Friday, May 31, 2002
Thursday, May 30, 2002
From Yahoo's Oddly Enough news items:
"It is just not acceptable that Ethiopia, where 62 percent of adults cannot read, where one million children are orphans, is paying $100 million a year to us."
-- Irish rock star BONO, in a speech to the African Development Bank's annual conference urging rich nations to increase aid to Africa and forgive past debuts.
I wonder if people like Bono have really thought about why it is that some of these countries languish in poverty despite continually receiving hundreds of billions of dollars in international aid. The structure of the impoverished country's government certainly plays a significant role. But dare we suggest that culture is a big root reason for why these countries are the way they are? As un-PC as it is, I would.
"It is just not acceptable that Ethiopia, where 62 percent of adults cannot read, where one million children are orphans, is paying $100 million a year to us."
-- Irish rock star BONO, in a speech to the African Development Bank's annual conference urging rich nations to increase aid to Africa and forgive past debuts.
I wonder if people like Bono have really thought about why it is that some of these countries languish in poverty despite continually receiving hundreds of billions of dollars in international aid. The structure of the impoverished country's government certainly plays a significant role. But dare we suggest that culture is a big root reason for why these countries are the way they are? As un-PC as it is, I would.
A key 1961 Vatican document on the ordination of men with homosexual afflictions has been found.
The document provides a clear statement of the Vatican's policy opposing the ordination of men with homosexual tendencies. The relevant section reads: "Advancement to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious dangers."
'Nuff said. Time to clean house...
The document provides a clear statement of the Vatican's policy opposing the ordination of men with homosexual tendencies. The relevant section reads: "Advancement to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious dangers."
'Nuff said. Time to clean house...
Big surprise. Call to Action opposes "zero tolerance" policy for child molesting priests.
The writer of this article calls CTA a liberal dissident Catholic organization. I would go further and call them apostate.
The writer of this article calls CTA a liberal dissident Catholic organization. I would go further and call them apostate.
The Pope is planning on writing a new encyclical on the Eucharist. In light of the growing number of Catholics who don't even know what the significance of the Eucharist is, let alone believe in the Real Presence, I couldn't be any happier that this encyclical is in the works.
Wednesday, May 29, 2002
Interesting Supreme Court trivia: The first Roman Catholic to serve on the United States Supreme Court was Chief Justice Roger Taney from 1836-1864. Chief Justice Taney, of course, is most famous (or infamous) for having penned the Dred Scott decision which essentially said that Black slaves were property and not persons under the Constitution.
The current "religious scorecard" on the Supreme Court finds the Catholic Church leading with three members (Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas), the Episcopal church with two (O'Connor and Souter), the Lutheran church with one (Renquist), one "Protestant" (Stevens), one Jew (Ginsberg), and one "unknown" (Breyer).
The current "religious scorecard" on the Supreme Court finds the Catholic Church leading with three members (Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas), the Episcopal church with two (O'Connor and Souter), the Lutheran church with one (Renquist), one "Protestant" (Stevens), one Jew (Ginsberg), and one "unknown" (Breyer).
The Supreme Court says states have wide immunity when federal agencies investigate complaints about them, then challenge their activities.
Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, said the framers of the constitution "likely did not envision the intrusion on state sovereignty at issue in today's case." He said the court is "nonetheless confident that it is contrary to their constitutional design."
"By guarding against encroachments by the federal government on fundamental aspects of state sovereignty ... we strive to maintain the balance of power embodied in our Constitution and thus to reduce the risk of tyranny and abuse from either front," Thomas wrote.
(Justice Breyer in dissent) said the majority focuses on "highly abstract" phrases like state dignity and system of federalism instead of things like liberty and due process of law. "They suffer from the disadvantage that they do not actually appear in the Constitution," he said.
Question to Justice Breyer (who penned the decision striking down bans on partial-birth abortions): Where does the word "privacy" appear in the Constitution?
Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, said the framers of the constitution "likely did not envision the intrusion on state sovereignty at issue in today's case." He said the court is "nonetheless confident that it is contrary to their constitutional design."
"By guarding against encroachments by the federal government on fundamental aspects of state sovereignty ... we strive to maintain the balance of power embodied in our Constitution and thus to reduce the risk of tyranny and abuse from either front," Thomas wrote.
(Justice Breyer in dissent) said the majority focuses on "highly abstract" phrases like state dignity and system of federalism instead of things like liberty and due process of law. "They suffer from the disadvantage that they do not actually appear in the Constitution," he said.
Question to Justice Breyer (who penned the decision striking down bans on partial-birth abortions): Where does the word "privacy" appear in the Constitution?
As much as I want to avoid having to do so, it looks as though I may have to attend Mass at a parish in Los Angeles next month. Being the semi-Traditionalist that I am (I've got no problem with the Novus Ordo as long as there is no hand holding during the Our Father and no irreverant guitar folk music being played) I'd appreciate it if anyone reading this can e-mail me the name of a substantially "conservative"/orthodox parish around the San Gabriel Valley I can attend. Much thanks in advance.
Tuesday, May 28, 2002
Deadline approaches for Catholic colleges and universities to obtain mandatum for theological courses and courses where Church teachings are presented.
I personally think the mandatum is a good idea. I would even go further and tell every school that unless they obtain a mandatum by the deadline, they will no longer be considered a Catholic institution. Oh, if only I could be the pope...
I personally think the mandatum is a good idea. I would even go further and tell every school that unless they obtain a mandatum by the deadline, they will no longer be considered a Catholic institution. Oh, if only I could be the pope...
The Supreme Court will determine whether the KKK practice of burning crosses is constitutionally protected speech. The key sub-issue is whether states can prohibit a form of speech when it is specifcially intended to intimidate someone. I suppose the question must then be asked, "What does it mean to intimidate a person?"
A decision is not expected until next year.
A decision is not expected until next year.
Monday, May 27, 2002
Garry Wills' pedophilia problem (link to Traditional Catholic Reflections website).
Wills admits that almost all the cases of sexual predation by priests involved homosexual men—not pedophiles who target children, but immature gay men who slipped through the Church’s filters and got themselves ordained. Yet Wills has fought every initiative launched by Rome to clean up American seminaries, to root out the gay subculture which liberal bishops have fostered, or to enforce the Church’s rigorous condemnation of pornography and promiscuity. The gay subculture—which Michaelangelo Signorile, among others, has acknowledged is replete with erotica celebrating encounters between teen-aged boys and older men—is not the problem for Wills. No, it’s the Church’s "over-strict" morality, its excessive demands, which drives gay priests into the arms of teenagers, which drives gay men into the ranks of the clergy, which drives bishops to ignore and fail to discipline pedophiles.
Unlike other "conservative" Catholic bloggers, I've been hesitant to give any legitimacy to Wills' comments on the Situation, or his criticism of Philip Jenkins' findings that Catholic clergy commit far less acts of sexual abuse than Protestant clergy or American society in general. Now you know why. Wills has an agenda against the Church, and anything he says or writes about it should be looked upon with extreme suspicion...and doubt
Wills admits that almost all the cases of sexual predation by priests involved homosexual men—not pedophiles who target children, but immature gay men who slipped through the Church’s filters and got themselves ordained. Yet Wills has fought every initiative launched by Rome to clean up American seminaries, to root out the gay subculture which liberal bishops have fostered, or to enforce the Church’s rigorous condemnation of pornography and promiscuity. The gay subculture—which Michaelangelo Signorile, among others, has acknowledged is replete with erotica celebrating encounters between teen-aged boys and older men—is not the problem for Wills. No, it’s the Church’s "over-strict" morality, its excessive demands, which drives gay priests into the arms of teenagers, which drives gay men into the ranks of the clergy, which drives bishops to ignore and fail to discipline pedophiles.
Unlike other "conservative" Catholic bloggers, I've been hesitant to give any legitimacy to Wills' comments on the Situation, or his criticism of Philip Jenkins' findings that Catholic clergy commit far less acts of sexual abuse than Protestant clergy or American society in general. Now you know why. Wills has an agenda against the Church, and anything he says or writes about it should be looked upon with extreme suspicion...and doubt
Happy Memorial Day! When displaying your flag in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, please be aware that there are federal guidelines. Don't worry, there are no penalties for failing to comply.
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