Ask yourself: are you doing enough for the Kingdom of God?

Yesterday was the feast of St. Leo the Great.  The Gospel reading was Luke 17:7-10.  It presents us with a very challenging message. At the end of this passage, Jesus says:

"So you also, when you have done all that you are ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'"

That's a pretty tough message. We all have a tendency to pat ourselves on the back when we've done good work. But Christ is reminding us that we are called to do more.  We're called to heroic virtue. 

Let's be frank. The vast majority of us are not doing enough for the Kingdom of God. Whether it be feeding the poor, proclaiming the Gospel, working on pro-life matters or helping the sick, we fall short. In fact, most of us are downright lazy and apathetic. I'm just as guilty as anybody on this.  

Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, our conscience tells us that we need to get moving, but too often we settle for mediocrity. We'll cut a cheque to our local charity so that we can appease our conscience and pretend that we've done our share. Or perhaps we'll go to the March for Life once a year so that we can put a little check mark in our minds next to the requirement of doing some good pro-life work.  Sorry, but that's not good enough. 

Another frequent temptation is to persuade ourselves that we're powerless and that we can only pray. In some cases, this is true, but are we really praying as much as we could? Are we fasting and making sacrifices?  In most cases, however, we can do something, even if it's just a little. We can write a letter. We can make a phone call. We can visit somebody. It just takes a little will power.

Christ is asking us to look in the mirror and honestly ask ourselves what more we can do. It's useless to throw our arms up in the air and complain about the state of the world if we aren't doing anything to make a change. 

So what are you going to change in your life?


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Thanks again, Archbishop Prendergast

Just a quick note to thank Archbishop Prendergast of Ottawa for participating in the Life Chain this past weekend.  

We admire your dedication to the cause of life and we rejoice to have you stand by our side on the front lines.

May God bless you!

Canadian Bishops ask dissenter to give them inspiration

Have you heard?  The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has invited a well-known dissenting theologian to give two talks at their annual plenary meeting in Cornwall in October. His name is Richard Gaillardetz.



You will find the details of his dissent in this excellent post by John Pacheco and additional details in this article by LifeSiteNews.com.  Here's a brief summary of his "credentials". 

• He says it's okay for couples to co-habitate before marriage and to use contraception if their  conscience doesn't complain (sounds Winnipeg-Statement-ish)
  
• The ordination of women is okay.
• He teaches a distorted version of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
  
• Public revelation by God continues today.
• His respect for life is very suspect since he's part of President Obama's "Catholic Advisory Board," which the Catholic Civil Rights League said does not have a single member that agrees with Church teaching on life issues.
  
• He wonders whether the concept of divine revelation might be extended to the Islamic or Hindu scriptures (!!!!)

Moreover, his view of the Magisterium and the infallibility of Church teaching is extremely confused:

1.  It's possible for the Magisterium to err in matters of faith and morals. 
2.  He believes that an article of Faith can become tentative if it becomes “controversial."
3.  The degree of “reception” of Church teaching by the faithful is a “sign” of its infallibility.
4.  He says that the consensus of theologians is the determining factor for the discernment of the infallibility of the Magisterium.
5.  The obstinate denial of a definitive doctrine would not necessarily place one outside the Roman Catholic communion (very self-serving, don't you think?)

Does it disturb you that the CCCB would invite this man to give two lectures at their plenary?  What kind of message does it send to the faithful?  What does it tell you about the bishops?

If the CCCB invited him, they clearly don't object to his dissenting views.  Actually, it makes a lot of sense to me.  You see, the CCCB is mostly composed of dissenters.  We've observed this for many decades.  Tragic, but true.  

Of course, not all bishops are dissenters.  We have some very good bishops in this country.  However, they are few and far between.  Unfortunately, their minority status means that the overall direction of the CCCB is decided by the majority of dissenters. 

Gaillardetz brings a sense of legitimacy to the dissenting views of the CCCB majority, like a comforting reassurance that someone else thinks like them. 

The fact that virtually all Canadian bishops dissented from Humanae Vitae in writing is entirely consistent with Gaillardetz's point #1 above, namely that the Magisterium can make mistakes and therefore that the bishops don't have to follow the Pope.  This is especially true for controversial issues such as contraception, which was the main point of the dissent of the Canadian bishops more than 40 years ago.  Abortion is also quickly becoming optional teaching, as we've learned from the Development and Peace scandal and the Fr. Rosica rampage.  So Gaillardetz's view on #2 is also consistent with the CCCB's actions. 

Point #3 is also very useful for dissenters because they are well aware that most Catholics approve of contraception. Therefore, they like Gaillardetz's theory that a rejection of Church teaching by the faithful is a sign that that teaching was not infallible. It's like giving the faithful a special veto power over the Magisterium.

Point #4 gives the bishops their own special veto power over the Magisterium, since many bishops are theologians too.  Isn't that handy?

Finally, #5 makes dissenters feel comforted that they are not excluded from communion with the Roman Catholic Church for the extreme positions they've taken in points #1 to #4.

So, you see, it all makes sense. In these difficult times, where dissenting bishops are being questioned by Catholics who want to remain faithful to Rome, they have called upon a fellow dissenter for some reassurance.

Sadly, we rarely hear the good bishops speaking up these days.  They must feel very frustrated.  We must pray for their perseverance.  I hope they will gain the courage and strength to break their silence. 

That's the tragic state of our Church today. Please pray for our bishops.

Novena for the conversion of Fr. Rosica: Day 1

Today is the first day of our novena for the conversion of Fr. Rosica.  Please join us.

Thank you Archbishop Prendergast

We are truly blessed in Ottawa to have an Archbishop who is in unity with the Church's teachings and who is not afraid to publicly witness to his faith.  Praise God!

Yesterday, Archbishop Prendergast participated in the 40 Days for Life campaign by spending some time praying in front of the Morgentaler abortion facility in Ottawa. He also took some time to affirm and encourage the other people who were keeping vigil there. Read more here.

Finally, a bishop who is not content with simply preaching from the pulpit, but who will also go into the trenches and stand shoulder to shoulder with the faithful on the front lines.

Thank you Archbishop Prendergast! May God bless you abundantly! And may you carry this zeal to the plenary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in October, in order to encourage your brothers to reform Development and Peace and fix the other numerous problems within the Canadian Church.

Novena for the conversion of Fr. Rosica

"As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live." (Ez 33:11)

As I explained in an earlier post, Fr. Rosica has deviated from sound Catholic teaching.  I would like to start a novena for him on Saturday, September 26, the feast of the Canadian martyrs.  The novena will run until Sunday, October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  The Lord said to St. Francis:  "Rebuild my Church, which you see is falling into ruin."  That's exactly what we're hoping to do with this novena.

Please join me in saying one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be for the next nine days for the conversion of Fr. Rosica.  He is a very gifted man.  We need him to be fully on the side of Truth if we are to bring about a Culture of Life in Canada. I want to see him in Heaven some day, assuming that I get in.

The Father Rosica controversy

Rather Thomas Rosica, who heads the TV network Salt and Light, has recently caused quite a stir in the pro-life community.  Here is a brief summary of what happened.

Following the funeral of Ted Kennedy, in which the former senator was portrayed as a hero and a faithful Catholic despite his pro-abortion and anti-family views, many pro-lifers felt outraged that such an ardent promoter of the culture of death would receive such a glorious public Catholic funeral.  Some people (unwisely) contacted Salt and Light asking them to provide negative coverage of the event.
Instead, they got a series of aggressive and vitriolic attacks from Fr. Rosica against the pro-life movement in general and LifeSiteNews.com in particular. Father Rosica took exception to the idea that pro-life Catholics could use strong language to criticize other Catholics. Father Rosica presented these criticisms as being uncharitable, divisive, unmerciful and non-Christian.

To illustrate, I've compiled the insults that have been hurled at pro-lifers by Father Rosica in person or through his website.  Note: these criticisms are not solely addressed to LifeSite; the vast majority are directed towards the pro-life movement in general.

• [LifeSite] is doing "the work of Satan" 
• "something is terribly wrong in the pro-life movement." 
• "Civility, charity, mercy and politeness seem to have dropped out of the pro-life lexicon."
• "Their words and actions vitiate their efforts in favor of life." 
• "not agents of life, but of division, destruction, hatred, vitriol, judgment and violence." 
• "I question whether or not they belong to the Catholic Church. Are such people Catholic?"
  
• "make the Church and our efforts for life look ridiculous and terribly anti-Christian."
• "deep-seated anger and hostility"
• "Through vicious attacks launched on blogs, a new form of self-righteousness, condemnation and gnosticism reveals authors who behave as little children bullying one another around in schoolyards- casting stones, calling names, and wreaking havoc in the Church today!"
• "Sowing seeds of hatred and division are not the work of those who wish to build a culture of life."
• "contribute to the misery and division within the world and the Church"
• "destroy and kill others along the way."
• "very strong, antagonist approach"
• "hostility towards women who would choose abortion"
• "pushing their ideals onto the rest of society"
• "judgmental instead of helpful and supportive"
• "radical" 
• "cruel and hateful individuals"
• "so shrill, so angry and judgmental"
• "ugly and threatening" 
• "this is how the devil triumphs"
• "character assassination"
• "[LifeSite] is not credible, it does not speak for the Church, it is not ethical, it is not honest"
• "wreaking division and havoc"
• [LifeSite] is not an authentic instrument at the service of unity and at the service of the Church. It is causing division. For the 1/10 of kernel of truth that they purport to uncover (and there is truth in what they do) 9/10 is exaggeration."
• "[LifeSite] is bombastic, it is derisive and it is divisive."
• "pit people against each other"
• "wanting to set up a parallel Church"
• "cast aspersions or to dismiss or discredit what the bishops are trying to do" 

I feel so despised, disdained and derided.

Read here for the Vatican's view of how the Kennedy funeral should have been handled.  You'll see that it confirms everything that pro-lifers have been saying and contradicts what Fr. Rosica has been saying.

The oddest thing about this episode, is that Father Rosica did exactly what he was reproaching pro-lifers:  he openly criticized his fellow Catholics and he used such seething and inflammatory language as I have never seen used against pro-lifers, not even by the pro-abortion lobby.

This proves an important point:  his criticism of criticism is a hoax, a smoke-screen.  He himself realizes that constructive criticism is an integral part of Catholicism.  It's technically called "admonishing the sinner" and it is essential for the salvation of souls that have gone astray.

Unfortunately, Fr. Rosica has a distorted view of Catholicism.  But you will rarely hear him saying something overtly anti-Catholic.  He has a history of saying the right things (e.g. "I am pro-life"), but he tends to be unwilling to "take up his cross" by putting his reputation on the line in defending Church teachings.  For example, when he interviewed Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, an infamous pro-abortion "Catholic", he remained silent while McGuinty expressed his disagreement with Church teaching on same-sex marriage. All this was broadcast on Salt and Light TV.  Is that Fr. Rosica's idea of good Catholic programming?  Contrast this to the beautiful witness of John Pacheco and David MacDonald who, in the last two elections, ran against Dalton McGuinty and publicly rebuked him for his anti-family positions.  Now that's heroic virtue.

To read more about the Fr. Rosica controversy, please visit Socon or Bust here and here. 

I agree with Fr. Rosica on one important point:  the Church is indeed divided.  The fracture is between those who want to follow the Vatican and those who have invented a lovey-dovey Catholicism (such as Fr. Rosica) where the primary goal is to never contradict anybody, even if they're dead wrong and rotting in mortal sin. Passivity can lead to complacency, which is often abused by ill-willed politicians and others.

This isn't about pro-lifers being self-righteous.  Just open up the Bible or the Catechism, or listen to the Vatican's statements.  We're simply trying to obey the Truth as it was handed down over the centuries, not invent our own path.

Please pray for Fr. Rosica. 

"Inconceivable!" CCCB supporting UNICEF

Do you remember the movie "Princess Bride"?  There was a short character named Vizzini who had a penchant for using the word "inconceivable".  That's how I felt when I saw this story:  the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is encouraging the faithful to donate to UNICEF.  You can read the original press release on the CCCB's site here.


As most pro-life people know, UNICEF is a staunch supporter of abortion and contraception.  They're so aggressive in this respect, that the Vatican took the bold step of stopping all donations to UNICEF way back in 1997 specifically because UNICEF was pushing abortion and contraception in developing countries.  You can read the Vatican's official statement here.  Read the coverage by the New York Times here.  


This move by the CCCB comes on the heels of the Development and Peace (D&P) scandal, where the CCCB's official charity was caught red handed funding groups that push for abortion and contraception in developing countries.  This scandal was a huge source of embarrassment and controversy for the bishops this past summer.

Human beings are intelligent creatures.  We learn from our mistakes.  Given the scandal that was caused by D&P, it's hard to believe that the bishops could have been so careless in supporting UNICEF.  The bishops claim that they are earmarking support for a specific education program of UNICEF that does not contradict Church teaching.  However, given that money is fungible and that pro-abortion groups cannot be trusted (just look at what the Vatican did!) the CCCB is clearly advocating a very unwise course of action.  The Vatican specifically said, back in 1997, that UNICEF was not providing sufficient accountability for earmarked donations (such as what the CCCB is advocating).

As Catholics, we look to the Vatican for leadership and follow her example.  Why doesn't the CCCB do the same?  Why is the CCCB supporting a group that the Vatican specifically singled out -- in public -- to denounce it's anti-life agenda?

It's not because of ignorance.  This past summer, during the peak of the D&P scandal, countless pro-life groups reminded D&P and the CCCB that the Vatican had stopped funding UNICEF in 1997.  We made sure to inform them.  They can no longer claim ignorance.

Sadly, the only logical explanation seems to be that the CCCB is expressly choosing to "do it's own thing" and take a different path from the Vatican.  They don't think its wrong, but the Vatican and  many Catholics understand that it is.  This is the most public and visible sign of dissent of Canadian bishops from the Vatican since the infamous Winnipeg Statement.

The clergy in Canada is in a pitiful state.  Please pray for them.

Thank you Father Richard Siok!

I'd like to commend my parish priest, Father Richard Siok, rector of St. Patrick's Basilica in Ottawa, for being such a good pro-life witness.

• At every Mass this past weekend, Fr. Siok announced the upcoming 40 days for life, which beings on September 23rd. He exhorted everybody to take part in the vigil and he gave a good testimony of his experience at past 40-days campaigns. 
• He committed St. Patrick's for a full day on October 6th and encouraged people to come out and pray. 
• Showing true leadership, he has already signed up for the first hour of that day, from midnight to 1 am. 
• St. Patrick's hosted Vespers on Sunday, September 20th, as part of the kick-off activities. 
• St. Patrick's will also leave the church open for elderly people who can't brave the cold and would prefer holding vigil inside his beautiful Basilica.

Praise God for faithful priests like Father Richard Siok!

40 days for life

Have you ever heard of 40 days for life?  It's the best thing to happen to the pro-life movement in a long time.  In more than 200 cities across North America (including 7 Canadian cities) pro-lifers will be holding a non-stop peaceful vigil in front of abortion facilities, from September 23 to November 1.  That's 24/7 for 40 consecutive days.  

The true roots of the Culture of Death are spiritual.  Therefore, the only lasting solution will require a spiritual remedy.  That's why this period of 40 days of praying, fasting and peaceful witness in front of abortion facilities is so important.  

It has been extremely effective in the past in helping pregnant women change their minds about having abortions.  Several staff at abortion facilities have also quit.  Here in Ottawa, we know of 10 babies that have been saved by this initiative. 

Read more at this link.  Participate in the 40 days for life campaign in your city.  If your city doesn't have 40 days for life, then discuss it with your fellow pro-lifers so that you can organize your own vigil in time for our next 40 days, which will run during the winter of 2010.