TIA,

Sister Donna Quinn - who you recently showed escorting women at abortion clinics - said that the defeat in the Senate of the pro-life Nelson amendment on the feast of the Immaculate Conception was "providential" and that Mary was the first woman in the bible to express "choice."

On the day the church honors the Immaculate Conception, the pro-choice activist "nun" sent a thank you note to those who lobbied their senators to vote against the Nelson-Hatch Amendment, which lost in a 54-45 Senate vote earlier today.

"The Amendment lost today but now the work will be to take this Bill and come out with the same good news when the Senate and House work together," Quinn said. Citing a poem about the Virgin Mary, Quinn noted the providential date of the amendment's defeat.

"I was reminded of being with men and women from the Unitarian faith tradition last year as they celebrated Mary who by her [ascent], they believed, was one of the first women in the New Testament to express Choice," Quinn said.

This is so wrong and on our Dear Blessed Mother's Feast.

     In Our Lady,

     P.J.

Dear TIA,

As an Italian married to a German, I must say that the piece on Silent Night is so very beautiful even I am (almost) silenced. For us it is almost perfect!

What a lovely Catholic appreciation of diversity to crush the false God of "diversity" as known in today's world. I wish everyone could have a teacher like Professor Plinio. Most thankfully, TIA is the next best thing!

     In Jesu et Maria,

     P.D.

Dear TIA,

I as a Catholic have always been taught by my Family that hanging a Rosary that has been properly blessed on the rear view mirror is a big no-no. I have tried to explain this to other Catholics unsuccessfully sometimes and have come across this canon:

Can. 1171: Sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons.

However, I had given my wife my childhood Rosary as she was pregnant with our son Gregory. She was shipped off to Hawaii under PCS orders (US ARMY) and I had to stay behind and wait for her to get orders for the Family. While there, we lost our child Gregory due to her command unfortunately, and she now has anxiety and other problems.

I noticed that she hung the Rosary I gave her on the rear view mirror of her car and I became upset and took it down. We inadvertently got into an argument, and she made it known to me that having the Rosary there gave her comfort and security while driving.

My question is, is it okay for her to do that?

Thanks in advance.

     Sincerely,

     J.R.



TIA responds:

Dear Mr. J.R.,

Thank you for your consideration in sending us your question.

We believe that the canon you quoted directly refers to objects used in the worship of God - that is, the Mass - such as blessed chalices, patens, monstrances, and altar linens that touch the Eucharist. Also included are other objects of worship related to the Mass such as altar stones, sacred books, priest vestments, flower vases, candlesticks, thuribles, and bells that announce the parts of the Mass to the faithful.

It seems to us that a lesser degree of reverence should be given to those objects related to the chant of Divine Office, such as the Liber Usualis, the choir stalls, and the organ.

By extension, deserving of respect are those objects that have to do with administering the Sacraments, such as the Baptismal font, the shell or vessel used to pour water during Baptism, the confessional, one's First Communion candle, marriage rings, the sacred oils to administer Confirmation and Extreme Unction.

However, when it comes to the Sacramentals not linked to the Sacraments that are given principally for the benefit of the faithful, reverence for them must be tempered in accordance with their different purposes.

The Rosary is this type of sacramental and, as such, is not included among the objects referred to in the mentioned canon - even though it is blessed and deserves respect.

The use made by the faithful of blessed objects such as rosaries, medals, scapulars, and other such holy items has a triple aim: they are manifestation of devotion, objects that bring a blessing for the person, and a protection against natural disasters, accidents and temptations of the Devil.

One example in this genre is the use of the Miraculous Medal, recommended by the Church to be worn by anyone who wants to be protected in this life and save his soul in the next. Often a person can be perspiring during some hard manual labor, his clothes are dirty, and he is not even thinking about the medal he wears or what it represents. Should he take the medal off to show respect for it? No, absolutely not. He should always wear the medal to protect himself.

If a person has problems with this kind of usage, he needs to realize that these objects of devotion are also shields and weapons of war against evil and the Devil. The different aims harmonize.

Something similar happens with the use of the Rosary. Besides its practical end of helping us to pray the 15 decades, it offers a supernatural protection against the Devil, who struggles to ensnare our souls but fears Our Lady.

If you lived in an area with large populations of Mexicans and Filipinos - as we do in Los Angeles - you would see many Rosaries hanging on the rear-view mirrors of cars. It is a common practice of persons seeking the protection of Our Lady.

Further, it is an open statement that one is a Catholic, which can be an antidote against human respect and relativism in the neo-pagan atmosphere of our modern world.

Without advocating that everyone should have a Rosary on the rear-view mirror of his car, our advice is to let your wife have hers. She may do so if this brings her some spiritual comfort.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

Follow us

  The Abortion Nun of Illinois

  How Silent Night Reflects the German Mentality

  Don't Forget Sacramentals - Aids to the Spiritual Life

  The Rosary: A Weapon for Our Days

  Praying the Fifteen Decades of the Rosary