Change? What Change?

1. The Party of Herod has selected an anti-life Catholic to be its new chairman, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia. Still waiting for any significant appointment for a pro-lifer in the Administration of the 100% anti-life President-elect. Any appointment at all, even. Anything at all, really. Just throw us a small bone. Still waiting.

2. Okay, what is up with some people? They come to Mass presumably to worship God and to receive the Body and Blood of his Son who was crucified for our sins in the one and only sacrifice of our salvation. And within moments of receiving our Eucharistic Lord, they interrupt the Divine Liturgy to applaud a politician who can't even figure out that the very same Lord wants him to protect the least of His brothers, i.e., unborn children? Don't get me started on this.

3. Bishop Vasa of Baker, Oregon, lays it on the line: "if anyone says, “I love God” and still favors abortion, he is, to quote St. John, a liar". If only he were at that other Mass.

4. Jose Serrano, a lackluster (and that's being generous) Congressman from the Bronx, who has failed to distinguish himself by any public act (other than compiling a 100% anti-life voting record), now apparently thinks the time is right to risk being a public laughingstock -- he's introduced a bill to amend the Constitution to permit a President to serve more than two terms. Geez, what's next, declaring the One to be a god? Actually, some are sounding as if they're halfway there already. Others seem to be on some other plane of existence entirely. Four years of this is going to kill me.

5. The Vatican has issued its report on the health of the American seminaries. Most of the press has concentrated on the issue of homosexuality, but what jumped off the screen at me was this: "The trouble spots highlighted by the report include: ... faculty who subvert the Church’s teachings". Now, seminary professors of theology and philosophy have to make a sworn profession of faith in the presence of the bishop or his delegate that they believe and hold all that is taught by the Church (see Canon 833). For the very strong and solemn formula of the profession, see here. Can there possibly be that many seminary professors who would forswear themselves of such a serious oath? Wouldn't that constitute a very grave violation of the Eighth Commandment? And they're teachers at a seminary?

6. In one of his last official acts, President Bush declared January 18 to be "Sanctity of Human Life Day". As George Weigel writes, thanks, Mr. President, for all you did to promote the dignity of human life. Cardinal George, meanwhile has written a strong letter to the incoming President, reminding him that "we will consistently defend the fundamental right to life". Thanks to you too, Cardinal George.

7. CatholicVote.org will be running pro-life ads featuring our new President in utero. The Vatican is going onto YouTube.

8. The inauguration is at noon today. Mass is at 12:10. Gee, this is such a tough choice, I'm going to have to post about it today on my official ArchNY blog.