ONE REAL CATHOLIC

George Offerman

Last night’s debate was unique and remarkable for many differing reasons, but the one that stood out for me was the huge distinctions between the two candidates when asked how their faith had personally formed them and how it affects their political decisions.  The moderator pointed out that this debate was a historical first, given both candidates are ‘Catholic’ and it would seem that Catholicism would have some influence on who they are as men, and how they go about making the political decisions that they do.  Outside of each candidate verbalizing they are Catholic; there couldn’t be more of a contrast than what was witnessed by their words.

Paul Ryan had the distinction of going first to this question, and the Congressman answered the question like one would if he believed in God as supreme being and accepted the fact that those who proclaim to being Catholic have certain tenets that are non negotiable and sacred.  Mr. Ryan’s position was very solid and articulate, and he was able to verbalize the Church’s teachings and positions on issues like abortion as one who claims to be Catholic ought to do.  Mr. Ryan was abundantly clear that if one truly believes life starts at conception, and that life is a divine right, that no one has the authority to take this from another.

Joe Biden also reiterated he was a ‘lifelong practicing Catholic’ and too, believes in the fact that life starts at conception.  However, where Mr. Biden fell apart and followed the ‘liberal logic’ is his insisting ‘I can’t inflict my beliefs onto others’ and have ‘no right to tell a woman what to do with her body’.  Mr. Biden then goes on to demonstrate how no one really has a ‘right to demagogue’ in matters of faith, and in essence attempted to separate personal beliefs from the duty to govern, or to be qualified to be effective in the political process.  So, for Mr. Biden, he can be Catholic when it comes to Sunday Mornings, and going to Holy Communion, but don’t bother him with anything that resembles faith when in the public venue.

Why this seems so remarkable on the surface is the fact that Mr. Biden and his crony criminal in chief partner have no difficulties at all ‘imposing their values and beliefs’ onto the American people.  What does one call mandatory participation in hell care?  What does one call all of the insane laws and regulations of getting on an airplane?  What about paying taxes?  Or, how about the ‘right’ to make over 1 million dollars per year and being forced to ‘pay a little more’ so the rest who are not as ‘lucky’ get a piece of the action?  Mr. Biden had no problem chastising those high income earners, and seemed to have no restraint in stating they will pay more.

It was also interesting (with the help of the ‘mediator’) how Biden sidestepped Mr. Ryan’s question about the criminal in chief’s administration ‘imposing’ onto the Catholic Church the requirement to provide birth control and other ‘reproductive services’ to its employees, as well as offer these services to their clientele.  Biden didn’t even attempt to answer this question, and immediately went onto a personal attack at how Mr. Ryan is ‘imposing’ his beliefs onto others, and he along with his crony administration is ‘proud’ of this.  So, according to Biden, the only requirement to be Catholic is to just declare it so, and then do whatever is on one’s heart to do.  (Isn’t that an imposition of Biden’s definition onto all believers?)

In Mr. Ryan’s view of Catholicism, one needs to fight for the less fortunate and those such as the unborn, who are unable to fight for themselves.  For Mr. Biden, Catholicism is something you do on Sunday and leave it in the church pew when exiting after receiving Communion.  The Catholicism of Mr. Biden is that of a social status; it’s merely out of habit of going and has little to no substance.  Mr. Ryan appears to take his faith seriously enough that he understands the causality and linkages of violating God’s laws to the very apparent consequences of this action.  It is in this distinction that we saw who the real Catholic was, and it happened to be the one who behaved himself and treated another who was being extremely disrespectful and disruptive when the real Catholic explained his position.

THIS IS WHAT OFFENSE LOOKS LIKE

George Offerman

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.

Thomas Jefferson

It’s sometimes wondrous how ironic life situations can be, and here we are with what appears on the surface two very unrelated stories, but they are actually tied in very close with each other.  The first story revolves around how scared the DNC and the political establishment are of Randall Terry’s ads depicting dead babies threatening to ‘invade’ the American households proper on Super Bowl Sunday.  The second story is that of the Catholic Church being ‘mandated’ by the Obama administration to provide birth control, abortofacients and ‘reproductive rights’ care to employees, and the Churches ‘shock’ at this move.

As has been covered by the supposed ‘horrible and evil” MSM and a few responsible pro life bloggers and press, The DNC is using threats and coercion in stopping the LEGAL RIGHTS of Randall Terry, an acknowledged and certified Democratic Presidential Candidate from showing unedited graphic ads of dead babies on television.  Because of the way the Federal law is written, these ads cannot be legally denied or turned away, yet the DNC and Democratic Party is doing what it normally does when it does not get its way: use threatening behaviors and if need be, break the law. 

It’s a hoot to see what these people are doing and what they are saying.  As mentioned in a previous post, one general manager of a television station actually stated “Regardless of what one believes about abortion, no one wants to EXPOSE THEIR FAMILY TO DISMEMBERED BODY PARTS during the Super Bowl”.  Dismembered body parts!  I thought it was a CHOICE!  Interestingly, when the pro deathers are on the offensive, the word ‘choice’ is everywhere, and the words dismembered body parts and child are nowhere.  However, now that the pro deathers are playing defense, they are actually forced to admit to what the average dunderhead would have figured out on his own when seeing these commercials: bloody, dismembered body parts of a small human being.

This is what offense looks like.  It’s when those who need to see the truth actually are forced to use the language of the truth against their will and against everything they claim to believe in.  This is the exact reaction these unedited graphic commercials are supposed to cause.    When one plans action with intended consequences and the outcomes match the plans, it is called being on the offensive, or taking the war to the enemy.  These ads are doing this in spades, and the fruits are undeniable (except for the mediocre pro life groups disavowing and trashing the efforts).

Then we have the REACTION (defense) of the Catholic Church of the (shocking!) ‘betrayal’ by the Obama administration pertaining to the mandatory funding of contraception, abortofacients and ‘reproductive rights’.  (However, I guess it was permissible as long as it ‘exempted’ the Church and other ‘religious’ organizations due to the Church’s inaction prior to this ‘shocking’ announcement).  Because the Church has been on the defensive for the past forty years, they did not have the battle hardness or insight into seeing that making nice with the enemy ultimately emboldens the enemy.

Then we have reactions such as Pat Buchanan, a Catholic who writes for World Net Daily, amongst other publications.  Mr. Buchannan, like many other Catholics, writes with conviction pertaining to the problems, but like most of the writers, commentators and clergy, did not have the insight to see this coming, and as a result does not advocate for a strong and proper response to this matter.  Here is Mr. Buchanan’s take on this issue:  (for the full post, click link below)

http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/obama-double-crosses-american-catholics/        

Why did Obama do it?

Facing a close race for a second term, Obama chose not to antagonize his left. Yet he must have known that siding with them meant leaving Archbishop Dolan with egg all over his face. Obama, calculatedly, came down on the side of those he believes to be more crucial to his re-election.

This affront should tell the Catholic hierarchy, if they did not already know, where they stand in the party of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Kathleen Sebilius. And where they sit – in the back of the bus.

Yet if the bishops will look upon this crisis of conscience, this insult, as an opportunity, they can effect its reversal and recapture a measure of the moral authority they have lately lost.

Not only should the bishops file suit in federal court against the president and Sebelius for violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, they should inform the White House that no bishop will give an invocation at the Democratic Convention.

Then, they should inform the White House that in the last two weeks of the 2012 campaign, priests in every parish will read from the pulpit at Sunday mass a letter denouncing Obama as anti-Catholic for denying the Church its right to live according to its beliefs.

If Obama loses the Catholic vote, he loses the election.

The White House will come around, fast. Rely upon it.

I am not sure where Mr. Buchanan is coming from, but if he, and any of the leaders contemplate what Obama just did, they would realize that this is a BRAZEN ACT OF WAR DECLARED AGAINST THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.  Nice time is over, and the response by the hierarchy needs to be in direct proportion to the evil enacted against the Church.  With all due respect to you, Mr. Buchanan, you would recommend the Bishops ‘Threaten’ to not give the invocation at the Democratic Convention?  Wow!  That will scare them into submission!  Have every priest give homilies the last two weeks before the election ‘denouncing’ Obama as ‘Anti-Catholic for denying the church its right to live according to its beliefs?  I’m sure the evil pro deathers lead by Obama will be shaking in their boots over that one.  (Just like Obama’s getting an ‘honorary degree’ from our Lady’s University).  If we follow the direction and advice given by Pat Buchanan, we WILL GET RUN OVER AND BE FODDER FOR THE CATTLE TO EAT.

No, what needs to happen is the USCCB IMMEDIATELY EXCOMMUNICATE ALL 'CATHOLIC' HOLDERS OF CABINET POSITIONS, SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN WHO HAVE SUPPORTED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM HEALTH CARE AND ANTI LIFE LEGISLATION CONTRARY TO CATHOLIC TEACHINGS.  Then, inform the Obama administration that the church will be preaching against his war against the Church EVERY SUNDAY and will continue until either Obama: 1) renounce his war against the Church and the unborn, or 2) resign the presidency.

Obama is not the messiah or a messiah, and we do not bow down to him, nor need his permission to live moral and upright lives.  We do not need his counsel, suggestions, laws or permission to do this.  We don’t need to obey immoral laws, and we will openly resist any efforts by a rogue government and wayward individual who ‘dictates’ terms of how free men and free women are to live their lives.  Until the Church is ready to make a stand like this, it will bow down and be subjected to abuse and humiliation from an egotistical and evil dictator who believes he has ‘divine’ rights to tell God’s institution how they will behave.

As Thomas Jefferson once quipped, maybe it’s time that the tree of liberty be watered again, and maybe it’s time to tell this rogue government where to go: to hell, where it came from and where it belongs. To the U. S. Bishops: the laity will follow if you simply lead.

ALL SAINTS DAY

George Offerman

For those Catholics out there, this is one of those feast days that shows the triumph of our faith.  It’s a time to celebrate the lives of those who came before us and who lives such exemplary lives, that we can model our own lives after them.  For those of you who have taken the time to study some of these saints, it can be a great source of comfort, as well as a challenge.  The stories of the saints are meant to give us hope and direction in uncertain times such as these, as well as pass on the concept that God is always there for those who put their faith in him.

I have personally read many accounts of saints and their lives, but probably not enough of them.  It seems the most common feature these remarkable people demonstrate, is their ability to persevere when nearly all around them either want to give up, or actually give up.  These people seem to be able to fight through a great amount of rejection, and very often, the rejection came from the hand of the Faith they were actually attempting to live.  It seem so easy to look at many people today who very well may be living saints, and heap criticism or scorn on them because they don’t seem to be as ‘glamorous’ as those who are recognized as saints.

Our church teaches it is our duty to strive for living sainthood, through sanctified living and daily communion with our Savior.  While I am sure there are many people living today that meet this qualification, it would seem most don’t and it is so necessary to have people like this to spur the rest of us on to live in this way, and bring honor and glory to our God.  It also appears that those individuals, who reached such a sanctified state, also experienced levels of joy and peace that are nearly nonexistent in our current age.   These people seemed to have reached a level that can only be surmised and speculated about and is very difficult to understand.

It definitely seems that to live a sanctified life today would put one on a direct firing line, between dealing with the amount of darkness in the world, and the ever growing hostility with the Christian way of life.  It definitely will challenge any level of comfort and convenience, and most likely will result in alienation from most people.  But on the other hand, it would be of great value, as it would bear witness that anyone can live the Christian life at any point in history and it would definitely attract some to the ranks.  Is that not a large part of our mission while here?

We definitely could use the inspiration of these men and women who paved the w ay for the faith to continue.  We would benefit greatly from knowing and emulating their bravery and courage when presenting the faith, and being very unapologetically in the method we go about passing on what we know to be true.  We can be like them and it is only a decision away.  Too many contemporary folks believe these people are too high on a pedestal, and thus don’t want to even try to live such sanctity.  We need to have the urgency that our saints had when spreading the Gospel.  It is what is needed at this time in history, and the torch is in our hands.

NOTRE DAME, PART 2

George Offerman

Why me Lord? Pick on someone else.

My wife had been back and forth from South Bend, assisting the Insurrecta Nex team and was in charge of media relations while I was back in Virginia holding down the fort. Randall called me shortly after his arrest and informed me that things were beginning to heat up at Notre Dame, and he and the team came up with another strategy to put more pressure on Fr. Jenkins, Obama, and Notre Dame to rescind the invitation to speak. It appeared with the initial arrests, that Fr. Jenkins was making a very clear statement that he intended to make this even happen; despite the fact it violated clear tenets of the Catholic faith, as well as the fact that Bishop D’Arcy had asked Notre Dame to rescind the invitation. If Fr. Jenkins was going to dig in his heels, so would we.

Randall Terry’s strategy was to send waves of people onto the campus with nothing other than rosaries to pray, and with very clear instructions to be peaceful and nonviolent. Because this strategy had not been used before, Randall was unsure whether arrests would happen, but one would have to be prepared to be arrested and to possibly sit in jail for at least a weekend. Since Randall knew I was coming back with my wife to south Bend for the weekend, he had asked me if I would be willing to be arrested. I told him I would think about it, but inside I dismissed this as foolishness and at that moment, had absolutely no intention of doing nothing other than protesting outside the gates. What I did not understand at the time was that someone with greater authority than me, had other plans.

The servant is no greater than the master.

God speaks to us in our own unique ways. God speaks to me in two ways I have readily identified: quietly when I am willing to listen, and with a 2 x 4 when I’m not. This was one of those 2 x 4 ‘moments’ and I have to admit that I put up a real good fight. The conviction came over me in such a way that the best I can say is that “I can’t not do it”. I could find no valid reason to not proceed on, and kept running into scripture verses that mandated me to act on what I knew was the truth. If Jesus found it good enough to get arrested under false charges, who am I to make any statement about how ‘unfair’ it is?

This process took several days, and my mind was not at peace until I made the decision to proceed onto south Bend, and participate in this protest to its fullest extent. However, I did not inform Randall of my decision, thinking he would encourage me to stay in jail for the weekend, if being arrested was the final outcome. It was then decided we would set out for South Bend on May 13 and I would be joining the first wave of prayer warriors to enter the campus on May 15th. Prior to going to our lodging, I asked my wife to drive by St. Joseph’s county jail to see what my possible ‘weekend home’ looked like. Even at this time, I was still hoping we would be left alone to pray and would not end up in jail, but also remembering rather clearly that I was willing to do the Lord’s bidding on this matter.

Arrested for praying.

That morning, there was a large gathering at the Francis Street house which served as the residential headquarters for this event. There were about 30 + people willing to enter the campus and risking arrests. The previous Friday, Dr. Alan Keyes and 17 others had entered the campus pushing baby carriages with dolls, and were arrested fairly quickly, and it was likely our fate would be the same. After getting into formation, we walked the 3 blocks to one of the main entrances to the campus, and could see the campus police waiting for us. There were also a myriad of pro Obama protestors waiting as well. After a quick prayer in front of the gate we proceeded in. We did not get much further than about 50 yards in when the police confronted us and ordered us to leave. (However, the pro Obama counter protestors were left alone) Dr. Keyes was the first arrested then the rest of us were eventually taken into custody. Fr. Norman Weslin was one of the last to be arrested on that day, and decided to go limp. It took 5 officers to get him to a separate van, and once they had Fr. Weslin squared away, we were off to St. Joseph’s county jail. In all, 22 of us were arrested that Friday, and 10 of us stayed in Jail overnight.

There were two other waves of arrests that weekend, 19 on Saturday which included Norma McCorvey and Fr Weslin again, and 27 arrests on Sunday, the day of the commencement speech. In total, 94 people had been arrested over the course of 3 weekends with the bulk being the weekend of the speech. The international media was all over the arrests, and many of the people arrested were approached by all sorts of media wanting to know their stories. The arrests and tactics used by the Insurrecta Nex team, coupled with the support of Dr. Monica Miller and CPLS and others made this event an international news item.

There is no question president Obama had to address the issue of abortion, knowing multiple numbers of Americans were getting arrested for speaking up for the life issue. There was no doubt that we were making a difference, despite the fact our first objective failed, in getting Obama cancelled. It raised the bar for the dialogue that Fr. Jenkins claimed to want to do by inviting Obama in the first place. Without the arrests, this event would have been lightly protested and there would have been minimal coverage of this event, as it is the case for the majority of presidential commencement speeches. However, we did not get the support of most of the pro-life movement, and many of the accusations by these groups were just starting.


To be continued

HERMENEUTICS 101: ESCHATOLOGY AND PROPHECY

George Offerman

Over the course of the last several postings, we have looked at many of the formative people and events that have set the stage for where we are in the current scheme of things. We are beginning to get a larger perspective of the global aspects of eschatology and prophecy, but if it is not ultimately applied to the individual in real time, this knowledge is as useless as a migraine headache. The REAL story of the Bible is the PERSONAL relationship with the revealed God that is mandatory in order for one to attain paradise. There will not be a ‘collective’ salvation offered, but an individual, which means the individual is responsible for his own decisions, and ultimately will stand alone in front of the judgment seat of God.

Since we all know there will be an end point to this form of existence, eschatology holds great importance to all of us. Ascertaining where we are concerning the prophetic time line is very important, but of even greater importance is the personal preparation that must go along with this. In our current times, we have been too indoctrinated into the collectivist mentality: someone else will take care of me; someone else will do the heavy lifting for me. Likewise, with the church, there are many who ‘defer’ their responsibilities to the pastor, committees, prayer groups, letter writers or donating to various causes. Personal involvement in many facets of our faith is becoming scarce to non-existent, yet we are being taught we ‘are making a difference’. This is not what the Bible teaches, and we are required to be active participants in this real war.

Without knowledge of eschatology, there is not much purpose in standing out, or taking a strong stance on any issue. If one does not understand or grasp the end results of this life, and that judgment will follow death, and there will be a possibility of eternal damnation, mediocrity will be the order of the day. If one takes a look at the current times, mediocrity rules, or if we want to use the modern colloquialism “politically correct’. Either term used demonstrates a lack of concern over what God has commanded and what Jesus preached. The fact there is perfect accountability for every thought and deed and that this will determine the eternal destiny of the individual is lost in today’s world. Without proper understanding of eschatology, the ides of prophecy will be doubly lost.

Prophecy is history written in advance for the benefit of those alive, in order to know the will and actions of God. If one already believes he will be going to heaven no matter how he lives his life, most, if not all of prophecy will not make sense to him, nor will it affect the way he lives his life. This individual will not be able to grasp, yet believe a God of ‘love’ could possibly send judgments and kill people. So, the lessons of the Bible are constantly in question and generally minimized. Those attempting to teach what the Bible says about man and his condition are ostracized, persecuted, mocked and distained by the ‘sophisticated, enlightened modern man’. When this is done, those believing in the ‘new ways’ are truly lost, and living in a very dangerous delusion. Once captured in this strong delusion, it will only take an ‘act of God’ to wake one out of this stupor. That is why the 14 events of Revelation are so harsh and overwhelming. It takes that much suffering and destruction to overcome these delusions, and it is God’s will to save the most as possible.

The Bible is all about our condition, and the consistency of prophecy proves this aspect of reality. Prophecy is always accurate and exact, when originating from God, and the most accurate and sure prophecies are found in scripture. Yes, there are those who have visions and locutions, but these are considered ‘private’ revelations, and this refers to the fact these prophecies have occurred outside of the cannon of Scripture. Private revelations do not have to be believed, and must be consistent with Scripture, not contradict Scripture to even have a shot at being from God. Many people unfortunately believe private revelation over the Cannon of Scripture, and this is truly a dangerous condition. It generally embraces sensationalism over the purity of the Word, and is contingent upon the ‘seer’ and not what is scripturally sound.

On top of that is the moral relativism embraced in society as a whole, and within the church in part. It is rare for anyone in the church to preach a straight up ’Thus says the Lord’ and be straight up with what God expects. In this way, an individual with the courage to preach the truth really could be considered a prophet in the sense they have a very accurate picture of the future if behaviors don’t change, and true seers and locutionists will verify this. So it is the private revelations that will be supplemental to Scriptural prophecies.

If one considers the above-mentioned criteria, it will soon be clear that both eschatology and prophecy are fairly dead in our time. Not many want to know the real score; they want to believe the way they do their lives is acceptable to God, and don’t want to know or hear they are in error and need to repent. Without a good sense of God and what he wants, all the eschatology and prophecy will not help those already closed off due to their pride in believing they ‘know how things really are”. Eschatology and Prophecy exist for our benefit, but we must know that we are sinful creatures who need instruction by a being that knows the beginning from the end, unlike us.

CATHOLICS CANNOT VOTE FOR PRO-ABORTION CANDIDATES

George Offerman

If one goes back and looks at the old catechism of the Catholic Church, it becomes very apparent that the defense of life is the paramount battle, for without life there are no other battles. In this election, there is more attention being paid to the economic issues than that of life, and it is unfortunate that many cannot see the linkage between the economic issues and the life issues. It is in this light, that many Catholics will vote the pocketbook issue over the life issue, and will go for the ‘goodie bag’ over what is moral and ethical.

We have the most recent statement from Cardinal Elect Raymond Burke who could not be clearer on the fact that Catholics of good conscious cannot vote for a politician who is pro death. This issue must take precedent over any economic or vocational issue, regardless of how much pain one is feeling over his own situation. It is in this sense that one has to be of a sacrificial mindset, and willing to take on some personal discomfort in order to give to those who are defenseless and unable to speak for themselves. That is where Christian charity really begins.

We can take Cardinal Elect Burke’s words even further: we need to hold those so-called pro-life politicians accountable to their words. Too many of them have been nothing but lip service and they continue to get re elected despite being rather phony in their alleged stance on the life issue. It is also in this form that we need to keep to our Christian duty and vote for and elect true pro lifers. One may ask then, if one claims to be pro life, but does not advocate fro life on a consistent basis, is he really pro life? Too many of these ‘pro life’ candidates and office holders throw crumbs at the pro lifers around election time to guarantee a return trip to Washington, D.C, and they then continue to vote in any which manner they please.

As Catholics, and Christians, we need to be accountable for our vote, we need to make sure those we vote for those who will consistently hold to a pro-life platform, and we need to let them know they will be out of a job if they violate this position. These conditions will fulfill the precept that we vote pro life. Otherwise, we might as well advertise we are pro death, and really don’t care who gets in, and whether we fulfill any of our faith based requirements as Christians. There needs to be a certain amount of soul searching when going to the ballot box, and this should not be simply an exercise of the name we recognize, or those who are going to give us the most ‘goodies’ in this election cycle.

When we go to the polls tomorrow, we need to keep the gravity of the times in mind. This is not the time to vote for the pocketbook, but a time to vote for the most vulnerable of our society, and to show we are a people of faith that lives this faith, not just talk about it on Sunday mornings. It seem clear that these times hold some prophetic meaning to them, and that it may be us that are on trial. We need to keep to our faith and beliefs, and not let the dark powers have victory in this time of darkness. May God give us the courage and insight to do the right thing tomorrow.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

George Offerman

The post apologetics of many pro life groups has started now that Kagan is in the Supreme Court. Although predictable, it is incredibly sad that these groups have any credibility and no shame in the fact they were MIA in this battle. It must be that many in the pro life movement have little fight in them, or they just don't understand the points of battle. With he next point of battle being the November elections, it would be high time and proper to be demanding candidates that supposedly represent our positions, to actually keep their word.

We have Steve Ertelt of lifenews.com that believes Kagan's elevation to the Supreme Court has a 'silver lining' in it. Mr. Ertelt has been MIA in most of the real battles and has been silent on those who have put in efforts to filibuster this horrible Associate Justice. And Mr. Ertelt presents himself as a pro life leader who is on top of the major news stories. It is more like Mr. Ertelt has a 'news blackout' on stories and events he is personally uncomfortable with or thinks is not in the image of his vision pertaining to changing the law of the land and outlawing legalized child killing. As long as people like Mr. Ertelt, decide what is newsworthy in the pro life movement, we can presume a losing position and most of these pro life groups will continue fund raising until the day Jesus returns.

The Reverend Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition was arrested some weeks back for praying in front of a Planned Parenthod abortuary in Washington, D.C. An honorable endeavor, but not a rallying point for overturning Roe. The Reverend Mahoney makes a statement in his latest newsletter that if "this does not rally the Christian community, then I don't know what will". There is some truth to this statement, but if legalized child killing were illegal, one could not get arrested for praying in front of an abandoned abortuary. let's make child killing illegal, and all the disputes over where to pray will cease to exist.

Finally, the Philippine branch of the Catholic Church has boldly declared to the government that the will excommunicate not only those who pass legalized child killing, but anyone remotely involved at any level. The American Church could learn a lot from this example, and maybe ought to take note that the Church over there has credibility because of their strong stances on moral matters such as this. I have also wondered if the Church over there is dealing with something equivalent to the 501 C 3 status in this country. either way, the Philippine Church seems to have a moral compass and a voice that carries some authority.

So, let the games begin. Let these groups and individuals sell their 'goods' as real efforts, and let them justify their inactions as 'silver linings' and 'demonstrating Jesus love for others" Let them continue on in their delusions that they are making a 'difference' in this war. But for the love of God and the Babies, please do not fund them.

HOW OTHERS SEE US

George Offerman

My oldest daughter informed me of a recent incident she had at school with a well meaning, but socially inept neighbor that confronted her openly about her religion. Evidently, the strong pro life stance we have in our family has been a source of irritation in our neighbor’s home, and the parents evidently have been talking about this to their children. As reported by my daughter the conversation went something like this:

“You know the one thing I hate about your family is? Your beliefs and religion. You guys are supposed to believe in … and you believe in something totally different, which is wrong. I mean, it’s just stupid cause you guys are Roman Catholic and all Roman Catholics are suppose to be LIBERAL.” My daughter responded “Everyone who goes to our church is Republican (not quite accurate, but a good response) Neighbor: Really? That’s so weird. Do they realize they are supposed to be liberal? And you know what else? Every day Matt (my son) comes up to me and tells me how bad abortion is and how it is murdering babies, and I said “no it’s not”. At that point, my daughter walked away from the conversation, and this neighbor stopped her commentary.

I informed my children how proud I was that they have been standing up for the faith and principles we have attempted to teach them over the years, and we also discussed the collective ignorance of the majority, as reflected in our neighbor’s comments. This particular neighbor comes from a Jewish tradition and her parents happen to see themselves as enlightened, liberal and sophisticated concerning current trends in society. This would make them more mainstream in their thought processes, and it is not much of a stretch to believe that their daughter’s comments are influenced by their own thoughts concerning many of these matters.

This brought about a very good teaching moment for our whole family that will lead to several more discussions in the future. It also brought home to me in a personal way how much trouble we are in, and how we really are losing the fight for not only the babies, but our souls. It seems these neighbors have a pre conceived notion as to what the Roman Catholic Church stands for, and that the faith as our family tries to live it is seen as a freakish and scary thing to them. It is very disturbing, given the fact that I have been teaching what the Church has proclaimed for over the past two millennia, and the content of the teachings is right in line with the magisterium. It is appalling that people outside of our faith have such a dim view of it, and sees the application of any moral absolute as highly intolerable and nearing religious ‘fascism’.

It is no wonder that people like my neighbors have those pre conceived notions about Catholicism, when one sees the last several decades of poor behavior, and the selling out of the faith in order to be tolerated by the society. The messages are being sent loud and clear: Catholicism is interpreted by the individual, there are no longer moral absolutes and anyone claiming to be Catholic has the same moral authority in making claims as the Pope. Catholics openly violate precepts of the faith with no consequences, and the Bishops and Priests, for the most part, refuse to teach the faith as it has been passed down from the Apostles. We can now have people of other faiths dictate what we believe, and this will go largely unchallenged.

Needless to say, my children have now tasted some of the persecution that will be more prevalent in the future. I am proud that they were willing to fight for their beliefs, but it saddens me as well that there are not more out there willing to do the same. It is even sadder that the fight needs to take place at all, but it is a reflection of how far we have fallen in matters of faith and morals. What it’s going to take to get back on track is a lot of guts and fortitude, but where it will come from is another matter. As long as the Church takes the position that it would rather be at the table of acceptance and tolerance, it cannot be the beacon it was meant to be, and the message ultimately will look ‘liberal’ to the outsiders.

BETRAYAL OF THE HIGHEST MAGNITUDE

George Offerman

Many Catholics and most protestants I have come in contact with over the years have wondered “Why is such a big deal made over receiving communion?” and “Why is it politicized and who has a right to determine who is worthy or not?”. If one believes that communion is symbolic, and is not the true presence of the Body of Christ, there may be substance to that argument. However, it is not what the church teaches, and this teaching goes back to the days of the Apostles. But when looking at the behaviors of the majority of the American Bishops, and some of those in Rome, it is apparent that they are suffering from a ‘crisis in faith’ as they do not defend the Eucharist, and by their collective silence, have originated and perpetuated betrayal of the highest magnitude against Christ Himself.

It is very well known that the field of psychology has one of the highest proportions of atheists of any profession. Yet the central tenet or highest law of psychology and counseling is that of confidentiality. The confidentiality laws are clear, and they are continually emphasized while in school. One can lose their license to practice if they violate confidentiality EVEN ONCE, and no matter what a professional counselor or therapist’s personal beliefs, lifestyles or behaviors are, (and they vary greatly) it is extremely rare when confidentiality is violated. When confidentiality is violated, the profession is in 100% agreement that sanctions need to take place, and the only disagreements may be the degree of sanctions imposed. But I have not ever heard any professional in my field defend the violation of confidentiality.

I look at our profession, with the varying beliefs and personality types, and see the unified stance on a man made law of confidentiality. I could never imagine ever hearing a professor in any of the ethics classes we were required to take ever question the premise of confidentiality, or argue that it is “up to us to decide what to do” or “if the court threatens to throw you in jail if you do not violate confidentiality, just go ahead and sell out your client”. No, we were informed about the few ‘ethical’ therapists who went to jail versus violating confidentiality, and they were presented as the “modern saints or martyrs” of our profession. No one made fun of them, and no one accused them of ‘politicizing’ their beliefs. In fact, we were encouraged to model their behavior if need be. (No one has ever been martyred over the confidentiality law)

Now, before anyone gets the wrong idea, I do believe personally in the need for confidentiality of the client. It is the cornerstone of effective therapy, and the client needs to know that their information will not go anywhere. I would be willing to go to jail before violating confidentiality, because without upholding this very central tenet of therapy, good treatment cannot take place. I was also on the Virginia Board of Social Work for four years, and on the disciplinary committee. During the four years I was on this committee, we had one case of breach of confidentiality, and it was one that was incidental, but still serious. We were even unified on the sanctions we levied on this social worker and no one protested or condemned our actions.

Confidentiality is the central tenet of our profession, as the Eucharist is to the Catholic Church. The cornerstone of Holy Orders, in which men are asked to give up marriage, having families and pursuit of worldly rewards and life styles, is the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which at its essence is the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ (transubstantiation). Through the laying on of hands by a legitimate Bishop, the new priest’s soul is permanently altered with an indelible mark that changes the character of this man, and he is uniquely qualified to offer this Sacrifice. This priest is charged with upholding the absolute integrity of the Eucharist, which includes the safeguarding of the Eucharist against those that are in public scandal or known mortal sin (Cannon 915). It is not optional for the priest to ignore this, and the essence of Holy Orders mandates he safeguard the integrity of the Eucharist, even if it requires his life. Our church has a significant number of Martyrs and Saints who laid down their lives for the integrity of the Eucharist.

Yet people like Nancy Pelosi, the late Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and others who claim to be Catholic (they don’t know anything about the faith) snub their noses at the Traditions and Faith of the Catholic Church, and in essence, are telling the Bishops that they know better about these matters than the Bishops themselves. The Bishops, by their silence, are in agreement with these pseudo (moronic) intellectuals and have betrayed the central Tenet of Catholicism. Our faith teaches that one cannot present him/herself at the table of our Lord if he/she is in mortal sin. Furthermore (Cannon 915) if it is public sin and the individual perpetuates this sin, has been informed of the grave nature of the sin and has no intention of repenting, he/she is to be denied Holy Communion by the Bishop, Priest, Deacon, or Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister. PERIOD. No discussion, no negotiation.

The whole thought process behind examination of consciousness prior to communion, is to examine how one has been living his faith, not to change and interpret the rules and traditions for himself. Child killing is condemned by the Catholic Church. Participation in child killing at any level is a mortal sin. The only examination Ms. Pelosi and co. need to do is determine whether they have been advocates for perpetuating legalized child killing or not. (Which she has by her own admission). She and the others have thus disqualified themselves to receive communion, and need to confess this sin, and then resolve to ‘sin no more’ in this manner. By going up and receiving communion in the state of mortal sin, they have compounded the sin, and if they die in this state, condemn themselves to hell. This is what our church teaches. To not teach this is a betrayal not only of our Lord, but of the person in sin, as it gives them no opportunity for reconciliation. Ultimately, this will be on the heads of the Bishops and Priests, who are given the divine mandate to protect the integrity of the Eucharist and faith, but do nothing to correct them.

For the Bishops and Priests to say nothing, and ignore this is a betrayal way worse than any therapist taking out an ad in a large paper and revealing details of therapy sessions. It is very sad when one of the most atheistic professions can abide by a man made code of ethics in a unified manner outshines a divinely mandated organization that is to present and safeguard this most precious gift to a fallen world. When man’s laws supersede God’s, trouble is around the corner. It is not about making people feel better, it is about teaching the faith that God, through Jesus Christ, revealed to us regardless of how we feel about it. If the truth is too difficult for the American clergy to deal with, then leave ministry, and get out of the way of those who still live by the faith and teach it with integrity.

AMERICA: 7-4-1776 TO 3-23-2010

George Offerman


So, bye-bye miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry
And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and Rye
Singing ‘this will be the day that I die”
“this will be the day that I die”

American Pie

Don McLean


For many, there is a sense of heaviness and sadness as the realization sinks in that our country is finished. Freedoms have disappeared right before our eyes, and other than the tea party movement there seems to be little fight from the population. The greatness of this country seems to be lost to those who continually trash the founding fathers, and the belief in God that was the guiding force behind this dream of freedom I hardly recognize this country from the one I grew up in. and it saddens me that my children do not know the America I did. This is a time to grieve what was, but it is also a time to strategize and make moves that will benefit the individual, their family, and community.

There is too much to write about this morning, but the disaster continues with the blood sucking vampires and their co conspirator, the harlot in scarlet. Unbelievably, the USCCB came out with their ‘strongest statement’ against hell care on Saturday night. The only reaction this should have received was outrage by the faithful that this weak, inconsequential band waited until it was nearly impossible to change the nature of the debate. Now, they can fund raise, and supposedly have a clear conscious that they tried to do something about it. What sell outs, and wimps, and harlots.

The Vanguard of St. Catherine made international news, with their press release and statement outside of St. Peter’s in Rome. The timing could not have been better as they were the first to react to this Obamination, and did the absolutely proper thing by insisting that Pelosi be excommunicated for her stance on legalized child killing. And to think this woman prayed to St. Joseph to assist in passing this hell care bill. And the Bishops stayed silent. It is so unfortunate that the laity has to do the job for the clergy, but that’s usually how it is prior to judgments. There will be no good outcomes from this, and by the time the average person ‘gets it’ it will be way too late.

It is truly up to the individual now. Government, along with the harlot church has made it very clear that the citizens that play by the rules are the true enemy. It is war upon the middle class that is really occurring here. It is very clear that if one wants good health care, retirement, and security, it is up to them to make it happen. Government, along with the co conspirator church is now the problem, and are making it nearly impossible for the citizen who plays by the rules to take care of themselves in a legal manner. It is insane to have to get permission to do anything, to be regulated into near immobility, and to have quoting scripture outlawed in most public locations and no ability to express religious preferences without fear of lawsuit, or ‘offending’ those who are too occupied being ‘busybodies’ instead of living their own lives.

The harlot church has voluntarily muzzled itself, due to convenience, comfort, and status. They have also sold out God for money, with their coveted 501 c 3 status, and in effect, allow the IRS and any other liberal organization dictate the terms of the what , when and where they can have any demonstration or discussion of religion. The harlot church will persecute its own if they step out of line, or make the officials uncomfortable, such as the Notre Dame fiasco. The harlot church bows before its new god, and listens to its new overseers with impunity, and shows total obedience to their commands.

What those of us want, who still believe in the Constitution and the Church of Jesus Christ is to be left alone to live our lives in the fear of God, love of neighbor, and working and keeping the fruits of our labors. No true lover of God would deliberately harm another, steal from them, or believe they are entitled to their labor, property and right to life. This country was great when hard work was the norm, government was small and stayed out of one’s way, and the Church actually stood for unchangeable principles, and had the respect of nearly everyone.

I fear these days are over, and it is a very sad day. To watch Pelosi and co. cheering like a bunch of kindergarteners after the passage of this hell care was an extremely sickening feeling, as these blood sucking vampires complete the process of transforming this terminally ill pt called America into an undead, blood sucking creature itself. The rot is coming, as sure as night follows day. The incentive to do well in this country, only to have the undead steal it, is gone.

So, Die-die miss American Die
Drove my government motors Chevy to the welfare trough levee
And the welfare trough levee was dry
And them good ole boys (and girls) in congress were drinking whiskey and Rye
Singing “this will be the day that you die”
“this will be the day that you die”

Nancy Pelosi and co.

American Die

SAD TIMES

George Offerman

The bad news continues for the Catholic Church, as a new wave of scandals appears to be buffeting the church and rising up as high at the Pope. This is not so unpredictable if anyone has been paying the least bit of attention, and watching events unfold in a manner that is fit for feeding frenzy of the secular media. This is a time when we need to be praying for all involved, and demonstrating the faith the church has attempted to teach, but not necessarily living.

As wave after wave of scandals are exposed, it is going to be more difficult to discuss and enforce church teachings with any credibility. However, this is the time to do so, more than ever, as there seem to be many in the clerical ranks that are becoming more ‘renegade’ and undermining what little semblance of respectability remains. As a life long Catholic, and former Seminarian, this is a very painful process to watch, and I hope this situation starts to resolve itself, starting with those that have the authority to stand up and defend the faith as they should.

It is really time to begin to clean house. Yes, it needs to start with Rome, but there are plenty around that need to be shown the exits. This was discussed about the time I left Seminary in 1986, and back then, very few had the intestinal fortitude to even say anything, and even fewer wanted to act on what they knew. I know, I was one who stood up to this scandal, and ended up on the outside looking in. I told many, that this would be preached from the rooftops, and the lid would never stay on ‘this can of worms’. Not a hard prophesy to make, but a heartbreaking one at that.

My fears back then, and I expressed them to many of my friends who remained in the Seminary, and eventually were ordained, that to compromise in order to stay in and become ordained, seemed to me a betrayal of what I thought the faith was and how it should be lived. We see that now being lived out, by these same men now running from the difficult decisions that need to be made. Years of compromising beliefs to make it through the system, has trained these same men to continue the same behaviors after ordination, and in many cases, after being elevated to Bishop.

Why one would believe that they can compromise for years, then all of a sudden, grow a backbone when ‘matters of faith’ are compromised, are beyond me. Seminary is to be a place of formation, and to develop a spiritual backbone while one is in the process of becoming a cleric. Unfortunately, our society, and to a large extend the world wide church, has reaped what it has sown. This is why we have Bishops that will not enforce matters like Cannon 915 that would deny Communion to pro death politicians. This is why we have priests and Bishops who would rather keep the peace, and chastise those who challenge the sinful behaviors and wayward beliefs. Compromise and comfort are the desired outcomes of many of today’s clergy, and it has been indoctrinated into their formation for the last few decades.

It is time to clean house. It would be better to be down to a third of the Priests, and a quarter of the Bishops, if that’s what it takes to bring about clarity of the faith. For too long now, we laity have been sold out when it comes to compromise at the expense of the faith, and have been fed a poisonous form of pabulum that has been masquerading as faith for too long. Real love is doing the right thing even if it hurts, and the Church is neither teaching nor demonstrating real love at this time. Nothing good will be accomplished by hiding scandals and trying to pretend they do not exist. Nothing will be accomplished by failing to teach and preach the good news, in order to placate those who could really care less about what the Faith is or what it stands for. It is time to stop betraying those that want to know and live by the Faith, but especially those who are watching, and may be thinking of taking on the Faith as their own.

What poor examples we have become, when it becomes more important to ‘save face’ and cover up, and make excuses for the sinful behaviors than to take a tough stand and send these people packing. We are rapidly becoming a Faith that seems to compromise on all the core values when challenged, and where those even in a position of authority seem to break with the hierarchical authority on a whim. Yet many of these same clerics demand total allegiance to their positions and authority when they hand down a declaration or teaching. They see mandates of Cannon law as ‘suggestions’ and matters of debate versus clear instruction and non compromising positions. Often they see themselves as the final arbiter of the Faith, and will pride fully reject any guidance or mandates given by those who have the authority on such matters.

It is these who are ruining the Faith, and causing dissention amongst the brethren, not those who have the courage to speak up and defend the Faith. It is time for those who do not believe to get out. It does not matter how high of a position they are in, if they don’t live by the Faith and Teach the Faith, they need to be in a place where they can cause no more harm, and that is on the outside. There is no more need to protect these people, and it is they, that have the burden of proof to prove they are worthy to be in the positions they are in. It is time for a good house cleaning. It needs to start in Rome, and it needs to be thorough. And it needs to be soon, before we lose all semblances of sanity and authority in this church. It’s time to stop betraying the men who are solid, and living by the Faith. Let’s do something radical: let’s actually back up those that are faithful to the Church, and get rid of those who are not.

RANDALL TERRY'S APOLOGY TO ARCHBISHOP BURKE

George Offerman

I can personally attest to this apology, and the content written by Randall Terry. As one of the nine representing the Vanguard of St. Catherine, I was physically present in the room in which this interview took place. As Mr. Terry has stated, the other eight had an opportunity to review and make any corrections to this letter prior to going public with it. So I can say with clear conscience and no equivocation, that this letter represents the story in which all nine of us can recollect to the best of our abilities.

For over a year now, I have read many accounts, whether in the mainstream press, or the blogosphere, that misaligned Randall Terry, and by extension, us. The one common factor in all of the speculation and innuendoes is that NONE of those making the accusations were present in the room. If I were to engage in such behavior, I would be seen as an incompetent, ignorant and prejudicial individual, and would be held in contempt by many. Yet it seems those that have taken the same liberty do not see the contradictions in their behaviors, especially the Christians, who should be very aware that slander and gossip are sinful behaviors.

To this end, I stand by the words of this letter, and will take personal offense by anyone, who will claim to know better what happened in a closed meeting they did not attend. It will only reflect their own ignorance and prejudice, and I will call them out on this by name. The letter follows.



My Apology to Archbishop Burke

Randall A. Terry

What follows is my apology to Archbishop Raymond Burke, my defense of him, and my defense of my associates and myself who have been maligned due to the controversy that emerged after we released the videotaped interview that I did with Archbishop Burke in Rome in March of 2009.

Writing this has been a very painful exercise for me, one that I have put off far too long. The dust has mostly settled, and I felt that the situation with Archbishop Burke was unfinished business that needed some level of resolution, at least from our perspective. I apologize for not addressing this sooner.

Every member of the team present in Rome has been given full liberty to edit and critique my words, and to sign their names in agreement that what I am saying is an accurate and forthright record of what happened.

From February 28 to March 7, 2009, eight Catholic companions and I traveled to Rome to meet with various Vatican officials. It was an absolutely magnificent trip, exceeding our expectations on every level. When we arrived, our first act was to go to the tomb of St. Catherine of Sienna and invoke her prayers for our mission. As it turned out, our prayers (and surely hers!) were answered in abundance.

The purpose for our pilgrimage was: 1) to meet with the Prefects or their representatives of as many Congregations and Pontifical Councils as we could; 2) to give them documentation showing that a great number of American Roman Catholic bishops were not upholding the teaching of the Church concerning the protection of unborn babies in the legal/political realm; and 3) to bring renewed focus on certain bishops who refuse to safeguard the Holy Eucharist; i.e., they refuse to obey and enforce Canon 915 with politicians who support child killing.

(For any who do not know, Canon 915 states: "Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion.")

We named ourselves The Vanguard of St. Catherine of Siena, to honor the patroness of our effort. We chose this name because of St. Catherine’s forthright declarations of corruption in certain bishops and cardinals of her day, and her very direct and at times jarring advice given to the Popes of her time.

The printed record we gave them was entitled Oves Sine Pastore: A Plea to Vatican Leaders to Restore a Faithful Catholic Leadership in America.

We had the privilege of meeting with:

- His Excellency, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, Prefect, Apostolic Signatura;

- His Eminence, Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Cardinal, Prefect, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments;

- His Eminence, James Francis Stafford, Cardinal, Major Penitentiary, Apostolic Penitentiary;

- His Excellency, Rino Fisichella, Titular Archbishop of Voghenza, President, Pontifical Academy for Life;

- Father Thomas Powers, Congregation for Bishops;

- Father Kevin Lixey, Pontifical Council for the Laity;

- Father Victor Ghillo, Pontifical Council for the Family;

- Monsignor Anthony R. Frontiero, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

In addition to these, Joseph Landry and I met briefly with Monsignor Richard Soseman, from the Congregation for Clergy. The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith did not meet with us, but received Oves Sine Pastore.

When we met with them (with the exception of Monsignor Richard Soseman), we did not merely shake hands, deliver Oves Sine Pastore, and leave. We sat down, usually with me sitting next to whomever we were meeting. I went through the document with each of them, page by page.

The other individuals with me were then given an opportunity to speak, and we fielded questions from our hosts. Many heartfelt words were shared.

At the core of our request for action from Vatican officials was this:

1. That they renew a call for obedience from American bishops in regards to the enforcement of Canon 915, as outlined in 2004 by then Cardinal Ratzinger;

2. That they review and alter (as they deem proper) the means by which priests are selected, vetted, and reviewed for consecration to the episcopacy when a vacancy emerges in a diocesan see;

3. That they investigate the corrupting influence of U.S. government money in the U.S. Church: 1) its connection to the silence of bishops under the 501(c)3 tax exempt status; and 2) the corrupting influence of government moneys funding various Catholic charities.

4. That they relocate the Archbishop of Washington DC and the Bishop of Northern Virginia – who have both publically stated their refusal to obey and enforce Canon 915 - and replace them with bishops who will agree before hand to withhold Holy Communion from Catholic politicians that openly betray the Church and Christ by promoting the legalized murder of unborn babies by abortion.

The last item above was clearly the most audacious by some people’s standards, but this was (and is) requested because the Congressional promoters of child killing live in DC and Northern VA when Congress is in session, and many of them receive Holy Communion while openly defying the Church. This is a horrifying scandal, with enormous temporal and eternal consequences. Our plea was that Vatican officials make it a major priority to bring this scandal to an end.

I must again emphasize that with every single person we met, save the one – a total of nine meetings – we went through Oves Sine Pastore in its entirety. Moreover, without exception, we made the above four mentioned requests with crystal clarity.

When we returned and alerted the American media about our trip and certain aspects of it, certain Catholic polemicists and bloggers were incredulous that anyone at the Vatican would meet with us if they knew the purpose of our visit before hand.

One of our more caustic critics wrote:

Now, does anyone believe even for a second that these Vatican men would agree to meet with Randall Terry to discuss the removal of American bishops? Does that even pass the smell test? Can you hear Cardinal Stafford say, "Sure Randall, come on in and let’s talk about getting rid of two American bishops."?

What I think really happened is that when Randall Terry called for these meetings, he said it was to talk about the American pro-life movement. Maybe he said he wanted to discuss how the pro-life movement should respond to Catholic politicians who are unfaithful on abortion.

His sense of smell was quite mistaken. Moreover, as a professional, he should have checked his facts, and made a phone call to our team and me. We did not do a “bait and switch,” as he suggests; Vatican officials knew we were coming to discuss American Bishops.

Sue Cyr, a dedicated pro-life advocate and leader from Dallas TX, was (with her husband Tom) on the team that met with Vatican officials. She arranged all but one of the meetings (the exception being the one with Archbishop Burke, which I arranged.) In her e-mail she told them that we wanted to come and discuss the crisis we have with American bishops.

Here is the e-mail she worded and sent:

February 17, 2009

Dear [Name of Bishop],

We pray you’re doing well. A group of ten pro-life leaders from the United States request an appointment with you during the week of March 2-6, 2009. [Ed. Note: One leader cancelled at the last moment.]

The group will be traveling to Rome with Randall Terry, Founder of Operation Rescue, organized to end abortion in the United States. Randall met with the Holy Father in 1991, and spoke at the Vatican for an international pro-life gathering of leaders.
We represent many groups of people who have been fighting abortion in America for many years. We would like to meet with you about the serious situation here in the United States and the Church’s role in abortion.

We would like to also share a packet of information with you about what happened with many American Bishops in the last election helping to elect a very pro-abortion president, which will result in the loss of millions of more lives. It also includes details about Bishops continuing to encourage and support pro-abortion politicians with the Sacraments. And we'd like to discuss the role of the laity in ending abortion.

Please contact me for an appointment.

Sue Cyr


As you can see, we made clear the overarching purpose of our meeting – addressing our concerns about American Bishops.

The Vatican is acutely aware that the Church in America is in a crisis; they know that the Catholic Church is in a battle to fearlessly teach and live out orthodoxy. They are also aware that there is great disparity among U.S. Catholic Bishops in regards to their orthodoxy, their defense of the babies, and their safeguarding the sacredness of the Eucharist. We are in scandalous times in America, Europe, and throughout the world.

We decided that due to the intense nature of our visit that the verbal discussions of those meetings would stay between us and the bishops or priests with whom we met. This was done so that no one would be quoted after the fact, and caught off guard by any whiplash from the press or the Internet world.

Many frank and honest things were said by us and by our hosts in the warmth and clarity of those meetings, but we have not quoted anyone after the fact from that day to the present.

This commitment had two exceptions. First, we intended to release Oves Sine Pastore as a public document once our meetings were done. The various reactions to Oves Sine Pastore, the words of advice, etc., from our hosts would remain private, but the document would be released.

Second, if anyone wanted to do an “on the record” interview, any such interview would be for the public record. That interview – and only that interview, not unguarded words that same person might have said “off the record” – would be made public.

Joining us on the trip was Mario Paveglio, a professional videographer from the Harrisburg Pennsylvania area. He brought two (2) professional video cameras to capture and record the interview of anyone who would agree to be interviewed on the record.

All of our meetings were with the various dicastories on an individual basis; i.e., we met with each person individually; Burke separately, Stafford separately, etc.

After the presentation of Oves Sine Pastore, we asked Archbishop Burke, Cardinal Cañizares, and Cardinal Stafford if they would be interviewed “on the record.” Archbishop Burke agreed to do the interview on the spot; Cardinal Cañizares agreed to do his interview on the following day.

Cardinal Stafford met with us for almost two hours; just him and us, with no staff present. It was one of the most moving experiences I have had in many years. Several in our group shed tears; we had a beautiful time of prayer. He is a very prophetic man. Due to the length of the meeting – and because he had another appointment - he suggested we do the interview with him on our next trip to Rome. He - and all of us - were sure we would make another trip to Rome for these life and death issues for the babies and the Church. And as per our decision, our discussions with Cardinal Stafford have remained private.

We explained to Archbishop Burke and Cardinal Cañizares that the interviews would be for my radio and TV show, and that we would get them out to the pro-life movement at large.

We filmed the interviews, finished our week in Rome, brought the footage home, and began our work to release the interviews.

About three weeks after returning, I decided to air the Archbishop Burke interview on my daily radio show, and to release his interview and the Cardinal Cañizares interview that afternoon at a press conference at the Press Club in Washington DC, and then on line as a video. The date was March 25.

Some background is in order here.

In addition to being a pro-life leader, I have been a broadcaster since 1989, broadcasting a daily radio show until 2000, then resuming it again twice since then, including most of 2008. I also recently filmed 14 episodes of my new television show, Insurrecta Nex.

In the standards of the broadcast industry, once an interview is done on the record, it is not only potentially to be used for the broadcaster that recorded it, but it also can become a news story in and of itself. Think of how many times you have seen an interview done by one network, and clips of it are also being shown on other networks all over the country, or being discussed in newspapers, because of the newsworthy material in the interview.

When we did the interviews with Archbishop Burke and Cardinal Cañizares, we made very clear to both of them that these interviews would be used on my radio and television shows. And as I stated, we also told them that we would get them out far and wide to pro-lifers throughout America.

From our perspective, the interviews were spectacular. They both said things that would thrill the hearts of the faithful.

I confess; there was little new here from Archbishop Burke’s lips; he had been saying these things for years. His words had been covered in various Catholic online journals, or printed newspapers. But as far as I know, very few of his words had made it into the national media.

What was new were two things: First, it was the first time to my knowledge that he and Cardinal Cañizares were on video tape – not just in print or with an audio recording – and since this is a video generation, and the TV medium is the warmest and most effective way of communication, we felt these interviews had tremendous power to encourage and strengthen the faithful on the issues of child killing in general, and giving Holy Communion to the promoters of child killing.

Second – and this was the huge breaking news - Archbishop Burke clearly said that faithful Catholic laity should urge U.S. bishops to cease the scandal; and he also said (in so many words) that those Catholics who voted for Obama knowing that he supported child-killing had at some level participated in cooperation with evil. Here is the transcript of my question about communion, and his exact answer. A link to the transcript and the video of the entire interview are at the end.

Mr. Terry: When the election was approaching, Bishop Martino said he would not serve Communion to Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden. There were a handful of other bishops who made similar statements, for which the laity and the faithful were rejoicing. But the deafening silence from so many other bishops—and also the bishops who stepped up such as in Washington DC, Virginia, others...Massachusetts...[and] said that we will serve Communion—was so painful for us. What word of encouragement would you give, first to the laity on our struggle to bring orthodoxy back, and then to your brother bishops and priests?

Archbishop Burke: I think simply to say: reflect upon this norm of the Church’s discipline—Canon 915—which is one of the most important canons to safeguard the greatest treasure that we have in this life, namely, the Communion that we have with our Lord Jesus Christ, and His true body and His true blood; and to, in every way work so that also public witness is given to the sacredness of the Holy Eucharist. And so I would encourage the faithful when they are scandalized by the giving of Holy Communion to persons who are publicly and obstinately in sin, that they go to their pastors, whether it’s their parish priest or to their bishop, to insist that this scandal stop. Because, it is weakening the faith of everyone. It’s giving the impression that it must be morally correct to support procured abortion, in at least in some circumstances, if not also generally. So they need to insist that their parish priest and the bishops, and for the rest...to my brother bishops and brother priests...simply to say: the service of the Church in the world today has to begin first and foremost with the protection of the life of those who are the most defenseless and the most innocent, namely the unborn, and certainly has to extend also to those who are gravely ill, or burdened with serious illness, who have special needs; and also now more and more their lives are being threatened by a culture of death which sadly has infected our nation. So I would just urge my brother bishops and my brother priests to see as the most fundamental witness and service which they can give in leading also the faithful in their pastoral care is the apostolate of the respect for human life.


Anyone who has followed the multi-decade struggle of faithful Catholics begging Catholic bishops to refuse Holy Communion to politicians who promote the murder of the innocent – and are thereby in public, grave sin – would know that this was a critically important statement from Archbishop Burke. It was newsworthy because he is a former U.S. Bishop – the most outspoken on Canon 915 – and because he now holds one of the highest offices in the Vatican.

At the time the interviews were taken in Rome, we did not have a plan to hold a press conference concerning the content. But on further reflection, I decided to send out the two press releases; one dealing with our meetings in Rome, the second inviting the press to see the interview with Archbishop Burke.

We sent out two press releases; the first on March 12, the second on March 23. (They can be retrieved at www.Christiannewswire.com.) That is where things began to get tense.

Here is the March 12 Press release:

Vatican Meeting: Americans Bring Case to Replace DC Archbishop


WASHINGTON, Mar. 12 /Christian Newswire/ -- Randall Terry, Operation Rescue Founder, led a delegation of nine pro-life leaders in an unprecedented series of meetings with Vatican officials from March 2-6 in Rome. (Names below.) The reactions ranged from shock to heartfelt agreement.

The purpose was to beg Vatican officials to intervene decisively in the American Catholic Church. Vatican officials were presented with irrefutable evidence that a majority of US bishops refuse to uphold key teachings of the Church.

The entire document -- Oves Sine Pastore (Sheep Without a Shepherd) -- is at www.humbleplea.com. The complete list of requests at tab 5.

Mr. Terry States:

"Our first request was that the Holy See relocate Archbishop Donald Wuerl (DC) and Bishop Paul Loverde (Arlington V.A.), and to replace them with bishops who will uphold the laws of the Church -- namely, bishops who refuse to serve Communion to any politician who supports the killing of children by abortion.

"Recent headlines proved our point. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Kansas, recently excommunicated Governor Kathleen Sebelius. President Obama selected her to head Health and Human Services, where she will promote abortion. When she comes to DC, Archbishop Naumann will be scoffed at, she will receive Communion with Archbishop Wuerl's or Bishop Loverde’s tacit approval, and American Catholics will descend further into scandal and confusion.

"If these two bishops are relocated, and Bishops of the caliber of Naumann are put in the DC area dioceses -- which are watched by the whole world -- it will show all humanity that the Holy See is serious about defending innocent life, and that the Eucharist is not to be profaned or scandalized. It will also tell all U.S. Bishops that the days of fear, equivocation, and outright disobedience are coming to an end."

------------------------


For some Catholics, the very fact that we dared to go to Rome and make these requests was shocking. Then the fact that we would make the document public – and publicly restate that we want Archbishop Wuerl and Bishop Loverde to be relocated - was more than they could bear. “This just isn’t done…” I was told.

I stand by every word of that press release, without equivocation. If you want to understand why we believe it is in the interest of the Church, the babies, and the souls of the faithful, please read Oves Sine Pastore. (If someone will not take the time to read it, it is a bit unjust of him or her to criticize us.)

The second press release – issued March 23 for a March 25 press conference - dealt with the Archbishop Burke interview. Here it is:

Archbishop Burke, Third Most Powerful Man in Vatican, Gives Candid Interview Dealing with President Obama, VP Joe Biden, Communion, U.S. Bishops, and the Guilt of American Catholics in the Last Election

WASHINGTON, March 23 /Christian Newswire/ -- On March 2, 2009, His Excellency, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, granted an unprecedented interview to Randall Terry.


Mr. Terry will show the entire interview (approx 12 minutes) at the Press Club on Wednesday, March 25, at 10:00 A.M.

The questions ranged from how the Church should deal with pro-abortion politicians like Vice President Biden receiving Communion, the failure of certain U.S. bishops to obey and enforce Canon Law, what faithful laity should say to errant bishops, the guilt of Catholics who voted for Obama, and what we must do to bring reform to America and the Church.

In light of the recent invitation of Notre Dame to have President Obama speak at commencement, this interview is very timely.

Randall Terry states:

"Everyone who has seen this interview is stunned at Archbishop Burke's candor and clarity. His words thunder, and are without equivocation.

"As one of the Pope's most powerful Prefects, we believe his words signal the Vatican's intention to deal more directly with American bishops, priests, and laity, who are betraying the lives of the innocent unborn, and Catholic Truth by their actions or by their silence.

"Since Archbishop Burke is the head of the papal courts, his words carry enormous weight concerning Church law. If cases are brought against individuals on these various matters, he is the "chief justice" in the Vatican.

"The faithful will be strengthened by his words; the errant and rebellious will be warned."

-----------------------------

These are my words. Obviously, they were very direct. I meant them to be; I wanted the press to come and see the interview, and I wanted the treacherous in the Church to take notice. (I have since been told that the Prefect of the Signatura may not be the third most powerful man in the Vatican. I gladly leave it to others to make that distinction.)


Forgive me for waxing polemic, but we do have FIFTY MILLION MURDERED BABIES who have sewers and landfills for graves. And many of the perpetrators of that murder are Catholics who receive the Body and Blood of Christ, after they help kill His Holy Innocents by abortion. If this crime and public scandal does not warrant withholding Holy Communion, what does?

Well, I got my wish…and more.

Two Catholic staffers – if my memory is correct, one was from the Archdiocese of DC, the other from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) - were present at the press conference, quietly seething. (They identified themselves as employees.) Please note: for those bishops who refuse to obey and enforce Canon 915, their staffs are supportive of them. (One doesn’t keep a job for long if one bucks the boss.)

My guess is that when they left, they went back to their offices, and immediately started to stir up trouble for me…and subsequently, for Archbishop Burke.

In the meantime, the media world (including the New York Times) took note of the interview, and a fairly good debate was underway. The world of faithful Catholic blogs lit up with rejoicing. People were thrilled with Archbishop Burke’s clarity and courage. Maybe American bishops would start to respond appropriately to this epic crisis.

But these turbulent waters can have a sudden change in the wind; a storm followed.

The next day, March 26, the USCCB released this statement for Archbishop Burke:

“Recently, Mr. Randall Terry and some of his associates visited me in Rome and asked to videotape an interview with me to share with pro-life workers for the purpose of their encouragement. The interview was conducted on March 2, 2009.“

Sadly, Mr. Terry has used the videotape for another purpose which I find most objectionable.

“First, Mr. Terry issued a media advisory which gave the impression that I would be physically present at the press conference during which he played the videotape, when, in fact, I was in Rome.

"Second, I was never informed that the videotape would become part of a press conference.

“Third, I gave the interview as a Bishop from the United States to encourage those engaged in the respect life apostolate, not as the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

“Fourth, I was never informed that the videotape would be used as part of a campaign of severe criticism of certain fellow bishops regarding the application of Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law.

“If I had known what the true purpose of the interview was, I would never have agreed to participate in it.

“I am deeply sorry for the confusion and hurt which the wrong use of the videotape has caused to anyone, particularly, to my brother bishops.”


(Most Rev.) Raymond L. Burke
March 26, 2009

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I was stunned. Our Vanguard of St. Catherine of Sienna team was in shock, deeply hurt and frustrated.

And of course, the Internet world that cared about this (for righteousness or evil) convulsed with confusion and anger – mostly against me – but also against Archbishop Burke.

Here are samples against me: “Randall Terry may have manipulated the Burke interview in an improper way;” he is “a divisive character” who “set Archbishop Burke up,” and “Archbishop Burke was duped by Randall Terry on purpose of interview...”

Here are samples against Archbishop Burke: “Shame on the bishops who don't follow Canon 915, and shame on Ab. Burke for putting their feelings and his political stature ahead of holiness.” And “Blaming the interviewer for regrettable things that one says in an interview is, of course, a very old trick.”

Before going further, let me point out something very glaring in Archbishop Burke’s USCCB’s issued statement, which may hold a critical key in unraveling some of this mess.

His statement read:

“First, Mr. Terry issued a media advisory which gave the impression that I would be physically present at the press conference during which he played the videotape, when, in fact, I was in Rome.

As you can see in the press releases I issued, I said no such thing. There is no impression given at any point in anything that I had sent out as a “media advisory” that would indicate Archbishop Burke would be present in Washington DC.

What that means – and I am trying to be delicate here – is that somebody deceived Archbishop Burke, whether intentionally or not. Somebody called him up – and to some degree - bore false witness against me, what we were doing with the interview, and what we had done in the press conference. It is obvious to any objective judge of the facts that I did not ever say, nor did anyone present at the press conference expect that His Excellency would actually be there in person. The question is: what else did they tell him that caused him to react the way he did?

Also please note, my press release announcing his interview is not a “severe criticism” of the bishops. Moreover, at the press conference, I never attributed any criticism of Archbishop Burke towards his brother bishops other than anything he said in the interview. We unveiled the interview, and let it stand for itself.

In short, I am convinced that much of this controversy was started by the deceit or malice of whatever party(s) contacted Archbishop Burke. I think it is safe to say that whoever contacted him is not in agreement with the need to enforce Canon 915. Archbishop Burke reacted to their contact, as any one of us might have.

Given this background, let me now apologize for what I can (in good conscience), defend Archbishop Burke, defend my associates, and stand by the essence of what we have done.

Your Excellency, I apologize for not informing you that we would use this interview in a press conference. Please forgive me.

Your Excellency, I apologize for confusing your title in the interview – “not as the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura,” but rather as a bishop from the United States. I did not know of such a distinction. I ask you to please forgive me.

Your Excellency, I am sorry for any trouble I have unjustly or unduly caused between you and your brother bishops. Please forgive me.

Your Excellency, if my associates and I ever have the privilege of another audience with you, I assure you this will not happen again. And as you have seen from our other discussions and those with other men (that have stayed “off the record”) we have honored boundaries, as we have understood them. My associates in the Vanguard of St. Catherine of Sienna are guiltless in this whole situation.

For those who are upset with Archbishop Burke, please do not be. I am certain he was caught off guard by this sudden firestorm, and that at some level he was misled by those who contacted him. Moreover, he made very clear (in a subsequent interview) that he did not retract a single word of the interview he did with me, and he has since then repeatedly called for the enforcement of Canon 915.

I consider Archbishop Burke one of the greatest men alive, certainly one of the greatest bishops in the Catholic Church. His treatise on Communion in PERIODICA DE RE CANONICA (2007) entitled The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion to Those Obstinately Persevering in Manifest Grave Sin was brilliant. (I often wonder if he received his current appointment in part because of that dissertation.) Read it at: http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/holycom/denial.htm

In closing, I say this: any missteps or stumbling of mine notwithstanding, the fight over child killing and Communion is to orthopraxy what the fight over the nature of Christ and the Trinity was to orthodoxy. We are fighting to end the most horrific crime in the history of the human race, as well as fighting for the soul of the Church.

This battle is going to get messier, and more turbulent. History shows us that the fight over the Nicene Creed involved bishops in severe (sometimes violent) conflict with each other, and also involved the faithful laity being in conflict with errant bishops. And many scholars credit the faithful laity with saving the Church.

Long Life to Archbishop Burke, and may his work The Discipline Regarding the Denial of Holy Communion become the standard text for all seminarians regarding their duty as future priests. May they – and all bishops and priests – rise up as one man to protect the Holy Eucharist from being profaned by those whose hands are covered with innocent blood. Amen.

To read Oves Sine Pastore, or to see the Archbishop Burke interview or read the transcript of the interview, go to: www.humbleplea.com

In Christ’s Wounds Kept,

Randall A. Terry

Attested to by those present in Rome:

Sue Cyr
Tom Cyr
Ed Faddoul
Joseph Landry
George Offerman
Kathy Offerman
Mario Paveglio
Sandra Paveglio

see link: http://www.spiritdaily.com/terryapology.htm

"WIMPISM" AT THE JP II CULTURAL CENTER

George Offerman

The ‘about face’ taken by the JP II Cultural Center in light of the articles written by anti lifers Adele Stan and Michael Winters shows exactly why the Church is losing the pro life war, as well as the war for souls. This is the perfect example of the enemy dictating the terms of the battle, and representatives of the church falling lock step into their marching orders. The anti lifers could not be happier with this quick and easy capitulation to their will.

The decision to cancel Randall Terry, then Missy Smith from their properly scheduled event was a matter of a few hours at the most, and was initiated by the articles written and attempts to get comments from Ms. Gibbs at the JPII Cultural Center. Exactly whom was involved in the decision making process to cancel the weekend program is highly irrelevant, and demonstrates that the Church is not ready to engage in this battle in a way that will move us to victory in ending legalized child killing.

It is amazing how many of us can use the term ‘anti life’ and ‘child killing’ and end up getting more criticism from the ‘pro life’ side than the enemies. (Did anyone notice the language used by the anti lifers Ms. Stan and Mr. Winters, and complain about it?) I have noticed several pro life organizations that agreed with this decision by the fact they have said NOTHING. Again, regardless of what one thinks of Randall Terry, the fact that he can be painted into a corner by the anti lifers, WHO USE THE SAME EXACT TACTICS THAT THEY ACCUSE RANDALL TERRY OF, and get away with it by the silence of our side shows how unprepared we are to fight and win this war.

These same people, who used despicable language in describing Mr. Terry and Mrs. Smith, don’t tolerate what they label as ‘hate’ speech, when accurate criticism is levied against them. Ms. Stan and Mr. Winters are anti lifers and are intolerant bigots. These are true statements, and I for one, will continue to make them. If this makes the pro life side uncomfortable, so be it. WELCOME TO THE WAR. It is messy, bloody and uncomfortable. So is the judgment of God. We need to call these people out on their errors, and not shy away from this task.

What happened at the JP II Cultural Center is a symptom of a much larger problem, and that is of wimpism. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is being hidden under a bushel basket, and in effect, being denied by the same organization that is mandated to spread this Gospel throughout the world. When confronted by the simplest of truths, most of the leadership scrambles and runs away from any sort of confrontation, and tries to placate the other side, by complying with their marching orders. “Let’s all get along, because it is NOT NICE to tell someone they are in error or wrong, it may hurt their feelings”. The Church has rewritten Jesus’ greatest commandment and it is this: “Thou shall not offend anyone, even if it’s the truth”. Wimpism.

This is why many in the pro life movement want to quit, or have given up hope, because the Church and most mainstream pro life organizations do not fight to win, or know how to win. John Paul II made very clear statements pertaining to the right to life, and was clear that it is the number one issue of our time. It is not being treated as such, especially when other ‘social justice’ issues are being taught to have the same moral gravity as legalized child killing, and many in ordained ministry are more than happy to be going along with this error, than to stand up for the truth and be marginalized. Remember, it was Jesus who said “No servant is greater than his master, if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” John 15:20.

There is a reason our Church used to teach and live by “The Church Militant” moniker. There was a time when the Church used to understand what this meant, and actually abided by it. The Church commanded respect, and it was the politicians and others that looked to the Church for the proper positions on issues and needed their approval. We now have political correctness ruling the day, and it is the Church that is having in essence, pagans telling them how to talk, or not to talk about God, and advocating some bizarre notion that spirituality and one’s faith can and needs to be separated from the way one votes, and what laws to pass.

The Church needs to get itself together and clean its house. The Church needs to get back to its roots and teach and preach the unvarnished truth, and tell the world it is ready to be judged, and that God does not tolerate the shedding of innocent blood, among other matters. Otherwise, God will break into history, and once again, demonstrate truth is eternal, unchanging, and sin needs to be answered for.