Alert: Catholic Seton Hall University Plans Same-Sex “Marriage” Course for Students

Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the nation founded in 1856.

According to an article published by The Setonian on April 15, a course on homosexual “marriage” will be offered next semester at Seton Hall University, a Catholic university in New Jersey with approximately 10,000 students.

Here is the red flag:

The course will be taught by Professor King Mott, a pro-homosexual activist whose biography, posted on Seton Hall’s web site, mentions his affiliation with Lambda Legal, Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies, and Human Rights Campaign -- groups that promote ideas that run contrary to Catholic moral teaching.
Although the article in The Setonian affirms that the planned classes will not be used as an advocacy tool, many find the assertion hard to believe.

Anti-Catholic Professor
In fact, in a paper titled "The Sanctity of Marriage: Current Boundaries and the New Vocabulary," Prof. King Mott writes: "Efforts to condemn the [homosexual] culture itself as Pope John Paul II has done in recent encyclicals only illustrate the futility of orthodoxy in general and the papacy in particular."
"The notion that marriage is a stable and ancient human arrangement, derived from divine revelation, limited to that existing between one man and one woman, and binding save through the permission of a single Church is contrived. It is laughable to consider that human relationships could ever find satisfaction and expression in this single interpretation of marriage," he continued.

"To be 'gay' is not to identify with the psychological traits and the visible masks of the homosexual, but to try to develop a way of life. This is exactly what must happen in the debate over marriage rights."

Seton Hall University is named after Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born saint.

Enough Moral Confusion

The consistent teaching of the Catholic Church has been crystal clear for 2,000 years: Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and contrary to Natural Law. They are grave sins.
Why should any Catholic university sponsor a course that leads students away from the truth? Why should the Catholic classroom be used as a tool to advance the homosexual movement and undermine traditional marriage?

In our hyper-sexualized culture, Seton Hall University would do well to cancel this course and replace it with one that teaches students how to appreciate the beauty of abstinence, modesty and heroic purity.

* * *

Contact:

Monsignor Robert Sheeran, president, Seton Hall University
400 South Orange Ave
South Orange, NJ 07079
(973) 761-9620
president@shu.edu

Is This Believable? Archbishop Burke and the Abuse Crisis

The web site of The Washington Post has published the astounding-- and completely unsupported-- claim that Archbishop Raymond Burke, former Archbishop of St. Louis and current Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, was “kicked upstairs” because of improper handling of sexual abuse allegations.

“Some prelates acted in ways that constituted cover-ups,” writes Anthony Stevens-Arroyo. “Many of them have accepted blame for errors and made public statements of apology. Others, like Cardinal Law, formerly of Boston and Archbishop Burke, formerly of St. Louis, have been ‘kicked upstairs’ to the Vatican. Not only have no apologies come directly from them, one wonders if such prelates might be liable for criminal action in the USA for obstruction of justice concerning the way they handled pedophilia cases.”

However...no responsible journalist or civil official has ever accused Archbishop Burke of obstruction of justice. To read the whole story, click here

Protest Anti-Catholic Cartoon that Targets the Pope

Le Monde Magazine in France published a cartoon showing the “Pope” sodomizing a little boy.

PROTEST HERE

The vile cartoon appeared in the Holy Week issue of the Le Monde Magazine. The author, Jean Plantu, is known for his blasphemous insults against the Church and the Pope. However, this might be the first time an insult against the Pope has reached this extreme.

The American TFP chose not to reprint a copy of the cartoon because it is simply beyond the pale.

Click here to send a peaceful protest to Le Monde Magazine

Last year, Le Monde published a Plantu cartoon showing Our Lord Jesus Christ handing out condoms from a boat to the excited masses. The cartoon read: “The multiplication of the condoms followed the multiplication of the loaves.” That cartoon hit the Pope too. He was shown as a decrepit old man who says: “Anything goes!”

So, the most recent cartoon against the Pope in Le Monde Magazine is not an isolated case. It is part of a series. That is why it is important for us to raise a powerful yet peaceful protest against Le Monde.

PROTEST HERE

TFP Student Action’s protest message to Le Monde reads as follows:

To Le Monde Magazine:
Email: courrier-lemondemag@lemonde.fr This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I am deeply pained, more than words can express, to know that your magazine published a sacrilegious cartoon showing the Pope sodomizing a little boy. I do not accept this indecent insult to the Pope. This is beyond the pale!

As the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, the person of the Pope is sacred. And he teaches the holy and eternal truths taught by Holy Mother Church, which is absolutely against all sin, especially unnatural vice.

I demand that you apologize for the Jean Plantu cartoon and pledge never to publish such terribly insulting material again.

The Story of Our Lady of Good Counsel on Her Feast Day

The story of this miraculous egg-thin fresco of Our Lady starts hundreds of years ago. In fact, the origins of Genazzano date back to the times of the Roman emperors.

---

This special invocation of Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genazzano is for those who are searching for good advice. Her feast day is on April 26. So please say a novena to Her.

• Novena to Our Lady of Good Counsel
• Litany to Our Lady of Good Counsel

---

A view of the town of Genazzano, resting
place of the miraculous painting of Our Lady.

Because of its proximity to Rome, the city was chosen by many patricians and imperial courtiers as a site for their country villas. The vast gardens surrounding these villas often served as the stage for perverse feasts, pagan games and heathen rituals in honor of the gods to whom the Romans attributed the fertility of their fields.

One of these celebrations was held every April 25 in honor of the goddess Flora or Venus. For this event, people of all social classes—freemen and slaves, patricians and plebeians—gathered together for a great feast. This practice gradually dissolved and the temples fell into ruins as the life-giving breath of Christianity regenerated the peoples of Europe.

In the third century, an order was given to build a shrine dedicated to the Mother of God under the tender invocation of Mother of Good Counsel on the ruins of the Roman temples.

As the years went by, the city became more populous and the shrine grew in fame. During the Middle Ages, the Franciscans and the Augustinians founded monasteries nearby. With the passing of years, the primitive temple erected in honor of the Mother of Good Counsel began to show signs of disrepair. Moreover, as the shrine was small, the faithful built larger and richer churches for their solemn functions.

In 1356, about a century before the appearance of the miraculous painting that would introduce Genazzano into the annals of marvels in the Church, Prince Pietro Giordan Colonna, whose family had acquired lordship of the city, assigned the most ancient church of the city and its parish to the care of the Hermits of St. Augustine.

The faithful would thereby have the necessary pastoral assistance, and repairs could be made on the old church.

Although the prayers of the faithful intensified, financial difficulties prevented the necessary and urgent restoration of the ancient temple. But the Mother who gives wise counsel in every circumstance and attentively provides for the necessities of men chose a Third Order Augustinian, Petruccia de Nocera, to carry out a supernatural prodigy that would bring about the much-desired restoration.

Petruccia had been left a modest fortune following the death of her husband in 1436. Living alone, she dedicated most of her time to prayer and services in the church of the Mother of Good Counsel. It grieved her to see the deplorable state of the sacred premises, and she prayed fervently that they would be restored.

Finally, she resolved to take the initiative. After obtaining permission from the friars, she donated her goods to initiate the restoration in the hope that others would help complete it once it was commenced.

A plan was drawn up for the building of a magnificent church. However, once that arduous undertaking had begun, Petruccia, who was already eighty years old, found that her generous offering was scarcely enough to complete the first phase of the new construction. To make matters worse, no one came forth to help.

To her dismay, the building had hardly risen three feet when construction came to a halt due to lack of resources. Her friends and neighbors began to ridicule her, and detractors accused her of imprudence. Others severely reprimanded her in public. To all of them she would say: "My dear children, do not put too much importance on this apparent misfortune. I assure you that before my death the Blessed Virgin and our holy father Augustine will finish the church begun by me."

On April 25, 1467, the feast day of the city's patron, Saint Mark, a solemn celebration began with Mass. It was Saturday, and the crowd began to gather in front of the church of the Mother of Good Counsel. The only discrepant note in the celebration was the unfinished work of Petruccia.

At about four in the afternoon, everyone heard the chords of a beautiful melody that seemed to come from heaven. The people looked up toward the towers of the churches and saw a white cloud that shone with a thousand luminous rays; it gradually neared the stupefied crowd to the sound of an exceptionally beautiful melody. The cloud descended on the church of the Mother of Good Counsel and poised over the wall of the unfinished chapel of Saint Biagio, which Petruccia had started.

The miraculous image of Our Lady of Genazzano.

Suddenly, the bells of the old tower began to ring by themselves, and the other bells of the town rang miraculously in unison. The rays that emanated from the little cloud faded away, and the cloud itself gradually vanished, revealing a beautiful object to the enchanted gaze of the spectators.

It was a painting that represented Our Lady tenderly holding her Divine Son in her arms. Almost immediately, the Virgin Mary began to cure the sick and grant countless consolations, the memory of which was recorded for posterity by the local ecclesiastical authority.

The news of the painting and its miracles spread throughout the province and beyond, attracting multitudes. Some cities formed enthusiastic processions to see the picture that the people called the Madonna of Paradise because of its celestial entrance into the city. Numerous alms were donated as an answer to the unwavering confidence that Our Lady had inspired in Petruccia.

Amidst the general enthusiasm caused by the painting, Our Lady wished to divulge the true origin of the marvelous fresco to her devotees. Two foreigners named Giorgio and De Sclavis entered the city among a group of pilgrims that had come from Rome.
They wore strange clothes and spoke a foreign tongue, saying they had arrived in Rome earlier that year from Albania. While most people had refused to believe their story, it had a special significance for the inhabitants of Genazzano.

* * *

January of 1467 saw the death of the last great Albanian leader, George Castriota, better known as Scanderbeg. Raised by an Albanian chief, he placed himself at the head of his own people.
Subsequently, Scanderbeg inflicted stunning defeats on the Turkish army and occupied fortresses all over Albania.

With Scanderbeg’s death, the Turkish army, finally free from the Fulminating Lion of War, poured into Albania, occupying all its fortresses, cities and provinces with the exception of Scutari, in the north of the country.

However, the city's capacity to resist was limited, and its capture was expected at any moment. With its fall, Christian Albania would be defeated. Faced with this prospect, those who wished to practice their faith in Christian lands began a sad exodus. Giorgio and De Sclavis also studied the possibility of fleeing, but something kept them in Scutari, where there was a small church, considered the shrine of the whole Albanian kingdom.

In this church the faithful venerated a picture of Our Lady which had mysteriously descended from the heavens two hundred years before.

According to tradition, it had come from the east. Having poured out innumerable graces over the whole population, its church became the principal center of pilgrimage in Albania. Scanderbeg himself had visited this shrine more than once to ardently ask for victory in battle. Now the shrine was threatened with imminent destruction and profanation.

The two Albanians were torn by the idea of leaving the great treasure of Albania in the hands of the enemy in order to flee the Turkish terror. In their perplexity, they went to the old church to ask their Blessed Mother for the good counsel they needed.
That night, the Consoler of the Afflicted inspired both of them in their sleep.

She commanded them to prepare to leave their country, which they would never see again. She added that the miraculous fresco was also going to leave Scutari for another country to escape profanation at the hands of the Turks. Finally, she ordered them to follow the painting wherever it went.

The next morning, the two friends went to the shrine. At a certain moment they saw the picture detach itself from the wall on which it had hung for two centuries. Leaving its niche, it hovered for a moment and was then suddenly wrapped in a white cloud through which the image continued to be visible.

The pilgrim painting left the church and the environs of Scutari. It traveled slowly through the air at a considerable altitude and advanced in the direction of the Adriatic Sea at a speed that allowed the two walkers to follow; after covering some twenty-four miles, they reached the coast.

With unbounded confidence, Giorgio and De Scalvis walked on the waves of the Adriatic Sea.

Without stopping, the picture left the land and advanced over the waters while the faithful Giorgio and De Sclavis continued to follow, walking on the waves much like their Divine Master had done on Lake Genesareth. When night would fall, the mysterious cloud, which had protected them with its shade from the heat of the sun during the day, guided them by night with light, like the column of fire in the desert that guided the Jews in their exodus from Egypt.

They traveled day and night until they reached the Italian coast. There, they continued following the miraculous picture, climbing mountains, fording rivers and passing through valleys. Finally, they reached the vast plain of Lazio from where they could see the towers and domes of Rome. Upon reaching the gates of the city, the cloud suddenly disappeared before their disappointed eyes.

Giorgio and De Sclavis began to search the city, going from church to church asking if the painting had descended there. All their attempts to find the painting failed, and the Romans incredulously regarded the two foreigners and their strange tale.

Shortly thereafter, amazing news came to Rome: a picture of Our Lady had appeared in the skies of Genazzano to the sound of beautiful music and had come to rest over the wall of a church that was being rebuilt. The two Albanians rushed to find their country's beloved treasure miraculously suspended in the air next to the wall of the chapel where it remains to this day.

Although some inhabitants found the strangers' story difficult to believe, careful investigation later proved that the two were telling the truth and that the image was indeed the same one that graced the shrine in Scutari.

* * *

Thus Mary Most Holy, with the humble participation of a pious Third Order Augustinian on one side of the Adriatic and two faithful Albanians on the other, transported her mysterious fresco from the unhappy and unfortunate Albania to a little city very close to the heart of Christendom. Beginning her historic journey from that small Albanian shrine, which she had not chosen by chance, she traveled across the sea to pour on the world a new torrent of graces under the invocation of Mother of Good Counsel.

Saint Gemma Galgani

Written by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

"If you really want to love Jesus, first learn to suffer, because suffering teaches you to love." Saint Gemma This photograph is of St. Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), a famous mystic who lived in the enchanting town of Lucca, Italy. Her countenance is impressive for several reasons. First, we note her profound reflection and the harmony of her traits. Second, the saint’s gaze has something elevated and sublime about it. Her thoughts are not of this earth: her countenance displays a supernatural aura. Her dignity and angelic purity are striking. This is seen by the way her head rests on her shoulders: straight and unpretentious. She wears no adornment at all. Her hair is simply combed and arranged. Her face is very clean and reveals nothing of a desire for embellishment. Her dress is black and simple. Yet, St. Gemma combines an extraordinary dignity with a virginal purity which is impalpably reflected in the luminous splendor of her skin. One could say that her skin is as luminous as her gaze. Moreover, her gaze reflects total uprightness. It is that of a mystic immersed in that which she sees. Even we discern something of what she perceives. The virtue of fortitude also shines forth in her countenance. When the Faith commands her to do something, her will is unbending. What does she desire? She wants to serve God, Our Lady and the Catholic Church. She forges ahead on this road regardless of the obstacles. She represents the strong woman of incomparable values referred to in Holy Scriptures. Like a rare stone, one readily walks to the ends of the earth to find her. (Published in the August 1999 issue of Catolicismo)

The Three Days of Darkness

by Robert Ritchie

Although the Church does not oblige us to believe in any particular prophecy or private revelation, it certainly is telling that many mystics and saints speak of the Three Days of Darkness, such as:
Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi, Ven. Elizabeth Canori-Mora, Saint Hildegard and many others.
Here are a few quotes from these mystics.
Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837 A.D.):

"God will send two punishments: one will be in the form of wars, revolutions and other evils; it shall originate on earth. The other will be sent from Heaven. There shall come over the whole earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights. Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion. It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot. During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary and beg God for mercy."

"All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms."

The mystic Marie-Julie Jahenny also mentions the 3 days of darkness. (January 4, 1884):

"The three days of darkness « will be on a THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. Days of the Most Holy Sacrament, of the Cross and Our Lady. . . .» three days less one night."

"«The earth will be covered in darkness», says Our Lady on 20th of September 1882, AND HELL WILL BE LOOSED ON EARTH. Thunder and lightning will cause those who have no faith or trust in My Power, to die of fear."

"During these three days of terrifying darkness, no windows must be opened, because no one will be able to see the earth and the terrible color it will have in those days of punishment without dying at once... "

"The sky will be on fire, the earth will split... During these three days of darkness let the blessed candle be lighted everywhere, no other light will shine.... "

Sr. Rosa Colomba Asdenti of Taggia who lived in the 19th c. also prophesied a three days of darkness.

Palma Maria d' Oria (d.1863), as do other seers, tells of the activities of the demons:

"There shall be three days of darkness, during which the atmosphere will be infected by innumerable devils, who will cause the death of large multitudes of unbelievers and wicked men. Blessed candles alone shall be able to give light and preserve the faithful Catholics from this impending dreadful scourge.

Sr. Mary of Jesus Crucified of Pau, (d.1878):

"During a darkness lasting three days the people given to evil will perish so that only one-fourth of mankind will survive."

Jesuit University Deletes 2 Abortion Links

By TFP Student Action

April 19, 2010

Over 11,500 petitions were sent to UDM

After weeks of peaceful protest, the Catholic University of Detroit Mercy has removed two links to abortion provider Planned Parenthood that were listed on its web site.

"I'm very happy to verify that the links to Planned Parenthood were deleted," said TFP Student Action director John Ritchie. "Over 11,500 students, parents and pro-life advocates participated in this prayerful protest, calling for the removal of these scandalous links."

"TFP Student Action is grateful to everyone who made this victory for moral values happen," he said. "Their prayers and peaceful action was vital and their participation will continue to play a central role in the future as the spiritual crusade on college campuses continues."

Although the links to Planned Parenthood were removed, links to a pro-abortion group called the National Organization for Women (NOW) were not taken down as the TFP protest petition politely requests and so the protest will continue.

Wolf in nun's clothing?

Sister Margaret A. Farley: Wolf in nun's clothing?

Even more troubling is the discovery that a pro-abortion nun, Sister Margaret A. Farley, RSM is a member of the Board of Trustees at Detroit Mercy.

Over the years, she has taken positions favorable to abortion, same-sex "marriage," sterilization of women, divorce and the ordination of women to the priesthood. "Is she a wolf in nun's clothing?" Ritchie asked. "She should be removed from the board." (see listing here)

If you'd like to share your thoughts with us or report similar scandals at other Catholic colleges, please write to: mail@tfpstudentaction.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

No Fasting Allowed During Eastertide!

Sunday April 18th, if you stood on the street corner and asked; Is Easter over? How do you think people would answer?

From Dom Guerenger "The Liturgical Year" Pascal Time Book II Vol. 8 page 11-12.

The fifty days between Easter and Pentecost have ever been considered by the Church as most holy. The first week, which is more expressly devoted to celebrating our Lord's Resurrection, is kept as one continued feast: but the remainder of the fifty days is also marked with special honors.

To say nothing of the joy, which is the characteristic of this period of the year, and of which the Alleluia is the expression- Christian tradition has assigned to Eastertide two practices, which distinguish it from every other season. The first is, that fasting is not permitted during the entire interval: it is an extension of the ancient precept of never fasting on a Sunday, and the whole of Eastertide is considered as one long Sunday.

This practice, which would seem to have come down from the time of the Apostles, was accepted by the Religious Rules of both East and West, even by the severest. The second consists in not kneeling at the Divine Office, from Easter to Pentecost. The Eastern Churches have faithfully kept up the practice, even to this day. It was observed for many ages by the Western Churches also; but now it is little more than a remnant. The Latin Church has long since admitted genuflection's in the Mass during Easter time. The few vestiges of the ancient discipline in this regard which still exist are not noticed by the faithful, inasmuch as they seldom assist at the Canonical Hours.

Reflections on the Sexual Abuse Scandals in Europe

Written by Luiz Sérgio Solimeo

The sins of the Church’s human members do not sully the sanctity of the Church, Her sacraments, doctrine, or institutions. With the media uproar over sexual abuse scandals now raging in Europe, it is fitting to reflect on what is happening and how faithful Catholics should react. A Heinous Crime We should begin by stating outright that there is nothing so heinous than the sexual abuse of an innocent child. No one has been more severe against this than Our Lord Jesus Christ: “But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). Thus no one should have more indignation and severity against this kind of abuse than Catholics. This indignation is compounded even more if the perpetrator is someone that, by his Holy Orders or religious vows, established a special relationship with the Savior and assumed a special commitment whereby he, in some manner, symbolizes the teachings and morals of the Divine Master. For this reason, these scandals that have shaken the Church are considered by devout Catholics as not only a criminal offense but also a heinous sin. We must not also forget that aside from the crime of abuse, there is also the fact that these acts were tolerated by some ecclesiastical authorities or even, covered up by them. Some of the criminal priests were transferred from one parish or school to another, sometimes committing the same odious acts again. In light of these facts, all parties concerned must be censured and punished, but not the institution itself, which is holy and hierarchical and instituted by its Founder. Act II of the Same Play? The similarity of the present uproar with the American crisis in 2002 leads us to ask if the present efforts, and especially those attempting to involve the Pope, do not also point to some de facto association among liberal journalists and dissident Catholics in an attempt to change the Church from an hierarchical to a democratic type of Church government. The similarities of the tactics used appear to be acts from the same play. This possible association does not diminish in any way either the gravity of the sins committed or the holy indignation merited by the scandals. However, it does explain some aspects of a truly worldwide campaign that circulates the same suggestions and pressures to change the Church by pressuring Her to conform to the “morals” of the secularized world. The principal media organ that is leading the latest uproar in Europe is the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel. In its international online English edition (02/08/2010), we can see articles with titles like “Shame and Fear: Inside Germany’s Catholic Sexual Abuse Scandal,” which is signed by the “Der Spiegel Staff.” At the same time that some abuse cases are described with shocking graphic details, the anti-Catholic and anti-clerical approach of the article is also clear. It presents the Church as an outdated institution with repressive morals. It cites the Church’s position on homosexuality, celibacy and its hierarchical structure as the cause of the pedophile scandals. They quote dissident theologians such as Hans Kung and Eugen Drewermann as experts and refer to fringe groups like We Are Church, to opine about the model of Church that needs to be established. The article criticizes the “Catholic Church’s claim to being a superior moral authority.” For Der Spiegel, the sexual scandals are the fruit of the Church’s “repressed sexual morality that is dictated from above.” Former Catholic theologian Hans Kung gives his opinion: “If you are forced, by virtue of your profession, to live a life without a wife and children, there is a great risk that healthy integration of sexuality will fail, which can lead to pedophile acts, for example.” The opinion of ex-priest Eugen Drewermann finds fault with a “church structure that is repressive in emotional areas and on questions of love.” Another “expert” is Wunibald Müller, presented as a theologian and psychotherapist, and who defends homosexuality and a “mystical eroticism.” He claims “the experience of pain and suffering can lead us to God, but so can eroticism and sexual passion.” He sees no problem with sexual relationships, but only with “an ‘immature homosexuality’ that makes some priests ‘susceptible’ in their interactions with young people.”1 Finally, the dissident movement, We Are Church, complains of “a structural problem, in which strict sexual morality and an authoritarian system combine to form a dangerous mix.”2 Echoes All over Europe The Der Spiegel article is echoed all over Europe. We find the same arguments attacking Church morals and governing structures as were circulated in the United States in 2002 and in some cases the same “experts.” Following Der Spiegel’s example, we can cite Peter Popham, religious writer for the English newspaper The Independent, (March 15, 2010). He writes a long chronicle of the clerical sexual scandals tinged with progressivist jargon, defending a “modernized” Church and even going so far as to call the Pope a “former Nazi.” The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (March 16, 2010) noted that “the [Catholic] progressivist movement ‘Initiative Kirche von Unten’ (Church from Below Initiative) asked directly for Benedict XVI’s resignation…” The paper also cited the dissident movement We Are Church. Simon Sturdee of Agence France-Press (03/17/2010) claims that “senior Church figures in Germany … called for priestly celibacy to be reviewed…” A very well-read religious blogger from England that uses the pen-name of “Archbishop Crammer” (March 16, 2010) reviewed the extent of the world media uproar and asked: “Is Pope Benedict XVI about to Resign?” Introducing the links to his long list of articles, he adds: “Well, he is under a little pressure.” Scandalous Coverage Such coverage does not address the central issues. Instead of citing how the heinous crimes that were committed and their cover up go against Church teaching and structures, these self-proclaimed theologian-journalists allege that Church teaching and structures are the causes of the crimes! Instead of showing how unrestrained sexuality is part of the problem, these commentators put forth ending the “sexual repression” as part of the solution. Moreover, we might mention a curious comparison. From 1995 up to the present, there have been 210,000 sexual abuse cases with minors in Germany. Of these, only 94 cases involved the clergy – only 0.044% of the total cases. We are led to ask why Der Spiegel and so many other publications only talk about clerical sexual scandals as if the clergy was the only, or principal cause of the sexual abuse of minors.3 With such inconsistencies, we are compelled to ask if the international media uproar over the clerical sexual scandals is being done for the good of the Church and the faithful or if there is some other agenda being promoted, again, aiming at reforming the institution as it is today and has been for 2000 years. The Spirit of God is Not in Sensationalism In the book I Have Weathered Other Storms – A Response to the Scandals and Democratic Reforms That Threaten the Catholic Church, the TFP Committee on American Issues had already denounced in 2002 the strange liaison of liberal media with dissident Catholics who take advantage of the tragedy of sexual abuses to attempt to transform the structure of the Church into something which is contrary to Her traditions and the wishes of Her Founder, Our Lord Jesus Christ. We note that Pope Benedict XVI in his Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, without mentioning liberal media or dissident Catholics, deals with the issue in a serene and supernatural manner which is so contrary to the “scandal-mongering” tone of the media and dissidents. God is not found in sensationalism and agitation (cf. 1 Kings 19:11-13). To Chastise but to Give Hope The Pope’s letter chastises those priests and tolerant bishops responsible for the scandals. It uses powerful language to qualify their actions and supports both canonical and civil sanctions against them. At the same time, he does not abandon them and insists on the power of repentance and penitence united with the sufferings of Jesus Christ since there is no sin without pardon. The letter emphasizes the need to return to the Faith, a true life of piety, devotion to the Blessed Mother and Blessed Sacrament and a greater love for the Church. It is not by breaking with the Church or dreaming up a Church different from the one founded by the Divine Savior that we can come out of the crisis. He counsels all Catholics everywhere that, “[a]s you take up the challenges of this hour, I ask you to remember ‘the rock from which you were hewn’ (Is 51:1).” Catholics should remember the Faith of our fathers and all that the Church has done: converting the pagans and barbarians, creating the institutions like hospitals and universities, and reaching out to the poor. The Church has “Weathered Other Storms” Yes, the Church has “weathered other storms.” In the midst of the present crisis, we must follow the counsel of St. Paul: “Put you on the armor of God that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11). To purchase a copy of I Have Weathered Other Storms - A Response to the Scandals and Democratic Reforms That Threaten the Catholic Church, click here. Footnotes 1. Cf. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,676497-5,00.html [back] 2. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,druck-676497,00.html. [back] 3. Luigi Accattoli Perché solo la Chiesa ammette i propri peccati? http://www.liberal.it/media/340307/09_03_liberal_10.pdf; http://www.laiglesiaenlaprensa.com/2010/03/operaci%C3%B3nlimpieza-de-benecito-xvi.html. [back]

Finding the Real Soul of the Apostolate

Written by Norman Fulkerson

The present scandals in the Church have many people looking for positive solutions to the multifaceted problems which beset the Bride of Christ, not realizing that the true solution will only come from Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, His life within us and fidelity to His teachings. The Soul of the Apostolate is a book, which not only shows how this is possible, but the way it is to be accomplished.

No commentary on this book would be complete without a word about its author. Jean-Baptiste Chautard was born in the French Alps on March 12, 1858. His father was a nominal Catholic who ran a little bookstore, but his mother made sure that their children were educated in the Catholic faith. Jean Baptiste eventually went on to study economics at the University of Marseilles where he had an experience which would change his life forever.

While walking across the campus one day Jean Baptiste happened upon a priest praying his breviary. This priest was unaware of the impression he was making on the economics student. "His bearing, full of respect and religion, was a revelation to me," said Dom Chautard, "and produced in me an urgent need to pray from then on, and to pray in the way this priest was praying. The Church appeared, concretized, so to speak, in this worthy minister, in communion with his God."

This incident led Jean Baptiste to change his life and become a man of prayer. Such is the impact of a man who truly practices the interior life. Only then can the person say with Saint Paul, "I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me."

Later he joined a Catholic club on campus founded by the saintly Father Jean-Joseph Allemand. It was in this association that he found the supernatural brand of Catholic Action which solidified him in the path towards a greater union with God. One day while in prayer at the tomb of Father Allemand, he received his calling to the priesthood and in 1877 entered the Trappist Abbey of Aiguebelle, north of Avignon.

Jean Baptiste did not enjoy the contemplative life of a monk for long. Shortly after being made deacon, his superior sent him on a very important mission to Paris to save the community from financial ruin. His eloquence and knowledge of economics proved useless in this undertaking. He was forced to have recourse to a nearby shrine where he threw himself at the feet of Our Lady of Victories. Thirty minutes later, he emerged from the shrine to be greeted by a total stranger. "Are you a Trappist?" the man asked. "Can I be of any assistance to you?" The rest of the story can be guessed. Aiguebelle was saved and Jean Baptiste learned another valuable lesson he would later utilize in forming his unique spirituality.

He was eventually ordained and became "Dom" or Abbot Chautard of the motherhouse of one of the most important abbeys of the Trappist Order, Sept-Fons.

In the first decade of the 1900's he was faced with another great challenge. The Church in France was attacked by the French Government, this time under Georges Clemenceau, who because of his hatred for Church, closed down many religious orders in France. Abbot Chautard however faced Clemenceau and his enemies with such fearlessness that the order was spared.

Reflecting on the persecutions against the Church at that time, Dom Chautard noticed a big mistake among Catholic leaders of the time. They were fighting against the enemies of the Church by using worldly and political weapons: newspapers, magazines and conventions. The growth of the Church was measured by the amount of new buildings being built and the amount of money in the coffers. While these material means are helpful and even necessary these Catholics failed to realize that God's Church is above all built of living stones not just mortar and brick. Success was measured in very materialistic terms when what the Church really needed were saints. But saints are made only by the grace of God.

In 1907, Dom Chautard published a little pamphlet titled "The Apostolate of Catechism and the Interior Life." He pointed out that the most important ingredient for the rebirth of zeal in a country where the Church is being persecuted is the preaching of the fundamentals of the Faith by people imbued with the interior life. The arguments in this little treatise formed the cornerstone for The Soul of the Apostolate.


The book is quite simple, containing very profound yet long forgotten truths. Its fundamental goal is to convince the reader that "we must never leave the God of works for the works of God and that Saint Paul's: 'Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel', does not entitle us to forget: 'What does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?'"
Through scripture passages and the lives of the saints, Dom Chautard shows that interior life is neither lazy nor selfish.

With an abundance of scripture quotes and examples from lives of the saints, Dom Chautard shows how it is possible to preach the Gospel and save one's own soul, by becoming real men of interior life. He gives powerful arguments to back up this point and proves how interior life is not lazy, selfish or detrimental to a truly fruitful apostolate done for the salvation of souls.

To understand the effectiveness of interior life, consider the fact that, "a single burning prayer of the seraphic Saint Theresa (as learned through a highly creditable revelation) converted ten thousand heretics." Without leaving her convent, she did that which "activistic heretics," even the most eloquent ones, could never do.

A bishop of Cochin-China once said to the Governor of Saigon: "Ten Carmelite nuns praying will be of greater help to me than twenty missionaries preaching."

The bottom line is there must be a harmony between the active life and the interior life. Saint Bernard explains this balance using the very interesting metaphor of the reservoir and the channel. "The channels let the water flow away, and do not retain a drop. But the reservoir is first filled, and then without emptying itself, pours out its overflow, which is ever renewed. We have many channels in the Church today," Saint Bernard added sadly, "but very few reservoirs."

The devil however knows the value of interior life and will often grant the apostle "a purely superficial success" if he can only prevent him from making true progress in the interior life. Dom Chautard calls these "successes" sapphires then wisely points out that the devil will gladly trade a few sapphires of the active life for the diamond of interior life.

The interior life is very well defined as "the state of activity of a soul which strives against its natural inclinations in order to REGULATE them, and endeavors to acquire the HABIT of judging and directing its movements IN ALL THINGS according to the light of the Gospel and the example of Our Lord."

Such seriousness about spiritual matters would be impossible without something Dom Chautard calls "custody of the heart." - the "habitual or at least frequent anxiety to preserve all my acts, as they arise, from everything that might spoil their motive or their execution."

To keep such a strict custody over the heart and therefore practice a solid interior life, one must absolutely avoid letting the agitation of daily life disquiet the soul and lead to dissipation. That is why Dom Chautard gives so much importance to rising, when possible, at the same time every morning, and beginning the day with morning mental prayer.

He who faces the day by hitting the floor running, really does not believe in his fundamental contingency on God. Dom Chautard rebukes such people saying, "To hear these mighty men of works talking about their exploits, one might imagine that God Almighty, to Whom it is child's play to create worlds, and before Whom the universe is dust and nothingness, cannot get along without their cooperation."

Such is the importance of morning mental prayer for those who want to attain a vibrant interior life that St. Theresa of Avila said that, "he who practices mental prayer has traveled half the journey. However he who does not practice at least fifteen minutes of mental prayer a day is an animal."

This may seem like "pie-in-the-sky" considerations for all those who look upon the present situation in the world and Church and yearn for action. They see prayer and contemplation as a waste of good time.

This is not true. The power of the interior life is impressive. Is it not true that tepid souls suddenly become fervent? The mysterious wind of supernatural life fills the sails of their souls once again and no one seems able to explain what caused such a transformation. Likewise, no one could explain how Jean Baptiste, the economics major, became a priest and later abbot of the most important abbey of the Trappist order, facing and overcoming the obstinate Clemeceau along the way.

One cannot logically explain how such a transformation could take place except with the doctrine so admirably laid out in his book The Soul of the Apostolate.

Such spiritual change is open to all men, even those most weighed down by the trials and tribulations of the modern world. Dom Chautard affirms this truth when he says, "No matter what my condition may be, if I am only willing to pray and become faithful to grace, Jesus offers me every means of returning to an inner life which will restore to me that intimacy with Him."

Oh, with what sweetness does he illustrate how the words of Isaias will be fulfilled in those who acquire such intimacy. "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up. Thou shalt call, and the Lord shall hear, thou shalt cry and He shall say: 'Here I am.' And the Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with brightness and will deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters do not fail."

You can buy this great book by clicking here

Ask Notre Dame to Cancel "Day of Silence" and Other Pro-Homosexual Events

By TFP Student Action

April 11, 2010

Ask the Board of Trustees to cancel pro-homosexual events on campus.

The dictatorship of relativism is alive at the University of Notre Dame. While the 88 pro-lifers who peacefully prayed on campus during the 2009 commencement fiasco still face charges and possible jail time, the homosexual movement is welcomed.





From April 12-16, Notre Dame plans to host a pro-homosexual "Stand Against Hate Week." According to the promotional flier, the events are being sponsored by various groups, including the Office of the President (Fr. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.), the Office of Student Affairs, the Core Council for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Questioning Students, the Feminist Voice and Campus Ministry.

Why should any Catholic university cater to the homosexual movement's agenda and sow moral confusion among students?

Ask ND's Board of Trustees to cancel the events

The week-long program mentions a screening of the pro-homosexual film "The Laramie Project," a lecture in the Carey Auditorium titled "Homosexuality Under the Dome: Past Struggles and Present Solutions," free t-shirt distribution, and finally a "Day of Silence" on April 16.

Important to remember is the fact that the "Day of Silence" is a pro-homosexual propaganda tool designed by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) to persuade young school children and college students to show sympathy and acceptance for homosexuality.

To counteract this moral threat against the innocence of children, nineteen pro-family organizations formed a coalition encouraging parents to walk out of school with their children on the "Day of Silence." Exodus International is also sponsoring a nationwide "Day of Truth" in schools.

For the record, GLSEN:

• Promotes explicit homosexual books for 7th-12th graders
• Encourages same-sex prom dates & promiscuity
• Organizes 4,000 "Gay-Straight Alliance" clubs in schools

Fr. Jenkins has not dropped the charges against 88 pro-lifers who entered campus in 2009.

And now, GLSEN's "Day of Silence" agenda is being welcomed right into the hallowed halls of Notre Dame. In fact, the moral teaching of the Catholic Church condemning homosexual acts as "intrinsically disordered" is what is being silenced.

In fact, beginning in 2004, the University of Notre Dame started hosting a yearly "Queer Film Festival." One such event featured Terrence McNally, author of the blasphemous production Corpus Christi that portrays Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles as homosexuals.

Reacting to the scandal back then, TFP Student Action lead multiple petitions of peaceful protest addressed to Fr. John I. Jenkins, politely requesting that he cancel events that promote homosexual vice. Thank God, we believe these efforts made a difference. According to an article published in The Observer on February 16, 2009, "not only will there be no gay film festival this year [at the University of Notre Dame], it's probably kaput for good."

Protest this new scandal at ND





TFP Student Action invites its members to contact Notre Dame's Board of Trustees today. Ask them not to allow the university to become a vehicle for the homosexual movement. It's a matter of Catholic morality. Honor. Fidelity. And truth.

What will the protest achieve? Maybe the scandal will be canceled.

More importantly, God will be honored by our peaceful action. Our faithful protest against the sexual revolution is like a prayer that rises up before the throne of God. Together we affirm: "Even when others abandon Thee and scorn Thy Law, my Lord, I pledge to remain faithful to Thy Commandments."

Contact information:

Office of the Board Secretariat
Ms. Nancy Chapleau, Administrative Assistant
Phone: (574)631-6525
Email: Chapleau.3@nd.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Taking a Principled not a Personal Stand

In writing this statement, TFP Student Action has no intention to defame or disparage anyone. We are not moved by personal hatred against any individual. In intellectually opposing individuals or organizations promoting the homosexual agenda, our only intent is the defense of traditional marriage, the family, and the precious remnants of Christian civilization. As practicing Catholics, we are filled with compassion and pray for those who struggle against unrelenting and violent temptation to homosexual sin. We pray for those who fall into homosexual sin out of human weakness, that God may assist them with His grace. We are conscious of the enormous difference between these individuals who struggle with their weakness and strive to overcome it and others who transform their sin into a reason for pride and try to impose their lifestyle on society as a whole, in flagrant opposition to traditional Christian morality and natural law. However, we pray for these too. We pray also for the judges, legislators and government officials who in one way or another take steps that favor homosexuality and same-sex “marriage.” We do not judge their intentions, interior dispositions, or personal motivations. We reject and condemn any violence. We simply exercise our liberty as children of God (Rom. 8:21) and our constitutional rights to free speech and the candid, unapologetic and unashamed public display of our Catholic faith. We oppose arguments with arguments. To the arguments in favor of homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” we respond with arguments based on right reason, natural law and Divine Revelation. In a polemical statement like this, it is possible that one or another formulation may be perceived as excessive or ironic. Such is not our intention.

HOMOSEXUALITY: Not Innate, not Life-long, not Unchangeable

Pediatricians caution educators on dealing with sexual orientation and gender confusion among students

News release from American College of Pediatricians

The American College of Pediatricians cautions educators about the management of students experiencing same-sex attraction or exhibiting symptoms of gender confusion. These concerns are outlined in a letter and fact sheet sent by College president Thomas Benton, MD, to all 14,800 school district superintendents in the U.S.

Dr. Benton also alerts them to a new Web resource, FactsAboutYouth.com, which was created by a coalition of health professionals to provide factual information to educators, parents, and students about sexual development.

"As pediatricians, our primary interest is in the health and well-being of children and youth," Dr. Den Trumbull, vice president of the College explains. "We are increasingly concerned that in too many instances, misinformation or incorrect assumptions are guiding well-intentioned educators to adopt policies that are actually harmful to those youth dealing with sexual confusion."

The College reminds school superintendents that it is not uncommon for adolescents to experience transient confusion about their sexual orientation and that most students will ultimately adopt a heterosexual orientation if not otherwise encouraged. For this reason, schools should not seek to develop policy which "affirms" or encourages these non-heterosexual attractions among students who may merely be experimenting or experiencing temporary sexual confusion. Such premature labeling can lead some adolescents to engage in homosexual behaviors that carry serious physical and mental health risks.

There is no scientific evidence that anyone is born gay or transgendered. Therefore, the College further advises that schools should not teach or imply to students that homosexual attraction is innate, always life-long and unchangeable. Research has shown that therapy to restore heterosexual attraction can be effective for many people.

Optimal health and respect for all students can only be achieved within a school by first respecting the rights of students and parents to accurate information and to self-determination. It is the school's legitimate role to provide a safe environment for respectful self-expression for all students. It is not the school's role to diagnose or attempt to treat any student's medical condition, and certainly not the school's role to "affirm" a student's perceived personal sexual orientation.

The American College of Pediatricians is a national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children. The College produces sound policy, based upon the best available research, to assist parents and to influence society in the endeavor of childrearing.

To read the letter to school superintendents, Click Here. http://factsaboutyouth.com/wp-content/uploads/Superintendent-LetterC_3.311.pdf

To read the fact sheet provided to superintendents, Click Here. http://factsaboutyouth.com/wp-content/uploads/Facts-on-full-sheet-Apr-1.pdf

To go to the homepage of the American College of Pediatricians, Click Here.http://americancollegeofpediatricians.org/

Holy Shroud was Hidden from Hitler's Grasp in Benedictine Abbey

Rome, Italy, Apr 8, 2010 / 10:27 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Holy Shroud was transferred from Turin during World War II to keep it out of reach of Adolph Hitler, according to a Benedictine priest in a southern Italian abbey. Monks in Avellino, Italy stored the relic until 1946 "officially to protect it from bombs, in reality to hide it from the Fuhrer, who was obsessed with it," the monk said.

Sensing the dangers posed by German officials' interest in the Shroud during a visit from Hitler to Italy in 1938, the following year the Vatican and the royal Savoy family decided to move the unique and revered cloth bearing the likeness of Christ to a locale offering more safety than the Cathedral of Turin.

To read the entire story, click here

Lessons of Confidence We Learn from the Glorious Feast of Easter

Easter is a great feast day in the Church. On that day Our Lord conquered death and opened the gates of Heaven for the faithful. As joyous as Easter is, it is inseparable from Good Friday.

Our lives have moments of tremendous spiritual solace, but they also have trials and battles. In this way we imitate Our Lord. If one's life is only joys then there is something wrong, for all true followers of Our Lord must experience Calvary before Easter.

Imagine the apostles after the Crucifixion. They were petrified. Everything seemed lost to them. Our Lady alone knew and fully believed her Divine Son. She was not afraid. She consoled the apostles.

When we think that we are overcome by temptations and trials let us turn to Our Lady with confidence. She will calmly, yet immediately assist us. Even if we do not experience the palpable consolations, we should have full confidence, knowing that if we turn to her, Our Lady will always be there for us to bring us closer to her Son.

Today not only do we have our personal trials to suffer through, but we also have the Calvary that the Church is suffering. Our Lord was hated, yes hated, by the wicked. The Church today is also hated by the wicked of this time.

They do not seek correction, what they really seek is destruction. Their aim is to destroy the confidence of the faithful in the Church, thereby making Her vulnerable and susceptible to greater onslaughts.

We should resist these onslaughts with prayer, reparation and with all of our might. When we learn of a new blasphemy against Our Lord, Our Lady, or the Church, how do we react? Do we offer reparation? Do we make protest by email, by letter, by phone or even in person when possible?

The true faithful, those who are truly devoted to Our Lady, must desire to love Our Lord as Our Lady did. Every fiber of her being was focused upon Jesus and since its founding was focused upon the Church founded by Him.

Let us give proof of the devotion that we proclaim in silence by standing up to the enemies of Our Catholic Faith with all of the peaceful and legal tools at our disposal.

As the late Professor Plinio Correa De Oliveira wrote in the 14th Station of the Way of the Cross, "let me not fear because I am at the feet of Our Lady where the true followers of Thy Church always regroup and will always regroup for new victories."

Judge denies motion to dismiss for ND 88

Chicago, Ill., Apr 5, 2010 / 11:08 pm (EWTN News)

On April 1, the Thomas More Society announced that the motion they filed to dismiss on behalf of the Notre Dame 88 was denied by Judge Michael Scopelitis of the St. Joseph County Superior Court in Indiana.

The motion to dismiss was denied nearly one month after the death of Linda Schmidt, one of the 88 pro-life group members who was arrested last year at the University of Notre Dame for protesting President Obama's commencement address. Schmidt passed away in March after a battle with terminal cancer and faced court charges up until the time of her death.

“We understand Judge Scopelitis' ruling to have been a strict application of a procedural rule, and we respect that decision,” said Tom Dixon, lead attorney for the ND88, and a Notre Dame Law alumnus on Thursday. “However, he did not rule on the merits of our legal defenses or our constitutional challenges to the validity of the charges. As such, we fully plan on presenting a vigorous defense of these prayerful individuals who bravely stood in defense of the Catholic Church's pro-life teachings.”

Full story here:

http://www.ewtnnews.com/new.php?id=314

"Legacy of a Modern Knight"

This article about Norman Fulkerson's latest book, American Knight, appeared over the weekend. It was on Easter Sunday, that Col Ripley blew up the Dong Ha bridge.

A "gung ho" John Ripley as a Captain in Vietnam

By Debbie Thurman, DAILY COURIER
Saturday, April 3, 2010

This week Christians observed the Passion of Christ, the suffering servant but also the King of kings. Were he still among us, one warrior-servant whose deeply abiding faith and military prowess helped shape him into a legend — a latter-day knight — would be solemnly worshipping. He also likely would be recalling another Easter Sunday 38 years ago at almost precisely this time of year in a quaint but war-ravaged South Vietnamese village called Dong Ha.

In 1972, Marine Capt. John Ripley was in South Vietnam for the third time as one of the last American military advisers. His first two combat tours were as a rifle company commander. He was already the stuff of legend.

Read more by clicking here.

They Tied His Hands Because He Did Good

Written by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

Why didst Thy executioners bind Thee, O Lord? What had Thy hands done, that they should be tied? Who can say, Lord, what glory these hands gave to God when they first received the kisses of Our Lady and Saint Joseph? Who can tell the tenderness with which Mary Most Holy first caressed them? With what piety they first joined in prayer? With what strength, nobility and humility they worked in Saint Joseph’s shop? These hands which were so gentle for the innocent, like Saint Joseph, and the penitent, like Mary Magdalen; these hands which were fiercely against the world, flesh and devil – why are they tied down and worn raw? What hatred and fear necessitated this? Was someone afraid to be cured or caressed? Was someone afraid of health or tenderness? Lord, only the existence of evil can explain this awful reality. However, all men tend toward evil, and their nature easily revolts against sacrifice. Once they revolt, men are capable of all manner of infamy and disorder. My Jesus, when someone says no to Thee, they begin to hate Thee. Hating Thee, they detest all goodness, truth and perfection, which Thou personified. Therefore, if Thou art not visibly present to persecute, they strike out against the Church, profane the Eucharist, blaspheme, spread immorality and preach revolt and rebellion. Thou art bound, my Jesus, and where are the lame, paralytics, blind and mutes whom Thou didst cure? Where are the dead whom Thou didst resurrect, possessed whom Thou didst free, sinners whom Thou didst lift up and the just to whom Thou didst reveal eternal life? Why are they not present to break the knots that bind Thy hands, Lord?