White supremacist Pat Buchanan on EWTN

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
 – Galatians 3:28-29

I hope that Raymond Arroyo gets a ton of emails complaining about inviting Pat Buchanan to come on his show. Buchanan has demonstrated time and again that he is a white supremacist. In fact the book that he is currently promoting has a chapter titled "The End Of White America". Here are a few quotes which are obviously designed to stir feelings of racial hatred towards Hispanics and Blacks.

The white population will begin to shrink and, should present birth rates persist, slowly disappear. Hispanics already comprise 42 percent of New Mexico's population, 37 percent of California's, 38 percent of Texas's, and over half the population of Arizona under the age of twenty. ... Mexico is moving north. Ethnically, linguistically, and culturally, the verdict of 1848 is being overturned. Will this Mexican nation within a nation advance the goals of the Constitution-to "insure domestic tranquility" and "make us a more perfect union"? Or has our passivity in the face of this invasion imperiled our union?

...Those who believe the rise to power of an Obama rainbow coalition of peoples of color means the whites who helped to engineer it will steer it are deluding themselves. The whites may discover what it is like to ride in the back of the bus.

Supposedly Buchanan is a Catholic and that justifies him being on the program. There is also a chapter in the book titled "The Death Of Christian America". I have certainly shared my concerns about the attacks by Our Secular President on Christianity, but Buchanan twists this into another racist argument by denying that Hispanics also come from a predominantly Christian culture.

I give credit to Arroyo for initially challenging Buchanan on this subject. But I have to say that I was very disappointed that he did not confront Buchanan about his repugnant reply.

UPDATE 1 [Oct 30]:

After reviewing a list of the chapters from Buchanan's book (see update below), I have to ask: which of these was Arroyo calling "a chapter on immigration"? The one that it seems he was most likely referring to is "The End of White America". Arroyo and EWTN should be ashamed to be promoting such a blatantly racist book. Arroyo clearly knew what type of answer to expect from Buchanan about Hispanic immigration. I have had issues before with Arroyo over his conservative politics, but this goes far beyond standard political ideology. This is racism at the level of the KKK.

Please write to EWTN at viewer@ewtn.com or call them at 205-271-2900 to let them know of your displeasure. And if you are a financial contributor, you should tell them that you are not going to contribute to them anymore and let them know why. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!

It is people like Buchanan that give Republican conservatives the label of "racist". There is no better way to get Hispanics and Blacks to run into the arms of the Democrats than to allow him to continue to spew his racial hatred. Hispanics and Blacks are attracted by the pro-Life and pro-Family messages of conservative Republicans and would seem like a natural fit, but the overt racism displayed by Buchanan screams out to Hispanics and Blacks that they are not welcome.

Here is the video from the "World Over Live". You can come to your own conclusions. (The exchange about Hispanics begins at 18:10 and ends at 20:30.)



The whole Republican Party position on immigration has huge anti-Hispanic overtones. The other day at the CNN debates the Republican candidates were asked directly about what their message is for Hispanics. The only reply was that they would produce more jobs -- they ducked the issue entirely. The only person that had any positive message for Hispanics was Rick Santorum, who stood up for the pro-Family values of Hispanics. (Buchanan, on the other hand, specifically chooses to attack Hispanic family values.)

I was especially disappointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry. He could have said something positive about the large number of Hispanics in Texas. Instead he just made a generic statement about creating jobs for everyone. In his first debate, Perry spoke proudly of having helped Hispanic immigrants to be able to achieve a college education. But after coming under fire for supporting Hispanics, he has assumed the racist immigrant stance of his fellow Republicans.

As much as I would like to vote for a Republican for President based on the vital pro-Life and pro-Family issues, it will be very hard for me to do if they continue to attack Hispanics by using the issue of immigration as a cover for their racism.

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San Juan Diego, ruega por nostros.

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UPDATE 1 [Oct 30]:

Below are excerpts from each chapter in Buchanan's book titled "Suicide of a Superpower". It is racists like him that give Christianity a bad name. To him, "Christian America" and "White America" are synonymous. What makes it worse for me is that he calls himself a "Catholic". Usually it is the Protestants that spew this kind of hatred. Please rest assured that Buchanan does not represent the Catholic Church which embraces people from all backgrounds and of all nationalities.

I have to wonder if Buchanan is really working for the Democrats in disguise. This type of polarizing politics can only help Obama. But if the Republican candidates do not publicly denounce him then people will assume that he is speaking for them. And maybe he is.

Chapter 1: The Passing of a Superpower

“We have accepted today the existence in perpetuity of a permanent underclass of scores of millions who cannot cope and must be carried by society -- fed, clothed, housed, tutored, medicated at taxpayer’s expense their entire lives. We have a dependent nation the size of Spain in our independent America. We have a new division in our country, those who pay a double or triple fare, and those who ride forever free.”

Chapter 2. The End of Christian America

If [Christopher] Dawson is correct, the drive to de-Christianize America, to purge Christianity from the public square, public schools and public life, will prove culturally and socially suicidal for the nation.

“The last consequence of a dying Christianity is a dying people. Not one post-Christian nation has a birth rate sufficient to keep it alive....The death of European Christianity means the disappearance of the European tribe, a prospect visible in the demographic statistics of every Western nation.”

Chapter 3. The Crisis of Catholicism

“Half a century on, the disaster is manifest. The robust and confident Church of 1958 no longer exists. Catholic colleges and universities remain Catholic in name only. Parochial schools and high schools are closing as rapidly as they opened in the 1950s. The numbers of nuns, priests and seminarians have fallen dramatically. Mass attendance is a third of what it was. From the former Speaker of the House to the Vice President, Catholic politicians openly support abortion on demand.”

“How can Notre Dame credibly teach that all innocent life is sacred, and then honor a president committed to ensuring that a woman’s right to end the life of her innocent child remains sacrosanct?”

Chapter 4. The End of White America

“[W]hite America is an endangered species. By 2020, whites over 65 will out-number those 17 and under. Deaths will exceed births. The white population will begin to shrink and, should present birth rates persist, slowly disappear.”

“Mexico is moving north. Ethnically, linguistically and culturally, the verdict of 1848 is being over-turned. Will this Mexican nation within a nation advance the goals of the Constitution -- to “insure domestic tranquility” and ‘make us a more perfect union’? Or have we imperiled our union?” (Page 134)

Chapter 5. Demographic Winter

“Peoples of European descent are not only in a relative but a real decline. They are aging, dying, disappearing. This is the existential crisis of the West.” (Page 166)

“Not any Iranian weapon of mass destruction but demography is the existential crisis Israel faces....By mid-century...Palestinians west of the Jordan river will out-number Jews 2-1. Add Palestinians in Jordan, it is 3-1.”

“In a startling development of history, Russia’s population has fallen from 148 million in 1991 to 140 million today and is projected to plunge to 116 million by 2050, a loss of 32 million Russians in six decades.”

Chapter 6. Equality Vs. Freedom

“Those who would change society begin by changing the meaning of words. At Howard University, LBJ changed the meaning of equality from the attainable -- an end to segregation and a legislated equality of rights for African-Americans -- to the impossible: a socialist utopia.”

“Where equality is enthroned, freedom is extinguished. The rise of the egalitarian society means the death of the free society.”

“A time for truth. As most kids do not have the athletic ability to play high school sports, or the musical ability to play in the band, or the verbal ability to excel in debate, not every child has the academic ability to do high school work. No two children are created equal, not even identical twins. The family is the incubator of inequality and God its author.”

Chapter 7. The Diversity Cult

“The non-Europeanization of America is heartening news of an almost transcendental quality,” Wattenberg trilled.4 Yet, one wonders: What kind of man looks with transcendental joy to a day when the people among whom he was raised have become a minority in a nation where the majority rules?”

“Historians will look back in stupor at 20th and 21st century Americans who believed the magnificent republic they inherited would be enriched by bringing in scores of millions from the failed states of the Third World.”

Chapter 8: The Triumph Of Tribalism

America’s war of revenge against Japan was a race war. Newsreels, movies, magazines, comic books, headlines treated “Japs” as a repulsive race whose extermination would benefit mankind....Only well after the war was over was it re-branded a war to bring the blessings of democracy to...Japan.

We may deny the existence of ethnonationalism, detest it, condemn it. But this creator and destroyer of empires and nations is a force infinitely more powerful than globalism, for it engages the heart. Men will die for it. Religion, race, culture and tribe are the four horsemen of the coming apocalypse.

Chapter 9. ‘The White Party’

“Through its support of mass immigration, its paralysis in power to prevent 12-20 million illegal aliens from entering and staying, its failure to address the “anchor-baby” issue, the Republican Party has birthed a new electorate that will send it the way of the Whigs.”

Chapter 10: The Long Retreat

“We borrow from Europe to defend Europe. We borrow from the Gulf states to defend the Gulf states. We borrow from Japan to defend Japan. Is it not a symptom of senility to be borrowing from the world so we can defend the world?”

“Are vital U.S. interests more imperiled by what happens in Iraq where were have 50,000 troops, or Afghanistan where we have 100,000, or South Korea where we have 28,000 -- or by what is happening on our border with Mexico?...What does it profit America if we save Anbar and lose Arizona?”

Chapter 11: The Last Chance

“We are trying to create a nation that has never before existed, of all the races, tribes, cultures and creeds of Earth, where all are equal. In this utopian drive for the perfect society of our dreams we are killing the real country we inherited -- the best and greatest country on earth.”

China's coming one-grandparent policy

No more shall there be in it
 an infant that lives but a few days,
 or an old man who does not fill out his days,
 for the child shall die a hundred years old,
 and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
  – Isaiah 65:20

The mainstream press is finally beginning to warn of the disastrous consequences of China's population control policies. It isn't being reported on CNN, but at least AFP writer Pascale Trouillaud has written an article titled "China's one-child rule turns into a time bomb".

China's one-child policy has prevented almost half a billion births but has turned into a demographic time bomb as the population ages, storing up huge economic and social problems for the country.

Three decades on, demographers, sociologists and economists are warning of a looming crisis as China becomes the only developing country in the world to face growing old before it grows rich.

By 2050, a quarter of China's population will be over 65, the Commission for Population and Family Planning said, compared to just nine percent today.

The upside-down pyramid -- whereby a single child shoulders responsibility for two parents and four grandparents -- is a major headache for the government.

China has barely begun to put in place a universal social security and retirement system, and over two-thirds of the rural population does not have a pension.

The solution is obvious for a country that has already implemented a brutal "one-child policy" -- an equally brutal "one-grandparent policy" would not be beyond the realm of reason.

Steven Mosher of the Population Research Institute has been battling to warn the world of the dangers of population control policies for years. I was almost finished writing this article, when it occurred to me to check his site for information on euthanasia in China. I was amazed to find him come to the same conclusion that I had -- even calling it a "one-grandparent policy".

Finally, there is the demographic snare that the one-child policy has set for the Chinese people. Because of the radical cutback in births, the Chinese population is aging faster than any human population in human history. The worker/dependency ratio is unsustainable. How can an only child support two parents and four grandparents in retirement? I am afraid that this will lead the Chinese government to embark upon a “one-grandparent policy” in years to come, in which tens of millions of elderly Chinese will be urged to accept euthanasia, perhaps in return for their only grandchild being allowed to go to college. Forced abortion and forced euthanasia are two sides of the same debased coin.

And as usual there will be a practical equivalent for American society as well. We don't have an official one child policy, but we have Planned Parenthood, contraception and abortion. Do we really have a "choice"?

And unless we start fighting now, we will soon have legalized euthanasia -- another "choice".

Pro-Life Anderson passed away

I must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
 – 2 Corinthians 12:1-4

Pro-Life Anderson

I learned through a twitter message from Father Frank Pavone of the death of Pro-Life Anderson. I had never heard of him before. There are many unsung heros in the pro-Life crusade.

His message was a simple one. He got down on his knees and prayed:

"For the love of God, love of country and love of life ... protect the unborn in anyway you possibly can. Through your prayers, your actions ... anything else. Without life there is no liberty or pursuit of happiness."

Father Frank remembers him this way:

“Over the years I have been inspired by many pro-life activists and have tried to pattern my own life on them, but among those who have inspired me the most was ‘Prolife Anderson.’ This humble, energetic man – who was an orphan -- served our nation in the Air Force for two decades, receiving medals of commendation twice. But it was his passionate devotion of unborn children that most dramatically shaped his long life. Whether in Reno, Nevada, or Savannah Georgia, or any of the cities he visited in between, Prolife Anderson spoke publicly his pro-life message to anyone who would listen – and to those who would not listen.

“Many called him crazy. It was an honor, however, to stand with him in city after city against the atrocity of abortion, and to be called crazy with him. As he and I often discussed, we are crazy with love for our unborn brothers and sisters.

“He wore red socks to signify that we are all wading in the blood of the innocent. His car was covered with bumper stickers that gave voice to the voiceless. And in 1987 he had his first name legally changed to “Prolife.” His commitment to our youngest and most vulnerable brothers and sisters – those still in the womb – was absolute and all-consuming.

“That’s what I have learned from him over these years, and that’s how I will honor him, by calling numerous others to join me and my colleagues in a lifetime commitment to ending abortion.”

Here is some more information about him:

Pro-Life Anderson was born Charles Frederick Anderson in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1927. He had his name legally changed to “Pro-Life” in 1987.

Anderson never knew his father, friends say, and moved to Savannah at the age of three, after his mother died, to live with his grandparents. A self-described juvenile delinquent, Anderson was sent to St. Joseph’s orphanage after his grandfather died, and his grandmother, who had to go back to work to support the family, struggled with him and his brother, Allie.

Anderson grew up in a Protestant family but converted to Catholicism at the orphanage. He went to Benedictine Military School but said he dropped out to help support his grandmother. He spent 20 years in the Air Force and married Marie Patricia Cecelia Moore, a 38-year-old widow with a 9-year-old son, in 1964. They moved to Reno, Nevada.

Anderson started campaigning against abortion in Reno the late 1970s, inspired, he said, after his stepson’s girlfriend had an abortion. His wife died in 1984, and he moved back to Savannah in 1997.

Requiescat in Pace.

Here is the funeral information for those in the Savannah, Georgia area:

Visitation for Anderson will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Gamble Funeral Service, 10 Stephenson Ave. A vigil service will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Gamble Funeral Service Chapel. Mass will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, 222 East Harris St.

Donations, in lieu of flowers, are being accepted at Priests for Life, P.O. Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314; at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1003 East Victory Dr., Savannah, GA, 31405 and at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, 222 East Harris St., Savannah, GA, 31401.

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All the angels and the archangels, pray for us.

Father Rodríguez parishioners show their support

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.
 – Revelation 12:7

Michael Voris traveled to El Paso, TX to document the support of parishioners of San Juan Bautista Iglesia for Father Michael Rodríguez, for the Traditional Latin Mass and for authentic Church teachings.



Here also is a video of the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass by Father Rodríguez at Sacred Heart Catholic Church (built in 1890, in what was then known as a mining town, now considered a "ghost town"), located in the small town of Shafter, Texas (population-40). Please note the un-"renovated" traditional altar in this humble but beautiful Catholic church. The homily begins at around 33:00. It's mostly in English with some parts in Spanish. The music of the Mass is very beautiful and solemn.



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Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us
in battle, be our protection against the
wickedness and snares of the devil. May
God rebuke him we humbly pray; and
do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host,
by the power of God, cast into hell Satan
and all evil spirits who wander through
the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

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Related articles:

• Latest news on Father Michael Rodríguez
• Remnant Newspaper interviews Father Rodriguez
• Father Rodríguez parishioners want him back in El Paso
• Father Michael Rodriguez defends marriage
• Father Michael Rodriguez and Father Frank Pavone
• Father Michael Rodriguez on the crisis in the Church
• Father Rodriguez on the crisis in the Church -- Part 2

Homilies by Father Frank Pavone

Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.
 – 2 Timothy 4:2-5

Father Frank Pavone

Please keep Father Frank Pavone and Bishop Patrick Zurek in your prayers. Here are the last few homilies by Father Frank that were broadcast on EWTN just prior to his departure on September 13 to Amarillo, Texas at the request of his bishop.

Homily 09-10-2011 - Fr Frank Pavone - Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary


Homily 09-11-2011 - Fr. Frank Pavone - Tenth Anniversary of September 11 2001 Terrorist Attack


Homily 09-12-2011 - Fr Frank Pavone - The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary


Homily 09-13-2011 - Fr Frank Pavone - St John Chrysostom - Bishop - Doctor of the Church


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Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
St. John Chrysostom, pray for us.

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Related articles:

• Bishop Zurek finally breaks media silence ... to cast aspersions
• Priests for Life comparison of the Democratic and Republican party platforms
• Sep 12 letter from Priest for Life canon lawyer
• Bishop Zurek on Father Pavone's priestly status
• Ed Peters' dogged defense of Bishop Zurek
• Father Michael Rodriguez and Father Frank Pavone
• The bishops on marriage: right message, wrong timing
• Father Frank on Ave Maria Radio
• Bishop Gries: "Please continue to support Priests for Life"
• If 100 bishops got thrown in jail ... that would be wonderful
• Bishop Zurek says Priests for Life has no "ecclesial status"
• In full support of Father Frank Pavone
• Forgive them
• Slaying the abortion dragon

Bishop Zurek finally breaks media silence ... to cast aspersions

Take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
 – Matthew 18:16

We finally got a direct quote from Bishop Zurek in the Amarillo press. It comes after Father Frank Pavone did not appear for a scheduled "private" meeting with his Ordinary on October 13. Here are some quotes from an article titled "Despite bishop's meeting request, Pavone a no-show":

“I would welcome a meeting with Father Pavone, face to face, a meeting as his bishop,” Zurek said. “I am still waiting for a favorable response to that.”

“This is a delicate internal Church matter that needs to be resolved between a bishop and his priest,” he added. “This is parallel to a human resources matter in the secular workplace. And it is even more sensitive when you factor in the relationship between a bishop and his priest as one similar to a father to a son or a brother to a brother.”

“In this case, right now, a real concern for me is Father Pavone.”

The bishop is obviously no stranger to the spin room. Following this deprecatory statement, there was a flurry of denigrating articles from the usual suspects. I'm thinking in particular of the Catholic Culture article (no author -- I guess the article wrote itself) where Phil Lawler has been leading the charge on libeling Father Pavone's good name.  And of course the ever pesky gadfly Mark Shea felt it necessary to chime in without all the facts. How's this for showing "respect" for a Catholic priest in good standing:

"This kind of petulance makes the bishop look smarter every day. This is your bishop we are talking about, Fr. Pavone. Show some respect." – Mark Shea

And true to form, Edward Peters -- self-proclaimed canon lawyer extraordinaire -- could not wait for the facts to become clear before excoriating Father Pavone for missing the meeting. (Please see my previous article titled "Ed Peters' dogged defense of Bishop Zurek".) Without anymore information about the situation than you or I have access to, Ed Peters has declared himself to be the ultimate authority on all things related to Frank Pavone and Bishop Zurek. Once again, Peters can find absolutely no fault with Bishop Zurek -- even after he learns some more about the nuances of the situation from Fr. Deibel's account. Will Ed Peters have the manly courage to apologize for his libelous treatment of Father Frank after the fact? So far there are no signs of this ever happening. If Peters is as naïve as he sounds about human nature and Church politics from his posts on Father Pavone, then he has no business being a canon lawyer. I sure wouldn't want to be his client if I were a priest that had been accused of wrongdoing by my bishop.

If they had all waited a short while for a response from Father Frank or had made some attempt to contact Priests for Life, they would have heard the other side of the story. From LifeSiteNews in an article titled "Canon lawyer advised Fr. Pavone not to attend private meeting with bishop" we learn that things are not as simple as Bishop Zurek has attempted to portray them in the Amarillo press.

Fr. Pavone’s canon lawyer has said that he advised Fr. Pavone not to attend the meeting without a mediator present.

“The details and history of the present situation are such that moving forward to a resolution is no longer simply a matter of getting together and talking,” said Canonist Fr. David Deibel.

Fr. Deibel, in his official statement released today,  says that requests to have a mediator present at any meeting between Pavone and the bishop have not been acknowledged. “Several Church officials have made it clear that they believe mediation is necessary, and that they are willing to undertake a role as mediators,” he said. “Unfortunately, Bishop Zurek has not responded to or even acknowledged any of these requests.”

“Instead,” added Deibel, “he wrote to Fr. Frank, asked him to come to a one-on-one meeting with him, and asked him in writing not to speak to anyone about the meeting. Then, the next day, before Father Frank even had an opportunity to respond, the Bishop announced the meeting on the front page of the website of the Amarillo diocese.”

Fr. Deibel said that Priests for Life would prefer that the process of discussing the disagreement take place in private rather than in the media.  He said that Priests for Life remains hopeful that Bishop Zurek will respond privately to the requests for mediation and that the matter will be resolved shortly.

Fr. Deibel said however, “As his canonical consultant, I advised Father Frank not to have this private meeting until the process of mediation is underway.”

I suppose that Father Frank's detractors will just use this as more evidence of his lack of "obedience" to his bishop.

I wrote a comment at another website just shortly before learning of the response from Priests for Life. I have to give myself a pat on the back for understanding how this situation has been playing out. Here it is:

I'm not as disturbed by Father Frank's no-show as you are. I never expected anything good to come out of this meeting anyway.

As for possible explanations, I can think of a few. Of course it would be better to wait until there is a statement from Father Frank himself. But first remember that the main issue here is not about a skipped meeting or even "obedience". I'm reminded of the famous quote from Cool Hand Luke, "What we've got here is a failure to communicate."

Keep in mind also that the Bishop said this would be a "private" meeting - but he publicly announced it. And also keep in mind that the Bishop himself was a "no-show" for a month. Anything said in a private meeting can be spun any which way by the Bishop, and if Father Frank would have tried to give an alternate explanation of what happened he would again be labeled "disobedient" for contradicting his Ordinary -- or even for just speaking out according to some people.

So one scenario is that he was advised by canon or civil lawyers not to meet with the Bishop unless he could have someone else in the room with him that could represent him. Or at the very least to be a witness to what is discussed.

Or it could be that Father wants to delay the meeting because he is waiting for a reply from some other Church authorities.

I don't know. But this is the way that "witch hunts" are conducted. First a bogus accusation is made and then the allegations widen and the "lack of cooperation" by an innocent person attempting to defend himself is thrown in as "suspicious behavior". Until anything a person says or does not say is touted as proof of their guilt.

You know, like throwing someone in the ocean with an anchor tied to them and if they sink then they are innocent (but dead) because we all know that a witch would use his powers to be able to float.

As I have from the beginning, I remain "In full support of Father Frank Pavone".

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Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

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Related articles:

• Homilies by Father Frank Pavone
• Priests for Life comparison of the Democratic and Republican party platforms
• Sep 12 letter from Priest for Life canon lawyer
• Bishop Zurek on Father Pavone's priestly status
• Ed Peters' dogged defense of Bishop Zurek
• Father Michael Rodriguez and Father Frank Pavone
• The bishops on marriage: right message, wrong timing
• Father Frank on Ave Maria Radio
• Bishop Gries: "Please continue to support Priests for Life"
• If 100 bishops got thrown in jail ... that would be wonderful
• Bishop Zurek says Priests for Life has no "ecclesial status"
• In full support of Father Frank Pavone
• Forgive them
• Slaying the abortion dragon

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UPDATE 1 [Oct 14]:

Amarillo.com has published a follow up article titled "Priests for Life defends no-show" giving Father Deibel's explanation of why Father Frank did not meet with Bishop Zurek. Here is the full statement released by Father Deibel as it appears on the Priests for Life website:

Official Statement from the Rev. David Deibel, Canonist

As Canonical Advisor to Fr. Frank Pavone and Priests for Life, I have, on numerous occasions, communicated on their behalf with Bishop Patrick Zurek, asking for a mediator as a first step in restoring trust and facilitating healing in the relationship between the bishop and his priest. I can attest that Fr. Pavone is eager to restore with Bishop Zurek the trust and communication that should exist between any priest and his bishop. Fr. Pavone remains in Amarillo as directed by his bishop, and remains faithful and obedient.

The details and history of the present situation are such that moving forward to a resolution is no longer simply a matter of getting together and talking. Several Church officials have made it clear that they believe mediation is necessary, and that they are willing to undertake a role as mediators. Unfortunately, Bishop Zurek has not responded to or even acknowledged any of these requests.

Instead, he wrote to Fr. Frank, asked him to come to a one-on-one meeting with him, and asked him in writing not to speak to anyone about the meeting. Then, the next day, before Father Frank even had an opportunity to respond, the Bishop announced the meeting on the front page of the website of the Amarillo diocese.

As his canonical consultant, I advised Father Frank not to have this private meeting until the process of mediation is underway. All of us want this entire process to be carried out in private rather than through the media. He remains hopeful and prayerful that the bishop will respond privately to requests made of him, and that this situation will be resolved shortly in a truly Christian and ecclesial manner. I ask all to respect Father’s prayerful wishes in this regard.

Reverend David L. Deibel, JD, JCL

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UPDATE 2 [OCT 14]:

True to form, Mark Shea brushed off Fr. Deibel's statement in an impudent comment:

"How thoughtful to deign to explain this the day after he blows off his bishop. Sorry, but he’s being childish. It’s like watching a divorcing prima donna spouse only talking to her husband through a lawyer. How about a little humility?"

Seriously, when is National Catholic Register going to give this gossipy columnist the boot? It is obvious that NCR is withholding judgement on the whole AmarilloGate mess that the bishop has fabricated. There have only been a few carefully worded articles on the site on this topic. I'm sure this has a lot to do with the fact that NCR is now affiliated with (owned by??) EWTN where the Priests for Life TV show "Defending Life" is seen.

And yet columnist Mark Shea has been constantly fanning the flames of controversy with his statements on his own blog. On top of that, Shea's general liberal Catholic pronouncements are far out of line with EWTN's goal of creating an orthodox Catholic presence on TV, radio and the internet. I think Shea would fit in much better at the heterodox National Catholic REPORTER -- also known as the National Catholic fish-wrap.

It was also interesting to see Ed Peters commenting over at Mark Shea's site. You would think that Mr. Peters would chastise Mr. Shea over some of his derogatory comments. But no. Does this mean that Peters shares Shea's open disdain for Father Frank Pavone? Well, until I see Peters publicly single out Shea for criticism, I have to come to that conclusion. Which casts a whole different light on some of Peters' supposedly lawerly statements.

Is there an organized campaign among certain prominent Catholic persons online to damage the reputations of Father Frank and Priests for Life? I'm waiting to hear next from the opinionated Gerald Nadal, who has made it very clear that he doesn't need any facts to come to the conclusion that Father Frank is guilty of .... well, something!

Is this the same gang that attacked Lila Rose and Live Action for their use of undercover tactics to expose Planned Parenthood? Who's side are they on?

Tough anti-immigrant Alabama law leads to ... slavery?

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body.
 – Hebrews 13:1-3

This video exposes the absolute hypocrisy behind the anti-immigrant movement. Below are some comments that I left at the LifeSiteNews website on this subject. (That was before I had seen this video.) How is it that farmers have the nerve to even speak up about their labor shortage problems? Shouldn't they be immediately arrested? They were the ones that were knowingly hiring undocumented worker for years and paying them miserable wages. But no one seems to be angry at them, they were all too happy to buy cheap fruit and vegetables from them in the past. Now what are they going to do?

I started out as a Michele Bachmann supporter. But Rick Perry has won me over with his compassion for the Hispanic immigrants that are only here trying to support their families. If we are pro-Life and pro-Family we should feel some compassion for those who have fled poverty in their homelands.

Bachmann’s goal to build a wall between the US and Mexico seems to me to indicate a lack of vision on the issues. It’s easy to build a wall, but it doesn’t solve the problem. Many immigrants arrive legally with tourist visas and then just overstay their visas. Building a wall and demanding identification documents restricts the freedom and rights of everyone.

Part of the culture of death is the decline of Christian morality. If business people stopped exploiting immigrants out of greed, then that would reduce the attraction for many people to come here in the first place.

I wonder what solutions people propose who are so anti-immigrant. Should we just abort hundreds of thousands back to the countries where they came from? Or imprison them in concentration camps? Should we also promote “population control” in those countries to solve the problem?

Most immigrants come here to work. They clean your dishes after you have had a relaxing dinner at a restaurant. They change the sheets of your bed at a hotel that you enjoyed your last vacation at. They maintain your lawns so that you can spend more time with your wife and children on the weekends.

Yes, there is an immigration problem, but let’s not pretend that we aren’t part of that problem.

If the pro-Life community wants to be taken seriously then it must respect the personhood of people that are unwanted at all stages of life. Most of these "unwanted immigrants" have committed no crime other than to be in the country without going through the proper paperwork. Most of them have taxes automatically deducted from their paychecks -- including Social Security taxes.

In the past the doors have been wide open to massive numbers of European immigrants, but the doors have never been open to our neighbors from Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

If not for the immigrants, US population would be declining and we would be facing a much more severe economic crisis -- similar to what Europe is currently facing. I don't think most people realize the positive benefits for the economy of immigration. It stimulates housing and retail. Why do you think corporations engage in so much Spanish language advertising? They aren't stupid. If it didn't help their bottom line, they wouldn't be spending so much money.

We all benefit through lower prices for goods and services. We may not like to admit that inflation is kept in check by cheap immigrant labor at home and even cheaper labor under slave-like conditions abroad, but it's the truth.

Certainly we need to control our borders and control immigration, but we have a leaky border by design because it has certain benefits for the economy. Now that the world is going through tough economic times everyone looks for a scapegoat and immigrants have historically been easy targets because they can't speak up and defend themselves. Sound familiar?

"As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.... as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me." (Mt. 25:40,45)

The root of the problem is “illegal business practices” not “illegal immigrants”. By the way, you don't call someone speeding on the highway -- which most of us have done -- an "illegal motorist". He or she is a person who happens to be doing something illegal at the time. Keep in mind that these are real people who are trying to do the best for their families and are faced with tough decisions. Most people would prefer to remain living in the country where they were born with their family and friends.

My main point is, how do you take somewhere between 10 and 20 million people -- men, women and children -- and remove them from their homes and ship them off like cattle to the countries of their origin without a massive police and military operation which would most certainly involve a high level of brutality. And this would also require massive detention centers. What kind of militaristic state bureaucracy would need to be created to accomplish such a task and how do we know that this organization would not turn its sights to other unwanted elements in society once it was created? Once this sort of thing is established it inevitably becomes a permanent element of society. And you and I will be required to constantly prove that we are legitimate citizens. Think of the impact this will have on our freedoms and rights.

Imagine the impact, not just directly on the families, but also on the communities. There would be severe social and economic impacts in instituting such a policy. And what about the impact on the countries to which these people would be displaced?

The pro-Life community rightfully laments the loss of about 52 million children through abortion since Roe v. Wade in 1973. Why not think of the undocumented workers as those who have been called by God to help fill the void for those who never had the chance to breathe their first breaths?

I hope this helps.

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Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.