Ubi Petrus

While perusing my Sitemeter stats the other day, I discovered that I’ve been found out. It appears someone from the Senate Sergeant at Arms (or, more likely some Senate staffer) has been checking up on me. I’m going to guess it was driven by this post.

The Democrat-controlled House and Senate, together with the now out-of-the-closet as a liberal Governor are wasting no time in ripping through legislation trying to make New Hampshire catch up to its southern neighbor, Massachusetts. Now we see they’ve all but succeeded in repealing the parental notification bill that went all the way to the Supreme Court – it only waits for the Governor’s signature, which he has promised to provide.

This, after creating civil unions only a few weeks ago. Massachusetts and Vermont had better do something really nutty soon or we’re liable to catch up to or even pass them in our race to become pillars of salt for the cause of the amoral.

For her part, the Diocese did work against this bill, including both press release and testimony at the bill’s hearing. (My only question – why no prayer vigil, or are those things passé now?) Diane Murphy Quinlan, Chancellor of the Diocese had this, in part, to say:

It would be a grave mistake to divest parents of meaningful input into the health care of their own dependent children. Opponents of the law falsely assume a conflict between the right and responsibility of parents to care for their children, on the one hand, and the best interests of their children, on the other. In every other context, the law assumes that parents are the natural guardians of their children’s health and best interests. It is folly to believe that third parties are in a better position than parents to protect the interests of their children. Such a view is inconsistent with how the law generally treats parents and children. The State of New Hampshire has long recognized the fundamental right of parents to raise and care for their children. Indeed, New Hampshire requires parental consent–not just parental notification–to a long list of health care and non-health care matters.

Exactly. It is bracing to know that my daughter will need my permission – my consent – not just my knowledge to have her ears pierced but that she can perform infanticide – murder – without my ever knowing about it. I wonder if those who thought they would “teach the Republicans a lesson” are happy with the lesson they’re being given right now. One does wonder what’s next.

Shawn Tribe at NLM has posted an excellent question on whether, particularly in light of the forthcoming Motu Proprio, it would be good to re-institute the Minor Orders, contra Ministeria Quaedam. I’ve always been of the otherwise uneducated opinion that the abolition of the Minor Orders was, and is, not a good idea. Certainly from the discussion in the combox you can see the Orders were in significant need of overhaul, but it has always felt to me that doing away with them completely missed the opportunity to properly reform them. Do read the combox discussion, it is quite educational.

I do have one question, however: if one is instituted to the ministry of Acolyte or Lector and then enters seminary, how would that interact with the Orders of Acolyte and Lector? I suppose, naturally, that would have to be handled by the document re-instituting the Orders. What do you think? Are Minor Orders a good thing the Church is missing or an unnecessary addition it was right to do away with?

Apparently I’m doing New Hampshire blogging today. The Diocese of Manchester has provided an updated response to the KPMG audit and provided an updated action plan. I’ll be reviewing both of them, hopefully tonight.

I can’t believe I didn’t post this already. I specifically waited until Saturday and then … well, life happened. But this has nothing to do with me. The Diocese of Manchester ordained its latest priest this past Saturday when Deacon Paul Boudreau was ordained to the priesthood. Before the ordination, now-Fr. Boudreau offered the following:

I am so grateful to our Heavenly Father for all that He has done for me and for giving me the grace to serve His people in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. I pray that through Mary’s intercession, the Lord will use me as His instrument to bring many souls to heaven, and that I can be a positive influence for other men discerning God’s call to the priesthood in their own lives.

The Diocese has put up a slideshow of the ordination. Incidentally, if you look at the front right of slide 12, you’ll see my pastor. You’ll also see the love our priests have for our Bishop – just as it should be. I have not yet heard where his first assignment will be.

Someone needs to give Dawn Eden a job. Oh, wait, they did. Even still, her words need to get out more.

What I discovered upon becoming chaste, it’s always wrong to treat people as though they are interchangeable. The thing is, any time you have sex with someone outside of marriage, you’re treating them as though they can be replaced. Because the only irreplaceable person is the person you marry.

This is the kind of message they need to be pushing in all these “health” classes, not how to put condoms on bananas. As my kids would put it, Dawn rocks. Which I think would suit her to a ‘t’.

Okay, so who hasn’t seen this yet? From CNA:

Vatican City, Jun 4, 2007 / 10:50 am (CNA).- In an interview published this Sunday by the Italian Catholic daily “Avvenire”, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, announced that the Motu Propio authorizing the universal celebration of the Mass of St. Pius V—known as the Tridentine Mass—will be made public “soon.”

During the interview, Cardinal Bertone, said the Motu Propio that would be signed by Pope Benedict XVI would authorize any priest to celebrate the Tridentine Mass without the need for prior approval by the local bishop.

The Vatican secretary of State said Catholics “will not have to wait long” for the publication of the Motu Propio, adding that the Pope “has written an accompanying letter that explains the reasons for the decision and why he hopes the authorization will be calmly accepted.”

Cardinal Bertone did not say whether the Motu Propio would open the possibility for the return to communion with the Rome of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who was excommunicated by the Vatican on June 30, 1988 after ordaining four bishops without the Pope’s consent.

The cardinal also said the Pope’s letter to Catholics in China would also be published soon, and that it has “already been approved by the Pope and is being translated into various languages.

As if this hasn’t already gotten whirlwinds of attention. It certainly does seem like the ground is being tilled. Hopefully the planting and sprouting starts soon, for the good of all the Church.

I’ve finally gotten around to reading Jason Pennington’s series of bulletin inserts on Sacramentum caritatis at Christus Vincit. As far as I’m concerned, every parish should be providing inserts like this to parishioners for every encyclical or Apostolic Exhortation. I know some priests aren’t comfortable delving into theological or liturgical issues like this as that is not their particular area of deepest expertise – that’s fine, they should request and be allowed to use resources such as Jason has posted here.

These documents are for the whole Church, not just for some learned few, and starter overviews – authentic, orthodox overviews – such as this are perhaps the only way most people will ever see or hear anything about most of them. If you haven’t read Sacramentum caritatis yet, do yourself a favor and read Jason’s overview. If your parish hasn’t had any inserts or handouts about Sacramentum caritatis, perhaps it’s time to ask your pastor and volunteer to help should he need it. Consider it an act of charity to your fellow parishioners, for which God will reward you many times over.