Iraqi police storm church and free hostages in Baghdad

Iraqi police storm church and free hostages in Baghdad

Monday, Saturday, Holy Days...NOT. But why?

You might think that November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, is a Holy Day of Obligation.

It isn't. And why is that?

Well, duh, it falls on a Monday!

From the good bishops of the good ol' US of A:

On December 13, 1991 the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of American made the following general decree concerning holy days of obligation for Latin rite Catholics:

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:

January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Except...

Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

(For those o' you like me, "abrogated" is a word not used in everyday chit chat. I looked it up. It means "abolished.")

My question is simple: why?

And please don't tell me it's because the good bishops don't want to place on their flocks the "burden" of participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass [gasp] two days in a row.

Seriously. Anybody able to explain the logic of this?

Boston Catholic Insider

As I recently posted on their blog, I appreciate the work these folks are doing. I wish they didn't have to do it, but I'm grateful that they do.

Obamacare: "The biggest expansion of abortion funding in U.S. history"

It's not that long of a video...that's what's so scary. It's so darned simple.

I don't see how this is troubling...didn't I learn about the spiritual works of mercy as a child?

Love the sinner, hate the sin. As a sinner myself, I endorse this message. :-)

Here's the story I'm musing on.

Happy Birthday, Bill! Thank you, Lord!

William Lee Clark

October 22, 1946 — January 27, 1986

I thank God for the birth of William Lee Clark, and for allowing me to share his life for thirteen wonderful years. I thank Bill for his devotion, and I thank Father Tom Mahoney for offering Mass today for him.

Pray for us, Bill. I pray for you every day.

"In Baptism, he died with Christ. May he share in the glory of His Resurrection."

Congratulations to a pro-life hero

On Tuesday, October 19, Pope Benedict XVI named Raymond Burke, archbishop emeritus of St. Louis and current Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as one of 24 archbishops who will be made a cardinal of the Catholic Church during the consistory in November.

All faithful Catholics and pro-life and pro-family individuals around the world have joyfully greeted the news of this great honor.

Go to the link and congratulate Archbishop Burke right now!

Catholic Politicians Who Support Abortion or Same-Sex "Marriage" Must Publicly Repent

From CNSNews.com:

Catholic politicians who publicly support abortion or homosexual marriage and then seek to turn away from such “gravely sinful acts” must perform “public” actions of “repentance,” said Raymond Burke, the archbishop emeritus of St. Louis and the current head of the highest court at the Vatican, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

...

“We find self-professed Catholics, for example, who sustain and support the right of a woman to procure the death of the infant in her womb, or the right of two persons of the same sex to the recognition which the State gives to a man and a woman who have entered into marriage,” said the archbishop. “It is not possible to be a practicing Catholic and to conduct oneself publicly in this manner.”