"The Scriptures say: 'What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?' When we look at what is happening in America today, where are the works of compassion?"

. . . since he's so keen on the book of James, he might want to take a look at James 1:22-24: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

People in Rome are becoming more and more aware that there's a problem of John Kerry and a political scandal with his apparent profession of his Catholic faith and some of stances, particular abortion . . . I don't think it complicates things at all. We have separation of church and state in this country. As John Kennedy said very clearly 'I will be a president who happens to be Catholic, not a Catholic president'."

On Sunday, John Kerry showed up for the 10:30 Mass at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church at 10:41 a.m. (The church had roped off two pews for the VIP.) Adding further insult, Kerry arrived noisily, fully outfitted for skiing, not dressed for a religious service. Compounding the insult -- this time to all Catholics in good standings -- Kerry received the sacrament of Holy Eucharist, even though he's not considered to be a Catholic in good standing.

"It was just a media-op," says a Kerry advance staffer. "We set it up with some reporters that we knew were going to be there."

Kerry's cold-weather attire may have been considered inappropriate by some folk, but we think they should rather be appreciative that Kerry, in his desire to be an obedient Catholic, bothered to attend Mass at all -- even if he had to rush from the ski slopes to get there!

Welcome, then, to Catholic Kerry Watch -- a group blog which will chronicle the exploits of Senator John Kerry as he publicly flouts the teachings of the Church while maintaining his credibility as "a Catholic in good standing" . . . or, as Senator Kerry would no doubt perceive it, remaining faithful to the dictates of his constituents over and against those of The Church.