Kill 'em all.

Attorney Who Aided Terri Schiavo’s Husband Now Advising Barack Obama

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- An attorney who won an award for representing Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael in his efforts to kill his disabled wife is now an advisor to the transition team of incoming president Barack Obama.

Thomas Perrelli, who raised over $500,000 for the pro-abortion presidential candidate and is the managing partner of a Washington law firm, Jenner & Block LLP, is helping advise Obama on putting together a Justice Department team.

However, Perrelli provided Michael Schiavo with legal advice during his response to the Congressional bill that President Bush signed allowing the Schindler family to take their lawsuit seeking to prevent Terri’s euthanasia death from state to federal courts.

Perrelli led the Jenner & Block team that developed the legal briefs opposing appeals for Michael and he ultimately received the Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Pro Bono Award in October 2006 for representing Terri’s former husband at no cost.

On Michael’s legal team, Perrelli worked with infamous pro-euthanasia attorney George Felos as well as lawyers from the Florida chapter of the ACLU.

Obama’s selection of Perrelli to participate on his Justice Department transition team is no surprise given his comments on Terri’s painful 13-day starvation and dehydration death during the presidential campaign.

During his debate with Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary, Obama said his biggest mistake was voting with a unanimous Senate to help save Terri.

Obama said he should have stood up against the life-saving legislation. “It wasn't something I was comfortable with, but it was not something that I stood on the floor and stopped,” Obama said.

I somehow missed this. Thanks to the Caveman.

And I agree with Cavey's assessment: What a scumbag.

Traditional Family = Good for you!

Church leaders reaffirm traditional family at meeting in Mexico

By David Agren
Catholic News Service

MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- Participants at the Sixth World Meeting of Families made impassioned defenses of the traditional family while rejecting allegations from protesters and local leftist politicians that the Catholic Church has been preaching exclusion.

Speakers on the first day of the Jan. 14-18 meeting, which organizers say is being attended by more than 8,000 participants from more than 90 countries, emphasized the traditional definition of family -- father, mother and children -- while discarding suggestions that the institution be expanded to include homosexual couples. The meeting was organized by the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family.

"The church -- we teach respect for marriage between a man and a woman because that is the foundation of the family," Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City said during his opening remarks Jan. 14.

His comments at the five-day meeting were echoed by other speakers, including Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec City, who said during a discussion on values, "Marriage and the family have turned into a battlefield, where secularization is attempting to injure the family." (read more)

Let's try fifty years without a traditional family and see how the babies get made.

Retards.

Libtards call for end to abstinance only education

NEW YORK — With the exit of the Bush administration, critics of abstinence-only sex education will be making an aggressive push to cut off federal funding for what they consider an ineffective, sometimes harmful program.

How quickly and completely they reach their goal is uncertain, however, as conservative supporters of abstinence education lobby Congress and President-elect Barack Obama to preserve at least some of the funding, which now totals $176 million a year.

And even if federal funding is halted, some states — such as Georgia — are determined to keep abstinence programs going on their own, ensuring that this front in the culture wars will remain active.

Obama is considered an advocate of comprehensive sex education, which — unlike abstinence-only curriculum — includes advice to young people about using contraceptives if they do engage in sexual activity. However, Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to elaborate on what the new president would propose in his own budget plan.

Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of American, depicted the federal abstinence-only program as "an utter failure that has wasted more than $1.5 billion" over the past decade. Like other critics, she noted that several major studies — including a federally funded review — have found no evidence that the abstinence-only approach works in deterring teen sex....(read more)

This is of course only a small amount of the damage these soul-less creatures will inflict on us in the next four years. Look for much more to come and soon.

Better a lamb than nothing

I have often said I disagree with Pope Benedict about changing our Good Friday prayers because some Jews got their panties in a bunch and don't want us to pray for their conversion. Let's not forget in our eagerness to be loved by all the (fake) religions that the Lord wanted the Jews to convert.

We don't go around complaining to other (fake) religions and tell them how to pray or structure their "worship services" or the like.

How dare the Jews interfere with ours.

But the Pope changed the prayers for whatever reason instead of standing up for our faith and the faith of our fathers as the head of the religion should do.

If we told the Jews we didn't like something about their worship, they would tell us to go to hell. Or, like the situation with the Orthodox, who HAVE told us to go to hell.

Why then don't we tell anyone to go to hell?

Well, now we have of a change of sorts. I guess it's better to be a lamb when we stand up for ourselves than not to stand up for ourselves at all.

When you read below, can someone please explain to me why the Italian Catholic Church is having a celebration of Judaism?

These are odd times we are in.

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican says Jewish complaints about Pope Benedict XVI's commitment to dialogue with Jews are "excessive."

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, highlighted Benedict's record in meeting with Jews and visiting synagogues in response to the criticism.

Earlier this week, the Assembly of Italian Rabbis said it was pulling out of the Italian Catholic Church's annual celebration of Judaism, saying the pope's recent decisions were "canceling" 50 years of interfaith progress.

The chief rabbi of Venice cited the decision to restore a prayer for the conversion of Jews in Easter Week services of the old Latin Mass.

L'Osservatore said Benedict's contribution to interfaith dialogue was irrevocable.

Hypocrisy 101

Unemployment is up.

The economy is in the crapper.

We just gave the banks 750 billion taxpayer dollars we'll never see again.

Let's party!

Four years ago America was at war, democratic lawmakers reminded President George W. Bush. He was asked to keep his innaugural events short and sweet, and most of all, cheap.

In their letter, Reps. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and Jim McDermott, D-Wash. gave the president a little history lesson. "President Roosevelt held his 1945 inaugural at the White House, making a short speech and serving guests cold chicken salad and plain pound cake. During World War I, President Wilson did not have any parties at his 1917 inaugural, saying that such festivities would be undignified."

Not so with President Select Obama. He and his staff have concocted parties and balls and dinners, and rock concerts to the tune of 150 million dollars.

Obama's inauguration committee says it is mindful of the times and is not worried people will see the four days of festivities as excessive.

They are not celebrating his election so much as celebrating our "common values", they said. There are no common values here. I don't think there are any values, period.

150 million is not excessive?

What would be excessive then Mr. Obama? 300 million? 5oo million?

These elites don't get it.

And they won't until it's too late.

Pray for the country.

UPDATE: In 2005, George W. Bush's inaugural festivities cost 42.3 million. And Obama is spending 150 million.

After all, he is the Messiah.

Saint Michael's School lay offs

Up to 35 employees at St. Michael’s School in Hoban Heights will be laid off because of a decline in client population.

The layoffs affect about 19 percent of the facility’s 185-person workforce.

By the end of today, the layoffs will be complete, Diocese of Scranton spokesman Bill Genello said.

“All programs will continue,” Genello said.

The layoffs come as the school continues to search for an organization to take over operations.

A buyer has not been found, Genello said.

St. Michael’s was founded as an orphanage in 1916; it now provides care to youths with behavioral, emotional and abuse problems from Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania.

Along with the Hoban Heights campus, St. Michael’s has two community-based group homes in Tunkhannock and Pine Grove.

No layoffs are planned at the group homes, Genello said.

The layoffs at St. Michael’s will occur in all departments, including education, clinical, medical, direct care, clerical, maintenance, administrative assistants and house parents, Genello said.

Enrollment at St. Michael’s has declined to 54 clients in December from a peak of 84 in June.

Financial Woes

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton recorded a second-straight year of approximately $7 million in losses, according to a financial report released Thursday.

The fiscal year 2008 report, published in the diocesan Catholic Light newspaper, revealed a bleak picture of both past and future finances for the 11-county diocese. The regional church saw a $7.1 million decrease in net assets last year. It was particularly burdened by the loss of $4.8 million in the value of its investments, echoing the strain of falling financial markets felt throughout the national economy.

In a letter accompanying the report, Bishop Joseph F. Martino called the diocese’s financial condition “deeply worrisome” and said that “extreme measures” will be necessary to balance the budget for the current fiscal year ending in June. He directed all departments to find ways to reduce their current budgets, and added that “it may be necessary to eliminate some important programs and reduce staff” as a “last resort.”

The bishop said he is particularly troubled by a $640,000 operating deficit — compared to a $1.4 million operating surplus in fiscal year 2007 — because it is “the one area we have the most control over.”

Several factors contributed to the decline in income, including the fact that the diocese collected $643,000 less in its 2008 annual appeal than it had the previous year, despite spending $33,000 more to administer the fund drive. The diocese also received $180,000 less in donations and bequests than it had in 2007.

A change in the priests’ pension plan contributed to the diocese’s fiscal year loss and cost the diocese $1.2 million in 2008. The diocese also declared $475,000 in bad debt, mostly loans to struggling parishes that cannot be repaid.

Signs of financial strain were evident throughout the Catholic Light on Thursday, which also reported that this year’s diocesan annual appeal is still $1 million away from meeting its $5.3 million goal. Diocese spokesman William Genello said that “this is the time of year when the appeal is typically winding up,” but that donations will be accepted as they continue to come in.

The diocese is sending letters this week to all area Catholics who have not yet donated to the fundraising drive, and parishes that have not reached their individual goals are being asked to conduct phone-a-thons to call parishioners who have not made a donation.

The Catholic Light also announced that it is changing its format and circulation method to save costs. The newspaper will be sent to those who donate to the annual appeal instead of being distributed according to parish quotas to people on long-standing but “outdated” parish mailing lists. Starting Feb. 5, the newspaper will also switch from a broadsheet to the smaller tabloid format.

Save the date

The weekend of January 31 -February 1 the restructuring of the Diocese will be announced at all Masses.

The announcements will be made via a recorded message from the Bishop that will be played at all Masses the weekend of January 31 - February 1. The message will include introductory remarks followed by the restructuring plan for the cluster to which that particular church belongs.

After the weekend's Masses have been completed, the plan for all 50 clusters will be posted on the Diocesan website...

If there are any breaking developments on this story, I will do my best to keep you up to date. I may have to go to....gulp! Saturday evening Mass to find out early what is going on for my cluster!

Excellent News!

This morning I have news that we can look for the Extraordinary Form to be celebrated on a regular basis in Hazleton. It will not be for a little while yet, but be sure I will have all the info for you here. This is indeed good news for our Diocese! Thank God for this gift!

New Knoxville Bishop

Vatican City, Jan 12, 2009 / 11:04 am (CNA).- This morning, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Msgr. Richard F. Stika of the Archdiocese of St. Louis as bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee. Msgr. Stika will be ordained to the episcopacy on March 19 of this year.

The bishop-elect will fill the position that was left vacant in August 2007 when Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz was appointed Archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky.

Msgr. Stika was born in St. Louis in 1957 and was ordained a priest in 1985. In his years as a priest, he held positions in St. Louis as secretary to Cardinal Justin Rigali (1994-1997), the coordinator of Pope John Paul II’s visit to St. Louis in 1999, the director of the Archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection and most recently as pastor of the Church of the Annunziata in Ladue.

Msgr. Stika will be ordained the third bishop of Knoxville on March 19, 2009 at the Knoxville Convention Center. The consecrating bishop will be Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, who will be assisted by Archbishop Joseph Kurtz and Bishop Robert Shaheen, Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon.

In a statement, Bishop Robert J. Hermann, administrator of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, noted that the archdiocese is “deeply honored” to have one of its priests appointed “by our Holy Father for the office of Bishop.”

He continued, “While I am very sorry to lose his immediate collaboration here, I am most confident that he will fulfill the weighty responsibilities of his new office in the Church with great distinction. I assure him of my prayers and of the prayers of the faithful of the archdiocese as he prepares to take up his new mission in the Church. May God grant him many happy years as a true shepherd of His flock in the Diocese of Knoxville."

The bishop-elect will serve 56,068 Catholics and 70 priests in the Diocese of Knoxville.

Baptism is "...immeasurable gift."

More from our Holy Father from his Mass at the Sistine Chapel.

Baptism is immeasurable gift, Pope says

Pope Celebrates Ad Orientem

When our Holy Father celebrates The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Sistine Chapel, he does so Ad Orientem. What does this mean for our diocese and those of the world? Well our Papa is again teaching us through example that Ad Orientem worship is indeed applicable in the life of the Church today, and that we must make a steady march towards Tradition, not progression.

Monsignor Guido Marini had this to say about the Holy Father's choice, "at some points the Pope will turn towards the Crucified, thus underlining the correct orientation of the Eucharistic celebration. This is not about turning the back to the people, but about assuming the same orientation as the assembly, which precisely looks toward the Crucified."

Did you read that bold part? "...correct orientation of the Eucharistic celebration." You are leading us in prayer.

Come on Diocese of Scranton priests, let us learn from our Holy Father and not succumb to the worries of the congregation and the stale arguments of turning your back to the congregation. Let's start seeing Ad Orientem worship regularly and as another extension of you serving In persona Christi.

Because the Mass is about Christ, right?

Happy Monday!

Here's a prayer for you to say immediately after you have worthily received the Blessed Sacrament.

You can also use this very traditional prayer to make a spiritual communion of you are unable to partake of the Sacrament due to sin or some other impairment.

Here it is in English (boo), and in Latin (yay!).

Soul of Christ / Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds, hide me.
Separated from Thee let me never be.
From the malignant enemy, defend me.
At the hour of death, call me.
To come to Thee, bid me,
That I may praise Thee in the company
Of Thy Saints, for all eternity. Amen.


Anima Christi, sanctifica me.
Corpus Christi, salva me.
Sanguis Christi, inebria me.
Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
Passio Christi, conforta me.
O bone Iesu, exaudi me.
Intra tua vulnera absconde me.
Ne permittas me separari a te.
Ab hoste maligno defende me.
In hora mortis meae voca me.
Et iube me venire ad te,
Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te
in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

"Go, and do not sin again"

With the abundance of pornography on the internet, on our televisions, and our mobile phones, the enemy certainly has entered the sanctuary of the domestic Church. Father Bob Sprott, O.F.M. speaks about a very widespread problem with both married and single catholic men today which threatens to destroy both true manhood, and our families. This article appeared in the January 2009 Franciscan Legionnaire.

“So, how long has the pornography been a part of your life . . . ?”

Because the sin of viewing internet porn gets confessed a lot, I find myself asking that question a lot. At St. Peter’s confessions are heard continuously from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and every priest on staff here is in the confessional once or twice a day for an hour and a half each time. And rare, very rare, is the stint in the confessional when I do not hear the sin of pornography (and these days it’s almost always internet pornography) confessed once, and by far the more common experience is to hear it confessed several different times in the course of the hour and a half.

And so to try to see just how serious the porn problem is with the penitent, I will usually ask two questions: the one at the top of the page, and “How often do you access the porn?”

Every man is different (with porn it’s always men) and every story is different, but if you hear the sin often enough and ask these questions often enough, you begin to see patterns and common features, and you begin to appreciate how widespread the problem is. I suspect that if drug addiction or alcoholism were as pervasive as the use of internet porn is, the country would be non-functional; just too many people would be drunk or high for anything to be working right.

The other thing you begin to appreciate as a confessor is just how hard it is to break out of a porn habit. Some penitents have tried repeatedly to break free, tried and failed every time, and they know how hard it is to put it behind them. Others have never really tried, and many of them think that they would be able to throw it off quickly and easily once they buckled down and got serious about it; these, if they do try, are in for an unpleasant surprise, and I try to warn them of this as gently and firmly as I can . . . .(read more)