Per Christum

Areas of the world where Christians face persecution include:

In this happy time of Easter week let us not forget that in the countries listed above being a Christian can be an especially difficult task. Please join me in offering prayers.

Saint Stephen, first martyr, pray for us!

from www.vatican.va: “The Servant of God Fr Emilian Kovch was born on 20 August 1884, near Kosiv. In 1911, after graduating from the College of Sts Sergius and Bacchus in Rome, he was ordained to the priesthood. In the spring of 1943, he was arrested by the Gestapo for aiding Jews. On 25 March 1944 he was burned to death in the ovens of the Majdanek Nazi death camp. On 9 September 1999 he was honoured with the title “Righteous Ukrainian” by the Jewish Council of Ukraine.”

Blessed Metod Dominik Trčka, 1886-1959

Succumbed to pneumonia on this date back in 1959 in a Czechoslovakian prison. Illness was contracted when confined to solitary confinement as punishment for singing a Christmas carol. See also my favorite photo of him - Blessed Metod Dominik Trčka in a horse-drawn cart.

Blessed Metod, pray for us!

Blessed Miguel Gómez Loza, 1888-1928
Martyr of Mexico

I met a gentlemen on Paltalk last night who said he was an Iraqi Christian who was now living in the US. He sent me a link to this video being hosted by the Religious Freedom Coalition (a group I know nothing about) that they say was produced by the Chaldean Church in Beirut, Lebanon. I told the gentleman I would watch it and then post a link to it here on Per Christum.

I often suffer from “compassion fatigue” due to the 24-hour news coverage and discussion in the blogosphere of all the violence and atrocities in our world. The senselessness and cruelty of events like the tragic kidnapping and death of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho and persecution of our brothers and sisters have left me feeling sort of numb and distant. Watching the stories of the families in this video has helped break through some of that fog.

The man who gave me the link said he still has family in Iraq who are in harms way because they name the name of Christ. Please pray for them.

Kidnapped Chaldean Catholic Bishop Dead In Iraq

“Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Catholic archbishop in Iraq who was kidnapped last month, has been found dead near the northern city of Mosul. “

 God grant rest to your servant!

That was mighty nice of ‘em! Maybe if I write to the authorities in Ukraine, they will sell me my dog and my car and my TV… At a fair price I am sure!

(http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;21058) Trans-Carpathian Region— Head of the Trans-Carpathian Greek Catholic Diocese, Bishop Milan (Shashik) celebrated on 14 February 2008 a thanksgiving hierarchical liturgy in the Church of Assumption of the town of Tiachiv, which was returned to Greek Catholics after many years of court proceedings, reports Orthodoxy in Ukraine internet edition in reference to a story by the Mukachevo.net agency.In order to regain their church built by their forefathers, the Greek Catholics agreed to pay 500 000 UAH (100,000 USD) to the Orthodox. The money was gathered from throughout areas under jurisdiction of the Tiachiv Deanery. Many of the faithful even took out loans to be able to raise large amounts in a short time. Bishop Milan thanked the faithful for their love for the Church and the beneficence they showed.

H/T: Byzantine, TX

Saint Marco Chong, 1794-1866
Martyr Of Korea

The Russian Orthodox Church in Communion with Rome was a rather small body that existed openly for only a few decades just before and after the Bloshevik Revolution. Totally drive underground, there are today just a handful of Russian Orthodox parishes that have made their desire for communion with Rome known, and gone under the omophor of the Latin ordinaries in Russia.

I for one would very much like to see the restoration of an exarch (bishop) for them, but at this time the Vaticak Ostpolitik is such that appeasing the Patriarch of Moscow is the order of the day. The Patriarch who rails against the presence of Latin bishops who serve diocese that serve the 600,000 Latin Catholics who are descendents of the 3 million Catholics found in the Russian empire before the Revolution.

(My thoughts on +++ALEKSY II another day - for now it will suffice to say he would do well to remember who built St. Catherines RC Church in Moscow…)

Blessed Leonid, pray for us.

Please Pray!

Chaldean Bishop Paulos Faraj Rahho Kidnapped In Iraq

Mosul, 29 Feb. (AKI) - Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean bishop of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul was kidnapped on Friday after he finished celebrating the rite of the Via Crucis at a local church. Eyewitnesses said that a group of armed men stopped the bishop as he was travelling in his car and took him by force.

H/T: Dhimmi Watch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Patron of Polish Scouts
Born January 22, 1913(1913-01-22)Chełmża, German Empire
Died February 23, 1945 (aged 32)Dachau concentration camp

Blessed Stefan Wincenty Frelichowski (b. January 22, 1913 in Chełmża - February 23, 1945 in Dachau) was a Polish priest, scout and is patron of Polish Scouts. Arrested by the Gestapo on October 18, 1939 he was imprisoned in the German concentration camps Stutthof, Grenzdorf, Sachsenhausen and Dachau where he died.

An excellent day to pray to end abortion and read the psalms. Of course, what day isn’t?

And…
King David
Blessed Gerardo Cagnoli (Franciscan, 13th century)

Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War
Blessed Enrique Juan Requena
Blessed Juan Bautista Ferreres Boluda
Blessed José Perpina Nacher
Blessed Josè Aparicio Sanz

Martyrs from England
Saint Thomas Becket
Blessed William Howard Viscout of Stafford

Happy name day, Davids B & Z! You too Juan B!
Looking still for an image of Our Venerable Father Marcellus, Hegumen of the Akimetes!

Mike Huckabee to speak at strongly anti-Catholic preacher’s church

SAN ANTONIO, TX, Dec 20, 2007 (CNA) .- The Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, has been garnering attention in the media with his surge in political polls.

However, a campaign stop this Sunday by Huckabee at a mega-church whose pastor sees Hitler as linked to the Catholic Church, could soon steal the spotlight. According to Mike Huckabee’s campaign website, the controversial stop at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas will take place this Sunday, December 23. He will speak at the church’s two Sunday services at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. (Read all)

(real quick) For the record:

* I am NOT stumping for a candidate or against a candidate on this blog…

* I don’t have strong opinions about any of them at this time… (except I don’t really like anyone so far)…

* David B owns this blog and can set the policy that he pleases - we haven’t talked about it. BUT, for me and my posts (over which I have comment control) ANY and ALL political stumping and pro- or anti-candidate comments will be deleted. Why? Because at last count there are 21,456,367+ blogs and forums to talk about that, not in my posts please. I am tired of election 2008 already.

SO, why am I posting this? Well it is a word to the wise - advice offered to all candidates (from county dog warden to Oval Office hopefuls) equally, free of charge, take it or leave it.

First Amendment rights being what they are, you are free to speak to anyone, and I am a fan of speaking to everyone. Further I don’t expect every non-Catholic to agree with the Church. I rather expect some, by force of their convictions to be very vocal about not agreeing with the Catholic Faith, and would expect them to speak out in contradistinction and support their freedom to do so.

But choose your venues wisely. If and when you choose to address folks like Rev. Hagee’s flock, you may consider doing outside that venue. No matter your political leanings, your personal sensibilities, or religious convictions, when you stand before the congregation of a leader so rabbidly anti-Catholic, we take note.

And we remember.

Canadian priest-politician opposes pro-life bill

Catholic Activist “Banned for life” From Publicly Criticising Homosexuality

Anti-Catholic Gay Activist James Loney to Speak at Winnipeg Catholic Social Justice Conference

In Canada You Get Charged for Killing an Unborn Fawn, but Not an Unborn Human Being

Blessed Brother Andre Bessette, pray for us.

What’s going on up there? Don’t make me come up there, Canada!