Mother Clare speaks about Apostolic Visitation of Sisters

Click here to see her video report on Stage One of the Visitation.

Pro-life youth conference on Long Island

Youth and the Future of the Pro-Life Movement
Panel 1 (9:35-10:35 AM)
Speakers:
1. Jack Anderson, Chaminade HS: “Pro-Life Commitment to the Disabled”
2. Alfred Guzman, Chaminade HS: “Euthanasia,”
3. Liam Ray, Chaminade HS, “Anti-Death Penalty”
4. Nicholas D'Alessandro, Molloy College: “Abortion: Not Constitutionally Protected”
5. Kevin Cirronella & Michael Corcoran, Kellenberg MHS: “United Nations and the Culture of Death.”

Panel 2 (11:10-12:00 PM)
Speakers:
1. Keisha Thomas, NCC: “The Eugenic Racism of Margaret Sanger”
2. Tolitha Henry, Roosevelt HS: “Planned Parenthood”
3. Diana Dowling & Emmett Collins, Kellenberg MHS: “Media Bias and the Pro-Life Movement”
4. Cristina Battista, Sacred Heart Academy: “Conscience Clauses”
5. Clare Hinshaw, Franciscan University: “How Women Are Hurt by Abortion”


Panel 3 (1:15-2:15 PM)
Speakers:
1. Dillon Connolly, Chaminade HS: “Stem Cell Issues”
2. Hayley Bifulco, West Hempstead HS: “We Can Make a Difference Charismatic Episcopalian Youth Pro-life Activities”
3. Justin Bethany, St. Anthony’s HS: “Power of One Bryan Kemper, Stand True Ministries and Rock for Life”
4. Darielle Bertossi, Molloy College: “Abortion - Using the Hub of Moral Reality”
5. Thomas Varacalli, Belmont Abbey College: “The Family as the Last Line of Defense for the Pro-Life Cause”

Panel 4 (2:45-3:45 PM)

Speakers:
1. Peter Sammarco, Cathedral Preparatory School: “The Right to Privacy”
2. Catherine Donohoe, The Mary Lewis Academy: “Why Americans Need A Human Life Amendment”
3. Mary Therese Rooney, Archbishop Molloy High School: “A Time For Unity”
4. Margaret Rooney, Archbishop Molloy High School: “Some Parallels Between Slavery and Abortion”
5. Ruqayyah Batts, Bishop Kearney High School: “A True Life Story—Haniyah”



Jane Gilroy, PhD, President
Long Island Chapter University Faculty for Life
jgilroy@molloy.edu
janehg1@verizon.net
(516) 379-5409

Maine diocese under attack

from Focus on the Family Citizen Link
A national gay-activist group is accusing the Diocese of Maine of violating Internal Revenue Service rules by collecting signatures to place a marriage-protection amendment on the ballot.
The Empowering Spirits Foundation filed a similar complaint last year against a California church that supported that state's marriage amendment.
“That complaint was similarly frivolous," said Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. "The IRS has done nothing against them. Under IRS regulations, churches have the right to take a position and to advocate in support of a public referendum on traditional marriage.”
A "people's veto" is in the works in Maine after the Legislature legalized same-sex "marriage" this month. It allows voters to place an issue on the ballot.
Mike Heath, executive director of the Maine Family Policy Council, said gay activists "are interested in controlling people’s speech and going beyond that to control what they believe. Folks in other parts of the country need to understand this soon will land on their doorstep.”
— Roger Greer
Read the National Catholic Register blog on this issue.

New ambassador to the Holy See

Professor Miguel Diaz, a theologian from St. John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict in Collegeville, Minnesota, claims he is committed to the Church's teaching on life issues. Yet he worked on Obama's Catholic Advisory Committee to help him hookwink 54% of Catholics into voting for the most pro-death politician in history.

'Díaz is a member of the speaker’s bureau of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a pro-Obama organization that was criticized last fall by some Church leaders including Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver.
In a speech responding to arguments put forward by pro-Obama Catholic law professor Doug Kmiec, Archbishop Chaput said Kmiec’s “activism for Senator Obama, and the work of Democratic-friendly groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, have done a disservice to the Church, confused the natural priorities of Catholic social teaching, undermined the progress pro-lifers have made, and provided an excuse for some Catholics to abandon the abortion issue instead of fighting within their parties and at the ballot box to protect the unborn.'”

I hope the Vatican rejects him as they rejected the other losers Obama attempted to appoint as Vatican ambassadors. He is already being questioned about his suitablity for the post. In truth, none of Obama's supporters are qualified. He should have figured that out by now, but there are ambiguous messages out there, thanks to Fr Jenkins.

You can stroll into Notre Dame, Obama, but you'd better watch your step with the Vatican!

Read the post at the National Catholic Register blog.

Ave Maria!

There will be a live broadcast on May 31st, Pentecost Sunday of the conference, Am I not Your Mother? on Marian Co-redemption with an all-star cast of several well known speakers featured on EWTN and more, all from the beautiful new Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, WI. The broadcast will start at 8:00am Eastern Time and run continuously until 5:30 right here at AirMaria. Come join us!Also, if you are in the La Crosse area, seating is still available.

Please help by getting the word out by email, posting to your blog, and perhaps making a donation to help defray AirMaria's costs!

News to Obama: Americans are prolife

(click on image below to enlarge) (My comments are in red in parentheses.)

Here is some excellent analysis of recent polls which show that Americans are increasingly pro-life from Operation Rescue.
Recent polling data shows a shift in abortion views that could soon dramatically impact Obama's radical abortion agenda
Five polls taken in May have illustrated several important aspects of the unprecedented public opinion shift toward the pro-life position that could have an impact on the current Supreme Court nomination and the mid-term elections in 2010.
In general, the polls show a major change in the way American view abortion and show that the Obama Administration is increasingly out of step with the growing pro-life majority.
A Gallup Poll taken on May 7-10 shows that 51% of Americans describe themselves as pro-life compared to only 42% that say they are pro-choice. While pro-life sentiment has been steadily increasing over time, it received a remarkable boost since Obama was elected last November. This is the first time that the pro-life position has been in the majority.
A Rasmussen Report released on May 5 showed that an overwhelming 58% of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong most of the time, compared with 25% that did not think abortion was morally wrong. Over half, 52%, think that abortions are too easy to get while only 13% think otherwise.
An earlier Pew Poll, taken from March 31 through April 21, indicated that 46% of Americans think abortion should be legal in most cases or all cases and 44% of Americans think that abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, figures that are within the margin of error, indicating a virtual dead heat. This is a stunning 10% change from just last August when 54% of Americans said that abortion should be legal in most cases.
A Fox News Poll taken May 12-13 shows that 49% of Americans say they are pro-life while just 43% say they are "pro-choice." The Fox Poll evaluated the abortion views of political parties, showing that 69% of Republicans are pro-life while only 27% of Republicans identify themselves as "pro-choice. The Democratic Party is mostly pro-abortion, with 57% saying they support abortion while 34% say they are pro-life.
OBAMA OUT OF STEP
Perhaps the most revealing is the poll taken at the request of Americans United for Life. It showed that 55% of Americans took a pro-life position on abortion while only 41% took what could be considered as "pro-choice" positions.
The AUL Poll when on to show that only 8% agree with 2nd trimester abortions and only 7% agree with 3rd trimester abortions. These unpopular late-term abortions are supported by Obama and his Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. (which is why we vehemently opposed her here)
That means that only 7% of the people - the most hard core radical fringe of the abortion movement - agree with Obama and his administration on abortion.
For the pro-life side, 26% agree with the staunchest of pro-life positions. Ten percent agree that all abortions should be banned and 16% agreed that abortion should only be to save the life of the mother.
However, for the pro-abortionists only 15% support their most radical positions.
"This data is convincing evidence that the pro-life movement is doing more than converting the 'mushy middle.' The hard-core believers in abortion are dwindling, too," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Debates of Obama's abortion policies in the public forum and controversies surrounding those debates have helped make the American people more aware of Obama's radical abortion views."
Obama's removal of the Mexico City policy and the releasing federal tax money for unethical live human embryonic experimentation sparked public debate. Outcry against Obama's nomination of radical abortion supporter Kathleen Sebelius to the HHS post burgeoned when her connections to late-term abortionist George Tiller became public. The protests over Obama's invitation to Notre Dame kept his radical abortion agenda in the spotlight. All of these controversies have served to showcase Obama's extremism on abortion.
"When abortion is debated, we win, and the polls are reflecting that," said Newman. "With those growing numbers should come additional strength to change the policies in our nation that prop up a failing and increasingly detested abortion industry."
SUPREME COURT TEST
That new-found strength will be tested with the appointment of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court, who has a history of judicial activism and believes that social policy is set by the courts.
A recent poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly oppose an activist judge with a pro-abortion agenda.
The Polling Company conducted its poll on May 17-18 and found that:
· 82% of American do not want a justice that would support late-term or partial-birth abortions.(yet they have a President that does support them) 75% do not want a justice that supports the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).· 71% would not support a justice that favored tax-payer funding of abortions.· 70% would oppose a justice who "believes that the courts, and not the voters or elected officials, should make policies on abortion in the United States." (Sotomayor's position)· 69% are against having a justice that opposes the enforcement of parental consent or parental notifications laws before minors obtain abortions.
"With Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Obama is disregarding the concerns of at least 70% of Americans by appointing a justice who believes that it is appropriate for courts to create social policy," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Whether this nomination is confirmed or not, the additional debate over Sotomayor's views on abortion and judicial activism, the likes of which got us Roe v. Wade in the first place, will only benefit the pro-life cause and strengthen the resolve of the growing pro-life majority."
WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS
While more could be said about the recent poll numbers, the data makes three encouraging points. First, the pro-life movement has been successful at changing the hearts and minds of the American people. We, as a nation, have begun to understand that abortion is morally wrong and has harmful consequences to individuals and to society. As abortion continues to be discussed in the public forum, we expect to see even greater numbers moving into the pro-life camp.
Secondly, the polls show that the Obama administration is grossly out of touch and out of step with the American people on the most critical moral issue of our time. His policies and appointments only underscore his stiff-necked unwillingness to listen to the America people on the matter of abortion. Americans may very well express their displeasure with this attitude next year in the voting booth.
Finally, the new polling data proves that the pro-life position, which is now the majority position, has intrinsic power that has not yet been fully applied on the political field. Public sentiment is ahead of public policy.
"Right now there seems to be a disconnection between Obama's personal popularity and support for his actual abortion policies. Most people like Obama as a man, but need to be more informed about his policies, which they increasingly oppose," (that's what blogs are for!) said Newman. "We will continue working to raise the consciousness of the American people to the plight of the pre-born. Hearts and minds are being changed like never before, and if the electorate is informed, public policy is sure to follow."
"Since Obama's election, we have seen a resurgence in interest in pro-life activism. The grassroots response to the Sebelius nomination and Notre Dame scandal was impressive. A recent pro-life rally in San Diego hosted by several 'mega-church' pastors that have had limited to no involvement in the past is another great example of how pro-lifers, especially Christians, are starting to stir.
"Once the American people realize that Obama is thumbing his nose at them and their concerns about abortion, it could awaken the sleeping giant of pro-life conservatives that have refrained from activism in the past. If that happens, it would have the effect of changing abortion policy almost overnight. The mid-term election cycle in 2010 will show if the pro-life majority is willing to flex their newly-found muscle at the ballot box. We predict that they will."

Billionaires meet to decide the future of humanity

What do Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Mayor Bloomberg, Ted Turner, George Soros and Oprah Winfrey have in common?
Money. Lots of money.
Power, insane power, some of it hidden.
A messiah complex. They want to save the Third World.
I am not judging their intentions, I know how the misery of the poor affects me, I pray for them every night, and do my share to help my in-law in El Salvador escape poverty. I DO fault them for two things; they see the Church as an obstacle. No other institution has done more for the poor in the entire history of the world than the Catholic Church. This explains the second reason I am opposed to this powerful group who met in Manhattan on May 5 in a top secret meeting; they see abortion and birth control as the answer to the problems of the poor. They are ignorant of the way the poor view children; as their greatest treasure. Why not give them medecine, schools and micro loans to help them escape the miserable conditions in which they live?
Give the poor of the Third World the dignity to decide how they will be helped.
"Taking their cue from Gates," reports the Sunday Times, "they agreed that overpopulation was a priority." However, this could rattle "some Third World politicians" who are old-fashioned enough to think that "contraception and female education weaken traditional values".
Is it only Third World politicians who think that contraception weakens traditional values? How about the rest of us?
Isn’t fertility a personal decision? (not in China it isn't!)As population expert Steven Mosher asks, "What happens when governments, often in response to pressure from abroad, attempt to directly regulate the fertility of their people? Both humans rights and primary health care, it turns out, tend to suffer setbacks. Urging governments to interfere in the intimate decisions of couples concerning childbearing does not encourage limited government and the rule of law, but their opposite, an intrusive bureaucracy and human rights abuses. Nor does concentrating scarce health care resources on fertility reduction programs lead to improvements in the general state of health of a population."
As Mosher argues in his important book, Population Control: Real Costs, Illusory Benefits,, "For over half century, the population controllers have perpetrated a gigantic, costly and inhumane fraud upon the human race, defrauding the people of the developing world of their progeny and the people of the developed world of their pocketbooks."
Of course fat cat elites will suffer nothing from such programs, just the poor and voiceless. But never mind, it is for the good of humanity. "

As Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze says, "When extra guest arrive for dinner, we don't shoot them, we simply cook more rice."




Read the entire story on MercatorNet.

Bill Donohue on Sonia Sotomayor

Catholic League president Bill Donohue reacts to President Obama’s choice of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court:

When John Roberts was nominated to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, left-wingers accused President Bush of “Playing the Catholic card.” When Samuel Alito was selected by Bush, these same critics sounded the alarms over the prospect of a “majority” of the Supreme Court justices being Catholic. One would think that the selection of yet another Catholic to sit on the high court would drive these folks right over the edge. But for some reason, Sotomayor’s Catholic credentials don’t seem to matter. Is that because she is seen as reliably liberal?

Let’s face it: left-wingers would gladly accept nine Supreme Court Catholics if they were reliably liberal before they would ever accept a diverse court that was reliably conservative. Ancestry, anatomy and religious affiliation have always been oversold: what trumps everything is ideology.

At this stage, at least, the Catholic League takes no position on the merits of Sonia Sotomayor to be on the Supreme Court.

On a personal note, I must say that having spent four years in the 1970s teaching in a Catholic elementary school in Spanish Harlem, I loved working with the Puerto Rican people. Indeed, I feel some of the pride that Puerto Ricans rightly feel today. Good for them—this is their special day.

Catholics old and new

I may have expressed hesitation at the news of Newt Gingrich's conversion to Catholicism. But what I have read here is encouraging. According to recent comments made by Newt about his conversion, it seems that the ancient origins of the Church and the rich liturgical tradition were what attracted him to the Faith. But they attractted Dan Brown too, and made a fascinating backdrop to his anti-Catholic novels. What makes Newt different? He was impressed by a modern example of our ancient faith. Pope Benedict XVI.
"The moment that finally convinced me [to convert] was when Benedict XVI came here [to the United States] and Callista in the church choir sang for him at the vespers service and all the bishops in the country were there. As a spouse, I got to sit in the upper church and I very briefly saw [Benedict] and I was just struck with how happy he was and how fundamentally different he was from the news media's portrait of him. This guy's not a Rottweiler. He's a very loving, engaged, happy person."
Contrast this with the shallow faith of Chris Matthews, a lifelong Catholic, who compares himself with St Francis of Assisi because he likes to watch deer. "I'm one of those people who just stands there, like St. Francis. I just want to stand there and look at the animals "
," he says, referring to the patron saint of animals. "I love them."
Every time there is a papal visit to America, Matthews injects his opinion into the discussion about how the Holy Father show lower the moral standards of the Church, accepting abortion, contraception, gay marriage, etc. He can't get it through his head that his opinion may influence national elections, but the Church has a higher authority to answer to than some pundit on a dying cable news outlet. Just be quiet and enjoy the wisdom of an ancient Faith founded by Christ himself.
Newt could teach him a thing or two about the Faith.


Read more at US News and World Report.

Obama's pick for SCOTUS

Reportedly Sonia Sotomayor voted pro-life once. Yet there are two reasons to be suspicious about her possible role in the Supreme Court; one, she was selected by Obama, and two she has received the support of pro-abortion groups. Since Obama cites the importance of empathy, and has chosed a Hispanic woman who rose out of the projects in the South Bronx, I suspect he is setting us up for a major abortion decision by Sotomayor, in which she cites, not legal precedent or the Consitution, but her biography, as the reason for 'understanding poor minority women who need abortion'. He figures that Republicans won't dare voice opposition to her appointment because of her compelling history, regardless of her biased views.
When will people understand that the LAST thing poor minority women need is abortion!!!!
They need hard-working, faithful spouses!!
They need education and self respect!
They need Jesus!
HT Life News

The will of the people is upheld in California

" The California Supreme Court has rejected all constitutional challenges to Proposition 8, the voter-approved constitutional amendment to the state constitution that upholds the definition of marriage as the union between a man and a woman. However the high court's ruling preserves intact the marriage licenses issued to 18,000 homosexuals by the state of California before November 5, 2008.
The justices voted 6-1 to uphold the amendment, which effectively bans same-sex "marriage," reversing a course that began last year in May, when the justices had voted 4-3 to throw out a California voter referendum passed in 2000. The referendum had passed by a hefty 61 percent to 32 percent majority. "
This blows my mind: Connecticut once considered stuffy conservative New England, now looks like a liberal looney bin compared to California, whose Supreme Court has just upheld the will of the people, to amend their Constitution to protect traditional marriage.
Unbelievable, but what it comes down to is this; California's Constitution allows for a referendum to amend the state's consitution, while Connecticut's does not. We have a Consitutional Convention.
Conservatives here, led by the Family Institute of Connecticut, supported a Constitutional Convention in the ballet last November, but the gay agenda managed to outspend us 10 to 1 and confuse the public with expensive TV spots, many of whom thought they should not allow a Convention, when it was our last hope of overturning our own Supreme Court's decision to allow gay marriage.
So New England is falling to the gay agenda state by state, while California returns to tradition.
I'm grateful for that, but will continue fighting here to make this state family friendly again.
Read the entire story on Life Site News.

Pope Benedict Celebrates World Communications Day with outreach to youth via Facebook

I received a message from Fr Paolo Padrini asking me to share Pope2 You. Since I attended the Papal Youth Rally last April, and watched the magic of the Holy Father's interaction with youth in person, I have longed for a way to recapture the magic of their special bond. Pope2You is a vehicle for the Holy Father to keep in touch with the youth of the Church between World Youth Days and other youth gatherings.
The new media of Facebook, the iPhone, YouTube and Wikipedia are increasingly becoming the new forum where the Catholic Church dialogues with the world. As Pope Benedict XVI noted in his message for the 43rd annual World Communications Day, the Internet is a place where young people need to develop true friendships which spring from an encounter with the Risen Christ. With this awareness and the courage to enter into the world of social networks, the project Pope2You was started with the idea of helping these networks become authentic places of friendship and true dialogue.
Pope2You was created in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications as an experiment in providing a new forum and channel of communication using the latest platforms. The Pope2You website provides a new way for Pope Benedict XVI to reach out to young people around the world. The site can be viewed in five languages and allows young people to learn more about the Church and Benedict XVI through his own writings, starting with the message for the 43rd World Communications Day. While the site aims to generate the interest of young people, it is also meant for people of all ages. It features news on the Catholic Church and details on the pastoral activities of Benedict XVI incorporating content from the Vatican’s YouTube channel. At the same time, a new application for the iPhone and iPod Touch has been created by the Catholic news agency H2Onews, with plans to add other mobile platforms later.
Pope2You also provides a gateway to a parallel world in Facebook with an application where you can create and send to your friends virtual postcards with the Pope’s own words, greetings and excerpts of his writings staring with this year’s World Communications Day message. Also, with the help of the Media Office of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, a special area has been created along the lines of a WIKI with suggestions on how to put into pastoral practice the Pope’s 2009 Message. These new applications highlight the latest example of the Church reaching out in new ways in the world of social networks – a forum where the Church can meet new people, make new friends, dialogue and offer solidarity.

New blog about Pope Benedict

The Vatican has had the most visited website in Catholicism for years. But someone who lovesthe Holy Father wants to make Catholicism more accessible, so now there's a Pope Benedict XVI on blogspot

Only 12 days left to comment on Embryonic Stem Cells

Don't complain about embryonic stem cell destruction if you haven't taken time to comment to NIH using the directions in the Life Site article here.
Remeber the score card:
Adult Stem Cells cured 73 diseases. Embryonic stem cells have cured NONE. O Nada. Zilch.
Dr James Sherley who was forced to leave MIT for refusing to use embryonic stem cells said that Europeans understand that they are useless, he suspects American scientists do too, and are only saying they will use them to obtain grant funds. Then they'll be cloning with the grants.

Fr Corpai on Catholics and Memorial Day

As I write this I am in between two events: the first I just returned from; the controversial commencement exercises at the University of Notre Dame. The other one is Memorial Day. I have no trouble whatever immediately linking the two.
The University of Notre Dame and many other Catholic institutions in the United States contributed very significantly to making the United States of America the great nation that it once was, and could be again. These Catholic colleges, universities, high schools, and grammar schools formed generations of good Americans. They had a lot to do with the formation of the moral character of this nation, and through this nation much of the civilized world.
When freedom, truth, and goodness had to be defended against the Godless likes of Hitler and Stalin the United States, like other solid Christian countries, did more than their part. The reason they could do it had much to do with the moral and religious backbone of the individuals who were called upon to serve. We had learned from our priests and bishops, our good parents and grandparents, that principle was more important than prestige and morality far more essential than popularity.
Think back to what the moral fiber of this country was like in the 1950s, if you are old enough to remember. Recall that this was a free country then, but atrocities and outrages like pornography and abortion would have gotten you a stiff prison sentence rather than applause and general acceptance. The problem is that we've confused freedom and license, called promiscuity love, and frequently exchanged the truth of God for a lie.
In my hometown of Hudson, New York St. Mary's Catholic Church has a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Victory. It was, I believe, put in sometime around or after World War II. The wall that faces you when you enter the chapel is covered with small brass plates. On each plate is the name of a person that served his or her country during World War II. Some of the names, not a small number, have a star next to them indicating that the person was killed in action.
The Catholic Church has had a lot to do with the making of great nations by forming the great people that make for great nations. In more recent times I'm afraid we have frequently contributed to the weakening of great nations by the impoverished nature of the witness we have given. The Church herself is not confused, nor is her teaching ambiguous or weak. However, many leaders in the Church are confused and terribly weak in failing to give bold and uncompromising witness to authentic Catholic teaching. This has done incalculable damage to the Church, diluting Catholic identity, confusing the faithful, and compromising our ability to teach truth.
I'm afraid this Memorial Day I'm going to have to mourn more than the faithful ones who gave the supreme witness of their lives for our country. I won't be able to help mourning the very substantial loss of Catholic witness and strength in our country and the world, and the terrible danger to freedom that this entails.
Then again, we know the last chapter of the Book: We win!
Better days are coming.
God bless you,
Fr. John Corapi

Chris Lozano, retired Marine, and Catholic father of seven, has some stirring and important comments about his service to our country this Memorial Day on his blog A Marine Story:"Today, terrorists are trying to bring about an end to the United States as we know it. The real threat is not through direct military action, but from fear and steady erosion of our civil liberties. They will use our own strength—our freedom—to bring us down. Through fear, they will slowly bring about economic and social instability so great that the United States could collapse or be so altered, that it will no longer resemble the republic we know."

Don't you wish that Obama had Chris as his military advisor?

The Pope has a Facebook Application

In honor of World Communications Day, May 24 the Holy Father has blessed Facebook with his presence. No more calling it evil, join him in his efforts to bring the Good News to the world.
Click here for more information.

Bill Donohue and the Battle for the soul of New Hampshire

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch said he would not sign a recent bill ordering same-sex marriage unless it strengthened religious liberty provisions. Led by advocates of gay marriage, the vote yesterday was 188-186 against amending the bill to insure religious liberty protections.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed what happened:

Leading the fight for gay marriage in New Hampshire is Rep. Steve Vaillancourt. He proves, beyond any shadow of a doubt, why champions of religious liberty must resist gay marriage: he worked to kill the bill because it insulated religious institutions from its reach.
In other words, it was not good enough for Vaillancourt to secure a win on gay marriage—he had to have it all. And having it all means denying the right of religious institutions not to sanction homosexual marriage. Indeed, he said the religious liberty amendment would “enshrine homophobia into the statutes of the New Hampshire legislature.”

So this is what we’ve come to in America: religious objections to homosexuality, rooted in the Bible, natural law and the teachings of most religions, is nothing more than a pernicious phobia. Not too long ago, such objections simply constituted common sense. Looks like we need a college course, “Common Sense 101.” The problem is, only the students would be capable of teaching it.

Radical gays, and their straight allies, have gotten so bold that they are prepared to assault First Amendment religious-liberty rights. Two years ago, a lesbian couple in New Jersey sought to have their civil union ceremony in a hall owned by a Methodist church, but was denied on religious grounds. The government sided with the lesbians: the Methodist establishment had its property tax exemption pulled.

We hope Gov. Lynch sticks to his guns.
In CT we got the escape clause for religious institutions but fear it will not hold up under pressure. This situation is dire, and is coming your way.

Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven

Pope Benedict ask us to use the media to evangelize

While preparing for World Media Day, May 24, the Holy Father had this to say,

"Employ these new technologies to make the Gospel known, so that the Good News of God’s infinite love for all people, will resound in new ways across our increasingly technological world!"

Meanwhile, at the Vatican, the head of L'Osservatore Romano says Obama is not pro-abortion.
“What I want to stress is that yesterday, on this precise and very delicate issue, the President said that the approval of the new law on abortion is not a priority of his administration. The fact that he said that is very reassuring to me. It also underlines my own clear belief: Obama is not a pro-abortion president,”
An editor in chief of the Vatican Newspaper can't be so ignorant of Obama's record in the first 100 days, or is he just an ideologue?
Either way, let's hope he's looking for work shortly.



HT CNA

Raymond Arroyo defends Catholic position on CNN

The Heroes of Notre Dame this weekend

Norma McCorvey, Fr Norman Weslin, and Joan Andrews Bell are in the front row.

We were with you in prayer.

Baby tells Obama a thing or two!

Don't trouble yourself by watching the entire speech, just the beginning where Obama mentions why someone who is prolife might have a problem voting for him.
Just then a baby cries.
The timing was divine!
HT Spirit Daily

Obamanation at Notre Dame:Reaction Roundup

"President Obama went to Notre Dame. The abortion apologists in the church, in the media, in the universities think they have won. But God is not mocked. Perhaps the prayers of the millions who objected will bring about conversion. But it is sad to think that this otherwise intelligent man does not know, does not care or even worse knows and does not care about the lives of these unborn children. Perhaps he should listen to his own words."
Read John Jacubczyk's full post here.

"Barack Hussein Obama, the Great Deceiver, knows that the Catholic Church is profoundly divided. Since the Land of Lakes Decision, the University of Notre Dame has been in the epicenter of the great divide. The Great Deceiver knows this and used the platform that they handed to him in order to confuse millions with the great lie: let's all just get along.
Father forgive them, because they do know exactly what they are doing."
Fr Farfalia writes about Notre Dame here.

" In order to secure the political advantage Obama had gained among Catholic voters last November, the president of the United States decided that he would define what it means to be a real Catholic in 21st-century America — not the bishop of Fort Wayne–South Bend, who in sorrow declined to attend Notre Dame’s commencement; not the 80-some bishops who publicly criticized Notre Dame’s decision to invite the president to receive an honorary degree; not the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which explicitly and unambiguously instructed Catholic institutions not to do what Notre Dame did. He, President Obama, would settle the decades-long intra-Catholic culture war in favor of one faction — the faction that had supported his candidacy and that had spent the first months of his administration defending his policies."
George Weigel's take on National Review Online.
HT Prolife Blogs

"Angels and Demons" review

Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), professor of symbology at Harvard University was swimming his customary laps in the University pool, when he emerges from the pool face to face with a bleary-eyed stranger Claudio Vincenzi (David Pasquesi) carrying what he immediately recognizes as a Vatican briefcase. Now why would the Vatican want to run after Langdon, who, according to the film “The Da Vinci Code” uncovered the greatest hoax of all time; the fact that Jesus Christ had a child with Mary Magdalene? Because they are desperate, and even though they have repeatedly denied him access to the Vatican Archives, this time the Vatican security is seeking his expertise in an emergency, which is above their capacity. This improbable opening scene immediately weakens the credibility of the plot of the film. In the novel, Langdon is summoned by scientists to CERN a huge laboratory complex in Geneva, to solve a murder of a priest-scientist, with the word “Illuminati” branded on his chest. Landon has written a book about this secret society of artists and scientists formed by Galileo in response to persecution by the Church. It seems that the ancient Illuminati have re-emerged for revenge, stealing anti-matter, a highly combustible secret discovery. Landon finds himself swept along with CERN physicist Vittoria Veetra (Ayelet Zuhrer) to Rome; to solve the Illuminati plot. It seems that, after the Pope’s death, the Illuminati are poised to strike at a leaderless Church to deal Rome a mortal blow. In the headquarters of the Swiss Guard, the Vatican Security Police, Langdon meets scientist Vittoria Veetra partner of the slain CERN scientist who is there to diffuse the ticking time bomb of undetectable, highly explosive anti-matter, before it is detonated at midnight. Langdon and Veetra’s missions merge as they discover that the Illuminati are behind both the threat to murder four cardinals in four different Churches in Rome, and the threat to release the power of the antimatter to incinerate the entire Vatican in an explosion of light.

The strange opening scene; Vatican comes to non-believing scientist for assistance, serves two ends; sparing the audience the painstakingly slow scenes in CERN, and lionizing Professor Langdon as a forgiving soul who overlooks the anti-knowledge bent of the Vatican by impetuously agreeing to save the Church. The cardinals are not portrayed as enemies; they are merely simple decrepit old men who cling to traditions for their own sake. The head of the Swiss Guard Commander Richter (Stellan Skarsgard) is a bull of a man with an instant distrust of Langdon and Veetra. Nowhere is there a profound display of religious belief, until we meet the young Irish Camerlengo Fr. Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor), who was raised by the deceased pope, and bears the responsibility of holding the reigns of power until a new pontiff is elected. His calmness under pressure makes him a natural leader, despite his youth, but his authority is challenged by Cardinal Strauss (Armin Mueller-Stahl) Head of the College of Cardinals, and the Commander Richter. Fr Patrick overrides their objections and allows Langdon and Veetra access to the Vatican Archives to research Galileo’s files. Langdon’s current book involves the Church’s persecution of Galileo, and his founding of the Illuminati. It is in his pamphlet that clues to the first of four churches where the cardinals will be murdered within an hour are to be found. Galileo spread this pamphlet throughout Europe to invite scientists and artists to his secret meeting place within Rome itself. Will the team of intellectual unbelievers be able to lead the Catholic law enforcement team to the murder sites in time to save the Preferitti, or the four cardinals most favored to be elected pope?
Stunning visuals of Roman art and architecture are mixed seamlessly with remarkable computer generated scenes inside the Vatican (no commercial films are permitted in the interior of Rome’s churches) The score by Hans Zimmer ranges from traditional Gregorian chant to stirring modern choral crescendos, which add eternal significance to the film’s National Treasure style action. Director Ron Howard was right about one thing; this film portrays the Catholic Churches of Rome and the ancient splendor of the ceremony of the conclave with power and majesty, all built upon the bones of St Peter himself. Yet it is an empty grandeur, resting its foot on the neck of true knowledge, and without belief in Jesus Christ. In fact, Christ’s name is conspicuously absent in the film.
Ron Howard’s direction and the beauty of Roman churches may take the edge off Dan Brown’s cheap shots at the Church; however, some of them manage to puncture what could be a seamlessly spellbinding film with the adolescent vulgarity of spitballs in church. How is it essential to the plot for Langdon to mention a Pope Pius who allegedly ‘castrated’ statues to make them more modest? Bill Donohue said in his review, “Pope Pius IX is said to have bludgeoned the genitalia of male statues, a complete fabrication. In reality Pius IX lavishly funded the arts.” Then there is the Church’s alleged mistreatment of artists Rafael and Bernini whose genius decorate much of the Vatican, who Brown claims, became Illuminati, will rankle Catholic filmgoers. One does not have to be a Renaissance historian to recognize an illogical premise.
Further plot twists confirm the film’s erroneous position that the Church has always been anti-science, including a completely erroneous clash between ‘promoters of compassion and life’ and Catholics who oppose stem cells which takes place in front of St Peter’s Square. The Catholic protestors carry signs saying, “Stem cell research is murder,” a misstatement of Church position. The Church promotes adult stem cell research, which is responsible for 73 cures, while opposing embryonic research, which has produced nothing but cancer. MIT geneticist Dr James Sherley said that Europeans no longer consider embryonic research worthwhile, which further reduces the plausibility of a such a clash of protesters at the Vatican.
This is why Catholic criticize “Angels’ and Demons”: they sense an agenda behind an adventure film, their Church singled out again by Dan Brown who plays fast and loose with history to turn a profit. Thus, Dr Donohue requested a disclaimer at the start of the film stating that the film is fictional. There was such a disclaimer, way at the extreme end of the credits. I read it while the ushers were sweeping up the popcorn.
One artistic flaw of the film was casting Tom Hanks, as Professor Landon, the stuffed shirt who lectures Vittoria Veetra relentlessly while peering timidly into moldy tombs and awkwardly chasing gun-toting murderers a la Indiana Jones. Sorry, but Hanks lacks Harrison Fords’ masculine gusto. Indy was never more at home than when facing overwhelming odds in a dusty tomb, Langdon just looks and sounds ridiculous.
If you want a scenic, thrilling adventure film with less historical accuracy than the Indiana Jones and National Treasure films, and can stomach the cheap shots at Catholicism, “Angels and Demons” is worth a view. It contains graphic torture, murder, and morbid corpse views, gunfights and frightening explosions. No sexual content beyond Victoria’s low necklines and the reference to castration of statues. Occasional swearing in various languages. This picture is for adults only.
For further discussion of the misrepresentation of facts about the Catholic Church, see my comments "Just the Facts, Please" on Catholic Online.

Conscience Rights for Healthcare Workers?

OBAMA PIVOTS ON CONSCIENCE RIGHTS

In his address to the 2009 graduating class at the University of Notre Dame, President Barack Obama said yesterday that he supports conscience rights for healthcare workers. “Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion,” he said, “and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue applauded the president:

Last August, the Bush administration strengthened the conscience rights of healthcare workers in a new set of guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). But in March the Obama administration said it was going to rescind these rights. It specifically said, “The Department [HHS] is proposing to rescind in its entirety the final rule.”

Thus far, no final decision has been made. But given what President Obama said yesterday, it seems clear that he is now prepared to rescind the decision that was made rescinding conscience rights. For this he should be commended. We look forward to reading the revised proposal.
I hope Obama's word on this can be trusted. Bill Donohue is giving him the benefit of the doubt.
We'll be watching and reporting here; if this is an empy promise, you'll read it here.

Fr Frank Pavone led the protest prayer at Notre Dame Graduation

My Day at Notre Dame
Fr. Frank PavoneNational Director, Priests for Life
There was an eerie stillness and silence across the Notre Dame campus as my colleagues, a few of the seniors and I walked across the campus very early on the morning of Commencement Day. It was the calm before the storm of what we knew was an historic day.
I started with a national Foxnews interview along with Fr. Richard McBrien. We were asked our views of the Commencement. My message was: Everyone can imagine people they would protest speaking at a commencement: an avowed racist, anti-Semite, or advocate of terrorism. So the failure to object to one who is unwilling to call for an end to abortion is the failure to see that abortion is as bad or worse than those other evils. We have to stop trivializing abortion.
Moreover, the university gave the President an honorary law degree. Law exists to protect human rights; but this president has admitted that he doesn't know when a child receives human rights. How can he defend human rights when he doesn't know who has them?
After speaking to various media, I greeted people on campus who were coming from all over the country to stand with the courageous students who boycotted their own commencement and invited me to lead them in an alternate ceremony.
After I greeted and blessed the demonstrators who were at the campus entrance, and concelebrated a special Mass for Life, I led the Class of 2009 Vigil for Life. We meditated on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, on the victory of life over death, and on the fact that Jesus is King over every nation, over the courts, the Congress, and the White House. As I gave the students and their families reflections on these truths, the current occupant of the White House was calling the graduates to have "open minds, open hearts" and a spirit of dialogue.
Now dialogue with our opponents on this issue is something we at Priests for Life specialize in. I maintain friendships with abortion advocates and practicing abortionists. The clarity of our own convictions never means we despise, demonize, or shut out other people. And yes, we are willing to collaborate with others in morally legitimate ways to reduce the numbers of abortions.
But the President's remarks had a glaring omission. While willing to dialogue and to promote adoption, he gave no indication of any willingness to protect the children in the womb. And that's the crux of the issue. In his remarks, he referred to the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that outlawed segregation. Certainly, his call for open minds does not include openness to reconsider the segregation issue. There's a right answer to it, period.
So it is with the protection of the unborn. And as quiet again descended on campus at the end of the day, I reflected... Open minds, yes, but for the purpose of eventually firmly closing upon the truth! And isn't that supposed to be the purpose of Catholic universities?
Fr. Frank's columns are podcast, see www.priestsforlife.org/podcast

Holy Father sees the hope of Resurrection in the Empty Tomb

I must admit to being one of those cynics who feel that ancient hatred in the Holy Land will only end with Christ's Second Coming, but the Holy Father sees things differently.
"The empty tomb speaks to us of hope," the Pontiff affirmed. "The hope that does not disappoint because it is the gift of the Spirit of life.
"May hope rise up ever anew, by God's grace, in the hearts of all the people dwelling in these lands! May it take root in your hearts, abide in your families and communities, and inspire in each of you an ever more faithful witness to the Prince of Peace!"
The Church in the Holy Land, which has so often experienced the dark mystery of Golgotha, must never cease to be an intrepid herald of the luminous message of hope which this empty tomb proclaims."
Read the entire story on Zenit.

Gallup Poll: Majority of Americans Pro-Life on Abortion, Highest

Washington, DC -- A new Gallup poll shows that the majority of
Americans self-identify as pro-life on the issue of abortion for
the first time in 15 years. The Gallup survey shows the
percentage of Americans saying they are pro-life at its highest
point since 1995 and those saying they are "pro-choice" at its
lowest.
The Gallup survey, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans
calling themselves pro-life and just 42 percent saying they are
"pro-choice" and supporting legal abortions.
Full story and graphs at:
http://www.LifeNews.com/nat5053.html

Operation Rescue Urges Notre Dame Protesters to Join Pro-Life Action League

Operation Rescue Urges Notre Dame Protesters to Join Pro-Life Action League
Events On May 17
May 15th, 2009
South Bend, IN - Pro-life supporters who are planning to protest President Barack Obama's graduation day speech at Notre Dame are encouraged to join the events sponsored by the Pro-Life Action League and the Center for Bioethical Reform on Sunday, May 17.
The protest day will include two components:
1. 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m: A Face the Truth Tour will be held off campus along Angela Boulevard and Michigan Street in the hours leading up to commencement.
2. 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.: Protesters will join the prayer vigil taking place on campus during the commencement ceremony.
Handheld graphic signs will be provided by CBR Midwest. (Click to view signs)
Operation Rescue has partnered with the Center for Bioethical Reform to maintain a Truth Truck and airplane banner presence at Notre Dame.
For more information on Sunday's events, please visit http://notredameprotest.com/protest/.

Fr Tom Euteneuer on Celibacy

In the light of the Fr Alberto Cutie saying he's not certain if he can give up his girlfriend, and Bishop Rembert Weakland's interview in the NY Times where he is blaming the Church, who paid $450,000 hush money to his male lover at the height of the clergy sex scandal, a bit of sanity is desperately needed.

The Dynamics of Celibacy
Some recent high-profile priest scandals have put celibacy back in the limelight as a topic for the pagan world to rage about, but rarely will you hear what the Catholic Church actually teaches about it. I hope that the following insights will be a short-course in the dynamics of a marvelous life of grace: namely, celibate chastity. The world needs to hear “the other side” of the story.
Number One: Celibacy is a gift to the world, not a rule imposed by the Church on a few seemingly-abnormal men. Celibacy initiates men into a life of spiritual fatherhood in a strikingly positive way for others. We are called “father” for a reason: we bring spiritual life to our people through the sacred mysteries which we handle, and they are drawn into a spiritual family thereby. A truly dedicated priest has thousands of spiritual children who sometimes make immense demands on him—I often wish I had only seven children like my father! In an age where men have massively renounced their sacred duty to generate, protect and nurture families, there are myriads of selfless, celibate men sacrificing themselves in a truly manly way for the sake of God’s family and, indeed, even for the sake of many individual families. The fact that some priests fail at it does not make the gift of celibacy anything less than a true blessing; in fact, its failures force us to reflect more deeply on its quiet successes. It’s hypocritical to think that we should throw away the gift of celibacy (i.e., make it “optional”) based upon a miniscule percentage of failures of its practitioners. We don’t say the same thing about the much higher percentage of failures in marriage. Should we allow polygamy just because some married men can’t stick to one woman? This is the time to reaffirm the genuine beauty and value of celibacy, not change this immense gift to us.
Number two: Celibacy is the personal renunciation of the legitimate goods of marriage and family as a fruitful sacrifice for the kingdom of God. The astonishment of this generation that a perfectly normal, red-blooded male could make that particular sacrifice is exactly the point of celibacy. The world needs to know that there are some men walking around who are not bound either by the expectations of society or by the terms of our fleshly human nature. They are bound by only one concern; that of a kingdom that is not of this world, and they are willing to sacrifice everything for it. The presence in society of men who make this sacrifice is profoundly challenging to a culture that wants to reduce everything in life to the pleasure principle. Such a total renunciation is truly counter cultural: it’s like choosing to live with a permanent wound in the heart that never heals but out of which flow “rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38) that heal countless others. Celibacy is not easy for anyone to live, in fact, it is a constant death to self; but it is enormously life-giving to others, and the Church has not lost sight of that for two thousand years.
Number three: vows are vows. Married men make vows and so do priests. A vow is a promise before God of fidelity to a particular person or state in life. From a spiritual point of view a vow in marriage has the same significance as a vow of celibate chastity: it is permanently binding on the individual and requires total fidelity. We all know that vows are broken by weak and fallible men, but we also know and have seen that vows can be repaired, sins repented of, amends made and forgiveness granted to those who have offended others. Who of us does not depend in some way on the Mercy of God and those we have hurt when we have fallen? The return to fidelity breaks our pride and chastens our passions. What we must never do is make excuses or justify our compromises with pop cultural moral relativism. For example, the fact of “falling in love” with someone is no more an excuse to abandon the celibate priesthood than it is to abandon a wife and family for another woman. I have known many married men who have had that experience and then, in a more rational moment, picked themselves up, dusted themselves off and returned to fidelity—sometimes at a great cost. Thankfully God gave us a rational will, in addition to our lower passions, so that we have something other than whimsical feelings to govern our actions. Fidelity is always possible for those who desire to return to their deepest commitments.Well, although a short article on celibacy is not enough to explain such a beautiful mystery, it is just enough to witness to a very dynamic way of life whose adherents have given life to millions throughout the centuries. In this time of great secular challenge to our faith, let us pray for the celibate men and women who have served us so well in this life and especially for those who are still trying to return to fidelity.

Half of Catholic Colleges promote gay lifestyle!

This is a disgrace, no wonder church attendance is waning! Parents; do you know what your hard earned tuition dollars are doing to your children?
Read the following from TFP student action.

Research finds pro-homosexual clubs at 96 Catholic colleges
Sign TFP petition: "Save Our Catholic Identity"
That's 45% of the Catholic universities. Here's the full report.
You see, many of these clubs sponsor events that promote the homosexual movement's radical agenda, while gagging 2,000 years of Catholic moral teaching.
Catholic students who thirst for the truth are confronted with visible, active and well-funded clubs that openly contradict natural law and unchangeable Church teaching.
For example:
According to reports, a "Trans-gender Awareness Week" was held at Jesuit-run Seattle University during Lent. The event promoted a "Trans-gender Bible" study and encouraged students to dress in "gender bending outfits."
What can we do about these grave scandals?
TFP Student Action is rushing to collect 100,000 petitions, urging the presidents and authorities of Catholic universities to reclaim true Catholic education by disbanding these clubs and activities.
But I am counting on your help to launch the petition.
Please...
Join the "Save Our Catholic Identity" petition. Sign it now.
Spread the word. Make this campaign snowball successfully by inviting your friends to participate.
Pray and offer sacrifices for the restoration of Catholic higher education.
Do petitions really work? The answer is: YES.
Thanks to prayerful petitions like this one, the annual "Queer Film Festival" at the University of Notre Dame did not take place this year.

Other Catholic campuses also banned performances of the lewd "V-Monologues."

Angels and Demons: Fiction posing as Fact

If you are considering going to see "Angels and Demons" this weekend, go ahead. Just remember it's FICTION. Here are the facts, in my piece on Catholic Online. I'll be seeing the film myself and give you my take this weekend.

Bishop D'Arcy stands his ground

Subway driver texting her girlfriend causes $10 million crash

from Mass Resistance.
This is where the homosexual agenda is leading; favoritism for Gay lesbian and transgendered overcomes logical safety concerns.
State sponsored madness: Subway driver who caused huge crash is "transgender". Was "affirmative action" hire because of transgender is now considered a minority by MBTA!

Last Friday afternoon nearly 50 people were injured and $10 million in damages when a subway train beneath downtown Boston crashed into another train that was stopped. The driver later admitted texting "his" girlfriend at the time of the crash and not paying attention.

Used Mass. DMV to change sex on IDs
Now we know that "he" is a "transgender" female who recently used the Mass. Registry of Motor Vehicles' (RMV) new transgender policy to have her official driver's license changed from female to male. The subway driver, identified as Aiden Carter Quinn, was known as Georgia Anne Quinn until recently. And ABC News has reported that despite Quinn's bad driving record, including several tickets, she was an affirmative-action hire because of being a transgender!
As ABC.com wrote:
Quinn was originally hired as a part-time driver by the MBTA under the name Georgia Anne Quinn. In 2007 he was hired for a full-time position from a lottery of minority candidates. He was granted minority status as a self-described "female-to-male transgender," two sources told ABC News. Quinn lists his sexual orientation as "FTM." "[Quinn] was initially hired as a minority and used her transgender status,'' an MBTA source said.
Read entire article here

Notre Dame to rescind Obama invitation?

It's only a rumor, but one I'm rooting for. Archbishop Raymond Burke had some withering comments about Notre Dame graduation speaker Barack Obama at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. Now he may be enforcing his speech with decisive action.
According to this report, he is in a position of power to enforce Canon Law. Time to pray, rescinding this invitation would show that the Church takes the right to life very seriously.
Amy Proctor has a reference to this rumor as well.
If so, Our Lady of Fatima may have triumphed today protecting the University of Notre Dame, today, on her feast day.
St Robert Bellarmine, corrector of heresies, pray for us!

Notre Dame Trustees and Obama

According to an expose in Pewsitter.com, there are connections, financial connections between members of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees and Obama.
Now everything is crystal clear. It's about money. Money over morality.
"Many of the influential alumni on the Notre Dame board are from the nearby Chicago area, and are part of the same Chicago power structure that President Obama ascended. Richard and Peggy Notebaert are leading members of the ND community, and Notebaert is chair of the Notre Dame trustees. While Obama served in the senate, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, received federal funding earmarked by Obama.. Key Obama campaign fundraiser, Frank Clark served on the board of the Notebaert Museum at the time. The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, where ND trustee Arthur Velasquez (no relation!)is on the board, also received millions in earmarks. Velasquez contributed to Obama’s campaigns in 04 and 08."
Read the entire story at Pewsitter.com.
HT New Advent

Father Cutie: an unecessary scandal.

My Spanish speaking mother in law loved to listen to Padre Alberto. I couldn't blame her, a tall good looking, well spoken priest, whose preaching attracted millions "Padre Oprah" had all the qualities he needed to be successful and thus he was attacked by the enemy, falling into temptation. Faithful Catholics are getting used to the sight of a shamed priest, voicing relief that he wasn't involved in something illegal.
The same thing happened to Fr Francis Mary Stone, and Fr John Bertolucci. Popularity puts a priest in a precarious position for temptation by women who should know better. They both need our prayers, better priestly formation, and a wise superior who can see trouble coming a mile away.I maintain that if Mother Angelica were herself when that young widow came looking for Fr Stone to counsel her, she would have sensed danger and given her a good nun to speak with; result a good priest saved from temptation to leave his vocation and be stuck pushing the health drink zrii.
Or when the good looking parish priest who officiated at my wedding had a long line of young women waiting to speak to him after Mass every Sunday. Could trouble be far behind? Fr Tom didn't make it, he left the priesthood, married, and now works as a professor at a Catholic College. Such a loss to the Church. The last time I heard him talk at a community college, we was praising the wonders of Islam.
We must remember to pray for our priests, the higher they are in the public eye, the more the enemy wants to scandalize us with their downfall. The most tragic is that many times, they go down slowly, taking the purity of their message down with them.
Celibacy is a high calling, but it must be protected in this lascivious anti-Catholic culture. Otherwise, the media fall into a feeding frenzy thinking it's time to tell the Holy Father to permit a married priesthood. We already have a married clergy; Catholic permanent deacons who are married do everything that Protestant Ministers do: baptize, marry, bless, preach, visit the sick, and teach.
Fr Farfalia has a post on the origins of the problem with Fr Alberto.

Planned Parenthood sex abuse cover up exposed

A great way to strip millions from our state budgets.
from Operation Rescue
Undercover Tape Helps Deny Money To Planned Parenthood In Kansas
Operation Rescue caught Planned Parenthood enabling statutory rape
An undercover audio file provided by Operation Rescue was used by legislators to support their efforts to halt tax money to Planned Parenthood in Kansas.
State Sen. Tim Huelskamp and Rep. Lance Kinzer released the recording of a phone call made by an Operation Rescue volunteer posing as a 14-year old girl. The call was placed to Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood, (CHPP), in Overland Park, Kansas, on Tuesday, April 28, 2009. During the call, the supposed 14-year old was heard asking about abortion, pregnancy testing, and birth control options.
CHPP: How old are you?
Caller: Um, I'm 14.
CHPP: So, how are you going to get in here?
Caller: Well, I have a boyfriend, and like, he's 23 and he could take me there.
CHPP: Do you want to make an appointment today?
Later the girl asked if her boyfriend could pick up her birth control pills for her.
Caller: Yeah. About the birth control, um, I'd have to ask my boyfriend to get that for me. Um, would he be able to pick it up?
CHPP: Yes, uh-huh.
After the recording was made public, the Huelskamp Amendment to the state budget, which would redirect Title X money to hospitals and other legitimate medical facilities, passed easily in both houses.
This would have the effect of defunding Planned Parenthood in Kansas.
The budget now awaits the signature of the new governor, Mark Parkinson, who holds line-item veto power.
"Planned Parenthood was not only willing to look the other way, but was going to hand birth control pills over to an adult so he could conceal his continued sexual abuse of a little girl. Most taxpayers would be very upset to know their tax money was funding that," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "This is the same Planned Parenthood office that is facing 107 criminal charges. This recording illustrates why those criminal charges should proceed and why public money should be used elsewhere."
A hearing in the pending criminal case is scheduled before the Kansas Supreme Court on Wednesday.
In the past two fiscal years, Kansas has paid out $550,000 in tax money to Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, according to Rep. Kinzer.
"Planned Parenthood was caught red-handed yet again ignoring child sex abuse, as it has been by other pro-life investigators around the nation," said Newman. "This will be Gov. Parkinson's first test on moral issues. Will he continue to endanger our daughters, or will he do the right thing and sign the budget with the Huelskamp Amendment intact? We'll know in a few days."

Archbishop Burke at National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

It was a day when I felt good to be Catholic, from the shining faces of Catholic luminaries seen in the crowd like Fr Euteneuer, Dr Alice Von Hildebrand, Raymond Arroyo introduced Archbishop Burke who looked and sounded majestic and militant in his no nonsense reiteration of what we all know is Holy Mother Church's unequivocal stand in defense of human life and the family.

The Archbishop called Catholics who voted for Obama to task:
"The path of violation of the most fundamental human rights and of the integrity of marriage and the family, which our nation is traveling, is not accidental. It is part of the program set forth by those whom we have freely chosen to lead our nation. The part of the program in question was not unknown to us; it was announced to us beforehand and a majority of our fellow citizens, including a majority of our fellow Catholics, chose the leadership which is now implementing it with determination."
The Archbishop called us to prayer for our troubled nation, with particular emphasis on Eucharistic adoration and the rosary.

" At every Mass, we should offer special prayers for our nation and her leaders, in order that the culture of death may be overcome and a civilization of love may be steadfastly advanced. All Catholics throughout the nation should take part in Eucharistic adoration and in the praying of the Rosary for the restoration of the respect for human life and for the safeguarding of the integrity of the family. In our prayers, we should seek, above all, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title of the Immaculate Conception. Mary Immaculate is the patroness of our nation."

EWTN has been re-broadcasting this wonderful speech repeatedly this weekend. I am sure that it will be considered historic, coming as it does at such crucial crisis point for the Church in America. I hope Fr Jenkins was listening. The Archbishop's biggest ovation came after he addressed the scandal of Notre Dame,
"Clearly, the same is true of our Catholic charitable, missionary and healthcare institutions. There can be no place in them for teaching or activities which offend the moral law. Dialogue and respect for differences are not promoted by the compromise and even violation of the natural moral law. The profound granting of an honorary doctorate at Notre Dame University to our President who is as aggressively advancing an anti-life and anti-family agenda is a source of the gravest scandal. Catholic institutions cannot offer any platform to, let alone honor, those who teach and act publicly against the moral law. In a culture which embraces an agenda of death, Catholics and Catholic institutions are necessarily counter-cultural. If we as individuals or our Catholic institutions are not willing to accept the burdens and the suffering necessarily involved in calling our culture to reform, then we are not worthy of the name Catholic."
You can read Archbishop Burke's remarks here however, don't miss the opportunity to see a re-broadcast of his speech. The standing ovation he received bears witness to the respect he earned by such masterful oratory in defense of truths of our Faith.

Pope Benedict praised women in Jordan Mass

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the importance of a topic and my inablity to cover it sufficiently here, therefore, I just cover the bits of the news, like the Holy Father's visit to the Holy Land which inspire my comments.
Like his address to women. When a pope has traditonal values on morality (surprise!) he is trashed as a misanthrope, a patriarchal neanderthal. So, New York Times, listen to his homily at a Mass in Jordan.
"How much your society owes to all those women who in different and at times courageous ways have devoted their lives to building peace and fostering love! From the very first pages of the Bible, we see how man and woman, created in the image of God, are meant to complement one another as stewards of God's gifts and partners in communicating his gift of life, both physical and spiritual, to our world. Sadly, this God-given dignity and role of women has not always been sufficiently understood and esteemed. The Church, and society as a whole, has come to realize how urgently we need what the late Pope John Paul II called the "prophetic charism" of women (cf. Mulieris Dignitatem, 29) as bearers of love, teachers of mercy and artisans of peace, bringing warmth and humanity to a world that all too often judges the value of a person by the cold criteria of usefulness and profit. By its public witness of respect for women, and its defence of the innate dignity of every human person, the Church in the Holy Land can make an important contribution to the advancement of a culture of true humanity and the building of the civilization of love."
Read the entire homily at Zenit.

Fr Corapi on Motherhood

This Sunday we once again have the joy of celebrating Mothers Day.

It is certainly fitting enough that this falls in the month of May, the month the Church dedicates to the Mother of Jesus and our Spiritual Mother. It's a beautiful month dedicated to what is perhaps the most beautiful reality I can imagine mothers. In the often misguided and morally confused society we live in, the vocation and blessing of being a mother isn't esteemed highly enough by many individuals that are so preoccupied with making a living and accumulating material things. Sometimes motherhood isn't respected enough by men. Even more baffling sometimes women don't themselves value this calling and honor as they ought. As far as I'm concerned, it would be hard to imagine a more noble, more necessary, and more beautiful calling in life. Moms, only in Heaven will you realize just how pleasing you are to God. You have collaborated with God our Father in bringing new life into the world. You have given our heavenly Father children, and these children He treasures more than you could ever imagine."Mother" Perhaps the most beautiful word in all of language. It expresses life. It expresses love. It expresses cooperation with God. It speaks of something that will never end.One day, moms, you'll be honored by God himself for your many sacrifices. For now, accept our thanks, our love, and our tribute. We salute you, Moms, this day and for all eternity. God bless you for all you've done for us.

In Jesus

Love through Mary our Mother,

Fr. John Corapi

Ambassador Alan Keyes was arrested for protesting at Notre Dame

Be a hero, save a whale,

save a baby, go to jail.

This was the chant ot Operation Rescue Movement in the 1980's when some of my dearest friends were jailed for protesting the murder of the innocent. Now Randall Terry and Dr Alan Keyes (these are his hands carrying the rosary and a fetal model) are the civil rights leaders of our times. Someday they will be lauded as heroes by all, not just a few.

Read this story with emotional photos on the arrests of the protesters at Notre Dame, while pro-abortion demonstrators watched.

May God have mercy on Fr Jenkins for causing this scandal.

Happy Mother's Day from Rep Cathy McMorris-Rogers

I'm posting this video because pro-life married Rep Cathy McMorris Rogers is a champion for those of us who love someone with Down syndrome. Last January she encourages those of us who organized KIDS to run for Congress, saying that we need more prolife Congresswomen.
The ABC interview, however, after discussing mothers who gave birth while in Congress, goes on to praise Nancy Pelosi and Rep Linda Sanchez, a deliberately single mother. This I do not endorse.

Breakfast on EWTN Sunday.

Don’t miss EWTN’s exclusive broadcast of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast at 1 p.m., Sunday, May 10;
5 a.m., Monday, May 11;
and 9 a.m., Saturday, May 16.
Only EWTN will broadcast the event, as it happened, in its entirety. This year’s program, which took place on Friday, May 8, was hosted by EWTN News Director Raymond Arroyo, and featured His Excellency Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop Emeritus of St. Louis , and The Honorable Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

My latest show on "The Face of Pro-Life"

Is up on Air Maria.

Notre Dame; laymen and bishops oppose you

The Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found that, by a 60% to 25% margin, U.S. Catholics say Notre Dame should obey guidelines issued by the U.S. bishops and refrain from awarding an honorary degree to the president. Among all Americans, 52% oppose the honor and 25% support it.
"Faithful Catholics are sick to the heart over this scandal, which reflects decades of such scandals in our Catholic institutions," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society. "The Rasmussen poll confirms that this is not about politics … It's about Catholics who are fed up with Catholic institutions betraying their bishops and putting secular prestige ahead of principle, thereby undermining their own Church on the most serious moral issues of the day."
What does a university do when honoring a pro-abortion president has been opposed by 68 bishops, and over 60% of American Catholics?

Is digging your heels in the prudent thing to do Fr Jenkins? Or are you as Archbishop Chaput suggests, just another casualty to vanity and compromise?
Chaput said that while Obama is "a sincere and able man," his deeply pro-abortion principles "run directly against Catholic belief."
"And a Catholic institution should not honor that kind of behavior," he said.
While sinfulness is always present in society, said Chaput, "What's new about our current moment is that too many Christians have made peace with that sinfulness, baptized it with the language of personal conscience, and stopped trying to convert anybody - including themselves."

Read the entire story on Life Site News.

Fr Corapi on Notre Dame Scandal

Homosexual Marriage in Maine, NH next target

In case you think these approvals of gay marriage are the will of the people, you need to do two things; remember Propostion 8 in California which overturned the state Supreme Court approval of gay marriage, and the following statement from Focus on the Family Citizen Link.
Tim Gill's money is buying gay marriage votes nationwide. What he can't buy is our approval, and that of our children IF we are careful to keep their thinking straight. It's going to be an uphill battle with the gay activists controlling the schools. And their best friend in the White House.

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has yet to touch the same-sex "marriage" bill that is sitting on his desk. But if he does sign it, some of the "credit" will go to gay-activist Tim Gill, who has poured massive amounts of money into the state.
Gill’s money also has helped pro-gay candidates win seats in California, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, New York and elsewhere.
Brad Miller, director of the Family Policy Council Department at Focus on the Family Action, said Gill knows how to make an impact. More than three-quarters of the candidates he has backed have won.
“He networks with like-minded folks across the country, and then he directs those individuals to give," Miller said. "So, it’s not just his money, but it’s the money of other wealthy individuals on the Left.”
Kevin Smith, executive director of New Hampshire’s Cornerstone Policy Research, said that while he may be behind on the financial side of the equation, he still has the public's support.
“Between (Gill's) group and the Human Rights Campaign," he said, "they’ve dumped significant amounts of money — at least tens of thousands.”
Smith said he's counting on the fierce independent streak in New Englanders to resist pressure from Gill and eventually put his lawmakers out of office.
FOR MORE INFORMATIONRead more about Tim Gill.
HumanEvents.com recently wrote about Gill.
— Steve Jordahl