they are so many informational data found therein — the following concrete entries are specifically found therein:


YEAR 2010-2011:

a. TOTAL NO. OF POPULATION:
    88,887,382

b. TOTAL NO. OF CATHOLICS:
    70,407,588

c. TOTAL NO. OF PRIESTS:
    8,605

Note: Total number of Baptism: 1,216,077


YEAR 2012-2013:

a. TOTAL NO. OF POPULATION:
    96,871,813

b. TOTAL NO. CATHOLICS:
    76,167,880

c. TOTAL NO. OF PRIESTS:
    9,040

Note: Total number of Baptism: 1,369,145

SUBMITTED BY: O.V. CRUZ, JCD
Judicial Vicar

***

The SWS does surveys.  They take sample sizes in key places in the country.

Several questions though:

1. Who ever thought that the SWS was doing this study all along?  SWS does not conduct a study without a client paying them to do.  It is hypocritical for them to say it is for free when in fact they have to pay their interviewers to do their jobs.  
2. Is the SWS also doing similar studies to other religions in the country, most especially those who have large memberships or whose churches are active in the political sphere like the INC?
3. Which do you think is more accurate?  A survey or an actual census that gives you not a partial look of the statistics but gives you the entire statistics.

Guess Mr. Survey Joel Tabora is one of those guys who'd rather look at the new survey results of SWS or Google his name for hits rather than grab a copy of the Catholic Directory of the Philippines, no?

By the way, that directory even lists the names of priests in every diocese and in every religious order or congregation.

Because the SWS does not know that.

Did you notice how many Catholics were added from 2010 to 2012?  6.5 million with baptisms that  totalled 2.5 million only.  Are the Catholics leaving the Church or other Filipinos of other denominations joining the Church?

What were you saying Fr. Tabora?  

Radical Feminism doesn't deserve understanding

Radical Feminists and the LGBT Movement preach Tolerance and Acceptance by being intolerant and disrespectful of other people's rights and beliefs.

Tolerance.

Sadly, this is the kind of "tolerance" modernist theological schools preach, like MST, SVST, Euntes.

When do we get an Apostolic Visitation, huh?

Roman Collars: A play thing for wannabes?

Teletubbie is back!  No not him, though they almost act the same.  Acting as if they are indeed clerics.

That one up there is a schismatic fake priest, Mark Robinson Bunag

HE was the one who proudly posed inside a confessional, wore a stole, and lifted his hand as if he were giving an absolution to someone from the other side of the confessional.

And now he is has a new photo of him wearing a black cassock and Roman collar while giving a talk...

Subject:  "Do I look like a cleric with this collar on?  Now, when can I enjoy my privileges?"

Kids.  Garments especially used for specific purposes are not an RTW type of cloth.  You have to work hard to earn the right to wear them.

You can't wear an academic garb in a graduation ceremony if you are not graduating or do not hold the specific degree the toga and hood stands for.

You cannot wear a military uniform if you are not part of the military.

You cannot wear a clerical garb if YOU ARE NOT A CLERIC!

You have to work hard, count even years before you can earn it!  It is not something you buy off the shelves of SM and just put it on.

YOU HAVE TO EARN IT, BROTHA!

Guess CosPlay is creeping into the Traditional circles isn't it?

We devote so much of our time criticizing the liturgical nonsense of the garbs of those who serve at Novus Ordo Masses and their liturgical abuses, those in the Traditional movement must also start policing their ranks!

Teletubbie has been walking around brandishing his collar as if he were either a seminarian or a cleric.  One asked him in the same Facebook post "pre .seminarista ka ba?".  And then there was dead silence!

Surprised?

Nah.

Pretenders keep pretending.

Stop this nonsense in the Traditional movement please?

It is not helping our cause one bit.

Stop giving the movement a bad reputation, ok?  The Traditional movement is not just about the vestments and the rituals.

THINK ABOUT THAT.

Now take that off Teletubbie!

Shameless.


PS:  Thanks to a TPC reader for sending me the screencap.  I'm pretty sure if I posted Teletubbie's photo again, he'll be screaming death threats at me at his Facebook wall.  Yup, thanks to his "friends" who are concerned with his lunacy, I get to see what he posts.

Now, I'm hungry....

Craving for SioPAO.

Ha!

Feminists groups are for the respect of other people's rights....

Yeah.........right.........

This is making it's round in Facebook.

Scantily clad activists of feminist group Femen invaded a conference at a university in Brussels. During the act, demonstrators threw water on the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Andre-Joseph Leonard. The priest did not react and avoided looking at the activists. The protest was against homophobia, according to international agencies. At the end of the demonstration, the archbishop kissed a picture of the Virgin Mary to leave the room. Born in Ukraine and with subsidiaries in several countries (including Brazil and nations with a Muslim majority), the Femen often campaigning for the rights of women and minorities. One of their banners is the defense of gay marriage.

***

More pictures here.

The actual dousing

The archbishop like a lamb to be slain, sits silently, looking like he was praying, while the attacks and insults continue.

As you can see from the pictures, the "women" doused the archbishop with water from a plastic bottle that looked like the image of Our Lady of Lourdes.  It must Lourdes water they used.  If it were, bit of class for a barbaric horde, don't you think?

Here the archbishop kissed the bottle before leaving the seminar.

The same archbishop had been humiliated many times in public by these "rights" group.  The archbishop was just telling like it is.

The attitudes of active homosexuals is a perversion.  Period. And for that the archbishop got pied.

These "women" are not 'scantily' clad.  They are naked at the top.

And why do these "women" and other angry feminists turn their attention only at the Catholic Church and not against this group which also opposes gay marriage and worst, does not give women even the basic of civic rights like voting...

Well, these angry women like Gabriela cannot find anything in the Koran that says anything like "love your enemies" or "turn the other cheek".  In the Bible, it does.

So, you get these group fighting for respect of rights insulting someone in public.

A Catholic archbishop to be exact.

Satan is busy at work.

Pray.

PS:  I use the quotation marks when I refer to these "women" as such because the word is not applicable to them.  The word woman was given such an honor by the Lord in the Gospels, I shirk when I imagine calling or using the word on these "women".  My wife, my mom, my relatives and friends who are WOMEN, are so honorable and dignified they don't deserve to be called the same things as these well, HARLOTS OF THE DEVIL.

Show them what you got Bacolod!!!

Pass it on!

Any TPC readers from Bacolod, I would gladly post your pictures and even your write-up of the event!

Repeat after me....A LECHE CA!

Curse these pro-RH people!  Don't vote for them in May 2013!

Pass the word and remember the words....A LECHE CA!

What Akbayan Partylist is REALLY all about

Abuse of EMHC

Not that kind of abuse...

Too much lay empowerment crap spoils everything.

The provision in using Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should be rare and out of necessity.

Unfortunately, these old guys, and angry women, if you are in the USA, think they are a necessity in order to have the Mass.

No EMHC, poor priest, so they think.

And most of these EMHCs are poorly catechized or do not have the physical strength to even pick up a Host when It drops to the floor!!!

How many times have you witnessed the Lord left on the floor like that?!

EMHCs.........

I can count with one hand EMHCs who know what they are for the Church.

Sadly, most Filipino EMHCs have this expression when you ask them about transubstantiation, GIRM and Redemptionis Sacramentum...

BREAKING NEWS: Blessed John Paul II closer to getting canonized!

From Andrea Tornielli

***

"A saint now!" The canonisation of Wojtyla is getting closer quickly and it could be celebrated next October. In fact, in the past few days, the medical council of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has recognized as inexplicable one healing attributed to the blessed John Paul II. [This is the crucial stage as the medical council is the one to advise the council of theologians and cardinals whether there is scientific explanation to a purported miracle.  Something which "healing priests" at "healing" Masses don't have.....Well...........Moving on!]  A supposed "miracle" that, if it is also approved by theologians and the cardinals (as it is very likely), will bring the Polish Pope, who died in 2005, the halo of sainthood in record time, just eight years after his death.

It all happened in great secrecy, with maximum confidentiality. In January, the postulator of the cause, Mgr. Slawomir Oder, submitted a presumed miraculous healing to the Vatican Congregation for the Saints for a preliminary opinion. As it is known, after the approval of a miracle for the proclamation of a blessed, the canonical procedures include the recognition of a second miracle that must have occurred after the beatification ceremony.

Two doctors of the Vatican council had previously examined this new case, and both gave a favourable opinion. The dossier with the medical records and the testimonies was then officially presented to the Congregation, which immediately included the examination in its agenda. In the past few days it was discussed by a committee of seven doctors, the council (presided over by Dr. Patrick Polisca, Pope John Paul II's cardiologist), Pope Benedict XVI's personal physicians and now Pope Francis's. The medical council also gave a favourable opinion, the first official go-ahead by the Vatican, by defining as inexplicable the healing attributed to the intercession of the blessed Karol Wojtyla.

This is the overcoming of the first fundamental hurdle, given that the alleged miracle must now be approved by theologians and then by the cardinals and bishops of the Congregation, before being subjected to the Pope for the definitive "yes". In any case, the approval of the council is considered the most important step; in fact, neither the theologians nor the cardinals are involved in the clinical evaluations concerning the case.  [What the cardinals and the theologians will do is a canonical procedure.  The opinion of the medical experts count.]

From the steps taken, the desire of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to work quickly is evident, as it had already happened for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, celebrated by his successor Benedict XVI the 1st of May, 2011. This fast lane that continues to be open for Wojtyla indicates that even Pope Francis is in favour of the canonisation of the Polish Pope.

It is still premature to talk about dates for the canonization, but the rapidity with which the examination of the miracle process is happening still leaves open the possibility of celebrating it on Sunday October 20th, very close to the liturgical holiday assigned to the blessed Wojtyla, which is on October 22nd.

***

Anti John Paul II peeps will not like this, like uhmmm.....the SSP.......X?

But they did acknowledge him as pope, right?

They did include him in the Canon of the Mass when he was pope, right?

But some in the SSPX think nobody was sitting on the Chair of Peter during his time as pope and EVEN way back....after the death of Pius XII.

Hmmmm....

May the lost sheep heed the call of the Good Shepherd who gave Peter the mission to "feed my sheep, feed my lamb."

Santo subito!

Up next.....I hope.

Pope: The priesthood of Jesus Christ is unique!

[The Holy Father starts by reminding the people of God about the state where these chosen men will enter into, unique different from those of the laity.]

Beloved brothers and sisters: because these our sons, who are your relatives and friends, are now to be advanced to the Order of priests, consider carefully the nature of the rank in the Church to which they are about to be raised.

It is true that God has made his entire holy people a royal priesthood in Christ. [by virtue of our baptism.]  Nevertheless, our great Priest himself, Jesus Christ, chose certain disciples to carry out publicly in his name, and on behalf of mankind, a priestly office in the Church. For Christ was sent by the Father and he in turn sent the Apostles into the world, so that through them and their successors, the Bishops, he might continue to exercise his office of Teacher, Priest, and Shepherd. Indeed, priests are established co-workers of the Order of Bishops, with whom they are joined in the priestly office and with whom they are called to the service of the people of God.

After mature deliberation and prayer, these, our brothers, are now to be ordained to the priesthood in the Order of the presbyterate so as to serve Christ the Teacher, Priest, and Shepherd, by whose ministry his body, that is, the Church, is built and grows into the people of God, a holy temple.

In being configured to Christ the eternal High Priest and joined to the priesthood of the Bishops, they will be consecrated as true priests of the New Testament, to preach the Gospel, to shepherd God’s people, and to celebrate the sacred Liturgy, especially the Lord’s sacrifice.

[And now the Holy Father reminds the deacons to be ordained of their unique calling.]

Now, my dear brothers and sons, you are to be raised to the Order of the Priesthood. For your part you will exercise the sacred duty of teaching in the name of Christ the Teacher. Impart to everyone the word of God which you have received with joy. Remember your mothers, your grandmothers, your catechists, who gave you the word of God, the faith ... the gift of faith! They transmitted to you this gift of faith. Meditating on the law of the Lord, see that you believe what you read, that you teach what you believe, and that you practise what you teach. Remember too that the word of God is not your property: it is the word of God. And the Church is the custodian of the word of God.  [Ergo, avoid any of your wild imaginations and novelties.]

In this way, let what you teach be nourishment for the people of God. Let the holiness of your lives be a delightful fragrance to Christ’s faithful, so that by word and example you may build up the house which is God’s Church.  [The pope continues to pound this message upon the priests and upon the faithful to become living examples of what we preach and profess.]

Likewise you will exercise in Christ the office of sanctifying. For by your ministry the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful will be made perfect, being united to the sacrifice of Christ, which will be offered through your hands in an unbloody way on the altar, in union with the faithful, in the celebration of the sacraments. [NOT A MEAL OF LOVE???  Darn it.  No wonder his fellow Jesuits don't like him.  Modernist liturgists would insist on calling the Mass "the Meal of Love", the "Agape of the Lord", the Fellowship....not of the Ring!  The Sacred Banquet.....anything but to call it a Sacrifice.] Understand, therefore, what you do and imitate what you celebrate. As celebrants of the mystery of the Lord’s death and resurrection, strive to put to death whatever in your members is sinful and to walk in newness of life.

You will gather others into the people of God through Baptism, and you will forgive sins in the name of Christ and the Church in the sacrament of Penance. Today I ask you in the name of Christ and the Church, never tire of being merciful. You will comfort the sick and the elderly with holy oil: do not hesitate to show tenderness towards the elderly. When you celebrate the sacred rites, when you offer prayers of praise and thanks to God throughout the hours of the day, [the Divine Office which lamentably, only a few priests pray religiously.] not only for the people of God but for the world—remember then that you are taken from among men and appointed on their behalf for those things that pertain to God. [Priests are called to do Holy Things for God and His People.  Sadly, though, some priests want to become recording artists, game show hosts, legal consultants....you can do all of those, heck you can even become president or emperor!  But a president and an emperor can never be a Priest of Jesus Christ.]  Therefore, carry out the ministry of Christ the Priest with constant joy and genuine love, attending not to your own concerns but to those of Jesus Christ. You are pastors, not functionaries. Be mediators, not intermediaries.  [Beautiful!!!]

Finally, dear sons, exercising for your part the office of Christ, Head and Shepherd, while united with the Bishop and subject to him, strive to bring the faithful together into one family, so that you may lead them to God the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit. Keep always before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to serve, and who came to seek out and save what was lost.

***


Text from page of the Vatican Radio website


***

Pope Francis gave a very short homily but a rich catechism on the role and nature of the priest.


The Pope is sending a clear message.  The priesthood of Jesus Christ is to perpetuate his salvific work on earth and He chose MEN, exclusively MEN for this task.  SO........No Tom, Dick and especially Jane can just go out there, even though he had earned the degree in Maryhell School of Theology or SVST (Super Vandalised School of Theretics) -theological heretics for a PhD in Cosmic Wahabism (Inculturation of all religions, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Wiccan, Teilhard de Chardin aka Pinakbet Spiritism) or Theological Feministic Rantology (aka Crying over bad experiences with dominant father figure in childhood), can just stretch out their hands and pray over anything or anyone and become PRIEST.

The role of the priest is so unique is is intimately tied to Christ's mission of saving the world.

That is why we Catholics believe that Christ saved us (when He died on the cross), is saving us (through his Church and the work of Her ministers) and will save us (at our particular and the Final Judgment).

His work continues, through the hands of the priest.

So, whatever you hear about the origins of the mano from anti-Catholic histo-revisionist Masons that it is from the kissing of the ring of the bishop's is not true.  Kissing of the hand of the priest takes its cue from the rubric in the Traditional Latin Mass where the server, deacon and sub-deacon kisses the hand of the priest/celebrant, as a form of homage to the hands that bless, heal, forgive and make present Christ in our altars.

That is the hand that we kiss.  The hand of Jesus Christ in the person of the priest in front of you!

That is why we call priests "alter Christus" another Christ who acts "in persona Christi" in the person of Jesus Christ.  If only our priests know how precious the gift they had received, they would know why the laity would love to see them always in their clericals, would love to see them celebrate the Mass as if it were their first Mass, as if it were their last Mass, as if it were their only Mass....and why the laity must see Christ in them, not Fr. Showman in Fr. Showman....

Yes, those hands are surely committing sin just like you and me, but it does not change the fact that those hands bless, heal, forgive and make present Christ in our altars.


This is the unique gift of the Catholic priesthood, a gift under attack by the Devil because priests continue Christ's work which the Devil definitely hates so much.

Like this one, the god of the Freefarters:

Thank you Filipino Freethinkers!!!

You just helped us campaign for these legislators!

The Filipino Freefarters, who all bask in the glory of the deity named "Brain", have just come up with a list of local executives who they will not vote are campaigning that the "Bulok na Ube" gang will not vote for in May.

This then is our cue!  We'll use their own list to campaign who are the PRO-LIFE CONGRESSMEN who we MUST VOTE in May.

Thank you FreeFarters!!!

Click this link to see the list.

Spread and share this post!

Why I warn you against committing liturgical abuse?

This Sunday, April 21st is a great Sunday!

Because of this:

And that day is.....




VATICAN CITY, DEC. 17, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is the translation of the Holy Father's Message on the occasion of the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations which will be held on April 21, 2013.

* * *


Pope's Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations

"Vocations to the Priesthood and the Consecrated Life are Born Out of the Experience of a Personal Encounter with Christ"


Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On the occasion of the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be held on 21 April 2013, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, I want to invite you to reflect on the theme: "Vocations as a sign of hope founded in faith", which happily occurs during the Year of Faith, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. While the Council was in session, the Servant of God, Paul VI, instituted this day of worldwide prayer to God the Father, asking him to continue to send workers for his Church (cf. Mt 9:38). "The problem of having a sufficient number of priests", as the Pope stated at the time, "has an immediate impact on all of the faithful: not simply because they depend on it for the religious future of Christian society, but also because this problem is the precise and inescapable indicator of the vitality of faith and love of individual parish and diocesan communities, and the evidence of the moral health of Christian families. Wherever numerous vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life are to be found, that is where people are living the Gospel with generosity" (Paul VI, Radio Message, 11 April 1964).

During the intervening decades, the various Christian communities all over the world have gathered each year on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, united in prayer, to ask from God the gift of holy vocations and to propose once again, for the reflection of all, the urgent need to respond to the divine call. Indeed, this significant annual event has fostered a strong commitment to placing the importance of vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life ever more at the centre of the spirituality, prayer and pastoral action of the faithful.

Hope is the expectation of something positive in the future, yet at the same time it must sustain our present existence, which is often marked by dissatisfaction and failures. On what is our hope founded? Looking at the history of the people of Israel, recounted in the Old Testament, we see one element that constantly emerges, especially in times of particular difficulty like the time of the Exile, an element found especially in the writings of the prophets, namely remembrance of God's promises to the Patriarchs: a remembrance that invites us to imitate the exemplary attitude of Abraham, who, as Saint Paul reminds us, "believed, hoping against hope, that he would become 'the father of many nations,' according to what was said, 'Thus shall your descendants be'" (Rom 4:18). One consoling and enlightening truth which emerges from the whole of salvation history, then, is God's faithfulness to the covenant that he entered into, renewing it whenever man infringed it through infidelity and sin, from the time of the flood (cf. Gen 8:21-22) to that of the Exodus and the journey through the desert (cf. Dt 9:7). That same faithfulness led him to seal the new and eternal covenant with man, through the blood of his Son, who died and rose again for our salvation.

At every moment, especially the most difficult ones, the Lord's faithfulness is always the authentic driving force of salvation history, which arouses the hearts of men and women and confirms them in the hope of one day reaching the "promised land". This is where we find the sure foundation of every hope: God never abandons us and he remains true to his word. For that reason, in every situation, whether positive or negative, we can nourish a firm hope and pray with the psalmist: "Only in God can my soul find rest; my hope comes from him" (Ps 62:6). To have hope, therefore, is the equivalent of trusting in God who is faithful, who keeps the promises of the covenant. Faith and hope, then, are closely related. "Hope" in fact is a key word in biblical faith, to the extent that in certain passages the words "faith" and "hope" seem to be interchangeable. In this way, the Letter to the Hebrews makes a direct connection between the "unwavering profession of hope" (10:23) and the "fullness of faith" (10:22). Similarly, when the First Letter of Saint Peter exhorts the Christians to be always ready to give an account of the "logos" - the meaning and rationale - of their hope (cf. 3:15), "hope" is the equivalent of "faith" (Spe Salvi, 2).

Dear Brothers and Sisters, what exactly is God's faithfulness, to which we adhere with unwavering hope? It is his love! He, the Father, pours his love into our innermost self through the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:5). And this love, fully manifested in Jesus Christ, engages with our existence and demands a response in terms of what each individual wants to do with his or her life, and what he or she is prepared to offer in order to live it to the full. The love of God sometimes follows paths one could never have imagined, but it always reaches those who are willing to be found. Hope is nourished, then, by this certainty: "We ourselves have known and believed in the love that God has for us" (1 Jn 4:16). This deep, demanding love, which penetrates well below the surface, gives us courage; it gives us hope in our life's journey and in our future; it makes us trust in ourselves, in history and in other people. I want to speak particularly to the young and I say to you once again: "What would your life be without this love? God takes care of men and women from creation to the end of time, when he will bring his plan of salvation to completion. In the Risen Lord we have the certainty of our hope!" (Address to Young People of the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro, 19 June 2011).

Just as he did during his earthly existence, so today the risen Jesus walks along the streets of our life and sees us immersed in our activities, with all our desires and our needs. In the midst of our everyday circumstances he continues to speak to us; he calls us to live our life with him, for only he is capable of satisfying our thirst for hope. He lives now among the community of disciples that is the Church, and still today calls people to follow him. The call can come at any moment. Today too, Jesus continues to say, "Come, follow me" (Mk 10:21). Accepting his invitation means no longer choosing our own path. Following him means immersing our own will in the will of Jesus, truly giving him priority, giving him pride of place in every area of our lives: in the family, at work, in our personal interests, in ourselves. It means handing over our very lives to Him, living in profound intimacy with Him, entering through Him into communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit, and consequently with our brothers and sisters. This communion of life with Jesus is the privileged "setting" in which we can experience hope and in which life will be full and free.

Vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life are born out of the experience of a personal encounter with Christ, out of sincere and confident dialogue with him, so as to enter into his will. It is necessary, therefore, to grow in the experience of faith, understood as a profound relationship with Jesus, as inner attentiveness to his voice which is heard deep within us. This process, which enables us to respond positively to God's call, is possible in Christian communities where the faith is lived intensely, where generous witness is given of adherence to the Gospel, where there is a strong sense of mission which leads people to make the total gift of self for the Kingdom of God, nourished by recourse to the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and by a fervent life of prayer. This latter "must on the one hand be something very personal, an encounter between my intimate self and God, the living God. On the other hand it must be constantly guided and enlightened by the great prayers of the Church and of the saints, by liturgical prayer, in which the Lord teaches us again and again how to pray properly." (Spe Salvi, 34).

Deep and constant prayer brings about growth in the faith of the Christian community, in the unceasingly renewed certainty that God never abandons his people and that he sustains them by raising up particular vocations - to the priesthood and the consecrated life - so that they can be signs of hope for the world. Indeed, priests and religious are called to give themselves unconditionally to the People of God, in a service of love for the Gospel and the Church, serving that firm hope which can only come from an openness to the divine. By means of the witness of their faith and apostolic zeal, therefore, they can transmit, especially to the younger generations, a strong desire to respond generously and promptly to Christ who calls them to follow him more closely. Whenever a disciple of Jesus accepts the divine call to dedicate himself to the priestly ministry or to the consecrated life, we witness one of the most mature fruits of the Christian community, which helps us to look with particular trust and hope to the future of the Church and to her commitment to evangelization. This constantly requires new workers to preach the Gospel, to celebrate the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So let there be committed priests, who know how to accompany young people as "companions on the journey", helping them, on life's often tortuous and difficult path, to recognize Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6), telling them, with Gospel courage, how beautiful it is to serve God, the Christian community, one's brothers and sisters. Let there be priests who manifest the fruitfulness of an enthusiastic commitment, which gives a sense of completeness to their lives, because it is founded on faith in him who loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19). Equally, I hope that young people, who are presented with so many superficial and ephemeral options, will be able to cultivate a desire for what is truly worthy, for lofty objectives, radical choices, service to others in imitation of Jesus. Dear young people, do not be afraid to follow him and to walk the demanding and courageous paths of charity and generous commitment! In that way you will be happy to serve, you will be witnesses of a joy that the world cannot give, you will be living flames of an infinite and eternal love, you will learn to "give an account of the hope that is within you" (1 Pt 3:15)!

Bad priests are bad signs........

'Return O ye revolting children ... and I will give you pastors according to My own heart'. (Jer. 3:14,15)

"The most evident mark of God's anger, and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world, is manifest when He permits His people to fall into the hands of a clergy who are more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds. They abandon the things of God to devote themselves to the things of the world and, in their saintly calling of holiness, they spend their time in profane and worldly pursuits. When God permits such things, it is a very positive proof that He is thoroughly angry with His people and is visiting His most dreadful wrath upon them."  

Saint John Eudes 

The first two are heretics.

The next two are heterodox, media attention hungry soon-to-be-retired no-good Jesuits.

The next ones are just plain narcissists.

Start naming them.

And pray that either they reform or God give them the biological.....

Thanks to a good priest for sharing the quote.

So blessed to have known you.

Keep up the fight, Father.  Keep running the race.

He kept going you know.

Why Opus Dei Archbishop Gomez of LA still allows this travesty???

First impression?

Hybrid Hillsong concert, Baptists Revival with the Episcopalian Liturgy... 

If you have the stomach to watch two hours of this, then go ahead.

Expect "vestal virgins" offering incense...

The weird looking processional cross...

And a singkil way of bringing in "solemnly" the Book of the Gospel...

Maybe they envied what the Vincentians did.

Altar girls...

And ohhhh so much more!!!!!!!!!!


I warned you.

If this is the way our religious educators are educated on how to worship God, then don't be surprised if our Catholic kids will be wondering why we lost our Catholic identity.

Doing nothing against liturgical abuse...

Hmmm...makes you wonder if they are actually addressing any accusation against any other forms of abuse???

And we had high hopes for Archbishop Gomez...

HAD.

To hell with a uniform! Let us just love one another

Well, he did not actually say that but that is what he is implying.

An online debate revealed a nasty philosophy of one supposed Catholic defender when he defended a priest wearing a stole over his secular clothes for Mass.

He said that what matters the most is what is in the heart...

WHA?!

Were we even talking about what is in the inside???

Should we even debate upon how important it is for a person, priest or not, to have a clean heart?

Duh!

We were talking about wearing the proper vestment for the right occasion....PROPERLY.

He defended this.

Or maybe he thinks the priest here is TOO KIND or his heart is overflowing with LOVE that he doesn't need to dress up well for the event, no?

Sorta.  Kinda.

And then he went to berate so called "legalistic" and "extreme" views of some Catholics who don't know how to LOVE.

Are we still in the age of Aquarius?  That dang zombie is still alive even after I fired numerous peas on that damn thing.

EXCUSES!

You got o a job interview and you are expected to dress up properly.  Will the Recruitment Officer tell you "Let me see what is in your brain and in your heart.  Doesn't matter you came here to work in an international development agency wearing your G-string proudly!"

You go to a graduation ceremony and you are expected to wear the approved graduation garb...

You go to a wedding and you are expected to dress up according to the DRESS CODE.

And this so-called Catholic Defender, believes that you don't have to dress up appropriately during the event that makes present the actual Sacrifice of Calvary.

Christ was a faithful Jew.  He did not attack the liturgical garbs of the High Priests of the Temple?  He attacked the Pharisees who wore the long non-liturgical garbs just to draw attention to their holiness while their attitudes speak volumes against it.

No.  Christ was calling to the INCONGRUENCE of the internal reality of the Pharisees heart and soul and their external reality as evidenced by their garbs and attitudes.

Christ was not against the garbs per se.  He was a faithful Jew and he wore what most Jews at that time wore.  He did not even question the liturgical laws that the High Priests of the Temple were following based on the laws of Moses written in Leviticus.

So for that Catholic Defender who thinks it is all about Love...no point debating about it.

Just makes me wonder if these priests you are actually defending really understand who and what they love.

Like a married man who walks around flirting with women while he conveniently tucks his wedding ring inside his pocket...


PS:  To those asking for a "grain of salt"...

The Defender's first name is the same for the name of a politician of a city in Metro Manila, a on and off actor, whose screen name tastes like beef with soy sauce and onion rings!  And his last name is the first name of a former sexy actress whose infamous film sounds like she wants to taste a pineapple!

Whew!

Pope Francis: Practice what you preach, priests and laity

***

Vatican City, 15 April 2013 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon, Pope Francis presided over Mass at Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls on his first visit to that basilica as Bishop of Rome. Concelebrating with the Holy Father were Cardinal James Michael Harvey, archpriest of the basilica, and Abbot Edmund Power, O.S.B., of the St. Paul Outside-the-Walls Abbey.

In his homily, the Holy Father recalled that the basilica is built above the tomb of St. Paul, “a great yet humble Apostle of the Lord, who proclaimed him by word, bore witness to him by martyrdom and worshiped him with all his heart.” He added that these were the three words—proclamation, witness, worship—that he wanted to reflect upon in light of the Word of God in the liturgy's readings.  [This is the typical approach to preaching a homily.  Keywords.  Makes me remember a priest-friend though he is not a Jesuit.  :)]

Commenting on the first reading, in which the Apostles are imprisoned for preaching of the Risen Christ, the Pope observed that Peter and the Twelve “proclaim courageously, fearlessly, what they have received: the Gospel of Jesus. And we? Are we capable of bringing the word of God into the environment in which we live? Do we know how to speak of Christ, of what He represents for us, in our families, among the people who form part of our daily lives? Faith is born from listening, and is strengthened by proclamation.” [it starts from education, catechesis, an example!  Even though we received our Faith when we were infants, we were nurtured to the Faith by our families.] 

“The proclamation made by Peter and the Apostles,” he emphasized, “does not merely consist of words: fidelity to Christ affects their whole lives, which are changed, given a new direction, and it is through their lives that they bear witness to the faith and to the proclamation of Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks Peter three times to feed his flock, to feed it with his love, and He prophesies to him: 'When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go'. These words are addressed first and foremost to those of us who are pastors: we cannot feed God’s flock unless we let ourselves be carried by God’s will even where we would rather not go, unless we are prepared to bear witness to Christ with the gift of ourselves, unreservedly, not in a calculating way, sometimes even at the cost of our lives.”  ["If we would not let go."  Speaks more about letting go and letting God.  I wonder if some priests actually have this in mind.  Too much narcissism these days.]

“But this also applies to everyone: we all have to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel. … In God’s great plan, every detail is important, even yours, even my humble little witness, even the hidden witness of those who live their faith with simplicity in everyday family relationships, work relationships, friendships. There are the saints of every day, the 'hidden' saints, a sort of 'middle class of holiness', as a French author said, that 'middle class of holiness' to which we can all belong.”

“But in different parts of the world, there are also those who suffer ... on account of the Gospel; there are those who give their lives in order to remain faithful to Christ ... Let us all remember this: one cannot proclaim the Gospel of Jesus without the tangible witness of one’s life. I am thinking now of some advice that Saint Francis of Assisi gave his brothers: 'Preach the Gospel and, if necessary, use words'. Preaching with your life, with your witness. Inconsistency on the part of pastors and the faithful between what they say and what they do, between word and manner of life, is undermining the Church’s credibility.”  [Wonderful! I thank the Holy Father for bringing this into attention.  Because of too much "active participation", we think that holiness consists more of doing and talking than actual "witnessing", which is more of living it out with our very own lives.  Feminists nuns and liberals love to use the term "witnessing" to give an excuse for them not to wear their habit and to shun anything that is traditional in the Church.  They think they are "trapped" into their "costumes" when in fact by just wearing their garb, they witness to the whole world the consecration they have given, the life they have offered in service of God and His Church.  This is what the Liturgy is also.  We worship not by taking up too many roles in the sanctuary.  We worship and actively participate by praying from our pews, by praying in silence, then we also become "witness" of the unraveling of the Divine Liturgy when we pray in silence, not by thinking what our next dance moves are, what kind of creativities we would like to inject in the Mass.  I remember hearing a story about St. Francis and the power of the religious habit. St. Francis once brought his little brothers to the market to preach.  They stood in the corner of the market in their tattered habits.  And then they went back.  His brothers were wondering why they did not say a word and just stood there.  St. Francis reportedly said "By just standing there, we have already preached."  Sad to say that most priests, brothers and nuns give the flimsy excuse of being "immersed" with the community by shunning their habits.  As if the people will run away once they see a woman in nuns clothing or a priest in cassock!]

“All this is possible only if we recognize Jesus Christ, because it is He who has called us, He who has invited us to travel his path, He who has chosen us. Proclamation and witness are only possible if we are close to him, just as Peter, John and the other disciples in today’s Gospel passage were gathered around the Risen Jesus. … And this is important for us: living an intense relationship with Jesus, an intimacy of dialogue and of life, in such a way as to recognize him as 'the Lord'. Worshipping him!”

“I would like all of us to ask ourselves this question: [ask yourself, ask myself] Do we worship the Lord? Do we turn to God only to ask him for things, to thank him, or do we also turn to him to worship him? What does it mean, then, to worship God? … All of us, in our own lives, consciously and perhaps sometimes unconsciously, have a very clear order of priority concerning the things we consider important. Worshipping the Lord means giving him the place that He must have; worshipping the Lord means stating, believing—not only by our words—that He alone truly guides our lives; worshipping the Lord means that we are convinced before him that He is the only God, the God of our lives, the God of our history.”  [Obedience ring a bell folks?]

“This has a consequence in our lives,” the pontiff noted. “We have to empty ourselves of the many small or great idols that we have and in which we take refuge and upon which we often seek to base our security. They are idols that we sometimes keep well hidden; they can be ambition, careerism, a taste for success, placing ourselves at the centre, the tendency to dominate others, the claim to be the sole masters of our lives, some sins to which we are bound, and many others. This evening I would like a question to resound in each of your hearts, and I would like you to answer it honestly: Have I considered which idol lies hidden in my life that prevents me from worshipping the Lord? Worshipping is stripping ourselves of our idols, even the most hidden ones, and choosing the Lord as the centre, as the privileged path of our lives.”  [Ha!  I can think of one blogger right now! Ha!]

“The Lord,” concluded the Bishop of Rome, “calls us each day to follow him with courage and fidelity. He has made us the great gift of choosing us as his disciples. He invites us to proclaim him with joy as the Risen one, but He asks us to do so by word and by the witness of our lives, in daily life. The Lord is the only God of our lives, and He invites us to strip ourselves of our many idols and to worship him alone. To proclaim, to witness, to worship.”


 ***

TRUE!

Funny how some priests...

...publicly humiliate and castigate the SSPX for not obeying the Pope when he in fact cannot even obey his own superior with a simple request to stay off his computer!

...publicly profess obedience to the Holy Church yet continuously defy liturgical laws.

...publicly defend the Holy Church, daw, but in fact loves and craves the attention for what he is doing.  Was it all really for the Lord or for fame and fortune?

If it is not for fame and fortune, try my style!  Don't show your real face and go around asking for freebies and inviting yourself to events and asking for a seat of honor and asking for "donations" and...


Ah, obedience! Nobody knows it better than these folks.

These men and women BREATHED Obedience!

One sign that a priest or a religious has a problem...when he becomes the superior of his own, even if the order of the superior is valid, not conflicting to Church law or morals...

Some folks are really full of hot air in their coconut shells.

Really!

”Obedience is a virtue of so excellent a nature, that Our Lord was pleased to mark its observance upon the whole course of His life; thus He often says, He did not come to do His Own will, but that of His Heavenly Father.”
--Saint Francis of Sales, Doctor of the Church

”Naturally we all have an inclination to command, and a great aversion to obey; and yet it is certain that it is more for our good to obey than to command; hence perfect souls have always had a great affection for obedience, and have found all their joy and comfort in it.”
--Saint Francis of Sales, Doctor of the Church