My open tabs: No, it's not Pride Month; Covid shots in the time of MAHA; Ad Orientem worship isn't what you might think it is

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How about a tour of my open tabs?

June is upon us and I do think people are waking up to the insanity of a small number of mentally ill, perverted activists forcing their deadly sin on our eyes — and most importantly, on the eyes of our children.

The culture of venerating anti-saints is losing its grip

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Orders Navy to Strip Name of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk from Ship

PLEASE NOTE THE USE OF THE WORD ICON in the headline!!

Phil and I discuss the real meaning of this word and how it relates to Pride Month in our podcast this week, coming out tomorrow. Don’t miss it!

But for now, let’s just revisit the intolerability of our overlords naming a military vessel after a gay activist who groomed and abused boys. He was “less than honorably discharged” because… well… should be clear why.

The renaming, according to a memorandum from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy is “being done so that there is "alignment with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture…"

A worthy goal!

“The official also said that the timing of the announcement -- occurring during Pride month -- was intentional.”

In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, the replenishment oiler Harvey Milk conducts a replenishment at sea in the Atlantic Ocean on Dec. 13, 2024. (MC2 Maxwell Orlosky/U.S. Navy via AP)

James Martin SJ is NOT OKAY with less gayness

Not everyone has gotten the message that decent people are done having their speech and actions policed by the gender ideology monolith. Fr. James Martin, SJ, has a piece on a site called Outreach in which he urges Catholics to celebrate Pride Month.

Continuing the decades-long, obviously false portrayal of LGBT activists as victims, ignoring their power to change the color of crosswalks and flags displayed officially, to change curricula in public and private institutions, to invade all levels of government, and to punish (with social pressure and often statutorily as well) those who do not step in line, Martin makes his appeal:

… complaints about the use of the word “pride” never seem to apply to other groups. People often say, “I’m proud to be an American” on the Fourth of July. Or they wear buttons that say “Proud to be Irish” on St. Patrick’s Day. Or when something wonderful happens in the church they tell their friends, “I’m so proud to be Catholic.” Few people object to that or would describe that as vanity. People generally understand the kind of pride that these people are talking about.

Maybe James Martin needs to hear that we are no longer going to accept equating being American, Irish, or Catholic with being a sodomite, nor do we wish our children to be subjected to the depravities of those who seek — and have achieved — political power by glorifying their emotional imbalance and even by mutilating and sterilizing them.

Martin flirts with blasphemy:

Another objection is marking Pride Month during the same month that Catholics celebrate the Month of the Sacred Heart. But, as I see it, the two are complementary, not contradictory. The Sacred Heart teaches us how Jesus loves; Pride Month reminds us whom Jesus invite us to love today.

He then goes on to say:

Maybe the best way to think about Pride Month is to imagine what you would say to a young person who finally summoned up the courage to tell you that they are LGBTQ. You know that God created them. You know that God loves them. And you know that God wants them to be who they are. So, you would probably say, “I am so proud of you for being able to say that.”

No, I would not say that.

I would say “I’m sorry you are suffering and that your suffering has been met with an attempt to claim your identity. Let’s get you help, the help that wolves in pastors’ clothing like James Martin SJ have been hiding from you for their own gain.”

Because let’s state the obvious: James Martin SJ has a pretty nice gig going around amplifying gender ideology.

Well, his days are numbered:

Where do we stand on Covid vaccines in the era of MAHA?

I recommend The Brownstone Institute for thoughtful discussion on policy matters, especially regarding coronavirus and lockdown issues.

This article is a good one. It’s not too long and it explains an important concept about testing: Covid-19 Vaccine Reform Is Moving Slower Than Many Had Hoped

You might hear “oh, the shots are tested” — but what kind of testing have they undergone?

So yes, by that standard [immunobridging data], mNEXSPIKE® fits the rules.

But it doesn’t erase the discomfort. Because for years, Prasad insisted those very shortcuts—approving Covid vaccines based on antibody levels instead of clinical outcomes—were scientifically flimsy.

Now, under his watch, those same shortcuts are back in play.

This isn’t just about Covid anymore. The pharmaceutical industry has poured billions into mRNA vaccines for RSV, flu, HIV, cancer, and more. Entire product pipelines are now staked on the assumption that the technology is here to stay.

Personally, I have not taken and will not take any shots. I hope you don’t either. But the important thing is to be informed before you let anyone inject anything into your body.

Ad Orientem Worship and the reason we forget the Second Coming

After the bishop of Charlotte, NC, did his impression of a Vatican II bull in a Traditional Latin Mass china shop, the question of ad orientem worship has been getting more attention.

It’s my observation that many do not understand the real reason for the priest to have the posture during worship of facing the East (or where the church is not oriented, facing the crucifix above the tabernacle.

Those who are against it simply say, “it’s so basically antisocial for him to have his back to the people.” Their view is that worship is primarily a community event in which we share fellowship and gather around the Eucharist on the supper-table-like altar.

Those who are for it often say, “The priest should face the tabernacle and lead the people in prayer and worship, the way a general leads his troops into battle. The tabernacle [which in their image is placed in the center of the church above the high altar, as it should be] is where the Eucharistic Lord dwells.”

But actually, the ad orientem posture is because of those few often-overlooked words in Scripture:

They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (NRSV)

…will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven…

We are now in that time when we are, liturgically, pondering the Ascension. People are suffering because we have forgotten the Second Coming. That forgetfulness is directly related to the virtual elimination of ad orientem worship and the lifting of our eyes and hearts above the world we inhabit, towards the heavens.

I wrote about it here.

Anyway, Bishop Martin has apparently gotten a phone call, and will now wait for October 2*, the original date set by his predecessor for deciding what to do about Traditionis Custodis, Pope Francis’s unjust directive on worship in the Extraordinary Form. I hope and pray that this gives the people of Charlotte time to be rescued by Pope Leo!

*That date is the feast of the Guardian Angels, so more reason for hope!

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