The Red Report ( Red Mass in DC's St Matthew's Cathedral)

witl ^ | October 4, 2009 | Rocco Palmo

[NYer]

Fronting the pews at this morning's Red Mass in DC's St Matthew's Cathedral: the nation's First Catholic -- Vice-President Joe Biden -- joined by six Supreme Court Justices, including the bench's Chief John Roberts and newest member Sonia Sotomayor, both likewise of the fold.

While the fulltext has yet to emerge, the wire's running a snip from the day's visiting preacher:

The specialized, formal knowledge of the law "frequently becomes semi-mechanical, even distancing," [Cardinal Daniel] DiNardo [of Galveston-Houston] told the congregation. "The law and lawyers are around because justice among human beings will always be an issue."

"Even sophisticated, knowledgeable human lawyers need reminding, need a divine fire ... both in their personal lives and in their profession itself."

Now in its 56th year, the annual liturgy to seek God's guidance for politicians, lawyers and judges was protested by anti-abortion activists deeming the event a "mockery" given the presence of politicos who, according to the group's leaders, "commit sacrilege by receiving the Body and Blood of Christ while they hold a knife to the throat of the unborn."

Concelebrating alongside the capital's Archbishop Donald Wuerl were archbishop of the Military Services Tim Broglio, Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington and the District's three auxiliaries. As is customary (but not required) in the case of a non-cardinal celebrant, DiNardo presided in the scarlet choir dress of a prince of the church, donning a stole for his turn in the pulpit.

As ever, more to come as it comes in.

SVILUPPO: As promised, more still:

Speaking at the annual Mass the day before the opening of the Supreme Court term, DiNardo said that people represented by lawyers are "more than clients. ... In some cases the clients are voiceless for they lack influence; in others they are literally voiceless, not yet with tongues and even without names, and require our most careful attention and radical support."...

DiNardo did not elaborate on the rights of the unborn, focusing instead on how the complexity of the law can have a dehumanizing effect on those who practice it.

[NYer]

Supreme Court Associate Justices Anthony Kennedy, front center, Stephen Breyer, second row right Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor, back center, walk down the stairs after the Red Mass that occurs at the beginning of the fall term of the Supreme Court at Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009

[mware]

My parish priest was on fire today and said flat out, if you are pro abortion don't bother to walk down the aisle to received.

[OpusatFR]

“My parish priest was on fire today”

Ours too, but on divorce and remarriage or civil marriage; don’t present yourself for communion.

[livius]

Wuerl is perfectly fine with Biden, Sotomayor and the rest of the pro-abortion gang. I hope he doesn’t have many more years left to distort Catholic teaching in DC. I don’t know how old he is.

[mware]

I am still waiting for the third part to be posted but all his homilies are on youtube.

He ought to be on EWTN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7NILhHs0Mg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXnzjJ4ui4k

[OpusatFR]

Awesome! Gives me something to listen to this week.

[NYer]

“My parish priest was on fire today”

Ours too, but on divorce and remarriage or civil marriage; don’t present yourself for communion.

Excellent!!! Our Gospel was Matthew 24:23-31, If anyone says to you then, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. Our pastor began by recalling an interview Larry King had with a Florida man who claimed to be Jesus. He used this as a springboard to demonstrate our own attraction to "messiahs" through contemporary culture's message of live for today. His homilies always drive the point home that we are on a journey towards an eternal life with our Creator and need to be wary of those distractions that will tear us away.

[mware]

Photos from todays Pet Blessing.

[NYer]

So cute ... but yesterday was the Feast of St. Francis.

[mware]

Our parish always does the Blessing on the first Sunday in October.

[Biggirl]

The feast day of St.Francis is really today,but because it is Sunday,a number of the blessings of the animals took place yesterday.

[sitetest]

Dear livius,

He'll turn 69 next month. *sigh*

We will be afflicted with him most likely for at least another six or more years.

sitetest

[livius]

Egads. I didn’t realize he was so (relatively) young. There are times when six years can seem like an eternity...

[markomalley]

Egads. I didn’t realize he was so (relatively) young. There are times when six years can seem like an eternity...

Maybe we should request that His Excellency could get promoted. For example, I understand that the current Vice President of the Labour Office of the Apostolic See is over the mandatory retirement age of 75 (in fact, Bishop Croci is 79 years old!). Sounds like a great job for Abp. Wuerl!!

[xsmommy]

Our’s was fantastic yesterday too. he said that those who CALL THEMSELVES CATHOLIC, or even just show up weekly to the Catholic church, must stand up for life. He said that if all Catholics voted for prolife candidates, abortion would not be legal in this country.