
Saint Rose Venerini (1656-1728)
Quotation found on the blog A Catholic Mom in Hawaii.
Can. 1249 All Christ's faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days the faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence which the following canons prescribe.
Can. 1250 The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Can. 1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.
Can. 1253 The Episcopal Conference can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are to be observed. In place of abstinence or fasting it can substitute, in whole or in part, other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.Today is also a great day to pray the Stations of the Cross. The Stations are a wonderful devotion that can be prayed in Church or at home. Nonetheless, the stations allow us to contemplate the true love of our Redeemer during His bitter Passion. Please join me in praying the Stations of the Cross. Remember, it was on this day that He gave up His life all for you.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (bio - news) offered an extended defense of Pope Pius XII on Tuesday evening, June 5, at a conference announcing the publication of a new book on the life of the World War II Pontiff.
The Vatican Secretary of State charged that Pius XII has become the victim of a "black legend," which has "become so firmly established that even to scratch it is an arduous task."
Pope Pius XII has been "falsely portrayed as indulgent toward Nazism and insensitive to the fate of victims" of the Hitler regime, Cardinal Bertone said. That portrait endures, he added, in spite of "documentation and witnesses that have abundantly proven it is nonsense." In light of that evidence, he said, the continuing criticism of the wartime Pope has become "an attack on good sense and on rationality."
The "intense polemics" surrounding the Pope's attitude toward the Holocaust threaten to "reduce his entire pontificate to the question of his supposed silence," Cardinal Bertone said. He pointed out that Pius XII left an impressive record of accomplishments in other fields, including the dramatic progress in Biblical scholarship and in the status of women during the years of his pontificate, from 1939 to 1958.
The Secretary of State acknowledged that Pius XII had been "cautious" in his public statements denouncing the Nazi regime. But he argued that if the Pope had been more outspoken, the Nazi response might have entailed a stepped-up campaign of genocide. In practice, the cardinal observed, Pope Pius worked quietly to save thousands of Jews from the Holocaust.
Source: Catholic World News
The new owners of a pharmacy in Montana have decided to not sell birth control drugs in their store. The decision has angered abortion advocates and brings up questions about whether pharmacies and pharmacists should have the ability to opt out of dispensing drugs that may cause abortions or assisted suicides.
Snyder Pharmacy has been a staple of Great Falls for over four decades but when the Anderson and Depner families purchased the store from its longtime owner, the pro-life Catholic families made a policy change.
They decided not to stock or sell birth control drugs because they believe the pills cause abortions.Stuart Anderson, a pharmacist who co-owns the drug store, wrote about the policy in a letter to customers. "Snyder Drug has decided to no longer carry oral contraceptives," the letter said. "We will be happy to transfer your oral contraceptive prescription to another pharmacy of your choice in a timely manner."
The letter indicated that by the end of May Snyder would no longer stock any birth control drugs. A woman who received the letter complained to Planned Parenthood of Montana and it is launching a petition campaign against the drug store.
"Snyder’s decision is out of line with Montana values and out of line with mainstream America," Stacey Anderson, PPM's director of public affairs, claimed in an email to LifeNews.com. Anderson alleged that the families are lying about the abortifacient nature of the drug and said, "It is dangerous for women and a disservice to our community to spread false information about FDA-approved birth control that is used for both medical reasons and family planning purposes."
The families told the Billings Gazette they are surprised by some of the negative responses they've received. Other people have applauded the decision.
"We're flabbergasted at the attention we've gotten, including some comments by people who aren't our customers that are downright malicious," Kurt Depner said. "We're just a small business making the types of decisions that business owners make every day."
According to the newspaper, the Rev. Jay Peterson, administrator of the Catholic Church's Great Falls-Billings Diocese, applauded the couples "for acting on their moral convictions and standing up for their Catholic beliefs in the sanctity of human life."
ACTION: Send your comments to Snyder Drug, 2515 6th Ave N, Great Falls, MT 59401
A leading Vatican official said two important documents from Pope Benedict XVI -- a letter to Chinese Catholics and a decree liberalizing use of the Tridentine Mass -- were coming soon.
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As for the document granting wider latitude for celebration of the Tridentine rite, Cardinal Bertone said that "one shouldn't have to wait long to see it published."
The cardinal said the pope was "personally interested in making this happen" and that the pontiff had prepared an accompanying letter explaining the move and expressing the hope for a serene reception by the church.