Evil Defeats Good: UN Responsible for AIDS Rising in Uganda

Russian Statue of St. George in UN Gardens:  “Good Defeats Evil”

A vital success story in the fight against AIDS in Africa has been buried in the West–buried with the increasing numbers of Ugandans dying at the hands of UN AIDS prevention programming. Confusing? Read on…

Uganda, if you recall, was one of the few African countries that massively reduced its HIV/AIDS infection rate from 21% in 1991, to 6% in 2002. Uganda was Africa’s success story. And it claimed this position entirely by pioneering the ABC program, which puts heavy emphasis on A (Abstinence) and B (Be faithful), with C (Condom use) presented as a last resort. And it worked, for what I should think are very obvious reasons.

But, as the co-chair of Uganda’s AIDS-Prevention Committee, Sam Ruteikara, wrote recently in the Washington Post, it was at the height of his country’s AIDS-prevention success that Western “advisors” stepped in, told Uganda they “had it all wrong” and systematically hijacked the Committee’s documents.

India to Fight AIDS with Abstinence, not Condoms; Ugandan Model Works

Fight AIDS with Abstinence!

Abstinence is the only policy that has reduced AIDS.

UNICEF has been dumping condoms around the planet with the result of increasing infection rates among the youngest sexually active.  India says “NO” to UNICEF and follows Uganda’s lead:

One of the only national programs ever to effectively combat HIV/AIDS was the Ugandan ABC program, which focused on abstinence and being faithful to one partner.  Now the Indian national AIDS committee is adopting this same approach in their effort to curb HIV/AIDS rates.

Anglican White Superiority at Lambeth … Again

The very lovely Bishop Catherine Roskam

Anglican colonialism/racism rears its ugly head once again at Lambeth. Not only has this woman bishop shown the high quality of TEC social analysis, she has demonstrated in a conclusive fashion the fruits of ordaining feminist women. Notice that she considers every man a virtual violent criminal, even if he is a bishop.

The Right Rev Catherine Roskam, suffragan bishop of New York, with a responsibility for 66 congregations, said domestic violence was culturally acceptable in some parts of the world and that “even the most devout Christians” were guilty of it.

Hermandades: The Pious Brotherhoods of Old and New Spain

Hermandad del Santo Entierro y Nestra Senora del la Soledad de Manzanas

Brotherhood of the Holy Burial and Our Lady of Solitude of Manzanas

To Americans, these penitential brotherhoods dressed in full regalia can seem a bit scary, but their facinating history and devotion is something we should emulate.

Hermandads (hermandades) are usually associated with the processions of statues, paintings, relics or other sacred objects through public plazas and streets on saints’ feast days and especially during Holy Week in cities and towns across Spain, Portugal and their former colonies in Latin America, India and the Philippines.

While the Hermandad’s chief work is to carry the heavy platforms through the streets on these festival days, to be a member one has to agree to perform various spiritual disciplines as preparation, must be an exemplary Catholic, and be active in the charitable works of the Church. These brotherhoods (which can also include women) are a more pious version of the Knights of Columbus found in the US.

Ever Ancient, Ever New: Romanesque in Knoxville

In the suburb of Farragut just west of Knoxville, Tenn., St. John Neumann Parish is ignoring the 20th Century and joining the nascent  revival of  ancient  church architecture, in this case, Romanesque.  Amen.

Do You Have to Be Baptized to be Saved?

Q. Is baptism necessary in order to be saved?

A. Yes. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3…

John 3:3…Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

We must be born again of water and the Spirit in order to see the Kingdom of God. And Jesus also said:

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved …

Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And Peter exhorted the crowd at Pentecost:

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Again in:

1 Peter 3:20-21 ..when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you …

Counting Blessings… Revisited

Nil desperandum! Never despair!

We have reason to celebrate.

12+ years ago when I first started to get the clue that what was being handed to me as “Catholic” in school was not kosher, what resources did I have? Now we have the net, more orthodox books being written and more reprinted than EVER before in history.

Thousands of Catholic websites and resources for teaching, apologetics, spirituality, Church history…

In 2 years the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter will turn 20 – they are celebrating ordinations monthly. I am no insider, but from what I hear, their seminary in Nebraska – Our Lady of Gudalupe – is bursting at the seems. (Same too for their German seminary). Senior seminarians are graciously agreeing to “double bunk” in rooms intended to be single rooms for senior seminairians… and that was built way back… oh, 9 years ago?

It was full the day building was complete.

The Norbertines in Orange County are having a vocations crunch- they are too crunched in to a small property and need a BIGGER place…

In less time than the most orders have been around Bl. Theresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity have grown to over 4,500 nuns and is active in 133 countries. The numbers of the priests and brothers are ALSO growing.

The Diocese of Arlington is about to have more priests than rectories to put them in. What to do? They do have a “Vocations crunch” too… They have 60 parishes… “Of those 60 parishes, only 42 are now staffed by diocesan priests. “We’ll ordain 22 men in the next 14 months,” Father Gould the vocations director points out. “The real problem will be finding 22 beds for them.