Waterboy Eric Zorn Tries to Tweak Cardinal George - Spitballs Tossed at the USS Missouri

"You'll thank me for this years from now, Eric . . .or not. Yeah, probably not"

The Chicago Tribune's Waterboy, Eric Zorn, whom the Tower Editorial Board would to prop up to be The Man over a real newsman John Kass,  once again does his Nerd-Gone-Gangsta routine with today's attempt to tweak Chicago's Archbishop Francis Cardinal George over Rahm Emanuel's callow water tax levy on churches.

The claim that the public should pay water bills for organizations that do good things for the community at large is flimsy -- what, should we pay their electric bills, too? How about their property insurance? -- but at least arguable.
But the claim that the public should pay church water bills because religion itself is such a good thing -- a "glue" -- that everyone should chip in to pay for it is constitutionally (and otherwise) offensive.

Alas, The Kids in the Tower are up against EZ's gifts and public tastes. John Kass speaks with the heart and soul of a neighborhood Chicagoan and therefore remains the vox populi.  Eric 'EZ' Zorn ? This poor goof must have had a very sad childhood, indeed.

Many of the self-proclaimed 'smartest kids in class' had horrific experiences in school, due to their sense of opinion, free speech and downright loud proclamations of their whiz-bang logic.  While teachers might patiently smile at young Eric's penchant for entering the lists of any and every argument, cadres of contemporaries waited as patiently for recess, or lunch time opportunities for activist rebuttal in the form of pantsing the young Rousseau and tossing his Dad 'N Lads up on the nearest available utility lines.

The salubrious effect pantsing had on many a young Danton from my halcyon days was profound.  Young Hegels avoided becoming public ninnies and embraced common sense. Yousee, pantsing was a much more direct and emphatic manner of saying, " My dear chap, have you thought through what you have just said?  Allow me and your boonchums here to demonstrate the folly and willfully bad manners your comments make . . .grab the snotty little prique, Alphonse!"

Eric Zorn, sadly, missed out on this opportunity to remove his schnozzola from his belly-button for life because his words and inclinations were protected by educators unschooled in group play, but learned in group think.  The young fellow was few years behind the Golden Learning Curve. The result - EZ would be as welcome among most Chicagoans, as Kermit Gosnell at The Babysitter's Club.

Francis Cardinal George is more of my cultural contemporary than Eric Zorn.   We got smacked when got snotty with our elders and betters and Eric Zorn was taught by 'Who's To Say-ers.'  Wrong Side of History?  Perhaps. Wrong Side of the Brain-pan?  For sure.

Let's get to pantsing.

EZ objects to Cardinal George's protestations over a tax levied by Mayor Rahm on churches as a warning shot fired over bow.  Had Cardinal George gone all Seamless Garment on Gay Marriage, everything would be jake.

Instead, the historical exemption for churches was nixed.

Rahm Emanuel causes men of faith like Alderman Pat O'Connor to soil his Haines at the thought defending his church and common sense:

Story by 89 WLS Reporter Bill Cameron(CHICAGO) At City Hall, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's City Council Floor Leader Alderman Pat O'Connor says he's upset about the joke Cardinal Francis George made yesterday in a bid to restore free city water for churches.
O’Connor is not amused by the cardinal joking that maybe it’s time for the church to charge the city for water because Lake Michigan is God’s gift to us.
When asked, the alderman said the cardinal should stick to praying and saving souls.
“The silliest things can be said and people latch onto it.” O’Connor said. “For chrissake, we sell everybody water!  And now all of a sudden because we’re a church, we’re not supposed to sell them water?  At some point, i think what’s gonna happen is someone’s go– and here he alluded to pedophile priests - and stop talking about free water.  H/T Dan Kelley

That a boy, Pat!  Roll over.  Sic 'em with that abuse canard.  The white haired burgher really gave us a look at the gummy worm he has for a backbone.

Aldermen are scared $hitless of Rahm. All of them.  Why?  Plum evades me. Money, or the future lack of it thereof, I reckon.

Back to EZ - Eric Zorn hasa veritable  written of Pentateuch  of Rahm Happy propaganda ever since the diminuitive danse tyran took over the Fifth Floor from Richard II : Garbage Grid/ School Reform/Ceasefire Giveaways/Make underutilized and empty real estate an opportunity for the Hyde Park Mafia ( Miner/Davis/Jarret/Rogers et al)/Cop Bash and Mayor Water Tax-ey.

The water tax not only pumps up the Mayor with the Raccoon Eyes, but has the added tang of slapping the Catholic Church. Thus, more EZ logic.

The claim that the public should pay water bills for organizations that do good things for the community at large is flimsy -- what, should we pay their electric bills, too? How about their property insurance? -- but at least arguable

The Lake provides water, water.  The Unevolved, unlike the pains-in-the-ass, understand that the Great Lakes were part of God's Bounty.  That Bounty went untaxed for churches and other do-gooding non-governmental clingers to religion . . .until the Evolved showed up.

Insurance is, like usury, an unnatural man crafted construct.  Electricity comes from God's Bounty, but it takes ComEd, not City Hall, to harness the sparks after getting the coal burners a' cooking.

Apples and lug nuts,there,  Eric.

Now, to call of of the most respected scholars and original thinkers in a hard collar - a flimsy logician?

Well, that is like tossing spitballs at a battleship.

The water tax is a punitive measure to make the churches roll over on legislation that is dangerous and silly.

Every bill pumped into Springfield with Planned Parenthood dollars, or Fred Eychaner's moolah will be opposed by Cardinal George and the next the bishop of Chicago and the churches that avoid appearing like a Bill Moyers special on PBS.

Catholic aldermen will back Rahm.  Eric Zorn will carry water for Rahm.  Some kids are still in dire need of good pantsing.

Catholic Schools Could Become Ivory Towers of the Elite - Like Magnet, or Lab Schools

And now, therefore, I say to you, refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this council or this work be of men, it will come to nought; 39But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest perhaps you be found even to fight against God. And they consented to him. Acts of the Apostles 5: 38-39

The longer I live the more I learn about how things should not be done.  At one time government was a help; now it is cross-dressing Spendaholic Nanny Uncle with truth issues. At one time Mainline Protestant Denominations were the home to Progressive Babbitry; now, they are segment of Bill Moyers-in-Drag on Sharia Law.

Catholic schools used be very economical, because Brothers, Priests and Nuns comprised a good percentage of the work-force; now, Catholic schools are either doomed to close, or be ivory bell-towers for elites.

It is the in-between  that tells the tales.  Government became a soup-kitchen, tent-city and Circus maximus from the late 1960's - 1990's.  Mainline Protestant Denominations squeezed out the bible-thumpers between Billy Graham and Rev. Barry Lynn while jumping ship from the tepidly pro-abortion Rockefeller GOP to the mad-dog infanticidal maniacs of the DNC.

Catholic schools are run and staffed by lay-persons with very few exceptions ever since Vatican II.

During the 1970's smart Catholic school leaders began to tap private foundations as sources of money that could help make up the gap between revenue and expense, due to declining vocations.  By the 1980's wormy creatures named Development Directors oozed from charity swamps - this slug is one.

 I first heard the term Director of Development in the mid 1980's and the school I worked for hired one.  He lasted about ten months, brought in no new revenue, but he had a stunning wardrobe and golfed like he jumped off the The Tour.

 He had come from the world of business, sales - radio sales to be exact.  He did not understand, or like high school kids very much as I recall, but he liked teachers even less. He drew a pretty handsome salary, but never wrote to Alumni, sent out grant proposals and seemed unable to adequately articulate the history, culture and mission of the school.

He was let go and went on to run a United Way Campaign in Central Illinois for three times what he made in a Catholic school.  This Fund-raising Professional was replaced by a sweet, funny and seventy year old Sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame.  Sr. Madeline Lamar, CND.  She went through the records of the schools and developed the first Alumni Directory, followed by a raffle-calendar, a Spring Event with Dinner and Auction, a wonderful Alumni News letter, and the first annual direct mail campaign.

Prior to that Sr. Lamar worked in the offices answering phones, taking attendance, teaching religion and making students feel good. That was where I learned fundraising.  Watching a sweet-natured little French woman 'Try" stuff.  When Sr. Lamar approached with a her eyes popped in excitement, you were in for some work, " Hey, Pat!  You're Irish . . .and you are so good with words . . .You know what would be fun?  Designing our Raffle Calendar and writing up an Irish Theme for it. . . .AND you get a band going!  Yeah, your Irish band from Chicago . . .and you and Kenny, Jack, Rick, and Joel could do a rock'n roll show for the kids and . . . ! "

Scads of fun.  Months of fun!  Who needs weekends sucking up Rhinelanders and tossing horseshoes?  She had me hooked through the gills and my big mouth!


School fundraising can be brutally disappointing, exhilarating, flattering, embarrassing, rewarding and confusing all on the same day. You can help raise more than million dollars to aid a budget of $ 1.2M and find that it is not enough.  That's the job. . .read the fine print.

Catholic schools and families who need Catholic schools need substantial support.  Public schools hijacked many of the larger private and corporate  foundations by dint of political favors and intimidations.   Catholic politicians have done more to help public education, than they have to help the schools that educated them.
In the 1990's, my neighbor and friend Paul Vallas was CEO of CPS.   Kidding on the square, I often refered to the big talented Greek as the Prince of Darkness - Paul took Peoples Gas, Quaker Oats, Polk Brothers and other charities out of the reach of Catholic, Dutch, Jewish and Lutheran schools and established a Chicago Public Education Reform Foundation headquartered in . . .Evanston.

Leo had big hearted and heroic Bob Foster's name as 501 (c) 3 cache, but Paul Vallas had the crabby little guy who tossed tantrums and people under the CTA wheels with the bat of an eye-brow. Any business in Chicago became enthralled to padding millions of more dollars on to the hundreds of millions of tax-dollars being incinerated hourly by Chicago Public Schools.

School Choice? Vouchers?  Nope! Choice boiled down to Charters (Catholic Schools without God) or CPS havens for teachers without skills, or Magnet Palaces for the skilled and enthusiastic teacher and children of privilege.  That's Reform, folks.

Catholic schools, elementary and secondary, shuttered with regularity under Joseph Cardinal Bernardin - Joseph the Closer and continued until Cardinal George stopped the bleeding and appointed Sister Mary Paul McCaughey. However, the damage had been done.  Elementary feeder schools that had at one time been the recruitment pools for Catholic high schools.  The closer a high school happened to be to the inner city ( read South and West sides) the tougher the draw for students. Not only the fact that black Catholic parishes had been closed, but also the African American middle class Diaspora to the 'Burbs. Black flight had replaced White flight.

On top of that, Chicago City Hall saw the potential for a real estate boom and quickly shut down Chicago Housing Authority and the Projects.   With no affordable housing available families with Section 8 vouchers   took residence in formerly Black middle class apartments and houses.  The crime that had once been isolated along the east side Dan Ryan between 54th Street and Archer Ave. was now knocking on the doors of Ernie Terrell in Roseland and retired physicians and CPD Commanders in Pill Hill.

Through all of this, the economy tanked and layoffs became the order of the day.

A few Catholic high schools closed or were converted to Charter schools and the once powerful support by private foundations began to dry up almost as fast as the tuition payments slowed down.

Foundations, with boards dominated by lawyers, businessmen and accountants, do not want to fund schools that are doomed to close. They want schools run like like businesses - cut here, profit there. At the same time,Catholic schools that put    $10,15, or 25 thousand a year from grants into the budget were now seeing letters that said, " While our decision to longer fund your school is final, we continue to honor and value the very good and important work you continue without our annual support." Concern over that state of schools that might be closed, leads bottom-line sensible boards to pull funding from schools that really need it.
Now, that is a paradox.

Some of these foundations decided money would be better spent funneled through a university "Mentoring Program for Inner City Students Attending Inner City High Schools."

Catholic schools that operate like businesses have no trouble maintaining vigorous business and private support.  Those schools tend to be schools with a very competitive enrollment and placement program, provide competitive teacher salaries, sport magnificent campus, library and athletic facilities and students willing to travel many miles to earn the cache of association with that school.  These schools can demand       $ 8,000, 9,000 and up 15,000 per year, as well as a fund-raising commitment based upon family income.

Now, more working class and middle class families are finding the pink slip in the pay envelope.  An accountant formerly making $ 85,000 in a smart-sized City, or County Department awakens in his heavily mortgaged and taxed Chicago bungalow and struggles the thought of selling his home and taking his two daughters out of Queen of Peace High School.  A highly skilled cement finisher is no longer in demand to fix sidewalks, stairs and porches must wonder if ' Tommy, Mary and Liam will be happy at Clissold CPS on Western Ave. after so many years at St. Cajetan?'

Catholic schools should be only for those who can afford nose-bleed tuitions.  Catholic schools were established for poor and working class families.  The Office of Catholic Schools and the heroic Big Shoulders Fund are working 24-7 to maintain this historical mission.

Leo High School is and has always been a working man's school.  With Tuition set at $ 7,500 for next year, we know that very few of families can meet that cost.  Likewise, Leo High School wants families to know that a Catholic education is available for young men.  President Dan McGrath invites families to qualify for the Leo Advantage.

We'll see, as Gamaliel told the lads of the Temple who wanted to close down the first Christians,  " if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it."

Whether a Saint, or a Louse, Why The Pope Matters

 St. Peter crucified upside down.

The first pope, as we Catholics understand the office in its infancy, was Saint Peter. He was a man of rare insight and rank cowardice, identifying Jesus as the Christ and then denying him three times when threatened with reprisal. Peter was restored to grace and then some. It was his acceptance that allowed Christianity to spread from Jews to the rest of the known world. He himself went on to Rome and, unwilling to deny Jesus yet again, was martyred there. That is what all the fuss over today's conclave is about.

 In one of the most succinct and wise couple of sentences, Jeremy Lott, an American historian sums up the importance of the Papal Conclave and the election of a Pope and asks the question 'What if We Get a Bad Pope?'  The answer - 'could be.'

We'll get through.  Our national conclave just re-elected a very bad President and the Holy Spirit was neutral on that one, in my opinion.

Chicago is a Catholic town; yet, the very papers delivered to Catholics's doors, features broadcast on Local television stations and a few radio outlets delight in diminishing Catholics, their Doctrine and their clergy.  The slant is invariably that Catholics have, or should have evolved to embrace abortion, bless promiscuity and demand to re-define the sacrament of marriage and not merely ignore their Faith.

Gay Marriage and Abortion are never going find themselves walking hand-in-hand on the Sunny Side of History with Catholics. However many Catholics will go along to get along and some will work the other side  of the boulevard with Planned Parenthood and Gay Marriage. Senator Dick Durbin is reputed to be one of the most, if not the most powerful Democrats in America and he is rock-solid behind abortion and the redefinition of marriage and family.

Any time I see Senator Durbin I am reminded of the Notre Dame Irish Catholic mystique:



There will be those who wear "Catholic" like a hideous Kelly Green plastic derby with a ChIRish button afixed to its forefront on a particular ethnic holiday, not unlike Senator Dithering Dick Durbin whom I witnessed elbowing his way through the families of First Responders in order to cozy-up to Mount Carmel Football Coaches at the recent South Side Irish Parade.

Durbin sailed past the Knights of Columbus who were one of the lead floats. They had Pro-Life banners festooning the Columbian Galley float.  Mount Carmel High School has claimed so many State Football Championships that seem like the Cook County Democratic Committee of the Future. Visceral Dick could assume that these handsome and talented young lads might be pliable material for his next run for the Senate.

However, the students of Mount Carmel are taught by Carmelite Friars who devote their lives to Our Lady and Christ's Mom is no pal of Planned Parenthood.

Sen. Dick Durbin was among the honored walkers in the parade.
"It's a much better orientation," he said. "This is a great event for Chicago. One of the best."
Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/South-Side-Irish-Parade-Draws-Thousands-196773951.html#ixzz2NPrXVybV

Why was it great, there Senator? Great how?  Due to our "orientation?"  No beer.  Lots of breeders and their kids. Catholics.

Senator Durbin was a Pro-life Democrat until he found joys of swimming in the blood of the lambs and Planned Parenthood green stuff.  Abortion is not Okay and no Woman's Health Issue, unless one happens to be Medea . . .no, not the Code Pink one - the Greek Myth Medea. Durbin is not alone; the entire costumed Catholic coalition Democratic Leaders, with the sole exception of Congressman Dan Lipinksi ( D 3rd) are willfully working against their Catholic constituents in order to make abortion more lucrative and Gay Marriage Illinois a legal bludgeon.

I was not against Civil Unions, but I should have been it seems.  Civil Unions immediate;y made war on Catholic Charities.  That war will seem like a mere spat, once Greg Harris and Heather Steans get enough cowards in the Illinois House of Representatives to enact Gay Marriage.  This law and this agenda is not at all about love it is all about power politics.

However, comes out from the White Smoke will be greeted by a very hostile secular Western culture - not south Western ave. culture and . . . orientation.

It would make perfect sense that Holy Spirit guide the Conclave to select Francis Cardinal George the next Pope.  He is a Paddy Power 200-1 shot and the Chicago media, with the notable exceptions of the Tribune's John Kass and Mary Ahern of NBC,  have sniped at our Archbishop even before he was installed as Ordinary of Chicago.    Cardinal George is a great man who has battled pygmies like Governor Quinn, Mayor Emanuel and the City Council.  The Pope will be assailed before he is consecrated Bishop of Rome by the very powerful forces that are financing the re-definition of marriage and world-wide abortion industry.

The Pope matters.  We have had louses and saints sit in the chair of St. Peter.  As Mr. Lott pointed out above, St. Peter was very much like all of us.  Peter was the most human of the disciples. That is why Christ built His Church on that Rock.  Flawed folks are lead to redemption by a flawed fisherman.

Presidents, Senators, Governors, Attorneys General, Speakers of the House, Mayors and Alderman do not get crucified -right-side up, or otherwise.  Flawed Fishermen do.  Thanks be to God.

Churches Go Secular and Meet the Wrecking Ball

There is flurry of media stories about the closing of Catholic schools in America.  I don't know if that is meant to trumpet the secular tendencies to cry " We believe in Science and Reason!  We are Evolved and on the Right Side of History and, by Zeus, Bill Moyers thinks well of us!"   That's nice.

Perhaps, it is a an actual call to action.

I go to church. Catholics call it Celebrating the Eucharist.  It seems to me that in congregations where the priest is central to the worship, as Christ's consecrated celebrant, the pews are packed.  In others, where the Rev. Mr. Clergy holds the congregation captive, if not captivated with his stunning personal charisma and NPR homiletic stylings, there is plenty of seating and more than a few husbands pulling the Judas shuffle* after communion. Where the sacred and the traditional hold, the devout can be found.

Catholic schools are traditionally appendages of the parish church, when the parish empties so too the schools. Catholics feel an obligation to provide faith-rooted services to all and the economic realities are of that sensibility are becoming all too real. especially in the inner-city. 

In my years of service to Leo High School in the Auburn Gresham community, I have witnessed the closings of the following parish schools - St. Leo, St. Justin Martyr, St. Dennis, St. Killian, St. Ethelda, St. Thomas More . . .to name but a few as well as Academy of Our Lady ( Longwood) and St. Martin Porres High Schools.  Most of these closing had been the result of racial change and the infeasibility of continued operation due to enrollment and family by-in - paying tuition.

Alone of the above mentioned parishes, St. Thomas More continues as a church and attracts parishioners from far beyond its territorial boundaries.  Father Tony Brankin and his successor maintained the traditional Catholic worship and eschewed the rather sad attempt of some pastors to morph into a non-descript Christian place of worship.  St. Sabina Parish alone, by dint of its pastor's political savvy and personal magnetism thrives as a definitively Black Church. Father Brankin filled the pews without aid of the Chicago media, or celebrity guests. He did so, as does his successor, by maintaining the sacred in the Catholic liturgy -in the vernacular and in Latin.

Father Brankin has managed to do the same for St. Odilo's parish in Berwyn, where it is very tough to find a seat at every Mass. Schools that are rooted in the Catholic traditions do well. However, funding most be provided.  Here at Leo High School, black and white alumni pour funding back to the school that prepared them.  The bulk of the Alumni giving comes from the aging white graduates and much work is going to be needed to find ways of shoring up the loss in contributions from dying patrons.

Leo High School has provided a quality college preparatory education for the sons of Chicago families since 1926.  From 1926 until 1990, the majority of students at Leo were Roman Catholic. From 1991- 2011 less than 9% of the African American student body claimed to be Catholic.  In 2011, 12% of the students are now Catholic.  Here's where it gets tough - 87% of these students receive financial assistance provided by the school or the Big Shoulders Fund. Leo High School struggles to boost its enrollment and attract more families who can or are willing to meet the cost of a Catholic education.

To my surprise, the closing of churches also greatly affect the Protestant churches and it seems for much of the same reasons. Jeffrey Walton offers a solid study. 

Regardless of if they are traditionalist or revisionist, these older churches are leasing their church buildings to pre-schools and other non-church groups and feature graying congregations.

With this backdrop from my local community in mind, Associated Baptist Press caught my attention this week with a story about a church in Decatur, Georgia which is about to be shuttered, demolished, and re-developed into a shopping center. Once drawing 500 persons on a Sunday, Scott Boulevard Baptist Church is now down to less than 50 members, most of which are rapidly aging.To be clear, the congregation, affiliated with the moderate-liberal Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, isn’t dissolving. Having secured a lease agreement with a nearby church, Scott Boulevard will continue on without their facility of 60 years. But the article establishes the downward trajectory of the church.
“Congregational aging, if unplanned for, can be gut-wrenching,” the article reads. “And it’s likely in store for more congregations who fail to track the intersecting trends of giving and aging that eventually forced Scott Boulevard from its property.” . . . 

Scott Boulevard’s story reminded me of two Baptist congregations in my town. One was never large and failed to cultivate children’s programs, by default directing any new families who arrived at the church to another (thriving) Baptist congregation a few blocks north. The small congregation dissolved, sold its building to another church, and placed the revenue from the sale in the hands of a Baptist mission organization. It was a God-honoring exit, but not what they had probably hoped for.

The other church, housed in a large building, once attracted over 1,500 persons on a Sunday. In the 1970s they failed to adapt to changing demographics – namely, an influx of northerners and immigrants – and the congregation is now down to about 50 persons. I am told that every young church plant in Arlington has hopefully inquired about moving into the church building. . . . we note that many fading congregations proclaim liberal theologies that are not in accord with traditional church teachings. But while theological traditionalism is almost always a prerequisite for a large, vibrant congregation, it is not the only element. (emphases my own) 

There must be attention to core values and also attention mission strategies and tactics.  Religion has enough wolves licking their chops in anticipation of a slowed gait; the secular world has replaced faith with science.  That is foolish in itself.  Science (theoretical) is merely a tool to somehow understand the world and practical science a means to tweak problems.  Wisdom begins with fear (respect) for God and that respect is merely means of sorting the tools.

* (Catholicism) The act of leaving Mass early, typically between receiving communion and the concluding rite, without a justifiable reason for doing so. The Judas shuffle is named after Judas Iscariot, who left the Last Supper (the first Mass/Divine Liturgy) early in order to summon the guards to arrest Jesus. This is also known as pulling a Murphy.

Will International LGBTQ Activists Stonewall a Black Pope?

The Papal Conclave just got really interesting.  Peter Cardinal Turkson of Ghana is a black man.  The  Cardinal from Ghana just might become the first Black Pope since St. Gelasius (492-496).   Might.

The problem now confronting Cardinal Turkson is not in Consistory, the Klan, or with Catholics in general.  The problem leaping out of the closet is Gay Black-lash. While secular Europe, North America and OZ tend to embrace the Gay Rainbow, Asia, Central and South America and Africa, as well as Micronesia are yet, shall we say, less 'evolved' with regard to same sex marriage, same sex love and same sex anything.

Here in the United States, LGBTQ activists have been showered with millions of dollars to culturally and politically rewire the unevolved, via the news media and Hollywood, into a firm understanding that there are proud black men like MSNBC's Toure, who proudly helped abort his own child and equates Stonewall with Selma - Gay Love is a Civil Right, for Which Dr. King Was Martyred.

African Americans, Latinos, and ethnic Catholics can not and will not be allowed to be anything but Gay Complicit . . . compliant is no where near enough.

Just when the American Catholic Church has been all but completely marginalized with the endless drumming of yarns, true, or not, of universal child abuse, along comes a proud African Catholic contender for Chair of St. Peter.

Cardinal Turkson was being interrogated by CNN's Christiane Amanpour with all the skills of a Cougar Pharisee in an attempt to wedge the  Afrique religieux into the proper narrative corner.  The Cardinal did not take the bait:

 The African cardinal widely tipped to be the first black pope in modern history faced a firestorm of criticism last night after he laid the blame for clerical sex abuse crises at the feet of gay priests.

Cardinal Peter Turkson, who comes from Ghana, told an American journalist that similar sex scandals would never convulse churches in Africa because the culture was inimical to homosexuality.‘African traditional systems kind of protect or have protected its population against this tendency,’ he told Christiane Amanpour of CCN. ‘Because in several communities, in several cultures in Africa homosexuality or for that matter any affair between two sexes of the same kind, are not countenanced in our society,’ he continued.‘So that cultural taboo, that tradition has been there,’ said Cardinal Turkson, 64. ‘It has served to keep it out.’ . . . 
 
‘Cardinal Turkson’s comments show a surprisingly callous disregard for the human rights of millions of people worldwide,’ she told the Times.

Dang, that sure knocks the ruby slippers off of that one!  Hold on now, lets's here from the Civil Rights folks:

 Ruth Hunt, Stonewall director of public affairs, was among those to swiftly condemn his remarks.

"Cardinal Turkson’s comments show a surprisingly callous disregard for the human rights of millions of people worldwide,’ 

However, She did not say that the Cardinal is wrong.

Now, this is a troublesome moment for the Gay Curia.  The Civil Rights Meme Coalition could be split!  How Can We Celebrate a Pope Of Color, Who Is Not Rainbow Happy? What Would Toure Say?

Not even a government's scientific-dogma'd NHS could help:

But one NHS psychiatrist who has researched the field of clerical sex abuse agreed with the cardinal that homosexual abuse of adolescent males rather than paedophile attacks on children characterised the problem. 

‘I would say he is correct,’ said the doctor, who asked not to be named in fear of reprisals - including the loss of his job.‘Where the research has been done – for example in the United States and Australia – in the region of 80 per cent of the victims of sex abuse by priests are adolescent males rather than children.’ ( emphasis my own)

When the sex-abuse scandal took off here in America, the priests and Catholic spokespersons who pointed to this truth were hushed up.  The meme became Homosexuality Does Not a Pedophile Make! No, but a homosexual priest just might tend to find a high school aged Catholic Frank Merriwell just the ticket for long holiday week-end trip to Wisconsin.

If that priest, who wants what the heart wants, has a like-minded and inclined boss, or bosses -so much more the opportunity.

I expect that Cardinal Turkson will undergo the usual LGBTQ bastinado and perhaps an auto-de-fe, like the treatment Francis Cardinal George has been subjected to in Gay Chicago Values Illinois.
Cardinal Turkson will be ridiculed by the usual progressive puritans and be treated as the THE WOG WHO WOULD BE POPE. POPE HERMAN CAIN, I & etc.

Dan " Savage Love" Savage & Neil Steinberg will tell everyone that Copernicus was an evolved  and clouted American priest again.  MSNBC's angrogynous Chris Hayes will share insights with lightweight Eric Zorn on the Koch Brothers' involvements in Africa.  The usual breathless nonsense from the media. OMG,It is obvious SOMEONE has not seen The Book of Mormon!

The Gay Money will be on an Italian Cardinal and we will all be told to just get over it about having a Black Pope.  Ever see any Black in a Rainbow?

  

"I Got the Pope Right Here; His Name is Paul . . ."Papal Morning Line from Paddy Power

The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified him, took his garments, (and they made four parts, to every soldier a part,) and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. John 19:23 Douay-Rheims Bible

Like this Horse?  Like This Horse?  I LOVE this Horse!  I could Eat This Horse! - 
the late Dave Feldman dean of Chicago Track Writers: Chicago Sun Times

 Betting on anything is the sucker's game. A Fool and his money is soon parted; a gambler and his kids' money, the Dude at the End of the Bar's money, OG's Pay Day Loans money, Maxed out Credit Card's Money, and the Last Person Who Will Make Eye-Contact With You's nickel is parted real fast.   This I know.  I am a recovering gambler.  No Skye Masterson, this boy. 

I am now Nicely-Nicely Hickey having seen the light and been slapped silly by family and friends - clean since 2005.

Nevertheless, while I eschew this occasion of sin; nevertheless, understand the attraction.  Betting on the next Pope, like Keno/Caribbean Stud/Roulette and especially the slots is a House Game. It's fixed.  Sure 86 Cardinals vote, but fix is in - the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit -AKA The Third Person/ Paraclete/ The Bird - picks the Pope.

The Tote Board has the odds going to this trifecta

1-Archbishop Angelo Scola 2-1

2-Peter Cardinal Turkson 5-2
3-Marc Cardinal Ouellet 11/2

I like long odds - which explains why I am boo'd at GA meetings -and I love Chicago's Francis Cardinal George. 200-1

Sit Down Hickey!!!!!!!!! You're Mocking the Pope!

Not a jot.  

Man, He do favor Stubby! 

 Mayhaps.
e

State Senator Bill Cunningham Voted Yes on Gay Marriage

My State Senator, William Cunningham, entered the Illinois Legislature as a replacement for Illinois State Representative Kevin Joyce who represented the voters of the our district with courage, integrity and profound commitment to fighting abortion, the American Holocaust.  Our Senator retired and William Cunningham moved into that position.

Kevin Joyce was a rarity, an elected official who actually listened to voters, but voted his convictions.  More so, Kevin Joyce was very upfront and honest about legislation that he would support, or oppose.  No one knows what position William Cunningham holds on anything. My State Senator voted with the herd.

Mr. Cunningham voted for the Religious Freedom and Gay Marriage Bill, which overwhelmingly passed the Senate -34-21-2 .

I am a Catholic.  I believe that this legislation is political theater of the absurd.  It is power politics playing at social justice.  I guess Mr. Cunningham disagrees with the Catholic Church and saw nothing wrong the civil union aftermath. William Cunningham voted for Gay Marriage.

State of Illinois

98th General Assembly

Senate Vote

___________________________________________________________________

Senate Bill No. 10

THIRD READING

Feb 14, 2013

34 YEAS 21 NAYS 2 PRESENT

 . . . Y Cunningham Y Koehler Y Muñoz Y Trotter

Y Delgado Y Kotowski N Murphy P Van Pelt

N Dillard N LaHood Y Noland Y Mr. President

N Duffy Y Landek N Oberweis . . .

I wrote several notes to Mr. Cunningham expressing my concerns that Gay Marriage Illinois would become a political weapon against my Church, as the Religious Freedom and Civil Unions law proved to be just that -immediately upon Gov. Pat Quinn's signing that bill into law Catholic Charities was bullied out of decades of care for families wanting to adopt children.

Mr. Cunningham, to my knowledge, has never stated his position on Gay Marriage publicly or privately.  In fact, my notes to him were merely acknowledged by his secretary without comment, or an attached position of this important legislation.

Mr.Cunningham has made a career in public service, rather he has had political jobs. I will not vote for or support Mr. Cunningham, or any of his political allies.  He has a right to his vote and I still have a right to my own.

The Men of Leo Wish Francis Cardinal George A Very Happy Birthday

The men of Leo send their warmest regards and most vervent prayers for a very Happy Birthday to Leo Man -Francis Cardinal George, OMI & Leo 2012!

                           Christo Gloria in Eccelsia et Facta Non Verba 
                           To Christ be Glory in the Church and Deeds Not Words
                                                         Happy Birthday, Your Eminence!

Illinois Gay Titans of Industry - Fewer than the Manteno Chamber of Commerce

Hoping to nudge stalled legislation that would legalize gay marriage in Illinois, a group of business leaders on Sunday framed their argument around this simple notion: It’s a smart business decision.
Local industry titans cited the ability to recruit top talent as a top reason to pass the legislation. Sun Times

 Meet The Titans!

Chicago Urban League.

Illinois Science & Technology Coalition.

Google.

Knight Engineers & Architects.

Curt Bailey, president, Related Midwest.

Andrew Bluhm, founder and principal, Delaware Street Capital.

Norm Bobins, former CEO, LaSalle Bank; Chairman, PrivateBank and Trust Co.

Bill Brandt, president and CEO, Development Specialists, Inc.

Carole Brown, senior managing director, Barclays Capital.

Lewis B. Campbell, chairman and CEO, Navistar International.

Lance Chody, CEO, Garrett Popcorn Shops

Philip B. Clement, global chief marketing and communications officer, Aon.

William M. Daley.

Laura Desmond, CEO, Starcom Mediavest Group.

Fred Eychaner, chairman, Newsweb Corp.

Paul S. Fisher, president and CEO, CenterPoint Properties.

Albert M. Friedman, CEO and President, Friedman Properties, Ltd.

Peter Gottlieb, president, North Star Investment Management Corp.

David A. Helfand, CEO, Helix Funds.

Carrie Hightman, executive vice president and chief legal officer, NiSource Inc.

Fred Hoch, CEO, Illinois Technology Association.

Mark S. Hoplamazian, president and CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corp.

Kym Hubbard, CIO and treasurer, Ernst & Young.

Ron Huberman, executive chair, TransitPro Logistics Inc.

William Lawless, President, The Gage & Henri Restaurants

Joseph Mansueto, founder and CEO, Morningstar Inc.

Matt Moog, founder and chairman, Built In Chicago.

Maura O’Hara, executive director, Illinois Venture Capital Association.

Sarah Pang, senior vice president, corporate communications and public affairs, CNA Financial Corp.

Richard S. Price, chairman and CEO, Mesirow Financial.

Quintin E. Primo III, chairman and CEO, Capri Capital Partners LLC.

Gigi Pritzker Pucker, OddLot Entertainment.

Doug Regan, Midwest regional director, J.P. Morgan.

Judith C. Rice, senior vice president, BMO Harris Bank.

Desiree Rogers, CEO, Johnson Publishing Co.

John W. Rogers, Jr., chairman and CEO, Ariel Investments LLC.

John W. Rowe, chairman emeritus, Exelon Corp.

Michael Sacks, CEO, Grosvenor Capital Management.

Harrison I. Steans, chairman of the executive committee, Financial Investments Corp.

Jay Stieber, executive vice president and general counsel, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc.

Rich Stoddart, president, Leo Burnett North America.

Estelle Walgreen, founder, Hispanically Speaking News.

Tony Weisman, Regional President, Digitas.

Chicago's business community ?  Oh, there is more business than that.  However, the Gay Marriage narrative fit within which our local media operates is quite snug.  A score and change ( 25) Church persons came out in favor of Gay Marriage and thousands of Illinois clergy who might not agree were ignored.  Likewise, the two score (43) business Titans above are eclipsed by the membership of the Manteno, IL Chamber of Commerce by thirty. Meet the Manteno Magnates! From Aaron's Alarm Company, Inc. to Yanni's Cafe, these magnates have not yet to heard trumpeting a clarion call for Gay Marriage. Nor, have the Chambers of Commerce of  Mokena. Giant City, Utica, Ladd, Beaverville, Martinton, L'Rable, Monmouth, Custer Park . . .Who do issue clarion call?

These Titans.

Fred Eychaner and Heather Steans' Pa are Gay Titans pushing Reps. Greg Harris and Heather Steans' Religious Freedom and Marriage Equality (Gay Marriage IL HB 5655) with economic power - $$$$$$$$.

Fred Eychaner is a Husky Philanthropist and Captain of the the print and communications industry. Heather's Pa is Harrison Steans - he-bull of the Steans Family Foundation and Concentric Equity Partners, LP.

They are economic ( $$$$$ & etc.) engine driving Illinois HB 5655.  In fact some believed that Rep. Heather Steans did not count the Democratic lame ducks taking a duck on the recent vote; thus stalling the most important and crucial and can't wait some more legislation of our times!.

There are more 18,000 heavy industry operations in Illinois and 39 % of those operations ( metal fabricators & etc.) are located right here in north eastern Illinois - Cook, Will, Grundy, Lake Counties.  Gay Marriage is important to some people.  Gay Marriage seems to be more of problem for more people.

I agree with Fred Eychaner and Heather's Dad that this is important legislation.

I agree with Cardinal George that this is very dangerous legislation.

Once again, "Local industry titans cited the ability to recruit top talent as a top reason to pass the legislation. Sun Times"

Top Reason?

Top talent is gay?  Or, is it Gay Talent is tops?

White House Posts Petition to List Catholic Church a 'Hate Group'

The First Gay President allowed his website to post this:

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WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:

Officially recognize the Roman Catholic Church as a hate group.

In his annual Christmas address to the College of Cardinals, Pope Benedict XVI, the global leader of the Roman Catholic Church, demeaned and belittled homosexual people around the world. Using hateful language and discriminatory remarks, the Pope painted a portrait in which gay people are second-class global citizens. Pope Benedict said that gay people starting families are threatening to society, and that gay parents objectify and take away the dignity of children. The Pope also implied that gay families are sub-human, as they are not dignified in the eyes of God.

Upon these remarks, the Roman Catholic Church fits the definition of a hate group as defined by both the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.

 "I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history." Francis Cardinal George, OMI Archbishop of Chicago

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/officially-recognize-roman-catholic-church-hate-group/CZB81hWK