And just in time for Helloween, yet another episode of The Exorcist:
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George Neumayr Ping
WOW! Excellent article. Nailed it. Thank you, my friend.
Actually he will find that many "mainline Protestants" are like President Bush and reject their national church heirarchy on issues like abortion and same sex marriage. Since they do not hear their ministers speak of these things, they may not know where their church "stands" on the issues. Who knows which national heirarchy dictates to their church? Who knows how long their church will remain affiliated before breaking from the antiChristian hierarchy that perverts religious tradition by celebrating the cities of Sodom and Gomorah and calling abortion a "God given right".
Catholics are all clear on what the Pope/Catholic Church's stance is.
Harder for Catholic priests and bishops to defend voting for Kerry if he is excommunicated.
Rumors are swirling and reportedly the Vatican won't deny them out right.
In one of his books, Chesterton has a chapter on the times in Church history that the episcopate has been utterly corrupt and renewal surged up from the laity. This would seem to fit that pattern.
There has been a bit of a kerfuffle lately on whether Kerry has been excommunicated. For those who are not au courant, last spring a CA canon lawyer, Marc Balestrieri, filed a Complaint for Heresy against Kerry with the Boston Tribunal. I gather that for a layman to file such a thing was almost unheard of. Should the Boston Tribunal reject it, there remains the option of appealing to Rome.
The Boston Tribunal has taken no action, but has put the Complaint in the hands of the Archbishop. Balestrieri (possibly to keep the pot boiling) went to Rome in an attempt to get an answer to the question of whether politicians who vote for abortion should be excommunicated. He did get a response from a Vatican Congregation to the effect that they have excommunicated themselves. Kerry's name was never mentioned in this exchange, and there are those in Rome who are denying the whole thing.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Boston Archdiocese has said that it has "thousands upon thousands" of such Complaints to go through. This sounded highly unlikely to me, but on Balestrieri's website, De Fide, I thought I saw a message to his supporters a few days ago not to do anything else except on his instruction. I can't find it there today, but there are instructions for joining the suit: Join the Class-Action Lawsuit. Connection with the "thousands upon thousands"?
Balestrieri has been fired from his post as a canon lawyer with the Los Angeles (Mahony) archdiocese.
Excellent article. And it gives me yet another reason to vote for Bush.
John Allen is an apostate and a Marxist.
What he doesn't know about the Holy See would strain the capacity of the Library of Congress.
More proof that the road to hell is paved with the skulls of bishops.
Sign of the times! Nothing new under the sun.
This makes me so sad, but increasingly, anger and disgust are winning out.
Ping!
Disgusting.
[Luke 12:48] Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.
[Luke 12:47] That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely;
I believe it's mostly the TOMs (Tired Old Men) who support Kerry. They were all fired up by the Liberation Theology and Social Justice ideas of the 70s and 80s, and were too cowed by the Feminist movement, to speak out forcefully against abortion. I think the younger Bishops, those most recently appointed, are less likely to support Kerry because they have shown themselves to be much more pro-life and willing to speak out about it.
Important ping!
BUMP
And just in time for Helloween, yet another episode of The Exorcist:
Please let me know if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
Mahony appointed Bishop John Steinbach from Los Angeles to the Diocese of Fresno. Steinbach removed a very good and conservative preist Father Baca from St. Anthonys of Padua in Fresno because Baca gave a sermon supporting our military forces ( he gave a homily on the Church’s just war theory using the Catechism of the Catholic Church as his source)the same week that the Bishop sent a letter out to condem the war and be read at mass at all parishes. The bishop's letter was not religion and pure politics. Father Baca was loved at St. Anothony's and as punishment Steinbock sent Baca to another parish in Merced, Ca.
At St. Patrick’s, Father Baca found a divided parish. Many parishioners began flocking to Father Baca’s Masses, where he eliminated the use of inclusive language and gave homilies on the Church’s positions on hell, abortion, homosexuality, premarital sex, women’s ordination, and pro-life voting responsibilities. Father Baca began a catechism class that grew so popular that, after three weeks, there was not enough room for everyone. Penitents began returning to the sacrament of confession.
The pastor Father Jean-Michael Lastiri did not like the conservative Baca and conspired against him and lied to the Bishop and had Baca removed and punished for being a good priest and now Baca has no church or parish as Steinbock removed Baca again taking the word and lies of Lastiri.
Bishop Steinbock and Father Lastiri may have had more at stake than saving face about a bad decision. Parishioners at St. Patrick’s were alarmed when the June 2, 2002 Fresno Bee published an interview with a homosexual priest using the pseudonym “Father Henry.” Father Henry admits his attraction to males as well as his deviations from the vow of chastity: “I’ve slipped a few times.” The story quotes another Fresno priest, Father Jerry Amerando, saying that the bishop, “doesn’t consider this an issue.” It also quotes Bishop Steinbock on his tolerance of homosexual clergy: “A priest, no matter what his orientation, can be a good, loving priest.”
Including court records as proof with his letter, Walsh gave Bishop Steinbock all the details of the case, including a detailed report from Detective Mike Montejano regarding the search of Banuelos’ residence at the parish. Among the items found were condoms, sex toys, women’s underwear, 53 hard-core pornographic magazines, and framed photos and a card to Banuelos from Father Lastiri, among other things.
On October 7, Walsh distributed a flyer to parishioners detailing Father Lastiri’s relationship with Banuelos and suggesting that parishioners withhold financial support until the diocese take action. On October 10, Bishop Steinbock wrote a letter denying the charges in the flyer and accusing the parishioners who produced it of “hate.” After a meeting with parishioners on October 15, Father Lastiri had the letters removed from the bulletins and shredded. On October 27, Bishop Steinbock wrote Walsh accusing him of sending court records that presented “rumor and gossip.” The bishop enclosed an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church concerning defamation of character, suggesting Walsh “reflect on it seriously.” Walsh responded by writing Steinbock that the information was neither rumor nor gossip but had been referred to by the district attorney as the “testimony of several witnesses.”
If Father Baca’s presence did not initiate Father Lastiri’s troubles, his departure did not end them. In early July, 2004, some parishioners discovered discarded instant messages to and from Father Lastiri printed on the parish letterhead. After using the information to do an AOL internet search, they discovered a homosexual men’s website, www.bear411.com, and buddybear.net, where Father Lastiri had posted his own picture and profile, using the name “basqueoso.” Many of the profile photos at the site show explicit poses of naked men, but Lastiri’s showed him dressed in lay clothes, and he described his profession as “counseling.” The site also had 60 pages of messages, profiles, and e-mails exchanged between Father Lastiri and various members of the “bear” group, including information on trips Lastiri had made to Amsterdam, Florida, New Orleans, Huntington Beach, and Las Vegas. The last message posted by Lastiri was July 13.
On July 14, parishioners made the information public and presented it to Bishop Steinbock. The bishop quietly removed Lastiri from the parish. On July 16, in a statement appearing in the Modesto Bee, Bishop Steinbock said he had received information “regarding a Web page and chat room of Rev. Jean-Michael Lastiri that was totally inappropriate.” The bishop said he spoke to Lastiri “the very next day, July 15;” Lastiri “denied any inappropriate sexual activity on his part and declared that he only entertained fantasies through this activity on the Internet.”
Steinbock said he realized Lastiri’s behavior was “compulsive and addictive.” The bishop announced he was “removing Father Lastiri from St. Patrick’s parish and sending him to St. Luke’s Institute for appropriate psychological and spiritual counseling and appropriate therapy to help him deal with this problem.”
“Fr. Lastiri apologizes for any pain he has caused the community and wishes to seek the appropriate help to overcome his compulsive behavior so that he may return, with God’s grace, to full ministry as a good and faithful priest,” wrote Bishop Steinbock
This is what happens when Cardinals and Bishops depart from the faith and conspire and persecute good and holy men. The Catholic church is infiltrated with corrupt and sinful men that are even at more risk of losing their souls than corrupt politicians that don't practice their faith. Mahony and Steinbock have even more to fear from God than Kerry does.