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Month: November 2008

MARRIED CATHOLIC PRIESTS ARE WELCOME PROVIDED THEY CONVERTED FROM ANOTHER RELGION

MARRIED CATHOLIC PRIESTS ARE WELCOME PROVIDED THEY CONVERTED FROM ANOTHER RELGION

I seem to be on some kind of rant about my Catholic Church, but the local diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Northwest Progress, has a two page spread this week about a former Lutheran pastor who is about to be ordained a Catholic priest. No, I’m not upset because the bishop plans to ordain a former Lutheran pastor. Nor am I disturbed because he is married. It is the fact that this married man is allowed to become a priest under…

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BISHOP JOSEPH F. MARTINO REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE A CATHOLIC TEACHERS LABOR UNION

BISHOP JOSEPH F. MARTINO REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE A CATHOLIC TEACHERS LABOR UNION

The Catholic Church has a long tradition of supporting workers' right to organize. Popes have written about the rights of worker unions, bishops councils have proclaimed the fundamental right of workers to organize into unions and the Catholic church has consistently supported the right of workers to organize as a labor union. The Second Vatican Council expressed this right like this: "Among the basic rights of the human person is to be numbered the right of freely founding unions for…

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THE 1857 SINKING OF THE SS CENTRAL AMERICA WITH TWO TONS OF GOLD

THE 1857 SINKING OF THE SS CENTRAL AMERICA WITH TWO TONS OF GOLD

In 1998 Gary Kinder published Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea. It was a compelling story about the sinking of an actual ship. (http://www.shipofgoldinfo.com/) The story really began in California, in 1848, when Captain John Sutter was managing thousands of acres of land known as Sutter’s Fort. He was looking for a place for a lumber mill. A location was found and construction began The damming of the stream resulted in the discovery of gold and the California gold rush…

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THANKSGIVING 2008

THANKSGIVING 2008

We are in Scottsdale, Arizona. A place noted for year around sunshine and warm weather. This Thanksgiving it is dark, overcast and raining. It rained off and on all night. Lita and I have brought children. spouses and grandchildren here for Thanksgiving. We put over thirty people in the Westin Kierland Hotel and Resort here. They brought swimsuits and sun tan lotion when they should have brought umbrellas. Last night we had a family gathering and dinner inside. It was noisy,…

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THE BOOKS: EDDY ARNOLD AND MONEYBALL

THE BOOKS: EDDY ARNOLD AND MONEYBALL

I’ve finished Michael Streissguth’s book Eddy Arnold on this trip and enjoyed reading about the great country western singer. He started out on the Grande Ole Opry and evolved into a more contemporary singer. He remained a very decent human being and a devoted husband his whole life. He sang and performed with all the great country western entertainers of that time. I was reminded in this book of the Oprey’s Minne Pearl screeching: “How-Dee! I’m just glad to be…

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FINAL REPORT FROM LOS CABOS MEXICO

FINAL REPORT FROM LOS CABOS MEXICO

In 1960 the black and white film Never on Sunday was issued staring Melina Mercouri as a Greek prostitute who refused to work on Sunday. She later married the director who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. The daughter of the mayor of Athens, she was expelled from Greece during the period of the Greek military junta. Later she was elected to Parliament and became cultural minister of Greece during the 1980’s. She died in 1994. So, why am I…

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2ND REPORT FROM LOS CABOS MEXICO

2ND REPORT FROM LOS CABOS MEXICO

Yesterday, we did nothing. We didn’t leave except for lunch. We used the hot tub and dip pool, read and did little else. Great weather. Not hot and not humid. The ocean sounds are wonderful. The waves pound in less then 50 yards away, hitting the rocks and sending spray flying into the air.  Pelicans swoop low to the water looking for a meal and drop like a stone when they see one. They appear to be successful.  I  think of that rhyme…

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LOS CABOS TRAVEL REPORT

LOS CABOS TRAVEL REPORT

We are at the One and Only Palmilla resort at Los Cabos, Mexico. Los Cabos, "the capes," refers to the 20 mile long beach from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas. This beautiful resort is on the beach about half way between the two locations. The tip of the Baja Peninsula is a point where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez meet. The nearby town of San Jose Del Cabo has a very old Catholic Church,…

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CAFETERIA CATHOLICS AND THE MORAL POLITICAL SCORE CARD

CAFETERIA CATHOLICS AND THE MORAL POLITICAL SCORE CARD

Patricia Sitkin of Linden, California wrote a recent letter to the National Catholic Reporter about an article by Stafford Betty, "Why Catholics are heading for the exits" which I had commented about a short time ago. (https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2008/10/why-catholics-are-abandoning-ship.html( Sitkin makes a point worth noting. She notes that traditionalist Catholics disparagingly refer to those us who are critical of Church polices as "cafeteria Catholics" or as she says "salad bar Catholics." These conservatives think it is an all or nothing situation with regard…

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FIGHTING AMONG THE RELIGIOUS MONKS AT THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

FIGHTING AMONG THE RELIGIOUS MONKS AT THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem has been historically venerated by Christian religions as the site of Christ’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection. It’s located at the end of a street Via Dolorose, the path of sorrows. The Roman emperor Hadrian had erected a temple to Venus in this location. In 326 the mother of Emperor Constantine came to the city looking for sites associated with Christ. She decided this was the site of the resurrection and felt she…

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