tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post4047085522921280639..comments2024-03-22T05:53:17.342-04:00Comments on On This Rock: Reflections on ConnecticutFather John Hollowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12850864104003705536noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-3199097896599111782013-01-21T22:00:52.871-05:002013-01-21T22:00:52.871-05:00and of course the day we'll know for sure is w...and of course the day we'll know for sure is when we're there ourselves.Father John Hollowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12850864104003705536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-17462622549653901222013-01-21T22:00:30.299-05:002013-01-21T22:00:30.299-05:00One of the many benefits about being Catholic is t...One of the many benefits about being Catholic is that we don't ever presume to say whether anyone is in Heaven or Hell, except of course the saints, but other than that, we can just pray for people until we know for sureFather John Hollowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12850864104003705536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-31062022974859309312013-01-21T21:49:32.551-05:002013-01-21T21:49:32.551-05:00Fr. Hollowell,
If you don't mind, I'd l...Fr. Hollowell,<br /><br /> If you don't mind, I'd like to ask a question as it's an interesting one. Is it possible that the Sandy Hook shooter is in Heaven as well now? I realize that he took a LOT of innocent lives, but if you look at the bigger picture here, it would appear as though this young man was mentally ill. Does mental illness exclude one's ability to enter Heaven? In my line of work(I'm a police chief in a smaller town), I have seen people(and kids as well) with severe mental illnesses. Some of them commit crimes as their reality isn't our reality. Just wondering about this and if you can answer this, that would be great! Thank you for your time Fr. Hollowell! Bobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-17675686083095157402013-01-02T08:18:42.333-05:002013-01-02T08:18:42.333-05:00Are you saying slavery is NOT intrinsically evil. ...Are you saying slavery is NOT intrinsically evil. Because slavery was once considered morally acceptable by the Church.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-3998918745780981372012-12-22T11:46:56.338-05:002012-12-22T11:46:56.338-05:00Church teaching does allow for pacifism conditiona...Church teaching does allow for pacifism conditionally:<br /><br /><b>2306</b> <i>Those who renounce violence and bloodshed and, in order to safeguard human rights, make use of those means of defense available to the weakest, bear witness to evangelical charity, <b>provided they do so without harming the rights and obligations of other men and societies</b>. They bear legitimate witness to the gravity of the physical and moral risks of recourse to violence, with all its destruction and death.</i><br /><br />However, it does not, and will never mandate it. While the Church often finds new language to express old teachings, it can never be a case where acts that are <i>intrinsically</i> good or at least morally acceptable will become intrinsically evil. Just as things that are intrinsically evil can never become good.Scott W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-24961470071646278722012-12-21T08:49:33.748-05:002012-12-21T08:49:33.748-05:00I'll admit that I struggle with this, but I do...I'll admit that I struggle with this, but I do believe that God is still revealing things to us through time, and I still find it very possible that ALL war could be considered evil. While I realize it was part of God's plan for Jesus to die on the cross, it still seems to me that there is a message here. Jesus "turned the other cheek" to the point of him being crucified. If nobody was willing to fight in a war there would be no soldiers to fight anyones battles. I also believe it would be okay to disagree with the catechism for LESS violence. After all, Dorothy Day is being unanimously pushed to sainthood by our bishops, yet she was 100% pacifist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-86684187848250969092012-12-20T19:00:03.476-05:002012-12-20T19:00:03.476-05:00I think your reference to "our bombs" ki...I think your reference to "our bombs" killing all these children, ridiculous. Prove it. I listen to the news all the time but I suppose that you have a direct line. I am tired of you liberals just making claims. Prove it or shut up. The Father is right what our society has lost is the the love for life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-58239284426371255022012-12-20T15:57:14.172-05:002012-12-20T15:57:14.172-05:00While I imagine we would both agree that just abou...While I imagine we would both agree that just about every modern war you can name did not meet just war criteria, the fact of the matter is that there is just war criteria. As the Catechism puts it:<br /><br /><b>2308</b> All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war.<br /><br />However, "as long as the danger of war persists and there is no international authority with the necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed."<br /><br />And we see confirmation of this in the New Testament when soldiers ask John the Baptist what they should do and he tells them to avoid extortion and be content with their wage. If war was intrinsically evil, then the only legitimate counsel he could have given them was either resign or desert. Also, Our Lord Himself uses the example of general calculating if he has enough men to overtake the enemy. Now, one may quibble that He was being hypothetical, but Our Lord wouldn't lie even in such a context. Scott W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-86138990891725555792012-12-20T08:15:36.043-05:002012-12-20T08:15:36.043-05:00"we can't do evil that good may come of i..."we can't do evil that good may come of it"<br /><br />Which is why ALL war is wrong. You can't kill evil with evil.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-91955233387797757782012-12-19T23:28:12.545-05:002012-12-19T23:28:12.545-05:00This is not an argument. It's not even a good ...This is not an argument. It's not even a good retort.<br /><br />Priest molesting children is evil.<br />Abortion is evil.<br /><br />The Church teaches both. That some can't live up to the standard doesn't indict the standard at all.Scott W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-24481318603090672392012-12-19T23:25:57.177-05:002012-12-19T23:25:57.177-05:00Crime rates went down 30 years after abortion was ...<i>Crime rates went down 30 years after abortion was made legal.</i><br /><br />That is a bit like saying that rape cases went down after the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. Even if we grant the highly dubious proposition that there is a causal link between the legalization of abortion and the crime rate, we can't do evil that good may come of it.Scott W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-11524060971847899362012-12-19T23:19:09.613-05:002012-12-19T23:19:09.613-05:00You don't have to be a Christian to know that ...You don't have to be a Christian to know that deliberately killing the innocent is always wrong. See http://www.godlessprolifers.org/home.htmlScott W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-20039910903878767212012-12-19T23:17:33.103-05:002012-12-19T23:17:33.103-05:00I've been around the pro-life movement long en...<i>I've been around the pro-life movement long enough (my whole life) to know the code words. The "loss of human dignity" means exactly one thing.</i><br /><br />There is no code. Our position is quite explicit:<br /><br />Deliberately killing an innocent human being is wrong.<br />Abortion is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being.<br />Therefore, abortion is wrong.<br /><br /><i>Comments on this post and others on this blog clearly rail against the President.</i><br /><br />We rail against his <i>policies</i> and the worldview to which he subscribes. When people take personal shots at him, I usually take them to task for it. There are plenty of legitimate moral and logical objections to what the current POTUS stands for, so to ascribe such to emotions like "hatred" (with no evidence by the way) is cheap rhetoric.<br /><br /><i>Scott, you seem to be quick to suggest others are unhealthy or should contact a mental health professional. Are you volunteering your services? Are you licensed to provide the appropriate care?</i><br /><br />We have a few malcontents here that try to play gotcha with Fr. Hollowell, but when one notices the utter lack of logic and substance to those gotchas, then you don't need to be a professional therapist to conclude that they need to find a better outlet for whatever is disturbing their peace.<br /><br /><i>Today two more of the children will be or have been buried. Please pray for them and their families.</i><br /><br />Will continue to pray for all of them.<br /><br />Scott W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-37845071730888093012012-12-19T22:38:13.743-05:002012-12-19T22:38:13.743-05:00Challenge: At Mass, if a child starts crying or t...Challenge: At Mass, if a child starts crying or talking or fussing or singing when he should be silent, etc., DON'T turn and stare. Don't grumble. Don't mutter "That's what the nursery is for" nor "He's old enough to know better" or "What's wrong with parents these days?" or "Why don't they leave?" or "Why can't they act like THAT family?" If you're right next to the family, turn and smile. After Mass is over, thank the parents for bringing the kids to Mass. If they start to apologize for the child's behavior, say, "Jesus admonished his disciples for complaining about the noises and disruptions of the children in His presence. Who am I to complain?" Thank them again. Next time you see them, give them a prayer card for the child(ren) and let them know you are praying for them. If you see someone else being uncharitable to them, then gently correct. The kingdom of God belongs to children, so if we want entrance, we better show that we love them and respect their dignity. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-76587752595358801562012-12-19T11:42:54.375-05:002012-12-19T11:42:54.375-05:00Amen Father! "Courage" is what we need.....Amen Father! "Courage" is what we need...and if I may be so bold. Courage from the pulpit more so than elsewhere. The Bishops Jenky, Ricken & Paprocki are the exception rather than the rule when it comes to "courage" within the clergy. It is a "Spiritual War" that has America on her knees, but we see capitulation more than anything else from Church leaders like Cardinal Dolan...God Bless you for this great read!shutupnsinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09742241393246985901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-7521725150244676892012-12-18T16:41:40.056-05:002012-12-18T16:41:40.056-05:00I've been around the pro-life movement long en...I've been around the pro-life movement long enough (my whole life) to know the code words. The "loss of human dignity" means exactly one thing.<br /><br />Comments on this post and others on this blog clearly rail against the President.<br /><br />Scott, you seem to be quick to suggest others are unhealthy or should contact a mental health professional. Are you volunteering your services? Are you licensed to provide the appropriate care?<br /><br />Today two more of the children will be or have been buried. Please pray for them and their families.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-25631009530011685272012-12-18T14:53:30.371-05:002012-12-18T14:53:30.371-05:00This whole article makes me sick. So does a lot of...This whole article makes me sick. So does a lot of the responses.<br /><br />You crazy religious people need to go find some other country to terrorize. Don't you have some missionary work to do or something?!?!<br /><br />Get over it.....this is not a Christian nation....never was and never will be. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-90413165522196207842012-12-18T12:16:07.474-05:002012-12-18T12:16:07.474-05:00Anonymous of dec 17, 12:42.
I wouldn't classif...Anonymous of dec 17, 12:42.<br />I wouldn't classify the President as a good family man, he himself said, he would murder his own grandchild in the womb if one of his young daughters became pregnant, despite that fact that he has the financial means to ensure his daughter could support and love the child or give the child up for adoption.<br />Unfortunately this school slaughter has plenty to do with abortion, because "legalized abortion causes society to lose its ability to distinguish right from wrong", which is exactly what happened in this tragedy. (JP2- Gospel of Life)<br />You also request us to stop talking until the mourning stops. It will never stop for most of these families, so to delay only plays into the hands of evil. We pray, we mourn, but me must act as Christ's example illustrates in exposing and arguing against evil. Jn 8:42-59.moviemannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-65116476944211203872012-12-18T09:31:22.930-05:002012-12-18T09:31:22.930-05:00The only thing I wanted to add was your comment ab...The only thing I wanted to add was your comment about not caring about gun control:<br />After disarming the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin murdered 20+ MILLION people.<br />After disarming the Chinese, Mao Tse Tung murdered 40+ MILLION people.<br />After disarming Germany, Hitler murdered 14+ MILLION people.<br />Obama and supporters wants to disarm the American people.<br />The gun control issue isn't just about removing our right to defend ourselves against criminals. The 2nd amendment was written to guarantee our right to defend ourselves against a tyrannical government that would take away all other rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. If we let this happen, then we are doomed to repeat history. nbkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13092835719387715391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-50047131312238523782012-12-17T23:58:25.250-05:002012-12-17T23:58:25.250-05:00Wow this all seems crazy. Any one read freakanomic...Wow this all seems crazy. Any one read freakanomics? Crime rates went down 30 years after abortion was made legal. It seems focusing on helping people out of poverty and with mental health issues would make a larger difference. Also getting away from the violence in the news, video games, and media at large might be helpful. And stopping wars of choice which kill many more children in other countries. I'm guessing ending abortion is no more likely to stop another massacre than "bringing God back into our schools." It seems we should be examining our society, just don't think you have the right answer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-15386148087847956362012-12-17T22:36:31.910-05:002012-12-17T22:36:31.910-05:00Judge not, lest ye be judged. Men, women and CHILD...Judge not, lest ye be judged. Men, women and CHILDREN slain. Priest molesting children and the church hiding those attrocities. <br /><br />http://www.truthbeknown.com/victims.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-67135439477371374752012-12-17T21:12:02.185-05:002012-12-17T21:12:02.185-05:00Fr. John, Why should we be suprised that someone h...Fr. John, Why should we be suprised that someone has decided to slaughter children? Americans do it every day in the abortion facilities. Isn't it just catching up to this the evil that we perpertrate in our mother's wombs? Why should we be suprised? We choose to prevent life from occuring by contraception every day and treat the child as an enemy and when the contraceptive fails we abort. So, why are we suprised? As far as gun control: a man in China killed how many in a school with a knife the same day or the day before and that wasn't the first time that happened in China. If they don't use a gun in America they will use knives. As long as we fail to recognize and value and appreciate the dignity of the human person this will continue and with the media fueling the whole thing it will just get worse and they'll start keeping score. Pray for America, the victims, the survivors and the loved ones who have been scarred. We need to turn again. Turn back to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Thank you for your input, Father.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07873778840922925597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-91844856929093954702012-12-17T19:54:23.906-05:002012-12-17T19:54:23.906-05:00I don't think this is all what registered in h...I don't think this is all what registered in his mind in the moment, of course, but culture works slowly, over time, either slowly building or slowly eroding the dignity of the human person. And we must readily confess that the last 50 years or so in our country have seen "the dignity of the human person" assaulted by our culture nearly continuously, and, we must admit, highly effectively. I don't think this kid thought any of this as he did what he did. It is why Dostoevsky said "beauty will save the world" and why JPII and Benedict have both requoted Dostoevsky. We either take our culture back or we will perish.Father John Hollowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12850864104003705536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-89399721366109637982012-12-17T18:36:24.464-05:002012-12-17T18:36:24.464-05:00If you actually read the entry, abortion is but on...If you actually read the entry, abortion is but one of the symptoms. The disease is the loss of human dignity. Where you say <i>Many of the same activists also have an unhealthy hatred for the President,</i> where exactly do you see this unhealthy hatred here and what evidence do you have to support hatred as the motive? Quite frankly, it sounds like you made up a position and slapped Fr. Hollowell's name on it. Of course when one makes up weak positions for others, it is easy to dismiss "their" points. Since Fr. only mentioned the President once and only tangentially; zeroing in on this seems to indicate were the unhealthiness is. Scott W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8560483615460834385.post-66011610593717691022012-12-17T18:18:17.592-05:002012-12-17T18:18:17.592-05:00Thank you Father, well said.Thank you Father, well said.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com