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
IL Sen.Heather Steans, the trust-fund baby who became an Illinois State Senator, did not have the votes yesterday.
Gay Marriage or the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, the Selma is Stonewall Procrustean rack, touted as the THE most important piece of legislation to come down the pike since the movie Lincoln *premiered last month, had been attached to a Car Rental Bill and then in 24 hours when 5655 stubbed it's toe in Committee stapled to Nursing Home legislation.
5655 moves to the Lame Duck, Part Deux, I guess, or awaits the new Senators (Y) to replace the Vanishing Senators (Y) in your neighborhood. Some House Reps will become State Senators.
The always laughable Eric Zorn does another bit of Stretch Armstrong cover with an absolutly hilarious attempt to link ILHB 5655 to the 13th Amendment (link Lincoln above) and opines the necessity to 5655 villains to adopt pseudonyms for an expected film based upon Illinois Gay Marriage Agonistes - How about Illinois Senator Selma Stonewall as cover for Sen. Heather (Trust Fund)Steans?
The Couple Next Door-- Illinois 2013 - at least there's no damn tricycles, Barbie Dream Houses and chalk art all over their sidewalks.
Illinois Gay Marriage will happen; Pop Culture over Tradition? - it's time, I guess. It was time for civil unions, but that was so long ago that former Gov. Pat ( Two Bits') Quinn still seemed like he could send a fax without a stamp on it. That long ago.
When forces of Gay Marriage have a heavy-weight moral theologian with three names and bow-tie, Traditional Marriage, backed a leader named Francis Cardinal George and a mitre, has got nothing, so says what passes for editorial, political and activist thought in this burg. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon and political-powerhouse Deb Mell trotted out no-less a Lincoln stand-in than Jesse Tyler Ferguson - star of ABC's TV Sitcom Modern Family! AND 250 clergy persons in full communion with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Fred Eychaner, former Gov. Pat Quinn, Chicago's Blink-of an-Eye' Mayor Dave Orr, Eric Zorn, Bruce Dold and the cast of The Book of Mormon . . . and the Illinois Legislature.! Overwhelming! Dennis Byrne made a great case for common sense in the Tribune today, but any objection to re-defining marriage meets the catcalls of the bigots, who call everyone who merely disagrees a bigot. Now, what do we Catholics and traditionalists have in our corner?
Much of the opposition stems from religious concerns, such as those cited by Cardinal Francis George, who has urged a "no" vote. We fully understand and respect the cardinal's view that same-sex marriage violates natural law. But nothing in this bill affects the church's authority to define what is right for Catholics. It recognizes the difference between religious rites and civil institutions. The Catholic church, after all, bars remarriage by divorcees, but Illinois grants marriage licenses to them. Allowing same-sex marriage does not limit the freedom of religious believers to reject it; it merely allows those who differ to practice what they believe. Bruce Dold and The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board!
We all know how The Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Unions Act affected Catholic Charities and that 'could not wait' legislation was deemd as sweet as bear meat, as well.
Gay Marriage will happen in this sad State, because money trumps everything and power is the goal.
One of the great things about teaching is the joy of seeing former students enter the vocation and commit themselves to work. Leo is blessed to have many Alumni teaching our young Lions ( Dan McGrath '68, Peter Doyle Staff '66-Present, Mike Holmes '75, Noah Cannon '91 . . .& etc.
One young gent is Marcus " This Too Shall" Pass ( Class of 2006) who is the publisher and editor of the recently revived Oriole News, Asst. Track Coach/Cross Country and Admissions field agent. Marcus is graduate of Illinois Benedictine University and a great role model.
Marcus, for all of his gifts, is singularly limited in his knowledge of 'really important stuff.' President Dan McGrath and I, two old white guys from the 'Hood who, in the day, eschewed Madras Shirts and chinos for Gousters and low cut Chuck Taylors, as well as Beach Boy tunes.
If you grew up on the south side of Chicago, certain zipcodes embracing black Americans and ethnic Catholics were profoundly dedicated to Motown, WVON, Herb Kent - the Cool Gent, WBEE, Purvis Spann The Blues Man, the Checkerboard Lounge, and Mumbo Sauce. On these ebony and ivory agree, Irish confetti tossed notwithstanding, we all "stood Tall with the Butterball!"
Cultures were exchanged via 45-RPMs well before matriculation at Halls of Ivy.
Marcus popped in this morning with a "Wha's the Word?" to which we duetted -" Thunderbird!"
We were "Huh?'d by a graduate of not only Illinois Bendictine University, but the hoary halls of Leo High School. Huh?:
We schooled the boy. Thank Christ Mike Holmes was not here.
Listen up!
From the folds at BumWine.comThunderbird 17.5% alc. by vol.
As pictured to the left, look for the pigeon feces and you'll find this old bird. As soon as you taste this swill, it will be obvious that its makers cut every corner possible in its production to make it cheap. Self-proclaimed as "The American Classic," Thuderbird is Vinted and bottled by E&J Gallo Winery, in in Modesto, CA. Disguised like Night Train, the label says that it is made by "Thunderbird, Ltd." If your taste buds are shot, and you need to get trashed with a quickness, then "T-bird" is the drink for you. Or, if you like to smell your hand after pumping gas, look no further than Thunderbird. As you drink on, the bird soars higher while you sink lower. The undisputed leader of the five in foulness of flavor, we highly discourage driking this ghastly mixture of unknown chemicals unless you really are a bum. A convenience store clerk in Show Low, AZ once told me that only the oldest of stumbling indian drunks from the reservation buy Thunderbird. Avaliable in 750 mL and a devastating 50 oz jug.
The history of Thunderbird is as interesting as the drunken effects the one experiences from the wine. When Prohibition ended, Ernest Gallo and his brothers Julio and Joe wanted to corner the young wine market. Earnest wanted the company to become "the Campbell Soup company of the wine industry" so he started selling Thunderbird in the ghettos around the country. Their radio adds featured a song that sang, "What's the word? / Thunderbird / How's it sold? / Good and cold / What's the jive? / Bird's alive / What's the price? / Thirty twice." It is said that Ernest once drove through a tough, inner city neighborhood and pulled over when he saw a bum. When Gallo rolled down his window and called out, "What's the word?" the immediate answer from the bum was, "Thunderbird."
WARNING: This light yellow liquid turns your lips and mouth black! A mysterious chemical reaction similar to disappearing-reappearing ink makes you look like you've been chewing on hearty clumps of charcoal.Bumwine.com wrote Chapter 23 of this book:
Do Memorize this - "What's the word/Thunderbird/what's price?/thirty twice/what's the flavor?/Ask your neighbor/what's the reaction?/Satisfaction/Who drinks the most?/Us colored folks!"
How was your last day of 2012? That's great. Mine sucked . . .water from the Maytag ice-maker that leaked all over the kitchen and down into the basement laundry. Craftsman sucks good.
New Years was to take place at the reception of a wedding for two young lovers at a massive hall near Chinatown, following Mass at an iconic Catholic Church in the west Loop.
New Years Eve is always a day of dred for parents of t'weens, teens and twenty-somethings. I have done the EVE-dred for many years knowing that circumstance and Free Will can often have a substantial impact, also knowing that my DNA was shared with three innocents.
I managed to negotiate a date for the wedding, had my two button Armani suit cleaned and pressed, put a coat or two of Kiwi on the dependable old wingtips, wrote a generous check out to the very happy couple, placed it in a card that I had the good sense to have my daughter purchase rather than select my own Dogs Playing Cards genre - love those!
My eldest was also attending a New Year's Eve Wedding in the suburbs, my son was out of town and his car keys are yet on his dresser, but my youngest (17 years of age) was working the 4-9 shift at Smith Village here in Beverly with the twins who accompany her after work home and then to a supervised party in Morgan Park complete with sleepover.
The bairns were accounted for and in New Year's Eve circumstances that checked parental Eve-dred, somewhat.
I own a Maytag refrigerator; did I mention that?
The wedding Mass was set for 5:30 P.M. my date lives in the near western suburbs off of the Eisenhower Expressway -no friend to a timely arrivals. The distance from my home in stately Morgan Park/St. Cajetan's parish is 26.6 miles with times varying anywhere from 39 minutes to God
Help Me! - especially coming into the Circle exchange and navigating to pick up the Ike 290.( Cultural note - the discarded booze, beer and wine bottles under the overpasss indicate a robust attitude of fresh-air imbibers; where to my recollection cast off empties sported labels like Happy Cossack Vodka, Pepe Lopez Tequila, vintage TJ Swan, Mad Dog, or Wild Irish Rose and rusted cans of Grain Belt,Country Club Malt Liqour, Buckhorn, or Burgie beer, now glimmers empty worthies like CÎROC Red Berry and Coconut Vodka, Gran Patron Burdeos, a tequila aged in French and American oak and then aged in barrels sourced from Chateaux Margaux, magnums of Lavernette Granit , and Bomber sized bottles and cans - “big cans” ranging from a 14.9-ounce Irish stout to a jumbo 22-ounce Japanese reserve lager and the very best IPAs hither and yon.) The crawl onto the Ike is a cultural field trip. We arrived at the parking lot near the church well-before the start of Mass. Before going into any place of worship, I set the phone on silent and buzz and tucked it into my top-coat pocket. The ceremony was beautiful, fun and fitting. Marriage still means something. We chatted with friends and acquaintances and then headed to our car for the trip to Chinatown. Once in traffic, I felt the buzz in my top-coat pocket and ignored the phone. I am a two-hands on the wheel driver with a healthy respect for my fellow motorists and a deep regard for lane-changing meatheads and texting ninnies. Once at the hall, which was absolutely packed with guests and wedding cast members, I again felt the buzz and transfered the phone to the pants pocket of my suit. I took care of the coats and the elegant and darling hat worn by my chic sweetheart, carefully filed the ticket stub and worked my way through the burly and the muliebrous members and guests of the wedding to the bar and ordered my lovely escort a tall vodka and orange juice. I nodded warmly and throated greetings with hearty good humor and responded to derisive demeanors with a modest smile, "Yes, I am still breathing, more's the pity; perhaps this New Year will harbor some chagrin to set sail my way. Keep a happy thought, @##hole." The phone buzzed again. Dinner was delayed, but all enjoyed plates of miniature goodies and potables by the bottle and glass. The DJ played "Can't Get Next to You!" and I white-boy danced ( shoulders and head) the Tempting T's tune and gave out with my best " EYE!!!!!!!!!! Ken Turn a Grey Sky Blue-ooooooo/I jKen Make it Rain Wheneva Eye Wannit Too!!!!!!!' The buzz. It was now about 8:15 and my diminuitive darling was jonesing for substantial food. The finger food would not do. I begged patience. Buzzzzzzzzz. "I gotta check the phone messages" You may, said my darling. I moved out of sight.
Message One - Basso Voce" Dad -Its Conor. Your phone's off." Message Two -Basso Voce" Dad, I'm calling Clare . . .I'll be home tomorrow after the Northwestern game." Message Three Alto "Dad, Conor Called said he'd call you at midnight. We got off at 7- the twins are dropping me at home to change." Message Four Soprano- "Dad, there's water all over the kitchen- the ice maker keeps pouring water. I called conor and he's not answer. Dad, Call!!!!!!" Message Five Mezzo Soprano- Dad!!!!!!!!!! Really, there random water and mess I used all the towels!!!!!!!!!
I returned to the hallway and learned that dinner would be served soon - 600+ people guest placement and my nitch in the social pecking order. . .we won't get salad until 9:15 ,Tops. Decision - we gotta go. "Sweetie, disaster at home." You must feed me, my good man. Greek town - Pegasus - fast. It's closer to the Ike. Adams to Ogden - I got the coats and darling hat and we headed for the doors. There I met a boon chum and blood kin - "We gotta go." Some people require no explanations or pleas Kopped, " I'll tell them you pissed yourself." " That should do, but it is a bit early." " Nonsense! I've seen you up to that task many's the time and sundry ! Happy New Year" " Et Cum Spiritu Tuo, Back at You!" Before getting in the car I called Clare and told her I was on my way. " Can I go to the party?" Of course. With dispatch and steady hands, I returned the lovely woman to her home hours before she expected to, but I made sure that she received a fine feed issued with great dispatch at Pegasus. I got back to my house at about 10 PM. water was cascading from the freezer. Every towel in the house was soaked. Mother McAuley, a great college prep high school, does not instruct girls in the efficasies of water management, nor the tell-tale track for copper tubing. I turned off the water flow to refrigerator emptied the overflowing, but until now superflous pan and took off my black two-button Armani suit for my long New Year's labors. God provides, no matter the problem. My children purchased a 6 gallon Craftsman wet & Dry Vac for Old Dad last Father's Day. It was still in the box. My Shop Vac has been and shall remain configured for dry tasks. Once attired for the Augean tasks that would eclipse the coming of 2012, I set about it! All towels removed to laundry - extra liquid per load. Assemble the Craftsman! My God this gift is Hickey Friendly!!!!!!!!!!!! The filter is the cat's nuts. I sucked water until 1:45 PM. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - Yallo. Basso Voce - " Dad, Happy New Year. Howza wedding?" The Mass was great. Basso Voce -" Later." Text alarm -HPPYNY LOV YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!NORA Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Alto Voce - "You Ok? Happy New Years!" Always.
Religion in Chicago Media - Bags of Hammers: Manya Brachear and Cathleen Falsani (emerita) Supporters of gay marriage call the renewed effort to highlight natural law a clever but disingenuous appeal to the masses. Manya Brachear, The Seeker, of The Chicago Tribune Let's see, you got invited for tea for an update on the man's cancer therapies and then you wait ten days and called your host a liar? She's The Seeker! Here's the deal, on December 10th Cardinal George invited members of the Chicago media over to his house for tea. Illinois Reps. Greg Harris and Heather Steans are bursiting bowels, theirs and the usual Springfield chattel, old and new, to rush through theReligious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act exactly one year after somehow living through the the Religious Freedom and Civil Union law, which was signed by Governor Pat Quinn, who will sign anything Personal Pac President and Illinois boss wrangler Terry Cosgrove tells him to sign. When Terry Cosgrove opens his yap, Planned Parenthood and Fred Eychaner's dollars pour out; when he clams up so do the dollars. Among the doyennes and dowagers of pop culture, religion, economics and of course politics, balancing tea-cups above their cankles, was Chicago's own Seeker, Manya Brachear, the religion/well-spiritualist one-time columnist and extant religion scribbler for The Trib, who somehow managed to convince Chicago that Cathleen Falsani, formerly of the Sun Times, was not just surfing in Nebraska. Yep, Manya Brachear is an intellect to cause hushed awe and reverence among the appliance at Sears Hardware. Cardinal George explained to this congress of viragoes, yet again, that the Catholic Church and those who attend it maintain that the sacrament of marriage was instituted by Christ to give grace -Will and Grace not withstanding:
"Marriage comes to us from nature," Chicago's Cardinal Francis George said in a recent interview. "That's based on the complementarity of the two sexes in such a way that the love of a man and a woman joined in a marital union is open to life, and that's how families are created and society goes along. … It's not in our doctrine. It's not a matter of faith. It's a matter of reason and understanding the way nature operates."
So, for next twenty days, The "now moved-on" Seeker , Terry Cosgrove/Fred Eychaner rolo-dex and caught up with the voices necessary present a slam-dunk Gay Marriage New Years buffet of outrage:
"On sexual ethics, nature is neutral," said Bernard Schlager, executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, Calif. "We're moral beings. We may look to nature for some aspects of how we are in our lives, but we answer to a higher standard. Sexual behavior is an expression of human love."
According to the tradition of natural law, every human being must seek a fundamental "good" that corresponds to the natural order to flourish. Natural-law proponents say heterosexual intercourse between a married man and a woman serves two intertwined good purposes: to procreate and to express a deep, abiding love. . . . And . . .Other people of faith disagree. Last Sunday, more than 250 Illinois clergy members, mostly Protestant and Jewish, endorsed the gay marriage bill as "morally just to grant equal opportunities and responsibilities to loving, committed same-sex couples. . . .
Alice Hunt, president of Chicago Theological Seminary, said the natural-law argument seems like a "strategic move."
"They quickly saw biblical marriage wasn't going to work," she said. "It doesn't work for me because you're still depending on one person or some group of people's interpretation of natural law. When you look at the history of marriage, there are many ways marriage has taken shape over time."
Nature is neutral? Tell that, Bernie Schlager, to Old John Stuart Mill who noted that “It (Nature) impales men, breaks them as if on the wheel, casts them to be devoured by wild beasts, burns them to death, crushes them with stones… starves them with hunger, freezes them with cold, poisons them by the quick or slow venom of her exhalations, and has hundreds of other hideous deaths in reserve…. All this Nature does with the most supercilious disregard both of mercy and of justice.”
Marriage has taken shape in many ways? Concubinage? polyandry? polygamy? Good old beer-goggled fornication?
Ten days and that was all Manya could come up with. Manya, Gay Marriage Illinois is a political power play controlled by our elected officials in Springfield, Santa leaves toys for kids, the Easter Bunny is always seen in the company of former Gov. Pat Quinn, the Red Sun of Krypton turns green on reaching the earth's atmosphere,Oliver Stone has a history show on cable and big old bag of hammers has nothing on you.
"Laws cannot create a peaceful person out of someone who has not experienced, especially in his or her family, the love that teaches internal discipline. Without peace of soul, there can be no real peace on the streets, in our homes or among nations." Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago What were you doing between 3 P.M. and 5 P.M. on Saturday December 8th, 2012? I was sitting in visitors lounge of the Cardinal's residence thumbing through a book penned by His Eminence The Difference God Makes. This is a theology text that happens to be reader friendly, as well as thoughtful. I was waiting while Cardinal George counselled two high school students who have very tough circumstances confronting them beyond the rigors of sports, scholarship and just getting to and from school without taking a few bullets. His Eminence had a few hours*out of his schedule that includes meeting big shots (clerical and lay), sitting with media ambush-artists, articulating the Catholic position on abortion, marriage, euthanasia which always gets a hot-foot from secularists and movie stars, as well as very painful chemotherapy sessions. The Cardinal called me to find out 'how are our guys doing?' Not so hot. "Bring them up, Saturday at 3 P,M." The dude abides. I have been to the Cardinal's residence on a few occasions - always as a chauffeur. The Cardinal is always a warm and gracious gent, but he is not there to see me. The Cardinal is ministering to young guys whom our secular lifestyles, celebrated in the TV series Shameless, or on the endless reality shows, has pounded them senseless with false expectations. Evil matriculates at home and takes graduate-studies in nihilism out on the streets. Little boys are threatened to 'Man-up,G!' And warned not to be 'Bitches.' It's all good. Up close, we know it ain't. Kids can only take so much nonsense from their role models and not become monsters. Cardinal George had two teenage victims in for a couple of cans of pop, cookies made by lovely Polish nuns, and a few hours of honest pouring out of the nonsense and some prayer. At the same time this was going on only a few blocks away, kids were just playin' on the Magnificent Mile- Two teenage boys (both 15) were treated by a real man for a little over two hours. They exited laughing with the most consequential man in the American Catholic Church and assurances to 'call when you need me.' We will. Followed by a very nice but no-kidding remonstrance directed at the chauffeur -" See to it." I took the the guys out for chow in Old Town -the great rib joint Twin Anchors was packed and an hour and half wait would not stand - we hiked to grub at Marge's a few blocks north on Sedgewick. They ate like they were going to the chair. When the ribs and chicken were disappeared, I asked about the visit. "Good," "Yeah, Cardinal George is a good guy." "Like the way he prays." " Yeah." " We get dessert, too?" Do try and eat, lads.
Society speaks of victims and their oppressors and settles the conflict through revenge. The church speaks of martyrs and their persecutors and settles the conflict through forgiveness. It is foolish to imagine that “justice” can be satisfied at the cost of love. It’s the difference between getting even and getting it right. Because of the incarnation of God’s eternal Word and his suffering and rising for our salvation, the gift of Christ’s peace is always available, but too often we fail to accept it. The violence done to Jesus himself is the source of the world’s peace, although it takes faith to recognize that truth. Francis Cardinal George - December 16, 2012
* e.g.
Cardinal George’s Schedule
Dec. 16: 2 p.m., Cardinal's Christmas Concert, Holy Family Church (Roosevelt Road)
Dec. 17: 1 p.m., Administrative Council Meeting, Quigley Center
Dec. 18: 5:30 p.m., Big Shoulders Fund Christmas Reception, Residence
Dec. 20: 6:30 p.m., The Illinois Club for Catholic Women Presentation Ball, Hilton Chicago
Dad always said that I couldn't find my butt with both hands. I can. Allow me to add this imperative -“Defend the unborn against abortion even if they persecute you, calumniate you, set traps for you, take you to court or kill you." - Pope Francis to celebrate Pro-life Mass, Vatican
"You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that."
A peach of a guy with all the sweetness one could expect from a life well-spent and in good company: short on brains but a terrific dancer!
Author:
Every Heart and Hand: A Leo High School Story
The Chorito Hog Leg, Book One: A Novel of Guam in Time of War
