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January-February 1998 Roman Catholic Faithful, P.O. Box 109, Petersburg, IL. 62675   
 (217-632-5920)    (Fax 217-632-7054)



INDEX:

[Of what use is authority if no one is willing to exercise it?]
[More Witnesses Emerge in Bishop Ryan Case] [In the Dead of Winter]
[A Disordered Archdiocese: Cardinal Mahony
and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles]

[Rev. George Parker Addresses Immaculate Conception
chapter of CUF at dinner honoring Stephen Brady]

[Bullies Finally Identified]
[Jan 22, 1998, Day of Infamy—25 Years of Abortion on Demand]
[Letters]

 

Of what use is authority
if no one is willing to exercise it?

by Stephen Brady

On May 15, 1996, Roman Catholic Faithful (RCF) was incorporated in the State of Illinois to combat the heretical teachings and liturgical abuses being forced upon the laity within the Springfield Diocese. At that time the board of directors had no idea RCF would grow to its present size and strength with members in fifty states and nine foreign countries. While RCF is small in numbers compared to many organizations, it has expanded to an international organization because of the Faith and determination of our members.

RCF has found that heresy is tolerated in many parts of the country. A Bishop of any diocese must take responsibility for what goes on within his diocese. If the documented abuses are brought to his attention and he still refuses to, or is unable to correct the situation; then, the bishop is the problem. The life of the diocese, often times, is a reflection of the lives of its administrators, and prudence would dictate a close scrutiny of their lives.

Unfortunately RCF has found that heresy does not seem to trouble many within the hierarchy, in fact, many bishops themselves are responsible for the wholesale loss of faith in many parts of the country. The Papal authority should correct any situation that might exist within a diocese. So what can RCF do at a time when the Holy See seems unable to exercise her authority?

At this time, RCF is concerned mainly with two dioceses. Springfield, Illinois, which is the home base of RCF, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles California. The former small and near death; the latter, much larger and dying.

Bishop Ryan of Springfield, Illinois, is the problem in his diocese. In this issue of AMDG, Dr. Droleskey reports on recent events unfolding in Springfield, Illinois.

When it comes to Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles, CA, RCF has no idea what he believes or why he does what he does. Based on the letters RCF has received from the priests and laity and based on the speakers Mahony brings to his Religious Education Congress each year, RCF can safely say that Cardinal Mahony must not be in control of his Archdiocese or must not know what goes on in his Archdiocese. In either case, No TRUE prince of the Church would place a soul at risk by allowing known dissenters to educate his flock as does Mahony at his education congress. (More in Stephanie Block?s article "A Disordered Archdiocese.")

AS RCF MOVES INTO L.A.

At the last Marian apparition of Akita, the Virgin Mary said, in part, “The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres. Churches and altars will be sacked. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises, and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.”(Akita)

And the following from the apparition of LaSalette, “Priests, my Son’s ministers, priests, by their evil life, by their irreverences and their impiety in celebrating the holy mysteries, love of money, love of honor and pleasures, priests have become sewers of impurity. Yes, priests call forth vengeance, and vengeance is suspended over their heads. Woe to priests, and to persons consecrated to God, who by their infidelities and their evil life are crucifying my son anew! The sins of persons consecrated to God cry to heaven and call for vengeance; and now here is vengeance at their very doors, for no longer is anyone found to beg mercy and pardon for the people. There are no more generous souls. There is now no one worthy of offering the spotless Victim to the Eternal on the world’s behalf!” (LaSalette)

I do believe the Blessed Mother’s words could very well describe the situation today.

We at RCF have made our intentions known to all who care to listen. Our tools are Faith, prayer and action; and as a last resort, litigation and public exposure. What you are about to read in this newsletter is shocking to say the least. “Name the darkness”...we cannot defend our Faith if we do not know what we are up against!

“Heavenly Father, we ask Your blessing on our efforts. Show us the way to spread the Truth of the Catholic faith in the midst of error and infidelity. Fill our hearts with authentic love for our priests, bishops, and all the clergy-a love that moves us to unceasing prayer for their souls and to constant exhortation to faithfully fulfill their sacred task of preaching the Whole Truth of the Catholic Faith without compromise.

Grant us wisdom in our deliberations, courage in promoting the truth, prudence in exposing error, and Charity in all the things we do. Bless our Holy Father the Pope by granting him loyalty and fidelity from the bishops and all the clergy of the church.

We ask these things through the intercession of our Holy Mother Mary.”

The courage of two people, Frank Bergen and Sandra Elraghy, is about to open a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church in America, a chapter that many within the hierarchy would rather keep closed. As you read Frank and Sandra’s story remember; “It is not an act of charity to allow one’s neighbor to run headlong into Hell.” God help us all if we fail to help those in need. That includes Bishop Ryan and other bishops and priests who seem to have lost their way. Ask yourself or your Bishop two questions: Why are so many priests, seminarians, and laity calling RCF for help? Of what use is authority if no one is willing to exercise it? 

The following letter is a typed copy of a hand written statement by Frank Bergen.

Monday, January 12, 1998

Subject: The Catholic Church in Central Ill.

My name is Frank Bergen. I am a 30 year old male currently incarcerated in the State of Ill. I am writing this letter and making the truth be known in order to clear my conscience of the abuse that was done to me and my faith, and the faith of countless others. And to help those involved seek help for their wrongs. I'm in no way seeking to be a gold digger or trouble maker.

For the last 14˝ years of my life I have been a male prostitute and an abuser of illicit drugs. Thanks to God's grace I have found sobriety in the 13 months.

In 1983 I ran away from home in central Ill. I was almost 16 years old. I had no money, no job, and an attitude of indifference. I wound up in downtown Spfld at 4th and Washington at the Amtrak Station turning trick (or selling my body for money) in order to have the basic needs of life. In that time frame I heard of a good date that paid well, called "The Bish." who was supposed to pay good, have simple sexual taste meaning no intercourse, and would be a regular if he found you desirable. I finally met and dated this man called the "Bish." I being Catholic knew immediately who it was. It was Bishop Daniel Ryan the Bishop of Spfld (Springfield, IL). He liked to give and receive back rubs, to grab your face and kiss you, sometimes would like o___ sex preformed on him, he would kiss the h___ of your p____ and for the finale would lay upon you and rub till he ejaculated (And the other prostitutes called this easy). Then would pay between 50 and 150 dollars, buy you clothes, take you to eat, and buy groceries, pay rent, and pay utilities if asked and he was in a good mood. These drunken sprees of his continued with me and others till his going into alcohol drug treatment in the late 80's. During the period from 1983-1994 I met and dated other priests as well. In 1984 I met Father______... who I dated till my incarceration in 1992. exchanging m____ m______. In the Early 90s I met Father_____... who took me back to his room at the rectory where we m______ m_________, this was a one time thing. The on the Christmas Season of 1994 met a man who was drunk downtown looking for company (sex) for money. It was Father____... We went back to the rectory of St.___ and we m____ m______. This was a one time thing also. During the encounters with priest I told each and every one of them that I was dating or had dated Bishop Ryan for money. I also told Bishop Ryan of my encounters with each and every one of these priests mentioned. I often used to go with Dan Ryan up to his apt above the Cathedral where sex and drinking prevailed. Sometimes after a sexual encounter with the Bishop I would have confession where I was absolved of my sins, and he would tell me "Christ sent me to love you." Do I need to mention his foot fetish, or his like of Johnny Walker, or he took his male companions to eat at Red Lobster in Spfld or when he was drunk he was at times forceful or that I can describe his apt. above the Cathedral or his sexual organs and other distinguishing marks. The only reason I came forward was to stop the abuse of position by this man and others, and to finally once and for all clear my conscience Before making this statement I was able to find a priest who heard my confession so I could say this with a clean heart. I hope the Church of Central Ill strengthens it self out of all this as it's time. I was not paid, forced or coerced into making this statement. I am also not the only one who did this, there are at least 6-10 other people I know by name who dated Bishop Ryan too. To them I say please come forward and stop what's happening. Some of these where also minors too. In my back ground you will find I was an addict and a convicted felon. Please don't let this cloud you as this is the truth. I say this with my right hand to God and affirm with my dying breath. To Bishop Ryan and the others. I'm sorry I had to do this, but it has to stop for the good of all. For those that wish to slander me and to cover this up or plain don't want to believe this could ever happen we are all human with all its problems. Sometimes a wolf does come in sheep's clothing.

Sincerely, Frank Bergen

[top]


More Witnesses Emerge
in Bishop Ryan Case

by Thomas A. Droleskey

Nearly fifteen months have passed since Stephen Brady, the President of Roman Catholic Faithful, wrote to Springfield, Illinois, Bishop Daniel Ryan to inform him that two priests had come forward to charge him with sexually harassing them. And one of the priests making the accusation said that Ryan had threatened to send him to a psychiatric center when it became apparent to him that the priest had talked to others about his conduct.

After it was learned that the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, had provided Ryan with confidential statements made by the two priests, Brady decided to hold a press conference on February 3, 1997, to publicly reveal the charges. The Wanderer interviewed both of the priests involved in the case, although the interviews were not printed so as to permit a prominent American priest to pursue his contacts in the Vatican to affect Ryan's quiet removal.

The prominent American priest subsequently took one of Ryan's priest-accusers to Rome in late February of last year. A high-ranking curial official listened to the evidence presented against Bishop Ryan. Although there were reports that the Vatican later made three requests of Ryan to resign as ordinary of the Diocese of Springfield, Ryan remained in power, continuing to deny all of the charges made against. him. The priest-accuser who had gone to Rome last year was later given protection by the Holy See, which informed Ryan that he could not contact his accuser. The priest continues to insist that his story is accurate, but he is not willing to come forward publicly at this point.

Above and beyond the salacious charges brought by the priests against Bishop Ryan, the real story in this matter has always revolved around Ryan's abuse of his episcopal power and how the Vatican has ignored the pleas of both the clergy and the faithful in the Springfield diocese to correct the situation there by demanding, not requesting, Ryan's resignation. The faithful were told by the prominent American priest who had gone to Rome to be patient, that the Vatican would act to remedy the situation. But nothing happened. Ryan remained in power, although he continued to be dogged by Stephen Brady whenever he appeared publicly in the Springfield diocese.

Things came to a head in December of 1997, however. A priest in Lincoln, Illinois, which is located in the Diocese of Peoria, was accused of having molested several young men over the course of a twenty year period. The secular press, which had buried the Ryan story, mentioned the charges against Ryan while running accounts of the Lincoln story. When asked to comment on Stephen Brady's accusations about Ryan's personal and ecclesiastical conduct, Kathleen Sass, Ryan's spokeswoman, told The Daily Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) that Brady's comments "are based in ignorance of good church teaching."

Sass's comments caught the eye of one Sandra Elraghy, a resident of Springfield who had never met Stephen Brady. A student at Springfield College who works at a laundromat in Springfield, Elraghy had been a prostitute in the Illinois capital until 1990. She was thoroughly familiar with the street life of that city, and telephoned Brady to inform him that she had been in a car with two male hustlers on several occasions when they were picked up by "the bish," that is, Bishop Daniel Ryan. She provided Brady with extensive information in an audio-taped interview with him on Friday, December 12, 1997.

Elraghy named Frank Robert Bergen and Kent "L." as two of the male prostitutes who had been hired by Ryan to provide him with sexual favors for money. The information Elraghy, who is now taking instructions in the Catholic faith, provided about the bishop's sexual trysts corroborated the stories by the two priests interviewed by The Wanderer last year. It also substantiated the information that Brady had received from a number of independent sources, including an anonymous letter he received last year which listed a number of male hustlers who were known to be consorts of Bishop Ryan.

Elraghy did not know where to find Frank Bergen, but believed that he could be found in an Illinois correctional facility, which turned out to be the case. He agreed to cooperate with Brady on one condition: that Brady find him an orthodox Catholic priest to hear his confession. Armed with this new information, Brady sent out a press release to announce a press conference to be held in Springfield on Tuesday, December 30, 1997. He notified both the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Cacciavillan, and the Archbishop of Chicago, the Most Reverend Francis George, of the pending press conference.

To Brady's surprise, a representative of Archbishop George contacted him, requesting him to postpone the December 30 press conference. The representative, Jimmy Lago, said that the archdiocese would conduct a thorough investigation of the matter. Brady, who had postponed a press conference in January of last year so as to provide the Vatican with more time to digest the information he had sent them about the priest-accusers, was more than a little skeptical. However, he agreed to postpone the press conference after Lago assured him that a serious investigation of the matter would be conducted by the archdiocese.

The press conference was scheduled to deal with the new evidence of Ryan's homosexual behavior, as well as developments in the Lincoln case. Brady was receptive to not discussing the Ryan situation at that conference if Lago attested in writing that he represented Archbishop George, and that the archdiocese was conducting an investigation into the matter. Brady says that he made it clear to Lago that he would distribute the statement to members of Roman Catholic Faithful and to members of the press as a means of explaining why the new evidence would not be presented at the press conference. Brady kept his part of the bargain and did not mention the evidence possessed by Sandra Elraghy or Frank Robert Bergen.

Lago, however, appeared to double-cross Brady and James Bendell, RCF's attorney. He made a statement to The Daily Pantagraph, published on January 6, 1998, that "There's a lot of allegations, but no proof. Nobody is willing or able to even step forward at this point." Lago knew that two priests had made accusations in 1997, and he was aware of evidence possessed by Elraghy and Bergen. Lago had even spoken to Elraghy personally. Brady and Bendell considered Lago's remarks to be evidence of bad faith. Bendell wrote Lago a letter that same day, January 6, 1998, telling him that "RCF must now consider relations between us as totally broken, and we are proceeding with our campaign to remove Ryan, including the rescheduling of the press conference with the woman mentioned above."

Lago told The Wanderer on January 7, 1998 that he did not give permission to Brady to distribute his statement to the press. He said that he stood by his statement to the Pantagraph, that he personally knew of no one who had evidence who was willing to come forward at that point. When confronted with the fact that there are people who have come forward with first-hand information, Lago stuck to his published comments. He insisted that his investigation was a serious one and that he would make no further comments to the press. He did not respond when asked why he could not have given a simple "no comment" or "this matter is under investigation" when questioned by the secular press.

Brady told The Wanderer that he did tell Lago that his statement attesting to the seriousness of the Archdiocese of Chicago's investigation would be given to the press. He believed that Lago was not serving as an honest broker in the matter, and therefore rescheduled the press conference to reveal the Elraghy and Bergen charges on Thursday, January 15, 1998.

Entreaties were made by high-ranking ecclesiastical officials to convince Brady to cancel the press conference. One such official admitted that the Vatican had known all about Ryan's homosexual activity for many years. He said that it would take time to remove Ryan, but assured Brady that Ryan would be removed. Another prominent cleric, the one who had gone to Rome in 1997, argued that the good of the church demanded that Brady cancel the press conference, that it would be unseemly for the new charges to become a matter of the public record. This priest went so far as to telephone Brady's wife, Joanne, to say that the press conference, if held, would be an example of pride and anger, not fidelity to the church.

Brady listened to all of the entreaties. However, it was his judgment that the information had to be revealed publicly, especially in light of the fact that the Vatican had known about Ryan's activities all the time. Too much harm had been done to the state of the church in Springfield to permit this new evidence to languish in the Vatican bureaucracy for another five or six years. The press conference, therefore, went on as scheduled on Thursday evening, January 15, 1998.

Attended by over seventy people, including four reporters from the secular media (and one woman who claimed to represent the Vatican in the matter, a woman who has ghost-written articles about the Springfield diocese in The Wanderer), the press conference began with a moving statement by Jo Ann Brady.

Mrs. Brady made a point-by-point rebuttal of the accusations levelled against RCF by the prominent priest who had telephoned her the day before. Looking straight at the woman who has served as a conduit of information for this priest, Brady said that the press conference was being held out of love for the church, out of a concern for the salvation of the souls of her children. She went on to say that arriving at the decision to hold the press conference was not easy, but that it became easier when it was learned that the Vatican had known that a practicing homosexual was serving as the ordinary of a diocese. Her comments were echoed by Pamela Bultmann, a board member of RCF.

Stephen Brady then read a letter sent to him by Frank Robert Bergen. The letter stated the nature of the charges he was making against Bishop Ryan and three other priests, one of whom has been dead for several years. The charges were identical in nature to those made last year by the two priests. Bergen went on to explain his reason for coming forward:

"I am writing this letter and making the truth be known in order to clear my conscience of the abuse that was done to me and my faith, and the faith of countless others. And to help those involved seek help for their wrongs. I'm in no way seeking to be a gold digger or trouble-maker.

"For the last fourteen and one-half years of my life I have been a male prostitute and an abuser of illicit drugs. Thanks to God's grace I have found sobriety in the [last] thirteen months.

"In 1983 I ran away from home in central Illinois. I was almost 16 years old. I had no money, no job, and an attitude of indifference. I wound up in downtown Springfield at 4th [Street] and Washington at the Amtrak station turning tricks in order to have the basic needs of life. In that time frame I heard of a good date that paid well, called 'the bish. . . .'" Bergen went on to describe Bishop Daniel Ryan's conduct, explaining that he would "pay between $50 and $100, buy you clothes, take you to eat, and buy groceries, pay rent, and pay utilities if asked and he was in a good mood. These drunken sprees of his continued with me and others until his going into alcohol drug treatment in the late eighties." He also described his illicit activities with other priests. And he wrote that Ryan heard his confession and absolved him of his sins each and every time he had a sexual encounter with him. If this is so, Ryan has excommunicated himself. And it is reserved to the Holy See alone to remove such an excommunication.

Bergen, who is dying of AIDS, wrote, "The only reason I came forward was to stop the abuse of position by this man and others, and to finally once and for all clear my conscience. Before making this statement I was able to find a priest who heard my confession so I could say this with a clean heart. I hope the church of central Illinois strengthens itself out of all this. I was not paid, forced or coerced into making this statement. I am also not the only one who did this, there are at least 6-10 other people I know by name who dated Bishop Ryan too. To them I say please come forward and stop what's happening. Some of these were also minors.

In my background you will find that I was an addict and a convicted felon. Please don't let this cloud you as this is the truth. I say this with my right hand to God and affirm with my dying breath. To Bishop Ryan and the others, I'm sorry I had to do this, but it has to stop for the good of all. For those that wish to slander me and to cover this up or plain don't want to believe this could ever happen, we are all human with all its problems. Sometimes a wolf does come in sheep's clothing."

Brady said that Bergen was exploring his legal options with James Bendell, who now represents Bergen with respect to the possibility of the bringing of a civil suit against Ryan. There is also the possibility that the state's attorney's office in Sangamon County will be given evidence for the purpose of pursuing criminal charges against Ryan for having sexually abused a minor.

Brady then introduced Sandra Elraghy, who explained why she had come forward to present her evidence against Bishop Ryan (a typed transcript of her December 12, 1997 interview with Brady was provided to the press).

"The only reason I have agreed to come here tonight to attest to Bishop Daniel Ryan's corruption is because of the intercession of the Holy Spirit and, lest we forget, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of the Church, who must be very sorrowful at the sins of her beloved people."

"We are all sinners who fall short of the grace of God, but we can be filled with goodness, not evil. The only way is by turning back to our roots, the Holy Roman Catholic Church. For all of this I have agreed to come forward to what I know to be the absolute truth. . . .to help gather lost souls for Christ."

"I know, of course, that I am nothing to many worldly people, but the Holy Ghost, through the intercession of the Queen of Peace, Mary, Mother of God, our only hope, has chosen not only me but others like Frank Robert Bergen to come forward with their knowledge of the church's corruption in the Springfield area. I have only given a small portion of information, and hopefully others will come forward with their own knowledge. I feel I have been chosen to begin something that creates scandal, when really the church should have taken care of this long ago. It is a pity to know that so many have been deceived, that so many are not being truly faithful to God. The atrocities, hypocrisies, lies, deceptions and deceit of Satan must be uncovered. I hope that by somehow making my small gesture, as Frank Bergen, my friend and brother in Christ, is making, that others will be inspired in Godly manners. Only then will the true foundation of the Church be restored."

In a detailed statement which took her four drafts to complete, Elraghy concluded by saying, "By all the faithful joining together, only then will the Church's restoration begin. By doing this perhaps we can be an example to others throughout the world. And God will look upon us with mercy."

"Many people know not only of Bishop Daniel Ryan's abuse of young male hustlers/prostitutes, but of his sexual harassment of his own priests. Truly, the vileness must be eradicated. The fox is truly guarding the henhouse around here and it is about time somebody spoke out about the truth. Why me, you may ask? Because I have everything heavenly to attain. I pray that by speaking out changes will be made."

"I began my journey by calling Stephen Brady of RCF because I had read a Springfield State Journal-Register newspaper article where a spokesperson for Bishop Ryan's office had said "The RCF is basing their issues on ignorance." Therefore, I can no longer remain silent. I hope and pray by telling the truth that I shall be set free of my own human bondages, and that others will also be blessed. As Christ said, "The truth shall set you free."

Brady then asked this reporter to make a brief statement. I stressed the fact that the evidence presented by Bergen and Elraghy corroborated the stories told last year by the two priests. And I then read excerpts of comments made about the serious nature of sodomite behavior on the part of bishops and priests. One such quotation, from the Third Lateran Council (1179) will suffice:

"Anyone caught in the practice of sin against nature, on account of which the wrath of God was unleashed upon the children of disobedience, if he is a cleric, let him be demoted from his state and kept in reclusion in a monastery to do penance; if he is a layman, let him be excommunicated and kept rigorously distant from the communion of the faithful."

The secular press had a number of questions for Brady, Elraghy and this reporter. Many of the questions centered on the credibility of Bergen and Elraghy. I reiterated what I had said during my brief remarks, that both Bergen and Elraghy corroborated the stories told by the two priests in 1997. Brady said that he had other information, which he was not yet ready to release, which also verified what had been revealed at the press conference. The questioning of the witness's credibility became so pronounced at one point I said, "Look, you are reporters. You have the names of two people who were part of the street life of this city. They have said that there are others who have knowledge of all of this. Do your job as investigative reporters. Go to the streets of this city and get the information that is there for you to get."

A reporter from WMAY Radio in Springfield asked me if these charges could be considered academic if Bishop Ryan stopped his homosexual behavior after going into an alcohol treatment program in the late-'80s. "Assuming for the moment that he did stop his behavior at that time," I said, "you still have the problem of his threatening to send a priest in late-1996 and early-1997 to a psychiatric center because he knew the priest had information about him. This is an abuse of his episcopal power, and that is what makes this story relevant even if he has stopped his homosexual activity." Others pointed out that he has never admitted any of his activity, indeed, has continued to protest his innocence of all of the charges made against him. If the charges are true, as one person in the audience noted, then he owes a public apology for the abuse of his authority. As Sandra Elraghy noted, "Weakness is one thing. We are all weak. Abuse of power is something else."

A layman named Mark Thomas told the reporters that they were treating Sandra Elraghy the same way the press in Washington had been treating Paula Jones. Each woman is accusing a man who has been protected by the press. It is interesting, he asserted, that the weak and the powerless can be trashed by the media without any serious investigation of the charges they make against the mighty and the powerful. Another woman said that St. Paul and St. Mary Magdalene were among the greatest sinners in the history of the Church, and they proved themselves to be rather credible once they had reformed their lives. This woman also asked about the status of priests ordained in the diocese if Ryan had indeed excommunicated himself by absolving Bergen of the sins he had committed with him.

Brady thanked everyone for coming to the press conference. Once again, however, the secular media buried the story. And the woman who claimed to be representing the Vatican let it be known quite publicly to several people after the press conference that it was Archbishop George who had telephoned Stephen Brady to plead with him not to have the press conference. Brady himself had kept George's identity confidential; however, the woman ostensibly working for the Vatican at the behest of a prominent American priest, couldn't resist the opportunity to let people know that she had "inside information: about the events that led up to the press conference.

Brady told The Wanderer after the press conference that he believed it was important to have held it in light of the fact that the Vatican has known about the situation in Springfield for years.

The Wanderer attempted to interview Bergen at the Jacksonville, Illinois, Correctional Facility on Friday, January 16, 1998. However, I was denied permission for the interview; the warden said that I had to get permission from the central corrections office in Springfield before gaining admission to the prison. Attempts will be made to interview Bergen by phone.

Bergen did write another letter to Brady. Dated January 13, 1998, he said:

"Every human being has desires and lust, but when powerful people use it to help destroy the weak, you have to expose the problem. Unfortunately in Springfield it got out of hand for many years. Why didn't I expose this years ago? Because I lost my faith due to years of abuse, and how do you say openly with any dignity that, yes, for years I had sex for money with priests because the devil held my hand through the guise of chemical dependency and eventually caught AIDS and will die? I need for myself and others for the record to be set straight as I'm done hurting myself and want those that hurt me to STOP!. . . .Being a priest is a lifestyle in itself. Having a double identity is like having a split personality and I want no one comforting me or absolving me who has a hidden agenda."

He said that "The best thing I've gotten out of all this so far is the cross I wear around my neck. The feeling I get from it is one of a great love for me. He died for us no matter what the costs."

Although questions are raised in an editorial on page 4, one can be raised now: What price is the Holy See willing to pay to keep Bishop Daniel Ryan in power? The silencing of Frank Bergen and Sandra Elraghy? Time will tell.

[top]


The following is a typed copy of the second letter
I received from Frank—

Tuesday, January 13, 1998

Dear Stephen,

Each new day bring a new twist. After reading the article you sent, I feel the press, church, and public is going to crucify me. So be it! I'll need for Mr. Bendell to call Warden McEvers and the Chief of security here Maj Betts informing them of the severity of these truths stated!

The best thing I've gotten out of all this so far is the cross I wear around my neck. The feeling I get from it is one of a great love for me. He died for us no matter what the costs. As Christ also knew his own people would deny his love for them and call him a liar and heretic. We see who won!

If anyone ever asks about my commitment and reason for doing this please let them read my letters to you (Xerox) and let my words and actions speck for themselves. It's a shame that people throughout the Centuries have always denied the truth and persecuted those that speak it.

Little do they know is that death comes as a comfort for me and they can throw all the sticks and stones that they want! My family is my greatest worry thru all this as they did nothing or said nothing to bear the blunt of the sword that the people of deceit shall swing.

They are simple people caught in confusing times. I pray w/all my heart and soul that people just see the error of their ways and seek help and eventually repent of their sins. I forgive what Dan Ryan, Fr’s _____, ______, ____ and the rest of them for what happened. It was a 2 way street, but what people have to realize is that they drove the car. I didn't seek these people out. They sought out me for one sole purpose. SEX. This wasn't a soul saving part of their ministries.

Every human being has desire and lust, but when powerful people use it to help destroy the weak you have to expose the problem. Unfortunately in Spfld it got out of hand for many years. Why didn't I expose this years ago? Because I lost my faith due to years of abuse, and how do you say openly w/any ease or dignity that yes for years I had sex for money w/priests because the devil held my hand thru the guise of chemical dependency and eventually caught AIDS and will die. I need for myself and others for the record to be set straight as I'm done hurting myself and want those that hurt me to STOP !!! If this goes to court, I'll have everyone subpoenaed!

Let's see if they'll lie about it to ?

When I was on the street I used to be scared a lot of all the unexpected things that would or could happen.

I'm not scared anymore nor worried about living life to it's fullest! To fulfill my life I have to do this and everyday remind myself that the past is past and each new day is a blessing from God! I pray for the Bishop and the others because I know the ways of sin, every time I pray I thank God I'm not like that anymore and hope his love brings them around to be humble as it did I!

Being a Priest is a lifestyle in its' self. Having a double Identity is like having a split personality and I want no one comforting me or absolving me who has a hidden agenda! Well I've rattled enough for now and hope to see you Thursday w/Dr. Droleskey.

Love In Christ Jesus, Frank Bergen

 


 

For those RCF members who wish to write Frank Bergen or Sandra Elraghy write:

Frank B. / Sandra E.
C/O Roman Catholic Faithful
P.O. Box 109|
Petersburg, Illinois 62675

 

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editorial

In the Dead of Winter

by Thomas A. Droleskey

Much has been made about the postconciliar era being the "springtime of the Church." However, anyone familiar with the actual state of the Church at present knows that we are in the dead of winter. While there are encouraging signs here and there of a revival of the faith as a result of the formation of new religious communities and as a result of the wider availability of the Tridentine Mass, the truth of the matter is that most Catholics in this country live in an ecclesiastical situation which more fully approximates the dead of winter, not the springtime.

This is especially the case in Springfield, Illinois. The doctrinal and liturgical abuses in the diocese headed since 1983 by Bishop Daniel Ryan are well-known. They have been reported extensively in the last two years by The Wanderer. And the ecclesiastical winter there has turned into a deep freeze in the last year as Ryan, protected by a secular media not interested in pursuing the truth, has stonewalled serious allegations made against him by two priests that he had sexually harassed them. The deep freeze has intensified into something worthy of Antarctica as a result of the way that new charges have been handled by ecclesiastical officials and the secular media.

What is most appalling about the Ryan case is that the Vatican has known about his activity for years. If this is so, and Stephen Brady was told it was by a high-ranking ecclesiastical official, then the real scandal involving Bishop Ryan is not his sexual perversion. The real scandal is the fact that the Vatican has permitted this man to corrupt his diocese so thoroughly while he denounces as "divisive" any effort to bring the truth of his perverted behavior to light. The real scandal here is that Ryan has been permitted to abuse his episcopal office for so long, long enough so as to be bold enough to threaten a priest-accuser with psychiatric confinement.

Several sources have informed The Wanderer that Ryan is being supported by a clique of between six and twelve bishops, perhaps even more. These men have urged Ryan to stand firm in the face of the charges made against him. These men are not at all concerned about the possibility that the charges are true, that Ryan has abused his priests, that he has corrupted minors, that he has abused his episcopal authority. No, what matters is solidarity in the ranks. The "radical" Brady must not be given a scalp, even if it means that an unrepentant sinner who may have excommunicated himself by absolving Frank Bergen of the sins he committed with him will remain in power until he reaches the age of retirement.

The information that American bishops have known about Ryan's activities does not come as a total surprise. One of the priests interviewed by The Wanderer last year said that his spiritual director had informed both the late Archbishop John May of St. Louis and the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin in the late-1980s of Ryan's proclivities. And there is a report that Bishop Joseph Imesch of Joliet, Illinois, was called to the Vatican last year to be reprimanded for having recommended the ordination of a known homosexual, Ryan, to the episcopacy. yet both Imesch and Ryan are permitted to remain the ordinaries of their respective dioceses.

One wonders what it will take for the Holy Father to remove men who engage in and/or support the practice of perverted sexual relations. Although some Vatican apologists state that there needs to be "hard evidence" in order to remove a man like Bishop Ryan, the current information we have suggests that the Vatican has had evidence in this case for a long time. Everyone thus far has buried it, and this includes Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, who did not even conduct an investigation of his own before sending Ryan the confidential statements of the two priests who made the initial accusations against him last year.

Indeed, a prominent curial official actually met with one of those priests in the flesh last year. The evidence this priest presented must have been compelling enough to afford him the Vatican protection he now enjoys. It may even have been compelling enough to have led to three separate requests for Ryan's resignation. The evidence against Ryan is mounting. But these simple facts were not enough for Cardinal-elect George's hand-picked investigator, Jimmy Lago, to have treated the matter with the seriousness it deserves when he was questioned by the secular press. Is it any wonder that Sandra Elraghy and Frank Bergen did not believe that their stories would have any impact on the investigation being conducted by the Archdiocese of Chicago at present?

Evidence? There is plenty of it in the Ryan case. Both Elraghy and Bergen are ready to take a lie-detector test. Although not admissible in a court-of-law, such tests have proven to be a good gauge. I do believe a chap named Simpson failed his polygraph rather dramatically. Both Elraghy and Bergen tell a tale that is thoroughly consistent with that told by the two priest-accusers last year.

Evidence? Forget about Bishop Daniel Ryan for the moment. What kind of additional evidence is needed to remove Rochester, New York, Bishop Matthew Clark? This man has openly called for the Church to find a way to "bless" homosexual unions. Isn't that prima facie evidence demanding his immediate removal as ordinary of Rochester?

What about Saginaw, Michigan, Bishop Kenneth Untener? This man has consistently defied the Church on a number of issues. He may not even believe in the sacerdotal priesthood of Jesus Christ, thereby vitiating the validity of the ordinations he has conducted during his episcopacy. Why is he permitted to destroy the faith in Saginaw. And while we are at it, how come Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland is permitted to stay on in Milwaukee? What type of "evidence" does the Holy See need to remove bad men who are corrupting faith and worship in their sees?

Although a lot of the American bishops talk rebellion when they meet in Washington, the strategic removal of between six and twenty of their number in one fell swoop would be enough to get a lot of bishops back in line in a big hurry. Sure, such a move might expedite the de jure schism. Far from being something to be avoided, however, the formal schism would prove to be a healthy thing for the survival of the faith in this country. For the Church here cannot survive if she is under the domination of moral cowards and sexual perverts intent on remaking the faith in the image of the false gods they serve so loyally.

The Ryan case has become a focal point in the battle for AmChurch. His removal or survival will tell us whether we are in the dead of winter — or whether there are more tangible signs of a January thaw than we can see at present with the feeble eyes of the body. The case raises a number of intriguing questions:

1) Has Ryan excommunicated himself?

2) If he has, what is the status of the men he has ordained to the priesthood?

3) Will he, as Pope St. Pius V Demanded, be turned over to the secular authorities for having corrupted minors if there is enough legal evidence to sustain such a charge (there is no statute of limitations in Illinois on a Class I felony charge)?

4) How can it be that the Vatican has known about these charges for years without seeking to come to the assistance of the faithful in Springfield?

5) What efforts will be made to repair the damage Ryan has done by his actions? One of the priest-accusers has actually left the Church and has started his own schismatic sect, one that caters to practicing homosexuals. He did so because of the way Ryan treated him. How is this damage going to be undone?

6)   What actions will be taken against the other priests of the Diocese of Springfield named by Frank Bergen and others? Will the network of homosexuals that runs from Joliet down to Springfield be rooted out and eradicated?

7) What measures will be adopted to assure that other homosexual bishops — and those who promote homosexual behavior — will be removed posthaste?

These are serious questions. They need answers. A failure to answer them will be an indication that we are still in the dead of winter, suffering the effects of a frostbite inflicted on us by the unwillingness of ecclesiastical officials, both here and in the Vatican, to own up to the truth.

While we know the Church will last until the end of time, is it too much for us in the laity to seek a redress of the problems which beset us from within the Mystical Body of Christ at present? For until the Church is willing to face these problems squarely and take firm disciplinary actions, her ability to evangelize the world will be greatly impeded.

May Our Lord have mercy on each of us. And may His Blessed Mother pray for us, that we will not be silent in the face of the cover-ups which are destroying the faith in this country and around the world.

Christ or Chaos, Dr. Thomas Droleskey, Editor

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A Disordered Archdiocese

Roger Cardinal Mahony and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

by Stephanie Block

Roger Cardinal Mahony has served the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 1985, first as Archbishop and then as Cardinal. As pastor of the Archdiocese, final responsibility for the spiritual health and welfare of the episcopate fall on Cardinal Mahony’s shoulders. During that tenure, however, a number of serious problems have developed that place the Archdiocese at variance with Catholic moral and doctrinal teachings, as well as at variance with the traditions of the Church:

 

Situation in Los Angeles Archdiocese

Liturgy:

1. Cardinal Mahony’s First Pastoral on the Liturgy: Ten years ago, with Cardinal Mahony’s "ecclesiastical approval" the Los Angeles Archdiocese produced a document called "The Mass: Our Celebration." The document states that "…The Mass is the Christian family’s dinner party…" and later, "Learning to celebrate means learning to bring our gifts to the community. Inside of all pew-sitters there are readers and singers, bakers of bread and makers of banners, dancers and welcomers, and organizers struggling to get out…"

Position of the Catholic Church


Liturgy:

1. "The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the font from which all her power flows." [Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) #1074]

2. Cardinal Mahony’s 1997 Pastoral on Liturgy: Recent "Gathered Faithfully Together: A Guide for Sunday Mass," pastoral letter by Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, published in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Tidings, September 5, 1997. The final document is far more tactful than its draft versions, which openly belittled the pre-Vatican II Mass and erroneously attributed "changes" to Vatican II which are nowhere to be found in Vatican II documents. However, the pastoral is still highly flawed: 2. Cardinal Mahony’s 1997 Pastoral on Liturgy: Although the pastoral contains parenthetical references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and occasionally even quotes from it, the pastoral does not appear to understand the Mass in the same way as the catechism.

* Concept of Mass as Sacrifice is missing. While there are numerous references to the awe which the liturgy should evoke, the reasons given are vague, such as "the mystery of God." The assembly, in the vision of the pastoral, will no longer kneel at consecration, and "can talk about the way the Holy Spirit is invoked to transform these gifts and themselves. And so they are talking about the presence of Christ in the simple gifts of bread and wine, and in the mystery that is this Church." [Part I, Pg. 8, "Liturgy of the Eucharist."] The assembly, as just described, could be almost any Christian congregation

* The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes that the Mass is a sacrifice [CCC #1356 - 1372].
* Concept of "priest" is replaced by concept of a "presider." In the pastoral letter it appears to include not only priests, but also others who may find themselves with "responsibility for the Sunday liturgy." [Opening of Part II] * The Catechism of the Catholic Church does use the term "presider" to describe one function of the priest. "It is in representing [Christ] that the bishop or priest acting in the person of Christ the head (in persona Christi capitis) presides over the assembly." [CCC #1348, emphasis in original]
* Levels actions of the "assembly" to an equal plane with the "presider." "Know the awesome responsibility you share for making this liturgy!" the "assembly" is exhorted. [Part 1, pg. 10, sec. 3, "At the Liturgy, be the Church."] * While the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds the faithful that all have their own active parts to play in the celebration [of the Eucharist], the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist, which are one and the same, are offered through the ministry of the priests. [CCC # 1348 & #1367]
* The concept of repentance appears to be missing. No mention is made of calling to mind one’s sins, nor of any salvific action of the liturgy’s. The "fruits" of the liturgy appear limited to the Body of Christ’s awareness that, even apart from liturgy, it is "always in communion with one another." [Part 1, pg. 10, sec. 3, "Apart from the Liturgy, Be the Church."] * The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes the fruits of Holy Communion, which include augmenting the recipients’ union with Christ, separation of the recipient from sin, commitment of the recipient to the poor, as well as unity of the recipient with all the faithful. [CCC # 1391-1398]

* The pastoral says that "to preside, a person must live from the rich ambiguity of symbolic reality." The Sunday Eucharist (which is understood by the reader to mean the Eucharistic presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species) is described as a "…symbolic deed done with power and reverence…" [Part II, pg. 13 "The presider respects symbol."]

* The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that the Eucharistic presence of Christ is not symbolically real, but substantially real [CCC #1376 - 1378].
3. Kneeling: The Archdiocesan newspaper, The Tidings, announced that liturgical changes would include removing all altar rails in the archdiocese and ending the practice of kneeling during the consecration, so as to allegedly fulfill the liturgical reform called for by Vatican II. 3. Kneeling: The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that the Eucharistic presence of Christ is to be worshipped. [CCC # 1378] While it is certainly possible to worship in positions other than kneeling, kneeling has been the traditional and customary attitude of the people of God in all cultures before the Eucharistic Presence. Canon Law 214 says that "the Christian faithful have the right to worship God according to the prescription of their own rite approved by the legitimate pastors of the Church…" Continually disturbing the tranquillity of the faithful with frivolous liturgical experimentation is a serious infringement upon the faithful.

"In past years, there has been some confusion about the proper posture for the congregation during the Eucharistic prayer. Recently, the bishops of the United States have reaffirmed the American adaptations for the Sacramentary in this regard. These norms call for all the congregation to kneel during the Eucharistic prayer from after the Sanctus through the "Amen" of the final doxology as an appropriate sign of reverence in our American culture." [Archbishop Justin Rigali, Clergy Online.]

4. Latin Mass: Coalition in Support of Ecclesia Dei newsletter, July 1997 quotes from a letter of Roger Cardinal Mahony: "As our Holy Father…has told me on various occasions, he has given permission for the Tridentine Mass with the very clear understanding that only those people who were alive and actively attending the Tridentine Mass up to the year 1965 were the ones for whom this permission was intended….Our Holy Father is appalled that some people are bringing children and young people to the Tridentine Mass in strict contradiction to what he intended and what he has permitted."

4. Latin Mass: Letter of His Eminence Paul Augustine Cardinal Mayer, OSB, January 31, 1997 with permission for publication by Una Voce America: "In recent times it has been affirmed that the allowances given for the celebration of the ‘Tridentine Mass’ have been granted with provisions that only those who were familiar with the preceding forms of the Roman liturgy would be allowed to benefit from these concessions.

"During my time as President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei such limitation was never mentioned by the authorities involved. In this regard it should be mentioned that the Commission has used the faculty of erecting religious institutes which would benefit from the Roman Missal of 1962 and the other liturgical books in force at that time. Evidently it was understood that young recruits would be admitted to such communities and would benefit from such concessions made to them. Hence, one cannot speak of an age limit."

Education:

1. Annual Los Angeles Religious Education Conference: Designed to help Catholics grow in their faith, the Los Angeles Religious Education Conference has become an annual event. It has been met with annual protests from concerned Catholics.

Due to such protest in 1994, Cardinal Mahony canceled the talks of admitted pedophile, Father John Aurelio, and pro-abortionist Daniel McGuire who had both been scheduled to make an appearance. The Cardinal wrote: "I will not abide the presence of any speaker…who teaches anything contrary to the full teachings of our Catholic Church."

Despite such comforting promises, and despite the tireless efforts of Los Angeles Catholics to provide Cardinal Mahony with adequate information on the proposed Religious Education Conference speakers before each conference convened, subsequent conferences have featured a rash of speakers whose positions are very much contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. A sampling of these include:

Education:

1. Annual Los Angeles Religious Education Conference:

1995 - Father John Heagle and Sister Fran Ferder, who have taught that homosexuality is not a deviance, but a healthy alternative lifestyle. "Basing itself on sacred scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of great depravity, tradition has always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’" [CCC #2357]
Father Walter Burghardt, S.J. who has publicly challenged Humanae Vitae. "Each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life." [Humanae Vitae, 11]
Sister Jose Hobday, who is a disciple of Matthew Fox and his creation spirituality. Hobday said in her keynote address at the 1990 Catholic Educator’s Convention in New Orleans that Catholic teachers "should forget about any church doctrine prior to twenty years ago…cut the spiritual and emotional umbilical cord to the Church and start in a new direction." "What Christ entrusted to the apostles, they in turn handed on by their preaching and writing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to all generations, until Christ returns in glory." [CCC #96]
Richard Reichert, who is a dissenter from Humanae Vitae, and author of the New Creation sex education program.  "Unfortunately, I am well acquainted with the NEW CREATION SERIES, published by the W. C. Brown Company of Dubuque, Iowa. As a matter of fact, the Holy Father is also informed about the matter. Despite repeated warnings of the Holy See, both the editors and teachers continue to use and spread this Series. Only if families unite and join in battle against this travesty of sex education will the battle be won." [Letter of Edouard Cardinal Gagnon, President of the Pontificium Consilium Pro Familia] 
1996 - Diana Hayes, whose remarks at the Woman’s Ordination Committee included, "to ordain women into the Christian Church as it is presently constituted is to make them part of the oppressive structure which abuses and distorts its power and authority …. Dismantling the entire house [the Church] is needed, from within and without, using tools of our own creation." "Priestly ordination, which hands on the office entrusted to Christ to his Apostles of teaching, sanctifying and governing the faithful, has in the Catholic Church from the beginning always been reserved to men alone….Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be held by all the Church’s faithful." [John Paul II, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis1 & 4]
Bishop Kenneth Untener, who has said, " If you ask my opinion, I think we should (ordain women). Does that make me a dissenter? I suppose so." "The apostles entrusted the "Sacred deposit" of the faith (depositum fidei), contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, to the whole Church. "By adhering to [this heritage] the entire holy people, united to its pastors, remains always faithful to the teachings of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. So, in maintaining practicing, and professing the faith that has been handed on, there should be a remarkable harmony between bishops and the faithful.’" [CCC # 84, citing Dei Verbum 10:1]

"It is sometimes claimed that dissent from the Magisterium is totally compatible with being a ‘good Catholic’ and poses no obstacle to the reception of the sacraments. This is a grave error that challenges the teachings of the bishops of the United States and elsewhere." [John Paul II’s response to Archbishop Quinn, Our Lady Queen of Angels Minor Seminary, September 16, 1987.]

Kathleen Chesto, who told the 1994 Religious Education Conference that she rejected the All-Good, All-Powerful, All-Loving God of Catholic teaching. Instead, she proposes a limited process "god" who suffers with people, but cannot help them. "I am the Lord Thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, Thou shall not have strange gods in my sight." [Deuteronomy 5:6-7]
Father Raymond Brown, who has written: "We have no way of knowing…that Jesus was virginally conceived and born at Bethlehem." [Mary in the New Testament, pp 12-13, edited by Raymond Brown, et. al., 1978]. "In this Church, adhering to Christ the Head and having communion with all His saints, the faithful must also venerate the memory above all of the glorious and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ." [Lumen Gentium #52; see also CCC #496-507, emphasis added]
Tom Zanzig, who has written: "We have made the mistake of thinking of sin in terms of specific individual acts or thoughts or attitudes that were in and of themselves sinful….Today we realize that sin is not so much a breaking of specific rules as it is a breaking of relationships." [Sharing, Zanzig, Vol. II, p 183] Pope John Paul II writes in Veritatis Splendor [1993] "The separation of fundamental option from deliberate choices of particular kinds of behavior…involves a denial of Catholic doctrine on mortal sin."
Jeanne Cotter, who composed the ritual hymn to the "goddess Sophia" for the World Council of Churches 1993 "Re-imaging God" Conference. "Idolatry refers not only to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres the creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism) power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc." [CCC #2113]
Father Richard Gula, who has written: "The choice of married couples to use artificial contraception is a prudential judgment. It should not be confused with sin." "’[E]very action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, purposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible’ is intrinsically evil." [CCC #2370, citing Humanae Vitae 14]
1997 - Roger Cardinal Mahony, addressing the 1997 Annual Religious Education Congress pushed for acceptance and support of the late Cardinal Bernardin’s Common Ground Project. He said, "Many times [when people bring up dissent] it is just varied approaches to pastoral care." "The Church already has ‘common ground.’ It is found in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and it is mediated to us through the authoritative and binding teaching of the Magisterium." [Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, responding to Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s Common Ground Project.]
Father Richard Sparks’ talk was titled "Doctrine, Dissension, and Dialogue: Can We Talk Rather than Condemn?" "The Church can’t admit or face up to the fact that members don’t believe the teachings of the Church…" "a-pos-ta-sy n. Abandonment of one’s religious faith. Gk.apostasia, desertion." [The American Heritage Dictionary]
Father Richard Rohr, author of several books on the new age Enneagram, presided at an October 1996 "wedding" between two lesbians. Father Rohr referred to God as "She" during his talk. "The Catholic Church believes that marriage is a faithful, exclusive, lifelong union between one man and one woman joined as husband and wife in an intimate partnership of life and love….Homosexual acts are taught to be sinful, based on the Bible and on tradition….Same-sex marriage would be harmful for the institution of marriage, and it would also be placing approval on activities that the Church considers morally wrong." [Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (where Father Richard Rohr runs his Center for Action and Contemplation), "Same Sex marriages: Where Does the Church Stand?" People of God, Archdiocesan newspaper, March 1997.]
Father Thomas Rausch used his talk to deride apologist Karl Keating for interpreting "the biblical Petrine texts as the literal, historical words of Jesus, or in discussing the Eucharist, he takes the Bread of Life discourse in John 6 as the historical words of Jesus, rather than the Eucharistic theology of the Johannine community."

1998 - Several past speakers have been invited to speak again: Sister Fran Ferder and Father John Heagle, Father Richard Rohr, Bishop Kenneth Untener, Father Richard Sparks, Kathleen Chesto among them. Also scheduled to speak will be:

"The Church holds firmly that the four Gospels, ‘whose historicity she unhesitatingly affirms, faithfully hand on what Jesus, the Son of God, while he lived among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation, until the day when he was taken up.’" [CCC #126.1, citing Dei Verbum 19]
Father Michael Crosby, (another veteran of the Congress) who has written "We have inherited a set of images of Mary, reinforced by current forms of private revelation and private devotion….I pictured God…getting ready to fire away at the whole world. Who was holding back God’s arm? Mary. Now that’s dysfunctional family stuff. The father of the house is really angry at the kids, but mother is going to protect the kids from the rage-oholic father….My critics at the Los Angeles Religious education Congress misunderstood me. It is these images, not the whole Marian piety, that I call dysfunctional." "By her maternal charity, Mary cares for the brethren of her Son who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led to their happy fatherland. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix." [Lumen Gentium 62]

Father Donald Senior, who has also been a speaker at the first Women in the Church conference in 1986. When asked by a reporter there why so many priests "ignorantly" supposed that Jesus had instituted Holy Orders, Senior responded that "If you’re going to have a conversion of viewpoints, or updating, more is involved" than mere clerical reeducation.

Despite years of protest from area Catholics who have complained that the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress is strongly biased against the Magisterium, Cardinal Mahony continues to defend the work of the Congress and to permit heterodox speakers an archdiocesan platform.

"’Adhering to the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, to the apostolic traditions, and to the consensus…of the Fathers,’ we profess that ‘the sacraments of the new law were…all instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord." [CCC #1114, citing the Council of Trent]

Catholic Schools:

a. Objectionable sex education programs are used in Los Angeles Archdiocesan Catholic schools. For example, Cardinal Mahony has approved use of the sex ed. program, In God’s Image, by Patricia Martens Miller. Miller’s program provides detailed descriptions of morally objectionable behavior and has the students debate whether, in certain instances, they should follow God’s law.

Catholic Schools:

a. The 1995 Pontifical Council for the Family Guidelines, "The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality," stress that young people should not be given the idea that the moral code is something relative or created by man [section #140]. The document also emphasizes that sexual information should be provided each child on an individual basis.
b. The Office of Religious Education and the Department of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles have fostered heterodox opinions among archdiocesan educators. Besides the annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress that consistently uses speakers associated with Call to Action and other dissident movements, these Church bureaus regularly sponsor workshops by these speakers. For instance, Dr. Thomas Groome was brought in to address pastors, directors of religious education, and school principals in 1993. Groome is a promoter of inclusive language and was a speaker at the second Women in the Church Conference, which convened to promote women’s ordination, changes in the Church’s position on homosexuality, abortion, contraception, and sexual monogamy reserved to marriage, as well as various brands of "feminist theology." b. Canon #229 states that lay persons have the right to acquire a knowledge of Christian doctrine "so that they can live in accord with that doctrine, announce it, defend it when necessary, and be enabled to assume their role in exercising the apostolate." The use of dissident teachers thwarts that right.
3. Seminary Training: A basically wholesome place, St. John’s Seminary has nevertheless hired non-Catholics and dissenters to instruct its seminarians. The Los Angeles Catholic Mission reported that in March 1995, for example, Fr. Charles Nguyen taught his Scripture class that there was no physical resurrection of the body of Christ. Nguyen dismissed Catholic doctrinal expressions of physical resurrection as "fundamentalist." 3. Seminary Training: "Even when faced with the reality of the risen Jesus the disciples are still doubtful, so impossible did the thing seem: they thought they were seeing a ghost. ‘In their joy they were still disbelieving and still wondering.’ Thomas will also experience the test of doubt and St. Matthew relates that during the risen Lord’s last appearance in Galilee ‘some doubted.’ Therefore the hypothesis that the Resurrection was produced by the apostles’ faith (or credulity) will not hold up. On the contrary, their faith in the Resurrection was born, under the action of divine grace, from their direct experience of the reality of the risen Jesus. [CCC #644]

Morals:

Abortion:

a. Supporting pro-abortion politicians: In 1988, Los Angeles Knights of Columbus held an internal trial against member Edward Roybal, a California Congressman. Congressman Roybal had an abysmal pro-abortion legislative voting record. Under the Knights’ Constitution, Roybal merited expulsion for failure to uphold Church teachings.

Then Archbishop Mahony, however, was quoted by Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant has supporting Roybal. He said that Archbishop Mahony told him the "Congressman Roybal is a faithful Catholic, one of our best examples of an Hispanic Catholic in public office who is not afraid to live out his Catholic life with pride."

At the "trial," Roybal defended his pro-abortion positions, saying "I don’t believe everything the Catholic Church teaches."

During the years, the Archdiocesan paper has carried a number of articles and photos of pro-abortion legislators. In 1990 [April 6] a front page, color photo showed Cardinal Mahony walking arm-in-arm with pro-abortion Zev Yaroslavsky. Yaroslavsky personally supervised the arrest and rough handling of 900 Catholic and Protestant rescuers during a 1989 Holy Saturday demonstration.

b. Supporting abortionists: Dr. McMahon, an abortionist who admitted to performing 1,200 abortions annually, and who specialized in partial-birth abortions, was given last rites and a Catholic burial at Los Angeles’ Holy Cross Cemetery. Shortly before his death, in 1995, McMahon established the James McMahon Fund at the National Abortion Federation to "support access to safe and legal abortion." Cardinal Mahony defended the abortionist’s burial in a Catholic cemetery: "Do you think we should start judging everyone who is buried in the cemetery?"

c. Supporting the "culture of death:" In the spring of 1997, California held hearings for a statewide bill [SB 102] to ban partial-birth abortions. The bill had to be passed through the Senate Health Committee and onto consideration by the full senate before it could become law. Senator Haynes, who introduced SB 102, attributed its quashing to the three Catholic legislators who voted against it, and to Cardinal Mahony’s failure to attend the hearings, despite every effort having been made to arrange the hearings around Cardinal Mahony’s schedule.

Morals:

Abortion:

a. Supporting pro-abortion politicians: The Declaration on Procured Abortion [1974] states that no Christian can vote for "a law which would admit in principle the liceity [sic] abortion.…Moreover, he may not collaborate in its application."

2. Birth Control: The Los Angeles Catholic Lay Mission weekly [September 1997] noted that the San Miguel Medical Center, the major advertiser in the Los Angeles Archdiocese’s official Spanish language newspaper, offers sterilization services and a wide range of birth control methods at its six sites, all of which target the Latino population the city. The editor of the archdiocesan paper, on being informed of the lay-Catholic investigation of the clinic and its findings has stated that "Clinica Medica San Miguel has signed the required statement swearing that they do not perform abortions or sterilizations and that is all the newspaper requires of them." The paper continues to run the clinic’s advertisements.

According to the National Catholic Reporter ["Mahony is a Big Man in Church," NCR, November 12, 1993, interview with an unnamed priest], "On condoms [Mahony] said at first it was okay to use a condom or to teach about condoms in AIDS prevention programs as long as you put the emphasis on abstinence. Then Washington [the Vatican Embassy] got on to him."

2. Birth Control: "The first lesson of Humanae Vitae is that contraception is a symptom of the social disease of selfishness, even as the family is a sign of selfless love, which is the best evidence of the moral health of a society." [Fr. John Hardon, "Humanae Vitae - Charter of the Family and the Catholic Faith," Messenger, October-December 1989]

3. Homosexuality:

a. The film, A Journey for Understanding: Gays and Lesbians in the Church, was partially funded by the Los Angeles Archdiocese and features interviews with Cardinal Mahony, Bishop Stephen Blaire, and various homosexual activists, including ACT-UP co-founder, Jim Fouratt. The film was recommended for archdiocesan elementary and high schools and its television showing on June 23, 1993 was advertised in a number of parish bulletins. The film speaks frequently of "gay gifts" while failing to mention that homosexuality is an objectively disordered condition. This skewed emphasis leaves the viewer with the misconception that there is little tension between being actively homosexual and being Catholic, and that the problems associated with homosexuality are simply due to mutable cultural conditioning. One homosexual says, for instance, "We don’t expect John Paul II to come out and say, ‘It’s O.K. for you to be gay and practice.’ That’s not the point and I don’t think we need that anyway."

The Archdiocesan director of Pastoral Ministry to the Lesbian and Gay Community, Fr. Peter Liuzzi, wrote: "I want to recommend Rick Flynn’s video, A Journey for Understanding….[it] suggests that there is a new attitude coming to birth in various quarters of the Church. The viewer is left with hope and a new vision." [letter of March 16, 1993]

3. Homosexuality:

a. "Nevertheless, increasing numbers of people today, even within the Church, are bringing enormous pressure to bear on the Church to accept the homosexual condition as though it were not disordered and to condone homosexual activity. Those within the Church who argue in this fashion often have close ties with those with similar views outside it. …The Church’s ministers must ensure that homosexual persons in their care will not be misled by this point of view, so profoundly opposed to the teaching of the Church." [Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 1986.]

b. In September 1997, the Los Angeles Archdiocese hosted its fourth annual Conference of the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries. Dignity, a homosexual organization which challenges the Church’s mandate to abstain from sexual intercourse outside of marriage was permitted to distribute literature stating: "[T]he Catholic Church also teaches solemnly that people are obliged to form their own consciences carefully and responsibly and to follow it as the bottom line in every moral decision." Cardinal Mahony celebrated Mass for the Conference and distributed communion to all participants who approached him, including those wearing T-shirts identifying them as members of Dignity.

One speaker, Father Kenneth Waibel, told participants that "the only authentic spirituality is gay spirituality." According to one reporter, he stated that "this concept, coupled with the current understanding of homosexuality, will lead to changes in the institutional church." [LA Lay Catholic Mission, October 1997] Waibel also said that "Heterosexual men cannot fall in love with Jesus because of their own homophobia. Jesus wants us to be erotically in love with him and that’s not possible with homophobes."

Another speaker, Sister Kathleen Schinhofer "complained about the problem of the Church’s insisting on celibacy for gays, leaving them no valid expressions of their sexuality. She became tearful, saying, ‘I beg God’s forgiveness for our smallness in this.’" [The Wanderer, September 18, 1997]

Father Peter Liuzzi, director of Los Angeles’ Ministry with Gay and Lesbian Catholics, described celibacy as an ideal. "We esteem it because it was the way Jesus interpreted his gift of sexuality. No human being was ever more sexual, more intimate, or more generative than he." Father Liuzzi criticized those, however, who insist that gays must be held to that standard of perfection. [The Wanderer, September 18, 1997]

 

c. The Los Angeles’ Ministry with Gay and Lesbian Catholics, directed by Father Peter Liuzzi, was created to welcome and to respond to homosexual Catholics with "a calm and prayerful concern." However, Father Liuzzi has permitted the presentation of non-traditional Scripture interpretations as part of his ministry. For example, at a Gay and Lesbian Outreach meeting [St. Dominic’s parish, October 13, 1996], participants were instructed that Jonathan and David, as well as Ruth and Naomi, were homosexual lovers.

At the 1997 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, Father Gerald Coleman made the case for passing out condoms to homosexuals. This implies, of course, sexual activity.

b. In 1986, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Vatican-approved letter which exhorted pastors to disallow homosexual organizations that did not embrace the full teachings of the Church. "All support should be withdrawn from any organizations which seek to undermine the teaching of the Church, which are ambiguous about it, or which neglect it entirely. Such support, or even the semblance of support, can be gravely misinterpreted….To some, permission to use Church property may seem only just and charitable; but in reality it is contradictory to the purpose for which these institutions were founded, it is misleading and often scandalous." The organization Dignity, although not mentioned by name, was widely understood to be included among the objectionable groups described by the letter. Many bishops, therefore, including Cardinal Mahony, ordered Dignity chapters off Church property.

4. Hollywood: The Los Angeles Archdiocese under Roger Cardinal Mahony has sent extremely ambivalent signals to the media industry over the years.

Early in 1992, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles issued a statement calling for a more stringent film-rating code. When Hollywood expressed its disapproval, Cardinal Mahony disavowed the original statement, assuring the movie industry that reviving the old decency codes was "the last thing I wish to do." Instead, Mahony presented a pastoral letter which was met by Hollywood with undisguised relief and praised for its "restraint." Consultants for the pastoral included Lew Wasserman from Universal Studios (which produced the "Last Temptation of Christ") as well as several other presidents of the various writers and directors guilds.

At the 43rd annual Communion breakfast for Catholics in the entertainment industry [1993], Cardinal Mahony oversaw the Catholics in Media Award to the television program "Picket Fences." Cardinal Mahony praised the Catholics in Media as a "valuable and important" step toward encouraging Catholics in that industry with "a sense of mutual support which is so needed…"

"Picket Fences" has attacked the Church’s teaching on contraception, put anti-Catholic sentiments into the lines of some of its characters, and contained highly immoral material, including a priest with a shoe fetish.

The Cardinal’s presentation was defended on the grounds that he had not seen "Picket Fences" himself and that the Catholics in Media Award made no claim to represent the Catholic Church.

On June 28, 1997, Eve of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Cardinal Mahony faxed priests around his diocese news about the "acting debut" of Fr. Michael Rocha in the R-rated film Face/Off. "Since the film is R-rated," the Cardinal wrote, "I cannot recommend that you see it. However, your spiritual director may give you a dispensation to see the movie with the primary goal of seeing one of your brother priests in his acting debut….As you might imagine, Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson and all of St. Monica’s Parish are just thrilled with this stupendous news! What pride fills the parish at this moment!"

The Cardinal’s spokesman later said that the letter was written tongue-in-cheek, as an example of the Cardinal’s sense of humor.

4. Hollywood: "There must be no weariness in combating whatever contributes to the lessening of people’s sense of decency….This is an obligation which binds…the bishops." [Pope Pius XI]

John Paul II’s Council for Social Communications calls for "ethical codes…which respect the common good and promote sound human development…[particularly] for television."

5. Clerical Abuse tolerated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese:

Father Curtis Bryant, formerly Director of Inpatient Services at St. Luke Institute, Maryland was recently hired by the Los Angeles Archdiocese to conduct prevention and education projects for the archdiocese clergy as well as to participate in an "intervention team" for priests and to conduct psychological evaluations. Father Bryant’s Maryland license was suspended in 1995 due to ethical violations. According to the LA Lay Catholic Mission, "Bryant’s colleagues complained that Bryant was abusive to the therapists he supervised, displayed erratic, explosive behavior, and permitted homosexual relationships between patients at the institute." [February 19, 1997]

At least two lawsuits in 1995 criticized Cardinal Mahony for his knowledge of the criminal activity of specific pedophile priests and his subsequent failure to take adequate steps to prevent their further molestation of children. [Larry Stammer, "Molestation Suit Names Priest, Stockton Diocese," LA Times, July 22, 1995]

5. Clerical Abuse tolerated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese:

Editors note: The real question with regard to "Clerical Abuse" is not so much the "Church’s Position" but the position of the Church leadership in this country and the willingness of the Holy See to enforce the Church’s position.

The Holy See, Papal Nuncio, and the Chicago Archdiocese, have known of Bishop Ryan’s (Springfield, IL) homosexual activity for some time. Not one person within the hierarchy showed any interest in this situation until it became obvious that great shame and negligence on the part of the hierarchy was about to be exposed. RCF was offered a relationship with certain members of the hierarchy if we kept our mouth shut and let them handle it quietly. RCF is not interested in a "Relationship" with any member of the hierarchy if that means ignoring the cries of the faithful and allowing a cover up.

This situation with Ryan speaks volumes concerning the Faith and priorities of some Catholic hierarchy. The salvation of souls does not seem to be very high on the list. As long as Ryan is left in control of this diocese, RCF will continue to investigate regardless of where that investigation leads. It is time to expose all!

Dissent:

Call to Action: According to Cardinal Mahony’s spokesman, ‘the Cardinal holds no position on Call to Action.." ["Dissent in the Archdiocese," Los Angels Lay Catholic Mission, September 1997, quoting Father Gregory Coiro.]

Dissent:

Call to Action: Concerning the organizations of Freemasonry, Catholics for a Free Choice, Planned Parenthood, the Hemlock Society, the Society of Pius X and Call to Action, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz degreed that: "Any Catholics in and of the Diocese of Lincoln who attain or retain membership in any of the above listed organizations…are by that very fact under interdict and are absolutely forbidden to receive Holy Communion." Bishop Bruskewitz said, "membership in these organizations is always perilous to the Catholic faith and most often is totally incompatible with the Catholic faith."

 

a. We Are Church petitions have been distributed around the diocese. We Are Church petitions are an initiative of the dissident Call to Action. The petition demands that the Church change her moral positions on matters of contraception, homosexuality, and divorce as well as a host of other dogmatic and disciplinary principles. We Are Church petitions were made available at the 1997, 4th Annual Conference for the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Gay and Lesbian Ministries, where Cardinal Mahony celebrated Mass and attended the main banquet.

Call to Action chapters operate around California. The Archdiocesan paper, The Tidings, carried a promotional article about the CTA’s first West Coast Conference, held in August 1997, which featured:

 
Michael Crosby, who challenges priestly celibacy and the papacy. "Celibacy is a sign of this new life in the service of which the Church’s minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the reign of God." [CCC# 1579; also Presbyterorum Ordinis] Lumen Gentium and the Catechism of the Catholic Church both affirm that the papacy "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful." [CCC #882]
Dr. Patricia Martens, whose sex education materials provide children with detailed descriptions of morally forbidden behavior, using values clarification techniques to guide the child in making moral decisions. In the technique of value clarification "young people are given the idea that a moral code is something which they create for themselves, as if man were the source and norm of morality…values clarification method impedes the true freedom and autonomy of young people at an insecure stage of their development….tends to be closely linked to moral relativism, and thus encourages indifference to the moral law and permissiveness." ["Truth and Meaning of Sexuality," Pontifical Council for the Family, 1995, section #140]
Sr. Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, who promotes official Church acceptance of homosexual activity. "There is…a clear consistency within the Scriptures themselves on the moral issue of homosexual behavior. The Church’s doctrine regarding this issue [that homosexual actions are ‘intrinsically disordered’ and ‘able in no case to be approved of’ - section #3] is thus based , not on isolated phrases for facile theological argument, but on the solid foundation of a constant Biblical testimony. ["On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons," Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 1986.]
The CTA Conference featured a "liturgy" at which God was referred to as "Mother and Father," at which the words of the consecration were said by the entire assembly, and at which the female-lay homilist accused the Vatican of "withholding" bread from homosexual persons. "…[N]o sacramental rite may be modified or manipulated at the will of the minister or the community. Even the supreme authority in the Church may not change the liturgy arbitrarily, but only in the obedience of faith and with religious respect for the mystery of the liturgy." [CCC #1125]

2. Tolerating Dissent: At a May 16, 1993 address, Cardinal Mahony stated that "Only in the faith-filled search for a common good can dissent be meaningful and productive, both within the church and for the sake of society." In the case of a believer, the Cardinal said, dissent begins with an intuitive trust in God, and takes the form of a prayerful attempt to "reconcile the powerful truths of faith and reason." Dissent within the church was "part of the shared conversation of faith," and ought to be offered first for the critique and review of others, and not as an independent judgment over and against the fuller authority of the church. ["Cardinal Mahony Says Dissent OK if It’s the Right Kind," National Catholic Reporter, May 28, 1993; also "Cardinal Mahony Encourages ‘Faith-Filled’ Dissent," The Tidings, May 23, 1997.]

In March 1997, Cardinal Mahony gave the closing reflection to the Common Ground Initiative Conference in Mobile Alabama.

2. Tolerating Dissent: "The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has the function of promoting and safeguarding doctrine on faith and morals throughout the catholic world. In accomplishing this purpose, it renders a service to the truth, by protecting the right of the People of God to receive the Gospel message in its purity and entirety." ["Regulations for Doctrinal Examination," Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 29, 1997, article 1]

Political Action:

Radical Endorsements: The Archdiocesan paper [June 29, 1990] carried a front-page invitation to Catholics to attend a rally for South Africa’s Nelson Mandela. Human Life International Special Report No. 71 points out that Mandela promised free abortions and contraceptive distribution when he attained power and that he has claimed that Communism is best for Africa.

Political Action:

Radical Endorsements:
"No one can at the same time be a sincere Catholic and a true Socialist." [Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 1931]

On April 14, 1994 the Archdiocesan paper carried a front page article and photograph of the Clintons being greeted by Cardinal Mahony as they left a Palm Sunday liturgy at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral. Clinton was permitted to address the congregation and spoke for about two minutes, exhorting them to be ready to "rescue" the needy. Critics felt that this was Clinton’s opportunistic pre-election ploy to garner favor with California Catholics. Photographs and news coverage of the event, showing Cardinal Mahony warmly speaking with the Clintons, appeared in the LA Times and in El Nuevo Herald. A distressed Catholic wrote to the Archdiocesan paper "I am absolutely shocked and dismayed to have read that President and Mrs. Clinton were greeted with a standing ovation when they attended Palm Sunday Mass at Vibiana’s Cathedral. Were not the parishioners aware that these two people are the biggest enemies of the pro-life movement? ….What is happening to our church? Do we no longer have the courage to stand up for our beliefs even if it means being unpopular with the politicians?" [The Tidings, April 28, 1995]

Elected Mayor of Los Angeles, Richard Riordan, was given a private mass in 1993. Cardinal Mahony celebrated it and Riordan received communion. Riordan was quoted during the campaign as saying that he looks at ultimate goals without worrying about the means; he has been married twice and is separated from his second wife, while "keeping company" with a married woman; he is openly "pro-choice."

The Riordan Foundation has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to the archdiocese as well as to other Catholic causes. Interviewed after the inaugural Mass, Cardinal Mahony told a reporter from his archdiocesan paper "We need a [mayor] who can keep his spiritual values and principles strong. And I believe Mayor Riordan is that type of person." [July 12, 1993]

"Sometimes the woman is subjected to such strong pressure that she feels psychologically forced to have an abortion: certainly in this case moral responsibility lies particularly with those who directly or indirectly obliged her to have an abortion….[R]esponsibility likewise falls on the legislators who have promoted and approved abortion laws." [Evangelium Vitae, section 59]
2. Industrial Areas Foundation: The California IAF, which receives funding from the Catholic charity, The Campaign for Human Development, as well as from many individual Catholic parishes, recently made national headlines for its apparent orchestration of a massive naturalization drive. The trouble with this drive was that it included hundreds of invalid naturalizations, with people evidently driven straight from receiving their citizenship papers to the polling booths. In November 1996 California elections, due to these tactics, pro-life Congressman Robert Dornan lost to a IAF-backed, pro-abortion candidate. The IAF candidate, Loretta Sanchez, was provided supportive coverage in the Archdiocese’s Spanish newspaper, Vida Nueva, after her election. 2."The first and principal duty [of a subject] is to obey the just laws of the State." [Reverend E. Cahill, The Framework of a Christian State, p. 498; see also Immortale Dei, section 18]

 

Attention Catholics

Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc. is an organization made up of orthodox Catholics committed to defending the whole truth of the Catholic Faith and restoring the integrity of the hierarchy of the Church. We have members in all 50 states and 9 foreign countries.

We are currently investigating whether there may have been instances of clergy misconduct in the Los Angeles Archdiocese during the years 1985 to 1998. If you have any information regarding clergy misconduct, please call or write R.C.F. at:

RCF, P.O. Box 109, Petersburg, Illinois 62675

Ph: (217) 632-5920 Fax: (217) 632-7054

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The ad to the left needs to be placed in your local newspapers. If you or someone you know can afford to do so-please call RCF. The name of the Diocese and the dates can be replaced with the name of your diocese. We (laity) can no longer wait for the hierarchy to correct the many abuses or replace Bishops. The following is a partial list of dioceses where these ads need to be placed. Los Angeles, Joliet, Albany, Rochester, (all New York Dioceses), Saginaw, Detroit, Milwaukee, Davenport, Santa Fe, Newark.

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William Conlon, Kieran McGuire, Katherine McSweeney, Maureen O'Shaughnessy, and Arnold Pilsner, the Board of Governors of The Immaculate Conception Chapter of Catholics United for the Faith, (CUF) Announces its ANNUAL DINNER to be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, December 7, 1997, at which Mr. Stephen Brady, founder of Roman Catholic Faithful, will be honored as Catholic Layman of the Year 1997. Past Honorees include Sen. Jeremiah Denton, Rep. Henry Hyde, Joan Andrews (in absentia while imprisoned for pro-life activities), Denis Dillon, William E. May, Rep. Peter King, Frank Russo, and Dr. William A. Donohue.

Featured Speaker:     The Reverend George Parker, who having been removed from his parish by his bishop after his courageous confrontation with pro-abortion "Catholic" U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd, now works with Human Life International. CUF 74 Carman Avenue East Rockaway, NY 11518


Immaculate Conception Chapter of CUF,
Seaford, New York

EVE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

(Featured Address, December 7, 1997)

by Reverend George H. Parker

Members of Catholics United for the Faith; Fellow Disciples of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; My Brothers and Sisters who are striving to answer the Lord’s call to holiness, the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Through our Baptism, we have all been recreated and consecrated to follow Our Blessed Lord. In Baptism, we were made justified, that is, pleasing in the eyes of Almighty God. When we were brought to the Baptismal font, most of us as infants, some of us as adults, there existed between us and Almighty God and infinite chasm, an endless gulf that could never have been bridged by any-thing we might have done or that anyone could have done in our behalf. As cuddly and as innocent as we might have appeared to our parents, because of the original sin of our first parents, we were not pleasing in the eyes of God. As in all sacraments, a great miracle took place, though not visible to the physical senses. We were transformed; we were made a new creation; we were born again. We were sealed with the Holy Spirit and received our call to be followers and disciples of Jesus Christ. The Holy One of God, the only-begotten Son of the Father at that precious moment called us to holiness.

To follow anyone implies and demands going where he had gone. Our Blessed Lord clearly sets forth the conditions for discipleship in the Gospel of Saint Luke (9:23-26)

Then Jesus said to them all, "If any want to become My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose their souls in the process? Those who are ashamed of Me and My words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

Following Jesus clearly requires a cross. Being a disciple of the Lord implies sacrifice. Answering affirmatively the call to holiness demands a virtual death to self and our petty selfish interests. Jesus tells us:

"My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30)

There is a yoke in following the Lord. There is a burden in the pursuit of holiness. However, because of the merits of Jesus Christ, the yoke is easy and the burden is light.

There are many heresies rampant in the Church today. There is widespread dissent, contumacious disobedience, and denials of many of the doctrinal and moral teachings of Christ and His Church. The darkness of New Age relativism and self-gratification has swept through the Church. It is difficult to rank errors and heresies. In my opinion, the greatest heresy afoot today in the Church is that of universalism. Some would have us believe that we are all locked into some gigantic love boat bound for the Kingdom of Heaven and we could not get off that boat if we tried. There are no crosses, no crucifixes on that mythical boat. There are only shrines to self-gratification. I assume if you walk around that ship, you’ll find Hitler sipping a drink in the lounge and Judas as the first mate. That boat is the Titanic of the spiritual life.

All of us are equally called to discipleship. Not one of us is any less called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ than John Paul II, the bishops, the priests or the religious. Pope John Paul and the bishops in union with him have been called to exercise that discipleship in a much more dramatic and visible manner, but we are all equally called. We are all members of the Mystical Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head. Only Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In Him there is no darkness.

"What has come into being in Him was life, a life that is the light of all people. The light

shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." (John 1:4-5)

Who is called to holiness? What is holiness? Holiness is that state of justification, that state of being "pleasing in the eyes" of God the Father, that we received in our Baptism. We used to call it the State of Sanctifying Grace. In that state of grace, the gate of Heaven is opened wide; without that state of grace, none of us can make it through the gate.

Jesus tells us that if we are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must become holy, as His Heavenly Father is holy. Left on our own, that would be an impossible goal. We are flawed, broken, sinful, imperfect. How then can we ever hope to become holy, as the Heavenly Father is holy? Jesus clearly told us:

The disciples who heard it said to Jesus: "Then who can be saved?" Jesus replied: "What is impossible for man is possible for God." (Luke 18:26-27)

The Call to Holiness is universal.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of time." (Matthew 28:18-20)

There are no exceptions of this call. No one is exempt. The young and the old are called to holiness. Those highly gifted and those not so highly gifted are called to holiness. The good, the bad, the ugly are called to holiness. Those with addictions, be they chemical, psychological or sexual are called to holiness. Those with negative compulsive desires are called to holiness. Those with dishonest impulses are called to holiness. Those with homosexual attractions are called to holiness. Bishops, priests and deacons are called to holiness. Those who are sinners, and the sinners are every man, every woman, every child, are called to holiness.

"For just as by one man’s disobedience all were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience all will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19)

Again, what is holiness? Is it a place? Is it New York? Is it Boston? Is it Rome? Is it some new organization? Is it a novel movement? Is it the product of a referendum? Is it the result of dialogue? Is it a consensus?

It is none of the above. Holiness is a person. What person? Jesus Christ, Who is Lord. He alone is the holiness of God. Saint Paul states that in the sense of believing, "No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except in the Holy Spirit."

Our baptismal robes, originally white as the purest driven snow, must be washed again and again in the blood of the Lamb. Who is the Lamb? Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.

How do we wash our baptismal robes in the blood of the Lamb? We wash those precious robes in the blood of the Lamb by our constant pursuit of holiness, in the worthy reception of the sacraments, in the Sacrament of Penance and in the worthy reception of the Most Holy Eucharist – the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. In a world being more and more immersed in darkness, each one of us must remain in the light of Christ.

To be in the light of Jesus Christ, we must name the darkness. If we do not name the darkness, we enter into that darkness. As ordained teachers of God’s word, if we do not name the darkness, we not only enter into the darkness; we lead the souls of those who have entrusted themselves into our care into the darkness. If we as disciples of Christ flirt with the darkness, we run the awful risk of entering into that darkness. Once we have lost the light of Christ and entered into the darkness, we run the frightful danger of never again finding the light. There must be a full naming of the darkness. A merely partial or selective naming of the darkness is not enough.

Saint Paul said it ever so simply and yet so profoundly:

"Am I seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galations 1:10)

Another heresy in the Church today is that the teachings of Christ and His Church are a matter of personal comfort and selection. The faith is not a smorgasbord from which to pick and choose. Truth is not relative or the result of popular democratic sentiment. The faith is everything revealed by God, everything that Christ said and taught, and everything that His Church teaches.

As I said earlier, following someone implies going where he has gone. Some today would have you believe that there is a magic shortcut in following Jesus, that somehow, we can avoid the cross and catch up with Jesus at the entrance to the Kingdom. That is a blatant invitation to step into the darkness.

Ignore the voices calling us into the darkness regardless of their rank, regardless of their academic degrees, regardless of their robes, regardless of their popularity. These subtle and not-so-subtle invitations into the darkness must be answered by each one of us loudly and clearly. We must respond by naming the darkness. We can not make the cross more comfortable, more easy to carry, less of a burden by only partially naming the darkness, by fudging the truth, by sugarcoating the requirements of discipleship, and certainly not by dissent.

There is no common ground between those who accept the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ and those who recognize the Church merely as a new and evolving human organization that Christ would have founded if He knew as much at those who are New-church or the Am-church or the We are church. The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ – Christ is the Head and we are the members. It is not the other way around. We are not the church to which Christ is merely a fellow member. Christ was and is not a milk toast or a good-goody religious leader bound by the time frame in which He walked the earth. To assert that proposition is to deny loudly and clearly that Jesus Christ is Lord. Listen well to the testimony of the Holy Spirit through Saint John on Who Christ is:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being. What had come into being in Him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.

…And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory of a Father’s only son, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-5,14)

Remember the old catechism answer to the question: Why did God make you? "God made me to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven."

To know God is to love Him. How do we come to know God? Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit. How do we know Christ? We can not love what we really do not know. We come to know Christ through the Scriptures and through the magisterial teaching of His Church – not some of them but all of them. When we know and love Him, we will want to serve Him. How do we serve Him since He is no longer present among us as when He walked the earth. Thanks be to God, He is present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, but I can not see Him; I can not hear Him; I can not touch Him. Jesus tells us how in His simple but vivid description of the Final Judgment as found in the Gospel of Matthew (25:31-46). Whatever we do or don’t do to our brothers and sisters, we do to Him. Clearly then, we serve him in our brothers and sisters.

When we tear down another human being, we tear down Jesus Christ. When we gossip about another person, we gossip about Jesus Christ. When we hurt another person, we hurt Jesus Christ. When we use another person as a sexual object, we use Jesus Christ as a sexual object. When we abort the infant in the womb, we abort Jesus Christ. When we build up another human being, we build up Jesus Christ. When we speak well of another person, we speak well of Jesus Christ. When we commit ourselves in Holy Matrimony, we commit ourselves to Jesus Christ. When we save the life of an unborn infant, we save the life of Jesus Christ.

The measurable barometer of our holiness is our treatment of all others, those we like and even those we do not like. That is what Jesus meant when He enunciated what He called the greatest of all the commandments:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

(Matthew 22:37-40)

These are not two separate commandments in the sense that you master the first, and then begin to work on the second. The second flows from the first. If you do love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and all your mind, you will love your neighbor as yourself.

Loving God, loving your brothers and sisters, naming the darkness – that is holiness! Never giving up the struggle against sin and against your fallen nature – that is holiness! When you fall, and you will fall, picking yourself up and reconciling yourself with the Lord – that is holiness! Always trying as best you can to walk in the light of Christ – that is holiness! Naming the darkness – that is holiness! Trying honestly and faithfully to discern God’s Will and pursuing that Will with an informed conscience – that is holiness!

On the feast of the Annunciation in 1995, Pope John Paul II issued his encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae (the Gospel of Life). It was not a new gospel, but rather a remarkable synthesis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Vicar of Christ, to whom has been entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, teaches that the sanctity of life, from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death is at the heart of the Gospel. In other words, for one who does not hold the sanctity of life, for that person the Gospel is dead. And if for any person the Gospel is dead, they are eternally dead and lost in the never-ending darkness.

In March 1984, Cardinal Bernard Law in his installation homily as Archbishop of Boston, stated the following profound truth:

"To be the light of Christ, we must name the darkness. Nowhere is the shroud of darkness heavier in the contemporary world than in the sin of abortion. We deal out death through abortion to the most innocent of human beings. This is the primordial sin of our time."

Can we be holy and be silent about the primordial evil of abortion? No, we must name the darkness! Can we be holy and be quiet about artificial contraception? No, we must name the darkness! Can we be holy and be hushed about promiscuous sexual activity, be it heterosexual or homosexual? No, we must name the darkness! Can we give into the pressure of our secular society and be politically correct? No, we must name the darkness! Can we be holy and yet remain passive about the permeating culture of death that is all around us? No, we must name the darkness! Can we be holy and put ourselves and our desires first and God second? No, we must name the darkness! Can we be holy and make our individual consciences the objective norm of moral behavior? No, we must name the darkness! Can we be holy and cry out: "I will not serve," or "I will serve only on my own terms"? No, we must name the darkness and cry out: "I will serve!" Remember, if we do not name the darkness, we enter into the darkness!

Let no one doubt that there is in progress at this very moment in time a mighty battle between good and evil; between life and death, between light and darkness, between the Prince of Darkness and the King of the Universe. As clever as he is, Satan is wont to tip his hand. At last year’s Call to Action (I call it the Call to Apostasy), Diane Neu, one of its organizers and a self-proclaimed liturgist, author of a liturgy to affirm women who are contemplating or have had an abortion, made the following statement that seems to almost flirt with the satanic:

"There is a power in darkness. There is a womb-life in darkness. There is a power in darkness as there is a power in light. We, as liturgists, need to be careful not to speak of the darkness as negative. It is a positive."

Is not Sacred Scripture replete with who and what is the power of darkness?

"This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, and do not come into the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.

Those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." (John 3:20-21)

If I may a personal note. I became a priest late in life at the age of fifty-three because I want to one day see the Face of God. As a priest, if I do not clearly, resoundingly and completely name the darkness, I will never see the Face of God. No feelings of human respect or false charity should ever lead us to risk the loss of one day beholding the face of God, and even more. St. John tells us that not only will we, who are holy, see God, we shall become like Him. It is utterly mind-boggling. I can not explain it. Even the great Saint Paul could not. He said: "The eye has not seen; the ear has not heard; nor has it even entered into the mind of man what God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)

As disciples of Jesus Christ answering His call to holiness, we must be His witnesses. We must please only God. We must accept the full truth. We must preach the complete Gospel. We must proclaim from the housetops that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! Then and only then can we hope to see the Face of God.

In our modern day church, in the church in America, there are three aspects of the darkness that, for so many, seem highly difficult to name. I refer to contraception, abortion and homosexuality. In his prophetic encyclical Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI stated that if a contraceptive mentality were adopted, the evil of abortion and even euthanasia would inevitably follow.

We can not refuse to name parts of the darkness with an eye on the collection plate, because we do not want to make people uncomfortable, or because we are intimidated by statistics. There was a time when the heresy of Arianism swept the Church. A majority of the bishops were Arians. It was the laity that saved the Church then and it is the laity that will save the Church now. Among the bishops of England, only Bishop Saint John Fisher refused to take the oath of supremacy to Henry the VIII as head of the church.

It has been my uneasy observation that when our government politicizes a moral issue, such as artificial contraception, abortion, homosexuality and now assisted suicide, our leaders, particularly our shepherds, become very nervous and fear the possible loss of the church’s tax exempt status. This will not endear me to our leaders, but I truly feel that when the day dawns that we lose our status as tax exempt, it will be the greatest day in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Then with Martin Luther King we can cry out:

"Free at last, thank God Almighty, Free at last."

On that day, with authentic Catholic unity, we can begin to preach the full Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Life, totally unfettered and without looking over our shoulder at Big Secular Brother. On that day we can stop mollycoddling those self-proclaimed Catholic politicians who have abandoned the Gospel for the sake of this world and are evil impostors of the worst kind.

Contraception is not the cure for the prevalence of abortion in our culture, as some even within the Church assert. Rather contraception is the very gateway that leads to abortion, and abortion is the doorway leading to euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Once the purpose of sexual intimacy is torn loose from procreation and the family, then logically anything goes and the darkness becomes virtually enveloping; sexual intimacy becomes merely recreational; teen-age pregnancies and abortions sky-rocket; the birthrate falls; ethnic cultures are in danger of annihilation; the homosexual agenda rears its ugly head; our very young and not-so-very young increasingly engage in irresponsible sexual activity; and abortion becomes the chief means of escaping the unwanted result – a child of God.

It is often asked: How can a loving and merciful God condemn anyone to an eternity without Him? He doesn’t. We are making that choice everyday of our lives by either our positive response to or our rejection of the Call to Holiness. We alone make that awful choice and God will honor that choice for all eternity. That alone is the only authentic "freedom of choice."

"Your attitude must be that of Christ:

Though He was in the form of God,

He did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, He emptied Himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estate, and it was thus that He humbled Himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!" (Phil. 2:5-8)

God, how I love Saint Paul! It is so easy to become discouraged. It is true, I am sure, of Catholics United for the Faith and it is true for those who work back at Human Life International. We fight so very hard, we run so far and yet, from a human point of view, little seems to be happening. We may not seem to be making a dent. Things may seem to be getting worse. Some will say that abortion is now such an ingrained part of our culture that it is here to stay. Institutionalized slavery was once part of our culture. Now it is gone. We may not see victory in our lifetime. It would be so wonderful, but it is not necessary. What is necessary is that we never give up the fight. Remember what Saint Paul said as he was nearing the end of his life:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. From now on a merited crown awaits me. On that day the Lord, just Judge that He is, will award it to me." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Note that Saint Paul did not say he won the fight or that he had won the race, only that he had fought the good fight that he had finished the race. The only victory that counts is the victory we will celebrate in the Kingdom of Heaven for all eternity. Keep fighting the good fight and keep on running the race. The finish line is the Gate of Heaven.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ! Fellow Disciples of Jesus Christ! Let us continue to strive to answer the great Call to Holiness given each one of us by a God that loves each of us with an infinite love. Let us continue to join hands with one another; Catholics united for the Faith, Roman Catholic Faithful, Roman Forum, Americans United for the Pope, Opus Dei, Human Life International, Priests for Life, Deacons for Life, Wanderer Press, Ignatius Press, Saint Joseph Communications, Eternal Word Television Network, Christendom College, Franciscan University at Steubenville! Let us go forth from this place and, without any compromise or fear, name the darkness! There will certainly be a price. With great joy pay that price – that bargain for the Kingdom of Heaven.

"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of slander against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven." (Matthew 5:11-12)

May Almighty God give each one of us the grace of final perseverance! One day may each one of us be in that huge crowd, seen by St. John and recorded in the Book of Revelation, that huge crowd from every nation and race, people and tongue with our robes washed clean and made white in the blood of the Lamb! And may we cry out in a loud voice: "Salvation is from Our God, Who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb." (Rev. 7)

To Him, Who gave each one of us the gift of life and the gift of faith, be honor and glory! Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever! Amen.

Human Life International
4 Family Life
Front Royal, VA. 22630

Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc.
P.O. Box 109, Petersburg, IL 62675

Ph: (217)632-5920 / Fax: (217) 632-7054

Write or fax RCF to receive this newsletter (AMDG) and become a member. Your financial contributions are much appreciated and needed.

A Special thank you goes out to Ray & Carol Hancy. The Hancys mailed us a 3’ by 8’ Roman Catholic Faithful banner complete with a logo. This hand painted banner will be displayed at some of our RCF meetings.

The Hancys have offered to do the same for others for the cost of materials.

Ray & Carol Hancy
843 Silverbrook Rd., Randle, WA 98377
ph/fax (360) 497-3470

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Bullies Finally Identified

At the National Conference of Catholic Bishop’s (NCCB) semi-annual meeting held in Washington D.C. in November, NCCB President, Bishop Anthony Pilla fumed about those, "who claim to be Catholics and at the same time act like bullies." Unfortunately, Bishop Pilla did not give us the names of these bullies. Subsequent events, however, have made it clear that one of them is Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles.

Cardinal Mahony became apoplectic when Mother Angelica of EWTN dared to criticize Mahony’s bizarre Pastoral on the liturgy for L.A., and Mahony demanded an apology. Mother Angelica apologized, but Mahony was not satisfied with Mother’s apology and follow-up explanation. He has, therefore, demanded the intervention of the Vatican in the administration of the Eternal Word Television Network.

Meanwhile, as readers of the Wanderer are now aware, Mahony became incensed when a pro-lifer attempted to challenge Mahony’s pro-life record at a recent public forum. While the pro-lifer was attempting to speak into the microphone, Mahony wrestled it from him and managed to whack him in the face during the process, drawing blood.

We’re not sure if this meets Bishop Pilla’s definition of a bully, but we could offer this advice to all Catholics—if you must criticize Cardinal Mahony, then for your own safety, please do not use a microphone. (James Bendell, RCF)

 

"At Respect Life Conference..."
"Cardinal Grabs Microphone, Bloodying Lip Of Pro-Lifer"

That is the headline of an article that ran in the February 5, edition of the Wanderer.

Dennis Rudmin, a local pro-lifer, received a lacerated upper lip when Cardinal Mahony grabbed the microphone in an effort to keep Rudmin from speaking. All this took place in front of nearly 1000 people at Los Angeles’ Omni Shoreman Hotel during The third Annual Memorial Commitment to Life Conference. Rudmin was reading statements from a flyer distributed by Concerned Roman Catholics of America. A portion of the flyer is printed below. For the complete flyer contact:

Concerned Roman Catholics of America
P.O. Box 8095, Anaheim, CA 92812-8095
Tel./Fax: 714-772-7729
Email: fisher-jmj@compuserve.com

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Jan 22, 1998, Day of Infamy
25 Years of Abortion on Demand

A few years ago Cardinal Mahony stated "there is no such thing as a Catholic 'pro-choice elected or appointed official - all Catholic office holders have an obligation to work for the repeal of laws permitting abortion."

So ask why ..........................?

1. When Clinton appointed Leon Panetta as his chief of staff; the Aug. '95 Tidings ran a big star-spangled article enthusiastically proclaiming "A Catholic in the White House!" Congressman Panetta had a consistent pro-abortion voting record.

2. The Cardinal is very favorable toward Los Angeles Mayor Riordan:

* Riordan is pro-choice & pro-homosexual

* The Cardinal said a Mass to celebrate Riordan's election

* At the ground dedication, Riordan added that the Cathedral was for people of all sexual orientations

* Riordan along with pro-choice politician Pete Wilson placed congratulating Cathedral ads in the Sept.19 Tidings.

3. The L.A. Archdiocese followed the advice of its law firm and ordered that voter guides no longer be distributed in the parishes; these guides told whether candidates were for or against abortion. The archdiocese also followed advice to ban OPERATlON RESCUE in the parishes...

5. The Cardinal joined in applause for the nation's No.1 partial birth abortion advocate (Clinton) at Our Lady of Help of Christians School in Lincoln Heights even allowing him to speak from the pulpit. The president is trying to stem violence in and around schools, NOT in and around the womb.

6. The Aug. '97 Tidings advertised the Aug. 8-10 Call-to-Action conference. Call-to-Action is a "Catholic" organization pressuring to eliminate or loosen church teaching on birth control and abortion (among other radical changes)....

10. A July '97 news item describes how pleas to the cardinal for support for a California law banning partial-birth abortion were to no avail; he couldn't make it that day. They offered to re-schedule the hearing to any time convenient for the Cardinal, but he still "couldn't make it."....

13. Vida Nueva (Spanish Version of Tidings) featured a front cover and a non-critical multi-page article about pro-choice Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez after she defeated Catholic Congressman Robert Dornan who is outspokenly pro-life

14. The infamous developer of the infanticide of partial-birth abortion, James T. McMahon was given a Catholic funeral and burial in consecrated ground of a Catholic cemetery in Culver City.....

* Distributed by Concerned Roman Catholics of America
P.O. Box 8095
Anaheim, CA 92812-8095
Tel./Fax: 714-772-7729
Email: fisher-jmj@compuserve.com

* Source documents available on request 

 

We at RCF pray that Cardinal Mahony will answer the cries of the Faithful of the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

We must pray for the Cardinal and ask Our Lord to guide him.

If Cardinal Mahony cannot:

1. defend the Holy Father and the teachings of the Catholic Church—

2. instruct his priests not to allow individuals or groups of individuals access to Catholic schools, churches, and Church property to promote any belief, teaching, or idea contrary to Catholic teaching as defined by the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Holy Roman Catholic Church—

3. require every Catholic Priest to follow the Disciplines of the Catholic Church as they promised to do—

4. do all he can to safeguard the souls of our children by exercising his authority to insure proper teaching within Catholic Schools and Parish Religion Programs—

5. prevent any Priest from treating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as his personal possession by adding, changing, or removing any part of the Mass on his own authority—

6. "provide pastoral care in full accord with the teaching of the Church for homosexuals persons (in his) diocese." ("No authentic pastoral program will include organizations in which homosexual persons associate with each other without clearly stating that homosexual activity is immoral.") Letters to Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons.

—then the Faithful of the Los Angeles Archdiocese will not owe Cardinal Mahony their financial support or obedience!

Stephen Brady

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Letters

Dear Sir,

Please find enclosed thirty dollars American to enable me to continue receiving your excellent newsletter during 1998.

I hope you don’t mind but I have made photocopies of the newsletter and sent it to appropriate leading lay persons in New Zealand during last year.

Thank you, Yours faithfully. Mary in New Zealand


RCF

Thanks for all you are doing. Our prayers & support are behind you. Thank God someone has the nerve or willpower to do this.

When one sees families falling apart-it’s hard to take.

God Bless, Jo in Missouri


Dear Steve,

I sure would like to give more, but a retired priest does not have the resources of the active priests, much to the discredit of our bishop. But then he’s got other priorities on his mind!

I’m glad to help out in this way, I/we thank you, Steve for all that you are doing to bring sanity and Faith back to the diocese. Many will reject your work, and will blast you. But remember, these are the Faithless followers of a Faithless bishop.

It’s nice to see the gutless Church leadership running scared.

Keep on their trail!, Sincerely, Father


Stephen,

We just received your newsletter. (RCF has been busy)

Use the enclosed check where needed...

Thank God for orthodox "militant" Catholics and their "Generals". You are truly appreciated & are doing a terrific job.

Have a great 98. God Bless you. Christine (Ohio)

P.S. Keep Stephanie Block...She’s a gold mine!


Dear Steve,

Congratulations- job well done! On the December 97 issue of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! Your newsletter is getting better and better all of the time. I really appreciate all the contributions-yourself, Stephanie, Mary Ellen Eckleberg, Eleanor Sobolewski, Tom Droleskey, Msgr. Vincent Foy and all the behind the scenes folks who add their information and input. Long live RCF!

God bless and protect you and your beloved family. Arlene.


Dear Stephen,

Count me as one of your greatest fans. If we could multiply you, the Church in America would reflower overnight. As you well know, the Church has been overtaken by a clan of ecclesiastical gangsters. When the whole story is completely told, the few ghastly facts which the faithful possess will pall in comparison. The present leadership (with few notable exceptions) hold the Catholic people in contempt and do not intend to ameliorate their assault on the Faith. They only fear those who know the truth and are willing to publicize it. Bad publicity and diminished cash supplies are their only enemies.

Persevere. Become stronger. Let no one dampen your enthusiasm. One day I hope to meet you. Until then, let us pray for one another. Wishing you all the blessings of the Christmas season, I remain.

In Christ Our King, Father______

 

New Blockbuster Book Out!

CALL TO ACTION OR CALL TO APOSTASY?

How dissenters plan to remake the
Catholic Church in their own image

Written by Human Life International’s Dr. Brian Clowes, this important new booklet takes aim at the liberal movement that threatens the heart of the Holy Mother Church.

A necessary tool for RCF members!

The price is $6 each, or two for $10

To order, call HLI at 1-800-549-LIFE

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