Still Running Off at the Keyboard

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Fr. Euteneuer has issued a press release on President Obama's rescinding the Mexico City Policy:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephen Phelan, 540-551-2547
January 23, 2009 SPhelan@hli.org


HLI President criticizes Obama’s
Rescinding of Mexico City Policy

FRONT ROYAL, VA — As expected, President Barack Obama today rescinded President George Bush’s “Mexico City Policy”, a policy which had blocked funding for international organizations which practiced or promoted abortion worldwide.


“We are disgusted, but we are not surprised,” said Father Thomas Euteneuer, president of Human Life International. “President Obama's signature today ensured that American dollars will, with no mandate from the taxpayer, fund abortions in the developing world, in countries that are historically and deeply pro-life.”

The Mexico City Policy was first instituted by Ronald Reagan in 1984, was rescinded by Bill Clinton on his first full day in office, and was re-instituted by George W. Bush on his first full day in office.

“The way in which the president signed this order is telling,” said Father Euteneuer. “It was pure cowardice. Friday afternoons are when politicians release decisions that they know are embarrassing or shameful. President Obama knows that this is shameful, but he needs to placate those who got him into office.”

President Obama’s executive order comes the day after over 200,000 pro-life activists filled the nation’s capital in protest of Roe v. Wade, the controversial decision which made abortion legal in the United States by judicial fiat.


“We are reminded that even supposed political victories are temporary, and that the solution to these problems is not political, even if we have to keep up the political fight and our activist efforts,” said Father Euteneuer. “We are called to prayer, fasting and conversion… only God can put a stop to the horror of abortion now.”

WHAT CAN IT MEAN ?

Three articles linked at New Oxford Review have me wondering if they are somehow all related in some way besides the obvious.

The first is headlined, "Pope to lift excommunications of four 'Lefebvre' bishops".

The second is headlined, "Pope could welcome Holocaust denier back into the fold".

And the third is headlined, "Church furor over 'racist' religious group"

NOT QUITE THE SAME APPROACH

This article from the Times was sent in by a reader:

Accusing Pope Benedict XVI of "putting the clock back fifty years" a leading Italian rabbi has said Italian Jewish leaders will boycott joint Christian-Jewish prayers due to be held on Saturday in an annual celebration of Judaism by the Vatican.

Elia Enrico Richetti, the chief rabbi of Venice, said in a hard hitting article in the Jesuit journal "Popoli" that the main reason for the rabbis' decision was the re-introduction by the Pope in March last year of a Good Friday Latin prayer for the conversion of the Jews as part of the revived Tridentine Mass.

In addition the Pope's recent statements "about dialogue being useless because the Christian faith is superior" meant that "we are moving toward the cancellation of fifty years of Church history" the rabbi said.

Rabbi Richetti said the Vatican had treated Jewish leaders in a "patronising" way and had "no respect" for those of other faiths. "The interruption of cooperation between Italian Judaism and the Church is the logical conseque...

Pope John Paul II, Benedict's predecessor, made Christian dialogue with Jews - whom he described as "our elder brothers" - a priority of his pontificate, and became the first Pope to visit a synagogue. Pope Benedict has also visited a synagogues in Germany and the United States, but is regarded by some as only paying lip serice to inter-faith dialogue. His projected trip to Israel in May is in doubt because of a perceived pro Palestinian bias in Vatican policy.

NOTE ON MEDJUGORJE

from the back cover of the current Culture Wars" magazine:

The year 2008 wasn't a good year for Medjugorje. In May 2008, his excellency Andrea Gemma, bishop emeritus of the diocese if Isernia-Venafro northeast of Rome and one of Italy's best known exorcists, announced in the Italian Catholic internet newsletter Petrus that the Catholic Church had officially stated that the Blessed Mother had never appeared in Medjugorje and that entire operation was the "work of the devil." When asked to be more specific about the interests motivating involvement in Medjugorje, the bishop declared, "I'm referring to the devil's shit, money."

Bisop Gemma claimed that the seers who claimed to be in contact with the Blessed Mother were in reality inspired by Satan, and him alone, to spread unrest and confusion among the faithful. "Think of the disobedience which they have promoted in the Church. Their spiritual advisor, a Franciscan who was expelled from his order and suspended from his priestly faculties, continues to confect invalid sacraments." The fact that many priests from around the world continue to lead pilgrimages there is "a disgrace," the bishop added. The phony seers and their assistants make money hand over fist, while at the same time the devil creates dissension between the faithful and the Church."

Gemma dismissed the objection that the Holy See had never issued a pronouncement on Medjugorje as "one more lie." Rome has always endorsed the view of the Bishop of Mostar that Medjugorje was a "diabolical deception."

Here is information on the Diocesan website, including a listing for Bishop Gemma.

Here is an article listing Bishop Gemma as one member of a team of exorcists who are teaching the Vatican course on exorcism.

Here is the St. John Valdosta blog covering the Bishop's announcement last summer.

CANCER JOURNAL - Radiation for Pain Control

Spent the entire day in and out of the radiologist's office starting at 8:15 and not getting home until nearly dinner time. Bottom line, they are going to try to reduce the pain by radiation.

One 25% occurring side effect is a potential blood clot in my leg. Hope I can skip that one. The rest don't sound significant provided the choice is to target a specific area. Going for a wide area is another matter. The specific area may result in no pain control because it may be the wrong area. The wide area will cause nausea, diarrhea, and other nasty stuff. I opted for the specific area.

So, I now have three tatoos, none of which will show in a bathing suit. These will mark the target areas for a series of 10 radiation treatments scheduled. And I can say without a doubt that if these three tiny dots are any indication, no one would convince me that a tatoo was worth it. A little dot is not all that bad, but a whole picture? Not on your life!

The radiation will be on consecutive days, Monday through Friday, and if today is any indication, it's going to make me tired. It will NOT cure the cancer. It is strictly an effort to manage it.

My radiologist has my husband so impressed that he is saying this is the best doctor he has ever known. The man is thorough, does not sing a song of optimism but rather one of realism, and has enough time to answer whatever questions I might want to ask. Ironically, he happens to be a black man. I say "ironically" because we have just sworn in a black president, and neither one fit any sort of stereotype.

I've been praying to St. Peregrine for some control of pain. Perhaps he is interceding.

THIS IS JUST WRONG

And disgusingly so. Obama isn't God, after all. Though I think he's gonna need all the help he can get from Our Lady of Perpetual Help and any other saint he has the humility to invoke (I'm not holding my breath) to pull this presidency off. He had better change his position on FOCA if he thinks help is going to be forthcoming from that quarter!

Here is the magazine homepage just to verify the source. (Scroll down. It's on the left)

I'm not watching this inauguration. Are you?

NO CLAMPDOWN ON APPARITIONS

Now comes the National Catholic Register in an article linked at Spirit Daily, to say there will not be any effort to reign in false apparitions. This is getting disgusting enough for me to turn away from all and every apparition apart from Fatima. We don't need them to have the fullness of the faith. It is not required they be believed. The waffling is unbearable.

FACEBOOK CARDINAL - YOUTUBE POPE

Last week Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe reached the limit of 5,000 friends on Facebook when his account was opened.

Now the Pope is negotiating with Google to get a YouTube slot. This Rotweiler is constantly learning new tricks to promote the faith. Ya gotta look at his white hair and give him a thumbs up on this one! I've said a prayer that it will be successful. If it is, it's a nice end-run around those priests and bishops who would undermine the faith. Sort of like his Masses that are televised. I think I may be seeing a trickle down effect already, or perhaps it's just wishful thinking.

ALEX REYNOLDS WANTS YOU TO SIN THE RIGHT WAY

Alex has written a column for College News that promotes the first-time sexual encounter of college students--girls, I presume given that Alex is a boy. He has a preferene for Catholic virgins and lists 4 arguments in favor of his preference.

Sounds incedibly like a contemporary version of Sabbatai Zevi's and Jacob Frank's holy sinning. Of course Zevi and Frank had a "redeeming" purpose, if you want to call it that, to force God's hand in bringing forth the Messiah. I don't see much more in this contemporary variety than a desire to bring forth the satisfaction of the culprit. God help the college girls when he's around!

IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING

It's very cold and snowey here today. I've been having trouble with bone pain that shifts around from this bone to that one and makes me somewhat unsteady on my feet. Cold makes it worse. It was a day for a shut-in Mass. Checking the schedule for EWTN included a 12:00 Mass, so I arranged my activities around it. Turned it on at 11:58. There was a program opposing abortion on EWTN. Thought it would possibly end at noon. No such luck. The schedule line-up said it would be a Mass for shut-ins. My husband has just called down at 12:37 to tell me that Mass is still not on. Why?

Abortion is an important topic. Mass for shut-ins is more important. Why has the Mass been bumped, and what misguided do-gooder decided to bump it?

FROM THE EMAILBOX

Spirit & Life®
"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63)

Human Life International e-Newsletter
Volume 04, Number 03 | Friday, January 16, 2009

..................................................................................

www.hli.org

Obama v. Life

Dear Friends of Life,

As tens of thousands prepare to gather for the 36th annual March for Life in Washington, DC, we are aware that the March occurs just two days after the most extreme advocate of abortion in our nation's history takes office as our President. It is not an understatement to say that we have our work cut out for us.

In keeping with our mission, Human Life International is making a concerted effort to educate the fawning Obama admirers in other countries about the reality of the all-out assault on life, marriage and family that this man and his administration will perpetrate on our world. Please pray for the success of our endeavors to expose the truth and to wake people up to the true challenges that await us in the next four years.

I include in this week's Spirit and Life our newest project to educate those who love life both in America and abroad: namely, the "Pro-Life Talking Points" series. (See side bar.) The first number of the set, called "Obama v. Life," launches just before the Presidential inauguration next week so that we can let all know, in our modest way, that we will counter the anti-life agenda wherever we can.

In any case, please print out the Talking Points for this week (only two sides, front and back) and pass them on to your friends and any of those "Catholics" who voted for Obama. They may need this sheet more than anyone.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International