Worth Reading General Worth Assembly #1089 Fort Worth, Texas Newsletter for June 2018 Faithful Navigator’s Compass Hello Brother Knights: On Saturday, May 19, 2018, Jonathan Michael Demma and Maurice Lawrence Moon were ordained by Bishop Michael Olson at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We should be proud that we were able to support our seminarians who are now priests. On that same Saturday, Reverend Jonathan Michael Demma celebrated his first mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton’s Catholic Church. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend I did however attend Reverend Maurice Lawrence Moon’s first mass at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Lindsey, Texas on Sunday, May 20, 2018. I am happy to report that we had a strong showing of Knights with the District Master Pat Conway leading our honor guard. My prayer is that we are able to have all of our future seminarians go on to become priests. I would also like to congratulate SK George Webster with an Honorary 4th Degree Life Membership. He is the the Fort Worth Diocese Wheelchair Chairman and is very active with his council. On a second note I look forward to our Officer’s Installation in June and I am excited to take on my new role and responsibilities. God Bless, SK Adrian Romero, FN Captain’s Corner In my final Captain’s Corner I want to thank SK Alvin Melman for stepping up to fill the vacancy left in the Officers rotation by SK John Achtyl stepping up to fill the Comptroller vacancy created when SK David Siebold moved to San Antonio. Alvin recently returned to General Worth Assembly along with several other Sir Knights who also returned this year after they all helped with the formation and growth of other Assemblies in our Diocese. Alvin also served many years as District Marshall for the Color Corp. Those other returning Faithful Sir Knights include Former District Master SK Mark Hesselgrave, SK Al (Obie) Obregon, and Deacon SK Lonnie Weaver. Along with Alvin, these are all making a valuable contribution to our Assembly. In fact, Obie filled in as the One-Year Trustee this year when that office became vacant. Faithful Navigator SK Adrian Romero filled you in on the Election of Officers in his Navigator’s Compass, so the next Event on the Calendar is the Installation of Officers and Awards Banquet which is coming up soon, Friday, June 8th, to be held at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in the Parish Hall. Those who attended the Christmas Banquet at St. Patrick Cathedral really enjoyed the delicious buffet served by Luby’s Catering, that is all except for those who ordered the Roasted Top Sirloin of Beef, which was much too dry and tough. So for this Installation Dinner we will have Angus Chopped Steak with Steakhouse Onions for the Beef Choice. The Agenda will be: 7:00PM Socializing/Happy Hour with Beer, Wine, Iced Tea, Water 7:30PM Installation of Officers 8:00PM Dinner Served 8:30PM Awards Presentation The Dinner will include: Entrées: Angus Chopped Steak with Steakhouse Onions Roasted Turkey Breast Chicken Cordon Bleu Choice of Two Vegetables from Selection of Three: Green Bean Casserole Seasoned New Potatoes Roasted Mixed Vegetables Salad & Bread Choice of Desert from Cobblers & Pies Please RSVP me by Sunday, June 2nd with your Entrée Selections and Count. [email protected] or Text to: 817-307-2742 May God richly bless all of you! SK Ron Harris Faithful Captain Pope Francis shocks when he reportedly tells gay man: ‘God made you like this’ (this story originally appeared on May 21) Pope Francis stirred some controversy after he reportedly told a homosexual man, who was previously abused by an infamous Chilean priest, that God accepts his decision to live as a gay man. What happened? Juan Carlos Cruz, who according to The Guardian spoke with the pope about two weeks ago, said the issue of his sexuality arose because some priests in Latin America have sought to disparage his character, some accusing him of lying about the abuse and others accusing him of being a pervert. “He told me, ‘Juan Carlos, that you are gay does not matter. God made you like this and loves you like this and I don’t care. The pope loves you like this. You have to be happy with who you are,” Cruz reportedly told El País, a Spanish newspaper. The Vatican, which by tradition does not comment on the pope’s private conversations, did not confirm or deny the characterization of Cruz’s account. And despite Catholic teaching maintaining that homosexuality is a sin, Francis has previously made controversial comments on the issue. He famously said in 2013 that there is no problem with gay priests. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” the pope said at the time. “They shouldn’t be marginalized. The tendency (to be homosexual) is not the problem.” What does traditional Christian teaching say about homosexuality? Despite progressive politics, orthodox Christian teaching has long maintained that homosexuality is a sin that separates men and women from a wholesome relationship with God. As with any sin, traditional teaching says that Christians should die to themselves and their selfish desires and rid any sin from their lives. Paul maintained several times through his letters that humans should abstain from homosexuality — as they should with any sexual immorality — while Jesus affirmed the Genesis 2 picture of marriage between one man and one woman together as “one flesh” when questioned as detailed in Matthew 19. Pope to China Catholics: Make gestures showing communion (this story originally appeared on May 23) VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis urged Chinese Catholics on Wednesday to show they are in full communion with the Holy See, amid what appears to be another stall in the Vatican's longstanding attempts to reach a deal with Beijing over bishop nominations. Francis made the comments during his general audience, noting that many Chinese Catholics will be marking a feast day dedicated to the Virgin Mary this week in Sheshan, near Shanghai. Francis prayed that all Chinese faithful "can live their faith with generosity and serenity, and can make gestures of fraternity, harmony and reconciliation in full communion" with the pope. China's estimated 12 million Catholics are split between those belonging to the government-backed Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and an underground church loyal to the pope. These underground priests and parishioners are frequently detained and harassed. Francis — and before him Pope Benedict XVI — have tried to unite the two communities, and in recent months Vatican officials had expressed hope that a deal to resolve the key stumbling block to reconciliation was nearing completion. Under the deal, the Vatican would recognize seven bishops not chosen by the pope who have been appointed over the years by Beijing, and two underground bishops named by the pope would step aside. Going forward, the pope would have effective veto power over Beijing-nominated bishops, according to a Vatican official familiar with the talks. But since the beginning of the year when word first emerged that an agreement was near, China appears to have hardened its position. In February, the government introduced new regulations on religious affairs and has hardened attitudes toward any organization outside the direct control of the Communist Party. Supporters say the Vatican-pushed deal would help the Holy See achieve its years-long goal of bringing all of China's Catholics ostensibly under the pope's wing. Critics say the deal is selling out China's long-suffering underground Catholics to an authoritarian regime. The Vatican has denied the negotiations are a sell-out and has insisted that it should be possible to work out the contours of a Christian presence in China even within Beijing's insistence of a "Sinicized" Catholic Church. Pope Francis names 14 new cardinals from five continents (this story originally appeared on May 20) VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday he would elevate 14 churchmen from five continents to the rank of cardinal, picking candidates who work with the poor or where Catholics are in a minority and putting his stamp on the group that will elect his successor. Making the surprise announcement during his weekly Sunday address, the pope said the new cardinals came from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Iraq, Pakistan, Japan, Madagascar, Peru, Mexico and Bolivia. They will be given their traditional red hats at a ceremony known as a consistory on June 29. Eleven of the group are under 80, the age limit for entering the secret conclave that will be called to elect a new pope once Francis dies or retires. These new appointments will bring the number of so-called elector cardinals to 125, five more than the limit of 120 established by Pope Paul VI for a conclave. Francis will have named almost half of the group since becoming pontiff in 2013. It will be Francis's fifth consistory and he has used each occasion to show support for the Church where Catholics are in a tiny minority, in this case Iraq, Pakistan and Japan. Christians in Iraq and Pakistan have faced death and discrimination in recent years, something Francis has repeatedly railed against, and by elevating prelates from those two nations he is sending a strong message of support to local churches. Underscoring his focus on the poor, Francis promoted Poland's Konrad Krajewski, who is the head of the Vatican alms office that has overseen numerous efforts to help the homeless in Rome, including setting up showers near St.