Confraternity of Catholic Clergy
ad Jesum per Mariam sub Petro
tu es sacerdos in aeternum
NOTA BENE: Due to technical difficulties and other unforeseen problems, the convocation has been moved from the Radisson Cross Keys to the Tremont Plaza Hotel. We apologize for the inconvenience and will help anyone who finds this problematic. The Radisson Cross Keys is an excellent hotel but some of our members found one closer to Inner Harbor and strategically located a few blocks from the historic old Basilica and just a few blocks from other historical, religious and worthwhile sites. Everything is now within walking distance OR available through the FREE local shuttle service provided by the hotel. Dinner in Little Italy, visit the Walters Art Gallery, go to the Inner Harbor, and see the original Basilica, now in our neighborhood, so you may want to spend an extra day before/after.
2008 Convocation
JULY 14-17
BALTIMORE, MD
* different hotel *
222 St. Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-727-2222 | Fax 410-685-4215
$160/night
YOU MUST INDICATE THAT YOU ARE WITH THE CCC
option to arrive day earlier and/or depart day later in order to visit historic Baltimore,
Inner Harbor, Little Italy, Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles), etc.
arrival anytime after 4pm Mon. Jul. 14
first event, Mass Tuesday morning, 10am, July 15, @ Basilica
last conference Thursday morning, 9am, July 17
checkout 12noon
YOU must contact & pay hotel directly to make reservations
all meals (except one formal banquet supper) are your responsibility
THIS YEAR MARKS THE BICENTENNIAL OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE
and the
40th ANNIVERSARY OF HUMANAE VITAE
tentative invited speakers include:
Archbishop Edwin O'Brien
archbishop of Baltimore
Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer
President, Human Life International
Fr. Peter West
Priests for Life
Dr. Janet Smith
Chair of Life Ethics, Professor of Moral Theology
Sacred heart seminary, Detroit, MI
$150 Conference Fee:
admission to lectures, formal banquet meal
make payable to
CONFRATERNITY OF CATHOLIC CLERGY
121 WILLIAM ST
MARYSVILLE, PA 17053
Please consider making a donation
Statement Calls on Catholic Institutions to Refuse Platform for Pro-Abortion
Politicians
Manassas, VA, February 26, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Following a series of
campaign events by pro-abortion presidential candidates on Catholic college
campuses, a coalition of influential Catholic organizations today released a
statement urging all Catholic institutions to refuse to host politicians who
oppose Catholic teaching on serious moral issues.
Organized by The Cardinal Newman Society, a group that works to renew and
strengthen the Catholic identity of colleges and universities across the
country, the statement urges Catholic institutions to "refrain from all
activities that provide a public platform to, or imply support or even
neutrality toward, political leaders and candidates who advocate positions on
serious moral issues that are clearly contrary to Catholic teaching."
"Too often," write the signers, "some Catholic institutions pursue a misguided
engagement with public policy and politics that compromises and even undermines
their Catholic mission. Catholic institutions should engage the culture from a
faithfully Catholic perspective, not a position of neutrality. Political
engagement does not require partisanship or endorsement of particular
candidates. But it also does not require secularization, by which Catholic
institutions accept moral relativism and simply mirror secular culture."
Signers of the statement include leaders of prominent Catholic organizations
such as The Cardinal Newman Society, Catholic Education Association, Catholic
Family & Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), Catholic League for Religious & Civil
Rights, Catholic Medical Association, Catholics United for the Faith,
Confraternity of Catholic
Clergy, Fellowship of Catholic University Students, Human Life
International, National Association of Private Catholic & Independent Schools,
and the Society of Catholic Social Scientists.
On February 13, St. Mary's University in San Antonio hosted a rally for Sen.
Hillary Clinton over Archbishop Jose Gomez's objections. St. Norbert College in
Wisconsin did the same on February 17. St. Peter's College in New Jersey hosted
a large rally for Barack Obama on January 9, as did Loras College in Iowa last
March. In January, Archbishop Raymond Burke urged Saint Louis University to
discipline its basketball coach for his remarks at a Clinton rally supporting
abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
"Like any Catholic institution, a Catholic college or university has a distinct
and unique responsibility to provide an environment that supports and upholds
Catholic values," said Patrick J. Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman
Society (CNS).
"We call on Catholic institutions to join us in finding
opportunities-appropriate to the nature and mission of each institution-to
engage in political and public policy dialogue by publicly proclaiming Catholic
teaching, especially on issues related to human life and marriage," the
statement says.
"We call on Catholic institutions to join us in refusing to honor or provide a
public forum for any political leader or candidate who acts 'in defiance of our
fundamental moral principles.'"
see actual statement of Cardinal Newman Society
http://cardinalnewmansociety.org/News/tabid/54/ctl/Details/mid/452/ItemID/99/Default.aspx
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Catholic Clergy Ask Bishops to Keep Mass Holy
The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy respectfully asks the Bishops of the United States (USCCB) to disregard the recent letter from the National Coalition of American Nuns on Liturgical Translations. We totally disagree with their request to reject a literal and accurate English version of the 2000 Roman Missal based on the typical Latin text. It is our contention as ordained ministers who daily celebrate the sacred liturgy and who serve the spiritual needs of the faithful that they deserve nothing less than total and complete conformity to the authentic and official texts approved by the Holy See.
Since the Eucharistic Sacrifice is the ‘source and summit of Christian life’, it is imperative that the Church’s ministers celebrate digne, atténte ac devote (worthily, with attention and devotion). Reverence is achieved not only by diligently following the rubrics but also by having accurate texts which incorporate sacred language. Ritual (gestures) and Rite (words) make proper worship. Full, conscious and active participation by the faithful in the sacred liturgy is only possible when pedestrian language and banal translations are abandoned once and for all. The congregation is more educated and sophisticated than purported by those who insist accurate and literal translations from the Latin into English would be confusing at best and frustrating at worst.
We live in a culture where the vulgar, crass and obscene are part of everyday conversation. It proliferates the media at all levels: radio, television, movies, theater, magazines, and the internet. Yet, good taste and graceful language are not archaic. Sacred worship requires a sacred vocabulary and nomenclature which expresses the value and need for reverence for ‘the Holy’ and which transcends the secular world and allows the worshipper to approach the threshold of heaven. Accuracy demands that the word consubstantial be restored to the Creed since the Council of Nicea (325) canonized the terms homoouios (Greek) and consubstantialem (Latin). Adjectives which predicate the divinity of Christ, prominent in the Latin, need to be reinserted into the English. Holy, sacred, venerable, and immaculate, etc., are not foreign terms to Catholic vocabulary. Edified language inspires the believer to aspire to those things which are holy and sacred. Banal and pedestrian language lowers us into the gutter. One can and ought to seek a poetic sacred language that uplifts the human spirit to seek the divine rather than being content with the mediocrity of mundane.
October 29th, 2007
Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, president of Human Life International (HLI), joins CCC and was selected to be a member of the Board of Directors at the recent (July 2007) annual convocation in St. Louis.
CCC supports all bishops who ban Communion to Catholic politicians and voters who publicly and obstinately promote or support abortion. The CCC also supports legislation to protect and defend sanctity of human life (from conception to natural death), of traditional marriage (between a man & a woman), and of the family (mother & father who are also husband & wife, with their children)
the confraternity of catholic clergy is Association of 600 Roman Catholic Priests and Deacons pledged to the pursuit of personal holiness, loyalty to the Roman Pontiff, commitment to theological study and strict adherence to the authentic teachings of the Magisterium. Founded in 1975, the Confraternity seeks to implement the call of Vatican II (Presbyterorum Ordinis #8, Code of Canon Law #278, Pastores Dabo Vobis #81, and the Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests #29) for ongoing intellectual, spiritual and pastoral formation of the local clergy. The Confraternity achieves this in three ways: a) Annual Convocation where theological scholars and experts give lectures and hold discussions with members; b) Publication of journal, SAPIENTIA, which presents sacred sciences, magisterial decrees and current events for the local cleric to understand; c) Local chapter meetings where afternoons of recollection take place, including time for theological reading/discussion, common prayer (Vespers), Eucharistic Holy Hour, Rosary, confessions and time for fraternity. WE ENDORSE PRO-LIFE EFFORTS, SUCH AS PRIESTS FOR LIFE AND HUMAN LIFE INTERNATIONAL, IN THEIR APOSTOLATE TO DEFEND AND PROTECT THE MOST INNOCENT AND MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR SOCIETY, THE UNBORN AND THE TERMINALLY ILL.
RESOLUTIONS FROM 2007 CONVOCATION
1. We thank Pope Benedict XVI for his recent
motu proprio Summorum Pontificum and hope it will be fully, freely and
universally implemented in every diocese throughout the world. We see the
invaluable treasure of preserving the old Latin “Tridentine” Mass,
(extraordinary form of the Roman Rite), for the spiritual benefit of all the
faithful who request it. We furthermore affirm the necessity of reverently and
properly celebrating the vernacular Novus Ordo Mass of Paul VI, (ordinary
form of the same Roman Rite). Our prayer is that this will bring back many of
the clergy and lay faithful who have gravitated to schismatic groups in reaction
to serious abuses committed by some priests who irreverently and illicitly
celebrated the new Mass in English since the Vatican II.
2. We embrace the magisterial teaching of the Congregation for Doctrine of the
Faith (CDF) in its recent document on the unicity and necessity of Catholic
Church, in which the one, true Church of Jesus Christ, fully subsists. When
understood in the full context and accurate context of papal and conciliar
decrees (e.g., Dominus Iesus and Lumen Gentium), this doctrine is
not a hindrance to ecumenical endeavors nor does it deviate from previous and
perennially taught dogmas on the ecclesiological nature of the church.
3. We urge the bishops of the English speaking nations to quickly endorse a
totally accurate translation of the Roman Missal which would be completely
faithful to the typical Latin text. As celebrants of the Holy Mass, we see the
necessity of and urgency of restoring sacred language and replacing all
pedestrian verbiage in Divine worship since the Holy Eucharist is the ‘source
and summit of Christian life.’
4. As we prepare for the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae next
year, we encourage our brother priests and deacons to reacquaint themselves with
this prophetic papal encyclical of Paul VI and we commend our American bishops
for the recent USCCB document on Natural Family Planning, Married Love and
the Gift of Life (November, 2006).
5. We express our deep gratitude and respect for church leaders like Archbishop
Raymond Burke of Saint Louis who courageously, consistently and faithfully
defend Holy Mother Church and all her official teachings and disciplines. We
particularly applaud his stand on denying Holy Communion to any Catholic
candidate or politician who openly and notoriously supports abortion and/or
euthanasia.
6. We pledge as faithful sons of the Church our continued prayers and obedience
to the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI, and eagerly await his first pastoral
visit to the United States.
Approved July 19, 2007, Rev. John Trigilio, Jr., President
We also are planning to have our 2009 annual convocation in the Eternal City of Rome with our sister group, the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. Some of our members are on fixed income and limited means. Your generosity can help us provide scholarships and grants to those priests and deacons who would otherwise not have the financial means to travel to Rome or attend such conferences.
Catholic Clergy (priests & deacons) can become Charter members of the CCC.
Laymen and Laywomen can also participate by becoming
Friends, Associate members or Benefactors of the CCC.
Friends promise to pray daily for the intentions of the priests and deacons of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy
Associate Members do likewise and also make annual donation of $100
and get an annual subscription to SAPIENTIA
Benefactors contribute $1,000 or more
get lifelong subscription to SAPIENTIA
Your generosity can help priests who have limited funds and fixed income
as many of our members are retired or newly ordained
Donations enable us to help us keep costs low to allow more clergy
to attend our annual convocations.
The Confraternity of
Catholic Clergy held its 32nd annual convocation at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel, Clayton (
A national
association of 600 priests and deacons which promotes ongoing spiritual,
theological and pastoral formation of the clergy in a fraternal setting, the CCC
was founded in 1975. The origin and impetus of the organization were the
implementation of Vatican II (Presbyterorum Ordinis #8), Code of Canon Law
(#278), Pastores Dabo Vobis (#81), and the Directory on the Ministry and Life of
Priests (#29). Two of the founding fathers, Rev. Robert J. Levis, PhD, (
The group’s president, Father John Trigilio, Jr., presented their Pope John Paul the Great Award to Archbishop Burke for his conspicuous support and defense of Church teachings and discipline, especially in the areas of Pro-Life and the Sacred Liturgy. Last year’s JP2 award was given to Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Papal Nuncio, when the CCC met at the
Mass at the new Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
His Grace, Archbishop Raymond Burke with Father Robert Levis
CLICK HERE FOR RECENT PRESS RELEASES
click BELOW for scenes from LAST YEAR'S convocation IN WASHINGTON, DC
click on photo below for more
2006 CONVOCATION at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center
His Excellency, Archbishop Donald Wuerl, Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
center
His Grace, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S.A.
right
Rev. Fr. John Trigilio, Jr., President of the Confraternity
left
Confraternity of Catholic Clergy 2006 Resolutions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Members of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy at their 30th annual Convocation (July 10th – 14th, 2006) in Washington, DC, issued the following resolutions:
- Encouraged by the recent recommendations of the USCCB to more accurately and faithfully translate the Mass from the typical Latin text into the English vernacular, we ask for a complete and consistent correction of all errors and deletions in the Roman Missal. Rather than a partial repair, we, as daily celebrants of the Divine and Sacred Liturgy, see the need for a complete restoration of sacred language and precise translations, based on the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi. We are particularly concerned for sacrosanct vocabulary such as ‘consubstantial’ defined by the Council of Nicea in 325 (and explicitly mentioned in the Creed) and other areas the literal Latin expresses more reverence and clarity than the current translations.
- We express our appreciation and gratitude to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for his recent visit to Spain to address the 5th World Meeting for Families where he vigorously reaffirmed traditional values such as sacramental marriage and the intrinsic sanctity of family life as the cornerstone of the society and religion.
- We urge our fellow clergy (deacons, priests and bishops) to encourage their people to fully support those in public office who consistently and courageously defend the sanctity of life by working for legislation or judicial decisions to end the evils of abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research and to uphold the sanctity of marriage as a permanent, faithful and God-willing fruitful union between a man and a woman.
- We implore our fellow clergy by preaching and teaching to inform and educate parents about the hidden, immanent and devastating threats to their children present on the internet and through cell phone technology. Supervision and prudence are necessities not options to protect our young people from the evils of pornography, violence, the occult and sexual abuse.
- We are deeply concerned for the long term physical, psychological and spiritual harm being done to women, especially the young, who are unaware of all the consequences and effects of abortion due to the misrepresentation and dishonesty being given to them in the media and secular culture.
- We renew our filial devotion and love to the Blessed Mother, Queen of the Clergy, and consecrate our ordained ministry to her Immaculate Heart as we contemplated her unique role in salvation history while we celebrated Holy Mass all week in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Given on 17
July 2006
Washington, DC
Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, PhD, editor
Confraternity of Catholic Clergy
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President Emeritus:
Rev. Robert J. Levis
President: Rev. John Trigilio, Jr.
Vice
President:
Rev. Edward Krause,
CSC
Treasurer:
Rev.
Marcos Gonzalez
Secretary:
Rev. Sabato
Pilato
Editor:
Rev. Kenneth
Brighenti
Letter from Confraternity President to Bishop Wilton Gregory, President of USCCB
e-mail
us at CONFRATERNITY@CATHOLIC-CLERGY.ORG
To JOIN OR PAY DUES, write:
Rev. JOHN
TRIGILIO, JR.
Our
Lady OF GOOD COUNSEL
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OPUSDEI@MSN.COM
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Contents
Sample
Page from C.C.C. Newsletter
Confraternity of Catholic Clergy 2005
Resolutions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Members of the Confraternity
of Catholic Clergy at their 30th annual Convocation (August 1st – 5th,
2005) in Alhambra, CA, issued the following resolutions:
1. As loyal sons of the Church we pledge our total obedience, support and
respect for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI as he begins his pontificate. We honor the memory and legacy of his
predecessor, Pope John Paul the Great and we pray that God will grant our new
Holy Father good health and long life as the Vicar of Christ on earth.
2. We pray for the success of the upcoming
Synod of Bishops and we urge each and every diocesan bishop around the world to
fully implement and norms and rubrics of the Revised Roman Missal of 2000 as
contained in the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani. We commit ourselves and ask all our
brothers in Holy Orders (bishops, priests and deacons) to celebrate the
Sacraments reverently, prayerfully and faithfully according to the universal
and legitimate local liturgical laws. As we continue the Year of the Holy Eucharist, we remind our
brethren of the centrality of the Sacred Liturgy as the source and summit of
Christian life and we urge a complete adherence to proper celebration while
denouncing and all abuses or illicit innovations.
3. Since the Second Vatican Council (Presbyterorum
Ordinis # 4) teaches that the first and primary duty of the priest is to
preach the Gospel and due to the fact that most of the faithful learn about
Christ from what they hear at weekly Mass, we promise to prepare and to preach
orthodox homilies to the best of our abilities and urge our brother priests and
deacons to do likewise. In order to be effective and convincing preachers of
the Word, the Church asks all clergy to foster ongoing spiritual and
theological formation through prayer, study and fraternal support.
4. In the aftermath of the unjust killing
and subsequent autopsy report on Terri Schiavo, we pledge our unequivocal
support for the moral obligation to always provide normal care and ordinary
means of medical treatment for all patients, especially the terminally ill and
the physically and mentally disabled. We reiterate the recent official papal teaching that
nutrition and hydration (food and water), regardless of the method they are
delivered to the patient, are to be given to everyone, even those in a
persistent vegetative state and to withhold or withdraw them while still
effective is completely immoral.
5. We urge scientists to direct their
efforts in finding treatments, cures and preventions for those afflicted with disease
to use methods which are morally acceptable such as adult stem cell and
umbilical cord research which do not involve the killing of innocent unborn
life. We affirm the
recent statement of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference of Bishops and remind
all our Catholic voters and politicians, judges and legislators, that embryonic
stem cell research is intrinsically evil since it requires the destruction of
innocent human life. Anything which directly kills the human embryo or fetus is
forbidden by divine and moral law.
Given on 5 August 2005
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
viva il Papa!
ad multos annos!
Axios!
God grant him many years!
John Paul the Great; the Doctor of Light and Hope
1920-2005
Following in the footsteps of Pope Saint Leo the Great
and Pope Saint Gregory the Great, it is evident that history and Holy Mother
Church herself will one day not only canonize our recently departed Pope John
Paul II, but also impart the rare title of “the Great” as well as
declaring him a Doctor of the Church. Before the Good Lord called the Servant
of the Servants of God home at 9:37 pm on April 2nd (the vigil of
Divine Mercy Sunday), Karol Jósef Wojtyła reigned as supreme Roman Pontiff
for more than 26 years, made 104 international trips, beatified 1,338 and
canonized 482 saints; authored 14 encyclicals, 15 apostolic exhortations, 11
apostolic constitutions, 45 apostolic letters, and five books.
Just as Saint Bonaventure is known as the Seraphic
Doctor and Saint Thomas Aquinas as the Angelic Doctor, it stands to reason that
John Paul II should be given the title Luminous Doctor or the Doctor of Light
and Hope. The first words of his pontificate, “be not afraid”
were mirrored by his prolific writings and speeches, his pastoral visits, his
popular Word Youth Days, and his courageous battle with disease, illness,
assassination attempt and old age. “Fear not” and “be
not afraid” were spoken by the Archangel to Our Lady and to Saint Joseph
prior to the birth of Jesus Christ who Himself uttered those sentiments to His
disciples after the Resurrection when they thought they were seeing a
ghost. Pope John Paul II dispelled the fear which crept into the church
following the Second Vatican Council. Not that Vatican II caused the fear
and doubt, but the powers of darkness successfully distorted and diluted the
Council documents so as to promote the alleged ‘spirit of Vatican
II’ rather than the ‘letter of Vatican II.’
Ultra-liberals called him an archconservative and
ultra-conservatives thought he was not traditional enough, but John Paul II was
not sympathetic to either classification of liberal or conservative,
progressive or traditional. He was just orthodox. A true son of
Vatican II, it was under his reign, at his command and with his guidance that
the Church was given some invaluable and precious pearls which sadly some swine
do not appreciate. He gave us the revised Code of Canon Law in
1983 which had not been updated since 1917. He gave us the Catechism
of the Catholic Church in 1992 which was only preceded by the Catechism of
the Council of Trent four centuries earlier. He gave us epic encyclicals
like Redemptor Hominis, Mater Redemptoris, Ecclesia
de Eucharistia, Laborem Exercens, Familiaris
Consortio, and Ut Unum Sint but of all these, Evangelium
Vitae, Fides et Ratio and Veritatis Splendor
stand out as his greatest masterpieces and were the beacons of light which
emanated the sublime truths of our Catholic religion. They alone warrant
him the title Doctor of Light and Salvifici Doloris and his
indefatigable courage to battle the Nazis, Communism, Secular Humanism,
materialism, moral relativism, sexual permissiveness, et al., merit him the
title Doctor of Hope.
I was in High School Seminary when he was elected
Pontiff in 1978. The first two years were during the final years of the
then ailing and aged Pope Paul VI. Vocations were declining, Mass
attendance and confessions were dropping, dissident theology was proliferating
Catholic colleges and seminaries, and other cancers were infecting the church
for several years after Vatican II. Tabernacles were hidden, religious
garb was discarded, catechisms were watered down, sacraments and sacred
liturgies were irreverently innovated and the faithful were raped of sacred
art, orthodoxy and solid leadership in many corners of the world until a man
was sent from God named “John Paul II.” Since his election as
Bishop of Rome and 264th Successor of Saint Peter, JP2 has
encouraged many vocations, conversions, reversions, and initiated a true
Catholic Renaissance.
Sure, liturgical and doctrinal abuses continued in the
sanctuaries, colleges, seminaries and sadly even in some rectories (where
children were abused) but there has never been a period of human history where
there is no sin and no evil. These aberrations would have occurred
regardless of who was Pope at the time since human free will is not limited to
one time or place and men of the church, just as men of the world, can freely
choose good or evil. It is unfair and unjust to blame Pope John Paul for
the clergy sex abuse scandal when it was the fault of the perverted clergy who
actually committed the abuse of children and teenagers and the bishops and
seminary faculties which looked the other way when these deviants were under
their authority and supervision. Lex ordandi, lex credendi, lex agendi. Bad liturgy and bad theology will feed and support
one another and will inevitably lead to bad morality and behavior.
Liturgical abuses, dissident theology and heterodox doctrine will spawn moral
depravity and other evils. At the same time, reverent (valid and licit)
liturgy combined with orthodox theology (based on the Magisterium) will also
promote and sustain pious and holy lives, for clergy, religious and laity
alike.
Pope John Paul II was neither perfect nor impeccable but
he was infallible as Pope and exercised his supreme teaching authority in Ordinatio
Sacerdotalis which closed the debate once and for all on women’s
ordination. He was human and had his weaknesses like the rest of us but
he had more courage, piety, devotion, patience, prudence, intelligence, wisdom,
compassion and integrity than anyone else of the last century. He gave
the Church a banquet of truth in his teachings, much like the Summa of Aquinas
which is even today still producing good fruit. Sadly, modern man and
modern Catholics are content with the bare minimum of spiritual life support
rather than feasting on the fullness of grace, truth and tradition Holy Mother
Church offers and which was offered in an exquisite presentation by Pope John
Paul II. It would be like someone opting to have an intravenous solution
drip in their arm when the alternative would be a seven course gourmet meal
with every vitamin, mineral and necessary nutrient inside.
When he gave the Church the five new Luminous Mysteries
to the Holy Rosary, it also symbolized the light of hope he brought to the
Church during his 26 year pontificate. Our loss is heaven's gain.
Rev. John Trigilio, Jr., PhD, ThD
President
RESOLUTIONS PROMULGATED
AT 2004 CONVOCATION:
The
following resolutions were approved by the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy at their
July (12-15) 2004 convocation in Chicago at the Best Western Chicago West:
1. We commend and
support all bishops who courageously insist that Catholic politicians
and Catholic voters cannot profane the Holy Eucharist by endorsing,
promoting or approving of abortion, euthanasia, or same-sex
‘marriages’ and at the same time receive Holy Communion. In keeping with the recent encyclical of Pope John
Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, and his proclamation of 2005 as the
‘Year of the Holy Eucharist’, we urge our bishops to heed the
advice of Cardinals Ratzinger, Arinze and Dulles to inform Catholics
(politicians and voters) of their duty to be “in communion” with
Church teaching before ‘receiving’ Communion, e.g., to accept the
teachings on the sanctity of human life and on the sanctity of marriage, et al.
2. We support all
legislation which defends the right to life of all the unborn; that outlaws
abortion; and laws which would protect the family and the institution and
tradition of marriage as a sacred and permanent union of a man and a woman. Marriage is the fundamental building block of society
and religion. Since God is the author of life, of the family and of marriage,
no government and no court can redefine and reinvent what the Creator has made.
3. We condemn the
secular media’s attack on the Church’s right, freedom and duty to
preach the Christian Gospel by using false arguments of separation of Church
and State, erroneous claims of irrelevancy or other anti-religious prejudice.
We urge all fellow believers to take seriously their personal responsibility
before God to vote in accord with the Ten Commandments, the Natural
Moral Law and the teachings of Christ.
4. We reaffirm our
denunciation of all forms of child abuse and seek the punishment of all
perpetrators of such heinous sins. We also support adequate and appropriate
levels of justice by victims and condemn the injustice inflicted on those
falsely accused and the denial of due process.
5. We extend our
prayers and support for all the brave men and women of our military and to
their families especially during the ongoing war on terrorism all over the
world. We commend to the mercy of
God all innocent victims of violence, war and terrorism and pray for all the
dead and wounded from any conflict or attack.
Approved July 15, 2004
RESOLUTIONS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE MEMBERS OF
THE CONFRATERNITY OF CATHOLIC CLERGY
AT THEIR 2003 CONVOCATION:
The following resolutions were unanimously
approved by the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy at their July 2003 convocation
in
1. We congratulate His Holiness Pope John Paul
II on the silver jubilee of his pontificate and we thank him for his wisdom,
leadership and holiness as our Supreme Roman Pontiff. We pledge our complete
obedience and respect to the Successor of Saint Peter.
2. In light of the American Bishops promise to
offer transparency in the aftermath of the recent clerical abuse scandal, we
object to the allegedly secret meeting in Washington, D.C., between known
dissenters and certain Church leaders. We also object to the appointment of
pro-abortion politicians on the National Review Board and as commencement
speakers at Catholic colleges.
3. We applaud the American Life League’s
campaign against ‘culture of death’ politicians who claim to be
Catholic. We urge the bishops to care for the souls of offending politicians
with canonical penalties if necessary.
4. All victims of the sin of child abuse
deserve justice, compassion and prayers. We encourage the bishops to continue
to remove guilty perpetrators, to safeguard clergy against false accusations,
and to pursue genuine spiritual renewal among clergy and the faithful.
5. We affirm the
6. We uphold the sanctity of marriage between
a man and woman. We oppose all efforts to redefine the traditional
understanding of marriage and the family.
7. Despite the failure of many bishops, we
encourage all Catholics to embrace faithfully the teachings of Christ as
transmitted to us through the successors of Saint Peter and the Apostles.
8. We support and pray for all men and women
of our armed forces, especially those in current danger. We commend to the
mercy of God all those who have been injured or who have lost their lives
RESOLUTIONS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE MEMBERS OF
THE CONFRATERNITY OF CATHOLIC CLERGY
AT THEIR 2002 CONVOCATION:
We affirm all
Catholic Clergy --- Deacons, Priests and Bishops --- who are faithful to the
Gospel, to the Pope and Magisterium and to their vows of chastity and promises
of celibacy. During this time of scandal and pain, we urge orthodox and
morally upright men to imitate the sacerdotal role models of Saint John
Vianney, Saint Maximillan Kolbe and Saint Padre Pio. May their courage in
time of trial and adversity; their purity in time of temptation; and their
holiness of life inspire many good men to respond to the Lord's call to the
Priesthood and Diaconate.
We highly recommend, in solidarity with al