Catholic theologian Ronald L. Conte Jr takes aim at Michael Voris

Theologian and blogger Ronald L. Conte Jr, over at The Reproach of Christ Blog, has written an absurd post called "My position on Michael Voris and Church Militant".

Conte writes a 21 point list of what he has determined are the sins of Voris and Church Militant. No where in his list does Conte give examples or sources for his allegations with the exception of the mention of one airport video that he doesn't link to. This lack of proof doesn't stop Conte from judging them and determining Voris and the folks at Church Militant to be in mortal sin. 

Let's look at some of Conte's list...

1. The use of hate speech and gay slurs. No, this is not justified by the sins of those being corrected.

What "hate speech and gay slurs"? No examples given, just slander.  

2. The malicious condemnation of anyone whose views or actions they dislike, e.g. calling two priests “clerical clowns”, maligning various Bishops sometimes only for inaction (refusing to do what Voris and Church Militant think they should do). This is an objective mortal sin.

Complete lie from Conte.  

3. The vast over-simplification of all theological issues and Church teachings.

Again, no example is given. Just condmenation and slander of Michael Voris and Church Militant. 

4. The dogmatization of their point of view, as if it could not err.

Example? Zip, nada, nothing. 

5. The attitude that they, and especially Michael Voris himself, has the role to stand in judgment over Popes, Councils, Cardinals, and Bishops.

It's not judgment Conte, its seeing their fruits. You'd think a theologian would know better.  

Jesus WARNED believers to watch out for wolves in sheep's clothing...those wolves are in the Church today doing great harm.

Matthew 7:15-20 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. 18 A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will know them by their fruits." 

6. The refusal of submission of to the authority of each Pope, each Council, and the body of Bishops dispersed in the world, including refusal of submission to Pope Francis. (Numbers 5 and 6 constitute the objective mortal sin of schism.)

LIAR.  
Church Militant article "Church Authority and Schism": https://www.churchmilitant.com/catholicism/article/catholicism_schism

7. The rejection of the Second Vatican Council and recent magisterial teachings (mostly by ignoring these teachings). This is the sin of heresy, since it is a rejection of the infallible teachings of the ordinary and universal Magisterium in recent decades.

LIAR. 
Michael Voris and Church Militant do NOT reject the Second Vatican Council, not a single word of it. What Voris has spoken of is "the spirit of VII" which is NOT the Council at all. 

Church Militant article "Vatican II is on Our Side": https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/fighting-back

Here are more out right lies by Conte...

9. The teaching of abject heresy, e.g. denial that the Three Persons of the Trinity are consubstantial. Teaching heresy is an objective mortal sin.

LIAR.
Church Militant article "Divine Trinity":  https://www.churchmilitant.com/catholicism/article/catholicism_divine-trinity

10. An extremely narrow view of who is saved in salvation theology. This is essentially a type of neo-Feeneyism or mitigated Feeneyism, which is heresy.

LIAR.
Church Militant article "Church Membership and Salvation":  https://www.churchmilitant.com/catholicism/article/catholicism_church-membership-and-salvation 

11. The absolute failure to teach the love of God above all else and the love of neighbor as self. These two great commandments are replaced in Voris’ work with emphasis on socio-political issues, conservative talking points, and harsh criticism of all who disagree.

LIAR. 
From Church Militant article
THE SUPREME LAW OF THE CHURCH":  https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/archbishop-alexander-sample-on-salvation-of-souls

12. The refusal to engage in theological debates or discussions, because everything they present is treated as absolute dogma, so there can be no discussion or debate, nor any correction of their errors

This one is LAUGHABLE because anyone who spends 10 minutes on the CM website knows Voris does debate and discuss EVERYTHING under the sun relating to the Church and politics and social issues that are wrapped up in both the Church and politics. 

Church Militant article/video "DEBATE: MICHAEL VORIS VS. MARK SHEA": https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/debate-michael-voris-vs.-mark-shea

The list goes on, but its more drivel with little to no substance and lots of judgment and condemning. 

Clearly Conte is giving his "position on Michael Voris and Church Militant" without even knowing Voris or CM. Again, 10 minutes on the website would disprove most of Conte's list without having to do much research at all. 

I think Conte was desperate for some blog hits and knew mentioning Voris and CM would bring him some traffic. Which might have worked, but at what cost? Conte looks to be a liar and/or a fool. High price to pay for some click bait. 



In Christ, 

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


Sources: 

https://ronconte.wordpress.com/2019/01/29/my-position-on-michael-voris-and-church-militant/ 

http://www.catholicplanet.com/work.htm

https://www.churchmilitant.com/

Connecticut Catholic Blogger vs New York Catholic Blogger

I've never broken down another Catholic blogger's entire post before, but today I am going to for two reasons. 

First, my response would never fit in this blogger's comment area. 

Secondly, besides responding to what she says, I want to share with her why I blog as I do and why I feel the way I do about my Catholic faith, Francis and progressive clergy. 

A Catholic blogger from New York, writes (highlights/bold/underscore added by me): 

Why Do So Many Converts Reject Pope Francis?
In the same way I don't visit porn sites, racist sites, etc., I now stay away from almost all "Catholic" web sites.  These sites do nothing to build my spirituality and bring me closer to God.  They literally poison my mind and destroy the presence of the Holy Spirit by driving out the Spirit of love, mercy and compassion and replacing it with a spirit of accusation, condemnation and hate.   

Me: For someone who doesn't visit these Catholic websites, she sure has a lot to say about what she claims is to be found on these Catholic websites.

An amazing aspect of these sites is that they are basically clones of one another, writing about the same subjects from the same point of view with no original thought.  As I have stated previously, it is almost like they were all written by the same person.  There is certainly no doubt that they are all driven by the same spirit.

 Me: I am guessing she's not speaking about the Holy Spirit here.

I don't think these "catholic" bloggers actually consult each other, and yet they all manage to come to the same conclusion:  the Catholic Church is dying and Pope Francis and his "henchman" bishops are actively participating in that destruction. 

Me: I haven't seen ANY Catholic bloggers conclude "the Catholic Church is dying". Myself and the Catholic websites I follow all generally cling to Christ's words "the gates of hell will not prevail". While we may agree that the Church will become smaller, I don't think I've ever seen any Catholic blogger say the Catholic Church is "dying". I do see (and believe myself) that "Francis and his henchmen" are destroying the FAITH OF PEOPLE with chaos, confusion and down right heresy. 

Example, Address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences10, Oct 27, 2014: Pope Francis-“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so.” 

Catholic teaching: “And Jesus beholding, said to them: With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible” Matt 19:26

“Behold I am the Lord the God of all flesh: shall any thing be hard for me?” Jer 32:27 

I'll stick with the God of Sacred Scripture rather than Francis' OPINIONS of God. 

These bloggers and those who follow them believe they are the only true Catholics left on earth, and it is they who will save the Church and, by extension, the world.  We have not seen this much rebellion and rejection of authority in the Church since the Reformation. 

Me: Nope. I don't believe we are the only "true Catholics left on earth", nor have I ever seen any other Catholic blogger make such a claim. Perhaps this Catholic NY blogger will share exactly who made such a claim? I believe that most of the Catholics in the United States are CEO's- Christmas and Easter only Catholics as that is when the pews are suddenly packed. 

As for the weekly Catholics or even those attending monthly- many of them are confused and don't know the faith. I know this from experience. I know Catholics who claim birth control and abortion are "between them and God"- this is in direct opposition to Catholic teaching. I know Catholics who believe women will be priests and that there is nothing wrong with gay "marriage" or unions. Again, direct opposition to Catholic teaching. The list goes on.

Just how did these bloggers end up with their decidedly non-Catholic world view?  How have they become so confident in their own sanctity and their right to label all others, including the Vicar of Christ, as evil?  Why is it happening now?

Me: What part of my views are "non-Catholic"? When Catholic bloggers like myself, point out what the Church teaches- as opposed to the OPINIONS of Francis or any clergy, how is it WE are the ones with the "non-Catholic" views? 😕

For example, Francis stated in an interview there is no Hell. Clearly this is a "non-Catholic" view.  

Interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica25, Mar 28, 2018: When asked where bad souls are punished, Francis replied: “They are not punished, those who repent obtain the forgiveness of God and enter the rank of souls who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot therefore be forgiven disappear. There is no hell, there is the disappearance of sinful souls.”

Catholic teaching: Catechism #1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire." 617 The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

Some said, Francis was misquoted, yet neither Francis, nor anyone at the Vatican denied the quote or issued any sort of correction for it. So we know, Francis does not believe in Hell a clear "non-Catholic" view. 

Another example, Francis' view on couples shacking up together outside of marriage. 

Address to the Diocese of Rome’s Pastoral Congress, Q&A Session14, Jun 16, 2016: “They prefer to cohabitate, and this is a challenge, a task. Not to ask ‘why don’t you marry?’ No, to accompany, to wait, and to help them to mature, help fidelity to mature.”........ “I’ve seen a lot of fidelity in these cohabitations, and I am sure that this is a real marriage, they have the grace of a real marriage because of their fidelity.”

Catholic teaching: "The scandal of concubinage is removed by marriage, which should be made known to those who were scandalized, either by the pastor or by the parties themselves." Canon Law 1043

"Hence if both parties intended and expressed the intention in some way or other to enter upon a mere Concubinage, there would be no marriage." Canon Law 1082

"If a marriage is found invalid, as, for instance, among the Gallas, where slaves contract a contubernium or legalized concubinage, the parties must be separated until they are lawfully married" Canon Law 1084

"Therefore concubinage must be given up because incompatible with Christian morals" Canon Law 1124

Me: Again, I point out it is Francis who has the "non-Catholic" view, not the Catholic bloggers who cling to the authentic teachings of the Church. 

One common factor among these self-righteous bloggers is that many, although not all, are Protestant converts.  Here are just a few prominent converts who have publicly rejected Pope Francis:  John Zuhlsdorf, Dwight Longenecker, George Rutler, Taylor Marshall, John Hunwicke, Steve Ray, Scott Hahn, Mary Ann Kreitzer.  There are many more. 

In reading the stories of their conversions, it is interesting to note that their attraction to the Catholic Church did not arise from an awareness of their personal sin but from dissatisfaction with their Protestant churches.  They were basically in a good spot with God, but they were not getting what they felt they needed or wanted from their churches.  Their conversions were of the intellect and not of the spirit.  Not one of them has a  "road to Damascus" story.  

By this, I mean not one of them had a moment of clarity about their own sinfulness and need for the mercy, compassion and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.   This was not the driving force in their lives in any sense.  Their stories are all about identifying the "right" Church. 

Me: What this blogger does not understand is that evangelical Christians believe they are ALREADY saved. They are taught and believe that they are "washed" already the moment they claim Jesus as their Savior. That Jesus did the work. This is why they don't have confession and reject the priesthood. Most believe baptism is just an outward sign of proclaiming Jesus as your Lord. 

Speaking as a convert to the Catholic Church it NEVER occurred to me to seek out another way to be forgiven from my sins because I believed God had already done that. I never questioned that part of my Protestant faith. Protestants don't think the way Catholics do about sin. There is no "mortal" or "venial" sin for evangelical Christians. Sin is sin and Jesus loves us so he forgives us our sins if we love him and believe him to be the Messiah. That is the attitude. They do not believe baptism washes away original sin- rather they believe merely believing in Jesus washes sins away (some don't even believe in original sin).

NY blogger says "not one of them had a moment of clarity about their own sinfulness and need for the mercy, compassion and forgiveness of Jesus Christ" - she has it all backwards. That is all Protestantism is about- that Jesus is all forgiving so no priest is needed for Confession. I came out of Protestantism that taught me Jesus is all "mercy, compassion and forgiveness" with no need to confess or worry about things like birth control, abortion, remarriage, divorce. In Protestantism you can divorce and remarry over and over and over again precisely because "Jesus is so forgiving and merciful". This is NOT right, yet it is believed inside of Protestantism. 

I am not going to quote the examples NYblogger gives on Catholic's she points out as not having authentic Saul to Paul moments in their conversions, you can see them for yourselves on her blog. She turns up her nose at these people because in her opinion they aren't like Saint Augustine so they are lacking. Talk about being judgmental! 

None of the contemporary "converts" listed above displays the humble spirit of the publican.  They all stand with the Pharisee.  In fact, they pat themselves on the back on their ability to identify the "right" Church. 
And just as they felt free to reject the authority of their Protestant churches, they feel that same freedom to reject the authority of the Catholic Magisterium, i.e., Pope Francis and the bishops. 

Me: Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. We do not "pat ourselves on the back" for becoming Catholic, we thank Jesus everyday for leading us Home. We were the lost sheep following false shepherds yet we were able with the help of the Holy Spirit to hear the voice of The Shepherd and come Home. We are joyful, thankful and down right giddy to have found our way Home after being lost in the desert for years. This is not "self-righteousness" at all. Perhaps cradle Catholics can't wrap their minds around it, but I know other converts know exactly what I am speaking of. And we are NOT rejecting the authority of the Catholic Magisterium or the Pope or the Bishops when they are teaching the Faith. We do NOT have to accept their OPINIONS on situations, events, people or places. What Catholics must do is accept the authentic teachings of the Church- if we reject a teaching we are heretics. (Remember it is Francis who rejects the Church's teachings on Hell, unmarried couples living together etc.) 

This same spirit of self righteousness and rebellion is seen among cradle Catholic bloggers as well.  These bloggers never discuss their own sinfulness and need for God.  There is never any emphasis on mercy, compassion and forgiveness.  These sites name their enemies and denounce them with a ferocity worthy of any Pharisee denouncing Jesus Christ. 

A good example of this is our old friend, Michael Voris.  Voris hid his sinful homosexual life for as long as he could, feeling it was a "private" matter.  During all that time, instead of showing compassion for others trapped in that same lifestyle, he condemned them to hell, showing no mercy whatseover.  Even now after he has been "outed", he continues to condemn without mercy. 
This spirit of self righteousness and condemnation is the spirit of Protestantism.  It is completely antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Never once did Our Lord condemn sinners.  Jesus Christ always showed mercy, compassion and forgiveness. 

 Me: Wrong again NYblogger. First, Jesus' time for judging and condemning us hasn't come yet (John 16:8). Secondly, Jesus did point out sin, tell people they must repent and warn them about sinning again. When was the last time you heard Francis warn someone their sins would land them an eternity in Hell? 

John 5:14 "Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 

Our Lord refused to condemn a woman who was caught in the actual act of adultery.  He did not even condemn the criminal on the cross who taunted him.  At the same time, he immediately forgave the criminal who merely said, "Remember me when you come into your Kingdom." 
The spirit of rebellion and rejection of authority exhibited by these "catholic" bloggers is the same spirit which infected the ancient Israelites when they went to the Prophet Samuel and asked for a human king.  As The Lord told Samuel, "it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." (I Sam 8:7).

 Me: Jesus told ALL sinners to REPENT. Again, Christ's time to condemn people hasn't come yet. It will. That is what Judgement Day is.

This was echoed by Jesus Christ when He told the apostles, "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me." (Luke 10:16).

Those More Catholic Than the Pope hate Pope Francis because he preaches a message of mercy and forgiveness of sinners.  Look at their arguments.  They are angry because the Pope wants to extend mercy to divorced and remarried, to homosexuals, to non Catholics, to Islamic refugees, etc. etc.  They claim that the mercy of Pope Francis is really a disguise for his endorsement of sin, and that therefore he is really a child of the devil, an evil heretic who must be resisted. 

Sounds a whole lot like the condemnation leveled against Jesus Christ by the Pharisees of His time.

Me: Stop the bus! "They are angry because the Pope wants to extend mercy to divorced and remarried, to homosexuals, to non Catholics, to Islamic refugees, etc. etc", again myself and the Catholic bloggers I see are angry because Francis is teaching OPPOSITE of Catholic teaching. 

It is NOT mercy to give Holy Communion to adulterers, or active homosexuals, non-Catholics etc. That is sacrilege. When Catholic bloggers point out Catholic teaching about homosexual relationships...

...we are not being mean, we are being Catholics! Christ said we are to rebuke those in sin [Luke 17:3 "Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him;"] and the Catholic Church requires us to share our Faith, not keep it to ourselves. If we see someone in mortal sin and remain silent allowing them to be eternally damned we WILL have to answer for it- we ARE our brothers keepers. 

Those More Catholic Than the Pope deal in a world of black and white.  Either you are righteous like they are and are going to heaven, or you are a sinner headed to hell.  They feel their job is to tell people they are sinners, and then it is up to the people to "get right" with God or go to hell.  

Francis says we must meet people where they are and walk with them on the path to salvation.  This message is completely rejected by the Protestant converts and far too many cradle Catholics who think like Protestants.  I can't judge their hearts, but their actions are not Catholic,  They are Protestants in every sense of the word, right down to their rejection of the Papacy. 

Me: Wrong again. First, no one is rejecting "the Papacy". Ridiculous. And the issue isn't "walking with people on the path to salvation" it is walking with them on the path to Hell. If the path led to salvation it would be wonderful. But that isn't what is happening.  

Example, Francis appointed Fr. James Martin as consultor to the Vatican's Secretariat for Communications and invited Martin to be a speaker at the World Meeting of Families in Ireland last August to speak about homosexual Catholics. Yet Martin promotes pro-gay books which encourage gay "marriage" and gay couples which is in direct opposition to Catholic teaching. 

 

He writes a book about "meeting LGBTQ people where they are" and crossing a "bridge" together. A bridge to where? Repentance? Does Martin tell LGBTQ people that gay "marriage" is a mortal sin that leads to eternal damnation? Nope. This is in direct opposition to Jesus who met the sinner, pointed out the sinner's sin and told the sinner to repent. This is what is wrong with "meeting people where they are"- Francis and clergy like Martin LEAVE them in their sins. They meet them where they are and abandon them to their sins. This is NOT Catholic.   

What are the signs of true conversion?  It is much more than changing your religious affiliation and registering as a member of a Catholic parish. 

A true convert is one who realizes that he cannot take credit for "finding" God.  God is the one who sought out and found him.  His repentance does not come from himself but is a gift from God. 

A true convert realizes that he has nothing to give God, but that everything he has comes from God. 

A true convert is not drawn to the Church because it looks spiritual.  A true convert is not converted to the physical trappings of the Church, whether it is the "right" architecture, the size of the altar, the quality of the music, the kind of vestments worn by the priest, the use of Latin, or which direction the priest is facing. 

A true convert is drawn to the Catholic Church because Jesus Christ is in the tabernacle.  Jesus Christ is present in the Holy Eucharist.  Jesus Christ is present in the confessional.  Jesus Christ with His Mother, His angels and His saints are present at the Holy Mass. A true convert realizes that the Holy Spirit is working in the Church whether we understand it or not, and that faith does not depend on how much we do or do not understand. 

A true follower of Jesus Christ is one who deeply and profoundly recognizes his own sinfulness and his complete and total need for the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.  A true convert realizes that he deserves hell and it is only through the love of God that he can escape hell. 
In short, a true convert is a sinner in need of forgiveness. 
All saints speak of their own sinfulness.  Even St. Therese of Lisieux, who never committed even one mortal sin in her 24 years on earth, felt the great heaviness of her sin and the great mercy of Jesus Christ:Like the publican, I felt I was a great sinner. I found God to be so merciful! I found it so touching to address oneself to the whole heavenly court to obtain God’s pardon through its intercession. Ah! I could hardly keep from crying, and when the Sacred Host touched my lips, I was really moved.One who has truly experienced the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ will never stand in judgment of others.  A true convert will realize that he is no better than the one he is judging.  Pope Francis showed this understanding when, asked who Jorge Bergoglio is, he replied, "I am a sinner." 
Unless and until we can identify as a sinner in need of forgiveness, we will never be true converts.  I hope and pray that the "catholic" blogosphere will experience true conversion and stop pushing their false version of Catholicism.[end NYblogger quote]

 Me: The irony of NYblogger stating "One who has truly experienced the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ will never stand in judgment of others."😂

Her entire diatribe was one long judgment of Catholic converts she judged as not "true converts" because we have failed HER litmus test. The hypocrisy! 

In true sincerity, I hope this clarifies for the NYblogger (and others who share her opinions) why I and Catholic bloggers like myself feel as we do and blog as we do. We are weighing everything our clergy says and does-be it pope or parish priest- against the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church. We aren't basing our views on emotions or unsubstantiated opinions. We've got Catholic teachings (catechism, canon law etc) to backup our views. 

Catholic converts usually do years of studying and digging around Catholic teachings before we are willing to admit Protestantism is a false man-made religion and that we must reject it and enter the Catholic Church. This is not an easy journey for most of us. On the journey we fall more and more in love with Catholicism (remember we already loved Jesus). Because of that love for Christ's Church we are willing to defend Her and Her teachings against anyone who would lie about Her or try to harm Her - especially wayward clergy because they do the most damage (ie Martin Luther).  

In Christ,


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


**A bit of my story being a Catholic convert can be read in my 2014 post HERE.


Sources: 

https://catholicinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2018/11/why-do-so-many-converts-reject-pope.html 

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/04/12/father-james-martin-appointed-pope-francis-vatican-department-communications 

http://francisquotes.com/ 

http://connecticutcatholiccorner.blogspot.com/2014/12/parish-life-in-2014dismal-at-best.html
  

On a personal note...

I hate when I neglect my blog and I feel like I've done that a lot this summer. And I almost never get personal on here, but I thought today I might take a break from my regular scheduled blogging and share a bit of my home life.  

To new readers, if you are interested in the story of how I became Catholic, you can read it HERE. This isn't a post about being Catholic, its just a peek into my summer life and family. :)

My household is made up myself, my two children, 1 cat, 4 guinea pigs, 22 Swedish ducks (we started with blues, then hatched blacks, splash, lavender and whites the following years- they come in quite the variety- compliments of Metzer Farms) and currently 2 geese. Our "zoo" was much larger with things like dogs, more cats, another goose, more ducks, fish, frogs, birds, squirrels, turtles and tortoises etc. They either passed on or finished their rehab time with us and been released back into the wild. I'm one of those crazy people who stops traffic to remove assorted domestic and wild animals from the road- I've gotten quite good at catching large and small snapping turtles because no one else seems willing to risk a digit to help the poor homely things. But that's another story entirely!  

We are soon to add another cat to the mix. Last week we had to put my grandmother into a nursing home.  Our family has been caring for her for several years now to keep her in her home as long as possible, but last week she fell and even the doctors agreed it was time.  She asked me for two things 1) a proper Catholic funeral when the time comes and 2) take care of her British Short-haired cat. 

So now we will once again be a 2 cat family. There have been lots of adjustments this summer for all of us and some big changes- like graduation and college plans. Where does the time go? One minute they are off to kindergarten and next college! 

Somehow this has become a crazy busy summer with one unplanned thing after another.  Typically, summer is rather slow and easy here, but not this year.  It's been full speed ahead constantly! Like right now I am in the process (along with my children) of painting several rooms in the house. This is a job I detest and I keep hoping my children will enjoy and become greatly skilled in- so far that hasn't happened. I hadn't planned on painting anything, yet here I am daily covered in paint from bare-feet to elbows. I am a terrible painter. 

It all started with my eldest's bedroom, then another bedroom and the bathroom, a hall way and now we are eyeing the kitchen too.

Aside from the dreaded painting- which means moving shuffling (I have zero upper body strength) furniture from one section of the house to another while trying to keep the cat from rubbing on the newly painted walls, we are kept very busy with our gardens, fruit trees and berry bushes (though the deer - a doe with twins! -made short work of most of the berry bushes).  

Spring looks like this...

End of summer looks like this...

and this...

Summer also looks like this...the aggressive family of water snakes who live in our pond...(they aren't small either!) 

...that our flock will catch and eat if the snakes dare to stay in range of the flock (ewww, I know- its even more disgusting than you are imagining trust me!) 

Our flock provides us with loads of entertainment (eating wiggling snakes not being one of them in my opinion- the children disagree) and delicious healthy eggs as well. 

And finally, when you live in southern Connecticut and your brother has a small family sized yacht there is also boating and crabbing to be done...

So you see, these and others are the reasons my blog has suffered neglect this summer. Once the paint dries, the furniture is back in place and the garden picked clean, I will, God willing, be back to regular blogging. 

:)

God bless! 


In Christ, 


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 



My conversion story: http://connecticutcatholiccorner.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-i-came-home-to-rome-my-conversion.html

Patheos' Kathy Schiffer fails to take down Michael Voris

It's summer and Patheos Catholic's blogger Kathy Schiffer has once again stepped into it by going after Michael Voris half cocked. 

She starts by showing her ignorance in referring to Michael Voris as a "controversial blogger"!  :)  

Then she attempts to take Voris down over a Vortex episode from earlier this week... 

Her complaint about this Vortex episode?  I think its that the seminary didn't like Voris saying "gay" when the person in question said "same-sex attracted" [is there a difference in meaning here?], but I can't be sure, Schiffer never actually makes any point in her blog post.  

Here is the statement she claims to have received from Sacred Heart seminary...

So is it the use of the word "gay" rather than "same-sex attracted" that has Schiffer riled up or the number of homosexuals in the seminary?  Who can tell?

Schiffer then shifts gears to going after Voris personally, with a trip down memory lane in the life of Michael Voris along with the name change from "Real Catholic TV" to "Church Militant" and then she goes on about how Michael came back more fully to his Catholic faith with the deaths of his brother and mother.  What has any of that got to do with the Vortex episode that upset Schiffer so much?  Answer:  ZERO, NADA, NOTHING.  

This Vortex episode and the seminary statement are just her jumping off tools to the heart of the matter...her attempt to take down or put Michael Voris in his place. 

She fails.

Michael Voris clearly and perfectly takes down every point the stir the original Vortex episode caused...including the drivel from Kathy Schiffer. 

Here it is...

[From ChurchMilitant.com] TRANSCRIPT:   Out of the gate, allow us to say that the Vortex we produced earlier this week where we briefly touched on comments about same-sex attraction made to seminarians at the archdiocese of Detroit major seminary has caused quite the stir in the archdiocese.
As we predicted in the Vortex episode (it turns out more accurately than we knew), some would take this report as picking on or singling out Detroit’s seminary. And as we said then, and repeat: not true. We said then — and again repeat — this was one example of a persistent problem in the Church establishment: the catering to the feelings of homosexual men, also more clinically stated — men with same-sex attraction.
We correctly reported that a priest on staff told seminarians not to go in and out of the bathroom showers in towels because it posed a potential occasion of sin for other seminarians who may have same-sex attraction. They should wear their bathrobes instead. In other words, there are men in the seminary for whom the sight of other men half-dressed (which is a normal, everyday occurrence in a dormitory-like setting) could be a temptation to impurity, or at least impure thoughts.
Men studying for the priesthood who are tempted by such sights should not be in seminary.  As Fr. John Hardon often said — and many others have repeated because they understand the common sense reality — the most dangerous place for a man with homosexual tendencies is a seminary. We used this as nothing more than just one example as a springboard to discuss the much larger issue of how homosexuality is practically catered to by many leaders in the Church today and the great damage that catering is doing.
That was it. That was our point, a point we have stressed over and over again — much to the chagrin and rage of many clerics, but also the quiet and joyful support of many other clerics who understand the reality of the homosexual subculture in the clergy. In fact, our example of what the priest told the entire assembled house of seminarians amounted to less than 20 percent of that Vortex. More than 80 percent of it went on to lay out the case that for decades in the U.S., priests and bishops have set the stage for this ocean of homosexuality to overwhelm the Church, both culturally as well as inside the Church. Not one single, sane, understanding person would disagree with that assessment.
That Vortex episode resulted in a flurry of comments and back-and-forth e-mails and phone calls among all kinds of people in the archdiocese. We took great interest in one particular correspondence which was sent our way by multiple sources, both within and outside the archdiocese.
It was a 700-word e-mail to the entire faculty/staff of the seminary by the priest who made the comments we reported on. Out of charity we did not publicize his name. And unless it becomes necessary, we will continue to adhere to that. However, we are going to share some of his e-mail to the faculty/staff with you to show you how it completely evades the question we were raising.
First, he flat out admits that the event we reported was correct in its essence. He said, "The issue arose because I saw several of the men go to the shower from their room with only a towel wrapped around them. I received complaints from other seminarians about this."
That's what we reported.
Next: "I said, in these words or words of identical meaning: Please wear bathrobes to the shower for decorum's sake and for the sake of charity. As an example of what the wider needs of the community might be, I used as an example of potential uncharity the following example: What if unknowingly one of your brothers suffered from SSA? Your lack of modesty would be uncharitable considering your neighbor's needs."
That too is what we reported.
But the priest in question throughout his e-mail to the entire faculty/staff at Sacred Heart Major Seminary bashed our report. He spent a large amount of his e-mail saying he was pretty sure who had contacted us and then trashing the fellow who was eventually kicked out. He even said at one point that the way we reported it sounds pretty darn close to how the former seminarian talked about the situation.
Normally, we would never follow up on a report like this because it isn't worth the effort. But one phrase in his e-mail to the entire faculty/staff so jumped out that it needs to be unpacked. It is this: "As an aside, in a group of sixty men, the notion that none of the men suffer from homosexual ideation is naïve. It may be helpful for Mr. Voris to grow up."Excuse me, Father, but you just underscored our point. We need no lecture that there are men in seminaries who have homosexual tendencies. In fact, we would prefer to have been naïve in this regard. The presence in decades gone by of the strong homosexual subculture is all too evident — Detroit included, with its weekly gay Mass which has been allowed to continue for over 40 years. We know very well the issue and dangers posed by this. We report on it almost everyday.What grabbed us about your e-mail was the lack of any mention that you do your best to screen outmen who have this tendency — as the Vatican has said over and over, all the way back in the modern ear to Pope John XXIII and virtually every pope since then. Far from our being naïve, it seems that you are the one demonstrating the naïveté. You tell men in your charge studying to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God that they should put on bathrobes so as not to be occasions of sin for fellow seminarians.Further, you made a deal out of it by announcing to the entire seminary. Why didnt you announce that if any among them are bothered by seeing other men in towels that perhaps the seminary is not the place for them?
Pope John XXIII said such men should not be in seminary. When he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict said the same thing and then repeated it again as Pope, as did his predecessor Pope John Paul. The seminary is not the place for any man who has homosexual tendencies, even if hes not acting on them. Havent leaders learned this lesson yet? The Vatican itself has warned about this repeatedly.We neither think nor said that Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a hotbed for, as you put it, a significant or even nominal presence of homosexually oriented men." Never said that. Never implied it. Never went there.
We weren't talking about the seminarians. We were referencing your approach, not them. You formulated your approach to the situation of men in towels as being uncharitable to those who might have SSA. Your own words again from your e-mail to the entire staff/faculty in this regard: "I brought this up at the house meeting because I want the men to learn, recognizing the charity they are called to grow in, consists in not simply considering their own druthers, but to be cognizant of the needs of the wider family."What about the charity that should be extended to the SSA man? He should not be allowed to remain in an environment where normal, usual behavior is an occasion of sin for him. Is there not charity demanded from the formation team to remove him from such a spiritual danger? What about giving further some consideration to the idea that he might not be alone in his tendency? You yourself said it would be naïve to expect in a house of 60 men to expect that none of them suffer from SSA.What if two or more men with this emotional, psychological disorder somehow come to encounter each other? There is precedent (and there is a lot of it in the Detroit archdiocese — but we will leave that aside for the time). What about the horrible possibility that instead of being dismissed from the seminary, that he, God forbid, would be ordained? Catholics expect that their leaders send them good and holy priests, not let loose suffering souls on them in positions of leadership who can wreak havoc on the innocent sheep. Again, much precedent.This is the attitude of leaders that we presented as a topic and nothing else: that homosexuality gets too much of a pass by those in the Church today.
So, all this said, in response to your e-mail to the entire faculty/staff (which was shared with us by multiple sources), we are extending you a personal invitation to come on our Mic’d Up show next week and have a man-to-man conversation about all of this — all these issues we raised.
Does Sacred Heart Seminary take pains to screen out men with homsoexual tendencies as the Vatican as well as various popes have said all seminaries should?
Is it appropriate to announce that all the seminarians put on bathrobes instead of kindly suggesting that men affected spiritually should simply withdraw?
Near the end of your e-mail to the faculty/staff, you wrote, "I realize some of the topics we cover may be offensive to pious ears, but not addressing them is even more problematic."
We agree. In light of the constant scandals regarding homosexuality and the clergy, these issues need to be talked about. So many people are constantly pounding the dialogue drum — so let’s dialogue.

Source: http://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/the-vortexsame-sex-attracted-seminarians

And that was that!  ;)  

Well done Church Militant...keep up the great work!



In Christ,

Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner 


Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/kathyschiffer/2015/07/a-correction-to-michael-voris-slanderous-post-re-sacred-heart-seminary/

Fr. Dan strikes again!

In August of 2013 (the summer Fr. Dan became a priest), I ran into Fr. Dan Fitzpatrick on Twitter who was actively promoting the often pornographic, rape filled violent show "Sons of Anarchy" on Twitter (he called it an "epic show").

See here: http://connecticutcatholiccorner.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-priesthood-pornography-and-violence.html

When I questioned Fr. Dan about his not only viewing such shows, but promoting it on Twitter he at first laughed it off.  I mentioned the graphic sex, sin and violence the show is wrapped around and Fr. Dan got silent with me.  Then when another Catholic questioned him about viewing such material he deleted his twitter account, created a new twitter account and blocked myself and the other Catholic who dared to question his promoting such offensive viewing material.

I kept track of Fr. Dan since then (had to create another Twitter account to do it) and found him to be as clueless as the summer he became a priest.  In my opinion he hasn't learned or grown in the true Faith at all since 2013.

Yet this unorthodox priest is quite popular in pubs and with his podcasts where he "teaches" the faith (God help those who listen to him!):

Now, Fr. Dan is back.  This time he is threatening to sue a Catholic blogger, Clare over at Faith in Our Families Blog (just like another priest we know) for attempting to correct him in another error.  Read Clare's story at Restore-DC Catholicism and at Faith in Our Families (who confronted Fr. Dan in his numerous errors like supporting gay marriage in Ireland on his Facebook page -below- and promoting the belief that the Holy Spirit is female on Twitter- thanks to another liberal priest).

This priest simply will NOT tolerate ANYONE who dares to rebuke him or question him about anything!

Fr. Dan has got to be disciplined by the Church and PROPERLY taught the official teachings of the Church!  Catholics do NOT need this sort of intolerant bad example priest leading them into sin and heresy.  We don't need priests who teach their personal opinions- we can get that in any protestant community.  We need and must have priests who teach official Church doctrine- ALWAYS.

HOW did this guy become a priest in the first place??

Pray to God that Fr. Dan either changes his ways or is REMOVED from his position before he does any more damage. And pray for the souls of all the people who might be or have been, led astray by this and other wayward priests.



In Christ,


Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner


**If you are a Catholic blogger worried about being sued by a Catholic priest for questioning his actions or comments, please read this: http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2015/03/exclusive-cardinal-burke-interview-with.html


links:

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/priests-plan-sunderland-pub-shindig-8436564

https://twitter.com/Father_Dan

http://faithinourfamilies.com/2015/05/30/catholic-priest-threatens-mum-of-3-with-legal-action-because-she-told-him-off-for-saying-that-the-holy-spirit-is-female-and-then-he-lies-on-twitter-about-her/

http://restore-dc-catholicism.blogspot.com/2015/05/rosicafactor-another-wayward-priest.html

Addition: 
I found it interesting that Fr. Dan's sidekick, Fr. Marc first insults the Catholic blogger on Twitter saying "you're a hurtful abusive little woman that needs a hobby. You're no help to my church" and then speaks out of the other side of his mouth saying "You accomplish more by kind words and a courteous manner than by anger or sharp rebuke".

Fr. Marc's Twitter account: https://twitter.com/frlydensmith (by the way, he deleted the insult from his account- clearly not before the blogger at Faith in our Families saw it-see her blog post).

======================================

PLEASE NOTE PEWSITTER IS WRONG:

I am not being sued, they have misread this post.