Goodbye to She is Catholic

God bless. Young ones, take up the challenge.

She is Catholic has responded to a call from God to be a nun. Here is a good phrase for you all to consider-

Let God love you in the way He wants to love you. And, love God in the way He wants to be loved.

That is what responding to a vocation is-loving and receiving love in God's Will and Way, not yours...

Here is a photo of her from August 29th, 2012. Praise God.

Bomb Suspect Arrested in Davenport, Iowa Bomb Plan

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/08/31/feds-arrest-suspect-in-streamwood-raid/?utm_medium=VPH&utm_source=topvph_news&utm_campaign=345338

Northpark Mall is our families' second home. All the up-market dress departments and book shop owners knew us at one point, or least my mom, the intrepid shopper, personally. She can phone up some of the stores where we have shopped for years and ask them to hold things, watch for sales in skirts or dresses in our sizes, or give a heads-up on the sale of certain perfumes. For years, my parents did Mall Walking, with the Mall Walkers, covering several miles in the winter, and having coffee with friends afterwards. As younger persons, we met and ate junk food there (Chick-Fil-A among others), and the kids played in the game areas. Nice, friendly, clean.

My mom and almost got caught  in a tornado in Younkers, which must shut the doors and keep all people inside until the danger passes. We got out just in time before the doors shut automatically, as we wanted to be at home in the basement, rather than at the Mall during a tornado.

Some person decided to bomb the Mall. Thankfully, he was found out and has been arrested in Illinois. Even in Iowa...terrorism can happen.

RECORD POST DAY for Supertradmum--eleven posts.

Obamanation - Jon McNaughton

I have featured this artist on my blog many times. He is a genius is political statement art, a genre that has existed for centuries.

Here are two links and please look at these: the first is this video and the second is below. Let the man and his artwork speak. By moving your mouse over the symbols in the painting, you will get many references to the news and stories behind the artistic representation. This is brilliant.

http://www.mcnaughtonart.com/artwork/view_zoom/423

Nick Clegg pushing the politics of envy

Well, I do not always agree with some political commentators here, but one thing is becoming more clear and that is Nick Clegg must go as Liberal Party Leader. He has veered so far left in his response to taxes, that he sounds like a communist spewing out the "politics of envy". Thankfully, his days seem to be numbered for other reasons, such as his support for civil unions, which most English people do not want.

He is pushing his own or someone else's agenda. He has to go.

Here is a key article. And, as a reminder, just in case you have not been reading this blog regularly, is an excellent site for the Catholic position against socialism. Happy reading.

This is hysterical, watch it. Make my day!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clint-eastwood-speaks-at-the-2012-republican-national-convention/2012/08/30/39108924-f314-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_video.html

and the acceptance speech

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7420070n&tag=pop;videos

Mitt promised to protect the dignity of life and traditional marriage.

Another letter from a bishop on errors of doctrine

Those who deny the authority of bishops must beware

A Nod to My Patron

I am reprinting some information on the patron of this blog, the great St. Etheldreda, and then, tomorrow, a post on her church in Ely Place. Many years ago, I chose St. Etheldreda for several reasons as patron of this blog. She blesses me. This article is from David Nash Ford's Early British Kingdoms. I left in the links.


St. Etheldreda,
Abbess of Ely
(AD 636-679)

Etheldreda - or, more properly, Ethelthrith - was the third and most celebrated of the saintly daughters of King Anna of East Anglia, by his wife, Saewara. Anna was of the family of the Uffingas, descendants of the Norse God, Odin. He was a Christian who did much for the conversion of his own kingdom, and that of Wessex, his chief enemy being the savage Penda, heathen King of Mercia.

Etheldreda was born at Exning in Suffolk, around AD 636, and was brought up in an atmosphere of piety. It was her ambition to be a nun like her sisters, but she was destined not to attain this goal until she had been twice married. In AD 652, she was given, against her will to, Tondbert, King of South Gyrwe, an East Anglian subkingdom in the Fens. As part of their marriage settlement, Tondbert gave his wife an estate then called Elge, and afterwards Ely. Tondbert, either respecting and sympathising with her monastic vocation or regarding her with indifference, allowed Etheldreda to live as a nun during the three years of their marriage. During that time, her father, King Anna, was defeated and killed by Penda of Mercia (AD 654), and was succeeded by his brother, Aethelhere.

After the deaths of her husband and father, Etheldreda settled on her personal estate at Ely, intending to spend the rest of her life in religious retirement. However, in AD 660, for family reasons - probably to secure an alliance for the house of the Uffingas with the powerful Kingdom of Northumbria against the aggressive Mercians - she married Egfrith, the second son of Oswiu, King of Northumbria.

At the time of his marriage, Egfrith was little more than a child. Etheldreda won his esteem and affection at once, and rapidly acquired a purifying and ennobling influence over him. He "held her as a thing enskied and sainted". He sat at her feet and learnt wisdom and self-denial from her, and he assisted her in her good works.

In AD 670, at the age of twenty-four, Egfrith ascended - not without some trouble - to the throne of Northumbria. Whilst Queen, Etheldreda delighted in the society of monks and nuns, and took care to invite and attract to her house such of them as were most distinguished for learning and piety. Among these was St. Cuthbert, the young Prior of Lindisfarne, upon whose monastery, she bestowed many gifts from her own private property. Desiring to give him a token of her regard for himself and to be specially remembered in his prayers, she also made and embroidered, with her own skilful fingers, a stole and a maniple for him. A gift, he would wear only in the presence of God, and be reminded of her while celebrating mass. St. Wilfred was also her friend and adviser and she gave him much land in Hexham, which had originally been a gift from her husband. There, Wilfred built the fairest church which then existed north of the Alps.

Although, for twelve years, Egfrith had been a mere humble adorer of his beautiful wife, he had, by now become a man - with manly desires. His affection had grown to a love which could no longer be satisfied with worship at a distance. He had hitherto consented to let Etheldreda live in his house like a nun in her convent, but now he wanted, and even demanded, more. He entreated Wilfred to use his influence to induce his wife to become, in fact, what, as yet, she had been only in name. He promised Wilfred great things for himself and for his churches, should he be able to persuade the Queen that her duty to God was her duty to her husband. Wilfred feigned to enter into the King's view of the matter, but, in fact, he steadfastly encouraged the Queen to persist in her celibate life and even advised her to ask permission to leave the court and become a nun. Egfrith never forgave him.

After many painful scenes, an unwilling consent was wrung from the King, no sooner given than repented. However, before he could give orders to the contrary, Etheldreda had fled to Coldingham beyond the Tweed, where Egfrith's aunt, St. Aebbe the Elder, was abbess. Egfrith found life intolerable without Etheldreda, and determined to bring her back with or without her consent. St. Aebbe heartily sympathised with Etheldreda but, seeing that, should Egfrith insist on reclaiming his wife, resistance would be impossible, advised her to escape from Coldingham in the disguise of a beggar. Etheldreda did this, attended by two nuns of Coldingham, SS. Sewara and Sewenna. She did not go to her own aunt's sister, St. Hilda, at Whitby, as she would have opposed anything advised by Wilfred, but decided to go back to her own lands at Ely. Many stories are told of her adventures on the journey, and they have often been the subject of sculpture and painted glass in the English monastic churches.

On the first day of her flight, Etheldreda was all but overtaken by her husband. She arrived at a headland, Colbert's Head, jutting into the sea, and her pious intention was protected by the tide, which at once rose to an unusual height around the rock, making the place inaccessible to her pursuers. Egfrith resolved to wait till the ebbing waters should leave the path open to him, but instead of going down in a few hours, the waters remained at high tide for seven days. The baffled pursuer then realised that a power greater than his had taken Etheldreda, and her vow, under his protection. So he gave up the idea of compelling her to come back to him and returned home.

Later, as she travelled, one very hot day, Etheldreda was overpowered with fatigue. She stuck her staff into the ground and lay down to rest on the open plain. When she awoke, the staff had put forth leaves and branches, and it afterwards became a mighty oak tree, larger than any other for many miles around.

At length, after many days of weary walking, the saint arrived on her own lands in Ely. Here, there was a piece of good, firm, rich land, supporting six hundred families and surrounded to a great distance by fens, forming a more formidable rampart than walls or plain water would have done.

Here, in AD 673, Etheldreda built a large double monastery. Wilfred, who never lost sight of his old friend, made her abbess and gave the veil to her first nuns. He obtained special privileges for her, from the Pope, and often visited her and helped her with advice and suggestions useful in the management of her large establishment. Etheldreda ruled over her monastery for seven years, setting a great example of piety and abstinence and all other monastic virtues. Though such a great lady, and so delicately reared, she never wore any linen, but only rough woollen clothing. She denied herself the use of the warm bath, a luxury much in use among the English in her time. Only permitting herself this indulgence at the four great festivals of the year and, even then, she only used the bath that had already served the other nuns. Many of her old friends, relations and courtiers followed her and her example. For hither they came to live under her rule or to place their daughters in her care. Hither also came many holy men and priests to take her for their spiritual guide. Among the kindred princesses who were attracted by Etheldreda's good qualities and the fame of her holiness, was her sister, St. Sexburga, Queen of Kent, who, leaving her own foundation of Minster-in-Sheppey, came and put herself under the rule of Etheldreda. At her death, on 23rd June AD 679, she succeeded her as abbess.

Etheldreda died of a quinsy, which she regarded as a punishment for her former love of dress and, in particular, for having worn jewels on her neck. An incision was made into her throat, by a surgeon who afterwards swore to the healing of the wound after death. Hence her patronage of sufferers of throat complaints. Etheldreda is one of the most popular of English saints, and there are more dedications in her name in England than in that of any female saint of the early Anglo-Saxon Church. Her feast day is the anniversary of her death, 23rd June.

In AD 696, St. Sexburga, had her body taken from its tomb, where it was found, not only undestroyed, but with a youthful freshness which had long departed from the face of the living Etheldreda. Many miracles were wrought at her side and, as her successors were princesses of the same family, the abbey of Ely was, for many years, very famous and very rich. It was constituted a cathedral in 1109, the abbot and bishop thenceforth becoming one person.

The life and merits of Etheldreda were the favourite study of medieval writers, and many notices of her are still extant. She is represented in art with the emblems of Royalty, and of her rank as abbess, sometimes with a book and, sometimes, a crown of flowers, or crowned with a crosier and budding staff. At Ely Cathedral, the lantern columns represent her asleep, her head in a nun's lap, a book in her hand with a tree blossoming above her. She is sometimes known by the pet name of Audrey.

Edited from Agnes Dunbar's "A Dictionary of Saintly Women" (1904).

Yet another letter from a bishop..

DECLARATION CONCERNING ALLEGED APPARITIONS
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AT MOTHER CABRINI SHRINE
AND OTHER PLACES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE

On December 9, 1991, I appointed a commission to investigate alleged apparitions of the
Blessed Virgin Mary at Mother Cabrini Shrine and other places within the Archdiocese of Denver to Theresa Antonia Lopez. On February 22, 1994, the commission completed its investigation and presented its findings to me.

As Archbishop of Denver, I have concluded that the alleged apparitions of the Blessed
Virgin Mary to Theresa Antonia Lopez are devoid of any supernatural origin.
Because of my concern for the spiritual welfare of the people of God, I direct the faithful to
refrain from participating in or promoting para-liturgical or liturgical services related to the alleged apparitions.

Furthermore, anyone encouraging devotion to these alleged apparitions in any way is acting contrary to my wishes as Archbishop of Denver.
It remains my constant hope that all the faithful will promote devotion to our Blessed Lady
in the many forms which have been approved by the Catholic Church.

J. Francis Stafford
Archbishop of Denver
March 9, 1994

A seer excommunicated

Yet another condemnation of another apparition by Father Mitch Pacwa

IS "THE POEM OF THE MAN-GOD" SIMPLY A BAD NOVEL?
 
Maria Valtorta's multi-volume life of Jesus flirts with heresy and
exhibits bad taste. Its claim to authenticity have been rejected by Rome.
by Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J.  

"The Poem of the Man-God" is a five-volume "narrative" of the life of
Jesus written in the 1940s by a sickly Italian woman named Maria Valtorta.
"Poem" purports to fill in the details of Jesus' life left blank by the
four Gospels. Such narratives have been produced since the second century
A.D. Some were written by gnostic heretics. Some by New Agers and
occultists. And some were produced by pious Christians who made up stories
about Jesus to edify their readers and listeners.
 
The four Gospels do not give a biography of Jesus--or of anyone else in
His life. Their purpose is evangelical and theological--to proclaim the
Good News that human beings need for their salvation. Thus, for centuries,
the "hidden life" of Jesus has been the subject for speculation.
 
"The Poem of the Man-God" is in this tradition of apocryphal literature on
New Testament themes. Valtorta claimed that she was the "secretary" of
Jesus and Mary, and was setting down the divinely inspired truth about
Jesus' life. The Church has rejected this claim. Nevertheless, "Poem" has
become quite popular, particularly among Catholics as well.
 
Remarkably, the book has grown in popularity in part because its champions
claim that high Church officials--including one Pope--endorsed it. They
haven't. In fact, "Poem" was included on the Index of Forbidden books
until the abolition of the Index in the 1960s. No less an authority than
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith, reiterates the Church's rejection of the claims made for "The
Poem of the Man-God."
 
How did "The Poem of the Man-God" come to be, and how has the notion
become widely accepted that it contains important religious truth?
Maria Valtorta, author of "Poem," was born in 1897 into a sadly
dysfunctional family, where she suffered emotional abuse at the hands of a
despotic mother. When she was 23, she was attacked and beaten by a mugger.
She was never completely well after that.  From 1933 on, she was unable to
leave her bed.
 
Maria began to receive "dictations" on Good Friday, 1943. In 1947, she
handed over 10,000 handwritten pages to her spiritual director, Father
Romuald Migliorini, O.S.M.  Father Migliorini typed them and Father  Corrado Berti, O.S.M. bound them. Fr. Berti, brought them to Father later
Cardinal Augustin Bea, S.J., spiritual director to Pope Pius XII.
 
Did Pope Pius read the whole manuscript or parts? If only part, which
part?  Advertisements by the Canadian Central distributors for Valtorta
(CEDIVAL) quote Father Bea: "I have read in typed manuscripts many of the
books written by Maria Valtorta . . . As far as exegesis is concerned, I
did not find any errors in the parts which I examined." Notice, he read
only parts of the books. Which were they?
 
On Feb. 26, 1948, Fathers Migliorini, Berti and A. Cecchin enjoyed a
private audience with Pope Pius XII, as listed in L'Osservatore Romano's
daily announcement of audiences. Standing in St. Peter's Square after the
audience, Father Berti wrote down Pope Pius' words as he remembered them.
These words were "not" printed in L'Osservatore Romano, but Father Berti
remembered the Pope saying:
 
"Publish this work as it is. There is no need to give an opinion about its
origin, whether it be extraordinary or not. Who reads it, will understand.
One hears of many visions and revelations. I will not say they are all
authentic; but there are some of which it could be said that they are."
 
CEDIVAL calls this a "Supreme Pontifical Imprimatur," where "he took upon
himself to pass the first official judgment on these writings." CEDIVAL
glues this inside the cover, though the publisher does not print an
imprimatur. The reason: it has none!
 
Confident of papal approval, Father Berti brought the books to the Vatican
press.  However, in 1949, two commissioners of the Holy Office, Msgr.
Giovanni Pepe and Father Berruti, O.P., condemned the "Poem," ordering
Berti to hand over every copy and sign an agreement not to publish it.
Father Berti returned the manuscripts to Valtorta and handed over only his
typed versions.
 
Despite his signed promise, in 1952 Father Berti went to publisher
Emiliano Pisani.  Though aware of the Holy Office's opposition, Pisani
printed the first volume in 1956, and a new volume each year through 1959.
When volume four appeared, the Holy Office examined the "Poem" and
condemned it, recommending that it be placed on the Index of Forbidden
Books Dec. 16, 1959. Pope John XXIII signed the decree and ordered it
published. L'Osservatore Romano, on Jan.  6, 1960, printed the
condemnation with an accompanying front-page article, "A Badly
Fictionalized Life of Jesus," to explain it.
 
The article complained that the "Poem" broke Canon Law. "Though they treat  exclusively of religious issues, these volumes do not have an
"imprimatur," which is required by Canon 1385, sect. 1, n. 2."
 
Second, the long speeches of Jesus and Mary starkly contrast with the
evangelists, who portray Jesus as "humble, reserved; His discourses are
lean, incisive." Valtorta's fictionalized history makes Jesus sound "like
a chatterbox, always ready to proclaim Himself the Messiah and the Son of
God," or teach theology in modern terms. The Blessed Mother speaks like a
"propagandist" for modern Marian theology.
 
Third, "some passages are rather risque," like the "immodest" dance before
Pilate (vol.  5, p. 73). There are "many historical, geographical and
other blunders." For instance, Jesus uses screwdrivers (Vol. 1, pp. 195,
223), centuries before screws existed.
 
There are theological errors, as when "Jesus says" (vol. 1, p. 30) that
Eve's temptation consisted in arousing her flesh, as the serpent
sensuously "caressed" her. While she "began the sin by herself," she
"accomplished it with her companion." Sun Myung Moon and Maria Valtorta
may claim the first sin was sexual, but Scripture does not.
 
Vol. 1, p. 7, oddly claims, "Mary can be called the 'second-born' of the
Father . . ." Her explanation limits the meaning, avoiding evidence of an
authentic heresy; but it does not take away the basic impression that she
wants to construct a new mariology, which simply goes beyond the limits of
propriety." "Another strange and imprecise statement" made of Mary (vol.
4, p. 240) is that she will "be second to Peter with regard to
ecclesiastical hierarchy. . . " Our Lady surpasses St. Peter's holiness,
but she is not in the hierarchy, let alone second to St. Peter.
 
Further, Valtorta did not claim to write a novel, but called herself a
"secretary" of Jesus and Mary, so, "in all parts on reads the words 'Jesus
says. . .' or 'Mary says . . .'" The Church takes this claim to revelation
very seriously, since it has the God-given duty to discern what is or is
not truly from the Holy Spirit. In Valtorta's case, the Church decided
against Divine inspiration.
 
Finally, "Poem" is condemned for reasons of disobedience. Competent Church
authority had prohibited the printing of Valtorta's work.
Pope John's approval of the condemnation of the "Poem of the Man-God"
should have ended the issue, but it did not. The publishers printed a
second edition of 10 volumes, which the Church condemned in another
front-page article in L'Osservatore Romano, Dec. 1, 1961. This second
Italian edition was later translated into German, French, Spanish and
English.  
CEDIVAL asserts that a "modernist clan in the Church" . . .
"surreptitiously attempted to seize the manuscripts and destroy them,"
claiming "firsthand documentation on this." These "enemies" included Msgr.
Pepe and Father Berruti, the Holy Office censors.
 
I asked the head of CEDIVAL, Prof. Leo Brodeur, for evidence that Msgr.
Pepe and Father Berruti held any modernist heresies, but he had none. He
assumed they were modernists because the "Poem" claims "to help the Church
fight against the terrible heresy of modernism." If the "Poem's enemies
are modernists, Msgr. Pepe and Father Berruti must be modernists, too.
 
Such assertions are unacceptable. Accusations of modernism or any other
heresy without proof is slander.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, present head of the Sacred Congregation for the  
Doctrine of the Faith (formerly the same office that condemned the  
"Poem"), informed Cardinal Siri in 1985 of the "Poem's condemnation:  
After the dissolution of the Index, when some people thought the printing  
and distribution of the work was permitted, they were reminded again in  
L'Osservatore Romano (June 15, 1966) that "The Index retains its moral  
force despite its dissolution."  
 
More recently (April 17, 1993, Prot. N. 144/58i), he wrote:
"The 'visions' and 'dictations' referred to in the work, "The Poem of the
Man-God," are simply the literary forms used by the author to narrate in
her own way the life of Jesus.  They cannot be considered supernatural in  
origin."  
 
The best that can be said for "The Poem of the Man-God" is that it is a
bad novel. This was summed up in the L'Osservatore Romano headline, which
called the book "A Badly Fictionalized Life of Jesus."
At worst, "Poem's" impact is more serious. Though many people claim that
"Poem" helps their faith or their return to reading Scripture, they are
still being disobedient to the Church's decisions regarding the reading of
"Poem." How can such disregard for Church authority and wisdom be a help
in renewing the Church in these difficult times?
 
When Catholics insist on reading "Poem," despite Church condemnation, I
make these requests: First, read three hours of Scripture for every one
hour spent in the "Poem." The Church guarantees that the Bible is God's
Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Church has judged the "Poem" to be
a poorly done human work. Second, read solid Catholic theology books in  addition to Scripture. G.K. Chesterton, Frank Sheed, Archbishop Sheen's
"Life of Christ" and many other works are excellent starts. Third,
maintain a strong prayer life, drawing closer to Christ Jesus, Our Lord,
at Mass and at eucharistic adoration, and to our Blessed Mother Mary,
especially in the Rosary.
 
If sheep insist on bad pasturage, at least let them take antidotes.
This article appeared in February 1994 edition of "New Covenant"