WITH FRIENDS LIKE THIS....

With thanks to the excellent blog The Eponymous Flower for informing us that Bill Donohue, the cut-rate Abe Foxman, has come charging to the defense of the indefensible. He has decided to defend the unspeakable Cardinal Wuerl against a brilliantly scathing attack by writer George Neumayr in THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR.

One must feel some measure of pity for Donohue. He is quite out of his league here and his attempts to defend his beloved Cardinal against the wholly justified indignation of Mr Neumayr are embarrassing.

But one thing is clear, at least to this writer: the Cardinal is lining up friends on "the Right" to defend him. It is a clever ploy. It is obviously meant to assuage the concerns (are there any?) that Rome might have over this incident. Will this ploy work?

Yes, if Catholic writers in print or on the internet let this story disappear down the Memory Hole or allow themselves to be bullied into silence. But it is to be hoped that Catholic writers will not be silent on this gravely serious situation.

And it is remotely possible that the Cardinal will begin to see the colossal error of his ways and start to undo the damage, for the good not only of the Church but his own soul.

THE DAY THE DECISION WAS MADE

It is with the famous Gospel of Passion Sunday that Jesus Christ finally says the fateful words to his persecutors, the words that can give one goose bumps, so powerful and so majestic they are. It was with the speaking of those words that Our Lord’s doom was sealed.

In the great Missal of Dom Gaspar Lefebvre are quoted these thoughts, as a reflection prior to the reading of that Gospel: “Our Lord’s words in this place,” says St Gregory, “are awful indeed. He that is of God heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not because you are not of God.” St Gregory goes on: “There are some who do not even vouchsafe to listen to the commandments of God with heir bodily ears.”

The Missal continues: “It was thus that the Jews acted, for to their words of hate they added acts of enmity, showing that their father was the devil, a murderer from the beginning, nay, a murderer and a liar…All who hate the truth and try to harm their neighbour are the sons of Satan. Obeying his evil suggestions, the Jews hated Him who spoke the truth to them and sought to get rid of Him…Blinded by the divine Light which thus shone in all its brightness before them, they plunged of their own free will into the deepest darkness of error and sought to stone Christ, whom they had dared to accuse of blasphemy.”

It is with these sobering thoughts that we enter into the final days of Lent before the Son of God is to undergo terrible torments. The spine-tingling Gospel of St John for Passion Sunday is worth reading again, as we enter these final sad days:

At that time Jesus said to the multitude of the Jews: Which of you shall convince Me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do you not believe Me? He that is of God heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God. The Jews therefore answered, and said to Him: Do not we say well, that Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered: I have not a devil: but I honor My Father, and you have dishonoured Me. But I seek not My own glory: there is One that seeketh and judgeth. Amen, amen, I say to you: If any man keep My word, he shall not see death for ever. The Jews therefore said: Now we know that Thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets: and Thou sayest: If any man keep My word he shall not taste death for ever. Art Thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead, whom dost Thou make Thyself? Jesus answered: If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing: it is My Father that glorifieth Me, of whom you say that He is your God, and you have not known Him: but I know Him: And if I shall say that I know Him not, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know Him, and do keep His word. Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see My day: he saw it and was glad.

The Jews therefore said to Him: Thou art not yet fifty years old: and hast Thou seen Abraham? Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am.

It was with the uttering of those terrible, final words to them that the Jews decided once and for all to kill Him. The gauntlet had been thrown down to them at last, and they no longer had any doubt as to who He was.

They took up stones therefore to cast at Him: but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple.

CARDINAL WUERL HAS MADE A VERY POOR JOKE

There are not too many occasions that present themselves which make one want to vomit, but reading an article on the website of The National Catholic Register certainly had a poor effect on this writer’s stomach. It seems that His Eminence has published a book bewailing the state of the nation’s culture and the importance of Catholics taking their Faith seriously.

Obviously, the Cardinal has made a joke here. If he has, it certainly isn’t very amusing.

His Eminence, who has just caused a worldwide scandal in the Church by disciplining – publicly disciplining, so that all the world may see - Father Marcel Guarnizo for tactfully refusing Holy Communion to a woman living a life as a lesbian (and apparently, a Buddhist at that), now piously tells us how we must fight for our Faith. The timing of the release of this book, “Keep First the Kingdom” (surely one which will not find itself mentioned on too many Christmas gift wish lists), couldn’t be more perfect. It beautifully illustrates the unutterable hypocrisy of this Prince of the Church.

For those who can take it, here is the link to the article: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/cardinal-wuerl-to-catholics-seek-first-the-kingdom-in-order-to-challenge-th

And this: http://thejewishchronicle.net/view/full_story/11072965/article-Cardinal-Wuerl-appointed-to-Jewish-Catholic-relations-council-

If His Eminence is serious about his concerns over the state of religious freedom in America then he may wish to begin his work by publicly apologizing to the priest who took his priestly vows seriously, and by publicly disciplining the apostate Catholics of his own diocese, of which there are thousands. He might also begin taking his own faith seriously, instead of striking suitably saintly poses for the camera.

Donald Wuerl, ever since his apprenticeship with Cardinal Wright, has been working very hard to become another high-ranking prelate who ends up being a disgrace to his cloth. As of late, alas, he has been succeeding rather well.

Why does Benedict keep raising men like this to high office? This is a question that must be asked again and, unfortunately, again.

SORRY, YOUR EXCELLENCY. WE'RE NOT BUYING.

(Sometimes, one picture is worth a thousand words. Is this the type of man Benedict thinks appropriate to wear an Episcopal ring?)

Bishop Barry Knesthout, the golem picked by Cardinal Wuerl to carry out his vendetta against the priest who refused Holy Communion to a public sinner and apostate from the Faith and whose manly visage adorns the top of this article, has written a letter to the priests of the Diocese of Washington, D.C. explaining, if it could be called an explanation, why drastic actions were taken against the priest in question. The letter is quite interesting.

One of the classic techniques of the Soviet authorities, when persecuting some innocent who got in their way, was to ascribe mental problems to them. In that way the authorities could be portrayed as merely reasonable men who were protecting the populace from an unbalanced individual. It was a fairly transparent ploy but did have some effect on certain true believers in the Communist-inspired earthly paradise. Bishop Knesthout, perhaps assuming that so many of us have very poor memories, has resurrected this old device in his letter to the priests (written, no doubt, under the thumb of Wuerl). In this letter, Father Marcel Guarnizo is being accused of having engaged in “intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others.” Come, come my lord Bishop. That's not terribly convincing.

The familiar ring that technique has should be obvious to anyone who has even a cursory interest in the politics of tyranny. And isn’t it frightfully amazing that the revelations of these dark deeds of this priest should suddenly surface, as if out of thin air, right after the media-induced hoopla about the poor, fallen away Catholic who had her feelings hurt? This whole thing would be utterly laughable if it did not signal yet another death knell for what’s left of Catholicism in America.

The letter is interesting also in the veiled threat that is contained therein: if you, my fellow priest, act as Father Guarnizo did, you too will get the same treatment. Though not spelled out in words that threat, too, is quite transparently obvious. Washingto, D.C. priests now know with utter certainty what will befall them if they cross the Lavender Mafia, which seems to have the protection (if not the blessings) of Cardinal Wuerl.

And what is Rome doing about this? Well, of course we don’t know for certain. I have written to the authorities in Rome about this, my “Open Letter” to the Nuncio can be read here on this site, and I have sent a private letter as well to the Nuncio. I have called the Nunciature and the Washington diocese and have even written to Defender of the Faith, Barry Knesthout. But the silence from other Bishops, other Cardinals and Rome has, thus far, been deafening. Compare the swiftness with which Rome dances whenever the repulsive Abe Foxman begins his mouth-foaming about ancient Catholic truths that he feels must be crushed willy-nilly with the slowness of the response to this outrage.

Here is what many are hoping: that this whole story will be big news for a few weeks then suddenly disappear. They are counting on the public’s weariness, and its despair, to consign it to the trash bin. It will be a very big mistake if Catholics allow this to happen. It must not be allowed to go away. Yes, sometimes writing letters seems futile. But someone does read them and when they are read it becomes the responsibility of the reader. If he kills it, files in the circular file or ignores it he carries the responsibility for that action before God. So it is never a waste of time to let your feelings be known. Don’t withdraw while the enemies of the Faith advance.

Here are a few addresses. Use them. I thank the indefatigable Mrs Daphne McLeod and her respected “Pro Ecclesia” website for the following information:


On matters relating to Bishops:
Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops
Palazzo delle Congregazione
Piazza Pio XII, 10
00120 Vatican City State, Europe
Phone:011 39 06 6988 4217 Fax: 011 39 06 6988 4300
Secretary: Most Rev. Archbishop Francesco Monterisi

On all matters relating to the Church, especially dissent from Catholic doctrine:
Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith
Piazza del S. Uffizio, 11
00120, Vatican City State, Europe
Phone: 011 39 06 6988 3357 Fax: 011 39 06 6988 3409
Secretary: The Most Rev.Angelo Amato, S.D.B.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE APOSTOLIC NUNCIO

His Excellency Carlo Maria Vigano
3339 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Your Excellency:

Your Excellency is undoubtedly aware of a recent unbelievably scandalous situation that has surfaced in the past several days in the Diocese of His Eminence Cardinal Wuerl. I am referring, of course, to the denying of Holy Communion to a woman living proudly in a state of mortal sin by a priest during the funeral mass of this person’s mother. Incredibly, the Diocese has apologized to the mortal sinner, a woman engaged in the unnatural vice of lesbianism.

Your Excellency, enough is enough.

We suffering Catholics, hanging on to the Faith by a thread, are sick and tired of our Bishops knifing us in the back whenever they are confronted by a hostile media or the homosexual mafia. We are sick and tired of their cowardice, their weakness, their refusal to speak the truth boldly. Things have come to such a sorry pass in America, things have sunk so low that we are now confronted by the spectacle of a Bishop apologizing to a practicing homosexual, and what’s worse, reprimanding a dutiful priest for doing his job. This, Your Excellency, is the legacy of Americanism, condemned by Pope Leo XIII in Testem Benevolentiae. But now the time has come to end this attitude.

As more facts about this case surface it is now clear that this wretched woman paraded her perversion to the priest prior to the Mass, whereupon he politely informed her privately to refrain from approaching the Sacrament. When she did anyway, he did what a priest should do. And for that he is humiliated by his own Chancery. The Chancery has just handed the Church’s enemies another club with which to beat us.

Our Bishops are now rightly concerned with the evils coming from Washington (at long last) but if they are going to be obsequious to homosexuals of all people then their chances of turning public opinion around in their favor will be nil. If these Bishops continue (like His Eminence Cardinal Dolan, sadly) to tolerate homosexuals by not shutting down these atrocious “gay masses” in their respective dioceses they will not have a leg to stand on when militant, arrogant homosexuals start getting really aggressive.

Your Excellency, this must stop now. I am asking you to instruct His Eminence the Cardinal and the Bishop who wrote the letter of apology to this lesbian harridan to publicly and unequivocally re-state the Catholic position on the heinousness of the mortal sin that homosexuality is. We want no more weasel words like “sexual orientation” used to cloud the issue; we want clear, undiluted teaching.

I further put this next point as a demand, that Your Excellency demand that the Chancery apologize to the priest in question, and to protect him from the viciousness of these drooling homosexual jackals who are calling for his head.

Enough is enough, Your Excellency. The Church’s policy, dating back to at least Pius XII, of taking the kindly, “pastoral” approach has not worked. It is a failed policy. This policy of being “nice”, of not confronting our non-Catholic friends with the truths of the Faith, of gentle persuasion, indeed of Americanism, has been an unqualified disaster. This policy has produced two generations of Mass-going Protestants. It has paved the way for easy divorce, contraception, abortion and now acceptance of homosexuality. It is long past time that Rome abandons this policy and begins to govern with a gentle but firm hand. And here now is a case presented to the Church to institute this better kind of policy.

The world is watching to see what the Church will do now, Your Excellency. Let the world see justice, strength, courage and holiness – not vacillating and weakness. I urge Your Excellency not to let this matter grind through the usual slow Roman channels. Swift action is now required. Souls are at stake. How are souls at stake? Your Excellency knows well that the Chancery’s apology to an avowed lesbian will harden her in her disordered lifestyle and should she die in such a tragic state, she will suffer the torments of Hell.

I urge Your Excellency to deal with this matter without further delay.

With every good wish,

Editor,
www.theeye-witness.blogspot.com