Catholic Varia

Moved

2010-02-24T22:39:00.001-05:00

New stuff over at my new site.

Tragedy and Poverty

2009-06-17T15:53:00.002-04:00

1. This piece from the Times is unbearably sad -- an online discussion of how a woman is in the process of deciding to have an abortion because her masters degree program was too inflexible to accommodate her pregnancy (which, by the way is illegal discrimination in violation of federal law). Here's a response that pretty much says it all. Let me get personal for a second. I have two graduate degrees, one of which is about as fancy as you can get. But Peggy and I lost three babies before birth. I would trade any of my degrees, and pretty much anything else I have ever owned or will ever own, for even one of those babies to have survived. How sad it is that someone can judge that any master's degree be worth ending someone's life. And even sadder is that people in her life encouraged that way of thinking. Please pray for this poor deluded woman, and all those who think like her.

2. In a not-unrelated matter, a woman is on trial in France for a series of homicides -- the victims were her newborns. Wesley Smith asks, if the newborn isn't a person, as some (like Peter Singer) allege, then what's the big deal?

3. The Cardinal Newman Society has identified ten "Catholic" colleges that promote abortion.

4. A profile of a woman who once worked for Dr. Tiller, but became a pro-lifer. She is very graphic in her description of the evil that took place in that clinic in Wichita. Not for the faint of heart.

5. Helen Alvare on the strategy to legalize same-sex "marriage" by federal lawsuit. She's cautiously optimistic about the outcome of a court challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Of course, the current Administration will be in charge of defending the statute, so I'm less optimistic.

6. The President, meanwhile, is granting some federal benefits to same-sex couples. Gay rights groups are less than enthused -- they want the whole enchilada.

7. Perhaps not the most ideal spokesman for chastity, but here's rock guitarist Lenny Kravitz for you.

8. A beer made from a 9000 year-old recipe will be available this summer.

Stop Legislation by Ambush

2009-06-16T15:31:00.002-04:00

1. The NY State version of FOCA was scheduled to be quietly voted on by the Senate last week, but it was postponed by the coup. Call, write, email. Now.

2. The grip of evil clouds the mind and hardens the heart. A couple in Oregon is suing a doctor for failing to pre-natally diagnose their baby's Down Syndrome -- because if they had known, they would have killed the baby. (Wesley Smith's commentary, original story). In the UK, a couple's last frozen embryo was mistakenly implanted into another woman, who promptly aborted him.

3. Boo hoo. I am consumed with crocodile tears. The pro-abortion crowd is deeply concerned that in the future there will be a shortage of Priests of Moloch, er, I mean abortionists. The downside of this is that they will undoubtedly renew the push to require all med students to undergo training in killing.

4. Religious sisters are forming a network to fight against human trafficking (mainly for sex slavery), which is a wicked sin that cries out to God for vengeance. The Holy Father supports this effort.

5. Gay rights activists are annoyeed with the President because he hasn't come out. sorry, I mean his Administration is still defending the Defense of Marriage Act: here and here.

6. Democracy is once again thrwarted by our Platonic Guardian Rulers. The District of Columbia Board of Elections has denied the people the right to a referendum on same-sex "marriage".

7. The cultural imperialism of the West has many faces. Trying to push pro-abortion legislation in Nigeria. European couples using Indian women as surrogate mothers. Influential non-governmental organizations like Amnesty International harassing Latin American governments over their legal protections for the unborn.

8. Blogged over the weekend about the mess in Albany, and yesterday about the need to start facing the question of what we should do when faced with a legal regime that is completely committed to intrinsic moral evil. Check it out.

Debunking the "Common Ground"

2009-06-15T10:39:00.003-04:00

1. Here is a thorough demolition of the effort (e.g., by Prof. Kmiec and others in the "common ground" crowd) to resurrect the "seamless garment" approach to Catholic social teaching in an effort to minimize the pre-eminent importance of the Church's actual teachings on life and marriage, in order to justify cooperation with the policies of the current Administration. This is a central issue to the "common ground" debate -- what position will we take on the intrinsically evil laws of our country that permit abortion on demand? Will we accept them and work instead on other issues, or will we concentrate our efforts on resisting the infamy? I posted about this at my ArchNY blog.

2. Not even waiting a discrete length of time, the polygamists are now knocking on the door, demanding "marriage" too. That slippery slope got pretty steep, pretty fast, didn't it?

3. A new bill in the UK could force Catholic schools, nursing homes, etc. to take down religious images if a non-Catholic finds them to constitute "harassment", which is defined nebulously as "unwanted conduct ... with the purpose or effect of violating a person's dignity". Note the word "effect" -- the standard is entirely subjective, and subjects religious liberty to the whims of those with the most sensitive delicacies.

4. Elsewhere in the UK, though, the parents of sextuplets report that they were advised to abort some of their babies, but they refused.

5. Statistics suggest the prevalence of sex-selection (including abortions) among Asian-Americans.

6. Kathryn Jean Lopez defends pro-lifers against the implication in the media that we're all dangerous lunatics.

7. Glowing reviews for a book about a guy who's in prison for making explosives that he planned to use to promote his political cause. Oh, don't worry, he's not a pro-lifer, he's an animal rights fanatic, so his brand of violence is apparently okay.

8. The University of San Fransisco, a school in the Jesuit tradition, honors the famous fourth vow of the Society of Jesus (special obedience to the Holy Father) by giving an award to a bishop from South America who dissents from the Church's teaching, recently re-iterated by the Holy Father himself, on the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. My favorite quote, from a Catholic faculty member: "Calling USF a Catholic school is like saying Hillary Clinton is a Carmelite nun."

9. One of the State Senators who flipped, has apparently flipped back (I guess they finally found his price). An even split in the Senate equals confusion and paralysis.

10. A Cistercian monk asks some good questions: Why are there no Cistercian conspiracy theories? Why are they always about the Templars or Opus Dei? How about some equal time here?

Beware of Passive Euthanasia

2009-06-12T11:26:00.001-04:00

1. Here is a very important document from a group of solid, faithful Catholic bioethics experts. The issue is the proposal being considered by the Bishops in their June meeting to bring the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health care into conformity with the Holy See's teaching on the care due to those in a persistent vegetative state. A few months ago a group calling themselves "the Jesuit Consortium" published a very dangerous piece that, if implemented in the ERD's, would lead to passive euthanasia being countenanced. Pray that our bishops get this right.

2. Follow-up on a previous story: Cardinal O'Malley of Boston has said that the Catholic health plan is attempting to make modifications so that it's arrangement with the secular entity won't violate Catholic moral doctrine.

3. Americans United for Life have a page up with all sorts of information about the Supreme Court nominee.

4. I guess work is a little light around NASA these days, what with fewer shuttle missions, and no moon shots in the near future, so they decided to have a "LGBT Pride Month". Did these people ever hear of the concept of staying on mission?

5. The bishops of Peru have asked the bishops of Canada to stop funding pro-abortion groups. Yes, you read that correctly -- one of the bishops' charities, the Canadian Catholic Organization of Development & Peace, has been documented to have given financial support to groups promoting abortion and contraception in Peru. The bishops of Canada have been investigating these claims since March, but no results have been announced.

6. Elsewhere in Latin America, the Dominican Republic has reaffirmed the true definition of marriage.

7. The legitimization of "a duty to die" continues to progress, which is especially dangerous as health care rationing looms on the horizon.

8. Why won't Notre Dame University make an effort to show mercy to those who were arrested on campus protesting the President's honorary degree?

9. Fr. James Martin, SJ, got whacked around a bit recently by pro-lifers (self included, mea culpa), but he wrote a really beautiful piece today about how happy he is to be a priest, in honor of his tenth anniversary of ordination. May God bless him and all our priests.

10. Chaos continues in Albany. Our hope is that their concern about their phony baloney jobs will distract them from doing mischief like same-sex "marriage" or a state FOCA. Pray, write, pray. I'll blog again about that today, and about the wicked decision by the NY Stem Cell Board to pay women to donate eggs (against the advice of the invaluable Fr. Thomas Berg).

She's No Pro-Lifer

2009-06-11T11:17:00.000-04:00

1. Don't get your hopes up that the Supreme Court nominee is a crypto-pro-lifer: she was involved in filing pro-abortion briefs in six separate legal cases. See also here, where a senator reports that she claims never to have thought about the rights of the unborn. Pretty surprising, considering that she was in a Catholic High School while abortion was being legalized in New York State -- the subject never came up in conversation, much less in class?

2. At the same time, we should always recall that the idea that Catholics can't be trusted to be good citizens is an oldie but goodie of the anti-Catholic set (you remember the secret tunnel we built so the Pope can come here and rule). But here it is again, under the guise of an argument that Catholic Supreme Court judges have to step aside in certain cases (like abortion and same-sex "marriage", of course). I decline to link to the original article, but here's commentary on it. What's next, celebrating Guy Fawkes Day?

3. Ross Douthat speaks some words of wisdom about abortion -- in the Times! Hard to believe that he's going to last long there, sitting next to Maureen Dowd

4. There's a report that the Administration may be open to supporting some elements of the Pregnant Women Support Act. Seriously, though, don't get your hopes up -- they will never back some elements of the bill (support for crisis pregnancy centers and abstinence education) because the Cult of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, is dead set against those, and any bill the White House proposes is going to be chock full of contraceptives. Still, if the Administration is willing to support any real pro-life initiative, we should look it over.

5. Leave it to Fr. Rutler to go all the way back to ancient Rome, Renaissance Italy, and the Abolitionist movement to explain some of the deeper meaning of the Tiller murder.

6. A valuable reflection on the verbal engineering by the "gay rights" movement.

7. Helen Alvare on the consequences of the growth in out-of-wedlock childbearing.

8. A man who stopped to ask for directions wound up getting severely beaten with his own golf clubs. That's exactly why we never do it, ladies.

9. I would be happy to explain to people just what is going on in Albany, but I am not a science fiction writer. I did blog about our pilgrimage there on Tuesday, so check it out. My take is, the more chaos, the better the chances are that they'll just close up shop and go home without giving us same-sex "marriage" or a state FOCA. But it's all up for grabs up there. Pray; then write, email and call your Senator; rinse and repeat.

Threats to the Church's Liberty

2009-06-09T11:14:00.000-04:00

1. Here's a good summary of the situation in Connecticut, where the state government is trying to shut up the Catholic Church by accusing her of illegal lobbying. Here is Bishop Lori's statement, and if you're a real legal geek like me you can even read the documents in his federal lawsuit against the state. This is a very, very important case for the liberty of the Church.

2. Follow-up to the item yesterday about the Catholic health plan in Boston that may have gotten itself into an arrangement that would require them to cooperate in abortion. The Archdiocese of Boston is reviewing the situation.

3. Hopefully this won't encourage deranged consequentialists who believe that evil means can be used for "good" ends, but it appears that Dr. Tiller's abortion clinic will be permanently closed.

4. Meanwhile, the media continues to lionize abortionists, this time turning the hero treatment onto Dr. Hern of Colorado. Time magazine offers this wistful nonsense about Dr. Tiller. Our objective media, going maudlin for men who kill babies for a living.

5. The government (which would never ration health care and let people die from neglect, nosirree, Bob) wants you to sign an advance directive i.e. a living will), and may even give you a tax break if you do so. Problem is that these documents all too often are "refuse treatment, let me die" documents that encourage passive euthanasia by the "medical futility" crowd.

6. Another reminder that those who cite Cardinal Bernardin for the idea that abortion is just one among many issues should instead read what the man actually said. Here's a key quote: when asked if Catholic voters should disqualify candidates who don'’t support a human life amendment, he said, "Well, certainly. That’s what the consistent life ethic is all about... I don’t see how you can subscribe to the consistent ethic and then vote for someone who feels that abortion is a 'basic right' of the individual."

7. Spent yesterday in Albany at the Rally for Marriage. Crazy atmosphere up there, hard to tell what's going to happen on same-sex "marriage". There's even some odd speculation that Tom Duane, the gay Senator and prime same-sex "marriage" sponsor, might switch sides in order to get his bill passed. Weird. Keep praying. Contact your State Senator. Pray some more.

Chaos in the Madhouse

2009-06-09T11:08:00.002-04:00

1. Chaos reigns in Albany, but the bizarre coup that put the Republicans back in charge of the State Senate may be the last nail in the coffin of same-sex "marriage" and the "Reproductive Health Act" (see here and here). Let us pray!!

2. Sex selection abortions are on the way, and soon, now that there is going to be a take-at-home test to determine the sex of an unborn child.

3. The depravity of the culture in the UK hits new lows every day. Now 12-year-old boys will be given "condom credit cards" so they can pick them up for free.

4. Well, what a surprise! The new Supreme Court nominee once filed an amicus brief advocating for liberalized abortion laws. Just as an aside, how lucky is Americans United for Life to have Dawn Eden working for them?

5. Continued concerns about the hospital merger in Boston that may have resulted in a Catholic hospital covering abortions in their health insurance plan, and being somehow involved in abortions themselves.

6. More on the President's deplorable appointment, to an important position in the Education Department, of the founder of GLSEN ("Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network"), the vehicle for indoctrinating children in the public schools in the gay agenda (note, the link leads to a sanitized article, follow the links to the full story only if you have a strong stomach). I guess "common ground" is now defined as where you bury your enemies after you vanquish them.

7. Sometimes politics produces strange ironies. Those few Catholics who've heard of her consider Alexia Kelley, the head of the Democratic front group "Catholics for the Common Good", to be quite liberal (she worked on the John Kerry and John Edwards presidential campaigns, and backed the current President as well), and, shall we say, a tad squishy on abortion, at least as a matter of practical public policy. But now that the President has appointed her to head his "Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships", the hard-core pro-abortion types are absolutely horrified that their hero would appoint an "anti-abortion activist" and a "religious figure". You have to laugh at the discomfort of our adversaries. Plus, here's a test to see if one of the pro-Obama Catholics can use their influence to actually moderate his 100% anti-abortion policies. Your move, Ms. Kelley.

8. Two prominent archbishops of the Church of England tell their flocks that they should not vote for a particular party (a neo-fascist anti-immigrant outfit) because it is racist, and they are applauded by the wise folks from the Humanist Society. Next, they will undoubtedly tell voters not to vote for parties that support the legalized killing of unborn children, because it's "age-ist". Uh, maybe you shouldn't stand on one foot and hold your breath until that happens.

The Clinic Access Bill and Freedom of Speech

2009-06-08T11:06:00.001-04:00

1. The Times, of all papers, did a reasonably fair article on the New York City clinic access bill, which will take effect next month. They actually interviewed a woman who turned around after seeing a sonogram of her baby, and talked to pro-life sidewalk counselors, let them speak for themselves, and portrayed them fairly. Unintentionally, no doubt, the article made the pro-abortion clinic workers look bad -- not only did they make accusations that the reporter did not substantiate, but they displayed the deep intolerance for free speech that is behind this bill. Here's the give-away: a sign in the clinic that says: "Tell abortion protesters to mind their own business. This is America." Indeed it is, and there still is a First Amendment here, endangered species though it may be.

2. The propaganda effort continues elsewhere, however. In the Washington Post, there was a puff piece about a woman who became pro-abortion in medical school, and is in favor of killing unborn children with adverse fetal diagnoses. Here is a reaction to that terribly misguided attitude.

3. The next time some naive person says to you "Oh, no, nobody is really in favor of abortion", point them to the Rev. Kathrine Ragsdale, Episcopal priest, who calls abortion "a blessing", and may well be the most morally repellent person in America today. Read the whole article only if you have a strong stomach and have already taken your blood pressure medication.

4. What to make of this? Cosmopolitan magazine takes a moment off from peddling its sex-saturated tripe and favorably profiles women who are chaste.

5. Here's a chance for Notre Dame University to show a little of the Christian mercy that is part of its Catholic identity -- ask the prosecutors to dismiss the charges against the people arrested for protesting on campus.

6. Beautiful profile of a Boston priest who is continuing his ministry while suffering terminal cancer.

7. A video of a nun crushing cars with a monster truck -- now that's the way to drum up vocations!

The Challenges of Discipleship

2009-06-05T20:53:00.002-04:00

1. Outstanding article from FirstThings.com on the challenges of pro-life discipleship in this age. My favorite quote: "We must not submit. No matter how smooth the oration, no matter how appealingly the hand of invitation is extended, the culture of death, which promises everything, ultimately offers nothing."

2. Now, here's a shocker from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious. In the states where more people self-identify as pro-life, there are fewer abortions. In states where fewer people identify as pro-life, more babies die, er, I'm sorry, more "reproductive choices" are made.

3. Theresa Bonapartis of Lumina, the post-abortion ministry (www.postabortionhelp.org), writes about why she is a "pro-life extremist".

4. You remember that the Holy See is conducting a visitation of women's religious communities in the US, to assess their fidelity to the Church's teaching, beliefs, and practices? Well, some of the religious are objecting to the idea that visitators will be required to subscribe to a profession of faith -- you know, the one that says that the subscriber actually believes what the Church believes. What more proof do we need that such a visitation is necessary?

5. Apropos of that, an interesting analysis by a Vatican official on two currents in the Church regarding relations with the secular culture -- a "current of integration" and a "current of controversy".

6. The pro-life movement mobilizes in Spain.

7. Well, I'm sure glad the President's comfortable with having an anti-Catholic bigot on his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Woudn't want anyone to be uncomfortable with a person who hates Catholics.

8. Thank God for scientific researchers, who continue to give us useful information. Now they tell us that men who marry younger women (especially if she's 15 to 17 years younger) will live longer, but the opposite effect is true for women -- they die younger if they marry an older man. Sadly, it means we will have more time with Donald Trump.

Bad News from New Hampshire

2009-06-04T20:56:00.002-04:00

1. New Hampshire has legalized same-sex "marriage", with totally inadequate religious protections.

2. In the UK, the government will force Catholic adoption agencies to place children with homosexual couples. The agenda to rid public life of religion advances another step. Just wait -- it's coming to us too.

3. Meanwhile, the 100% pro-"gay" Administration has appointed a gay activist to a policy-making position in the Department of Education. This is a man who founded GLSEN (the "Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network"), which specializes in indocrinating school children about homosexuality. Still, "gay" rights groups are growing impatient with the President because he hasn't gone far enough for them.

4. Other ethicists are joining Fr. Thomas Berg's dissent from the New York Stem Cell Board's decision to pay women for their eggs. Speaking of Fr. Berg, here's his view on the impossibility of authentic "dialogue" with the Administration on abortion.

5. You want a profile of a real pro-lifer? Try this one, of Rev. Walter Hoye from California. I blogged last night on the differences between him and Dr. Tiller, whom the pro-abortion world is holding up as a "saint and martyr".

6. A pro-choicer who sees and understands -- albeit still disagrees -- with our moral reasoning that the issues is the personhood of the unborn child. If she's gotten this far with her reason, all she needs is her heart to get on board and we may have a convert. Please pray for her!

7. Demolishing once again the smear campaign against pro-lifers over the Tiller murder.

8. An excellent explanation of how acceptance of contraception leads not only to abortion but to euthanasia as well. It's not a "slippery slope", but a line of inevitable reasoning.

9. The Holy Father, once again, reminds us of Christianity 101 -- that faith is more than just thinking, but involves the whole person, including our feelings.

10. Some good news to brighten your day (for once). A baby born in Pittsburgh at 12.5 ounces, 10 inches long (the size of a soda can!), 14 weeks early, is doing great and may go home soon.

More Depravity from the Cult of Moloch

2009-06-03T17:31:00.002-04:00

1. Some depraved pro-abortion zealots from the Cult of Moloch, er, I'm sorry, an Episcopalian female priest and a Reconstructionist Jewish rabbi, are calling Dr. Tiller "a saint and a martyr". Absolutely demonic. There's no other word for it.

2. An Archbishop at the Holy See laments the decline in confessions. The proposed solution? A new handbook on confession. Yeah, that'll do so much more than, say, having the entire Church proclaiming "The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel." Oh, right, somebody already said that, and it didn't have any effect, so no point in saying it again.

3. Same-sex "marriage" advocates are still trying to make it look as if their bill is inevitable, even though all public vote counts show them to be short of victory. If so, they're going to have to do better than this event at which the Senate Majority Leader appeared: "at a rally of about 20 gay couples in support of marriage equality". At what point is it so small that it's not a rally but a coffee klatch?

4. Part Two of Mark Shea's demonstration of how our cultural decline has no principled terminus, now that the Christian sexual ethic has been rejected and replaced by "consent".

5. Meanwhile, to confirm Mark's point, the President has declared June to be "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month", and the Secretary of State has announced that promoting "gay rights" abroad is a foreign policy priority for this Administration. What can you even say about such stuff? Where even to begin?

6. The Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis has issued a statement that those protesting the Church's teaching on homosexuality by wearing rainbow sashes to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be denied the Body and Blood of Christ due to their act of public dissent.

7. More intimidation on the way from the forces of "tolerance".

The Blame Game

2009-06-02T18:27:00.002-04:00

1. I am not a fan of Bill O'Reilly, but the campaign to blame him and pro-lifers in general for the terrorist murder of Dr. Tiller is absurd and offensive, and wouldn't be tolerated with any other group. Try the thought experiment: will anyone blame all of Islam or all anti-war activists for the terrorist murder of the military recruiter by a Muslim convert?

2. Meanwhile, from the "Search for Common Ground" Department, abortion advocates are blocking the Pregnant Women Support Act, which would actually do something to reduce abortions. Mr. President?

3. You may hear about a study that reportedly finds that women who attend religious schools have abortions at the same rate as those who do not. Take the story with a grain of salt, warns Michael New, the sociologist who knows more about abortion rates than anybody.

4. The Culture of Death has gotten so far in the UK that there's an assisted suicide waiting list.

5. The invaluable Fr. Thomas Berg blows the whistle on the New York Stem Cell Board's immoral plan to pay women -- with taxpayer money -- to donate eggs for research.

6. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is acting confident that the Senate will pass the same-sex "marriage" bill. The bill gets a boost from some celebrities that I'm sure somebody has heard of and former VP Dick Cheney, who is now the highest ranking public official to endorse same-sex "marriage".

7. As of now, the SSM bill is not on the Senate's agenda for the rest of the term, but that could change as soon as the wind blows from a different direction.

8. Here's more on the religion of the new Supreme Court nominee. It appears that she is a "special event" Catholic -- she only attends the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to receive the Body and Blood of Christ when it happens to coincide with some kind of event in her family.

9. Blogged yesterday on Memorial Day, and today on the murder of Dr. Tiller.

Gravely Wicked

2009-06-01T18:21:00.000-04:00

1. "Gravely wicked". That's how Robert George described the murder of George Tiller, and nothing more needs to be said. It is also a reminder to us all of Our Lords's warning in Luke 12:20. The killer apparently was known to favor the murder of abortion doctors. Did any of this troubled man's brothers and sisters in Christ do anything to convince him that he was on the path to destruction, and that he should turn away from those sinful beliefs? Please pray for everyone involved in this tragedy.

2. Nat Hentoff calls on the President to live up to his words about "reducing the number of women seeking abortion". The Catholic Key (the blog for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph) wonders when the President's Catholic supporters will do the same.

3. I sent this out last week, but it's such a must-read that I'm doing it again. Robert George, in "Obama and his Pro-Life Apologists", diagnoses the President's position with surgical precision -- the President doesn't think that unborn children have any rights the law is bound to respect, and he doesn't think that abortion is wrong but instead views it as a legitimate solution to the problem of an unwanted pregnancy. The challenge of finding "common ground" will have to face those facts.

4. The National Organization for Marriage kicks off its campaign on same-sex "marriage" here in NY, generates lots of phone calls to senators. Maggie Gallagher gives an overview of the religious liberty issues involved in same-sex "marriage". Another rally on our side, this time in Buffalo.

5. Rich guy in Colorado spends millions to influence local political races in other states, including setting up phony organizations to run misleading attack ads. You expect outrage? Horror? Calls for reform? Silly you, of course not -- he's doing it to support "gay rights" and to "punish the wicked" (his words), namely those who support real marriage.

6. The modern face of anti-Catholicism. Frances Kissling (yes, the awful abortion apologist) asks the question "Are Six Catholics Too Much for the Supreme Court". The answer is, not if one if them is only a nominal Catholic. So, the converse of that reasoning is that "faithful, practicing Catholics need not apply". So much for the Religious Test Clause (Article VI of the Constitution). The bigotry isn't just directed at us Catholics. Same-sex "marriage" supporters are still going after the Mormons.

7. Interesting article about Notre Dame's struggle to find its Catholic identity. Nice coverage of the views of the pro-life and devout students.

8. The number of euthanasia cases in Holland rose by more than 10% last year.

9. The Diocese of Bridgeport, has sued the State of Connecticut to head off an investigation into alleged "lobbying" activity -- defending the real definition of marriage and defending the Church against a bill to take Catholic parishes out of the control of bishops. In the bureaucratic state of all-intrusive regulations, it is very, very difficult to evade the reach of the government into your life.

Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge

2009-05-29T17:03:00.002-04:00

1. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. It's okay, the White House whispers out of the side of its mouth to the pro-abortion lobby, you don't have anything to worry about with this new Supreme Court nominee. The pro-abortion groups have gotten the message.

2. More breakthroughs in adult cells, including a current therapy for sight loss and new ways to reprogram them into pluripotent stem cells (i.e., the functional equivalent of embryonic stem cells): here and here. Why is the government not putting the bulk of its resources into this approach?

3. Here's Robert George's statement from his debate the other day with Prof. Doug Kmiec about the President's record.

4. Lies, damned lies, statistics, and agendas. Prof. Doug Kmiec and Fr. Richard McBrien have both recently cited the utterly false and repeatedly discredited "statistic" that abortions and abortion rates rose during the various Bush Administrations, in order to make the point that Democratic policies actually reduce abortions. Prof. Michael New, the real expert on this, replies with the actual facts, namely that abortions and abortion rates declined under both Republican Administrations, as they generally have done since about 1980; he also reminds us that pro-life state laws, not economic policies, have the most impact on the incidence of abortion. Smart guys, why can't they look up the facts?

5. Only in the bizarre surreal world of the United Nations would a ban on abortions be viewed as "torture". Take special note from that piece that Amnesty International takes the same position. I say this with sadness as a former member of Amnesty, but the next time they want to start up a group in your school, or do a fund-raiser in your church, ask them about this. Show them this statement by the President of the USCCB. Then say "no thanks" and invite in groups like "Aid to the Church in Need" instead.

6. If you want a quick summary of the "legal realism" school of thought, which the new nominee to the Supreme Court reflects (and which is the staple of modern legal education), see here. As we law students quickly realized, "legal realism" is basically a justification for judges deciding cases according to their own interests and values. As every lawyer knows, sometimes when you go into court, it's not an even playing field, but it's two against one -- your adversary and the judge are both against you. Is that justice?

7. Where are things heading when you need a permit to have a private bible study in your home? They need a lawyer who's familiar with the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, which was supposed to stop this kind of nonsense.

8. The celebrities are coming out of the woodwork to stump for same-sex "marriage".

9. Celebrity priest Fr. Alberto Cutie, who was photographed canoodling with a woman on the beach, and later went on TV to proclaim his lack of repentance for his incontinence, has suddenly become an Episcopalian deacon (no year-long RCIA or four years of seminary in the Church of What's Happening Now, I guess). And, showing boatloads of class, he didn't even tell his bishop he was leaving. Let's see, we got Fr. Rutler, they get "Fr. Oprah". Heh.

Same-sex "Marriage" is not Inevitable

2009-05-28T15:18:00.002-04:00

1. The polls continue to show that same-sex "marriage" is far from inevitable. It is opposed by a majority of Americans, and the percentage in favor has declined. Analysis. Original polling data. Have they hit the high-water mark? Even the Governor of Nevada -- home of the quickie Elvis marriage -- has vetoed a domestic partner bill.

2. Maggie Gallagher's National Organization for Marriage has started their ad campaign in NY. Of course, the Times can't resist themselves, calling NOM a "Christian group" (which it isn't), apparently believing that is a slur. The other side has their own YouTube video up about the "24 Days to Marriage in NY", but I won't supply the link because I decline to propagate such propaganda. Sadly, instead of fighting, some Catholics seem to want to throw in the towel -- Prof. Doug Kmiec is in favor of eliminating marriage in civil law and replacing it with neutral civil unions, an idea Robert George calls a terrible idea.

3. Meanwhile, the Proposition 8 battle has moved to the federal courts. This is troublesome, since the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is notoriously "progressive" (remember they were the ones to discover a right to assisted suicide years ago). Gee, do you think that elections -- and thus judicial appointments -- don't matter?

4. Pro-abortion groups claim to be uncertain about the positions of the Supreme Court nominee. Yeah, I'm sure they're real nervous about this one. As for the nominee's lack of respect for the rule of law, see here and here. Take the blindfold off of Lady Justice and forget about the equal scales.

5. Oklahoma has banned sex-selection abortions.

6. The next battle begins to loom. The USCCB has issued a statement on universal health insurance (which the bishops have supported since 1919, by the way), warning that any plan should not include abortion coverage. Press release. Official statement by Bishop Murphy of Rockville Centre.

7. Wesley Smith on the dangers of a pro-suicide culture.

8. Now that Scientific American has admitted it, are we permitted to point out that embryonic stem cell research isn't the panacea that the advocates have hyped? Oh, wait a minute, we've been pointing it out all along.

9. The forces of tolerance file harassing frivolous lawsuits against the Church to try to force us out of the public square in the Maine same-sex "marriage" fight. Can't wait for them to get all magnanimous and "live-and-let-live" after they win.

10. The next time somebody tries to argue that waterboarding isn't torture, point them to this. The next time somebody tries to argue that we should do it anyway, point them to this: Romans 3:8.

Impartiality and Judges

2009-05-27T15:14:00.001-04:00

1. On the impartiality of judges and the oath of office, in this age of identity politics, see here, here, and here.

2. The Vatican newspaper, which has been criticized for undermining the US Bishops' critique of Administration policies, is starting to get on board. The editor, however, still does not understand why we consider the President to be "pro-abortion". See my blog post today for reasons why we consider the President and others to be "pro-abortion".

3. The USCCB's statement on the new stem cell policies. In short, the guidelines ignore science, ethics and the humanity of the human embryo. Cardinal George calls on the President to live up to his word -- you talk about protecting conscience, now's the time to prove it.

4. Hadley Arkes sees the reality behind the "reducing unintended pregnancy" stuff coming out of the Administration.

5. Mark Shea precisely diagnoses the slide from morality towards tyranny, thanks to the breakdown in moral principles on marriage and sexuality. Part One here.

6. Brave New World, coming to a school district near you -- indoctrinating public school kids on homosexuality.

7. Still a close call on the same-sex "marriage" bill in Albany. Maggie Gallagher crunches the poll numbers.

8. Perhaps at some point people would actually read what Cardinal Bernadin said, and stop misusing him as a poster-boy for the notion that abortion is of equal importance with other issues.

9. Hey, somebody's trying to introduce more modest swimwear for women. Finally, a calendar I can post at work.

They Finally Tell the Truth

2009-05-26T14:57:00.002-04:00

1. In an unguarded moment, the Administration's point woman on dialogue about abortion (and a former board member of Emily's List, the pro-abortion PAC) gave the game away: "It is not our goal to reduce the number of abortions… [the goal is to] reduce the need for abortions." Note the subtle difference in language, and understand the huge practical difference -- their plan is to flood the nation with contraceptives while keeping abortion as a back-stop, not to actually do anything that will reduce the number of abortions.

2. Keep your eyes on the news at around 1 p.m. today -- the California Supreme Court will release it's decision on the challenge to Proposition 8, which retained the authentic definition of marriage. Isn't it bizarre that we're waiting for a half-dozen lawyers to emerge from behind the Wizard of Oz's curtain to announce whether black will be white, and white black?

UPDATE: Proposition 8 upheld by the California Supreme Court.

3. It appears that the President has chosen Second Circuit judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. While it's nice that she's a graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School (a few years ahead of me), it's exceedingly unlikely that her Catholic education will make any difference in rulings on the sanctity of human life. For a quick overview of her record as a judicial activist, see here.

4. Moloch is always hungry for human babies. Now the biotech industry is not satisfied with the President's new stem cell guidelines, and want them amended to allow them to create new human lives so that they can be dismembered for spare parts.

5. Meanwhile, the ironies of the Culture of Death continue to amass -- it appears that Downs Syndrome babies, who are being sytematically eradicated prior to birth, may hold the key to some cancer cures.

6. Reason number 98,765,435,498,469,843,543,854 why parents should be very leery about sending their children to "Catholic" colleges. Seattle University, a school in the Jesuit tradition, hosts a "Faith and Reproductive Justice" seminar, featuring all pro-abortion speakers, including a clergy person representing of the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood -- on Ascension Thursday.

7. Well, what a surprise! States that funded abstinence education programs have fewer teen abortions than states that rejected the funding. Not that evidence means anything to Congress or our New York State Legislature.

8. The Cult of Moloch wants to go on the air, so the government in the UK is considering allowing abortion centers to advertise on TV and radio.

9. But here are ten signs of hope from the National Catholic Register. Here's one they should have mentioned as well: Summorum Pontificum.

The Last Words (I Hope) about Notre Dame

2009-05-21T14:55:00.000-04:00

1. See my blog for an exchange of emails I had with Fr. James Martin, regarding his comments on CNN the other night. I apologize to Fr. Martin for the snarkiness of my email yesterday, although, as you will see from my email to him, I stand by my criticism of his remarks.

2. All sorts of stuff about the NDResponse protest of the President's appearance at NDU. I can't help but pass on another article by Kathryn Jean Lopez about NDU.

3. Here's a five-point "test of seriousness" to see if the President is really interested in "dialogue". Some Congressmen are also issuing a challenge to the President on his conscience clause promise.

4. We are now apparently going to "outsource" human drug trials to the developing world. This should worry all of us, since it is specifically designed to evade annoying ethical requirements.

5. The effort in Maine to overturn the same-sex "marriage" law advances another step.

6. Based on what's going on in Spain, guess what's coming our way, in the not too distant future -- educational curricula that indoctrinate in homosexuality.

Missing an Opportunity it on National TV

2009-05-20T11:09:00.001-04:00

1. Fr. James Martin, SJ, editor of America magazine, flubbed what it means to be pro-life on national TV the other day. He hasn't gotten the memo about the uniqueness and centrality of abortion as a social justice issue, and the way he speaks about pro-lifers makes me wonder what kind of pro-lifers he knows ("for a lot of people in the pro-life movement, life begins at conception, but seems to end there" -- does this describe anyone any of us knows?). Perhaps he might find the time to re-read "Living the Gospel of Life" by the US Bishops, or visit the Sisters of Life to see what real pro-lifers are like. Or he might check into what Bishop Finn (you remember him, a strong critic of NDU) is up to -- leading a prayer vigil as Missouri resumes executions. (UPDATE: see my official ArchNY blog for some interesting correspondence I've had with Fr. Martin).

2. Article from the Times about the still-forming opposition to same-sex "marriage" in New York. Maggie Gallagher gives an overview of the effects of SSM -- not surprisingly, a decline in the belief that kids need a mom and a dad, and a growing belief that it is risky to express opposition to SSM.

3. The president of a school called Trinity University, which apparently considers itself to be a Catholic college, has pointed to two of their alums, Nancy Pelosi and Kathleen Sebelius, as models of the education provided by that supposedly Catholic school. She actually meant this as a positive statement. No, seriously. Really.

4. Opinion polls show that people want the President to appoint a "conservative" or "moderate" justice of the Supreme Court. But listen to what he said on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

5. If the President wants dialogue with pro-lifers and to find common ground, how about talking about the pain caused to unborn children by abortion. Yes, let's talk science for a while.

6. Buried deep in another opinion poll is yet another indication that more people call themselves "pro-life" than "pro-chocie". Another poll shows that American Catholics have a positive view of the Holy Father. That's pretty good since we are, after all, Catholics.

7. Interesting take on why modern debates are so awful -- "some people are jerks and some people are too nice". His advice -- speak the truth with love, even if that means you're not considered to be "nice".

Reaction to the Travesty

2009-05-19T12:43:00.003-04:00

1. Archbishop Chaput critiques NDU. So does Bishop Finn. George Weigel. Yuval Levin, who sees good signs for pro-lifers. William McGurn. Fr. Brammwell makes a good point about NDU's Catholicism actually resembling low-church Protestantism.

2. Others are unhappy with him too. He couldn't even make a pro-abortion feminist happy because he didn't promote abortion enough while he spoke at NDU. America magazine was unimpressed (in a pretty good analysis of the weaknesses of the speech). Still, the ACLU is pretty happy with the First 100 Days and "reproductive rights".

3. The rally in response to the President's award was very impressive. Nice eyewitness account. News coverage here .

4. In our own backyard, there's always Fordham, honoring Mayor Condom, er, I mean Mayor Bloomberg and giving Senator Roe V. Wade, er, I mean Senator Schumer a platform, without bothering to consult with the Archbishop of New York.

5. A reasonably fair article from Time on the shift towards pro-life in public opinion. I dispute the comment that the President isn't interested in the "culture wars" -- he's acutely interested in winning them, and he has been relentless in promoting pro-abortion policies while speaking in "moderate" tones. That's his strategy for victory, folks.

6. More on the various proposals -- real and phony -- for "abortion reduction".

7. Large rally in the City Sunday against same-sex "marriage". Meanwhile, the forces of tolerance are now engaged in invading churches and disrupting services because the church doesn't accept same-sex "marriage".

8. Great column by Ross Douthat in the Times, of all places, on the choice between Jesus and Dan Brown.

9. Nice music video promoting the Rosary.

Disgrace

2009-05-18T14:02:00.002-04:00

1. The speech was so full of sophistry and empty slogans that it scarcely bears analysis, and if you can read the whole thing you're a better man than I. Here's Amy Welborn's take on it. Kathryn Jean Lopez. Ralph McInerney.

2. The money quote from Amy: "That's the basic question, with all of its many implications. Do you recognize the preborn baby, even in the midst of the complexities of its young life, dwelling within the body of another, living with her own complexities in a complex, pluralistic society - as "the least among us" or do you not?" Want to know what the answer was from NDU? Just think of the back-slapping and the standing ovation given at an institution named for the Mother of God to an apologist, facilitator, and advocate for the modern-day slaughter of the innocents. To illustrate that, just look at the front page picture in the Washington Post, which speaks volumes. Is this how the early Church Fathers would have related to Caesar? How about the Prophets -- anybody recall any back-slapping by Isaiah to Ahaz?

3. Jody Bottum tries again to put the NDU situation in context, in response to critics of his argument about Catholic culture.

4. Yet another reason why no rational, fair-minded person should ever read Time magazine -- its bizarre, nasty story about the NDU situation. You have to love the characterization of the opposition to the NDU award as "a small but vocal minority". Yeah, only 70 of the Apostles Among Us and 360,000+ others.

5. Remember, when the President speaks of reducing abortions, he's talking about funneling money to Planned Parenthood, flooding the country with contraceptives, and polluting the minds of the youth with biased sex education. He does not support authentic measures to directly encourage women to keep their babies. Watch what he does, not what he says.

6. On the good news front, the Oklahoma legislature has passed a bill banning all cloning.

7. Sociologist Charles Murray documents the disturbing trend in the "white underclass" away from marriage and towards out-of-wedlock births (70% illegitimacy now among poor whites).

8. Gotta love this headline: "Priest says good sex in marriage is alright". Who knew?

9. I'll blog later today about the whole NDU thing, for the last time.

Good News, For Once

2009-05-15T15:57:00.001-04:00

1. Good news, for once. According to a new Gallup poll, more Americans describe themselves as pro-life than "pro-choice" for the first time. There's even more encouraging numbers further down in the poll -- more women are pro-life than "pro-choice", a large majority of people support restrictions on abortion, etc. Send a copy to your legislator today.

2. George Weigel wonders what Church NDU belongs to, and notes the political strategy being pursued by the Administration to separate Catholic voters from the bishops. Even the Times sees the political problems that the President has found himself in on abortion. Meanwhile, Gerard Bradley, law professor at NDU, offers the insider's view, namely that this is nothing new for the university.

3. Here's a great quote from a letter from retired Bishop John Yanta of Amarillo to NDU: " In conscience I can no longer support Notre Dame as a Catholic College. I am deeply offended how you treat my wife of 54 years, the Church I love whose head is Jesus Christ."

4. The Governor of New Hampshire has refused to sign that state's same-sex "marriage" bill unless the legislature adds adequate protection for religious liberties. In case we wonder why such protections are needed, see this story of a student dismissed from a graduate school counseling program because of her views on homosexual conduct.

5. Wesley Smith continues to point out the fundamental dishonesty of the health care "reform" debate, which refuses to confront directly the question of rationing health care (i.e., allowing patients to suffer and die because the treatment costs too much).

6. Do you want to see consequentialism in all its smug ugliness? Then read this article from the Wall Street Journal, which basically argues that in war, anything goes in order to win, including deliberately incinerating thousands of innocent civilians. Then read the pertinent sections of the Catechism: here and here.

7. The Holy Father stands in the footsteps of the Apostle Peter at the empty tomb and proclaims anew the Easter truth -- Christ is risen!.

Spin, Spin, Spin, to What End?

2009-05-14T13:30:00.001-04:00

1. Fr. Jenkins of NDU spins, spins, spins in a letter to the graduates, and still shows no signs of awareness of the problem. Disturbing line in the letter: "a Catholic university has a special obligation not just to honor the leader, but to engage the culture". Um, sorry, Father, but our "leader" is Jesus Christ, not a temporary office holder, and the obligation is not to "engage" the culture but to transform it in light of the Gospel of Christ (see Lumen Gentium 36). Meanwhile, alums are withholding donations to the tune of $14 million. The White House blithely dismisses all the opposition as if it's the work of one small marginalized group. Clueless, one and all.

2. Michael Novak offers the President better advice on what to say at NDU.

3. So now that NPR has run a story on the religious liberty dangers of same-sex "marriage", will the advocates stop accusing us of fear-mongering and lying? Will our legislators now take notice of the persecution and calumny of the Church that is to come? Such as when a government-funded agency in the UK denounces those who oppose homosexual adoption as "retarded homophobes".

4. So who cares about marriage anyway? Perhaps the 40% of American children, born out of wedlock, who are probably going to be growing up in a stable family that has both a mother and a father in their lives, might have a concern in this regard. Social engineering produces results, and the product isn't good.

5. The Nigerian bishops issue a statement in support of the Holy Father's position on HIV/AIDS and condoms.

6. Beautiful story of a mother who sacrificed herself by foregoing cancer treatment that would harm her unborn child. St. Gianna, please pray for her and her family.

7. Interesting reflection by Fr. James Schall on the problems with speaking of "rights" that are rooted only in man-made law, instead of in the natural law.

8. You don't often see someone excommunicate themselves by an openly schismatic act. Yet a deacon of the Diocese of Scranton, has announced that he will leave the True Church and risk his immortal soul by joining the Church of What's Happening Now. Please pray for his return to the faith.

9. The Anchoress, apropos of the Miss California flap, offers sound advice to all, especially to Christian women: don't take your shirt off, and don't let others use you as an object. Please.

Re-defining Society

2009-05-13T10:14:00.002-04:00

1. The Solons of the New York State Assembly voted to fundamentally overturn the foundation of civil society (i.e., they voted to change marriage into something it is not). Please pray for the fortitude of the few State Senators who are still holding onto their reason. Don't get too pessimistic about the alleged momentum of the same-sex "marriage" movement -- it's not the juggernaut appears to be. And, just in case you wonder why the Northeast is going over the ledge on this issue, it has to do with the separation of religion from politics. The exception so far is heavily Catholic Rhode Island, which has a very assertive bishop. No surprise there.

2. Here's the full version of Joseph Bottum's First Things article on the NDU mess.

3. If you haven't done so yet, please read Archbishop Burke's (long) address to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on the obligations and role of Catholics in the public square. If you're time-deprived, read instead Kathryn Jean Lopez' interview with the Archbishop.

4. Ross Douthat on the Administration's strategy to win the culture war on pro-life issues and same-sex "marriage". Remember that in politics "bringing people together" is a code for "defeating them and making them fall in line".

5. Here's what George Weigel said at Mt. St. Mary's commencement last week. Wow, what a concept -- an actual Catholic, speaking to the grads of a Catholic school, talking about what it is to be a Catholic. Maybe other universities could take note? Actually, the presidents of the Catholic colleges seem to be too busy pondering and parsing the Bishops' prohibition against honoring those whose public positions violate the moral law, trying to find some ambiguity in the emanations and penumbras. Good use of all that higher education.

6. Americans United for Life give us a scouting report on potential Supreme Court nominees. It's worse than the Yankees bench, and that's saying a lot.

7. There isn't even a health care "reform" bill in Congress yet and people are already openly talking about letting elderly people die in order to save money.

8. Sweden, that oh-so-civilized country that is being held up to us as a model of modern living for ultimate human happiness, has decided now to allow people to kill their unborn children if they're not happy with their sex. Very civilized.

9. Christopher West explains the correct context of some of his remarks on ABC News the other night. Not everybody is buying it. To be honest, I do buy it. Christopher has a well-deserved reputation for being rock solid on substance, but out-on-the-edge in presentation at times. Let's cut the guy some slack, he's done more to promote Theology of the Body than anyone not named John Paul.

10. Blogged the other day about Catholic identity and abortion. I'll blog later today about the Knights of Columbus prayer rally in Albany, and the vote on same-sex "marriage".

Catholic Culture and Abortion

2009-05-11T10:23:00.001-04:00

1. An absolute must-read article by Jody Bottum on Catholic culture and the NDU situation. His basic thesis is that opposition to abortion is central to Catholic culture and identity in the United States, and the many prominent Catholics, like the leadership of NDU, just haven't grasped that fact.

2. A Jesuit from Georgetown takes NDU to task.

3. A gay rights activist on the President's advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships takes the opportunity to insult Pope Benedict, saying that he is "insulting Jesus" by his criticism of condoms for HIV prevention, and that the Church is "hurting people in the name of Jesus" and justifying violence against homosexuals. This is the same individual who previously called the Holy Father a "discredited leader" and the Knights of Columbus "foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression" because of the Knights support of Proposition 8 in California. How much more demonic anti-Catholic junk does it take to get fired by the President?

4. Meanwhile, on the Planet Earth, the Holy Father puts things in the right perspective. I especially loved the comment that the Church is not a political force, but a spiritual force. Amen to that.

5. Outstanding article by a New York seminarian on the need for objective moral principles, and the dangers of consequentialism, when discussing significant public issues like torture and stem cell research.

6. Doctors in Washington State are declining to cooperate in assisted suicide requests, citing moral obligations. This is authentic heroism, because you know that the powers-that-be will come after them for "unprofessional conduct".

7. Mother's Day was yesterday, and the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, used it to raise money so they can kill more babies and ruin the lives of more moms. Disgusting quote of the day from the pitch letter: "There is no organization that I know of that supports motherhood and all that it means more than Planned Parenthood." Here are two numbers to keep in mind about this -- 305,310 (the number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood in 2007/2008), and 0 (the number of babies born at Planned Parenthood clinics in 2007/2008). Mothers Day? Or Mourners Day?

8. In contrast, a beautiful article about mothers who bore their babies despite an adverse pre-natal diagnosis. Towards the end they quote our friend Theresa Bonapartis of Lumina, the ministry to post-abortive men and women.

9. Blogged over the weekend about my experiences at the Witness for Life outside the Planned Parenthood clinic last week. Please check it out, and let me know what you think. No Varia tomorrow -- I'm off to Albany with my brother Knights of Columbus (i.e., the "army of oppression") to wield our Rosaries at the prayer rally on the steps of the Capital.

Our Pro-Life President. Not.

2009-05-08T20:48:00.001-04:00

1. Yeah, that President, he's really pro-life and wants to reduce abortions, right? Just look at his budget, which would require taxpayer funding for abortions in the District of Columbia, which already has an astronomically high abortion rate already. Comment, Fr. Reese?

2. Oh, no, same-sex "marriage" won't put us on a slippery slope to anything. More like an elevator shaft, actually. Meanwhile, the gay rights crowd is getting impatient with the President. I guess they figure that after he's done pretty much everything the pro-abortion crowd has expected in the First Hundred Days, it's their turn.

3. There is hope, however. Christopher West was profiled by ABC News. Set aside their silly characterization of him as a "sex therapist", and some of Christopher's embarrasing rhetorical excesses, and it's actually a pretty good piece. The interview will be aired tonight on Nightline at 11:35.

4. I have no use for American Idol, but they're going to air a pro-life commercial during an upcoming episode.

5. Archbishop Chaput warns of the threat of losing our religious liberty.

6. A good argument could be made for the proposition that pretty much nobody in Washington has a shred of integrity on the issue of torture right now. See here and here. It's a very depressing spectacle, hypocrisy, partisanship, and moral blindness, all in one package.

7. Maine citizens take matters into their own hands, try to overturn their state's new same-sex "marriage" law.

8. Finally, something Congress may get right -- going after those awful, cringe-inducing TV ads for male assistance pills.

9. Great -- the First Lady says this just in time for Mother's Day. How am I going to get out of this one?

10. Blogging today on the same-sex "marriage" debate I participated in the other night.

Things I'll Never See

2009-05-07T10:54:00.003-04:00

1. You know what I would love to see someday, but never will? World peace; an end to racial hatred; dogs and cats getting along; an end to "American Idol". Oh, and Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ, publicly supporting the bishops on an issue involving the defense of human life. The whole thing is sad and tawdry reading, especially since it is a priest of Jesus Christ speaking with such patent disdain and dislike for His Apostles Among Us, while at the same time acting as an unapologetic apologist for the 100% anti-life policies of the President.

2. For the real assessment of what the First 100 Days truly means, see this from the indispensable Fr. Thomas Berg.

3. For a perfect illustration of Fr. Berg's thesis, see how the Administration moves on its effort to find "common ground" on reducing abortion. Here are the issues the White House wants to talk about: "sex education; responsible use of contraception; maternal and child health; pregnancy discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere; and adoption". Um, if we want to reduce abortions, shouldn't we actually come up with ways to discourage out-of-wedlock sex, or at least to talk about the negative consequences of abortion? Any wonder why Doug Johnson of National Right to Life (who wasn't even invited to the table) calls this "a political hoax"? Perhaps the White House might want to consider enlisting some abstinence speakers, like Bristol Palin. Another thing for my "I'll never see it" list.

4. Same-sex "marriage" advocates are so eager to brand everyone who opposes them as a "bigot". But it backfired on them in DC, when African-American ministers objected, showing once again that the passage of SSM bills will only lead to more conflict and tension. Up on Capitol Hill, the Speaker -- no doubt a "bigot" too -- wants Congress to stay out of the SSM debate.

5. Kathryn Jean Lopez is, as always, right on target, citing more evidence that the forces of "tolerance" will destroy all who stand in their way, but also getting at a more basic problem -- the need for decency.

6. For the future of health care in America, look to Ireland, where national health care results in dying patients being put on waiting lists for hospice care, including basic pain relief.

7. Remember that picture of the baby's hand reaching from the womb to grasp the doctor's finger? Here's a nice interview with the boy, now nine years old and grateful that God used him that way.

8. The students of ND Response have set up a parallel schedule for commencement day. Meanwhile, we have the sad news that another good man, Alan Keyes, has descended to the level of pointless grandstanding.

9. The headline says it all: " Men want 'macho' hymns, fewer flowers and less dancing in church". I don't care about the flowers, and I hate "How Great Thou Art", but I'd stand on my head and light my hair on fire if that would make liturgical dance go away forever.

10. Thanks for the prayers about the debate last night. I'll blog about it today or tomorrow to give you the full scoop.

Our Appalling Pro-Abortion Vice President

2009-05-06T09:10:00.004-04:00

1. A horrifying and disgusting story about how then-Senator Joseph Biden rejoiced -- "laughing and crying" -- when the Supreme Court upheld the right to abortion in the Casey decision, thanks to the pro-abortion vote of Justice Souter. This, from a person who purports to be a Catholic. Tell me again -- how is being "pro-choice" not exactly the same thing as being pro-abortion?

2. Ill-informed Europeans and Americans get the headlines, but the bishops of the Congo, who have to face the issue daily, will get no attention when they support the Holy Father's statements on condoms and HIV/AIDS. They say what everyone really knows -- condoms are not the solution, but are part of the problem.

3. Quite a while ago, I noted a horrible bill in Texas that would reduce the criminal penalties for infanticide, if a mother kills her baby due to post-partum depression. Sponsored, of course, by a "Catholic" adherent to the full Cult of Moloch. The bill is moving forwards.

4. Bishop Leonard Blair of Toledo buts the kibosh on an event by New Ways Ministry, the pro-gay "Catholic" operation (pro-same-sex "marriage", the whole nine yards). The worst part? The event was to take place at the convent of a women's religious community. Gee, wonder why the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wants to evaluate the fidelity of women's religious communities?

5. Maine moves a step closer. The District of Columbia will recognize out-of-state same-sex "marriages". Oddly, the infamous Marion Barry cast the only dissenting vote (jeez, what allies we have!). This will be interesting to watch, since Congress can overrule the City Council's decision (remember, DC is a federal entity, and Congress has final jurisdiction over it). What will the Democratic majority in Congress do? Meanwhile, Maggie Gallagher is still optimistic.

6. Randall Terry, professional pain in the nether regions. Now he's gotten himself arrested for trespassing on the NDU campus. It's not all about you, Randall. Let the students and the truth tell the story.

7. Cognitive dissonance alert -- the Times tries to talk about the grief after miscarriage. As usual, ignoring the gigantic elephant in the room.

8. Please pray for the success and safety of the Holy Father in his Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

9. Please pray for me -- this evening I'm participating in a public debate in Rockland County on same-sex "marriage". My watchword is Ephesians 6:10-17.

Listen to the Students Now

2009-05-05T11:53:00.001-04:00

1. Nice new video from ND Response, with very articulate students speaking for themselves.

2 Powerhouse sermon by Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, at the Mass of Reparation for sins against human life (a Mass requested by NDU alums in his diocese). He is particularly critical of complacency and the desire for respectability. Didn't Uncle Screwtape write something about the same thing?

3. Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon will miss out on the experience of addressing thousands of NDU graduates who would no doubt have listened to her every word, rapt with attention. As a consolation prize, she gets to deliver an address to the Holy Father on human rights. There are honors, and there are honors.

4. Here's Part Two of the analysis of the racist origins of American "family planning" policies.

5. Fr. Edward Oakes, SJ, asks the question is whether the President can be converted on abortion. He finds hope in the President's evident discomfort in being compared to Sen. Stephen Douglass, Abraham Lincoln's old "pro-choice" nemesis. And, since First Things is into conversions today, they imagine the turn-around of Michael Fox on stem cell research.

6. Maggie Gallagher points to hardball politics by same-sex "marriage" supporters in New Hampshire, threatening political retaliation against real marriage supporters (original story here). And she asks precisely the correct question -- why do we think that the brass-knuckles crowd will break out all magnanimous once SSM laws are passed?

7. College campuses (especially "Catholic" ones) tempted to permit a showing of the "V Monologues" should promote instead the "Vitae Monologues", a play about the effects of abortion on women and men.

8. Here's the answer that will appeal to Americans -- let's make torture safe, legal and rare.

9. On the Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Holy Father calls for more holy married couples.

An Alumna Speaks

2009-05-04T11:50:00.000-04:00

1. A beautiful reflection by a NDU alumna, which should be required reading for the university administration, board of trustees and fellows. The last line of the piece is a knock-out blow.

2. Here's just about the best concise statement of the real "seamless garment" "consistent life ethic" I've seen in a long time. Amazing that it originally appeared in a rough-and-tumble combox exchange.

3. Hard to believe, but someone in the mainstream media is criticizing the idea that teenagers should be taking "emergency contraception" without a doctor's prescription. No doubt his press card will soon be pulled for his heresy.

4. If the Republicans abandon the pro-life voter, they really will go the way of the Whigs. They can't say they weren't warned.

5. Even the LA Times is permitting someone to stress the need for authentic religious protections if same-sex "marriage" laws are passed. In case anyone needs a reminder of why this is necessary, the President of Brazil is proposing to criminalize the making of statements "offensive to homosexuality", which would include disapproving of homosexual acts. Here's a detailed analysis of how the politics of denunciation by SSM advocates is corroding our political culture.

6. Doctors are being increasingly pressured into violating their Hippocratic Oath by placing an alleged "duty to society" (i.e., rationing health care) over the duty to the patient.

7. Men sometimes wonder if there are manly saints we can look to as role models and prayer patrons, aside from St. Joseph (he's awfully busy already, and I hate to bother him more than I do already). Just for the record, I have nothing against female saints or anything -- I love Joan of Arc. Well, here's two manly holy men -- St. Nuno Alvares Pereira, a great warrior of Portugal who was canonized last week, and Blessed Leo Zaisho Shichiemon, who was actually a samurai before his conversion. Cool.

8. A prostitute (well, she's actually a "porn star", but it's the same thing) is thinking of running for US Senate in Louisiana. No further comment is necessary.

9. Blogged over the weekend about the inconsistence in the President's words about torture and abortion, and about the vacancy on the Supreme Court.

Abortion Support Falls -- Wonder Why?

2009-05-01T10:03:00.002-04:00

1. New Pew poll shows that support for abortion has fallen since last year -- "The proportion saying that abortion should be legal in all or most cases has declined to 46% from 54% last August". You think it might have something to do with the policies of the 100% anti-life President having awakened people? Or the increasing assertiveness of our bishops in defending the dignity of life?

2. No surprise, but Bishop Martino of Scranton has publicly called on Sen. Bob Casey (who voted for Gov. Sebelius' nomination to head HHS) to reflect on his inconsistent record on life issues. No doubt the secular media will describe this as "pro-lifer lashing out".

3. An excellent essay exploring the eugenic origins of federal "family planning" policies, so much a favorite of the Administration and the Congressional leadership. That article is Part One; Part Two will follow next week. Just so that it's clear, the obsession with "family planning" and abortion is not just a domestic policy matter, but is at the heart of American foreign policy now, as pointed out by the indispensable Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute.

4. Now Maine. Even though polls continue to show a majority of Americans oppose same-sex "marriage".

5. Justice David Souter -- one of the worst Supreme Court appointments in modern memory -- may be leaving the Court in June. Souter was horrible, but given the makeup of Congress, and the expressed desire of the 100% anti-life President to apply a pro-abortion litmus test for Court appointments, things are likely to get worse.

6. From the "Repeating History But Failing to Learn From It" File, the Republican Party has decided that its renaissance will depend on domestic policy issues (i.e., money), and not "social issues" (i.e., abortion, defending marriage). Just curious, but how has the Whig Party been doing lately? Thought so.

7. Blogging later today to thank the President for breaking his campaign promise on FOCA.

Breaking a Campaign Promise

2009-04-30T10:06:00.000-04:00

1. The President is backing away from the Freedom of Choice Act, says he wants to work on ways to reduce abortions. Here's his answer at the press conference last night. That's one campaign promise we're glad he's willing to break. Sure would be nice, though, if he supported the Pregnant Women's Support Act or pledged to keep abortion out of his health insurance plan.

2. Another take on waterboarding and torture, this time from a contributor to National Review Online. Mary DeTurris Poust points out the obvious but unspoken truth -- the corrosive attitude towards human life didn't start with torture, it started with abortion.

3. Ambassador Glendon's daughter explains her mother's decision to decline the NDU award, in response to the typical and expected character attacks. Meanwhile, NDU apparently couldn't find anyone willing to accept their medal this year. Instead a past recipient will give a speech. Here's what the President will wear that day -- NDU robes with the crest of the University, including a cross, an image reflecting Mary's title as "Star of the Sea", and words "Vita, Spes, Dulcedo" from the Salve Regina. Nice.

4. Abortion is a principal American export these days.

5. New Hampshire moves towards same-sex "marriage". Apparently virtually no religious liberty protections in the bill, beyond an exemption for clergy who don't want to officiate (not much of a protection -- the First Amendment would certainly cover that already). Meanwhile, see this hard-hitting new video ad from the National Organization for Marriage.

6. More verbal engineering on cloning and stem cell research.

7. I'm just mystified by some parts of the "Catholic press". Here's Catholic News Service's re-telling of a Observatore Romano editorial, in which they claim that the new Administration's first 100 days have brought "no radical changes" (original editorial translated here). They claim that the new stem cell policy is not the radical change that was feared, and don't even mention the Mexico City Policy, the huge increases in "family planning" funding in the budget, or the uniformly and radically pro-abortion appointments to policy positions. The worst part is that they claim to see a positive note in the introduction of the Pregnant Women's Support Act -- apparently not aware that the Administration did not introduce it, has not supported it, and the President voted against key parts of the bill when he was a Senator. So, give him credit for things he didn't do, and assign no responsibility for things he did do. Not only bad journalism, but how is that "Catholic" journalism?

8. On the other hand, CNS does a nice job describing the Holy Father's visit to the earthquake victims in L'Aquila.

Armchair Psychoanalysis

2009-04-29T16:34:00.002-04:00

1. Gov. David Paterson does some bizarre psychoanalysis on opponents of same-sex "marriage", calls us guilt-ridden. There's a healthy contribution to the debate. Thanks, Gov!

2. Meanwhile, the no-doubt guilt-ridden Bishop Tobin of Providence is calling for Catholics to end their apathy on preserving marriage.

3. In the spirit of Gov. Paterson, you should also be aware that opposition to physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia is considered to be not rational, but just some kind of "moral intuition". And people wonder why Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict have emphasized both faith and reason as the foundation of Christianity.

4. We Catholics need to be clear about the intrinsic evil of torture, regardless of who does it or what "good" may come of it. Here are two good resources for that: here and here. This discussion is going to be more and more important in the public square, and it is crucial that Christians give public witness.

5. The "Catholic News Service" continues to publish the column of Prof. Doug Kmiec, which are having less and less to do with authentic Catholic teaching, and more and more with shilling for the Administration's anti-life policies. His latest effort brought a stinging response from Cardinal Rigali, chairman of the bishops' pro-life committee, for its false claims about the President's stem cell policies.

6. 53 bishops, including 3 cardinals have spoken out on the NDU commencement scandal. The President responds to the decision by Ambassador Glendon (it's buried at the bottom of the story).

7. Well, at least now there's a vacancy in the Governor's mansion in Kansas. Maybe under the next guy mass killers of unborn children won't be so welcome. Sadly, they now have yet another powerful friend in Washington. Now, the next question -- Sen. Brownback, what were you thinking, voting "yes" for a woman responsible for this moral catastrophe. Shame on you.

8. On that same topic of Gov. Sebelius, in case you want to get a good look at the kind of "respectable" anti-Catholic bigotry we'll be hearing a lot more of, check out this column from the LA Times.

9. Blogged yesterday about the drama of the daily Mass readings this week. Blogging today about torture.

Catholic Witness -- More

2009-04-28T10:33:00.001-04:00

1. NDU is apparently completely unaffected by Mary Ann Glendon's presumably unprecedented declination of their honor. Ho-hum, just another day at the Golden Dome. So they just issue a two-line press release, and claim blandly that they will find some other worthy recipient to re-gift the award to. Let's see, who would fit in with the tenor of the event -- Doug Kmiec? Joe Biden? Caroline Kennedy? Nancy Pelosi? Tom Daschle? Kathleen Sebelius? Is Mario Cuomo still alive? What about Justice Roger Brooke Taney? Really, what Catholic with any self-respect would accept the award under these circumstances?

2. This is a long but excellent summation of the significance of Ambassador Glendon's decision.

3. Some interesting background on the Catholicity of the students at NDU. There's way too much puffery in the article, and no hard questions about the Catholicity of the faculty (McBrien? Never heard of him!). I can see this article being sent to nervous Cathoilc parents in next year's recruitment package to allay their fears and ease the transfer of tuition funds to the university's accounts. Still, it's nice to see orthodox Catholic kids being given positive treatment in the media.

4. On the other hand, we have the sad case of Gov. Sebelius, who has conformed herself to the Culture of Death, and who now will be rewarded by Caesar for it.

5. Kathryn Jean Lopez on the bizarre approval our culture gives to porn, despite the clear harm it does to people.

6. Fascinating account of Cardinal George's recent conversation with the President. The President, like most politicians, insists that he agrees with everyone, and everyone agrees with him, even when they actually disagree.

7. The Brave New World advances further. Now there's a clinic in the UK that is storing humans in the embryonic stage of development, so their parents can use them as spare parts. Utilitarianism marches on. Oh, but don't worry, we can trust Congress not to consider funding the cloning of human beings. Not.

8. Some people have claimed that I'm unduly partisan, and that I never agree with the Administration. Well, here's something I agree with: "Biden conceded his loose tongue makes him ripe for parody and said good-naturedly that 'much of the ridicule of me is well deserved.'" I certainly agree with that.

9. Another fallen warrior who fought the good fight -- John Marchi, long time State Senator from Staten Island. See here and here.

10. Blogged yesterday about Mary Ann Glendon, and also about John Marchi -- "Public Catholicism As It Should Be".

Catholic Witness -- For Real

2009-04-27T10:30:00.001-04:00

1. This is major, major news -- Mary Ann Glendon is turning down her award from NDU and will not appear at the commencement. Now that is the public witness we expect from authentic Catholics. God bless her!!

2. Jennifer Roback Morse dissects the Iowa marriage decision -- there is no such thing as real marriage any more, only "The Institution Formerly Known as Marriage".

3. The next step in conscience threats to medical staff -- forcing them to participate in offensive activity.

4. Support grows for the authentic "abortion reduction" bill, the Pregnant Women Support Act. If the Administration and Congressional leadership are serious about reducing abortion, this will be a test. Watch to see if they try to stuff more money for contraceptives into the bill.

5. In case you're wondering if the First Commandment is still "relevant" to the modern age, see this new picture of the President.

6. Interesting article about opposition to same-sex "marriage" from the African American religious community, focusing on Senate Majority Leader Smith's own congregation.

7. Weird, weird, weird. A woman has written a book decrying what she sees as our culture's "obsession with virginity". I guess she was really looking at the Parallel Universe version of the United States, you know, like the one in the comic books where Superman is actually evil. Weird.

She Chose the Wrong Standard to Follow

2009-04-24T10:25:00.004-04:00

1. Well, she has chosen whose standard she will follow. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas has vetoed the latest common-sense abortion regulation bill presented to her. Now, some Republican senators have grown spinal columns, and are challenging her nomination to be Secretary of HHS. May God have mercy on her for her terrible decision about the direction of her life.

2. A major breakthrough on deriving pluripotent stem cells from skin cells. As the article says, "The field has been moving at breakneck speed" -- yet at the same time, the ideologues in our government are falling over themselves to fund unethical stem cell research. In the background, there's an important point to remember -- most scientists really don't have a moral or ethical objection to cloning, just pragmatic objections.

3. Bishop D'Arcy of Fort Wayne says that there is now a "terrible breach" between NDU and the Catholic Church, and completely demolishes NDU's absurd legalistic parsing of the prohibition on honoring pro-abortion figures. News story here, full statement here. Strong words, indeed, but when a diocesan ordinary asserts his authority and uses those terms about a "Catholic" institution in his diocese, it has much more significance.

4. Still, Providence does take advantage of the errors of the Enemy. The NDU scandal offered an opportunity for an outstanding pro-life speech on campus. Was anyone from the school administration present?

5. At the same time, on the campus of a formerly Catholic law school, the noted legal scholar The Honorable Joseph Robinette Biden, Esq., received an award from a pro-abortion group and opined that there is no excuse for violence against a woman or a child. No, lightning didn't strike, nor did the audience dissolve in laughter at the tragic irony of the remark or at the sad lack of rudimentary self-awareness by the orator. As Mark Shea says, sin makes you stupid.

6. At a Congressional hearing, our Secretary of State continued her love-in with the wicked monster who founded the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood. Now she absurdly compares that person to Thomas Jefferson, who, for all his faults, was never an evil racist genocidal apologist for mass murder. The only good part of the whole travesty was that she actually admitted that the term "reproductive health" is a code word for abortion.

7. Gov. Paterson seems to be shying away a bit from same-sex "marriage". Not quite Miss California territory, but promising.

8. This story floored me. Half of seminary students say that they were discouraged -- mostly by their families -- from pursuing their vocation.

9. Blogged yesterday on the Miss California situation, and the ugly face of the future -- not hers, certainly, but the intolerance of the same-sex "marriage" movement.

The Jesuit Tradition, Again

2009-04-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

1. Meanwhile, Georgetown Law School will host an event sponsored by something called "the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law" and the group Legal Momentum, an ardent pro-abortion group linked to NOW. They will give an award to the noted legal scholar Joseph Biden. Ah, the Jesuit tradition.

2. The White House Office of Potemkin Villages, er, I mean the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, has set up six task forces to study important issues: (1) reform of the faith-based office, (2) fatherhood, (3) U.S. economic recovery, (4) interreligious dialogue, (5) global poverty, and (6) the environment and climate change. Gee, what's missing? Nobody could find time to talk about conscience protection, human life, marriage -- anything else that religious people and organizations might be interested in? Sure glad they managed to put together a religious group to study global warming since nobody else is looking at that.

3. More from Wesley Smith on how verbal engineering in the biotech/bioethics world contributes to the dehumanization of human being who are unfortunate enough to be in the embryonic stage of their lives.

4. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius takes an important step forward towards confirmation as HHS secretary. Respect for human life and public witness to the Catholic faith take important steps backwards.

5. Yet more proof that the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, is not only enthusiastic about murder, it's indifferent to rape. All to serve and protect women, right?

6. Pretty good overview of the rather delicate selection of a new ambassador to the Holy See. It would have been nice if the reporter had managed to find someone in his rolodex other than the usual suspects who say the usual things from the usual graveyard of "liberal Catholicism" (including a laugh out loud howler from the wishful thinking files of Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ). Maybe it's just me, but aren't people like George Weigel reasonably well known to reporters? Just a small gripe about an otherwise decent article.

7. Do you remember the show "Green Acres"? It's apparently on re-runs at the White House. Nice shine on those shoes, I have to say.

8. Sorry, but I won't be putting out a Varia tomorrow -- I'm off to beautiful Albany to bask in the reflected glow of the most dysfunctional legislature in human history.

A Great Spiritual Warrior

2009-04-21T10:19:00.002-04:00

1. Bishop Finn of Kansas City is one plain-spoken Christian spiritual warrior. Read his recent address to a pro-life conference. Kind of makes you think of the way the Lord and His Apostles might have spoken, if they had the misfortune of being born in this evil and adulterous generation.

2. "Same-sex marriage" advocates are making confident noises: see here and here. Still, I can't see the Senate Republicans giving the Dems such a victory.

3. People who were working for our government (i.e., men and women with immortal souls, with God's law written into their hearts, and with the Holy Spirit dwelling within them due to their baptism) actually waterboarded two prisoners 266 times in one month. Torture is always, under all circumstances, gravely immoral, even if it "works" or if the targets are bad people. Read the Catechism here, here, and here.

4. The political zombie known as Governor Paterson is trying to resiscitate his career, in part by making "same-sex marriage" a central part of his agenda.

5. More on the verbal engineering of the word "embryo". This has real-world consequences. You may recall that in an infamous decision by the New York State Court of Appeals, the court used the nonsense term "pre-zygote" to describe the result of the fertilization of a human egg by a human sperm, all along the way to declaring that these new human lives were mere property to be divided as part of a divorce settlement.

6. This is not from the Onion, but I wonder if Wesley Smith is having a bit of fun with us. He reports that a leading climate scientist claims that too much sex is causing global warming. My favorite part is that the scientist's name is "Sunburn". Hmm.

7. Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (known in Hebrew as Yom Hashoah). Perfect -- the day after the racist terrorist genocidal lunatic President of Iran makes yet another public speech spewing hatred of Jews and Israel, a speech that would have fit right in the pages of Der Sturmer. Please pray -- never again.

Killing Children, Getting Paid

2009-04-20T08:30:00.004-04:00

1. The National Institutes of Health issued new guidelines on embryonic stem cell research, permitting the destruction of young human beings whose parents no longer want them and who agree in writing that they can be dismembered for spare parts. Okay, the guidelines don't put it quite that plainly, but that's what it's all about. And the notion that this reflects some "ethical standards"? Please. See the commentary here and here. Meanwhile, our rulers, who believe in "science over ideology", continue to demagogue and propagandize about ESC research.

2. Maggie Gallagher lays it out very bluntly -- if opponents of same-sex "marriage" don't get organized, we are going to be marginalized and thrown out of politics and polite society. Think that's a scare tactic? Then read this op-ed from the Times, which doesn't even sugar-coat the thuggish threat: "It is justice, not a storm, that is gathering. Only those who have spread the poisons of bigotry and fear have any reason to be afraid." The Church's institutional opposition to this is not enough -- individual people (i.e., donors and voters) need to get organized on the grassroots level. Try the National Organization for Marriage.

3. Rudy Giuliani, an ally on same-sex "marriage"? Don't count on it. "Civil unions" are the Trojan Horse of the SSM movement -- if the legislature tries to be Solomonic and enact a CU law, just watch the "gay rights" advocates run down to court to transform it into marriage via the Equal Protection clause.

4. New poll shows very broad support for conscience protection for health care workers. Meanwhile, pro-life doctors talk about the dangers they face, and the effect it will have on their practices. This is a winning issue for us, and we need to push it hard against the faux "pro-choice" forces.

5. Our Daily Paper, with its usual filters on, continuing to prove that they just don't understand a Christian when they see one. Here, their coverage of Archbishop Dolan's Sunday homily. It is comforting, in a way, to see that some things never change, including the blindness of the Times.

6. Whenever the Devil advances on some fronts, he begins to plan his advance on others. Never forget that euthanasia is right around the corner, waiting for its turn. See here and here.

7. Ah, my alma mater, Harvard, not wanting to fall too far behind in the Abortion Apologist Commencement Speaker sweepstakes, has invited truth- and charity-challenged Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to give an address. Okay, it's the "Kennedy School", so what can you expect? But what will they do if the nomination crashes and burns before then? Maybe they could invite her pal George Tiller.

8. The papal Urbi et Orbi message went out in 27 languages, including Esperanto.

9. Yesterday was the fourth anniversary of Pope Benedict's election to the See of Peter. Please God, many more years of this pontificate! It was also Patriot's Day, the anniversary of the Shot Heard 'Round the World (the Battles of Lexington and Concord, not Bobby Thompson's home run). Please God, many more years of liberty!

10. Blogged over the weekend on intrinsic evil. I hope to blog today or tomorrow on the NIH guidelines.

Disgrace at Georgetown

2009-04-17T08:20:00.002-04:00

1. This is absolutely disgraceful -- Georgetown University covered up the IHS symbol in the room where the President was delivering an economics address, at the request of the White House. Yes, a Catholic university covered over the name of our Lord at the request of Caesar. Remember Mark 8:38? It's even in Bibles in the Jesuit tradition. I was so irate I blogged on this today.

2. Kathryn Jean Lopez reflects on Georgetown, NDU, Archbishop Dolan, and Jesus. See also her blog post here. Man, how does she do it? This is her third dead-on perfect column in a week. If only the Yankees could be on that kind of hot streak.

3. 33 Bishops. 306,000+ petition signatures. The first ever March for Life on their campus, supported strongly by the diocesan bishop. Is anybody in the University administration paying attention?

4. Prof. Matthew Franck thoroughly demolishes Prof. Doug Kmiec's latest apologia for the 100% anti-life President. It really is getting to the "shooting fish in the barrel" stage. (Although perhaps I shouldn't use such a metaphor, since Homeland Security is watching what I'm thinking and probably putting me in a watch list).

5. Kansas Gov. and maybe HHS Secretary Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' difficulties with the Eighth Commandment continue.

6. Meanwhile, Sen. Sam Brownback is certainly one of the good guys, but his explanation of why he supports Gov. Sebelius's nomination is lame in the extreme. Here's the winner for the Nonsensical Statement of the Week: "If you're going to have a pro-choice person in that position, it's better to have a Kansan". What, like the Governor's pal, George Tiller?

7. For those who want to know what our tax dollars will now be supporting, thanks to the 100% anti-life President, here's a snapshot of the Chinese population control policies, and the demographic and social havoc they have wrought.

8. If you're wondering why the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is conducting a doctrinal inquiry into the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, this is all you really need to know: here and here. I'd be willing to bet any amount of money that if you were to ask a Sister of Life about her vocation, the name of Jesus would come up in the first sentence, and in almost every one thereafter.

9. Here's a look at what post-Christian Christianity looks like, courtesy of the Vicar of Putney of the Church of England. The Cross is still "a stumbling block to Jews, and folly to Greeks" (1 Cor. 1:23)

10. Here's what our new Archbishop said yesterday on Sirius Radio: "My first pastoral letter's gonna be a condemnation of light beer and instant mashed potatoes -- I hate those two things." Amen.

11. Blogged yesterday about the Installation Mass. I'm going to blog tomorrow about intrinsic evil. I don't mean to imply a connection between the two.

Dialogue, Schmialogue

2009-04-16T09:33:00.002-04:00

1. The party line is that the NDU commencement is supposed to be an opportunity for "dialogue" with the President about his anti-life policies. So why won't the NDU president also engage in dialogue with his own students and faculty about the matter? I guess they'lll talk to and honor an apologist for legal abortion, but not to the supporters of Church teaching?

2. Our wonderful Secretary of State stands by her praise of the founder of the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, who was a racist apologist for mass murder. And this woman now oversees our "human rights" policies.

3. Speaking of intrinsic evil, it appears that the Temple of Moloch has been illegally performing abortions in unlicensed clinics in Texas. Add that to the indictment, which is getting very, very lengthy.

4. Want to know what an anti-life, contraceptive mentality looks like, in all its ugliness? Check out these depraved ads from Germany (don't worry, nothing you can't see at work). Remember, in the modern ideology, fertility is always the enemy.

5. Political zombie Gov. David Paterson has decided to push for same-sex "marriage", but members of his party are already jumping ship. Some SSM advocates are claiming that enough Republicans may join them, but they also believe in the Easter Bunny too.

6. Catholics who call themselves "orthodox" are more optimistic about the future of the Church. You mean that those who live their faith seriously also have hope? What a concept.

7. A significant win in Chicago for religious liberty -- a judge rules that the state can't force pharmacists to dispense "emergency contraception" if it is against their religious beliefs. The case isn't over, but this is a good step forward to final victory.

8. A new Catholic convert (welcome aboard!) reflects on the lack of religious freedom in other nations, where "apostasy" can bring death. In my own parish, several Muslims were received into the Church on Easter Sunday. Thank God for our religious liberty!

9. The Installation Mass was spectacular. I'll blog on it later today. Read the Archbishop's homily for yourself and get excited.

10. Happy Birthday Pope Benedict! Please, God, many many more!

Let's Keep Fighting for the Truth

2009-04-15T09:30:00.002-04:00

1. Maggie Gallagher refuses to give up the fight against same-sex "marriage", because truth always wins over lies. Good. We won't give up either.

2. Helen Alvare speaking abundant common sense on NDU. On the other hand, there really seems to be something spiritually amiss with poor Prof. Doug Kmiec. I can understand supporting the President and all, but the over-the-top gushing about the President's "intelligence and eloquence" and how his administration has "assumed the mantle of Catholicism" is just embarrassing to read from a grown-up adult who is otherwise such an intelligent person. Something's seriously wrong there, and we need to pray for this man.

3. It's not just NDU, it's also Xavier of New Orleans. There may be a shred of justification for inviting the President, but a political hack like her?

4. Our media and culture glorify pornography, but Francis Beckwith has the proper perspective on the media reaction to the passing of porn "actress" Marilyn Chambers. In the obituary in the Washington Post, Ms. Chambers is quoted as saying in an earlier interview that the pornography business "chews women up and spits them out. It's a business I'd never want my daughter to be in." Sadly, I imagine that her own mother would have said the same thing. Please pray for the repose of her soul, and for all those bound in the slavery of pornography.

5. The Evil One is always more active at this time of the year, and so are his minions of the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood. Here they brag about their unique role in the current Administration and here they use pro-life protests at the killing fields as a way of raising money.

6. I missed this before, but here it is now -- US News columnist says that killing babies is a good idea in these economic times. I wonder what the reaction would be if someone wrote that killing journalists was a good idea in tough economic times.

7. Maybe I shouldn't have written that. The Department of Homeland Security apparently believes that those of us who are opposed to abortion rights are a risk of being part of some pattern of "right-wing" violence. Um, maybe it's just me, but isn't it the pro-abortion folks who are committing violence with impunity against over a million people every year?

8. Off to the Installation Mass!

Headlines and Stories

2009-04-14T10:09:00.002-04:00

1. The headline reads, "Obama boost anti-abortion efforts", but it's not another whitewash of his "abortion reduction (without doing anything to reduce abortion) policies", it's a real account of how our grassroots have been energized by his radicalism.

2. In case we need a reminder that strong marriages are worth fighting for, here's Brad Wilcox's overview of how children suffer without strong married parents. We have to keep telling our selfish culture that marriage is not all about me, it's about the gift of myself to others, for their wellbeing.

3. What is wrong with them over in Vermont? Their legislature is on the verge of passing a law that permits the distrubution of child pornography via cell phone (a disturbing phenomemon among immoral teenagers). Oh, it's okay, what's a little child porn among friends? After all, it puts us into conformity with our dear ally Saudi Arabia, which allows adult perverts to marry 8-year-old girls.

4. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, nominee for HHS, displays her moral fiber, by showing her utter lack of commitment to the Eighth and Fifth Commandments. Ugh.

5. A brief summary of the profitablility and murderous activity of the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood. The key numbers -- over 300,000 murders of children in the womb, over $350 million in taxpayer subsidies, and total revenue over $1 billion.

6. A helpful reminder from Mark Shea about what's really going on with the "gay rights" movement, and how they won't be satisfied until we all CONFORM. At the same time, we have to remember that many of our allies in this struggle are not reliable and will conform to the spirit of the age or will declare defeat before the battle is over.

7. The stopped clock syndrome strikes again. Now Al Gore is getting behind induced pluripotent stem cell initiatives as an alternative to embryonic stem cell research.

8. For those non-Catholics who sometimes wonder why we consider our priests to be heroes, here's why.

9. If you have a yearning to help mothers in need for Mother's Day, consider this request from the Sisters of Life.

10. Watch your splling: Jesus is the "Logos", not the "Legos".

Contemptible Legalism

2009-04-13T11:07:00.003-04:00

1. Fr. Jenkins, president of NDU, has sent to the board of trustees (i.e., the guys he actually works for) a response to the criticism of the decision to honor the President. I didn't attend the greatest Catholic university since time began, but even I can recognize a pathetic, contemptible, desperate, legalistic attempt to make chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what. Here's the text, and here's the first few of many replies: by canonist Ed Peters and by NDU alum Stephen Barr. More are sure to follow.

2. There are two things I find significant here. First, perhaps it's me, but if 25+ bishops tell me that I'm wrong about what the bishops themselves are teaching on behalf of the Church, maybe I should take that as an indication that I might have gotten things just a little bit wrong. But that's not the way Fr. Jenkins approaches the issue; he instead interprets the bishops' teaching as he sees it and confirms that he did so correctly (and thus says that he understands what the bishops are saying better than they do, and that they are wrong about what they themselves said). There's humility for you.

3. Second, are you familiar with the poker term "the tell"? It's something that a player does (e.g., an expression or gesture) that unintentionally reveals what's in his hand. Here's Fr. Jenkins' "tell" -- he calls the bishops' prohibition against honoring those who are opposed to fundamental Catholic moral teaching mere "recommendations". This gives the whole ballgame away. There's a technical term for those who believe that the teachings of the Apostles Among Us are not authoritative and binding, and that my private judgment is the ultimate guide for the truth. It's called being a "Protestant". And what, then, does that say about NDU's real identity?

4. For further illustration of the "Protestant Catholic" phenomenon, see the recent news regarding Mr. Tony Blair, recent but obviously incomplete convert to the Church.

5. Meanwhile, ten Holy Cross priests have written a letter to the NDU student paper expressing their disagreement with the invitation to the President.

6. The threat of same-sex "marriage" continues to grow. Gov. Paterson will introduce his own bill, and push the Senate to vote on it.. Advocates see momentum building in their direction, although they continue to be a few votes short: see here and here.. Nearby, New Hampshire's jumping on the SSM bandwagon.

7. In case anyone needs a handy reminder of how evil the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, and its founder are, here's Kathryn Jean Lopez with the goods. But she also gives us the good news in this excellent overview of the real meaning of what the Holy Father said about sex and humanity.

Vermont Takes the Wrong Road

2009-04-08T15:57:00.002-04:00

1. Sadly, the Vermont Legislature overrode the Governor's veto and legalized same-sex "marriage". At least they did it through the democratic process, and not by ukase from our judicial masters. Maggie Gallagher notes the small silver lining -- the Legislature recognized that SSM poses a threat to religious liberties, and enacted some protections.

2. Columnist and blogger Rod Dreher nails the diagnosis dead on -- secular liberalism has become such a norm in society that it has become a virtually invisible tyranny, and those who argue from outside its parameters (like us) are incomprehensible and bizarre outlaws. He's also right about the danger that approaches -- when there's a vacuum of values at the heart of society, we need to worry about what will fill it.

3. You have to love it. A guy puts up a pro-NDU petition. Fair enough. But he's a former leader of the left-wing politcial hatched group MoveOn.org and a host of other Democratic and leftist political groups, none of which are notorious for their adherence to the Catholic faith in the area of respect for human life. Who's politicizing it now?

4. As Msgr. William Smith said, social engineering is preceded by verbal engineering. Here, a Catholic hospital in Canada does "early inductions" on those babies with adverse prenatal diagnosis -- in other words, they induce labor early so that the disabled baby will die. An abortion by any other name is still as infamous, especially when it is done in a Catholic hospital under the advice of Catholic priests.

5. Bishop Martino of Scranton continues the rebuilding process. He has now contacted the heads of all the Catholic colleges in his diocese to ask them about the policies of their health services, to ensure that they are in conformity with Catholic teaching with regard to contraceptives. The best part is that Bishop Martino cites little-known and rarely-used Canon 810.2: "The conferences of bishops and diocesan bishops concerned have the duty and right of being watchful so that the principles of Catholic doctrine are observed faithfully in [Catholic] universities." Lead the way, Your Excellency.

6. Further piling on the Pope for his comments about condoms and HIV/AIDS, the Belgian Parliament… Oh, never mind, it's impossible to take seriously any sentence that includes the words "Belgian Parliament". Read it for yourself and laugh. You expect the story to mention that the leader of that august body is His Excellency, Rufus T. Firefly. Hail, hail Fredonia.

7. Please tell me that I'm hallucinating. This news article reports that Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline Kennedy may be appointed ambassador to the Holy See, at the behest of John Kerry. Meanwhile, it's also reported that the Holy See has already rejected three proposed ambassadors as being unsuitable to improve relations with the United States (i.e., they were pro-abortion). At least somebody has standards.

8. Uh oh. Another Administration official has tax problems.

9. I'm giving up the internet for the Triduum, so no more Varia until next week. I'll leave you with a very nice article describing why the author became a Catholic, and the spiritual consolation he finds in the Rosary. He is Risen!

Circling the Wagons

2009-04-07T15:53:00.001-04:00

1. They're circling the wagons around NDU. Our Daily Paper has printed the usual farrago of nonsense in defense of the decision to honor the 100% anti-life President. They've even communed with the zombified remains of the man who once was Richard McBrien, who emerged from the sepulcher of "liberal Catholicism" to show his usual sympathy and grace towards those who are foolish enough to disagree with his personal infallible magisterium. The rest of the usual suspects (McGuire, Chittister, Kmiec, et al.) must not have been available (perhaps they were on an enneagram or reiki retreat for Holy Week).

2. The governor of Vermont vetoed the same-sex "marriage" bill. Today the legislature will try to override. Pray! Here's a dissection of the Iowa Supreme Court decision, which replaced feelings for reason as the basis for making law: .

3. There must be some kind of agent who specializes in getting pro-abortion "Catholics" booked at Catholic events. Now Bishop Lori has to boycott a dinner for Sacred Heart University because Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline Kennedy will be honored. To give you an idea of how obtuse and incoherent the university is, they're giving her an award for being a "human rights activist". Obviously, the human rights of unborn human beings are irrelevant to this institution of allegedly "higher" learning.

4. Fr. Thomas Berg, LC, offers his views on the proposed revocation of the HHS conscience regulations. I always listen to him, why won't they?

5. Get a load of the kind of guy who got appointed to the President's advisory council on faith-based initiatives: a gay activist who calls the pope and bishops "discredited" and labels the Knights of Columbus "foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression". Nice. Very ecumenical. Very tolerant.

6. This should get the conspiracy kooks going: the Knights Templar may have had custody of the Shroud of Turin at one point. Dan Brown, call your agent.

7. Anybody who's seen the "Sham Wow" commercials will love this hilarious ad from the Diocese of Brooklyn to encourage people to come to Confession. If St. Paul had an marketing advisor, he would have done stuff like this.

8. Blogged yesterday on the NDU situation again. Sorry, I can't help it. I'll move on now.

Conscience and "No Choice"

2009-04-06T12:58:00.003-04:00

1. Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma presented an amendment to a budget bill that would offer clear conscience protection to health care workers. The forces of "choice" defeated the amendment (56-41), and a majority of "Catholic" senators voted against it (16-9), including our own Sen. Gillibrand.

2. So the Administration is held a conference call to discuss abortion reduction strategies. See here and here. The Administration was represented by two ardently pro-abortion staff members (Tina Tchen, formerly of NOW, and Emily Barnes, formerly of Emily's List and Planned Parenthood), and we have no idea what pro-life folks were on the call. So, you can pretty much guess that this discussion will be focused not on limiting or regulating abortion or on offering alternatives to women (e.g., funding crisis pregnancy centers), but on the usual nonsense -- expanding "family planning" programs (i.e., contraceptives) to reduce "unplanned pregnancies".

3. Outstanding article by George Weigel, responding to an editorial from Chicago critical of Cardinal George's statement on NDU. At some point, "respect for the President" seems to have become one of the highest values of our culture. I must have missed that lesson during the last Administration, or, perhaps, during the coronation ceremony.

4. In Illinois, pro-lifers have defeated a state FOCA (like our New York State RHAPP bill). Constant vigilance.

5. Here's the classic inversion of values that is emblematic of our contemporary culture. Parenthood, instead of being about the generous gift of self by procreating and nurturing new life, instead is all about me, and how it makes me feel. Me, me, me, me, me, me. Selfishness is a self-fulfilling circle -- it will never make you happy, it will only make you more and more dissatisfied with yourself and your lack of satisfaction. It is also the pathway to the abortion clinic, the "family planning" clinic, and the divorce court. And to the Times Magazine.

6. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius sailed through her confirmation hearing without breaking a sweat -- and without hearing the word "abortion". Thanks guys. There's "advice and consent" for you, creampuff style.

7. As we try to figure out what to do about the economic situation, perhaps it would be worthwhile to listen to the Holy Father who, although not an economist, does know a thing our two about society and the human person.

8. Here in the United States, "liberal Catholicism" is pretty much an "exhausted project", in the words of Cardinal George. For a glimpse at what might have been, read this disturbing account of the state of the Church in Austria, where it appears that the inmates have taken over the asylum, and "liberal Catholicism" (i.e., Protestantism) is far from exhausted.

9. I'm glad somebody's thinking about how to defend the Earth against asteroids. I just hope it will work against aliens.

10. Blogged over the weekend on the disgraceful Iowa Supreme Court decision, and the egregious lie at the heart of the decision. Check it out.

The March Goes On

2009-04-03T11:10:00.000-04:00

1. Same-sex "marriage" advances in Vermont. Meanwhile, in Iowa Their Imperial Majesties the Omnipotent Platonic Guardians of Justice and Niceness, er, I mean the Iowa Supreme Court, erased a duly-enacted law and legalized SSM this morning.

2. This letter to NDU, from Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, Illinois, has some serious smoke coming off of it (he calls it "obscene" and invites the university to change its name to "Fighting Irish College" or "Northwestern Indiana Humanist University"). And here's another strongly worded letter from Archbishop Eusebius Beltran of Oklahoma City, who says that NDU has "certainly turned against the Catholic Church". Ouch!. At what point does NDU accept that they are being seriously admonished by the Successors of the Apostles, show some remorse, and correct their ways?

3. This is a very valuable overview from Americans United for Life of the effort by Congress and the Administration to enact FOCA piecemeal, entitled "FOCA by Stealth".

4. Here's where the "Death with Dignity" movement is heading -- a Swiss suicide "clinic" will help a healthy woman kill herself so she can die alongside her terminally ill husband. This is one of those cases where the authorities need to intervene to save a woman who is a danger to herself, and to provide her with the mental health aid she is obviously not getting from these profiteering vultures. And to arrest these murderers.

5. I try to stay away from the tragic train wreck of what used to be the Episcopal Church, but this cannot be overlooked. A lesbian "priest" has been appointed to head one of their seminaries. That's par for the course, for sure, but this is not -- she's so much a devotee of the Cult of Moloch that she calls abortion "a blessing" and "holy work", and extols it at such great enthusiastic length as to be stomach-turning. This is the spirit of anti-Christ that we were warned of in 1 and 2 John. Please pray for the remaining Christians in that ecclesial community.

6. Maggie Gallagher on the unfair and discriminatory statute of limitations bill here in New York.

7. Credit where credit is due. Catholic Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who is functionally pro-abortion, signed two good bills this week -- one to limit funding for embryonic stem cells, and another to authorize "Choose Life" license plates. The Cult of Moloch crowd went crazy, of course. Nobody is defiled enough, er, I mean pure enough for them.

8. Gotta love Our Morning Paper for it's humble self-image. The managing editor of the Times says ""Saving the New York Times now ranks with saving Darfur as a high-minded cause." Yeah, just like it. If it weren't for the crossword puzzle, would the paper be worth anything?

9. The New York City Council spat on the First Amendment yesterday, passing the iniquitous clinic access bill. I'll blog about this today.

Taking the Message Online

2009-04-02T11:07:00.000-04:00

1. The Wall Street Journal has taken notice of the effort by pro-lifers to bring our message online, for example through the www.catholicvote.org commercial that was to be aired during the Super Bowl. Another example is the Christian Medical and Dental Association (much less snazzy) video on conscience protection. The New Evangelization, using the new media to bring the truth to our culture.

2. Russell Shaw provides some historical perspective on Americanism, apropos of NDU. Bishops continue to comment. 230,000 signatures on the petition.

3. A very thoughtful reflection on the Holy Father's comments on HIV/AIDS and condoms, by a Jesuit priest who heads the African Jesuit AIDS Network.

4. Kirsten Powers, a liberal pro-choice news analyst on the Fox News Network, wrote a scathing reaction to the Cult of Moloch's frenzy over the Virginia law requiring abortionists to offer a sonogram, and offering help to crisis pregnancy centers. She exposes the basic lie of the pro-abortion movement -- they couldn't care less about letting women make an informed choice.

5. In case you missed it, here is the invaluable Fr. Thomas Berg's recent article on the theats to religious liberty and attacks on the Church.

6. The slippery slope becomes a mine shaft. Romania is considering legalizing "consensual" incest.

7. Somebody who is described as a science advisor to our State Department has opined that there are far too many people on the Earth. She's welcome to reside somewhere else, if that will help the problem. But of course, there's always too many of "them" and just the right number of "us".

9. For Church geeks like myself, here's a nice piece on the the Archbishop's coat of arms.

10. Four years ago today, Pope John Paul II was reborn into eternal life.

I am Not Embarassed -- They Should Be

2009-04-01T14:55:00.000-04:00

1. Cardinal George has weighed in on the NDU scandal. . The Cardinal said, in part, "Whatever else is clear, it is clear that Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation". This is important. Not only is Cardinal George the President of the USCCB, Chicago is very closely connected to NDU and its alumni.

2. With all respect to the Cardinal, however, I have to take issue with something he said. He stated that NDU is an "extreme embarrassment"" to Catholics. No. I am not one of those who consider this "Midwestern university" (to quote Fr. Rutler) some kind of shining exemplar of Catholicism in the United States. NDU has nothing to do with my identity as a Catholic, and thus cannot embarrass me. This whole affair, including NDU's sad attempts to justify it, should be -- but apparently is not -- an extreme embarassment to the Congregation of the Holy Cross (which, in fairness, really only has a nominal at best control of NDU), the NDU board, administration, faculty, alumni and students -- after all, it's their school. It does not and cannot "embarrass" ordinary Catholics -- it scandalizes, outrages, upsets, disappoints, and betrays us. Archbishop Nienstedt of St. Paul-Minneapolis said it better -- it's a "travesty".

3. Here's the hapless superior general of the Holy Cross order, trying desperately to conduct a one-sided "dialogue" with the President on abortion. Nice try.

4. Dr. Francis Beckwith, recent convert to the Church, puts things in perspective, citing the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to debunk the idea that the President should be given a "Doctor of Laws" degree by a Catholic institution -- namely, because he defends a legal regime that is not valid law, but constitutes a usurpation and an act of violence.

5. Two same-sex marriage cases are going up to the New York State Court of Appeals. While the legislature does nothing to protect marriage, the slow-motion stealth legalization of same-sex "marriage" in New York proceeds apace.

6. Here's a good summary of the extremism of Dawn Johnsen, the nominee to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel. This office is significant because the OLC is the definitive advisor to the Administration on the meaning of laws and the interpretation of the Constitution. It is also a very prestigious position and can be a springboard to a federal judgeship. But don't worry, the President will no doubt be immune to radical interpretations of the law, thanks to that honorary (but not an honor!) "Doctor of Laws" from the leading Catholic university in the Universe.

7. Today is Terri's Day, the fourth anniversary of the killing of Terri Schiavo by court ordered starvation . Please pray for the repose of her soul, for the consolation of her family, and for the souls of all those who were involved in causing her death.

Stacking the Deck Against Us

2009-03-31T16:46:00.000-04:00

1. With all of the qualified attorneys in the United States, the President has chosen someone to head the influential Office of Legal Counsel of the Justice Department who is so pro-abortion that she thinks that pregnancy is comparable to slavery. Guess what? Her previous job was as Chief Counsel to NARAL.

2. Interesting analysis by Ed Peters of the Canon Law issues involved in withholding Holy Communion from pro-abortion public officials.

3. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that "reproductive rights" (i.e., killing unborn children and sterilizing mothers) is at the top of the US foreign policy agenda. Well, religious liberty apparently isn't at the top of the agenda, as evidenced by our government's cavalier attitude towards it in the Middle East. (By the way, the key decisions were made while the prior Administration was in office).

4. So the HIV/AIDS rate in Washington DC is higher than in some African nations, despite handing out 1.5 million condoms last year (the DC population is about 600,000). The answer? More condoms, of course.

5. A good indicator of the derangement of the pro-abortion absolutists is their reaction to the "Choose Life" license plates. Now, they're going bananas because the Governor of Virginia (who also happens to be the Chairman of the Democratic Party) signed a bill authorizing them. Perhaps the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, will try to get "Choose Death" plates.

6. So the newest trend among self-styled atheists is to file documents with the Church seeking to "de-baptize" themselves. I can hear them now: "I keep rubbing this mark but it won't come off. It must be indelible!" (See CCC 1272)

7. The President of the United States has just fired the head of a private corporation (GM), as a condition of that corporation receiving public money, and guaranteed the company's auto warranties. I seem to have overlooked the clause in Article 2 of the Constitution that gave the President that power. But in any event, does this precedent give anyone pause about government funding for Catholic schools (e.g., vouchers) and other institutions?

8. This was sent to me, and I pass this along without comment, because no matter what I say I'll get in trouble. A new reason to support adult stem cell research.

Hope for the Governor?

2009-03-30T14:36:00.000-04:00

1. Gov. Kathleen Sibelius of Kansas has signed a pro-life bill that would require abortion clinics to offer a sonogram and a chance to hear the fetal heartbeat. I'm sure this had nothing to do with the pressure from pro-lifers. Of perhaps she was feeling magnanimous after her pal, the infamous Dr. George Tiller, was acquitted of all criminal charges. In any event, it is a cause for joy. Dare we pray that this is a step on the road to conversion?

2. Further confirmation that many Catholics have assimilated to the world. According to a new Gallup poll, the attitudes of those who describe themselves as Catholics are indistinguishable from the rest of Americans on crucial issues like abortion. However, among those who attend Mass, the numbers are somewhat more favorable. How fresh is the salt? (Mt. 5:13)

3. More NDU stuff. Our new Archbishop made a brief comment about the NDU issue druing a TV interview: "they made a big mistake". The whole interview is worth watching. Interesting article about the student and alumni reaction to the King Herod University, er, I mean Notre Dame, fiasco. It's encouraging that 73% of alumni letters to the school paper are opposed to the President's appearance. But what does it say about the Catholic identity of the school that 97% of the seniors who wrote letters support it? Nothing good, that's for sure. Meanwhile, here's George Weigel on the whole mess. Cardinal DiNardo of Galveston-Houston has written on the ND matter. It's important because he's the first Cardinal to comment, and he's the new Chairman of the Pro-Life Committee of USCCB. It's also a fine explanation of the principles involved in this matter and in the other major controversy, the olive branch to the Society of St. Pius X.

4. I've been asked what I mean by calling NDU "King Herod University". I do not mean to accuse them of the murderous or licentious immorality we recall about the various Herods in the New Testament. In fact, aside from public offenses against the Eighth Commandment (for the patently false statements of their spokesman), and against the Fifth Commandment (for knowingly causing scandal), I have no knowledge of any immorality on their part. What I really mean is this. If you look at the track record of the Herodian kings, their defining characteristic was their craven sycophancy towards the Roman Emperor. That is the tradition I mean to refer to. Okay?

5. Amazingly, here is an article in the US News health section about how embryonic stem cells are obsolete.

6. Here's the best Hillary Clinton story ever. While touring Mexico, the best and brightest Secretary of State visited Guadalupe. After viewing the tilma, she asked her guide, "Who painted it?" True story. The best part -- the priest who was escorting her answered, "God". Sadly, here is the worst Hillary Clinton story ever. The Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, gave its Margaret Sanger Award to Mrs. Clinton. An award named after an evil racist advocate of eugenics and euthanasia, given by an organization devoted to mass murder of minorities and covering up the rape of children. What an honor.

7. That isolated, out of touch, medieval pope -- why does his popularity continue to rise? Because he leads us to Christ, and, like the Master, he is a sign of contradiction.

8. Okaaaaaay. Some folks in Holland are objecting to the EU symbol (twelve-stars in a circle) because they think it's in honor of Mary. This on the continent that decided to ignore Christianity in its constitution. Given the open immorality in Amsterdam, don't they have something closer to home to worry about?

Leviathan Turns His Attention to the Church

2009-03-27T14:33:00.000-04:00

1. This is a very disturbing story, if true. Austin Ruse reports that the Administration is planning to reach out to the papal nuncio to try to get the Vatican to silence Archbishop Burke, in light of his public comments about Governor Sibelius and her fitness for Holy Communion. Can anyone think of a more dangerous precedent than a powerful government seeking to interfere with the freedom of a Church official to speak out on moral issues and sacramental discipline within his office's area of competence? Will this Chicago-bred sharp-elbows-style politics work? St. Thomas Becket, pray for us.

2. 180,000 and counting.

3. Another challenge to Catholics who supported the President's election. Note especially the Archdiocese from which this article comes.

4. The madness in Europe continues. In an effort to reduce experimentation on animals, they want to turn to embryonic stem cell research. Yes, Fluffy the Cat has more value to them than human beings in the embryonic stage of development.

5. How far has the Reformation come? Now a committee of the "United Church of Christ" is recommending condom distribution at churches. John Calvin is rolling over in his grave.

6. The effort to market Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, is now moving into new territory -- vaccinating boys.

7. When people throw at you the libel that the Church's opposition to condoms is killing people in Africa, ask them to prove it. We can prove that condom distribution is a poor public health policy, and that abstinence is in fact the best way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. But "there was no correlation between being the sort of African most likely to listen to the Pope about sex and being the sort of African most likely to contract HIV".

8. Speaking of Gov. Sibelius, her pal George Tiller, the notorious late term abortionist, is on trial for violations of Kansas' abortion laws, and the case will go to the jury tomorrow. Please pray that justice will be done.

9. A valuable reminder that, once the sound and fury die down, most Americans still oppose most abortions.

10. The New Evangelization in action. The Diocese of Phoenix has been running a major media campaign to bring back inactive Catholics. The result -- over 92,000 have returned.

More and More Signatures

2009-03-26T14:30:00.000-04:00

1. 165,000 signatures on the King Herod University, er, I mean Notre Dame, petition as of midday today. Are you one of them?

2. Meanwhile, Bishop Olmstead of Phoenix pulls no punches. Msgr. Owen Campion adds some important facts to consider about the relationship between "Catholic" universities, which are run by lay boards, and the bishops, who thus have little authority over them beyond exhortation. Canonist Ed Peters adds some additional info on the limited authority of the bishops under Canon Law.

3. Here are the talking points that the ND spinmeister sent out to alumni leaders. The whole argument is nonsense on stilts ("we're giving him an honorary degree, but we're not really honoring him, don't you see"). But here's the line that grabbed me (they were speaking of the President's positions on such issues as poverty, health care, education): "These are causes dear to the heart of Notre Dame". Tragically, I didn't attend the premier Catholic university in the whole wide world, but even I know that "Notre Dame" is the title of a person, Mary the Mother of God, not just the name of a school. So, perhaps the school's flack should be a little more careful about how he speaks about the Queen of Heaven, since the cause of human life is also dear to her heart. They should also reflect about how they are insulting her name by associating her with this incident.

4. Very candid interview with Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City on pro-abortion Catholic public officials, like a certain Governor of Kansas.

5. On the same issue, you may have heard that the tiresome Randall Terry is promoting an interview that he did with Archbishop Burke. The Archbishop has publicly disassociated himself with the interview, and lays out some disturbing facts about Mr. Terry's less than candid conduct in relation to this incident. Beware.

6. A challenging open letter to "pro-life" supporters of the President, from some very distinguished Catholic scholars.

7. Ten members of the President's Council on Bioethics protest his decision on stem cell research funding, and correct yet again the blatantly false statement by the President that there was a ban on federal funding for research. One wonders if he even consulted with the Council while he was wrestling with -- and defeating -- his conscience.

8. The National Catholic Bioethics Center adds some good facts and analysis on condoms and HIV/AIDS.

9. Get ready folks -- it's apparently time for the "Abortion Pride Movement". Satan laughs, Jesus weeps.

The Bishop Weighs In

2009-03-25T14:26:00.000-04:00

1. Bishop D'Arcy's very strong and clear statement on the Notre Dame affair. Here is their pastor speaking: "Indeed, as a Catholic University, Notre Dame must ask itself, if by this decision it has chosen prestige over truth. Tomorrow, we celebrate as Catholics the moment when our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, became a child in the womb of his most holy mother. Let us ask Our Lady to intercede for the university named in her honor, that it may recommit itself to the primacy of truth over prestige."

2. More good commentary from the National Catholic Register and the Wall Street Journal. Of course, the media is always ready to crank the handle to produce one of the usual Jack in the Box "Catholics" who can always be counted on to pop out of the box to disagree with all things Catholic. This time it's Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ, who stands in his perch of sublime superiority to pooh-pooh the concerns by us poor benighted yahoos as being "absurd". See the response to Fr. Reese here. By the way, if you really want to get a flavor of contemporary anti-Catholicism, read the comments to Fr. Reese's post (like the one that says that "fanatic Catholics" should be burned in the public square).

3. Well, we know that ND is proud of this whole situation, because they said they were. So why isn't the President's upcoming appearance prominently featured on the ND home page or their news and information page. Why is the "Secret Life of Frogs" more prominent? Could it have something to do with the 111,000+ signatures on the petition, which is more than would fit into ND's storied football stadium? Just askin'.

4. A spokesman for ND said yesterday "We fully expected some criticism and have received it, though nothing more than we anticipated". I'm sorry, but that can't possibly be true -- they expected open criticism by their bishop, widespread anger and denunciation by Catholics across the nation, and 100,000 signatures on a petition? Don’t they teach the Eighth Commandment somewhere on ND campus? If it is true, it actually makes things worse -- so this wasn't an insensitive goof, it was a deliberate choice to flout USCCB policy and to scandalize the faithful. Here's a shovel, boys, keep digging.

5. Just as a reminder of what the 100% anti-life President's policies are doing, a new report on the UN Fund for Population Activities -- which will be funded with our tax dollars now, thanks to the President -- shows that our money is supporting enforcement of China's wicked "one child policy". This enforcement includes "crippling fines, intense pressure to be sterilized, the flagrant display of quota information, and even the seizure of ‘illegal children’ by the government". But he's really actually for sure pro-life in a deep meaningful way.

6. Here's an excellent resource from the ZENIT news agency -- "Stem Cells for Dummies".

7. Please pray for the Sisters of Life today -- it's their special feast day. Also, if you're in the Bronx tonight at 8 pm, why not drop in at our Lady of Mt.Carmel Church (Arthur Ave. and 187th Street) for the Pontifical High Mass (Extraordinary Form), which is being offered for the cause of human life?

More on the South Bend Fiasco

2009-03-24T14:23:00.000-04:00

1. Bishop John D'Arcy of South Bend-Fort Wayne is expected to release a statement today about the situation at King Herod University, er, I mean Notre Dame. It wasn't out by the time I emailed this, so keep an eye on his website.

2. Meanwhile, the Cardinal Newman Society petition has over 55,000 signatures as of this morning. The elite cognoscenti (e.g., the leadership at ND) just don't seem to understand the level of grassroots anger over the President's anti-life policies, as evidenced by the ND president's position.

3. National Review Online has a symposium on the Notre Dame affair, including such heavyweights as George Weigel, Rev. George Rutler, and many more. My favorite line is Fr. Rutler's suggestion that ND award Judas Iscariot a postumous doctorate in business administration.

4. More reaction at First Things, and a debunking of the official response by the ND president here and here.

5. Has Peter Singer been visiting Texas? You remember Singer, the philosopher who defends the idea of killing newborns because they lack consciousness and are thus not persons? Well, a Texas legislator wants us to go down that road, introducing a bill that would reduce the murder of a baby less than one year old to the lesser crime of "infanticide" if the mother committed the crime out of post-partum depression. Since the legislator is a Democrat in a Republican-controlled house, it's unlikely to pass, but this is a dangerous devaluation of human life.

6. "Constitution? Who needs the stinking Constitution? The heck with the separation of powers. I know better." Thus spake a federal judge here in New York, who took it upon himself to modify the FDA's requirement for a doctor's prescription for "emergency contraception" for 17-year olds because, well, he just knows better than the FDA. The Administration will go in the tank for this ruling, and won't appeal.

7. Our deplorable Sen. Charles Schumer has taken a moment out from mugging for the television cameras to announce that he has suddenly had a revelation that "marriage" actually means two people of the same sex. Thanks, Chuck.

8. A cautionary tale of the removal from public life -- and persecution -- of Christianity in the UK. It could happen here.

9. For once, a positive scientific study (although it still does little more than confirm what we already know). The scientists now find that romantic love can endure in long-term relationships. I could have told them that -- next week is our 24th anniversary and I'm still madly in love with my wife.

10. Blogged yesterday on the Notre Dame fiasco. Check it out.

Disgrace in South Bend

2009-03-23T16:34:00.000-04:00

1. The University of Notre Dame is a self-described Catholic institution of higher learning named in honor of the Mother of Our Savior. They have invited the 100% anti-life President to give its commencement address, and to receive an honorary doctor of law degree. This is too tragic to be a joke. Since I can't think of anything remotely charitable to say about the people who issued this invitation, or those who defend it, I'll just offer you the relevant statement from the US Bishops: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions." You'll notice that there's no "but he's the President" exception to that principle. Perhaps it's in the emanation of the penumbra, so I missed it.

2. Look, I know we have to respect the man, and show due honor to the office, but we are duty bound to speak the truth about the objectively grave moral evil of his actions. If you wish to make your opinion heard, consider signing to the Cardinal Newman Society petition. If you're an alum, you should know what to do when the next fund-raising letter arrives.

3. It's nice that Notre Dame will also be honoring Mary Ann Glendon at their commencement. But what a contrast will be there for all to see -- the 100% anti-life President and the 100% pro-life Catholic scholar and public servant. It's a perfect real-world illustration of the meditation from St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises on the Two Standards. Will the students get the message? Will the university? Will the President?

4. Here is ND Prof. Ralph McInerny's take on the situation: "It is an unequivocal abandonment of any pretense at being a Catholic university."

5. There is a very troublesome situation in Boston, where Catholic hospitals are entering into a joint venture with secular hospitals that perform abortions. Cardinal O'Malley is assuring everyone that the arrangement is morally acceptable, but the staff of the Catholic hospitals will have to provide information and referrals to people who are seeking abortions. The Cardinal is seeking another opinion from the National Catholic Bioethics Center, a very solid group. Please pray for their deliberations, and for the Cardinal, that they may do the right thing.

6. Don't worry, they said. You have the federal Defense of Marriage Act. You don't need a constitutional amendment defining marriage. Sure, but what do we do if there's a federal court challenge (in Massachusetts, no less) to DOMA on the grounds that it violates the Equal Protection Clause? Can we count on the current Administration to defend a law that it openly opposes? Yeah, sure.

7. Speaking of that, gay "marriage" supporters in California are doing the full Dan Brown conspiracy crackpot shuffle. Here's a summary of an absolutely delusional piece in a gay San Francisco newspaper that attacks the Knights of Columbus as if the order were some secret society of albino hitmen that nobody's ever heard of or encountered before. (I don't want to link to the original story because it's on a wicked website and I don't want to drive up their traffic). Boy, I had no idea that I was a member of such an "obscure Catholic group", nor that the entire Catholic Church "operates its legislative efforts through the little understood entity"! When do I get issued my official K of C "license to kill"? Maybe at the next Friday Fish Fry I'll ask one of the super duper secret members who's walking around with the tuxedo, baldric, cape, chapeau and sword -- if he's not too "obscure" to find. Sigh. Sin does indeed make you stupid.

8. Thanks to the Patriarch of Moscow for supporting the Holy Father's position on condoms and HIV/AIDS.

9. Remember that game "MadLibs", where you filled in the blanks in a story to make it funny? The National Catholic Register has created a MadLib to lampoon the idea that condom distribution is a good public health policy.

10. That old fashioned, out-of-touch, insular Pope, he's so unpopular he was only able to draw one million people to his Mass in Angola. Of course, there's only about 17 million people in all of Angola, and a similar sized crowd here, as percentage of the US population, would have been 18 million.

More on Condoms and Common Sense

2009-03-20T16:37:00.000-04:00

1. Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review Online sums it up on the controversy about the Holy Father's comments on condoms and HIV/AIDS. The bottom line is that the Holy Father has the issue just right -- handing out latex, while doing nothing to build virtue, is a disastrous policy that leads to the loss of life, the dehumanization of sex and of individual persons, and the destruction of souls.

2. A useful overview of the conscience threats to Catholic institutions (although one law professor is allowed to mis-state the potential reach of FOCA). I wish, however, that people would realize that the threats are also posed to our schools and charitable agencies as well, which could also be forced to teach about and refer for contraception and abortion.

3. Robert George debates Doug Kmiec in writing over the President's stem cell policy, specifically over whether it will permit federal funding for cloning embryos so that they can be destroyed for research. Kmiec relies on an artificial distinction between "reproductive cloning" (i.e., cloning for implantation) and "therapeutic cloning" (i.e., cloning for destruction). George calls this misleading, and clearly carries the day.

4. The new Administration foolishly agrees to endorse a UN statement on "sexual orientation and gender identity". This dangerous statement could threaten marriage laws around the world, and could lead to discrimination against those who hold to traditional views of sexuality. Whatever happened to the opposition to cultural imperialism?

5. In response to wide criticism, the University of San Francisco (a school in the Jesuit tradition) has finally dropped abortion referrals from its student health plan. They may have done it only under duress, but this still counts towards building the Culture of Life, one brick at a time.

6. How messed up is our culture that a survey of teens shows that most consider the singer Rihanna to bear either sole or joint responsibility for having been brutally beaten up by her boyfriend -- and virtually none hold him solely responsible. I know we're past the age of chivalry, but are we past the point of expecting even such minimally civilized behavior as never, never, never striking a woman?

7. Sen. Sam Brownback is going to do everything he can to block the appointment of an ambassador to Iraq. Could he at least lift the tippy-tip of his little finger and oppose the nomination of pro-abortion Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be HHS Secretary? Come on, Sam, do something!

Powers and Principalities Attack the Holy Father

2009-03-19T10:35:00.000-04:00

1. The vicious attacks on the Holy Father by the media and the cognoscenti increase, over his common sense and undeniably true statements about condoms, HIV/AIDS, and Africa. See here and here. The ideology of sexual libertinism is so powerful that it will brook no dissent. And, as the Holy Father noted in his recent public letter, there are some groups and people whom it is considered fashionable to hate. Let's never forget that the principalities and powers have an agenda to drive the Church from the public arena and to persecute us. Please pray for the Holy Father and Holy Mother Church, especially on this Solemnity of St. Joseph, our Patron.

2. As Msgr. William Smith used to say, verbal engineering always preceeds social engineering. Now some of the leading dictionaries are changing the definition of "marriage" to include same-sex couples.

3. The Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, continues to cover up the rape of children. At some point, will the Department of Justice start a large-scale interstate investigation of this?

4. A record 40% of births in the United States are now out of wedlock, in part because more people are deliberately choosing to have babies without marriage. Of course, this doesn't count the children lost to abortion, which would push the out-of-wedlock pregnancy rate even higher. This bodes ill for the stability of society.

5. There was a very disturbing article over the weekend, based on a report by the International Red Cross, about the use of torture by our government in the war against Islamic terrorists. There is no way that the kind of conduct described in this article, if true, could possibly satisfy the standards of the moral law (see CCC 2297-98 and 2312-13, and the USCCB's webpage on torture). The impulse to use "whatever means are necessary" is not a Christian sentiment, and we cannot approve consequentialism in any of its disguises.

6. Interesting analysis of Archbishop Chaput's recent comments on the media and their coverage of the Church. What surprises me (well, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised) is the shocking ignorance of the remarks by Sally Quinn, who supposedly is qualified to cover religion for the Washington Post. Would they assign a reporter to cover baseball who doesn't have a clue that there are four balls, three strikes, and three outs?

7. This is just weird -- the Japanese are getting closer to developing a robot that resembles a human to an uncanny degree. I'm very worried about this. Didn't they notice that the robot is dressed like an Imperial Storm Trooper?

8. St. Joseph, please pray for us, especially us men, that we may be better husbands, fathers, and men.

A Test for the Governor

2009-03-18T10:31:00.000-04:00

1. A test for Governor Kathleen Sebelius. The Kansas legislature has passed a "women's right to know" bill, and sent it to her for signature -- a bill that, among other things, mandates a sonogram before an abortion. This will be a test of her purported commitment to reducing abortion, and to the authenticity of her Catholic faith. Please pray that she does the right thing.

2. The official foreign aid organization of the Canadian Catholic Bishops is supporting groups in South America that promote abortion. This is not the first time, and they don't seem to be particularly aghast at their error. Instead, they offer the legalistic answer that they don't support "projects" promoting abortion; they don't deny supporting organizations that do so in their other projects. Here's my suggestion: pink slips and top-to-bottom housecleaning.

3. Archbishop Chaput warns of the modern tendency in the media to make politics into a quasi-religion, while dismissing the importance of authentic religion and marginalizing the Church.

4. Here's some valuable background to support the Holy Father's argument that condom distribution policies only worsen the spread of HIV/AIDS. This information is an important factual vaccine against the continuing theme in the media's coverage of the situation in Africa (for example, in this editorial in the Times) -- that somehow the Church is responsible for spreading the disease because we teach the only sure-fire way to prevent it (chastity and monogamy). The reality -- and the clear evidence -- is that the more condoms are distributed, more promiscuity results, and the spread of the disease continues unabated. But somehow we're the ones who aren't "realistic".

5. One of the President's religious advisors, Jim Wallis, is warning him that including abortion coverage in any national health insurance plan will kill it. This is important, because he is considered a leader of the "religious left", and has been important in giving the President's policies "cover" among religious moderates.

6. Meanwhile, Cardinal George had a private meeting with the President. I'm sure that, as the diplomats like to say, a "frank discussion" took place.

7. Some numbskulls are trying to change the name of St. Patrick's Day to "Shamrock Day", to avoid giving offense to some hypersensitive people who can't stand to have any expressions of religious belief, especially Christianity. As my Irish grandmother would have said, this kind of thing is what they invented the shillelagh for.

8. Posted today at my official ArchNY blog on the travesty of the NY Assembly Codes Committee approving the unjust, anti-Catholic statute of limitations bill -- on St. Patrick's Day! What better day to attack the Church than our patronal feast day.

Really Slippery Slope

2009-03-17T10:29:00.000-04:00

1. The slippery slope is quickly becoming an elevator shaft. The Times endorses cloning yesterday, without using the term explicitly. What first becomes permissible eventually becomes obligatory.

2. The USCCB has set up a new web page with resources on conscience protection, including a YouTube video with Cardinal George.

3. On the way to Africa, Pope Benedict defends the Church's approach to preventing AIDS (i.e., chastity in and out of marriage), stating the incredibly bloody obvious point that handing out latex and shutting up about virtue does nothing to stop the rampant promiscuity that is the cause of spreading the disease. Well, His Holiness was a little more diplomatic in how he put it.

4. Wesley Smith reveals that virtually all of the people who were victims of assisted suicide in Oregon were actually in hospice care at the time, and none of them were referred for mental health counseling to prevent suicide. Once again, proof that evil cannot exist on its own, but can only exist by corrupting something good.

5. Our bishops are starting to be more open about the immorality of "reproductive technology". Here's Bishop Wenski of Orlando, FL.

6. Same-sex "marriage" legislation moves forward in Maine and Vermont. In Connecticut, however, the assisted suicide bill is withdrawn.

7. The Vatican is going to launch its Chinese language website. I have two problems with this. One, could they please fix the awful English website? It's absurdly difficult to navigate and find anything. Second, when do they launch the Esperanto website?

Ah, the Professional, Impartial Media

2009-03-16T15:01:00.000-04:00

1. You can't help but laugh at the bone-headedness of the media. Archbishop Naumann writes a small piece for the online blog of the Kansas City Star, which I believe is operated by "professional journalists". In the piece, he explains calmly and in detail his position on the question of pro-abortion (and pal of late-term killers) Gov. Kathleen Sebelius being told not to come to Communion without publicly recanting her anti-life positions. So what's the headline? "Archbishop Naumann attacks Sebelius over abortion", of course. My favorite part is that they don't even identify him as Archbishop of Kansas City in the byline.

2. Fortunately, despite the President's stem cell decision, it remains unlawful to use federal funds to create and destroy embryos for research, under the so-called "Dickie-Wicker Amendment", which is part of the federal budget (which was just signed, ironically enough, by the same President). This is important to recall, because there will undoubtedly be a new legislative push to remove the amendment, and permit the creation and destruction of embryos. Remember the slippery slope?

3. Prof. Doug Kmiec has now graduated to the fever swamps usually inhabited only by the likes of the egregious Richard McBrien and the editorial board of the National "Catholic" Reporter -- he now claims that pro-abortion Gov. Kathleen Sebelius "fully believes in the protection of human life at all its stages". This is the classic case of what Mark Shea frequently says -- "sin makes you stupid".

4. The Evil One is trying a new marketing technique -- atheists and feminists in Argentina are running internet ads trying to convince Catholics to renounce their faith.

5. Sometimes, words just can't capture the absurdity and tragedy of modern life. A same-sex "spouse" is arrested for domestic abuse for trying to forcibly artificially inseminate her "spouse". Exhibit number 2,345,983,856,251 in the case that the world is going you-know-where in a handbasket.

6. One of the best points in the Holy Father's recent letter about the Society of St. Pius X controversy was the outlining of his priorities for his papacy. Here's a more detailed analysis of this very important point. Hint: it's all about bringing people to God.

7. Posted at my ArchNY blog over the weekend about what it's like to visit the State Capital with the Sisters of Life. It's not your usual lobbying trip, that's for sure. Check it out.

De-Fund Moloch

2009-03-13T14:58:00.000-04:00

1. Orange County, California, comes to its senses and de-funds the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood. Even better, members of the Board specifically cited their abortion practice as the reason.

2. Utilitarianism taken to the monstrous level. Now a stem cell expert in the UK is calling for the use of organs from aborted babies to be used for transplants. Just think of the new profit opportunities for the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood.

3. More lunacy from the UK. A supposedly Catholic college in Birmingham is holding an event -- in the chapel, no less -- to honor the birth of Mohammed.

4. Don't mean to beat up too much on Europe today, but the European Union is considering a bill that would permit atheists to sue religious organizations if they're offended by some public religious display (like a cross on a hospital wall?). Oh, it's okay, all they really want is tolerance, right?

5. Not coincidentally, Cardinal Pell of Sydney was in the UK to warn of the totalitarianism of secularism (sorry, that's quite a mouthful to say). And not coincidentally, secularism is on the rise in America, and may be accelerating under the new Administration.

6. Excellent editorial from Our Sunday Visitor on the stem cell decision. It completely skewers the patently false claim by the President and his supporters that this has anything to do with "scientific integrity". It's all about ethics-free science.

7. The unspeakable Speaker of the House, however, despite the specific and pointed admonition from the Holy Father, continues down the path to destruction. She was gushing the other day about what a "great honor" it was, for her to be present at the announcement of the President's decision to fund the dismemberment of human beings in the embryonic stage of their development. .

8. Poor Bill Clinton. It must have been a deficiency of that Jesuit education he got at Georgetown, but he seems to think that embryos haven't been fertilized yet. The weird thing is that the interviewer -- a CNN reporter who is also a brain surgeon and was originally nominated by the current President to be Surgeon General -- didn't stop and correct him, even though he repeated the error five times. Yes, science has now triumphed over politics. There's the proof, right?

9. News flash -- the Times accepts papal infallibility. Well, only in the headline, but it's a start.

An Intellectual and Moral Lobotomy

2009-03-12T14:53:00.000-04:00

1. Justice David Souter says that at the beginning of each Supreme Court term, he experiences something of an "intellectual lobotomy". He means that he's too busy to read books until the end of the term. However, I invite people to read the abortion decisions he's joined (especially the plurality opinion he signed in the Casey case, with the absurd passage "[a]t the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life"). Then you'll understand the deeper meaning of what he was talking about, and it has nothing to do with having time to read the latest Grisham thriller.

2. Another rebuttal to the argument that we can end the same-sex "marriage" debate by taking the government out of the marriage business. One of the most outlandish statements by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in the decision in which they invented the right to SSM, was that marriage was a creation of the state. In so doing, the court turned the Declaration of Independence and human nature on their head and made us all creatures of the state, begging with out cups outstretched for scraps of rights that will be doled out to us with the great condescension of our rulers. That's not democracy, it's tyranny with a smile.

3. Fascinating analysis in the Christian Science Monitor, claiming that Evangelical Christianity will collapse within the decade, primarily because of the emphasis on personal feelings and the present political conflicts. It argues that Evangelicalism's lack of doctrinal rigor leaves it rife for absorption into the secular culture, although many will come over to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

4. This analysis of the President's stem cell decision, by an advocate of ESC who is by no means a pro-lifer but who is worried about the road we are travelling, is a must-read for all sides of the debate. Here's a man who looks utilitarianism in its face and is deeply troubled, and wishes to warn society to look before it leaps.

5. The stem cell decision is getting some push-back from states that have passed laws defining human life as beginning at conception. People often belittle these kinds of bills (guilty as charged!), but sometimes "symbolic" laws are not so "symbolic".

6. I don't really have much to say about the case of the Society of St. Pius X or its bishops, but you really should read the letter of our Holy Father, in which he opens his heart about the reactions to his lifting of the excommunications. It is rare that Peter Among Us is so candid about his inner thoughts and feelings, and the letter is so beautifully and gently written. Take note of his touching discussion of the role of mercy, forgiveness, and unity within the Church. Thank you God for this Shepherd!

7. Here's a warning to all those single and engaged ladies out there -- avoid the hyphenated name. Hey, don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.

More than One Outrage in Connecticut

2009-03-11T10:28:00.000-04:00

1. The storm of outrage by bishops, clergy and laity have resulted in the hearing on that horrible Connecticut bill being postponed, and the bill has been tabled for the rest of the session. The matter is not dead, though -- the two committee chairmen say they are reviewing the bill's constitutionality. Well, perhaps they should listen to Carl Anderson, the Supreme Knight, on that score.

2. At the same time, the State of Connecticut official website contains unbelievable noxious propaganda about homosexuality, including a page entitled "Help for Youth", and subtitled "Being Gay is Normal". It even has pages devoted to a "pro-gay" interpretation of the Bible. I won't link directly to those pages because they're objectively gravely sinful. But what in the world is going on in that state, that they can put this kind of junk on their official website, paid for by taxpayers, specifically designed to corrupt the morals of minors? Where's the storm of outrage over this?

3. The fashionable continue to call it an "right-to-die network", but here's the nuts and bolts on how a murder for hire outfit actually works, courtesy of our Morning Paper.

4. Boo Hoo. Now some of the scientists who've been on the public dole for stem cell research funding are pouting because they think that state and private money will dry up once the federal government starts shoveling money their way. Hey, I have an idea. Why not take the billions earmarked to pay for the scientists' BMW's and spend it on aid to poor families instead?

5. Robert George and Eric Cohen puncture the airy rhetoric surrounding the President's stem cell decision, and replace the hot air with the truth.

6. You've heard some people (e.g., the Prof. Doug Kmiec) argue that the way out of the "gay marriage" debate is to take the state out of the "marriage" business altogether, and grant only civil union status to people (a la France). Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse turns her intellelectual Cuisinart on that idea.

7. Just so you know what public witness entails in this age of "tolerance", here's the story of a woman who did nothing more than give money to the Proposition 8 cause in California, and the persecution she suffered at the hands of the forces of "tolerance". Remember John 15:18.

8. Thank goodness they're on the case. The Administration is on top of the real crisis in our nation -- the need to get more fresh vegetables in our diet, especially for the poor people who eat at soup kitchens. Now, does this mean that we vegetarians can get a piece of the stimulus package?

"Things"

2009-03-10T10:26:00.000-04:00

1. Sometimes, one statement can capture the entire essence of an issue or problem. Here is a medical researcher, talking about the use of human beings, conceived through IVF but now frozen in the embryonic stage of their development, for medical research purposes, which, of course, will result in their destruction: "It's really mind-boggling to me these things are going to be discarded and scientists haven't been allowed to use them to do research". You read that right. "Things". There is the Culture of Death, in all its utilitarian squalor. I'm going to blog about this later this week.

2. In the same vein, some researchers have developed a mathematical classification system to select the "best" IVF embryos for implantation. How much further alienated can assisted reproduction get from the intrinsic link between humanity and procreation, much less sex and marital love? This epitomizes the dehumanization of the whole process and industry.

3. More of the inside story about that awful Connecticut anti-Catholic bill, including an analysis of some of the forces behind it -- principally the dissident group "Voices of the Faithful" (sic), aided by some professors at universities in the Jesuit tradition. The agenda is way broader than mere financial "accountability" -- the goal is to usurp control of our parishes so that they become congregational in governance. Anybody check recently how congregational-style churches are keeping to the faith that comes to us from the Apostles? The Church in CT is mobilizing to fight this repressive legislation, but make no mistake -- I fear that this is just a trial balloon for bills that will come to other states too. St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, please pray for our Church.

4. An excellent summary of the moral, scientific and political blunder by the 100% anti-life President's lifting of the limitations on funding for embryonic stem cell research. By the way, he also rescinded the executive order that required funding for ESC alternatives because, well, just because. Yeah, science over politics, that's surely what's going on. It has nothing to do with giving shovels full of money to the Cult of Moloch's biomedical research division. Isn't it finally time for his "pro-life supporters" to stand up and admit their error?

5. When you turn Catholic schools into public charter schools, guess what? Yeah, there's still an open school there, but it's stopped being Catholic. And that's somehow a good thing?

6. Sorry, it's been lots of bad news lately. But let's keep our eye on the ball -- it's Lent, and we're on our way to Calvary, which is the only way to the Empty Tomb. Keep up the good work.

7. I'm off to Albany today. I'm doing temporal punishment for my sins by lobbying the State Legislature on the Catholic Conference's Lobby Day. Yeah, it's about as miserable as it sounds, but at least I'll have a couple of the Sisters of Life with me. Please pray for us.

Church Under Attack in Connecticut

2009-03-09T12:57:00.000-04:00

1. What in the world is going on in Connecticut? Their legislature is holding a hearing this week on a blatantly anti-Catholic bill that seeks to strip the bishop and the pastor of their authority to govern the parishes. The bill's sponsors dishonestly say that it's intended to look at misappropriation of money by religious institutions (not by the CT government, with its billion dollar deficit and a record of political corruption by governors and legislative leaders that would make New Jersey blush). But -- surprise, surprise! -- it only addresses the structure of Catholic parishes. The Church in Connecticut is mobilizing to defeat this unconstitutional outrage. If you know anyone in CT, please contact them and direct them to the CT Catholic Conference website.

2. In a not-unrelated item, a new survey of religion notes that the Catholic population of New England has plummeted.

3. The 100% anti-life President is going to overturn the previous Administration's limits on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, despite his earlier promise that he would leave the issue up to Congress. However, he's apparently going to leave it up to Congress to repeal the prohibition against creating embryos for the purpose of destroying them in experiments. So, we're now moving towards a regime where human life at its earliest stage is not just "spare parts" for others, but is a commodity to be produced and destroyed. But remember what the Catholic quislings were telling us during the election: the President's really more pro-life than the other guy would have been. Really.

4. We now know a little more about the young lady who wrote the piece for the National "Catholic" Reporter claiming to be a "pro-choice Catholic". She's not just an advocate for legally killing children, ordaining women, and for the full menu of Call to Action nonsense, she's also "married" to her female "partner" and told the full story in her NCR column. (I will not link directly to her column because it would be leading others into sin). So she is the very model of a very modern "Catholic" -- she does not hold steadfastly to the teaching of the Apostles, she openly and notoriously lives in an objectively immoral manner, and she tries to lead others to join her in separating from Catholic faith and life. And the best part is that she's published by a newspaper that arrives regularly on the doorstep of Catholic parishes, schools, convents, and homes. I'm going to post about this situation today at my ArchNY blog, particularly about how it relates to the proper formation of conscience.

5. Interesting column in the Wall Street Journal asking the question whether the JP II Generation will welcome the new Archbishop of New York. I'll bet that the answer will be "yes".

6. And finally, as Easter approaches, law enforcement authorities in New Jersey are considering the earth-shattering question of whether an attack on an inflatable Easter bunny is an anti-religious hate crime. Dare we say that the attacker may have been egged on? Sorry.

Pro-Choice is No Choice

2009-03-06T12:55:00.000-05:00

1. The Senate yesterday defeated (39 yea, 55 nay) an effort to retain the Kemp/Kasten Amendment in the appropriations bills, which would prohibit giving taxpayer money to international organizations that support coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization (e.g., the one-child program of the Chinese government). I would break the count down to see how the Catholic Senators voted, but I expect that you could guess yourselves, since it was pretty much a straight party line vote. I should note that Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) voted "yes", although our new senator, Kristen Gillibrand, sullied her record immediately with a "no" vote. Just so it's clear what this vote means. US tax dollars will now go to organizations that participate in conduct that was among the charges of "crimes against humanity" at the Nuremburg Trials. How is this a "pro-choice" position, exactly?

2. An excellent overview of the Sebellius situation. It is worth remembering that the Church's teaching on human life is not the only doctrine that is at stake here. Also in play is the Church's teaching on the obligations of lay Catholics to bring the Gospel to all areas of life (see, e.g., Lumen Gentium 36), and the obligation of public officials to oppose violations of human rights (see Lumen Gentium and the CDF document on Catholics in public life). We cannot accept a strict division between the City of God and the City of Men -- we are citizens of both.

3. The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in the challenge to Prop 8, which preserved the traditional definition of marriage. It's hard to read the tea leaves of oral arguments, but if the LA Times (a/k/a the Ministry of Propaganda for the "gay rights" movement) thinks the court is leaning towards preserving Prop 8, that's good news.

4. A Catholic college in Massachusetts has taken steps to stop a student from distributing condoms on campus. That's a good start. I hope they're also doing something to encourage the students to live chastely in general.

5. Some events have just so many layers of tragedy that they are virtually incomprehensible without an understanding of the effects of evil and sin on the human condition. A 9-year-old girl in Brazil, pregnant with twins as the result of being raped by her stepfather, underwent an abortion. Please pray for her and all those involved in this abominable situation (even the stepfather, who is obviously in the grips of grave evil).

6. I missed this, but Wedneday was the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis. The first sentence said it all -- "The redeemer of man, Jesus Christ, is the center of the universe and of history."

7. Continuing our history lesson, today is the anniversary of the Dred Scott decision. I imagine that Justice Taney thought he was "settling" the issue of slavery, just as our modern Supreme Court justices think they have settled the abortion question (as they famously claimed in the Casey decision). He was catastrophically wrong, and so are they.

8. So, the Great Orator can't or won't speak in public without a teleprompter. No comment until I see the remarks prepared by my staff.

Two Demonstrations of the Verb "To Bishop"

2009-03-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

1. Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City speaks out about the appointment of a member of his flock, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of HHS. Here's his latest column as well. How much clearer can you get? "Repent and believe in the Gospel!"

2. Bishop Martino of Scranton once again demonstrates that the fundamental task of a Catholic bishop is to hand on the faith that comes to us once for all from the Apostles. This time, he addresses the "Diversity Institute" at a local "Catholic" college, speaking of its responsibility to transmit Catholic teaching, and not mere moral relativism. Here's his closing line: "My job as a Bishop is to promulgate the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church to all the faithful. I will continue to do so."

3. Interesting analysis of the "Catholic vote" in the Wall Street Journal. I'm not sold on the idea that Catholics gave the 100% anti-life candidate a pass because he's not Catholic. I think it's much more likely that they were focusing on other issues and didn't believe he'd be as radical as his record indicated. Now that they can see him as he really is, I'm betting on significant buyer's remorse.

4. The clinic director involved in that horrific botched abortion case in Florida has been charged with the odd crimes of practicing medicine without a license and tampering with evidence (presumably by disposing of the body). Since the baby was born alive (autopsy revealed air in the lungs), and she killed her either directly or by depraved indifference to human life, the appropriate charge is murder or manslaughter.

5. Here's a good summary of where we are with the issue of conscience protection for heatlh care workers, especially in light of the federal regulations which are about to be rescinded by the Administration. It's important to remember that the pressure on doctors, nurses, social workers, etc. doesn't just come from the government, but from their own professional organizations, which seek to impose "ethics" rules that would require complicity in abortion in the name of respecting "patient autonomy" and other similar concepts. Some states are strengthening their conscience protections for health care workers. This will be valuable not just for the pending recission of the regulations, but for the effects of health care "reform" or the passage of bills like RHAPP or FOCA.

6. More insanity from the UK. Now IVF moms can name anyone on the birth certificate as the "father", including another female. So what does "father" mean any more? As Inigo Montoya said, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

7. Judaism gets Lindsay Lohan, who's converting to please her girlfriend. We get Newt Gingrich, whose converting to share the faith of his Catholic wife. It's a tough call, but all told, I think we're ahead on this one.

Cause and Effect

2009-03-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

1. The likely effect of an expanded government role in social services is the reduction in religious practice among Americans. This is yet another reason to be dubious about the "reforms" proposed in Washington.

2. New York is not the only state facing a state version of FOCA -- one is moving forward in Illinois as well.

3. An excellent overview on the need to regulate the IVF industry, as the State of Georgia is now proposing. Most people don't realize that this industry is very tightly regulated in Europe, in contrast to the Wild West situation here in the United States.

4. It's very important that we understand the broad agenda of attacks on the Church, with the statute of limitations repeal and the attacks on conscience rights. (Kudos to our own Dennis Poust of the New York State Catholic Conference for making this clear to the reporter). And this article doesn't even address the threat posed by the recognition of same-sex marriages.

5. The indispensible Fr. Thomas Berg writes about the effect of social networking sites on our brains and our relationships. I'd send the link to my kids, but they haven't put me on their "friends" list.

6. Interesting article about the different levels of religious belief and activity between women and men. They find that women pray more than men. Of course, that's because the women are praying for their men, and it's a good thing too.

7. I don’t follow football, but it sounds like the Jets' quarterback is one of the good guys, giving public witness to his Catholic faith.

What's Wrong with Sebelius

2009-03-03T11:53:00.000-05:00

1. Here's a surprisingly decent summary from CNN of the situation with the Sebelius nomination, including the very disappointing endorsement from Catholic Sen. Sam Brownback. Here is an excellent presentation of the reasons that Gov. Sebelius is unfit to serve as HHS Secretary, and a good overview of the news coverage of the religion angle of the nomination. George Weigel weighs in at First Things.

2. Let's always remember the proper standard against which to judge Gov. Sebelius' record -- and the record of any citizen or public official, Catholic or not -- which was set forth by Pope JP II in Evangelium Vitae: "Abortion and euthanasia are crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection."

3. When Rep. Jerry Nadler was in the minority, he was just a bit of a joke. Now that he's in the majority, his radicalism is more serious -- now he has introduced a bill to repeal part of the Defense of Marriage Act. At the same time, a lawsuit is being filed to overturn DOMA, and California's Prop 8 is under attack in the legislature and the courts. Gee, do you think there might be a movement afoot to attack marriage?

4. A California clinic has begun to offer "designer babies" -- children who have been genetically manipulated to fulfill the desires of their parents. Meanwhile a bill has been introduced in Georgia to rein in the IVF industry.

5. Another advance in stem cell research that does not involve destroying human life. Yet, curiously, embryonic stem cell researchers don't seem to welcome the developments. Could it be a guilty conscience?

6. This sums up pretty much everything that's tragically wrong with some women's religious communities, in a nutshell -- absurdly unbalanced opposition to the "visitation" that was ordered by the Holy See, claiming that it is "violence" and advocating resistance. You would have thought that those who are most enamored of the mythical "spirit of Vatican II" would welcome a little of the Council's "aggiornamento" or openness. Ironic.

7. Moloch has re-emerged, and has posted on his blog. He's happy with the way things are going in Washington and in the culture.

8. Posted yesterday at my official ArchNY blog on the new threats to human life and our Church from the 100% anti-life Administration, mainly the rescinding of the conscience protection regulations and the Sebelius nomination.

No Surprises -- Just Continued Tragedy

2009-03-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

1. Continuing not to surprise anyone who was paying attention, the 100% anti-life President will now rescind the conscience protection regulations enacted by the previous Administration. What weak federal conscience protections are already in place just got weaker, since the regulations would have put some enforcement teeth into them. And just in time for our next item.

2. The President has also formally announced that Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will be his Health and Human Services Secretary. You must look at the picture that accompanies the Catholic News Agency story that I link to. It shows the Governor -- who is ostensibly a Catholic -- posing at her mansion with notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller, for whom the Governor hosted a fund-raiser/tribute (and who was subsequently indicted for his activities). Due to her anti-life policies, Gov. Sebelius was instructed by her Bishop not to present herself for Communion. Now she will oversee health care policy for the United States, including shaping the national health insurance proposal, research grants (e.g., stem cell research), and enforcement of conscience laws. God help us.

3. The Catholic quislings who love to talk about "abortion reduction (without doing anything to reduce abortions)" will be crowing about Gov. Sebelius' "pro-life" credentials because she supposedly favored policies that encouraged pregnant women who had decided to carry their babies to term. Of course, she also opposed any real restrictions on abortion and never did anything to directly restrict or regulate abortion. For yet another debunking of the "abortion reduction" argument, see here.

4. And if "pro-choice" advocates really want to reduce abortions, then why wouldn't they oppose this Missouri bill aimed at preventing coerced abortions? Perhaps we'll try to introduce a similar bill here in New York and see which way the hypocrites jump.

5. The continuing disgrace of the National "Catholic" Reporter hits a new low, publishing an article entitled "I'm a Pro-Choice Catholic". (I won't link to the actual article because I don't want to hang a millstone around anyone's neck). The piece was written by a young woman who is also an advocate for women priests (Strike Two!) and a leader in Call to Action (Strike Three!). There is only one conclusion from her attitude towards conscience and Church teaching, and for the results she reaches through her erroneous judgment and clouded reason -- she's a protestant (i.e., she believes ultimately in the infallible authority of her own private judgment) not a Catholic, and in integrity she should find a nice protestant community that suits her interests. Why does any Catholic parish, priest, religious, layperson, or school continue to subscribe to this awful, awful newspaper?

6. Outstanding piece by Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review Online about our new Archbishop.

7. Happy Pulaski Day to our Polish comrades. Eternal gratitude to the General for helping us win independence, and for giving his life for our glorious cause.

8. Posted over the weekend at my official ArchNY blog about the Silent No More witness in City Hall Park. Blogging today about the President's latest moves.

The Stakes are Raised

2009-02-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

1. The stakes have been significantly raised by Bishop Martino of Scranton in his ongoing dialogue with Senator Bob Casey. You will remember that in January the Bishop sent the Senator a letter calling on him to repudiate his support for the overturning of the Mexico City Policy. The Bishop has now sent another, even stronger letter to the Senator, and has posted on the website a document entitled "Official Notice: Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion", which cites the instructions from then-Cardinal Ratzinger on the process by which public officials are to be instructed and admonished, and the consequences if they do not turn away from "manifest grave sin". Let us pray that Senator Casey realizes how high the stakes are, and responds accordingly to the call of God, spoken by one of the Successors of the Apostles in our midst.

2. Notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller comes closer to facing human justice in Kansas. Someday, he will face a higher tribunal, and the prospect of a man facing that Judge with so many, many sins to account for is truly terrifying.

3. Meanwhile, the nomination of Tiller's pal, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be HHS Secretary is being held up, apparently because her association with Tiller is too toxic even for the 100% anti-life Administration.

4. In the UK, they keep throwing contraceptives at the problem of teen pregnancy, and guess what? The number of teen pregnancies goes up. Gee, you think it might be because giving them contraceptives is the same thing as encouraging them to have sex, which sometimes leads to the natural consequence of getting pregnant? And their answer to this latest development? More contraceptives, of course.

5. The nominee to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel flat-out lies to Congress, denying that she ever made the absurd and radical argument that likened restrictions on abortion to "forced pregnancy" in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment.

6. Four members of a nation-wide ring that helps people commit suicide have been arrested. This kind of murder conspiracy has been going on for years, under the guise of "compassion in dying" and "alleviating suffering". It's the end-of-life version of the cult that at the heart of the Culture of Death.

Democracy in Action -- Not

2009-02-26T14:40:00.000-05:00

1. Rep. Chris Smith (D-NJ), a pro-life hero, was trying to offer some amendments to the appropriations bill now working its way through Congress. The amendments would have restored the Mexico City Policy and prevented taxpayer money from being used for coerced abortions abroad. The House Rules Committee killed the amendments, as in, they won't even allow the members of Congress to debate and vote on them. Democracy in action.

2. Susan Wills from the USCCB Pro-Life Secretariat responds fully and definitively to the nonsensical article in Time that alleged FOCA is a mirage.

3. Last week, in a Times op-ed, two scholars offered a "compromise" on same-sex "marriage" that amounted to a virtually complete surrender by defenders of traditional marriage. Here is a very cogent response to that proposal, with a more authentic compromise that would preserve the definition of marriage while granting benefits to civil union couples.

4. For those who need a refresher on the evil history of the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, and its wicked founder, here's a reprint of a Crisis Magazine story from 1998. The most important line is the quote from a former PPUSA president: "Planned Parenthood has never strayed from the fundamental principles she [Sanger] espoused". Precisely -- "a dog returns to its vomit" (Prov. 26:12).

5. To quote Shakespeare's Richard II, "This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars ... This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England". How noble it must have been. But things have changed. Here's why -- the British "children's minister" (although she appears to be an adult) says that parents shouldn't teach their kids about moral values relating to sex because it prevents them from being truly "open". Yeah, just what we need, teens who are more open to disordered sexuality, damaged relationships, broken hearts, STD's -- and sin. It's done so much for society and individuals so far. To quote myself, "this land of moral morons."

6. The tragedy of the Octomom continues. She has now been offered a large amount of money to appear in a porn film. There it is -- it started as the misuse of sexuality and fertility, continued into treating human life as a commodity to be purchased with the complicity of an unscrupulous doctor, expands into the voyeurism of the celebrity culture, and ends with the perfect example of exploiting a person as if they were nothing more than an object. Sad, sad, sad.

Lies, Statistics, and Death

2009-02-25T09:48:00.000-05:00

1. The Temple of Moloch (er, I mean Planned Parenthood's research shop, the Guttmacher Institute) has produced an in-house study that concludes that federally-funded contraception programs have prevented millions of abortions and teen pregnancies. The numbers are produced by using sophisticated statistical models generated by themselves, from data collected by themselves, and peer-reviewed by themselves. In other words, they're just making them up and dressing them in fancy scientific-sounding terms. Their favored solution, of course, is to give them boatloads more money, so they can continue their mission to destroy the normal sexual development of teens and kill their babies when the contraceptives fail. Pro-abortion "Catholics" will no doubt jump on this bandwagon soon, to justify their support of "abortion reduction (without actually doing anything to reduce abortion)" policies.

2. The indispensible Fr. Thomas Berg, LC, says plainly what everyone, especially our legislators, should be thinking -- the "Octomom" case makes it perfectly clear that the IVF industry is out of control, cannot be trusted to regulate itself, and must be subjected to close supervision by public health authorities.

3. Bishop Martino of Scranton is not the kind of guy who shilly-shallies around. Here he is, speaking slowly and plainly regarding pro-abortion politicians participating in the St. Patrick's Day parade. Short version -- don't even think about it.

4. Amazing story of a fetal cardiologist, healing babies whose hearts are smaller than a pea. Miracles every day.

5. A nice symposium on National Review Online about the meaning of Ash Wednesday and Lent. Somehow I don't see this kind of thing in the Times.

6. Scientists, plumbing the depths of human existence, have answered one of the burning questions about the meaning of life -- why women can't read maps and men can't find their keys. I hope this wasn't paid for by the stimulus package, because it's sure going to stimulate some arguments.

7. Fr. Edward McNamara, the liturgy answer man on the Zenit news service, responds to questions about Lent issues -- is it correct to remove holy water during Lent, how serious is the requirement of abstinence from meat on Fridays, and whether mimes (!!!!!!) and drama can be used during the Passion Gospels. The short answers, in order: "no", "very", and "what planet are you from and when is your flight back there?" (Fr. McNamara was a little more charitable on that last one, I have to admit)

8. Blogged yesterday about the Times' coverage of Catholic issues in the last few days. Blogging today about the divorce from reason among the same sex "marriage" proponents. Check it out at my ArchNY blog.

Our New Archbishop

2009-02-24T16:55:00.000-05:00

1. We have a new Archbishop! Archbishop Dolan made a warm and friendly first impression. He told the press that his hero is Jesus Christ and said he'll be converting to being a Yankee fan. He's also strongly pro-life, as this article summarizes. For a more detailed backgrounder on the personal level, try this one from his home-town (St. Louis) newspaper.

2. What's even better is that the Times doesn't like him, calling him "a genial enforcer of Rome's doctrine". Heh, heh. They even exhumed the corpse of Daniel McGuire, from its uneasy resting place in the "theology department" at Marquette (a/k/a Dante's Sixth Circle), to grind his usual axe at the Archbishop. Hey, if the Devil's Daily doesn't like you, you must be doing something right.

3. Actually, I'm pretty grateful that he's a practicing, believing Christian -- some Episcopal dioceses aren't so lucky, witness the poor souls who now have a "Christian-Buddhist bishop".

4. More from the Personnel is Policy Department -- a detailed analysis of the radical ideology of the new head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (e.g., she's adamantly opposed to absolutely all restrictions or regulations on abortion, while insisting that taxpayers must pay for them, iron-clad pro-abortion litmus test for judges, etc.). While the name of the office is fairly innocuous, in reality it is a major player in shaping the policies of the Justice Department and the Executive Branch in general. Just think how federal conscience protection regulations will fare under her advice.

5. An excellent article on the post-abortion experiences of men.

6. Archbishop Chaput gives his views on the proper balance of faith in the public square, and warns against a spirit of adulation of the current President. Try to resist that, will you?

7. Now we know the world is coming to an end. William. Shatner. Wants. To. Be. Prime. Minister. Of. Canada.

Renewal Through the Confessional

2009-02-23T09:19:00.000-05:00

1. The Times, once again with the tone of mild incredulity that you would associate with viewing the quaint customs of a lost tribe in a distant continent, reports on the revitalization of a parish in Stamford, CT, that centers on the Confessional. Of course, they follow the inevitable journalistic ritual of communing with the spirit of the ludicrous Richard McBrien, who informs us from the great beyond of revisionist "Catholicism" that Confession is a "dead letter" for Catholics nowadays. It certainly is, for those with deadened souls. My favorite line is the comment by the reporter on how real Confession separates us from our popular Oprah-fied culture, which is "relentlessly confessional and rarely contrite". Precisely.

2. Pope Benedict addressed the Pontifical Academy for Life on the theme of genetics and the danger of eugenics. He warned of genetic discrimination and reasserted a truth that all scientists should bear in mind: "Every human being, then, is much more than a singular combination of genetic information that is transmitted to him by his parents. The generation of man can never be reduced to the mere reproduction of a new individual of the human species, as is the case with all other animals. Every appearance of a person in the world is always a new creation."

3. At some point, Prof. Kmiec will sit down and be quiet, but in the meantime his absurd self-justifying ramblings have now reached the point of being openly critical of the Holy Father; he claims that the Holy Father's instruction to Madame Speaker of the obligation of Catholic public officials to defend human life intrudes upon the civic duties of judges. One benefit of this is to remind us, as St. Ignatius did in the Spiritual Exercises, that all Catholics, even Catholic lawyers and judges, must choose between the Two Standards -- the banner of Christ or the banner of Satan. So which will you be loyal to, Professor -- the law of Christ or the law of the Supreme Court? Choose wisely.

4. Uh, okay. The headline is "Catholic Denomination Says Gay Priests Are OK". The article asks the question, "will such rogue religious groups ever be recognized by the papacy?" Since the ghost of the laughable Richard McBrien wasn't available to be contacted by Ouija board, I'll fill in. Let me think for a minute. Okay, I'll go out on a limb on this one and guess "no".

5. Here's a re-release of an excellent article about the political impact of the spread of pornography, particularly interesting for its discussion of the social effects of unregulated Eros, namely, -- the dehumanization of others. You may recall that the first part of Pope Benedict's Deus Caritas Est deals with the need for Eros to be married with Agape for love to have its true meaning.

6. The Archdiocese of St. Louis, which is awaiting the appointment of their own new Archbishop, is giving people the option of signing up for a text message to their cell phones when the announcement is made. I didn't get a text message this morning, but here's the official press release from 1011 about our new Archbishop. Please pray for Archbishop Dolan, and for Cardinal Egan.

Junk Journalism from Time Magazine

2009-02-20T16:13:00.000-05:00

1. More biased junk journalism from Time magazine, trying to keep to the party line that FOCA is a mirage of our own creation, pushed just to raise money for the bishops. It's chock full of howling factual errors (e.g., claiming that FOCA was first introduced in 2003, when it was actually 1989). Plus, they somehow lost their Washington phone book so they couldn't figure out how to reach anyone at USCCB to talk about the postcard initiative. But they did manage to find some spokesman for a "Catholic" pro-Moloch, er, I mean "pro-choice" group to say all the expected things. My favorite is their claim that the President has given pro-lifers "little evidence" that he's the most pro-abortion president -- so just forget about the Mexico City Policy, all of his appointments of ardent pro-abortion people to key positions, and the imminent reversal of the stem cell policy. The article is thoroughly debunked by a watchdog journalist here. I got really annoyed by this and posted about it at my ArchNY blog.

2. The President and First Lady met with a bunch of interest groups recently and told them that they're critical to pushing the Administration's agenda. Among the guests: the heads of the "Human Rights Campaign" (the leading "gay" rights group) and the Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood. But don't worry, the President has given us little evidence to be concerned about his agenda.

3. Archbishop Chaput on Madame Speaker. My favorite line: "it’s not a fairly black and white issue, it’s a clearly black and white issue. The Church without a doubt believes that human life begins at the moment of conception". As for the question of exclusion from Communion, let us pray that any discipline might "yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Heb 12:11).

4. Cult of Moloch front group "Catholics United" come to the defense of pro-abortion Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' nomination to head Health and Human Services. In the process they personally and grossly unfairly attack Archbishop Naumann (who banned her from Communion) and lie about her record (claiming that her record is pro-life, a demonstrably false statement -- if her policies are so pro-life, why is Kansas' abortion rate higher than any of the surrounding states?). Remember, Sebelius is the one who hosted a fundraiser/tribute to late-term killer Dr. George Tiller -- in the governor's mansion, no less.

5. The age of designer babies is upon us. Dr. Frankenstein, call your office.

6. As many of you know, Catholic writer and blogger Amy Welborn lost her husband recently. Here, she shares an achingly beautiful reflection on what God is teaching her through his death. It's all about God.

7. Useful news from the Incredibly Bloody Obvious Department, courtesy of our blessed psychologists. Without them, we would never have figured out that men look at women in bikinis as if they were just objects. Really?

8. Posted yesterday at my ArchNY blog against the persecution of pro-life protesters. Check it out.

What Filter Did She Have On?

2009-02-19T16:08:00.000-05:00

1. George Weigel wonders, based on the post-meeting public statements, if Madame Speaker was at the same meeting -- or even in the same city -- as the Holy Father. You have to ask yourself what kind of filter was on her hearing so that what the self-absorbed Speaker found most remarkable about the meeting was not the specific and strong personal admonition from the Vicar of Christ, but what she said to him, and particularly that she got to show him pictures of her grandkids. Probably the "sin hardens your heart and makes you deaf to the Word of God" filter.

2. And then there's the imaginary and hilarious "fly on the wall" account of Madame Speaker's meeting with the Holy Father.

3. Correction to yesterday's comment about Madame Speaker not meeting with her Archbishop. Apparently, the meeting has already taken place and the result is… well, her spokesman said "She is not changing her position on abortion". Okay, now might be the time to review then-Cardinal Ratzinger's document "Worthiness to Receive Communion" and Canon 915. But boy, if the Speaker converted, what an impact it would have! That's something to pray for.

4. North Dakota's House of Representatives has passed a bill defining that a legal "person" begins at conception. You may recall that in Roe v. Wade, the Court expressed agnosticism about when life begins, and held that the Constitution did not include the unborn in the definition of "person" (they consulted the super-secret glossary, visible only to those with rose-colored glasses), but kind of left the door open a crack to legislative action in that area. This bill isn't law yet, and it won't overrule abortion rights (the Court has gone far past the Roe rationale), but legislative statements like these are a useful step towards restoring rationality and sanity in the law.

5. More from the forces of tolerance -- a pastor in Oakland was prosecuted under a city clinic access bill for handing out leaflets and holding a sign in front of a clinic. Yes, handing out leaflets and holding a sign is now criminal in California, and maybe in New York City too, if the City Council passes their egregious clinic access bill. "First Amendment? We don't need no stinking First Amendment!" UPDATE: The pastor has been sentenced to 30 days in jail, a $1130 fine, and three years probation. For handing our flyers and holding a sign. In America.

6. Another warning sign for scientists who are pushing the pace of research into embryonic stem cells -- an experimental injection of ESC's into the brain of a boy causes dangerous tumors.

7. I missed this in the pre-Valentine's Day crush, but our always-useful scientists have discovered the secret to effective kissing. No, it's not true love, it's… well... I'm sorry to say it, but it has to do with quantities of saliva. Now, I'm not going to try to confirm it. You're on your own on this one.

The Holy Father and Madame Speaker

2009-02-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

1. The Holy Father met with Madame Speaker and, as expected, did what a pastor should do -- he spoke the truth to her. The Vatican press release puts it perfectly: he spoke to her of "the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development." Seed planted. Let's pray that the soil is welcoming and will bear fruit.

2. Perhaps now Madame Speaker will find time in her busy schedule to meet with her own Archbishop, a meeting she just hasn't been able to arrange so far. UPDATE: She did in fact meet with the Archbishop -- see my posting for 2/19, above.

3. Perhaps the first test of Madame Speaker's new conversion will be her reaction to a letter that has been signed by over 100 pro-life House members, seeking her assurance that provisions of appropriations bills that have previously banned funding for abortion (so-called "pro-life riders" like the Hyde Amendment) will be retained, or, at least, put up for a vote. This is an important part of the pro-life strategy this year, so the reaction to this will be crucial.

4. Two Republican leaders in the House respond to Cardinal Rigali's letter about FOCA and other threats, promising to work with pro-lifers to defeat these threats and to retain current portections for unborn life. And the response so far to the Cardinal's letter from the Administration is…. (sounds of trees falling in the woods with nobody to hear them).

5. The saga of poor Prof. Kmiec continues, as he twists and spins his way through the realm of moral self-justification to explain why the new Administration's policies are really pro-life. Really, it's like watching a slow-motion car wreck. Very sad.

6. Well, if the Times reports it, it must be true. The Newspaper of Record now recognizes that IVF carries risks of genetic problems in the babies. No kidding, really? Keeping eggs and sperm frozen, suspended in chemical media, well beyond their normal lifespan -- this has an effect on them?

7. What used to be a leading human rights organization has now descended into all the madness of the present age. Amnesty International, which once cared about the freedom of conscience against state coercion, is now protesting Mexico's protection of the right of doctors to decline to commit abortions or to dispense emergency contraception. Naturally, since the "right" to kill unborn children is now the trump card that outranks all other rights.

8. Mary Beth Bonacci has an excellent piece on "What if my kids ask me about my past?" The short answer -- the most important thing is to be living a chaste life in your marriage, where sex is sacred and beautiful and private. The kids will get that message from how we live, more clearly than anything we say to them.

Stem Cells, Logic, and More

2009-02-17T15:54:00.000-05:00

1. Some early reaction to the expected approval of expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Fr. Tad, one of our leading bioethicists, argues that it's "discrimination" against an entire class of human beings. This is the Lincoln argument -- going back to the roots of our society, the bedrock of our nation is the understanding that all are created equal, that these rights inhere in every individual human person, and that they cannot be stripped from us by any government.

2. Following this trend and using secular, non-religious arguments in the public square is Hadley Arkes, who invokes Aristotle's call for prudence in approaching FOCA. I know that the President had to read Aristotle to graduate from Columbia -- maybe it's still there in the recesses of memory (if Harvard Law School didn't erase it).

3. Whew. We can all rest comfortably now. The Times has finally exercised its Extraordinary Universal Magisterium to instruct the Holy Father on how to pope. Apparently, his latest "missteps… have still demonstrated to many parishioners that his concerns are far removed from theirs". I guess most parishioners aren't concerned with developing the loving intimate relationship with Christ in communion with His Church, which, if I recall, is pretty much the Holy Father's central concern.

4. Meanwhile, over in Lambeth Palace, the poor Archbishop of Canterbury is patiently waiting for history to catch up to his enlightened views on the true meaning of scripture (i.e., it's "time bound", while the good Archbishop somehow transcends time), particularly about homosexuality (which is really a beautiful thing, in his understanding of grace). Just in case it's not clear, the people who need to catch up are the "notorious" pope and us hidebound conservatives who actually believe what Christianity has always believed. Warning: don't read the original piece underlying this story, since that much exposure to mushy religious revisionism is bad for the soul.

5. Here's an interesting initiative -- offering prayers for the conversion of the President. Since he's already a believing Christian of the United Church of Christ variety, this is actually a prayer his conversion to respect for human life. That's a hope we can all believe in and pray for.

6. No, there's no new Archbishop of New York yet. Relax, take a breath. Chill out.

More from the 100% Anti-Life President

2009-02-16T15:51:00.000-05:00

1. The 100% anti-life President gets ready to authorize spending federal money to dismember human beings (i.e., embryos whose stem cells are needed by researchers). Still waiting for those pro-life initiatives. Tick, tick, tick...

2. u7yh6uhyyhyih hhhujhn7yrfgtnuj7hy uuuuu8989ioioioioioioioioioiok9. Sorry, that's the effect of my head striking the keyboard repeatedly after reading about the priest -- the president of a Catholic university in Canada, no less -- who is claiming that the Church's teaching on abortion is not infallible, and that it's okay to have a variety of positions on that subject and on homosexuality and contraception. Father, you have now failed Catholic Dogma 101. For homework, read Lumen Gentium 25 and Evangelium Vitae 58-62; pray; pray some more; then, perhaps, you will return to Catholicism.

3. For those who think there's no hope for the new generation, check out this video of a twelve-year-old explaining the reality of abortion. Wow, just wow.

4. The forces of tolerance in Birmingham, AL, treat pro-life protesters as if the First Amendment doesn't exist, arresting them for passing out leaflets on the sidewalk. Ah, yes, the old "the sidewalks are not public property for non-residents" approach -- it's right there in the penumbra of the Constitution. Didn't Bull Connor use the same excuse?

5. Deal Hudson throws in his own $.02 about what the Holy Father should be told about Mrs. Pelosi in anticipation of their meeting in Rome (Psst... Your Holiness... She's 100% anti-life, publicly misrepresents Catholic teaching, and goes to Communion with an apparently untroubled conscience). Let us pray that her meeting with the Holy Father will yield a true conversion of heart in her.

6. You ordinarily expect our popular culture to be shallow and unreflective about virtually everything (except shallow things). Yet there's an article in Glamour magazine, of all places, that is surprisingly thoughtful about post-abortion regret. Kathryn Jean Lopez of NationalReview Online reflects on the broader significance.

7. Man, I wish I were an academic researcher. They actually get paid to produce important articles like this one: "Why Does Getting Married Make You Fat? Incentives and Appearance Maintenance". Guess what their conclusion is? Leaving the "dating market" reduces incentives to be thin and attractive. Um, right, absolutely, I have no incentive to remain attractive for my spouse now. Thanks, guys.

8. Happy Millard Fillmore Day.

Interview from our Dreams

2009-02-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

1. This is hilarious, and very, very well done. Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island, uses his column to conduct an imaginary interview with the President. If only the good bishop could get ten minutes to do the real thing. Perfect, absolutely perfect.

2. I'm shocked, shocked that manufacturers of hormonal contraceptives lie about their drugs. Even the FDA has sat up and taken notice. Now if only they could force them to admit to the connection with breast cancer, abortion, infertility, etc.

3. All the follow-up stories to the California octoplets serve as a reminder that the assisted reproductive industry in the United States is virtually unregulated (unlike its counterpart in Europe), and is in serious need of some oversight by public health authorities to prevent abuses and exploitation of women. This is a very lucrative business, and they have been very successful in resisting efforts to regulate them. It's the Wild West, with lives at stake.

4. Fascinating essay on the strange attitudes in Western society about food and sex -- basically that we're becoming mindful about food but mindless about sex. Fertile ground for the theology of the body to take root.

5. Where there's life, there's hope -- here's a lovely story about how the movie Bella has brought hope to many, including mothers who've decided to keep their babies after seeing the movie.

6. Very nice piece about the power of marital love in the face of cancer, from the Times. A bit too much information at points, but well worth reading as a tribute to "in sickness and in health…".

7. Yesterday was Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday. I'm posting today at my ArchNY blog on his legacy for the pro-life movement. Perhaps a re-read of the Gettysburg Address is in order as well.

Let's Indulge the Times

2009-02-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

1. I realize that you can't expect even rudimentary religious literacy in an article about indulgences in the Times (e.g., they never went anywhere, so they're not being brought back; there's no counting of days anymore; they have nothing to do with "absolution"; etc.), but at least they managed to find a bishop whom they let explain to some extent what the Church actually believes. As for the "liberal theologian" they quoted, there is just something unbearably aggravating about learned men who blithely dismiss teachings of the Church that offer hope to people who trust in God's mercy.

2. Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat from the Temple of Moloch) is pushing for Senate action on the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. As you can imagine, no rights are conferred on pre-born children, and parental authority over children will be undermined -- even to the point of endangering parental notification laws and requiring access to contraceptives without parental involvement (see, for example, this analysis from C-Fam).

3. An important debate is unfolding about whether to convert financially failing Catholic schools into Church-operated public charter schools. The fundamental religious mission of the Catholic school has long been maintained by the Church (see Vatican II's Declaration on Christian Education). What happens when the public school powers that be insist that our Church-sponsored charter schools teach immoral sex ed information, or insist on condom distribution or abortion referrals?

4. Prepare for the next step down the slippery slope. In Canada, activists are using the same-sex "marriage" precedent to push for polygamy. The cognoscenti scorns us whenever we point this out, but the truth is clear. And, in case you think that clear legislation in defense of marriage is sufficient, you don't realize the ability of judges to ignore the law and make it up as they go along. Anybody still think it doesn't matter who selects the judges?

5. Here's a beautiful reflection on the life of Msgr. William Smith, by Fr. George Rutler. Favorite quote from Msgr. Smith: "The new morality is nothing more than the old immorality."

6. Posted yesterday at my ArchNY blog on the horrible story of the late-term born-alive abortion in Florida. Read it if you have a strong heart, and pray for all involved.

Reducing Abortion by Doing Nothing About Abortion

2009-02-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

1. Prof. Michael New once again restates the data that debunks the "abortion reduction" nonsense that is a theme of our current Administration and some Catholic fellow travellers. This is really a very simple reality-based concept that has been proven over and over again -- if you want to reduce the incidence of certain behavior (whether it be abortion, crime, or excessive pay for executives), you have to attack the behavior directly, since "root cause" efforts have little if any effect. Saying you want to reduce abortions without actually doing anything to reduce abortion leads one to believe that either (a) you're out of touch with reality or (b) you don't really want to reduce abortions.

2. A pretty good summary of affairs from the "Personnel is Policy" department, courtesy of a priest from Long Island. I'm just surprised that a single pro-lifer got appointed by the new Administration.

3. In 2006, Pope Benedict spoke of the non-negotiable issues for the Church in the public arena. A Cardinal in Spain, where the Church is under direct attack, has outlined our core agenda once again -- protecting life, marriage and the family, as well as religious liberty and freedom of conscience.

4. You can't possibly make this stuff up because nobody would believe it and it's too hilarious anyway. Famous dissident theologian Hans Kung has said that the President would make a better pope than Benedict XVI. Well, sure, Hans, old boy, there's just that little requirement about being Catholic, but your "theology" makes it pretty clear that that's just optional anyway.

5. Some students and professors returning to Boston College this Spring were shocked, surprised and appalled to learn that they had walked into a Catholic university, now that the administration has returned crucifixes and sacred icons to the classrooms. Some professors threaten to resign in protest, claiming to be insulted, etc, etc. If only...

Not Another Pro-Abortion Catholic!

2009-02-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

1. More from the personnel is policy department. Now it appears that Kathleen Sebelius, the Governor of Kansas, is on line to be appointed head of Health and Human Services. You may remember that this Governor, who is Catholic, was barred by her bishop from Communion for her pro-abortion policies, and is most famous for hosting a fund-raiser and tribute in the Governor's mansion for the notorious late-term abortionist Dr. Tiller. Maybe she can trade theology insights with Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Biden.

2. The Holy Father speaks on Italy's version of the Terri Schiavo case. The article also provides a pretty decent summary of where things are, in case you haven't been following it.

3. Here's a good wrap-up of the credulous press coverage of the whole "abortion reduction" canard. Archbishop Chaput nails the whole issue, as usual.

4. The Times, in all its glory, writes about families with large numbers of kids (i.e., more than 3) with a sense of cultural incomprehension that is palpable. Funny how the word "love" only appears once in the article, where the author notes that some doubt that there's enough love to go around. I guess in the Times' view of the world there's only a limited supply of love.

5. Interesting profile of the Bishop Martino of Scranton, who is considered "controversial" i.e., he actually believes what the Church does and teaches it boldly).

6. It appears that some couples are putting off their divorce because of the economic hard times. Let's hope Congress doesn't' do anything to "stimulate" divorces.

7. The butcher involved in the abortion/murder in Florida has had his license to kill suspended in Florida. As of today, though, his NY medical license was still active. Of course, if the doctor had just murdered the baby in the womb, as originally planned, he would still be in good standing in Florida and New York, and no doubt a respected member of the community (and he might have been invited to the Governor's mansion in Kansas).

Horror in Florida

2009-02-06T19:31:00.000-05:00

1. A horrifying story of a baby born alive after an abortion but left to die in the trash. The Culture of Death in all its tragic dimensions, in one story.

2. Contraceptives almost kill a young woman in Maryland. So where is the public outcry (a la Vioxx) to re-evaluate or even ban the drug? FDA? Congress? Women's health advocates? Trial lawyers? Anyone?

3. The new Administration continues to say that it wishes to reduce abortions, without doing anything to actually reduce abortions. This time, it's re-vamping the initiative to support faith-based community groups; I somehow doubt that crisis pregnancy centers will be included, but I'm pretty confident that condom distribution will get it's share of the pie. At the same time, the President "guarantees" that he will provide federal funding for dismembering small human beings, by overturning the last Administration's limits on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. All this, just one day after the President publicly declaimed that God does not approve killing innocent human beings. Of course, it could all just be political manipulation to gain and maintain power and influence, in other words, it's just the way all politicians operate.

4. Meanwhile, yet another group of scientists have shown that you don't need to kill small human beings in order to get pluripotent stem cells. Unfortunately, the scientists in Brazil, which apparently can't be seen from Washington.

5. Bishop Martino of Scranton sends Sen. Robert Casey what may be a canonical warning letter as a prelude to action under Canon 915 ("others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion").

6. A new study that religious belief is hard-wired into the brain and is useful for evolutionary purposes. So, since we can't help it, can we qualify for "protected victim" status?

7. Blogged yesterday on the cognitive dissonance of our President -- talking about how God doesn't approve killing innocent human beings, while at the same time…

He Said What?

2009-02-05T17:07:00.000-05:00

1. It's rare that you see moral blindness in its pure form. Yet here's the 100% anti-life President addressing the National Prayer Breakfast an hour ago and saying this: "There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.” This poor man is going to suffer from serious cognitive dissonance at some point. Or perhaps he'll listen to himself, and the voice of God within, and have a conversion of heart.

2. Two follow-ups on that terrible misleading Catholic News Service story that downplayed the threats to conscience rights from FOCA. One that deconstructs the article, and another that deconstructs the disingenuous argument that FOCA won't harm current abortion laws or threaten conscience rights. If that CNS story appears in anyone's diocesan newspaper, a rapid response is necessary. I blogged about this the other day and I give everyone permission to plagiarize my comments.

3. If personnel is policy, then Administration policy is likely to be depraved. A newly appointed Deputy Attorney General has in the past represented pornographers and opposed protecting children from porn in libraries. Even worse, in a brief submitted to the Supreme Court, he denied the existence of post-abortion syndrome, saying abortion “rarely causes or exacerbates psychological or emotional problems.” Is this how the new Administration reaches across the aisle to pro-life/pro-family people? Let's hope the Senate does not give its consent to this nominee.

4. Outstanding review by Kathryn Jean Lopez of the effect of contraception on our society. This should be required reading in all schools and seminaries.

5. Okay, guys, start checking out her jawline. Our friends over in the UK (what's in the water over there?) have studied the subject and have found that women with strong jaws are more likely to be unfaithful. On the other hand, something about her navel can tell us how fertile she is. I wonder how we can incorporate these important discoveries into our Pre-Cana classes?

6. Now they get it -- Congress is considering cutting the beer tax as part of the economic "stimulus" package. Prost!

Planned Criminality

2009-02-04T16:47:00.000-05:00

1. The Temple of Moloch, er, I mean Planned Parenthood, has once again been caught in the act of conspiring to cover up child abuse. But that's no reason to stop throwing taxpayer money at them, as Congress is thinking of doing with both hands and a wheelbarrow via the "Prevention First [Abortion Later] Act".

2. Gallup has an interesting survey on the level of religion in the various states. It would be interesting to do an overlay of these results with such things as abortion rates, out-of-wedlock pregnancy rates, divorces, absent fathers, crime, even voting patterns. It would also be interesting to compare it the results of a survey that Crisis Magazine did a few years ago on the health of the dioceses in the United States. I can't find that survey online anywhere, now that Crisis has gone out of print -- can any of you find it?

3. A clear-eyed look at the religious groups -- including some that style themselves as Catholic -- that promote "abortion reduction strategies" (i.e., saying you're interested in reducing abortions but doing nothing to reduce abortions). By their fruits you shall know them, and when you look at their fruits you can se that they are phony, phony, phony.

4. So it appears that younger women are choosing parenthood, rather than careers. However, since the article says nothing about women choosing marriage in increasing numbers, color me skeptical that this is a good trend.

5. The inexorable, slow-motion, drip-by-drip legalization of same-sex "marriage" continues in New York, as a Surrogate's Court for the first time recognizes a foreign "marriage" as valid for inheritance purposes. The only way to stop this is to pass a Defense of Marriage Act, which is a non-starter in our State Legislature. We're fighting a rear-guard action, hoping that maybe the cavalry will arrive soon.

6. A very nice piece from the National Catholic Register on Msgr. William Smith.

7. For those who think that tax problems are strictly a problem for appointees to high government posts, see this report. At least no "nanny tax" issues are likely to arise.

Plank, Meet Speck

2009-02-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

1. This really frosts me. A number of "Catholic" members of Congress have written a letter to the Holy Father expressing their "concerns" about the removal of the excommunication of the bishops of the Society of St. Pius X. Yet our New York representatives who signed that letter have collectively voted pro-life only 25 times out of a total of 445 possible votes; the majority of all signatories have a 100% NARAL rating. What hypocrites, unable to see the gigantic plank in their own eyes, presuming to lecture the Holy Father about an act of mercy to remove a mote from the eye of another. Have these people never read the parable of the Good Samaritan? The Levite and the Priest are not the heroes of the story. Please pray for their conversion of heart, for the path they are on is the path to destruction.

2. More backlash from the Mexico City Policy decree: the president of Catholic University calls it a "betrayal", and the public doesn't like it. The fact is that people don't like our government spending our money to promote killing children.

3. More madness from across the pond. A British government official in charge of some kind of environmental stuff says that couples who have more than two children are “irresponsible”. Okay, so which one of my kids would he like me to murder so he can be "green"? Also, in a case where a child is put up for adoption due to his mother's addiction, a court denies custody to his grandparents, so that the child can be given to a homosexual couple.

4. Over in the UK they also like to study the bloody obvious, such as this report that blames much of the problems of children on "excessive individualism", namely "a belief among adults that the prime duty of the individual is to make the most of their own life, rather than contribute to the good of others". In other words, selfishness hurts other people. It hurts the selfish person too. What a shock.

5. Check out this trailer for an upcoming movie about Mary. Looks and sounds interesting.

6. Hadley Arkes pays tribute to Joe Biden, the Empty Man.

7. Posted yesterday at my official ArchNY blog about the politics of principle, in memory of Jack Swan, one of my mentors. Some people read these Varia and have suggested that I'm too "partisan". Read the blog to see what's really going on.

Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

1. More propaganda on embryonic stem cell research, this time from Time Magazine. Yuval Levin takes it apart at National Review Online. Meanwhile, advances in non-embryonic stem cell research continue to occur, unnoticed by the media and the government/big pharma consortium.

2. Some women in Latin America are speaking out against the repeal of the Mexico City Policy. Now we get to see the real "global gag rule" in operation, as the media enforces absolute silence on those who oppose the Administration's policies.

3. A Minnesota school has revoked an athletic Hall of Fame award to a former student who has become a pro-abortion state legislator. The legislator, a regular Mass attendee, is of course upset. But perhaps he'll wake up for a moment and wonder whether his faith should have anything to do with his public positions. Sometimes the path to conversion starts with facing the uncomfortable truth that discipleship means more than accommodation to the spirit of the age.

4. What kind of political decision will the Republicans come to about the "social issues" -- keep on fighting, or throw in the towel? This decision will have momentous significance for the pro-life movement. In this regard, if you have the time for a long article, it would be valuable to re-visit George McKenna's excellent review of the history of abortion in modern American politics, and how the Republicans and Democrats have shifted their positions over time. At the same time, the GOP has elected a Catholic to be their National Chairman, Michael Steele. He says he's pro-life, but when the questions get specific, he gets a bit soft and vague.

5. The Times never fails to fail to surprise. In Sunday's Style section was a very positive feature story on lesbian-only gated communities, where no males are allowed, the hostility to men is palpable, and contact with the outside world is limited. Even the visit of a baby boy is cause for a paranoid-sounding email warning being sent to all residents: "There's a man on the land". The Times notes, with a tone of regret, that these communities are slowly dying off; I can't imagine why. Oddly enough, the Times doesn't see such people as odd.

6. Happy Groundhog Day. I'm going to post today on that movie at my official ArchNY blog, and its meaning for marriage. Seriously. I'm also going to blog on the politics of principle, in memory of a mentor of mine who died on this date, twelve years ago.

Just Look -- And Guess What You See!

2009-01-30T15:33:00.000-05:00

1. Well, well, even Sen. Barbara Boxer will admit, in an unguarded moment, that an unborn child is, in fact, a child. Kind of reminds me of Cardinal Egan's column "Just Look". Maybe Sen. Boxer read it and took it to heart?

2. Have pro-lifers "fallen into the FOCA trap" by centering all activity on that bill and not on the incremental threats like the move to revoke the Hyde Amendment, threats to conscience rights, etc.? I added my $.02 in the combox.

3. Katheryn Jean Lopez at National Review Online lays out the very scary lineup of anti-life people who have been appointed to serve at the Justice Department.

4. Beware this inaccurate, misleading, and very unhelpful story about FOCA from the Catholic News Service. The reality is that FOCA is a very serious threat to conscience rights; if you want to see the argument on this point laid out concisely, check out my post from yesterday on my official Archny Blog. If this story appears in your diocesan paper, please write a strong letter of protest, and you have my permission to plagiarize my blog.

5. Dawn Eden has an iteresting reflection on the difference between "chastity" and "virginity", in response to a professor who was restating the evangelical counsels as "poverty, virginity, and obedience".

6. The invaluable Fr. Thomas Berg interviews a stem cell scientist who analyzes the stem cell policy of the new Administration, and where the research is at this moment.

7. You probably read recently of the octuplets born in Los Angeles recently. Here's an encouraging story about how the mother rejected "selective reduction". In honesty, though, there are some very troubling things about this situation -- the mother does not appear to be married, she already has six other children under the age of 8, and she had all eight embryos implanted after in vitro fertilization. And we wonder why we need documents from the Vatican like Dignitatis Personae.

Nobody's Pure Enough for Moloch

2009-01-29T15:29:00.000-05:00

1. Heh, heh, heh. The President isn't even pure enough for the Cult of Moloch, which is denouncing the removal of contraceptive funding from the "economic stimulus" package. Expect an auto-da-fe soon.

2. Our new senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, wasted no time in establishing her anti-life credentials in the Senate, voting against an amendment to the SCHIP bill to restore the Mexico City Policy. Meanwhile, Emily's List, the pro-abortion PAC, gushes over her. Have we mentioned that she's supposedly Catholic?

3. Remember, despite the rosy rhetoric of unity and consensus, we should keep in mind that the President isn't trying to end the so-called "culture wars" -- he's trying to win them.

4. I don't want to get into the whole issue of the Society of St. Pius X here, but what gets me is this. Lots of people apparently think it's wrong to have lifted the excommunication of the SSPX bishop who spouts anti-Semitic rantings about the Holocaust, because that behavior is so awful. Yet few people seem to support canonical steps against those public officials who persist in the manifest grave sin of supporting legalized abortion. (For a description of how those penalties could work, see canonist Ed Peters' blog). Odd, indeed.

5. The sad story of Prof. Doug Kmiec continues. Instead of publicly protesting the policies and appointments of the President he campaigned for, the professor is talking about how he might get appointed Ambassador to the Holy See. Please pray for him.

6. More hope for re-union with our separated brethren of the Orthodox Churches -- the election of Metropolitan Kirill as Patriarch of Moscow, whi is personally friendly with the Holy Father. On another front, there are reports that a traditional Anglican group may come back into the Church as a personal prelature. The Holy Spirit is a busy guy these days.

7. Japan has come up with a delightful idea to combat their declining birth rate: letting workers go home early to, well, you know…. What time is it?