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http://stlouiscatholic.blogspot.com

Any of my regular readers at blogger see this,  I want to inform you that blogger is down right now.  I will update when I can.  Thanks for your patience.

From the AP:

VATICAN CITY – The world economic crisis might mean fewer Christmas presents, but Pope Benedict XVI says that tough times can give back simplicity and solidarity to holiday celebrations.

Benedict has expressed hope that the financial crisis will help people focus on the spiritual meaning of Christmas, when Christians worldwide mark the birth of Jesus.

Benedict says the crisis can help people to rediscover what he calls “the warmth, simplicity, friendship and solidarity” contained in authentic Christmas values.

The pope reflected on economic suffering during his traditional Wednesday audience with pilgrims and tourists at the Vatican.

It is that time of year again when the writer of this blog must choose the Saint Louis Catholic of the Year Award. Last year’s recipient, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke set a high standard, but this year’s choice is equally well-qualified.  

You see, this year’s winner is none other than Archbishop Burke.

Even though his reign as Archbishop ended on June 27 with the announcement that the Holy Father named His Grace to be the new Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, he accomplished enough in that six month time period to claim the award:

• He rebuked the public support of pro-abortion Hillary Clinton by SLU coach Rick Majerus, and challenged the administration of the Jesuit university to properly discipline Majerus in a manner consistent with a Catholic institution of higher education.  This challenge was ignored by Rev. Biondi.
• He took concrete steps to fulfill his pastoral duties with regard to the dissident parish of St. Cronan, taking action to discipline Sister Louise Lears for her involvement in counseling the unfortunate “womenpriests”, calling the pastor to the chancery to address the situation, and taking steps that in the end broke up the so-called “pastoral team” of the lawful pastor, Lears, and activist Sean Collins.  Today, St. Cronan is led by one pastor who is actually a Roman Catholic priest.
• He declared the excommunication of fake priestesses Rose Hudson and Elsie McGrath, as well as the pretend bishop who claimed to ordain them.  Through his actions, the faithful of St. Louis were made well aware of the sham nature of these ladies’ “orders”.
• His Grace continued to take strong leadership in the matter of the St. Stanislaus schism. He declared the excommunication of Marek Bozek for simony and other canonical crimes and began the process of his degradation from the clerical state.  He disciplined the canon lawyer for the Board of St. Stan’s, Thomas Doyle, OP, for abuse of ecclesiastical function in his representation of Board members Krauze and Rozanski, who themselves were declared excommunicated.  Also in 2008, the Stanislaus excommunications were confirmed by the Vatican.
• The actions of Archbishop Burke ultimately led to a splintering of the Board in nearly equal parts, some favoring a continuation of schism and some favoring the ouster of Bozek and reconciliation with the Church.  Though Bozek’s cronies dissolved the Board, several former members reconciled with the Church.
• He invited popular Catholic apologist Rosalind Moss to St. Louis to found a new religious order.
• He took concrete steps to foster liturgical restoration and beauty through his continued support of the Institute of Christ the King, the addition of several Archdiocesan parishes to celebrate the Traditional Mass, and by naming Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB to head the Institute for Sacred Music.
• He persuaded Aquinas Institute of Theology to rescind its invitation for Peter Phan to give a lecture in the Archdiocese.
• In May, he was named by the Holy Father as a member of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, and also as a member of the Congregation for the Clergy.
• And of course, His Grace became Prefect of a Vatican Curial Dicastery in June.

Not a bad six months, I should say.  In fact, I think it would be most fitting to name this award after him– from now on it will be known as the Archbishop Raymond L. Burke Saint Louis Catholic of the Year.  

Some other finalists that merited consideration this year included the following:

Bishop Robert Hermann, for his steadfast leadership in the interregnum, continuing the policies of Archbishop Burke, pursuing the civil lawsuit against St. Stan’s, declaring the excommunication of the new purported Board members, and boldly proclaiming the truth of Catholic teaching on human life in the election cycle.

Canon Karl W. Lenhardt of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, for his leadership of the Oratory and his work as the Archiepiscopal Delegate for the Implementation of Summorum Pontificum in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

Father Noah Waldman, whose sermon on the horrors of the abortion genocide and the responsibility of Catholic voters brought attention to the stark choice in this election.  

Unknown Canon Lawyer X, whose important article on the liturgical law and immemorial custom of head coverings not only refocused the debate, but will have an impact into the future as the Extraordinary Form spreads to more and more parishes, and into the mainstream of Catholic life.

Congratulations to Archbishop Burke and, more importantly, thank you to Archbishop Burke for your service to the Church.

Midnight Mass at the Oratory

Solemn High Mass at Midnight

Traditional Christmas Carols Begin at 11:30pm on Christmas Eve

Entrance procession with the infant king.

Schubert’s Mass in G Major with the Saint Francis de Sales choir and orchestra

Arrive early to ensure seating!

Low Mass with Organ at 8 am

Solemn High Mass at 10 am

__________________

If you have never attended a Midnight Christmas Mass at the Oratory, it is worth the effort to do so. A beautiful and mystical celebration in the quiet of the night to welcome the Christ Child.

Map, directions, and contact information here.

This is not related to the Lifeteen Mass itself, mind you. But I think this proves the fact of the general trajectory of liturigical heterodoxy leading to theological heterodoxy and schism. Statement of the Diocese of Phoenix issued yesterday:

STATEMENT OF THE DIOCESE OF PHOENIX

Re: The excommunication of Dale Fushek and Mark Dippre

December 15, 2008-The Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, has issued a Decree of Excommunication to Reverend Monsignor Dale Fushek and Reverend Mark Dippre.

Fushek and Dippre have incurred the censure of excommunication because they have chosen to be in schism with the Catholic Church by establishing and leading an opposing ecclesial community known to the public as the Praise and Worship Center. Both priests have consistently refused to comply with explicit directions by Bishop Olmsted to discontinue engaging in public ministry. The excommunications were incurred after repeated offers of reconciliation were ignored. The decree of excommunication by Bishop Olmsted declares the censure that Fushek and Dippre, as ordained priests, have brought upon themselves. The purpose of these sanctions is to reconcile both men with the Catholic Church and to preserve the integrity and unity of the Diocese.

As excommunicated priests, Fushek and Dippre cannot participate in the celebration of the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist or in any other ceremonies of worship. They are also prohibited from celebrating or receiving any of the sacraments. In addition, they forfeit the benefits of dignity, office, or any function that they had previously acquired in the Catholic Church.

Bishop Olmsted continues to express his grave concern for Catholics who may be misled or confused by the actions of Dale Fushek and Mark Dippre. The Diocese of Phoenix does not endorse the actions of these excommunicated priests and we encourage Catholics to refrain from attending or supporting the Praise and Worship Center. We remind Catholics that the ultimate form of praise and worship is and always will be the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and we urge them to keep the Mass as the center of their lives. There is no substitution for the graces received at Mass and no prayer more edifying.

First and foremost, this is an outrage for the simple reason that someone tried to burn down a place of worship with people inside.

Secondly, this whole incident, and the treatment of it by the mainstream press, brilliantly illustrates the near-total corruption and death of the free press in this country.

The media template that is attempted to be foisted on us is that Sarah Palin: 1) is a moron who hurt John McCain’s election chances, and 2) is widely recognized by “smart” Republicans– creatures the media doesn’t always acknowledge exist– as unfit for office.

However, the actual facts belie this representation. 1) Palin is an articulate and charismatic politician who helped McCain’s campaign effort, saving it from a McGovern/Mondale type disaster. Seriously, how many electoral votes would McCain have gotten without her? 40-50? No matter, he lost. But Palin caused the party’s actual supporters– those they call “conservatives”– to have a reason to vote for the phony McCain. McCain was not conservative, and had a sketchy (at best) record on life issues. He supported taxpayer funding for cloning and killing little babies– not exactly change we could believe in. Palin, a real pro-life candidate whom voters could see is genuinely pro-life, gave pro-lifers a reason to vote for the ticket.

As for 2), the fact that Palin can indeed be elected is evidenced by the absolute media blackout regarding her– unless they can paint her in an unfairly negative light. She helped seal the deal for Saxby Chambliss in Georgia to prevent the Democrats from stealing a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. She was the star of the Governor’s conference in November. And she has been an effective and popular state governor for more than two years. Yet we hear nothing of this.

And now her Church was attacked by arsonists. There was a blurb, then silence.

Ask yourself, what coverage would we have gotten if the Obama’s church were attacked by arsonists?

From Breitbart.com comes more information:

ATF: accelerant poured around Palin’s church

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Federal investigators in Alaska say an accelerant was poured around the exterior of Gov. Sarah Palin’s home church before it was heavily damaged by a fire.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Monday that the accelerant was poured at several locations around the church, including entrances.

Federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Special Agent Nick Starcevic says laboratory tests will determine what the accelerant was.

The blaze was set at the main entrance of the Wasilla Bible Church on Friday evening while a small group, including two children, were inside. No one was injured.

Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, was not at the church at the time of the fire but visited on Saturday.

At last– Saint Louis Catholic has obtained video of a battle of wits between Unknown Canon Lawyer X (UCLX), who made ecclesiastical waves last week with his opinion that women still must wear head coverings while praying in church, and a noted Sicilian thinker taking the other side. To protect his identity, UCLX is wearing a mask (and, in the spirit of the dispute, a veil, too) in this video:

From the UK Telegraph comes some “what if” hypothesizing about the consequences of the possible repeal of the law barring Catholics from the British throne. You see, the legitimate Jacobite claimant is still out there…

Duke Francis of Bavaria given hope of claiming British throne

Tim Walker

12 Dec 2008

Jack Straw’s review of the law banning Roman Catholics from succeeding to the throne may have some intriguing ramifications. It had been envisaged that any change to the law would apply only to future members of the Royal family, but the present Duke Francis of Bavaria, who claims to be the rightful king of Scotland, England, Ireland and France, is likely to be consulting m’learned friends about how it will apply to him.

The duke, whom Jacobites refer to as King Francis II, is descended from Princess Henrietta Anne, youngest daughter of King James II & VII. She was passed over for the succession by the 1701 Act of Abjuration.

Born Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria von Wittelsbach in Munich in 1933, the duke’s lineage is said to be impeccable and well-documented. He is unmarried and childless, therefore his heir is his younger brother. A spokesman for the duke says: “HRM the Duke generally does not comment on issues concerning his familiar relationship to the Royal House of Stuart.”

For Immediate Release: December 15, 2008Children of God for Life

Holy See Document, Dignitatis Personae, Sets Bioethics Standards for Research and Aborted Fetal Vaccines

In a statement written on September 8th and released December 12th, 2008, the Holy See clarified a number of issues in biomedical research and their application to family life that have been hotbeds of contention for decades. The new official Church instruction, Dignitatis Personae, (Dignity of the Person) expanded Catholic teaching from a number of previously published documents, including Donum Vitae, Veritatis Splendor and Evangelium Vitae to assist Catholics in the ever changing world of modern scientific technologies.

Children of God for Life’s Executive Director, Debi Vinnedge, was delighted with the latest development. “Dignitatis Personae acknowledges that previous standards by some ethics committees have not been “sufficient” and the Holy See has taken steps to assist both parents who vaccinate their children and researchers who use aborted fetal or embryonic material.”

In the section titled, The use of human “biological material” of illicit origin , the Vatican noted:

“Therefore, it needs to be stated that there is a duty to refuse to use such “biological material” even when there is no close connection between the researcher and the actions of those who performed the artificial fertilization or the abortion, or when there was no prior agreement with the centers in which the artificial fertilization took place. This duty springs from the necessity to remove oneself, within the area of one’s own research, from a gravely unjust legal situation and to affirm with clarity the value of human life.”

The Vatican further clarified actions required by parents who may be faced with using vaccines that are produced using aborted fetal materials.

“Grave reasons may be morally proportionate to justify the use of such “biological material”. Thus, for example, danger to the health of children could permit parents to use a vaccine which was developed using cell lines of illicit origin, while keeping in mind that everyone has the duty to make known their disagreement and to ask that their healthcare system make other types of vaccines available. ”

“Once again, it is important that people read the entire statement carefully”, Vinnedge cautioned. “We have already seen some news stories opining that parents can use these vaccines without reporting on the further conditions laid down by the Holy See.” Vinnedge is strongly encouraging concerned families to do as the Church is instructing and begin rallying behind AVM Biotechnology, ( http://www.avmbiotech.com/ ) the only company worldwide whose mission is to bring morally produced alternative vaccines to the United States.

Dr. Theresa Deisher, CEO of AVM Biotechnology, stated “We are so thrilled to have the recent Vatican teaching, Dignitatis Personae. Unfortunately, since so much research is conducted without disclosure or scrutiny, the scientific world has moved forward unabated using fresh aborted fetal material, aborted fetal cell lines and embryonic materials.”

“The use of morally illicit material in scientific research is so pervasive now that pro-life scientists really need to address these issues with a commitment to morally licit research and drug development. To support that type of effort, our non-profit Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute (SCPI) http://www.soundchoice.org/, is dedicated to:

education about the use of morally illicit material in drug discovery and development,

developing a certification program so that patients can readily learn whether a drug that has been prescribed for them is morally licit or not, and

encouraging the establishment of companies like AVM Biotechnology to develop morally licit alternative drugs and research reagents.

“AVM Biotech and SCPI have already risen to the challenge before this latest document emerged,” noted Debi Vinnedge. “We pray that all Catholic healthcare facilities, our bishops, our families and pro-life benefactors will stand firmly behind their work and provide the resources and support they need to answer the Church’s calling.”

In a press conference with Vatican Information Service, the Holy See press office, Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, S.J., Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith noted that the instruction “encourages biomedical investigation that respects the dignity of all human beings and of procreation” and that they “will probably be accused of containing too many prohibitions. Nevertheless, faced with this possible accusation it is necessary to emphasize that the Church feels the duty of making those without voices heard”

For further information on AVM Biotechnology contact Dr Theresa Deisher (206) 906-9922 or Email: tdesiher@avmbiotech.com or contact Children of God for Life: info@cogforlife.org 615 898-1070

Related articles:

Holy See Press release December 12, 2008
Dignitatis Personae, Full Text
Biotech Firm to Provide Moral Vaccines
Pontifical Academy for Life 2005 Statement