Another Catholic Priest Says Obama Vote Equals Sin

Another Catholic priest is voicing his concern to his parishioners about Barack Obama and his pro-life position on abortion. 

Reverend Joseph Illo of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Modesto, California, sent a letter to his 15,000 parishioners, in a letter dated November 21, 2008.  He also reviewed the concern during a homily.  Per McClatchy.

“If you are one of the 54 percent of Catholics who voted for a pro-abortion candidate, you were clear on his position and you knew the gravity of the question, I urge you to go to confession before receiving communion. Don’t risk losing your state of grace by receiving sacrilegiously.”

Obama “promised Planned Parenthood that the first thing he would do upon taking office is to sign the so-called ‘Freedom of Choice Act,’ which would grant unlimited access to abortion in all 50 states up until the moment of live birth.”

“Many Catholics voted for such pro-abortion candidates thinking that their good positions on other issues, such as the war or health care, outweighed their deplorable stand on abortion.”

“In Catholic teaching, you have to go to confession when you have committed a mortal sin,” he said. “Now, what is a mortal sin? It’s somewhat complex. No one can say, ‘You committed a mortal sin.’ I can only say, ‘It’s a grave matter.’ It’s my job to look after my parishioners.

“I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails and phone calls. It’s about 12-to-1 in favor of what I said. One person has left the parish. But I got all of these other positive things.”

Although his followers seem to be supportive, a the bishop of Stockton, the Most Rev. Stephen Blaire disagrees. 

Blaire said Catholics who carefully weighed many issues and settled on a candidate, such as Obama, who was supportive of abortion rights, were not in need of confession. He said confession would be necessary “only if someone voted for a pro-abortion or pro-choice candidate — if that’s the reason you voted for them.”

Now while splitting hairs can buy time to clarify confusion, a revisit of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.

See EWTN’s Father Stephen F. Torraco in 2002, in “A Brief Catechism for Catholic Voters,” why voting for the pro-life candidate is a mortal sin.

And see exactly what Fr. Newman said.

“Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation.”

Bizzy Blog reviewed this previously.  So in summary, people have a right to make up their own minds; the church teaching on abortion, that it “is gravely contrary to the moral law,” stands unchanged.

See:

• http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/56697.html
• http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm
• http://www.ewtn.com/vote/brief_catechism.htm
• http://www.bizzyblog.com/2008/11/16/sc-diocese-official-appears-to-repudiate-catechism-sc-priest-is-reined-in-but-right/
• http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2008/11/14/catholic-priest-pummeling-obama-voters/
• http://quipster.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/sc-priests-abortion-supporters-statements-repudiated-yet-catechism-stands/

Flip Flops For Drunk Women In Devon, England

You heard right!  Flip flop shoes are being handed out to drunk women in Devon, England.  Why?  To help these drunk women in high heel shoes prevent falls that could result in serious injuries.   Or from walking around barefoot in the sub zero temperatures, when they have removed their shoes for fear of potential injury, or simply to facilitate the walk home.  No kidding. 

Drunk women who stagger about in high heels are to be protected – at public expense – from twisting their ankles. They will be handed flip-flops to wear by police outside nightclubs as they wend their way home. The scheme is part of a £30,000 drive by police and councillors to prevent ‘alcohol-related harm’.

The rubber shoes, which carry printed messages about safe drinking, will also be available free from the council’s ‘Safe Bus’ on the harbourside… Inspector Adrian Leisk, from Safer Communities Torbay, said: ‘Sometimes people get drunk and you see them carrying footwear which is inappropriate.

The locals are a little puzzled by the safety campaign.  Flip flops with messages?  Who will read their shoes when they are drunk?   Will there be flip flop fashion shows on the way out the pub doors?  Will there be different colors?

‘The emphasis is on providing replacement footwear for people to get home in, should they find their footwear uncomfortable, inappropriate or soiled.’

Those creative and safe Brits.

Deccan Mujahideen YouTube Video Posted 3 Weeks Before Hit

Deccan Mujahideen activity was posted 3 weeks ago as a You Tube video.  Could anyone else have predicted what was to occur in Mumbai?  This is a cross post from McNorman, and brings the disturbing information to light.

Image courtesy of http://www.ProfessionalAnimations.com.

from 3 weeks ago.  Yes, there was a snippet of what was to come…uploaded three weeks ago.

300 body count…there are probably more.

The Telegraph:

It is believed that just 10 highly-trained terrorists took part in the attack. Nine were killed and one suspect is under arrest.

…The official death toll stood last night at 195, but authorities acknowledge that scores of bodies have not been included in the total. At least 22 of the dead are not Indian nationals, including a Briton, five US citizens and six Israelis. At least 295 people have been injured. Of those, 23 are foreigners, including several Britons.

A final death toll will not emerge until the end of operations to ensure the hotel rooms and corridors are cleared of booby traps. However, S Jadhav, from Mumbai’s disaster management unit, predicted the figure would approach 300.

More than 600 people escaped from the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, the Oberoi-Trident hotel and Nariman House, which were held by the attackers.

Back to the video:  apparently the video was taken down within an hour of posting at the jawa site and maybe relabeled now.

Hmm, I wonder why they would take down their propaganda?  Worried?

What’s interesting about the video is that, other than the first clip, it’s a compilation from Iraq. So, why name it “Deccan” given that “Deccan” is an area of India, not Iraq?

The Sunday Telegraph was given the details of a secret interrogation report based on an interview with the surviving terrorist. The 19-year-old suspect, who lived near the Pakistani city of Multan, is said to have joined Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Islamist fundamentalist group, a year ago. He is alleged to have confessed that he received weapons instruction at a training camp in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The plot is said to have been planned from there. A group then made a reconnaissance of Bombay earlier this year.

India believes a Pakistani merchant ship was used to transport some, or all, of the terrorists before they seized control of a fishing trawler to reach Mumbai (Bombay). The final leg of their journey was completed in inflatable boats.

Maritime terrorism.

The YouTube poster behind the video calls himself “va13007“, says he’s from France, and claims he’s 32 years old.

Anyone know anything about this poster, please send info to jawa site.

See:

• http://mcnorman.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/deccan-mujahideen-youtube-video/

The Santa Sniper

Now that the holiday season is upon us, this video clip has been selected for its offbeat, and surprisingly unexpected message.  Starring Santa Claus and Osama Bin Laden. 

Somewhere in Waziristan…

santa sniper

January 1, 2008

Hat tip, Flopping Aces.

See:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ler7l_yfKGE