Chutzpah: Trial lawyer wants crosses removed from CUA rooms because they violate the "human rights" of Muslims

This latest assault on the religious rights and freedoms of Catholics comes to us from John Banzhaf, a George Washington University law professor perhaps best known for his idiotic advocacy of litigation against food companies for causing childhood obesity.  Now, the man has filed a 60-page complaint against the Catholic University of America (CUA) with the Washington, D.C. Human Rights Office.  The reason?  As he says, crosses, crucifixes and other Catholic symbols display "malice" toward Muslims students wishing to perform their prayers.

Malice?  A CATHOLIC university displaying it's CATHOLIC identity is now malicious?  Displaying the crucifix is now a human rights violation?  I must have missed that lesson when I was in school.

If my knowledge of Muslim prayers is correct, one does not need to even be in a room to say them.  I've heard of Muslims performing their prayers in the middle of airports, for crying out loud.  You cannot tell me that Muslim students at CUA can't, say, go outside to pray.  The whole thing stinks to high heaven.  It sounds to me to be an irreligious lawyer going on a crusade against a religious school to strip it of its religious identity.

And likewise, given the way Islamic religious texts speak of non-Muslims, if any Muslim students are involved in this, I can't help but wonder if religious hatred of Christians and a desire to remove anything relating to the  infidel play a role here.

Duly, the government is now investigating this frivolous and frankly frightening complaint.  Given the cavalier attitude that has been displayed by our government in the area of religious freedom in recent times gives me pause as to the outcome of this.  If the government rules against CUA, it will be another massive blow to the religious freedoms of Catholics in America, and will have a chilling effect on the rights of Christians across the board.

I pray to our Almighty Father that cooler heads prevail and this horrid lawsuit is thrown out of court as the baseless piece of trash that it is.

Pax Christi.

Scottish Cardinal sent live bullet in the mail

THE leader of the catholic church in Scotland was sent a live bullet in the post.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien received the package at his edinburgh home.

The senders claimed to be the Protestant Action Group - an old cover name for the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Under the words "No Surrender", the letter warned the churchman: "If you bring your Pope here ... this is what he will get."

Police, including the Met's anti-terror squad, carried out an investigation but the culprits were not traced.

LINK

For those who don't know, the UVF is basically the Loyalist version of the IRA; a terrorist group known for violence against perceived Irish Republicans, mostly Catholic.

Threats like this may turn out to be bluster, but they MUST be taken seriously.  Any time someone threatens to kill a leader for whatever reason, it's a serious affair.

Pray for our Holy Father.

Anti-Catholic Snipe of the Day, 04/18/2011

From a comment on an LSN article.

You have all but lost the battle to demonize gay people, which drives thousands of gay children to suicide every year.
Your protect life is just a diversion from the truth, eg the endless hidden molesttation of children
Saddam Hussein was a nutcase because he was molested as a child by the uncld who broght him up.  Sometimes I think the catholic church has as a goal molesting children , because they then can warp their minds into hating gay people.

I'll ignore the age-old "gay suicides" snipe (suicide rates amongst homosexuals remain constant despite increasing societal acceptance of homosexuality), and focus on his other attack.

So, us Catholics, our goal is simply to molest as many children as possible and warp their minds?  Where is this guy getting his ideas, from a Richard Dawkins seminar?

There's really no point in trying to refute his stupid snipe; I don't have the energy for it this morning, and it's been drilled into the ground enough times.  I just post it here to point out the stupidity inherent in anti-Catholicism as in any other form of bigotry.

Pax Christi.

Mexican Archdiocese Hits Back

From CNA:

Mexico City, Mexico, Aug 20, 2010 / 05:50 pm (CNA).- The spokesman for the Archdiocese of Mexico City, Father Hugo Valdemar, has refused to retract his statement that the city's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, has done more harm to the Mexican capital than the drug cartels. The priest also claimed that the lawsuit Ebrard filed against him is evidence of the mayor’s “fascist” actions.
In an interview with the Archdiocese of Mexico City’s news service, Fr. Valdemar said the law on abortion in the Mexican capital, supported by Ebrard and passed by the Legislative Assembly in 2007, is a sign of the harm he has caused the city.
“Ever since the criminal law on abortion was passed,” more than 42,000 innocent human beings have been killed in Mexico City, he said. “This is double the number that have died in the war against the drug cartels, and yet these crimes are even worse, because the children killed are unable to defend themselves.”
Fr. Valdemar said the lawsuit filed against him by Ebrard has revealed the mayor's true nature as an “intolerant governor with great hatred for the Catholic Church, her pastors” and that he is “consumed by vengeance.”
On Wednesday, the mayor filed a defamation lawsuit against Fr. Valdemar as well as Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez for accusing Ebrard of bribing the country's Supreme Court justices to allow the adoption of children by same-sex couples.
Fr. Valdemar added that Catholics in Mexico City are enduring a sophisticated religious persecution that is aimed at repressing freedom of expression. “Ebrard has made public his fascist style of governing and his undeniable desire to persecute the Catholic Church,” the priest said, underscoring that the governor is acting like another “Francisco Franco or Augusto Pinochet.”

 Harsh words, but certainly justified.  From what I've been reading, the whole thing smacks of an attempt to silence the Archdiocese over the issue.  Unfortunately for the government, they've come out swinging.

Stolen Relic Recovered

From CNA:

Boston, Mass., Aug 16, 2010 / 07:54 pm (CNA).- The Archdiocese of Boston declared Monday that the prayers of its faithful were answered after a relic of the True Cross that was stolen from the Cathedral of Holy Cross earlier this month was found in rural Vermont.
“Our prayers have been answered as the Relic of the True Cross has been recovered,” the Archdiocese of Boston said in its statement. “God has blessed us with His love and capacity to forgive.  We prayerfully carry on His call for forgiveness for those responsible.”
The splinter of wood from the cross, encapsulated in a brass and glass reliquary, was discovered missing on July 1.
The archdiocese also expressed gratitude for the diligent work of the Boston Police Department as well as the Vermont State Police, who were instrumental in the recovery of the relic.
According to the Pilot, the newspaper for Boston's archdiocese, the Vermont State Police were called about a domestic dispute on August 9. When they arrived on the scene, Earl Frost, a 34-year-old Vermont resident told the police he had a relic stolen from a church in Boston and wanted to return it to a church. Frost added that he received the relic from an unidentified man in Rhode Island.
He surrendered the relic at the Royalton Barracks of the Vermont State Police, but was not arrested due to a lack of evidence. The relic was identified by an official from the Archdiocese of Boston a week later.
When the police went back to look for Frost, he had disappeared.
The relic is still in the possession of the Vermont police, who are seeking a warrant for Frost’s arrest on the grounds of possession of stolen property.
The Archdiocese of Boston will hold a prayer service on Wednesday, August 18 at 7:30 p.m. to welcome the return of the relic of the True Cross to the cathedral.

All I can say is; Deo gratias!

Relic Stolen from Boston Cathedral

Spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, Terrence Donilon, released the following statement Monday July 12:

Relic of the True Cross Stolen from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross
On Thursday, July 1, staff from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross learned that the relic of the true Cross was stolen from the Cathedral’s Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Boston Police were immediately notified and an investigation was begun to determine who might be responsible. That investigation continues.
The relic of the true Cross is an important sacramental that helps Christians contemplate the crucified Savior and the great suffering he endured for the salvation of the world. The true Cross was discovered in the fourth century, and since then its particles have been diffused to the Church throughout the world. The Cathedral’s relic of the true Cross was brought from France in the Nineteenth Century and given to Bishop Cheverus, Boston’s first Bishop.
In the Christian faith, the Cross of Christ is an expression of the triumph of Christ over the powers of darkness. Fr. Kevin O’Leary, the Rector of the Cathedral, added: “We are deeply troubled that this sacred relic was stolen, and we pray for those responsible. We ask the faithful of the Archdiocese of Boston to join the Cathedral’s parishioners in praying every day for its return.

Is this an act of anti-Catholicism?  I can't say for certain, but I'm at a loss to come up with any other reason why someone would steal a relic from a church. 

Please pray for the safe return of the relic to the Boston cathedral.

Belgian Police Desecrate Tombs

The Belgian police recently carried out a raid on the retired Archbishop of Brussels and the offices of the archdiocese, looking for, what else, pedophile stuff.

The cops even went so far as to BREAK OPEN THE TOMBS OF TWO CARDINALS LOOKING FOR DOCUMENTS! Yes, they desecrated graves in order to try and find evidence that the Catholic Church protects child abusers, because we all know that Catholic clerics are all slobbering perverts who rape everything in sight, right?

Wrong, nothing was found as I have read.

There's a new anti-clericalism on the rise, fueled by irresponsible media attacks against the Church and her clergy (just read any New York Times opinion article on the subject to see what I mean), and its rotten fruits are now on display for all to see. As long as this anti-clericalism continues to grown and fester, attacks like this one against the world's single greatest force for good will continue.

Pray for the Pope, pray for the clergy, pray for the Church, pray that the secular authorities will start screwing their heads back on straight.

Pax Christi.

Hyundai Blasphemes to Sell Cars

And I'm quite certain there will be no outrage expressed over this ugly blasphemy.

Anti-Catholicism is the last acceptable prejudice.

An Act of Reparation to Jesus Christ

O Jesus, my Savior and Redeemer, Son of the living God, behold, we kneel before Thee and offer Thee our reparation; we would make amends for all the blasphemies uttered against Thy holy name, for all the injuries done to Thee in the Blessed Sacrament, for all the irreverence shown toward Thine immaculate Virgin Mother, for all the calumnies and slanders spoken against Thy spouse, the holy Catholic and Roman Church. O Jesus, who hast said: "If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you", we pray and beseech Thee for all our brethren who are in danger of sin; shield them from every temptation to fall away from the true faith; save those who are even now standing on the brink of the abyss; to all of them give light and knowledge of the truth, courage and strength for the conflict with evil, perseverance in faith and active charity! For this do we pray, most merciful Jesus, in Thy name, unto God the Father, with whom Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the Holy Spirit world without end. Amen

Whatever committee selects producers for Channel 4 documentaries needs a little reorganizing

This blurb from Life Site News caught my attention.

Anti-Catholic Homosexualist Campaigner Tapped to Produce Papal Bio for British TV

By Hilary White
LONDON, June 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a choice that has been denounced as a "calculated insult," Channel 4, an independent British television broadcaster, has chosen radical homosexualist activist Peter Tatchell as presenter for its biography of Benedict XVI in the lead-up to the pope's visit to Britain.
Tatchell is a founder of the Protest the Pope coalition, which is planning demonstrations of the state funding of the Pontiff's visit. He has regularly attacked Catholic moral teachings and Pope Benedict personally, whom he has called "the ideological inheritor of Nazi homophobia".
Channel 4 has said that film will examine "the current Pope's teachings throughout the world". Channel 4 spokesman Ralph Lee, said, "In keeping with Channel 4's remit to provide a platform for diverse and alternative perspectives.
"Equality campaigner Peter Tatchell will assess the effect of the current Pope's teachings throughout the world and the conflict between some of his values and those held by modern Britain."
One of the highlights of the papal visit will be the beatification of John Henry Newman, the 19th century writer and famous convert to Catholicism. Tatchell angered Catholics in 2008 when he said that the revered Newman was a closet homosexual and that the Vatican was attempting a cover-up. 
Iain Dale, the popular Conservative party blogger and newspaper columnist, commented that Channel 4's choice of Tatchell is a clear case of deliberate Catholic-baiting. He wrote, "If you were a commissioning editor at Channel 4 and wanted to make a documentary about the Pope's religious and political journey since the 1930s, who might you get to front it?
"[Catholic former MP] Ann Widdecombe? [writer and broadcaster] Sue MacGregor? [presenter of BBC Radio 4's "Sunday" programme] Ed Stourton? No. Channel Four has chosen Peter Tatchell. Yes, your gob is smacked, isn't it?"
Widdencombe herself commented to the Daily Telegraph that the announcement is proof that Britain is "a profoundly anti-Catholic country".
"I wouldn't call this the right thing for any serious broadcaster to do, but they're doing it for the publicity, they're doing it to stir up controversy. Mr. Tatchell certainly won't be sympathetic to his subject, so what's the point of doing it? It won't be skeptical, it will be hostile."
Fr. Tim Finigan, popular clerical 'blogger and founder of the Association of Priests for the Gospel of Life, called the choice "a calculated insult" to Britain's Catholics as well as to Pope Benedict.
"Catholics may well feel minded to write to Channel 4," he said. "And it would be good if there were a statement from the Catholic Bishops' Conference."
"Surely though, since the Holy Father is coming on a state visit, it would be appropriate for a Minister of State to express disquiet at such blatant Catholic-baiting?" 
The news comes as some in Britain and the Vatican are becoming concerned that the papal visit is being highjacked by the far-left to push its political agenda. Damian Thompson, editor of the Catholic Herald and 'blogs editor for the Daily Telegraph, wrote last week that Vatican officials are becoming concerned about the ties between visit organisers and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
Thompson quoted a Foreign Office document describing the Pope's visit as "an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen ties between the UK and the Holy See on global action to tackle poverty and climate change, as well as the important role of faith groups in creating strong communities". This language, he said, is "unmistakeably the language of Blair's Faith Foundation".
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, known to pro-life advocates as Britain's principle "architect of the Culture of Death," was famously received into the Catholic Church in December 2007 by his close friend, then-Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. When pro-life Catholics asked repeatedly if Blair had renounced his longstanding anti-life and anti-family positions, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation responded that Mr. Blair would not answer questions about his personal beliefs.

It's a funny thing.  This guy attacks Pope Benedict, one of the few voices willing to stand up for genuine moral principles, as a amoral man, and yet he wants the world to see his sin and perversion as "normal" and an acceptable lifestyle.

The selection of this man as the producer for the Channel 4's documentary is telling.  It should put to rest for good the notion that anti-Catholicism is dead and buried.  In fact, it is thriving over in the United Kingdom, it's just that the sources of traditional anti-Catholicism have shifted from CoE clerics to the liberal left.

UPDATE:  A comment on a post by fellow Catholic blogger Fr. Tim Finigan brought up something interesting; Mr. Tatchell has apparently said, publicly, that age of consent should be abolished.  Kind of makes the sign he's holding in the second picture ironic then, doesn't it?

Courtesy of American Papist

An excellent response to Mr. Kristof's hit piece against the Church.

LINK

Anti-Catholicism on Cracked.com

Cracked.com, a "comedy" website known for its vulgar toilet humor, rampant profanity and overall lack of anything that tickles the funnybone (unless disgusting humor is your forte, in which case I advise you to re-evaluate your tastes), recently published this article (WARNING:  Read at your own risk; article contains rampant profanity and foul humor) about supposed "half-a****" apologies for "historic crimes".  The #1 entry on the list is what caught my eye.

The portion accuses the Catholic Church of giving a poor apology for its "historic crimes", including the anti-Catholic's favorite grievances; the Inquisition, the Crusades, Galileo, "oppression" of science, oppression of gays, etc.

I post this not because it's anything new, but just because it's another example of the anti-Catholics refusal to look deeper into these issues, and instead rely on classic anti-Catholic canards.  For example, if they dug deeper into recent scholarship, they might see that the Crusades were actually a good thing (paving the way for the Rennaisance anyone?), the Inquisition was never as bad as they say it is, and that far from oppressing science, the Church actively promoted it (the first astronomical observations were made by Jesuit priests, and one of those Jesuits, Nicolaus Copernicus, created the Heliocentric theory and was NEVER censured for it), and even the CDC has recently admitted that homosexuals are more likely to contract AIDS and STDs than hetereosexuals.

Something to chew on.

Pax Christi.  Let us pray for those who hate Holy Mother Church.

British attempt at humor fail

The astonishing proposals, leaked to The Sunday Telegraph, were contained in secret papers drawn up earlier this month by civil servants following a ‘brainstorm’.

The ideas, included in a memo headed ‘The ideal visit would see …’, ridiculed the Catholic Church’s teachings including its opposition to abortion, homosexual behaviour and contraception. Many appeared to be deliberately provocative rather than a serious attempt to plan an itinerary for the September visit.

The proposals, which were then circulated among key officials in Downing Street and Whitehall, also include the Pope opening an abortion ward; spending the night in a council flat in Bradford; doing forward rolls with children to promote healthy living; and even performing a duet with the Queen.

Ah, that classic British wit.... not.

Bomb the Vatican?

Apparently, at least one Australian thinks we should.

After making an idiotic comparison of Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church to Osama bin Laden, Australian columnist Bob Ellis then proceeds to say this little gem.

Why not bomb the Vatican, and riddle the Pope with bullets as he staggers out of the flames?

Wow.  Just, wow.

By now, I'm pretty much used to reading anti-Catholic hate  speech.  I see it all the time, even in the comments section of the NCRegister website.  But this one, this just takes the cake.  Sure, the guy was trying to make some half-hearted critique of the Afghanistan war, but the very idea that he can write something like that speaks volumes about his attitude toward Catholics.  I'm not suggesting he has violent fantasies, but I don't think it's a stretch to assume he hates us.

And the really sad thing is, this doesn't surprise me.  Here I am, 22 years old and in the prime of my life, and nothing shocks me anymore.  At least I can say this; the unhinged rants of this man, and of men like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins and all the other anti-Catholics will not change the truth of the Catholic faith or of the innocence of the Holy Father. 

I will be praying for their souls.  They will not like it, but I will.

Pax Christi.

Alert! Bigoted Poll Alert from Father Z.!

From WDTPRS

Whoever said there's no such thing as a stupid question was wrong.  Some questions are just plain dumb.

Like, say, "Should the Pope be charged with ‘crimes against humanity’, over the alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church?"


The whole "Benedict covered it all up" canard has by now been thoroughly debunked by both bloggers and the likes of the venerable National Catholic Register, and they're still on it in the MSM.


I normally don't advocate taking a page from the Ron Paul playbook and spamming polls, but in this case, I think I'll make an exception.  Catholics, spam away!

Oy Vey... Oremus pro Pontifice Indeed

Via C-FAM

Am I reading this right?  Did this judge guy just compare Pope Benedict XVI to war criminal and mass murderer Slobodan Milosevic?  I may not be, but judging by this guy's words, it's more likely I am.

And so the attack continues.  In times like these, our most effective weapon is prayer.

Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory be.

V: Let us pray for our Pope Benedict.   R: May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

V. Thou art Peter,
R. And upon this Rock, I will build My Church.

Let us Pray,   Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon your servant, Benedict, our Sovereign Pontiff, and guide him in your goodness on the way of eternal salvation; so that, with the prompting of your grace,  he may desire what pleases you and accomplish it with all his strength. Through Christ Our Lord.
V. Mother of the Church. R. Pray for us

V. St. Peter. R. Pray for us