extreme Catholic
1971
2003
technorati.com
Review extreme Catholic on blogarama
![[Valid Atom]](http://extremecatholic.blogspot.com/images/valid-atom.png "Validate my Atom feed"){kind=small}
Michelle Obama 'Distressed' About Power Held in IL by 'White Irish Catholic' Families: Chicago Sun-Times
When Michelle Obama worked in Mayor Daley's City Hall in the early 1990s, she was "distressed" by how a small group of "white Irish Catholic" families -- the Daleys, the Hynes and the Madigans -- "locked up" power in Illinois.
She must have forgotten Harold Washington, the African-American mayor of Chicago from 1983 to 1987. He died at the start of his second term.
I will see if other how Catholic blogs cover this as I contemplate restarting this blog.
Labels: catholic, internet, ireland, obama, politics, racism
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 5:48 PM Permalink
Mexican bishops denounce Arizona immigration law: Catholic World NewsThe bishops of Mexico have released a press statement denouncing the controversial Arizona immigration law. The statement was signed by Bishop Víctor René Rodríguez Gómez of Texcoco, secretary general of the Mexican bishops’ conference.The bishops of Mexico with deep sadness should acknowledge their country -- its politics, its culture, and the how the Catholic faith is acted out in the temporal order -- have failed Mexicans and the United States has been successful in creating opportunity, wealth, and hope for millions of Mexicans. I call upon the bishops of Mexico to convert the selfish, irresponsible, and powerful elites who keep so many of Mexico in poverty and misery to create a future for Mexico that doesn't depopulate itself. God bless Mexico and God bless the United States of America.“With deep sadness, we have received the news that the immigration law SB1070 has entered into force,” the statement begins. Expressing solidarity with Latinos residing in the United States, the bishops “ask with insistence that the Lord of life and all the earth move the hearts of all people who do not know the Father of all and have not been able to discover brotherhood, tolerance, and mercy.”
“We value and we are thankful to the noble and generous people of the United States of America, who for years have offered a warm welcome and support to Mexico and so many countries in need on the continent and in the world,” the statement continues. “We are disappointed to see, and we firmly condemn, the selfish and irresponsible attitude of certain powerful groups which aim to separate countless families, leaving them to drown in deepest misery and poverty after having made enormous sacrifices and risked their lives in the search for a better life and a future of wellbeing and justice for their children.”
“We join our voices with those of all men and women of goodwill calling on Mexican authorities, and Mexican families and parishes, to warmly welcome with specific pastoral care our brothers and sisters forced to retrace their steps.”
“We intend to continue our activity to render our people of Mexico ‘A Home and a School of Communion,’ enabling them to be present in faith and prayer. We give them our blessing as Bishops and we commend them to the Heart of God, to His Son Jesus Christ, and to Holy Mary of Guadalupe.”
Labels: catholic, hispanic, immigration, politics
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:51 PM Permalink
Blasphemy Watch:
Dutch bishop gives priest red card for orange Mass (BBC)
A Catholic priest in the Netherlands who held an orange-themed Mass in support of the national football team has been suspended.Another case of "the spirit of Vatican II". A Mass that doesn't call the popular culture to conversion, but allows the popular culture to corrupt the worship of God. This would have been unnoticed if the involvement of the priest was merely to show enthusiasm for the team in a secular setting, but to infiltrate it into the Mass reveals a disturbing lack of insight into what the Mass is:The Reverend Paul Vlaar wore an orange robe and decked out his church in orange before Sunday's World Cup final.
During the service he even acted as a goalkeeper as a parishioner kicked a football down the aisle.
But the Bishop of Haarlem said he had not paid sufficient respect to the sacred nature of the Eucharist.
Maybe we allowed ourselves to be swept along a little too much in the 'Oranje' euphoriasaid Win Bijman Obdam parish vice-chairman.Footage of the service in the village of Obdam north of Amsterdam made it on to YouTube and was broadcast around the world.
However, it failed to impress Bishop Jozef Punt.
In a statement, he said the service had "caused outrage" in the Netherlands and overseas. He ordered Mr Vlaar to enter "a period of reflection" and suspended him from his duties.
The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory. Thus he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us. (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 271)
Labels: blashemy, catholic, europe
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:10 PM Permalink
Why did the scandal of sexual abuse by priests get covered up by bishops?
The instincts of many of the bishops was to see the accused priest as a brother (if close in age) or as a son (if not). These predator priests were in their "family" and as isolated as the bishops are from ordinary life, they viewed the victims as selfish whiners, exaggerators, or worse, liars, who threatened the reputation of the Church. They were unfortunate collateral damage. This was my answer in a comment box over in Catholic Culture: News
Labels: catholic, clergy abuse
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:35 PM Permalink
Another amazon.com list
Listmania: The West originated in Christianity and the Catholic Church
http://amzn.to/abkYet
Labels: amazon.com, catholic, history, reading list
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:04 PM Permalink
Sale of the convent of St Margaret Mary (Staten Island) via Atlas Shrugged
Iran and the Saudis have more than enough money to come in and buy America's vacant Catholic convents, schools, rectories, seminaries, and churches. To the Catholics, it is cash, and cash is necessary to pay for the sexual abuse settlements. To Muslims, this is more than real estate, it is a monument to the triumph of Islam and the retreat of Christianity. Photographs and videos fuel a propaganda campaign demonstrating that it's only a matter of time before the West is dead, enslaved, or converted to Islam. This not the loss of the Hagia Sophia, but in principle, the same.
Labels: catholic, islam, new york
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 7:54 PM Permalink
Stories we didn't finish: Italian Dept.
Cardinal laments Italy’s ‘demographic suicide’ and on Zenit
Rome 2049: As the last woman born in Italy in the last century, turns 50 this week , Maria regrets none of her four former husbands and her ever decided to have a child. This regret of the over-50's is shared among both men and women who were childless by choice. Not all, however, call this the death of Italy. The Institute of European Ethnology reports that Italy is not empty of people, only empty of what were historically "Italians" Today's Italians are likely to have grandparents who were...
Labels: catholic, italy, population
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:53 PM Permalink
Good Friday
I have returned from my parish's Stations of the Cross. I'm listening to the news on FOX 5 NY and hear a voice saying "no beverage tax on Jews." It turns out I'm not the only one to have heard (misheard) it. Google Search The controversy seems to be whether it was intentional or not. From context, it would appear the word is "juice". Woody Allen in one of his movies suggested that calling a menu item "Roast Beef au jus" was antisemitic.
I look forward to celebrations of Passover and Easter, where ethnic and religious slurs are so remote in history that it doesn't enter the popular culture each year.
Labels: advertising, anti-semetism, catholic, media
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:25 PM Permalink
The Bishops support HR 3962 with Stupak-Pitts
US bishops laud Stupak amendment’s passage; no comment on Pelosi plan
Divide and conquer. The bill lacks:
It included:
While the bishops are not libertarians but statists, but this bill has no recognition of subsidiarity.
The pro-abortion people are not sweating, they are certain Stupak will be killed in "reconciliation" process.
Labels: abortion, catholic, usccb
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:03 PM Permalink
Pauline Books and Media moved
I first found them on 43rd Street, then 20 or so years ago they moved to 52nd Street, and their new location is 64 West 38th Street which is near Sixth Ave.
They are the excellent Catholic books and media store in Manhattan.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:35 PM Permalink
The war over the "Good Catholic" label
It started with the rush to the keyboards and microphones: "Attention everyone: Kennedy was a good Catholic as well as being a good Liberal"
Here's an incomplete list of what I am talking about:
I think the yardstick being used here is that Kennedy was successful in exploiting his Catholic identity to achieve his liberal political agenda. There's a certain tone of admiration and triumph that he wasn't officially criticized by the Church and never denied the platform when he sought it to speak as a Catholic.
What would I believe a good Catholic politician would do? It isn't a matter of taking orders from a bishop but letting the teachings of the Church permeate how you think and act. Why? Because Catholics believe that the Church speaks for Christ, and especially so when it declares an intersection between important universal moral teaching and public policy.
The "Kennedy is a good Catholic" advocates either ignore this or respond -- "look at the whole man".
This could be your standard or mine, but it not God's. Cardinal O'Connor made the point to several New York politicians, that sanctions from the Church were secondary to the peril that you risk ones own salvation by advancing, even in a remote way, the murder of the unborn. I would be moved by that.
The "Good Catholic" label given by pro-choice liberals may be permanently retired. Born in 1932, Kennedy may have been the last politician who sought and who had a distinct appeal to Catholics. The Catholic voting bloc doesn't exist in 2009. As political creatures, we are all assimilated now into the American voter. Partly because of demographics and partly because what might be called an "Catholic agenda" can't be identified apart from the "Democratic Party agenda" apart from the right to life issues. The threat of losing its tax exempt status is the muzzle stifling the Church's voice.
Many questions come up and when the Church has a clear teaching on a serious moral matter, I withhold the "good Catholic" label from the politician who opposes and undermines it. It's no longer about Ted Kennedy now. He exists in eternity now without rank, money, or privilege but in God's mercy. It is about us and whether we can, as Catholics, pull the voting levers for Catholics who promote a disregard for the culture of life, and can justify that choice as we appear before the same merciful God who has judged the late Senator.
Labels: catholic, church-state, kennedy, politics
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 7:50 AM Permalink
Kennedy Apologetics
Taking a step back, the liberal Catholic love for Kennedy is no surprise. The surprise is burying his pro-abortion record in pieces targeted towards Catholics. The related surprise is the intensity of the attacks on pro-life Catholics who point out the plain fact that Kennedy was pro-abortion.
Labels: catholic, kennedy, politics, prolife
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 4:33 PM Permalink
Google Earth doesn't have this view
Catholic America: A closer look at Church, Culture and Change: Washington Post
By Anthony Stevens-Arroyo
Is It a Sin to Listen to Rush?
At this point of the 21st Century, Rush Limbaugh occupies a unique place. Locating him on the radio dial, however, is easier than identifying whether he is head of the Republican Party, news broadcaster, or entertainer. That ambiguity raises the question: Is it a sin to listen to Rush?The column could be called Alinsky's America:
His evidence of Rush's racism, sexism, etc. is nonsense. Anthony isn't informing us about any aspect of Rush's bio we didn't already know. The blogger is only demonstrating his own hypocrisy. Rush's real crime is fidelity to conservative principles and outstanding success as a broadcaster. God bless you, Rush.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:20 PM Permalink
From the Medieval Piety Dept.
Christian Today: and Medieval News: Performance Art
The post also uses the correct word "celebrate" for this Mass.
Also: University of York
It's not religion -- connecting man to God -- it's archeology -- connecting man to the physical artifacts of his past.
PhD student Eleanor McCullough pieced together the Mass used in York churches in the 14th Century based on manuscripts from the period held by York Minster and the Bodleian Library.This may well be the first time that a York Lady Mass has been reconstructed and performed from the medieval manuscripts here in York since the Reformation.
It will be used in a special ceremony on Saturday 18 July at All Saints Church North Street, in York, to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of North Street.
Labels: anglican, catholic, church, history, liturgy
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:12 PM Permalink
"We have a Vatican II president," John O'Malley informs us in a revealing America magazine article: Catholic Culture. Diogenes
It seems that just as Bill Clinton was a "black president," even though he was white, so too Barack Obama is a "Catholic president" even though he is Protestant.Obama makes no distinction between the culture and ethnography of the United States which is, of course, Christian, and its government which is neither Christian nor non-Christian. Since taking the oath ("...so help me God") Obama has only used the word "Christian" to deny that the country is Christian. In O'Malley's worldview, a Christian who denies Christ is a better Christian than one who affirms Christ. Affirmed Catholic identity is incompatible with "good will".To understand the political translation, you must first understand the-- wait for it!-- spirit of Vatican II. You see, the "spirit of Vatican II' transformed human nature-- or at least our way of understanding human nature. (from Barack Obama and Vatican II: America)
The council hoped that this new style of being, which brings with it a new way of proceeding, would lead to cooperation among all persons of good will—Catholics and non-Catholics, Christians and non-Christians, believers and non-believers—on the new, massive, and sometimes terrifying problems that face humanity today.
Labels: catholic, church-state, obama, poltics
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 12:18 AM Permalink
Georgetown University Hid Religious Symbols at White House Request: FoxNewsThe Reuters caption for the photo:
April 14: President Obama speaks about the economy at Georgetown University's Gaston Hall. The school covered up religious symbols bearing the name of Jesus during Obama's remarks at the behest of the White House.Catholic League: On Georgetown's cowardice
The Catholic League summarizes it well. I think we are making regress here: First it was separation of Church and State, then it was separation of religion from public life, and then we have arrived at separation of Catholic imagery from Catholic institutions -- of course on a voluntary basis. Just remember, this is the time of the green wood.
[Luke 23:27] A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.' At that time people will say to the mountains, 'Fall upon us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!' for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?"
Labels: catholic, church-state, culture, obama
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:11 PM Permalink
Blasphemy Dept.The Local: Germany's News in English. Klinsmann suing daily over crucifixion cover
Bayern Munich coach Jürgen Klinsmann is taking legal action against a German daily after it printed an image of him being crucified on the front page of its Easter edition, the paper said on Tuesday.It's a post-Christian world over there.
The only time you see Christian imagery is when it is being mocked.
Labels: blashemy, catholic, germany
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:28 PM Permalink
Cardinal Egan: A tough tenure full of triumphs
George Marlin, New York Post
IN MAY 2000, when Pope John Paul II had to decide on a successor to the late John Cardinal O'Connor, the pontiff rejected Vatican recommendations and plucked from the ranks a man who had served him well as a canon lawyer in Rome and who had proven himself an able shepherd in the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., the Most Rev. Edward M. Egan, D.D., J.C.D.I wanted to say something positive about Cardinal Egan. I think George Marlin's summary is excellent and far better than I could express it.
Labels: catholic, church, new york, vatican
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:45 PM Permalink
Notre Dame betrays its Catholic Identity
Norte Dame which claims to have a Catholic identity has betrayed it. President Obama voted three times against a bill that would have made it clear that a child born alive in induced labor abortion procedure would have the right to life under Illinois law.
The greatest moral evil in the United States is abortion and it is opposed by the bishops of the Catholic Church and millions of Catholics and therefore by inviting President Obama, Norte Dame brings dishonor upon itself in honoring, as a Catholic university, President Obama.
Sign the petition http://www.notredamescandal.com/
Read about it http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/24/critics-blast-obamas-notre-dame-commencement-address/
Background on Obama's votes against a born-alive state law on RealClear politics
Labels: catholic, culture, obama, pro-life
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:59 AM Permalink