Pope Benedict roots out 'the filth'

Damian Thompson reports here on how it was Benedict XVI as Cardinal Ratzinger who consistently and courageously rooted out the corruption in the Catholic church whenever possible. George Weigel puts the abuse crisis in perspective in a good article in Newsweek.

Abp Chaput Praises LA Abp Gomez

Bishop Gomez of San Antonio is to take over from Mahoney at Los Angeles. Good news all around. Abp. Chaput (Gomez' old boss) praises the appointment here. Gomez is a member of Opus Dei and of Hispanic descent. A perfect choice for LA.

It should prove interesting for Anglicans and those who wish to establish an ordinariate.  Bishop Gomez has been very friendly and helpful to the former Anglicans at Atonement Parish--one of the biggest Anglican Use parishes in the country which is in San Antonio.  This means he is already familiar with the particular problems that convert clergy face, the joys and possibilities of Anglican Use parishes and he should be v. welcoming to all who want to come over.

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

Shawshank Redemption is my favorite movie. It has lots of great scenes and lots of great lines. At one point Red says, "You got to get busy living or get busy dying." It's a kind of creed that comes up again at the end of the film. The whole movie is about hope so in other words, "Live in Hope or Die without hope"

The Easter message is summed up there. Before the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ mankind had no hope. There was a short human life; then death. That's it. Of course some of the old pagan religions held to a kind of afterlife, and some, like the Egyptians went to great lengths to ensure they were properly prepared for the afterlife, but there was no real hope that death could be defeated--just the tired old routines of trying to appease the gods and somehow work the magic that would help you believe that you just might make it to a happy life in the great beyond.

But when all was said and done there was no real hope because there was no evidence that the magic worked. The old gods were silent. The priests were impotent. The pyramids and temples and ziggaurats had crumbled. The in the Spring time of the year comes Christ the Tiger. The Lion of Judah arises. The Great Aslan. The radiant, golden-maned beast who rises like the sun or like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber.

The fact of the matter is that Christ rose from the dead. History was changed forever. Religion was changed forever. Humanity was changed forever. If one man rose, then all men might rise. If one man really conquered death, then death was conquered. It is therefore vitally important for all men to consider the claims and decide if they could possibly be true, for if they are true, the Christian faith must be considered seriously, and if they are not true, and if Christ did not rise from the dead then our faith is in vain. Evidence for the resurrection is beyond this short post, but those who wish to be reminded of the astounding evidence for this astounding claim need only go here and here.

If the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact, then we have a choice. We can get busy living or get busy dying. In other words, we can follow the path of Life or follow the path of Death. The path of Life is one that accepts the resurrection by faith and steps out to follow Jesus Christ as the Lord of Life. This path is a path of hope, a path of peace, a path of forgiveness and a path of joy. It is a proven path trod by millions of ordinary people down the ages. It is simply a new way of living opened up by the fact of the resurrection. It is available to all through baptism, faith and membership of Christ's Church.

The other alternative is the path of Death. The path of Death can be followed in two different ways: the Epicurean or the Stoic. These two classic philosophies assume that there is nothing after this life. Therefore, the Epicurean lives for pleasure in the present moment. "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die." While it is possible to follow this path in a crude and decadent manner it is also possible to follow it in a refined and tasteful manner. You can be an Epicurean by either loving porn, pizza and mud wrestling or by loving grand opera, haute cuisine and high class ladies. The stoic response to the fact of death is to live a dignified life of service to one's fellow man--hoping to leave the world a better place than you found it. Both philosophies end in despair.

Only the way of life can lead to true hope, true love, true peace and true joy in this life and the next. So in this Easter Season, decide again: Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying.

The Vicar on an Unusual Easter

Guest blogger, The Rev'd Humphrey Blytherington is Vicar of St Hilda's, Little Snoring with All Saints, Great Snoring. He is a graduate of Plymouth University. He completed his studies for the ministry at Latimer Hall, Durham. He is married to Daphne and enjoys home brewing, model railroading and is an avid member of the Great Snoring Morris Dancers.

Well, thank you very much indeed Nigel, how very kind of you to remember my favorite tipple is a half of lager shandy. I don't mind if I do. Very kind. Very kind. Thank you so much. You know I rather missed you chaps too don't you know? I am sorry that you didn't get on so very well with Lavinia. She's not all bad you know; a bit passionate about her various causes of course, but not a bad egg.

Yes, it was rather splendid to be back in the parish for Easter Day, and wasn't the Sunday School good to lay on such a delightful welcome back party for myself and Daphne? Splendid, just splendid, and an Easter egg hunt in the churchyard to top it all! I'm rather partial to the odd Cadbury's cream egg myself you know, and it's not unknown for quite a few of them to go down the hatch in the vicarage once Lent's over.

Yes, it was difficult being away for those weeks, but I'm sure Lavinia held the fort in my absence. I understand she experimented with a few things, but don't you worry-- Mr Thornton has agreed to return as Vicar's Warden and we'll be putting the lady chapel back as it was. I think Lavinia's display on wimmin's issues in the third world has just about reached the end of it's usefulness don't you? I understand one of the cacti in the Lenten desert scene injured Mrs. Higginbottom in a sensitive place when she bent over to clean the floor, so happily the whole thing has been put out for the dustman.

What's that Ian? News of Mrs Vicar? I'm pleased to say that Daphne's cousin in Lancashire has made a full recovery, and one of the reasons we arrived last minute is that I was honored to attend a delightful service in the Roman Catholic Church there in Lancashire on Saturday night. They call it the Easter Vigil and I believe Fr. Giles  over at St Barnabas often observes similar rituals.

I hadn't been to a service like this before, and I must say I found it all rather moving. They light a fire outside the church, then process into the darkened church with a jolly huge candle while one of the fellows sing out, "The Light of Christ!" Jolly impressive I'd say! The whole thing goes on much longer than our usual Evensong, and they have a couple of baptisms and bring folks into their church who want to join. Not dis similar I think from the way they did it in the early church if my memory of Canon Farnsworth's church history lectures serves me well.

You probably heard by now that Daphne was one of the ones being 'received into full communion' as they like to call it these days. Of course, I was upset with her decision to start with, but once I thought it through I realized that we're all Catholics anyway, and if it's important to her to be a Roman Catholic why should I worry?

Of course I have to admit I took it all rather personally at first, but dear old Daff explained it quite simply and said it wasn't a matter of her not liking my sermons. She has always been fond of my sermons and she said there was an awful lot about the C of E she'd miss, but my sermons were top of the list. She also said that although she'd have to go to Mass down at Immaculate Conception with Fr. McGready she'd always make it a point to attend Evensong at All Saints with all of us, and she can still run the Mother's Union and organize the flower arranging rota, and of course she'll remain captain of the bell ringers.

So all's not quite so dramatic as some of the folks have been putting about the parish. End of the story is that I rather respect Daphne for sticking up for herself. She's always had quite a bit of 'oomph' if you know what I mean, and if she wants to worship the Lord in her way I don't want to stand in her way. I still don't see why she has to kiss the Pope's toe and worship Mary and all that pagan palaver, but if it pleases her, I can't see there's any harm in it.

Who knows, she might just convince a few more of us to light some extra candles now and again.

More on the Murphy Case

One of the crucial documents in the case of the child molesting priest Fr. Murphy has now been accurately translated from Italian. Jimmy Akin explains the whole thing in detail here.

The simple version according to the New York Times is that Murphy was let off the hook and Cardinal Ratzinger (as Pope Benedict then was) was responsible. The NY Times didn't even bother to get a proper translation of the document in question. Instead they got busy spreading innuendo, half truths and lies.

Turns out the Murphy case was mishandled by Archbishop Weakland and his predecessor, but by the time it got to Rome the very complicated case (from the canon law point of view) was not actually mishandled, and more to the point, Cardinal Ratzinger had nothing to do with the case.

Patrick O'Hannigan comments sharpishly on the NY Times' crisis in reporting here and further facts and opinion on priestly pedophilia here. The Wall Street Journal reports accurately on the Murphy case showing the shame of the NYTimes' biased reporting.

Write the NY Times

If you would like to protest the treatment of the Pope by the New York Times journalist  Maureen Dowd write to the editor, Clark Hoyt. Here's his email: public@nytimes.com

Remember to keep the letter charitable, reasonable yet firm. So the get the message quickly you might want to put 'Fire Maureen Dowd' in the subject line.

Here's what I wrote. Don't copy it, and don't mention me. Just write your own email.

Dear Mr Hoyt,

As a faithful Catholic I am grateful for any effort which will help rid our church of the few pedophile priests. Honest and fair investigative journalism is part of this righteous crusade.

However, your journalist Maureen Dowd is telling lies. Pope Benedict is not guilty of any crime in the case of Fr Lawrence Murphy. You and your staff had the facts. Rather than implicate Pope Benedict the facts actually exonerate him. There are only two options: that you and your staff did not bother to understand the facts, or that you willfully distorted them. As you are intelligent people I have to assume the latter.

Shame on your paper for publishing lies and continuing this intentional smear campaign against the Catholic Church during the holiest time of our year. Would you launch a similar campaign on Muslims during Ramadan about the prophet's marriage of a young girl, the institutionalized pedophilia amongst the Taliban or the Muslims shameful treatment of women? I think not.

I have decided to never purchase your paper and to boycott all your advertisers and I will be encouraging all I know to do the same.

Yrs sincerely,

Dwight Longenecker


If you want to read what Maureen Dowd wrote go here and here and here.

We now have a list of the NY Times online advertisers and will be trying to find ways to begin a boycott by Catholics.

Take Up the Sword

Read the history. You will see that in every age and in every place Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church has been attacked by two evils: corruption from within and persecution from without.

In the recent child abuse crisis both forces have gone on the attack at the same time. The corruption and wickedness of a very few priests, and the complacency, weakness, ignorance, incompetence and willful cover up by some of the hierarchy has caused serious damage to the Church and Christ's message. There is nothing to be said on this count except that those in responsibility must continue to do everything possible to put our house in order.

But while the attack through corruption within has been real, so has the attack in the form of persecution from without. The enemies of the Church have used the child abuse crimes to attack the church viciously and often unreasonably. There have been good journalists who have reported fairly, recorded facts and given a true perspective, but there have been too many others who have slandered, lied and distorted the truth.

Much has been made of the fact that an exorcist in Rome has called the attacks 'demonic'. I believe this is true, but he forgot to add that the attacks through corruption within the church are also demonic. Both forms of attack are inspired by the powers of evil in the world. Priests are tempted by lust, money, influence, power and prestige and they often take the bait. At the same time, many outside the church have minds and hearts darkened by sin and they hate the church and will do anything they can to attack her.

There is only one remedy to both forms of attack: Sanctity. Sanctity is strong and wise and courageous and good. Sanctity has clarity. Sanctity has charity. Men and women who have been transformed into the image of Christ have the power to cleanse the church or the corruption within and stand up to the persecution from without.

Pope Benedict has said that 'Scripture can only be understood through the lives of the saints.' It might also be said that 'All things can only be understood through the lives of the saints.' How does a saint respond to corruption within the church? He or she confronts it and stands up to it and whenever they have the power they root it out fearlessly. Read the lives of the saints and see how they defended the church from heretics and false shepherds and corrupt leaders. They were warriors. They cared nothing for their own reputation, but rooted out the rot like terriers going after rats. How could they do this? Only through their own sanctity. Those who are less than saints fear to do this because they are aware of their own failures and the are weighed down by their own hypocrisy and they are weakened by their lack of moral courage.

Likewise, regard the saints as they stood up to persecution from without. They cared nothing for their own lives. Without having a persecution complex or paranoia, they joyfully went about the Lord's business, and if that meant losing all and imprisonment and loss of their reputation and martyrdom, well, that was part of the deal to start with. "You cannot be my disciples is you will not take up your cross and follow me." "You cannot be half a saint!" cries St Therese, "You must be a whole saint or not saint at at all!" So the saints engage in the battle, when they must, with the persecution from without. They do so with a joyful courage, a clarity and focus that is amazing to witness.

The battle is not just for the clergy or the religious. It is a battle that each and every one of the baptized must be engaged in. If the recent crisis has done anything for the church it should be this: that all of the baptized see clearly the two forces that always attack the church; that all of the baptized realize that a battle is engaged--that corruption within and persecution without are the enemies, and that each of us should realize that it is 'us and them' and there is no middle ground.

Finally, the same two enemies that attack the church also attack each one of us. I am attacked by corruption from within. I am attacked by persecution from without. The battle is cosmic, but the battle is also waged in my own heart and life.

All that remains for me is to take up the sword, for my part in the battle is important, and my decisions and actions may make all the difference.

Christ is Risen

ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA

Mantilla the Hon on Holy Fire

Guest blogger Mantilla Amontillado is the founder of Veritas Vestments. She holds a degree in Ecclesiastical Haberdashery from Salamanca University. She has done the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella three times on horseback and is engaged to the famous matador, Senor Augusto Torquemada

I don't know what you mean hon. You say you were looking at these pictures of La Semana Santa in the Philippines and in Spain and you don't like what you see with all of these men whipping themselves and being crucified, and in Spain they are wearing these outfits with hoods like the Ku Klux Klan. You think it seems kind of creepy.

OK. Give me a break you know? This is a different culture. In Spain we are more physical. We like things like bull fighting when the matador goes out and fights El Toro and kills him, and the men run through the streets with the bull chasing him and bashing pinatas with a stick and we also like to have big fights with throwing tomatoes. What's wrong with having a little bit of fun eh?

The thing is, you Americans, you are so much like those Pilgrim fathers. You feel guilty for having a little bit of fun you know? But you like to kill bulls too. You just do it where nobody can see and then you have big steak dinner and eat maybe five cheeseburgers a day and you call that being civilized? You must be kidding me. Our people in Spain might look like Ku Klux Klan, but they're just pretending. It's just dressing up like you do on Halloween. It's no big deal, and my boyfriend Augusto say that everytime he kills a bull he cries like a little baby. Do you cry like a baby when you eat a rib eye steak? I don't think so.

And what about those men in Philippines being whipped and crucified? I tell you what hon, I can think of some men who could do with a little bit more discipline you know what I mean? Let's be honest. Men are beasts. The stuff we women have to put up with hon! I tell you, if they don't beat themselves maybe we ought to do it for them. Maybe these men know what horribles they are being all year long with their porno and their being pigs to their women and cheating  and being bad to other people and if they want to do a penance who am I to say no? Maybe next time they will think twice.

OK. I'm getting off track. I was talking about the Holy Fire. I go to this parish once when I am visiting America and it is a round church what looks like a really big ice cream cone that has fallen upside down and been squashed. And they have a priest call Father Elvis or something and you know what they have for the Holy Fire? It's just a few pieces of sticks in an outdoor barbecue and they get it going with some lighter fluid stuff. You know what I mean? Then the wind comes along and it fizzles out.

What kind of Holy Spirit Holy Fire is that? I'm thinking to myself, "Mantilla, this is just about right for this mambsy pambsy kind of American church what has carpet everywhere. The fire has fizzled out, and it was fake to start with. What they need is a Spanish kind of Semana Santa--and that fat priest who is rolling his eyes can lead the penitents. He can call up my brother Victor and he will send him one of his whips."

I tell you what hon. I like those really big fires. For me, if I were a holy priest, I would have not just a Holy Fire, but I would get some fireworks in there too without telling anybody. Now that would be a Holy Fire to remember you know what I mean! Maybe then when the altar boys set the whole thing going the fireworks go kerboom and light up the night sky and we have lots of sparks and from then we really think, "Madre de Dios! What if the Holy Spirit explodes into my life like this? What if the Holy Spirit surprises everybody and maybe scares a few people too?"

Then I am thinking, maybe for the Holy Fire we could bring back the good old days when we had really big bonfires and burnt heretics. I tell you...this Holy Week with them all attacking the Holy Father! I can think of one or two, and we could use their newspapers to start the fire with. You know what I mean?

OK. Settle down hon. Have another sip of your sangria. Mantilla is just kidding you know?

Two More Abuse Cases

The press are trying hard to find the fingerprints of find high ranking Vatican figures on bungled child abuse cases. There was one from Arizona trying to implicate the Holy Father and another one from Oregon trying to target Cardinal Levada.

As we've come to expect, the stories are simplifications which show the journalist's inability or unwillingness to deal with the complexities of Vatican dicasteries, the legal processes of canon law and the distinctions between church law and civil law. For example, they protest indignantly that a guilty priest was not defrocked for twelve years, never saying that this permanent laicization can only be done by the Vatican, and that it takes time, and the case must be heard fairly. Nor do they point out that during that time the local bishop had disciplined the guilty priest, suspended him from dressing as a cleric or acting as a priest in any way, and that eventually he was permanently defrocked.

Instead the article states baldly that Cardinal Ratzinger didn't bother to defrock the man for twelve years. Never mind that during that time Ratzinger wasn't even in charge of the process and that his only involvement, when we was finally put in charge, was to change the rules so that the offense could be dealt with more quickly and the offender punished more severely.

The press' deliberate simplifications are an example of shabby, tabloid journalism at its worst. They're not trying to establish facts. They're distorting the facts and trying to throw mud, hoping that some of it will stick.

For the facts behind both cases go here.

Descent into Hell

Priest to First Holy Communion Class: Where did Jesus go after he died on the cross?

Little Boy: (after thinking long and hard) I think he went to the deepest, darkest corner of Hell to look for his friend Judas.

Holy Saturday

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad
even my body shall rest in safety
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
nor let your beloved know decay.

You will show me the path of life;
the fullness of joy in your presence,
At your right hand happiness for ever.

--Ps. 16

Birds of a Feather

Ruth Gledhill of The Times in London seems to be vying with Maureen Dowd for the 'Dumb Attacks on the Catholic Church' award. In this article she leapfrogs from Archbishop Rowan Williams snide comments about the Catholic Church to the sermon by Fr Raniero Cantalamessa quoting a Jewish friend who recognized elements of the persecution in the present campaign against the Catholic Church that are like anti Semitism. She then goes on a long and rather incoherent rant picking up any little stone she can find to throw at the Catholic Church.

Just for the record, the observation by Fr. Cantalamessa's Jewish friend was that two things are similar in the present campaign:

1. The use of stereotypes- this is typical of all forms of religious and racial abuse, and it has been part of the anti-Catholic arsenal from the very beginning. Anyone who was brought up as a Protestant will be used to language that put all Catholics into the same category and condemns them all.

2. Jumping from individual guilt and responsibility to corporate guilt - Notice how the journalists spend a bit of time outlining the crimes of the few offenders and then jump seamlessly to speaking about 'The Catholic Church' or 'Catholic hierarchy' or 'The Vatican'.

Take notice of the other propaganda tricks being used:

1. Exaggeration - Minor crimes, negligence and honest mistakes will all be magnified to a 'cover up.'
2. Exaggeration of effect - The journalist creates a big negative reaction which mirrors his own emotions and pretends the whole population shares it. Soon the whole population will share it as people jump on the bandwagon. e.g. "Papal sermon provokes uproar!" "Potentially explosive sermon offends Jews around the world!" Really? Or just because you say so?
3. Accumulation - throw enough dirt and some of it will stick. The press will dig up every bit of dirt on every Catholic priest or bishop they can possibly find and it will be added to the catalogue. "Catholic Bishop was once arrested in 1968 for littering!" You get the idea.
4. Innuendo - Use of highly colored language to suggest wrongdoing. A perfectly proper level of confidentiality and discretion becomes, "Archbishop in highly secret meeting". Proper ministry of confession becomes "Priest refuses to divulge what he knows about abuse crimes."
5. Lies and Half Truths - a failure to research and report the full story ends up making articles a collection of suggestive lies, half truths and damning suggestions.

Don't get me wrong: as I have said in virtually all my writing on this issue, the powers that be need to root out any wicked priests and protect our children. To stick up for justice and demand fair and balanced reporting does not mean we are justifying child abuse or trying to cover up or squirm out of the mess.

Good Friday

It seemed to me that I saw a very wondrous tree
 lifted into the air, enveloped by light,
   the brightest of trees. That beacon was all
   covered with gold. Gems stood
   beautiful at the surface of the earth, there were five also
   up on the central joint of the cross. 
All those fair through eternal decree gazed on the angel of the Lord. 
It was certainly not a wicked person’s gallows there,
   but holy spirits, men over the earth,
   and all this famous creation gazed on him.
   Wondrous was that tree of victory, and I stained with sins
   wounded sorely with defects, I saw the tree of glory,
   honoured with garments, shining joyously,
   adorned with gold. Gems had
  splendidly covered the Lord’s tree.

The Dream of the Rood is an eighth century poem in English. Go here to read the full poem and learn more about it.

Taylor Marshall tells us why the Church Fathers thought Christ was hung on a wooden cross: Go here.

The Anchoress has contributed an article to NPR on why she is still a Catholic. It's a good and inspiring witness. Go here and comment in order to help out.

Maureen Dowd Libels Pope

Her own colleagues are saying that NY Times (silly parrot) journalist Maureen Dowd is telling lies about the Pope.

Definition of libel: a. Defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures. b. the act or crime of publishing it.

You can sue individuals and publications for libel. I'm an ignoramus when it comes to the law, but am I right that Dowd and the NY Times can be sued? If so, who could sue? Bill Donohue and the Catholic League?

Last Supper

More Maundy Thursday artwork at The Crescat

Cosmic Remembrance

"Do this in remembrance of me" means more than "this meal is a memory prompt". It means more than the sort of trip down memory lane we enjoy with the family photograph album. Instead the word 'remembrance' means 'anamnesis'--a special kind of active and dynamic remembrance in which the event from the past comes alive in the present.

At Passover the Jews believed in a kind of time travel. Through the ritual they were being taken back thousands of years to that night in Egypt where God delivered them from slavery through the death of the Sacrificial Lamb. The time travel also went the other way--the event from the path was brought forward to be experienced in the present. So it is with the 'anamnesis' or remembrance of the Eucharist. We are taken through the ritual back through time to the foot of the cross and The once for all sacrifice of Christ on the cross is brought forward into the present moment and its benefits applied to us.

As a result, when Christ says at the Last Supper, "Do this in remembrance of me" he conflates the whole Jewish salvation history from the fall of our first parents through the covenant with Noah, the near sacrifice of Abraham our Father in Faith and the bread and wine offered by Melchizadek. The Passover Lamb is there for Christ himself is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 

The remembrance of the Last Supper is, therefore, not simply a memory of Jesus' last fellowship meal with his disciples, but it is a recognition that this meal is a turning point in time. Because it captures and brings into the present moment the one sacrifice of Calvary, it is the meeting point of the whole of salvation history. It is the end and the beginning. 

Here the maker of the universe gathers all together in a tragic and triumphal harvest. Here all is reconciled. Here the chaos is brought back into its rightful order which is cosmos. Here is the full, final sacrifice eternal in the ages; and the magnificent and humbling beauty of the Catholic faith is that ordinary you and ordinary me can be there on bended knee, our mundane lives caught up in the heart of Light--the still point of the turning world, the harmony of all things and the music beyond our hearing which is the music of the cosmos, motored by the Love that moves the sun and all the other stars.