It looms, folks

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/10861252/Europe-has-an-even-bigger-crisis-on-its-hands-than-a-British-exit.html

Yet Britain is the least of their problems. The much greater shock is the "Séisme" in France, as Le Figaro calls it, where Marine Le Pen's Front National swept 73 electoral departments, while President Francois Hollande's socialists were reduced to two.

Mr Hollande's address to the nation on Monday night was mournful. He had no answers beyond a few pro-forma utterings about "growth, jobs and investment", instantly undercut by his vow to press on doggedly with the same contractionary policies that led to disaster. His premier, Manuel Valls, even had to announce that the president would see out his five-year term, as if this were already in doubt.

The Last Post for Now on The Temporal Mission of The Holy Spirit

Following Cardinal Manning's excellent book which I have shared with my readers recently, I want to merely mention a few points in his chapter "The Relation of The Holy Ghost to The Divine Tradition of the Faith."

This chapter reveals where Catholics and Protestant disagree. We believe that the Tradition of the Catholic Church is directly guided and inspired by the continual Presence of the Holy Spirit.

Manning wrote this startling paragraph in 1865:

"Protestantism is gone in Germany. The old forms of religious thought are passing away. They are going in England. Separation has generated separation. The rejection of the Divine Voice has let in the flood of opinion, and opinion has generated scepticism and scepticism has brought on contentions without an end."

...

"The critical unbelief of dogma has now reached to the foundation of Christianity, and to the veracity of Scripture. Such is the world the Catholic Church sees before it at this day. The Anglicanism of the Reformation is upon the rocks, like some tall ship stranded upon the shore, and going to pieces by its own weight and the steady action of the sea. We have no need to play the wreckers. It would be inhumanity to do so. God knows that the desires and prayers of Catholics are ever ascending that all which remains of Christianity in England may be preserved, unfolded, and perfected into the whole circle of revealed truths and the unmutilated revelation of the faith."

....

"There is a day coming, when they who have softened down the truth or have been silent, will have to give account. I had rather be thought harsh than be conscious of hiding the light which has been mercifully shown to me."

...

In the rest of the chapter, Manning shows how the only thing really separating the Protestants from the true Church is the "divine tradition of dogma, its certainty and purity."

That the Holy Spirit has guided and taught the Church to interpret Scripture, to develop liturgy, to expounded on doctrines regarding Christ and Mary, as well as other topics, is the one truth denied by the Protestants.

They simply do not believe that the Holy Spirit is in the Church constantly, through-out the ages.

As Manning writes, the doctrines of the Church are not only incorrupt, but incorruptible.

I encourage readers to dip into this excellent book. Next week, when I am more settled, I shall continue with Cardinal Manning's other book on the Holy Spirit.

to be continued..........

More from SPUC

JOHN SMEATON, SPUC DIRECTOR

Thursday, 29 May 2014

Bishops' draft guidance appears to recommend Catholics assist transsexual people through "gender reassignment"

It is a matter of great concern to me and, I am sure, to many Catholics, that a draft document (of which I have recently become aware) prepared for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales should seem to recommend that Catholics co-operate with acts that are gravely contrary to the moral law. Applying Equality Law in Practice: Guidance for Catholics and Catholic Organisations, which is intended to give practical guidance to Catholics on the application of Equality Law, states:

"Transsexual people face many difficulties before, during and after transitioning to another gender. As such it is recommended to seek guidance on how to make the transitional process as easy as possible. This could include training for co-workers, as well as reference to medical and social advice".

The draft document appears to be recommending Catholics to assist another person in pursuing a course of action which will prove physically and psychologically damaging in order to protect themselves from the risk of coming into conflict with equality laws.

This is far from being the only problem with the draft document. My personal assistant, Matthew McCusker, has helpfully written an analysis of the document. The Executive Summary of Matthew's analysis can also be found below.

You may wish to send your comments on the draft document to the bishopof the Catholic diocese in which you live and to Archbishop Peter Smith, Chairman of the CBCEW’s Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship at Archbishop's House, 150 St George’s Road, London, SE1 6HX or to his email: aps@rcsouthwark.co.uk. If you have any further queries about this matter or about Matthew's analysis, please contact him atmatthewmccusker@spuc.org.uk

Executive Summary 

Matthew McCusker's paper is an analysis of Applying Equality Law in Practice: Guidance for Catholics and Catholic Organisations. Applying Equality Law in Practice, which is said to be approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, aims to “provide an accurate overview of equality law as it stands ... with a focus on religious issues.” The legislation under discussion is the Equality Act 2010, with subsequent legislation taken into account. Applying Equality Law in Practice is out for consultation until 31st May 2014. [JS: I am in correspondence with Archbishop Smith and I have requested that the Consultation close at a later date.]

Matthew's paper raises concerns about the content of Applying Equality Law in Practice and challenges the claim that it offers “informed advice and guidance”, which will prove to be “a resource which can be referred to when a particular issue arises”.

In particular Matthew argues that Applying Equality Law in Practice:

• Fails to place the Equality Act 2010 in its social and political context.
• Incorrectly claims that the “framework” of the Equality Act 2010 “is in line with Catholic teaching”.
• Provides a distorted interpretation of the law by failing to distinguish acceptable definitions/usage of key terms from the distorted definitions/usage of key terms used by proponents of equality law.
• Urges conformity to the Equality Act, and promotion of it, without adequate consideration of the moral dimensions of the law.
• Fails to enunciate Catholic teaching on the questions under discussion and thus fails to offer real guidance to those seeking assistance “when a particular issue arises”.
• Confuses “religious rights” and the natural moral law in such a way as to undermine claims to objective truth in moral matters.
• Fails to uphold the rights of non-Catholics by retreating from the natural moral law to “religious rights”.
• Fails to uphold the authentic dignity of those falling under the protected characteristics of “sexual orientation” and “gender reassignment” by acquiescing in the false ideology which underpins the law and by failing either to share the truth in love, or to encourage others to do so.
• Fails to offer moral support or encouragement to those who are concerned that the law poses a risk to their authentic rights.

In short, Applying Equality Law in Practice as currently drafted is inadequate as guidance for Catholic dioceses and “Catholic individuals and organisations” who need  advice “when a particular issue arises” relating to current equality law.

 

Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk 

Get Real Time for Catholics

Imagine Urban VI taking selfies when listening to tortures. 

Imagine Leo X in twitterdom, referring to his spending of almost one-tenth of Vatican reserves on one big "do".

Imagine Clement VII power-talks all over the main-stream-media. He would probably be a member of the Bilderbergs. 

Imagine Benedict IX sale of the papacy on RT.

Imagine John XII's escapades all over The Tablet.

We have a good man in the papacy. 

WOW! Only NOs can support this pope?

I did not publish a nasty comment which was so revealing about a new mindset, I must address the false idea behind it.

First of all, nastiness is not published.

Second of all, the fallacy of ad hominem is not published.

Thirdly, as I have written on this and other blogs before, the last two generations have not learned logic or argumentation. Too many younger people fall into name-calling and subjectivism, as they never learned rational discourse.

But, the HUGE false idea in the nasty comment was this. And, hold on to your hat.

That traditional Catholics cannot and should not support or honor this current pope.

Wow!

A traditional Catholic loves the Church and honors whoever is in the office of the Pontifex. A traditional Catholic can criticize to a certain extent, but not to the extent of either trashing the pope, or seeing him as not the true pope.

One moves into heresy, into sedevacantism, if one follows that path.

To think that only Novus Ordo Catholics should honor this pope reveals a hatred of the Church. I was amazed at a person equalling traditionalism with pope bashing.

The pope has not declared anything heretical from the Chair of Peter.

The pope has made some media blunders, which most likely happened with other popes in Rome ages past, but no one was there to tweet about such.

I am a traditional Catholic, but I am not schismatic, nor a "sede".

Be careful, Trads, that you do not cross the line.

I also suggest that those who are reading the popular post on narcissistic awe read all three on narcissism. The first is listed last.

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/05/catholic-narcissism-three-and-last.html

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/05/catholic-cult-of-personality-and.html

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/05/2007-revisited-ecclesiastical.html

Are You Doing Your Job?

⁶ They therefore who were come together, asked him, saying: Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

It is almost unbelievable that in this first chapter of The Acts of the Apostles, that the followers of Jesus, Whom the have seen raised from the dead, are still asking about the restoration of the Kingdom of the Jews.

Did they not listen? "My kingdom is not of this world..." 

Some people are still holding on to ideas of the restoration of Christendom. No offense, but I think this is not only a waste of time, but a misunderstanding of Christ's entire mission to think about prophecies which may or may not be true.

As I noted in a post recently, Liberation Theology was condemned, partly, for making Jesus into a political Messiah, an earthly king.

The Kingdom of God is within. Baptism gives us the Indwelling of the Trinity. We cooperate or we do not cooperate with God in the building up of virtues in our lives.

The Church is the physical manifestation of Christ's Kingdom on earth.

Here is the answer to the above question.

⁷ But he said to them: It is not for you to know the times or moments, which the Father hath put in his own power:

⁸ But you shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth.

We are not to speculate on prophecies regarding the restoration of any kingdom or when Christ will return.

This type of speculation can actually lead to sins.

The sins of presumption and pride...

Too many lay people have wasted time on prophecies and are simply ignoring the real ministry which Christ gave to us.

Jesus did not say, "Sit around and figure out arcane prophecies". 

He said this, in today's Gospel.

Matthew 28:16-20

Douay-Rheims (as is the above)

¹⁶ And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto the mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

¹⁷ And seeing him they adored: but some doubted.

¹⁸ And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.

¹⁹ Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-church-is-not-utopia.html

The laity must evangelize, teach, baptize and the priests must give us the sacraments. We do all this in love.

Period.

No Such Thing as Spiritually Neutral

One of the best things I learned from a spiritual director a long time ago is this truism.

In the spiritual world, there is no such thing as neutrality.

The spiritual world is made up of the good and the bad.

Neutrality is, simply, a convenient lie.

Here is a man sadly caught up in several lies. You can read about him here.

The Catholic Church thankfully clarified for all of us the evils of TM and any type of meditation which omits Christ, as well as other New Age deceits.

Here is one document: Cardinal J. Ratzinger, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, Oct. 15, 1989

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19891015_meditazione-cristiana_en.html

In this document, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote this:

1. Many Christians today have a keen desire to learn how to experience a deeper and authentic prayer life despite the not inconsiderable difficulties which modern culture places in the way of the need for silence, recollection and meditation. The interest which in recent years has been awakened also among some Christians by forms of meditation associated with some eastern religions and their particular methods of prayer is a significant sign of this need for spiritual recollection and a deep contact with the divine mystery. Nevertheless, faced with this phenomenon, many feel the need for sure criteria of a doctrinal and pastoral character which might allow them to instruct others in prayer, in its numerous manifestations, while remaining faithful to the truth revealed in Jesus, by means of the genuine Tradition of the Church. This present letter seeks to reply to this urgent need, so that in the various particular Churches, the many different forms of prayer, including new ones, may never lose their correct personal and communitarian nature.

In combating the errors of pseudognosticism⁸ the Fathers affirmed that matter is created by God and as such is not evil. Moreover, they maintained that grace, which always has the Holy Spirit as its source is not a good proper to the soul, but must be sought from God as a gift. Consequently, the illumination or superior knowledge of the Spirit ("gnosis"), does not make Christian faith something superfluous. Finally, for the Fathers, the authentic sign of a superior knowledge, the fruit of prayer, is always Christian love.

9. If the perfection of Christian prayer cannot be evaluated using the sublimity of gnostic knowledge as a basis, neither can it be judged by referring to the experience of the divine, as Messalianismproposed.⁹ These false fourth century charismatics identified the grace of the Holy Spirit with the psychological experience of his presence in the soul. In opposing them, the Fathers insisted on the fact that the soul's union with God in prayer is realized in a mysterious way, and in particular through the sacraments of the Church. Moreover, it can even be achieved through experiences of affliction or desolation. Contrary to the view of the Messalians, these are not necessarily a sign that the Spirit has abandoned a soul. Rather, as masters of spirituality have always clearly acknowledged, they may be an authentic participation in the state of abandonment experienced on the cross by Our Lord, who always remains the model and mediator of prayer.¹⁰

10. Both of these forms of error continue to be a temptation for man the sinner. They incite him to try and overcome the distance separating creature from Creator, as though there ought not to be such a distance; to consider the way of Christ on earth, by which he wishes to lead us to the Father, as something now surpassed; to bring down to the level of natural psychology what has been regarded as pure grace, considering it instead as "superior knowledge" or as "experience."

Such erroneous forms, having reappeared in history from time to time on the fringes of the Church's prayer, seem once more to impress many Christians, appealing to them as a kind of remedy, be it psychological or spiritual, or as a quick way of finding God.¹¹

^{and footnotes..............but I suggest reading the entire document.}

12. Pope John Paul II has pointed out to the whole Church the example and the doctrine of St. Teresa of Avila who in her life had to reject the temptation of certain methods which proposed a leaving aside of the humanity of Christ in favor of a vague self-immersion in the abyss of the divinity. In a homily given on November 1st, 1982, he said that the call of Teresa of Jesus advocating a prayer completely centered on Christ "is valid, even in our day, against some methods of prayer which are not inspired by the Gospel and which in practice tend to set Christ aside in preference for a mental void which makes no sense in Christianity. Any method of prayer is valid insofar as it is inspired by Christ and leads to Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6)." See:Homilia Abulae habita in honorem Sanctae Teresiae: AAS 75 (1983), 256-257.

1. The expression "eastern methods" is used to refer to methods which are inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, such as "Zen," "Transcendental Meditation" or "Yoga." Thus it indicates methods of meditation of the non-Christian Far East which today are not infrequently adopted by some Christians also in their meditation. The orientation of the principles and methods contained in this present document is intended to serve as a reference point not just for this problem, but also, in a more general way, for the different forms of prayer practiced nowadays in ecclesial organizations, particularly in associations, movements and groups.

One can also look again at...again, Dominus Iesus.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/interelg/documents/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age_en.html

Power comes either from God, the Trinity, through the Holy Spirit, or from the evil one. Period.

Those who claim that a spiritual world is out there which gives power and is neutral live in self-deception.

more later...

This is not news

http://www.charismanews.com/world/43990-people-are-not-born-gay-affirms-royal-college-of-psychiatrists

And the AMA admits there is no gay gene.

Hey...

16 Posts Yesterday

So, sit back and catch up with those and these links.

http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/edward-snowden-interview/exclusive-edward-snowden-tells-brian-williams-id-go-home-n116756

http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/edward-snowden-interview/exclusive-edward-snowden-tells-brian-williams-u-s-stranded-him-n116096

http://www.today.com/video/today/55276017#55276017

We live in interesting times.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/duck-dynastys-robertson-address-gop-conference

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/is-it-the-bilderberg-conference--or-conspiracy-9449477.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/peaches-geldof-death-syringe-used-3611663

To Whom Are You Called?

^{Revelation 3:14-22}

^{Douay Rheims}

¹⁴ And to the angel of the church of Laodicea, write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, who is the beginning of the creation of God:

¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold, nor hot. I would thou wert cold, or hot.

¹⁶ But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, not hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.

¹⁷ Because thou sayest: I am rich, and made wealthy, and have need of nothing: and knowest not, that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

¹⁸ I counsel thee to buy of me gold fire tried, that thou mayest be made rich; and mayest be clothed in white garments, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear; and anoint thy eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

¹⁹ Such as I love, I rebuke and chastise. Be zealous therefore, and do penance.

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

²¹ To him that shall overcome, I will give to sit with me in my throne: as I also have overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

²² He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Events_of_Revelation

Each person is called to do something in the world as a lay person.

Each one of us has a particular role to play in the world.

The world is made up of large and small worlds.

Iowa is a small world. The Midwest is a small world of provincialism which has wonderful points of goodness and areas of not-so-goodness. Some people are called to the Midwest world. It is a great place to raise a family.

Many people over the years have left Iowa. Iowans raise highly intelligent children who move away.

Interesting.

Fr. Z is a Midwesterner who has been called to the larger world of the entire globe. He is truly an international star, even though his roots came out of the Midwest.

Now, one does not have to be a "star" but one has to fulfill one's vocation in the small or the large.

Some of us work better in the large and some of us work better in the small.

God called His saints to the large and to the small worlds.

Some think Our Blessed Virgin had a small world. She did not. She not only had to travel to Egypt and back again, but to Bethlehem, to Jerusalem and finally out of the Holy Land entirely to Ephesus.

St. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, was called to the large, and St. Faustina was called to the small.

There is no "good" or "bad" about the small and the large.

One of my best friends has only lived in two places in her entire life. She has been called to the small. She is a gem.

Another one of my friends travels yearly to Europe. She has been called to the large. She is a gem.

We are all called to do something and somewhere. Pray for guidance in your own vocation. God created you to do something special and it may be quietly in the small or quietly in the large, or loudly in the small and loudly in the large.

What is to be avoided is settling for the mediocre. Christ calls us out on this one.

Be-In-g The World

Matthew 10:16

Douay-Rheims

¹⁶ Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.

An insight into the call of the laity consoled me greatly today. We are not priests who work with the converted. They are the shepherds. We have to leave the sheepfold. We leave and come back and leave and come back.

We are gifts given to the world. When I was in Tyburn, I heard God clearly say He was sending back out into the world, I was saddened to leave the beauty and silence of the monastery. I still have great love for those nuns.

I wanted the life of the rhythm of prayer and work, work and prayer.

But, in front of the Monstrance, in front of the Presence of Christ, I heard clearly, twice, "I am sending you out to pray and to write."

But, God is revealing more than that to me slowly, but surely. Be a layperson is not about doing only but about being. be-ing in the world.

The laity, including little old me, are wonderfully made gifts to the world, which is starving for beauty, rational discourse, the Truth of the Catholic Church. Some have communities, and some have Catholic families. Some do not.

But, we are not merely called to our families. This is a grave error in the thinking of many Catholics. In fact, we are most likely not called to evangelize our families, if they need conversion, as most family members are closed to their own relatives regarding change.

We are called to catechize our children, of course, and lead our spouses to heaven, if we are in a marriage.

That is the main job of the lay life, but not the only.

Those who are single by choice or by accident absolutely must be in the world, bringing Christ to the world

To be called into the world is not to have, what I use to call in my first blog, "moat mentality".

"Put the alligator in the moat and pull up the drawbridge!"-No, no,no.

We carry Christ into the world. And, more than ever, the world needs each one of us desperately.

Be leaven, be in the world but not of the world. Do not hide. If you are not strong enough, surround yourselves with strong Catholics.

God will lead you.

Looking with The Eyes of Christ

1 Corinthians 2:16

Douay-Rheims 

¹⁶ For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that we may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

We are given grace in baptism and confirmation to think like Catholics. We are challenge to conform our minds to the mind of Christ, which is the mind of the Church.

We are asked to "put on the mind of Christ" as Catholics. This means thinking like Him and seeing the world like He does.

Looking with the Eyes of Christ would be an entirely different experience than looking at people, events, things, places with our own eyes.

If you have been fortunate enough to have been in love with someone, you will know what I mean by seeing with the eyes of love.

A friend said to me one time about a woman friend who married someone, "I just can't see what she sees in him."

Well, one cannot always answer such questions, but I usually point out the good characteristics, such as "Well, he is a kind and gentleman."

To see with the eyes of Christ may seem impossible to some people.

I actually know people who do not like animals. Some Midwesterners do not want animals in the house. Dogs and cats "belong outside". But, if one loves a pet, one sees things others do not about that animal.

How much more so with humans, the epitome of God's creation?

Seeing with the Eyes of Christ absolutely means not seeing someone for selfish reasons, merely as an extension of our own needs.

Seeing with the Eyes of Christ also does not mean glossing over faults. God loves us even while we are still daily sinners.

However, Christ sees beyond the sin, to His own triumph over sin and death.

As a teacher, I also look for the potential, the hidden characteristics which may not have been seen by others.

Sometimes, parents have been surprised when their children blossom in other situations in school or in the community.

Parents should be happily surprised by the accomplishments of their children which happen after they leave home.

Christ is not surprised by those who grow in grace and the spiritual life. He knew from all time who would respond to His call.

We do not know, but if we try and see with the Eyes of Christ, we are giving people a chance to repent, accept redemption, even come into the Church.

There is no such thing as a person who can be "written off", which is a sign of pride when one thinks like that.

Pray to see others as Christ sees them. You might be "happily surprised" by the person you see.