That’s right, expecting the government to do what you should be doing is seriously unrighteous.
Category: Catholic
Pope Condom Portrait And Gutless Hypocrites
The New York Times, June 29, ran a story regarding a controversy concerning the acceptance by the non-profit Milwaukee Art Museum of a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI made of condoms.
While the premeditated insult pretending to be art is not yet on display due to gallery renovations, Catholics are understandably upset.
The Times, of course, included an image of the offending artwork.
OK, fine. It’s a story and showing the image helps bring an understanding as to what the fuss is about.
The problem is that with regard to a far more relevant story seven months ago, the Times pointedly chose not to print an image that they thought might offend religious sensibilities, even though it was far more integral to the events being discussed.
Why the double standard?
The answer is obvious. Despite its long boast, the Times bases its editorial decisions entirely on fear and favor.
They are gutless hypocrites and a disgrace to journalism.
Oh yeah, and regarding the character of the “I think I’m smart” set, would the Milwaukee Art Museum accept a portrait of Mohammed ? Even if it wasn’t made of condoms?
Pope Condom Portrait And Gutless Hypocrites
Papal Philadelphia Itinerary
A comprehensive itinerary for Pope Francis’s visit to Philadelphia, Sept. 26-27 has been announced:
Saturday, Sept. 26
Morning
- Atlantic Aviation: Private Arrival.
- The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul: Mass Celebrating the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Afternoon
- Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary: Greeting of the Holy Father by the Seminarians.
- Independence Hall: (Outdoor; Overlooking Independence Mall) “We Hold These Truths…”
- Address by Pope Francis (Expected Themes: Religious Liberty and Immigration).
- The Benjamin Franklin Parkway: Evening: The Festival of Families
Sunday, Sept. 27.
Morning
- Saint Martin’s Chapel at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary:
- Address to Cardinals + Bishops attending World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015.
- Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility: Visit with Prisoners and Select Families.
Afternoon
- The Benjamin Franklin Parkway: The Papal Mass (Projected: 4 p.m. EST).
Evening
- A Celebration of World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 Supporters + Volunteers:
- Atlantic Aviation: Official Departure Ceremony.
Hat tip John Jushchyshyn
Papal Philadelphia Itinerary
Pope Francis Wisdom Shines
Conservatives like to pile on Pope Francis — sometimes even we do too — but when he’s right, he’s right and he is right about turning “capitalism” into some kind of idol. 
Here are 37 American businesses that wildly celebrated Friday’s (June 26) nonsensical 5-4 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court forbidding states to restrict a marriage to one man and one woman.
Leave aside that the ruling isn’t going to help anyone’s bottom line. Leave aside that it further endangers our already endangered Social Security program. Leave aside it complicates corporate human resources divisions and increases the cost of benefits programs.
It was hip and gives the rich, spoiled, never-bloodied ones who run corporate America to shout “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”
The recognition that homosexuality is a sin is a rather small part of the Bible and, despite what some Democrats claim, God does not hate gays. Rejecting that one part, though, gives license to reject the whole thing.
Taking care of the poor and loving your neighbor for examples.
Victor David Hanson, a week ago, published a heartbreaking column on PJMedia.com describing how the water crisis and environmental fanaticism are causing people to literally abandon their homes in the working class interior of California while the gated-community hipsters in Silicon Valley and Hollywood enjoy rich lawns and expansive carbon footprints.
The people who run America’s institutions whether business, academic or political truly don’t care about gays as individuals unless that particular gay can be of some benefit to them, and they don’t care about non-gays either.
So kudos Pope Francis for having the insight to spell it out.
And what is the Pope’s position on gay marriage? It’s pretty clear.
Pope Francis Wisdom Shines
Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don’t
Pope Francis, yesterday, June 18, released Laudato Si the first encyclical addressing the environment in Catholic Church history.
Most of it is hard to argue with. Greed is bad. Waste is bad. Pollution is bad.
Oh yeah, and abortion and euthanasia are bad.
However, Francis also felt obliged to chime in that global warming is primarily man-made and is an oppressive burden on the poor.
Taking that to its logical conclusion means those living in poor nations should no longer aspire to have global-warming producing things like refrigerators and air conditioners and computer networks, much less cars.
Saying people with brown skin should end their dreams of having these blessings strikes us as kind of mean.
Anyway, we remain global warming skeptics for the same reasons we stated in January:
1. The leading supporters hid data that contradicted their public conclusions and treated dissenters politically with attempts to punish and silence them rather than in accordance with the canons of science which would be giving them full and fair hearing then refuting them openly.
2. Falsities have been found in the arguments of those claiming anthropogenic global warming (AGW).
3. Hypocrisy has been found in the lifestyles of those claiming AGW. Really, if you believe that a particular behavior is going to destroy the lives of your children you don’t charter jets to catch New Year’s shows on different continents. Nor do you live in energy-wasting villas. Either the activists don’t believe in what they say or they don’t care. We find this strange if one is talking about the end of the world.
4. The commonsense and practical actions that would drastically alleviate the claimed causes of AGW have been ignored, and even opposed by the supporters of AGW. When was the last time you heard an AGW claimer exhorting for more telecommuting? How about nuclear power? If the effort was made circa Y2K to replace every coal plant in this nation with a nuke, alleged AGW gases would be half diminished by now. Even more bizarrely why do AGW claimers support the removal of hydro-electric dams to be replaced by AGW producing plants?
We can go on noting opposition to streamlining the removal of traffic bottlenecks by ending Davis-Bacon requirements, and toll roads.
Frankly, any of these by themselves is damning to the argument. As there are four of them color us extremely skeptical.
Also, while arguments from authority are anything but definitive, we will note that highly accredited and accomplished persons in the field of climate study doubt it is occurring. These include Joe Bastardi, longtime of Accuweather, and John Coleman, founder of The Weather Channel; and Dr. Roy Spencer, who pioneered temperature-based satellite monitoring.
For those who accept Francis’ declaration, we can find common ground regarding point 4. Are you green activists ready to fight to save hydro-electric dams and replace our coal plants with nukes? How about ending Davis-Bacon and other prevailing wage laws so we can free up some cash to remove traffic bottlenecks?
Another point: If you are willing to accept his declaration on global warming are you willing to accept his declarations on abortion and gay marriage?
Pope Accepts Global Warming, We Don’t.
Concerning Hell And A Loving God
It’s a slow day and this is from a recent internet discussion concerning Pope Francis
If God has made peace with all, then why send people to Hell? I don’t think God sends people to Hell. The broad road leads to Hell, the narrow one doesn’t. He sends people on the narrow one and tells them not to use the broad one. 
Why is there a Hell? What else can you do with those who insist they are the center of the universe? If one can’t be loyal to the one who loves you more than anything; if one insists on tormenting and demeaning his other children despite all exhortations to change, if one insists on following monsters, you certainly can’t let him into the Kingdom.
So you give him what he wants, an existence without you. You might think that sounds like a mild punishment but God is the ONLY source of good. Without God’s protection you would be subject to every torment you can imagine and all the one’s you can’t for that matter. And without ever any chance of making an appeal to God again. That’s how I look at it.
God is not a sadist. He’s not cruel. He’s going to forget about the people in Hell. He’s going to set it up so He never has to hear them again or have THEM inflict pain on HIM again. Yes, we cause pain to God.
And yes, they will suffer forever just as people without God suffer on earth except magnified infinitely.
How do you view God? As jolly old St. Nick? I view Him as Jesus, my best friend. How do you view God?
Concerning Hell And A Loving God
Extraordinary Jubilee Year Means Mercy
Rev. Frank Pavone 
It is time for the doors of mercy to open even wider for the People of God. Jesus Christ himself is the mercy of God. To believe in him is to believe in mercy, to witness to him is to witness to mercy. And the Church wants us to become experts in this.
That is why Pope Francis has declared an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, to be observed from Dec. 8, 2015 through Nov. 20, 2016.
On April 11, the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, the Pope issued the document explaining the purpose and vision of this special Holy Year. It intersects perfectly with our commitment to rescue children from the violence of abortion.
Pope Francis points out that mercy is seen in God’s actions, and must be seen in ours. He points out that Psalm 146 “attests to the concrete signs of his mercy: ‘He secures justice for the oppressed; he gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.’… In short, the mercy of God is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality through which he reveals his love as that of a father or a mother, moved to the very depths out of love for their child” (n.6).
Later in the document, naturally, the Pope points out how this is fulfilled in Jesus’ own description of his ministry as one that will “proclaim liberty to the captives”.
If we are to live out mercy, therefore, the Pope explains that we are to “look forward to the experience of opening our hearts to those living on the outermost fringes of society: fringes modern society itself creates. How many uncertain and painful situations there are in the world today! How many are the wounds borne by the flesh of those who have no voice because their cry is muffled and drowned out … Let us open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help!” (n. 15)
As he had pointed out in Evangelii Gaudium, the most defenseless of all are unborn children. Certainly they live in “fringes modern society itself creates” by its false and destructive declaration that they are not persons, that they do not deserve the protection of the law.
Living mercy means seeing their misery and speaking up for them. Death is a result of sin. Mercy not only forgives our sin, it rescues us from death. The Holy Year, the Pope writes, is “to proclaim liberty to those bound by new forms of slavery in modern society…to restore dignity to all those from whom it has been robbed” (n. 16). Let us practice mercy for the children in the womb, speaking up for them and rescuing them from death!
Father Pavone is national director of Priests for Life
Extraordinary Jubilee Year Means Mercy
Bill Rhoads Engineering Feat
Holy Myrrh-Bearers Eastern Catholic Church is now in service in Ridley and a hero whose story deserves to be sung is Bill Rhoads of Rhoads Plumbing and Heating of Springfield.
The former, and historic, Leiper Presbyterian Church at 900 Fairview Road was acquired by the Ukrainian Catholic Archepachy of Philadelphia in May 2014 for $525,000 to be the new home for the congregations of Saints Peter and Paul of Clifton Heights and Holy Ghost of Chester.
Leiper closed in January 2012. The existing building was erected in 1850 a year after a fire destroyed the original one built in 1819, the cornerstone for which can still be seen in an inside hallway.
Anyway, when the Archepachy acquired it, it was in bad shape. The hammer beams that supported the arches that supported the ceiling had pulled from the wall. The gaps were obvious. Consultants were advocating expensive and unattractive solutions which included removing the beautiful but heavy slate roof and replacing it with an ugly commercial, metal one.
Rhoads, who had done work for Saints Peter and Paul and who was picked to guide the process of upgrading the kitchen and HVAC at the new facility, had a notion that the beauty of the structure could be saved along with much money.
He researched the architecture and learned that the original builders neglected to install the necessary bolts fastening important uprights to the wall. These uprights connected the hammer beams to the interior corbels hence they supported the entire roof.
Rhoads realized that all that may be needed was jacking the beams back against the wall and installing bolts. He ran his idea by engineers and the Ridley code enforcers and got a green light.
Hence it was done, and a church and history were saved.
Along with a lot of money.
Maybe the Springfield School District ought to have a talk with Mr. Rhoads.
What could have been a bland, utilitarian building is now warm place of worship and one of Delaware County’s most beautiful churches.
Eastern Catholics are self-governing churches in full communion with the Pope. Roman Catholics can fully participate in Eastern Catholic services just as Eastern Catholics often attend Roman Catholic services. This of course means the mutual reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Holy Myrrh-Bearers address is at 900 Fairview Road, Pa. Swarthmore 19081. It will have Masses 10 a.m., Sundays.
The church is named for the women who went to anoint the body of Jesus after his crucifixion and found the tomb empty, along with Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who prepared the Lord’s body for burial. The women who found the empty tomb are Mary the Mother of God, Mary Magdalene and Martha, who were the sisters of Lazarus; Mary, the mother of James and Joses; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna, the wife of Chuza; Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee; and Susanna.
Bill Rhoads Engineering Feat
Holy Myrrh-Bearers First Mass
Archbishop Stefan Soroka is greeted before the first Divine Liturgy, yesterday, April 19, at Holy Myrrh-Bearers Eastern Catholic Church. 
The church at 900 Fairview Road, Pa. Swarthmore 19081 will have Masses 10 a.m., Sundays.
Eastern Catholics are self-governing churches in full communion with the Pope. Roman Catholics can fully participate in Eastern Catholic services just as Eastern Catholics often attend Roman Catholic services. This of course means the mutual reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Archbishop Stefan Soroka greeted at Holy Myrrh-Bearers First Mass
Holy Myrrh-Bearers Church Consecrated
Delaware County Pa.’s newest church was consecrated, today, April 18. Holy Myrrh-Bearers Eastern Catholic Church, 900 Fairview Road, Ridley, albeit with a Swarthmore address, is the combination of the congregations of Saints Peter and Paul Church in Clifton Heights and Holy Ghost Church in Chester, both of which held their final masses last weekend, and Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Philadelphia which closed in 2004.
The inside is a thing of beauty with red and sand-colored walls graced with large bright icons. The iconostasis — a wall of icons and religious paintings that separates the nave from the sanctuary — comes from Holy Ghost.
The alter was custom made and hand-carved by Igor Deervyanyy of Artsacrum, Louisville, Ky. It is a work of art. It was donated in memory of the Dearden, Urbach and Chambers family by Francis R. Dearden.
The ceremony was led by Archbishop Stefan Soroka, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia for Ukranians. Co-celebrants were Bishop John Bura, who is the archdiocese auxiliary bishiop; Bishop emeritus Basil H. Losten, John N. Ciurpita, the church pastor; and Joseph Szupa, chancellor.
Master of ceremonies were Very Rev. Edward Higgins and Rev. Walter Pasciznky.
Sanctifying the altar started with washing it with water. It was then scrubbed with soap — Ivory, in this case, due to its lack of additives. Wine was then poured upon it in in the shape of a cross. A pouring of rose-water, also in the shape of a cross, followed this. The rose-water was mixed spikenard, the perfume that was used to anoint the feet of Jesus.
Relics relating to Saint Stephen, the First Martyr, Saint Dorothea of Caesarea and Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych of Polotsk were placed in a cavity in the center and sealed with wax. Icons representing each of the four Evangelists were placed in spots prepared at the altar’s corners and also sealed with wax.
The altar was then vested with the vesting cloths sprinkled with holy water. The antimension, holy Gospel Book, and hand cross then placed with each getting a sprinkling of holy water. After this the table of oblation– where the bread and wine are prepared for the Eucharist — was placed.
The church was then incensed and sprinkled with holy water in a procession of clergy. The western door and the southern and northern windows were then anointed with oil.
And so the church was sanctified.
The Holy Myrrh-Bearers for whom the church is named were the women who went to anoint the body of Jesus after his crucifixion and found the tomb empty, along with Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who prepared the Lord’s body for burial. The women who found the empty tomb are Mary the Mother of God, Mary Magdalene and Martha, who were the sisters of Lazarus; Mary, the mother of James and Joses; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna, the wife of Chuza; Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee; and Susanna.
The first Mass is 11 a.m., tomorrow, April 19.
Eastern Catholics are self-governing churches in full communion with the Pope. Roman Catholics can fully participate in Eastern Catholic services just as Eastern Catholics often attend Roman Catholic services. This of course means the mutual reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Holy Myrrh-Bearers is the site of the former Leiper Presbyterian Church which was founded in 1819 and closed in 2012. Presidents Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison and James Buchanan worshiped at Leiper Presbyterian at the invitation of Leiper family members.
Kudos to Bill Rhoads of Rhoads Plumbing and Heating of Springfield for directing things, and kudos to all the other contractors for the great job they did.
Update: The Delaware County Daily Times has a great story by Patti Mengers with a great online photo spread by Tom Kelly IV.