Sound Off!

Here's a sampling of recent comments from Sound Off! Also located at the foot of every news Feature Story and Off the Record, Sound Off! gives every donor the chance to post a small "editorial" regarding any news item.

  • Today 7:46 PM EST Posted by: jdempsey1995 | Story:

    Hopefully, Pope Benedict will now stop wasting the CDF's time trying to deal with a group of people whose fundamental approach to the Faith is no different than that of Wir Sind Kirche and Call To Action.

  • Today 7:32 PM EST Posted by: Defender | Story:

    I really don't think it is a sleeping conscience so much as it appears the bishops are selective (and, to be skeptical, there is a lot of money involved) in what they want the to laity to get upset about. What of the errant Catholic politicians that they do nothing about? What of the Catholic schools in need of support? What of same sex marriages? (And of Starbucks supporting the same?) What of leadership?

  • Today 7:19 PM EST Posted by: Antonius86 | Story:

    Then the Vatican says, "You're Protestants." Then, we say, "Yes, we are."

  • Today 7:17 PM EST Posted by: jeremiahjj | Story:

    At a time when Anglicans are joyfully embracing the See of Peter, some in our own faith are choosing to remain on the outside. How can (for instance) the Orthodox continue unity discussions with such dissension in our own ranks? Holy Mother Church cannot err and Vatican II is over. The problem hasn't been with Vatican II; it's been the interpretation of what Vatican II intended. Let us close ranks and stand united before the world, particularly now when secular assaults are on the increase.

  • Today 7:13 PM EST Posted by: tturner3998 | Story:

    Justin8110 writes "SSPX could do the same". The issue is that they felt FSSP was a sellout of tradition. The fact that FSSP was created in part at the expense of SSPX does not help matters. Trads have long memories! Key is the concept of living tradition. Do we view tradition through the prism of the council, or the council through the prism of tradition? SSPX holds to the latter. Rome to the former. Not a brute force contradiction but is very difficult to reconcile. Pray hard!

  • Today 6:54 PM EST Posted by: cmaloney2007 | Story:

    Where can I get a stack for me and my family? What a perfect reminder to have in our pockets while we face the trials ahead of us.

  • Today 6:52 PM EST Posted by: claire5327 | Story:

    "He who is not with me is against me." When we are not Standing up for our Faith we are against our Faith. This situation we are now seeing is the result of "Sins of Omission" committed collectively by us the Catholics from some of our leaders to some of the laity. "Be thou hot or cold, thou art lukewarm I will vomit thee out from my mouth!" "My right hand gives you My mercy, My left hand gives you My Justice; you choose!" May our Names be in the Book Of Life; choose His Mercy NOW; repent!

  • Today 6:44 PM EST Posted by: dmillnerSanDiego | Story:

    Let's assume that a Catholic bookstore is the only bookstore in town. Since pornography is available at bookstores in other towns, the government steps in and decides that the Catholic bookstore must sell pornography also since it's open to the general public. Not a perfect analogy, I admit, but uncomfortably close.

  • Today 6:40 PM EST Posted by: Justin8110 | Story:

    They should have taken the deal but asked to be directly under the Pope or some really orthodox bishop. I can understand their fear and uncertainty considering the utter devastation that has rocked the Church since Vatican II and the downright unorthodox actions of so many bishops but they ought to take a leap of faith. The FSSP have faired OK overall and they are helping to bring Traditional Catholicism to many from within the Church. SSPX could do the same.

  • Today 6:33 PM EST Posted by: Justin8110 | Story:

    Let's pray that the President will have a real conversion to the True Church and pray that when he does he will realize his support for the gay agenda and abortion have nothing to do with Jesus Christ.

  • Today 5:55 PM EST Posted by: sfmccoll4301 | Story:

    The judge has demonstrated bias. She should step down from the bench in this case. Or at the very least another judge should be allowed to determine whether she has disqualified herself from hearing it.

  • Today 4:26 PM EST Posted by: Cornelius | Story:

    This highlights exactly why I am ambivalent with respect to Romney. He seems to lack genuine conviction or any deeply rooted principles. But I steadfastly remain an ABO - Anbody But Obama!

  • Today 4:08 PM EST Posted by: Exaudi nos | Story:

    It's one thing to be a contracepting Catholic, it is another to have the government tell your church what to do. The first is an uninformed conscience, the latter is a lose of liberty. If the government can control what the Church must cover in insurance, it will also take over what can be preached from the ambo.

  • Today 3:42 PM EST Posted by: Gil125 | Story:

    Mildly funny. But at a million pounds in London, it's going to be a pretty small temple.

  • Today 2:09 PM EST Posted by: AgnesDay | Story:

    The good judge charitably referred to their stupidity as "conduct."

  • Today 2:07 PM EST Posted by: AgnesDay | Story:

    Men loved the darkness because their deeds were evil.

  • Today 2:06 PM EST Posted by: AgnesDay | Story:

    I've just got to see how this one works out.

  • Today 2:05 PM EST Posted by: hartwood01 | Story:

    Old news,the foundation is again contributing to PP.

  • Today 1:48 PM EST Posted by: n.gunther79030 | Story:

    It is good that the bishops recognize that Catholics of today lack visible, tactile reminders that they are indeed chosen and blessed by the Faith. The quote from Cdl. Newman is good as well. But may I suggest a return to Friday abstinence? My life as a Catholic has greatly improved since I returned to (fishsticks) and to the Latin Mass. When people call you a revert pay no attention and smile.

  • Today 1:18 PM EST Posted by: mamato085337 | Story:

    Thank you, n.gunther for the very hearty and unstoppable laugh at your comment.

  • Today 8:21 AM EST Posted by: samuel.doucette1787 | Story:

    Just when you thought the USCCB was actually becoming relevant and standing up to real problems (the HHS contraceptive mandates), they revert to the historical mean and prove their reflexive allegiance to left-wing social justice initiatives founded on junk science. Yawn!

  • Today 1:40 AM EST Posted by: Gregory108 | Story:

    Have the bishops learned nothing in the past week? Supporting Democrats,their fantasies,their pet projects is what got them in the "contraception and sterilization hot soup" where they now find themselves. And there they go again! Back to supporting more fantasies and lies, allowing the liberal agenda to continue to infuse the Church, as we fast and pray in sorrow and repentance for fake issues instead of fasting/repenting of what the present politicians have made the law and mores of the land.

  • Today 12:29 AM EST Posted by: kmbold | Story:

    I had just begun to think the USCCB was on the right track with their activity concerning the Obama/Sibelius nastiness from HHS. I'll think again.

  • Today 10:12 PM EST Posted by: benniep5 | Story:

    I am starting to think before one becomes a priest they should work in the real world for ten years or more before they start their formation for the priesthood, sending immature young men off to liberal colleges doesn’t help to mature the mind of those that too soon become middle-aged adolescents that think more like 15 year olds then the mature leaders we need to lead the Church. One of the biggest problems with the Church, as well as many of our political leaders, is the fact they are from the generation of Jerry Garcia and Bob Marley, or the children of that generation, and apparently have either smoked too much of the wrong stuff or spend too many lonely nights sitting around the parsonage drinking mushroom tea and listening to the Grateful Dead…. Without God’s grace soon the American Church will be, maybe not too grateful, but dead as many of our Bishop’s brains…

  • Today 10:12 PM EST Posted by: JJF | Story:

    More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes plants grow better.

  • Today 10:06 PM EST Posted by: Randal Mandock | Story:

    Good review. The concluding paragraphs are especially insightful and spot on.

  • Feb. 02, 2012 9:35 PM EST Posted by: wolfdavef3415 | Story:

    “For far too long, too many Catholic officials have feigned illnesses and memory lapses' (sic) to avoid facing tough questions, in open court, under oath,”

    Open mouth, insert foot. Oops, I mean hoof.

  • Feb. 02, 2012 9:05 PM EST Posted by: jimgrum697380 | Story:

    February 1 is the traditional feast day of St. Ignatius of Antioch in the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy. The Gradual comes from the Book of Ecclesiases 44:16-20- "Behold, a great priest, who in his days pleased God. There was not any found like to him, who kept the law of the Most High."

  • Feb. 02, 2012 9:01 PM EST Posted by: lauriem5377 | Story:

    I will be praying during February for Our Holy Father's prayer intentions for February: Access to Water: That all peoples may have access to water and other resources needed for daily life. Health Workers: That the Lord may sustain the efforts of health workers assisting the sick and elderly in the world’s poorest regions. I am also willing to pray and fast regarding the food insecurity (hunger and starvation)that affects much of the world. I will just leave out the climate change part.

  • Feb. 02, 2012 8:56 PM EST Posted by: Leferink557202 | Story:

    Call me naive, but in fairness to the bishops these sort of things are programmed months, if not years, in advance. So while the timing of this may be rather bad, this could have been thought up months ago. Now, the premise that it should be done with regard to "food insecurity...intensified by climate change" does leave me scratching my head.