Martin Gottesfeld: American hacker to get more than 10 years for saving girl's life

Justina Pelletier: Before and After

Here is a story you have not seen pushed in mainstream media circles, nor (to their shame) in "pro-life" circles. But it should be: neglect, abuse stems from an anti-life mentality, perverting health care into an "industry" where human beings are regarded as objects, mere biological units. 

Read on about one brave man's stand to protect a young woman from gross medical abuse and malpractice. 

Hacktivist Martin Gottesfeld is facing 25 years in a US prison, accused of illegally accessing a Boston hospital’s network. But he says he was protecting children from torture. Martin and his wife Dana shared their plight with RT. 

Their story centers on Justina Pelletier, who has a rare blood disease. Back in 2013 the hospital diagnosed her symptoms as psychological, and blamed her parents. She was taken into custody and reportedly didn’t receive essential medical aid. This, according to her parents, amounted to torture.

“She went from a healthy-as-could-be young lady to a person in a wheelchair, pretty much paralyzed below the hips. Now they [the hospital] are basically admitting after 13 months they were wrong. She’s been in severe pain, non-stop, for 13 months,” Justina’s father said during a TV interview back in 2014.

The full story can be read here. 

The Judge, in sentencing Gottesfeld, called his brave actions: “contemptible, invidious and loathsome.” To the contrary, it was the collusion between government and the medical-industrial complex that was, and is contemptible, invidious, and loathsome!

The monstrous persecution of Martin Gottesfeld is a shot across the bow of those who would dare consider taking action against the medical-industrial complex. 

Please keep Martin Gottesfeld and Justina Pelletier in your prayers. 

Another related and looming catastrophe is the absolute crisis in long-term care (LTC) in Canada and the United States, where abuse, malnourishment, neglect, malpractice,lack of training are the standard, and not the exception. Many of these facilities are actually worse than prisons. Though "person-centered" care is spoken of, it is very rare indeed that people actually receive this type of care. I cannot warn any of you who have older parents: NO NOT place them in LTC. God will be your judge. 

Yes, even good and holy intentions can - and often do - become corrupted by self-love

In the never-ending furious hurricane that is Twitter, yesterday saw a particular system develop around Dr. Taylor Marshall's comments on how distributism is really a form of socialism. People's reactions to this particular podcast were intense, running the gambit from staunch defense of Dr. Marshall to open condemnation of his views, not only saying he was wrong but that he was becoming increasingly pompous and arrogant in his daily podcasts. I was also told he is only defending the Church to make money off of Her - as a convert, no less.

I do not know Dr. Marshall personally. I only know he exists through Twitter. I have also never listened to any of his podcasts with any great attention. So I cannot either verify or deny the claims many are making with any sense of authority.

However, the reactions surrounding yesterday's podcast reminded me of a truism oft-touted by the great spiritual writers, least of all Dom Chautard: good and holy intentions regarding service to the Church can - and often do - become corrupted by self-love.

Most of us have seen this in others in some fashion. I have seen it, and have reasoned they do not know what they are doing. But perhaps less noticeable is how our own good and holy intentions become corrupted and instead become self-serving.

Don't get me wrong. We are here primarily to secure our own salvation, and we must always keep that in mind. That takes many avenues. But oftentimes, the spiritual writers tell us, the devil will find the smallest chink in our good and holy intentions, come in, and use them to draw us away from God instead of to Him.

The Carmelite Directory of the Spiritual Life expresses this reality well in its commentary on self-love, with this particular segment found on page 201:

"Since every evil," says Father Maurus of the Child Jesus, "present only accidentally in other things, is essentially in human hearts corrupted by self-love, even their best deeds turn out to be useless, unless they strive to purify themselves from this cursed poison which insinuates itself into their holiest actions and which by itself displeases the eyes of the Divine Majesty" (Intr. in div. sap. III, C. 13). [emphasis mine]

It is Lent. Perhaps take the remaining weeks to consider how your actions in support of the Church may actually be forms of self-love, be it overt or subvert. This can be anything, least of all maintaining a podcast or a blog. Where have we lost sight of our good and holy intentions - whatever they may be - and have instead used the Church to serve us instead of God? This is something the Church has always cautioned against; it is not something unique to our age. The world has long promoted this debilitating self-love.

If my life is any indication, it is much more common than we suspect, and we will persistently struggle against it. No one is immune. Not me. Not you. Not Dr. Marshall. Not the neighbor down the street.

May God grant us the fortitude to combat the nasty streak of self-love all of us have, and offer our whole selves to God, as Our Lord did on that black, black day.

Stabat mater dolorosa

"Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word."

Thus, as the great St. Irenaeus and so many of the holy fathers remark, the obedience of the second Eve repaired the disobedience of the first: for no sooner does the Virgin of Nazareth speak her fiat, 'be it done,' than the eternal Son of God (who, according to the divine decree, awaited this word) is present, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, in the chaste womb of Mary, and there He begins His human life. A Virgin is a Mother, and Mother of God; and it is this Virgin's consenting to the divine will that has made her conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost. This sublime mystery puts between the eternal Word and a mere woman the relations of Son and Mother; it gives to the almighty God a means whereby He may, in a manner worthy of His majesty, triumph over Satan, who hitherto seemed to have prevailed against the divine plan. 

Never was there a more entire or humiliating defeat than that which this day befell Satan. The frail creature, over whom he had so easily triumphed at the beginning of the world, now rises and crushes his proud head. Eve conquers in Mary. God would not choose man for the instrument of His vengeance; the humiliation of Satan would not have been great enough; and therefore she who was the first prey of hell, the first victim of the tempter, is selected to give battle to the enemy. The result of so glorious a triumph is that Mary is to be superior not only to the rebel angels, but to the whole human race, yea, to all the angels of heaven. Seated on her exalted throne, she, the Mother of God, is to be the Queen of all creation. Satan, in the depths of the abyss, will eternally bewail his having dared to direct his first attack against the woman, for God has now so gloriously avenged her; and in heaven, the very Cherubim and Seraphim reverently look up to Mary, and deem themselves honoured when she smiles upon them, or employs them in the execution of any of her wishes, for she is the Mother of their God. 

Therefore is it that we, the children of Adam, who have been snatched by Mary's obedience from the power of hell, solemnize this day of the Annunciation. Well may we say of Mary those words of Debbora, when she sang her song of victory over the enemies of God's people: 'The valiant men ceased, and rested in Israel, until Debbora arose, a mother arose in Israel. The Lord chose new wars, and He Himself overthrew the gates of the enemies.' [Judges v. 7, 8.] Let us also refer to the holy Mother of Jesus these words of Judith, who by her victory over the enemy was another type of Mary: 'Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in Him. And by me, His handmaid, He hath fulfilled His mercy, which He promised to the house of Israel; and He hath killed the enemy of His people by my hand this night. ... The almighty Lord hath struck him, and hath delivered him into the hands of a woman, and hath slain him.' [Judith xiii. 17. 18; xvi. 7.]

From Dom Prosper Gueranger's commentary on the Annunciation in The Liturgical Year. 

We are but drops of water in the Precious Blood

At Mass this morning, I was particularly struck by the moment in which the priest adds a few drops of water in the soon-to-be Precious Blood. The following is taken from Dom Prosper Gueranger's The Holy Mass: 

The Priest having finished the Oblation Prayer, makes the sign of the cross with the Paten and places the host on the Corporal. This form of the cross expresses the identity existing between the Sacrifice of the Mass and that of Calvary. Next, the Deacon puts Wine into the Chalice, and the Sub-Deacon approaches to fulfil his office, which consists in putting the water into this same Chalice; this act is the highest of all his functions.  

The prayer which accompanies this ceremony is very ancient; it dates back as far as the first ages of the Church, and indeed it is easy to see that the Latin was a spoken language at the time it was composed. In it is strongly brought before us what is the importance, what the dignity of the Water here used in the Holy Sacrifice. Why is Water put in the Chalice? Because, according to Tradition, Our Lord Himself when instituting the Holy Eucharist, mixed Water with the Wine, as the abstemious are wont to do, and the Church continues to observe this custom. She avails herself of this opportunity to speak to us in wonderful language, unfolding to us sublimest mysteries.

Thus says Mother Church: Deus, qui humanae substantiae dignitatem mirabililer condidisti. Why speak here of the dignity of man? Why recall here, the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus Christ? Because the Wine and Water here used are figures: the Wine represents Jesus Christ as God, the Water represents Him as Man. The weakness of the Water, compared with the strength of the Wine, expresses the difference which exists between the Humanity and the Divinity of Jesus Christ. We must see ourselves too in this water, since we it was, who by Mary, furnished Our Lord with the Humanity; thus does Holy Church express herself on this subject, in sentiments of admiration; thus does she love to put forward the true dignity of man. 

Already had the royal Prophet sung this our dignity, in his Psalm: Constituisti eum super opera manuum tuarum, omnia subjecisti sub pedibus ejus: Lord, Thou hast placed man over all the Works of Thy Hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet (Ps. viii.). And if we recollect the manner of his creation by God, we are not surprised to hear Holy Church here saying that he was created in an admirable manner. When there is question of man, God speaks this word: “Let Us make man to Our Own Image and Likeness.” And as He said, so hath He done. 

But if man has been thus created, he has been moreover, raised up in a still more admirable manner, after his fall, and Holy Church fails not to say so: mirabilius reformasti. Yes indeed, God has up-raised him in a manner far exceeding, in wonder, that of His creation, in espousing human nature by His Son, and so reforming fallen man.  

Da nobis per hujus aquae et vini mysterium, ejus divinitatis esse consortes, qui humanitatis nostrae fieri dignatus est particeps, Jesus Christus Filius tuus Dominus noster. Make us, by the mystery of this Water and of this Wine, participators of the Divinity of Him, Who hath deigned to make himself Participator of our humanity, Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord. Holy Church here puts before us, first of all, in bold relief, the Mystery of the Incarnation, by means of this thought of the Water and the Wine being mingled together in one potion; thus does she recall the union of the Humanity and the Divinity of Our Lord, and site asks of God that we too may participate in the Divinity of the Lord Himself, just as St. Peter expresses it, in his second Epistle: ut per haec efficiamini divinae consortes naturae, that is to say, that by the promises which were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we may be made participators of the Divine Nature. This deification, begun on earth by sanctifying grace, will be completed in heaven in glory. In the terrestrial Paradise, the devil told Eve that if she and Adam would only follow his counsel, both of them should be as gods. Herein he lied; for then, as now, by the faithful fulfilment of the divine precepts alone, can man ever attain unto God. In Heaven, we shall be as gods, not that we shall become so, by nature, but that in the Beatific Vision, we shall see God even as He sees Himself, and our state will be that of creatures placed immediately below the Divinity. Holy Church is bent on holding this Truth before our mental gaze, and she does so in this Prayer, while speaking to us of the Incarnation of the Word, the very Principle of man’s true greatness.  

Let our humanity be totally subsumed in the Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, just as water is totally subsumed in wine just before its transubstantiation into the Precious Blood.

Mass for the Annunciation at St. Mary's in Toronto

The Diabolic and Catholic Discord ~ has confusion made its masterpiece?

Confusion, anger, agitation, irritation, personal attacks amongst Catholics is a sure sign of diabolical attack and infestation in our midst. I have felt it, and I have been guilty of it, and I have been tempted to it. Indeed, even yesterday. Providence would have it, that it ended. 

I found the above, by Bishop Fulton Sheen, and ask you to watch it, reflect upon it, and see what you can do to fight back against the diabolic. The devil exists, he is very powerful, and he is sifting the Church and us. Each of us, in our own private lives. For the soul is won to Heaven, or lost to Hell, as a private soul, in a private spiritual drama. 

There is, and continues to be a marked increase in psychological disorders in our modern, urbanized society. For example, personality disorders, though psychiatric conditions, I would suggest in most cases (I need to emphasize, not all), begin in an attachment to sin. The soul becomes hardened, blunted, the conscience numbed.... These are all signs of an increase in diabolical activity in the world, and in our private lives. Habitual sin many times flows over into eventual metal instability and illness.

It is Lent. I need to increase my prayer life, go back to Confession, and stop worrying about things I cannot change. Just this morning, I read that the homosexual predator bishop from Argentina will be charged by the secular authorities. This is the man who, according to reports, had "high-octane [homosexual] pornographic material" on his mobile phone. The report I read, noted that the standard Roman response to this is to promote this known sexual perverts. This is the diabolical at work. But it does not stop there, for the diabolical also wishes me to waste my life in posting about it. He wishes me to rage, to write, to quarrel. Indeed, I have just now wasted a few minutes of my life writing this passage. No, we must flee the diabolical.

What is my point? I need to save MY soul. I need to reform MY life. I need to strive to live a good Catholic life so that I will be a GOOD EXAMPLE for not only my fellow Catholics, but for protestants, Jews, Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists and others as to why they should consider Catholicism. 

The best preaching of the Gospel is a holy life. 

Far, far too many of us live sinful, if not lukewarm lives. The separated brethren, the non-believers will not be convinced of the Truth of Jesus Christ if they see us at each others throats. 

The diabolical is at work. 

Let us fight him with the weapons that Jesus Christ has given us. Or we shall surely perish in our sins.

A Blessed Feast of St. Joseph to our Canadian Readers

May the holy Patriarch, St Joseph, on this, his Feast Day bless you.  

May all Canadian readers intensify their prayers to the Patron of Canada, that he, through his intercession before his foster-Son and his ever-Virgin Spouse, bring Canada to repentance, conversion and healing. 

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

Rosica and Richards: Birds of a feather?

In light of Fr. Larry Richard's assertion that Church Militant had sent him death threats - followed quickly by his "clarification" - I thought I would do a little thought experiment.

Listen to this video carefully, put out last year.

Then have a look at this photo.

And watch this interview by Tom with James Martin on February 28th, 2014.

Notice anything?

That is all.

Is the Faith in trouble at St. Michael's College School?

In light of the stunning revelation that St. Michael's College School in Toronto has officially endorsed the LGBTQ+ nonsense on their website, I wondered if there was further evidence of the decay of the Catholic faith at the school.

So, I spent some time watching one of their recent Masses, specifically the one that aired the day before the story of the sewing class was published on their website. The Ash Wednesday Mass.

What I saw and heard is almost beyond belief.

I expected the "gymnasium church," for I had the same thing in high school. I expected the bland vestments. I expected the multiple priests on the "altar."

What I did not expect was the insipid homily, given the school's branding as one of "goodness, discipline and knowledge".

The priest who gave the homily - I do not know his name - was dressed in the usual white alb and purple stole. But he immediately adopted a casual air by shoving his hands into his pockets as he began to speak. His homily contained a number of references to contemporary, modern culture, and gave them "recommendations" on how to fulfill the message of the Gospel, including "fasting from bullying," and other such nonsense, basing his entire homily on a David Bowie song.

Is this a normal homily at a Mass at St. Michael's College School? A homily making several - and unnecessary - references to modern culture? A homily about how the priest himself has changed over the years? A homily about what the priest himself has to give up for Lent? Moreover, I get that he is speaking to teenage boys, but do boys really need to hear yet another exhortation on not to bully? At the end of the day, it seems to have been yet another forgettable homily in a long line of forgettable homilies.

Yet, these Basilians pride themselves on passing on the Faith! I saw a poor example of that in the homily. Nor was it a good example of goodness, discipline and knowledge.

When it came time for Communion, there was the usual female Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion "handing out" Communion, Communion in the hand, and there was a distinct lack of reverence in the air. Almost like these boys didn't care about Who they were putting in their mouth. Many of them seemed to be smirking, swaggering, and there was a lot of chatting in the "pews."

I have seen more quietude in the Masses at the local Novus Ordo parish after Communion than I did here.

Is this what constitutes the Faith at St. Michael's College School? I have a sneaking suspicion it is.

In that case, not only does the Archdiocese of Toronto need to yank control of the school away from the Basilian Fathers - which neither of them will consider - but parents need to stop sending their children to this school. This is prime evidence of how sending one's children to a "Catholic" school is no guarantee of them keeping the Faith. Indeed, I daresay it contributes to its destruction.

If this Mass is any evidence at all, I have serious concerns about how rampant the disregard for the Faith is at St. Michael's College School. We have only seen bits and pieces of this disregard, on a surface level.

How deep does it go? Deeper than the rainbow flag?

The Catholic Register removes article on Roisca plagiarism: WHY?

In the past few weeks it has become quite well known that the prominent American-Canadian priest, Fr. Thomas Rosica C.S.B., presently the CEO of Salt and Light, Vatican English language Spokesman, and media contact for the Basilian's scandal ridden, St. Michael's College School, has been engaging in habitual plagiarism, seemingly dating back at least 30 years. 

Rosica was originally exposed as a plagiarizer in 2015 on Vox Cantoris. 

And who can forget "Chalicegate"? Why is this important? Because it shows contempt for the truth. 

Until a few hours ago, the Archdiocese of Toronto's official newspaper, "The Catholic Register", carried the following article from Catholic News Agency. The article included the following revelation about Rosica: 

In recent weeks, the priest has come under fire amid revelations of extensive plagiarism in his published articles, books, and speeches.

However, the article has now been removed from The Catholic Register's website. Why? 

I will say this: any academic, or journalist caught in the type of plagiarism that Rosica has engaged in, would be dismissed. In fact, far, far lesser acts of plagiarism would entail dismissal. A student caught, would, at minimum, be failed, or expelled. 

In academia, even to indirectly reference oneself, necessitates a reference to the original source. Not to do so, constitutes plagiarism. Universities still take cheating very seriously. Evidently, there are those occupying powerful positions in the Catholic Church who do not. This is a very, very grave issue. 

It reflects a complete contempt for truth, encased in the most horrible manifestation of clericalism. 

For the latest updates as further plagiarism is being exposed on a regular basis, readers should follow the Twitter Feeds of American philosophy Professor, Josh Hochschild, and Mathew Adam Block of the Canadian Lutheran magazine. 

Josh Hohschild@JoshHochschild

Mathew Adam Block @mathewablock

I had hoped not to blog about this issue. Unfortunately, Fr. Rosica, and those who seem to be enabling him, continue to make it an issue. A very serious issue. Truth is being bandied about, mocked. No, truth is very, very important. 

Why I can only pity Fr. Thomas J. Rosica, CSB

By nature, I am not someone who endorses the emotion of pity.

However, I suspend the rule when it comes to Fr. Thomas J. Rosica, at least since his serial plagiarism came into widespread public knowledge on February 22nd. 

Why?

It's due to the facts of the case. Although investigation is still ongoing, Tom's plagiarizing ways have been traced back to at least 30 years. He has been found to have lied about obtaining an "advanced degree," attempting to study for it, but leaving after only a year or two of study. He is not the man most have thought him to be - an erudite, original, thought-provoking, Biblical scholar with three distinguished degrees under his belt.

Note that I said most. Vox Cantoris was the first to pick up on Tom's plagiarism back in 2014, and endured much injustice from Tom in the ensuring years, including an attempted lawsuit by Tom in Lent of 2015, as a result. Only recently have others confirmed Vox's assertions about Tom's falsehoods. Vox was the instigator of the investigation. It only took five years for everyone else to catch up.

It is extremely saddening to consider how a man such as Tom could have gotten away with so much for 30 years. The length of time alone speaks to some serious issues with Tom's psyche. While I am by no means sure, I imagine pride, shame, narcissism, and guilt have had such an effect on Tom's mind that he is no longer able to properly feel remorse, compunction and true willingness to change. The conflicting emotions may have caused him to bury the remedies to cure them quite deeply, so as to protect his mind from further mental anguish. His sinful habits seem to be so deeply ingrained in him that he is, to use the expression, at home with them. He must be so at ease with them that he sees no need to cast them away from himself. 

One imagines what Tom is going through in his day-to-day life as his serial plagiarism and pathological lying continues to be exposed on a nearly daily basis. Is he fuming with anger at himself for being so idiotic that he was caught? Is he upset that he lost some of the positions he prided himself on having? Is he taking out his anger on his staff and interns, so as to make himself feel better about the humiliations?

Is he on his hands and knees, begging God for forgiveness? Is he taking steps to make due reparations to all of those he offended, with special attention to Vox Cantoris and his wife?

Or, to indulge the dark corners of my imagination, is Tom pleased with himself? Is he sitting at home right now, throwing back a glass of cognac and congratulating himself that he managed to hold on to the most precious position of all: Chief Executive Officer of Salt and Light? Is he enjoying a good old laugh with his buddies in Rome, knowing that he is secure in his pension and friendships?

One has to wonder. I do not deny that Fr. Thomas J. Rosica is a disturbed man, with anger management issues, a sociopath, and a predisposition to taking extreme revenge for the slightest perceived insult. I still stand by my assertion that Tom is a joke of a man and a joke of a priest. He is not someone I would want to spend any time around.

At the same time, I pity him. I pity the circumstances he is in. I pity his mental state, and suspected mental conditions. Above all, I pity the fact that this is what his life has become. I can only imagine that if Tom did not have these mental conditions, or sought help for them, how much better his life, those around him, and those of Catholics in Toronto - most of all Vox Cantoris - would be.

If Tom wasn't the mean, bullying, sociopathic, and downright toxic individual he is today, and was instead what he parades himself as being, he would do his priesthood due diligence and justice.

Poor Tom. I can only pity him.

Fr. Thomas J. Rosica, CSB is getting a slap on the wrist

Continuing the curious saga of Fr. Thomas J. Rosica, CSB, serial plagiarist extraordinaire, I can't help but notice he's getting off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

He has "resigned" - read, fired from - a few token positions at a few universities, and while many of the publications he has submitted "work" to are reviewing his pieces, he still has Salt and Light. His baby. So long as he has that, he's secure in his power. 

Oh, Tom, will you ever learn that money and riches do not go with you to the afterlife?

https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/assumption-university-to-review-rosicas-published-works

Why is St. Michael's College School in Toronto promoting LGBTQ+ ideology on its school website?

Last week, Barona briefly mentioned the sad fact of St. Michael's College School in Toronto proudly displaying the rainbow flag of LGBTQ+ fame on its school website as a part of an article.

In case the article is pulled from the web, we have taken screenshots and are including them below. Take a good, hard look at the images and ask yourself the following questions:

Why is a supposedly Catholic school promoting the rainbow flag when it is associated with homosexuality?

Why are 12 to 14 year olds being taught how to sew and use sewing machines?

Why is a man leading the sewing class?

What is really being taught in the hallowed halls of St. Michael's College School?

Parents of students at SMCS, why are you sending your sons to this school if this is the sort of garbage being promoted and passed around?

https://www.stmichaelscollegeschool.com/stories/~board/stories/post/sewing-important-seeds

No, there is no such thing as a "counter-revolutionary"

Last week, in a post speaking about the lure of the "easy answer" to the so-called "true traditionalist," I referred to a group known as the "counter-revolutionaries."

With Lent now underway, I figured it would be a good time as any to address the problem of the "counter-revolutionary," and how referring to oneself as such is detrimental to one's spiritual life, speaking as someone who once considered themselves to be a counter-revolutionary.

To give this topic due diligence, it is necessary to split it into two parts. This post will give the ideological basis of the counter-revolutionary position, while a subsequent post will explain the foolishness of such a position.

Essentially, a counter-revolutionary holds themselves to be the best possible solution to two problematic positions that they see as making detrimental concessions to the modern world. These other positions are termed "neo-conservatives" and "neo-traditionalists." According to the counter-revolutionary, a neo-conservative exhibits the following characteristics while attending either the Novus Ordo or the traditional Mass:

1. Being pro-life is more important than being Catholic, otherwise known as "Pro-Lifeism."
2. They just "LOVE" the American Constitution.
3. The separation of Church and State is utterly sacrosanct.
4. They keep the doctrine of the Social Kingship of Christ "hush-hush," or very quiet.
5. They are feminists.

Additionally, many of them supposedly exhibit the following personality traits:

• Pseudo-
• Intellectualism
• Haughty
• Neo-Conservative
• Overachiever

According to my sources, it is best to refer to these personality traits as "pinko" so as to highlight the fact that neo-conservatives are liberals who think they are not.

A neo-traditionalist is merely someone who holds these same views yet goes to the traditional Mass exclusively.

As one can expect, a counter-revolutionary holds themselves to be in complete opposition to the ideas espoused by neo-cons and neo-trads. They consider themselves more Catholic, not always explicitly, but implicitly. They degenerate the American Constitution. They advocate the union of Church and State. They vocally promote the doctrine of the Social Kingship of Christ, with the added condition of a monarchy being the only government where this can be realized, while participating in a democracy in a direct fashion (such as voting) is mortally sinful. They also speak against feminism, and the evils of allowing women great independence. 

Such a position is ridiculous. Why? That will have to wait for a future post, but for now, consider how elitist and snobbish holding oneself to be a counter-revolutionary is. It is imagining oneself to be a solution to a problem that will not only never go away, but contributes to it.

Is this what our Lord wants of us?

Memento mori

"Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris."

These are the words the priest utters when he puts the ashes on the top of our head (for men) or on our forehead (for women) before or after Mass on Ash Wednesday.

"Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."

These are the words of Genesis 3.

May we remember them as we enter this Season of Penance.

Lent is not a time to be grandiose

Lent begins tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a day of abstinence and fasting, under which we are obliged to observe under pain of mortal sin (barring exemptions given by one's parish priest). While we are not obliged to go to Mass on Ash Wednesday, it is encouraged so as to enter into the Season of Penance in the right spirit.

It is also a day where many people begin to undertake their Lenten penances and sacrifices.

It is a good tradition, but one which comes with certain pitfalls. I am speaking of the temptation to treat one's Lenten penances and sacrifices as something like New Year's resolutions.

You know what I am talking about. The big plans to finally make this a Lent to remember. Minimal eating. Maximum prayer. Read all the pious books you can. Finally give up that silly habit that leads you to sin each time you engage in it. You know, finally become the Christian you were meant to be!

In a word, grandiose. Such plans were common when I was regularly attending the Novus Ordo. While I cannot speak for others definitely, I can speak of myself that I certainly concocted such plans. One year, I remember saying I would grow in charity that Lent, and other farfetched plans. Well, more than three years later, I am still growing in charity, and I doubt very much I succeeded in attaining those other plans!

Nor is this an issue confined solely to the Novus Ordo. It occurs in the Traditional Mass too. I say this not because I have done it or seen others do it; I say it merely because logic tells us that the same human weaknesses present in those who attend the Novus Ordo are also present in those that attend the Traditional Mass.

So, friends, take a good, hard look at your Lenten penances and sacrifices. Are they too much? Too idealistic? Too grandiose? Too geared towards, say, showing off for the sake of being admired? So others know that you are being such a good Catholic?

Remember, Our Lord said of the Pharisees in the Gospel,

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. - Matthew 6:5

In our day and age, just like it was in the ages past, it is a great temptation to become grandiose in our actions, so we may be seen by others and be known for the actions, and make ourselves into something we are not. It is something I am watchful for, first and foremost in myself, whenever I undertake something Church-related.

Pope Bergoglio likes to call his enemies Pharisees, amongst other cheerful epithets.

Do we want to prove him right this Lent?

The Catholic Church has always denounced the scourge of Liberalism

Pope Leo XIII - the Scourge of Liberalism 

Ever since the rise of Freemasonry in 1717, and its revolutionary outbreaks in 1776, 1789... and onwards into the revolutions of the 1800s; to the Masonic revolutions in central and south America... the Catholic Church has always waged war against the Masonic spirit. 

It is hard for us Catholics to understand the danger of liberalism, given we breath it 24/7. It surrounds us. Yet, we must eradicate its spirit from our lives, and inoculate ourselves against its seductive poison. This can only be done with prayer and study of the Popes. Any nation that does not have Jesus Christ as King, is a nation that has gone wrong, and is, objectively speaking, in the camp of Satan.

Leo XIII denounced Masonic "liberty":

From Inscrutabili: 

6. Furthermore, that kind of civilization which conflicts with the doctrines and laws of holy Church is nothing but a worthless imitation and meaningless name. Of this those peoples on whom the Gospel light has never shown afford ample proof, since in their mode of life a shadowy semblance only of civilization is discoverable, while its true and solid blessings have never been possessed. Undoubtedly, that cannot by any means be accounted the perfection of civilized life which sets all legitimate authority boldly at defiance; nor can that be regarded as liberty which, shamefully and by the vilest means, spreading false principles, and freely indulging the sensual gratification of lustful desires, claims impunity for all crime and misdemeanor, and thwarts the goodly influence of the worthiest citizens of whatsoever class. Delusive, perverse, and misleading as are these principles, they cannot possibly have any inherent power to perfect the human race and fill it with blessing, for "sin maketh nations miserable." Such principles, as a matter of course, must hurry nations, corrupted in mind and heart, into every kind of infamy, weaken all right order, and thus, sooner or later, bring the standing and peace of the State to the very brink of ruin.

It was no different under Pius XI:

From Quas Primas:

It would be a grave error, on the other hand, to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs, since, by virtue of the absolute empire over all creatures committed to him by the Father, all things are in his power... If We ordain that the whole Catholic world shall revere Christ as King, We shall minister to the need of the present day, and at the same time provide an excellent remedy for the plague which now infects society. We refer to the plague of anti-clericalism, its errors and impious activities. This evil spirit, as you are well aware, Venerable Brethren, has not come into being in one day; it has long lurked beneath the surface. The empire of Christ over all nations was rejected. The right which the Church has from Christ himself, to teach mankind, to make laws, to govern peoples in all that pertains to their eternal salvation, that right was denied. Then gradually the religion of Christ came to be likened to false religions and to be placed ignominiously on the same level with them.

Enough about Cardinal Pell already

The hysteria about Cardinal George Pell's conviction has to stop.

For good or ill, he has been declared guilty. We can yammer on about how unfair or unjust the trial was, but the fact is that we are not Cardinal Pell or his lawyer. Only they can say he is guilty or innocent with any absolute certainty. They have not proven either. We cannot presume either in absolute terms, not when there are so many unanswered questions. We can only hope for justice to done, in either direction.

Cardinal Pell's lawyer has applied for an appeal. We will wait for that to proceed as it will.

Meanwhile, this writer has a question for those who are adamant in the cardinal's innocence. What will you do if the appeal finds him guilty, if there is an appeal? Sign petitions? Do some placebo other than prayer?

This writer notes with interest that much of the support for Cardinal Pell's "innocence" comes not only from examining the evidence or the trial procedure (which only officers of the court are fit to properly evaluate, by the way), but what seem to be the cardinal's conservatism, and the fact he supposedly tried to uncover the corruption in the Vatican Bank. This writer further wonders that if Cardinal Pell was not this way, would people care about him as they are now?

Is this what Catholicism has come to? Division along party lines? "Liberals" are automatically guilty because they are supposedly "liberal" and against Church teaching? "Conservatives" are automatically innocent because they are supposedly "conservative" and support Church teaching?

"Conservative" Catholics have fooled the media and Catholic populace before. Look at Cardinal Spellman of New York in the past, Cardinal Dolan of New York in the present. Cardinal Pell may well be in the same category. This writer does not know.

In any case, we cannot change what has happened and will happen. We need to settle down, take a deep, calming breath, and let justice be done.

Today is Quinquegesima Sunday. Go to Mass and pray to God that His Justice be done. That is all we can do, much as we hate to let go of our own opinions.

What are you reading this Lent?

It has become a good custom among literate Catholics to take up some good spiritual reading during Lent. While it should be done year-round, Lent's especially penitential quality has many reaching for books about the Cross.

So, what are you reading this Lent?

If you are still looking for a good book to read, I recommend the Bishop Fulton Sheen anthology entitled The Cries of Jesus from the Cross. It was compiled by Al Smith, known to us here at Toronto Catholic Witness. It comes highly recommended, and can be easily be found on Amazon or through the Sophia Institute.

Mr. Smith has generously compiled a reading schedule to get through the book one bit at a time during the upcoming season. I strongly urge you - if you are purchasing the book - to adhere to the schedule. 

May we all have a blessed Lent!

Happy St. David's Day