Mystified

Cardinal Mahony is making headlines again. Whenever he does, you can be sure it is another sad day for faithful Catholics worldwide.

The head of the largest archdiocese in the U.S. for the last 18 years, Mahony is being investigated by the feds for his handling of child abuse cases. Understandably, the Cardinal is "mystified and puzzled by the whole thing."

In July 2007 Cardinal Mahony managed to drain the coffers of $660,000,000 in settlement monies to avoid further testimony and proceedings in court. (Something perhaps worth remembering the next time collection plates are passed around and LA Catholics are asked to "give until it hurts" in the annual diocesan appeal.)

Anyhow, it appears Mahony will have a tougher time bribing a grand jury.

In light of the scandal this investigation will be for Catholics and non-Catholics everywhere, has there been any mention to the Holy Father of the Canon 401.2 provision?

I'm just asking...

Stimulus

The NY Post has a piece about President Obama and the proposed stimulus package. One Republican is trying to get his arms around it:

"You know, I'm concerned about the size of the package. And I'm concerned about some of the spending that's in there, [about] ... how you can spend hundreds of millions on contraceptives," House GOP Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) later said.

"How does that stimulate the economy?"

Good question.

Someone tell me this is a joke.

H/T: Neil Mueller

Brick by brick

The Holy Father continues to make exceptional appointments in the Curia. On December 9th Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera (in Spain, sometimes called the "Little Ratzinger") took the helm as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

In an interview this last Sunday granted to Spanish daily La Razón, Cardinal Llovera had this to say:

[La Razón:] Nevertheless, Benedict XVI has reiterated in some instances the propriety of receiving communion kneeling and in the mouth. Is it something important, or is it a mere matter of form?



[Cañizares:] - No, it is not just a matter of form. What does it mean to receive communion in the mouth? What does it mean to kneel before the Most Holy Sacrament? What dies it mean to kneel during the consecration at Mass? It means adoration, it means recognizing the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist; it means respect and an attitude of faith of a man who prostrates before God because he knows that everything comes from Him, and we feel speechless, dumbfounded, before the wondrousness, his goodness, and his mercy. That is why it is not the same to place the hand, and to receive communion in any fashion, than doing it in a respectful way; it is not the same to receive communion kneeling or standing up, because all these signs indicate a profound meaning. What we have to grasp is that profound attitude of the man who prostrates himself before God, and that is what the Pope wants.

Awesome.

Something else Obama and the Christ Child have in common

The One also has his own holiday.

MARION, Ala. — A small central Alabama county whose mainly black residents gave Barack Obama more than 70 percent of the vote on Election Day has created an annual holiday in honor of the president-elect.

The Perry County Commission voted 4 to 1 to observe the second Monday in November as "The Barack Obama Day." County offices will close and its roughly 40 workers will get a paid holiday.

The sponsoring commissioner, Albert Turner Jr., said the holiday is meant to highlight the Democratic president-elect's victory as a way to give people faith that difficult goals can be achieved.

The AP also interviewed the racist commissioner who voted against the measure.

"I'm a Democrat, but just in these financial times, it's not using the county's money wisely," Harrison told The Associated Press by phone Wednesday.

I have a dream

I have a dream that one day we will live in a nation where presidents are elected not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Entertaining...and true

H/T to Andrew St.Hilaire