Saint Batman?

Some insightful commentary from Fr. Raymond de Souza. He greatly expands on some of the questions I had as I watched The Dark Knight.

Heath Ledger is mesmerizing in The Dark Knight, the latest Batman film. Here in his Australian homeland, his posthumous appearance as the Joker has been a major news story for two weeks.

It's an extraordinary film, even if you are, inexplicably, unmoved by the addition of futuristic gadgets to the most reliable blockbuster combination in cinema: explosions, firearms, car chases and more explosions. This Batman comes with the bonus of some of the more combustible questions in philosophy. What is evil? Is there a moral order built into our world, or is to speak of such a moral design delusional?

This Joker does not permit us to dismiss him as delusional; he comes with an argument. This is not the maniacal buffoon of Jack Nicholson's star turn nearly 20 years ago. This Joker is diabolical.

story here

portrait from Dan Lacey at Faithmouse

Down syndrome babies aborted at a rate of 90%

This is an incalculable tragedy which displays deep ignorance of recent medical and educational trends to help such individuals lead happy, fulfilled lives. The Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act is designed to combat such ignorance, by informing parents that their special needs child has hope, there is support out there, and, if they still don't want the child, there are hundreds of families who will adopt such a baby. This bill was recently used in a political battle in the Senate, but there are still hopes of reviving it next September says the National Down Syndrome Society.
We parents of special needs children recognize that they are blessings sent from God to help get their parents to heaven. I know I am a better mother since Christina graced our lives, and I am a blogger precisely because I feel called to get this message out. I describe daily life with Christina in my blog Cause of Our Joy.
Read my recent article in the National Catholic Register on the subject of how a Catholic doctor, Dr. Jerome Lejeune, whose cause has been opened for canonization, is a special patron of children with Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome.
Servant of God, Dr. Lejeune, pray for these parents, that they have the courage to bring their babies to birth.
Read the entire article here.
HT CNA

U.S. bishops: Vote your conscience

Talk about wolves in sheep's clothing.

These NJ Bishops are doing Catholics a real disservice by being very ambiguous on how Catholics should vote.

If you think you know how the Catholic Church in the United States wants its members to vote in the presidential election this year, think again.

Single-issue voting, like simply choosing the anti-abortion candidate, is out.

Weighing each candidate's view on the entire spectrum of social issues -- including the war in Iraq, health care, housing, the plight of immigrants, as well as abortion -- is in.

"This is the most prickly point," said the Rev. Ronald J. Cioffi, director of the Office of Social Concerns for the Diocese of Trenton. "You may vote for a person who is pro-choice if you feel you have a moral reason to support the candidate for his stand on other issues."

This is a change from four years ago, said Cioffi, who noted some Catholics believed former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry shouldn't take Communion because of his abortion rights stand.

Cioffi presented an outline of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' document "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" at a meeting of about 30 staff members at the diocese's Pastoral Center yesterday.

"It's hard to find a candidate who supports all of the church's teaching," Bishop John M. Smith admitted to his staff at the meeting.

"It's a difficult time to decide how we're voting, especially this year," Smith said.

story here

Bishop refutes inaccurate article on Catholics voting with their conscience

Here are a couple of sites with reliable voting guides for Catholics:

http://www.politicalresponsibility.org

http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/

And I couldn't resist borrowing this from my friend Laura :)

Spain aborts 9 out of 10 babies with Down’s syndrome

This is what happens when a society becomes secular, and removes any reference to God. Life itself is devalued. These babies are human beings and have the right to life.

The National Association for the Defense of the Right to Conscientious Objection is deploring new data this week that indicates that 9 out every 10 babies diagnosed with Down’s syndrome are aborted by their parents in Spain.

General coordinator of the Association, Jose Antonio Diez, said that in 94.5% of the cases that a prenatal diagnosis indicates the presence of Down’s syndrome, the baby is aborted.

He said such diagnoses are often used to “eliminate children with more or less serious defects. The doctor is not free to offer alternatives,” and for this reason many parents are now conscientiously objecting to prenatal diagnosis that is not intended for medical treatment, Diez said.

story here

another abortion tragedy:

South Korea Ends Ban on Saying Baby's Gender to Stop Sex-Selection Abortions

Animals in the news :)

Golden retriever adopts tiger cubs at Kansas zoo

44-pound cat set to appear on 2 talk shows

From Letterman's Top Ten:

Top Ten Signs Your Cat is Too Fat

10. Instead of "meow," says "moo"
9. Takes 3 days to lick himself
8. Always stuck in the cat door
7. Has nine lives and ten chins
6. He has had more heart attacks than Dick Cheney
5. Have to get special extra-large flea collars from "Big & Tall Feline"
4. Instead of yarn ball, plays with meatball - wow, that is one fat cat
3. Only thing he's curious about is when Domino's stops delivering
2. When he goes outside, people say, "Can I get your autograph, Mr. Gore?"
1. Next month, he's doing a full hour with Dr. Phil

Sen. McCain holds private meeting with Archbishop Chaput

My favorite Presidential candidate meets with one of my favorite Bishops. I like the way McCain reaches out to Catholics.

Senator John McCain is paying his second visit to Colorado in less than a week and on this trip he is taking time to meet privately with Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver.

After arriving in Denver on Tuesday, Sen. McCain spoke at a 6:25 p.m. fundraiser at the Cherry Hills Village home of investor Charlie Gallagher.


At 9:30 on Wednesday morning, John McCain and his wife Cindy met with Denver’s Archbishop Charles Chaput. The archbishop described the meeting as private and told CNA that no comment would be forthcoming.

story here

Barack Obama's Potential Running Mates All Pro-Abortion, Pro-Life Group Says

More reason for Catholics to not support Obama.

Several names have been bandied about in political circles as potential vice-presidential running mates for pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama. However, a leading pro-life Catholic group says all of the people mentioned thus far are strong abortion activists. Of course...he'll never choose a pro-lifer.

Brian Burch, the president of the national Catholic based advocacy group Fidelis, tells LifeNews.com that a pro-abortion running mate will solidify the decision by most Catholic voters to oppose Obama. Works for me :)

“The choice of a pro-abortion Catholic for vice president would deal a major blow to any efforts by the Obama campaign to reach out to Catholic voters," he said.

story here

Pro-abortion Catholic as Obama VP pick would be a mistake, group says

From Letterman's Top Ten

Top Ten Signs Barack Obama is Overconfident

10. Proposed bill to change Oklahoma to "Oklobama"
9. Offered Bush 20 bucks for the "Mission Accomplished" banner
8. Asked guy at Staples, "Which chair will work best in an oval-shaped office?"
7. The affair with Barbara Walters
6. Having head measured for Mount Rushmore
5. Guy sits around eating soup all day
4. He's voting for Nader
3. Offered McCain a job in gift shop at Obama Presidential Library
2. Announced his running mate will be Andy Dick
1. Been cruising for chicks with John Edwards

Vatican official: Anglican Communion must stay true to Scriptures

There continues to be the threat of a schism in the Anglican church. If there is, I hope the traditional members will "swim the Tiber" and come home to the Catholic Church.

The Anglican Communion needs to find a way to affirm the dignity of all people and encourage the active role of women in the church while remaining faithful to the Christian tradition and Scriptures, said Cardinal Walter Kasper.

The cardinal, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, spoke July 30 at a session for bishops attending the Anglican Communion's Lambeth Conference, which is held once every 10 years, in England.

Offering "Roman Catholic Reflections on the Anglican Communion," the cardinal told the bishops he spoke "as a friend" representing a church committed to dialogue with Anglicans and praying that the Anglican Communion does not split as a result of differences over ordaining women and over homosexuality.

story here

Anglican Communion establishes Pastoral Forum to prevent break up

In hopes of preventing a total schism in the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has set up a new group with the power to punish Anglican churches that break rules on ordaining homosexual clergy and blessing same-sex “marriages.” The group, called the Pastoral Forum, will also have the power to discipline traditionalist churches that cross provincial borders to ordain bishops in other provinces.

The Windsor Continuation Group, which was formed to consider questions of Anglican unity, proposed the Pastoral Forum in a document released on Monday.

Traditional Anglican archbishop praying for efforts to reunite with Rome

An exchange of letters between Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Archbishop John Hepworth, Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion shows warming relations between the two Churches as they begin to consider proposals for corporate reunion.

Archbishop Hepworth, writing in the Messenger Journal, has announced that he has responded to a letter “of warmth and encouragement” he received on July 25 from Cardinal Levada. The archbishop said the entire Traditional Anglican Communion should be encouraged by Cardinal Levada’s letter, which was written to assure the archbishop that the Congregation is giving “serious attention” to the “prospect of corporate unity” raised in a 2007 letter from the Anglican primate.

Janet Rivera's Family Can Make Medical Decisions, Won't be Euthanasia Victim

A victory for life :) In the article Linked below, it is explained that her husband experienced medical problems, which is why the court appointed a guardian. That makes no sense, because she has family that believes in life and wants to care for her.

In a significant legal victory, a California court has allowed the family of Janet Rivera to resume making her medical decisions. As a result, the incapacitated woman will not become another euthanasia victim and have her food and water taken away like Terri Schiavo.

Rivera was deprived of food and water for 8 days after a court-appointed guardian removed her feeding tube despite her family's wishes when he won the right to make her medical decisions. Why? That amazes me...how can one person have the right to say "starve that person"? How has life become so devalued?

The 46-year-old had a heart attack on February 2006 and she never regained consciousness.

After a hearing today in the Fresno County Superior Court, the family of patient Janet Rivera was reinstated as her conservator. Rivera's cousin sought conservatorship so Janet's care can be administered in a life-affirming manner.

The court ruled that Rivera's cousin, Suzanne Emrich, temporarily replaces the public guardian who made the decision a few weeks ago to deprive Rivera of food and water.

story here

Court Protects California Woman from Schiavo-like Death by Dehydration

Chinese government forces hotels to install internet spying tools

I've been reading a lot about China's "preparations" for the Olympics, such as this:

China dumps gold medallists from Olympics 'for political reasons'

China using Olympics as 'pretext' for crackdown: Amnesty

China tightens security in iconic Tiananmen Square

I look at stories like this, plus China's poor human rights record, plus the 1 Child policy and forced abortions, and I have reconsidered my opinion on boycotting the Olympics. The U.S. should absolutely boycott the Olympics.


Although the Olympics are meant to be a time of celebration and athletic competition, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) produced evidence today that Chinese authorities are planning to spy on visitors’ internet usage.

Documents obtained by CNA from Sen. Brownback’s office, show that the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) is requiring hotels to install a software program called the “Security Management System” and a hardware device, both of which will allow the PSB to monitor the use of the internet by their patrons.

Hotels and other companies who charge for internet usage were told to have the software component installed by April 28, 2008 and to have the hardware functional by July 31, 2008 or face fines from the PSB.

Those who refuse to comply with the orders will be fined $730 for individuals and $2,200 for a company. Serious violations, the notice mandating the installations warns, will result in a suspension of access to the internet or the cancellation of the company’s business license.

story here

Preparing for the Olympics … the Jesuit way

IOC agrees to Internet blocking at the Games

Congress Approves Resolution Asking China to Stop Forced Abortion Campaign

Newsflash: Not for Wimps

cross-posted from Catholic Media Review

Cheryl Dickow discusses Teresa Tomeo's latest book Newsflash!, which is an autobiography.

Newsflash! is Teresa’s powerful testimony, in which she shares her public and private tragedies and triumphs. Like Archbishop Chaput’s message, Teresa’s isn’t for the faint of heart: she calls each and every Catholic to live out his or her baptismal vows in a more conscientious way. As Teresa pointedly admits, “Being a Catholic isn’t for wimps!”

Teresa begins by sharing a key event behind the telling of her story: the suicide death of a friend and former colleague. Teresa then takes her reader behind the scenes of the life of glitz and glamour that is secular television, to give the reader a sense of what this dear sister-in-Christ had experienced. Once behind the scene, Teresa tells of her own very public fall from fame, when she was unceremoniously fired as a secular anchor, and then the ensuing road to recognizing and accepting God’s graces.

story here

Possible Barack Obama Running Mate Tim Kaine Not Pro-Life, Backs Abortion

No surprise here...there is no way Obama would pick a pro-life running mate. I'm going to make a prediction here....I suspect the liberal media will try to portray Kaine, or whoever Obama picks, as pro-life, just as they try to hide the fact that Obama is an ardent pro-abort. They know that the majority of Americans oppose abortion.

The talk around the water coolers these days concerns who Barack Obama and John McCain will pick as their running mates. Leading pundits say Virginia governor Tim Kaine is high on Obama's list and some say he can help Obama overcome his extreme pro-abortion views.

A Tuesday Washington Post report indicates Kaine has had "very serious" conversations with Obama about joining the Democratic ticket and "ranks very, very high on the short list" according to sources close to the process.

Kaine virtues include the fact that he's not a Beltway politician and won a gubernatorial race in a state where Republicans have dominated the presidential landscape recently.

Some observers have suggested that Kaine is pro-life on abortion and could take away votes from Senator McCain, who strongly opposes abortion. But that's just not the case.

story here

Obama Should Think Twice About Gov. Kaine as VP

Here's some good news:

New Gallup Poll: John McCain Leading Barack Obama Among Likely Voters

From Letterman's Top Ten

Top Ten Ways John McCain Can Appear More Youthful


10. Campaign in a batsuit

9. Instead of Lincoln, pepper speech with quotes from Broday Jenner

8. Get his Miracle Ear pierced

7. Stop yelling at reporters to get off his lawn

6. Play breakdancing vice principal in "High School Musical 3"

5. Take a page from Jason Giambi and grow a cool moustache

4.Wrestle a gator

3. Change name of "Straight Talk Express" to "J-Dawg's Booty Wagon"

2. Stop promising a Packard in every garage and a goose in every icebox

1. Never hurts to nail a few interns

Archbishop Burke to dedicate new national shrine for Our Lady of Guadalupe

Archbishop Raymond Burke is flying back from Rome to dedicate the new Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe this coming Thursday, the sixth anniversary of the canonization of Guadalupe visionary St. Juan Diego. The shrine, near the western Wisconsin town of La Salle, is to be a pilgrimage destination for the faithful where they can show their devotion to the Virgin Mary under her title Patroness of the Americas.



Shrine project architect Michael Swinghamer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the church is in the style of 17th-century Italianate Renaissance design. Its interior seats 450 and features Italian artwork, a 54-rank organ, Italian marble, and a mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe positioned behind a marble-columned canopy over the altar.

The turquoise dome bears stars in the pattern of the night sky near Mexico City in 1531, when the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Juan Diego. The turquoise is the same color as Mary’s mantle in the miraculous image made on Juan Diego’s cloak, which is known as a tilma.

story here

cross-posted on Saints for All Times

Dozens of medical professionals attest that personhood begins at conception for state amendment

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it is great to see progress on this. Declaring an unborn baby a person could be key to overturning Roe v. Wade. On the other hand, it is distressing that we need an amendment to declare a person, a person.

Colorado for Equal Rights, an organization backing a measure on the Colorado ballot that would define a person in the state’s Constitution as “any human being from the moment of fertilization,” has released a list of over 70 physicians and pharmacists from around the United States who agree that a person includes any human from the moment of conception.

"We are honored to have received these endorsements from such respected physicians," stated Kristi Burton, head of Colorado for Equal Rights. "Science clearly proves that life begins at the time of fertilization. We are secure in the fact that we have science and reason on our side, and we are pleased to have the medical community supporting our efforts."

"As support for Amendment 48 accumulates, we are very encouraged as we get closer to November's election," Burton said. "Every human life should be protected, and the endorsements we continue to receive prove that our easy to understand amendment is one that all Coloradans can support."

The group needed to collect 76,000 signatures to put the amendment on the ballot in November and succeeded in doing so on May 31 with 103,000 signatures.

story here

Colorado Abortion-Personhood Amendment Gets Backing of 70 Physicians

This American Life League Video tells about the ballot in humorous fashion.

Court Orders that Pro-Homosexual Proselytism by Students be Permitted in Schools

I have one question: If these students were wearing Catholic or Christian T-Shirts, would they be this protected by the court?

A judge in Holmes County, Florida, has ruled that the school board cannot forbid students from "wearing or displaying t-shirts, armbands, stickers, or buttons containing messages and symbols which advocate the acceptance of and fair treatment for persons who are homosexual."

The case that led to the ruling surrounded incidents at Ponce de Leon High School in Holmes County. According to court documents, a 12th grade student - called "Jane Doe" by the court - went to school officials last year to complain that she was being taunted by a group of middle schools students because of her homosexuality.

The complaint was passed on to the school's principal, David Davis, who met with the student after school on September 10, 2007. Davis allegedly questioned Doe about her sexual orientation, and in the process told her that it was "wrong" to be a homosexual. Davis also stated his intention to inform Doe's parents that she was a homosexual. I strongly disgree with that ..threatening to "out" someone is not the way to encourage them to leave the SSA lifestyle...they should be prayed for, and set a good example.

story here

A Litte Monday Humor

Vatican approves new English translation for Mass

Vatican has given formal approval to a new English translation of the central prayers of the Mass for use in the United States.

In a June 23 letter of Bishop Arthur Serratelli, the chairman of the US bishops' liturgy committee, the Congregation for Divine Worship announces its recognitio for the translation, which had already won the approval of the US bishops' conference, despite strong protests from some liberal prelates. LOL...that figures

The new translation adheres more closely to the Latin of the Roman Missal. Since the 2001 publication of Liturgiam Authenticam, the instruction on the proper translation of liturgical texts, the Vatican has pressed for more faithful translations of the official Latin texts.

Here are some of the changes:

At the Consecration, the priest will refer to Christ's blood which is "poured out for you and for many"-- an accurate translation of pro multis-- rather than "for all" in the current translation.

In the Nicene Creed the opening word, Credo, will be correctly translated as "I believe" rather than "we believe."

When the priest says, "The Lord be with you," the faithful respond, "And with your spirit," rather than simply, "And also with you."

In the Eucharistic prayer, references to the Church will use the pronouns "she" and "her" rather than "it."

In the Agnus Dei, the text cites the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world," rather than using the singular word "sin."

In the preferred form of the penitential rite, the faithful will acknowledge that they have sinned "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."

Throughout the translation of the Offertory and Eucharistic Prayer, the traditional phrases of supplication are restored, and the Church is identified as "holy"-- in each case, matching the Latin original of the Roman Missal.

story here

Vatican approves new English translations for constant parts of Mass

Planned Parenthood Ad Blasting John McCain on Contraception is False

Of course it is.

That's the only way they can advance their abortion agenda., through lies. The more they attack McCain, the more I will support him.

Planned Parenthood thought it had an excellent television ad against John McCain when it pieced together footage of the pro-life presidential candidate saying he wasn't sure if health insurance plans that cover Viagra should also cover birth control for women.

The abortion business is running the commercial in several battleground states.

"John McCain is out of touch when it comes to women's health care," Cecile Richards, president of the pro-abortion group, said at the time the group released the ad.

"Birth control is basic health care for women. But, John McCain ducked a straightforward question about whether he thinks insurance companies should cover birth control, like they do Viagra," she said.

However, it appears Planned Parenthood is ducking the facts.

The FactCheck organization at the University of Pennsylvania conducted background research on the ad and found Planned Parenthood's own numbers refute the ad's claims.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, revealed in a 2004 report that "86% of the plans that insurance companies typically wrote for employers covered the full range of approved reversible contraceptive methods."

story here

Holy Father meets with prime minister of Iraq

I was pretty happy to read this. It's been a disappointing couple of weeks for the Iraqis.
First, the Iraqi youth couldn't go to World Youth Day, because Australia wouldn't give them visas, (they had their own WYD in Iraq) and now the International Olympic Commitee has banned the Iraqi athletes from the Olympics.



Today at Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father met with Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri Kamel Al-Maliki. During the course of their meeting, Pope Benedict stressed the need to end violence in the country, and received an invitation to visit Iraq.

According to a press release from the Vatican, their discussion, “provided an opportunity to examine a number of fundamental aspects of the situation in Iraq,” and its surrounding region.

The heads of stated focused on the struggles of the “many Iraqi refugees, both inside and outside the country, who are in need of assistance, also with a view to their hoped-for return.”

“Renewed condemnation was expressed for the violence that continues to hit various parts of the country almost daily, not sparing the Christian communities which strongly feel the need for greater security.”

story here

Iraqi Reps Beg IOC: ‘Let Our Athletes Play’

Israeli paper publishes Obama Western Wall prayer

I had a feeling someone would retrieve his prayer after he placed it in the wall.




Sounds like a nice prayer, but killing babies by abortion is NOT God's will, so you might want to start with that...

story here

UPDATE:

Yeshiva student returns Obama's Kotel note

This video shows the note being taken:

John Paul II Foundation for Sports to be unveiled at the Vatican

On July 28, the John Paul II Foundation for Sports will be introduced during a press conference at the Marconi Hall at Vatican Radio’s headquarters. The new foundation’s mission will involve the organization of a three-year program of national and international sporting events focused on promoting the dignity of the human person, especially among young people.

According to the SIR news agency, the president of the new institution, Edio Costantini, said, “The creation of the foundation and the beginning of its activities coincides, not by coincidence, with the Pauline Year. In his letters, St. Paul often referred to the Christian life as an athletic race that, in the end, would be awarded with an incorruptible crown.”

Bishop Carlo Mazza of Fidenza, the honorary president of the Foundation, and Bishop Josef Clemens, the secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, will be present at the ceremony.

The John Paul II Foundation for Sports will be headquartered on the Via della Conciliazione, which is directly in front of St. Peter’s Square.

story here

He ventured forth to bring light to the world

An excellent parody of the "Messiah" image Obama tries to project. And it sounds like Gerard Baker is no fan of Bush either :)



And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organisation with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: “Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?”

In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary (LOL... I still want her to "shake up" the convention!), wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.


And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

story here

New Poll Shows John McCain Making Comeback in Key Battleground States

It looks like Obama's "campaign trip" to the Middle East and Europe is not helping him as much as expected...maybe he forgot they can't vote in an American election :)

Temperatures are higher in the heat of the summer but a new poll shows the presidential race is also getting hotter as a new survey shows John McCain catching up in key battleground states. A new Wall St. Journal poll finds McCain faring better in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The biggest gain for McCain comes in the state of Minnesota, which will play host to the Republican convention in September where McCain will officially become the GOP nominee.

Obama held a 17-point advantage in June but McCain has closed the gap and now trails by only two percent.

story here

FOX News Poll: No Bounce for Obama From Overseas Trip

Obama Worse than Clintons on Abortion Says National Right to Life Leader: Interview

Obama is the most radical pro-abort to ever run for President...even more than Hillary.

LifeSiteNews.com sat down with Brian Johnston, Western Director for the National Right to Life Committee for an interview yesterday, in which Johnston stressed that current Democratic Presidential candidate Barak Hussein Obama is even more radical on abortion than Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

"Right now at this moment in history the one thing that in the United States of America every citizen can impact is the destiny of our nation," began Johnston. "And that is through the Presidential race. The next President is likely going to place two Supreme Court Justices."

"The enduring legacy of the presidency is in fact the justices that they leave. A lot of people didn't like George Bush's position but National Right to Life supported Bush. He was committed to justices which would uphold the constitution as written and by extension overturn Roe, and he actually kept those promises. In the current situation John McCain has said the same thing."

Johnston noted further that Obama, "when he spoke to Planned Parenthood, promised that his first official act would be to sign FOCA into law." FOCA is the Freedom of Choice Act which would eliminate any state law limiting abortion, including partial birth abortion. This is the most radical pro-abort legislation this country has seen since Roe v. Wade was decided.

story here




Barack Obama's Pledge to Overturn Every Pro-Life Abortion Law One Year Old

New documentary to highlight 40 Days for Life pro-life campaign

40 Days for Life is one of the most successful pro-life campaigns

A new documentary about the 40 Days for Life campaign, which involves educational outreach, personal prayer and fasting, and prayer vigils at abortion clinics, is scheduled to air on Friday. The program, titled “beingHUMAN: 40 Days for Life II,” will interview volunteers, national leaders, and former abortionists.

The documentary, which was filmed by the award winning director David Bereit, is the second in the beingHuman series and will help launch the Fall 40 Days for Life campaign.

The campaign is scheduled to last from September 24 through November 2.
David Bereit, the national campaign director of 40 Days for Life, described the new documentary in a press release.

“It focuses on the stories and successes that prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil have accomplished through 40 Days for Life campaigns that have now spread across the country and around the globe," said Bereit. "This show is a great opportunity to get people in communities across the nation involved in this initiative."

story here

Atheist Professor Follows Through on Promise and Desecrates Eucharist

I'm not sure I believe this. If he was so eager to desecrate the body of Christ, and the Koran publicly...why wouldn't he have posted a video or picture?
Didn't he want "much fanfare"? This guy is so full of hate and anger, it is pathetic.

Catholics around the world were outraged earlier this month when an American academic exhorted his readers on his weblog to steal a consecrated Host from a Catholic Mass so that he might then desecrate it. Despite protests from Catholic organisations and hundreds of individuals contacting him personally, Professor Paul Zachary Myers has written that he has carried through with his threat.

A biology professor at the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM) and the author of the science blog Pharyngula, Myers is an avowed materialist atheist of the Darwinian school. On his blog he frequently writes disparagingly of religious belief, particularly Christian belief and is a member of the academic cadre opposed to the teaching of Intelligent Design in American schools.

story here

Today Myers wrote on his 'blog, "Yes, the sad little cracker has met its undignified end, so stop pestering me. The cracker, the Koran, and another surprise entry have been violated and are gone. The cracker, the koran, and another surprise entry have been violated and are gone. You'll have to wait until tomorrow for the details, what little of them there are."

http://www.morris.umn.edu/directories/personnel/Paul_Myers.html

My earlier post on this:

http://acatholicview.blogspot.com/2008/07/minnesota-prof-pledges-to-desecrate.html

UPDATE:
He did post a picture. I will not post it on this blog. You can see it HERE.

Please pray for this disturbed individual.

Muslim ‘warriors’ threaten harm if Catholic bishop does not convert to Islam

From the "Religion of Peace"

A Catholic bishop in the southern Philippines’ Basilan province has received a letter from self-described “Muslim warriors” possibly linked to Abu Sayyaf who are threatening him with harm if he does not convert to Islam or pay “Islamic taxes.” Further, authorities are seeking the return of three adults and two children, all Catholics, who were kidnapped in the same area this week.

On July 19 Bishop Martin Jumoad of Isabela sent a copy of the threatening letter to Church-run Radio Veritas in Quezon City, UCA News reports. Bishop Jumoad told UCA News that a student at Claret College in Isabela was told to give the letter to the school secretary who could pass it along to the bishop.

story here

"Muslim warriors" threaten bishop in Philippines

Pope Benedict XVI's Agenda Through October

If you'd like to follow the activities of the Holy Father, Here is his schedule through October. From Zenit.

Following his 10-day international trip to Australia, Benedict XVI is spending the rest of the week at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, some 19 miles south of Rome.

The Pope will receive Iraq's prime minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, at the summer residence on Friday. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pontiff's secretary of state, will also receive the prime minister.

On Sunday the Holy Father will pray the Angelus from the courtyard at Castel Gandolfo.

From July 28 to Aug. 11, Benedict XVI will have a time of rest at the seminary of Bressanone, a city of 20,000 inhabitants located in the Italian province of Bolzano, in the Alpine region of Trentino-Alto Adige.
Though his stay there is for vacation, it is rumored that he will use the time to work on a third encyclical and the second part of his book, "Jesus of Nazareth."

During this period, the Holy Father is scheduled to hold just two public meetings: the praying of the Angelus on Aug. 3 and 10.

Upon the Pope's return to Castel Gandolfo, the general audiences will resume, with the first being held Wednesday, Aug. 13.

On Aug. 15 the Pontiff will preside at the Mass of the Assumption of Mary at St. Thomas of Villanueva in the town of Castel Gandolfo.

On Sept. 7, Benedict XVI will travel to Sardinia, Italy, to preside at the closing celebrations in Cagliari marking the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of Our Lady of Bonaria as patroness of the island.

The Pope will travel to France in September for his 10th international trip.

During a recent press conference, Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, emphasized the importance of the Sept. 12-15 visit, as it will be an opportunity for Catholics "to further their participation in the life of the Church," and to discover her universal dimension.

Benedict XVI will visit French President Nicholas Sarkozy at the Élysée Palace in Paris and will deliver an address to cultural leaders at Bernardins College in Paris.

In Lourdes the Pope will preside at celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions there.

From Oct. 5-26, the Pontiff will attend the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in the Vatican and focus on the theme: "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church."

cross-posted on Saints for All Times

Holy Moses! PBS documentary suggests Exodus not real

Once again, secularists take it upon themselvs to rewrite our faith.

Abraham didn't exist? The Exodus didn't happen?

The Bible's Buried Secrets, a new PBS documentary, is likely to cause a furor.

"It challenges the Bible's stories if you want to read them literally, and that will disturb many people," says archaeologist William Dever, who specializes in Israel's history. "But it explains how and why these stories ever came to be told in the first place, and how and why they were written down."

The Nova program will premiere Nov. 18. PBS presented a clip and a panel discussion at the summer tour of the Television Critics Association.

The program says the Bible was written in the sixth century BC and that hundreds of authors contributed.

"At least the first five books of the Bible come together during the Babylonian exile," says producer Gary Glassman.

The program challenges long-held beliefs. Abraham, Sarah and their offspring probably didn't exist, says Carol Meyers, a religion professor at Duke University.

"These stories are unlikely to represent real historical events, but rather there's some kernel of ancient experience in there which has survived and which helps give identity to the people at the time the Bible finally took shape centuries and centuries later," Meyers says.

cross-posted on Catholic Media Review

story here

New Abortion-Adverse "Christian" Group Endorses Barack Obama, Runs Ads

This is just an Obama PAC., trying to make everyone forget how much he supports abortion, and how liberal he is.

From the website:
The Matthew 25 Network is a Federal Political Action Committee (PAC). Not authorized or paid for by any candidate or candidate's committee.

A new political group that claims to be a Christian organization has endorsed pro-abortion presidential candidate Barack Obama. The Matthew 25 Network plans to run ads for Obama on Christian radio stations and in newspapers and magazines that appeal to Christians.

The object is to try to pry away evangelical voters from supporting John McCain, who has already received the endorsement of a number of evangelical and Catholic groups and leaders.

Mara Vanderslice, the head of the political action committee, told the Wall St. Journal the group plans to spend $500,000 in advertising for Obama between now and the November elections. Sounds pretty well-funded for a Christian group.

story here

Barack Obama's Pledge to Overturn Every Pro-Life Abortion Law One Year Old

'View' Host Sherri Shepherd: 'I Had More Abortions Than I Would Like to Count'

What a sad, tragic story. I disagreed with both Sherri and Whoopi, when they argued on the "View" that it was okay for Black people to use the "N" word. I think it is very wrong for anyone to use it.

"The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd had a low point in her life when she was "sleeping with a lot of guys and had more abortions than I would like to count," she told Precious Times.

Shepherd, 41, also told the black Christian women's magazine that "my sister was heavy into drugs, and we would have to go and get her from crack houses. I felt if someone killed me, it wouldn't even make a difference."

It wasn't until converting to Christianity that the talk show host found her way. It is wonderful how God works in our lives.

story here

The View Co-Host Sherri Shepherd Talks About Her Numerous Abortions

South Dakota Law Goes Into Effect: Women Must be Told They Are "Terminating the Life of a Whole Separate, Unique Living Human Being"

I wish this law was National and International.

This past Friday, a law mandating that South Dakota's physicians tell all women seeking an abortion that they are "terminating the life of a whole separate, unique living human being" went into effect.

Though the state law was passed in 2005, Planned Parenthood successfully challenged the legislation in the courts, causing a preliminary injunction to be established that prevented the law from being put into effect.

That injunction, however, expired on Friday, and now all physicians performing abortions at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls - the state's only acknowledged abortuary - must present the client with the specific language as it has been formulated by law. A woman must certify in writing that she understands no earlier than two hours before the procedure is conducted (Slevin, Washington Post, 7/20).

The law also mandates that a woman who seeks an abortion must be told that she is willingly putting herself at a higher risk of suicide and depression and that in choosing to end the life of her child she is terminating an 'existing relationship' that is protected by the US constitution and that her "existing constitutional rights with regards to that relationship will be terminated." If we can acknowledge that, why can't we just scrap Roe v Wade and end abortion altogether?

BTW... The picture in this post on the left is a baby in the womb...this is what pro-aborts call a "tissue mass",

story here

An AMAZING video from National Geographic:

Pro-Life Groups May Sue Over Abortion Protest Limits at Democratic Convention

Obama has a problem. The pro-abort presumptive nominee, who has been "playing President" during his campaign trip, will have pro-life protesters at his nomination. BTW, I am hoping that Hillary will "shake things up" at the convention! :)

During the Democratic convention, pro-life groups have asked Denver officials to give them a commitment to conduct a prayer vigil at the Pepsi Center before the event. Because they haven't received assurances the event will go on unhindered they are considering filing a lawsuit this week.

The groups, including the Christian Defense Coalition, Survivors, Operation Rescue and others, sent a letter to City Attorney David Fine threatening a lawsuit if they don't receive a response by Friday.

The event calls for encircling the Pepsi Center, a large stadium used for sporting events, with hundreds of Christians.

They would be "kneeling in prayer around the Pepsi Center and leaving roses to remember the children that have died from abortion and the women that have been bruised and diminished" the letter says.

story here

Hopefully, at some point, this group will play a larger role in the Democrat party:

http://www.democratsforlife.org/

Pro-life groups still waiting for City of Denver’s approval for DNC vigil

Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' dies at 84

"The Golden Girls" was a funny show, and she was one of the funniest characters.

rest in peace, Estelle.

Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985 as the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on TV's "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 84.

Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.

"She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived."

"The Golden Girls," featuring four female retirees sharing a house in Miami, grew out of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff's belief that television was ignoring its older viewers.


story here

Here is a tribute from her 84th birthday.

UCF Student Senator Who Took A Eucharist From A Catholic Mass Is Impeached

I am very glad about this result. It is good to hear that UCF will not support someone stealing what others consider Sacred.

U. Central Florida's student government association impeached student senator Webster Cook Thursday in a33-2-0 vote after allegations he was involved in an altercation at a Catholic Mass on campus.

The vote signals the start of a two to four-week investigation by the Legislative, Judicial and Rules Committee. After the investigation, the Senate will hold another meeting and vote whether or not to remove Cook from his elected position.

The impeachment will have no effect on Cook's status as a student wrote Dustin Robinson, service and public relations chairman for SGA, in a release.

"The Student Government Association does not have the ability to expel Webster Cook, this is a power given solely to the Student Conduct Board," Robinson wrote.

Sen. Cook was not present at the meeting where he was impeached.

At the beginning of the meeting, Speaker Brian Peterson gave a report on the matter to the Senate.

"Let me begin by addressing an issue that's recently received a great deal of attention and cast a negative light on our efforts within the Student Government," Peterson said. "The situation involving Senator Cook and the Catholic Campus Ministry is an isolated event and one that has interfered with our true purpose."

My original post on this issue.

Cardinal Rigali defends conscience protections for pro-life health workers

One of my favorite Cardinals speaking out to support pro-lifers.

Cardinal Justin Rigali has written a letter to all members of the U.S. Congress defending conscience protections for pro-life health care workers. According to the cardinal, due to a lack of executive action some institutions may be violating conscience protection laws “without even knowing it.”

Cardinal Rigali, who is Archbishop of Philadelphia and Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, wrote the July 18 letter in response to a New York Times article about a draft proposal requiring that any program run or funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must certify that it will not refuse to hire nurses and other healthcare workers who object to abortion and abortifacient contraceptives.

News of the proposal prompted criticism from abortion rights supporters. On Friday Sen. Hillary Clinton said the draft was a "gratuitous, unnecessary insult" to women. Um..you've got that backwards Hillary...abortion is the "gratuitous, unnecessary insult" to women.

story here

Hillary Clinton Opposes Bush Plan to Protect Pro-Life Doctors on Abortion

McCain and Obama to make joint campaign appearance at Rick Warren’s Church

The presumptive presidential nominees for the Republican and Democratic parties, Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, respectively, will make a joint appearance on August 16 at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion at Saddleback Church. The 22,000-member mega church, pastored by Dr. Rick Warren, is located in Orange County, California.

Dr. Warren made the announcement on Monday, saying in a statement:

“We're honored that the candidates chose The Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion for their first joint appearance, an unprecedented opportunity for America to hear both men back-to-back on the same platform. This is a critical time for our nation and the American people deserve to hear both candidates speak from the heart - without interruption - in a civil and thoughtful format absent the partisan 'gotcha' questions that typically produce heat instead of light.”

The presidential primaries proved that Americans “care deeply about the faith, values, character and leadership convictions of candidates as much as they do about the issues,” Warren said.

story here

Pro-Life Groups Want McCain, Obama to Talk Abortion at Evangelical Forum

From Letterman's Top Ten:

Top Ten Questions Asked of Barack Obama on His Trip Overseas

10. "Which countries do you plan to invade based on faulty intelligence?"
9. "Seriously, why the hell do you want this job?"
8. "Are you looking for a great deal on a used camel?"
7. "If you want to visit a war zone, how about the Alex Rodriguez marriage?"
6. "So is Lindsay Lohan actually dating that chick?"
5. "Can you explain the 'feels like' number?"
4. "How many Obamas still living in Ireland?"
3. "If you're elected, will you be an entertaining dumb-a** like Bush?"
2. "Can you do anything about Andy Dick?"
1. "Do you know Batman?"

Court tosses FCC 'wardrobe malfunction' fine

This must be a judicial "malfunction".. They seem to be saying that unexpected nudity is okay.

A federal appeals court on Monday threw out a $550,000 indecency fine against CBS Corp. for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show that ended with Janet Jackson's breast-baring "wardrobe malfunction."

The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine for the fleeting image of nudity.

The 90 million people watching the Super Bowl, many of them children, heard Justin Timberlake sing, "Gonna have you naked by the end of this song," as he reached for Jackson's bustier.

The court found that the FCC deviated from its nearly 30-year practice of fining indecent broadcast programming only when it was so "pervasive as to amount to 'shock treatment' for the audience." Baring a breast during the Superbowl is not shocking? I had a Superbowl party that year, and my friend was there with her 5 and 8 year-old boys. Since no one expected nudity during the Superbowl, we were all pretty "shocked", as millions of people were.

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In Plain Sight -Don of the Dead

cross-posted from Catholic Media Review

Warning: contains episode spoilers

I happen to like a few of the series on USA Network, including "In Plain Sight", about an agent, Mary Shannon, in the Witness Protection Program. Last night's (7/20) episode, was"Don of the Dead". It opened with a married Catholic couple, Don and Ruth, meeting with a priest, because they really can't stand each other anymore, and they really don't meet the conditions necessary for an annulment. They also witness the murder of that priest, which is why they are now in the Witsec program.

Together, they started, and continue to run, a soup kitchen. They stay together because they feel that it was God's will that they were married, and Ruth won't divorce, and they can't get an annulment.

When Mary is questioning why they didn't just divorce, she reveals that she too is Catholic, which was never mentioned on the show.

When Don is found dead, Ruth's true feelings are revealed: she really did love him. After it is discovered that the deceased was an alcoholic, Mary finds out that Don is not really dead. In the end, he decides to remain "dead" to give Ruth a chance to find real happiness. He says "she deserves it".

I was struck by Ruth's faithfulness to the Catholic Church and Catholic teaching. Both Ruth and Dan seem to be very good people who live Christian lives. They cared for eachother more than they realized.


If you'd like to see this episode, you can see it online at the site below.

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/inplainsight/

Women 'priests' to pressure Catholic church

Some "Grannies gone wild", wasting their time pretending to be priests, which they will never be.

An activist group (dissenters) hoping to pressure the Roman Catholic church (never happen) into dropping its long-standing prohibition of female priests says it ordained three women on Sunday.

The group known as Roman Catholic Womenpriests held the ceremony in defiance of the church at the Church of the Covenant, a Protestant Church in Boston.

The Archdiocese of Boston condemned the ceremony. The Vatican has warned that women taking part in ordination ceremonies will be excommunicated.

"Catholics who attempt to confer a sacred order on a woman, and the women who attempt to receive a sacred order, are by their own actions separating themselves from the church," the archdiocese said in a statement. Not only are they NOT priests, they are barred from the sacraments.


From the Catechism:

1577 "Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination." The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry. The college of bishops, with whom the priests are united in the priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ's return. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.

story here

Vatican decrees excommunication for participation in 'ordination' of women

Church in Boston: Women-Priest Group Not Catholic

WYD highlights: Over 4000 U.S gather for Mass

The largest ever gathering of US pilgrims at a WYD festival was held yesterday morning at The Domain, one of Sydney’s landmark parks for WYD08. In his homily, Cardinal George spoke of the freedom in surrendering to Christ.

An initiative of the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops, the gathering involved a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Francis George, OMI, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and attended by approximately 35 bishops, 40 priests and approximately 4,500 U.S pilgrims.

Music for the Mass was led by musicians from Oregon Catholic Press and World Library Publications.



Cardinal George’s homily spoke of the Church’s mission and the freedom gained in surrendering to Christ.

“The mission of the Church is to help people be free,” he told the pilgrims.

story here

Here's a video of WYD highlights from Catholic News Agency: