Free Republic

Thanks to current media coverage, every political junkie probably knows about ACORN’s voter fraud (one wag suggested half of Chicago’s tombstones should sport “I voted” stickers), its embezzlement scandal, and that millions of public dollars will be going to hire ACORN to run the next US census. Some of the more conservative media sources have fleshed out the picture by describing the influential work of community organizer Saul Alinsky, about whom Hillary Clinton wrote her college thesis, in whose organizations President Obama garnered his work history, and from whose training ACORN sprang. Alinsky’s thought, capsulated in two books, Reveille for...

-Fr. Joseph M. Siegel, pastor of the parish of the Visitation in Elmhurst (USA), as auxiliary bishop of Joliet in Illinois (area 10,920, population 1,842,000, Catholics 667,000, priests 268, religious 718, permanent deacons 199) in the United States. The bishop-elected was born in Joliet (Illinois, USA) in 1963 and ordained priest in 1988.

Father Vincent Lampert (right), from St. Francis and Clare Parish in Indianapolis, Ind., lectures at Foellinger Auditorium on Monday. Fr. Lampert discussed his experiences as one of 12 officially trained exorcist priests in the United States. Joanna Mirowska The Daily Illini With Halloween around the corner and Hollywood releasing horror movies such as "Paranormal Activity" and "Saw VI," one cannot help but feel chills running down his or her spine. St. John's Catholic Newman Center had the timing right when it invited exorcist Father Vince Lampert to speak about his experiences Monday night at Foellinger Auditorium. Lampert, the head priest...

As the days grow shorter, the leaves fade, baseball winds down and the autumn air turns ever more crisp, the countdown continues to Stateside Catholicism's Fall Classic: the bishops' November Meeting, which begins in Baltimore on Monday, the 16th. Among agenda items including the long-in-the-making marriage pastoral, a text on "reproductive technologies" and the final votes on the re-translated Roman Missal (coming 2011-ish to a parish near you), the body will vote on chairs-elect for several key committees, including those overseeing clergy and vocations, migration, and divine worship. While the standing committees have always been a significant element of...

Philadelphia, Pa., Oct 27, 2009 / 04:49 am (CNA).- A Pennsylvania Episcopal church which joyously greeted the announcement of a provision to assist Anglicans who wish to become Catholic could be among the first to take advantage of the church structure put forward by Pope Benedict XVI.The Church of the Good Shepherd, an Episcopalian parish in the Philadelphia Maine Line suburbs, is an “Anglo-Catholic” parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. According to the Rosemont Journal, its liturgy is celebrated in the “high church” style reminiscent of traditional Catholic churches: with incense, elaborate vestments, and a choir that may sing...

Interview With Msgr. Stetson of the Pastoral Provision By Karna Swanson HOUSTON, Texas, OCT. 26, 2009 (Zenit.org).- News broke last week that Benedict XVI will allow groups of Anglicans wishing to enter full communion with the Catholic Church to do so through personal ordinariates, while preserving elements of the Anglican spiritual and liturgical tradition.The provision for the ordinariates is the Vatican's response to Anglicans who have expressed wishes to become Catholic. It is estimated that between 20 and 30 Anglican bishops have made such a request. To understand how the personal ordinariates work and the significance of this move, ZENIT...

Fr. Leo Patalinghug author of Grace before Meals: Recipes for Family Life (Truequest Communications, $15.95) was thrilled about the opportunity to appear on the popular Food Network program Throwdown with Bobby Flay. After all the priest who runs the Pastor Field Education Program for seminarians at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Maryland believes cooking is one of the best ways to teach about the faith, especially the source and summit of the Catholic faith; the Eucharist. That’s why he decided to put his love for cooking into a book and a media ministry (www.gracebeforemeals.com) so families, especially Catholic families...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In an atmosphere described as "cordial, respectful and constructive," Vatican officials opened a dialogue with representatives of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X and scheduled twice-a-month meetings over the coming months. In a statement issued after the first meeting at the Vatican Oct. 26, the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" said the process would focus on key doctrinal issues arising from the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. "The questions due to be examined concern the concept of tradition, the Missal of Paul VI (the post-Vatican II Roman Missal), the interpretation of Vatican Council II in...

Bishop John Broadhurst London, England, Oct 26, 2009 / 05:13 pm (CNA).-  Members of the traditionalist Anglican group Forward in Faith recently concluded their annual gathering, which was dedicated to discussing Pope Benedict's overture to Anglicans. The general impression left by the conference was the “Anglican experiment is over,” a mood that was reinforced by Bishop John Hind officially announcing he is ready to become Catholic.The 2009 National Assembly of Forward in Faith was held in the Emmanuel Centre, Westminster, London, October 23-24. The Assembly was originally scheduled before the Vatican announced its unprecedented move, but the issue dominated...

ELCA Vice President Addresses Dissatisfaction with Assembly Decisions 09-236-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Carlos Peña, vice president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), wrote an Oct. 23 letter to the church's 4.6 million members, asking them to consider actions of the ELCA's 2009 Churchwide Assembly "as a catalyst to further strengthen our church and our relationships with each other." Peña related his experiences of devastation after Hurricane Ike struck his hometown of Galveston, Texas, in September 2008. "One year later, I can see the benefits of this experience," he wrote. "Galveston is coming back stronger than before and welcoming...

The Vatican has now released a statement concerning the meeting this morning between Church officials and the SSPX. It reads: “On Monday, Oct. 26, 2009, in the Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio, headquarters of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and of the Pontifical Commission ‘Ecclesia Dei,’ the study commission made up of experts from ‘Ecclesia Dei’ and from the Society of St. Pius X held its first meeting, with the aim of examining the doctrinal differences still outstanding between the society and the Apostolic See.“In a cordial, respectful and constructive climate, the main doctrinal questions were identified. These will...

The Experience of ‘The Call’ October 26th, 2009 by Fr. Kyle Schnippel Known for the way he developed the interplay between light and darkness in his paintings, the Italian master Caravaggio has had a lasting impact in the world of art since his troubled life ended nearly 400 years ago.  His distinctive paintings, especially his religious scenes, continue to have an impact even on today’s viewers.For me, his ‘Calling of St. Matthew’ resonates.  Commissioned by Cardinal Matteu Contreil to hang in the French National Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, the scene draws you in as a nearly...

ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 25, 2009 ELCA Presiding Bishop Urges Commitment to Strong LWF GENEVA, Switzerland (ELCA) -- In a report highlighting changing contexts of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and its respective member churches, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, LWF president, urged the organization's council to make decisions that reflect commitment to "a sustainable and strong LWF going into the future." Hanson is also presiding bishop of the EvangelicalLutheranChurch in America (ELCA). In a wide-ranging report to the council Oct. 23, Hanson noted that, while the LWF had exercised responsible fiduciary leadership despite the global economy and serious changes...

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 23, 2009 (Zenit.org).- When priests are given the choice between marriage and celibacy, the tendency is to choose celibacy, at least according to the experience of the bishop of Cairo of the Chaldeans.Bishop Youssef Ibrahim Sarraf said this today in response to a question concerning married priests at a press conference to present the final message of the synod on Africa. The question was asked in light of the announcement this week that Benedict XVI will publish an apostolic constitution that will allow groups of Anglicans seeking communion with the Church to do so through personal ordinariates....

Ending the better part of a year's worth of speculation, the Pope finally went public with the Vatican's worst-kept secret this morning, naming Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson as president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Ordained archbishop of Cape Coast -- the West African country's oldest local church -- in 1992 and made a cardinal eleven years later, the rise of the 61 year-old returns an African dicastery-head to the ranks of the Roman Curia, which had gone without a top-tier presence from the continent since last December, breaking a nearly four-decade practice. Reportedly reluctant to leave...

Archbishop Timothy Dolan Washington D.C., Oct 24, 2009 / 05:50 pm (CNA).- Archbishop of New York Timothy M. Dolan has been named Moderator of Jewish Affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). USCCB president Cardinal Francis George says Dolan will be a friend to the Jewish community and will convey “profound respect” for others’ spiritual gifts. Archbishop Dolan succeeds Archbishop emeritus of Baltimore William H. Keeler in the role.His five-year appointment was announced in a Friday USCCB statement and will become effective Nov. 11. Cardinal George’s announcement noted the New York Archdiocese’s “long history of cooperation and...

One of the most controversial papal documents ever released was the bull Unam Sanctam, issued in 1302 by Pope Boniface VIII. Today the most controversial part of the bull is the following infallible pronouncement: "Now, therefore, we declare, say, define, and pronounce that for every human creature it Is altogether necessary for salvation to be subject to the authority of the Roman pontiff." This doctrine is extraordinarily controversial. Some Catholic extremists claim (contrary to further Church teaching, including a further infallible definition) that this means everyone who is not a full fledged, professing Catholic is damned. Non Catholics find the...

My whole life prior to 1992 was given solely over wholly to the music industry. From playing the music to that of absolutely following all aspects of the industry and culture as some of you who knew me well know. As Almighty God began to get a hold of me and started to redirect me by His Word, I began to see the evils and vices of the whole music culture and life style. I remember saying to myself - the last day that I played in the last phase of Silent Desire (1986-1992) - I thought to myself... What...

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Priesthood Sunday - October 25, 2009 Priesthood Sunday, is a special day to honor Priesthood in the United States. It is a call for parishioners to honor Christ as Priest and the men who were called to be his priests on earth. It is also a day to honor all religious and to focus on the importance of vocations. Catholic Scout Packs, Troops and Venture Crews are encouraged to make a special effort to involve the youth in programs of making appreciation cards to be presented after Mass on the last Sunday in October or at an event planned in...

Well, the media mantra about the Vatican’s welcome to Anglicans has begun, and the anti-Catholicism is about as ugly as it gets. Venues such as National Public Radio, the London Times, and the Kansas City Star describe the Church as “poaching.” USA Today says the Church is “rustling.” Other media outlets used the term “luring.” Some question whether the move was a “hostile takeover.” And London Times’ Columnist Libby Purves says that “converts may choke on the raw meat of Catholicism.” Mainstream newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post have used the word “bid.” The Boston Globe...

Lord Carey of Clifton has called on his successor as Archbishop of Canterbury to complain to the Pope in person about not being consulted over plans to admit disaffected Anglicans to the Roman Catholic Church. Lord Carey warned that the Pope’s strategy could damage relations with the Vatican. Lord Carey, who stepped down in 2002, urged Dr Rowan Williams to protest strongly when he visits the Pope in Rome next month. Lord Carey was speaking after the joint press conference this week between Dr Williams and the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, to announce the move....

Santiago, Chile, Oct 22, 2009 / 01:03 pm (CNA).- In an interview with the Chilean daily, “El Mercurio,” the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, Bernard Fellay, acknowledged that the Vatican is considering the possibility of converting the Lefebvrist group into a personal prelature as part of the discussions aimed at bringing about reconciliation. Fellay, who visited members of the SSPX movement in Chile, is one of four bishops whose excommunication was lifted by Pope Benedict XVI last January. Asked about the speculation that the Society of Pius X could be made into a personal prelature similar...

A Call To Anguish By David Wilkerson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGMG_PVaJoI

The welcoming of Anglican clergy into the Catholic Church highlights the differences, and difficulties, of approach Attack is the best form of defence. On the eve of another damning report on clerical abuse and cover-up in Ireland, that seems to be Pope Benedict’s tactic. His sudden invitation to Anglican defectors will certainly take the spotlight off a continuing child abuse scandal fed, for decades, by the masculine and intimidating structures of authority in the Catholic hierarchy. Words like “poaching” may seem harsh, but there is more than a whiff of power politics in this move. A “rush to Rome” would...

Nearly 12 hours before the first of several clergy sexual abuse cases hit the courtroom floor, the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington announces a controversial Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. After attempting settlement negotiations on 13 sexual abuse cases Sunday night, the Diocese decided to file for bankruptcy protection. The filing automatically freezes any pending lawsuits against the Diocese, including the sexual abuse case against former Wilmington Diocese priest, Francis DeLuca, scheduled for trial on Monday morning. Bishop W. Francis Malooly says the decision was a painful one that he hoped he would never have to make. "We have a finite amount...

The villages of the ancient parishes of Broughton, Marton and Thornton nestle in a corner of North Yorkshire that is perilously close to the Lancashire border. And even closer to Rome.For the rector, the Rev Canon Nicholas Turner, editor of the traditionalist magazine New Directions, the Pope’s decree was the fulfilment of a long-held dream. But he must now decide whether to be reordained as a Roman Catholic priest. And if he does, what will happen to the churches and his parishioners?To visit the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Thornton is to enter a Norman building that gives...

I have little to add to my colleague Damian Thompson’s analysis of Pope Benedict XVI’s bold initiative to offer Anglo-Catholics a home under Roman Catholic jurisdiction, without losing their Anglican liturgical identity. All I would add is that this is marvellous news for the Church of England’s prospects for making up women priests to bishops, without creating an Anglican schismatic bloodbath. Traditional Anglo-Catholics, many of whom do not want to relinquish their Anglican identity, have had nowhere to go on this issue, other than conversion to Rome with a complete abandonment of Anglicanism. Pope Benedict has thrown them a timely...

  There was a T-shirt on the market last year for converts to the Catholic faith. Emblazoned on the front were the words, "Member of the Tiber Swimmers Club." After today's amazing announcement from the Vatican, Anglicans no longer need to change into their swimming trunks. Trembling toes no longer need to be dipped in the chilly waters of the Roman river. Anglicans needn't take the plunge: Benedict has built a bridge.   The "personal ordinariate" is a structure whereby Anglicans will be able to come into full communion with the Holy See. Individuals, congregations, parishes, religious communities, whole...

I was talking with a friend the other day. He’s a fellow convert who (as is common with us) was wondering why on earth Catholics who don’t believe much of what the Church teaches stay . He was greatly puzzled about the tendency of many life-long Catholics to remain quite proudly Catholic despite the fact that much of what the Church insists we must believe is something they flatly reject in favor or whatever the latest Oprahism is on the tube. Equally puzzling, both during this pontificate and the last one, is the common tendency of many Catholics–usually cradle Catholics–to...

In recent years it has become commonplace to turn funerals into casual canonizations. “Bob is in a better place,” we’re told, which, if taken literally, can only mean Heaven, as neither Hell nor Purgatory are better places than earth. Never mind the fact that Bob wasn‘t very generous with his time or money, drank too much, rarely read Catholic books or listened to Catholic radio, and in his retirement, watched baseball and football games most of the day, to the detriment of his marriage. He did, however, get to Mass every Sunday, prayed a few times during the week,...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI has established a special structure for Anglicans who want to be in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church while preserving aspects of their Anglican spiritual and liturgical heritage, said U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada. The cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said a new apostolic constitution would establish "personal ordinariates" -- similar to dioceses -- to oversee the pastoral care of those who want to bring elements of their Anglican identity into the Catholic Church with them. Anglican priests who are married will be ordained Catholic priests,...

First the atheists began an ad campaign in London, and now atheists are getting ready to advertise that they are “Good without God”. Starting next Monday, a coalition of local groups will run a monthlong advertising campaign in a dozen Manhattan subway stations with the slogan “A Million New Yorkers Are Good Without God. Are You?” The posters also advertise the Web site BigAppleCoR.org, which provides a listing of local groups affiliated with the Coalition of Reason, the umbrella organization that coordinated the campaign.The campaign — which is being paid for by $25,000 from an anonymous donor — follows a...

from Damian Thompson: The Vatican has announced that Pope Benedict is setting up special provision for Anglicans, including married clergy, who want to convert to Rome together, preserving aspects of Anglican liturgy. They will be given their own pastoral supervision, according to this press release from the Vatican: “In this Apostolic Constitution the Holy Father has introduced a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony.”

Bishop-elect Paul D. Etienne Cheyenne, Wyo., Oct 19, 2009 / 12:29 pm (CNA).- Today it was announced that an Indiana priest, Fr. Paul D. Etienne, will become the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Fr. Etiene, 50, who is currently a pastor in Tell City, Indiana will fill a see that has been vacant since July 2008.Upon hearing of the appointment, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput and Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley of Denver praised the new bishop, whose diocese is within the Province of Denver. “Bishop-elect Paul D. Etienne comes to the Diocese of Cheyenne with an...

Brebeuf's Instructions to the Missionaries In 1637, Father Jean de Brebeuf drew up a list of instructions for Jesuit missionaries destined to work among the Huron. These reflect his own experience and a genuine sensitivity toward our people. You must love these Hurons, ransomed by the blood of the Son of God, as brothers. You must never keep the Indians waiting at the time of embarking. Carry a tinder-box or a piece of burning-glass, or both, to make fire for them during the day for smoking, and in the evening when it is necessary to camp; these little services...

Isaac Jogues, S.J. 1607-1646 Sponsored by the Vincentian Community(Congregation of the Mission) and the Missouri Knights of Columbus.Reprinted with permission. One of the eight Frenchmen known as the North American Martyrs, Isaac Jogues' first task when he arrived in Quebec in 1636, was to learn the Huron language. His teacher was Father Jean le Brebeuf, another Jesuit. Brebeuf earlier had written Instruction, a collection of data based on his years of living among the Hurons since 1625. His practical advice included tips for conduct: eating with the Indians, sharing their camps, caring for the ill in view of "medicine...

Who do you say that Jesus is? Do your thoughts, upbringing, religious background, or personal beliefs about Jesus line up with God’s Christ of the HOLY SCRIPTURES? You might ask, “Well, does it make a difference? My friend, I say unto you, it surely does! TAKE THE JESUS CHALLENGE The Bible is the final AUTHORITY on who Jesus Christ is. It is God’s absolute instruction manual and blueprint for life. If you reject the authority of the Word of God, my friend, you are doomed. There is no hope for your lost, sinful condition. The Bible teaches that “All have...

Preaching and short cut of the hymn, There Is A Fountain.

Readings: Deuteronomy 32:15-18 Sacrificing to demons Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior. They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons, which are not God--gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear. You deserted the Rock, who bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. Mark 5:1-20 Jesus heals a demon-possessed man They went across the lake to the region of...

Many dear, professing “Christians” today, who are dear and sincere in their Christian traditions and personal beliefs, believe in a DIFFERENT Christ (i.e., they have “their own” Jesus). Therefore they - either knowingly or unknowingly - have rejected the CHRIST of the Holy Scriptures.I personally know how this works. I once had “my own” Jesus. For years I was a practicing Roman Catholic. From the womb I was taught and raised in the traditions of the Catholic faith (ideology), and in true sincerity I went to church every week, prayed every night, and practiced the Golden rule, but I lived...

This North Western Hawk is known as a rough-leg and reading from the KJV Bible was given by revski (o7jimmy) out of the New Testament 2 Timothy 2:19.

This video of inspirational singing was by o7jimmy and family! Presentation is given be creatures from wildlife.

I first met Sioux City, Iowa Bishop Walker Nickless a month ago at the Serra International gathering in Omaha, Neb. Little did I know then that he was working on his bold first pastoral letter since his installation as bishop four years ago. Ecclesia Semper Reformanda (The Church is Always in Need of Renewal), released yesterday, takes a look at the impact of the Second Vatican Council and sets forth a plan for the people of Sioux City and beyond. In many ways, it’s a pastoral letter unlike one we’ve yet seen. Forty-four years after the close of the...

In a new pastoral letter on Church renewal, Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City denounces false interpretations of the Second Vatican Council and calls upon Catholics to “reclaim and strengthen our understanding of the deposit of faith.” Bishop Nickless, originally a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver who served as Archbishop Charles Chaput’s vicar general, writes: "The question arises: Why has the implementation of the Council, in large parts of the Church, thus far been so difficult? Well, it all depends on the correct interpretation of the Council or - as we would say today - on its proper...

Nobody could prove them wrong. They said that Joseph Smith had a faulty revelation in 1830. They said the revelation proclaimed that the copyright to the Book of Mormon would be sold in Canada. They said the revelation was a failure and that Joseph was a fallen prophet. And, best of all, there was no copy of the revelation for anybody to check against their story. This all changed on Sept. 22 with the publication of the latest volume of the Joseph Smith Papers: "Revelations and Translations: Manuscript Revelation Books." For more than 160 years, there was only one side...

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton / Bishop Alexander Sample Marquette, Mich., Oct 15, 2009 / 11:40 pm (CNA).- Bishop of Marquette Alexander K. Sample has commented on his request that Bishop Thomas Gumbleton not come to the diocese. He said it was “unfortunate” that the request has become public, but he explained that Bishop Gumbleton’s position on issues like homosexuality and the ordination of women required it.Bishop Gumbleton, a retired auxiliary bishop of Detroit, had been invited to speak by Marquette Citizens for Peace and Justice at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on the topic "Gospel's Call: Action for Peace." He also...

Delray Beach -- New controversy surrounding the St. Vincent Ferrer catholic church in Delray Beach. A lawsuit is filed by two parishioners who are upset because their children were kicked out of school one day before school started. They say they expulsions were a retaliation for their questioning of the church's finances. In the lawsuit, Paul and Michele Maresca are suing Pastor Thomas Skin-del-eski of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic church in Delray Beach. The lawsuit is also against the parish manager and the principal. The attorney for the parents says the church violated appropriate standards of conduct by expelling the...

Ize don't noze teh whyze, but dis me touchdez. Kthxbai! Dis is found in teh Book of Matthew 6 an in teh Book of Luke 11, srsly. Dis beez teh Ceiling Cat Prayer. Teh Ceiling Cat of us, whu haz cheezeburger, yu be spechul Yu ordered cheezburgerz, Wut yu want, yu gets, srsly. In ceiling and on teh flor. Giv us dis day our dalee cheezburger. And furgiv us for makin yu a cookie, but eateding it. And we furgiv kittehs who be steelin our bukkits. An do not let us leed into teh showa, but deliver us from teh...

Pope Benedict XVI / Fr. Fernando Isern Miami, Fla., Oct 15, 2009 / 10:32 am (CNA).- This morning the Vatican announced that Fr. Fernando Isern from the Archdiocese of Miami has been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to head the Diocese of Pueblo in southern Colorado. Bishop-elect Isern, 51, was born in Havana, Cuba and raised in southern Florida. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Miami in 1993 and has since worked at both pastoral and educational posts.His appointment as the fourth Bishop of Pueblo, succeeding Bishop Arthur Tafoya, will be officially announced to the faithful in Miami...