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+By all means support Kansans for Life, your freedoms and what is ultimately your God given moral rights and attend the religious freedom rallies and events listed in this post.
I wonder, and I speak for myself .....how it is that those who find their spiritual fruit in the Traditional Latin Mass, the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite, do not have "religious freedom" to worship fully in the manner in which we see fit? Why must we settle for anything less than the full battery of the seven sacraments? Why are we being made to feel as second class citizens when all we want to do is worship as the Saints did, as our parents did and, what is ultimately, what our conscious tells us to do?
His Holiness Benedict XVI stated, "What earlier generations held as sacred remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church's faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place."
Furthermore: "The faithful are entitled to request ALL the Sacraments according to their traditional rites (e.g. baptisms, confirmations, nuptial masses, requiems, etc.)"
We are not the bogey man...we are not schismatic...we are not "radical"... we are normal, hard working, faithful American Catholics who only want to be in communion with Rome and support His Holiness Benedict XVI when he wishes the EFLR be in every parish.
Then what of "religious freedom"?
To post a comment, ask a question, or submit an article contact me, Mark, at bumpy187@gmail.com.
I wonder, and I speak for myself .....how it is that those who find their spiritual fruit in the Traditional Latin Mass, the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite, do not have "religious freedom" to worship fully in the manner in which we see fit? Why must we settle for anything less than the full battery of the seven sacraments? Why are we being made to feel as second class citizens when all we want to do is worship as the Saints did, as our parents did and, what is ultimately, what our conscious tells us to do?
His Holiness Benedict XVI stated, "What earlier generations held as sacred remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church's faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place."
Furthermore: "The faithful are entitled to request ALL the Sacraments according to their traditional rites (e.g. baptisms, confirmations, nuptial masses, requiems, etc.)"
We are not the bogey man...we are not schismatic...we are not "radical"... we are normal, hard working, faithful American Catholics who only want to be in communion with Rome and support His Holiness Benedict XVI when he wishes the EFLR be in every parish.
Then what of "religious freedom"?
To post a comment, ask a question, or submit an article contact me, Mark, at bumpy187@gmail.com.
..and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church is one of only two churches celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita area. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.
Kansans for Life
Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rallies & Events
Submitted by Larry Bethel
People of all faith traditions are beginning to understand the current threat to religious freedom. The HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, has essentially mandated that people of faith violate their consciences and the teachings of their church and follow the dictates of the HHS.
More about the mandate, but first here is a calendar of events for the coming weeks.
A Fortnight for Freedom
The bishops of the United States have called for “A Fortnight for Freedom,” the two-week period from June 21 to July 4—beginning with the feasts of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher and ending with Independence Day—to focus “all the energies the Catholic community can muster” for religious liberty. They also asked that, later in the year, the feast of Christ the King be “a day specifically employed by bishops and priests to preach about religious liberty, both here and abroad.”
Mass, Procession, & Speakers on Thursday, June 21st
Bishop Michael Jackels, of the diocese of Wichita, will celebrate Mass at 6:00pm in Good Shepherd Chapel on the Topeka street side of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Follow Mass, there will be a procession to the Federal Building at 3rd & Market. We will pray and listen to some remarks for community and church leaders. Entire event could last until 8:00pm
Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally on Friday, June 22nd
The monthly Prayer Rally will take place at noon on Friday, June 22nd at the Federal Building in downtown Wichita at 3rd & Market. The Prayer Rally lasts one hour.
Panel Discussion of the HHS Mandate, Wednesday, June 27th
There will be a panel discussion of the HHS mandate at St. Francis of Assisi Church at 861 N. Socora (One long block north & west of Central & Typer Rd). The discussion starts at 7:00pm and will take place in Cana Hall.
Statewide Rally for Religious Freedom, Friday, June 29th
The Bishops of Kansas have organized a Rally for Religious Freedom on the south steps of the State Capitol Building in Topeka, KS. The Rally lasts from 2:00 to 3:30. Everyone is invited to take this public stand in support of our Constitution Right of Freedom of Religion.
There is some room left of buses headed to Topeka. Make your reservation now by going to:
http://catholicdioceseofwichita.org/respect-life-and-social-justice-office/documents/doc_view/2529-statewide-rally-registration
There are also a limited number of yard signs available that say, “We Pray for Protection for Religious Freedom”. The signs are $5.00 and you can order one by calling the Respect Life and Social Justice office of the Diocese of Wichita at 269-3900. If you order yours now, you can pick it up at the Rally in Topeka or at the Wichita Chancery Office.
Pray during the fortnight for an end to religious persecution and a restoration of religious freedom in our country.
A Little More Explanation of the Mandate
I think most of us know that this country was founded by those who came here to escape religious persecution.
This was so important that the first Amendment to the Constitution of the United States says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;”
We have been told many times that this means there is a separation of church and state but what it really means is the government cannot establish or declare an official religion in this country, NOR can the government prohibit the free practice of a religion.
Pretty simple and we have taken this for granted for many years.
However, in August of last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said they were going to require that virtually all private health care plans must cover sterilizations, abortifacients (that is drugs that cause an abortion), and contraception. This applies to the vast majority of faith based organizations.
There was a period when the public was invited to voice their opinion, and many of the Bishops and Cardinals, as well as citizens voiced their opposition.
However, on January 20, 2012, the rule / mandate became final.
In one year, the providers of health insurance both private and religious must pay for sterilizations, abortifacients, and contraception.
The argument is not about theology. It’s not about abortion. It’s not pro-life versus pro-choice. It’s not about birth control.
It’s about freedom.
Aside from this direct assault on the faith of practicing Catholics, the fact that a cabinet secretary can do this without an act of Congress and mandate that someone must do something that he or she as a matter of personal ethics or faith would otherwise never do, is an assault on the country’s very foundation.
Please try to attend some or all of these events.
Yours for LIFE,
David Gittrich
State Development Director
kfldavid@yahoo.com
1-800-928-5433
http://www.lifesitenews.com/
There is alarm among military chaplains about the negative effect on troop
morale over the undoing of 237 years of traditional religious support for US
soldiers.
Submitted by Michael O'Neil
There is alarm among military chaplains about the negative effect on troop
morale over the undoing of 237 years of traditional religious support for US
soldiers.
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Although the U.S.
Military fight and die to uphold freedom, high-level military chaplains
report they are increasingly being denied freedom of conscience and freedom
of speech. There is also alarm about the negative effects on troop morale
over the undoing of the 237-years’ practice of providing traditional
religious support for U.S. soldiers.
“We were promised that we would see no change - very little change,”
says Col. Ron Crews, alluding to a two-star officer’s assurance that the
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal would not impede the ministry of
military chaplains. That promise, he says, has not been kept.
Col. Crews, executive director of Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty,
was speaking at a panel along with military chaplains and religious freedom
activists during the 2012 National Religious Freedom Conference in
Washington D.C on May 24.
The panelists agreed that the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and other
policies have made it difficult, if not a punishable offense, for military
chaplains to read passages of Leviticus, pray aloud in the name of God at a
soldier’s funeral, or preside over traditional services.
Col. Crews recounted an interchange in 2010 between Adm. Mike Mullen,
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a military chaplain. While Adm.
Mullen was briefing the troops on what the repeal might look like, the
chaplain asked if those with “biblical views that homosexuality is a sin
[would] still be protected to express those views?”
Adm. Mullen reportedly responded, “Chaplain, if you can’t get in line
with this policy, resign your commission.”
Another chaplain’s promotion was unexpectedly rescinded, said the colonel.
The reason: forwarding an email sent by a fellow chaplain that was critical
of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal. Due to this action he was
told he would need to be “more closely supervised.”
Yet another chaplain wished for his chapel to be considered “sacred
space” and not used to officiate same-sex marriages. He was told that
despite his wishes, his chapel would be “sexual neutral territory.”
Click “like” if you want to defend true marriage.
After Chaplain (Major General) Douglas Carver, the U.S. Army’s Chief
Chaplain, called for a day of prayer and fasting “in keeping with your
religious traditions,” the Military Religious Foundation (MRF) “wanted
him fired,” said Col. Jacob Goldstein, a panelist and senior U.S. Army
Jewish chaplain. He added that despite the MRF’s claims that this was
offensive to Jewish people, “this fasting follows in our tradition.”
Chaplains are not the only ones feeling pressure. Veteran’s Affairs
officials told veteran honor guards that mentioning God in prayer was not
acceptable. It took a Temporary Restraining Order from U.S. District Judge
Lynn Hughes and four months of litigation for the name of God to again be
permissible.
Four months was not soon enough to prevent heartbreak to the widows of the
fallen. Lisa Ward, the widow of a war veteran, made a promise to her
husband - in the event of his death, he would receive the full burial
ritual. But arriving to bury her husband and fulfill her promise, she was
told the full burial ritual was against federal government regulations. The
ritual mentioned God.
“I can’t redo my husband’s funeral,” she said with tears in her
eyes.
One federal official, speaking on behalf of the Houston National Cemetery,
said that prayers must be “inclusive.” Another asked a veteran to
submit his public prayers in writing for approval. Finally, a judge ruled,
“In this country, we don’t tell our pastors how to pray.”
But these legal victories do little to reassure believers. Kelly
Shackelford, a panelist at the National Religious Freedom Conference and
president and CEO of Liberty Institute, said, “The speed at which we are
falling is much quicker than I have ever seen,” referring to the amount of
religious freedom complaints that his office receives.
Shackelford’s office is the largest non-profit law firm in America, which
deals solely with defending religious liberty. Still, there are too many
cases for his office to handle. Over a period of ten years, he says he has
experienced the most change in the past year and a half.
More religious freedom complaints are piling up. But Shackelford said that
his office can’t provide any help unless people are willing to take a
stand and work through a litigation process. He ended his talk declaring,
“We need to stand in a Christ-like manner, but whether we stand or not is
not an option.”
Military chaplains have received a stipend for their military duties since
the U.S. military’s founding. General George Washington commenting on
this practice said, “It is necessary that we provide them [the military]
with a spiritual substance.”
For 237 years it has been considered essential to provide U.S. troops with
moral and spiritual counsel. Gen. Major Carver sought to demonstrate this
importance by recounting of a soldier’s experience.
A young private was aboard the torpedo-hit USAT Dorchester on February 3,
1943. Surrounded by the dead and debris, the vessel sinking lower, he
later said of the event, “I could hear the chaplains preaching courage,
their voices were the only thing that gave me hope and kept me going.”
See video of entire session, Freedom for U.S. Soldiers and Veterans from
Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Religious Freedom Conference.
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