Christianity

Bill Donohue, President of Catholic League, Claims New York Times Makes "Malicious" Attack on OC's Worst Pedo-Priest

The ink hadn't even dried (or whatever the digital equivalent of that dead-tree era metaphor is) on author Daniel A. Olivas' moving New York Times op-ed piece on OC's worst-ever pedophile priest, Eleuterio Ramos, before Bill Donohue, the president of the long-irrelevant Catholic League, began compla ... More >>

OC Copts and Muslims Meet To Move Forward After Crazy Film

Leaders of Orange Couny's Coptic Christian and Muslim communities met yesterday evening at the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove to discuss the amateur (emphasis on the "amateur") video that is blamed for sparking violent protests across the Middle East, and how to move forward from i ... More >>

Rafael Venegas and Luis Jose Cuevas, Catholic Priests, Accused of Sex Crimes Against Females

At least this can be said of the pending charges against two Roman Catholic priests from Southern California parishes--including St. Athanasus Church of Long Beach: only one of the four accusers is a child and all are female. The latest case involves Father Rafael Venegas, who is accused of sexual b ... More >>

The OCeeker: St. Marina Coptic Orthodox Church and the Kiss That Missed

Something kinda holy just happened. If only the OCeeker could make sense of it. But that's the risk one takes when a sanctified savage lolligags into a liturgy where even the Almighty his own self can't break through the language barrier.   That said, a man will take a blessing in any tongu ... More >>

The OCeeker: Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses Orange Grove/Irvine and Skits to Trick the Heathen

Beware of extra books in the house o'God, ye heathen. If you find yourself in a reportedly Christian meeting and a Bible alone won't do, well, you better brace yourself for some spiritual chicanery. And don't look for devil horns and bared fangs, my sheeple. Nay, little flock. They come for you smil ... More >>

WWJD? Who Would Jesus Deport? Evangelical Leaders, Including a Santa Ana Preacher, Weigh In With Political Statement

More than 150 evangelical leaders, including one of our very own right here in Orange County, have signed on to a statement calling for what they say is a righteous solution to immigration reform. The "Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform" calls for a bipartisan policy that " ... More >>

The OCeeker: Tustin Meadows Ward and Hot Mormon Mommas, Flawed Characters

The OCeeker is not a well-endowed man. At least when it comes to sporting the sacred underwear into which members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints slip during the "Mormon Endowment", a purification and pledge ritual where Mormons dedicate themselves to the service of Heavenly Fath ... More >>

Why Does Rick Warren Need to Defend His Interfaith Efforts with Muslims?

​It's called interfaith: different religious groups converging to recognize their common values and bridge the gap of misunderstandings, usually accompanied by tea and cookies.But some groups have a difficult time doing it, unlike Saddleback Church, which is possibly the only evangelical gathering ... More >>

Is Mitt Romney Really Part-Mexican?

[¡Ask a Mexican!] And how popular is Mormonism among Mexicans?

Does the Vatican Think the Crystal Cathedral is Fugly?

​Sure, so Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown thinks he scored a coup by purchasing the Crystal Cathedral from the Schuller clan. But the move isn't being universally celebrated by conservative Catholics, many whom long derided the Crystal Cathedral as the antithesis of Catholic church beauty an ... More >>

Mormons: A Shallow Yet Helpful Guide to See If You Should Hate Them or Not

[UPDATED with Clarification:] Oscar D. Perez Perez, Iglesia Antigua Católica Bishop, Accused of Lewd Acts with Boys

​UPDATE, SEPT. 19, 2:15 P.M.: Bishop Oscar D. Perez Perez, who faces up to 60 years to life in state prison for alleged sex crimes involving two 11-year-old boys, met the victims though his Iglesia Antigua Católica congregation and not St. George's Parish of Laguna Hills.Iglesia Antigua Católica ... More >>

Locals Seek Support for Harassed Christians in Egypt and the Middle East

​As the attention of the world seems to have shifted to Libya (or Charlie Sheen), some locals would like the media light to shine on Christians who were struggling to survive in Egypt even before the Hosni Mubarak government collapsed."Three weeks ago, nine out of ten tweets I received were relate ... More >>

Priest Blesses Surf City Waves Sunday

​One day at band camp, this kid was shredding at Bolsa Chica when he slipped off his board and yelled, "Jesus Christ." So, it is not without precedence that a priest from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange will wade into the waters near Huntington Beach Pier Sunday morning to bless the waves.

Tod Brown's Own Private Idaho

The Orange bishop's track record of covering up for sexual misconduct by priests didn't start here

Bishop Tod Brown Asks Pope for Five More Years to Further Embarrass OC Diocese

Brownie: Just leave us be already!​The Catholic Church mandates that its bishops retire at age 75. Most bishops accept this rule, but those who don't must write a letter to the pope asking to postpone their retirement.It's the latter scenario that Orange County Catholics must face, as Diocese of O ... More >>

Forget Arresting the Pope--What About John Urell?

Urell: Wanted for crimes against humanity--one can only wish...​Sloppy drunkard Christopher Hitchens and wacky atheist Richard Dawkins made news recently because they want Pope Benedict XVI arrested when His Eminence visits Great Britain in September on account of the pontiff's pedo-protecting way ... More >>

Jaime Soto Gets Punked by Pope Benedict XVI!

Wonder if Soto is still smiling...​SO...the media is going gaga over the successor to Archdiocese of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony: Diocese of San Antonio Archbishop Jose Gomez, who's a pedo-protector himself. The Orange County Register did one of its classic county barometer pieces where it g ... More >>

Two More OC Connections to the Vatican's Current Pedophile Scandal

Trupia: How many boys in OC did he molest?​First in a three-part series this week on Orange County's connections to the "current" pedophilia scandal plaguing the Vatican. Nothing too earth-shattering--just connecting some dots--because I'm saving the good stuff for the near future. I'm warning you ... More >>

Another Local Boy Done Pedo-Priest Apologist Good: Cardinal William Levada

Levada: Brownie's pal in the Vatican...​As the world just barely begins to realize that the Catholic Church is infested from the bottom to the top with pedophile apologists, one name has come to the forefront besides Pope Benedict XVI: Cardinal William Levada.He's the Prefect of the Congregation o ... More >>

Breaking: Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown Announces Retirement; Pope Benedict XVI Picks OC Native as Replacement

Heckuva job, Brownie!​In a surprise announcement this morning, Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown announced he would retire at the end of the year."I have enjoyed my time in Orange County, but it is time to move on," the 73-year-old head of Orange County's 1.1 million Catholics announc ... More >>

More Proof OC Diocese's Covenant with the Faithful is a Sham

from Roman Catholic Blog...​Okay, okay, okay: to have ever put hope in the Covenant with the Faithful--a 2004 PR trick by Bishop Tod D. Brown of the Catholic Diocese of Orange that swore to create a more transparent group of pedo-priests and their apologists but cost the county faithful nearly hal ... More >>

Rev. Wiley Drake Prays for Obama's Death

Somehow, we here at Weekly HQ missed that the Rev. Wiley Drake of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park not only declared last week that the murder of Kansas abortion Dr. George Tiller had been the answer to his "imprecatory" prayers, but that the so-called Man of God later announced he'd mad ... More >>

So-Called "Anaheim Priestess" a Big, Loony Fraud

LeeThe American media is abuzz and aTwittering with reports about how an Anaheim woman who calls herself the Rev. Brenda Lee was removed from LAX this morning after she tried to give President Barack Obama a letter about her opposition to gay marriage. All reported she calls herself a Catholic pries ... More >>

Reminder: Pedo-Priest Apologists to be Honored This Friday at Mission SJC

Just a reminder to folks that this Friday evening, at Mission San Juan Capistrano's Basilica, Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown will bestow some of his nearest and dearest pedo-priest apologists with papal honors, a ceremony that proves Pope Benedict XVI is still clueless about too much and that Brown and ... More >>

'Angels & Demons' Is Holy Crap, But Not Entirely Un-Fun

Chapman Law Dean Shifts From One Controversy to Another

Photo by Christopher VictorioJohn C. Eastman (right) listens as John Yoo debates at Chapman last month.The last time you read a Navel Gazing post that mentioned John C. Eastman, dean of Chapman University's School of Law, it was in reference to him teaming with the university's visiting law professo ... More >>

A Look at the Orange Diocese's Previous Head Aztlanistas

Why is this man smiling?I wish I could say it is an April Fools' joke that the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association is going through with its reception for newly ordained Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Cirilo Flores despite him never quite getting around to denouncing or disciplining pedo-pries ... More >>

Protect the Children, Sign Church's Petition to Ban Mormon Marriage

When California's gay marriage legal debate gets tough, the tough get weirder: Universal Free Church has now launched a national petition drive to ban Mormon marriage.Mary Cristos, leader of the new, St. Louis-based "Free" religious denomination, says the UFC believes in "religious freedom and relig ... More >>

How William Lobdell Lost His Faith in Orange County

Cirilo Flores Rarely Pursued Discipline of Molesting Priests While Serving on Important Church Board

Calvary Chapel Transforms Another Gentle Soul into a Homo-Hater

Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed by all the protests gay-marriage advocates are holding outside Mormon temples. Yeah, the Latter-Day Saints hierarchy urged their faithful to donate millions of dollars to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign, but Mormonism has always been upfront in their homo-hating-- ... More >>

The Catholic Diocese of Orange's History Book Is Pretty-and Pretty Pathetic

Stint in OC inspired Obama to run?

Last month's edition of The Atlantic profiles Barack Obama in several articles. One of them, "Teacher and Apprentice," a must-read piece on the Obama-Clinton relationship by Marc Ambinder, contains a couple of theories about what lit a fire under the man's ass and made him decide to seek presidency. ... More >>

a Peek at the Bishop's Past

Bishop Brown Escapes OC Court Date, But Now he Must Reckon with Monterey

Jane C.R. Doe Speaks

An Exclusive Interview with Jeff Andrade’s victim

Statutory Rapist Andrade And Pals Seek to Block Many Things

A slew of in limine motions filed this past week by former Mater Dei High School boys' basketball coach/admitted statutory rapist Jeff Andrade and his former employers, the Catholic Diocese of Orange. Andrade's lawyers moved that any potential jury not hear "in any manner, either directly or indirec ... More >>

Context-Free Reportering Courtesy of the Register

It's always a guilty pleasure to see a new Orange County Register reporter--usually fresh from college--write a story in which the guy (or cute gal) has no clue about what's in his face. The latest example occurred today, in a piece by one Sean Emery, about the continued restoration of Mission San J ... More >>

Great Moments in Orange County Adultery

1978

Slack jawed, Hounddog, and Mr. Donohue (not) at the movies

If there's one thing OC Weekly has in plentiful supply, it's Catholics of varying stripes-- devout, cafeteria, lapsed, vigorously lapsed, potential anti-pope-- with colorful and occasionally bizarre stories from their contacts with Holy Mother Church and its numerous franchises and subsidiaries. Fr ... More >>

Gloria in Exclusion Deo

Why does Orange bishop Tod Brown worry about a boring Latin Mass?

The Sins of the Father

While Catholic priests raped Orange County children, Pope John Paul II looked the other way

A Moral, Abject Failure When It Mattered

Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005

Diary of a Mad County

The Army of God

How a monk, an altar boy, and a sex-abuse victim joined forces to battle their common enemy: the Catholic Church

The Backlash Passion

A Messianic Meller for Our Time

Missionary Positioning

Indie Mormon cinema attempts a mainstream conversion

Dirty Laundry

Peter Mullans The Magdalene Sisters

A Byrd in hand is worth two Bushes

For Christ's Sake

The OC Supertones, the Pope and the rise of the new Christian rock