Please pray for Fr. Gallagher

He is a terminally ill priest who is being tossed about in a custody battle, and his legal guardian is denying him access to the sacraments and his family.
HT Life News

China considering dropping One Child Policy

Remember last May, when those courageous peasants who rioted against the One Child Policy in China?
They may have started profound social change in their homeland. China suffers a severe shortage of women thanks to sex selection abortions, favoring boys. There are no wives for many Chinese men. China's communist government is reaping the rewards of their sins. Sp the government may drop the One Child Policy incrementally.
If they do it by this summer, we might consider dropping our call to boycott the Olympics in Beijing. Of course, the Catholics and other Christians who were jailed for their faith must also be released.

Just like the brave shipyard workders in Gdansk, Poland, who started Solidarity which tore down the Iron Curtain within a decade, freeing tens of thousands from 40 years of Communist dictatorships, ths simple farmers of the countryside may be tomorrow's heroes.
Pray for the Chinese to see the beauty of children again, and stop the murder.

Poland and Malta split with EU over abortion

It is a rare thing for Member States of the European Union to split with the main body of the EU over the question of abortion but that is precisely what happened this week at the annual meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Poland and Malta voiced objections to the abortion position voiced by Norway, the current spokesman of the EU.
Does this show an emboldened pro-life position within the EU that will have legs?
Time will tell. All those in Poland and Malta should congratulate your governments. They must be encouraged.
Spread the word.
HT CFAM

Kennedy Brownback bill passes out of committee

This is wonderful news for pro-lifers and Down syndrome advocates. Read more, including what you can do to help this bill pass the Senatre at Cause of Our Joy.

Iconic Conservative William Buckley dies

He is the founding father of the conservative movement, writing "Man and God at Yale" in 1951 .

Michelle Malkin says, "Mr. Buckley’s Firing Line appearances vaulted him into the mainstream cultural stratosphere, but the enduring power of his written words made him an intellectual supernova. He built the Right’s communications infrastructure and laid the groundwork for the New Media. He was an engaged and engaging Renaissance man who joined conservatism and libertarianism, fought statism, and served the Lord–with trademark good humor and joie de vivre."

Whenever some so-called intellectual liberal tries to look down their noses at you because you espouse traditonal moral values, just remind them that William Buckley was a conservative, which proves we've got the heavyweight intellectuals on our side!

Hugh McNichol at Pewsitter had this to say, "Over the past 50 years Mr. Buckley has been a strong advocate for the Catholic right and a strong endorser of Catholic moral, social and ethical principles. While he sported a Conservative label and what seemed almost his trademark - - a wrinkled Brooks Brothers suit -- he was a veracious proponent of conservative values. Perhaps the most valuable loss for all Americans, especially Irish Catholics is his majestic ability to utilize uncommon words and make them part of the vernacular."

You can find a tribute to Bill on National Review Online.

I'll let the ever eloquent Bill Buckley have the last word here:

"I mean to live my life an obedient man, but obedient to God, subservient to the wisdom of my ancestors; never to the authority of political truths arrived at yesterday at the voting booth."
— William F. Buckley
Nov. 24, 1925 – Feb. 27, 2008
Founder of National Review,
leader in the conservative movement
devout Catholic

Eternal rest grant to him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and those of the faithful departed, rest in peace.

What to do if Obamamania hits home

Voting for President of the most powerful nation on earth has to be based on more that swooning. Call me old fashioned, but aren't there supposed to be issues involved?

Barack Obama regrets voting to save Terri Shindler Schiavo

During an April 2007 debate, Obama said, "I think professionally the biggest mistake that I made was when I first arrived in the Senate. There was a debate about Terri Schiavo, and a lot of us, including me, left the Senate with a bill that allowed Congress to intrude where it shouldn't have.”
"And I think I should have stayed in the Senate and fought more for making sure [Terri's parents couldn't take their case to federal court to save her life]," he explained.
I can see that pro-euthanasia George Soros is getting to him. What else could prompt him to take back such a noble vote?
HT Life News

President Bush is a hero in Africa

from Family Research Council
Praise may be hard to come by at home, but President Bush is certainly enjoying a hero's welcome during his tour through Africa. With approval ratings well into the 80th percentile in nations like Kenya and Ghana, the President's popularity is a true testament to the contribution that America's generosity has made to the health and safety of the African people. Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. has given life-saving antiretroviral treatment to almost a million and a half men, women, and children in 15 countries. With messages of abstinence and fidelity at the fore, America has supported community outreach to 61.5 million people. With an unprecedented $15 billion in relief, the U.S. has spent more than any other country to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa--with much to show for it. Unfortunately, the very values that have made the program effective are under attack from leaders at home. When the PEPFAR comes up for reauthorization on February 28, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.)--Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee--will make every effort to strip the ABc model from the bill in favor of money for abortion providers and promoters. As the President is busy surveying the success that his approach has had in preserving future generations, Berman and the Democratic leadership are plotting to turn the program into something that would help eliminate Africa's next generation.
Under Berman's proposal, PEPFAR could permit abortion services at taxpayer expense, as well as the removal of the Prostitution Pledge, which would give a U.S. stamp of approval on global sex trafficking and prostitution! At a time when President Bush is enjoying almost unanimous praise from African leaders for PEPFAR, he reminded Congress to "listen to the leaders on the continent of Africa, analyze what works, stop the squabbling, and get the program reauthorized." If our tax dollars are going to go overseas they should go to program like the current PEPFAR that promote pro-family policies. Do your part to keep it that way; ask your member of Congress to resist the urge to turn PEPFAR into another international family planning program.
More details on the Presidents African trip are available here.

Theology 101 and me

There's a reason that Theology is rarely discussed here. After a year of Catholic high school Theology where I learned the historical critical method, which 'explains' all the miracles in the Bible as natural events, I shied away from Theology for fear of losing my faith. Everything I know about Theology I learned from my personal reading and EWTN.
I still have a lot of catching up to do and I'm not going to display my ignorance here. My one strength is knowing where to go to get reliable Theology, and seeking to improve my knowlege in odd moments in my busy days.
I am just beginning to understand the concept of Natural Law, for instance. Here is a short introduction to Natural Law from a fellow at the Westchester Institute.

Take Heart, There are Signs of Spring in our Culture of Death

Sometimes it's overwhelming, in the middle of Lent when the world seems oblivious to the call to repentance, Catholics in the trenches fighting to restore the Culture of Life can get disheartened.
But, do not let your hearts be troubled. Doreeen Truesdell at Catholic Exchange has some words of encouragement for you. These are signs that I have also noticed in the Church, both on the internet, and in my personal experience in my diocese, and are, like my emerging daffodils, early signs that Easter is coming.

Our Lady of Guadalupe has a new Baldachino

I have recently been discovering the richness of The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, who will be taking over this breathtaking church this summer. They are at the forefront of the New Springtime of Evangelization.

(PAC) John Mccain: What about ME?

We want a president who respects all human life, from conception to natural death. Huckabee is that candidate.

It Ain't Over Till it's Over!

from a World Net Daily article by Janet Folger

Don't count your delegates before they're hatched.
Let me tell you why the race for the Republican nomination is not over yet. Notwithstanding Saturday Night Live skits and political pundits, Gov. Mike Huckabee doesn't need to reach 1,191 delegates to win the nomination - all he has to do is keep John McCain from doing so. And that may have just gotten easier.
A Huckabee nomination isn't so "mathematically impossible" when you consider that he may be the only one who can spend any money in the race from here on out. Highlights from a Friday Washington Post article explain:
· McCain cannot spend without risking violating the Federal Election Commission matching grant rules (he helped create). The limit is $54 million (until the convention in September), and he's "already spent $49 million."
He can't get out of the matching grant program because there isn't an FEC quorum to vote on it.· Knowingly violating the spending limit is a criminal offense that could put McCain at risk of stiff fines and up to five years in prison.
This sure is getting interesting,he's hamstrung by the McCain-Fiengold campaign spending limits, thus McCain is hung by his own petard!!
Here's why Janet tells us not to listen to the pundits:
For example, first they said Rudy Giuliani was the "certain" nominee. But that didn't go so well. Then there was Fred Thompson, who was the media rock star until just about the time he entered the race. Then, with the help of many who mistakenly call themselves "conservatives" and "leaders," Mitt Romney became the "shoe-in." The pundits were also the ones who declared John McCain's campaign "dead on arrival" – after all, "people were fired." The ones who should have been fired were the pundits.
But now, people are starting to see that, and through this process, new leaders are being raised up who know that God is more powerful than the pundits and the polls.
As if opposition to the campaign-finance reform gag rule weren't enough, I'm supporting Gov. Huckabee because I actually believe what we've been saying for three and a half decades: that our goal is to restore legal protection to children awaiting their birthdays, even it takes a Human Life Amendment to do it. And, Gov. Huckabee is the only candidate who shares that view.
Read entire article at World Net Daily here.

Obama and the Born Alive Infant Protection Act

Jill Stanek the nurse who turned pro-life columnist, has several links to Barack Obama's squelching the Born Alive Infant Protection Act in Illinois Senate, and his failure to support the bill in the US Senate. By the way, the bill passed 99 to 0, as Obama voted 'present'.
NARAL had advised abortion supporters to vote "yea" to this bill so that they could not be labeled extremists. Obama didn't get the memo, apparently.

New Catholic News Site: Cathlete.net

There's something wonderful going on over at University of Notre Dame. Domers, as they call themselves, have set up a Catholic news headline site, similar to the Drudge Report or Spirit Daily. It's called Cathletes. Check it out.

Bush has it wrong: Islamofacism won't have to invade by force

Why go through all the trouble planning another 911 style attack when you have leading clerics like the Archbishop of Canterbury in England handing their country over to you? Read Chuck Colson's take on this troubling trend here.
Thnk Sharia Law comes only after a full scale invasion? Think again. When Christian leaders have capitulated their core moral beliefs so drastically that their moral leadership is gone, and their churches are empty, Islam will come in to fill that void. It's happening throughout Europe, and it could happen here.
Add to that the devastatingly low population growth numbers in Europe and you see that the Muslim domination of Europe, fought back for centuries, will be an unavoidable fact unless Catholics start acting like Catholics, and stop contracepting themselves into extinction.
To refresh your memory, the 20th century saw more Christian martyrs than all the centuries preceding it combined. Guess what killed many of these Christians? Anti-Christian Muslim governments.
Our Lady has a special devotion among Muslims. Let's ask her protection from this onslaught. Let's ask her to pray for our repentance and conversion before our faith is outlawed. We would only have ourselves to blame.

Nation of Islam Louis Farrakkan praises Barack Obama

According to the Chicago Tribune, Farrakhan spoke about the war in Iraq, the nation's economic problems, and the increase in natural disasters, saying the world was in a perilous state and Obama could help it recover. "This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be a better place," he said.
HT One News Now
I was once told by one of my high school students, that as a white person, I was the devil.
This was my shocking inroduction to the teachings of the Nation of Islam. It is part of the black Muslim movement and it's most prominent leader Louis Farrakkan has made vicious anti-Jewish statements. If he thinks Obama is the Messiah, any fair minded person should be running full speed from the Obama movement.

Review: The Human Experience

Back in October I attended a pre-screening of the first feature film of independent filmmakers at Grassroots Films, "The Human Experience". I was familiar with their previous work: they had done an powerful infomercial on the priesthood called, "Fishers of Men" for the USCCB, and a short documentary about a Eucharistic Procession on the streets of New York City which was beautifully done. Both showed that these two men had great promise as Catholic filmmakers.
"The Human Experience" is the story of two young men who, as young men are prone to do, seek the meaning of their own existence. Since they hail from Brooklyn, you might expect them to seek meaning on the streets of New York, and they do, only they put themselves in the shoes of the homeless in order not only to film them, but to understand them. On the coldest night of the year, with temperatures near zero degrees.
The plight of the homeless in New York is something I both studied as a graduate student of Social Work in Manhattan, and labored with as a Social Worker with Catholic Charities. I set up literacy programs in soup kitchens and tutoring programs in poor parishes. I taught high school in poor neighborhoods to angry teens who had never met their fathers and had already committed felonies. I thought I knew the poor of New York. But I have never lived with them, not even for one cold night as these men did. The open discussion which they were able to film between themselves and these homeless individuals was something I've never seen whether in my personal experience or on film.
What moved me most was the optimism of these poorest of the poor. Many of those interviewed were absolutely certain that God had his Hand on them, and that He had a plan for their lives. They were hurt by the indifference around them, but not crushed. Perhaps part of God's plan was the way they would touch us by their testimony that frigid night in New York. They taught us that having a great job or fancy home is NOT the meaning of life.
I was looking forward to the next segment with the disabled children in Peru. My daughter has Down syndrome, so the joy in these children's faces is part of my daily experience of motherhood. I was not disappointed. The children, most of whom lived in deplorable conditions of poverty and neglect, were absolutely bursting with enthusiasm for life. They ate up the attendtion of the men and their friends, and within a simple therapy trip to the hospital, it was obvious that another powerful life lesson was learned. Physical perfection is NOT the meaning of life. Loving one another is.
Then, off to Africa to visit the desperately ill within the dreaded leper colony, and the modern plague, HIV. Again, hope in the midst of illness, societal rejection, and grinding poverty. Death is looming for many of these people, and an uncertain future. But the sense of hope and loving community somehow upholds them. What is their secret? The filmmakers interject black and white shots of modern day philosphers offering their ideas on the meaning of life, including Fr. John Neuhaus. The sequence of the Eucharistic procession through the African rain forest, and the words of the muslim cleric divulged part of the secret to the happiness of these ill and dying financially destitute people. Their eyes were able to see beyond this world to the one beyond.To someone who loves them. The meaning of life is having an eternal purpose.
By far the most powerful part of the film is the surprise ending where one of the young men puts his newfound knowlege into practice in an unexpected way. An unforgettable way.

At the disccussion following the standing ovation, Fr. Benedict Groeschel praised the film for it's role in the New Springtime of Evangelization. I was perpelxed, the religious content of the film was far less than their previous work. He went on to explain that those in this culture need to be met where they are in order to be brought to the Truth. And it's a LONG journey, this discovering of the meaning of the Human Experience.

Some good news about the family: and a reality check

Nuclear Family Hardly Down for the Count, Says Census
Those who are quick to say that the traditional family is nearing extinction would be wise to check out the latest report from the Census Bureau. According to the most recent data, a majority of American children (70%) live in two-parent homes and the vast majority (90%) of those live with both of their biological parents. This means that of all American children, 63% are living with both their biological parents (60% married biological parents, 3% cohabiting biological parents). The other bit of good news is that the intact married family is getting stronger among Asian-Americans, where the proportion increased significantly between 2001 and 2004, from 76.4% to 80.5%--making the strongest family ethnic group even stronger yet. The rest of the news is not as optimistic. For all American children in all ethnic groups, there has been a slight decrease (1.4%) between 2001 and 2004 in the proportion living in the married, intact family. White American children are the second strongest group, after Asian-Americans, with 65.9% (down from 67.1%) living with their married, biological parents. Hispanics are next at 57.1 % (down from 58.2%) and African Americans last at 28.2 % (down from 29%). The data come from the SIPP (Survey of Income and Program Participation), a very detailed report produced periodically by the U.S. Census Agency. This chart, drawing on this report (SIPP 2004) and an earlier one (SIPP 2001), was created by FRC Senior Fellow Dr. Patrick Fagan.
HT Family Research Council

Now, there are no accompanying economic facts in this article, so let Professor Velasquez extrapolate here. . . recent studies have shown that the quickest way into poverty isn't dropping out of high school. surprisingly, it's having a child out of wedlock. See this study by the Heritage Foundation and this article from the Coaltion for Marriage.
Look at who has the strongest families; Asians and whites. They are also the wealthiest. Remember that poverty is created by single parenthood in most cases here in the USA. In other nations, such as those of Africa and Latin America, the cards are stacked against the inhabitants ever achieving middle class comfort, but NOT HERE. That's precisely why we have so many immigrants.
As a social worker, I saw many women in poverty trying to climb out by means of education while raising children, and my heart broke for them. I also saw middle class married women with children abandoned by their husbands in mid-life crisis, who cleaned out the bank account to buy jewelry for their girlfriends, while the ex-wife wondered where their next meal was coming from. They were living in basements of the type of homes they used to own. I saw firsthand how immorality causes poverty in this nation.
President Bush understands this, and has tried to support initiatives to encourage couples to marry and to strengthen marriages. For this he was reviled by the liberals as a religious zealot. Former Senator from Pennysylvania, Rick Santorum, in his bestselling book, "It Takes a Family:Conservatism and the Common Good" goes into great detail about such programs which have worked, even in the most blighted minority communities of this nation. He refers to the Catholic tenet of subsidiarity described here by David Bosnich of the Acton Institute:
"One of the key principles of Catholic social thought is known as the principle of subsidiarity. This tenet holds that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done as well by a smaller and simpler organization. In other words, any activity which can be performed by a more decentralized entity should be. This principle is a bulwark of limited government and personal freedom. It conflicts with the passion for centralization and bureaucracy characteristic of the Welfare State.
This is why Pope John Paul II took the “social assistance state” to task in his 1991 encyclical Centesimus Annus. The Pontiff wrote that the Welfare State was contradicting the principle of subsidiarity by intervening directly and depriving society of its responsibility. This “leads to a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients and which are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending.”
Mr Bosnich continues by voicing his frustration at how the American bishops, (nicknamed "The Democratic Party at prayer) continue to support the Welfare State in their public policy statements, and decry any chipping away of the overgrown, ineffective welfare state.
Why was welfare reform so succesful? Because it empowered the poor, by letting them take responsiblity for their own lives. Any job, no matter how humble, brings a sense of personal pride to it's holder. Any marriage, no matter how contentious, is beneficial to the children involved ( note: physical abuse of course is NEVER tolerable).
Bottom line; following God's laws of marriage and work lead to happiness and prosperity. What a concept!

Pope says it's time to evangelize Cuba

With dictator Fidel Castro finally stepping down, Cuba may be opening up to a new evangelization.

Pope Benedict reflects hope for this in his comments reflecting on the tenth anniversay of Pope John Paul II's 1998 visit to the nation which is 59% Catholic but has a severe priest shortage.

Our Lady of Charity, Queen of Cuba, pray for us!
HT Zenit

Ted Kennedy sings en espanol

You gotta see it to believe it! Watch Ted singing "Jalisco" here. He was on the stump for Obama in Tejas, er Texas.

Respect Life - RHAPP (New York State Catholic Conference)

Cardinal Egan to stand up to Governor Spitzer

Bishop with a backbone alert:
According to this article in the NY Daily News, Cardinal Edward Egan will be going toe to toe to Governor Spitzer on March 10 about his Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act, known as RHAPP.
What a wonderful follow up to the great legacy of our beloved late Cardinal John O'Connor who stood up to Geraldine Ferraro and Mario Cuomo for their pro-abortion stands. We hope to join him on that day of lobbying in Albany.
Bravo, Cardinal Egan, we are with you for the rights of the unborn!

Workshop For Priests to Learn The Traditional Mass

A workshop for priests in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York area who are interested in learning how to celebrate the Traditional Mass, will be held Sunday, April 20 through Thursday, April 24th. The workshop will be conducted by Father Calvin Goodwin, and Deacon Justin Nolan of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Nebraska, as well as Father Matthew Talarico of the Institute of Christ the King.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this event to the efforts of so many Catholics who desire the restoration of the Traditional Mass. I assure you that for the fulfillment of this laudable hoped it is strictly necessary for ordinary diocesan priests to become familiar with the rubrics, spirituality and culture of the Classical Use of the Roman Mass.
Now that the Holy Father has issued his Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, recognizing that the Mass of our ancestors had never been abolished by the Church and that every priest of the Roman Rite has the right to celebrate Holy Mass according to the Missal of 1962 the focus of our efforts as faithful and militant Catholics must be turned to the home front.
Every priest trained in the Classical Use of the Roman Rite, is a priest that will say the Traditional Mass, and every Traditional Mass that is celebrated is a triumph for the Church, a correct and proper honor paid to the majesty of our Lord, and a defeat for the enemies of God and His Church, both mortal and spiritual.
I ask for your financial help in making this workshop possible. The expense of providing and transporting the instructors, the cost of making the items and publications needed by the participants in their instruction as well as the cost of housing and feeding the number of expected priests that will participate is great, and it would be impossible to accomplish this without you help. In gratitude for your generosity I can assure you that you will be remembered at each of the many Masses that will be celebrated by both instructors and participants during the course of the workshop.
Your tax exempt contributions can be sent to:
c/o Most Precious Blood Rectory

131 East 4th Street
Hazleton Pa. 18201
Att: Latin Mass Retreat

Checks must be made payable to:
Most Precious Blood Church- Latin Mass retreat.
Thank you for your generosity, and may God bless you.

Fr. Will Comellas

The One True Faith : Hell (pt 3)

A sobering reminder of why we need to repent this Lent.

Pope Benedict to Jesuits: stop confusing the faithful

As a graduate student at Fordham School of Social Science, I endured a weekly barrage of anti-Catholicism from my Social Problems Professor. He had the ignorant audacity to blame the Catholic Church for all the problems of the poor. In New York City, of all places.
Let me tell you, Professor, if you had eyes to see just outside your door in the 1980's
you would have seen;
Catholic Charities helping the poor in every parish,
Catholic schools teaching the poor on scholarships,
Catholic hospitals healing the poor often without pay,
Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity setting up the world's very first AIDS hospice, and soup kitchens in Manhattan and the South Bronx,
The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal setting up Padre Pio homeless shelter, soup kitchens, and an entire ministry to the poor of Harlem and the South Bronx,
Cardinal O'Connor beginning the Sisters of Life to minister to poor pregnant women who have nowhere to live, and post abortive women suffering post traumatic stress.
Fordham, a Jesuit University has fallen far from the proud Jesuit tradtion of defenders of the Church. Pope Benedict recenlty reminded the Jesuits to live up to this heritage and to stop confusing the faithful.
"The Vatican has sanctioned a number of Jesuits over the past few decades for straying from official doctrine, including for their views on non-Christian religions, the human Christ and the defense of society's dispossessed -- the focus of the liberation theology movement that swept Latin America in the 1970s.
The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith -- which Benedict headed as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before his election as pope in 2005 -- sanctioned Spanish Jesuit Jon Sobrino, who lives in El Salvador, in late 2006 for his books on the nature of Jesus Christ."
HT The Inquirer

Obamamania

A new blog, "Is Barack Obama the Messiah?" addresses this phenomenon.

Pro-lifers prefer Obama to Hillary

Frances Kissling is thrilled about this trend. As the former president for the misnamed "Catholics for a Free Choice" she is an Obama supporter. She is educated enough in the realm of abortion to know who the true believer is: Barack Obama has shown himself to be even more rapidly pro-abortion than Hillary, which is no small feat. Somehow pro-life voters have failed to see this.
" The main difference between the two candidates, for Kissling, was that Sen. Clinton was not radical enough on the issue of abortion and "had more than once failed the movement." Kissling criticized Clinton for failing to require abortion coverage in her health care reform plan as First Lady in 1994, and for allowing "any provider, religious or not, to refuse to provide any service they deemed immoral and still participate in the plan and reap the benefits of participation."
According to Kissling Clinton still has not sufficiently addressed whether her plan for universal government health care would require abortion coverage or whether it "will give religious organizations the right to refuse to provide services they consider 'immoral' - emergency contraception, voluntary sterilization, condoms to prevent HIV, and assisted reproduction come to mind."
We MUST let our fell0w Catholics, and pro-lifers know what is behind that deceptive rhetoric of Obama, that it's time to look at his record, and stop swooning at his speeches. He is beginning to remind me of a dangerous demogogue, and so many Americans are falling under his power, I fear for the future of this nation.
HT Catholic Exchange
Life News

Abortonist who killed Laura Smith loses license

From David Bereit of 40 Days for Life
BREAKING NEWS updates from Eileen Smith herself,who first e-mailed me a few hours ago to say... "I just received a phone call from the Boston Medical Board of Registration that the doctor that caused Laura's death had his license taken away TODAY because they view him as a risk to PUBLIC SAFETY!"
Then, just a few minutes ago, Eileen sent me thelatest news about the abortionist: "It just keeps getting better. After the doctor's license was suspended today, he came back with an offer to turn in his license to practice medicine FOREVER. The resignation was accepted by the board. He can never practice in Massachusetts or any other state.
This is an answer to much prayer. Thank you for yours!"Eileen, thanks to your courage -- and the prayersof thousands of faithful people -- there is oneless abortionist practicing in America today.

Meet the Obamas

From: Gary Bauer
As the Obama juggernaut continues to press on, I thought it would be useful
to continue our look at the Democrat frontrunner and the would-be first
lady, Michelle Obama, as both are making headlines. First, the candidate
and his record.
National Journal, a respected non-partisan political magazine, recently
published its 2007 Vote Ratings. The ratings employ computer-assisted
analysis to examine and rank congressional votes. And you may be surprised
to know who came in as the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate. Hillary
Clinton? Nope. Ted Kennedy? No. John Kerry? Wrong.
According to National Journal's rankings, which analyzed 99 key Senate
votes, the most liberal senator in 2007 was Barack Obama, who took the
liberal position on 65 of the 66 key votes on which he voted.
On Campaign for Working Families' Congressional Scorecard, Obama has cast
only one conservative vote out of 48 key votes we have tracked since he
joined the Senate in 2005. That would give him a 2% pro-family score with
CWF! Hillary is only marginally better, at 5%, with four extra years of
service.
The release of National Journal's scorecard was well-timed coming as Obama
was comparing himself favorably to President Ronald Reagan, and as some
conservatives are even praising Obama for his charm and vision. I suppose
these qualities are refreshing when Obama is compared with his primary
rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton!
Folks who listen to Obama speak may feel uplifted and inspired, but there
is rarely anything substantive in his speeches. Obama often does not go
into detail about his political views or public policy record, preferring
instead to present abstract visions of unity and hope for the future. If
he did go into detail, he would surely put off most Republicans, not to
mention many Independents and moderate Democrats. In fact, we may see blue
collar Democrats coming back to the GOP this year, as they did in 1980 and
1984.
Polls indicate Barack Obama's chances of winning the Democrat presidential
nomination are on the rise, and he may well be that party's nominee this
fall. It is therefore high time that voters look beyond the rhetoric and
take a good look at the record of the U.S. Senate's most liberal member.
Michelle Obama And America
Michelle Obama, wife of Democrat frontrunner Barack Obama, shocked a lot of
people over the weekend when she said this: "For the first time in my
adult lifetime I am proud of my country." Wow! That takes my breath away.
Mrs. Obama is 44 years old, so for over roughly 24 years of "adulthood,"
taking her at her word, she has never been proud of our nation. Is there
a theme here? You may remember that last year Senator Obama said he
refused to wear a flag lapel pin because it represented a "substitute for
true patriotism." And what precisely is true patriotism? According to
Senator Barack Hussein Obama, it is opposing the war in Iraq.
Apparently nothing America did from 1982 to 2008 caused her heart to swell
with pride. Not our successful effort to defeat Soviet communism and
liberate millions of people in Eastern Europe? Not our relief efforts
around the world, through which we spent billions to help the downtrodden?
Not anything?
When she learned with all the rest of us how her fellow citizens on United
Flight 93 bravely fought back against jihadist hijackers and prevented
another disaster on September 11th, did she not fill up with pride? As
Americans of all races and classes rallied together in defense of our
nation in the aftermath of September 11th, did her spirit not jump with
love for her homeland? Apparently not.
The Obamas are living examples of the American Dream. Both Michelle Obama
and her husband have Ivy League degrees. They make a joint income of over
one million dollars a year. They live lives that most ordinary Americans
can only dream of. Yet, Mrs. Obama, who wants to be first lady, has been
unable to find the pride in America that millions of ordinary Americans
feel every day.
Sadly, her attitude is not rare among leftwing American elites. We are
"educating" millions of Americans to be globalists first and foremost, and
we are doing precious little about educating our children to be proud and
unashamed Americans.
The Obamas are flying high politically right now, but I don't believe many
Americans will want to cast their votes this November for a couple so out
of touch with traditional American values.

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Phone:703-671-8800
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Web: http://www.cwfpac.com/

Killer Tiller's new lapdog keeps watch over his butcher shop

Guest Post: John Francis Borra

George Tiller's New AG: On Guard at the Butcher Shop

In what clearly was an eleventh-hour effort to derail a grand jury investigation of George Tiller's infamous Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, newly appointed Attorney General Stephen Six filed a motion with the Kansas Supreme Court to throw out a subpoena for records of sixty late-term abortions.
"This is an overt attempt by Six to deny evidence to a legally convened grand jury and an effort to protect an abortionist from further prosecution. Six is acting more like a member of Tiller's criminal defense team than the state's chief law enforcement officer," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

Six's attempt to quash further investigation comes as no surprise to those familiar with Kansas politics. He is but the latest in a long line of officeholders-- from small-claims court in Wichita to the legislature and Supreme Court in Topeka-- who've taken extraordinary measures to ensure that Tiller remains untouchable. Having amassed a fortune by duping young mothers and killing their children, Tiller is proof that almost any legislator, prosecutor, policeman or judge can be had. Such was the case with Kansas' previous AG, who was forced to resign after his sexual harassment of subordinates and attempts to subvert investigation of a Planned Parenthood slaughterhouse cost him public support. True to form, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, whose own career has been financed by Tiller and other baby-butchers, filled the void with a likeminded lackey.

For more on widespread corruption in Kansas, see http://www.operationrescue.org/.

This cartoon or commentary may not be reproduced without permission of the author. John Francis Borra may be reached at veritatis@eaglecom.net

Bill Clinton attacks pro-life students

Sex-abuse cover ups in public schools

This article details how schools in Oregon cover for a teacher who has sexually molested multiple students, letting him leave the district quietly for 'personal reasons'. I worked at a high school where the teacher assistant for the Special Ed Classroom was involved in a drive by shooting of her ex-husband, which missed and wounded a 17 year old. She was given a month's paid leave and return to work, despite parent protests. Imagine if I still lived in that district? My daughter Christina might end up in that class. Our children are at risk in public schools in so many ways.

Prof. Carol Shakeshaft's report on sex abuse in public schools reveals how a child is 100 times more likely to be abused in public schools than by a Catholic priest. Yet Google 'sex-abuse cover-up' and that's almost all you see, the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal.
HT Life Site

The pro-lifer who provoked a tirade from Bill Clinton

The YouTube clip above doesn't tell the entire story of pro-life hecklers getting an irate response from Bill Clinton. Catholic musician David Vogel was performing at Franciscan University of Steubenville, when he decided to challenge Clinton at the rally.
"Vogel, a resident of Steubenville and a Catholic recording artist who regularly performs at Franciscan University, told LifeSiteNews.com that at one point during Clinton's speech he was talking about what his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, was doing for child protection. "What about the thousands who are being aborted," asked Vogel, who could be heard by Clinton, as he was only about 10 feet from the stage. Clinton turned in response, saying, "I'll answer that, you wait and hold your sign, and I'll answer that."
Signs were being held by University students standing with Vogel. One such sign read "Abortion Kills Children", which Vogel notes as a providential coincidence given his line of questioning.
According to Vogel, Clinton went on with other subjects and eventually began speaking about child health care and mentioned Bush's "no child left behind" program. Recalled Vogel, "I hollered: 'No child left behind? What about the 4000 plus children that are scheduled for abortion tomorrow. They are people too and we want answers.'"
That's similar to what I shouted at Hillary in 2000, "you say you are pro-child, Hillary, you can't be pro-abortion AND pro-child!"
The Clintons would have done well to learn from history. Pro-abortion Catholic Presidential Candidate John Kerry was met with vocal protesters in Steubenville in 2004. Democrats for some reason have come to rely on Catholics ignorant of Church teaching that Human Life NOT the economy is THE primary issue on which to base your vote. At least students at Steubenville understand this, and continue to be salt and light to the world.Here's my photo of them at this year's March for Life. I wrote a letter to the National Catholic Register recently saying that when choosing a good Catholic College for my girls, public examples like theirs put their university on the short list. That's the type of education and example I want for my girls, not my alma mater, St. Anselm's who in this month's alumni magazine, proudly displays a photo of Bill Clinton during his speech at the college.

HT Catholic Exchange

New York Catholic Church vs Gov Elliot Spitzer

Governor Spitzer has a particularly bad record when it comes to pro-abortion fanatics, even by New York standards. As State Attorney General, he tried to close down all crisis pregnancy centers, which fortunately was stopped, but now, as governor, he has the potential to do even more harm to the women of our state.
Thanks be to God, the bishops here in New York are taking a strong stand against Spitzer's new firewall in case Roe v Wade is overturned law, which asserts abortion is a fundamental right. He sounds eerily like the UN in his wording, do you see any connection here?
Click here to voice your opposition to RHAPP.

Mr. Spitzer unveiled the bill, which is called the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act, in April. This year, his administration has signaled that the measure is a top priority, causing alarm among church leaders.
In his State of the State address in January, the governor called on lawmakers to pass the act. That month, his wife, Silda Wall, delivered a speech devoted to the legislation at a gathering in Rochester to mark the 35th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade.
HT Spirit Daily

Catholic Blog Awards

A big thank you for the readers who nominated me for the Catholic Blog Awards.
This blog has been nominated, as have Cause of Our Joy, and my newest venture, only six weeks old, and nearly beating my original blogs in Technorati Ratings, Catholic Media Review.
Adoro te Devote has made a good point that it would be nice for an amateur to win the award this time, since the giants like Closed Cafeteria usually dwarf our smaller efforts. She suggests a seperate category for professionals and well, a B Team section for us. I agree, it's a good idea to encourage us small fry. Let's see if it works.

President Bush approval rating 80% in Africa

PEPFAR: If It Ain't Broke...
Praise may be hard to come by at home, but President Bush is certainly enjoying a hero's welcome during his tour through Africa. With approval ratings well into the 80th percentile in nations like Kenya and Ghana, the President's popularity is a true testament to the contribution that America's generosity has made to the health and safety of the African people. Through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. has given life-saving antiretroviral treatment to almost a million and a half men, women, and children in 15 countries. With messages of abstinence and fidelity at the fore, America has supported community outreach to 61.5 million people. With an unprecedented $15 billion in relief, the U.S. has spent more than any other country to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa--with much to show for it. Unfortunately, the very values that have made the program effective are under attack from leaders at home. When the PEPFAR comes up for reauthorization on February 28, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.)--Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee--will make every effort to strip the ABc model from the bill in favor of money for abortion providers and promoters. As the President is busy surveying the success that his approach has had in preserving future generations, Berman and the Democratic leadership are plotting to turn the program into something that would help eliminate Africa's next generation. Under Berman's proposal, PEPFAR could permit abortion services at taxpayer expense, as well as the removal of the Prostitution Pledge, which would give a U.S. stamp of approval on global sex trafficking and prostitution! At a time when President Bush is enjoying almost unanimous praise from African leaders for PEPFAR, he reminded Congress to "listen to the leaders on the continent of Africa, analyze what works, stop the squabbling, and get the program reauthorized." If our tax dollars are going to go overseas they should go to program like the current PEPFAR that promote pro-family policies. Do your part to keep it that way; ask your member of Congress to resist the urge to turn PEPFAR into another international family planning program.
HT Family Research Council

Would unborn babies vote for Huckabee?

There's a new blog, Silent Souls for Huckabee whose contributors have been hurt by abortion, and in reparation, are speaking out for the only truly pro-life candidate left in the race. Even though abortion hasn't come close to my life, as a mother who has lost three children to miscarriage, I know at least some of the post-abortive woman's pain. As the mother of a special needs child, I hurt every time I learn that children like Christina are aborted at a rate of 90%. It IS personal as lovely children with Down syndrome aren't able to give their unique gifts to our world, making Christina more and more lonely. As a teacher, I know that one third of the students which should fill my classroom have been aborted. My social security is in trouble since 1/3 fewer workers are paying into our system, so my future has been hurt by abortion. And just think of those anguished souls who've had abortions, and who are the walking wounded, how callous the world is to their pain, indeed, the toll of abortion touches us all.
SO, I have three silent souls in heaven who are praying for the killing to end. And for a man after God's own heart to win the election. I think my sons are praying for Mike Huckabee.

Joanne Hogg (iona) - O deep, deep love of Jesus

A Sunday meditation on Jesus from whom rivers of living water flow.

Alan Keyes and Jill Stanek say Obama supports Infanticide

We have to get out the truth about Barack Obama's fanatical devotion to the killing of babies.

Stanek wrote that, “in Illinois, the state version of BAIPA repeatedly failed, thanks in large part to then-state Sen. Barack Obama. It only passed in 2005, after Obama left.”
“Obama articulately worried that legislation protecting live aborted babies might infringe on women's rights or abortionists' rights. Obama's clinical discourse, his lack of mercy, shocked me. I was naive back then. Obama voted against the measure, twice. It ultimately failed.”
“So, the reason Keyes said Jesus Christ wouldn't vote for Barack Obama was because of Obama's fanatical support of abortion to the point of condoning infanticide.”

Read the entire article here.

HT CNA

Personal testimony inside an abortion mill

One of my readers sent this link to a graphic testimony of a day in an abortion mill. IF you believe in "a woman's right to chose", then you should have no problem reading it.

What's considered murder in Texas. . .

is business as usual in Tiller's abortion mill.
Read the story of a conviction upheld for 21 week old unborn baby boys who were killed by their father. If he had emotionally coerced his girlfriend to go to Kansas, they could have been murdered legally by Tiller the baby killer, even after the legal limit of 22 weeks. The clinic wouldn't even have worried that the woman was being coerced. Just as long as she could pay.
HT Life Site News

What a courageous teacher!

A California science teacher has been placed on administrative leave after coming under fire following the showing of a pro-life film, The Silent Scream, that details an abortion procedure. First-year teacher Randy Yang showed the movie to five eighth-grade classes at Russell Middle School.

Now they are going to fire him.

So much for the First Amendment, it's suspsended at the classroom door. If that had been a terrifying global warming film or explicit gay sex film, Yang would getting tenure. My daughters were attending a filmaking class at a local library, and the teacher bragged about meeting Obama, and asked them whether they wanted to make films to stop global warming. He proceded to show clips of a global warming film and Michael Moore's film, "Sicko" at which point my daughters and their friends walked out. The teacher confronted them, "Why are you leaving?" to which Gabbi responded,"we don't believe it, why should we watch it?" He gave her a dirty look. Had he been her science, health, social studies or English teacher, she would have been a captive audience. Mr. Yang gave his students a choice of films, and they chose, "The Silent Scream".

I was a bilingual science teacher, and didn't have his guts; I was pregnant and needed benefits. But I did show "The Miracle of Life" which shows the beauty of an unborn baby throughout his development with an emphasis on closeup shots at 16 weeks. The kids were very impressed, and no one will be able to tell them that an unborn child is just tissue.
Once I made a casual comment to my First Holy Communion Class that I didn't believe in global warming, and I heard a collective gasp. These were limited English proficient first graders. They may not know how to read and write English yet, but they had already been exposed to the propaganda of the left.

Read the entire story.

HT Life News

Bishop complains about Hillary speech at St. Mary's University

Archbishop Jose Gomez said, "I was neither advised nor consulted by the university before the decision was made to have Senator Clinton speak at the university," Gomez said in the statement released by the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Gomez said he was not trying to tell people how to vote, but he noted that U.S. Catholic bishops have affirmed a statement calling on Catholics not to honor or give platforms to political candidates and officeholders "who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
Read the entire story.

Focus Action Commentary on the Candidates

Are available on video here.

From the Elliot Institute: the trauma of abortion

Study Finds High Rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Women Who Had Abortions
Researchers: PTSD Rates Increased by 61 Percent After Abortion

According to a study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry, women who have experienced abortion have high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which follow findings from earlier studies linking abortion and PTSD.The study of 155 women in South Africa who had abortions looked at symptoms before abortion and at one month and three months after abortion. Almost one-fifth of the women had symptoms that met the criteria for PTSD, leading the authors to note that "high rates of PTSD characterize women who have undergone voluntary pregnancy termination." Further, at three months after the abortions, the number of women with PTSD had increased by 61 percent compared to before the abortion.The researchers compared levels of pain and psychological outcomes among women who had received a local anesthetic versus those who had received IV sedation. Women who had received a local anesthetic had higher levels of pain before and during abortion and were more likely to experience PTSD symptoms, but researchers found no difference in symptoms over a longer period of time.

In other words, what the study found was that using one form of pain management over the other did not effect rates of psychological trauma experienced by women after abortion. These findings lend credence to the theory that abortion itself is the cause of trauma for women, not the amount of physical pain they experience.
This study is not the first to link abortion with increased levels of PTSD. In a 2004 study published in the Medical Science Monitor, 65 percent of American women who had undergone abortions reported symptoms of PTSD, which they attributed to their abortions, and slightly over 14 percent reported all the symptoms necessary for a clinical diagnosis of PTSD. Other studies have linked abortion to higher rates of sleep disorders, which are often associated with PTSD, as well as higher rates of anxiety disorders, clinical depression, substance abuse, suicide, and other problems. One study found increased rates of death from cardiovascular rates among women who had abortions up to eight years earlier compared to women who gave birth, which the researchers speculated could be related to trauma symptoms.The authors of the BMC study called for more screening to be done on women prior to abortion in order to "help identify women at risk of PTSD and provide follow-up care." However, there is no evidence that abortion alleviates any psychological symptoms in women and abortion has been in fact linked to increased mental health problems - including PTSD - after abortion.The Elliot Institute's model legislation, the Protection from High Risk and Coerced Abortion Act, would require abortion businesses to screen women for evidence that they are being coerced or forced into unwanted abortions and for other risk factors that are likely to put them at risk for post-traumatic stress and other problems after abortion."The abortion industry should not be subjecting women to a procedure that is likely to increase or cause symptoms of post-traumatic stress or other mental health problems," said Elliot Institute director Dr. David Reardon, who has worked on more than a dozen studies documenting the psychological impact of abortion on women. "Furthermore, the evidence shows that many of these abortions are unwanted and the result of pressure or coercion from others. The industry should be held liable for putting women at risk and performing unwanted and dangerous abortions."

~~~

Source:

Sharain Suliman et. al., "Comparison of pain, cortisol levels, and psychological distress in women undergoing surgical termination of pregnancy under local anaesthesia versus intravenous

Pro-life protesters to greet Hillary tonight at St. Mary's University

Please pass this on the all the Pro-Life Prayer Warriors. Terri Haring of the Allied Women's Center in San Antonio is leading a demonstration today at all entrances to St. Mary's University beginning at 5:00 PM. This protest is in regard to the visit of the queen of the culture of death--Hillary Clinton--speaking at their Greehey Gymnasium/Auditorium.

Another sad day for the Catholic Church when a catholic university uses it's facilities to allow a pro-murder candidate to promote herself and the culture of death, all under the context of academic freedom and freedom of speech. Nonsense. St. Mary's and it's president, Charlie Cottrell and it's chairman of the board of trustees, Ruben Escobedo are accomplices in promoting the culture of death! Where are the Society of Mary priests? Are they hiding and also falling victim to the power of money and secularism in lieu of standing up for Jesus and professing the TRUTHS of HIS Church.

I am embarrassed to be an alumni and any other alumni who read this, please notify St. Mary's that you will no longer make contributions to a university more beholding to satan than to God. I pity the poor families sacrificing to send their children to such a place which promotes such sinfulness and put their students at risk of their salvation.

I assure parents they would be better off by sending their children to Texas A&M and getting them active in the very rigorous and orthodox Catholic center--St. Mary's Parish.

Pray for our Church, it's bishops, priests, and universities. In the meantime please withhold pledged funds from St. Mary's until it regains it's moral bearings.

Respectfully,
David J. Koch

Stand True is taking the movie "Bella" to Ireland

Stand True is working with Youth Defense to bring the movie "Bella" to Ireland. Bryan Kemper will be speaking at the International Student Pro-life Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland at the end of March and then heading over to Ireland to screen Bella.
Bryan will be traveling with members of Youth Defense to several Universities in Ireland to screen "Bella" in advance of the movie's release in Ireland. Stand True worked closely with "Bella" all summer and throughout the fall to help make "Bella" such a huge success in the United States. We are excited to help bring "Bella" to Ireland and Scotland now.
We know that a lot of movies that are promoted as "Christian movies" are cheesy and really not very artistic. "Bella" breaks those stereotypes and is honestly one of the best movies you will ever see. It is not your typical "Christian movie". It is an amazing and powerful film. God has used "Bella" to save lives, as we have heard from many women who have changed their minds and kept their babies after seeing the movie.
If you have not had a chance to see Bella, it will be out on DVD in the States this spring.

Is it time for conservatives to leave the GOP?

As it becomes harder and harder for Huckabee to capture the GOP nomination, conservatives are voicing their deep displeasure with John McCain. We refuse to take one for the team this time. Maybe it's time to leave the GOP. Newt thinks so.

McCain Is Pro-death not Pro-Life - catholic/christian EWTN

Tiller's billboard altered

"Intended to convey the understandable resentment anyone might feel when confronted by such a self-serving and offensive claim, this cartoon should appeal to all decent Wichitans familiar with George Tiller's new sign."

Semper veritas,
John Francis Borra, SFO

Silvio Berlesconi calls for International Moratorium on Abortion

Italian presidential candidate Berlesconi has called for an international moratorium on abortion from the UN. We need to elect a candidate like him here in the US.
BRAVO!

John McCain funded by George Soros

One of the most disturbing comments I have heard lately came from someone who has supported the Clintons forever. He felt that the disenchanted Obama supporters might find themselves voting for John McCain. If that is possible, then why would I vote for him, I certainly don't have anything in common with Obama supporters.
Then I saw this piece in World Net Daily, and the light went on. All three, Hillary, Obama, and McCain have been playing on the same team, playing the American public for fools this whole time.
In 2001, McCain founded the Alexandria, Va.-based Reform Institute as a vehicle to receive funding from George Soros' Open Society Institute and Teresa Heinz Kerry's Tides Foundation and several other prominent non-profit organizations.
McCain used the institute to promote his political agenda and provide compensation to key campaign operatives between elections

The Lost Generation

Catholics who go to Mass more frequently have more children and more stable marriages. This comes as no surprise to anyone remotely acquainted with Catholicism in the USA. What may be a suprise is this: Interestingly, however, the study found that agreement with Catholic teaching is highest amongst older (born before 1943) and the much younger (born after 1981) Catholics, with the least agreement with Church teachings found in the middle generation.
These are the casualties of the post-Vatican II madness, where the pendulum swung so quickly to the left, that baby boomers were left to decide for themselves what Catholicism meant. They are still doing it, and unfortunately, they are running many dioceses at this moment. Another generation must pass away until the faithful younger generation takes control and restores the Faith to Catholic institutions, schools, hospitals, universities, CCD programs, etc. Will they be left standing then? The hard work of the 19th century building these fine institutions has been swiftly rendered mute as the liberals destroyed their Catholic character. Think only of the promiment Catholic Univesities putting on that pornographic lesbian play.
The family is no less of an institution of society, and it too is being destroyed, by indifference to Humanae Vitae, to marital fidelity and failure to raise up their children in the Faith. Who can blame them? No one spoke to them from the pulpit about the importance of such things, and they were too busy making mobiles and collages in CCD classes in the 1970's.
Read entire article on Life Site.

Steve Mosher is for Huckabee's continuing in the race

Should Mike Stay in the Race? Prolifers Should Say: Huck, Yes!
by Steven W. Mosher
And then there were two. To the surprise of many, Mike Huckabee continues to win primary victories, racking up his latest in Kansas and Louisiana. At the same time, McCain's still substantial lead has some Republican operatives like Karl Rove calling for Mike to abandon his race for the presidency. Pro-lifers, however, should encourage him to stay in.
The reason is simple: The pro-life cause benefits from Governor Huckabee's continued presence in the race.
Of all the candidates, Huckabee has run the most gracious--and issues oriented--campaign. That means that, as long as Huckabee is in the race, McCain will be forced to address the issues that separate him from his conservative, pro-life base.
What issues? Embryonic stem cell research, for one. Is it right to create tiny human beings only for the purpose of dissecting and destroying them. Huckabee, who eloquently defends the unborn, says "no." McCain continues to say "yes," even though science has now created stem cells from skin cells.

The pro-life cause benefits from Governor Huckabee's continued presence in the race.
Both McCain and Huckabee agree that Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided, and deserves to be overturned. But Huckabee goes further. He would amend the Constitution to protect all human life from conception, thus ending the scourge of abortion in the same way that the 14th Amendment ended slavery. As governor of Arkansas, he fought for--and won--the passage of just such an amendment. McCain does not support a Human Life Amendment.
Add to this McCain's comments, reported by Robert Novak, that he thinks pro-life Supreme Court Justice Alito is "too conservative," and McCain's membership in the Senate "Gang of 14" that deep-sixed some of President Bush's more conservative nominees to the federal bench, and you can see why the prospect of a McCain presidency makes many social conservatives uneasy.

The larger point is this. All of these issues, from judicial appointments to the destruction of human embryos for research, to the Human Life Amendment are close to the heart of the pro-life movement. It serves the purposes of our movement to have them discussed as the Republican presidential campaign continues. Mike Huckabee, by staying in the race, by his focus on the issues, and by his sheer eloquence, will ensure that these issues are addressed.
Prematurely crowning McCain as the presumptive nominee would short-circuit this open debate, which I believe is helping to win over America to the cause of life. Moreover, such a coronation would also take pressure off of McCain to modify and articulate his views to accommodate the conservative, pro-life base of the Republican Party.
And remember this: Without the conservative, pro-life base of the Republican Party no candidate can win. Right now, if John McCain is the nominee, a hundred thousand campaign volunteers will go missing, a million more will vote for a third party candidate, if any, and a couple million Christians, including Dr. James Dobson, will simply stay home on election day.
This is a sure recipe for electoral disaster. Mike Huckabee, by staying in the race, can help avert it.
And who knows. If McCain stumbles, he could still win. Like Governor Huckabee I, too, believe in miracles.
Steven Mosher is the President of PRI.
Sign up for the Weekly Briefing HereMedia Contact: Colin MasonEmail: colin@pop.org

70,000 Celebrate 150th Anniversary of Lourdes

Read the story here. Penance, the heart of her message, is more relevant now than ever. If only we had ears to hear, and hearts to accept Our Lady's pleas.

In our home, we attended Holy Mass, had friends over for dinner, and watched the 1990 film, "Bernadette" to commemorate the anniversary. I enjoyed the film very much and will publish a review of it shortly. The film ends with a closeup of St. Bernadette's incorrupt body, seen here, and is very careful to rely only on the facts of the miraculous visions of Our Lady.

Need help deciding on Catholic Candidate?

Take the quiz on Glass Booth. I did, with abortion as my only issue, answering in accordance with Church teaching. Here are the results.
Huckabee is 78% in line with the Church teaching on abortion
McCain has a 70% rating
Ron Paul a 63% rating

Healthy baby saved from Tiller's knife

Read this story to see how a healthy 24 week old unborn child narrowly escaped death in Tiller's abortuary. It would have been an illegal abortion, since he was more than 22 weeks along, but don't worry Tiller's place is good at cooking the books, and they have the pro-death Kansas Supreme Court and Governor to cover for them.
HT Operation Rescue

American Life League Video Yanked from YouTube

The video criticizing a Planned Parenthood Commercial, promoting sexual promiscuity was yanked, but the original video from PP wasn't.
According to YouTube’s Community Guidelines, videos that contain “pornography or sexually explicit content, animal abuse, drug abuse, bomb making, graphic or gratuitous violence, accidents, dead bodies, or speech which attacks or demeans a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity” are considered inappropriate material.
Mr. Sedlak claims that since their video does not meet any of these requirements, its removal “is a clear-cut case of censorship!”
However, Sedlak does not think that the fault lies with YouTube alone, “Obviously, Planned Parenthood’s attack dogs flagged our video to hide the truth, and YouTube caved to their pressure,” he asserted.
I posted a link to the video here. Voice your displeasure with this unfairness here.
CNS

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To mark the 150th anniversary of Mary's appearance to St. Bernadette Soubirous near Lourdes, France, Pope Benedict XVI authorized a special indulgence to encourage renewed holiness.Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence for taking part in any public or private devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, said U.S. Cardinal J. Francis Stafford, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court dealing with indulgences and matters of conscience.

Five Planned Parenthood Killing Centers Closed

I would like to report on this feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, that five abortion mills run by notorious Planned Parenthood have been closed recently. Our prayers are responsible, no matter what THEY say. Read the article here.
HT Life News

A Lenten Meditation

Huckabee landslide in Kansas, standing ovation at C-PAC

Watch his entire speech here.

It's time to take Huckabee seriously

"The Washington Post headline read: "Huckabee Complicates GOP Contest."
Wrong. What is complicating the GOP contest is the attempt to imagine, craft, articulate, and sell a "conservatism" that does not have respect for the dignity of life as its most fundamental value"
begins the article from Mary Kochan, editor of Catholic Exchange. She explains how the right to life is pivotal to all the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. She then goes on to quote Deacon Keith Fournier's article in Inside Catholic,

"Gov. Mike Huckabee is the only candidate running for the presidency who has fully, clearly and consistently been Pro-Life and Pro-Family throughout his public career. He has always strongly supported both the Right to Life and Traditional Marriage Amendments to the Constitution, which most Catholics know are essential to the protection of these social values. He states on his website:
"There is a lot more that a pro-life President can do than wait for a Supreme Court vacancy, and I will do everything I can to promote a pro-life agenda and pass pro-life legislation. ...I will staff all relevant positions with pro-life appointees. I will use the Bully Pulpit to change hearts and minds, to move this country from a culture of death to a culture of life. I have no desire to throw women in jail, I just want to stop throwing babies in the garbage."

Whatever reason it was that has held Catholics back from Huckabee until now, should pale by comparison into to the clear contrast with John McCain, who tried to pull the pro-life plank from the Republican Party for the 2004 Presidential Election, the election in which he offered to become John Kerry's running mate. Senator Kerry was, at the time, the most pro-abortion senator in the US Senate. If John McCain could support Kerry's candidacy for president, is he really any different from Clinton and Obama?

McCain is no conservative

Rush Limbaugh, no fan of McCain, or Huckabee, says this,
"Here's the thing about McCain: he can't win conservatives in the South by virtue of this primary yesterday," Limbaugh said. "These blue states that McCain won last night are places where he has no chance in November."
HT ABC News via Life Site
I noticed that as well here. Who cares how many blue states McCain carried in the primary? We all know they'll go for the Democrat Nominee in November. Huckabee won the red states in the South, and nearly won Missouri, an important swing state. Will the conservatives vote for McCain in the fall. Ann Coulter said she'd rather vote for Hillary than McCain. I'm tired of "taking one for the team" and holding my nose to vote for a moderate.
There are those who feel that two years of Hillary would shock Republicans back into reality. It worked with Bill Clinton in 1994, and the Contract with America. How quickly we pro-lifers are forgotten by the fat cats in Washington, whom we put in office. NARAL garners more respect than we do. Why don't we learn from them?

23 Catholic Colleges hosting "V-day"

The following Catholic colleges and universities are hosting the lewd play The Vagina Monologues.
Bellarmine University
Dr. Joseph McGowan, Presidentmailto:Presidentpresident@bellarmine.edu
College of the Holy Cross
Fr. Michael McFarland, S.J., Presidentmailto:Presidentmmcfarla@holycross.edu
College of Mount Saint Vincent
Dr. Charles Flynn, Jr.,Presidentmailto:Presidentcharles.flynn@mountsaintvincent.edu
College of Saint Rose
Dr. R. Mark Sullivan, Presidentmailto:Presidentsullivam@strose.edu
DePaul University
Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., Presidentmailto:Presidentpresident@depaul.edu
Dominican University of California
Dr. Joseph Fink, Presidentmailto:Presidentjrf@dominican.edu
Fordham University
Fr. Joseph McShane, S.J., Presidentmailto:Presidentpresident@fordham.edu
Georgetown University
Dr. John DeGioia, Presidentmailto:Presidentpresident@georgetown.edu
John Carroll University
Fr. Edward Glynn, S.J., Presidentmailto:Presidentpresident@jcu.edu
Le Moyne College
Dr. John Smarrelli, Interim Presidentmailto:Presidentsmarrelj@lemoyne.edu
Loyola Marymount University
Fr. Robert Lawton, S.J., Presidentmailto:Presidentrlawtonsj@lmu.edu
Loyola University Chicago
Fr. Michael Garanzini, S.J., Presidentmailto:Presidentmgaranz@luc.edu
Loyola University New Orleans
Fr. Kevin Wildes, S.J., Presidentmailto:Presidentwildesk@loyno.edu
Marygrove College
Dr. David Fike, Presidentmailto:Presidentdfike@marygrove.edu
Regis College
Dr. Mary Jane England, Presidentmailto:Presidentengland@regiscollege.edu
Saint Louis University
Fr. Lawrence Biondi, S.J., Presidentmailto:Presidentbiondi@slu.edu
Saint Mary's College of California
Br. Ronald Gallagher, Presidentmailto:Presidentbrg@stmarys-ca.edu
University of Detroit
MercyFr. Gerard Stockhausen, S.J., Presidentmailto:Presidentgstock@udmercy.edu
University of Notre Dame
Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C., Presidentmailto:Presidentjenkins.1@nd.edu
University of San Francisco
Fr. Stephen Privett, S.J., Presidentprivett@usfca.edu

Something wicked this way comes. . .

Houston will be the site of the largest free standing abortion facility in the Western Hemisphere

As most of you are very well aware, our local Planned Parenthood is expanding and purchased a very large building at 4600 Gulf Freeway a little over a year ago. This expansion is being done to comply with Texas law stating that an abortion of a pregnancy of 16 weeks or more has to be done at an ambulatory surgical center or hospital licensed to perform the abortion.

What we didn’t realize is that when this move takes place, which is projected for the fall of 2008, Houston will have the notoriety of having the largest free standing abortion facility in the Western Hemisphere. Planned Parenthood of Houston & Southeast Texas plans to open a multimillion dollar “flagship” abortion center just outside the gates of the University of Houston’s main campus. This 6-story building is 78,000 square feet, and the ambulatory surgical center will take up the entire third floor. This is where unborn babies up to 25 weeks will be aborted. This is more than half way through a woman’s pregnancy! We know that babies born after 24 weeks have a very good chance of survival. Click here to see images of unborn babies up to 25 weeks.

I’m sure that you would agree that Texans must take a stand against the opening of this late-term abortuary, peacefully and legally.

Lord have mercy on them!