Stand Alone Pages on 'Musings of an Old Curmudgeon'

27 May 2022

Illuminate Our Lady's Basilica for Cardinal Gregory, President Biden, and Speaker Pelosi

What a brilliant idea! Please join my friend, Mr Dannebohm, and me in lighting candles with the intention of the conversion of Biden, Pelosi, and Cardinal Gregory.

From Memorare

By J. Basil Dannebohm

[Publisher's Note: I need your help to make this effort successful. Please consider sharing this letter with your family, friends, and faithful brothers and sisters who share a common concern for the wellbeing of souls. Share it on social media, email it, text somebody the link -- whatever it takes to get the message sent out far and wide. Be assured of my gratitude and unworthy prayers.]

25 May 2022

Vigil of the Ascension | Rogation Day

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ –

On Monday, May 2nd, 2022, a document from the Supreme Court was leaked. The document hinted that the highest court in the land was leaning toward sending the issue of abortion back to the states. For those of us who uphold the idea that limited government reflects a healthy democracy, this was refreshing news. Contrary to the hyped narrative, the document would not result in the complete end of abortion. Rather, the decision of whether or not abortion would be legal in each state would be left to their own respective governments. For the pro-life movement, such a document would prove to be a step in the right direction and reason for celebration, though there would still be work ahead, presumably state by state.

On Tuesday, May 3rd, 2002, President Joseph Biden made the following remarks:

“I believe that a woman's right to choose is fundamental. Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned. … At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe.”

That same day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made the following remarks:

"The Republican-appointed justices' reported votes to overturn Roe v Wade would go down as an abomination, one of the worst and most damaging decisions in modern history.”

 The next day, the Speaker said:

“The very idea that they would be telling women the size, timing or whatever of their family, the personal nature of this is so appalling, and I say that as a devout Catholic. They say to me, ‘Nancy Pelosi thinks she knows more about having babies than the Pope.’ Yes, I do. Are you stupid?”

Both President Biden and Speaker Pelosi claim to be “devoutly” Catholic. However, their statements regarding the sanctity of human life are absolutely contrary to Church teaching.

On May 20th, 2022, a letter was made public from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone to Speaker Nancy Pelosi reading in part:

“As you have not publicly repudiated your position on abortion and continue to refer to your Catholic faith in justifying your position and to receive Holy Communion, that time has now come. Therefore, in light of my responsibility as the Archbishop of San Francisco to be ‘concerned for all the Christian faithful entrusted to [my] care’ (Code of Canon Law, can. 383, §1), by means of this communication, I am hereby notifying you that you are not to present yourself for Holy Communion and, should you do so, you are not to be admitted to Holy Communion, until such time as you publicly repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and receive absolution of this grave sin in the sacrament of Penance.”


Speaker Pelosi has defied this request.

On Sunday, May 22nd, 2022, Speaker Pelosi received Holy Communion during the 9:00am mass at Holy Trinity, a Jesuit-run parish in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood – the same parish at which President Biden regularly attends mass. The parish has previously issued a statement that said in part:

“As the Holy Trinity Parish Council, we stand with our Archbishop, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, concerning the issues surrounding offering the Eucharist to American politicians."

On Monday, May 23rd, 2022, a member of the Communications Department for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC informed the Washington Examiner:

“We have not been responding to inquiries on this topic because Cardinal Gregory's position has not changed from what he has said in the past,” the follow-up email stated. “Cardinal Gregory has no new comment about the issue of Catholic politicians receiving Communion. The actions of Archbishop Cordileone are his decision to make in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Cardinal Gregory has not instructed the priests of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington to refuse Communion to anyone.”

This response is most unfortunate given that Cardinal Gregory sponsored an event outside the White House to protest the death of George Floyd but has nothing to say about the fact that in New York City alone, thousands more African American babies are aborted each year than born alive.

On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Speaker Pelosi responded publicly to the letter she received from Archbishop Cordileone saying, that while she “respect[s]” the views of those who oppose abortion, she doesn’t respect people, including her archbishop, “foisting” those views “onto others.”

The situation that has unfolded since the beginning of the month is certainly a call for prayer. The situation regarding the souls of Cardinal Gregory, President Biden, and Speaker Pelosi is dire.

Our Lady of Fatima shared with the three child seers that many souls go to hell because they have no one to pray or make sacrifices for them. Sister Lucia described the vision of hell that Our Lady showed the children at Fatima:

“She opened Her hands once more, as She had done the two previous months. The rays [of light] appeared to penetrate the earth, and we saw, as it were, a vast sea of fire. Plunged in this fire, we saw the demons and the souls [of the damned]. The latter were like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, having human forms. They were floating about in that conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames which issued from within themselves, together with great clouds of smoke. Now they fell back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fright (it must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me). The demons were distinguished [from the souls of the damned] by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals. That vision only lasted for a moment, thanks to our good Heavenly Mother, Who at the first apparition had promised to take us to Heaven. Without that, I think that we would have died of terror and fear.”

We know Our Lord desires that none of His children suffer the eternal torments of hell. Like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, He awaits with open arms to welcome back any lost soul who seeks His mercy.

Repentance. Out of grave concern for the wellbeing of their souls, this is my prayer for Cardinal Gregory, President Biden, and Speaker Pelosi. While their words and deeds are both sad and shocking, we must no less pray for these individuals. Indeed, as a layperson, and a "canceled Catholic" there is only one thing I can do: PRAY.

According to the website of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception:

“Lighting a candle for loved ones or the personal intentions we hold within our hearts, is a longstanding tradition in the Catholic Church. We invite you to join us in this faithful tradition by lighting a candle at Mary’s Shrine. Vigil candles burn in chapels and oratories throughout the upper and lower Church of the National Shrine. Each burning flame represents the faith of the supplicants and their fervent prayers entrusted to the Blessed Virgin Mary's loving intercession. We consider it an honor to light a vigil candle for you and pray for your intentions.”

An individual can have a candle lit for their intentions at the basilica for a suggested donation of $5.00.

Therefore, I am asking you to join me in illuminating the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. When you make your donation, there is a space in which you can type in your prayer intentions. In that space, I encourage you to type the following:

For His Eminence, Wilton, Cardinal Gregory, President Joseph Biden, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. That by lighting this candle, the Holy Spirit will illumine their hearts, leading them to sincere repentance, genuine reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist and a profound regard for sanctity of life.

Whether or not you agree with the views and opinions published on this website, it is my fervent hope that we can unite for the common good and illuminate the basilica with candles representing this prayer intention.

While I encourage you to join me in this endeavor, I also hope you will ask your own parish priests to offer mass for this intention. Finally, let’s each resolve to offer a rosary for the repentance of Cardinal Gregory, President Biden, and Speaker Pelosi.

Please consider sharing this letter with your family, friends, and faithful brothers and sisters who share a common concern for the wellbeing of souls.

When that moment comes that their hearts are changed, let us pray that through the ministry of the Church, God will give Cardinal Gregory, President Biden, and Speaker Pelosi pardon and peace and absolve them from their sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Pax et bonum.

J. Basil Dannebohm

Publisher, Memorare Media

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Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ (I know he's a material heretic and a Protector of Perverts, and I definitely want him gone yesterday! However, he is Pope, and I pray for him every day.), the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.