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.

Leo Students Witness Politics Old School - Vice President Biden, Governor Quinn, Chicago Labor and Mary Ann Ahern Give a Tutorial

"I talked before about the mess President Obama and I inherited," said Biden. "Pat, I think you inherited almost as big a mess. Pat didn’t complain. He got to work. He passed a law giving small businesses a $2,500 tax credit for every person they’d hire.”

According to the Secret Service, there were about 1,700 people at Tuesday's event. Another 300 people were left outside, unable to get into the event.

Mary Ann Ahern NBC 5.

In that packed hall were six Leo High School students. Hakeem Chatman, who has been leading the Chicago Catholc League in tackles, is a middle linebacker and a superb track athlete ( shot & disc), marvelled at the packed crowd in Chicago Plumbers Hall on West Washington Street, where he and Jeremy Clark, Tevin Craft, Boxer Denzel Howard, Golfer and Scholar Brendan Mahan and Kaylon Rimpson rubbed elbows, hips and rumps with Congressman Danny Davis, Congressman Bobby Rush, and the Chicago news media.

Brendan Mahan did a video with Tiger Woods at Beverly Country Club last year - the video was eclipsed by the scandal and has yet to make an appearance. Brendan is a very tuned in young man who reads both Chicago papers back-to-back each day and therefore was able to identify Chicago's political elite.

Congressman Danny K. Davis, who appeared on stage with the Vice President Biden, Governor Quinn, Senator Durbin and Mayor Daley spoke with the six Leo Lions for the better part of hour outside of the packed Union Hall, as Secret Service Agents made safe passage for the Vice President. Brendan engaged the Congressman who was the soul of grace with the young gentlemen bedecked in bright orange Leo Boxing gear.

It was the school colors that attracted the attention of my old pal NBC 5 political reporter Mary Ann Ahern, whose father-in-law is Leo Man Dr. Jimmy Ahern ( Leo '44). Mary Ann put down her microphone and walked down from the TV Press Platform and spoke with the Leo Boxers. Freshman Jeremy Clark spoke with Mary Ann like a seasoned political professional. Mary Ann Ahern gave the guys her journalist's full press asking about their studies and interests and praised Hakeem Chatman's record on the football field. The guys witnessed a genuine news reporter at work - Mary Ann kept her focus on the rally and nevertheless gave the young fellows her attention.

It had been a full day of studies and activities for our guys, but they had all volunteered to witness the arrival of Vice President Biden. The Catholic high school heroes of Gresham dined on cheeseburgers with Boxing Coach Mike Joyce (Leo '86) at the legendary Palace Grill, while Secret Service agents swept the Plumbers Hall prior to the 5PM start of the rally. The Leo Van was given a great parking spot by a Federal Agent who had served under Agent Larry Lynch, recently retired from the Secret Service, who himself had been mentored by the heroic Tim McCarthy the Secret Service Man who save President Reagan.

Leo High School continues to produce great men. These six kids from Chicago's toughest and most dangerous neighborhoods are following in the paths of great Lions. In fact at the table next to the Leo Boxers sat Operating Engineers Local 399's Tom Keatty ( Leo '73) who runs operations for US Equity and was part of that union's huge contingent of supporters for Governor Pat Quinn.

Labor came out in droves - Engineers Locals 150 and 399, Plumbers 130, Pipefitters 597, Electricians 134, Painters, Hoisters and a sea of orange bedecked Laborers.

Vice President Joe Biden tossed the working class warriors slabs of red meat and they ate it up! Joe Biden is in his element among blue collar Americans and told poignant story after story of his father's heroic efforts to feed his family.

When it was time to head back to Leo, I could not have been more proud of the half dozen young gents in my charge. They called to have their parents pick them up at Leo.

I hung out with Hakeem Chatman and the next Golden Gloves Boxing Champ Denzel Howard on 79th Street in front of the statue of Our Lady and the Leo War Memorial. Both young men talked about how comfortable they felt meeting celebrities and national figures. It is no mystery, these kids work at it every day. Doing more than what is expected of one is the common place of great people - it takes practice - and these young gentlemen work at it.