WBZ censors MCFL

Statement by Anne Fox, President, Massachusetts Citizens for Life, November 10, 2009

"Radio station WBZ, Boston's NBC affiliate, has refused to sell time to Massachusetts Citizens for Life to air ads on the health care plans. When asked to put their reasons in writing, the station declined.

"These ads and similar ads have already aired on WRKO in Boston, WTAG in Worcester, and WHYN in Springfield. They address abortion, rationing, and denial of care based on age or disability.

"At first WBZ told me that we had to substantiate our 'claims'. Even as I offered to do so, they decided they would not take the ads.

"This is a news station which should be dedicated to presenting all sides of an issue - especially one of such importance to their listening audience. The media, in general, is unquestioningly in favor of these bills, As a premier news station WBZ should be happy to air views that may not be exactly the same as theirs.

"When they hear the ad, I am sure people will agree that is a valuable addition to the health care debate"

Chief Master Sergeant John Gebhardt, USAF

John Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shot her in the head...but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up, but continues to cry and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair.. The girl is coming along with her healing.

He is a real Star of the war, and represents what America is trying to do.

This, my friends, is worth sharing. Go for it!! You'll never see things like this in the news. Please keep this going. Nothing will happen if you don't, but the American public needs to see pictures like this and needs to realize that what we're doing over there is making a difference. Even if it is just one little girl at a time.

James Gates U. S. Navy

Snopes verifies this

Coercion

Bethlehem man allegedly put gun in girlfriend's mouth to convince her to get abortion
By Michael Buck
October 22, 2009, 11:03AM

A Bethlehem man faces charges after he put a gun in his girlfriend's mouth during an argument over whether she should have an abortion, court records say.

Jonathan Stock, 28, of the 3300 block of East Boulevard was arguing with Tammy Smith because he wanted her to get an abortion, records say. Stock initially pushed Smith against a wall and choked her, lifting her off her feet, court records say. Stock then threw Smith to the ground, grabbed her hair and pointed a .380-caliber pistol her in mouth and head and said he was going to kill her, records say.

Stock eventually let Smith go and she was able to run from the house. Police were called and Stock was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, making terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail

Ministry of Truth

A sleaze named Jack Huberman (aka the quotable atheist) wrote a book that claimed Rush Limbaugh said Martin Luther King Jr's assassin (James Earl Ray) should get the medal of honor. Trouble was Huberman did not attribute when or where Rush allegedly said this racist remark and still refuses to answer, because Rush never said this. So Huberman is a liar. But a lie goes half way around the world before the truth gets its shoes on, so CNN, MSNBC (including specifically Rachael Maddow) NYT and the major broadcast stations have all repeated this calumny. It's a sad day that totally false remarks, lies, can be repeated by the Ministry of Truth; the mainstream media including NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN, and of course the New York Times.

The sad truth to this story now that the lies have been exposed is many still maintain Rush is a racist, basically because he criticized Eagles quarterback Donavan McNab. That's a pretty scary standard.

Rush Limbaugh has always advocated the Pro-Life position strongly. These anti-life bigots should not only be sued, but we should all avoid helping them profit from lies by boycotting these anti-life news outlets!

Rush: "Looking toward the future, Limbaugh expressed optimism that Americans, perhaps many yet to be born, would reject the pro-choice rhetoric, saying it evinces a cavalier attitude toward life itself... Every generation has thought from the beginning of time ... it's living in the 'last days,' ... yet it's never doomed and it's never finished, and it's never over with, and why is that? Well, because there's always a new generation or two that have yet to be born that don't know any of this negative stuff. And they eventually do get born despite the pro-abortion crowd, and they grow up and they decide they want a certain life for themselves that may not include some of all this rotgut that current generations are facing."

Leading cause of death for pregnant women

64% of American women felt pressured by others
More than half felt rushed, yet 67% received no counseling
79% were not told about available alternatives
65% suffer symptoms of trauma
"Homicide is the leading killer of pregnant women"

VM Rue et. al., “Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women,” Medical Science Monitor 10(10): SR5-16 (2004).

"Many pregnant women have been killed by partners trying to prevent the birth, and women are more likely to be attacked while pregnant"

Coercion to abort can escalate to violence against women
Julie A. Gazmararian et al., "The Relationship Between Pregnancy Intendedness and Physical Violence in Mothers of Newborns," Obstetrics & Gynecology, 85 :1031 (1995); Hortensia Amaro et al., "Violence During Pregnancy and Substance Use," American Journal of Public Health, 80: 575 (1990); and J. McFarlane et al., "Abuse During Pregnancy and Femicide: Urgent Implications for Women’s Health," Obstetrics & Gynecology, 100: 27, 27-36 (2002).

"Murder is the leading cause of death among pregnant women."
I.L. Horton and D. Cheng, "Enhanced Surveillance for Pregnancy-Associated Mortality-Maryland, 1993-1998," JAMA 285(11): 1455-1459 (2001); see also J. Mcfarlane et. al., "Abuse During Pregnancy and Femicide: Urgent Implications for Women's Health," Obstetrics & Gynecology, 100: 27-36 (2002).

Coerced or forced abortion: internationally recognized as human rights abuse

Abortion hurts fathers

40 Days for Life received a report from Houston that was both eye-opening and heartbreaking.

People participating in the 40 Days for Life vigil watched as a young man who appeared to be in tears walked into Planned Parenthood with his girlfriend
and her mother.

When they left some time later, he was most certainly crying -- and obviously quite upset.

I'll let one of the prayer vigil participants pick up the story...

I watched him head down the street, alternating
between wiping the tears from his face and punching
the buildings in anger and frustration as he passed
them. Eventually he headed back toward the parking
lot. As he approached, I went to him first. All I
could think to say was that I was so very sorry for
his loss. He began to cry again.

Then a truck pulled up leaving the parking lot with
his girlfriend and her mother inside. The girl's
mother yelled at him to get in and cursed him as he
opened the door. He had one foot inside, then
stepped back out and closed the door. As she drove
away he promptly sat down on the curb and cried
like a baby. Three of us sat down beside him -- all
men -- and cried with him.

Eventually, he began to talk. He was probably in
his very early twenties. He told us that his
girlfriend did not want to keep the child because
she feared they would not be able to provide for
him. He asked her how she could destroy a life
based on a hunch. He told her this child had a
heartbeat and a soul and deserved to live. He even
tried to convince her to, at the very least, put
the child up for adoption.

I was struck by the fact that this young man knew
all this simply because his heart told him it was
true. He was wise well beyond his years and he was
hurting terribly.

I was struck by the clear reality that fathers have
so little to do with whether their own children
live or die. I also couldn't help but notice that
despite the high volume of Planned Parenthood
volunteers around, none of them approached him.

Before I left him, he stood up to hug me. All I
could tell him was what I truly believed -- that
today, his child knows that his/her father fought
for it. That to his child, he is a hero and that
someday he would know that also.

Please pray for this young man and others like him.
The tragedy of abortion is real and happening every
day. No one knows that better than he.

I sincerely hope this young man comes to embrace the
exceptional advice he was given; but that will most
certainly take time. I cannot even begin to imagine
the anguish.

This is a first-person account of what abortion does
to fathers. Who knows how many others have walked in
his shoes, as there are more than a million abortions
every year -- and more than 50 million since the 1973
Roe v. Wade decision that opened the floodgates to
abortion on demand.

Let's pray even harder!

Central MA abortion stats

For 2008, Table 10, Abortions in Massachusetts Hospitals and Clinics, "Central" region showed Hahnemann Family Health Center with 10 abortions, Planned Parenthood with 3208, and UMass Memorial Hospital with 52 for a total of 3270.

DC TEA

The Don't tread on me message was loud and clear at the Washington DC TEA Party.

a priest comments on Kennedy's funeral

Dear Everyone,
I am sending this e-mail to all those on my list of contacts. Many of you will sympathize with what I have to say; some of you, however, may disagree strongly, particularly those who may be "pro-choice".

Why, then, am I emailing even those of you for whom this message may be not only unsolicited but unwelcome - perhaps even offensive? Simply because, as a Roman Catholic priest, I feel a duty in conscience today to register, to the couple of hundred people to whom I have ready access, my emphatic dissent from a message that was projected around the nation and the globe this morning to millions of viewers and listeners by certain other members of the Roman Catholic clergy.

I refer to this morning's televised funeral Mass, celebrated in Boston's Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, for the recently deceased Senator Edward Moore Kennedy. It was a Mass I regard as a scandal comparable to, if not worse than, the scandal given several months ago when the nation's most prestigious 'Catholic' university bestowed an honorary doctorate upon Barack Hussein Obama, the most pro-abortion and 'pro-gay' president in U.S. history.

Why, you ask, should a Catholic priest raise such objections to a Catholic funeral for a Catholic legislator? Well, I am afraid this funeral was no ordinary Catholic funeral. For to those innumerable viewers and listeners of many religions (or none) who were aware of Sen. Kennedy's public, straightforward, radical, long-standing, and (as far as we know) unrepented defiance of his own Church's firm teaching about the duty of legislators to protect unborn human life and resist the miltant homosexual agenda, this morning's Mass, concelebrated by several priests, presided over Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, and adorned by a eulogy from the aforesaid U.S. President, effectively communicated a tacit but very clear message: the Church does not really take too seriously her own 'official' doctrines on these matters!

I feel impelled, therefore, to make known to anyone willing to read these lines that there are many other representatives of the Catholic Church, such as the undersigned, who take those doctrines very seriously indeed.

How would our Church leaders act if they really did take seriously an official Church position from which a prominent deceased Catholic had publicly dissented? To answer that question, we need only imagine a situation in which some well-known Catholic legislator had for years supported the Church's social teaching 'across the board', in regard to human life, marriage, compassion toward the poor and underprivileged, etc., but had then, in old age, lapsed into supporting some ideological position that was strongly opposed not only by the Church, but also by the dominant Western elites in government, law, education, commerce and the media. Suppose, for instance, that he had come to endorse white supremacism or holocaust denial. Now, when the moment forthis Catholic legislator's funeral came, could we imagine for one moment that our cardinals, bishops and other leading clergy, mindful of this man's sterling and thoroughly orthodox contributions to the common good over so many years in Congress, would 'compassionately' overlook his latter-day lapse into racism or antisemitism? Would they agree to give him a free pass in regard to this defect? Would they speak and act as if it were non-existent? Would they grant him a televised funeral Mass in a large basilica, presided over by a cardinal, in which he would be publicly eulogized by both family and public figures?

These questions really answer themselves. Of course none of that would occur! The local bishop might go as far as allow our hypothetical Catholic racist or antisemite a Church funeral, if it was known that (like Senator Kennedy) he had confessed sacramentally to a priest before death. However, the bishop would allow the use of church property for this funeral on the strict condition that only close personal family and friends would be admitted. All media transmission or even presence during the service itself would surely be forbidden. (It would, of course, be unnecessary for the bishop to ask his fellow bishops and other high Church dignitaries not to attend the service; for all of them, like the bishop himself, would already prefer to be anywhere else on earth than at the funeral of one who had lapsed so unspeakably from society's ruling canons of acceptable behavior.)

Yes, society's canons. There, I am afraid, lies the difference between our two scenarios. Is it that official Catholic doctrine is incomparably more opposed to racism and antisemitism than it is to abortion and sodomy (as a visitor from Mars might suppose on observing the radically divergent reactions of our bishops to the two respective ex-politicians)? Not at all. The big difference is simply that most members of the Catholic hierarchy in Western society today - and there are of course a number of honorable exceptions - are lacking in prophetic courage. They are ready and eager to take vigorous and resolute public disciplinary action only against those deviations from Church teaching which also happen to be excoriated by the cultural and media elites. But if it is our prelates themselves who will be excoriated by those elites - as would certainly have occurred had they required for Ted Kennedy's funeral the kind of severe restraint we envisaged above for that of our hypothetical bigot - then all eagerness for just discipline will evaporate as fast as dew in the morning sun. "Pastoral compassion", "forgiveness", "tolerant respect" and "Christian charity" will now be instantly invoked as reasons for cloaking in total silence the public enormities committed decade after decade by an ecclesially heterodox but socially orthodox legislator.

So it was, in this morning's funeral Mass, that the homilist, Fr. Mark Hession (pastor of Kennedy's Cape Cod parish), made his sermon a eulogy about what a wonderful Catholic Christian Ted was, assuring us that we could be "confident" that he is already with Jesus in glory. So it was that the principal celebrant, Fr. Donald Monan, S.J., Chancellor of Boston College, not only repeatedly told those present - and the whole watching world - that Sen. Kennedy was a man of "faith and prayer", with a deep devotion to the Eucharist, but also assured us that this "faith and prayer" in private was precisely what inspired and motivated his public policies, so that there was (surprise, surprise) a real integration and unity between his private and public life!

Well, a lot of us didn't quite manage to see any private-public unity based on Roman Catholic principles. On the contrary, Kennedy's huge political influence, based on both the family's prestige and the personal dyamism of this "Lion of the Senate", if anything made his U-turn on abortion (yes, he was pro-life in his younger days) an even more scandalous counter-witness: a sign of conflict, not union, with that Church to which he professed loyalty.

Here are two comments I have just lifted off a Catholic blog:

1. "There's this big, 'What if?'" said Catholic author Michael Sean Winters. "If Ted Kennedy had stuck to his pro-life position, would both the (Democratic) party and the country have embraced the abortion on demand policies that we have now? I don't think so."
2. "Russell Shaw, former spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that when Kennedy defied the church on issues such as abortion and later, gay marriage, he reinforced a corrosive belief among Catholics that they can simply ignore teachings they don't agree with."

I myself remember several years ago a conversation with a young woman who had been brought up Catholic but had recently been 'born again' as an Evangelical Protestant. One of the arguments she threw at me was, "Even your Church leaders don't really believe what Catholics are supposed to believe. Why don't they excommunicate Ted Kennedy? He's blatantly, 100% pro-choice! Yet they do nothing!"

What could I say to her? And what can I say now, after today's public scandal? That young lady's complaint was simply that this man remained a Catholic in good standing. I find I must now complain to you of something worse. Before the whole world this morning, my fellow Catholic clerics in Boston did not just accord him the "good standing" of a normal, flawed Catholic whose soul we can hope is in Purgatory. Rather, clad in triumphant white vestments instead of penitential violet (never mind the traditional black!), they have placed him on a pedestal, granting him an unofficial 'instant canonization'!

The Church's teaching is already abundantly clear that all this is very wrong. So perhaps we can legitimately discern the hand of God's Providence, which rules all things, in a 'coincidence' that suggests a manifestation of God's grave displeasure at this kind of mockery - injustice masquerading as "pastoral charity". In our liturgy, Sunday has begun as I write at the hour of Vespers on Saturday. But the earlier part of this day, August 29, including the time of the Kennedy funeral, was observed by Catholics round the world as the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. In normal Masses celebrated today, the biblical account of his martyrdom was read (Mark 6: 17-29.) The parallels are striking: (a) We see two powerful civil authorities; (b) both of them flip-flop in a morally bad direction (Herod originally respected and defended John, and Kennedy originally respected and defended the unborn; (c) both of them abuse their power by authorizing the shedding of innocent blood; and (d) both of them do so under peer-group pressure and at the behest of unrighteous women (then, Herod's guests, his wife and her daughter; now, the radical feminists and their fellow travellers).

As if that were not enough, the longest Scripture reading in today's liturgy also grabs our attention. It is prescribed not for the Feast of John the Baptist, but independently, for the Saturday of Week 21, in the 'Office of Readings', This is a part of the daily 'Liturgy of the Hours' which is required spiritual reading for us Roman Rite clerics. And today's reading just happens to be Jeremiah 7: 1-20, in which the prophet vigorously denounces - guess what? - the hypocrisy of Israel's religious leaders who proudly identify with the temple and the rites they celebrate within it, while at the same time they are living unrighteously (including "shedding innocent blood", v. 6) and even "pouring out libations to strange gods" (v. 18). God therefore warns, "my anger and my wrath will pour out upon this place" (v. 20). Orthodox Catholics will surely ask whether God can be any less angered now by those clerics who today carried out temple rites giving undeserved honor to a legislator who for decade after decade poured out the 'libations' of his eloquence, influence and Senate votes in the service the 'false gods' of Planned Parenthood and NARAL -which regularly rewarded him with 100% ratings for his 'pro-choice' record.

Enough. If, in your charity, you pray for God to be merciful to the soul of Edward Moore Kennedy, please pray for all of us Catholic priests as well - and be cognizant of the fact that some of us are profoundly indignant at what we saw our brethren doing today.

Sincerely,
Father Brian Harrison, O.S.
Oblates of Wispom Study Center,
St. Louis, Missouri
Father Brian Harrison, O.S., M.A., S.T.D., is Professor Emeritus of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce, P.R. In 1997 he gained his doctorate in Systematic Theology, summa cum laude, from the Pontifical Athenæum of the Holy Cross in Rome. Father is a priest in good standing of the Diocese of Ponce. He came to St. Louis in November of 2007

Kennedy Follow-up

Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison wrote that some of the commentary on Sen. Ted Kennedy's funeral was "sinful" in that it is "sinful to enjoy the thought that someone might be in Hell."

Deal Hudson, in his commentary, Calling a Spade a Spade rightly points out that no one of the main public commentaries on Kennedy did any such thing. Specifically Hudson quotes Raymond Arroyo of EWTN, Judie Brown of American Life League, and Phil Lawler of Catholic World News, writing

Nowhere could I find anything close to the sin described by Bishop Morlino.

Phil Lawler writes, "We cannot know the state of Ted Kennedy's soul when he finally succumbed to brain cancer." From Judie Brown: "Not a single one of us knows the state of Senator Kennedy's soul at his death." And finally Arroyo: "Judgment remains the exclusive domain of God, and no one should presume to know Senator Kennedy's eternal destination."

So what gives? Are we supposed to remain silent in the face of public scandal lest we be call sinners? Hudson goes on to point out that Molino is actually a very faithful and very practical Shepherd, who is a lion from the pulpit but a lamb in the confessional. Molino called out Sen. Joe Biden for his abortion comments on Mett the Press during the election. Hudson warns that "Anyone who uses Bishop Morlino's words to scourge those who fear for the public witness of the Church should read the bishop more closely."

Mocking God

I can't verify all of these stories, but I do know that Sam Kinison died in a car crash on his way to Las Vegas.
and his brother killed himself with a self-inflicted gun-shot at a family reunion

Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!
Make a personal reflection about this...... read until the end.....

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):

'Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sow, that shall he also reap.. here are some men and women who mocked God :

John L ennon (Singer): Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said: 'Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that.. I am certain.
Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him' (1966).
Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil): During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet): During A show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said:'God, that's for you.' He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: 'Not even God can sink it' The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic

Marilyn Monroe (Actress) She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: 'I don't need your Jesus'. A week later, she was found dead in her apartment

Bon Scott (Singer) The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: 'Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell'. On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005) In Campinas, Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend....... The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: 'My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.' She responded: 'Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full ' Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact.
The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer) said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle. If any more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive. Jesus' PS: If it was a joke, you would have sent it to everyone. So are you going to have courage to send this?.

I have done my part, Jesus said 'If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.' You are my 8 in 8 seconds. I am not breaking this. No way!

Bishop T.D. Jakes '8 Second Prayer.' Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!!
'Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name.
Amen.' Pass this message to 8 people {EXCEPT YOU AND ME}... God bless you.

Brother Louis J. Laperle, S.C.
A.C.J---A.C.M
Be good too yourself! God Bless!
94 Carrington Avenue
Woonsocket, RI 02895-4534
Tel: 401-632-2358

How to get to hell

Blessed Jacinta Marto, who died before her 10th birthday in a Lisbon orphanage understood Christ's message of suffering, and that suffering is redemptive. Which is why she accepted her suffering, and prayed constantly for the salvation of souls.

Blessed Jacinta told Mother Godinho at the orphanage that "The sins [that] cause most souls to go to hell are the sins of the flesh."

Mother Godinho asked Blessed Jacinta if she understood what it meant to be pure. Jacinta replied, "To be pure in body is to keep chastity. To be pure in soul is not to commit sins, not to look at what one should not see...."

I would argue that this saying from a 9-year old is on a par with St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, who indicated that NOT sinning is like performing a miracle when he said If you draw back your eyes from an harlot, and from beauty not your own, you have opened them when they were blind.

Blessed Jacinta also revealed that the Blessed Virgin Mary also said:

Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much.

Many marriages are not good; they do not please Our Lord and are not of God.

Priests must be pure, very pure. They should not busy themselves with anything except what concerns the Church and souls. The disobedience of priests to their superiors and to the Holy Father is very displeasing to Our Lord.

The Blessed Mother can no longer restrain the hand of her Divine Son from striking the world with just punishment for its many crimes.

Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. tell them to ask graces from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Letter 31

"Without fail, it brings death to the body and destruction to the soul. It pollutes the flesh, extinguishes the light of the mind, expels the Holy Spirit from the temple of the human heart, and gives entrance to the devil, the stimulator of lust. It leads to error, totally removes truth from the deluded mind... It opens up hell and closes the gates of paradise.."

"It is this vice that violates temperance, slays modesty, strangles chastity, and slaughters virginity... It defiles all things, sullies all things, pollutes all things...

"This vice excludes a man from the assembled choir of the Church... it separates the soul from God to associate it with demons.

"This utterly diseased queen of Sodom renders him who obeys the laws of her tyranny infamous to men and odious to God. She strips her knights of the armor of virtue, exposing them to be pierced by the spears of every vice...

"She humiliates her slave in the church and condemns him in court; she defiles him in secret and dishonors him in public; she gnaws at his conscience like a worm and consumes his flesh like fire (emphasis added)... this unfortunate man (he) is deprived of all moral sense, his memory fails, and the mind's vision is darkened.

"Unmindful of God, he also forgets his own identity. This disease erodes the foundation of faith, saps the vitality of hope, dissolves the bond of love. It makes way with justice, demolishes fortitude, removes temperance, and blunts the edge of prudence. Shall I say more?'"

- Liber Gomorrhianus

9/11

It's been 8 years since the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. The 9/11 attack came 8 years after the first attempt to bring down the World Trade Center.

Half Truths and Lies

If you wish to strengthen a lie, mix a little truth in with it. This from the Zohar a mystical commentary on the Torah, widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah.

This bit of insight is regularly used by allegedly Pro-Choice people. For example, the mis-named Catholics for Free Choice, CFFC, in their Abortion and Catholic Thought: The Little-Told History state one huge falsehood,

"Most people believe that the Roman Catholic church's position on abortion has remained unchanged for two thousand years. Not true. Church teaching on abortion has varied continually over the course of its history. There has been no unanimous opinion on abortion at any time."

I could quote CFFC and say "Not true." A quick look at the literature exposes this falsehood.
- Didache Chap2,1: you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten
- St. John Chrysostom (Homilies on Romans 24 [A.D. 391]). "Why do you sow where the field is eager to destroy the fruit, where there are medicines of sterility, where there is murder before birth? You do not even let a harlot remain only a harlot, but you make her a murderess as well..."
- St. Jerome (Letters 22:13 [A.D. 396]) "You may see a number of women who are widows before they are wives. Others, indeed, will drink sterility and murder a man not yet born"
- Catholic Encyclopedia: "The Sixth Ecumenical Council (Third Council of Constantinople 678 AD) determined for the whole Church that anyone who procured abortion should bear all the punishments inflicted on murderers. In all these teachings and enactments no distinction is made between the earlier and the later stages of gestation."
- The Decretals of Pope Gregory IX, 1324 AD, list one canon which designates as a 'murderer' one who causes an abortion

This concept of abortion as murder was reaffirmed by later Popes, specifically Pius IX, Pius XII and John Paul II.

CFFC has used the bait and switch technique, talking about some debates on the concept of ensoulment then switching to abortion. So while CFFC leads with a blatant lie, they follow, perhaps inadvertently perhaps on purpose, with a half truth: "While there has been constant general agreement that abortion is almost always evil and sinful, the church has had difficulty in defining the nature of that evil."

So even Catholics for Free Choice admit "that abortion is almost always evil and sinful." Kind of makes you wonder why they are arguing for something that "is almost always evil and sinful"? Especially when they mix in the lies. Sounds like they are authoring confusion.

Zohar also teaches in Shemat 3b, that abortion drives away the Shekhina (G_d's presence) from the world...For these abominations the Spirit of Holiness weeps.

Sounds like the U.S.of A.

Gardasil Researcher Speaks Out

by David E. Smith, IFI Executive Director -Illinois Family Institute

According to CBS News, Dr. Diane Harper, one of the lead researchers for the HPV vaccine Gardasil, says young girls and their parents should receive more complete warnings about the vaccine's risks and long-term effectiveness. Dr. Harper expressed concern that the CDC's recommendation that girls receive the vaccine at age 11 would "put them at harm from side effects, small but real, for no benefit. The benefit to public health is nothing, there is no reduction in cervical cancers, they are just postponed." There is no data indicating Gardasil is effective for more than five years.

Dr. Harper also expressed concern that patients are not being informed that the risks and side effects of Gardasil could occur "more often than cervical cancer itself."

Dr. Scott Ratner, a physician, spoke to CBS News last year after one of his teenage daughters became seriously ill after her first dose. Dr. Ratner said she'd have been better off getting cervical cancer (often completely curable if detected early enough through tests such as a PAP smear). "My daughter went from a varsity lacrosse player at Choate to a chronically ill, steroid-dependent patient with autoimmune myofasciitis." Other physicians continue to express concern that the rate of serious adverse events, including death, associated with Gardasil is at least as high as the number of deaths each year from cervical cancer.

Culture Wars - choose a side

If you are in favor of traditional marriage between one man and one woman, and against the death penalty for pre-born children, please consider boycotting the following companies and their products:

Pepsi includes Col. Sanders
Ford Motor Co.
Ben&Jerry's
Home Depot

Socialism vs. Catholicism

from Quadragesimo Anno - Pope Pius XI

120. If Socialism, like all errors, contains some truth (which, moreover, the Supreme Pontiffs have never denied), it is based nevertheless on a theory of human society peculiar to itself and irreconcilable with true Christianity. Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist.

Earn your way into heaven?

Here is an excerpt of Kennedy's letter to the Pope, which the Kennedys obviously released. Two thoughts; it sounds like he's bragging about his "good works" and he's also using his funeral to plug Obamacare...

Sad.


from Kennedy's letter:
"I want you to know, Your Holiness, that in my nearly 50 years of elective office, I have done my best to champion the rights of the poor and open doors of economic opportunity. I've worked to welcome the immigrant, fight discrimination and expand access to health care and education. I have opposed the death penalty and fought to end war. Those are the issues that have motivated me and been the focus of my work as a United States Senator.

"I also want you to know that even though I am ill, I am committed to do everything I can to achieve access to health care for everyone in my country. This has been the political cause of my life. I believe in a conscience protection for Catholics in the health care field and will continue to advocate for it as my colleagues in the Senate and I work to develop an overall national health policy that guarantees health care for everyone.

"I have always tried to be a faithful Catholic, Your Holiness, and though I have fallen short through human failings, I have never failed to believe and respect the fundamental teachings. I continue to pray for God's blessings on you and our Church and would be most thankful for your prayers for me."

Kennedy's Letter to Pope Benedict

Only excerpts of Ted Kennedy's Letter to Pope Benedict have been published so far, and on the critical issue of his excommunication latae sententiae due to his material cooperation with Abortion, only some oblique references;

Boston Globe: Kennedy’s letter only obliquely referred to his support for abortion rights, a position that put him sharply at odds with church teaching; nor did the excerpt from the Vatican reply touch on the issue.

Politics Daily quotes the Senator's letter directly: "I believe in a conscience protection for Catholics in the health care field and will continue to advocate for it as my colleagues in the Senate and I work to develop an overall national health policy that guarantees health care for everyone."

But I found no repentance about his defense of abortion. That is between him and God now.

The Holy Father's letter: "The Holy Father has read the letter which you entrusted to President Barack Obama, who kindly presented it to him during their recent meeting. He was saddened to know of your illness, and has asked me to assure you of his concern and his spiritual closeness. He is particularly grateful for your promise of prayers for him and for the needs of the universal Church.

"His Holiness prays that in the days ahead you may be sustained in faith and hope, and granted the precious grace of joyful surrender to the will of God our merciful Father. He invokes upon you the consolation and peace promised by the Risen Savior to all who share in His sufferings and trust in His promise of eternal life.

"Commending you and the members of your family to the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Father cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of wisdom, comfort and strength in the Lord."

This is a pastoral letter. It is not a concession to the Senator's Pro-Abortion work during his lifetime in the US Senate. However do not be surprised if it is spun that way.


I found the following grave site comments by Cardinal McCarrick to be stupid. Stupid because we are talking about abortion, an intrinsic evil, not simply a matter of disagreement. Abortion is not simply a matter important to us! It's important to God, which is why the Catechism says "From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 § 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life." CCC2322

"They called him the Lion of the Senate and indeed that is what he was," McCarrick said. "His roar and his zeal for what he believed made a difference in our nation's life."

"Sometimes, we who were his friends and had affection for him would get mad at him when he roared at what we believed was the wrong side of an issue which was important to us, but we always were touched by his passion for the underdog, for the rights of working people, for better education and for adequate health care for every American," the cardinal added. "His legacy will surely place him among the dozen or so greats in the history of the Senate of the United States."

Latest Prayer Needs

Please pray for the following people
Prayer Needs; Health and spiritual needs:
Health and spiritual needs:
Jessica 21 has MRSA and only has 8 months to live (her sister is at Visitation House with 15 month old son, Edward Joseph Parker-Gagne born 3 1/2 months premature and only weighs 1 lb. 14 ozs, Deacon Bob Conner who lost his mother and brother recently, Little Edward Joseph, Jack McGuirk leukemia, Bob recently widowed, with two boys to raise, Peachie with Lupis, Barbara R.- URGENT as she is dying NOW; Brian N.- cancer; David- whose wife left family with 3 children; Lisa- who left husband and 4 children- that they reunite and the children and Dad find strength, comfort, and faith, and that the Mom returns home, Ron's sister with brain tumor, My cousin Barbara B. who's back on chemo, My cousin Barbara B. who was cured of Leukemia but has some necropsy in her liver from chemo,Chris T. second operation, Sherry, (waiting for lung transplant), Robbie Coudert, Lauri, four babies now at Visitation House Damien the newest and Georga's daughter Grace gained weight and is a real fighter, 19 year old Brittany in i.c.u., Marilyn Birnie from "Friends of the Unborn", George recovery from leg surgery, John Benoit who's in Life Care in Auburn, Sean Seely married with 5 yr old twins has leukemia, Pam G. and Molly full recoveries from Cancer, Keishela. Clyde that he is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, Joni and her husband from http://www.joniandfriends.org/ - special Prayer request for Caroline for health and spiritual healing, and for a paying roommate to live in her house. John Sinacola stomach cancer, Ian, Dave K. motorcycle accident, Lisa Lauring stage 4 lung cancer, Abortion workers seeking new jobs. Ramona neck injury, Sue Kucharshi (Sandy's sister) hip replacement surgery 5/21, Esther, Nialah for a daughter and for faith, hope and understanding.
"Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer. Amen" - anon, Margie for her ministry to the unborn, Sheila, Paul the Holy Jumper, Mike Fields heart, Lisa Chamberlain Portsmouth England and her son Travis, Little Daniel who’s just diagnosed with an autism, 23 years old, 18 weeks pregnant, scheduled for an abortion in Pittsfield MA, Harry L., Jimmy B. heart, Stephen Galante who lost his fiance to a car accient - and his family; Bobby, Patty, Robert, Amanda, Chris, Travis and Thomas; Mark Forkey chemo, Joseph Tisdell, Phillip Monahan, John Tisdell shoulder surgery, Sylvia Fernandez from the Boston Pro-Life office, mother of 9 kids, has colon cancer, baby Sophia Freshteh Talebreza-Fischer who weighed 1 lb 8 oz at birth, and was 12.25 in. tall. President Obama and his cabinet and our elected officials, Monique and her baby Miracle from Baltimore, Bill G., Becky, Mark F. and others who are currently job seeking, toddler Moshe Holtzberg who’s parent’s were killed in Mumbai, Minnie P.; Vite T., baby Alyssa born prematurely at 2lbs, she's fighting for her life, Barry K. young man with Prostate cancer. Fr. Aloysius Nuolabong detached retina, Tom Brady, Lexi - 4 year old girl with Leukemia, Alice B., Kathleen jaw surgery (she’s fallen away but actually asked her mom to pray for her), John at St. George’s, Jacob cancer, conversion of younger sister Jane who is leaving her husband, and has a 2 year old, pray for reversion to her Faith. John H. heart attack Fran recovery from ACL surgery, Michele who is four months pregnant with her fourth child – who was diagnosed with Downs and a heart defect and Mom is being pressured to abort, Michele’s husband for a change of heart, Jim G. back surgery Wed 6/25, Gary G. - vertigo, Tina - advanced cancer; Jennifer - bi-polar depression; Jan - special intention; Tony L.- Alzheimer's and vision loss, Barbara, Curt (heart valve replacement infected and needs to be replaced again) and sons, Bob back surgery, Ted Kennedy conversion before he dies, Rachel Lee, a ten year old with a brain tumor. "for a couple with marriage problems" and their two young kids, For Mary and her young son Ryan that they may live in peace and happiness in their new home, Continued Grace for Karen and Bill and for all the folks' at the Barre Rosary/prayer group; David and Annick; Amy and Shawn, For the success of The Divine Mercy conferences in Rome, Deb H’s dad Gerard Thibert rushed to ICU and her mom RoseMarie, Alex collapsed at a high school track meet, had to have CPR, and is still unconscious in the hospital, with liver and kidney damage and possible brain damage, Elizabeth Dubay - muscular dystrophy, Shawn L. - broken arm in two places requiring surgery, Shari W's daughter Lyme disease, Robin cancer, Kay Pingeton-serious health issues; Jean-personal intention, Alex, a fifteen year old boy from Worcester who has been transferred to Boston Children's Hospital with heart failure resulting from a flu-type cold, K. Carlson cancer, Patrick Swayze, Sheila M. and Dennis P. conversion, Larry with Lymphoma, 9-year Ethan serious surgery, Luke Thrun and family, 8-year-old Prayers answered for Allie with collapsed lung and medically induced coma she's doing much better, Stacey (brain cancer) and Joe Persichetti, and their unborn son, John, Fr. Thomas Coover Bishop John McCormack and Fr. Edward Arsenault of New Hampshire, thanks for the successful kidney donation by Emmanuelle to her son Rémy, Joseph S. cancer Debbie S. musculor dystrophy, Rob in Worc. County House of Correction, Alice F., Nancy R. serious infection, freshman Christina L. and her college room-mate, Police Officer "Mike" in Georgia very seriously wounded while on duty, Nancy A. cancer, Ed Snell and John McTernan, David Y. to get a good job; for Eric Young; John Settle- advanced cancer, Mike Cormier bone marrow transplant, Dean's brother thyroid cancer, Yvonne and her son, Jan H's father and siblings in this time of her mother's death, John Benoit coronary bypass recovery, his wife Phyllis and all the Benoit and Bernard families, Jamie kidneys, Peter, For "Eddy" to realize Confession is a pre-requisite to Communion; P,D,A,M,B; "Mimi"; Mike; Kate W; Kate; Beth; Cory; Dan and family and a very special intention; Jack; Katie K., Julie M., Carmine, Yanni, Nancy, Mary L. stroke (and her mother), Jane and Ethan spiritual conversion, 15-year-old Nikki - very painful neuralgia. Carrie, Kevin Dolan; Kristin S., Cheryl S., Roland K.-leukemia; Tom and Barbara D. and children, Holy Cross, Sheila, Mike and family, Olivia near death, Michele T. and family, Sylvia, Courtney and kids, Mary R., Leah L. and family, Anne with Huntington's, Ruthie, "Mother of Mercy" field alter at the Divine Mercy, Johanna and her family, Anderson family, Tom in prison, Jack, Mary A., Skip Morley cancer, Flora Kunst -cancer, Rich Bard -cancer; Dave C.’s ministry and God’s will, Deb S's father for exploratory heart surgery, murderer Devaughdre Broussard, Tom B. in the Marines; Richard-emphysema, John Thomas who just joined the Marines, Andy Meier, and all injured in the Medjugoria bus crash, 4 year old girl Sky with inoperable brain tumor, House for Franciscan Nuns at St. Pauls, Rob McSheehy heart, Edward and Claire Young and family; Marie J., Janesse H., Steve, Thea and Sebastian, Lila Cystic fibrosis, Luanne cancer, Clement Krug lost intestines to cancer, McConahy family, Debbie V. housing, Patricia's nurse friend who calls priests for the dying, Terry near death with family problems, the following have cancer; Chris D. Henry V., "Abel" from Ghana, John Gagen Maxine H.. Heather Grimes and her team in Australia and their sponsorship, and the families of all the kids she meets, Phyllis McAuliffe, Claude D. lung cancer, Paul M. GBS, John C. esophagus, Judy C. lung cancer, Jenny, 15-year old boy named "T.J." and his parents, "M.R. Jr." and family, "L.B.", Carlene F., Baby Michael to thrive, 2-year old Jacob had a seizure, Mary Carmen Parenchyma lung cancer, Al Freeman, Special intention for Patricia, Larry C. Sarah L., Mike Paul's daughter Dee's health, Denise suicide who left 5 kids and husband. Justine brain cancer, Rosemary Shevchuk lupus; Deborah Harding; Gwen and Greg; Paula and Jim and family; Greg Anderson in the Marines in Iraq; Michael Morin in the Air Force in Iraq; Florienne Shevchuk; Anne Boudreau. Robert, Susan and Rob (divorced) and their girls Molly and Mackenzie, that they find God. Chris C., Lisa H. and family, and Vite T., Kathy L's mom, ‘Hopey’ McAulliffe (14), epilepsy and strength and direction for her mom Debbie, Anthony Leone, Rosalind Pingeton, Gayle McAulliffe, Shirley Somadelis, Makbulay 95 year-old women at Holy Trinity nursing home, Bernard family, Barbara Hoaglund stroke, Shawn P. liver, employment, Mike P‘s family life and marriage, Shane B., 12 year old with lymphoma, Richard and Dorothy B. health, Katie of 'Erin and Katie; Edmund Bachand loss of sight; Cindy Hagan cancer; Ginny P cancer; John B age, heart; Peggy O'Shea; Rod M.; Cheryl G. and family; Chris T, Jim C, Bridget’s mother, neuropathy. Also please pray for the work and the people of The Marians of the Immaculate Conception; the "13th of the month club" at the Divine Mercy; the "Friends of Mercy" club in all Stockbridge, MA.

Recently Deceased: Patrick Swayze, 19 year old Brittany was in i.c.u., Ted Kennedy, Skip, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Al Thoman, Patty G., John Bellione, Bob DeMarco 51 father of three boys, Georga's father, Mike Paul's mother-in-law Dorothy, Mari Loli of Garabindal, Jerry, Defender of Life Pat Taylor, Nicasia Hernandez, Cardinal Pio Laghi, Ed Brosnihan, Paul Carnaza, Christina Kuhn car accident 2/4/09, Peter Catches, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, Steve, Ann Carnaza, Sunny von Bulow, Henry Veroneau; Marie Jerome, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah killed in Mumbai, Col. John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret.); Charlie (husband of Caroline), Minnie Paquette, Paul Newman, young Tim O'Connor from leukemia, Msr. Thomas Sullivan's father Tom, Tony Snow, Jesse Helms, Tim Russert, Frank Shea, Ray Mahon, Dick Martin, Jean Marie (Kennedy) Roach, 27 year old James in VA in a coma after car crash died 4/11 after life support removed, Bishop's brother Joseph Reilly, Anne Butrym, Tom Lewis, William F. Buckley Jr., Nancy Brodeur who was on our prayer list for advanced cancer has passed away;Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho who was kidnapped by gunmen in Mosul Iraq, Scott Chalfin died suddenly at 38, Nancy Petty, Lynda's mother-in-law, Boston Firefighter Richard Besse (husband of Gail Besse) 1/22/08 after a 10 month battle with cancer, Jeffrey Berglund, Carol T's and Janice's uncle Ed Reavey who was 99, Jackie Brosnihan, Pat Geneva, Bill Ash, Maxine Hargrove; Abel from Ghana, Dorothy McBride, William Amidon, Atty. John Spillane passed away on Christmas, Jan Hardy's mother, Joseph D'Andrea Sr., Jeffrey Mailman, 2-month Clover Ann Paul, Charlie O'Neil, Lawrence McAulliffe, Jeff Pallotta, Irene Figoni, Tom Yacuzzi, Pavorati, Sharon Condon, 19 year-old Andrew Tate, journalist Chauncy Bailey, Leo Trembley, Ellen Prunier, June Butrym, Nicole Shoemaker, Lillian Williams, David Westra age 41 died of leukemia – he took pictures of the 9/11 towers http://westra.com/disaster/, Ira Halliday, Patrick Hayden, Anne Decelles, Fr. Al's Dad in Ghana, Kathleen Harrity, Mari Carmen Perochena, Andrew Kenny, Little Audry Santo, Darryl Stingley, Melissa, Norman A. Tisdell, Jr., Bishop McManus’s mother, Stephen Cardinale, Peter Kelleher, Martha Sosman, Michael Dombrowski, Isabella Sliten, Jim Kenary; Mike O’Shea, Chris Santom's mom, Michael J.O'Toole, Vincent A. Librandi, Gerald Ford, Edward Sampson, Saddam Hussein, Chau Bridgeo, Dana Ashford (Emma M’s grandpa); Maj. Megan McClung, Capt. Travis Patriquin, Erin of 'Erin and Katie', Mark Booden, David O. West, Travis D. Monroe, Ruth Ingalls, Karen Arsenault, Joan Hendrickson, Naomi Rose Ebersole 7, Anna Mae Stoltzfus 12, Marian Fisher 13, Mary Liz Miller 8, Lisa Miller 7, Charles Roberts, Fred J. Moriarty, sister Leonella Sgorbati, Richard Fisher, Fr. Roland Gamache, Daniel A. Brady, Anthony ‘Bucky’ Ford, Emily Lamacchia, Bill Donahue Sr., Fr. James Shea, Jose F. Barrera, Officer Paul Barry, Leonard White, Eileen Sullivan, Clare Curtin, Jerry Freeman, Mary Volin, Sarah W., younger brother of Billy from Heifer Project, A.Kulandairaj, Ray T., Tom L.. Robert S., Kathy N., Ottilie L., Thomas M. Jr. and Joseph C.

Conversion: all our fallen-away friends and family members, Alan L., John H., Brett M., the parents of young Emmet and Sophia, who want to go to Church. Conversion for Tommie and his fellow atheists (Stardust), and for the hearing in Tommie’s right ear so that he would convert at this sign. Larry W. Jones. President of TV Land. Harry Forbes, the Director of the USCCB Office for Film and Broadcasting.

The grace of a good death

As I stated previously in A Tale of two Kennedys" of Senator Ted Kennedy: May almighty God grant him the grace of conversion and a good death. Now that Kennedy is dead, I still believe we should pray for his soul and have clearly stated so several times.

At Mass this morning a fellow parishioner asked me if I watched Kennedy's funeral yesterday, which I did, and what I thought of it. This parishioner was glad that Kennedy had written his 10 page letter to the Pope, and seemed to think Kennedy had repented. I related that I was not that impressed, since Kennedy had formally and publicly cooperated in the intrinsic evil of abortion, I would have liked to have seen a public repentance. I was told "So you're still judging Kennedy." "No I am not at all" I replied, "I'm simply applying the Catechism, which says Kennedy was excommunicated automatically."

I cannot for the life of me understand how someone can be indifferent to the 36 years of Scandal Ted Kennedy has been to the faithful. Yes we want sinners to repent, but this is no longer about Ted Kennedy. It is about the Bishops.

Letter to Ed - Obamacare

President Obama's single-payer Health Care as a National mandated “right” violates the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, that problems should be addressed at the local level. This alone is reason enough for Catholics to oppose this form of Socialism. The government does not need to run these programs – think Cash for Clunkers, Fannie Mae, and the lines at the Registry of Motor Vehicles – especially when simply mandating that insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions coupled with tort reform and electronic medical record keeping could save millions of dollars (and who knows how many lives).

But ObamaCare is not just about subsidiarity, it's about government control of the very dignity of our lives: who gets what in terms of health benefits. We should all feel the chill at the idea that a “death panel” of bureaucrats will review every pill, hip replacement, chemotherapy and transplant. They look to save money on the backs of our grandparents and less-than-perfect children.

Finally, because of an implicit right to government-funded abortion in all of the versions of ObamaCare, I hope that other successors to the Apostles will join with Justin Cardinal Rigali, Bishop William F. Murphy, and Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, who have spoken out strongly against these bills. It's time for all of us to speak out, before it is too late.

Sincerely,

Jay G

HLI on Kennedy

Human Life International's Statement on the Passing of Senator Edward Kennedy

We must, as a matter of precept, pray for the salvation of heretical Catholics like Senator Edward Kennedy, but we do not have to praise him let alone extol him with the full honors of a public Catholic funeral and all the adulation that attends such an event. There was very little about Ted Kennedy's life that deserves admiration from a spiritual or moral point of view. He was probably the worst example of a Catholic statesman that one can think of. When all is said and done, he has distorted the concept of what it means to be a Catholic in public life more than anyone else in leadership today.

Obviously we don't know the state of Senator Edward Kennedy's soul upon death. We don't pretend to. We are told by the family that he had the opportunity to confess his sins before a priest, and his priest has said publicly he was "at peace" when he died. For that we are grateful. But it is one thing to confess one's sins and for these matters to be kept, rightfully, private. It is another thing entirely for one who so consistently and publicly advocated for the destruction of unborn human beings to depart the stage without a public repudiation of these views, a public confession, as it were.

It is up to God to judge Senator Kennedy's soul. We, as rational persons, must judge his actions, and his actions were not at all in line with one who values and carefully applies Church teaching on weighty matters. Ted Kennedy's positions on a variety of issues have been a grave scandal for decades, and to honor this "catholic" champion of the culture of death with a Catholic funeral is unjust to those who have actually paid the price of fidelity. We now find out that President Obama will eulogize the Senator at his funeral, an indignity which, following on the heels of the Notre Dame fiasco, leaves faithful Catholics feeling sullied, desecrated and dehumanized by men who seem to look for opportunities to slap the Church in the face and do so with impunity simply because they have positions of power.

It is not enough for Kennedy to have been a "great guy behind the scenes" as we have seen him referred to even by his political opponents. It is also not praiseworthy to put a Catholic rhetorical veneer on his leftist politics that did nothing to advance true justice as the Church sees it or to advance the peace of Christ in this world. Every indication of Senator Kennedy's career, every public appearance, every sound bite showed an acerbic, divisive and partisan political hack for whom party politics were much more infallible than Church doctrines. Whatever one's political affiliation, if one is only "Catholic" to the extent that his faith rhymes with his party line, then his Catholicism is a fraud.

As the Scriptures remind us, there is a time for everything under the sun. This, now, is the time for honesty about our Faith and about those who are called to express it in the public forum. If we do not remind ourselves of the necessity of public confession for public sins such as Senator Kennedy was guilty of, then we are negligent in our embrace of the Faith and we are part of the problem. As Pope Benedict has reminded us recently, charity without truth can easily become mere sentimentality, and we must not fall into that error. A Catholic show of charity for the family must not eclipse the truth that is required of all with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Senator Kennedy needs to be sent to the afterlife with a private, family-only funeral and the prayers of the Church for the salvation of his immortal soul. He will not be missed by the unborn who he betrayed time and time again, nor by the rest of us who are laboring to undo the scandalous example of Catholicism that he gave to three generations of Americans.

Sincerely,

Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

Ted Kennedy RIP

We pray for the soul of Senator Ted Kennedy, not because he deserves it but because Jesus asks and God wills all to be saved[1Tim2:4]. The Senator lived a life of privilege, and dissipation, but renounced his pro-life beliefs in the early 70s or even the late 60s.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2272 says
"Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. 'A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,'"

Since Ted Kennedy publicly promoted government funded abortion, I think it logical to conclude that he formally cooperated in abortion, and that would mean he incurred excommunication. If this is true, then why was Ted given a rite of Christian burial inside of a Catholic Church? Now I understand Kennedy wanted the Cathedral for his funeral, but was denied that. But that was at best a private snub, certainly not a fraternal correction.

Several years ago a pro-life journalist "managed to corner Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. The journalist pressed them on how they square being Catholic, and at the same time, unqualifiedly pro-abortion. Kennedy said, 'I take my beliefs, I take my religion, very seriously. Look, I know who I am and what I believe.' Then, speaking of the bishops, he said, 'It's their problem, not mine.' Kerry responded to the reporter's question, 'If the bishops can't do and won't say anything about that, don't come to me. You know what I'm saying?'"

I suppose our shepherds expect the faithful to watch their step, but a little moral guidance would have been appreciated.

Blood Money

The Truth about the abortion industry.

Abortion 'explicitly' covered in ObamaCare

FactCheck.org says the National Right to Life Committee is correct concerning abortion provisions in ObamaCare.

Ginsburg lets cat out of bag

New York City, N.Y., Jul 11, 2009 / 07:32 am (CNA).- Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has revealed in an interview that she was surprised at a 1980 court ruling that prevented the restoration of Medicaid funding for abortions, because, in her opinion, when Roe was decided "there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of."

Cure d'Ars

"It could be said that the priesthood is not fully understandable except in contrast with the work of the devil."

- Bishop Thomas Olmsted,
Phoenix AZ

A tale of two Kennedys

Father Raymond J. de Souza writes an insightful commentary in the National Post of Canada on the death of Eunice Kennedy Shriver which contrasts her with her brother Teddy, US Senator from Massachusetts, drawing the conclusion that when one focuses on themselves they will devolve into support for abortion and license. de Souza notes that Eunice's obituary said that "she was forever devoted to the Blessed Mother. May she be welcomed now by Mary to the joy and love of life everlasting, in the certain truth that her love and spirit will live forever." In stark and biting contrast de Sousa writes "Such lines will not be written of Ted Kennedy."

This is because Teddy "blazed the trail of making religious belief an entirely private matter. His debauchery was the opposite of the Shrivers' piety. Having broken up his own family, he degenerated into a dissoluteness that reached its nadir on Good Friday, 1991, when instead of doing the Stations of the Cross at the local parish, he took his son and nephew out for a night of bar-hopping and skirt-chasing. The details of Ted's behaviour that night were embarrassingly sordid. It gave rise to the joke that Senator Kennedy's religion was so private he refused to impose it on himself."

"But Teddy's malign influence is no laughing matter. In many ways his Good Friday licentiousness was a harbinger for the decadent age of Clinton. The sexual license that Ted Kennedy lived most of his adult life had its public policy consequence in his fervent devotion to the cause of abortion -- for any reason, at any time, preferably publicly funded. The very children that Eunice devoted her life to defending are less likely to see the light of day now, in large part due to the unrestricted abortion license her brother did more than any other to defend."


Eunice Kennedy Shriver, RIP.
I would be remiss if I did not ask all to pray for the conversion of Senator Ted Kennedy. May almighty God grant him the grace of conversion and a good death.

Sad, but funny

The neighbors of an abortion clinic in Brookline do not want it to open - not because they are Pro-Life or anything like that, but because they do not want Pro-Life Prayer Vigil Protesters in their neighborhood.

"If you ever have observed protesters at an abortion clinic, they carry signs, which are alarming in their graphic detail of aborted fetuses. They have life-sized statues of the Virgin Mary, and they usually have somebody dressed as the grim reaper," said [former Brookline judge Thomas] May. "I don’t know how the town could have overlooked the emotional harm that could come to children by allowing the clinic to operate at that location."

I don't know how May could have overlooked the emotional harm that could come to the children in the womb, but read the full story for yourself here. And people think the Grim Reaper does not help the Pro-Life cause!

Matthew Littman is a sexist liberal pig

Joe Biden speech writer and Obama hack Matthew Littman was on the O'Reilly Factor Friday Aug. 14 and when debating Sarah Palin's comments that Obama-Care would have death panels urging faster end-of-life decisions by seniors, he did not debate facts but basically called the former Alaska Governor a slut by saying he expects to see her on MTV in a few years seeking a date with with aging off-key rapper and bimbo-hound Flavor-Flav.

Oh yeah, Matthew Littman is also a liar. Sarah Palin never endorsed the same kind of "death panel" when Governor of Alaska. Laura Ingraham and Amanda Carpenter laid the smack-down on this Lefty punk, watch the video in the first link and enjoy.

Message from October 13, 1973

to SR. AGNES SASAGAWA
"My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to you. You will inform your superior."

After a short silence:

"As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests."

"The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres...churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.

"The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them"

"With courage, speak to your superior. He will know how to encourage each one of you to pray and to accomplish works of reparation."

"It is Bishop Ito, who directs your community."

And She smiled and then said:

"You have still something to ask? Today is the last time that I will speak to you in living voice. From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior."

"Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."

Church Approves Messages, Weeping Statue As Supernatural

April, 1984—Most. Rev. John Shojiro Ito, Bishop of Niigata, Japan, after years of extensive investigation, declares the events of Akita, Japan to be of supernatural origin, and authorizes throughout the entire diocese the veneration of the Holy Mother of Akita.

On April 22, 1984, after eight years of investigations, after consultation with the Holy See, the messages of Our Lady of Akita were approved by the Bishop of the diocese. In the Japanese village of Akita, a statue of the Madonna, according to the testimony of more than 500 Christians and non-Christians, including the Buddhist mayor of the town, has shed blood, sweat and tears. A nun, Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa has received the stigmata and has received messages from Our Lady.

June, 1988—Vatican City—Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gives definitive judgement on the Akita events and messages as reliable and worthy of belief.

Where's Chapter 6?

The Massachusetts General Laws, displays 5 sections on the Mass.gov Web site.

But a friend just emailed me a link that says that October is Pro-Life Month in Massachusetts. This is in section 6. But as I noted above, section 6 does not display, though the link works.

Go Figure...

message from August 3, 1973

"My daughter, my novice, do you love the Lord? If you love the Lord, listen to what I have to say to you."

"It is very important...You will convey it to your superior."

"Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console Him to soften the anger of the Heavenly Father. I wish, with my Son, for souls who will repair by their suffering and their poverty for the sinners and ingrates."

"In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. With my Son I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the sufferings of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father's anger. I desire this also from your community...that it love poverty, that it sanctify itself and pray in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages of so many men.

Recite the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist with awareness of its meaning; put it into practice; offer in reparation (whatever God may send) for sins. Let each one endeavor, according to capacity and position, to offer herself entirely to the Lord."

"Even in a secular institute prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to pray are on the way to being gathered together. Without attaching to much attention to the form, be faithful and fervent in prayer to console the Master."

After a silence:

"Is what you think in your heart true? Are you truly decided to become the rejected stone? My novice, you who wish to belong without reserve to the Lord, to become the spouse worthy of the Spouse, make your vows knowing that you must be fastened to the Cross with three nails. These three nails are poverty, chastity, and obedience. Of the three, obedience is the foundation. In total abandon, let yourself be led by your superior. He will know how to understand you and to direct you."


June, 1988—Vatican City—Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gives definitive judgement on the Akita events and messages as reliable and worthy of belief.

Health Care Reform?

Obama Health Care Plan Details

*HC = "Health Care"

Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Government will audit the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!!

Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC Bill - HEALTH CARE RATIONING!

Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC Bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get

Pg 42 of HC Bill - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have no choice!

Pg 50 Section 152 in HC Bill - HC will be provided to ALL non-U.S. citizens, illegal or otherwise

Pg 58 HC Bill - Government will have real-time access to individual's finances and a National ID Health Care Card will be issued!

Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Government will have direct access to your banks accounts for electronic funds transfer.

Pg 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions and community organizations (ACORN).

Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Government is creating a Health Care Exchange to bring private health care plans under government control.

Pg 84 Sec 203 HC Bill - Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private health care plans in the Exchange

Pg 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The government will ration your health care!

Pg 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill - Government mandates linguistic appropriate services.

Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The government will use groups i.e., ACORN & AmeriCorps to sign up individuals for government Health Care Plan

Pg 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs of Ben Levels 4 Plans. #AARP members - Your health care WILL be rationed

Pg 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill - Medicaid Eligible Individual will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.

Pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue the government on price fixing. No "judicial review" against this government monopoly.

Pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill - Doctors/ #AMA - The government will tell YOU what you can make.

Pg 145 Line 15-17 An employer MUST auto enroll employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE

Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay for health care for part-time employees AND their families.

Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Employer w/ payroll 400k and above who does not prov. pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll

Pg 150 Lines 9-13 Businesses with payroll between 251k and 400k who do not provide public opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll

Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable health care according to government will be taxed 2.5% of income.

Pg 170 Lines 1-3 Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay).

Pg 195 Officers & employees of HC Administration (GOVT) will have access to ALL Americans' financial and personal records.

Pg 203 Line 14-15 HC - "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it says that.

Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected.

Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill - Doctors, it does not matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same.

Pg 253 Line 10-18 Government sets value of doctors' time, prof judg, etc. Literally value of humans.

Pg 265 Sec 1131Government mandates and controls productivity for private health care industries.

Pg 268 Sec 1141 Federal Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.

Pg 272 SEC. 1145. Treatment of certain cancer hospitals - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!

Page 280 Sec 1151 The government will penalize hospitals for what government deems preventable readmissions. (Incentives for hospital to not treat and release.)

Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Doctors that treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission-Government will penalize you.

Pg 317 L 13-20 PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Government tells Doctors what/how much they can own.

Pg 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion- Government is mandating hospitals cannot expand.

pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception, BUT community input required. Can you say ACORN?!!

Pg335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 - Government mandates establishment of outcome based measures. Health Care the way they want. Rationing.

Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans (Part B), HMOs, etc. Forcing people into Government plan.

Pg 354 Sec 1177 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs people!

Pg 379 Sec 1191 Government creates more bureaucracy - Tele-health Advisory Committee. Health care by phone/Internet?

Pg 425 Lines 4-12 Government mandates Advance [Death] Care Planning Consultion. Think Senior Citizens end of life.

Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!

Pg 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Government provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death.

Pg 427 Lines 15-24 Government mandates program for orders for end of life. The government has a say in how your life ends.

Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An "advanced care planning consult" will be used frequently as patient's health deteriorates.

Pg 429 Lines 10-12 " advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from Government.

Pg 429 Lines 13-25 - The government will specify which doctors can write an end of life order.

PG 430 Lines 11-15 The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life.

Pg 469 - Community Based Home Medical Services=Non-profit orgs. Hello, ACORN Medical Services here!!?

Pg 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORG. 1 monthly payment to a community-based org. Like ACORN?

Pg 489 Sec 1308 The government will cover Marriage and Family therapy. They will insert government into your marriage.

Pg 494-498 Government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, rationing those services.

PG 502 Sec 1181 Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research Established. - Hello Big Brother - Literally.

Pg 503 Lines 13-19 Government will build registries and data networks from YOUR electronic medical records.

Pg 503 lines 21-25 Government may secure data directly from any department or agency of the U.S. who have any of your data.

Pg 504 Lines 6-10 The "Center" will collect data both published and unpublished (that means public and your private info).

PG 506 Lines 19-21 The Center will recommend policies that would allow for public access of data.

PG 518 Lines 21-25 The Commission will have input from Health Care consumer reps - Can you say unions and ACORN?

PG 524 18-22 Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund set up. More taxes for ALL.

PG 621 Lines 20-25 Government will define what quality means in health care. Since when does government know about quality?

Pg 622 Lines 2-9 To pay for the Quality Standards, government will transfer money from other government Trust Funds. More Taxes.

PG 624 "Quality" measures shall be designed to assess outcomes and functional status of patients.

PG 624 "Quality" measures shall be designed to profile you including race, age, gender, place of residence, etc.

Pg 628 Sec 1443 Government will give "Multi-Stake Holders" Pre-Rule Making input into Selection of "Quality" Measures.

Pg 630 9-24/631 1-9 Those multi-stake holder groups include unions and groups like ACORN deciding health care quality.

Pg 632 Lines 14-25 The Government may implement any "Quality measure" of health care services as they see fit.

PG 633 14-25/ 634 1-9 The Secretary may issue non-endorsed "Quality Measures" for Physician Services and Dialysis Services.

Pg 635 to 653 Physicians Payments Sunshine Provision - Government wants to shine sunlight on doctor but not government.

Pg 654-659 Public Reporting on Health Care-Associated Infections - Looks okay.

PG 660-671 Doctors in Residency - Government will tell you where your residency will be, thus where you'll live.

Pg 676-686 Government will regulate hospitals in EVERY aspect of residency programs, including teaching hospitals.

Pg 686-700 Increased Funding to Fight Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. Do they mean like the government with an $18 million website?

PGs 701-704 Sec 1619 If your part of health care plan isn't in Government Health Care Exchange but you qualify for Federal aid, no payment.

PG 705-709 SEC. 1128 If Secretary gets complaints (ACORN) on health care provider or supplier, government can do background check.

PG 711 Lines 8-14 The Secretary has broad powers to deny health care providers/ suppliers admittance into Health Care Exchange. Your doctor could be thrown out of business.

Pg 719-720 Sec 1637 ANY Doctor who orders durable medical equipment or home medical services MUST be enrolled in Medicare.

PG 722 Sec 1639 Government MANDATES doctors must have face-to-face with patient to certify patient for Home Health Services.

PG 724 23-25 PG 725 1-5 The same government certifications will apply to Medicaid and CHIP (your kids).

PG 724 Lines 16-22 Government reserves right to apply face-to-face certification for patient to ANY other health care service.

Pg 735 lines 16-25 For law enforcement, proposes the Secretary-HHS will give Attorney General access to ALL data.

PG 740-757 Government sets guidelines for subsidizing the uninsured (That's your tax dollars people).

Pg 757-762 Federal Government will shift burden of payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) to States. (Taxes)

Pg 763 1-8 No DS/EA hospitals will be paid unless they provide services without regard to national origin.

Pg 765 Sec 1711 Government will require Preventative Services including vaccines. (Choice?)

Pg 768 Sec 1713 Government - Nurse Home Visitation Services (Hello union paybacks).

Pg 769 11-14 Nurse Home Visit Services include economic self-sufficiency, employ adv, school-readiness.

Pg 769 3-5 Nurse Home Visit Services - "increasing birth intervals between pregnancies." Government ABORTIONS anyone?

Pg 770 SEC 1714 Federal Government mandates eligibility for State Family Planning Services. Abortion and State Sovereignty.

Pg 789-797 Government will set, mandate drug prices, controlling which drugs brought to market. Bye innovation.

Pgs 797-800 SEC. 1744 PAYMENTS for graduate medical education. The government will now control doctors' educations.

PG 801 Sec 1751 The government will decide which health care conditions will be paid. Can you say RATION!

Pg 810 SEC. 1759. Billing Agents, clearinghouses, etc. req. to register. Government takes over private payment system.

Pg 820-824 Sec 1801 Government will identify individuals ineligible for subsidies. Will access all personal financial information.

Pg 824-829 SEC. 1802. Government sets up Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund. Another tax black hole.

PG 829-833 Government will impose a fee on ALL private health insurance plans including self-insured to pay for Trust Fund!

PG 835 11-13 fees imposed by government for Trust Fund shall be treated as if they were taxes.

Pg 838-840 Government will design and implement Home Visitation Program for families with young kids and families expecting kids.

PG 844-845 This Home Visitation Program includes government coming into your house and telling you how to parent!!!

Pg 859 Government will establish a Public Health Fund at a cost of $88,800,000,000. Yes that's billion.

Pg 865 The government will MANDATE the establishment of a National Health Service Corps.

PG 865 to 876 The NHS Corps is a program where doctors perform mandatory health care for two years for part loan repayment.

PG 876-892 The government takes over the education of our medical students and doctors.

PG 898 The government will establish a Public Health Workforce Corps to ensure supply of public health prof.

PG 898 The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of civilian employees of the U.S. as Secretary deems.

PG 898 The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of officers of Regular and Reserve Corps of Service.

PG 900 The Public Health Workforce Corps includes veterinarians.

PG 901 The Public Health Workforce Corps WILL include commissioned Regular and Reserve Officers. HC Draft?

PG 910 The government will develop, build, and run Public Health Training Centers.

PG 913-914 Government starts a health care affirmative action program thru guise of diversity scholarships.

PG 915 SEC. 2251. Government MANDDATES Cultural and linguistic competency training for health care professionals.

Pg 932 The Government will establish Preventative and Wellness Trust fund- initial cost of $30,800,000,000 billion.

PG 935 21-22 Government will identify specific goals & objectives for prevention & wellness activities. That means controlling YOU!!

PG 936 Government will develop "Healthy People and National Public Health Performance Standards" Tell me what to eat?

PG 942 Lines 22-25 More government? Offices of Surgeon General -Public Health Svc, Minority Health, Women's Health

PG 950- 980 BIG GOVERNMENT core pub health infrastructure including workforce capacity, lab systems, health info sys, etc.

PG 993 Government will establish school based health clinics. Your kids won't have a chance.

PG 994 School Based Health Clinic will be integrated into the school environment. Say government brainwash!

PG 1001 The government will establish a National Medical Device Registry. Will you be tracked?

Mathew D. Staver*
Founder and Chairman Dean and Professor of Law
Liberty Counsel Liberty University School of Law

Offices in Florida, Virginia and the District of Columbia, Lynchburg, Virginia
(800) 671-1776 - Telephone (434) 592-5300 - Telephone

LC.org
law.liberty.edu

*Licensed in Florida and the District of Columbia

Paintings of Celine Martin

Celine Martin was the next oldest sister of Saint Theresa of Lisieux, who joined her in Carmel, and may be the main reason we have the Story of a Soul.

Celine was an artist of not insignificant talent, and also a photographer. The following paintings are from the Museum Lisieux. Celine, who took the name Sr. Genevieve on entering the Carmel painted the Madonna and Child at Right in 1894.



The Sorrows painting at right is from 1888.

Our Lady of Good Counsel is also from 1888.

When did you become a human being?

From Newsmax, more to worry about from the President:
President Barack Obama's top science adviser John Holdren is best known today as a staunch believer in the dangers of global warming, but in the 1970s he was an abortion proponent who questioned whether an offspring is actually a "human being" even at birth.

Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, in 1973 co-authored the book "Human Ecology: Problems and Solutions."

It contained this passage: "The fetus, given the opportunity to develop properly before birth, and given the essential early socializing experiences and sufficient nourishing food during the crucial early years after birth, will ultimately develop into a human being."

"Human Ecology" argued that the human race faced dire consequences unless population growth was stopped.

Medjugorje

Medjugorje in Bosnia-Hercegovina (former Yugoslavia), the site of reported apparitions by the Blessed Virgin Mary for almost 30 years, is not an approved apparition site like Lourdes, Guadalupe, Loretto or Fatima, but it has been the source of thousands of vocations and conversions.

However, the site is not without scandal, which sadly gets magnified by those who then falsely report on the scandal (truthful reported is always appreciated).

The latest scandal involves the long awaited laicization of former priest Tomislav Vlašić for adultery and leading the faithful astray. Vlašić arrived in Medjugorje after the apparitions had started, and was never quite "at the center" of the apparitions, as was Father Jozo Zovko. He also pressured the seers to say the Virgin "approved" of his ministry. They never did, and "one of the seers signed a statement complaining about his attempts to manipulate the situation."

Simon Caldwell of the London Daily Mail falsely reported hat "Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, issued a ban on pilgrimages to the site but this has been widely ignored." This was repeated by Catholic Exchange. This is not true, "it is well known that the Vatican twice has stated through its press office that unofficial pilgrimages are accepted, and that it is even advisable for priests to accompany visitors while the Church tries to discern the matter."

In 1996 Vatican Press Office spokesman, Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls, sought to clarify the status of pilgrimages to Medjugorje by stating:

"You cannot say people cannot go there until it has been proven false. This has not been said, so anyone can go if they want ... When one reads what Archbishop Bertone wrote, one could get the impression that from now on everything is forbidden, no possibility" for Catholics to travel to Medjugorje. But, in fact, "nothing has changed, nothing new has been said ... The problem is if you systematically organize pilgrimages, organize them with the bishop and the church, you are giving a canonical sanction to the facts of Medjugorje ... This is different from people going in a group who bring a priest with them in order to go to confession ... I was worried that what Archbishop Bertone said could be interpreted in too restricted a way. Has the church or the Vatican said no (to Catholics visiting Medjugorje)? NO. ... The difference, in the terms of canon law, is that an official pilgrimage, organized by the diocese with the bishop, is a way of giving a juridical sanction to the facts; you are saying this is true."

As EWTN has added: "While this statement does not address the prudence of going to Medjugorje as a place of alleged apparition, which rests on its credibility according to the norms of reason, it does lay to rest the question of whether it is disobedient in the mind of the Church to do so."

Religion and the Art of Persuading Legislators

Daniel Avila
 
Remarks given to an audience of young persons attending the "Day on the Hill" event sponsored by MassFuture, held in the Great Hall of the Massachusetts Capitol, in Boston MA on July 14, 2009.
 
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Among all of the constitutions in operation today around the world, the Massachusetts Constitution is the oldest, older than even our national Constitution and predating every other current constitution of any other country. It was drafted by John Adams and adopted over two centuries ago in 1780. The degree to which government and God are intertwined in this document's original form is remarkable.
 
The State Constitution's initial three paragraphs, called the preamble, give a summary. The first paragraph states that good government provides the means for a people to enjoy "their natural rights and the blessings of life." The second paragraph explains that a constitution should ensure that the people are governed "by certain laws for the common good." The third paragraph acknowledges "the goodness of the great Legislator of the Universe" and asks for "His direction" in creating and operating a new form of government in Massachusetts.
 
So right at the very beginning of our State Constitution, just after the purpose of government is summarized, God is acknowledged, thanked, and sent a prayer for more help.
 
The next several provisions in our State Constitution, called the Declaration of Rights, spell out the rights of the citizens and the duties of their government. Article I affirms that all people have "certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights," including "the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties."
 
Then John Adams refers again to God and government.
 
In Article II of the Declaration of Rights, Adams asserts that it is everyone's duty "to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the Universe," and, that it is thus the government's duty to protect religious liberty. Article III emphasizes that the preservation of civil society requires good morals, and observes that "the knowledge and belief of the being of God, His providential government of the world, and of a future state of rewards and punishment, [are] the only true foundation of morality."
 
This wonderful profession of faith remains in our State Constitution but sadly has become forgotten.
 
Over the two hundred and twenty nine years since these words were written, ratified and put to work, much has changed in the relation between God and government in the Commonwealth. For example, as a result of bad constitutional alterations and court misinterpretations, nowadays not one dollar of your parents' tax bill can be used to support religious schools, while millions of tax dollars are used to pay for abortion.
 
You are being trained today in the fine art of citizen action in the public policy arena, learning to be maestros of persuasion and creative agents of the common good. You are young, and you are faithful. In the face of a very skeptical political culture, where religion and morality are often viewed as diseases, how do you respond in a way that is effective? Let me offer three suggestions. 
 
First, don’t apologize for having faith.  It is not an illness.  Faith helps you see the deeper realities, one of which is that, based on the belief that we are all one people under God, we are convinced that we are all brothers and sisters, no matter our party, our home address or our conception date.  This religious ability to see beyond the clouds helps people of faith to grasp the kinds of reality that build strong societies.
 
So faith tells us that every human being is loved by God and thus deserves our respect.  No society can survive without this capacity of religion to transcend divisions, an ability that is based on the God-given conviction that somewhere underneath all the appearances of another person’s differences, there is a child of God equal in dignity.
 
The word religion comes from a Latin term that means “binding back together again.”  Thus religion offers the best resources for strengthening the community.  Don’t take on the guilt that really belongs to those who misuse religion as an excuse to disrupt the community through violence and injury.
 
So be proud in your faith, not out of some warped sense of superiority, but out of humble gratitude for all with which God has blessed you.
 
Second, be ready to suffer in a way that does not inflict suffering on your part. That is, practice patience when you come into the halls of government in a way that heals, and that brings people closer together. This doesn't mean to hide your differences with people who disagree, Truth requires honesty. One cannot come to know the truth if those who already know it don't share it.
 
Nor does this mean that you have to put aside the tools that are available to influence public policy. Grassroots pressure is not a bad thing. But it must be applied in a way that shows you respect officeholders, at the same time you rightly expect them to live up to their oath of office and their special calling as public servants.
 
Thus you have to be ready to explain to officeholders the position you have staked out on an issue, such as abortion or same-sex marriage, but you must do so in a calm way that makes the listener aware of your respect for his or her freedom. That is, speak the truth in love. For in the end, God has reserved rooms in everyone's heart for truth, and truth only will stay in the heart if it is invited in, and not forced in.
 
Sometimes this attitude of not forcing the truth to enter into the heart of another will mean suffering on your part because the person you are trying to persuade will not play by the same rules.
 
Third, know that God's truths, because they are true, can be transmitted in many different languages beyond the biblical. For instance, we can tell others that killing is wrong because God gave us a commandment not to kill. But the same truth can be communicated in other ways that do not require the listener to agree that the Bible is divinely inspired and therefore must be obeyed.
 
I'm not saying here that you should be ashamed of biblical teaching or that you should never cite the Bible out of fear. Just realize that all too often some people in the public policy arena think that they know the Bible better than you do, or that others may care little about what the Bible says. The Holy Spirit will guide you in choosing the language that your audience will most appreciate.
 
So truth has the capacity to be appreciated even if expressed in secular terms.
 
To take advantage of this facility of truth requires an attitude on your part of inquisitiveness. Be really nosy about what makes other people think the way they do. Ask questions, do research, and become familiar with the kinds of reasoning and the types of reasons that move other people to take the positions they do. 
 
To be an effective advocate, you must prepare yourself to know even more completely than your opponents the position that your opponents take on an issue. Only then will you be able to discern the best way to respond.
 
To sum up so far, three attitudes that will help you when you attempt to influence public policy are, first, be proud but humble about your faith, second, be patient, and third, get really good at translating truths into language that your listeners can understand and appreciate in order to communicate more effectively and persuasively.
 
Now let me finish with two arguments you will often hear in the State House.
 
First, many argue that as lawmakers they cannot adopt particular moral positions because not all of their constituents agree with those positions. "I have to represent all of my constituents," a legislator will say. The reality is, public policy is not crafted in the absence of conflict. Policymakers have to choose all the time between competing views. They rarely if ever deal with legislation that all of their constituents support. So don't let them get away with the excuse about a lack of consensus on abortion or same-sex marriage, for example, as if these issues are any different.
 
Second, in a variation of the first argument, legislators will often assert that their official stance on issues cannot be influenced by their personal religious or moral beliefs. This too is a dodge that is not based in reality. Do some research of your legislator's other positions. I am confident that this investigation will reveal that he or she has strong moral beliefs about another issue that influence his or her official position on that issue.
 
No public official can live a totally and consistently divided political life devoid of all personal belief. You are going to find the inevitable inconsistency between his or her approach to other issues and the "personally opposed" approach on your issue, and when you do, point out the inconsistency. And be patient, persuasively persistent to be sure, but always patient.
 
In the end, religion, morality and the law can and must coexist. That was the conviction of John Adams and those who ratified the Massachusetts Constitution. Yours will be the task to bring that understanding back to politics.
 
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Daniel Avila, Esq.
Associate Director of Policy & Research
Massachusetts Catholic Conference
West End Place, Suite 5
150 Staniford Street
Boston, MA 02114-2511

Deal Hudson on BXVI encyclical

Money quote as Deal takes down the "Progressives" misreading.

Nothing could go more against the grain of the progressive agenda than the encyclical's assertion, "Duties set a limit on rights because they point to the anthropological and ethical framework of which rights are a part, in this way ensuring that they do not become license."

CleanHotels.com

If you are looking for a hotel where pornography is NOT available, try the web site CleanHotels.com

From their web site:
CleanHotels.com is a network of lodging facilities that - based on some of the best research available - do not offer in-room, "adult" (pornographic) pay-per-view movies.

Our primary purpose is to provide a service through which friends like you can book a room for your vacation, business trip or meeting with the expectation, first, that you and your family or associates will not be exposed to pornographic movies and, secondly, that you will be supporting a facility that cares enough about the wellbeing of its customers not to make harmful pornographic movies available.

subsidiarity

If you want to begin to understand the Pope's new encyclical Caritas In Veritate, then you have to understand subsidiarity.

The Wikipedia entry for Subsidiarity says it "is an organizing principle that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority" and adds that "Subsidiarity is, ideally or in principle, one of the features of federalism".

The principle of subsidiarity can be traced back to the 1891 encyclical by Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, which some have described as a means to a third way between laissez-faire Capitalism and Communism.

Caritas In Veritate says that "Subsidiarity is first and foremost a form of assistance to the human person via the autonomy of intermediate bodies. Such assistance is offered when individuals or groups are unable to accomplish something on their own, and it is always designed to achieve their emancipation, because it fosters freedom and participation through assumption of responsibility."

"In order not to produce a dangerous universal power of a tyrannical nature, the governance of globalization must be marked by subsidiarity, articulated into several layers and involving different levels that can work together. Globalization certainly requires authority, insofar as it poses the problem of a global common good that needs to be pursued. This authority, however, must be organized in a subsidiary and stratified way[138], if it is not to infringe upon freedom and if it is to yield effective results in practice."

Tradition

"More than one man has noted that the most tradition-minded centuries did the least talking about Tradition. Rather, they lived it. They were soaked through with it. It was through the eyes of Tradition that they read the Scriptures themselves. Then, men were not in the habit of questioning themselves about Tradition, for them it was the present rather than the past and less an object of study than the very form of their thinking...without very much conscious reflection on what they were doing.

...[But a need for reflection] "happens when the whole inheritance of Tradition, hitherto held without question, becomes, in one way or another, disputed territory. Doubts arise as to its value, and insidious comparisons are made between its original form and that which it has at the time; every element in it is put to the test... The thing seems to have become a burden rather than a source of vitality, and thus to constitute an obstruction of the very life which it is supposed to feed and transmit. And that is the situation in which it becomes imperative to reflect upon what one previously lived unthinkingly.

..."However, the doctrine of Tradition has been kept alive and consolidated, even if in a way decidedly different from the old one, and often, as it were, back-to-front.* And thanks to this reflexive renaissance, it has come victoriously through a crisis which did seem, humanly speaking, bound to destroy it.
- Henri de Lubac, The Splendor of the Church p.15

*ever since the denials of Protestantism Tradition has received - and rightly - an explicit emphasis which it was not accorded by early theology. This last for the most part talks in terms of Scripture exclusively (though there are, certainly, texts on Tradition as well). But the Scripture it discusses is always Scripture read within the Church, as interpreted by the Fathers, and as understood by Tradition; cf Edmund Ortigues, SM, 'La Tradition de l'Evangile dans Leglise', Foi
et Vie, July 1951

Who cares what Chris Matthews says?

I don't normally quote Chris Matthews, those who know me know I protested his honorary degree at Holy Cross a few years back because of his Pro-Choice stance, however Deal Hudson included a telling quote from the Obama softball pitcher (setup man Matthews follows starter Keith Olberman, Letterman closer):

"He goes over to see the pope and says they're going to reduce the number of abortions, and then that same week he pushes to subsidize abortion? You can't do that!"

French Choir and Orchestra

Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 pm
Cathedral of St. Paul
High Street - Worcester MA
Entrance: Free

French youth musicians from the Choeur d'Enfants et Jeune Choeur d'Ile de France (Children and Youth Choirs of France) and the Jeune Orchestre Symphonique Maurice-Ravel (Maurice Ravel Youth Symphony Orchestra) come together from France for this exceptional program to perform the Mass of St. Cecile by Gounod and excerpts from the Saint-Saens Symphony with Organ. Organist will be Ian Watson from the Cathedral.

Conductor Francis Bardot, an oratorio tenor soloist, performed in over 2,000 concerts across France, and made some 20 recordings with RCA and Deutsche Grammophon. His youth choirs have made over 20 highly praised recordings and receiving two "Orphee d'Or" awards from the French Academie du Disque Lyrique.

Please plan to attend this remarkable event at the Cathedral! There is nothing more soothing than hearing a 120 piece orchestra and pristine voices in lush acoustics. You may remember this group from two years ago for their remarkable performance of the Gounod Requiem at St. George's.

Gays in the Military

Historical Perspective:

In general court-martial orders dated March 14, 1778, [General George] Washington, through his designs, addressed the disposition of a homosexual soldier "tried for attempting to commit sodomy": "[We] do sentence him to be dismiss'd [from] the service with infamy. His Excellency the Commander in Chief approves the sentence and with abhorrence and detestation of such infamous crimes orders Lieutt. Enslin to be drummed out of camp tomorrow morning by all the drummers and fifers in the Army never to return."

- George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, John C. Fitzpatrick, editor (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1934), Vol. XI, pp. 83-84, from General Orders at Valley Forge on March 14, 1778.

from Matt Barber


This should refute the revisionists in Congress such as
Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) insisted, “We’ve had gays in the American military from the first unit that was ever formed.” Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) echoed this astonishing claim, saying that “gays have served in every conflict, every war” this country has fought.

In fact, Shays was even more specific, noting a patriotic event in his district at which they read the names of “everyone who lost his life in the French and Indian War–some of whom were gay.”

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) declared that allowing homosexuals to serve would be an expression of the high value Americans place on the principle of equal opportunity. He even claimed the father of our country, George Washington, as an ally who believed that “the way to the top should be open to everyone.” In context, that referred to the respect Washington had for enlisted men in relation to officers–but Sestak apparently would have us believe that Washington felt the same way about equal opportunity for homosexuals. by Peter Sprigg

Pro-Life reaction to the Murder of Dr. George Tiller

How are members of the Pro-Life movement responding to the murder of late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller? Our response first and foremost, is and has clearly been to condemn in no uncertain terms the murder of Dr. Tiller. All Pro-Life groups have condemned the murder, declared it unjustified and senseless, and expressed sympathy to the Tiller family and regret that George Tiller was denied the time to repent.

Though Pro-Lifers found what Dr. Tiller did - late term and third trimester abortions, repulsive, U.S. Law allowed him this license. While Pro-Lifers are unanimous in our condemnation of his murder, a murder committed by a schizophrenic and delusional unemployed drifter, we also recognize that Dr. Tiller's murder will be used an attempt to shut up the Pro-Life movement. We cannot let this happen.

Tiller's murder will be used by the radical Pro-Choice advocates as an accusation against the rhetoric of Pro-Lifers. They will say that our inflamed speech lead to Tiller's violent death, even though we did not pull the trigger. Their argument is essentially that when anyone (especially Bill O'Reilly or Randal Terry) said that Dr. Tiller had "Blood on his hands", this was an incitement to violence.

This is simply not true for the following reason. Do a web search for "Blood on his hands" and see how common this accusation is and how broad the spectrum of those so accused (Google returns nearly half a million references, but Pro-Lifers prefer to use www.goodsearch.com). Examples include Pope John Paul II, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the New York Times, Rapper Ice-T, author Salmon Rushdie, and President George W. Bush by nearly everyone in the Mainstream media. I could continue but you get the picture, the point is a phrase like “Blood on his hands” is used in all sorts of accusations where murder was not the end result.

Even Bill O'Reilly has been accused of having blood on his hands for having said Dr. Tiller had blood on his hands.

One emblematic “Blood on his hands” accusation illustrates the appropriateness of passionate rhetoric in an another important National debate: I speak of the accusation of the blood on the hands of Lawyer John Yoo of the White house Office of Legal Council, OLC. Yoo wrote the OLC memos used to defend water-boarding, called enhanced interrogation techniques by its defenders and torture by detractors. The more time passes since 911 the more it seems that what once was considered legal as an enhanced interrogation technique, garnering silent acquiescence even from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi then, now is more generally described as torture and illegal, garnering the full fury of said Speaker.

Just as passionately as people debate water-boarding, and rightly so considering its life or death consequences, so too should we passionately debate abortion. However some on the Pro-Choice side suggest that abortion is a settled issue, when all they really can claim is that abortion is legal (as was slavery, child labor and physically beating one's wife or child at certain times in our past. Even water-boarding was “legal” in 2003). This is the point, making something legal does not make it right, and even a decision by the Supreme Court on water-boarding would not end this debate.

The Supreme Court decisions of Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton cast aside all abortion restrictions in 1973. The Doe decision declared that any restrictions on abortion, no matter how late, must include an exemption for the mother's health, defined as “that the medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors - physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age - relevant to the wellbeing of the patient. All these factors may relate to health.” Please note that this says nothing about life-threatening.

Just as one could not truly debate water-boarding by limiting the discussion to the facts of the lives saved and the terrorist attacks prevented, avoiding a discussion of the physical pain and trauma inflicted on the prisoner of war, as well as the damage to our Nation's moral standing, one cannot debate abortion without discussing all the facts. In other words we cannot talk of Dr. Tiller's death without also talking about his life, and his life's work.

Dr. Tiller's web site said he performed third trimester therapeutic abortions, abortions for the mother's health. A former employee of Tiller named Luhra Tivis was told by Tiller that he only did abortions on deformed babies, or for a medical crisis. However Ms. Tivis reported, “I was seeing eight- and nine-month pregnant women come in, and out of those two dozen a week, only about 2 percent had medical deformities. I thought I was pro-choice back then, but week after week I kept seeing these women coming in with healthy babies and I saw all the records. I didn't think that was right.” Though Dr. Tiller aborted deformed babies, he also clearly aborted healthy ones, at 8-9 months gestation, for reasons of the mother’s psychological and emotional health.

The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts still has an open investigation against Dr. Tiller, and his employee/partner Dr. Shelly Sella on a botched abortion, which could result in loss of medical license for Dr. Sella, obviously not for Dr. Tiller. The KSBHA is also investigating 11 counts of violating Kansas law which required a second opinion from an unaffiliated physician when third trimester abortions for “health” are performed. The criminal case for breaking this law was dismissed, even though Dr. Sella obviously worked with Dr. Tiller and her second opinion resulted in financial gain. However the Board case is still pending against Dr. Sella, and this is the correct action because two doctors with financial ties should not be confirming that each others abortions follow Kansas or Federal Law.

Lest you consider this an isolated or one-sided account about Dr. Tiller's work, Steve Waldman, editor in chief of Beliefnet in a recent post highlighted the "problem" with the late term abortions Dr. Tiller performed. Waldman presented evidence that most were for the "mental health" of the mother, not for any physical health risk to the mother or for a fetal deformity. Most telling is that these abortions for “mental health” could in no way even amount to a psychological reason that could be stretched to the limits of legality. In order for that to happen there must be a psychiatric condition that was "substantial and irreversible." However respected psychiatry professor Paul McHugh reviewed Tiller's records and said, "I saw no file that justified abortion on that basis. All the files justified the abortions on the patient's present state of mind of being distressed and social proposals that this person's life would be less successful, less developed, less opportune if this child were born, and those are not psychiatric reasons, those are social reasons.” All this on healthy and viable babies.

Despite these facts about Dr. Tiller's medical practice, some radical Pro-Choice advocates want to remove the best weapon we Pro-Lifers have, our rhetoric, our words, which evince our passion. Our rhetoric needs to bear witness to the truth that abortion is a civil rights issue, and abortion ends the civil rights of the most defenseless in our society because abortion murders them. Dr. Tiller's third trimester abortions of otherwise healthy babies makes this point abundantly clear. We can say this no less passionately or emphatically, using the same weapons of the other great civil rights, suffragette and abolitionist movements of our great country. If Dr. Martin Luther King had followed the advice of the timid in his day, President Obama would still be sitting in the back of the bus.

Dr. Tiller's death needs to be the catalyst for the debate this country never had, the debate the Supreme Court removed from our hands, the debate on how late is too late for an abortion? No one in America supports this kind of license against near new-borns. This is why all third trimester abortions need to be illegal, because so many are performed not to save a mother's life, but for “therapeutic” emotional, psychological and even social reasons. Our President says abortion should be safe, legal and rare. He could start with the stroke of his pen and outlaw these late term and third trimester abortions, 60,000 by Tiller alone, done through the legal loophole for the mother's “health”.

Choose Life License Plates

I'm surprised we do not have 3000 Pro-Life people signed up for the Choose Life License Plates in Massachusetts, but be that as it may please consider signing up and getting these License plates available in this State.

You'll need to print out the form, mail it to
Choose Life
25 Fairmount Ave
Wakefield MA 01880

With a $40 Check made out the the RMV

Pro-Life Prayer Vigil Sat. June 20, 09

Was at the new Planned Parenthood construction site on Pleasant St. I got there late as Jim was leaving, Phyllis and I prayed a rosary. The feeling of spiritual warfare was in the air, as I walked Jim to his car Phyllis stood alone in front of the paint store next to the construction site. She held no sign, just a small rosary. From the side street I heard a man's voice from a passing car: "I love abortion." I said to Jim, since Phyllis had no sign and was actually in front of the paint store, I wonder how the guy knew.

Phyllis and I moved in front of the construction site and began to pray, I held a sign with the face of a baby, which read "Face it, abortion kills." A couple of young men stopped in front of us as they were taking a left turn onto a side street. The passenger had his window open. He matter of factly said, with a smile on his face, "F*** abortion." He laughed as they took their turn.

I did not take this as an insult, just figured he was joking around and probably spoke in this manner all the time.

3 minutes later they came back, pulled up next to us in the paint store parking lot, and asked us some questions. They actually were concerned, as Christian, the passenger lived near by and had a 2 year old son so he believed abortion was wrong. So did Vo, the driver. I told them about witnessing a coerced situation on Lincoln St. It will be nice to have some friendly faces in the neighborhood when Planned Parenthood opens for abortions later this year.

Another driver, with a kid in his passenger seat, rolled down his window to declare "God wants us to choice." I thought about it and remarked to Phyllis that the guy was right, God wants us to choose what is right and good.

An elderly Hispanic Lady walking with the aid of a walker passed by on the other side of Pleasant St. A few minutes later she came back on our side, looked again at my sign, and without a word, handed me a handful of nickels, dimes and a quarter. I will present this widow's mite offering of $1.05 to Rod Murphy of Problem Pregnancy at the Pro-Life Garden party next week.

After this I drove to St. V's hospital and said goodbye to my father-in-law.

Letter to Cardinal Sean

http://www.bostoncatholic.org/ContactUs.aspx

As it would be impossible to provide health Services to MassHealth without providing referrals to abortion, sterilization and artificial contraception, as that would put Charitas Christi in default of performance, and seeing that both Mr. Ralph de la Torre and Mr. Brian Delaney of Celticare have both publicly admitted these referrals will take place (through the HMO), the only Christian option is to end the contract. Charitas Christi cannot take blood money, not even to provide health care.
Sincerely in Christ,

Time will Tell

APA 1998: "There is considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality."

Recent APA statement in a brochure called "Answers to Your Questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality":

"There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles...."


What I want to know is, why should I believe a bi-sexual who tells me some people are born homosexual and that is OK, but others are born transgendered so they must be changed? But Lesbianism does not last.

What Self Compasion is Not

When individuals feel self-pity, they become immersed in their own problems and forget that others have similar problems. They ignore their interconnections with others, and instead feel that they are the only ones in the world who are suffering. Self-pity tends to emphasize egocentric feelings of separation from others and exaggerate the extent of personal suffering. Self-compassion, on the other hand, allows one to see the related experiences of self and other without these feelings of isolation and disconnection. Also, self-pitying individuals often become carried away with and wrapped up in their own emotional drama. They cannot step back from their situation and adopt a more balanced or objective perspective. In contrast, by taking the perspective of a compassionate other towards oneself, "mental space" is provided to recognize the broader human context of one’s experience and to put things in greater perspective. (“Yes it is very difficult what I’m going through right now, but there are many other people who are experiencing much greater suffering. Perhaps this isn’t worth getting quite so upset about...")

Self-compassion is also very different from self-indulgence. Many people say they are reluctant to be self-compassionate because they’re afraid they would let themselves get away with anything. “I’m stressed out today so to be kind to myself I’ll just watch TV all day and eat a quart of icecream.” This, however, is self-indulgence rather than self-compassion. Remember that being compassionate to oneself means that you want to be happy and healthy in the long term. In many cases, just giving oneself pleasure may harm well-being (such as taking drugs, over-eating, being a couch potato), while giving yourself health and lasting happiness often involves a certain amount of displeasure (such as quitting smoking, dieting, exercising). People are often very hard on themselves when they notice something they want to change because they think they can shame themselves into action – the self-flagellation approach. However, this approach often backfires if you can’t face difficult truths about yourself because you are so afraid of hating yourself if you do. Thus, weaknesses may remain unacknowledged in an unconscious attempt to avoid self-censure. In contrast, the care intrinsic to compassion provides a powerful motivating force for growth and change, while also providing the safety needed to see the self clearly without fear of self-condemnation.
- Dr. Kristin Neff Ph.D.

The Comeback Begins?

The Comeback Begins? [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

More surprising news, from Albany via the National Organization for Marriage:

The New York Times is reporting, and our sources in Albany confirm, that the New York Senate has just switched to GOP control. Two Democratic senators this afternoon voted with Republicans to give the Republicans control of the chamber by a 32-30 majority.

The situation is still very fluid, and it’s not yet clear why these two senators switched, or whether the gay marriage issue played a role in the reversal. As you know, over the past two weeks, NOM has helped organize thousands of phone calls and emails from 25 key Senate districts urging lawmakers to reject the same-sex marriage legislation being pushed by the Democratic leadership.

How Late Term?

From SpiritDaily:
In a fashion that can only be described as macabre, Dr. Tiller's clinic not only killed the unwanted child in chilling fashion, but offered: photographs of the mother with the child (if the parents wanted this, before disposal), "baptism" by a chaplain who regularly dropped by, footprints, handprints, a certificate of miscarriage, cremation, a urn, or burial in Wichita or wherever the mother chose. We had a link Monday showing one mother who terminated her baby for cystic fibrosis and posed cuddling the gruesomely aborted infant on a bed with flowers and a picture of Jesus. We [SpiritDaily] removed the link because it is simply too upsetting.

Note: www.DrTiller.com is offline and even the Google cache has been cleared. Perhaps they are not as proud of his work
However, I did find a copy of this picture of the woman with her aborted baby, which is as Michael Brown described it, macabre.

or Google search Dr. George Tiller abortion baby for cystic fibrosis

Let us vote

Most people in the United States (92%), and even those who consider themselves Pro-Choice (84%), want at least some restrictions on abortion, especially the kind Dr. Tiller performed. These therapeutic abortions were done on near term babies for reasons that are definitely not any where near life threatening.
Perhaps Dr. Tiller's senseless death will finally spark the public debate about
abortion restrictions that this country needs to have.

Open Letter to those who identify as Pro-Choice

Even though I am anti-abortion I condemn in no uncertain terms the assassination of late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller. Though I found what Dr. Tiller did - late term and third trimester abortions, repulsive, U.S. Law allowed him this license. This senseless murder by a seldom employed schizophrenic Freeman follower of the Army of God radical fringe group will not have any limiting effect on abortion as another doctor has already planning to take over Dr. Tiller's practice. More important this murder denied Dr. Tiller of the time he needed to repent and get right with God.

Dr. Tiller's web site says he performed third trimester therapeutic abortions.
Therapeutic abortion is done for the sake of the mother's health, which includes "physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age - relevant to the wellbeing of the patient." This does not say life-threatening!

Third trimester fetuses really should be called what they are - babies, as only the most radical Pro-abortion person would deny the humanity of these kids. Dr. Tiller's death needs to be the catalyst for the debate this country never had, the debate the Supreme Court removed from our hands, the debate on how late is too late for an abortion?

Our President says abortion should be safe, legal and rare. He could start with
the stroke of his pen and outlaw these late term and third trimester abortions, 60,000 by Tiller alone, done through the legal loophole for the mother's "health".

What everyone deserves

Everyman deserves a trial before a sentence, even Dr. George Tiller.

Everyone deserves an opportunity to repent to God before their judgment.
We should grieve for him that he did not have an opportunity to properly prepare his soul to face his Maker.

Everyone deserves a chance...

John Brown's atrocities at Harper's ferry did not make slavery right;

Abulhakin Muhammad's murder of Private William Long at the Army/Navy recruitment center in Little Rock does not make Islam wrong; ...

Now is not the time to apologize for being Pro-Life. Pro-Life is Pro-kid, Pro-Chance, Pro-Civil Rights and Pro-good.

Abortion in our Time

I was going to comment on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court, but will only say I think it's obvious she is for a racial preference system, but she is an unknown as far as abortion – though I find it difficult to believe President Obama would nominate anyone who was not in full support of abortion.

What is now the most troublesome news is that the Nation's worst late-term abortionist, Dr. George Tiller, has been assassinated. I completely condemn this violence, but greatly fear that the abortion industry will use this tragic death for political gain, broadly painting all Pro-Life advocates as violent sociopaths. The abortion industry will do this to silence all criticism of abortion on demand, and use it as cover to make all abortions a right, one paid for with tax money in a National Health plan, and that conscientious objectors will be forced to engage is what they know is morally evil, or be fired.

In other words, I do not believe the words in Obama's Notre Dame Speech, I believe his actions of reversing the Mexico City Policy as well as his reversal of the Conscience clause instituted by the Bush Administration before the transition to the Obama administration.

Mt 10:22 comes to mind: "And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved." In other words Adversity will come but Hope will spring in the midst of this Adversity.

Pelosi for Waterboarding before she was against it

In another yawn-inspiring reaction from the Main Steam Media to blatant Democratic Hypocrisy, Nancy Pelosi's knowledge of, and tacit support of waterboarding is slowly coming to light.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi...insisted she was not told that waterboarding was used on al-Qaeda suspect Abu Zubaydah despite a newly released CIA report that says she was. - Boston Herald

...Among the techniques described, said two officials present, was waterboarding, a practice that years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two U.S. officials said.
"The briefer was specifically asked if the methods were tough enough," said a U.S. official who witnessed the exchange. - Washington Post

Pelosi's nemesis Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) was the only member of Congress to utter any questions about the practice, as documented in a recently declassified CIA letter Harman wrote in Feb. 10, 2003 - Washington Times

God Help Us.

Miss California maligned

What is Hate Speech? I think we have an example of it from Gay Gossip blogger Perez Hilton during the Miss USA pageant, where he asked Miss California Carrie Prejean (on left in photo) about same-sex marriage. She replied "I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised."

But this answer is not acceptable to the Powers of Political Correctness.

Hilton said the reason Miss California lost the Miss USA pageant is not because she was against gay marriage, but because she was "a dumb bitch". Apparently the forces of tolerance will not tolerate anything less than pure and 100% doctrinal conformity.

Normally a mealy-mouthed gossiper would be called out by Polite Society on his tantrum speak, but the main stream media, specifically Larry King in this case, allows this hateful name calling a pass because it is politically correct, though those who have eyes can see the true colors of this rainbow.

Jesus will come

Only God the Father knows the Day or Time of the end of the Present World, but as Fr. Charles Arminjon explains in his book The End of the Present World, and the Mysteries of the Future Life there will be clear signs of the approach of the End.
1. The Word of God must be proclaimed throughout the whole world. Mt 24:14
2. The man of sin, the son of Perdition, the Anti-Christ will appear (2Thes2:2-4)
3. The conversion of the Jews (Rom 11:14-17)

As to point 1, Catholics do not believe in a Rapture per se, nor in a Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS) interpretation of Eternal Assurance, but in perseverance, as the preceding verse in Matthew 24 indicates, "13 But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations: and then shall the consummation come." And as St. John Chrysostom says in homily on Mt.24:16-18 "And let not any man suppose this to have been spoken hyperbolically; but let him study the writings of Josephus, and learn the truth of the sayings."

Of course Josephus is a primary extra-Scriptural Historical reference to Jesus Christ,"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, (9) those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; (10) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."

1st Word of God proclaimed

First, the Word of God must be proclaimed throughout the whole world. (Mt 24:14)

At the time of Fr. Arminjon's writing of The End of the Present World, 1881, he wrote, "It remains to be ascertained whether, at the present time, the gospel has been preached all over the earth, and given for a testimony to the totality of nations.
On this Point the Fathers and Doctors are divided. Some say that the words of Christ are to be interpreted morally, and should be understood in the sense of a partial, summary preaching: for them to be fulfilled, it is enough that missionaries should have enlightened a certain number of individual minds in the various parts of the inhabited earth, and that, on each deserted and remote hillside, the Cross should have been raised at least once." (p.16)

Fr. Arminjon is not of this Evangelism Lite, and cites St. Jerome and St. Bede, that the Word of God must be preached and "understood in the most strict and literal sense." Cornelius Lapide claims that Christianity must be "established and organized" and "subsisted at the level of a public institution."

Under this definition, we probably have a little ways to go in places like the Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Europe. But this could change rapidly, as even in Iraq, a country that is 97% Muslim, we find 19% of the population watch Sat-7 Christian broadcasting in Arabic, Farsi and Turkish.

Holy Love - Divine Mercy

April 19, 2009

Midnight Service at the United Hearts Field - Feast of Divine Mercy

Heaven Speaks to the Heart of the World

(Specifically the path the world is taking.)

(This message was given in multiple parts over several days.)

Jesus is here as He is in the Divine Mercy Image; there is a huge Flame behind Him. He says: "I am your Jesus, born Incarnate. I come to you tonight from the Will of the Eternal Father Whose Flame of Love you see behind Me.."

"My brothers and sisters, I come to you as your Merciful Jesus. Those who love Me understand My Mercy and My Love, which are one. These are the ones that allow My Mercy and My Love to shine through them into the world. These are the ones who understand the call of My Heart to repentance of each soul. I will refuse no one who turns to Me with a repentant heart."

"Today the foundation of a one-world government has been laid through the global economic collapse which Satan has orchestrated. As this unfolds, remember that your free will remains intact. No one can dictate the affections of your heart. Live always in Holy Love. Remain calm; be at peace. If your heart is steeped in love of God and love of neighbor, you are safe, for I am with you."

"Hope, indeed, springs eternal for those who place their trust in Me. See in all world events the coming of the Kingdom of the Divine Will of My Father. Believe in this Kingdom--the New Jerusalem--which is alive in hearts living in Holy Love."

"Those who have made hatred into a 'religion' will destroy themselves. They cannot succeed, for Truth will be victorious. Holy Love is the Heart of Truth. In truth I tell you, it is now the hour of decision. Take up the weapons of prayer and sacrifice as I call together My army* against evil. My victims of love are the officers in this spiritual army. I tell you, the battle against evil must be won in hearts before it is won in the world."

"During these decisive and difficult times, it is important to realize that conflict and wars arise in hearts because of conflict with the Commandments of Love. God desires all of creation to be in harmony with His Divine Will. This is why He has created this apparition site and this Mission. The more that people accept and surrender to Holy Love, the greater the graces poured out here. Therefore, with hearts that emulate Divine Mercy and Divine Love, make the messages known."

"My Mercy will never be depleted, but the dawn of My Divine Justice is at hand. Satan seeks to destroy all that is good and loving, using people and nature to accomplish his goals. Depend on Divine Mercy and Divine Love to see you through the worst of times. From My Love and My Mercy flows My Provision."

"I invite you to realize that when the Holy Love in your heart is compromised, every virtue begins to erode. It is as if the roots of a great tree were Holy Love. The trunk would be humility; the blossoms on this great tree are the different virtues. The roots and the trunk (love and humility) must remain healthy for the whole tree to be healthy. In the spiritual life, Holy Love and Holy Humility feed and support all the other virtues. Therefore, if Holy Love erodes, faith and hope are weakened. If humility is compromised, the rest of the tree of virtues begins to wither."

"Within each soul is this mystical tree of virtue; it gives life or else it withers and dies. In society this tree of virtue is necessary towards world peace. If it is ignored and not watered with Holy Trust, the world around the tree suffers. This is what leads to lack of peace in hearts."

"You may wonder at My depiction of personal holiness as this tree of virtue. But I invite you to see that each soul's journey or growth in holiness affects the heart of the world, for the heart of the world is a composite of the hearts of all its citizenry. The tree of virtue in the heart of the world is drying up from lack of care. In its place is the tree of antipathy towards God and His Commandments. The roots of this tree are hatred; the trunk is arrogant pride; the blossoms are not blooms but rather spoiled fruit--each one opposing virtue. This tree is beginning to thrive, nourished by man's over-indulgent trust in himself--through self-love."

"With a compassionate heart for the spiritual crisis in the heart of the world, realize that the tree of virtue stretches heavenward towards perfection in God's Will. On the other hand, the tree of antipathy towards God suffers from neglect and lack of care and takes on a countenance of death. Unless the gardener notices this poor tree, it will face a grim future."

"This is why I have come here--to draw attention to the state of the heart of the world. My plea is urgent. Nourish your hearts with the food of virtue. Do not be motivated by self-love, but by love of God and neighbor. This is what will redirect the future of the world. Otherwise, all that is good in the world will wither and die. With a Merciful Heart, I tell you these things."

"In My Mercy and My Love, I come to tell you that the threats against democracy are very real. Even within the borders of your country, certain ones bear arms of hatred and evil against good. New challenges against world peace are very dominant in hearts. Come to realize that your prayers and sacrifices are all that stands in the way of Satan's destructive plans. Your efforts towards personal holiness must proliferate as a strong crop in a fertile field. Do not hide the light of Holy Love that is in your heart for any reason. Let it blaze forward illuminating the darkest soul. Bring souls to My Love and My Mercy. You can secure the borders of your country, but if the boundaries of your heart are not secure in Holy Love, Satan will enter like a thief in the night."

"This is what has happened in governments near and far.. This is how Satan has infiltrated the United Nations, the ranks of Church leaders and the liberal policies concerning marriage and life. The ones whom you should be able to turn to for help have been rendered helpless by Satan's compromise. You must use My Commandments of Love--Holy Love--both as the weapon and the solution."

"Realize that I must tell you these things in truth, for these times are evil and Satan's lies are unrelenting. You cannot trust people because of their esteemed title in the world or even in the Church. This current Pope lives in truth and is a staunch supporter of the Tradition of Faith. Sadly, there are many of title under him who do not do so. You can see readily how faith has been attacked in the numbers of Catholics who do not support life at conception, do not believe in Purgatory, and sadly some do not even believe Satan exists. Heaven's interventions, such as the one here, are most often scandalized and then condemned by the very ones who need guidance the most. But Satan will not prevail here. Rejoice in that!"

"My brothers and sisters, tonight I am releasing from Purgatory relatives of those here present who have spent long periods of time, and short periods of time, in the prison of Purgatory for worshipping the false god of reputation. My Mercy and My Love are One with the Will of My Father. I desire to spread My Mercy across the face of the earth together with My Love. You must help Me with your prayers and your sacrifices, for this is a desperate hour. I love you, My brothers and sisters, and will not abandon you."

"Tonight I'm blessing you with My Blessing of Divine Love."

* Jesus' spiritual army is the army of souls called to Divine Victimhood.

The End of the World

Not Yet. And No predictions here, as only God the Father knows the Day or Time


But Fr. Charles Arminjon has written an excellent book that puts a lot of the pieces in place, and clears up much of the confusion surrounding the Rapture. There will be signs, but Jesus reminds us "These signs are not just calamities and revolutions in the stars, but events of a public character, pertaining to both the religious and the social order, which mankind cannot fail to perceive." (p.16)






First, the Word of God must be proclaimed throughout the whole world. (Mt 24:14)
Second, the man of sin, the son of Perdition, the Anti-Christ will appear (2Thes2:2-4)
Third, the conversion of the Jews (Rom 11:14-17)

The Bitter Pill

Contraception: The Bitter Pill from Holy Spirit Interactive
by George Sim Johnston

[Jay's Note: As I like to say, you can't put on condom over your heart]

Each month, to test our courage, my wife Lisa and I stand before an auditorium full of couples about to marry in the Catholic Church and explain to them the Church's teachings about sexuality. The crowd is generally not happy to be there. Many are not Catholic and few, needless to say, want to hear what the Church has to say about sex and contraception. They've heard it already on the afternoon talk shows from renegade nuns. This is, moreover, the upper east side of Manhattan, a tough market for Humanae Vitae.

We tell our restive audience that what they are about to hear is counter-cultural. We try to pique their curiosity: What arguments can there possibly be against using the pill? Proof texts are lacking in Scripture and we wouldn't use them anyway. The last thing you do with a crowd of post-baby boom Catholics is argue from the top down. What we have to do is persuade them that getting rid of their pills and diaphragms will actually make them happier. Then, gently, we can slip in a few natural law arguments about sex and babies.

The challenge is to put the cultural coordinates back to where they were seventy years ago. Until 1930, not only did every Christian denomination teach that contraception is wrong, but even the mainstream of media and politics did not approve of it. The ubiquitous state laws against selling birth control devices were the work of Protestant, not Catholic, legislatures. When, at the Lambeth Conference in 1930, the Anglican Church became the first Christian body to change its mind about contraception, the Washington Post was as indignant as Pope Pius XI. It seemed self-evident to at least a plurality of Christians that the deliberate obstruction of the life-making potential of sex is a gravely disordered act.

Disrupting Marriage
The use of contraceptives did not really take off until the advent of the pill in the early '60s. At the time, the pill was heralded as a great boon to married couples because it would remove from sex the fear of pregnancy. The divorce rate in America was 25 percent. It proceeded to double quite rapidly. While there were a number of reasons for this general breakdown of marriage, the pill certainly contributed. One obvious reason is that it makes infidelity easier by taking babies out of the picture. It also turns premarital sex into a recreation like tennis or bungee jumping, so that many enter marriage with a consumerist attitude toward sex that is easily bored and dissatisfied.

But there are more profound reasons why the pill is so disruptive to marital happiness. It has to do with the nature of sexuality itself. Sex, we tell our audience, is a mystery that can never be reduced to mere biology. It has a meaning far beyond the physical act of love. In The Graduate when Mr. Robinson confronts young Benjamin Braddock about his adultery with Mrs. Robinson, Benjamin defends himself by saying that it was no big deal: "Mrs. Robinson and I might just as well have been shaking hands." Mr. Robinson gets even more upset, and rightly so; because behind Benjamin's statement is a gnostic separation of spirit and flesh, of heart and body, which even the dimmest of cuckolds can sense is utterly wrong.

Our culture has been able to turn sex into a casual activity because it has separated personhood from the human body. Most people have the idea that their real self is somewhere inside the proverbial ghost in the machine and that what they do with their bodies doesn't make much difference. But this has never been the view of the Church, which teaches that the body is not a mere appendage, but is as much a part of us as our soul. After all, we don't say in the Nicene Creed that we believe in the immortality of the soul, but in the resurrection of the body. In a very significant way, we are what we do with our bodies.

The Old Testament uses a very interesting verb for sex: to "know." One of the things we surrender in the act of love is knowledge about ourselves that only our spouse should have. Nobody has written about these aspects of sex more profoundly than John Paul II in Love and Responsibility (1959). In that book, the future philosopher-pope argues further that each person is an irreducible subject "a person, not a thing," who ought never to be used as an object. As we know, sex is an appetite which has a tendency to do just that: to treat persons as objects. A couple can easily slip into treating one another as objects, as things to be used in bed, rather than as persons giving and receiving the spousal gift of love. And this may be why so many couples are bored by modern sex: You can tire of an object, while you can never tire of a person.

There is also the matter of babies. God's first command to humanity was to be fruitful and multiply. For those made uncomfortable by divine injunctions, the most elementary biology textbook will explain that sex is for making babies. And since sex is such a deep part our identity, it may be that when you sterilize the baby-making potential of sex, you are doing damage to yourself.

Artificial contraception is wrong because it violates the gift of self that ought to be at the center of every act of physical love. When you take the pill or use a foam, diaphragm, condom, or whatever, you are, in effect, saying to your spouse, "In this, the most intimate act of our marriage, I am going to give myself to you, but only up to a point." Or, conversely, you are saying, "I want you in this act to make a total gift to me of yourself, except that part of you which so deeply defines you as a sexual being, your fertility."

The body has its own deep language, and when we add chemicals or latex to the act of love, when we deliberately destroy its potential for making new life, we falsify the nuptial meaning of its actions. We hold back the full gift of self which during the wife's fertile period must include an openness to new life.

A couple who use artificial birth control are not only falsifying the meaning of sex, they are also behaving immaturely: trying to extract gratification from an act while getting rid of its natural consequences. It is not unlike certain eating disorders.

Chesterton put it well when he said that birth control "is a name given to a succession of different expedients by which it is possible to filch the pleasure belonging to a natural process while violently and unnaturally thwarting the process itself."

Child Spacing and NFP
At this point, an obvious objection appears on the faces in our audience. Is the Church telling us that we have to have one baby after another? What about my career? And my health? But the Church recognizes that there are legitimate reasons for spacing children. All that is asked is that a couple be generous and not put selfish motives first. And besides, the best thing you can do for a child is to provide siblings. It is, paradoxically, more difficult to do a good job bringing up one or two children than three or four.

If the arrival of children needs to be spaced (a job once done quite effectively by full-time breast-feeding), there is a morally acceptable way of doing it: Natural Family Planning. NFP is one of the best-kept secrets in the Catholic Church (and the medical profession), and most of our pre-cana audience is no doubt hearing about it for the first time.

The general ignorance surrounding NFP is a real tragedy, because couples who use it almost universally report what a boon it is to their marriage. NFP is not "Catholic birth control." Nor is it the calendar rhythm method, which has a 15 percent failure rate and went out the window decades ago. It is a method whereby both partners exercise restraint during the wife's fertile period, which is determined by a few simple symptoms. Used correctly, it is more effective than the pill. And it ought to be noted that the more effective an artificial contraceptive is, the more potentially harmful side-effects there are for the wife.

An obvious question occurs to our audience, one that is a stumbling block for any number of otherwise clever theologians: Since artificial contraception and Natural Family Planning have the same goal -- to postpone the arrival of a child -- what is the moral difference between them? Why should a little piece of plastic or a small dose of hormones be such a big deal?

But NFP and artificial contraception do not, strictly speaking, have the same goal, since NFP is used by couples to help conceive as well as to space children, while artificial contraception is used only to block conception. (A dividend of the sexual revolution is that one in six couples now have trouble conceiving, which gives NFP additional marketing appeal.) And even when the goal is the same -- the postponement of a child -- everyone would agree that the means used to achieve a goal can be either good or bad. For example, if you need a hundred dollars, you can either rob a bank or earn the money.

When it comes to spacing children, there is all the difference in the world between sex that is nonprocreative, because it takes place during the infertile part of the wife's cycle, and sex that is antiprocreative. The couple using NFP is accepting their fertility as it is: a great good, but a good which they are not going to use at this time. The husband respects his wife's cycle and does not try to manipulate it.

But a couple on artificial birth control is treating their fertility as though there were something wrong with it, something that has to be gotten rid of by medication or barrier. (The latter is a revealing term: "I want to make love to you, I want to give myself to you, but first let me put in my barrier.") A pill is what you take when you have an illness: couples who use contraceptives are treating their fertility, whose depth and mystery they ought to revere, as a defect in need of a technological fix.

The Fork in the Road
The Church does not teach that an act is evil because it makes people unhappy, but it does affirm that evil acts will inevitably have that result. Women who use contraceptives often complain that they feel like they are being used as objects and that their sex life is flat. Couples who use NFP never seem to have this problem. In the latter case, the wife, whose sensitivity in this area is usually keener, has the assurance that her husband loves her enough to practice self-control. And besides, abstinence is the best of aphrodisiacs. There is nothing like periodic continence to keep one's sex life interesting. It's like going on a honeymoon twice a month. A Jewish rabbi once told New York magazine that orthodox Jewish women, who have to abstain from sex for a period after menstruation, universally report that periodic continence keeps their sex fresh and entertaining.

In the end, couples who use NFP and those who use contraceptives are living two radically different versions of physical love. One accepts the gift of sexuality exactly as it is stamped in the human person by God; the other rejects it. And this severing of life and love is not healthy for a marriage. In fact, a void can open up in the love life of a contracepting couple, a void that is usually first noticed by the wife. Two statistics tell the whole story: The divorce rate among couples who use NFP is somewhere between 1 and 3 percent, while the divorce rate among couples who use contraceptives is well over the 50 percent national rate.

This is the message of Humanae Vitae that nobody gets: When you try to short-circuit the procreative end of sexuality, you also hurt the unitive. There is simply no way of separating them.

There is another unseemly aspect of the pill that is only now getting attention: its strong causal link to abortion. In one respect, "contraceptive" is a misnomer for the pill, because it sometimes does its work after conception by preventing the fertilized egg from implanting in the mother's womb. In other words, it is an abortifacient. But the link to abortion goes further. The essence of the contraceptive mentality is to drive a wedge between sex and babies. Once a society does this and goes on a spree of sterilized sex, it has to have abortion as a backup in case a contraceptive fails or (as happens with teenagers) isn't pulled out of the pocket at the critical moment.

The Church's insistence on the link between contraception and abortion occasionally gets support in surprising quarters. In Planned Parenthood v. Casey the U.S. Supreme Court, on its perennial search for the most plausible-sounding sophistries to uphold legalized abortion, stated:

[F]or two decades of economic and social developments, people have organized intimate relationships and made choices that define their views of themselves and their places in society, in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.

In other words, we need abortion so that people can continue their contraceptive lifestyles.

Not Animals
The clash over contraception in the final analysis involves two irreconcilable views of the human person and sexuality. Humans are not brute animals; we are created in the image of God. We do not reproduce, we procreate; and the place to look for an ethics of sexuality is not in the rest of the animal kingdom, but in the other direction, at the three persons of the Holy Trinity in the act of eternal, mutual self-giving. The entire Christian world once understood this, and Protestants who think that this is no longer an issue ought to examine their own heritage. Luther and Calvin both taught that artificial birth control is intrinsically evil. So did Karl Barth, who wrote Paul VI a warm letter of praise after the publication of Humanae Vitae. The modern world has evacuated the marital act of its mystery and sanctity and it is sad that most denominations have gone along, hesitantly at first, only to proceed enthusiastically.

Much of the official Catholic apparatus also goes flopping along with the contraceptive culture. Many pre-cana programs actually promote artificial birth control, which means that they indirectly promote abortion. The pope, as usual, has a deeper insight than his middle management into the centrality of contraception in the array of life issues. In Evangelium Vitae, the first institutional step he proposes in the battle against the culture of death is the establishment of teaching centers for natural methods of regulating fertility. Unfortunately, the laity get little encouragement in this area. This is partly because the progressive wing of the Church, which controls most of the chanceries and seminaries, has never focused on Natural Family Planning. They consider it part of the baggage of Humanae Vitae, a document they shun like a vampire avoids sunlight.

Still, there are reasons to be optimistic that contraceptives will someday go away. At the end of each of our marriage preparation sessions, couples who seem to have little use for most Church teachings come up and say that NFP actually sounds like a good idea. Women, in particular, may decide on purely feminist grounds that artificially thwarting their fertility is demeaning. And, so far as the intellectual debate goes, Chesterton, our guide and mentor, made the amusing observation that "the more my opponents practice Birth Control, the fewer there will be of them to fight us."

Or, as a friend of mine once put it: "Be optimistic, the readership of the New York Times is not replacing itself."

Train Wreck a coming

In a New York Times article on Same-Sex Marriage, Peter Stenfels gives a rare balanced portrayal of the current social and legal landscape, including the big question: Is same-sex marriage on a collision course with religious liberty?

Pro-Same-Sex Marriage advocates like Cass Sunstein, a constitutional scholar at the University of Chicago Law School, have admitted that in a whole range of issues which, "pointed to conflicts that were 'real and serious.'" Chai R. Feldblum, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center and [also] a proponent of same-sex marriage, agrees that permitting gay couples equal access to civil marriage will inevitably burden the religious liberty of those religiously opposed.

In a previous comments section I argued with JHG that since the Civil Right to same-sex marriage has been granted albeit on a limited basis, any Religious Conscience clause would of necessity have to be struck down by the Courts. What I call the redefinition of marriage into a Civil right for a group of people (LGBT) has simultaneously defined those of us who believe marriage to be between one man and one woman into racists, and no racist beliefs are allowed in this country.

Therefore Same-sex marriage as a Civil Right gives people "the right to work in areas where their presence might constitute a contradiction to your [religious or personal] teachings." These were JHG's words, and he actually agrees with me on this point, but I said the fact that he was on my side on this one is no consolation and would prevent nothing of this encroachment of the State into the Church.

If we had kept the legal debate to a debate of individual rights, we would have discussed individual rights; can a GLBT individual form a relationship with another individual and be granted rights such as hospital visitation, health proxy, inheritance, and other rights? But same-sex marriage has outlawed religious and personal beliefs that do not affirm the Naturalness and indeed the goodness of same-sex sex.

Many see that same-sex marriage will create conflicts with the religious liberty of institutions and individuals rejecting such marriages on religious grounds, though there is no agreement on how serious those conflicts are or how they might be resolved. But Marc D. Stern, whose many years handling religious freedom cases for the American Jewish Congress firmly believes that legal recognition of same-sex marriage will make clashes with religious liberty "inevitable." Stern sees a "train wreck" coming, one that can "be avoided only if advocates on both sides renounce what he called 'a winner take all' attitude."

No one seriously believes that a clergy will be forced to perform a GLBT marriage ceremony over his religious conscience objections, but Mr. Stern sees a multitude of conflicts for "schools, health care centers, social service agencies, summer camps, homeless shelters, nursing homes, orphanages, retreat houses, community centers, athletic programs and private businesses or services that operate by religious standards, like kosher caterers and marriage counselors." E.g. Boston Catholic Charities no longer provides any adoption services.

We shall see.

How to get labeled a hate group II

Summary: SPLC labels you a hate group if they disagree with your message, even just a little, even just once.

When Will the Southern Poverty Law Center Stop Bullying?
by Laurie Higgins, Director of IFI's DSA -Illinois Family Institute

Following our expose of the reason for the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) dubious and defamatory inclusion of the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) on their "anti-gay hate groups" list, the SPLC started receiving complaints, which evidently didn't sit too well with them. As a result of those complaints, the editor of their ironically named "Intelligence Report," Mark Potok, started leaving troubling voice messages around the country for those who called to complain.

Here's a transcription of one of those messages:

Yes, Hi, this is a message for . . . from Mark Potok, Southern Poverty Law Center. Very briefly, I just wanna say very briefly - we do list them (Illinois Family Institute) for a reason, which we've stated publicly. They (IFI) have been less, in my opinion, than honest about what we really said. They publish and promote the work of a man named Paul Cameron. Paul Cameron is a guy who is infamous for over the last 20 years for producing, for publishing fake studies that allege all kinds of terrible things about homosexuals. For instance, that gay men are, something like, 20 times more likely to molest children; that gay men have an average death age of something like 43 because they're so sickly and, ya know, sorta do such terrible things. These things are completely false and have been proven false long ago. Our view is that the Illinois Family Institute promotes these complete falsehoods. Then that is hateful activity. We never list any group on the basis of simply disagreeing morally or otherwise with homosexuality. We told the Illinois Family Institute directly that if they remove this material from their website, in fact, that we would take them off the list. Instead, what they've done is essentially launched an attack on us to try to get people to call us as you did. Anyway, that's all. I just wanted to at least briefly explain that it was not quite the way it was being portrayed.

Contrary to Mr. Potok's claim that the SPLC had publicly stated their reason for including IFI on their "anti-gay hate groups" list, to my knowledge, prior to my phone call to them, they had never publicly stated their reason. And stating their reason in a private phone conversation doesn't constitute a public statement. I believe it was I who stated their reason publicly. If I'm mistaken, I would like Mr. Potok to provide evidence for his claim that they had already publicly stated their reason.

After I heard his voice message in which he stated that IFI has "been less than honest," I called and spoke to Mr. Potok, informing him that in my article, I was scrupulously honest about what Heidi Beirich had said to me. In fact, I even included a link to a follow-up email Ms. Beirich had sent to me in which she restated the reason for the SPLC's inclusion of IFI on their hate groups list.

I told him that in my phone conversation with her, I even stopped her so that I could write down exact quotes, and I told her I was doing so. In my article I informed IFI readers that Ms. Beirich stated that the only reason we were on the anti-gay hate groups list was that we had posted one article three years ago by Paul Cameron and that if we took that one article down, the SPLC would remove us from the hate groups list. In my article, I explained that some of the claims that SPLC was making about Cameron's statements-if true-would be repellent to IFI, and that we were in the process of verifying the accuracy of the SPLC's claims.

Frankly, I don't know how I could have been more honest.

Mr. Potok stated in his voice message that we, IFI, "publish and promote the work of a man named Paul Cameron." This grossly misrepresents the nature of our involvement with Cameron's work. It suggests that we regularly or continually publish and promote the work of Cameron, when, by Potok and Beirich's own admission, we published only one brief article.

More troubling yet, this one article contained no statements remotely like those that Mr. Potok articulated in his voice message: "gay men are, something like, 20 times more likely to molest children" or that "they're so sickly and, ya know, sorta do such terrible things."

Mr. Potok then digs himself in even deeper when he says on tape that it is the SPLC's view that "the Illinois Family Institute promotes these (emphasis mine) complete falsehoods." "These" is a demonstrative pronoun referring back to the statements he just made. The problem is that he is suggesting that IFI promotes falsehoods that the SPLC's own evidence proves we did not promote. The SPLC's own evidence is the one three-year-old article that did not include any references to "child molestation," or "sickly homosexuals sorta doing terrible things." Mr. Potok was either stunningly careless with his rhetoric or deliberately manipulative.

I also explained to Mr. Potok that the one article from three years ago contained no hate rhetoric, and that it alone cannot possibly justify labeling IFI a hate group. I told him that simply quoting a source once does not mean that an organization supports or endorses everything that a source says or does.

I also explained that I would have no problem removing the article except that I want to provide evidence for our claim that the SPLC's reason for including IFI on a hate groups list is flimsy, unethical, irresponsible, unsavory, and manipulative.

People need to read for themselves the content of the article that the SPLC uses to justify labeling us a hate group in order to determine whether they, the public, think we deserve to be included on this list that schools and law enforcement agencies use. People need to read this one brief article that the SPLC claims is their sole reason for lumping us together with actual hate groups like the KKK.

I also asked Mr. Potok if we've been on their hate groups list since 2005 when the Cameron article was posted. He replied "No." I then asked when we were first listed, and he said 2008. So, they added us to their list in 2008 based on one brief article posted in 2003.

Mr. Potok continues with his turbo-charged rhetoric claiming that IFI "launched an attack" on the SPLC. Once again, his facts are slightly askew. IFI did not call for people to voice their opposition to the SPLC. But more importantly, phone calls of opposition hardly constitute an "attack."

Finally, since Mr. Potok was leaving voice messages all around the country claiming that I was being less than honest, I asked him if had even read my article. Surprise, surprise, he had not, and asked me to send it to him.

In light of the dubious and insubstantial reason the Southern Poverty Law Center has provided for including the Illinois Family Institute on their "anti-gay hate groups" list and their subsequent misleading, defamatory, and less than honest voice message, IFI is requesting that we be removed immediately from the SPLC's hate groups list, and we are requesting a formal public apology for our inclusion on this list and the voice message, both of which are damaging our reputation.

Until now.

A widespread non-system of impersonal sexual couplings has never occurred in any known society. In no known society have the ruling authorities, whether governmental or informal, been completely indifferent to the forms sexual couplings take, or the context in which sexual activity takes place. Nor has any belief system, whether religious or philosophical, ever claimed that sexual activity is intrinsically meaningless, having only the meaning individuals privately assign to it. Until now" (Morse, J. R. "Marriage and the limits of contract." Policy Review, April and May, 2005).

institutional disintegration of the family

Transgender bill passage would mark ‘institutional disintegration of the family’

By GAIL BESSE
Anchor Correspondent
As it appeared in The Anchor, Diocese of Fall River, Mass. in the March 27, 2009 edition.

BOSTON – People with gender identity disorder would have specially protected legal status if a bill pending on Beacon Hill becomes law. “Transgender” and gay activist groups are making this a priority, according to both supporters and opponents of the bill.

Transgender is an umbrella term coined by those advocating that society try to deconstruct the biological realities of male and female, say researchers who have studied gender confusion.

An Act Relative to Gender-based Discrimination and Hate Crimes was re-filed this year after it died in committee following a public outcry against it last year. But its supporters have lobbied fiercely since then; it now has about four times more co-sponsors.

Numbered H1728 in the House and S1687 in the Senate, the bill is currently in the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.

The Woburn-based Coalition for Marriage and Family (Coalitionformarriage.org), which advocates for traditional values, is making defeat of the bill a priority. In a March 19 statement, Chairman Tom Shields urged people to “put the pressure on now.”

If the bill leaves the committee for a full legislative vote, he predicted, it will pass.

“This dangerous legislation will make it legal for biological men to enter women’s restrooms and locker rooms, further eroding our rights in an attempt to erase the differences between the sexes,” he said.

Bay Windows, a free publication that dubs itself “New England’s largest GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) newspaper,” devoted its March 18 lead article to explaining the bills’ chances. “LGBT advocates have already persuaded a majority of the legislature to back the transgender rights bill, but that doesn’t mean that passage of the bill is a done deal.

“In fact, the bill’s fate will ultimately be determined by a handful of legislative ‘gate-keepers’ who must decide both to support it and to make it a legislative priority. Without their support and commitment to expend political capital on the measure, the bill is dead in the water this session,” the paper reported.

Spokesmen for the Massachusetts Catholic Conference (MCC), which represents the state’s four bishops, testified at a 2008 public hearing against this bill.

The lay political action group Catholic Citizenship (Catholic-citizenship.org) noted in a March 23 email: “Proponents of the measure have called for a “lobby day” on Beacon Hill on April 7, signaling the bill’s public hearing may not be far behind. Some parishes have already begun a letter drive in opposition to the legislation. To find out what you can do, contact MCC.”
Massachusetts already outlaws discrimination based on racial, religious, ethnic, handicap, and “gender or sexual orientation” prejudice.

Under this proposal, a new category would be added to the existing hate crime statute, as well as to non-discrimination laws on employment, housing, credit, labor union membership, public accommodations and public education.

The additional category - “gender identity or expression” - is defined in the 15-page bill as "a gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of an individual, regardless of the individual's assigned sex at birth."

Thus, heterosexual cross-dressers, homosexual transvestites and “transsexuals” – people undergoing so-called “sex change” operations – among others, would be given specially protected status.

The Bay Windows article spelled out “four key figures in particular who will be crucial to the bill’s success: House Speaker Robert DeLeo , D-Winthrop; Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth; and Judiciary Committee co-chairs Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, D-Newton, and Representative Eugene O’Flaherty, D-Chelsea, whose committee has jurisdiction over the bill. Of those four DeLeo and Creem support the bill and are signed on as co-sponsors, while Murray and O’Flaherty have yet to take a public position.”

It continues, “The success of the bill also depends on the support of the other members of the Judiciary Committee, who must give the bill a majority vote to send it to the full House and Senate.”

Contact information for 17 committee members and the text of the bill can be accessed through the Massachusetts General Court’s home Web page, Mass.gov/legis/legis.htm.

The Waltham-based parents’ rights group Mass Resistance (Massresistance.org) is also asking people to call for a public hearing to probe how “transgenderism” is quietly getting state sponsorship through a questionable change in the policy of issuing drivers’ licenses.

In January, Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprielian announced that people could now change their gender designation on drivers’ licenses with simply a note from a “medical provider.”

Lobbyists for homosexual and transgender causes want the American Psychiatric Association to declassify transexualism and transvestism as mental disorders, according to the California-based Traditional Values Coalition.

Its brochure “A Gender Identity Disorder Goes Mainstream,” explains: “In reality, no person can actually change into a different sex. Maleness and femaleness are in the DNA and are unchangeable. A man who has his sex organ removed and takes hormones to grow breasts is still genetically male – a mutilated man, not a woman.

“These are deeply troubled individuals who need professional help, not societal approval or affirmation.”

Dale O’Leary, Catholic speaker and author of The Gender Agenda, agrees. In an article published by NARTH (National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality), she wrote: “Patients who suffer from the belief that they are men trapped in the bodies of women (or women trapped in the bodies of men) need real help.

“The promotion of ‘sex changes’ and the normalizing of severe gender identity disorders by radical feminists, pro-same-sex attraction disorder activists and sexual revolutionaries is part of their larger agenda – namely the destabilization of the categories of sex and gender,” O’Leary said. “Of course, we should be kind to people with severe psychological problems. But there is nothing kind about denying them real help, or using them as pawns in the culture wars.”
(The General Court’s main number is 617-722-2000 and the Judiciary Committee’s is 617-722-2396. The Coalition for Marriage and Family is at 781-569-0509 and the Mass. Catholic Conference is at 617-367-6060.)

who painted it?

Msgr. Diego Monroy, rector of the Basilica took Mrs. Clinton to the famous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which had been previously lowered from its usual altar for the occasion.

After observing it for a while, Mrs. Clinton asked "who painted it?" to which Msgr. Monroy responded "God!"

How to get Labeled a Hate Group

The Illinois Family Institute, IFI, had been labeled a Hate Group by the SPLC, because they defend Traditional Marriage and do not believe that same-sex sex is natural.

"The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was founded in 1971 by Morris Dees and Joseph Levin to oppose racism in the United States, the worst of which was already behind us because of the tireless efforts of civil rights warriors. Unfortunately, for an organization with such a noble birth and one that has achieved so much good for so many, the Southern Poverty Law Center has become a dark shadow of its former self -- one that promotes destructive lies and anti-Christian bigotry…Southern Poverty Law Center [spokewoman] Heidi Beirich [confirmed] that even a tenuous, distant connection to statements the SPLC doesn't like will land an organization on their hate groups list. [In the case of Illinois Family Institute] IFI is listed is that in 2005, IFI posted a very short article by Paul Cameron. Although there were no defamatory comments made in Cameron's piece… Ms. Beirich claimed that in other articles by Cameron, he had suggested that, in Ms. Beirich's words, ‘Gays are sickly, and people should stay away from them.’"

real good works

Randall Terry is doing good work

Editor's reply

Date: Monday, March 16, 2009 6:18 AM
From: letters@telegram.com
To: jayg
Subject: Re: Letter to the Editor
Size: 7 KB

Sorry, the Telegram & Gazette cannot print a letter of such a personal issue. Susan Mulrooney

Letter to the Editor

March 14, 2009
letters@telegram.com
fax: 508 793-9313

Some think that Love at First Sight is primarily between a man and a woman, but I’d argue that Love at First Sight actually happens primarily in a delivery room – when parents first see their newborn child.

18 year old Sycloria Williams was not expecting Love at First Sight back in 2006, when she went to abort her 23-week old fetus at the Hialeah Woman’s Health Center outside Miami. But when she delivered a live baby instead of a dead one, a baby that autopsy reports say had filled her lungs with air, Williams had a change of heart. I suppose it’s fair to call a fetus that was delivered and actually breathed a baby, not a fetus, but Williams simply called her daughter Shanice.

Owner Belkis Gonzalez saw this change of heart as bad for business, so he cut Shanice’s umbilical cord without clamping it, threw her in a biohazard bag, and tossed her out. I suppose it’s fair to call this murder, but the State of Florida has opted only to call this practicing medicine without a license.

Sincerely,

Jay G

Communion and Liberation

"If there is one crime that a religion can commit, it is that of saying: I am the only way. This is exactly what Christianity claims. It is not unjust to feel repugnance in the face of such a statement. What would be unjust would be failing to ask the reason for this claim."
Fr. Luigi Giussani

=====
I only recently became aware of the late Fr. Luigi Giussani, founder of Communion and Liberation, and invite you to learn more at Chisea, Sandor Magister's incredibly insightful web site.

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The Mystery of Fr. Giussani, Revealed by his Writings
For the first time, a book presents the spiritual biography of the founder of Communion and Liberation. At the center of everything are a "coming" and an "encounter." An extract from the volume's culminating chapter

by Sandro Magister

ROMA, March 4, 2009 – Over the past half century, only a tiny minority of the founders of new Catholic movements have distinguished themselves by their depth of vision, solid spiritual life, charism of leadership, and comprehensive Christian witness.

One of these was Fr. Luigi Giussani, according to what then-cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said about him in the homily at his funeral in the cathedral of Milan on February 24, 2005.

Fr. Giussani, who died at the age of 82, is known throughout the world as the founder of Communion and Liberation.

Today CL is present in more than 70 countries. About 100,000 people belong to the Fraternity. Then there are the men and women under vows as members of the Memores Domini, four of whom serve Benedict XVI in the pontifical household. There are the priests of the Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo; the Sisters of Charity of the Assumption; the Companionship of Works Association, which links about 30 thousand industrial businesses, magazines, publishers...

But in 2004, in a letter to Pope John Paul II, Fr. Giussani wrote:

"I never intended to 'found' anything. I believe that the genius of the movement that I have seen come into being is that of having grasped the urgency of proclaiming the need to return to the elementary aspects of Christianity, meaning passion for Christianity as such, in its original elements, and that's all."

And it's true. Fr. Giussani always had this burning passion: to proclaim Christianity in its purity and integrity, as being a "coming" before being a doctrine, as a personal encounter with the person Jesus.

He began as a professor of religion at a high school in Milan. His life story – which intersected with that of the Catholic Church at the end of the 19th century – has been recounted in three volumes published between 2001 and 2006 by Fr. Massimo Camisasca, who was always at his side and today is superior general of the Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo.

But what was still missing, until yesterday, was a synthesis of his thought. This can now be explored in another book that Fr. Camisasca published for precisely this purpose: "to make Fr. Giussani known to those who did not know him, to those who did not have the fortune of hearing him speak, of spending time with him and reading his books."

The book is a spiritual biography of Fr. Giussani, reconstructed through an examination of his writings, many of which had never been published before.

Three of the books that Fr. Giussani published while he was still alive are of central importance. These became the textbooks of the "school of the community," the systematic catechesis that the priest gave to his followers. The trilogy bears the general title of "PerCorso [Pathway]," and is made up of three volumes published in their definitive edition between 1997 and 2003, but under development half a century earlier: "Il senso religioso [The religious sense]", "All'origine della pretesa cristiana [At the origin of the Christian claim]", "Perché la Chiesa [Why the Church]." The first of these volumes was published worldwide, and was translated into 18 languages.

The following is an extract from Chapter 6 of the book by Fr. Camisasca illustrating the thought of Fr. Giussani.

It is the chapter that summarizes the second volume of "PerCorso," entitled "At the origin of the Christian claim."


The "Christian claim" explained by Fr. Giussani

by Massimo Camisasca


The person of Jesus was the intellectual and emotional center of Fr. Luigi Giussani's life. This centrality was the anchor of his existence. In Jesus Christ, Giussani found the only being who, precisely because of his twofold nature, was fully human, capable of understanding from within each person's expectations, and at the same time capable of responding to these like no one else, because he was God. [...]

It is not that Jesus was only the fulfillment of man's expectation, almost as if this were demanded according to an exaggeratedly anthropocentric theology. Christ is not only the answer to the religious sense. Giussani would explain this very clearly: "The most important thing to be built upon, upon which we are built, is not the religious sense, but the encounter with Christ." [...]

In his desire to restore existential solidity to the Christian proposal, Giussani did not fall into the error of seeing God as an element implied by man's needs. His was not a political theology, guided by a preoccupation with building the kingdom of God on earth. He understood well the primacy of grace, but at the same time he wanted to liberate the Christian proclamation from any temptation to spiritualism, to supernaturalism, to detachment from history. [...]

These questions occupy the second volume, entitled "At the origin of the Christian claim," in the Giussanian trilogy "PerCorso." [...] The attention of this volume is focused on what Jesus said about himself, about what he accomplished, about the manner in which he manifested himself. And this focus on Jesus' method of revelation is the most valuable aspect of the work, it is what makes it original, even in the midst of the many and important lives of Jesus written in the past century, or in the one that is beginning. [...]

* * *

The point of departure is a phenomenology of existence, because Giussani was convinced that every one of man's actions contains the fundamental finality that governs his whole life. When man examines himself, in the end his reason cannot help but find the religious sense and call the object of his ultimate desire by the name of God: something or someone that he wishes to know, that he knows exists, but is unable to define in its exact outlines. [...] It can be noted how Giussani assimilated Vatican Council I, and its battle against fideism and rationalism. He wanted to be a defender of reason, of a reason that arrives at perceiving the existence of the Mystery, and more than this wishes to know this, but is unable by itself to give a face to this Unknown.

This is how the religions were born: through them, man sought to imagine, to define the Mystery in relation to himself. The differences among the religions can be explained in part through the different historical-cultural environments in which they were born. Religious geniuses were at their origin. Great dignity can be found in many of them. Giussani was not a fundamentalist. He was moved by and interested in each one of man's journeys in the attempt to give a name and face to that from which he came and toward which he is directed. He knew that many religions emerged from amazement over the harmony of the laws that govern the universe, and which man seeks to obey. He even praised the fact that they contain hints of trust in divine mercy. But in the end, for him the various religions remained an exclusively human effort.

So how can the best, most suitable religion be found? Through a comparison? Or is it better to move toward a universal religion? Giussani's conclusion is surprising: "Everyone should follow the religion of his tradition," he should begin from there, from where God has placed him. This is a practical norm, a surrender to God's wisdom. Rather than a comparison among the religions, what interested Giussani was completely shifting the center of reflection. What if the Mystery wanted to draw near to man in his solitude and confusion, to establish contact with man in order to sustain him? "Reason cannot rule out anything that the Mystery might undertake."

Throughout its history, humanity has had many opportunities to experience the manifestation of the sacred. But with the birth of Israel, something absolutely new came about. With the call of Abraham, God chose time, history, as the privileged venue within which to reveal himself. The process was reversed. It was no longer man in search of God, but God in search of man. It was he who decided to enter history, to manifest himself through events, words and actions. [...] The fact that Christianity is not a collection of doctrines, a catalog of behavioral norms, but something that happened in history, an event, a "coming," is a recurring theme in Giussani; it is the heart of his faith and experience. [...] I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that a certain presence of similar expressions in the pontifical magisterium of John Paul II and of Benedict XVI is due in part to Giussani's insistence. At the end of the millennium, the Lombard priest dedicated an extremely long series of meetings with his collaborators to elaborating the idea of Christianity as coming. [...]

Christianity, therefore, was a completely new path. Giussani understood the radical nature of this statement, and also the distress that it can provoke. He had an almost prophetic vision of the century underway, which in the name of tolerance would like to burn up any idea of truth and difference. He writes: "If there is one crime that a religion can commit, it is that of saying: I am the only way. This is exactly what Christianity claims. It is not unjust to feel repugnance in the face of such a statement. What would be unjust would be failing to ask the reason for this claim."

* * *

This is the meaning of the entire book: to respond to the objection, which would be very widespread during the decades following the publication of these pages, about the salvific unicity of Christ, perceived as an unjust negation of freedom and of differences among men. [...]

Giussani invites us to ask the right question: we should not ask what is just or unjust, but what has happened. Could the Mystery become incarnate, could it become a normal part of history? The only thing to ask is: did this happen, or not? "If it happened, this would be the only path, because it would be the one marked out by God." No longer, then, study, seeking, the imagination of something far away, but "a collision with the present," the simplicity of recognition. [...] Every man can encounter this presence, by grace. The lowly and the poor have the advantage. St. Paul's words come to mind: "Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth" (1 Corinthians 1:26).

"Yes, this happened," says the Christian proclamation. Because of the simple fact that an announcement of this nature has been made to man, there is nothing more important than verifying its accuracy: "Everything is reduced to responding to the question: Who is Jesus?" In every age, society does not want to hear about this proclamation. It is too big, too disturbing. In effect, it is the only case in history in which a man has proclaimed himself to be God. [...]

Where can we find the testimony of this claim by Jesus, by the Mystery that entered into history? In the Gospels, Giussani replies. In his book, he dwells on the historical uniqueness of the gospels, in which we find a record and proclamation of events. Through the Gospels, man can encounter this coming and allow himself to be unsettled by its totality. In Revelation, it is a living person who comes to us: "The object of revelation is not a series of propositions, but is the reality of a personal being." [...]

An event can be experienced. How can it be experienced today? By beginning to experience the memory and the proclamation of Him presented by those who have been drawn to Him. This anticipates a theme that will be developed in the third and last volume of "PerCorso": the Church as the continuity of Christ, as his body, his presence. Through the life of the Church, we can arrive at sufficient certainty about the life of Jesus of Nazareth, adhere to his teachings, and intuit adequate reasons to believe in Him.

Jesus is certainly a fact of history. On many occasions, Giussani gave his all to highlight and defend the historicity of the Gospels, and in particular the resurrection of Jesus, which constitute the heart of these. Nothing was more foreign to his spirit than the opposition between the Jesus of faith and the Jesus of history. And yet, at the same time, he reacted to the reduction of Christianity to something in the past. Jesus of Nazareth is not only someone who lived and died. He is alive. "The Christian proclamation is that God has become a human presence, carnal, within history. God is not something far away that man tries to reach by his own effort, but Someone who came to join in man's journey, and became his companion."

So in order to verify the claim of Jesus, it is not enough to go back to the texts that talk about Him. And an interior experience is not sufficient either, as in Protestantism. Christianity is, instead, "an entirely human reality, according to all of the factors of human reality, which are interior and exterior, subjective and objective." Encountering Jesus means encountering those who believe in Him, the unity of believers, the body that the Spirit creates by assimilating to Jesus every person who entrusts himself to Him.

Here Giussani revisits the themes of traditional apologetics, which was developed to explain the reasons why one can or should believe. But his manner of speaking is completely new in comparison with that of the past. His apologetics becomes an extremely refined description of human psychology, identified in the analysis of the relationships between Christ and his contemporaries, because "the Mystery chose to enter human history, with a story identical to that of any man." [...]

The reader is thus led to follow Jesus on the roads of Palestine, but above all to follow the psychological, affective, and intellectual journey of those who were closest to Him. [...] The question that arose among the disciples about the identity of Jesus emerged precisely from the daily life that they lived together with Him. They entrusted themselves to Him because they understood that this abandonment made sense for their lives. It was an almost unnoticeable journey by their awareness toward an increasingly clear certainty. Jesus had no need to assert his divinity dogmatically with them. "It would have sounded ridiculous, rather than like blasphemy." He revealed himself slowly, in order to prompt a gradual evolution in others.

* * *

Giussani must have meditated for a long time on the teaching method of Jesus. In fact, he tried to duplicate it in his relationship with young people. [...] In this volume, he talks about three factors in the teaching method of Jesus. Especially the aspect of following. Jesus is a master to be followed. In the same way, in Christianity it is necessary to follow someone who lives the original event concretely in his own life. Then there is the need for renunciation. Christ asked his followers to leave everything, although he promised a hundredfold to those who would do so. There is no Christianity, for Giussani, if there is no sacrifice, acceptance of trial, detachment. Finally, the third principle, it is necessary to proclaim one's allegiance to Jesus in front of everyone: so that men may know that He is the center of our affectivity and our freedom.

Only love can explain and enable this process, can usher us properly into this inconceivable claim by Jesus. Otherwise, the only result can be opposition. What could the Jews do in the face of someone who identified himself as the source of the law, who maintained that he had the power to forgive sins, to judge between good and evil, to be the way, the truth, and the life? We must say either that Jesus is insane, or that He is truly God. But in order to arrive at this conclusion, in order for this possibility to appear on our horizon, we must have an openness of soul, a sense of discomfort with our own evil, a genuine discovery of Jesus and his infinite humanity.

There is a seal, a particular sign in the preaching and life of Jesus that for Giussani is the most enlightening sign of his divinity: the conception of man that He proclaimed.

Jesus came to reveal the Father to us, to tell us that we are children, that in each of us there is a reality higher than any other reality subject to space and time. Every person contains within himself an original, irreducible principle, the foundation of inalienable rights, the source of values. It is this that we call soul, spirit, that level of our personal being that is in immediate relationship with the infinite. Already in the first volume of the trilogy, entitled "The religious sense," Giussani dwelt on this theme, which was extremely important to him. It could be said that it was the keystone of his entire cultural position, the reason for his opposition to all power, and of his veneration of the Church as the guardian of the intangible truth of man. "Jesus concentrated on this problem, the relationship with the Father. Without that relationship, the individual man does not have the possibility of having his own face, he does not have the possibility of being a person."

With Jesus, the discovery of the person enters the world: He is the messenger, Giussani says, of the exclusive and total dependence of the individual man on the Father, He is the great educator of religious piety. This is the most suitable attitude for man, the one that leads him to discover prayer, his awareness of his fundamental dependence on God, that constant dependence that involves every moment and every slightest aspect of our lives. In this way, existence is realized as a dialogue with the great presence, the Being who is love, who gives himself constantly. [...] Our dependence on the being who creates us is fulfilled in our complete self-donation, in sacrifice, in "giving ourselves" [...].

Giussani's vision of salvation absolutely does not avoid the topic of sin, much less that of original sin. He was well aware that man by himself constantly falls into the temptation of referring everything to himself: he needs another, he needs to accept the love of another, to be liberated from being free. All of this creates tension in his life, a struggle, a search. If his immersion into the Eastern tradition led Giussani to feel that the divine transfiguration is already at work in the world, his closeness to modern man and in particular to the Protestant world – with which he became familiar during his studies in America – made him feel that he shared in the entire drama of fallen man. In the Church, he saw the path of redemption. Ever since God became man, He has saved man through other men, in order to make salvation possible everywhere and for all time. These will be the themes of the third volume of "PerCorso," entitled: "Why the Church."

__________


The book:

Massimo Camisasca, "Don Giussani. La sua esperienza dell'uomo e di Dio", Edizioni San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo, 2009, pp. 168, euro 14.00.

__________


The complete transcription of the homily delivered by then-cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at the funeral Mass for Fr. Luigi Giussani, at the cathedral of Milan on February 24, 2005:

> "Ferito dal desiderio della Bellezza"

Prayer Needs

Please pray for the following people
Prayer Needs; Health and spiritual needs:
Health and spiritual needs: Pam G. and Molly full recoveries from Cancer, Georgia and her daughter 2 lb. 1 oz. daughter Grace who needs heart surgery, Keishela. Clyde that he is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, Joni and her husband from http://www.joniandfriends.org/ my aunt Pat, special Prayer request for Caroline to find her tax returns, relief from debilitating depression, job, home be spared from foreclosure (St. Joseph) and protected, and that she overcome her feelings of disappointment, helplessness and being spent, since mourning the death of her husband a year and a half ago. John Sinacola stomach cancer, Ian, Dave K. motorcycle accident, Lisa Lauring stage 4 lung cancer, Ramona neck injury, Sue Kucharshi (Sandy's sister) hip replacement surgery 5/21, Esther, Georga at Visitation House, her 3 year old Max and her newborn. Nialah for a daughter and for faith, hope and understanding, Abortion workers seeking new jobs …

"Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer. Amen" - anon, Margie for her ministry to the unborn, Sheila, Paul the Holy Jumper, Mike Fields heart, Lisa Chamberlain Portsmouth England and her son Travis, Little Daniel who’s just diagnosed with an autism, 23 years old, 18 weeks pregnant, scheduled for an abortion in Pittsfield MA, Harry L., Jimmy B. heart, Stephen Galante who lost his fiance to a car accient - and his family; Bobby, Patty, Robert, Amanda, Chris, Travis and Thomas; Mark Forkey chemo, Joseph Tisdell, Phillip Monahan, John Tisdell shoulder surgery, Sylvia Fernandez from the Boston Pro-Life office, mother of 9 kids, has colon cancer, baby Sophia Freshteh Talebreza-Fischer who weighed 1 lb 8 oz at birth, and was 12.25 in. tall. President Obama and his cabinet and our elected officials, Monique and her baby Miracle from Baltimore, Bill G., Becky, Mark F. and others who are currently job seeking, toddler Moshe Holtzberg who’s parent’s were killed in Mumbai, Minnie P.; Vite T., baby Alyssa born prematurely at 2lbs, she's fighting for her life, Barry K. young man with Prostate cancer. Fr. Aloysius Nuolabong detached retina, Tom Brady, Lexi - 4 year old girl with Leukemia, Alice B., Kathleen jaw surgery (she’s fallen away but actually asked her mom to pray for her), John at St. George’s, Jacob cancer, conversion of younger sister Jane who is leaving her husband, and has a 2 year old, pray for reversion to her Faith. John H. heart attack Fran recovery from ACL surgery, Michele who is four months pregnant with her fourth child – who was diagnosed with Downs and a heart defect and Mom is being pressured to abort, Michele’s husband for a change of heart, Jim G. back surgery Wed 6/25, Gary G. - vertigo, Tina - advanced cancer; Jennifer - bi-polar depression; Jan - special intention; Tony L.- Alzheimer's and vision loss, Barbara, Curt (heart valve replacement infected and needs to be replaced again) and sons, Bob back surgery, Ted Kennedy conversion before he dies, Rachel Lee, a ten year old with a brain tumor. "for a couple with marriage problems" and their two young kids, For Mary and her young son Ryan that they may live in peace and happiness in their new home, Continued Grace for Karen and Bill and for all the folks' at the Barre Rosary/prayer group; David and Annick; Amy and Shawn, For the success of The Divine Mercy conferences in Rome, Deb H’s dad Gerard Thibert rushed to ICU and her mom RoseMarie, Alex collapsed at a high school track meet, had to have CPR, and is still unconscious in the hospital, with liver and kidney damage and possible brain damage, Elizabeth Dubay - muscular dystrophy, Shawn L. - broken arm in two places requiring surgery, Shari W's daughter Lyme disease, Robin cancer, Kay Pingeton-serious health issues; Jean-personal intention, Alex, a fifteen year old boy from Worcester who has been transferred to Boston Children's Hospital with heart failure resulting from a flu-type cold, K. Carlson cancer, Patrick Swayze, Sheila M. and Dennis P. conversion, Larry with Lymphoma, 9-year Ethan serious surgery, Luke Thrun and family, 8-year-old Prayers answered for Allie with collapsed lung and medically induced coma she's doing much better, Stacey (brain cancer) and Joe Persichetti, and their unborn son, John, Fr. Thomas Coover Bishop John McCormack and Fr. Edward Arsenault of New Hampshire, thanks for the successful kidney donation by Emmanuelle to her son Rémy, Joseph S. cancer Debbie S. musculor dystrophy, Rob in Worc. County House of Correction, Alice F., Nancy R. serious infection, freshman Christina L. and her college room-mate, My cousin Barbara B. Leukemia, Police Officer "Mike" in Georgia very seriously wounded while on duty, Nancy A. cancer, Ed Snell and John McTernan, David Y. to get a good job; for Eric Young; John Settle- advanced cancer, Mike Cormier bone marrow transplant, Dean's brother thyroid cancer, Yvonne and her son, Jan H's father and siblings in this time of her mother's death, John Benoit coronary bypass recovery, his wife Phyllis and all the Benoit and Bernard families, Jamie kidneys, Peter, For "Eddy" to realize Confession is a pre-requisite to Communion; P,D,A,M,B; "Mimi"; Mike; Kate W; Kate; Beth; Cory; Dan and family and a very special intention; Jack; Katie K., Julie M., Carmine, Yanni, Nancy, Mary L. stroke (and her mother), Jane and Ethan spiritual conversion, 15-year-old Nikki - very painful neuralgia. Carrie, Kevin Dolan; Kristin S., Cheryl S., Roland K.-leukemia; Tom and Barbara D. and children, Holy Cross, Sheila, Mike and family, Olivia near death, Michele T. and family, Sylvia, Courtney and kids, Mary R., Leah L. and family, Anne with Huntington's, Ruthie, "Mother of Mercy" field alter at the Divine Mercy, Johanna and her family, Anderson family, Tom in prison, Jack, Mary A., Skip Morley cancer, Flora Kunst -cancer, Rich Bard -cancer; Dave C.’s ministry and God’s will, Deb S's father for exploratory heart surgery, murderer Devaughdre Broussard, Tom B. in the Marines; Richard-emphysema, John Thomas who just joined the Marines, Andy Meier, and all injured in the Medjugoria bus crash, 4 year old girl Sky with inoperable brain tumor, House for Franciscan Nuns at St. Pauls, Rob McSheehy heart, Edward and Claire Young and family; Marie J., Janesse H., Steve, Thea and Sebastian, Lila Cystic fibrosis, Luanne cancer, Clement Krug lost intestines to cancer, McConahy family, Debbie V. housing, Patricia's nurse friend who calls priests for the dying, Terry near death with family problems, the following have cancer; Chris D. Henry V., "Abel" from Ghana, John Gagen Maxine H.. Heather Grimes and her team in Australia and their sponsorship, and the families of all the kids she meets, Phyllis McAuliffe, Claude D. lung cancer, Paul M. GBS, John C. esophagus, Judy C. lung cancer, Jenny, 15-year old boy named "T.J." and his parents, "M.R. Jr." and family, "L.B.", Carlene F., Baby Michael to thrive, 2-year old Jacob had a seizure, Mary Carmen Parenchyma lung cancer, Al Freeman, Special intention for Patricia, Larry C. Sarah L., Mike Paul's daughter Dee's health, Denise suicide who left 5 kids and husband. Justine brain cancer, Rosemary Shevchuk lupus; Deborah Harding; Gwen and Greg; Paula and Jim and family; Greg Anderson in the Marines in Iraq; Michael Morin in the Air Force in Iraq; Florienne Shevchuk; Anne Boudreau. Robert, Susan and Rob (divorced) and their girls Molly and Mackenzie, that they find God. Chris C., Lisa H. and family, and Vite T., Kathy L's mom, ‘Hopey’ McAulliffe (14), epilepsy and strength and direction for her mom Debbie, Anthony Leone, Rosalind Pingeton, Gayle McAulliffe, Shirley Somadelis, Makbulay 95 year-old women at Holy Trinity nursing home, Bernard family, Barbara Hoaglund stroke, Shawn P. liver, employment, Mike P‘s family life and marriage, Shane B., 12 year old with lymphoma, Richard and Dorothy B. health, Katie of 'Erin and Katie; Edmund Bachand loss of sight; Cindy Hagan cancer; Ginny P cancer; John B age, heart; Peggy O'Shea; Rod M.; Cheryl G. and family; Chris T, Jim C, Bridget’s mother, neuropathy. Also please pray for the work and the people of The Marians of the Immaculate Conception; the "13th of the month club" at the Divine Mercy; the "Friends of Mercy" club in all Stockbridge, MA.

Recently Deceased: Patty G., John Bellione, Bob DeMarco 51 father of three boys, Georga's father, Mike Paul's mother-in-law Dorothy, Dom DeLuise, Mari Loli of Garabindal, Jerry, Defender of Life Pat Taylor, Nicasia Hernandez, Cardinal Pio Laghi, Ed Brosnihan, Paul Carnaza, Christina Kuhn car accident 2/4/09, Peter Catches, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, Steve, Ann Carnaza, Sunny von Bulow, Henry Veroneau; Marie Jerome, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah killed in Mumbai, Col. John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret.); Charlie (husband of Caroline), Minnie Paquette, Paul Newman, young Tim O'Connor from leukemia, Msr. Thomas Sullivan's father Tom, Tony Snow, Jesse Helms, Tim Russert, Frank Shea, Ray Mahon, Dick Martin, Jean Marie (Kennedy) Roach, 27 year old James in VA in a coma after car crash died 4/11 after life support removed, Bishop's brother Joseph Reilly, Anne Butrym, Tom Lewis, William F. Buckley Jr., Nancy Brodeur who was on our prayer list for advanced cancer has passed away;Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho who was kidnapped by gunmen in Mosul Iraq, Scott Chalfin died suddenly at 38, Nancy Petty, Lynda's mother-in-law, Boston Firefighter Richard Besse (husband of Gail Besse) 1/22/08 after a 10 month battle with cancer, Jeffrey Berglund, Carol T's and Janice's uncle Ed Reavey who was 99, Jackie Brosnihan, Pat Geneva, Bill Ash, Maxine Hargrove; Abel from Ghana, Dorothy McBride, William Amidon, Atty. John Spillane passed away on Christmas, Jan Hardy's mother, Joseph D'Andrea Sr., Jeffrey Mailman, 2-month Clover Ann Paul, Charlie O'Neil, Lawrence McAulliffe, Jeff Pallotta, Irene Figoni, Tom Yacuzzi, Pavorati, Sharon Condon, 19 year-old Andrew Tate, journalist Chauncy Bailey, Leo Trembley, Ellen Prunier, June Butrym, Nicole Shoemaker, Lillian Williams, David Westra age 41 died of leukemia – he took pictures of the 9/11 towers http://westra.com/disaster/, Ira Halliday, Patrick Hayden, Anne Decelles, Fr. Al's Dad in Ghana, Kathleen Harrity, Mari Carmen Perochena, Andrew Kenny, Little Audry Santo, Darryl Stingley, Melissa, Norman A. Tisdell, Jr., Bishop McManus’s mother, Stephen Cardinale, Peter Kelleher, Martha Sosman, Michael Dombrowski, Isabella Sliten, Jim Kenary; Mike O’Shea, Chris Santom's mom, Michael J.O'Toole, Vincent A. Librandi, Gerald Ford, Edward Sampson, Saddam Hussein, Chau Bridgeo, Dana Ashford (Emma M’s grandpa); Maj. Megan McClung, Capt. Travis Patriquin, Erin of 'Erin and Katie', Mark Booden, David O. West, Travis D. Monroe, Ruth Ingalls, Karen Arsenault, Joan Hendrickson, Naomi Rose Ebersole 7, Anna Mae Stoltzfus 12, Marian Fisher 13, Mary Liz Miller 8, Lisa Miller 7, Charles Roberts, Fred J. Moriarty, sister Leonella Sgorbati, Richard Fisher, Fr. Roland Gamache, Daniel A. Brady, Anthony ‘Bucky’ Ford, Emily Lamacchia, Bill Donahue Sr., Fr. James Shea, Jose F. Barrera, Officer Paul Barry, Leonard White, Eileen Sullivan, Clare Curtin, Jerry Freeman, Mary Volin, Sarah W., younger brother of Billy from Heifer Project, A.Kulandairaj, Ray T., Tom L.. Robert S., Kathy N., Ottilie L., Thomas M. Jr. and Joseph C.

Conversion: all our fallen-away friends and family members, Alan L., John H., Brett M., the parents of young Emmet and Sophia, who want to go to Church. Conversion for Tommie and his fellow atheists (Stardust), and for the hearing in Tommie’s right ear so that he would convert at this sign. Larry W. Jones. President of TV Land. Harry Forbes, the Director of the USCCB Office for Film and Broadcasting.

Right Hand Man

Sandro Magister of Chiesa.it writes the most complete and accurate analysis of the Vatican debacle on the lifting of the excommunication of the Lefebvrist bishops. Read the whole article here, but in short Magister’s points are;

This was a double disaster of management and communication.

The Lefebvrists were in schism with the Church, and “The lifting of this excommunication therefore did not by any means heal the schism between Rome and the Lefebvrists, just as the lifting of the excommunications between Rome and patriarchate of Constantinople … did not by any means mark a return to unity between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches of the East.”

The media presented this as “the Church of Rome was simply clasping the Lefebvrists to its bosom.”

Both Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the congregation for bishops and cardinal, Darío Castrillón Hoyos, the president of the pontifical commission Ecclesia Dei, bear responsibility for not knowing that Bishop Williamson was a denier of the Shoah. Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the pontifical council for the promotion of Christian unity was out of the loop.

Currently the media is only blaming Castrillón Hoyos, and of course Pope Benedict, but Magister rightly concludes who should have been on top of this situation from the beginning, coordinating the various dicasteries.

“Since Paul VI on, the secretariat of state has been the apex and the engine of the curia machine. It has direct access to the pope, and governs the implementation of every one of his decisions. It entrusts this to the competent offices, and coordinates their work. So then, throughout the entire affair of the lifting of the excommunications for the Lefebvrist bishops, the secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, despite his highly active and outspoken nature, distinguished himself by his absence.”

Magister writes that because “Benedict XVI has given up on reforming the curia … it is conjectured that he compensated for this non-decision by entrusting the leadership of the offices to a tough, dynamic secretary of state, Bertone.” But Bertone does most of his work outside of the Vatican, “in an endless round of conferences, celebrations, inaugurations.”

“Bertone's personal devotion to Benedict XVI is beyond all doubt. Not so that of the other curia officials, who continue to have free rein. It is possible that some of them deliberately oppose this pontificate. It is certain that most of them simply do not understand it, do not measure up to it.”

* * *

In a related note, George Weigel writes that Bishop Bernard Fellay’s response to Pope Benedict may indicate the schism has not healed:

“For it is not easy to see how the unity of the Catholic Church will be advanced if the Lefebvrist faction does not publicly and unambiguously affirm Vatican Council II's teaching on the nature of the Church, on religious freedom, and on the sin of anti-Semitism. Absent such an affirmation, pick-and-choose cafeteria Catholicism will be reborn on the far fringes of the Catholic right, just when it was fading into insignificance on the dwindling Catholic left, its longtime home.”

Planned Enablers and Law Breakers

UCLA student Lila Rose has released another video of undercover work at a Planned Parenthood, this time in Tucson, Arizona.

Rose accompanied Jackie Stollar, who posed as a 15-year-old girl impregnated by a 27-year-old man, as they walked into the abortion facility and explained the circumstances. Rose explains what was captured on tape. "Planned Parenthood, first of all, was eager to work to get a secret abortion for us through a judicial bypass so that the parents would not need to be notified or would not need to give consent for this abortion on this minor girl," says Rose. Workers at the Margaret Sanger Center also had some advice for their appearance before the judge, adds the pro-life activist. "[They advised that] the girls should not bring the 27-year-old adult sex partner to the court for fear the judge would recognize it as something that's illegal."

Watch the whole video for yourself here.

Planned Parenthood continues to be above the law in most states.

JayG slams Ashly Judd

JayG slams B-movie actress Ashly Judd and her "anti-conservation agenda" and her promotion of the killing of babies and tykes in the USA.

Defensless Action Fund launched the campaign today with a new Website, CrosseyesonJudd.org. In a video, Jay condemns Judd for promoting the aerial killing of premies and even accuses her of suggesting $150 bounties for the severed forelegs of these little shavers.

"Now back in Hollywood, Judd is again casting aside science and embryology and championing the slaughter of baby humans," Jay recites somberly.

"Judd even proposed a $150 bounty for the severed foreleg of each killed waif. And now she is encouraging even more aerial killing. it is time to stop Judd's movie career and stop this senseless savagery."

What he say

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. - President Obama

The President is quoting albeit selectively from the Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The President is also quoting 1st Cor 13:11 "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child [set aside childish things]." Of course quoting Scripture calls for context, and in verse 10 we see the reason for putting aside childish things, "But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away." The heavenly things are perfect, the worldly things imperfect, or 'in part'. In the world "We see now through a glass in a dark manner: but then", in heaven, "we shall see face to face. Now I know in part: but then I shall know even as I am known."

Please continue to pray for our President, that he may see those not quite born not as a collection of cells but "face to face", that the President realize the biggest civil rights issue of the day is when does a human get human rights, and that the President also realize what the founding fathers clearly wrote, that these rights are God-given, not from men.

You also might ask that the President at least quote the Declaration of Independence completely and in context too, as a kind of secular prayer...

Pray, Hope and don't worry

This is the answer, provided by St. Padre Pio, to the question, "What does this all mean?"

The question was posed here by Patrick Madrid.

Please ask a priest to say a Mass for the conversion of President Obama, who really must be classified as Pro-Abortion and not Pro-Choice. Also pray for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who in some cases sides with liberals and at other times with “originalists,” those who profess to hold a more tradition-minded interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Kennedy will be the fulcrum or swing vote in any Supreme Court decision about the free exercise of religion clause in the Constitution allowing for a religious conscientious objector status. This is critical because of the coming (and already arrived) Legal coercion for Catholic Hospitals, and Catholics and Christians in general, to be forced to act against their religious beliefs, e.g. Catholic hospitals being legally required to provide abortion, Catholic Charities being legally required to place adopted children with homosexual couples, and Catholic Churches and businesses being legally required to perform and host homosexual marriage ceremonies. Read Judge Robert Bork's thoughts on this at EWTN.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

"I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so I am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid."
"You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth."
"How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law."
"We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws."

"I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

"But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that an men are created equal ..." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremist for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime---the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists."

"I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership . . . When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church. I felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows."

"In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, un-Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular."

"There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators"' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests.

Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust."
Martin Luther Kingfrom Letter from the Birmingham JailApril 16, 1963

Newspeak

The triumph of ideology - Chuck Colson - Breakpoint - 1/16/2009 8:30AM

Lisa Saunders of County Down in Northern Ireland has four children, ages 7 to 14. As you might expect, she has plenty of experience helping them with their homework. But nothing in her experience prepared her what she recently discovered while helping her son.

When she consulted the 2007 edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary, she was surprised that the words "moss" and "fern" were no longer in the dictionary. That made her curious about what else had been omitted. So she compared the 2007 edition to the six previous editions and what she found "horrified" her.

Gone were words like "coronation," "willow," and "goldfish."

In their place were words like "MP3 player," "blog," and "biodegradable."

Not surprisingly, words reflecting Britain's Christian heritage were especially hard hit: "abbey, altar, bishop, chapel, christen, disciple, monk, nun, pew, saint," and "sin" were all axed. Even Christmas took a hit: "carol," "holly," and "mistletoe" were removed.

In their place, kids got "tolerant," "interdependent," and "bilingual."

Saunders is concerned that eliminating "so many words associated with Christianity will have a big effect on the numerous primary schools who use it."

That's exactly the idea. The head of the children's dictionary at Oxford University Press admitted as much. She said that "the environment has changed." "We are also much more multicultural," she added. And she said that "people don't go to Church as often as before" and "our understanding of religion is within multiculturalism."

In other words, we judge our religion by our ideology — in this case, multiculturalism — not vice-versa. What Oxford University Press sees as changing with the times, others see as discarding Britain's cultural and religious heritage.

As one Buckingham University official put it, "[Britain has] a certain Christian narrative which has given meaning to us over the last 2,000 years. To say it is all relative and replaceable is questionable."

What masters the Brits are of understatement. As writer Erin Manning pointed out, at the same time Saunders exposed the verbal vandalism, a prominent philosopher has written a new book arguing that "Europe must call itself Christian."

In Why We Must Call Ourselves Christians, Marcello Pera writes that Europe's only hope for unity lies in acknowledging its Christian roots. It is "Christianity's concept of the human person as created in the image of God" that justifies European "values," he wrote.

He warns that if Europe cuts itself off "from these Christian principles...[it] will have destroyed [its] constitutional heritage" and leave itself vulnerable to attack from those hostile to its values.

What makes Pera's argument remarkable is that he is an atheist! His book came in response to questions posed by Pope Benedict.

That an atheist philosopher is ready to acknowledge Christianity's role in defining Europe exposes how preposterous these dictionary antics are — a kind of foolishness whose impact can be felt far beyond "numerous primary schools."

Holy Cross: Jesuit, not Catholic

This semester, the Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture will sponsor a series of four film screenings coordinated by Rev. Lloyd Baugh, S.J., International Visiting Jesuit Fellow in the Department of Religious Studies at Holy Cross College. The films will be shown at 7 p.m. in Rehm Library.

As you know I try to filter so much of the information coming in on the Pro-Life and Christian Religion (especially Catholic) front, as I understand if you read something in my emails or on my blog it is usually understood to be a recommendation from me. With that in mind, and my history of being critical of some of the happenings at Holy Cross College (It’s a Jesuit College – it’s just not Catholic!), I will still pass along the following information about a movie series the Jesuits are presenting. I really can only recommend the first film, the others are for the guy with black turtle-neck and pony-tail crowd.

Jan 27 Tue in the Reim Library, Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Pasolini is not a believer, but followed the text of St. Matthew. Roger Ebert said in his movie review, "Pasolini's is one of the most effective films on a religious theme I have ever seen, perhaps because it was made by a nonbeliever who did not preach, glorify, underline, sentimentalize or romanticize his famous story, but tried his best to simply record it."

Jan 29 Thu Denys Arcand’s Jesus of Montreal (French 1989). They love Arcand at the Cannes film festival, but this allegory of Jesus’ life and passion through the acting group portraying Jesus’ life and passion really sounds like a film for pseudo-intellectuals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_de_Montreal

Feb 2 Mon. Valerio Zurlini’s Black Jesus (Italian 1968) another allegory by this former Italian Resistance fighter, Communist party member, and eventual suicide, this time Jesus is an African Anti-Colonial leader; based on Patrice Émery Lumumba (2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was an African anti-colonial leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Congo Republic after he helped to win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in coup during the Congo Crisis. He was subsequently imprisoned and murdered under controversial circumstances.

Feb 4 Wed. Mark Dornford-May's Son of Man (isiXhosa, English and Setswana, with English subtitles 2006) Jesus as South African man preaching non-violence during the civil war.
Dornford-May told Reuters "We wanted to look at the Gospels as if they were written by spin doctors and to strip that away and look at the truth," - so this would be the Gospel of Mark Dornford-May, not the Gospel of Mark.


If you want a good movie, I do recommend joining Lisandra’s efforts to bring Not Easily Broken, to Worcester. http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/noteasilybroken/site/
She needs 1000 people to commit to seeing the film in order to get Show Case cinemas to bring the movie here. Please advise if you'd be interested to add your names to our list. It won’t cost anything until you go to the movie.

"Ecology of Man"

Warns Against New Theories of "Gender"

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 22, 2008 (Zenit.org).- While protecting nature is an essential mission of the Church, it's no more important than protecting the nature of the person, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope spoke today of what he termed an "ecology of man" during his traditional exchange of Christmas greetings with prelates and members of the Roman Curia.

"Given that faith in the Creator is an essential element of the Christian creed, the Church can not and should not limit itself to transmitting to the faithful only the message of salvation," he affirmed. "It also has a responsibility with creation, and it has to fulfill this responsibility in public."

The Pontiff added that while the Church needs to "defend the earth, water, air, as gifts of the creation that belongs to all of us [... ], it must also protect the human being from his own destruction."

"It is necessary that there be something such as an ecology of man, understood in the proper manner," he said.

This human ecology, he affirmed, is based on respecting the nature of the person, and the two genders of masculine and feminine.

Always current

"It is not outmoded metaphysics," Benedict XVI affirmed, "when Church speaks of the nature of the human being as man and woman, and demands that this order of creation be respected."

He said it has more to do with "faith in the Creator and listening to the language of creation, the contempt of which will lead to the self destruction of humanity."

The Pope warned against the manipulation that takes place in national and international forums when the term "gender" is altered.

"What is often expressed and understood by the term 'gender,' is definitively resolved in the self-emancipation of the human being from creation and the Creator," he warned. "Man wants to create himself, and to decide always and exclusively on his own about what concerns him."

The Pontiff said this is man living "against truth, against the creating Spirit."

"The rain forests certainly deserve our protection, but man as creature indeed deserves no less," he added.

Benedict XVI explained that great theologians have "qualified marriage, that is to say, the link for life between man and woman, as a sacrament of creation, instituted by the Creator."

"This forms part of the announcement that the Church should offer," he concluded, "in favor of the creating Spirit present in all of nature, and in a special way in the nature of man created in the image of God."

====
The media frenzy on Reuter's mistranslation of the Popes remarks... continues.

Daniel's Prayer, and fast...

I included the following from my friend Pastor Michael Carl of the Greenwood Union Church because it is pertinent and good:

"Tomorrow is Tuesday.
This Tuesday is perhaps a bit more crucial than the others, for it's the final Tuesday of 2008. New Year's Day is this Thursday.

Normally I don't put much stock in New Year's Day, for it's largely a commemoration of our own scientific prowess. We're the ones who decided the location for the Prime Meridian and the location of 0 degrees longitude. These are the measures by which we determine time zones, and thus days, weeks, etc.

However, we're this much closer to the Lord's judgment if this nation doesn't turn back to the Lord.

A well-known pastor calls his church to 21-Days of Prayer and Fasting every New Year's Day. Due to the lateness of the hour and the ever-nearing approach of the Lord's wrath upon our land, maybe we should begin 2009 with 21 days of fasting and prayer.

Why fast? Fasting makes us more able to hear the Lord's voice and brings a greater reliance upon Him for strength. Fasting purges our systems of the toxins we've introduced by our abysmal diets and poor nutritional habits. This purging of our systems brings better physical health and thus, a greater ability to think clearly. When this happens, we're better able to read and understand God's Word.

Fasting trains our minds to be able to focus on the Lord more clearly. The discipline of submitting our flesh to a righteous hunger for more of the Lord brings us closer to Him and facilitates greater obedience to Him.

So, we have everything to gain by fasting.

So how? I suggest something like the Bible's Daniel Fast: This is a diet of fresh (hopefully organic) fruits and vegetables and whole grain cereals. We drink only water, tea and pure fruit juices. No chocolate, cake, pie or other sweets, no fruit punch or Kool-Aid, no sodas (pop), or milk shakes and ice cream. Or you can take one day a week to do a 24-hour, no-food fast. During the 21 days, do two, two-day fasts or start out the 21 days with a 3-day, liquid only fast.

I usually prefer one 24-hour, no-food fast or the fresh fruits, veggies and whole grain fast. Not only is my mind more in tune with the Lord, I simply feel better physically.

With fasting, there are also other things that take place. Let's look at Isaiah 58.6... 'Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?'

Fasting tears down 'strongholds', removes barriers, opens hearts and minds. Those who have resisted hearing the Gospel are more open. The hardest hearted of our nemeses are suddenly willing to listen. No, fasting isn't a 'hunger strike' where God changes others because we're denying ourselves food. What happens is that because our minds are clearer and we're more in tune with the Lord, we're better able to pray in line with what needs to happen. We hear God more clearly and are better able to listen to how He leads.

So the walls come down inside of us. We hear the Lord more clearly and we're able to pray more powerfully!

So tomorrow evening, let's join together in our weekly Tuesday at 8:45 Eastern prayer time. Yet, on New Year's Eve, let's resolve that we will enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise by allowing our bodies to pray by fasting.
Rev. Michael Carl
Pastor
Greenwood Union Church

Beware of Conversations with God

All should seek God, and as Rambam (Maimonides) said, the more you seek God the more you find Him. The seeking of God would involve having personal conversations with God, but you all should beware of Conversations with God (CwG)

Conversations with God (CwG) is a sequence of nine books (now coming in movie form) written by Neale Donald Walsch as a dialogue in which Walsch asks questions and God answers. In effect Walsh is claiming to be a prophet. Sadly, these answers do not correlate with the Bible, with the catechism of the Catholic Church, or with Christianity. They basically say anything goes, and are a false gospel and a powerful excuse for lapsed Catholics and Christians to stay lapsed. The answers in Walsh's books, including the the concept that there is nothing we are required or obligated to do in this life, are clearly from Walsh, not God: By their fruits you shall know them.

"And thus did He send prophets prior to the transmigration to Babylon, and after that event others again in greater number than the former, to seek the fruits, saying thus to them: Thus says the Lord, Cleanse your ways and your doings, execute just judgment, and look each one with pity and compassion on his brother: oppress not the widow nor the orphan, the proselyte nor the poor, and let none of you treasure up evil against his brother in your hearts, and love not false swearing. Wash you, make you clean, put away evil from your hearts, learn to do well, seek judgment, protect the oppressed, judge the fatherless (pupillo), plead for the widow; and come, let us reason together, says the Lord. And again: Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips that they speak no guile; depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. In preaching these things, the prophets sought the fruits of righteousness."
Against Heresies (St. Irenaeus [~120-195AD]) Book IV, Chapter 36

We cannot save ourselves, which is why it is not only a good idea to seek God, but in effect we are obligated to seek God, not seek our own self-worship. Those who do not make a genuine effort to seek God will have some explaining to do at their Particular Judgment. It is clear to us Christians that God sent His only begotten Son out of Love for us so that we may believe[Jn3:16], and according to Catholic teaching only those who's ignorance of Jesus is invincible (i.e. not their own fault, not willful ignorance) will have an excuse at their Particular Judgment. As I have summarized before, the only unforgivable sin is to not ask for forgiveness, because by refusing to ask forgiveness you are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. And the only excuse for this is invincible ignorance.

International Pro-Life front

Pro-abortion groups will present petitions December 10th asking the United Nation's General Assembly to make abortion a universally recognized human right. The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute created an alternate petition drive that calls for government to interpret the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as protecting human life from the moment of conception to natural death.

The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Article 3, states "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person" and Article 6 states "Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law."

C-Fam needs at least 100,000 signatures by December 10th, the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.' Please go to the Website:
http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.95/default.asp and sign this petition

Also in Europe, The pro-abortion lobby is determined to overturn Ireland's constitutional ban on abortion in a case before the European Court of Human Rights which will have worldwide implications, including in the US, according to American legal experts.

Latest on the Pro-Life front

Pray for all of our elected leaders, especially when they consider promoting the Culture of Death with legislation such as the Freedom of Choice Act, FOCA. Sign the Petition urging the President and Congress not to demolish the last few remnents of restriciton against Abortion on Demand.

FOCA will do away with the state laws on parental notification and involvement, on late term and partial birth abortion (the last few which have not wiggled around restrictions by saying it's for the mother's health), and on all other protections.
FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions.

Pray the good fight! Add your name to the Fight FOCA petition.

Pro-abortion groups will present petitions December 10th asking the United Nation's General Assembly to make abortion a universally recognized human right. The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute created an alternate petition drive that calls for government to interpret the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as protecting human life from the moment of conception to natural death. They need at least 100,000 signatures by December 10th, the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.' Please go to the Website:
http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.95/default.asp and sign the petition

The Human Fund

Stephen Kent asserts in his Consider This editorial in the Catholic Free Press, that criticism of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, CCHD "evidences a fear that somewhere, somehow, Christianity might be effective in making a difference." Count me fearful.

Kent admits that CCHD funds community self-help organizations. Over 200 community organizations train activists according to the democratic socialism theories of Saul Alinsky. Alinsky wrote in Rules for Radicals that "an organizer working for change...does not have a fixed truth – truth to him is relative and changing." Alinsky's 3rd rule of Ethics is "...the end justifies almost any means." This leads to the disturbing situation where the Pacific Institute for Community Organization, PICO, which gets 6% of its budget from CCHD, lobbies the State of California for mobile health vans that travel around dispensing mobile health care services such as referrals to Planned Parenthood for birth control and abortion. These PICO promoted vans have a clientèle that includes school children. These disturbing situations repeat themselves in places like El Paso, where the El Milagro Clinic serves the poor through a "community health development approach" that includes partnering with Planned Parenthood again for abortion and birth control. CCHD has simply gone stealth in recent years since being caught in 1996 donating directly to the radical feminist Pro-Abortion on demand group, the National Organization for Women, NOW, and the various San Francisco Advocacy groups that sponsored the "Fight for the Right March" to promote "lesbian, gay and bisexual rights."

The CCHD funding of Alinsky influenced community organizations has the double barrel effect of furthering a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual civic agenda and provides the vehicle through which Catholics are systematically indoctrinated to work against Catholic teaching such as the preferential option for the unborn – the most defenseless.

Kent's defense of CCHD is dishonest because he leaves out the most important news – that the CCHD had to suspend further funding of the Association of Community Organization Reform Now, ACORN, after the numerous substantiated charges of voter registration fraud by this group during the recent election. CCHD gave ACORN over $1Million last year. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has hired a forensic accounting specialist to investigate this church funding to ACORN, fearing the money may have been spent in partisan or fraudulent ways that could jeopardize the church's tax-exempt status. Before these ACORN revelations I would have thought these donations wasteful, now I have to ponder the criminality of it all. You can read this story on Kent's employer's web site, the Catholic News Service.

Subsidiarity was a principle preached by Pope Leo XIII in RERUM NOVARUM and it means we should do what we can on the local level. We should start this November.

As Fr. Richard John Neuhaus recently wrote, "Some bishops no longer allow the [C]CHD collection in their dioceses, and more should not allow it. In fact, [C]CHD, misbegotten in concept and corrupt in practice, should, at long last, be terminated."

On the Election:

Initially and in some small way, after going past my profound disappointment, I felt some relief: relief that the lines are ever clearer, relief that since they are in charge, they can not make excuses anymore, relief that maybe now I can focus on praying instead of politics.
Relief that no one can call America a racist country anymore, which was always an excuse.
Relief that any Supreme court appointments Obama makes will be for the ones who are so dedicated to the Culture of death that others could not be any worse.
Relief that even if we lose the battle, He has won the war.
Perhaps we were not meant to compromise, or compromise so much...

It won't be easy, but I'm going to pray for Obama, that he be guided by the Holy Spirit. That's our calling and I'm not going to argue with it.

Now that I have had a day or two to ponder the election results, my mood is shifting towards slight feelings of awe. Why do I say this? Traditional Marriage. In the fog of war of this election, we may have lost sight of part of a bigger picture here. In California, Obama’s draw among blacks and Hispanics is credited with bringing a much larger percentage than normal of both of these groups of people to the polls. In turn the sustaining of Proposition 8, defining marriage as only between one man and one woman, appears to have won based on this larger than normal turnout of people who believe in Traditional Marriage, people who showed up to vote largely because of Obama. So California appears to have prevented the further spread of unnatural definitions of marriage. Florida also voted against the corruption of the definition of marriage.
Likewise in Massachusetts we worked hard during 2006 to get the Marriage vote on the ballot, only to have the bought and paid for State Legislature refuse to convene a Constitutional Convention and prevent any ballot voting on the definition of marriage. But judging on the results of the election in Massachusetts, it is highly likely that a majority of Citizens could have voted for same-sex marriage. So the political shenanigans of the MA Democrats and the Homosexual Lobby actually prevented a vote that could have brought a measure of legitimacy to their disordered quest.
We are left with a clear vote against gay marriage in the two most populous states, and an illegitimate mandate for same-sex marriage through raw judicial fiat from the Bluest of the Blue states, Massachusetts.
Now we still need to pray for Obama to be open to the Holy Spirit when he considers abortion and the Freedom of Choice Act, but we still have some options open. Pray the good fight!

Dr. Kim Daniels response

Dr. Kim Daniels is a black pastor/counselor in a church in Florida. She was misundertood to be for Obama and below is her response. Her outspoken comments regarding how Christians should approach voting for those who will govern over them are appreciated. She poses a challenging question regarding pastors and Christians who are so outspoken on the election now (what happens after the election?): " I pray that these same folk will be just as radical when the dust settles and they find out that all change is not good and they did not get what they thought they would get." (Note: The fight isn't over after the election.jt)

Testimony ministry invo available online. On entering her website she has a link to Abortion Pictures. They are graphic, but a good reminder why we cannot give up the fight for the innocent unborn. Abortion isn't a word, it's a cruel death. Prov. 24: 10-12
God bless, Judy/Mom "Commanders" are prayer intercessors.
====================================================
I was very shocked to discover that someone listed a small column on a web page 'Why I support Obama' (By Kimberly Daniels) with Obama-Biden campaign letterhead. If someone did this, what will be next? The page even gives the reasons that I support this candidate. It even goes as far as to put a silhouette of a picture that looks like me on one of my books.
I would like to state that I have not publically endorsed any candidate! I have been dealing with issues that I feel threaten the future rights of the church and what God wants to deal with in America. I have been preaching on these issues (Abortion, Homosexuality and Religious Rights) for fifteen years, during elections and when there were no elections. We just happen to be in the midst of an election and I will not change my message. I will be preaching the same truth that I have been preaching; no matter who is running for president. This will be until I die or Jesus returns! I have also been radical about whatever I preached, check my tracking record some folk are getting radical simply because of this election. I pray that these same folk will be just as radical when the dust settles and they find out that all change is not good and they did not get what they thought they would get. I am sure that God will cause one of the candidates to win this race. Psalms 75:6 says that God promotes! In our case, in America, God will allow as the people choose. One of two things will happen:

1. The mercy of God will give us more time to get our houses in order to prepare for the onslaughts of the antichrist (a world leader) and the beast (the world system), for one day both will be manifested for who and what they are.
2. America will be placed under the rule of a demonic-influenced task master that will tax the people more than financially. Yokes and burdens that cannot be seen will be the portion of those who vote outside of the will of God. It is what happened when Samuel tried to convince Israel that God did not want them to have a king. The people would not hear the voice of the prophet. Samuel talked to God about it in I Samuel 1:19.

First God says in I Samuel 1:19 'Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.'
Then God says
I Samuel 1:18 ' When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.' 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.' 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, 'Listen to them and give them a king.'

Whatever happens, Jesus is Lord over America! My prayer is that God does not give the people what they want. It will come out of their nostrils and cause them to throw up.

It is not so much that I support Senator McCain; I simply CANNOT support Barack Hussein Obama for the President of the United States, because of my convictions as a believer. Since the devil picked this fight by creating this lie on the internet, I have a right to respond and finish it! I have not been quiet about my views on what is going on in America. My public views have strictly pertained to that which I feel are pertinent to the kingdom. This is my responsibility as a prophet! If you wish to no longer receive emails as a commander because of this please let me know at apostle@kimberlydaniels.com. I really respect any position people have privately about their convictions; but when I was ordained as a preacher I lost some of my rights to keep certain things private. I will not allow the beast to shut my mouth!

Therefore, I will give information I have come across about the candidates. I cannot confirm McCain's church affiliation or spiritual position. Up to this time he is not using Christianity as a vehicle in his campaign. Obama does! No man can determine what is in another man's heart but we are commanded to try spirits by the Spirit of God as to whether they are of God. I have gathered information on Obama and Palin concerning their church affiliations (long before their political careers where public knowledge) and what kind of spiritual upbringings they have had.

Massachusetts election recommendations

Fr. Corapi's Election Novena starts Monday October 27.

Help Pro-Life candidates by going door to door. Contact me.

I strongly urge you all to support John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin as the
Pro-Life candidates. Other recommendations:
Please vote for pro-life US Senator candidate Jeff Beatty for US Senator from Massachusetts. Prevent John Kerry from returning to the Senate given his absolute defense of abortion on demand

Please vote for Nathan Bech for US Congress 1st District, who is a veteran (Afghanistan and Iraq) and Pro-Life candidate, over
Planned Parenthood’s other pocket warmer (100% NARAL rating) John Olver.

Please vote for Southbridge Town Council Chairman, leader in the fight against higher property taxes, and pro-life candidate Ron Cherninsky, for MA State Rep in Southbridge, Charlton and Brookfields over neophyte darling of the abortion and homosexual lobbies, Geraldo Alicea (back stabber on Traditional marriage too).

MA State Rep in Uxbridge, Webster Please vote for Kevin Kuros over double-speaking (even when sober) current rep Paul Kujawski

Please vote for Pro-Life Republican Stephen Comtois for MA State Rep in 5th Worc (Brookfield, Barre, Hardwick)

Please vote for Pro-Life independent Carolyn Kamuda for State Rep in the 2nd Worcester district of Athol, Royalston Gardner area, over Pro-choice incumbent Robert Rice who voted against Traditional marriage. She needs help this weekend before the election.

Please vote for pro-family Republican Kurt Hayes for state representative in the 37th Middlesex district in Acton and Lunenburg over political insider Jen Benson, who was recently found guilty of breaking the campaign finance law.

Please vote for Paul Avella He is a Marriage Amendment supporter, Littleton School Committee and former Air Force pilot. His opponent is Political insider, longtime Beacon Hill staffer and probable Democratic
nominee from Westford.

Please vote for Sandi Martinez for the Senate in 3rd Middlesex District

Please vote for Marlborough Republican and city councilor Steven Levy for the
Middlesex and Worcester state Senate seat over Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton).

Please vote for Pro-Life, marriage amendment supporter Rep. Paul Frost in Auburn
Please vote for Pro-Life, marriage amendment supporter Jeff Perry of Sandwich, MA for State Representative.

Please vote for Rep. Lew Evangelidis (R-Holden) who is Pro-Life and voted to defend Traditional Marriage.

For once a good choice: Pro-Family Independent Clare Freda is running for Representative against Pro-family Dennis Rosa up in Leominster.

Please Vote Mike Franco (R East Longmeadow) for Governor’s Council

Please vote for Pro-Life Republican Arthur Vigeant in 4th Middlesex Marlborough
Please vote for Pro-Marriage candidate John Dwyer
Please vote for pro-marriage Rep. William Lantigua (D-Lawrence)
Vote marriage supporter incumbent Rep. Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury)
Vote Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford)
Vote Pro-Marriage Sen. Scott Brown

Please vote for Pro-Family candidate Rep. Vinny deMacedo (R-1st Plymouth)
Please vote for Pro-Family, Pro-Life Candidate for State Representative Lawrence “Lonnie” Brennan in 18th Essex
Please vote for Pro-Family Attleboro City Councilor George Ross to replace retiring Rep. John Lepper (R-Attleboro) as State Representative.
Please vote for Pro-Family Sonny Parante in the 3rd Middlesex (Marlboro) over his pro-same-sex marriage oppenent.
Please vote Traditional Marriage defender Jon Rockwood (R-Walpole)

Also please vote for John Mahoney in Worcester running on stickers against Bob "My mortgage" Spellane: Considering that Spellane is wrong on everything; ESCR, Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage, I think you could justify through Prudential judgment anyone, even someone as bad as Spellane, just to send a message that these guys are not life appointments. It would disrupt the Democratic Machine on Beacon Hill. I do not know where Mahoney stands on abortion, but a vote for Mahoney sends a message.

Difficult Prudential Judgment in the Senate race for the Second (South and West) Worcester District Michael O. Moore is completely in the tank for same-sex marriage and the homosexual lobby, ESCR and abortion on demand and is part of the monolith of deceit (Culture of Death), while John Lebeaux might vote to restrict some late term abortions. This is a comment, not an endorsement.

What's at stake this fall: "I predict that the outcome of the presidential election will depend not on the economy, not on the Iraq war, not on the price of gasoline or the issue of national health insurance, but on the issue of the right to abortion." - Abortion advocate and former mayor of New York City, Ed Koch.

The USCCB doesn’t speak for me.

Harsh words you might say, but they did not come from me, but from Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, PA (Biden's birthplace).

At a panel discussion on faith issues and the presidential campaign at St. John’s Catholic Church, where the Bishop arrived unannounced, Martino told the audience "No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese," he was quoted as saying in the Wayne County Independent, a Honesdale-based newspaper. "The USCCB doesn’t speak for me."

Read the whole story if you want a glimpse of Apostolic succession in action, and follow up with a Steve Skojec piece about a Bishop who recognizes his "God-given teaching authority has long been usurped by a collective body with no authority of its own"

Bishop Martino's pastoral letter can be read here, and this is binding on Catholics in Scranton.

"While the Church assists the State in the promotion of a just society, its primary concern is to assist men and women in achieving salvation. For this reason, it is incumbent upon bishops to correct Catholics who are in error regarding these matters. Furthermore, public officials who are Catholic and who persist in public support for abortion and other intrinsic evils should not partake in or be admitted to the sacrament of Holy Communion. As I have said before, I will be vigilant on this subject.

It is the Church’s role now to be a prophet in our own country, reminding all citizens of what our founders meant when they said that “. . . all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Church’s teaching that all life from conception to natural death should be protected by law is founded on religious belief to be sure, but it is also a profoundly American principle founded on reason. Whenever a society asks its citizens to violate its own foundational principles – as well as their moral consciences – citizens have a right, indeed an obligation, to refuse."

Just Look

Just Look
The picture on this page is an untouched photograph of a being that has been within its mother for 20 weeks. Please do me the favor of looking at it carefully.

Have you any doubt that it is a human being?

If you do not have any such doubt, have you any doubt that it is an innocent human being?

If you have no doubt about this either, have you any doubt that the authorities in a civilized society are duty-bound to protect this innocent human being if anyone were to wish to kill it?

If your answer to this last query is negative, that is, if you have no doubt that the authorities in a civilized society would be duty-bound to protect this innocent human being if someone were to wish to kill it, I would suggest—even insist—that there is not a lot more to be said about the issue of abortion in our society. It is wrong, and it cannot—must not—be tolerated.

But you might protest that all of this is too easy. Why, you might inquire, have I not delved into the opinion of philosophers and theologians about the matter? And even worse: Why have I not raised the usual questions about what a "human being" is, what a "person" is, what it means to be "living," and such? People who write books and articles about abortion always concern themselves with these kinds of things. Even the justices of the Supreme Court who gave us "Roe v. Wade" address them. Why do I neglect philosophers and theologians? Why do I not get into defining "human being," defining "person," defining "living," and the rest? Because, I respond, I am sound of mind and endowed with a fine set of eyes, into which I do not believe it is well to cast sand. I looked at the photograph, and I have no doubt about what I saw and what are the duties of a civilized society if what I saw is in danger of being killed by someone who wishes to kill it or, if you prefer, someone who "chooses" to kill it. In brief: I looked, and I know what I saw.

But what about the being that has been in its mother for only 15 weeks or only 10? Have you photographs of that too? Yes, I do. However, I hardly think it necessary to show them. For if we agree that the being in the photograph printed on this page is an innocent human being, you have no choice but to admit that it may not be legitimately killed even before 20 weeks unless you can indicate with scientific proof the point in the development of the being before which it was other than an innocent human being and, therefore, available to be legitimately killed. Nor have Aristotle, Aquinas or even the most brilliant embryologists of our era or any other era been able to do so. If there is a time when something less than a human being in a mother morphs into a human being, it is not a time that anyone has ever been able to identify, though many have made guesses. However, guesses are of no help. A man with a shotgun who decides to shoot a being that he believes may be a human being is properly hauled before a judge. And hopefully, the judge in question knows what a "human being" is and what the implications of someone's wishing to kill it are. The word "incarceration" comes to mind.

However, we must not stop here. The matter becomes even clearer and simpler if you obtain from the National Geographic Society two extraordinary DVDs. One is entitled "In the Womb" and illustrates in color and in motion the development of one innocent human being within its mother. The other is entitled "In the Womb—Multiples" and in color and motion shows the development of two innocent human beings—twin boys—within their mother. If you have ever allowed yourself to wonder, for example, what "living" means, these two DVDs will be a great help. The one innocent human being squirms about, waves its arms, sucks its thumb, smiles broadly and even yawns; and the two innocent human beings do all of that and more: They fight each other. One gives his brother a kick, and the other responds with a sock to the jaw. If you can convince yourself that these beings are something other than living and innocent human beings, something, for example, such as "mere clusters of tissues," you have a problem far more basic than merely not appreciating the wrongness of abortion. And that problem is—forgive me—self-deceit in a most extreme form.

Adolf Hitler convinced himself and his subjects that Jews and homosexuals were other than human beings. Joseph Stalin did the same as regards Cossacks and Russian aristocrats. And this despite the fact that Hitler and his subjects had seen both Jews and homosexuals with their own eyes, and Stalin and his subjects had seen both Cossacks and Russian aristocrats with theirs. Happily, there are few today who would hesitate to condemn in the roundest terms the self-deceit of Hitler, Stalin or even their subjects to the extent that the subjects could have done something to end the madness and protect living, innocent human beings.

It is high time to stop pretending that we do not know what this nation of ours is allowing—and approving—with the killing each year of more than 1,600,000 innocent human beings within their mothers. We know full well that to kill what is clearly seen to be an innocent human being or what cannot be proved to be other than an innocent human being is as wrong as wrong gets. Nor can we honorably cover our shame (1) by appealing to the thoughts of Aristotle or Aquinas on the subject, inasmuch as we are all well aware that their understanding of matters embryological was hopelessly mistaken, (2) by suggesting that "killing" and "choosing to kill" are somehow distinct ethically, morally or criminally, (3) by feigning ignorance of the meaning of "human being," "person," "living," and such, (4) by maintaining that among the acts covered by the right to privacy is the act of killing an innocent human being, and (5) by claiming that the being within the mother is "part" of the mother, so as to sustain the oft-repeated slogan that a mother may kill or authorize the killing of the being within her "because she is free to do as she wishes with her own body."

One day, please God, when the stranglehold on public opinion in the United States has been released by the extremists for whom abortion is the center of their political and moral life, our nation will, in my judgment, look back on what we have been doing to innocent human beings within their mothers as a crime no less heinous than what was approved by the Supreme Court in the "Dred Scott Case" in the 19th century, and no less heinous than what was perpetrated by Hitler and Stalin in the 20th. There is nothing at all complicated about the utter wrongness of abortion, and making it all seem complicated mitigates that wrongness not at all. On the contrary, it intensifies it.

Do me a favor. Look at the photograph again. Look and decide with honesty and decency what the Lord expects of you and me as the horror of "legalized" abortion continues to erode the honor of our nation. Look, and do not absolve yourself if you refuse to act.

Edward Cardinal Egan
Archbishop of New York

What same-sex "marriage" has done to MA

What same-sex "marriage" has done to Massachusetts
It's far worse than most people realize

Obortion

A new poll shows Americans overwhelmingly reject Obamavision when it comes to those cute little embryos who make something of their lives by being a person.

Of course I refer to CHOICE, the Choice that Planned Parenthood says all Americans want, and women must make if they visit.

Only 8% believe in Obamavision, that Abortion should be available to a woman any time she wants during her entire pregnancy (and I might add slightly after).

I'll do the math for those of you indoctrinated in Public Correctness, this means 92% believe there should be restrictions on Abortions in the US.
The breakdown:

8% believe no restrictions on abortion during first 6 months of pregnancy, but third trimester abortions (currently legal under Doe v. Bolton) should be restricted.

24% said no restrictions only during first 3 months of Pregnancy
32% said restrict all abortions except in cases of rape, incest and mother's life
15% restrict all abortions except to save the mother's life
13% abortion is always wrong and should not be permitted

No wonder UnPlanned Parenthood wants JOhbamma to pack the Supreme Court with Roeniacs.

Catholic Vote

Must see voter video
Shut up Mario Cuomo, Joe Biden, Ted and Kerry, Nancy...
Invincible arrogance is not the standard you want to adopt, it is not helpful.

Vote Pro-Life

During these 40 Days for Life coming up to the Election, Please vote for Pro-Life and Pro-Family candidates and also attempt to be tireless in mentioning there Pro-Life candidates as well as consider donating your time or treasure to this is eminently a worthwhile cause of re-building a Culture of Life in Massachusetts and the USA.

Help elect John McCain President and Sarah Palin Vice President – volunteer at 149 Highland St, Worcester; make calls, hold signs, make a Pro-Life difference. 7 days a week.

MFI voter guide

Please vote for pro-life candidate Jeff Beatty for US Senator from Massachusetts. Jeff is a former Army Delta Forces (Grenada), FBI and CIA, as well as successful business owner and Pro-Life candidate Jeff Beatty. No Catholic of conscience could reasonably vote for John Kerry given his absolute defense of abortion on demand, as well as his fame as Planned Parenthood’s pocket warmer. But Jeff Beatty is not simply the other, he brings not only a Pro-Life attitude, but a can-do common sense sadly needed in our government, and he brings it at a time when John Kerry is vulnerable. Jeff Beatty needs money and volunteers. Please help and please vote for Pro-Life candidate Jeff Beatty over Planned Parenthood’s pocket warmer John Kerry.

Please vote for Nathan Bech for US Congress 1st District, who is a veteran (Afghanistan and Iraq) and Pro-Life candidate, over Planned Parenthood’s other pocket warmer (100% NARAL rating) John Olver.

Please vote for Southbridge Town Council Chairman, leader in the fight against higher property taxes, and pro-life candidate Ron Cherninsky, for MA State Rep in Southbridge, Charlton and Brookfields over neophyte darling of the abortion and homosexual lobbies, Geraldo Alicea (back stabber on Traditional marriage too).

MA State Rep in Uxbridge, Webster Please vote for Kevin Kuros over double-speaking (even when sober) current rep Paul Kujawski, who also pulled a Brutus move on Traditional Marriage supporters. Kuros accuses Kujawski of becoming an "insider."
"What is comes down to is this: Is he really in touch with his district anymore?" ask Kuros. "All signs point to his being an insider." Kuros specifically cites Kujawski's votes to not return $450 million promised to local cities and downs, to expand the buffer zone around abortion clinics, to support same-sex marriage and his vote against a Republican amendment that would have prohibited funding of "clone and kill" embryonic stem cell research. Please vote for Kevin Kuros

Please vote for Pro-Life Republican Stephen Comtois MA State Rep in 5th Worc (Brookfield, Barre, Hardwick)

Please vote for pro-family Republican Kurt Hayes for state representative in the 37th Middlesex district in Acton and Lunenburg over political insider Jen Benson, who was recently found guilty of breaking the campaign finance law.

Please vote for Paul Avella. He is a Marriage Amendment supporter, Littleton School Committee and former Air Force pilot. His opponent is Political insider, longtime Beacon Hill staffer and probable Democratic nominee from Westford.

Please vote for Sandi Martinez as a Candidate for the State Senate in the 3rd Middlesex District

Please vote for Marlborough Republican and city councilor Steven Levy for the Middlesex and Worcester state Senate seat over Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). Levy is a supporter of traditional marriage and opponent of abortion for Senate in this district that covers Littleton, Shirley and Maynard.

Please vote for Pro-Life, marriage amendment supporter Jeff Perry of Sandwich, MA for State Representative.

Please vote for Rep.Lew Evangelidis (R-Holden) who is Pro-Life and voted to defend Traditional Marriage.

For once a good choice: Pro-Family Independent Clare Freda is running for Representative against Pro-family Dennis Rosa up in Leominster.

Please Vote Mike Franco (R East Longmeadow) for Governor’s Council

Pro-Life Republican Arthur Vigeant in 4th Middlesex Marlborough, has been endorsed by Marlboro Democratic Mayor Nancy Stevens, over either of the two Democrats; "No one is more dedicated, committed and knowledgeable of our community than Arthur Vigeant. His passion for our city is unsurpassed. I look forward as mayor (to) having Arthur represent this city on Beacon Hill."
Please vote for Pro-Marriage candidate John Dwyer
Please vote for pro-marriage Rep. William Lantigua (D-Lawrence)
Vote marriage supporter incumbent Rep. Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury)
Vote Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford)
Vote Pro-Marriage Sen. Scott Brown

Please vote for Pro-Family candidate Rep. Vinny deMacedo (R-1st Plymouth)
Please vote for Pro-Family, Pro-Life Candidate for State Rep Lonnie Brennan in 18th Essex