Honest and Refreshing

Let's hope Governor Christie runs for President someday, I like his tone.

Pay Up!

Did everyone see this? More school and church closings to pay this ONE MILLION DOLLARS?

Everyone take notice of who the attorney for the plaintiffs is. Like all good unions, be sure to keep it in the family. Right, Mike Milz?

WILKES-BARRE – A Luzerne County judge on Monday issued five orders directing that money awarded in arbitration hearings be paid to teachers who were terminated when local Catholic schools were consolidated.

Luzerne County Senior Judge Chester Muroski said in the orders that teachers of Bishop O’Reilly, St. Vincent’s School, Bishop O’Reilly Junior High School, Bishop Hafey and Bishop Hoban, will receive money owed to them in a lawsuit.

A hearing, in response to court papers filed by education associations of each respective school to confirm the awards, was held Monday inside Muroski’s chambers for attorneys to argue why the arbitration awards should or should not be distributed. Muroski ruled that each of the schools’ board of pastors is directed to “promptly comply (with) the terms of the award forthwith.”

Attorney Martin Milz represented plaintiffs. The diocese was represented by attorney Richard Goldberg.

A timeline on the actual dispensing of money was unknown Monday.

According to court papers, teachers who were employed at Bishop Hoban High School are owed over $700,000.

It is estimated the total amount for arbitration awards will exceed $1 million.

The arbitration awards stem from complaints filed by the Scranton Diocese Association of Catholic Teachers, which had represented some teachers until 2006, when then-Bishop Joseph Martino restructured the entire Catholic school system, eliminating local school boards and parish councils the union had dealt with.

The union asked to represent teachers under the new system of four regional school boards, but was rejected.

The diocese opted to start an “Employee Relations Program” it repeatedly insists gives all school employees fair representation.

The union argued the contracts teachers had before restructuring guaranteed that teachers who lost their jobs during the restructuring were eligible for accumulated sick leave and severance pay. The union filed grievances and says that, since May 2008, separate arbitration hearings were held for the teachers.

Several arbitrators ruled in favor of the teachers in October 2008 and ordered the diocese to immediately start paying the teachers, but the diocese had not done so, prompting a hearing Monday, where attorneys argued the matter of payment.

The diocese had previously said it intended to honor the awards but was not sure where the money will come from. Financial struggles were a key reason given when the school restructuring was done, closing many area buildings.

The Book Of Obama

And it came to pass in the Age of Insanity that the people of the land
called America , having lost their morals, their initiative, and their
will to defend their liberties, chose as their Supreme Leader that
person known as "The One."

He emerged from the vapors with a message that had no meaning; but He
hypnotized the people telling them, "I am sent to save you." My lack
of experience, my questionable ethics, my monstrous ego, and my
association with evil doers are of no consequence. I shall save you
with hope and Change. Go, therefore, and proclaim throughout the
land that he who proceeded me is evil, that he has defiled the nation,
and that all he has built must be destroyed. And the people rejoiced,
for even though they knew not what "The One" would do, he had promised
that it was good; and they believed. And "The One" said " We live in
the greatest country in the world. Help me change everything about it!"
And the people said, "Hallelujah! Change is good!"
Then He said, "We are going to tax the rich fat-cats." And the
people said "Sock it to them!" "And redistribute their wealth." And
the people said, "Show us the money!" And the he said, "
redistribution of wealth is good for everybody."

And Joe the plumber asked, " Are you kidding me? You're going to
steal my money and give it to the deadbeats??" And "The One"
ridiculed and taunted him, and Joe's personal records were hacked and publicized.
One lone reporter asked, "Isn't that Marxist policy?" And she was
banished from the kingdom!

Then a citizen asked, "With no foreign relations experience and
having zero military experience or knowledge, how will you deal with
radical terrorists?" And "The One" said, "Simple. I shall sit with
them and talk with them and show them how nice we really are; and they
will forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!" And the people
said, "Hallelujah!! We are safe at last, and we can beat our weapons
into free cars for the people!"
Then "The One" said "I shall give 95% of you lower taxes." And one,
lone voice said, "But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes." So "The One"
said, "Then I shall give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!"
And the people said, "Hallelujah! Show us the money!"

Then "The One" said, "I shall tax your Capital Gains when you sell
your homes!" And the people yawned and the slumping housing market
collapsed. And He said.. "I shall mandate employer-funded health care
for every worker and raise the minimum wage. And I shall give every
person unlimited healthcare and medicine and transportation to the
clinics." And the people said, "Give me some of that!"
Then he said, "I shall penalize employers who ship jobs overseas."
And the people said, "Where's my rebate check?"

Then "The One" said, "I shall bankrupt the coal industry and
electricity rates will skyrocket!" And the people said, "Coal is
dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we don't care for that part
about higher electric rates." So "The One" said, Not to worry. If
your rebate isn't enough to cover your expenses, we shall bail you out.
Just sign up with the ACORN and you troubles are over!"
Then He said, "Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let's
grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches,
free medical care, bi-lingual signs and guaranteed housing..." And
the people said, "Hallelujah!" and they made him king!
And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and
ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers. Others
simply gave up and went out of business and the economy sank like unto
a rock dropped from a cliff.

The bank banking industry was destroyed. Manufacturing slowed to a
crawl. And more of the people were without a means of support.
Then "The One" said, "I am the "the One"- The Messiah - and I'm here
to save you! We shall just print more money so everyone will have
enough!" But our foreign trading partners said unto Him. "Wait a
minute. Your dollar is not worth a pile of camel dung! You will have
to pay more... And "The One" said, "Wait a minute. That is
unfair!!" And the world said, "Neither are these other idiotic
programs you have embraced. Lo, you have become a Socialist state and
a second-rate power. Now you shall play by our rules!"

And the people cried out, "Alas, alas!! What have we done?" But yea
verily, it was too late. The people set upon The One and spat upon
him and stoned him, and his name was dung. And the once mighty nation
was no more; and the once proud people were without sustenance or
shelter or hope. And the Change "The One" had given them was as like
unto a poison that had destroyed then and like a whirlwind that
consumed all that they had built.

And the people beat their chests in despair and cried out in anguish,
"give us back our nation and our pride and our hope!!" But it was too
late, and their homeland was no more.

You may think this a fairy tale, but it's not.

It's happening RIGHT NOW

The Signs Of The Times

I hope our new Bishop watches this video on the duties of Bishops in these tough times....

This Is Getting Out Of Hand

Being told that the American flag is incendiary is something I would like to happen to me.

I'm a bit of a hothead, I have a bit of a temper. I am a patriot.

These things don't seem to go well together, especially in today's political climate.

I'm gonna have to go and get me one of them there American flag t-shirts.

Let's see who I can piss off with my patriotism.

Bishop Bambera. Protect Your Flock!

I wonder what our new Bishop Bambera would have to say about this? You see, closed minded sorts think that when we argue for Tradition that we are only arguing for the Old Mass when in actuality we yearn for all of the old ways, when Catholicism was cherished by our priests, when other false religions were not held in the same esteem as Catholicism, and when we could look up to our priests as people to be emulated.

The Catholic Church has always considered grave sin against children and sin against nature to be the most heinous of all sin, and has always acted accordingly. Our Blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Himself taught that: “But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Pope St. Pius V formally decreed, and the Fifth Lateran Council confirmed, that:

“Therefore, wishing to pursue with the greatest rigour that which We have decreed since the beginning of Our Pontificate, we establish that any priest or member of the clergy, either secular or regular, who commits such an execrable crime, by force of the present law be deprived of every clerical privilege, of every post, dignity and ecclesiastical benefit, and having been degraded by an ecclesiastical judge, be immediately delivered to the secular authority to be executed as mandated by law, according to the appropriate punishment for laymen plunged into this abyss.”

Up until the present day Church law requires that any cleric or religious accused of such horrific crimes against children must be reported to the civil authority for appropriate punishment if any semblance of truth is found in the allegation.

Unfortunately the disease of Liberalism and the attempt to ‘fit in’ with the modern liberal world, a disease officially unleashed upon the Catholic Church at the Second Vatican Council in the 1960’s, has led some bishops and priests to disregard Church law and traditional Catholic teaching in order to adopt the false ideas and ‘solutions’ of the modern world.

This has led, in too many cases, to child molesters and sexual perverts being treated with kid-gloves, being sent for ‘treatment’ to psychologists and ‘psycho-analysts’, and then shunted from diocese to diocese where they could secretly continue their vile abuse. Although cases of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church are extremely rare in comparison to the sexual abuse of children in liberal secular society, even one case is one too many if not dealt with by the severity that the crime truly demands.

So today I call on Bishop Bambera to launch an official investigation, overturn every rock where these people hide, protect his flock from the predators within the Church, and have perverts like "Father" Robert Timchak defrocked. Will he do it?

What do you think?

Bambera: Strike One

So, our new Bishop has "engaged in a dialogue" with University of Scranton President Father Scott Pilarz about tonight's speaking engagement at the University of Sara Bendoraitis. If you don't know who she is, she is American University's "GLBTA Resource Center Director".

So what does it mean that our Bishop "engaged in dialogue"?

And why are they announcing it on the day of the appearance by this person?

Here's my take on it.

They want no one to cause a ruckus over this. Whether or not Bambera allowed it is another matter. I will give him the benefit of the doubt for now that he did raise objections. But he does get a failing grade. There's no doubt what Bishop Martino would have done.

But then Martino was a true defender of Catholic teaching. This new guy, not so much so far.

Laughable is this: that Pilarz will attend the lecture on subjects contrary to Catholic faith and morals "to ensure that the principles of Catholic teaching are upheld." Are you kidding me?

How's he gonna do that? Object? Ask her to leave? Maybe he'll present Catholic teaching on the gay lifestyle and why it is sinful and depraved and why we go to Hell when we dabble in the colonic arts?

Like I said I am giving the new Bishop a pass on this. But he better get his act together in the future and stop trying to hide tings like this from the faithful. Our kids go to Catholic schools to learn faith and morals and how to live their lives as Catholics. Not to hear speakers who praise the very things that are tearing our society apart.

Diocese of Scranton
Statement Regarding Speaker for University of Scranton Inclusion Initiative
May 6, 2010

Bishop Bambera has engaged in a dialogue with Father Scott Pilarz, S.J., president of the University of Scranton, regarding an event being hosted tonight (May 6) by the University’s Inclusion Initiative.

The stated goals of the Inclusion Initiative involve providing “a more inclusive environment and a better understanding of sexual orientation and gender identity. A safe place and a voice will be provided for these students in our community while holding true and dedicated to Catholic teaching and the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, care for the person as a unique individual.”

These goals are in harmony with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which makes clear that all people, including those of various sexual orientations, “must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”

Tonight’s event features a talk by Sara Bendoraitis, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at American University. Ms. Bendoraitis belongs to the Facebook group “AU (American University) Students for Choice,” a group that supports abortion rights. In March she spoke at and accompanied American University students to the National Young Feminist Leadership Conference, which included presentations on abortion rights and access to birth control.

Ms. Bendoraitis obviously supports positions that are contrary to the teaching of the Catholic Church. For this reason, Bishop Bambera has expressed concern to Father Pilarz about the University hosting this speaker.

Father Pilarz has informed the Bishop that he will attend the lecture to ensure that the principles of Catholic teaching are upheld.

Bishop Bambera cited his obligation to ensure that authentic Catholic teaching is being provided in all Catholic institutions in the Diocese, and that viewpoints in opposition to this teaching are not being presented as acceptable alternatives.

Don't Shave The Beard Of A Muslim. Even If He Asks Nice!

Despite the obvious barbarity of Islam in general, can someone explain to me why they insist on raping men? I mean, it wasn't one sick freak who raped the barber, but all seven of them? Should I be surprised?

What would Mohammed do?

Wait. Don't answer that.

Brother of Muslim who insisted on having beard cut, seven others, break hair-cutter’s bones.

SARGODHA, Pakistan, April 28 (CDN) — A Christian barber in this Punjab Province city is still recovering from broken bones and other injuries sustained earlier this month after eight Muslims allegedly beat and sodomized him for cutting the beard of a Muslim.

Marwat Masih, 29, initially refused the request of 19-year-old Qandeel Cheema to cut his beard in Sargodha’s Gulshan-e-Bashir town on April 13, knowing that area Sunni Muslims believe the Quran prohibits it. But Cheema, a high school student, told Masih that he had lived and studied in Lahore and therefore wanted a more modern look, the bed-ridden and feeble Masih told Compass.

“I refused to shave his beard, but he showed me his packed bags and said that he would leave the town straight after the shave, and so no one would ever know that I had shaved his beard,” Masih said.

Eyewitnesses told Compass that as Masih was cutting Cheema’s beard, the client’s older brother – local radical Muslim land owner Shakeel Cheema – was returning by tractor from his fields and, noting the family Jeep in front of the Marwat Hair Stylist shop, stopped in.

“When Shakeel Cheema saw me shaving his younger brother’s beard, he became angry and started vandalizing mirrors, the sound system and chairs, and he desecrated a wooden cross perched on the top of the front mirrors,” Masih said. “He also started beating my head with his shoes.”


Eyewitnesses told Compass that Shakeel Cheema shouted orders to his companions to tie Masih up and throw him into the wagon attached to his tractor, and that he ordered his younger brother to leave for Lahore at once.

Masih said that he was blindfolded with a black cloth and taken to an unknown place where he was locked in a room. An hour later, Shakeel Cheema and seven others arrived and began striking him with clubs, breaking his ribs, a wrist and leg bones.

“Shakeel Cheema said, ‘Now we are going to teach you a real lesson for shaving the beard of a Muslim man,” Masih said, and after a long, pained pause he related how Cheema and the seven others sodomized him. “I started bleeding and fell unconscious.”

More

JC And The City

We all remember what a bunch of pansies they are over at Comedy Central, basically caving in to Muslim demands and threats over the great and powerful Mohammed and his depiction on "South Park".

Well, they seem to have no qualms about showcasing Jesus on a regular basis on the same show, but now they intend to go one better:

NEW YORK – Comedy Central has a cartoon series about Jesus Christ in the works.

Titled "JC," the series depicts Christ as a "regular guy" who moves to New York to "escape his father's enormous shadow." His father is depicted as an apathetic man who would rather play video games than listen to his son talk about his new life.

Comedy Central has pushed the envelope in the past: The long-running "South Park" features Christ as a regular character.

The network says "JC" is on its development slate, steps away from the pilot stage and eventual airing. Many television series in development never make it to air.

What do you all think about this?

Pope To Deliver "Intense Message" at Fatima

Whoa. Maybe he's going to actually deliver the third secret in it's entirety? That would be pretty intense.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope_benedict_to_deliver_intense_message_during_fatima_visit

Vatican City, May 5, 2010 / 12:20 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- "Fatima is a particularly significant place for this Pope," said Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi on Tuesday, noting that it was also a destination for two former Popes. The Holy Father has a thorough knowledge of the history of the Marian sanctuary, he added.

Fr. Lombardi held a press conference at the Vatican to prepare the media for the Pope's next trip out of the Vatican. He will be visiting Portugal from May 11-14.

The spokesman referred to the Pope's stop in Fatima on May 13 as the highlight and "heart" of the upcoming four-day trip to Portugal, according to Vatican Radio. But, he pointed out, Benedict XVI will not be the first Pope to visit the Marian shrine.

Two other Pontiffs have been to Fatima. In 1967, the sanctuary hosted Paul VI, and John Paul II visited in 1982, 1991 and 2000, at which time the visionaries Jacinta and Francesco were beatified.

The Portuguese shrine is not unfamiliar to Pope Benedict, since as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger extensively studied the message of Fatima. Fr. Lombardi said on Tuesday that the Pope has been involved with history of the Marian sanctuary in a "very deep, personal way."

It was him, for example, who was called upon to give a theological perspective when the third secret of Fatima was made public in 2000.

The Vatican spokesman said that the Holy Father will also deliver an intense message during his Fatima visit. Upon his arrival at the sanctuary on May 12, he will remember John Paul II and the 29th anniversary of the assassination attempt that nearly took his life on May 13, 1981.

This visit marks the Holy Father's 15th Apostolic Journey abroad in his five years and is his first to Portugal as Pope.

During today's general audience, the Holy Father greeted the people of Portugal in their language, telling them that he will be there this coming weekend at the invitation of the president of the nation and the episcopal conference.

He said he was "happy to be able to visit the 'land of Holy Mary'" on the 10th anniversary of the beatification of the shepherd children.

According to Portuguese press reports, local police are planning for a cumulative total of 450,000 people at the celebrations in Lisbon, Fatima and Portugal during the four-day visit.

Quote Of The Day

"There are two things that are hard to find in the Vatican: the truth and a good cup of coffee."

Pope John Paul I

Where's Waldo?

I saw in the papers last week where our freshly minted Bishop went out to meet the poor and downtrodden at the soup kitchen.

Fine and dandy.

No problems there.

Except that I wish he hadn't made it a photo op.

Not too pleased about that.

Since then, what's he done? Has he been seen?

Anyone know?

Need A Blessing!

I'm kinda back to a regular schedule. We just closed on our house, and have spent much time packing, moving, and now unpacking, all while trying to go about our normal lives.

If anyone knows of an orthodox priest left in our diocese with access to the Back Mountain area that would bless a house without sniggering at the request and if you can pass that info along in the comments or via email, it would be appreciated.

Likewise we are looking for a parish somewhere on our side of the Susquehanna now. If anyone knows of a hidden gem, let me know. You can contact me privately, we don't want the diocese to find out, do we?

Respect For Christ In The Eucharist - One Priests' Perspective

by Rev. Robert Lange

Americans have the option of receiving the Holy Eucharist on the tongue or in the hand. The Vatican granted us the option of receiving on the hand in 1977. This was accomplished by an indult, a lifting of the law, so we may receive either way, on the tongue or in the hand. The indult was granted because the American Bishops told the Vatican that their parishioners were clamoring for it. “We can feed ourselves” was one of the specious arguments put forward.

After Apostolic times, the Church gradually adopted Communion on the tongue as the universal practice. In the early fourth century the Arians, who denied the divinity of Christ, revived the practice of receiving Communion in the hand specifically to show a lesser respect for Christ, believing that He is not “equal to the Father.”

The universal Church law, which requires Holy Eucharist to be distributed to the faithful on their tongues, remains in force; it remains the law. However the indult has the effect of making the law inapplicable where in force.

Foreseeing the demand for the indult coming, the Sacred Office for Divine Worship sent a letter to the presidents of the bishops’ conferences to advise them how they may implement this option if granted. The letter spoke about reverence for the Holy Eucharist being the number one priority. With this in mind, the letter went into great detail trying to explain this crucial concern. The letter contained the following specifics.

Communion on the hand is an option; it is not the primary way of receiving. Catholics must be catechized to understand this important point. No one is to be forced to receive on the hand.

When receiving the Body of Christ on the hand, the faithful must be aware of the fact that each and every particle, no matter how small, is truly the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Therefore no particle should ever be discarded or treated with less than total respect due to the Body of Christ.

The faithful must also be reminded that their hands must be clean to receive our Lord, Jesus Christ.

When ordained in 1986, I was a proponent of receiving Communion in the hand, but time has changed my thinking on this issue. Seeing so many abuses and forming a deeper respect for Jesus’ true Presence in the Holy Eucharist were the factors which forced me to rethink my position.

On March 28, 1965, when the catholic college I was attending opened their newly renovated chapel, we students were told how to receive the Holy Eucharist: standing and in the hand. There was no option given. May I add that this was fully twelve years before any American diocese received the indult, which allowed for that option.

Why did those priests, abbots and bishops disobey the authority of Rome? Communion in the hand became the norm for American Catholics in the 1960’s. In many cases the practice was not presented to us as optional, but as the way to receive.

In my twenty-four years as a priest, I have served in many parishes and witnessed many Eucharistic abuses caused by receiving in the hand. I have picked Jesus off the floor from under pews and picked Him out of hymnals. I have followed people back to their seats and asked if they would give me the host back (they bring it out of a clinched hand or out of their pockets) and have witnessed many other sacrilegious desecrations of the most Blessed Sacrament, far too many and varied to mention, some so shocking most people would simply not believe my words.

As I began to see these desecrations of the Holy Eucharist, I began to understand how very sickening, disheartening and avoidable all of this actually has been. Many religious education programs teach the children how to receive on the hand, with at most a cursory mention of the traditional way of receiving on the tongue. Why? The Church documents do not support such teaching. It was the same with many American dioceses in the 1960’s when the faithful were being coerced into receiving on the hand a decade before being granted the indult.

Father Benedict Groeschel, a familiar face to EWTN viewers and an accomplished author, announced on his “Sunday Night Live With Fr. Groeschel” program that he considered Communion in the hand to be an abomination. That is strong language!

Blessed Theresa of Calcutta was asked what was the worst thing that has happened to the Church in her lifetime. She replied without hesitation, “Communion in the hand.” Again powerful language!

Why would these two great figures of our time be so fervent in their opinions regarding this issue if it did not affect their whole being? Somehow I think they would agree that Communion in the hand is a true American tragedy.

Our Holy Father, Benedict XVI leads by example. Since becoming Pope, anyone receiving Holy Eucharist from him must receive on the tongue and kneeling. He is not requiring a change throughout the world, but is giving us a profound message by example.

Proper respect shown to the Holy Eucharist is primary. Please consider these thoughts before receiving Holy Communion this Sunday. Thank you.

[We offer the above for your own personal consideration only, making no judgment on this issue ourselves]

[Send in your views]

[Michael Brown retreat in Maryland-D.C.-Virginia area: the approach of special times and Michael Brown retreat in Pittsburgh]

[Further note on picture: "In May of this year Bishop Loverde gave me permission to reserve the Blessed Sacrament in my chapel –The chapel is on the second floor of my home. The Eucharist had been reserved in the chapel less than a week when this picture was taken from the front porch of a neighbor’s home.

The person taking the picture was enamored by the beauty of the valley and decided to take a picture for her collection. When she aimed the camera towards the valley and tried to focus for the picture, she says the light coming from my house was so bright she said it was difficult trying to look into camera to view the picture to be taken (It was a cloudy day and I did not have a light on in the room /chapel where the light is coming from.) She took the picture and the image – the Star of David- is what came out on her digital camera. She did not know what to make of it. Not being Catholic, she had no understanding of the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). My opinion is that Our Lord wanted to give us a beautiful reminder of His true presence in the Holy Eucharist – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity! It is a reminder that he is with us always, that we are never alone, that he is the Son of God and the Son of Man. It is a vivid reminder that he truly suffered and died on the cross and that he is present in this world – until his Second Coming – in this most special manner - the Eucharist.

Just as the Star appeared over the stable in Bethlehem when the Christ Child was born, so the Star of David has appeared through the window of my Chapel on St. David’s Church Road, Fort Valley, Virginia, to remind us of His care, love, protection, and presence in our lives today and always.

Fr. Robert Lange, December 2007]