Adoration of the Two-by-Four: Blasphemy at St. John Vianney parish in Barrie, Ontario

Dear friends, 

I could not have been more horrified when, for the Adoration of the Cross, during the Good Friday service in the Novus Ordo rite, the priest at St. John Vianney's parish in Barrie Ontario, offered to us a two-by-four to adore, to venerate. I, for one, did not go up and kiss the two pieces of wood that were nailed together. 

This action of offering to us a couple of two-by-fours nailed together, instead of a Crucifix was utterly disgusting and a grave insult to Our Blessed Lord. 

Instead of a Crucifix, which would gradually be exposed for true veneration by the Faithful, where we would see the precious wounds that Our Lord suffered for our sins, and we could kiss them and meditate upon them - all we saw was what amounted to a nicely polished two-by-four. 

How can one be surprised anymore by anything? But it makes sense: they wish to deny sin, so why not deny that our Lord suffered for our sins? Why not hide his suffering and pain? After all, so it seems, today's modern "church" is about self-fulfillment, rather than self-denial. 

Official Communique of the Polish Bishops' Episcopal Conference on the Protection of Human Life

Communique of the Polish Bishops' Episcopal Conference on the full protection of human life. The Polish Parliament i considering a complete ban on abortion.

Though the official number of abortions in Poland is extremely low (less than 1000 per annum); Poland's catastrophically low birth rate (one of the worst in the world) would along with contraception involve abortions undertaken outsdie Poland. NOnetheless, the total ban of this horrendous crime is to be lauded.  

(Toronto Catholic Witness translation. You may use freely, but you must credit us). 

To be read in every parish on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016. 

The life of every person is protected by the fifth commandment of the Decalogue: "Thou shalt not kill!". Therefore, the position of Catholics in this regard is clear and unchanging: from conception to natural death, the life of every human being is to be protected. 

With regard to the protection of unborn life one cannot stop at the current compromise expressed in the Act of 7 January 1993, which in three cases permitted abortion. Thus, in the year 1050th Jubilee Anniversary of the "Baptism of Polish  people" we ask all of good will, from believers and non-believers, to take action that is aimed at the full legal protection of the unborn. We ask members of parliament and government leaders who have taken legislative initiatives and launched programs that would also provide practical help for parents of sick children, the disabled and conceived as a result of rape. We ask all the Polish people to pray for the full protection of human life from conception to natural death, both in our country and beyond its borders.

Archbishop Stanislaw Gądecki

Metropolitan Poznan

Chairman of KEP

Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski

Metropolitan Lodz

Deputy Chairman of KEP

Bishop Arthur G. Miziński

Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference

Warsaw, 30 March 2016.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Gulf States manipulate crisis, while migrants burn religious icons as firewood in Greece

Metropolitan Ambrose of Kalavryta

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, all enablers of ISIS, are also the masterminds behind the recent mass flow of migrants from Syria into Europe. As central and eastern Europe buckle under the social, demographic and economic disaster of this mass dumping of hundreds of thousands onto European shores; the puppeteers behind all this remains the vile Turks, Saudis and other super wealthy Gulf States that seek to destabilize Europe, perhaps to change the very face of Europe. Perhaps it is time to shine the spotlight on these vicious provocateurs?

Polonia Christiana carries some details of the actions of migrants in Greece. The situation is not pretty. One is forced to wonder why the extraordinarily wealthy Saudis refuse to take any of their co-religionists?

In Piraeus and in the vicinity where there are immigrants - Moslems are removing wooden icons from the walls of unattended churches and kindle the fire on cold nights. The Icons, sometimes historic, are being treated like pieces of dry wood! This is only a portion of scandalous, anti-Christian behavior of Muslim immigrants in the Balkans. 

In the port town of Piraeus, as the clergy reported, immigrants demanded that the cross be removed from one of the churches! In Kavala, in northern Greece, the immigrants removed the bell from the local orthodox church and demanded that the local authorities do not permit its use. 

In another Greek town, immigrants from the Middle East distributed leaflets in which one could read: "Greeks believe the words of Muhammad, and you may be able to save yourselves and your families. The war came to your country. Now, blood will flow like a river! "

Authorities in Athens have been sharply criticized the Metropolitan Ambrose of Kalavryta. The prelate believes that the authorities are extremely passive, and the effect of their attitude will be their conquest of Greece by immigrants. 

"I blame both our political left and right. Representative of this attitude a couple of days ago it was said that with the help of immigrants the demographic crisis in Greece will be solved once and for all! I hope it is not only for us, that in this matter the authorities can be so incomprehensible and take the side of immigrants. Today our invaders", said the outraged Metropolitan Ambrose.

(Original article in Polish from Polonia Christiana may be read here. Translation by Toronto Catholic Witness. You may use our translation freely, but you must credit us). 

BREAKING: Press Statement on Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil released by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India

PRESS STATEMENT New Delhi: 2nd April, 2016, 6.30 p.m. 

The CBCI Delegation met the Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, at her Office this evening and discussed all matters related to the release of Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, a Salesian Priest, abducted by the suspected IS Militants from Aden, Yemen, on March 4, 2016. 

The CBCI Delegation expressed the deep concern and distress of the Catholic Church in India over the fate of Fr. Tom, whose whereabouts are yet not known, even after 29 days of that sad incident. The Delegation firmly requested the Hon’ble Minister to throw some light on the mystery involving the abduction and the truth regarding the present state of Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, SDB, especially now, when wild rumours are being spread at home and abroad about the fate of Fr. Tom.

Ms. Sushma Swaraj has categorically assured the delegation that Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil is safe and that the Government is adopting all possible means for the quick and safe release of Fr. Tom. The Honorable Minister further said that the details of the negotiations and the technicalities involved with the negotiations cannot be divulged now, as it would endanger the process of release itself. Ms. Sushma Swaraj also shared with the delegation the strenuous effort taken by the External Affairs Ministry, and personally by her to procure a safe passage for Sr. Rema, the only surviving nun, from the terrorist attack in Yemen. The Honorable Minister also said that the wild rumors being spread about any harm done to Fr. Tom, are totally baseless.

The members of the Delegation expressed the sincere gratitude of the whole Church in India for the various steps taken by the Government of India and, in particular, the Hon’ble Minister for External Affairs, to trace and rescue Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil from the abductors. 

The Delegation consisted of the CBCI Deputy Secretary General, Monsignor Joseph Chinnayyan; CBCI Spokesperson, Fr. Gyanprakash Topno; CARITAS India Executive Director, Fr. Frederick D’Souza; CBCI Secretary for Education, Fr. Joseph Manipadam, SDB; and the Secretary for CBCI Legal Matters, Advocate Jose Abraham. The Delegation handed over to Smt. Sushma Swaraj the same Letter, which was earlier handed over to the Senior Officials of the External Affairs Ministry, as the Hon’ble Minister was not in Delhi on those days. 

Msgr. Joseph Chinnayyan, 

Deputy Secretary General, CBCI

(sent to this blog by journalist Benwen Lopez who is based in the Middle East). 

BREAKING:" Fr. Tom is safe" says Indian Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj

Fr. Thomas Uzhunnalil, the Catholic priest, who was captured on March 4th is said to be "safe", a journalist based in the Middle East has informed this blog. 

The Minister of External Affairs of India, the Honorable Sushma Swaraj, informed a delegation from the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) that negotiations are underway for the safe release of Fr. Tom. 

Our source says: 

"Ms. Sushma Swaraj has categorically assured the CBCI delegation that Fr. Tom is safe and that the government is adopting all possible means for the quick and safe release of Fr. Tom". 

No further details can be divulged due to ongoing negotiations, as "it would endanger the process of the release itself", said our source. 

  

The External Affairs Ministry of India is also working tirelessly to obtain the release of Sr. Rema, the sole surving Sister of Charity of the terrorist attack in Yemen. Minister Swaraj also informed the delegation that the continued spreading of rumours that Fr. Tom has been harmed are completely baseless. 

Please continue to pray for Fr. Tom and Sr. Rema. 

Government of Hungary publishes European "No-Go Zones" following Islamist invasions and terror attacks in Europe

The Government of Hungary, after accessing the growing dangers of the recent migrations of Moslems from Turkey into Europe, the Islamic terrorist attacks in Brussels; coupled with the complete inability or unwillingness of the various western European governments to curtail terrorism and even Islamism (e.g. there have been open and public manifestations in Brussels by Islamists celebrating the terrorist attacks), have published a map of "no-go zones" in Europe, identifying cities that should be avoided. 

The Hungarians list the once great cities of London and Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Brussels, Marseille, and Stockholm. 

THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF "THE CARDINAL'S HAT"

There are stories that in some Monasteries the monks..... ? 

Watch the video and learn the incredible tale of:

 'The Cardinal's Hat'! 

BREAKING from ROME: Pope Francis to say Traditional Latin Mass on Mercy Sunday!

Fr. Frederico Lombardi S.J., this morning on Vatican Radio, announced that Our Holy Father, Pope Francis will offer a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite on April 3rd, 2016 in St. Peter's Basilica. 

This beautiful event, Fr. Lombardi said, was to emphasize the Year of Mercy. 

Full details may be read here.