Category Archives: catholic

New Dear Gabby: A gay family member and culture wars

Posted on by
Reply

Dear Gabby,

 I have a serious question but don’t even know really where to start it.  My cousin told me her and her boyfriend confronted her son about whether or not he was a homosexual and turns out he admitted he was.  She told him it didn’t matter if he was and that she loved him no matter what.  She told me about it and also and I praised her for loving her son unconditionally but that I could not condone his homosexuality. Needless to say, she got very upset with me and our relationship became almost non-existent.  We got past it and started chatting again.  Then, she was watching a show called Sex and the City and I told her my husband calls the show Sluts in the City and she really did not like that and told us we are seriously wrong about the show and that her and her girlfriends go out on the town and I guess relates their actions to the actions of the people on this show.  Well, we no longer talk.  Her brother no longer talks to me and her mom doesn’t either.  They are my family.  Was I wrong in telling her either of these things?  What, as Catholics, are we to say to family and friends about things like these?  Nothing?  Tolerate it?  Or, do what I did?  I am unsure.  Thank you.

Maria Mendoza
Dear Maria,

Thank you for the tough questions. I’ll try to answer them separately.

The Catholic Church strives to be considerate and compassionate in its approach to the issue of homosexuality. Every human being is made in the image and likeness of God and therefore holds a unique and special dignity, no matter what their sexual preference is. The Church recognizes homosexual desires as disordered. However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies . . . must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” (2358)

Because homosexual acts are regarded as “intrinsically disordered” and against natural law, the Catechism states that “[Homosexual acts] close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.” (2357) So condoning homosexuality itself is different than supporting homosexual acts.

Of course you can love your cousin and her son but condoning homosexual acts themselves is against Church law.

Regarding your question about what to say regarding television shows that support behavior contrary to Church teachings – today’s culture seems to praise everything against Church teachings like promiscuous behavior, abortion, gay marriage, artificial contraception, and the like while condemning actions that Catholics are intended to follow like chastity and traditional marriage.

A quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi is “Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words.” Your actions will speak to your beliefs and while we are called to preach Church teachings, we should remember to do it compassionately and with love.

Hope this helps.

For Him,
Gabby

 Have a question for Gabby? Send to stmichaelsociety@gmail.com.

Share

What does the Church teach about Purgatory?

Posted on by
4

Dear Gabby,

What really is known about purgatory and what can you tell us about it?
Thank you for answering my question.

Kim

Dear Kim,

Thanks for the great question, especially during this month of November where the Catholic Church remembers the dead in a special way.

The Church’s teaching is fairly clear on purgatory, contrary to some things you may have heard in the past. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that purgatory is a “purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” which is experienced by those “who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified” (CCC 1030).

Although the Bible doesn’t mention the word “purgatory” (nor does it mention “Trinity” or “Incarnation” and those things are widely held truths in the Church), it makes sense that we do need someplace where we can be cleansed of all sin and the remnants of sin because “nothing unclean shall enter [heaven]” (Rev. 21:27). God is perfect. Heaven is perfect. We’re not. So even though we may have lived a holy life, it’s doubtful our souls are entirely pure and cleansed – so, in comes purgatory.

In his book, the City of God, the great Catholic theologian St. Augustine, said that “temporary punishments are suffered by some in this life only, by others after death, by others both now and then; but all of them before that last and strictest judgment” (21:13). It is here where the soul is cleansed and purified of the remnants of sin: “I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper” (Luke 12:59).

Thankfully the Church offers multiple ways to pray for the dead and encourages us to pray that they may be released from purgatory and sent into heaven to eternal rest. In the book of Maccabees (2 Macc. 12:43–45), prayers for the dead are mentioned and endorsed. This is a custom that goes back to even before the time of Christ. Today, you can ask a priest to say a Mass for the dead (usually you can buy a Mass card for a few dollars) and here is a link to a list of prayers for the dead.

As for your life here on earth and your preparation for when God calls you home, pray often and go to Confession as much as you can. Do good deeds and live your faith and pray for those who have gone before us.

For Him,

Gabby

Have a question for Gabby? Send to stmichaelsociety@gmail.com.

Share

Goodbye, Speaker Pelosi. Hello, Pro-Life Congress!

Posted on by
2

Happy mid-term election, pro-lifers!

What a great 24 hours it has been as the polls closed and races were called, many of which put pro-life Representatives into office. This also means many pro-choice legislators were voted out of office, many of whom have had a lot of power and influence in pushing ObamaCare forward and advocating against the unborn.  

Here are several excellent rundowns from LifeNews.com on the biggest victories – both new pro-life blood coming in and bad anti-life going out.  

Pro-Life Advocates Capture House of Representatives, Topple Pro-Abortion Pelosi  

Obama Loses His Pro-Abortion “Yes Men” in Congress    

 

 

Share

Action Alert: Protest Anti-Catholic Democratic Ad

Posted on by
1

If this doesn’t get your blood boiling six days before midterm elections, I don’t know what will.

A new Democratic campaign ad has unleashed an anti-Catholic attack and we are calling on St Michael Society members to demand Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine denounce the slur.

See for yourself …

 “Democrats in Minnesota want to defeat an evangelical preacher, Dan Hall, who is running for the state senate there. So they sent out a mailer with this stunning image,” according to National Review Online.

Kathryn Lopez, story author, says it’s safe to say this is “unholy politics” and that Democrats can make their point “without the use of abuse of clerics.”  Read her full piece here.

A National Catholic Register reporter also calls this “THE most anti-Catholic political advertisement I’ve ever seen.” 

Please contact DNC Chairman Tim Kaine at 202-863-8000 or e-mail at dmca@dnc.org  

Ask him to denounce this anti-Catholic slur by the Minnesota Democratic Party.

The Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization on Earth. Defending the dignity of life is foundation of a moral vision for society and the motivating principle for Catholic charitable work including care for the poor.

Share

The Catholic Vote 2010 — Will You Vote Your Faith?

Posted on by
Reply

We are now just inside of one month until election day.  The question we have for our Catholic family, friends, fellow parishioners and co-workers is:  Are you praying, reflecting and ready to Vote Your Faith in 2010?  Given the nature of the mainstream media today, many folks simply don’t know where candidates stand on issues.  It is our goal to help educate committed Catholics about the issues in this campaign that impact our faith or are in direct conflict with it.

We as Catholics are called to practice our faith in the voting booth.  In fact, in the past two elections cycles Pope Benedict XVI outlined a three point model to reflect on before voting.

Benedict XVI said that the focus of public interventions by the Catholic Church “is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable.”

The Pope spelled out these principles thus:

– “protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception to natural death”;

– “recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family — as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage — and its defense from attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its de-stabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role”;

– and “the protection of the right of parents to educate their children.”

Common to all

Benedict XVI clarified: “These principles are not truths of faith, even though they receive further light and confirmation from faith; they are inscribed in human nature itself and therefore they are common to all humanity.”

So, what are some important Catholic issues before us this election cycle? 

1.  Taxpayer funding of abortion in health care.  When President Obama signed the health care law, he signed a law that opened the flood gates for taxpayer funding of abortion.  Americans United for Life Action has launched a “Life Counts” campaign targeting specific members of Congress who voted to force taxpayers to fund abortion.  See if your Congressman is on the list here.  If so, call him or her and let them know you will not be voting for them because they support the radical policy of forcing taxpayers to fund abortion.

Find out:  Did candidates seeking your vote this November, support Obamacare? If they voted for Obamacare, they voted to force taxpayers to fund abortion.  Vote them out and support a candidate running to repeal Obamacare and end taxpayer funding for abortion throughout the federal government by supporting Smith-Lipinski (see number 2).

2. Ending taxpayer funding of abortion in all federal government agencies. Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) have introduced a bipartisan bill to end taxpayer funding of abortion across the federal government.  The bill has 150 original cosponsors, including 16 Democrats.  Read more on the bill here.

Ask candidates for Congress or Senate in your state:  Do you support the bipartisan Smith-Lipinski bill in the House, which would end taxpayer funding of abortion across the federal government?  If they do, support them.  If they don’t, vote them out.

3.  Taxpayer funding of human experimentation through embryo research.  Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO) have introduced legislation to not only have taxpayers fund embryonic stem cell research, but also opens the door to taxpayer funded cloning. To learn more about this issue go here.

Find out: Do candidates running for Congress seeking your vote support Specter-DeGette and taxpayer funding of human experimentation through embryo research?  If they do, vote them out by supporting candidates who oppose embryonic stem cell research.

4.  Traditional marriage is under attack across the country and key elections in Maine, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and Iowa could weigh heavily on the future of the marriage issue. In each of these states, public support continues to fall on the side of protecting marriage as the union of one man and one woman, yet we have elected officials who continue to push against the voters’ say on the marriage issue, and who are taking matter into their own hands – whether it be a Governor or a state supreme court justice. The National Organization for Marriage has all the info you need here.

Find out—do candidates seeking your vote support marriage as defined between one man and one woman?  If not, vote them out by supporting candidates that support marriage.

5.  School choice.  One would think all would agree that parents should have the right to decide what education, including homeschooling, options are best for their kids.  Yet many liberals and unions fight against this very basic civil right across the country from the smallest town to the largest city.  Learn more about school choice issues here.

Find out: Do candidates seeking your vote this November support school choice?  If not, vote them out by supporting candidates who do support school choice.

6.  Supreme Court and Judges:  Senators have amazing power.  They have a vote to determine who will sit on various levels of our federal judiciary and apply laws and bring justice.  Yet the biggest injustice our country faces today is the over 50 million babies who have been murdered thanks to a Supreme Court ruling.

It is important that as Catholics we vote for Senate candidates who commit to voting for judges who apply the law and not support judicial nominees who legislate from the bench.  The most notorious example of legislating from the bench was the 1973 Roe Vs. Wade decision in the Supreme Court, which made abortion on demand the law of the land.

Find out: Do your Senate candidates support judges who apply the law and consider Roe vs Wade legislating from the bench and a bad decision?  If they do, support them.  If they don’t, vote them out.  You can learn more about judicial issues here.

For more information you can also visit CatholicVote and Catholic Answers, both terrific organizations assisting Catholics seeking to learn more about issues important to Catholics and where candidates stand.

Share

A Priest’s Reflection On October and Our Lady of the Rosary

Posted on by
1

Our Lady of the Rosary

October is the month of the rosary. My devotion to the rosary began when I was a junior at Gannnon University. In Jan 1991 I went to Franciscan University for a pr0-life conference. During this Conference a young student asked me to pray the rosary with him. I said to him that I had not prayed the rosary since I was in 8th grade, but followed my heart and prayed the rosary with him.

After the conference I went back to Gannon University.  During one day in the chapel, I said to Jesus “I promise to pray the rosary every single day of my life.” At that moment I knew that I was called to be a priest. And now almost 20 years later I have never missed a day praying the rosary.

John Paul II said that the rosary was his favorite prayer. The rosary is a contemplative and vocal prayer. But as John Paul II said the heart of the rosary is contemplation. We do pray the Hail Marys and the Our Fathers, but I always remember what one of my teachers said in the seminary: these prayers are meant to be the back ground music so that we can enter into the life of Jesus and Mary.

The rosary gives us peace. One of the ways that this happens is that we pray the prayers with the rhythm of our breath and the beat of our hearts. The flow of the rosary calms our anxious hearts so that we can drift into the lives of Jesus and Mary.

We allow Mary to teach us about Jesus. We see Jesus through  the eyes of His Mother. What better person is there to teach us about someone than their mother? Who knows Jesus better than Mary.  Let’s say you are engaged to someone. Would you not want to spend time with the mother of your spouse? There are  things that only a mother knows about her child.

When we pray the Rosary during this month of October  may we allow Mary to teach us about Jesus. I always carry My Rosary with me. And when I hold the Rosary I know that I am holding the Hand of Mary.

Mother Mary pray for us

Fr Stefan

Share

Saint Michael the Archangel Defend Us in Battle

Posted on by
1

Join us in prayer today on the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel:

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host -
by the Divine Power of God -
cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits,
who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.

 

Amen.

Share

Join 40 Days for Life

Posted on by
Reply

Pro Life Activists around the world are taking part in 40 days of prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion in America. “40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion in America.”

St Michael Society editors attended the Washington, DC kick off rally and spoke with Alina Arias of Silent No More.  She talks about 40 Days For Life, Silent No More and gives advice to anyone thinking about abortion.

Learn more and join 40 Days for Life here: http://www.40daysforlife.com

Share

Planned Parenthood Report Shows, By Far, They Are No More Than An Abortion Factory

Posted on by
Reply

Planned Parenthood has not released their annual report which is normally released in the Spring. However, they did recently release this FACTSHEET which provides notable information regarding the services they provided in 2008 (last reported year was 2007). The does not provide data on how much government funding they received in 2008.

According to the factsheet, the number of abortions provide by Planned Parenthood has increased from 305,310 in 2007 to 324,008 in 2008 while adoption referrals are down to 2,405 in 2008 from 4,912 in 2007. The factsheet also reveals that the number prenatal clients dropped from 10,914 in 2007 to 9,433 in 2008.

The old saying goes — a picture tells a thousand words — well, this chart illustrates how over the past decade abortion has been, by far, the number one “service” provided by Planned Parenthood.

Blue=abortions    Red=Adoption  Green=Prenatal Care

Share

NH Battle Pits Pro-Life Catholic Lamontagne vs. Pro Sotomayor GOPer

Posted on by
Reply

A battle royal is occurring in the GOP primary in New Hampshire.  In a five-person Republican primary, the two frontrunners are purportedly “pro-life.”  The other three are “pro-choice.”  Let’s look at those two frontrunners:  Devout Catholic and pro-life conservative Ovide Lamontagne and former NH Attorney General Kelly Ayotte.  Pro-lifers have lined up on both sides in this political contest between the two frontrunners.  Recent polls showed Lamontagne having momentum and coming within striking distance of Ayotte, who has been in first place the entire race, having been anointed by the Washington Establishment and the GOP money machine.  As Lamontagne and Ayotte vie for the pro-life vote, it is important for New Hampshire Catholics and pro-life voters to know what they may be getting before they cast their vote.

Ovide Lamontagne is a lifelong devout Catholic and for his entire career has supported the right to life “from conception until natural death” — period.  In the final candidates’ debate last night, he quoted the Declaration of Independence to reinforce that our nation was founded on the premise that all human beings are endowed “by our Creator” with the unalienable right to life at the moment we are created — at conception.

Ovide has not just “talked the talk” — he has “walked the walk” as a pro-lifer.  He is the father of  two adoptive daughters and is the legal guardian of a special needs foster son.  He supports a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution.

Kelly Ayotte has no public record of being a prolifer and has made no public statements on the right to life of the unborn;  her campaign refers to how she has fought for “parents‘ rights” in her actions, as Attorney General for a pro-choice Democrat governor, in defending New Hampshire’s parental notification statute in the U.S. Supreme Court.  Of course, it as correct for her to defend that statute on legal grounds, and she did.   But when asked about her own position on abortion, press reports indicate that she is “prolife with exceptions”:  she would allow abortions in cases of rape, incest, life of the mother, and — depending on which press report you read — “health of the mother,” “danger to the mother,” or “medical emergency” — all of which amounts to abortion on demand.  At last night’s debate, one of the pro-choice candidates bluntly pointed out:  “Ms. Ayotte says she is ‘pro life with exceptions.’  That means she’s pro-choice.”

And during her campaign, Ayotte voiced support for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, now Justice Sonia Sotomayor, saying that if she had been in the Senate at the time, she would have voted for the liberal judicial activist.  This is a major blow to the pro-life cause.  One day, with consistent prayer and hard work, we will overturn Roe v. Wade and return the Constitution to its true interpretation.  But we will not overturn Roe, and defend the unborn, if we support candidates who say they are pro-life, but when the time to lead comes they jump to the other side.

Watch Ayotte talk about her support for Obama liberal judge Sonia Sotomayor:

To many pro-lifers, Ayotte’s support for Justice Sotomayor is enough to disqualify her from our support.

For those who might turn a blind eye to Ayotte’s support for Sotomayor, here is our view of what occurred with Ayotte and the NH parental notification law.  Her actions suggest that her characterization of events is suspect at best, and is likely highly deceptive:

1. January 2006:  The U.S. Supreme Court in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood rules that states do have authority to enact parental notification statutes, and that the lower courts were too harsh in striking down NH’s law entirely.  The case is sent back to lower federal court to address the proper remedy for a supposed constitutional violation in one part of the law.

2.  November 2006:  While the case is pending in remand in federal court, Democrats take over all levels of NH government — the legislature and the executive.

3.  January 2007:  The new Democrat leadership introduces legislation to repeal NH’s parental notification statute completely.

4.  February 2007:  Ayotte refuses to testify on the repeal legislation that would wipe NH’s parental notification off the books.  She has spent untold hundreds of thousands of dollars in NH taxpayer money to defend the parental notification statute, taking it to the Supreme Court. That law that has been validated in part is now threatened with being expunged from the books altogether.  Yet Ayotte – who was willing to go before the legislature to testify on other issues such as medical marijuana, gambling, and capital punishment, refuses to defend before the legislature the very law that she was defending in the court.

Ayotte could have testified against the repeal and said: “Don’t wipe this statute off the books.  We won!  This is constitutional!  This is good law that will save lives!”
Or she could have said “Don’t do this – we won!  Your action is going to waste all of our efforts and taxpayer money that went into defending it!”
Ayotte chose neither approach.  From a moral and fiscal standpoint, she utterly abdicated her role as an advocate that she claims to be.  I suspect it is due in part to: (a) her true feelings of ambivalence towards the life issue, and/or (b) caving into pressure from Democrats.

5.    July 2007:  While Ayotte stands by mutely, NH Democrats theirs the first state in our nation’s history to ELIMINATE a parental notification law.  Almost immediately thereafter, the federal court rules that because NH no longer has any parental notification law, the court case is technically “moot” and effectively dead.
6.  August 2008:  The judge rules that Planned Parenthood is the winner in the court case that Ayotte argued and says that as the “prevailing party,” Planned Parenthood is entitled to have its legal fees reimbursed by the state of New Hampshire, the “losing party.”   The judge directs Ayotte to go negotiate with Planned Parenthood on what the payment should be.
7.  March 2009:   Ayotte’s boss, pro-choice Governor John Lynch, nominates Ayotte to another four-year term serving as his Attorney General, through the year 2013.  In a four-week period, between the time that the Governor nominates her and the Executive Council approves her, Ayotte reaches a settlement with Planned Parenthood, the terms of which are not disclosed.   Ayotte never made any public protest against a judge ordering her — as the real winner of the Supreme Court case, which both she and Sarah Palin now tout that she “won,” — to pay the “loser,” Planned Parenthood.  Winners do not pay losers’ legal fees.  It makes no sense.  Yet Ayotte said nothing, and agreed to the payments, it was subsequently disclosed, of $300,000 in NH taxpayers money right into the coffers of Planned Parenthood.  She could have appealed this ruling, if she thought it was wrong.  She didn’t.  She just requested the Administrative Services Commissioner of NH to make two payments to Planned Parenthood, $300,000 in two equal amounts on April 1 and August 1 of 2009.
8.   July 2009:  Even before the final payoff is made to Planned Parenthood, and only 3 months after accepting a four-year term as Attorney General, Ayotte resigns as Attorney General to begin her run, as a “pro-life Republican,” for the U.S. Senate.
To learn more about the facts about the Planned Parenthood case go here

For many pro-life voters the Planned Parenthood debate is complicated and confusing.  What is not complicated and confusing, however,  is video of Ayotte in her own words saying she would have voted YES, as a U.S. Senator, to put an Obama liberal judicial activist like Sonia Sotomayor on the highest court in our land — a certain vote on that Court to endorse and perpetuate the atrocity of the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade that made abortion on demand the law of the land and has led to the death of 50 million innocent pre-born children.

Does a candidate for the United States Senate deserve the support of the pro-life movement and pro-life voters when she says she would have voted for President Obama’s liberal Supreme Court pick?

We think not.

Share