Today’s question: What you do not like about the Catholics?

Question: What you do not like about the Catholics?

Answer: Catholics are the spoiled, rich kids of the Christian faith, on whom God has always lavished his inestimable love, sanctifying grace, awesome power and tender mercies.

God provides Catholics with a wide array of extraordinarily effective, spiritual “tools” with which Catholics might act to secure their eternal salvation, in Jesus Christ.

Jesus also never fails to appear on every altar, in every Catholic Church, all around the world, every hour of every day, every day of every year, at Holy Mass, so that Catholics might (through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, while giving great honor and glory to God the Father) faithfully renew the divine promise of Jesus’ one time, once for all, perfect and atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

It’s just not fair! Not fair, I tell you!

A kind of non-denominational chaplaincy to the New World Order

In the first papal address ever given to the United States Congress by a Pope, the Vicar of Christ never mentioned Christ, but rather only Moses as the one who “leads us directly to God and thus to the transcendent dignity of the human being.”

Given an historic opportunity to preach Catholic truth to secular power, Francis held up as models for imitation not Christ, nor any of the saints of the Catholic Church, but rather Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and the controversial convert, Dorothy Day…

In the aftermath of the Pope’s address, even the Jewish radio talk show host Michael Savage could see what is happening. 

He described it (during his show on September 25) as “a seamless integration of Church and State.” By this he means the de facto absorption of the Church into the modern state system and the reduction of the role of the papacy to that of a kind of non-denominational chaplaincy to the New World Order.

Truly we are seeing fulfilled before our very eyes the process Bishop Rudolf Graber described in the 1970s: that of synarchy, the very fulfillment of Masonic designs according to which “Catholicism, like all religions, would consequently be absorbed into a universal syncretism.

Yoga is an essential part of Hindu philosophy and the two cannot be separated.

This is from the Hindu American Foundation: “Yoga is a combination of both physical and spiritual exercises, entails mastery over the body, mind and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. The ultimate goal is moksha, the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and rebirth.”

As a Catholic the term “rebirth” in this excerpt should be very disconcerting. Catholics simply do not believe in rebirth. As Catholics we believe you are given one lifetime. You are baptized and will live your life as a believer in Christ as your Savior. You aren’t given multiple lives to work out your final destiny.

Additionally, Catholics “get” suffering. Maybe sometimes too much; but nonetheless, we don’t—as a group—run from suffering. We understand its redemptive value. While we may wish to be liberated from it and can certainly pursue that through Christ, we don’t see it as our “ultimate goal.” Our ultimate goal is to unite our lives with Christ, the Suffering Servant.

Or there is this from the Hindu American Foundation: “There is the concerning trend of disassociating Yoga from its Hindu roots. Yet, even when Yoga is practiced solely in the form of an exercise, it cannot be completely delinked from its Hindu roots.”

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Psalms 96:3-6 Declare his glory among the Gentiles: his wonders among all people. (4) For the Lord is great, and exceedingly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. (5) For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils: but the Lord made the heavens. (6) Praise and beauty are before him: holiness and majesty in his sanctuary.

photo: Wikipedia

Liberal social justice Catholics have drunk the Protestant Kool Aid

by Doug Lawrence

The Catholic Church in America appears to be almost evenly split between “libs” and “trads”.

For those who are new to these culture wars, “libs” might be described as Catholics who tend to be light on Catholic dogma and overly reliant on emotion and social work – especially when it  comes to things like voting for pro-abortion, pro-homosexual politicians and the government funding of various welfare programs.

“Libs” also tend to be less concerned about the liturgy, and often have a less than complete understanding and appreciation for the sacraments – especially the need for the absolution of sins in the confessional and the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

For “libs”, emotion generally trumps faith and reason and malformed conscience trumps all – leading to the scandal of high profile, pro abortion and pro homosexual Catholic (and Protestant) politicians infesting all levels of government – along with a plethora of seriously defective Catholic In Name Only (CINO) charities, social justice organizations and even, religious orders.

All of these characteristics are really nothing new for Protestant groups – but they are new for Catholics, since they were essentially put into place by the post-Vatican II “reformers/enablers/revolutionaries” and others who have subsequently learned to invent such things, for their own nefarious purposes, from “whole cloth”.

To sum it up: Like most Protestants, Catholic “libs” generally find it difficult or impossible to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as Christ’s one time, once for many, propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of mankind, the Catholic Church as the “Barque of Peter” – the world’s only universal sacrament of salvation, according to the grace, mercy and forethought of Jesus Christ – and the Bible as the inerrant, Holy Spirit inspired, written Word of God – so about all they have left is social justice work – and their poor choices will almost certainly tend to perpetuate the continuing need for it! 

“Trads” tend to obtain their personal guidance through the exercise of faith and reason, based on a good working knowledge of the teachings of Jesus Christ, illuminated by two thousand years of Catholic Church Tradition, exquisitely reasoned, settled Catholic dogma and Magisterial teachings, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the lives of the saints and the Holy Bible.

Subsequently, “trads” tend to be very picky about the Masses they attend, the fidelity of the priests and bishops who minister to them, the integrity of the politicians who represent them in government, the causes they support, the Bibles they read and the sacraments they receive – most especially the Holy Eucharist, which they firmly believe to be the authentic body and blood of Jesus Christ, along with his soul and divinity.

The “trad’s” primary reliance on grace-giving sacraments – which for baptized Catholics, serve to engender and deeply nurture the cardinal virtues of faith, hope and charity, among others – is based on almost two thousand years of remarkably successful Catholic church history and tradition- which until fairly recent times, provided the spiritual underpinnings for all the best features of modern, western civilization.

For “trads”, faith and reason are employed in order to better understand the “mind” of the Catholic Church and hence, the mind of Jesus Christ, who is God and who will also be our final judge. Individual conscience certainly plays a big part – but only after all pertinent Catholic teachings and principles have already been carefully and prayerfully weighed and considered.

When “trads” need to get something done, they pray – often using the Rosary, or kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament – believing they will receive. Then, one of several things typically happens: 1) The problem simply evaporates and disappears (praise God); 2) The right course of action becomes apparent and that action is personally carried out, according to God’s grace, resolving or suitably mitigating the problem; 3) If it is within their limited area of competence – God sends a socially conscious Protestant, “lib” Catholic, or other person – to fix things; or 4) Life goes on as before – since even God isn’t willing to tackle certain problems that we create for ourselves, in this “valley of tears”.

Of course, there are exceptions and variations on both sides, but it’s just about that simple!

Question: At what point does the Catholic duty of obedience to the local bishop cease?

Listening to bishops has never been easy – nor will it ever be.

But obedience to our superiors is inscribed in the word of God: the Decalogue’s command to honor parents includes obedience as a necessary component.

And closer to the current subject, the Letter to the Hebrews says “Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give an account.” (13:17)

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Editor’s note: This is one of those articles that deals with things – not as they really exist – but as they should be – so most everything contained in it tends towards the theoretical and academic.

When everyone (clerics and laity)  properly holds up their particular Catholic “end” of things – faithfully relying on Traditional, time-tested, Catholic philosophy, worship, sacraments, devotions and principles – then it will be a relatively simple matter to obey the bishop – since the choices the bishop makes will reflect the orderly state of an authentically faithful – and Catholic – world.

But once things have broken down – as they have in the post-Vatican II, world-wide Catholic Church – chaos – not Christ – reigns – and all bets are off!

May God have mercy on our souls.

The essential truth today’s Vatican refuses to proclaim to “the Jews”

by Doug Lawrence

A recent commentary featured a number of false claims by the writers, coupled with a few self-serving, out of context or erroneous quotes from highly placed Catholic officials, including the late Pope John Paul II. To wit:

“It is absolutely unacceptable, impossible, to define the Jews as enemies of the Church,” said the Vatican’s top spokesman, “Anti-Semitism in all its forms is a non-Christian act and the Catholic Church must fight this phenomenon with all her strength.”

(Sure! But can’t we all truthfully agree that while Anti-Semitism is indeed absolutely wrong, after more than 2000 years, the bulk of Jewish religious faith traditions and their related philosophies remain totally at odds with the fundamental teachings and practices of the Catholic Church?) 

Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Vatican’s Commission on Religious Relations with Jews, lambasted Fellay: “The Jews are our older brothers,” he declared. “We are inseparably linked with the Jews.”

(Of course, this is technically correct, since The Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, as well as all the Apostles were Jewish … and we received the Old Testament of the Bible (The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms) from the Jews. But it’s also true that many of our “older brothers” are spiritually blind. Hence, they have a serious problem comprehending the truth of the scriptures, in the light of Jesus Christ.)

Koch recently called for “the Catholic Church to conduct a deeper theological reflection … to throw light theologically on the new relationship with Judaism which has developed after Nostra Aetate.”

(Boiled down to its essence, that “new relationship” appears to be purely political … and one-sided, to boot: Speak not against Judaism or the Jews, in any matter, regardless of truth or error … and never fail to meekly “swallow” and accept the popular Jewish “line” regarding many uniquely Catholic doctrinal and political matters, from the truth of the Gospels, to the Holocaust, to issues like birth control and abortion.)

In 2000, in an iconic moment for the new relationship, Pope John Paul II prayed at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, according to a Jewish custom. He inserted into the Wall a signed prayer formally committing the Catholic Church to “genuine brotherhood with the people of the Covenant.”

(The good Pope was careful not to mention WHICH Covenant he was speaking about. The Jews are the people of the Old Covenant, which was only temporary, and never had the power to save a soul. Salvation is to be found in Jesus Christ alone … in and through his New Covenant Church. How can anyone … even our beloved Pope John Paul II … hope to pursue “genuine brotherhood” through mere political gestures, without scrupulous attention to the truth?) 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church actually explains the truth of the matter quite well, when it wisely excludes the Jews and all other Christ deniers from inclusion in the group defined as “The People of God” (emphasis mine):

782 The People of God is marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history:

– The People of God: God is not the property of any one people. But he acquired a people for himself from those who previously were not a people: “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.”

– One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being “born anew,” a birth “of water and the Spirit,” that is, by faith in Christ, and Baptism.

– This People has for its Head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Because the same anointing, the Holy Spirit, flows from the head into the body, this is “the messianic people.”

– “The status of this people is that of the dignity and freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in a temple.”

– “Its law is the new commandment to love as Christ loved us.” This is the “new” law of the Holy Spirit.

– Its mission is to be salt of the earth and light of the world. This people is “a most sure seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race.”

-Its destiny, finally, “is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by him at the end of time.”

This truth is in no way Anti-Semitic, since it applies equally to every race, culture and creed … offering the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, to all.

Any questions?

Link to original article

Fr. Jose Francisco Syquia: “The sad truth is that even after 400 years of our Catholic faith, paganism, which should have been purified, continues to exist and influence Catholics.”

“When paganism and the occult contaminate the faith, the relationship with God is blocked and we can end up saying to ourselves that God is not interested in us, personally and as a nation [not knowing that] His blessings and protection… would not be able to fully enter into our lives,” he explained.

“We are not aware that the infinite love, all the blessings, and the protection of God are blocked because we are loving Him with a very divided and polluted heart,” he said.

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A few basic catechism questions for post-Vatican II Catholics

 Who is buried in Jesus’ tomb?

If you didn’t know the answer to that one, try this:

Who is buried in Mary’s tomb?

And finally…

Who is buried in St. Peter’s tomb – and where is that tomb located?

How did we get to the pink Pentagon?

The forces of social convention enlisted on the side of the rationalization of moral misbehavior are very powerful. Because of them, no one can now serve as a Secretary of Defense, or indeed of any other government agency, without endorsing Gay Pride Month. If you insist on publicly maintaining moral principles, you are officially part of the problem.

Why is it so very important not to be changed by this? What is the price of assent to and collaboration with Gay Pride? The answer is clearly spelled out in Romans 1. Saint Paul describes a situation eerily like our own in which those “who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” fell into “shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature. And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts, one toward another: men with men, working that which is filthy…”

So those, “Who, having known the justice of God, did not understand that they who do such things, are worthy of death; and not only they that do them, but they also that consent to them that do them.” (Italics added) Gay Pride is that consent, the price for which is the death of your soul.

How is a Catholic to respond when somebody asks, “Have you been saved?”

“Yes, I believe in Jesus and received his justifying (sanctifying) grace when I was baptized into his Church. Jesus saved me. And at those times when I have sinned gravely and lost this grace, I returned to the Lord to be cleansed again by him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) where I again received his justifying grace.

I am strengthened in my personal relationship with him by my worship of him and receiving him in Holy Communion at Mass; through my prayer, devotion and reading of the Scriptures; by my study of the teachings of the faith; through my good works prepared beforehand by him for me to perform while in his grace.

I have been saved, am being saved, and have supernatural hope that I will be saved.  I believe this because the Church, established by Jesus, through which this grace flows to me, teaches me that this is so.”

Did Jesus Plan a Monarchical Papacy? Is the Pope Catholic?

Jesus certainly did not plan for the inflated and corrupt popes of the popular imagination. He intended to found a church, but the church was not democratic in structure. It was established with clear individual leadership. In Matthew 16.18-19 Jesus says to Simon Peter, “You are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it.” So, Jesus established his church not on a congregational model, but on the model of personal leadership.

Was this a monarchical papacy? In a way it was. In Matthew 16 Jesus goes on to say to Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This is a direct reference back to Isaiah 22.22, where the prophet recognizes Eliakim as the steward of the royal House of David. The steward was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom. The keys of the kingdom were the sign of his personal authority delegated by the king himself.

Jesus never intended a monarchical papacy in the corrupt sense of the Pope being an absolute worldly monarch, but the church leadership Jesus intended was ‘monarchical’ in the sense that it was based on his authority as King of Kings. The reference to Isaiah 22 shows that the structure of Jesus’  kingdom was modeled on King David’s dynastic court.

In Luke 1.32-33 Jesus’ birth is announced in royal terms. He will inherit the throne of his father David. He will rule over the house of Jacob and his kingdom shall never end. Like Eliakim, to whom Jesus refers, Peter is to be the appointed authority in this court, and as such his role is that of steward and ruler in the absence of the High King, the scion of the House of David.

That Peter assumes this pre-eminent role of leadership in the early church is attested to throughout the New Testament from his first place in the list of the apostles, to his dynamic preaching on the day of Pentecost, his decision making at the Council of Jerusalem and the deference shown to him by St Paul and the other apostles.

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Editor’s note: After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church proceeded to rebuild Western civilization, in the image of Heaven.This was no accident, since the Holy Spirit remains the constant, official advocate of the Catholic Church, and Jesus Christ remains at the head.

That said, the prophetic, thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on earth, mentioned in the Book of Revelation, matches up closely with the thousand years that elapsed between the fall of Rome and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he should no more seduce the nations till the thousand years be finished. And after that, he must be loosed a little time. (Revelation 20:1-3)

God’s grace is an awesome, wonderful, powerful and transcendental thing … if only we choose to accept it … and cooperate … rather than reject it … and protest.

Faith and reason vs. emotions and feelings

by Doug Lawrence

After answering literally thousands of questions about the Catholic faith, on-line and via email, at least one thing has become perfectly clear to me: Religious belief is based on both emotion (feelings) and intellect (reason) … but emotion trumps intellect, just about every time.

A case in point:

A non-Catholic reader asked: Why do Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, when the scriptures are clear that Holy Communion is nothing more than a symbolic commemoration?

I responded with a dozen Old Testament and New Testament Bible verses, some of them quoting none other than Jesus Christ, proving that scripture not only anticipates the Real Presence, but proves beyond a doubt that Jesus and the Holy Eucharist is the divine New Testament fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies.

I followed that up with numerous citations from the writings of the early church fathers, all of whom are in unanimous agreement that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist.

I mentioned the decrees of various church councils, the practices and beliefs of all the various Orthodox churches, and the fact that until the 15th century, every Christian on earth believed in the Real Presence.

Then I dealt with the various scientific and metaphysical aspects of the issue, followed by a definition of the word “sacrament”, along with some good examples of the most well known Eucharistic miracles.

Next, I explained the purpose and order of the Mass, and the central role of Jesus Christ and the Holy Eucharist in the everyday life of the world-wide church.

Finally, I pointed to the unanimity and consistency of belief, over a span of some 2000 years, on the Catholic side, vs. the many, varying, and often widely diverging opinions of the Protestant reformers.

Having responded in a clear, well organized, thorough, historical, theological, scholarly, polite, sensitive, charitable and forthright Christian manner, I clicked “send”.

A few days passed, and a reply to my original email had indeed arrived. It read:

Why do Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, when the scriptures are clear that Holy Communion is nothing more than a symbolic commemoration?

Since I could clearly see the full text of my earlier response incorporated into this email reply, I assumed that the reader had also seen it.

Once again,  I responded … but this time, on a more emotional level:

Catholics understand, based on all available evidence, that anyone who refuses to believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist is almost certainly destined to spend an eternity in hell. Thanks for writing!

Political Catholic Question of the Day: How is that we find Catholics coming down on both sides of virtually every major political issue?

Question of the day: How is that we find Catholics coming down on both sides of virtually every major political issue?

Answer: About 50% of Catholics are liberal democrats. The other 50% of Catholics actually believe in God.

Today’s question: What you do not like about the Catholics?

Question: What you do not like about the Catholics?

Answer: Catholics are the spoiled, rich kids of the Christian faith, on whom God has always lavished his inestimable love, sanctifying grace, awesome power and tender mercies.

God provides Catholics with a wide array of extraordinarily effective, spiritual “tools” with which Catholics might act to secure their eternal salvation, in Jesus Christ.

Jesus also never fails to appear on every altar, in every Catholic Church, all around the world, every hour of every day, every day of every year, at Holy Mass, so that Catholics might (through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, while giving great honor and glory to God the Father) faithfully renew the divine promise of Jesus’ one time, once for all, perfect and atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.

It’s just not fair! Not fair, I tell you!

Asked and answered today on Yahoo!Answers. (Slightly edited for clarity and content.)

A kind of non-denominational chaplaincy to the New World Order

In the first papal address ever given to the United States Congress by a Pope, the Vicar of Christ never mentioned Christ, but rather only Moses as the one who “leads us directly to God and thus to the transcendent dignity of the human being.” Given an historic opportunity to preach Catholic truth to secular power, Francis held up as models for imitation not Christ, nor any of the saints of the Catholic Church, but rather Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, the controversial convert Dorothy Day…

In the aftermath of the Pope’s address, even the Jewish radio talk show host Michael Savage could see what is happening.  He described it (during his show on September 25) as “a seamless integration of Church and State.” By this he means the de facto absorption of the Church into the modern state system and the reduction of the role of the papacy to that of a kind of non-denominational chaplaincy to the New World Order.

Truly we are seeing fulfilled before our very eyes the process Bishop Rudolf Graber described in the 1970s: that of synarchy, the very fulfillment of Masonic designs according to which “Catholicism, like all religions, would consequently be absorbed into a universal syncretism.

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Since Pope Francis, more Catholics say the church is in touch

Yeah … but in touch with whom?

Vasectomy: Okay for Catholic Husbands?

The Church teaches that it is reasonable for married couples to try to regulate births; in fact, the Catechism says that it is one of the “aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood.” (CCC 2299). However, a “legitimate intention” to regulate births does not “…justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception).” (Id.).

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Unholy alliance: Catholics and Democrats in Chicago.

Over the span of 50 years the Democratic Party and the archdiocese arrived at a mutual understanding. Each would protect and support the other. Each would deal with scandals and corruption by looking the other way. The sheepskin of civil rights hid the wolf of minority segregation.

As the Church became more insular, the Democrats became more liberal. The passage of same-sex marriage in Illinois demonstrated the price the Church paid for the marriage of convenience between Catholics and Democrats.

In spite of this duplicity, many Democrats like those in the group “Catholics for Obama” still believe that the most anti-Catholic president in U.S. history is something other than what he is.

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Ten things faithful Catholics might do in order to change the world

1. Promote Mass attendance: All the exit polling since the late 50s shows that Mass-attending Catholics, not just self-identified Catholics, are most likely to vote for socially conservative candidates, i.e., those who oppose gay marriage, oppose abortion, oppose euthanasia, support the military, espouse traditional values, support fiscal responsibility, oppose the growth of federal power, and look upon the United States as an “exceptional” nation. The lower Mass attendance drops, the less likely Catholic voters will oppose the cultural norms that will shape the minds and hearts of present and future generations.

2. Maximize the likely: Outreach to Catholic voters should focus on maximizing the identification, education, recruiting, and actual voting of Mass-attending Catholics.  Effort spent going after other groups is a waste of time and resources.  Self-identified Catholics vote with the general population, and various Catholic ethnic groups will only embrace social conservatism after a long term effort of evangelization and education.

3. No Catholic language: Most Catholic politicians and activists sound like Evangelicals.  That’s not meant as a criticism of Evangelicals but a criticism of Catholics who do not bring the concepts and diction of their own faith into the public square.  It’s also a criticism of Catholics who think they have to sound like an Evangelical preacher to gain a following or create applause. Catholics speaking on politics need to develop their own effective political language and their own powerful, persuasive rhetorical models.

4. Dealing with the Bishops: The Church teaches that the Catholic layperson has a specific obligation to participate in politics, to be political all the way to the grassroots.  Our clergy and religious have an obligation to vote but do not have the same obligation to engage politics in a partisan manner. Catholics make the mistake of asking for permission to create groups or support candidates, when asking permission is not required.  Our clergy teach us the moral/social principles upon which our participation is based, but they cannot, and should not, become obstacles to lay participation in politics.  (The only exception is in the case of ex-communication when a politician is “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin,” such as abortion; see Canon 915.)

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The Democratic Party now stands against what Catholics should believe.

Let’s make a list: abortion on demand, the contraceptive mandate, continued urban segregation, same-sex marriage, and unending illegal immigration. The list goes on.

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