More on Nancy's Meeting with Papa Benedict

As expected... apparently, they were at two different meetings...

I just don't get this mindset of love the earth, hug a tree, kiss a whale, but kill your baby... oh, but only in RARE instances, course... the kill your baby, part... sheesh....

Nancy Pelosi Meets with Papa Benedict XVI

I had heard Teresa Tomeo speaking of this meeting this morning on Catholic Radio. Thankfully the Vatican had the foresight to NOT allow pictures of this event... I could just imagine the media spin on that! "House Speaker Explains to Pope Benedict How it IS 'okay' to be Pro-Choice AND Catholic!"....

Anyway, thanks be to Jesus, that we have such a courageous Papa, unafraid to teach TRUTH and Lead us in the way we should go... So far Nancy has ignored words from lay Catholics, Priests and Bishops. I pray that the words of our Holy Father will reach her hardened heart for her own sake and for the sake of all those who look up to her...

Here We Go Again...There is NO SUCH THING as a "Woman's Priesthood"!

Ugh! Does anyone else get as annoyed as I do, when these so called "progressive Catholics" start babbling about God treating all his children equal and therefore, in so many words, the Church needs to 'lighten up' and allow women to be ordained to the priesthood? THAT would just solve ALL of our problems, right?... Sorry, doesn't hold well for THIS woman... Surely, God loves ALL of his children, individually, equally, and unconditionally. But he also created man and woman. If He wanted us to do EVERYTHING "the same" wouldn't He have been clever enough to MAKE us all the "same"?...

On April 25th, local columnist and proclaimed Catholic, Valerie Shultz wrote an article for our area newspaper entitled: Is there Hope for our Pope? One Catholic's Plea. Amongst other things that I objected to in Ms. Shultz's article, What I found most offending was her continued reference to "We women". I for one AM a woman, but in no way, do I agree with her point of view. I will quote only part of her original article here (emphasis mine):

I want the pope to know that we women, who largely take care of the daily business of church, are becoming weary of hoping that the men will come around. We know that Jesus sees us as equal to men in devotion and capability, but we know that the hierarchy of the earthly church of Jesus does not.
We are tired of being denied one of the sacraments because we lack male sex organs, (egads! did she have to say that ?!) and we are even more tired of scandals brought on by those same unruly organs. (By the way, no, "we" are not... not THIS "we"...What I AM tired of is this same old pointless argument, but that will be addressed further down...) It seems to many of us that the critical shortage of priests might be alleviated by admitting the possibility of priestly vocation in the hearts of the roughly 50 percent of Catholics who are not male. (Uh, no... Heck, I have 'issues' with girl-altar boys...)

-SIGH- Okay, Ms. Schultz... Among other things, let's not mention that males are not the ONLY ones out there committing scandal with children... have you seen the news on the many female teachers lately that have been arrested for such?... But I digress... At this point I would like to refer to my TERRIFIC sister and her AWESOME CATHOLIC response to Ms. Schultz in her 'Letter to the Editor' that appeared in today's same paper. Short, sweet and to the point... I am SO PROUD of her!! Oh that MORE Catholics could go out and do more of the same evangelizing and be unafraid to speak TRUTH!

Columnist Unclear On Faith
The Bakersfield Californian Tuesday, May 6 2008 7:05 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday,
May 6 2008 7:08 PM

It saddens me to know that someone so intelligent, well-read and well-educated as columnist Valerie Schultz could be so lacking in knowledge of the faith she calls her own.

If only she would read the documents of the Catholic Church, she would see that it is not Pope Benedict's doing that we still have an all-male priesthood. It is apparent that she has not read nor studied the teachings of Pope Benedict, nor the teachings of Pope John Paul II, and I venture to say she has not thoughtfully read the Scriptures, either.

I have to wonder if she's even bothered to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which details the most fundamental teachings of the church with supporting documents. The sacraments were all instituted by Jesus Christ and are not subject to change, even by the pope. Jesus Christ himself ordained 12 men to proclaim his teachings and protect his sacraments. He was not being misogynistic, nor was he bound by the social mores of the day. Jesus was God and is God. He neither changes nor has an end and the sacraments he instituted are likewise unchangeable. The question of an all-male priesthood was settled over
2,000 years ago by Jesus Christ when he established his church. That is a fact that can not be changed by anyone or anything, not even American public opinion.
IRENE C

And, as for Ms. Schultz, well, by her own admission at the end of her original article, "I believe that the pope is the vicar of Christ on earth, but I am, like many Americans, a reluctant papist. I pray to God to strengthen my own insufficient and sometimes confused faith." I will pray for her, too...

Something About Papa Benedict...

It is really amazing to see and hear the number of people so excited to see, even just a glimpse of Pope Benedict XVI during his short visit here in the US. Catholic and not, what is it about this man that so many expect to see?...

Fox news reported after Pope Benedict landed at Andrews AFB that people came to "see" Pope John Paul II, but people come to "hear" Pope Benedict XVI. Wow.... That's something.... I think that many people, Catholic and not are all looking for a leader. They are looking for someone that KNOWS what they believe and why and is not afraid to lead by word and example with unfaltering faith. They are looking for a leader in a country that has too many "claiming" leadership qualities but missing the mark completely... They want we he's got...

My brother lives and works near Washington DC and was blessed having won two tickets from his parish's lottery to go to the Papal Mass at the stadium this morning. He was so excited and grateful to have been given the opportunity to be in such close proximity with the leader of our Catholic Church. To be so close to the successor of St. Peter! An experience I'm sure he will carry with him for the rest of his life. I still remember, like yesterday, 22 years ago, when I was lucky enough to be sitting only 10 rows back from the stage at Universal Studios CA, where Pope John Paul II stood and spoke with me and hundreds of other young people that came to see and hear this "people's Pope". I watched the smile on his face grow as we all watched the then unknown Tony Melendez sing and play guitar for Papa, with his feet....

there is just something to be said for continuity... This isn't a faith to pick and choose apart, but a faith established by Jesus, himself, to be held together for all eternity, built on ROCK. "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." - Matthew 16:18-19

How loving and gracious is our God, taking out all the guesswork and leaving us a most Holy Church built on Rock, to turn to when we are lost or confused. I, for one, will be forever grateful....