Introducing... the Laz-E-Pew

This is pretty funny... Props to the Curt Jester (and the CCH Blog does not take responsibility for any inappropriate comments that may be posted after his original post).

40 years of heartache

Herald photo by Drew Sciba

Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the legalization of abortion in the state of Colorado -- the first state to do so. That is six years before Roe vs. Wade. At the state capitol yesterday, Colorado Right to Life brought in Dr. Alan Keyes to discuss the state of the pro-life movement. He had some tough criticism of both political parties on the issue, and we will have an article on his speech (as well as the first part of an exclusive Q&A) in the next Herald.

Locally, the diocesan Respect Life Office led a vigil (see picture above) in front of the Planned Parenthood clinic in Old Colorado City. We are trying to obtain video of the powerful testimonies given there and hope to stream them on the Herald site soon. No guarantees, but we'll try.

[UPDATE:] Just in time with the Supreme Court ruling that upholds the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, some lunatic leaves a bomb outside an abortion clinic in Austin, Texas. Will this reignite the stereotype that every person who is against abortion is dangerous, hateful and psychotic?

What if they were a different faith...

This doesn't shock me. In fact, I expect it these days. Still ... would Philly Daily News' Tony Auth do the same cartoon if the Supreme Court majority was, say, Jewish or Muslim?

'Redemption' game

Has anyone heard of this and/or played this? We got this e-mail, but I've never heard of the game.

Greetings,

I was wondering if you had any Redemption players in your congregation? Redemption is a collectible card game based on the bible We are having a tournament at Focus on Family and wanted to let other Redemption players in Colorado know about it as it is a great opportunity for those that know how to play. Could you please pass this info onto any Redemption players you have?

Colorado Springs, CO--April 28, 2007
Local (Open) Tournament. Host: Linda Anderson, laanderson93@hotmail.com.
Location: Focus on the Family (Solid Grounds Coffee Shop), 8685 Explorer Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. Type: Type 1 2-player (FREE). Starts: 10:00a.m. (Sponsored by Covenant Games)

Two years a pope

Today is the second anniversary of the election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI.



In what is nothing less than a miracle, I was there. When they flash to the overview of St. Peter's Square. You'll notice a huge clearing in the middle left area. At the front of that clearing to the right (halfway between the clearing and the right collonadte), I stood with a large group of seminarians from North American College and a good friend and spiritual director there, Jesuit Father Brendan Lally.

I had moved on (read: begged my boss) to Rome after spending a week in Poland covering the week of mourning for John Paul II for my previous diocesan paper, Texas Catholic in Dallas. My editor, Bronson Havard, generously gave me the green light to book a cheap flight on Alitalia from Krakow to Rome, where I essentially moved in for three weeks with some recently married friends, Matt and Cristina Genung (God bless 'em for their patience) at their new apartment. Matt has been studying for a doctorate at Gregorian University.

I chronicled my stay on the Texas Catholic blog, but it looks like either those posts are erased or inactive. Let me try to find a link to them...

In the meantime, I also wrote some articles for the Web site. It looks like all of them are still archived at TC Online, although the pictures seem to have been removed.

I know we've asked in the past for your conclave memories, but we'd love to hear them again, as well as any new stories. What an amazing time that was.

Good news: Supreme Court upholds Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. That it took such a long fight to get just to this point is sad, but this is a positive step. Anyone who sees this decision as an infringement on rights has serious issues.

Lest anyone forget just what this procedure does...

Here is the full text of the Supreme Court decision.

Gunman kills dozens at Virginia Tech

UPDATE: It's worse than first reported. According to this report, at least 32 people were killed and 21 injured by a gunman at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266374,00.html

Please pray for everyone involved in this tragedy.

'Motu Proprio' rumblings

From time to time, we get questions from readers wondering what is going on with the pope's rumored "motu proprio" ("of his own accord") statement that would address the revival of Tridentine (pre-Vatican II) Latin Masses in the church today. We really haven't heard anything, although we've been keeping our eyes open for news. A blog by Father John Zuhlsdorf, who used to do a nice Q&A for Catholic Online, points out that an Italian newspaper has printed an unsigned article (note: article is in Italian) claiming that the Motu Proprio could be issued on Monday, after Pope Benedict XVI's 80th birthday (although it hints it also could be later). Here is Father Zuhlsdorf's translation of the article:

The long-awaited Motu Proprio next Monday
Mass in Latin: Tradition returns

The long-awaited papal "Motu Proprio" on the recovery of the pre-Conciliar Mass in the Latin has been ready for a while, but its publication, foreseen at first for before Easter, will slide instead for after 16 April (slitterà a dopo il 16 aprile), the day of the 80th Birthday of Benedict XVI. So indicate reliable sources in the Vatican. The document, written by the Pope himself, will restore the possibility of celebrating the Mass in Latin with the Tridentine Rite. That is not to say that this Rite is forbidden: but there are so many and so complex burocratic obstacles and approvals to obtain from local bishops that most of the faithful to whom it would be a pleasure to return to the feel of things as established by the Council of Trent, that they give up. The Motu Proprio – according to the previews that have surfaced in the last months – would permit the celebration of Mass in an almost automatic way, if it is requested by a certain number of people. The Tridentine Mass in Latin is the only one accepted by the followers of the deceased schismatic [sic] Bishop Marcel Lefevbre and the pontifical document would without question reopen the way for a repair of the break that occured in the ‘80s of the last century. The French bishops, guided by their president Jean Pierre Ricard, aren’t hiding a certain discomfort in the face of losing control over their liturgical capital, still burning in France, the following of the Lefebvrite community of St. Pius X is strong. There are many French priests who
refuse to celebrate in Latin. Specifically to smooth the perplexity of the episcopacy on that side of the Alps, the publication of the Motu Proprio was delayed several times. On the other hand is evident that the return of a spirituality more closely connected to the millennial tradition of the Church is one of the central point of this Pontificate: even in the post-Synodal Exhortation on the Eucharist a greater use of Latin and of Gregorian chant was wished for.
-- Tuesday, 10 April 2007

Since the Italian press is known for throwing a lot of news against the wall to see what sticks (although not nearly as bad as in Britain), I would not get too excited about this rumor. Even if it does happen, it sounds like it could disappoint those who think Benedict is going to take a hard-line approach to getting all parishes to revert back to the Latin Mass. I'm not sure where that rumor started either. It sounds like it will be in the middle... encouraging, but not mandating, that parishes reintroduce the beauty of the Latin Mass back into their communities. So we'll just exactly what this is going to say. I am not a hard-line, Latin Mass-only Catholic, but it is a beautiful Mass and I wouldn't mind more parishes offering them.

In the meantime, Father Zuhlsdorf also points out this interesting video (about 5:30 in length) that shows Fraternity of St. Peter priests at a French church transforming the altar into one suitable for the Tridentine Mass. The entire process actually took about 15 minutes. This could be a common scene at many churches after the Motu Proprio is released.



La métamorphose d'un autel
Uploaded by CHRIST-REDEMPTEUR

China tries to crack down on Web porn

The Chinese government is trying to clamp down on the explosion of Web porn infiltrating the country. They recently arrested the creator of the largest China-produced porn site and sentenced him to life in prison. I'm not sure how you're going to be able to stop porn on the Internet, but this should certainly scare folks there.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the prospect of creating a "red-light district" on the Web with a .xxx address was recently shot down by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and on Wednesday Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., dropped a bill that would create the .xxx domain.

There has been much debate, including among Christian groups, about the wisdom of having a permanent red-light district on the Internet. That, critics argue, will ensure that pornography will always stay on the Internet -- like how cities zone areas for "adult entertainment" rather than banning them altogether. Without a red-light district, there is still the chance that Internet porn could be completely outlawed. Of course, the surest way to get rid of porn is to not look at it and occupy that time with listening to, reading and watching good things, like these.

[UPDATE: Here's an excellent editorial on this issue from a recent edition of the National Catholic Register.]

Sacrificing beyond Lent

Lent is now nearly a week behind us, but the Catholic Church teaches that the practice of fasting and/or abstaining does not end. According to No. 1250 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, the church sees all Fridays as a penitential day. According to EWTN.com:

On the Fridays outside of Lent the U.S. bishops conference obtained the permission of the Holy See for Catholics in the U.S. to substitute a penitential, or even a charitable, practice of their own choosing. Since this was not stated as binding under pain of sin, not to do so on a single occasion would not in itself be sinful. However, since penance is a divine command, the general refusal to do penance is certainly gravely sinful. For most people the easiest way to consistently fulfill this command is the traditional one, to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year which are not liturgical solemnities. When solemnities, such as the Annunciation, Assumption, All Saints etc. fall on a Friday, we neither abstain or fast.

I have heard several times during discussions in my profession as a Catholic journalist that the common practice today of many Catholics (and non-Catholics) reducing church authority to just one of many opinions to consider can be traced back to this decision to make optional meatless Fridays throughout the year. They argue that it bolstered the thought of, "If the church could bend on that, then they can and will probably bend on other things, so I will just do what I think is right." This decision, one person argued, plays a direct role into why so many Catholics contracept today. Now I'm not sure how one can prove this, but there may be something in that. At the least, it makes me want to look more into the effects of this "Friday" decision. Does anyone know of any research done or columns written on this? When exactly was this rule relaxed in the U.S.? Is this the document (from 1966)? For some reason, I thought this happened earlier.

Do you or anyone you know regularly practices this? I'd like to hear some stories. This will make me re-evaluate how I spend my Fridays and work to include a penitential or charitable act. It is also important to be reminded that when the church calls for fasting and abstinence, it does so for men and women between the ages of 14 and 59 who also are not prohibited by medical conditions.

Why we do what we do at the Herald

Last week, our umbrella organization, the Catholic Press Association, released a position paper that reflected on the value of diocesan publications. It was pretty well done, I think, and I'd like to offer it here for your review and comments. This is the latest chance to discuss what you think of the Herald -- what you like, don't like, what could improved, etc... We are open to anything you have to say.

Need a Supernanny?

Just got this press release...
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CASTING EVENT FOR ABC'S SUPERNANNY IN COLORADO SPRINGS APRIL 14th!

Are your kids driving you nuts? Is your house a zoo? Is it a constant battle to get your children to eat, sleep and behave? You may need the SUPERNANNY! ABC is looking for all types of families to take part in the next season of their hit show SUPERNANNY and casting producers will be visiting Colorado Springs this weekend!

Using the expert techniques that have made ABC's SUPERNANNY a hit show and her parenting skills book a bestseller, Jo Frost works with families to help with even the toughest infants, kids and teens to restore order to American households. Jo offers hands-on advice to parents on how to achieve the best possible work-life responsibilities. The series is an intelligent, informative look at childcare and parenting in the 21st century. Is your family her next big challenge? Interested families should come by the Colorado Springs OPEN CALL this SATURDAY, APRIL 14th!

11AM to 4PMBigg City Event Center5825 Mark Dabling BoulevardColorado Springs, CO 80919. If you're interested in applying but can't make it to the open call, visit http://www.supernanny.com/ or call toll-free 1-877-NANNY-TIME (1-877-626-6984).

Selective media feeding frenzy

Rod Dreher has some interesting thoughts on his blog about the secular media's coverage of the Don Imus-Rutgers women's basketball team blowup. He doesn't support Imus at all for his stupid comments, but uses it as an example to point out how the media selectively decides who to go after. He and Catholic League president Bill Donahue point out how easily the Catholic Church has been bashed at times (comedians dropping four-letter expletives about Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II) and how those shows' companies chalked it up to "freedom of expression." Says Dreher:

As a professional matter, it would seem that Don Imus's problem is not that he's an unfunny bigot. His problem is that he's not bigoted against the groups our media overseers allow to be mocked with impunity.

Urbi Et Orbi

In his "Urbi Et Orbi" message on Easter Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI prayed for the many troubled places in the world, going so far as to say "nothing positive" is coming out of the war in Iraq. While the mass media will hone in on that statement, that was not what stuck with me most from the message.

What I found very interesting was his decision to hone in on St. Thomas... Thomas the Doubter whose faith "was almost dead" before he put his fingers into the open wound in the Lord's side and into the nail holes in the Lord's hands. No question that doubting has become the popular method of examining Christianity, and we need more than ever educated, evangelization-minded Catholics willing to stand up for the faith and win back souls for Christ.

We may all be tempted by the disbelief of Thomas. Suffering, evil, injustice, death, especially when it strikes the innocent such as children who are victims of war and terrorism, of sickness and hunger, does not all of this put our faith to the test? Paradoxically the disbelief of Thomas is most valuable to us in these cases because it helps to purify all false concepts of God and leads us to discover his true face: the face of a God who, in Christ, has taken upon himself the wounds of injured humanity. Thomas has received from the Lord, and has in turn transmitted to the Church, the gift of a faith put to the test by the passion and death of Jesus and confirmed by meeting him risen. His faith was almost dead but was born again thanks to his touching the wounds of Christ, those wounds that the Risen One did not hide but showed, and continues to point out to us in the trials and sufferings of every human being.

And in Pope Benedict's closing....

Christ is risen and he is alive among us. It is he who is the hope of a better future. As we say with Thomas: “My Lord and my God!”, may we hear again in our hearts the beautiful yet demanding words of the Lord: “If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honour him” (Jn 12:26). United to him and ready to offer our lives for our brothers (cf. 1 Jn 3:16), let us become apostles of peace, messengers of a joy that does not fear pain – the joy of the Resurrection. May Mary, Mother of the Risen Christ, obtain for us this Easter gift. Happy Easter to you all.

He Is Risen!

... He is risen indeed!

Although it feels more like Christmas than Easter outside with temperatures near freezing and a light blanket of snow covering most of the diocese, the Church's springtime has come. While it would've been nice to be able to bilocate and take pictures at different parishes at the same time, I decided to chronicle Holy Week at St. Mary's Cathedral for the paper.

There were many highlights of the Triduum, including the site of nearly every priest in the diocese gathered together at the Chrism Mass on Tuesday. But the memory I may take away most was last night at the Easter Vigil.

Because of the weather, the cathedral was about two-thirds full at best, with plenty of open seats along the sides and in the back. The weather was cold and icy, but the six women entering the Catholic Church were in attendance. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but there seemed to be a certain stillness... quiet... at the Vigil Mass that gave it a deeper sense of intimacy than what I've normally experienced with packed churches over the years. No doubt that the weather caused people to delay their attendance until Easter Sunday (and the cathedral was overflowing into the Cathedral Center's upper hallways for the bishop's Mass), so maybe it was in part because those who came to the Vigil Mass had to make an extra effort to get there. There was just ... this solemnity that is hard to describe. It really was a beautiful evening, and chills went up my spine as the six candidates immersed themselves in the baptismal font and later were confirmed and received their first holy Eucharist. With relativism so widespread today, even within the Church, it's a true act of courage (and love!) to consciously enter the Catholic Church as an adult. There are many reasons one can give to leave, but there is one main reason to stay -- only the Catholic Church has the Truth in all of its fullness and beauty. These six witnesses have examined the Church's teachings amid a very secular (some would say anti-Catholic and anti-Christian) world and have found the Church to be the Way. This is so inspiring.

I would very much like to hear of any Holy Week highlights you had. Please tell!