Mark Shea's mother-in-law passed away today. Please pray for the repose of her soul, and for all the family. Rest in peace, Patricia Humiston.

Somehow I managed to miss that astronaut Gordon Cooper died on October 4. Mom always said I was named after him. Rest in peace, Mr. Cooper.

Tonight is the long-awaited dedication of the Large Binocular Telescope.

A great interview with Archbishop Chaput of Denver. Apparently the NYT did a hatchet job on the interview so they've posted the whole transcript. Way to go! Denver folks are very blessed to have such a strong bishop. A quote:

A lot of Catholic Democrats, whether they are clergy or laity, have used the “seamless garment” as an excuse to sideline the abortion issue, making it one among many others. And, we can’t do that.

Thanks to Catholic Light for the link.

Hives. I seem to have developed a small case of hives. Of course it took me a while to figure out what it was. It seems to have arrived sometime Monday or Tuesday. It was quite painful Wednesday but it seems to be better now. In the meantime, though, I also seem to have succumbed to some flu-type bug, so I stayed home today and slept most of the day. I still feel like a truck hit me, but I'll be okay.

Check out Francis Cardinal George on Catholic politicians and abortion.

Thanks to Mark Shea for the link.

Check out the Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine on the Year of the Eucharist.

Thanks to Catholic Light for the link.

Another person stands up for his conscience --Pharmacist says he feared 'spiritual pain'. Of course the "pro-choice" people won't support *this* choice...

Happy Columbus Day!

These days, Columbus gets a bad rap. People apply today's standards to behavior then and lay all kinds of things at his feet. In my book, Columbus was a hero. Of course since I am a member of the Knights of Columbus you'd probably expect that! See how the Knights celebrated today.

I got to watch the presidential debate tonight. I was pleased to see Bush being so strong and unequivocal on the pro-life issue. It's embarrassing that Kerry can claim to be Catholic, on the one hand, and then be so uncommitted to the moral teachings of the Church. I can only assume he's some kind of relativist. I also thought Bush's closing remarks were encouraging, optimistic and hopeful, something the nation needs right now.

The CNN fact check is pretty interesting. All in all Bush seems to come out better on that part.

More news on the Diocese of Tucson bankruptcy -- Deadline set for diocese abuse claims. The deadline for filing claims for compensation is April 15, 2005.

I just finished re-reading the W.H.D. Rouse translation of Homer's Odyssey. Wow. It's a great book. I last read it in high school, so that was "a while back." For some reason it seemed like a longer book at the time (I guess grad school changed my perspective :-)), and I'd forgotten how much of the book is written as a flashback. Good stuff.

There's been a lot written lately around St. Blog's about Archbishop Burke's pastoral letter on voting. Read it for yourself!

On this day in 1898, a group of music students at the New England Conservatory of Music met to discuss how they might band together for mutual support and encouragement as men and musicians, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity was born.

I have been a Sinfonian since 1983, and I can truly say that associating with this group of men that I'm privileged to call "brothers" has been one of the best things that ever happened to me.

The Object of this Fraternity shall be for the development of the best and
truest fraternal spirit; the mutual welfare and brotherhood of musical students;
the advancement of music in America and a loyalty to the Alma Mater.

So let it be for Sinfonia!

Victor Lams usually writes fun (and funny) music... but now he's written a piece about Michael Schiavo - he is Not A Great Man. Check it out, and then say a prayer for Terri Schiavo and her family.

This is very disturbing -- Catholic charity loses birth control appeal. The Supreme Court refused to hear a case involving Catholic Charities of Sacramento; the California Supreme Court upheld a law requiring CC to provide contraceptives as part of its health plan to employees. It's not clear what will happen now -- presumably CC's choices are to drop its prescription coverage, sell out (hopefully that is not really an option), or go out of business. Cases like this show once again that coercion by the left is often as bad or worse than coercion from the right.

Thanks to Catholic Light for the link.

In an often depressing world, it's nice to have some good news once in a while. How about this -- SpaceShipOne opens final frontier. Yep, the plucky folks at SpaceShipOne have won the X Prize by getting their craft into space twice in five days. Good work!

I didn't get to see the debates Thursday night, since I was teaching our RCIA class at the time. I'm still plowing my way through the transcripts -- they are very illuminating.

I just discovered my friend Rae's blog -- Confessions of a Pauline Cooperator. I've known Rae for *ahem* quite a long time... Anyway, check it out. She's a thoughtful person with a lot to say.

Wow! A really cool LifeSite Special Report - Denying Holy Communion - A Case History. This is by Bishop Rene Gracida, the Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, TX. It's a very illuminating report on how the bishop placed a pro-abortion politician under interdict. Would that all bishops had that much concern for their flock!

Thanks to Catholic Light for the link.

Greg Hansen has some good thoughts on the state of Wildcat football -- What a difference a year makes.

Fr. Rob Johansen reminds himself and us to throw off our complacency about abortion. Check it out.

Lest I forget, yesterday's Wildcat football game was an exciting game to watch -- unfortunately, the Star reports that Victory in hand slips out of grasp.

Arrgh! We should have won, but once again we grasped defeat from the jaws of victory. Oh well. Greg Hansen's column is, as usual, enlightening.

Another response to "Harold". My original post is in italics, plain type is Harold, and both my original post and Harold's comment are indented. Hopefully that's clear.

Bishop Moreno has said he made mistakes, and I think that's true.

Coming from you, that's some admission.

That's an amazingly offensive thing to say. No wonder you don't post your full name, an email or a webpage. Figures.

People seem to fall into two catagories:

1. "We have to trust in God, and I think God will pull us through any crisis like this, said parishioner Richard Hook.

and

2. Father Geral Boyer--he was our priest--held a weekday mass. He asked me to stay after and talk. He proceeded to undress me and to just rape me. He held my face down, and then (see the link if you care to read the rest...)

Perhaps one problem here is that people are using euphemisms like "abuse" as opposed to rape.

You don't think it's more than a little simplistic to lump everyone together? We're either one of the victims or we have some hope of getting through this? I don't know what point you are trying to make here. As for abuse being a euphemism, it's not. Abuse is a more inclusive term that includes rape, but also includes a number of other things that happened in many of these cases that, strictly speaking, isn't rape. For example, the behavior of some priests who got kids drunk. That's not rape (it often led to it), but it is abuse.

With regard to the perverted criminals and the administrators who enabled them, my friends who attend S.S. Peter and Paul have the attitude, "They're only human."

What's more astonishing is that the kid who experienced Fr. Boyer's "talk" was issued a gag order by his own parents, but then again, that seems to be the prevalent attitude forty years later.

I'm confused. You have friends who go to SSPP? What parish do you attend? And who claims that the abusers were "only human". I don't see anyone claiming that, as if it excuses their actions.

At the conclusion of Manly's deposition, Moreno once again exhibited repentance.

"As you sit here today," Manly asked Moreno, "is there anything with ... any of the other cases that you would do differently, if you could turn back the clock?"

Moreno stumbled a bit, then said, "Well, I wish we could have avoided them as much as possible. I wish they had been the holy priests they're supposed to be. Perhaps I could have been more strict in that. I don't know."

Moreno is not, was not a well man before these depositions. Obviously he feels he could have, should have done things differently. So are you criticizing him for feeling that way? I don't understand you other than that you are angry and lashing out.

What's odd is that we seem to be willing to give a pass to rapists when the offenders are associated with our spiritual and moral authority, but when it's some pervert off the street, it's time to throw the book at them.

Maybe you are giving a pass to rapists, but I am not. They should be in jail. All of them. Oddly enough, though, when these things happen in other groups (teachers, for example) no one gets so excited, and the lawsuits don't flow. Why is that? Are others giving a pass to rapists among teachers, or Protestant ministers? For that matter, statistics show that most abuse comes from fathers. Are we giving them a pass?

Do you think paying money to the victims and their lawyers will save their souls?

No but settlements can buy counseling that the Diocese has shown to be incompetent in adminstering. Furthermore, given the years of denial and arrogance which met claimants, for the church to lose their money seems to be the only consequence which gets some attention.

It is my understanding that the Church has offered counseling to victims. Are you disputing this, or do you just dislike or disagree with the way it's being done? Anyway, your crack about "the church [sic] to lose their money" is absurd, because that money isn't the Church's, it's mine and my fellow Catholics that we gave for any number of reasons which don't include lining the pockets of lawyers or allowing people seeking vengeance to feel vindicated. Vengeance doesn't solve anything, but you seem to be too bitter to see that.

Talk about unexpected sources -- columnist Melinda Henneberger on MSNBC explains the problem with the Kerry campaign -- It's About Abortion, Stupid.

Thanks to Catholic Light for the link.

Fr. Rob Johansen has a statement from Terri Schiavo's parents about the recent court ruling. Please pray for Terri and her family!

I promised to reply to a comment from Tuesday. The comment is in italics, my comments are not.

Thanks for the reply, "Gordon". In several statements made such as, "...we came close to bankruptcy then too.", do you purport some formal capacity with the Diocese, other than just being a parishioner?

I had put "Harold" in quotes because you did not put an email or website, so I have no way of knowing if "Harold" is your real name or a pseudonym. It was not meant to be derogatory. Since I really am Gordon Zaft, you don't need to put quotes around my name.

To answer your question, I have no formal capacity with the diocese. I am a parishioner, I volunteer in several capacities, and I am a graduate of the Living Stones lay ministry formation program. Beyond that, as it happens, I happen to know the former chancellor, the moderator of the curia, the rector of the cathedral, and a vicar general. Not because I'm special, but because they all are or were assigned to my parish (Ss. Peter and Paul). Of course, these opinions are mine and not theirs, and I don't speak for them in any way.

Don't be too hard on the lawyers. They are also lining their pockets to help mitigate liability of the Diocese. This bankruptcy move is only one strategy. Additionally, it wouldn't be surprising to learn the recent formation of the DIOCESE OF TUCSON CHARITY & MINISTRY FUND has a mitigating effect.

I don't know whether you are a Tucsonan or not. The "Charity and Ministry Fund" is the corporation that was formed last year to take over what had been called the Bishop's Appeal (now called the Annual Catholic Appeal). This was a good move, since if they had not separated the Appeal, undoubtedly many, many people would have chosen not to give a cent to it, which would have hurt a lot of people who depend on the services provided through the fund.

Kicanas JUNE 16, 2004 : "I do not believe that a declaration of Chapter 11 by the Diocese will lead to any adverse financial impact on our parishes and schools."

That is the hope, but the truth remains to be seen, doesn't it? No one can say for sure.

The Bishop said it himself. This is merely a bump in the road for Diocese finances.

I think that's trivializing something that is far from trivial. Besides the impact that this will have on the Diocese as a whole, it's going to have a very bad (IMHO) effect on the relations between parishes and the Diocese, and it's also going to affect how parishes relate to each other.

For fun, review the annual reports and other Corporate documents of the Diocese. (I did a word search on 'Diocese Tucson', no quotes)

I've looked at the Diocesan financial report before, thanks.

Pretty interesting to see the Catholic cemetaries 2003 net profit of $570,000. Yet, this income probably won't be touched as well as the $56 Million in real estate in Pima County alone, as reported on the KOLD TV website.

You may not be aware that the cemeteries were sold to the Archdiocese of LA in the late 80s/early 90s in order to cover part of the debt from the TV station, and were only repurchased in the last few years (2000?). Personally I would expect that the cemeteries will be sold, only this time not to someone as friendly as LA. As for KOLD's claims of $56 million in real estate, I never saw a list. I'm sure there is some vacant land that was bought to support new parishes, and that will undoubtedly be sold. I have no idea where or what the rest is, and I rather doubt that the Diocese as such really owns $56 million in real estate. The Diocese doesn't even own the bishop's residence any more, as far as I know -- it was sold along with Regina Cleri. If you have other facts about this I'd love to hear them.

I like the leadership Bishop Kicanas demonstrates. However, some feel Bishop Moreno and others let the abuse happen. This is because after incidences of abuse were exposed, the result was some Priests were transferred to other parishes. Recall that some abuse cases go back twenty years.

Yes, most of these cases are pretty old. The only exception to that that I am aware of is the Yuma case. I am also aware that Bishop Green, and probably Bishop Moreno transferred priests who had accusations against them. Bishop Moreno has said he made mistakes, and I think that's true. It's quite a step to say that he did so with an intent to cause harm. But yes, he screwed up.

With the teams of professional management staff, (review membership of the officers of the CATHOLIC FOUNDATION FOR THE DIOCESE OF TUCSON) there is no doubt that the Diocese will overcome its difficulties.

I suppose it will, eventually. It will really hurt our efforts as a church for decades to come, though.

However, what about the victims difficulties? And more importantly, what about their faith? There are souls at stake.

Do you think paying money to the victims and their lawyers will save their souls?

Incidentally, you might want to read the Bishop's remarks to the employees of the Diocese.

Addendum: Check out this editorial in the Arizona Daily Star.

A little late, I know, but I just posted the music for Mass from June 13th (Corpus Christi) and June 26th (Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul). I still have to post Assumption and last week's music.

The ruling is in -- Fla. Court Nixes Law Keeping Woman Alive. Apparently if the judicial branch wants you dead, dead you will be no matter what the exec and legislative branches want.

After Elf Girl posted a while back about wanting iTunes on her new laptop, whether it's an Apple or a Dell, I wound up downloading it myself. Man, this thing is dangerous. The ability to buy just one song that you want, immediately, without having to buy a whole album... wow, that's dangerous. It's like crack. I've bought probably 10 songs now. Right now I'm obsessively listening to Josh Groban's "Oceano". Good stuff.

Just to give you a sample of the weird taste I have, here's what I've bought:

• Josh Groban -- Oceano
• Good Charlotte -- Boys and Girls
• Bowling for Soup -- Punk Rock 101
• Daniel Bedingfield -- If You're Not The One
• Britney Spears -- Lucky (yes, I admit it)
• Chris Isaak -- Wicked Game
• BBMak -- Back Here
• Sixpence None the Richer -- There She Goes
• Maroon 5 -- She Will Be Loved
• Fountains of Wayne -- Stacy's Mom
• Liz Phair -- Why Can't I

If anyone has any hints on how I can get this stuff on my Samsung Yepp-55 MP3 player I'm all ears.

Here's an update with more info on the Diocese's bankruptcy proceedings -- Diocese set to split with its parishes.

I'll respond to yesterday's comment in a separate entry.

It's always good to go to primary sources -- here's the Transcript of Bush's U.N. address.

I ... urge all governments to affirm a basic ethical principle: No human life should ever be produced or destroyed for the benefit of another.

I just wish Kerry would do the same.

Here's local coverage of the Diocese's bankruptcy decision -- Diocese files bankruptcy. Also a related story on victims of abuse.

Diocese of Tucson declares bankruptcy. It's official, the Diocsee has filed for bankruptcy. The diocese set up a web page with Diocese of Tucson Chaper 11 information. Here's the letter from Bishop Kicanas.

Update: Here's an AP story on the bankruptcy.

Addendum: Commenter "Harold" asked what my thoughts are on the bankruptcy. Well, I'm not thrilled. The diocese has been in a very fragile position for the last 16-18 years due to a failed "experiment" in running a TV station; we came close to bankruptcy then too. We were able to sell off some assets and borrow money and get support from other dioceses, most notably the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (Thanks, Cdl. Mahony!). We had just gotten back on more-or-less a stable basis about 2000. The Diocese has about 350,000 Catholics spread over 43,000 square miles. It's never been "rich." Now with our current circumstances, I have to agree that bankruptcy seems like the only real option. I'm worried about what may happen to the parishes. I think Bishop Kicanas is right that it would not be right to settle the current cases for some exhorbitant amount and have nothing left to pay future cases which could be filed. With the changes in the statute of limitations that were made, there's no way to know how many cases might be out there.

It's not a good situation. I feel sorry for Bishop Kicanas, who inherited this mess. I feel sorry for Bishop Moreno, too; I think he genuinely did what he thought was right and best. I feel sorry for those who were abused. I do not feel the slightest bit of sympathy or good feeling for the lawyers who have pushed this to this point, though -- they have shown themselves, in my opinion, more interested in lining their own pockets than in justice, or truth, or healing.

Wisconsin 9, Arizona 7. I attended the UA - Wisconsin football game today. It was one of the most enjoyable games I've ever seen Arizona play.

The game started just after 1 p.m., with hot weather. As the game wore on it turned into a defensive battle, with Arizona's defense playing brilliantly and our offense struggling. With 6:13 left in the second quarter, the powers that be evidently decided they could no longer ignore the booming thunder and flashes of lightning approaching the stadium, so they suspended the game and asked everyone to take shelter. The rain came down in buckets! After almost an hour and a half, play resumed under a steady, driving rain, and the Wildcats scored a touchdown. Alas, that was to be our only score of the game.

Both teams had agreed to skip halftime and just keep playing. Early in the 4th quarter Wisconsin scored a touchdown but missed the extra point. Finally, a few series later they drove very close to the goal line but were unable to get a touchdown, and they scored a field goal. With just under 4 minutes left to play the Wildcats began a drive toward the Wisconsin goal, getting to the 25 yard line. A false start penalty drove them to the 30, and from there they attempted a 47 yard field goal as time expired. It was wide right and the game ended.

Of course, it was disappointing to sit through a game in the rain and see our team fight so hard but still lose. Nevertheless, I was really impressed with their play and their heart, and I think it bodes well for the season. I had to laugh at some of the Wisconsin fans, celebrating as if they'd won a great victory. The truth is we nearly won, and their team is not nearly as good as they thought. Our team fought like Wildcats! They made us proud.

Archbishop Myers hits the nail on the head in discussing pro-choice candidates and Catholic voters. He gets to the heart of what "proportionate reasons" really means.

A re-review of The Passion of the Christ -- The Passion of the Michael. It's interesting to see how someone who didn't "get it" now "gets it". I never understood how someone could not see (Gibson makes it so plain) how the Eucharist and Christ's sacrifice are related because -- duh! -- they are the very same sacrifice; but then I'm a Catholic and I knew that already. I suppose non-Catholics would wonder as Coren did why those intercuts were there.

Another example of how "pro-choice" advocates aren't really pro-choice -- 'Conscience clause' grows in health care. Planned Parenthood et al are such hypocrites to claim to support "choice", yet when a doctor or pharmacist exercises their choice to not perform or support abortion or contraception, suddenly they don't have a choice? How absurd!

Scientific difficulties for the Latter Day Saints -- LDS and DNA. Apparently DNA testing does not suport the Book of Mormon's claim that the ancestors of the American Indians came from the Middle East.

Thanks to Mark Shea for the link.

Yet another lawsuit.... Another lawsuit has been filed against the Diocese of Tucson. Bankruptcy here we come...

Here's the transcript of President Bush's remarks on the anniversary of September 11th.

For my September 11th remembrance, I played my recording of the Mozart Requiem that was made from the Rolling Requiem concert of September 11, 2002. I spent some time praying for the repose of the soul of John Badagliacca, and for his family. The passage of time has resulted in some healing, for there were no tears; just a dull ache.

I had the following letter published in today's Arizona Daily Star:

Sacraments' status remains the same

I was saddened to read about Audrey Dunham's problems receiving Holy Communion because of her celiac disease ("Tucsonan can't eat wafer in holy rite," Sept. 7). The saddest part, though, is that she wants the church to change what cannot be changed, rather than adapting herself. This is pride.

Dunham is quoted as saying she did not want to receive from a separate chalice because "I was just too shy. You walk up there and you feel singled out."

As a sufferer from celiac disease, surely she has felt "singled out" every single time she dines. Even if it were possible for her to receive a gluten-free host at Communion, would she not still feel "singled out" since she would be the only one doing so?

I hope Dunham avails herself of the opportunity to meet with Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas and pray that he may be able to help her understand why the church is not at liberty to change the sacraments.

Gordon Zaft

Tucson

A rather eye-opening article on W's military service: Before you fall for Dems' spin, here are the facts. I didn't realize this stuff.

Thanks to Catholic Light for the link.

Apparently Barbara Nicolosi inadvertently "outed" the (in?)famous Nihil Obstat -- Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!.

Audrey Dunham shows that New Jersey isn't the only place for people who don't understand the Eucharist -- they're in Tucson too. Check out the Star story -- Tucsonan can't eat wafer in holy rite.

We have a man in my parish who has this disease; he has a separate small chalice that is consecrated just for him. I think it's a wonderful example of the Church reaching out to people.

Fellow Sinfonian Sam Rabourn is going to bike around the US. Coming soon to a community near you!

The University of Arizona® Wildcats whupped NAU last night, 21-3, in the first game of the Mike Stoops era. It was a fun game in spite of some bad weather just before the game. Check out Hansen's column on why Wildcat fans should be encourage.

Grrr! I am still sick. It's been a week now. It's moved down to my chest but it's still hanging on, making me just miserable enough to be uncomfortable but not so miserable that I cancel all my other plans. Grr.

Here's the text of Fr. Rutler's homily from yesterday at an ecumenical service where President Bush and a bunch of high mucky-mucks were present. Fr. Rutler is an amazing speaker and writer.

I finally found the transcript of President Bush's speech last night. I didn't get to see it but it seems like a pretty good speech.

I was watching a bit of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last night, mostly because the luminous Julie Delpy was on to plug her new movie, Before Sunset. Of course, Ms. Delpy was beautiful and charming. Kimmel had not even seen the movie! What a twit. He was totally unprepared for Delpy and came off like stereotypical Dumb American. *sigh*

Last night we started our 2004-2005 RCIA program at my parish. We have 6 or 7 people in the class this year. We had a good discussion. The opening night is always just introductions and an overview of the process. Next week the meat of the class begins.

If you haven't yet, you should go check out the St. Blog's Parish Hall. It's a pretty cool forum for discussion.

I didn't get to see it, but John McCain's speech at the RNC was very stirring. He'd make a damn fine President himself.

Grrr! I've had some kind of cold/bug since Friday evening. Mostly a sore throat (geez, maybe it's strep?) and a very runny nose. Not enough to quite stay home for, but enough to make one miserable. Bleah!

Yea! My friend Tom has asked me to be godfather for his new arrival, daughter Aubrey! Aubrey was born July 14th. Aubrey is my second goddaughter and 5th (!) godchild. God is good!

Novena for Terri Schiavo. Please read Fr. Johansen's blog and offer up some special prayers in this matter. It's important.

My buddy Eric Ewanco has a nice writeup on the latest St. Blogs issue -- The Scandal of Deal Hudson In Context. Check it out.

When I was at the rink this afternoon, the DJ played John Mayer's song "Your Body Is A Wonderland." It made me think about our society's view of love, sex and the female body, and it occurred to me a better analogy might be "Your body is like Disneyland!" After all, it's expensive and there are long lines at all the good rides.

:-) ;-) Okay, I know it's "scandalous" but I thought it was very funny!

In yet another sad case of the sort that seems to come up every few years, another mother of a child with celiac disease displays her ignorance of Church teaching on the Eucharist -- Wheat sensitivity bars girl from communion.

I particularly love this:

"This is a church rule, not God's will, and it can easily be adjusted to meet the needs of the people, while staying true to the traditions of our faith," Pelly-Waldman wrote in the letter.

So this woman thinks the matter for the Eucharist is arbitrary and not divine will? And why for the love of Pete (as my grandmother would say) can't she just let her little girl receive the Precious Blood?

Catholic World News has a nice explanation and rebuttal.

A side note to the gay marriage debate -- in Massachusetts Judge upholds 1913 marriage law. This means that couples who come to MA hoping to be married can't be if the marriage would not be legal in their home state.

Okay, it looks like deleting some of the comments out of the template has fixed the immediate problem, now it's just that the Blogger navbar is taking over the header.

There's something strange going on with the blog, there is a template problem. I've reported it to Blogger but nothing so far. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

The Star has an update (not much new, really) as the Diocese nears threshold on bankruptcy.

Carlos Valencia was laid to rest yesterday. It's amazing the impact this 16-year-old had on our city. I attended the rosary Friday night; the cathedral was pretty full, about 800 people. Many, like me, never met Carlos but were inspired by his story, his faith, his courage. Rest in peace, Carlitos.

Lest we fail to notice, Lichtenstein has a new ruler!

It's starting to get real -- the Star reports as Parishes meet with lawyers. This was a meeting held yesterday so that there could be more feedback and discussion on what could/might happen with the parishes and their assets if the Diocese files for bankruptcy. There's also a mostly laudatory editorial about Bishop Kicanas.

Even in California, reason sometimes prevails -- S.F. same-sex marriages voided. It's encouraging that the court realizes how far Newsom overstepped his authority. Unfortunately I don't know if there is a way to punish him for what was, to me, criminal behavior.

Tucson continues to mourn Carlos Valencia. The Star has a nice editorial -- Carlos captured our hearts.

Tucson's favorite teenager has passed away -- Carlos loses leukemia battle. Carlos Valencia touched many lives and engaged an entire community in his struggle. Rest in peace, Carlos.

Happy Blogiversary!

Today is the 2nd anniversary of the founding of this here blog :-). It's been a wild ride (I got laid off 11 days after I started the blog), but all in all having a blog has been a lot of fun -- I recommend it. Check out my first post.

The Diocese of Tucson announced today that two priests who have had "credible" accusations of abuse against them have been laicized by the Vatican. Of course the news coverage says they have been "defrocked". I don't know why they insist on using that term -- I've never seen a priest wear a frock, have you?

This is really good news because it's been a long time coming.

Bad news. My niece Chelsea was in a car accident yesterday. Her car was totalled and she was taken to the hospital. Good news. Chelsea's airbag went off, which helped. She did go into the windshield though (it was a head on collision in the center turning lane) and received numerous cuts on her face (some of them quite deep) and broke her right wrist. It could have been much, much worse though, which is why this is good news.

Peter Kreeft is a national treasure. Read his explanation on why Human Personhood Begins at Conception.

More bishops taking a stand -- the bishops of Atlanta, Charleston and Charlotte have issued a joint statement: Worthy to Receive the Lamb: Catholics in Political Life and the Reception of Holy Communion. In it they say:

Because of the influence that Catholics in public life have on the conduct of our daily lives and on the formation of our nation's future, we declare that Catholics serving in public life espousing positions contrary to the teaching of the Church on the sanctity and inviolability of human life, especially those running for or elected to public office, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in any Catholic church within our jurisdictions: the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the Dioceses of Charleston and Charlotte. Only after reconciliation with the Church has occurred, with the knowledge and consent of the local bishop, and public disavowal of former support for procured abortion, will the individual be permitted to approach the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

God bless 'em! Thanks to Catholic Light for the link.

A very encouraging story -- A New Breed of Priest. This pretty much matches my own experience; most of the priests of the "JP2" generation -- for the most part they are orthodox, joyful, and well-balanced.

Now this is interesting! A Pennsylvania court has ruled that sperm donors can be responsible for child support. While laws differ from state to state, it looks like people are starting to realize that there are real children involved who have a right to know where they came from, and to be supported by both their parents.

Thanks to David Morrison for the link.

A nice discussion on slashdot on automated software quality assurance of large apps. Check it out. This stuff is often discussed (like the weather), but actually doing something about it is harder.

Here's a story you won't see on the news -- GetReligion: "Kill the Nazi!" and other examples of offensive free speech. Many on the Left think that "they" are "tolerant" and the Right is not, but they are no better.

Fr. Rob Johansen gives an excellent analysis of the Church's teaching on persistent vegetative state (PVS) in a response to Commonweal magazine.

The woes continue --Sex-abuse lawsuits vs. diocese rise to 20. I don't see the diocese avoiding bankruptcy now.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Norma Shea, Mark Shea's sister-in-law, who passed away last week.

Cheers for yet another bishop speaking out. Check out this column by Bishop Galeone of St. Augustine, Florida:

“Can an avid proponent of abortion-on-demand be at the same time a Catholic in good standing with the church?” I answer that question by asking another: Can an avowed racist be a member in good standing of the NAACP? For similar reasons, there are some positions so extreme that they would bar one from being considered a good Catholic, not because a specifically Catholic teaching is being denied, but because a basic tenet of the natural law is being trashed. As members of the human family, we must obey the natural law, written on our hearts: “You shall not take an innocent life.”

God bless 'im! Thanks to Fr. Rob Johansen for the link.

Yay! The Star is reporting that In-N-Out Burger will be opening a location in the Tucson area next year. This could be dangerous to my waistline!

Okay, maybe only geeks like me are interested in this stuff. Today's Star has a neat article on wastewater treatment: Going with the flow.

35 years ago today ... "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." It was probably the first "news" event that I can remember well. CNN says 'Giant leap' opens world of possibility.

Over on Slashdot there's a good discussion on a $1,000,000 coding error and its effects. Since I work in the software biz and manage a QA group, such issues are of great interest to me. The Slashdot discussion is perhaps more telling than the news story. Generally when problems like this come up, there's no one person to blame -- so having the development lead, or the QA lead, or whoever "fall on his sword" (as some in the Slashdot discussion suggest) doesn't really accomplish much except make the customer and/or upper management feel better. Usually these things are the result of multiple failures -- process failures and the failures of individuals. Fixing those is difficult but it can be done.

Music for Mass
SSPP Latin Schola 
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C

Prelude: Tu Es Petrus (Palestrina)
Gathering Song: I Heard the Voice of Jesus (KINGSFOLD)
Penitential Rite: Kyrie (Chant Mass)
Gloria: (Chant Mass)
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15 (Dominican tones)
Gospel Acclamation: Chant (Dominican tones)
Preparation of the Gifts: Sicut Cervus (Palestrina)
I Have Longed for Thy Saving Health (Byrd)
Holy,Holy: Sanctus (Chant Mass)
Memorial Acclamation: (Chant Mass)
Great Amen: (Chant Mass)
Our Father: (Traditional Chant)
Lamb of God: Agnus Dei (Chant Mass)
Communion: Ave Verum Corpus (Chant, St. Pius X Hymnal #38)
Meditation: Ave Verum Corpus (Byrd)
Recessional: I Sing the Mighty Power of God (ELLACOMBE)
 

Another Episcopal Spine Alert -- Denver Archbishop says those who Support Abortion "Rights" Cannot be Catholic: "He then became more blunt. 'It's not a religious principle; we're not against abortion for religious reasons. We're against it because it kills babies. No one should tell us to be quiet about that any more than we were quiet about segregation. It's very important that we're active; we encourage our people to vote their conscience. That's not interfering with the government.' "

Thanks to Mark Shea for the link.

I came across an interesting blog today, Deus Volent. Check it out. The author is going to be a freshman at Thomas Aquinas College, one of the best Catholic schools in the country (if not the world).

An interesting article -- The Empy Cradle Will Rock. The author claims that the Democratic Party's support of abortion (and, more importantly, abortions by Democrats) cost the party the 2000 election and will cost more in the future. It's an interesting analysis.

Thanks to Fr. Johansen for the link (he thanks Mark Shea).

Another instance of what Mark Shea calls Episcopal Spine Alert -- New bishop conforms to strict Catholic law. The new bishop of Richmond is cleaning house, God bless him.

Thanks to the lovely Jeanetta for the link.

Today is the 20th anniversary of my mother's death (July 13, 1984). Rest in peace, Mom. I love you & miss you.

There's a big article in today's newspaper on the Diocese of Tucson's potential bankruptcy. The diocese claims that the parishes' assets don't count as diocesan assets, but of course the abuse attorneys think they are. If they are counted as diocesan assets we are all in a world of hurt, as the Church in Tucson may wind up grinding to a halt. It's scary.

This is interesting -- there's an uproar from some lay ministers in the Diocese of Baker, Oregon concerning this document from Bishop Vasa. Not surprisingly the dissenters are mouthing the usual platitudes that it's a "litmus test" and "unpastoral", blah blah blah. It makes perfect sense to me that those who are catechists should accept the Church's teaching! There's an article here on the dissenting reaction.

An interesting discussion on Slashdot -- VAX Users See the Writing on the Wall. It's in reference to this Computerworld article on how VAXen are slowly being phased out. I have been using VAXen since 1982 or so, and still own several of them. The hardware (and OpenVMS, the OS) are terrific. VMS is a very powerful, elegant, well-designed system. It's one of those examples of how to Do Things Right.

On Thursday my coworker Frank Riley set off on his bicycle. Destination: Iowa, and the annual RAGBRAI. Now my company's website is documenting the Life of Riley.

Short stuff..

I paid off my car yesterday. YAY! It's a good feeling. I have lots of other things I'd rather do with the money..

I have to catch up posting music from 6/13, 6/26, and 7/04. I'll back-post it and post a pointer for those interested.

When you thought you'd seen it all -- check out theamazing bar code clock. Something only a geek could love!