Happy Feast Day of St Augustine

I am working on moving today, so I don't have a lot to offer here other than to thank the Lord for St. Augustine, whose "Confessions" led me to the Catholic Church. That which the heart desires he found, as so many have, and he so eloquently pointed out the narrow way.

St. Augustine, pray for us!
God bless you today.
mark

Lies, lies, and damn lies

Where goes truth?

Human Rights Watch Incorrectly Charges Argentina with Treaty Violations over Abortion
By Seana Cranston, J.D.


NEW YORK, August 19 (C-FAM) A report released last week by the human rights advocacy group Human Rights Watch promotes abortion in Argentina and criticizes Argentina for not complying with international law. The report, “Illusions of Care: Lack of Accountability for Reproductive Rights in Argentina,” charges that “[i]n Argentina, nationalistic interests combined with an orthodox Catholic discourse on ‘family values’ have historically underpinned some of the most anti-contraception and pro-population-growth policies in the region.”

The report erroneously cites several international human rights treaties and committees, including the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), for its claim that international law requires Argentina to provide abortion-on-demand. In fact, no international human rights treaty contains a right to abortion. When CEDAW and ICCPR were negotiated, many of the negotiating countries had pro-life laws on the books that still remain in place today.

“Illusions of Care” further suggests that two other international treaties—the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)—require that Argentina allow adolescents the right to contraception or an abortion without the consent of their parents. These two treaties do not mention abortion or contraception, and while the committees that oversee them can issue advisory opinions, they do not have the authority to make binding interpretations of treaty provisions.

The CRC specifically contains a “right to life” provision, which states that “every child has the inherent right to life . . . . States Parties shall ensure . . . the survival and development of the child.” The preamble of the CRC calls for “appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth” for the child. The ICCPR states, “every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”

“Illusions of Care” also appears to suggest that one of the newest international treaties ratified by Argentina, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), requires Argentina to allow abortion-on-demand for its citizens with disabilities. For example, the report cites language in CRPD that states that persons with disabilities are entitled to the same standard of health care as provided to other persons, “including in the area of sexual and reproductive health.” The word abortion is not mentioned in the CRPD, however, and more than a dozen countries made explicit statements upon the adoption of CRPD by the UN General Assembly that nothing in the treaty could be interpreted to establish any new rights, including a right to abortion.

Peter Simon visits St. Dominic

Boise's own Peter Simon visited St. Dominic's Basilica in Bologna, Italy. He attended the August Chapter meeting and presented pictures he took, along with a brief presentation. Following are his pictures, and below that his written presentation.

Thank you Peter, well done!


Bologna, Italy.

Front of St. Dominic Basilica.

Exterior of St. Dominic Basilica.

Exterior of St. Dominic Basilica.

Exterior of St. Dominic Basilica.

High altar of St. Dominic Basilica. Note the white interior - "Lily of Purity."

Another view.

Mysteries of the Rosary side altar

Sacred Heart side altar

Mysteries of the Rosary

Tomb of St. Dominic/altar & ceiling

Ceiling above tomb

Tomb/altar. Carving by MichaelAngelo

Reliquary containing head of St Dominic located behind tomb

Photos in original church during visit of John Paul II. Basilica is built over original church which is preserved within and accessed from main church

In original church are various relics and items of historical note:

Bull of canonization of St. Dominic, bearing papal seal

Page from St. Dominic's breviary(?)

Papal bull establishing the Order of Preachers

table (altar?) on which miracle of loaves occurred. plus two unidentified relics in case.

St. Dominic

Founder of the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican Order; born at Calaroga, in Old Castile, c. 1170; died 6 August, 1221.

That Dominic and his companions might possess a fixed source of revenue Foulques made him chaplain of Fanjeaux and in July, 1215, canonically established the community as a religious congregation of his diocese, whose mission was the propagation of true doctrine and good morals, and the extirpation of heresy. During this same year Pierre Seilan, a wealthy citizen of Toulouse, who had placed himself under the direction of Saint Dominic, put at their disposal his own commodious dwelling. In this way the first convent of the Order of Preachers was founded on 25 April, 1215.

In November, 1215, an ecumenical council was to meet at Rome (The Fourth Lateran Council) "to deliberate on the improvement of morals, the extinction of heresy, and the strengthening of the faith". This was identically the mission Saint Dominic had determined on for his order. With the Bishop of Toulouse, he was present at the deliberations of this council. From the very first session it seemed that events conspired to bring his plans to a successful issue. The council bitterly arraigned the bishops for their neglect of preaching. In canon X they were directed to delegate capable men to preach the word of God to the people. Under these circumstances, it would reasonably appear that Dominic's request for confirmation of an order designed to carry out the mandates of the council would be joyfully granted.

Returning to Languedoc at the close of the council in December, 1215, the founder gathered about him his little band of followers and informed them of the wish of the council that there should be no new rules for religious orders.

This done, Saint Dominic again appeared before the pope in the month of August, 1216, and again solicited the confirmation of his order. This time he was received more favourably, and on 22 December, 1216, the Bull of confirmation was issued.

(St. Dominic arrived at Rome with a copy of his rules in September, 1216. He found access to his Holiness difficult for some time but was encouraged by a vision recorded by Theodoric, and copied by Fleury. * Pope Honorius III confirmed his Order and its constitutions by two bulls, both dated on the 26th of December, the same year.)

St. Dominic went again to Rome in 1217 and the Pope desiring that his Order should have a house in that city, gave him the church of St. Sixtus.

On his return to Rome, towards the end of December of 1219, Dominic sent out letters to all the convents announcing the first general chapter of the order, to be held at Bologna on the feast of the following Pentecost. In December of 1219  Pope Honorius III, by a special Brief , had conferred upon the founder the title of Master General, which till then he had held only by tacit consent.

Towards the end of 1221 Saint Dominic returned to Rome for the sixth and last time. Here he received many new and valuable concessions for the order. In January, February, and March of 1221 three consecutive Bulls were issued commending the order to all the prelates of the Church. The thirtieth of May, 1221, found him again at Bologna presiding over the second general chapter of the order. At the close of the chapter he set out for Venice to visit Cardinal Ugolino, to whom he was especially indebted for many substantial acts of kindness. He had scarcely returned to Bologna when a fatal illness attacked him. He died after three weeks of sickness, the many trials of which he bore with heroic patience. In a Bull dated at Spoleto, 13 July, 1234, Gregory IX made his cult obligatory throughout the Church.

On August 6, 1221, Dominic died, only fifty-one years old.

We are not surprised, therefore, that, after signing the Bull of canonization on 13 July, 1234, Pope Gregory IX declared that he no more doubted the saintliness of Saint Dominic than he did that of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Getting real

This is some remarkable footage from the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform. One needs to confront the reality of what is going on.

The Message of Fatima

Copied from Friar's blog:

A New Documentary about the Jesuits at Hiroshima




Finding Fatima is a documentary that opens on Hiroshima August 6, 1945. Eight Jesuit priests living just a few blocks from the blast site not only miraculously survived but had no effects of the radiation. Everyone else within a radius of roughly 1.5 Kilometres was reportedly killed instantly, and those outside the range died of radiation within days. However, the only physical harm to Fr. Shiffer, S.J., was that he could feel a few pieces of glass in the back of his neck. the priests have been examined over 200 times by scientists. Each time the priests repeated the same explanation for their survival: "We believe that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima."


Click here for to for more information.

hat tip to the Dominican Friars of the Eastern Province

Sheen on peace

I remember in preparation for an Easter broadcast writing into the text, "Poland was crucified by two thieves; the two thieves being the Nazis and the Soviets." I received a telegram from one of me censors telling me that I would not be permitted to say that over the readio. I sent the censor a telegram saying, "Would it be all right to call Russia the good thief?" He did not think it a bit funny.

If true peace is to be won, it must first be won in our own hearts. Let us turn back to God and establish justice in our souls. Russia will perish because it is anti-God; but we shall not survive if [] we are Godless. If we put ourselves on God's side, then who shall be against us? May God keep our minds clear and our hearts pure, that we may never be deceived by the false peace []. as Dante put it, "In Thy Will, God, is our peace."

"Life Is Worth Living", Fulton J. Sheen, 1953

O.P.L. defined

Thank you Christopher, for the lovely definition I found at your link
Ite ad Thomam

O.P.L. = "Out of Print Library"

I suppose a Lay Dominican of the faith is a walking out-of-print library today.
Now I thought that was fairly humorous, and figured you might need a humor-check today!

Quotable Alice Von Hildebrand

"God has set limits on man's intelligence, none on his stupidity.."

from the essay which follows below

Clash of the Titan

From "The Moynihan Report" - Dr. Alice Von Hildebrand takes on Christopher West and the serious problems in the way he presents "Theology of the Body." Since "The Moynihan Report" is currently offline, I've provided a link to the article. Dr. Moynihan has done an excellent job of providing background for this sensitive discussion.

A Theological Debate Heats Up
By Robert Moynihan


What is the right relationship between sex and sanctity? That's what many Catholics in the US are asking as a simmering theological debate over the "Theology of the Body" threatens to boil over and further test the unity of the Church in the US. The debate touches on issues ranging from the doctrine of original sin to the legacy of Pope John Paul II. And the hierarchy itself seems divided...

Click to read full article.

and yes, I know that the movie title is "Clash of the Titans" but there is only one deserving the title here. not to give away my position, but her initials are Alice Von Hildebrand.

Happy feast of St. John Vianney

Finding shoes to fill...