Thursday, July 25

An account of the Holy Father's presence at the WYD opening ceremony yesterday.

"With your gaze set firmly" on Jesus, John Paul said, a hush falling over the assemblage, "you will discover the path of forgiveness and reconciliation in a world often laid waste by violence and terror. Last year, we saw with dramatic clarity the tragic face of human malice. We saw what happens when hatred, sin and death take command."...
In recent public Masses, the pope has appeared frail. He has slurred his words heavily and been unable to finish speeches. But this week, he has appeared to many Vatican watchers to be less encumbered by the disease that has imprisoned him.

I'm certainly not a professional "Vatican watcher," but even from my limited perspective, I'd agree with that observation. He appeared to be totally engaged by the young people who surrounded him. His voice was clearer, with a hint of spontanaity and vigor that's been missing in what I've heard recently, at the weekly audiences and so on. What I've also seen in the recent past - strain and frustration - was happily missing as well. It was a moving, welcome sight.

This article from the mighty Tampa Tribune (for which I used to write book reviews at - hold yer breath - forty dollars a pop) describes the first meeting of the area's Voice of the Faithful chapter. After reading the short piece, I'm moved to say: give me a break. One hundred people at a meeting in the St. Petersburg diocese and Bishop Lynch goes unmentioned? I have a very hard time believing that such a thing happened.
Regarding comments: If they're marked "archived" they're still accessible in exactly the same way the active comments are. I guess the Pixel Genies just store them in another vault or something.

The best comments - and the reason I have the comments section in the first place - are those that expand our understanding of a linked story or a posted thought by offering new information or a rationally presented position.

And remember, just as you have the freedom to read this blog or not, I have the power to delete comments and ban users.

BWAA-HA-HA-HA-HA

This blog has several links to more information about the forced sterilizations in Peru. (Scroll down for it)
Ah...who says that the up-to-date people are really up-to-date

As news gradually leaks (ha) about the ineffectual nature of condoms (see HMS Blog for more), leave it to the "alternative Catholics" in Toronto to help kids by passing out incentives to disease and misery - here's a photo of their cute condom packs.

For more WYD (and other Catholic related) news photos, click here and browse.

A reader remarks:

July 23 - Seven women who took part June 29 in Austria in a simulated priestly ordination were officially excommunicated at midnight Monday.....When SNAP asked the bishops in 1994 why there was no national policy to address priests who abuse children, they were told "these things take time" (8 years from 1994, 17 years since the Mouton/Doyle/Peterson report). When we all ask why Rome has not responded to the US bishops' recent proposal, we're told "these things take time". (???) It took only 25 days for Rome to move on a group of women who held a bogus ordination.....Where is that sense of urgency regarding the protection of our children and the integrity of our church?

Pope in a Boat at Lake Simcoe.
Wretched Bishop O'Brien of Phoenix has brought on a lawyer with integrity to help clean things up. This piece from an alternative Phoenix paper predicts he won't last long.
Image of Juan Diego unrealistic

For Pope John Paul II's visit to canonize the Chichimeca Indian, the church has replaced traditional renderings of the 16th century figure in which he is depicted as a sparsely whiskered, dark-skinned Indian. New versions show him with a full-beard and light skin. The image is causing an uproar in Mexico, where many people feel their Indian heritage is being insulted.

German cardinal dies unexpectedly
Interesting....Greg at HMS Blog reports that Deal Hudson says that some US bishops have called for a plenary council to deal with the issues of homosexuality and dissent and their role in the present crisis.

A plenary council is a gathering of the bishops of a single country. In the 19th century, three plenary councils were held, all in Baltimore, all to discuss issues that were impacting the growing US church. We are probably most familiar with the Third Plenary Council, which discussed issues of education and eventually produced what we know as the Baltimore Catechism.

Someone can clarify, but plenary councils are different from, say, a regular old "bishops' meeting" (like Dallas) because their decisions have the force of law for the Church in that country, while the bishops' meetings don't necessarily.

Domenico Bettinelli points us to the qualifications of Bishops' Board Member Panetta: publicy supportive of partial-birth abortion.

Yay, bishops! Strong, united voice for the Faith! You go, guys! Lead us on to glory!

In this New Republic article about the post 9/11 blood debacle we are privy to the interesting tidbit that a couple of days after the tragedy, when blood banks were already becoming aware that they had too much blood already that was going to be wasted, and people needed to stop donating, the Washington DC Red Cross ....

... got a call from the U.S. Congress to run a blood drive among senators and representatives--and to present each member with a videotape of him or her giving blood to show constituents.

Over at The Corner, Rod Dreher posts a link to a horrible story of forced sterilizations in Peru - 200,000 of them

David Morrison, who investigated these events a few years ago, blogs about it a bit this morning and promises more later.

Sean Gallagher has thoughts on why bother. Scroll down for his good words...after the stuff about his big heavy work day today....
The NCCBUSCC (M-O-U-S-E?) is sponsoring a daily WYD webjournal page on its site. Here's the link.
Today is traditionally the feast of St. Christopher. My oldest son is named Christopher, so...happy feastday, Chris! I pray that he's doing his best to be a Christ-bearer down there in the wilds of Knoxville.