Month: September 2018

September 21, 2018, Paris, Texas

Father Denzil, Pastor of the Our Lady of Victory Catholic Parish, sent a text message saying that Bishop Strickland would grant a partial indulgence to anyone who visits the Cathedral in Tyler, Texas on October 5th, 2018. The Bishop requested the veneration (regards with profound respect) of the relics of St. Padre Pio!

At once, I recalled an article from the New York Times by Paul Vitello entitled, “For Catholics, a Door to Absolution Is Reopened.” He started his story, “the announcement in church bulletins and on Web sites has been greeted with enthusiasm by some … but it has gone over the heads of a vast generation of Roman Catholics who have no idea what it means.”

Vitello went on to state that like the Latin Mass and meatless Fridays, the indulgence was one of the traditions decoupled from mainstream Catholic practice in the 1960s by the Second Vatican Council.
He used a light touch when he rolled back the part about decoupling indulgences. The Second Vatican Council did not dispute the importance of indulgences. Like other practices the reformers simplified and codified them.

While Catholics under 60 may have never sought an indulgence, let alone heard of them, they play a significant part in the remediation of sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) addresses indulgences as follows:

“The doctrine and practice of indulgences in the Church are closely (intricately) linked to the effects of the sacrament of Penance. An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven… To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence.”

While playing baseball, Chris makes a great hit but breaks his neighbor’s window. He goes to the neighbor’s house and asks Mr. Fine for forgiveness. Mr. Fine replies, “Sure. I accept your apology. No hard feelings.” Chris thanks his neighbor and begins to walk away. Mr. Fine stops him and says, “Chris, I do forgive you, but you need to pay for the broken window.” Chris looks complete dejected and says, “I don’t have any money.” Mr. Fine says kindly, “Well, if you don’t have the money, you can do yardwork to pay me back.”

The double consequence of sin includes Penance in the form of Confession and Purgation for the forgiveness of temporal punishment of sin.

The Catechism states:

The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the “old man” and to put on the “new man.” (CCC 1473).

Indulgences negate some or all the temporal punishment of sin we have accumulated. Many of our Catholic devotions include partial indulgences such as praying the Rosary together before or after Mass.

(I suggest that parishioners read about indulgences in CCC 1471 and download or obtain the publication, Enchiridion of Indulgences.)

To obtain an indulgence, Catechism and Canon Law states:
To gain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, it is necessary that the faithful be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed.
Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;
Have sacramentally confessed their sins;

Receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required);
Pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.

It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about 20) before or after the indulgenced act.

Prayer for the Pope’s intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an “Our Father” and a “Hail Mary” are suggested. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.

For the sake of those legitimately impeded, confessors can commute both the work prescribed and the conditions required (except, obviously, detachment from even venial sin).

Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth.

“Bishop Strickland offered our Diocese a partial indulgence to anyone who visits the Cathedral on October 5th, 2018 and venerates (regards with profound respect) the relics of St. Padre Pio!

October 5th falls on the First Friday of the month. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception holds Mass at 6pm.

In an article by Carrie A Robinson entitled why Catholics are called to radical hospitality in these political times, August 24, 2017 published in American Jesuit Review, the author stresses globalization in the most idealistic terms. His thesis reflects the naive liberal ideals that have plagued Catholicism and in a sense civilization as a whole.

His theory, based on limited experience, has numerous flaws. Catholics have obligations to their families and loved ones and a singular commitment to God. We perform good works as a matter of course, not as a substitute to receiving the Eucharist.

The last Vatican counsel stressed the a singular focus to receiving the Sacred Sacrament as the center of Christianity and de-emphasized popular devotions and activities that did not lead directly to the celebration of the Lord’s supper. Yet, activities outside the scope of of the Eucharist especially social justice has sapped the energy of evangelical causes.

Social justice lacks the sanction of the Council and for good reason. Societies differ within the church across our planet. Our faith should have a stabilizing effect on whatever country or political unit in which the church resides.

If you wonder how radical globalists have sabotaged American and Western values, then look no further than the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) who occupy positions within education the world over. These men poison the minds of your children and have created a world in which family vocations have almost disappeared. They provoke hysteria among women who have come to hate men, who in turn hate women.

The Pope has dominion many branches of the body of the faithful including these unique cultures in union with Rome: East Syriac, Personal Ordinariate of Anglicans, Patriarchal Armenian Catholic Church, Syrian Maronite Catholic Church, Chaldean Catholics, Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, Italo-Albanian Catholic, Romanian Catholic Church, Greek Catholic Church, Bulgarian Catholic Church, Slovak Catholic Church, Albanian Catholic Church and so forth. Is that enough diversity for you.

Think about it.

George Santayana wrote the Those who do not know history’s mistakes are doomed to repeat them. Such can be said about liberal values within church teachings today. Radical hospitality attempts to integrate people whose core beliefs differ from those taught by Jesus Christ. You can expect Muslims to have a dialogue with Christians because the doctors of their faith believe we have perverted the word.

Protestants believe that after the death of Jesus Christianity didn’t exist until the Protestant Reformation. Mormons also believe that. The core belief of Protestants consider Catholics as apostates. According to them, we did not live the teachings of Jesus and grow from a nice event today and called of approximately 120 adherents and 50 A.D. to 33 million in 350 A.D.

How can you reconcile such diverse worldviews and embrace ecumenism? 



Radical hospitality suggest we invite everyone into our homes, even those who do not adopt Catholic teachings that existed before the Protestant Reformation. Let us not forget history, let us not forget the religious wars!

Let us not forget the genocides of the last few hundred years. The Ottomans slaughtered those who refused to convert to their Muslim faith. The Germans and their allies murdered, not only six million Jews, but approximately 80% of all those who died during World War II.

During my college years, I  embraced an idealistic worldview. My professors had such an influence on me that I could not vary from their enforced reality. If I did, my grades would suffer, and that meant I would face a dismal future.

When I entered the business world, I faced a new reality and different norms of behavior. If I wanted to make a decent living, accumulate the basics of a household, pay for a car and food and student loans, then my idealistic liberal mentality had to go. Some people call that the real world. One cannot expect his or her idealism to end wars, to stop conflicts, or redistribute wealth to those who lack the basic understanding of how to handle money.

I also worked as a bureaucrat at the Library of Congress. I saw little change from the University environment. My coworkers knew nothing about business, industry and how to make a living in business. That, my friends sums up what people call the deep state.

I’ve seen statistics which indicate liberals represent 85% of the Catholic Church. A similar number of Catholics use contraception and many have had abortions. The excuses fall under the auspices of  hysteria caused by mainstream media who oppose the Catholics in general. In the last election the head of the Democratic party attempted to create a Catholic spring. 

I didn’t become a Catholic, that is, join the Catholic Church to engage in the administration of the faith. I joined to merit heaven and to me that includes accepting the Eucharist and contributing my talents to my parish in hopes to remedy the punishment of temporal sin, to confess my sins and to welcome those who choose to remain devoted Catholics and guests who may want to join the church.

I doubt we have the time or resources on our own to engage in social justice. I hope you’ll give it up.

He says he may not be a perfect man, but he protects Christians!