Andrea Bocelli tells a "little story" about abortion

h/t: Teresamerica

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

May Thy Heart dwell always in our hearts!
May Thy Blood ever flow in the veins of our souls!
O sun of our hearts, Thou givest life to all things by the rays of Thy goodness!
I will not go until Thy Heart has strengthened me, O Lord Jesus!
May the Heart of Jesus be the King of my heart!
Blessed be God. Amen.

(Prayer to the Sacred Heart by Saint Francis De Sales)

 

The strange tale of a murdered bishop and the Religion of Peace

The sad story of Bishop Luigi Padovese murdered by stabbing in Turkey keeps getting weirder.

Initially we were told that the murder had nothing to do with Islamist extremism. The suggestion was that the murderer who was the Bishop's driver was "depressed".

Then yesterday suggestions started emerging that Islamism may well have been a factor after all. Reports appeared saying the Bishop was stabbed numerous times, including 8 times in the heart, and then decapitated. Witnesses said the killer, Murat Altun, followed up the murder by climbing on the roof of the house shouting: "I killed the great Satan! Allah Akbar! "

This morning CNA really ups the ante in this report claiming the Turkish Government knew Altun was unstable and knew "he had embraced the fundamentalist cause". An astounding claim is made that +Padovese cancelled his planned trip to Cyprus to see Pope Benedict because he feared Altun, who was due to join the Bishop on the trip, might attack the Holy Father.

This story seems set to run.

RIP + Luigi Padovese

Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko

Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, Polish priest and martyr was beatified today in Warsaw in the presence of 120 bishops and over 1600 priests! His 90 year old mother was there to take part in the celebration.

Blessed Fr Jerzy, pray for us.

This video is in Polish but you'll get the idea.

Habemus Papam

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum:
Habemus Papam!
Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum Iosephum,
Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ Cardinalem Ratzinger,
Qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictus XVI.

When norms are optional?

There is a very interesting post on the A Minor Friar blog on the all too common malady of the norms for the liturgy being ignored and optional elements becoming, in effect, the norms.

Brother Charles writes:

.... the use of illicit matter for Mass is praised as 'greater attention to symbol.' The use of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion while clerics are readily available is praised as 'inclusive.' Elements which are normative on certain days, like the Gloria or the Creed, are omitted according to personal taste. ...*snip*...

On the other hand, while it's o.k. and even praised to ignore norms, it's not o.k. to question certain options. In some cases, one may not even raise a question about how certain options seem to have hardened into unassailable norms; e.g. the offering of Mass versus populum or in translation, or of replacing the actual texts of the Mass with songs and metrical hymns. These options for the celebration of Mass have become such de facto norms that a lot of people, including priests, don't remember that they are options and might not even believe you when you tell them. ...

 The whole post is worth a read - you can find it here.

Saints Marcellinus and Peter

Saints Marcellinus and Peter the Exorcist were martyred in 304. Today is their memorial and we read in the breviary:

The account of the death of these two martyrs, who died in the persecution of Diocletian, comes from Pope Damasus who in turn obtained it from the executioner. The were beheaded in a wood and then buried in the cemetery called The Two Laurels on the Via Labicana. When peace came to the Church a basilica was erected over their tomb.

More info here (Wiki entry) and here (Catholic Encyclopedia).

St Justin, Martyr

1 June is the memorial of St Justin, Martyr, a significant early apologist.

In the anonymous Acts of the martyrdom of Saint Justin and his companion saints, which was written shortly after Justin's martyrdom in the year 165 we read:

The saints were seized and brought before the prefect of Rome, whose name was Rusticus. As they stood before the judgement seat, Rusticus the prefect said to Justin: "Above all, have faith in the gods and obey the emperors." Justin said: "We cannot be accused or condemned for obeying the commands of our Saviour, Jesus Christ."

Rusticus said: "What system of teaching do you profess?" Justin said: "I have tried to learn about every system, but I have accepted the true doctrines of the Christians, though these are not approved by those who are held fast by error."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Are those doctrines approved by you, wretch that you are?" Justin said: "Yes, for I follow them with their correct teaching."

The prefect Rusticus said: "What sort of teaching is that?" Justin said: "Worship the God of the Christians. We hold him to be from the beginning the one creator and maker of the whole creation, of things seen and things unseen. We worship also the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was foretold by the prophets as the future herald of salvation for the human race and the teacher of distinguished disciples. For myself, since I am a human being, I consider that what I say is insignificant in comparison with his infinite godhead. I acknowledge the existence of a prophetic power, for the one I have just spoken of as the Son of God was the subject of prophecy. I know that the prophets were inspired from above when they spoke of his coming among men."

Rusticus said: "You are a Christian, then?" Justin said: "Yes, I am a Christian."

The prefect said to Justin: "You are called a learned man and think that you know what is true teaching. Listen: if you were scourged and beheaded, are you convinced that you would go up to heaven?" Justin said: "I hope that I shall enter God’s house if I suffer that way. For I know that God’s favour is stored up until the end of the whole world for all who have lived good lives."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Do you have an idea that you will go up to heaven to receive some suitable rewards?" Justin said: "It is not an idea that I have; it is something I know well and hold to be most certain."

The prefect Rusticus said: "Now let us come to the point at issue, which is necessary and urgent. Gather round then and with one accord offer sacrifice to the gods." Justin said: "No one who is right thinking stoops from true worship to false worship."

The prefect Rusticus said: "If you do not do as you are commanded you will be tortured without mercy." Justin said: "We hope to suffer torment for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so be saved. For this will bring us salvation and confidence as we stand before the more terrible and universal judgement - seat of our Lord and Saviour."

In the same way the other martyrs also said: "Do what you will. We are Christians; we do not offer sacrifice to idols."

The prefect Rusticus pronounced sentence, saying: "Let those who have refused to sacrifice to the gods and to obey the command of the emperor be scourged and led away to suffer capital punishment according to the ruling of the laws." Glorifying God, the holy martyrs went out to the accustomed place. They were beheaded, and so fulfilled their witness of martyrdom in confessing their faith in their Saviour.

The sin within

No always means no

Well not always according to this story from The National Catholic Register.

No means no, except maybe when you’re talking to abortionist Abraham Hodari.

The abortionist in Michigan is being sued for allegedly forcing an abortion after the woman changed her mind and asked him to stop. The abortionist even reportedly instructed assistants to hold the woman down while he completed the abortion.

The whole story and a video news report is here.