Official Announcements from the St. Paul-Minneapolis Diocese

The following announcements are canonically required and serve to notify the Faithful of problematic situations or people in the diocese and Church. These are official directives from Archbishop Nienstedt and his words need to be obeyed, for they are spoken out of concern and love for we, the Faithful.

I am publishing the full text of both announcements:

Official Announcement

Saint Paul, MN, August 2009 – It has come to the attention of the Archdiocese that a group calling itself the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (CCCR) is planning a 2010 ‘synod’ in the Archdiocese entitled, ‘Claiming Our Place at the Table’.

While the agenda for the proposed synod purports to be an exploration of the role of baptized Catholics within the institutional Church of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, it is not being conducted under the auspices of the Archdiocese, the universal Roman Catholic Church, or any entity or organization affiliated with the Archdiocese or the universal Roman Catholic Church.

The Archdiocese wishes it to be known that the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform, the 2010 synod, and individuals endorsing the same, are not agents or entities of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis or the Roman Catholic Church. Moreover, the Archdiocese wishes to lovingly caution those members of the faithful participating in the ‘work/study groups’ and intending to attend the synod of the potential that the issues on which CCCR will seek reform are magisterial teachings of the Church, and are therefore to be believed by divine and catholic faith. The Archdiocese also wishes to remind the faithful of its need to shun any contrary doctrines, and instead to embrace and retain, to safeguard reverently and expound faithfully, the doctrine of faith and morals proposed definitively by the magisterium of the Church.

****Author's Note: The phrase "therefore to be believed by divine and catholic faith" indicates that the problem with this group have to do with the highest order of teachings, therefore the "reforms" this group is seeking to make are declared Heresies. The penalty for participating in such "reforms" has to do with Canon 1364.1, Heresy/Apostacy and can lead to the penalty of excommunication.

Official Announcement

On June 26, 2009, the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, decreed that Deacon Martin Kelly Shanahan, a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, is dismissed from the clerical state ex officio et in poenam and released from all obligations of the clerical state. This supreme penalty was imposed on Mr. Shanahan after he abandoned the Catholic Church, sought 'priestly ordination' from a female bishop of the Apostolic Catholic Orthodox Church, and then attempted to administer the sacraments (simulation). The same decree indicated that the canonical censures incurred by Mr. Shanahan as a result of his schism remain in force.

The Archdiocese wishes the faithful to be aware that any ‘Mass’ or sacrament administered by Mr. Shanahan, with the exception of baptism, is invalid. The August 2000 declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dominus Iesus, does not apply to Mr. Shanahan’s attempted presbyteral ordination nor does it make any statement regarding the validity of the Orders of the Apostolic Catholic Orthodox Church.

I would encourage ALL of my readers to read Dominus Iesus for yourselves, for your own edificiation and education, but keeping in mind that it's not about Mr. Shanahan. (Hint: You'll only understand what is being said in this communication from the Archdiocese if you read the document. GO READ!)

To all of my faithful readers (and even the unfaithful ones!), keep an eye on your Archdiocesan web pages and newspapers where these announcements are published and promulgated. They are important for you to know and even to disseminate on your own to others of the faithful who might be in danger of succombing to the popular heresies of the time.

There are a LOT of lukewarm, uncatechized Catholics who simply don't see why they can't participate in heretical "reforms" because they don't know that they are heresy. There are people who don't know what Ecclesial Communities are in union with Rome or are in Schizm but claiming a Catholic title.

You don't have to have a blog to help the Bishop disseminate information to others, and in fact, as the faithful, it is your DUTY to assist him in this.

Please pray for any souls that lead others astray or are led astray themselves by those who seek to usurp or destroy the Church.

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Mantilla-twitch and Hat-tip to Ray Marshall at Stella Borealis

Why are you looking at me funny? Can't I wear a mantilla and a hat at the same time?

Conduit to our Souls

There is a book going around, written by someone exploring his faith, struggling, and trying to come to terms with it. It is a work of exploratory fiction, and, as a writer, I've done the same thing in trying to understand God.

Many people, even those who are Catholic Sisters (none I know personally nor whose theology would be considered to be faithful) hold this work up to be something wonderful. Never mind the Trinitarian heresies that abound. Are the heresies intentional? No. But they are there, and many people who are also seeking God read such works and attribute wisdom to the author that the author himself does not claim or possess.

I have not read the book, will not name it, but am glad the author is so deeply seeking God.

What disappoints me, though, is that those who should know better give this book credence where none is deserved. It is being upheld as something all Christians should read, even though it does nothing to edify the foundational beliefs of Christianity.

What are we allowing to enter our souls?

When I first began my graduate studies, I had a professor who addressed the problem of how information comes into us. He pointed out that what we read becomes a part of us in some way. It feeds our souls, for better or for worse, for we are both body and soul. We are constantly bombarded by images and words, everywhere we go. If you are reading this now, you are being bombarded by my own thoughts, my own opinions, and perhaps the teachings of the Church.

Are you willing to continue reading? Are you willing to take that risk? What if what I write is eternally damaging to you?

We all must ask those questions, throughout the day. When we examine our consciences, we must consider those things that have crossed our path; have we willingly taken them in? Have we practiced custody of the eyes?

"Custody of the eyes" does not just apply to things having to do with chastity, but other areas of our lives as well.

I can give an example from my own life.

Horror

For years, I read horror stories, and there are a few I still enjoy, although I know I should not. Yet I no longer want to watch horror movies, and the last horror fiction I read has left such an imprint that even today, at Mass, I was so sickened I nearly had to leave.

Some of what I read or saw (ie Faces of Death movies) was for the deliberate attempt to desensitize myself to violence; stuff I knew I might see in the career to which I aspired. It's been a long time, though, since I've been out of that career and even now, not much bothers me.

But months ago, maybe a year ago, I read a book by John Saul. I remember enjoying a great number of his books, most of which did not involve gore of any type, but suggestion, suspense, and terror. Yet this particular book involved Catholicism (a very, very warped version of it), and blended something diobolically awful with the Sacraments. I was so sickened by this and the images from that book that I actually threw the book away, something I almost NEVER do.

Every so often, the image from that book comes to mind (as it does now, even as I write this), and did this morning during Mass. I wish I had never read the book. I wish I didn't even know about it. But now...I can't erase the images. I can't undo the imprint upon my memory and upon my soul.

Ask St. Augustine about this very problem, maybe in book 10 of Confessions.

The reality is that what we take in is imprinted upon us in some way.

My professor, then, asked a very good rhetorical question, one for all of us to ask ourselves: What, exactly, are we allowing into our souls?

I let that book into my soul, and now I can't get rid of it.

It begs the question: why would I SEEK something that I KNOW to be damaging? Why would I go out of my way, for some frivolous reason, to read something I know to contain heresy?

Perhaps it is necessary if I am an apologist and it is my job to protect others who might be weak from such damage. Perhaps, if I were a Bishop, I would read it in order to clearly denounce it and with examples and proper teaching.

It is not that I fear for myself, for if I read the book I cited in the beginning of this post, I know my own faith is strong enough. However, I DO fear for those who are seeking, who have not been properly formed in their own faith, those who don't know who God is and have fallen into the gnosticism of modern feminism. I've been greatly saddened by such as these, and was even led astray by them for a time.

So I say to all of you out there...before you read a book or watch a movie that might be damaging, consider the reality of its imprintation upon your soul. It is said that "the eyes are the windows to the soul." Before you recommend such a book to another...are you willing to be responsible before God for the damage done to that soul?

What are YOU allowing into your own soul?

I ask you again: What are you allowing into your soul?

WHAT are you allowing into your soul!?????????

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*** Related post: Ascent from the Descent

Theology and Heresy

So we survived our first weekend of class for second semester. Today I'm off, as I have to work next Saturday and have to work at an event next Friday, and let me tell you, I'm thrilled to be off today. I can start studying, and work on getting over this terrible cold that has been my companion for a couple weeks. Seriously, this stuff is going around. First you just don't feel well, but it's just a cold so you suck it up and go on with your life. And then you think it's gone, you are joyful, and you go about your life. The next day you get up sneezing and sniffling and realize it's BACK...or is it another cold? And then, in comparing notes with others you realize it's part of the pattern of this virus.

I should have taken time off work last week, but we had so much going on that I couldn't. And then it was a class weekend. So today...bessed rest. And studying.

Now...about our class.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our professors this semester! They are just incredible, brilliant, and wonderful human beings. Our New Testament prof pretty much endeared himself to our class through his own passion for his work and his huge beaming smile. I'm quite certain that his smile has disarmed a good number of people throughout his life, and it certainly set our class at ease!

Our other professor is teaching two courses, in Catholic Theological Tradition and Fundamental Theology . The first is heavy on philosophy, which many of us have never studied, but the material for that class is strongly linked to the next course, we we can see clearly the interrelatedness of the material. He's just wonderful, clearly loves what he is doing and yesterday came to lunch with a group of us, where some of our theological discussions continued. He, too, often wore a big smile and so clearly loves what he is doing. So of course, he endeared himself to us, too.

That's a wonderful thing for all of our profs to do; after all, we spend hours upon hours with them in a classroom. I have to say, that with this format I already feel like I have a stronger connection to these profs than I did to my undergrad profs, just because of the seamless hours in their company. To be clear, I loved many of my undergrad profs, too, but it seemed to take longer to get to know them.

Our workload is going to be brutal, though. These profs favor quizzes and tests, which involves not writing papers, but rather, studying...a LOT! And given that some of the subjects of our studies are things that we are not familiar with (ie philosophy), well, it's going to be tough.

It should be a very good Lent for us, then, I suppose.

Anyway, while we're learning Truths, we are also being exposed to heresies, including that of modern "Catholic" scripture scholars who have dedicated their careers to denying the Catholic understanding of scripture. So it is that we as Catholics have far more in common with conservative Evangelical scripture scholars than we do with most of those who claim to be Catholic. How sad is that!? And you know, now I know that it was Raymond Brown's theology (or lack thereof) that so utterly destroyed me in college. And if I find a Raymond Brown citation in any of the books in my home, it's going to be burned at the stake.

Perhaps as time goes on and I learn more I'll post some of his postulations to get around the truth, and include the scripture references that directly and obviously refute his ideas.

So to all of you out there, watch out for this guy. Like most dissidents he can talk a good game but he does it with both fingers crossed behind his back and a cheshire smile.

We NEED good Catholic education in this country, and throughout the world, but with "theologians" such as Brown, who happen to all have a stranglehold on curriculums affecting both Catholic and Protestant, it's up to we as individuals to arm ourselves. No one is going to do it for us.