The following sign is in front of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Crystal Lake.
“Love the sinner, hate the sin” is the message on the sign in front of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Crystal Lake.
Its priest wrote the Boy Scouts to withdraw his church’s sponsorship of its Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack after the national organization voted to allow homosexuals to join.
WGN-TV is reporting that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church is withdrawing from the Boy Scouts of America.
The Priest is reported to have sent a letter to that effect to Boy Scout headquarters “because the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA) support of gay members conflicts with the church’s opposition to homosexuality.”
Cub Scout Pack 550, sponsored by Elizabeth Ann Seton was in the Memorial Day Parade.
Cub Scouts from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Cub Scout Pack 550 took part in the Memorial Day Parade.
The church’s Boy Scout Troop 550 also marched in Crystal Lake’s Memorial Day Parade.
Members of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s Boy Scout Troop 550 marched in Crystal Lake’s Memorial Day Parade.
A letter from Cardinal George:
December 28, 2012Feast of the Holy Innocents
Dear Father:
A twinkling star millions of miles distant provides light in a darkened sky, viewed by all – even over centuries. The star of Bethlehem enlightens our darkened world; a world embedded with a continual tendency toward violence, especially among our most vulnerable – the child in the womb, children in classrooms, and children on our streets. Our original grace in Eden was likeness to God albeit with vulnerability: They were naked and felt no shame (Gen 2.28); the original sin was thinking how we could become like God, and so hide or deny our God-given need for Him.
Francis Cardinal George
A sad anniversary is upon us – the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton that were handed down on January 22, 1973.
From then to now, unique, living, human, and vulnerable life became expendable, unprotected by civil law.
This ‘choice’ to nurture life or to cut it short remains an abhorrent option. This anniversary provides us an opportunity to reform individual conscience.
Take up this challenge.
Vulnerable lives need our voices, our passion, and our truth-saying as spoken by the prophet Isaiah: You are precious in my eyes and I love you. (Is 43.4)
Our faith holds conception and birth in the highest esteem:
We are convinced that a child from the moment of conception is made in the image and likeness of God.
We cannot tire of presenting the fact that human life begins at conception.
At this time, the deepest relationships begin: parent and child; child and Creator; this child in communion with all humanity.
As Pope Benedict XVI wisely counseled the world and some new ambassadors on June 10, 2011, we need an ecology of the human person.
We need to foster a culture of receiving the sacred and unique person in the womb when first announced as present among us.
We need to encourage our families to become strong; families are the fabric of society and Church.
We need to continue to shape public conversations about a culture friendly to family and new life.
To help you to observe this anniversary, you will soon receive a separate mailing from our Respect Life Office containing a variety of resources for bulletins, homilies and agencies that can be of service to your parishioners. This season of birth, family, and light invites us to renewed compassion and commitment. Thank you for your dedication to your people, especially the vulnerable. You are in my daily prayers; please keep me in yours.
Fraternally yours in Christ,
Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I.
Archbishop of Chicago
Here’s the sign next to crosses in front of St. Thomas Catholic Church on Route 176 in Crystal Lake.
The message in front of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Crystal Lake says, “Vote for Life and Religious Liberty.”
Notice all those “Vote Pro-Life” signs?
My guess is that most are front yards of Catholics.
And I understand that at at least one evangelical church, attendees were strong urged to vote.
The Religious Freedom Rally against mandates that the Catholic Church finds objectionable was held in Woodstock Saturday.
People lined Route 47 on the way to the McHenry County Courthouse, where the demonstration was held.
The crowd assembled on the Courthouse lawn.
Signs were picked up on the Courthouse lawn near Route 47.
There were well over 100 in attendance.
Another view of the crowd.
Here’s a third look at the crowd:
More of the participants at Woodstock’s Religious Freedom Rally Saturday.
Finally, here’s a shot at the folks on the road looking south.
Looking south on Route 47 in Woodstock Saturday.
This is the fourth of four message from Illinois Catholic bishops to the faithful:
This is the last of four bulletin inserts offering guidance and reflection points from Illinois’ Catholic Bishops in preparation for the elections of November 6, 2012. The first insert was an introduction to this effort; the second and third inserts focused on the formation of a Catholic conscience and how to make prudential judgments about various public policy issues. For a copy of the first three inserts, please go to www.ilcatholic.org.
“[T]he right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person as this dignity is known through the revealed word of God and by reason itself. This right of the human person to religious freedom is to be recognized in the constitutional law whereby society is governed and thus it is to become a civil right.”
– Dignitatis Humanae, 2
This year, our own federal government, through the Department of Health and Human Services, mandated a new and narrow definition of “religious employer.” This unprecedented action could force the punishment or even closure of faith-based soup kitchens, schools and hospitals because these institutions would not fit under the federal government’s definition of “religious.” It is an ominous sign when the federal government issues the edict that Catholic Charities and other religious employers are not religious. The mandate is both illegal and unjust, and constitutes an unprecedented affront to religious liberty.1 As we did in the Fortnight for Freedom, we continue to ask the laity to pray and be active in opposing this mandate that we feel is a violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution as well as other federal laws.
As our fellow bishops have written: “Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans. Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith?…What is at stake is whether America will continue to have a free, creative, and robust civil society—or whether the state alone will determine who gets to contribute to the common good, and how they get to do it.”2
A law that prohibits Catholics from living the Gospel publicly is a law that prohibits Catholics from living the Gospel faithfully. And so we join our brother bishops in calling upon “all the energies the Catholic community can muster” to oppose this threat to religious liberty.
“Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports,” said George Washington in his Farewell Address. “In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens.”
It is important to remember that religious liberty is not a Catholic issue. It is not a Christian or Jewish or Muslim issue. It is an American issue. Fundamentally, it is a matter of social justice; for when religious liberty is endangered, the good of society itself is diminished.
As bishops, we seek to bring the light of the Gospel to our flocks, but the work of politics and deciding who will represent us in this representative democracy is up to committed and courageous lay Catholics. We urge you to be both engaged and articulate in insisting that as Catholics and as Americans that we do not have to choose between being either a Catholic or an American. There is an urgent need for the lay faithful, in cooperation with those of other faiths or none, to impress upon our elected representatives the vital importance of religious liberty for a free society.
On November 6, we have an opportunity—and an obligation—to do just that.
Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, patroness of this nation, may God bless us all and continue to bless the United States of America.
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1 For a list of other recent violations of religious liberty both here and abroad please read “Concerns Raised in ‘Our First, Most Cherished Freedom’” which can be seen at www.ilcatholic.org.
2 “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty,” http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/our-first-most-cherished-liberty.cfm
The poster I received says that folks are gathering again this Saturday at the Woodstock Courthouse to support religious freedom. It is focused on Obamacare’s mandate to provide services found unacceptable by the Catholic Church.
The print on the poster is small, so click on the image to enlarge it.
Here’s this weekend’s homework for Crystal Lake Catholics who attend St. Thomas Catholic Church on Route 176.
“Vote Pro-Life,” says the sign on Route 176 before crosses representing aborted babies since Roe v. Wade.
By Msgr. Eric Barr, Vicar General & Chancellor, Diocese of Rockford
Step with me into the area of controversy and consider the provocative question of whether President Barak Obarna is an opponent of Catholicism and its values. As our government bent upwards and sideways last week to appease the darkness that is radical Islanr, apologizing and even going wobbly on the issue of free speech, I thought a bit about how the president and his govemrnent is treating Catholics and their views.
For your consideration:
Not only is the president a fierce proponent of abortion on demand, he is also for something that should horrify not only Catholics but all people of good will. Not once, not twice, but three times as an Illinois senator, Obama opposed the “Bom Alive Infant’s Protection Act,” which stated that babies born after abortions are persons and must be given care.
His opposition was a patent endorsement of infanticide – the murder of children. There has never been an abortion restriction that he has endorsed. He is not simply pro-choice; rather, he is an activist in the strongest sense, diametrically opposed to the most obvious moral stance taken by Catholicism.
During a White House meeting between the cardinal and the president Obama promised the cardinal that he would protect churches and religions and the consciences of those in Obamacare, not forcing them to go against their beliefs in any way.
The HHS mandate forcing Catholics and others to pay for birth control abortifacients, and sterilization in their employees’ healthcare plans showed his prornise to be false and the “compromise” he suggested simply doubled down on his belief that the Constitution provides only for freedom of worship (inside church buildings) and not freedom of religion (a broader concept that allows people of faith to act publicly).
Just this past Monday, the president made a video on religious liberty. The HilI reports that Obama, “made a campaign pitch to ‘people of faith’ in which he reaffirmed his ‘commitment’ to this value saying ‘The American people should know this: In a changing world, my commitment to protecting religious liberty is and always will be unwavering-’” He goes on talking about protecting people’s consciences – something he has no intention of ever doing. Meanwhile, Obamacare marches on; steamrolling Catholic morality and the First Amendment under its weight. How can that be tolerated by citizens?
These statements and attitudes by the president become even more breathtaking when weighed with the passion and determination the administration has shown trying to soothe outraged Muslims who are not even citizens of our country.
The rioting mobs around the world are kowtowed to and the precious sensibilities of their belie{s are put on the front burner even as they kill and harm others. Nothing jusfifies this peculiar and unreal stance of the president.
But these are the times we live in, when truth is sacrificed for expediency and a hostile stance – we could even call it a hatred – toward religion and Catholicism in particular grows in our country. Ifs persecution without rack and pyre, but perhaps those are coming too, if men and women of integrity, regardless of faith do not stand up for religious liberty.
September 21 , 2012, Observer Newspaper
The third message from the Catholic Bishops of Illinois about the fall election:
This is the third of four bulletin inserts to offer guidance and reflection points from Illinois’ Catholic Bishops in preparation for the elections of November 6, 2012. The first insert was an introduction to this effort. The second insert discussed the expectations of a well-formed conscience. (Go to www.ilcatholic.org for a copy of the first and second insert.)
“Christ…fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear.”
–Gaudium et Spes, 22
As followers of Jesus Christ, we understand the human person in light of the mystery of the Incarnation. HUMAN DIGNITY flows both from our origin (being created in the image and likeness of God) and from our ultimate destiny, which is communion with God. Legitimate concern for the material well-being of all must never eclipse our concern for their spiritual and moral well-being. [Matthew 10:28]
The preciousness of every human being demands our concern for well-being of all, beginning with those closest to us for whom we bear the greatest responsibility, and with a special concern for the weakest and most vulnerable among us and for future generations.
The moral imperative to respond to the fundamental needs of our neighbors—needs such as food, shelter, basic health care, education, and meaningful work—is universally binding on our conscience, but may be legitimately fulfilled by a variety of means. These responsibilities cannot be simply delegated to the State.1
As the Catechism reminds us, “It is not the role of the Pastors of the Church to intervene directly in the political structuring and organization of social life. This task is part of the vocation of the lay faithful, acting on their own initiative with their fellow citizens.”2 Relying on well-formed consciences, Catholics citizens must use prudence in responding to these needs and serving the COMMON GOOD.
While there may be many legitimate ways to address the needs of our neighbors, there are some actions which are always and everywhere immoral. As Catholics, we must recognize that not all issues carry the same moral weight. The continuing slaughter of innocent children through legal abortion—to take the most appalling example of such “intrinsic evil”—is a grave offense against God and our own human dignity, and cries out for justice. Accordingly, “the moral obligation to oppose intrinsically evil acts has a special claim on our consciences and our actions.”3
Those who knowingly, willingly and directly support public policies or legislation that protect and perpetuate such injustice cooperate with that grave evil. Candidates who promise to support the common good, while at the same time glossing over their support for intrinsic evils such as abortion, perpetrate a lie. Catholic candidates who do so are also a cause of scandal among the faithful.
Finally, two other issues of particular importance in this election year demand our attention. The first is marriage: the permanent, faithful relationship of a man and a woman as husband and wife is the root of a family and the foundation for all of society. The decline of marriage in our culture has already inflicted untold spiritual and material costs upon society and individuals alike. Attempts to redefine marriage are contrary to the natural and moral law and only serve to further erode this fundamental institution. The defense of marriage is a matter of social justice. The second issue—which is of such pressing importance that the final insert, beginning on October 28th, will address it specifically—is religious freedom. Additional information can be found on the Catholic Conference of Illinois website, www.ilcatholic.org or at www.faithfulcitizenship.org.
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1 Caritas in Veritate, 38
2 CCC, 2442
3 Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 37
Here is the message about the fall election for this weekend:
This is the second of four bulletin inserts to offer guidance and reflection points from Illinois’ Catholic Bishops in preparation for the elections of November 6, 2012. (The first insert was an introduction to this effort.)
A conscience formed by our Catholic faith is needed to bring our moral principles to the debate about issues and candidates. We feel compelled, here at the beginning, to clarify the definition of conscience, because some cite their conscience as a justification for immoral public policy positions or support for a candidate whose positions conflict with the common good.
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” [John 14:1-7]
“How can we know the way?” This is a question Christians have been asking since the beginning, and one that we must continue to ask today. Like St. Thomas, we know that we cannot find the truth by turning in upon ourselves. Rather we look to Christ and to His Church—for the Church is one with Christ.
To help us know the way, God has placed in each of us a CONSCIENCE, which “bears witness to the truth in reference to the Supreme Good.”1 In the words of the Second Vatican Council, “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey.”2 Conscience does not make us morally self-sufficient, but points us toward the truth for which we were made and which alone can make us free. [John 8:32]
Thus, while one must never knowingly act against the clear judgment of his or her own conscience, it is also true that a conscience can only act as a reliable moral guide when it is well-formed. With a spirit of humility and love we reaffirm the words of our brother bishops, reminding all the faithful that it is the “moral responsibility of each Catholic to hear, receive, and act upon the Church’s teaching in the lifelong task of forming his or her own conscience.”3
A well-formed conscience requires, first of all, a genuine desire to embrace goodness and truth and to avoid evil. For Catholics this begins with a willingness and openness to seek the truth revealed to us in Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
Because sin and neglect can distort the judgment of our conscience, prayerful discernment—aided by the wisdom of the Church and the grace of the sacraments, especially reconciliation and the Eucharist—is necessary for a well-formed conscience. Catholics must understand that if they fail to form their consciences they can make erroneous moral judgments.
Conscience is more than a feeling or intuition; it is a judgment of reason whereby a person recognizes the moral quality of a specific, concrete act.4 Moral decision making requires the clearest possible understanding of the specific act being judged. In short, a well-formed conscience will be a well-informed conscience.
It is to that end that we offer these words of guidance, and to which we implore you to make every effort to learn the teachings of the Church and to form your conscience well.
In the next insert beginning on October 14th, we will discuss how a well-formed conscience and prudential judgment guide the decisions we make as citizens and voters. Additional information can be found on the Catholic Conference of Illinois website, www.ilcatholic.org, or in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) publication, Faithful Citizenship (www.faithfulcitizenship.org).
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1 CCC, 1777.
2 Gaudium et Spes, 16
3 Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 5
4 CCC, 1778
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