Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate

Thursday, October 13, 2016

WikiLeaks Confirms Democrat Conspiracy to "Plant Seeds of Revolution" in Catholic Church, Vindicates Catholic Blogs That Exposed Front Groups

In case you're wondering, the "middle ages dictatorship" that is the Catholic Church and her Bishops is right there in the middle of Hillary Clinton's so-called "basket of deplorables". And the Clinton team had a plan to rid themselves of these troublesome priests by "plant[ing] the seeds of the revolution" against the Catholic hierarchy and its teachings via infiltration and subversion.

Some of us caught on to this plan a decade ago...

John Podesta. Image courtesy of the Center for American Progress via OnePeter5
(Creative Commons)

Vindication. Yes, an opportunity to gloat. To say "I told you so."

Not a very pretty sentiment, but that's about the only thing that could bring me out of blogging retirement (but only for this one post) in the electoral Annus Horribilis that is 2016.

So it turns out that what we knew ALL ALONG about the Soros-funded DemoCatholic front groups Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and its sister organization Catholics United was, in fact, 100% on the money. We have an admission right out of the horse's mouth (or, rather, out of the horse's leaked emails). I haven't the time nor the inclination to get into a long retrospective detailing the war of words that I and other like-minded bloggers waged over several years -- beginning a decade ago -- against Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United. Instead, I will direct you to the links below, which will more than fill you in and give you a taste of what was being said and what was at stake.

In short, my part in this drama began a decade ago during the 2006 elections, when Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good published a Catholic voter guide that played down the priority given by the Church to traditional life issues in favor of a hodge-podge of issues straight out of the Democrat Party platform. At first, I began by just blogging about and linking to what others were saying about this mysterious group who had suddenly appeared on the scene in the midst of a mid-term election. As the evidence poured in, especially evidence that linked the group to funding provided by none other than George Soros, it soon became clear that Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good was little more than a front group for the Democrat Party and its efforts to blur the lines on life issues with Catholic voters.

And then, the week before the November 2006 elections, our own Catholic Chronicle -- the usually fairly orthodox newspaper of the Diocese of Toledo, Ohio -- published a front-page puff piece on the efforts of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good in our own diocese to promote their vision and their voter guide (the story reported the efforts in a straightforward manner, without questioning the problematic aspects of the group and its voter guide).. The proverbial you-know-what must've hit the fan in the Chancery offices once the very orthodox then-Toledo Bishop Leonard Blair (now Archbishop of Hartford, CT) caught wind of it, because the article was gone from the Chronicle's website within a matter of hours after it was published. Alas, it was too late to remove the article from the print editions, which went out the weekend before the elections on the following Tuesday to parishes Diocese-wide. So, in response to the Chronicle's article, I penned a letter to the editor taking the Chronicle and the main protagonist of the article, Prof. Richard Gaillardetz, to task for the misrepresentation and manipulation of Catholic teaching. The Chronicle eventually published my letter, along with a few others disagreeing with the article and its timing, a couple of months later. Following the letter's publication, the response from the Catholics in Alliance crowd was swift and predictably unpleasant. You can read the comments here for a taste. This war of words against Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United (and various offshoots like Catholic Democrats, etc.) went on for several years and took many twists and turns, which you can read about in the links at the bottom of this post.

In the end, it is my belief that, ultimately, those of us leading the charge against these groups lost that war (at least in the short term covering 2006, 2008, and 2012). Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United accomplished their aims of convincing Catholics that voting for a party that views government-funded abortion on demand as a sacrament, and that views the destruction of the traditional family as a prerequisite to achieving its policy goals and destroying the institutions -- such as the Church and other religious people and organizations -- that might stand in that party's way of achieving said policy goals, was not only morally acceptable, but was, in fact, the MOST Catholic way to vote. See, e.g., Doug Kmiec. "These groups are merely drawing attention to long-ignored issues of importance to Catholics," some said. "These groups are doing the Church a service by focusing on the need for a 'consistent ethic of life'," they said (never mind that these groups NEVER talked about such life issues as abortion, euthanasia, or the sanctity of the family). Entire blogs were established for the purpose of propagandizing the issues that the DemoCath groups argued were being ignored because of Catholic voters' allegedly "obsessive" focus on "a narrow spectrum of issues regarding family and sexuality" (i.e. the sanctity of life and the family). Sometimes, these blogs had well-meaning founders who definitely raised important issues for Catholics to consider when they were deciding how to vote, but these blogs often quickly devolved into DemoCath propaganda organs as certain bloggers and frequent combox commentators used those fora to press forward the agitprop that ultimately undermined the good of the Catholic Church and her teachings in favor of the pursuit of Democrat Party policy goals. Far too many Catholics who should have known better allowed themselves to be swayed by the arguments of those whose only purpose was to weaken the resolve of Catholic voters to stand for the Catholic Church's teachings on the primacy of life and family issues, and instead were duped by these malefactors to trade that birthright for a mess of feel-good leftist policy pottage. And that party repaid them by, among many other things, suing nuns to force them to provide birth control in their medical policies. And, in response, Catholic voters had so weakened their resolve to stand for traditional life issues, that they re-elected the guy who has consistently attacked their Church. Which was the goal of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United all along. Today, there is no identifiable "Catholic Vote" left to speak of thanks to the likes of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United.

So, it turns out to be a rather bittersweet bit of gloating, at best, when I read the latest WikiLeaks email dump, which includes a 2012 email exchange in which HilLIARy Clinton's current campaign chairman, John Podesta, openly brags about being involved in efforts to infiltrate the Catholic Church and foment a "Catholic Spring" (i.e. a bottom-up rebellion against the Church hierarchy and its teaching authority akin to the "Arab Spring" -- albeit without the violence, one hopes -- that led to revolutions in Egypt, Libya, and Syria). The means of fomenting this takeover of the Church? Why, none other than Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United:

Hi, John,
This whole controversy with the bishops opposing contraceptive coverage even though 98% of Catholic women (and their conjugal partners) have used contraception has me thinking . . . There needs to be a Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic church. Is contraceptive coverage an issue around which that could happen. The Bishops will undoubtedly continue the fight. Does the Catholic Hospital Association support of the Administration's new policy, together with "the 98%" create an opportunity?

Of course, this idea may just reveal my total lack of understanding of the Catholic church, the economic power it can bring to bear against nuns and priests who count on it for their maintenance, etc. Even if the idea isn't crazy, I don't qualify to be involved and I have not thought at all about how one would "plant the seeds of the revolution," or who would plant them.

Just wondering . . .

Hoping you're well, and getting to focus your time in the ways you want.
Sandy

Sandy Newman, President
Voices for Progress
202.669.8754
voicesforprogress.org

_________________________________

From:john.podesta@gmail.com
To: sandynewman@gmail.com
Date: 2012-02-11 11:45
Subject: Re: opening for a Catholic Spring? just musing . . .

We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a moment like this. But I think it lacks the leadership to do so now. Likewise Catholics United. Like most Spring movements, I think this one will have to be bottom up. I'll discuss with Tara. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is the other person to consult. (emphasis added)

That there is what we call a "smoking gun". Again, we knew ALL ALONG what these groups were up to, but they always had some plausible deniability along with their apologists making the case that they were honest-to-goodness "Faithful Catholics"™️ just arguing for a "consistent ethic of life" (again, albeit one that never ever quite mentioned abortion). But this Podesta email is a validation and vindication of the efforts of myself and like-minded bloggers such as, for example, Rich Leonardi, to expose this infiltration of the Catholic Church by political subversives bent on "plant[ing] the seeds of ... revolution".

If you have the time, I encourage you to read as many of the links below as you can to get some indication of what these subversive groups were up to and the efforts to which bloggers were going to expose them. You might find of particular interest the links detailing how former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (a Democrat who is now challenging U.S. Sen. Rob Portman for his Senate seat) had a man at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good whom he also appointed to head up the Ohio Faith-Based Initiatives office and who was, at the same time, running a prostitution ring. Yep.

Others commenting on this story:

Don McClarey at The American Catholic: Democrat Attempts to Control the Church
Steve Skojek at OnePeterFive: The Leftist Conspiracy Against Orthodox Catholicism
Rod Dreher at The American Conservative: Democratic Conspiracy Against Catholic Church
CatholicVote: [Ongoing Updates] Clinton Campaign Anti-Catholic WikiLeaks Scandal
The Catholic Herald: Clinton Campaign Chief Helped Start Catholic Organisations to Create "Revolution" in the Church
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput at National Catholic Register: About Those Unthinking, Backward Catholics ...
The Wall Street Journal: Anti-Catholics for Clinton

Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Prominent Catholic Professor Claims IRS Audited Her After Speaking Out Against Obama and Demanded to Know Who Was Paying Her

Soros-Funded Pro-Obama Catholics to Launch News Service?

Catholic Key Blog Asks "Is Catholics in Alliance Kaput?"

Soros-Funded "Catholic" Groups Still Running Cover for Pro-Aborts (Of Course, That's the Sole Reason They Exist)

"Nonpartisan" Catholics United to “Set the Record Straight” by Trying to Convince Catholics That New Healthcare Law is "Pro-Life"

Archbishop Chaput: A Bad Bill and How We Got It

Archbishop Chaput: Those Confusing the Catholic Stance on Health Care Will Bear the Blame for Anti-Life Effects of Heath Care Bill

CatholicVote Takes on Soros-Funded Catholics in Alliance and Catholics United

Sebelius and Kmiec Catholicism - the Catholic Left Declares War on Pro-Lifers

Apologists for Abortion-Loving Catholics Attack Archbishop ... Again

Catholic News Agency: Catholics in Alliance "Abortion Reduction" Study Found to be Faulty - Social Welfare Policies Have Little Effect on Abortion

What Did Gov. Strickland Know, and When Did He Know It (re: Eric McFadden)? [UPDATED]

Breaking: Catholic Democrat Who Once Headed Up Ohio's Faith-Based Initiatives Arrested for Running Prostitution Ring [UPDATED]

"Seamless Garment Has Lost a Thread"

Catholics in Alliance Voter Survey of "Little Value," Archdiocese of Denver Says

"Nonpartisan" Catholics United Attacks the Knights of Columbus

"Nonpartisan" Catholics United Hits McCain with Ad Questioning His Pro-Life Credentials

"Non-Partisan" Group of Catholic Obama Supporters Calling Itself "Catholics United" Gets Divisive

The Catholic Left Meets in Philadelphia

Convention for the "Common Good"

Bill Donohue: "How the Catholic Left Is Boxed in by Abortion"

"Catholic Democrats" Attack "Registered Republican Archbishop of Kansas City" for "Using Communion" to "Take Down" Sebelius

I Missed the Seminar [UPDATED]

Deal Hudson: "Catholics Organize to Elect Barack Obama"

Democrat Front Group Posing as Catholic Org Calls for End to "Christmas Culture War"

Fidelis Dismisses Religious Left Media "Report"

Democrats Set Their Sights on Winning Back Catholics

Mark Shea in National Catholic Register: "Richard Rich Lives"

Edwards Blogger Flap Discomforts Religious Left

Mark Shea: "Whores for Edwards Swings into Action"

Catholics in Alliance Respond With Letter to Editor

Continue to Raise Our Voices on Issue of Voting

In January's Catholic Chronicle - "Vote Your Values" Revisited

Vote Your Values

"NOT An Approved Catholic Voter Guide"

What's Missing?

Toledo Blade: "Catholic Voting Guide Gives Church Perspective"

Catholics Find Voting Guides a Test of Allegiance

Weigel: "An Electoral Battle of the Booklets?

More From Amy Welborn on the "Dueling Catholic Voter Guides"

Columnist: "Christian Right Driving Wedge Into U.S."

More on Catholic Voter Guides

Dueling Catholic Voter Guides

Labels: Anti-Catholicism, Catholic Social Teaching, Democrats, Dissident Catholics, Elections, Hilliary, Religious Left, Religious Persecution, Social Justice, The Catholic Vote, Voting Your Values

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Passion of the Kmiec Revisited: WTF?

Doug Kmiec has, apparently, gone off the deep end. Seriously, I got nothing. In fact, this latest cry for attention is ... well ... just sad:

... Since he has returned, I’ve followed his curious posts on Facebook and Twitter. He consistently refers to himself in the third person as Ambassador, and posts these odd videos and photos of himself in his Ambassadorial role. But a few months ago, it got really weird. He started posting images promoting himself as Vice President in 2016.

At first I thought it may be some kind of joke, but it wasn’t. Then on October 6, 2013, he announced his “decision to run for vice presidency in 2016,” and noted that he had a “steering committee.” ...

Labels: Are You Outa Your ****ing Mind?, Catholic Identity, Catholic Social Teaching, Democrats, Dissident Catholics, Elections, Hilliary, Suckers, The Catholic Vote, What the ****?

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Notre Dame "Honors" Fr. Hesburgh on Facebook

Check out the photo that Notre Dame chose to highlight on its Facebook page to "honor" former Notre Dame president Fr. Theodore Hesburgh on his birthday:

Highlighting perhaps the most prominent pro-abortion politician on Capitol Hill. Could you imagine Notre Dame posting a picture of Fr. Hesburgh with a segregationist? For that matter, could you imagine Fr. Hesburgh appearing at an event - even one in his own honor - if a prominent segregationist were in attendance?

The thing is that Notre Dame had plenty of other photos to choose from (see here), and decided to use this one.

Shameful.

Labels: Catholic Education, Catholic Identity, Catholic Social Teaching, Dissident Catholics, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Higher Education, Pelosi, Priests, Pro-Life

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Prominent Catholic Professor Claims IRS Audited Her After Speaking Out Against Obama and Demanded to Know Who Was Paying Her

Catholic professor / writer audited after connecting the dots on Soros-funded fake Catholic groups, Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good:

... And the plot thickens. Among the organizations she targeted in her writings were progressive groups highly supportive of Democratic causes, including: Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, Catholics United, and Catholic Democrats.

At the time, one of the founders of Catholics United, Chris Korzen, had become a target of her work, as she exposed, in her view, his true leftist agenda and some of the complicated theological stances the left-of-center organizations he associated with were taking. Plus, there were alleged financial ties with billionaire liberal George Soros. Here’s just two paragraphs from an article she wrote in March 2010, just months before her meeting with IRS officials:

On its website, Catholics United describes itself as a 501(c) (4) non-profit organization—eligible to accept donations. But, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good emerged in 2005 as a kind of sister organization to Catholics United. A 501(c) (3) organization, donors can claim a deduction against personal income tax when they donate money to Catholics in Alliance. Reviewing the 2007 IRS 990 forms for both Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United raises some questions, because Chris Korzen is listed as having received $84,821 in compensation for 40 hours per week from Catholics in Alliance on the group’s 990 Form—even though the Catholics United website claimed he was the director there during the same time period.

[...]

Despite their inability to engage in extensive lobbying, Catholics in Alliance has been extremely successful in attracting large donors. Never a friend to the Catholic Church, George Soros, one of the earliest donors, contributed $50,000 to Catholics in Alliance in 2005 and another $100,000 in 2006 through his Open Society Institute. Likewise, Smith Bagley, a major Democratic donor and fundraiser, whose wife, Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, is Chairman of the Board of Catholics in Alliance, came close to matching Soros with grants from his family’s Arca Foundation. With a long history of supporting progressive organizations like ACORN, the Gamaliel Foundation, People for the American Way, and Planned Parenthood, Arca contributed $50,000 to Catholics in Alliance in 2007 and another $75,000 in 2008.

Hendershott can’t help but wonder if her writings against progressive groups played a role in her audit. It’s obvious that before she was notified by the IRS she was commenting regularly about matters of faith and politics and, in particular, Obamacare. While she doesn’t have proof that the IRS investigation was political in nature, she has strong suspicions that it was.

“I started writing articles like crazy saying these are fake Catholic groups,” she said of the aforementioned organizations, noting that Korzen would often target her work and rail against her assertions.

Hendershott noted that the progressive leader once called into a radio show she appeared on to challenge her contention that he had accepted Soros money.

“I had the tax return in front of me and read off the amounts that Chris Korzen was getting paid from Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good — a Soros supported fake Catholic group,” she told TheBlaze, noting that, through Catholics in Alliance, he had received $85,000.

While Korzen denied this on the air, Hendershott read from the 990 form in an effort to prove he wasn’t telling the truth. This, she believes, may have sparked — or played a role — in spawning the IRS audit.

“He was getting paid by one organization and working for another,” the professor said of Korzen. ”The IRS should have gone after them.”

Her writings for the Catholic Advocate soon ceased because, Hendershott admits, the IRS audit silenced her. If her suspicions are true, this may have been its chilling intention.

“I haven’t written for them since the audit, because I was so scared,” she said (records show her last article for the organization was on July 10, 2010 — the same month the IRS audit unfolded)...

[Read the whole thing]

Scary.

Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:
Soros-Funded Pro-Obama Catholics to Launch News Service?

Catholic Key Blog Asks "Is Catholics in Alliance Kaput?"

Soros-Funded "Catholic" Groups Still Running Cover for Pro-Aborts (Of Course, That's the Sole Reason They Exist)

"Nonpartisan" Catholics United to “Set the Record Straight” by Trying to Convince Catholics That New Healthcare Law is "Pro-Life"

Archbishop Chaput: A Bad Bill and How We Got It

Archbishop Chaput: Those Confusing the Catholic Stance on Health Care Will Bear the Blame for Anti-Life Effects of Heath Care Bill

CatholicVote Takes on Soros-Funded Catholics in Alliance and Catholics United

Sebelius and Kmiec Catholicism - the Catholic Left Declares War on Pro-Lifers

Apologists for Abortion-Loving Catholics Attack Archbishop ... Again

Catholic News Agency: Catholics in Alliance "Abortion Reduction" Study Found to be Faulty - Social Welfare Policies Have Little Effect on Abortion

What Did Gov. Strickland Know, and When Did He Know It (re: Eric McFadden)? [UPDATED]

Breaking: Catholic Democrat Who Once Headed Up Ohio's Faith-Based Initiatives Arrested for Running Prostitution Ring [UPDATED]

"Seamless Garment Has Lost a Thread"

Catholics in Alliance Voter Survey of "Little Value," Archdiocese of Denver Says

"Nonpartisan" Catholics United Attacks the Knights of Columbus

"Nonpartisan" Catholics United Hits McCain with Ad Questioning His Pro-Life Credentials

"Non-Partisan" Group of Catholic Obama Supporters Calling Itself "Catholics United" Gets Divisive

The Catholic Left Meets in Philadelphia

Convention for the "Common Good"

Bill Donohue: "How the Catholic Left Is Boxed in by Abortion"

"Catholic Democrats" Attack "Registered Republican Archbishop of Kansas City" for "Using Communion" to "Take Down" Sebelius

I Missed the Seminar [UPDATED]

Deal Hudson: "Catholics Organize to Elect Barack Obama"

Democrat Front Group Posing as Catholic Org Calls for End to "Christmas Culture War"

Fidelis Dismisses Religious Left Media "Report"

Democrats Set Their Sights on Winning Back Catholics

Mark Shea in National Catholic Register: "Richard Rich Lives"

Edwards Blogger Flap Discomforts Religious Left

Mark Shea: "Whores for Edwards Swings into Action"

Catholics in Alliance Respond With Letter to Editor

Continue to Raise Our Voices on Issue of Voting

In January's Catholic Chronicle - "Vote Your Values" Revisited

Vote Your Values

"NOT An Approved Catholic Voter Guide"

What's Missing?

Toledo Blade: "Catholic Voting Guide Gives Church Perspective"

Catholics Find Voting Guides a Test of Allegiance

Weigel: "An Electoral Battle of the Booklets?

More From Amy Welborn on the "Dueling Catholic Voter Guides"

Columnist: "Christian Right Driving Wedge Into U.S."

More on Catholic Voter Guides

Dueling Catholic Voter Guides

Labels: Catholic Identity, Death and Taxes, Democrats, Dissident Catholics, Health Care, Obama, Religious Persecution, The Common Good, Voting Your Values

Friday, March 22, 2013

Popes Francis and Benedict Trashed by Lying Prelates and Their Toady Deacons [UPDATED]

Actually, they were trying to praise Francis at Benedict's expense, but wound up making Francis sound small and petty, thus trashing both men with their lies.

Elizabeth Scalia has the story. Read it there and then my comments below will make sense. But here's the money quote:

By now you’re dying to know the story, but I will not repeat it, because that would be a backward obedience to the father of lies. I will tell you that the tale purports to be about a cruel and utterly bitchy remark, made by Francis (as he was vesting as pope for the first time) and directed to an underling only doing his job; moreover the bitchiness was understood to be a swipe against Francis’ predecessor, Benedict.

I am just sick enough, though, to suspend any last vestiges of tact and grace that still reside within me and call this vicious little rumor out as the Pure-D Bullshit I believe it to be.

[...]

No, the snippy little remark we have seen attributed to Francis and repeated in sad places (to, apparent applause in sad pews) seems like the fantasy of a soured spirit — the thoughts of a craven kind of person — perhaps a Cardinal whose own career is cornered and against the wall, imagining what he would have said and done had he been elected, and loving it so much, he just has to share it.

Perhaps the sort of man who spent the first few days after the papal election swanking around Rome, and social media, dropping remarks that made him sound like a 14 year-old fashion reporter settling scores with an editor who banished him from further attempts at his own designs. So small and venal he was even content to misrepresent the point of the traditional red shoes of a pope — meant to symbolize the blood of martyrs that has propelled the church forward, all these centuries — by defining them down as a meaningless affectation.

Yes, that’s small and bitchy. From a “prince” of the church...

That's some bold speculation on Elizabeth's part, but I think she's probably correct as to the source of this rumor. And "bitchy" was my exact first thought when I heard the rumor (which I won't repeat here either, but there's plenty of other sources where you can find it).

Neither does Elizabeth name names, but I will. The speculation is that the false quote attributed to Pope Francis originated with the disgraced reprobate Cardinal Mahony, and the story was passed on to a deacon of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Eric Stoltz (no, not the actor), who related it to his congregation - DURING MASS - and to wild applause. And then bragged about it via social media afterward (it's even included on his Facebook cover photo ... jerk). Sorta like his former boss:

Yes, Elizabeth's description "bitchy" fits quite well.

UPDATE
More on the rumor/lie from La Stampa (NOTE: I said earlier in this post that I wouldn't repeat the rumor here, but it does appear in the quoted text below):

... But urban myths started to circulate within the first few hours of his papacy. According to one of these rumours, straight after his election, Francis apparently refused to wear the red velvet mozzetta trimmed with (synthetic) ermine, saying to the Master of Papal Ceremonies, Guido Marini: “You can wear it! The carnival’s over.” A rude and boorish comment to make to the Master of Ceremonies. As far as Vatican Insider has learnt, said comment was never made. As Marini placed the mozzetta on Francis, the Pope simply said: “I would prefer you didn’t.” No reference was made [to] the carnival and no humiliating comment was made against the Master of Ceremonies....

(emphasis added)

Most people with a functioning moral compass recoil in horror at the thought that our humble Holy Father might say something as mean and nasty as that, which is why we know it, instinctively, not to be true. But, in those holding positions of authority in the Church who react with elation to this false story and gleefully spread it around, we are apparently not dealing with fully functioning moral compasses.

Labels: Bishops, Dissident Catholics, Liars, Pope, Reform of the Reform, Vatican, We Are Church

Monday, March 18, 2013

Biden: I Must Attend Mass for Pope Francis or “I’ll Lose My Soul”

From LifeNews:

Vice-President Joe Biden has put his foot in his mouth again, this time with regard to the controversy over his leading the American delegation to attend the installation of Pope Francis as the new Pope.

Never mind that Vice President Joe Biden has been rebuked by his own bishop over his pro-abortion views, President Barack Obama chose him to lead the delegation. That decision prompted an outcry from Catholics and pro-life non-Catholics alike because of Biden’s longstanding pro-abortion record. Some pro-life advocates have called for Biden to be prohibited from receiving communion at any ceremony for Pope Francis.

Now, Biden has said he plans to attend the celebratory Mass. He confirmed he will be attending a reception tonight with the presidential delegation to the inaugural mass with American officials based in Rome. Biden says he has to attend “or I’ll lose my soul.”

Biden’s comment came as he met at the Villa Aurelia with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, according to reporters on the scene.

“We invited the American cardinals to a reception,” Biden told Nikolic. “So unless I’m prepared to join the Eastern Orthodox Church, as a Roman Catholic, I’d better show up or I’ll lose my soul.”

[...]

In the interview with the Delaware News Journal, Biden continued to misrepresent the position of the Catholic Church on abortion in a way that has gotten him in trouble.

“But throughout the church’s history, we’ve argued between whether or not it is wrong in every circumstance and the degree of wrong. Catholics have this notion, it’s almost a gradation,” Biden claimed.

Not so, said Rev. W. Francis Malooly, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.

He wrote in a letter to the editor that Biden “presents a seriously erroneous picture of Catholic teaching on abortion.”

“This is simply incorrect,” he said then of Biden’s interpretation. “The teaching of the Church is clear and not open to debate. Abortion is a grave sin because it is the wrongful taking of an innocent human life.”

[More]

It seems pretty clear to me that Biden has already sold his soul:

(Hat tip for the photo above: Creative Minority Report)

Labels: Catholic Identity, Catholics Against Biden, Dissident Catholics, Obama, Obama Culture of Death Update™, Pope, Pro-Life, Vatican

News flash: The Pope is Catholic !!!

Sorry (well, not really) to disappoint anyone hoping for something else.

UPDATE

Labels: Catholic Identity, Catholic Social Teaching, Dissident Catholics, Pope

Friday, March 15, 2013

Pope Francis and "Eucharastic Coherence" Redux

Someone from the United States Department of State just visited this blog post from yesterday, on the basis of the following Google search:

"eucharistic coherence" francis

I'm pretty sure this is the money quote in which my visitor was interested:

“... we should commit ourselves to ‘eucharistic coherence’, that is, we should be conscious that people cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act or speak against the commandments, in particular when abortion, euthanasia, and other serious crimes against life and family are facilitated. This responsibility applies particularly to legislators, governors, and health professionals.”

Hmmm. Who's the Secretary of State again?

Labels: Blessed Sacrament, Catholic Social Teaching, Dissident Catholics, Humor, Pope, Pro-Life, Theology

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The "Myth" of Persecution?

A couple of my friends over at The American Catholic - Don McClarey and Darwin - have some excellent posts about a recently released book by a professor of theology at Notre Dame (of course) that attempts to call into question the history of the Church's early persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire. Read them both here and here.

As I said in my comments at The American Catholic, this professor's motivation appears quite clear (and she pretty much confirms this in her promotion of the book):

If the Church and individual Christians suffer government and/or legal sanction because their beliefs and how they practice those beliefs are at odds with cultural “norms” – be those norms abortion-on-demand, the HHS mandate, or same-sex “marriage” – they are not REALLY being persecuted. In essence, the Church and individual Christians can either get on board with the agenda or not; but if they choose not to, they wouldn’t be able to legitimately cry “persecution” if the legal fallout is not to to their liking.

Moss’s motivation, as with the motivation of many on the religious left who are critical of the Church's teachings, is actually quite transparent: political ideology trumps religious dogma.

Labels: Anti-Catholicism, Dictatorship of Relativism, Dissident Catholics, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, History, Ivory Tower Elitists, Religious Left, Religious Persecution, Secularism, Theology

Pope Francis on "Eucharistic Coherence"

"In the document, the new Pope referred to abortion and communion, saying “we should commit ourselves to ‘eucharistic coherence’, that is, we should be conscious that people cannot receive holy communion and at the same time act or speak against the commandments, in particular when abortion, euthanasia, and other serious crimes against life and family are facilitated. This responsibility applies particularly to legislators, governors, and health professionals.”

Hat tip: Paul Zummo.

Labels: Blessed Sacrament, Catholic Identity, Catholic Social Teaching, Culture of Death, Dissident Catholics, Pope, Pro-Life

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Doug Kmiec: Stand By Your Man

The Daily Beast is running a story about some of the prominent "conservatives" who crossed over to support Obama in 2008 (i.e. the "Obamacons"), noting that many of them are remaining steadfast in their support for The One. I find it interesting that, with one or two exceptions, most of the folks can no longer be described as "conservative" in their viewpoints, assuming they ever were actually conservatives (a number of them pan Romney, for example, for - of all things - being too conservative). But I'd like to focus in particular on one of the figures profiled in this story - our old "friend" Doug Kmiec.

When last we saw Kmiec, it was shortly after he had penned a break-up letter to his beloved over the HHS Mandate, but after Obama's feigned "compromise", he was taken strongly in the arms again of the The One, and he did not remember that he had ever felt the pain of betrayal and separation.

And, so, we fast-forward several months to today, and we find Kmiec quoted in the pages of The Daily Beast clarifying for us, in no uncertain terms, that he is firmly in the camp of the ObamaCaths - nay, the DemoCaths - for whom Catholic teaching is generally an afterthought in relation to the overall Democrat agenda, except insofar as said teaching can be twisted to push said agenda.

One of the most contentious ObamaCon arguments was offered by Douglas Kmiec, also a veteran of Reagan’s Office of Legal Counsel and a law professor at conservative Pepperdine University. Kmiec, who served as ambassador to Malta during the first two years of the Obama administration, tried to square his Obama endorsement with his devout Catholic beliefs and remains an unrepentant ObamaCon, even as Catholic leaders have proclaimed the president’s “war on religion.”

“I am strongly in the president’s camp, even as his opposition has been doing its darnedest to overstate a few concerns about the usual subjects,” [ED.: And what would those "concerns about the usual subjects" be, Dougie? Abortion? You mean to tell me that we shouldn't have concerns about the fact that Obama is the best friend the pro-abortion crowd ever had in the White House? And that we are "overstating" those concerns? Must I really list out all of the things he's done to promote abortion during his term, including nearly shutting down the government and putting our bond rating at risk just to maintain Planned Parenthood's place at the government trough? Just look at the festival celebration of all things abortion going on down in Charlotte right now. Yeah, Doug, we're "overstating" the concerns about "the usual subjects"] Kmiec wrote in an email. “Having served in Europe for the president, I know the very positive effect he has had on international relationships. His patience, discernment, and intelligence are much admired. Domestically, the president was handed the worst possible economic hand, and largely, though of course not perfectly, he has met the economic challenge [ED.: Really? How? I want specifics.] … This is supposed to be Mr. Romney’s area of strength, but so far, his ideas are either indecipherable or a rather lame trickle-down do-over.” [ED.: Hey, Doug, he had the same economic views 4 years ago. You remember? Back when YOU WERE A BIG ROMNEY BACKER? And, interestingly, "trickle-down" economics was how leftists used to deride the economic agenda of your former boss, Ronald Reagan. You remember, don't you, the economic agenda that led to a 20-year period of economic growth? Are you also going to renounce the Reagan legacy? So,in addition to abandoning conservative social principles (or at least putting them on the back burner), you're also abandoning conservative economic principles. Not really "conservative" then.]

“Yes, he could have handled the HHS contraceptive issue in a more accommodating and sensitive way to the formal teaching of my church, [ED.: He could have "handled the ... issue in a more accomodating and sensitive way"? Nice of you to thow us that bone, Dougie, even if it is more of an afterthought and not in strong enough language condemning the serious threat to religious freedom, especially considering that the Bishops have made this issue one of the utmost importance. But something about the way you couch your language leaves me wondering if you're not creating wiggle room for a "but" somewhere in there. When you say "the formal teaching of my church", I'm getting a sense of "This is really the Bishops' thing; individual Catholics differ on this stuff, and, certainly we don't believe that we can impose the teachings of "my faith" on others via public policy. But Obama could have been more sensitive to the Bishops who really do take this stuff seriously."] and he was again given some very poor advice on the scope of religious exemption [ED.: I love it. It's always someone else's fault - can't blame poor Barack for anything. "He was given bad advice." B.S.!!! Obama was well aware of the Church's position, especially after having it clarified for him by Cardinal Dolan, PRIOR to promulgating the HHS Mandate. And certainly, by the time it was issued and the subsequent firestorm over it had taken place, he was aware that a greater accomodation would be necessary to protect religious liberty. But what did he do? He retrenched. He doubled down on evil. He decided that he'd rather violate the 1st Amendment and religious freedom than do something to anger the core constituency of the Democrat Party - the sex-without-consequences crowd. And guess what? By sticking with Obama, you've sided with that crowd, too, rather than with the religious liberty interests of your Church and the nation as a whole as expressed in the Constitution.] that should have been provided an institution like his honorary alma mater, Notre Dame,” [ED.: Yeah, Obama the Domer. Right up there with Knute Rockne. Why, that makes him practically "Catholic" from an American point of view, so why not just make him the Pope of the U.S.A., deciding matters of religious doctrine for our Church? After all, he's more in tune with the socio-political sentiments of the laity than are those stodgy old all-male Bishops.] Kmiec added. “Obviously, there is much to do in terms of tax reform and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, but because that is so that is another basis for a second term.”

(emphasis and editorial commentary added)

Look, Kmiec's continued support for Obama all comes down to one thing: P-R-I-D-E. Kmiec has become FAR too invested in Obama to abandon him now. Kmiec sacrificed friends, standing, and reputation in Catholic conservative circles in order to back The One in 2008, and he has stuck with him despite betrayal and abandonment because he has no where else to go. He could come to his senses and come back to the Catholic and conservative principles he's spent the last 4-and-a-half years betraying, and the Catholic conservative crowd would no doubt welcome him back. But he'd never be fully trusted again. His standing would be diminished, and he would be humbled, having to admit that he had made a mistake.

But, like most turncoats, Kmiec isn't altogether trusted by the lefty Catholics either. I mean, he still talks about abortion and marriage (although he gives them far less prominence than he once did, and makes them more of an afterthought - just a token mention to indicate that he's still in any way authentically "Catholic"), as if those things really matter when the REAL work of promoting the Democrat agenda ... errr ... "social justice" ... is where most of those folks are. But that's the bed Kmiec has made for himself, so, he continues to lay down with Obama in it.

The Passion of the Kmiec - A Pro Ecclesia Timeline:

September 2012
Doug Kmiec: Stand By Your Man

February 2012
Doug Kmiec Back in Obama's Embrace
Doug Kmiec Thinks He's Breaking Up With Obama, But Obama Already Jilted Him First

September 2009
Kmiec Lies Again: "Obama Has Taken Some Steps Towards [Protecting Life], Perhaps Not as Fast as Some Would Like"

July 2009
"The Passion of the Kmiec" ... The Saga Continues

May 2009
Kmiec Tells Another Lie in Service of Obama
Robert P. George on "Obama and His Pro-Life Apologists"
Robert George vs Douglas Kmiec: How Should a Pro-Life Citizen Respond to Obama? [UPDATED]

April 2009
Cardinal Rigali Calls Out Kmiec on His ESCR Lies
A New Front in the Church's Civil War
Fr. Z Fisks Pathetic Sycophant Kmiec on Notre Dame's Obama Invite
Prof. George Schools Prof. Kmiec ... Again

March 2009
Scholar vs. Hack: Prof. George Schools Prof. Kmiec re: "Did Obama Allow Human Cloning?"
Kmiec Brushes Aside Another Non-Negotiable by Coming Out Against Prop 8

February 2009
Kmiec Calls Pope's Comments "Intrusive"
Catholic World Report: "Douglas Kmiec and His Misinformation Offensive for Barack Obama"

January 2009
Kmiec Claims He's In the Loop for Vatican Post
American Papist's Open Letter to Prof. Kmiec
Kmiec the Martyr
Prof. Kmiec Eulogizes Fr. Neuhaus in a Manner That is All About Prof. Kmiec and Justifying his Obama Vote [UPDATED]

December 2008
Prof. Bainbridge on Doug Kmiec and U.S. Diplomatic Relations with the Holy See

November 2008
Vatican Official Says Kmiec Will Not Become New Vatican Ambassador
The Kmiec Catholic Re-Education Camp
Former Student of Prof. Kmiec Calls Him Out on "Revealing His True Colors"
A Modern-Day "Vicar of Bray"
Douthat Smacks Kmiec
Amy's "Wrap-Up" of Pre-Election Abortion Coverage
Pathetic

October 2008
George Weigel on Kmiec's "Flawed Thinking"
Archbishop Chaput: Kmiec Doing a "Disservice to the Church"
Mainstream Media Compliant in Obama's "Faith Outreach" Pitch
Bill Donohue: "I'm Catholic, Staunchly Anti-Racist, and Support David Duke" [UPDATED]
Debate Over at Amy's: Should Catholics Work for Legal Restrictions on Abortion?
Deacon Fournier Puts Smack Down on Prof. Kmiec
Kmiec's Payoff? [UPDATED]

September 2008
The Obama-Kmiec Magical Mystery "Faith Tour"
Deacon Fournier: "Doug Kmiec’s ‘Can a Catholic Support Him?’ Asks the Wrong Question"
Ponnuru Raps Kmiec for Defending Obama's Born-Alive Vote
"Separate But Equal" Redux - Pro-Life Edition
Mark Stricherz: "Why the Democratic Abortion Strategy is Worse"
Whither the "Catholic Vote"? Some Interesting Posts at the Fidelis Blog

August 2008
Darwin Catholic: "Douglas Kmiec, Master of Dissembling" [UPDATED]
Prof. Rick Garnett on Kmiec's "Missing the Point"
A Former Student of Prof. Kmiec Speaks Out ...
Prof. Kmiec Shifts the Goalposts
Kmiec's "Bridge Too Far"? Obama's Attacks on Justice Thomas
Without Further Ado: Doug Kmiec on McCain v. Obama at Saddleback [UPDATED]
Paging Prof. Kmiec ...
Doug Kmiec Claims Democrats Making "Steps Toward Honoring Life" in Platform
Prof. Garnett Takes on Prof. Kmiec ... Again
Casey Jr. to Get Prime-Time Slot in Denver to Appease Catholics [UPDATED]

July 2008
Fr. Neuhaus Responds to Doug Kmiec
Deal Hudson's Open Letter to Doug Kmiec
National Catholic Register on Catholics, Kmiec, and Obama
Prof. Hadley Arkes: "Political Distraction Among the Catholics"

June 2008
Doug Kmiec - What He Said Then vs. What He Says Now Re: Constitutional Jurisprudence
What is the "Pro-Life Position" Regarding Abortion?
Traumatized
Unrequited Love
Doug Kmiec: "After Meeting with Barack" [UPDATED]
Cranky Conservative: "But At Least He Says It with a Smile"
Doug Kmiec Again Places Platitudes Above Policy [UPDATED]
Prof. Bainbridge on "Obama, Abortion, & Catholics"
Prof. Rick Garnett on Kmiec's Latest Nonsense
Deacon Keith Fournier: "Why I Disagree with Doug Kmiec, Once Again"
Give It a Rest Already, Prof. Kmiec!
Doug Kmiec's Newfound Celebrity Status Among Those on the Left
Doug Kmiec Soon To Be Sorely Disappointed
E.J. Dionne on Kmiec Being Denied Communion [UPDATED]

May 2008
Deal Hudson on Prof. Kmiec and Blurring the Lines Between "Pro-Choice" and Pro-Abortion
Did Doug Kmiec Just Now Catch On That Obama and NARAL Are Politically Conjoined? [UPDATED]
Deal Hudson on "How Obama's Catholics Will Dodge the Infanticide Question"
Kmiec's Dishonesty [UPDATED]
Catholic Teaching and Political Risk Taking: When Credit Isn't Given Where Credit is Due [UPDATED]

April 2008
Kmiec's Wishful Thinking on Obama and Abortion

March 2008
The Curt Jester: "Shameless Garment" [UPDATED]
So-Called "Catholic Reaganite" Doug Kmiec Endorses Obama [UPDATED]
No'bama for Me, Thanks"
Can a Catholic Vote for Obama?

February 2008
Obama's Pledge to Planned Parenthood: "I Will Not Yield"
"Why American Catholics are Supporting Barack Obama"
How the Catholic Left Will Tackle McCain
Why Does Kmiec Criticize McCain for Positions on Which He Gave Romney a Pass?
Deal Hudson on "Douglas Kmiec and the Lure of Obama"
Douglas W. Kmiec on "The Moral Duty to Inquire"
Professor Bainbridge: "Will Catholic Reaganites Go for Obama?"
Deal Hudson: "Preacher Man: Barack Obama and the the Gospel of Liberalism"
"Sorry, Doug Kmiec, But This Catholic Isn't Buying Obama"
Ramesh Ponnuru on Douglas Kmiec and "Catholic Reaganites for Obama" [UPDATED]
Romney Advisor Says Obama "a Natural for the Catholic Vote"

Labels: Anti-Catholicism, Bishops, Catholic Identity, Catholic Social Teaching, Dissident Catholics, Economics, Obama, Pro-Life, Religious Persecution, Voting Your Values

Thursday, October 13, 2016

WikiLeaks Confirms Democrat Conspiracy to "Plant Seeds of Revolution" in Catholic Church, Vindicates Catholic Blogs That Exposed Front Groups

Some of us caught on to this plan a decade ago...

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Passion of the Kmiec Revisited: WTF?

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Notre Dame "Honors" Fr. Hesburgh on Facebook

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Prominent Catholic Professor Claims IRS Audited Her After Speaking Out Against Obama and Demanded to Know Who Was Paying Her

Friday, March 22, 2013

Popes Francis and Benedict Trashed by Lying Prelates and Their Toady Deacons [UPDATED]

Monday, March 18, 2013

Biden: I Must Attend Mass for Pope Francis or “I’ll Lose My Soul”

News flash: The Pope is Catholic !!!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Pope Francis and "Eucharastic Coherence" Redux

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The "Myth" of Persecution?

Pope Francis on "Eucharistic Coherence"

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Doug Kmiec: Stand By Your Man

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