Governor Paterson "New York State will recognize Gay Marriage"

From the Family Reasearch Council.

In New York, the judicial branch may have some competition in the race to redefine marriage. Gov. David Paterson (D), Eliot Spitzer's replacement, is inventing new policymaking powers for the executive office by issuing a statewide directive that same-sex "marriages" performed in other jurisdictions will be recognized in New York. Announced the day before California's Supreme Court ruling, the sweeping decision will impact as many as 1,300 rules and regulations "governing everything from joint filing of income tax returns to transferring fishing licenses between spouses." Under the order, same-sex couples who reside or work in New York will receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. Paterson described the decision as "a strong step toward marriage equality," instead of what it truly is--an attempt to circumvent the legislature and propel the state closer to gay "marriage" without voters' consent. Under Spitzer, a bill was introduced to legalize homosexual unions, but it never passed New York's Republican-led Senate. Paterson's office sees this as the next best thing. Although the order is the first of its kind in the U.S., other left-leaning governors will almost certainly follow suit. If you're a New York resident, please express your outrage by contacting Paterson's office at 518-474-8390 or by emailing him at http://161.11.121.121/govemail.

Meanwhile, CNN is hosting a poll on Jack Cafferty's blog; Is homosexual marriage inevitable?

It is if Catholics continue to do nothing! WAKE UP, this is how abortion was legalized!

Habitat for Humanity helps Planned Parenthood in Florida

First it was Amnesty International, a good cause gone the way of the abortionists, now another organization which does good for the poor helps Planned Parenthood build an abortion mill on the same property used to build homes for the poor. How sad, that they think killing the children of the poor is helping them.
Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry founded in 1976, has built and rehabilitated more than 250,000 houses around the world for families in need. Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion provider. To some, they would seem odd partners.
Jim Sedlak, vice-president of the American Life League, criticized the partnership in a news release, quoting Habitat for Humanity's goals of providing a “simple, decent, affordable place to live in dignity and safety” for everyone. “I don’t see how building a residence next to an organization that kills babies, pushes pornography and covers up for rapists gives a family dignity or safety," he said.
Read the entire story here.
UPDATE: Victory in only 5 days! Read the story here.
HT World Net Daily

The Center for Catholic Higher Education

Here's some news from one of the signs of hope in the Church: the Cardinal Newman Society
Announcing The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education
The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) today officially launched a new division, The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education, to study Catholic colleges and universities in accordance with the guidelines of Ex corde Ecclesiae and in a manner faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. The Center provides much-needed research and analysis about the critical issues and "best practices" at the heart of the renewal of Catholic higher education. The Center publishes a quarterly Bulletin of Catholic Higher Education, produces research reports and analysis on key issues, and sponsors conferences and workshops for education leaders. The Center also has assumed responsibility for the research and writing of the second edition of The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, which will be released next year. The first edition, published in November 2007, recommends 21 Catholic colleges and universities on the basis of their strong Catholic identity.
Areas of Study"On April 17, Pope Benedict XVI presented an exciting vision for the renewal of Catholic higher education and called on Catholic college presidents to 'ensure that the power of God's truth permeates every dimension of the institutions they serve,'" said CNS President Patrick J. Reilly."This new Center will enlist Catholic leaders and academics to take up key themes in the Holy Father's address, including the 'crisis of faith' that lies at the root of the modern 'crisis of truth,' the 'unity of knowledge' as it relates to curricula and teaching, and the proper application of academic freedom," Reilly said.
This summer The Center will publish its first research reports from noted experts on the Catholic core curriculum, "hiring for mission" and the role that Catholic colleges and universities can perform in encouraging vocations. All of The Center's publications are posted on its website, www.CatholicHigherEd.org, including its first two publications about Pope Benedict's address to Catholic college presidents during his U.S. visit in April.
Staff and Fellows
The Center's Director is Joseph A. Esposito, Editor of The Newman Guide and former Director of Research at CNS. He is a former Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education. In addition to a lengthy government career, he has been a Catholic writer and adjunct professor of history.The Center's Deputy Director is Evangeline C. Jones, who did extensive research on The Newman Guide as Deputy Director of Research at CNS. She is a former practicing attorney."We are looking forward to being a helpful resource to Catholic colleges and universities as they tackle some of the most important issues confronting Catholic higher education today," Esposito said. "We expect the output of The Center to be prodigious as well as insightful.
"The Center also has two distinguished academics serving as its 2008 Newman Fellows, who assist the work of The Center and regularly contribute to Center publications. One is Dr. Peter A. Kwasniewski, Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Wyoming Catholic College. His latest work is a translation of Thomas Aquinas' Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, which will be available this summer.The other Newman Fellow is Dr. Brennan Pursell, Associate Professor of History at DeSales University. Pursell's recent book, Benedict of Bavaria: An Intimate Portrait of the Pope and His Homeland, earned widespread acclaim during the Pope's U.S. visit.
Advisory Board
The Center's Advisory Board includes three religious members: Rev. Leonard A. Kennedy, C.S.B., Ph.D, a former President of two Canadian Catholic colleges; Rev. Joseph Koterski, S.J., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University; and Msgr. Stuart W. Swetland, S.T.D., Vice President for Catholic Identity and Mission at Mount St. Mary's University.The Advisory Board's three lay members include William H. Dempsey, President of Project Sycamore, an independent association of University of Notre Dame alumni; Dr. John P. Hittinger, Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of St. Thomas in Houston; and Hon. Kenneth D. Whitehead, former Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education, and a widely-respected author.

New Catholic Blog: Vive Christus Rex

Vive Christus Rex is a brand new Catholic blog started by a "Voice in the Crowd", a friend who comes from a family of eloquent, orthodox Catholic writers.
Something tells me that this voice will be standing head and shoulders above the crowd before too long.
Welcome to the Blogosphere!

Kansas, Coercion, and Flying Monkeys

Governor Kathleen Sebelius' facade of concern for the human person grows ever more transparent. In April, she vetoed the Kansas legislature's broadly-supported Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act intended to protect mothers and children from coerced abortion. The intension of the bill was not to restrict abortion, but simply to ensure that existing laws were complied with; however, even this was too much for Sebelius, arguably the most aggressively anti-life governor in US history. Sebelius, who has funneled a fortune in campaign contributions to likeminded politicians on behalf of the abortion industry, thus demonstrates mind-boggling indifference toward her pregnant constituents and a near- sociopathic commitment to aborting children.

Time and again, through the appointment and manipulation of attorneys general (including Stephen Six, the latest of George Tiller's lapdogs), district attorneys, judges, law enforcement and criminal investigations, Kathleen Sebelius has helped abortionists circumvent Kansas law. Her public repudiation of Archbishop Joseph Naumann, of Catholic moral imperatives and the natural law have earned her rock star status among the leftwing of the Democratic Party, catapulting her to the top of its list of VP hopefuls.

Earlier this spring, legislation to protect women and children from coerced abortion became law in Idaho. It was resisted by Planned Parenthood who, along with other abortion operators and anti-life interests groups, is fiercely resisting similar legislation in other states. But thanks to the pernicious influence they exert through proxies like Kathleen Sebelius, abortionists in Kansas continue to prosper at the expense of vulnerable women.

Commentary by John Francis Borra, SFO
(veritatis@eaglecom.net)

used with permission

In Flanders Fields, where poppies blow. . .

I was away for Memorial Day, so I'm just catching up; read the history of this haunting poem and see it set to music over at Mommy Life.

Sebelius and Tiller; partners in infanticide

You are known by the company you keep; Governor Kathleen Seblelius, is seen here socializing with notorious Tiller the Baby Killer.
Troy Newman(of Operation Rescue) says the event underscores the way in which Tiller has funded pro-abortion candidates, including Sebelius, giving them an opportunity for power in an otherwise pro-life state and elevating Sebelius to national prominence.
"Sebelius' office arrogantly believes that they can keep her strong ties to Tiller a secret, but their efforts to keep the truth from the public have only exposed their corruption," he said. "Sebelius would not be governor today if not for Tiller's financial support. She owes him her career."
Sebelius is reputably on the short list for VP on the Obama ticket, and like Obama, Seblelius has a history of supporting even heinous late term abortions. The only difference is, unlike Obama her 'pastor', Bishop Nauman, has reprimanded her, forbidding her from communion because of her deal with death.

Will late term abortionist Tiller be a frequent guest at White House functions?
It's up to us to prevent the Culture of Death from enveloping the White House.
HT Life News

We're not going to take it any more: Pastors revolt against the IRS muzzle

Jill Stanek has a fascinating column on World Net Daily.
Did you know that the regulation of free speech of pastors is only 50 years old? It dates to the Senate career of Lyndon Johnson? He was being called soft on communism as his election for a second term came up, so he had the amendment passed to help him get re-elected, which eventually led to him becoming President when JFK was assassinated. He escalated the war in Vietnam and started the failed war on poverty. What a disastrous presidency!
Anyway, the Johnson Amendment caused a lot of unnecessary paranoia among conservatives. Liberals like Rev. Jeremiah Wright have no such fear.
What do they know? That there has only been one actual prosecution of a church for crossing the church/state divide, Pierce Creek Church in 1992 for running a newspaper ad opposing Bill Clinton. The Clinton's use of the IRS to prosecute their political opponents is legendary; just as Bill O'Reilly who was audited multiple times during the Clinton Administration. So, 50 brave pastors are signing up to give explicitly political homilies to challenge the unfair muzzling of traditional religious believers, and hopefully, bring the Johnson Amendment down. It's about time!
Here's the game plan:
"On Sept. 28, approximately 50 pastors the ADF has chosen from volunteers nationwide will preach sermons to provoke the IRS on this point. This would immediately invoke a lawsuit that would find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a press release condemning the plan as "deplorable" and "worldly," AU's Lynn stated, "I assume the ADF will provide a list of congregations unwise enough to join this move, and we'll be ready to report those churches to the IRS."
Barry, ADF is planning one better – no, two better. It plans to give you and the IRS videotapes of the sermons."
What valiant leaders these pastors are! How I would love to be one of their congregants. If you are, be sure to give them a FAT check in the collection that day! They may need it for legal fees!
HT World Net Daily

Defending the Dignity of the Unborn in Bioethics Circles

Last Friday, I attended Bioethics International's Conference hosted by Jennifer Miller in the UN Church Center. A panel of professionals responsible for the training of doctors in the various teaching hospitals in New York and Yale University as well as some of the leading policymakers in the UN Non-governmental Organizations were there.
Is is redundant to say that the Catholic Church was constantly under fire, and that the ideas of objective moral truth and the dignity of the human person, from the moment of conception was mocked?
Only two of the speakers defended these eternal truths, Jennifer of the Culture of Life Foundation (I'll write an entire post on her later) and Fr. Berg of the Westchester Institute who is an expert on Natural Law. Here is the latest column from the Westchester Institute, defending the dignity of the unborn baby.
I will be covering the Conference greater detail in subsequent posts. I was given a glimpse into the future not only of the USA, but the entire world, if Barack Obama is elected, and it terrified me. As a hint, take this fact; the first Western aid to reach Myramar was NOT food, water, or medicine; it was condoms.

Yoga, Enneagrams and Reiki: portals for evils spirits to enter our lives

A British exorcist has warned against the "thin edge of the wedge" which is the dabbling in Eastern religious practices like Reiki, Yoga, acupuncture, etc which may give evil spirits a foothold in our lives. "According to Father Jeremy Davies, exorcist for the leader of Catholics in the UK, yoga puts people at risk from devils and the occult is closely associated with the scourges of "drugs, demonic music and pornography" which're "destroying millions of young people in our time"."
I have given my testimony in this post about my youthful involvement in the occult. I began doing seances in fourth grade on Girl Scout campouts, with mothers present who did not understand the dangers of the occult. Adoro Te Devote has an even more sobering testimony of the dangers of Tarot Cards here.
Read the entire story here.
HT New Oxford Review

"The New Manna" by Fr. John McCartney

On the East End of Long Island in the years 2000-2004, I had the privilege of attending a special First Friday Mass and Benediction for homeschoolers said by Fr. McCartney.
His homilies were always memorable; Fr. McCartney, though fresh from his ordination in 1999 had a knowledge of Catholic history, ardent love for Christ and the Church, and a gift for storytelling that made his homilies mesmerizing for adults and children alike.
I told him he should have his own show on EWTN, and I hope he does; read this for an example of his gift of making the most eternal of truths understandable, without diminishing their glory.
This is his first column in The Long Island Catholic, on the origins of the Feast of Corpus Christi which we celebrate this Sunday, and I hope it will be only one of many.
HT The Long Island Catholic
Here is my other post about Fr. McCartney, a Catholic hero.

Senator Kennedy the Lion of Abortion in the Senate

from the email of Fr. Tom Euetneuer of Human Life International
The "Last Lion" of Abortion
Sen. John McCain responded to the news of Sen. Edward Kennedy's brain tumor saying that Ted Kennedy was the "last lion of the Senate." Nice words, but hollow. Clearly Kennedy has been a forty-year force to reckon with in the US Senate, but lionizing him for his headstrong political partisanship over four decades is a little like saying that sticking around for a long time and being opinionated qualifies as a "legacy." That very record of anti-life advocacy is the measure by which his soul will be judged.
While I pray for Sen. Kennedy's recovery from a brain tumor, I pray more for his recovery from the cancerous metastasis of abortion ideology in his soul. Ironically, in the same years in which abortion has become less and less acceptable to the American public, it has become more and more of an obsession for Sen. Kennedy. Prior to Roe v. Wade, Sen. Kennedy had actually held a pro-life view of the sanctity of life. In a letter to a constituent he said,
"While the deep concern of a woman bearing an unwanted child merits consideration and sympathy, it is my personal feeling that the legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized - the right to be born, the right to love, the right to grow old." (See http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=31615 )
However, post-Roe, Kennedy's record of recognizing the "value which our civilization places on life" has been, shall we say, less than stellar. In fact, he has a 0% record of voting in favor of life, and there is not one life-related issue in which his vote reflects a concern for the weakest members of our society, let alone the concern that his supposed Catholic faith places on them. Senator Kennedy
Is rated 100% by NARAL for his pro-choice voting record.
Voted NO on banning human cloning.
Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions.
Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.
Voted NO on criminal penalties for harming an unborn child during the commission of another crime.
Voted NO on maintaining the ban on military base abortions.
Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines.
Voted YES on $100 million to "reduce teen pregnancy" by hedonistic sex education programs and contraceptives.
Is a sponsor of pending radical legislation in the Senate to promote special protections for homosexuals in the workplace. (See http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Ted_Kennedy_Abortion.htm)
In other words, Kennedy has spent the better part of his long political career promoting the forces that kill and maim and destroy all the things that we hold sacred. What a shocking example of public service for a man who purports to call himself Catholic.
A month to the day after illicitly receiving Communion at the Mass of the Vicar of Christ in our nation's capital, Sen. Kennedy seems to have been given a real wake up call. When all moral voices go unheeded, the prospect of death tends to focus the mind on the truth. Let us all pray for his conversion from a career of abortion advocacy, for his enlightenment and for a peaceful death, something denied to all aborted babies in this country.

Sen. Kennedy's voting record on the life issues
Sen. Kenney used to be pro-life
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

Dr. Robert Scanlon; great Catholic OB-GYN

A while ago I posted on the dilemma of Catholic obstetricians; they are pressured to prescribe the Pill and perform abortions.If a baby is born with an anomaly, they are sued, so fewer and fewer are chosing this difficult yet noble profession.
My OB, Dr. Robert Scanlon of Huntington, NY is a true Catholic hero. His practice is 100% pro-life, AND he gives his time to helping needy women give birth. If any doctor deserves a thriving practice more than he, I haven't met him yet!
Read the entire story here.
HT The Long Island Catholic

Cong Chris Smith: a true Catholic politician v UN pro-abortion agenda

from C-FAM
Pro-Life Congressmen Thwart US Support for UN Abortion Initiative
By Piero A. Tozzi and Susan Yoshihara
(NEW YORK – C-FAM) Pro-life congressmen, lead by Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Bart Stupak (D-MI), rescued a congressional resolution supporting reduction of women’s mortality at home and abroad from surreptitiously advancing the pro-abortion agenda advanced at the United Nations. House Resolution 1022, as now drafted, promotes both “maternal health and child survival” without a stealth promotion of abortion. The language that was removed by Smith and Stupak called for funding of "global initiatives" and the recognition of maternal health as a "human right." Using such language would have lent U.S. support for a new pro-abortion initiative launched at a London conference last October called “Women Deliver.” At the Women Deliver conference pro-abortion advocates launched the International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights that seeks to link the maternal mortality issue with access to abortion while furthering development of “soft law” norms that include abortion as a human right. Among those launching the initiative at the Women Deliver conference were UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Thoraya Obaid, the initiative’s architect and then UN Special Rapporteur for Health, Paul Hunt, and the President of the pro-abortion law firm and secretariat for the initiative Center for Reproductive Rights, Nancy Northrup. Northrup stated at the launching that she believes UN treaties already contain an international right to abortion and she would work through the initiative and with UN partners to further that understanding and bind UN member states to recognize that right. The Women Deliver conference, organized and chaired by the world's top abortion advocates, including International Planned Parenthood Federation, Ipas and “Catholics” for a Free Choice, was also sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization in addition to the UNFPA. House Resolution 1022's primary sponsor, Lois Capps (D-CA), was one of three members of Congress that attended the Women Deliver conference. A number of pro-life members of Congress, unaware of the provenance of the global initiative and health rights language, originally signed onto the draft version of the resolution. One misstatement that remains uncorrected in the present version is assertion that “an estimated 536,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth” – a number touted at the Women Deliver conference but unsubstantiated by the UN's own statisticians. The UN Population Division report The World’s Women 2005: Progress in Statistics states that “more than a third of the 204 countries or areas examined did not report the number of deaths by sex even once for the period 1995 to 2003 . . . About half did not report deaths by cause, sex and age at least once in the same period.” In a statement preceding passage of the bill, Rep. Smith pointed out that “when women receive proper prenatal care, they are less likely to die in childbirth,” adding that the final form of the resolution “does not endorse – in any way whatsoever – the cruel ideology that pits women against babies by suggesting abortion as a means of combating maternal mortality.”

See the article below for how a Catholic OB is fighting infant mortality in Africa.

Senator Kennedy has fatal brain tumor; pray for him

Teddy Kennedy is dying of brain cancer. It's time to pray for him, no matter how we feel about him.
Anyone who has read this blog knows I have serious differences with the Senator, because of his abandonment of the Culture of Life. He's one of those Catholic Senators who pretends that concern for the poor and the immigrant is enough to counterbalance what can only be described as a radical pro-death agenda. Still, because of his sister Rosemary's mental illness, Teddy, and the rest of the Kennedy Clan have taken on the cause of the mentally retarded, starting Best Buddies, and Ted's recent sponsorship of the Kennedy-Brownback Bill, which I have championed here. These acts of charity must not be overlooked.
Now is the time to change your mind about life issues, Senator Kennedy, since you are soon to meet Our Lord, the author of life.
I know that Cardinal O'Malley will take this opportunity to address this with him, could I ask my readers to pray that Teddy is open to repentance, and hopefully public renunciation of his pro-abortion views?
What a powerful witness this would be to fellow Catholic politicians still in bed with the Culture of Death. It might save his immortal soul.
It's not too late, Senator Kennedy, but it soon will be, turn back to your mother Rose's Catholic faith, before Our Lord says to you,
"depart from Me, you evildoer. . when there was an unwanted child in the womb, you helped her mother abort her. "
HT AFP Google

Governor Schwarzenegger forgets his Catholic faith

from Family Research Council.

The weekend gave many of us an opportunity to digest last week's thunderous attack on traditional marriage in California's high court. While we are no more comforted by the decision, it does provide some crucial insight into this radical agenda. It is clear now that the homosexual movement will not accept some middle ground. Domestic partnerships are a way station toward the destruction of marriage. The other side is cleverly using these stepping stones as a way to soft sell social moderates on their agenda.

So far, the tactic appears to have worked on California's Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). In applauding the ruling, he managed to insult the intelligence of voters on both sides of the issue by saying, "When the people vote, the people are not legal experts, constitutional experts, or any of that. I think that's why we have the courts. People may vote with good intentions, but then the court says, 'This is not constitutional.'"

Fortunately, not every member of the court agreed with Conan the Barrister. In the dissenting opinion, the three justices who voted against same-sex "marriage" shared their disgust at the majority's political agenda. Equating the court's decision to "legal jujitsu," Justice Baxter writes, "...[A] bare majority of this court, not satisfied with the pace of democratic change, now abruptly forestalls [the democratic] process and substitutes, by judicial fiat, its own social policy views for those expressed by the People themselves... [The majority] simply does not have the right to erase, then recast, the age-old definition of marriage, as virtually all societies have understood it, in order to satisfy its own contemporary notions of equality and justice."

In addition to California, Florida voters have the chance to enshrine the definition of marriage in their state constitution this November. Voters in Arizona, Delaware, North Carolina, and Iowa could have a similar chance if they persist in contacting their leaders and encouraging them to pass the amendments out of their state senates.

Is this the same Governor who did not want to override the wishes of the people of California and vetoed a gay marriage bill in 2005?
"The former actor said this was a "constitutional issue" that should be decided by voters and the courts. The bill vetoed by Mr Schwarzenegger said marriage was a civil contract between "two persons".
"I do not believe the legislature can reverse an initiative approved by the people of California," Mr Schwarzenegger wrote in a statement.

What happened to the wishes of the people?

HT BBC News

President Bush and the US bishops voice their dismay over the ruling here.

HT Life Site News

Even the Holy Father mentioned homosexual marriage specifically without mentioning California, but his timing was noted by the media. "The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions," he said.

HT Reuters

This sounds like the perfect time for Cardinal Mahony to step up to the plate. We're praying for you, Cardinal, THIS is your moment to do the right thing!

Doing medical research right: Europe

LAUNCH OF THE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CONSORTIUM NOVUS SANGUIS
Under the Patronage of Mr Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament.Supported by the French Ministry for Research.
PROGRAMME - Launch of the international research consortium on cord blood and adult stem cells for therapeutic applications- A responsible regenerative medicine for Europe.
HT Contact Genethique

Review of Prince Caspian

I have an idea for today; after Mass, take your family to see "Prince Caspian", it's fantastic!

I reviewed it here. But there is so much meaning in this exciting and beautifully filmed movie, that I wrote more about it here.

I plan to see it again soon, and will probably have futher reflections.

It's that good.

Marriage and the Holy Eucharist

Benedict XVI went on to examine the "profound bond" between the sacrament of the Eucharist and that of marriage, noting how "the liturgy places the celebration of the sacrament of marriage at the heart of the celebration of the Eucharist. [...] In their daily lives, couples must draw inspiration for their behavior from the example of Christ who 'loved the Church and gave himself up for her.'"


"This supreme gesture of love is presented anew in each celebration of the Eucharist; and it is appropriate for the pastoral care of families to refer back to this sacramental fact as a reference point of fundamental importance," he added.


HT Zenit

A Member of the John Paul Two Generation Encounters Pope Benedict at Dunwoodie

Before the Octegenarian Pontiff came to the USA for his first visit as pope, there was much speculation in the media that the youth wouldn’t relate to him as they had to Pope John Paul II, who outgoing personality and skill with the media was well known. I wondered myself if Pope Benedict could replace my beloved role model, and worried that I would not have the same experience at Dunwoodie that I had had in 1979 in Madison Square Garden.
A seventeen year old, who, the year before, switched to Catholic school in an effort to embrace my faith, I could not have wanted to become a serious Catholic at a better time. During my senior year, I won a ticket to go to Madison Square Garden to a Youth Rally with the new pope, John Paul II. I had no way of anticipating the excitement of seeing the Vicar of Christ in person. From the moment the Pontiff entered, we were screaming at top volume, standing on our seats, as if he was a rock star. It was hard to calm us down, in fact we took turns chanting phrases like,” John Paul II, we love you” for around twenty minutes, delaying the Pope’s speech. He made a sound I can still hear in my memory, “Wooooo. . “ the sound of a Polish father encouraging his children. In his talk, he told us to “look to Christ for the answer to all your problems and questions”, and to value our Catholic education. From that day on, Pope John Paul was my spiritual father, someone whom I loved and wanted to make proud of me. I felt every one of his speeches and encyclicals as his personal exhortation to me to become a saint.
When he died, he left a void in my heart, which for three years I had been trying to fill with Pope Benedict. I respected him for his exceptional intellect, his obvious love for Pope John Paul, his devotion to liturgy, and his gentleness, yet an emotional connection hadn’t been forged. Yet. So, like the teens from Holy Family Youth Group in New Rochelle, whom I accompanied to the Papal Prayer Rally at Dunwoodie, I was curious on just what awaited me when Pope Benedict took the stage.
So, when the Holy Father was seen on the Jumbotrons at Dunwoodie, after hours waiting in the sun, the crowd was electrified, and a roar swept across the field, accompanied by the vigorous waving of gold and white handkerchiefs. The excitement built until he was suddenly before us, and the teens were exuberant in their love for the octogenarian pontiff, chanting, “We love you” and “Que viva el Papa!”. We sang, Happy Birthday to him in German and received an A+ . The next day, during his homily at Yankee Stadium, he said,” I was impressed by the joy, hope and generous love of Christ which I saw on the faces of the young people at Dunwoodie”.
Pope Benedict, was animated by the cheers, raising his hands to acknowledge them, and receiving rousing cheers and frantic waving first from one side, then from another. He gave his longest address to date to the youth, and seemed reluctant to leave us. As the popemobile was sighted by the crowd at the top of the hill, I found myself running with the teens towards him so that he could see me wave goodbye, tears in my eyes. My heart has adopted Pope Benedict as a new spiritual father, not replacing the love for John Paul, but accompanying it. I found myself promising him to be a better wife and mother, teacher and writer to bring glory to the Church, and win souls for Christ. I watched him today saying Mass at Yankee Stadium with a sense of devotion and feel his leaving the USA as a deep loss.

Another beautiful article on the Holy Father's Youth Rally at Dunwoodie is from Brother Christopher Simpson, LC, here.

Knights of Columbus and Our Lady of America

The only approved apparition in the USA, Our Lady of America is experiencing a revival of devotion, which is only fitting since she promised miracles of conversion if her statue was placed in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Her message was for purity, in 1956, and no one then could have anticipated how much this message would be needed in the coming 50 years.
Forgive us Our Lady, for failing to heed your messages to us in a timely manner, and bring conversion of heart and purity of life to Americans.
"Tell the bishops of the United States, my loyal sons, of my desires and how I wish them to be carried out," The Blessed Virgin Mary told Sister Mary Ephrem, who saw Her with a white veil reaching almost to Her waist and a mantle and robe of pure white with no decoration. An oblong brooch or clasp held the ends of the mantle together at the top. It was all gold, as was the high and brilliant crown she wore. Her hair and eyes seemed medium brown, said Sister Mary Ephrem.
Read the full story here.
HT Spirit Daily

Video with World Net Daily's Jack Cashill on the Kansas abortion debacle

The long and tortured trail of lies and deceptions which led to Gov Kathleen Sebelius' prohibition from Holy Communion and the heroism of embattled Attorney General Phil Kline is explained by Jack Cashill.

Another Terri Schiavo in the making

Lauren is a disabled young woman whose life is in danger because she can't speak for herself.
Lauren's father wants Lauren to live. Her mother, who has custody wants to dehydrate her to death a la Terri Schiavo.

"Lauren has not received rehabilitative treatment and therapy that could lead to her recovery. We marvel that though Lauren was given up for dead, that she gave birth to a daughter in her condition and even after the removal of a respirator and sealing of a tracheotomy opening, she continued to live and has steadily improved, all this with only minimal medical intervention. How much further would she progress with basic rehabilitation services?"

from her father's website
LET LAUREN LIVE!

Society is truly in love with death when a mother would let a hospital intentionally kill her own daughter BEFORE trying even the normal rehabilitation.
HT Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation

Chinese Philharmonic plays at unprecedented Vatican concert

Pope Benedict has been working miracles of conversion lately. Cardinals standing strong against Catholic politicians, prominent Muslims converting, Rush Limbaugh deeply moved by US welcoming ceremony, and now this. The Chinese Philharmonic playing a Vatican concert. This makes you wonder who will be next to warm up to the Catholic Church? Pastor Hagee? (as a matter of fact YES! Here's his letter.)

Fox News Correspondent Fr. Jonathan Morris said "Before going on I must say, leaving all politics aside (a refreshing exercise), the music was brilliant. The orchestra’s execution of Mozart’s “Requiem” was flawless, at least to my untrained ear. Watching and listening to one hundred and fifty Chinese musicians interpret and sing explicitly religious and European music in the Vatican and in the presence of the strongest voice for global Christianity today could have made even the greatest of sceptics suspend judgment about the long term value of this event.
HT Spirit Daily

Pope encourages pro-life activists

Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the pro-life movement in their work. Thanking them for their service to "the Church and society", the Holy Father said, "How many human lives have you saved from death! Continue along this path and do not be afraid, so that the smile of life may triumph on the lips of all children and their mothers".
What an elegant turn of phrase! As an English teacher, I have to admire the Holy Father's linguistic abilities. His adroit use of language keenly expresses his meaning without going over the heads of his audience. This is not an easy task. (And, YES, he writes his own speeches!)
Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, "Evangelium Vitae" coined the terms "Culture of Life" and "Culture of Death". I have heard President Bush use these terms and wonder if he knows where they came from.
The Catholic Church is truly infiltrating Amercian Culture. And it's our job to help it transform our culture, for our children's sake.
HTLife Site News

The story of the video "50 Reasons"

A group of 50 high school friends in Madrid organized themselves to "give back to the Church who has given so much to us", by saying why they pray the rosary in this month of Mary.
This video, seen more than 150,000 times on YouTube, has become the most viewed video in Spain. Increible!
So much for the death of the Church in Spain.
Read the entire article here in Spanish. If anyone finds it in English, kindly let me know.
HT Air Maria

50 Reasons to Pray the Rosary

Warren Buffet is a major abortion funder

Can you be in business and remain true to your Catholic morals?
YES. However, most Catholics don't realize the extent to which companies they patronize like McDonalds and Proctor and Gamble contribute huge sums of money to anti-family, Culture of Death agendas. There are some businesses based on the premise that Catholics are called to be salt and light in the marketplace. Some are successful, some aren't.
BOGO wines a wine importer who dedicated his business to raising awareness of Adult Stem Cells, has to close his business.
Catholic Home Loan donates a percentage of it's profit to the good pro-life or Catholic charity of the homebuyers' choice.
Sienna Group which provides wireless communications does the same.
So why would anyone want to participate in mutual funds like that of Warren Buffet whose Berkshire Hathaway contributes millions to the abortion industry. His stockholders met members of Operation Rescue at their latest meeting who explained this and several decided to dump their stock at the earliest opportunity.
Let you dollars work for the Catholic morality you believe in. Support good Catholic-run businesses, and let scoundrels like Buffet feel the pinch. It may lead to conversions.

Link to coverage of Papal Visit

Catching up with the Papal visit
If you're like me, you missed a good part of the TV coverage of the recent US visit of Pope Benedict. Not to worry, here is a link to the EWTN coverage to help you catch up.

Link to coverage of Papal Visit

Catching up with the Papal visit
If you're like me, you missed a good part of the TV coverage of the recent US visit of Pope Benedict. Not to worry, here is a link to the EWTN coverage to help you catch up.

Pope Benedict on the 40th Anniversary of Humane Vitae

Pope Benedict said that the teachings of the Church don't change. He might have added, despite the best efforts of rebellious American clergy and laity.
"The teaching laid out in the 'Humanae vitae' encyclical isn't easy," Benedict said.
"What was true yesterday remains true even today. The truth expressed in 'Humanae vitae' doesn't change; on the contrary, in the light of new scientific discoveries, it is ever more up to date," the pope added."
This reminds me of a book I have been meaning to read, "Humanae Vitae Was Right" a collection of essays on why Pope Paul VI was prophetic in some of his predictions that contraception would lead to the degradation of women, and totalitarian governments imposing forced birth control (as in the one-child policy of China).
Thank you, Pope Paul for standing strong on this pivotal issue of our times. At a Catholic Conference Thursday, speaker Bud McFarland Sr. said, "contraception is a cancer which is eating away at the Church".
Even our Protestant brethren have discovered the truth of that document, and are returning to their roots; before the 1930 Lambeth Conference in the Episcopal Church, ALL Christian churches opposed contraception, even for married couples. Acceptance of contraception has only been around for 78 years, and we can see the resultant destruction of morality and the family. More abortion, more unwanted, abandoned children, more exploited women, and fewer intact families. Catholics who largely reject this teaching feel free to select which other Church dogmas to ignore and still receive communion. Even some clergy have given the OK to contraceptive use, under a false sense of compassion. More and more contraceptive devices are taken off the market as they prove harmful, even fatal to women, yet allowing their use is seen as compassionate. Unbelievable!
For a thorough explanation of the legacy of contraception, read a transcript of Dr. Janet E. Smith's talk, "Contraception, Why Not?".
Read entire story here.
HT

How Planned Parenthood celebrated Mother's Day

My co-blogger at Catholic Media Review and A Catholic View Christine Schult just had her post on Planned Parenthood's sick idea of how to celebrate Mother's Day picked up at World Net Daily. Congratulations, Christine!
Here's a sample of the pro-life response;
At Silent No More Awareness Campaign, a campaign of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life, spokeswoman Janet Morana said the solitications are "beyond appalling."
"This is an organization that has turned Mother's Day into a painful reminder of terminated children for millions and millions of women. To ask for money on this day so that it can traumatize even more women is the ultimate in insensitivity," she said.

I hope you moms out there did something worthy of motherhood. I hope you went to church, enjoyed seeing your family, and saw a good movie on motherhood, like "Bella" now out on DVD.

Seeing "Bella" today helped remind me that motherhood, even in difficult circumstances is still a noble profession and a gift from God.

Pope's visit has changed many a Catholic heart

A Marist College poll taken immediately after the Holy Father's visit showed that it was a resounding success. From Christian Newswire.
HT Spirit Daily

Dred Scott's great-great granddaughter is pro-life

She describes the horror of seeing an abortion here.
So is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Dr Alveda King. They get the connection between being for civil rights and being pro-life.
SO, why doesn't Obamam get it?
HT LifeSite News

A Tragic Post for Mother's Day

For years, abortion advocates have employed the image of a coat hanger in their effort to vilify the pro-life community, blaming it for the violence done to women by illegal abortion. This is hypocrisy in the extreme.

The pro-life advocate, by definition, endeavors to protect all life. Historically, it is the abortion activist who has defied laws in order to end human life. This was true before 1973 and it's true now. One need only look at those who aid and abet the infamous George Tiller of Wichita, arguably the more accomplished butcher of near- and full-term children in the western hemisphere. Tiller regularly violates Kansas law, but his well-greased minions in government, like Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Stephen Six, among myriad others over the years, have kept him well above the law.

Not only is abortion among the most violent of acts, but it's often performed on unwilling mothers. And whether it's permissible under human law, it's never permissible under the natural moral law. Every abortion is illegal. And a coat hanger by any other name-- RU486, vacuum aspirator or saline solution-- is still a coat hanger.

John Francis Borra, SFO

Used with permission.
(veritatis@eaglecom.net)

Archbishop Joseph Naumann warns Catholic Gov of Kansas NOT to receive communion

One by one, bishops are coming forward and publicly warning their COD (Culture of Death) Catholic politicians NOT to receive Holy Communion. Is this trend growing? Is a response to our Holy Father's meeting with the bishops?
I certainly hope so. I hope my pro-abortion Catholic Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY) is next.

"We believe evidence exists that shows that Sebelius has strong personal and political ties to Tiller, and has used her political influence to cover up for crimes committed by Tiller and his associates in order to maintain the flow of abortion money into Kansas politics, thus furthering her own political career," commented Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "It is because of her policies that three abortionists come to Kansas to commit the latest of late-term abortions from states that prohibit them. It is also because of her policies that women come to Kansas from all over the world for the latest of late-term abortions that are banned elsewhere. These people come to kill viable babies because they know as long as Sebelius is governor that Kansas laws prohibiting post-viability abortions will not be enforced."
She is a disgrace, not only as a Catholic but as a corrupt public official letting campaign money buy justice. Good thing Attorney General Phil Kline is on the case! He suffered loss of his statewide position in the election, thanks to Sibelius's dirty dealings, but hasn't let that dissuade him from his efforts to reveal the crimes of Planned Parenthood, which does illegal late term abortions, and protects the identitites of child molesters whose underage victims come forward for abortions.
HT LifeSite News

Veni Creator Spiritus: Pentecost

This chant which we are learning in my home for my daugher to sing in the Traditional Mass, is one which we sing in honor of the birthday of the Church, Pentecost.

1 Veni Creátor Spíritus,Méntes tuórum vísita:

Imple supérna grátia,Quæ tu creásti péctora.

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator come,From Thy bright heavenly throne!Come, take posession of our souls,And make them all Thine own!

2 Qui díceris Paráclitus,Altíssimi dónum Déi,Fons vivus, ignis, cáritas,Et spiritális únctio. Thou who art called the Paraclete,Best Gift of God above,The Living Spring, the Living Fire,Sweet Unction, and True Love!

3 Tu septifórmis múnere,Dígitus Patérnæ déxteræ,Tu rite promíssum Pátris,Sermóne ditans gúttura.
Thou who art seven-fold in Thy grace,Finger of God's right Hand,His promise, teaching little onesTo speak and understand!

4 Accénde lúmen sénsibus,Infúnde amórem córdibus,

Infírma nóstri córporisVirtúte fírmans pérpeti.
O guide our minds with Thy blest light,With love our hearts inflame,And with Thy strength which ne'er decaysConfirm our mortal frame.

5 Hóstem repéllas lóngius,Pacémque dónes prótinus:

Ductóre sic te prævio,Vitémus ómne nóxium.
Far from us drive our hellish foe,True peace unto us bring, And through all perils guide us safeBeneath Thy sacred wing.

6 Per te sciámus da Pátrem,Noscámus atque Fílium,

Téque utriúsque SpíritumCredámus ómni témpore.
Through Thee may we the Father know,Through Thee the Eternal Son,And Thee the Spirit of them BothThrice-blessed Three in One.

7 Déo Pátri sit glória,Et Fílio, qui a mórtuisSurréxit,

ac Paráclito,In sæculórum sæcula.
All glory to the Father be,And to the risen Son;The same to Thee, O Paraclete,While endless ages run.

Obama Catholics Blast Bill Donohue, Blame Conservatives for Failing to End Abortion [UPDATED]

Does the term "Obama Catholics" grate on you too?
Here's what Pro Ecclesia's Jay Anderson has to say, at the audacity of Obama Catholics blaming conservatives for not ending abortion in three decades.
"I once again marvel at the chutzpah of people who can, with a straight face, chide conservatives and Republicans for failing to end the very scourge that these Obama Catholics and the candidates they support have fought tooth and nail to protect."
Well stated, as usual, Jay!
Read his entire post here.

McMorris Rodgers Launches Down Syndrome Caucus

Watch the Congresswoman and mother announce the good news with her adorable son, Cole.

Getting to know Cindy McCain

from the email
"There was an article in the Wall Street Journal on Cindy McCain, John"swife. All I ever saw was this attractive woman standing beside John. I was surprised how talented and involved with world problems she is. Thisis a summary of the article.

She graduated from Southern Cal and was a special-needs teacher. After her Dad died she became involved with his beer distributing firmand is now the chairwoman. Sales have doubled since she has taken overfrom her father.They have a marriage prenuptial agreement, her assets remain separate.
She is involved around the world clearing land mines - travels to the countries on a detonation team and served on their board. They have a 19 year old serving in Iraq, another son in the Naval Academy , a daughter recently graduated from Columbia Univ. , an adopted daughter in high school, and a son who is the finance guy at the beerfirm.
Raised kids in Phoenix , Az rather than Washington DC.(better atmosphere) He commuted.

In 1991, Mrs. McCain came across a girl in an orphanage in Bangladesh . Mother Teresa implored Mrs. McCain to take the baby with severe cleft palate. She did so without first telling her husband. The couple adopted the girl who has had a dozen operations to repair her cleft palate and other medical problems.
They have a Family Foundation for children's causes.She's active with "Halo Trust" - to clear land mines, provide water andfood in war ravaged and developing countries. She will join an overseas mission of "Operation Smile", a charity for corrective surgery on children's faces.

She has had two back surgeries and became addicted to pain killers. She talks openly about it which she says is part of the recovery process. I'm surprised the media is so quiet about her attributes. She sounds more capable than Hillary or Obama. We would really get two for the price of one. A person with business and international experience. John did work for the firm for awhile when he left the Navy. She, however, has the real business experience.
Very interesting."
Could we vote for Cindy instead of John McCain? I like her adoption of a special needs child, and her work for the poor disabled children who need surgeries. She is a gem, no wonder the media haven't reported on her, she is John McCain's secret weapon.

Providence College President's response to Pope Benedict's addrress

It's very edifying to read a Catholic College President with a positive response to the gentle challenges in Pope Benedict's speech at Catholic University. This was my favorite quote,
"Pope Benedict further articulated that knowledge of the truth leads to an appreciation of the good, and that true freedom is not the aimless pursuit of novelty or personal satisfaction, but choosing to embrace the truth about the dignity of the human person as made in the image and likeness of God. Catholic colleges do not focus on students’ intellect alone but equally on their moral character. We explicitly help our students to come to know the good and recognize the dignity of the human person through studies in ethics and moral philosophy and through participation in meaningful community service."
Well said, President Shanley!
HT The Curt Jester

New Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Destry Henderson 202-225-2006
McMorris Rodgers Announces New Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus
(Washington, D.C.) Today, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and other members of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus held their first briefing. Today’s briefing marks the first official event of the bipartisan caucus since its launch last week.
McMorris Rodgers co-chairs the caucus. She and her husband Brian have a one-year-old son, Cole, who has Down syndrome.

“The news of Cole’s Down syndrome was at first difficult to get our arms around and we were eager to learn all we could,” McMorris Rodgers said. “I’m often asked how being a mother has changed my life and changed my priorities, and I can assure you that it’s all been for the better. I have a new passion and a new energy for everything that I do. We have every intention of doing everything possible to ensure Cole has every opportunity to reach his full potential. I believe the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus will be a vehicle to help bring this information to the forefront so all families of children and adults with Down syndrome can lead happy lives.”
There are more than 350,000 people with Down syndrome in the U.S., but past and current funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is disproportionately low when it comes to finding treatments and increasing understanding of secondary disorders that often afflict people with Down syndrome, like Alzheimer’s disease and atherosclerosis.
Today, the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus held its first briefing on what research is being done at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH updated us on its 10-year research plan which calls for increased research on the medical, cognitive, and behavioral conditions that occur in people with Down syndrome.
###
Destry Henderson
Press Secretary
Office of Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Office: 202-225-2006
Cell: 202-279-0418
destry.henderson@mail.house.gov
www.mcmorrisrodgers.house.gov

Adult Stem Cells help MS patients

Just another wonderful breakthrough for Adult Stem Cells. So far, NOT ONE CURE has been attributed to embryonic stem cells, though millions of taxpayers' dollars have been spent.
HT Citizen Link

Archbishop Burke given thumbs up by Vatican

Faithful shepherd Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis has been given a post in the Vatican, along with two cardinals . It is well deserved. Last year he ordained two priests using the Traditional Rite and has said he wants his seminarians to learn to say Mass in Latin.
By Tim Townsend
a the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
"Pope Benedict XVI named St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke to two Vatican offices Tuesday, increasing Burke's already prominent stature in Rome. Burke, a canon lawyer by training, was one of eight cardinals and archbishops worldwide who Benedict named to the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, which interprets canon, or church, law.The archbishop was one of three Americans and one of only two archbishops named to the council. The other men assigned to the council were all cardinals, four of them the heads of Vatican dicasteries, or agencies — an indication of the faith the Vatican has in Burke."
Read the entire story here.

Is there really polgamy in America? Marriage redefined

One short year ago, I would have told you there was no polygamy in America. Two short years ago, I would have told you that marriage meant one man with one woman. So much has changed and so many abhorrent practices have come to light that my head is reeling.
What amazes me is that the children removed from the FLDS cult were nearly returned to their abusive parents, at the same time normal parents are fighting to keep their children.
Read this description of life in the FDLS cult and tell me how this is able to exist in the USA.
We have truly lost our moral compass in America.
Here is a ray of hope. Proposals are is being introduced which if passed will reform the no-fault divorce laws. "Mike McManus, the founder of Marriage Savers, says two proposals designed to change the outcomes in both marriage and legal custody procedures after divorce are for the benefit of 40 million children in the U.S. who have been victims of it in their families and spouses who did not want to agree to the action in 80 percent of the divorce cases."
HT One News Now

The History of Eugenics is in "Expelled"

The dark history of the shameful movement underpinning the biggest human atrocities of the 20th century was powerfully outlined by Ben Stein in his important documentary which is a must-see for anyone serious about science, about faith, and about freedom. See the trailer here.
Did I leave anybody out?

Stein followed the scientific community's lockstep loyalty to Darwinism backwards in time, and ended up at the Nazi gas chambers, which first killed disabled people. They were just practicing Darwinism, by speeding up the process of natural selection, formerly called survival of the fittest, by eliminating "useless eaters". Society bought into this toxic mentality because it came from doctors and scientists.
He followed their trail to Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, who was a dedicated eugenicist, working overtime to rid the world of people like my immigrant grandparents. While she was ostensibly offering women choice, secretly she was seeking to rid American society of the 'unfit'. More Darwinism in action. We are still in the midst of the nightmare of Sanger's legacy; 46 million Americans have died of abortion, far surpassing the darkest dreams of Hitler and Stalin together.
Ben Stein did us the invaluable favor of holding a spotlight of truth on some of society's darkest secrets, and those valiant scientists who have dared to reveal them to academia. They were expelled from their positions and blacklisted from obtaining further employment. Oxbridge and Ivy League graduates who have produced world renowned work. They mentioned Intelligent Design once and they were gone. Nothing but strict Darwinism will be tolerated by academics. What happened to scientific inquiry and academic freedom?

Stein then exposed the utterly laughable theories of scientists who would rather make up some fairy tale about Extra Terrestrials coming to earth and planting "human seeds" from which we emerged, to life's beginnings as molecules bumping together as they "rode the backs of crystals".
With his trademark aplomb and vintage film clips adding humor and highlighting the outrageous statements captured by his camera, Ben Stein has created a classic which will one day be appreciated, as the film that drew society bent on self-destruction, back from the precipice.
If it's not too late.
If we continue to allow ourselves to be dominated by militantly atheistic scientists whose agenda blinds them to the fact that evolution is a 150 year old theory which has NOT withstood scientific advances, we will find ourselves in a totalitarian state. The scientists themselves admitted on camera that they wish to destroy the power religion holds on culture, and relegate it to an innocuous hobby, like knitting.
Global warming and political correctness will have replaced the Judeo-Christian belief in the dignity of man, the pinnacle and master of God's creation. We will find ourselves enslaved to a materialistic ideology. Our very right to exist will be determined by what the powerful consider a worthwhile contribution to society, against our carbon footprint. Many of us may not make the cut.
Terri Schiavo didn't.
46 million unborn American didn't.
See "Expelled" before it is banned by the Obama administration.

Mehmet Ali Agca wants Polish citizenship

The Turkish zealot who shot Pope John Paul II and is in Turkish prison for killing another person, has expressed a desire for Polish citizenship when he is released.
He has chosen Poland because it is country of the pope," Ozhan said. "Because the pope forgave him and paid close attention to him, we believe that the application will be accepted."
Read the entire story here.
I heard that when he had his famous meeting with the Holy Father, he didn't ask for the forgiveness he got from the pontiff, rather he asked him to placate the "goddess of Fatima" (his misunderstanding of Our Lady) whom he feared he had offended. He was afraid that Our Lady of Fatima would seek vengeance!
In 2005, Agca asked for a day's leave from prison(which was denied) to attend John Paul's funeral since he knew that the Third Secret of Fatima was partially fulfilled by his shooting of the pope. He may be a madman, but he is keenly in tune with the prophecies of Fatima. Perhaps he wants to learn more about the Holy Father, and convert. It's a fascinating story of the power holiness to transform others.
Pray for his conversion.

Chastity speaker Dawn Eden attacked in Ontario

That so called Catholic school students should act so rudely unfortunately doesn't shock me. I'm still surprised that those in charge of this school would have Dawn come to speak(Ontario Right to Life had help bring it about, God bless them, it must have been an uphill battle!). They've obviously been so lax in upholding any type of moral standards, perhaps they thought her talk would make up for that. Too little too late, unfortunatley for Ms. Eden, who has seen tough crowds, but was still shocked by the attitude of the students in these schools.
She rose to the occasion, however. You go girl!
Read the article here.
"Eden noted the general absence of a Catholic religious nature at some of the Ontario Catholic high schools she visited. She learned that in the Catholic schools, being state funded, as many as 25 per cent of the student body are non-Catholics. She was also told that of the Catholic students, "only a minority" attend Mass. "As a vice principal told me, they have a (well deserved) reputation for wearing the shortest skirts."
She also said, however, that despite the well-documented movement in Ontario's public Catholic schools away from the traditional Catholic devotional practices once normal in Catholic schools, some of the students themselves "had a strong devotional sense that was deeply touching," and that "surprised" even the school's staff. Eden's small supply of wooden cross necklaces and prayer cards were snapped up by the students.
She wrote, "The kids hear about sex all day from their peers who are putting forth the idea that everybody's doing it-a message that their schools' staff do not always attempt to dispel." She described as "exhilarating" that the work of "getting the students to see that not everybody was in fact doing it".
HT Lifesite News

New blog "Stuff Catholics Like"

Some of the funniest Catholic writers out there The Curt Jester and Ironic Catholic have joined forces on a new blog, Stuff Catholics Like, which promises to be a lighthearted yet informative view of Catholicism.
Check it out here.

So much for dialogue

From Focus on the Family's Citizen Link
American Psychiatric Association Cancels Forum on Homosexuality and Religion

'Open dialogue' will have to wait until next time.
Under pressure from a homosexual bishop and his friends, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has canceled a May 5 event in Washington, D.C., that promised “balanced discussion” on the origins and treatment of homosexuality.
The pro-homosexual speakers — Bishop Gene Robinson, an openly homosexual Episcopalian in New Hampshire, and Dr. David Scasta, past president of the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists — had sought “common ground and new perspectives” with two conservatives: Dr. Albert Mohler, president of South Baptist Theological Seminary and a member of the Focus on the Family board of directors; and Dr. Warren Throckmorton, associate professor of psychology at Grove City College.
"The APA program committee approved this six months ago," Throckmorton told The Washington Times. "But when gay activists learned about it, they felt my views on homosexuality are conservative and they didn't agree with them. So they threatened to protest."
According to a statement from the APA: "Misinformation and rhetoric surrounding this event had risen to a level that would hinder the kind of open dialogue and interaction that was originally anticipated."

Political Correctness Fails at Papal Youth Rally

The Papal Youth Rally at Dunwoodie had musical acts in the hours which preceded it, MC’ed New York City news anchors, all of whom were raised Catholic. Sadly none of them were comfortable with their Catholicism. Mary Murphy, anchor of the CW11 Ten O’clock News, learned this fact rather painfully when she cheerily asked the crowd, “Who are you for, Clinton or Obama?” This evoked loud BOOOing from the crowd, and Murphy, obviously shaken, attempted a rebuke, “You don’t want to mix religion and politics, do you?” to which the crowd responded as one, “YES WE DO!!” Desperate to reclaim the high ground, Murphy pulled out the PC trump card, “I mean, you believe in the separation of Church and State, don’t you?” “NOOOOOO!” shouted the crowd.
A man beside me quipped, “She should stick around for the Holy Father’s address, she might learn something!”
Indeed, in his talk, the Holy Father described what happens when religion is banished from the public square.
“My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew - infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion - before it was fully recognized for the monster it was. It banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good.”
And in his homily at Yankee Stadium, Pope Benedict reviewed the history of Catholicism’s influence in American public life,

“In this land of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to practice their faith, but also to participate fully in civic life, bringing their deepest moral convictions to the public square and cooperating with their neighbors in shaping a vibrant, democratic society.”

The Holy Father explained how faith must be incorporated into contemporary life:
“Praying fervently for the coming of the Kingdom also means being constantly alert for the signs of its presence, and working for its growth in every sector of society. It means facing the challenges of present and future with confidence in Christ’s victory and a commitment to extending his reign. It means not losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal. It means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness. It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, “there is no human activity – even in secular affairs – which can be withdrawn from God’s dominion” (Lumen Gentium, 36).(Emphasis mine) It means working to enrich American society and culture with the beauty and truth of the Gospel, and never losing sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which inspire our lives.”
I hope that Mary Murphy was listening, and is able to bring her Catholic faith to work as anchor of Channel 11 news, as the rest of the faithful strive to incorporate their faith without shame to their roles in contemporary society, bringing hope to American society.

Trouble for Planned Parenthood in Kansas

By some miracle, perhaps the answer to prayer, the records once sealed by the corrupt Attorney General of Kansas, are going to be unsealed, and deeds done in the dark will see the light of day. Well done, Phil Kline, warrior for justice!

In what is being called a "huge victory for the rule of law", this morning the Kansas Supreme Court unsealed a secret lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood against District Attorney Phill Kline. Planned Parenthood was seeking to have the Court order Kline to return abortion records that are critical evidence in Kline's prosecution of 107 criminal charges against the abortion giant.
Instead, the Court rejected a letter from former Attorney General Paul Morrison "exonerating" Planned Parenthood, indicating that the records showed no criminal conduct by Planned Parenthood. Morrison then engaged in acts meant to force the evidence from Kline's possession in order to cover up criminal activity on the part of Planned Parenthood, who had supported his election campaign.
"Every judge that has reviewed the evidence has ruled that there is probable cause to believe that crimes have been committed by Planned Parenthood," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

Christen, we do this in memory of what you suffered.
HT Life Site News