Gas Prices Across the USA

A Neat Map...

Why is gas least expensive in the Upper Mid-West?

A Can of Worms?

Amy posted on this story a few days ago and the comments spelled out the dire consequences if such a relaxation of the rule were to be allowed. Now the story is starting to get a wider reporting, although still nothing official. I would point out that at least what moral theologians (usually liberal ones) have always pointed out was that the Vatican allowed certian religious sisters to use artificial contraception to prevent pregnancy by rape in warring countries where that was likely to happen--now I'm just reporting that I was taught that in a Catholic seminary some twenty years ago and that I've never seen any documentation to back it, but I'll bet someone online knows where to point us if such was the case.

From the BBC Online:

Cardinal Barragan told the newspaper: "Soon the Vatican will issue a document about the use of condoms by persons who have grave diseases, starting with Aids."

He said his department was studying the document, along with the scientists and theologians who wrote it.

"It is Benedict XVI who asked us for a study on this particular aspect of using a condom by those afflicted with Aids, and by those with infectious diseases," he added.

Asked whether he agreed with Cardinal Martini's views, Cardinal Barragan said: "It is a very difficult and delicate subject which warrants prudence."

He said he preferred not to comment on Cardinal Martini's remarks, so as "to not anticipate the study".

It is not clear when the document will be published.

The Vatican has made no official comment.

Further info on the "nuns in the Congo" referred to in my comments above:

Father Gonzalo Miranda, who lectures at the Pontifical Academy of the Regina Apostolorum, and is Secretary of the Institute of Bioethics at Rome's Catholic University, said that the use of the Pill is sanctioned in such cases if the women ran "a serious and imminent risk of rape".

In an interview published by the Italian Bishops' Conference official news agency, SIR, which lends his views extra weight, the theologian said: "Contraception is morally illicit when it accompanies a desired sexual act, but when a sexual act is imposed, and not wanted, then contraception represents the only form of protection."

He added: "In such cases the act of taking the Pill . . . is not a true act of contraception from the moral point of view, but only an act of defence."

The question of nuns taking the Pill as a defence in trouble spots around the world was openly authorised long ago in the case of the Congo by Cardinal Pietro Palazzini - even if the Pope's authorisation of the prelate himself was never publicised.

In Defense of St. Thomas ...the doubter

Originally posted on this blog on April of 2002:

This Sunday which now is the Feast of Divine Mercy is also the Sunday where we hear the story of the so called doubting Apostle Thomas. The lone Apostle who is not locked in the Upper Room with the other surviving Apostles. It strikes me that he always gets a bad rap, undeservedly so, I would say.

Remember on the way to Jerusalem, one of the Apostles pointed out to Our Lord that a certain death awaited Him if He went to Jerusalem.

Jesus undeterred continues to journey toward Jerusalem.

It is then that John's Gospel records the Apostle Thomas as saying, "Let us also go, that we may die with him," (John 11:16). These are the words not of a doubter (in the mission of the Lord) but rather a proclamation of a believer, ready to take up his cross and to die with and for Jesus Christ.

As they journey along and Jesus says, "You know the way that I am going," and Thomas doesn't understand Jesus he says so, "Lord we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?" (John 14). Jesus replies, "I am the way."

So now we reach the moment after the crucifixion has passed when Scripture tells us, "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews," (John 20:19). We find that Thomas is not with them.

Why not?

Remember that the Apostles were in the room for "fear" of the Jews, they were afraid that the same ones who had handed Jesus over to death might come after them next, but Thomas had said "let us go to die with him." He was not afraid, he was out and about his business, if they came after him...so be it!

Is it any wonder then that when he returns to enconter the disciples still locked in the room, that he does not believe them. Why should he? If the Lord were alive, why were they so filled with fear? If they really had experience the Resurrected Lord why weren't they proclaiming it with their lives? Why weren't they back out on the streets?

When Jesus appears to Thomas, he believes!

Our Lord tells him and us that "Blessed are those who have not seen and believe."

It is very easy to doubt that the Lord lives when we see modern day Apostles locked behind clerical doors for fear of the press, or scandal, or law suits, or the laity. It is easy to wonder if they really believe in the power of the risen Lord.

But what about us? Are we out in the streets ready to die with Him or are we too locked behind our own fears?

Saint Thomas, pray for us!

Lord have mercy on us!

Divine Mercy Sunday

What is Divine Mercy?

Holy Fire and Tempers Flare at Orthodox Pascha

From Chronicles.com:

Security was tight as visitors from around the world flocked to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where tradition says Jesus was crucified and buried.

Tempers flared as thousands of worshippers waited to pass through security barricades into Jerusalem's Old City. Some priests and pilgrims shoved and punched police. Inside the church, people scuffled with each other and with officers as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

The Greek and Armenian Orthodox patriarchs in the Holy Land descended into the church's underground tomb to bring out the flame. Worshippers clutching bundles of unlit tapers and torches waited in the darkened church for the church leaders to emerge.

When they reappeared with lighted torches, church bells pealed. Worshippers cheered, shrieked "Christ, Christ," and ululated. The flames were passed around to the thousands of faithful and light and smoke filled the cavernous church within seconds.

Divine Mercy Sunday Mega Page

Here

Indulgences Attached to Divine Mercy Sunday

Decree on Indulgences

Regina Caeli Message--Divine Mercy Sunday

From Asia News Italy:

Thanks to the Polish pope the traditional Low Sunday or Dominica In Albis, the Octave Day of Easter, became the ‘Sunday of the Divine Mercy’, “making the most of the spiritual experience of a humble nun, St Faustina Kowalska”, canonised by John Paul.

Benedict XVI also mentioned that “Providence decided that he [John Paul II] should die right on the eve of that day in the arms of Divine Mercy.”

The theme and experience of the Divine Mercy refer to this Sunday’s Gospel (Jn, 20: 19-31), which mentions the apparition of the Risen Jesus to the circle of disciples to show his nail marks and side.

“The holy marks in the hands, feet and side are inexhaustible source of faith, hope and love that each can draw from, especially the souls most thirsty for Divine Mercy,” said the Pope.

Benedict XVI also stressed that from the apparition of the Risen Jesus to the disciples on “the evening of that first day of the week” (Jh, 20: 9), and then again “a week later” (Jh, 20: 2), comes the weekly cycle of Sunday mass we now know as the “Lord’s day” and “encounter with the Risen Lord”.

Relaxed and calm, the Pope sang the Regina Caeli, perhaps impressed by the very many pilgrims, estimated to be around 45,000 people.

Divine Mercy Novena--Day Nine

Ninth Day

"Today bring to Me The Souls Who Have Become Lukewarm and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."

Go here for instructions.

Divine Mercy Novena--Day Eight

Eighth Day

"Today bring to Me The Souls Who Are Detained in Purgatory and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only know the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice.

Go here for instructions.

Euro with Benedict to be Released

From Catholic News.Com:

The first Vatican euro coins bearing a bust of Benedict XVI will be released next week, according to information from the Vatican's numismatic bureau.

Catholic World News reports that the Bureay will release a full set of coins, denominated in euros, bearing a bust of the Pope on one side, with the inscription "Citta del Vaticano" and 12 stars representing the European Union.

The other side of the coin will be the same as the obverse of coins minted by other member-states of the European Union.

"Little Saint Peters" Keep St. Peter's Clean

From the Washington Post: Gum battle marks St Peter's 500th anniversary:

Visitor numbers have swelled further since the death of Pope John Paul II last April and thousands daily queue for hours to visit his tomb deep in the bowels of the church -- some of them dropping gum and scribbling on the marble as they wait.

An army of Vatican workers, known as "sanpietrini" (little St Peters), work full time trying to repair the damage and remove the stains left by visitors.

Marchisano said upkeep was not cheap. Although he declined to give a precise figure, he said most of the funds were met by tickets sold to those wanting to visit the giant dome or "cupola."

Bishop of Charleston on Immigration

When I was a stranger you welcomed me... (check out my Good Friday reflections on April 14th)

From his Good Friday Homily:

In Matthew's gospel, chapter 25, we learn that attaining the kingdom of heaven will depend on how well we welcomed the stranger. The stranger was Jesus in our midst. (Matt. 25:35- "I was a stranger and you welcomed me.") is the stranger suffering, lonely, or lost? That is Jesus suffering, lonely, and lost. From Jesus, especially from Jesus on the cross, we receive a summons to welcome the stranger when and as we can, to absorb the stranger into our community, when and as we can.
What length does this stranger go to receive a welcome from us? Economic conditions make the stranger go to extremes that occasionally result in death. Not long ago eleven decomposed bodies were found in a locked railroad car about 60 miles northwest of Omaha, Nebraska, in a town called Denison. The bodies were so badly decomposed it was difficult to determine whether the victims were men, women, or children. Bodies were found huddled together. There was no evidence of water or food inside, and the car was latched firmly on the outside. They couldn't escape a cruel, torturous death.
The railcar had left Matamoras, Mexico in the month of June and had been parked for a long time in Oklahoma before being brought to Denison, where the bodies were discovered. It was unclear whether the people had been smuggled or had hopped on the freight car themselves. It doesn't matter how they got there. We know why. They were looking for work, for a better life, for a livelihood. People in need of work to survive go to such extents just to survive.
People may argue, "they are here illegally from Mexico. Let other people worry about them. Let other people welcome them." but the Christian knows better. It was our lord who suffered and died in that freight car, as he suffered and died on Calvary. And he would want us to treat these people better. He would want us to find a way to address the plight they find themselves in.
He suffered and died to help suffering humanity.
We have many reasons to turn and walk away from this situation. These people are taking other people's jobs we may say. There is not enough work to keep them gainfully employed. Well, maybe but maybe not.
We might argue that we cannot possibly absorb this group of people. They will be on the welfare roles. They will be unproductive citizens. And yet in response to those legitimate concerns, don't they seem by their work habits to have answered those fears we may have about them already?
And what about the need for borders and protective measures against terrorist threats? Many of these people are here illegally. Obviously these concerns need serious attention and cannot be overlooked. But there are ways that are humane and fair that are being proposed in congress that can regulate what must be regulated. Borders between countries cannot be ignored, nor can the laws of a country. But the Judeo-Christian teaching about welcoming the stranger stands as a summons to be headed by all who take their Jewish and Christian faith seriously. This also seems to be a summons from the cross of Christ this Good Friday to us Christians of South Carolina, inviting us to respond to the plight of those who suffer great hardship, like the stranger in our midst.

Robert Novak on Walled Off Christians in the Holy Land

From Townhall.com:

On Good Friday, I stood atop the remnant of the Santa Barbara shrine, destroyed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and observed a panorama of the picturesque village of Aboud. I could see properties confiscated to make room for the Israeli security wall, at the cost of centuries-old olive trees. Nearby are two enclosed, heavily guarded Israeli settlements, with four times Aboud's Palestinian population.

Defenders of Israeli policy claimed my facts were wrong Feb. 16 when I wrote that the wall threatens Israel's tiny Christian minority and particularly Aboud's Christian roots going back two millennia. Coming here for a firsthand look, I found the plight of the village's Christians worse than I had reported.

But this is no Christian problem. During Easter Week, I visited Palestinian territory in Ramallah, Bethlehem and Gaza as well as Aboud. Christians share the harsh fate of Palestinian Muslims in the wake of the disastrous Second Intifada. The blunt-spoken head of Roman Catholic Palestinians, Latin Patriarch Michael Sabbah, told me: "The world has abandoned the Palestinians."

If the world is uninterested in Palestinians generally, the plight of their co-religionists attracts the attention of Roman Catholics -- with Aboud a striking example. Of the village's 2,200 residents, 418 are Catholics and 375 Greek Orthodox. Thirty Catholic families have moved out, and more are expected to follow.

Divine Mercy Novena--Day Seven

Seventh Day

"Today bring to Me The Souls Who Especially Venerate and Glorify My Mercy and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death."

Go here for instructions.

Getting the Most Out of the Eucharist

The radio series...Podcast of KVSS's Weekly Radio Series

The book:

Divine Mercy Novena--Day Six

Sixth Day

"Today bring to Me The Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace I favor humble souls with My confidence."

Go here for instructions.

Audience--Gentle but Firm

We've experienced the gentle, is the firm to come?

From the Vatican:

On this, the first anniversary of my election as the Successor of Saint Peter, I thank the Lord for his unfailing help, and I express my gratitude to all those who have supported me by their prayers. I ask you to continue praying that, by God’s grace, I may always be a gentle and firm Shepherd for Christ’s flock. During these days of Easter, the Church proclaims the Good News of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. The Paschal Mystery is the core of our faith! Our yearly celebration of Easter is a foretaste of the eternal joy of heaven. This joy is renewed each Sunday at the celebration of the Eucharist, when we proclaim "the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come", and celebrate the new life received in Baptism. During these days of Easter, all Christians are called to encounter the Risen Lord, to renew their faith in him, to be transformed by the power of his grace, and to share with the men and women of our time the Good News that Christ is truly risen!

I offer a warm welcome to the newly-ordained deacons of the Pontifical Irish College and their families. I also greet the pilgrims from the Diocese of Kerry. Upon all the English-speaking visitors, especially those from Ireland, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and the United States, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Risen Lord.

Can't say anything, but in his greeting he is offering a direct welcome to a famous Roman blogger, to whom I offer a hearty congratulations!

Pope Benedict XVI Begins His Second Year

Sandro Magister..What’s New

Answering questions off the cuff, including this one on "How to Read the Bible":

First of all, it must be said that Holy Scripture cannot be read like just any historical book, as we read, for example, Homer, Ovid, or Horace. We must read it as truly the Word of God, placing ourselves in conversation with God. We must pray first, and talk to the Lord: “Open the door for me.” St. Augustine says this frequently in his homilies: “I knocked at the door of the Word in order to find at last what the Lord wanted to say to me.” [...]

A second point is this: Sacred Scripture brings us into communion with the family of God. So we cannot read Sacred Scripture on our own. Of course, it is always important to read the Bible in a very personal way, in a personal conversation with God, but at the same time it is important to read it in the company of persons who are on the journey with us. We must let ourselves be aided by the great masters of “lectio divina.” We have, for example, many wonderful books by cardinal Martini, a true master of “lectio divina,” which help us to enter into the living world of Sacred Scripture. [...]

A third point: if it is important to read Sacred Scripture with the help of teachers and in the company of our friends, our companions on the way, it is particularly important to read it in the great company of the pilgrim People of God, the Church. Sacred Scripture has two subjects. In the first place, there is the divine subject: it is God who is speaking. But God wanted to involve man in his Word. While the Muslims are convinced that the Qur’an was inspired by God word for word, we believe that one of the characteristics of Sacred Scripture – as the theologians put it – is “synergy,” God’s collaboration with man. He involves his People in his word, and thus the second subject – as I have said, God is the first subject – is human. The authors are individual, but there is the continuity of a permanent subject: the People of God that walks with the Word of God and is in conversation with God. In listening to God, one learns to listen to the Word of God, and also to interpret it. And thus the Word of God becomes present, because individual persons die, but the vital subject, the People of God, is always alive, and remains the same down through the ages: it is always the same living subject in which the Word lives.

This also explains many of the structures in Sacred Scripture, especially the so-called “rereading.” An ancient text is represented in another book, let’s say a hundred years later, and then there is a profound understanding of what had previously been inscrutable, even though it had been contained in the earlier text. Then it is reread again some time later, and new aspects are understood, other dimensions of the Word. And so, in this ongoing rereading and rewriting in the context of a profound continuity, while the time of expectation wore on, Sacred Scripture grew. Finally, with the coming of Christ and the experience of the apostles the Word was made definitive, so that there can be no more rewritings, although our understanding always must be deepened. The Lord has said: “The Holy Spirit will bring you into depths that you cannot bear now.” [...]

I think that we must learn these three elements: reading in personal conversation with the Lord; reading in the company of instructors who have the experience of the faith; reading in the great company of the Church, in whose liturgy these events continuously become present anew, such that we gradually enter more and more into Sacred Scripture, in which God really speaks to us today.

Fr. Fession in the Washington Post, This is the Year to watch!:

The Rev. Joseph Fessio, a former student of Benedict's and the publisher of his books in English, said he understands the impatience among fellow conservatives for a more active papacy but is not worried because "it's early yet."

When the encyclical on love appeared, "a lot of people said it wasn't the condemnation we expected, it was very open to others. That's true. He talks about the love of Eros. Here's the 'Panzer Cardinal' talking about erotic love!" he said.

But, Fessio noted, the encyclical also says that when erotic love is purified, it leads to exclusiveness and permanence. "And what does that mean? He's saying that that kind of love is only between a man and a woman, so he's rejecting homosexual unions. And he said it's exclusive and permanent, so he's excluding divorce and promiscuity."

"So on the surface it was non-controversial -- but underneath he was laying the groundwork, the principles, for conclusions that are controversial," Fessio said, adding: "I think this second year is going to be the one to look it."

Pope Benedict XVI: The First Year

From Time Magazine:

Even in the first weeks, it was clear that he was not a chilly and unbending bureaucrat, but a basically gentle man with excellent listening skills and a gift with words.

From Me:

I reject those (like George Weigel) who say that the crowds coming to St. Peter's for this pope are coming not to see him but to listen to him. As one of those who has come to St. Peter's since his election, I came not to hear him teach in Italian but to see him in person and I dare say that the mass of people that surrounded me were there for the same reason.
What I agree with Weigel on is that this Pope is very readable and I do visit the Vatican website to read all of his addresses which are like attending a great class on the Christian faith...he can communicate through the written word in a way that wasn't true for Pope John Paul II...but he also comes across great in person in a dignified way.
He has been a surprise, because a year later while John Paul the Great is still thought of in that way, Benedict is on his way to leaving what I predict will be a suprisingly great mark on the Church as well.