This column gives more background about the Mepham High School rape case-it was already known that the principal and head dumb jock, er, I mean coach, knew at least one of the animals on the football team was violent before the camping trip. And yet nothing was done to prevent this monster from going on the overnight trip. Is this the same football player who was suspended for behavioral problems before the trip? Why hasn't the principal or coach been fired yet????? You would think after Columbine High School, another situation involving violent dumb jocks, that so called authorities would take more steps to fight the bad people in schools.

From the email about Mel Gibson's Passion, now called Passion of Christ:

Thanks to the many supporters of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ"!

Visit our websites for the latest news articles and FAQ's for Mel Gibson's film. In effort to reach even more people, the website has now also been translated into Portuguese and Russian, with even more languages coming soon.

Here are just a few news items we wanted to mention:

1) The official title of the movie has changed to "The Passion of Christ".

2) Although the film is still struggling for a distribitur, the goal is to release the film in US theaters on February 25, 2004. (Hopefully, we will not have to wait much longer).

3) We had previously stated on our website that "James Horner" was the composer for the film's soundtrack. He is NOT, and we apologize for this mis-information. On a related note, it is rumored that the lead singer of the pop rock group, The Cranberries, is singing a song in Latin for the soundtrack.

As many of you know, the film still struggles to get a US distributor for the film, but there are some prospects. (Please see the NEWS section of the website for more details). Your support continues to be outstanding. Just in the past month, there has been an overwhelming response of supporters. We wish to share with you how your support is beneficial. The following link will show you the popular areas of interest based on the information you provide us on the website. This information could prove to be useful to those considering distributing the film. In particular, note the increased areas of concentration in just the past month:

http://www.passion-movie.com/promote/index.html

When a certain area has a high concentration of interest, there is an increased likelihood that "The Passion of Christ" will be shown in theaters in that area. Distributors are meeting with Icon Productions in the following weeks and months, so you and your friends' support is crucial at this time.

Also, many of you have asked if there are more ways to promote Mel Gibson's "The Passion of Christ". Simply talking to others about the movie helps. You can pray that the film be made available to those who want to see it and that it touches the hearts of its' viewers. Also, if you know of anyone who would be interested in this movie, please let them know about it and ask them to visit the website.

We have received many requests that we adjust our online petition, the "Support Passion" section, so that people can sign the petition without an email address. We have made this adjustment. Now, when you sign the petition, simply UNCHECK the box that says "Please send me news and announcements" and you can sign the petition without an email address. This is especially helpful for those who have circulated a petition and collected names without email addresses. Those names can now be submitted to us on our petition:

http://www.passion-movie.com/english/support.html

For those who have e-newsletters or a website with an audience that would have an interest in the movie, we have provided text and images that you can use to link to our website:

http://www.passion-movie.com/promote/banner.html

The New York Post editorial section is worth the price of the paper. The rest of the paper is tabloid sleeze. Today I was able to read 3 great columns-

George F. Will on the irrelevant Episcopal Church in America

Michelle Malkin on how a NY Times writer described Bobby Jindal, candidate for Louisiana governor and pro-lifer, as "dark skinned".

Maggie Gallagher on Pope John Paul the Great's 25 years, the best writing on this I have seen. Favorite part:

"Both here and abroad, hopes for a new Catholic Church dedicated to contraception, abortion, divorce, homosexuality and female priests were cruelly dashed. After 25 years, what has also been dashed is the myth that these steps represent irresistible "progress." We have seen the future, and it is not Episcopalian. "

Eve Tushnet linked to this great news about Peanuts. ALL the comic strips will be printed in books over the next 12 1/2 years in chronological order! I was an avid collector of Peanuts comic books when I was a kid, actually I still have all the books in my closet. Peanuts is still the best cartoon series ever, the only ones to come close was Bloom County and of course Calvin and Hobbes.

I was so offended by yesterday's reading at Mass. Our parish obviously does not use gender-neutral texts. Therefore I have rewritten the selection from the Book of Wisdom so it is gender neutral:

Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.

I preferred Wisdom to scepter and throne, And deemed riches nothing in comparison with him/her/it,

nor did I liken any priceless gem to Wisdom; Because all gold, in view of Wisdom, is a little sand, and before Wisdom, silver is to be accounted mire.

Beyond health and comeliness I loved him/her/it, And I chose to have Wisdom rather than the light, because the splendor of Wisdom never yields to sleep.

Yet all good things together came to me in Wisdom's company, and countless riches at Wisdom's hands;

And I rejoiced in them all, because Wisdom is their leader, though I had not known that Wisdom is the parental unit of these.

Simply I learned about Wisdom, and ungrudgingly do I share- Wisdom's riches I do not hide away


I am sure that ICEL would be proud.

WooHoo!! It's Monday morning and I am not at work. Thank you Christopher Columbus.

Today's Newsday has an article from Bob Keeler on the Pope's Legacy. At least that is what the title suggests the article is about. It is actually another forum for Keeler, a rigidly liberal Catholic, to spout his anger and hate for the Pope who refuses to get with the times and do whatever Keeler and his ilk want. Like most older dissenters, Keeler is bitter about the Church not changing to become the great social services agency he wants it to be. This is why he is on the Newsday editorial board, so they can use him as their token Catholic to push their agenda. This is the same writer who uses his space in Newsday to call for lay people to give the "sermons" at Mass. Also the same writer who was personal friends with one of the child molesting priests removed from ministry here by Bishop Murphy. He is nothing more than Newsday's water boy who pushes their anti-Catholic agenda for them.

This is sad. In searching for info on Reiki and the Eastern Orthodox, I found the website of the Evensong by the Sea retreat center. Check out their staff- former priests who just can't give it up entirely. Former Fr. Jim is "a member of CORPUS, an association for an inclusive priesthood, the Women's Ordination Conference, and Call to Action". This is where false teachings and faulty theology lead to, people who are outside the Church but still clinging to the shell of its spirituality and traditions.

I received an email that asks "Is REIKI considered an occult practice, or demonology, in the Eastern Orthodox Church?". I have no idea, and could not find anything on the internet. Does anyone know?