Rep. Lito Atienza lived his Catholic faith and defended the Church against Duterte attack!

Thanks for defending the Church!

Atienza to Duterte: Stop insulting Catholic faith; Church can’t be destroyed

Lito Atienza (Photo Source: Inquirer)

By: Pathricia Ann V. Roxas - Reporter / @PathRoxasINQ

INQUIRER.net / 08:20 PM January 15, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza has defended the Catholic Church from President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades, urging the Chief Executive to stop insulting the faith as the Church “cannot be destroyed.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Atienza pointed out that Duterte’s “incessant” statements against the clergy are “creating a climate and culture of death.” He added that Duterte should instead focus on his campaign to stamp out corruption.

“The Church cannot be destroyed. Many have tried but failed. I’d rather that the President devotes his time to giving Filipinos a better life and I want him to succeed in that,” Atienza said.

The former Manila mayor also noted that while he has been supporting Duterte’s flagship campaign against illegal drugs and increasing the pay of military and police personnel, he “speak out against him when he is wrong.”

“Huwag niyo pong maliitin, insultuhin, at ilagay sa kapahamakan ang ating mga pari at obispo. I believe in my faith and I will continue defending my faith,” said Atienza, pointing out Duterte should not focus on the Catholic Church, “which has been dealing with wrongdoings committed by its members.”

“We in Congress must stand and prevent the continuing efforts to destroy the foundations of our Church. What will succeed in the end is still the will of God,” he added.

Christmas in Our Hearts

Philippine President-elect mocks Saints and the Catholic Church... again!

Photo source: Monk's Hobbit

President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte, who was hailed from Mindanao, once again mocks the Catholic Church. And at this time, he mocks saints and Catholic practice of venerating them. According to this news, he mocks the saints by joking on having difficulty choosing between more than 5,000 declared saints to pray for. And blurted out that there is only ONE GOD and his "name" is ALLAH.

'Allah' is NOT a name but it's an Arabic word الله‎ which is the English equivalent for 'god' or 'God'. Therefore to say that God's name is 'allah' is erroneously incorrect.  His name, according to Judeo-Christian tradition is 'Yahweh' or 'Jehovah' or mostly substituted with 'Elohim' or 'Adonai'.

The 'SAINTS' aren't gods. They're like us. They live like us but died a heroic death for God and His Church. In other words, they are Christianity's heroes worthy of emulation. And in particular, we Catholics venerated them because we firmly believe the saints OFFER our prayers before the throne of God (Rev. 5:8).  

And as his followers liked his revolting commentaries, he even went beyond INSULTING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES “Those were written 3,000 years ago. Ano ba pakialam natin sa kanilang sinulat?”

Let's pray for his leadership and be vigilant for we cannot be complacent with his detestable, very distasteful and very destructive strong worded comments on the Catholic Church and our bishops and priests. -CD2000

Duterte makes fun of Catholic Church’s practices
By Alexis Romero (philstar.com) | Updated June 27, 2016

MANILA, Philippines - President-elect Rodrigo Duterte Monday made fun of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, which has been critical of his stance on family planning and death penalty.

Duterte, in particular, joked about the Catholic practice of venerating saints, people officially recognized by the Church as models of the faith.

“I believe in one God Allah. Period,” he said during his last flag ceremony as Davao City mayor. Allah is the name of the God worshipped by Muslims.

Duterte’s discomfort with Catholicism, it seems, stemmed from his unpleasant experiences when he was still a child. He recalled that when he was a child, his mother Soledad would punish him by asking him to kneel before an altar.

"I told Jesus, help me. He said I can’t help a naughty boy,” he said in jest.

Duterte said in the Catholic faith, there are about 5,000 saints to choose from.

“You choose your saint: San Tiago, Santo Isabelo, Santo Roman, Santilmo, Santo Rodrigo,” the next Philippine president said, drawing laughs from the audience.

“St. Peter himself loves cockfighting,” he said in jest, referring to the apostle whose symbol in art is the rooster.

According to the Christian Bible, a rooster crowed after St. Peter disowned Jesus Christ.

Roman Catholicism is a monotheistic religion, which means that it worships only one God, Jesus Christ. Catholics do not worship saints but only venerate or respect them.

Duterte said he has been at odds with the Catholic Church because of its opposition to artificial family planning methods. He noted that in Davao City, pills, ligation and other birth control methods are accessible to couples.

“I go against the Church because its position is not realistic,” the tough-talking leader said.

Duterte has called the Catholic Church “the most hypocritical institution” for its supposed failure to practice what it teaches. He claimed that bishops continue to teach morality but has failed to address clergy sexual abuses.

Last December, Duterte revealed that a Jesuit priest molested him when he was in high school but was too afraid to file a complaint.

Duterte, however, went beyond Catholic doctrines and questioned the relevance of the scriptures themselves.

“Those were written 3,000 years ago. Ano ba pakialam natin sa kanilang sinulat?” he said.

'Iglesia ni Duterte'

President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte (Photo from New Mandala)

By: Red Tani from Inquirer Opinion

Tweeter @inquirerdotnet
12:18 AM June 1st, 2016

After admitting in a recent press conference that he is no longer a Catholic, Rodrigo Duterte remarked that he had a new religion: “Iglesia ni Duterte.”

He invited people to join it, presumably after leaving the Catholic Church, which he has called “the most hypocritical institution.”

Many will dismiss the invitation as just another joke. But I think the idea of a religion with Duterte as its deity is not as far from the truth as you’d expect.

For starters, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to call some of Duterte’s followers fanatical, even cultist. Teachers at the high school where Duterte recently cast his vote plan on preserving the chair he sat on as he voted in a museum. In at least one sortie, supporters braved crowds for a chance to get a towel graced with his sweat—a scene that evokes the Black Nazarene procession. A Facebook page called “Duterte Savior of the Philippines” has over 27,000 fans.

Duterte is without fault for this fanaticism. In a speech he delivered at an assembly of the Makati Business Club, he said that to understand his mind, we must “forget about the laws of men” and “imagine the… justice of the Lord.”

In a program hosted by Apollo Quiboloy, the leader of a sect that believes him, Quiboloy, to be the actual Son of God, Duterte recalled how the evangelist’s prophecy gave him the idea to seek the presidency. He said that despite his initial reluctance, God made it his destiny to become president.

Many #DearPresidentDigong posts on social media sound less like requests and more like prayers. And who can blame them for expecting this much from someone who originally promised to eliminate crime in three to six months?

The Philippine president-elect's shocking insult to Catholic bishops

What a disgrace!

Rodrigo Duterte, the Filipino president-elect, who is expected to take office June 30, 2016. Credit: Malacañang Photo Bureau/Public Domain via Wikipedia

Manila, Philippines, May 26, 2016 / 04:25 pm (CNA).- The president-elect of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, recently described the country's bishops as corrupt and “sons of whores” for allegedly resorting to seeking favors from politicians.

During a May 20 press conference, the president-elect described the Catholic Church as “the most hypocritical institution” and insulted the Filipino bishops: “You sons of whores, aren't you ashamed? You ask for so many favors, even from me.”

It is estimated that more than 80% of Filipinos are part of the Catholic Church.

Duterte won 38.5 percent of the vote for president of the Philippines, which was held May 9. While the nation's congress has not yet declared the result official, his lead is unassailable.

Currently mayor of Davao City, Duterte has built his political image as a tough leader. Nicknamed “the Punisher” by Time Magazine, Duterte brought law and order to Davao – known in the '70s and '80s as the murder capital of the country – with drastic measures which included, according to various human rights organizations, allowing death squads to operate.

He has served as mayor of Davao since 1988, except a three-year period when he was term-limited, and another three-year period when he served as vice mayor, while his daughter Sara was mayor.

During the election campaign, the Church in the Philippines expressed its opposition to several of Duterte's proposals, such as re-instituting the death penalty.

PDI OPINION: Duterte’s unfair tactics and lies against Roman Catholic bishops

BULLSEYE!

Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:10 AM May 25th, 2016

These are presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s false charges and unfair tactics against the bishops of the Catholic Church whenever they humbly assert their moral duty and their magisterium, as apostles of God, like when they opposed his plan to reimpose the death penalty (this time, by hanging, at that):

1. Ad hominem. Attack the honor, character and integrity of the Catholic Church and its bishops.

He alleges he was a victim of sexual abuse by a priest 50 years ago when he was 10. (His father, former governor of Davao, apparently ignored it or did not believe it because until recently, Duterte did not talk about the actions taken by his prominent family in response—if what he claims is true).

Some bishops received vehicles and financial support from former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (They returned the vehicles to the government during a Senate inquiry, as an act of spiritual detachment to material things, despite their great need for mobility and accessibility, considering their multifarious field pastoral work to serve millions of Catholics in far-flung areas).

By virtue of the constitutional doctrine of “separation of Church and state,” the Church is “absolutely” prohibited from collaborating with and receiving assistance from government for its social action programs that benefit the poor and the oppressed. (According to many Supreme Court decisions, the Constitution allows “collaboration” between Church and state to promote the general welfare, and the matter of the Church receiving reasonable support from the state does not violate the separation doctrine.

That the Church is the “most hypocritical institution” in the Philippines. (Duterte, of course, skirts the issues on his unexplained wealth in BPI, his dubious SALNs, the inconsistencies, if not lies, in his speeches [his positions on issues change from time to time, depending on his audience], his secret meetings with Chinese officials and the Sultan of Brunei during the campaign, his allegation about poverty and lack of campaign funds [belied by his TV and radio political ads worth millions of pesos] his secret big-time financiers from mining, rice-trading and other business sectors, and his many other claims that amounted to gross dishonesty, irresponsibility and hypocrisy).

2. Diversionary tactic. Ignore the main arguments. (The United Nations and its agencies urge member-states to reject death penalty as a policy. The Second Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Convention prohibits death penalty since the 1970s. The current international norm rejects death penalty, except for a few states—e.g., United States, China, Singapore). Divert instead the attention of the public to irrelevant or collateral issues.

Sometimes I am tempted to conclude that Duterte’s very close, if not fanatical, association with top-ranking communist leaders and his deep ideological indoctrination to communism since the 1960s up to now have turned him into an atheist, the “religion” of hardcore communists.

Whenever I listen to Duterte, I always get the feeling that his mind is not only agitated by hate and overblown ego but also closed to reason and differing opinions, and that he listens only to himself and his alter egos, and that he believes his own lies.
—MANUEL J. LASERNA JR., former professor of law, Far Eastern University, partner, Laserna Cueva-Mercader Law Offices, Las Piñas City

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/94893/dutertes-unfair-tactics-and-lies-against-roman-catholic-bishops#ixzz49osX8YH3

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MY LOYALTY TO A LEADER ENDS WHERE MY LOYALTY TO MY FAITH IN GOD AND OBEDIENCE TO HIS CHURCH AUTHORITIES BEGINS

When told about Quiboloy's hurt feelings when Duterte seems to ease out the pastor during the selection of his Cabinet members, Duterte blurterd: "I am sorry. My loyalty to my friend ends where my loyalty to my country begins." (Read HERE)

 

As a Catholic, I too will say "I AM SORRY MR DUTERTE. MY LOYALTY TO MY PRESIDENT ENDS WHERE MY LOYALTY TO MY FAITH IN GOD AND HIS CHURCH BEGINS."

Revealing his deep-seated grudges against the Catholic Church during his interview with ABS-CBN News Sunday, Mr. Duterte lambasted the Catholic Church as the "MOST HYPOCRITICAL INSTITUTION" after enumerating what he says the sins of the Catholic Church. I could only shook my head in disbelief.  What  a disgrace. And what would Catholic priests and bishops from the Visayas and Mindanao who defended his unbecoming behavior would say in response?  And what would CFD's (Catholic Faith Defenders) response to his venomous attack against the Church as an institution and her ordained priests and bishops?  I can only surmise.  Is this the kind of 'CHANGE' we Catholic Filipinos are expecting from him? Did we vote for him so as to attack us the next day?

Here are his rantings:

• He belittle the power of the Catholic Bishops as he considers his win as a clear referendum between him and the Catholic Church. 
• He boasts that although the bishops issued a Pastoral Letter "not to vote" for him (but the Bishops didn't name names), still he won among Catholics.
• He assumes his authority over Catholics with their bishops "iilan lang kayo!"
• He was "molested" by a Catholic priest according to him of which he laments because the priest already died 20 years ago and this is what he wants to start a fight against the Catholic priests and bishops.
• He wants to lecture Catholic bishops and priests of the sins of the Catholic Church since "institution of papacy" began.
• He dares he can drop names of bishops and priests who have fathered illegitimate children and that this is the "explosion" in the Catholic as a church.
• He wants a debate with any of the Catholic Bishops!
• Catholic bishops and priests are humans (still that's what we Catholics thought of our bishops and priests) prone to sin. And that this sin of clandestine priests will ultimately cause them "all fall down".
• The Catholic Church is just a "show" (pageantry).
• He curses Catholic bishops and priests living in "luxurious lifestyles" allegedly coming from politicians.
• Catholic bishops and priests who are soliciting donations from him, now barking at him.
• He believes in God but not in religion.
• He rejects Catholic rituals!
• He doesn't believe someone (like sinful human Catholic priests) could take away sins.  He said, priests / bishops aren't Gods (and we Catholic also believed that but they're given the authority to 'bind and loose')

As a Catholic 'faith defender', I cannot be silent on this matter. it's time to role up our sleeves once again and let's go back to prayer, fasting, sacrifice and action! RISE UP CATHOLICS!

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 22 2016 01:20 PM

Duterte calls Catholic Church 'most hypocritical institution'

Warning: Video contains offensive language.

(2nd UPDATE) OLD GRUDGES. Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday dubbed the Catholic Church as the "most hypocritical institution" as he lambasted its bishops for supposedly attempting to erode public support for him before the May 9 elections.

Duterte told reporters in Davao City that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) released a pastoral letter a few days before the elections in a bid to dissuade the electorate from voting for him.

Despite this, Duterte said he still won the presidential elections, which he described as a "public referendum" between him and the bishops. The long-time mayor of Davao City has a 6.2 million lead over administration candidate, Mar Roxas, going into the official canvassing of the results by Congress this week. Three of his four rivals have conceded.

"They campaigned against me, everybody was saying 'Do not vote for Duterte.' Fine. I said, let this election be a referendum between me and the Catholic Church... Sabi ko, this will be a referendum kung sinong tama sa atin. Look, were you able to stop me? Iilan lang kayong mga obispo diyan," he said.

In an apparent reference to Duterte, the CBCP on May 1 urged the public to reject a "morally reprehensible" candidate who has shown "scant regard" for the rights of others and the teachings of the Church.

BREAKING: Catholics Will not be Part of Duterte's Presidency

Source: Abante

Out ang Katoliko sa gobyerno ko! -- Du30

Tahasang sinabi ni Davao City Mayor Rodrigo ‘Digong’ Duterte na sakaling manalo siya sa pagka-pangulo nga­yong eleksyon ay walang magiging role o ga­gampanang papel ang Simbahang Katoliko sa ilalim ng kanyang admi­nistrasyon.

“No more. Why should I acknowledge them? They say I should not be elected. I will not die if the Catholics will not vote for me,” sabi pa ni Duterte.

Gayunman, sinu­suportahan niya ang fa­mily planning, moderno man o ‘yung natural me­thods at binigyang-diin pa na ang ideal number of children per family ay dalawa hanggang tatlo upang mas mapalaki nang mabuti.

Samantala, minaliit lamang ng Catholic Bi­shops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) ang pagyayabang ni Duterte na hindi nito kailangan ang boto ng mga Katoliko sa buong bansa.

Ayon kay Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, kung hindi kailangan ni Duterte ang boto ng may 81 por­siyentong registered voters na Katoliko ay bahala na itong maniwala sa kanyang sarili.

“Kung hindi niya kailangan ang boto ng mga Katoliko ay bahala siya basta sa kasalukuyan ay nasa 81 porsiyento lang naman ang mga botante na pawang tagasunod ng Simbahang Katoliko,” sa panayam ng Abante kay Arguelles.

Ani Arguelles, kahit nakuha ni Duterte ang basbas ng Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) ay hindi ito nakakasiguro na mapupuwersa ng pamunuan nito na sumunod ang mga miyembro nito.

Cardinal Sarah: ‘Priests are not obliged to wash women’s feet on Holy Thursday’

"[T]his is a grave departure from liturgical orthodoxy and the symbolism of this washing becomes null and in reality promotes feminism." -Rev. Fr. Ronald Brown

Source: Catholic Herald
By Staff Reporter
Posted Thursday, 17 Mar 2016

Cardinal Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (PA)

The Vatican liturgy chief reportedly said that priests should act according to their own conscience

Priest are not obliged to wash the feet of women during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments has said.

Cardinal Sarah told reporters in Rome last month that a priest “has to decide in accord with his own conscience, and according to the purpose for which the Lord instituted this feast”.

Cardinal Sarah’s comments follow a decree issued by Pope Francis which revises the rules for the traditional foot-washing ritual on Holy Thursday, extending the rite to include women and young girls.

The rite was celebrated separately to the Holy Thursday Mass before Pope Pius XII restored it in 1955.

Before this point, women’s feet could be washed, but only by other women.

Communist Cuba thanks Pope Francis for warming and building up relationship between Cuba and US, President thinks converting to the Catholic Church

For the record, there are NO MEMBERS of the Iglesia Ni Cristo® of Manalo in Cuba to this date (2015 May).  Iglesians or Manalistas are known to go to places with much Catholics and inject their anti-Catholic and anti-Christ copied Arianism.  INC™ paid ministers are like parasites living only through their victim host in order to survive, otherwise Manalo's church can never survive.

With the advent of opening up the doors of Cuba to the world, and with the strong presence of the Catholic Church there, I am hundred per cent sure that Manalo would be sending INC™ members to Havana first as migrant workers.  Watch my prophetic statement!

Cuban President Raul Castro and Pope Francis (Source: The Guardian)

President of Cuba, where crackdowns on dissidents have drawn Vatican criticism, says he is so impressed with pontiff that he is considering converting to Catholicism

The Guardian - The Cuban president, Raúl Castro, has thanked Pope Francis for helping to broker the diplomatic thaw between his country and the US, saying he was so impressed with the pontiff he was even considering converting to Catholicism.

“Bienvenido!” said Francis in his native Spanish as he welcomed Castro to his studio near the Vatican’s public audience hall for private talks that lasted nearly an hour.

After leaving the Vatican, Castro, the brother of Fidel, the revolutionary leader who brought the Communists to power in Cuba, gushed with praise for Francis.

“If the pope keeps going the way he’s going, I’ll come back to the Catholic church,” Castro said at a news conference at the office of the Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, whom he met after the Vatican talks.

“When the pope goes to Cuba in September, I promise to go to all his masses, and with satisfaction.”

It was a startling assertion for the leader of a communist country, where crackdowns on dissidents in the past had drawn sharp Vatican criticism.

“I am from the Cuban Communist party, that doesn’t allow [religious] believers, but now we are allowing it, it’s an important step,” Castro said.

Speaking about Francis, the Cuban president said he had been “very impressed by his wisdom, his modesty, and all his virtues that we know he has”.

Francis played a key role in secret negotiations between the US and Cuba, which led to the surprise announcement in December that the two countries would seek to restore diplomatic ties after more than 50 years of tensions.

“Raúl Castro thanked the pope for his mediation between Cuba and the United States,” Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said of the exchange, which also focused on the pontiff’s forthcoming visit to Cuba.

Castro gave Francis an artwork of a cross made up of relics from wrecked barges depicting a migrant in prayer, and a medal of Havana Cathedral. The pope presented a copy of his Apostolic Exhortation – a document which outlines his views on important issues – and a medallion.

Castro’s Vatican visit, announced only on Tuesday, follows a visit to Russia, where the Cuban leader attended a grandiose second world war victory parade on Saturday.

The Vatican announced last month that Pope Francis would visit Cuba in September, becoming only the third pontiff to do so after John Paul II in 1998 and Benedict XVI in 2012.

The Catholic church has consistently backed calls for the lifting of the US trade embargo against Cuba, while staunchly supporting Cuban Catholics and pressuring Havana to release political prisoners, many of whom are Catholic activists.

Francis will go on from Cuba to the US for a meeting with President Barack Obama.

Castro told reporters: “We are trying to carry forward improvements of our political, social and cultural system. But it’s very difficult to do it without causing shocks, without leaving some in the street.”

DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN EXTOLLED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AS THE LONE VOICE AGAINST HITLER

By The Splendor of the Church

Albert Einstein, addressing the Catholic Church’s role during the Holocaust, said the following:

“Being a lover of freedom, when the revolution came in Germany, I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of their devotion to the cause of truth; but, no, the universities immediately were silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers whose flaming editorials in days gone by had proclaimed their love of freedom; but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks… “Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual truth and moral freedom. I am forced thus to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly.” DR. ALBERT EINSTEIN [December 23, 1940 issue of Time magazine on page 38.]

Einstein: The Church alone stood for intellectual truth and moral freedom
By: Mary Meets Dolly

The Church today still stands for intellectual truth and moral freedom. Although the propaganda that surrounds us says otherwise. But it is the Church that speaks for the human embryo that is frozen, sold, discarded or torn apart for harvestable biological material. It is the Church that reminds us that we all began our lives as small as the period at the end of this sentence and our size does not diminish our worth. It is the Church that stands firm against the creation and manipulation of human life in the laboratory. It is the Church that speaks out against the seek-and-destroy mission going on in the womb against those that are not deemed "genetically fit." The truth is that when the Church stands for the embryo and fetus, it stands for the inherent dignity in every human life regardless of DNA or point of development.

The Nazi's dehumanized the Jews and other "undesirables" and the Church stood for them, however imperfectly. Now the Church is nearly alone in standing for the youngest and most voiceless members of our species. Those that many have gone to great lengths to insist are not human. We know better. I pray that those who despise the Church today will see in the future what the Church has done to protect the most vulnerable and innocent of lives and will praise it unreservedly as Einstein did.

Understanding the ‘Catholic vote’

Catholics are not blind followers.  They use their consciences to vote. -CD2000

(Source:Opinion Inquirer) Many people will liken the notion of a “Catholic vote” to the alleged bloc vote of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. First, we must explain what it is not. The Catholic vote is not a bloc vote according to the dictates of the clergy. It would not be acceptable for the bishops and priests to dictate whom to vote. All this would be very alien to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Catholics are united in what the “Magisterium,” or the teaching authority of the Church, teaches regarding faith and morals. The true mark of Catholicity is this unity in matters of faith and morals combined with great respect for individual freedom and responsibility in temporal matters. Since politics is concerned with temporal matters, Catholics are free to use their own criteria, keeping in mind the common good.

Thus, the decision process of a Catholic is two-tiered: The top tier is the criteria for matters that have to do with faith and morals, and the lower tier is concerned with temporal issues. Before Republic Act 10354, there was never any need for a Catholic vote: Legislation was exclusively concerned with policymaking on temporal matters regulating civil life. The situation changed completely with the introduction of the reproductive health bill—a policy that impinged on the sacredness of human life and the sanctity of marriage. The Catholic vote was born in the hearts of the faithful as they helplessly listened to politicians they elected cast their votes in favor of RH.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says: “When the Church addresses her social teaching to issues of the common good, she has no intention of giving the Church power over the State or to impose on those who do not share the faith ways of thinking and modes of conduct proper to faith.”

Let not the evils of Obama cross our international borders!

At last, Obama, the WORST President of the United States have finally shed his true color on the issue of "Same-sex Marriage". Let us unite ourselves now and protect our borders from this evil president's evil administration to cross our borders. Save our FAMILIES! Save our children!

Yes, the CHURCH is at war!

Washington D.C., (CNA/EWTN News).- President Barack Obama has become the first U.S. president to publicly support “gay marriage,” breaking silence on the issue and pointing to his Christian faith as a motivation for his position.

“I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said in a May 9 interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney responded by reaffirming his own commitment to defending marriage. According to the Associated Press, Romney said on May 9 that he believes marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman and has held this view “since running for office.”

In supporting a redefinition of marriage, Obama said on Wednesday that his wife, Michelle, “feels the same way that I do” and cited the couple's religious beliefs, saying, “we are both practicing Christians.”

Czech Government Agrees To Turn Over Seized Churches

A Catholic Church in Praque
(Source: Praque.net)

WARSAW, Poland (The Church Report)-- A prominent Czech church leader has welcomed an agreement that would allow churches to reclaim land and buildings seized under communist rule, but forfeit state subsidies in return.

A draft settlement was finalized in Prague on Aug. 25 that allows religious groups to retrieve assets that were confiscated after the 1948 communist takeover, while obtaining financial compensation for others.

"The ball is now in the government's court to prepare the necessary legislation," said Joel Ruml, chairman of the Czech Ecumenical Council, and a member of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren.

Ruml said the restitutions -- expected to begin in January 2013 -- would particularly affect the Czech Republic's predominant Roman Catholic Church, which lost the most under communist rule.

However, he said all denominations would have to prepare for the gradual end of state support in a country where clergy salaries have been paid by the state since the 18th century.

Bishops: We would rather go to jail than give up promoting life

Manila, Philippines, PhilStar - Some Catholic prelates yesterday said that they would rather go to jail on charges of sedition than give up their campaign to promote life.

The statement was made in reaction to President Aquino’s threats that the anti-Reproductive Health (RH) bill groups who encourage civil disobedience through non-payment of taxes may face sedition or rebellion charges.

He can put us all in jail. We are willing to pay the price to save the unborn from modern Herods and save the executioners from the grasp of the evil one, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles told CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Collin Bagaforo said Amen! We obey God rather than man while Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said, Let him (President Aquino) charge all of us bishops, priests, religious, all the faithful with sedition because it is better to obey God rather than men and immoral laws.

Meantime, former CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo called on the Catholic faithful to wait and see as he emphasized the need for both sides to be calm, reasonable and consider the moral aspect of the issue.

In the end, we must obey God and not man, he said.

Of Weddings and Beatifications

While pondering on God's interest on our human lives, this reflection from Your Catholic Channel of Hope, my memory brought me back to the times when the death of Princess Diana of Wales, took the world's attention while Mother Teresa of Calcutta silently passed away. The same thing happened when Prince Charles scheduled wedding with Camille was snatched by the death of a bigger man in world history, soon to be Pope John Paul II's death in April 2, 2005. Now, it's the Will's Wedding and John Paul II's beatification.

I’ve been doing a fair bit of traveling lately and one of the things I like to do while in airports is browse through the magazine and bookstores. I never buy magazines or even look through them much, so this is about the only time that I have a sense of what magazines are publishing.

As we approach the Beatification of Pope John Paul II, I’ve been sad to say that except for the one special issue of LIFE Magazine, JPII is not on the cover of one single magazine. On the other hand, we can’t say the same for William and Kate.

UK's Anti-Catholic royal law may be changed

The Royal Couple (CNN News)

It's not just a religious "discriminatory" law but to be precise, the present UK Law on Succession to the Throne is anti-Catholic.  This anti-Catholic bigotry in UK's Law can be traced to King Henry VIII who break from the Catholic Church declaring himself as Head of the Church of England after Pope Clement refused to allow him divorce. Thus banning any Catholic to succeed to the British throne. -CD2000

UK's 'discriminatory' royal law may be changed

London, England (CNN) -- The British government has accepted that laws surrounding succession to the throne could be "discriminatory" and that "discussions have started" to change them, CNN has learned.

Current rules state older daughters are overlooked in favor of the first-born son, and non-Protestants are banned from assuming the throne.

The development comes as Britain gears up for the royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William -- second-in-line to the throne as the eldest son of the heir to the throne, Prince Charles.

As the wedding preparations gather speed it was almost inevitable the couple would be asked about their hopes for children.

Prince William told ITN: "I think we'll take it one step at a time. We'll sort of get over the marriage first and then maybe look at the kids. But obviously we want a family so we'll have to start thinking about that."

It's the most simple of wishes for any engaged couple but, if you're second in line to become king, and head of state for the Commonwealth countries as well, the first born could spark a constitutional crisis.

Risa Hontiveros, one of the noisiest ladies promoting the deadly RH Bill in the House of Representatives wrote a letter to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines expressing her opposition to the Bishops unmovable stand against the RH Bill. Thanks to The PinoyCatholic

Dear Bishop Odchimar,

Peace!

I will not respond to all the points raised in the Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines which you sent us, your Filipino brothers and sisters, last 30 January. Most of them are old points that have been raised and clarified repeatedly in so many debates and too few dialogues in the past decade, though it drives me almost to tears that it seems the good Bishops have not been listening intently or understanding with empathy. 

I would like to respond to just two points. 

Pope’s message to Catholic bloggers

Source: Vox Nova)

This is interesting. The pope is actually tackling the thorny subject of incivility in the Catholic blogosphere! He asked bloggers to adapt a “Christian-style presence” online, and said that “we must be aware that the truth which we long to share does not derive its worth from its ‘popularity’ or from the amount of attention it receives”. This is a message that all of us who blog need to take to heart.

The follow-up comments from Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, are also noteworthy. He “said it was certainly correct to direct the pope’s exhortation to some conservative Catholic blogs, YouTube channels and sites which, with some vehemence, criticize bishops, public officials and policies they consider not Catholic enough”. This is uncharacteristically blunt, which tells you that the Vatican sees this online parallel magisterium as a growing problem. I’m not going to name names either, but I think we all know the blogs he is talking about!

Chinese bishops deported to attend Patriotic Assembly

by W. Zhicheng - Z. Yuan

The gathering, incompatible with the faith of Catholics, aims to elect the Presidents of the Patriotic Association and the Council of Bishops. Some bishops have gone into hiding to avoid having to participate, while others have been taken against their will. The bishop of Hengshui, seized and torn from the safe cover of the faithful, dragged to Beijing.

[Read also The return of the Cultural Revolution: Chinese bishops imprisoned or hunted like criminals]

Beijing (AsiaNews) - AsiaNews sources say that some bishops and priests of the official Church have been forcibly deported to the capital to ensure their participation at the Assembly of representatives of Chinese Catholics, which the pope considers incompatible with Catholic faith.

The Assembly opened today in Beijing on a low profileand is being shrouded in secrecy: it is impossible to contact anyone and not even Xinhua is reporting on the event. The meeting should lead to the election of the national president of the Patriotic Association and president of the council of Chinese bishops, two bodies that are unacceptable to the Catholic Church because they aim to build a separate Church, detached from the pope. "It's just an election of a new round of leadership," said Liu Bainian, vice president and chairman of the PA Assembly. In fact, the gathering is the "sovereign body" of the official Chinese church in which bishops are a minority among Catholics and government representatives. Ecclesial decisions are made on the basis of rigged elections. Ahead of today's meeting, Liu Bainian had sent all participants clear indications of what to do and what to vote.