Las Vegas Bishop Makes Ebola Recommendation

The Bishop's administrative assistant recently distributed a memo to priests recommending that Holy Communion should no longer be distributed on the tongue, that the Precious Blood not be distributed, and that parishioners should refrain from touching during the Sign of Peace. Las Vegas is a place filled with international visitors and some measure of caution may be prudent. However, in several parishes the pastors have announced that they will not distribute Holy Communion on the tongue. The impression is that you may not receive on the tongue. This is not accurate.

Please be aware that Redemptionis Sacramentum (92) is still in effect. Receiving in the hand cannot be insisted upon, and you cannot be denied Holy Communion if you present yourself to receive the Eucharist on the tongue.

The Bishop's guideline is not a mandate, it is a suggestion and a recommendation. The individual pastors can choose whether they would like to adopt the guidelines, but even so, the faithful are free to choose their posture for reception of the Holy Eucharist. Interestingly, in many parishes across the Diocese pastors have chosen to institute the guidelines as law.

It may be advisable to follow the Bishop's recommendation, and surely it has been made out of a place of care. But the faithful must not be intimidated, as their mode of reception is protected by actual church law.

The Bishop's assistant's memo is as follows.

*******
TO: Priests of the Las Vegas Diocese

FROM: Phyllis Bagan for Most Reverend Joseph A. Pepe, D.D., J.C.D.

DATE: October 9, 2014

Re: Ebola Virus

We have received numerous recent inquiries about Rites of Communion given the recent Ebola Virus ("virus") situation. Most of the inquiries have been raised about persons visiting the affected countries and providing missionary work. This memorandum is by no means meant to frighten or panic anyone at this point; however, we are a vulnerable community. Moreover, because of the tourism and gaming industry bringing a large number of visitors from all over the world, I want you to be aware of the methods in which the virus is transmitted and to ensure cautionary measures are set in place to meet any occurrences.

According to the Center for Disease Control ("CDC"), there are a couple of ways in which the virus can be spread to others. These include: direct contact with bodily fluids, including saliva, of a person who is sick with the virus; or contact with objects that have been contaminated with bodily fluids of an infected person. The virus enters another person's body through broken skin or unprotected mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose and mouth. 

Given this information, and out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that for the duration of the virus-related health concerns, those parishes distributing the Eucharist under both species limit distribution to just the Host. We also recommend that the Host be given in the hand, but not on the tongue.

You may also wish to advise parishioners that the Sign of Peace need not consist of personal contact such as handshakes or hugs, but a simple friendly acknowledgement of one another. Parishioners should be made to feel comfortable regardless of the method in which they offer each other the Sign of Peace. 

While we regret having to make these recommendations, the safety of our people is of paramount concern. Please let me know if you have any questions or if my office can be of any further assistance. Thank you and may God bless you. 
*******

In the news: Church Militant TV (1 min. 57 sec.)

Letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship in response to a lay person seeking similar clarification during the H1N1 epidemic.

Call to Prayer:

Lord God, Divine Physician, be our strength and our protection. Help us to grow in faith and fidelity, that we may not worry for today but that we place our trust wholly in you. May devotion to your Eucharistic presence flourish among the faithful. In the presence of the Eucharist, inspire your servants with Awe, a gift of the Holy Spirit. Pour out an abundance of blessings upon our Bishop and our priests, who have consecrated their lives in service to you. Holy Mary, pray for us. Amen.

Perpetual Adoration Shut Down at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The Mater Dei Adoration Chapel at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) has ceased to function as a Perpetual Adoration chapel. It began by closing down completely on major holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas of last year.

During this past Holy Week, and for Easter, our highest holy day of the year, the chapel was also closed and the Blessed Sacrament reposed.

In addition, Fr. Bede has instructed that the chapel shall now close down for the night at 7pm during weekdays and the Blessed Sacrament reposed from 3pm on Saturday until Monday morning. This means that the chapel is no longer a Perpetual Adoration chapel, and there is now only one Perpetual Adoration chapel in the entire Diocese of Las Vegas, which can be found at St. Bridget's.

While the reasons for this change have not been made public, this is a good opportunity for us all to pray for an increase in Eucharistic Devotion and Adoration.

Call to Prayer:

Heavenly Father, increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son, Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.  We are obliged to adore Him, to give Him thanks and to make reparation for sins.  We need Your peace in our hearts and among nations.  We need conversion from our sins and the mercy of Your forgiveness.  May we obtain this through prayer and our union with the Eucharistic Lord.  

Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples to give them the love, courage, strength and willingness to responding to the invitation to Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.  

We beseech You to spread perpetual exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament in parishes around the world.  We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.  Amen.


Let us also ask for Our Lady's intercession:

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament help us to spread the glory of Your Son through perpetual exposition of the Holy Eucharist.   

O Virgin Mary, our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, glory of the Christian people, joy of the universal Church, salvation of the world: pray for us, and awaken in all the faithful devotion to the Holy Eucharist in order that they render themselves worthy to receive it daily. Amen.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Fr. Bede Wevita - Part 3

This is the third and final part of the series on St. Elizabeth's and Fr. Bede. During a training for Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, Father Bede called into question the Real Presence in the form of the Blood of Christ by stating that if it spills, then it is no longer the Blood of Christ. Three different people confirmed the incident. Here are two direct quotes from those in attendance (emphasis added).

Quote 1: 

"He said that once the blood is mixed with contaminants on the floor it is no longer the blood but should still be treated with reverence."

Quote 2: 

"If the Precious Blood spills to the ground, we are to place the purificator over the spill  immediately, stand there in case others would step on it, then later (after Mass is over) we are to take a wet cloth to wipe it and absorb the spill. He then added that once the Precious Blood spills it is contaminated and no longer consecrated."

There is really not much more one can say about this, as it speaks entirely for itself.  We should give thanks to God that Fr. Bede still insists on treating the spill with reverence and according to the proper procedures even if he does not believe it to be the Precious Blood any longer.

Call to Prayer:

O Word Made Flesh, we thank you for the gift of yourself in the the Sacrament of the Eucharist and we glorify your Holy Name.  We ask that you give us the strength to follow your commandments in both letter and spirit, and to please you in every sphere of our lives, both public and private.

We humbly ask that you enkindle the fire of your love in your Holy Priests, and we ask you to foster joy in their hearts when they encounter expressions of devotion to your Real Presence.

May we all discover a sense of awe in the True Presence of Christ. Help our priests nurture and encourage the devotional life especially where they call to mind the deepest mysteries of Christ. Amen.

CCHD Collection This Weekend

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has been well documented as having contributed money in the past to organizations directly contradicting our faith. While they say they have cleaned up their act, the truth is that they continue to contribute money to questionable groups, including the Industrial Areas Foundation - a group that works against the Church's teaching on subsidiarity. In light of the upcoming CCHD collection this weekend I am reposting my last entry regarding the CCHD and the IAF so that you may prayerfully consider where your money is going and what it supports.

Here is a link to a website that provides investigative reports on the CCHD.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you. You may instead consider giving money directly to a local Catholic organization, where you will know for a fact what it supports.

The Catholic church in Las Vegas is partially funding the Industrial Areas Foundation, a group whose local branch calls itself the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (LVVISC). The Industrial Areas Foundation is a politically active Alinskyian organization that promotes values in contradiction to Catholic teachings (see "Bishop Supports Questionable 'Interfaith' Group"). The financial support of our local church in funding this group is not rumor or an unfounded claim, but a fully verifiable fact.

This local IAF branch published a document stating that they are financially supported in part by local Catholic congregations (see document: Funding by local Catholic Congregations) as well as by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).

While it is unknown at this time how much individual Las Vegas parishes have contributed to a cause that works against Holy Mother Church, we do know that according to the list of grants distributed by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) found on the USCCB website, $50, 000.00 has been donated to the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (LVVISC) for the 2011-2012 year. 

One might imagine that the CCHD funding is simply a national grant that has nothing to do with the Diocese of Las Vegas. But in fact, the CCHD money could not have been obtained without the help from Deacon Tim O'Callaghan, Fr. Bob Stoeckig and with approval by Bishop Pepe.

Here are the roles they each played in securing funding for this local branch of the Industrial Areas Foundation:

Deacon Tim O'Callaghan - Deacon Tim is the CCHD Diocesan Coordinator for the Las Vegas Diocese - Area E. (Source: USCCB Website). Deacon Tim is assigned to St. Andrew in Boulder City alongside Fr. Stoeckig. The Diocesan Coordinator is responsible for reviewing the organization's application, completing an evaluation, conducting site visits, making the recommendation to the Bishop, and submitting the Bishop's endorsement to the CCHD. Please explore Deacon Tim's social action website for more information.
 
Fr. Bob Stoeckig - Fr. Stoeckig was extremely vocal in his support for the LVVISC, organized a delegation of St. Andrew parishioners to attend the rally, spoke at the rally, and disclosed in the St. Andrew bulletin that he is actually a member of the LVVISC. Common sense tells us that he, as the Catholic delegate to the LVVISC, would have be the person who directed the LVVISC to apply for the $50,000 CCHD grant.

Bishop Joseph Pepe - Bishop Pepe is responsible for reviewing the grant application, the recommendation of the Diocesan Director, and for giving final endorsement and approval for awarding the grant.

A description of the process and timeline for awarding grants can be found on the USCCB website link for the grant process.

For a more complete treatise on why the Industrial Areas Foundation is not consistent with Catholic teaching and for insight into the CCHD's historic role in funding the IAF, please review this article by CatholicCulture.org.

Among the reasons cited at the link above for questioning Catholic funding and support for the IAF are as follows:

"1. The principles of Saul Alinsky render any organization so grounded unfit for receipt of Catholic charitable money. As the IAF proceeds upon the principles of Saul Alinsky, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

2. The IAF is an institutional-based organization. Community organizing by religious institution, rather than by individual, is unjust and robs the dissenting individual of his dignity and right of conscience. As the IAF is an institutional-based organization, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

3. The IAF has a demonstrable relationship with the dissident organization Call to Action. Many points in the Call to Action agenda contradict Catholic teaching. This relationship between the IAF and Call to Action creates an example of material cooperation between a CCHD-funded organization and an organization, which is not in accord with Catholic teaching. Continued funding of the IAF, therefore, violates the 1998 Draft of Moral Guidelines for Funding by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development which states that "CCHD funds will not be used to support any project which is sponsored or promoted by an organization whose primary or substantial thrust is contrary to Catholic teaching, even if the project itself is in accord with Catholic teaching." Therefore, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

4. IAF activities in the area of education reform contradict Catholic teaching. IAF activities in the area of welfare reform also contradict Catholic teaching and subvert the work of its member parishes. Again, continued funding of the IAF violates the 1998 Draft of Moral Guidelines for Funding by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which states that, "CCHD funds will be used to support only projects that conform to Catholic teaching." Therefore, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

5. The IAF is engaged in partisan political activities. The use of churches by outside organizations, such as the IAF, to promote their own "progressive issues" is inimical to the dignity of the individual within the church who opposes that progressive agenda, and is inimical to his rights of conscience. Therefore, continued CCHD funding to the IAF is inappropriate.

6. The IAF has introduced theological distortions into a number of Catholic communities. Cessation of CCHD grants to the IAF would clarify that the IAF's theology is different from Catholic theology, is inappropriate for promulgation in Catholic communities, and disqualifies the IAF for such funding."

Call to Prayer:

Oh Holy Spirit, You are the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. You are the Spirit of truth, love and holiness, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and equal to Them in all things. We adore You and love You with all our heart. Teach us to know and to seek God, by whom and for whom we were created. Fill our hearts with a holy fear and a great love for Him. Help us to be prudent stewards of the blessings you have seen fit to bestow upon us. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Fr. Bede Wevita - Part 2

This second part of the three-part series of blog posts about Fr. Bede and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is in regard to Fr. Bede's instruction to the faithful of his parish to cease kneeling for Holy Communion.

While kneeling to receive is not practiced by the majority of faithful Catholics in Las Vegas, there are some who feel called by the Holy Spirit to do so. According to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal), they are perfectly within their rights to kneel for Holy Communion, even if their priest doesn't like it.  Paragraph 160 of the GIRM states:

The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction, Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, no. 91).

A couple of weeks ago, on the weekend of October 28th, 2012, an announcement was made at Mass to the effect that individuals should not kneel for Communion, but should stand to receive in unity with everyone else. This announcement was accompanied by a bulletin announcement by Fr. Bede.

Apart from the fact that Fr. Bede has no right to insist on a particular way of receiving Communion, there are several points that require a response from the faithful, with kind assistance from a canon lawyer who has made clarifications in regards to this bulletin announcement.

Quote: "Moreover, blessing yourself after you receive the Eucharist is not entirely appropriate.  Doing these actions when you receive the consecrated host undermines what happens at Holy Communion and what we have become - the Body of Christ."

Response: Making the sign of the cross does not undermine what happens when receiving Holy Communion. We have not "become" the Body of Christ in receiving Holy Communion.  We are baptized into the body of Christ, the Church.  The Eucharist continues to strengthen our union with Christ as members of his body. 

Quote: "Genuflecting or making the sign of the cross before or after receiving communion is not correct."

Response: There was a response from the Vatican permitting people to genuflect before receiving.

Another point is that concelebrating priests are to genuflect when approaching the altar to drink from the Chalice.  For example, the Host may have been brought to them at their seats by a deacon, but then they walk forward to the altar to drink the Blood of Christ. 

GIRM 248.  After the principal celebrant’s Communion, the chalice is placed at the side of the altar on another corporal. The concelebrants approach the middle of the altar one by one, genuflect, and communicate from the Body of the Lord; then they move to the side of the altar and partake of the Blood of the Lord, following the rite chosen for Communion from the chalice, as has been remarked above. 

At every Mass the priest genuflects three times to the Eucharist - once at each consecration and then once before, "Behold the Lamb of God ..."

Quote: "Furthermore GIRM states that "A common bodily posture, to be observed by all those taking part, is a sign of unity of the members of the Christian community gathered together for the Sacred Liturgy, for it expresses the intentions and spiritual attitude of the participants and also fosters them." "For the sake of uniformity in gestures and bodily postures during one and the same celebration, the faithful should follow the instructions which the Deacon, a lay minister, or the Priest gives, according to what is laid down in the Missal."

Response: The unity of bodily posture is meant for times when everyone is doing the same thing at the same time -- e.g., sitting, standing, kneeling.  The several responses from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments acknowledging the rights of the faithful to genuflect, kneel to receive, etc., and also the right to choose between receiving in the hands or on the tongue, make it clear that they are not insisting on uniformity in receiving Holy Communion.

Quote: "Attention must therefore be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and by the traditional practice of the Roman  Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice."

Response: It is agreed that attention should be paid to the GIRM. However, the last line of this quote in particular is completely insensitive to the devotional expressions of the individual. If you ask a person who kneels for Communion why they do it, they will usually express a sense that God is calling them to it. It is never due to a mere "inclination" and "arbitrary choice".

They will also tell you that kneeling for Holy Communion is not always easy because of how uncommon it is in Las Vegas. In fact, it is likely that there are many more people who deeply desire to kneel for Holy Communion as an expression of their faith in the Real Presence, but who are so self-conscious and afraid of being judged that they cannot bring themselves to do it.

Fr. Bede has been known to attempt this sort of restriction on kneeling to receive in the past as well. When he was at St. John Neumann he also decreed that parishioners were not to kneel to receive, much in the way that he is doing now at St. Elizabeth's.

In addition to making the announcement at Mass at St. John Neumann, the instruction was also published in leaflets inserted into the missal. Please view this missal insert from St. John Neumann. This leaflet was found there in 2010.

Note number 5, "...the appropriate time to show unity in the Lord is when we all stand together at communion."

Because Fr. Bede does not agree with kneeling for Communion does not mean he can prohibit it. Church documents clearly support the practice.

Call to Prayer:

O Word Made Flesh, we thank you for the gift of yourself in the the Sacrament of the Eucharist and we glorify your Holy Name.  We ask that you give us the strength to follow your commandments in both letter and spirit, and to please you in every sphere of our lives, both public and private.

We humbly ask that you enkindle the fire of your love in your Holy Priests, and we ask you to foster joy in their hearts when they encounter expressions of devotion to your Real Presence.

May we all discover a sense of awe in the True Presence of Christ. Help our priests nurture and encourage the devotional life especially where they call to mind the deepest mysteries of Christ. Amen.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Fr. Bede Wevita - Part 1

Fr. Bede Wevita, who was recently assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in the wake of the scandal with Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe, has begun making changes at the parish.

This is the first of three blog posts in which I will be reviewing the following areas of concern:

1. The dimissal of Ed Graveline as head of the Apologetics ministry.
2. Instructing parishioners to cease kneeling for Holy Communion.
3. Calling into question the Real Presence of the Blood of Christ.

The first of these is the dismissal of Ed Graveline, a respected parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and leader of the Apologetics ministry there. Much to the shock of many people who know him, he has been terminated and can no longer be in a leadership role at St. Elizabeth's.

Mr. Graveline had asked Fr. Bede for permission to pass out National Right to Life flyers after Mass leading up to the November 6th election. Fr. Bede denied permission, and threatened Mr. Graveline with calling the police on him if he did indeed pass out these flyers. In compliance, Mr. Graveline left the church property and went to the public sidewalk, and passed out the flyers there after Mass.

Although he was on a public sidewalk, the flyers were compliant with the rules regarding 501(c)(3) tax exempt requirements. Nonprofits (in this case, the Church) cannot endorse any political candidates. The flyer compared what each political candidate's stance is on abortion, but did not endorse any specific candidate.

Here is a photo of the flyer.

The other "infraction" Mr. Graveline committed was to send out political e-mails from his own personal e-mail address to his personal contacts. He regularly sends out spiritual and sociopolitical commentary to his personal contacts, and in this case he did all the research on the various candidates and e-mailed out a "Voter Guide" detailing which political candidates most closely followed Church teaching.

Fr. Bede apparently received a couple of complaints about the e-mails (one wonders why the complainants would not either delete the unwanted e-mail, directly reply to Mr. Graveline and request removal from the list, or just hit the spam button).

In response to the complaints about Mr. Graveline's personal e-mails, Fr. Bede immediately called upon the Diocesan attorney, Judith Simon Kohl to excoriate Mr. Graveline and threaten him with a "cease and desist" letter.

In a subsequent meeting to discuss his future at St. Elizabeth's, Fr. Bede chose to completely revoke his permission for Mr. Graveline to continue teaching Apologetics and forbade him to henceforth lead any ministry whatsoever at the parish.

Call to Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we thank you for those in our parishes who give freely of their time and their talents to further the Kingdom of God. We ask your special protection over church volunteers as well as over our priests who have given their lives in service to You. As priests and church volunteers work together for you, O Lord, we entreat you to guide them all to better serve you, to treat all with a brotherly and Christian care, and to love one another as themselves. Amen.

$50,000 of Catholic Money Donated to the LVVISC

The Catholic church in Las Vegas is partially funding the Industrial Areas Foundation, a group whose local branch calls itself the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (LVVISC). The Industrial Areas Foundation is a politically active Alinskyian organization that promotes values in contradiction to Catholic teachings (see "Bishop Supports Questionable 'Interfaith' Group"). The financial support of our local church in funding this group is not rumor or an unfounded claim, but a fully verifiable fact.

This local IAF branch published a document stating that they are financially supported in part by local Catholic congregations (see document: Funding by local Catholic Congregations) as well as by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD).

While it is unknown at this time how much individual Las Vegas parishes have contributed to a cause that works against Holy Mother Church, we do know that according to the list of grants distributed by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) found on the USCCB website, $50, 000.00 has been donated to the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (LVVISC) for the 2011-2012 year. 

One might imagine that the CCHD funding is simply a national grant that has nothing to do with the Diocese of Las Vegas. But in fact, the CCHD money could not have been obtained without the help from Deacon Tim O'Callaghan, Fr. Bob Stoeckig and with approval by Bishop Pepe.

Here are the roles they each played in securing funding for this local branch of the Industrial Areas Foundation:

Deacon Tim O'Callaghan - Deacon Tim is the CCHD Diocesan Coordinator for the Las Vegas Diocese - Area E. (Source: USCCB Website). Deacon Tim is assigned to St. Andrew in Boulder City alongside Fr. Stoeckig. The Diocesan Coordinator is responsible for reviewing the organization's application, completing an evaluation, conducting site visits, making the recommendation to the Bishop, and submitting the Bishop's endorsement to the CCHD. Please explore Deacon Tim's social action website for more information.
 
Fr. Bob Stoeckig - Fr. Stoeckig was extremely vocal in his support for the LVVISC, organized a delegation of St. Andrew parishioners to attend the rally, spoke at the rally, and disclosed in the St. Andrew bulletin that he is actually a member of the LVVISC. Common sense tells us that he, as the Catholic delegate to the LVVISC, would have be the person who directed the LVVISC to apply for the $50,000 CCHD grant.

Bishop Joseph Pepe - Bishop Pepe is responsible for reviewing the grant application, the recommendation of the Diocesan Director, and for giving final endorsement and approval for awarding the grant.

A description of the process and timeline for awarding grants can be found on the USCCB website link for the grant process.

For a more complete treatise on why the Industrial Areas Foundation is not consistent with Catholic teaching and for insight into the CCHD's historic role in funding the IAF, please review this article by CatholicCulture.org.

Among the reasons cited at the link above for questioning Catholic funding and support for the IAF are as follows:

"1. The principles of Saul Alinsky render any organization so grounded unfit for receipt of Catholic charitable money. As the IAF proceeds upon the principles of Saul Alinsky, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

2. The IAF is an institutional-based organization. Community organizing by religious institution, rather than by individual, is unjust and robs the dissenting individual of his dignity and right of conscience. As the IAF is an institutional-based organization, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

3. The IAF has a demonstrable relationship with the dissident organization Call to Action. Many points in the Call to Action agenda contradict Catholic teaching. This relationship between the IAF and Call to Action creates an example of material cooperation between a CCHD-funded organization and an organization, which is not in accord with Catholic teaching. Continued funding of the IAF, therefore, violates the 1998 Draft of Moral Guidelines for Funding by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development which states that "CCHD funds will not be used to support any project which is sponsored or promoted by an organization whose primary or substantial thrust is contrary to Catholic teaching, even if the project itself is in accord with Catholic teaching." Therefore, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

4. IAF activities in the area of education reform contradict Catholic teaching. IAF activities in the area of welfare reform also contradict Catholic teaching and subvert the work of its member parishes. Again, continued funding of the IAF violates the 1998 Draft of Moral Guidelines for Funding by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which states that, "CCHD funds will be used to support only projects that conform to Catholic teaching." Therefore, the IAF should no longer receive CCHD grants.

5. The IAF is engaged in partisan political activities. The use of churches by outside organizations, such as the IAF, to promote their own "progressive issues" is inimical to the dignity of the individual within the church who opposes that progressive agenda, and is inimical to his rights of conscience. Therefore, continued CCHD funding to the IAF is inappropriate.

6. The IAF has introduced theological distortions into a number of Catholic communities. Cessation of CCHD grants to the IAF would clarify that the IAF's theology is different from Catholic theology, is inappropriate for promulgation in Catholic communities, and disqualifies the IAF for such funding."

Call to Prayer:

Oh Holy Spirit, You are the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. You are the Spirit of truth, love and holiness, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and equal to Them in all things. We adore You and love You with all our heart. Teach us to know and to seek God, by whom and for whom we were created. Fill our hearts with a holy fear and a great love for Him. Help us to be prudent stewards of the blessings you have seen fit to bestow upon us. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Bishop Says "No" to Nuns

A new Catholic grade school is opening in the 2012-2013 school year. St. Gabriel Catholic School will be starting with Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Fr. Marcus Gomori, Pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church, had been planning on bringing in Roman Catholic nuns in full habit (the Dominican Sisters of Nashville) to teach the children and potentially establish a Mother House near the school.

But because they are Roman Catholic Sisters and not Eastern Rite Sisters under the authority of the Eparchy, Bishop Pepe's permission is necessary in order for them to function in Las Vegas.

Two trustworthy and credible sources have independently confirmed that Bishop Pepe refuses to give his permission for the Sisters to come to Las Vegas to teach. What has not been verified independently is the reason for his refusal, so at the moment it would be speculation to say why he won't give permission.

Unable to secure permission, Fr. Marcus will instead be contracting the Sisters of Saint Basil under the authority of the Eparchy of Van Nuys (independent from our local Bishop). It is hoped that in turn, the sisters themselves will eventually be able to hire the Dominican Sisters of Nashville - under the authority of the same Eparchy instead of the Bishop.

Interestingly, the Bishop's call for financial support of Catholic schools on the Diocesan home page this week makes reference to seven Catholic elementary schools (St. Gabriel would not be included in that number) and makes reference to the fact that students are no longer taught by Sisters. He states:

"Those of us, who have been afforded the opportunity of a Catholic elementary school education, are also aware of the changes that have occurred.  In the past most Catholic schools were the beneficiaries of very dedicated Sisters, Brothers, and Priests who regularly staffed both teaching and administrative positions, often with very limited compensation.  Today we gratefully depend upon the many professional people who devote their vocations as teachers and administrators to the needs of students and parents who still seek this excellent educational opportunity."

It bears mentioning that although it may be of a different Rite, St. Gabriel is also a Catholic school, fully in line with and under the authority of the Holy See.

Call to Prayer:

Eternal Father,
we praise you for sending your Son
to be one of us and to save us.
Look upon your people with mercy,
for we are divided in so many ways,
and give us the Spirit of Jesus to make us one in love.

We ask this gift, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Audit Results Never Released for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

The parishioners of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) are still waiting to see the results of the financial audit that was conducted on behalf of the Diocese of Las Vegas following the ongoing theft by Msgr. McAuliffe over the course of several years. The audit was conducted during 2011, after Msgr. McAuliffe's removal.

The Diocese allowed the SEAS parish council to very briefly see the audit results, but they were first required to sign a non-disclosure agreement about the findings. Furthermore, no one seems to know the name of the firm used to audit the parish.

Particularly in a situation of financial impropriety such as this one, the parishioners who donated their hard-earned money to the parish should be allowed to see the results in black and white. Not only did SEAS avoid audit for nearly 10 years, but now that an audit has been conducted in the face of scandal, the results are being withheld.

This would be the most appropriate time to institute the sort of transparency that would help parishioners regain their trust in the administration of the parish.


Call to Prayer:

God our loving Father, you are the One in whom we may always trust above all things. Help us to be confident in your divine providence. Help our Shepherds to not be fearful of the judgements that come with human failings, but to courageously start anew in a spirit of right judgement. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us. Amen.

Video of the Interfaith Rally

Here is a video of the rally put on by the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee  (now known as Nevadans for the Common Good) and the Industrial Areas Foundation.

Special appearances by Bishop Pepe and Fr. Bob Stoeckig.

Video: Nevadans for the Common Good

Incidentally, please explore this website for the Southwest Region of the IAF.

Bishop Supports Questionable "Interfaith" Group

Some news was brought to my attention by a concerned parishioner which will be of interest to all Las Vegas Catholics. 



Many of the Catholic faithful in Las Vegas will be familiar by now with the Las Vegas Valley Community Convention for the Common Good at the UNLV Student Union Ballroom which took place on May 22, 2012. This convention was put on by a group called the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee (LVVISC), also known as Nevadans for the Common Good. We are all aware of this event because Bishop Pepe, via the Diocese web site and in parish bulletins across our Diocese, strongly voiced his support for and encouraged all to attend the Las Vegas Valley Community Convention for the Common Good. 


The Bishop and our Vicar General Fr. Bob Stoeckig have thrown the weight of the Diocese of Las Vegas behind them in full support through a strongly worded letter from the Bishop and through the work of Fr. Stoeckig and Deacon Tim O’Callaghan. In fact, Fr. Stoeckig himself is a member of the LVVISC (see bulletin). 


The problem with supporting this interfaith rally for the “Common Good”, and with supporting the LVVISC in general, is that the LVVISC is not an independent and legitimate interfaith organization established by actual faith organizations. They are, in fact, a mere affiliate of a national political network called the Industrial Areas Foundation. The LVVISC is not only backed by the secular Industrial Areas Foundation, it is also run by Industrial Areas Foundation staff members. 


The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) is a national network for community organizing and activism established by political radical and author of “Rules for Radicals”, Saul Alinsky, for the purpose of attaining power (as stated on their website). While the IAF’s local affiliates (such as the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsorship Committee-see supporting documents below) purport to be concerned with Las Vegas’ social issues such as the trafficking of minors, local work for the common good is typically shelved before long and national political issues are soon given the priority and the funding.


The Bishop’s support for the interfaith efforts of the LVVISC is tantamount to support for the national political efforts of the AIF. Why should you care whether the Bishop and Fr. Stoeckig support the IAF? Because the Bishop’s endorsement gives the LVVISC/IAF credibility among Catholic parishioners and puts the resources of the Diocese at the disposal of the IAF by not just providing money (see supporting documents below), but also the very valuable time of our priests and deacons. The IAF will then in turn use the works of our priests and the donated money to further their aims and coordinate their own national political works in contradiction to Church teaching. Support for the good works of Las Vegas Catholics who are already working to improve Vegas itself are thereby diminished.

The text of the Bishop’s letter to parishioners is as follows:


Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,



On Tuesday, May 22, 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the UNLV Student Union Ballroom something quite remarkable will occur. Faith leaders and community members from all over the Las Vegas Valley will come together to focus on issues impacting families and to build an organizational response that offers great promise over time. 


I encourage you to join me in attending this event. In addition to me, the Lutheran, Methodist and Episcopal bishops will be present with leaders from 65 churches, synagogues, mosques, schools and non-profits.


Many of our priests and parishes in the Diocese of Las Vegas are already encouraging or directly involved in this ground - breaking effort. This growing list includes: St. Christopher, Christ the King, St Andrew, Holy Family, St Peter, St John Neumann, St Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, and St Joseph, Husband of Mary. To those who aren’t, permit me to express my encouragement in the strongest possible terms that you send a delegation to discover what this work is all about. Please consider getting directly involved in this vital effort.


In these challenging times we hear the drumbeat of growing human needs in the Las Vegas Valley. Issues from human trafficking, particularly of minors, neighborhood crime and blight, the isolation of vulnerable elderly, immigrant integration and education require a deeply collaborative response.


The First Las Vegas Valley Community Convention for the Common Good on May 22 is just such a response.


I encourage you to take this opportunity to step forward with others in a prayerful and constructive manner to help make our Valley a better place for children, for families, for the vulnerable, for all of us.



Sincerely yours in Christ, Bishop Joseph A Pepe

Interestingly enough, not all these words are the Bishop’s own writing. It seems someone from the LVVISC/IAF has given him and other faith leaders a form letter that they can use to announce the event. You can also see the exact words our Bishop used in a letter from Christ the Servant Christian Church’s pastor, seen in the last paragraph of the May 2012 address.  Like Bishop Pepe’s letter, this letter also goes on to describe how lots of other faith groups will also be supporting the effort. One may presume that since everyone else is doing it, then so should the Diocese of Las Vegas.


The information I am posting here regarding the IAF is simply the tip of the iceberg. Anyone wishing to fully understand the link between the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsorship Committee and the IAF can simply start searching online to find a plethora of connections between the two. Furthermore, the deeper one delves into the organizing tactics of the IAF, the more apparent it becomes that the establishment of the Las Vegas Valley Interfaith Sponsoring Committee is perfectly in line with the typical organizing efforts of the IAF, which is to use faith-based influence to improve their success. A list of IAF affiliates reveals a long list of localized “interfaith” organizations from Albuquerque, AZ to Washington, DC.  


Further investigation into the Industrial Areas Foundation and its founder, Saul Alinksy, will also yield a lot of insight into the motives and belief system of the current group, which is diametrically opposed to the Catholic faith. Executive Co-Director of the IAF for the Southwest regions, Ernesto Cortes, Jr., has been integral to developing the “interfaith” organizing tactics among other organizing strategies that are employed by the IAF nationwide.
 

Rather than putting our time, talent and treasure into this “local interfaith” effort, why not support Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Living Grace Homes, First Choice Pregnancy Center, or another local Catholic charity? Anything else scatters our time, talent and treasure. Las Vegas Catholics are already putting forth tremendous amounts of human and fiscal resources to combat the ills in our town. If we Catholics put forth effort to benefit the questionable ethics and goals of the LVVISC/IAF, those are resources that will be siphoned off from valuable social work that upholds Catholic teaching and that builds up the Kingdom of God.


For a thorough analysis of the AIF from a Catholic perspective, please see this treatise from CatholicCulture.org: A Commentary on the Industrial Areas Foundation


Supporting Documentation:

LVVISC statement of Affiliation with the IAF
Funding by local Catholic Congregations 
This letter from the LVVISC to New Song Anthem Church requests financial contributions. It is likely that the Diocese has received similar requests for financial support.
The Blaze article on the link between Obama and the IAF


Call to Prayer:

God, eternal shepherd, you tend your Church in many ways and rule us with love. You have chosen your servant, Bishop Pepe, to be a shepherd of your flock. Give him a spirit of courage and right judgment, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, may he build your Church as a sign of salvation for the world. Amen.

From A Catholic Prayer Book

Msgr. McAuliffe Listed as Treasurer of Our Lady of Wisdom

This past Friday Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe was sentenced to 3 years in prison for the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

But yet another unanswered question surfaces in relation to Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe.

Why is Msgr. McAuliffe listed as the Treasurer of Our Lady of Wisdom Byzantine Church (OLOW)?


Msgr. McAuliffe and Fr. Francis Vivona of OLOW are (or at least were) roommates supported by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Why does OLOW not have corporate board members that are officials of the Byzantine church hierarchy or who are parishioners of OLOW?

Perhaps an audit of OLOW is in order.

Call to Prayer:

O Mary,
Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests,
accept this title which we bestow on you
to celebrate your motherhood
and to contemplate with you the priesthood
of, your Son and of your sons,
O holy Mother of God.

O Mother of Christ,
to the Messiah-priest you gave a body of flesh
through the anointing of the Holy Spirit
for the salvation of the poor and the contrite of heart;
guard priests in your heart and in the Church,
O Mother of the Savior.
O Mother of Faith, you accompanied to the Temple the Son of Man,
the fulfillment of the promises given to the fathers;
give to the Father for his glory
the priests of your Son,
O Ark of the Covenant.

O Mother of the Church,
in the midst of the disciples in the upper room
you prayed to the Spirit
for the new people and their shepherds;
obtain for the Order of Presbyters
a full measure of gifts,
O Queen of the Apostles.

O Mother of Jesus Christ,
you were with him at the beginning
of his life and mission,
you sought the Master among the crowd,
you stood beside him when he was lifted up from the earth
consumed as the one eternal sacrifice,
and you had John, your son, near at hand;
accept from the beginning those who have been called,
protect their growth,
in their life ministry accompany your sons,
O Mother of Priests.
Amen.

~ Prayer to theVirgin Mary for Priests by Blessed John Paul II

No Financial Audits for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in 10 Years

In the last several months the scandal at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) has brought up a lot of questions along the lines of "Why did Msgr. McAuliffe do this?" and "How could he?"

But there is a far bigger question that faithful and concerned Catholics should be asking:

Why did Bishop Pepe avoid auditing SEAS for the entire duration of Msgr. McAuliffe's tenure as pastor?

In the Diocese of Las Vegas, all parishes are required to provide financial statements, but in addition to this, all parishes are audited every few years. That is, all parishes except St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

According to a highly credible and trusted source familiar with the inner workings of the diocese, Msgr. McAuliffe had been refusing diocesan audits for years. According to my source, Msgr. McAuliffe claimed that an audit infringed on his rights as pastor of St. Elizabeth's and therefore insisted the parish not be audited. Now we know why.
 
While Msgr. McAuliffe and SEAS did provide the required financial statements (which we now know were falsified), the church was not actually subjected to an audit in approximately 10 years. For a parish with a multi-million dollar budget and one as big as SEAS, this is highly irregular.

So again, why did the Bishop allow Msgr. McAuliffe to refuse an audit of SEAS finances when all other parishes were subject to financial audits? This a question which has not been answered in his recent letter to SEAS parishioners, which you can read here.

Call to Prayer:

Lord God, your faithful sons and daughters are at your feet. Help us to fully give ourselves over to your Adorable Will and to trust completely in you. Bless your Holy Priests and Bishop, help and guide them so that they may always serve you first and foremost in all things. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe Pleads Guilty

According to articles published today in The Las Vegas Sun and the Review-Journal Msgr. McAuliffe has pled guilty to embezzling funds from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton from 2002 to 2010. This is a question of $650,000 that was siphoned off by Msgr. McAuliffe from various parish sources, including the gift shop, church missions and novenas.

Here are some other articles carrying the same story:
The Republic
KTNV
KTNV News Coverage


Perhaps this calls for a reminder regarding a previous post on this blog exposing the process for collecting novena money in this Diocese, and the fact that there is a lack of accounting for thousands of dollars worth of these donations. Read the novena post here. There is still no public response or investigation into this practice. 

Priests are human, and not immune to the temptations of the devil. Please pray for Msgr. McAuliffe, our Bishop and all the priests of our Diocese who are subject to the temptations of the world.

Call to Prayer:

O Almighty, Eternal God, look upon the Face of your Son and for love of him, who is the Eternal  High Priest, have pity on your priests. Remember, O most compassionate God, that they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which is in them by the imposition of the bishop's hands. Keep them close to you, lest the enemy prevails against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest  degree unworthy of their sublime vocation. Amen.

~Richard James Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston, 1895-1970

Parish Bulletin Confirms Federal Investigation

A letter from Fr. James Jankowski (Interim Administrator) for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) was published in the parish bulletin last weekend to address the concerns of parishioners regarding Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe's continued absence due to allegations of financial impropriety.

The letter states that the Federal authorities were initially contacted with the allegations of financial impropriety against Msgr. McAuliffe. The authorities then began their own investigation and subsequently notified the Bishop.

According the the letter, nothing can be resolved in bringing Msgr. McAuliffe back to SEAS until the Federal investigation has been completed.

You can read the full letter from Fr. Jankowski on pages 6 and 7 in the SEAS bulletin here.

Call to Prayer:

Lord God, your faithful sons and daughters are at your feet. Help us to fully give ourselves over to your Adorable Will and to trust completely in you. Bless your Holy Priests and Bishop, help and guide them so that they may always serve you first and foremost in all things. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Teaching Islam at the 2011 Diocesan Conference

The 2011 Diocesan conference is coming up this November. A communication went out from the Diocese to those who are on the e-mail list for the Diocesan conference, with this image attached:

It may be difficult to read because the image here is small, but the text of the upper left side is as follows:

"Dr. Amir Hussain, a Canadian Muslim, is Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He teaches courses Islam, world religions, and comparative theology. Presently he is the editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, the premier scholarly journal for the study of religion. Since 2005, he has written over 25 book chapters or scholarly articles about Islam and Muslims.

Workshops: Islam 101
Introduction to Islamic Spirituality"

The Diocesan website also has posted more information about the featured speaker and his workshop here. Actually, at the time of this post it is the only thing posted about the conference, under the heading of "Featured Speaker". From the website, the workshops are described as follows:

"Workshop One: Islam 101
There are roughly the same number of Muslims as Catholics in the world. This workshop will give a basic introduction to Islam. It will go over basic beliefs and practices including the pillars of Islam and the articles of faith for Muslims. We will talk about the beginnings of Islam, including the story of the Prophet Muhammed and the revelation of the Qur'an. We will also talk about the contemporary situations of Muslims in the United States.

Workshop Two: Introduction to Islamic Spirituality
This workshop will build on Islam 101 and go into more detail about Islamic faith and spirituality. We will go more deeply into the 6 articles of faith for Muslims. We will also talk about the importance of intention and beauty for Muslims. Finally, we will examine Sufism, the mystical tradition in Islam."

The Diocese has chosen a featured speaker for our Catholic conference who is not Catholic, or even Christian, and who is teaching a non-Christian faith. If these Islamic workshops are framed within apologetics (i.e., how to defend Catholicism to Muslims), it could be an understandable choice. But it does not look that way according to the description. Islam is a faith and spirituality that flatly denies the divinity of Christ.

Call to Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, you gave us the One True Faith, and we pray that you will help us to have the strength to share our knowledge with those who have not yet heard the Good News and those who do not understand it. Bless and guide our Bishop, our Priests, and our lay people who work for the Diocese. Help each of them to keep faithful to your Spotless Bride, and to always promote the Faith especially among the Catholics who depend on them for guidance.

Inside the Tribunal Process

A reader brought up the claim that the Tribunal in the Las Vegas Diocese handles only marriage annulments and will not handle the case with Msgr. McAuliffe. I asked a canon lawyer to clarify the role of the Tribunal, and here is the answer:

Tribunals can handle processes in addition to marriage nullity causes.  It is the church's court.  Although it functions differently than civil courts, it can handle a variety of matters just like civil courts.

It can handle disputes (e.g., a secretary alleges that she was unjustly fired by a pastor).  This is not common due to the fact that people don't know this, usually if they think of taking legal action they go to a civil court, plus the diocesan tribunal does not have any real enforcement ability except against clergy or religious.

The tribunal can handle penal processes.  For example, it can process a dismissal from the clerical state (e.g., if a priest is accused of sexual abuse of a minor) or it can impose an excommunication.

This is the basic process for handling a penal matter:

1.  A preliminary investigation is conducted by a local ordinary (by the bishop, vicar general, or another episcopal vicar).  This does not mean that the ordinary must conduct it personally, only that he oversees it.  An ordinary exercises executive power.

2.  Canon 1722 states:  "To prevent scandals, to protect the freedom of witnesses, and to guard the course of justice, the ordinary, after having heard the promoter of justice and cited the accused, at any stage of the process can exclude the accused from the sacred ministry or from some office and ecclesiastical function, can impose or forbid residence in some place or territory, or even can prohibit public participation in the Most Holy Eucharist."  It seems that this canon in part has been invoked in what the diocese is calling "administrative leave."

3.  Once the preliminary investigation is concluded, then the ordinary must determine how to proceed: whether to dismiss the accusations, whether to impose a penalty or some lesser penance or warning by executive power, or whether a judicial process must be initiated.

4.  If the ordinary decides that a judicial process must be initiated, then he must direct the promoter of justice to initiate a tribunal process.  Only at this stage is the tribunal involved.  The promoter of justice functions as the petitioner and the accused as the respondent.  Three judges must serve in the process with one of them as presiding judge.

5.  The tribunal then accepts the promoter of justice's petition, cites the respondent, determines the joinder of issues, and gathers evidence (in addition to whatever was gathered in the preliminary investigation).  The tribunal must be careful to protect the right of the accused to defend him or herself.  All of this takes time.

6.  Finally, the tribunal reaches a decision and either dismisses the process or imposes a penalty.

With Msgr. McAuliffe, it seems that they are still at the stage of the preliminary investigation.  What is unclear is, if theft has taken place, whether the police will also be involved.  What typically happens is that when criminal actions are taken by civil authorities, usually the ecclesiastical process is put on hold until the civil process is complete.  Often, the results of the civil criminal investigation is taken as evidence in the tribunal process.

New Vicar General Appointed

The Las Vegas Diocesan website has changed to reflect a new Vicar General, Fr. Bob Stoeckig. Fr. McAuliffe, now on leave due to the financial investigation at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, appears to have consequently been completely removed from this influential position, although to my knowledge, no public announcements have been made.

Fr. Stoeckig is Pastor of St. Andrew's in Boulder City. You might recall this post, about the "magical" labyrinth at St. Andrew's.

Fr. Stoeckig was quietly transferred to St. Andrew's from St. Joseph Husband of Mary about 2 years ago (correct me if I'm wrong on how long ago this occurred), after that parish's coffers were found to have been completely drained. No allegations of financial impropriety were made against Fr. Stoeckig, but the fact remains that the large financial surplus the parish had enjoyed (estimated to be over $1 million dollars) disappeared under Fr. Stoeckig's administration. For example, solar panels in the parking lot, estimated to have cost upwards of $300,000 were installed, and it unclear where the rest of the money has gone.

Call to Prayer:

Lord God, your faithful sons and daughters are at your feet. Help us to fully give ourselves over to your Adorable Will and to trust completely in you. Bless your Holy Priests and Bishop, help and guide them so that they may always serve you first and foremost in all things. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe Placed on Leave

Over the weekend, the parishioners of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton were informed that Msgr. Kevin McAuliffe, Vicar General of our Diocese, would be on leave and that a financial investigation at the parish would be conducted. Fr. James Jankowsi will be taking over in his stead. Little other solid information has been made available.

It is interesting to note that the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese, Fr. Francis Vivona, is Msgr. McAuliffe's own roommate. Fr. Vivona would typically be expected to be the one heading up the Tribunal that could investigate this case. Hopefully he will be excused from this particular case, considering the disturbing conflict of interest that this would otherwise present.

Two articles published recently give few details about the situation, but here they are:
Las Vegas Review-Journal
KTNV

Msgr. McAuliffe should certainly be considered innocent until proven guilty, as are all priests who are placed on leave or investigated. Let us all pray to the Lord that this will be resolved in a timely manner, and that all innocent parties will be cleared of wrongdoing.

Call to Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we place our trust in your Divine Will, that the truth may be brought into the light and that your Holy Spirit will guide those involved in the investigation. We ask that Msgr. McAuliffe be shown your tender mercy and care, and that you strengthen your Holy Priest in his time of tribulation. Through the intercession of Mary our Mother, St. Joseph her Most Chaste Spouse, and St. Michael the Archangel, we pray to the Lord. Amen.

St. James the Apostle Gives Obama a Place of Honor

St. James the Apostle Catholic Church celebrated Black History this past February by having various displays in lobby depicting black individuals of note who have accomplished admirable things.

There is a poster of Martin Luther King, Jr. (the only Christian displayed prominently) as well as other people of importance, such as Maya Angelou, Denzil Washington, Sidney Poitier, Mohammed Ali (a Muslim), Malcolm X (another Muslim), Colin Powell, and Kweisi Mfume.

But the person of the most importance in the display is our firmly pro-abortion President, Barrack Obama. There are no less than five pictures and/or book covers of Obama in the church's lobby, including a large Obama sign prominently displayed just in front of the main entrance (pictured above).  Obama is indisputably pro-abortion, a stance that is in direct contradiction to the core moral teachings of our faith.

Obama has accomplished a lot, there is no question of that. His ambition, intelligence, and polished speaking abilities are certainly to be admired. But what overshadows and negates all of that is his support of the intrinsically moral evil of abortion. One cannot place him in a place of honor and pride and ignore his contribution to the culture of death, as if it were a minor side issue.

If a Catholic community was going to celebrate their ethnic heritage, why not do it in a way that is in keeping with their faith? And this begs the question, why not make the most prominent people in the displays black Catholics? There are many to choose from. What about any of the black Popes in our Church's history? How about a huge sign about St. Martin de Porres? Instead, the saint is relegated to a tiny figurine on a table full of other small religious and secular figurines.

The place of honor that was given to President Obama sends mixed signals. If the Church approves of putting him on this pedestal as someone to look up to, then the message is that abortion is not a big deal and isn't so bad. This is one more example of allowing confusing messages to be given to the Catholic faithful. Our faith is already being buffeted from all sides in Las Vegas. Our churches should be sanctuaries of clarity for all Catholics, they should not contribute to the confusion.

Here are a few more pictures from the display:

Call to Prayer:

Lord, we pray for all parishioners of St. James the Apostle, so that they may see the truth in the teachings of your Holy Church and not be led astray by political interests. Assist and strengthen Fr. Henry Salditos as he manages the parish, and help him to resist pressures to glorify the individuals who so openly support the evil of abortion. Let the eyes of the faithful be opened to the truth and horror of abortion so that they may always be conscious of this tragedy when voting for political candidates. Help us to turn to your Holy Saints for guidance and inspiration. Through the intercession of St. Martin de Porres and Pope St. Militiades, we pray to the Lord. Amen.