Spokesman for Boston Archdiocese calls blogger's attacks on the Cardinal “outrageous and disgraceful.”

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Regarding the gay Mass at St. Cecilia's.
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The Cardinal insists that the so-called Gay Pride Mass originally scheduled has been canceled and is not re-scheduled.  Evidently some don't believe him.
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"BOSTON, June 23, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Archdiocese of Boston has strongly denied that a rescheduled Mass initiated by the Rainbow Ministry of St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church will celebrate gay pride and said that Cardinal Seán O’Malley’s handling of the situation has been unfairly maligned.
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“I can tell you unequivocally: this Mass is not a celebration of gay pride week, month,” a spokesman for the diocese told LifeSiteNews.com Thursday, echoing a statement issued by Cardinal O’Malley yesterday.
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In that statement O’Malley had said that the “philosophical and political agenda of Gay Pride in relation to marriage and sexual morality is incompatible with the Church’s teachings. For that reason, [St. Cecilia pastor Rev. John] Unni rescheduled a Mass of welcome for all his parishioners to a time that would not associate the Mass with the Gay Pride agenda.”
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O’Malley said, “Catholics who have same sex attractions are often criticized by their friends for coming to Mass,” and that those close to such individuals “are distressed that their loved ones feel rejected by their Church.”
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“We want all baptized Catholics to come to Mass and be part of our community, but we cannot compromise the teaching of the Church rooted in Scripture and tradition,” he said.
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O’Malley called the confusion surrounding the event “regrettable” and referred to his previous statements on his blog and an editorial in The Boston Pilot as sources of clarification on Church teaching."
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Archdiocesan spokesman Terrence Donilon had this to say regarding news reports and online chatter that the Archdiocese rescheduled the Mass:
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“I’m not going to let these people attack the Cardinal’s integrity nor his 40 plus years of priesthood,” said Donilon, defending O’Malley’s record defending the unborn and marriage, and calling the attacks “outrageous and disgraceful.”
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“This isn’t about defending Catholicism, this is about hurting, defaming, denegrating people, and speaking mistruths, and manipulating words and positions of the cardinal and archdiocese. I think they’re malicious,” said Donilon. “I’m talking both conservative and liberal bloggers.” - LifeSite News
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Discrediting the bishops.
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I think Catholic bloggers and online personalities - 'both conservative and liberal voices' - have contributed significantly to the growing mistrust of Catholic bishops which affects just about every pronouncement or decision coming out of many chanceries these days.  Bishops are accused of lying to their flock, they are accused of being Marxists, their fidelity to Catholic teaching is called into question if they show the least bit of reticence concerning the Traditional Latin liturgy, and so on.  There are some priests and laity online who contribute in no small way to the contentious atmosphere of distrust and disobedience, and in and through their harsh criticism and scoffing, they foment greater disrespect for the hierarchy.  I have been just as presumptuous in the past on this blog and in my conversation, and I regret it.
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I believe in this particular case the Cardinal and his authorized spokesman should be respected, and if the forthcoming 'welcoming' Mass is determined to be in conflict with Church teaching, then the proper disciplines and sanctions should be utilized and enforced.  Until then, I think it is wise for those of us uninvolved to wait and see.  The Cardinal is the one calling the shots, he is the one man responsible for what happens in his See.
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UPDATE:  Evidently there is great confusion in the Boston Archdiocese, hence the accusations of double talk by the Cardinal and his staff.  I just read this.  If true, that's too bad.  Concerned faithful should appeal to the Papal Nuncio.
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ANOTHER UPDATE:  Here is another view on what is going on:  Crazy Cons Attack Cardinal Sean
View the original article here

Midsummer's Eve

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It is still St. John's Eve, though just past midnight. The night illumined by fires before the Feast of the Baptist. It was a tradition in the early days of Christendom to have a bonfire in honor of the saint who was a "burning and shining light." (John 5:35)  In some places, they still do...
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...  Ah! Reminds me of a play I once saw... the dialog echoes in me mind...
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"But after all, it has only been midsummer madness. Lady Iris, wouid you be good enough to ring for my wrap?"
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" Certainiy, princess!"
" And get rid of those damn cowbells!"
"May I help you, princess?"
" Thank you, Lady Iris... Goodbye, goodbye. I shall always feel a strong attachment to you all. (Let go!)"
"I can't. I'm stuck."
" Let go!"
"It's my bracelet. It's caught on you...
"Bring down the curtain!"
Yes dear readers, I shall always feel a strong attachment to you all... after all, it has only been midsummer madness!
Art: Midsummer Night's Dream by P. D. White.
View the original article here

How it is in Kenya.

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You can turn off the TV, you can go about your day but just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s gone away.”

We wanted to share with you some facts about how things really are here in Kenya…

Kenya could fit into Australia 13 times, but has double the population.

50% of the population live below the poverty line. A small group of very rich Kenyans take a great deal of money out of the system through corruption. Politicians care more about buying expensive Mercedes cars than about addressing the big problems: AIDS, poverty, crime and the widespread corruption.
Politicians and Police are receiving monthly payments greater than what a casual farmer will earn honestly in an entire year in exchange of allowing the production and selling of illegal substances.
Serious offences such as rape, murder or theft are not reported or simply swept under the rug as long as you have money to pay the bribe.

INCOME:
The average income in Kenya is $1100 per year. However, 40% of the population is unemployed.
Women working in farms are paid150 Shillings ($2.30AUD) and the men earn around 200 Shillings ($3.05AUD) per day for casual labouring (typically construction of some kind.)
One loaf of bread, half the size of the average Australian loaf is around 25-35 Shillings.
Rent of one small room (which is considered a house) is 1000 Shillings per month.
You can do the math and work out how much money is left over once a family are fed, sheltered, clothed, educated and receive any minimal health care.
The best ways to make money are prostitution (150+ Shillings for a quickie) or starting a Church. There are 60 churches in Mitunguu alone (Population approximately 3000) some have only two followers but it is a great money earner!

HEALTH:
AIDS is a big health problem in Kenya. About 7% of the population have HIV/AIDS and 150,000 people die of AIDS every year.
80% of the people living in our local slum are HIV positive. A child born with a HIV+ is at high risk of contracting the disease through birth and during breastfeeding. Access to proper hospital care during birth can lower the risk of the child getting HIV. However, when a child is born into poverty, they cannot afford a substitute formula therefore the only option is to breastfed or feed the child maize and beans. The consequences are HIV or malnutrition.

EDUCATION: In our local slum there are 50+ children who do not attend school. The regional minister of education denies knowing of such issues and announces that all children will have a place in school in the coming year and that it will be “free”. “Free” doesn’t include uniforms, books and administration fees.

INFRASTRUCTURE: There are only 8,000 km of paved roads in Kenya and something in excess of 170,000km of unmade roads and those unmade roads are like a river bed winding around the mountains. You have to have a 4wd to travel on them or otherwise you get stuck. Already in the 5 weeks we’ve been here we’ve got bogged several times. It makes us cringe to think of the new Eastlink with all the fancy “entertainment” architecture along the way, costing thousands of dollars when it’s a big deal to see a tractor here thats capable of flattening out a road…

2 weeks ago, we emailed 500 individuals that we have encountered somewhere in our life and we’ve had around 12 responses. We’ve had 4 people physically hand over money. Before we left, we had numerous people telling us that there was no point in us going to Kenya, that we couldn’t end poverty, that “poverty has always been, and will always be – that’s just how it is in Kenya”. Our reply was that if we could change one persons life, then our journey was fruitful. Our journey here has been very fruitful as we are daily given the opportunity to give joy and hope to others. When you step back and look at these children who are running around in rags, with no education, who go hungry for days, who are raped by men several times a week, who have lost at least one parent to either AIDS or bloodshed -  you can’t treat them any different to how you’d treat your own flesh. They have every right to live as a dignified human and we have the ability to give them that. So please, we beg you… GIVE! It’s really not that difficult. These people are our brothers and sisters and they’re crying for OUR help. We can’t stop corrupt governments today, but we can fill an empty belly right now.

We’ve been watching facebook updates about what the rest of the world is doing – shopping,  going to concerts, recovering from hangovers which are all fun, we miss doing those things sometimes but they’re empty satisfactions. You’d get a lot more happiness out of doing something that will actually make a positive impact on the world by handing over even $5. Even uni students have $5 to spare – have one less beer, one less coffee or go crazy and wear something you’ve worn before instead of buying a new outfit.
Until we can end our attitude that poverty is acceptable and  stop our greed, selfishness and apathy someone will always be going without the basic necessities of life.
Before we came here we saw the photos on TV of dirty kids with no clothes on and now we’re living with them and they’re the most beautiful little creatures who have been born into a really crappy world. Let’s get to the bank or online, transfer some money and start making the world a little brighter for someone.

Roads In Africa (Amazing)

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Amazing Wallpaers

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