FATIMA

We need to infiltrate—redefine— and destroy .. the Catholic Church

John Podesta

The Miracle of the Sun (Portuguese: O milagre do sol), also known as the Miracle of Fátima, refers to an event that allegedly occurred on 13 October 1917 above a large crowd who had gathered near Fátima, Portugal, in response to a prophecy made by three shepherd children. The prophecy was that the Virgin Mary (referred to as Our Lady of Fatima), would appear and perform miracles on that date. Newspapers published testimony from reporters and other people who claimed to have witnessed extraordinary solar activity, such as the sun appearing to "dance" or zig-zag in the sky, careen towards the earth, or emit multicolored light and radiant colors. According to these reports, the event lasted approximately ten minutes. [Wikipedia] Front Page News: The Miracle of the Sun | Anti-Clerical Press newspaper reported Last week marked the 100th anniversary of the Fatima "Miracle of the Sun." This is all I'll say about it. !n 1917 Portugal was governed by an overtly secular government that had clamped down on religion.  Specifically, the Catholic Church.  Here's what's important about it.  When the Blessed Mother first appeared before the three children, in the small town of Fatima (a place that was still steadfastly Catholic), it created quite a stir.  The government reacted by threatening the children with being thrown into a vat of boiling oil if they didn't recant.  They refused, and their notoriety only grew.   That said, the fulmination of Mary's appearances before the kids was when she told them she would appear before any who cared, on a date and time certain.  The event drew thousand of believers—and skeptics.  They gathered during the night,  enduring a cold pouring rain.  The secular press was well represented; their aim: to finally debunk this talk of "miracles."  The rest is history.  Not only did Mary appear, she announced she would make the sun dance.  And it did. The rain soaked ground, and  wet clothing were dried. Newspaper reports, by a decidedly leftist press, grudgingly reported the miracle factually. It happened. It was well documented.  It as real.  For what it's worth.

Homer Simpson Agonistes

When Progressives Have the Helm                                                         Homer Simpson Agonistes In 2010 I cited a Telegraph article "Homer Simpson 'is a true Catholic'"  The newspaper acknowledged that Homer snores through the sermons of the Reverend Lovejoy and inflicts "never-ending humiliation" on his evangelical neighbour, Ned Flanders. But in an article headlined "Homer and Bart are Catholics", the newspaper said: "The Simpsons are among the few TV programmes for children in which Christian faith, religion, and questions about God are recurrent themes." The family "recites prayers before meals and, in their own peculiar way, believes in the life thereafter". The Simpsons were not Catholic of course, but did attend Sunday church where Rev. Lovejoy tried to keep Homer awake, and Bart from mischief making. [Since then we've learned through wikileaks that Progressives like John Podesta and Hillary Clinton targeted the Catholic Church for destruction.] Enter Al Jean. He took the show's helm from executive producer Mike Scully in 2001, and immediately changed its tone and tenor; going from apolitical to full fledged  "left bank."  He used Lisa Simpson's character to promote New Age sensibilities on the environment, politics, veganery, religion, and leftist politics.  In  EDGY SIMPSONS  I suggested that the new direction was a reaction to the balls-out content of Comedy Central's South Park. I still think there was some of that, but Al Jean was going in that direction anyway.  What capped it for me was the 2008  season opener showing rigged voting machines giving Obama votes to McCain. Every once in awhile I peruse the show on FXNOW, which has every episode from day one.  No commercials. Which is where I ran across the Warren episode. And where I quit. [Previous Simpson Posts]

Easter Fare

cinema à la carte

Easter Cinema AUDIO BOOK Yesterday I watched Mel Gibson's The  Passion of the Christ on my iPad; the first time since seeing it at the cinema in 2004 (even though we've owned the DVD).  It is unparalleled film making, IMO.  Because of it, Gibson was targeted by Hollywood for neutering.  Upstairs, I learned, MoSup had been watching the movie version of Bill O'Reilly's book "Killing Jesus."  I Googled it up on the iPad, but of course Apple does not accept Flash, or whatever the hell format the civilized world use, but I found something better on YouTube.  The full 6 hour+ Audio Book read by O'Reilly.  Just finished the first two chapters, and what a treat.  In that time the book has covered an introductory birth of Jesus replete with a short political history of the area and then into a broader—and captivating—history of Caesar's Rome itself.  What an unexpected treat.  I've paused now (at 1:09), after the account of Casca shoving his shiv into Caesar's sack left me ... queasy. ASIDE: I can appreciate that Jews were fearful that The  Passion of the Christ might have the power to rekindle old hatreds.  It did not.  But the Sanhedrin, led by high priest Caiaphas, which demanded his crucification was the earlier equivalent of General  Pétain's lackey Vichy government under the Nazis.  Rome controlled the Temple, and who ran it.  Hell, they erected a statue of Caesar inside of the Temple!   Many  learned and pious Jews of the time reacted to this  abomination by forming splinter groups having nothing to do with that ilk.  Of course Jesus, his apostles, and most early converts were Jews.  As a Roman Catholic I have come to view the church as a Jewish sect, and myself a member.  For me, this is riveting history.

Pelosi? Moral Rot?

SF Archbishop stuns diocese by revealing he’s Catholic! After decades of moral rot, the Archdiocese of San Francisco is being reminded that it is religious organization. I hope Archbishop Cordileone has the guts to make his decision stick.

Soul Reasons

“ Agnus Dei POPE FRANCIS: 'PAGAN' CHRISTIANS 'IN NAME ONLY' ARE 'ENEMIES OF THE CROSS' Not all those who claim to be Christians really are, said Pope Francis Friday morning. Some are Christians “in name only,” he said. “They bear the name of Christians but live a life of pagans.” In his homily at Mass, the Pope that there have always been two types of Christian, those who truly followed Christ and those who only pretended to. At the time of Saint Paul, there were “worldly Christians, Christians in name only, with two or three Christian features, but nothing more.” The Pope called this sort of people “Pagan Christians,” whom St. Paul called “enemies of the cross of Christ.” In Paul’s time, the Pope said, the two groups of Christians “were in church together, went to Mass on Sunday, praised the Lord, and were called Christians.” So what was the difference? He asked. The second were “enemies of the cross of Christ.” The Pope went on to say that “even today there are many! We must be careful not to slip into the way of pagan Christians.” These are the ones, he said, who are “pagans painted over with two brush strokes of Christianity, so they look like Christians, but are really pagans.” (continued) *gulp*  CARDINAL BURKE: CHURCH RISKS SERIOUS TENSIONS IN MONTHS AHEAD Burke has been one of the most outspoken opponents of Kasper’s proposal, saying it is not Catholic, threatens the indissolubility of marriage, and is therefore unacceptable. “The Church must do everything she can when, once again, the integrity of marriage is under attack,” he told the Viennese audience. The Vatican prelate was speaking in Vienna Tuesday, at the launch of the German translation of Remaining in the Truth of Christ, a book to which he contributed. The work is a response to Cardinal Walter Kasper’s proposal to allow some remarried divorcees to have access to holy Communion. The Catholic Church has always barred such a possibility, based on Christ’s teaching that remarrying after divorce constitutes adultery. He said he “often heard” prelates at last month’s two-week Synod on the Family in Rome say that because the culture has changed “so radically,” the Church “cannot teach as we had in the past.” But Burke responded by saying such a view betrays a “loss of hope in Jesus Christ, Who alone is the salvation of the world.” He acknowledged that the culture is “very corrupt” but added that doesn’t mean “we go chasing after it, but rather bring to the culture that which will save it and be full of hope.” Talk of possible schism has increased in the Catholic Church after the recent synod appeared to be leading the Church in a more “progressive” direction on moral issues. A controversial document issued by bishops midway through the meeting (which Burke called a “total disaster”) pointed to radical changes in the area of homosexuals, divorce, and remarriage among other things, but the proposals were largely toned down or failed to reach a consensus in the final report. Questioned about whether there is a genuine risk the Church might split, Burke said if, in the runup to a second synod on the family next October, bishops are seen to move “contrary to the constant teaching and practice of the Church, there is a risk because these are unchanging and unchangeable truths.” He also pointed out that the head of the synod of bishops, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, has “identified himself very strongly” with Kasper’s thesis and “subscribes to that school.” Warning that this battle will continue, he called on Catholics to “speak up and act.” [Full] The Catholic Church's guiding principle may be summed up, I think, with this.  Jesus Christ said what he meant and meant what he said.  POPE  REMOVES CARDNAL BURKE FROM VATICAN POST JMJ. Posted without further comment. ”