On Thursday, March 6, 2008, prominent Cleveland businessman Sam Miller gave a speech defending Catholicism from media bias at the City Club of Cleveland (Ohio). The full text of the speech was published in the May-June issue of the Buckeye Bulletin. Several Catholic blogs, including this one, posted the speech taking the media to task on its bias against the Catholic Church in under-reporting the “societal sin” of pedophilia. I for one am thankful for Mr. Miller’s defense and support. However, it has been brought to my attention that Mr. Miller’s numbers concerning pedophilia conviction rates for Protestant Ministers may be in error.

Jay Brown wrote me saying:

“I’m afraid that I can’t believe this particular statistic in quotes below:

“… 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia.”

So we are to believe that 1 in 10 protestant ministers have been convicted of pedophlia? What!? There is no possible way this number is correct by even an order of magnitude. Please explain.”

Here’s the full paragraph of Sam’s in question:

“Now let me give you some figures that you as Catholics should know and remember. For example, research by Richard Blackman at Fuller Theological Seminary shows that 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact. In a 1990 study by the United Methodist Church, 41.8% of clergywomen reported unwanted sexual behavior by a colleague; 17% of laywomen said that their own pastors had sexually harassed them. Phillip Jenkins concludes in his book “Pedophiles and Priests” that while 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia, 10% of Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia.“

In my quick google on the numbers it appears that Mr. Miller either has been misquoted in print or he is confused concerning Phillip Jenkins conclusion within his book “Pedophiles and Priests”. Without access to the book myself, I was still able to locate a review of the book by William A. Donohue [Catholic League, A Review Essay on Phillip Jenkins "Pedophiles and Priests" fromCatalyst, May 1996] that may help in disclosing the source of this apparent discrepancy.

Here’s two relevant Paragraphs from the review,

Were it not for the way the problem of clergy sexual abuse has been socially defined, the public would know that the problem is hardly confined to the Catholic community. Indeed, as Jenkins has written, “In reality, Catholic clergy are not necessarily represented in the sexual abuse phenomenon at a rate higher than or even equal to their numbers in the clerical profession as a whole.” The biggest difference between the Catholic and Protestant clergy in relation to this problem is due mostly to reporting procedures: there is no counterpart among Protestants to the highly centralized data keeping done by the Catholic Church, hence it is often difficult to make comparisons between the clergy of the two religions.

Notwithstanding the difficulties that such data comparisons hold, the available information on clergy sexual misconduct shows that the problem is bigger among Protestant clergy. For example, the most cited survey of sexual problems among the Protestant clergy shows that 10 percent have been involved in sexual misconduct and “about two or three percent” are “pedophiles.” With regard to the “pedophile” problem, the figure for the Catholic clergy, drawn from the most authoritative studies, ranges between .2 percent to 1.7 percent. Yet we hear precious little about these comparative statistics.

Be it either an case of Mr Miller having been misquoted in print or by his own confusion or error, the charge that 10% of Protestant Ministers having been convicted of pedophilia is most serious, especially, concerning the nature of this sad subject and crime. A charge that needs substantiation and/or clarification for the sake of truth and honor. If I were an Protestant Minister I would expect nothing less… 

Anyone out there have the expertise or further knowledge to help clarify the facts?

Hat Tip to Jay Brown - Hope this helps. 

The rite of the Mass [Rorate: i.e. the Mass of Paul VI] could change. According to some indiscretions, Benedict XVI has charged the Congregation for Divine Worship to study some modifications in the liturgy. In particular, the Pope is said to have the intention to restore Latin for the formula for the Eucharistic consecration within the Mass in the “vernacular language”, i.e. the one celebrated in the different national languages. The same could happen to the formulae of Baptism, Confirmation, Confession and of the other sacraments. In addition, the exchange of peace among the faithful during the Mass, which today takes place prior to the distribution of the Eucharist, could be anticipated (as in the Ambrosian rite) to the offertory so as not to disturb the recollection that precedes Communion.

These would be changes which would be added to the changes in the liturgy and regarding sacred vestments which the Pope, together with his Master of Ceremonies, Monsignor Guido Marini, has made in recent months, to recover ancient traditions: the restoration of the crucifix at the center of the altar, the distribution of Communion to the faithful in the mouth while kneeling, the recovery of the pastoral staff of Pius IX (the ferula), the changing of the style of pallium (the strip of white wool with red crosses worn by the Pope), the restoration of the papal throne used in the Consistory and the celebration of Mass with the back to the assembly, as happened in January in the Sistine Chapel.

Many of the Council Fathers believed that this would be order of the reformed Mass: most parts in the vernacular and the (one and only) Roman Canon kept in Latin. In fact, the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium did not seem to foresee the use of the vernacular during the Canon (cf. SC 36, 2; 54; cf. Inter Oecumenici, 57-59). [Translation by Gregor Kollmorgen for The New Liturgical Movement./Tip: Papa Ratzinger blog.]

ANN ARBOR, MI - In what was a surprising decision to many court observers, a unanimous 3-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision yesterday, and affirmed the Constitutional rights of pro-life activists to display large graphic photos of aborted babies on public streets adjacent to Dodson Middle School in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.   The case involved police detention for 75 minutes of two pro-life activists belonging to the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, Inc. (CBR), a California-based, pro-life organization, who had been driving a 7-by-20 foot truck with photos of first term aborted babies on three sides. 

School officials and the LA County Sheriff’s Department claimed display of the photos were “disruptive, ” in violation of a California statute.  The Ninth Circuit ruled that deputy sheriffs violated the demonstrators’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech and Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable police searches and seizures.

The opinion written by Judge Harry Pregerson and supported by Judges William A. Fletcher and Marsha S. Berzon, all considered liberals, stated that “he government cannot silence messages simply because they cause discomfort, fear, or even anger.”  Click here to read the entire opinion.

The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, brought the case on behalf of CBR.  The mobile billboard truck is part of CBR’s effort to expose as many people as possible to the horrors and realities of abortion.

Robert Muise, trial counsel for the Law Center who handled the case, commented on the ruling, “This is a tremendous victory for the First Amendment and the pro-life movement.  The Ninth Circuit’s decision affirms that there is no double standard for pro-life speech under our Constitution.  In its ruling, the Court upheld the fundamental principle of the First Amendment that government officials cannot prohibit silent, peaceful, non-obstructive, political speech on the public streets, a traditional public forum, because certain listeners or viewers find the speech offensive.”

The Thomas More Law Center is widely recognized as the most aggressive pro-life public interest law firm in the nation.  It has represented CBR in several lawsuits across the country, the American Life League’s program to distribute pro-life t-shirts to public school students, as well as participated in several citizen initiatives to enact Human Life Amendments in state constitutions. 

The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life through education, litigation, and related activities.  It does not charge for its services.  The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization.  You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.

Source: TMLC

Editors Note: This fine article written by Judy Bowman on June 18th is by far one of the best I’ve discovered on the issue of women’s ordination within the Catholic Church. Along with Judy, we pray that the Holy Spirit will enlighten the hearts of those women (and men) currently excommunicated opening the door to their swift return to Holy Mother Church…

Judy Bowman, Catoosa County News

Just three weeks ago, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Decree of Excommunication. This isn’t something that happens every day. Excommunication is a serious action, which impedes the reception of the Church’s Sacraments in cases of particularly grave or serious sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1463). In this recent case, the Church excommunicated people involved in attempting the “ordination” of women as priests of the Roman Catholic Church.

God loves women. He chose a woman to bring Salvation to the world through Mary, the mother of God. Women have played important roles in the Church since the early days of Christ’s public ministry. Jesus went against the Jewish norms of His day by involving women publicly in His life on earth, as His cherished friends. It was Mary of Magdala who was chosen by God to be the first person to see the risen Christ and to spread that good news to His loved ones. Nearly all of the non-Jewish religions of Christ’s day had female priestesses, so choosing women for this role in His Church would have been socially-acceptable, especially in ministering to the Gentiles. But He didn’t choose women to be priests. He chose only men. Through these 12 men, a direct line of Apostolic succession has remained in the Catholic Church until today.

God doesn’t make mistakes. He came to save us through Christ at a precise moment in history and through the exact people He had chosen as His own. The priestly tradition of the Jews, a male tradition, was part of His salvation plan from the beginning of time. The passover lamb of the Jews, always a male, prefigured the role of Christ as the Paschal Lamb and perfect Sacrifice. Jesus is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. The argument is sometimes made that, if Christ were alive today, He would choose women for the priesthood. Here’s a news flash, Christ IS alive today. He comes to us at every Mass when He becomes for us, the Bread of Life. He lives and acts in His church, who has taught from the time of the Apostles that the priesthood is a Sacrament reserved only for baptized men (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1577).

Each Sacrament established by Christ has two elements, form and matter. The form of the Sacrament is the way in which it is enacted. For Baptism, the “form” is the words used to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The “matter” of Baptism is water. In the Holy Eucharist, the “form” is the words of consecration spoken by the priest when he echoes the words used by Jesus at the Last Supper in the breaking of the bread and the offering of the cup. The “matter” of the Eucharist is the wheat bread and the grape wine. When someone is ordained to the priesthood, the “form” of the Sacrament is the bishop’s laying on of his hands onto the man desiring ordination. The “matter” of the Sacrament is the man himself, who has responded to God’s call of service as a priest. Just as the Church could never substitute something else for the bread and wine used in the Holy Eucharist, or for the water used in Baptism, the Church can never allow the “ordination” of women. The “matter” of this Sacrament is, and always must be, male. The Pope himself can never allow women to be priests. “I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful” (Pope John Paul II, 05-22-94).

This is not an issue of justice. It’s not unjust that men can’t give birth to babies. It’s a gift reserved for women. Likewise, it’s not unjust that women can’t be ordained. It’s a Sacrament reserved for men. No one has a “right” to the priesthood. Men are called by God Himself to this life. In Jesus’ humanity, He was a man. His gender was not an accident, because the Church is His bride. The priest reflects Christ whenever he celebrates any of the Sacraments that Jesus gave us. Women generously serve the Church in many important roles every day, and have done so throughout history. There are different roles within the Body of Christ, as St. Paul tells us. Men and women are equal in the eyes of God, but this equality is not synonymous with sameness. What a boring Church that would be! God blesses us in our unique roles and we are called to embrace that uniqueness and celebrate our varied gifts and graces. We give Him glory when we are most fully ourselves in His service, whatever our role may be. And we pray that those who struggle with these roles, in any way, may experience the love and guidance of the Holy Spirit in their lives and may return to full communion with His Church.

Editors Note: Fratres would like to thank Archbishop Burke for his faithful service in St. Louis and steadfast commitment to Catholic faith and morals as shepherd. I join my voice to those below… James Mary Evans

Members of a Catholic lay organization applauded the appointment of Archbishop Raymond Burke to a high Vatican post — full text of letter

In a letter to Archbishop Raymond Burke, members of the Catholic Media Coalition expressed their deep gratitude and best wishes to a cleric they called, “A bishop after God’s own heart.”

The long-rumored appointment of Archbishop Burke as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the highest ecclesial court, came on June 27th, the feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria.

Mary Ann Kreitzer, CMC president, commented that, “It was a particularly appropriate day to announce Archbishop Burke’s appointment. St. Cyril battled the Nestorian heresy that denied the divinity of Christ.

“That heresy thrives in our modern culture,” Kreitzer said. “Many Catholics no longer believe in the divinity of Christ because of the bishops’ failure to teach and anti-Catholic works like the DaVinci Code. Against that sad background, Archbishop Burke stands out as a champion of Catholic doctrine, a clear and articulate defender of the faith.”

CMC expressed particular appreciation to Archbishop Burke for his great courage and witness for:

• Publicly defending the Holy Eucharist: In 2004 Archbishop Burke said he would deny Holy Communion to Senator John Kerry and other Catholic politicians who support abortion. He also admonished pro-abortion Catholics in the pew to refrain from receiving Communion.

• Resigning as Chairman of the board of Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Foundation when they refused to disinvite radical pro-abortion singer Sheryl Crow to head up a benefit concert.

• Confronting the scandal of Coach Rick Majerus publicly supporting abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

• For excommunicating Rose Hudson, Elsie McGrath, and fake bishop Patricia Fresen for an act of schism in attempting the ordination of the two women.

• Advancing the Institute of Christ the King to restore the Traditional Latin Mass and promoting solid vocations to the priesthood.

• Fostering the Marian Catechist Movement founded by Fr. John Hardon to teach the authentic Catholic faith based on fidelity to the pope and the doctrine of the Church.

“We are grateful, ” Kreitzer said, “for having such a faithful apostle in the United States. Not only has Archbishop Burke given us hope, he has given us an example of how to speak the truth in love. We are confident that in his new role we will see greater justice especially to priests punished and silenced for their orthodoxy. Arrivederci, Archbishop Burke, we love you.”

CMC is an organization of Catholic writers, webmasters, editors, and others engaged in producing media for and about the Catholic Church.

CMC’s letter to Archbishop Raymond Burke is as follows:

July 1, 2008

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis

Your Excellency:

The members of the Catholic Media Coalition wish to express our heartfelt gratitude for your faithful service to the Church in the United States. There are many troubling situations that have injured the faith and trust of Catholics in this country. We particularly regret the failure of so many bishops to vigorously defend the teachings of the Church which contributed to the sex abuse scandals and to other major and ongoing problems.

We wish to especially acknowledge your courage in publicly defending the Holy Eucharist from sacrilege, for resigning as Chairman of the Board of the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Foundation, for excommunicating the women who invalidly attempted female ordination, and for confronting the public scandal of Coach Rick Majerus’ outrageous statements. But even more than these, we thank you for advancing the Institute of Christ the King, developing vocations, and fostering the authentic Catholic faith through the Marian Catechist Movement.

Be assured of our continued prayers as you begin your new work as Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura. Arrivederci, Archbishop Burke.
Sincerely in Christ,

Mary Ann Kreitzer

President, Catholic Media Coalition

Catholic Media Coalition members endorsing the letter as co-signers are:

Jack Ames, Defend Life, Baltimore, MD,
Janet Baker, Faithful Catholics of MD/DC,
Stephanie Block, Catholic Author, Albuquerque, NM,
Jean Charles, Defender of the Magisterium Vermont,
Kenneth Fisher, Chairman, Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Anaheim, CA
James Fritz, Defenders of the Faith, Inc., Berkeley Springs, WV
Camille Giglio, California Right to Life Advocates,
Alice Grayson, Veil of Innocence, West Falmouth, MA,
Nancy Kokstis SFO, the Shepherds Warrior, Prentice, WI,
Mary Ann Kreitzer, Les Femmes, Woodstock, VA,
Valerie Lubitz, President, Los Pequeños de Cristo, Albuquerque, NM,
Donna Marek, Catholic activist, Ogdensburg, NY,
Karl Maurer, Director, Catholic Citizens of Illinois,
Patricia McKeever, Catholic Truth Scotland,
Kathy Parker, Brothers and Sisters at the Cross, Birmingham, Alabama
Sheila Parkhill, The Holy Family Society of Tucson, AZ,
Vivian Ripton, Call to Holiness, St. Michael the Archangel Chapel,
Allyson Smith, Catholic Author, San Diego, CA,
Georgene M. Sorenson, Romans in the Desert,
Donna Steichen, Catholic Author, Ojai, CA
Carolyn Wendell, VOCAL (Voices of Catholics Advocating Life)

Copyright © 2008 Spero

Audacious theft at archbishop’s home nets Catholic treasures

By ANTHONY LONETREE, Star TribuneJune 30, 2008

An overnight burglary at the St. Paul residence of new Archbishop John Nienstedt netted the thief or thieves the gem- and precious-metal-laden rings and crosses worn by bishops throughout the 150-year-plus history of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, a church official said Monday.

“These things are historically and reverentially irreplaceable,” said Dennis McGrath, spokesman for the archdiocese. “They’re beyond value.”

Believed to be missing, as well, are rosaries and a small safe. “It’s like a historical treasure trove, if you will,” McGrath said.

The burglary came on a weekend that was set to be a glorious one for Nienstedt, who was in Rome for a welcoming ceremony featuring Pope Benedict.

According to St. Paul police, the break-in occurred at the residence at 226 Summit Av. between 1:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. Saturday. Whoever broke in climbed onto a first-floor roof and broke into a second-story window, police spokesman Peter Panos said.

About a week earlier, Nienstedt had set out for Rome with a group of about 100 church officials and worshipers, many of them acquaintances from his years as the bishop of the New Ulm Diocese, McGrath said.

On Sunday, they were witnesses to a ceremony in which Nienstedt received from the pope a pallium — a garment presented to all archbishops. “It is an important event,” McGrath said.

Along with Nienstedt’s “former faithful from New Ulm,” the archbishop then was to embark for Ulm, Germany, on a trip that had been delayed by his selection to his new post, McGrath said.

Early Monday, Panos, the police spokesman, said that it appeared that the stolen items might consist of a camera and personal jewelry, “but they’re not sure,” he added. But by afternoon, McGrath reported first the addition of the safe, then the rosaries and finally, after a church official reached Nienstedt overseas, the rings and pectoral crosses.

McGrath said there is no evidence that the burglary had political overtures against Nienstedt, whose orthodox style has been controversial with some Catholics in the archdiocese. The intruders were clearly bent on burglary, he said, adding that it appears that there were at least two people working in tandem and that they were familiar with the residence.

“These guys were pros,” he said. “The glass they broke through is, like, three or four inches thick. They couldn’t get through without a sledgehammer. They executed a well-thought-out plan. They knew exactly where to go in his bedroom.”

Panos said that police, too, believe that more than one person might be involved. The weight of the safe alone, he said, suggests that teamwork was required.

McGrath, who said he did not know if the stolen items were insured, said he couldn’t imagine someone wearing them. The crosses, for example, “are on a gold chain, very ornate,” and drape over the chest, he said.

“I don’t think 50 Cent would wear it,” he said, referring to the rap star.

Looking back, McGrath said he could not think of another such incident in the archdiocese’s history.

“It takes a lot of gall to rob an archbishop” across the street from the Cathedral of St. Paul, he said.

Staff writer Terry Collins contributed to this report. Anthony Lonetree • 651-298-1545

Tamil Tigers hold Our Lady of Madhu hostage (for protection!)..

The Catholic community in Bethlehem, Palestine has issued a statement urging the leaders of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka to persuade the LTTE to return the statue of our Lady of Madhu to its original shrine so that it would be accessible to devotees who belong to all religions in the island, foreign websites reported. Read The Story.

Immigrant song is a dirge for Catholic families…

Immigration arrests by feds is causing turmoil and fear in the midwest town of Postville, Iowa. Parish priest, Rev. Paul Ouderkirk, mourns not only the arrests but working conditions of the transient poor. Note: And would someone please tell the company rep. that his workers are hispanic and not spanish–You’ve offended the poor enough, don’t you think? Read the Story/watch the video

The love of many will grow cold…, but not within this heart…

In the fall of 1999, Mr. Conard, a school teacher, encouraged students to work on a year-long National History Day project under the classroom motto, “He who changes one person, changes the world entire”.

Four girls accepted the challenge. Mr. Conard showed them a short clipping from a March 1994 issue of News and World Report, which said, ‘Irena Sendler saved 2,500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942-43′. He told the girls the article might be a typographical error, since he had not heard of this woman or story. The four young students from Kansas began their research, and discovered a Catholic woman, who saved Jewish children… Read The Story w/Video

Hat Tip to Lilo’s SWI Blogs

I won’t skate conspiracy theories so long as there are simpler explanations, but please examine the following articles, trolled from between December 2007 and February 2008. There were dozens and dozens of additional articles one might have chosen to demonstrate the same thing, but one grows weary and the point remains the same, namely that there are a large number of people who are saying roughly the same thing from rather influential positions.

For example, the Tennessean, carried an article called “Democrats believe evangelicals could deliver presidency” __Bob Smietana, 2-20-08__ that said, “According to a post-election poll sponsored by Faith in Public Life and the Center for American Progress Action Fund, 32 percent of Tennessee Democratic primary voters were evangelicals.” It then goes on to say Democrats are targeting the evangelicals. According to one analyst, “as long as the Republican Party remains opposed to abortion…a vast majority of evangelicals will support them. If you take the life issue off the table - and that’s a pretty big issue - you give Democrats a license to go hunting for evangelical voters.” There followed a story about an evangelical who switched his priorities from abstract moral principles to an issue that hit closer to home, namely healthcare, and the observation from a local professor that “evangelicals are expanding their moral agenda to include issues such as poverty and AIDS, along with abortion. That’s especially true about younger evangelicals.”

A Washington Post, Op-Ed by Michael Gerson, “Faith without a Home” __2-27-08__ starts with the gleeful, “I have seen the future of evangelical Christianity, and it is pierced. And sometimes tattooed. And often has one of those annoying, wispy chin beards….Many observers have detected a shift - a broadening or maturation - of evangelical social concerns beyond the traditional agenda of the religious right. But does this have political implications?”

Bill Berkowitz, writing “The Times They Are A-Changin’ for the Religious Right” __3-27-08__ writes, “The old guard is wondering if ‘the younger generation will heed the call’ while the young Turks have other things on their minds besides abortion and same-sex marriage. During a recent appearance at the National Religious Broadcasters conference, Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, expressed deep concern about the future of the conservative Christian movement he helped build. ‘The question is,’ Dobson said, ‘will the younger generation heed the call? Who will defend the unborn child in the years to come? Who will plead for the Terri Schiavos of the world? Who’s going to fight for the institution of marriage, which is on the ropes today?” Berkowitz, one may point out, isn’t sorry to see the old guard go.

Let’s turn now to the other conservative demographic - the Catholics. Joe Feuerherd, who often writes for the National Catholic Reporter, published an opinion piece in the Washington Post, “I Voted for Obama. Will I Go Straight to…?” __2-24-08__. He writes, “Like most Maryland Democrats, I voted for Sen. Barack Obama in the recent Potomac Primary. By doing so, according to the leaders of my church, I put my soul at risk. That’s right, says the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops - tap the touch screen for a pro-abortion-rights candidate, and you’re probably punching your ticket to Hell….To Catholics like me who oppose liberal abortion laws but also think that other issues-war or peace, health care, just wages, immigration, affordable housing, torture - actually matter, the idea that abortion trumps everything, all the time, no matter what, is both bad religion and bad civics. It’s not, for God’s sake, as though we’re in Nazi Germany and supporting Hitler.”

Feuerherd continues, “Why should non-Catholic Americans care about the bishops’ right-wing lurch? Because the bishops can influence a good number of the faithful, many of whom happen to be concentrated in large, electoral-vote-rich states. In the key swing state of Ohio in 2004, for example, bishops vigorously supported an anti-same-sex marriage amendment to the state constitution, which helped drive Republican voters to the polls. Bush won 55 percent of the Catholic vote in the Buckeye State, up from 50 percent in 2000 and enough to provide his margin of victory.”

The real point he wants to make is this: “So what’s a pro-life, pro-family, antiwar, pro-immigrant, pro-economic-justice Catholic like me supposed to do in November? That’s an easy one. True to my faith, I’ll vote for the candidate who offers the best hope of ending an unjust war, who promotes human dignity through universal health care and immigration reform, and whose policies strengthen families and provide alternatives to those in desperate situations. Sounds like I’ll be voting for the Democrat - and the bishops be damned.”

In February 2007, Jim Wallis, the founder of Sojourners magazine and the author of God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, wrote in a Time magazine essay, that “We have now entered the post-Religious Right era. Though religion has had a negative image in the last few decades, the years ahead may be shaped by a dynamic and more progressive faith that will make needed social change more possible.”

That same month, the Boston Globe published an interview with Wallis, “Q and A with Jim Wallis.” (Interview by Michael Paulson, __2-17-08__ in which we are told “an increasingly influential religious leader [Wallis] explains why evangelicals should worry less about abortion and gay marriage, and more about the poor…evangelicalism appears to be changing. In the primary season now underway, evangelicals failed to coalesce around a single candidate, and the red meat issues of previous election cycles - gay marriage, abortion - were eclipsed by the economy and the Iraq war. And a recent report from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life declared that younger white evangelicals are drifting away from the Republican Party. Among the most prominent champions of a new evangelical agenda is Jim Wallis…”

Of course, it’s possible that Wallis is correct, that the world is changing and the assumptions one could once make about Catholics and evangelicals no longer hold. With a growing population of zealous, young pro-lifers, however, that seems…suspicious. So let’s try another explanation. Here it is: there’s a concerted push on the part of liberal religionists to convince Catholics and evangelicals that they can and should be voting along liberal lines.

These articles - and dozens more, many with a similar message - come from the Faith in Public Life Daily News service, “today’s top news on faith and politics, policy, and public life,” delivered to the subscriber’s email box. Day after day - in mainstream media and in “special demographic” media - the message is hammered: this upcoming election isn’t about abortion or homosexuality. It’s about Democrat party issues.

Did you get that yet?

Reprinted from the June 2008 Pequeños Pepper.

Reading 1
Zec 9:9-10

Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14

R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading II
Rom 8:9, 11-13

Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.

Gospel
Mt 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,v and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Reading 1
Is 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

R. Lk 8:8  The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

Reading II
Rom 8:18-23

Brothers and sisters:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing
compared with the glory to be revealed for us.
For creation awaits with eager expectation
the revelation of the children of God;
for creation was made subject to futility,
not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,
in hope that creation itself
would be set free from slavery to corruption
and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;
and not only that, but we ourselves,
who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
we also groan within ourselves
as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Gospel
Mt 13:1-23 or 13:1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

or

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”