News & Opinions

May 15, 2012 -- University of Steubenville
Franciscan University of Steubenville Health Center
Campus Health Insurance Policy
The Obama Administration has mandated that all health insurance plans must cover "women's health services" including contraception, sterilization, and abortion-causing medications as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Up to this time, Franciscan University has specifically excluded these services and products from its student health insurance policy, and we will not participate in a plan that requires us to violate the consistent teachings of the Catholic Church on the sacredness of human life. Read more

May 15, 2012 -- Christian Newswire
Obama's 'Himmler' Invited to Catholic University;
Christian Groups Talk While Pro-life Warrior Takes Action
Background: Georgetown University has invited the Head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, to speak at the Awards' ceremony for the Public Policy Institute on Friday, May 18.
Members of the Society for Truth & Justice, will be on the ground to protest the Sebelius presence at the commencement ceremonies. Read more

May 15, 2012 -- ncregister.com
When Reverend Mothers Cease Being Motherly
Is the Vatican Attacking Nuns?
Reading most press accounts of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s doctrinal assessment of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, one would think that the Vatican is attacking all of the world’s nuns.
A more correct read of the situation, however, is that the Vatican hasn’t attacked all of the Church’s nuns, but rather it has disciplined a select group of them in the U.S., and it has done so out of love for the Truth. Read more

May 10, 2012 -- Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
As President Barack Obama endorsed gay marriage Wednesday, the House prepared to vote on language barring the Department of Justice from arguing against the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act.
In a moment of political serendipity, the House was lining up a vote on an amendment by Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) to the Justice Department's spending bill on the same day Obama endorsed gay marriage on national television.
Facing increasing pressure from gay civil rights organizations, Attorney General Eric Holder has begun intervening in DOMA cases in California and other states, arguing the law is not constitutional. That decision has angered conservatives. Read more
It is not Attorney General Holder's job to decide on the constitutionality of a law!

May 10, 2012 --
Institute on Religion & Democracy (IRD)
Thanks Church Leaders Who Defend Marriage
"These strong church leaders contrast with forces of cultural accommodation who would redefine marriage out of existence." -- Mark Tooley, IRD President
WASHINGTON, May 10, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- In a week filled with the news of a traditional marriage amendment's victory in North Carolina and President Obama's support for same-sex marriage, the Institute on Religion and Democracy is thanking church leaders who are publicly defending traditional marriage, including leaders of America's two largest churches. Read more

May 10, 2012 -- Christian Newswire
Obama and Homosexual Marriage: Catholic and Evangelical Clergy are Weighed in Balance
"The moment of Truth has arrived for Catholic Bishops and Evangelical Superstars: Will they demand Obama's ouster from office because of his betrayal of God's Law regarding marriage, or will they equivocate, excuse, or just remain silent? Their souls are now weighed in the balance." -- Randall Terry
Background: Obama's endorsement of so-called "same sex marriage" was a forgone conclusion once VP Biden publicly embraced this perversion. The only question was the timing and the venue.
With Obama's announcement behind us, the spotlight now turns to those charged to publicly uphold the laws of God and His definition of marriage: Roman Catholic and Evangelical Clergy. Read more

May 9, 2012 -- Parents Must be Free to Homeschool, Says Papal Delegation
Delegation responds to "disconcerting trend" to downplay parental rights in favor of the State; HSLDA welcomes Vatican involvement.
The Holy See mission to the United Nations assembly in New York called upon UN Member States to respect the right of parents to homeschool their children in a statement before the United Nations two weeks ago.
"Parents ... have the right and duty to choose schools inclusive of homeschooling, and they must possess the freedom to do so, which in turn, must be respected and facilitated by the State," said His Excellency, The Most Reverend Francis A. Chullikatt, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. Read more

May 07, 2012 | FoxNews.com
Obama Cabinet member Arne Duncan backs gay marriage, one day after Biden comments
Another top Obama administration official appeared to break with the president Monday by publicly declaring his support for gay marriage -- something President Obama has not done.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in a television interview Monday morning, said unequivocally that he supports gay marriage. Asked if he thinks gay couples should be able to legally marry, he said: "Yes, I do."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/05/07/obama-cabinet-member-duncan-backs-gay-marriage-one-day-after-biden-comments/#ixzz1uFJj6BTr Read more

May 07, 2012 | Howard Kurtz
Obama aides defend Biden on same-sex issue.
It is a fine political art, seeming to take a position without really doing so. But after Vice President Joe Biden came out in support of gay marriage on a Sunday talk show appearance, the Obama team has taken the opportunity to attack Mitt Romney—as the president himself stays tight-lipped.
I have no doubt that Barack Obama would come out for gay marriage tomorrow if he thought he could get away with it. For the president to say he’s “evolving” is his wink-wink way of assuring his supporters that he privately agrees with them but has to keep his lip zipped until after he’s safely reelected. Read more

May 4, 2012 -- (C-FAM) Timothy Herrmann
Pro-Abortion and Pro-Homosexual Youth Lobby Sent Home Empty-Handed from UN
Youth activists arrived at the UN in droves last week in an attempt to hijack the 45th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) by promoting homosexual rights and abortion. However, countries rejected their demands and produced a fairly balanced outcome document that focuses on more pressing youth concerns like education, employment, health and development.
Sponsored by organizations like the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the Youth Coalition, and the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), youth activists flooded the conference floor and were strategically placed on country delegations with the hope of shifting the conference’s focus to sexual and reproductive health of youth and adolescents. Read more

Twitter campaign for US nuns
Following the controversial Vatican order for sweeping reforms of Women Religious in the US, a well known Jesuit priest and writer is inviting people to use Twitter to say how much nuns mean to them.
With his opening tweets, the immensely popular Jesuit priest Fr. James Martin started his drive to remember how much Catholics (and non-Catholics) value the contributions of U.S. Catholic nuns. Read more
Fr. Martin: I too know nuns and even Jesuit priests who are heroes but they are against government provided abortifacient drugs and abortions. Unfortunately many members of the LCWR promoted and helped pass our pro abortion health care law.

How same-sex “marriage” advocates use violence against traditional marriage supporters
April 30 2012 -- tfpstudentaction.org
In this newly released video, volunteers with the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) describe how they were violently assaulted by pro-homosexual "marriage" advocates while promoting traditional marriage on college campuses and in the public square. Read more

Obama Lawyers Desperately Try to 'Dismiss' Lawsuit by Pro-Life Catholic Group Against ObamaCare
April 25, 2012 -- Christian Newswire
Priests for Life, a New York-based international pro-life organization of Catholic clergy and laity, today announced that the Obama Administration's lawyers are trying desperately to "shut down" the lawsuit that's been filed to stop ObamaCare from violating the conscience and morals of America's Catholics.
The lawsuit, Priests for Life v. Sebelius, seeks to permanently block the implementation of the HHS mandate that imposes clear violations of conscience upon any and all citizens who morally object to abortion and contraception. Read more

Catholic Bishops Call For Two Weeks of Action Against Obama
April 23, 2012 -- By Martin Gould
Roman Catholic leaders are calling for two weeks of public protests against President Barack Obama's policies as they intensify their argument that the administration is engaged in a war on religion.
The days between June 21 and July 4 have been set aside by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops which has sought to end the administration's contraception mandate, among other policies.
The protests against the Obama administration's policies could be "the game-changer" in the presidential election, one leading lay churchman told Newsmax on Tuesday. Read more

April 23, 2012 -- (CNS) Cardinal Burke
Catholic communicators must obey church teaching,
Church communicators have an important and serious duty to obey church teaching and defend the church's mission of saving souls and safeguarding truth, said the head of the Vatican's highest court.
Caution as well as control over content and where it's distributed are needed because while the field of communications "has great potential for good," it "also can be turned to the harm of the faithful," said U.S. cardinal Raymond L. Burke , prefect of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature. Read more

April 23, 2012 --
Religious Freedom -- A Human Right for All in Middle East and Africa
Nearly 70 percent of the world's 6.8 billion people live in countries with little or no freedom of religion. Open Doors is an organization that for over five decades has covertly come along side Christians in 60 of those restrictive and dangerous countries, campaigning for their freedom to believe, from the gulags in North Korea to the halls of Congress. Read more

April 22, 2012 -- news.yahoo.com Muslim mob burns Catholic church in Sudan capital
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — A Muslim mob set ablaze a Catholic church frequented by Southern Sudanese in the capital Khartoum, witnesses and media reports said on Sunday.
The church in Khartoum's Al-Jiraif district was built on a disputed plot of land, but the Saturday night incident appeared to be part of the fallout from ongoing hostilities between Sudan and South Sudan over control of an oil town on their ill-defined border. Read more

April 18, 2012 -- CatholicCulture.org
Our First, Most Cherished Liberty
A Statement on Religious Liberty
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty
We are Catholics. We are Americans. We are proud to be both, grateful for the gift of faith which is ours as Christian disciples, and grateful for the gift of liberty which is ours as American citizens. More printable pdf

April 18, 2012 -- Catholics Called to Witness
Test of Fire -- Election 2012
Catholics Called to Witness is a faith-based organization dedicated to upholding and promoting the following three non-negotiable principles as stressed by Pope Benedict XVI, while encouraging the Catholic community to participate in the public arena.
- Protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death.
- Recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family – as a union between one man and one woman based on marriage....
- The protection of the right of parents to educate their children. More

April 18, 2012 -- CatholicCulture.org
Vatican demands reform of American nuns' leadership group
The Vatican has called for a thorough reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the umbrella group that represents most of the women's religious orders in the US.
After a thorough investigation of the LCWR, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) concluded that "the current doctrinal and pastoral situation of LCWR is grave and a matter of serious concern." The CDF concluded that a Vatican intervention was necessary to reform the group. Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle has been appointed as the Vatican's delegate to supervise the reform of the LCWR. The archbishop has been charged with helping LCWR leaders to revise the group's statues, plan its programs, review liturgical texts, and reconsider the group's affiliations with other organizations. More Background

April 11, 2012 -- lifenews.com
Democratic Strategist Attacks Stay-at-Home Mom Ann Romney
Abortion advocates have reached a new low in their attempts to characterize pro-life Republicans as waging a “war on women.”
On CNN, Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen told Anderson Cooper that Ann Romney, the wife of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, has no room to comment on women’s issues because she “has never actually worked a day in her life.” This ad hominem attack on Ann Romney omits the fact that she is the mother of five boys and has battled both breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.
Ann Romney fired back on Twitter, writing, “I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work.” More

April 11, 2012 -- ladyliberty1885
Hilary Rosen To Ann Romney: Stay At Home Moms Don’t Count
Democrat Strategist Hilary Rosen Shows Us The Real War On Women
Tonight on CNN, Hilary Rosen attacked Ann Romney for being a stay at home mom. Nothing says “Party of Women” more than going after a woman who is a cancer survivor currently living with MS and who raised 5 boys. More

April 9, 2012 -- christiannewswire.com
Operation Save America Vindicated in Wyoming Supreme Court
As Operation Save America begins its "States of Refuge" campaign (Statesofrefuge.org) we were greeted with some miraculous news from the Supreme Court of the state of Wyoming today. It ruled that a lower court order prohibiting gentle Christians from displaying graphic signs of "aborted" and "living" babies at the Jackson town square last year was unconstitutional. More

April 9, 2012 -- Megan Morris
Employers Providing Contraceptives “Materially and Formally” Cooperating with Sin
— Catholic Action for Faith and Family announces a timely and insightful thirty minute interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke as he discusses critical matters of faith, religious liberty, and culpability in relation to the threatened government mandate for employers to provide free contraception, sterilization services, and abortion inducing drugs. Catholic Action Insight, a special program series hosted by Catholic Action founder and president, Thomas McKenna, will air on EWTN on April 11 at 2:30pm and on April 13 at 9:00pm EST. More

April 9, 2012 -- Bishop Michael R. Cote
Religious liberty, the first freedom
In speaking with parishioners and non-Catholics as well, I hear with each passing day a deepening concern regarding the Department of Health and Human Services' mandate for Catholic institutions to provide coverage for sterilization procedures, abortifacient drugs and contraceptives. People of faith and conscience recognize the mandate as a violation of our First Amendment rights. More

March 30, 2012 -- Archbishop Chaput's e-book "A Heart on Fire: Catholic Witness and the Next America" is now available for Kindle. ($.99) -
Don't have a Kindle? Get the free Kindle to PC app here
Catholic League's president Bill Donohue's review of the book:
This is the right book by the right author at the right time. Archbishop Chaput calls our attention to the growing hostility to religion in public life. "In government, the media, academia, in the business community and in the wider culture," he says, "many of our leaders no longer seem to regard religious faith as a healthy force." Indeed, "The America emerging in the next several decades is likely to be much less friendly to Christian faith than anything in our country's past." He is particularly concerned about the way this "new orthodoxy" is impacting young people. More

March 29, 2012 -- nation.foxnews.com
Jimmy Carter: Democrats Should Change their Tune on Abortion
President Carter on abortion:
@13:41 Carter: I never have believed that Jesus Christ would approve of abortions and that was one of the problems I had when I was president having to uphold Roe v. Wade and I did everything I could to minimize the need for abortions. I made it easy to adopt children for instance who were unwanted and also initiated the program called Women and Infant Children or WIC program that’s still in existence now. But except for the times when a mother’s life is in danger or when a pregnancy is caused by rape or incest I would certainly not or never have approved of any abortions.
@14:49 Carter: I’ve signed a public letter calling for the Democratic Party at the next convention to espouse my position on abortion which is to minimize the need, requirement for abortion and limit it only to women whose life are in danger or who are pregnant as a result of rape or incest. I think if the Democratic Party would adopt that policy that would be acceptable to a lot of people who are now estranged from our party because of the abortion issue. More

March 22, 2012 -- catholicculture.org
North Carolina bishops criticize Obama statement on marriage amendment
Less than two months before North Carolina residents will vote on a state constitutional amendment that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, President Barack Obama blasted the amendment as discriminatory--prompting criticism from the state’s bishops. More

March 19, 2012 -- CNA/EWTN News
US bishops launch prayer campaign for religious freedom
The U.S. bishops have launched a nationwide prayer campaign to defend religious liberty against recent threats such as the federal contraception mandate.
The campaign centers around a newly-released “Prayer for Religious Liberty,” which asks God to grant “a clear and united voice” to all who gather to defend rights of conscience “in this decisive hour in the history of our nation.”
At a Washington, D.C. administrative committee meeting on March 13-14, leaders of the U.S. bishops' conference called for the campaign in response to imminent threats to religious liberty, including the Obama administration's controversial contraception mandate. More

March 16, 2012 -- wral.com
Obama opposes NC marriage amendment proposal
RALEIGH, N.C. — President Barack Obama is speaking out against an amendment on the May 8 ballot that would define marriage in North Carolina as being between one man and one woman.
The Obama campaign issued a statement Friday, calling the proposed amendment discriminatory.
“While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot measure in every state, the record is clear that the president has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples," More

March 16, 2012 -- Catholic News Service
Students pray rosary in front of White House for religious freedom
WASHINGTON (CNS) – A group of 12 students from the Newman Center at George Washington University prayed the rosary March 3 outside of the White House, as a prayerful witness for the religious freedom they believe is threatened by a federal contraceptive mandate. More

March 14, 2012 -- Nancy Frazier O'Brien - CNS
'Unified, focused' bishops pledge to continue religious liberty defense
Declaring themselves "strongly unified and intensely focused," the nation's top Catholic bishops vowed to continue their multipronged defense of religious liberty in the courts, Congress and the White House.
The five-page statement titled "United for Religious Freedom" was approved March 14 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Administrative Committee, made up of the USCCB officers and committee chairmen and an elected bishop representative from each of the geographic regions of the USCCB. More

March 4, 2012 -- marianews.com
Obama Elevates Providing Abortion Inducing Drugs and Sterilization Above Religious Freedom
"It is stunning that America now has President and a administration who has put protecting abortion-inducing drugs and sterilization above the principles of religious freedom and the First Amendment.
..... "President Obama continues to show a profound disrespect for religious liberty and respecting matters of individual conscience. These unjust HHS mandates show this administration seeks to impost their will on the faith community and their values.
..... “When President Obama ran for President in 2008, he made his Christian faith a very visible part of his campaign. It is now clear that was nothing more political posturing and there appears very little commitment by the President to protect religious freedom and justice. More

March 2, 2012 -- EWTN News
Cardinal Dolan Issues Letter Hinting at Legal Challenge
Church recalibrates after negotiations with White House stall and Blunt Amendment is defeated in the Senate.
Cardinal Timothy of New York, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a letter to his brother bishops today, reporting that negotiations between the conference and the White House had “stalled” and that he was exploring legal remedies to address the First Amendment threat posed by the contraception mandate approved by the Obama administration. More

March 2, 2012 -- USCCB
Cardinal Dolan Voices Dismay at Handling by White House in Letter Updating Bishops on HHS Mandate Controversy
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York voiced dismay in the Administration’s handling of the church as the White House and the church seek to work out religious freedom problems found in a mandate in the new health care reform bill. More
Text of Letter to Bishops

March 1, 2012 -- catholicexchange.com
Controlling Language in the "Contraceptive" Debate
Pay close attention to the media's reporting on President Obama's mandate on contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing pharmaceuticals. When you hear the subject reported, it's rarely reported with that specificity, with that accuracy. Typically, the media simply refers to the Obama mandate on "contraception." That's it. Many reporters are leaving out the words "abortion-inducing pharmaceuticals." It's a rather significant-indeed, fatal-omission.
more

March 1, 2012 -- Catholic Opinions
Blunt amendment defeated
the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 51 - 48, defeated the effort led by Senator Roy Blunt (Missouri) to pass the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act as an amendment to pending legislation.
Thirteen Catholic Senators joined the majority.
Senators supporting the Blunt amendment and the Catholic vote

February 27, 2012 -- Fr. Sammie Maletta:
The Government Wants to Run The Catholic Church
The ultimate goal about Obama Care and the HHS Manate
The virtually unknown broken promise President-elect Obama gave during a special meeting with he called with the Catholic Bishops
The untold truth about the Government and Catholic Social Services
What the Catholic Church will do before being forced to provide for “reproductive services” More

February 27, 2012
Same sex marriage is `Sodomic' - Islamic Scholar
Osogbo - An Islamic Scholar, Dr Miftahudeen Rauf, has described the practice of same sex marriage as "Sodomic" which carries great penalty before God.
Rauf, a Lecturer at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, said this on Monday in Osogbo, at the professional monthly forum of the Muslim Congress, Osun branch. More

February 24, 2012 --
Four Catholic High Schools To Stay Open
Four Philadelphia-area Catholic high schools will stay open that had been expected to close this summer. The Archdiocese will also seek to raise $100 million over five years to benefit all schools. More

February 19, 2012 -- Charismatic Episcopal Church
Abp. Bates’ Statement on President Obama’s Contraceptive Mandate
We must be clear that the debate around this issue has nothing to do with health insurance. And, even though President Obama and his administration is the most pro-abortion administration in the history of America, if not the world, the issue is really not about abortion, surgical sterilization, or contraception. Nor, is this about a women’s reproductive health. This is an issue of religious liberty. More

February 15, 2012 --
The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury (the Departments) published interim final regulations implementing PHS Act section 2713 on July 19, 2010 (75 FR 41726). In the preamble to the interim final regulations, the Departments explained that HRSA was developing guidelines related to preventive care and screening for women that would be covered without cost sharing...... More

February 15, 2012 --
Over 100 scholars and religious leaders sign letter calling Obama's contraception compromise unacceptable
Under the compromise, religious hospitals and universities would not have to pay for their employees' birth control but insurers would have provide it at no charge. (Of course, the insurance companies would raise their fees and get paid indirectly) More

February 12, 2012 --
Cardinal-Designate Dolan:
We cannot-we will not-comply with this unjust law.
The Administration Is Denying Catholics The
Fundamental Freedom of Religious Liberty
Dear friends in the Lord,
I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be "of, by, and for the people," has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people-the Catholic population-and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful. More

February 12, 2012 -- A Day to Remember
Bishop Slattery responds to President Obama's HHS mandate
Catholic Charities caves. Now what?
Obama to Offer 'Accommodation' on Birth Control Rule
Sister Carol Keehan who helped pass the healthcare bill sold out again!
Please, bishops; don't compromise!
The new "compromise" More

February 10, 2012 -- John Norton - OSV Newsweekly
Six Things Everyone Should Know About the HHS Mandate
Confused at all about the whole “contraception/sterilization mandate” or the bishops’ opposition to it?
That’s not surprising — it is a pretty complex topic. In coming weeks, we’ll be doing our best to provide you with the most accurate and clearest information about it.
Let’s start with this excellent primer put together by Sister Mary Ann Walsh, media relations director at the U.S. bishops’ conference, on the six main things you should know about the regulations from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): More

February 9, 2012 -- LifeNews.com -- Steven Ertelt
Pastor Rick Warren: I’d Rather Go to Jail Than Obey Mandate
Evangelical pastor Rick Warren sent a message on Twitter today that is resonating with pro-life advocates opposed to the new Obama mandate forcing religious employers to pay for birth control and abortion-causing drugs.
Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church who delivered the invocation at Barack Obama’s inauguration, put his pro-life views against the mandate front and center.
“I’m not a Catholic but I stand in 100% solidarity with my brothers & sisters to practice their belief against govt pressure,” Warren said. “I’d go to jail rather than cave in to a govement mandate that violates what God commands us to do. Would you? Acts 5:29.” More

February 8, 2012 -- christianitytoday.com
First They Came for the Catholics: Obama's Contraceptive Mandate
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
As you probably know by now, Obama Administration has refused to grant religious organizations an exemption from purchasing health insurance that covers abortion-inducing drugs, surgical sterilization, and contraception.
... We evangelicals must stand unequivocally with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters. Because when the government violates the religious liberty of one group, it threatens the religious liberty of all. More

February 6, 2012 -- Pope's Lenten Message:
Charity as a Means to Salvation
The 2012 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, the title of which is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews: "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works". Extracts from the English-language version of the document are given below:
"The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the Sacraments".
"This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews: 'Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works'". More

February 4, 2012 -- Brother André Marie
Christ's Commission and Obama's Mandate:
A Teachable Moment
Pray for our bishops, that they be given the grace not only to defned the conscience rights of Catholics and our institutions, but that they proactively advance both the conversion of America to the Catholic Faith and the reign of Jesus Christ the King in these United States. More

February 4, 2012 -- Nancy Frazier O'Brien - (CNS)
Doctors Wonder How Federal Mandate Will Affect Practice of Medicine
Whether they are just starting out or nearing the end of their careers, Catholics who want to practice medicine in conformity with the church's teachings wonder how a new federal regulation requiring health plans to cover contraceptives and sterilization free of charge will affect their work.
Although the requirement will not directly impact physicians, some said it represents a governmental intrusion into health care that could grow in the future. More

February 2, 2012 -- The Christian Post
Black Evangelical: Think Twice Before Voting for Obama
A National Association of Evangelicals board member is calling on African-Americans to vote for their conservative convictions in the 2012 election, describing President Barack Obama as a theologically liberal candidate.
Bishop Harry R. Jackson. Jr., senior pastor of Hope Christian Church outside of Washington, D.C., asked blacks to re-evaluate their tendency to "flock the polls" in support of Democratic leaders in an opinion piece published Friday in The Wall Street Journal.
Blacks, he noted, espouse traditional, conservative beliefs on social issues rooted in their faith. Yet, they often vote for Democratic leaders with liberal leanings.
"Most blacks have looked the other way regarding their convictions about life and family when they have cast their votes," he wrote. More

February 1, 2012 -- catholicleague
PHILLY JUDGE SHOULD STEP DOWN
The presiding judge in the trial of two Catholic priests from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia expressed dissatisfaction yesterday with the following question for prospective jurors: “Do you believe child sex abuse is a widespread problem in the Catholic Church?” Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina said, “Anybody that doesn’t think there is widespread sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is living on another planet.”
Judge Sarmina’s use of the present tense shows she is unfit to rule. Between 2005 and 2010, the average number of new credible allegations made against over 40,000 priests in the United States was 8.3. More

January 31, 2012 -- By Cliff Kincaid
Cliff Kincaid: Maryland priest Father Larry Swink "nails" Obama in Sunday homily
Catholic Church Rejects Surrender Terms from Obama
My Catholic priest, Father Larry Swink, delivered a homily on Sunday that I told him would make headlines. In the toughest sermon I have ever heard from a pulpit, he attacked the Obama Administration as evil, even demonic, and warned of religious persecution ahead. What was also newsworthy about the sermon was that he cited The Washington Post in agreement - not on thesubject of the Obama Administration being evil, but on the matter of its abridgment of the constitutional right to freedom of religion. More

January 30, 2012 -- fides.org
Christian Schools targeted by radical Muslims in Kashmir
Srinagar (Agenzia Fides) - Christian schools are being targeted by Islamic extremists in Kashmir, accused of "proselytism". After the expulsion order against two Protestant and one Catholic missionaries (Pastors C.M. Khanna and Gayoor Masih and the Catholic, Father Jim Borst), issued by an Islamic court of Kashmir, Christian educational institutions are a particular target of violence: this is the alarm that Fides learns by the Christians in Kashmir.
As explained to Fides, the NGO "Catholic Secular Forum", an authentic campaign against Christian schools, which exist in the Indian state of Muslim-majority for over a century has been launched. More

January 29, 2012 -- Associated Press
Islamic parents found guilty of murdering daughters
A jury on Sunday found an Afghan father, his wife and their son guilty of killing three teenage sisters and a co-wife in what the judge described as "cold-blooded, shameful murders" resulting from a "twisted concept of honor."
The jury took 15 hours to find Mohammad Shafia, 58; his wife Tooba Yahya, 42; and their son Hamed, 21, each guilty of four counts of first-degree murder in a case that shocked and riveted Canadians from coast to coast. More

January 25, 2012 -- Penny Starr cnsnews.com
Obama's Former Faith Adviser: 'I, Frankly, Am Glad American Civil Religion is Dying'
Shaun Casey, the religious affairs adviser to presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008, said at a discussion on Tuesday about "God and Politics" that the demise of religious society in the United States is a good thing.
"I, frankly, am glad American civil religion is dying," said Casey, who is an associate professor of Christian Ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. More
Shaun, we are near bottom. We have denied religion for too long. Our younger generation is realizing that government without God and morality is corrupt and cannot survive. Likewise, families do not survive.
Like addicts, we will hit bottom. We will then rebound with a vengeance.

January 23, 2012 -- catholicnewsagency.com -- Mary Hasson
Girl Scouts leadership: pro-choice, pro-gay idealogues
Who's calling the shots over at the Girl Scouts? And where's the organization headed?
The questions matter for two reasons. First, it's cookie season. Any day now some cute little girls wearing green sashes and bright smiles will knock on your door and sweetly seek support for their projects, badges, and activities. Do you write the check or not? (Forget your craving for Thin Mints. Think rationally!) Should you support the Girl Scouts?
Second, the Girl Scouts organization (GSUSA) is in trouble again. In recent weeks, they've drawn scrutiny for promoting biased resources (the left-wing Media Matters) and pressuring an employee to muzzle her pro-life views. The latest events top the pile of controversies that has outraged parents and spurred some Scouts to quit the organization. More

January 20, 2012 -- cardinalrogermahonyblogsla
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MANDATE FOR CONTRACEPTIVE/STERILIZATION COVERAGE
In probably the most expansive decision on the part of the US Federal government ever, the Department of Health and Human Services has issued an "interim final rule" to require virtually all private health plans to include coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, female sterilization procedures, and related "patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity."
These are listed among "preventive services for women" that all health plans will have to include without co-pays or other cost sharing--even if the insurer, the employer or other plan sponsor, or the woman herself object to such coverage. More

January 20, 2012 -- National Catholic Register
HHS Secretary Sebelius: Church Groups Must Provide Contraception.
"We have a year to figure out how to violate our conscience," says Cardinal-designate Dolan. All options on the table
Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed today that church-affiliated hospitals, agencies and universities will be required to provide contraception and sterilization in the health insurance they provide employees.
However, nonprofit religious institutions will receive an additional year to accommodate this controversial regulation covered under the new health bill, with an extended deadline of August 2013. More

Statement by Cardinal-designate Dolan
Statement by Sebelius
We have one year to get rid of "obamacare"

January 19, 2012 -- VIS
Difficulties and Hopes of the Catholic Church in America
Today in the Vatican Benedict XVI received a group of prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Regions 4 and 6), at the end of their "ad limina" visit. Extracts from his English-language remarks to them are given below.
"At the heart of every culture, whether perceived or not, is a consensus about the nature of reality and the moral good, and thus about the conditions for human flourishing. In America, that consensus, as enshrined in your nation's founding documents, was grounded in a worldview shaped not only by faith but a commitment to certain ethical principles deriving from nature and nature's God. Today that consensus has eroded significantly in the face of powerful new cultural currents which are not only directly opposed to core moral teachings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but increasingly hostile to Christianity as such. Very important -- Please read
2 page pdf copy
2 page Microsoft Word copy

January 15, 2012 -- news.va
The government of Punjab demolishes a Caritas lodging: for the Church it is a "criminal move", we resort to Court
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - Many Pakistani Christians, priests, nuns and activists from the Commission "Justice and Peace" of the Episcopal Conference of Pakistan gathered today in Lahore to protest and assert their rights: the Catholic Church condemns with force the illegal demolition of one of her properties and the requisition of a piece of land, ordered by the Government of Punjab in Lahore. "It is a criminal move of 'land grabbing' (subtraction of land), implemented by government officials", said the Commission "Justice and Peace" in a note sent to Fides. more

January 13, 2012 -- catholicculture.org
Tulsa's Bishop Slattery sees prophetic' (non-governmental) role for Catholic Charities
Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa, Oklahoma, speaks about his decision to decline government funding for the local office of Catholic Charities, in a discussion with the National Catholic Register
“Here in Tulsa, we are not ‘privatizing’ Catholic Charities; we are simply carrying on the way we have been,” says Bishop Slattery. The diocese--located in a region where Catholics are a distinct minority, but religious beliefs are strong--has been able to solicit enough donations to support the work of Catholic Charities, and now wants to avoid the complications that can arise from government involvement. more

January 13, 2012 -- catholicculture.org
Judge: Methodist ministry violated law in refusing same-sex ceremony
A New Jersey administrative law judge has ruled that the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association--a ministry associated with the United Methodist Church--violated the state’s anti-discrimination law when it refused to allow a same-sex civil union ceremony to take place on its property in 2007. more

January 13, 2012 -- catholicculture.org
Bishop rebukes Jesuit university for inviting pro-abortion speaker
Bishop Joseph Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania has released a public statement rebuking the Jesuit-administered University of Scranton for inviting a pro-abortion activist to speak.
Bishop Bambera disclosed that he had asked the university to rescind an invitation to Marjorie Margolies, a former member of the US House of Representatives who had been an aggressive defender of legal abortion and later worked for a political organization promoting pro-abortion candidates. The university refused to comply with the bishop’s request. more

January 12, 2012
Marriage and Religious Freedom: Fundamental Goods That Stand or Fall Together
An Open Letter from 39 Religious Leaders in the United States to All Americans. Among the signatories are four Catholic bishops, led by the head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan.
The letter details how approval of same-sex marriage affects society; and it how such approval impinges on religious liberty.
Please read and duplicate for your friends
printable 3 page pdf version of letter
printable 2 page pdf version of letter
The Catholic League introduction

January 9, 2012 -- news.va/en
KCBC hails Vatican’s decision on married priests
The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) has termed the Vatican’s decision to take married priests into its fold as “historic”.
“The move might have come as part of the unification of the Anglican Church,” KCBC spokesperson, Fr. Stephen Alathara said while welcoming the decision. .. more

January 6, 2012 -- lifenews.com
Teen Spared For Two More Weeks From Parents Forcing Abortion
by Kristen Walker | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 1/10/12 12:44 PM
A 14-year-old girl in Corpus Christi, TX, received a temporary restraining order on Dec. 21 to stop her family from forcing her to get an abortion. A state district judge appointed an attorney for the teen and extended the restraining order until Jan. 19, when a hearing will determine whether the order will remain in place for the duration of the girl’s pregnancy. .. more
Parents have some rights but not the right to kill a baby and to endanger the welfare of the mother.

January 6, 2012 -- William Stover
Abortion Advocacy Groups at 6 Catholic Universities
As society continues its downward spiral, one would hope and expect Catholic universities to stand as a beacon in the darkness. Sadly, the actions of many Catholic educational institutions betray this hope. One particularly heinous facet of this betrayal is the presence of patently pro-abortion advocacy groups on Catholic campuses called “Students for Reproductive Justice.” Even the most cursory examination shows that in the shadow of “reproductive justice” looms the promotion of abortion, the worst injustice.
According to the Catholic Boston College web site:
“The Students for Reproductive Justice (LSRJ) at Boston College Law School promotes discussion, education, and advocacy on issues of reproductive freedom. LSRJ works on reproductive health and choice issues such as global family planning, comprehensive sex education, contraceptive equity and birth control options, safe, legal and accessible abortion…”1
.....Analogous pro-abortion groups can be found at other Catholic universities, including DePaul University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Santa Clara University and Seattle University. PROTEST NOW

January 5, 2012 -- Peter Baklinski -- LifeSiteNews.com
Shock: 40% of New York pregnancies aborted
With the highest abortion rate in the nation, nearly double the 23% national average, New York continues to be a place that babies in the womb cannot love.
New York City Department of Health released data that shows that 83,750 abortions were performed in New York City in 2010, which translated to 40% of all pregnancies, down from 41% in 2009.
The Bronx saw a staggering 48% of pregnancies end in abortion. The city lost 38,574 African-Americans babies to abortion, a dumbfounding 60% of the city’s African-American pregnancies.
....The abortion rate among NY teens as a whole was 63%, 12,139 abortions to 7,207 live births. That means that for every 1,000 babies born among New York City teens, 1,684 were aborted. PROTEST NOW

January 1, 2012 -- Vatican Radio
Pope Benedict creates Ordinariate in U.S.
In response to numerous requests, Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday, 1 January, established an ordinariate for Anglican groups and clergy in the United States who wish to become Catholic. It is only the second structure of its in the world. The Pope also has named a Houston professor and former Episcopal bishop, Reverend Jeffrey N. Steenson, to lead the ordinariate.
The establishment of the ordinariate follows the publication in 2009 of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, in which the Holy Father made certain provisions to welcome Anglicans into full union with the Catholic Church, while allowing them to retain many of their distinctive traditions. .. more

January 1, 2012 -- The Vatican
Educating Young People In Justice And Peace
Message Of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
For The Celebration Of The World Day Of Peace
"...Attentiveness to young people and their concerns, the ability to listen to them and appreciate them, is not merely something expedient; it represents a primary duty for society as a whole, for the sake of building a future of justice and peace.
It is a matter of communicating to young people an appreciation for the positive value of life and of awakening in them a desire to spend their lives in the service of the Good. This is a task which engages each of us personally." .. more

December 31, 2011 -- Jim Meyers -- newsmax.com
Santorum Haunted by Support of Pro-abortion Specter
Rick Santorum's endorsement of Arlen Specter, a strong supporter of abortion who gave President Barack Obama the key Senate vote to pass Obamacare, is becoming a key issue as the Iowa caucuses near.
Read more on Newsmax.com: Santorum Haunted by Support of Pro-abortion Specter .. more

December 30, 2011 -- Paul Scicchitano -- newsmax
Rev. Wildmon Urges Christians to Pick Gingrich in Most Crucial Election Ever
The Rev. Donald E. Wildmon is urging Christian voters in Iowa to vote for Newt Gingrich in their caucuses on Tuesday in what he describes as the "most critical" election in American history.
Wildmon also warns that voting for other "good" conservative candidates will ensure Mitt Romney's victory.
Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association, is one of the nation's most respected Christian leaders and has been at the forefront for decades in fighting for traditional values against a rising tide of secularism. .. more

December 30, 2011 -- The Vatican Today
More than 200 victims on Christmas day bomb blast; the day of prayer and fasting on December 31st
Jos (Agenzia Fides) - There are 200 victims, among people who died or are missing, due to the attacks directed at some Christian churches at Christmas in Nigeria. This is what said is read in a statement sent to Agenzia Fides signed by His Exc. Mgr. Ade Job, Archbishop of Ibadan and President of the Episcopal Conference of Nigeria.
"We the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria are deeply saddened by the Christmas day bombings directed at some Christian churches, which include St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Minna diocese", the statement said."The death toll of people considered either dead or missing from the very unfortunate tragedy, is today feared to be about 200 people. Many of the wounded have now been hospitalized, while the Church edifice and other buildings around are in ruins", the statement continues. .. more

December 23, 2011 -- zenit.org
"The Current Wave of Evangelization"
Translation of the final Advent sermon by Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher of the pontifical household,
"The thing that changes and distinguishes the various waves of evangelization mentioned is not the content of the proclamation -- "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" as the Letter to Jude verse 3 says -- but those to whom that proclamation is addressed: the Greco-Roman world, the barbarian world, and the new world, that is, the American continent, respectively."     article     text of speech

December 20, 2011 -- CNA/EWTN News
Pope Approves Miracle of Kateri Tekakwitha
Pope Benedict XVI formally recognized a miracle attributed to Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha on Dec. 19, clearing the way for her to be canonized.
Known as the "Lily of the Mohawks," Blessed Kateri was born in 1656 in upstate New York. Her father was a Mohawk chief and her mother was an Algonquin who was raised Catholic.     more

December 15, 2011 -- EWTNews Feature
Archbishop Carlson sees signs of encouragement for US vocations
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, the head of the U.S. bishops' committee on vocations, believes Catholics should be encouraged by great signs of hope for the future of the priesthood in America.
Archbishop Carlson of St. Louis told EWTN News on Dec. 12 that although there is a "great need for more seminarians" in the United States, several recent "positive trends" in seminary enrollment should "give us hope as a people of faith."     more

December 14, 2011 -- Thomas Peters -- washingtonpost
The Catholic case for Gingrich, for now
Are Catholics helping fuel the rise of Newt Gingrich? He swept Catholic Vote’s online Thanksgiving Straw Poll of Catholic voters with 44 percent out of over 13,000 votes cast. Santorum came in second with 14 percent and Mitt Romney placed third with 10 percent. Anecdotal as it may be, it’s clear that lots of Catholics like Newt. Why?
For one, he is Catholic, having converted in 2009. He subsequently produced a documentary of Pope John Paul II’s battle with Communism in Poland,
-- more

December 14, 2011 -- catholicculture.org
Caritas: Durban climate deal insufficient
Caritas Internationalis, the Church’s confederation of relief and development agencies, stated in a press release that the agreement reached at the Durban Climate Change Conference left the world “facing a catastrophic .. increase in global temperatures” of four degrees Celsius. -- more
What's in it for them?
This is the sane Caritas that got control of a chain of Catholic hospitals in Boston and then sold them! See:
Removing Christ from Caritas Christi
In our last post, Steward's Super Bowl Sunday Spending, we talked about the expensive television ad by Steward Health Care, the new entity formed to oversee the Caritas Christi hospitals-you know, the hospitals that said they were out of money and needed to sell-out to get the infusion of cash by Cerberus in order to stay afloat. -- Please read:

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Pastoral Letter December 11, 2011
Exactly three months ago, on September 8, I was installed as Archbishop of Philadelphia. In the weeks since, traveling the archdiocese, I've been struck by two things I encounter again and again: the reservoir of good will in our people, and the fidelity of our priests. -- more

December 6, 2011 -- Brian Kelly -- catholicism.org
Two Jesuit Universities Co-Sponsor Conferences to Undermine Natural Moral Law and Church Teaching
Campus Notes: In a special investigative report released today, The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) provides evidence of "a well-orchestrated attempt to undermine the Church's doctrine and its stand against homosexual 'marriage'" at a series of conferences co-sponsored by two Jesuit universities and funded by a radical foundation. -- more
The universities: Fordham and Fairfield
Report: Dissent and Sacrilege

December 5, 2011 -- Vatican Radio
Card. Rodriguez: Kyoto failure "moral apartheid"
Caritas Internationalis President Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga says failure at UN climate talks in Durban is a "moral apartheid" that cannot be allowed to happen. On Sunday, thousands of people representing the nations most effected by increasingly erratic weather conditions marched peacefully on Durban, South Africa, to bring the focus of UN Climate Change talks back to the human toll of a global politics that puts industry before lives. During a special Mass at Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban, Cardinal Rodriguez noted "Just as South Africa's Apartheid era policies sought divisions along race lines, today the world's environment and energy policies divide man from nature". -- more
We respectfully disagree. We should be ready to help people affected by climate catastrophes and improve their position for future calamities. We should not get involved with groups that have turned "Global Warming" into their religion!

December 1, 2011 -- catholic world report
The Coming Latino Catholic Majority
Hispanics account for more than 70 percent of the growth in the US Catholic population since 1960.
The number of Hispanics in the United States grew from 1.9 million in 1940, to 14.6 million in 1990, to 50.5 million in 2010, according to US Census Bureau data. Of these, 31.8 million are Mexican-American, 4.6 million are Puerto Rican, 1.8 million are Cuban-American, and 1.6 million are Salvadoran-American. Hispanics today do not uniformly assent to “popery”: 68 percent of US Hispanics are Catholic, according to a 2007 report by the Pew Research Center, while 15 percent are Evangelical Protestants and 8 percent profess no religion. -- more

Nov. 28, 2011 -- Vatican City, (Zenit.org)
Papal Address to Student Group on Ecology
"Respect for the Human Being and Respect for Nature Are One"
Vatican Radio translation of Benedict XVI's address today to a foundation called "Sister Nature."
Lord Cardinal, Distinguished Authorities, Dear Youngsters and Youths!
It is with great joy that I welcome all of you to this meeting dedicated to commitment to "Sister Nature," to use the name of the Foundation that organized it. -- more

Nov. 28, 2011 -- Vatican City, (Zenit.org)
Papal Address to New York Bishops
"We Ourselves Are the First to Need Re-evangelization"
Text of the address Benedict XVI gave Saturday to a group of U.S. bishops who are in Rome for their five-yearly "ad limina" visits. -- more

11/18/2011
Our web site and other Catholic web sites may disappear!
The Stop Online Piracy Act, while claiming to defend us from foreign piracy would result in government regulations, censorship, uncertain liabilities and unfounded law suits
As drafted, the legislation would grant the government and private parties unprecedented power to interfere with the Internet's domain name system. The government would be able to force Internet service providers and search engines to redirect or dump users' attempts to reach certain websites. In response, third parties will try to get average users to use alternative servers that offer access to the entire Internet (not just the newly censored U.S. version).
We don't like copyright infringement but if it originates in the US we can use the legal system to stop it. We do not want our government controlling the Internet.
We are against government censorship!

11/11/2011
Pro-Abortion Speaker CANCELED at Siena College
www.tfpstudentaction.org
Pro-abortion speaker was canceled at Catholic Siena College after TFP Student Action launched its protest.
Thank you John and TFP Student Action!
Alex Majthenyi

11/11/2011
SCANDAL: Catholic Siena College Invites Radical Pro-Abortion Speaker
www.tfpstudentaction.org Inviting Widney Brown is not only detrimental to the reputation of Siena College, but is also an insult to every member of the 800th year old Franciscan Order.
Alex Majthenyi
Note: In a 2010 article published by The Nation, Brown says: "The Catholic Church… [is] not good on women's rights. They are horrible on gay rights. And frankly, if you look at what they say about HIV and condoms, they have blood on their hands."
http://www.thenation.com/article/who-speaks-human-rights

November 07, 2011 -- catholicculture
Austrian dissidents escalate conflict, challenge hierarchy
Dissident Catholics in Austria have announced their intention to conduct liturgical ceremonies in which lay people act as priests, preaching and simulating the celebration of Mass.
"Church law bans this," acknowledged Hans Peter Hurka, the leader of the We Are Church movement. His group issued a challenging manifesto just before the Austrian bishops gathered for their annual meeting.
The lay-led ceremonies would violate not only canonical rules but also fundamental theological principles, ignoring central doctrinal teachings about the nature of the Eucharist and of Holy Orders. -- more

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The Youth Statement to the UN and the World has been signed by 120,000 people including 57,000 under the age of 30
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News Archive: to 2008 2009



March of the Survivors
All the polls show that young people are more pro-life than adults. This offers great hope for the future as these youngsters become voters and decision makers. Share the pro-life message with a young person today. As one of the speakers says, "The pro-life movement is getting younger and younger." Praise be to God! The energy and zeal of these youngsters fills me with hope. Video