extreme Catholic 

Breaking his oath of secrecy, a member of the College of Cardinals has given a detailed description of the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, an Italian television network has reported.

In defense of CWN, there was no longer a secret to protect. Only "Limes" is culpable for offering to publish it first. What I take away from this is that there is (1) at least one cardinal who cannot be trusted by his brother cardinals and (2) this anonymous coward cardinal must have maximim trust in "Limes" that his anonymity can and will be protected.

What benefit does the Cardinal obtain from this? What other secrets would he be willing to give up and for what price?

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 5:25 PM   Permalink  

Gigwise.com

Paul McCartney’s wife Heather Mills has taken matters into her own hands when it comes to her work for PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals).

Mills had threatened to stalk fur lover Jennifer Lopez until the singer stops wearing fur.

Events however took a turn for the worse on Tuesday when during a violent confrontation with some of J.Lo’s security guards Mills lost her prosthetic leg.

Imagine the negative media impact of a story like this if the Mills were a conservative or a pro-life figure.

From the PETA gets a pass Dept.

How in a non-violent protest does one lose a prosthetic leg?

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:43 AM   Permalink  

The Washington Post has the details. It was at Catholic University of America a reception for His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein of Jordan.

In English it is incorrect to say that "Allah" and "God" are identical. For people who know they are not identical it is bad faith on their part to insist on an identity which does not exist when misunderstanding is foreseeable (or even intended).

What we share with Muslims is significant but not enough to have a common understanding of what is meant by "God/Allah's blessing", "God/Allah's peace", etc. Because starting with God's nature, we disease: Peace as "order+freedom" or as "submission".

Muslims view our understanding of God to be a blasphemy. A devout Muslim would have his tongue torn out rather than to invoke the Holy Trinity in prayer at a Muslim university in Pakistan or Algeria.

What do we believe?

CCC 841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day." (quoting Lumen Gentium 16)

I wish Cardinal McCarrick had read Jimmy Akin's article in This Rock before he gave that prayer.

Cardinal McCarrick could have made the reference to "God" and not risked a misunderstanding.

What misunderstanding? That Muslims worshipping God as instructed by Mohammed have a means of salvation. Muslims can and are saved but they are saved by Jesus and not by their obedience to the Koran.

In terms of explaining this to other Catholics I would go beyond saying that Muslim doctrine is lacking elements of the truth (i.e. incomplete) but it contains with certainty errors which cannot reconciled to the truth. To conform ones life to the Koran as interpreted by the most radical Islamists is a stumbling block to salvation.

What could be next? To have a bishop invoke a prayer to the Goddess Gaia?

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:26 PM   Permalink