We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Straight Guy with the Catholic Eye, no. 1

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes

by Matt Abbott

With all that goes on in the Church today - both good and bad - I figured it might be nice to do an occasional "gossip" column for Catholics who like to be "in the know." And my focus will be on the Church here in the U.S. So here it goes.

In the positive category...

There is a bit of good news regarding the University of Notre Dame. (For those who might be unaware, UND, like so many other Catholic institutions of higher learning, has been plagued by dissent and scandal over the last few decades - and particularly in the last few years.) An e-mail I recently received from a UND alum reported that a school official is hiring some new solidly Catholic professors for the school's Theology program, thus moving it "to be quite orthodox, despite [prominent dissenter] Richard McBrien teaching one class and the halting support of the administration."

Good. Perhaps these new professors will help to bring the authentic Catholic faith back to UND. Just think: No more blatant heresy by the likes of McBrien and no more 'Queer Film Festival,' et al. There is hope.

And now there are at least two bishops who would refuse Holy Communion to "Catholic" pro-abortion presidential candidate John Kerry - Raymond Burke of St. Louis and Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska. In a recent column, Catholic activist and writer Barbara Kralis reported that Bruskewitz agreed with the position of Archbishop Burke, saying, "We agree completely with Archbishop Raymond Burke in the action he has taken and we would take the same action in the Diocese of Lincoln with regard to manifest, persistent, obstinate sinners, including politicians, regardless of which diocese they are from."

Shop Timeless Catholic Gifts

Other bishops are apparently unsure of how to deal with the scandal of avowed pro-abortion politicians receiving Holy Communion, and are talking about what action(s) they might take to "deal" with it. Imagine that.

In the negative category...

From Father Peter West of Priests for Life (www.priestsforlife.org):

"Here is another real outrage, taking place at Seton Hall Law School onFriday, April 16, 2004. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is notoriously pro-abortion and voted to strike down the partial-birth abortion laws of more than 30 states, is presenting the annual 'Sandra Day O'Connor Medal of Honor' to Judge Maryanne Trump Barry of the U.S. Court of Appeals, the pro-abortion author of the opinion striking down the New Jersey partial-birth abortion statute.

"Seton Hall is a nominally Catholic arm of the Archdiocese of Newark. The Seton Hall website proclaims that it is 'the oldest diocesan university in the United States' and states that 'Seton Hall is Catholic not only by its charter and mission, but also by its ongoing spirit and activity.' Despite this lip service to its Catholic tradition, Seton Hall Law School -- which has a faculty riddled with pro-abortion professors and has no record of honoring any pro-life heroes -- is once again creating a major scandal by honoring prominent pro-abortion figures. Indeed, the two involved in this year's award ceremony are personally responsible for imposing the Culture of Death on our society; they will stand on Seton Hall's stage with innocent blood dripping from their hands as they accept the praise of a 'Catholic' faculty and administration whose salaries and facilities (including the stage) are paid for by millions of dollars fleeced from unsuspecting Catholics who believe the false and fraudulent pretense that the Law School is still Catholic.

"Please contact the Archbishop of Newark, the President of the University and the Dean of the Law School to protest this outrage and to demand that this award ceremony be canceled and that the Law School's sponsorship of this annual award be terminated immediately. Here is the contact information:

Archbishop John Myers
973-497-4190
goodneja@rcan.org

Msgr. Robert Sheeran
973-761-9620
sheeraro@shu.edu

Dean Patrick Hobbs
973-642-8750
hobbspat@shu.edu

And in the Archdiocese of Chicago (my hometown):

From the bulletin of Holy Name Cathedral...

"Are you looking for some spiritual nourishment?? Then why not join some of your fellow parishioners at the next First Friday Club luncheon and lecture.

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

"Father Andrew Greeley, priest, author, sociologist is speaking at the First Friday Luncheon on May 7. It will be sold out! So get your reservation in this week.

"The Luncheon and lecture take place at the Union League Club at 65 W. Jackson. The event starts promptly at noon and ends at 1:15 pm sharp. The luncheon fee is $25.00 if you register through Holy Name Cathedral. You will pay at the luncheon - check payable to First Friday Club of Chicago. And because of the contractual arrangements with the Union League Club, once your reservation is made with us, your luncheon fee is required, even if you can not attend. You will be seated at friendly Holy Name Cathedral tables. To reserve your place, call Father Tom Rzepiela or Father Bill Moriarity at (312) 787-8040."

No word on what Greeley will speak about - his racy novels, his love of the libertine Democratic Party, or the following allegation he made in his 1999 non-fiction book 'Furthermore! Memories of a Parish Priest' (page 80): "...But even in Chicago, the ring of predators about whom I wrote in the paperback edition of 'Confessions' remains untouched. There is no evidence against them because no one has complained about them and none of their fellow priests have denounced them. Those who have been removed are for the most part lone offenders who lacked the skill to cover their tracks. The ring is much more clever. Perhaps they always will be. But should they slip, should they get caught, the previous scandals will seem trivial...They are a dangerous group. There is reason to believe that they are responsible for at least one murder, and may perhaps have been involved in the murder of the murderer. Am I afraid of them? Not particularly. They know that I have in safekeeping information which would implicate them. I am more of a threat to them dead than alive."

Well, until next time, dear readers...