While the networks largely ignored 43 Catholic institutions suing the Obama administration over the ObamaCare contraception mandate, since news broke on May 25 of the Pope's butler leaking classified Vatican documents, those same networks saw fit to provide 13 stories in 5 days proclaiming "another black eye for the Vatican" and supposed "corruption at some of the highest levels."
ABC News lead the charge, with a total of six reports from May 26 through 28. NBC followed close behind with five reports, one of which was a news brief, from May 25 through 29. CBS had the lightest coverage of the controversy, with only two reports on May 28. CBS was also the only one of the three networks to provide any coverage of the Catholic lawsuit, offering a 19-second news brief on the May 21 Evening News and an interview with Cardinal Timothy Dolan on the May 23 This Morning.
Read more:
U.S. Bishops Prepare Catholics for Civil Disobedience: ‘We May Need to Witness to the Truth by Resisting the Law’
(CNSNews.com) - Having organized 43 plaintiffs—including the archdioceses of New York and Washington and the University of Notre Dame—to file 12 different lawsuits against the Obama administration last Monday alleging the administration is violating the religious freedom of Catholics, the Catholic bishops of the United States are now preparing Catholics for what may be the most massive campaign of civil disobedience in this country since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and early 1960s.
“Some unjust laws impose such injustices on individuals and organizations that disobeying the laws may be justified,” the bishops state in a document developed to be inserted into church bulletins in Catholic parishes around the country in June.
“Every effort must be made to repeal them,” the bishops say in the document, which is already posted on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “When fundamental human goods, such as the right of conscience, are at stake, we may need to witness to the truth by resisting the law and incurring its penalties.”
The bulletin insert reminds Catholic parishioners that the bishops have called for “A Fortnight of Freedom”—which they have described as “a special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action”—to take place from June 21 to July 4.
The bishops have noted that June 21, when this fortnight will begin, is the Vigil of the Feast of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More. Fisher was a Roman Catholic cardinal whom the English monarch Henry VIII beheaded in 1535 after he refused to act against his conscience and take an oath asserting that Henry was the supreme authority over the church in England. That same year, Henry VIII also beheaded Thomas More, his former chancellor, for the same reason.
The sterilization-contraception-abortifacient mandate is set to go into effect for most health-care plans on Aug. 1, about four weeks after the bishops' "Fortnight of Freedom."
For more go here
“Some unjust laws impose such injustices on individuals and organizations that disobeying the laws may be justified,” the bishops state in a document developed to be inserted into church bulletins in Catholic parishes around the country in June.
“Every effort must be made to repeal them,” the bishops say in the document, which is already posted on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “When fundamental human goods, such as the right of conscience, are at stake, we may need to witness to the truth by resisting the law and incurring its penalties.”
The bulletin insert reminds Catholic parishioners that the bishops have called for “A Fortnight of Freedom”—which they have described as “a special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action”—to take place from June 21 to July 4.
The bishops have noted that June 21, when this fortnight will begin, is the Vigil of the Feast of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More. Fisher was a Roman Catholic cardinal whom the English monarch Henry VIII beheaded in 1535 after he refused to act against his conscience and take an oath asserting that Henry was the supreme authority over the church in England. That same year, Henry VIII also beheaded Thomas More, his former chancellor, for the same reason.
The sterilization-contraception-abortifacient mandate is set to go into effect for most health-care plans on Aug. 1, about four weeks after the bishops' "Fortnight of Freedom."
For more go here
Homily - Pentecost Sunday
Fr. Rene Butler
Imagine you are one of the disciples gathered in the upper room, Acts 1:14 – “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
You hear something like a mighty wind.
You see something like tongues of fire.
You feel something happening within you and in the whole group.
You do something: you start to speak in ways you have never spoken before.
This is a pivotal event in the life of the disciples. The death and resurrection of Jesus were pivotal for their faith. Pentecost is pivotal for their life. Nothing will ever be the same again.
We have all had experiences we will never forget. Whether they are positive or negative, they are pivotal. They are more than memories to us.
In the creed we say: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life.” This is more than remembering.
“The Lord formed man from the earth and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” (Gen. 2:7) The powerful breath of the Spirit at Pentecost made the disciples – and continues to make us today – a “living being” known as the Church.
The Church can never forget that first Pentecost, because the Church would not exist without it, and because the Holy Spirit continues to dwell in the Church and in all believers. The “Giver of Life” continues to give life.
The life of the Church consists in the gifts (charisms) the Spirit brings. They take many different forms, but all serve one purpose: to proclaim that Jesus is Lord!
We tend to think of gifts we receive as something for ourselves. The pivotal event of Pentecost shows us that the gifts we receive are never just for ourselves, but for the good of all. First we need to recognize the gift. Then we need to figure out how best to share it.
You hear something like a mighty wind.
You see something like tongues of fire.
You feel something happening within you and in the whole group.
You do something: you start to speak in ways you have never spoken before.
This is a pivotal event in the life of the disciples. The death and resurrection of Jesus were pivotal for their faith. Pentecost is pivotal for their life. Nothing will ever be the same again.
We have all had experiences we will never forget. Whether they are positive or negative, they are pivotal. They are more than memories to us.
In the creed we say: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life.” This is more than remembering.
“The Lord formed man from the earth and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” (Gen. 2:7) The powerful breath of the Spirit at Pentecost made the disciples – and continues to make us today – a “living being” known as the Church.
The Church can never forget that first Pentecost, because the Church would not exist without it, and because the Holy Spirit continues to dwell in the Church and in all believers. The “Giver of Life” continues to give life.
The life of the Church consists in the gifts (charisms) the Spirit brings. They take many different forms, but all serve one purpose: to proclaim that Jesus is Lord!
We tend to think of gifts we receive as something for ourselves. The pivotal event of Pentecost shows us that the gifts we receive are never just for ourselves, but for the good of all. First we need to recognize the gift. Then we need to figure out how best to share it.
How the Apostles Died
Matthew
Killed by a sword
wound
Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia
,
Mark
Died in Alexandria , Egypt , after
being dragged by
Horses through the streets until he
was dead
Luke
Was hanged in Greece as a result of
his tremendous
Preaching to the lost.
John
Faced martyrdom when he was boiled
in huge
Basin of boiling oil during a wave
of persecution
In Rome . However, he
was miraculously delivered
From death.
John was then sentenced to the mines
on the prison
Island of Patmos
. He wrote his prophetic Book of
Revelation on Patmos .
The apostle John was later freed and
returned to serve
As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey
. He died as an old man, the only
apostle to die peacefully.
Peter
He was crucified upside down on an
x-shaped cross.
According to church tradition it was
because
He told his tormentors that he felt
unworthy to die
In the same way that Jesus Christ
had died.
James
The leader of the church in
Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of
the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in
Christ.
When they discovered that he
survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
* This was the same pinnacle where
Satan had taken
Jesus during the Temptation.
James the
Great
Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by
trade when Jesus
Called him to a lifetime of
ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at
Jerusalem.
The Roman officer who guarded James
watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer
Walked beside James to the place of
execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and
Knelt beside James to accept
beheading as a Christian.
Bartholomew
Also known as Nathaniel Was a
missionary to Asia.
He witnessed for our Lord in present
day Turkey.
Bartholomew was martyred for his
preaching in
Armenia where he was flayed to death
by a whip.
Andrew
Was crucified on an x-shaped cross
in Patras, Greece.
After being whipped severely by
seven soldiers theytied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony.
His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it
in these words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy
hour.
The cross has been consecrated by
the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his tormentors
For two days until he expired.
Thomas
Was stabbed with a spear in India
during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the
Sub-continent
Jude
Was killed with arrows when he
refused to deny his faith in Christ.
Matthias
The apostle chosen to replace the
traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
Paul
Was tortured and then beheaded by
the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a
lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the
churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught
many of the foundational
Doctrines of Christianity, form a
large portion of the New Testament.
Perhaps this
is a reminder to us
That our
sufferings here
Are indeed
minor compared
To the
intense persecution
And cold
cruelty faced by the apostles
And
disciples during their
times
For the sake
of the Faith.
Mary Ann Glendon: Why the Bishops Are Suing the U.S. Government
This week Catholic bishops are heading to federal courts across the country to defend religious liberty. On Monday they filed 12 lawsuits on behalf of a diverse group of 43 Catholic entities that are challenging the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) sterilization, abortifacient and birth-control insurance mandate.
Like most Americans, the bishops have long taken for granted the religious freedom that has enabled this nation's diverse religions to flourish in relative harmony. But over the past year they have become increasingly concerned about the erosion of conscience protections for church-related individuals and institutions. Their top-rated program for assistance to human trafficking victims was denied funding for refusing to provide "the full range of reproductive services," including abortion. For a time, Catholic Relief Services faced a similar threat to its international relief programs. The bishops fear religious liberty is becoming a second-class right.
Along with leaders of other faiths who have conscientious objections to all or part of the mandate, they hoped to persuade the government to bring its regulations into line with the First Amendment, and with federal laws such as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that provide exemptions to protect the conscience rights of religious institutions and individuals.
On Jan. 20, however, HHS announced it would not revise the mandate or expand its tight exemption, which covers only religious organizations that mainly hire and serve their co-religionists. Instead, the mandated coverage will continue to apply to hospitals, schools and social service providers run by groups whose religious beliefs require them to serve everyone in need.
For more go here.
Like most Americans, the bishops have long taken for granted the religious freedom that has enabled this nation's diverse religions to flourish in relative harmony. But over the past year they have become increasingly concerned about the erosion of conscience protections for church-related individuals and institutions. Their top-rated program for assistance to human trafficking victims was denied funding for refusing to provide "the full range of reproductive services," including abortion. For a time, Catholic Relief Services faced a similar threat to its international relief programs. The bishops fear religious liberty is becoming a second-class right.
Along with leaders of other faiths who have conscientious objections to all or part of the mandate, they hoped to persuade the government to bring its regulations into line with the First Amendment, and with federal laws such as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that provide exemptions to protect the conscience rights of religious institutions and individuals.
On Jan. 20, however, HHS announced it would not revise the mandate or expand its tight exemption, which covers only religious organizations that mainly hire and serve their co-religionists. Instead, the mandated coverage will continue to apply to hospitals, schools and social service providers run by groups whose religious beliefs require them to serve everyone in need.
For more go here.
Homily for the Seventh Sunday in Easter
Father Michael J. Woolley
Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, my reward with me.
Jesus, who this past Thursday Ascended into Heaven, is coming soon back to us. On Pentecost Sunday He will come into the hearts of the disciples in the Upper Room, bringing them “His reward”, the Holy Spirit, with Him.
(St. Paul, incidentally, calls the Holy Spirit the “down payment” of that reward given to all who follow Jesus in this life. On judgment day, Jesus will “pay in full” each person according to his or her deeds.)
This time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday is kind of a mini-Advent for the Church, it is a time of waiting for God to come to us in a more powerful way.
On Ascension Thursday Jesus told the disciples Go and make disciples of all nations . . . .but first, wait. Wait in the Upper Room and pray for the coming of my Holy Spirit.
And this “mini-Advent” period of waiting for the coming of God the Holy Spirit into the world was much shorter and much different than that other more well known Advent period of waiting for the coming of God the Son into the world.
According to Biblical History, which may or may not be literal, God’s People had to wait and pray about 9000 years before Jesus the promised Messiah was finally born for them in Bethlehem.
In contrast, the Disciples had to wait only 9 days for the promised Holy Spirit to come to them.
And furthermore, the Israelites had to wait all those years in darkness, with only the dim, obscure light of the Old Testament to guide them (which is why we wear dark colored, purple vestments the 4 weeks of Advent leading up to Xmas).
In contrast, the Disciples of Jesus waited those 9 days for the Holy Spirit with the blazing light of the Gospel to see by – while they waited in the Upper Room they reflected and prayed on the teachings and mighty deeds of Jesus, on His Passion and Death, on His Resurrection and Ascension, all of which enlightened their hearts and flooded the Old Testament Scriptures with light, revealing the hidden meaning of the Old Testament. (This is why during this “little advent” we’re now in, we don’t wear dark Purple but bright White Vestments.)
At the end of that 9000 year Advent, Christ was Born in Bethlehem. At the end of that 9 day Advent, Christ was Born again in the hearts of all believers.
And so my brothers and sisters, this mini-Advent time we are in between Ascension and Pentecost is for the Church and for us a time of intense prayer and waiting for the Holy Spirit to be born in a deeper way in our hearts...
(St. Paul, incidentally, calls the Holy Spirit the “down payment” of that reward given to all who follow Jesus in this life. On judgment day, Jesus will “pay in full” each person according to his or her deeds.)
This time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday is kind of a mini-Advent for the Church, it is a time of waiting for God to come to us in a more powerful way.
On Ascension Thursday Jesus told the disciples Go and make disciples of all nations . . . .but first, wait. Wait in the Upper Room and pray for the coming of my Holy Spirit.
And this “mini-Advent” period of waiting for the coming of God the Holy Spirit into the world was much shorter and much different than that other more well known Advent period of waiting for the coming of God the Son into the world.
According to Biblical History, which may or may not be literal, God’s People had to wait and pray about 9000 years before Jesus the promised Messiah was finally born for them in Bethlehem.
In contrast, the Disciples had to wait only 9 days for the promised Holy Spirit to come to them.
And furthermore, the Israelites had to wait all those years in darkness, with only the dim, obscure light of the Old Testament to guide them (which is why we wear dark colored, purple vestments the 4 weeks of Advent leading up to Xmas).
In contrast, the Disciples of Jesus waited those 9 days for the Holy Spirit with the blazing light of the Gospel to see by – while they waited in the Upper Room they reflected and prayed on the teachings and mighty deeds of Jesus, on His Passion and Death, on His Resurrection and Ascension, all of which enlightened their hearts and flooded the Old Testament Scriptures with light, revealing the hidden meaning of the Old Testament. (This is why during this “little advent” we’re now in, we don’t wear dark Purple but bright White Vestments.)
At the end of that 9000 year Advent, Christ was Born in Bethlehem. At the end of that 9 day Advent, Christ was Born again in the hearts of all believers.
And so my brothers and sisters, this mini-Advent time we are in between Ascension and Pentecost is for the Church and for us a time of intense prayer and waiting for the Holy Spirit to be born in a deeper way in our hearts...
For more homilies by Father Woolley go here
Feast of the Ascension
The fortieth day after Easter Sunday, commemorating the Ascension of Christ into heaven, according to Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, and Acts 1:2.
In the Eastern Church this feast was known as analepsis, the taking up, and also as the episozomene, the salvation, denoting that by ascending into His glory Christ completed the work of our redemption. The terms used in the West, ascensio and, occasionally, ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by His own powers. Tradition designates Mount Olivet near Bethany as the place where Christ left the earth. The feast falls on Thursday. It is one of the Ecumenical feasts ranking with the feasts of the Passion, of Easter and of Pentecost among the most solemn in the calendar, has a vigil and, since the fifteenth century, an octave which is set apart for a novena of preparation for Pentecost, in accordance with the directions of Leo XIII.
In the liturgies generally the day is meant to celebrate the completion of the work of our salvation, the pledge of our glorification with Christ, and His entry into heaven with our human nature glorified.
In the Eastern Church this feast was known as analepsis, the taking up, and also as the episozomene, the salvation, denoting that by ascending into His glory Christ completed the work of our redemption. The terms used in the West, ascensio and, occasionally, ascensa, signify that Christ was raised up by His own powers. Tradition designates Mount Olivet near Bethany as the place where Christ left the earth. The feast falls on Thursday. It is one of the Ecumenical feasts ranking with the feasts of the Passion, of Easter and of Pentecost among the most solemn in the calendar, has a vigil and, since the fifteenth century, an octave which is set apart for a novena of preparation for Pentecost, in accordance with the directions of Leo XIII.
History
The observance of this feast is of great antiquity. Although no documentary evidence of it exists prior to the beginning of the fifth century, St. Augustine says that it is of Apostolic origin, and he speaks of it in a way that shows it was the universal observance of the Church long before his time. Frequent mention of it is made in the writings of St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and in the Constitution of the Apostles. The Pilgrimage of Sylvia (Peregrinatio Etheriae) speaks of the vigil of this feast and of the feast itself, as they were kept in the church built over the grotto in Bethlehem in which Christ was born (Duchesne, Christian Worship, 491-515). It may be that prior to the fifth century the fact narrated in the Gospels was commemorated in conjunction with the feast of Easter or Pentecost. Some believe that the much-disputed forty-third decree of the Council of Elvira (c. 300) condemning the practice of observing a feast on the fortieth day after Easter and neglecting to keep Pentecost on the fiftieth day, implies that the proper usage of the time was to commemorate the Ascension along with Pentecost. Representations of the mystery are found in diptychs and frescoes dating as early as the fifth century.Customs
Certain customs were connected with the liturgy of this feast, such as the blessing of beans and grapes after the Commemoration of the Dead in the Canon of the Mass, the blessing of first fruits, afterwards done on Rogation Days, the blessing of a candle, the wearing of mitres by deacon and subdeacon, the extinction of the paschal candle, and triumphal processions with torches and banners outside the churches to commemorate the entry of Christ into heaven. Rock records the English custom of carrying at the head of the procession the banner bearing the device of the lion and at the foot the banner of the dragon, to symbolize the triumph of Christ in His ascension over the evil one. In some churches the scene of the Ascension was vividly reproduced by elevating the figure of Christ above the altar through an opening in the roof of the church. In others, whilst the figure of Christ was made to ascend, that of the devil was made to descend.In the liturgies generally the day is meant to celebrate the completion of the work of our salvation, the pledge of our glorification with Christ, and His entry into heaven with our human nature glorified.
Why is May the month of Mary?
>
In early non-Christian cultures goddesses of fertility were honoured in May, the first month of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
As part of its evangelising practice the new religion of Christianity substituted Christian feasts for pagan ones e.g. St Brigid for the first day of Spring.
Later, a connection developed between the blossoms of May and the custom of offering flowers to Mary. By the Middle Ages, particularly in Spain, Mary was honoured on individual days in May, but it is due to the Italians that the whole month of Mary was given over to Marian devotion from the 18th Century onwards
The Ascension is celebrated on the first Sunday of May. According to the account in the Acts of the Apostles (1: 6-14), Mary did not witness the Ascension of Jesus. She was present in Jerusalem with the other women when the Apostles returned, and surely drank in every word they said.
The following Sunday is Pentecost Sunday We commemorate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the traditional "birthday of the Church". Mary was still present in Jerusalem: she who from the earliest days was known as Mother of the Church.
May you all, joined in joy with the blessed Mother, do the same during her month.
- Bishop Kevin Manning.
In early non-Christian cultures goddesses of fertility were honoured in May, the first month of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
As part of its evangelising practice the new religion of Christianity substituted Christian feasts for pagan ones e.g. St Brigid for the first day of Spring.
Later, a connection developed between the blossoms of May and the custom of offering flowers to Mary. By the Middle Ages, particularly in Spain, Mary was honoured on individual days in May, but it is due to the Italians that the whole month of Mary was given over to Marian devotion from the 18th Century onwards
The Ascension is celebrated on the first Sunday of May. According to the account in the Acts of the Apostles (1: 6-14), Mary did not witness the Ascension of Jesus. She was present in Jerusalem with the other women when the Apostles returned, and surely drank in every word they said.
The following Sunday is Pentecost Sunday We commemorate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the traditional "birthday of the Church". Mary was still present in Jerusalem: she who from the earliest days was known as Mother of the Church.
[ ... ]
The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ is celebrated on the last Sunday of May. In the Year of the Eucharist it is fitting to recall what Pope John Paul II said about Mary and the Eucharist: "Mary is present with the Church, and as the Mother of the Church, at each of our celebrations of the Eucharist. If the Church and the Eucharist are inseparably united, the same ought to be said of Mary and the Eucharist" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 57).
The Visitation rounds off the Marian month. We remember the young, pregnant Virgin Mary, hastening to visit her cousin, also pregnant but of more advanced age. We are reminded of the importance of visiting as an act of charity, not "virtual visiting" but connecting in a way that touches the human spirit, particularly with ageing relatives and friends.
Above all, the Visitation gives us the great lesson of joy in the Lord as Mary sings: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour (Lk 1:46, 47).
The Visitation rounds off the Marian month. We remember the young, pregnant Virgin Mary, hastening to visit her cousin, also pregnant but of more advanced age. We are reminded of the importance of visiting as an act of charity, not "virtual visiting" but connecting in a way that touches the human spirit, particularly with ageing relatives and friends.
Above all, the Visitation gives us the great lesson of joy in the Lord as Mary sings: My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour (Lk 1:46, 47).
May you all, joined in joy with the blessed Mother, do the same during her month.
- Bishop Kevin Manning.
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