The Family

"Son, why have you done this to us? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety." In these words of Mary we see that all three of the essential components of a family are mentioned: father, mother and child. This year we cannot talk about the family without touching on the problem that in the present moment is most disturbing society and causing the Church concern: the discussion in Parliament about the recognition of cohabiting couples.

The state cannot be prevented from responding to new situations present in society, from recognizing some civil rights of persons, even of the same sex, who have decided to live together. That which is essential for the Church -- and which must be essential for all those interested in the future good of society -- is that this is not translated into a weakening of the institution of the family, which is already so threatened by modern society.

We know that the best way to weaken a reality or a word is to thin it out, to make it banal, making it embrace different and even contradictory things. This happens if homosexual couples are put on the same footing with a marriage between a man and a woman. The meaning itself of the word "matrimony" -- from the Latin for maternal office -- reveals the insensitivity of such a project.

Above all, I must say that I just do not see the reason for making these two things equal, given that there are other ways of safeguarding the rights in question. I do not understand the suggestion that there has been an offense to the dignity of homosexual persons whom all today feel the need to respect and love. I know personally the rectitude and suffering of some of these persons.

What we are saying applies even more to the problem of homosexual couples adopting children. Adoption by homosexual couples is unacceptable because it is an adoption exclusively for the benefit of the couple and not the child, who could just as well be adopted by a normal couple, that is, by a father and mother. There are many who have been waiting for years.

Homosexual women have a maternal instinct and they want to satisfy it by adopting a child; homosexual men experience the need to see a young life grow beside them and want to satisfy this need by adopting a child. But what attention is given to the needs and sentiments of the child in this case? Rather than having a father and mother, the child will find himself having two mothers or two fathers with all the psychological problems and problems of identity that this brings with it in and outside the home. At school, what effect will this situation, which makes the child different from his companions, have on the child?
Adoption is disturbed in its deeper significance: It is no longer a giving of something but a looking for something. True love, Paul says, "does not seek its own interests." It is true that even in normal adoptions the parents sometimes seek their own good. They want to have someone with whom they can share their reciprocal love, someone who can benefit from all their labors. But in this case the good of those who adopt coincides with that of the adoptees, it is not opposed to it. Objectively speaking, we are not pursuing the child's good but his harm if we allow him to be adopted by a homosexual couple when it would have been possible for him to be adopted by a normal couple.
The Gospel passage of the feast ends with a small portrait of family life that gives us insight into the whole life of Jesus from 12 to 30 years: "He went with them and returned to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace before God and men." May the Virgin obtain for all the children of the world the gift to be able to grow up in grace surrounded by the affection of a father and a mother.

ROME, DEC. 25, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Translation of a commentary by the Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, on the liturgical readings for next Sunday, the feast of the Holy Family.

God and sinners reconciled

Merry Christmas, Jesus' birthday, where Christians celebrate the incarnation of God as man which occured in history about 2006 years and 9 months ago today. The creator of the universe, who was almighty strength - became weakness. The perfect, sinless one - became Sin. For us. Please remember that every hipocrite, every sinning Christian, can't detract from the perfectness of God, they can only make one have problems of faith. They are a scandal - a stumbling block. Also remember, God is forgiveness, so that the only unforgivable sin is to not ask for forgiveness.

Remember the kid in the manger...seek Him.

Fall girl fact #1

One fact* that I maintained from the beginning was confirmed in today's Telegram story; Sarah Loy was not 'in the crowd' but in front of the rally crowd. I think this shows that she was blocking the view of the speakers by our people with her sign. Richard Nangle's article reflects this, he initially reported that Cirignano “ran into the crowd” to get to Ms. Loy.
(T&G 12/17/06 page A1)
Today Mr. Nangle wrote “Mr. Cirignano pursued her from the front of the crowd...to the back.”
(T&G 12/25/06 page A3).

* Fall girl, http://dtf-jayg.blogspot.com/2006/12/fall-girl.html 12/17/2006 8AM “Ms. Loy, who was standing in front of our 'Let the People Vote' crowd...”

Pusher man vs. pushy dame

The Telegram reports today that Larry Cirignano is being charged with misdemeanor assault, and a judge magistrate will hear testimony to determine if this goes to trial.

Bluemassgroup reports that Richard Nangle witnessed the whole incident, and calls it an assault and battery in an email.

I don't know Mr. Nangle, and have not disagreed or had issue with his reporting prior to this story, and I will add that even Laurie Latorneau has said he's stand-up, a fair guy. But from where I was standing, Larry Cirignano was guilty of rushing towards Sarah Loy, but I did not even see him touch her [though in the Globe Larry says his hand was on her back], and he could not have pushed her because she was out of his reach when she went down, and she went down at an angle inconsistent with Cirignano's direction and momentum. When Ms. Loy immediately assumed the fetal position, it reminded me of protester training. I did not see a push, and what I saw does not fit a push.

One other note, the telegram article uses the words 'anti-gay' or 'anti-gay marriage' five times to describe a protest of Legislators failing to uphold their oath of office.

Push update

I sent an email to Richard Nangle of the Worcester Telegram last night concerning his article about the "Let the People Vote" rally at Worcester City Hall 'turning ugly' as his headline put it. No reply yet.

A quote from Nangle's article said, "Mr. Cirignano then pushed her to the ground, her head slamming against the concrete" but in today's Boston Globe Sarah Loy is quoted as saying "she was not injured during the fall". That would appear to contradict Mr. Nangle's story.

In the Boston Globe story Loy also asserted that Mr. Cirignano put both hands on her shoulders and pushed her, but she did not indicate if she was facing him or moving away from him with her back to him. As I stated before, I did not see Mr. Cirignano touch Ms. Loy and I never saw Mr. Cirignano's hands at shoulder height. There were many witnesses to this incident, unfortunately Mr. Nangle only interviewed the woman who staged it.

Fall guy

Worcester Telegram reporter Richard Nangle wrote a completely one-sided and distorted article on the Traditional Marriage Rally held on the steps of Worcester City Hall on Saturday, December 16. Nangle wrote that Larry Cirgnano of Catholic Citizenship is guilty of assault and battery when the incident was actually staged.

I saw Larry Cirgnano approach anti-traditional marriage protester Sarah Loy at the "Let the people vote" rally. I was about 15 feet to Ms. Loy's right, up a couple of steps with a clear view, and Larry had to move right in front of my field of vision as I was looking at the Speaker, Chris Mineau.

Ms. Loy, who was standing in front of our 'Let the People Vote' crowd, was holding a pro same-sex marriage sign, and was as close to the podium as about anyone was, even though she clearly was not in our group. I saw Larry move quickly towards her, but I did not see Larry touch her. I saw her turn and run away quickly as Larry approached. When she was about 4-5 feet away from Larry, she took a dive to her right, at about a 75 degree angle from the direction and momentum both she and Larry were moving in. She went immediately into a fetal position.

Larry could not have pushed her to the ground because she was not in arms reach when she started to go down, and if as she contends Larry did push her, she would have gone forward, not to her right at almost a right angle. Larry's momentum and direction would have made her go forward in a straight line, not change her direction. The only fact that Mr. Nangle got correct, buried on page A18 of the Telegram story, was that Larry Cirgignano was not arrested even after the police investigated, because he did not push Ms. Loy to the ground, she staged it.

I encourage others in the Diocese to do what my family is doing, canceling our subscription to the Worcester Telegram.
Jay G.

Fall girl

For the record, I saw Larry Cirgano approach Ms. Loy at the "Let the people vote" rally in front of Worcester City Hall yesterday. I was about 15 feet to Ms. Loy's right, up a couple of steps with a clear view, and Larry had to move right in front of my field of vision as I was looking at the Speaker. So I saw the whole thing.

Ms. Loy, who was standing in front of our 'Let the People Vote' crowd, and was as close to the podium as about anyone was. I did not see Larry touch her, I saw her turn and run away quickly. When she was about 4-5 feet away from Larry, she took a dive to her right, at about a 75 degree angle from the direction and momentum both she and Larry were moving in. She went immediately into a fetal position.

She's wrong on two counts, Larry could not have pushed her to the ground because she was not in arms reach when she started to go down, and if Larry could have pushed her, she would have gone forward, not to the right at almost a right angle. Larry's momentum and direction would have made her go forward in a straigh line, not change her direction.

Worcester Marriage Rally

The Rally went very well. All of our speakers sounded great, and we outnumbered the same-sex union group by at least 200 for us, and maybe 50-60 for them. They tried to drown us out, but failed as our sound system was really strong. They tried to stand in the middle of us, but were removed by the cops. Once a young woman stood right in the middle of the front of our crowd, holding a gay sign, which she could not do as we have the permit. Larry Cirgano from MA Catholic Citizen went right over to her and escorted her back through the crown - she started moving fast, stepped on another girls foot, then took a dive like you'd see in Big time wrestling, went down into the fetal position, waited for her buddies to come over, then got up crying, trying to blame Larry for assaulting her. It was unbelievable! But the cops investigated, and did not arrest Larry, and made the girl get back behind our crowd.
Chris Mineau, head of VoteonMarriage.org, is a war vet, fighter pilot who served in Vietnam and the first Gulf war. He lost some very good friends, and once had to eject at supersonic speed - and needed six years to heal from the injuries. He made an impact when he said that he knew the cost of freedom. That was the focus of our message, that in this country, we have a constitution, and our freedom was paid for in blood, and to paraphrase Ray Flynn, that for our legislators to forsake their oath of office, and ignore their sworn constitutional duties, is not only wrong, but is dangerous. And even if those on the other side disagree with our position on same-sex unions, if the Legislature can ignore the Constition and thumb their noses at us, they can do it to them too.

Worcester City Hall Rally

RALLY FOR DEMOCRACY IN WORCESTER SUPPORTS VOTE ON CITIZEN INITIATIVEAMENDMENTS BEFORE THE STATE LEGISLATURE

WHEN: Saturday, December 16, 2006, 1:30pm
WHERE: Worcester City Hall

Worcester, MA -- Concerned citizens will gather in Worcester on Saturday to
rally for democracy in an effort to push Beacon Hill legislators to vote on
two citizen initiative amendments before them: the Marriage Amendment and
the Healthcare Amendment.
Organized by local activists and civic-minded citizens who support the
marriage amendment, the rally begins at 1:30pm at Worcester City Hall.
Speakers at the rally include RAY FLYNN, former Boston Mayor and Ambassador
to the Vatican; KRIS MINEAU, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute
and spokesman for VoteOnMarriage.org, the organization sponsoring the
marriage amendment; and CHIP FAULKNER, Associate Director of Citizens for
Limited Taxation, the group behind Proposition 2 1/2. Other speakers include
citizens who volunteered to gather signatures for the marriage petition and
local clergy.
"One hundred and nine Massachusetts legislators are shamelessly avoiding the
will of their constituents by playing politics with the marriage amendment
vote," said Shari Worthington, Catholic Citizenship's Public Policy
Coordinator for Worcester. "Article 48 of the Massachusetts Constitution
clearly states that the legislators shall vote on all amendments legally put
forth by the people. This is America where the will of the people trumps the
will of the politicians. This rally underscore the outrage and disconnect
that citizens feel against those 109 legislators, and is an effort to force
them to follow their constitution."

Bought and Paid for

The gay web site, baywindows.com had an editiorial that claimed gays had donated over $1,000,000 to Massachusetts Legislators running for election, had volunteered numerous hours, and had basically got many members of the Massachusetts House and Senate elected. The editorial then asked of the Marriage Petition, that the Legislators, "make it go away."

Democracy bought and paid for!

So 109 members of the Legislature voted to recess the Constitutional Convention on Nov. 9. This is a move to kill the Initiative Petition process, and to undermine the State constitution. Fight the corrupt moneyed influence peddlers, come to the Vote on Marriage Rally at Worcester City Hall, 1:30PM Saturday December 16, and tell those 109 Legislators to get out of the pocket of moneyed same-sex marriage lobbyists, and "Let the People Vote!"

VOM Federal Lawsuit

This morning at 9:30 AM, the Alliance Defense Fund filed a federal lawsuit regarding the Massachusetts Legislature's failure to vote on the Marriage Amendment in Worcester District Federal Court. The defendants are the 109 legislators who voted to recess the Constitutional Convention on November 9. The plaintiffs are 7 petition signers from Worcester County and 4 other petition signers. The Massachusetts Constitution provides for a right for citizens to amend the Constitution by way of initiative. When a citizen initiative meets the procedural requirements in Article 48 of the Constitution, the Legislature is REQUIRED by the Constitution to vote on whether to approve it (50 out of 200 votes are required for approval). By refusing to vote, the 109 legislators who voted to recess on November 9 violated their constitutional duty.

The complaint includes four specific "complaints" or causes of action:

1. The refusal to vote interferes with the citizens' right to engage in speech in support of the amendment because without a vote, it will never be placed on the ballot and never receive public debate about its merits.

2. The refusal to vote interferes with the right to petition the government (the citizens have petitioned the government, but the government has refused to accept the petition).

3. The refusal to vote has interfered with the plaintiffs' right to vote on the amendment in 2008, which would happen if the legislature voted.

4. The refusal to vote violates the federal guarantee of due process. The Massachusetts Constitution establishes the process necessary for placing an initiative on the ballot, and the legislators have refused to follow the process. This claim basically includes all of the others.

The prayer for relief on pages 17 and 18 describes what the suit is asking the court to do.
1. The suit asks the court to force the legislators to refund to VoteonMarriage.org the money expended on the campaign, plus punitive damages.

2. The suit asks the court to rule that the votes to recess on November 9 are to be counted as votes in favor of the amendment.

3. The suit asks the court to force the legislators to pay attorney fees.

Vote on Marriage Worcester

The will be a Vote on Marriage Rally on the Steps of Worcester City Hall this Saturday, December 16 at 1:30PM. This is the last rally before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court hears arguments against the Legislature's inaction on the 170,000 signature Citizen Petition to amend the State Constitution to clearly uphold the traditional definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. The Legislature may, or may not, hold a vote to allow the Citizen's petition to continue on January 2, the last day of the 2006 General Session. This is another battle in the Culture War, so no matter the outcome in Massachusetts, it is very important for us to press for our rights.

Advent

Genesis 3:15

I will put enmities between thee and the woman,
and thy seed and her seed:
he shall cursh thy head,
and thou shalt lie in wait for his heel.

Call to Excommunication

Dec. 7, 2006 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican has confirmed an American bishop’s decision to excommunicate members of the dissident group Call to Action.

Call to Action is “causing damage to the Church of Christ,” wrote Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, in a letter to Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska.

...The Vatican has determined that “the activities of ‘Call to Action’ in the course of these years are in contrast with the Catholic Faith due to views and positions held which are unacceptable from a doctrinal and disciplinary standpoint,” Cardinal Re writes. He concludes: “Thus to be a member of this Association or to support it, is irreconcilable with a coherent living of the Catholic Faith.”

The excommunication that Bishop Bruskewitz announced covered not only to Call to Action, but also to members of Catholics for a Free Choice, Planned Parenthood, the Hemlock Society, the Freemasons, and the Society of St. Pius X.

The excommunication order applies only within the Lincoln, Nebraska diocese. But the Vatican’s judgment against Call to Action raises clear questions about the status of the group’s members in other dioceses.

Abortion Foes Look To the Big Screen

By Robert D. Novak
Thursday, November 30, 2006; A23

An invited audience...gathered at National Geographic Society's auditorium Monday night for ascreening of "Bella," an independently produced feature film. No mere movie, it offers hope for the beleaguered antiabortion movement to reverse the political tide running against it.

...Monday night's audience reflected the reaction [of nationwide] showings: an emotional experience for a stunning exhibition of cinema art that unexpectedly won a Toronto International Film Festival award. It is no propaganda film but a dramatic depiction of choices facing an unmarried pregnant woman.
..."Bella" arrives in an environment that has grown bleak for enemies of abortion. The Democratic Party has become so much the party of abortion rights that, of 41 freshmen Democrats elected to the House, only three are antiabortion.
Thus, the antiabortion movement sees "Bella" as providential. It is entertainment, not propaganda. Although Monday's screening was sponsored by the National Council for Adoption, the word "adoption" is uttered only once in the film. There are no tirades against abortion. Indeed, it acknowledges a woman's pain of carrying a baby to term only to give it up for adoption. In the end, however, the film is a heart-wrenching affirmation of life over death.
...If the crucifixion in "The Passion" was hard for non-Christians and some Christians to take, "Bella" on one level is a drama without religious overtones. But while the audience at Monday's screening was moved to tears, reaction from a commercial theater audience -- including women who have chosen an abortion -- could be different. The pro-life movement hopes, in the absence of effort by supposedly pro-life politicians, that it will point to a different way to deal with an unwanted pregnancy.

© 2006 Creators Syndicate Inc.