By Michael W. Chapman
(CNSNews.com) – Although the Catholic Church teaches
that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered,” constitute “grave
depravity,” and can never “be approved,” the Catholic bishops of New
York State “have not taken a position” on past bills and “do not foresee
taking a position” on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new order banning private and
public health insurers from covering gay conversion therapy for
minors.
Cuomo, a Catholic who supports homosexual marriage and
abortion, made his announcement about prohibiting health care coverage
for conversion (or reparative) therapy on Saturday, Feb. 6...
Link:
Friday, February 12, 2016
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Pope unleashes 'super confessors' to tackle special sins
By Ella Ide
Vatican City (AFP) - Dubbed 'super confessors', for one year only they can absolve sins usually only pardoned by the pope himself.
And on Wednesday over 1,000 of these "missionaries of mercy", handpicked by Pope Francis, were sent forth to win back the hearts of those who have left the Catholic Church and open the door to repentant sinners across the world.
There are certain evils the Vatican ranks above other sins, from attempting to assassinate the pope to defiling the Eucharist -- the rite of consuming consecrated bread and wine in Church -- by spitting it out or using it in a Satanic ritual.
Since the 12th century, those guilty of these so-called "reserved sins" had their cases evaluated by a secret tribunal in the tiny Vatican city state before they were sent before the pope, who would determine an appropriate penance.
Now, 1,142 priests and monks from around the world have be given the power, for the Vatican's Jubilee Year, to forgive sinners in their flocks -- and possibly fellow priests as one of the special sins is breaking the seal of confession.
Maltese Franciscan Marcello Ghirlando, 53, told AFP he thought giving the 'super confessors' authority usually reserved for the man in white was "a symbolic gesture" to show people the Church is ready to wipe slates clean... (continued)
Link:
Vatican City (AFP) - Dubbed 'super confessors', for one year only they can absolve sins usually only pardoned by the pope himself.
And on Wednesday over 1,000 of these "missionaries of mercy", handpicked by Pope Francis, were sent forth to win back the hearts of those who have left the Catholic Church and open the door to repentant sinners across the world.
There are certain evils the Vatican ranks above other sins, from attempting to assassinate the pope to defiling the Eucharist -- the rite of consuming consecrated bread and wine in Church -- by spitting it out or using it in a Satanic ritual.
Since the 12th century, those guilty of these so-called "reserved sins" had their cases evaluated by a secret tribunal in the tiny Vatican city state before they were sent before the pope, who would determine an appropriate penance.
Now, 1,142 priests and monks from around the world have be given the power, for the Vatican's Jubilee Year, to forgive sinners in their flocks -- and possibly fellow priests as one of the special sins is breaking the seal of confession.
Maltese Franciscan Marcello Ghirlando, 53, told AFP he thought giving the 'super confessors' authority usually reserved for the man in white was "a symbolic gesture" to show people the Church is ready to wipe slates clean... (continued)
Link:
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Trump, Sanders win New Hampshire Primary
By Stephen Collinson
(CNN) Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders have cruised to victories in the New Hampshire primary, CNN projects, in results that will rock the establishments of both parties and confirm the strength of outsider candidates in a wild presidential race.
Trump's victory restores the mantle of a winner to the billionaire reality star's campaign after he finished second last week in Iowa and validates him as a powerful new force in American politics...
Link:
(CNN) Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Bernie Sanders have cruised to victories in the New Hampshire primary, CNN projects, in results that will rock the establishments of both parties and confirm the strength of outsider candidates in a wild presidential race.
Trump's victory restores the mantle of a winner to the billionaire reality star's campaign after he finished second last week in Iowa and validates him as a powerful new force in American politics...
Link:
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Thousands take part in anti-Islam Pegida protests across Europe - held signs saying 'Trump is right'
By Will Worley
(Independent) Protesters from the anti-Islam PEGIDA movement marched in cities across Europe today.
With around 2000 attendees, the largest was in Dresden, the home town of the group, the Daily Mail reported.
There were also far right demonstrations in the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Poland, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia and even Australia.
In Birmingham, 100 - 300 protesters joined the first PEGIDA demonstration in Britain. A silent march walked through a Birmingham industrial estate, a Guardian journalist reported...
Some marchers held signs saying 'Trump is right', referring to the US presidential candidate's anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Links:
- Thousands take part in anti-Islam Pegida protests across Europe
- HUNDREDS of Protesters Carry “TRUMP IS RIGHT” Signs at First PEGIDA Rally in England
- A world divided: Violent clashes break out across the globe as thousands take to the streets in anti-Islam protests organised by far-right group PEGIDA
Thursday, February 4, 2016
SS United States: Crystal Cruises Planning Return of Historic Transatlantic Liner
SS United States. Photo credit: SS United States ConservancyBy Mike Schuler
(gCaptain) A major development today in the ongoing saga to save the SS United States from a trip the scrapyard.
Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises says it has signed a purchase option for the historic – yet weathered – transatlantic steam ship and plans to refurbish the vessel and return it to oceangoing service as a modern luxury cruise ship.
The announcement was made Thursday by Crystal Cruises together with the SS United States Conservancy preservation group at a press conference at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York City.
Crystal says its goal is to bring the ship into compliance with the latest environmental and safety standards, and returning her to full oceangoing service. In doing so, the company has agreed to cover all costs associated with preserving the ship while undertaking a technical feasibility study, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
The SS United States, aka “America’s Flagship”, has faced an uncertain future over the years and especially in recent months. In October 2015, the SS United States Conservancy, faced with the challenge covering the vessel’s monthly expenses each month, began exploring options for the potential sale and scrapping of the ship. The news ignited an outpouring of public support, which helped the Conservancy raise an additional $600,000 in funds to continue its preservation efforts and negotiations with potential investors, ultimately saving it from the scrapyard.
The Conservancy alluded to today’s good news in late January following a story by the AP that said a deal had been struck to save the ship.
“The prospect of revitalizing the SS United States and reestablishing her as ‘America’s Flagship’ once again is a thrilling one. It will be a very challenging undertaking, but we are determined to apply the dedication and innovation that has always been the ship’s hallmark,” said Crystal President and CEO Edie Rodriguez at Thursday press conference. “We are honored to work with the SS United States Conservancy and government agencies in exploring the technical feasibility study so we can ultimately embark on the journey of transforming her into a sophisticated luxury cruise liner for the modern era.”
Crystal Cruises says that in order to meet modern demands and be in full regulatory compliance, the SS United States will have to be extensively re-built to meet over 60 years of new maritime rules and shipbuilding practices. During the process, the ship will be transformed into an 800-guest-capacity vessel, featuring 400 luxurious suites with dining, entertainment, spa and other luxury guest amenities that are true to the ship’s history. Features of the original SS United States such as the Promenade and Navajo Lounge will be retained, while new engines and sophisticated marine technology will be installed to maintain her title as the fastest cruise vessel in the world, according to Crystal Cruises... (continued)
Link:
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Iowa Poll: Men, Catholics Prefer Trump
A closer look at the GOP's Iowa Poll Results
By Jennifer Jacobs
(The Des Moines Register)
Horse race rank: No. 1
Support: 28 percent, up from 22 percent
Mainstream Republicans are helping carry the New York businessman into the lead.
Thirty-eight percent of likely GOP caucusgoers identify themselves as primarily mainstream, rather than tea party or evangelical conservative, and Trump does better than any other candidate with 34 percent of their support. Rubio is next at 21 percent. Cruz gets only 10 percent of these voters.
Trump also wins with voters who think the system is rigged against all but the very rich and powerful, with 39 percent of their support, followed by Cruz at 19 percent.
Men, Catholics, and first-time caucusgoers prefer Trump over others.
Link:
By Jennifer Jacobs
(The Des Moines Register)
Horse race rank: No. 1
Support: 28 percent, up from 22 percent
Mainstream Republicans are helping carry the New York businessman into the lead.
Thirty-eight percent of likely GOP caucusgoers identify themselves as primarily mainstream, rather than tea party or evangelical conservative, and Trump does better than any other candidate with 34 percent of their support. Rubio is next at 21 percent. Cruz gets only 10 percent of these voters.
Trump also wins with voters who think the system is rigged against all but the very rich and powerful, with 39 percent of their support, followed by Cruz at 19 percent.
Men, Catholics, and first-time caucusgoers prefer Trump over others.
Link:
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Statement from Secretary of State Paul Pate Regarding Misleading Mailer from Cruz for President Campaign
Additionally, the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office never “grades” voters. Nor does the Secretary of State maintain records related to Iowa Caucus participation. Caucuses are organized and directed by the state political parties, not the Secretary of State, nor local elections officials. Also, the Iowa Secretary of State does not “distribute” voter records. They are available for purchase for political purposes only, under Iowa Code.” – Paul D. Pate, Iowa Secretary of State
Link:
Related:
Friday, January 29, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Leonardo DiCaprio meets Pope Francis to talk about climate change
By Jodi Guglielmi / PEOPLE
(EW.com) Leonardo DiCaprio has officially met the Pope.
The actor had a private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Thursday morning.
“Leo explained that he wanted to discuss a subject they both have very much at heart: protecting the environment and climate change,” a source tells PEOPLE.
DiCaprio, 41, arrived at the Vatican at 11:15 a.m. local time and was accompanied by his father, George DiCaprio, and Milutin Gatsby, global fundraising chair for the actor’s namesake charity, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.
During the 15-minute meeting, the actor presented the pontiff with a check from his environmental philanthropy for him to use for charity works “close to your heart,” reports the Associated Press.
“Your Holiness, thank you for granting me this private audience with you,” DiCaprio said in Italian as he kissed the Pope’s ring before leaving, according to the Associated Press.
This meeting is the latest stop on the actor’s environmental advocacy tour. DiCaprio was recently honored for his philanthropic efforts at the Economic Forum in Davos, where he donated another $15 million to environmental projects.
He also announced new partnerships with different environmental groups that focus on conservation and sustainability around the world.
Link:
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Ted Cruz on Birth Control: 'We Don’t Have a Rubber Shortage in America'
By Jessica Hopper @ ABC News
"Last I checked, we don’t have a rubber shortage in America. Look, when I was in college, we had a machine in the bathroom, you put 50 cents in and voila. So, yes, anyone who wants contraceptives can access them, but it’s an utter made-up nonsense issue,” Cruz said at a campaign stop in Bettendorf, Iowa...
"Now, listen, I have been a conservative my entire life,” Cruz said. “I have never met anybody, any conservative, who wants to ban contraceptives. As I noted, Heidi and I, we have two little girls. I’m very glad we don’t have 17.”
Link:
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Pope Leo X on Luther and Lutherans
"Moreover, because the preceding errors and many others are contained in the books or writings of Martin Luther, we likewise condemn, reprobate, and reject completely the books and all the writings and sermons of the said Martin, whether in Latin or any other language, containing the said errors or any one of them; and we wish them to be regarded as utterly condemned, reprobated, and rejected. We forbid each and every one of the faithful of either sex, in virtue of holy obedience and under the above penalties to be incurred automatically, to read, assert, preach, praise, print, publish, or defend them. They will incur these penalties if they presume to uphold them in any way, personally or through another or others, directly or indirectly, tacitly or explicitly, publicly or occultly, either in their own homes or in other public or private places..."
--Pope Leo X, Exsurge Domine
Link:
--Pope Leo X, Exsurge Domine
Link:
Trump Campaign Statement on FOX News Debate
(New York, NY) January 26th, 2016 - As someone who wrote one of the best-selling business books of all time, The Art of the Deal, who has built an incredible company, including some of the most valuable and iconic assets in the world, and as someone who has a personal net worth of many billions of dollars, Mr. Trump knows a bad deal when he sees one. FOX News is making tens of millions of dollars on debates, and setting ratings records (the highest in history), where as in previous years they were low-rated afterthoughts.
Unlike the very stupid, highly incompetent people running our country into the ground, Mr. Trump knows when to walk away. Roger Ailes and FOX News think they can toy with him, but Mr. Trump doesn’t play games. There have already been six debates, and according to all online debate polls including Drudge, Slate, Time Magazine, and many others, Mr. Trump has won all of them, in particular the last one. Whereas he has always been a job creator and not a debater, he nevertheless truly enjoys the debating process - and it has been very good for him, both in polls and popularity.
He will not be participating in the FOX News debate and will instead host an event in Iowa to raise money for the Veterans and Wounded Warriors, who have been treated so horribly by our all talk, no action politicians. Like running for office as an extremely successful person, this takes guts and it is the kind mentality our country needs in order to Make America Great Again.
Link:
Unlike the very stupid, highly incompetent people running our country into the ground, Mr. Trump knows when to walk away. Roger Ailes and FOX News think they can toy with him, but Mr. Trump doesn’t play games. There have already been six debates, and according to all online debate polls including Drudge, Slate, Time Magazine, and many others, Mr. Trump has won all of them, in particular the last one. Whereas he has always been a job creator and not a debater, he nevertheless truly enjoys the debating process - and it has been very good for him, both in polls and popularity.
He will not be participating in the FOX News debate and will instead host an event in Iowa to raise money for the Veterans and Wounded Warriors, who have been treated so horribly by our all talk, no action politicians. Like running for office as an extremely successful person, this takes guts and it is the kind mentality our country needs in order to Make America Great Again.
Link:
Evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr. endorses Trump
By Robert Costa and Jenna Johnson
(The Washington Post) Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr., the son of the late televangelist, endorsed Donald Trump on Tuesday, giving the Republican front-runner the blessing of one of the evangelical community’s biggest names just days before the Iowa caucuses.
In a statement, Falwell called Trump “a successful executive and entrepreneur, a wonderful father and a man who I believe can lead our country to greatness again.”
Falwell’s move has long been expected since he has showered praise on the billionaire in recent weeks and developed a rapport with him. But the timing of the formal announcement is significant, coming as Trump and Ted Cruz compete intensely in Iowa for the support of social conservatives.
“It is truly an honor to receive Jerry’s endorsement. Not only is he a high-quality person, with a wonderful family, whom I have great respect for — I also consider him a very good friend and his support means so much to me,” Trump said in a statement.
Coming a week after evangelical favorite Sarah Palin endorsed Trump, Falwell represents the latest attempt by Trump to cut into Cruz’s deep support among born-again Christians nationwide and showcase his own popularity with prominent people of faith...
Link:
(The Washington Post) Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr., the son of the late televangelist, endorsed Donald Trump on Tuesday, giving the Republican front-runner the blessing of one of the evangelical community’s biggest names just days before the Iowa caucuses.
In a statement, Falwell called Trump “a successful executive and entrepreneur, a wonderful father and a man who I believe can lead our country to greatness again.”
Falwell’s move has long been expected since he has showered praise on the billionaire in recent weeks and developed a rapport with him. But the timing of the formal announcement is significant, coming as Trump and Ted Cruz compete intensely in Iowa for the support of social conservatives.
“It is truly an honor to receive Jerry’s endorsement. Not only is he a high-quality person, with a wonderful family, whom I have great respect for — I also consider him a very good friend and his support means so much to me,” Trump said in a statement.
Coming a week after evangelical favorite Sarah Palin endorsed Trump, Falwell represents the latest attempt by Trump to cut into Cruz’s deep support among born-again Christians nationwide and showcase his own popularity with prominent people of faith...
Link:
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
What Palin's Trump Speech Says About the State of the Conservative Movement
By Rush Limbaugh
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Man, are we loaded today. I'll tell you right now, it's going
to take all three hours and then some. I'm gonna try to get it all in
here in three hours. Much of today is gonna build on points that I have
been making the past two days, evolving, growing, adding evidence to
it, all rooted around the question, who is and what is the conservative
movement, and why is it apparently behaving so oddly? I think I can
explain this and much else to all of you as the program unfolds today
before your very eyes and ears. It will explain the massive support for
Donald Trump that people can't figure out. It will explain why there's
abject hatred and panic over Trump in the Washington Republican and
even conservative media establishment.
Trump picking Sarah Palin, or Palin deciding to endorse Trump just exacerbates it. And, by the way, Sarah Palin is gonna help me make my points today, because I read the transcript for her speech that she made, and it's actually -- the speech that Palin made yesterday for Trump, I saw people pan it, say she looked like she lost her place, she was reading cue cards, she didn't seem to be all there. I didn't see it, but I read the transcript of her speech, and I'm telling you it is -- well, I don't want to overdo it and say brilliant, but I'll tell you, she's got substantive, logical reasons for doing what she's doing. And she explained it yesterday for anybody who really wanted to pay attention to listen to it. So I'm gonna explain that.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: These are just thoughts that I had that I'm sharing with you. Don't attach any more to it. I want to warn you, this may not be good for me to say, and I'm gonna try to make it so it's not necessary, but you may need a lot of nuance listening to me today. Avoid knee jerks today if you can and hang in as I go through some of this stuff, because it's not complicated, but it is detailed. And of course I, ladies and gentlemen, excel at making the complex understandable.
This
actually isn't that complex. It's just so strange. I'm not trying to
be cryptic. I tell you, the last couple of days, remember the piece in National Review, David French,
where he speculated that one of the problems going on with the
Republican Party is they don't even know who their base is, that they
have overestimated who their conservative base is. They do not
understands it and overestimate it. In other words, the conservative
base is not nearly as conservative as they think it is, nor is it
conservative as they define it.
That's key. The way the Republican establishment defines conservatism is not what it is. To them it's hayseed hicks, pro-lifers running around in pickup trucks with shotguns in the back, bitter clingers. You know, Obama's not just speaking for himself on that. There are a lot of people in Washington in both parties who have that opinion of conservatives, and the Republicans might even look at their own base in that regard. But the truth is that they've overestimated the conservative base and furthermore they are clueless in understanding what it is that motivates their own base, and, as such, they're incapable of understanding why Trump has any support.
Now, I'm gonna explain all that to you today, and more. 'Cause I have been researching it, delving deeply into it. My own instincts in this from a year ago are being confirmed on a couple of things. Snerdley tells me... I didn't... I haven't seen this, but why would I doubt Snerdley? I mean, why would I think Snerdley would be wrong about this? Why would I think Snerdley would come to me with something wrong?
He's telling me that George Will... Is it a column today? (interruption) Well, you read it today. I don't know when it was published, but apparently George Will is saying that if Trump wins, he's advocating third party. (interruption) That he will go third party? (interruption) Oh, it was an interview? (interruption) It's not a column? (interruption) All right. All right. (interruption) Oh. If it's in your stack, I'll find it. I've been swamped in here.
I haven't had a chance to go through it. Anyway, George Will is talking third party. I can explain why that's happening, too, folks.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I think, folks, the thing that's happening here, the awakening that's taking place, and I think it's a serious awakening that is taking place within the Republican Party and the so-called conservative movement. When I talk about the conservative movement, to me I'm talking about Washington. I'm not talking about you in the grassroots. I'm talking about the establishment, conservative media, the brainiacs, the think tanks, the professors. And it's not bad, don't misunderstand. I'm just saying that there is a new understanding of who out in the country is actually conservative and who isn't.
I think what's actually being revealed here is that the Republican Party itself and even some of the conservative intelligentsia has misjudged and overestimated the conservatism of the base, negatively. They have a negative connotation of conservatism. They don't like it, obviously. They think it's the pro-lifers, the social issues, that's what they think conservatives are, and that that's all they are.
And they're embarrassed of 'em, don't like going to the convention with 'em, and their wives nag 'em about it. And what's being discovered here by virtue of the Trump candidacy is that this misunderstanding is being exposed. And it's now out in the open that the Republican conservative base is not monolithically conservative. It has lots of components that have been lumped together as conservative maybe for the past 30 years. And there are some people who think that this masquerade's over, is good that it's over, that the idea that conservatism is one type of thinking and one person and a monolithic thing, some people think it's a great idea to have this blown up.
I think the best way to explain it is that there are a lot of people in this country who are conservative. There are a lot of those people that won't admit it, for whatever reason, don't want anybody to know it, for whatever reason or another, and therefore they live and vote and do things for the most part which are conservative, certainly not liberal. But that's not the glue that unites them all. If it were, if conservatism -- this is the big shock -- if conservatism were the glue, the belief and understanding of deep but commonly understood conservative principles, if that's what defined people as conservative and was the glue that made the conservative movement a big movement, then Trump would have no chance.
He literally would have no chance. Because, whatever he is he's not and never has been known as a doctrinaire conservative. But neither is John McCain. Neither is 90% of the Republican Party, so it's not a criticism. It's not an allegation. The point is that if conservatism were this widely understood, deeply held belief system that united conservatives and united people as conservatives, then outsiders like Trump wouldn't stand a prayer of getting support from people. Yet he is. Therefore, it's safe to conclude that there are other things at play here that make people conservative. And look, I'm gonna go back to it.
The thing that's in front of everybody's face and it's apparently so hard to believe, it's this united, virulent opposition to the left and the Democrat Party and Barack Obama. And I, for the life of me, don't know what's so hard to understand about that.
Now, Sarah Palin and her speech. There she is in Tulsa. She's out making a campaign appearance. I guess Trump's in Tulsa. Oh, really? I just was told, "She looks better today." See? These poor women in politics, like Hillary. They can't get a break. "She looks better today." What, did she not look good yesterday? What, you didn't like that cowboy jacket or whatever it was? Why are they in Tulsa on the eve of the Hawkeye Cauci and the New Hampshire primary? Why are they there? The answer is easy. The answer is easy. I'm just asking it rhetorically.
Let's look at her endorsement speech. I don't have the whole thing here, but I've got most of it. It's not getting very much attention. Her jacket is getting more attention than what she said. I've seen people criticize her delivery, she lost her place, had to look at cue cards, Trump looked kind of out of place being not behind the podium. That, by the way, I said this in the first hour. I was surprised that Trump went the endorsement route. I mean, I am not surprised that he would accept it, but Trump just doesn't look like Trump giving up the podium and standing aside, I don't care who it is for. And endorsements are kind of the way it's done, right, in by-the-book politics, and Trump's not by-the-book politics. But what is by-the-book politics is win at all costs.
So if you have to suck it up and say you support ethanol, and if you want to accept endorsements from somebody that's gonna undermine Cruz, I guess you'll do it. But she, in her speech yesterday, she explained why conservatives are angry about what's happening to the country and why they are as angry at the Republican establishment as they are at the Democrats. And she explained how a permanent political class has been created and corrupted by what's now known as the donor class. And she made it plain that what she wants to do now is participate in a movement that holds every one of those people accountable for the damage they've done to the country, for the failures they continue to mount up and be.
"When asked why I would jump into a primary -- kind of stirring it up a little bit maybe -- and choose one over some friends who are running and I’ve endorsed a couple others in their races before they decided to run for president, I was told left and right, 'you are going to get so clobbered in the press. You are just going to get beat up, and chewed up, and spit out.' You know, I’m thinking, 'and?' You know, like you guys haven’t tried to do that every day since that night in ‘08, when I was on stage nominated for VP."
Her point is, and she got close to saying this in her own words but didn't. But really what people are complaining about, you know, why would you do this. What's the Republican Party ever really done for her? I mean, besides nominate, McCain chose her. But members of the Republican establishment did their best to destroy her, to impugn her reputation. The people that were assigned to handle her were out leaking to the press how stupid she is and how it was so bad, that she's so stupid. These people couldn't vote for their own candidate, McCain, because if something happened to him and she became president, they couldn't live with themselves if they'd made that.
So they were gonna vote Democrat or not vote at all. These were the people responsible for shepherding her through the campaign. So she's got a legitimate question. I've already been clobbered. I've been clobbered by the people who are gonna clobber me today before. "And, like you all, I’m still standing. So those of us who’ve kind of gone through the ringer as Mr. Trump has, makes me respect you even more. That you’re here, and you’re putting your efforts, you’re putting reputations, you’re putting relationships on the line to do the right thing for this country. Because you are ready to make America great again."
I think it's a salient point. It wasn't just Sarah Palin who was smeared by the media and the rest of the Democrat Party, and even the Republican establishment. It was her supporters, by extension, who were smeared and insulted. And now the same suspects, same usual suspects, are trying to do the same thing all over again, this time to Trump and his supporters, but Trump is fighting back, where she couldn't because she was part of the organization trying to win.
So she couldn't fight back even though I'm sure she was tempted to. I think this explains why so many Tea Party supporters and other conservatives are drawn to Trump even if he doesn't, you know, broadcast or display a bunch of conservative credentials. I mean, people have a bond and a connection here to people who are laughed at, made fun of, criticized, ripped to shreds and so forth just because of what they believe and who they are.
She said, "Now, eight years ago, I warned that Obama's promised fundamental transformation of America. That is was going to take more from you, and leave America weaker on the world stage. And that we would soon be unrecognizable. Well, it's the one promise that Obama kept. But he didn't do it alone, and this is important to remember. Especially those of you, like me, a member of the GOP, this is what we have to remember, in this very contested, competitive, great primary race.
"Trump's candidacy, it has exposed not just that tragic ramifications of that betrayal of the transformation of our country, but too, he has exposed the complicity on both sides of the aisle that has enabled it, okay? Well, Trump, what he's been able to do -- which is really ticking people off, which I'm glad about. He's going rogue left and right, man. That's why he's doing so well. He's been able to tear the veil off this idea of the system, the way that the system really works. And please hear me on this.
"I want you guys to understand more and more how the system, the establishment, works, and has gotten us into the troubles that we are in in America." So she's doing... You don't think she has wanted to do this for years? You don't think she's wanted to launch back at these people who tried to ruin her reputation and destroy her, and she wasn't able to because of the obvious requirements of party loyalty, loyalty to McCain and all that? She said, "The permanent political class has been doing the bidding of their campaign donor class, and that's why you see that the borders are kept open for them, for their cheap labor that they want to come in.
"That's
why they've been bloating budgets. It's for crony capitalists to be
able suck off of them. It's why we see these lousy trade deals that gut
our industry for special interests elsewhere. We need someone new, who
has the power, and is in the position to bust up that establishment to
make things great again. It's part of the problem. His candidacy --
which is a movement. It's a force; it's a strategy. It proves as long as
the politicos get to keep their titles, and their perks, and their
media ratings, they don't really care who wins elections," as long as
they get to maintain what they've got now.
She's not wrong.
She's more right about that even she may know.
END TRANSCRIPT
Link:
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
Trump picking Sarah Palin, or Palin deciding to endorse Trump just exacerbates it. And, by the way, Sarah Palin is gonna help me make my points today, because I read the transcript for her speech that she made, and it's actually -- the speech that Palin made yesterday for Trump, I saw people pan it, say she looked like she lost her place, she was reading cue cards, she didn't seem to be all there. I didn't see it, but I read the transcript of her speech, and I'm telling you it is -- well, I don't want to overdo it and say brilliant, but I'll tell you, she's got substantive, logical reasons for doing what she's doing. And she explained it yesterday for anybody who really wanted to pay attention to listen to it. So I'm gonna explain that.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: These are just thoughts that I had that I'm sharing with you. Don't attach any more to it. I want to warn you, this may not be good for me to say, and I'm gonna try to make it so it's not necessary, but you may need a lot of nuance listening to me today. Avoid knee jerks today if you can and hang in as I go through some of this stuff, because it's not complicated, but it is detailed. And of course I, ladies and gentlemen, excel at making the complex understandable.
This
actually isn't that complex. It's just so strange. I'm not trying to
be cryptic. I tell you, the last couple of days, remember the piece in National Review, David French,
where he speculated that one of the problems going on with the
Republican Party is they don't even know who their base is, that they
have overestimated who their conservative base is. They do not
understands it and overestimate it. In other words, the conservative
base is not nearly as conservative as they think it is, nor is it
conservative as they define it.That's key. The way the Republican establishment defines conservatism is not what it is. To them it's hayseed hicks, pro-lifers running around in pickup trucks with shotguns in the back, bitter clingers. You know, Obama's not just speaking for himself on that. There are a lot of people in Washington in both parties who have that opinion of conservatives, and the Republicans might even look at their own base in that regard. But the truth is that they've overestimated the conservative base and furthermore they are clueless in understanding what it is that motivates their own base, and, as such, they're incapable of understanding why Trump has any support.
Now, I'm gonna explain all that to you today, and more. 'Cause I have been researching it, delving deeply into it. My own instincts in this from a year ago are being confirmed on a couple of things. Snerdley tells me... I didn't... I haven't seen this, but why would I doubt Snerdley? I mean, why would I think Snerdley would be wrong about this? Why would I think Snerdley would come to me with something wrong?
He's telling me that George Will... Is it a column today? (interruption) Well, you read it today. I don't know when it was published, but apparently George Will is saying that if Trump wins, he's advocating third party. (interruption) That he will go third party? (interruption) Oh, it was an interview? (interruption) It's not a column? (interruption) All right. All right. (interruption) Oh. If it's in your stack, I'll find it. I've been swamped in here.
I haven't had a chance to go through it. Anyway, George Will is talking third party. I can explain why that's happening, too, folks.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I think, folks, the thing that's happening here, the awakening that's taking place, and I think it's a serious awakening that is taking place within the Republican Party and the so-called conservative movement. When I talk about the conservative movement, to me I'm talking about Washington. I'm not talking about you in the grassroots. I'm talking about the establishment, conservative media, the brainiacs, the think tanks, the professors. And it's not bad, don't misunderstand. I'm just saying that there is a new understanding of who out in the country is actually conservative and who isn't.
I think what's actually being revealed here is that the Republican Party itself and even some of the conservative intelligentsia has misjudged and overestimated the conservatism of the base, negatively. They have a negative connotation of conservatism. They don't like it, obviously. They think it's the pro-lifers, the social issues, that's what they think conservatives are, and that that's all they are.
And they're embarrassed of 'em, don't like going to the convention with 'em, and their wives nag 'em about it. And what's being discovered here by virtue of the Trump candidacy is that this misunderstanding is being exposed. And it's now out in the open that the Republican conservative base is not monolithically conservative. It has lots of components that have been lumped together as conservative maybe for the past 30 years. And there are some people who think that this masquerade's over, is good that it's over, that the idea that conservatism is one type of thinking and one person and a monolithic thing, some people think it's a great idea to have this blown up.
I think the best way to explain it is that there are a lot of people in this country who are conservative. There are a lot of those people that won't admit it, for whatever reason, don't want anybody to know it, for whatever reason or another, and therefore they live and vote and do things for the most part which are conservative, certainly not liberal. But that's not the glue that unites them all. If it were, if conservatism -- this is the big shock -- if conservatism were the glue, the belief and understanding of deep but commonly understood conservative principles, if that's what defined people as conservative and was the glue that made the conservative movement a big movement, then Trump would have no chance.
He literally would have no chance. Because, whatever he is he's not and never has been known as a doctrinaire conservative. But neither is John McCain. Neither is 90% of the Republican Party, so it's not a criticism. It's not an allegation. The point is that if conservatism were this widely understood, deeply held belief system that united conservatives and united people as conservatives, then outsiders like Trump wouldn't stand a prayer of getting support from people. Yet he is. Therefore, it's safe to conclude that there are other things at play here that make people conservative. And look, I'm gonna go back to it.
The thing that's in front of everybody's face and it's apparently so hard to believe, it's this united, virulent opposition to the left and the Democrat Party and Barack Obama. And I, for the life of me, don't know what's so hard to understand about that.
Now, Sarah Palin and her speech. There she is in Tulsa. She's out making a campaign appearance. I guess Trump's in Tulsa. Oh, really? I just was told, "She looks better today." See? These poor women in politics, like Hillary. They can't get a break. "She looks better today." What, did she not look good yesterday? What, you didn't like that cowboy jacket or whatever it was? Why are they in Tulsa on the eve of the Hawkeye Cauci and the New Hampshire primary? Why are they there? The answer is easy. The answer is easy. I'm just asking it rhetorically.
Let's look at her endorsement speech. I don't have the whole thing here, but I've got most of it. It's not getting very much attention. Her jacket is getting more attention than what she said. I've seen people criticize her delivery, she lost her place, had to look at cue cards, Trump looked kind of out of place being not behind the podium. That, by the way, I said this in the first hour. I was surprised that Trump went the endorsement route. I mean, I am not surprised that he would accept it, but Trump just doesn't look like Trump giving up the podium and standing aside, I don't care who it is for. And endorsements are kind of the way it's done, right, in by-the-book politics, and Trump's not by-the-book politics. But what is by-the-book politics is win at all costs.
So if you have to suck it up and say you support ethanol, and if you want to accept endorsements from somebody that's gonna undermine Cruz, I guess you'll do it. But she, in her speech yesterday, she explained why conservatives are angry about what's happening to the country and why they are as angry at the Republican establishment as they are at the Democrats. And she explained how a permanent political class has been created and corrupted by what's now known as the donor class. And she made it plain that what she wants to do now is participate in a movement that holds every one of those people accountable for the damage they've done to the country, for the failures they continue to mount up and be.
"When asked why I would jump into a primary -- kind of stirring it up a little bit maybe -- and choose one over some friends who are running and I’ve endorsed a couple others in their races before they decided to run for president, I was told left and right, 'you are going to get so clobbered in the press. You are just going to get beat up, and chewed up, and spit out.' You know, I’m thinking, 'and?' You know, like you guys haven’t tried to do that every day since that night in ‘08, when I was on stage nominated for VP."
Her point is, and she got close to saying this in her own words but didn't. But really what people are complaining about, you know, why would you do this. What's the Republican Party ever really done for her? I mean, besides nominate, McCain chose her. But members of the Republican establishment did their best to destroy her, to impugn her reputation. The people that were assigned to handle her were out leaking to the press how stupid she is and how it was so bad, that she's so stupid. These people couldn't vote for their own candidate, McCain, because if something happened to him and she became president, they couldn't live with themselves if they'd made that.
So they were gonna vote Democrat or not vote at all. These were the people responsible for shepherding her through the campaign. So she's got a legitimate question. I've already been clobbered. I've been clobbered by the people who are gonna clobber me today before. "And, like you all, I’m still standing. So those of us who’ve kind of gone through the ringer as Mr. Trump has, makes me respect you even more. That you’re here, and you’re putting your efforts, you’re putting reputations, you’re putting relationships on the line to do the right thing for this country. Because you are ready to make America great again."
I think it's a salient point. It wasn't just Sarah Palin who was smeared by the media and the rest of the Democrat Party, and even the Republican establishment. It was her supporters, by extension, who were smeared and insulted. And now the same suspects, same usual suspects, are trying to do the same thing all over again, this time to Trump and his supporters, but Trump is fighting back, where she couldn't because she was part of the organization trying to win.
So she couldn't fight back even though I'm sure she was tempted to. I think this explains why so many Tea Party supporters and other conservatives are drawn to Trump even if he doesn't, you know, broadcast or display a bunch of conservative credentials. I mean, people have a bond and a connection here to people who are laughed at, made fun of, criticized, ripped to shreds and so forth just because of what they believe and who they are.
She said, "Now, eight years ago, I warned that Obama's promised fundamental transformation of America. That is was going to take more from you, and leave America weaker on the world stage. And that we would soon be unrecognizable. Well, it's the one promise that Obama kept. But he didn't do it alone, and this is important to remember. Especially those of you, like me, a member of the GOP, this is what we have to remember, in this very contested, competitive, great primary race.
"Trump's candidacy, it has exposed not just that tragic ramifications of that betrayal of the transformation of our country, but too, he has exposed the complicity on both sides of the aisle that has enabled it, okay? Well, Trump, what he's been able to do -- which is really ticking people off, which I'm glad about. He's going rogue left and right, man. That's why he's doing so well. He's been able to tear the veil off this idea of the system, the way that the system really works. And please hear me on this.
"I want you guys to understand more and more how the system, the establishment, works, and has gotten us into the troubles that we are in in America." So she's doing... You don't think she has wanted to do this for years? You don't think she's wanted to launch back at these people who tried to ruin her reputation and destroy her, and she wasn't able to because of the obvious requirements of party loyalty, loyalty to McCain and all that? She said, "The permanent political class has been doing the bidding of their campaign donor class, and that's why you see that the borders are kept open for them, for their cheap labor that they want to come in.
"That's
why they've been bloating budgets. It's for crony capitalists to be
able suck off of them. It's why we see these lousy trade deals that gut
our industry for special interests elsewhere. We need someone new, who
has the power, and is in the position to bust up that establishment to
make things great again. It's part of the problem. His candidacy --
which is a movement. It's a force; it's a strategy. It proves as long as
the politicos get to keep their titles, and their perks, and their
media ratings, they don't really care who wins elections," as long as
they get to maintain what they've got now.She's not wrong.
She's more right about that even she may know.
Link:
Monday, January 18, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
BREAKING: Episcopal Church suspended from Anglican Communion
By Kimberly Winston
(RNS) The Anglican Communion voted to censure its American branch, the Episcopal Church, during a meeting in Canterbury, England, called to reflect on the future of the communion.
The vote Thursday (Jan. 14) to suspend the Episcopal Church from voting and decision-making for a period of three years was leaked a day ahead of a press conference that had been scheduled for Friday.
Details of the suspension were first reported by Anglican Ink, which said they came from a leaked communique. The vote passed by a two-thirds margin, according to the publication, which is based in Milford, Conn., and included prominent voices among African bishops who have loudly condemned the American church for its liberal stance on gays.
The dramatic demotion follows a string of Episcopal Church decisions stretching back to 2003, when it elected Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, as a bishop of New Hampshire. That decision led dozens of U.S. churches to break away from the Episcopal Church and declare their allegiance to a series of rival groups, including the Anglican Church in North America.
In July, the Episcopal Church voted to allow its clergy to perform same-sex marriages, a move not taken by the majority of churches in the Anglican Communion.
“Given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies . . . ” a statement issued by the Anglican Communion reads. “They will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.”
“The traditional doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds marriage as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union,” the statement also notes. “The majority of those gathered reaffirm this teaching...” (continued)
Link:
(RNS) The Anglican Communion voted to censure its American branch, the Episcopal Church, during a meeting in Canterbury, England, called to reflect on the future of the communion.
The vote Thursday (Jan. 14) to suspend the Episcopal Church from voting and decision-making for a period of three years was leaked a day ahead of a press conference that had been scheduled for Friday.
Details of the suspension were first reported by Anglican Ink, which said they came from a leaked communique. The vote passed by a two-thirds margin, according to the publication, which is based in Milford, Conn., and included prominent voices among African bishops who have loudly condemned the American church for its liberal stance on gays.
The dramatic demotion follows a string of Episcopal Church decisions stretching back to 2003, when it elected Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, as a bishop of New Hampshire. That decision led dozens of U.S. churches to break away from the Episcopal Church and declare their allegiance to a series of rival groups, including the Anglican Church in North America.
In July, the Episcopal Church voted to allow its clergy to perform same-sex marriages, a move not taken by the majority of churches in the Anglican Communion.
“Given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies . . . ” a statement issued by the Anglican Communion reads. “They will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.”
“The traditional doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds marriage as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union,” the statement also notes. “The majority of those gathered reaffirm this teaching...” (continued)
Link:
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Satanists Attack Virgin Mary: Sign Your Protest Against This Public Sacrilege
(TFP Student Action) With Oklahoma City's apparent stamp of approval, satanists were granted permission to hold a public sacrilege in front of St. Joseph Old Cathedral on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2015.
Adam Daniels -- the same satanist who sponsored a public, satanic Black Mass in 2014 -- told The Oklahoman that he plans to pour costume blood over a statue of the Virgin Mary, treated with "sulfur powder and ash."
“The purpose of the blood," Daniels said, "is to add another layer of corruption to Mary, which is an emblem of the Catholic Church.”
Click here to tell Oklahoma City to revoke its permit for this sacrilege
This public attack against the Mother of God on Christmas Eve is more than a morbid cry for media attention and should be called out for what it really is: religious persecution with City Hall approval.
The planned sacrilege is a direct sin of hatred against the Mother of God who is especially honored by Catholics in America under the title of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States.
To dismiss this satanic desecration right in front of St. Joseph Old Cathedral as a simple publicity stunt is to ignore the grave nature of this public sin and its consequences for our nation as one nation under God.
The uptick of Satanism and its repeated attacks against the Faith are designed to desensitize average Americans towards evil and wear down the moral fibers of our beloved nation. A "church" to Lucifer was recently opened in Texas. Last year, satanists performed a public Black Mass in Oklahoma City. And now there's this. What will be next?
History shows us how this type of religious persecution can incite greater acts of persecution which may eventually turn into a full-blown bloody persecution of Christians. Remember the Mexican Cristero martyrs of 1927. Remember Spain's Red Terror of 1936-1939 which killed 13 bishops, 4,172 diocesan priests and seminarians, 2,364 monks and friars and 283 nuns. And remember Dachau in the 1940s, the Nazi concentration camp where 1,034 Catholic priests were tortured and killed for the Faith.. (continued)
Who Is The ‘Personal Chef’ Of Cardinal Donald Wuerl?
By George Neumayr
(The Daily Caller) A flashy and expensive white Mercedes rolled out from the four-car garage of Donald Wuerl around 10:05 PM on December 11. I was there in the parking lot of Queen of the Americas parish at 2200 California street in the luxurious neighborhood known commonly as Embassy Row.
The Catholic cardinal of the nation’s capital since 2006, Wuerl has long had a reputation for high living — despite his exalted status as the most powerful American prelate in what the media calls the “humble church” of Pope Francis. (In his previous posting as a bishop in Pittsburgh, he lived in a 31-room mansion filled with antiques, rugs, and art.) But few know the details of his furtive pursuits on Embassy Row — a posh lifestyle which stands in shocking contrast to the simplicity Pope Francis insists he wants his shepherds to embrace.
I got a small glimpse of that contrast as I watched the white Mercedes move towards me. I put up my hand and the driver stopped and got out. “Do you work for Cardinal Wuerl?” I asked the black man, who appeared to be late middle age, as he exited the white Mercedes. “Yes,” he said. “I am his personal chef.”
Unaware that Cardinal Wuerl employed a personal chef, I asked the gentleman his name. He refused to give it. But he did describe himself as “an archdiocesan employee.”
(The Daily Caller) A flashy and expensive white Mercedes rolled out from the four-car garage of Donald Wuerl around 10:05 PM on December 11. I was there in the parking lot of Queen of the Americas parish at 2200 California street in the luxurious neighborhood known commonly as Embassy Row.
The Catholic cardinal of the nation’s capital since 2006, Wuerl has long had a reputation for high living — despite his exalted status as the most powerful American prelate in what the media calls the “humble church” of Pope Francis. (In his previous posting as a bishop in Pittsburgh, he lived in a 31-room mansion filled with antiques, rugs, and art.) But few know the details of his furtive pursuits on Embassy Row — a posh lifestyle which stands in shocking contrast to the simplicity Pope Francis insists he wants his shepherds to embrace.
I got a small glimpse of that contrast as I watched the white Mercedes move towards me. I put up my hand and the driver stopped and got out. “Do you work for Cardinal Wuerl?” I asked the black man, who appeared to be late middle age, as he exited the white Mercedes. “Yes,” he said. “I am his personal chef.”
Unaware that Cardinal Wuerl employed a personal chef, I asked the gentleman his name. He refused to give it. But he did describe himself as “an archdiocesan employee.”
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Pray for Father Tim Finigan
From Father Tim Finigan:
"I had a minor heart attack. One of the doctors did use that expression, though a young nurse who spoke to me later was versed in the new terminology of "cardiac episode" which makes me want to think up a script for Doctor Who. I'm not dead, but the experience of not being able to breathe properly does help to sharpen up one's focus on those meditations of St Alphonsus. Perhaps my many repetitions of the prayer "that we may not be surprised by a sudden and unprovided death" got me off this time..." (continued)
Link:
"I had a minor heart attack. One of the doctors did use that expression, though a young nurse who spoke to me later was versed in the new terminology of "cardiac episode" which makes me want to think up a script for Doctor Who. I'm not dead, but the experience of not being able to breathe properly does help to sharpen up one's focus on those meditations of St Alphonsus. Perhaps my many repetitions of the prayer "that we may not be surprised by a sudden and unprovided death" got me off this time..." (continued)
Link:
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Catholic diocese ‘respects’ decision to host openly gay judge as St. Patrick’s Parade grand marshal
By Lisa Bourne
BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut, December 11, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – Another U.S. city has officially introduced open homosexuality into its St. Patrick’s Day parade. And again, the Catholic diocese is continuing to stand by the parade.
The committee for the Stamford, Connecticut, parade announced its choice of state Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald as its 2016 grand marshal November 22.
McDonald is openly gay, his biography on the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Website closing with the statement, “Justice McDonald and his husband, Charles, live in Stamford.”
The local Catholic diocese has indicated it has no issue with the move to have the openly homosexual judge lead the parade, according to the local news outlet the Stamford Advocate.
McDonald was at odds with the Catholic Church in Connecticut in 2009 when as a state senator he proposed controversial legislation along with another lawmaker to regulate the Church’s finances.
SB 1098 was specific to the Catholic Church, and would have removed parish priests and the bishop from their oversight positions, giving power to a lay board. The bill was ultimately tabled, but not before significant backlash for its apparent violation of the Fourteenth Amendment ban on discriminatory legislation.
“We are deeply concerned about statements made by elected officials suggesting that Connecticut's existing religious corporation statutes, including those applicable to the Roman Catholic Church, are unconstitutional and should be amended,” the Diocese of Bridgeport, under Bishop William Lori, said in a report from Catholic News Agency at the time. “These statements are misinformed.”
The spokesman for the Diocese of Bridgeport said current Bishop Frank Caggiano was not asked about the St. Patrick’s Day parade committee’s choice of McDonald as grand marshal, saying as well it would not dispute the decision and calling the St. Patrick’s celebration a day of inclusiveness.
“The diocese respects the decision of the committee,“ Brian Wallace said. “It’s a day of inclusiveness. It’s a day people drop their differences. We hope people have a good day and enjoy the parade.”
The diocese did not respond to LifeSiteNews' request for comment by press time.
Stamford St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Chair Michael Feighan told the Stamford Advocate that McDonald, who aside from being a judge, has served on municipal boards and already been involved with the parade, met all the criteria for grand marshal role.
He is thought to be the first openly gay grand marshal in the U.S. selected to lead a St. Patrick’s Day parade, the report said.
In 2013 McDonald was confirmed as the first openly gay justice to the Connecticut Supreme Court, according to the Connecticut Mirror.
St. Patrick’s Day is the feast day honoring Ireland’s leading patron saint, and the annual Catholic observance holds substantial cultural significance for the Irish community, with parades and countless other festivities across the U.S. each year.
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan upset Catholics earlier this year when he served as grand marshal for the 2015 New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, after the parade committee allowed an openly homosexual activist group march in the parade with its identifying banner, breaking the event’s previous two-hundred-plus-year stance of only allowing Irish themed groups to participate in the parade honoring the Catholic saint.
The New York City parade committee’s agreement to allow the homosexual activist group after decades of pressure from gay activist groups was supposed to also mean a pro-life group would take part in the Catholic event, but no pro-life group has been allowed, and earlier this past fall the parade committee voted to allow a second homosexual group.
A Massachusetts Catholic school pulled out of its local St. Patrick’s Day parade this year after it learned a homosexual activist group would be allowed to march while openly identifying its homosexuality, its principal at the time citing Catholic Church teaching.
“Catholics are forbidden to sponsor or even participate in an event which openly promotes unnatural and immoral behavior,” Immaculate Heart of Mary School’s Brother Thomas Dalton said. “The Church will never accept nor condone same sex marriage and the homosexual lifestyle.”
Link:
BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut, December 11, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – Another U.S. city has officially introduced open homosexuality into its St. Patrick’s Day parade. And again, the Catholic diocese is continuing to stand by the parade.
The committee for the Stamford, Connecticut, parade announced its choice of state Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald as its 2016 grand marshal November 22.
McDonald is openly gay, his biography on the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Website closing with the statement, “Justice McDonald and his husband, Charles, live in Stamford.”
The local Catholic diocese has indicated it has no issue with the move to have the openly homosexual judge lead the parade, according to the local news outlet the Stamford Advocate.
McDonald was at odds with the Catholic Church in Connecticut in 2009 when as a state senator he proposed controversial legislation along with another lawmaker to regulate the Church’s finances.
SB 1098 was specific to the Catholic Church, and would have removed parish priests and the bishop from their oversight positions, giving power to a lay board. The bill was ultimately tabled, but not before significant backlash for its apparent violation of the Fourteenth Amendment ban on discriminatory legislation.
“We are deeply concerned about statements made by elected officials suggesting that Connecticut's existing religious corporation statutes, including those applicable to the Roman Catholic Church, are unconstitutional and should be amended,” the Diocese of Bridgeport, under Bishop William Lori, said in a report from Catholic News Agency at the time. “These statements are misinformed.”
The spokesman for the Diocese of Bridgeport said current Bishop Frank Caggiano was not asked about the St. Patrick’s Day parade committee’s choice of McDonald as grand marshal, saying as well it would not dispute the decision and calling the St. Patrick’s celebration a day of inclusiveness.
“The diocese respects the decision of the committee,“ Brian Wallace said. “It’s a day of inclusiveness. It’s a day people drop their differences. We hope people have a good day and enjoy the parade.”
The diocese did not respond to LifeSiteNews' request for comment by press time.
Stamford St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee Chair Michael Feighan told the Stamford Advocate that McDonald, who aside from being a judge, has served on municipal boards and already been involved with the parade, met all the criteria for grand marshal role.
He is thought to be the first openly gay grand marshal in the U.S. selected to lead a St. Patrick’s Day parade, the report said.
In 2013 McDonald was confirmed as the first openly gay justice to the Connecticut Supreme Court, according to the Connecticut Mirror.
St. Patrick’s Day is the feast day honoring Ireland’s leading patron saint, and the annual Catholic observance holds substantial cultural significance for the Irish community, with parades and countless other festivities across the U.S. each year.
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan upset Catholics earlier this year when he served as grand marshal for the 2015 New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, after the parade committee allowed an openly homosexual activist group march in the parade with its identifying banner, breaking the event’s previous two-hundred-plus-year stance of only allowing Irish themed groups to participate in the parade honoring the Catholic saint.
The New York City parade committee’s agreement to allow the homosexual activist group after decades of pressure from gay activist groups was supposed to also mean a pro-life group would take part in the Catholic event, but no pro-life group has been allowed, and earlier this past fall the parade committee voted to allow a second homosexual group.
A Massachusetts Catholic school pulled out of its local St. Patrick’s Day parade this year after it learned a homosexual activist group would be allowed to march while openly identifying its homosexuality, its principal at the time citing Catholic Church teaching.
“Catholics are forbidden to sponsor or even participate in an event which openly promotes unnatural and immoral behavior,” Immaculate Heart of Mary School’s Brother Thomas Dalton said. “The Church will never accept nor condone same sex marriage and the homosexual lifestyle.”
Link:
Thursday, December 10, 2015
On the Demonic Light Show
By Ann Barnhardt
(Barnhardt.biz) Yes, I’m just sitting here watching all of this collapse unfold, remembering how all of this was made perfectly, totally obvious when Bergoglio didn’t genuflect after consecrating the Host and Precious Blood in his first Mass in the Sistine Chapel. I don’t know what exactly it is going to take for people to realize that the whole “you can’t make judgments based on objective reality” trope is diabolical.
Anyway, LifeSiteNews has some excellent reportage on the digital “artist” who was hired by Bergoglio to do the St. Peter’s lightshow. Another thing that this culture has been tricked into believing (by perverting the significance of Our Blessed Lord dining with tax collectors and sinners) is that it does not matter who you associate with. When Our Lord dined with sinners, or spoke with the Woman at the Well, He called them, explicitly, to repentance. And they did. People today think they can run with truly evil people and never say a word to them admonishing their sin, telling them about hell, and telling them of the massive importance of repenting and ceasing their sinful ways, and that this is not only morally acceptable, but morally superior – that in running with, doing business with, or associating with genuinely bad people and NOT CONFRONTING THEIR EVIL is the mark of a truly “Christian” soul.
Bearing this all in mind, read the following excerpt on the digital “artist” that FrancisNewChurch freely chose to associate itself with and promote.
“Android” Andrew Jones, the artist behind the image, said at that time that he wanted to depict Mother Earth in her “fiercest form” to draw attention to what might happen if people ignored the implications of climate change.
The Vatican show included artwork and computer-generated designs by Jones, but it is unknown at this time what artwork was featured.
Jones, one of the world’s foremost digital painters and projection artists, specializes in portraying terrifying images of Greek, Roman and Eastern pagan deities. He said in an interview last month that he turns to these gods and goddesses by means of “psychedelic substances” (mind altering drugs) so that he can portray them accurately. He said the “deities” are “actively involved” in guiding his hand as he makes the work.
“These [drugs] are tools that grant portals and access into different realms that I still haven’t fully been able to grasp or say that I have uncovered all of their meanings. … They have evolved my ability to … discover new and interesting combinations of energy and matter. Some have … shown me greater nightmares than I could ever depict or wish to imagine ever again.”
“These spirits and the deities that [the images] represent [in India, Greece, etc.] are actively involved, enrolled, and contributing to humans reinventing the visual vernacular of these beings as time and technology evolves,” he said.
Jones said that good art connects the viewer to something “mystical.” He said in a 2010 video interview that a good reaction to his art happens when people “throw up, or urinate themselves, or [release] any sort of bodily excrement.”Bergoglio used the Feast of the Immaculate Conception to turn the Petrine Basilica into a global stage for a satanist.
Stay confessed.
Link:
Related:
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Fr. Z: 8 December 2005: this blog began. Tonight, Mass for Benefactors.
By Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
On 8 December 2005, I posted this photo. This blog project began.Link:
This was a shot – from my apartment window – of the Basilica and Apostolic Palace on the evening of the day that Pope Benedict was elected... (continued)
Monday, December 7, 2015
Donald J. Trump Statement on Preventing Muslim Immigration
(New York, NY) December 7th, 2015, -- Donald J. Trump is calling for a
total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until
our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.
According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards
Americans by large segments of the Muslim population. Most recently, a
poll from the Center for Security Policy released
data showing "25% of those polled agreed that violence against
Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global
jihad" and 51% of those polled, "agreed that Muslims in America should
have the choice of being governed according to Shariah." Shariah
authorizes such atrocities as murder against non-believers who won't
convert, beheadings and more unthinkable acts that pose great harm to
Americans, especially women.
Mr. Trump stated, "Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again." - Donald J. Trump
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Mr. Trump stated, "Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why we will have to determine. Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life. If I win the election for President, we are going to Make America Great Again." - Donald J. Trump
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