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2003
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In case you were wondering what had happened to
the (Episcopal) Church of the Holy Communion.
The
New York Post provides this update.
The expectations were high for this a place for typically decadent New York entertainment located at 47 West 20th Street.
For an Episcopal "see I told you so" see The Reverend Dr. Gary Nicolosi's sermon.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:52 AM Permalink
New York Post photograph by Lawrence Schwartzwald
which didn't make it to the web site. This photo appears on page 11 with this caption:
Playboy's Playmate of the Month for February Charis Boyle,
was a snow bunny outside of
St. Patrick's Cathedral
yesterday. She popped out of an SUV to shop at Saks Fifth Avenue and got snagged by a photog for an impromtu shoot.
The sisters, brothers, and priests of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal , and lay members of the Catholic Evidence Guild will be explaining the Nativity scene inside the Cathedral Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. (Fifth Avenue and East 53rd Street.) I will be there as a member of the Guild with the Friars on Saturday and Sunday. I hope to see you all there. If not, I'll bring my camera and post the pictures here. |
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:16 PM Permalink
Identity Theft is a real thing and getting worse. MSNBC has a good story on it.
I was a software developer and credit report manager for a mortgage bank for a while. There were several cases of multiple addresses on a credit report against one Social Security number which were unauthorized.
In one case, a person discovered that their credit history had been completely hijacked for years.
I urge every one to look at their credit report at least once a year and certainly before applying for a mortgage or car loan.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:57 AM Permalink
Ann Coulter doesn't like Kwanzaa. Who knew?
It is a fact that Kwanzaa was invented in 1966 by a black radical FBI stooge, Ron Karenga, aka Dr. Maulana Karenga. Karenga was a founder of United Slaves, a violent nationalist rival to the Black Panthers and a dupe of the FBI.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:33 AM Permalink
Fr. Nickse is now appearing before a Higher Court
Really, I don't want to comment on every story of sexual abuse by priests, but this one defies explanation. You've got to click on this link to the Miami Herald. Fr. José Nickse who died on a beach in the Bahamas working on his tan (while suspended because of credible allegation of sexual abuse) is connected to the death of the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen.
In a bilingual mass, the Rev. Rafael Fernandez invoked the story of St. Stephen, martyred after being falsely accused.
"'The death of St. Stephen is actualizing itself again,'' Fernandez said.
Three men have filed lawsuits accusing Nickse of sexually abusing them between 1982 and 1985. The lawyer for one of those accusers said it was ''absurd'' to blame them for Nickse's death.
Why are there "scare quotes" around "absurd"? Are we being winked at to show that it's rational to blame the victims of sexual abuse for the still unknown cause of the death of Fr. Nickse?
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:24 AM Permalink
This war isn't over yet (II)
From several wire services and the
Orlando Sentinel
they report the Abraham Lincoln is as unwelcome in Richmond in December 2002 as he was in April 1865.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans view the statue as "a slap in the face of a lot of brave men and women who went through four years of unbelievable hell fighting an invasion of Virginia led by President Lincoln," Brag Bowling, the SCV Virginia commander, said Thursday.
extremeCatholic adds that if you didn't want "four years of hell", Brag, why did you fire on Fort Sumpter in the first place?
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:56 AM Permalink
This war isn't over yet (I)
The New York Post reports another man, Jaroslaw Bilaniuk, has been identified as a Nazi camp guard. The article doesn't mention the specific locale in Poland.
"He was nasty for no reason. Stereotypically, I would say he definitely was a Nazi prison guard," said a 32-year-old Jewish neighbor.241st Street in Douglaston where Bilaniuk and his neighbors live turns out to be next door to the Immaculate Conception Center of the Diocese of Brooklyn. It's a nicer neighborhood than where I live.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:47 AM Permalink
Render to Disney what is Disney's and to God what is God's
The Herald-Tribune (Florida) informs us that that operators of Disneyworld have ceased Christian worship on its property.
I wonder how many souls will be condemned to the eternal damnation of hell because they neglected their obligation to keep holy the Lord's Day as a consequence of this.
Politically correct and post-Christian
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 12:09 AM Permalink
Many Catholics are expecting The Passion to be the great epic of Jesus' last 12 hours before his death on the Cross. I found this web site which bills itself as the unofficial web site of the film. It's worth a look. Mel Gibson directs. James Caveziel plays Jesus.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 4:58 PM Permalink
Nobody here at the chancellory knows anything about this said a spokeman for the Hartford Archdiocese.
The AP has another story of sexual abuse by a priest. This one is a visitor from Poland.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 4:52 PM Permalink
Matt Drudge has blogged this report from the U.K. Mirror
A Catholic priest, Fr. Timothy Russ, has confronted and accused U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair of "moral surrender" for his support of the military preparations against Iraq.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 12:00 PM Permalink
The Associated Press reports on a grass roots movement to canonize Father Mychal Judge OFM, the fire department chaplain who died on 9/11 at the World Trade Center.
www.saintmychal.com is the web site referred to in the article.
The article doesn't discuss the manner in which Fr. Judge could become a saint. The earliest action that could be taken would be in 2006 when his Franciscan congregation would approach the Archbishop of New York with a request to initiate the process. Currently, that would be Cardinal Egan.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:20 AM Permalink
The New York Post reports
 |
A homeless man claiming to be the son of God threw Christmas Mass into chaos yesterday when he twice stormed into St. Patrick's Cathedral and ran shouting toward the altar. "I'm not crazy; I'm homeless," Wesner Fequiere ranted after ushers and police finally restrained him. "I am the son of God. I'm a saint." |
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:12 AM Permalink
Happy Solstice
Real Player: NORAD tracking Santa over Stonehenge
This secular symbol of December 25 and its triumph of consumerism-as-theology encounters the old religion.
And I always thought that Wiccans exchanged presents on December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 6:06 PM Permalink
Merry Christmas.
Went to a Children's Mass on Christmas Eve and the regular Mass that I usher on Christmas. We've opened up the presents and I'm waiting for a little lunch.
We've got two stories to think about CNN and Mercury News and dozens of other news outlets are reporting that Midge. Barbie's married friend is an unacceptable model for girls.
Midge -- Barbie's oldest friend -- is pregnant. And that's trouble.
Wal-Mart Stores stopped selling the pregnant Midge because of customer complaints, the company said Tuesday.
The freckle-faced doll, who represents a married woman expecting her second child, was yanked from shelves earlier this month along with her husband, Alan, and 3-year-old son, Ryan. The three had been sold separately as part of a ``Happy Family'' series that its maker, Mattel, said was designed to promote nurturing play.
``It was just that customers had a concern about having a pregnant doll,'' said Cynthia Illick of Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer. ``I think it was a unique situation.''
Midge, still sold by other retailers, has a detachable magnetic belly that can be opened to reveal a curled-up baby.
What is the acceptable model for eight year old girls? It's Lingerie Barbie or as some are calling her the Slut Barbie
I like John Stoessel of ABC News take on the story:
The industry rep agreed that the action figures were questionable. "I think they're pushing the envelope a bit. And is it right or wrong? That's really up to the consumer to really choose," Bartlett said.
The New York Post took no position. Here's the catalog entry from FAO Schwartz:
Barbie doll exudes a flirtatious attitude in her heavenly merry widow bustier ensemble accented with intricate lace and matching peekaboo peignoir. Ages 14 and up. Limited Edition.
That was the raw data. Here's my opinion: it's a culture of life thing and the Catholic Church and the Pope is on target. The natural thing is for women to get married and have babies. It isn't a required thing or unnatural to remain single. Now, not being a woman I can't speak to the motivation for dressing up in lingerie, but let me speculate: it's either narcissism or to appeal to men in a sexual way. When a woman dresses in lingerie, what does she intend the observer to think about? So what does Mattel want the purchaser to think about?
When it's a pregnant woman, it's pulled because of senisitivity to customers.
When it's a lingerie woman, it's remains because it is merely pushing the envelope
The Holy Father discusses the innocence of children.
I also realize that many believe that the Catholic Church has lost any moral authority to talk about the innocence of children. I have to disagree. There's priests and bishops who have lost it, but that's not everyone.
Christmas is the day of Christ's birth. Christians! Take back Christmas! And let kids be kids.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 1:30 PM Permalink
A technology blog discovery -- Werblog by Kevin Werbach. His item: Java injunction, what's your function? matches my opinion on the recent important ruling in the Microsoft case.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:33 AM Permalink
There were two callers to talk radio WABC this morning complaining that "you [the show hosts] are always picking on Catholics.
The hosts were discussing items I blogged from the wire yesterday and this story this morning.
Yes. Even on Christmas Eve, the scandal of the Catholic Church is in the news. These are not recycled stories -- it is new news. There's no media conspiracy. There stories only appear on newswires because the clergy put themselves there.
NY Post: Abuse Priest Backs Off Plea by Julia C. Mead
December 24, 2002 -- A defrocked Long Island priest charged with sodomizing a teenage boy opted yesterday to take his case to trial rather than admit he used his friendship with the 13-year-old to coerce him into sex. Michael Hands, 35, had earlier agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a lenient sentence - six months in the county jail and five years probation - but balked in Suffolk County Court in Riverhead yesterday.
Sources said Hands insisted the sexual relationship was consensual.
By law, the boy was too young to consent, and the plea deal would have required Hands to admit to sodomy, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a minor.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:15 AM Permalink
It's Christmas Eve. Since financial markets are open, I'm here at work until Noon. I will be home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then the traveling around to the relatives will start. Merry Christmas and the blessings of the infant Jesus be upon us all.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 8:59 AM Permalink
Orangeburg (S.C.) Times-Democrat has an article discussing the history and symbolism of the nativity scenes. It is titled The who, the what, the why of nativity scenes by Thomas Brown. Excellent.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 12:01 AM Permalink
NBC 13 in Selma Alabama reports that statues of Mary and Jesus were stolen from a nativity scene.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:55 PM Permalink
Ireland Online reports
Catholic priest attacked during mass
A Catholic priest was hospitalised after being attacked with a Christmas ornament during mass in Bangor, Co Down, today.
The intruder, a 38-year-old man who has since been charged with assault, struck Fr Henry McCann on the head with a statue taken from the crib at St Comgall's Church on Brunswick Road.
Churchgoers managed to overpower the man until he was arrested by police. Nurses and doctors who were among the congregation of around 100 treated the injured priest for shock and head injuries before he was taken to the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.
A police spokesman said there was nothing sinister of sectarian in the incident.
I'm not sure if that "of" should read "or'". Are assaults on priests celebrating Mass now an expected event -- even if the assaulter is an emotionally disturbed person.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:47 PM Permalink
I changed the template to the default chroma. The template I started to use was too inefficient in its use of space. I uploaded a picture of myself. I'll try to find one that's more recent, but for now, that will do the job.
Found a newly started blog -- Catholic Analysis whose author is Oswald Sorbrino.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:36 PM Permalink
I read the magazine and blog of Touchstone Magazine: Mere Comments
As you can see that's a connection to C.S. Lewis.
Now, there's a problem there. The inside-the-blog anchor tags are not working. The item I would like you to look at is
JESUS MUST DECREASE, SANTA MUST INCREASE...Almost four out of 10 children in Germany do not know the Christmas story, a survey carried out by a German market research company has found.
The poll of 733 children aged between 6 and 12 found six per cent were unable to give any answer at all when asked why Christmas was celebrated, and 15 per cent had a vague notion that Christmas "had to do with Jesus."...
So I add here: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith?" [Luke 18:8]
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 7:34 PM Permalink
AP: BOSTON BISHOP SAYS HE WANTS SUITS SETTLED
The Boston Archdiocese asked a judge Monday to dismiss the hundreds of sexual-abuse lawsuits against the church on freedom-of-religion grounds.
To this I ask the question: What would Jesus do?
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 7:24 PM Permalink
NY Post: N.H. BISHOP: SOME PRIEST SEX LESS SERIOUS
Questioned under oath about the church abuse scandal, New Hampshire's bishop suggested that it is less serious for a priest to have sex with someone from outside the parish than with a parishioner.
I'm sure that was a big relief to the parents.
But seriously folks, comments like these only prove to people that the bishops are out of touch, insensitive, etc.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 7:12 PM Permalink
(AP) Hoaxers vs. Rocket Scientists: Even NASA unsure how to counter claims of faked moon landings
I'm into conspiracy theories,too.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 5:24 PM Permalink
Jews and Christians Are Apes and Pigs, Saudi Textbooks Say
The The New York Sun reports on page one today, headline above, with the subhead: ‘There Is A Jew Behind Me, Come and Kill Him!’ By DAVID TWERSKY
Following a lesson on the monotheistic faiths, Saudi Arabian schoolchildren are asked to discuss “With what types of weapons should Muslims arm themselves against the Jews?”
This should go into everyone's Islam is a religion of peace file
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 5:06 PM Permalink
Should there always be "scare quotes" around "bad faith"? This story News Interactive (Australia) accuses HM Queen of England of acting in "bad faith" by make a trademark claim to "New Zealand" for the purposes of seizing the internet domain newzealand.com which is currently in private ownership.
This item grabs my interest because it deals with the powers of a monarch and the Internet.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 3:34 PM Permalink
CBS Radio in New York has this story of holiday vandalism.
As far as I know there was no Nativity Scene present to desecrate. Thank heaven for small favors. Hofstra University is private institution. They are free to make up their own rules about holiday displays.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 2:46 PM Permalink
What attracted me to this NBC 11 story was the word absolve.
As a Catholic I know that the word refers to the forgiveness of God given in the grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. and not to a finding by a canonical or civil court.
There's a lot to unravel here: if there was no sin, there is no absolution -- no forgiveness from God, no forgiveness from the person who was injured or offended. Maybe it's just lazy writing on the part of the journalist or invincilbe ignorance as to what "absolve" means.
So I looked to see what I could find to make my own snap judgment that Fr. Anthony Ross of the Diocese of Santa Rosa is guilty or innocent of what's he's accused of.
I wasn't able to find his own declaration of innocence.
In the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat of 4/17/2002 I saw the accusation. It will be interesting to see what his defense is. I don't know if the canonical process is open or closed. If it is closed, it will be a matter of following the leaks. I wonder if there's a finding that Ross is guilty if the accuser will be entitled to damages or at least a reimbursement of attorney's fees. Why would Ross wait nine months to request a hearing?
In the time I've been preparing this the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat today has their story on this priest and accusation.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:07 AM Permalink
I upgraded to Blog*Spot Plus in order to be able to post images and other pages. I set up an email address extremecatholic.nyc.rr.com as well. I hope to have feedback comments shortly. I noticed I made it to Google on Thursday 12/19/2002, so thanks for linking to me.
I saw a lot of religous themed television this weekend as I was preparing my house for Christmas.
Check the listings. A lot of it is really poor and skeptical of the revealed truth of the Catholic faith. So be skeptical about the skeptics.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 9:47 AM Permalink
I've got agree with Rod Dreher that overlooking Judge Constance Sweeney in Time's Persons of the Year was a mistake. Her concern for the getting to the truth was courageous. The other scandals: Enron, Worldcom, and the FBI 9/11 warnings are significant, but the Catholic bishop's scandal is at that same level.
posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:34 PM Permalink