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Our thread in search of a patron saint for Catholic FReepers was a marvelous revelation. We have such a rich heritage as Catholics, that the possibilities are limitless. Although it is strictly unofficial (and no one elected me Pope) I would like to declare that we do indeed have a patron saint: Mary, Queen of All Saints

The Catholic Caucus of Freepers are in need of our own patron saint. We seem to be quickly developing into something of an apostolate of our own. So I think we should take time to post our ideas about who our patron saint(s) should be for our work here on FreeRepublic.

I have received the joyful news that two of our Freeper family entered the Church at Vigil this last weekend. ventana and roachie received the sacraments, and this is an occasion for great rejoicing by all of the faithful. I thought it would be good for us to congratulate those who have just entered the Church by posting a welcome, a favorite Catholic quote, a favorite Catholic link, a favorite Scripture, or even a favorite holy card image. Please join me in welcoming ventana and roachie. If there are any others, please let us know so we may all rejoice.

On Good Friday (29 March A.D. 2002), Roman Catholics the world over are mobilizing to pray the Rosary for an end to the legalization of abortion around the world. We will be praying between 12 noon and 3 pm (in your local time zone). Although it will not be Good Friday for the Holy Orthodox Church, I am praying that members of the Orthodox faith will pray for an end to abortion at the same time -- perhaps the Jesus Prayer beads or whatever devotion would be appropriate. (I believe there is an Akathist Hymn for the Helpless Unborn). I...

SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER? By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. Psalm 137:1 We Catholic Americans are at a crossroads. Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Light of the World is exposing acts of evil within the Church. He is revealing those who wound his sacred Body by abusing children and youth. Our Lord is also exposing rot and disease within the structures and leadership of the Church from within provinces of religious orders, Catholic universities, and diocesan chanceries. It is time to clean house. Not only do the pederasts, sex...

Holy Week Hymns - WednesdayThe Wednesday in Holy Week is observed in different ways by different communities. Some will gather for the Service of Shadows called Tenebrae. Some may have a common Seder Meal to learn more about the Passover Meal that is behind the Lord's Supper. May this Wednesday be a day of rich blessings for you in the presence of Christ's Holy Spirit. Lord Christ, when first thou cam'st to earth,Upon a cross they bound thee.And mocked thy saving kingship's worthBy thorns with which they crowned thee.And still our wrongs may fashion nowNew thorns to pierce that steady...

I thought a thread with our favorite Holy Week hymns would be inspirational. I begin with one of my favorites (which is especially beautiful sung to the tune O Waly Waly. When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, Savie in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood. See from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled...

SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER? We Catholic Americans are at a crossroads. Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Light of the World is exposing all those who wound his sacred Body by abusing children and youth. Our Lord is also exposing rot and disease within the structures and leadership of the Church from within provinces of religious orders, Catholic universities, and diocesan chanceries. It is time to clean house. Not only do the pederasts, sex abusers, and homosexuals need to be removed from leadership and the ranks of the ordained, but also the Church needs to excommunicate all...

Edward Cardinal Egan broke his silence yesterday about child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, calling molestation by priests "an abomination" and promising to encourage victims to take their cases to police. Edward Cardinal Egan "Sexual abuse of children is not only immoral, it is also illegal," the New York archbishop wrote in a six-paragraph statement. "I believe that allegations of abuse should be reported to the proper civil authorities."Egan also said that a more detailed letter was being prepared for parishioners to explain how the Archdiocese of New York will respond to "the tragedy and immorality of sexual abuse.""Sexual...

NEW YORK, Mar 18, 02 (CWNews.com) -- Cardinal Edward Egan of New York has come under heavy fire for his handling of priests who were accused of sexual abuse during his previous assignment as the Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut. A report published on March 17 by the Hartford (Connecticut) Courant depicts the cardinal as hostile and unhelpful during a deposition that he gave in 1999, in connection with lawsuits against himself and the Bridgeport diocese. The newspaper claimed to have gained access to the deposition, and other court documents, despite the successful efforts of Bishop Egan to have the lawsuits...

STRASBOURG, France, MARCH 13, 2002 (Zenit.org).- The European Parliament narrowly approved a report that purports to underline the violations suffered by women because of religious extremism. The report "Women and Fundamentalism," presented by Spanish Socialist deputy María Izquierdo, was approved by a vote of 242-240. There were 42 abstentions. Europarliamentarians either modified or eliminated some of the more controversial points of the report, such as the request to religious leaders, including John Paul II and Eastern patriarchs, to change their views on lesbianism. The "right to control one´s own body," regarded by some groups as a justification of abortion, was...

SAN FRANCISCO, (CWNews.com) -- Father Joseph Fessio, the Jesuit priest who founded Ignatius Press, has been reassigned to serve as a chaplain in a hospital in Los Angeles. Although Father Fessio will be allowed to continue his work as a director of Ignatius Press-- which is based in San Francisco-- he has been ordered under obedience not to play a role in Campion College, the new Catholic liberal-arts institution being founded by Ignatius Press. Father Fessio received his new assignment from the California Jesuit province after a dispute with the administration of the University of San Francisco (USF), a Jesuit...

BRUSSELS, Belgium, (Zenit.org).- The European Parliament on Tuesday is poised to debate a report that condemns the Catholic Church for its moral principles and its position on women priests. The document, written by Spanish Socialist Mariacute;a Izquierdo Rojo, was approved last October by the Womenacute;s Rights Commission and analyzed subsequently by the Citizensacute; Liberties and Rights Commission. Among other things, the document condemns quot;the administrations of religious organizations and the leaders of extremist political movements who promote racial discrimination, xenophobia, fanaticism and the exclusion of women from leading positions in the political and religious hierarchy.quot; The report could be voted...

TUNIS — The young man left his home here with the same dreams that have propelled thousands of Tunisians across the Mediterranean to Italy: a job, adventure, a taste of freedom. After a few years of scraping by with tough day jobs, he found a bigger dream: to be a soldier of God, righting the wrongs perpetrated against Muslims across the world. The young man found Muhammad Saidani, a Tunisian émigré who led prayers at a mosque in Bologna, who infused him with a sense of mission and sent him, the man said later, to a terrorist training camp ...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –– Several area chemical plants have been warned to take extra precautions after a boat masquerading as a Coast Guard vessel was spotted on the Kanawha River. "They should do whatever is necessary to protect the facility if the boat approaches at high speed," said Lt. Renee Kern, chief of port operations for the Coast Guard's Huntington office. "We left the decision entirely up to them whether to move vessels in the way, or to shoot, or to use a crane, or whatever," Kern said. Coast Guard officials warned the area's five largest chemical and energy plants on ...

Fatima Secret Still Not Fully Revealed? Despite repeated official Vatican denials, the rumor that some aspect of the "Third Secret" of Fatima has still not been revealed continues to spread. Is it groundless, or could there be something to it? *** ROME-MOSCOW WATCH The Secret of Fatima: More to Come? ROME -- News has just emerged that Sister Lucia dos Santos, the last surviving Fatima visionary, several weeks ago sent Pope John Paul II a letter reportedly warning him that his life is in danger. According to Vatican sources, the letter, claiming that events spoken of in the "Third Secret" ...

Hallo! A favourite game in northern Africa these days is to speculate on Usama bin Laden's hiding place - a sort of pan-Islamic Where's Waldo. I imagine some people believe that bin Laden is still in Afghanistan. But folks in Chad have been heard to say he is in the Sudan again. The northern Sudanese point the finger in a different direction and talk about him being in Saudi Arabia. There's a Saudi Arabian in Tunisia who believes bin Laden is among the Uyghurs in China. And hold on to your hats (or your burqas) there are "true believers" who ...

Egypt stands overlooking the abyss of internal strife and external warfare. President Mubarak is moving swiftly against Islamist extremists within Egypt to preserve his power and position. It may be too late to quell the tide of anti-American, anti-secular, pro-Osama feeling in the Muslim masses. They are fed up with Mubarak's tap-dance with America, Israel, and the Arab world. After the 1967 war Nasser faced the unraveling of Egypt, an Islamic revival among ordinary people, and the rise of extremists and the militant Islamist movement. These Muslims required their women to wear the veil again. They preached the need for ...

A car bomb has exploded in the Spanish capital Madrid, injuring at least 10 people. The bomb went off in a car park under the central Plaza de Colon, just hours after a military parade passed by to mark a Spanish national day. King Juan Carlos watched the parade and was seated just 100 yards from where the bomb went off. Authorities said four of the injured were police officers. Most of the injured were treated on the spot for smoke inhalation. ETA suspected A spokesman for the city's fire department said the the blast blew a large hole in ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60911-2001Oct2.html Lloyd Grove reports Clinton kept secret diary tapes that were not handed over to Starr.