”…this ongoing “us” vs. “them”, right vs. left, Catholic vs. not, pro-life (anti-abortion) vs. pro-life (the entire life spectrum) has got to stop.  Are we not all children of God? Are we not loved and valued equally and been given our respective callings and vocations by Him? We have to look at and listen to each other with love and respect. If we disagree that is OK; but what is not OK is attacking the other. We need to listen, discuss, have an open and honest dialogue (without fear of retribution) and take time to discern. Once we know “the other” I am confident that we can move forward together… (Source)

Joan, my dear, stop the equivocation and the Rodney King lines.  Of course, God loves us all. That’s the problem with D&P’s side of the fence.   On D&P’s side of the fence, it really doesn’t matter that unborn children are excludedecuted from that respect.  If D&P did respect human life, “the entire life spectrum”, as you say, there would be no controversy and D&P would not be in its own existential crisis right now.  Everyone knows that if D&P partners were pro-racists instead of pro-abortion, this controversy would have been quelled in 4 seconds.  Instead, we’re heading into our fourth year….which really tells us all what kind of Catholics D&P members are and what kind of bishops pro-life Catholics have been suffering through since the Spirit of Vatican II has possessed the Church.

But all that’s changing now.

D&P members want access to Catholic cash and they want to maintain the brand they’ve built up for themselves these past 40+ years, but they don’t want to submit to the authority of the Roman Church or its teachings.  You can’t have your socialist justice cake and eat it too, I’m afraid.

(Vatican Radio) The service of charity, Pope Benedict said today, is at the heart of the Church’s identity and mission.

In a new Apostolic Letter – issued “motu proprio,” that is, on his own initiative – the Holy Father spoke about the work of charity in and by the Church, and issued new regulations to better organise the Church’s charitable activity. “With the present Motu proprio, I intend to provide an organic legislative framework for the better overall ordering of the various organised ecclesial forms of the service of charity, which are closely related to the diaconal [ministerial] nature of the Church and the Episcopal ministry.

The Church’s concern for those in need is expressed in many different charitable initiatives around the world. These works, the Pope said, should always be welcomed by the Church’s Pastors, “as a sign of the sharing of all the faithful in the mission of the Church.” The diversity of those initiatives is a “manifestation of the freedom of the baptised,” who use their own unique gifts to respond to call of charity.

But, he said, insofar as those charitable works are promoted and supported by the Church, they must conform to the teachings of the Church and the intentions of the faithful, and must respect legitimate civil regulation. It is the responsibility of the Bishops, in the first place, to ensure that they do so.

Above all, Pope Benedict said, it is important to remember that practical actions are never enough; charity must express a genuine love for people, a love animated by a personal encounter with Christ. “In carrying out their charitable works, therefore, the Catholic organisations should not limit themselves merely to collecting and distributing funds, but should show special concern for individuals in need and exercise a valuable educational function within the Christian community, helping people to appreciate the importance of sharing, respect and love in the spirit of the Gospel of Christ.”

The text above is Vaticanese for:  “D&P: there’s no going back to pro-abort social justice“.  And it’s also a mild rebuke to the bishops who’ve let it go, mannnnnnnnnnnnn, all. these. years.

Well, folks, the dyke is starting to break.

Some of the most senior members of the Canadian Bishops’ international development agency – Development & Peace (D&P) – have publicly accused Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins and other pro-life bishops pushing for a pro-life reform of D&P of ‘shameful blackmail.’ They have also criticized Pope Benedict’s reformation of the Vatican’s Catholic charity umbrella organization. Journalist Dennis Guending, a former Director of Information for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, has described the situation as a “virtually unprecedented” and an “open revolt against the Catholic hierarchy from within.” …(Source)

As you all know, Socon or Bust has been a fierce critic of the Canadian bishops during this whole controversy, and we’ve employed very colourful language that’s rattled some bishops.  It’s been an unfortunate but necessary means of getting the bishops to get serious about the genocide that has been under their collective noses for 40+ years.

Now that the mask is off, however, the members of D&P are showing themselves for who they really are.  They’re not just attacking the bishops…they are attacking authentic Catholic doctrine and identity. Read the rest of this entry »