HHS as the bishop's savior.

One thing is true is that the bishops have somewhat successfully got us into discussing HHS rather than their continued rogue actions in administering the church. One of the most dangerous things is that those who defend the bishops here and elsewhere, admit that they are scoundrels but are duped into believing that dogma is somehow more important than morality. If we want to get to our gospel roots we really need to consider that our faith is a Way of Life as opposed to the church of Dogma. Morality is always more important than dogmas. One can be moral without dogmas while dogmas are dead without morals. So think about how the bishops are changing the subject. Their finances are still a scandal while their continued cover-up reveals their character. Consider this current review in America lest we lose focus. http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=13390

The Inquisition Church wants Religious Liberty.

I don’t think it is even close when it comes to the question of whether the bishops are so off base in making HHS a religious liberty issue. How the bishops and people like Weigel, Garnett and Co. make the imposition of a health law a matter of religious liberty really is a fantasy if one examines the matter closely. In a country which allows witchcraft, for which the church has had people killed, it would be really laughable if it were not so polarizing that the bishops are making a war out of this. I suggest that the religious liberty, of all those who are employed by the church or are convinced that the bishops are infallible and even those dissenting Catholics who would welcome inspiring leadership from the bishops, are infringed upon by this stance of the USCCB.

So all the people who blindly follow the bishops, wherever they meander, really have less religious liberty today than those who practice witchcraft. Think about it. They certainly do not have the “freedom of the Children of God” which Paul the Apostle writes about, but rather they are slaves of the bishops and the call to them the bishops might make if they divert from the party line.

It is akin to the actions of John Paul II who propounded for liberty for everyone except those who are inside the Catholic church.

A Statement on Religious Liberty United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty

This is clearly the irony of Ironies. The RCC which from Augustine to the 20th century have denied others freedom of religion. The statement of Pius IX that "error has no rights" says it all. The bishops were aware of their lack of objectivity which compelled them to include other issues, like the seriously important one of services to immigrants. The other issues were marginal while the bishops main goal of attacking HHS recurs again and again. How some do not see this here is mysterious and baffling.

Originally, I was looking for an alternative to Obama. But the bishops, along with others on the far right have made Obama an easy choice. I imagine that the leadership in Washington and the democratic party are thanking God for this killer statement for the Republican party from the bishops. This is a greater gift than any super pac can produce. As Dolan prophesied, he has "helped his opponent." Immeasurably.

Fr. Richard O'Brien has accurately called the present crop of bishops the worst in American history. Damnably true. From their sheepish behavior in 2002, to their being called "worst than the Mafia" by a distinguished Catholic governor they appointed to the review board, to their continual proclivity towards political rather than pastoral behavior. This is a sorry, dishonorable bunch. And no contrived bombastic laughter by Tim Dolan can cover up this baldly, political group. A bunch of miscreants giving Catholics terrible witness.

The Crucifixion is the Center of Christianity

Perhaps a more signifcant lacuna is the emphasis of the Trinity as the most important doctrine whereas the Crucifixion is the defining act of Christianity coupled with the Resurrection. A proof of how idiotic the hierarchy of East and West has been is shown how they divide over the "filioque" question. Like anyone really knows what that is or what it means. Yet heads have literally rolled over such idiocy. While we forget that we should only know Jesus Crucified as Paul exemplifie.

Likewise, the cacophony over religious freedom in the US today. The babel is all about the hierarchy's rights while there is a very low decibel defending the immigrants, the poor and women. All of which tells us that we have to clamor more for the Christian Way than for dogma. As we celebrate the central event of our lives, the Crucifixion, we might tell it like it is when giving a reason for our hope. Namely, contrary to the verbiage from the bishops and EWTN we might preach the gospel and, as Francis said, "sometimes use words."

Meet Timothy Cardinal Dolan, New York’s Newest Comedian

Meet Timothy Cardinal Dolan, New York’s Newest Comedian
By Vinnie Nauheimer

Speaking at a diocesan convocation on public policy last week, freshly minted cardinal Timothy Dolan made his New York debut as a comedian. The critics all agree that the funniest line of the night was, “If you want an authoritative voice, go to the bishops. They’re the ones that speak for the truths of the faith.” The line was uttered with such solemnity that one almost forgot it was a comedy sketch. It immediately brought the house down and left them rolling in the aisles from belly laughter. Which bishop should we go to for the truth, Timothy Dolan? Should we go to Bishop Keith Symons or Bishop Anthony J O’Connell both of who resigned because they themselves were sexual abusers? How about Bishop Raymond Lahey who was caught bringing child pornography into Canada on his computer? What about Bishop Patrick Ziemann who was caught, in his car, getting oral sex from a priest forced to wear a pager so he could be summoned when the bishop had an urge. Perhaps we should consult Bishop Roger Vangheluwe who sexually abused two of his nephews. Okay, enough with the bishops, this could turn into a litany.

Maybe Dolan meant that we go to a higher level of authoritative voice, like that of a cardinal. Edward Cardinal Egan appointed a known abuser in 2002 to St. Benedict’s, a parish with an elementary school; the priest was subsequently defrocked. According to the Bronx Press Review, a parishioner called Cardinal Egan insane; did Egan speak for truth? In Chicago we have Cardinal George whose faux pas’ are legendary. The most recent involved Fr. McCormack, a known abuser from his days in the seminary, but Cardinal George refused to remove him. This despite Cardinal George being a signatory to the Charter for Protection of Children produced in Dallas in 2002. I’m sure he speaks for the truth. Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles is another stellar truth teller who spent untold dollars fighting survivors with his adamant refusal to release records of sexually abusing priests. Who would look to anyone but him for the truth? Maybe we should ask for the truth from Philadelphia’s recently deceased Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua who ordered aides to shred a 1994 memo that identified 35 Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests suspected of sexually abusing children? Now there was an authoritative voice that speaks the truths of the faith!

Certainly, we can look to the infallible pope for the truth. The fact that none of the above were ever fired speaks volumes about the amount of truth the pope is willing to part with.

So let’s repeat that line. “If you want an authoritative voice, go to the bishops. They’re the ones that speak for the truths of the faith.” With lines like that, Dolan proved himself a first rate comic, but good comedians need more than one good line to make a performance, and Dolan met the call. The NY Times reported on March 4, this line from the same performance, “I don’t recall a right to marriage.” In his jocular fashion Cardinal Dolan went on to say that every day someone finds another right. Well he ought to know, the Roman Catholic Church leads the way in finding new rights. They have the right to hide sexually abusing priests, they have the right to destroy evidence, they have the right to shuffle sexually abusing priests from parish to parish, diocese to diocese and in some cases country to country; talk about inventing rights! But more than that, let’s talk about inventing the right to the wholesale destruction of the lives of children without the expectation of consequence.

On a roll, the newly minted prince of Catholic comedy was greeted with peals of laughter when, straight faced, he told the audience, “It’s not about contraception and it’s not about women’s health, it’s about an unwarranted, unprecedented intrusion into a church’s ability…” The audience didn’t know which part of that statement was funnier, the “it’s not about women” or it’s “all about government intrusion into church affairs.” Of course, his hilarious line about, “Fat, balding, Irish bishops,” was in reference to the unwarranted, unprecedented intrusion into Irish governance by the Vatican when it issued a memo to Irish bishops saying that they didn’t have to obey Irish law! Therefore, the fat, balding Irish bishops didn’t turn in criminal priests who were raping, sodomizing and molesting Irish children therefore allowing the abuse to continue. The discovery of this memo warranted an unprecedented public reprimand of the Vatican by Enda Kenny Prime Minister of Ireland. To emphasize the point, Dolan said, “I hate to tell you that the days of the fat, balding, Irish bishops are over,”

For the sake of our children let’s hope he’s right!

Archbishop Martin of Dublin sees hope and work in the future.

Here is a piece by the Archbishop of Dublin on rebuilding the church in Ireland.
http://dublindiocese.ie/content/reform-church-ireland-facing-future-hope
This is a very sincere honest approach which seems to greatly differ from that of the American bishops who are more into politicization than evangelization. Though they give evangelization lip service. While Archbishop of Martin realizes that there is much work, reparation and healing to do which will take time, Cardinal Egan withdraws his apology as if nothing ever happened. It is a prodigious difference. While former ambassadors to Rome from the US identify themselves as such in declaring for Romney, Ireland, that most Catholic of countries, has withdrawn its ambassador to Rome. Ireland has always been the leader in the American church. Seems that it remains so as it recovers from its own enormous problems in the church.

Also notable is Archbishop’s Martin embrace of optimism and rebuke of the prophets of doom. He quotes the words of John XXIII and assents: “We feel – Pope John said – we must disagree with those prophets of gloom, who are always forecasting disaster”

Hope and humility from our brethren in Ireland. Something lacking in the American bishops as they continue to parade around like dominators rather than to get on their knees to rebuild the church.

The ultimate distinctive feature of Christianity is Jesus Christ as the Crucified.

The argument for the Incarnation and/or Trinity as the most important Christian tenet has been part of the advocates of the Empire church which relegated the Crucifixion to the background while they prostituted themselves for money and power. This led to the formation of religious orders as a reaction to the secularization of Christianity by the bishops of the fourth century. Thus creating the dichotomy that only specific persons in a monastic way of life were “perfect” followers of Christ. The hierarchy went empire, some ordering the killing of other Christians, while others saw the need to preserve the Way. So went the kerigma of the Crucifixion as the hierarchy became the crucifiers. Especially of the Way of Christ. Following were the glory proclaimers who stressed the royalty of Christianity, explaining that this was shown in the Incarnation and Trinity. Origen gives tells us that the people were not buying insisting that “Christ Crucified” was the message.

One of the prophets of our time helps us understand the authentic message of Jesus Christ. He was duly ostracized for his efforts.

http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/challenge.html