of course, I could be wrong...

THE MIDNIGHT JUKEBOX

2009-11-24T23:10:00.004Z

Here are a few tracks off the album, "Nine Witch Knots" by the young, England based, folk group, RUBUS.

This group has a couple of things going for them on top of their obvious talent.

Firstly, they are the most babelicious folk group on the scene at this moment in time (all three of them).

Secondly, the group includes violinist, CHRISTI ANDROPOLIS from New York State who, in this humble priest's even more humble opinion is simply one of the greatest talents in roots music on the planet. I have seen her play on her own and with other musicians and not only is she a fine performer she is also a first rate musicologist exploring the English tradition in American folk music.

Here is Christi with colleague, David Newey, performing at the prestigious Maltings Festival at Farnham in May 2007.

I'm off to see Rubus on Thursday. They're playing for nought at Mrs MadPriest's university. It should be a good one.

DON'T BLAME MADPRIESTJUST FOR LISBETH SPECIAL

2009-11-24T22:45:00.000Z

A son asked his mother the following question:

'Mum, why are wedding dresses white?'

The mother looks at her son and replies: 'Son, this shows your friends and relatives that your bride is pure.'

The son thanks his Mum and goes off to double-check this with his father.

'Dad why are wedding dresses white?'

The father looks at his son in surprise and says:'Son, all household appliances come in white.'

RULE ONE: DON'T EVER,EVER, EVER UPSET A NUN

2009-11-24T22:26:00.002Z

The vast majority of U.S. women religious are not complying with a Vatican request to answer questions in a document of inquiry that is part of a three-year study of the congregations.

"There's been almost universal resistance," said one women religious familiar with the responses compiled by the congregation leaders. "We are saying 'enough!' In my 40 years in religious life I have never seen such unanimity."

The deadline for the questionnaires to be filled out and returned to the Vatican-appointed apostolic visitator, superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mother Mary Clare Millea, was Nov. 20. On that day, according to an informed source, congregation leaders across the nation sent Millea letters and, in many cases, only partial answers to the questionnaire. Many women, instead of filling out the forms, replied by sending in copies of their Vatican -approved orders' religious constitutions. A religious order's constitution states its rationale, purpose and mission.

COMMENT: Look, some of these women have never had sex. So, let's face facts, they were not ever going to take this lying down, were they?

Full story at THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER.

Thanks to TheraP for sending the story in to MadPriest Towers.

TROLL IDENTIFIED

2009-11-24T21:09:00.004Z

One of the nastier, homophobic bigots that hang around this part of the blogosphere goes by the handle of "robroy."

He has been identified as Robert McLean MD PhD,
an ear, nose and throat quack.
His contact address is:
Parker Boulevard
Pueblo, CO, 81008

Methinks the doctor needs a doctor.

Do they have ethics committees in US healthcare?

UPDATE: My posting of this creep's full address has upset the sensibilities of a Anglo-Catholic, civil servant from Stenhousemuir. And as finding a single sensibility in someone from Stenhousemuir is difficult enough, let alone in someone who is also a civil servant, I have to accept the possibility that I may have gone too far. Anyway, you just have to google his name and you'll find plenty of listings that give his full address and telephone number. This is not, contrary to the Lowland Scot's immediate, cultural assumption, so that you can all go round and rough him up, but so that any of you who might, unwarned, mince into his office wearing a "proud to be gay" tee shirt to ask him to peer down your throat, have the opportunity to think twice about doing such a risky thing.

OH... FOR GOODNESS SAKE!

2009-11-24T20:35:00.005Z

I don't know if anybody outside of England has heard of this bloke but he is a professional victimised black man. He has earnt a far better living from being victimised than I have by being an oppressor and privileged honky. Normally he gets on my wick but this time he has really taken the biscuit.

You cannot go anywhere in England without being confronted by posters, billboards, adverts and the entire staff of the National Health Service telling you that if you're a man over 40 it is only a matter of time before you are going to die of prostate cancer. The only man, OF ANY HUE, who could possibly NOT get this message, would have to be dead already.

I may have told you this already? I really, really hate this selfish, boastful "I'm more of a victim than you are mentality." In fact I believe that Darcus Howe and his ilk are much more responsible for the drive by killings, knifings, gang fights, rampant drug crime, black on black racism, gang rape and homophobia that is now endemic in certain sections of English black culture than the British government, who are so scared of being accused of being racist that "If Idi Amin flew in today they'd send a limousine anyway." You give bad people (white, black, pink, it don't matter which colour) an excuse to behave badly and they are going to grab it like a pope grabbing a disgruntled, Anglican misogynist.

MISINFORMATION AND HYPOCRISY

2009-11-24T13:15:00.002Z

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's Commission for Pastoral Life has affirmed the use of natural fertility methods for married couples in a new release of a pastoral letter that was first published in 1995. The Commission decided to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Papal Encyclical Humane Vitae in 2008 by embarking on a project to re-release the pastoral letter in a new, more modern format, the ACBC said in a media statement.

In the forward to the latest edition of the pastoral letter, Bishop Eugene Hurley, the Chairman of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life, said the letter affirms that deep satisfaction can be found in truly knowing one another, body and soul.

"It recognises the sacredness and beauty of each person and it recognises that our sexuality is part of who we are," he said. "We live in a world where we find that often sex and sexuality are separated, which demeans the beauty and sacredness of each person and can lead to seeing people as objects.

"The work of researchers has refined natural fertility methods to a high degree of reliability, making their practical application a great deal easier than was the case in the 1960s."

COMMENT: Their application has always been easy. It's their unreliability that has so often led to abortions, the abandonment of babies and poverty. But, we must get our priorities right. Wearing a bit of rubber on one's willie is a much bigger abomination before the Lord than infanticide.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

2009-11-24T13:11:00.001Z

For first class reportage on the struggle for justice and safety being fought by gay people in Uganda check out GAYUGANDA. their latest post is entitled "Movement in the Episcopal Church."

NOT GETTING AWAY WITH IT

2009-11-24T13:05:00.002Z

From COURTHOUSE NEWS SERVICE:

The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island wants law firms to repay the $205,000 in legal fees that "dissident" parishioners allegedly paid out of church coffers after trying unsuccessfully to take over a church. The Diocese says the dissidents voted to disaffiliate St. James Church of Elmhurst in 2005, citing "theological and moral decline," then used church money to pay their legal fees as they sought control of the parish's 304-year-old property.

The Jakubik Law Firm and Silber Law Firm represented them in an action seeking control of the church's property, which was held in a trust created in 1871, but a court dismissed their claim in April 2008.

During the legal battle, the dissidents appointed an "unauthorized priest" and formed the St. James Anglican Church, according to the complaint. The Diocese says the dissidents wrote checks against the parish's bank and stock accounts to pay $205,000 in legal fees.

The church and diocese sued Mark Jakubik, Meyer Silber and their law firms, alleging unjust enrichment and conversion.

COMMENT: People who are easily led astray are so easily led astray. Ah, well, you lose some, you lose some.

HEALTHCARE PROVISION HITSA NEW LOW IN THE IVORY COAST

2009-11-24T13:00:00.002Z

"Privet hospital?" You know your country is on the way to hell in a handcart when the best they can do for you when you are taken poorly is to send you to a bush doctor.

THE VERY REVEREND JAMES M. JENSEN

2009-11-24T12:56:00.003Z

Fran has posted the second part of her report

on Jim's funeral at THERE WILL BE BREAD.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

2009-11-24T12:52:00.002Z

TheraP has an in depth commentary on the current malaise in the Roman catholic church posted at TPM CAFÉ which has elicited nigh on a hundred comments in response. Check it out! It's very good.

BLOG-A-DOG

2009-11-24T12:29:00.004Z

This is Boy Bishop Miles. Gorgeous, isn't he?

And there are loads more photos of him over at BAILEY'S BUDDY today.

C. OF E. GUILTY OF LOBBYINGAGAINST BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS

2009-11-24T12:08:00.003Z

From THE GUARDIAN:

The (British) government is being forced by the European commission to rip up controversial exemptions that allow church bodies to refuse to employ homosexual staff. The ruling follows a complaint from the National Secular Society, which argued that the opt-outs went further than was permitted under the directive and had created "illegal discrimination against homosexuals". This means that the government now has no choice but to redraft anti-discrimination laws, which is likely to prompt a furore among church groups.

Under the new proposals being drafted by the government, religious organisations will be able to refuse to employ homosexuals only if their job involves actively promoting or practising a religion. A blanket refusal to employ any homosexuals would no longer be possible.

"This ruling is a significant victory for gay equality and a serious setback for religious employers who have been granted exemptions from anti-discrimination law," said human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. "It is a big embarrassment for the British government, which has consistently sought to appease religious homophobes by granting them opt-outs from key equality laws. The European commission has ruled these opt-outs are excessive."

But religious groups expressed alarm at the move. The Christian charity, Care, said: "If evangelical churches cannot be sure that they can employ practising evangelicals with respect to sexual ethics, how will they be able to continue?"

COMMENT: The churches in England have got away with all types of prejudice and downright bigotry in the past because of their exemption from equality and discrimination legislation. The gay issue is only the tip of the iceberg. Of course, the people most affected are women but the disabled are also treated like "lepers." I have put up with 13 years of bigotry and malpractice because I committed the grave sin of having a bout of mental illness. If I had been in secular employ I expect I would have had some problems but I would not have come up against the level of ignorance and arrogance that I have in the Church of England. The legal exemptions given to religious groups were never meant to give them carte blanche to deny all their employees the same legal protections as secular workers in any situation. But the churches have taken advantage and it can be like working for a Victorian mill owner at times. So, they have brought this draconian ruling on themselves. If only the European Commission would go as far as the Scandinavian governments and ban discrimination in the work place whatever the role of the employee. Let's face facts. If the churches are incapable of walking along the path of righteousness on their own then our governments should take the initiative and, if needs be, drag the churches kicking and screaming along that same path. Goodness! It's embarrassing being a Christian nowadays.

THE PRAYER LIST

2009-11-24T11:10:00.004Z

No tears in heaven
Posted by Roseann's husband, Gary on his FaceBook page:

Funeral Services for Roseann will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Conway, AR, at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Her ashes will be interred in a Helman's Mayonnaise jar (per her request) in the St. Peter's Columbarium followed by a "Farewell" party in the Parish Hall. All are welcome to attend.

Roseann's life was guided by the scripture from Matthew 25:40:

"I tell you this, Anything you did for one of my brothers, however humble, you did for Me."

She loved this song and it will be played at the funeral.

There have been many touching, sincere tributes to Roseann posted since her death at the weekend. I would point you in the direction of two that I found particularly appropriate.

"The Communion of Saints" at MY MANNER OF LIFE in which Lisa talks also of Lee Davenport's death earlier this year.

"Roseann Allen-Matthews" at GAFCON in which Father Christian Troll points out that our friend always got the joke and not just the funny ha ha ones.

***

From David:

Fr. Jonathan,

Our Cairn Terrier 'Muggles' is being treated for an infected abscess on his hind leg, so prayers for his recovery would be greatly appreciated...

Regards, David

***

It's always brilliant when a lost one finds its forever home.

Posted by Lisa at MY MANNER OF LIFE:

Two weeks ago, I learned that a co-worker had rescued a cat in a tree. He had posted "found cat" notices around the neighborhood. He tried to give her to the local animal shelter, but they would not take her (because they were overcrowded). He spread the news in the office. I went to his home, met her, fell in love, and adopted her on the spot.

Lisa has posted a video of Neko on her blog.

***

Posted by Kishnevi at HORSEMAN, PASS BY:

Prayers requested
For two co-workers:
Jennifer B., who is waiting for the results of a breast biopsy
Lilly F., whose husband passed away this week

***

Our good buddy, JimB, who blogs at JIM'S THOUGHTS, is having a tough time at the moment. I won't go in to details other than to say that a loved one is poorly and Jim's lack of a job continues to cause huge problems for him. Do keep him in your prayers. He is a good man who has given much in his life and who deserves far more from his fellow countrymen than the morally bankrupt, selfish cheapskates are prepared to give. Yes, America - I do mean you.

***

Posted by Sara at CRYING IN THE NIGHT:

After an unplanned three month stay in a residential facility, B is finally headed for the half-way house. She will be arriving Monday afternoon. I am working on my serenity. I think I'm finally ready for Step 2, surrendering it to God. Good timing. The only test of my surrender will be when she makes another bad choice. It feels good to have God back, I pray she will get there some day. One day at a time.

B, Sara's daughter, has been fighting drug addiction for a long time.

***

Posted by Father kenny at RECTOR'S RAMBLINGS:

Yes!! Victory! Managed to stave off the "black dog" and back to best form! I even got carried away yesterday and a ten minute sermon turned into a 15 minute one! (I need to curb my enthusiasm sometimes!)

15 minute sermon?!!!

Please pray for the people of Father Kenny's congregation who had to put up with this abomination on Sunday (oh, and a thanks be to God, that our friend managed to avoid a full scale depression this time).

***

A little engine with a lot of puff

Posted by Grandmère Mimi at WOUND-UP BIRD:

The cataract surgery is over, and all went well. As I was waiting in pre-op to be sedated, I began to fret and get anxious. I gave myself a good talking to, saying (to myself), "You've been through this surgery before, and you can do it again." I answered myself, and said, "Yes, I can!" At that moment a picture of "The Little Engine That Could" popped into my head, and I began to say over and over (to myself), "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can". I calmed down immediately and stayed calm until I was sedated and wheeled into the operating room.

Thanks be to God, the medical staff, and to all of you who prayed and sent love and good thoughts my way.

Mimi - a little engine? Well, she's always letting off steam, so I guess that it is as good a comparison for our friend as any. The only problem I can see (and this is from personal experience) if Mimi was a railway engine she would ALWAYS end up at the wrong station!

***

There are prayer lists up at EPISCOPALIFEM and BYZIGENOUS BUDDHAPALIAN. Please pop over to those blogs and add the requests there to your personal prayer lists.

Also, please continue to pray for the people of Western England, especially those living in Cumbria and South West Scotland, who are suffering from major flooding at the moment. Hundreds are still homeless, most of the bridges are down, there has been millions of pounds worth of damage to homes and businesses and the rain keeps falling (they are expecting another 4 inches today).

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WHY NOT JUST GIVE THEM THE KEYS TO THE WHITE HOUSE - I MEAN, THEY'RE ALREADY RUNNING THE COUNTRY

2009-11-23T22:39:00.002Z

This report also includes our QUOTE OF THE DAY which I have highlighted (although I think you would have found it yourselves).

From THE BOSTON GLOBE:

A month of harsh words between Rep. Patrick Kennedy and a strident critic, Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin, escalated Sunday when the bishop acknowledged asking Kennedy not to receive Holy Communion because of the Democratic lawmaker's support for abortion rights. The bishop's attempt to publicly shame Kennedy comes just a few months after the death of his father, Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. Tobin told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday that he's praying for the younger Kennedy and said Kennedy has been acting "erratically."

"He attacked the church, he attacked the position of the church on health care, on abortion, on funding," Tobin said. "And that required that I respond. I don't go out looking for these guys. I don't go out picking these fights."

Their dispute began in October when Kennedy criticized the nation's Catholic bishops for threatening to oppose an overhaul of the nation's health care system unless lawmakers included tighter restrictions on abortion, which have since been added to the House version of the bill. Tobin said he felt Kennedy made an unprovoked attack on the church and demanded an apology.

Since then, their feud has played out in public. Tobin, who has said he might have gone into politics were he not ordained, has written sharp public letters questioning Kennedy's faith and saying his position is scandalous and unacceptable to the church.

In 1984, former Democratic New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, a Catholic who supported abortion rights and was at the time a potential presidential candidate, delivered a speech at the University of Notre Dame explaining that Catholic lawmakers shouldn't be pressured by church leaders to work for anti-abortion legislation. He said Sunday it's dangerous for the church to pressure politicians because of the potential for unintended consequences.

"If you're required (by the church) to make everybody follow your Catholic role, then nobody would vote for Catholics," the former governor stated.

Thanks to Whiteycat for sending this in to MadPriest Towers.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

2009-11-23T22:36:00.000Z

Oh, that naughty FATHER CHRISTIAN.

STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!

2009-11-23T22:30:00.002Z

And they dare to tell us that gays are destroying the Church.

Normally I thank people who send in links. Not in this case. I am only going to say that Ann Fontaine sent it in. Well, somebody has to blamed for this obscenity.

DON'T BLAME MADPRIESTBLAME ELLIE

2009-11-23T22:25:00.000Z

I urgently needed a few days off work but I knew the boss would not allow me to take leave. I thought that maybe if I acted 'crazy', then he would tell me to take a few days off. So, I hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises.

My co-worker asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb, so the Boss might think I was 'crazy' and give me a few days off.

A few minutes later, the boss came into the office and asked, 'What in the name of Sam Hill are you doing?' I told him I was a light bulb. He said, 'You are clearly stressed out. Go home and recuperate for a couple of days.' I jumped down and walked out of the office...

When my co-worker followed me, the boss asked her, 'And where do you think you're going?'

To which she replied:

'I'm going home too. I can't work in the dark.'

DOMINE-ATRIX

2009-11-23T18:25:00.006Z

From THE DAILY EXPRESS:

Pope John Paul II regularly whipped himself in a sign of “remorse for his sins”, a nun has disclosed. Polish nun Tobiana Sobodka, a member of the Sacred Heart of Jesus order, worked for Pope John Paul in his private Vatican apartments and at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome.

She said: “Several times he would put himself through bodily penance. We would hear it – we were in the next room at Castel Gandolfo. You could hear the sound of the blows when he flagellated himself. He did it when he was still capable of moving on his own.”

The whipping is also confirmed by Bishop Emery Kabongo, for several years a secretary for Pope John Paul.

He said: “He would punish himself and in particular just before he ordained bishops and priests before passing on the sacraments.”

COMMENT: Well, it's good to see the English are still managing to export something.

ROSEANN ALLEN-MATTHEWS R.I.P.

2009-11-22T17:00:00.004Z

From Gary (Roseann's Husband):

Roseann's Spirit shed its mortal shackles at 8:45 p.m. Saturday. She would want you all to know that she went quietly and painlessly thanks to the loving care of the Hospice staff. She would want all of you to know that your expressions of love and well-wishes these last weeks made her passage much easier and that she loved and cherished you all. Somewhere tonight a new journey began.

Roseann was my friend. I shall miss her so much.

Please pray for Gary, Roseann's family and her friends.

Please pray for Teri, the priest who guided our friend gently into the good night, who writes:

Just wanted to make sure you knew that Roseann passed away last night. I'm not sure when services will be, but most likely that will take place on Wednesday.

This has been a very hard week for our entire congregation--we also lost a member to ovarian cancer just two days ago. Please keep the people of St. Peter's in your prayers, and I certainly am remembering Roseann's online friends in mine.

Please pray for each other. We will all mourn Roseann's passing but there are some, who became very close to her in her last months, whose hearts will be breaking today.

OCICBW... will keep an appropriate silence in honour of our sister.

I have opened a special page for condolences, reminiscences and your messages of support for each other. This can be accessed by clicking HERE.

THE MIDNIGHT JUKEBOX

2009-11-21T23:50:00.006Z

I'm playing this track tonight for no other
reason than I've just had a fine meal in a
city restaurant and it goes with my mood.

It is called "Summer's Clock" and it is
performed by the group, California Conga
featuring J WESLEY BASSARD on
percussion and ERIC MARIENTHAL on
saxophone. I had not heard of Bassard until
coming across this release but Marienthal is
well known for releasing truly dreadful,
incredibly bland, smooth jazz albums to pay
the bills whilst keeping his integrity in tact as
a sidesman of great talent and creativity with
various top flight jazz performers. This tune
is more in tune with his talented sidesman
persona rather than his boring, Motown
covers persona. Mind you, the tracks I've
heard off his new solo album, "Just Around
the Corner" are rather good and the album
has been put on my wish list. Both his new
album and the track "Summer's Clock" are
in the style of seventies jazz funk/fusion
which had a harder edge than contemporary
smooth jazz.

CAPTION COMPETITION

2009-11-21T18:28:00.005Z

Thanks to Ann Fontaine and Professor MadPriest, who independently sent this photo in to MadPriest Towers almost as soon as it popped out of the journalist's Polaroid.

MADPRIEST'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

2009-11-21T15:05:00.004Z

I know. Why don't all the different faith groups (religions, denominations, factions, cults etc.) ask Benny if they can have a "worship space" inside the walls of that "independent nation state," the Vatican. If he says no, then the governments of the independent nation states where each group is based should politely (at first) ask the Roman Catholics to leave their country.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHINGCOMPLETELY DIFFERENT

2009-11-21T01:53:00.003Z

For those of you who like it a little more mellow.

estranged FROM THEIR COMMUNIST BEDMATES EASTERN ORTHODOX LEADERS JUMP INTO BED WITH ANOTHER BUNCH OF EVIL DICTATORS

2009-11-21T00:55:00.005Z

More than 150 church leaders issued a joint declaration Friday reaffirming their opposition to abortion and gay marriage and pledging to protect religious freedoms. The 4,700-word document, called "The Manhattan Declaration: sounds familiar themes from political and social debates over the health care overhaul and gay marriage battles.

While acknowledging that "Christians and our institutions have too often scandalously failed to uphold the institution of marriage," the group rejects same-sex marriage. The declaration states that opening a legal door for gay marriage would do the same for "polyamorous partnerships, polygamous households, even adult brothers, sisters, or brothers and sisters living in incestuous relationships."

“[I]t is out of love (not “animus”) and prudent concern for the common good (not “prejudice”), that we pledge to labor ceaselessly to preserve the legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman and to rebuild the marriage culture,” it reads.

The declaration also cites threats to health care workers' conscience clauses and anti-discrimination statutes it argues impinge on religious freedoms.

Signers included Christian leaders like Tim Keller, J.I. Packer, and Cardinal Justin Rigali, as well as leaders of organizations like Focus on the Family, the National Association of Evangelicals, and Evangelicals for Social Action.

Father Chad Hatfield, head of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, said he signed it because, “We know what it’s like to be intimidated into silence,” referring to Eastern Orthodox persecution under communism.

The declaration closes: “We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”