Still Running Off at the Keyboard

FAVORITE PICTURES

There are a lot of pictures of John Paul II floating around the web right now, among them this one with Mehmet Ali Agca, which is the image that to me most expresses what the Pontificate of John Paul II was about.

He was not a follower. He blazed his own trail, listened to his own counsel. He was a unique man among men. He forgave. Forgiveness will be part of the legacy of this pontificate, and this was his first example of it given to a world which was awestruck by his gesture. He went on to many more.

If I saw this picture and didn't know the story, I would think he was greeting a long lost friend, not the man who tried to kill him. What an incredible challenge this picture is for me, to not only forgive, but also to be able to dismiss the wrong that had been done to him.

He was a teacher who taught as much by actions as by words, and his papacy right up to the final moments was a classroom always in session. If we want to learn how to live the Beatitudes, we have only to pick up a picture album of the Papacy of John Paul II.

In the last moments of his life he gave us his lecture on death...how to face it, when to say "yes" to prolonging it, and when saying "no" is also appropriate. Shortly before he died he asked for the reading of the portion of Scripture that told us to bond our own death to Christ on the cross and to be serene in knowing that even death has invaluable meaning. That God is as much in control at that moment as He is in every other moment of our lives. How many people will be able to face death with courage because of this last lesson that John Paul II taught us?

Some of us who are older have known other popes, but none of them were transparent in the way that John Paul was transparent particularly in his years of suffering. The others wore their papacy like a cloak. Karol Wojtyla took off the cloak and looked to see what good use he could make of it. He didn't so much reign as Pope as he used the papacy like a tool to mold the faith according to the way he understood it. For him the papacy was an opportunity to change the world, and change it he did.

If he will be remembered for the overthrow of communism--and he certainly will--I think he must be equally remembered for the shape he gave to ecumenism. It wears his name. There are Jews and Muslims praying for him now because of the way he treated them, personally. If the break between Eastern and Western Christianity can ever be healed, it will have begun the healing process in the hands of John Paul II.

He was a legend in life, but he was also a man. For all of the good he did, yet he had shortcomings. Who but Christ can judge a pope? May those who wish that he had done more, had responded differently, had acted when he remained silent, find in their heart forgiveness for his shortcomings and a lesson to be applied, taken from this picture of forgiveness that he gave to us.

And may he be singing with the angels tonight.

Eternal rest grant, O Lord, to Karol Wojtyla. May he rest in peace. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

FOR RELIABLE INFORMATION FROM ROME

check Catholic World News. And for conversation as the day unfolds, check in at Bettnet where CWN Editor Domenico Bettinelli, Jr., posts some of his insights.

Since I'll be offline part of the day, I'm not going to try to update this blog as events unfold.

May his suffering end soon, and may he be singing with the angels before the devil knows he's gone.

Hear, O Blessed Virgin,
the prayer which I address to you,
Our Lady of Rest,
as I am mindful of that maternal love
in which you receive your children.

It is by your powerful intercession, O Mary,
that the heart and mind of John Paul II found rest
during his days in the papacy.
He knew well his own weakness;
but he trusted in the everlasting promises,
and hoped for eternal happiness
as he clung to the crucified Jesus,
who has made His cross to be ours as well.

O Mary, under your patronage
may he find peace in the midst of earthly tribulation.
You are the quiet certainty of the strong soul,
ever on guard against the enemy.
You are the sanctuary of the pure
who remain unstained by earth’s corruption.
And just as, with you,
he found peace during the present life,
so may he find with you,
when the days of his pilgrimage are over,
everlasting peace in the world to come.

CNN COVERAGE ON THE POPE

It looks like he will not be with us much longer.

May his passing be peaceful. May God take him quickly. And may he be forgiven for his shortcomings and be taken swiftly to be with his Lord for eternity.

PRIESTS AGAINST EUTHANASIA

Associated Press Writer Bobby Ross Jr. reports a new order of priests being formed:

A priest who comforted Terri Schiavo's parents and siblings says he's starting the Roman Catholic Church's first society of priests devoted exclusively to "the Gospel of Life," fighting against euthanasia and abortion.

The Diocese of Amarillo will provide a vacant Catholic high school and dormitory to house the male-only Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, the society founded by the Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.

"I have long been convinced that God is raising up numerous disciples ready to devote their entire lives to ending the tragedy of abortion, which the bishops have identified as the 'fundamental human rights issue of the day,'" Pavone said in a statement. "I have no doubt that we will see a tremendous and immediate response to this initiative."

The order will be male only and will use religious and political roles including conducting voter-registration drives and lobbying elected officials, as well as developing strategies for anti-abortion groups.

I find it encouraging that this is a male-only group. We need the presence of men on the frontlines for this to be successful. Woman cannot defend life by themselves. Only with the involvement of men will this be successful.

Most encouraging of all is Planned Parenthood's reaction:

a top official with Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle called the society's arrival "very frightening." In a statement, Planned Parenthood expressed concerns that the society could attract extremists who might resort to violence to further the anti-abortion cause.

We have not heard the last of Terri Schiavo yet. Not by a long shot. Murder, after all, requires a response. The murder of an innocent at the hands of the courts cannot be ignored. The name Terri Schiavo may become a rallying cry around which the defenders of life galvanize.

PREPARING FOR A CONCLVE

It appears that the Pope's physical condition has deteriorated to the point of grave consequence. Edinburg Evening News Reports:

POPE John Paul appeared close to death today after suffering heart failure and septic shock.

The Vatican said his condition was "very grave" as prayers were being said for the ailing pontiff around the world.

The 84-year-old, who has received communion commonly known as the last rites, decided himself not to go to hospital for treatment.

One of the Pope’s close friends, Polish cardinal Andrzej Maria Deskur, said the pontiff was "fading serenely", according to the Italian news agency AGI.

They would not be making such statements unless the end is near.

Catholic World News describes the condition of the inner workings of the Church during the period of the conclave. The Camerlengo, Cardinal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, will be the name on everyone's lips as the transition takes place. Apart from him and, Cardinal James Francis Stafford, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary whose office deals with issues of conscience, all other offices of the Curia become vacant, and the drama of a conclave begins.

IT'S APRIL FOOLS DAY

Terri is dead. The Pope is dying. Somehow I don't feel much like joking.

PENTECOSTAL-CHARISMATIC EVENT ?

It's not nice to mess with the Holy Spirit!

More pictures thanks to Novus Ordo Watch (which seldom fails to disappoint when I go looking for the bizarre.)

THE DANCING JESUIT

Doing India's ancient Bharatanatyam dance

What's to be made of that? Looks like he could use a few more clothes, being a priest and all. I wonder if he says Mass in that getup?

Blogger credit to Novus Ordo Watch.

THIS DOES NOT LOOK GOOD...

Will the Pope soon follow Terri?

DISCUSSION ABOUT TERRI'S DEATH

At Dom's Blog. For some reason Blogger doesn't link my URL link now, even though it was willing to post it earlier this morning. Don't ask me why...

http://bettnet.dyndns.org/blog/comments.php?id=4774_0_1_0_C

REPORTS OF TERRI'S DEATH

Catholic News Service

NBC News

Herald Today out of Florida

Tallahassee.com

REPORT OF TERRI'S DEATH

From News.com.au, an article dated April 1:

Paul O'Donnell, a Roman Catholic Franciscan monk and a spokesman for the Bob and Mary Schindler, the parents of Terri Schiavo, announced Mrs Schiavo's death just before 1am (AEST).

The lawyer for her husband, Michael Schiavo, also said she had died.

SPEAKING OF DEATH IN AFRICA (SEE BELOW)

Sant'Egidio has been instrumental in a new peace initiative in Rawanda which some think looks hopeful.

CHALLAH

There's an interesting article at Jewish.com about the baking of the traditional Jewish bread. It even includes a recipe if anyone wants to try it. Of particular interest to me was the fact that the recipe is very similar to my recipe for Polish Sweet Bread, gotten from my mother-in-law very early in our marriage, and a standard menu item for holidays. There were even a few years when I baked all of our bread. In recent years, though, my daughter has taken over the tradition, so I haven't baked any for a few years.

I worked part-time at a bakery a few years ago. It was a source of fascination to watch the production of Challah at Easter--specifically, the twist, which I never mastered, mostly because the bakers hands were faster than the eyes that were trying to record the movements. At the bakery customers could order their Challah with anise if they wanted to. That was my favorite.

The article also traces the history of Challah and its use in the Temple.

Most people think of challah as the sweet, egg-rich braided bread that Ashkenazi Jews eat on Shabbat and holidays, but the term “challah” actually refers to a Torah commandment to separate a piece of dough as a gift to God.

The commandment to “take challah” goes way back — it was given to the Jews when they reached the land of Israel after wandering in the desert for 40 years.

During the Exodus, God provided manna every day in the desert, plus a double portion for Shabbat. When the Jews reached Israel, the manna stopped coming. They had to provide their own food, but the Torah gave a commandment to separate a portion of the dough they made and reserve it as a reminder that God provides everything.

Scripture tells us that there were 12 showbreads on display in the Tabernacle, and they stayed fresh for a week, until they were replaced with new loaves for the next Shabbat. For religious Jewish women — who are exempt from time-bound commandments — baking challah is one of the three cited specifically for them. The others involve mikvah (ritual immersion) and candlelighting.

It's not difficult to see how the Catholic practice of reserving the consecrated Host in the tabernacle may have stemmed from that.

BATH AND BODY WORKS, YOU'VE GOT COMPETITION

Make room for Botanica Lucero. It may be small now, but all Jose Rodriguez needs is a slick presentation. If he ever meets a New York Ad man, your days may be numbered.

Botanica Lucero is a full service establishment. Herb bath and haircuts? No problem. Step inside. Statues of Catholic saints stand next to African-American dolls, and Indian dream catchers hang by the door. The elephant statue brings good luck, and the luv potions really work according to Yarienid Gonzales.

Rodriguez is a Catholic. A bit poorly catechized, perhaps. He's tried Pentecostalism and Islam but has returned to the faith of his childhood, with a little Santeria mixed in on the side. Boatanica Lucero, though, is a veritable United Nations of faiths, an establishment run for everyone, "a place where they'll be accepted, no matter what religion they practice." Catholic saints and Santerian deities are all the same to Rodriguez. "Like the Catholic saints, each deity--or orisha, as they are called in Santeria--works for certain things. Believers ask different orishas to assist with life's difficulties and protect them from harm." Sadly, I can see his point. An unsophisticated (and theologically incorrect) understanding of the Communion of Saints could lead to such a conclusion.

Botanica Lucero sells what Bath and Body Works sells--potions. Unlike the suburban counterpart, though, it also sells faith, which is probably what the patrons stop in for anyway. We sophisticated American suburbanites are not all that far removed from our primitive roots even if we do insist that our faith products be separated commercially from our sensual indulgences.

COMMUNISTS BEHIND ATTEMPT ON POPE'S LIFE

according to Hindustan Times:

New documents found in the files of the former East German intelligence services confirm the 1981 assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II was ordered by the Soviet KGB and assigned to Bulgarian agents, an Italian daily said on Wednesday.

The Corriere della Sera said that the documents found by the German government indicated that the KGB ordered Bulgarian colleagues to carry out the killing, leaving the East German service known as the Stasi to coordinate the operation and cover up the traces afterwards.

PRELEST

"What is Prelest?" from ROCA (Russian Orthodox Church in America).

BREAKFAST BY -

Ghiradelli, Dove, and Russell Stoffer three days in a row. Oh Lent! How quickly we forget.

gOD GEORGE GREER

From a Washington Times article linked at Crux News:

- Judge George W. Greer has received "a sea of death threats"

- He has retained "sheriff's deputies as bodyguards against protesters who dog his steps"

- he has "set a bad legal precedent" according to the Alliance Defense Fund, a Scottsdale, Ariz. group of lawyers

- "we have a witness, her husband, who has a conflict of interest" as the chief source of evidence that she wants to die

- "friends and opponents alike" sugggest that he "recuse himself from a case that is likely to define his career"

- Michael Schivo's attorney George Felos sent a campaign contribution to Greer

- Greer "refused a request from the Florida Department of Children and Families to take Mrs. Schiavo into protective custody"

- "Judge Greer withdrew from Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater after its pastor, the Rev. William Rice, asked him to clarify whether he was still a member."

Has he been listening to George Felos's voices instead of the real human voices that are telling him he is out of line?

Lord deliver us from disembodied voices!

STATEMENT ON THE CASE OF TERRI SCHIAVO

Greek Orthodox Metropolis Of Chicago

Human life is always precious and sacred. This is a fundamental tenet of the Orthodox Christian tradition. Each and every human being is created in the image of God the Creator, and can never cease to be loved by God. The highest measure of a quality of life is our personal relationship with God, and this relationship endures the best and worst conditions in which human beings may find themselves. It even endures physical death in this age, continuing in the age to come. Orthodox Christians are greatly saddened by the condition of Terri Schiavo, and must be saddened by the decision of other persons to purposely end her life by the withdrawal of the basic care of feeding and hydration.

As a gift, life is always to be respected, nurtured and defended by Orthodox Christians. It is not an abstract principle to be debated. We affirm that we are called to be wise stewards of this gift. This prohibits the conscious destruction of life at any stage in the human life cycle, and demands loving care at every stage, for ourselves and especially for the lives of others.

We acknowledge that there are times when artificial life support is more expressive of a fear of death than concern for loved ones in tragic circumstances. We affirm that in light of the body functioning only by artificial and mechanical means, when it is unable to sustain life on its own in any manner, the cessation of such means is often acceptable, since this is not actually causing death. We do not view feeding and hydration in such terms, for in the case of Terri Schiavo and others who are in similar conditions, death is not imminent as long as the body is nourished.

Therefore, the removal of Mrs. Schiavo from feeding tubes so as to hasten her death can in no way be accepted or supported. Doing so demonstrates a blatant lack of wise stewardship of God's sacred gift of life and an extraordinary means of hastening her death by starvation.

Prepared With The Blessings Of His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos Of Chicago

-------------------------------
An Orthodox Metropolitan is willing to defend the life of a Roman Catholic invalid the courts want to kill. Where are her own bishops?

EMAIL FROM LEE PENN

A round-up of stories about the execution of Terri Schiavo ...

-------------------------------------------------------------

First, this story by Nat Hentoff, a Jewish atheist pro-life/pro-disability rights/pro-civil liberties writer ... he sums the whole thing up accurately in this Village Voice article:

village voice > news > Terri Schiavo: Judicial Murder by Nat Hentoff


The article starts thus:

"For all the world to see, a 41-year-old woman, who has committed no crime, will die of dehydration and starvation in the longest public execution in American history.

She is not brain-dead or comatose, and breathes naturally on her own. Although brain-damaged, she is not in a persistent vegetative state, according to an increasing number of radiologists and neurologists.

Among many other violations of her due process rights, Terri Schiavo has never been allowed by the primary judge in her case—Florida Circuit Judge George Greer, whose conclusions have been robotically upheld by all the courts above him—to have her own lawyer represent her.

Greer has declared Terri Schiavo to be in a persistent vegetative state, but he has never gone to see her. His eyesight is very poor, but surely he could have visited her along with another member of his staff. Unlike people in a persistent vegetative state, Terri Schiavo is indeed responsive beyond mere reflexes.

While lawyers and judges have engaged in a minuet of death, the American Civil Liberties Union, which would be passionately criticizing state court decisions and demanding due process if Terri were a convict on death row, has shamefully served as co-counsel for her husband, Michael Schiavo, in his insistent desire to have her die."

The article ends thus - and recall that most of Hentoff's readers are liberals:

"Many readers of this column are pro-choice, pro-abortion rights. But what choice did Terri Schiavo have under our vaunted rule of law—which the president is eagerly trying to export to the rest of the world? She had not left a living will or a durable power of attorney, and so could not speak for herself. But the American system of justice would not slake her thirst as she, on television, was dying in front of us all.

What kind of a nation are we becoming? The CIA outsources torture—in violation of American and international law—in the name of the freedoms we are fighting to protect against terrorism. And we have watched as this woman, whose only crime is that she is disabled, is tortured to death by judges, all the way to the Supreme Court.

And keep in mind from the Ralph Nader-Wesley Smith report: "The courts . . . have [also] ordered that no attempts be made to provide her water or food by mouth. Terri swallows her own saliva. Spoon feeding is not medical treatment. This outrageous order proves that the courts are not merely permitting medical treatment to be withheld, they have ordered her to be made dead." In this country, even condemned serial killers are not executed in this way."

Go read the whole thing.

Hentoff is not new to this; he has been writing against euthanasia and for the rights of the disabled since the 1980s, in the Village Voice and elsewhere.

Nor is he a right-wing "Bushie". His view on the state of liberty in post-9/11 America is in this book, which I recommend highly:

Amazon.com: Books: The War on the Bill of Rights and the Gathering Resistance

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Truth and justice are on the side of giving Terri food and water .... but so are some money-grubbing right-wing opportunists.

The New York Times > Washington > List of Schiavo Donors Will Be Sold by Direct-Marketing Firm

Quote:

"List of Schiavo Donors Will Be Sold by Direct-Marketing Firm

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and JOHN SCHWARTZ

Published: March 29, 2005

WASHINGTON, March 28 - The parents of Terri Schiavo have authorized a conservative direct-mailing firm to sell a list of their financial supporters, making it likely that thousands of strangers moved by her plight will receive a steady stream of solicitations from anti-abortion and conservative groups.

"These compassionate pro-lifers donated toward Bob Schindler's legal battle to keep Terri's estranged husband from removing the feeding tube from Terri," says a description of the list on the Web site of the firm, Response Unlimited, which is asking $150 a month for 6,000 names and $500 a month for 4,000 e-mail addresses of people who responded last month to an e-mail plea from Ms. Schiavo's father. "These individuals are passionate about the way they value human life, adamantly oppose euthanasia and are pro-life in every sense of the word!"

Privacy experts said the sale of the list was legal and even predictable, if ghoulish.

"I think it's amusing," said Robert Gellman, a privacy and information policy consultant. "I think it's absolutely classic America. Everything is for sale in America, every type of personal information."

Executives of Response Unlimited declined to comment. Gary McCullough, director of the Christian Communication Network and a spokesman for Ms. Schiavo's parents, confirmed that Mr. Schindler had agreed to let Response Unlimited rent out the list as part of a deal for the firm to send an e-mail solicitation raising money on the family's behalf."

and

"Mr. Sheldon - whose father, the Rev. Lou Sheldon, founder of the Traditional Values Coalition, has also sent appeals urging support for Ms. Schiavo - apparently played a dual role as a partner in RightMarch.com, which is working with the anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, and as a broker for Response Unlimited. Mr. Sheldon did not respond to phone calls yesterday.

"I think it sounds a little unusual right now because of the situation where she is in the process of dying," said Richard Viguerie, another major conservative direct-mail operator. "If you came across this information six months or a year from now, I don't think you would give it too much thought.""

Just lovely ... compassionate people who oppose euthanasia will now get tons of far-right junk mail, for a long to come.

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Here's more on the right-wing exploitation of this case:

The New York Times > Washington > The Money: Conservatives Invoke Case in Fund-Raising Campaigns


Conservatives Invoke Case in Fund-Raising Campaigns

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Videotape of Terri Schiavo blinking at her parents has inspired donations from people around the country to the foundation set up to help pay for the family's legal battle. But many other groups are soliciting donations in her name as well, some for a much broader agenda.

"Help Save Terri Schiavo's Life!" says the Web site of the Traditional Values Coalition, a Christian conservative group best known for its campaigns against gay rights. Next to a link to the Web site of her parents' foundation is a pitch to "become an active supporter of the Traditional Values Coalition by pledging a monthly gift."

"What this issue has done is it has galvanized people the way nothing could have done in an off-election year," said Rev. Lou Sheldon, the founder of the group, acknowledging that the case of Ms. Schiavo, a severely brain-damaged Florida woman, had moved many to open up their checkbooks. "That is what I see as the blessing that dear Terri's life is offering to the conservative Christian movement in America."

Mr. Sheldon, whose organization is based in Anaheim, Calif., said his group had sent e-mail messages and direct mailings telling supporters to call elected officials about the Schiavo case and usually asking for donations as well.

Voice for Terri, a coalition of anti-abortion and Christian conservative groups, is one of several organizations that has sent e-mail messages and set up Web sites pointedly criticizing Ms. Schiavo's husband, Michael, who has fought for years to have his wife's feeding tube removed over the objections of her parents. Troy Newman, the president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue and a spokesman for Voice for Terri, said the coalition was spending the money it raised to cover the costs of rallies, of hotel rooms and of rental cars for organizers of protests in Florida, and of e-mail and letter-writing campaigns.

"This is not something you make money off of," Mr. Newman said. "It is a tragedy."

The Web site of Ms. Schiavo's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, terrisfight.org, warns visitors that their foundation and Web site are the only legitimate places to contribute to her legal defense.

"Any other source that claims to be a fund-raising effort on her behalf should be brought to our attention here," the site says.

Paul Nelson, the president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, which certifies the accounting of many of the best-known evangelical charities, said his organization frowned on groups raising money for causes peripheral to their work. And Mr. Nelson said any accusations or criticisms against Mr. Schiavo or others that were raised on Web sites and could not be proved would stretch his organization's requirement that all fund-raising be truthful.

None of these conservative groups would say how much they had raised so far by invoking the Schiavo case.

The connections can be complicated. Ms. Schiavo's parents invited Randall Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue, who is estranged from the group, to help organize rallies and protests for their cause. Mr. Terry, in turn, asked his friends and fellow conservative activists, William Greene and Philip Sheldon - the son of Lou Sheldon of Traditional Values - to help raise money through their organization RightMarch.com.

The two founded RightMarch.com two years ago "to counter the well-financed antics of radical left-wing groups like MoveOn.org," according to the group's Web site. Often quoting Ms. Schiavo's father's endorsement of Mr. Terry, their organization has taken out advertisements in USA Today and The Washington Times, and on radio stations around the country, directing supporters to its Web site. It has also sent millions of e-mail messages to its mailing list urging "Save Terri Schiavo from starvation!" and asking for donations.

Mr. Greene, who is also president of Strategic Internet Campaign Management (the acronym is pronounced "sic 'em," according to the group's Web site), said he did not expect to raise more than the group spent on advertising and computer services for the battle over Ms. Schiavo, but any surplus would be spent on conservative causes.

"General operating procedure for anyone, I guess," Mr. Greene said.

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And on the anti-Terri side, there is this book, available from Amazon, from George Felos, the attorney for Michael Schiavo:


Litigation as Spiritual Practice describes the excitement and drama of the courtroom, and the ecstasy and anguish of spiritual evolution in a combative environment"

Neale Donald Walsch, the best-selling New Age author, loves the book.

Quote:

"Neale Donald Walsch, Author of Conversations with God
"This book could be called 'God in the Courtroom.'"

One of the book's reviewers found these lovely quotes from Felos about the Holocaust:

About the Jews, George Felos wrote,

[ quoting from a reader's review on Amazon:]

"The Jewish people, long ago in their collective consciousness, agreed to play the role of the lamb whose slaughter was necessary to shock humanity into a new moral consciousness. Their sacrifice saved humanity at the brink of extinction and propelled us into a new age." (pg 240)

Felos further wrote, "If our minds can conceive of an uplifting Holocaust, can it be so diffucult to look another way at the slights and injuries and abuses we perceive were inflicted upon us?" (pg 240)"

If these quotes are taken in context (and what context could justify them?) then Felos is providing a justification for atrocity.

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A Catholic mystic from Portugal comments thus on the Schiavo situation:


Quote, from March 27:

"Regardless of the wording used, Terri is being murdered in the most painful way - slowly. We do not need Theologians to Theologize nor Popes to Pontificate - murder is murder. Regarding this atrocious situation we have the following to say:

(a) We are witnessing the failed Evangelization that we keep talking about as we strive to deflect the blame for the world's conditions from God to man, who pretends to play the role of God.

(b) We are not impressed with the theatrical religious outpouring by so many Christians in the U.S. How come they are not doing the same for the 8 million humans who die every year because they are to poor to live? These brethren of Terri Schiavo are also children of God and while most of these theatrics performers - without a doubt - could feed millions with the excess of goods and resources, spiritual (*) and material, that they have available to them, they chose to look the other way.

They may look the other way, but God is looking at each an every one of them straight into the eye. Yes, we all love to chant God Bless America! but when is America going to really Bless God? Talk is cheap and faith without works is sterile.

(c) It is notable the extraordinary efforts President Bush and Governor Bush are putting forth on behalf of Terri. Why are they not placing the same extraordinary efforts in preventing the preventable yearly death of 8 million of our brothers and sisters? Because poor Africans do not vote in U.S. elections - it is that simple!


As we have said - we encourage America to Bless God for "The Invoice (**) Runneth Over" and after it is presented, it will be too late.

(*) Suffering that they may have to endure, sacrifices that they may be able to offer.
(**) Our debt to God is greater than the National Deficit and the Collection Agency is about to call.

===========================

My closing assessment of this:

The left, which opposes the war, the Patriot Act, and the US torture policy, has blood on its hands because it supports the murder of Terri and the abortion of millions of babies since 1973.

The right, which opposes the murder of Terri and abortion-on-demand, has blood on its hands because it supports torture and murder of America's "enemies," imperialist wars in the Middle East, the death-by-neglect of those denied health care by the insurance companies, and the impoverishment of the American working class in the name of "free trade" and "outsourcing."

The American majority has blood on its hands in two ways .... first, because "we" re-elected Bush (knowing of his unjust war in Iraq and the torture of prisoners), giving him a clear win in 2004 and increased percentages of the vote in almost every state, compared to 2000. And second, because the recent opinion polls show that the public strongly supports the starvation of Terri.

Herod and Pilate, once enemies, were friends after they condemned Christ.

The left and the right in America now shake blood-stained hands over numberless corpses.

For now, the forces of death are the victors in this affair.

The solution begins with prayer: repentance, and the request that God may have mercy on, and save, our enemies.

As the Fatima Prayer says:

"O my Jesus! Forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of Hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."

Lee

EMAIL FROM DR. BOND

Congrats to Ensey and Urrutigoity

for making the abuser data base:
http://www.survivorsfirst.org/db-part3.html

The Society of St. John must be very proud.

SPIRIT OF THE RESURRECTION

Down below a few posts I mentioned an Easter card we received from the Servants of Mary, The Servite Order, a Novena of Masses celebrated at the Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows beginning on Easter morning. The card has a picture of clouds a rainbow and a dove with upraised wings. Between the wings are the words "He is Risen". On the inside the same dove appears and the card reads "Let all the world rejoice as the spirit of Christ's resurrection brings it grace and the promise of eternal life. Happy Easter." There is no Easter symbol and no Christ symbol. The dove normally represents the Holy Spirit.

Decided to see what would turn up if I Googled "spirit of the Resurrection." These websites, among many others turned up:

http://www.cptryon.org/cpexams/bossilkov/gen.html A Passionist website dedicated to Eugene Bossilkov, C.P., Martyr. It uses the phrase "The Spirit of Resurrection" as a subheading. The site appears to be Catholic.

http://www.nccg.org/154.html Not Catholic, but certainly it can have a Christian interpretation. It uses the KJV for Scripture quotes.

Then there is this website:

http://www.ascendedmasters.ac/resurrec.html Leaves little room for doubt. This one is not Catholic, not Christian either. Pure New Age "Spirit of the Resurrection."

As they say, not everyone who says Lord, Lord...

POPE ORDERED TO BED

According to New Kerala bedrest has been ordered for the Pope. He tried but failed to speak when giving the Easter blessing, calling into question the positive reports about his recovery. Are we living through the last days of John Paul II, or is this just a temporary setback? Hard to tell.

Blogger credit to Crux News.

BLOGGER

has turned itself into a blogger's nightmare. Sometimes the posts go up. Sometimes the symbol just keeps spinning, making a clicking noise that is annoying even when the posting page is minimized. Sometimes the post evaporates into thin air. Sometimes duplicates of the post go up and then have to be deleted.

This has been happening for days, and has finally reached the point where I'm slowing down on blogging because it is just a waste of time.

I've checked with another blogger who is having the same difficulty, so it may not be my blog but rather something with the whole blogger system.

I spent some time this morning looking at other blog site providers and am considering changing to something I have to pay for, thinking that it may work better. For today, though, I'm just going to do something else.

CUSTOMER REVIEW

The Legal Libraries website which offers for sale popular books with legal themes presents customer reviews for George Felos's book Litigation as Spiritual Practice. The following is the first reiew:

Religious charlatan or shyster lawyer? You decide. Felos is definitely the clairvoyant killer to watch as he communicates with disabled clients: (Lawyer voice) "Do you want to die?" (Spirit Voice)"Oh yes, Mr. Felos, please kill me by starvation and dehydration." (Lawyer voice) "Do you want to pay me a lot of money?" (Spirit Voice) "Oh yes, Mr. Felos, please keep taking fees til my estate runs out."

What if someday Mr. Felos has to face a Spirit Entity who will not cooperate and behave like a ventriloquists dummy? A Supreme Someone who wanted disabled men and women to be treated with respectful, skilled rehabilitative care, and not expedited removal?

Well, I guess someday Mr. Felos will find out for himself.

It would be poetic justice if George Felos never worked again after this travesty of justice is exposed. Then perhaps some clever young lawyer with a spirit voice in his head would come along and declare that lawyers who have no income really want to be starved to death.

DOES GEORGE FELOS HEAR VOICES ?

Check out the article at Spirit Daily from which this paragraph is taken:

The argument that Terri Schiavo stated “she wouldn’t want to live this way,” is based upon Felos’ own religious beliefs, not Mrs. Schiavo’s, ” Ms. McDaniels said. “Mr. Felos feels that God created him to bring death to the sick and disabled as a way of helping them reincarnate on a higher level. He says he is an "agent" of God who champions death,’ and I believe that Michael Schiavo shares these same views.”

The comment is based upon a passage in Felos' book titled Litigation as Spiritual Practice which is also quoted at the website. There is also evidence of conflict of interest in the article.

Are the "voices" George Felos hears the voices of demons or merely the voices in his imagination?

Where is the justice for Terri?

CONFLICT OF INTEREST INSURED NO JUSTICE FOR TERRI

The Empire Journal, in an article linked at Crux News, explains the multiple conflicts of interest that surrounded Terri, including the attorney who discussed the case with Terri's parents and who was too expensive for them to hire when they were seeking help with having the guardianship overturned, who later became the judge in the case, a prohibited conflict of interest.

HAS THE COURT WEAKENED ITS OWN AUTHORITY IN THE PROCESS OF KILLING TERRI ?

Oswald Sobrino offers an opinion:

When your victory is really a terrible defeat, it is called a pyrrhic victory. The judicial system has asserted its raw authority to kill an innocent person by cruel starvation. It is a short-term victory that will consume the authority, prestige, and credibility of the judicial system. Even liberal stalwarts Jesse Jackson and Ralph Nader are saying on the cable channels that what is happening is wrong. Jackson made clear that law must be mixed with mercy to really be just. Nader made clear that a spouse in open concubinage cannot remain as guardian and sees the Schiavo debacle as a license for widespread euthanasia. Even David Boies, the lead attorney for Al Gore during the 2000 election controversy, has said on cable T.V. that Terri Schiavo has not received due process and that he cannot understand why the federal court has failed to conduct a de novo review of the case, that is, a review of all the issues from scratch. From all sectors of the American political continuum, people are beginning to call evil evil.

EASTER CLIPART

Received an Easter card that has me puzzled. On the front are the words "He is Risen" surrounded by clouds and a rainbow. The words are written between the uplifted wings of a dove. An image of Christ is nowhere to be found.

The card comes from the Servants of Mary, Servite Order, Berwyn, IL, and is a Novena of Masses card, which I presume was a request for donations. On the inside the dove image is repeated and the words "Let all the world rejoice as the spirit of Christ's Resurrection brings it grace and the promise of eternal life. Happy Easter."

"Spirit of the Resurrection"? What's wrong with the Resurrection itself? Why no image of Christ? Why no empty tomb? Why not at least an Easter lilly? Clouds, a rainbow, and a dove?

I went through Google to look at Easter clipart to see if I was missing something. Couldn't find much of it, but no dove in anything I found. This card is weird.

CHRIST IS RISEN! GLORIFY HIM

To the Paschal Victim let Christians offer their praises!
The Lamb has redeemed the sheep;
Christ the sinless one, has reconciled sinners to the Father.
Death and life have engaged in a wondrous conflict: the slain leader of life reigns alive!


The bishop's Easter Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus was wonderful--faithful to the rubrics, reverent, dignified. The choir is outstanding, and the selection of hymns included some Latin. The Cathedral Brass played along with the organ. It includes a drum. I know, I know, sounds secular. It was truly beautiful. The cathedral is made of stone, with high arches. The sounds bounce off the walls and rise up to the peaks. Since the choice of music is very formal, it really is glorious to hear, and lifts your soul as your eyes travel up the arches to look at the second set of stained glass windows above the first. An altogether uplifting experience exactly right for getting the Easter message across.

Bishop Griffin retired recently, and Bishop Campbell came in from Minnesota. My daughter is a member of the Cathedral parish since she is even less tolerant of liturgical tinkering than I am. The change in leadership had me concerned that liberalism would move in. It would appear that it was wasted worry. She is quite positive about Bishop Campbell. He shook hands with the congregation after Mass, and he seems friendly and approachable. I got the impression he is a pleasant man.

Something I haven't heard before was done at Mass this morning. During communion the choir was silent while the organist played. After communion the communion hymn was sung. I don't know if this is allowed, but I certainly hope that it is. It permits a time for private reflection after receiving that is important to full and active participation in liturgy, because if we are just going through the motions, there is little point to participation. It must also include a personal commitment which is best made after receiving the Eucharist.

We have much to be proud of and thankful for in our artistic heritage, from the architecture, to the stained glass windows, to the music, Christ has inspired beautiful things. As I listened to the choir this morning, it struck me once again that music must have been given to man for the purpose of praising God, because music is at its best when it is used for worship.

There was only one thing I would have changed. At the consecration I would add the bells, since it is the high point of the Mass and the bells emphasize that. The sounds of Catholicism are unique and should be treasured along with the smell of incense (which was there this morning) and the sight of gold, candles, statues and flowers. All of the sights, sounds, and smells combine to make liturgy come to life. It has worked for generations, so we must have gotten it right. Thank goodness there are places where this heritage is being preserved.