Hello? Is Anybody Home?

1. What is wrong with the Catholic Health Association (the trade group for ostensibly Catholic hospitals)? They issued a statement applauding the appointment of 95+% anti-life former Senator Thomas Daschle as Secretary of Health and Human Services for the 100% anti-life President-elect. Are they unaware that this "extraordinary and capable" man (a former Catholic, by the way) is likely to do everything within the power of the federal government to gut their conscience rights and to advance the Culture of Death? I understand that they must keep good relations with Caesar, but this is beyond the beyond -- not even a mention of any threats to human life, nothing but gush. Perhaps they should be renamed the Laodicean Health Association (see Rev. 3:14-17)

2. It's not a good week for disobedient priests. First, on the sad story of Fr. Raymond Bourgeois, MM, having not repented of his public advocacy for women's ordination or for his participation in a sacreligious simulated Mass, he has now been excommunicated. Second, Bishop Olmstead of Phoenix has formally excommunicated the founder of LifeTeen and another priest for their own brand of disobedience, including schism -- see here and here. Let us pray for their repentance and return to the Body of Christ.

3. Kathryn Jean Lopez, on National Review Online, has an interesting take on the Chicago political scandal -- it's all about conscience, and if you're going to ignore truth and goodness in some areas, you'll ignore it in others: . We all know this. Sin is infectious, and can't be contained to one part of our lives. Once we let the disease grow, it spreads like cancer.

4. Just in case anyone has any illusions about what Caroline Kennedy might be like in the US Senate, recall that she was the featured speaker at NARAL's "Power of Choice Luncheon" in New York in October. The Party of Herod, at its finest -- shallow, dynastic, and anti-life. Perfect.

5. So the 100% anti-life President-elect, er, I mean The One, is being portrayed as one of the wise men in a manger scene in Italy. Given all the hype, I would have expected them to show him as the baby in the manger. Of course, there's also this odd contribution from our Catalan friends.

6. This is what it comes to -- surrogate parenthood for "gay" penguins. The world spins out of control.

7. Blogged yesterday about the new CDF document and embryo adoption at my official ArchNY blog. Check it out.