A busy weekend on the road, first to York PA, Saturday to speak at the Tradition, Family and Property national conference where, among other events, I met a real Prince who is a direct descendant of St. Louis of France.
Recent East Coast Talks
The ceremonies included a candlelight rosary procession and a band concert plus excellent talks by members of the TFP. I recommend their book by Plinio Correa de Olliveira, Revolution and Counter Revolution. It tells what is happening in our society today.
Sunday evening I spoke to 300 in Herndon, VA as part of an International Week of Prayer and Fasting and on Monday spoke at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC, with addresses also by Bishop Michael Sheridan, Congressman Chris Smith, Norma McCorvey. Fr. Frank Pavone, Dr. Aveda King, Drew Mariani, Leonardo DeFilippi who produced the movie, Therese, Dana, who ran for president of Ireland and Jennifer Giroux who was a powerhouse behind bringing national attention to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, and other great speakers.
Cardinal George Fears Communion “Circus”
In the October 10 Catholic New World, Francis Cardinal George writes a column on “Catholic participation in political life, revisited.” His message seems to be that while any Catholic who supports or promotes abortion knowing it is a grave moral evil commits a grave sin, the question is whether all Catholics know this. The responsibility, George suggests, lies with the pastors who are to teach sound Catholic Doctrine to their flocks.
He points out that while some bishops have disallowed Catholic politicians who support abortion from receiving Holy Communion, he has not made this mandatory in the Archdiocese of Chicago because:
[I]t would turn the reception of Holy Communion into a circus here. Who should be excluded? Is a special list to be published or will the Communion minister make the determination. . . . Will the media be invited in to watch a confused or disobedient minister give the Eucharist to a politician making a point? What happens next?
We don’t envy those in Authority, like Cardinal George, who must face this issue . All I know from the theology I have studied is that Holy Communion should not be given to an unrepentant public sinner in the state, at least objectively, of mortal sin. Not only does this cause scandal, but it is in itself a sacrilegious communion.
Some Bishops have already made the decision to deny such Catholics Holy Communion, and we believe they have made the only right decision. A public circus is a small price to pay, we believe, to prevent a sacrilege from being committed and grave scandal to be given.
As we say, we’re sure glad we are not in the position of those prelates who must decide what they will or will not do in this serious matter.
Pro-Life Display Vandalized at Notre Dame
Recently on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, the campus pro-life group put up twelve-hundred little white crosses signifying one-fourth of the number of abortions that take place in the U. S. each day. During the night the Cemetery for the Innocents was destroyed. 900 of the crosses were broken.
With a lot of help a thousand of the crosses were reassembled, though 200 were not salvageable. A parent of one of the pro-life students complained that the University would not issue a statement about the vandalism, but said the pro-life group should dialogue about it. They will Wednesday night. “Up, Note Dame men, answer the cry! Gathering foemen fling to the sky, Fight! Fight! Fight!” We’ll see.
