The Ministry Of Propaganda Is At It Again
The Nazis, or the Obama Administration, couldn't have done better

WARNING!! Harsh language alert!!

Here's some of the article from the MoP... oops, I mean the USCCB's official news organ, the Catholic News Service; (Emphasis and comments mine)

Abortion, death penalty wins slow in coming on state-by-state basis

By Mark Pattison
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- If Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal nationwide at virtually any point in a woman's pregnancy -- were overturned, the matter would most likely be sent back to the 50 states and require campaigns to restrict or outlaw abortion to be waged on a state-by-state basis.

There's another life issue that's been the subject of state-by-state campaigns for 30-plus years: abolition of the death penalty. (Time for a common sense check. Abortion is an intrinsic evil. "Intrinsic" means that it is pure evil and nothing good can ever become of it. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly states that anyone who participates in the procurement of such is automatically excommunicated, period. The Death Penalty, on the other hand, is NOT an intrinsic evil. That handful of Germans and Japanese who were executed at the end of WWII most certainly, in the words of St Dismas The Good Thief, "got what they deserved")

After the Supreme Court in 1976 allowed states to reinstate the death penalty, 37 states had laws on the books permitting the use of capital punishment, and nearly all of those states have executed a prisoner. Through March 5, 1,163 prisoners have been put to death, and another 3,308 are on death row. (As older versions of the CCC state, the DP is authorized when used "rarely and only in cases of extreme gravity". The most recent edition teaches us "Legitimate public authority has the right and duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense ...the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty". Considering the literally hundreds of thousands of murderers, rapists, kidnappers, sexual torturers, etc, that have done the Revolving Door Boogie in the American Prison System... yeah, I consider 1,163 scumbags executed a "rare amount" and only used in "cases of extreme gravity".)

Efforts to repeal the death penalty have been slow-moving. New Jersey abolished capital punishment in 2007, but a bid by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Catholic, to repeal the death penalty in his state failed March 5, with the state Legislature instead passing a bill requiring stronger evidentiary rules before applying the ultimate sentence. (Should I mention here that our stalwart "Catholic" hero is also pro-abortion? Kinda failed to mention that lil' tid-bit, didn't ya USCCB MoP?)

In Texas -- whose 433 executions since 1977 are quadruple the number in the state with the next highest tally -- the Texas Catholic Conference joined the two life issues one day in November.

The day started with a Mass at a chapel in Huntsville, Texas, celebrated by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, which attracted an overflow crowd. (So, Your Eminence. If I believe that the Death Penalty should be used only rarely and in cases of extreme gravity... oh, let's say for some piece of shit who raped, sodomized and sexually tortured to death an 11-year old girl with a hunting knife and a pair of pliers... am I going to hell?)In true USCCB fashion, they've attempted to confuse the Faithful into believing that a yield sign is actually a stop sign.

And of the 1,163 executions that have been carried out since 1976 (a third of a century ago), I'd like to remind everyone that roughly that same amount are murdered every day in the womb.

It never ceases to amaze me to what lengths the attention-starved will go to to save the earthy lives of those who hacked and slashed to death people on this side of the birth canal, but just shrug their shoulders to the millions that have been slaughtered on that side of the birth canal. Sorry, the two just aren't the same.

Kinda reminds me of the old saying -- "An anti-Death Penalty advocate is someone who hasn't had a child kidnapped, raped and murdered yet."

Two Cardinals Declare Magisterium Wrong
Along with 2,000 years of Church Teaching

I've discussed the death penalty many a time on this blog. I've made no bones that I adhere to what The Church teaches concerning the death penalty. If anyone wants to personally be against the death penalty... fine. Just don't tell me that I'm in a state of sin for adhering to what The Church has always taught since Day One.

Here's some of the article from The California Catholic Daily; (Emphasis mine) “No state can legally claim the right to kill”
Strong words from an archbishop over fate of Mexican citizens convicted of murder and now on death row in U.S.

Cardinal Norberto Rivera of Mexico City, comparing the death penalty to abortion, has condemned a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting a 2004 ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering the United States to reconsider the death sentences for 51 Mexican citizens.

Voting 6-3 on March 25, the Supreme Court decided that U.S. courts are not obliged to follow rulings by the International Court, and that President George W. Bush exceeded his authority by ordering the state of Texas to reopen the case of José Ernerto Medellín, a Mexican citizen sentenced to death.

Medellin, who entered the U.S. without proper documents, was convicted of participating in the gang rape and killings 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena and 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman on June 24, 1993, when he was an 18-year-old Houston gang member. The girls had left a friend’s apartment and were on their way home when they encountered the “Black and White Gang,” of which Medellin was a member. Each girl was repeatedly raped by the gang for an hour, then beaten, strangled and kicked to death. A jury concluded that Medellin had raped both girls, and helped to murder at least one by holding one end of a shoelace used to strangle her. He was subsequently sentenced to death and, at 33, is currently awaiting execution in Texas.

“Certainly it is the obligation of human justice to enforce law over those who have committed a crime, but no state can legally claim the right to kill a human being, neither inside his mother’s womb, nor through the ever more controversial and repudiated death penalty,” said an editorial in the March 30 edition of Desde la Fe (“From the Faith”), the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Mexico.Hmmm.... abortion is intrinsically evil. The death penalty is a just punishment that Catholicism has ALWAYS said is a morally correct option in certain circumstances. You'd think a cardinal would know that.

Then we have this interesting news item from CardinalRating.com; (Emphasis mine)
Cardinal calls overturned death sentence in U.S. victory for life

A U.S. appeals court decision to overturn the death sentence of Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted of killing a police officer in 1981, is a victory for human life, said Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

VATICAN CITY (CNS, 03-28-2008) -- A panel of judges from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia upheld Abu-Jamal's murder conviction March 27, but also upheld a lower court ruling vacating his death sentence.

In an interview published on the front page of the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, March 28, Cardinal Martino said: "Justice is not accomplished by punishing with another crime. For this reason, every death sentence not carried out is a victory for man and for life."Interesting. What the official teaching of The Church has declared to be legitimate, this individual states is "a crime". Funny, I didn't read a whole helluva lot from the good Cardinal about his concern for the family of the murdered police officer... did you?

By the way, if there's any question as to why I support the DP, here's why;

#2267 of the Catechism: “IF non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means. ...” (emphasis mine).

Umm... that's a mighty big "IF". Just what IF non-lethal mean AREN'T sufficient to defend and protect the public?

#2266: Legitimate public authority has the right and the duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense.

Did anyone else notice the word "proportionate"? Lemme see - if I take an innocent person's life, that means that most certainly can have my... well, I'm sure you can see the obvious here. I don't think I have to spell it out.

#2267: Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. By the way, that "traditional teaching" has been around for.... what was it I said before?... oh, yeah - 2,000 years.

Even though there are very narrow parameters, The Church does declare the DP to be legit. but two of our Princes call it a crime and/or compare it to abortion?

As I've said before, the anti-death penalty under ALL circumstances mentality is more in line with the secular and atheistic Age of Enlightenment, than it is with Sacred Scriptures or the writings of Sts. Augustine or Thomas Aquinas.

Supporting The Death Penalty Is Sinful And Will Land You In HELL!!
...and other fairy tales

Vatican on the Death Penalty, Not Inherently Evil, but "difficult to justify today"
By John-Henry Westen
VATICAN CITY, February 7, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A declaration of the Holy See regarding the death penalty was released today. It was delivered at a world congress on the death penalty, held in Paris, France from February 1 to 3.

Rather than condemning the practice outright, the Vatican used nuanced language to indicate that while it found the practice "an affront to human dignity", it could in some circumstances be necessitated. The language is starkly different from that used to condemn abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage which can never be justified.

"The Catholic Church continues to maintain that the legitimate authorities of State have the duty to protect society from aggressors," says the document on the death penalty. "Some States traditionally include the death penalty among the means used to achieve this end," an option "that is difficult to justify today."
"Difficult" to justify.... but not impossible.

I have no problem whatsoever if any fellow Catholic is against the DP for whatever reason. Hell... if anything, I applaude them for sticking by their convictions. But what does irk me to no end is when I'm told that my approval of the DP in rare cases, and only in cases of extreme gravity, are sinful and will stain my immortal soul forever and land me in eternal hellfire.

I'll readily admit that the majority of those in positions of power with The Church are against the DP. I can live with that. Let's just say that all those that bombard me with the "DP is sinful" mantra, I can now tell to go pound sand.

When Encyclicals & Personal Opinions Become Church Law
And whacky nuns are all the rage

We have a wonderful little piece of propaganda from Spero News telling us that a senior Polish church leader, Archbishop Jozef Zycinski of Lublin, has declared that it is illegitimate for campaigners for any of his country's governing parties to claim that its attempt to restore the death penalty is ‘Christian’ or based on Catholic doctrine.

You see, some in Poland want to reinstate the death penalty for convicted murderers and pedophiles. Personally, I can't think of any better candidates.

Anyhow, Archbishop Zycinski was quoted as saying "In his encyclical Evangelium Vitae… Pope John Paul II clearly said the penalty for criminals shouldn't extend to taking life. He taught respect for life at all its stages." Ummm... an encyclical is hardly official Church Teaching. And this is the worst example of pope worship I've seen in a long time. I tell you what Archbishop Zycinski, not everything that Pope John Paul said was Ex Cathedra. Stop trying to play it off as if it is.

Spero went on to "report"; The Church has had a long-standing and vehement opposition to the death penalty, one affirmed by new Pope Benedict XVI. So what? Since when did Pope Benedict's personal opinion become binding upon pain of sin? And what's with this "long-standing and vehement opposition" nonsense? The cause celeb status that the anti-DP folks within The Church have enjoyed is only since the 1980's. The traditional teaching (that's 2,000 years to you and me) has always thought otherwise.

So with all that said, if anyone is curious as to what the official teaching of The Church is, here you go;

#2267 of the Catechism: “IF non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means. ...” (emphasis mine).

Umm... that's a mighty big "IF". Just what IF non-lethal mean AREN'T sufficient to defend and protect the public?

#2266: Legitimate public authority has the right and the duty to inflict punishment proportionate to the gravity of the offense.

Did anyone else notice the word "proportionate"? Lemme see - if I take an innocent person's life... that means that most certainly can have my... well, I'm sure you can see the obvious here. I don't think I have to spell it out.

#2267, the very first paragraph: Assuming that the guilty party's identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. By the way, that "traditional teaching" has been around for.... what was it I said before?... oh, yeah - 2,000 years!

If you or I or Archbishop Zycinski or anyone else personally agrees or disagrees with the execution of murderers and pedophiles, that's irrelevant... The Church has already stated that a "legitimate public authority" has deemed such just and acceptable.

I wonder why the Archbishop never mentioned any of this?

Oh by the way, Spero "reports" that 'Catholic workers such as US Sister Helen Prejean have been courageous and outspoken in their opposition to the death penalty, and have won praise from many quarters, religious and non-religious.'

Is that the same Poncho Lady wannabe, abortion supporting Sister Helen Prejean that said (cf. Interview by Robert Holton in Our Sunday Visitor for April 14, 1996): “Abortion is much more complex than a mere choice, because the crosshairs of this decision are in the woman’s body, and the woman decides this. I think for us to really answer the abortion question so that women don’t have them, we really have to look seriously at the whole thing of birth control, family planning, and not having unwanted pregnancies.”

If this is an example of Catholic Pro-Life... we got problems. But who am I to point out that encyclicals, personal opinions, and crazy nuns aren't Official Church Teaching? Silly me.

Is The Death Penalty Intrinsically Evil?
And what exactly does "intrinsically evil" mean?

The Church has always defined intrinsically evil as something that has no redeeming qualities; under no circumstances is it ever authorized; it's never justified and no good can ever become of it. When you get right down to it, intrinsically evil is quite simply... evil. End of story.

I'm sure many of you have heard of the famous Five Non-Negotiables.
For those who have forgotten, they're:

1. Abortion
2. Euthanasia
3. Embryonic Stem Cell Research
4. Human Cloning
5. Homosexual “Marriage”Did you notice that the death penalty wasn't listed?

What prompted this posting, was I just read an article from Spero News concerning a criminal who will be executed next month for the sexual assault and murder of a three-year old. That's right... I said a three-year old.

I've consistently made no bones about it. I'm in favor of the death penalty under certain circumstances. And you know what? Under certain circumstances, so is The Church, as seen in this Declaration of the Holy See regarding the death penalty. And more of my posts citing the specific Church Teachings concerning the DP can be found here.

But anyhow, The Church simply can never declare the death penalty intrinsically evil any more than She could ever declare abortion to be moral.

I realize that the anti-DP crowd doesn't want to hear this... but that's really too bad. The truth is the truth.

Gutless, Thy Name Is The California Catholic Conference
Or would "hypocrisy" work better?

WARNING!! Graphic descriptions in this posting. Use discretion.

Here's an interesting little article from The California Catholic Daily. I for one, find it somewhat amazing that they treat baby-butchers with kid gloves, but attack the death penalty with such vigor. And yes, as we all know, the DP in cases of extreme gravity and used rarely, is authorized by The Church.

But don't tell that to the California Catholic Conference. Here's some of the article;

You can’t call them “anti-life”
California bishops issue political action guide to pastors and parishes

Pastors and parishes may participate in some political action but may not use phrases such as “anti-life” to describe a candidate or a party, says a document released last month by the California Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops.

In its specific “Guidelines for Advocacy and Political Action,” the document says that “individual citizens are free to fully engage in partisan politics.” It advises that “religious leaders … should avoid taking positions on candidates or participating in political party matters even when acting in their individual capacity,” since they might find it “difficult to separate their personal activity from their public role as a Church leader.”

Lest they jeopardize their IRS tax exempt status, churches may not in any way “engage in partisan politics such as supporting or opposing individual political candidates for office,” says the document...

But no diocesan or parish “entity or organization may endorse, oppose or evaluate any political party or candidate for public office,” says the bishops’ document. Neither may they contribute in any way to candidates, campaigns, or political action committees. Examples of such prohibited activities, says the document, include “labeling a candidate or party as ‘pro-school aid’ or ‘anti-life,’” for “such a practice removes objectivity by not allowing readers to evaluate a candidate’s position themselves.”

The California Catholic Conference itself “reviews all of the statewide ballot initiatives and referenda,” and the bishops either together or individually choose “to support, oppose or take no position on each measure,” says the document. This being the case, it continues, "when neither the California Catholic Conference nor the (arch)diocese has taken a public position on a specific measure, a parish or Catholic organization should not do so without previous consultation with the bishop.” [Emphasis in original.]

Using church facilities for groups supporting or opposing legislation “should rarely be allowed,” says the document. And, “only with the specific permission of the diocesan bishop and the local pastor should Church facilities be used for signature gathering to place an initiative on the ballot.” [Emphasis in original.]From the CCC "Reverence For Life" page; (By the way, look how they tap dance around all the other "life issues".)

"Respect for all human life and opposition to the violence in our society are at the root of our long-standing position against the death penalty. We see the death penalty as perpetuating a cycle of violence and promoting a sense of vengeance in our culture."Wow... "cycle of violence"... "sense of vengeance". I wonder why they don't speak that strongly against those who hacksaw babies to death? Interesting.

But the indignation from the California Catholic Conference is reserved for those who dispense the JUST punishment on those who have had minor lapses in judgment... you know, like sexually torturing women to death by inserting hunting knives into their vaginas and gutting them like fish... or carving off their breasts. All the while, videotaping their acts so they could masturbate to them later.

More children die in one hour in any given abortuary than all of the executions that take place in the United States in an entire year. Methinks the CCC has their priorities just a liiiiiiitle off.

Diocese of Oakland Endorses Neo-Pagan "Catholic" Heresy
Yet another shining moment for one of our esteemed bishops

From the California Catholic Daily:

“For women and men engaged in ministry in the Diocese of Oakland”

Summer institute features “eco-feminists,” others who teach an odd theology

The June 18 issue of Oakland’s diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Voice, featured an article about an upcoming Summer Institute at the Sophia Center at Oakland’s Holy Names University. The July 19-22 institute -- “Cosmology of Fulfillment” -- will feature anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean, as well as other speakers -- including, said the Voice, Gregory Baum, Diarmuid O’Murchu, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Stephen Scharper, and Brian Swimme.

A Sophia Center summer institute advertisement calls these speakers “mindful scholars of the new cosmology.” This “new cosmology” rejects any notion of human superiority over beasts, plants, and inanimate creatures. Further, promoters of the new cosmology, including Ruether, blur the Creator and creation to make the universe the body of God.

A well-known theologian in progressive circles, Ruether, has said in an undated essay that “all racist, sexist, classist, and anthropocentric assumptions of the superiority of whites over blacks, males over females, managers over workers, humans over animals and plants must be culturally discarded.” Ruether also wants to discard patriarchal and hierarchical notions of God; she and other “eco-feminists” have said that God can be called Gaia, the name of the Roman mother earth goddess.

Thus, it is perhaps no surprise that the Sophia Summer Institute will feature something called “Missa Gaia -- A Mass for the World,” presented by Sophia’s director, Jim Conlon.

The article went on with;

Brian Swimme, who teaches at San Francisco’s California Institute of Integral Studies, is billed by Sophia as a cosmologist. Last January, he and Fr. Brian Joyce of Christ the King parish in Pleasant Hill took “a fresh look at our faith, Jesus, the Church, death and the afterlife,” at a retreat in Danville. Swimme’s view of the afterlife is eccentric. In 2002, he told U.S. Catholic, “in death we don’t leave the universe. We become part of it again -- this is the traditional doctrine of the communion of saints.” The resurrected body, he said, “is coextensive with the cosmos... similarly, the presence of the resurrected Jesus in a certain sense is everywhere.”

The Voice noted that the institute “can be taken for HNU credit.” The Oakland diocese shares a “joint, three-stage program” with Holy Names University -- the “Pastoral Formation Program.” The program “is designed for women and men engaged in ministry in the Diocese of Oakland,” said the June 19 diocesan “Administrative Weekly.”

And one of the noted speakers is "Sister" Helen Prejean of "Dead Man Walking" fame. Don't think for a moment that simply because she's anti-death penalty, that automatically makes her pro-life. The good "sister" is also pro-abortion. In her own words;

(Interview by Robert Holton in Our Sunday Visitor for April 14, 1996): “Abortion is much more complex than a mere choice, because the crosshairs of this decision are in the woman’s body, and the woman decides this. I think for us to really answer the abortion question so that women don’t have them, we really have to look seriously at the whole thing of birth control, family planning, and not having unwanted pregnancies.”

The reader comments at the end of this article had this particular gem;

What could be clearer! The Oakland diocese is NOT Catholic. It is run by heretical apostates, clergy and laity alike, who have long since lost the faith. These types need to be fled from and prayed for in that order for the sake of the souls of all concerned.

I couldn't agree more.

The Death Penalty, Catholicism, And Super-Max
Don't throw things at the monitor!!!

I had an interesting discussion with a good friend the other day concerning the death penalty. Anyone who's ever read what I've posted in the past, knows exactly where I stand on the DP. And my friend, he's against it BIG TIME. But that's OK. He's still my goomba.

For those of you who aren't aware, I follow the official teaching of The Church. I'm in favor in cases of extreme gravity and it should only be used rarely. You know... like those misunderstood souls who kidnap, rape, sodomize, and sexually torture little children to death.

But anyhow, my goomba pointed out 2267 of the Catechism which states in part; "Today, in fact, given the means at the State's disposal to effectively repress crime by rendering inoffensive the one who has committed it, without depriving him definitively of the possibility of redeeming himself, cases of absolute necessity for suppression of the offender 'today ... are very rare, if not practically non-existent.'"

And like many of the anti-DP persuasion, he pointed out the so-called "Super-Max" prisons. The gist of his argument was essentially that said offenders can be put away for life and they will no longer pose a threat to the public at large. And all without the shedding of blood.

Like many in the anti-DP crowd, they specifically site "... given the means at the State's disposal to effectively repress crime..." And by the State's disposal, Super-Max is exactly what they mean.

Here in the United States (as well as Canada, Western Europe, Australia, Japan, etc, etc) we absolutely have the means of constructing these Super-Max facilities. But what about the 3d World nations? Their idea of Super-Max is a double-mud-reinforced mud hut.

By the anti-DP crowd's own rationale, capital offenders in the 3d World should be put to death, right? After all, what reliable version of Super-Max is there in Burkina Faso, Myanmar, or Bolivia?

And The Foundation Begins For The Round-Up Of Our Priests
And away we go!

Here's some of the article from the less-than-objective folks at Reuters; (Emphasis mine)
Vatican attacked for opposing gay decriminalisation

VATICAN CITY, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Gay rights groups and newspaper editorials on Tuesday condemned the Vatican for its decision to oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on governments worldwide to de-criminalise homosexuality.

The row erupted after the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations told a French Catholic news agency the Holy See would oppose the resolution, which France is due to propose later this month on behalf of the 27-member European Union.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore said the Vatican opposed the resolution because it would "add new categories of those protected from discrimination" and could lead to reverse discrimination against traditional heterosexual marriage.

"If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations," Migliore said. "For example, states which do not recognise same-sex unions as 'matrimony' will be pilloried and made an object of pressure," Migliore said.

A strongly worded editorial in Italy's mainstream La Stampa newspaper said the Vatican's reasoning was "grotesque".

Pointing out that homosexuality was still punishable by death in some Islamic countries, the editorial said what the Vatican really feared was a "chain reaction in favour of legally recognised homosexual unions in countries, like Italy, where there is currently no legislation".

Franco Grillini, founder and honorary president of Arcigay, Italy's leading gay rights group, said the Vatican's reasoning smacked of "total idiocy and madness".

Human rights groups say homosexuality is still punishable by law in more than 85 countries and by death in a number of them, including Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen. Vatican spokesman Rev Federico Lombardi said "no one wants the death penalty or jail or fines for homosexuals" but defended Migliore's comments, adding that the Vatican was in the majority on the issue.

An editorial in Rome's left-leaning La Repubblica newspaper said the Vatican's position "leaves one dumbstruck". Margherita Boniver, a leading member of the Italy's leftist Democratic Party, called it "alarmingly anachronistic".

The Catholic Church teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are. But in October, a leading Vatican official called homosexuality "a deviation, an irregularity and a wound".To read what this resolution is really all about, here some info from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission; The resolution recognizes the existence of sexual orientation-based discrimination around the world; affirms that such discrimination contravenes what has been established in all major human rights instruments; and calls all governments to promote and protect the human rights of people, regardless of their sexual orientation.The resolution provides activists with another tool to hold states accountable to respect, protect and fulfill human rights of LGBT people.Only the most rabid of Fagscists would dream in their fevered imaginations, that The Catholic Church would demand death (or any other civil or criminal penalty) for active homosexuality.

Hey, if these guys want to sodomize themselves to death... that's their call. Just don't expect me or anyone else to accept these deviants sloshing their penises around in other guys feces filled rectums as "normal". Yes, it really is as simple as that.

His Silence Was Deafening
What a nice change of pace from Smilin' Joe

As often as I piss and moan about bishops who say nothing concerning the events of the day, today was one of those rare occurrences where I'm actually glad that nothing was said. And as the title of this post says... the silence was deafening.

You see, today the State of North Carolina meted out justice to one Samuel Flippen. During the trial, prosecutors said that Flippen struck his 2 year old stepdaughter, Britnie Nichol Hutton in the abdomen because she was crying. The blow was so hard it split her pancreas on her spine, prosecutors said. Flippen said Britnie fell from a chair.

OK, so this scumbag baby murderer was put to death. In all honesty, I really do hope that there was a conversion of the heart for this guy before he died... but don't expect any alligator tears from me in the meantime. He got what he deserved. And no, that isn't revenge. It's justice.

But anyhow, here in the Diocese of Raleigh, our new bishop had absolutely nothing to say concerning the execution. Thank God. He didn't turn official Church Teaching on it's head. He didn't attempt to pass off his personal opinion as official Church Teaching. He didn't deny 2,000 years of official Church Teaching to fit the politically correct sympathies of the many secular humanists who call themselves Catholic priests in this diocese.

I've posted before concerning certain Catholic bishops who bastardize Church teaching concerning the Death Penalty. And yes... I know that I very well may get blasted from folks who tell me that Father Limpwrist, or Bishop IFeelYourPain, or even Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI are personally against the death penalty.

You know what? I don't care what their personal opinion is on this subject. Know why? Because that's all it is... personal opinion. As I've already said, the official Church Teaching is very clear on this subject.

You know, I think I could get use to a bishop who doesn't come off as a mouthpiece for the ACLU all the time.

Oh, He's Really A Good Boy
He just made some unfortunate "life choices"

Warning: The Caveman is EXCEEDINGLY pissed off over the following story. If harsh language offends you, I suggest you go on the the next story instead. Thanks

The current Den Mother of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, William Cardinal Keeler, is giving an awful lot of his time and energy to a P.O.S. scum-bag murderer.... and damn little to the family of the 49 year old Teacher's Aide who had her brains blown out right in front of her two grandkids. Just to steal her purse.

But why is any of this a suprise to me? Warm and fuzzy, and pretty damned effeminate to boot, Keeler is the same one who said to a Jewish congregation that Pope Benedict XVI "reminds me of my mother". Sheesh... I'm going to F*****G puke. http://catholic-caveman.blogspot.com/2005/11/keeler-continues-grovel-athon-to-jews.html#links

According to the Baltimore Sun http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.death29nov29,1,5718994.story?coll=bal-home-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true said Piece Of Shit, Wesley Baker, 47, is scheduled to be put to death by injection the week of Dec. 5 for the killing of Jane Tyson, a 49-year-old teacher's aide who was shot in the head and robbed of her purse in front of two of her grandchildren outside Westview Mall in Baltimore County in 1991. Keeler said he had spoken by phone over the past few days with Tyson's relatives. "They understood that we have to do what our conscience leads us to do," the cardinal said, declining to elaborate on their conversations. Karen Sulewski, whose children were with her mother when she was killed, said last night that she knew of the cardinal's visit and did not wish to comment.

Wow... Keeler CALLED the family on the phone, but said P.O.S. gets a jailhouse visit personally from His eminence? But I will admit, Mrs. Sulewski displayed a whole helluva lot more restraint then I could have.

The B'more Sun went on to say concerning the recent USCCB statement on the death penalty; The statement characterizes the administration of capital punishment as error-prone, biased and irreversible, and says that state-sanctioned killing diminishes all Americans. It also warns that the death penalty offers a false hope of healing to the survivors of crime and calls on Catholics to support those who have lost loved ones.

As far as "error prone", what error is there? There were two eye witnesses... the grandkids who saw grandma get her brains scattered all over the pavement.

"Biased"? Bullshit. The son of a bitch did it. May he rot in hell.

"Irreversible"? No shit. I certainly hope so.

"Diminishes all Americans"? Again, bullshit. I don't feel diminished. Do you?

"False hope of healing"? Funny, the absolute majority of family members of victims feel "closure" when the murderer of their family member gets executed, according to every single news report I've read.

Hey Maryland authorities... you looking for someone to shove in the needle? Call me.

The Theology of Punctuation
It all boils down to this...

I've been cruising around various Catholic news sites to get more info on the USCCB's latest statement on how scumbags who rape and murder little kids should be allowed to live. I read this the other day, but it never really hit me until now.

Stay with me on this...

The official statement included such gems as; "It is time for our nation to abandon the illusion that we can protect life by taking life." and "The use of the death penalty ought to be abandoned not only for what it does to those who are executed, but what it does to all of society." And here's the biggie; "The sanction of death violates respect for human life and dignity"

Wow... pretty powerful stuff. Straightforward and to the point. Especially the last quote. That one pretty much says that if I'm in favor of the death penalty, I'm in essence, a murderer. And this is from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops!!

But take a gander at at what His Excellency Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn had to say; "While the bishops argue against capital punishment, he said, Catholics may disagree without separating themselves from the Church community."

Huh? I'm confused. If I'm in favor of such, I'm in direct contradiction to what the USCCB says... but simultaneously, I can DIRECTLY go against the USCCB and somehow magically be in communion with "the Church community". So I reinterate... huh?

Catholicism never has vagueness and ambiguity at this scale until the great and sweeping changes stemming from the Second Vatican Council. You know, I've come to the conclusion that the Traditional Catholicism and the Vatican II Huggy-Touchie-Feelie Church can be boiled down to puncuation.

The theology of Traditional Catholicism is by and large, a period (.) with an occasional exclamation point (!).

The theology of The New & Improved Vatican II Church is in essence, a question mark (?).

Yet Again, Proving Our Lady Of Akita Right
Cardinal McCarrick on same side as pro-abortion group

OK, so Life News got the "former" cardinal part wrong, but they're still right on target pointing out how Cardinal McCarrick is giving approval for Catholics to vote for pro-butchery candidates.

I've posted in the past concerning how Presider McCarrick has totally abandoned authentic Church Teaching, so the following comes as no surprise.

Former Catholic Cardinal, Pro-Abortion Group Blast Communion Denial Quote
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 15, 2007

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A former Catholic cardinal and a leading pro-abortion "Catholic" group have blasted comments by St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke who said he would deny communion to Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani because of his position favoring abortion.

Earlier this month, Burke said he would deny communion to Giuliani. "If the question is about a Catholic who is publicly espousing positions contrary to the moral law, and I know that person knows it, yes I would [deny communion]," Burke told the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

He said anyone who administers Catholic communion can't knowingly give it to Catholic politicians who flout the Church's teachings on abortion. "It is a cause of concern for me and for all bishops to find ourselves in this situation," Burke said.

Former Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick restated his opposition to Burke's position to withhold communion from pro-abortion politicians. McCarrick said the Catholic Church shouldn't be denying communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians because no elected official will ever perfectly fall in line with every policy position the Church takes. (In other words, he's just given the green light to voting for baby-butchers)

In an interview with the Associated Press over the weekend he also said the church's positions on abortion and other issues such as euthanasia and the death penalty are base teachings, but do not fully encompass all Catholic beliefs. (Again, McCarrick get's it wrong. No where in the official teaching of The Church does it state that it's a sin to adhere to the death penalty in cases of extreme gravity.)

"You cannot be authentically Catholic if you do not support life, yet it is not enough just to support life, you have to go beyond that," McCarrick said. "To really be authentically Catholic, you need it and the family rights, the right to education, the right to take care of the poor, the right of migrants," he added. (Typical liberal ploy. When in an indefensable position, change the subject.)

Meanwhile, Jon O'Brien, the head of the pro-abortion group calling itself "Catholics for a Free Choice" said communion decisions shouldn't be based on abortion. "In Catholicism, once you are baptized, you are authentically Catholic. We don't have a litmus test that people take," he told the Associated Press.

After Burke's comments, Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, was in New Hampshire campaigning and he avoided answering the comments directly. "Archbishops have a right to their opinion, you know," Giuliani said. "There's freedom of religion in this country. There's no established religion, and archbishops have a right to their opinion. Everybody has a right to their opinion."

Knights Of Columbus Opens Their Own Cafeteria
And what an expanded menu they have

I'm a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. I haven't been active in The Knights for years now. I've been toying with the idea of possibly getting back with the K of C... but after finding out a few things, I think I'll happily remain on the inactive file.

You see, I found at my parish a copy of Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics put out by Catholic Answers. Per usual, Catholic Answers uses only the official teaching of The Church. With that said, they've stated that the "Five Non-Negotiables for Catholic Voters" are as follows;
1. Abortion
2. Euthanasia
3. Embryonic Stem Cell Research
4. Human Cloning
5. Homosexual "Marriage"
Period.

Unfortunately, Knights of Columbus has taken it upon themselves to add onto the list.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that we will continue to speak out to our elected representatives about our continued opposition to the death penalty.

As I've made abundantly clear on this blog many, many times... Catholics most certainly can be in favor of the death penalty in cases of extreme gravity. That's the official teaching of The Church.

I for one, don't need the K of C telling me that "we" must continue to be opposed to something that the official teaching of the Church has always allowed.

Long Lost Church Document FOUND!!
... in Northeast Florida?

H/T to Cletus Huckleberry

After much arguing back and forth concerning what the TRUE Teaching of The Church is in regards to the death penalty, ace Caveman News Service reporter Cletus Huckleberry has unearthed a definitive document on the subject.

Here's a small excerpt;

The 2nd Council of Mandarin has infallibly approved and hereby promulgates the following nearly infallible teachings (with only one abstention):

The government has a right and an obligation to use the death penalty in appropriate cases. Such cases are rare, however, and capital punishment should be applied to no more than, say, 5% of the people in the United States in any given year.

Towards the end of the declaration, we see;

Furthermore, the council highly recommends (this time with, I believe, no abstentions) that, henceforth, all executions should be public and performed only by means customarily used prior to or during the first half of the 20th Century, including, but not limited to: hanging, firing squad, gas, guillotine and high voltage furniture.

Is that a Pulitzer I smell for our ace reporter? Or possibly is that just catfish bait or something Cletus just ate?

Let The Name...'ARNOLD'...Be Stricken From Every Public Obelisk...
So let it be written, so let it be done.

Our version of the BBC (but this time, with credibility) Gillibrand has passed the word how the city council of Arnold Schwarzenegger's hometown of Graz, Austria has decided to strike his name from the former Schwarzenegger Soccer Stadium due to Arnold refusing to grant clemecy to quadruple murderer Tookie Williams.

Ahh-nuld beat 'em to the punch and personally requested his name be taken off. Gotta love his preemptive "screw you" to the Graz city council.

But in a move reminiscent of Josef Stalin, or more correctly, George Orwell, the Graz City Parental Units of Undetermined Gender have since ordered that all references to Schwarzenegger on all web sites linked to City of Graz be deleted.

So let it be written, so let it be done. *BOOM, BOOM, BOOM*

But ya gotta love the "objective" story from AP/Pravda on the Hudson

"Acting on Schwarzenegger's orders two weeks after the Dec. 13 execution of former Crips gang leader Stanley Tookie Williams, city leaders Tuesday deleted all references..."

"Acting on Schwarzenegger's orders"? They make him out to be some sort of Mafia Godfaddah. Rick over at De Civitate Dei put it best when he said that "it wasn't Arnold that judged (or ordered) anything, it was a jury of his peers". Thanks for that moment of sanity, Rick.

Yet another gem from George Jahn of the AP; "...Austrians, who overwhelmingly consider the death penalty barbaric". Says who, AP? You... or possibly that Greens Party maggot who you gushed over in your interview, or the enigmatic "Mario" who slammed Arnie in an e-mail to a newspaper?

AP's Jahn did his best to make any Austrian who even looked favorably on Schwarzenegger out to be either a muscle-head or an Alpine mouth breather. In a grasp at any credibility whatsoever, Jahn did quote Kurt Marnul, a former "Mr. Austria";

"More than 70 percent of Americans are for the death penalty," said Marnul, 75. "This issue is none of Austria's business."

If you wish to let the Graz City Council know what you think about the Governor's name being removed from the stadium and removed from all Internet links, shoot 'em an e-mail stadtverwaltung@stadt.graz.at

They understand English. Day Jaas Don' Schpeak It Vell (that was my Austrian accent spelled out)... sorry.

Another h/t to Gillibrand!

"All Animals Are Equal, But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others" ~
George Orwell's anti-Communist novel "Animal Farm"

I read a bit of an interesting sermon from a local parish. I don't know about you, but I get the distinct impression that he is very subtly playing both the race and sex card. But I may be wrong... what do you think? (Comments and emphasis mine)
Here is a little “quiz” that I made in honor of the Silver Rose program that our Knights of Columbus held recently in our parish in honor of respecting human beings. I ask you to thoughtfully consider your answers: Do you believe that:

• the life of a man is equal to the life of a woman; (Of course the life of each is equal, but is there the implication that men and women 'are equal'? Of course we're not. Our genders are complimentary to each other... but not 'equal'. After all, I can't bear a child, and I don't know of any women who can father a child. See what I mean? Compatible, but not 'equal'. And this is nothing new. Catholicism's taught that for 2,000 years.)

• the life of an Iraqi or Mexican is equal to the life of an American; (In light that there are Americans of Iraqi heritage and Americans of Mexican heritage, the statement doesn't make sense. In fact, on my mother's side, family names such as Perez, San Nicholas, Blas, Diaz, etc, are the norm. But we're Americans. I also happen to know of over 20,000 Chaldean Rite (Iraqi) Catholics back home in San Diego. They're all Americans. I sense the Race Card being played here.

• the life of a single person is equal to the life of a married person; (Why is this even brought up? The Church gives very clear instruction/direction as how of these two states of life are to conduct themselves to be pleasing to God. Of course they're equal... but like I said, why is this even brought up?)

• the life of a person with children is equal to the life of a person without children; (This is just personally insulting. My wife and I have buried one son, and she's suffered through more miscarriages than she cares to remember. And we're not unique. I have no idea why this was even brought up. Does anyone else?)

• the life of a prisoner is equal to the life of a fetus; (No... they're not equal. Many in the first category have legally and rightfully been sentenced to death for minor oversights like sexually torturing little girls to death with hunting knives and a pair of vice grips. Every single one in the second category has done nothing "wrong" except to be alive in their mother's womb. Even though The Church may frown upon the Death Penalty, The Church also has stated over and over that it IS a legitimate form of punishment in rare and exceptionally violent cases. By the way, notice he uses the word "fetus"?)

• the life of a soldier is equal to the life of a civilian; (This one just defies explanation. Of course their lives are equal. But I will say this, with the exception of Law Enforcement and Firefighters, not many civilians have the distinct possibility of dying as part of their job description. As a retired Marine, I just can't shake the feeling that this may be a jab at those who are members of The Uniformed Services. But maybe I'm wrong.)

• the life of a brown or black skinned person is equal to the life of a white person; (Race card, pure and simple.)

• the life of an atheist is equal to the life of a Catholic Christian; (Again, of course their equal. We pray for their conversions every moment, no? I don't seem to recall anyone wanting to round up atheists, do you? But if anyone dies knowingly, willingly and intelligently refuting Christ to the very end, well... The Church is very clear what happens to non-Catholics who do NOT die in a state of Invincible Ignorance.)

• the life of a gay or lesbian person is equal to the life of a heterosexual; (Of course their life is equal. What they choose to do with the gift of life that God gave them is 100% their call. And how they face eternity will be up to them as well. That whole "God will not be mocked" thingee. After all, hell exists for a reason. BTW, is it just me, or are there an abnormally large amount of references to those who adhere to the sodomite lifestyle in his sermons? I'd like to think he's preaching against it.)

• the life of a homeless person is equal to the life of a person with a home; (And vice-versa?)

• the life of a poor person is equal to the life of a rich person; (And vice-versa? Being successful for working hard and honestly isn't sinful.)

• the life of an older person is equal to the life of a young person? (Pssst... don't tell that the the British or Canadian Socialist Health Care Systems... or DingleBarry Obama.)

Obviously, the list could go on and on. As Catholic Christians (another ecumaniac code word for "we're all the same", which we're clearly not. 'Catholic-Christians' makes about as much sense as me saying my 'female-daughter' or my 'male-brother'.), our answers should solidly be “Yes!” to each and every question. (MSNBC would be proud.) Did the quiz make you uncomfortable? (To think that simplistic, watered-down Catholicism is being taught... well, yes, that does make me uncomfortable.) Do you believe “deep down” that some people should be treated with greater respect than others? Did you answer “yes” to each question? (Hold on... during the lil' quiz portion, the watch-word was "equal". Now it's changed and become "respect". Bait and switch. I absolutely do not "respect" a child murderer. I absolutely do not "respect" a militant homosexual. And I especially do not respect those who play cutesy word games when it come to the salvation of souls.

Always Fun To Know Stuff
But most of you already know this!

During the English Martyrdom, Catholics in England were not permitted to practice The Faith openly. The punishment for being a priest was death. The punishment for having Mass said in your home was that the entire household (including children) were put to death.

Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. -The Partridge in a Pear Tree was The Blessed Virgin Mary and The Christ Child.

-Two Turtle Doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French Hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The Four Calling Birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The Five Golden Rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The Six Geese A-Laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven Swans A-Swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The Eight Maids A-Milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine Ladies Dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The Ten Lords A-Leaping were the Ten Commandments.

-The Eleven Pipers Piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The Twelve Drummers Drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.Maybe pass this onto your kids. And then remind them that the Latin Mass they just attended use to bring the death penalty.

Saints Oliver Plunkett, Edmund Campion, and Thomas More, Ora Pro Nobis.

USCCB Wants This Human Garbage To Live
What's their rationale? He wasn't propery potty trained, or that he wasn't breast fed?

The Judas Iscariat Fan Club has come out against the Death Penalty. No special circumstances, no exceptions, no nothing... period.

That means that stellar performers like the POS to the left can live. What momentary lapse in judgment did he make? Ohhhh.... just 1st Degree Kidnapping, 1st Degree Rape, 1st Degree Murder. That's all. richard davis is the scum in question. By the way, he raped and sodomized 12 year old Polly Klaas before he sexually tortured her with a pair of vice grips. Use your imagination, imagen the worst, then multiply it by 100.

But to give one a better idea of exactly what a monster he is, check this out --- while addressing the court before his formal sentencing, he was talking about problems in his interrogation when he said, "The main reason I know I did not attempt any lewd act that night was because of a statement the young girl made to me while walking up the embankment: `Just don't do me like my Dad.'"

He was interrupted by an unidentified voice believed to be Polly's father, Marc Klaas, saying "Burn in Hell, Davis." Klaas lunged at davis and was escorted out of the room.

Just to twist the knife a little deeper into an already grieving father. Evil... pure evil.

Polly's father said before the hearing that he was looking forward to hearing the judge issue a death sentence for Richard Allen Davis, the man who kidnapped and killed his daughter. "It's actually very offensive to have to breathe the same air as this individual," Klaas said.

As a father as well, I can only imagen the depths of sarrow and disgust of Marc Klass. And now we have the USCCB spewing forth drivel like "The sanction of death violates respect for human life and dignity". Yeah... right. richard davis rates respect and dignity. To hell with the victims, to hell with the traditional 2,000 year Church teaching, to hell with Justice. Focus on protecting evil doers. But the USCCB is already a bunch of old pros at that.

Hey USCCB, do what you do best. Stick to cover-ups and sending homo-sodomite rapists from one parish to another. How sad the USCCB didn't take this hard of a stand against rapist "priests".

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_051117deathpenalty.shtml

Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself
Yet another reason why I'm in favor of the death penalty

It really is quite simple... if I should ever happen to kidnap, rape, sodomize, sexually torture and eventually murder my neighbor's child, I would fully expect to be arrested, tried, convicted and be put to death.

Now I happen to hold myself to some pretty basic standards. With that said, if I REALLY love my neighbor as myself, if he were to ever do such a horrid thing, I most certainly would expect the same punishment for him.

That's not so hard to figure out, is it?